Hello, hello
Anybody out there? Cause I don't hear a sound
Alone, alone
I don't really know where the world is but I miss it now
I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name
Like a fool at the top of my lungs
Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright
But it's never enough
Cause my echo, echo
Is the only voice coming back
Shadow, shadow
Is the only friend that I have
Listen, listen
I would take a whisper if that's all you had to give
But it isn't, is it?
You could come and save me and try to chase the crazy right out of my head
Echo~ Jason Walker
[BRIDGE BY PARTY]
"You know, you two are kind of the talk of the town." Elena said mischievous smile on her face, vaguely reminding him of Katherine
"Are we? Claire would like that." Stefan replied smile on his face
"Mm-Hmm. Mysterious tall, dark , and handsome, new guy shows up with a bubbly
,gorgeous, single, brunette. You guys are new dating real estate, fresh blood oh, yeah.
Stefan laughed at Elena's statement, the irony of it hit him,"Well, you have the mysterious thing going, too. Twinged in sadness."
"What makes you think that I'm sad?" Elena asked curious if Claire had filled her brother in on her past. She hoped not, she didn't think she could handle another person pitying her
"Well, we did meet in a graveyard, if that's any indication." Stefan said
"Right. Well, no, technically we met in the men's room after I crashed into both you and Claire. You don't want to know, it's. . . .it's not exactly party chit-chat." Elena said
"Well, I've never really been very good at, uh, chit-chat. My sister can vouch for my poor social skills." Stefan said not intending to be charming, but charming with honesty
Elena sighed and took a deep breath after four months tears still came to her eyes when she thought about her parent's death. "Last spring. . my parents' car drove off of a bridge into the lake. And I was in the backseat and I survived, but. . .they didn't. So that's my story."
"You won't be sad forever, Elena. If nothing, than to make you laugh again, I'm glad that Claire and I moved here." Stefan said reaching over to hug the nearly broken down girl some how rationalizing it as something Claire would do.
[WOODS BY PARTY]
vicki and Tyler are getting pretty heated
"No, Ty. I'm not having sex against a tree." Said Vicki
"Oh, come on, it would be hot." Tyler replied kissing her again trying to get her into it
"For who? No, it's not going to happen. It's not going to happen, not here, not like this. Girl's got to have some self respect. No. I said no. I said no! Ow, that hurts! Vicki slapped Tyler causing him to let her go as Jeremy appeared
"Hey, leave her alone!" Jeremy yelled pulling Tyler off of Vicki
"You know, you're starting to get on my nerves, Gilbert." Tyler said getting up in Jeremy's face and shoving him back
"Just go, Tyler, get the hell away from me." Vicki said "I'm not kidding Tyler, go." Her faced spoke of absolute disgust
"Wow. Vicki Donovan says no. That's a first. I'm going to find the new girl Claire, maybe she's more fun." Tyler said smirking away from Vicki. "Watch your back, Gilbert."
"I didn't need your help." Vicki said rolling her eyes at Jeremy who was constantly interfering in her life.
"It seems like you did." Jeremy retorted back
"I don't want it!" she yelled "He was just drunk."
" Is that what you said last time. I'm drunk. Am I throwing myself at you?" Jeremy argued trying to bring Vicki some clarity on how horribly Tyler was treating her.
Vicki scoffed "No, you're worse. You want to talk to me, get to know me, see into my soul and screw and screw and screw until you're done with me." She would rather have someone treat her like trash, than take the chance and let someone she trusted into her heart, and treat her like gold.
"Is that what you think?" Jeremy said anger deflating
"That's what I know." Vicki replied walking away almost in tears. Part of her really did care for Jeremy. She just didn't want to get hurt.
