Watching Faith

1. Pilot

It had been fifteen years since the war had ended and the truth had been revealed to the Wizarding World. Fifteen years, since Molly Weasley had seen her self-proclaimed eighth child. Since Faith Potter had been offered the chance to start over in a new life, in a new world, with a new family.

Faith had struggled for months, trying to decide what to do with the offer that had been presented to her by Lord Voldemort. She had been so tempted to have the chance for a normal childhood, with a normal family, but hadn't wanted to leave the one she had found for herself. Surprisingly, it had been the Weasley's who had convinced her in the end.

They knew all about the mental scars left over from her childhood with the Dursley's and the continuous tests Dumbledore had put them through. How hard it was for her to trust and how much of herself she was suppressing, because of the pressure to be the perfect Golden Girl the Wizarding World still saw her as.

They saw how much her mind was continuing to crack under the strain.

Ron and Hermione were the first to push her towards the possibility. They loved their friend – their sister – so much that they wanted her to have the chance of a happy life. They would miss her with everything they had, but they wanted her to heal, to love, to trust.

Fred and George were the next ones to see the situation for what it was. They loved their adopted sister and saw how unhappy she was. They saw she was trying so hard to please everyone; so much so, she was forgetting to please herself. They lost count of the amount of times they found her curled up by the window, trying her hardest to push back all the emotions she didn't want to allow through the wall she had built.

It didn't take long for the rest of the Weasley's to follow suit; Ginny, Bill, Charlie, Arthur, Percy … But the one whose permission Faith wanted the most was struggling with her own demons.

Molly Weasley didn't want to let her go.

Molly – who had lost her brothers in the first war, who had come so close to losing her children and husband in the second war – was terrified at the thought of losing the daughter she had chosen for herself.

There had been no guarantee Faith would wind up with a good family. That she would be in a world with no drama and no magic. What if she wound up with a family like the Dursley's? Who would tuck her in at night? Who would comfort her when life threatened to bring her to her knees? Would she have any siblings? Would they be kind? What if her life in the new world simply mirrored her current life – with all hardships and struggles?

Molly fretted and worried for months. One day, she sat Faith down and they had an honest conversation about what they both wanted, about their fears and worries.

Faith left the Burrow that day with Molly's whole-hearted support and love.

Faith Potter was twenty years of age when she underwent the ritual which would take her to a new world. She was twenty when she said goodbye to the family she had carved for herself, to the friends she had fought beside and trusted with her life, to her school rivals who were also as eager for her to have a good life as her friends, to her enemy who turned out to be her greatest saviour.

Fifteen years.

And now, the magic of the ritual was going to show them if their efforts had been in vein. The Minister for Magic – Lord Voldemort – had found a way for them to view her life in her new world, like those muggle TV shows.

Gathered in Hogwarts, so many were seated along the house tables, waiting for the opportunity to see their sister, their friend, their schoolyard nemesis, their hero.

To see if, finally, she had gotten the happiness she deserved.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Molly Weasley held her steaming mug of tea with both hands, ignoring the noise and commotion all around. Her family was seated alongside her, minus the young children, who were being taken care of by the Hogwarts House Elves, and they were all employing the same level of silence she was.

They were all nervous, all experiencing bouts of nausea and what appeared to be butterflies in their stomachs, thinking about their lost family member. Though they had given Faith their wholehearted support, it hadn't meant they didn't miss her with all their hearts.

When Hermione had given birth to her children, her eyes had instinctively glanced around the hospital room to find her sister in all but blood. They had all noticed how her smile had dimmed for a split second; but hadn't said a word. Ron, when he'd received a competition prize to view a World Cup Quidditch Match, had automatically gone to ask his best friend. Fred and George, who had set up a fund for a third owner in their shop, had transferred the account into Teddy Lupin's name; Faith having made them promise they would make sure Teddy never wanted for anything.

Bill, Charlie and Percy had all, at various times, missed the heated debates they got into with Faith. She had always been willing to lend an ear for even the most boring parts of their jobs. When she was fourteen, she had entered an hour-long discussion with Percy about his cauldron report; unknowingly gaining Percy's loyalty along the way, ensuring he became their greatest spy in the Ministry during the war. Bill and Charlie missed the girl who had become like another younger sister to them, who would always support them in their jobs, who waited up with hot chocolate and a steaming, hot dinner so they wouldn't eat alone after they got back from late shifts, or early morning Portkey's.

Ginny missed her sister, her saviour, her hero. The one who saved her life more times than she wanted to count. The one who, despite Ginny's embarrassment and inability to have a proper conversation with her, had sat with her and helped her through her difficult early menstrual cycles. Ginny's fondest memory was of them in Ginny's room in the Burrow – just the two of them, as Hermione hadn't arrived yet – in Ginny's bed, reading her favourite childhood bedtime stories, with a muggle hot water bottle pressed to her abdomen and eating smuggled in Honeydukes chocolate. Faith had worked her way to a true friendship with Ginny for years, unknowingly becoming family along the way.

Arthur missed his dark-haired daughter. He always remembered fondly how she would wake early on the odd occasion and patiently sat at the kitchen table, or in his shed with him, and explain the various muggle gadgets he had accumulated. How she would spend galleons of her trust fund and buy him easy-to-read muggle books explaining everything he wished to know.

Molly missed her girl. The one who would barge her way into the kitchen and helped her with the cooking, who was always eager to help her with the housework, and whose hand she still kept on the clock at home – except for today, as it was resting beside her mug, with Faith's laughing and happy face set inside. Letting go of her mug, Molly gripped the little clock hand tighter, hoping what they were about to view would be happiness and a good life. She hoped – and she would never admit this out loud – even a life of adventure.

The Weasley's were not the only ones who were nervous. Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell and various other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team over the years were sitting a slight way's down the table, having hushed conversations about what they hoped they were about to see and what they didn't want to see.

Draco Malfoy sat with a group of Slytherin's on the other side of the hall; Zabini, Nott, Flint, Pucey, Montague, Greengrass and so on. Their parents were also grouped around another section of the table. They kept themselves busy talking about work, or their families, not bothering with the what if questions. Everything was about to be answered, either way. They were curious as to how a war veteran, a Gryffindor who was more Slytherin than she had ever let on to them, would have adapted to a new world.

People whose lives Faith had touched sat all around the Hall. Whether they be Death Eaters, Werewolf Alpha Fenrir Greyback, Vampire Liaison Sanguini, Ministry Worker's, family, or friends, everyone was eager to see what was coming. Remus and Tonks were sitting amongst the Weasley Clan. They had left their children under the care of their grandmother, Andromeda. Teddy Lupin had wanted to come, to see what his godmother had made of her life, but they'd decided to make a smaller viewing for him at another time.

At the Head of the Hall, sat Tom Riddle, known more commonly as Lord Voldemort. He scanned the hall, knowing now was the time to say what was needed and stood, making everything fall silent and everyone's attention to turn to their Minister.

"We all know what we are here for," he began, "so I'm not going to go on a pointless speech. There are questions we all want answered, but I will leave that to what we are about to watch. I will now explain how this works."

A pin could have been heard dropping in the room.

"A fog-like magic will cover the whole wall where the entrance to this hall is and, from there, we will view everything the ritual deems us to in a muggle television fashion – we have all endured the muggle television series' in mandatory Muggle Studies classes for all ages over the last ten years, so I need not explain more. You need not worry about there being large groups in front of you, I have been assured this viewing will present itself to us in a way that we will see through all the people around us – let us consider Alastor Moody's famous eye for one moment. I have been told this … story … we are about to see is not solely about Faith herself, but about the people around her, as well; there will be times this story will come away from Faith and we will see other people as to better understand the world and life in which she lives – again, I refer you to muggle television series'. The Unspeakables have informed me it shall also act somewhat like a book, in a way, with us able to follow the story more than in a simple viewing fashion."

The minor humour in the speech made them all relax and smile.

"There will be times we will see very personal moments – moments which should not be viewed by outside sources – and even scenes in which there will be physical intimacy. This is unavoidable, as this is the nature of the ritual. Before you worry about seeing things Faith would rather we didn't; I assure you the two of us spoke at length before her departure and she wanted me to promise you that whatever you see is with her full support. In fact, she wants you to crack as many jokes as you wish, to make it easier on yourselves."

Laughter sounded and everyone was amused. It was just like Faith to make such a joke.

"As we know, Faith will have different parents in this new world and even a new name. However, the Unspeakable's have already informed me her features are, in fact, near to identical to how we all know her, so we will not be confused with identifying her."

Relief was the primary emotion around the room.

"Now, I need to inform you the world Faith is residing in does, in fact, have magic and magical beings."

Shock was palpable around the room.

"It is not magic as we know it, nor will these beings be as we have come to know them. This will be an educational experience for us all, as well as satisfying our curiosity with Faith. While we are viewing her life, this ritual will freeze us in time – this whole castle, in fact. Our bodies will function as normal, so we will still need to eat and drink. However, we will experience no need for sleep or rest. Consulting with the Unspeakable's, we came to a mutual decision that, though our bodies will not need it, we will take periodic breaks to ensure we can take in all the new information, before unloading even more unto ourselves."

Hermione was relieved. She knew what an overload of information could do to the brain. She was also relieved it was the whole castle that was going to be frozen, as she was loathed to stay away from her children for so long.

"I will not bore you, or myself, any longer. It is time to begin."

Lord Voldemort sat down and the room around them darkened. As one, everyone turned to the entrance wall to view the life of the girl they all loved.

Night.

A fog descended upon the forest, hiding muddy paths and trees from view. An unnatural silence filled the gloom.

"For centuries, they have lived in secret; hiding in the shadows, alone in the world. Until now; they are vampires and their story has only just begun."

Along the road, a car sped along with a young couple inside. They were listening to an upbeat song which wasn't as well liked by the male as it was by the female.

"An hour's drive to hear that crap," the male, Darren, complained. "You know it wasn't even a band. A guy with a guitar. An hour each way."

