Second chapter, here we are! I apologize for the long wait and that this is bit shorter than usual. What happened about the length was that it got too long to add another episode, but it's still a bit short for one chapter.
Also, as for being late, I've had ridiculous amounts of homework and studying to do, as well as this past weekend being my birthday.
If you're sticking around for the rest of the sequel after the first chapter, I'm glad! Thanks for the reviews, favorite's, and story alerts! They're all wonderful and please continue to leave fantastic reviews; they keep me excited about the story and sometimes give me ideas to add in.
One more thing; I'd like to give a shout out to fellow Fanfiction writer Kika de Apus who is from Brazil and loves this series. She is to thank for a few wonderful ideas in the coming chapters!
Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries or any quotations borrowed/modified
i'm in too deep and the wheels keep spinning 'round
"She's a caged animal
London by night
Crashing lights and cymbals
Queens of Twilight
And if I was you
I'd use the loo before the long drive
We complement each other
Just like Satan and Christ."
-Sister Rosetta, the Noisettes
.
.
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It was dark.
One could scarcely see the moon overhead in the night and all was quiet except for the crickets and Stephanie's ragged breathing. She and Rebekah stood tense and still under the cover of the forest as Klaus darted away with a roguish grin and lavish wink. The situation was serious but Stephanie felt a flash of amusement stirring within her despite her twisted and confused feelings for him.
The home Klaus was headed towards was a large, white and expansive farm house with the lights still on for visiting friends. Stephanie heard the door creak open and the following footsteps of a young adult woman in high heeled boots. She called for seemed to be a pet of some kind, most likely a dog that had ran off after a squirrel or a raccoon.
Klaus made his presence known to the woman and Stephanie trembled when she heard the human's heartbeat skyrocket. Rebekah put a restraining manicured hand onto Stephanie's arm and a silencing finger over her lips. Steph turned her attention back to Klaus; he'd led the woman back towards the house with some cock and bull story he pulled out of thin air with a surprisingly good America accent. He was invited inside.
"Alright," Rebekah let go of Stephanie's arm and the younger vampire needed no encouragement to flash to the front door and wait on the porch. She heard hear Klaus threatening the women inside and gathered from the conversation that the werewolf they were hunting was gone, but knew that that wouldn't save the humans; if anything, it condemned them.
Running feet headed in her direction and the front door flew open, only for the woman to stumble backwards a little. Klaus' delighted drawling voice told Stephanie that he'd joined them in the foyer.
"I just love it they run," He crooned and Stephanie's eyes fell to where the Hybrid had placed a guiding hand on the blonde woman's back. Klaus saw her glance and he chuckled quietly, but thankfully said nothing.
The dark skinned woman's eyes searched Stephanie's and the vampire wondered what she'd see there; an ally in a fellow woman; remorse; guilt? Or would she see the pleasure Stephanie was deriving from the game they were playing? Would she see the hunger and the bloodlust that occupied Steph's every waking thought?
Whatever it was that she saw, it wasn't what the woman had wanted to see; the human seemed to deflate and she shakily turned back to Klaus and voice quivering, said, "He's in Talley. It's near the border; he'll be in a bar called Southern Comforts."
"Thank you, dear," Klaus said and he walked the blonde over to the front door and turned to face her, murmuring, "Can my girlfriend come inside?"
"Yes," The blonde choked and Stephanie felt the barrier go down. She stepped over the threshold and felt her foots click quietly on the hard wood floor of the furnished foyer. The down shut softly behind her and sealed the women's fates.
Klaus shoved the blonde at Stephanie, who steadied the woman and held her wrists in a vice like grip. "Kill this one quickly, love." And then his eyes went to the darks skinned woman who'd ran, "Make that one suffer." He walked passed Steph and the blonde and blocked the door so the other woman wouldn't escape.
"Please, no," The blonde woman whimpered, "Please just let me go. I won't – I won't tell anyone what happened, I swear." Stephanie kept her face unreadable as her fangs slipped from their sheaths in her gums and her face transformed; black eyes and spidery veins crawling down her cheeks.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go," Stephanie murmured and faster than lightening, she dove for her neck and savaged it, relishing in the screams of both of the women. She could almost hear Nik grinning behind her and she licked the blood off of her lips as it dripped down her chin.
Jeremy woke up to bright sunlight in his eyes and Elena shaking his shoulder.
"Go 'way; it's early," He mumbled.
"No, it's not, you're late for work. Matt just called," Elena said and Jeremy peeked through half lidded eyes at his sister. She looked to be either in her sleep wear or running outfit but he was too drowsy to tell.
Jeremy groaned and reached over to his side table and saw the time on this cell phone. "Maybe he'll fire me," He muttered half optimistically.
