AN; Sorry it took so long to rewrite this guys, but here it is! I think that - inbetween the time that I originally wrote this and now - I have evolved to writing longer and more detailed chapters. I literally had to stop myself from writing any more. Just so you know, the rest aren't going to be this long (probably), because I really don't want to change anything about my original writings.

If you'll be my boat
I'll be your sea
A depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity
Ebbing and flowing
And pushed by a breeze
I live to make you free

- Boats & Birds by Gregory and the Hawk

When Irina woke, she was confused. She wasn't in her bed; instead, she was at the kitchen table. There were grimoires all around her, and Bonnie was asleep in the chair across from her. They had locked themselves in their house for a week, searching for the meaning of her dream, but they couldn't find any answers. Irina had been trying to call Elena ever since she had arrived home from Jeremy's, but the doppelgänger just wasn't answering her calls. Irina was certain that Elena was still pissed at her for not killing Klaus.

Irina began packing up the books and woke up Bonnie in the process. "Hey, what time is it?" she asked.

Irina looked at the clock. "It's... a little after noon," she said.

Bonnie groaned and stretched her arms above her head. While yawning, she said; "I'm hungry. We should go get some lunch."

Irina agreed, but quickly tried to backtrack when Bonnie invited Elena. Bonnie told her to get over it, and that she needed to explain herself to Elena. They left for the grill, hoping that things would easily blow over between Elena and Irina.

They met Elena at a table in the middle of the Grill, and Irina noticed Damon and Ric over by the bar. She rolled her eyes at their drinking habits and focused her attention on the girl sitting across from her.

"So," Bonnie said, after clearing her throat. "What've we missed for the past two days?"

"Nothing much..." Elena said. "Klaus still hasn't made his move, and I'm getting tired of waiting. We still can't find Stefan, or Katherine, even though I'm sure Irina knows where they are."

Irina narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"You betrayed us, Irina! You made a big fuss over making sure Rebekah wouldn't get in the way, and then you turned around and conspired with Katherine and Stefan to protect Klaus!" she said in a forced whisper.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Elena! You weren't even there!" Irina replied in the same tone.

Elena scoffed. "Then enlighten me. Why, after everything we planned, did you go against Mikael when he was about to kill Klaus?"

"Because killing Klaus would've killed Damon!" Irina replied, a little bit louder than she intended.

A few people turned to look at them, and the three girls put their conversation on hold until the attention was no longer on them. After everyone's attention was elsewhere, Elena leaned in closer to Irina.

"What?" she asked.

"That's why I've been calling you nonstop for two days, Elena! I had no choice but to stop Mikael, or else Damon would be dead, and I can't let that happen," Irina replied.

"But... why didn't you just tell me?" Elena asked.

"Because you wouldn't pick up the damn phone! But yeah, you're right, I've been such a terrible friend," Irina replied. She left the table before Elena or Bonnie could say anything else. She really needed a drink.

Oh man I can't believe you're making me drink alone.

Irina walked up to Damon and snatched the shot glass from his hand before he could drink it. She downed the liquor in one go, and rolled her eyes at his pissy expression.

"Well, if it isn't our own little Benedict Arnold," Damon said.

"Screw off, Damon," she replied. She was in no mood to deal with anymore crap from anybody.

"Ah, c'mon, don't be like that!" Damon said.

She rolled her eyes and said; "Why shouldn't I?" She took another drink and winced as it went down.

"Because, I need someone to drink with. I mean, it's the eve of Klaus-ageddon and Ric is doing homework," he replied, gesturing to the history teacher next to her.

"This may come as a shock," Alaric replied, "but I am not here to hang out with you."

"Me neither. I´m here to see Jeremy," Irina added.

"Good luck," Alaric said. "He's an hour late for his shift."

Damon chuckled and said; "Kids today... Where are their values?"

Alaric ignored Damon and handed Irina a piece of paper. There was a big red 'F' circled on it. "That's his mid-term paper," he said. "Copied it straight off the internet. Didn't even try to hide it."

"What does Jenna say about this?" Irina asked.

