The Salvatore Siblings: The Cursed Ones

by PowerHero432

Katherine is back, Caroline is a vampire and Scarlett has discovered there are others out there like her. But what else is going on now that the doppelgängers have been united. A mysterious vampire that can't die? A curse involving the Sun and Moon? And as always, Sarah and her brothers are right in the middle of it, and it's all thanks to Elena. (Pairing: Scarlett/Jeremy)

45. I am Broken

Review responses:

Bornkiller9: I've got quite a few changes planned for the third season, so hopefully those will go down well. Sarah is going to have a different experience to Stefan in the third season but it will tie in because they are brother and sister and then there's Elena to consider. But it won't just be Sarah doing the same thing as Stefan. I think that would be dull, but they will over lap and she will react differently to him to certain things.

And here we are, at the end of another book. And this was waaaaaaaaay longer than the last one. Like I'm kinda shocked. It's over double the word count! I'm honestly amazed I managed to write it all. But here it is, a year and a half after it originally started, the final chapter – and then it's on to the next story. However I have a few things to say before then.

1st, I'm still planning the third season. I'm someone who likes to write it all out in bullet points and have the entire plan before me. I make changes along the way, but that's just how I've done this series. And it has taken me longer than expected to write everything down and go through all the episodes to make sure it all works. And because of some of the changes I've made there's other things I have to consider in terms of character actions. For example, I'll be changing some of the things Damon does in series 3, because a lot of his motivation comes from his romantic love for Elena...and you'll see what I mean later on in this chapter. But as I'm sure you'll understand, it's like a domino effect, so I'm trying to be careful and not force anything.

2nd, I'll be splitting series 3 into 3 separate books. That way it won't end up being as long as this one and it will hopefully be more digestible and less intimidating to new reads.

And that's all I really wanted to say. I have started writing the next story but as I've said, I like to have my plans. And once I've sorted out everything for the first arc in series 3 then I'll try and get as much done as possible. Hopefully it'll only be a month or two before the next book starts being uploaded, I don't want to keep you guys waiting too long, but at the same time, I want to have a steady upload schedule like I had with this one. If you guys are desperate and don't mind waiting weeks if possibly months between chapters then let me know and I'll start uploading as soon as I have something finished and ready to go.

And then there's the most important bit. THANK YOU! I know I say it all the time, but it's only because you all read and review and favourite and follow this story that I continue to write it. Every word you write in your reviews gives me a reason to sit back down and keep going and I love you all for that. I love writing this series and playing with the characters in this universe. But there'd be little point if you weren't all reading it and enjoying the story with me so thank you so much for coming back again and again and joining Sarah, Scarlett and me on this story.

Here's to the end of this story, and the starting of the next! Take care of yourselves until we meet again!

Additional Note:

This story was originally completed on 30th June 2020.

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Chapter 45: I am Broken

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"This is a waste of time, she's obviously not here," argued Jeremy, as he and Scarlett made their second lap of the square. At first he'd been happy to be helping, thinking he was finally getting taken seriously. But after a while he'd begun to think this was just another way of sidelining him, of fixing him up with a bodyguard, A.K.A. Scarlett. It didn't help when Scarlett suggested taking another look around the square after they'd found nothing. That was when Jeremy felt his suspicions to be true. That she was just keeping him out of the way while Caroline and Bonnie did the real work.

That wasn't the case. The truth was Scarlett was picking up Elena's scent. But with the sheer mass of people she kept losing the fresh scent and mixing it up with another. She tried to explain that Jeremy, but he wasn't as patient as he'd once been. Not as trusting.

"Her car's gone so she's gotta be somewhere else," he continued to insist.

Finally sick of his complaining – and his attitude that she wasn't taking this seriously enough – Scarlett turned on him. "Jeremy, I get it. You're anxious and worried. But I'm telling you, I smell a fresh scent here, in the centre of town."

"Wouldn't be the first time you lied to me," he muttered, looking off. Normally when he made a clear jab at her for what had happened with Mason, Scarlett let it go. But apparently this was the one that broke the camels back, as Scarlett's face contorted into an angry glare.

"I'm not lying, Jeremy," Scarlett growled, barely holding back the anger to her tone.

Not that Jeremy seemed to notice, as he snapped, "How can I be sure anymore?"

"I get you don't trust me–"

"Understatement," Jeremy muttered loudly.

"But I meant what I said, Jeremy. I'm going to let you make your own choices. Even if they are stupid ones."

Scarlett went to resume the search, but Jeremy grabbed her and turned her back around. "Hey, I'm trying to help my sister here!"

"No, you're picking a stupid fight with me!" Scarlett shouted back, her point made clear by the volume of her voice. "If you really wanted to find her, you'd let me do my thing."

"And how do I know this isn't just you trying to keep me out of the way again!" Jeremy snapped.

Scarlett glared back at him, her mouth open in outrage. "Are you serious, Jeremy! Are you that paranoid now that you actually think I'd leave your sister in danger, just to manipulate you?"

He stepped towards her then, his eyes a harsh cold brown as he looked down into her fiery blue. "I really don't know." And were once Scarlett might have backed down at that, this time, she didn't. She held his gaze angrily, refusing to let him get away with this. She would forever be sorry for what happened with Mason, forever tormented by that moment, but she wouldn't take this. She wouldn't let him insult her to this degree, to think she would abandon her friends and leave them to die for any reason, was unthinkable. It was becoming clear where they stood, that he would never trust her again and only continue to make these snide comments whenever they hit a bump. And if she wanted to stay with him, she have to take it.

Realising that, her heart ached. Not because of his words, but in realising that this was the new reality. She had ruined their relationship, but he wasn't willing to try and repair it. She could understand why, but clearly he wasn't going to let go either. He was going to make her cut the cord, so that he could blame her for that too, drag it out even if it made them both miserable. There was never going to be a happy end for them.

But she couldn't deal with that now, they had more urgent things. But afterwards… Afterwards they'd end things. For good. It was the only way out of this cycle, at least that Scarlett could see.

Then, a scent drifted in to her noise. A scent she knew well, and she turned, taking another sniff. Her eyes widened as she confirmed who it was, and then she saw him through the crowd. "Damon," she said, as Jeremy followed her gaze, seeing the vampire too. But he wasn't acting like his usual self. He was hunched over, staggering to get through the crowd and coughing all the way. Scarlett could see he'd gotten worse, and the fact that he was talking to a statue, thinking it was someone else, wasn't helping.

"Rose…?" he murmured, and Scarlett then remembered the vampire he'd fallen for – at least that was what Sarah had told her. The one who'd been bitten by a werewolf, just like him.

Jeremy was moving towards him before Scarlett, and once she saw him ahead, she swiftly followed. There was no telling what Damon might do. Right now the hallucinations might be calm and peaceful, but from what Sarah had told her about her time looking after Rose, things could turn violent fast. She had to be on her toes until the others arrived.

"Damon!" Jeremy called out, stopping as the blue eyed vampire weakly turned towards him and Scarlett.

"Jeremy…? Scarlett…?" He started to fall, but both Jeremy and Scarlett stepped forward to catch him.

"We've got to get him out off here," Scarlett said, looking around to see how much attention they'd drawn. And more importantly, if there was anywhere they could go.

"The Grill's nearby, it should be quiet just now," pointed out Jeremy. Scarlett presumed he was right because of everyone watching the movie. She nodded, putting up no argument as they began to move through the crowd, across the square, and into the Grill.

Inside it was quiet. Scarlett would have even said it was closed had the door not been unlocked. All the chairs were stacked on top of tables, but the lights were still on, so maybe they were only closed for the duration of the movie. Either way it was a quiet place to wait for the others, with no one around to question them yet.

"Call the others, let them know where we are," Scarlett said to Jeremy, taking Damon's weight with ease as Jeremy pulled out his phone and called.

"Hey, it's me. We found Damon, we're at the Grill." He made his way around to the other side of a table, while Scarlett let Damon go. He seemed stable enough to stand now, though had one hand posed above the edge of the table in case he needed to catch himself.

It all seemed fine until Scarlett caught an intruder's scent. She turned, her eyes going wide when she found the Sheriff – Caroline's mom – pointing a gun at her and Damon. She remembered now, being told that the Sheriff apparently knew everything. Knew about all the vampires, her daughter being one of them, Damon another, and Scarlett the werewolf. Evidently, her hatred for vampire was stronger, as the gun moved onto Damon and fired.

But Damon was gone before the bullet could connect, fleeing the restaurant. And yet Scarlett still smelt blood.

She turned, following the line of the Sheriff's shot…to find Jeremy with a hole in his chest.

"JEREMY!" Scarlett cried as he fell backwards.

