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Bon Iver - Re:Stacks
"This is not the sound of a new man
Or a crispy realization
It's the sound of me unlocking and you lift away
Your love will be
Safe with me."
1990, somewhere near New York:
HOLDEN WAS EXCITED. When Allison told him she was in labor about to give birth he was ecstatic. Roza had died not so long ago and now her grandchild is going to be born and Holden couldn't wait but to love her as his own.
He didn't care when Allison told him not to come because her husband would be confused as to who he was and why he was there but he didn't listen. To see his dearest friend's child give birth made him feel worthy to live.
Allison was never close to Holden but she respected him because he was her mom's best friend for so many years. Her husband, on the other hand, was annoyed and clearly in a need to get him out. "I served, sir," he said as he, Holden and Allison who kept panting from contractions were all in the hospital room, minutes away from Allison finally giving birth.
"That's good to hear," Holden smiled sarcastically as Allison rolled her eyes angrily and called her husband to get back to her. Holden looked back at Allison. "Do you know how you'll name her?"
Allison groaned from pain again and gripped her husbands hand tightly as she looked back at Holden. "Izabella or something. That's my mom's mother's name."
"Izzie. I like it," Holden smiled as the husband rolled his eyes. Allison had told him briefly that Holden was her distant friend who was good friends with her mom even if their age was completely different.
"No. You won't nickname my baby girl," Allison sneered while shaking her head as she cried out in pain. "Oh my god! It's starting!"
"I'll get the doctor," the husband dashed out as Holden moved towards the door.
"I know you don't like me, Allison," he then said as she continued to breathe in and out. "But I will take care of Izzie until her last breath. Just like I'll try and take care of you. Even if your stubborn."
Holden then smiled and left the room as Allison let out a tear and nodded.
Holden heard a loud cry of pain and pulled his aching body away from Izzie who stared at him in deep shock and pain. "Izzie..." he mumbled and saw a piece of glass in her stomach, piercing her right through. "Oh, Izzie. Let me help you."
"Elena!" he then heard Damon yell loudly as Holden panicked and rose his head up to search for his brother. "Holden! Izzie!"
"Damon..." Izzie mumbled as some blood left her mouth. Holden then bit into his wrist and gave Izzie his blood.
"This is gonna hurt you, baby girl. But please hang. My blood will cure you," he said and then grabbed the ending part of the glass as Izzie yelled out in pain.
Damon heard her and rose his head up as he had his wrist on Elena's mouth, feeding her some of his blood.
"No! Ahhhh!" Izzie screamed from pain as Holden pulled the glass out and immediately fed her his blood. "It hurts!"
"I know it does. I know. You're okay, just drink," he said as he rose her body up to himself, dead worried for Elena as people across the room screamed loudly.
"Go to her," Izzie pulled her lips away, somehow still in a lot of pain even if he was healing her.
Alaric was holding Jo, whose eyes were closed as her abdomen still bled heavily, soaking Ric's clothes and hands. He looked devastated as he did nothing but sob. "Oh god," he held her dying body close to his. His eyes scanning the room for any help. "Someone, please help."
"Kai!" Joshua, his dad, slowly rose to his feet and shouted furiously.
"Stefan!" Holden finally noticed his brother and Caroline who quickly rushed over to them. "I need... I-I need to see Elena. Help Izzie!"
Stefan looked worried as he took Izzie's weak body into his. "Are you okay? Oh my god!" Caroline touched Izzie's face soothingly as the girl breathed heavily, crying from pain.
Stefan watched Holden leave as Izzie suddenly cried out in an excruciating pain. "What..." she then looked down at her dress to see blood coming out from her wound that had healed seconds ago.
"Why aren't you healing?" Stefan asked her as she stared at him in fear and shock.
"Where is Izzie!" Damon asked Holden who fell on his knees next to him and quickly with pain in his eyes took over Elena's body. "I gave her my blood but she doesn't respond!"
"Elena! Elena," Holden touched her cheek in panic and looked back at Damon. "I need to... I need to get her to the hospital."
"Where is Izzie?!" Damon shouted as he stood up at the same time Holden did as he held Elena's unconscious body in bridal style, in a hurry to leave.
"I healed her!"
"She's not healing!" Caroline's frail voice rang out causing them both to turn her way. Damon saw Stefan trying to feed Izzie his blood and the wound was healing but as soon as Stefan pulled it away Izzie would yell from pain.
