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Bornkiller9: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the drinking certainly helped Sarah get some things off her chest, but there's still worst to come I fear. And yes, there's only so much you can do with flashbacks, since we all know where they'll lead to. I'm trying to use the flashbacks to highlight key points or events in the past before they arrived in Mystic Falls, like the show did. And one of those points is when Sarah first flipped her humanity, and now you know part of the reason Lexi made sure she could never do it again. Because if Sarah actually did kill her brothers, she'd never be able to live with herself. But more on that later. I understand why you want more, I know it's not a lot. But thank you for being understanding. Hopefully soon I'll be able to surprise you with a double upload, so that you'll have more to enjoy!

And since I forgot to do this in the last chapter, I'm going to give a shout-out to the story, 'The Original Tribrid'. The author, 'godric777' recently got in touch with me and we've been chatting about each other's stories. There's currently only one chapter up, but they've got more coming soon so please go and give it a read and support them. It's an Elena/Rebekah ship centred story, and as it's been pointed out to me, there isn't a whole lot of stories like that out there. So if you think it might be for you, or you've got a moment to spare and are looking for something to read, why not give this story a shot?

Chapter 11: In the Wake

He hadn't slept. He thought he would. Last night he'd felt so exhausted that he'd been certain that the second his head touched the pillow he'd be out. If only life were that fair. Instead Damon had been up the whole night. First crying it out with his sister over Andie's death. Then she'd thrown a classic Sarah fit when she realised Stefan didn't want to come home. He'd held her down and while she'd slept he remained awake. Haunted by what had happened to Andie.

When the sun rose he decided to give up on the idea of sleep. It wasn't like he really needed it, just a habit he'd gotten into since moving back into town. A part of human routines that he adopted to blend in.

He was careful as he got up however, making sure he didn't wake his sister. For most of the night she'd been tense, face contorted as if having a nightmare. But now she was relaxed, peaceful. He preferred to let her live in that world for as long as he could. Because when she awoke reality would rear its ugly head, and she'd be reminded of what their ripper of a brother had done. Not only had he killed Andie, but he'd made it clear he no longer wanted to return to his family. A blow that was sure to crush Sarah.

But she was determined. She wouldn't give up. That was his sister. And he had to protect her. So that morning, rather than make breakfast or have a shower or anything else that might have been normal – Damon went into his room and began taking down the map they'd been using to track Stefan.

Sarah would be angry for sure, and the truth was she had everything memorised from days spent in front of it. But it had to be done. With it down it'd be easier to move on, the healing could begin. With time she'd let up on her search as she lost the trail time and time again. She wouldn't catch up to him, not without help, and Damon would make sure she didn't get that help. Because if his sister did catch up to their brother… He couldn't bare the thought of another Andie. He knew Stefan would never do that to their sister but that didn't stop the image forming in his mind. His little sister, limbs cut off, head severed and dead. Sad green eyes looking up at him.

He shook his head and began pulling out the pins holding the map up. But when the thoughts continued to haunt him, his mind going back to last night at the station, he snatched up the remote and turned on his TV. Local news. A decent enough distraction as he continued his work. The pile of papers in his hand growing as he pulled one sheet after another from the wall. First was the weather, apparently it was to be a good day, but Damon disagreed. Then some story to do with the Founding Families and upcoming events, the usual rubbish he just couldn't be bothered with at the moment. Then a story that caught his attention.

"A search for WPKW News' field reporter and weekend anchor Andie Star is underway after staff arrived this morning to discover traces of her blood–" Damon cursed himself. He'd thought he'd been through. With the body he had been, but by the time it came to clean up the scene he was so dazed and angry he easily could have missed something. He'd gotten most of it though, thus why they were assuming she was missing and not dead.

"According to the head of the station, Andie Star was alone in the office last night working late when he left. No one has seen her since. Police have been called in and–" Damon switched off the TV.