In a blink she was beside him, on her knees, watching his whole body tremble as he stared up at her with those fading brown eyes. He was in shock. So was she. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't a vampire, she couldn't heal him with her blood. She was just a werewolf, with no power to prevent death in any way. She was powerless as she watched him die before her, grabbing onto him as if that might somehow stop him from leaving this Earth.

From behind, she heard the Sheriff say into her radio, "I've got a gunshot victim at the Grill. Get the paramedics here." She seemed to be in shock as well, but was keeping it together far better than Scarlett.

Taking his hand, Scarlett began to frantically ramble, her brain on autopilot as she tried to will Jeremy to heal. "Jeremy. Jeremy, stay with me. It's going to be okay, I promise, it's going to be fine. Just don't leave me, please. Please, don't leave me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything, but don't go, just hold on. Help's coming." He squeezed back, but it was weak. And Scarlett felt her heart stop along with Jeremy's, as his head dipped backwards.

"Get away from him, Scarlett," ordered the Sheriff, the same shake to her voice as before.

"You shot him!" Scarlett snapped, turning back to see the gun now aimed at her. But she didn't care. It made no difference to what was happening to Jeremy. He was still dying, if not dead already. After everything they'd done, after everything she'd tried to do to protect him. It ended like this. It wasn't fair.

Ignoring the Sheriff and her gun, Scarlett went back to Jeremy, stroking his face and trying to get him to respond to her. "Jeremy? Jeremy, talk to me? Please, say something, anything! Tell me you hate me, tell me you want me dead, I don't care just say something, please! Jeremy!"

"Oh my God," gasped Bonnie, having arrived with Caroline.

"Mom, what did you do?" gasped Caroline, running over to Scarlett's side with Bonnie behind her.

"I–I was aiming for Damon," answered the Sheriff, conflicted now that her daughter had arrived. She even went as far as to lower the gun, still firmly held in both hands. But Scarlett's priority still remained with Jeremy, as she grabbed Carolin's arm so tightly, she was almost certain she'd broken the skin with her fingers.

"Save him, Caroline!" Scarlett begged through the tears. "Save him please!"

"I've got it," Caroline said, quickly biting into her wrist and feeding Jeremy her blood. "Come on, Jeremy. Just drink. Go on, drink," Caroline said quietly, as the other waited in silence. But after a few seconds, there was no change. The blood was going in, but the bullet hole was still there, and Jeremy's once colourful brown eyes were now duller than ever.

"It's not working," exclaimed Scarlett in a panic.

"What about his ring?" Caroline suggested, pointing to it.

"It won't work, she's human," Bonnie explained, as Scarlett finally saw how she could have saved Jeremy. If she'd killed him before the shot did, then he would have come back. But it was too late now, he was gone, and there was nothing that could bring him back, not even vampire blood. He was gone.

"No…" Scarlett gasped, as Caroline and Bonnie looked sorrily towards her. "No…Jeremy…" She reached over, taking his face in her hands. The tears coming in full force as she squeezed her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to hold back all her emotions. But then she cried out, unable to hold it in as she bent down to embrace him one last time. To inhale is already tainted scent. Taint with the stench of death.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I'm so sorry!" she said into his chest, in between the sobs as she felt Caroline warp and arm around her. And there they sat for minutes. Scarlett crying, holding Jeremy. Caroline holding her. Bonnie watching over them, dealing with her own sadness. And the guilty Sheriff who still hadn't decided how to act yet.

And then Jenna and Alaric came running in.

"What's going on–?" Jenna froze, seeing Jeremy on the ground. The bloody hole in his chest, and everyone gathered around in tears. She didn't need an explanation for that.

"Oh, my God," Alaric gasped from beside her, as grief took over Jenna like a tidal wave dragging her out to see. She had little to no control over her emotions and this was too much to bare. She ran to her nephew, landing on the opposite side of Scarlett as she grabbed him.

"Jeremy? Jeremy, stop playing around and wake up," Jenna demanded, refusing to accept the situation.

"Jenna…" Alaric said slowly, coming up behind her.

"He's not dead!" Jenna snapped at him and everyone else, even a crying Scarlett. "He can't be! Feed him some blood."

"We already tried–" Caroline explained.

"Then try again!" Jenna shouted out, her own tears boiling over.

But then she looked down at Jeremy again, her arms beginning to tremble as they held him in her arms. Her breathing becoming heavy as she fought to control herself. "Who did this to him?" asked Jenna in a low voice.

"I–I was aiming for Damon," the Sheriff said again, only more quietly. Jenna's gaze swung towards her, as enraged blood filled her eyes.

"Jenna, no–" Alaric got out, but by then Jenna had the Sheriff up against the wall, her throat in her hands.

"You killed him!" Jenna roared, her full vampire features coming out as her anger consumed her.

"Jenna, stop!" Alaric shouted, grabbing her from behind and trying to pull her off the Sheriff.

"You killed him! You stupid idiot! You killed him!" Jenna continued to shout, smacking the Sheriff as she wildly threw her own limbs about in an attempt to strike the her, while Alaric dragged her back. "You were supposed to protect him, and you shot him!"

"Stay back!" the Sheriff ordered, her own panic showing as she aimed the gun at Jenna, the vampire.

"Pull the damn trigger, see if I care!' Jenna snapped, Alaric now struggling to hold on as Jenna began tapping into her superior strength. "It won't stop me! And then I'll kill you for what you've done! I'll drain you dry!"

"Jenna, listen to yourself!" shouted Alaric, managing to turn Jenna around and force her to look at him. "This isn't you, it's the bloodlust. You need to calm down."

"How can I be calm!" Jenna shouted, tears flying as she suddenly fell into Alaric's arms. The fight suddenly abandoning her as depression settled in instead. "He's dead, Ric. Jeremy's dead."

"I know. I know," Alaric said softly, holding Jenna despite the danger of her tearing into his neck. He knew her, he trusted her. And right now, he just wanted to be there for her.

"Alaric, back away from her," the Sheriff ordered, still trying to maintain some sort of control over the situation.

"Put the gun down, Sheriff," Alaric replied with a stern look. "Or this will only get worse." And maybe it was because he was human, or maybe it was because of the seriousness in his eyes, but the Sheriff listened, as she holstered her gun. Her own sadness taking over as she looked down towards Jeremy. Scarlett still clinging to him, her tears fallen on his dead body.

"Please," Scarlett continued to whimper. "Please, come back. Please. I'll do anything. Just don't go. Don't leave me. Jeremy…"

"I think I can save him." Suddenly all eyes shot towards Bonnie. The witch stood ridged as she stared down at Jeremy. "But we have to go now."

"Go where?" Alaric asked, loosening his hold on Jenna so that she too might turn and stare at the witch.

"Just pick him up, and follow me," Bonnie said sternly, no room for questions in her voice.

Alaric nodded, bending down opposite Scarlett to take Jeremy, when the Sheriff spoke up. "No, no, no, no. You can't move him. This is a crime scene."

"If you think I'm listening to you–" Again Jenna went to lunge at the Sheriff, her vampire features still out and looking like she was about to tear into the Sheriff's neck this time. But luckily Caroline got in between them, one hand enough to push Jenna back before she turned to her mother.

"Mom, you need to let them go," Caroline said to her plainly – as a fact. The Sheriff stared back, as if seeing her daughter in a new light. And as she backed down, the blood faded from Jenna's eyes, as everyone calmed for just a moment.

But then Alaric went to pick up Jeremy and Scarlett shoved him back. "No!"

Alaric quickly rolled back up, motioning everyone back and showing he was okay. Then, he slowly approached the emotional werewolf. "Scarlett, we have to move him. It's our only chance of saving him."

"I…I want to carry him," whimpered Scarlett, sounding like a timid child, as she stared down at Jeremy.

"I know. But you can't, not like this." Alaric paused reaching over and placing his hand on her shoulder, as she looked over to him. "I'll be careful with him. You can trust me," he said with a tender smile.

While they had been talking, Jenna moved behind Scarlett, placing her own grief-stricken hands on the girl's shoulders. And when she looked up and saw that Jenna trusted him, Scarlett relinquish her hold on Jeremy. Entrusting him to Alaric. The teacher then carefully picked him up in his arms, while Jenna held onto Scarlett, and Scarlett her.

"All right, Bonnie, lead the way," Alaric said, before they followed Bonnie out.

---

Taking the knife, Klaus tightly gripped the blade with his hand. So tightly that he began to bleed, the red blood oozing out of the gaps between his fingers, as they dribbled down and dripped into the bottle beneath. He kept loosening and tightening his grip, fighting off the healing process so that he could get as much blood as possible into the bottle. Still sat on the bed with Leiah, Sarah watched, as Klaus slid the blade from his grasp. His hand already healed, as if nothing had happened.

