Where did the last month or 2 or 3 go? Slowly, I imagine, if you were waiting for this. But I can't imagine who in their right mind would. Every time I say I'm going to update soon, I take AGES. So I'm going to try something different this time. If I say I'll update quickly and it makes me update slow, If I say I'm going to never update again, in theory I should be able to get off my lazy backside to update quicker. So this is it, I'm never going to update again, and definitely not any time this weekend. *sarcasm*

Anonymous Review Replies:

YazzPattzSalvatore: Holy. Fudge. I literally just realised that!

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Um… ah…

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Wellllllll… I guess when Caroline got possessed, she started doing weird stuff normal humans can't do and she had like malach tentacles or something? Maybe that happened and he's just stronger than most humans anyway I guess…

BoldBlondeandBeautiful: LOL glad you liked it, even if you don't normally do after shadow souls stories, so I take it as even more of a compliment. I LOVE your story Damon's Return so I thought I'd give it a shout out.

(Guys, this is an awesome story ^^^^^

Seriously, read it when you're done with this.)

Lilvi:Well this story is pretty much centred around Bamon, so I kind of wanted to keep the Delena angst to a minimum. Bamon's kind of my OTP. Hope that clears things up :D

Cactus Luv: ooohhh I love getting reviews! :D I guess we're both happy then?

*Bonnie's POV*

My heart was pounding as we ran to the stairs with a sense of urgency that was becoming pretty much normal for me now. Sage raced on ahead of us and flung the door open. He was down the stairs in a matter of seconds. The others quickly followed. I stood, still shaking after my premonition, at the very top of the stairs, unable to move. Damon's screams were getting louder. I had a really bad feeling about what was about to happen.

"Bonnie?" I felt a hand gripping mine. It was Meredith. She led me down the stairs, looking infuriatingly calm and collected for someone who had just learnt that one of us was going to die. But if there was one thing I knew about Meredith, it was that she was probably anything but calm on the inside. She always held it together, though, mostly for my benefit. I couldn't help feeling guilty at that realisation.

Sage was hammering at the door to Damon's room. "Damon? What is it?"

Damon seemed oblivious to what was happening. I dared myself to move closer, step by step, until I stood at the door next to Sage. I peered tentatively through the small hatch in the door. He was curled up in a ball, with his back to us and his head in his hands, just screaming. He looked so lost. Part of me (the part that wasn't terrified) wanted to open the door and comfort him. I looked up at Sage, who shot me a stern look. "Don't go any closer," he warned me.

"Damon!" I yelled. "Can you hear us?"

He let out a low growl. I was unsure whether it was a response or not. Then, slowly, he began to move. The screaming stopped. We all took a step back. I held my breath, waiting for what was going to happen next. Then, with impossible speed, he turned to face us and ran to the door instantly. His eyes were glaring red again, and the grin on his face was unnerving to say the least.

"Shhh… just listen. Listen! Can't you hear it?" he said softly.

We all stopped for a second. Apart from the thunder and the rain pelting down overhead, we stood in silence.

"What are you talking about?" I asked slowly.

His hellish red gaze fixed on me, he started to laugh. It was a short laugh, cut off before I could acknowledge it. "Did you deliver my message, Bonnie?"

"Bonnie? What's he talking about?" Stefan interrupted.

"No…" I murmured. "No! That was just a dream. How do you know about that?"

"Oh, Bonnie…" he sighed pityingly. "Sweet, innocent Bonnie… You of all people should know the significance of dreams."

"Bonnie…" Stefan said, more firmly this time.

Damon (or rather, whatever was possessing him) let out a low, inhuman growl, baring rows of perfectly white teeth. "Oh, it's too late now. The lions are at the door!" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up, Damon!" I wailed.

"…What was that?" Elena screamed.

And then I heard it. We all did. A loud, persistent knocking at the door. The lions are at the door. I could feel tears stinging my eyes, but I blinked them back furiously. None of this was my fault.

Damon leaned in close to the hatch in the door, grinning like a maniac. "Knock, knock…" he whispered.

"Who's there?" Meredith finished.

"Not helping, Meredith." Matt said firmly.

Sage cleared his throat. "I suggest… we, or at least one of us," he raised his voice to be heard over the loud knocking, "answer that damn door."

I turned to Sage. "Are you serious?"

Sage nodded solemnly. "It sounds like whoever wants to get in will break the door down if we don't. Madame Flowers, if you would kindly stay down here with the others. Stefan and I will answer the door." Stefan nodded in agreement.

"What?" Meredith said incredulously. "But you have no idea what's out there! And you just expect us to sit here?"

Stefan nodded. "It's safer – for all of you."

Meredith shook her head. "I'm coming with you."

Sage placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I refuse to let anything happen to you."

"And if something happens to you?" she replied.

"Well I'm staying here," I insisted. Matt and Mrs Flowers nodded in agreement. Elena hesitated for a while, glancing back at Damon, who looked like a rabid dog. But eventually she nodded too. "Meredith?" she squeaked.