"What the hell!?" Damon vamp sped towards his girlfriend, pushing Stefan off of her. "Baby!"
"Damon... It-it-... hurts," she gasped out from pain as Stefan noticed Holden holding Elena who didn't move an inch.
"She won't wake up... What if she..."
And then mid sentence, Stefan and Caroline got their necks snapped from air and both fell to the ground. Kai was standing behind them with a smile. "Nothing personal, but this is family matter now."
Kai then turned to see Alaric, still sobbing desperately as he clung to Jo's lifeless body, his hands becoming more and more blood-soaked from her wounds. "Tsk. Oh," Kai mused noticing Joshua coming back, holding the Ascendant in his hand.
"Sanguinem filio. Sanguinen effurgarex perpetuum!"
"Let me guess?" Kai mused dully as other Gemini Coven members rose up to their feet and began to chant.
Holden looked at Damon and they both vamp sped out of the place with their girlfriends whose lives were on the lines. "Prison world? I mean, you can't kill me. Or else you all die too, right?" Kai asked them curiously as Alaric continued to sob loudly so the male turned to Alaric with fake sympathy. "Hey, I'm sorry about your twinsies. I just don't feel like competing for leadership with future Gemini twins."
Kai then kneeled next to Ric, who gave him the most nasty eye glare, his eyes red and swollen. "See... when your family decides that your nothing but an irredeemable piece of trash, well... I guess the best thing to do is prove them right, right?"
The witches were still chanting and Kai stood up with a broken shard of glass in his hand and turned to his father. "This ought to do it."
Kai then stabbed himself in the neck and fell down on the floor, gagging intensely as he bled to death. "No!" Joshua yelled horrified.
ELENA WAS LAYING IN A HOSPITAL BED WHERE A DOCTOR WAS CHECKING UP ON HER. Holden was outside in the hallway as he stared at her in deep worry.
He then saw Damon walk into the hallway as Holden turned to him for news about Izzie. "They're operating her now," he said as if he was about to cry. "Why didn't our blood heal her? It used to before!"
"Damon, she'll be fine. The doctors will patch her up and she'll be fine," Holden's voice broke so Damon looked at the room to see Elena, still unconscious.
"Oh, brother," Damon mused and then hugged Holden tightly as Holden stared at Elena through the corner of his eye, his heart shattering.
When the doctor left the room Holden entered and rushed over to her bed. He sat down on the bed near her and took her hand into his. Her hand was a little cold but not cold enough to mean that she was dead.
He closed his eyes and breathed out as Damon leaned against the doorframe. He looked extremely worried for Izzie and still had no idea why her wound didn't got healed by their blood. "Are we loosing our touch?" Damon questioned trying to brighten up an awful mood as Holden opened his eyes and stroked Elena's hand in his. Afraid that it would turn colder.
Holden then glanced back at Damon and smiled almost barely. He then shrugged. "I have no idea."
"I called Bonnie. Kai attacked them before ruining the wedding..." Damon then realized something. "Ric..."
"Jo," Holden realized too and then shook his head. He squeezed Elena's hand into his, feeling so many emotions. It hurt him to know Izzie almost died because he let her stay in Mystic Falls. He felt devastated to know the time they left Kai in the prison world they checked their own demise.
Holden then stroked Elena's face with his hand. "When you wake up... I promise I'll take you so far away from here. I love you."
Holden then kissed Elena's hand and turned to see Damon had already left to see if there were any news on Izzie.
MATT WALKED INTO THE PARLOR OF THE SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE. He found Bonnie sitting on the couch with a horrified expression on her face. "Bonnie, let's go. We got to get to the hospital."
The witch sat numbly on the couch, tears flowing down her face as she looked overwhelmed by something. Matt walked towards her to look at her in concern. "What's wrong?" Matt then saw her holding the camera she brought back from her time in the 1994 prison world. "What is that?"
Matt saw that there was a sticker on the back of the camera saying Watch Me. "I found it in the kitchen," Bonnie managed to say hoping that Damon and Holden would be there in the last moments.