"There it is," Klaus said, sat at the island with Stefan, as he picked up the small bottle full of his blood. The cure to a werewolf bite. "You want to save your brother? How about a decade long bender?" he asked with a grin, looking down the island to Stefan. Who was eyeing the bottle just like his sister, both trying to think of a way to get it and flee.

"Uh-uh-uh," came the quiet rhythmic tap of Leiah's voice. Her hand on Sarah's arm. "What you're thinking, right now, that would be one of those troublesome things I can't protect you from."

Sarah turned, finding Leiah in her causal position on the bed next to her. But despite her playful demeanour, her eyes were deadly serious.

"What does it even matter to you, if I live or die?" Sarah whispered back, while Klaus continued to talk to Stefan.

Leiah leaned over, close enough to Sarah that she could easily make out the faint freckles on the girl's face. A face which was currently halfway between a pout and intense thought. Looking deep into Sarah's eyes with her own narrowed blues. "To be honest," Leiah began, reaching forward to brush a strand of Sarah's hair behind her ear. "Keeping you alive is becoming a bit of a pain. But to answer your question, it's not you I'm trying to save. Strictly speaking."

She shrugged, looking back over to Klaus and Stefan, despite knowing Sarah was still staring at her. Her mind full of questions. "Are you ever going to give me a straight answer?" Sarah asked, no longer whispering.

Leiah's eyes darted back over to her. A grin sliding onto her lips. "Maybe someday." Then her eyes went back of the kitchen island, and Sarah turned too, watching Klaus as he turned around in his seat to face them.

"Let's all have a drink, shall we? Leiah." Using her supernatural speed, Leiah dashed over to the fridge. From where Sarah was, she couldn't see what was inside when Leiah opened it. But when the Original pulled her hand back out it was full of blood bags.

"Nik," Leiah called, throwing the first bag to him. He caught in one hand. Ripping off the top to pour it into a glass.

"Stefan," Leiah called next, throwing the second to him. He caught it in both hands, though his eyes remained on the smirking Klaus.

"And you, hot stuff," Leiah added with a wink to Sarah as she threw the last bag. Sarah caught it, moving towards the edge of the bed before Leiah was once again in front of her, preventing her from standing up. "Mind if we share?" she asked, holding a straw in each hand. "Still don't think I'm fully healed from that werewolf bite Cutie gave me." Again she dropped down onto the bed next to Sarah, this time sitting at the edge. She then punctured the bag with both straws, positioning one towards Sarah and the other towards herself – as if they were sharing something as trivial as a milkshake. She even made slurping noises as she drank, smiling in delight when she pulled away.

Across the room, Klaus took a drink from his glass, watching as Stefan took a drink from the bag he'd been handed. And while they drank, Sarah uneasily drank from her shared bag. Trying to figure out what all this was about.

"Finish it," Klaus ordered Stefan, his smirk gone along with his playfulness. He was being dead serious. But still Sarah couldn't work out why. She watched her brother squirm for a moment, before taking another sip at the bag. But she knew he could handle it. His control had been built up to handle this, thanks to the practise he'd had with Elena and her blood. Now he was able to drink from any blood bag in moderation and remain in complete control.

"All of it," Klaus said, encouraging Stefan to hurry up. Again Sarah frowned, not understanding as she watched her brother drink. He held the bag up, taking it all in this time. Chugging it back like he was in a drinking contest. Squeezing the bag until he got everything out. Then he crunched it up, and dropped it on the island. His eyes still locked with Klaus'.

Playful Klaus was back again. "Good, uh?"

Stefan nodded, knowing his role in this little game. "Yeah," he complied.

Klaus swung around in his chair again, looking over to the bed. "Ladies, how are we feeling about the blood tonight?"

"Okay," Sarah said, still frowning with the blood bag in her hands.

"Leiah?"

Leiah replied, "I'm good. But Stefan's still looking a little thirsty. Maybe we should get him another."

"What a good idea, sister," agreed Klaus, looking back over to Stefan with a grin.

"I'm fine," Stefan said calmly.

"Nonsense, it's no trouble. What's a bag of blood between friends. Leiah, get the man another drink." Again she was at the fridge in the blink of an eye. Taking a blood bag and throwing it to Stefan. He caught it, but after looking it over, sat it down on the island in refusal.

"I said I'm fine, thanks."

At that, Klaus' playfulness vanished again. "You wanted a deal," Klaus reminded him. "You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal." He nodded to the blood bag before Stefan. "Drink."

"What's the point of this–" Sarah was cut off as she stood, Klaus' hand around her throat and almost lifting her off the ground as he suddenly appeared before her.

"The point," Klaus snarled. "If you must know, is to remind Stefan of what he truly is." He dropped Sarah back onto the bed coughing, as he turned back towards Stefan. "Now, drink," he commanded. And after a moment of hesitation, Stefan put the bag to his lips, and squeezed. Forcing as much of the bag into his mouth as he could. Drinking it all until he was once again finished and Klaus was smiling. "How about another?"

Leiah quickly threw Stefan another bag, and as order Stefan began to drink from it again. It was at this point, Sarah figured out what Klaus was up to. The control Stefan had mastered, it only held up as long as he didn't indulge in too much blood. That had never been an issue before, because unlike Damon and Sarah, Stefan was against feeding on people. He never did it. So he only drank from blood bags, and since they didn't hold much, even if he took it all, it was fine. Because between finishing that bag and getting the next, he could regain control. But now Klaus was forcing him to break that control, to keep drinking over and over, to give into the urge he'd spent forever fighting. And if it kept going like this, bag after bag, all Stefan's progress would be gone.

"How much do you plan on feeding him?" demanded Sarah, robbing at her sore throat.

"Not much," answered Leiah, opening the fridge all the way to reveal it was completely crammed full of blood bags. More than enough to shove down Stefan's throat until his control broke. And seeing that recognition on Sarah's face, Klaus smiled, while Stefan closed his eyes and drank from the next bag.

"Katerina, take over would you?" asked Leiah, abandoning her position at the fridge to make way for Katherine. The five hundred year old vampire had been stood quietly in the corner again, but now that Leiah had commanded her, she had to continue her compulsion act. "Every time Stefan finishes a bag, throw him another one."

With Katherine at the fridge, ready to throw Stefan another bag once he was finished, Klaus took his seat back at the island. And Leiah took her seat back at Sarah's side. Snatching another drink from their blood bag, as she slurped once more. It was like a well oiled operation, and Sarah could do nothing but watch, as her brother slowly transformed back into the ripper he'd once been.

---

After all getting into Alaric's car, Bonnie directed him to the witchy house. The whole way over Scarlett and Jenna frantically asked her what she was planning to do, but Bonnie kept silencing them, trying to focus and gather her strength for what was to come. Whatever it was, she seemed to think it was going to take everything she had to pull it off.

When they then arrived, Bonnie was first out the car, running ahead inside to get everything set up. Scarlett remained behind, waiting with Jenna while Jeremy was unloaded by Alaric. Once he had him, Alaric lead the way inside. But were he and Scarlett cross the threshold, Jenna was forced back.

"What's going on?" Jenna exclaimed, pressing against the invisible wall that normally prevent vampires from entering houses. But this house had no owner, which confused Scarlett. However, it did have inhabitants, as Alaric reminded them.

"It must be the witches. They must not want you here because you're a vampire."

"All right, go on, I'll wait out here," Jenna said, looking up spiteful, as if the witch spirits were looking down upon her.

"Jenna–"

"Just save him!" she snapped, hitting Alaric with a pleading stare. He nodded, continuing on as Scarlett followed him swiftly down the stairs.

In the basement, Bonnie already had some lanterns lit, providing enough light to see by. Everything was still as it had been the night of the ritual – sleeping bags rolled out, canned food stacked in the corner, candles littered around the room along with open grimoires. While Bonnie had been coming back to work on a cure for Damon, none of them had cleared the place out yet. Maybe in case they needed to use it again as a safe house…or for something like this.

"Is this even possible?" Alaric asked as he placed Jeremy down on the ground.

"There's a spell for it if they'll give me the power to use it," Bonnie explained, flicking through a grimoire in her hands until she found what she was looking for. She quickly read it over then dropped the book down on the floor next to Jeremy, as she knelt down at his side.

On his other side, sat Scarlett. Still teary eyed and whimpering as she held Jeremy's cold hand. It still shocked her the lack of life from him. No heartbeat. No breathing. His body becoming colder. Even his scent was becoming worse by the minute, at least to Scarlett's sensitive nose.

