A few days later, Anna and Lexi were in Elena's room. She was still asleep. "Damon, this is not a good idea." Lexi said.
"I thought you had my brother's back." He thought.
"I do, but breaking into her bedroom while she's asleep?" Lexi whispered harshly.
"I'm with her on this one." Anna added. Elena began to stir. She woke up and found herself on top of Damon.
"Rise and shine, sleepy head." Suddenly, Elena pushed him back and moved away from him.
"What are you doing?! Get out!"
"I told you sneaking into her room was a bad idea." Lexi said. Elena nearly fell out of her bed, startled that the ghosts were there.
"How long have you been here?" She asked them.
"I came to make sure Damon wasn't going to do anything stupid." Anna said. "I called Lexi for back-up." Elena looked at her alarm clock.
"6:00 A.M. seriously? Do you really have nothing better to do at 6:00 A.M.?" She asked him.
"Fine, don't come with me to bring Stefan home. See ya." Damon was getting up.
"Wait. Wait, wait, wait. What?" Elena said.
"He found Stefan." Anna said.
"Where is he?" Elena asked.
"Windy city." He turned to Lexi. "Right?"
"I'm not allowed to say, remember?" Lexi pointed out. "All I can do is mediate between you two and Stefan."
"He's in Chicago? Well, how do you know?" Elena asked.
"It came to me in a dream. I was naked. You would have loved it." Elena rolled her eyes.
"A little bird told him." Anna said.
"Start packing." Damon said.
"Is he okay?" Elena asked.
"Well, let's just say he's not there to meet Oprah." Damon said.
"He seemed okay when I left." Lexi said. "Then again, he also seemed a little confused."
"Didn't he black out last time he was out there?" Damon asked her.
"What do you mean, black out?" Elena asked.
"I mean, the parts of his trip to Chicago that he does remember are a little fuzzy." Lexi said. "When I found him in the twenties, it was like he practically had amnesia." As Elena started getting ready for the trip, Lexi pulled Anna aside.
"Anna, I need you to keep an eye on them. I wish I could help them more, but…"
"You have a duty to the person you're protecting." Anna said. "I get it, Lexi. It's happened with me and Jeremy before. Go help Stefan. I'll help Elena."
"I'll see you soon." Lexi said, fading.
Anna was sitting in the backseat of Damon's car. "I sure Hope we find him, 'cause it would suck if the last memento of Stefan was that crappy old necklace." Damon said.
"It's an antique, Damon. Like you." Elena said. He pulled a diary from the back of the car.
"Read this. Paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago." Damon told her.
"It's Stefan's diary. I'm not going to invade his private thoughts."
"You need to be prepared for what you're about to see."
"I've seen Stefan in his darkest periods. I can handle it."
"You mean like that time our houseguests kidnapped him and that incident at the Miss Mystic pageant?" Anna asked. Elena glanced back at her, surprised she remembered it. "Lexi's a better expert at this than I am, but I haven't seen much of his dark side, either. We don't know what we'll see."
Tyler was standing outside Caroline's house. It'd been two days since he'd last seen her and his mom had turned her in. He had no idea where she was. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Absolutely." Mason told him. "I'd trust her instincts if I were you." Just then, another figure shimmered next to him.
"Caroline's been taken by the enemy." Jules pointed out. "It's going to take more than a werewolf and a couple of ghosts to save her."
"I thought you hated her." Tyler said. "And you kidnapped her, once."
"That was before Mason set us straight on the situation." Jules explained. "But you can't go in there alone. Sheriff Forbes is the only other person who can help." Tyler sighed and headed up to the door. When he looked back, the ghosts were gone. He knocked on the door.
Meanwhile, Damon had led Elena and Anna to an apartment in Chicago. "Stefan could live anywhere in Chicago and he chose this?" Elena asked. To Anna, the place looked like a dump from when she visited London in the 40s.
"There used to be an all-girls high school around the corner, but it shut down for attendance issues." Damon told them.
"I thought they shut it down due to too many ghost stories." Anna said.
"If you're trying to scare me into giving up and going back, it's not going to work." Elena said.
"I'm not the one trying to scare you off." Anna pointed out. Damon opened the door and let them in.
"Here we are. Stefan's second personality home."
"Pretty obvious he hasn't been here."
"Whoa." Anna said, looking at the graffiti on one wall. "Clearly some humans have been breaking in."
"You sound surprised." Elena said.
"Tour's not over yet, girls." Damon opened a hidden door. They all went in. There were a lot of bottles around.
"Stefan hid his alcohol. What a monster." Elena said.
"You're not looking closely enough." Anna told her, noticing what Damon was trying to show them. Elena stepped closer and noticed a list of names on the wall. There were so many of them.
"These are all of his victims?" Elena asked.
"Still handling it?" Damon asked her.
"What were you doing in the 1920s?" Elena said.