He remained still, arm stretched out with remote in hand, as if he'd paused himself by turning off the TV. Again his mind went back to last night. All the blood, her cut up body. The look in her eyes, one of pure terror, right before Stefan–

Damon threw the remote down on his bed and went back to ripping sheets of paper and news articles off the wall.

"She's dead isn't she?"

Damon didn't react to the voice at his bedroom door. He'd heard her come in when she first arrived so it wasn't a surprise. He had been listening to her as she moved about his house though, waiting to see what she was up to. Her first stop had been Sarah's room, but she was up in Stefan's. Had Elena tried to go up their, Damon would have intervened. But she must have heard the TV and come into his room instead.

"Yeah," Damon said, fighting to keep the sadness from his voice. It came out blunt and harsh, the way he liked it. But part of him suspected that Elena saw right through that.

She stepped into his room properly, coming around the open the closet door so that Damon could see her in his peripheral. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Damon said, sparing her a glance. "It was your boyfriend who killed her." Hurt flashed in her eyes as he turned away. He felt guilty about saying it, but the truth was he was still angry with Stefan for what he'd done and he wanted to hurt him. Since he didn't want to be found and Damon didn't want anyone else close to him dying, the best he could settle for was turning his girlfriend against him.

He went back to the removal of the map, pulling down the last of it as Elena stood in silence. Then, as he tore off the last sheet, leaving only half a torn map behind on the cupboard door, Elena said, "He called me, Damon."

He paused, having been about to rip the remainder of the map off. When he resumed, he turned to stare at Elena. "Who called you?" Pointless question, but he needed to be sure.

"Stefan. He called me last night," Elena said, meeting his curious gaze.

"What'd he say?" Damon asked, voice neutral.

"He didn't say anything," Elena admitted, to which Damon rolled his eyes and brushed past her. "But it was him," she continued to insist, as he headed for the fireplace, stack of Stefan tracking papers in hand.

"It was a cold caller, Elena."

"I called the number back. Six times before I got blocked."

"Can hardly blame them can you. Guy makes a wrong call in the middle of the night, then gets six call from the nut case he accidentally phoned," Damon said with his usual smirk, as he began discarding the papers into the unlit fireplace.

"I asked Sheriff Forbes if she would trace the call's origin. It came from Tennessee. That's where that map of yours lead to. Maybe he's still–"

"Still binge drinking on the country folk?" Damon snapped, shooting her an irritated glare that silenced her. "I don't doubt it. Thing is, Elena, my brother doesn't want to be found. A fact he mad perfectly clear when he killed my girlfriend." In a burst of frustration he threw the last of the paper into the fireplace. A few of the pages fluttered back out and landed around his feet. A sigh mixed with tiredness and dread parted from him.

Taking the matches form the mantel, Damon scooped the paper into the fireplace with his foot before taking out a match. "I'm done looking for my brother. You should stop too before someone you care about gets killed." He shot her a look of warning, before he struck the match and threw into the fireplace.

"I'll go and talk to Sarah then," Elena said. But as she turned from the fireplace and towards the door, she found Damon blocking her path.

"You're not talking to my sister," Damon stated, glowering down at Elena as he loomed over her.

"You can't stop me," Elena said, voice shaking as he advanced into her personal space. She tried backing up but he followed her.

"She's been through enough. Stefan has put her through enough. And she's asleep right now, after a night of crying because of what he did!" Damon shouted, voice rising with anger as he spoke each sentence.

"But she still wants to find him," Elena snapped back defiantly. Something which Damon did not appreciate in the moment.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to let her put herself through that again. Sure, she might hate me, but it's for her own good."

"She's not a child, Damon. You can't just ground her or boss her around."

"Maybe not, but I am her brother and I know what's best for my sister, Elena, not you!" he countered, jabbing Elena with his finger and making her stumble back a step. He remained in her personal space though, once again following her and maintaining his intimidating presence. "I know how hard this summer has been for her. I know how much it's hurting her because Stefan's not here. But I also know that if she finds him, that that pain will feel like nothing after he and Klaus are through with her. So I want you to think twice before you drag her into anything to do with Stefan. Because if you do, and it ends with my sister crying herself to sleep again, I'll personally make you regret it."