The female, Brooke, chuckled, amused. "He wasn't that bad."

"He sounded like James Blunt."

Exasperated, Brooke shook her head. "What's wrong with that?"

"We already have a James Blunt," Darren explained. "One's all we need."

"So why did you come?" Brooke asked, smiling.

"Because I love you."

Brooke's eyes softened, as her eyes gaze Darren's. "Nicely done."

Turning to face forward again, her brow furrowed. She couldn't even see ten feet in front of the car. "What's with all the fog?"

Unconcerned, Darren shrugged. "It'll clear in a second."

Not even a split second later, Brooke spotted someone standing in the middle of the road, far too close for comfort. "Watch out!"

Darren, just spotting the figure, couldn't stop in time. Slamming his foot onto the brake, his car swerved and spun, the unknown figure hitting the windshield and flying over the roof, to land hard on the concrete. They skidded to a stop fifteen feet away.

The young couple were shaken and turned to glance out of the back window, before turning away again.

"Are you okay?" Darren asked.

Brooke tried hard not to cry. "We just hit someone! Oh, my god!"

Darren took action, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. "Call for help."

Running back to the figure lying on the ground, he knelt and tried to examine the situation. "Please be alive."

Gripping an exposed wrist to try and find a pulse, he noticed a strange ring on the figure's finger. As he inspected the strange piece of jewellery, he noticed it appeared to be a family heirloom type, because it wasn't a modern style of ring.

"Oh, my god." He was horrified. He may have killed a person.

Suddenly, the figure sprang up and gripped his neck. Within the split second, the previously unmoving figure was behind him and exposing sharp fangs, biting into his neck. He couldn't even gasp, before everything was over.

Back in the car, Brooke had her phone in her hand, trying desperately to call the police or an ambulance. Knowing she wasn't getting anywhere, she undid her seatbelt and got out of the car.

"There's no signal!" she called out. "Darren!"

As she tried to spot her boyfriend, she was confused. There was no figure in the middle of the road and Darren was nowhere in sight. "Darren?"

A loud crash from behind her made her spin around. Horrified, she saw her boyfriend laying on the hood of the car, his neck mauled, unmoving. She screamed, turned and ran away as fast as she could.

She wasn't fast enough.

A dark figure swept upon her and she was gone.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Standing on the roof of an old building, a young man with light brown hair watched the sunrise.

"I shouldn't have come home. I know the risk. But I had no choice. I owe her my life and I pay my debts. And I have to know her sister."

Taking a step forward, the young man jumped off the roof and landed safely on his feet, at least three stories below.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Mystic Falls, 2009 – Present Day

Putting on her last shoe, a young woman with dark hair stood and examined herself in her floor length mirror. She wore skinny jeans, a green vest shirt with a v neck and a black button up with short sleeves over it, which clung to her in a way accentuating every curve. Her leather boots had five-inch heels and her hair was in two French plaits.

Above her mirror was the name 'Grace', in beautiful block letters stuck to the wall.

Smiling to herself, Grace walked out of her room, pausing for a moment outside of her sister's bedroom. With the door open, she could see Elena writing in her diary. Her good mood souring, Grace gritted her teeth and walked downstairs with renewed vigour. She didn't need to know what Elena would be writing, as she had a good guess.

An expert opinion coming from reading her older sister's diary ever since she was eleven; a younger sister's privilege, she always said.

Entering the kitchen and turning on the coffee pot, she smiled as a light brush ran across her ankles. Bending down and picking up the family cat, Grace sat at the kitchen counter and held the black and white fluffball closer.

"Don't strangle Muffins."

Rolling her eyes at her younger brother, Jeremy, she alluded all attempts of him trying to take their cat out of her arms with great success. Smiling, Jeremy accepted the loss and sat next to her, waiting for the coffee pot to be ready.

"Ready for school?" Grace asked.

Jeremy shrugged, not giving a verbal answer as their older sister walked into the room, going straight over to the coffee pot. As their Aunt Jenna walked into the kitchen, Grace and Jeremy exchanged slight smiles at her panic.

"Toast," Jenna said, bustling around the room. "I can make toast."

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna," Elena answered, taking out a single mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Jeremy glared and stood, taking two more mug's out of the cupboard. "Is there coffee?" he asked, sarcastically, pouring himself and Grace a mug each.

Sitting back down, Grace released Muffins to run around the room and held her steaming mug between her hands as her brother handed it to her. "Thank you, Jeremy."

"Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared." Jenna pulled out a couple of dollars, before offering it to the three siblings. "Lunch money?"

"I'm good," Elena denied.

Grace shook her head. "It's Tyler's turn to buy lunch."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of the money, muttering a 'thanks' as he did.

"Anything else?" Jenna asked. "A number two pencil? What am I missing?"

Grace handed her a book left on the counter behind her. "You have that presentation today."

Jenna scanned at her watch. "I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at … now! Crap!"

"Then go," Elena insisted. "We'll be fine."

Jenna sighed, but smiled and left. Grace and Jeremy waved her goodbye, both drinking from their coffee mugs.

Elena turned to face her younger siblings with sadness etched on her face, before softly asking, "You two okay?"

They barely glanced at her; Grace scoffed and walked out of the room, taking her coffee with her, but Jeremy downed the rest of his and said, "Don't start." He followed his sister out of the room, ignoring the tingling sensation of Elena's persistent stare on his back.

Elena leaned back against the counter and sighed, upset the once close bond the three of them shared had shattered alongside their parent's deaths. None of them saw the news report of Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton being declared missing on the television.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Grace sat in the back of her friend Bonnie's car, while Elena was in the passenger seat. She was angry she'd chosen to go to school with Bonnie and Elena, instead of with Jeremy, but didn't let it show on her face. Being in her sister's presence for longer than ten minutes these days always guaranteed an argument.

"So, Grams is telling me I'm psychic," Bonnie told them. "Our ancestors were from Salem – which isn't all that, I know, crazy – but she's going on and on about it. And I'm like, put this woman in a home already."

Grace chuckled, wiggling her fingers. Bonnie rolled her eyes as a braid magically weaved itself on the right side of her head.

"You're different, Grace," Bonnie insisted, smiling, laughter in her tone. "You brought your magic with you. It's, like, part of your very soul. But, anyway, then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands."

Grace shook her head, her brow furrowed. "I don't think that counts, Bonnie; global warming tells us that."

Bonnie glanced at the other Gilbert and saw Elena wasn't listening anymore. "Elena! Back in the car."

Elena spun her head round and focused her attention back on Bonnie, giving a slight shake of her head. "I did it again, didn't I? I – I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were telling us that …"

"That she's psychic now," Grace interceded, in a sharp tone. Elena winced, knowing her little sister had cut across her to show how annoyed she was.

Elena gave a small smile. "Right. Ok, then predict something. About me."

Bonnie caught the neutrally settled expression on Grace's face, but smiled at Elena despite it. "I see …"

Suddenly, a small and dark object hit the windscreen of the car. All three girls let out sounds of surprise and Bonnie slammed on the brakes, sending the car into a squealing stop.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked, gasping. "Oh, my god! Elena, Grace, are you two okay?"

Elena leaned back in her seat, while Grace sat rigid in the back seat, trying to regulate her heart back to normal.

"It's okay," Elena assured Bonnie. "I'm fine. Grace?"

Grace took a deep breath. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"It was like a bird or something," Bonnie told them, trying to reassure them and herself at the same time. "It came out of nowhere."

Elena shook her head. "Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life."

Grace met Bonnie's eyes through the rear-view mirror. "Bonnie, we're fine. How about you?"

Bonnie was shaken, still giving them both a tentative smile. "I'm okay. Now, I predict this year is going to be kickass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you both are going to be beyond happy."

All three of them smiled and let out little chuckles. Bonnie leaned back and started the car again. As they drove away, Grace took a glance out of the window and saw the crow watching the vehicle from on top of the Laurel Ave. sign. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed how the crow appeared to be staring at her and her heart pounded harder in her chest, as she realized everything she had tried to avoid had now chosen to return to Mystic Falls.

-x-x-x-x-x-

When they arrived at Mystic Falls High School, they made their way through the halls of students, heading to their lockers. Bonnie made most of the commentary.

"Major lack of male real estate. Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach." Grace glanced over and grimaced in disgust. There was a lack of fashion sense and then there was that. "She looks a hot – can I still say 'tranny mess'?"

They paused by a set of lockers.

Elena shook her head. "No, that's over."

"It was never in," Grace corrected.

"Ahh," Bonnie sighed. "Find a man, coin a phrase."

Bonnie opened her locker at the same time Grace opened hers, right next to her. Bonnie was the one who spotted someone watching them from down the hall. Elena and Grace caught the expression on her face and turned to see Matt Donovan watching the three of them. Elena gave a small smile and wave.

Matt gave no response other than taking a book out of his locker, closing the door and walking away.

Elena was dejected and leaned against a random locker. "He hates me."

"That's not hate," Bonnie denied. "That's 'You dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to air supply's greatest hits'."

Grace couldn't help but cut in. "I believe it is his 'I'm secretly relieved' look."

Elena flinched, hard, while Bonnie shot Grace a glare which would have made the toughest of men whither. "Grace!" Bonnie scolded.

Grace closed her locker door after putting her books into her bag. "I'm not going to pretend I ever approved of their relationship, Bonnie; you know me better than that. However, the way Elena chose to dump him was completely uncalled for. Don't pretend you don't agree."

Bonnie couldn't say anything, because she knew Grace was right. Elena hadn't been happy in the relationship for a long time but had strung Matt along for weeks, being too afraid to break up with him. When Elena finally had, it hurt Matt worse than it would have than if she'd bitten the bullet and gotten it over with earlier.

It was like Grace had said when Elena first told them she wasn't sure she wanted to keep seeing him, "Then tell him you want to take a break. He's not stupid, Elena; he knows you're not happy. The longer you take, the more he's going to convince himself everything is going to be fine."

