Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Any similarities in the story line or dialogue, it originated with the show.

A/N: The official face-claim for Auria will be Barbara Palvin, as she has been the cover for this story since the beginning. Just wanted to make it official. Sorry for any mistakes.

Absent

Elena stared at her trembling hands.

She continued to take shaky deep breaths, as if her lungs weren't getting enough air.

This can't be happening, she thought to herself.

A few hours ago she was certain that the collapse of The Other Side would ensue without taking any collateral damage, but now her sister and best friend were dead.

Jeremy. Damon. Caroline. Stefan. Tyler. Matt. Alaric. At least I still have them, she repeated silently. She loved them all, and she was glad they were alive. But she knew that nothing would ever be the same without Auria and Bonnie.

Their family was broken.

Elena would always remember how her stomach twisted violently when she realized something had happened to her sister. Her legs had given out from under her as Enzo's sympathetic eyes met hers. From the blood stains on Enzo's clothes she knew it was awful, but she didn't want to know exactly how it happened.

They were gone.

Auria. Bonnie.

Dead.

Jeremy didn't know about Auria at first. Elena's voice cracked, and shook with every breath she took, but, somehow, she managed to get it out. She remembered having to force herself to say the word "dead."

But he refused to accept Auria's death. That's when Enzo finally spoke up. The older vampire told them that she went so quickly that by the time he force fed his blood to her, she was already gone. Jeremy demanded to see the body, as if it was the only way he was going to believe them.

Elena led him into the tomb, and remained by his side as he dropped to his knees beside the body. She stifled a cry as he picked up Auria, and pulled her into his lap. Elena turned away quickly when her brother reached to lower the jacket covering her face.

She accepted that her sister was gone—dead—but she couldn't stand seeing Auria's once gentle features hardened by death. Auria, who had been the reason Elena turned back on her emotions, whose smile lit up a room whenever she walked in, Auria, who never gave up hope. Elena couldn't see her like that.

Jeremy pinched Enzo's jacket between his fingers, and pulled it down until it rested below her chin. He stared at her beautiful features for a moment; it was the only thing he could comprehend. Auria's eyes were closed, and her mouth was slightly agape, making it appear as if she was sleeping, just waiting for someone to wake her from this deep slumber they had mistaken as death. Jeremy clenched his jaw tightly as he touched his younger sister's cheek with his trembling fingers. He cringed when he felt how cold she was.

Why you, was all he could think.

He slipped his other hand behind her head, and lifted it until his lips met her forehead. He tightened his hold on her as he kissed her goodbye. Jeremy felt a tear moved down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes shut, holding Auria closer. He found himself praying that when he opened his eyes this nightmare would end.

But she was truly gone.

Jeremy took a shaky breath as he scooted out from under his younger sister, and lowered her back onto the cold cement floor. He watched her for a few seconds, taking in her appearance one last time before replacing Enzo's jacket over her face. He got to his feet gracelessly, and staggered over to Elena. She was still facing away when he placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned to him reluctantly, and Jeremy could see the pain written in her expression. Her trembling, weak arms slipped around him as she let out a strangled sob.

"What are we going to do?" Elena wept as her body shook with another sob.

That was the straw that broke the camels back. Elena was normally the one to reassure Jeremy in tough situations. If anyone had the answer to her question, it would have been her. The fact that she was feeling equally defeated told him they had truly lost too much this time.

Everything suddenly welled up inside of him; all the disbelief, the grief, the pain, everything just came flooding through him instantaneously. It was unbearable, every second worse than the last. He took a deep breath, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was going to make up for the fact that the only thing he had left was a hole in his life where Auria and Bonnie used to be.

Jeremy wound his arms around his sister as he cried out, the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh, God!"

Elsewhere…

I opened my eyes slowly, ignoring the urge to go back to sleep. The world blurred as I blinked to sharpen the few dark shadows before me. I groaned as I rolled onto my back. My muscles were stiff and sore, as if I just did an extensive work out. Then there was a pounding in my head that wouldn't cease. I squeezed my eyes shut when the pain peaked.

"Enzo…" My voice cracked, making my outcry inaudible. He was the last person I saw before I blacked out, and I was only hoping he had stuck around.

I forced my eyes open again, pushing through the extreme effects of fatigue. The tomb was pitch-black except for one corner where a few candles burned low. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath. I reopened my eyes, and focused on the figure kneeling behind the candle.

"Bonnie," I sighed as I slowly propped myself up on my elbows.

"Auria," Bonnie smiled. She stood up quickly, and strode across the tomb. The corners of my lips turned up into an uncontrollable grin as she kneeled beside me, and pulled me into a warm hug. I rested my aching head on her shoulder, and wrapped my arms around her back. I decided to wait until we parted to ask the question that had begun to dance around in the back of my mind.

"Where is everyone?" I questioned as Bonnie sat down in front of me. I tucked my legs underneath me, and pushed my hair behind my ears.