By this point Elena had backed up to Damon's bed, unable to go any further back without climbing over it. But that would prove how scared she was of Damon and she didn't want him to see that. But he did see it, in her eyes. She was scared off him in that moment, scared like Andie had been. Because at times, he could be the big bad monster. But he was the big bad monster that would do anything to protect his sister from now on. After all, it wasn't like he had a girlfriend to worry about anymore.

Then, for the second time in less than twelve hours, Damon grabbed Elena by the arm and led her to the front door. Again she struggled, but she had enough sense it seemed to keep her voice down and not shout for Sarah before Damon threw her out. If she'd done that, Damon wasn't sure what he would have done. Maybe ripped of her vervain filled necklace and compelled her? Maybe something worse? Thankfully, he didn't need to find out.

He yanked open the front door and pushed Elena out. She tried to rush back in but he easily pushed her back, leaving no space for Elena to squeeze past. Even if she could turn into a mouse she'd struggle, as Damon held the door open just enough for him to stand in the gap and completely fill it.

"I know Sarah's hurting, Damon," Elena said, settling in an aggressive stance as she faced off against Damon's glower. "But maybe it's you who's hurting the most right now."

Whether it was meant as a jab at him or not, Damon took it as such. He sent the brunette one last spiteful glare of warning, before then slamming the door shut on her.

Face in her hands, Jenna let out a frustrated groan. From the opposite side of island in his kitchen, Alaric grinned. "Coffee?" he offered, putting down a fresh cup in front of Jenna. She spread her fingers, peering down at the steaming cup as Alaric sat down opposite her with his own.

"I really don't see how coffee's gonna help me," Jenna mumbled with her hands partly obscuring her mouth.

"Me either, but it seemed like I had to offer you something and it's a bit earlier for anything stronger."

"Maybe for you," Jenna quipped, grinning as Alaric sipped at his coffee.

"You said you had a hangover."

"I lied. Didn't want you to feel old just because you have one."

"Ha, ha," Alaric said sarcastically, taking another sip as Jenna chuckled to herself. When he finished his sip he stared at her for a moment, considering whether or not to ask what he was thinking. "How's Elena? Last night when we got home – I mean got you home, she seemed…"

"Mad," Jenna offered. Though she hadn't missed his slip up about their home.

Alaric nodded, "Yeah."

Jenna nodded slowly in agreement as her lips rolled inward. Elena had most definitely been mad. Although in fairness, 'frustrated,' was probably a better word. Her niece was as headstrong as her mother, which hadn't made it easy for Jenna when she'd dragged her away from the Salvatore house. Elena had wanted to argue with Damon, but Damon had obviously been dealing with something that Jenna suspected she'd hear about today. In any case, Elena didn't get to have her fight with Damon, so she'd settled for ranting about him to Jenna and Alaric once they'd gotten home.

For half an hour she'd gone on about Damon's secret search for Stefan and how he'd excluded her. How he was giving up to easily and how she could have helped if only she'd known. Jenna remained quiet throughout the rant, letting her niece speak her mind – but obviously Elena had no idea about her own involvement, or Alaric's. And in that moment it seemed unwise to point it out. Though towards the end, Elena began to notice how she was acting strange. Shifting her weight from foot to foot, bitting at her nails and generally avoiding eye contact when Elena was talking to her.

Another groan from Jenna as she dropped her face into her hands. They then began to run down her face, a futile attempt to try and relieve the tension she was experiencing. It didn't work, and her hands came to rest beneath her chin, holding it up with her elbows propped up on the island. "She's over at Damon and Sarah's now, trying to get some more answers. I bet you anything Damon's thrown us under the bus."

"And you let her go?"

"Of course I did. Gave me a chance to come and hide out here before she starts asking me questions."

