A short while later, Emily and Jeremy head home. Upon nearing the front door, they notice the door knob shaking, and Elena's muffled voice from within in: "It's not opening…" Emily and Jeremy share weird look as Emily approaches the door, puts in the key, and opens it.

Opposite her were Caroline and Elena, who gasp in shock. "Wow!" Jeremy calls, then pushes past them and heads inside. Breathing heavily, Caroline looks at Elena and shakes her head.

"I'm out of here," she says, and rushes past Emily, who in turn faces her sibling as well.

"Uhhh, what's going on?" she asks.

XXX

In the car and on their way to the Fell's Church, Emily drives as Elena explains to Stefan through the phone what she'd said to her sister before leaving. "It's Bonnie…Emily's possessing her." Her sister, Emily, feels weird about her name being used to refer to an old dead witch possessing their other witch friend! "She said something…She said: 'I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed.' And then she just left!...She's headed to Fell's Church. We-…"

Stefan seems to have said something, then Elena hangs up, and speaks to Emily: "He says he'll find her."

"What the hell does Damon want with that necklace?!" Emily asks irritably.

"When you asked him, did he tell you anything?" Elena retorts.

"I didn't get the chance, because someone called up Stefan to interfere!" Emily scolds.

"What was I supposed to do, Emily?! Damon can't be trusted; was I supposed to just-"

"You were supposed to trust me, Elena!"

"I do trust you; it's him I don't trust!"

"Just…forget it. We need to find Bonnie before she does something stupid."

Just then, she skids to a stop where the church would be and they'd have to walk the rest of the way. Emily picks up her bag and exits the car, master-locking it after Elena followed, and they started into the woods.

What they arrive to was far from what either of them expected.

There, in a circle of fire, stood Bonnie, dangling the cursed jewel in her hand.

The scene looked horrific.

"Bonnie!" exclaimed Elena, rushing forward.

"Elena, no!" shouted Emily as she hasted after her, but with no need, for Stefan was there, and he quickly kept Elena from moving further.

Everyone froze when Damon shouted: "NOOOO!" and they all turned to see Bonnie toss the necklace into the air, it exploding into sparks of fire, and dissipating…into nothing.

The fire quickly dies afterwards, and Bonnie blinks rapidly, free from her possession,

but after what?

Just when she is no longer safe behind her magic, Damon launches at her. She screams as he mercilessly sinks his teeth into her neck, and everyone jumps in panic.

Without wasting time, Stefan quickly zoomed forward and tore Damon away from the Bennet.

Bonnie collapses onto the ground as Emily and Elena rush forward to her side. Stefan falls beside her and places his ear to her chest. Seeming satisfied, Stefan faces the siblings and says: "She's alive, but barely," he faces her again. "I can save her." He bites into his wrist and Emily studies what he's doing in bewilderment. Elena, all worked up, faces Damon, who stood idly by, and shoots him a dirty look.

Emily watches as Stefan opens Bonnie's mouth and puts his bleeding wrist between her lips. The Bennet gasps at the intrusion, and Emily's eyes go wide as he seemed to be feeding her his blood. "What are you doing?" she asks warily.

"I'm healing her," he answers. Emily takes this in, and is more so shocked as she watches Bonnie's wounded neck knit back together, and heal.

"Her neck," utters Elena with just as much disbelief. "It's healing."

As she was crouched on the floor and watching, Emily caught sight of Damon.

Nothing grasped her attention more than the look on his face.

A man in despair.

Then, he caught her gaze, looked pleadingly into her eyes…

and zoomed away.

XXX

Stefan had left to find Damon while Emily and Elena guided Bonnie to the car. They were in the process of calming her down, and Elena promising to tell her everything, when Stefan returned.

Without waiting, and as Elena assured Bonnie that Stefan was no harm, Emily approached him.

"Stefan," he faces her. "I need you to explain to me what the hell that was all about," she sternly says. Stefan visually tenses.

"It doesn't matter. It's over," he says.

"I don't care. I wanna know," she insists.

The look on Damon's face demanded an explanation.

Stefan studies her for a moment, and refrains from asking why.

Whatever it was between Damon and Emily would soon be over anyways, as he and his brother were leaving.

He saw no harm in telling her.

"He was trying to get Katherine back," he starts. Just then, Elena approaches them, and quiets upon hearing the topic. She crosses her arms and listens.

"But I thought she was dead," Emily says in confusion.

"I did too. But, apparently, Damon struck a deal with Emily Bennet to save her in exchange for keeping her children alive," he explains.

Emily takes this in.

Wow.

All the trouble to go through…for someone he loved.

She felt her heart react with him in sympathy.

Stefan continued.

"But in order to do that, she had to save every vampire in that church. Getting Katherine back…means bringing them all back…and considering what Mystic Falls had done to them…they wouldn't be very forgiving…"

The Gilberts process Stefan's story, and realize the threat.

"But he was gonna do it anyways, and that's why Emily destroyed the necklace," Elena exhales menacingly. Emily feels strangely indifferent to the situation, actually about to say that she 'didn't' even though they weren't referring to her.

"Look, it's over now, and…we're both, leaving…for good," he says. Emily's eyes snaps at him, and Elena's brows furrow as she frowns.

"What? But…Look, I'm sorry, Stefan. I thought that I couldn't be with you, but I can. You don't have to push me away. I can do this," she takes hold of his hands, smiling genuinely. Stefan eyes her adoringly, tilting his head.

"I can't," he softly says. The Gilberts seem confused by this. He keeps his eyes fixed on Elena. "I…I have to leave, Elena. Too many people have died. Too much has happened."

'He's right,' thinks Emily with sad acceptance.

What was she expecting?

This was the only way this would end.

Elena wasn't having it though.

"What? No! I know you think you're protecting me, but-"

"I have to. Coming home was...it was a mistake. I can't be a part of your life anymore," he says.

Elena falls silent, her gaze descending to the ground. Stefan glances at Emily.

She gives him an approving nod.

This was the right thing to do.

"Don't go Stefan. Please...You don't have to. This is your home. Please, don't go," Elena breathes, tears stinging her sad eyes. Emily puts a hand on her soldier.

"Elena," she calls, causing the younger Gilbert to face her. Emily forces on a small smile. "It's for the best," she says.

"…But…" Elena faces Stefan again, then Emily in dire confusion. Stefan places a hand on her cheek. He gives her one last smile, before saying:

"Goodbye, Elena…"

XXX

It had been a long night that one.

Telling Bonnie the truth, helping Elena with what happened with Stefan.

A very long night.

Bonnie stayed over, and in her own room, Emily herself tried to process what the Salvatores leaving meant.

She couldn't, at least not right now.

She felt too indifferent to point at an advantage or a problem.

A part of her did think it was good she felt that way, and a part of her thought it was just a matter of time before she started randomly recalling her past encounters

with the Salvatore brothers.

XXXXX