Chapter 6: Lost Girls
September 30, 2009
Dear Diary,
Something is up with Elena. Last night she came in the house in a rush, and then stuff kept slamming around in her room. I wanted to talk to her, but I just didn't know how without feeling like a fraud. I feel awful about not telling her everything, but Grams said I could tell her later on. She said that something like this is very dangerous knowledge, but if I had it under control then it would be infinitely safer. I just don't know how long that will be. Still, I should probably try and talk to Elena and find out what was going on last night.
By the time Ellie had gotten out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, Elena was long gone. It was curious, given that normally Ellie was the early riser between the two. "Morning." Jeremy said with a groan as he flopped down at the counter to watch as Ellie made french toast.
"What would you do if I weren't here to make breakfast for you?" She teased as she put the cooked slices on a plate and passed it to him.
"Be sad and probably starve. You're the only one in the house that can actually cook." Jeremy replied as he poured syrup on the stack.
She grinned at her brother as she continued to cook. He was right, Elena and Jenna were absolutely hopeless in the kitchen and Jeremy never bothered to try. "I mean, you're not wrong." She acknowledged. "Do you know where Elena went? She was gone by the time I woke up this morning which is really weird."
He shrugged. "No clue, she seemed kinda freaked last night when she stuck her head in my room."
"She did?"
"Yeah. I didn't get a good look because I was in the middle of my game, but she was gone before I could pause it. Thought I heard her banging around in her room though." Jeremy informed her.
"I heard that too. I don't know, I'll try and talk to her later." She said as she dug into her own food. They mostly ate in silence, before Ellie stood to put her plate in the sink. "I have something to do after school so I'm not sure when I'll be home." Pressing a kiss to Jeremy's cheek, she headed out. Despite having found out a couple days ago that she was a witch, she felt infinitely calmer with the knowledge of it. Ellie had already told Sheila that she would dedicate as much time as she possibly could to improving herself and her powers.
By the time she'd reached the school, she'd gone over the spells she'd been taught a million times in her head and was eager to get out of school so she could get to Sheila's. Everything seemed more chaotic in the halls, but maybe the fact that the school was the last place she wanted to be had an impact on that. "Hey!" Caroline said brightly as she leaned against the lockers next to Ellie's.
"Hey." Ellie said as she pulled her books out. "What happened yesterday? You completely disappeared and Tiki was acting like a bitch the entire time."
Caroline looked apologetic, but also confused. "I, um, sorry, I just had to go do something else and it took longer than I expected. I'm really sorry about bailing. How bad was Tiki?" She asked with a grimace.
"Tiki is a royal bitch that thinks way too highly of herself. So if it gives you any idea, she made Bonnie scrub the pavement to clean it." Ellie informed her.
"What? It was a car wash, by definition the pavement was cleaned?"
"That's exactly what Bonnie said. All it was was an abuse of power from Tiki. Honestly, she's just a raging bitch that is bitter that you made captain so any chance she gets to be in control is ten times worse. Thank god she's a senior. I cannot wait for the day I never have to see her again." Ellie said with a huff as they made their way through the halls. "Have you seen Elena yet? She was gone before I was even up this morning."
"Nope. Actually… I haven't seen Stefan either." Caroline said as she started to grin. "Do you think they ditched school to have crazy hot sex all over his house?"
The blonde added a little shimmy to her statement and Ellie gagged in disgust. "Unlike you, I don't want to know about my sister's sex life. Like at all, so please refrain from putting really gross images in my head."
"Oh come on! I bet right now he's got her pinned against his bedroom door and he's gonna ri-" Caroline's detailed idea of what was going down between Elena and Stefan was cut short as Ellie yanked off Caroline's scarf and stuffed it in her mouth to muffle her.
"Disgusting." Ellie told her as Caroline just laughed. "At least we made plenty of money at the fundraiser." Her choice of distraction worked as Caroline switched to going over all the details of how much they'd earned and how they were going to put the money to use. It was when Ellie spotted Bonnie that she cut the conversation short. "Hey, I need to go talk to Bonnie. I'll see you in English?"
"Ok." Caroline nodded as Ellie quickly walked over to Bonnie.