[BRIDGE BY PARTY]
" I like Bonnie, she seems like a good friend." Stefan said holding hands with Elena as they walked
" Best friend in the world. I like Claire too. You two seem incredibly close." Elena replied smiling
"We're twins; we've always understood each other better than anyone else in the world. I swear she can hear my thoughts sometimes. And Matt, he can't seem to, uh, take his eyes off of us." Stefan said "There a story behind that Elena?"
Elena blushed "Matt's that friend since childhood that you start dating because you owe it to yourselves to see if you can be more."
" And?" Stefan said
" And then my parents died, and everything changes. Anyway, Matt and I, together we just, I don't know, it wasn't, um. . .it wasn't. . ." Elena stammered trying to find the right words. She wasn't used to being speechless, wanting to impress a guy she barely knew.
"Passionate?" Stefan prompted
"No. No, it wasn't passionate. . . It just wasn't right anymore, and I knew that if I didn't want to end a great friendship that I had to let go."
Stefan's eyes start to change
ELENA: Hey, um, are you ok? Um, Your eye, it just, it's-
STEFAN: Oh, um... Yeah, no. It's, um, it's nothing. Um, are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink. leaving Elena before he could blow his and Claire!s cover knowing that would really tick her off. Speaking of the devil, he thought spotting Claire grabbing a drink.
She turned" Hey, Stef where's El?"
"I started getting vamped out, needed to make a quick exit so I went to go get "drinks"." Stefan said brushing off the incident as much as he could which only made Claire more suspicious
"And what about next time, Stefan. She's human; us being here is an unnecessary risk no matter how much I like her." Claire said humor gone trying to get through Stefan's thick skull that they were a danger to Elena and her friends who deserved a normal, uncomplicated life free from supernatural drama.
[WOODS BY PARTY]
"Jeremy? Is that you? . . . Jeremy?" Vicki called wandering through the woods as fog descends around her. A man is standing behind her, and she is suddenly attacked
Party
"Looking for someone?" Matt asked Elena
" Hey." Elena said awkwardly desperately looking around for Bonnie, Claire or Stefan to save her from this horribly uncomfortable conversation with her ex boyfriend.
"When you broke up with me, you said it was because you needed some time alone. You don't look so alone to me." Matt said annoyed at Elena who he still cared a lot about
"Matt, you don't understand. It's-" Elena stammered trying to find the right words to say to mend their relationship, so they could go back to being good friends.
"That's ok, Elena. You do what you have to do. I just want to let you know that. . .I still believe in us. And I'm not giving up on that." Matt said walking away
"Matt" Elena called frustrated did no one listen to her?
Caroline spotted the twins, and headed over to flirt with Stefan " Hey! There you are. Have you been down to the falls yet? Because they are really cool at night. And I can show you. If you want."
"I think you've had too much to drink." Stefan said as Claire stood their very, very uncomfortable
"Well, of course I have. So -"
Stefan cut Caroline off "You and me, it's not gonna happen. Sorry."
Claire smiled gently at the blonde who looked ready to cry; "Care, why don't we go find Bonnie okay?" She said kindly leading her away from Stefan and Elena
" I was wondering who abducted you, but now I know." Elena teased
" Is she like that with, uh, all the guys?" Stefan said still uncomfortable with Caroline's advances
Elena laughed"Nah. You're fresh meat, remember. She'll back off eventually. Hmm. God, you gotta be kidding me!" She said spotting her drunk brother.
"What is it?" Stefan asked concerned
"My brother." Elena said from the tone of her voice he could tell from hearing it on Claire. The girl was beyond pissed.
"The drunk one?" Stefan asked
"That would be the one. Excuse me." Elena said needing to deal with her brother immediately
"Need some help?" Said Stefan offering to help Elena
" Trust me, you're not going to want to witness this. Jeremy! Jeremy!" She didn't need Stefan's pity. She could handle Jeremy on her own.
[WOODS]
" Jeremy,where the hell are you going?" Elena asked
" I don't want to hear it!" Jeremy replied
" Yeah, well, too bad!" Elena replied frustrated as Jeremy trips. He sees Vicki's body, she's been bitten.
