Two chapters in two days! Woohoo, I'm on a roll.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Here's the newest one. I hope you enjoy it.

Her heart had dropped out somewhere behind, trampled deep into the ground by pursuing feet. Strange how she could hear the swiftly approaching predator, but not the grass whipping by in her periphery, but such was the nature of dreams, and terror had taken root.

She veered left, pulling the dead weight with her and fell. The pair of them rolled through grass several feet and she prayed it was enough space.

"C-calm down," her heart picked back up, thundering to life until she could hear it. The beating rose around them acting like a beacon, and she wanted to swear.

The woman curled in on herself, shaking in the poor hiding place. Her bloodstained fingers slammed over her ears.

"Come on," she whispered, grasping her shoulders. She urged the woman to look at her and carefully pulled the hands away. "You need to calm down."

"I c-c-can't," she trembled, bottom lip wobbling with the effort of speaking. "H-he…" her eyes darted frantically for the source of the approaching footsteps. "… Kill me."

"He can't kill you," she cupped her cheeks, forcing her head to be still. "Listen to me," her voice took on a note of desperation as the terror seeped through her pores. "You're dreaming, okay."

"It's real," she shook her head, tears shimmering in her vacant eyes. The blood clung to her, sticky and rapidly cooling. "It's real."

"It's not real," she insisted. She struggled to remember the psychology class she had begun before being forced to leave school; it was something about symbols and being different. "Look at your watch."

"What?" She sniffed.

"Look at your watch!" She breathed out when she listened, grateful that the footsteps didn't appear to be getting any closer. "What time is it?"

"1:43."

"Good," she urged her chin up, "now look at me. Do you know who I am?"

She squinted through her tears and the layer of blood clinging to her lashes. Porcelain skin, blue eyes and waist length brown hair greeted her in the china doll brought to life.

"No."

"Look at your watch again, and tell me the time." She drew her arms into herself, shivering as rain trickled down.

"It's…" her eyes narrowed and then widened, "… 9:36."

"There's no way you were looking at me for eight hours, therefore you're dreaming."

A twig snapped a few feet away. Grass rustled and parted for a polished shoe.

"It's your dream," she scrambled back, taking her along for the ride as their space was invaded. "Take control of it."

"I'm dreaming?" She blinked up, moving backwards on hands and heels. Her mom always said that nothing could hurt her in a dream, but then again, a witch had tried to strangle her. Her eyes flickered up.

He wasn't a witch.

It was her dream.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. It wasn't raining… she wasn't in an overgrown field… it was a beautiful day at the lake.

When she opened her eyes the ground was gone, replaced by worn boards. She was clean from blood and dirt. She took a moment to bask in the sunlight and let her bare toes dip into the water below the dock.

"See," she sighed. "Just a dream."

She opened her eyes, turning to take in the girl again. "You're still here?"

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, "I'm not part of your dream."

"Then what are you?" She resisted the urge to get up and run. If the girl was a witch who wanted to hurt her she would have done it already, and it wasn't like she could have escaped.

"A visitor," she swung her legs over the dock. "I used your bobby pin and slipped into your head. Got to say, I wasn't expecting that," she lifted her eyebrows. "I'm Davina, by the way."

"Elena," she straightened up, smoothing done her shirt with one hand. Her palm was met with the swell of her stomach. "How'd you get my bobby pin?"

"A vampire's looking for you," Davina sighed. She wanted to jump into the sparkling water and swim, enjoy the late summer afternoon; it had been so long since she could relax. "He gave it to me. You are the doppelganger, right? He didn't mess up and give me someone else's pin."

"You can't tell him where I am," Elena held her stomach tight.

"But… he wants to help you," Davina tilted her head. "He said he had to find you before the Originals caught up. They're gonna use you in a blood sacrifice."

"They don't want to kill me, Davina."

"But, Marcel said…"

"What did Marcel tell you?" Elena frowned, tilting her head. "Do I know Marcel? I don't recognize the name, but I've been having some memory issues lately so... I guess I wouldn't know if I did."

