A/N: Part two of Aftermath is here. Enjoy!
Stefan brushed his hands across the number of bottles on the tray next to the couch. He picked up a bottle of vodka and flipped one of the glasses around. He took the lid off and poured it over. He arranged the bottle back to where it belonged, grabbed the glass and walked around to sit on the couch.
He pressed the glass to the edge of his lips and inhaled its scent. Despite the bitter alcohol, he was more than aware of the smell of rotten flesh coming from down in the cellar. He tilted the glass up and rejoiced in the burning down his neck.
After they went to the morgue with Kaithlyn and they found out who she truly was, they were at a loss of words. They needed to think hard and well on what their next move was going to be. He couldn't figure out what Kaithlyn meant with what she said before she left. I'll fix this, her voice chimed in his mind.
It was later when Stefan got a message that everything came full circle. He tilted the glass of vodka once more and reached into his pocket for his phone. He reread his last conversation.
Stefan, this is Kaithlyn. I know you're probably confused right now, but everything will be clear soon. I want to bring Jeremy back to life. I've contacted a witch who can help with that. I just need to have his body out of the morgue so she can do the spell. I'll come with the witch later tonight.
Kaithlyn, we'll help you with everything we can. You have our full support. We can bring him here if you want.
It would be great if you could. Get him in a coffin. People will think that it's for the funeral. I'll come later tonight.
Understood. We're waiting for you, Kaithlyn. And... thank you for doing this.
Stefan flipped the phone display over and placed it on his leg. He closed his eyes and inhaled once more. This was their shot at getting both Elena and Jeremy back. He was certain that once she would see his brother, she'd be overwhelmed by a number of wonderful emotions: happiness, relief, love. She'd come back from the edge through positive, not negative like he did. For him at first there was anger, guilt, sadness. This was the best alternative possible.
Kaithlyn's instructions were clear and they needed to be followed accordingly. He wouldn't by any means mess this chance up.
Damon climbed the stairs from the cellar towards the living room. He was done with Jeremy's body. It was carefully locked into a polished maroon coffin. The smell was still horrible, though. He rubbed his hands with a cloth damped in antiseptic to get some of it off.
"Stefan," he said as he entered the living room. He threw the piece of in a corner. He'd take care of it later.
His brother tilted his drink as he walked to sit in front of him on the opposite couch. "Damon," he said and sighed.
"Jeremy's locked away as she," Damon said and pointed at the phone in Stefan's lap. "said." He motioned to him. "Give me the phone."
Stefan handed it to him and Damon looked at the messages. "Don't you think there's something fishy over here?"
He raised his brows up slightly. "What?"
Damon moved his hand as he spoke. "She texted you. How did she get your number? Does this mean she's the one who's been freaking you out with messages? How come that she found out Jeremy's a supernatural this morning and in less than two hours she has a witch ready to do a spell that'll bring him back tonight?" He narrowed his eyes. "You did not just tell her she has my full support! I don't trust her."
Stefan sighed. "Maybe she got it from the girls or Matt." He shrugged and drank the rest of his glass in one gulp. "I don't care if she sent them. All I care about is getting both of them back. I'm not going to throw that away." He turned around and leaned over the couch to place the empty glass on the table. "And as a hunter, I guess she has ties with some strong witches."
Damon frowned and tapped his temples forcefully. "How in the world can you ignore this, Stefan?" he asked and looked around. "She wanted to scare you, she wanted to get in your mind. Bringing Jeremy back doesn't change any of that. What's next? She stabs you, but that's okay because she'll save Jeremy?"
He twisted his mouth and scowled at him. "This is the chance to bring both of them back, Damon! Don't jeopardize it. The cure's gone and even if Elena took it, Jeremy would still be dead. He didn't deserve to have such a short life just because of us. And yes, I'm going to play nice with Kaithlyn if it means getting everything back." He leaned back in the couch and pressed his hand to his forehead. "Give her a chance, maybe it isn't even her who sent the messages. Maybe Ricky and Bernard did."
He cocked his head. "Sure, brother," he said. "Two vampire hunters who didn't have my phone number definitely had yours. Makes... perfect sense."
"Just drop it," he said and pressed his palms together. "Damon, please, be nice to Kaithlyn. We don't need to be enemies."
Damon looked away for a moment. "Let's just say this. She doesn't pull any surprises on us and I won't pull in any surprises on her. Deal?"
"Fine. Just don't ruin everything," he answered and looked away. "She's just a girl who lost her friend and is willing to do everything to bring him back. Can't you connect with that? I think her intensions are pure."
He pointed at him. "This mentality is exactly what's going to get us killed. And why we're getting Bonnie with us tonight. She'll catch on anything out of place."
Stefan's expression changed when he heard her name. In that moment he remembered the true threat that still lingered in the shadows. "What are we going to do about Silas?"
"Well, he needs the cure in order to drop the veil," he explained. "We just need to talk some sense into Elijah and keep it away from him."
He turned his phone around in his hand. "Why is he taking so long to come to Mystic Falls? Is Katherine still with him, I wonder?"
"He got lost," Damon answered and shrugged. "The further it is, the better for us. Right now, we need to focus on Kaithlyn and Jeremy."
"The council doesn't know we raised Silas," Stefan said and bit the inside of his cheek. "Kaithlyn didn't believe us when we told her and after she found out about the hunter's mark, she dropped the subject completely." He tapped his forehead with his fingers. "Maybe the council will help us deal with him. Maybe they are searching for the cure right now, maybe..."
Damon shook his head. "We'll discuss this with Kaithlyn later," he said and looked at Stefan in the eye. "What do you think is the full extent of her abilities?"
He raised his shoulders. "I don't know. Improved speed, strength, desire to kill werewolves. Just like Jeremy, probably."
Damon frowned. "Why didn't Rebekah mention werewolf hunters when she told us about The Five?"
Stefan tugged at his bottom lip. "I'll talk with her about it."
He rolled his eyes. "Of course," he said. "You and Rebekah."
