Elena sat in the front seat of the Impala and stared at the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign that adorned the highway. She had asked Dean to pull over before they got into town. Thoughts ran rampantly through her mind and Dean's emotions were still weighing on her. She had not told Jeremy or Aunt Jenna that she was coming back. Instead, Elena and Bonnie had decided to meet on the outskirts of town.

Dean sat beside her quietly. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. He was anxious and he could tell by one glance that Elena was feeling the same. She stared out the window and bit her lip.

"You okay?" Dean asked her.

She shook her head, "Not really."

Dean nodded, "You aren't doing this alone. I'm here."

Elena clenched her jaw, "That silent car ride might suggest otherwise." She could still feel Dean even though she had been trying to focus on it less. She was sure that his feelings were beginning to influence hers.

Dean's face fell and he looked away from her. Elena sighed and put her hand on Dean's upper arm. "Dean, I'm sorry." She was exhausted from the night before, and now being back in Mystic Falls and not knowing what to expect was weighing down on her.

Before Dean could respond, Castiel appeared in the backseat. Elena gasped at the unexpected intrusion. Dean looked back and sighed, this was the last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment.

"Cas, what are you doing here?" Dean asked immediately, his voice edged with irritation.

"You're different." Castiel stared at Elena, completely ignoring Dean. She shifted under his scrutiny. She had noticed the way Castiel had looked at her on the dock before she left with Dean, however she did not expect to see the angel so soon.

"Happen to know anything about it?" Dean asked.

"This was meant to be," Castiel's gaze lingered on Elena, "It is one thing to know and then to see." The angel spoke cryptically.

"How do I turn this off?" Elena asked. Dean glanced at her. He could not explain why he was offended, but he felt a stab of rejection. Elena felt it and frowned.

Castiel shook his head, "You do not turn it off. You control it."

Elena felt frustrated, "Cas, please." Once she could control it, it would not be an issue. How long would that be? And was this a sign of what was to come? It felt strange having yet another personal tie to Dean. There were still things he did not know about her.

"You will learn Elena." Castiel sounded more confident than Elena felt.

Dean glanced back at the angel, "Sam…is he?" Dean trailed off.

"He is alright."

"Good." Dean spoke passively.

"There is much activity in Mystic Falls. You should not be here Elena." Castiel spoke.

"What kind of activity? We won't be here long." Elena murmured.

Castiel frowned, "There is other work to be done."

And then he was gone.

They sat quietly, both entrapped in their own thoughts. There was a pit in her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. She focused on the steady rise and fall of her chest. Time passed as silence surrounded her, everything stopped except her breathing. The sound of a car door slamming snapped her out of her self-induced trance.

Elena's eyes snapped open. Bonnie's car was parked in front of the Impala. Dean sat beside her, steely and distant. Bonnie leant against the back of her car and offered Elena a small smile.

Elena put her hand on the door handle, but noticed that Dean had not moved an inch. Her heartbeat sped up when she realized that she could not feel Dean. There was a brief surge of panic. When would the connection come back? She could not tell if she was relieved or worried.

"Will you come with me?" Elena whispered.

Dean looked at Elena and nodded. She could tell he was maintaining his distance. But, Elena had put up her walls first.

"Hey." Elena smiled.

"Hey, hi Dean." Bonnie greeted politely.

"Bonnie." Dean nodded curtly.

"Thanks for coming." Bonnie turned her attention to Elena.

"It sounded urgent," Elena hesitated, "So what's going on?"

"Do you want bad or the worst?" Bonnie tried to lighten the mood, but it did not have the desired effect. Dean raised his eyebrow.

"Sorry, I just don't know where to start. A lot has happened." Bonnie murmured.

Elena was getting more anxious.

"Do you know what a doppelganger is?" Bonnie asked.

Elena stiffened, as did Dean. Dean did not realize he had moved closer to Elena. He felt defensive and his protective instincts kicked in.

"Is she here?" Dean asked.

Bonnie looked confused, her eyes flashing between Dean and Elena. "You knew?" Bonnie was disbelieving.

Elena nodded, "I did. It's complicated."

"Is she here?" Dean repeated gruffly.

Bonnie nodded, "Yes."

"Did something happen?" Elena asked, afraid of the answer.

"Not yet." Bonnie murmured.

Elena absorbed the information. Katherine was in Mystic Falls. It had to mean something. Elena could not help but be curious. Perhaps Katherine knew something that no one else did. Castiel was not sharing any information.

