A:N/ Hey guys! Back again! I'd like to thank the new followers/favourites to my story. I'm so happy that you guys clicked on it and are enjoying it (Well, I hope you are) I loved writing this chapter as something's come to light throughout it. I know some may like the changes that I have made and some might not, I know where this story is going. I hope that you continue to read my story and new people continue to favourite/follow!

I know some of you might be confuse as to why i keep doubling up the chapters. I do it because i enjoy writing longer chapters and i follow along with the time line to the original story. If i was to follow along and add my own 'OC' then, it wouldn't be very long chapters. So, that's why i chose to do it this way, plus, it's a more enjoyable read.

Also, I know there may be some grammar mistakes that manage to slip through and I'm sorry for that. I do go through editing for about 2 days making it as good as it could be. So, if some slip through, I'm sorry.

Let's begin…


It's been about 2 weeks or so since Elena left and moved to Denver. I wasn't going to lie and say I was alright, because the truth being, I wasn't. I was still lost without my other half. Stefan had been there from me since she left and again, I wasn't going to lie. Stefan and I had grown close since Elena's absence. He had been there for me in the nights when I felt completely lost and didn't know what to do anymore, he comforted me and I couldn't thank him enough.


I received a message from Stefan, asking me to come over when I was free. That was an hour ago. I approached the Salvatore Boarding House and rung the bell. Stefan had told me to just come in but it didn't feel right yet. I waited a few moments before I was greeted.

"Hey. Come in." Stefan smiled as he welcomed me.

"Thanks." I smiled back, "So, what's up?" I asked. He didn't give too much away in the message, all he said was it was urgent.

As we walked into the main room my eyes settled on Damon sitting on the couch.

"Ahh, Alana," he smirked as he saw me walking in beside Stefan, "Now, listen, we have some very important business to discus." He clapped his hands. I however was completely lost as to what he was talking about.

"What business?" I asked.

"Well, now that were all friends and working towards a common goal." Damon added as he swirled the bourbon in his glass.

I turned and look to Stefan as he shrugged his shoulders. His lips pressed into a thin line as Damon continued talking.

"So, in order to open the tomb," Everything settled into place. I remember what Stefan had told me a week ago. Damon wanted into the tomb to get Katherine and I promised Stefan I'd help to stop those plans from taking place. "We need to find the journal to get the grimoire to undo the spells. First things first-since you are Alana Gilbert, you're on journal duty." Damon smirked again, finishing the remaining liquor in his glass.

"Umm, sorry. When did I get roped into helping?" I turned to face him head on. I crossed my arms over my chest in defence. I hated how he thought I'd drop everything and help at a click of his fingers.

He half smirked this time as he walked closer to me, "Well, Stefan's helping, and since you two have, you know, become closer over the last few weeks…" Damon drawled out. His words caught me off guard; I wasn't expecting him to come out with that. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks as he smiled at me. I felt Stefan's presence coming closer to me from behind as I turned to meet his face. He was as flustered as I was.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Stefan reassured me but I knew if I didn't look for the journal, Damon wouldn't leave me alone.

"I'll look for it tonight." I sighed. I walked past Damon and plopped down onto the sofa, unravelling my scarf and removing my coat, I lay them over the back of the sofa.

"Good." Damon replied to my earlier words.

"How do we know that this journal will hold the location of the grimoire? We're really going to take the word of this vampire? He seemed like a bit of a dimwit." Stefan spoke up.

Damon tutted, "In lieu or any other options."

I leaned over the arm of the sofa, "Ok, what is a grimoire?" I asked in confusion. They were looking me as the spoke of things I had no knowledge of.

"It's a witch's cook book." Damon answered me.

I furrowed my brows, "Every spell that a witch casts is unique unto itself, so every witch would document their work." Stefan concluded for me.

"Yeah. Cookbook." Damon clapped back at Stefan.

"What about our mystery vampire? Dimwit obviously wasn't working alone, so whoever's out there knows who we are." Stefan sighed.

"And I don't like that disadvantage, so," Damon clapped his hands together, "Chop, chop." He began to walk out of the room, turns around, and continues to walk backwards out of the room while talking to Stefan and I. "You know, I really like this whole threesome team thing. It's got a bit of a kink to it," he chuckles and calls back as he was half way out the door, "Don't screw it up."

I turned to Stefan as Damon was now nowhere in sight, "He doesn't," Stefan was quick to mute me as he placed his finger on my lips and then pointed to his ear.

"Ohh, sorry, I forgot." I apologised. I completely forgot that vampires had supersonic hearing. I guess it's a blessing and a curse all in one.

"So," I sighed, "Want to come and help me look for this journal thing?" I asked with a smile.

"I'd love to." He replied.


I was sat at the dining room table as I combed through memory boxes of old family memorabilia as Stefan sat at the breakfast bar, watching.

"Do you think Damon believes us? I mean believe that were trying to help him?" I asked.

Stefan sighed as he wandered over to me and took a seat at the table, "I don't think Damon knows what to believe. Trust isn't something that comes naturally to him."

My smile fell from my face, I knew that we were doing the right thing, but I felt horrible about deceiving Stefan's brother.

"There are other ways to get what you want. You don't have to kill people. Damon has no regard for human life. He enjoys inflicting pain on others. For 145 years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life, he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not going to make that mistake again." Stefan frowned. I knew that behind his words was pain and regret but Damon was his brother, and I knew the hold he had over him.

I grabbed his hands and squeezed them, "Then we won't let him get into the tomb. I promise, Stefan." He smiled and squeezed my hands back.

"Just saying that he managed to get into the tomb, what would happen if he got Katherine back?" I asked.

