Stay away from me. I'll be gone soon. It's just so hard to let go once we've grabbed hold. It's nothing that you've done. But you're not the only one. I'm just learning to be in twenty three places. As I'm falling off the face of the earth. Crashing into bridges I've burned. I'm falling off the face of the earth. But I'll be home soon.

GRACE

I stayed curled tightly under my bed, willing it all to be some sort of sick dream. This couldn't be happening. But even as I had the thought flashes of memories denied it. Damon in my room. Damon making me forget my own memories. I shuddered as a hand drifted to my neck. Drinking my blood. Sleeping in my bed. Holding me while I cried. I didn't understand him. He'd made it very clear at first that he didn't like me. So why…? It didn't make any sense. And Jeremy was dead. Tears continued to slide down my cheeks as I choked on a sob. Dead. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't. I realized quite suddenly that the world had gone very quiet. Other than my gasping attempts at continuing to breathe that is. I worked to silence myself. It was too quiet. This could mean nothing good. A floorboard creaked and my eyes shot to the noise, seeing two feet. I didn't even have time to scream before a face appeared.
"Grace," Tyler sighed, offering his hand, "it's okay, come out." I grasped it quickly and shot into his arms, letting my head rest on his chest. My fists curled into the fabric of his shirt. "Shh," he soothed, "it's alright."
"No," I protested weakly, shaking my head.
"Trust me," he responded. I shut my eyes tightly and continued to cry into him. It took me a moment to notice when another pair of arms wrapped around me. I slowly opened my eyes before hauling Jeremy closer, one arm wrapped around each of them as they enclosed me in the comforting safety of their bodies. It should have been awkward, but it wasn't. Maybe it was because I'd lost my mind. Jeremy was dead I knew that. But vampires didn't exist. I knew that too. Yes. I'd gone insane. But I guess if I had Jeremy and Tyler holding me, it wasn't really so bad. Too soon the spell was broken.
"I guess we have some explaining to do," Jeremy murmured into my hair. They slowly moved me about half a foot before settling me on the bed.
"You okay?" Tyler asked Jeremy, stepping closer and touching his arm. He nodded, smiling softly.
"You?"
"Yeah. Turns out a broken neck heals rather quickly. Doesn't even hurt anymore." Jeremy plopped down next to me and rolled his eyes.
"I hate you." Tyler just smiled widely.
"No you don't." I watched them interact with only the vaguest interest. Apparently they were both dead. Did that mean I was dead? Did it matter either way?

Jeremy turned to me. He smiled as he searched my eyes.
"So, Grace. How you holding up?"
"I'm talking to two dead people. And last I checked I wasn't Haley Joel Osment, so how do you think I'm doing?"
"We're not dead," Jeremy explained gently. I simply arched an eyebrow.
"What? You're vampires too? Let me guess you drank my blood and made me forget just like Damon." Jeremy's jaw tensed and a low growl came from Tyler's direction.
"I'm human," Jeremy murmured, "I just have a ring blessed by a witch." He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers for emphasis. "Ty should you tell her? Or me?" Tyler remained oddly quiet and Jeremy cocked his head in Tyler's direction. "He's a werewolf." I snorted. Loudly.
"Yeah and in my spare time I'm a leprechaun that raises unicorns."
"Taking it well then," Jeremy quipped. I shook my head back and forth slightly, glancing to Tyler before looking to Jeremy again.
"You have to be kidding."
"No," Jeremy murmured, "and there's more."
"More?" I demanded.
"Jer, slow down," Tyler breathed. "It's a lot to take in. We don't all have your affinity for the supernatural." Tyler crouched in front of me. "You already know it's true. Think about what you've seen. The things you can't explain." I glanced between the two of them again. Tyler's eyes were back to normal which only contrasted with the glowing amber color they'd been earlier. Unexplainable. Check. And Jeremy had been dead. Get the toe tag, open the freezer dead. But now he wasn't. Unexplainable. Check. And Damon. I groaned inwardly. Where to start? The memories. The brainwashing. The face. Drinking my blood. Sneaking in and out of my house without my knowledge. There's about a million checks right there. Not to mention, now that I thought about it, there was no reassuring heartbeat when I'd been sleeping on Damon's chest. I shuddered slightly. Vampire. I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised how far off base Twilight is. Yeah. Bring on the hissing sparkly vampires. I really wanna see them try to take Damon on. On the other hand, maybe I've had enough death for one day. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes.
"Okay," I let out quietly. "I'm assuming that neither one of you is jerking me around right now. I'm just gonna need a minute."

Now I had a few decisions to make. I could believe them. Or I could tell them both to leave and run out of Mystic Falls screaming bloody murder the entire way. I could ask questions. Or I could settle with the information I already had. I could face all of this bravely. Or I could crawl back under my bed and hide there until I died. Decisions, decisions.
"If you wouldn't mind," Jeremy sighed, holding out the bracelet he'd given me.
"Why?"
"It's got vervain in it," he explained patiently, "protection from vampires." I did remember Damon taking it off of me now that he mentioned it.
"Oh," I let out, taking the bracelet and slipping it on. It took a few moments but a thought dawned on me. "There are more vampires, aren't there?" Jeremy nodded. "Fantastic." I turned to Tyler. "Werewolves can't brainwash people, can they?" He shook his head. I let out a sigh of relief. "That's something I suppose."
"Tyler wouldn't anyways," Jeremy said. I closed my eyes.
"I'm just…trying to figure things out right now."
"It's fine," Tyler said. "I'd understand if you ran away screaming at this point." I half shrugged.
"You're Tyler," I explained, "you won't hurt me." Shock registered on his face. Jeremy chuckled.
"I told you it wasn't a big deal."
"I guess it'd be a bigger deal if you two were the ones who could break me in half," Tyler agreed dryly.
"Could you really?" I questioned, arching an eyebrow. He shrugged.
"Let's see. Come here Jeremy." Jeremy threw a pillow at him and Tyler lunged forward, scooping him up. For a few moments they were both laughing and I watched them in wonder. Then they quieted and kissed. My jaw flapped open.
"Uh," I let out, brain stuck on the syllable. Jeremy pulled back a bit and smacked Tyler's arm.
"Way to go Lockwood."
"What?" Tyler questioned the picture of innocence. Reese's words came back to me then. 'I don't think you're getting either one of them.' How right he was.
"So you two are," I had to pause and collect myself, "together?"
"Yeah," Jeremy murmured as Tyler pulled him closer.
"Holy shit," I let out. I had to stifle a yawn. "I need coffee," I announced, passing them. "I guess I have more questions to ask." Fifteen minutes later we were sitting at my kitchen table, splitting a pot of coffee. I drank half the cup before sighing and setting it down. "Okay. Tell me everything I need to know." They exchanged a glance. "About the vampires, witches, and werewolves I mean." Jeremy let out a quiet sigh of relief before folding his hands on the table and leaning forward. "Alright, here goes."

A/N: You guys! It's been like six years. I really apologize. Hope a double upload helps…