Bonnie handed Matt the camera who took it and pressed the play button. Kai's face appeared on the screen as he smirked in satisfaction. "All this time travel's been hard on the camera, Bon," he then clapped his hands gleefully as Matt watched with a sneer. "Yay! You saw the post-it," he then mimicked a robot's voice. "Kidding. Anyhow, you're probably wondering why you're still alive, since I should have bled you out, one painful ounce at a time. I mean, that's what you deserved. You left me behind in 1903, which I did not appreciate, but I guess you forgot about that old Canadian rock filled with Bennett blood. Anyway, even though I got out, I kind of just want to make you suffer, in a new and... and some old ways..."
Matt looked horrified as he glanced at a sad and numb Bonnie. "What is this?"
"Keep watching."
Back in the hospital, Damon entered the hospital room of Elena to find Holden still sitting by her bed, staring at her in hope. "Ric texted me saying that Tyler Lockwood's a werewolf again... and that bastard is a vampire."
"Yeah about that..." Kai suddenly stumbled into the room, looking strung out and confused. "What's happening to me?" he panted as Holden sneered and stood to his feet, ready to rip his head off.
Damon noticed a bite mark on Kai's neck but he was too worried about Izzie to find amusement in Kai's predicament. "Oh, you didn't happen to pet a fuzzy, four-legged vampire-killing machine, did you?"
Kai glared at him seriously. "How do I fix it?"
Holden then took a step forward. "Easy, there's a cure in New Orleans. I'll get it for you. Just tell me what you did to Elena..." he sneered as Damon furrowed his eyebrows.
"And Izzie."
Holden then rushed out of the room and lounged at Kai, who grunted in surprise as Holden got into his face. "One thing you're not gonna do? You're not gonna mess with me. I am in a very volatile place right now."
"Me too," Damon sneered and stood next to Holden glaring at Kai. "I will start beheading people that I don't like, starting with you, if you don't tell us what you did."
Kai then giggled. "It's just not as threatening when I'm seeing like, eleven super-blurry versions of the both of you. Heh. Heh."
Holden got even more angry and vamp sped him to another wall. "Fix them! I know it's a spell. Elena is in perfect health and Izzie couldn't drink our blood when in the past she could!"
Suddenly, a compelled to treat Izzie doctor walked into the hallway with a look on his face. "We patched Miss Rogers up. She should be okay."
"Are you sure about that?" Kai then broke out of a confused Holden's grip as he looked at the window into Elena's room. "They're so young and beautiful. Preserved in this moment indefinitely."
Matt and Bonnie continued to watch the video Kai left for them in horror. "So, Bonster, I linked Elena's life to yours. The rule is- as long as you're alive, Elena will remain asleep."
"Oh, my god."
"Oh, and you didn't think I forget about Damon Salvatore and his little human girlfriend," Kai then continued as Bonnie broke into more tears. "As the powerful leader of the Gemini's, I decided to test my magic even further. The moment you wake up, Izzie will be immune to everything supernatural and not. I'm hoping she'll get a big glass to her neck."
Matt then rose his head up at Bonnie. "What... What does he mean?"
"Ah, their love doomed to fail," Kai then said as Bonnie closed her eyes and began to cry loudly.
"Holden..." Kai mused in the hospital room as Damon was already out of the room after learning from Kai of what was waiting for Izzie.
Holden stared in the room, unable to cry or do anything else as he stared at Kai in numb pain. "Think about it... Everyday Damon will wake up without Izzie by his side... He'll have the burning desire to kill her. If not you too... I mean, you could kill her right now, but Elena would probably never talk to you again."
Holden looked furious as he lounged to attack Kai once again, but Kai vamp sped away before Holden could touch him. Holden then glanced back at Elena in shock and left the room as if he was drunk, bumping into every corner.
When he entered Izzie's hospital room he saw her laying on the bed, looking incredibly pale and weak. Holden pursed his lips, not wanting to cry in front of her as Izzie opened her eyes and looked at him. "Hey," he said silently and in so much pain that she understood everything.
"Where's Damon?" she whispered as she rose her weak hand up slowly motioning for him to come forward.
A few tears escaped Holden's eyes as he quickly walked over to her bed and sat down as Izzie blinked occasionally. "I don't know. I thought he'd be here. He needs to be here, baby girl," he told her as he then lowered his head and began to sob silently, holding her hand tightly.
"Why... Why am I dying?" she then asked, her facial expression calm as if she was at peace with that.
Holden didn't answer her as he cried into her body, wetting the white sheets and her hand that he held. "Holden..." she trailed off slowly as he rose his wet eyes up at her, devastated.
