Poison & Wine ~ Chapter XIV
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Andy washed her face with water, exhaling as she tried to get the flashes of Klaus out of her mind. She had been on edge all day and her dreams over the last few days were filled with the blue-eyed man and his taunts.
The school bell rung, causing her to sigh as she realized she would be late to class. However, since Alaric's class was next, she was sure he would excuse it. He had been AWOL the last few days, even avoiding Jenna. She wasn't sure what was going on with him but she intended on speaking with him after class.
Walking to the class, Andy was pleasantly surprised when the assistant principal doing rounds didn't send her to get a tardy slip. Instead, the woman gave her a fatigued look and continued past her. She waltzed into Alaric's classroom without knocking on the door, causing everyone to look up at her.
"My bad," Andy said, sending a peace sign to Alaric before she went to take her seat behind Stefan. When she turned to look up at Alaric, she noticed he was watching her with a mixed expression. Was he going to make her go all the way to the office to get a tardy slip?
"Any particular reason you are late, Andrea?"
"The water fountain in the hall broke. Messy things, you know? Could barely make it past the Caution signs. I would hate to have to sue the school just because I sprained an ankle," Andy said as she leaned back in her seat. There were a few chuckles from the class, and Elena sent her sister an amused smile. "Won't happen again, Mr. Saltzman. That is if the old plumbing doesn't mess up again. This town is old, as you know. I mean, you are a history teacher. You would think they could at least afford the upkeep of this place. I've seen how nice the elementary school is. SmartBoards in every classroom. Hardly fair, is it?"
Alaric exhaled and glanced her over once, a confused look in his eyes. "Thank you for that, Andy. Perhaps you can start a petition," He cleared his throat and turned his attention away from her. "The, uh, ahem…" He turned and wrote "the sixties" on the board as he spoke. "The Sixties. I wish there was something good I could say about the sixties, but… Actually, they kind of sucked. Except for the Beatles, of course. They made it bearable. Uh, what else was there? The Cuban missile thing, the… we walked on the moon. There was Watergate."
Andy wished she could have forgotten the decade dance tonight but everyone had been rushing around preparing and endlessly speaking of what they were wearing. She didn't want to go, but Caroline had already told her it was a requirement to have some fun. The only perk was that she had been able to call out of work tonight because of it. That and the fact that Klaus had sent a message to Elena during lunch via a classmate. He had asked for Elena to save her the last dance and so Andy had agreed to go tonight.
"Watergate was the seventies, Ric," Elena corrected with a smile that quickly fell off her face as she realized her mistake. "I-I mean, Mr. Saltzman."
"Right. It all kind of mushes together up here, the sixties, seventies. Thank you, Elena," Alaric said with a smile before launching into a conversation about the sixties. Andy just leaned back in her chair and doodled on her paper. She would just get Stefan to tell her if she missed anything important.
She found herself sketching Klaus again. She had done it so often in the last few days she had most of the details already memorized. Well, if it is Klaus… she thought as her gaze bored to the windows. Katherine could have been lying to her about it being him. Damon could very well be right and this was just all in her imagination. If so, she was seriously considering telling Dr. Ripley.
The last few days they hadn't gained any more knowledge of Klaus. He hadn't shown up, and Isobel had been no help. As they suspected, she had been compelled to forget everything important if she had ever known anything in the first place. Isobel knew nothing important about Klaus other than he existed for sure. She claimed to have never seen him and couldn't offer anything else so Damon had been working to break the compulsion the last few days. John had barely been around, though he would pop in to help Damon every once and a while. Andy hadn't gone to see Isobel but she knew Elena had spoken to her briefly the other morning. Jenna avoided going to the basement in the Salvatore's at all and did her best to split her time between there and home since Jeremy decided to stay home with John than to live with Stefan and Damon for a while. However, from what Andy had heard, Jeremy was often with Bonnie anyway.
Once class was over, Andy quickly cleaned up her sketches so the others didn't catch what she had been drawing. They all knew about her dreams now but she felt as if they didn't want to believe her and Damon's snide comments didn't help that. Honestly, she didn't want to believe it either.
"You need a ride?" Elena asked her as they waited for the others to file out of the room. "I figure if you still want to go to the dance we can get ready together tonight. Stefan says he's got some old stuff from the sixties we can wear."
"Yeah, we should get ready together. I've got my car don't worry. I'll meet you back there in a while," She replied with a small smile. "I need to talk to Ric for a moment."
"Don't forget that we're all meeting at the house first. Klaus' message remember?" Elena reminded her.
"Right," Andy sighed. They suspected he was going to reveal himself, and since Bonnie had been juiced up with her witch powers, they planned to take him out tonight. Andy wasn't sure how they thought it was going to go around a bunch of innocent people but she was assured by Stefan they would take precautions to avoid that.
Once the room had cleared out, Andy approached Alaric who had been looking through a textbook, a bored look on his face. He glanced up and smiled at her. "Hello, Andy," He said.
"Ric, pal, buddy, teacher… mind telling me why you're avoiding Jenna?" Andy asked, folding her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.
Alaric hesitated before sighing. He closed the book and looked up at her. "Things are… complicated."
"Complicated? She knows the truth about everything now and even after your romantic evening together the other night, you still think things are complicated between the two of you?" Andy pressed, drumming her fingers on her arm in annoyance. Alaric once again hesitated, causing her to sigh. "Ric, she's not gonna wait forever. You two genuinely like each other and I like you, but if you screw this up you're going to regret it. After Isobel… listen, I know it's not ideal that she's still around but surely you don't still love her… do you?"
Alaric sat back in his chair and watched her for a moment. "I'll admit… I'm shocked that Isobel is still around."
"Yeah well, it's not made much of a difference. They haven't found out anything about Klaus or otherwise anything important," Andy shrugged, glancing at the clock. "But I guess we'll see tonight, huh?"
"I had heard you knew what Klaus looked like."
Andy rolled her eyes, though she clenched her jaw. "I bet Damon had a lot to say about that."
"Elena filled me in actually," Alaric said, his eyes roaming her face.
"It's not concrete, okay? No one else believes it, I don't want to believe it, but Elijah reacted when I spoke of it." Andy explained with a frown and shifted uncomfortably. The last thing she needed was for Alaric to be judging her as well.
"Perhaps Elena isn't the only one connected to the curse then."
"No, Elijah would have told me."
Alaric raised his eyebrows. "You trust Elijah that much? He's an Original as well,"
"I trusted Elijah to an extent, but I'm not an idiot. He didn't tell me he intended Elena to die, but I know he wanted to kill Klaus as much as the rest of us. And yeah, maybe he saved me those few times just because I'm needed for the curse or because of his deal with Elena, but he would have told us if I needed to die as well," Andy pointed out.
"What makes you so sure of that though?"