Alaric sighed. "I haven't told her yet. She's been busy with her own school work, and I just don't want her to worry about Jeremy."

The bartender - a blonde girl named Justine who had graduated a few years earlier - stopped in front of them and asked; "Did you say you are waiting for Jeremy—as in Jeremy Gilbert?"

"Yeah."

"He was fired last week."

Irina and Alaric both looked at each other with wide eyes and shocked expressions, while Damon took the moment to try an be funny by saying: "Oops."

Irina and Damon both walked to the table where Elena was. Even though Irina was still a little upset - and a lot hurt - by Elena's lack of faith in her, she was still her best friend. Plus, Irina loved Jeremy, and Elena was really the only one who could get through to him. She and Damon took the two empty seats at the table, and Elena looked confused (and a bit guilty, when she looked at Irina.)

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Elena," Irina began, "we think something bad is going on with Jeremy."

Elena had tried to call Jeremy multiple times after learning what had happened. She was in the middle of leaving her third voicemail now. "Jeremy, the minute that you get this call me!" she said. She hung up the phone. "Unbelievable!"

"You are feisty when you are mad," Damon said, and Irina rolled her eyes.

"It's not that I'm mad. I'm just—I'm worried," Elena replied.

"Why? He lost his job at the Grill. He can survive, Elena," Damon said, throwing a dart at the board.

"He's spiraling again," Irina said. This wasn't all that different to when he started taking drugs to cope with Miranda and Grayson's death.

Elena nodded. "I don't know why, but ever since homecoming he's moody. He isn't really talking to anyone."

"It's typical teenager," Damon replied.

"A typical teenager doesn't see ghosts, and they don't lose everyone that they care about." Irina replied.

"He hasn't lost everyone," Damon said. "He still has you two."

Irina recognized the tone in his voice. He was sad, and somewhat hurt, that Stefan wasn't back to normal after Klaus let him go. "You okay?" she asked.

Damon got a confused expression. "What makes you think I'm not?" he asked.

"You're daydrunk - it's not your most attractive look," Irina replied.

Damon smirked and moved toward her. "Oh yeah? And what is my most attractive look?"

"I didn't say you had any attractive looks. All I'm saying is that this is my least favorite..." she said.

Damon's eyebrow rose and he said; "Duly noted. I'll try to make some improvements." Damon turned to the dart board and Irina rolled her eyes at his flirting. Elena just shook her head.

She was about to say something when, from behind them, came the last voice they ever wanted to hear. "Don't mind me."

"Klaus," Elena said after they'd turned around.

"You gonna do this in the Grill? In front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?" Damon asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate," Klaus replied. Elena paled at the shock of seeing Klaus' hybrid, and Klaus smiles at her.

"I'm surprised you stuck around town long enough for happy hour," Damon said.

Klaus rolled his eyes and an unhappy expression seemed to overcome his features. "My sister seems to be missing. Need to sort that out. Truth is I've grown to rather like your little town. Think I might fancy a home here. Oh I imagine you're wondering how does this is affect you. The answer is: not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves you can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word."

"What more could you possibly want?" Irina asked, glaring at him.

"Well for starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan. See, your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what's mine," Klaus replied.

"We don't know where he is. He skipped town, so that sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem," Elena replied.

Klaus moved toward Elena and Irina, but Damon stepped between Klaus and the girls. Klaus smirked and chuckled. "Well, this is me broadening the scope, sweetheart." He walked away, but called over his shoulder; "Don't say I never gave you a fair chance!"

Irina went with Elena to her house. They were going to wait on Jeremy and confront him about everything that was going on. It wasn't like him to act like this, and they were both worried. Both Irina and Elena loved Jeremy very much. Things were awkward between the girls as they waited for Rick and Jenna to arrive. Alaric had finally told Jenna what was going on with Jeremy, and she didn't seem too pleased. Irina and Elena were both sitting in the kitchen and cleaning off the table for dinner and trying not to suffocate in the awkward silence.

Elena apparently couldn't take it anymore. "Irina, I'm sorry," she said.

Irina, who never really knew what to say in these situations, replied with; "For what?"

