A/N: Better late than never? I'm terribly sorry, but I've ran out of pre-written chapters, or at least, I've ran out of chapters I've checked on spelling, grammar and mistakes. That means, that this chapter will be corrected/changed if it has to. I'm sorry in advance for any mistakes (grammar or otherwise, I will check it tomorrow, but I'm terribly tired).

On a different note, all your comments from the last chapter(s) were super kind, so thank you very much!

I try to reply to you all in the next few days, but I can't really reply to people without an account, so, I'd like to use this space to reply anyway.

To Miran, thank you for your comment and your kind words, but don't worry, I am not going to bash Elena. If anything, the real Elena might get some screen time, but I won't bash her as a writer. However, that does not mean characters in this story will always think positively or pleasant about others^^. But, no bashing!

To DBZFAN45, can I just say, I adore the way you recap the chapters. I can absolutely picture the characters starting with, 'previously, on the Vampire Diaries' and then continue with your summarization! They always make me smile.

To my guest reviewer and Redcat217, thank you very much for your comments!

I hope you enjoy this one too

And a happy belated new year!

Lots of Love

Anna

o.O.o

Chapter Twenty-Six, Fox Hunt

The morning dawned overcast, the clouds heavy with what could be snow if the temperature dropped just a few more degrees and I slowly rolled on my stomach. The pale morning light poured in through the open blinds, and dust motes floated in the bars of gentle morning light. I rubbed my eyes and I pushed myself up to my knees. Dragging myself out of the bed, I stumbled into the adjoined bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror. My hair was an absolute mess and my eyes were red-rimmed, glassy. I looked tired. My skin was pale, so pale even I thought I looked somewhat sickly and my lips were dry, the skin almost looking as if it was shedding. The fluorescent stained my forehead and cheeks an ugly shade of yellow and I swallowed.

God, what a night!

I heaved a sigh and fashioned my hair into a ponytail. Grayson and Miranda still had to come home and I smoothed a hand down the front of my sweater. Caroline was still asleep, sprawled out on my bed in a tangled mess of limbs and comforter. I left her there, fast asleep and yanking on a pair of skinny jeans and a long vest, stepped out of my room. The wood paneled floor beneath my bare feet was chilly and the corridor dim lit. I started towards the stairs, when I noticed Grayson's office door standing ajar.

I'd only been in there once, on my search for Vervain all those months ago and my eyebrows furrowed together. What had the man been doing there all this time? I ventured inside, not sure what I hoped to see or find and crossed the carpeted floor to the large, dark desk. It was a mess, littered with all kind of papers and I cocked my head to the side. Grayson always seemed so neat. Even with cooking — which seemed like an art that needed messiness — he kept everything well arranged. Ready to go and be returned to its spot when he was finished with it. That was not what the desk looked like.

I doubted a wild rhino would make more of a mess and leant against the office chair thumbing through the papers. I couldn't make much out of it. Some where part of his research I supposed, columns with data and such, while others entailed difficult mathematic-like problems. They meant little to me. Then raw data rarely meant anything to people not involved into the research. I reached for another paper when Caroline's phone rung piercingly through the house.

By now the sun was low in the sky and as I leant back on the balls of my feet, peering down the hallway and at my room, I noticed her shadow grow over the wooden floor. She was probably looking for the phone now and I brought my gaze back to the desk again. Picking my way through a stack of papers, I found nothing. I reached for another stack when a creaking noise came from the landing. I swirled around just as Caroline stumbled inside.

"Elena?" Caroline's voice shook as she dropped her cell phone on the ground and I shot to my feet.

"What's wrong?"

She gasped, her shoulders shaking. "That was my mom—"

"Okay?"

"Tyler crashed his car," she hiccuped and I blinked owlishly.

"I don't—" I shook my head, "—is he okay?"

"No— yes, but he killed Vickie Donovan. He lost control of his car. I think it was that device you talked about and he— oh my God, he crashed his car into the gate of the cemetery. Vickie was there and she— she's death. And Matt, oh my God, poor Matt."

"Tyler killed Vickie?" I echoed horrified.

"Yes—" she nodded, tears were gathering on her eyelashes, "—and Matt's in the hospital."

"He was hurt too?"

"I think he was coming to get his sister and— we have to go. We have to goo see them, 'Lena!"