So, yes, Bonnie did agree. It's why she was unable to say anything further to scold her friend.

"Elena! Oh, my god." It was thankful that, before the conversation could become even more heated, a voice called out and approached them.

Grace smiled as a beautiful blonde came and gave Elena a tight hug. Caroline Forbes threw her arms around her friend and asked, "How are you?" Releasing her, Caroline continued, "Oh, it's so good to see you." Turning to Bonnie and Grace, Caroline asked, "How is she? Is she good?"

"Caroline, I'm right here," Elena answered, with a slight exasperated smile. "And I'm fine. Thank you."

"Really?" Caroline had trouble hiding the scepticism on her face.

Elena nodded. "Yes. Much better."

Grace wasn't sure how she managed to keep from rolling her eyes. She knew for a fact those phrases were what Elena had written in her journal this morning. She would use those words to everyone who asked, not meaning a single word.

Caroline didn't buy a single word. She gave Elena another firm hug. "Oh, you poor thing."

"Ok, Caroline," Elena muttered, strained from the pressure of the hug.

Caroline pulled away from the hug and turned on Grace, pulling her into a hard hug without warning. Grace gasped as all the air was pushed from her lungs, wrapping her arms around her friend and silently pleading with Bonnie for help. Bonnie gave a small smirk.

"You saw me yesterday, Care," Grace managed to gasp out.

Caroline pulled away and gave a beaming smile. "I know. That's twenty-four hours I haven't given you a hug."

Grace smiled.

"Ok, see you guys later?" Caroline gave short glances to each of them.

They all smiled. "Ok. Bye!"

As Caroline walked away, they all gave small waves. When she disappeared from their view, they all chuckled with exasperation.

"The force of nature that is Caroline Forbes," Grace commented in fondness. "What would we do without her?"

"Chaos," Bonnie agreed, fondly.

Elena gave a slight shake of her head. "No comment."

Grace bit back her retort at Elena's casual dismissal of their friend and knew she had to get away before she said something she'd regret.

"I'm going to go find Jeremy." She didn't wait for a reply before she walked away. As she did, she overheard Elena being the one scolded this time.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Grace searched over the part of the school which was the well-known crackheads hangout. She saw Vicki Donovan with a random sophomore, getting handed pills Grace knew weren't paracetamol. Shaking her head in disgust, she turned and walked around the corner and smiled when she saw her younger brother sorting through his book bag on a bench.

"You got everything?" Grace asked, as she stopped next to him, but didn't sit herself.

Jeremy nodded, happy to see her before their classes. "Yeah. I promise, I'm going to go to all my classes. I'll do better this year."

Before they died, their parents had set Jeremy up in summer classes in history and art. Jeremy loved both subjects and wanted to get extra credit for both, so he could be put into the AP classes. He had aims to graduate top of his class and get into a great university to study historical art, restore old artworks and, hopefully, produce his own.

After their deaths, Jeremy hadn't attended any of the classes and had gotten into drugs. Grace hated the fact it had taken her so long to notice the crowd he'd fallen into and the habits he was forming. She trashed his room searching for the drugs – on a weekend Elena and Jenna were spending together – and had given Jeremy such a scolding he believed he was about ten inches tall afterward; though it may have been because Grace was sobbing hard during her speech, more than what she'd actually said. She apologized for not being there for him and, that very day as they walked home from getting coffee and a batch of muffins, they found a stray kitten in an alley.

They took the kitten to the vets and, after a few days of deliberating, went back to adopt her. Jenna went with them, signed all the legal paperwork and they took Muffins home the same day. They chose the name because, if Jeremy hadn't stepped into the alley to throw out the rubbish from the coffee and muffins they had had, he never would have heard the kitten's cries.

The vet told them, the day before, a cat had been run over by a car on accident. It was a guess that said cat had been the mother to the kitten they had found.

The kitten had grown well under their care and often spent time in either Jeremy's or Grace's rooms. The growing bond with Muffins had allowed Jeremy a different outlet than drugs and booze.

Jeremy vowed to never let his sister down in such a way ever again.

Grace nodded. "I know you will. Don't let Tanner get to you. He's an ass to everyone."

Tanner would never forgive Jeremy for skipping his classes for booze and drugs, but the other teachers had all offered him ways to catch up and make extra credit.

"I knew I'd find you here!" a male voice called out.

Grace and Jeremy turned around to find Tyler Lockwood approaching them with a grin. Tyler threw an arm around Grace's shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek, before giving Jeremy a quick glance.

Jeremy rolled his eyes, focusing on his schoolbag and sorting it out. He never understood the friendship between Grace and Tyler; they weren't dating and yet, on occasion, they acted like they were. He knew for a fact they participated in activities regular friends didn't do.

"You didn't call me this morning," Tyler complained to Grace, in a playful manner.

Grace gave him a small smile. "Had a busy morning. I'll make it up to you."

Tyler gave her a smile showing his mind had taken a more personal turn. Jeremy glanced up and cringed, seeing Tyler had brought his sister in closer for a slow, passionate kiss – including tongue.

"I could have gone my whole life without seeing that," he complained.

Tyler pulled away and shot Jeremy a glare. "You know, Pete Wentz called; he wants his nail polish back." He noted the black nail polish on Jeremy's nails was chipping away.

Sensing the fight brewing, Grace put herself between them. "Don't do it. Both of you need to start getting along. Vicki played you against each other. Let's not go down that road again."

Tyler and Jeremy were both ashamed, knowing she was right.

Tyler agreed. "I'll see you later, Grace. Gotta find Matt before class. See you, kid." Jeremy didn't need to be a genius to know last part was directed at him.

As Tyler walked away, Jeremy was filled with exasperation and he met his sister's eyes. "Pete Wentz? That's his go to? He a Carlson Daily fan?" Grace smiled at him and they walked inside.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Bonnie and Elena stood outside the front office. Bonnie was the first to spot the guy they hadn't seen before standing in there, getting all his papers checked.

"Hold up. Who's this?"

Elena didn't know. "All I see is back."

"It's a hot back."

Elena chuckled.

Inside the office, the secretary was scanning the documents in front of her. "Your records are incomplete. You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts."

The young man took off his sunglasses and the secretary met his gaze. "Please look again. I'm sure everything you need is there."

For a few long seconds the secretary stared into his eyes, a blank stare on her face, before scanning through the papers once again. "Well, you're right. So it is." She smiled.

Outside of the office, Bonnie and Elena were still watching the new guy, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fresh meat.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes in an observatory manner. "I'm sensing Seattle and he plays the guitar."

Elena scoffed, with a lack of humour. "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?"

"Pretty much," Bonnie agreed.

Over Bonnie's shoulder, Elena saw Jeremy and Grace walking through the hall, talking to each other with small smiles on their faces. Grace stopped walking and waited while Jeremy walked into the boys' toilets.

"Hey, Grace, can you ask Jeremy -?"

"Fuck off, Brandon," Grace cut off the blonde-haired boy who had approached her. "Not a chance."

Brandon was a known hardcore crackhead and was always after his newest fix. He glared at Grace and shoved passed her. Elena heard the exchange and narrowed her eyes. There was no way.

"I'll be right back," Elena told Bonnie and stormed away. Bonnie gave a vague acknowledgement, still staring at the new guy and muttering, "Please be hot."

Grabbing Grace's elbow "Hey! Elena!", she dragged her into the Boys' toilets and over to where Jeremy was washing his hands. One guy noticed them as he left a cubicle and said, "Woah! Pants down chicks." He quickened his step as he left.

Grace glared at Elena and yanked her elbow away. "What the hell, Elena?!"

"Are you dealing?" Elena asked Jeremy, before whirling on Grace. "Are you helping him?"

"No, I'm not," Jeremy denied, at the same time Grace all but snarled, "You think I'd let him?"

Elena didn't believe them. "Where is it? Is it on you?" She began bodily searching Jeremy, raising Grace's ire even further.

Jeremy pushed Elena away. "Stop! You need to chill yourself, all right?"

"Chill myself?" Elena asked in disbelief. "What is it, stoner talk?"

Before Elena could say more, her shoulder was grabbed in a tight grip and she was pulled away from Jeremy by Grace. "Enough, Elena! He's not taking and he's not dealing."

"Then what the hell was that with Brandon!" Elena accused, not believing a word Grace spoke. "I gave you both summer passes. I'm done watching you" she pointed to Jeremy "destroy yourself and you" she pointed to Grace "allowing him to."

Jeremy stood straighter, to defend himself and Grace, but Elena pushed him back against the sink. "No, no, no, you know what? Go ahead. Keep it up. Both of you. But just know that I am going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, you got it?"

A toilet flushed and another guy walked out of a cubicle, quickly heading out of the room to avoid the family spat. Elena watched him leave, exhaling deeply. Grace and Jeremy were both furious and struggling to hide it.

As Elena turned back to face them, Grace had had enough. "Now you've said your piece, get the fuck away from us." Grace had always had anger problems but, in that moment, she knew she had to leave before she did worse than punch her sister.

Grace shoved passed her, Elena being pushed into the sinks and, before she could say anything else, her siblings had walked away. Before they both left the room, Jeremy turned to face his eldest sister, his expression frigid.

"I've been clean for six weeks. If you took your head out of your journal long enough, you might have known that."

Elena watched the door close, eyes open wide in shock. Sagging back against the sink, she didn't need anyone else to tell her how much she had screwed up.

Grace waved goodbye to Jeremy as they went their separate ways. Grace turned and saw Caroline by her locker, seeing the perky blonde's attention was drawn to something. As she changed direction, hoping to talk to Caroline once more before class, she walked into a hard chest.

Grace gasped. "I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It was my fault."

Grace was still, recognizing the voice. Seeing the light brown hair in the funny, pushed back style and forest green eyes, she grinned. "Stefan Salvatore! When you said you were coming back to town, I didn't think you meant so quickly."

Grace gave him a hug.

Stefan smiled. "I decided it was time." His eye moved over her shoulder. "Isn't that the men's room?"