"They're not here, Auria," Bonnie said, obviously concerned.

I laughed even though my stomach began to knot. "Why wouldn't they be here?"

Bonnie's expression turned grim, replicating the same look she had given me after Elena had turned off her emotions. I took a deep breath, and shut my eyes. I winced when snapshots of my agonizing death returned. I reached up to touch my cheek on instinct and wiped at the dried blood I knew was streaking down my face. There was no doubt in my mind that I had given up my life in order to complete the spell, but the fact that Bonnie and I were sitting in the Salvatore tomb made it difficult to predict what had happened afterwards.

"I'm so sorry, Auria," Bonnie murmured. She reached out, and took hold of my hand, giving it a light squeeze to emphasize her compassion. I swallowed dryly as I tried to keep my train of thought in the present. If I began to think about my death, and the people I left behind, I would most likely fall apart.

I hung my head as I ran m fingers through my hair. "Where are we?"

I met Bonnie's sympathetic eyes, and she pursed her lips. "I don't know."

"Well, I guess that's the first thing we should do," I huffed. My muscles roared with pain as I stood up, but I ignored it the best I could. The spell had done some serious damage.

I forced a smile before walking past Bonnie out of the tomb. Her footsteps started after me a few seconds later. I got farther than I expected before Bonnie rounded on me.

"Auria," she quirked her head and narrowed her eyes. I knew she was confused, but I didn't want to get into the details.

"I'm fine, Bonnie," I gave her my best poker face.

"No, you're not," Bonnie squared her shoulders. "And I know that because I've been in your position more than once. I know how much you're hurting right now. You don't have to hide that from me."

"I'm not hiding it from you. I need to filter the pain and the grief, because if I allow myself to feel it all at once I don't know what will happen. But if I can do that—if I can just grieve one of them at a time then maybe, just maybe, I can make it through this without falling apart."

Bonnie stared at me for a moment, her concerned expression unchanging. But she eventually nodded, and moved out of my way. I knew she just wanted to be there for me, and Bonnie's presence definitely softened the blow, but nothing she would say could change the past.

Elena. Jeremy. Alaric. Caroline. Matt. Stefan. Damon. Tyler. Enzo. They were about as lost to me as I was to them.

"We should head into town," Bonnie turned to me. "It might give us an idea of where we could be."

"Do you think we could still be on The Other Side?" I asked aloud as I took a sweeping glance of the surrounding woods. It was almost too quiet.

"I don't know," Bonnie shrugged. "Before the collapse everything was so chaotic. Then there was this blinding light, and when I opened my eyes I was still here, and you were in the tomb."

"I didn't even pass through to The Other Side," I sighed.

Bonnie kicked a rock, sending it flying through the air. I smiled lightly when it hit a tree a ways ahead of us. She laughed, and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"I know how this must sound, but I'm glad you're here," Bonnie gave me a short squeeze.

I nodded. "No one should have to go through something like this on their own."

She smiled reluctantly as she hung her head for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for," I looked up at her.

"I just—I'm sorry you died, Auria," Bonnie sighed. "I'm sorry that all of the responsibility to bring everyone back landed on you. And I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to help you—to save you."

I stopped abruptly, and turned to her. "No one is to blame for what happened. It was my choice to do the spell, to continue doing it even after I knew it was going to kill me."

"You're so young," Bonnie's eyes began to fill with tears. "You had your whole life ahead of you and now—now that's gone. Why would you willingly give it all up?"

I pursed my lips as my own eyes began to burn with the threat of tears. "I never gave much thought to how I would die, but dying in the place of the people I love seemed like a good way to go."

"Well, you did it," Bonnie smiled lightly. "You saved everyone."

"Except you," I said solemnly.

"There was no saving me," Bonnie shrugged. "A captain goes down with their ship."

She wrapped her arm around my shoulder again as we started towards town. The walk was considerably short, but the whole world seemed to be muted. We didn't see a single person or hear anything, not even a single cricket. Bonnie told me that we would have a better chance of finding people in town so I tried to keep my hopes up.

"It must be pretty late," Bonnie said as we walked down the main street in town. "Maybe everyone's already in bed."

I shot her a doubtful look. The town was seemingly abandoned, and again, there were no extra noises that would lead us to believe that we weren't alone.

"It's deserted," I said. I spun in a circle slowly, surveying in the empty streets.

"We can't be on The Other Side. We'd be able to see people," Bonnie said. She stopped suddenly and pointed to her right. "Damon definitely blew that up an hour ago."

I followed her gaze to the Mystic Grill, finding it in mint condition. There was no sign that Damon had just driven his car through the front of the restaurant. Bonnie threw me a confused look, and I returned a shrug.

"Come on," I signaled for her to follow me. She fell into step next to me as we continued down the street.

