AN: I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter. I hope you like this one just as much! Please review, thanks! So sorry for the delay!

Guest: I'm glad you like the story so far. Unfortunately there won't be much smut in this chapter, as our favorite hybrid is elsewhere. Sorry!

Caliwaves18x: Thank you for all the reviews. I really appreciate you reviewing for each of the chapters of both stories. I'm so happy you found my story and are enjoying it. I hope you'll like this chapter just as much, as it was a word to write, lol.

Anissa: Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Ileana: I enjoyed writing the fight scene, if I'm honest, lol. Damon is super-hot and all, but he gets on my nerves. Although, I guess it's really Elena and everyone's devotion to her that gets annoying, lol.

Yuki Niwa: In the show, it always seemed to me that they just remembered what they wanted to and forgot everything else, which is why I wrote Elena that way. She has feelings for Damon, so she doesn't want to acknowledge what a douche he is; the same with her not wanting to know about Stefan's bloody past. The characters are so judgmental in the show that I just used that to my advantage, lol. I hope you like this chapter!

Adoratio: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter. I enjoyed the ass kicking too.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to TVD.

Chapter 9: Back to School

"Why is everyone up so early?" Sophia asked as she stumbled into the kitchen, which was buzzing with activity already. It was barely five in the morning and her family had clearly lost their minds, as they were all scattered around the kitchen, fully clothed and awake. What had happened to them while she was gone?

"We're headed out to do some training. You're welcome to join us if you'd like." Jenna answered, ignoring Elena, who'd tried to shake her head. Sophia arched a brow at them as she moved towards the coffee machine.

"Training?"

"Yeah. Alaric's teaching us how to kill vampires." Elena said, watching her twin with guarded eyes. After what she'd seen, she never knew which sister she was facing; if she was talking to the same girl who'd been her other half her whole life, or this new stranger that had a very short fuse.

"Hmm. That's actually a really good idea. Good thinking Mr. Saltzman. In a town like ours I'm surprised you haven't started this sooner." Sophia replied as she poured herself a cup and loaded it up with cream and sugar.

"I thought it was a good idea given our past." Alaric said, getting a small smile from the other doppelgänger as he loaded up a bag.

"Do you want to come with us? I could use the comic relief." Jeremy said, clearly still wishing to be snuggled up in bed. Sophia walked over to him and hip bumped him with a grin.

"I think I'll pass bro. Sorry. I have all the skills I need to take down a vamp." Sophia grinned when he pouted, having missed her brother something fierce.

"We better head out." Elena murmured, drawing Sophia's attention.

She hated how strained her relationship with her sister had gotten in just a few days, but it was as if Elena didn't trust her. Like Sophia was one outburst away from turning on all of them, despite how much she'd tried to reassure her family and friends. It wasn't her fault Damon had been a douche and had put not only Klaus's life in danger, but all of theirs.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be late for the first day of school." Sophia muttered before turning away. Jeremy and Jenna shared concerned looks at the twins behavior, not sure how to handle them. Miranda had always been the one to step in when the sisters were arguing, so without her they didn't really know what to do.

"We'll see you there, Soph." Jeremy said and leaned in to give her a hug, not scared of her the way Elena seemed to be. He didn't like Damon, so he didn't see the big deal in her kicking his ass. He just wished he'd been there to see it.

"Bye Jer. And don't be late." Sophia poked him playfully in the chest, making him smile before he followed Alaric and Elena out of the kitchen.

"You sure you don't want to come along?" Jenna asked, hating the tension. They'd just gotten Sophia back; she didn't want to send her running back to her new friends because they were being so distant with her.

"I'm sure. But have fun. The more you know about self-defense, the better." Sophia smiled before she put her cup in the sink and headed back upstairs. Jenna just sighed before leaving, hoping things got back to normal soon.