Andy shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear indifferent. Elijah wasn't exactly her favorite subject. Since he was daggered, it didn't help them at all in trying to kill Klaus. "I don't know, Ric. I really couldn't tell you why I trusted him but I'm sure Elena couldn't either."
Alaric nodded and glanced at the time. He stood and began gathering his things. "A bit scary, isn't it? That Klaus could be anywhere and we really can't be sure where."
"Well, considering Elijah beheaded someone the first time we met, Klaus is going to have a lot to live up to," Andy snorted with a shake of her head.
"We should go meet up with the others. Do you need a ride?" Alaric asked as he held up his car keys.
"No, actually. Thanks though," Andy started heading toward the door. "Oh, and I forgot…" She turned to look Alaric in the eye seriously. "If you hurt Jenna I'll make you regret stepping foot in Mystic Falls. She's the best thing in either our lives and deserves to be happy after everything she's been through. So, watch your step, Ric, but don't shut her out now. Not when Klaus could come kill us all." With that, Andy turned and left his classroom.
"Well, look at you dressed nicely," Damon commented as she walked into the library. He was in there with a glass of bourbon and a pensive expression.
"I hardly think leggings are formal wear," Andy replied as she dropped her book bag on the ground and sat on the couch. "It's been a long week, Damon. I don't really have the will to deal with you. If we could sit in silence while we wait, that would be a wonderful early birthday present."
"I hope you have the will to deal with me for tonight. If you'll have me, I would like to be your date to the decade dance," Damon said as he walked over to her and sat next to her.
Andy watched him for a moment before scrunching her nose after realizing he was being serious. "No, thank you. Sorry. I don't have a choking kink and I don't like you."
"Andy, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to hurt you," Damon smartly didn't try to touch her or move any closer. She watched him with a scowl, not sure how she felt about forgiving him. He sighed and sat his glass down. "I shouldn't have choked you, Andy. I shouldn't have laid a hand on you at all. I'm sorry."
"At least you know the basic concept of an apology," Andy commented as she looked away from him. "Damon, for Elena's sake, we need to work together. But if you ever lay one hand on me again, I swear I'll kick your ass then let Jenna kick your ass. I'm not going to continue to let me treat me the way you do."
He conceded with a nod, though didn't speak any more of it. "I can still drive you if you want me to. It might help having a vampire bodyguard if Klaus shows up."
"As long as you're ready to forgo me and focus on Elena if need be… though, I don't think that will be a problem," Andy replied thickly as she sat back on the couch. "How's your girlfriend, by the way? You two seem close. What was her name again? Allie? Amanda? Oh, wait, it was Andie, wasn't it?"
Damon rolled his eyes at her. "Her name happened to be Andie, okay? I didn't seek out the first woman interested in me with your name."
"Could've fooled me but then again I guess there are many Elena's hanging around," She countered.
"For the last time, I'm not—"
"I'm not having this debate with you, Damon," She interrupted. "Why don't you instead tell me what you have found out from Isobel today?"
He scoffed and shook his head. "You mean other than the compulsion inflicted by an Original is impossible to break? Well, not much."
"Maybe… maybe I could go talk to her?" Andy suggested, immediately kicking herself for even considering it. "Elena's not been to see her either. Maybe some mommy-daughter time will help lighten her up a bit."
"We'll see."
"'We'll see'? What are you going to do, stop me from going down there?" She asked him with a scowl.
"I mean that Isobel is suicidal because of Klaus and will find any excuse or manipulative technique she needs to," He explained as he sipped on his bourbon.
"Do you really think I'm so easily manipulated?"
"I think you can be, especially if someone knows all the right things to say," Damon replied evenly. She continued scowling but looked away from him with bitterness filling her. Was he implying that he was admitting to manipulating her?
"You're so fucking charming," She muttered as she scooted further down the couch away from him.
"Sorry we're late," Stefan announced as he walked into the room with Bonnie and Elena trailing behind him. "They wanted milkshakes."
"Mint chocolate milkshake for the Andrea Gilbert," Elena said with a smile as she walked over to her sister and offered the Styrofoam cup.
"You're a goddess, 'Lena," Andy said excitedly as she quickly grabbed the straw and pushed it into the lid.
"Where's mine?" Damon asked as he looked up at them.
"Liquor, blood, and ice cream don't mix well," Bonnie commented as she happily sipped on her milkshake.
"Neither do vampires and decade dances if our track record says anything," Stefan cut in. "And we got our first message from Klaus. He wants Elena to save him a dance tonight."
"So we go to the dance, we find him," Damon said as if it were common sense as he stood and moved over to pour himself another glass.
"Really? How are we going to do that? We don't even know what he looks like," Stefan pointed out. He glanced over at Andy almost as if she were a second thought. "Save for the potential drawings we have of him."
"Something tells me he's not going to be sixteen and pimply," Damon commented as Andy reached for her book bag to get the drawings out. Damn all of them if they didn't believe her. If he showed his face tonight, they wouldn't be laughing then.
"Well, good thing I sketched some more. We can pass them out to everyone so we know who to look for… maybe," Andy said as she gathered the pieces of paper.
"He could still be anywhere at any time. He compelled somebody at school," Stefan reminded them as he looked over at Elena and Bonnie. "I guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?"
A knock echoed from the door before Alaric walked into the room looking a bit frazzled. "There you are," Damon said as he turned to face his friend.
"Sorry I'm late," Alaric said with a sheepish smile as he moved further into the room.
"Hey, I need you to put me down as a chaperone at the dance tonight. Klaus made his first move. Wants to have the last dance with Elena, probably Andy as well but we all know she doesn't dance," Damon said, causing Andy to flip him off as she paused from tearing off sections of the various drawings of Klaus for reference.
"Okay, so we find him and then what, hmm? What's our plan of attack?" Elena asked. "Because there are going to be a lot of innocent people there tonight."
"Me. I'm the plan," Bonnie said as Elena sat down next to Andy and took one of the pictures of Klaus. "He has no idea how much power I can channel. If you can find him, I can kill him."
"That's not going to be that easy. I mean, he is the biggest, baddest vampire around," Alaric commented.
Andy snorted, causing the history teacher to look at her in curiosity. "So we've heard."
"You underestimate him?"
"Like I said, Elijah made a grand entrance. Still, we—well, all of you—beat him. Twice. Klaus can't be indestructible, nothing is. I was told nature wouldn't allow the balance to be tipped. Right, Bonnie?" Andy asked as she looked over at the witch.
Bonnie nodded. "That's where I come in."
"Well, I think Alaric has a point," Damon begun as he turned to face Bonnie. "I mean, what if he..." He rushed at Bonnie but she threw him on the other side of the room with her powers, without even touching him.
"Well, I was impressed," Stefan said, looking at his brother in amusement as he stood to his feet.
"It doesn't matter if he's an Original. I can take down anyone who comes at me," Bonnie looked at Elena sternly. "I can kill him, Elena. I know I can."