"Kai linked yours and Elena's lives to Bonnie's. Elena will be asleep until Bonnie dies and you..." he trailed off, unable to say those words. "He did you worse. He'll die I promise. My blood can't cure you anymore and so can't anything else. I... I'm so-so sorry, Izzie. I should've let Damon turn you sooner."
Izzie then coughed and groaned from pain as Holden stared at her in agony. He felt like he was the one dying. "I need... I need Damon to be here. I need that goodbye, Holden."
"I know, he'll be here, I promise," he nodded as he squeezed her hand firmly into his.
Izzie smiled then as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Don't blame yourself, Holden. I'm glad to know a man like you-"
"Don't!" he cut her off abruptly as Izzie slowly looked up at the blood bag they used to give her blood. Her wound was still bleeding and she had no idea how she managed to be alive still.
She just knew she couldn't leave without Damon's one last smile. "Holden, it is what it is," she told him her lips getting bluer each second as Holden shook his head, tears falling down as a never ending waterfall. "Can you just... Can you hold me? I'm scared that if he doesn't come, I... I don't wanna be alone."
"Of course, of course," Holden then rose her body up carefully and laid on the bed before bringing her body down on his. He then bit into his wrist. "Drink. We have to keep you alive until he comes."
"No," she mused as realization of dying finally hit Izzie and she let out more tears that went down her white as paper cheeks. "If he wanted to be here, he'd be here. Why isn't he, Holden?"
Izzie's tone seemed pained and broken as her head rested on his chest. Holden kissed the top of her head as he sobbed quietly, holding her as close as he could. He wished for it to be another way but there wasn't. He was not ready to let go of her and to live on without her and Elena.
Though... Someday he'd see Elena but not Izzie. This was his last moment with her and he wanted it to be as remembered as possible. "He'll come. He loves you. He loves you more than life."
Holden could only imagine how pain Damon must have felt. Holden wanted to be there for him, but he needed to be for Izzie more. "Can you... Can you tell me something good?" Izzie asked as Holden contained himself from crying even more.
"What do you want to hear?" he asked painfully as Izzie cried too but she looked to be calmer than him.
"Where you there when I was born?"
Holden then placed his lips on her head and closed his eyes, sobbing as he remembered one of the best days of his life. "You know... You know I-I was," he whispered as Izzie reached for his hand.
"Then don't worry. You welcomed me and now you'll say goodbye. I'm glad," she said as he shook his head to himself quickly, in denial now to believe she was dying.
"That's not how it's supposed to be, Izzie... You were supposed to outlive me," he mused as she let out a pained cry. "I was supposed to be human and you were supposed to be a vampire."
"Hey, it saved me the tears of seeing a 90 year old you die," she joked dryly as Holden noticed Stefan and Caroline enter the room silently, both crying after they had learned the news about Elena and Izzie.
Izzie didn't see them because she had her eyes closed. "Don't say that, Izzie. Don't be like this, please," Holden mused in so much agony that caused Caroline to let out a sob. Izzie opened her eyes and saw the two people. "Please don't go. Please, I'm begging you. Where is Damon, Stefan?!"
Stefan shrugged with tears streaming down his face as Holden held Izzie's body in his arms, sobbing loudly and she let him cry. He had to overcome the grief of losing her. Only time would heal his wounds but never fully. "No, no, no, no, don't leave me," Holden said and suddenly Damon entered the room.
His hands were bloody as he stared at Holden crying over Izzie. He thought he was late. He had to leave and kill Kai before coming back somewhere he loathed to go.
But then Izzie opened her eyes to see him standing behind Stefan and Caroline who both stood there like numb objects. "Damon..." she whispered so Holden suddenly looked up to see his older brother in the room.
Damon didn't move an inch as his eyes held nothing but panic. "Where were you?" Stefan asked hoarsely as he couldn't keep his eyes off of Izzie.
"Holden..." Izzie trailed off slowly and he looked at her. Izzie started to cry as she placed her hand on his wet as a waterfall cheek and smiled. "I love you. Let me say goodbye to Damon."
Holden then nodded his head, crying, and leaned forward to kiss her head longingly. "I love you too. I love you forever, Izzie. Goodbye," Holden then stood up and vamp sped out of the room as Caroline approached the bed while sobbing as well.
"It was great to have your friendship, Caroline. I'll always cherish it," Izzie touched her hand so Caroline leaned forward to kiss her head too before she hugged Stefan and started to cry.