She wondered if Sheila had told Bonnie that one of her childhood best friends was also a witch and that she was also as new as Bonnie was. Ellie also wondered if she could even tell Bonnie that she was a witch. Bonnie being a witch was something that Ellie had known before she'd figured herself out, solely because Bonnie had told her, along with Caroline and Elena and Stefan, not believing it to be true. Now, they'd found out that something so insane was actually quite possible, but were sworn to secrecy to protect themselves and each other. "Bonnie, hey." Ellie greeted gently as the other girl started. Obviously her friend was stuck in her own head, trying to figure things out.
"Hey." Bonnie repeated. Even if Ellie hadn't known what was going on, she would have been able to tell that something was bothering the other girl. It felt like a relief to know that Bonnie would understand what was going on with her, but was it wise to say something if Bonnie didn't know about her?
"Are you ok?" Ellie asked instead. "You look like you don't feel too good."
Running a nervous hand through her hair, Bonnie just laughed it off. "I didn't get much sleep last night. I guess I was watching way too much Gossip Girl." It was believable enough, to anyone other than Ellie. "I'm fine, really. I'll probably sneak in a power nap in history though. All these substitutes and we aren't learning anything. So it'll be a good time to nap."
Ellie wanted to protest, but instead she kept silent and looped her arm through Bonnie's. "Ok. Well, make sure to get some sleep after school. You're no good running on fumes." She suggested lightly. Bonnie agreed as they made their way to class. "Man what happened at the car wash was really freaky wasn't it?"
She tried to gauge the other witch's reaction, but to her surprise the other girl kept a good poker face. "Yeah it was really strange." Bonnie agreed. "It's a good thing that no one got hurt." Ellie could practically feel Bonnie's poker face slipping the longer the silence lasted, until the other girl broke and said, "Actually, I think I left something in my car. I'll see you in a bit."
"Hey, Elena, I don't know where the hell you are but I'm starting to get concerned. You skipped school and you were gone by the time I was up this morning which has happened literally never so… call me back when you get this or you know, I'll kill you. And if you skipped school to screw Stefan's brains out I'm gonna kill you twice for worrying me over that." Ellie left the message for her sister before hanging up the phone.
"Something wrong dear?" Sheila asked as she let the younger girl inside.
Ellie sighed heavily as she dropped her bag next to the door. "It's Elena. She totally skipped school today and she's not returning any of my messages. I mean Stefan skipped too so maybe they're just together and doing stupid couple stuff but I'm just… I'm just worried about something happening to her." She admitted as she followed Sheila into the kitchen to make tea.
"I'm sure she's alright, but, if it would make you feel better, we can look and see for ourselves." Sheila replied.
"We can what?"
The older woman turned to face her fully. "One common spell that I'm sure will come in handy is a locator spell. Of course there are different kinds, but I have one that could let you see her." Sheila said it as if it were no big deal, but to Ellie it was insane. As much as she had accepted that she and Sheila and Bonnie were all witches, every time Sheila informed her of a new spell it was mind blowing. "But I must warn you, magic takes a toll on you."
"What kind of a toll?" Ellie inquired.
Once she'd poured the water into the cups and placed in the tea bags, Sheila began to explain. "Magic, it's like any other part of you, Ellie. Think of it as exercising. When you first start working out, you can't immediately lift a hundred pounds or two hundred pounds. Even the best athletes have to start small. So you start with maybe twenty pounds and keep working until you can do more." The chamomile tea was strangely relaxing and strangely delicious as Ellie continued to listen. "However, I'll be here to help you, to make sure that you don't overexert yourself."
"I'm probably overreacting but…"
Sheila smiled at her. "But your world has just been turned upside down and you're a bit more concerned about your loved ones. It's perfectly normal. Finish your tea and then we'll check in on your sister."
Her gratitude was clear as she agreed. "Thank you." After the tea was finished, Ellie straightened in her seat. "So how do we do this?"
"You're twins which helps a great deal, but having something of hers will help as well." Sheila said as she moved to clear space at the kitchen table.
The young witch went and rummaged through her bag until she pulled out a bracelet. "This is Elena's. I borrowed it last week and forgot to put it back. She wore this bracelet every single day in ninth grade." Ellie said as she offered up the bracelet. "Will this work?"