"If he knows you he didn't say so, and he would have said something if he did," she blinked against the sun. "He wouldn't lie to me," her eyes flickered down, "would he?"

"I don't know. Does that bug you?"

"People keep lying to me," Davina crossed her arms. Goosebumps prickled her skin.

"Why don't you tell me what he said, and I'll tell you if it's true?" She suggested, reaching out a tentative hand for Davina's arm. She listened carefully as Davina relayed what she knew about Originals and doppelgangers. Admittedly, it wasn't much, but it was enough to make Elena believe whoever this 'Marcel' was, was a decent person.

"He told you the truth. He was just missing some information," her heart broke when she saw the hope flicker back to life. Someone had broken the girl's trust. "I was already sacrificed, and I came back. None of them are going to hurt me. If the vampire who came to you is who I think he is then he's the one that wants to kill me, and my baby."

"How can you be so sure the Originals won't hurt you?" Davina glanced down to the swell of her stomach.

Elena ran her tongue over her teeth. Her fingers twisted in her shirt as she stared out over the lake. Slowly the words tumbled out; when she was done she snuck a glance at Davina to find her staring at her carefully.

"An Original vampire is your baby's dad?"

"Technically, he's a hybrid," she shrugged, nodding.

"And another vampire compelled you to forget all of it?"

"Yeah," she closed her eyes. "When an Original compels you and they're daggered the compulsion wears off, but if a regular vampire dies their compulsion sticks around, so I don't remember anything about it."

"What kind of monster would do that to you?" Disgust laced Davina's voice.

"I don't think he meant to," Elena bristled, and then relaxed. "It was an accident, but he should have undone it when he realized."

"He didn't though."

"He might have," she drew in a deep breath, relaxing further as her lungs expanded. "I guess we'll never know, but I like to think he would have. He wasn't the best person, but he wasn't horrible either; he just acted without thinking."

"We'll never know," Davina sighed. "Would you tell me where you are? I won't tell Alistair."

"What if he tortures it out of you?" Elena shook her head. "If I tell you, then you're in danger. And I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"Then maybe you could let me help you get your memory back."

Elena twisted around to find Davina smiling at her, and stealing glances back along the dock towards the house.

Energy bristled, crackling over her skin, illuminating her from within; the power shone out of her eyes.

"So," Marcel cleared his throat, allowing his eyes to flicker over the ethereal young woman and then back to Rebekah, "she's with you?"

"Why?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Because witches are forbidden from using magic in my city," he smirked. The expression slipped from his face quickly in the face of his once family. "Punishment is death, but I'm not stupid enough to take on four Originals over one woman."

Bonnie curled her fingers into a slow fist, increasing the intensity of her spell with each miniscule movement.

"I think you got him, love." Kol stepped in front of her. "You may want to ease up."

Olive green eyes flashed.

"That dick kidnapped my best friend!" Her fingers curled tighter.

Alistair groaned, holding his head. Blood poured from several cuts Klaus had created before Bonnie intervened, but it was nothing compared to that from his nose and eyes.

Her other hand held Klaus back and out of the way, pinned against the brick wall of the restaurant. He struggled against the hold, spitting threats at his adversary.

"Best friend?" Marcel cocked an eyebrow.

"Elena Gilbert," Elijah explained, returning from compelling the last of the locals to have witnessed the fight. "She's Niklaus' mate, pregnant with his child and somewhere in New Orleans. Have you seen her?"

"How would I…?"

"She's a doppelganger," Caroline cut him off, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you know what they look like?" She uncrossed her arms, reaching into her pocket for her cell phone.

"I saw a sketch once," he tilted his head, recalling the image he had found in Klaus' studio. He didn't remember much of her features, only that she had been beautiful. "It's been awhile."

She flipped through her pictures, ignoring the sharp cries of Alistair as she did, and settled on a recent selfie of her and Elena. She scowled at Kol as she handed the device to Marcel.

"You had to photobomb?"