Elena snorted as she left his room and called back, "Aim high."
"Rise and shine," A voice crooned in his ear and Jeremy turned over in his bed to glare at the girl sitting at the foot of it.
"Why are you here, Anna?" Jeremy asked quietly with furrowed brows, "You're supposed to be dead, yet you've kept popping up in my house all summer."
"Your sister's boyfriend is dead, along with half the town," Anna said with an arched eyebrow, "You believe in vampires, werewolves, hybrids, and witches, but not ghosts? Hypocrite."
"Seriously?" Jeremy snapped as he sat up, "Get the hell out of my room, Anna. I'm really not in the mood for this today." His eyes darted to the open bedroom door, but she could hear Elena jogging down the stairs, chattering with someone on the telephone.
"Why?" Anna asked and Jeremy got up, ignoring Anna's ghost as he floated around his own bedroom, finding some jeans and a shirt to wear.
"Because you or someone else is here all the time, bugging me," Jeremy muttered under his breath, really quite tired of all of the conversations he'd had with ghosts for the whole summer.
"So, when are you going to tell everybody about seeing me and your other ghost-y friends?" Anna asked and while her voice sounded idle, her eyes were sharp.
"I was hoping you'd all go away," Jeremy sighed and he pulled on some socks as he sent the dead vampire a dry look.
"Well, that's not working," She threw herself onto his bedspread, "Maybe you should tell Bonnie; she is the one that brought you back from the dead."
"Definitely not," Jeremy muttered slipped on his shoes and started to lace them.
"Damon?"
"I really don't think that's a good idea."
"Alaric?"
"Go away, Anna." The ghost gave a gusty sigh but disappeared instantaneously despite her reluctance. Jeremy heaved a sigh of relief and turned to face the door.
"Jeremy . . ." Vicki drawled and the boy sighed gruffly and heaved his backpack onto his shoulder like a shield.
"I don't want any ghost company today, Vicki," He growled, "Go away and tell them all so stay away." He grabbed the stake in his underwear drawer and stuck it in the side pocket of his backpack.
"You're not any fun," The former vampire pouted and popped away in any case, while Jeremy hurried out of his bedroom before anyone could find him seemingly talking to himself. He passed Elena's door to find it shut firmly and wondered if that meant Damon was there or if Elena was gone. He couldn't tell anymore.
"Jeremy."
His steps faltered on the stairs and his eyes swept the hallway behind him and the foyer below him. There was no one there and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. His right hand slowly reached towards the stake he'd packed and while he saw nothing, it meant little in their town.
"Jere?" He turned and saw Rick looking at him as he stood at the foot of the couch in their living room, folding up the quilts and pillows he'd been borrowing. Relieved, Jeremy slid the stake back into his bag.
"I'm on my way to work, Rick, I'll see you later," He waved off handedly and hurried away before Alaric could say anything else. Jeremy slipped out the front door and walked down the block and paused at a stop sign where a blue Camaro was sitting. Behind the front wheel was Damon in his leather jacket and sunglasses perched on his nose.
"Took you long enough," Damon complained as he rolled down the passenger window, "Get the hell in the car before drive off without you; I've got a lead."
Jeremy slipped in the passenger side and stuffed his backpack of supplies in the back seat. "What have you heard?"
"Liz called me and said that there was an animal attack in Memphis," Damon said flatly, "But it was brutal in an old farmhouse with a deadbolt on the front door; I doubt a wild dog managed to unlock it and mangle up the women and then shut the door politely behind him."
"So, we're going to Memphis?"
"No, we're going to Utah," Damon dead panned before rolling his eyes, "Of course we're going to Memphis."
"Did you tell Elena? Because she wasn't acting like she knew," Jeremy said carefully. He pulled out his phone and texted Matt so that other boy would know he wouldn't be into work that day.
"No, but Alaric is on site and keeping an eye on her," Damon said as he tilted his head to the side and then he slid Jeremy a sidelong glance, "We'll be back for her birthday party."
Jeremy nodded and hoped that he and Damon would find something besides another dead end. They drove quite a ways before coming up to a large area of land full of flat fields and towering trees. A white fence ran around the property and the center sat a beautiful two story, white farmhouse with what looked to be an attic.
Damon's phone rang and he looked at it and quickly pressed the silent button when he saw it was Elena.
"My sister?" Jeremy asked quietly.
"Uh huh," Damon replied as he eyes roved over the house.
"Why don't we just tell her where we are?" Jeremy asked after an uncomfortable moment.
"Liz says this is half lead," Damon admitted.
"It doesn't mean it might not be them," Jeremy pointed out firmly.
Damon rolled his eyes. "You're getting your hopes up, just like I don't want you or Elena or Barbie to." They stood in the front yard for a momenta and Damon stretched out his senses.