Elena sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "For being pissed at you, and not calling you back, and judging you for what you did... I'm just sorry. You're not a bad friend, okay. If anyone's a bad friend, it's me."

Irina walked towards Elena and said; "You're not a bad friend, okay? I understand why you were angry, and I understand why you felt betrayed. I just wish you would've talked to me about it and we could have avoided all of this."

Elena smiled. "Me too. You've been an amazing friend, and you help us so much, and you love Jeremy just as much as I do. I couldn't imagine losing you, and I think that's why I was avoiding you. I thought maybe if I didn't talk about it, then there was no way to confirm that you went dark side."

Irina smiled and laughed a little. "So it would've been like Schrodinger's Friendship?"

Elena laughed too and said; "Yeah, I guess so."

Irina and Elena hugged each other, and they were happy to be back to normal.

Jenna was in full-on rant mode as she walked through the front door. She was very unhappy that this had been going on for so long and she was only hearing about it now. Alaric took the ranting in stride, knowing that Jenna needed a way to vent her feelings and emotions. However, the girls kept quiet, knowing that they weren't prepared to add to the argument.

"I mean, did he just think he could keep this from all of us, and everything would be okay?" she asked, finally losing her wind.

Irina saw this as an opportunity to join the conversation. "Who knows... I mean, he hasn't been like this since the accident, y'know. I just don't understand what would make his personality turn a full 360-degrees in a matter of weeks."

The sound of a key opening the front door made everyone hush, and Alaric muttered; "Showtime."

Jeremy walked into the kitchen and smiled at everyone, as if everything were perfectly fine and dandy. "Just in time! We're cooking," Jenna said.

"Sorry, just passing through," Jeremy replied, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Well, I thought we could all stay in! Y'know, have a meal together, like a typical... atypical family," Alaric replied.

Jeremy looked confused. "Why? And what's Irina doing here? I thought Elena was pissed at her."

"I am right here, and don't turn this on Elena!" Irina said.

"Geez, why am I getting bitched at?" Jeremy asked.

Elena's eyes widened and she looked to Irina, whose face had fallen. "Maybe because you got fired and you didn't tell anyone."

Jeremy had the decency to look chastened, but he still rolled his eyes. "Look, can we do this later? I made plans with Tyler. He's right outside."

"Whoa, when did you start hanging out with Tyler Lockwood?" Jenna asked.

"I don't know, does it matter?" he asked.

"Yes, it matters, Jeremy! He was sired by Klaus! He's dangerous!" Irina replied.

Jeremy scoffed and said; "Y'know, he can still hear you. He is right outside."

"Well let me make sure he heard me clearly, then. He was sired by Klaus, and he's dangerous!" Irina replied, raising her voice at the end.

"And you of all people are going to lecture me on who I can and can't hang out with?" he asked.

Irina's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. She didn't say anything, because she knew she'd regret it if she did. Jeremy was going through stuff right now, because he'd never act like this otherwise.

"Y'know, whatever, this is lame. Tyler's waiting," he said.

He walked towards the hallway but Jenna blocked him. "Oh, no no!" she said. "You're not going anywhere, especially with Tyler!"

When Jeremy looked at Alaric for help, he simply shook his head. Jeremy scoffed and said; "All right, fine. If you want me to stay in, let's all stay in, then." Elena almost looked relieved until he shouted; "Yo, Tyler! Come on in!"

"Jeremy...!" Elena and Irina shouted together.

The front door opened and Tyler walked inside. He came into the kitchen and took a seat next to Jeremy.

Tyler looked so smug sitting in the awkward silence. Nobody really knew what to say, but Irina didn't need to use her words. She sat across from him and glared, and he got the message. She didn't like him. In fact, if he could read her mind, he would know that she wanted to punch him in his stupid face. How dare he think that he can ruin Jeremy's life, just when it was getting good again.

Jeremy got Tyler a glass of water. "Thanks," Tyler said as Jeremy sat it in front of him.

Elena was shaking her head. "This is weird. Klaus has hybrids stalking me, and now you're just... sitting in our kitchen."

"Look, maybe I should go," Tyler said.