She knew this was their only change to bring him back, to save him. It was all on Bonnie and the witches that surrounded them. And Scarlett needed them to succeed. She couldn't lose Jeremy. She just couldn't.

"Bonnie, please, bring him back," Scarlett pleaded, looking over to the witch.

"I will," she said determinedly, before leaning over and taking a hold of Jeremy's head in both hands. Her eyes then closed, and she began to chant a new spell. One Scarlett hadn't heard before. She repeated the phrasing over and over like she did with her other spells. Her voice growing in volume as the unlit candles around the room suddenly caught alight.

"Come on, Jeremy," Scarlett whispered to herself, while she and Alaric watched for any sign of life. "Come back to me."

Bonnie continued with her chanting, the candles flickering all around them. But then she stopped chanting, and Scarlett's head swung towards her. She couldn't hear anything form Jeremy, no heartbeat. She couldn't have brought him back already, it couldn't be that easy could it? And the anguishing look on Bonnie's face wasn't making her any more comfortable. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"They're angry at me for coming back here. They don't wanna help," Bonnie said in defeat.

"But they have to!" Scarlett shouted at Bonnie, before looking up to the invisible spirits surrounding them. "Please! You have to save him!"

"They said there'll be consequences," Bonnie said, more distant this time.

"He's just a kid," Alaric said, as if reminding the witches.

"Please!" Scarlett cried out again. "Bring him back. You don't understand, it was an accident, he wasn't meant to die. Take me, trade myself for him! I don't care what it takes just bring him back, I'm begging you, please!" But no response came, and from the tears in Bonnie's eyes, it didn't seem like their answer had changed.

Reaching over, Scarlett grabbed Bonnie's arm, breaking the witch from her far off daze and forcing her to look Scarlett in her watery blue eyes. "Please, Bonnie, save him. You said you could save him! I don't care what they say, or what it costs. Just bring him back." She was exhausted by this point, still crying when she really shouldn't be able to. She was breaking more and more with each second. She needed Jeremy to come back, the hope, the uncertainty, it was killing her. She just wanted it to end, and for him to live.

And with her plea, the defeat fled Bonnie's eyes, replaced by a fiery determination once more. Her tears feel free, but no more followed as the witch turned her focus back to Jeremy, and returned to her chanting.

Instantly the flames around the room doubled in size. At first Scarlett thought it was a good sign, but then the room started shaking, maybe even the whole building. The witch spirits apparently so desperate to stop Bonnie that they would bring the entire building down to stop her. To stop her from saving Jeremy. No, Scarlett would stop them, she'd make sure Bonnie got her chance to do the spell, even if she had to hold the whole damn building up by herself.

And as the rage raced through her body, at the thought of the witches standing in between her and Jeremy, she felt her eyes glow. Her neck coiled, as if a snake reading itself to pounce. Then her head lifted, looking up and rising with her extending neck, as she roared like wolf. A powerful roar that seemed to fight the shaking building. Bonnie seemed unfazed by it as she continued her chant, but Alaric was grimacing and covering his ears between the battle of the forces.

But despite Scarlett's passion, when her roar died down, the building didn't stop shaking. It kept going. The flames on the candles growing in heat, threatening to burn them alive as blood began to dribble out of Bonnie's nose and mouth. She was trying her hardest, using everything she had, but she alone wasn't enough. She needed the witches help, and they weren't going to give it.

Scarlett felt her heart break then. Head dropping as more tears came, falling onto Jeremy's cold hand, still held firmly in her grasp. But there was nothing she could do now. She'd begged, she'd howled, but they weren't listening. The vampire blood had been too late, and Bonnie had done everything she could. But it was over now. Jeremy was dead.

"I'm sorry…" Scarlett whispered to him, amidst the shaking room and Bonnie's chanting. "I should have done a better job of protecting you." She squeezed his hand, willing him to squeeze back one last time. But there was nothing. "I'm sorry for what happened with Mason, and for keeping it from you. But I always loved you, Jeremy." She looked at his pale face, imagining those brown eyes of his looking back at her. "You were my first love, Jer. I'll never forget that…or you." After that, she broke down crying again, unable to keep it together. She was in such a state, she didn't even notice when the shaking stopped abruptly, and Bonnie finished her chanting.

No. The only thing that snapped her out of it, was feeling Jeremy's hand squeeze back.

"Scarlett?"

Her eyes opened, looking down at him as he blinked his own eyes open. But then his eyes widened as Scarlett pulled him up and threw her arms around him in a strong embrace. "Jeremy! Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you!" she said aloud, mostly to the witches before pulling back from Jeremy. But only for a second so that she could kiss him. And he didn't shy away from it either. Both quickly getting lost in it as they pulled at one another, both desperate to hold on to the other until finally they had to let each other go for air.

"Wha…What happened?" Jeremy asked breathlessly, as he looked at the tear stained Scarlett. She couldn't answer, too overcome with joy and now crying for a whole other reason. So Jeremy looked over, seeing a relieved Alaric smiling back at him, and a bloody nosed Bonnie doing the same with her own tears.

"You came back," Scarlett said, pulling him into another hug. "You came back," she sighed in relief, before looking back up and whispering, "Thank you," once again.

They sat down in the cellar of the witch house for a long time. None of them brave enough to move. At least until Alaric remember Jenna, and run up to check on her. She was fine, having heard it all and patiently waiting outside the house, sat down against its wall. Alaric then sat with her, the two embracing each other in relief, while Scarlett held Jeremy, refusing to ever let him go again. That way, if someone shot at him again, it'd literally have to go through her to get to him. And Jeremy, didn't complain once. Not even when he and Bonnie finally decided to move. In fact, he even carried Scarlett bridal style up the stairs. Though when he began to wobble on the final step, Scarlett disembarked and steadied him. Bonnie then pointed out he might need some time to recover, but nothing sleep and a good breakfast shouldn't fix. Although Scarlett suspected their might be other side effects, she didn't ask about them, not now. She didn't want to ruin the moment.

And then they went home. Alaric dropped Bonnie off, made sure she got in okay and then took Jeremy home. And since Scarlett was still refusing to let go of him, she went in with him too. Jenna remained outside, waiting for Alaric to drive her home, but her boyfriend went in under orders to make sure Jeremy and Scarlett got settled.

Then after a tricky changing of cloths, Jeremy and Scarlett made themselves comfortable on his bed. Jeremy sat up with him laptop resting against his legs, while Scarlett lay beside him. Her head on his shoulder and her hand tightly grasping the material of his clean shirt, as she inhaled is scent. His blissfully alive scent.

For a while she lay with her eyes closed. Ready to fall asleep with him. But when his incessant tapping of keys got to be too much, she opened her eyes to see what he was doing. "Why are you searching, 'Back from the dead,'?" Scarlett asked, reading what Jeremy had typed into the search engine.

"I'm just seeing if I can figure out what's wrong with me. I feel…different, weird," Jeremy tried to explained, staring at his laptop screen.

Scarlett leaned over, purposefully taking a loud inhale of his scent. "Your scent's still the same," Scarlett pointed out, putting her head back down on his shoulder and smiling. It might have made him chuckle, but to her, it was sign that he was fine. After all, her nose could pick up the differences in scent when someone became a vampire and when a werewolf triggered their curse. Surely if there was anything extremely different about him, then her nose of all things would pick it up? But he smelt the same as he had before all this, and Scarlett couldn't be happier.

When his laptop then stated to ring because of a video caller, Jeremy quickly answered it. A window then popped up on the screen with Bonnie in the centre. A smaller one in the corner showing Jeremy and Scarlett looking back at her. "Hey," Bonnie greeted, just as tired as they were. "Just wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay."

"I'm alive, thanks to you," Jeremy pointed out with a smile, as Scarlett curled in closer to him. Taking another sniff of his scent to reassure herself. "I, uh…know it's not a lot…"

"But thank you," finished Scarlett, smiling thankfully at Bonnie. Thanks to her, Jeremy was still alive. She'd done the impossible, and Scarlett would never forget it.

"Well, you can both thank me tomorrow," Bonnie suggested with a grin. Before then playfully adding, "And the day after that. And the day after that." They smiled back at her, before they all started to chuckle, all just thankful to be alive.

"We will," Scarlett promised.

"That'll do for now, I guess," teased Bonnie. "Good night, you guys."

"Night, Bonnie," Jeremy replied, before the window closed. He then looked down at Scarlett, smiling as she smiled up at him. Then they both reached towards each other, kissing one another gently before pulling away. Their own silent good night as Jeremy closed the laptop and got ready to go to sleep. At least until Alaric knocked on his open door.

"Hey, guys. Jenna's asked me to spend the night, just in case anything else comes up. Is that cool?"