Jeremy said what he was thinking. "It's quiet."
Damon agreed. "Too quiet." He led the way into the house and pushed the door open quietly. The foyer was a wreck and it only got worse the farther inside the house they got.
He heard Jeremy's muffled gasp when they saw the bloody smears on the walls, but Damon said nothing. They arrived into the living room and saw two women's bodies sitting on the sofa, and were set up as if watching a movie together. One would almost believe it too; except they were bloody with their eyes gazing emptily on the far wall.
"I'm going to be sick," Jeremy muttered, "This was definitely the work of vampires."
Damon scoffed and corrected, "This is definitely Stephanie's work." He stepped through the living room and walked towards the bodies.
"How do you know?" Jeremy asked in Steph's defense.
"It's her signature," Damon explained clinically, "There's a reason she was called the Ripper, you know. She'd feed so hard that she'd black out rip the bodies apart. When she's done, she'll feel remorse." He stepped over the mangled bits of a remaining coffee table and nudged a body with his toe. A head rolled off and Jeremy gagged. "It's the dammed thing; she puts the bodies back together like a jigsaw puzzle."
Damon didn't bother to turn to look back at Jeremy, but he knew what the human was bound to be feeling; horror and disgust. "Yeah, definitely Steph," Damon said wryly, but anxiety was creeping up into him, as well. Ripper Stephanie was dangerous when contained, but let loose like Klaus was obviously encouraging her? It was nightmarish.
Rebekah walked side by side Stephanie and eyed the bar they'd been in for around half an hour with severe distaste; it was a little Tennessee bar, homey and nice to some, but to her, it was cramped and smelled like sweaty men. Her blue orbs shifted to look at Stephanie, who was walking a little closer to Nik that afternoon. Both of the women had their hair up into sleek ponytails, exposing their pale faces, slim necks and delicate cheek bones. Rebekah could even see a pretty green rose bloom tattoo on the back of Stephanie's neck that seemed new. Nik bade them a brief farewell and he walked smoothly up to the werewolf they suspected was Ray.
"I want to go shopping as soon as this is done," Rebekah sniffed daintily and eyed her footwear that suited to the area they were in, but was not her usual style. "You're going to come with me."
"Alright," Stephanie agreed quietly but Rebekah could see her attention was held elsewhere. The blonde frowned.
"Is there something bothering you?"
Stephanie didn't look at her. "It's Elena's birthday today. She'll be . . . she'd have been eighteen."
Not sorry the doppelgänger was dead, but feeling a little sentimental for her friend, Rebekah took the other girl's small hand and squeezed reassuringly.
Steph looked at her, surprise written across her features as Rebekah said awkwardly, "I'm sure . . . that her family is doing something . . . respectful for her; to remember good times . . . and to celebrate her memory."
"Thanks," Stephanie murmured and to Rebekah's pleasure, seemed to have lightened up a little. Nik gave them the signal, and they walked over to him and the werewolf, Ray.
He was trying to leave the establishment and Stephanie stepped in front on him and quietly said, "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." She easily pushed him until his back was tensed up against the bar and Steph's hand rested just above Ray's belly button, holding him in place.
Nervously, Ray stuttered out, "Vampires."
"Very good; do you think he deserves a prize?" Rebekah drawled as she meandered up to them and gave Ray a smirk.
"Well, he's almost correct," Nik said with a twinkle in his eye, "My sister is a vampire; say hello, Rebekah." He inclined his head towards her.
Rebekah gave a dainty wave, "Pleasure."
"And my lover, Stephanie, is a vampire as well," Nik said with a grin and watched as Ray swallowed thickly, "She's compelled everyone in the bar, so don't bother looking for any assistance from them. I am something else entirely, though." He locked eyes with Ray. "I'm a different sort of monster. I've got some vampire and I've got some 'wolf; makes for an interesting combination, if I may say so myself."
"What?" Ray gasped and his eyes widened in fear.
"A Hybrid, Ray," Nik clarified simply with a hard voice, "I'm both. And I want to create more of me." He grinned. "You being the first werewolf I've come across Ray, in many a moon, pun intended there, I need you to direct me to your pack. So, where are they, Ray?"
"You can't compel me," Ray said a little stronger, "It won't work."
Nik traded looks with Stephanie and Rebekah saw her tilt her head in response, bringing a finger up to touch her temple. Rebekah recognized the exchange a little as something between the two of them in their hunting games, but couldn't decipher what they meant.
Steph turned to the bar tender and called, "I need a Scotch on the rocks, please." She pulled out a small, thick leather bag and she turned to the werewolf. "Tell you what, Ray; we're going to play a little drinking game. Something I like to call Truth or Wolfsbane." She emptied a little of the purple plant into the palm of her hand and held up one of the leaves.
