Previously on The Vampire Diaries:

Lana's POV

I took a final deep breath and then followed Damon outside. I made my entrance with as much confidence and attitude as I could manage. The conversation tapered off as they all caught sight of me.

SOPHIE'S POV

Lana and Damon walked out and silence took over. I watched everyone's reactions trying to see if this was going to end badly. Elena was shooting daggers from her eyes, Jeremy and Alaric both wore calm expressions which hid their true feelings, Bonnie and Caroline were giving her the mean girl expression that clearly said you are the scum of the earth.

"Everyone this is Lana," I said hoping to clear some of the tension away.

Lana gave a quick awkward wave. Nobody said anything for a minute and then Jeremy walked over to her and said, "I'm Jeremy we met once…sort of."

I paused and held my breath for a moment as I remembered the night I had found out about her and Klaus.

"I recall that; I don't think we had a formal introduction for you didn't catch me at my best," she smiled at him after that Alaric went and talked to her but all of the girls stayed on the opposite side ignoring her.

Things eventually gained a more normal atmosphere as the day wore on. After a few hours we dragged out all the food for a buffet style meal. We had finished eating and had put all the leftovers away and we had broken up into small groups and were chatting. I was sitting with Bonnie, Caroline and Elena who were all giving me the third degree about Lana.

"Well I just don't see why you are letting her stay here?"

"How could you forgive her for running off with Klaus?"

"Really Sophie it seems dumb to just trust her again so quickly."

I let out an exasperated sigh, "Do you know what Lana has been my best friend for ever and I am not going to just throw her out."

"Sophie she didn't just make a tiny mistake. She ran off with Klaus who has tried to kill pretty much everyone here," Elena said with anger in her tone.

"I get that Elena but Lana is my friend and if you can't accept that than we can't be friends. I don't expect any of you to like her but I do expect you to at least be civil," I said putting an end to the conversation.

LANA'S POV

The afternoon dragged by at a snail's pace. Jeremy was being nice to me which took me by surprise but I could feel the hostility radiating off the others in waves. Alaric tried to be polite but I could tell he was struggling to maintain his composure. Once we were finished eating I started clearing the food and plates so I could have a chance to not talk to anyone. I had just brought in the last load and was planning an escape to my room I was walking past the living room when I heard Damon talking to Alaric and Jeremy. I was going to continue on my way when I heard Klaus' name.

"Well what happened to make her come back here?" Alaric said.

"I don't know she hasn't said anything to Sophie about it," Damon answered.

"Has Sophie even asked her about it?" Alaric continued.

"Yes she did, but Lana won't give her an answer."

Alaric sighed, "How attached is Klaus to Lana?"

Damon scoffed, "I don't know Rick I wasn't exactly privy to their relationship details."

"Do you think Klaus cared about Lana at all or was it just an act to get her to help him?"

I held my breath waiting for the answer. It was a question I had been pondering myself but I hadn't examined the subject matter too deeply for fear of what I might find.

"I don't think Klaus cares about anyone but himself," Damon answered.

My stomach churned and I felt my eyes burn with tears as Damon confirmed my worst fears.

"So you don't think it would be possible to trade Lana for Stefan?" Alaric said.

"What's your plan, hey Klaus give us Stefan or we kill Lana?" Damon asked in a mocking tone, "You wouldn't have to worry about Klaus coming here to kill you because Sophie would if she even heard you talking about this."

"Is Lana mad enough at Klaus to help us kill him?" Alaric replied.

"Sophie and Lana refuse to say anything about it so I doubt that."

Jeremy finally cut in, "I'm kind of surprised that Lana went with Klaus in the first place. I would have thought she would have seen through him in a minute."

I didn't want to hear any more and since I couldn't get to the stairs without them seeing me and realizing that I had heard their entire conversation I slipped back down the hallway and into the kitchen. I was sitting on the counter trying to deal with my volatile emotions when Elena came in.

"There you are," she said as she spotted me. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" I grumbled.