"I think that no matter what Damon promises, a lot of people will die." I nodded my head slowly at Stefan's words. Just hearing that made me more adamant that Damon wasn't to get into that tomb.

I exhaled loudly and picked up a photograph from inside one of the boxes, Stefan stood from his seat and walked around to my back and looked down at the photo. "That's Johnathan Gilbert." He said.

"What's this?" I said aloud as I reached into the box and retrieved a small wooden box. I opened it up to reveal what appeared to be a muzzle. I looked at it confused and turned to show Stefan. He looked like he knew what it was but just as he was going to elaborate, Jeremy walked into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked.

"Ohh, nothing, just looking through some stuff. I remembered that Dad had this old family journal from years ago. I thought I'd dig it up." I replied.

Jeremy nodded as he took a seat at the table, "Johnathan Gilberts journal?" he asked.

Exactly, I thought in my head

"Yeah actually. What do you know about it?" I asked.

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders, "I just did a history report on it."

"Where is it now?"

"I gave it to Mr. Saltzman. He wanted to see it."

I pressed my lips into a fine line and looked up at Stefan as he exchanged the same look as me.


Stefan and I decided that he'd go to the school and find the book. I hadn't heard anything from him in about an hour, so maybe he had the book and was on his way back.

I could only hope.

I walked through the front door and heard Jenna giggling in the kitchen

"What the hell?" I whispered and furrowed my brows as I walked in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hello, Alana." I was welcomed by none other than Damon Salvatore.

I was startled to see him in my kitchen… and cooking.

"Hey. Where have to been? We're cooking dinner." Jenna smiled as she held a wine glass. I was lost for words. I hadn't expected to walk into this.

"Is Stefan with you?" Damon asked as he stirred a pot of liquid.

I looked over to him as I removed my hands from my pockets, "He… He will be." I replied. I shrugged off my jacket and moved closer to Jenna, I leaned on the counter and watched Damon with distaste.


Another hour had passed and still no Stefan. As night began to fall, Damon and I were setting the dinner table for our meal. As I was carrying plates to the table, Damon deliberately walked into me; I struggled to keep my grasp on the plates as I looked at him.

"Whoa. Mmm." He said.

I smiled at him in annoyance. I walked past him and headed to the table and set the plates down on top.

"Don't do that." I instructed Damon. He turned and looked at me, playing confused.

"Do what?" He shook his head as if he didn't know what I was talking about.

"You know what, Damon. You walking into me was deliberate." I rolled my eyes.

Damon stopped what he was doing and turned to me, "Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to get to the sink." I looked back at him and scoffed. "Speaking of Stefan, where is he? He's missing family night, which I'm enjoying immensely." He smirked.

I walked back into the kitchen to gether more dinnerware. Damon paused and stopped stirring the pot. "Is it real?" he asked lowly.

"Is what real?" I asked. Stopping what I was doing, I braced my hands on the counter as he looked at me worryingly.

"This renewed sense of brotherhood." He stopped and took the spoon out of the pot; he placed the spoon into his mouth and tasted the sauce before continuing, "Can I trust him?"

I took a sharp breath, "Yes, Damon. You can trust him." I said boldly.

I turned around and headed back to the table, I felt a whoosh of air hit my back. I turned around and Damon was stood behind me.

"Can I trust him?" he asked once more.

"I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not going to work." I sighed.

He looked at me as his face dropped and his brows furrowed, "I'm not compelling you. I just want you to answer me. Honestly."

"Yes, Damon. You can trust him." I replied. It was a lie but I knew I couldn't tell him the truth.


"There was a time when I trusted him more than anyone." Damon told me.

I smiled slightly, "Well, Damon. Trust has to be earned. You have to give it to get it." I informed him.

"Are you lecturing me?"

"Do I have to?" I asked him.

He smiled, and then it suddenly dropped, "I just want her back. I'm sure you can understand that."

I sighed, "I understand that you would do anything for her, yes."

I walked past Damon and placed a bowl on the table. Damon appeared behind my back again, but this time it was in a more threatening manner.

"Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way." He threatened.

Before I could answer, he backed off and headed back into the kitchen. I was deeply disturbed by his threat as I took a deep breath.

"Shit…" I whispered to low for him to hear. "What have I gotten myself into?"


Later on that evening, Damon and Jeremy are sitting in the family room playing a video game. Jenna and I were stood in the kitchen watching them.

Jenna turned and whispered to me, "He is ridiculously hot!" she smiled.

I knew that Damon would have heard her say that, so, I nudged her on the shoulder.

"Shh!"

Taking this opportunity to get one back on Damon, I smiled and turned to face Jenna, "He's a dick." I saw as Damon shake his head at my comment.

Score!

"What are you doing with all this stuff?" Jenna asked referring to the boxes that I was going through earlier.

"Uhh, I thought that maybe there would be something in them about my birth parents."

"Have you told Jeremy?" Jenna asked quietly.

I shook my head, "Not yet. I will, when the time is right." I smiled.

The truth is, I didn't know how to tell him that I was adopted. That would mean that he and I weren't connected at all, I didn't want to face up to that reality, not yet.

Getting cut off by the doorbell ringing, I headed to the door with Damon right behind me. I rolled my eyes and opened the door.

Stefan was stood with a confusing look on his face as he looked to Damon and then to me, I just shrugged.

"Well?" Damon asked impatiently.

Damon, Stefan and I walked out on to the porch to continue our conversation in private.

"Who took it?" Damon asked. Annoyance clear as day in his tone.

"I don't know." Stefan sighed.

"You know what, it's that teacher. There's something off about him."

"No, he doesn't know anything. Somebody go to it right before me."