"Just drop it, Damon," Stefan said. "Caroline texted me about Elena not too long ago." Damon leaned forward in his seat. "She said she went to school and pretended to be sad in order to get the teachers to cut her work short. She was hanging out with Rebekah."
"Look, the way I see it is this," he said and moved his hands. "Elena's stuck in town and can't hurt anyone because of the vervain in the water supply. Let her roam around. It's just a matter of hours until she gets her humanity back anyway."
Stefan hesitated. "We can't let her know what we're planning," he concluded.
"We'll tell her we're dealing with Silas. She'll believe it because we're going to Bonnie," Damon said.
The vampire looked down and murmured, "I sure hope so."
˜.˜
Rebekah pushed the door forcefully as she entered the Mikaelson mansion. After she came back from New York, she decided to move back in with her brother. She wouldn't let him win again at this game and she was tired of living alone. It was boring. The mansion was so much better than the place she stayed at after fighting with Klaus because he saved Caroline instead of her.
Sounds like ages ago, she thought and walked up the pristine stairwell. She noticed that his brother did keep the place tight. He was a clean freak.
She could hear the faint scratch of a pencil against paper and she followed the sound to the living room. Her brother was laying down on one of the couches, holding a sketching pad in his hand. He was looking unusually cheerful. What had happened while she was in New York with Damon and Elena?
"I see your party is over, Rebekah," he said and looked up at her. She was still wearing her school clothes. "How was New York?"
She threw the bag on an empty armchair and sat on the sofa. "Full of sweaty bodies."
Klaus laughed and leaned forward to put his sketchbook on the coffee table. Rebekah could see what he was working on. It was a simple drawing: two lines that were doing some sort of twists and had a common point. She eyed it and noticed it was symmetrical. Was it a symbol or just something he came up with?
She honestly didn't care. She wanted to discuss something with him. "Nik, where's Elijah?"
He crossed a foot over the other. "He's... not here," he said and watched his sister frown. "I talked to him on the phone. He said he's busy with something."
Rebekah leaned against the armrest. "Busy? Where's the cure?"
He pointed at her. "And this is exactly why he's been talking to me, the understanding brother."
She pressed her lips together. "Aren't you afraid Silas is going to kill you?"
"No," he said and shook his head. "You see, he knows where the cure is and that it's coming his way. He hasn't been bothering me since I got that call from Elijah."
Rebekah felt like she was going to puke. She didn't have time to deal with her brother's evasiveness. She took her jacket off and put it on the back of the sofa. She wondered what Elijah was planning. It was so unlike him to promise her something and not follow through.
Last night, after she dropped Stefan off at the boarding house, she got a call from him. He gave her the best news of the day: he had the cure and he was coming to Mystic Falls.
"So," he started and pressed his hands together. "Why did you come home this soon?"
Her eyes widened. It seemed as if Klaus didn't know what happened last night. She sighed and slumped into her chair. "Stefan was captured by two vampire hunters who wanted to get revenge on Damon and I because of what we did to another hunter on the island. They tortured him and..."
Klaus frowned. "Stefan? Torturedby two vampire hunters? How did they find him?"
"We aren't sure," she answered and let her head rest against the back of the armchair. She was staring at the ceiling. "When we arrived, Stefan was in bad shape. They appearedto know what they were doing. They had wrong information on us. They thought I was younger than him and that I was Stefan's girlfriend."
Klaus laughed. "More like booty call."
She sneered at him. "Anyway, we managed to fool them. One of the hunters had a stake close to Stefan's heart, so if we made a mistake, he was dead. I took a shot of vervain and I pretended to faint. We were waiting for the moment the hunter stepped away from Stefan to chop their heads off. Then..."
"Is Stefan alright now?" he cut her in.
Rebekah laughed at him. Of course he'd ask about his buddy. "Would I be here celebrating if that wasn't the case?" Klaus nodded as if saying 'fair enough'. "Anyway," she continued and turned to look back at the ceiling. "things didn't go as planned."
She grabbed her hands together, reached up and stretched. She sat up straighter in the chair. "We didn't stop them. Someone else did."
Klaus scooted closer. He didn't know who she was referring to. The only one competent enough was Bonnie, but he doubted it was her because of how the massacre left her. "Who did?" he asked.
Rebekah pressed her lips together and looked away. "There's a new hunter in town. Kaithlyn Downright." She crossed her feet on top of the other. "You know how we thought that only vampire hunters exist? Because Alexander never mentioned anything else?" He appeared to be catching on. "Apparently, we were fooled. This new girl is a werewolf hunter."
Klaus crossed his arms over his chest. "How did you find out?"
"During Chemistry, Matt received a message and excused himself. I thought it was odd, so I followed him," she explained. "He met up with Caroline. I stayed hidden and listened to what she had to tell him. Kaithlyn is a member of the council; whatever the hell that means. She has a hunter mark, just like Jeremy. And, she had been picking them apart: Matt, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie. She claimed to be friends with Jeremy, but they don't know for sure."
Klaus rubbed his hands together and smirked. "She sounds like a piece. I want to meet her."
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "She's not even that pretty, to be honest. Straight brown hair, brown eyes. Kinda boring." She started laughing and covered her mouth. "You're honestly just better off with Caroline. Oh, but you did have a thing for that Petrova girl, so I think it's safe to say you need to check your preferences."
"Me? Bad taste?" He laughed. "You're the one who's going after the generic all American guy. My girls have something... special to them." He stopped himself for a second. "Wait, did she hurt her?"
Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "No, she looked for Caroline at the cheerleaders, but didn't find her." She pointed at him. "Can I mention how disgusting your infatuation with her is?" He rolled his eyes and got up. He went to pour himself a drink. "Oh, and I'm moving back in."
He picked up a whiskey bottle. "Finally you come to your senses, Rebekah."
She giggled. "And I'm bringing someone with me."
He took the glass with alcohol. "I'm not taking in a charity case."
She shook her head. "It's not Matt, it's Elena."