"Well, now that we have that covered…" Andy said as she stood up and crossed the room to Alaric. "I believe I will go speak to Isobel and see if I can get anything out of her," She looked back at Damon. "And no, I don't need your backup. I'm certain she's tired of seeing you and John."
"Let me come with you," Elena said as she stood to her feet.
Andy shrugged as she handed her half-finished milkshake to Damon. "If you want. Though, I think Ric should go speak to her sometime today as well. Preferably before Jenna gets here," She looked back at Alaric with a stern expression. "Maybe asking Jenna to be your co-chaperone would be a good thing. She's not going to leave either Elena or me alone anyway. I'd feel better if you were helping make sure Klaus doesn't near her. That's something you can agree on I hope."
Alaric nodded. "I will call her. As for Isobel… well, you two can handle that. Perhaps I can talk to her in a while."
Andy exhaled but decided that was the best response she was going to get out of Alaric. She looked back to Damon and Stefan as Elena walked over to her. "Try not to breathe down our necks, alright? I get that Isobel sold her own daughters out to a psychopath who wants to sacrifice at least one of us, but you do have vampire hearing. Besides, she's tied down and there's vervain in there. We shouldn't be in any danger."
"Aye aye, captain," Damon said as he went to pour himself and Alaric a drink.
"Just be careful," Stefan said, grabbing Elena's hand and squeezing it. She smiled at him before pecking him on the lips.
"Save it for the bedroom, lovebirds," Andy said as she walked out of the room.
Elena quickly caught up with her at the basement door. "Do you think she'll tell us anything?" Elena asked as they both hesitated at the door.
"Honestly? No, but it might be good to see the extent of her compulsion. See if there's any way we can break it…" Andy trailed off and shook her head. "She's the only one who knows more about Klaus than we do. Well, except for Elijah but… we all know how that turned out."
"Do you think daggering Elijah was a mistake?" Elena asked gingerly. "I know that you two…"
"What?" Andy asked sharply, turning her head to look at Elena with narrowed eyes.
"I just know you spent some time around him is all. I saw your expression when I daggered him, Andy. He was kind to you, for an Original. Damon told me that he saved you when your wounds reopened. And the dreams…"
Andy shook her head. "Daggering Elijah was right. He was going to let you die, Elena. I also saw him kill a decent amount of people. That's not something you just forget."
"I know what you mean…" Elena remained quiet for a moment before she exhaled and looked down at the stairs. "I suppose we should go ahead and get this over with?"
"I guess. Unless you wanted me to pour my little old heart out about how heartbroken I am over Elijah," Andy said with a half-hearted smirk.
"I wouldn't want to cause you any stress, little sis," Elena said, causing Andy to roll her eyes.
"You're like, two minutes older than me," Andy said as she began descending the stairs.
"I'm still older and I'm pretty sure I was always the one left in charge, even when Jenna was there," Elena pointed out as she leaned forward and ruffled her sister's hair.
Andy threw a feigned look of annoyance over her shoulder. "Yeah well, I'm taller." Elena laughed but their laughter died down as they walked past the cell that held Elijah's body in it. Andy inhaled slightly and continued past it, not wanting to see his desiccated body within. He haunted her dreams enough. The last thing she needed was a reminder of how he looked now.
"Andy…" The voice cracked. The doppelgangers came to a stop as they reached the door Isobel was behind. The door was closed but Isobel undoubtedly heard them approach. Andy didn't even stop to look through the small hatch that was about at her eye level.
"Hi, Isobel," Andy said as she unlocked the door and swung it open. Elena looked at Andy with an uncertain look before she followed Andy into the small cell.
Isobel was already showing signs of not drinking blood the last few days. Her hair was frizzy and greasy, her forehead covered in a thin line of sweat. She was tied down to the chair with vervain covered ropes and the room had small boutiques of the flower around the room. Her breathing was heavy, her lips chapped, and yet her eyes were wide open. Andy starred back at her mother, remembering how those unsettling green eyes had gazed at them.
"And Elena…" Isobel coughed before holding her head up firmly. "What a surprise. Though you weren't exactly subtle about your intentions. I can still hear you all upstairs."
"Yeah, well, better than Damon, right?" Andy asked as she moved closer to Isobel. Elena stayed back but watched them close. Andy looked at Isobel's wrist, cringing when she saw how red and raw they were. "I'm sorry you're in pain."
"This? This is a cake walk."
Andy glanced back at Elena before focusing solely on Isobel. "Let me guess, Klaus? He must have a lot of years of torture behind him. I can only imagine what he put you through."
Isobel continued gazing at Andy, refusing to break eye contact. "Andy, I can't tell you what I don't know. You would know more than any of us with your dreams."
"I don't know if that's Klaus for sure," Andy said, though she knew deep down it was. Elijah had told her Klaus was his brother. However, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to tell the others that information. It seemed insignificant now that Elijah was daggered, but a part of her felt as if it was almost too personal to divulge.
"I'm sure Elijah had to tell you something, Andy. I saw the two of you together, you know. I saw him carry you into Jonas' house, the worried look on his face when he thought you might die…" Isobel taunted.
"What are you getting out of trying to provoke me?" Andy demanded, moving toward Isobel until she was standing right over her. "You're tied up but you should be dead. Why are you fighting this so hard? Is Klaus' compulsion that strong? I'm not the person to provoke because I wouldn't be shoving the stake through your heart. As long as Klaus is around, no one will be doing that."
Isobel remained quiet for a moment before she spoke up. "I want to die, Andy. I don't have any information about Klaus to help you all. You should just kill me rather than drag this out."
"Isobel…" Elena stepped closer so she could get a better look at their mother. "This is Klaus' compulsion. You don't want to die."
"I handed my own children over to the devil himself, Elena. The human part of me would be ashamed," Isobel exhaled as she met Elena's almond eyes. "And the vampire part of me couldn't care less. No matter what you do, you can't reverse this compulsion. Even if you release me one day, I'll just finish what I started. All of this is pointless…"
"You have a chance to help your children you betrayed," Andy pointed out. "You have to fight the compulsion. Nothing will change unless you are actively trying to fight against the compulsion, okay? So, you must fight because you and John are the only parents we have left in this fucked up world and as much as I want to hate the both of you, I'm not going to let Klaus win this one, not this time. You are going to fight because otherwise, I will make sure that you remain locked up here for the rest of eternity for what you did to Elena, compulsion or not. You can take that or leave it, Isobel."
Isobel gazed up at her for a moment before a ghost of a smile pulled at her lips. "I always knew you had some of my temper, Andy. However, I'm afraid the situation remains the same. You can't break an Original's compulsion."
Andy scoffed and shook her head. "This is pointless. Fine. Live your life down here. Be forgotten by everyone who ever knew you. I don't give a damn," She turned and headed toward the door, pausing to look at Elena. Her sister paused as if she was considering if she wanted to say something before following her out of the room and closing the door behind them.
