"Somebody had a good time last night," Alyssa said stepping over beer bottles at the Donovans house. She thought she'd check in with him since she promised without promising that she would be a better friend. She was currently trying to balance her home and friends life which both seemed equally complicated but for there own reasons. "Your mom sure doesn't waste anytime getting back to her old tricks." She picked two beer bottles from off the living room table. "So how old is this one?"

"I don't know." Matt picked up bottles off the couch and walked into the kitchen. She followed. "I just hope it doesn't become a common occurrence."

She looked at him dumping the bottles in the trash, "with your mom?" She knew he had a better chance of winning a million dollars worth of scratch off before Kelly looking for a good time with a man would ever stop. He throw out the bottle's he was holding. "I clean you cook?" She walked back into the living room and finished picking up the trash in the surrounding room.

She walked back into the kitchen when she was done tossing the last of the bottles and what she hoped was a candy wrapped stuck in it. She looked at the food Matt had prepared. "That actually looks edible."

He ignored her usual snarky comment and called out to his mom. "Hey mom! Mom?" He knocked on the door of his mother's room and Alyssa went to make coffee. "Hey mom?"

Kelly opened the door closing her robe and then her door. "What? I'm trying to sleep."

"I was just making sure you're alive."

"I'm sorry sweetie." Her tone softened. "It was a late night. My head is throbbing."

Yeah no kidding, Alyssa thought to herself.

She heard Matt say, "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bring the party home. And I'm pretty sure the neighbors would appreciate it too."

"It wasn't a party, it was one guy, don't be so judgy."

Alyssa grabbed a bottle of Advil that she kept in the kitchen for in the cabinet above the stove. She had stashed plenty of bottles of Advil or Tylenol around the house so they could have for such occasions as this but it was usually for Vicki. She pulled three cups down as well as they walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Well, I talked to Roberta at the grill and there's still a bar-tending position open if you want to...get a job." Matt said and she poured them all cups and turned and sat there in front of them.

"Thanks," she acknowledged Alyssa wrapping her hands around the cup Alyssa making the same gesture as she took a sip leaning against the counter. Kelly answered Matt. "I figured she'd still be pissed about the last time I worked there."

"I think she's desperate."

"I'll check it out." She assured him but she didn't it would work out considered that the reason she was pissed was because Kelly had slept with her boyfriend.

Matt was surprised by his mother seemingly willingness to go. "Yeah?"

Alyssa continued to watch the exchange quietly sipping her coffee.

"Don't act so surprised."

"Well, I mean...I didn't know how long you planned on sticking around."

"Well, there's back rent due."

"There's back everything mom."

"Like I said, I'll check it out."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.

"Who's that?" Kelly asked and Alyssa sat down her coffee to go answer it since they were eating but Matt stood before she could and she picked up her coffee.

"It's Caroline."

Kelly made a face and turned to Alyssa, "he found his rebound girl."

"Easy," Matt warned yelling for Caroline to come in which she does and entered the kitchen.

"Hi Mrs. Donovan." She greeted in her usually chipper town and Alyssa once again sat down her coffee but this time in the kitchen sink. She got enough of being the third wheel in it came to her sister's relationship.

"Okay so I'm going to go. Caroline it was nice seeing you. Matt I'll see you in school. Tell your mom I'll stop by and check on her later if she's not feeling any better." She backed out of the room. "I have the perfect cure for a hangover and eating a lot of greasy foods help." She had had plenty of practice and knowledge of what worked and what didn't.

She turned back around and left out of the door.

She walked over to Stefan who was waiting by her locker as class let out. "The answer's no," she unlocked her locker and glanced at him, "to whatever it is you're about to ask."

"Just hear me out."

"No Stefan no," she put away her old books to the grab the ones for her next class. "Because I know what you're going to ask." She said still in her locker. "You're going to ask me to talk to Damon," she slammed the locker shut and turned to him with her books to her chest, "and I can't."

"Damon hasn't said a word to me. Every time I try to talk to him he shuts me down."

"And that's my problem why?" She couldn't care less about what he was going through or how he was feeling, not after finding out what she did.

"In his own way Damon cares about you," she leaned against the locker given him her full attention but only so he'd listen to her when she told him to go to hell. "He waited a hundred and forty five years only to find out that Katherine could not care less. I mean it's gotta hurt, right?

She didn't feel bad for the guy. If anything she felt after recent events he was getting more than he deserved. "And I say that's karma, which he more than deserves, being that he's spent the last century and half making other peoples lives miserable. Yours and mines including, not to mention Elena. Her mother is vampire because of him. Rick lost his wife because of him." She lowered her voice when she saw that she was attracting attention, "and he gloated about it to Rick."

