OG Author's Note: A/N—

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"Rayna, wake u—" Elena stopped mid-yell as she opened the door, and stared at me as though I was some sort of martian.

"You're awake." she said.

"Gee, Elena, did you get even smarter this summer?"

"You... You're awake. You're never awake this early." she said, ignoring my comment. "Usually I have to wake you up."

I shrugged, "I was the one who woke Ric up. During summer, I'd always have to wake up early. I didn't want Klaus walking in on me when I was getting dressed, or something."

"Oh." she said, looking at me worriedly again. Was she going to look at me like that every time I mentioned that summer? "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. You?"

"Okay."

But it was pretty obvious that neither one of us was 'Okay'.

I stood in the woods next to Elena, both of us in leggings, tees and hoodies. We watched Alaric closely, her more than me.

Alaric had on some sort of dark sleeve attached to some small stakes. He punched the white dummy hard in the chest, and the stakes ejected into the dummy's chest.

Poor dummy.

"So," Ric said, "The pressure of your punch ejects the stakes."

"Easy enough." Elena said, stepping forward. She punched the dummy hard in the chest, but nothing happened. I snorted.

Ric elbowed me.

"That's weird." Elena said.

She tried punching the dummy once more, but nothing happened. I sniggered, and Ric elbowed me again.

"Must be jammed, or something." Elena said.

"You're not strong enough." Ric said, and I laughed. Elena gave me a look, before turning back to Ric. "I'll get

you lifting some weights. Put some meat on your bones." he said.

He took her to the side and showed her the vervain grenade, but I wanted to try punching the dummy, so I strapped on the sleeve, and using all of my strength and built up anger my fist collided with the dummy.

"Yes!" I yelled, as the stakes ejected into the dummy's heart.

"How did you do that?!" Elena asked.

I shrugged. "Does this mean I don't have to do weights?"

I asked hopefully.

Ric smirked. "You seem fine to me. I'll just put you onto a different training schedule to Elena."

He turned back to the grenade, and I stuck my tongue out at my sister, who rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"Oh my God I missed you!" Caroline yelled as she ran towards me, pulling me in for a hug. I tried to breathe, but she was squeezing me so hard it was pretty impossible.

"Let the poor girl go, Care." Bonnie laughed.

"Oops, sorry!" Care said as she let go of me, but I just grinned up at my tall friend.

"I missed you two. And you, Bon." I said before hugging her as well. Elena laughed and Caroline beamed.

"Group hug!" she announced.

After the tight group hug I promised Bonnie and Caroline to tell them everything later, said my goodbyes and caught up with Jeremy.

"Elena told me, in the car. About you and the whole Anna and Vicki thing," I said referring to the fact that Jeremy was apparently now seeing his girlfriend's ghosts. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." he shrugged, going to his locker. "It isn't that bad. Honestly, Rayna. I'm getting sort of used to it, I guess..."

"Good. You know where I am, if you—"

"Rayna, your bedroom is right next to mine." he laughed. "I know where you are if I need you."

I nodded and walked over to my locker, sighing. I felt out of place here all of a sudden. It felt so weird to be back.

"Hey there, Gilbert!" Tyler yelled. I jumped and turned to glare up at him, but I couldn't keep a straight face.

"You idiot!" I laughed. "You scared me."

"You weren't... You know, having a vision?" he whispered.

"No." I shook my head. "I wasn't. How are you, Ty?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I think it's actually pretty cool. I'm Klaus' first hybrid!"

"Uh, I'm glad you're looking at it positively, at least." I said unsurely.

"Well," he shrugged. "I gotta go look for my girlfriend."

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Care."

"No way!" I gasped, eyes wide.

Tyler laughed and patted me on the head. "You've missed so much, Ray. See ya in history." he said before disappearing.

I didn't have much time to think about what exactly was off about Tyler today, because as I shut the door to my locker and turned around I walked right into someone's chest.

