"So you're saying Elena lied, and she knows more about what's happening with Vick then she's letting on all to protect Sefan and this secret he's hiding" Alyssa met up with Matt at the Grill the next day after overhearing the conversation that Stefan and Elena had regarding Vicki hoping that if she were to tell someone else what she had heard she would have help putting together the missing pieces to a puzzle she's been trying to solve for weeks."What reason would she have to lie? I know she in love with the guy and all." So far, it hadn't been successful given the fact that she was having a hard time getting Matt to believe a word she was saying.
"I don't know Matt." She answered frustrated with his lack of ability to be objective about the whole thing. "Why does Elena do anything she does?" But considering the history the two of them shared, she shouldn't have been surprised that Matt would take Elena side over hers since he never could see past her sanity facade. "All I know is that I heard I heard Stefan said that he found and lost her and when I asked Elena if she had heard any news she said she hadn't. Oh and let's not forget I heard Elena telling Stefan she would keep his secret."
"And you'd automatically assume that secret has something to do with Vicki?" He questioned doubtful of anything she had been saying because he couldn't find a connection between the two incidences.
"It's too big of a coincidence not to be." She said more to herself then she did to Matt as she thought about how all the animal attacks and people dying coincide with the arrival of the Salvatore brothers.
"Look I know you don't like the guy," Matt began when Alyssa got up and grabbed her coat.
"I know you think I'm just fixating and I'm making all of this up because of how I feel about Stefan but I'm not and I'm going to prove it."
"Hey what happened to you last night?" Jenna asked Alyssa over her shoulder pouring coffee and then turning to her to see her getting a bowl out of the cabinet.
"I was with Matt," she answered reaching for the milk across from her on the counter and, "at The Grill. I told you I was meeting him there to talk about Vick." She poured the milk into the bowl.
"Yeah I know. I called you when you were leaving." She rested her hip against the counter cradling her cup in her hand. "You said you were on your way home, and I told you to bring me back something sweet." Jenna said hoping to spark a memory and Alyssa just shook her head.
"No sorry,"
"You really don't remember?"
"I remember walking to my car after arguing with Matt," she said trying to put the pieces together. "and the phone rung and then I was in the car on the way back here."
"So you don't remember screaming or calling Vicki's name?"
"No," she said after failing to recall the events of last night beyond leaving The Grill and seeing Vicki was something she definitely would have remembered doing. "Why can't I remember?" She asked a little alarmed.
"Don't panic we're figure it out. What was the last the last thing you remember?"
She thought back to just before she left The Grill and sharing her concerns about Elena with him and how she was hiding information about Vicki to protect whatever secret Stefan was hiding and him not believing her. But she couldn't risk Jenna going to Elena about her concerns over what she told Matt before she could uncover what secret Elena was keeping for Stefan and how it involved Vicki so she settled for half truth's.
"Discussing Vicki with Matt," she settled for saying rather than outright lying to her. "He's trying to stay strong but everyday that passes her doesn't hear from her."
"You think she might have left town?"
"She's done it before," so it wasn't a surprise to anyone if she had run off again it was only a matter of time she did it again, it was what she ignored for. "Except-"
"The last time she left she convinced you to come with her. So is that the plan? Buying Vicki time, pretending to worry for her only to slip out and meet up with her in the middle of the night?" Jenna asked in accusation which Alyssa couldn't be offended by. She had done so in past and if Vicki had asked her to go now her answer would be different.
"No," and that was the problem, "and the fact she hasn't try to convince me to leave with her, called or even told me she was leaving in the first place is what has me so worried."
"If she does call promise me you won't run off. "
She didn't want to cause her or Jeremy anymore grief than they already had she agreed saying as much adding. "Besides, who would be the parental figure if I leave."
"Ha ha. What are you doing tonight? Are you going to the haunted house thing at school?"
"I thought about it," she shrugged she set her bowl in the sink and returned back to her spot, "then I decided that place was scary enough during the day, so I settled on a night of watching teenagers make dumb decisions like deciding to party in the woods or in a hunting house, eating my way in enough candy that will keep the the people in white coats in business for at least half the year, and pizza or Chinese."
"Sounds good count me in."
"What sounds good?" Elena walked in and Alyssa saw that as her cue to leave.
"I got to go," she told Jenna as she grabbed her bag. "I promise Jeremy I'd drop him off at the police station before school so he could join the search for Vick."
"You shouldn't be encouraging Jeremy to miss school." She said having had the exact same conversation with Jeremy before coming downstairs. "They'll call if she finds her. That's what cell phones are for."
"Like I can trust you to tell me the truth." She said leaving out.