He drank. "Oh, Elena?" he asked and tilted the glass up even higher. "Didn't she turn her humanity off?"
"Yes, after Jeremy died." She checked out her manicure. "You won't believe how much different she is."
"Well, you must certainly tell her she's invited to stay," he said and finished his drink. Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He took it out of his pocket. It was Elijah. He answered, "Hello, brother."
"Niklaus," he said in response. "I need to get to a powerful witch. Give me some names."
He rubbed his chin. "Gloria was my favorite. I think she had an apprentice. You can search for her in Chicago. I'll send you the details later."
Rebekah jumped off the couch and walked towards Klaus. She reached out to grab the phone out of his hand, but he kept pulling away so she wouldn't get to it. "Elijah, you promised me the cure," she yelled.
Elijah sighed. "I know what I promised you, sister. I always keep my word. I just need more time."
"Time? Time?!" she yelled. "How can you ask this of me? Elijah, I don't have time to play your games. Stop travelling around and bring me the cure."
Klaus laughed. "As you can see, it's that time of the month."
She pushed him forcefully against a nearby column and snatched the phone out of his hand. "Elijah, I want the cure. Give it to me just like you promised." She heard a giggle at the other end. "I can't wait around until you lose it! Wait..." She paused to hear Elijah shush somebody in the background. "Are you with Katherine, Elijah?"
"Yes, Katerina is with me," he responded. "She knows where the bar is, Niklaus. I don't need directions anymore."
She grabbed onto a nearby bottle of alcohol. "Bar? What bar, Elijah? Give me the cure before Silas takes it from you!" she yelled.
Klaus sighed and grabbed her right wrist. He took the phone out of her hands. "I had enough of this, brother. She's giving me headaches. I'll call you later. Text me if you need anything," he said and simply ended the call.
She pulled her wrist free and threw the bottle of alcohol at his feet. It shattered and spilled its contents everywhere. She stepped away from him and from Elijah. He betrayed her like just about everyone else.
Rebekah felt tears of frustration come up at the corners of her eyes. She entered her room and locked the door. Right now she needed to distract herself. And she wanted to be far away from her brother's snarky remarks.
˜.˜
Elena stepped in front of the Boarding House. She came here because she had important issues to discuss with the brothers. She looked down at her outfit: black, black and black. She puked in her mouth a little bit. The only girl she knew who wore this much black was Katherine. And she was a pathetic vampire who spent all her life running.
She had previously gone to her house, only to see it in ashes. Everything was charred. Not even a single piece of her clothing survived. Everything had been destroyed. Huh. At least she got rid of all the bad memories inside. She was a newer self, stronger, smarter, fearless.
What she wanted to do was simple: she wanted to reclaim at least a part of what the Salvatores owned her. And she had a sick feeling they were planning something. They had been unusually quiet today. Stefan probably got hurt by the hunters, but Damon? Damon should have been all over her now that she was trapped in town. It was unusual for him to act so detached from her.
Elena pushed on the door handle and entered the mansion. She could hear some commotion going in the cellar, but she felt like checking the living room first. Sure enough, Stefan was laying down on one of the couches and staring at the ceiling. He turned when he heard her step on the wooden floor.
"Elena," he said and looked at her clothing.
She slapped her arms to her sides. "Stop staring at me like that. I'm homeless, of course I'd dress like this," she snapped and went to sit on the couch opposite to him. "So I take it Damon and Rebekah made it in time, huh."
She inhaled and immediately brought her hand to her face. "What the hell is up with that smell?" It was the first thing she had ever felt. She coughed and moved a hand in front of her to get some of the smell away. "The house needs to be ventilated."
Damon came up from the cellar with two blood bags in his hands. He heard Elena when she entered and started talking, so he hurried up. When Stefan saw him coming, he got up to sit straight and make space for his brother on the couch.
Damon smirked when he saw Elena cross her arms. He handed a bag to his brother and kept the other for himself. "What is it, Elena? Came running back to the people who matter?"
"No," she simply said. "I want to ask you something and since it's partially your reason why I'm homeless, you better agree."
Stefan opened the blood bag and sipped on it slowly. He needed to maintain control. The blood helped alleviate the rest of the pain caused by the vervain. He sighed as he finished it.
"What?" Damon asked with a smug look on his face and started sucking the blood through a long tube.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm not hungry if that's what you're wondering," she said and looked at the crumpled piece of plastic in Stefan's hands. "I have my own blood at my new house."
"New house? Where?" Stefan asked.
She smirked. "I live with someone who understands me."
Damon groaned. "You moved in with Rebekah?" She nodded. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, I take it?"
She pouted. "No, she's just a lot better than the two of you combined." She pinched her nose. "And, why in the world would I want to stay here? Do you even smell that? What is that?"
Stefan gulped. "We picked your brother up from the morgue today. It's for the funeral..."
Elena cringed at his answered and turned her head in the direction where Damon had come from. "You brought a hunch of rotten meat in the house?" She turned back to them and furrowed her brows together. "What in the world are you thinking?"
Stefan didn't say anything. He lowered his head. Damon pressed his lips together and replied, "Don't be disrespectful."
She shook her head and whispered, "He's dead. He can't hear us. Duh."
"What do you want, Elena?" Damon asked and sipped on the rest of the blood bag.
She raised her eyebrows. "So it's real then, isn't it?" she asked and looked around then back at them again. "I got rid of you!" She rubbed her knees and giggled. "Now, who's gonna be next? Stefan, who are you going to fall in love with next? Give Damon a little bit of insight so he can have a head start."
Stefan sighed. "Elena, what can we help you with?"
"As you might know, my house," she started and pressed her hand to her chest. "...was burned. I checked and there's nothing left. None of my clothes survived. And I get stuck with this." She motioned to her body. "Hello, black is so bland and boring. I want something new."
"What are you exactly asking? There are some of your old clothes here if you'd-" Damon said and was quickly cut off by Elena.
She pressed her hands to her sides. "I want 2000$."
"What?" Damon asked with a high pitched voice. "What are you going to do with all that money?"
