A/N: Sorry I didn't reply to anyone's reviews, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise of whose ring it was. I will say that a lot of you guessed correctly!
Elena sat uncomfortably next to Jeremy as the counselor peered down at them politely. "Is there anything you would like to tell me about yourself?"
"Um," Elena answered noncommittally.
Jeremy folded his arms, glaring at the floor.
"I see," the counselor said pleasantly. "Well, let's start with how you feel about being here, Jeremy."
"I feel like this is useless. And I also feel like I wouldn't be here if Elena hadn't interfered. As usual."
The counselor pounced on this bit of information like a vulture finally catching its prey. "As usual, you say? So your Elena often interferes in decisions that you believe are none of her business?"
"Wait a minute," Elena protested, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Jeremy is my brother! I might not always know what's best for him, but it's my responsibility to look after him—"
"Except I'm not really your brother, am I?" Jeremy shot back at her.
"Just because I'm adopted doesn't mean I don't think of you as family," Elena replied firmly, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't give you the right to make life-changing decisions for me, just because you think it's the best thing to do! I'm not a child!"
"Could have fooled me," Elena snapped, losing her temper.
The counselor watched, his face expressionless, as Elena grabbed her purse and stormed to the door. "I think it's best if Jeremy continues this session on his own," she muttered, slamming the door behind her.
Elena let her feet lead the way, her mind whirling. God, did Jeremy really hate her that much? So much that he had tried to kill himself?
Before long, she realized where she was.
Feeling an odd sense of comfort, Elena sat down in front of her parents' gravestones. She hadn't been here in a while, and just being here made her feel a sense of belonging.
There was a sudden rustle in the trees, and Elena looked up quickly. She relaxed when a crow flew out and landed on a stone nearby.
Just a bird.
"Hello, Elena."
Elena stifled a scream, jumping up and stumbling against something solid.
"Whoa, easy there," Damon chuckled, grasping her arms as she struggled to catch her balance. "Keep falling around me, and I'm going to start thinking you like it when I catch you," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, holding on to her wrists for a moment longer than necessary before letting go.
"Damon," Elena caught her breath, feeling her face begin to redden. "I didn't hear you—"
"Vampire thing," Damon shrugged, leaning forward just close enough to make her uncomfortable. His eyes sparkled, "Makes it easier to catch our…prey."
Elena shifted, looking away. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I just got back from a Founder's Council meeting," Damon replied, abruptly dropping the flirty act, and becoming serious. "You'll never believe who was there with a shiny new ring…"
"Uncle John," Elena guessed instantly, her fears confirmed. "How? Whose ring is it? Not Isobel's?"
"No, not hers…not mine, not Stefan's, and not Katherine's…"
"Do you think she made a new one or something?"
"Emily Bennett is the only witch I know that would associate with a vampire like Katherine," Damon shook his head. "There isn't anyone around now that could make a new ring…"
"So?" Elena prodded curiously.
Damon sighed, not looking happy. "I recognized the ring. It was the one Anna was wearing the last time I...saw her."
"My god, Katherine actually dug through the ashes in that building to find Anna's ring?" Elena felt sick and she quickly changed the subject, "Why was there a Council meeting anyway? Was it about what happened last night?"
"Yeah, well, the sheriff wanted John to be kicked off the Council for going against her orders last night…but then he somehow got into the good graces of Mrs. Lockwood by volunteering to take care of all the funeral arrangements. So yeah, looks like he's not going anywhere anytime soon."
"He just keeps coming back," Elena said gloomily, following Damon out of the cemetery. "Any news about Katherine?"
Damon's mouth tightened for a moment before he answered, "No, but there's been some suspicious activity in the woods." He glanced at Elena before continuing, "I found a dead girl there last night. She'd been sucked dry...but then she was attacked by something else."
Elena stopped walking, turning to face Damon in disbelief. "Something else?" she demanded, "Like what?"
"The sheriff thinks it was an animal attack," he paused, "and I agree with her."
"You're kidding," Alaric said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. "You think there's something else in Mystic Falls? What more could possibly be here besides all you vampires? Big Foot? The Loch Ness Monster?"
Damon shot him a scathing look, "I don't believe you're taking me seriously, Alaric."
"I told you I didn't want to be involved in this," Alaric snapped. "Now that your psycho ex has driven my wife into hiding—"
Damon stood up abruptly, super speeding to the door to block the exit. "Okay, I get that you're upset with Katherine. We all are. But, there's something bigger going on here." Alaric merely glared, and Damon emphasized, "Bigger than the bitch that is Katherine."
Alaric sighed, sitting back down. "Fine, what kind of supernatural thing are we talking about exactly?"
"I'm not sure," Damon swirled around the contents of his glass thoughtfully. "But it has something to do with the Lockwoods. The mayor wasn't burned alive last night for being a vampire...But there's no way he could be human."
"What did the wife say?"
"She doesn't know a thing. She just kept insisting that her husband wasn't a vampire, which is obviously true..." Damon trailed off, debating. "I think our best bet is Tyler."
"What does—"
Damon held out a hand to stop Alaric from talking, frowning as he caught the strong scent of blood in the air. "Stefan?" Damon called up the stairs, not taking his eyes off the door. "You haven't been indulging in a little human blood again, have you?"
There was no answer.
"Stefan? Oh brother, where art thou?" Damon said loudly, stiffening as the scent got stronger.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Before Damon could move, the door burst wide open.
And there was Katherine.
She wasn't alone.
*ah, the return of my cliffhangers. you guys missed them, right? ;)