"Yes, maybe you should," Irina replied, giving him the most fake smile she could manage.

"No, stay. You're not doing anything," Jeremy said, giving Irina an annoyed look.

"Unless you have to, y'know, check in with your hybrid master," Elena said. Jenna and Alaric were staying mostly quiet, judging things with that ability only adults seem to have.

Tyler laughed a little, and said; "It's not like that, Elena."

"Well, then, what is it like? If we're misinformed it'd be better to hear the truth directly from the source, right? Tell me, what exactly is the difference between being sired and being compelled?" Jenna asked.

Tyler seemed to think for a second, and then said; "Compulsion - that's just mind control - like hypnosis. But, being sired is... it's like faith. You do something because you believe it's the right thing."

With narrowed eyes and a confused expression, Elena said; "So you believe serving Klaus is the right thing?"

"I don't serve him! Klaus released me from a curse that was ruining my life. I owe him for that," Tyler answered.

"So basically, he now worships at the Church of Klaus," Irina quipped.

Alaric rolled his eyes as if to say 'don't be rude' and ignored her statement. "So, what if he asked you to jump off a bridge?" he asked.

"He wouldn't! And even if he did, I'd be fine. I'm a hybrid."

"Okay," Elena said. "What if he asked you to rip out your own heart?"

"Again, he wouldn't!"

"But what if he did?" Irina asked again.

"I don't know, then I'd rip out my heart!" Tyler replied, getting frustrated. Irina saw Jeremy's expression shift to one that was confused. "You guys sound like Caroline, getting all freaked out over something you don't understand."

"You're right Tyler, we don't understand. Klaus has terrorized every single one of us and you're just blindly loyal to him!" Elena replied.

Tyler shook his head. "You're over-thinking it. I can still make my own decisions."

There was no more conversation around the table, and the only noise was Jeremy's phone ringing. He left the table to answer it, but he only walked to the sink, so it couldn't have been too secretive. He hung up and sat back down.

"What was that about?" Elena asked.

"It was nothing," Jeremy replied.

Tyler, who looked awkward and slightly offended with the entire previous conversation, said; "I got to go. Umm, thanks for the food offer, but..."

"Next time," Alaric said.

Tyler left, and they saw him flash away right after leaving through the back door.

"I'm going after him to see if he goes back to Klaus. Call me if I you need me back," Jenna said before flashing out of the back door.

Alaric, Elena, and Irina walked to the sink to finish their discussion away from Jeremy. "Well, that was illuminating," Alaric said.

"So Tyler Lockwood is a lunatic who has access to our house," Elena said.

"I mean, this whole sire bond thing is... wild. I don't think Tyler is fully aware of what little reason lies behind what he's saying!" Alaric replied.

"It's like he's joined a cult," Irina added.

Elena scoffed. "Well, great, that's a wonderful influence for you Jer..." she stopped talking as soon as she turned around. "Jeremy?" she asked.

Irina and Alaric both turned, but Jeremy wasn't to be found. Irina focused her energy on the house, but he wasn't inside any longer. She looked on the plate where Jeremy was sitting and saw his ring sitting there. "That's his ring," she said, and Elena picked it up.

"Where'd he go?" Elena asked.

Irina walked out through the front door and noticed Jeremy standing in the middle of the road. He wasn't moving, and he didn't turn towards her when she called his name. She looked down the street and saw a black SUV heading towards him, and it wasn't slowing down. She had always been the fastest runner of their group, and she pushed herself to run as quickly as she could. She propelled herself off of the steps as quickly as she could, and she barely made it in time to push Jeremy out of the way.

Unfortunately, the car wasn't stopping, and she barely heard Elena shout before the SUV hit her. Everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion after that. She felt like she was flying, and then she felt like she was falling. She hit the ground, and the pain covered her entire body. She could hear Alaric on the phone with Jenna, and she could see them all hovering above her, but she couldn't make out any more than her shadows. She heard Jeremy's voice apologizing over and over, and she felt someone slip something onto her finger.

She wasn't going to make it, and she knew that. She was ready to give up hope when she saw someone else standing above her. It was her grams.