"Have you seen her?" Dean asked.

Bonnie nodded, "I saw her at the Grill last night. I thought it was you, then I realized it was not."

"Why did you think it was me?" Elena asked.

"I mean you two are identical. But then I saw her face change and I knew it wasn't you."

Elena nodded slowly, absorbing the information.

"Anything else?" She whispered.

Bonnie could not read Elena, but she continued, "I think that's why a vampire hunter showed up here."

"Vampire hunter?" Dean asked, making sure he heard correctly.

"Yeah, Alaric Saltzman. He's the history teacher at the high school now." Bonnie explained. Dean moved away from the two girls and grabbed his father's journals out of the Impala. He flipped through the worn pages, searching for the name. But nothing came up.

"Find anything?" Elena called.

Dean shook his head.

"What's he like?" Elena asked Bonnie.

Bonnie shrugged, "He looks out for Jeremy and he's kind of been dating your Aunt Jenna."

Elena tensed, "Why is he looking out for Jeremy?" She had no idea that Jenna was even dating anyone. But, was it really her place to disappointed. Elena had purposely put distance between herself and Mystic Falls.

Bonnie made a face and glanced between Elena and Dean. "They discovered Vicki's body. Jeremy was devastated." Bonnie explained.

Elena sighed and looked back at Dean. He kept his arms crossed. He felt defensive. He did not like that Katherine was in town and now realized that this was what Castiel was talking about. He felt the urge to leave, but he knew that all of this new information would push Elena to stay.

"I need to see him." Elena murmured.

Bonnie nodded, "Do you think you will tell him about everything?"

Elena shook her head, "I'm not sure."

Bonnie looked between Dean and Elena, "How long will you be in town?"

Elena shrugged, "I think I'm going to call Jenna and see if we can stay over there. Thanks Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled sadly and hugged Elena. Bonnie and Dean gave each other a head nod and then Bonnie was in her car, driving away. Elena pulled out her phone and dialed Jenna's number.

"Hey Elena." Jenna answered casually.

Elena was surprised that she had answered so nonchalantly, "Jenna, hey. Look I'm in town do you mind if I stay at the house tonight? Dean is with me too."

"Oh yeah that's totally fine." Jenna murmured.

Elena nodded slowly, "Okay, thanks."

"Yeah, see you soon?" Jenna asked.

"Yep." Elena answered. The call ended.

Dean stared at Elena, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. She just sounded weird." Elena muttered.

OoOoOo

Elena opened the front door of her childhood home and was welcomed by familiarity. She had changed so much, but this how was the same. After saying goodbye to Bonnie, Elena had called Jenna and said that she was in town. Jenna of course urged her to come stay at the house. Dean did not argue, but Elena could tell how tense he was.

"Aunt Jenna, Jeremy? I'm home!" Elena called.

She had expected Jeremy to come down the stairs and Jenna running down the hall with excitement and welcoming arms. Instead, Elena heard some clattering in the kitchen. She dropped her bag by the front door and walked towards the room. Dean followed suit.

"Missed you too." Elena smiled.

Jenna grinned and then flashed her eyes to Dean, "And you must be Dean?"

Elena opened her mouth and then closed it. Last time they had ran into Jenna, Ezekiel had knocked her out. Elena knew that her memories were fuzzy from that afternoon, but was not sure of the extent of it.

"Dean, this is my Aunt Jenna." Elena introduced.

Dean smiled and shook her hand. Jenna stared at him, not sure what to think. She gave him a tight-lipped smile, "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Dean responded politely.

Jenna looped her arm through Elena's and led her back to the kitchen. She leant down and whispered in Elena's ear, "He's so hot, but maybe a little too old for you." Elena blushed but grinned. She was not going to say too much about her and Dean.

Jenna moved over towards the coffee maker and poured herself a cup. Elena sat beside Dean and waited for Jenna to say something. Something felt beyond normal being back home, but Elena felt like that would happen anytime she was back here.

"So did you just get into town this morning?" Jenna pointedly asked Dean.

Dean nodded, "Yeah, drove all night."

"Saw Bonnie this morning" Elena mentioned.

Jenna perked up, "Oh yeah?"

Elena nodded, "Yeah, it was nice catching up. What about you? Anything new?"

Jenna shrugged, eyeing Elena, "Work mostly. But, I've been seeing someone."

Elena grinned, "I heard. Alaric, right?"