"It will. Now, there are two ways to do this. If you just want to see Elena you can do the spell and focus your energy and your mind on seeing her. However, if you want to know where she is, then we'll need a map." Sheila explained as she grabbed a small tray and placed it on the table before placing the bracelet inside the tray.
"If I can just see her and know that she's ok then that's fine." Ellie decided. Her eyes went wide when she saw the knife Sheila was holding. "Um… what's that for?"
Seeing how nervous Ellie was, Sheila laughed lightly. "These things work best with blood. To see her, it's best to have blood contact with her personal item. You being blood relatives will strengthen it. Even if we had used the map, we would have still needed your blood."
Ellie wasn't particularly excited to be cut, but her worry for Elena was enough to push past it. "Ok." She agreed.
The duo sat down at the table and Sheila held out her hand. "I'll try to make the cut as painless as possible." She promised and with the slightest amount of hesitation, Ellie offered up her palm. Sheila drew a thin, long line across Ellie's palm but to her surprise the young girl didn't cry out in pain, only making a face in discomfort. "Now, pick up the bracelet in your palm and hold on to it." Once she'd done as instructed, Sheila added, "Now, I'm going to give you a bit of a power boost to get started. Give me your other hand and repeat after me: Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem."
"Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem." Ellie repeated as her eyes fell shut.
"Now clear your mind and search for Elena." Sheila told her before they repeated the spell together.
Suddenly, she could see Elena clearly. Her sister was driving her car as Stefan sat in the passenger's seat and Ellie seemed to be sitting in the back. They were driving through a wooded area, completely silent. So quiet that not even the radio was on. The duo seemed the be in the middle of nowhere, but Stefan instructed Elena saying, "Stop here."
Her sister complied before following Stefan out of the car. "What are we doing here?" Elena asked as she lingered by the driver's door, not quite following Stefan as he walked.
Stefan turned back to look at her. "I want to show you something." He said in response.
"In the middle of nowhere?" Elena questioned, the skepticism in her voice clear as day.
"This…" Stefan paused for a moment before finishing, "didn't used to be nowhere."
Ellie gasped as she felt herself be pulled from the vision. Once she reoriented herself with where she was, she couldn't help but notice how pleased Sheila looked. "What?" Ellie asked curiously and winced as a sharp pain shot through her head. "Is my head splitting open one of those growing pains you mentioned?"
"Yes, but when you're truly pushing yourself too far you'll have things happen like a nose bleed, or you'll pass out. For you to manage a spell like this with only a few days of even knowing what you are, it's quite impressive." Sheila praised.
She shook her head in denial. "You were helping me, that doesn't count."
Even with her denial, Sheila didn't look any less proud. "Ellie dear, I only helped you get started. You finished the spell and held the vision all on your own." Sheila revealed and Ellie couldn't help but feel pleased as well. From the way Sheila spoke, she'd pulled off quite a feat and for once she let herself feel that satisfaction. "Here, I'll put on some more chamomile tea and get something for that cut. Use this to slow the bleeding."
Taking the offered paper towels, Ellie pressed it down into the cut. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would but she couldn't help the face she made at the weird yellow mixture that Sheila set down on the table. "What is that?" She questioned.
"That is one of the easiest ways to heal injuries that you may get. It's not a cure all, but for things like cuts it'll do the trick. I made the cut light, so one layer of that ointment should do. I'll teach you how to make it once that one runs low. Now it's going to sting a little bit but then it'll feel much better." Sheila told her and once she'd cleaned off her slit palm, she layered on a nice amount.
"Ow! That doesn't feel good." Ellie didn't mean to whine, but it stung more than she'd expected.
"Give it just a second child." Sheila advised and just like she said, the pain was gone faster than it came. "Better?" She questioned when she saw Ellie's shoulders relax in relief.
"Much, thank you." Ellie picked up the bloodied bracelet and moved to the sink to wash it off. "So is there a reason in particular that we've been drinking so much chamomile tea?"
Sheila hummed slightly as she put the tea bags in the cups. "Chamomile, it's a powerful and underestimated herb. It's good for regular people, but for witches, it can help after doing spells. It's a good way to relax and mixed with other herbs, it can help heal you when you've exhausted yourself. It also helps with anxiety and by easing that, it can help you focus on your spell casting. I'd make it a habit to drink it." She explained.