He put his hands on my waist to steady me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw people watching us curiously. I looked up into the green eyes of Stefan Salvatore.

No wonder people were staring.

He smirked, and I took a step back. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? I'm going back to school. Go Timberwolves!"

"No, seriously, what are you doing here?"

"Klaus wants me to keep an eye on you," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought no-humanity-you would be more likely to defy Klaus." I said. "Since when were you his little errand boy? Actually," I said, thinking back to all the times Klaus had ordered Stefan to do things over the summer, "Don't answer that."

I walked past him, and straight to history. Caroline and Tyler were there, but pretty much no one else was.

"You," I said, pointing to Caroline, "And me, are going to talk." I told her, glancing at Tyler, and she looked at me sheepishly.

I sat next to Tyler who was behind Care and soon people started piling in, including Elena who was followed by Stefan.

She looked at me and sighed, and I wondered if Stefan had given her a hard time outside. She sat in front of me, and Stefan kicked the guy out of his seat so he could sit next to her.

No-humanity really didn't suit him.

"Welcome back, seniors," Ric said from the front of the classroom. "Let's, uh, turn our brains back on and start with our country's original founders. The Native Americans."

"What about the Vikings?" I looked to see Rebekah who sat down in front of Stefan. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. What was an original doing in school?

"There's no evidence that Viking explorers actually settled in the United States. Who are you?"

"My name's Rebekah, I'm new and, history's my favorite subject," she said.

Elena and Caroline exchanged worried looks, and it felt like me and Tyler were the only ones who weren't paranoid about this.

I sat on the stands with Bonnie outside, doing homework. Elena was running around the track while Caroline and, as it seemed, Rebekah were in cheer practice.

"Shouldn't you be there, Bon?" I asked, gesturing to the group of cheerleaders.

She looked up from her history book at me, and then to Caroline.

"Yeah." she shrugged.

I laughed, "She's going to kill you."

"She'll be too busy trying to kill Rebekah."

"Good point." I said, and looked at Bonnie who was flicking through the pages of the text book. "Need any help?"

"You said Rebekah mentioned Viking settlers in America, before the Natives. Well, there's nothing about that in this text book. How old is she?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "But, I mean, she must be hundreds of years old." I asked. "She's just like a teenager. You'd think someone that old would spend their time knitting, or something... She just doesn't seem mature for her age."

"One word." Bonnie said. "Damon."

I laughed, "Point taken."

Bonnie left the history book and was busy flicking through some other textbook while I looked out over the track and field. I spotted Elena walking away from Stefan.

Almost as though he could sense me watching, Stefan looked in my direction and smirked, before walking in our direction.

"Let's go!" I said to Bonnie.

"What? Why?"

"Look," I said through gritted teeth, and tilted my head to the right. She followed where my eyes were looking.

"You're going to bump into him sometime, Rain."

"I already have," I told her. "Which is why—"

"Hello, Rayna!" Stefan grinned, sitting between me and Bonnie and facing me.

Rude.

"Beautiful day," he said, over-enthusiastically. "What are you doing?"

"Enjoying the sunshine."

"If that's supposed to be some ironic vampire joke, it sucked." My eyes widened at my poor choice of wording, and I shut my eyes and shook my head.

He chuckled.

I opened my eyes. "Go away, Stefan."

"No can do," he said, shaking his head. "You see, Klaus ordered me to keep an eye on you and Elena."

"And by all means," I said, "Do that. But from afar. Like, maybe a few miles?"

"Now, Rayna, I thought we were friends!"

"Yes. I'm friends with Stefan Salvatore, the one who doesn't bite my sister, and when he wants to return; by all means, talk to me."

"At least you're a realist."

"What?"

"Your sister seems to think that deep down, I still care." "You do. Just very, very deep down. And you and I both know, the more people you kill the longer it'll take."

