A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Okay, so I did not do the backdoor pilot in this story, but I may revisit it in the sequel, but it's a soft maybe. I know it's probably going to start up from the second episode and go on from there.

Did you guys notice today is the official one year anniversary of this story? I can't believe it's come this far! In celebration I'm posting two chapters today, and then the last chapter is going to be tomorrow along with the epilogue. Maybe, if I have time, I'll post the last three today and the epilogue tomorrow. Anyways let's get on with the chapter.

Poison & Wine - LX

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"Andy... I know I'm your least favorite person right now... But I'm standing in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art, culture, and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me... I'm sorry if I let you down with what I did, but I thought you out of anyone would understand why I did what I did. I love you, Andy. Don't forget that."

I played the message back another time before sitting my phone down and putting my head in my hands. It had been a week and a half. A week and a half without seeing any of the Mikaelsons besides Rebekah, and that sucked.

Apparently after I left from the mansion, Klaus had left town for good without even trying to say goodbye or patch things up. Elijah followed him right out of town. I felt like I was going crazy without them both here... I needed them a lot more than I had ever actually known.

The thing that made me furious was that two days after Klaus had left, he left me this damned message. Now all I could do was listen to it and debate going after them, but I knew if Elijah had gone to New Orleans with Klaus then he probably wouldn't want me there, despite Rebekah reassurance Elijah wasn't mad at me. I believe her exact words were, "He was just hurt and he needed a couple of days to come to terms... But he's not angry with you whatsoever. He respects your decision, though he doesn't quite understand it." Well, he didn't say goodbye to me, so he obviously doesn't want to deal with me. I didn't blame him.

I grabbed my phone and climbed out of the car, heading towards the Salvatore Boarding house. Caroline had asked me to be here for her moral support rather than Elena's, because we all knew I didn't give a damn about my sister.

Stefan and Damon had made it their mission to torture Elena until she turned her humanity on, something I was definitely up for but they said I wouldn't be allowed in the room.

When I got to the porch, Caroline and Matt were already waiting there. "Finally!" Caroline exclaimed. "I thought you'd ran off!"

"To where? New Orleans?" I asked in a slightly bitter tone.

Caroline sighed. "You know, you don't have to live at Klaus' old home. My mom said our door is open anytime,"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm happy where I am,"

"Happy? You're all by yourself up there! That's hardly fairy tale material,"

"My life is hardly fairy tale material, Caroline," I folded my arms and leaned against a pillar. "Besides, if I'm there, I can pretend that all the Mikaelsons are alive - excluding Esther and Mikael - and are still in town."

"Do you mean excluding Finn as well?" Matt asked.

I shook my head and looked over at him. "No, he wasn't really that bad. Plus, he didn't want to die after reuniting with Sage. I think he would've been one to grow on me... eventually."

Caroline shook her head at me. "You are absolutely crazy, Andy! You let the Originals make you believe that they're good people,"

"Yeah, well, I believe you're describing your gang of people, too," I snapped. "You killed twelve witches to save Bonnie, Caroline. How on Earth is that good?"

"Klaus slaughtered your aunt, Tyler's mom and millions of other people! He's way worse than us!"

"At least he admits it!"

"Okay, guys, we should calm down," Matt stepped in between us. "We're here for moral support, aren't we? So let's play nice and not talk about the Originals."

Caroline sighed. "Matt's right... But we do need to keep talking. If we don't keep talking, then I won't be able to stop myself from listening in, and I can't stand to hear Elena in pain."

We moved to a patio area; Caroline sat in a chair and Matt leaned against a half wall. I sat across from Caroline and pulled my phone out, wanting to listen to Klaus' message again. "Well, what do you wanna talk about?" Matt asked her.

"I don't know. Anything," Caroline pauses. "I ordered you both a cap and gown."

Matt and I both looked at her, surprised. "You did?" He asked.

Caroline nodded slowly. "I just figured that you'd forget, so I ordered yours when I ordered mine. And I got one for Elena, too." She seemed so hopeless as she said it, which I believed it was hopeless to get Elena back. Even if we did, I wouldn't want to talk to her let alone see her.