"What was that about?" Jenna asked after she left out.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." She said following after her to get answers stopping her before she got into the car. "Are you mad at me? You've barely said a word to me for two days and you just accused me of lying to you about Vicki."
"You couldn't get away fast enough? Is this about Vicki? Did I do something?"
"I don't know Elena," she took on a defensive stance, "you tell me. Did you do something you should feel guilty about?"
"No," she slightly shook her head but Alyssa could see the guilt written on her face.
Alyssa opened the car door. "Then you have nothing to worry about."
"Matty?"
"Vicki," Alyssa walked over to Matt as he stood by his locker on the phone. "Where are you? Are you okay?"
"Is that Vicki?" She asked after hearing the concluded from hearing the concern in his voice.
"Yeah. I'm okay." Vicki responded and Alyssa tried wrestle the phone from Matt but he held her away.
"Matt let me talk to her" She said reaching for the phone but he pulled way.
"Tell me where you are, and I'll come get you"
"No. Matty,"
"Matt" Alyssa said still trying.
"I just need some time to figure things out. Just know that I am okay, okay? Please don't worry about me."
"Vicki" she called after she hang up and he does the same realizing why she's was no longer there.
"Why didn't you let me talk to her?" Alyssa asked upset that she hadn't been able to talk to Vicki for herself.
"She didn't want to talk."
"Well did she at least say where she is so we can go get her and drag her back here kicking and screaming."
"No."
She was disappointed. "Then what did she say?"
"That she was okay and not to worry about her."
"How can we not worry when she's off on a bender somewhere doing god's know what?"
"She sounded fine." He said beginning to unpack his backpack.
"The fact that she's run off again proves how just not fine she is Matt."
"Well there's nothing we can do till she gets back so."
"Hey man," Tyler walked over and Alyssa took that as sign to go.
"I'll see later."
"I can't believe a movie where a bunch of half dressed girls running around screaming is considered a scary movie." Alyssa said to Jenna refilling the popcorn bowl in between the movie marathon they were having.
"That's because it was directed and written by a man." Jenna replied sitting the pizza they ordered down on the table. "And men are pigs."
"I'm inclined to agree with." She said grabbing a couple of glasses from the cabinet. "Speaking of pigs I haven't heard you talk about Logan in a while. How's everything going with Mystic Falls favorite news reporter?"
"I don't know. I haven't heard from him in a few days and I'm trying to decided whether that's a good or bad thing."
"That depends" she started setting out napkins,"have you slept with him yet?"
"That depends," she severed their pizza's onto a plate.
"On what?"
"How you would feel about me if I said yes."
"You slut," she said teasingly with her hands on her hips. "How was it?"
"Just as I remembered, only better," they carried their plates and drinks into the living room.
"I should help so," Alyssa sat her plate down and pulled out her phone when she felt it vibrate. "The last time you guys slept together bell bottoms where in." It was a text from Matt saying Vicki had come home. "Hey it's Matt. Vicki showed." She turned to Jenna. "You mind if I bail on the rest of the night. I promise to make it up to you."
"Yeah sure no problem. It's problem a good thing she showed. Any more popcorn and candy and I'm going to need dentures before I'm forty."
"Well at least you'd still have your looks." She took grabs the keys and headed for the doors. "I'll be back in a few hours."
"Vicki," Alyssa ran to her as soon as Matt opened the door visibly and physically checking her for bruises as she sat at the kitchen table
"I'm fine." She said waving her off and standing up feeling a little crowded.
Alyssa recognized the signs of a tail spin and she knew Vicki was in the middle of one which prompted her to say, "No Vick, you're not. I know you say you are but you're not. Matt and I can't help you unless you tell us what happened that night at the cemetery. What did you see?"
"Nothing. It's not a big deal. Drop it already."
"Three people were murdered in the woods that night Vick. The cops were looking for you. They already "
"They know where I live."
"Everyone was worried about you."
"And I'm back now, so let it go."
"I had a freakin' search party out looking for you while you were off on one of you crazy drug trips and you just want me to let it go." He said incredulously.
She slammed her hand on the table in a rage before grabbing her head. "My head hurts." Alyssa joined her side to check on her.
"You think?" Matt grounded out angrily and Alyssa shot him a look of warning. She knew that if he pushed Vicki too hard in the state she was in again she was bound to run again and she didn't want that to happen.
"I'm going to found some Aspirin." She told Matt after helping Vicki sit just leaving out just as the doorbell rung. She walked to the bathroom knowing that's where they kept all their prescription pills. Grabbing the bottle, she walked back into the kitchen hearing Vicki telling Matt, "Don't let him in. I don't want him in here
Alyssa peaked around Matt to see Stefan standing in the door
"Did he do something to you?" Alyssa walked to the sink grabbing a glass out of the cabinet and filling it with water.
