As Elena made her way into the cell downstairs she noticed it was empty. Stefan had left the cell but left his day light ring behind and the sun would be up soon.

Turning after picking up the ring Elena ran out of the cell and upstairs to try to find him.

Eliza returned home to a quiet home with most occupants asleep except her uncle Henry who hugged her as she walked in and sent her to bed since she looked exhausted. Passing the first door at the top of the stairs she was happy to see Jeremy's name on it.

With how many people were living there now most bedroom doors were labelled to make it easier.

Inside Jeremy laid sleeping in his new room, he had moved in shortly after John had arrived.

Feeling a slight gush of air he opened his eyes a crack to see Anna.

"Hey,"

"It's getting impossible to sneak up on you,"

"Nice try, I live with vampires I'm getting attuned to the whooshing,"

"Sorry I woke you,"

"That's okay you only woke me half way,"

"So listen I," Anna began as she stroked her fingers over the side of his face.

"That feels good," Jeremy said as he fell back to sleep.

Anna didn't have the heart to wake him again and so placing a kiss upon his lips she turned to leave. Pausing in the window sad that her mother was making her leave thanks to John Gilbert.

Leaving a letter addressed to him and one to Eliza she slipped out the window her heart breaking as she did so.

Down at the quarry though Stefan sat at the edge of the water where he and Damon sat so long ago. He knew Damon had told Eliza she was in there and hoped she would be able to find her body, or at least the bones to put them to rest.

1864 flashback

"How do you feel?,"

"You were right it is a whole new world,"

"We can explore it together,"

"You got what you wanted, you and me for all eternity. But hear this brother i will make it a eternity of misery for you

Present

Coming out of the flashback Stefan grew dizzy from the lack of blood. The world spinning around him he knew the end would't be far.

1864

"You've transitioned?," Emily remarked surprised.

"You would have rather found me dead?,"

"Katherine saved my life once I owed her, that doesn't mean I would wish that curse on anyone,"

"It feels more like a gift,"

"That will change,"

"Why is that Emily?,"

"Because even in death your heart is pure Stefan I sensed that about you. That will be your curse,"

"Emily wait," Stefan called out as Emily walked away.

Present

"Stefan?," Elena called out keeping her distance so as not to startle him.

"Damon told me the rest of the story, I thought I might find you here,"

"I should have died that night, just like I had chosen. I should have let Damon die too,"

"But you didn't, and if you die now it's not going to change what's happened,"

"Every single person that's been hurt, every single life that been lost because of me,"

"The night that my parent's died I blew off family night so that I could go to some party. I ended up getting stranded, and they had to come pick me up. Aunt Jenna stayed home with Eliza and Jeremy thankfully. That's why we ended up in the car at Wickory Bridge and that's why they died. Our actions is what set things in motion but we have to live with that,"

"I made a choice Elena because of that choice a lot of people were hurt, your sister included,"

"You also made a choice to stop, to reject the person the blood made made a choice to be good Stefan,"

"Please, please don't do that," Stefan begged as Elena stepped closer slowly.

"That's the person who jumped in the water to save the family whose car had driven off the bridge,"

"Please don't make this all okay,"

"That's the person who saved my life,"

"You don't understand Elena,"

"Then tell me,"

"It hurt's me, it hurt's me knowing what I've done, that pain. That pain is with me all the time, and every day I think if I just, if I just give myself over to the blood I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy, and every day I fight that, and I'm so terrified that one day I won't fight that anymore Elena. The next time I hurt somebody it could be you,"

"There won't be a next time,"

"You don't know that,"

"Maybe I don't but what I do know is that you could take this throw it in the quarry and let the sun rise. Or you could take this ring put it on and keep fighting," Elena spoke so whole heartily as she got close enough to take his hand in hers and place his ring in the palm of his hand.

"It's your choice," Elena kissed him before turning her back on him ready to leave so she wouldn't have her heart break at his choice.

"Elena!," Stefan called out knowing she was right.

Turning back she smiled in hope that he was making the right choice.

Sliding his ring back on he rushed forward pulling her face into his hands as he kissed her and hugged her tight.

Salvatore house

Damon sat by the fire examining the trinket in his hands that Pearl had given him when Stefan and Elena returned.

"Little boy lost,"

"I'll be upstairs okay," Elena politely chose to walk away to give them the time to talk.

Placing the trinket on the table beside him he picked up his tumbler of bourbon as Stefan stepped closer.

"Thank you,"

"No Stefan thank you, you're back on Bambi blood, and I'm the big bad ass older brother. All's right in the world,"

"No I mean it, thank you for helping her take care of me,"

"You brood too much, everything on this planet is not your fault. My actions, what I do is not your fault. I own them they belong to me, you are not allowed to feel guilt,"

"You feel guilt?,"

"When I wanted to, it's there," nodding knowing that was gonna be the end of their conversation Stefan stood from where he had sat down in the opposite chair to go upstairs.

"You know Emily waited til after I turned to tell me she had been successful protecting Katherine with her spell. She didn't want me to know about the tomb, thought it might impact my decision,"

"She didn't want either one of us to turn, she said it was a curse,"

"Witches, judgy little things,"

"Why didn't you tell me?,"

"Cause I didn't want you to know, cause I hated you and I still do,"

"I know,"

"But not because you forced me to turn,"

"Then why?,"

"One you were taking my choice away to join Elizabeth in the afterlife, and two she turned you it was just suppose to be me Stefan, just me," Damon stood as he made that remark before walking around Stefan to leave the room.

Anna's home

"i'm home!," Anna called out laying her jacket down by the door.

Turning around her heart shattered laying on the floor was Harper and her mother.

Stepping over Harper feeling sad for him she fell to her knees beside her mother's body. Pulling the stake out of her chest she wept.

"Please don't leave me again," she begged as she shook her mother's shoulder.

"Please wake up, you have to wake up," she pulled her mother's hand to her lips pleading.

Sadly she knew it was hopeless and after removing the stake from Harper she whooshed them all out of the house and to Eliza's.

When she arrived she kicked the door to knock knowing someone would hear her. A moment later the door opened to reveal Henry with Jackie in the doorway behind him. Seeing Anna with Pearl and Harper's bodies was the saddest thing anyone could witness.

A sudden whoosh and Jackie was cradling Harper's body crying and rocking back and forth in pain.

The noise woke the rest of the house. The first down the stairs was Jeremy whose heart dropped in his chest seeing the pain etched on Anna's face. Rushing down the last few steps he went to her wrapping her in his arms as she began crying even harder.

Eliza was next to come downstairs and grew angry seeing her family in pain. Jackie had finally found love, Anna had gone through all that trouble of rescuing her mother and helping her find her parent's only to lose her. Henry was carefully ushering them inside to avoid nosy neighbors as Eliza summoned her phone with a bit of her magic.

Texting knowing she couldn't trust her voice she sent out multiple messages.

D -Pearl if dead, so is Harper. House is in mourning I won't be around for a bit

E - Pearl and Harper dead please come home

N - Pearl and Harper are dead no longer safe here please send your witches

After sending out the messages she sat down on the stairs in shock, silent tears running down her face. She knew her uncle Henry had things handled and just sat there grieving for her family. She knew one thing she would kill the person responsible.