Elena sighed. "I think you two know that I'm a girl," she replied. "I have a lot of stuff to shop for and I want to have a fabulous dress for prom. I don't show up in garbage." She pressed her lips tight. "What is it? Is that too much of a sum for you? I thought you'd do anything for me. Is this the limit? Is this what I was worth for you? Is this...-"
Stefan raised his hand. "Elena, enough," he muttered and got up. "I'll bring you the money," he said and went upstairs to get it.
Elena giggled. "What is it, Damon?" she asked when she saw his face. "At least one Salvatore is pleasing me."
He rolled his eyes, even if it was getting to him. Everything she said from the way she said it was to get to them. It was annoying. How could she think she wasn't worth 2000$ to him when he had given her so much? "Come up with something better, Elena."
"Like Stefan?" she asked and smirked.
Stefan returned and held the stack of money tied with a rubber band towards Elena. She grabbed it and stuffed it in her purse. "Thank you, Stefan. Save me a dance," she said and got up.
She started walking and she noticed they did too. She turned around. "I'm not taking you shopping. Why are you following me?"
Damon shook his head. "We aren't following you. We're going to Bonnie's. You know, we still have Silas to deal with."
Elena puffed her cheeks. "Whatever," she said and walked away.
˜.˜
Matt picked up all the empty glasses, plates, forks and knifes on his tray. He took out a piece of cloth from his apron and leaned across the table to rub it clean. When he was done, he arranged the wooden chairs back to their normal position, grabbed the tray, went to another table and repeated.
After he finished talking with Elena, he waited in the classroom for a good ten minutes. He needed to regroup himself because the moment he gave Caroline or Rebekah a hint about what happened, somebody would get their head chopped off.
He steadied himself and went on about his day. After the incident in the classroom, he had not seen Elena. Their schedules didn't match and he didn't hang around the hallways just in the off chance she was there. He needed to stay away for now. He went straight home after school. He got his uniform and left for the Grill. He had work to do and being in a busy place was safe when it came to vampires.
Matt couldn't believe it. He shut his eyes tightly for a second as he thought about what Caroline told him. Kaithlyn lied to him. She never cared about anyone or anything. She was a hunter with an objective.
He recalled the moment they talked at the Grill the other day. He reached out to her and she reached out to him and they bonded over their loss. Ours? More like mine, he thought and fought back the tears. She invented everything about camping and baseball. She just wanted to see how far she could take it. He shook his head rapidly. It was just a game! To her it was just a game!
She probably wanted to test the supernatural knowledge of the people in town and she picked the bartender, she picked him. Why else would she want to ask him to invite her in when she visited his house? Why else would she make such a big show out of everything?
Kaithlyn was just like Connor. A hunter. Someone with a target. The only difference was that Connor wasn't so invested in their lives. Yes, he did torment them, but he didn't try to get to know them the way she did. Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan, Damon and him. She went after everyone in the group. Maybe she wanted to punish them for what they did on the island. Kaithlyn knew Bonnie was there and by the looks of it, her group as well.
"Our group," he mumbled so lightly he wasn't sure he said it out loud.
Stefan was tortured by two hunters last night. Right after he left to go to Bonnie, he got caught. His chest grew tighter. Maybe if they wouldn't have figured out what the messages spelt, maybe if he hadn't panicked, maybe if he hadn't insisted on helping him... Maybe Stefan didn't get hurt.
He sighed. It was too late now. Were the hunters who hurt Stefan related to Kaithlyn in some way? Caroline did mention that she came and saved Stefan from them, but... Why would she act normal upfront? Why wouldn't she reveal herself if the true endgame was protecting them?
His neck tightened and he gulped. What if that wasn't the endgame? What if the endgame was getting their trust? He nodded. This was probably what she wanted and the whole charade with the hunters was just an act. She wanted to make it seem like the two hunters sent the messages, as to lure Stefan into the trap. She would come in and save the day and everything would be all roses.
But it wasn't. They figured her identity out before she could do some damage. And to think he was looking forward to talking to her today like she promised when they were at his house with Stefan. He was looking forward to sharing the burden of Jeremy with her, but that wasn't the case anymore. He was alone. Like always.
Some things never change, he thought and rubbed his eyes.
On top of Kaithlyn hunting them, Matt had to deal with Elena's crazy proposal. She wanted him to be a blood bag for her, a source to feed, a means for her to enjoy herself. He had never regretted living more than he did in that classroom when he talked with her.
Elena saved him. He survived. She did not. She was a vampire now. And she lost her humanity. Elena was truly gone. The small hope he had that everything could go back to normal, that she would be like Caroline, that they could have both lived finally disappeared. Elena died. And her ghost was haunting him.
He couldn't, under any circumstances, let her hurt anybody. Nobody deserved to die on his behalf. If there was anybody who did, it was him. He was the one who took Elena's life away when he drove off that bridge and he needed to pay the price. He pressed his hands to the side of the table and leaned in for a moment. He would do everything she'd ask him to, even if it meant getting in the hospital or losing sleep. He'd do it for her.
Matt stuffed the wet cloth in a pocket in his apron and grabbed the tray full of dirty dishes. He walked to the back where only employees were allowed. He put the tray on the edge of a counter and proceeded to unload it into a nearby sink.
Suddenly, he could see a shadow over him from the back. He turned around and saw Andrew, another employee at the Grill. They got along rather well. He was the friend who offered to take his shift when Kaithlyn and him first met.
"Andrew," he said and coughed.
He extended his hand and grabbed the dirty glass out of his hand. "Matt," he started and reached out to put the glass in the sink to his left. "I know it's been a hard time for you lately, that tomorrow... you'll say goodbye to Jeremy for a while. I'm sorry for what you're going through." He placed his hands on his shoulders. "Please, don't overwork yourself. Take this day off and... try to... grieve or drink or cry or anything, but this." He pointed at his apron. "I'll take the shift for you."