"No, I just don't want him in here." Vicki responded and Alyssa sat the glass on the table in front of Vick.
"Just let me come in so I can explain myself." Stefan pleaded but Matt respected wanted to respect his sister's' wishes.
"Look, I don't know what's going on but I think it'd be best if you left."
Alyssa helped Vicki to her room so she could sleep off whatever it is she had take taking the glass of water and the bottle of pills with her. She sat the glass down on the beside table and sat on the edge of the bed near her legs.
"I'm sorry for being such a screw up."
"You're not a screw up. You're just lost." She shrugged understanding. "Everyone loses their way now again. Figuring out who you are is just apart of growing up. Some are just lucky enough to figure it out who that is a lot faster than others. But you have something most people don't."
"What?"
She tuck a strand of her behind her ear and lightly cupped her face. "Someone that will be there with them every step of the way while they figure it."
She smiled and pulled her into a hug. "I love you."
"I love you too." She said hugging her tightly.
"Everything okay," Matt asked when Alyssa walked into the kitchen.
"Yeah," she sat the empty glass on the table, "she's fine. She's just resting. I told her I would try to convince you to let her go to the Halloween thing at school. I wasn't sure at first but now I'm thinking a regular school function might be just what she needs to help her feel normal."
"I just got her back and you want me to let her go to some party so she can run off again."
"We both know if you don't she's going to go anyway. Least this way we both can keep an eye on her. Show her that we trust her enough not to run away because that's what she needs Matt. She needs to know that you trust her to make the best decisions for her even if you don't agree with them. Allow her to make her own makes no matter how hard that might be. And trust me, I know how hard it can be." She left Matt to think over what she had said and returned back to Vicki's room.
She returned home an hour later to find the place strangely quiet calling out Jenna's name before walking into the living room and then checking the kitchen. When she did find her in any of those two places, she walked upstairs to Jeremy's room.
"Hey," she called out to him from his door way. "Have you seen Aunt Jenna?"
"No, she wasn't home when I got in." He answered putting on a black on hoodie. "Did you hear Vick was back?" he walked over to his bed and sat down pulling on his shoes. "She texted me to meet her at school."
"Yeah Matt texted me earlier. I'm just coming back from seeing her. I think you should give her space Jere."
"Don't you start too. I just got a lecture about how I need to let Vicki go from Elena."
"I don't know why Elena told you to stay away from Vicki." She came in and sat beside him turning to face him. "But I'm not saying it for the same reason or asking you to let her go. I just want you to be patient with her. She's going through a lot and she's feeling lost and so she's going to reach out to anyone she can to feel like she's on solid ground again and I know you want that to be you, but your lost too. And you can't help her find her way again until you find yours."
"Yeah." He nodded understandingly. "I hear you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah"
"Okay." She gave his hand a light squeeze before standing up and walking to his door.
"Hey, Ally" He called out and she stopped turning around. "Thanks."
She slightly nodded her thanks and turned around with a small smile on her face and left.
She pulled up to the school an half hour later and walked inside of the school searching for Matt. He was leaning against a wall in the hallway when she spotted him through the fog and the teenagers indulging in kid like behavior. He stared at her as he leaned up from against the wall. She stroke a pose putting one hand on her hip and the other in the air. "How do I look?"
"Like Elena," he said eyeing her in the schools cheer leading uniform, her white sneakers and flat ironed straight hair.
"Good," she dropped her arms, "cause that's what I was going for." He looked at her accusingly. "What? I didn't have time to buy anything." She started to appraise him in return. "I see you went with last year's custom like Elena. Can I assume that means you took my advice."
"Yeah. I tried not to smother her but part of me didn't want to let her out of my sight."
"Well I'm glad you did. Now we can have some fun. Maybe even scare a few freshmen while we're at it."
"You're in a good mood." Matt noticed as they walked down the halls of the school to find where they were keeping the glory snakes.
"Yes I am. My brother and I just had a good talk and he seems to be finally getting over his rough patch. Elena seems to be giving Stefan the cold shoulder. What? Don't look at me like that it's not like I want Elena to be unhappy it's just I don't want her with Stefan, and Vick's back. So seemingly all's right in the world." They stopped at a table where one of the students was covered in spaghetti to make it look like his stomach had been torn open.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this optimistic before."
