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Something was up with Elena. Bonnie knew there was, she knew it even before she saw Elena for that first day of school (and not because of any witchy powers like Grams talked about) because Jeremy of all people, Jeremy whose relationship with his sister was tenuous at best, stopped by her side of the car as she waited outside to tell her so.

Jeremy, who didn't voluntarily talk to anyone who wasn't asking for his 'herbal' wares, went out of his way to tell her that he was worried about Elena. Something had him spooked and Bonnie wanted to know just what it was.

She could see it as soon as Elena stepped out of the house. Because she was smiling. And not just her fake little 'I'm fine, thank you' smile but a genuine grin. She wasn't even this happy when her parents had still been alive, Bonnie hadn't seen her this happy since…

Since three years ago, Elena's second date with Matt. She had the same smile back then, the one that seemed almost mysterious but still bursting with joy, as if she had a secret that she really desperately wanted to share with the world.

"Good morning!" She said chirpily as she belted herself in.

"Elena, don't take this the wrong way but...did your therapist by any chance prescribe some happy pills to you? Did you get in Jeremy's stash or something?"

Elena laughed, head thrown back and all, the thin little braid down the side of her face thwacking into the headrest of the seat. Bonnie's worries grew.

"No, nothing like that, just an old family friend that I really missed has finally agreed to stay in town for a while."

Bonnie had questions, so many questions. But it was getting late so she decided to drive and ask all her many questions on the way to school rather than just sitting there gaping at Elena, for all that she really wanted to do that.

"So, an old family friend huh? Jeremy didn't mention that." Bonnie asked as she turned the left to the main street.

"Jeremy and Jenna don't really know her. I actually met her when Uncle John was in town, you know how it got when he was in the house."

"Ohhh yeah," Bonnie remembered well. It was during one of his visits that they had figured out what the liquor cabinet was and that it wasn't just a hiding place to keep them from getting into the cookies.

"She would sort of babysit me when the drama would start. You know that London bus keychain and the Russian nesting dolls? She was the one who got them for me. I'm so excited!" Elena squeaked and wiggled in the car and Bonnie joined in with a chuckle as well. So, Elena was excited that a cool, well-travelled aunt like figure was staying, it was pretty sweet. "I have a good feeling this year, even with the comet."

"The comet?"

"Oh, your grandma didn't tell you?" And Bonnie's cheerful mood dulled.

She would never fully forgive her grams for infecting Elena with the magical belief and crap. It was bad enough hearing it from her but Elena joining in on this farce wasn't appreciated.

"She was telling me about the Salem stuff," Bonnie said and Elena picked up the conversation like she knew she would.

"It's pretty interesting, there are these pockets of communities that are well aware of the supernatural and its creatures, even our town has a history-" Bonnie tuned it out and focussed on the road. Ancestors never meant anything to her. Her most close ancestor was her mother, the runaway woman who couldn't handle raising her. She was more concerned about passing US history this year than learning about her family history.

Besides, she had other things to worry about. Like that weird feeling she kept getting (which was most certainly not psychic) and wondering just who this mystery family friend Elena was so excited about was.

Elena was happy and she didn't even have to fake it. She was so happy that she had the strength to corner Matt and tell him that their priorities and belief systems were too different and it wasn't her parents' death that had caused their breakup and that he should suck it up. She was so happy that when Caroline had tried to strangle her with a too tight hug, she had strangled her right back and lifted her off the ground and spun her around for a joke. She was so happy that when Jeremy's drug dealing ways were made obvious she just yelled out that as the elder she had first access to their finances and she wasn't going to pay for a good lawyer so he should pray the public defender he got assigned was good.

She was so happy that Tanner was made uncomfortable by her cheery and correct answers to his quizzing.

She was so happy she didn't even think twice about the new student. That changed when Caroline brought him to their table in Mystic Grill.

"Everybody, this is Stefan, Stefan this is Elena and Bonnie,"

"Also otherwise known as everybody." Elena couldn't help but say. She was in a good mood.