"Who else knew it was there?" Damon asked.

Stefan turned his attention into the house and looked at Jeremy through the window but didn't say anything.

Damon followed his line of sight and walked backwards towards the house.

"No. Damon, leave him out of it!" I yelled.

"Why, what's the big deal?" he shrugged and entered the house.

"Damon!" I called after him but he just ignored me and continued on his path.

Stefan and I were right on Damon's tracks as he headed straight for Jeremy. Stefan closed the door and followed closely behind me in to the family room. Damon took a seat on the arm of the sofa.

"So… I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?" Damon asked my brother.

"Huh?" Jeremy mumbled in response.

"Don't ask questions, just spill?"

Jeremy chuckled at Damon, "You're kidding right?"

I shook my head and walked over to Jer, "Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Johnathan Gilbert's journal?" I asked him.

Jeremy shrugged, "Why is everyone so obsessed with that thing?"

"Jer, did you tell anyone else?" I asked again.

"Just that girl Anna." He shrugged again.

Damon screwed his face up, "The hot, weird one?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Stefan walked over, "Wait, who is Anna?"

"That's what I want to find out." Damon smirked.

My phone began to ring in my pocket; I took it out and answered it.

"Excuse me." I said as I left the room.

I walked up the stairs and into my room, closing the door behind me for privacy.

"Ok, I'm alone. Spill!" I said to Bonnie down the phone.

Ever since Elena left, Bonnie and I have become close too over the weeks. Caroline, Bonnie and I have hung out more and were getting along like a house on fire. Of course there are problems but what real friendships don't have them.

"It's going great. He's the perfect gentleman." Bonnie was practically beaming down the phone to me.

"Ohh."

"I know! Boring, huh? I just want to grab him and lay one on him."

"What's stopping you?

"'cause I'm a chicken." Bonnie admitted.

I laughed, "Come on, Bonnie. You're a powerful witch! Just seize the day and go get him." I replied.

Bonnie was now laughing at the other end of the phone, "Okay. I'm going to text you later with more details." Bonnie said.

"You better." I said.

Just as I hung up the phone, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I called from my bed.

Stefan opened my door and walked through, closing it behind him.

"Where's Damon?" I asked.

"He left to track down Jeremy's friend Anna, see if there was anything there." Stefan informed me.

"Stefan, if he gets to the journal before us, he…" I was cut off as Stefan pulled out a stack of papers from his jacket.

"Doesn't matter." He smiled.

"What's that?" I asked as I stepped off my bed.

"It's a copy of it." I looked up at Stefan, bewildered.

"How?"

"Well, Mr. Saltzman made a copy and was kind enough to loan it to me."

I looked at him unconvinced, "Really?"

Stefan smirked, "Not exactly, but I got it."

I laughed.


About an hour had passed since Stefan returned. We were sat on my bed, looking over the pages from the journal.

"There is a reference that he wrote about Emily," I began to read aloud so that Stefan knew what I was talking about, "The Fell family believed it should be I, not them, who protected the witch's spell book. But I feared she would haunt me from the hereafter. They mocked my fear, but it was Giuseppe Salvatore who…"

I cut off, "Salvatore, as in your father?" I asked.

Stefan nodded, "Yeah."

Stefan reached over and took the pages from my hand and began to finish reading aloud what I began, "It was Giuseppe Salvatore who removed my fear. He told me he would protect my secret of the spell book. He said he would carry it to his grave." Stefan stopped and looked up at me with a furrowed brow.

Stefan had a look of dawning apprehension on his face.

"I know where it is." He announced.


Stefan and I drove to the old cemetery to find his father's grave. As we walked around the cold and misty grounds, Stefan stopped in front of me. I shone the flashlight onto a tomb stone which read 'Giuseppe Salvatore'. Stefan began setting up torches and taking out the supplies.

"Are you sure the grimoire is in there?" I asked. I didn't want to be digging up someone's grave for nothing.

"As sure as I could be." He replied.

I shrugged, "Great."

Stefan turned to me, two shovels in hand. "Alana, I can do this on my own."

I smiled and shook my head, "Stefan, I said I would do whatever I can to help."

"I know, and I appreciate that, but…" I cut him off before he could say anything more.

"Stefan, this town is my home. My friends and family are here… you're here." I smiled shyly. Stefan looked at me with a slight smile. I couldn't hide the fact that I had feelings for him. I've had them from the beginning, ever since I met him but he chose Elena and I couldn't get in between that. "I don't want that tomb open any more than you do."

Stefan nods and hands me a shovel. Stefan exhaled heavily, taking a moment to gather himself before we struck into the dirt.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. That we have to do this." No one should have to dig up their parent's grave. Stefan smiled and nodded, and then we got to work.


It must have been forty minutes or so since we began digging Stefan's father's grave. The hole got deeper and deeper into the earth as I was not stood on the grass verge shining the torch into the hole as Stefan continued digging.

As I came to terms with what we were actually doing, I shook my head. Stefan noticed and looked up at me, "What?"

"Well, not many people can say they've spent the night doing this." I laughed.

Stefan smiled, shook his head and continued on digging. As he forced his shovel into the dirt, the metal blade struck into something hard making a loud thud. Stefan looked up at me in apprehension.

He scraped the remaining dirt from the surface of the coffin and tossed his shovel out of the grave. Kneeling down on the coffin, he wiped away loose pieces of dirt with his hands. I lowered myself down to the ground to get a better look into the hole. Stefan opened the lid and I took a sharp inhale.

"Is that…"

Stefan retrieved the grimoire, which is cradled in his fathers' arms. He closed the lid of the coffin and placed the book beside me on the grass. I kneeled down, shining the beam of the torch onto the grimoire as Stefan ripped of the cover and flipped through the pages, looking for the spell.