"Are you okay?" Elena asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah, I just… give me a moment, okay? I'll be upstairs in a second," Andy said with the best reassuring smile she could muster. Elena nodded and gave her a comforting squeeze on the arm before she headed up the stairs. Andy turned and looked at the door to Elijah's body and found herself moving toward it.
When it swung open, she inhaled at seeing his grayed body on the floor. It looked just like when Damon had staked him their first meeting, but the dagger in his chest indicated that it would be more permanent. Walking over to him, she knelt by his side and brushed his bangs to the side. She cringed at the dryness of his skin and the veins protruding. He laid there, still with no indication he was still alive.
Andy had to admit as she gazed at him, he was handsome. She had known it the first time she had seen him. She wondered what exactly had occurred between him and Anastasia. All her dreams involving him were happy, with them spending time together or throwing looks at one another. She was sure a part of Elijah saw some of Anastasia in her, why else would he have shown concern for her or tolerated her personal questions? It went past his deal with Elena, Andy just wasn't sure what exactly it was. Whatever it was, she knew a part of her felt the same. She had wanted to trust him and did, up until it was discovered his intentions to sacrifice Elena. She still wanted to know why he hadn't told her. Perhaps all their interactions were just a façade. It wasn't as if they spent a lot of time together after all.
"Everything good in here?" Andy's hand recoiled from Elijah's face as she jumped to her feet and turned to see Alaric standing there.
"Uh, yeah. Everything's A-OK," Andy folded her arms over her chest and tried to ignore the flush that was taking over her cheeks. "I was just… uh, looking at him. I guess it's just weird to see him like that."
Alaric nodded, his eyes dropping to Elijah's body and staying there for a few moments. Andy watched in his curiosity as something she couldn't discern played through his eyes. She cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her. "Were you going to talk to Isobel?"
"Uh, no. I think I might save that for later," He admitted, looking a little uneasy. "She didn't tell you guys anything, did she?"
"Other than the fact she still wants to die? No, nothing new," Andy said with a sigh. "I say give it a few days and maybe the vervain will work some magic."
"Possibly," He nodded slowly. "I called Jenna. She agreed to be my co-chaperone for the night."
"Good. You two need to work through this stuff. You both clearly care for one another," Andy said with a small smile. "And you're perhaps one of the only human couples left. I don't know what Caroline or Elena expect their relationships to end up like, but I've read enough Young Adult fiction to know it's not going anywhere pretty."
"Have you ever thought about it? Becoming a vampire, that is."
Andy shrugged. "Not really, no. I guess it's something I'm not interested in. Not when they all turn out to be bloodthirsty psychos."
"Stefan isn't though. Or Caroline for that matter."
"But they have killed before. I'd rather keep my hands clean, wouldn't you? I mean you are a vampire hunter," She pointed out. "You wouldn't, would you?"
"Of course not," Alaric answered, a little too quickly. Andy looked at him, wondering what she was feeling right now. He had seemed off all day but now he looked almost uncomfortable standing in the room with Elijah. "Is everything okay, Andy?"
She shook her head, trying to forget the feeling. He was probably uncomfortable because of his ex-wife was in the other room. "Yeah, sorry. I just am a little out of it," She looked at the time on her phone. "I better go upstairs and find a costume for tonight."
"Ah, right," Alaric said as he trailed behind her out of the room. She stopped outside of the doorway and let him close the door behind them, not missing the lingering look on his face as he stared at Elijah's body.
"So where have you been the last few days?" Andy asked before she could stop herself.
"Oh. I just… needed some space. With Jenna finding out and Isobel around… it was a bit hard to take it all in at once," Alaric said as he turned to face her. She nodded and gestured for him to walk ahead of her. He began walking as she continued her questions.
"Well, next time try not to ghost, okay? Klaus compelled Isobel and I'm sure he has no qualms about compelling anyone else to do his dirty work. For all we know, one of us could have been compelled without realizing it," Andy pointed out, watching him closely as they walked up the stairs. He didn't outwardly react and instead continued walking. "Do you think Bonnie will be able to kill him?"
"Possibly," He answered, glancing over his shoulder. "But he's old. A witch might not be enough."
"True," Andy conceded as they reached the top of the stairs. "I'm just worried that there will be causalities tonight. It seems like no one has any regard for human life. Everyone else at that dance won't have a warning for how bad things could go."
"I need to head back to my apartment to get ready. Tell Jenna I'll pick her up at six," Alaric said before he paused and looked back at Andy. "Everything will be fine, Andy. Don't worry. I won't let any human causalities happen tonight." With that, Alaric turned and walked away from her. She watched him leave with a mixed expression, wondering what it really was that had gotten into him lately.
"Well, you just going to stand there gawking?" Andy looked over to see Damon was watching her from the end of the hall.
"Did you hear all of that?" Andy asked as she approached him.
"I did."
"And?"
"And…?"
"Do you think Klaus could have compelled one of us without us realizing?" Andy pushed.
"By 'one of us' you mean Ric," Damon stated.
She sighed and shrugged. "I mean, he barely checked in over the last few days. That's enough time for Klaus to do some serious psychological damage. I mean just look at Isobel."
"You're worrying over nothing, Andy." She scowled at him for a moment. "Andy, it's Ric. The guy guzzles vervain like water. Klaus couldn't have compelled him."
"You don't think he could have drained it out of his system?"
"You're not going to let this go, are you?" He questioned. She stood her ground and folded her arms across her chest. He sighed and shook his head. "Fine, I'll keep an eye on him tonight. But you were the one who suggested he take Jenna as his date."
Andy's face paled at the thought. "Damon, did I fuck up? You would know as the King of Fuck Ups."
"No, Andy, you didn't because we don't know whether or not he is compelled, Andy. Calm down, okay?" He started to reach out to put a hand on her shoulder then thought better of it. "We'll all be there tonight. You don't even have to leave Jenna's side if it makes you that uncomfortable."
"Okay," Andy exhaled and nodded. "Thanks, Damon."
"I never thought I'd hear that from you," He commented.
She rolled her eyes as she let out a scoff. "Yeah, well, I also thought I would never be fighting to save my sister from having her blood spilled over a tiny rock."
"Andy?" Jenna's voice echoed from the foyer, interrupting their moment.
Andy looked up at Damon. "Excuse me," She said as she walked around him and headed toward Jenna's voice. The two met in the living room.
"Any particular reason why Ric finally spoke to me?" Jenna asked her as she sat her bag down on the coffee table.
"Because he's madly in love with you?" Andy suggested.
"Or perhaps someone gave him a much-needed push," Jenna replied, folding her arms over her chest. "What is going on with him, Andy? He acted as if he hasn't totally blown me off the last few days."