Miss Sara had said that she had a family tradition to share, something her sister did when her husband died, her father did when her mother died and something she had done many times as well, a way of saying goodbye the ones you had lost and sending your prayers and good wishes to them.

She was even going to come to Mystic Grill to pick her up which meant her friends could finally meet her.

Elena was so excited.

"Stefan's an odd name."

"It's a variant of Stephen." Stefan explained.

"Exactly, most people are named Stephen or Steven. It's like hearing Damon instead of Damien I suppose." Elena mused out loud and Stefan suddenly gasped.

"Where have you heard that name?" He asked urgently and a look around the table told Elena that she wasn't the only one freaked out by his behaviour.

"There was this weird guy on the night of the bonfire…" Elena trailed off. Thinking of the bonfire made her think of her parents' death.

An almost silent expletive left Stefan's mouth and Elena's attention was caught. Now that she looked at him closely, she saw the lapis lazuli ring on his hand.

Vampire.

"Five feet nine, dark hair, pale eyes, sort of creepy?" Elena's nod had Stefan cursing again, "That's my brother, he's...bad news. I didn't know he was in town, this is bad." Stefan rubbed his face and Elena's suspicions were absolutely confirmed.

A pair of vampire brothers at odds with one another who both just happened to stumble upon her in town? Yeah, she didn't think so.

It was really quite excellent that she was on vervain.

"I have to warn my uncle," Stefan said and stood, grabbing his things off the table, "If you guys see or meet him just...be a bit cautious."

"Elena?", came the voice she had been waiting to hear and Stefan stopped in his steps to see who spoke, in a way that was unusual. Everyone else had turned too but he was the only one who had turned so fast as to almost make his vampirism obvious.

There was something going on with the vampire brothers and it had to do with her. Elena didn't like that.

But more importantly, Miss Sara had arrived.

"Guys, this is Miss Sara, Bonnie I told you about her."

"Ms Bennett and Ms Forbes, I assume?" Miss Sara said and the two looked dazed. Elena knew that feeling. Miss Sara didn't have to do magic to just exude otherworldliness. There was something about her, the cadence of her voice, the floating way she walked, she was just awesome that way.

And now, everyone would know just how awesome she was.

"And this is Stefan Salvatore." Elena said. The vampire had stopped in his tracks, all the panic and rush he was exuding a few seconds ago, gone. Instead he was eyeing Miss Sara curiously, as if trying to figure her out.

"Of the Salvatore Boarding house?" Miss Sara asked and he nodded. "How lovely, we'll be housemates then,"

"What?!"

"It is a boarding house, after all. I'll be spending most of my time with Elena of course but I do need a place to keep my luggage."Stefan stuttered but Miss Sara turned to Elena instead, ignoring the vampire's struggle, "Which reminds me, are you ready?"

Elena all but jumped at Miss Sara, raring to go.

"Where are you guys going?" Caroline asked and Miss Sara grinned.

"That's a bit of a secret I'm, afraid."

Elena stood next to Miss Sara at Stephen's Quarry with the letter she had written to her parents in her hand. The waning moon still shone bright enough that they didn't need much of a light and the runes Miss Sara was tracing into the long piece of bark they had foraged from the ground were glowing white. Miss Sara had taught her enough of the script for her to make out a few words, 'mother', 'father' and 'lost' among the few she recognised.

It was a prayer for safe passage into the other world, Miss Sara had said. When it was finally done Elena put the letter onto the bark and set it to float onto the waters of the Quarry, giving it a gentle push. Miss Sara floated a light over it and they watched its slow path towards the center of the waters, the glowing runes fading away one by one as it got floated away from them. When the final glowing rune turned dark the piece of bark stopped suddenly, all the ripples surrounding its movement smoothing out into a glassy surface. Within that second and the next the bark and the letter that rested upon it disappeared.

"Your request was judged true and pure and the Powers have allowed your words passage to your loved ones. Be at peace."

And Elena was.

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