Matt started to move closer to Caroline to sat in another chair. "It's gonna work. We're gonna get Elena back," He tried reassuring her.

We heard a door open across the way, and saw Rebekah inside through some glass doors. "What the hell is she doing here?" Caroline demanded.

When we entered, Rebekah was withdrawing a takeout box from a brown paper bag. Rebekah looked over at us. "Hi. I don't mean to interfere. It's just, I happen to know all they keep in this house is blood and booze, so I brought a peace offering. Burgers?"

Matt approached her and took the box, smiling slightly. "Thanks,"

Caroline folded her arms and scowled. "Yeah, we can't really entertain right now, but thanks for stopping by,"

"She can stay, it's not your house, Care," I pointed out.

"It's not yours either,"

"It's more mine than yours... My sister's the owner, remember?"

Rebekah glanced over at me. "I think I might stay. Matt mentioned that he was failing classes and needed a study buddy,"

Caroline and I both looked at Matt in shock this time. "You're failing? Wh-why didn't you ask me to help you study?" Caroline asked him.

"Well, I didn't exactly ask her," Matt admitted.

"Well, what classes are you failing?" I asked.

Matt exhaled. "I'm not failing, I'm just... really, really behind in history... and Italian, and math... "

Caroline and I both said simultaneously: "Matt!"

"This year's been a little distracting," He said in a small voice.

"We could all help. All hands on deck - that's the motto around here, right?" Rebekah smiled warmly at Caroline and I.

Caroline scoffed. "We don't have a motto," Then she turned to Matt. "Look, if you need to study, we're gonna study. I'm gonna go home and I'm gonna get my flash cards, and my study guides, and some energy bars. This is gonna be good."

Caroline gave them two thumbs up and started to leave. "I'm gonna go with her so I know she's not going to do anything to endanger you, Bekah... Don't worry, Matty, I won't hurt her." I said before I followed after her.

As soon as I got outside Caroline was halfway to her car. "Wait, I'm coming with you!" I called to her as I closed the door, I quickly started to run after her bug she seemed to frozen, staring into the woods. "Caroline?"

She held up her finger to me. "Who's there?" She turned around to face me and her eyes widened at something that was behind me. "Oh, my god." She whispered.

I swung around to smack whoever was behind me, but the person caught my wrist. I stared in shock up at the person.

"Hello, Andy,"

"K-Klaus?" I asked in shock, my body relaxing. I pulled my arm away from him and took a couple steps back. "What... Why are you here? I thought you were in New Orleans."

He smiled at me. "I came back for you, love," He reached out and pushed a strain of hair out of my face. "Will you take a walk with me?"

I looked back at Caroline and she looked uneasily at him. "Andy, we should go get those cards for Matt,"

"You go on, I'll meet you at your house in a few minutes, okay?" I looked back at Klaus, holding back my anger.

"O-Okay," Caroline sighed before climbing in her car and driving off.

I started walking off the porch and started walking towards the words. "Everyone said that you were gone for good... I thought you were gone for good when I got that bloody voicemail,"

"Bloody? I think you've been around my family too much," He commented and I chuckled for a moment becoming serious. "But its true, I did leave here for good... I just never meant to go without saying goodbye."

I looked over at him with sad eyes, studying his face for a moment. "You don't owe me an explanation. You're moving on - by all means, go. You can probably even find that wolf Hayley again,"

Klaus stopped and turned me towards him. We were now deeper into the woods, the Salvatore Boarding house in the distance. "Well, that's just it, isn't it? I never had any intention of moving on. The truth is, I've tried to stop thinking about you, and I can't," Klaus said.

I swallowed and stared into his eyes for a moment. My stomach filled with butterflies and all I wanted was to hug him right now. Klaus took a step closer and cupped my face in his hands. "Come to New Orleans. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of you doing some stupid shit to mess it up!" I said as I yanked his hands off of me. "You took Rebekah's shot of happiness away because you didn't want an eternity of torture from Silas, the all great and powerful!"

"Well, you are the one who gave me that sentence,"

"I was trying to protect you! Damn you for thinking anything else!" I pushed him and started back towards the house.

