𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐒
we're just kids who grew up way too fast

EVERYONE IN THE Grill was gathered around tables and raised their shot glasses, repeating 'Uncle Steve' before downing the shot and clapping. And the process went on, the bell would ring and a toast would be made to a fallen family member.

"This town always so upbeat about dead people?" Stefan questioned, looking around the bar at everyone who seemed a little too happy about death.

"Not usually." Echo shrugged as she sat beside her boyfriend. She would rather do anything else but help Stefan remember things, but she promised Damon and Elena she would be on her best behavior. "But, death happens so much on this town, that it wouldn't help to get drunk in process of thinking about them."

Damon nodded in response, finally placing down his glass of Bourbon and looking at his brother, "Well, in the theme of morbid town tradition, you go back to the 1820's when everyone was so paranoid about the cholera thing that they would occasionally bury a body before it's time."

Echo grinned as she turned to her favorite vampire. "You look sexy when you get all smart."

He gave her a wink and placed his hand on her thigh.

"So, we have a holiday dedicated to burying people alive?" The younger Salvatore raised his eyebrows in utter confusion.

"Well, they were so paranoid that they would actually request to be buried with a string attached to a bell above ground. Then, the whole family would hang around the grave for 24 hours in hopes of hearing the bell and that their loved ones would come back, but not it's really just a kick ass excuse to get hammered."

A waitress began to approach the table, clearing up their empty shot gasses and shots the trio a smile. However, Stefan staring at the pulsing vein in her neck which the pair immediately noticed.

"Hey, can we get another round in please?" Echo asked with a fake smile on her face — this was an attempt to get the waitress away from the hungry vampire. "

"Comin' up." The woman nodded before walking off towards the bar.

Stefan blinked a few times, not quite sure what just happened to him. He then turned to gate at his brother. "What the hell was that?"

"That, my brother, was you jonesing for something a little stronger than a blood bag," Damon explained, however he didn't understand the problem with wanting human blood.

"So, what's the problem? You spent the whole day trying to convince me I'm a vampire. I'm convinced. Now let me act like one."

Echo quickly pushed her hand onto the vampire's chest, in case he made any sudden movements. "Yeah... no. You're not touching anyone."

"Unfortunately, Stefan, there are two types of vampires in this world, okay? There are those who handle moderation, then there is you," Damon informed him, and laid his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder to calm her down.

"Well, I'm no shrink." Stefan shrugged. "But, maybe killing our father and turning into a vampire and all the trauma associated with that is what made me become a vampire who feeds on people and rips their heads off. But now I don't have all those memories and all that guilty, maybe the Ripper thing won't be such a problem."

"Let's not try it out, okay?" Damon gave him a small, worrying smile.

The trio's conversation was swiftly interrupted by Elena towards them. "And here I thought catching up on nearly two centuries would be a drag."

Stefan eyed the girl up as she sat down next to him, downing her shot. "Remind me of your name again."

She gave him a confused look. "Elena."

"Elena. Right."

She turned her head towards Damon and Echo, shooting them a look, "You haven't told him about me?"

Damon shrugged as Echo gave her a sheepish smile. "Two hundreds years is a long time."

"Plus, he doesn't have the right to hand your name in your mouth," Echo spat out before biting her lip. She slowly turned towards Damon. "Oops. That wasn't my best behavior was it?"

He smiled and pecked her lips. "It's fine. Your smart mouth is one of the many reasons why I love you."

"Right, well." Elena's eyes fell to the floor before grabbing hold of another shot and downing it.

Stefan excused himself from the group and headed away, with a short smile forming on his lips as he headed for the bar.

"That guilt came from a blood addiction that might still be hardwired in his brain," Elena commented, clearly making it known that she had been listening to their conversation.

Echo nodded. "I agree. Stefan is just a bad apple and isn't willing to fully listen and learn."

"You take one philosophy class and now you're queen of nature vs. nurture?" Damon asked her, sarcasm dripping from his words.

Elena rolled her eyes and whipped her head in the direction of where she expected Stefan to be, but he was gone. "Hey, where'd he go?"

The eldest Salvatore turned himself around too, and then breathed in deeply. "You don't see that cute, little waitress anywhere, do you?"

THE TRIO HAD found Stefan and it was clear his blood lust was a major problem still; even without his memories. Damon thought it would be a better idea to take him to the Cemetery with a bell and a bottle of Bourbon.

"What kind of name is Honoria Fell?" Stefan questioned, stopping for a moment and looking down at the grave stone.

"Shh. You're kind of the one who killed her." Damon cringed before guiding his brother inside the Salvatore family crypt. "Hindsight being 20/20, way too much temptation at the bar, so if this Ripper gene is biological, then we need to minimise human contact until we can get your brain all witchy-wooed back to normal, so here it is."

"So, this is the family crypt, huh?" Stefan walked around, noticing his brother nod. "Anybody in here I didn't kill?"

Damon chuckled lowly, holding up a bell in his left hand. "Well, we've covered our father who art in hell," He rang the bell, "Uncle Zach, my bad." He rang it again, "On the bright side, our mother died of consumption." Damon rang the bell once more.

"Oh, good," Stefan retorted with sarcasm while Elena just chuckled.