"Oh, this is going to be good, Ray," Nik smirked and settled into a seat and Rebekah followed suit.
"You'll see," Rebekah added with a grin, "Steph's a fantastic negotiator."
Damon left the room but Jeremy couldn't take his eyes off of the bodies. The room was in carnage, just like the front hall, proof of everything that had happened the night previous, but he could scarcely believe that Stephanie done this. Damon swore up and down it was her trademark and Jeremy supposed he'd know, but . . . he bit his lip. Jeremy knew that Steph had a spotty past, but he hadn't thought it was this bad.
He hadn't thought she could be this cruel.
Damon blundered back in with a propane tank and he started to pour oil onto the women's bodies. "God, what are you doing?" Jeremy demanded, aghast as he looked at Damon with wide eyes.
Damon continued, but explained, "I'm covering their tracks. They have no interest in staying in the dark, but I do." He stepped around and froze when they both heard a hollow thump.
"Wait a second," Jeremy muttered and he motioned for Damon to move, which the vampire did only reluctantly. Jeremy stooped down and rolled up a corner of the throw rug, revealing a square hatch.
They both hunkered down and Jeremy opened it and they looked at the hidden room below the living room; it was full of chains and other strong bindings.
"Well, what do you know?" Damon drawled, "Werewolves." They shut it back up and Jeremy walked over to stand in the foyer while Damon lit a match and tossed it into a puddle of oil. The fire spread and the two men quickly vacated the house together, heading towards Damon's blue Camaro.
Klaus was lounging in a chair next to Rebekah as they watched the procession; Ray was chained up to the dartboard and the entirety of his front shirt was drenched in blood and sweat, while Stephanie stood back quite a ways with a handful of darts and wolfsbane. She let another one soar and it hit Ray dead on the forehead, making blood drip down his temple and he grunted harshly against the pain that hit him.
Stephanie stirred the next dart in the wolfsbane laced glass of Scotch and she sashayed back to her throwing spot. She used her vampiric speed to toss the dart and it landed in Ray's chest, making him roar and rattle his chains.
"Ray, sweetie," Stephanie said softly as she walked up close to the werewolf. Her expression expressed genuine remorse, but Klaus knew it was an act on her part; she enjoyed this, he could tell, because of the sparkle in her sharp green eyes. "You can stop this," She continued, "just tell me where your pack is going to be hiding out this full moon." Stephanie pulled a dart out of Ray's neck quickly and he winced.
"I can't," Ray finally choked.
"I know, I know," Steph crooned, "werewolf code and all that . . . but see," Her voice turned cold as the icy tundra in the dead of winter, "he's not going to let me stop until you tell me where they are. And I don't really want to stop until he tells me to, so," She pursed her lips.
A dark headed woman walked up to Klaus and Rebekah and turned to look at her as she spoke of news she had for him. Stephanie didn't take her eyes off of Ray, but she tilted her head and stiffened at the mention of Damon.
She flitted from the dartboard over to Rebekah and Klaus' seats and she said flatly, "My brother's still on our trail."
"He's getting closer," Klaus said pointedly, "I'm going to have to have to take care of that."
"Let me handle it," Stephanie said quickly as a flash of fear for her brother's life flew through her. Her hand flew out to catch Klaus' arm, squeezing it, making Klaus eye her with an arched brow.
"And why should I let you go, love?"
"Because you know that I'll come back," Steph said evenly and her gaze locked onto Klaus'.
"Do I?" Klaus asked, headed tilted and his lip curled.
"You saved my brother's life," Stephanie said but saw that he wasn't still convinced. Her nostrils flared, "And . . . since you've had me remember everything, I've come to . . . accept some of it."
An indiscernible look crossed Klaus' face. "Really?"
"Yes," Stephanie said quietly and she tilted up her head and she stepped closer to the Hybrid. Her lips ghosted over his for a moment that seemed to suspend them in time until Steph stepped back. Her green eyes looked over at Klaus sharply and she saw him grinning. "I'll make sure my brother doesn't bother us anymore," Stephanie promised him and Klaus looked her with intense blue eyes.
Finally, he murmured, "See that you do. And hurry back, love; we've things to discuss."
Rebekah yawned dramatically from her chair, interrupting them as she unfolded her legs and announced, "This place is boring me to tears, Nik. I think I'll go with Stephanie to say hello to Big Brother. It has to be more fun than sitting in his disgusting bar."
"Have fun, then, ladies," Klaus winked as he stepped backwards towards Ray. Stephanie and Rebekah left together and the former shot a glance back at Klaus' thoughtful face. She turned back and looked at Rebekah and wondered how she'd keep the vampire from finding out Elena was still alive.