"It's cause I never been. But it's a new me, and I'm trying to stay more on the positive side and right now I am positive I want one of those Lockwood special Tyler always make. So I'm going to find him. I'll catch up with you later." She left Matt to go find Tyler and found him outside with some of the guys from the football team dressed as a gladiator. He was holding a red cup in his hand and she plucked it out calling out a thanks and she walked by.
Her progress was halted when she collided with a hard body sending some her drink out of the cup. She looked up and was met with a set of blue eyes and tamed dark hair.
"Damon," she breathed out taking a step back assessing him. She brought her eyes back to him raising a brow. "Aren't you too old to be hanging around a high school this time of night?"
"Aren't you a little too old to be playing dress up in your sisters clothes?" He said visibly assessing her.
"Why?" She smiled crookedly taking a step closer. "Is me dressed as Elena turning you on Damon."
"Children isn't exactly my thing."
"Yeah," she leaned up getting as close to his ear ear as she could. "Then why is your heart racing?" She pulled back fixing him with a sultry smile she stepped back. "Have a nice night Damon?" she turned and walked back into the school.
"I told you to quit bothering me." Alyssa followed the Vicki's voice and sees her with Matt, Stefan, and Elena.
"No. Vicki, don't do this." Elena said.
Alyssa asked, "What's going on?"
"He won't leave me alone." Vicki said speaking of Stefan.
"You need to back off, man." Matt told him.
Stefan answered it. "Matt, it's...it's okay.
"No," Matt said strongly. "It's not okay. What the hell is your problem?
"Stefan." Elena said concernedly looking around. Alyssa did the same and found that Vicki was no longer standing beside them. "She's gone." Elena took off in a panic and Alyssa turned to Matt wondering what the hell was going on but knew now wasn't the time to ask. Instead she said, "I'll go find her," and took off after Elena who she lost in the crowd and fog a while later but she continued searching.
It lead her out back where the buses were parked.
"Jeremy." She heard Elena say and followed the voices out into the parking lot where she hears Elena scream. Panic shoots through her and she begins to run. When she makes it around the corner she sees Stefan plunge a piece of wood through her heart and she covers her mouth to cover the sound and watched as Vicki feel to the ground. Jeremy rush to her be by her side by her side but Stefan grabs him and hold him back.
"Get him out of here." Elena's voice snapped Alyssa out of her shock and left before she was spotted by Stefan or Jeremy walking to her car. She picked up her pace the closer she got to the parking lot replaying everything that had just happened. She was distracted and ran straight into someone.
"Whoa," Damon reached out grabbing her by her forearms catching her from falling. "Where's the fire."
She backed away from him scurrying past him. She reached her car and opened the door getting inside. She backed out of the parking lot and headed straight for him at a fast speed non-stop until she reached home.
She parked her car getting out and locked the door once she was safely inside of the house. She went up to her room and began pacing back and forth not knowing what else to do. She stopped when she caught her reflection in the mirror and harden look past her face. She left and went to Elena's room and began to rummage through her things looking for the one thing she knew would explain what she had just saw.
She found it behind the ceramic painting. She began to go through it. Dear diary I am not a believer. People grow old and then they die but how I can I deny what's right in front of me. Someone who never grows old never gets hurt, someone who changes in ways that can't be explained. Girls bitten, bodies drained of blood.
She stopped reading and started to go over everything that she had found out about all the things that had started to happen when Stefan and Damon got to town. The strange deaths, the bite marks that Caroline had all over body, Vicki's attack doing the night of the party at the falls. It all surrounded the arrival of the Salvatore brothers. It all started to make sense.
She continued to read to see if there was an explanation for Vicki's disappearance when the front door opened. She closed the book and left Elena's room just in time to see Stefan carrying a distraught Jeremy up the stairs. She tossed Elena diary in her room as they came up and focused her attention on her brother. It was the only thing that was going to keep her for going after Stefan.
"Stefan what happened?" She asked with as much concerned surprised as she could muster and helped him into his room. But he didn't know how to answer that, and Alyssa forgot about it for now and turned her attention to her brother.
"Make it stop." He cried. "It hurts."
"Shh" Alyssa pulled him close to her and held him while he cried. Elena walked in the room and stood at the door. "It's all going to be okay."
A/N: And here's another chapter for you my lovely. Sorry it took so long. I try not to give you something you've already seen before which his why this chapter ends the way it does and I try not to repeat if I can. It's also why it often takes a long time to update because it's hard to find ways to stick to the story line while giving you something new and I haven't planned out where the story is going. Its just whatever feels right in the moment. It's also why there's probably going to be a lot of grammar mistakes but please bare with me. With that being said I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I will try to crank out the next one a lot sooner. Don't forget to Fav, follower, and or review XOXO
