A few days after the fiasco in Chicago, I had stayed over at Elena's house. She needed someone to talk to after everything she had been through with her boyfriend. The girl was in desperate need of comfort and naively thought that I was there to give it to her out of the goodness of my heart. Truth be told, I was there purely for my own selfish reasons.

She needed to cry, vent and do whatever it was that broken-hearted teenage girls do. I on the other hand, needed a distraction.

Distractions were safe; distractions meant that I didn't have to think. If I had been alone in my room, my thoughts would wander to a place hidden deep within the crevices of my mind. A place which re-lived the short but intense moments containing a certain hybrid psychopath with eyes like the ocean.

How could I even attempt to try and forget about Klaus when I had so many unanswered questions constantly whirring around in my brain? They had been there since I met him and had only amplified since Chicago. Why did he not kill me? Why did he want to find me again so badly? Why did the mere thought of coming face to face with him make my stomach lurch nervously?

I wanted answers desperately but I didn't know if I would be prepared for what I would find. Deep down I knew that it wouldn't be long before I saw Klaus again, it was inevitable and despite my curiosity, I was torn between feelings of apprehension, anger and although I would never admit it even under great torture, a slither of excitement at the prospect.

At the moment, apprehension seemed to be the leading emotion. Klaus had been so angry when I ran from him the first time. He couldn't know that I had been right within his grasp since the Smoky Mountains, not once but twice within a span of a few hours. I really didn't want to find out how he would take to that.

Completely unaware of the internal emotional rollercoaster I was riding, Elena had continued to rant and cry to me since yesterday morning until deep into the night when she fell asleep. Of course, if she had caught on to my inward struggles, I would be quite surprised. Externally, my face was a blank canvas, an expression I had perfected to a tee throughout the years.

I had learned early on in my life that emotion was a weakness and weaknesses must never be shown. It wouldn't get you anywhere. Others would use it for their own gain. Life was cruel, a never-ending game of manipulation and deceit. It was a game that needed to be won. Winning meant surviving another day.

After months of practise, I finally excelled in winning. Luckily, I had a good teacher.

However, growing up in a life full to the brim with manipulation had its drawbacks. Trust was something which had never come naturally to me so suffice to say I was taken aback when Elena spilled her entire life story to me.

When I first met Ray, it took me a long time to put even an ounce of faith in him. He didn't know I was a hybrid until two years down the line yet since Elena, Damon and Alaric had taken me in after the incident in the Smoky Mountains, I had owed her my species status. So she knew what she would be dealing with when Klaus finally tracked us down.

But how could I put my utter trust in this girl? To tell her everything about myself when I had only known her for a couple of weeks?

Even if I decided to give her a reprieve from her Stefan complaints and grace her with my thoughts, how could she even begin to understand something that I didn't fully understand myself?

After all, Klaus was her enemy; he had killed her in a sacrifice and turned her epic love into a ripper. She would feel utterly betrayed if she knew I was drawn to him and I wasn't about to lose one of the few people who had accepted me for me.

When I told Damon that I was staying with Elena for a few days, the raven-haired Salvatore was more than happy for me to oblige her. I quickly figured out that like me, he hid his emotions when on display behind a front of sarcasm and wit. That was something I could understand all too well. He needed some time to be alone and lash out after once again failing to save his brother so I happily let him.

As I stayed with Elena, I noticed that Damon and I weren't the only ones who seemed to be keeping secrets. I briefly ran into Elena's younger brother Jeremy who was a nice kid but one with some serious issues.

When he wasn't getting involved in his sister's supernatural business, he usually spent most of his time behind a closed bedroom door where I overheard him participating in a one sided conversation with some girl called Anna. I had debated telling Elena about it but thought it best not to pry. She had probably already been made aware.

He could just be delusional or maybe he had an imaginary friend. Elena told me about how Jeremy had been resurrected from the dead by a witch. Magic that strong almost always came with some kind of consequence.

When I woke up the following morning, I groggily craned my head to the side to read the figures illuminated on the box on the bedside table. Eleven-o-clock. Not wanting to sleep the whole day away, I let out a wide yawn before pushing myself out of the warm comfort of the bed, made myself presentable then bounded down the stairs.