Matt smiled in return. It was the first time he did since talking with Caroline. "I..." he said. "I'll definitely not pass on your offer. Thank you." He nodded and looked down for a moment. "There are 20 minutes left in this hour. I'll work through them and then go home."
Andrew smiled and pushed the tray away from him. "I think this will do you good. Maybe you can hang out with that girl from the other day. It seemed like she cheered you up. Friends are what you need in a time like this."
"Yeah," he mumbled and then continued on louder. "There's nothing with me and her. But I'll go to Caroline."
He hit his arm. "Good to know," he said and grabbed the empty tray. "I'll see you around." He turned around and pushed his way through the doors into the main bar.
Matt threw the damp piece of cloth and picked a new one. He would finish what he started and then go from there.
˜.˜
Damon and Stefan pulled up in front of Bonnie's house. They had taken Damon's car seeing as Stefan's was still with Matt. They exited the vehicle and started walking towards the front door.
"Do you think she's better?" Damon asked as he looked at his phone. He wanted to see where Elena was using Find My Friends. It looked like she was heading towards the Grill.
"I don't know, Damon," Stefan said. "She was pretty bad the other day. We'll see what we can do."
Both of the boys stepped on the porch. Damon looked at Stefan, then stepped forward and knocked on the door a few times. After a few moments, Bonnie opened the door.
She arranged the wooly camisole she wore and crossed her arms over. "Stefan. Damon," she said and eyed each one. "What's going on?"
"We have business to take care of, witchy," Damon said and Bonnie lowered her head.
She stepped back and murmured with a different voice, "Come in." She waited until the boys entered to close the door behind them. "To the right," she said and followed them into the living room.
They sat down on the couches opposite to each other. She leaned back and rubbed her hands together tightly. "What is it, Stefan? What happened?"
"I see your dead professor isn't with you right now," Damon said and looked around. "Or is he? Oh, Shane, are you there, Shane?" he taunted a little louder.
Her eyes snapped back at him. In that moment her whole body eased. They weren't Silas. They were real. "Cut it, Damon."
Stefan reached to his right and slapped Damon on the shoulder. "Enough," he said and turned to Bonnie. "I'm... not sure if you're aware of this or not. But Shane's dead." He gulped and looked at his ring. "It's not... him you've been seeing. Silas got in your head."
She brought a finger to her lip and bit it. "I know Silas is showing himself as Shane," she answered dreamily.
Stefan frowned. "Bonnie, how... why are you okay with this?" he asked.
Bonnie looked at the fireplace, then at the lamp in the corner of the room and finally at the huge living room windows to her left. She made the fire burn so strong her father had an appointment done to clean the chimney. She broke so many light bulbs, she spent two whole hours changing them. She broke the windows when she demanded for the witches to come on Wednesday. Her father had them replaced as soon as possible.
She turned to the vampires on her couch. They had no idea what was really going on. "He's helping me control... my magic."
"This is dangerous and you know it," Damon insisted. "He wants you to drop the veil, Bonnie! Can't you see he's using you?"
Bonnie lowered her head and brought her feet under her on the couch. They didn't understand. How could they? They never did. It wasn't like she wasn't going back and forth on everything. One moment she wanted him and the next she didn't. One moment she was sure of herself, the next she wasn't. One moment she had her magic under control, the next she hadn't.
She sighed. "I've got this," she said. She wasn't about to listen to two people telling her what to do without even trying to understand first. They had already made up their mind about what was happening to her. They already knew everything that had to be done.As usual, she thought. "What do you want from me?"
"Bonnie," Stefan said slowly and pressed his lips. "You can't... you can't let Silas get to you."
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about Silas anymore," she said quickly.
"Bonnie, Silas-" Stefan started but Bonnie cut him off.
She clenched her jaw and muttered though her teeth. "No... more." Her whole expression changed. Her eyes were darker. She held her head higher.
Stefan leaned back in the couch and was about to say something, but Damon put a hand on his shoulder and nodded at him. Stefan narrowed his eyes for a second, but then knew what his brother was hinting at. What was the point of arguing further if Bonnie's sanity was in shambles because of Jeremy and they found out Kaithlyn was going to bring him back to life?
"Fine," Damon said as he straightened his neck and let go of his brother. "We came to talk about something else. Not Silas." He bit the inside of his cheek. "Last night two hunters got a hold of Stefan and tortured him." Bonnie's features loosened up and she gulped. "They wanted to punish Rebekah and I for something we did to the hunter on the island... Galen."
He was about to continue, but Bonnie stepped in. "Galen? That's, that's..." She started breathing heavily. "That's the man who stabbed me!"
"We know..." Stefan said and scratched his cheek. "Caroline told us..."
Bonnie felt a new wrench close around her throat. She shut her eyes and whispered with a surprising strength, "Carry on..."
Damon pressed his hands to his knees. "We managed to get to him on time, but we were stuck in a delicate position. One of the hunters had a stake close to Stefan's heart and we were waiting for the moment he'd move away so we could snap their necks. This was the plan until someone interfered."
Bonnie raised her hand. "Wait," she said. "Are you alright now?"
Stefan nodded. "Still shaken up, but rescued nonetheless."
Damon took off his leather jacket and put it on the couch. It was getting rather hot today. "Her name is Kaithlyn Downright," he said and Bonnie's eyes lit up. "She came in and sent the hunters away. She also proposed us a meeting. I know that she came by to visit you last night."
She frowned. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, she did." She played with the sleeves of her camisole. "She said she wants to help me, to... protect me. She said the council values witches. Whatever that means..."
Damon nodded. "Well, she came and we talked. I'm not sure if you know this, but she had been around the town before she came to us. She said that she was looking for Jeremy because she was a friend from Denver." Bonnie reached up and rubbed one of her temples. She didn't want to be reminded of Denver. "We don't know if what she's saying is true, but we think he matters to her."
"They matter to each other?" Bonnie murmured and searched the floor with her eyes. So it wasn't only with the Anna fiasco that he lied to her about...