"How many times have you listened to my message, Andy? You are really in love with me, aren't you?" I stopped and swallowed. "No wonder Elijah hates you... What did he say, 'I saw your expression, I saw how hurt you were. I knew it was always going to be him... It always was him, wasn't it?'"

I slowly turned and looked at him. "How do you know what Elijah said to me?" The only way he would have known that if he had listened, which meant he had known I loved him before I even went to the his mansion that night.

Klaus suddenly pinned me against a tree, his hand around my throat. "Then again, there's so much to be afraid of, isn't there? Like what I'll do to you if your friend Bonnie doesn't come out of hiding. Where is she?"

I stared at him in confusion. "Klaus! You're hurting me!" I choked out.

"I'm not Klaus,"

I stared into his blue eyes and I could see it wasn't him... I don't know how I didn't see it before, but those eyes didn't hold the warmth they usually did when we spoke. "Silas?" I squealed out.

He suddenly started shouting at me. "Where is she?! She's not at home, she's not anywhere. Bonnie is playing games with me, and I don't like it," He leaned in close to speak into my ear. "Tell her I'm looking for her. Tell her to come out of the shadows. Tell her that this-" He held up a stake before stabbing me in the chest with it. "-is only the beginning."

I gasped in pain, feeling my world go dark as I fell to the ground.

When my eyes opened again, I honestly thought I was dead and in wherever you go after death. My phone was on the ground buzzing with Matt's call. I put my hand over my chest, but everything was perfectly okay... I realized Silas had played with my mind like he did to Klaus with the white oak stake.

I reached over to pick up my phone but Matt's call stopped. I didn't bother to even try to call him back. I just stood and started to frantically run through the woods. I didn't know if Silas was out here or not.

Suddenly Matt appeared out of nowhere and stopped me, causing a gasp of fright to escape me. "Caroline! Where've you been?" He asked.

I struggled against his grasp. "Get off of me! Leave me alone!"

"No, Andy, wait. It's okay,"

"No, it's not okay!" I screamed and shoved him away from me. "Leave me alone, Silas!" I started running again.

Silas yelled from behind me, "Now me Bonnie or I'm going to kill someone. Maybe I'll start with Caroline's mother!" But it was Matt's voice... God, this was so confusing.

I ran up the stairs to a door into the boarding house but I ended up running smack into Mikael/Silas. "No one in the house can help you. Find Bonnie or I'll kill the person your friend Caroline loves the most,"

Mikael/Silas tossed me down the stairs and I fell down, screaming. I got up and ran to my car. I climbed in and started it up in two seconds.

Suddenly Silas appeared in this monstrous form right outside my car door's window and I couldn't help but scream. Throwing the car into drive, I sped out of the driveway with tears rushing out of my eyes. This was as scared as I had ever been... I felt like I was actually going to die, especially without my Mikaelsons.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Caroline's number. It rang for a moment and she picked up. "Andy? Where have you―?"

"Silas is going to kill your mom, Caroline! Get over to your house now, I'll meet you there!" I practically shouted into the phone before hanging up. I quickly dialed Bonnie's number, but of course she didn't answer her phone.

"Bonnie, Silas is going to kill Caroline's mom unless you go to him! Bonnie, please, I'm scared to death right now! Call me back!" I hung up my phone and threw it down in the passenger seat.

I honestly hadn't realized how much I depended on Klaus and Elijah to protect me until now. I honestly had not ever thought I'd be in fear of dying again... Until now.

Once I got to Caroline's house, she got there at the same moment. I regarded her warily until I called her phone to make sure it was her. As we moved to go inside, I tried Bonnie again with no luck. We entered the house as I hung up the message. Just as I did, Caroline's mother stepped into the hall. "Caroline, what's going on?"

"That could be Silas, Caroline," I whispered.

"Mom, don't come any closer. Stop," Caroline took a step back and held up her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"We don't know how to tell if it's really you. What if this is another trick? He can get in my head, and he would've known that Caroline called you... " I clenched my fists and prepared myself to have to defend myself from him.

"Okay, Caroline... it's me, it's your mother. I don't know what's happening, but everything's gonna be okay, all right? You just need to talk to me,"

Caroline said nothing but pulled out her phone and dialed a number. It starts ringing, and a moment later the phone on the Sheriff's belt started ringing. The Sheriff answered it, "Hi, how's it going?"

