It truly is a beautiful house, it's hidden away on a hillside up in the mountains. The closest town being miles away and neighbours are far and few between. It's picturesque, like a dream of a beautiful escape away from the rest of the world, a sanctuary, a pure place, a home. And that it was a place that was her home away from home, it is her home, she merely wishes she got to come home more often and under better circumstances yet she finds herself melting into the peacefulness she is surrounded by here.

When she enters, looking around her summer home, her uncle's house, she sees all the dust and the memories living in the pictures on the walls. It feels good to be back and she realizes with the dust that has not been here in a while either. It makes sense...he probably has an apartment in the city or something, this place is far too big for a bachelor on his own. He must get lonely here, she thinks he doesn't come here often at all if not for her. The girl looks over her shoulder at him standing across the room, dropping his keys into the hall table and looking at her. Her lips twitch up, eyes full of fondness and wonder as they flick back to look around. "I've missed it here." She admits softly, voice full of nostalgia. His eyes stay on her.

"I've missed having you here." He admits and that pulls her full attention to him. Her lips part slightly, smile falling. It's been so long. It's been over a year since she's last been here and months before she had seen him last. "It's just not the same here alone." He continues, a look on his face she just cant make out exactly. Like he's lots in thought and it hurts her heart that he ever feels lonely.

"To me, it's the only place that feels like home." Alexis admits, as though it's mean to make him feel better, voice full of honestly and it does warm his ridged heart to know but then the true meanings of her words catch up to him causing him to frown.

"What do you mean?" He asks, and her smile falters, eyes casting down, frown appearing. Her heart feels heavy all of a sudden and she struggles to find her words. She presses her lips together, pausing for a moment before she starts speaking slowly and catiously.

"After Mom and Dad...the thing that makes a house a home felt as though it started fading. It started slowly then all of a sudden, all at once. But I don't feel safe there, not anymore. Something happened I don't know what, but it just did and things changed..." She trails off, heavy feeling inside of her but then she perks back up, sad glimmer in her eyes but a small smile on her lips. "But this place. It never fails to feel like home. I love it here." She smiles but it isn't a completely happy one and yet he feels something inside of his chest grow arm at the fact even through something horrible he was somehow able to keep a home for her, a sanctuary. He almost says something as she looks around again, eyes glistening with tears she didn't even notice. "You know, for a brief moment I thought...hoped.. that after mum and dad died that I'd come here. We all would.." Alexis spoke as if it were a distant dream, something to never be real.

"That wasn't what they wanted. Taking you kids away, away from mysic falls-" He shakes his head, crossing his arms looking conflicted and Alexis already understands what he is getting at.

"I think about them everyday." She whispers, cutting him off.

"So do I." He admits and her soft eyes flick up to look at him. "Not a moment goes by where I don't. I miss him, I wish things were different. I wish he was still here." John tells her, taking a few steps toward her, looking mournful and there's anger in his eyes. Anger that isn't directed at her but at the mere fact his brother, his big brother that always did right by him is good, someone he loved, is dead.

"I don't." Words cut the air, shocking him as he looks at her. She seems to fully be focused and serious now, aware but he can't make sense of it. She can see the look on his face but she just huffs slightly.

"I miss them - I do - but life goes on and if they hadn't of died, I'd never have my son growing inside of me. There's a lot of things I wouldn't have and allot of things I would've if they were here. There's no point in even trying to think of choosing on what I'd rather have because one is what I have and one is something I can't. I don't. The past is past, time can not be rewritten. I love my parents, truly and completely and they loved me the same. That's all that matters. It doesn't matter that they aren't here anymore because I can't change that but I can still feel them with me. In my heart, in every little thing I do because when you love someone like that they never really leave you. Maybe in precence but never through spirit and the lasting impact they had. And that's okay." She's accepted it, she's come to terms with their deaths he realizes, even though it is still a nasty wound he can tell it's no longer raw and bleeding. He can only stand their and look at her thinking about how hard it must of been for her, all of them and how truly horrible it's been for him. He's nowhere near as accepting of his brothers death as she seems to be. She's always been a smart girl….though not always acted that way.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you." He needed them, he didn't realize it, too eager to distance himself he didn't realize how much he needed them or her during this time. She feels her heart melt, everyone always says her uncle is arrogant and selfish and a jerk but she never sees that. He's always treated her different, Dad always said he had a soft spot for 'you twins'. Alexis lets out a short breath before hurrying over, wrapping her arms around him.

He's stiff in the hug, but she doesn't care, finding it more comforting and a long moment he finally hugs her back, relaxing. " It's okay. We all heal different ways." It's apparently a bit much for him as he coughs, pulling away and shaking out of the moment.

"You should go up, shower, or sleep or something. I'll bring dinner up soon." He tells her,caring but stepping back and she just smiles at his defence before nodding gently.

"I am feeling tired after the trip..and the little one is not agreeing with me today." The pregnant teen admits, hand going to her stomach and arching her back a little while making a face showing discomfit. He looks down at the bump. He can almost see history start to repeat it self.

"Hopefully you can." Is all he says, yes, he does pass judgements of the fact she's pregnant but they're all from concern.

