LANA'S POV

I had trouble staying awake in a car so we had only made it about an hour out of Mystic Falls when I fell asleep. When I woke up my neck was hurting from how I had slumped over in the seat. I had wished I had the foresight to get my SUV which had large comfortable seats because I hated Klaus' car.

"How long was I sleeping?"

"A few hours, I thought you would be good company but so far I'm a little disappointed," Klaus smiled.

"Where are we going exactly?" I asked.

"Knoxville to collect Stefan and then we need to stop and see some people."

"About Ray Sutton right?"
Klaus smiled, "Yes I'm hoping he will be persuaded to lead me to his pack."

"Well you and Stefan can do that on your own."

I loved Klaus but I wasn't going to watch him and Stefan maim some guy. I started trying to remember where we ended up when we did find the pack. I wished I could call Sophie and ask her because all I could recall was that it was up in the mountains somewhere.

It took about five hours to make it to Knoxville. I had had enough of being in the car and was starving so we arranged for Stefan to meet us at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city. Since I had been sitting so long I decided we would just wait outside in the parking lot for Stefan to show up.

I was leaning against the hood of the car when Stefan turned up. I was looking forward to seeing him again but that quickly changed as he approached. He looked the same for the most part but he had a cynical expression and he seemed a little on the feral side.

I was surprised that I found myself to be a little afraid of him now. I didn't want him to know that so I tried to act as normal as possible. I gave him a hug and he returned it half-heartedly.

"Welcome back Lana," he said as we stepped apart.

"Did you miss me?"

"I cried every night that you were gone," he answered mockingly.

"I find pie can help ease the hurt when you have an emotional crisis. By the way I have to tell you that you have the most beautiful handwriting."

He looked at me clearly lost but then he made the connection, "You read my journals?" he was clearly mad.

"Sophie read them too," I said as if that made it okay that I invaded his privacy. "If it makes you feel better I was really drunk and I don't remember most of what I read."

"Why would you two do that anyways?" Stefan asked

"Well I was sad and we had danced until we couldn't dance anymore and we needed to do something to take my mind of my troubles. By the way is the ABBA c.d. Sophie and I found yours?"

"No," Stefan said a little too quickly.

We went into the restaurant and the boys formulated the next step of their plan.

"Well we can drop Lana off at the place I have been staying and then go and have a chat with the people about where Ray is hiding," Stefan said.

"I agree with that plan," I seconded.

I finished eating and Stefan took us to the motel he was staying in. I took one look at the motel and formed a rather strong opinion of the place.

"Stefan you are immune to disease. I am not and I suspect I will catch hepatitis from this place."

"It's not that bad."

I walked into the room he was staying in and was less than impressed.

"What the hell Stefan you're rich and can compel people and this is really the place you decided to stay. Klaus I refuse to be left here."

"Well you will have to just come with us then," he replied.

I took a moment to weigh my options. All I would have to do is wait in the car for them to handle their business and that was it. If I stayed here there was a chance I would get some type of infection or at the very least bed bugs.

"I'm coming with you."

We ended up out in the middle of nowhere I could see a house off in the distance. We pulled off the road and Klaus and Stefan got out and walked towards it. I plugged my mp3 player in and turned it up until I was positive I wouldn't hear anything besides the pounding beat. Klaus came back first I saw him walking up the road looking pleased.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he got back in the car.

"Fine."

"If you can't handle this you don't have to stay."

"No I'll be alright."

I figured this would be happening if I was here or not. So I wasn't going to just run off but I was going to avoid as much of it as I could. Klaus seemed a little surprised that I wasn't running away. When Stefan came back his expression was vacant as if he was slightly catatonic. Even in the dark I could see the blood on his shirt. I cringed but I told Klaus to pop the trunk so Stefan could get some different clothes. He got in to the front seat and just stared out the window not talking.

Klaus drove through the night and the next day we pulled up in front of the bar called "Southern Comfort."

"So will we find Ray here?" Klaus asked me.