"I have no clue, Jen. But… I'm scared Klaus might have compelled him. He's been acting… weird today. I didn't know before I suggested he took you to the dance, I swear," She explained, looking at her aunt in worry. "But Damon already agreed to keep an eye on him, though I don't think he believes me. It's probably just all in my head. I just feel like something is going to happen tonight and I hate it had to happen when there's going to be so many people around."
"We just have to trust that Bonnie has enough power," Jenna said with a sigh.
Andy reached over and grabbing her aunt's hand. "I don't think I could've handled you not knowing. It's nice to have someone that is as clueless as I am, you know? Jeremy and Elena are both so deep into the whole supernatural thing already."
"Well, you're a doppelganger so unfortunately, you're a part of it now as well," Jenna reminded her with a squeeze of her hand. "But I won't let Klaus hurt you, Jeremy, or Elena. I made a promise to myself, to your parents, that I would take care of all three of you. Original vampire or no, he hasn't met this crazy aunt."
Andy laughed. "I believe he would shake in his boots if he ever met you."
"Damn straight he would."
"Hey, I found some dresses," Elena announced as she entered the room. "We have a few choices. Okay, more than a few. The Salvatores are hoarders, evidently. I think I found one that would look perfect on you, Andy."
The three moved upstairs to check out the dresses Elena had laid out on the bed. Elena walked over and held up a baby blue bell sleeve dress. The dress was shorter and would probably come up to Andy's mid-thigh, and as much as she didn't want to, she couldn't say she didn't think it was a beautiful dress.
"That will beautiful on you," Andy said to Elena with an encouraging smile.
"No, this is for you, if you want it," Elena said, walking over to Andy.
"Me? Why? I can wear one of the others, really," She insisted as Elena handed the dress to her.
"No, that will look beautiful on you, Andy," Jenna assured. "I know just the hairstyle that would look beautiful with that."
Elena held up a pair of sandals that had a small heel to them. They were silver and were encrusted with gems. "These will go nicely with them."
"What is this, Barbie dress up?" Andy huffed, though she had to admit the dress was cute.
"Don't act as if you didn't like Barbie growing up," Elena teased with a playful smile. "Change into it, Andy. The worst thing that could happen is that you don't like it, right? Then all you have to do is choose another dress."
Andy caved with a sigh. "Fine, but if it's too short for dress code and I like it, I'm making Damon compel the chaperones," She pointed to Jenna as she went toward the bathroom. "Even you, missy."
"I'm thirteen years older than you, missy!" Andy smiled to herself as she heard Jenna and Elena giggling to themselves. She was glad that they were still could have these moments even while dealing with Klaus. She wondered if everything would be the same after they dealt with Klaus.
Staring in the mirror, Andy once again was unable to say she didn't love the dress. The baby blue fabric went to her mid-thigh but was flowy at the bottom. The long sleeves were sheer and gathered at her wrist with ruffles, though it didn't restrict her movement. The dress was plain except for the bow at her chest, which came down to the v-collar of the dress that stopped just before her breasts. She wore her hair in a half-up bouffant style, with the ends hanging down curled. She wore dark eye makeup that made her almond eyes pop. Her lips were a glossy pink from the lipstick. She wore no jewelry, and her shoes gave her a slight boost in her height.
"You clean up nice," She looked up and saw Damon standing in the doorway.
"Not too bad yourself," Andy said as she turned to look at him. He wore a black shirt and pants. His shirt was unbuttoned slightly and his hair in its usual disheveled style. Meeting his gaze, she became achingly aware of the fact her dress matched his eye color. She was certain Elena didn't do it on purpose, but with the dance drawing so close she didn't have time to choose another outfit.
"Nice dress," Damon said as he walked over to her. Andy let out a small sigh, certain he had realized it as well. "Need a ride?"
"Damon, I'm not going to be your date," Andy told him firmly.
"Hey, I'm going stag, you're going stag. The least we can do is go stag together, right? And a ride is just a ride, nothing more."
"You didn't want to bring Andie?"
"She was working late," He stated with a shrug.
Andy sighed again and looked away for a moment. Jenna had gone to grab food with Alaric before the dance—fortunately where they could be monitored in a public place by John, who Andy had also informed of her suspicions—while Elena and Stefan were off somewhere. After they had finished getting ready, Elena had excused herself to go see if Stefan was ready and that was over twenty minutes ago. Andy concluded the two had gotten distracted and was too fearful of seeing something to investigate.
"Fine, you can give me a ride," Andy relented. "But if you try anything—"
"I'm a taken man, Andy. How scandalous of you to suggest I would even think about hurting Andie," Damon said, putting a hand over his chest.
She rolled her eyes. "You're not as endearing as you think you are."
"Tough crowd," He commented as she walked past him. As they headed downstairs, the two ran into Stefan and Elena who were talking by the door.
"Hey, I was just about to tell you we were leaving," Elena said as she turned toward her sister. Elena was dressed in a flowery dress that was about as short as Andy's. She wore a white belt around her waist and white boots that went up to her knees. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and she wore heart earrings that had a peace sign within them.
"Dear old Damon offered to give me a ride," Andy said, folding her arms over her chest. Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Don't worry, I'll try not to kill him. I make no promises though."
"She's in safe hands, Elena. I've been driving for a while," Damon commented as he came to stand next to Andy. She rolled her eyes again and looked over at him.
"Can we get this show on the road already? Something tells me Klaus isn't going to wait all night."
"I suppose it's too much to ask for you to save me a dance," Damon said as they climbed out from his car. The ride had mostly been silence other than a short conversation about Isobel. Andy had also been aware of her dress looking awfully similar to the color of Damon's Camaro. It was the last time she ever let Elena choose her outfit.
"Probably," Andy said with a shrug as she closed the door behind her. He walked around his car and raised an eyebrow at her. "Besides, 'Andy doesn't dance,' remember?"
"Maybe Klaus will want to dance. You will have to think of a clever way to reject him," Damon suggested. She scoffed and smacked him on the arm.
"I'll dance with him when hell freezes over and when you're not an asshole, so basically… never," Andy said as they began walking toward the school. She noticed Bonnie and Jeremy standing in the parking lot facing one another. Jeremy was holding out his ring and the two looked as if they were having an intimate moment. For a moment Andy forgot that they were together now. Elena seemed cool with it and honestly, Andy just wanted Jeremy and Bonnie to be happy. If that was with one another, so be it.
"Never is such a loaded word," Damon said, his gaze fixed on Bonnie and Jeremy as well. Andy glanced over at him to make a smart comment but noticed he had a look of worry on his face for a split second. When he noticed her watching, his face smoothed out in a neutral expression. She almost asked him what was wrong as they approached but stayed silent as she tried to hear what Bonnie and Jeremy were saying.
"…but I can feel them. I'm empowered, Jeremy, I can do this. I know I can. I'm strong enough," Bonnie said before she pulled Jeremy into a hug. As she did, she noticed that they had an audience. "Andy. Damon." She pulled away from the hug, and Jeremy turned to face them.