"I hope so too. You know stuff back in the falls...it's crazy and i feel like i know whats going on but...I have no idea, it's like..I've forgotten or something."

Those words make him pause, he knew, he knew something had happened and she couldn't remember but the way she says it just cements what he thought. They're back, and they had there eyes on her at a point, maybe the baby is the only reason they spared her. Alexis notices the way his face goes more stone like, like he's furious and he is. He'll fix it, he thinks, he has too. He knows the truth and she doesn't yet, he has to do something. He'd do anything to protect her and Elena.

"You can stay as long as you'd like. Christ, knows I don't need all this room to myself." He tells her, laughing at the end to try and ease the mood. She feels her heart warm up, not yet knowing the truth before she tells him thank you and racing off like a child to explore her old room. He wants to keep her here not just for her reasons, but also his. It's too dangerous back home, christ, he knows someone died. She told him enough so and yet she lives as though nothing happened. But Mystic Falls will be safe again, he just needs to make some more phone calls. The council will be aware again, if they aren't already and maybe they can put an end too it with the information from that phone call. He just needs Alexis to stay here until then. And yes, maybe he'll tell her the truth. They knew when they were alive, but it is hard to live with without it revolving just about that..though Alexis is allot stronger in mind then most.

And Maybe, it's also just because he missed her. She has allot to find out.

Days passed peacefully and quietly. Life moved on and everything felt perfect in this little escape. He poked and prodded at the details in her life, as if taking note about every single thing or taking genuine interest. She leans more about him as well, stories about him and her father he had never quite told her about before. He seems to enjoy Alexis's company but he'd disappear from the house often, yet she was too lost in her own world to notice.

She spent most of her time on the phone with Matt, Caroline or Bonnie (who was now MIA after going to her grandmother's) Tyler seemed evasive from any calls and Alexis never found herself picking up the phone to talk to Elena. Even though she feels much better she can't bare to talk to her. Alexis spends most of her days just resting in her old room, sitting porch and exploring what was her home.

It was fourth evening when sun was on the verge of setting. That her world changed. The young woman had been sitting out, in a pink shirt and pair of stretchy blue jeans that turned a dirty green color as it pressed against the grass as she read an old book that had been setting on one of the shelves in the small library in the house. It intrigued her, it was a fantasy type book on the anatomy of monsters and tales of witches. She recognise some of the little stories, for the bedtime fairy tales her father would tell her. Alexis always loved princess fairy tales but she always delighted in fairy tales with science and surreality.

Alexis smiled and had her brows drawn together in interest as she read, these stories were a little darker, spoke of healing and treating monsters as lab rats. Not for one moment does she think it is real stories but yet she finds herself conflicts, the findings are interesting beyond belief, could change the world but at what cost? It is only stories though. Her fingers trace a penned picture diagram of a set of teeth, but these ones are different with extremely sharp teeth that is said to pierce through flesh and she feels her blood go cold.

It's a brief flash of an image in her mind, the memory of her sister's scream and dark eyes lunging toward her.

"Alexis?" A voice so close behind her calls out. Snapping her out of her trance, she grasps, slamming the book shut and looking behind her, body twisting. Her uncle is there coming to a stop, giving her a concerned look as he notices the way she's acting. "You okay?" He asks, as she breathes heavy, laughing a little and calming.

"Yeah, you just scared me a little." She tells him, softness in her voice and he pears over her shoulder, noticing the book she's been reading.

"You'll give yourself nightmares if you keep reading that stuff." He warns her, huff of amusement in his voice and she laughs.

"Oh please, Dad, and even you sometimes, used to read me these as bedtime stories.." The doe eyes girl laughs, as she looks back and picks up the book. He moves to sit down on the found next to her, his body aching in protest. She smiles, a look of curious wonder of her face. "Who knew how much folklore of the occult stuff or family has."

It makes her curious, it's yet as always a dangerous sort of curiosity where she knows there is a deeper reason and she wants to find out. Why does her family have so much folklore and occult stuff? Here, at the lakehouse, in the words they spoke, it was everywhere if you knew where to look. It's odd, and with all the odd things going on back in mystic falls she cant help but form some sort of 'what if' connection inside the back of her mind.

"They always find us and we find them. Even when we aren't trying." His words fall with such ease they must be honest and it captures her complete attention. Her uncle shakes his head and her lips part, not knowing what to think of his words. Her brow furrows, he sound put out by it and before she can even answer he reaches over pulling the book from her hands.

"With everything, everything going on and stuff that's happened i just worry about you." She doesn't miss the way his eyes look down at her pregnant bump and she looks away from him, downcasted apparent niece presses her lips together at his words, the way he's speaking, full of concern and worry but she only feels judgement. He's hits on a true and insecure feeling which is instantly making her defensive.

"I'm pregnant, I'm not dying." The pregnant teen tells him, lips pouty, arms crossing around herself to assure herself without lets out a breathe and just looks at her, knowing she's taken it to heart. He reaches out, putting a hand on her knee.

"I know that, but being a teen and being a parent isn't easy." The way he says it..it sounds so personal and it has her soft eyes looking to him, lips pressed together, heart fragil.