"He's not here now but he will turn up eventually. But gentleman on that note I will leave you here and you can call me when you've gotten what you need from him."

Klaus handed me some money and I got into the driver's seat and took off. This was the last stop before the mountains and I realized that since I would have to go with them I should probably buy clothing that would make a little more sense. I was not going to hike in flip flops or ballet flats. I found a mall and bought what I thought I would need then went to the nearest hotel got a room and slept in uninterrupted peace for the rest of the day.

SOPHIE'S POV

Lana had been gone for a few days and I was still mad at her for leaving with Klaus. If she was willing to go and help murder a campsite full of werewolves I was pretty certain I would never be friends with her again.

Elena had shown up earlier today telling Damon about the new 'animal attack' in Tennessee. We had lied to Elena telling her it wasn't Stefan and Klaus that had done it. Damon had taken Alaric on a road trip to go and dispose of the evidence to cover up the fact that it was vampire related. Caroline and Elena had shown up shortly after to decorate for Elena's birthday party, Tyler had tagged along with Caroline.

"So how are you doing with Lana leaving again?" Caroline asked me as we hung streamers.

"I could kill her."

"Well I told you that we couldn't trust her so quickly," Elena commented.

I shot her a dark look and went back to decorating.

"So Tyler who are you bringing to the party?" I asked as he brought in another box of decorations. He shot a quick look at Caroline.

"Umm Sophie."

Caroline looked at me outraged.

"Not me," I said.

"Slutty Sophie is your date," Caroline said quickly.

I could tell she was mad so I figured it was a good time to leave them alone to talk. Elena followed me with the excuse that we had to pick an outfit for me to wear tonight. I settled on a vibrant purple dress that I had bought in New York.

Caroline came in a few minutes later and I felt a little weird to be in Damon's room with the girl he used to love and the one he had compelled into a fake relationship. I was glad when they left and I had the house to myself for a few hours before the party started.

I was in the process of doing my hair when Damon walked in.

"You had better take those shoes outside and dispose of them," I said as I spotted his reflection in the mirror.

"Umm why would I do that?" Damon asked.

"Hello… I know that you nudged that dead girl with your foot and her head rolled off," I cringed as I said it. "Now those shoes are contaminated and cannot be in this house, actually just to be on the safe side you can probably throw out all of the clothes you are wearing right now."

"It's unnerving that you know that stuff even though you weren't there," Damon said as he pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the floor.

"Now you have to wash the floor because you are just spreading the germs around," I said as I turned back to the mirror and continued working on my hair.

I heard plenty of people arriving as I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup which looked perfect now that my black eye had mostly faded away. Damon had gone to give Elena her birthday gift and when he came back in he stopped dead.

"I think we might have to send everyone home," he said.

"Why?"
"Because you look so gorgeous I don't know if I can remain a gentleman."

I rolled my eyes. Damon grabbed my hand and we walked out into the chaos of the party. We met Elena in the hall way as she came out of Stefan's room. We moved through the crowd and into the living room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…," Damon said as a young girl walked past us with a glass bottle in her hand. "You don't want that. You want the cheap young stuff over by the cheap young people." she handed him the bottle and he took a swig before passing it to me I took a sip and coughed as it burned on the way down.

"Let's get you a drink," Damon said as he led me to where the bar was set up. We met up with Alaric who was sitting outside. He looked around at the mayhem that was being unleashed as the night wore on and said, "I am every parent's worst nightmare. I am the chaperone teacher from hell."

"I love high school parties," Damon replied happily.

I spent the first part of the night having fun and dancing with Caroline who kept her eyes on Tyler who was dancing with a trashy skank. I had a few drinks but I switched over to pop after a while. I had to pee so I went to my room knowing that it was off limits and I wouldn't have to wait in the long bathroom line that had developed. I was washing my hands when my phone went off. It had to be Lana calling so I raced to answer it. It was a text message from Stefan

I need your help, can you meet me? I'm at the Grill.

I paused this was when he killed Andy Star in the show to send a message to Damon. I was about to text him back that he was on his own when he texted me again.