/*/

Instead of going back to sleep, Sophia hopped in the shower and went through her morning routine as she got ready to show her face at Mystic Falls High again. She hadn't really gotten to see much of her fellow classmates last night, what with Matt trying to kill himself and her other friends being on edge around her, Stefan, Rebekah and Tyler. It hadn't been the best of nights, to be sure. So she wanted to look amazing for her debut back into high school.

Choosing a dark-coral pink skater dress that had a black zipper up the front she'd gotten in Chicago, Sophia paired it with black peep-toe heels and black rose stud earrings. She brushed her hair up into a sleek pony tail and went with natural, subdued makeup, not wanting it to clash with the colorful dress. Over all, she thought she looked pretty good and different enough that everyone would know she wasn't Elena.

Satisfied with her outfit choice, Sophia then pulled her violin out and went about inspecting it, looking for any open seams or rusted varnish. It'd been 15 months since she'd last played it, since she'd left Mystic Falls for the first time, and everything needed to be adjusted or replaced, like her bow hairs and strings.

She had to force herself not to become a blubbering mess as she tuned the instrument, her mind unable to not think about the last time she'd played it; the night her parents died. She hadn't wanted to touch it after returning from the hospital and would have thrown it against the wall if Jenna hadn't taken it away, not wanting her to regret it later.

It was hard to accept that her mom would never help her get ready for a date or dance; that her dad would never be there to threaten a boyfriend or hold her. There wasn't ever really a way for a child to fully recover from losing their parents, no matter how long they had to mourn or how old they got. The best one could hope to accomplish was a bitter acceptance that they'd never again be there to share in your experiences, good or bad.

Sophia hadn't gotten to that acceptance stage yet, as it'd only been fifteen months, but she pushed down the agony the best she could. After everything she'd been through, she knew life was too uncertain to let yourself be consumed with anger and pain; so instead, she tried to remember how amazing her parents had been and keep herself as positive as possible.

Which was a lot harder now that she was back home, back in her family house that her dad had grown up in. When she passed Jenna's room, all she wanted to do was poke her head in to see how much it'd changed since she'd moved in; to see if there was anything she still recognized as being her parents'. But she didn't, afraid if she gave into it, she'd never be able to leave, desperate to feel close to her parents once more.

Sophia was jerked back to reality by her iPad beginning to give off a beeping noise, making the witch set her retuned instrument back in its case so she could pull the device off its charger. Clicking the iPad on, the screen was showing she had an incoming call on Skype from Klaus. Excited, Sophia settled on the end of her bed and smoothed out her dress before clicking the answer button.

"Hey. I didn't expect a call this early." Sophia smiled into the camera, heart squeezing as Klaus's face filled the screen.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. Rebekah told me how the last few days have gone; I know it couldn't have been easy for you to face all their judgments." She sighed and shrugged.

"There's not really much I can do about it, as they're gonna think what they want. It's like no matter what I say or do, they're always going to be against you, puts us at odds. I just don't get it."

"People do not tend to like or accept what they don't understand or what they feel threatens them. And I'll always be a threat to them, no matter that I haven't targeted any of them; and you'll always be a mystery that they blame me for creating. Humans are very fickle beings, switching between hate and love on the turn of a dime." Sophia's fingers traced his face as he spoke, missing him like crazy.

"I guess. It just sucks that I'm expected to just agree with them about everything because they're the "good guys" and you're the "bad guy". I thought it'd be like I'd never left, you know; like my relationships with everyone would still be the same. But they're not; everything is strained and they seem afraid of me and uncertain around me, which hurts my feelings. I mean, they're my family and friends, but only Jenna and Jeremy seem to trust me unconditionally." Sophia pouted, hating how everyone'd been acting around her.

"It'll take time, darling. You're not the same girl that they used to know, and they're not the same either. You've all been through a lot and it's changed you; that's just a part of life, Sophia. I'm sure they'll settle down eventually." Klaus tried to reassure.

"Not if they're still trying to get Mikael to wake up. I just don't understand why they're so hell bent on killing you, despite you leaving them alone. I don't know if we'll ever get back on the same page." Sophia sighed, clamping down on her inner frustration, not wanting to get in a bad mood already.