Hearing faint voices coming from the kitchen, I started towards them.

"You're still wearing this necklace. Isn't this the reminder of your unbreakable bond with Stefan?"

Seemed like the eldest Salvatore had finally decided to show his face in broad daylight again. I chose that moment to appear, leaning against the door with my arms crossed as I watched Elena touch her necklace uncomfortably. "Leave her alone Dracula, she doesn't need your idle commentary," I deadpanned.

"And a great big good morning to you too, halfling," Damon sarcastically replied and reluctantly stepped away from Elena who gave me a grateful smile. I then noticed the other presence in the room and nodded at him with warm eyes.

"Ric. Long-time no see."

Ric grinned from his seat. "You too Ria. Like the new look."

There came a sudden knock at the door and as Elena went to answer it, Damon let out a low whistle. His fingers reached behind him for the kitchen door handle and pushed it down quickly. "Well as much as I'd love to stay and chat with vampire Barbie, Ric and I have more important things to do, so we'll leave out the back door."

With that he had gone and I stared after him for a moment. How big was the vampire's ego that made him think he could just barge in and out of houses whenever he pleased? I spent part of my life away from civilisation but even I knew the meaning of manners.

"If you need any help, call me and I'll bite him," I murmured to Alaric who had come to stand beside me. I truly felt sympathy for him. Being stuck with Damon for any longer than what was needed was sure to get on anybody's nerves.

The hunter let out a long sigh. "Duly noted Ria. I don't think I'll make the hour."

"I heard that!" came the faint snarky voice from outside.

Alaric and I just shook our heads before he bid me a hasty goodbye and followed Damon out. When the two of them had gone, I turned round and slowly approached the front door, wondering what it was that was taking Elena so long.

I found her standing next to a blonde woman, the two of them watching on as Jeremy descended the stairs to embrace a girl with sun kissed skin and onyx hair. I watched as the younger Gilbert glanced towards the mirror before frowning slightly. It may have just have been a result of my intense scrutiny towards the pair but I swore that Elena's little brother looked somewhat guilty.

"I have to go to the Grill. See you later Bon," Jeremy said before he gave the girl, who I now assumed to be his girlfriend, one last peck on the lips before leaving out the front door.

Elena noticed me lingering in the hallway and eagerly beckoned me forward. I moved hesitantly, feeling a little out of place.

"Caroline, Bonnie, this is Alexandria but she likes to be called Ria," Elena said, gesturing towards her two friends, introducing us before glancing towards the blonde. "She's the one I told you about Care."

Caroline bounced forward and hugged me. I tensed. This was awkward. I was still not used to these friendly motions. Why did some sort of physical contact have to be involved? I hadn't even known this girl five minutes.

"Oh my God I've wanted to meet you for days! It's so nice to meet you, thank you so much for helping Elena out," the blonde vampire gushed happily.

"It's not a problem," I murmured back embarrassed.

Seriously, it was no problem at all but it would become one if she didn't let me go. The vampire was so cheerful it was unsettling. As if someone had heard my pleas, she pulled away, completely unaffected by my lack of reaction. I then turned my attention to Bonnie, who was eying me suspiciously.

Elena glared at her but I just shook my head. The reaction didn't bother me in the slightest. It was expected. The girl was a witch and witches always had a natural instinct to class a stranger as a threat. Especially if said stranger gave off a supernatural vibe. Best to indulge her.

"Elena it's okay, I am a hybrid after all, she's right not to trust me," I said quietly before I gingerly held out my hand and knowing what I wanted her to do, Bonnie hesitantly took it in hers.

After a few seconds she slowly drew back, looking at me through apologetic green eyes. "I'm sorry I acted like that," she replied softly. "I just worry for my friends. But you've been through hell too, not just from everything that happened this month."

I inclined my head at her and smiled tightly as I saw the other two girls share a confused glance. Hopefully the witch wouldn't blab. I didn't want my life story on show for the whole world to see. I wanted to bury the past, not rekindle the ashes.

We made our way to the kitchen and my eyes zeroed in on the bowl, all of my worries disappearing in a flash as I recognised the smell.

"Is that chilli?" I questioned, my mouth watering and taking a slow step forwards, ready for the answer I was hoping for.