"What, does she think we need a babysitter?" scoffed Jeremy.

"Yes," came Jenna's voice from the open window.

They all looked over, Scarlett and Jeremy jumping, while Alaric smirked, having known it was coming. She wasn't inside the house, rather sat on the window ledge outside. Though it didn't look the most comfortable of places as Jenna looked over her shoulder and into her nephew's bedroom.

"Seriously, why don't you just–" Jeremy began to invite her in, before Jenna held up a finger to him and cut him off.

"Don't," she warned. "I'm not there yet, Jer. I need you and Elena to be safe from me until I get the hang of this vampire thing." She then looked over to Alaric, grinning when their eyes connected. Something which neither Jeremy or Scarlett missed. "So until I do, he's going to be staying here. Keeping an eye on you and bossing you around and what not." She smiled when her nephew and Scarlett chuckled at this.

"Yeah, sure, it's fine with me," Jeremy said over to Alaric, who nodded back in appreciation.

"All right."

"So, how long do you think this will last?" Jeremy asked, looking back over to her aunt, as the amber blonde shared another playful grin with Alaric.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a week?" she suggested.

"And maybe the week after that," agreed Alaric.

"And the week after that," repeated Jenna, as the two quickly began to repeat themselves over and over again. It wasn't hard for Jeremy or Scarlett to work out they were being teased.

"You two are the worse!" Jeremy laughed, as he and Scarlett grabbed a pillow each to throw. First Scarlett threw hers at Alaric, but he ducked back out into the hallway for cover as the pillow harmlessly hit the door. But when he poked his head back in, he saw Jeremy throw his pillow at Jenna. She however, quickly dropped down with her new vampire speed, easily dodging the pillow as it flew out the window and into the garden below.

"I'm keeping this by the way!" Jenna called up as they all laughed. As if they were all normal, just for a moment.

---

Blood bags now littered the floor of Alaric's apartment. The plastic remains crumpled up and discarded with a few stray drops of blood across the wood. On the island in the kitchen, sat a small pile. But Stefan was no longer sat at the island. The more blood he consumed, the more animal like he became. He became so vicious in how he devoured the blood, that during one bag he actually fell out of his seat. A few bags after that, and Klaus threw a bag away from Stefan, watching him chase after it like a mutt, before chomping into it in the middle of the room.

It was during moments like this, Sarah understand Lexi's dedication to getting Stefan off of human blood. While Sarah always believed Stefan could control his bloodlust like the rest of them, this was the uglier side. Even when she or Damon gave in to the urges, it never became this bad. The blood was never as addictive as Stefan made it out to be. That he'd become a literal animal, just so he could get a few drops. And as he sat on the floor, ripping at another blood bag, Sarah couldn't help but think of her friend once more. And how she wouldn't be around to pull him back this time.

True, there had been that incident a couple of months back when he first drank Elena's blood. But they'd managed to fix that after it became clear he couldn't handle the lust. This was different. Because he wasn't fighting the urge this time. He was giving in to it. Because that was what Klaus wanted. And while he held the cure that would save Damon, Klaus got what Klaus wanted.

"You're very cooperative," Klaus said with a grin, retrieving another blood bag from the fridge. He then sauntered over to Stefan, hunched over on all fours and breathing rabidly. As his eyes locked onto the blood bag in Klaus' procession. It was sad for Sarah, to have to watch her brother descend back into this madness. Into a place were he had no control over himself. But for Damon, she had to remain seated, and do nothing.

"It's almost as if you're enjoying it," mused Klaus, throwing the blood down in front of Stefan.

Sarah watched, fully expecting her brother to tear the latest bag apart, when he finally fought back. He shoved the bag back towards Klaus' feet, glaring up defiantly at the Hybrid. "No more," he heaved, fighting the urges he'd now given in to. And once he'd gone into that hole, voluntary or not, it was never easy to get out. But he was experiencing a moment of control for now. Maybe the urges had settled because of all he'd consumed, but with Stefan, Sarah knew it wouldn't last for long. He had to make a stand and fast if he was going to, while he still had control of himself.

"No more until you give me the cure."

At this development, Klaus grew unhappy. "Well, that's not going to happen until we finalise our deal." He then bent down to Stefan's level, picking up the blood bag and holding it out as an offering. "It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life."

"If you take him, you take me," Sarah spoke up from the bed.

"Not an open invitation, love," Klaus said with a sideways glance.

"Oh, come on, Nik," sighed Leiah. "What's the harm?"

"She's not coming, end of discussion," Klaus said sternly.

Leia shrugged, apparently not bothered, judging by her demeanour. "Fine. But you could be a little nicer to her." She made a show of examining her nails as she continued to speak. "After all, you are breaking up her family. And we all know how much family matters to each of us."

Once more, Sarah turned to frown at the Original, who paid her little to no interest as she continued to examine her nails. But Sarah could tell the precision to her words, that while they had been meant to provoke something in Klaus, they had also meant to do the same for Sarah.

She continued to stare, trying to will Leiah to answer her unasked question. But in the end, they all got distracted, when Stefan snatched the blood bag from Klaus. His self control broken, as he tore into the bag, squeezing its contents up and into his mouth. So quickly that some of it even dribbled down his chin, adding to a puddle that had already formed on the floor beneath him. And while Klaus and Leiah grinned enthusiastically, Sarah looked to her bother with pity. Knowing he now had a long road ahead of him, to get back to where he'd been just a few short hours ago. And it wouldn't be easy.

"That's the spirit," Klaus said, pleased with the progress as he stood back up to his full height. "And since you seem keen to hold up your end of our deal, I'll hold up mine."

"You're just manipulating him," snarled Sarah spitefully. Her fingers digging into the edge bed, and ripping it, as her fists tightened

"Careful now, Sarah. More accusations like that, and it might ruin all the progress we've made so far." His grin broadened with her silence, knowing he had her beat. All she could do was tighten her lips, as she continued to glare at the twisted monster stood opposite her.

"Quit it, Nik," snapped Leiah, as she stood. Striding in between the two and breaking their contact as their eyes followed her. "I told you, she's going through a lot. Now leave her alone."

"Whatever you say, sister. I'll entrust you with the cure then," Klaus replied, watching as Leiah took the bottle from the island and smiled over to Sarah.

Lifting herself off the bed, Sarah stood, waiting as Leiah made her way back over, only to then take a turn and stop before Katherine. "Katerina," Leiah said looking into the vampire's eyes. No sign of compulsion in the Original's blue eyes. "Be a dear and take this over to Damon." She held out the cure, and Katherine stared back in shock, realising what this meant for her. As did Sarah and Stefan.

"You want me to leave?" Katherine asked, needing to be certain in her mind for the compulsion to be tricked.

"No!" Sarah and Stefan cried out.

"Yes," Leiah whispered seductively, as Katherine took the cure from her with a smile. Having finally succeeded in escaping Klaus and his sister.

Before anything else could be said, Katherine fled the room, with the door left wide open. And since she had the only cure to save her brother, Sarah bolted after her on instinct, running for the door. Only to then be cut off, as Leiah sped into the doorway. Her elbow leaning against the frame with her head propped against her head, a stratified and playful grin on her lips. "What's the matter, Sarah?"

"She's not going to take the cure to him!" Sarah exclaimed frantically.

"Really?" gasped Leiah in mocking wide eyed dramatics. "But, I compelled her. I mean, it's not like she's on vervain, is she?" And as Sarah watched the grin break out on the Original's face, a look back to Klaus confirmed it.

"You both knew…the whole time."

"We're not idiots. We've been around for a while," Klaus pointed out with a smirk.

"And when you're a master of compulsion like us, you tend to notice the signs," Leiah added, bringing Sarah's attention back to her.

"But then, you let her leave with the cure, knowing she won't take it to Damon?"

"Good thing you're here to chase her down then," Leiah said, stepping aside and gesturing out the door.

But Sarah didn't move. She instead looked back, to Stefan. On the floor, at his lowest low, covered in blood and still drinking, even now.

Her nightmare scenario. Save one brother, but lose the other.

"Don't worry," Leiah said soothingly, stepping up to Sarah's side. Her fingers methodically running along Sarah's shoulder, sending uncertain sensations down her back. "I'll keep an eye on Stefan. I promise you, he won't die under my watch." And strangely, Sarah actually found herself believing what Leiah was saying. Or perhaps it was just her subconsciousness trying to make the decision easier on her fragile head. Because while she might lose Stefan now, she could always get him back. But the same couldn't be said for Damon.

"Go," urged Leiah. The flirtatious glint in her eye returning. "I'll see you again, Sarah Salvatore."

And with no other choice, Sarah vanished out the door after Katherine, and the cure.