"Vicki? No! Oh, my god, it's Vicki!" Jeremy screams feaking out
ELena seeing Vivki's body screamed as well "Oh, my god!"
" No!" Jeremy yelled
[PARTY]
Elena ran back to the party terrified " Somebody help!" She screamed leading the others back to Vicki.
"Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?!" Matt yelled seeing his sisiter's passed out body
TTyler looked freaked as well "What happened to her?"
MAT&T yelled " Somebody, call an ambulance!"
Tyler stood in front of Vicki protectively "Everybody back up, give her some space!"
" It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood." Elena said glancing at her neck. She offered Tyler and Matt a towel "Put this on her neck."
Matt pleaded with his sister almost in tears " Vicki, Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me."
[SALVATORE HOUSE]
Claire and Stefan stomped in both pissed at the attack. Claire knew Damon was back, and was just waiting for her brother to show his face to prove her right.
"What's going on?" Zach asked concerned and a little afraid of the anger on both of his relatives faces
"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me or Claire." Said Stefan annoyed as he and Claire brushed past Zach up to their rooms, and literally into Damon himself.
"Damon." Stefan and Claire said simultaneously to the man lurking in the hallway
"Hello, brother, baby sister. It's been so long." Damon said malevolently reaching to hug Claire who pulled away
"Not nearly long enough D!" Claire spat back
"Temper, Temper, Little Sis." Damon retorted deliberately antagonizing his sister
" Crow's a bit much, don't you think? " Stefan said irritated that Damon was interrupted their peace with his antics that knowing Damon arrival would lead to the bloodshed of innocent people for Damon's entertainment.
" Wait till you see what I can do with the fog, little Brother." Damon retired trying to get a rise out of his siblings
"Oh, go to hell Damon. " Claire said fed up with Damon's theatrics already
"When'd you get here?" Stefan asked as Claire imagined throat punching Damon with a stake to wipe that all knowing smirk off his cocky face.
"Well, I couldn't miss your first days at school. My beloved siblings, what kind of brother would I be if I neglected you? Your hair's different, Stefan, I like it. Claire, you still look like a vision of beauty." Damon said sarcasm lacing his words, purposely trying to torment his siblings.
"Bite me, Damon." Claire retorted flashing her fangs
"It's been 15 years, Damon." Said Stefan
"And even that wasn't a long enough of a break away from you. Please go torment some other unfortunate vampire sibling." Claire taunted she could out Damon, Damon sometimes
Damon ignored her knowing that would bug her more than anything "Thank God. I couldn't take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you. Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."
"Why are you here?" Stefan asked
" I missed my little brother and sister is that such a crime." Damon asked
"Yes, you happen to hate us. Cut the bull crap, the real reason please." Claire retorted
"What happened to my sweet, innocent baby sister?" Damon asked mockingly
"Almost 200 years of putting up with Stefan and your crap; the sarcasm helps me stay sane." Claire replied victoriously smirking she lived getting the upper hand on Damon
"Damon, You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do." Stefan stated
Damon scoffed" You two think you know me. Trust me I've managed to keep myself busy."
"You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you." Stefan said annoyed at Damon's careless regard for human life
" Ah. That can be a problem. . .for you two." Damon said smirking menacingly
"Why are you here now?" Stefan asked
"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word. . . Claire, you're hear to protect our brother to keep him in control. You crave a normal life pathetic." Damon said mocking his siblings
[PARTY]
Matt leaves by ambulance with Vicki. The crowd is anxious and concerned over the vicious crime.
" Hey. We're gonna go to Mainline Coffee, wait for news. Any word on where Claire went?" Bonnie said still freaked out by the vision she had earlier.
"I gotta take Jeremy home." Elena replied still annoyed at her brother, but concerned. She knew Jeremy cared for Vicki, and would take it hard if anything were to happen to her.