"I will." Ellie agreed as she put the bracelet back into the bag and took the offered cup of tea. "So, does Bonnie know about me?" She questioned. "I kind of tried to see if she knew anything without giving myself away and she didn't really let on that she knew."
"She does not. She wasn't exactly as ready as you were, a bit more panicked and concerned. I thought it best not to tell her something that could upset her even more. I'll let you tell her if you want, once she's a bit more adjusted to it." Sheila explained. "Now I've got a new spell to teach you." Ellie watched in interest as Sheila set out several dead flowers. "Bring it back to life."
"Excuse me?"
"Bring it back to life." She repeated seriously.
"How?" Ellie questioned as she straightened in her seat.
"Witches, we're tuned in to nature and with that we have a natural affinity for things involving nature. Water, earth, fire, air, we can tune into them all. From that, we have a connection with all things, including plants. Plants and herbs are essential for a witch, and while reviving a plant might seem like something small, it can be quite handy to know how to do. Especially if you need something in particular for a spell. Now watch. Belle la vie a cette fleur, maintentant." Sheila explained and Ellie watched as the dead rose in Sheila's hand came back to life, the petals a bright and beautiful red.
A grin broke out on Ellie's face as she leaned forward excitedly. "Oh my god that's so cool. Ok, ok I got this." She said as she forced herself to calm down and focused on recreating what she'd just witnessed. "Ok so what was it? Belle la vie a cette fleur, maintentant." There was a flicker of a color in the dull petals of the flower she held and instead of letting herself be disappointed, she focused on the fact that she'd gotten something on the first try. She slowed her breathing and repeated, "Belle la vie a cette fleur, maintentant." The rose looked alive, but not nearly as healthy and bright as the one Sheila had created, but still she was proud of herself. She paused, amazed and fascinated as she set the flower back down. "That's awesome."
Sheila looked amused at her innocent reaction. "Good. Now do it again." So she did. Again and again until her eyes hurt from staring at the flowers as they grew brighter and stronger.
She groaned as she set the flower down and rubbed her tired eyes. "Is it supposed to be this exhausting?" She wondered as she took yet another cup of tea.
"You're doing more magic at once than you ever have before, it'll drain you. I think it's about time we took a break from it. You always need to make sure to pace yourself, and I've made sure to keep a careful eye on how much energy you had left." Sheila informed her as she cleaned up the salt. "Now, we can keep going but I think it might be best to take a break for today. You don't want to do too much too fast."
Ellie, who could feel exhaustion settling in her bones, hummed in agreement. "I think calling it a day for now is a good idea. I could really use a nap." She admitted.
"Alright, get home safely and get some rest dear." Sheila said as she stood to walk with Ellie to the door.
"I'll see ya later Miss Sheila." Ellie told her as she walked out of the house and headed to the car.
For once, the drive home seemed to go quickly and she rushed up the stairs and to her room. Not even bothering to kick off her shoes, she flopped down on the bed and sighed in relief. As her luck would have it, the doorbell started going off. Someone was obviously desperate to be let in. "I'm coming!" Jeremy shouted as Ellie forced herself off of her bed to go to the door as well. Whoever it was, they were impatient and started beating on the door as Ellie was rushing down the stairs. "Hey." Jeremy greeted as Vicki came straight in.
"The sun is killing me. My eyes are on fire." Vicki complained as he shut the door.
"Where have you been?" Jeremy questioned as he reached for her, obviously concerned.
"It's good, everything's good." She said as she pulled him in to kiss him.
Ellie cringed but Vicki paused in the heavy kiss, panting. "Did something happen?" He asked.
"I'm hungry." Vicki said as she pushed him away and rushed for the kitchen. "What do you got to eat?"
The Gilberts followed after her and Ellie watched in confusion as the other girl started pulling their food out of the refrigerator. "You're high?" Jeremy asked disbelievingly. "Vicki it's the middle of the day."
"Could you not talk so loud?" Vicki nearly shouted. "My head, it hurts. I need quiet." Vicki started tearing into the food, looking so hungry that it wouldn't be hard to believe that she hadn't eaten in days. "I'm so fucking hungry." She all but whined as she tried to eat as much food as quickly as she possibly could manage.