"And next time, I'll tell you everything."

---

Jenna walked back into the Salvatore house with a smile. Everything was okay. It had been a close call with Jeremy, when the Sheriff shot him, but he was alive. Safe and sound. She'd made sure of that. And he had Alaric and Scarlett there to keep an eye on him until tomorrow night, when she could check up on him again. She would have liked to spend the night with him, but sitting on that windowsill wasn't doing her butt any favours. Plus, Jeremy needed sleep. Not his aunt pestering him to make sure he was okay. Alaric and Scarlett could fill that role.

And she'd gotten word from Elena that she'd found Damon and brought him back to the Salvatore house. Another reason to come to her temporary home. To keep an eye on Damon and keep Elena safe. She'd tried to get her to go home via text, but her niece wasn't having it. But after her encounter with the Sheriff, Jenna wasn't as afraid of herself any more. Even though she'd been angry – more angry than she'd ever been in fact – she hadn't fed on her.

She'd come close, but thanks to Alaric she'd pulled it back. She by no means thought she had the bloodlust down and under control. But she was more confident in what Sarah had told her before. That as long as she kept a health diet, she'd be able to resist feeding, especially off her loved ones. With that thought in mind however, Jenna considered taking another blood bag before going up stairs, just to fuel up.

The basement door she'd broken still lay discarded on the floor. Something she imagined she'd be helping to fix tomorrow, but it had been worth it. She might not have done a lot tonight, but she'd been there, and that might just have been enough.

Taking a blood bag from the freezer, she closed the lid before drinking. Like the previous times, once she started, she struggled to stop. Gulping and gulping as she tilted the bag back and squeezed its delicious contents down her throat. Then came the tricky part, 'cause while she consumed it felt like heaven. But when she stopped she suddenly came crashing down, feeling the addictive need for more. That was why she'd closed the lid to the freezer, providing an obstacle to her next hit, and giving her a chance to fight for control.

She focused, just like Sarah had instructed her. Thinking off all the reasons not to feed and doing her best to ignore the supernatural itch. It took a few minutes, and there was a bit of back and forth, but eventually, she pulled herself back. The veins beneath her eyes returning to normal, as the blood disbanded from her eyes. She was back to normal. The urges pushed down and fulfilled for now. She could go up stairs and be with her niece.

Discarding the empty plastic bag in the trash, Jenna made her way up the stairs, hearing Elena and Damon from what she knew to be Damon's room. She was still getting the hang of all the new strengths she had, and like with most of them, the real problem was turning off her sensitive hearing.

"There's still hope," Elena insisted to Damon. "Come on, you can't give up. Stefan and Sarah will be back any minute with a cure."

"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here," croaked Damon, as Jenna saw him through the open doorway, sprawled out on the bed with Elena sat next to him. His pail face resting against her shoulder. Neither had noticed her yet, so she came to a stop at the doorway, watching them as they continued.

"I deserve this. I deserve to die."

"No," Elena argued, looking down at him, his blue eyes closing. "You don't. Think about your brother and sister. They still need you."

"No, Elena, they don't. They've out grown me." He was getting weaker, more distant. Jenna could sense time was running out, but she didn't know what to do, other than glance at her phone for any news. Her screen was blank.

"Damon–" Elena tried to argue.

"But that's okay," he continued, Elena cutting herself off the moment she saw his lips move. She didn't want to talk over what might be his last words. "It means they'll be safe, when I'm gone." He seemed to doze off for a moment, before coming back. "They have each other. And you have Stefan."

Elena grimaced, coming to a topic she'd rather not address. But since these might be Damon's final moments, she couldn't bring herself to try and avoid it. No matter how uncomfortable it might be.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. I've done so many things to hurt you."

"It's okay," Elena said softly. "I forgive you."

"But not anymore," Damon continued, apparently having not heard Elena's words. "One way or another, after today, I won't get between you and Stefan anymore. Because, while I love you too, it's not the same." Elena was taken aback by this, staring at Damon as he continued, too tired now to open his eyes. "Sarah was right. I thought I loved you, because when you came into my life, everything got…better. But I realise now…the love I have for you, is the love for a friend." He tried to open his eyes then, but only got them halfway open before they fell shut again.

"Thank you. For making my life better."

Elena reached over, holding his cheek in her hand. "Your friendship made my life better too. Thank you."

"Well, it's me you should be thanking." Jenna jumped, eyes widening as she turned to find Elena stood next to her. But not the Elena she knew. Just looking at her she could see the difference in personality. The wavy hair instead of straight, the dress sense, and the arrogant way she stood next to her. "After all, I'm the one who brought the cure," the copy continued, holding up a small red bottle, filled with a strange blood.

"Elena?" Jenna gasped, staring at the mirror imagine, as it turned to her, smirking.

"Not quite, Jenna," she said as she sauntered into Damon's room, while Elena rose from the bed. "By the way, sorry about the whole vampire business." And then the memories came back to the forefront of her mind. All the times she'd been compelled by Elena. Told to stab herself, to spy on her family and friends. The woman who had said she wasn't Elena, but instead…

"Katherine."

The vampire looked back over her shoulder, stood before Elena as the human glared. The two faces side by side and identical in almost every way, bar the emotions they were currently sporting. "Not bad," Katherine congratulated. "I'd say either all your memories have come back now, or Sarah's crash course on all things vampire really stuck."

"Where are they?" snapped Elena, Katherine turning back to face her. "Where are Stefan and Sarah?"

"Stefan's a long story. But Sarah…"

She grinned, before saying, "Hello," right as Sarah appeared at Jenna's side, panting heavily. "Finally caught up?" Katherine asked, looking back over to Sarah. "There wasn't really a need to, I had a debt to pay." She then walked past Elena and over to Damon, carefully pouring the cure into his mouth. And all while Sarah's eyes remained on her, waiting for her to betray them like she always did.

"Katherine?" Damon said after swallowing the cure.

"Don't be so surprised," Katherine replied with a smirk. "But that's us even now." She stood back up, throwing the bottle to Elena before striding across the room to Sarah and Jenna. "As for you," she continued with a grin to Sarah, who only continued to glare. "What's say you and I hit the road?"

"Why the hell would I do that?" Sarah asked.

Katherine shrugged as if it were obvious. "I've not only been avoiding Klaus for over five hundred years, but I've been keeping tabs on him. I could help you find him."

"And why would she want to find him?" asked Jenna. But Sarah understood what was being said, even if no one else did.

"Well, Sarah, you want to tell them or should I?" asked Katherine, once again revelling in Sarah's suffering.

But when Sarah refused to answer, instead locking her jaw and glaring spitefully at the smug Katherine, Elena stepped towards them. "What's she talking about, Sarah?"

Still Sarah didn't answer, her fiery green eyes trying to set Katherine alight, but to no avail.

Turning around, Katherine then provided the answer. "In order to get that cure for Damon, Klaus made a deal. A deal with Stefan. He'd hand over the cure, but only if Stefan gave up everything to leave town with him. And since I just gave Damon the cure, I'm sure you know which option he picked."

Leaving Elena shocked, Katherine didn't waste any time in turning back around to Sarah. "So, what's it going to be? Stay here and cry about your broken family? Or come with me and get Stefan back?"

"If she goes, I go," Damon spoke up from the bed, trying and failing to sit up.

"Sorry, offers only open to her," Katherine shot back, her gaze quickly returning to Sarah as she grinned.

She was playing her, and Sarah knew it. Using her biggest weakness and fear to try and manipulate her. To get her alone. But at the same time, she had logic to what she was saying. It made sense for her to be able to track Klaus, because that would be the best way to avoid him. And after all this, it couldn't be denied that Katherine had successfully avoided Klaus for five hundred years. Which meant she might actually be her best shot at getting Stefan back.

"He's not gone yet," Sarah threw out feebly, but Katherine saw right through her.

"You know he is," Katherine said, advancing towards her, closing the space between them. "You can feel it, can't you? So, why don't I make this simple. Come with me now, or not at all."

"No," Sarah answered.

"Are you sure?" Katherine raised her brow. "I might be your only chance at ever getting him back. Come on, Sarah, think about it." She reached forward, Sarah tensing as both Katherine's arms found their way behind her neck. Her fingers interlocking as she drifted closer towards Sarah. "You, and me. We're Stefan's best chance. And what about Leiah and all those unanswered questions? I can help you, Sarah, but only you. And all you have to do is come with me."

The temptation was too great. Sarah couldn't fight it. Her world was falling apart around her, her family dividing once more. She had to take this chance, had to get her brother back. And she would have agreed, giving in to Katherine once more, had she not then leaned in for a kiss. Sarah didn't fight it, her mind to preoccupied to notice, but Jenna did. As her left fist shot out in a quick jab catching Katherine in the unsuspecting face.

