OG AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Elena and Rayna tensions again. Opinions on that? I miss Klaus. Don't you? This is episode 2 done, I think he returns in episode 4... Hmmm... Opinions?

Every parent's worst night mare is the day that their child one day asks the inevitable question...

"Should I get a tattoo?"

I spat out my cereal and gawked at him. "What?!"

"Do you think I should get a tattoo?" my younger brother repeated, looking at me like one would look at a child practising voodoo.

"No." I told him, shaking my head. "I do not think you should get a tattoo... Why would you even ask me that?"

He shrugged. "I've just been thinking about it."

"Well, don't think about it anymore."

"So you don't want me to get one?"

"No." I said, "I'm not against it but, kid, you're not even eighteen yet. Let's just slow down on the whole growing up think, 'kay?"

"Okay, mom." he said with the slight roll of his eyes.

"How's Tyler?"

"Tyler's... Tyler." I shrugged. "He just wants to kill Connor in the hope of healing his pride." I shook my head, "He's still pretty pissed off."

Connor was, apparently, the name of the hunter.

"Me too."

I grinned. "Aw, Jeremy, did the big bad man hurt your one true love?"

"Shut up."

"You don't still have a crush on Tyler, do you? Oh my God, you do! This is too cute." I said, picking up my phone off the table. "I'm so texting Care about—"

I stopped as the phone was pulled from my grasp. "Give that back if you value your life!"

He looked around the room thoughtfully. "Um... Let's see... No?"

"Jeremy!" I shrieked.

"Hey, calm down. It's not like there's anything on here you wouldn't want me to see." he said, before scrolling down what I hoped to God was not a text conversation.

With a snap of my fingers my phone flew back into my hand, and I smirked at my brother's shocked face.

"How did y—"

"Need a lift to school?" I offered, and he shut his mouth before opening it again to take one last bite of toast.

"Yweshh pweamph." Jeremy said through a mouthful of toast and nutella.

I grimaced, setting my phone down on the table. "Lovely."

The ride to school was, for the most part, uneventful. Jeremy moaned about how much he hated the hell hole otherwise known as high school, I turned the volume on the radio higher to avoid listening to him moan, he then moaned some more about how hungry he was and how no one feeds him and then I hit him over the head telling him I do feed him but the fact that he expects me to do everything for him is downright sexist... And then I had a vision that Klaus was back in town and nearly crashed the car.

I had somehow managed to park the car safely, and exhaled as I pulled the keys out of the ignition.

So Klaus was back in town. He hadn't exactly been gone that long and it seemed as though he'd never even left. But now he was back.

But maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he'd leave us all alone.

Yeah, the Caroline-sounding voice in my head said sarcastically. And maybe Jeremy will become a vampire hunter.

I withheld a snort.

"What the hell was that?!"

"You see?" I asked. "This is why you should get lifts with Elena."

"At least she knows how to drive." I heard him mutter. "That may be true but she has a horrible taste in music so

my car and my radio is the better option."

He just shook his head, deciding not to point out that Elena and I shared a car. "What did you see?"

"Nothing." I told him. "I'll deal with it later."

"Dude, you nearly killed us, it wasn't nothing. Tell me."

"Dude, get out of my car and get to class."

"But—"

"Now."

He sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt before climbing out of the car and slamming the door shut behind him.

"Real mature!" I yelled after him before driving away.

I lay in my bed at home, thinking everything over. I'd been doing that a lot recently. Bonnie wasn't answering my calls and to be honest I hadn't expected her to. She needed time on her own and I could understand that. But when the house phone started to ring I foolishly got my hopes up. I thought that it would be Bonnie calling, I hoped it would be

Bonnie calling. I wanted to talk to her, to help her.

But it wasn't Bonnie.

"Why are you at home?" a voice crackled from the other end of the phone. "Scratch that. Look, I need your help."

"What's happened?" I asked him.

"Well, considering you failed to eliminate the hunter I should think you'd wanna earn more brownie points with me no questions asked."

I really didn't want to be reminded about one of my many failures.

"I really don't care about earning brownie points with you, Damon. You didn't get rid of the hunter either and anyway, considering this town's recent events I should think I'm your favorite person right now. What with Elena and Stefan being all—"

"That doesn't matter now." he snapped. "Why are you calling me?"

"I need help... With a mission. Operation Take Down Connor."

"In future I think I should think of the names. Where should I meet you?"

"Tell me that is not a bomb."

"Okay. It's a kitten. It's an adorable, exploding kitten."