Jeremy's fingers tapped in a rhythm on his thighs anxiously and tried to keep from letting his gaze wander to the back of the car. Night was falling and Damon and he were only a few minutes out of Mystic Falls. Trees and streets signs flashed passed Jeremy's window quickly, blurring in his vision.
"Why do you keep looking in the backseat?" Damon's dry and suspicious voice snapped Jeremy out of his reverie.
"I'm not looking at the back seat," Jeremy denied quickly and his eyes shot forwards, determined not to make contact.
"Damon Salvatore can tell when you're lying," Anna drawled from her place sprawled out in the backseat.
"I can tell when you're lying," Damon snapped and Jeremy's face pinched. "So what the hell's been going on for the entire summer? Elena can tell something's wrong too, you know."
"Are you trying to be parental or something?" Jeremy asked skeptically, trying to divert Damon away from the line of questioning.
"Never," Damon swore and then bared his teeth, "Don't try and distract me." They flew passed the WELCOME TO MYSTIC FALLS town limit sign and Jeremy's fingers kneaded into his thighs.
"Just tell him," Logan Fell said dryly as he joined Anna in the backseat, "It can't get any worse."
"Really," Anna nodded and eyed Logan distastefully.
"Are you even listening to me?" Damon demanded and he glared at Jeremy.
"Eyes on the road and I promise to tell you," Jeremy said quickly and to his relief, Damon's gaze went back to the expanse of gravel in front of them once more.
"I'd never crash the car, you know," Damon pointed out; pride stung, "Vampire reflexes and night vision, here. And I'm a fantastic driver."
Jeremy pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand, but the fingers on his left were twisting and twitching nervously. He sighed when he realized he'd picked up one of Stephanie's habits and then a pang stabbed his heart at the remembrance of her absence.
"I'm waiting," Damon sang but there was a warning note is his voice.
"Since Bonnie . . . brought me back from the dead," Jeremy started stutteringly, "I've . . ."
"You've . . . come on, spit it out," Damon rolled his eyes and Jeremy spotted the Mystic Grill as they passed it up.
"I've been seeing ghosts of people I knew," Jeremy said quickly and the car screeched to a halt right outside of the post office. Damon's head slowly turned in his direction and the vampire's eyes were narrowed.
"You've been seeing ghosts all summer," He said flatly.
"Yes," Jeremy replied hesitantly.
"Who?"
"Just . . . people," Jeremy shrugged uncomfortably.
"'Just people?'" Damon asked incredulously, glaring, "People like who?"
"Anna and Vicki. Logan Fell. Other dead people like that," Jeremy said and Damon twitched violently.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Damon asked dangerously, "That's kind of important, you know, seeing dead people and all."
"I was hoping they'd go away," Jeremy said blithely and winced when Damon growled and restarted the car. "Please don't tell Elena."
"Oh, I'm not going to tell her," Damon said easily.
"Thanks," Jeremy replied, relieved.
"Tonight, anyway," Damon replied and sent Jeremy a look, "It's her eighteen birthday after all. I'm not going to ruin it with knowledge that she should have had at the beginning of the summer."
"Hey, you're keeping secrets too," Jeremy said flatly, "What about Stephanie? You're not telling either of her best friends about these leads to find Stephanie."
"That's different," Damon hissed and would say no more about it as they'd arrived at the Boarding House. There were cars parked everywhere and the music had already been started by someone. A few people were milling around and Damon rolled his eyes as he slipped out of the car. "I'm going to find Elena. Try to keep the kids from my good Bourbon, okay?" He disappeared and Jeremy walked inside the house to find it full to the brim with other high school students.
He passed a couple of giggling girls.
"This is just like in Breaking Dawn when they have the graduation party, remember? It's the first time they went to their huge house, like this, and . . ."
Jeremy hurried passed the girls and their too close to the truth theories. He saw a vase trembling and he rushed over to keep it from falling, catching it just in time. The couple who'd knocked into it barely gave Jeremy a glance and continued in their search for a room to make out or have sex in.
"Oh, no, no, no, don't drink that," Jeremy rushed over to a girl who'd grabbed a bottle of Damon's favorite bourbon and snatched it out of her hands.
She glared and put a hand on her hip. "Excuse me."
"This belongs to the owner of the house and he'll be pissed if you drink it," Jeremy explained.
"That's right," Damon drawled, appearing out of nowhere and making the girl jump and turn towards him. Damon had an arm wrapped around Elena and he compelled the girl about to take a drink from his stash, "You don't want this; you want the cheap stuff over by the cheap young people."
The girl nodded and started off. Elena smacked Damon lightly on the shoulder.
"Damon," She admonished.
"She was stealing," Damon grumbled.