Klaus is going to kill Lana.

My heart stopped and I thought I was going to be sick. I just knew this would happen. My fingers were shaking but eventually I got my reply to him

I'm on my way.

I grabbed my purse and headed for the front door. I jumped in my car and raced out of the driveway almost hitting a couple of stray teenagers who were stumbling around. I pulled up in front of the Grill and got out and started looking around for Stefan.

"Sophie," he called as he materialized out of nowhere.

"Stefan what happened is Lana okay?" I said trying not to panic.

"You need to come with me," he said.

I assumed Klaus was watching us or something so I followed him willingly. Stefan led me down a side street and as soon as we were secluded he grabbed my arm and started pulling me along

"Stefan what the hell? Let go of me," I said angrily.

He ignored me and I started fighting him shoving and kicking trying to break his grip. I was such a stupid fool. Of course he was playing me. I thought I was safe because I wasn't Andy Star but I should have looked at it as I was the one he would come after. It should have been a red flag that Stefan wanted to meet at the Grill. If there was anything shady going down in town it always took place near the Grill. Stefan took me into a tall apartment building and we made our way up to the very top and out onto the roof.

He shoved me down onto the ground and pulled out his phone and handed it to me.

"Call Damon," he ordered.

"Is Lana okay?" I asked.

Even though I assumed she was just the way to lure me out I still had to check.

"She's fine. Now call Damon."

I grabbed my phone and as I dialed I realized that I was going to die. Even though I had come back once I didn't believe that there was anything that could patch me up if my brain matter was smashed all over the concrete sidewalk below me. I felt my heart race and I choked back a cry. I was not going to give Stefan the satisfaction of seeing me scared. Damon answered on the first ring

"Where are you? I have been looking for you everywhere," Damon said I could hear the party raging in the background.

Something about hearing Damon's voice snapped my small reserve of courage and I started crying, "Damon," I said and then I was crying too hard to say anything else.

"Sophie what's wrong? Tell me where you are."

Stefan took the phone away from me.

"Hello brother," he said then smiled. Stefan paused while Damon talked.

"Sophie and I are just having a chat on the roof of the new apartment building that was built last year. You should join us Damon."

Stefan hung up the phone and tossed it back to me.

I looked at the door to the stairs and I wondered if I could somehow make it there and escape.

"I wouldn't try it Sophie," Stefan said as he saw me looking at the door.

"Why are you doing this Stefan?"

"Because, Damon got a little too close for Klaus' comfort when he burned down that house in Tennessee."
"Of course Klaus sent you to kill me," I fumed my fright being replaced by anger for a moment.

"No Klaus just told me to tell Damon to stop following him."
"Well this isn't necessary at all. We aren't going to follow him or cause trouble. Didn't Lana tell you that?"
"Lana doesn't know I'm here."

"Well you should just leave now and we can forget about this because if you kill me Lana will be upset and I'm pretty sure Klaus will side with her and he will kill you."

Stefan laughed, "I don't really care either way."

I shook my head and looked away. Stefan abruptly lifted me off the ground, pinned my arms behind my back and forced me to the edge of the roof top as Damon came through the door.

I wanted to struggle and get away from him but I was frozen with fear when I accidently looked down and realized how high up we were.

"Stefan don't do this," Damon said as he spotted us on the ledge.

"You need to stop following us."

"Give me Sophie. You don't want to do this Stefan."
Stefan just smiled at Damon for a moment.

"What would Elena say if you killed her friend?" Damon said.

I could tell he was trying to jolt some shred of humanity in Stefan and had only name dropped Elena because that was the thing most likely to do it.

"Why would I care about Elena when I'm not coming back here in her life time?"

"The summer is almost over and then you can come back," I said.

"As what a ripper!" Stefan shot back.

Stefan loosened his grip on my arms and I thought he was having a change of heart until I felt myself free falling towards the ground. I knew this was it and I didn't even have time to scream. I slammed into something hard and I felt like my lungs were going to explode on impact but I was still alive. How was that possible?