"Why didn't you call Stefan?" I demanded. "Seeing as he won't end up, I don't know, dead?"

"Because I'm proud and stubborn and... Oh, look! You're already here." Damon smirked. "Don't look at me like that. You're not gonna get hurt, I promise. Now, come on, you wanna be a doctor. Be doctorly and cut out the arrow. I'd do it myself but if I move..." he trailed off.

I picked up a knife from the table and moved behind Damon. As I tried to cut out the arrow he said, "So, you weren't at school. Isn't truancy illegal?"

"Killing people is." I told him. "What's your point?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just that I'd expect that sort of thing from Elena but certainly not from you."

"I didn't feel up to it."

"You didn't feel up to what? Going to school or going to school and seeing Stefan?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Really?" he asked. "Because I think you do. You're scared—"

"—I'm not scared—"

"—You're scared that Stefan will be mad at you for not telling him about me and Elena bloodsharing."

I sighed in frustration. Why was it that I could hardly keep anything from Damon? It was annoying.

"He won't be mad at you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know my brother." he replied. "He cares too much... It's pathetic, really."

I laughed. "Yeah, and you don't."

"Damn straight, I don't."

"One word. Elena."

He was silent, and I laughed before he said, "Just shut up and be doctorly."

After making Damon buy me lunch at the Grill He drove us back to the Boarding House and went to his room to get changed and washed so that he would be less bloody.

I was sat on one of the leather sofas downstairs reading when my phone began to ring. I was shocked to see who was calling.

I hadn't actually spoken to her since Klaus (when he was in Tyler's body) saved me and Caroline from the council. So we still hadn't actually spoken about how she had been the cause of the car accident that lead to my sister becoming a vampire.

"Rebekah." I said.

"Rayna, hello..." there was a long silence. "Look, I'm having a party at my new house and was wondering if maybe you would like to come."

"Um," I said stupidly. The truth was, I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure what to say to her and anyway, Rebekah knew I didn't like parties.

"Yes, I do know that," she said.

Oh God, I thought. I have to stop saying things out loud! "But I thought it could be fun."

"Um, okay."

"Great, I'll see you there!"

"See ya." I hung up.

"You weren't at school today." a voice said. I watched as Stefan sat down on the sofa opposite me.

"No, I wasn't." I replied.

He frowned. "Why?"

I closed my book and put it beside me before looking back at Stefan apologetically. "Stefan, I'm sorry. I should've—"

"—It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does!" I argued. "It matters to me and it matters to you too. I'm really sorry. You were so happy and I didn't want to ruin that."

"I forgive you." he replied. "I think we should both start being honest with each other."

There was a strange silence, and it was as though he had more to say, but he didn't.

"Stefan, I saw Klaus." I said.

"What? Where? When?"

"No, I didn't see him, see him. I had... I had a vision. And he was there. Why would he come back? I mean, Elena's a vampire now so he can't be after her blood."

"Maybe he came back for Rebekah."

"I don't think so. I don't think they're on good terms at the moment."

"Why do you say that?" Stefan asked.

"Because he wouldn't have left without her in the first place."

My sister came walking into the room, her eyes skimming over me only briefly. We weren't currently on the best of terms. I'd be lying if I said I didn't care, but I'd also be lying if I said I was prepared to do something about it.

"We should go." she said.

Stefan smiled at me, "See ya." he said before Elena grasped his hand and dragged him out of the Boarding House.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"So, Klaus is back in town?" Damon asked as he walked into the room, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He lifted the glass to his lips and looked at the door where Elena and Stefan had just left. "Interesting."

I clenched my fists as I silently followed Connor and my brother through the hospital. Looking at Connor's forearm I could see the tattoo there. Perhaps that was what had brought on Jeremy's question to me that morning.

That thought brought a question to my mind.

Just how long had Jeremy and Connor been buds?

The idea of Connor being near Jeremy made my skin crawl, especially seeing as he had proved that he was more than prepared to use humans as collateral damage.

They were tailing Meredith.

"That's her," I heard my brother say as I pressed myself against the wall and peered around the corner.

"Stay here." Connor replied, and he walked away and disappeared into another room. A room I knew that Damon and possibly Klaus were inside of, if Damon had indeed seeked Klaus' help. I didn't know for sure though as I had left and spent around half an hour at Rebekah's party. I hadn't seen her once.

I took this opportunity to walk silently towards Jeremy and whack him on the back of the head.

