10

Eileen didn't remember anything from the last month. It was more than a bit disconcerting but not nearly as strange as the fact that Marlene was awake but somehow Eileen was in Mystic Falls Virginia instead of being back home, helping her sister. That just didn't make any sense.

Yes, Marlene did say that there was something about her biological father and figuring out medical history and that Marlene herself had pushed her to go but it was still ridiculous.

Eileen didn't know Elena or any of these others but she knew herself and she knew that her priority was Marlene, nothing else. It just didn't make any sense that she would leave, there had to be something she was missing, something that she was keeping from Marlene which was even worse. She never lied or kept secrets from her, what had happened in the last month that had made it so?

"You ready to head out?" Elena asked from the door and Eileen nodded even as she frowned on the inside.

Elena was a strange person. She was secretive and oddly controlling. It was only a day since Eileen had woken up and she had tried asking around, asking Jeremy and Jenna to see what exactly she was missing in terms of memories. Anytime that happened though, Elena or her boyfriend would appear out of nowhere and steer the conversation to other places. The way they kept things within their strange little circle was already creepy, when Eileen asked where the hospital was to consult the doctor on her head injury they directed her to Stefan's brother instead who was apparently a doctor.

Suffice it to say that Eileen would be getting a second opinion the second she got back home.

The town was creepy, the way everyone kept on trying to keep her hidden, going so far as to steer her away from windows was creepy, and Eileen was too off balance in this place to ask any further questions or really speak her mind. It was better to observe and come back to it later when she had found her footing. And right now all she wanted was to get back home.

"I'm packed and ready." She answered and Elena smiled and drooped and did all sorts of contradictory things. She seemed relieved to see her go and sad at the same time but mostly it was the nervous energy that Elena gave off that gave Eileen pause. She seemed almost jittery but Eileen just didn't understand why.

Elena had gone above and beyond to quicken Eileen's departure. John, the biological father, was supposed to be buried tomorrow but Elena had all but told Eileen to leave. Elena was the one who had found a flight for her to take from Richmond, booked the tickets and everything, and now she and Stefan were driving her to the airport.

Stefan picked up her heavier bag, the one filled with the souvenirs and stuff that Caroline had insisted she take with her while Eileen slung her duffel over her shoulder and followed after them down the stairs.

Jeremy slung an arm around her awkwardly while Jenna gave Eileen a big hug that reminded her of Marlene.

"Don't be a stranger okay?"

"Sure."

Jenna pulled back to look at her sternly albeit with amusement in her eyes. "No, I mean it, this kid is only taking his studies seriously because of all the things you said about your friend Gavin's major." She jabbed a thumb in Jeremy's direction and he gave a half smile.

And Eileen smiled properly at the woman. She seemed pretty cool, she wished she remembered her. The smile slipped off Jenna's face as she saw how Elena seemed almost frantic. She was practically shaking and Eileen could see her holding back but Elena wanted them to leave. She seemed scared, looking over her shoulder far too often and Eileen said a goodbye and left.

Maybe if Eileen remembered she would be that worried and scared too. But she didn't so she let Elena be and just got into the car, ready to leave. Stefan drove while Elena sat in the passenger seat next to him, her eyes glued outside. It wasn't until they came across the board telling them they were now leaving Mystic Falls that they both relaxed but even then they seemed hypervigilant.

Perhaps they were involved in something illegal and were on the lookout from the police? But that didn't make sense, Caroline mentioned her mother, Sheriff Forbes, many times and not once did Elena or Stefan tense when that was brought up.

So Eileen just sat in the backseat and watched the two. Every other second Elena felt the need to turn back and smile reassuringly at her and share a look with Stefan. It was very strange. Eileen was glad the trip wasn't supposed to be that long, she did want out of all this. They reached soon enough and while Stefan went to park the car Elena escorted her to the airport gate. The closer to the gate they got, the more Elena relaxed, until finally she just sighed and her shoulders dropped low.