We made good time getting through town, and only stopped to watch the sunrise. I smiled when I recognized the street my childhood home used to be on. I hadn't found a reason to go down the same way since Jeremy's death, but I could only spot a few differences.

"We should probably find a place to rest soon. We've been wandering around for hours," Bonnie sighed. She dropped her gaze as she tied her jacket around her waist.

"We could go to your house," I paused as I flashed a devious smile, "or the Salvatore Boarding House, or the Lockwood Mansion, or anywhere for that matter."

Bonnie returned my smile. "I think we should stick to someplace we know. We don't want any surprises."

"Like what?" I looked at her. "An unmade bed?"

"No," Bonnie shook her head lightly. "Like a dog or a person."

"We've been walking for hours and haven't seen a single person. I think that ship has sailed, Bons," I said. I elbowed her lightly, and gave a little hop to step in front of her. "Maybe I can finally get those boots I wanted, but could never afford."

"Yeah," Bonnie smiled, "maybe."

I glanced over my shoulder, and continued to walk backwards, finding it a little distracting. "We definitely need to visit the pharmacy and pick up some migraine meds. The spell did wonders on me."

"Are you okay?" Bonnie's concerned eyes met mine.

"I'm fine… just dealing with some side effects," I told her.

"I wish we could take you to the doctor, make sure there was no permanent damage," Bonnie sighed.

"Bonnie, it's just a headache. I'm fine," I stated.

"I'm going to pretend I believe you… for now," Bonnie smirked.

"Smart choice, Bennett," I smiled as I sidled up next to her.

"Hold on," Bonnie said as she held out an arm, stopping me. "There's something weird about this car—about all these cars."

I followed her gaze to the car parked nearby. "Uh—it's old?"

"They all are. All of these cars are at least 20 years old," Bonnie said. She glanced around, as if to confirm her suspicions.

"I didn't really notice," I grimaced.

"Uh, Auria?" Bonnie gaped as she turned attention towards me.

"Yeah?" I quirked an eyebrow. Her gaze flickered behind me before she grabbed my shoulders, and turned me around. She pushed me forward a few feet, and let go. My mouth popped open when I saw what she had noticed.

"Oh my god," I breathed. "It's my house. That's not possible."

Bonnie walked up to the sidewalk, and bent over to pick something up. I stepped towards her, and saw that it's a newspaper when she turns around.

"This can't be happening," Bonnie murmured. She stared a the paper for a moment before holding it up for me to see.

I narrow my eyes as I read the headline. "Rare solar eclipse expected to be seen across 12 states."

"The date," Bonnie paused, "May 10th, 1994."

"Is—? Can that—? Are we—?" I took a deep breath. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Todo."

Suddenly the sky darkens, causing both of us to look up. We both huffed a sigh when we saw that the reported eclipse blocking out the sun.

"Grams did this," Bonnie said. "She sent us here. I know it."

"Then maybe she thought of a way for us to get out," I turned my gaze to my best friend, the slightest hope building up inside of me. Even if it was wrongly placed, I was going to try and hold on to that hope until the end.

One day later…

Stefan walked up the stairs and turned the corner, heading towards his bedroom. He rotated the cup in his hand so he could hear the ice clinking against the sides. The house was almost dead silent even though almost everyone was home. No one's felt like talking more than they had to since the collapse of The Other Side, since Bonnie and Auria's death.

He paused in the hallway when he heard someone crying. It was coming for Elena and Damon's room, and he knew who he'd find inside. Stefan took a deep breath before pushing the door open all the way. He sighed heavily when he saw Elena sitting on the bed, tears streaking down her face. Stefan realized that he hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her, but he had meant to. He loved Auria as much as he loved his own brother. He knew the amount of pain that Elena must have been feeling.

"Hey," Stefan greeted quietly.

Elena looked up, obviously surprised to see him. She took a shaky breath as she tried to wipe her face of any traces that she had been crying. He pursed his lips into a thin line as he stepped towards the bed.

He wanted to ask if she was okay, but he knew the answer. "Where's Damon?"

Elena sniffled. "Uh, he went to store, I think," She paused, "I don't know."

"How long have you been in here?" Stefan questioned.

"Maybe an hour," Elena ran a hand through her hair, "or two."

Elena sniffled as she stared straight ahead. She looked over at Stefan as another tear ran down her cheek. "I miss her, Stefan."

"I do too," Stefan nodded weakly. He could feel the pain associated with Auria's death begin to surface again.

"No," Elena frowned as her lip quivered. "I miss her, Stefan. Not like someone misses summer, but like how I missed Jeremy after he died. I can feel myself breaking, and I'm scared that I'm not going to be strong enough to fix myself just like how I wasn't able to the last time."

"Elena," Stefan sighed. He could recognize the agony and grief in her eyes. It was the same look that she had when Jeremy died.