"You think she already knows we're involved?"

"She's a clever girl, Ric. Too clever for her own good." A sigh as Jenna tilted her head down, hiding it in her hands once more. This time her hands then moved up, passing over her face running through her long amber blonde hair. "She's going to hate me for having lied to her about this."

"She's not going to hate you."

"Yes, she is. All summer she's been going on about Stefan, while I've been helping Damon and Sarah secretly search for him without even telling her. How could she not hate me for that?" exclaimed Jenna.

"Because you were trying to protect her," Alaric stressed, coming around the island to lay his hands on Jenna's shoulders. "And by being there, you made sure they did everything to try and find him."

"Somehow I doubt she'll see it that way," Jenna huffed.

"Well, she's a clever girl." Jenna still wasn't convinced, sipping her coffee as Alaric patted her on the back. As he then made his way back around to his own cup, a knock at the door caught their attention.

"I'll get it," Jenna offered, putting down her cup as she headed for the door.

Only when she opened and saw her niece on the other side she quickly slammed it shut before she could get in. From the island Alaric frowned, watching as Jenna turned and threw her back against the door, alarm in her wide eyes.

"Come on, Jenna open the door!" Elena called from the other side.

"Crap, how'd she find me?" hissed Jenna.

Alaric shrugged. "In fairness, hiding out at your boyfriend's place probably wasn't the smartest of ideas." His grin was hidden by the sip of his coffee, but Jenna knew what he was doing and shot him a glare anyway.

"Not helpful."

Another bang on the door between her and Elena. Not a forceful one of someone trying to get in, just someone looking to be heard. "Jenna. I know you know about Stefan and Tennessee. I'm not mad, I just want to talk." Jenna's face screwed up, caught between doing right by her niece and saving her own skin. Damon and Sarah wouldn't be happy with her for telling Elena, they'd made it clear why they didn't want her to know. And while Jenna disagreed she understood their point of view. But that wasn't the reason she wanted to run now. She wanted to run because she was scared of how Elena would look at her after she'd lied. Especially after she'd made a big deal about Elena lying in the first place when she first found out about the supernatural. And now, only a few months into her vampire life and she was lying. Yes, running was tempting.

But she wasn't the person she'd been even two years ago. The carefree woman who was still trying to find her place in the world. Her time spent partying, living and having fun while her older sister raised a family. She'd been fun Aunt Jenna. Now… Now she was responsible for her sister's kids. She been looking after them for over a year now, however strange that might feel. And while that party girl might have run away, this version of herself couldn't. She didn't want to regress, she wanted to continue to evolve into something better. Something more like her sister, Miranda who she always looked up to.

While it had felt like minutes, it had actually only taken her seconds to make her decision. She pushed off the door and turned around, opening it up just enough for her to see through without giving Elena enough room to step inside. At first glance, Elena didn't look terribly mad at her, but that could all change in a few seconds, as Jenna feared.

"You should talk to Sarah or Damon, they know more about all this," Jenna said hastily.

Elena cocked an eyebrow at her. Her look was blunt, but not necessarily angry. "I was just talking to Damon. He's not exactly in a mood to help." The attitude left her voice, as if remembering why that was the case. Seeing the dip in her gaze, Jenna instinctively opened the door further, stepping out to meet Elena in the hallway.

"What happened?"

Elena's gaze flicked back up, guilt passing through her brown eyes, as if she'd just remembered something else that she should have thought of sooner. "It's Andie… She's dead."

Jenna had seen the story this morning. She'd had a hunch but hadn't wanted to think about it. A subconscious defence mechanism perhaps. Andie and her hadn't been the best of friends, but they had been friends. And it had been nice having her around as she made the change from human to vampire. Not just a friend, but someone who understood about this new world she was getting sucked into. She would always be grateful for having Sarah there to help her through it. But having Andie, that connection to her human life who was at least a little bit separated from all the crazy…it had been reassuring at times.