Stefan pressed his hands together. "We don't know if there's anything between them," he explained. "We know they're friends. She also knows Connor and Galen. Oh, this reminds me. We told her that Damon killed Connor. You can't tell Kaithlyn the truth, Elena would be in danger."
Bonnie sighed and looked around aimlessly. "I don't know, Stefan. She doesn't seem like the type who'd take lying lightly..."
Damon raised his shoulders. "It's not lying technically," he said and they both turned to him. "I was the one who influenced her to do that with the sire bond. It all comes back to me, not her."
She rubbed the space between her eyebrows. "I guess we can get away with that."
"So, we talked and one thing led to another and suddenly we are at the morgue." Damon heard Bonnie's heart start trumping against her chest. She was thinking about Jeremy again. "When she heard Jeremy was one of The Five, she demanded she'd see him and his mark as proof." He leaned back and crossed his feet. "We tried to explain that the tattoo was gone, but she wouldn't listen. When we got to him, she uncovered the arm with the mark and touched it with her left hand. In that moment his mark started to show, and so did hers."
"She's a hunter?" she asked.
Stefan nodded. "A werewolf hunter, to be exact."
"What is she after then?" she asked and straightened her posture. "What does she want? Or whom does she want? Tyler's the last Lockwood and he's out of town."
Damon frowned and looked at Stefan. "We don't know."
Stefan pointed at him. "He thinks she has a dark agenda," he explained to her. "I'm not sure. But we do know something she wants..."
Bonnie leaned forward and rested her elbow on one of her knees. "What?"
He took a deep breath and said, "Kaithlyn wants to bring Jeremy back to life."
She inhaled sharply and her heart started racing. How can this be possible?she wondered. She grabbed her head and started looking around. A genuine smile embraced her features. "How does she? What...? When...?"
Stefan pointed at himself and his brother. "We got the body," he said. "She's coming by tonight with a witch."
"Which is why we need youto come with us," Damon continued and nudged into his brother's direction.
She rubbed her knees quickly and tapped her foot lightly against the wooden floor. "Sure, of course. I'll do everything that needs to be done. Does she know about my powers?"
"Bonnie, she didn't mention you as part of the spell," Stefan said and mindlessly touched the pocket where his phone was. "Damon wants you there because he believes she's up to something."
She frowned and massaged the edge of her neck. "Hmm," she muttered and sighed. Whatever it was the girl was planning, they shouldn't sabotage it until they were sure it wasn't in their favor. This made her think about the powers of the witch. Kaithlyn found out Jeremy died as a supernatural this morning, but she was still capable of getting a witch strong enough to bring someone back from the dead in a matter of hours.
It probably had to do with her status in the council, but it still felt suspicious. Bonnie wasn't gonna let the opportunity go to waste. Even if the witch Kaithlyn brought wasn't strong enough to carry out the spell, maybe they could be together. She had the spirits, Expression and... She started at her hands. The darkness.
"I'll be there," she answered still captivated by her hands. Her head rose slowly and a new smile embraced her features. "We'll bring him back."
Stefan analyzed the look on Bonnie's face. She appeared to be dazed, lost, but not in the way he had seen her the other day.
Damon leaned forward and broke their gaze. "Look, this has to stay between us," he said and pointed at the three of them. "We can't let Elena mess this up or get in the way and hurt in the process."
They both nodded solemnly. "Who else knows?" Bonnie asked.
"Just us," he said.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. They both turned towards the sound. It was repetitive and persistent. Bonnie raised and pressed a finger to her lips. She left to the main hallway and turned the handle around.
"Bonnie!" the man on the outside said.
She was taken aback and exhaled when she saw him. "Matt."
He started looking around and casually checking over his shoulder. "Can we talk for a moment?"
Bonnie let him come in and closed the door. They went into the living room together. Matt stopped in his tracks when he saw the two vampires. His eyes immediately darted to Stefan.
"Stefan," he managed to say. "Caroline told me... um, how do you feel?"
He smiled. "I'm better."
Bonnie walked around and took her spot on the couch. Matt stood up by the coffee table and pulled on the strap of the backpack hanging off his shoulder. His eyes switched from one of the sides of the room to the other. He couldn't exactly place what was going on.
Stefan noticed his confusion. "We're having a meeting about the hunters who went after me last night," he stated. "And about who stole the blood bags."
Matt rubbed his mouth with his hand. "Any news? Who are they? Did they send the messages? Who stole the blood bags?" He gulped and brought a hand to the back of neck. "And about... Kaithlyn? Why would a werewolf hunter come for us?"
The three of them exchanged a look. Bonnie was the one to pull away and turn to Matt. "We've been thinking about it and," she said and pressed in the place her jaw and neck met. "We think we might get a lead with the hunters. I'll go to the Boarding house later to do a locator spell. It might work on the clothes he wore last night." Matt nodded briefly. "The blood bags are still a mystery and Kaithlyn... we're still waiting on her. How do you know about her?"
"Caroline warned me this morning," he clarified. "Do you... do you think she's dangerous?"
Bonnie raised up to her feet and went to grab him by the shoulders. "I'm strong, Matt. I can take her down. She doesn't stand a chance against my powers."
Matt nodded. "I believe you," he said and locked eyes with her. He did. If there was someone who was truly amazing in his eyes, it was Bonnie. "I was heading towards Caroline," he said and then started reaching into his back. He brought it up and propped it up with a knee.
When he opened the bag, an incredible smell of lasagna started to fill Bonnie's senses. He laughed as he struggled to pull the plastic bag out and hand it to her. "I was passing by a restaurant and I saw the lasagna and immediately thought of you," he said and she started examining it. "It's your favorite," he said and closed his bag to throw it over his shoulder.
Bonnie placed the bag carefully on the coffee table and turned around to wrap her arms around Matt. She was so much shorter than him, it always felt like she was hugging a bear. "Thank you, Matt." She inhaled and felt peace. This was Matt. Her friend. And he made her feel better. And she also got the news about Jeremy. Everything was turning a corner it seemed.