"Yeah- wait NO!"

In a flash, Caroline and I were both beside the bowl with a spoon in each hand. Elena slapped both our arms and we dropped them scowling. I slumped down into a seat, staring longingly at the food and Bonnie laughed, crossing over to us.

"See this is what normal should be like. The problem with my dad is that normal equals a really boring summer."

I sighed and rested my head on top of my folded hands, feeling my stomach grumble. Not being able to sit still until I had fully satisfied my hunger, I stood straight back up. "I would so switch places with you right now," I murmured, glancing around for something edible. Why was it when you felt absolutely famished, you had no idea what to get?

"Yeah, I'd kill for a normal family."

My stomach grumbled again and I grabbed a piece of bread. Wouldn't get told off for that, there were like, ten more slices left in the packet. Elena glanced at me in concern. "When was the last time you ate?" she questioned.

I shrugged, attempting to think hard. "Unless we are counting the last of Damon's Bourbon, yesterday morning. When you live in a pack, you tend to forget about food when you're moving from place to place all the time."

Bonnie grabbed my piece bread from my hands and I watched her, wondering why she had taken it from me. My stomach made another noise as I debated on whether or not to snatch it back. Elena and Caroline poured the chilli into a casserole dish while curiously watching on. My eyes widened in amazement as the bread started to heat up in her hands until it was a crispy, golden brown.

"Cool," I breathed and Bonnie smiled before handing it back to me.

"I couldn't stand hearing your stomach rumble. No wonder you're part wolf."

I glared at her but it was half-hearted and grabbed some butter, spreading it across then sat down and took a bite. I moaned slightly. Gotta love warm food.

Caroline giggled then turned to Elena, eying the chilli longingly. "Since when did you learn how to cook?"

Elena blushed and I paused my munching on the toast to swallow. "Vampire gigolo," I explained to the two girls.

"Damon's helping you cook now?" I sent a sideways grin to Bonnie. I knew there was a reason I liked her. The two of us seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to the blue-eyed Salvatore.

Elena smiled slightly whilst she spooned out the rest of the chilli and I frowned. The way she looked, almost seemed like she cared for him. But she was still with Stefan... wasn't she? "Both of you stop judging he's just trying to be a good…OW!"

My heart jumped. I dropped my toast and leapt back from my seat. It caused me to lose my balance and I crashed to the floor. "What the hell?" I exclaimed, rubbing my arm grimacing and scanning round the room for a possible threat but finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"AAh! Did I splash you?" Caroline was rambling worriedly as Bonnie held out a hand and helped me up from the ground. Once I regained my footing, I brushed myself off, feeling my sprained wrist healing. Some graceful hybrid I was.

"No, no, my necklace." Elena quickly removed it from her neck and I stared in shock at the reddened mark, elevated and imprinted on her skin. "It burned me," she uttered, sounding worried and she was right to be.

Bonnie and I exchanged a glance. "Is there some spell on it or something?" I questioned and Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"Maybe it's a sign you shouldn't be wearing it."

"Caroline…" Bonnie uttered exasperatedly from beside me.

As the blonde vampire turned to face us, I gestured with my eyes towards Elena before focusing back on her and mouthed, "Not helping."

"What!" Caroline protested. "I'm just saying if she's going to be cooking without Stefan."

Bonnie turned to me and questioned, "Could you help me? If I draw energy from you, I'll be stronger if there is some kind of spell placed on it." I nodded in response and allowed her to take a hold of my hand. "Let me see it," she requested and Elena held it out to her.

Bonnie tilted her head examining it from every angle then hesitantly reached out her hand. A sudden surge of power flowed through us and the necklace sparked at her touch. Bonnie and Elena dropped it quickly and we all stared at it defensively as it lay unmoving on the table.

"It's like waiting for a snake to strike," I muttered and we all smiled faintly, waiting for Any. Sudden. Movement.

Meanwhile, Gloria took her hands away from Rebekah and opened her eyes. She looked straight at Stefan breathlessly. "I've found it," she exclaimed.

Stefan maintained a composed expression but inside he was worried. What had the witch found out? Did she know the truth? That he had been lying to Klaus the whole time? Was that why she was looking at him like that?