"Well, what do you know?"

Stefan and I turned around, startled. We turned to see Damon stood at the end of the grave, his lips turned up into a snarl.

"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry." Stefan told his brother.

"So am I. For thinking for even a second that I could trust you." Damon spat back.

Stefan was now riled up, "Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."

Damon smirked, "Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan. But you…"

Damon turned and looked at me as I stood by Stefan's side, "You had me fooled." He whispered.

I couldn't help but feel ashamed. I knew what I was doing was right, but it felt so wrong.

"So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out." Damon threatened Stefan.

I swallowed hard. My heart beating faster in my chest.

"You won't kill her." Stefan replied boldly.

Damon nodded his head, agreeing with his brother. Letting him know he was right.

I released the breath I didn't know I was holding, but before I could even blink, Damon Vamp-sped over to me and grabbed me in a chokehold.

"I can do one better!" he called to his brother.

The fear and panic rose inside of me as Damon bit his wrist and forced it against my lips. My lips now pressed against Damon's wrist, I was forced to swallow the warm, red liquid. I struggled under his grasp as I tried desperately to free myself.

"Give me the book, Stefan, or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend." Damon told his brother.

"Let her go first." Stefan demanded.

Damon removed his wrist from my mouth and I spat out the remaining blood.

"The book!" Damon wasn't playing around, he meant business.

Stefan shook his head, "I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me."

I could feel Damon shrugging as he held me, "Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!"

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will." Stefan released a long sigh as he made eye contact with me.

Would he really give something like that up… for me?

Damon, who still had me in a chokehold, nodded at Stefan.

"Okay." Stefan whispered.

I watched as he never took his eyes off me as he lowered the book on to the ground and took a step back and reached his arm out to me. I so desperately wanted to grab a hold of it.

Damon lowered his head down onto my shoulder into my hair. He sent shivers all through my body as I huffed under his hold. He slowly pulled his arm away from me, inch by inch until I was free.

I slowly edged away from him as I was terrified he may snap and kill me there and then. I edged over to the side of the grave and quickly jumped over it and ran straight into Stefan's warm embrace. Being in his arms, I felt completely and utterly secure. I looked back at Damon in complete terror as my body was shaking uncontrollably. Stefan turned and walked me out of the cemetery leaving Damon behind.


Back at my house, Stefan was leaning against my bathroom doorway as I searched through drawers looking for aspirin. My head was pounding ever since we arrived home.

"Ugh, is my head supposed to be in agony like this?" I asked Stefan.

He nodded weakly, "You'll be fine. That was a small amount of blood. It should pass out of your system by tomorrow." He reassured me.

I walked out of the bathroom and into my room with Stefan following behind me. We both took a seat on the bed, Stefan looked sad and hurt.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Damon was right. This is, uh… this is my fault." He admitted.

Stefan recounted a story of his past to me, "I put my faith in my father, but Damon put his in me, and I destroyed that. This is my fault."

I placed my hands on the sides of his face to get him to look at me, "No, Stefan. You didn't do anything wrong. Don't forget that." I told him.

I smiled and Stefan raised his hands and placed them on the sides of my face also as he locked his eyes with mine. I groaned in agony and held my head.

"Ouch," I laughed lightly.

Stefan stood from my bed, "I'll go and get you that aspirin."

"Thank you." I smiled.

As Stefan left my room I lay down on my bed hugging my pillow closely to my chest for comfort. I thought about everything that happened tonight, everything with Damon and Stefan. I thought I knew Damon better than that, but as facts came to light and he showed who he really was, I realised that I was just played with the 'good boy' act.

Something else that happened tonight caught my attention. It was about Stefan, the way he spoke about me tonight and the fact that he'd give over the one thing that could release Katherine form the tomb, all to save my life.

I smiled as I thought about it again; it made me get a weird sensation in my stomach. Now that Elena had gone, there would be nothing wrong if we decided to make a go of things. Something told me that he felt the same way. Well, I hope he did.

As I turned over in my bed, a figure was standing at the side. My eyes widened in horror, before I could scream for Stefan, there hand was placed over my mouth to muffle any sound coming out. I felt my world going black as my eyes slowly began to close, everything around me disappearing into thin air as my breathing began to slow and my head became heavy.


I groggily woke up. The room was dim lit and cold. I opened my eyes one at a time, I took a sharp inhale as I realised that I wasn't in my room. I turned my head to the left and spotted Ben sitting on a chair at the end of the bed I was laying on. I gasped as my head was still in pain, I didn't know if this was the next day or what. I didn't know how long I may have been out for.

I began to look for a way out; everything was sealed… apart from the door. I looked at the distance between Ben and the door, seeing if I could make it without him waking up. Quietly, I stepped off the bed and slowly walked over to Ben. His leg was outstretched across the floor; I slowly stepped over it and tried to keep my balance as I was slightly light headed. Once I was on the other side of Ben, I backed up to the door, not taking my eyes off him as he slept. I turned and unlocked the deadbolt on the door, occasionally looking back at Ben. I turned the lock on the door and prepared to open it when I felt a presence behind me.

"I wouldn't."

I gasped and spun around to meet his gaze as he inched towards me. He focused his eyes on mine as he tried to compel me.

"Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Do you understand?" he asked.

I nodded in agreement, "I understand."

Ben scoffs and turned around to retrieve a bottle of blood from the fridge. I slowly backed up to the door once more to make my escape. I opened the door and bolted outside, but my escape was cut short as a woman grabbed a hold of my hair and backed my back into the motel room.