"I just—I don't understand. I mean, she was my sister, she was here, and I was protecting her, and then she's—there's just a body," Elena's voice breaks. She gasps quietly as she holds her hand over her chest. "And I don't understand why she can't just get back in it, and not be dead anymore. No one can explain to me why…"

Stefan pursed his lips into a thin line when they began to quiver. His eyes were stinging with the threat of tears, and he knew there was nothing he could tell Elena that would make it better. He was afraid that she was going to retreat back into the emotionless shell she wore to get through Jeremy's death.

He sat down next to her on the bed, and pulled her into his arms hesitantly. She twisted her body towards him as a sob rocked her body. He felt her fist curl into his shirt as she cried out.

"She's dead. She's dead, and she's never coming back," Elena wept. "I was supposed to protect her. It was my job to keep something like this from happening, and I failed. I failed her, Stefan."

"No, no, no, Elena," Stefan hushed. "You didn't fail her. She made a choice. She chose to sacrifice herself for all of us."

"She shouldn't have had to make that choice," Elena cried. "She was too young. She was supposed to grow old… fall in love… start a family. It was my responsibility she got the life I never did. And now," Elena breathed in shakily, "now she's just gone."

"You don't know that," Stefan said quietly. "We don't know where she went. There could still be—"

"Don't," Elena sat up abruptly. "Don't try to give me false hope right now, Stefan."

"It's the truth. We don't know where they went, Elena," Stefan repeated. "We don't know if there is a way to get them back, but if there is, I promise that I will do everything in my power to find it."

Elena stared at him for a moment. She let her gaze wander around the room until it landed on the nightstand. Stefan hung his head when she picked up a picture sitting atop. It was taken at Auria's birthday party last year. Everyone was in it the photo; Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Stefan, Damon, and Tyler. They were all smiling as they gathered around the birthday girl. It was one of the days they had managed to forget all the supernatural drama going on around them, and just have a good time.

Elena bit her lip as she ran her finger over Auria's face. Another round of tears surfaced, and began to run down her cheeks. She swiped at them, but it didn't make much of a difference.

"I never should have let her do the spell," Elena mumbled. "I knew the risks, and I knew how I would feel it didn't—if she died. But she was so determined, and I didn't want to make her feel like she couldn't do it. I just—why didn't she stop?" Elena turned her gaze to Stefan for a moment before returning it to the picture in her lap. "She must have felt herself dying, and she—kept going. Why didn't she stop?"

"Auria or Damon?" Stefan asked.

Elena shot him a look. "What?"

"Choose: Auria or Damon?" Stefan repeated. "If you could have made the choice, who would you have wanted to live?"

"I can't make that choice," Elena's voice cracked.

"Exactly," Stefan said. "She knew that you would never be able to choose between the two of them. So, she made the choice for you." Stefan paused. "I think, somehow, she knew that you could make it through her death in the end, but you wouldn't be able to grieve Damon. Ever. And that would make you lose yourself."

"I don't—I can't—" Elena started.

"Think about it, Elena. Try to imagine living an eternity without Damon… it would have destroyed you," Stefan told her. "Auria knew that, so she sacrificed herself to not only save him, but to save you too."

"No…" Elena whimpered, and shook her head lightly. She buried her face in her hands as her whole body began to tremble. "Oh, God… Oh, God…"

Stefan placed a hand on her back as she cried. There was nothing else he could do for her. He knew she needed to feel that pain. Without it she would just feel empty and broken.

He stayed with her until she cried herself to sleep. He placed a blanket over her before shutting off the light, and walking out of the room. Stefan wanted Elena to be able to mourn Auria for as long as she needed.

Elsewhere…

"Do you think Damon or Stefan would be mad we're using their place as our headquarters?" I asked as Bonnie entered the kitchen.

"No," Bonnie shook her head. "And even if they did object they can't do a thing about it."

"Aw," I cooed when I spotted the bear in Bonnie's arm. "Who is that?"

"Mrs. Cuddles," Bonnie smiled, "I lost her when I was nine, but I went back to my house, and she was here she was." She paused as she held up the larger book in her hands. "And I found this at m grandma's house. Her old grimoire."

I gave her a skeptical look before turning back to my eggs. "You think you can teach yourself magic again?"

"I have to try," Bonnie huffed. She sat down beside me, and I slid my plate towards her. She picked up a fork, and took a bite. "Yum."

"Thanks," I smiled. "This place has the biggest selection… food-wise and bed-wise."

"Have you tried to use your magic again?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah," I sighed. "No luck, but I feel it. I can sense the magic still inside of me. I think I just need to find a way to get it out, you know?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah."

"I think you're right, though," I told her. "Grams sent both of us witches here using magic. She must have known that we could find a way out using our own magic."

"This was probably the closest thing to finding peace she could get us," Bonnie shrugged.

The room darkens suddenly. We both look up, surprised. I watch as the eclipse blots out the sun just like it did the day before. I shoot Bonnie a confused glance and grab the newspaper on the kitchen island.