She pulled away and he smiled. "I, um, have to go." He took a step back. "I just wanted to drop by. Bonnie, if you need anything, call me." He then addressed the whole group. "I hope your hunt goes well. Um... see you at the funeral tomorrow?"
Bonnie's expression dropped stoic. She needed to make it seem like this was truly the end, that she wasn't going to the Salvatore mansion to help with the spell that would potentially bring Jeremy back to life. She pressed a hand to her neck and nodded lightly.
Matt reached out and put a hand on her small shoulder. They locked eyes for a moment. They were there for each other.
"Let me walk you to the door," she said and they left the leaving room. As Matt was turning his back and stepping onto the porch, she reached out from the inside of the house and said, "Take care of yourself, Matt. I'll see you soon."
He nodded. "You take care of yourself too."
She smiled and waited until he was safe in Stefan's car to come back in the living room. The two vampires were looking at her.
"Do you think he's suspecting something?" she asked and grabbed the lasagna.
Damon smirked. "Not a thing."
"Good," she said and played with the edge of the packaging. "I'll go put this in the fridge and get dressed. Give me fifteen minutes," she stated and was already on her way to the kitchen. She wasn't going to waste any more time.
It didn't take long for the three of them to arrive at the Boarding House. She stepped out of the car slowly and watched the menacing building. It had been a while since she visited. At least it felt like it.
She carefully stepped forward through the main hallway and into the living room. Damon walked past her and poured himself a drink. She started looking around. There was nothing there.
"He's in the cellar," Stefan said when he saw her look around so agitated.
She walked towards him. "Take me there, I need to see him," she pleaded and Stefan quickly eyed his brother who gave off a nod.
He turned and she followed him downstairs into a room. In the middle of it was a polished maroon coffin. Bonnie walked towards it and put her hands on the smooth edges.
Stefan stayed at the door. His eyes shifted to the right. Not too long ago Katherine was tied to a chair there. It was right after they found out about her resistance to vervain. Not too long ago Elijah had been daggered on that floor. And definitely not too long ago, this room was used for growing vervain. And now? Now they were holding a coffin with Elena's brother in it.
He cleared his throat. "I'll... give you a minute," he said and left for the living room.
Bonnie didn't even register Stefan talking or leaving. Silent tears started going down her face and she fell to her knees. She looked up. I'm bringing you back to life, Jeremy. And I don't even have to drop the veil to do it, she thought and a strong smile captured her whole being.
˜.˜
Kaithlyn leaned against the door of her car. It was late evening, the sun had already set. After she got Ava to agree to come to Mystic Falls, she spent most of her day meditating. She did check in with Ava when she managed to get a ticket for a flight and when she got on board.
They decided that it would be best for Kaithlyn to wait for her at the town's entrance because Ava could easily get a cab from the airport over there. She had always valued the hunter's time and she didn't see it fit that Kaithlyn would waste time driving when there was another way.
She was alone on the side of the road with nothing but the sign saying 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' and the forest on the sides in sight. She pulled down the windows and inhaled the fresh scent in the air. She loved this. Cold fresh air in the silence of the night.
Kaithlyn recalled the first time she saw the sign. It was Monday night. She was tired after a whole day of driving, but she finally made it to the town. She was excited to see Jeremy and curious about the witch. She wasn't even imagining what she would find out the next day.
She lost Jeremy. However, she could fix that. She'd stop from nothing until he was back. And then...
And then... I go for Katherine Pierce, she thought and rested her head against the backseat.
The time was perfectly right. She made it just in time. She was able to find out about Jeremy's hunter mark just in time to convince Ava to come. This was all thanks to Stefan. He was the one willing to help, to be honest, to collaborate. And if it wasn't for the incident last night, she wouldn't have got the information she desperately needed.
She clenched her jaws tightly. She wasn't going to let the two hunters get away with what they'd done. If they killed Stefan, then she wouldn't have found out. If they killed Stefan, then she wouldn't be waiting for Ava to help her right now. If they killed Stefan, then she wouldn't be going to have Jeremy back.
Kaithlyn wasn't that interested in the hunters last night. She was offended and determined to punish them for disrespecting her, but she was detached about everything. However, today changed the way she perceived them.
She wrapped her left hand around the steering wheel and squeezed. Bernard, Ricky... mark my words. Going after Stefan, incredibly bad move. It was the last time you'd mess up. I'm going to destroy you.
She grabbed her phone and checked for a sign from Ava. Nothing. She looked to the last message she got from Stefan. It was after she sent him the instructions.Update. We have Jeremy at the Boarding House. We're waiting for you. Take all the time you need. We're not going anywhere.
At least they know how to cooperate, she thought. Why were they doing this, though? What did Jeremy mean to them? Was it just because he was Elena's brother? That couldn't be it. If they cared about him, then they wouldn't have risked his life by going after the cure. She chuckled for a few moments. His sister was a vampire for less than five months and she was already looking for the cure? How ridiculous was that?
A beam of light illuminated the street to her left. Was this it? She checked the review mirror and noticed a car stopping right behind her. Yep, Ava's here, she thought and got out of the car.
As on cue, a beautiful black woman with shoulder length curly hair exited out of the passenger's seat. When they saw each other, Ava's eyes lit up and a big bright smile embraced her features. They walked towards each other and in the shafts of light from the taxi, Kaithlyn reached out and hugged her.
"Ava," she said as she let go.
"It's been a minute, hasn't it, K?" she asked and laughed. She stepped back and looked at her. "You look good, though."
Kaithlyn laughed. "Thank you," she said and eyed her from head to toe. She was wearing a flowy purple top, a beige jacket, dark jeans and black booties with a short heel. She was flawless as usual. Kaithlyn had to admit, the witch knew how to fill in her clothes. "Nice outfit. Purple?"
The girl nudged her. "Never without it," she said and giggled.
The taxi driver walked towards them. "Where do you want this?" he asked and held up Ava's suitcase.
Kaithlyn walked over to her car and opened the trunk. "Right here," she said and the man placed it carefully inside.