"Everything'll work out, sweetheart, I'm sure of it. You'd better get going if you don't want to be late."

"When are you coming home?" She hated how whiney her voice sounded even to her, but she missed him, okay. She hadn't been apart from him for more than a day in months, so it was strange and a little unsettling that he wasn't here. Not that she was needy or anything. Cause she so wasn't that type of girl. Really.

"As soon as I have enough hybrids to effectively keep Mikael occupied while I stick his dagger through his heart."

"You're sure he still has the dagger after all this time?"

"Oh, he wouldn't have let it out of his sight. Not when it's the only way to kill me." Klaus replied with a disinterested shrug.

Sophia knew he'd always feared his father, but she also remembered how he'd grown tired of the constant threat of Mikael and had just wanted to get the confrontation over with. All she could hope for was that it came sooner rather than later, as she'd really like to have her boyfriend back.

"Then we should so kill him and be done with it. He won't know what's in store for him now that I'm involved. And I'd love to make him suffer before he dies for all the things he's done to you." She said, her anger that never fully dissipated since she'd entered his mind resurfacing.

"I'd enjoy that, sweetheart. I'll see you soon." Sophia bit her lip before nodding, resisting the urge to pout.

"You better. I love you." She said quietly, still so unused to actually saying the words, despite their summer together. What she felt for him was…all-consuming and every time she fully acknowledged it, it felt like the first time all over again. Which could seriously wig someone out, considering she'd been about to die and all the first time around.

"I love you too, darling." Smiling, Sophia blew him a kiss before clicking her tablet off.

Staring at the black screen for a moment, she had to take a deep breath to get herself back in the 'first day of school' mentality and push her longing for Klaus to the back of her mind. It was a little annoying just how much she missed him after only a couple of days, but she guessed that was just the price to be paid for finding a love as deep as theirs. Truthfully, she couldn't think of a prolonged separation without getting overly emotional and girlie, which is why she just tried to ignore it as much as possible.

Getting up, Sophia slid her tablet into its protective case and then into her messenger bag before sliding it over her shoulder and grabbing her violin case. Checking herself in the mirror, Sophia made sure she looked good before slipping into her heels and grabbing her phone and headed downstairs.

"Well don't you look nice." Jenna said with a smile. The group must have returned while she was on Skype, as she hadn't heard them come in.

"Thanks. It's hard looking this good, but it's my cross to bear." Sophia replied with a smirk, making her aunt laugh.

"The others went upstairs to grab a shower if you wanted to wait for them."

"Oh, I was actually going to head out. It's Rebekah's first day of high school, so I want to make sure it goes well. Can't have an emotional Original wondering around if it goes bad, as that's suck for everyone." Sophia said before laughing at her pun, which Jenna just rolled her eyes at.

"Well have a great day and try to keep your new friend from hurting anyone. We've had enough death around here already."

"Aye aye captain." Sophia saluted, getting a bemused look before Jenna headed towards the kitchen. Shrugging, Sophia grabbed the key Jenna had had made and headed out, dialing up Caroline.

"Hey girlie, are we gonna do the first day coffee run?" Sophia asked as she started walking down the street.

"Oh…uh no, I'm at Bonnie's. You'll have to go without me." Frowning, Sophia once more felt the distance that had developed between her and Caroline, which had only been widened by Tyler's transformation.

"Oh, um, okay. See you at school."

The witch ended the call, starting to get angry over her supposedly 'best friend' treating her like she was the enemy. When had everyone in Mystic Falls become so judgmental and narrow minded? Shouldn't learning about the supernatural open one's mind, not close it off? It just didn't make any sense at all. Jeez.

"Sophia!" Looking up, she was surprised to see Rebekah pulling up to the sidewalk behind the wheel of a very sleek silver BMW convertible.

"Who'd you have to compel to get that?" The witch asked with a laugh as she made her way over.

"Not so much compelling as a large sum of money." The Original retorted with a smile.

