A week passes. A week without Jeremy. Without Caroline and Uncle John. And somehow, Elena... survives.

She survives Caroline's funeral. She cries, and she holds Bonnie's hand, and she makes it through.

She survives giving Sheriff Forbes her statement about Jeremy's death. She cries, and she says she didn't see the killer's face, and she finds a way to meet Caroline's mother's eyes even as the lies fall from her tongue. (Stefan thanks her for protecting him; she can't meet ihis/i eyes when she tells him it isn't a problem.)

She survives going back to school, sticking close to Bonnie and Stefan and ignoring the whispers and stares of the rest of the student body. She doesn't cry, and she doesn't scream, and she doesn't break down when she sees the kids smoking pot behind the school or the cheerleaders practicing their routines in the gym. (At least, she doesn't cry, and she doesn't scream, and she doesn't break down iat school/i.)

In that week, something almost like calm falls over Mystic Falls.

And then, on March 4, Stefan misses school.

After their final class lets out, she, Bonnie, and Ric all drive back to Elena's house. Aunt Jenna is waiting for them.

"Stefan isn't answering his phone," Elena tells her, in lieu of a greeting, checking again that Stefan hasn't responded to any of her texts. It isn't like him. And Katherine is still out there somewhere, though they haven't seen nor heard from her since she murdered Uncle John.

"When's the last time you heard from him?" Aunt Jenna asks. She gives Ric a quick kiss hello before turning her full attention back to Elena. They sit together on the couch across from Elena and Bonnie.

"Last night," Elena tells them. "When he called to say goodnight." Elena didn't think anything of it when he didn't text her before school started, but she started to worry when his seat was empty in Ric's class.

"I can go to the boarding house," Ric offers. Elena immediately shakes her head. It isn't safe. Without a human resident, Katherine can get in without an invitation. And Ric's ring won't help him if he meets up with Katherine – no more than Uncle John's ring helped him when Katherine snapped his neck.

When Katherine wants someone dead - they're dead.

"I'll give him another call," she tells them. "I don't want anyone going over there. If someone – or something – has taken out Stefan, we won't stand a chance."

"We could all go together," Bonnie offers. Elena shakes her head sharply. She's worried about Stefan – of course she is – but she can't risk Bonnie, or Aunt Jenna, or even Ric.

If Stefan doesn't answer his phone again, Elena will slip away and go over to the boarding house alone. Aunt Jenna's phone rings, interrupting their conversation. "It's Mason Lockwood," she tells them, before stepping away to take the call.

"They've been friends since they were kids," Elena tells Ric reassuringly, when she sees his frown.

They haven't been able to figure out what kind of supernatural creature Mayor Lockwood and Tyler may be, but whatever it is, they assume Mason is the same. But Elena doesn't entirely understand Stefan's obsession with the mystery. The Lockwoods have lived in Mystic Falls Elena's entire life – but there were never any mysterious deaths or disappearances until Damon (and Stefan) returned to town.

Aunt Jenna walks back into the living room before Ric has a chance to respond. "He wants to meet up for drinks at the Grill," she tells them, her phone pressed to her chest, an uncertain look on her face.

"You should go," Elena tells her immediately.

"But Stefan…" Aunt Jenna says, obviously undecided.

"Bonnie and I will figure it out," Elena reassures her.

"Do you want to go?" Ric interrupts, raising an eyebrow.

Aunt Jenna nods. "It would be nice to get out of the house," she admits softly.

Elena can't blame her – she knows Aunt Jenna really hasn't gone anywhere since Caroline's funeral. She says she's been busy working on her dissertation. (That's true, even if it isn't the entire story. Their house is the only place in Mystic Falls that they know a vampire can't enter – that iKatherine/i can't enter.)

"Will you come with me?" Aunt Jenna asks, and Ric immediately agrees. Elena tries to hide her relief. She doesn't want Aunt Jenna to live her life in fear –even though the danger is real. At least Ric will be another barrier between it and Aunt Jenna.

And it'll give Elena a better chance to slip away.

After Aunt Jenna and Ric leave, Elena calls Stefan again. "Still no answer?" Bonnie asks, after she hangs up.

Elena shakes her head. "Am I being paranoid?" she wonders out loud. "Too clingy? It hasn't even been a day…"

"No, definitely not. Stefan never goes more than a few hours without calling or texting you," Bonnie points out. "I can go with you to the boarding house."

Elena looks at her sharply.