Grace glanced over her shoulder to see Elena leaving the toilet, apologetic and distraught. Grace turned back to Stefan, ignoring her older sister. "Yes, it is. Long story. I'll tell you later, if you'd like to catch up."

"I'd love to," Stefan agreed. "I'll see you in class."

Grace gave a nod and they continued their separate ways. Catching Caroline's eye, she could see the shock on her friend's face and gave a small groan. She knew Caroline would be on her back for the rest of the day.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state."

Grace was doodling in the margins of her notebook, trying not to fall to sleep during Tanner's speech. She loved history, just not the way Tanner taught it. Taking a glance around the room at her fellow classmates – she hated the fact that being put up a year meant she was in the same classes as her sister – she rolled her eyes as she saw Matt Donovan's eyes keep glancing over to Elena.

She had hoped he'd grown out of it during the summer. It was hard for her to say about her own sister, but he was better off.

"People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the Union …"

Grace tuned out of the speech as she noticed Elena kept giving sneaky glances over at Stefan. Her eyes narrowed, realizing Elena wanted a new relationship and was searching for one, blatantly in front of Matt. She was pleased, however, that Stefan was ignoring her.

She was concerned when she saw Matt follow Elena's glances to Stefan. She didn't want him getting the wrong idea.

Grace stared back at her notes, trying to get caught up with Tanner's speech, missing the fact that Stefan glanced at her just as she did. Bonnie and Matt didn't. Bonnie took out her phone discreetly and sent a quick message. Grace's phone buzzed in her pocket and, taking it out, she hid it behind her history book to read the message.

HAWT-E. STARING U.

Grace gave a simple smile and shook her head in amusement. Towards the back of the class, Matt frowned.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Neither Grace nor Jeremy wanted to follow Elena on her daily trip to Mystic Falls Cemetery, so they went ahead of time. Grace heard the squawk of a bird and glanced around, not seeing anything. Jeremy glanced up and saw the crow on the sign, but ignored it.

They made it to their destination and stood there.

IN MEMORY

GRAYSON GILBERT – MIRANDA SOMMERS GILBERT

MAY 23, 2009

LOVING PARENTS

Jeremy gripped his sister's hand and fought back the tears. He'd not been able to come here since the funeral. Grace had helped him, by coming with him once a week and allowing him to spend time at their parents' graves. Grace found it easier with her brother beside her, as well.

Wiping dust and dirt off from the top of the headstone, Grace put down the bouquet of white roses they'd bought on their way there. Their mother had loved white roses and their father had always made sure a fresh bouquet was in the house.

Seeing the tears in her brother's eyes, Grace pulled him in for a hug.

"We're going to be okay, Jeremy," Grace whispered in his ear. "I promise."

Jeremy nodded, not wanting to let the tears fall and buried his face into her hair.

"Grace? Jeremy?"

Pulling away from each other, they could see Elena approaching the grave.

"We were just leaving." Jeremy wasn't happy to see her. The accusations from earlier were still fresh in his mind and he did not want to continue the conversation that had, to be frank, hurt him in a way neither of his sisters had hurt him before. Today had been one of a long line of problems which were cropping up between the siblings.

They both walked away from the grave, with Elena trying to stop them and apologize for earlier. They walked passed her and continued down the path. Behind them, Elena knew better than to try and continue, so she sat in front of the grave and pulled her journal out of her bag.

"What do you think she's writing?" Jeremy asked, as they walked down a short path.

Grace gave an unconcerned shrug. "That she made it through the day. That she's not okay, even though she told everyone she was. You know, Jeremy, if she'd spoken to more people than Bonnie, Caroline and us two this summer, then she wouldn't have had to put on a front today. Did she even realize no one asked me or you if we were okay, because they'd seen us around and spoken to us before the first day of school?"

Jeremy shook his head. "Like I said, she doesn't take her head out of her journal."

A bird squawking caught their attention and they both stopped walking to see a crow resting on the back of a bench.

Grace's brow furrowed. "I swear it's the same bird that hit Bonnie's car this morning."

Jeremy made a vague noise of interest. "Hi, bird. Why are you following my sister?"

"Why are you talking to the bird?" Grace asked, concerned for her brother's mental health.

"Connecting to nature." At least Jeremy's answer was prompt.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Mom just had to have a boy, didn't she?"

Jeremy gave her a small shove in mock offence. They both kept walking, ignoring the bird and the fog which had begun encroaching the air around them. They found it difficult to ignore, when the bird flew over their heads and landing on another bench a few feet in front of them, squawking louder and demanding to be noticed.

Jeremy grew very uncomfortable; the bird's behaviour and the fog getting thicker made his nerves come to the forefront. His palms became sweaty and a cold chill broke out on the back of his neck. "Grace."

Grace gripped his arm. She could see a human figure standing in the trees, facing their direction. Seeing the figure, she knew the fog and crow weren't natural.

"Let's go," Grace ordered.

Their pace increased as they both walked down the path and turned onto the next one. As soon as they were clear of that section of the graveyard, the fog disappeared. The sun shone on them again and they both moved easier.

Jeremy scanned the area, hoping they hadn't been followed. He had seen the same figure Grace had.

"Was that a witch?" Jeremy asked. "Was that another witch trying to frighten us?"

Grace shook her head. "No. The other witch in this area wouldn't do that. Besides, a witch's magic has a different sensation to that."

"Then what was it?"

Grace was quiet. The fog had caused a familiar tingling along her skin.

"Hey."

Grace and Jeremy both spun around and saw Stefan standing behind them. Jeremy's heart jumped straight into his throat again and he tried to calm himself.

"Hi Stefan," Grace greeted, as if nothing had just happened. "Are you visiting family?"

Stefan nodded. "Thought I'd pay my respects."

Jeremy took a deep breath. "Okay. This is all very Hitchcock. The crow following us, the strange fog … That is the Hitchcock movie, right?"

Grace smiled. "Yes. I knew we shouldn't have watched the movie last week. Jeremy, this is Stefan. Stefan, this is my brother, Jeremy."

"That's a nice ring," Jeremy commented, having noticed the gaudy piece of jewellery on his finger. "Family heirloom?"

Stefan moved it around on his finger, giving it the bare minimal of glances. "It is. I'm kinda stuck with it. Always found it a bit weird."

Grace chuckled. "It's like I told him when we first met, there are rings and then there is that."

Jeremy laughed.

Stefan's eyes moved over Grace's shoulder. "Has your sister hurt herself?"

Grace spun around and saw Elena approaching them, blood staining her jeans around her left calf. Jeremy turned around and shook his head in exasperation. Typical Elena.

Grace glanced back over her shoulder at Stefan. His sclera had turned blood-red, dark veins had grown under his eyes and fangs had descended in his mouth. The moment he saw her cool expression, he forced it back and his features became human again.

"You should go and take care of her," Stefan told her, before vanishing from her line of sight.

"Damn super speed," Grace muttered, in annoyance.

Hearing Elena talk about the fog and the bird, Grace turned back around. She knew they'd have to help Elena get home before heading out to meet with their friends.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"I lost control today. Everything I've kept buried inside came rushing to the surface. Grace is right. I need to make changes and I need to accept the monster inside. Or I won't be able to resist either of them."

Stefan Salvatore sat in his room, writing into his journal. Meeting Grace before returning to Mystic Falls had been the best thing to happen to him. It had allowed him to enter the situation with a clear head.

At the corner of his desk, a green bound journal was resting in the corner. He'd found it after getting control of his bloodlust, recognizing it as Elena Gilbert's she never allowed to leave her side.

He had to return it.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Grace sat at a table with Matt and Tyler, eating a burger and fries. Vicki, who worked at the Grill, brought over Tyler's meal and smiled.

"Do you need another refill?" Vicki asked, attempting to flirt with him.

"Sure," Tyler replied, not wanting to encourage her, but still wanting the drink.

Vicki recognized the dismissive tone and frowned, grabbed his glass and left.

Matt ate a fry. "I am so pleased you stopping hooking up with my sister. That was just weird."

"Please tell her to stay away from me. I don't want to get into it again." Tyler turned to Grace. "What's up with you and the new guy?" He wasn't accusing, just curious. After all, it wasn't like the two of them were an exclusive pair.

"Nothing," Grace denied. "I met him about six, seven, months ago when I was visiting family. He was passing through town, got on the wrong side of the wildlife and I helped him out. He took me to lunch a couple of times in thanks. I didn't think he was moving back for a couple more months."

Tyler and Matt were surprised by a single word. "Back?"

Bonnie and Caroline were talking as they walked through the Grill in search of a table. Caroline was telling Bonnie everything she had found out during the day. "His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with his uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid; military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini and his favourite colour is blue."

"You got all of that in one day?" Bonnie asked, incredulous

Caroline scoffed. "Oh, please, I got all that between third and fourth period. I'm planning a June wedding between him and Grace. Did you see him watching her? Finally, someone not interested in Elena."

Not giving Bonnie the chance to reply, Caroline turned around and walked away to catch up on even more gossip. Bonnie watched her go, conflicted. She didn't like their once strong group of four was splintering off into pairs.

"It looked like Elena was interested in him," Matt commented to Grace, as they waved to Caroline passing-by their table.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Elena's putting on a front, trying to convince everyone she's fine. She's using her journal as an outlet and, though it's a healthy alternative to other focuses she could have chosen, she needs to get her head back in the real world. Knowing Elena, she's latching onto the first new and shiny thing she can. I'm hoping it's a phase."

Tyler gripped her hand in comfort, knowing Grace mourned the loss of the close relationship she once had with Elena. Their parent's deaths hadn't been the catalyst, but it had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Will Stefan go for it, do you think?" Matt asked, persistent in his line of questioning.

Grace shook her head and swallowed a bite of her burger. "Let's just say that Elena reminds him a bit too much of his ex."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"I'm meeting Bonnie at the Grill," Elena told Jenna, as she walked to the front door.