"Seriously?!" She scolded Ben.

Bed shrugged in defence, "I told her not to move! I don't that eye thing you taught me!"

The woman shook her head, "And forgot the lesson about vervain! She plays with vampires, Ben. Duh!"

She pushed me up against a wall and opened the bathroom door.

"Please! Who are you? What do you want?" I pleaded.

"Doesn't matter." Was all she said as she shoved me into the bathroom and sealed the door once I was inside. I looked around the bathroom for and escape but there was none.

"Fuck!" I cursed.

As I turned around to face the bath, I was horrified by what I saw.

"Bonnie! Oh, my god." I rushed over to her and lifted her head up.


Bonnie still hadn't woke up. I looked around the bathroom for a cloth.

"Yes!" I whispered as I found one. I rushed over to the tap and drenched the cloth under the cool tap and walked back over to Bonnie, placing the cool cloth on her forehead.

"Bonnie? Please wake up." I pleaded.

Just as I finished speaking, Bonnie began to stir and open her eyes.

"Alana?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Oh, you're okay!" I was relieved as she was ok and talking.

"My head…" she groaned.

"Come on." I pulled her upright so that she could get out of the tub.

"Oh, my god! Ben is a-!"

"Shhhh." I placed my finger on her lips, muting her immediately.

I gestured to my ear and then to the door.

"They can hear us." I whispered.

I rushed over to the tap and turned it on to block out the sound so that we could talk without the vampires hearing us.

"I'm so stupid!" Bonnie confessed.

I shook my head, "No, he had us all fooled, Bonnie." I reassured her. Even I didn't notice he was one of them.

"What's going on? Where are we?"

"I have no idea. It must have something to do with Emily's spell book." I told her.

She looked at me confused, "Spell book?"

"Damon said it could be used to open the tomb." I sighed taking a seat on the side of the bathtub.

"Why didn't I know about any of this?"

"I didn't want you involved, Bonnie. I was hoping it would never come to this."

Bonnie looked at me worried, "Come to what?"

"They need a witch to break the spell and let the vampires out." I pressed my lips into a fine line as Bonnie shook her head frantically.

"No way!" Bonnie yelled.

"I know."

Before I could continue what I was saying, Ben burst through the door. I grabbed Bonnie's shoulder protectively. Ben turned off the tap.

"You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you." Bonnie spat in anger.

Ben smiled devilishly at her and grabbed a hold of my arm, pulling me to his side.

"That's what she's here for. Motivation for you to behave. You know, you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy." Ben smirked. Bonnie looked down to the ground, ashamed.

I tried to reach out to her but Ben pushed me out of the room and slammed the door behind us.

"She wants to talk to you." He told me and gestured to the woman sitting in the chair.

"Well, well. Alana Gilbert. You really are Katherine's doppelganger. You must have the Salvatore boys reeling."

"Who are you?" I asked, disregarding everything she had just said.

"I'm Anna. Your brother may have mentioned me," She smiled, "I mean, we're like, practically dating."


I took a seat on the bed as Anna peers out the curtain, looking outside.

"Bonnie won't open the tomb." I stated.

Anna turned and looked at me, a smirk on her lips. "Oh, I think she will."

"Do you really want Katherine out that bad?" I asked.

She screwed her face up, shaking her head.

"Trust me. No one I know wants to see that girl again. Except Damon, the love-struck idiot."

"Then why do you want in there so bad?" I asked again, trying to get answers.

She sighed, "My mother is in there," Anna walked closer to me, "Katherine couldn't help herself. She just had to toy around with both of the Salvatore brothers. And when she got caught, so did my mother. I watched Johnathan Gilbert take her away."

My heart crunched into a ball as Anna spoke, "I'm sorry. I really am." I told her. I was completely sincere in my words as I looked at her.

She smiled weakly and looked back at me, "You really mean that, don't you," Anna stood from the bed and chuckled, "Yeah, I think we'll skip the dead mom bonding so you can start serving a purpose."

I looked at her confused. What is she talking about? I asked myself.

"And what purpose would that be?" I asked.

"Leverage. This belong to you?" Anna reached into her pocked and retrieved my cell; she held it and wiggled it in her hand. My eyes widened and I lunged for it but she quickly snatched it back from my grasp.

"Ah-ah!"

I watched as she typed a number into my cell and placed it against her ear.

I wish I had the vampire hearing right now to hear who she was on the phone to!

"She's fine. For now. Tell me you have the grimoire and she'll stay fine." Anna told the person on the phone.

Anna nodded as the other person replied, "Which means your brother has it," It must be Stefan she's talking to. I thought to myself as I looked on. "And I have the witch. So one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in 30 minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's gonna be working together." Anna smiled and hung up the phone.

Anna walked over to the bathroom door and knocked on it until Ben answered.

"I'm leaving. Keep them buttoned down. Compulsion won't work. Just use violence." Anna instructed him.

He nodded, "Right. I've got that."

Once Anna was out of sight, Ben pushed Bonnie down on to the bed.

"Sit. Behave," He faced Bonnie, "So you're the key to this. Literally. The one who opens the door. Tell me, how long have you been a witch?"

I cleared my throat, "Umm, do you have anything to drink?" I asked.

Ben stood for the seat, "Are you offering?" He smirked. "There's water on the night stand." He informed me.

I leaned over and picked up the glass of water and began to take a sip. Bonnie turned and looked at me.

"Hey. Can I have a sip?" She asked. Bonnie nodded her head, and I complied with her.

I handed over the water and Bonnie took a sip, once she was finished, she hurled the water over Ben and set him alight. The flames caught fire on his sleeve and he quickly began to pat them out while screaming in pain.