"Hold on, baby," she said. "You're not dead yet, and you won't be if I have anything to say about it."

"Grams," she said.

"What?" she heard Elena ask.

After that everything went dark, and she was standing outside her body watching them carry it inside the house.

Irina was scared. She was absolutely terrified, and she was on the verge of having a panic attack. "Grams?" she called out into the void.

"I'm here," her grams' voice said from behind her.

Irina rushed to her grandmother and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh my gosh, I've missed you! I died! Grams... I died."

Grams wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm right here," she said. Once she let go, they walked through the void and into the Gilbert home, where Jeremy had laid Irina's body on the couch and was holding her hand with a panicked look on his face. He never took his eyes off the Gilbert ring, which was now on Irina's small hand. Grams pointed this out too her and said; "We're going to make sure you live again, baby."

"Grams, that would take a lot more power than we have!" Irina replied.

"Well, you've got more than just me gunning for you on this side of the veil, darling," she said.

Irina was confused, but she felt magic flowing through her body. There was so much magic, that she could see it glowing from her hands. "What's happening?"

"The spirits are helping you. You're the only chance of saving them, hon. You're worth more alive than you are dead," Grams replied. "All you have to do is touch your body, and you'll go back."

"Really?" Irina asked.

"Yes, but it will take a while. Your body is going to have to heal," Grams replied. "Just don't lose contact with your body, okay?"

Irina nodded, and her grams disappeared. She sat next to her body and placed her ghost hands on her dead arms. Jeremy wasn't looking her way, or he would have been able to see her, right? He could see ghosts now, couldn't he? She would get her answers sooner than she thought.

She couldn't believe it - Irina was dead. Elena took a glance at some of her injuries; she was bruised pretty much everywhere, and major bones had been broken. Blood and cuts covered her pretty face, and Elena didn't understand why this kept happening. She was holding Irina's hand, when she noticed how a cut on the back of it was slowly healing. It kept fusing together until it finally closed for good. Elena smiled - the Gilbert ring was working. But Irina was supernatural, so how was it working?

Jeremy had slipped the ring onto her finger only moments before she died. Elena didn't want to remind him that it wouldn't work on her. Although they seemed to have been wrong about that minor detail. She was healing, but it was happening slowly.

Jeremy was sitting against the door frame, and he looked more upset than she'd ever seen. He looked vengeful. "Jer..." Elena said.

"Don't say it, Elena. Please; I don't need a lecture right now," he said.

"I wasn't going to lecture you, Jeremy. It wasn't your fault, okay? You were compelled," she said.

Jeremy scoffed. "Yeah, and now she's dead."

"But, the ring..."

"She was supernatural, Elena! It's not going to work. I don't know why I even tried," he shouted.

"No, look! Some of her cuts are healing!" Elena said. "She'll be okay."

Jeremy shook his head. "I won't believe it until she's breathing again," he said. "In the meantime, I'm going to try to find Stefan and convince him to give the coffins back."

"No, Jeremy! He's dangerous!" Elena replied.

"What am I supposed to do, Elena? Klaus won't stop until the coffins are returned, and Stefan is nowhere to be found! And Irina is dead right now, because of Klaus and Stefan's pissing contest! I am so sick and tired of this happening to the people we love, so I have to do something," he said.

Irina never lost contact with her body, but she heard everything they were saying. "...so I have to do something," Jeremy said.

"Just wait, Jer! Just wait until Irina wakes up, because I know she will! Just wait here, and then we can figure something out together, but we need to make sure that she is our first priority," Elena replied.

Jeremy sighed and sat on the coffee table next to the sofa. He suddenly looked so much older and tired. "Jeremy," Irina whispered. He looked around the room, but eventually shook his head and held her hand. "Oh Jeremy, why can't you see me," she sighed.

"You're new at this baby," Grams said as she appeared behind her.

"But I want him to see me," Irina replied. "That was always enough for the other ghosts!"

"I don't know, Irina. He's upset right now - that could be why he isn't seeing you," Grams replied.

Irina nodded and looked back to Jeremy. "Yeah, I guess," she said. "While I'm waiting to go back into my body, I should think of a way to appease Klaus for a while."