"Of course," I agreed, hurrying out of Grayson's office, "Yes, of course, we have to get dressed."

In a flash, Caroline was gone and I hurried back to my room. The blonde vampire was already dressing herself, hopping onto her right leg as she yanked the other through the leg of her pants. I busied myself with finding something decent to wear as well, opting for dark pants and warm winter boots combined with a turtleneck.

"I can compel one of the nurses and—"

"Or I can ask my dad?" I responded with a grimace. "He's on duty."

And he was still not on speaking terms with me. Not really, but I was sure he would be willing to let that slide when one of Elena's friends was hurt. "Fuck, and just when Matt learned about the supernatural!"

"Yes, I know," Caroline nodded, giving up on the zipper of her dress after the fourth try and simply shrugged on her guardian, hiding the probably broken zipper beneath a layer of cotton. "He must be devastated. Vickie is practically the only family member he still had. Can't really count that mother of his and there is no father— and—"

"No, that's not what I meant, I low-key told Matt about vampires and—"

"You did what?" She screeched and I winced.

"I had to." I defended. "People were going down and the police was around dragging them away."

She swallowed. "How did he take it?"

"I don't know. I promised to explain it to him on a later moment." I tried. "I thought it went well enough but— I don't know. How well did you take it that we are living in a world filled with witches and vampires? I mean, I didn't take it all that well."

"No," she admitted. "Will Vickie be there? At the hospital, I mean."

"Probably, I don't know any other morgue." I answered bluntly.

She nodded, holding out my coat. "Come on, Elena."

I always despised Hospitals. The antiseptic scent, the cold white walls or the bland paintings all around me. Caroline and I had settled on the squeaky plastic chairs in the corridor of the emergency wing. Grayson was on duty, I'd seen him pass by several times, but he had yet to notice me. Caroline seemed nervous, leg bouncing erratically. Outside winter had once more taken over and hailstones pounded against the windows.

"Do you think Tyler is—"

"He's fine," I said, swallowing the rest of my reply down. I shouldn't know about werewolves yet.

"What if he isn't?" She countered. "What if—"

"Care, you'll drive yourself insane like this." I cut in. "He's going to be fine. Or fine-ish, I suppose."

She nodded, nibbling on her upper lip. I thought about Matt again. About how upset he was when he'd lost Vickie in the original timeline. I remembered how bad he'd taken Caroline's vampirism, but that was after Vickie had been attacked and killed by a vampire. That wasn't the case right now, but I still didn't think he would be all that willing to have a less platonic relationship with Caroline.

"I'm going to compel—" Caroline sudden started, pulling herself up to her feet, just as Grayson turned the corner. I hit Caroline on her upper arm, hard enough to make her wince and got to my feet as well. The floor squeaked noisily and Grayson's eyes widened when he noticed me. His doctor's coat was slightly askew, the first few buttons on his shirt wrongly buttoned and his hair was a mess. He looked like he'd done an all nighter and I tried to smile.

"Elena?"

"Hi, dad," I whispered, meeting Grayson's eyes with a tight smile.

His gaze was steady and penetrating and he curled his fingers tighter around his clipboard, "What are you doing here? You should be home, I—"

"The accident Tyler was in," I answered bluntly, "we're here to come and check on him. And Matt."

Grayson's chin fell to his chest as he sighed in exasperation. "Of course, you are."

"Please, Mister Gilbert," Caroline whined and Grayson shot her a condescending glare.

"Caroline, I'm a doctor, I'm not allowed to disclose personal information."

"Dad!" I huffed and Grayson hesitated. "Please. We are worried. He's our friend."

The man wetted his lips and sighed. "Fine, Tyler will be fine. A pair of minor injuries, he'll be out tonight."

"And Matt? What about Vickie?"

"You know already." He retorted. "Matt is fine physically. Victoria is not. She died upon impact."

"With the car," I finished for him and he nodded.

"Yes," he agreed, "she didn't suffer."

Caroline nodded, somehow processing this bit of information far quicker than I did and was already voicing out her next question. However, there was only one question I wanted answers to. "What did you do with him? Tyler I mean."

"I beg you pardon?"

"I know what happened yesterday, dad." I answered. "My doppelgänger physiology was affected as well." I continued, thinking the doppelgänger being affected wouldn't be that much of a stretch. "Not the way some— people were affected, but still. What happened with Tyler after the crashed his car? You know he's not—" I glanced at Caroline who had the decency to look clueless, "—like all those people who went down last night."