"And you have every right to be upset."

"Upset doesn't even begin to cover it. He has hurt so many people that I care about and you're asking me to what be his shoulder to cry. Well I'm sorry I can't and if he's hurting as much as you say then I'd say good on him. Maybe it'll give him back whatever humanity that he had."

"And that's exactly my point, Damon isn't in his right mind right now. I don't know what he's going to do once he stops feeling hurt and gets angry."

She leaned up from the lockers. "Well that's not really my problem now is it. And if you were smart, you'll leave Damon to self destruct so he doesn't take you down with him. I got to get to class."

"Let's do something tonight," Alyssa said stretched out on Matt bed with books in front of them. She'd promised him that she would come over and help him study since he didn't have much time for it now that he was a working man. "Just the two of us, with absolutely no talk about family." She had enough of that with her own and others.

"Can't, I'm going out." He got up and walked over to his closet to change for what she assumed to be his date.

"Well then blow her off and come out with me." She didn't think she could handle one more night of vampires. "I'm in serious need of best friend time and a life that doesn't around the town's secrets. You can make kissy face with Caroline anytime."

He turned to her. "I can't just blow them off."

"Them? Who's them? Did you suddenly decide to take up a religion and now you're thinking about becoming a Mormon. How progressive of you?"

"We're going out with Elena and Stefan."

"I'm sorry," she sat up swiftly. "Did you just say that you were doubling with Elena and Stefan? Why didn't lead with that? How the hell did that happen and also can I please come? This should really be entertaining."

"Thanks."

"You think I'm joking but I'm serious. It will be really fun to watch. At least for me. I'm talking Dawson's Creek, meet Felicity, with a little touch of friends."

"I'm glad you find my love life so entertaining."

"I do. I really do." She said with a small smile. "And as much fun as I'm having at your expense," she started gathering her books. "I have to go. I promise Jenna I'd help her with some family stuff but I'm serious about tagging along. I don't even have to sit with you I can sit at a table close by and watch with twizzlers and popcorn."

"Good bye."

She walked backwards out of his room, "if you change your mind."

He shut the door behind her.

"Hey," she walked to Jenna with that greeting who stood outside her dad's old office. "Sorry I'm late. Studying session ran long, plus I was trying and failing to convince Matt to let me tag along with him and Caroline on their double date with Elena and Stefan." She took out the office keys she had found and handed them to her. She answered her questioning brow, "I know right weird and yet mildly entertaining. So, who are we meeting and why?"

"Miss Summers?"

They turned around and Jenna spoke while Alyssa watched. "Yes. Hi Pearl." She looked much better than she had the last time they met but she was able to instantly recognize her as Anna's mother even with the color back in her cheeks and her groomed state.

"Hi. This is my Daughter, Annabelle." Anna stood next to her mother and even though Jenna didn't know Pearl she did know Anna.

"Of course, Jeremy's friend."

"Nice to see you, Miss Summers. Alyssa," Anna smiled politely, "nice seeing you again."

She smiled grimly.

Jenna turned to the reason why they had come. "This property was in my brother in law's family for generations. It's one of the originals structure in Mystic Falls. It used to be one of those old fashioned drugstore thingies."

"An apothecary?" She looked towards the building with a smile.

"Yeah."

"You don't say."

Alyssa knew from Damon that she knew exactly what the building use to be and it was why she had chosen that spot. She knew Anna knew that too. But she was preoccupied with something else and Alyssa turned to see what and saw Jeremy. She looked between the two of them and then back at Anna recognizing the look on her face.

"Annabelle?" Pearl called and she turned to her.

"I'm coming mother."

Jenna held open the door as they came in. Alyssa stopped Anna before she get too far by grabbing her by the arm.

"Stay away from him," she saw that she had no clue what she was talking about but she thought she knew she'd say, "Jeremy. He doesn't need to be involved in any of this. And he's definitely not going to be involved with him."

She freed her arm. "You know you're really wearing on my impatience. You really think your going to tell me who I can't see?"

"I don't have to," she looked at Pearl and Anna glanced over her shoulder. "I read Jonathan Gilbert's journal remember. I know you mom had a thing for him. I also know he narced on her. Do you really think she's going to let you get involved romantically with anyone with the last name Gilbert?" She looked back at her. "Cause I'm guessing not." They stared each other down until she was sure that she got the message before she walked away.

"Are you really just going to give dad's office away?" Alyssa removed her coat and put in on the back of her chair as her and Jenna sat down at the tables in the middle of the room at the grill.