"That's why I came back."

"You have an idea?"

Grams nodded. "Yes. It's in the Salvatore's basement."

After she gave Irina the information, she disappeared, and she was left with Jeremy and Elena. They couldn't see her, but she had to try and get their attention. She focused all of her energy on Jeremy.

"Jeremy..." He looked around, but couldn't see her. She sighed. It was like someone was thickening the veil around her. "Jeremy, I'm right beside you. Why can't you see me?"

He stood and looked around the room. "What is it, Jer?" Elena asked.

"I can hear her..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I can't see her. Irina! Where are you?"

"I'm beside my body, Jeremy. Why can't you see me?"

He turned to face her, and it felt like their eyes met, but he couldn't see. Instead, he said; "I can hear you. I just can't see you."

"I think someone's blocking me, Jeremy."

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know, but this is very important. I just saw Grams," Irina said.

"Well, what'd she say?"

Irina sighed. "She said that there's something important in the Salvatore's basement. I don't know what it is, but she said it could appease Klaus..."

"In their basement?" he asked, as if it were the strangest thing he'd ever heard.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm going. Elena, you stay here in case she wakes up. I'll be back soon," he said.

He ran out of the door before Elena could stop him. She sighed and sat next to Irina again. "I wish I could hear you, Rin..."

"Me too, Lena, me too."

Jeremy had been gone for hours, and Irina was worried. He should have been back by now. Elena hadn't really moved since the accident happened, except to get a towel to clean Irina off. Alaric had returned with Jenna, who was upset to learn that her blood wouldn't work now. They were finally able to reach Bonnie who had shown up before leaving again to find Jeremy. Irina's body was healing - at least on the outside - and she didn't have many cuts or bruises anymore. Suddenly, there's a rumbling all around her.

She almost loses contact with her body, but Grams' hand suddenly appeared over hers. "Don't worry, I've got you," she said.

"I don't understand! I'm not healed yet!" Irina shouted over the rumbling.

"I know... you're gonna need an ambulance quickly once you wake. I don't know what's going on, but someone over here doesn't want you healed," Grams replied.

"Why?! What did I do?" Irina asked.

Grams shook her head. "I'm not sure why, but they're one of the most powerful witches on the other side. I don't think they need a reason!" she replied. The rumbling was so loud that Irina could barely hear her.

"Tell me what to do!"

"Nothing I tell you is gonna stick, baby! You'll forget everything once you wake."

Irina could feel herself slipping back into her body. With desperation, she looked to Grams. "I love you! I miss you!"

"I love you and miss you too, sweetie. I'm always here! I'm always watching," she replied.

After that, the rumbling stopped, and Irina forgot everything. All that remained was a ringing in her ears and pain throughout her body. She gasped and sat up, with pain spreading through her stomach as she did. Elena was there in seconds, calling for Jenna and Alaric to come into the living room because Irina was alive again.

That's funny... she didn't feel like it.

Elena was by her side in no time, checking her to make sure her injuries were gone. The external ones were gone, but she could still feel a rib poking where it wasn't supposed to be, and she was pretty sure her wrist was shattered. When Elena accidentally touched her side, she let out a cry that was almost inhuman.

"What hurts?" Elena asked.

"Everything!" Irina replied through her tears.

Jenna and Alaric got to the living room and hovered over her as well. "Would vampire blood help?" Jenna asked.

Elena nodded and looked to Irina for consent. She hated drinking it, but she would give anything to stop the pain at this point. "Ok," she said weakly.

Jenna nodded and sat next to Irina. She bit into her wrist and held it out for Irina to drink. The moment Irina's lips touched Jenna's blood, her skin sizzled like a vampires does when met with vervain. She cried out again, and more confusion ensued. She began coughing, and blood poured from her mouth and onto the carpet.

"That's a sign of internal bleeding," Alaric said. "Call 911!"

Jenna ran to get the phone, and Elena helped Alaric guide Irina to the door. The pain was indescribable, and she couldn't breathe anymore. Eventually she blacked out, and she welcomed the painless darkness.