" Elena, there's no way I'm psychic. I know that. But whatever I saw, or I think I saw, I have this feeling..." Bonnie said worried that her bison of death was true.
Elena grabbed Bonnie's arm "What?"
" That it's just the beginning." Bonnie replied fearfully
[SALVATORE HOUSE]
" She took my breath away. Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine. Is it working, Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive? Claire, how does it feel to have your new best friend look like your dead ex BFF?" Damon said taunting both of his siblings .
Claire's temper flared so she concentrated, giving Damon an aneurysm as he fell down screaming in pain. He leap back up shoving Claire's back to the wall
"I wouldn't do that again Claire." Damon growled
Claire threw him back across the room slamming him into a bookshelf. "Try me Damon. You're not the only one durning human blood. I betcha we could go a couple rounds; I could hold my own."
"She's not Katherine." Stefan said standing in between his sister and brother, trying to prevent future violence between the two.
"Well, let's hope not. We all know how that ended. Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel? Now that we know Claire's not on the bunny diet." Said Damon wiping the blood off his face. He hated the fact that Claire had just wiped the floor with him.
" I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work. You are not going to drive a wedge between me and Claire" Stefan said
"Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?." Damon taunted hitting Stefan. Claire pushed him back from Stefan
"Stop it, knock it off Damon." She said putting herself between the brothers putting both of her hands on their chests pushing them back
"Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there. Or just, let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for Elena." Damon said egging Stefan and Claire on
"Stop it!" Stefan yelled reaching to hit Damon, but Claire caught him "He isn't worth it Stefan."
" Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Damon yelled face full of glee. He was getting to Stefan and he knew it. Claire watched Stefan's face transform.
"Dammit, Damon why can't you leave well enough alone." She yelled irked Damon was threading her new friends, and threading Stefan's control over his inner ripper.
" I can." Damon said almost picturing it
" I said stop!" Stefan roared fury filling his voice as He runs into Damon, throwing him out of the window. When he lands on the pavement, Damon isn't there. Claire at this point was fed up and decided to let Stefan beat the crap out of Damon. Maybe just maybe it would teach him not to be a douche.
Damon wished back "Claire, I'm hurt; You're not defending your big brother" at this Claire rolled her eyes in irritation." I was impressed. I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face- thing. It was good."
" You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die." Claire said trying to get through to Damon why exactly his being her was an awful idea
"Don't waste your breath, Claire. He doesn't give a damn." Stefan replied
"That's a given." spotting the hurt look on Claire's face "Aww, Clary did I hurt your feelings?"
"Go to Hell, Damon." Claire spat back "Before I send you there myself."
" Not here. I won't allow it." Stefan said pleading with Damon to just leave them in peace
"I take that as an invitation." Damon smirked
"Don't Damon" Claire sneered
"Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" Stefan asked begging
Damon laughed mockingly "I promised you two an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word."
"You do that now?" Claire asked copying Damon's tone
"Just stay away from Elena." Stefan asked
"Where's your ring? Oh, yeah, sun's coming up in a couple of hours, and, poof, ashes to ashes. Relax. It's right here." Damon jeered as he grabbed Stefan by the throat and threw him against the garage. Claire pulled him off of Stefan throwing back as hard as he could. Damon flashed back up grabbing Claire by the throat. She kneed him in the crotch, and pushed him off of her baring her fangs
" You should know better than to think you're stronger than me, Stefan. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. And Claire, I wouldn't try that again. I think we woke Zach up. Sorry, Zach." Damon said flashing away
[THE WOODS]
Jeremy is drinking a beer when Elena arrived still shaken by the attack.
"You ok? I called Jenna, she's on her way. Those people in uniforms, last time I checked, they're the police. People are going to stop giving you breaks, Jer. They just don't care anymore. They don't remember that our parents are dead, because they've got their own lives to deal with. The rest of the world has moved on. You should try, too." Elena said to her brother finally cutting the crap and being honest with him.