"Ok, have fun." She didn't get far before Jenna rounded on Elena again. "Wait! I got this. Don't stay out late, it's a school night."

Elena chuckled. "Well done, Aunt Jenna."

Jenna smiled and walked into the kitchen, satisfied. Elena, still chuckling, walked to the front door. Opening it, she gasped in shock, seeing Stefan standing on the other side. "Oh."

Stefan smiled. "Sorry, I was about to knock. I was hoping to see Grace. I wanted to apologize to her for my disappearing act earlier."

Elena managed to hide her disappointment he wasn't there to see her. "No worries. Grace isn't here right now, but she did tell us you have issues with blood."

Stefan chuckled. "Yeah. We didn't meet under the best of circumstances, Grace and I, but I'm pleased she was there. How is your leg?"

"Oh, it's fine," Elena assured him. "Just a scratch, barely. I would ask how you knew where we lived, but Grace probably told you."

Stefan nodded. "That, and it's a small town. All I would need to do is ask the first person I saw." He pulled a small journal out of his back pocket. "Another reason I'm here is because I thought you might want this back. I found it on the path."

Elena was shocked to see her journal, not even having realized she'd lost it. "Oh, I must have dropped it. I – thank you."

"Don't worry," Stefan continued, "I didn't … read it."

Elena's eyebrows rose a tiny bit. "No? Why not? Most people would have."

"Well, I wouldn't want anyone to read mine."

"You keep a journal?" Elena asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Stefan replied, "if I don't write it down, I forget it. Memories are too important."

Elena continued staring at him. With every word coming out of his mouth, she believed they were forming a strong connection with each other. "Yeah. I'm just gonna, um, you don't have to stay out there." She backed away and walked back into the house, to put her journal away.

Stefan stood at the door and saw the line where it would close. He couldn't get in and he didn't want to. Walking back a few steps, he leaned against the porch railing. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Having seen he hadn't entered, Elena came back to the door, a confused and amused expression on her face.

Stefan spoke, not wanting to get into the conversation of why he didn't go into the house. "I only came to give you your journal back. I was hoping to catch Grace before she went to the Mystic Grill, but I suppose I'll just have to meet her there."

Elena couldn't quite disguise how disgruntled she was, but Stefan ignored it. He'd seen it before in another woman and it sent a rather unpleasant shiver down his spine. "I'm heading to the Grill myself. I'm meeting a friend."

Stefan gave a small smile, hiding the discomfort that had settled in his stomach. "Well, I'm a gentleman and I don't think your siblings would like it if I let you head there alone, since we are heading in the same direction."

Elena's eyes turned softer and she smiled.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Bonnie and Caroline had joined Tyler, Matt and Grace. They'd all moved to a larger table, knowing Elena would be there soon and they would need more space. Matt held off on asking anymore questions about Elena. He knew he was winding Grace up with his pestering, but it was hard for him to move on after a relationship he had invested so much into.

Tyler and Grace had put a small amount of alcohol into their soft drinks when no adult had been around, much to everyone else's secret amusement.

As they were chatting about their first day back at school, Grace saw Elena and Stefan walking into the Grill. Grace gritted her teeth at Elena's face. Peeking over at Matt, she was apologetic and he gave a small shrug in return. Elena and Stefan approached the table and Matt stood, holding out his hand to Stefan.

"Hi, I'm Matt," he greeted. "It's nice to meet you."

Stefan shook his hand. "Hi. Stefan."

Matt gave a short nod to Elena, but otherwise said nothing as he sat back down. That caused her smile to falter a bit, but she shook it off. Grace moved aside a small amount, so Stefan could shift his chair next to her a bit more. This action caused Elena to be on the opposite side of the table and it was clear she wasn't happy about it.

As soon as introductions and greetings were out of the way, Caroline started in on the expected interrogation. "So, you were born in Mystic Falls?"

Stefan made a sound of agreement. "And moved when I was still young."

"Parents?"

"My parents passed away," Stefan stated in a simple manner.

Elena was the only one at the table who didn't notice the tone in which it was stated; the cool indifference. A sheen of tears was present in her eyes, thinking this was another thing they had in common, with her own parent's deaths still fresh on her mind. "I'm sorry."

Stefan gave her a quick, slight dismissive glance. Tyler and Matt both met Grace's gaze, asking the obvious question with their eyes. Grace gave a small nod, letting them know Stefan hadn't had a good relationship with one or both of his parents; they both understood parental problems.

"Any siblings?" Elena asked.

Stefan gave a sardonic smile. "None that I talk to."

Grace snorted. "With good reason."

Stefan grimaced. "I'd almost forgotten you'd met. I'm sorry about that."

Grace gave a subconscious roll of her left shoulder.

"I live with my uncle," Stefan told the others.

Caroline was smart enough to steer the conversation away from family. It was clear that there were issues there. "So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow."

"It's a back to school thing at the Falls," Bonnie interjected.

"Of course, he's going," Grace cut in towards Bonnie, before continuing as she glanced at Stefan, "You'll be there. There are a lot of social events in Mystic Falls and this is going to be your first."

Stefan smiled.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Later that evening, Grace was sat with Stefan in the Salvatore Boarding House, in his room. Stefan had changed his shirt and sat with her at the small table.

"You sure you're okay being here?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm staying with Tyler tonight. He's agreed to cover for me until I get there. My family won't know."

"Are you seeing him?" He was curious, because Grace had told him there was no romantic attachment in her life and yet Tyler acted like it was different.

Grace shook her head and gave a small laugh. "No. Tyler and I know how to have fun with no strings. He's an asshole, but he's always been good to me. We're both free to see other people if we want."

Stefan chuckled. "That's good." He was quiet for a moment. "Everything you told me about Elena is true. I can see she's a good person, but -"

"Elena can be self-absorbed." Grace understood what Stefan was trying to say. "The best phrase someone came up with to do with her is, she isn't street-smart. She's not as good at reading people and situations as she likes to think. I love my sister, Stefan, but it doesn't mean I'm blind to her faults. It also doesn't mean I'm blind to my own. I can be shallow, cold to those I don't like and even those I do, I'm a bit too blunt and probably shouldn't speak my mind as much as I do, and I have raging anger issues. But, at least I admit it. I don't walk around pretending I don't have my problems."

Stefan was quiet as he listened to her rant.

"I love my sister, I do; I just wish I knew when I stopped liking her."

Grace had tears in her eyes by the time she finished. She had said most of this to him and others before. Grace missed the once close relationship she had with Elena, but she couldn't forget about all the qualities in Elena that made her upset and angry. Stefan gripped her hands in his own, trying to comfort her.

"It frustrates you," Stefan noted.

"It does," Grace agreed, "because I know Elena has the potential to be an amazing, strong woman. The curse of growing up in a small town, with such a close-knit community, is that everything is set in its ways. I've been out of Mystic Falls, have seen more than Elena and even Jeremy have, and I've gained more experience for it. I'm jumping ahead of the gun, though. She's only seventeen."

"And you're only sixteen."

"With another lifetime in my head. Let's not forget that."

Stefan shook his head. "A lifetime you can disconnect yourself from. You may have the memories but, like you said, it's like reading a book or watching a movie. This is your life now. And you're dealing with certain aspects better than your older sister. People mature in different ways. Give Elena time. She might surprise you."

Grace smiled. "I hope so."

"How do they all know, by the way?" Stefan asked. "About your magic and past life? You never did tell me."

Grace grimaced. "I had a strong magical outburst when I was eight and burnt down this abandoned house we'd all snuck away to play in. They kept it a secret for me, though kept pestering me afterwards. Over time, I told them all the whole story and they calmed down. Matt was afraid to be alone with me for years after my outburst, but not because he was afraid of me. He knew I struggled to control it. My temper doesn't help."

"Who all knows?"

"Matt, Tyler, Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy among my friends – family in Jeremy's case. My aunt, Jenna, is aware and both of my parents knew, as well. As does Sheila and a few other people you don't know. But it's not common knowledge."

Stefan understood.

A door opening made them pull away from each other and turn around. Zach Salvatore entered the room, holding a newspaper, not pleased in the least. He ignored Grace and threw the paper down in front of Stefan.

"You promised."

Stefan and Grace both saw the front-page article about Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton. The headline read 'BODIES FOUND MUTILATED BY ANIMAL'.

Stefan was confused. "This was an animal attack."

Zach didn't believe him. "Don't give me that. I know the game. You tear them up enough, they always suspect an animal attack. You said you had it under control."

"And he does." Grace was angry on Stefan's behalf. "I'm helping him, Zach; you know that."

Zach wasn't hopeful. "Over one hundred years of animal blood hasn't kept him from falling off the rails. How do you know you can?"

"Because animal blood isn't meant to be a permanent solution," Grace answered. "Just a bit of human blood at a time and he'll be able to build to where he needs to be. This wasn't him, Zach. I promise."

Zach, faced with them both, was now on edge. "Please, Uncle Stefan. Mystic Falls is a different place now. It's been quiet for years, but there are people who still remember. And you being here, it's just going to stir things up."

"It's not my intention," Stefan told him.

"Then what is? Why did you come back? After all this time, why now?"

Stefan was sharp now. "I don't have to explain myself."

Zach avoided Grace's glare as he tried to continue calmly. "I know that you can't change what you are. But you don't belong here anymore."

Stefan stared at his hands. "Where do I belong?"

"I can't tell you what to do. But coming back here was a mistake." Leaving the newspaper behind, he gave an apologetic pat on Grace's shoulder and left the room. Stefan watched him leave, resigned.

"He might be right," Stefan admitted. "What if I can't be helped?"

"You can be," Grace assured him. "I never thought I'd be saying that to a reformed serial killer, but times change."

She stood, walked over to a cupboard and opened it, seeing all his journals throughout the years. She grabbed a simple leather bound one and walked back over to the table. Opening it, they both inspected the picture inside, labelled 'Katherine, 1864'.

Grace turned the journal and picture to face Stefan. "Don't let her win any more than she already has."