He shrugged.

"I haven't seen her," Marcel passed back the phone, "but I do have someone looking."

"We'd be better off looking on our own," Rebekah nodded to Bonnie. "She's done locator spell after locator spell. Somebody is cloaking her."

"Who would cloak her?" Marcel rolled his eyes. "No witch in this city is stupid enough to use magic, and only one – aside from your friend over there – has cast any spells."

"I thought you banned magic?" Kol scoffed, giving up on stopping Bonnie from her torture. He would intervene only if she was about to kill him.

"I did, and I have a strict system to enforce it. The smallest of spells are sensed the moment they happen."

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Jackson held the open door frame. Every few seconds he would try to take a step forward only to be swiftly reminded of his newfound limitations.

"Doing what?" Kaleb held a hand over Elena's brow, hovering above her skin. He murmured a few words, frowning as he did so.

"Magic," Eve leaned over the headboard, pulling the quilt over her shoulders.

"Marcel can't track magic out here," he clenched his teeth. Something was off. It was like she was sharing her mind with another person, but he couldn't get inside.

"Then why doesn't everyone just move out here?" Jackson crossed his arms. His eyes flickered over the slumbering brunette. Her heart had settled back down, as had her breathing.

"It's too far from the ancestral well," he leaned back on his heels. "We're weaker out here. I barely had the power to cloak you."

"Is she alright?" Jackson cleared his throat.

"As far as I can tell."

"She probably just had a nightmare," Eve smoothed Elena's hair away from her forehead. "She's had a chaotic few days, but she seems calm enough now."

"Let's hope she stays that way," Kaleb glanced out the door, beyond Jackson to where wolves lounged between trees. "Is there some cedar out there?"

"Some in the wood pile," he nodded.

"Could you get me some shavings?" He didn't wait for a response before quietly rifling through the cupboard.

He placed a metal bowl on the counter when Jackson returned with the shavings.

"What's this for?" Eve moved a soothing hand through Elena's hair.

Kaleb dropped the shavings into the bowl. With a quiet incantation they began to smoke, filling the small space with freshness.

"It should purify the space, and keep out anymore nightmares."

"You want to help me?" Elena lifted her legs, curling them under her body. "I thought every spell would hurt my baby."

"You're actually pregnant?" Surprise flickered through Davina's eyes when Elena nodded. "Congrats, but it shouldn't matter."

"Why not?" She leaned forward, more than a little curious.

"You said it yourself," Davina grinned. "The memories come back when an Original is daggered – whatever that means – and from what I understand, regular vampires aren't as strong."

"Yeah."

"If the memories can come back then they're still there, locked up in your subconscious. All we have to do is find them."

"It would be nice not to be emotionally torn apart all the time," she chewed her bottom lip. "But how exactly am I supposed to do that. It's called the subconscious for a reason; it's not exactly easy to find."

"Witches find the task easier," Davina sat up on her knees. "Haven't you ever done this? It's the first thing my m-mom taught me."

Elena leaned back on her hands, shaking her head frantically from one side to the other. "I'm not a witch, Davina."

"Of course you are," she waved a hand. "I can feel it. You're the witch who was using magic earlier tonight – that was completely unfocused by the way."

"Davina, I am not a witch." She straightened her shoulders.

"Elena," she widened her eyes, tilting her head, "I am in your head, and I can feel your power. It's different, and new, but it's your power."

"Maybe you're feeling the baby," she shook her head. "Her grandmother is a powerful witch."

"I can feel that too." Davina leaned back. She hung out over the side of the dock, snatching a floating piece of grass and a chunk of driftwood. "This is the baby's power," she held up the wet grass, and then nodded to the dark wood, "and this is yours. Both of them are magic, but they're different. If you focus then you might be able to feel it, maybe when you're awake though since dreams bend to the will of the dreamer."

"Let's say that you're right," she picked up the grass, "how do I find my subconscious?"

"Look for it," she shrugged. "You're lucid dreaming now, so you need to look for something that doesn't belong. When I did it the door was an extra closet in my bedroom that opened onto nothing."