Jeremy looked as confused and concerned as Ellie felt. She didn't have much of a relationship with the older girl, but she'd known her for her entire life and seeing Vicki in such a state was concerning. Normally when Vicki got high she was pretty mellow. Maybe a little crazy and wild but in the sense that she would dance wildly and be playful. She was never… this frantic. As discreetly as she could manage, Ellie pulled Jeremy out of the kitchen slowly and into the hallway. "Jeremy, this isn't normal for her right? Like this isn't how she acts when she's high?"
"No, this isn't how she acts." Jeremy confirmed.
"Do you think she could have taken some bad drugs?" Ellie questioned.
"I have no clue. Maybe? Do you think we should call Matt?"
She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I really think that we should. Listen, Vicki obviously came here for you so I want you to stay in the kitchen with her, just… let her eat whatever she wants it's fine. I will go call Matt and get him here. Just make sure she doesn't leave." Ellie instructed. She stuck her head back in the kitchen and saw Vicki was still devouring the food and once Jeremy was back in the room, she took off up the stairs. She searched through her bag frantically until she pulled out her phone and dialed Matt's number.
After a few rings, Matt's voice came through. "Hello?"
"Hey! Matt, I need you to come to my house like… right now." She told him.
"Why? What's going on Ellie?"
"Vicki's here. She's high on something but she's acting weird. Right now she's in the kitchen eating everything she can get her hands on. Something seems weird with her Matt. Jeremy's staying in there with her, but I really think that you should get here as fast as you can." She explained and heard Matt shuffling around.
"Ok, ok, hang on I'm grabbing my keys and then I'll be right there. Thank you so much for calling me Ellie. I've been worried sick about her." Matt's voice was heavy with relief. "Ok. I'm on my way. I'll be there soon." He promised and the call ended suddenly. She shoved her phone into her back pocket and quickly made her way back down the stairs and to the kitchen. Vicki had poured herself something to drink and was chugging it like she'd not had a sip to drink in weeks.
"Matt's on his way." Ellie whispered softly to Jeremy. He nodded without taking his eyes off Vicki. "Has she slowed down at all?"
"Not even a little." They watched worriedly until the doorbell started to ring.
Ellie practically ran to the door to let Matt in. "Where is she?" He asked.
"Come this way." Ellie replied as she pulled him to the kitchen.
The other girl was sitting on the floor, the kitchen lights dimmed as she drank a can of soda. "What's she on?" Matt asked.
"I...I don't know." Jeremy stuttered.
Matt slowly walked over to his sister and crouched down to her level. Once he carefully pulled off her sunglasses he asked her, "Hey Vic, how you doin?"
"Not good, Matty." She admitted as she tried to catch her breath. "I hurt."
"Ok, where's it hurt?"
"My gums. My jaw hurts. My gums… there's something in my gums, and it hurts." Vicki was clearly in pain and Ellie's heart went out for the other girl.
"Ok, well-"
Matt had reached for her arm, but she flinched and begged, "No, just leave me alone."
"Come on, Vic. Don't be like that. Let's get you home." He said softly.
"Just turn it off!" Ellie was surprised to hear the other girl nearly growl as she shouted at Matt.
"Turn what off?" Jeremy questioned.
"The talking, the chatter, just turn it off!" She got up and started to walk off in frustration only to pause, gaze locked on the news playing on tv.
It was Logan Fell, talking about bodies that had been found and police could be seen in the background covering up the dead. Jeremy moved forward to get a better look. His reaction and Vicki's were enough to make Ellie and Matt concerned. Jeremy turned up the volume and Logan's voice came through. "Like something out of a horror movie. Three bodies were found dead in what is believed to be a drug deal gone awry. The bodies have yet to be identified. They were discovered earlier today over at the old Mystic Falls Cemetery."
Vicki had tears streaming down her face and Jeremy shouted in shock, "That's where we were last night!"
"What happened, Vic?" Matt questioned.
"Officials say it is a suspected homicide, and are fast under way looking for suspects. They're asking anyone with information-"
Matt started to move saying, "I'm calling the cops."
Vicki however, stopped him, pulling on his arm until he was standing still. "No, don't." She begged.
"What happened after I left last night, Vic?" Jeremy questioned but Vicki just shoved him.
His back slammed into the couch before he fell to the ground, both Ellie and Matt moving to check on him. "Jer, you ok?" Matt asked.