Jeremy shifted on his feet, eyeing the crowd uncomfortably when Caroline bounded up to the three of them. She beamed at Elena and asked her, "Do you like it? Wait – don't answer that."
Jeremy turned his head to see that Elena was overwhelmed and her next words proved it, "This is keeping it small?" Caroline continued to beam and Jeremy saw Elena waver and sigh. "What are we drinking?" She asked, resigned and Caroline squealed, leading the other girl away in arms.
Jeremy ducked out of Damon's line of sight and found a room that branched off of the long hallway. He fingered something in his pocket and looked up to see Anna glowering disapprovingly.
"Don't," He warned and the ghost popped out of existence. He sat down on the cough and pulled a pre-rolled hit of marijuana out of his pocket.
"Where'd you get that?"
Jeremy's heart raced and he looked up, but it was only Matt. The other boy sat down next to him and eyed Jeremy with curiosity. "Henry, you know Henry, right? He sold me some after school," Jeremy said easily and wordlessly offered Matt a joint. The blonde took it easily enough and they lit up.
"So, what's got you on your spiral downwards today?" Matt asked and took a hit.
"Damon and I found a lead on Steph," Jeremy said quietly and breathed in and blew out a ring of smoke.
"I take it didn't go well?" Matt asked with raised eyebrows.
"She's on some kind of blood binge because of Klaus," Jeremy spat out the Hybrid's name like it was venom on his tongue.
"That's certainly more interesting than mine," Matt agreed and took another hit. Jeremy wondered what the other human would say if he knew that Jeremy was also seeing ghosts, including his sister.
Maybe it was the pot or something else, but Jeremy took a chance. He leant in closet o Matt, "You know I died, right? Bonnie used magic to bring me back to life?"
"Yeah, Elena told me," Matt nodded.
"I've been seeing . . . things . . . ever since I got back," Jeremy said quietly.
"That's gotta be hell on top of your girlfriend problems," Matt said sympathetically and then tilted his head, "What kinds of things are we talking about, though?"
"Just . . . things I shouldn't be seeing," Jeremy said, the pot not giving him enough courage to admit that.
"Well, what has Bonnie said?"
"I didn't tell her," Jeremy admitted, "I haven't told anyone except for you and earlier Damon weeded it out of me. But it's all messing with my head and driving me crazy."
"So you needed to chill out," Matt finished, nodding, "Well, good luck, man." He clapped Jeremy on the knee and disappeared in the throng of people.
Jeremy melted back into the chair and closed his eyes, wishing for silence.
His phone buzzed a familiar tone and Jeremy jackhammered up and scrambled for his pocket. He pulled out the phone and quickly ran out of the house, shoving passed people until he got into the deserted backyard.
Stephanie's name was flashing on his phone.
"Steph? Steph, is that you? Come on, answer, please," Jeremy begged but he heard the dial tone. He sagged to the ground and closed his eyes, only to feel cool fingers caressing the back of his neck. Jeremy turned his head and saw Stephanie's pale face and dark ringlets. His eyes hungrily took in the sight of her, drinking in her appearance like a man dying of thirst. She looked the same, almost, but there were glaring differences that seemed to beam brightly like a beacon.
Her hair was longer and her green eyes were ringed in black and the beginnings of startling black veins were crawling underneath her eyes. Her clothes were form fitting, revealing curves and making Jeremy miss her even more.
"Stephanie," Jeremy breathed. Over her shoulder he could see a blonde haired woman – Rebekah.
"Sh," Steph murmured and with a twist of her wrist, he passed out at her feet.
When he woke up, Jeremy didn't know where he was. His head was pounding in his skull and he raised a hand to feel the back of his neck. He felt a large goose egg and pulled his hand away to reveal bloody fingers. Jeremy got to his feet unsteadily.
"Steph? What's going on? What are you doing?"
"Oh, shut up," An accented voice called and Rebekah sashayed over to his side with a grimace, "You're too much trouble than you're worth, you know."
"Where's Stephanie?" Jeremy demanded as he backed away from the Original vampire. A slow smirk curled onto her lips.
Jeremy felt cool breath on his ear and he spun to find Steph behind him, her face closed off. It was like a blow to his stomach; Stephanie was one to wear her heart on her sleeve. "Steph? Thank God; we've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Give us a minute, Rebekah," Stephanie said quietly, not taking her eyes off of Jeremy. He heard the other vampire huff, but soon she was gone, her heels clicking on the tiles floor.
"Where are we?" Jeremy asked when she was gone, "Why are you doing this? What's going on?"
"We're in the news studio," Stephanie said quietly, eyes on Jeremy's.
"Why?"
"It's . . . neutral," Stephanie said.