"It says May 10th, 1994," I groan. "The same day as yesterday."

"You've got to be kidding me," Bonnie sighed.

"We are living the same day all over again," I told her.

"At least it's an eclipse, and not an earthquake," Bonnie said before taking another bite of the eggs.

"We're going to need to find some board games or something to entertain us," I said. I sat down, and glanced at the newspaper again. "Do you want to do the crossword puzzle, or shall I?"

"Knock yourself out," Bonnie waved her hand, "I was never too good at them anyways."

"Well, seeing as how I wasn't even born when this one was made, I think you'd probably have a better chance," I said. I folded the paper and showed her the crossword. "What was the highest grossing film last year?"

"Jurassic Park," Bonnie smiled, and took the paper. "I don't even know how I knew that."

"This place is full of surprises," I huffed.

"Seven letter word. Eddie turned top 40. Old tongue twister?" Bonnie looked at me.

I shrugged, and smiled. "Oh, how I miss technology already."

Two months later…

"A little early for that, don't you think?" Matt asked as he walked into the study.

Jeremy glanced over at a window, and mustered up a weak shrug. "It's dark out."

"I meant in life," Matt narrowed his eyes.

Jeremy stands up and walks over the table holding an array of different alcoholic drinks. He pours himself a glass, drinks it in record time, and pours himself another.

"You know that drowning yourself in alcohol won't bring them back, right?" Matt huffed.

"Actually, I didn't," Jeremy responded sarcastically. "Thanks for the heads up, Matt."

He held up his drink as if to cheers, and plopped back down on the couch. Matt sighed as he plugged his headphones in his ears while turning on his heels, and walking out. "I'm going for a jog."

Jeremy waited until he heard the door shut to pull out the yearbook from under some cushions on the couch. He flipped to the first bookmarked page and smiled when he found the picture of Bonnie smiling with Elena and Caroline. He stared at it for a few moments before opening the book to a different page. Jeremy scanned the page quickly, spotting Auria's picture almost immediately. His sister and his girlfriend were happy in these pictures, and that is how he wanted to remember them.

Elsewhere…

"Bon appetite," I smiled as I placed Bonnie's plate in front of her. I took my spot next to her, and took a bite of the burger I had made. "I'm getting better at this."

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie quirked an eyebrow as she chewed. "This is best burger I've had in years."

"Now you're just sucking up," I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm not," Bonnie shook her head lightly. "I mean, the best place to get a burger was the Mystic Grill and it was never super delicious."

"Maybe they can hire me as a chef when we—" I stopped myself a little too late. I had tried not to think about the real Mystic Falls too much. The associated memories were painful to experience.

"I miss them too," Bonnie sighed as she dropped her gaze to her food.

I nodded, and took another bite of my burger. I had been trying to put off thinking about my family and friends because I knew there was a slight chance we could go home. There was a possibility that I wouldn't have to mourn them at all.

I smiled when I saw the crossword puzzle sitting in the middle of the dining room table. I picked up, and glanced over all the filled spots.

"Look who got 27 across," I said.

"I wish," Bonnie sighed. "27 across is a rock I am pushing up an endless mountain."

I looked up at her for a moment, slightly confused. I stared back down at the paper, and pursed my lips. "It's an old tongue twister. Eddie turned top 40, Eddie Vedder, pearl jam. Yellow Ledbetter."

Bonnie met my eyes, and I handed her the paper. She runs her fingers over it before setting it down on the table. "Are you messing with me?"

"No," I responded. "Are you messing with me?"

"I never finished this," Bonnie told me.

I narrowed my eyes. "Well, neither did I."

Bonnie glanced around the room, causing her chair to squeak beneath her. "There's someone else here."

"Like who? Casper, the friendly ghost?" I quirked an eyebrow. "We've been here for two months, Bons. If someone was here, we would have found them by now. Or they would have found us."

"What if they didn't want to be found?" Bonnie turned to me.

I held her gaze for a couple seconds. I sighed as I lowered my gaze to the crossword again. "So, Casper, the unfriendly ghost? That's definitely the cherry on top of this ice cream sundae."

Four months later…

Enzo went in to kiss the witch again. He knew it was the only way he'd be able to get information. The girl was beautiful, but there was only one reason he was doing this, one person he was doing this for.

"Oh, just lay it down," He murmured as he kissed her neck.

"I don't know anything," the witch smiled teasingly.

Enzo sighed quietly. "You witches are all so monstrously secretive. Lucky for me I'm quite gifted at unraveling the truth." He lowered himself to his knees and began to kiss her bare stomach.

"Okay, there's a coven in Oregon. They'd found a way to communicate with their ancestors before it went away," the girl told him. "Maybe they know what happened to your friends. They call themselves the Gemini Coven. They're small, and weird, and they don't like outsiders."

Enzo stood up abruptly. "See? You did know something."

"I just wanted you to work for it," the witch responded with a shrug.