"I don't know who's more relieved me, or you." Eileen couldn't help but say. She regretted it as Elena's shoulders rose in tension again. Still, she figured the second she was out of sight Elena would be back to being relaxed again.

"I'm sorry." Elena whispered and flung her arms around Eileen, squeezing her uncomfortably tight. It was then that Eileen realised that Elena was trembling terribly. "For all of this. I know it isn't what you wanted."

And that strange feeling Eileen had around Elena, as if something was wrong even though she didn't quite know what came back with a vengeance. She had forgotten something very important but she couldn't quite figure out what. What in Mystic Falls could possibly be so important to her anyway? Everything she could possibly care for was back in New York.

Elena finally pulled away and Stefan had reached them. The two shared a look and Elena undid her necklace and pushed it into Eileen's hand.

"Please, just...wear this." Eileen took it as Elena's hands trembled so much the chain was shaking. "It's very important that you never take this off." Elena said vehemently and Eileen looked to her side to see Stefan looking at her with just as much seriousness.

It was just a necklace, why were they freaking out over it so much? Eileen took it anyway and with one more awkward goodbye she left, off to fly back home.

When the plane took off and she felt a bit more relieved at being farther out of the crosshairs of those stares, she looked at the necklace carefully. There was a hinge on the side so she opened it up, only to find a dried green herb in it.

'Pot?', she wondered. Was this why Elena and Stefan had been so scared, were they running drugs or something? But a sniff of it told her otherwise. It was verbena. Elena had just insisted that she wear a necklace containing dried verbena as if it was some sort of gps tracker that would save her life someday.

Yes, Eileen was very glad to be going back home.

"Diplomacy." Elijah announced into the room where Klaus, Maddox and Greta were sat, discussing their plans to find the werewolves.

"Homeopathy." Klaus fired back and was amused when Elijah sighed. "I thought we were listing things I don't understand."

Elijah rolled his eyes and sat down across from him. On his left Greta shifted uncomfortably, whether it was because she remembered how her brother and father had aligned with Elijah and were now dead, or because the man who was supposed to be Klaus' confidant for several centuries was back at his side, Klaus didn't quite know. It was probably the latter, Greta held few connections to her family and was slightly obsessed with Klaus.

Eileen had said that was convenient because Klaus was plenty obsessive himself and having someone who connected with him on such a level was good although insane. Of course, she was dead now, by his own hands even, so Klaus ignored the voice in his head that sounded uncannily like her.

"Breaking the curse went smoother than expected because you used diplomacy. I'm not saying we'll find someone suicidal like Eileen again bu-"

"Eileen wasn't suicidal." Klaus defended his doppelganger and the pitying look Elijah shot at him had his fangs itching to rip.

"Klaus, Eileen was depressed. She was good at hiding it but you cannot be unaware of how mentally unhealthy she was."

"She didn't handle her sister's coma very well but-"

"Klaus, she was counting down the days to her death. She measured her life in relation to how it benefited her sister, her self-worth entirely wrapped around it."

"Diplomacy, you said?" Klaus changed the topic. He didn't particularly want to linger on the idea that Eileen had used to him to commit assisted suicide.

Elijah quirked an eyebrow but acquiesced to the change in subject. "Becoming a hybrid means not being controlled by the moon, it is the equivalent of giving a vampire a daylight ring. Use diplomacy to sell the benefits of being a hybrid to them and you will have packs of willing werewolves who will search you out themselves once the word gets around."

"And if it fails?"

"If it fails you have your witches locate them. We know from the Lockwood boys that Florida's where at least a few might be found and there may yet be a few lingering loup garou near New Orleans. If finding werewolves in Mystic Falls has taught us anything it is that the werewolves don't move too far from their territory, they simply go underground. Considering that we know a lot of their hunting grounds..." Elijah opened his arms in a benevolent gesture and Klaus despite being not very fond of the idea still felt the tiniest hint of happiness at having his oldest companion back at his side.

Still...diplomacy.

Eurgh.

10