"So, where is it?" Rebekah demanded impatiently and Gloria brandished her hand around nonchalantly before leaning back in her seat.

"It doesn't work like that doll, I get images." She paused, trying to remember and Stefan watched on tensely, debating whether he would be able to flee the room fast enough should the witch decide to sell him out. "There's a girl, with three of her friends-"

"Yes a dead girl with three dead friends if I don't get my necklace back," Rebekah snapped.

"Well I'll have to dive back in and get the details."

"So dive," Klaus exclaimed as he placed his empty glass on a table. He strode over and Gloria looked away, careful not to make any eye contact.

"I need more time." She watched through narrowed eyes as Klaus leant forwards on the desk beside her, bracing his arms leisurely on the surface, waiting silently, "and space." She shook her head, looking back and forth between the two originals who were cornering her on either side, like two animals closing in on their prey. "You're harshing my ju-ju."

"We can wait. I want to know who they are," Klaus replied smiling but Stefan could tell the hybrid was getting irritated.

"I'm sure you can and do. But that's not what I asked."

She looked back up at him and Klaus' lips tilted up before sighing in annoyance. "Okay then fine. Now what about the other thing I told you to do." Ocean eyes began to glitter as he enquired, "Have you found her yet?"

His voice was exceptionally calm but there was a clear warning underneath it. Although Gloria had been doing many favours for Klaus over the past couple of decades, she knew that if she failed in this one particular task, the hybrid would end her in a second.

She froze for a moment, fearing for her life, knowing that one wrong word could set him off. The witch repeated her words with a steadied tone, which was able to successfully disguise her fear. "Like I said, I need more time."

Klaus growled warningly. Gloria flinched and Rebekah cocked her head to the side in puzzlement as she tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Stefan quickly intervened and placed a hand on the hybrid's shoulder.

"Hey. Hey, you know, why don't we just come back later? I'm hungry anyway. I'll let you pick who we eat."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at Gloria for a second, before pushing himself back. "Just find that necklace and Ria," he demanded before beckoning Rebekah over. She followed her brother eagerly and with that, the two original siblings left the bar with Stefan bringing up the rear.

As soon as they had disappeared from view, Gloria sighed and her body sagged with exhaustion. She was lucky to still be alive... at least for now. Because she had recognised one of the girls and unlike the last time she had seen her, the white-haired witch now knew exactly who and what she was.

The spirits had told her everything… what the girl meant to Klaus and vice versa.

"Oh Alexandria," she whispered hoarsely into the silent bar. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"So… it's been sixty minutes and twenty seconds. Maybe it was just some static shock," Caroline suggested and Elena shook her head, staring at the necklace as she sat down beside us. We watched the party goers chat and dance in the Lockwood grounds, completely unaware that something seemed wrong with the three teenagers conversing on the small, wooden bench.

I cocked my head to the side considering the still necklace. "I still think we should pour water or something on it… you know, to see if it reacts."

"No," Elena denied firmly. "We wait until Bonnie comes back with her Grimoire so we know what we are dealing with."

If the situation didn't feel so intense, I would have laughed at the absurdity of it. A doppelganger, a witch, a vampire and a hybrid, scared to death over a piece of jewellery.

I heard someone running towards us and glanced up to see Bonnie. "I have an identification spell that might be able to tell me what magic affected the necklace," she hurriedly stated as soon as she was within speaking distance.

The green eyed witch sat down beside me and Elena immediately thrust the necklace into her grasp. Bonnie took a hold of my hand, once again drawing from my energy. "It is going to take a while even with Ria's help, so all of you keep an eye and ear out for anyone okay?"

I nodded and closed my eyes listening intently. For five seconds it was silent before it was broken.

"So you're not, like, switching Salvatore's, are you?"

"What?"

"Caroline, we're concentrating here," I murmured opening one twitching eye and Caroline held a hand out, pointing her finger at me.

"Stay focused."

I rolled my shoulders and let Bonnie draw from me. My hand tightened around hers as another power attempted to combine with her magic but it was not coming from either of us… it couldn't be. My eyes snapped open and I stared at the locket in disbelief as it slowly started to rise into the air. From Bonnie's trembling hand, I knew it wasn't a hallucination.