Bonnie and I bolted for the door, Bonnie made it to the door and she opened it wide for us to escape but before I could make it to the exit, Ben grabbed a hold of my arm and tugged me back into his embrace.

"Come back in! Shut the door!" Ben instructed Bonnie.

She done as she was told and closed the door as she backed into the room.

"Don't hurt her!"

"Don't make me!" Ben spat back at her.

"Lock it!"

Bonnie turned and deadbolts the door again.


Bonnie and I had returned to our seats on the bed as Ben began to pace in front of us.

"Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die." He dedicated his question to Bonnie.

"Yep. We can die." Bonnie answered.

All of a sudden, the door to the motel room came flying through the room and Stefan stood at the entrance.

"Stefan!" I yelled. I hadn't been happier to see someone in my life than I was at seeing Stefan right now.

Ben bolted across the room as the sunlight began to burn his skin. Stefan walked in and ripped the curtains off the window to let in more light. Ben slithered into a space in-between the two beds as they shaded him from the light.

"Let's get outside!" Stefan instructed Bonnie and I. We done as we were told and ran outside as Stefan walked over to Ben and told him something as he cowered in-between the beds.

Once Stefan done what he needed to, he took us back to Bonnie's grams'.


Once we arrived, Bonnie went straight into another room with her grams to speak. Stefan and I were stood in the family room alone.

"How did you find us?" I broke the silence between us.

Stefan lowered his head so he was looking into my eyes, "Sheila done a locator spell and found yous." He sighed.

"Thank you, Stefan. You seem to make a habit of saving me." I smirked. Making a light hearted joke out of a terrible ordeal.

Stefan smiled.

We walked over to the room that Bonnie was in with her Grams and walked in.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

Stefan stepped forward, "Well, for now, you need to stay here."

Grams sniggered, "A prisoner, in my own home? I don't think so."

"I can't protect you if you leave the house." Stefan resorted.

"We'll protect ourselves." Grams replied defensively.

I turned to Stefan, "I think we need to let him have Katherine back."

"No!" Bonnie stood, "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants."

"I know, Bonnie. But what other choice do we have? He won't stop until he gets her back and if we let that happen, maybe he will stop and all of this will end."

I looked up at Stefan, to my shock; he nodded in agreement with me.

Grams stood from her chair and exhaled loudly, "Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we tried to stay out of it. I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be over."

Stefan shook his head and turned to me, "We still have to get Damon to agree."

"Well, he's already agreed once." I smiled lightly.

"Yeah, and then we double crossed him. So now he's angry."

"No, he's hurt. There's a difference. I think I can get him to change his mind." I replied.


I knew what I had to do to bring Damon back onto our side, one last time. As I entered the Boarding House, Damon pulled on his jacket, preparing to leave. He looked up at me, confused as I removed my scarf.

"I'm gonna have to change the locks. You stage a jailbreak?" He leaned down and picked up the grimoire.

"Stefan." Was all I said and he nodded.

"Ah, brother. Ever the white knight." He sniggered.

"I, Uhh… I convinced Bonnie to help you get Katherine back." I spoke up.

"I doubt that."

I walked around the edge of the study towards the stairs, leading to the sunken part of the room where Damon was located.

"Damon, I'm not gonna say that I'm sorry that Stefan and I got to the grimoire first. Because I'm not." I told him to his face. He looked… proud.

"Well, at least you're honest."

"I was protecting the people I love, Damon. I couldn't let you release them, but, I know in your own, twisted way, you were doing the same. And as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side, after the same thing." I said.

Damon looked at me and his eyes narrowed, "Not interested." He prepared to leave but I stood in front of him blocking the way.

"Yes you are, because you were willing to work with us yesterday."

He turned around, "Fool me once, shame on you."

"Fine, when we were in Atlanta, why didn't you compel me?" I asked.

Damon placed the grimoire on a table and walked closer to me, crossing his arm across his chest.

"Who's to say I didn't?" he smirked.

I shook my head, "I know you didn't, you could have, but you didn't. You and I… we have something. And understanding. And I'm sorry I betrayal hurt you, different from how it is with you and Stefan, but, Damon. I promise you this; I will help you get Katherine back."

Damon groaned, clearly unconvinced by my words.

"I wish I could believe you."

I knew I was losing him; I had to think of something, anything, to make him change his mind. As much as I was I knew I was going to regret what I was about to do… I had to. I unclasped my bracelet and held it in my hand showing it to Damon.

"Ask me if I'm lying now." I placed the silver on the table and placed my hand back at my side.

"You know Anna won't stop, by the way, no matter what I do."

I sighed, "Well, we'll deal with that when it comes to it."

Damon picked up my bracelet and claps it back around my wrist.

"I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun. I wanted it to be real. I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it."

And with that, Damon walked away.


Damon and I arrived at the party in the woods. With everything going on, I completely forgot about it.

"The Duke party. I forgot. I hope they stay clear of the church." I sighed.

Damon smirked, "Your hope, not mine."

I rolled my eyes.

Matt and Caroline headed towards us.

"Alana, hey! Matt beamed. I smiled in response as Damon was becoming agitated the longer we waited.

"Alana! Oh, my god, where have you been? Caroline asked. He clasped her and Matt's hands as she spoke.

"I…"

"Long story, no time to tell it." Damon cut me off.

"I wasn't talking to you." Caroline spat back.

"Sure you were."

Matt intervened, "We haven't met. I'm Matt." He held out his hand for Damon to take.

Damon looked at his hand and smirked his usual smirk and looked at him, "Matt, there's a reason we haven't met," he turned to look down at me; "You and I are going that way."