"She's not going anywhere with you," Jenna snapped defensively as Katherine glared back, fully aware she'd had Sarah until Jenna intervened. "I might be new to this, but I know all about what you've done to her, how you hurt her. And as her friend, I refuse to let her go anywhere with you."

"And how are you going to stop her?" Katherine shot back.

"She just did," Sarah answered, the spite returning to her eyes.

Katherine's annoyance showed for a second, then vanished behind a cool mask as she shrugged. "Fine. I know when I'm not wanted."

"Somehow I doubt that," muttered Jenna, as Katherine shoved her way past the two and out the door.

"But if you change your mind, Sarah. Come and find me. Alone." Then Katherine vanished, leaving Sarah with a gut turning feeling. What if she'd made a mistake? What if the time it took her to realise it was all the time Klaus needed to vanish along with Stefan? Perhaps then even Katherine wouldn't be able to find them. But she'd sure as hell string her along for as long as she could. The two of them, forever travelling, searching. It would have been Katherine's dream. And realising that, Sarah knew she had made the right choice. Because even if Katherine could lead her to Stefan, she'd do everything she could to keep Sarah for as long as possible.

But once that thought quietened, another took its place. As she thought about what Katherine had said. How she knew Stefan was already gone. Because Katherine was right, Sarah did feel that way, as if she'd already lost Stefan. When she chose to secure Damon's life over standing by Stefan. Had that been a mistake? Or did Katherine only come here because she knew Sarah was following her?

Her mind was racing with questions, like it usually was after a visit from Katherine, but she ran from the room, needing one answer over all the others. She needed to know if Stefan was still at Alaric's.

"Sarah?" Jenna called after her friend, as she raced out the house at vampire speed. Damon and Elena called to, but it was just as futile.

Damon tried to get up once more, but only fell back on the bed. He was getting better, Jenna could already see the colour return to his skin, and the infected bite mark receding – but he still needed rest.

Elena tried to run out too, but Jenna caught her and pushed her back into the room. Cutting off her objections as she said, "You'll never catch her."

"But she needs me, Jenna!" Elena insisted.

"I know, but so does Damon," argued Jenna, which put a stop to her niece's struggling. "I'll go and make sure Sarah's okay, you just stay with Damon." She waited for Elena to nod before letting go of her. And once she saw her return to Damon's bedside, Jenna ran out after her friend, hoping against the odds that everything would turn out okay. But she was fairly certain they'd exhausted all their luck with Jeremy coming back. And like Sarah, Jenna somehow knew, that they were already too late.

---

Stood alongside Niklaus, Leiah stared down at the open coffins before them. The one in front of Klaus, holding their brother, Elijah. While the one in front of Leiah held their sister, Amelia. Both with the daggers still in their hearts. Completely still, skin grey and lifeless. Just the way Klaus liked them. And sometimes, Leiah preferred them like this too. But like usual, it was never easy saying goodbye to her siblings like this. Even if it was for a short time.

"I suppose you kept you word in the end," pointed out Leiah, looking up to Klaus. There was little humour in his eyes as he stood over Elijah in the warehouse. While this was his way of punishing them, it hurt him in his own way. Though having been on the receiving end of a dagger herself, Leiah sympathised with her older brother and sister, more than Klaus.

"Yes," agreed Klaus quietly, as he closed over Elijah's coffin. "After all, I have reunited them with the rest of our family." He then closed over Amelia's coffin, before looking to the compelled workers. "Put them with the others. We're leaving town tonight." Silently, the two men got straight to work, lifting up Elijah's coffin first and loading him into the back of a truck. A truck filled with other similar coffins, but each was unique in its own way. For instance, Leiah knew the exact coffin she would end up in, if she ever pushed Klaus too far. She also knew which of her siblings resided in the other coffins. All occupied now, save her own, and one other.

Her eyes lingered on that other empty coffin for a moment. Her thoughts drifting to whom it belonged to. She missed them.

But then she turned away, as Amelia was loaded onto the truck, turning along with Klaus to face Stefan. He'd made his choice, and was now coming with them on their new adventure. However, at the moment he was distracted, reading a text he had on his phone, that he would soon have to discard. They didn't want anyone following them.

"Did Sarah manage to catch up to Katerina then?" asked Leiah, genially curious as Stefan looked up.

"Yeah," he said putting away the phone. "Damon's cured now, thanks to you."

Klaus smiled, "Glad to be of help."

A flash then went off, both men turning towards Leiah who had pulled out her phone to take a photo of the two. "'The makings of a beautiful friendship,' how's that for a title?" asked Lieah, showing the photo to Klaus.

"Maybe save it for a better photo," suggested Klaus, his grin broadening as he looked back to Stefan. "I'm sure there will be plenty." And Leiah was confident there would be, once they got started.

"So what exactly is it you want with me?" asked Stefan, studying Klaus with the odd glance to his shorter sister. But both just grinned back at him.

"All will be explained in time. Once we leave this tragic little town," Klaus promised, reaching forward to rest his hand on Stefan's shoulder in a friendly gesture. Silently, Leiah snapped another photo, but this time left the flash off. She knew Klaus would get annoyed with her constant photographing, especially if it continued to ruin his centre stage moments. But over the past few years, she'd master her subtle photo taking skill, so that Klaus didn't even realise she was doing it. And then afterwards, he was always grateful for reminders.

"Then are we done here? Can we go?" asked Stefan, not so much eager, but willing all the same.

"Almost, there's just one more thing," Klaus said, glancing over to his sister.

With a grin, Leiah raised her hand into the air, and snapped her fingers. Then from behind a stack of crates, a young girl stepped out, having been compelled by Leiah ahead of time. Klaus and Leiah made room for her, and she came to a stop in between them, visibly scared as she looked at the three people stood around her.

"A little bon voyage gift, from one vampire to another," Leiah explained with a smirk, as she and Klaus brushed the girl's hair back, revealing her neck. And as her heartbeat increased in fear, Leiah saw Stefan become transfixed. His own breath quickening as his lips parted. A little drool escaping as his eyes filled with an uncontrollable hungry. The way they had back at the teacher's apartment.

"And also a test," added Klaus, as his irises began to turn gold, and his eyes filled with blood. His hybrid features coming out, while Leiah brought out her own vampire ones. "You see, I want to make sure you honour our deal." And then, he and Leiah bit into each side of the girl's neck. Not deep enough to kill her, but enough to draw significant blood. And while Leiah revelled in the taste for a second, she knew the purpose of this, and pulled away along with Klaus. Blood now dribbling down the girl's neck. Blood which Stefan couldn't take his wide compelled eyes off of.

"By the way, I didn't compile her to behave," Leiah said in a hushed tone, grinning wildly while the girl next to her whimpered in fear.

"Well, that shouldn't matter, Sister. Because a real ripper, enjoys the hunt," Klaus snarled, before shoving the girl away.

She then screamed, seeing her chance for escape and running for her life, basic instinct overpowering everything else. And while she ran, Klaus and Leiah watched Stefan, stand silently before them. The gears turning in his head, an internal brawl occurring right before their eyes. They saw his eye twitch, his vampire features slowly emerging, until finally he just gave in.

He appeared in front of the screaming girl. She stared back at him, to afraid to turn and run. Stefan then reached out, his hand touching her blood covered neck. And with the mere touch, the feeling of blood on his fingertips, he turned into the monster. His mouth widened in a hiss, his fangs fully exposed, as he lunged forward and dug in. Only to then violently drink until the girl hand nothing left. But even then he tore. Chewing at the flesh until it couldn't hold her together anymore, and her head snapped clean off. Falling to the floor as Stefan dropped the now headless corpse.

Now frozen by what he'd done, Stefan slowly looked up. His breath still heavy, as he found Klaus and Leiah stood before him. Both with proud smiles. "Now we can go," Klaus informed him.

---

The door to Alaric's was open as Sarah charged in. "Stefan?" she called out, feeling her heart sink as she found what she'd been dreading. An empty room.

She was too late. They were already gone.

There was still more she could do though. She could look around the apartment for clues to where they would have gone next, or to where they might be heading after leaving town. There had to be something. It might even take a few days of combing through everything, but she'd find something, a lead, anything for her to pull at and see if it led to her brother. Perhaps even Leiah left some clue behind that Klaus didn't know about, in hopes of luring her after them. While Klaus didn't want her, it was clear Leiah and her still had business to settle.

