A/N: Thanks for the follows and feedback so far, I appreciate it! I only have bits and pieces of a plan as to where this is heading - so feel free to let me know if something isn't working for you. Also, sorry on being so vague about Bonnie & Damon's current circumstances, I couldn't come up with a way to actually spell out where they currently are that wasn't awkward this time around, so a better explanation is coming. Promise!

As they rounded the corner back toward the parking lot where Tyler left his car, Elena started slowing the pace. "There's your four miles for the day," she said, amused as she noted how worn out Tyler was.

"Damn it, sometimes being human again really sucks!" Tyler panted out as he collapsed on the grass. "Thanks again for doing this. I know I only slow you down. It's just that this is one of the best ways to-"

"I get it, Tyler. Exhaustion beats out uncontrollable rage every day of the week – and it's nice to have a running buddy." She snorted, "Even one as weak and human as you."

Tyler rolled his eyes and laughed. "It's a good thing I'm totally secure enough to hear that from a little girl like you without feeling like a complete wuss."

Elena managed a small smile. "So, how are you really? I know it wasn't easy for you before…controlling your anger."

Tyler sat up with a shrug. "It's a lot easier since I know what's going on this time. I'm better at handling it. Football, running…it all helps." He eyed her consideringly before continuing, "So do the sleeping pills you hooked me up with."

Elena exhaled loudly. "Oh yeah, that's me. Your friendly neighborhood drug dealer."

"Come on, you know it's not like that. It's not like I pop them all the time for fun."

"Yeah yeah, save it for the jury." Elena joked as she stood and extended a hand to help Tyler to his feet. "Looks like your buddies are here," she noted as an SUV pulled in next to Tyler. "Another pickup game?" she asked.

"Yup, hopefully I'll be too tired to even walk to my car by the time we're done!"

Taking a drink from her water bottle, Elena sputtered out a laugh. "Aim high, I guess?"

Grinning at her, Tyler threw an arm around her neck and drew her in to smack a kiss against her forehead. "See you tomorrow, Gilbert."

Ignoring the catcalls from Tyler's obnoxious football buddies, she nodded. "Sounds good. I'm gonna go put in a few more miles, see you later."

As she started back around the trail, Elena listened to Tyler's friends ragging on him.

"Are you sure you're not hitting that, Lockwood?"

"Dude, come on. She is so hot! If you're not into it, I'll be happy to-"

Tyler interrupted them all. "Seriously, lay off. She's family. And definitely off limits to you idiots. She'd eat you for breakfast."

At that, Elena snorted. Tyler totally knew she was listening if he was throwing out lame jokes like that.

"Family? So what, she your sister or something?"

"She might as well be. Now, are we going to play football or not?" Tyler's tone shut down the conversation a lot more successfully than anything else would have.

Family, Elena thought to herself. A loaded word if there ever was one. She shook off her maudlin thoughts and tried to clear her mind as she freed herself to run at a faster pace now that Tyler was gone. Having him around to worry about was a great distraction, but once he left? Outrunning her thoughts got a lot harder.

Several hours – and countless miles – later, Elena lay down in the middle of a lesser traveled side street. She was far enough away from the too-knowing eyes of Whitmore to get away with one of the more clichéd vampire traps.

She knew how worried all her friends were that she fed like this, but they didn't understand. She couldn't help but shiver at the brief warmth that passed through her at the thought of Damon. He'd know. He'd explained once that it was like meditation for vampires – it wasn't just about feeding on whoever pulled over to help. It was about the waiting quiet, almost like a trance. It was one of the only times Elena ever felt peace.

She never killed anyone, and always compelled them to forget when she was done. It could be a lot worse.

"Damon?"

He looked up from the book he was studying to see Bonnie's concerned gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Did you-" he stopped and gestured helplessly. "Did you do whatever you were hoping to do?"

Bonnie nodded hesitantly.

Damon frowned. "You look a little…I don't know. Something. Are you finally going to tell me what it is you've been doing?"

"Well," Bonnie started slowly. "I didn't want to tell you before I tried it because I honestly didn't think it would work. Then it kinda did and I couldn't believe it and then-"

"Whoa, stop. Try an actual explanation, will you?"

Damon's usual disrespect was enough to snap Bonnie out of her shock. She rolled her eyes before starting over. "I tried to come up with a way to mix my magics – use the spirits and expression, you know? I was hoping I'd find some kind of loophole to allow me access to our present-day Mystic Falls even with the Traveler's spell in place."

That was enough to get Damon to jump to his feet in excitement. "And you did? We can actually make contact?"

Bonnie's shoulders sagged. "No, the spell wasn't that strong."

Damon tried to get a hold on his patience. "So what the hell can you do then?"

"I went there – I think. Kinda. I don't think I was a ghost? Maybe more like a projection or something. I don't know, but I saw Jeremy. He couldn't see me, but I definitely saw him."

Damon ran a hand through his hair. "Was he alone? What else did you see? Where was he?"

Bonnie sat down and tried to slow her still rapid heartbeat. "The only reason I saw him was because he's here – in the Salvatore house, I mean. From the sound of it, I think he must live here."

Damon glowered. "Seriously? Baby Gilbert better not be trashing my house. I swear, he-"

Bonnie cleared her throat loudly. "Anyway – it was like I was just seeing what he was doing at that moment. Not the most useful spell – yet – but it's a start."

Damon nodded. "Yeah, it's a start. Uh…good work."

Bonnie grimaced. "No, don't try to be nice. It freaks me out. Plus, I haven't told you what Jeremy was doing."

Damon snorted. "A teenage guy in the middle of the afternoon? I can guess."

"Gross, no!" Bonnie scowled. "If you don't shut the hell up, I'm not going to tell you about his Skype call with Alaric."

"Ric? You saw him talking to Ric?" Damon demanded.

Bonnie nodded and filled him in on their determination to join in Caroline's quest to find something in Shane's notes.

"And…Elena? Did they say anything about her?" Damon said, barely breathing as he said her name.

Sighing, Bonnie looked down. "It was all a little vague, but…it sounds like something is wrong, Damon. With Elena, I mean. They both mentioned how worried they are about her, and Ric even said something about how much you'd hate seeing her like she is now and that he wishes you were there to help her."

"Damn it!" Damon barked as he kicked over a desk. "What the hell are we supposed to do, stuck here? She needs me! She needs both of us – they all do. Damn it! DAMN IT! I need to get to Elena!"

Letting Damon's explosion go unremarked, Bonnie just nodded. "I think the next step is figuring out some way to get a message to Jeremy. If we give them reason to hope? We can figure out some way to all work together to figure out how to get us home."

"Any clue as to how to do that?" Damon asked.

"Not just yet, why? You got any big ideas?"

Damon sat down beside Bonnie and stayed quiet for a few moments before nodding slowly. "You know what? I just might…"