"I'm sorry, Jenna," Elena said. "With her being Damon's girlfriend I forgot–"

"It's okay," Jenna reassured her. Her sniff echoing in the hallway, as a hand squeezed her shoulder. She looked back, seeing Alaric sorry gaze. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze, letting the sadness wash over her for a moment. Like Sarah had said, the negative emotions were harder to push back than the positive ones. There was a delicate balance to being a vampire with heightened emotions. One wanted to feel but at the same time not be overwhelmed by every little emotional change. Emotional control however, like many things, was something Jenna was still working on.

"Why don't we move this inside," Alaric suggested, as Jenna started to openly cry. She nodded, and Alaric lead her in before waving for Elena to follow. She did, closing the door behind her as she followed Alaric over to the island where he sat Jenna down on one of the stools. "Here, have some of this," he said soothingly as he offered Jenna her coffee. While still whimpering, she took it and sipped, needing to hold the cup in both hands to prevent it from shaking to much.

As she drank slowly, trying to regain control of her emotions. Alaric moved to Jenna's other side, hand on her back in reassurance while also being in a position to face Elena. "So, Damon's no help. What about Sarah?" he asked, continuing were Jenna left off.

Elena shook her head. "Damon won't let me see her. He's worried about her getting hurt again."

"Can't exactly blame him," Jenna sniffed, wiping at her eyes.

Elena let out a reluctant sigh, but didn't comment on what her aunt said, instead choosing to move on. "That's why I came here, to talk to you both. I need you to help me find Stefan."

Alaric was already shaking his head. "Elena…"

"We can do it without Damon or Sarah. You've both been helping them haven't you?"

"Yes, but–"

Elena cut in, "So you know everything they do. You know the trail, you can help me find him."

"And then what?" asked Alaric.

"Then we bring him home," Elena said simply.

"All right, what if he doesn't want to come home. How are you, me and Jenna going to force him to come back? Have you thought about that?"

From the look on her face, she hadn't. Now, Elena didn't look as certain as she had a moment ago, but she still had conviction in her eyes. And the same determination Jenna had seen so many times in her own sister – Elena's mother. So, while she might not have had it all planed out, she knew she was going to do it, no matter what.

"I have to try, Ric," Elena said, as if there was no choice in the matter.

"Elena," Jenna said softly, tears still brimming her eyes. Her niece's gaze swung to her and instantly her conviction wavered. It remained there, but not as strong when she was facing off against Alaric. He was someone telling her she couldn't do it, an oppressive voice. When she heard Jenna though, she heard the voice of someone who'd tried and lost someone dear to her because of it.

"He's not the same Stefan anymore. He's hurting people. He's doing…horrible things to them."

"That's because of Klaus. If we can just get him away from him I know we can save him," Elena insisted.

"How?" asked Alaric, still not convinced.

"Because…" She seemed to have had the answer, but then lost it. She searched for a moment, gaze distant as she tried to find it inside of herself. But there wasn't really a word for what it was she was feeling. She just believed she could, and nothing anyone said was going to change that. She would have to try for herself, and possibly have her heart broken in the process. Jenna wished she could spare her niece from that, but seeing how she was now, there was no way she'd give up until she saw him again, until she'd at least tried.

"He would never give up on me," Elena finally said. "So I'm not gonna give up on him." Her gaze lifted, looking at the couple before her, plea in her eyes. "Just tell me what you know. If you don't want to help, that's fine, but just–"

"They've been looking for werewolves," Jenna said, Elena and Alaric's gazes swinging towards her. "We're not entirely sure why, but that's what they've been doing, Klaus and Stefan."

Elena took that in. Then after a moment asked, "Have they found any yet?"

"Not that we know of. But they were certainly getting close, judging by our last lead," answered Alaric.

"Well, if they're looking for werewolves, I know a couple that can help us out," Elena offered up, an inspired grin coming to her lips as Jenna and Alaric frowned at her.