"I know you," Bonnie reminds her. "You're thinking about going off alone, because you don't want anyone else to be in danger. But you're forgetting that I'm a witch – I can help."

"I'd rather you be safe," Elena tells her.

Before Bonnie can respond, her phone rings. "It's my dad," she says. Elena encourages her to answer it. She can just barely hear Mr. Hopkins's voice on the other end of the line, asking Bonnie when she'll be home. Bonnie tells him a few hours, and he doesn't sound happy with that answer. Bonnie asks him to hold a minute.

"You should go home," Elena encourages her.

"So you can sneak off on your own?" Bonnie questions, raising an eyebrow.

"For whatever reason, Katherine doesn't seem to want me dead," Elena reminds her. "If she did, she would have killed me when she killed Uncle John. We don't know if that's true for anyone else. I'll go to the boarding house, see if Stefan's home and safe, and come right back. I promise."

Bonnie sighs, looking uncertain. Her phone's sound is muffled against her chest, but Elena can tell that her dad is getting annoyed.

"I'll text you when I get there, and when I get home," Elena promises.

"And you'll check in every 30 minutes, or I'm coming to get you," Bonnie insists. Elena agrees.

After Bonnie leaves, Elena goes upstairs and grabs a stake and the wrist holster that Ric gave her. He's been teaching Elena and Aunt Jenna some (vampire-specific) self-defense moves after school. Elena doesn't think she's strong enough yet to pierce a vampire's heart with a stake – but she can do some damage. Maybe enough to get away, or at least buy some time.

Maybe.

Elena calls Stefan one more time before she leaves, but still no answer. She texts Bonnie to let her know that she's driving to the Salvatore Boarding House now; Bonnie texts back immediately, telling her that she just got home and reminding her to check in.

When Elena walks into the boarding house, she calls Stefan's name. He doesn't respond.

Instead, Katherine materializes in front of her, so fast it seems as if she teleported. Katherine's face is like looking in the mirror - if her reflection could kill, and manipulate, and destroy.

Elena stumbles back a few steps. "Where's Stefan?" she asks. She plants her feet, getting ready to strike out with her stake if Katherine comes any closer.

"Cute," Katherine murmurs, looking at Elena's wrist, as if she can see through her jacket to the weapon underneath. And then she's a blur, standing behind Elena, brushing her hair to the side to expose her neck.

"Elena?!" Stefan yells, finally running into the living room.

A gust of air along her back, and Katherine is gone.

"Werewolves?" Elena repeats, after Stefan explains everything Katherine told him.

"Werewolves," Stefan confirms. "Katherine says the bite of a werewolf on the full moon will kill a vampire. She warned me to stay away from Mason – and Tyler."

"If Katherine told you the truth when she said that a werewolf activates their gene by killing, then you don't have to worry about Tyler," Elena says. "He's never killed anyone."

"Katherine said a werewolf doesn't have to kill on purpose – an accident is enough," Stefan tells her.

Elena swallows. "A car accident?" she asks.

Stefan nods, his face sympathetic.

"But why did Katherine come back to Mystic Falls?" Elena asks, pushing away thoughts of Caroline (dead from a car accident) and Tyler (cursed to turn into a wolf every full moon, because he was driving the car), at least for now. "It can't have been just to warn you to stay away from the Lockwoods. Why did she kill Uncle John?"

"She wouldn't tell me," Stefan responds. "Not why she was here, or why she killed John. But she said…" he trails off.

"What?" Elena asks him.

"She said she wants me back," he tells her, reaching forward to hold her hand.

"And what did you say?" Elena wonders, pulling away.

"That I love you, not her," Stefan reassures her. She turns her head when he bends down to kiss her. His lips brush her cheek softly, and then he pulls back.

"And?" Elena pushes, turning to look at him directly. She can tell that there's more that he isn't telling her.

"She said she'll kill everyone you love, and then you, if we don't break up," he admits.

Somehow, Elena isn't surprised. (Not even a little bit.)

"Say something," Stefan begs her, after a few moments pass in silence.

"We need to break up," she says, wondering if he doesn't realize the obvious, or if he realizes and just doesn't want to admit it.

"Break up?" Stefan echoes blankly.

"She's ruthless, and sadistic, and much, much stronger than you," Elena murmurs. "She killed Uncle John. She threatened to kill everyone I love – to kill Bonnie and Aunt Jenna. How are you going to stop her?"

Stefan doesn't have a response.

Elena leaves without another word.