"I've been trying to call Stefan all summer and he won't answer me. I just want to know that he's okay."

"I talked to him today and he's as well as can be expected."

"Why is he taking your phone calls and not mine?" Elena asked defensively.

"Probably because you are supposed to be dead and since we have spent the better part of the summer together me and Stefan did become friends."

Elena studied me for a while before saying, "I know it's not my business but why did you come back to Mystic Falls?"

"I got into a huge fight with Klaus."

"Over what?" she probed.

"That's between Klaus and me."

Elena let the subject drop, "We are planning a girls weekend at my lake house would you like to come?"
I laughed, "Sophie told you to ask me didn't she?"

Elena nodded.

"She's so bossy. Thanks for the invite but I don't think it's a good idea right now but make Sophie go she has been stressing out over me and needs a carefree weekend."

Elena was turning to leave when I impulsively stopped her, "If you have a message for Stefan I can pass it along for you next time I call him."

"Just tell him I want him to come home and that I miss him."

"You should probably go before people come looking for you," I told her.

I heard the door close as she went back outside. I wasn't certain if the guys had cleared out of the living room so I just lingered in the kitchen.

Eventually Alaric, Damon, and Jeremy went back outside. I spent a few more minutes composing myself and then I followed them outside.

I sat down at the table between Sophie and Jeremy, the conversation was about the last trip to the lake house.

"You have to come with us Sophie, you said you would," Caroline said.

"I know but maybe I'll just go to the next one," Sophie replied.

Caroline continued trying to push her into attending but Sophie continued to resist and I knew it was for my benefit so I eventually told her that she should go.

"See even Lana thinks you should go so now you don't have any reason to stay behind," Caroline said triumphantly.

"Are you coming with us?" Sophie asked me.

"Maybe next time. I don't really feel like a girl's weekend right now," I said.

Sophie kept saying she was staying at home but by the end of the night she had agreed to go with them.

Everyone left around eleven that night. They seemed a little more comfortable around me by the time the night was over but I was still definitely on the outside of the group.

The next morning when I got out of bed Caroline had picked up Sophie and they had gone to the lake. I went downstairs and poured a bowl of cereal. I was almost done eating when Damon came in and threw a file folder down on the table in front of me.

"What's this?"
"It's for you?" Damon replied as he sat down across from me.

"Please tell me these are pictures of a naked Tyler Lockwood."

"Where would I get something like that?"

"You're a resourceful man Damon. If anyone could get those pictures it would be you."

I flipped open the file folder and saw a picture of me and Klaus kissing. My heart dropped and I felt like I was going to barf up my cereal. I had forgotten that I had sent the Vegas pictures to Sophie. I looked through the rest of the photos cringing mentally at every single one where I was with Klaus. I knew I should just ignore them but I kept staring at them.

"I forgot I sent these to Sophie," I said as I finished going through them.

"Well she hid them in her beach bag but since she needed that she left them sitting next to our bed so I figured I would give them back to you."

"I appreciate that," I lied. "So what is on your agenda for the day?"

"I'm not sure."
I cut across him, "The correct answer is my life has no meaning without Sophie so I will just be a lonely weirdo who spends the weekend pinning away for my soul mate."

Damon smiled ruefully, "Well that seems like fun but I was going to go talk to Alaric."

"About what?"

"What he was talking about yesterday."

Damon gave me a meaningful stare. Damn the vampire super hearing he knew I was listening the entire time.

"Don't worry we won't plot to sell you to Klaus."

"How benevolent of you. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want me back anyway."

"What happened between you guys? Was it another woman or did he decapitate someone in front of you?"

"He threatened to kill Sophie," I figured if anyone would understand how angry I was about it Damon would.

"What?" his blue eyes blazed with anger.
"He found out about the letters and he was mad and said he should have just killed Sophie before we left."

"That's why you came back because he threatened Sophie," he looked a little surprised.

"Bro's before ho's, or sister's before mister's right. I didn't tell Sophie because it would just scare her so this stays between us," I said.