"Sophie are you okay?" Damon asked.

I realized that what I had smashed into was Damon catching me before I hit the ground.

"Sophie talk to me," Damon said.

I couldn't breathe and in too much pain to move. I started choking as I felt blood in my mouth I tried to spit it out thinking I had bitten my tongue.

"Drink it Sophie," Damon ordered me.

I wanted to throw up but I swallowed it down. Damon pulled his wrist away and I started coughing and I felt nauseous.

"Where did you park your car?"

"By the Grill," I whispered.

Damon picked me up and carried me to the car. When we got home the party was still in full swing. Damon parked farther from the house so people wouldn't see us coming in. We snuck into our room through the window. He set me down on the bed.

As soon as I was in a safe place everything became too overwhelming I started crying and I couldn't stop.

"It's okay Sophie, you're safe," Damon said as held on to me.

I laid there in shock at what had just taken place. I heard the house slowly get quieter until I was pretty sure we were the only ones in the house.

"I will kill Klaus for this; did Lana know this would happen?" Damon asked.

"Lana doesn't know and Klaus only told Stefan to come and tell you to stay away."
"So this was Stefan's doing."

Damon sat quietly for a few minutes and when I glanced at him I could see his jaw was clenched.

"Why did you leave without me?"
"Stefan said Klaus was going to kill Lana and that he needed my help. I didn't even think of getting you I just got in my car and left."

"You of all people should have known that Stefan was dangerous."

"I thought I would be safe because in the plans it was someone else who died."

"Stefan was going to kill someone? Who was it?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"
"Because I can't besides the person it should have been isn't here at all, so really it doesn't matter."

Damon kept trying to get me to tell him who it was but I wouldn't. Eventually he gave up and soon after I fell asleep.

LANA'S POV

"What are you doing?"
"You woke me up. I was sleeping," I yawned.

"Well you need to come and meet me and Stefan," Klaus said.

"Alright give me time to wake up and get ready and I will see you in about an hour."

I hung up the phone and rolled out of bed. I had a shower and then dug out the back pack I had purchased. I got dressed in a pair of jeans a t-shirt and a light sweater then I filled the backpack with some socks, a heavy coat, a toque and mittens. I normally wouldn't have put so much in the backpack but I knew we were going to be outside for most of the day so it seemed smart to be over prepared. I grabbed some bottles of water than zipped it up and put on the hiking boots I had bought.

I gathered all of my stuff and grabbed some breakfast and hit the road. Klaus was waiting outside as I pulled up. I got out of the car and Klaus looked at my attire.

"If you knew where we had to go why wouldn't you have just told me?"

"Because I don't know where we are headed exactly all I knew was it would be smart to dress for the occasion."

I gave Klaus a quick kiss. He grabbed my suitcase and backpack out of the car.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he closed the trunk of the car.

"I've acquired a different vehicle for the drive."
"Thank god because I hate your car."

Klaus just smiled and tossed my stuff into the back of a black SUV.

"Where's Stefan?" I asked.

At that moment the bar's door swung open and Stefan came out carrying someone over his shoulder.

"This must be Ray," I said as they approached.

Stefan dropped him in the back seat and then got in the front seat.

"Hey buddy you are in the back today," I said to him.

There was no way I was sitting next to a werewolf. I know in the plans Ray didn't wake up until they were in the woods but I wasn't so sure that he wouldn't jump the gun and wake up while we were in the vehicle.

"Don't be a baby Lana he isn't going to bite you," Stefan replied.

"If he does wake up I can't exactly fight him off with my super strength," I shot back.

Klaus put an end to it when he made Stefan ride in the back. I smiled smugly at Stefan as he got out and moved to the back seat.

It didn't take long before I saw signs advertising the Smoky Mountains. We headed farther in and soon we were just off roading. The farther we went the more apprehensive I became. We were walking right into a camp of werewolves who were not going to be happy to see us than Klaus was going to turn them and they would get rabid and it would get ugly very quickly. What the hell was I thinking when I came out here I panicked.