"Mhm, He's really great." Jenna blushed. Elena watched her as she took the last drink of her coffee. Jeremy and Elena had given her the mug last Christmas.

"You look happy." Elena spoke sincerely.

Jenna nodded, "I am," she glanced at Dean, "What about you two? What's the story?"

Elena raised her eyebrow and Dean cleared his throat. Jenna knew the bare minimum, that Elena was helping Dean. Elena interlocked her fingers.

"What do you mean?" Elena played dumb.

Jenna chuckled dryly and turned towards Dean, "Are you dating my niece?"

Dean did not date. He did not define relationships; he did not discuss his feelings. He was not the type to go home and meet parents. He was a hunter and never stayed in one place for too long.

And even knowing all of that, Dean nodded, "Yes."

Elena glanced at Dean then back to Jenna. She seemed just as surprised as Elena was. Jenna seemed impressed. She thought she had already pegged Dean, but perhaps she was wrong.

"Where's Jeremy?" Elena shifted the topic of conversation. She was amazed that Jeremy had not come downstairs as soon as Elena had gotten home.

Jenna shrugged, "He's been keeping his distance. After they found Vicki Donovan's body, he's been dealing with her death. They think it was an animal attack or something. I don't think he came home last night." Jenna spoke casually as if this was not news. It was obvious she assumed Elena already knew about Vicki's death becoming public.

"Jeremy must be a mess." Elena tried her best to keep up her façade.

"They aren't releasing cause of death. Caroline found her body during a storm." Jenna explained.

Elena sighed, "I can't believe this."

Jenna glanced at her watch, "Well Jeremy should be getting home soon. How long will you be in town?"

"Not sure yet." Elena smiled.

"Well Dean can use the guest room," she finished her coffee, "I'm running late so I have to get going."

"Bye." Elena slipped one arm behind her aunt as she kissed her goodbye. Elena walked over to the cabinet and grabbed an empty glass. She filled it with water as the front door came to a close. She was not sure why but she was thrown off guard by how unenthusiastic Jenna had been when she greeted her.

Dean finally relaxed and took a seat. Elena watched him and then gave him a glass of water, a grin stuck on her face. Dean took a drink and looked up at her. It was nice to see her smiling so brightly.

"So, we're dating now?" Elena teased.

"Shut up." Dean said in good humor.

"Did you think Jenna was acting strange?" Elena asked, genuinely curious to see what Dean would think.

"Aside from her interrogation of me, she seemed normal. I don't know her Elena." Dean answered honestly.

"I guess I just expected something different. I haven't seen her in months." Elena felt sadness envelope her. She knew she had made the right decision to leave with the Winchesters, but she was not particularly overjoyed by the shift in relationships with her family. Even though she had left, she loved her family just the same as before, if not more.

Dean saw the shift in her facial expression and covered her hand with his. Elena leant over the counter and kissed him gently. Dean rested his forehead against hers. By touching him, the flood of Dean's emotions returned. Elena could feel how tired he was. Elena cupped his face, feeling the scruff on his cheeks. His green eyes focused on her.

"Dean, you should sleep." Elena murmured.

Dean shook his head, "I'm okay."

Elena sighed, "I can feel how tired you are. You drove all night and you haven't had the easiest last couple days." She was trying to look out for. There was an innate feeling that she needed to take care of Dean. Someone had to.

"I'll be up soon." Elena smiled, sweetening the deal.

Dean nodded, "Alright."

He left Elena alone in the kitchen. She poured a bowl of cereal and ate quickly. Her mind remained absent of thoughts as she moved mechanically. She heard the bedroom door upstairs close and she sighed. She wished Jeremy were here so she could talk to him. She wanted to tell him everything. If he was going to discover the supernatural she wanted to be the one to inform him.

Elena pulled out her phone and called Jeremy. She was not surprised that it went straight to voicemail. She listened to Jeremy's unenthusiastic intro then left a quick message.

"Hey Jer, it's Elena, I'm back in Mystic Falls. I would like to see you, I'm at the house. Just give me a call back."

With that Elena made her way upstairs to finally sleep herself.

OoOoOo

Dean woke up to the weight of Elena beside him, her head on his chest, her arm lazily draped across his waist. He looked up at the ceiling, lying there quietly. A glance at the alarm clock let him know that he had slept for two hours. However, he did not feel well rested. His thoughts were still running rampant.