"You don't think I can do it, do you?" Her words are quite but meaningful, his approval means too much for her, maybe it's why they haven't really talked about this yet. If he doesn't think she can do it, can she really? Of course she can, she has matt and this huge network of support but still..

"I just don't think you realise how hard it's going to be, whatever you think you know, it's gonna be a million times harder and i know how you'd be able to do it, they taught you well...but at what cost to yourself? Is it truly what you want?" He asks, incredulous look on his face, pleading almost and she just shakes her head, letting out a huff.

"There is no cost, I see it as gaining. I didn't-I didn't know that this could be something I'd want and I'd definitely never plan this but now that I'm in this situation I'm so scared but I've never been so excited for the rest of my life before." Her eyes sheen, always so sensitive but she smiles as if he doesn't even know what could be. He smiles back but it's tight lipped and he's holding back.

"I'm proud of you. You're going to make a hell of a better parent than I did." John tells Alexis in an observant and proud way. She smiles, brightly more so, just for a moment before the words catch up to the both of them. Her brow creases and he can see the beautiful confusion on her face. Panic drums with every erratic beat of his heat, he slipped but she deserves to know.

"Wait...you were a parent? You had a child?" she asks, inquisitive tone and shocked. His eyes flick down, unsure but when they meet he's again all she sees is certainly as he begins to nod. "Children." He corrects and Alexis's eyes widen, she had no idea he ever had a child, let alone multiple. How come she didn't know? Why didn't anyone talk about it? Where are they now?

They way he looks at her is very telling and he can see the puzzle pieces start to click together in her mind by the telling reflection of her eyes. Her lips part, eyes widen and she leans back. It's dead quiet or the moment as she's just staring at him, breath stuttering because no, he can't really be implying what she thinks he is. Alexis shakes her head gently in disbelief and denial.

"I-You-No-I-" The girl stutters out, because no, he can not be implying that, as she quickly jumps to her feet and he pushes himself up to.

"I'm sorry." He tells her strongly. And she turns away hands going to her hair. Her head hurts. Her heart hurts. "But I think you deserve to know the truth." Finally, she thinks, bittersweetly someone is finally being honest about the hidden. Breathing is hard and all she can think about it the mother and father that raised her and Elena. How Jeremy is her brother. How her mother always said they looked so alike to when she was young..

"How? What? No. You can't!" She exclaims, turning to him once again. Her mind is working a million miles and hour, tears dancing on her face. He looks at her, it breaks his heart she's reacting like this but he really didn't expect different.

"You know it's true. Deep down, you've always known." He tells her like it's obvious, so raw and truthful. And suddenly so many conversations whispered in secret make so much more sense. Glimpses and words she remembers exchanged in her early childhood but now that twists all her memories changing everything.

"I'm your father." And that confirms it, uttering the words make it true. She feels numb. He reaches out to her, pulling her to him and she wants to fight, everything in her body tells her to deny it but she knows. Her heart tears and she sobs. She lets him wrap his arms around her, touch her as her world feels broken. Heavy breaths and fat tears roll down her face as he holds her against him. She's not crying because of the simple fact of him being her father but what it means. About the mom and dad that raised her...about Jeremy..about at every turn it seems nothing is what she thought. The only one thing she realised was always true in her life was Elena, even when she hide things, she was always true. She's frustrated and so upset and confused about everything that's going on. It's hard to be sure of anything.

Many questions are answered as John does not hold back for a moment revealing her true parentage the girl learns more about herself, she feels herself wanting to go home. To see her sister. She misses Elena, this house always does this to her. After spending time with her uncle-father- she decides it's time to go home soon and he reluctantly accepts that.

It's on the seventh day Matt shows up, he needed Alexis and couldn't bare to be away from her. It makes her feel guilty and she knew she shouldn't of left but he assured her he had been fine, 'Tyler looked after him' he had laughed. It just felt so good to have him finally back in her arms.

They stayed one more night, after John convinced Matt to stay the night and the boy found himself thrilled. He had heard so many stories about this place he would never give up the chance to explore it and learn a little more about the girl he adores. Plus John had clearly wanted to get to know Matt more.

There didn't seem much harm in staying the night in fact it was insightful and beautiful for them, even if only for a moment.

Matt adored her room, looking at each thing around the room, wanting to know every story and all she could do was delighted him. "And what's this one's name?" The blonde male asks, holding up a giraffe toy as Alexis laid on her bed, watching him attentively. Her lips quirk up.

"Marcus." she answers, a little off beat, but still cheery. He notice she hasn't been acting herself as much, but again, neither has he. He quirks a brow, looking back and the yellow and brown toy.

"Marcus? Cool name."

"Oh, is it? Baby worthy?" She challenges, quirking a daring brow and he winks back at her.

"It's in the draw." He smiles before placing the toy down and moving to sit back on the bed beside her to continue this conversation. The night was great but Alexis did notice after Matt came back after talking to John for a while, he had held her a little tighter than usual as they slept.

They left the next morning, heading back to mystic falls, full of revelations and unknowing to Johns car that trailed a few hours after them back to the small town.