The picture was of a woman who was identical to Elena Gilbert.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war, in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle?"

Back in History class with Tanner. Grace ignored most of his speech, sketching in the margins of her notebook; drawing little bunnies, foxes and so on. She didn't have the same passion for art Jeremy had, nor did she have the patience to use paint, but she enjoyed working with pencils and pastels and inks.

"Ms. Bennett?"

Bonnie peeked up from where she was also doodling in her notebook, like a deer in the headlights. "Um … a lot? I'm not sure. Like a whole lot."

A few of the students sniggered.

Tanner wasn't impressed. "Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett."

Bonnie's gaze fell, as she was shamed in front of all her classmates.

"Mr. Donovan. Would you like the take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

Matt was the type of guy who let undertone insults fly right over his head. "It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it."

Grace let out a small giggle, as she shot Matt a thumbs up.

"Hmm. Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?"

Elena was like a deer caught in the headlights, before she gave a minor shake of her head. "I'm sorry, I – I don't know."

It was this that made Tanner lose his cool. "I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena, but the personal excuses ended with summer break. Grace? What about you?"

The pencil Grace was using snapped into two at this statement, because Tanner hadn't been lenient, at all. He had not been less of an asshole by any degree of imagination. She gave her teacher a false little smile.

"There were 346 casualties," Grace told him, "unless you're counting local civilians."

"That's correct." Tanner gave a small nod. "Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle."

This time it was another voice that cut across, before Grace could elaborate. "Actually, there were twenty-seven, sir."

Stefan caught the entire classes attention as he spoke. "Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss."

Tanner regarded him for a moment. "Our new student. Mister … ?"

"Salvatore."

"Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

"Distant."

"Well, very good. Except, there is no evidence of civilian casualties."

"There is, sir," Grace spoke again. "The founder's archives are stored in Civil Hall, if you'd like to brush up on your facts." Everyone gawped at Grace in shock, grins forming on their faces. "Mr. Tanner."

Tanner showed no expression. It was a simple running battle between the two of them, who could one up the other. "Hmm."

As he turned back to the chalk board, Grace and Stefan smiled at each other.

-x-x-x-x-x-

That night, the party was in full swing.

Grace was with Caroline, stood in the gazebo, watching Bonnie and Elena by the bonfire. Using her magic, she enhanced the hearing in her left ear and listened in on the conversation. Caroline browsed the area, covering for her by chatting about nonsense and giving the allusion they were in a conversation.

"Just admit it, Elena."

"Oh, ok, so he's a little pretty."

"He has that romance novel stare," Bonnie teased. "Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul. Come on, just admit that you like him."

Grace scoffed. "I'm going to be sick."

"What are they saying?" Caroline asked, curious.

Taking a large gulp of her beer, Grace was angry. "When did Elena become the girl that needs a guy in her life to function like a normal human being? This is not Twilight. Bella Swan is not a role model for young girls."

"Hey!" Caroline protested. "I happen to like those books."

"And I still love you in spite of that, Caroline."

Caroline's expression of mock offense sent Grace into peals of laughter.

By the fire, Elena and Bonnie were still engaged in conversation, unaware they were being listened to.

"So, where is he?" Bonnie asked, searching the area with her eyes.

"I don't know. You tell me, you're the psychic one."

Bonnie nodded. "Right, I forgot. Ok, give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate."

"Wait! You need a crystal ball." Elena bent down and picked up a discarded beer bottle. "Ta da."

Chuckling, Bonnie reached out and grabbed it. Immediately, her eyes went wide and her whole body went cold. Elena was confused. After a second, Bonnie let go of the bottle, still leaving it in Elena's hand.

"What?" Elena questioned. Was Bonnie alright?

Bonnie was shaken. "That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow."

Remembering the crow in the graveyard, Elena's blood ran cold. She hadn't told anyone about the incident at the graveyard. "What?"

"A crow," Bonnie elaborated. "There was fog, a man."

Elena tried to stop her hands from shaking. She hadn't mentioned any of this to anyone – not even Grace, who she was sure would be able to explain it to her.

Bonnie gave a rapid shake of her head. "I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it. Yeah? Ok, I'm gonna get a refill."

Bonnie walked away, leaving Elena by the fire, shaken and confused. Examining the students around her, Elena decided it might be time to talk to someone but, as she caught sight of Grace and Caroline, she stopped.

Stefan was with them.

"Hey," Grace greeted, as she saw Stefan approach. "You made it."

Stefan smiled. "I did. Hi, Caroline."

"Hi, Stefan." Turning to Grace, Caroline made her excuses. "I'm going to go and see if Bonnie's all right; she left Elena pretty quickly there. I'll see you later."

After watching Caroline's retreating form, Grace smiled at Stefan and gestured with her head for them to walk.

"You're the talk of the town," Grace told him, as they moved away from the party, hoping for quiet.

"Am I?"

Grace gave an affirmative hum. "Mysterious new guy in town. People have questions."

Stefan chuckled. "Well, I'm not the only one. You have the mysterious vibe, too. No one in this town knows anything about the other side to your family. You spent half the summer, after your parent's deaths, out of town with them and tell no one about them." Seeing her confusion, Stefan explained. "I've been hearing the rumours."

"There always a lot of those. My story is the worst kept secret in Mystic Falls and now a whole new level of tragedy has been added." Grace was quiet for a long moment and Stefan left her to her thoughts. They often spoke about his problems, but her own never came up.

"You already know," Grace began, "last Spring, my parents' car drove off a bridge into the lake. Elena was in the backseat and survived, but they didn't. They had picked her up from a party and were coming home, but never made it back. It was an accident."

They stopped walking and leant on the railing of the walk-bridge. Stefan knew how hard it was for her to talk about it and held her hand in comfort.

"The latest drama in the Gilbert family; we've been causing scandals for years now. The first, being my mother's affair and my conception."

Stefan nodded. "I heard she ran out not long after Elena was born."

"Mom and dad had problems," Grace explained, "that didn't just include Elena, but it made her need space. She drove and drove until she wound up in Louisiana. One night, she found a party in the middle of the woods and was invited to join. She had a drunken one-night stand and woke the next morning alone. She returned home straight away."

"Where she found out she was pregnant with you."

"Yes," Grace agreed. "When I was a year old, my mother found my biological father again. Ever since, I've visited him and the other side of my family every few months."

"Did your mother know about your family's special gift?" Stefan asked.

"Yes. My dad – Grayson Gilbert, I mean – did not. He wasn't as … tolerant … as my mom. He even found it difficult to accept my magic, though I know he loved me."

Stefan watched Grace carefully as she spoke. He could see the sadness in her eyes and the tenseness to her stance. Her grief was still set deep.

"I promise, Grace; you won't be sad forever."

Grace smiled.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Tyler and Jeremy were drinking beer and talking in low voices. They didn't often talk like this – or, at all – but they owed it to Grace. Neither of them wanted to disappoint her like they had this summer again.

As they shook hands, agreeing to hang out more and get to know each other, the very brunette they had avoided with great success all night approached them.

"Tyler, Jeremy." She was smiling, as if she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Why are you here, Vicki?" Jeremy asked. "Need another fix?"

Tyler snorted under his breath. "Or are you already high and other needs have made themselves known?"

Vicki's smile vanished. "I -"

"You what?" Tyler's prominent temper boiled to the surface. "Forgot you already had a boyfriend, when you went for Gilbert? Forgot that I was friends with his sister, so I'd inevitably find out about you screwing us both?"

"You're more than 'just friends' with Grace," Vicki spat out, angry. Even when going with her, if Grace called, he'd drop everything and run.

"That's got nothing to do with you anymore." It was Jeremy who spoke. "Just leave us both alone. Go and play another fool. You want to complain how bad you've got it, Vicki? How about the fact you never do anything to change it?"

Vicki had tears in her eyes. She thought he understood.

"Nothing will change unless you want it to, so don't come crying to us when you fall down that hill again."

They left it there. This was Matt's sister and they had enough respect for him to not throw all their anger at her. They walked away and left her standing there, trying not to cry over the choices she had made.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"You've got some good friends here."

They could both see Caroline and Matt watching them from a distance, with beer cups in their hands.

"I do." Grace was smiling. "When we were younger, it was Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and I against the world. Things have changed as we've grown older, but we're still close. Caroline grew into the eccentric young woman she is now, and I stuck by her through everything. Bonnie and Elena began developing their own twosome. We've all developed different personalities. Caroline loves all the social events and cheerleading; she's a bit of a perfectionist. I spent more and more time with my family in Louisiana – they expect a lot from me in the future, so I've had to be more responsible. It made me seek out more fun past times when I return to Mystic Falls, which is where Tyler and others have come in, along with a slew of other things. Bonnie and Elena are social butterflies, as well, but in the more typical small-town girl way."

"Like Elena dating Matt Donovan," Stefan guessed.

"And Bonnie being the best friend on the side. She doesn't seem to have much of a life outside of my sister and her needs; or focusing on helping her friends over herself. I don't think she even realizes she revolves everything around everyone other than herself."

"The eternal damsels." Stefan knew what she was trying to say.

Grace was pleased she could talk with Stefan about this. She often spoke seriously with Caroline, but they tried to prevent the negative thoughts from clouding their judgements.

"The eternal judgemental damsels," Grace corrected. "That's the main problem. If it doesn't fit into their world view, then it's wrong and needs to be corrected. I have no doubt they'll find out about you and, when they do, keep your past to yourself as much as possible. They'll just judge, judge, judge."

Stefan watched her carefully for a long moment. "You speak from experience."

Grace met his gaze and gave a short nod. There was no elaboration. Stefan held her hand and gave silent comfort. He knew all about her first life, so he could guess which parts had caused problems.

It was as they stood quietly, Grace noticed the change in Stefan's stance. For a split second, dark veins appeared under his eyes as he gazed at the party. She gritted her teeth and gripped his wrist, pulling him away and walking down the bridge.

"We're doing this now," Grace told him, as she pulled him into the woods. "No arguments."