"Ahem."

Enzo turned around to see Caroline and Elena standing in the doorway. They both had the same type of look on their face while their arms were crossed over their chest.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this a blast from the past?" He smirked.

"So, making out with a coat-check girl is how you investigate?" Elena raised an eyebrow as she continued to drive down the street.

"At least I'm still doing something," Enzo responded. "Damon and Stefan gave up weeks ago."

"Not because they didn't care. They ran out of leads," Caroline retorted.

"Well, maybe they just weren't looking hard enough," Enzo said.

"Stefan checked out the Gemini Coven a month ago, Enzo," Elena looked at him. "That's why we came to get you."

"I thought you two had school," Enzo glanced over his shoulder.

"Elena didn't have class today, and I'm taking a semester off," Caroline explained.

"Why?" Enzo questioned.

"I just wanted to take some time off," Caroline paused as she met Elena's eyes through the rearview mirror, "to focus on other things."

"You mean the anti-magic border?" Enzo narrowed his eyes.

Caroline sighed quietly. Elena pursed her lips, but kept her attention on the road ahead. "I never got the chance to thank you."

"For what?" Enzo asked.

"Continuing to look for Auria," Elena's gaze flickered to him, "even when we thought there was nothing left we could do."

"It's nothing, really," Enzo responded with a shrug.

"You probably don't want to talk about it, but I know you cared about her," Elena stated.

"I did," Enzo admitted reluctantly. "But that doesn't matter much anymore."

"Yes, it does," Caroline leaned forward in her seat in the back. "Especially if there is a way to get her back. Don't let go of that feeling just yet."

"She's right," Elena agreed. "I let go of her for a while to mourn, but I will never forget how much I loved her. You shouldn't either."

"It wasn't love," Enzo scoffed.

"It was something," Elena shrugged.

Elsewhere…

"Did we forget the bourbon?" Bonnie sighed as she placed the last bag in the car.

"Guess so," I responded. "It amazes me that we even ran out. I always thought there was an endless supply of alcohol at the Salvatore house."

"They do love their bourbon," Bonnie smiled.

"I'll go back, and get it," I said. I turned on my heels, and started back towards the store.

I stopped when I heard a song start to echo through the parking lot. I scan the area for what could be making the noise, but spot no possible solution.

I glanced over my shoulder as the song stopped. "Maybe Casper likes to dance."

"Someone's here," Bonnie stated.

I turned back around just in time to see a figure speed behind a nearby truck. "You saw that, right?"

"Let's go meet our little friend," Bonnie sidled up next to me. I could see the hope in her eyes, and I was having a hard time staying skeptical.

We approached the truck from opposite sides, hoping to catch whoever was playing hide and seek. But as we rounded the corners, we only came face to face.

"Maybe they already got away," Bonnie sighed.

"Or we didn't even see a person," I gestured over her shoulder, causing her to turn around. There was a tarp attached to the antenna flying in the wind. I ran a hand through my hair. "All we saw was that tarp."

The song from earlier started up again, drawing my attention back to the store. Out front was a horse carousel that was no turning slowly as the music played. I turned back to Bonnie, and folded my arms over my chest.

"And that was on a timer. It turned on by itself," I told her. "No one else is here, Bonnie."

"But I saw someone," Bonnie said, desperation filling her expression.

"Look around, Bonnie," I snapped as I gestured around us. "There is no one here."

"And the crossword?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"You filled it out," I sighed, "which means we're alone in here with no escape hatch. We're never getting out."

"You don't know that!" Bonnie argued.

"Yes, I do!" I laughed sarcastically. "We have been trying to find a way to use our magic for months, for months! And we are getting nowhere!"

"We can't give up hope, Auria," Bonnie shook her head. "Not yet."

"It's too late, Bonnie," I shrugged. "I gave up weeks ago. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to seem weak, but I'm done pretending. I just want to go home."

I spun around, and started towards the store. I could hear her start to follow me, but I ignored the urge to face her.

"I do too, and I know we can find a way to do that."

I stopped, and faced her. "Just stop, Bonnie. I get that you need to hold onto hope; it's the only thing keeping you going, but I'm done."

"Auria," Bonnie started.

"I just need some time alone," I waved my hand in the air. I turned on my heels, and walked away.

I felt bad for blowing up at Bonnie, but all guilt, anger, and confusion had been building up for so long, and it just all came out at the same time. It would have been so much easier if I just didn't feel anything at all.

I walked back into the market, and started straight towards the aisles that held the bourbon. It wasn't my favorite drink, but it did the job. I search until I find the brand that Damon used to drink. I grabbed a bottle, and started to open it.

A loud crunch reaches my ears suddenly. I paused, and glanced around the store. Another crunch echoed through the aisle. I placed the bottle back on the shelf, and took a few steps towards a basket of patio umbrellas.