"And the driver's license?" Sophia questioned, earning a coy shrug as reply.

"I haven't hit anyone yet, so you should be proud. Are you gonna get in or what?" Rolling her eyes and chuckling, Sophia opened the passenger door and slid in, impressed with Rebekah's taste in vehicles.

"We should stop by Tyler's and make sure he's fed this morning so he doesn't get hungry."

"Sure. Although not letting him drink from the vein is just mean, Sophia." Rebekah said as she pulled away from the curb and headed towards the Lockwood mansion.

"If I can keep Tyler from killing anyone, than that's what I'm gonna do. We'll work on his self-control later, after things have settled down. Although, I don't know if hybrids are as blood thirsty as vampires, so I'm not really sure how much of an issue it's really gonna be. I hope he's not like Stefan, at any rate."

"How is Stefan? He didn't look very good last night." Sighing, Sophia looked out to the passing scenery.

"I think he's gorging right now. I don't' really know how to handle a blood addict, so we're gonna play it by ear I guess. I think some brain aneurysms and other various forms of bodily pain should help us get him to learn control. I just know making him go cold-turkey the way Elena wants is just gonna make things worse." Sophia shrugged, not really sure how to go about helping her friend.

They'd promised to keep each other in check and she planned to do just that; but in the long run, he had to learn self-control if he didn't want to become a ripper again. Hopefully the road they were headed down wouldn't be strewn with bodies, as Sophia didn't think she could be okay with that, like ever.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. I actually like the old Stefan better. He was a lot more fun." Rebekah said, still upset the man she'd loved wasn't hers anymore.

"Maybe, but he hates himself once he gets sober, and I don't want him like that. Stefan's my friend and I want to help him, just like I'm helping you to finally become your own person. Friends help each other." Sophia said as they pulled up to the mansion.

"I think it's more a Sophia Gilbert characteristic than a general rule." Rebekah replied.

"Nah, you just haven't had any real friends. And we both know how…destructive your family can be, so they don't count." The Original looked offended for a moment before she gave a sheepish shrug and got out.

"Yes, I wouldn't use my family's relationships as a great example of family or friendship."

"Hopefully that's changing now. And besides, you have me now, so things are looking up." The two shared a smile and laugh as Sophia rang the doorbell. They only had to wait for a moment before the large door was being pulled open to reveal a freshly showered hybrid.

"W-what are you guys doing here?" Tyler asked in confusion, eyes darting from witch to vampire.

"I wanted to make sure you'd had a blood bag this morning before heading to school. You gotta keep your hunger in check as I don't want you snacking on the locals." Sophia answered seriously before smiling.

"Uh, I wasn't really hungry." Tyler replied with a shrug.

"You should still eat, Ty. Just to be safe."

"Sure." He nodded in agreement, knowing it was better to just do what Sophia wanted instead of fighting. And after he'd seen the hell she could unleash, he didn't want any of that anger pointed in his direction.

"Great. See you at school."

"We can wait for you, if you'd like." Rebekah said, eyes skimming down his body and back up, lips twisting in a flirty smile. Sophia rolled her eyes but didn't say anything, too irritated with Caroline to bother with dissuading Rebekah. Besides, she didn't actually think Tyler would go for her new friend, no matter how pretty she was.

"Uh, sure. I was supposed to ride with Care, but she's not answering her phone." Tyler shrugged before stepping back from the door.

"She's mad at us still. She didn't even come get me for our first day back coffee run." Sophia said with a pout as she stepped into the house.

"Really? But you guys always do that."

"Yeah, well I guess not anymore. You gotta invite Rebekah in Ty." The hybrid turned to see the blonde still on the threshold and blushed.

"Sorry. Come in. I'm gonna go get a blood bag. Do you want one?" He asked, glancing between the girls.

"No, I don't drink human blood." Sophia replied before moving into the casual living room.

"I'd love one, thank you." Rebekah said and watched him walk away before following her friend.

"He's very handsome."