"Vicki what the hell?" Ellie snapped, her brother was only trying to figure out what happened.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Jeremy snapped and Ellie could tell that other than his bruised ego, he was uninjured.
"Damn, Vic." Matt said as he stood back up. Ellie spotted Elena and Stefan walking in and the anger she already felt from Vicki pushing Jeremy got worse at the sight of the sister that couldn't even bother to return her calls.
"What's going on?" Elena asked.
"She's really messed up." Matt told her.
Vicki looked distraught as her attention bounced between the Gilberts on the floor and Matt and Elena standing next to her. "Elena, back up." Stefan said as he put himself between the two girls. "Vicki, look at me. Focus." He spoke softly to the girl, raising a hand up to her jaw. "You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine." Surprisingly, Vicki seemed to be calming down. "Guys, take her up to bed. Close the blinds. She's gonna be ok. Come on." He instructed and both boys moved quickly to comply. He ushered them, Ellie included, up towards the stairs to get Vicki settled.
They went to Jeremy's room and as the boys helped her get pushed up in the bed, Ellie helped her pull her shoes off, sitting them on the floor next to the bed. Ellie's anger to the older girl faded as she watched tears roll down Vicki's face. She dashed to the bathroom and then back, holding up a tube of orajel. "Hey Vicki… I'm not sure how well it'll work, but you said your gums were hurting. Maybe this will help?" She offered.
Vicki held out a shaky hand to take the tube. "Thank you." She said softly and untwisted the cap to try and ease her pain. Once she was done, she recapped the tube and handed it back to Ellie. "I think it's helping a little bit." Ellie nodded in relief before she and Matt made their way out of the room. They pulled the door until it was about halfway shut, but paused for a moment to make sure Vicki was alright. They watched as Jeremy pulled the blanket up tighter around Vicki to help her stay warm. Vicki's voice was soft as she told Jeremy, "I'm sorry, I'm so much trouble."
"Hey, you just… you just need to sleep it off, ok?" He replied and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Ellie felt her heart warm in her chest at the sight of his affection. He moved to leave, but Vicki pulled him back down, teary eyed, and pressed her face into his shoulder. Jeremy held onto her tightly and at that, both Matt and Ellie turned to head downstairs.
"Hopefully, whatever she's on wears off soon." Ellie said as they both moved to the living room to readjust the couch from where it had been moved.
"Yeah hopefully. I've never seen her this messed up." Matt agreed.
Unsure of what to say, she spoke truthfully. "Maybe she just got her hands on some bad drugs, or something that didn't agree with her." She suggested.
"Who knows." They left the living room and before they could get to the kitchen, Vicki came rushing down the stairs, shoes in hand. "Vic? Vicki!" He called and took off after his sister with Ellie hot on his heels.
By the time they had gotten outside, Vicki was nowhere in sight. "What the hell? Where did she go so fast?" Ellie questioned as she looked around for the other girl.
She could hear Elena and Stefan as they ran out as well, Jeremy came a moment later, shouting, "She was fine and then she just… she just freaked out."
"I'm gonna go look for her." Matt told them. "Call me if you hear anything." He took off running for his truck before they could even reply.
Stefan said something to Elena, his voice too low for Ellie to catch, but without turning to face him, Elena told him, "Go."
Time seemed to pass far too slowly as they waited for news, so the Gilberts started to clean the mess in the kitchen the Vicki had made. Jeremy, like Ellie, was anxious and they found it hard to wait at home while Vicki could be in danger. "Maybe we should check in with Matt." Jeremy suggested as he took the plates Elena handed to him.
"He'll call when he finds her." Elena said dismissively.
"Well what are we supposed to do?" Jeremy asked.
"We wait. We're supposed to wait." Elena replied.
Their brother looked defeated as he admitted, "I don't know what's wrong with her."
"She'll be fine. It'll all be fine."
Ellie shook her head at her sister as she saw Jeremy's frustrated expression. "Why are we not out there helping to look for her? The more people out there looking, the higher chance we have of finding her." Ellie told her sister.
"Because we should stay here." Elena told her.
"Why? What good does us sitting here and doing nothing do? Elena what if she's hurt?" Ellie tried, but for whatever reason Elena wasn't budging.
"She might come back here."
