Ringin' the bell

And nobody's comin' to help

Your daddy lives by himself

He just wants to know that you're well, oh

In this world, it's just us

You know it's not the same as it was

TRUTH BE TOLD, Althea missed Jeremy like crazy. They had exchanged letters over the years they'd been apart, but it was never quite the same. They shared the same biting, dark humor, both loved sketching and watching old cartoons on Saturday mornings. So, it wasn't a shock when the youngest Gilbert tried to wake her the next morning by jumping into her bed—except she wasn't alone.

"Who the hell are you?" Jeremy asked, scowling when he realized a stranger was lying in his sister's bed—and she was nowhere in sight.

"Uh… I'm Harry?" the boy mumbled, still half-asleep.

"You don't sound very sure."

"Well, sorry if I'm a bit confused. I was sleeping, and then some kid jumped on me," Harry grumbled, shoving Jeremy off the bed. He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and squinted at the intruder. "Oh. Jeremy, right? Althea must be downstairs making coffee. She's weirdly into early morning runs."

Jeremy rolled his eyes, brushing himself off as he stood up. "She's always been like that," he muttered. "Nice to finally meet you. Heard a lot about you." With that, he headed to the kitchen to find his sister.

"Althea being a naughty girl... Never thought I'd see a guy in her bed."

"Oh, please. At least he's not six years older than me," she shot back, reminding him of his infamous thing with Vicky Donovan.

"That was a mistake..." Jeremy sighed. Therapy—courtesy of Jenna—after Vicky's body was found had helped him see that clearly.

"Well... let's focus on the future, shall we?"

"Speaking of, Elena said you know Katherine. And that you're helping Klaus."

Althea groaned. "Elena seriously needs to learn when to shut up." She exhaled, leaning against the counter. "I've known Katherine since I moved in with John. As for Klaus... I volunteered to be the Petrova for the sacrifice."

Jeremy's eyes widened. They'd never been that close—certainly not close enough for Althea to die for Elena.

"Turns out Klaus needs the doppelgänger alive. When I told him that, he thought I was just trying to save myself. So instead, he decided my role would be different—I'll be the witch who performs the spell."

Jeremy blinked. "So... Elena won't die?"

"No. I have a plan to save her without Klaus ever knowing. But for it to work, your little vampire watchdogs—the Salvatores—need to stay out of the way."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Jeremy snorted.

"A little bird told me you triggered your curse."

Surprisingly, Tyler Lockwood was one of Althea's top three favorite people in Mystic Falls—second only to Caroline and Jeremy, of course.

"And since I'm such an amazing friend," she continued, "I brought you a gift. Well… kind of. I've been told it tastes awful." She grimaced, handing him a small vial. Tyler eyed it warily.

"And this is...?"

"A potion. You'll still transform, but you'll have control over your body."

"So you really are a witch?"

Althea nodded. Caroline had already told him, making this part easier. "I haven't figured out how to make the transformation less painful yet. Sorry…"

"Honestly? Just not turning into a rabid monster is enough. Thanks."

"Take it before nightfall, and you'll be fine." She gave him a quick hug and left. Caroline was on her way to help him get ready, and Althea was hoping for some drama-free downtime with Harry. But that plan vanished when Katherine called—Jeremy was with her at the tomb.

Thanks to apparition, Althea arrived in a flash, immediately shooting her brother a disapproving glare.

"What part of 'I have a plan, don't interfere' didn't you understand?"

"I overheard the Salvatores. If they got the moonstone before you, it'd mess everything up," Jeremy replied with a shrug. "Besides, Katherine's kinda fun when she's not trying to murder someone."

"He's probably the cutest Gilbert ever," Katherine chimed in, smirking.

Althea arched an eyebrow. "Elena's lotteral your clone."

"And yet she's still has a annoying face. How is that possible?"

"Alright, enough games. Katherine, give me the stone. Do we really need to pretend I can't get you out of here?"

"We could pretend I have the stone, just to watch the Salvatores panic."

"Let me know when you're ready to be free. Jeremy, we're leaving."

She didn't wait for a response, eager to get back to Harry and their planned date night. After months of hunting Horcruxes, she'd gotten used to always having him around. But now, back in Mystic Falls, Klaus's plan kept getting in the way of their time together. With Voldemort gone, they could finally act like regular teenagers—if only the supernatural drama would let them.