He spun around and when he saw that it was only me his face turned from one of anger and fear to one of relief. Then he just looked angry again.

"What the hell?" he hissed.

"Don't you what the hell me," I glared up at him. It was very inconvenient that he wasn't smaller than me. When we were kids he was much easier to boss around. "You should not be hanging around with psychotic vampire hunters."

"And hanging out with psychotic vampires is any better?"

"Hey, Damon is not psychotic." I defended. He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a little but that is so not the point here! How long have you known Connor?"

"I met him a few days ago at the Grill."

"Let me guess, you didn't know it was the hunter?" He nodded. "He never told me his name."

I shook my head. "This is why you don't talk to strangers. You should head home, see if Elena's alright. Probably got drunk at the party, or something."

I knew Elena wouldn't actually get drunk at the party, but I also knew that Jeremy wouldn't leave without a good enough reason. Stubborn as he was, I needed to give him an excuse to leave and be somewhere safe. Or at least, somewhere safer.

"Okay." he replied. "Are you gonna come?"

"I might be useful here." I told him. "Plus, I'm curious about him."

"You know what they say about curiosity."

"It's healthy?"

"It killed the cat, Rayna." he dead panned. "Look, just. just be safe, okay?"

"You too, Jere." I told him before he left.

As I opened the door to the storage room two heads turned around and looked at me, both with different expressions. I ignored Klaus and glanced at Damon's smirk, before looking at Connor who was tied to a chair. I slammed the door behind me and moved to stand next to Damon.

"You." Connor said, "You're the one who stabbed me."

"It seems an introduction isn't needed then," Klaus said, and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye to see he was smirking at me. He looked almost proud that I had stabbed Connor. I ignored him and looked back at Connor.

"You did this," I said, pointing to the light bruising on my neck. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"Any time." Connor replied swiftly.

"As we were saying," Klaus said in a dangerous tone, "Truth be told I'm as evil as it gets."

"I wouldn't say evil." I said, avoiding eye contact with the original. "I'd say more heartless, selfish, pessimistic—"

"Pessimistic?" Klaus interrupted. "I pride myself in looking on the bright side of things."

"Like what? The pros of killing people? Of ruining lives?

You're right, I bet it's all amazing to you." "Now, love, let's not cry over spilt milk."

I spun my head around to glare at the man who had faked his own death, murdered my aunt, and done everything imaginable that could hurt me. "Don't you dare call me love again or I swear to God—"

"Trouble in paradise." Damon said to Connor who was staring at Klaus and I. "On to more important things, tell us what you know."

"I'm not telling you anything. What, you think if you kill me it's gonna be over? There will always be another to take my place."

"See, this is what I like to hear," Damon spoke, "Vague threats, ominous prophecies, disappearing tattoos..."

"What do you mean, disappearing tattoos?" Klaus and I asked.

"Don't bother," Damon told us, "You can't see the damn thing."

I looked down at Connor's forearm.

Yep. Definitely a tattoo there.

Klaus bent down and muttered, "There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"

In a blur Klaus was holding Connor's forearm. Connor had a stake in his hand.

"Nice try," the bane of my existence said, "But I'm faster than your average vampire."

He then bent Connor's arm backwards, earning a cry of pain from the hunter, and plucked the stake from his fingers. He examined the stake carefully and there was a mark, not unlike that from the bullets that Stefan and I had taken to Bonnie.

"You're one of the Five." Klaus muttered.

I looked up at Damon and was glad to see that he was just as confused as I was.

But the look on Klaus' face, I'd seen it before.

I had definitely seen it before. When I had told him about me, about my powers. It was the same look he had on his face when Tyler was turned into his first ever hybrid. He had found a new toy. A new puppet.

"The what?" Damon asked. But he received no answer.

"I'm faster than your average hunter." Connor said.

I felt a hand grasp my arm and the world blurred around me as someone carried me away at vampire speed. The explosion that occurred as the bomb went off rang in my ears.

OG AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so I have the next chapter planned out and I promise a much faster update. I just want to thank everybody whom has in any way supported this story. Also, I think Taylor will make a reappearance in later chapters. Any requests? What are your feelings about this chapter and the relationships in this chapter? Next chapter you can expect several important confessions that will change the story quite a lot.

Uploader's Note: Okay here's another chapter. If there are any weird formatting breaks let me now! I just cleaned this up in the middle of a very interesting lecture because I was feeling guilty of not posting. Anyway, let me know. I'll try to get this all uploaded by the end of November but no promises. School is pretty hard rn.