"Evening," Damon said before he hooked his arm through Andy's. "Let's allow the lovebirds their moment, hm?"
Andy went to protest but he had pulled her away before she could even speak. She glanced back at them with a worried expression before looking back at Damon. "What was that about?" She demanded as he pulled her toward the entrance.
"Jeremy's just worried that she's not strong enough. You saw her earlier. You know that she is," Damon said, keeping his gaze ahead.
"Damon—"
"Andy, everything's going to be fine, okay? No need to worry," He said, throwing her a warning look.
She yanked her arm away from him as they reached the entrance. "Andy, I almost didn't recognize you," Mrs. Poorman, Andy's English teacher, said as the doppelganger approached with Damon.
"Thanks, Poorman," Andy said as she tossed her ticket on the table. The old woman smiled before looking up at Damon.
"Did you get a guest clearance?"
"I have an all-access pass actually. I'm a chaperone," Damon said as he compelled her.
"Well, you two have fun tonight!"
As they walked away, Andy sighed. "You should have compelled her to move our test on Hamlet back to next Friday."
"Let's deal with Klaus and then I can compel whoever you want me to," Damon replied as they stopped at the edge of the crowd. There was a live band playing, and the crowd of people were mostly dancing. Andy found herself looking over the crowd for the familiar cerulean gaze but wasn't seeing anyone who looked remotely familiar.
"Do you see Klaus?" Damon asked her, leaning in closer so she could hear him over all the noise.
"I don't," She admitted with a frown as she spotted Jenna and Alaric dancing. He was saying something to her that made her laugh. At least someone was having fun.
"You guys ready?" Andy turned to see Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy had filed in behind them.
"As I'll ever be," She answered Stefan. Damon began leading them around the crowd as they tried to get a better look at everyone. Each one of them were analyzing every face in the crowd but to no avail.
"Thanks for being here, everybody," Andy glanced to see Dana, the one who Klaus had compelled earlier to give Elena the message, had gone on stage. "We have a special shout-out tonight."
Damon stopped in front of the stage and looked up as well, causing the others to halt behind him as Dana continued speaking. "This is for Elena and Andy. From Klaus." The band began playing again, a song that Andy didn't recognize. She turned and looked at Elena in worry to see her sister was standing there just as stunned.
"That was a lame, cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us," Damon explained as he turned to face the others.
"I know everyone here," Elena said before they all looked at Andy expectantly.
"I haven't seen him," She answered softly, turning her gaze back out to the crowd of people.
"Maybe he's not here. Just wants us to believe that he is," Stefan suggested.
"Or maybe he has someone here for him," Andy countered, her brows furrowing in worry as she looked around for Jenna and Alaric.
"It's a party, people. Blend. Let him come to us," Damon said.
"Good idea," Bonnie replied as she took Jeremy's arm.
Jeremy shook his head. "No, no, I really don't feel like dancing."
"Too bad." She said with a smile as she pulled him onto the dance floor.
"There's Ric. I'll be back," Damon said, glancing at Andy before he started making his way to Alaric. Andy excused herself as well before following Damon through the crowd to Alaric and Jenna, who had abandoned the dance floor.
"Are you guys okay?" Jenna asked in worry as Andy and Damon approached. "You haven't seen him, have you?"
"We're fine, Jen. And no, not yet," Andy said with a sigh.
"Special dedication, huh? This guy's a little twisted," Alaric commented.
Damon scoffed. "I'm not impressed."
Alaric raised an eyebrow at Damon. "No?"
"Let me know if you see anything out of whack," Damon said before turning to Andy. "Would you like to dance, Andy? I promise my hands won't go anywhere near your neck."
"I'm going to take a raincheck. I can't exactly look for Klaus if I'm busy making sure you don't cop a feel," Andy replied dryly. Damon rolled his eyes and suddenly his attention was pulled away. Andy glanced over to see what he was looking at and saw that Stefan had gestured him over from the dance floor.
"It seems I might have my dance card full at the moment anyway," Damon commented as he walked away. Andy watched as Damon crossed the room and began dancing with Elena as Stefan walked away. Andy pursed her lips, unable to deny that she didn't like seeing them dance together. As much as she didn't like Damon at the moment, she felt a bit burned at the sight. Elena laughed as she danced with Damon when he made funny expressions and gestures at her. Andy remembered a time when she could be that relaxed with Damon.
"Hey, you okay?" Jenna asked, putting a hand on Andy's arm.
Andy swallowed as she tore her gaze away from the two. She didn't meet Jenna's or Alaric's gaze as she began to back away. "I'm gonna go grab some punch. You guys continue policing teenagers and reminiscing about your days in the sun."
After waiting in a line for a refreshment, Andy finally made it to the front. The attendant began pouring her a glass, doing their best to make small talk. However, Andy felt the same anxious feeling in her dreams come to her. Taking the cup in silence, she walked out of the line and began looking around the room again. It was the same feeling she had in the Salvatores the other night, she realized. He had to be here. She didn't know how she knew it, but he was
As she scanned the room she noticed that Stefan was walking away from Caroline, who had been joined by Matt. The two began dancing, but Andy didn't see anyone around them. Her gaze slipped over Bonnie and Jeremy dancing. Bonnie looked happy, but Jeremy looked detached from it all. Stefan ended up joining Elena and Damon as a new song started. The couple started to dance while Damon walked away from them. Andy continued looking but saw no one that looked like Klaus, not even in the band.
Finally, her gaze landed on Jenna and Alaric who were standing off to the side, surveying the room. Jenna was looking in the other direction, but Alaric was looking at her. Their gazes met and Andy felt her stomach sink. Something was wrong with him. She wasn't sure what but there was something in his eyes that she didn't like. However, before she could even move toward him, he turned and said something to Jenna before he walked out of the doors into the hallways. Andy looked to see that Damon was now dancing with Bonnie, while Jeremy was heading her way. She wanted to tell Damon but he had been skeptical of her before. Why would he believe her when all she had as proof was a bad feeling in her gut?
"Hey," Jeremy greeted as he drew closer.
Andy felt her heart pounding in her chest as her gaze slipped back to where Alaric disappeared. She knew she should tell them of the bad feeling in her gut but she didn't know how. "Hey," She tried to answer as neutral as possible.
"Is everything okay?" He asked, noticing her hands were shaking.
"I-I need to go to the restroom," Andy said, handing her drink over to him. She walked away from him and made a beeline for Jenna. "Hey, where did Ric go?" She asked her as she approached.
"To grab a couple… pencils from his classroom," Jenna said. By the way Jenna had emphasized pencils, Andy assumed she meant stakes. "Just for some backup."
"I'm going to go help him," Andy decided, her gaze slipping from Jenna's to survey the room once more. The bad feeling in her gut was still there, but it wasn't as deafening to her without Alaric nearby. "Has he been acting weird tonight?"