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her mom, but something didn't feel right. I started backing up slowly as the Sheriff looked at me over Caroline's shoulder. "Caroline... " My voice broke as my back hit the front door. I could see that same look that was in Klaus' eyes earlier. "That's not your mom."

Caroline turned to look at me. "What are you talking about, Andy? The phone worked,"

"Think about it, Care... He can get into our head," I whispered. "He could make us believe we're seeing it when we're not."

"You're being ridiculous," Caroline scoffed. "You're still mad at me for earlier, aren't you?"

"Caroline, now is not the time to think about that,"

"Besides, if that's true, how do I know you're not Silas?"

Right then someone rattled the front door handle, startling them both. I jumped back from it and turned around to see Bonnie. She shouted through the door, "Andy! Caroline!"

"There you are," I exhaled in relief and went to open the door, but Caroline rushed to my side and caught my wrist.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked. "Are you all right?"

"I've been calling you for hours," I said.

"I'm sorry. I came as soon as I got the message," She continued to rattle the door handle. "Caroline, let me in. Let me help."

"How do I know it's you? Silas keeps getting in our heads, attacking her. He says he wants to know where you are, he threatened my mother," Caroline started getting choked up.

"Caroline?" The Sheriff questioned from behind us.

"Mom, just stay there," Caroline ordered.

Bonnie's expression contorted as she looked behind us, confirming to me that she was seeing Silas behind us. She started rattling the handle more urgently. "Caroline, that is not your mother!" I turned to see the Sheriff.

"What's going on?" The Sheriff asked. I turned to Caroline and shoved her away before unlocking the door to allow Bonnie in. When I looked back again, I saw a hooded figure rather than the Sheriff.

"Oh, my god," I gasped out. Caroline stared on in shock from my side.

"Did you really think you could hide from me, Bonnie?" Silas asked in a creepy voice.

Bonnie clenched her fists. "I'm here now. What did you do to her mother?"

"She's right in the living room," Caroline's eyes widened and she ran from the hall.

"Mom? Mom!" I heard Caroline cry out.

"I thought you and I were on the same side," Silas said in his creepy voice.

"The full moon isn't for two more days. I've been gathering my strength, preparing myself,"

"You're the only one who can do the spell, so I can't hurt you, but I can hurt the people you love. You do understand that, right?" Right at that moment Silas moved towards me and grabbed my arm.

"I understand. I will do your spell, I will drop the veil, and I will help you die, I promise. Just don't hurt my friends,"

"Oh, god. Please. Please, please, please... Mom," I heard Caroline crying in the living room over and over.

"Your promise is binding, Bonnie. If you break it, you have to answer to me. And so will all your friends,"

"I won't break it,"

"Then you should leave this house right now. And the next time I come looking for you, I expect you to be waiting," Silas said before looking down at me. "Those are a good pair of eyes you have there, Andy." He said before Bonnie and him started to leave the house. I stood there frozen in fear for a long moment before hearing Caroline's cries from the living room broke me from it.

When I got into the living room, Caroline was unpacking supplies from her mother's emergency medical kit. She pulled out a syringe. "Okay, this'll work,"

"Caroline," I murmured, my eyes on her mother's body... I was afraid it was too late.

Caroline jabbed the needle into her own neck, drew her blood into it, then plunged it into her mom's chest, straight into her heart. "Mom? Mom? Open your eyes. Come on, wake up! You have to wake up! You have to see me graduate!" She checked her pulse. "I swear we could just - I swear I'll get you out of this town, and find you a nice man, and... " She sobbed over her mom's hand. I went to go comfort her, but suddenly her mom opened her eyes and started coughing. "Mom! Are you okay?"

She pulled her up into a sitting position, then laughed with relief tinged with hysteria. They embraced and I sunk to the ground, my heart pounding in my chest.

I felt light-headed from my encounter with Silas and I honestly just wanted to go crawl into a hole. This was way too much at a time.

My phone rang then, and I answered it with shaky hands. "H-Hello?"

"Andy?" It was Stefan. "Elena has her humanity back."

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The End of Chapter LX