He smirked. "Excuse me, while I go kill some people." he said before leaving. I watched him walk away, and shook my head. It was hard to think that even though technically he was Stefan, it wasn't Stefan's fault he was doing these things. And it wasn't Stefan's fault he bit Elena. It was Klaus' fault.

"It's always Klaus' fault," Bonnie said, rolling her eyes. "Isn't that what it all boils down to?"

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Yup." She said, chewing on the end of her pen. "Anyway, you coming to the Bonfire tonight?"

"No."

"Why? Care is going to kill you. If I have to go, so do you."

I looked at her. "Bonnie, sweetie, think about this. Every dance, party, or special event in this town, and I do mean every, ends in someone's death, someone's kidnapping, someone about to die or another 'bad guy' coming into town. And, in some cases, someone's fake death." I added, glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, okay! Your reaction to my 'death' had to be real for Klaus to believe."

"Yeah, well, if I'm alive when you actually die, you do realize I will spend the rest of my life in denial, cause I'll think you just faked it again."

She smiled apologetically. "Sorry. But you do have to come to the Bonfire."

"Fine. But the second it looks like something's gonna happen I'm grabbing you, Elena, Care and Ty and we're going to Rome."

"Why Rome?"

"Because then, I can die my hair purple. And when you ask why I did it, I can say, 'When in Rome'." I said and she laughed.

"Deal."

I walked behind Elena, my arms folded across my chest as I looked around the trees, I had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

"You always have a feeling something bad's going to happen," Elena said.

"Because something always does!" I protested. "And, did I say that out loud?"

"Yup."

She walked towards Stefan and Rebekah so I looked around and spotted Damon. I walked toward him and narrowed my eyes.

"Uh-oh. What did I do this time?" he asked boredly. "This Bonfire? Elena looks happy to be here. What are all of you planning exactly?" I asked him. "Are you going after Rebekah?" I asked more quietly. "Because I don't think she's any more a threat than Stefan."

"Which is why he's the one we are... dealing with."

"Dealing with? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Gotta go, Ray." he smirked before walking away.

"Damon, what does that mean?!"

I glared at his back as he continued to walk away from me, and looked around, wondering where Caroline had gotten to. Or Bonnie, for that matter.

My vision became blurred and I held onto a nearby tree for support.

Suddenly, I was on the football pitch, looking at the stands in time to see my sister fall off the top.

My heartbeat slowed down and I blinked several times, to find myself back at the bonfire. I searched frantically around for Elena, but couldn't see her anywhere. I ran as fast as I could to the football pitch, hoping I would get there in time to save her. I ran whilst trying to steady my breathing, but couldn't quite get enough oxygen.

I reached the football pitch and skidded to a halt as my eyes widened in panic. I saw my sister standing at the top of the stands, and then, she was falling. In a blur, Stefan was standing in front of me with my sister in his arms.

"I knew you would catch me." I heard Elena say, and then I saw three red arrows hit Stefan's back, and he collapsed.

I looked to where the arrows had come from to see Alaric. "What the hell is going on?!" I demanded, making both him and Elena look at me, startled.

"Not now," Elena said. "We need to—"

"No. Now. Tell me what's going on."

I climbed into the back of the car and Elena climbed in the front while Alaric put Stefan in the boot.

"I still don't get what the point in doing this was, Elena."

"We need to get Stefan to turn on his humanity."

"He's not gonna do that, Elena." I said impatiently. "The more people he kills the longer it'll take. And I wonder how many people he killed last night alone."

"Well, do you have any ideas?"

"Yes. We make him want to turn his humanity on again."

"Well how are we supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, Elena!"

She turned around and was about to say something when her eyes widened. I turned around and looked out the window to see a wall of flames coming towards the car.

"ELENA! RAYNA!" Ric yelled.

The temperature increased as the base of the car caught on fire.

"Open the door!" Alaric ordered. Elena and I tried but the doors were jammed.

"It won't open!"

"Rayna, what about you?"

"Same!"