"I was around. Chicago's a big city. Stefan was a cocky ripper douche. But I could avoid him and still indulge in a few Daisy Buchanans of my own."
"Ew." Anna said. "At least I stayed far from The World's Fair."
"You weren't in Chicago?" Elena asked, surprised.
"No, I was in Europe." Anna told her. "Mom had always wanted to go there. I travelled around there for twenty years, then came back to the US." They noticed Damon leaving.
"Where are you going?" Elena asked.
"His old stomping ground."
"I'm coming with you."
"No. You stay here and whip up an actual plan." Damon said.
"Are you crazy?" Anna asked him, snapping out of her thoughts. "What if they come up here?"
"Then you stay with her, in case they show up." He told her. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to try and find my brother."
A few hours later, Elena was reading Stefan's journal. Anna was standing next to her. Then she felt Lexi's presence from the door. Suddenly, Elena heard footsteps. She and Anna looked at each other.
Lexi entered the room ahead of Stefan. To her relief, it seemed that Anna had managed to hide Elena. She could sense that they were in the secret closet though. "What a charming little homestead." Klaus said. The guy seriously creeped Lexi out, and she was a ghost. "Do you feel that? Is anybody here?"
"It's been vacant for decades. People must break in all the time." Stefan was saying. "Why'd you bring me here?"
"Your friend, Liam Grant, the one who drank his wife's blood... I never could figure out why you wanted his name." Klaus explained. "And then you told me your little secret. It was all part of your special little ritual."
In the closet, Elena saw the name written on the wall. "Stay quiet." She heard Anna telling her. "Try not to make any sounds."
"To write it down." Stefan said, remembering his own dark memories. Lexi had her hand on his shoulders. Klaus opened the closet door.
"You believe me now?" He asked. Lexi went into the closet before Stefan. Then Elena saw her.
"How did you get here?"
"Damon." Anna told her.
"Should've known." Lexi said. Stefan entered and noticed Elena. They looked at each other for a moment. "We have to get Klaus out of here." Anna and Elena nodded. Anna knew Elena was being brave, as usual. Lexi looked at Elena.
"We'll meet you later, if we can." She told her. She glanced at Stefan. He nodded in agreement.
"Look what I found." Stefan picked up a bottle and walked out of the closet. A few minutes later, the footsteps were gone.
"You knew he was here, didn't you?" Elena asked once Anna had made sure the vampires were out of earshot.
"You know I can't tell you. All I can tell you is that I've been with Stefan most of
the summer." Lexi said. "But I will tell you that since we've been here, he's been having a really tough time."
"So, what now?" Anna asked
"Well, Klaus is trying to get a witch to help him find out what's gone wrong with the hybrids." Lexi told them. "It's more important than ever that he doesn't find you." She looked at Elena on the last part.
"I get it." Elena said. "I need a moment alone with Stefan, though. I didn't come all the way here just to give up."
"You three come up with a plan and we'll meet you if we can get away from Klaus." Lexi said.
"No problem." Anna said. "I think I have an idea, but we need to wait for Damon to get back here."
A few hours later, Elena was hiding behind a wall. "Are you sure this'll work?" Anna asked. "I'm not sure vervain will even work on a hybrid."
"I need some way to defend myself, and if not, it'll at least buy me a few seconds to run." Elena whispered to her. Just then she heard someone coming into the room. She slowly came out of hiding, but it was only Damon.
"Finally! I called you an hour ago." Anna appeared next to her.
"Make yourself presentable. I know where Stefan's going to be tonight." Damon said, handing her a bag.
"I told you that I was practically discovered by Klaus and you're worried about what I'm wearing?" Elena asked.
"I had an hour to realize what a bad idea it was to leave you here alone, process it, and move on. Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Elena, you're shaking." Anna pointed out.
"Lexi was with them. She said she could help, but we need to buy some time." Elena said.
"I'll distract Klaus, you deal with Stefan." Damon told her. "But you're going to have about five minutes tops before that hybrid freak rips my heart out."
"Not on my watch, he won't." Anna said. "He might be an Original, but spirits are much stronger than most of you think."
"If we do that, she'll be unprotected."
"Lexi said she'd be with them if anything happens. She'll keep lookout." Anna told him.
"Then let's do it." Elena said.
Tyler and Sheriff Forbes found outside a cell. He'd heard Caroline talking with her dad. "And I thought my father had issues." He'd said.
"Hey, he may have been a dick, but in the end, he tried to protect you." Mason pointed out. Jules appeared next to him.
"We have to get down there. She's in a lot of pain." She said. Tyler nodded to Sheriff Forbes, and she headed downstairs just as her ex-husband closed the door to the cell.
"Hello Bill."
"I get why Uncle Mason's helping, but why are you?" Tyler asked.