"Okay, it's neutral, whatever that means. Why is Rebekah back here? She'll tell Klaus Elena's still alive," Jeremy hissed, waving a hand.
Stephanie replied emotionlessly, "I kept her away from Elena; your sister's safe as long as she stays at her party."
Jeremy felt the blood drain from his face. He repeated, "What's going on?"
"You need to stop following me," Stephanie evaded coolly, "You and Damon need to stop trying to find me."
"Aw, come on, you don't write, you don't call. How else are we supposed to get in touch?" Jeremy spun around and saw Damon lazily walking into the studio, hands in his pants pockets.
"Brother," Stephanie said.
"Little sister," Damon replied and Rebekah appeared at his shoulder.
"Look who I found lurking around," She smirked and Jeremy felt a sliver of dread work its way into his stomach. "He arrived right on time."
Steph inclined her head to Rebekah. "I hope you heard me," Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Damon, "I want you to stop following me; it's causing some problems."
"With who?" Damon snapped, "Klaus? I'm supposed to care what he thinks?"
"What you're supposed to do," Stephanie said evenly, "Is to let me go."
"You're crazy," Jeremy blurted and he heard Damon face-palm as Steph turned to him, "You're crazy if you think we can just let you go. You belong here, with your friends and family. With me."
"She really doesn't," Rebekah drawled and admired her nails. She stayed at Damon's shoulder, keeping him in arms' reach.
"Why's that?" Damon asked as he laughed derisively, "You guys bond over the summer? Have a couple of sleep overs?"
"Should you tell them or should I?" Rebekah grinned.
When Stephanie said nothing, Jeremy frowned. "Tell us what?"
Rebekah tossed her hair over shoulder. "Stephanie's an old friend of mine and Niklaus'. We go way back, don't we Stephanie?"
"That's a lie," Jeremy snarled, "She would have told us when we were all scrambling about Klaus and the curse."
"Not unless she'd been compelled," Damon murmured in quiet realization, his blue eyes sharply darting in between Stephanie and Rebekah.
"Very good," Rebekah grinned, "You're smarter than you look."
"You compelled her. Why?" Damon asked with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, look at the time," Rebekah changed the subject, "Nik will be waiting for us to return, Steph. Hurry it along, would you?"
"Why did you compel my little sister?" Damon snapped and Stephanie flashed to Jeremy's side and grabbed him in a chokehold.
"It really doesn't matter," Stephanie said quietly as she locked eyes with Damon, "What does is the fact that you need to stop trying to find me."
"We're trying to save you!" Damon said incredulously.
"I don't need any saving," Stephanie said, "I just need you to let me go, or else I'm going to do something I might regret."
"Well, there's this guy here and then a birthday girl and a couple of your other friends who won't let me do that," Damon said but his eyes were on Jeremy and Stephanie warily.
Steph's fingers twitched against Jeremy's windpipe. "Maybe I haven't made my point." Jeremy choked and flailed while Stephanie bit into her wrist and shoved the blood into his mouth.
"No!" Damon roared, but he was held back by an amused Rebekah.
Steph took her wrist away and asked idly, "I wonder if I kill him, will he turn or will the ring protect against that?" She fingered Jeremy's Gilbert ring as if in thought.
"Why are you doing this?" Jeremy coughed spluttered.
"Let me go," She whispered into his ear so quietly that even Rebekah couldn't hear, "Please just let me go before something happens to you or Elena."
"I won't," Jeremy couched and wiped his mouth. The last thing he saw before Stephanie snapped his neck was thinly veiled remorse in her eyes.
Damon waited until Jeremy woke up to leave the studio. Barbie-Klaus and Stephanie had left quickly, too fast for Damon to say anything more, and he was left alone with a dead boy he'd begun to care about like a brother.
When Jeremy sat up, gasping for air and clearly not in transition, Damon breathed a silent sigh of relief before he went over to the human.
"You okay?" Damon grunted.
"I don't – the hell – why - ?" Jeremy stuttered, confusion written across his face. Finally, he asked, "Am I a vampire?"
"No," Damon muttered, "No thanks to Steph, anyway."
"She didn't want to do it," Jeremy said unwaveringly loyal and his eyes were flinty as they met Damon's. Damon shook his head and snorted.
"I'm serious," Jeremy pushed as he sat up unsteadily, "She only wants us to stop looking for her because she's afraid Klaus is going to kill us."
"Well, it worked," Damon snapped.
"No," Jeremy said shaking his head, "No. We can't stop."
"She said it herself, she doesn't want us to save her," Damon growled and his fangs started to bulge from their sheaths in his gums, "So we'll leave her alone."
"You can't believe that," Jeremy said, aghast as Damon helped him to his feet. "You're her brother. If it were Elena, I'd never give up. Never." Damon said nothing but by the set of his shoulders and the pinch in his face, he wasn't going to give up on his little sister, even if it was only in the privacy of his own head.