Sarah started looking around the room, but nothing stood out to her. She shoved aside the blood bags, scanning the surfaces. Nothing. She began opening up the cupboards, the drawers, even the fridge. Nothing out of the ordinary. But that was fine, there was still more to search through, something would turn up. She pulled of the bed sheets next, since that was where she and Leiah had spent most of their time while negotiating. If she did hide something that would be the obvious place. Still nothing. But it was so obvious that Klaus would know, so she would have had to have hidden it somewhere else. All she had to do was look deeper. So she started flipping furniture over, searching underneath. Breaking things open, tearing apart cloths, all things she'd reimburse Alaric for once she found her lead. He would understand, and she didn't have time to ask. With missing people you always had to act quickly before they got further away. She was running out of time already, too much wasted on Katherine and her mind games, on running all over Mystic Falls. She just needed one lead, something to point in her the right direction. She tried behind the TV, throwing the screen on the floor and finding nothing on its back as it shattered.

"Sarah!" Jenna shouted, staring into the room from the door. Her eyes wide. And it was only through her eyes, that Sarah saw what she'd really been doing. She thought she'd been looking for a clue. But now she realised there wasn't any. There was only Alaric's things. Things she'd destroyed in a subconscious rage.

Tears streamed down her face, as a hand reached up to cover her whimpers. She'd wrecked the room, but it didn't matter. None of it did. She collapsed to her knees, in the centre of the destroyed apartment. Wanting nothing more than to turn it all off. To rid herself of these feelings of anguish, loss and heartbreak.

Jenna quickly rushed over to her, enveloping her in an embrace, but it meant nothing. She'd lost Stefan, her brother was gone. Her family was broken once again. The nightmare she'd feared since Katherine first returned to their lives had come to pass. History had repeated itself. Sarah had lost the one thing she treasured most in this world. Her dream turned reality, was once again a dream. And this time, there was no turning off her humanity. She was trapped in the emotional ocean of her sadness. Drowning as she clung onto Jenna, her only raft in the vast emptiness.

---

The year was 1871. Well over five years since Sarah became a vampire. Life was not ideal, but it wasn't all bad. While Damon had abandoned her, she still had Stefan. And Lexi. The one who kept them both going. She helped Stefan with his blood free diet, and she helped distract Sarah from the absence of her brother. Though the two subjects were kept very far apart. Which wasn't always easy when on the road together. Since leaving Mystic Falls, the trio had never stayed in a town or village too long, mostly for Stefan's sake. The woods were the best place for him, free from people and human blood, allowing him to adapt to his new animal blood diet. Sarah had tried it once herself. She couldn't stand the stuff, and wished her brother would just drink like her and Lexi. Then life would be more bearable. But he refused, resulting in constant arguments which Lexi always had to break up.

Over all Lexi seemed in favour of Stefan's method of control, but she herself couldn't practise it either. It suited him, and since it kept away his ripper side, Lexi was satisfied. But to avoid temptation, whenever she and Sarah needed to drink, they left Stefan behind. On the rare occasions they had to bring him along, they drunk only what they had too, and kept the fun to a minimum. Something which Sarah always complained about when Stefan was there and resulted in more rows.

Honestly, after six years, it was getting old. But Sarah couldn't see anyway around it. She couldn't do Stefan's diet, and neither could Lexi. The only way they'd ever stop arguing was if Stefan got a control of his bloodlust. Something which he was too scared to try now. Part of Sarah wanted to blame Lexi for that, but the other part couldn't dream of saying that to her closest and dearest friend. Especially when she helped her recover after the nightmares. The ones where the Bitch came back from the dead.

Thankfully, that night had been Bitch free. The three of them had taken up residence in a cottage on the outskirts of town in central America. Because Lexi lacked a daylight ring, most of their activity was restricted to the night, and when they did sleep they tried to do it during the day. But they'd travelled a lot over the past few weeks, most of the time without sleep. As vampires they didn't need it as much, but they still needed it. And as such when they'd found this place, they'd slept through the day and the night.

In fact, as Sarah woke up, she could see the drawn drapes coming alight, as the sunlight shone from behind. Luckily the cottage already had drapes for every window, which made it ideal for Lexi, who lived in constant fear of sunlight. For that, Sarah was always thankful to Emily, who gifted her and her brothers with rare daylight rings. Enabling them to walk in the sun, unlike many other vampires. In truth she suspected Lexi was jealous, but she hid it well. Plus she got her own back by continually sending Stefan and Sarah to the market during the day. Making odd demands for food which could never be fulfilled, even after hours of searching. In part, Stefan and Sarah suspected it was just so Lexi could get a break from them and their arguing. They both acknowledged it couldn't be easy, playing parent to them both. At times they were surprised Lexi didn't just up and leave them, but whenever they mentioned it to her, she seemed appalled at the notion.

Stretching out on the bed provided for her, Sarah rolled over to where Stefan was supposed to be. She expected to find him already awake, since he didn't sleep as much as her or Lexi. He was constantly waking in the middle of nights, jittery and fidgety, and generally aggravated. Sarah imagined it was because of the lack of human blood, but whenever she suggested it, he only got mad at her, as she did in turn. But he hadn't woken her last night as he had in the past with such antics, and his bed was empty that morning.

Again this wasn't unusual, Stefan often went for walks on his own in the woods, especially during the day time. During that time, Sarah would either keep Lexi company, or – pear Lexi's orders – follow Stefan to make sure he wasn't breaking his diet. During which more arguing usually occurred. When this happened, Stefan usually left a note to let them know where he was and that he'd be back soon. But instead of a single sheet of paper, Sarah saw a full envelope on his made bed. Sealed and everything.

Curiously, she reached over, breaking open the later and pulling out the sheet of paper inside.

Dear, sister,

The past few years have been challenging for us both, though for different reason as I'm sure you're well aware. I myself have been struggling with this new life of ours. I battle daily with this beast inside of me, this need to feed. It remains a constant itch from within, and I'm sorry to say you're not making it any easier.

I understand you yourself have you own issues. The nightmares you refuse to talk about, except with Lexi. I feel further from you then ever, especially since all we do now is bicker. It has become clear to me, that this can not go on. It's not healthy, for either of us. We're doing more harm than good to each other's lives. I'm dragging you down, keeping you from living this life your way. And you provide a constant temptation for me, the allure of giving in to my inner demons. I wish I could be like you, to drink without consequence, but I can't. We're not children anymore. I'm not sure we're even siblings at times. And w're certainly not a family, not without our dear brother.

I miss him as you do. And now, I will miss you, as I have no doubt, you will miss me. I'm sorry to leave like this, but it's for the best. Please keep in mind, it is only temporary. Until I am committed to this new life and comfortable enough to come back. I have complete faith, that Lexi will look after you. She's better for you than I could ever be.

Once again, my deepest apologises for leaving like this.

Until we meet again, Sarah.

Your brother,

Stefan.

The letter fell from Sarah's hand, landing on her lap as if it were a falling tree.

She began to tremble, having gone into shock. Her breath caught in her throat. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Things hadn't been great for sure, but Sarah had never believed them to be that bad. So bad that her own brother would leave her behind. Considering her more of a hindrance than a sister. To see her as something making his day to day life harder, providing more annoyance than pleasure. Yes, she'd argued with him almost daily, but Sarah could never have imagined her life without Stefan in it. He was her brother…the second brother to abandon her.

What was wrong with her? What made her brothers despise her so, to the point that they couldn't stand to be with her, that they'd rather be alone than be together as a family. She began to cry then, her tears wetting the paper on her lap, as her hands covered her face. It was hurting, more so than when Damon left because now she had no one. Her family was well and truly shattered now, her former life well and truly dead. She'd taken it from her, taken everything and left her like this. A monster her brothers couldn't stand to be around.

The tears kept coming in silence, unheard by the still sleeping Lexi across the room. Maybe if she'd been awake, she could have done something, soothed her in someway. But in that moment, Sarah felt nothing but loneliness, and a pain unlike any other. A pain from her broken heart, one which was too much to bear, worse than anything she'd ever experience in her life. And in that moment, something in the back of Sarah's head clicked.

And then there was no pain. No heart ache. Just nothing.

Her hands lowered down to her lap, the tears abruptly stopping but still there on her cheeks.

She picked up the letter in her hands. Staring down at it with her now cold detached eyes. She felt nothing from it. It was just a piece of paper. Written on by Stefan and cried on by her. She remembered being sad a moment ago. In fact, with the distance now, she could remember more clearly. The anger mixed in with the sadness, but overpowered by the tears she now casually wiped from her face. There was just a sort of…bliss to everything now. A logic that allowed her to see and think clearly. Without getting distracted by whatever her emotional state was.

It was better, Sarah decided. Better than the alternative anyway.

And now, she felt more free than she ever had before.

There was, however, one nagging itch, that she'd have to take care off…