"I'm sure, I don't know what you're talking about, Elena."

I pursed my lips in irritation. "Fine, then I'll ask someone else."

"Caroline," Grayson grounded out, the vein in his forehead throbbing erratically, "Can you give us some privacy please?"

"Yeah, sure, see you later, Elena?" She responded insecurely and I—

I chewed onto the inside of my mouth until I tasted metal, and gnashed my teeth together. Forcing a small, tight smile to my lips, I waved her off. Grayson turned on his heel and with nothing else to do, I followed him outside onto the employees parking lot. His shoulders bunching up beneath his white coat and the tendons in his neck tensely pulsing beneath the slightly weathered skin. He turned to me slowly.

"Why do you insist on acting this way?"

"What way?" I retorted. "Suspicious? Irritated that you generalize all supernatural? Take your pick."

"They're monsters."

"I'm sure they are, but, you act like a basic human being."

"A basic human being?" He snarked back and I inhaled deeply.

"Killing things you don't understand. It's probably the most basic form of human nature."

Grayson snorted and began to pace around the parking lot. "Killing things— yes, indeed, killing things. Elena, you've seen what those monsters will do. You've seen it firsthand. How many innocents should be sacrificed before you understand?"

"They eat people," I decided and frowned. "They eat people the way we eat animals. To me, your problem with them seems to stem out of not being the top predator anymore."

I'd chosen my words carefully. Coated them in enough hostility to force a reaction out of him. Just one. Just to see what he knew about Tyler. Tyler who was just a boy and didn't have a choice being born with a curse in his blood. Tyler who would probably be burned alive just as the vampires— I hadn't heard anything about a fire over the news when we'd driven to the hospital, nor had Caroline learned of such from her mother, but what else could they have done with them?

I frowned. "What did you do to those vampires?"

"What did I do?"

"I know you must have caught a hefty number," I tried, rolling my fingers over my shoulder.

"They kill, maim and torture indiscriminately and for fun." Grayson hissed and I reared my head up.

"Not all of them do!" I snapped. "Some try to be good people. Why can't you see that?"

Grayson let out a hollow laugh. "God, you sound so naive right now."

"I'd rather be naive, than a hypocritical murderer." I growled back.

For a moment Grayson looked as if struck and I felt bad. A second later the moment was gone and Grayson pursed his lips in irritation, in anger. I felt somewhat dizzy with nerves. The hem of my coat bunched up between my fingers.

"I shouldn't expect you to understand."

"Right, because I am naive." I lifted my chin and crossed my arms over my chest. "Where's Tyler?"

"With his parents. Carol wanted him home" Grayson returned stiffly.

My lip curled and I pressed my nails into my lower arms. "And now?"

"He is like that Original, isn't he? Not a vampire, no something else entirely."

"I'm sure I don't understand what you mean," I returned, my voice clear, cool, "he's no vampire."

"No, but he's a werewolf isn't he?" He responded, his expression shifted into something cold and calculating. "Just as Klaus is. A beast bound to the moon."

"And he can't help that, even if he is," I grounded out.

"No," Grayson agreed and reached for my cheek, drawing his thumb along its arc, "honestly, Elena."

"What?"

"We used to be so good together," his hand dropped to his side and I took a step back.

"I just can't condone murder." I whispered. "Not the way some vampires murder and destroy, but neither can I condone you taking so many lives. You playing judge, jury and executioner."

"You will come around," he whispered wearily, shaking his head, "I've been in this fight for years."

"No," I denied and ambulated back towards the backdoor, my back hitting the doorframe. The wood was damp against the back of my hand. "No, I won't be okay with people killing others." Shouldering the dour open, I shook my head. "I won't be okay with it. I won't be like that." And I wouldn't. Elena Gilbert let go of her humanity, stopped caring about nameless and faceless people, but I— I wouldn't. And I couldn't condemn a whole race either. I was barely even aware of where I was going until I'd almost bumped into the SUV. I thought about Caroline, who wasn't a monster and who they would have killed without a second thought and about Anna Zhu, who might have been lost and not above hurting others, but who had in the end only wanted to get her mother back. She hadn't been like Damon, killing because of the fun of it. And even Damon, who was locked up in the tomb with Katherine— I shook my head.