"Not really. He's been a lot smoother with his flirts, but otherwise he seems fine," Jenna answered.
Andy nodded. "Just… tell Damon when you get the chance, will you? Preferably soon, in case we run into some trouble and don't return within the next five minutes."
"Andy, let me come with you," Jenna said, grabbing Andy's wrist as she began to leave.
"No, stay here and make sure Elena stays safe, okay? She's the one Klaus really needs," She pointed out before giving Jenna a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine, Jen. If we're not back in five just send Damon to come get us, okay?" Jenna nodded but still reluctantly released her wrist.
Andy turned and found herself pushing her way through the crowd as quickly as she could. She had already lost enough time with stopping in the first place. Bursting into the hallways, she became aware of how eerie it was as she began walking toward Alaric's classroom. The hallways were barely lit, making it look as if she were in a Silent Hill game. She clenched her fists, trying to stop them from shaking as she got closer to the classroom.
She paused as she saw the door was open and the light on. This was incredibly stupid of her, but she wasn't sure if this was all in her mind or not. For all she knew Alaric was completely okay and she was just overreacting from stress. Still, she needed to be certain no matter what. Steeling herself, she turned the corner and stopped in the doorway of the classroom. Alaric was at his desk, pulling a couple stakes from his desk. He looked up at her in surprise.
"Andy, hey," He greeted as he turned his attention back to the desk. "I was just grabbing some stakes in case we needed to help Bonnie against Klaus. If he ever shows his face."
"Stakes don't work against Originals."
"Well, they can be hurt at least," He replied before looking up at her. He straightened up and tilted his head to the side. "Is everything okay? I saw the way you reacted when you saw Damon go dance with Elena."
"I think I have heard that question a million times today," Andy said putting her hand on the door handle and trying to make it look like she was casually leaning against it. "Do you remember when we first met, Ric?"
Alaric's brows furrowed. "Andy, are you sure you're okay? You've been acting weird—" He began to move toward her but she took a step back, her hand locked around the door handle.
"Where were we when we first met, Ric?" Andy demanded.
"Well, here," He answered after a moment, gesturing to the room.
Andy swallowed and glanced over the classroom before she met his gaze again. His eyes weren't like Isobel's when she tried to speak about the compulsion. Moreover, Alaric had never forgotten what lesson they were on, even if he had a hangover. Alaric knew the first time they met was at the Grill when she had been serving him and he had questioned her about Damon, who had been at the bar having a drink at the time.
"Who are you?" Andy asked after a moment, her knuckles turning white as she clutched the door handle. Alaric continued looking at her confused for a moment before he sighed.
"Andy, I don't know what you're talking about. If you could just—" The moment he took a step toward her she slammed the door and began booking it down the hall to the others. Screw what Damon thought, she was going to tell everyone that Alaric was definitely not in his right mind.
"Andy, wait!" She heard Alaric call her name out as she rushed down the hall. She slowed and turned to see if he was approaching, only to see the hallway was completely empty behind her. She wasted no time in continuing her way back to the dance, bursting through the doors and looking around for a familiar face.
"Andy, you okay?" She looked to see Matt and Caroline were standing nearby, looking at her in worry.
"Have you guys seen Elena?" She asked them.
"Uh, I think she went outside with Bonnie a few minutes ago."
Andy felt her fear building as she glanced around the dance and saw Jenna and Damon speaking. Jenna had a worried expression on her face while Damon listened intently. "Thanks," She said quickly before she rushed over to Damon and Jenna.
"You're back," Jenna said in relief.
"That is not Alaric, Damon. Fuck whatever you think, there is something wrong with him. I don't know if he's been compelled or something, but do not trust him," Andy said, looking up at Damon in worry and hoping he took her seriously. She glanced around the crowd. "We need to find Elena. Now."
They both saw that Stefan was surveying the room, no Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy, or Alaric in sight. Damon looked back at Andy. "Stay here with Stefan and tell him," He ordered them before he walked away from them.
"I need to find Elena," Andy said, turning to Jenna.
"Andy—"
"Jenna, please," She begged. "Klaus has no reason to hurt me. If Alaric has been compelled then he knows about Bonnie's powers. He'll kill her and then take Elena. Tell Stefan where we went."
Before Jenna could protest further, Andy ran after Damon. When she made it back into the hallway, she heard the sounds of struggle and quickly followed after it. Turning the corner, she saw Chad was standing there with two of his friends while Jeremy laid on the ground.
"Let me guess... Klaus says hi?" Damon said, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. He grabbed one of the boys and went to stake him but Andy shouted to stop him.
"He's compelled, Damon! Don't kill him," She exclaimed. He threw the guy against the locker to knock him out before he focused on the other two. However, Stefan beat him to it and hit both Chad and the other guy to the side, incapacitating them for the moment.
"This whole thing's a distraction," Stefan said, looking at Chad as Damon yanked the arrow from his shoulder. "Go find Bonnie and Elena. I got this. Go."
Damon rushed away and Andy was quick to follow, somewhat glad he didn't tell her to wait with Stefan again. He continued running and she followed him, his silence making her think he was listening out for them. Eventually, they burst into another hallway where Bonnie and Elena were running toward them, relief washing over all of them as they were reunited.
"What happened?" Damon demanded.
"Klaus is in Alaric's body," Elena said, breathless.
"What?" Damon's head snapped to Andy but she simply felt as if she was going to vomit. They had been around Klaus this entire time without realizing it. He knew everything they had spoken about, including Isobel's survival and Bonnie's powers. That explained why he had no memory of stuff Alaric should have known.
"He's possessing it or something." Bonnie said, her breathing heavy as well.
Damon looked over at Elena. "Go find Stefan. Now."
"Okay," Elena said, hesitating as she realized Bonnie wasn't going to follow her.
"Now," Damon said before looking over at Andy expectantly. "I'm going to make sure Bonnie stays safe, Andy. Go make sure your sister stays that way as well."
Andy nodded before she started running down the hall with Elena by her side. Fortunately, they made it back to the dance without any run-ins with Alaric—Klaus, Andy reminded herself. They began moving through the dance floor, looking all around them for Stefan or Jenna. "Hey! Are you okay?" Caroline asked as she stopped in front of them, still holding onto Matt.
"Um...Yeah. I'm just... I'm looking for Stefan," Elena explained as Andy kept looking around. She spotted both Stefan and Jenna looking worriedly around the dance and grabbed Elena's hand.
"Seriously, what's wrong?" Caroline looked in-between them with concern. Andy gestured to Elena with her head as she began pulling her sister away from the blonde.
"Uh, just, um, just stay with Matt, okay?" Elena called over her shoulder as Andy dragged her over to Stefan and Jenna. Their aunt immediately pulled them into a hug upon seeing them.
"Okay, this time I'm seriously not letting either of you leave my sight the rest of this century," Jenna muttered. "Next time I am the one running off to save someone, not you two!"