Stefan wrapped his arm around her as he stared at Izzie who glanced back at him with a small smile. "It'll be okay, Stefan."
The youngest Salvatore then pursed his lips and nodded as Izzie let out another tear. "Damon," she commented so Stefan nodded at Izzie once again as he and Caroline left the room.
"You're not dying. I killed Kai, you should be fine!" Damon was in denial the most out of them as he rushed over to her bed, bit into his wrist and fed her his blood.
Izzie pulled away in agony and spat it out. "I am! Could you be a little more cruel to me?!" she snapped, crying as Damon's angered face turned upside down. His bottom lip trembled as he shook his head.
"I can turn you! We can try something, Izzie!" he yelled, grief evident on his face as Izzie only stared at him, feeling the life leave her body.
"How about you just hold me and stay with me?" she questioned as she suddenly coughed up some blood so Damon grabbed her up to let her throw it out.
The blood hit the floor as he held her tightly, his hands shaking. "Get me out of my bed," she managed to say as she began to fall out from the bed and into his embrace. "Just... Just hold me."
Damon hit the wall as her body rested against him so he decided to position her more comfortably. Soon, Izzie was resting her head on his chest, her legs on top of his as her breathing became more and more shallow. Damon stared ahead of himself before taking her hand into his and getting inside her head.
The two were in the park standing in front of each other. Izzie wore a white flowing dress as her hair were loose and fell behind her face.
Damon stood in front of her with a laugh. "Could you be a little more ironic?" he asked meaning her clothing choice.
Izzie chuckled as she looked down for a second, after all these years still blushing. "It's you in my head," she mused and then Damon frowned deeply. "Hey. It's okay."
Izzie then started to walk towards him until she reached him. Damon stared down at her in grief. "Why can't I cry?" he asked her dully as she took his hands into hers.
"Because I don't want you hurting," she mused silently as she stroked his cheek. Damon then leaned forward and kissed her on the lips passionately, pouring all of his love into one single kiss that was their last.
In reality, Damon began to cry as he held her limp body in his arms, his eyes closed.
Izzie pulled away with an awe and smiled at him. "I knew you were the one for me as soon as I met you," she commented and he knew she was saying goodbye to him. "And I was right. I'm always right."
Damon mused with a smile and then let out one single tear. "I can't live without you, Izzie. How am I supposed to?"
Izzie wiped his cheek and then placed her arms around his torso, bringing him closer. "You will. Someday... You'll meet someone even better than me."
"No, I won't," he answered as another tear rolled down his cheek. Izzie rolled her eyes and then laughed. "Why are you so happy? You're dying."
"Jee, thanks for pointing out the obvious," she said sarcastically and then pulled away from him but Damon immediately pulled her into his embrace as he held her body trapped with his arms. "It's not long. I have to say goodbye, Damon."
"Let me," he mused and then began to cry openly, breaking all of his walls around her. She was his biggest love and now he was loosing her. Crying was just a mere example of his pain. "Izabella Rogers. I have never met a woman like you before. I love so much. You saw the evil, selfish Damon Salvatore and yet you still answered my love. For that I will forever be grateful, baby. Things will be awful without you by my side."
"No they won't. Because you know what?" she asked as she held her hands on his cheeks. "Because you will live your life and enjoy every second of it. You'll still annoy Stefan and Holden daily, please do that... For me," she giggled and Damon felt devastated knowing he'd never hear it again. "I want all the happiness there is to be yours, my love. Damon Salvatore, I love you. Forever."
"I love you, Izzie," he nodded his head and leaned forward to kiss her. "Please don't leave me..."
"I have to," her voice suddenly broke so Damon shut his eyes close and kissed her one last time.
In reality, Damon moved Izzie's body closer to his as their lips met one last time. Her lips were cold and detached as he kissed it slightly, trying to remember the taste of it for the years to come.
"I love you, Damon," Izzie pulled away from him to see him look broken down. "But you have to let me go now."
"No," he whispered in agony as Izzie began to walk away. She traced her finger against his skin until only their fingertips were touching.
Izzie smiled at him widely. "So long, Damon Salvatore. Be a dick," she then let go and everything went to black.
Damon opened his eyes to see a lifeless body of Izzie and began to cry loudly, yelling out in pain as he clutched onto her body one last time.
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One last chapter left of Holden Salvatore.