"And taken, Beks. And he can be a real douche sometimes. Don't worry, we'll find you a boyfriend of you own." The blonde sighed as she sat down next to Sophia.

"Everyone in this damn town is taken."

"I'm sure we'll be able to find some to keep your interest." Sophia laughed and shook her head.

"If you say so. So did you ever find my necklace?"

"Oh…I forgot to tell you. Katherine stole it and I don't know if she still has it or what. Sorry."

"I hate that conniving little bitch. Why hasn't someone killed her yet?"

"I dunno. I don't think the world would miss her. Maybe that should be a goal of ours, to rid the world of Katarina Petrova once and for all. Especially if she manages to wake Mikael." The two sighed.

"Sounds like a plan. I hate not knowing when he's going to show up."

"Hey, we'll handle him just fine, Beks. He doesn't know what he's getting himself into." Sophia squeezed Rebekah's hand reassuringly. Before the blonde could respond, Tyler came back into the room with two blood bags and handed one to her before sipping at his own.

Sophia flicked the TV on to watch something while they fed, ready to get this day over with already as it was turning out to be a lot longer than she'd originally anticipated.

/*/

The parking lot was already filling up when they arrived, the students gathered around, more concerned with chatting then getting to class early. Rebekah parked, narrowly missing the car to the right.

"How'd you get your license?" Tyler asked as he had to hope up and out of the car, since there wasn't enough room to open the car door. Rebekah just shrugged and stepped from the vehicle regally, not a hair out of place.

"I'm very persuasive." Sophia snorted as she copied Tyler, almost getting her foot stuck and falling if Tyler had reached out to steady her.

"By persuasive she means she had to compel the DMV people because there's no way they'd pass her without it." The blonde stuck her tongue out as she grabbed her purse from the back, tossing Tyler his backpack before gently handing Sophia her violin case and bag, knowing better than to toss them.

"Do hybrids have that ability? To compel people?" Tyler questioned as they started towards the front lawn, where the students were gathered.

"They should, being part vampire and all. Klaus is the only hybrid I've seen in action, so I'm not really sure about the particulars." Sophia replied with an apologetic shrug, eyes scanning the faces for her friends.

"Awesome. I'll see you guys later." The hybrid waved before jogging away, having spotted Matt's truck.

"We need to get your schedule before class starts." Sophia said as she saw her sister, Stefan, Caroline and Bonnie standing in a little circle by a picnic table. She grabbed the vampire's elbow and nodded to the group, the two making their way over.

"Hey guys." Sophia tried to sound chipper, even though she was still upset about Caroline blowing her off. Elena and Caroline exchanged a look of unease, which really just intensified the sparking embers of anger and resentment that were beginning to smolder in her chest.

"Hey Sophia, Rebekah. Ready for our last year?" Bonnie said after a moment, as it was clear the others weren't going to respond.

"I just can't wait for it to be over so I can go to New York." Sophia replied, thankful at least one of her friends was talking to her.

"I'm looking forward to it, actually. I've never been to high school before." The Original said with a smile, ignoring the other two girls completely.

"Why do you wanna go to New York?" Stefan spoke up for the first time, bringing the witch's attention to him. Yes, it was clear that he'd been indulging in numerous blood bags this morning, as he had the easy, cocky smile that usually accompanied it. Damn.

"Sophia's been planning to go to Juilliard since we were eleven." Bonnie supplied.

"Yep. And after Klaus and I toured it last spring, I really want to go. It's such an amazing place. I even got to play with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. It was…awesome." Sophia gushed, mind filling with that epic day.

"Really? You never told me that." Elena said in surprise, bringing her sister's gaze to her.

"You never asked. You were too busy making judgments on preconceived notions then on actual facts. You'd be shocked at what you'd actually find out if you bothered to take the time to simply ask rather than just assume." Sophia replied with a glare, which Elena's gaze couldn't hold for long before it lowered to the ground, shame for what they were planning beginning to eat at her.

"Well it's not like we've had much reason to think very highly of your boyfriend." Caroline retorted snidely, making Sophia's metaphorical hackles rise.