"I'll be alright." She smiled, taking Sage's hand in hers. Sage still looked a little unsure, but when Meredith had made her mind up about something, there was no changing it. Stefan led them up the stairs slowly and cautiously. I watched on in horror until my best friend disappeared from view.

*Meredith's POV*

I kept holding on to Sage's hand as we trailed up the stairs and towards the door, constantly reassuring him that everything was going to be alright.

"Very touching," Stefan sighed, "But can we get on with the task at hand?"

I rolled my eyes. Stefan was still in a foul mood. In my opinion, he was probably annoyed Elena hadn't insisted on coming with him. The knocking was almost deafening. I knew that for the vampires, with their heightened senses, the noise was much worse.

"For God's sake, we're coming!" I muttered.

Sage opened the door by a tiny crack, peered through and almost instantly shut the door again and bolted it. His eyes were wide and his face was white as a sheet. He whispered one word that silenced us both.

"…Shinichi."

Of course it was. We had been stupid, thinking about how we were supposed to find him, not even considering he would find us.

The letterbox snapped open. "I swear, if you don't let me in, I'll break down this door – no, I'll tear this house down until you listen to me!" Shinichi yelled. There was an air of desperation in his voice, which he couldn't disguise, no matter how hard he was trying.

"What do you want?" Stefan shouted back.

"I – I'll explain when you let me in. Please." He wasn't even trying to disguise it now.

"That's not how it works. After everything you've done… And as for the promise you made to my brother…"

"Did I not keep my word?"

"You know you didn't, unless there's some other malicious supernatural force possessing Damon right now, but it would seem you're the only one in town."

Shinichi laughed. "The only one you know of," he said pityingly. "Trust me – you…"

"Trust you?" I suppressed a laugh.

Even from behind the door, I could tell Shinichi was getting more impatient by the second. "Something's coming. Something more powerful than anything I'm capable of. The malach are no longer under my control. And… believe me, you're the last people I'd turn to for… help, but it would seem my usual partners in crime have deserted me…"

"Hang on. Rewind. You want our help?" I spluttered.

"This is more of a last resort, so don't start thinking you're anything special."

Sage rolled his eyes. "Shinichi, cut the crap," he said impatiently, "and explain what's going on."

"Let. Me. In." he growled.

"If – and that's a very big if – we were to let you in, you would kill us all on sight." Stefan pointed out. "So what makes you think we'll trust you?"

There was a long silence. Finally, Shinichi said softly, "He's taken Misao."

Stefan took a step towards the door and unlocked it. "Who's taken Misao?" he asked suspiciously.

"Does that mean I can come in?"

I kicked Stefan in the ankle. Hard. It probably didn't hurt him at all, but at least it got his attention. I shook my head frantically, mouthing the words, 'Don't let him in.' Stefan sighed and turned to me and Sage. "Look, if by chance Shinichi happens to be telling the truth-"

"If, Stefan. If." I interrupted, earning a low growl from Shinichi.

"If Shinichi is telling the truth, that means we now have some unknown malicious supernatural force on our hands. We have no idea what they're capable of. They could be a threat to Elena… and to the rest of us, of course. And Fell's Church. Remember Bonnie's premonition. The scourge of the Dark Dimensions? The destroyer of worlds? Ring any bells?" He opened the door, revealing Shinichi. His scarlet-tipped black hair was soaked with rain and he seemed pale and gaunt, almost like he hadn't eaten for days. He looked pathetic and, well, almost human. "That hardly fits the description."

"I also remember Bonnie's premonition telling us we should choose who we trust carefully." I reminded him. "This is exactly what it means."

"Meredith." Sage placed a hand on my shoulder. "If there is something else out there, then the only source of information we have at the moment is Shinichi. I don't like it any more than you do, but we stand a better chance working together."

I sighed. "Fine. Does he have to be invited in?"

"Yes, he does." Shinichi said, exasperated. "I thought you'd never ask."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice. "… Come in?" I squeaked, hating how scared I sounded.

Shinichi grinned, obviously enjoying the fact that we were still slightly wary of him. There was a sharp clicking sound from behind me, and Shinichi's grin disappeared from his face instantly. I turned around to see that Stefan was holding a revolver, pointed directly at Shinichi.

"These bullets were blessed by a shrine maiden. I'm sure you know what that means. So don't try anything." he growled.

I rolled my eyes. "Well," I sighed, "Looks like we've got some serious explaining to do. All of us. Downstairs?"

Stefan and Sage nodded in agreement, and eventually, so did a somewhat shaken Shinichi.

Short chapter, but I have kept you guys waiting for an unforgivably long time, and HAD to get this uploaded. Just remember, I'm definitely NOT going to update this weekend *sarcasm*

PWEASE review. It means a lot. And, if you happen to wander over to my profile, I think you'll find a cheeky little poll. If you could go over and vote on that, you would make me very very happy. And in celebration of me FINALLY reaching the big old chapter 10, it's going to be a big old retcon chapter. So yes, you finally find out what's going on with Shinichi. And I promise it will be at the very least 2000 words. Coming up to 2500. Well there is some serious explaining to do…