"No one's changing Damon. Not even you."

"Look, why are we even talking about this?"

"Hey, can we skip the teen drama for a few seconds please," I raised my voice as Bonnie and I leaned back as far as we could from the levitating necklace. "Bigger things at work here."

Caroline and Elena looked over and gasped. "What are you doing?"

We held up our un-joined hands and Bonnie replied in confusion, "I'm not doing anything. It has its own magic."

The necklace suddenly dropped back down and I gulped before turning to Elena. "On a scale of one to ten, how screwed are we?" I muttered to her. If I had to decide, I would give it a solid eleven.

Bonnie leant forwards and swiped the hovering necklace before standing up. We all watched her and she answered our enquiring stares. "I think I can use my other Grimoires to find out anything about this necklace." She then looked at Elena and bit her lip. "Is your brother around?"

"Yeah, he's at the house."

Lucky for some. I smirked at Bonnie who turned bright red and walked off. When she was out of sight, Caroline hit my arm. I faked hurt but my expression was anything but. "What was that for?"

"You know what!"

Elena laughed at my indignant face and we all got to our feet, crossing the grounds as we headed towards the Lockwood mansion.

"Soo, did Stefan ever tell you where he got the necklace?" Caroline asked. The blonde made a good point. I glanced at Elena who just sighed and shook her head.

"No, I never asked." She paused, looking at us with determination. "Bonnie will be able to figure it out won't she?"

"Oh I'm sure she will eventually," I reassured her with a grin as we walked through the doors, joining the gathering. "But for now I think she will be 'distracted.'"

Elena pulled a face, looking sickly and I hid a smile. We heard quick footsteps and suddenly Ric had joined our side. I raised an eyebrow at his desperate expression. "Something wrong Van Helsing?"

Ric glared at me but there was humour in his eyes. "Please tell me it's time to go," he muttered and I agreed wholeheartedly with him. After dealing with the bipolar necklace, all I wanted to do was return to the boarding house and sleep my troubles away.

Elena was the one to answer Alaric. "Beyond, where's Damon?"

"Probably off somewhere doing bad things to good people." I glared at Caroline and she backed off a little. "What? Consider me the honesty police." She then looked over my shoulder and froze, looking unseeingly ahead. From many past experiences I could see she was reliving something horrible and I gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here."

"It's my dad Ria…. I – I can't"

"Hey it's okay," I soothed and glanced at Elena who nodded as she realised who Caroline had been staring at and I swiftly guided her up the stairs. I paused, debating which room to go into but Caroline pointed to one and I pulled her in and let her collapse onto the bed.

"Do you know what happened?" Caroline asked timidly, looking down at her feet and wringing her hands nervously together. I nodded before taking a seat next to her.

"Elena vaguely told me the gist of it but I can guess the rest. No father should ever treat their daughter like that."

Caroline nodded and brushed away a tear she had just shed. "What about you, did you have family issues?"

I looked around the room, debating on how to answer the question. Most people in my pack had been total dicks but I had Conan and Ray… Derek and Paige to an extent. In times of great stress I remember how we had all banded together to protect each other till the death. The only exception was Kara. I was certain her life's ambition was simply to be a bitch.

"Sometimes," I answered quietly. "But we never betrayed each other." My wandering eyes landed on a picture that was on the mantelpiece and my heart literally stopped.

Caroline noticed my change in expression and in a flash she was beside me. "What is it?" she questioned softly.

The door opened and I heard a male voice but to me it seemed quite far away. "Hey Care and other girl I don't know the name of, what are you doing here?"

"Tyler," Caroline whispered and I forced my head away from the picture to look at him. As he looked back at me his eyes widened in recognition and I turned quickly away to pick up the photo, still feeling dazed.

"Who is she? What is her name?" I whispered, not taking my eyes off it and Tyler gently pried the photo from my hands, staring at it. "My dad and Uncle Mason's big sister: Cassandra."

My breaths shook and Caroline held my trembling hands. I knew my eyes were blank as I flashed back through my early memories. There weren't many but there was no mistaking the young teenage face which was so similar to mine. We could have almost been twins.

I looked up at her and for the first time I knew I was showing a glimpse of vulnerability. "It's my mom Care. My birth mom."