"Where's Jeremy?" Andy asked, looking around the dance.
"He's over there," Jenna said, gesturing to the drink table. Jeremy was sipping on a drink, a sad look on his face.
"What happened?" Stefan asked as he and Elena embraced.
"Klaus is possessing Alaric's body," Elena explained as she pulled back from the hug. "I-I don't know how."
Stefan looked at Andy. "Where is Damon?"
"He stayed behind with Bonnie," She answered. "Klaus is trying to kill her tonight, not me. He knows about her powers."
"I need to find them," Stefan said as he began to walk away.
"Whoa, you think we're just going to let you leave by yourself? Let alone, us by ourselves?" Andy asked as she moved to follow him.
"Andy's right. I'm not letting Klaus kill Bonnie," Elena said as she stepped further.
"And I'm not either," Jenna said. Stefan sighed but nodded.
"Whatever the plan, we need to go now." They all exited the auditorium and began running in the direction they had left Damon and Bonnie. After a few minutes, their path was cut off by Damon, who strode in casually.
"There you are," He said as he stopped in front of them. They all slowed and looked at him in confusion.
"What are you doing? Where's Bonnie?" Elena asked breathlessly.
Damon hesitated a moment. "She's doing what she has to do."
"What?" Elena demanded.
Stefan walked over to Damon. "Where is she?"
"Stefan, let her do this," Damon said sternly.
"Damn it, Damon, where is she?!" Stefan exclaimed, grabbing Damon by the shirt. Damon still didn't budge and Stefan shoved him to the side before rushing forward. Elena was quick to follow. Jenna and Andy both glared at Damon before they rushed after the others. Stefan used his hearing to locate Bonnie, the trail leading them straight to the cafeteria. However, just as they arrived, Bonnie turned and slammed the doors with her powers.
"Bonnie, no!" Elena cried out as she banged on the door. Andy struggled to see into the room past Elena and Stefan who were at the windows, but she saw the lights were flickering and papers were flying everywhere from the wind. Alaric was on the ground, his leg twisted in an unnatural position.
He crawled on the floor toward Bonnie as she continued holding her hand up. The lights within started bursting, sending a shower of sparks raining down. Elena screamed as Stefan tried to open the doors but he couldn't. Jenna and Andy both stood helplessly to the side with misty eyes. Bonnie turned to at Elena with a smile, blood running from her nose. Alaric got up and Bonnie faced him again. Suddenly with a jerk of her body, she bent back and fell on the floor. As soon as her body made contact with the floor, Stefan was able to open the doors. They all rushed in and immediately went to Bonnie in the now dark room.
"No! Oh! Bonnie! Bonnie, Bonnie! Bonnie! Hey, hey," Elena said as she took Bonnie in her arms, the tears welling in her eyes. Andy glanced around for any sign of Alaric—Klaus—but he was nowhere to be seen. Jenna knelt next to Elena and rubbed a hand on her back. "Stefan, she's not breathing!" She began sobbing as Stefan knelt next to them. "Stefan! Stefan, I can't find her pulse! Stefan! Do something, please! Stefan, please! Just give her blood, do something, please!"
Stefan slowly looked up at Elena with a somber expression. "It's too late. I'm sorry."
Andy felt her mouth go dry as she watched Bonnie's stilled body. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at nothing. She had known Bonnie since elementary school. She had grown up with Bonnie, and even if they weren't as close as she was with Elena, Andy still liked Bonnie. But Klaus had killed her.
Elena continued crying as she shook her head in disbelief. "No! No. No, no, no, no, no! Bonnie! Bonnie, please, no! No, no, no!"
"Elena…" Jenna murmured, causing Elena to cry harder and lean on her aunt for support as she held the body of her best friend.
"Stefan, get them out of here. I'll deal with the body," Damon said as he entered the cafeteria.
"What do you mean, deal with it?" Elena demanded, turning to look at him with tears in her eyes.
"The sheriff can't know about this. Last thing we need's another mysterious death," Damon explained, his expression hard and cold. How could he let Bonnie do this? He knew that this would kill her, didn't he? That was what he had overheard Jeremy and Bonnie speak about outside before the dance and why Jeremy had been in a sour mood all night.
"This is Bonnie!" Elena shouted in agony at him.
Damon looked at Stefan. "Get her home. Now. So I can clean this up."
Stefan grabbed Elena and helped her to get up. "Hey, hey, hey."
"No. Jeremy. Oh, my God, Jeremy. What about Jeremy?" Elena said as she looked around in shock.
"I'll find him," Jenna said softly as Elena got up, leaving Bonnie's body on the ground. Stefan wrapped his arms around her as she continued sobbing. They moved toward the door with Jenna following. Andy hesitated behind them before she looked over at Damon.
"Was it worth it?" Andy asked him, feeling her anger overcome her sorrow. "Maybe you never really did love her at all. You wouldn't have done this if you did." She turned and walked out the room, her heart heavy as she thought of Bonnie Bennett's corpse becoming cold and lifeless back there.
After she changed into her pajamas, Andy found herself on the back porch with Jenna, the two of them drinking tea. They had comforted Elena for a while until she asked to be left alone. They had silently made their way outside with their drinks and sat in the same somber mood since.
"I can't… I can't even believe this," Jenna whispered, wiping the tears that escaped her eyes. "How could Damon allow her to do that?"
"Because he's Damon," Andy answered, drawing circles with her index finger on the chair she sat in.
"I should make Elena her favorite cookies," Jenna decided after another moment of silence. "Do you want to help?"
"I think I'm just going to stay out here for now," Andy said. "But you go on. I'll be back in a little while."
Jenna stood and kissed Andy on the head. "If it had been one of you… I don't even know what I'd do. I love you, Andy. I'm here if you need to talk."
"Thanks, Jen. I love you too," Andy squeezed her aunt's hand before letting her retreat into the warmth inside. Andy stood and walked over to the edge of the porch, looking up at the stars. She wondered if heaven were real and if Bonnie was there now. She had been good, she deserved to go more than any single one of them. Klaus had killed her all because of this stupid prophecy.
At the edge of the backyard, a flickering caught Andy's eyes. She glanced back at the house nervously before she took a step closer and strained her eyes to see what was out there. With Klaus in Mystic Falls, she didn't dare go any closer.
However, when the figure stepped out, Andy felt her breath catch in her throat. There stood Bonnie, though she wasn't in her costume from earlier. Without even thinking Andy rushed off the porch and began to head toward her.
"Bonnie?" She called out, stopping a few feet from the porch. The moonlight was enough where she couldn't see her face, but she didn't remember Bonnie being so tall. The figure suddenly raised their hand and Andy felt a rippling pain cut through her brain before she felt the edges of her vision blur. Collapsing on the ground, the last thing she saw was the woman approaching.
~ * • ° • ° • * ~