I'm going to have to apologise to begin with. I'm not as familiar with US schools compared to UK schools and so despite getting the other half to read through and correct any he may have spotted, he may have missed a few.

Anyway here is the next chapter.

A wonderland of make-believe

For what felt like the millionth time since Stefan had left Elena retrieved her phone once she had parked in the high school car park and send Stefan a message.

Are u ok? We are thinking about you. Get in touch it if it's safe. E x

They hadn't heard a whisper from Stefan since he had bartered himself away to Klaus in return for Damon's life. Bonnie had scoured through grimoire after grimoire, performed séance after séance hoping to give them a clue as to where Stefan was and how they might defeat the Original Hybrid. Damon had tried to track his brother in the vain hope that together they might somehow turn the table on Stefan's new master and gain his freedom. But there was nothing to give them to lead that they were desperately searching for. No clues left by Stefan. No hint that he was alive and also looking for a way home to Mystic Falls. There was just silence.

She wouldn't give up and so each morning she would contact him. Leaving messages to let him know that he wasn't alone that they would come after him if he would let them know where he was. He would get in touch. He would. He just had to. They had all been through so much together that they had formed their own Scooby-crew of misfits who fought to keep their little town safe. There was always however some price to be paid. A life lost, a curse to neutralise and spell to cast and yet they paid it because there was no other way.

A stern tapping on her window almost caused Elena to shoot through the roof of her car. Looking up she caught a brief glance at a black shirt and a set of stormy blue eyes. Rolling down the electric window, Damon looked at her and smirked,

'You know if you're going to cut classes today its best not to park right in front of the school'

'What…' looking around the parking lot Elena noticed that the usual flow of students had disappeared inside the building.

'The alarm rang about 15 minutes ago' and still the smirk never left his face. Amazing what an infinite amount of time could do as it seemed obvious in Damon's case that he had spent at least half of his 150+ years looking in the mirror to perfect the perfect smirk and still be able to talk without dropping it for one moment.

Shrugging in Damon's direction she turned to retrieve her bag so that she could hide the chuckle that bubbled up her throat. For his part he heard her chuckle but didn't say anything about it. He didn't want her to realise that for a moment that she was happy whilst Stefan was somewhere doing no doubt some kind of dirty work for Klaus. She may not have realised it but she was showing the physical signs of the strain that they were all feeling over the past few months. She had got even thinner, pale under her olive skin and dark shadows had started to appear under her eyes.

Locking her car as she got out she turned to Damon just as he slipped the smirk back on his face. Gallantly he turned on his side to extend his arm for her. Taking it she let herself enjoy the innocent laugh that bubbled up this time and allowed Damon to escort her to the high school entrance. Afterall she was sick of worrying herself into a mind maze and wanted desperately to fool everyone into thinking she was fine. She couldn't however fool herself into thinking that she was succeeding. That thought was stopped even before it could be completed.

The day progressed faster once she refused to think about their situation for the next few hours - a haze of jocks, biology, lunch, over-crowded hallways and the intermittent alarm that signalled the progression of the day. She only flouted through a 'normal' teenage day. Who was she kidding?