He didn't dare.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Walking through the woods, Vicki knew she'd screwed up. Using Jeremy and Tyler was always going to catch up to her.

Jeremy had been there, hurting as much as she was, and she had thought it was nice having someone who understood the pain. Tyler was a jackass, but he had always been good to Grace and she had hoped he could be good to her in the same way, as well. She had never believed they would find out they were both with her at the same time.

When they did, it was over.

Hearing a creek, Vicki spun around. "Jeremy? Tyler?"

She was hoping they had followed her, but saw nothing except for a fog crawling in by her feet. Continuing walking, she failed to see the dark clad figure that appeared behind her, but the sharp sting of pain on her neck let her know she was being attacked and she let out a scream of fear.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Matt decided it was time to bite the bullet and approach Elena. He deserved answers and not half explanations anymore.

Walking up to her, he caught her attention as she was casting an eye over everyone else. "Looking for someone?"

Elena was quiet for a moment, cautious as she regarded him. "Hey. Yeah, I was trying to find Grace."

Matt didn't buy it. Grace was with Stefan on the bridge a few minutes ago and Elena had been making her interest in the new guy clear. "When you broke up with me, you said it was because you needed some time alone. You don't particularly look so alone to me."

Elena tried to make excuses. "Matt, you don't understand, it's -"

Matt shook his head. "That's okay, Elena. You do what you have to do. Just … next time you decide to break up with a guy, do the both of you a favour and don't lie to him. It would hurt a lot less."

Walking away, he ignored Elena trying to get his attention again. He hadn't meant to say any of that. He had wanted to say he wasn't giving up on them and he still believed they could work out. As soon as he had started saying the words, he realized he no longer meant them. He might have listened to Grace too much, but he knew she was right; he deserved better than the way Elena had treated him.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Grace was laughing with Stefan, when she heard the smash of a bottle close to her. It caught her attention and she saw Jeremy stumbling off into the woods. Even worse, Elena was following him and she was not happy in the least.

"Oh, dear lord."

"What is it?" Stefan asked.

Grace gestured. "My brother and sister."

Stefan was worried for her. "Do you need help?"

Grace shook her head. "I have a feeling you're not going to want to witness this. Jeremy! Elena!" She ran off after them, leaving Stefan there, smiling as he watched her.

Entering the treeline, she caught up to them both. Elena was trying to apologize and Jeremy didn't want to hear it. Grace grabbed Elena's arm and stopped her from walking.

"You've done enough, Elena. Leave him be."

"He's drunk," Elena pointed out, "and stumbling through the woods. We don't need him getting lost."

Before Grace could say anything else, Jeremy let out a grunt and fell to the floor a few feet away from them. Immediately, he came face-to-face with Vicki Donovan lying there, with a huge bleeding wound on her neck.

"Vicki? Oh, god, no!"

Grace and Elena scrambled over, kneeling beside her. Jeremy moved to the side, letting Grace assess the situation. As soon as Grace touched Vicki's shoulder, her eyes snapped open.

"Jeremy, grab her legs," Grace ordered. "Elena, her shoulders. I'm going to try and stop the bleeding, but we need to get her out of here."

Grace recognized the type wound it was and didn't need to be told what had done this to Vicki. She focused on getting her to safety.

Jeremy and Elena followed her instructions and picked her up. Grace took off her outer blouse, leaving her in a vest shirt underneath and pressed it to Vicki's bleeding wound. Grace's lips were moving without sound, but neither of her siblings needed to ask to know she was muttering a spell under her breath to slow the bleeding.

As they left the treeline, Elena yelled out, "Somebody help!"

Everybody moved out of the way staring at them in shock and drunken fear. Matt felt his heart drop out from his chest as he saw who they were carrying.

"Vicki?" he called out, shocked and panicked. "Vicki, what the hell?!"

Tyler, who was close by, cleared off a food table and helped them lay Vicki on it. "What happened?" he asked.

Matt ran over and stood by his sister's side, looking her over. "Somebody, call an ambulance!"

Tyler turned around and snapped at everyone around them. "Everybody back up, give her some space!"

Grace continued pressing her shirt to Vicki's wound, but had stopped her spell, not able to continue in public. "It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood."

Grabbing Matt's hand, she guided him to pressing on Vicki's wound which he did without hesitation. He switched places with her and tried to speak to his sister, who was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Vicki, Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me."

As Elena, Matt, Tyler and Jeremy were taking care of Vicki and trying to keep her conscious, Grace glanced up. Stefan was hiding in the crowd, scrutinizing the scene before him in shock. His eyes met hers and he gave a small nod, before turning and leaving.

He needed to get out of there and find out what was going on.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Running into the Boarding House, Stefan glanced at Zach who was sitting at his desk doing paperwork.

"What's going on?" Zach asked, concerned.

"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me."

Stefan ran up the stairs and headed straight for his room. Closing the door behind him, he walked in a few feet, before coming to a halt. He heard the squawk of a bird and the flapping of wings, before he saw the crow. It flew in through his open window terrace and passed him, landing on the rafters in the corner of the room. Watching it for a few moments, every muscle in his body tensed and he needed no further explanation.

Turning back around, he faced the dark clad figure now standing in his open window. "Damon."

The dark-haired man smirked. "Hello, brother."

Taking a few steps into the room, the crow flew over him and landed on the small railing of the window terrace.

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan questioned.

Damon examined the objects on the table. "Wait till you see what I can do with the fog."

The brother's eyes met for a long moment, before Stefan asked, "When'd you get here?"

Damon began walking around, his manner nonchalant. "Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school." He leaned against the shelves, searching through all the artefacts his little brother had accumulated. "Your hair's different. I like it."

"It's been fifteen years, Damon."

"Thank god," Damon exclaimed, in overexaggerated relief. "I couldn't take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look?" He chuckled. "Did not suit you." He walked around the room again, peering back and forth from his brother as he did. "Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."

"Why are you here?" Stefan demanded, sick and tired of the small talk.

"I miss my little brother," Damon told him, as if it could explain his actions to the one who knew him best.

"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do."

Damon shrugged. "I've managed to keep myself busy."

Stefan glared at him. "You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you."

Damon leaned against the desk, giving a fake 'oops' expression. "Ah. That could be a problem …" his eyes once again met Stefan's "… for you."

Stefan shook his head. "Why are you here now?"

Damon stared. "I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word … Elena."

As Stefan's face remained blank, Damon smirked.

-x-x-x-x-x-

An ambulance. The police. Animal control.

Everyone and everything had arrived. Grace was stood in the gazebo with a beer, while Elena stood at the railing, watching the ambulance drive away with Vicki – and Matt – inside.

Bonnie approached them all. "Hey. Caroline and I are gonna go mainline coffee and wait for news."

"Will you give me a couple of minutes, Bonnie?" Grace asked. "I'd like to come, as well, and help Caroline sober up before she goes home."

"Sure."

Elena regarded her little sister. "I'm gonna take Jeremy home."

Bonnie took a deep breath. "Elena, Grace, there's no way I'm psychic. I know that. But whatever I saw, or I think I saw, I have this feeling …"

"Bonnie, what?" Elena questioned.

Grace didn't need Bonnie to finish her sentence. She did it for her, already knowing. "That it's just the beginning." Bonnie nodded.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"She took my breath away; Elena," Damon continued. "She's a dead ringer for Katherine."

Stefan said nothing, but Damon wasn't finished. "Of course, to me, you appear to be eyeballing the other one. Grace Gilbert, is it?" Damon's eyes turned wicked, as he saw Stefan's expression tighten. "Sorry, we didn't quite get to whole exchanging names part, when I met her. There was bourbon, there was sex" Stefan's eyes hardened "and then there was blood, but I'm guessing you already know the whole story."

He did. Grace had called him and told him the morning after. She'd had too much to drink and hadn't recognized Damon for who he was until it was too late.

"Is it working, Stefan?" Damon goaded, approaching his younger brother again. "Being around them, being in their world? Does it make you feel alive?"

"Elena is not Katherine," Stefan told his brother, slowly, "and Grace is not a toy for you to play with."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended. And Grace? Well, I still can't quite believe it took us over one hundred years to know her kind existed and I'm not talking about her magic." He ignored the part about her not being a toy for him to play with.

If Stefan was tense before, he was even more so now. That was exactly what he hadn't wanted Damon finding out about.

"Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"

An hour ago. Grace hadn't been happy by his other face coming out the little it had and wanted him to get a jump start. It had been a couple of drops from the tip of her finger but the changes it had brought about were apparent to him already. He knew this would finally be the push he needed. "I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work."

Damon hit his shoulder, hard. "Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?"

Stefan shook his head. "Stop it."

Damon hit him again. "Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there."

Stefan stepped back as Damon landed another hit.

"Or just, let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for the Gilbert sisters. I promise you, brother, Grace's blood is divine."

This made Stefan angry, because he knew Damon was telling the truth there. Grace's blood was special. He shoved Damon back. "Stop it!"

"Imagine what it would be like!" Damon continued, not deterred. "I remember it vividly."

The mirror off to the side showed Stefan's face had turned to show the monster beneath the surface. Vampire fangs, black veins and blood shot eyes were exposed.

"I'd love to try it again." Damon was smirking, seeing Stefan's loss of control.

Stefan glared back at his brother in utter fury. "I said stop!"

Growling, Stefan pushed Damon back and they both went flying across the room, out of the window and landed hard on the asphalt in front of the house. Picking himself off the floor, amidst the shattered glass, Stefan's energy returned to him far quicker than it would have before.

He stood and dusted himself off, scanning the area around him and seeing Damon by the hedges. Damon was staring at him, no expression on his face. It was clear he had noticed the slight difference.

"I was impressed," Damon told him, giving his brother a critical eye. "I give it a … six and a half. Missing a little style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face" he made a growling, squeal of a sound "thing. It was good."

Stefan had had enough. "You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die."

Damon's brow furrowed and he gave a minor shrug. "That's a given."