He turned and nodded towards them as Kaithlyn closed the trunk. "Goodnight, ladies." He got in the car and left.
The girls entered their vehicle as well. As Kaithlyn turned on the engine, Ava tossed her peach handbag in the back seat. She read the sign in front. "So, Mystic Falls, huh?" she said.
Kaithlyn grabbed the steering wheel and checked for oncoming cars. "Yep," she said as she pulled on the road.
"I'll admit," she said and sighed. "This trip is crazy. However, a break would do me well. I wanted to travel somewhere by plane anyway. I missed it so much!"
"Hmm," the hunter said. "How does California sound? Summer's coming."
Ava clapped her hands. "I know, I've already made plans," she said and wrapped her hands together. "I'm going to get a house on the beach and I'm going to party until I forget my name." She started laughing. "I'm getting my sister with me. A few weeks off from training aren't going to kill her."
She nodded. "Sounds like fun." Ava opened her mouth and started saying "You can com-...", but she shook her head. "No. I'm busy. Even if it's after the council meeting, I still have business to take care of."
She parted her arms wide and raised her shoulder. "I get it. I get it. Business just as usual." She glanced out the window. "They got Galen stabilized, by the way."
Kaithlyn raised her eyebrows. "I wasn't expecting anything less. How is he?"
She bit her inner cheek. "Trust me, after Jayden brought him back to The Academy, it was hell in the infirmary. Thank God, I'm not in that ER ward." She took a short breath. "He's okay, but unconscious. We're waiting for him to wake up."
Kaithlyn's eyes narrowed. If Galen wasn't awake to spill the beans about Damon and Rebekah, how did the two hunters find out about them? She pressed her lips together. "Any trace of who did this?"
She furrowed her brows and shrugged. "They had a psychic read his mind and come up with sketches of their appearance. Oh, and their names. Highly classified information." She pulled her hair behind her ears. "I didn't get a chance to see them, but Nicole did tell me the names. Damon and Rebekah, as I recall."
Nicole was the head doctor. Of course she'd have access to this type of information. Kaithlyn sighed. "Any idea as to when he'll wake up?"
She plucked her lips. "I dunno. Before the council meeting, that's for sure." She placed a hand on her forehead. "This council meeting is so..." She massaged her temples. "Crazy. Everything's crazy at The Academy. You know that Beatriz is in the organizing committee, right? She's so busy I haven't seen her around like at all. Neither Rom."
Kaithlyn winced and frowned. She didn't want to think about all the tasks her best friend had to do. She told her the moment she announced she'd be a part of the organizing committee that this was crazy. This also explained why she didn't get a chance to talk to her these few days. Work days were probably insane. It was most likely that she'd get a chance to catch her breath the moment weekend rolled around.
"I know," she said and sighed. "I warned her, but she insisted on doing this. Rom's probably with her."
Ava clenched her teeth and frowned. "Pff. Poor them. How do they even go on dates with this schedule?"
"It's Beatriz and Rom, Ava. They always figure something out," she said with a laugh.
The witch arranged the hem of her top and clapped her fingers together. "Anyway, guess who I bumped into when I was about to leave the infirmary?" She didn't get a chance to respond. "Cricket," she said and squealed. "I finished packing, but I went back to get..." She paused. "...something." She smiled. "I saw him! He was actually looking for me."
Kaithlyn chose to ignore her friend's sudden shift. She could ask about that later. "Cricket?" she said with a grin. "What did he want?"
Ava smiled, closed her eyes and sighed. "He's going on a mission. Something about a rogue vampire, I don't remember exactly. He wanted me to give him some nutriments." She suddenly pressed her hands to her cheeks. They were hurting from all the smiling. "He said we'd catch up when he's back. Oh, and he had that 5 o'clock shadow." She leaned against her door. "I can't wait. Hopefully, the commotion at The Academy is over by then."
"Wouldn't want anybody to interrupt you?" Kaithlyn asked and Ava reached out her left hand and shoved her playfully.
She shook her head and laughed. "Yes, I want a piece of him. If that's what you're saying."
Kaithlyn held back a grin. "I didn't say anything."
Ava sighed and leaned into her seat. She looked at the road ahead of her. It was dark outside. A few lampposts illuminated the street. Her stomach growled. "We're going back to your hotel, right?"
"Yes," she said as she stopped at a light. "We're getting dinner. My treat."
She smiled and pressed a hand to her chest. She caressed the soft necklace hanging off her neck. "Thank you, Kaithlyn. For this short and unexpected trip."
Kaithlyn shook her head. "I'm the one thanking you. I'm glad you're here. It means a lot to me."
She smiled softly. "I'm glad to see you. So... this spell. Um, where's the body?" she asked.
They pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and she managed to find a free spot quickly. "It's not here. We'll go where it is later."
Kaithlyn took off her seat belt and made a move to open the door. She stopped as Ava placed a hand on her shoulder. She was gripping her necklace with the other hand.
"Look, I know I've said this before, but," she started and moved her hand so the necklace was resting in her palm. "Thank you for giving me this. It already helped me so much."
Kaithlyn smiled. It was the necklace she found on the island. "I wouldn't have thought of giving it to anybody else," she said. "Now, let's get something to eat and prepare for the spell."
Ava's features lightened. "Let's."
A/N: Part two of Aftermath, Business is done.
What's this Academy that's so heavily mentioned recently? It appears that Ava's there usually. What do you think about the glimpse we got into that whole plot? Let's give some love to Ava, a new OC that starred in this chapter. Did you like her? Did you jump on board on the Cricket and Ava ship yet? Haha.
The Originals finally appeared in the story. What is Klaus drawing and does it have any connection to anything? Or, I don't know, to a certain blonde vampire (*hint**hint*)? More importantly, what's Elijah doing, with Katherine especially? Why does he need a strong witch?
What do you think about Stefan and Damon's attitude towards Kaithlyn?
People who review will get a sneak peak of the next chapter. *wink*
Don't forget to follow the story if you want to get a notification when it gets updated.
Have a nice day.