Care gasped and Tyler stepped hesitantly towards me and when I smiled slightly, he held out a hand. I hesitantly grabbed his and we shook. "We didn't know about you or my Aunt," Tyler said. "Mom told me she passed but we never knew how. Dad and Uncle Mason were always stingy on the details. We thought the child died as well. I guess not."

He smiled but I felt my eyes burn. All my life I had wanted to know my parents, to find them and force them into explaining why they did not want me. It never occurred to me that they might not have had a choice.

Slowly, I pulled my hand back, putting some distance between us and looking anywhere but at him, afraid of the answer. "Do you know who my dad is?" I whispered.

Tyler regarded me sadly and put an arm around Caroline's shoulder. "She never told us. Said we would hate her." Caroline and I exchanged knowing looks. We knew why. Tyler looked between the two of us in concern. "What is it?"

"I'll explain everything later," Caroline assured him and placed a hand on his chest. I smiled as Tyler immediately began to relax. I wondered if one day, I would actually have that kind of relationship with someone.

The two seemed so absorbed in their own little bubble that they didn't notice me sneak out the room.

As I descended the stairs, I only just realised how out of place I felt in crowded areas when I was on my own. All of this was new to me. When I reached the base of the stairs, my eyes locked with another woman's.

She gasped and put a hand to her heart, "It can't be." She struggled to form words as she stared at me in utter shock. I could hear her whisper the name. "Cassandra."

I couldn't take this and quickly manoeuvred through the crowds and stepped out of the house before she could reach me.

I felt the breeze whip my hair around with its penetrating coldness which pierced through my skin to my bones. It was that which brought me back to reality. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around each other, scanning the grounds. My eyes automatically fell on a shadowed figure on the ground and fear took over.

Within a second I had flashed to his side.

"Ric? Ric! Oh God!" I couldn't hear a heartbeat and started panicking. He was dead. How could he be dead? I refused to believe it. I didn't want to see any more corpses of people I knew. Quickly thinking, I bit into my wrist and tried to feed him my blood. Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't but I had to try.

Picking him up, I rushed back to the Salvatore boarding house.

I stayed sitting curled up by the fire for a long time, my eyes never once moving from Ric's motionless form. At the sound of the door opening, I leaped to my feet and quickly grabbed Damon's arm.

"Ria? Wha-t"

"No time," I said urgently whilst dragging him into the living room. He paused on seeing Ric passed out on the couch. "He's dead. I fed him my blood. He'll come back right?"

Damon didn't answer, just leisurely strolled towards the kitchen and pulled out a bottle. Then pouring himself a glass he strode back to Alaric and kicked him with the toe of his boot. "Wake up."

Shaking I glanced at him fearfully, "Damon he's dea-" I jumped back as Alaric's eyes suddenly snapped open and he lurched forwards, gasping for breath.

I immediately sped towards him and put an arm around his shoulder before pulling him to his feet. Damon just watched on with a wry smile. "It took a bit longer than usual, huh? Might want to get that ring checked. Hope it's not going bad."

Alaric regained his balance before letting go of me, whirling around to face the vampire. "You killed me."

"You pissed me off!" Damon muttered taking a sip of his drink. I snapped my head up, feeling anger course through me at the hunter's revelation.

"You killed me!" Alaric repeated louder, taking a step forward and I let him.

"No hard feelings alright?"

Damon's relaxed expression was too much. I growled and knocked his glass out of his hand before throwing him hard against the wall.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I yelled as Damon groaned. "Can't you be serious for once in your life or is everything just a joke to you?"

I was ready as Damon suddenly sprang to his feet and pinned me against the wall. "You are only here because I owe you. Don't do that again."

I felt my eyes change and pushed him away from me, causing him to stagger back a few steps. "Don't tell me what to do. You are not my father!"

"And thank God for that!" Damon snarled. "I now get why he abandoned you."

My face changed back and I stepped away from him with a blank expression. He was right. He never came to find me. I never got to know him… I didn't even know who he was or what he looked like.

I didn't belong here.

The veins underneath Damon's eyes retreated with a look of guilt appearing on his face "Ria… I-"

I held a hand up. "Just stay away from me," I whispered hoarsely before quickly spinning around and leaving the house.

