A/N: The first in a pile of speculation fics for 5x01. Some are requests and others are my own ideas. I'll be posting them all individually. I'm open to theories.

My Shadow Self

He had no choice. If Bonnie had just listened to him... he wouldn't have had to... but now he waits on the edge of the falls after Stefan's body sinks to the bottom of the lake. His shadow self was Stefan Salvatore, and nobody but he knew. His plan had been impromptu, malicious in some ways...

He cracks his neck, staring up at the crescent moon with a smug smile. It would be effortless to manipulate them, those pathetic souls. He straightens his jacket, then bundles the pieces of clay together in the tarp and throws it too into the surging water.

Nobody would look for Stefan because he hadn't gone missing. Without a second glance, he gets into the car, turns on the ignition and drives away. There is an echo on the breeze, as if it were somebody's devastating scream, and then it fades into the night.

-:-

Bonnie claws at the invisible net that keeps her and Kol at bay. She's frantic, trying to make an opening, trying to reach Stefan who had been knocked out, stuffed into the safe meant for Silas and kicked into the lake in Mystic Falls' reserve. How long could he hold his breath? How long before he started to decay? Silas had become Stefan. Stefan is his Shadow-self?

There was a loop-hole in his immortality. Maybe Qetsiyah ensured this in-case he didn't take the cure? Silas didn't want to kill Stefan, he just imprisoned him. What if Stefan was the key to destroying Silas? This new theory did not please her, instead she felt like a giant had captured her in his fist and was squeezing her to death. She turns desperately to Kol and shouts for him to help her.

"I told you not to resurrect him. I told you Silas was dangerous," Kol said.

"I had to. I had to save Jeremy," she said, just as forcibly.

"Oh, yes, the Gilbert boy you gladly sacrificed your soul for. Trust me when I say, you could have done better. And what did you tell your friends?"

Bonnie was getting annoyed by his attitude. She had done what she thought was right. She remembered telling Jeremy to keep her secret, to lie to her friends.

"They think I'm on holidays visiting relatives."

"And when you don't come back," he said.

"I'll think of something else," she snapped, wincing in pain as her nail jars in the net. "We need to get to Stefan. Can you please stop being a jackass and do something?"

Kol sighed. He flicks open an army knife to Bonnie's amazement and stabs the veil. It bounces off it like it's made of rubber. "Happy now? You were the one who resealed the veil. You were the one who put us in this mess."

"Thanks Kol, that was enlightening," Bonnie fumed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go back to the bar and find my brothers. When you break the veil let me know, because there's a certain brunette I need to pay a visit to."

"If you touch one hair on Elena's head, I'll-"

She was worried sick for Stefan, and her friends. What was Silas going to do to them? The eldest of the Mikaelson's came up to them. He seemed just as carefree as his younger brother, yet slightly reserved. Finn put a hand on Kol's shoulder to stop his outburst.

"What has my dearest brother said to insult you? Forgive him, he doesn't know when to be quiet."

Kol shook off his brother's hand, and mumbled something along the lines of "she's all yours."

Finn waited patiently for her answer, even if it wouldn't come. She stared out over the falls and at the tyre tracks in the mud. It had started to rain, wiping away any tracks or evidence of what had happened. "Would you like to tell me what has you this upset?" Finn said.

"Not particularly," she said thickly. Finn came to stand beside her. After a few minutes of staring at the empty reserve, and fighting a mental battle, she says, "It's my fault." He assessed the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Everything's my fault. Kol was right. If I hadn't resurrected Jeremy. If I'd been strong enough to let him go, I would have gone with Stefan to take care of Silas. I would have protected him. I'm not proud to be a Bennett. I let Silas come back. I failed."

Finn bumped her shoulder in a kindly manner. "You cannot blame yourself. What's done is done, and you certainly can't take the blame for everything. We cannot keep living in the past. You forget, you are not alone Miss Bennett, you have an army of supporters just waiting to receive your orders."

Bonnie was shaken by his words. She wiped her face, wondering why he was being so kind to her. His death had been at the hand of friends, and he had forgiven her.

Maybe she should forgive herself.

"How do we break the veil? I'm dead. I can't do magic."

"I think it's time you met a friend of mine." Finn steers her from the falls, leaving behind the net, and her toes are covered in dew-drops from the grass. She sees familiar faces watching her and she's not sure why she trusts Finn, but she does.

She hears laughter and Kol's voice and sees a boy with dark hair tackling his brother and holding a wooden sword to his throat. It must be Henrik. She hears chatter and sees Pearl sitting in a rocking chair and her daughter Anna, reading books. She hears the slam of a glass on a hard surface, and Alaric and Vicki Donovan doing shots. She hears arguing and Jules and Mason are playing cards, whilst Aunt Jenna is beckoning Alaric to join them. She hears her Grams calling her name and Finn guides her through the bodies of the dead.

"We're all here, Bonnie," her Grams says. "We are so proud of you for the choices you made."

Finn stops, and the crowd parts. Esther, his mother, the woman who tried to kill her own children, who tried to make things right, appears. Standing beside her was Ayianna, the witch who had made the Originals. She was even more impressive in person. Gloria steps closer, her shaved white hair illuminates the shadows, and Bonnie realises the dew drops have turned to snow.

"Bonnie, you have done so much, but your fight is not over," Gloria said.

"Silas will rule Mystic Falls, but there is one person who can defeat him," Esther smiled.

"We have a plan," Grams said, holding out her hands for Bonnie to take, which she does.

"It's time, Finn," Ayianna says, and Bonnie catches Kol's eye. His hand clutches Henrik's and for a moment, despite being among her own, she feels like Kol's the only one she can trust.

She can't see Kol anymore.

She can't see anything.

Bonnie opens her eyes and hears another voice in her head.

My name is Qetsiyah, please forgive me for what I'm about to do.

A black cloth tightens around her. She screams as she looks to her left and Stefan is there. He's drowning and she's terrified. He's shouting her name, but she can't reply. She tries to block out their enchantments. She shivers as the water washes over her. She rams her fists into the sides of the safe, swallowing the sea-water and then the heavy door slams shut.

A/N: Please review, and thank you. There will be a second chapter, and maybe a third.