He grasped a tight hold around my arm and started to drag me away from Matt and Caroline. I turned back as he was pushing me along.

"I'll talk later guys." I called back.


As we approached the site, Damon whistled to gain the attention of the others as he still had a hold of my arm.

"Brother. Witches." He smiled.

Damon released his grip on me and strode past everyone, grimoire in hand and headed into the tomb. I made my way over to Stefan.

He looked at me in concern.

"Everything alright?" He asked.

I nodded, "Are we ready?"

Bonnie looked at me nodding, "I guess so."

I took a sharp inhale and walked closer to the tomb entrance with Stefan by my side.

Bonnie handed her grams a bottle of water.

"Is that it? Just tap water?" I asked confused.

"As opposed to what?" Grams asked me. A smile lingering on her face.

My face turned a shade of red, "I, Uhh… I don't know. I guess I thought it would have to be blessed or something." I smiled.

Grams smirked at me.

"What's that for?" Stefan asked Damon as he unravelled a blood bag.

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein on tap." I bushed. I wasn't Stefan's girl. Bonnie turned to look at me as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. She smiled as I loosened the scarf on my neck.

Bonnie looked up at us from the ground, "We're ready."


After a few moments, Grams and Bonnie began reciting a spell.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked.

"Sounds Latin." Stefan replied.

"That's not Latin." I added.

They began to repeat the spell, the torches on the wall flared up, giving me a freight. I grabbed onto Stefan's arm. I felt his muscles tense under my grip as I clung to him.

"What's happening?" I asked.

The door to the tomb creaked open.

"It worked!" Bonnie smiled. I don't think she expected anything to happen.

"Of course it worked." Grams smiled, patting her arm.

Damon grinned; he finally was one step closer to getting everything he wanted. He turned to his brother, "We have some fires to build."

Stefan turned and gently placed a hand on my shoulder, "I'm gonna go get the gasoline, and I'll be right back."

I nodded and Stefan ascends the stairs out of the tomb.

Damon turned his attention to me, "You ready?"

I looked at him bewildered, "For what?"

Damon stepped closer to me and looked at Grams and Bonnie, "You think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can shut me in?" he smirked.

He grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer.

"Don't take her in. I'll bring the walls down." Grams threatened Damon, he sniggered.

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't. You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you." Grams spat back.

I shook my head, "Guys! Stop. He needs leverage. I get it. I'll go."

Damon picks up a torch from the circle on the ground and shoves me into the tomb as he followed closely behind.

We walked about in the tomb looking for his beloved Katherine. This whole ordeal was wrong, in my mind, it was all a dream. Well, that what I wanted to believe.

As we turned a corner I heard whispers coming from all around us.

"What's that!?" I asked Damon.

He shrugged, "They can sense you. Now, where is she?"

I looked down a dark, dreary tunnel inside the tomb, when I turned around, Damon was gone.

"Damon!" I yelled. My voice echoed though out the tomb.

"Fuck!" I whispered to myself.

I now wandered around the dark tomb by myself, looking for Damon.

"Damon? I whispered, "Damon!" I made my voice a little louder as I tried to get him to hear me.

I continued to hear the whispers around me as I shone the flashlight on the walls. One whisper was particularly loud startling me.

I tripped over something on the ground and fell. I quickly got back to my feet. My flashlight beam landed on one of the corpses as I walked away. I turned a corner, "Damon?" I called again. Once I was in another room inside the tomb, more and more mummified vampires showed up, I panicked and fell down next to one of them on the ground. My flashlight bean landed perfectly in front of ones face, bringing it to life. I gasped in horror. The desiccated vampire shot opened his eyes; they were blood shot with hunger. I scrambled across the floor as I screamed.

I frantically looked around the room for an exit, but no luck.

A flashlight landed on me as I shielded my eyes from the blinding light.

"You must have a taste for it. You scream and shriek and even bother to escape, but then you just come right back to it." Anna smirked.

I slowly backed away from her as I didn't know her motive. As I backed up I kicked someone… or something lying on the ground.

Anna's eyes lit up, "Mother! Mother," she turned and looked up at me, "Your boyfriend done this, you know." She spat at me as her words dripped with poison.

"No. His father did." I replied. I didn't correct her for calling him my boyfriend. Now wasn't the time.

Anna stood in front of me, "And Johnathan Gilbert. I made a choice a long time ago that it would be Gilbert blood that brought her back to life. I had Jeremy already to go but…"

My eyes widened, I now knew Anna's motive. I gasped and turned around making my break from the room, but Anna vamp-sped in front of me and grabbed me by my wrist stopping me from leaving.

"Please!" I pleaded as my heart rate began to soar.

She smiled and yanked my wrist up to her mouth and bit down.

"Ahhh!"

Once the blood was pouring from my open wound, Anna retracted her mouth and threw me on to the ground across her mother's lap. Anna leaned down beside me and held my wrist up to her mother's mouth for her to drink.

"No, no! Please, don't!" I pleaded with Anna but she couldn't care less.

Her mother began to drink the blood that was dripping from my wrist. I slowly felt her beginning to move from under me.

Just as I thought this would be the end for me, Stefan sped into the room.

"Let her go!" He sped over to Anna and ripped her off of me. He pulled me up from the ground as I cradled my arm and pushed me towards the exit.

"Go. Go. I'm right behind you."

I nodded quickly and ran through the passage and headed back to the entrance.

As I left the tomb, Grams and Bonnie looked up at me from the ground.

"Alana, Stefan…" Bonnie began to say.

"It's ok. He's right behind me." I reassured her.

Bonnie turned her face to look into the tomb, there trod Stefan at the entrance.

I walked over to him, worried about what he was about to say.