"I'm not given your dad's office away," she sat down across from her. "It's not being used and now it will be."

"It's just been in the family for over a century. I'd hate to see it get turned over to somebody else. I might even find use for it in the future."

"Yeah?" It was news to her. "I thought you'd planned on getting out of Mystic Falls the minute you graduated."

"Yeah, I did," she shrugged slightly. It was a plan that her and Vick made together but now she had to rethink that. "But now I'm thinking that maybe that isn't something that I can consider right now." Lest of all with Anna and Pearl in town and there was also Elena vampire mother. She shrugged again, "things changed."

"Has your love of questionable meat and cheesy fries?"

"Never, in fact that's how I want to be buried. With meat and cheese."

"I don't I think can do anything about that but it could be served as a meal."

"Yes, please."

Jenna got up and walked over to the bar to order for them both and she took a look around the room. She saw a few kids that she recognize from school. One person in particular caught her attention and it seemed that she had caught hers.

She turned to Jenna to see that she had sat down next to Kelly so figured that it would be okay for her to at least go talk to him. She deserved a night out free from all things vampires. It's what she told herself as she got up and walked over to him and his friends.

She picked up a pool stick, "I got next."

"If I call you promise you'll answer."

She took the napkin with his number written on it, "I'll think about it." She turned around and looked for Jenna who she assumed was the still at the bar which she was not.

"Jenna?" She looked around the grill for her a little worried over her current state with the drinks she had been knocking back at the bar with Kelly and Damon. She turned around to Jason, the guy she had been talking to. "Did you see where the lady I came in with went?"

"She left a minute ago."

"Thanks," she left out the side door hoping to catch her faster that way and looked around. She spotted her talking to some guy who was very close which only meant trouble from what she knew about her aunt from the stories she told.

She kept her eyes on them as he touched her face and leaned it. There was something very familiar about the way he did it and it wasn't until she saw her laugh did she know what that was.

"That is a nice scent your wearing. What is it?"

"I don't know," she laughs, "it was a gift. And that," she said when she saw Alyssa, "is my ride."

Alyssa grabbed her and helped her to the car.

"I'm sorry about tonight." Jenna said as Alyssa helped her into bed and took off her shoes.

"Don't be," she rolled the covers up to her chin. "I get it. You need to blow off steam every once and awhile. Just don't become Kelly and we'll call it even." She shut of the lamp by the bed and tucked her in. "Now get some sleep."

She left a glass of water and two pills on the dresser and left the house for the Salvatore's to tell them to know about Pearl setting up shop and that there was another vampire in town but when she walked in and found one dead on the floor of the parlor. She looked to Stefan.

"I guess there's no need to tell you about the vampire I saw in the square since there's one laying there in the floor. What the hell happened?"

"It seems like our little witch messed up." Damon told her.

"Messed up how?"

Damon told them about what pearl had showed up that morning to inform him and Alyssa looked at him unable to believe what she just head.

"Wait," she turned to him as he walked over to the bar. "Are you telling me the vampire I saw in that square and that," she pointed to the dead female vampire laying on the floor, "are just two of the 27 vampires there were in the tomb? You didn't think this is something I needed to know?"

Stefan phone rung.

"Elena?" She guessed not really needing an answer, "Are you going tell her about the vampires?"

"Not tonight," he left to take the call and she turned to Damon who was dragging the vampire's body into the fire place.

"A little help."

She rolled her eyes and helped him dispose of her body.

"It's amazing how so many of my nights are spent cleaning up after vampires now." She said as she watching the body burn and then turned to him.

Damon turned to Stefan as he entered. "Elena tucked into bed all nice and sound?"

"Yeah."

"And the tomb vampires?" Alyssa asked.

"Will be talk about tomorrow."

"Then my job here is done."

She left checking in on Jenna when she got home before going to her room and changed out of her clothes. She was coming from the bathroom when she saw the phone flash with Damon's name and and she grabs it from the dresser before sitting on the bed.

"Calling to make sure I got home safe and sound?"

"That would imply that I cared."

"And we wouldn't want to have that," she leaned back against the headboard and raised he knees to her chest, "now would we. Besides you got bigger problems to worry about. Who was that undead dead women we burned?"

"Someone who didn't appreciate being locked up in the tomb for 145 years."

"Let me guess, he blames you Stefan for his long winter's nap. And there's 24 more like it, most out for Salvatore blood, and mine. The sins of father."

"Another problem for another day. Stefan's right. We can deal with it in the morning."

"Looking forward to it," she hung up not at all looking forward to more vampire related problems.