"Ric," I heard Damon mutter.

"You wonder why people hate you Damon? Well, maybe they finally realized you're just a dick."

I could feel my eyes begin to water and quickly looked up at the night sky. I felt drawn to it now more than ever. The full moon was shining bright tonight and I sank to the floor. I didn't change into a wolf. I guess now I was on my own, I didn't have to keep it a secret anymore.

"Ria."

I didn't look away from the moon as I felt Alaric sat down next to me. "I can't live with him Ric. At least not for tonight."

"I know," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. He handed it to me and I took it and raised my eyebrow at him before opening it up to reveal a document.

"Congratulations Alexandria, you are officially a member of Mystic Falls, the town of the crazies."

I laughed and shook my head before casting my gaze back down to read through it. My eyes widened and Ric seemed uncomfortable. "It's only if you want to Ria. Since you don't have a last name or any parents. I'm Elena's legal guardian too so I just thought that maybe you might need someone to-"

I interrupted him by sending a small smile but it meant so much more than words could say. "I would like that," I finally whispered.

"That also means you have to go to school."

I sighed, staring back up at the sky in despair. Fantastic.

Stefan Salvatore groaned as he slowly seeped back into consciousness. Everything hurt. His arms, his legs, the dull throbbing pain in his head but most of all, the sharp ache at the back of his neck…

Slowly rubbing the source to try and ease his suffering he tried to figure out what had happened. All the young vampire remembered was Rebekah, something about Mikael, a sudden snap...he knew. Klaus knew that he had been lying to him the whole time.

Stefan's heart lurched and his eyes snapped open, finding the hybrid himself staring back at him calmly from where he sat on top of a coffin. With a relaxed posture and hands clasped idly together, the expression on his face was incomprehensible.

Stefan instantly scrambled back to put as much distance between himself and the original as he possibly could but his back collided with a hard surface. Whirling his head around, he noticed a coffin behind him. The panic escalated as he realised the floor was vibrating. He was trapped in a van with a hybrid with no way of escape. He wasn't naive to think that Klaus would take his betrayal lightly.

Although he had never put much thought into it up until now, Stefan Salvatore was actually afraid of dying.

"Just give me a chance to explain okay?" the younger Salvatore pleaded desperately, hoping against hope that Klaus would grant him some small slither of mercy.

The hybrid just smiled in response but there was something dark brewing behind his ocean orbs. "No need. I'm not mad I'm just curious. Rebekah seems to think you are holding onto something. A piece of your old life. The thing is, she's got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural. So I thought I would check it out."

He leaned forward as he uttered the next words which caused Stefan to freeze. "See for myself what it is you've been hiding."

Klaus got lithely to his feet as the rumbling floor came to a sudden stop. He crossed the room and Stefan slowly got to his feet, a feeling of utter dread settling over him as Klaus opened up the back of the van.

Light poured in from outside and shielding his eyes from the brightness, Stefan squinted through the visionary onslaught. When he finally adjusted, his stomach turned in recognition at the scene before him.

"Welcome back to Mystic Falls Stefan," Klaus announced before closing his eyes. When they re-opened, there was a glint of gold in his irises.

Now that he was focusing, the hybrid could sense the faintest thread of a pull coming from somewhere within the town. So his suspicions were correct. Yes he had to admit he was curious in discovering what the young Salvatore was hiding but there was an ulterior motive for returning to this dull excuse for a town.

To track down Damon Salvatore.

From their fight back in Chicago, Klaus realised that the raven-haired vampire knew more than he was letting on about Ria. He was right.

It seemed the two had crossed paths after she ran from him and while he wouldn't let her get away with that, it was of little matter right now. He would deal with it later. Right now, he just revelled in the fact that he had found her.

As Klaus watched Stefan step gingerly out of the van, he did not blink as his sister zoomed forwards and twisted the youngest Salvatore's neck with a sickening crack, causing him to slump forwards to the ground.

The hybrid just stared ahead at the clueless locals, his instincts on edge. Clawing at his insides. By the end of today he vowed to have Ria within his grasp once more.

A slow smile curved at the edges of his lips. "I'm coming for you, sweetheart."