"What's wrong?" I asked shakily.

"It's gonna be okay. We'll fix it." Bonnie smiled small.

I turned my head to face her but stayed by Stefan's side.

"Fix what? What's wrong?" I asked as my voice began to break.

Stefan sighed, "I can't."

"Can't what, Stefan?" I asked as I looked at him, my eyes becoming teary.

Bonnie stood and walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "The spells still up. We can't get them out yet."

I turned back to Stefan; his eyes were also a little watery.

"Why? Why would you go in there, not knowing if you could come back out?" I asked.

Stefan looked to the ground, not answering.

Then it clicked… he came in for me.

"Oh, my god." I whispered.

"I heard you scream." He replied.

"We can't leave him in there, Stefan. We promised him. Both of us."

Stefan nodded, "I know." He turned around and headed back into the tomb in search for his brother.


I circled around Bonnie and Grams as they recited another spell to lift the barrier to the tomb. As I circled them the torches flared up, igniting the air.

"It's working." I smiled and stopped walking.

Anna exited the tomb with her mother clutching on to her arm.

"I just wanted my mother back. Jeremy's fine. He's outside. I won't touch him." Anna reassured me. I wasn't in the mood for her at this moment so I nodded and she went on her way. The only thing I was concerned about was Stefan and Damon inside of the tomb.

The torches began to falter, "What's happening?" I asked panicked.

"Bonnie, keep going!" Grams turned to me. "They better hurry." She warned me.

I nodded and ran over to the entrance, "Stefan! Hurry! They can't hold it much longer!" I yelled into the tomb, hoping he could hear me.

The torches finally extinguished and the once lit room now plummeted into darkness. I looked back at Bonnie and Grams as they were struggling to re-light the torches; I knew I needed to get them out of there so I ran back into the tomb.

I ran down all the passage ways until I finally found them. Damon angrily pushed Stefan away as he stood, exhausted.

"Damon! Please." I yelled at him.

Finally understanding the magnitude of this situation, Damon, Stefan and I left the tomb.

Damon was first to exit the tomb followed by myself and then Stefan. I turned and Stefan embraced me in a tight hug. His warmth sent shivers across my body as he help me against his.

It was in this moment I realised that I was… well, I was in love with him. The thought of him being trapped in their finally dawned on me and I shivered just thinking about it.

Stefan let me go and the door to the tomb slammed shut and the torched died out.


I exited the tomb and ran over to my brother who was just waking up as he lay on the grass.

"Jeremy!" I called.

"He's okay." Stefan reassured me.

Jeremy began to groan as he held his head. I turned to see Damon exit the tomb. He looked completely miserable, as much as I didn't want the vampires in the tomb to be released; my heart went out to Damon.

I stood from the ground and walked over to him. He stopped walking as I neared him; I wrapped my arms around his torso and leaned my head on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Damon."


Jeremy and I were back at the house, I walked up the stairs, taking water and aspirin into Jeremy's room.

"Hey. How's your head?" I asked in concern.

He nodded lightly, "Uh- it's alright. I just… I wish I knew how I passed out. I didn't drink that much, I swear."

He took the aspirin from my hand and took a sip of the water from the glass.

"So you don't remember anything?"

"The whole things pretty cloudy. I just… I know how this looks. I'm—I'm sorry."

I shook my head at him, "No, Jeremy. Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything, okay?" I smiled.

He smiled back, "Yeah, okay."

"Right, I'm gonna head over to Bonnie's for a bit. Do you need anything?" I asked as I stood from his bed.

"No, I'm just… I'm gonna crash." He smiled and pulled the sheets up higher.

"Okay, well, Jenna is downstairs and I'll be back soon."

I left the room and headed over to Bonnie's.


As I was at Bonnie's, my phone rang. It was Stefan.

"Hey." I smiled into the phone.

"Hey." He replied, "You okay?"

"Yeah, you?" I asked.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"I just got to Bonnie's." I told him as I paced.

"Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. How's Damon? Is he gonna be okay?"

Stefan sighed into the phone, "I don't know. Can I call you later?" he asked.

I nodded as I held the phone to my ear, "Yeah, of course… bye Stefan."

"Bye, Alana." He replied.

I hung up the phone and headed into the Benner home.

I heard Bonnie screaming from her Grams' room. I dashed to the door and stopped looking at Bonnie bewildered.

"What's wrong!?" I called.

"Help! Wake up! She's not breathing! She's just not breathing! Please, wake up!" Bonnie pleaded with her Grams, but she just lay there.

My eyes widened and I ran into the kitchen retrieving the phone and dialling in 911.

"Yes. Hello! I need an ambulance to Oak Street. Please hurry. It's an emergency!" I called down the phone. I quickly hung up and ran back to Bonnie who was rapidly flipping through the grimoire.

I walked over and grabbed her shoulders.

"Bonnie…. Bonnie." I shook her.

"No! No! I can fix it Grams, I can fix this!" She yelled through her tears.

"Bonnie!" I yelled at her and pulled her into my arms. I began to cry into Bonnie's shoulder and she clung onto the back of my shirt, sobbing.

What have we done?...


A:N/ There you guys go! I really hope that you liked this chapter and I very much enjoyed writing it. I hope that you like the changes that I have made and the changes I will make in the future. Like I said, I love where this is going and I absolutely love that you guys love it as well. The next chapter will be published in the next 2-3 days, the same as before, it's just going through editing at the moment.

I know my writing isn't perfect, but, nobody's is. i'm growing as a writer and i'm loving how i'm progressing as i continue to write the chapters to this story. So, please be patient and i hope that you continue to read and love this story!

Until next time…