And Tyler— Thinking about Tyler— only made my headache worse.

Because I understood. I understood how he must have felt. Elena's blood coursing through my veins was what damned me as the Doppelgänger just as Tyler's werewolf gene damned him. I could imagine the shock and the surprise of finding out you had no control over your faith.

The SUV roared to live and I pulled out of the parking lot. Right now, I had no idea what to do. I couldn't very well stalk into Lockwood manor. My hands tightened around the steering wheel. Well, I suppose I could. Elena was his friend, wasn't she? But, I didn't think they were that close.

I bit my lip.

I should probably check up on Stefan too, shouldn't I? And what about Zack? Was he even still alive? Or the Martin siblings? Jesus Christ, how many people had I been forgetting about?

I could check up on Luka Martin at school. With them working with Elijah and Stefan before I'd been taken, they should have been fine. Which left Zach and Stefan. I didn't even have to go to Salvatore manor either.

"God, am I obvious or what?" I muttered, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I accelerated.

I parked the car at the side of the road and whipped out my cellphone.

As it turned out both Stefan and Zachariah Salvatore were fine. Zach had been set free, much like Alaric, once Klaus was done with him and Stefan hadn't gone out that night. I'd got the impression he was keeping things from me (unsurprisingly as I was now the traumatized teenage girl who just happened to wear the face of his former flame), but with the mental list I had to work through, I let it slip. Tyler was next. He had not been in a place where he wanted to talk to me, and in the end, I'd steered the car to Matt.

Matt who was chalk-white and crying. When the door opened, he all but threw himself at me, hugging me so tightly, my breath was wrenched from my body. I felt his shoulders shake and I tried to swallow. I understood. I'd remembered how devastated I'd felt when my father had died. My real father. The same man that was alive in this reality and whose face I'd stared at countless times when I couldn't sleep. I hugged him just as fiercely.

"I'm so sorry!"

"She's dead, Elena! Vic's death! She's—"

"I'm so sorry," I whispered again and bit my lip until it bled.

He led me to the living room and we sank into the soft, faded cushions of the couch. Perhaps breaking the news of the supernatural to him, was a bad thing to do. Matt seemed happy dating Caroline, content even and I had no idea how he would react now. I suspected his initial reaction would be anger at the werewolf who'd accidentally been responsible for his sister's death. He would be terrified of Caroline who couldn't help her vampirism either— but, he deserved to know. I felt I owed him that. If he knew, he could protect himself.

It took him several minutes to gather his wits enough to lean back, hands curled around his knees. "Why did you come here?"

"Matt, you're sister just— I wanted to support you."

"Are you one too?"

"What?"

"A vampire," he whispered and I watched him inch away, "I—"

"No."

"But you know about them— those supernatural things?"

I nodded and his shoulders relaxed. I bit my lip. "That's what I came here for, to tell you about everything. About vampires, witches— werewolves. Or I wanted to, but I suppose this isn't the right time. Oh for fuck's sake, I'm so sorry Matt. You have enough on your plate with all of this. I can go. We can talk about this later and—"

"No!" He gasped and his hand shot out, fingers curling around my wrist. "No, please stay!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he whispered and tears swirled in his blue eyes, "I don't want to be alone right now."

I nodded. "Okay."

I told him about the supernatural the next day. Matt listened with rapt attention as I went over all that I knew, slowly eating a casserole Grayson had made. Matt listened as my words poured out of my mouth, listened as I tried and probably failed explaining and even rationalizing a world that could not be rationalized. I tried to elevate his anger at his werewolf friend who'd been responsible for his sister's early demise and even tried telling Matt vampirism didn't make Caroline a lesser person. And finally I told him about the Gilbert device.

"So it locates vampires when activated?"

I shook my head. "No, I think it hurts them. Which is what happened when those people went down. I don't know where it is though."

I wondered if this was when Elena Gilbert strayed from her path of light as well. Just like that, the defining moment when you stopped knowing the difference between right and wrong. The difference between good and bad. The moment where she chose vampires over humans. I bit my lower lip. I didn't want to choose a different race over my own, but I also couldn't sit back and allow some hypocritical notion of superiority to hurt so many people. Stefan, although I didn't want to date him, deserved to have a life. As did Caroline.