"Call it whatever you like, but I just want to help her." Jules explained. "And I still feel guilty for turning you two against each other."
"Tyler!" Liz called. He glanced at them.
"We'll be right behind you." Mason said. Tyler ran downstairs.
"You're not going in there." Caroline's dad said. Liz shot at a spot next to him.
"Go ahead." Tyler opened the door and entered the cellar. Jules wasn't kidding when she said Caroline looked bad. She was chained to a chair and her skin was covered in scratches and burn marks.
"Tyler." She said weakly. He broke the chains off the chair. Caroline felt herself being supported from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped in surprise and fear.
"It's okay. She's here to help." Mason said, coming up on her side.
"We're going to get you out of here." Tyler said.
"My ring." Caroline said. Tyler found her daylight ring on the ground and placed it on her finger. Then he took her from Jules and carried her out of the room.
At the bar, Lexi was sitting with Stefan and Klaus. Then she felt Anna calling her, telling her that they were there. Stefan was still talking with Klaus. Then she noticed Damon outside. "Stefan." He turned and saw what she was looking at.
"I need another drink." He told Klaus. "A real one."
"Ready?" Lexi asked as they headed outside.
"Not really, but we need to talk to them." She heard him thinking.
"What are you doing here?" He asked Damon as soon as he was outside.
"You're not the easiest person to track down." Damon told him, avoiding the question.
"Klaus almost saw Elena today." Stefan pointed out. "You need to get her out of here."
"She's not going anywhere, I've tried."
"Right." Anna said. "She isn't going to let go."
"Guys, Klaus can't create any new hybrids. His witch his minutes away from figuring it out because she was supposed to die in the sacrifice." Stefan explained. "It's probably better if she forgets about me."
"I can't." The group turned and noticed Elena.
"Yeah, we're gonna go." Anna said. She went inside with Damon. Luckily, no one else could see her but him.
"You shouldn't be here." Stefan said.
"Where else would I be?" Elena pointed out.
"We better make this fast. Damon won't be able to distract Klaus for long."
"You don't have to worry about that. With Anna shadowing him, he'll be safe." Lexi said. They were both staring at her. "I'm sorry, you were talking. I'll be over there." She moved a few feet away from them.
"I wish you could come home." Elena said. "I really miss you."
"I know, but Klaus is obsessed with siring these hybrids." He told her. "The second he knows you're alive, he'll figure out why it's not working."
"Lexi says you've been really stressed out about it." Elena said. "How are you doing with everything else, anyway?"
"I'm fine, she's been keeping me in check, making sure I stay in control." Stefan said. "Of course, doesn't make leaving those bodies easier."
"It almost feels like I'm giving up by leaving you here."
"But you're not, Elena." Lexi said. "I'll still be checking in with you. And maybe someday soon, we'll be back for good."
"I know it sucks right now." Stefan said. "But Lexi's right, for now, it's too dangerous for us to be seen together."
He brushed a strand of her hair back. "You better go." They looked at each other for a long moment. Lexi looked back at the bar. She noticed Anna shielding Damon from Klaus. It wouldn't be much longer.
She turned back to warn them, only to find them locked in a passionate embrace. "Um…I hate to ruin the moment, but Anna can't hold it off much longer." She told them.
The two of them jumped apart at the sound of her voice. Elena was blushing. "See you around." Stefan told her.
"Yeah, see you around." Elena said, smiling. She watched as he headed back inside. Lexi stayed outside with her until Anna returned.
"I just know you two will be okay." Lexi said.
"Thanks for everything, Lexi."
"Hey, I'm always happy to help, especially my best friends." She was surprised when Elena embraced her.
"Hey." Anna said.
"I should get in there." Lexi said. "I'll pop in when I have a free moment. And Anna, whatever you've been doing to help these guys…keep it up."
"Thanks." Anna said. "See you on the other side." Lexi headed back inside, leaving Anna and Elena watching her.
"What'd I miss?" They jumped.
"Damon, jeez! Did you have to sneak up on us?" Anna asked.
"Not really, but I couldn't help it."
A few minutes later, Elena was sitting in the car while Damon spoke with Anna. She couldn't stop thinking about her kiss with Stefan earlier. "You're projecting your thoughts." A voice beside her said.
Startled, she looked next to her, but it was just Anna. "It's okay if you're thinking about him. He'll be back."
"I know." Elena said. Anna could see sadness in her eyes, though.
"You ready to go?" Damon asked her. Elena glanced back, but Anna was gone.
"Yeah." She said. As they started to leave, though, she felt something warm surround her, as though another ghost was with her. It also felt sort of familiar, but she couldn't remember where she'd felt it.
In the rearview mirror, Damon noticed Elena shiver. "Are you okay?" He asked her.
"Fine." Elena told him. She didn't know how she knew it, but she could tell there were spirits with her. And it was clear that these ones had her back, no matter what came next.