Damon nodded then got up and left for Alaric's.

I put my cereal bowl into the dishwasher then glanced at the pictures on the table I picked them up and took them upstairs. I sat on my bed and studied them. How could I still want Klaus after what he had said? What was wrong with me? I felt drained emotionally so I tossed them to the floor and rolled over and fell asleep. I woke up later that night but I didn't have the energy to get out of bed. I turned on the lamp and picked up my phone and dialed Klaus' number but was too afraid to press talk. I slammed my phone down on the night stand and started crying. The next day I felt worse and more confused. I was a mess I didn't even leave Stefan's room. I heard Damon come and go and I think he tried talking to me but I wasn't entirely sure.

SOPHIE'S POV

I had been at the lake for two days and had been having as much fun as I could but I was worried about Lana. I told Damon to call me if anything changed with her and I would come home. So far I was operating on the whole no news is good news level but I was thinking about calling him just to check in. I was reaching for my phone when it started ringing.

"Damon is everything okay?" I asked quickly.

"You need to get back here now."

"What happened?"

"I don't know but Lana hasn't come out of Stefan's room in quite a while and the only reason I know she isn't dead is because she won't stop crying."

"You have to come pick me up."
"I'm about fifteen minutes away."

I hung up and sped around collecting my stuff as fast as possible. The girls were a little upset that I was leaving so abruptly but they understood why I had to go. Damon pulled up and I threw my stuff into the back seat and got in.

"Okay so what happened?"

"I don't know she was fine and then she wasn't."
"When did you last talk to her?"

"The day you left she was having breakfast and was normal I gave her her pictures from Las Vegas and then I went to Alaric's and when I got back she was in Stefan's room."

I sighed, "You idiot why would you give her the pictures?"

"They do belong to her and you left them out. I thought I was supposed to give them to her."

"This is a disaster, but this would have happened anyway so I guess we will just go home and deal with it."

Damon made record time in getting me home. He put my bags in our room and then left the house. I went straight to Lana's room. I cautiously opened the door and poked my head in she was sleeping. I walked in and sat down on the bed causing her to jump.

"Jesus Sophie I just about crapped my pants. What are you doing back here?"

"I got bored of the lake."

"Liar face, Damon called you didn't he," she mumbled.
I nodded, "So what's up."

"Please don't hate me for saying this but I miss Klaus."

I wasn't sure what to say. I wanted to say you are better off without him he is a deranged psycho but she looked so sad that I bit my tongue.

"Do you want to go back to him?"
"No….yes….no…maybe…..I don't know. I love him but I don't know if he even likes me a little bit."

"Obviously he likes you a little bit otherwise you would be dead by now."

"That's an excellent point. I just don't know what to do. I am mad about what happened but I still want to call him and try to work it out. I need a therapist." Lana said brushing away the tears that escaped.

"Lady what you need is to get out of bed and have a shower you stink."

"Ouch. Aren't you supposed to be making me feel better?"

"Tough love."

I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of bed. She flopped onto the floor and laid there I gave her a moment to collect herself but she just remained a lump on the ground.

"Honestly lady, get up or I am going to sit on you," I threatened.

Lana glared at me for a moment before getting up and shuffling off to the bathroom. I heard her turn on the shower. She came out of the bathroom looking a little more human but I could tell she had been crying again.

"Now what's the game plan?" Lana asked me.

"What would make you feel better?"

"A shirtless Damon."

"You are married to his brother so you can't look at Damon ever… not to mention that he is mine."
"I won't touch I just want to look."

"Forget it. I love you but not enough to share."
"Fine I want to dance and sing and just act ridiculous."

"I think we can manage that," I smiled.

We went downstairs and we browsed through the music collection that Damon and Stefan had.

"God all of this crap is depressing," I said as I searched for something a little more uplifting.

Lana was going through a different cupboard nearby when she pulled out a c.d. that was hidden far in the back.

"Who do you think this belongs to?" she asked as she held up a best of ABBA c.d.