Jenemy scoffed "I've seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary. Is that-is that supposed to be you moving on?"
Elena looked down at that " Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted this."
[MYSTIC GRILL]
Bonnie and Claire are sitting with Caroline " Are you sober yet?" Bonnie asked gently
Carolime shook her head " No." Ashamed about how she had behaved around Stefan.
Bonnie smiled gently "Keep drinking. I gotta get you home. I gotta get me home."
"I can take her home." Claire offered
"Why didn't he go for me? You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?" Caroline said crying, she felt so alone, so unloved.
Claire reached for Caroline and pulled the sobbing girl into a hug. Bonnie hugged Caroline to saying "I'm not answering that question."
Carolime just cried harder " I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And . . . Elena always says the right thing. She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything. And I try so hard, and . . . I'm never the one."
"Oh, Caroline." Claire said trying her best to comfort the sobbing girl. She had known this would happen given Elena's and Stefan's fondness for each other , but it didn't make it an easier to pick up the broken pieces of her new friend's heart
Bonnie looked at little lost. Elena and Caroline were her best friends " It's not a competition, Caroline." She said gently
" Yeah, it is, and she always wins." Caroline retorted continuing to sob into Claire's shoulder shaking with hurt.
[HOSPITAL]
Matt is sitting at the hospital with Vicki. Vicki wakes up.
"Vicki. . .Hey. Hey, it's ok, it's me Matty. You're gonna be ok." Matt said gently not wanting to spook his sister.
"Matt-" Vicki said breathlessly
" Hey, don't try to talk, ok? You're fine." Matt said quietly trying to reassure his frighten sister.
"Vampire." Vicki replied terrified
[GILBERT/SALVATORE HOUSE]
Elena writes "Dear diary, I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought that I could smile, nod my way through it; pretend like it would all be ok."
"I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was; create a life as someone new, someone without the past. Create a life without regret." Stefan pens glancing at the photo of him, Claire and Lexi at a Bon Jovi concert smiling, a rare pocket of happiness and genuine carefree joy.
Elena pens "Without the pain."
ELENA/STEFAN "Someone alive."
Elena (Voiceover) "But it's not that easy. The bad things stay with you."
Stefan writes "They follow you. Your mistakes, the past, it never really let's go of you" he turns to the photo of Katherine turning it down, and placing it into the top drawer of his dresser.
[GRILL]
Caroline is alone at the table. She sent Claire away claiming she was alright. Damon looks at her. Knowing her friendship with Claire, and wanting a little revenge for Claire beating the crap out of him earlier. He saw an opportunity present itself.
Claire (Voiceover): You can't escape the past, as much as you want the more you run from it, the harder it is to face it, to deal with it, and try desperately to move on.
Damon smiles at Caroline. She smiles back waving at him, beckoning him over.
[GILBERT HOUSE, ELENA'S ROOM]
Elena (Voiceover): All you can do is be ready for the good. So when it comes, you invite it in, because you need it. I need it. Elena sees Stefan outside her window. She smiles brightly at him
Stefan smiled back "I know it's late. But, uh. . .I needed to know that you were ok." After everything that happened today with Damon, he needed to make sure one of the few precious lights in his life was safe and free to shine another day.
"You know, for months, that's all anyone's wondered about me. If I'll be ok." Elena replied not wanting anyone else to pity her.
"What do you tell them?" Stefan asked
" That I'll be fine." Elena said back
Stefan smiled "Claire calls fine a crap word, a cover up word. Do you ever mean it?"
Elena smiled back needing humor after the craziness of today "Claire, would say that. Ask me tomorrow. It's warmer in the house. We can talk. Would you like to come in?"
Stefan felt his undead heart pang "Yes." I can handle this he thought to himself; I know where the line is. Stefan enters Elena's house and shut the door behind him.
All rights to L.J. Smith and Julie Plec.