Sam was alive, no more angel possessing him. But their relationship was up in the air and Dean was not sure what was going to happen between them. Now being in Mystic Falls, with Katherine allegedly in town and a hunter he did not know of. The only constant was Elena. She stayed beside him no matter what thus far and he knew no matter what she would not leave. For some reason he was more sure of that than anything.

Elena slowly lifted her head and looked up at Dean. Her eyes were still heavy from sleep. Dean wondered how long she had lain there with him. She gave him a sleepy smile.

"Hey you." Elena murmured.

Dean smiled and yawned, pulling her closer to him. Dean stared down at her, "Elena, would you…whatever is happening between us, would you change it?" Dean struggled through his question.

Elena's hand cupped Dean's face. She stared into his eyes, her breathing even and steady.

"No Dean, I wouldn't change it. I wish I knew what it all meant and what was going to happen but, I wouldn't change you and I." Elena spoke honestly. Dean relaxed as his words washed over her.

"There's still a lot I don't know about you." Dean whispered.

Elena nodded, "I wish you knew everything, like I know everything about you."

Dean grinned, "I don't know if I want all of the details. Just most of them."

Elena playfully swatted his chest. There was a tap on the door interrupting them and Jeremy barged into the room. He saw Dean and Elena smiling, happy and it infuriated him. He glared at Dean and then at Elena.

"Welcome back." Jeremy spoke bitterly. He walked out of the room. Elena sighed and jumped out of the bed. She ran over to Jeremy's room.

"Jeremy, talk to me." Elena said, leaning against his closed bedroom door.

She stepped back quickly when Jeremy violently opened the door. He glared at her, his jaw set.

"Can I come in?"

Jeremy moved out of the way and Elena walked in. She felt relief that Jeremy was willing to at least hear her out.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"Bonnie called me. I'm worried about you." Elena admitted.

Jeremy laughed, "Why? You think I can't handle Vicki's death?"

Elena shook her head, "It isn't that at all. I need to be honest with you, about everything." Elena held his eye contact. Jeremy scoffed. Elena watched as Jeremy moved over to his bed and lifted the mattress. Elena's eyes widened when she saw her journal in his hands. She had not written in it since she left with Sam and Dean, but there was enough written in it to fully expose what was really out there.

"You read it?" Elena whispered, trying not to feel angry at the intrusion on her private thoughts and fears. She thought about everything that was written in it, from her parent's death to meeting Stephan.

Jeremy nodded.

Elena extended her hand, "Give it back to me."

Jeremy handed it to her without argument. Elena held her once most prized possession. Jeremy seemed calmer now, but there was still a fire in his eyes.

"It's all true?" Jeremy asked, his tone even.

Elena nodded.

"So vampires exist?" Jeremy pressed.

Elena nodded once more, "There's something else I need to tell you and I don't think you're going to like it."

Jeremy smiled but it did not reach his eyes. He sat on the edge of his bed and threw his hands up in the air. Elena hated seeing him so flustered, but he was trying to maintain his composure.

"Vicki Donovan was a vampire. And she was killed when she attacked me, you saw it but you don't remember it because I had Damon wipe your memories of it." Elena spoke softly. She hoped Jeremy would know she was trying to protect him. He had a look of disbelief in his eyes. Elena looked at the ground, anxious.

"You had my thoughts manipulated by Damon, a vampire?" Jeremy asked, his voice dangerously low.

Elena nodded.

"Why are you always trying to control everything? Even when you just up and left us, you still have to come and go whenever you please. And you don't care how it effects any of us!" Jeremy spoke aggressively. He did not mean all the words that had just flew from his mouth, but Elena did not know that.

She felt her throat tighten, "I do care about you. That's why I'm here."

"But you'll leave again?" Jeremy questioned.

"I know you don't understand." Elena whispered.

"Why don't you just get Damon to wipe my memories of you? Make this a little easier on me." Jeremy spat. Elena stared at her brother. She bit her lip and looked away. She did not want it to be like this between them.

"Do you really want that? To forget I ever existed?" Elena's voice cracked.

Jeremy hesitated and guilt flooded him. He stood and tried to reach out to Elena, to apologize. Elena shook her head and backed away.

"I'll leave in the morning." Elena said.

She turned to leave, ignoring Jeremy's rushed apologies. She wiped at her eyes as she walked into her bedroom.