I came to an abrupt stop as I rounded the umbrella's. There was a young man lounged in a chair, holding a bag of pork rinds. I narrowed my eyes when his blue-grey eyes met mine. He smiled charmingly as he popped a rind in his mouth.

"Rough day, huh, Auria?" He paused for a moment as if remembering something. "Sorry. Manners. I'm Kai."

I stared at him, shocked that I was actually seeing another person.

He held up his bag, and quirked an eyebrow. "Pork rind?"

Kai resumed rocking back and forth in his chair when I didn't respond. He tossed another pork rind into his mouth, and began to chew it loudly. I watched him for a few seconds, trying to decide if it's even real. I glanced over my shoulder, hoping Bonnie might have followed me, but faced the stranger again when I saw that we're still alone.

"You probably have a lot of questions," Kai's lips twitched up into a small smile. "Which I will gladly answer, eventually."

"How did you get here?" I finally found my voice.

"I drove," Kai responded as if it was obvious. I shot him a look, causing him to sit up a bit. "Oh, you mean like, here here, as in this alternate universe filled with deja-vu's." He laughed shortly, and smiled again, this one more sincere than the last. "Sorry, I'm nervous. I've been here all alone for a while, and I'm—you're like really pretty."

I took a step back, and folded my arms over my chest. "Thanks..."

"Did that make you feel uncomfortable?" He quirked an eyebrow. "I'm kind of rusty on the face-to-face type human interactions."

"How are you here?" I repeated, ignoring his last statement.

"You know, I was beginning to think you and Bonnie would never fight," he relaxed in his seat a bit.

"You've been following us."

"Of course," Kai smiled. "You two are the best entertainment I've had in years. You're no Baywatch but—remember Baywatch?"

I rolled my eyes as I scoffed. "I'm seventeen."

"Ooh, jail bait," Kai smirked knowingly.

"Look, today has probably the worst day I've spent here, and I'm not in the mood to play this little game with you," I told him, determined. "So, you either tell me why you're here—why you're following us, or I'm leaving."

"You sure you want to do that?" Kai tilted his head slightly, his eyes still glued to me.

"If you really do want to talk, I'm sure you know where to find us," I forced a weak smile before turning on my heels.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll tell you everything," Kai said. I faced him reluctantly, and gave him an expectant look. "Now, if you really want to know the reason I'm following you—it's because I want to kill you."

He lifted his concealed crossbow faster than I could react, and fired off one arrow. I yelped in pain as the arrow hit me just below the ribs. The sheer force from the weapon caused me to fall back a few feet, but, somehow, I managed to stay on my feet. I grabbed the arrow, and tugged on it, wincing through the piercing pain, but it wouldn't budge. I could hear Kai chuckle while he stepped towards me. I gritted my teeth as I looked up at him. He smiled, and gave me a guilty look.

"That has gotta hurt," He grimaced. "I wish there was another way to do this, but I'm out of options."

I gave the arrow a rougher tug, causing it to finally dislodge from my stomach. I threw it behind me as I pressed my hand over the wound. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you," Kai shrugged nonchalantly. "I want to kill you."

"Why?" I repeated.

"I have my reasons," Kai responded. He took his attention off me for a moment as he grabbed one of the patio umbrellas. He snapped it in half over his knee, and tossed one end over his shoulder. "Who buys patio furniture from a grocery store? I mean, somebody must. Otherwise, it wouldn't be here."

"It's a small town," I groan.

Kai shifted the umbrella in his hand, and balanced it on his shoulder. "It took me a while to decide who I was going to go for, you or Bonnie, but then I realized that she's the only one with the ability to actually fight back."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," I mumbled. I grabbed a bottle from the shelf beside me, and hurled it into the air. Kai managed to step out of the way at the last second, causing the bottle to shatter on the floor behind him.

"Batter up," Kai joked. "Don't feel too ashamed. I inherited my cat-like reflexes from my father."

"Lucky you," I sighed.

Kai pointed to me, a bit of compassion sneaking into his expression. "That looks pretty bad."

I looked down at my stomach to see that he was right. The lower half of my shirt was dripping with blood, and I could feel the blood loss starting to take its toll. I screamed when something hard hit the side of my face suddenly. I gasped as I struggled to keep my balance. I raised my hand to my face, finding the sticky, burning wound over my eyebrow immediately.

"That too," Kai added quickly. He transferred the umbrella back onto his shoulder as he watched me.

I didn't know what else I could do. I didn't want to go down without a fight, but the only real weapon I had was my own fists. And I could try to run, but I had a feeling I wouldn't get too far.

Kai broke my train of thought when he walked up to me. I started to back up, but he grabbed my arm and tugged me towards him. I yelped when I felt his knee hit me right where my puncture wound was.

"You see, I wanted to make this as painless as possible," Kai tightened his hold on my arm as I keeled over, "but then I thought 'what's the fun in that?'"

"Well, I'm not laughing," I muttered.