"I don't know but we are listening to it," I grabbed it from her and started it up.

Lana poured us a couple of drinks and we started singing at the top of our lungs and dancing around the house. We listened to the c.d. twice before our energy flagged but we continued drinking.

"Now what?" I sighed as we flopped onto the couch.

Lana gave me a bright look and I could tell she had just had a brainwave, "Sophie I still haven't gone through Stefan's journals."

"Should we do that?"
"Oh yes we must. I'm pretty sure it's an imperative," I picked up a couple of bottles and Lana got our glasses and the mix for our drinks and we raced each other up the steps and burst into Stefan's room. Lana raced to the tall chest that contained the journals and grabbed one and flipped through it.

"This one is about Katherine!" she cried gleefully. I poured us some drinks and passed it to Lana who was standing in the middle of the room.

"Shall I do a dramatic reading for you?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"Give me a moment I need to get into character," Lana made a pouty brooding face and cleared her throat a few times and started to read doing her best Stefan impression.

June 18th

Damon has come home from the war he never seemed to be all that interested in being a part of the glorious Southern cause. I should be glad he is back but he is trying to take up all of Katherine's attention.

Lana read her way through several of the journals skimming through the boring stuff. We had skipped through the time line and were now reading about Elena. By this time we were severely inebriated. We were both laughing and being noisy so we weren't even aware that Damon was standing in the door way watching us.

September 15

Damon has turned up in town he seems to think that the excuse of animal attacks will keep him covered and safe from the wrath of the council.

"What are you guys doing?" Damon asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," I lied.

Lana turned to face him, "Perusing your brother's most secretive and private thoughts and feelings. Care to join us?" she slurred.

"I might as well not like I have anything better to do," Damon sat down on the bed next to me

"Well we are just at the part where you come back to Mystic Falls and are all bad ass and emotionless, weren't those the good old days," Lana said than she continued her performance.

LANA'S POV

When I woke up the next morning I was almost certain I had alcohol poisoning. How much had Sophie and I drank last night I wondered as I tried to sit up. I got up and realized I was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. I turned on the shower and cursed the water for being so loud as it hit the floor of the tub. I felt a little better once I was cleaned up but I was promising myself that I would never drink again. I fished around my bag and found a pair of sunglasses some sweats and a t-shirt. I went downstairs and made some iced tea to help settle my stomach. I didn't know if it actually made a real difference but it was a hangover trick I had learned from my sister. I wandered outside and sat down enjoying the quiet the outdoors provided.

"How are you this fine morning?" Damon asked as he and Sophie came outside.

"Shhh," Sophie and I both snapped at him.

"You guys are grumpy this morning," he said loudly.

"Damon I love you but honestly if you don't shut up I swear I will vervain you and then stake you several times," Sophie rasped out.

I drank my way through an entire jug of iced tea before I felt better.

"I need something greasy what time is it?" I said.

"It's almost noon."

"I am dying for a poutine so I vote we go to the Grill."

"Agreed," Sophie said.

We both went and got changed so we didn't look like hobo's and headed for town. We took Sophie's car and I made Damon ride in the backseat with the excuse that if I was in the back and had to throw up he would be the one I would vomit on.

"Do you know how long it has been since I have had to sit in the backseat of a car?" he complained. "I can't even remember having to ever do this in my entire life."

Damon kept a steady stream of why he should never have to sit in the back ever again rationales all the way to the restaurant.

We sat down in a booth in the middle of the restaurant and I spotted the waitress who had served me and Sophie last time we were here. She obviously remembered us because she went into the back and waited until someone else took over our table.

The next week passed in relative quiet. Sophie and I spent most of our time harassing Damon and goofing around. I didn't talk to Stefan because I found that I missed Klaus more after so I did my best to just block that side of my life off and forget about it. I had made tentative friendships with Caroline and Elena but Bonnie was still unfriendly not that I was bothered by that in the least.