"Didn't you say we needed to get my class schedule?" Rebekah interrupted, fingers circling Sophia's arm to keep her still.

"I'll go with you. Come on." Stefan said, taking Sophia's hand and tugging her away from the group, much to Elena's displeasure. She knew Stefan was back on human blood and didn't want him out of her sight, let alone hanging out with Klaus's sister.

"I'll see you later Bonnie. We should get together and look over our grimoires." Sophia said over her shoulder, getting a smile and nod before she turned forward again.

She had to breathe through her anger and hurt, not wanting it to consume her the way it had with Damon as she didn't want to hurt anyone. It just pissed her off that they refused to just let it be. And for Caroline Forbes of all people to be so judgey was really unbelievable, as she was far from an innocent little flower. Hopefully she'd eventually be able to get along with her friends the way she used to, as she didn't think she could stay her for a full school year if this was how things were going to be.

"So how much blood have you had today?" Sophia quirked a brow at Stefan as they stepped into the front office and Rebekah went to speak to the receptionist. The vampire crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, all appearances of being calm and collected.

"A few."

"Don't make me force it out of you, Salvatore." Sophia muttered, turning so her back was to the others and Stefan could see how serious she was. And just to prove her point, she sent a little shock through the vamp's brain, making Stefan wince and her to smirk.

"How many?"

"Five." Sophia's eyes widened a little before she sighed and shook her head.

"We've gotten get a handle on this, Stefan. I know you don't want to become a ripper again, even under all the bloodlust. How are we going to do this?" Stefan shrugged, guilt beginning to seep into his heart even while he was wishing for another blood bag.

"I don't know. I've…I've never been able to not become a ripper." Sophia reached out and squeezed his arm, giving a little smile.

"We'll figure it out, I promise. I know Klaus wants you to go back to being evil, but I like you just as you are. So as long as you work with me Stefan, we should be able to teach you some control. But you have to want it, Stefan, or it won't work." Sighing, the vampire uncrossed his arms and nodded.

"I know." And he did know. He knew that if he didn't get help soon, blood bags wouldn't be enough to sate his thirst. And he really didn't need any more innocent blood on his hands.

"All done." Rebekah said, breaking the tense atmosphere between the two.

"Great. Let's get going. We have history first, what do you have?" Sophia asked as she stepped away from Stefan and linked her arm with Rebekah's.

"AP American History with Mr. Saltzman." She answered.

"Good, we're all together." Sophia smiled and jerked her head at Stefan to signal he should fall into step with them. The trio started down the hallway, Stefan leading them to the right classroom, which was already filled up with students and Alaric.

"I'm gonna sit up here with Beks, as I don't think they want me around them right now." Sophia murmured, nodding towards Elena and Caroline, who were watching them. Stefan gave her a sad nod before he went to take his usual seat next to Elena and the other two took seats in the front. Rebekah did a little girlie wave to Tyler over her shoulder, making Sophia roll her eyes and lightly pinch her arm.

"I thought we were gonna look at other guys and not Tyler or Stefan." Sophia quirked a brow, which Rebekah answered with a shoulder shrug and little smirk.

"We did. But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy making that little blonde girl jealous. Especially not after the way she's been treating you."

"You're terrible." The witch laughed and shook her head good naturedly, earning a bright smile from the Original. It was nice to finally have a girlfriend to talk with after a thousand years of only having her brothers for company.

"Welcome back, seniors. Let's turn our brains back on, starting with this country's original founders—the Native Americans." Alaric started after he finished writing on the chalk board. Let the school year begin.

/*/

"So are you on the cheerleading squad? I heard some girls talking about how it's the thing to do if you want to be popular." Rebekah said as she stood next the Sophia's locker at the end of the day.

Overall, high school was a lot more boring then she'd imagined it was. She hoped it was just the dullness of the first day and that things would pick up quickly because she really wanted to get to the good stuff, like dances and boyfriends.