Alaric went to get something to smash open the windows while Elena tried kicking against the glass. I turned around and shook Stefan.

"Stefan!" I coughed. "Stefan, wake up!"

He opened his eyes and looked around.

"Stefan!" I repeated. He seemed to come to his senses and kicked the boot of the car off its hinges. "Elena, get out!" I yelled. She climbed out of the back with Ric's help.

"Come on, Rayna!"

I shook my head and grabbed Stefan's shoulders and dragged him with me out of the car. Ric and I held onto both of his arms as we ran away with Elena, just in time for the car to explode.

I coughed and breathed heavily.

"Nope," I said, gasping for breath. "Me and cars," I shook my head, "Done."

To my surprise, while Alaric drove Damon and Elena to the Boarding House after I had told them I'd go home with Bonnie whom only I knew wasn't at the party, Stefan said he would drive me home after they had all left.

I sat in the car, thanking Klaus for ordering Stefan to look after me. Otherwise, I probably would never have gotten out of that car.

"Why are you driving me home?" I said. I gripped onto the seat so hard my knuckles were turning white.

He smirked, but it wasn't a cruel smirk like before. Something about him didn't seem quite right.

"You look like you again," I said. "Normal, humanity you."

"I'm not."

"I know," I said.

There was an awkward silence as he pulled up outside my house, and I practically ran out of the car.

"Next time we should probably just walk," he muttered, as he walked me to my front door. I frowned, and wondered why he was doing all of this.

"So, um," I said awkwardly. "Well, bye."

I put the key in the hole and turned it before opening the door, only to have it slammed shut by Stefan's hand.

He looked down at me, frowning in confusion."Why did you save me tonight?" he asked.

I was slightly taken aback by his question. "Well, um, I'm not very good with the witchy stuff so I needed help opening the door."

"No. After that. You could have left me to burn in the car."

"You probably wouldn't have died."

"But it would've hurt."

"Which is why I got you out of there," I said. "Look-I don't care if you have no humanity and if right now you think killing is okay... Maybe I do, but there's nothing I can do to stop that. It's your choice. All I care about is that you're okay and that you don't get hurt, because all summer you protected me. Now, it's my turn to protect you; even from yourself."

"You still think I'm going to turn my emotions on," he said after a moment. "Do you have any idea how pathetic that makes y—"

"What's pathetic is you denying that you will turn them back on. And I know one day, one day you will. But you should at least try and do it soon, because people are going to resort to desperate measures if you don't."

He seemed to be deep in thought because he wasn't saying anything.

"I don't even care if you spend the rest of your life like this." I blurted. "I'll still love you. You're my friend, Stefan. I owe you." With that, I went inside and closed the door behind me. For some reason not having the courage to look at his face.

"So, Elena doesn't know?" I asked over the phone.

"She knows some things, she doesn't know other things. You're not—"

"I'm not gonna tell her anything, Damon." I rolled my eyes. "Why exactly are you trying to resurrect Mikael? I mean, I get that he's supposedly this big bad vampire vampire hunter, but why do you need him?"

"Because we think he knows how to kill Klaus."

I could hear his smirk through his voice. I swallowed, and felt my face pale, though I wasn't sure why.

"Rayna?"

I slowly sat down on my bed.

"Hellooo? Anyone there?"

I blinked a few times.

"Why do you want to kill Klaus?" I asked in a small voice.

"Are you seriously asking that question? I thought you of all people would want this."

He was right, of course. I should want him dead. So why didn't I?

Or more importantly, why did I want him to live?

"Yeah," I laughed forcedly, ending the call. "I thought so too."

OG Author's Note: A/N— I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I really, really do.

What do you think about future chapters? Should I make Rayna go to Denver for a while to visit Jeremy when he goes? I feel like there was something else I was supposed to say but, ah, well.

Thank you again for everyone supporting this story. I hope to update very soon, but until then please review and tell me what you think or how you feel.

:)