They drove quietly back to the Boarding House where they were nearly run over by Caroline and Tyler, who were exuded sexual tension as they escaped the house.
"You missed the cake!" Caroline called back to them distractedly, but Damon and Jeremy trudged on up the stairs to the vampire's bedroom.
Elena was waiting for them there.
"What is this?" She demanded and wielded a stack of maps and post it notes in her tight grip.
"What? What are you doing in here, Elena? There's a party going on downstairs," Damon nearly groaned.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena demanded and her eyes swept to Jeremy, "Did you know? Did Alaric?"
"We're not doing this right now," Damon said quietly, "We've had a really bad night."
Elena ignored him. "All summer every single time I came to you with hope you made me feel like an idiot!"
"You were an idiot," Damon snapped and Elena glared, "We all were; me, you, Caroline and Jeremy." He tried to walk passed her but Elena's hand flew out and landed on his chest, freezing him in place.
"Tell me what you know," She said, her doe eyes searching his icy ones, "What happened?"
"I think you need to get back to your party," Damon said quietly and brushed passed her.
"We're all supposed to be in this together! Why didn't you tell me you were tracking Klaus' victims?" Elena shouted.
"Because they're not Klaus' victims, Elena," Jeremy said, making Elena whirl on him, "They're Stephanie's."
The room fell deathly silent.
"What?" Elena asked.
"She's left a trail of body parts up and down the Eastern Seaboard, Elena," Damon said as he looked at his girlfriend with dark eyes.
"You're wrong," Elena shook her head and Jeremy moved to stand beside her. Damon advanced on them.
"I've seen it before," He told them darkly, "she's flipped the switch; she's a full blown ripper again and nothing's going to bring her back." He ripped the papers from Elena's hands.
"Stop it, Damon," Jeremy said quietly.
"No, you guys stop!" Damon shouted, "We need to stop looking for her, waiting for her to come home. Just stop! Stephanie's gone and she's not coming back. Not in yours and Jeremy's lifetime."
"You don't know that," Elena whispered.
"Don't I? You want to know what she just did? She showed up with Barbie Klaus and fed Jeremy her blood and snapped his neck. She didn't know whether the ring would protect against that, but she did it anyway!"
Elena gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. She turned to Jeremy. "Is that . . . is that true?"
"She didn't want to," Jeremy said, but nothing but his confirmation made any impact. Tears fell from her eyes as she enclosed her brother into a tight hug and Damon stood apart from them.
"She didn't want to do it," Jeremy muttered but he might as well have been talking to empty air.
Stephanie felt hollow as she walked side by side with Rebekah back to the bar in Talley. Klaus was torturing Ray on the pool table, feeding him his blood when they walked in. He shouted something indiscernible and snapped Ray's neck.
"My lovely ladies have returned," Klaus smirked as he met them.
"Did you doubt me?" Stephanie asked quietly as Rebekah sniffed daintily at the sight of Ray's mangled body.
"Not in the least, love," Klaus grinned, "I knew you'd pass."
"Pass?" Stephanie asked stiffly.
"You still care for your brother and the Gilbert boy, along with your old life," Klaus said quietly, eyes on Stephanie's face as she walked over to him, "I'd wondered if you cared so much that you'd try and leave."
"Nah, I don't care," Stephanie whispered, shaking her head, "I don't care."
"The other night you threatened to crush my testicles for offering to kill the Gilbert boy," Klaus said dryly, "I don't think that's 'not caring.'" Rebekah snorted.
"I don't want to go back to my old life," Stephanie finally said, "They won't want me now. I'm . . . I'm a monster."
Klaus flashed in front of Stephanie and cradled her face in his hands and leant down. "You're perfect. You don't need them; you need people who understand you, love, who understand who you are."
"Who am I?" Stephanie whispered, blinking large green eyes up at the man she'd loved and hated in turns.
"You're my Ripper," Klaus murmured, "My love." His lips hovered over hers before he kissed her, mouths molding over each other, getting reacquainted. His hands lowered and Stephanie put her hands onto his shoulders, turning her head into chest.
She bit her lip and thought of home.
Jeremy's in bed when his phone starts to ring. He fumbles with it until he gets it up to his ear, the number being blocked.
"Hello?"
There was silence on the other end and Jeremy's heart started to race.
"Steph? Stephanie, if this is you, I forgive you for earlier," His quiet voice almost hoarse, "I know that you did that to protect us here from Klaus and Rebekah. You'll be okay. I love you, Stephanie. Please, please, remember that."
Muffled crying and then a dial tone was his only answer as Jeremy sank back into his bed.
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