"Not here," Stefan denied. "I won't allow it."

Damon smiled. "I take that as an invitation."

"Damon, please," Stefan begged. "After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?"

Damon stepped forward. "I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word."

"Just stay away from Grace and Elena," Stefan demanded.

Damon inspected Stefan's hands. "Where's your ring?"

Startled, Stefan's eyes snapped down and found his fingers bare of his daylight ring.

"Oh yeah." Damon played around with his own ring, faking concern and nervousness. "Sun's coming up in a couple of hours and, poof, ashes to ashes."

Stefan stared at him and Damon chuckled.

"Relax," Damon instructed, walking over to him and holding out his hand, where the ring rested in his palm. "It's right here."

Stefan was cautious as he took it and put it back on his finger. Suddenly, Damon's hand shot out and gripped Stefan's throat, his own vampire face showing. As he was thrown through the air, Stefan hit the green wooden fence where the cars were parked. Stefan was lucky he had enough strength to land on his hands and knees, before pushing himself to his feet.

Damon was right next to him, scrutinizing him in the same strange manner. "You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight a while ago. I wouldn't try it again."

Stefan glared.

Damon was going to say more, but a rustling noise caught his attention and he grinned. "I think we woke Zach up." He turned around and walked away, calling out, "Sorry, Zach."

Stefan watch him go, before pulling out his phone and sending a quick message.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Jeremy wished he had decided to go with Grace, instead of waiting with Elena. Downing the last of his beer, he tried to ignore his oldest sister as she stood next to him.

"I called Jenna," Elena told him. "She's on her way."

Jeremy threw his beer bottle away and pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack. He needed to keep hydrated if he didn't want one hell of a hangover in the morning and he made a promise to Grace he planned to keep.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy."

He glanced at Elena when she said this, still not verbally replying.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen."

Jeremy shook his head. "How about being sorry you weren't there for me? Even Grace, dealing with her own shit and her own grief, managed to notice the spiral I was in. You talk about wanting to be better, but we've both seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary – and not just yesterday. Is that supposed to be you moving on?"

Elena was silent for a moment and shook her head. "Mom and dad wouldn't have wanted this."

Jeremy grew angrier at this. "How about this, Elena? When you figure out how to be our sister again, come and talk to us. Until then, do what you want. Throw yourself at the new guy, even when he's made it plain he doesn't want anything from you. Keep pushing away the people you grew up with – your friends. Keep being selfish and putting people down. But, until you get off your high horse, stay away from us."

Jeremy stood and walked away, leaving Elena watching his retreating form in shock, with tears in her eyes.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Are you sober, yet?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline had her head in her hands. She'd overdone it on the booze if the sick sensation in her stomach was telling her right. It felt as though she'd drunk the entire alcohol supply herself. "No."

Grace chuckled. "Keep drinking your coffee, Caroline. We've all got to get home."

Caroline gave a small smile. "Why am I never the one? Why is it always you, or Elena?"

Bonnie and Grace knew Caroline must have been building up to this for a while. She usually never complained in a direct manner to Grace, always encouraging her in every aspect.

Without waiting for any answer, Caroline continued. "I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And … you and Elena always say the right thing. Neither of you even try! You're always the one's that everyone picks. I try so hard, but I'm never the one."

Grace, not taking any of this personally, reached over and grabbed Caroline's hand in comfort. "Look at me." The blonde did. "You are Caroline Forbes. You are the only girl I know who can run several projects at the same time, keep up with her homework, be head cheerleader and have time for beauty sleep. You are not the stereotypical high school cheerleader you pretend to be and no one will convince me otherwise. You got through your parent's divorce, your father revealing he was gay and still came out in one piece. You are one of the most strong-willed people I know. You are one of my best friends and, one day, you are going to get what you deserve. I promise."

Caroline gave a small smile.

"But," Grace continued, "until then, you treat this however you wish to. Be Caroline Forbes. Be flawed. Be as loving as you always are."

Tears in her eyes, Caroline leaned over and hugged Grace, knowing she was her truest friend.

-x-x-x-x-x-

In a hospital room, Matt sat next to Vicki's bed. Her neck had been bandaged and she was unconscious, but alive.

He had been so afraid he was going to lose her. When Elena, Grace and Jeremy had carried her from the woods, he had been terrified. It was always so easy for him to recognize Vicki and he had known it was her the instant he'd seen her. Seeing the state she was in had sent him into a panic.

Vicki was all he had. Their parents were both screw ups and his sister was heading the same way, but he loved her all the same. He never doubted she loved him, despite the problems she had.

Hearing a small moan, Matt's gaze was drawn back to his sister and saw Vicki stir. The weight lifted off Matt's shoulders as he saw his sister's eyes open. "Vicki. Hey. Hey, it's okay. You're gonna be okay."

"Matt," Vicki managed to say in a whisper.

"Shh. Hey, don't try to talk, okay? You're fine."

Vicki stared at him, true terror in her eyes. "Vampire."

Matt's eyes went wide.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Sitting in his bedroom, Jeremy held a framed picture of his parents in his hands. Studying every detail, tears brimmed in his eyes and stuck to his eyelashes.

During the day, it was easier not to think about them. At night, when he had nothing to focus on, he seemed to fall apart all over again. He knew Grace found it as hard as he did. They'd spent many nights curled up in his room, or hers.

The dip in his bed made Jeremy glance around to see Jenna sitting next to him, her eyes shining. He gave a watery smile and leaned into her embrace, letting his tears fall. As he embraced his aunt, Jeremy was thankful she was there and angry at himself that he hadn't appreciated her before. He vowed not to do so again.

As they both let their tears fall, the smiling faces of Miranda and Grayson Gilbert stared at them from their picture frame.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked, worried leaving Grace would cause a problem.

"Yeah. I've called for another ride. You just get Caroline home and focus on yourself tonight. I know you were freaked out."

Bonnie was grateful, peering back at Caroline in the car and at Grace again. "I'm not stupid. I know magic must exist here, because you have it. You couldn't have brought it with you otherwise. I just …" Bonnie was frightened "… I don't want the life you had."

Grace hugged Bonnie, saying nothing. Bonnie had been interested in her other life, wanting to know every detail. Grace wasn't just convinced Bonnie was a true witch, but she was also a powerful one. A lesson she had learned in this world was, it didn't matter how late of a bloomer you were, certain lines of witches had extraordinary power running through their veins.

"Talk to your Grams, Bonnie," Grace instructed. "There is still a lot I haven't been able to tell you. If you need anything, don't ever forget I'm here."

Bonnie smiled.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Watching the car turn a corner, Grace allowed her peaceful and happy stance to shift. She had sensed his presence whilst in the Grill, before even reading Stefan's message. Taking a turn down a small alley, Grace stopped and looked around.

"Are you going to come out?" she asked.

For a long moment, everything was quiet, until a hand grazed over her shoulder. Glancing over her shoulder, Grace met the eyes of Damon Salvatore.

"I've missed you, Gracie." Damon's tone was almost mocking.

"It brings me the greatest of pleasures to assure you the feeling was not mutual." She slowly faced him fully, aware it wasn't wise to have Damon Salvatore at her back.

Damon smirked. "That's a shame. I was hoping to catch up over bourbon, maybe take it back to mine – you'll love my room." His hands moved to her waist and he leaned closer.

Grace refrained from rolling her eyes out of sheer willpower. "I'm sure I would; it's a pity I won't see it."

Damon's gaze was still playful, but his tone was not. "Are giving Stefan your blood?"

Grace made his eyes straight on, never flinching – something he had grown to admire in their few interactions. "You already know the answer, Damon. I would ask what you're doing in Mystic Falls, but I already know the answer to that, myself. I'm going to assume you want my help."

Damon's grip tightened – it would leave bruises, she was certain – and his expression hardened. "You will help, Grace. I need to know the truth."

She nodded, not questioning him. "Of course. I'll see what I can find and phone you when I've got something."

She pulled away with ease and left the alley, not looking back.

Damon watched Grace walk away from him, a smirk on his face. He had many plans in this small town and she would be involved in all of them. He hadn't been joking when he said he would love to have her in his bed again.

She was special and Damon wanted another taste.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Walking up her front steps, Grace smiled. Stefan was sat on the front porch, looking no worse than he had earlier that night.

"It looks like Vicki's going to be okay," she told him. "She got to the hospital just in time."

Stefan stood, at ease. "That's good. Do you know why Damon's back in town?" He didn't question if she'd seen him, because the answer was obvious. He could smell him all over her.

Grace nodded. "I do. You won't like it. Come in, Stefan. We've got a lot to talk about."

Neither of them spotted Elena looking down from her bedroom window, an upset expression plastered on her face and gripping her journal so hard her knuckles turned white.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Everyone woke from a stupor, when the fog cleared and the room became apparent to them once again. Whispers broke out as they all realized they were not alone, as the ritual had made them believe as they were viewing.

Hermione Granger looked down at her notes. She had jotted things down in shorthand, as she had been so fascinated by what she was watching, she had barely taken her eyes away from the story.

Molly Weasley was still staring at the back wall. She had no interest in the discussion about to take place and only wanted to see her little girl again; scarred, yet strong and alive.

Lord Voldemort stood, his mind analysing all he had seen. "You have half an hour until the next viewing. Snacks will be made available and you may discuss anything you have seen amongst yourselves. I will be calling attention five minutes before we are due to start."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Author's Note:-

I hope you have all enjoyed the first potential chapter. I haven't yet included the discussion between the Hogwarts group, as I would prefer to only do that for one potential chapter. It will be added in the final finished chapter, when it is decided which one is more popular.

The second potential first chapter is the one just after this.

If this is the story you would prefer to read, then please let me know. In either a PM, or a review.

If you do not like the layout of this story, then please tell me and let me know if you would prefer it in a different way. I did it like this, because I with to emphasize that two different stories are running simultaneously, and for those readers who would prefer to only read one story, over the other. If this is not a popular choice, then please let me know.