"Ha, no. Elena was the one that did the whole cheerleading thing for my mom. I'm in the orchestra and you know, have to actually work to achieve the future I want." Sophia replied with a laugh as she placed her new school books in the locker and shut it.

"I'm sure I could compel you into that school you want to go to."

"No, that's okay. I want to get in on my own merits. But I think you'd be a great cheerleader, what with your vampness and stuff. Good luck; and try not to wind Caroline up too much. I'll see you at the bonfire tonight. " The witch waited until she got a half-hearted shrug before waving and headed towards the band room. Hopefully her new friend could keep out of trouble without her there to watch her.

/*/

"So this is what a teen party looks like?" Rebekah asked in a snobbish tone as the two surveyed the gathered teenagers who were in different states of intoxication, both of the alcoholic and drug kind.

"Egh, pretty much. Except this is an actual school function, so there's only two kegs and when the booze runs out everyone goes home. C'mon, let's get a drink and look for the others." Sophia grabbed the blonde's arm and started towards one of the mentioned kegs, which Stefan was situated by as he scanned the crowd.

"Hey Stefan, where is everyone?" The witch questioned as she picked up a red plastic cup for herself and handed one to Rebekah.

"I don't know. Elena said to just meet her here, but I haven't seen her." Stefan shrugged and picked up the nozzle the squirt beer into both their cups.

"Weird, she was gone by the time I left. You're welcome to hang with us if you want." She smiled as she took a drink, face scrunching up at the taste. She was definitely more a whiskey girl.

"I—"

"There you are, I've been looking for you." Elena joined them, grabbing her own cup for a drink. Sophia watched her, sensing that something was off with her twin. Even though she was being a total butt about the whole Klaus thing, she was still her sister and Sophia could just tell that something wasn't quite right.

"Here I am." Stefan answered, not sounding very excited and making Rebekah have to cover up a chuckle with her hand as Sophia elbowed her in the side.

"You don't mind if I steal him away, do you Soph?" Elena questioned, arm sliding around Stefan's waist as she finished off her cup.

"Uh, nope. He's all yours."

"Great." Stefan gave a small wave as he was dragged away, also thinking something was up with his girlfriend. She was just acting strange overall.

"Your sister is very much like Katarina was, playing both brothers the way she tried to do with Nik and Elijah." Rebekah commented as the two made their way towards a fire.

"I don't think she's doing it on purpose, because that just doesn't sound like the Elena I know. But she definitely has a thing for both of them, which just isn't fair to either brother." Sophia sighed as she sat down on the overturned log, reaching out for a stick to stick a marshmallow on.

"I think she's more aware than she lets on." The blonde replied as she joined her friend, watching as she stuck the white thing in the flames, where it quickly caught alight and Sophia pulled back to blow off.

"Maybe. I dunno. A lot's changed since I left last spring. No one's really the same anymore." Sophia commented as she sandwiched the gooey marshmallow between a gram cracker and piece of chocolate before offering it to the vampire.

"What is it?" Rebekah questioned as she took the offering, examining it closely and earning a laugh from the witch.

"It's a smore. Just eat it, it's delicious, I promise." Sophia started on another marshmallow, smiling when the vampire finally took a bite and gave a pleased sound.

"This is very good." The blonde conceded.

"Told you. They're the best part of camping. My dad, Jeremy and I used to get into contests to see who could eat the most when we'd go to the lake house. My dad always won."

"You don't talk about them much, you parents." Rebekah said quietly as she wiped her hands, watching as Sophia seemed to slump a little.

"Yeah, it uh, it's still hard."

"I'm sorry." Sophia gave a little smile at Rebekah's sincere words, reaching over to squeeze her knee.

"It's alright. It'll get easier with time, I'm sure. For now, let's just enjoy some more smores."

The two fell into a light conversation, chatting about the surrounding students, Sophia filling Rebekah in on little secrets about each one that living in a small town provided. The vampire wanted to know more about the late Gilberts, but didn't want to push her friend when she clearly wasn't ready, so she just went along with the change in topic, pointing to potential boyfriends and getting either positive or negatives from the witch.

