UNCPanda– Thank you so much! this made my day! I promise lots of Elijah and Sabrina soon! And of course more to come with Sabrina and Alaric's friendship.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"As a long-time member of the Historical Society, I am especially proud to be kicking off this day of festivities. Thank you, volunteers."

Sabrina stood between Alaric and Jeremy as they watched Carol make her speech at the town square. A crowd gathered along with them in audience while volunteers hung various lanterns on street lights and trees

"Tonight, we turn off our town's lights and flare up our lanterns in honour of the night of illumination started by our founders 150 years ago. Here's founding family member Tobias Fell with a history lesson." Applauses were made as Tobias walked onto the stage.

"What are we doing here?" Jeremy asked eyes looking ahead.

"Tobias Fell is the head of the history department. I didn't have a choice," Alaric responded.

"All right, that explains what you're doing here."

"Well, I'm the one who can fail you if you don't help me out." Sabrina giggled at his reply, being thankful she was not a student. "I don't know why you're laughing, you're here because your job's on the line." Sabrina wasn't able to taunt him back as Elena joined them.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. What did I miss?"

"You didn't miss anything," Jeremey told her as Tobias began his speech.

"The first illumination was held in celebration with the newfound prosperity that Mystic Falls enjoyed after the war."

"What's so funny?" Elena asked as Jeremy stifled a laugh. Instead of answering her, he gestured to the stage. Elena turned around, standing beside Alaric as they all continued to watch the speech.

"The founders, they placed lanterns over the doors to indicate that it was safe for their neighbours to come outside again. That night was an opportunity for the community of Mystic Falls to come together, a chance to strengthen ties with neighbours, business owners, and the returning soldiers."

"Can we get coffee?" Sabrina asked to no one in particular as she began to get bored of the countless speeches and lanterns.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The group gave into Sabrina's coffee whim and sat outside the Mystic Grill, Sabrina sipping on her take away coffee cup while Alaric fiddled with a small lantern.

"Hey, Jer, I need you to help me with something." Elena brought her bag forward and pulled out a leather bound journal.

"What's up?"

"I've been going through Stefan's old journals. Every single time that he's gone off the rails in the past, his best friend Lexi's been the one to bring him back."

"So where is she now that we need her?" Alaric asked as Sabrina grabbed the lantern from him.

Not really bothered by her antics they both looked back at Elena as Jeremey caught on to what she wanted. "She's dead. You want me to try to reach her, don't you?"

"I thought if I knew how she did it, maybe I could help him."

"I don't even know if she's on the other side."

"Is that what it's called?" Elena questioned her brother.

"That's what Anna calls it. There's not like an official brochure or anything."

Alaric pulled back the lantern from Sabrina before piping into the conversation. "So what is it, like some sort of supernatural purgatory?"

"Well, Anna said it's like being here with all of us, only we can't see her or hear her. And she can't interact with anyone. She's all alone."

"Someone didn't give Vikki the memo. She went all arson crazy yesterday, remember?" Sabrina added.

"Vicki had help from a witch on the other side. Anna," he contemplated for a moment. "She's doing this all by herself."

"I'm just saying, maybe we learned our lesson about summoning dead people," Alaric cautioned looking at Elena.

"Do you think it's even possible to contact Lexi?" Elena tried again, ignoring Alaric's comment.

"I don't know. I didn't have an emotional connection with her. I never even met her," her brother replied.

Sabrina began to wonder if there was an actual way to bring dead vampires back and chimed in. "Stefan wrote a lot about her in his journals, could we maybe use them to create some kind of connection?" she mused.

"Can we just drop it, please?" Alaric cut her off from saying anything else.

"No, we can't drop it, Ric. I don't know what else to do." Elena sounded desperate, this was her only attempt to get Stefan back.

"Don't you think we have a few too many dead vampires in our past to be sitting here thinking of them watching us?" Jeremy was the only one not looking at Alaric as he lectured them, instead he was looking at the empty chair beside Sabrina.

It wasn't long before the rest of them began to notice, Elena furrowed her brows. "Is Anna here right now?"

"Don't tell her I'm here. She won't like it." Sabrina quickly lowered her coffee as she started a coughing fit as the liquid went down the wrong pipe. The sudden voice beside her caught her off guard.

"No, no. I'm going to go, uh, check my work schedule," he said as Alaric began patting Sabrina on the back in an effort to clear her airways.

Sabrina's coughing episode calmed down as she looked at Jeremy who got up and walked into the Grill in a hurry. The three watched him leave before looking back at each other still not sure if he was telling the truth. Their mental conversation was soon broken by a gate crasher.

"Hey, guys. Who forgot to invite me to the family summit?" Stefan joined in on the table, taking a seat where Jeremey sat. "Hmm? Wow. All these words. I forgot how much I used to care," he commented grabbing the journal and flicking through the pages.

"I didn't," Elena said in a soft voice.

Stefan looked at Elena. It looked like there was some emotion hidden behind his eyes but the effort to hold them back was stronger.