"I have to find it." I told him and drew my fork over the rim of my plate. "It isn't right."

"You think they'll use it again?" Matt asked.

"I don't see why they wouldn't." I whispered.

Matt rolled his knife between, his fingers, his eyes lost. "I get that Caroline isn't evil and Tyler might not want to be a monster, but they're still dangerous, Elena. And what you told me about Damon Salvatore? Why would you want to take away the one weapon we have against him?"

I winced and shook my head. "We have other weapons." I retorted. "We have Vervain. If we'd put it in the water supply, all humans would be protected. No vampires killing people in this town anymore."

"You're being naive. Why should those monsters have a different measure stick?"

"Why would we be allowed to kill them because they're a different species?" I snapped back.

The tendons in Matt's neck tensed beneath his skin and I rolled my tongue along my teeth. "When a human accidentally kills someone else, they get what? A slap on the wrist? But when you're turned into a vampire, even if you haven't killed anyone yet, sure, let's kill him or her?" I snarked furiously. My words reminded me of the human rights speech I'd given when I hadn't been Elena Gilbert yet. I wanted to be there for the people who had no one in their corner. The people I thought wrongfully convicted (without a shred of evidence) or the people abused and/or suppressed. I gnashed my teeth together and inhaled deeply.

"I'm sorry," I grounded out, because involving Matt? What the fuck was I doing? "I shouldn't involve you in this. I just came here to tell you everything so you could take the precautionary measures and to see if you would give Caroline another chance. None of this is her fault and she loves you."

"Caroline killed Bonnie," Matt whispered and I shook my head.

"I guess you need some time to figure all of his out."

"Elena—"

I pushed the chair back, I'd been occupying and got to my feet. "It's fine, Matt, we don't have to agree on this. Just, don't bring Bonnie up around Caroline. It wasn't her fault. She was all alone during her transformation and had no idea what was going on." I rubbed my hands over my arms nudged a wayward lock of hair away from my cheek with my shoulder. "I really am sorry about Vicki, Matt. Still, I hope you'll won't stop talking to any of us. Because— you know I think it would be good if you spoke to Tyler— the device messing with his head? Not really his fault either."

Matt didn't stop me when I left, and didn't speak to me the following days when I left dinner at his doorstep. Jenna came to stay over and even Matt's mom — the one who'd gotten hot and heavy with both Damon and Tyler in the show — showed up on the day of the funeral.

It was the second funeral I attended since being stuck in Mystic Falls. The black dress I wore itched and the reverent at the front of the church spoke lovely words about the wild card that was Vicki Donovan. Jenna stood next to me, an arm tightly wound around my shoulders and even Stefan (who'd been out with Zack when the device was activated) had come to pay Vicki his last respect. Matt didn't say or react in any way on his, or Caroline's, presence and kept his head down. He took my hand for condolences outside with an impassive face and I clung to Jenna when Vicki's casket was lowered in the ground. There wasn't a headstone yet. I have no idea why that struck me as important, just that it did. I didn't pay much attention to the rest of the funeral and when Miranda led me and Jenna back to the car, my eyes were drawn to the Bennett family plot. Another innocent gone. Although Bonnie— Bonnie could come back.

My fingers spasmed and my eyes became wide. Bonnie actually had the ability to come back. I just had to figure out how.

Miranda drove us home, never commenting on my silence, and warmly conversed with Jenna. Jenna who had turned in her thesis and was now waiting on her mark. The last obstacle in the way of graduating. I smiled wanly. I missed university. I missed being legally capable to make decisions without needing someone signature. Besides, a lot of things would go much smoother when I wasn't underage anymore.

When the SUV pulled up in front of the Gilbert house, I almost collapsed on the couch. Grayson wasn't home— again but I was fine with that. I had enough to think about. Honestly, I had no idea where to start anymore. Closing my eyes, I pushed my face into a cushion and groaned.

Right—

I probably should start with the device. Keep Caroline and Tyler safe.

I probably should try and get Damon out too— For if he got out himself with a murderous Katherine at his side?

To be continued….

A/N: And there you have it! Saw it coming? I'm sure we all knew things weren't going to stay calm, but well, poor Matt! And poor Caroline, although Matt won't exactly blame her, he was never too keen on the supernatural, and that won't change now any time soon.

Like always, let me know what you all think!