OoOoOo

She handed Dean her journal. He took it from her, not allowing his gaze to leave hers. He could tell she had been crying. He took the journal and set it on the bed beside him. He motioned for Elena to move towards her.

He kissed her softly, "Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, "Good news is we'll just leave in the morning," she tookd a shaky breath, "I'm going to shower, but I want you to read this."

Dean looked at the journal beside him, "You want me to read your diary?"

She nodded.

"Isn't a girls diary supposed to be sacred or something?" Dean teased. Elena cracked a smile.

"Just read it. I want you to know more." Elena kissed his forehead.

Dean watched her as she went into the bathroom. When the door closed he ran his thumb over the cover of her journal. He sighed heavily and moved to rest against the headboard.

He opened to the first page and began to read.

OoOoOo

After her shower, Elena brushed out her hair and got dressed. She knew they were more than likely going to lie in bed for most of the day, but it did not matter to her. She was sick to her stomach after her fight with Jeremy, but she hoped that with time he would not be as angry.

Elena walked out of her bathroom and into her room to find Dean wholly engaged in her scribbled thoughts. His forehead was scrunched and his mouth was in semi pout. She knew Dean was not the big reader in his family. Sam was the researcher and Dean loathed it. Yet, he was more than occupied reading her journal.

Elena climbed into her bed and Dean rested his arm around her waist. She remained quiet and allowed Dean to keep reading. She did not feel strange that Dean was reading her most secluded ideas and feelings. She knew he would understand her better after it. And really that was all she wanted.

These were her last thoughts as she fell back asleep.

OoOoOo

Elena woke up to Dean shaking her. "Elena, Jenna's back. She's been calling for you." Dean's gentle voice roused her.

She sat up slowly and let her eyes adjust. Dean's hair was still a little wet from the shower, but he had changed. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans, but he looked well rested. Elena saw her journal on the nightstand.

"Did you finish reading it?" Elena asked.

He nodded, "We'll talk about it over some dinner. Get dressed; I'll meet you downstairs."

"What are you doing downstairs?" Elena asked.

"Meeting the famed vampire hunter." Dean smirked.

OoOoOo

Alaric laughed and took a drink, "You're kind of a legend."

Dean genuinely smiled and shook his head. His instincts told him that Alaric was trustworthy. When Dean had come downstairs Jenna was still in the bathroom, Alaric was in the kitchen. He was drinking whiskey, which Dean noted. Dean thought he seemed too clean cut to be a hunter. He belonged in the classroom as opposed to on the road.

"I don't know about that." Dean remained modest. He had met a lot of hunters in his time. In his personal experience hunting he had seen and done a lot of things that the majority of hunters never would. Hell, no hunter he knew was going to experience what he and Sam had.

"You're humble. That's good." Alaric observed.

Dean shrugged, "So why are you in Mystic Falls. Aside from Katherine."

Alaric raised his eyebrows, surprised Dean knew about her. He cleared his throat, "Well there's a lot of vampires in Mystic Falls. Jeremy's kind of been dating this girl, Anna. She's one of them." Alaric explained.

"One thing after another." Dean interjected. He would have to tell Elena about that when he got a chance. They had a lot of things to discuss.

Alaric nodded, "And I'm just looking out for him."

Dean continued their conversation politely, still sizing up the hunter.

OoOoOo

Elena had changed into a plain white t-shirt and jeans. She threw on a jacket for good measure. As she walked down the stairs, Jenna came into view. She wore a simple black dress; her hair was done in light curls. Elena had not seen her aunt with her hair and makeup done in a long time.

"Hey sleepy head. Ric and Dean are in the kitchen." Jenna said as she provided some last minute touches to her ensemble.

"Jenna, you look great." Elena smiled.

"Why thank you." Jenna responded.

Elena hesitated, but then decided to speak up. "Jenna, are you okay that I came back for the day?"

Jenna nodded, "Of course I am. I wish you were staying longer."

Elena nodded slowly, "Oh, this morning you just didn't seem excited. I know I'm being weird, but I haven't seen you in months and I did miss you."

Jenna laughed, "I don't know Elena, I thought my crying and hugging you last night was quite the welcoming."

Elena stiffened, "What?"

"Last night when you came home? We caught up a lot then." Jenna reminded her.

Elena paled as realization crept upon her.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews/follows/favorites. I had written this chapter, then rewrote it and finally decided to post it. I am obviously changing around some of TVD storyline to fit mine, but either way I hope you enjoy! Next chapter brings some craziness :)