"Then I guess I start with the doors," Elena sighed, clambering to her feet.

"I will feed you your own liver," Klaus roared. He fought against the magic holding him to the wall, but Bonnie held him all the tighter.

"You're gonna make a great dad," Caroline drawled and leaned against the wall, bracing her hip a foot away from where he struggled. She saw something flash in his eyes – too quick to leave more than a brief impression – and straightened up. "Bon, let the douche bag up so someone can compel him."

"He doesn't know where your girl is," Marcel turned to Klaus as the magic let him go.

He ignored Marcel, bending to hoist Alistair into the air by his collar. The Scot's eyes cleared slowly, but he wisely didn't struggle. He drew in a deep breath, inhaling the untainted blood where it stained his shirt, and caught Alistair's eyes.

"Is that true?" His pupils dilated. "Where is Elena?"

"I don't know," Alistair gritted his teeth, "I compelled her not to leave the flat, and when I came back she was gone."

"If she was compelled not to leave, then how'd she get out?" Elijah's eyes narrowed.

"Answer the question," Klaus' voice quieted to a menacing whisper.

"I neglected to mention the window since it was highly unlikely she would jump from that high up," he snapped, shoving Klaus' chest. "I should have killed her outside her house."

He stood rooted in place. "Yet, you kidnapped her and dragged her all the way down here."

"It would have been a shame to kill a doppelganger if the rumors weren't true," he shrugged, a task decidedly more difficult when dangling an inch above the ground.

Klaus let his eyes wander over the vampire's defiant face.

"If you don't know where she is than you are of no use."

"If you're gonna kill me just get it over with." Dread gripped his heart when Klaus smiled sending a single bead of sweat down his spine.

"Oh no," his irises flooded with gold, "there will be no getting it over with Alistair. Your death will be agonizing and slow."

Elena wrapped a blanket from the couch over her shoulders and stepped out onto the deck. Dusk had gathered while they searched. Every door had been opened, every loose floorboard pried up.

She even jimmied the secret door in her parent's bedroom, but the only thing to greet them had been weapons and Jonathan Gilbert's journals.

That had given her the idea to search through her journal, but book had been a bust; the last complete entry dated before the sacrifice.

"I thought that would be easier," Davina offered by way of apology. She slid the door closed and moved along the dock. "Sorry."

"S'okay," Elena shrugged. Her shoulders slouched as she exhaled.

"And I really thought your journal idea would pan out," she crossed her arms.

Elena mumbled under her breath. It was an unintelligible sound, and she wasn't even sure what she was trying to say, but it sufficed.

"Guess it was your conscious mind though," she kicked her foot over the dock. "The erased bits must be the lost memories."

"Makes sense; a journal's where remembered things are kept."

"Maybe we should be looking for something you don't want to remember," Davina frowned, watching Elena move towards the edge of the dock. Her voice trailed off into a whisper. "It could be with stuff you try to forget."

"Do you see that?" Elena stared into the depths of the lake; down near the mud, blinked two wavering lights.

"What is it?" Davina crouched. She tilted her head, tracing the space between lights. "It looks like… headlights…" She looked up. "What is it?"

Elena's face drained of blood. She tensed up when Davina reached for her arm.

She slowly dropped the blanket and took a deep breath.

"Nothing can hurt me in a dream, right?" She turned to Davina.

"Yeah," she swallowed, glancing back to the lake. Except it wasn't a lake anymore. "Why? What is it?"

The dock was gone, replaced by damp grass. The river flowed past their feet, shadowed by a large bridge. Davina looked over her shoulder; deep tire tracks sunk into the mud, leading down to the water.

"Something I really want to forget," she shuddered, "so knowing my luck, that's exactly where my memories are. Time to dive into my subconscious."

So I feel like Elena has definitely suppressed the night of the car crash, and ever since every memory she wants to forget (or forced to forget) goes in the same place.

Plus I couldn't resist the pun.