Sophia's stomach was beginning to cramp from the sugar when she felt the air shift and the hair on her arms stood on end. Glancing around, she tried to sense what had caused the change, but there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong?" Rebekah questioned, having seen the change come over the brunette.

"Something's not right. I can't explain it, but…something's going on." Sophia answered as she stood, smores forgotten as she expanded her magic, trying to locate what was spooking her. There was a vibration in the air that was coming from the parking lot, which Sophia was quick to zoom towards, her friend hot on her heels.

The sight of Alaric banging on his car door while the car went up in flames greeted the two. Her new hearing picked up the frightened voice of her sister from within the vehicle, sending Sophia's heart racing as she realized her twin was in a burning car.

"Elena!" Sophia shouted and dove for the car, trying to extinguish the flames. But there was a force fighting her, magic to magic; the flames leapt higher and Alaric had to move back away so he didn't get burned.

"Sophia!" Elena banged on the window in horror as flames started spread up Sophia's legs, making the witch let out a startled scream of pain.

"Move!" Rebekah tore Sophia away and into Alaric's arms, who quickly tried to extinguish the flames. The Original tore the passenger door off and reached for Elena, easy lifting her away from the car and the fire.

"Wait! Stefan's inside." Rolling her eyes, the blonde moved around the car to the back, tearing the trunk door off as well and pulling Stefan's drugged body from the car.

"Get back before it blows!" Alaric called, Sophia wrapped in his arms and he quickly moved away from the sight, Elena on his heels. The group had just made it to side of the school building when the fire reached the gas tank and the car blew up, flying into the air before crashing back down to the ground.

"Sophia are you alright?" Elena asked, eyes wide as Alaric set her sister down on the ground, her bare legs a molten horrific sight. She was some type of hybrid, so she should heal, right?

"I…I don't know." Sophia's voice was strained with pain as she tried to assess just how she was. Her legs hurt a lot, but it wasn't as intense as she thought it should be.

"What in the bloody hell was that? And what've you done to Stefan?" Rebekah demanded as she sat down next to Sophia, worried for the witch as it didn't look like her legs were healing.

"I don't know. The doors wouldn't open and the glass wouldn't break." Elena shrugged, avoiding the Stefan question as she glanced at the vampire, who was slowly sitting up.

"There was magic being used, I could feel it. It was fighting me and was powerful." Sophia supplied as she examined her legs, wondering if it was her magic or the new hybrid side of her that was preventing her from feeling the burns.

"You vervained me!" Stefan exclaimed once he'd gotten his motor controls back. Elena winced a little at the anger in his voice, eyes meeting Alaric's before she turned to her boyfriend.

"We wanted to get you locked away so we could get you off human blood." She said defiantly before focusing back on her sister.

"We should get Sophia to the hospital." Alaric murmured, not wanting a fight to break out as the vampires seemed to be getting worked up.

"No. Some blood should heal it, right?" She quirked a brow at Rebekah, who shrugged.

"I guess so." The blonde shrugged before offering her wrist.

"Uh, we should really take this back to the house. The explosion would have gotten people's attention so you should all go while I handle the police." Alaric said, nodding towards the people that were beginning to show up to the scene.

"He's right, we should get out of here." Elena said as Rebekah picked her friend up and Stefan stumbled to his feet.

"I have my car." The blonde said and headed to another section of the parking lot, the other two falling into step behind her. The atmosphere was beyond tense and the ride to the Gilbert house wasn't any better, especially when Sophia invited Rebekah inside. But Sophia was the most important thing right now, so they'd worry about the fact that an Original vampire had access to the house later.

AN: Okay, I know it wasn't great, but I absolutely hated this episode. I mean, like HATED this episode. It was a word to write and I'm sorry if it turned out crappy. And I hate that my boo wasn't in it much. That always makes for a bad chapter, lol. Let me know what you thought, good or bad. Thanks!