"You know, Elena," he began as he placed the journal back on the table. "It's probably best you not torture yourself with memories from the past. It's best we both just move on and accept things as they are."

"You don't have to be here, Stefan."

"You know what, Alaric, you're right. I don't. But Elena's here, and I look out for Elena. Besides, there's going to be people everywhere tonight. So there's going to be lots to eat."

Elena looked at Stefan in shock while Sabrina had a look of indifference on her face. Stefan laughed clearly expecting this reaction. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Loosen up."

Sabrina didn't find it funny. She'd spend the summer watching him live up to his joke.

Her eyes narrowed and her expression become hard and cold. Making eye contact with Stefan, she gave him a pointed look. Stefan's smile fell as he slightly tilted his head in worry of her serious expression.

"Stefan," she breathed out in a quiet anxious tone.

"What, what is it?" While controlled there was a slight panic in his voice.

Sabrina closed her eyes for a second before opening them with a smile. "Nothing," she said getting up from her seat. "Just thought I'd freak you out for a moment." Giving him a quick wink she headed inside the Grill.

The lanterns from the town square seemed to be multiplying inside the grill ahead of tonight's event. Looking around Sabrina spotted Jeremy walking past the bar, quickly followed by Anna.

"Jeremy!" she called out before he walked further away. He stopped to turned as the pair walked back towards her, meeting in the middle of the Grill.

"Hello Anna," she greeted.

"You can see me?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

"What is going on here? what are you trying to do?" she questioned the vampire ghost.

"Nothing I'm not here to hurt anyone." She took a moment to look at the girl in front of her who didn't seem to trust her. "Please, Sabrina, you have to believe me I'm not here with the same intentions as Vicki."

"You told Katherine where Mikael was," she reminded.

"Hey, so did you," Jeremy interrupted.

"I'm not the one who gave directions to the Pickett mausoleum."

"I didn't want to. But they were hurting Jeremy I had no choice," Anna said breaking up the argument.

"Is it really worth it Jeremy?" she asked looking at the younger Gilbert. "She's not just here because she wants to be, she's able to stay because you want her to." She hoped her words resonated something within Jeremy, she knew about his relationship with Bonnie and having Anna around was jeopardising it. She gave them once last look before walking away.

Heading back towards the entrance Sabrina stopped seeing Alaric and Damon in the middle of an argument. She wasn't fully up to date on the reasoning behind Damon killing Alaric but as a friend to both she didn't like the tension between them.

"Speaking of drinking and conspiring," Damon said turning to the brunette who walked up to them.

"What's going on here?"

"Mason Lockwood."

"Yeah. And?" Alaric pushed.

"I think he's still a little pissed."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"I said I wouldn't drink," Sabrina objected as the three sat at the bar.

"Come on. what's one drink going to hurt?" Damon encouraged placing a glass in front of her.

"You're a bad influence, Damon." Just as Alaric finished his sentence the glass placed in front of Sabrina was picked up from the counter by an unknown hand.

Their eyes turned to the supposed dead Lockwood who downed her drink. "Mason."

"God, I miss whiskey."

Sabrina frowned as he moved to stand between her and Damon. She jumped up as the glass was smashed onto Damon's head. The two on either side of him watched him groan from the impact. "Told ya."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Sabrina's eyes shifted between the vampire next to her who was currently sending a text and the werewolf that seemed to materialise out of thin air. "I am never going to hear the end of that damn necklace."

"One of you will pay for this, right?" Mason looked at the three while holding another shot glass. "Cheers."

Damon seemed to be getting impatient. "Let's get to it. I killed you. You want revenge. Get in line."

"Actually, I want an apology," Mason responded leaning slightly in as Alaric laughed.

"Good luck with that."

"Don't you have a family to haunt?" Damon's tolerance began to lower. "You know your nephew has turned into a mindless hybrid Minion."

Mason continued looking between the three friends. "That's why I'm here. To help Tyler."

"Well, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but Tyler can't be helped," Damon scoffed. "At least not while Klaus is alive. Which is, like, always."

"Not necessarily. Not if you found a weapon that could kill him."

"Excuse me," Sabrina spoke, her interest now peaked.

"What do you know?" Damon asked also intrigued.

"I know you need to apologize."

"You got to be kidding me."

"Are you incapable of remorse? Just apologize!" Alaric snapped at him.

"That's all you want, an I'm sorry?" Sabrina asked the wolf.

"That's all."

"Damon." Sabrina sighed turning to the vampire. "How badly do you want this?"

"You're right. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do," Damon said stubbornly.

Mason processed it for a few moments before laughing at the poor attempt. "That's good enough."

"Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar," he said standing up. "Bring a shovel. Come alone." he added looking at Alaric.

"What, you're going to bury me alive?"

"Don't give him idea's Damon." Sabrina lightly hit him on the head.

"Oh, and someone buy the pretty girl a drink."

"I watched him torture you, remember." Sabrina told him confused by his flirtatious behaviour.

"I can't stay made at a face like that," he smiled before walking off.

Sabrina turned to the two boys who looked at her. "I'm going to find Elena." She pushed herself up and walked away from the awkwardness.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•