Echo felt her heart constrict a little as she thought about everyone in her family — blood or not — that had died. It's a long list and it hurst her brain just thinking about it. .

"I've got to go see a man about a witch. Party on without me. Brother, for you." Damon handed Stefan the bottle of Bourbon. "This is for you." He gave the bell to Elena and then turned to Echo. "And, little warrior, you're coming with me."

Echo sighed. "Sorry. I promised that I would spend some of the day with Jack seeing as we haven't spent a lot of time together lately."

Damon frowned and nodded. "Oh."

Echo gave him a small smile before swiftly turning to Stefan and gripping his shoulder tightly. "Don't you dare touch my sister inappropriately or hurt her or else I'll make your death slow and painful." She gave him a big and fake smile. "Okay! Have fun!" And with that, she left. 

IT WAS A few hours later when Damon texted Echo that he needed to tell her and Elena something. Seeing as they were together at the Grill, trying to find Stefan who kissed Elena without her consent and then went on a rampage after she revealed to him that she doesn't love him anymore, they both went to the Salvatore Boarding House together. 

Upon walking in, they saw Damon anxiously pacing in front of the fireplace with a glass of bourbon in his hand. 

"What's wrong?" She questioned causing him to stop and look at her with wide eyes. Anxiety and nerves began to build in her stomach as she slowly walked towards him. "Damon... What's wrong?" She asked slowly, dread seeping in.

"Bonnie..." He trailed off, glancing between the sisters. He knew the news would hit Elena a lot harder seeing as she was closer to the witch. "Bonnie's dead." 

"What?" Echo asked in shock.

Tears pricked in Elena's eyes as she soaked in the news. "What — what do you mean Bonnie's dead?" She hesitantly questioned, biting her lip, trying to not break down without hearing the whole thing.

Sighing heavily, Damon walked towards them. "The power she used to bring Jeremy back was too much... and she died." 

"No... No, no! How is this possible? She's been emailing me all summer. She's not dead. She's on vacation with her mom!" Elena shouted in denial, shaking her head frantically with teary eyes. "Please tell me this is a joke." 

"She can't be dead." Echo raised her hand and shook it. "There is no way that she is dead. I mean... I know we weren't close, but..."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered with a frown as he slowly walked towards his girlfriend. "The reason she's been responding to your emails---" He paused with a reluctant sigh. "—is because Jeremy's been writing them for her." 

"No." Elena shook her head as tears streamed down her face. "No!" She couldn't believe her best friend was dead. "Jeremy wouldn't do that."

Echo inhaled deeply. "He would. He does love her..." Even though the words flowed out of her mouth, she couldn't believe her own brother would keep this kind of lie from everyone for months.

"I'm sorry," Damon whispered, quickly pulling them into an embrace. Elena began sobbing loudly into his chest and Echo allowed a few tears to escape. "I am so sorry that this keeps happening."

THE WHOLE GROUP — Damon, Echo, Elena, Caroline, Matt, and Jack were all dressed in funeral attire as they walked towards a stump of a tree where Jeremy, wearing a black suit, placed a picture frame on top.

Caroline approached the stump and placed black and red cheerleading pom poms on top. Matt, who was wearing a bandage around his cut hand, placed a his lifeguard whistle on the stump. Elena scattered white feathers over the stump and all the other items, then she backed away crying and Caroline hugged her closely.

Damon placed Bonnie's grimoire on the stump as Echo laid down a necklace that Bonnie had made for old Echo in the second grade.

Jeremy then grabbed a bell that was sitting on the stump and began their ceremony. "We ring this bell in honor of Bonnie, in remembrance for her."'He rang the bell and placed it back on the stump. "I'm not sure what else to say." He paused and looked over at an empty space before continuing, "She says that she's not going anywhere, that she has been here all along. Bonnie has watched you have the summer of your life."

He turned to look directly at Elena who was now holding onto her twins hand. "And I saw you happy, and I know you think now that you can't have a normal life... Everyone will find their way, so you are gonna repack your things, you're gonna go back to college, and you're gonna live it up."

He then turned to Matt to deliver Bonnie's message, "You didn't do anything wrong, Matt. You know I would have sent you three hundred e-mails back if I could. I miss you."

Jeremy looked at his other sister with tearful eyes. "I watched you die and come back as a vampire. And even though you were very grumpy and didn't want to do as told — as usual — you kicked vampirism in the ass. You found the love of your life and did something you never thought you could — go to college. And even though we haven't gotten along in a long time, I love you, I appreciate you, and you are the best person I know."

That was when Echo let out a small sob and grip Elena's hand tighter. "I am so sorry I was such a bitch to you."

Jeremy chuckled lightly before turning to the blonde. "Caroline... I watched you decorate that dorm room like your life depended on it." They all laughed at that. "And I know that college isn't everything you expected and that you feel like something's missing, but...Tyler..."

Suddenly, Tyler appeared behind everyone, walking and holding a single white rose. Echo let out a small groan as Caroline ran over to hug him. He hugged her back, then pulled away and placed the rose among the other items.

Echo reached over to grab her boyfriends hand as they all stood there, frowning deeply in sorrow.

They were officially saying goodbye to their beloved friend and witch.