"Then you stay here and me and Jeremy can go out and try to find her." Before Elena could protest, Ellie continued, "Honestly what is going on with you today? I tried to reach you all day and you couldn't even bother to send a single text to let me know you were alive or with Stefan. Do you realize that anything could have happened to you and I wouldn't have known because I had no clue where you were? And now you're acting so not like yourself with what's happening with Vicki. Any other time you would be the first one to grab a flashlight and head out to look for her and now it's like you don't even care."
"Of course I care! But staying here is the best option. They'll find her and everything will be fine!" Elena started to say something else, but the doorbell ringing cut her off. All three siblings set down what they held in their hands and all but ran for the front door. Elena got there first and started to open it, only to immediately try and fail to slam it shut. It was Damon who easily forced the door wide open. "Jeremy, Ellie, go upstairs."
Jeremy gave their sister an odd look, but did as he was told. Ellie, on the other hand, stood next to her sister protectively. "Elena, what's going on?" She asked, her anger at her sister momentarily gone. She'd never liked Damon. So to see her sister seemingly afraid of him, was concerning.
"Ellie, just go upstairs." Elena insisted.
"No-"
"Ellie now!" Elena practically shouted the order but never once took her eyes off of the older Salvatore. "Go." With much reluctance, she backed away and headed up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, she moved out of sight, but crouched low to try and hear what they were saying. Her sister's fear didn't sit right with her, and she wouldn't leave Elena in a potentially dangerous situation. Besides, if it became necessary, she could use her magic to stop Damon from doing… well anything that might hurt Elena.
She could just barely see Damon strolling into the house and the way Elena kept her distance. She could hear the door shut, but she could hardly hear what they were saying, something about an agenda and Stefan. Ellie could hear Elena telling Damon that he was looking for Vicki, as well as the disgusted tone she used. There was something about judgy eyes and Katherine and she could see Damon stepping into Elena's personal space, trapping her up against the stairs. Something else about a life story and she took a step down to try and hear better. Damon had opened the door again and started to leave before popping his head back in. "Oh, tip for later. Be careful who you invite in the house."
With a smirk, Damon was gone and Ellie was rushing back down the stairs. "Elena what the hell was that?" She asked.
Her sister whirled around, startled. "I thought I told you to go upstairs." Elena said.
Ellie scoffed. "Last I checked, I was older than you."
"By five minutes Ellie. I told you to go upstairs."
"Elena, I wasn't about to leave you in a dangerous situation and for whatever reason, you were obviously scared of him. So yeah, screw what you told me to do." Ellie retorted.
Elena, instead of getting mad at Ellie for not doing what she said, just huffed out a sigh. "It's nothing. He's just a jerk." It seemed like a lie to Ellie, but she decided for now to just let it go. "Look, Ellie I'm really really sorry for not letting you know I was ok. I was with Stefan and we were talking about stuff and I just had a million things on my mind. You're right, I should have checked in and I'm sorry for worrying you and I know you're mad at me for it but can I at least be forgiven?"
Seeing how pitiful her sister was, Ellie just groaned and pulled her into a hug. "Yes, you jerk, you're forgiven. But if you scare me like that again I'm gonna beat you up." Ellie threatened and Elena laughed, hugging onto her a bit tighter. "But really are you ok? Something seems off with you."
"Yeah, it's just been a long day." Elena said.
"Definitely. Look, I think I'm gonna head up to bed. If they find her come get me and let me know ok?"
"Ok. Night Ellie."
"Night Elena."
Author's Note:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter if you did please leave a review and let me know how you felt about it. Reviews mean the world to me!
To Sting3 who reviewed on chapter 1: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
To Oz: I'm glad you like the bond Ellie has with Jeremy and Caroline, those two could always use more love. I'm also really glad that you enjoy her being a witch. I hadn't thought about really using her as Bonnie's anchor but I like that thought! But I will definitely try to work more Bonnie and Ellie time into the story!
To Guest: I agree. It's very frustrating to see how she treats Jeremy a lot of the time.
To RiRi: I know, I love Elijah he's one of my favorites. I can't wait for them to meet.
To Mimi: You and that guest are totally right. Why would she keep involving herself in the supernatural if that's not the life she wants? Honestly it's very Katherine of her to string the boys along the way that she did. I'll definitely think about if and how I'd want to address that in this story.
Posted: 3/11/20