The weekend rolled around and Sophie and I had decided that we should invite the girls over for a karaoke party. Damon refused to be the only guy there so Elena dragged Alaric and Jeremy along as well.

Sophie, Caroline and Bonnie were all really good singers so Elena and I teamed up for a duet and if awards had been handed out we would have definitely won for most enthusiastic performance of our rendition of the Spice Girls song that we sang.

Sophie and I had just started singing 'All that Jazz' when my phone started going off in my pocket. Since everyone I knew in Mystic Falls was here I knew it was probably Stefan so I just ignored it and kept singing. Our song ended and we sat down and my phone went off again I sent it to voicemail. Stefan called back again, I snuck out of the living room and went down the hallway to try and quiet some of the noise of Alaric and Jeremy singing.

"What's up Stefan?" I said as I answered the call.

"Where are you?" he asked urgently.

"At the boarding house?"
"Is Damon with you?"
"Yes, now what's with the interrogation Stefan?"

"Klaus is in Mystic Falls," Stefan said.

"What! What do you mean Klaus is in Mystic Falls? Why are you just calling me now?" I fumed.

"I didn't know what he was up to but he told me to stay where I was and that he had business to attend to and then he called me and said he was at your house and you weren't there and he wanted to know where you had gone."

"Stop talking for a second." I cut across him, "Is Klaus on his way here?"
"Yes."
"Is he coming to talk to me or is this a going to turn into a murder scene?"

"I don't know. He was weird for the last couple of days and then he just took off."

"What do you mean weird?"

"I don't know, he was mad and crazy and then totally calm and collected, then he spent a few days drunk and then he took off."

This couldn't be good, I thought bitterly.

"Why would you send him straight to me?"

"I thought it would be best he goes straight there rather than wandering around Mystic Falls where he could run into Elena."

Nice I was the sacrifice to keep Elena safe.

"Well you should have called to make a better plan because Elena is here right now along with Bonnie, Caroline, Alaric and Jeremy."

"What."
"Yeah Stefan you pretty much just threw her right in front of him," I yelled.

Stefan cussed once and then went silent.

"Do you know what Stefan, Damon and I will take care of this and I will call you when I can," I hung up.

I knew time was of the essence and that we probably only had minutes until Klaus was outside. I ran back into the living room and turned off the karaoke.

"What was that for?" Caroline asked as I interrupted her song.

"Klaus is on his way here."
"We need to get Elena out of here," Damon said taking control of the situation immediately. Everyone else was still trying to comprehend what I had just said.

"No we don't have time."
"How can we not have time?" Damon asked

"Because he was at mine and Sophie's house and Stefan told him I was here."

Caroline grabbed Elena and ran her up the stairs, everyone else stayed where they were I walked into the hall and Sophie and Damon followed me.

"What does Klaus want?"

"I don't know."
"Well you don't have to talk to him or even go see him," Sophie said.

"He will just stay outside and he will figure out we are hiding something. He isn't stupid," I countered

"We should stop talking about this we don't want to be overheard," Damon said.

I didn't know what to do. My heart was racing and I felt dizzy but I fought to maintain my composure. I heard a car pulling up in front of the house. I turned towards the door and they both followed me.

"You guys stay here," I said.

"Don't be stupid Lana I'm going with you," Sophie shot back.

"It will be fine. I'm certain he is just here to talk," I lied and I knew Sophie could tell that even I didn't believe the words I had just said.

If Klaus was here to cause trouble I wasn't walking out there with Sophie after he had threatened to kill her. I knew she had come back to life after she had fallen down the stairs when we first got to Mystic Falls but I didn't know if we only had one free pass or if there was a level of destruction that would keep us from coming back. Damon seemed to be thinking along the same lines as me, "You stay here I will go with Lana," he said.

I wanted to give Sophie a quick hug but that would be admitting that I wouldn't see her again so instead I just walked away. I told Damon to just wait inside because it would be worse if he was out there. I opened the door and walked outside. Klaus was just walking to the steps and he seemed a little surprised when I came out to meet him.