I took advantage of him being so close, and used the hand he wasn't holding onto to punch him in the face. He barely flinched, and managed to keep my arm in his grasp.

"Bad idea," he narrowed his eyes.

He grabbed both of my shoulders, and threw me against the aisle. I grunted as I my body hit the shelves, breaking a few bottles. I slumped to the ground slowly. I rolled onto my stomach, and began to crawl away from Kai, but was knocked onto my back when he kicked me in the ribs. I whimpered through the pain, and forced myself to open my eyes.

"You okay?" Kai faked a compassionate glance.

I heaved a heavy sigh. "Just kill me already, Kai."

He smiled, and wiggled his eyebrows. "Okay."

He raised the umbrella over his head. "Don't worry, I'll make sure this part is quick."

"I owe you," I lied as I brought my hand to my head, and closed my eyes.

"Stay away from her!"

My eyes snapped open when I recognized Bonnie's voice. I clutched my side as I turned over to see her standing a few feet behind me. I couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, the useless one is here. Thank, God," Kai lowered the umbrella. "You know, I've watched you try to do magic for months now. What are you going to do? Fail at me? It's embarrassing. I'm embarrassed for you."

Bonnie's gaze flickered to meet mine, and I recognized the determined look she was wearing. She looked away as Kai raised his umbrella over his head again. I followed her line of sight to a candle, and gave a sigh of relief when I saw it light on its own.

"Uh-oh," Kai murmured.

"Get out of here," Bonnie told me, and I mustered up every ounce of strength I had left to stand up and hobble out of the way.

"Phasmatos Incendia," Bonnie said.

Thick lines of fire appeared on both sides of Kai, trapping him in his spot.

"Okay, okay, okay," Kai repeated as he tossed the umbrella aside. Even I could see the small amount of fear creeping into his eyes.

"Giving up so soon?" Bonnie questioned. She smiled lightly. "I'm embarrassed for you."

I took my chance, and snuck up behind him, a heavy whisky bottle in hand. I hit him over the head as hard as I could and he fell to the floor with a grunt.

I looked up at Bonnie, feeling more than enough guilt. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

I tried to stay still as Bonnie placed a butterfly bandage on the cut over my eyebrow.

"You're going to need stitches," Bonnie sighed. She had done the best she could with the deeper cuts, but I knew she was right. The arrow wound on my stomach was the deepest one, and all she could find was a simple gauze. I was already beginning to bleed through it.

"Well, I don't see any doctors around, so…" I shrugged as I stood up and pulled my jacket on.

"I could help with that."

We both turned our gazes to Kai, who was tied to a chair by the fireplace. He had finally woken up. I stayed a foot behind Bonnie as she approached him. She was holding a fireplace poker, but I wasn't sure she'd actually be able to use it on him.

"I've had quite a few accidents while I've been here, and I've actually gotten quite good with stitching," Kai pursed his lips, amusement trickling into his bkue eyes.

"I don't want your help," I responded coldly. The pain pulsing through my side was a constant reminder of what he had done.

"Aw, come on," Kai widened his eyes, attempting to look innocent. "We're on the same team."

"Really?" Bonnie stepped closer to him. "Do you always try to kill your teammates?"

"The important thing is that you have your magic back," Kai quirked his head to the side. "It worked."

Bonnie threw a skeptical look at me, and I rolled my eyes as I mustered up a weak shrug. I sidled up next to her, but kept my arm over my stomach protectively. The deep puncture wound had just slowed in its bleeding. I didn't need Kai trying to get one up on us.

"What? You—You didn't really think I wanted to kill Auria, did you?" He laughed when I gave him a confirming nod of the head. "In what universe does that make sense?"

"This one, apparently," I forced a sarcastic smile.

Kai met my eyes. "Who would kill 1/3 of our population? Especially when that one looks like that," he gestured to me with one of his taped hands. "I'm not a monster. I knew Bonnie would show up. She never leaves you alone for too long, and I knew with the right motivation she'd be able to access her magic. Although, I did get a little worried when you two had that little fight," Kai chuckled quietly. "I thought maybe, just maybe she wouldn't show up to help you," Kai looked at me, and I backed up on instinct. "But she did. I guess you two really are besties." His gaze flickered between the two of us as he smiled.

"So, you delivered me to the brink of death just to make sure Bonnie had her magic?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Of course I did," Kai nodded slowly, a smirk growing on his lips, "because Bonnie's magic is the key to getting the hell out of here."

I sighed heavily as I met Bonnie's gaze. She was wearing the same skeptical look, but I knew that we both were curious. If this psychopath could find a way of getting us back home, we'd have to trust him.

Review. Review. Review. You guys helped me out with figuring out where to go for this chapter. I hope you liked it, and I'm sorry for the length, but I wanted to get some Kai into it because, no joke, I love the psychopath. Remember, fanfic writers are paid in reviews, and I love, love, love hearing the readers input. Until next time…