Chapter Two: The Hybrid

"Whether suicide, or a tragic accident; WPKW news has lost one of it's shining stars. Daily reporter and weekend anchor, Andie Star was discovered dead-" I shook my head as I listened to the news on the background. I didn't want to hear about the tragic accident that my friend had, especially when I should have been able to prevent it.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, you know." I heard Jeremy mumble from behind me. I sighed as I looked towards my little brother. I decided this morning I was going to help clean up the Gilbert household, God only knows that no one else has been cleaning it except Elena.

I placed the kitchen towel back on the counter as I smiled at the young boy, "Thanks, Jeremy. But I could have stopped another death, and I just wasn't prepared."

"He caught you off guard, Rae, it's going to happen." Jeremy shook his head.

I shook my head and I snorted humorlessly under my breath, "When did you become so intelligent?" I asked jokingly.

"When I had to grow up." Jeremy answered very morbidly.

I cringed as I thought about how Jeremy was only 16 years old and he went through too much already. His whole reality got taken away from him when he was made to realize that the supernatural was real. That wasn't something a 16 year old boy should have to worry about.

"I'm sorry." I finally answered after a moment of awkward silence. I saw Jeremy's shoulders shrug a little.

"At least I have you, Elena, and Ric." Jeremy answered quietly. I smiled sheepishly towards him before continuing on with my cleaning in the kitchen.

"So, what's new with you?" I asked trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.

"You ask me this everyday, Rae." Jeremy laughed a little as he shook his head. "Nothing really." He paused before continuing almost hesitantly, "You know how Bonnie brought me back to life using magic?"

I looked up from my cleaning once again as the conversation turned serious, "Yeah... why?" I asked trying to figure out where this conversation was going.

"Well, every since I got brought back to life, weird things has been happening..." Jeremy said quietly.

I crossed my arms across my chest, "What kind of weird things?"

"I've been seeing things- things that I shouldn't be able to see?" He ended it in a question like he was sure about it himself.

"Like?"

"Like the other night after Elena's party, when Matt and I were leaving, I was in the car and I saw that Vicki was next to me, but before I could question my sanity, she was gone." Jeremy explained.

"Vicki? As in dead Vicki Donovan?" I asked, my eyes widening slightly. He nodded his head as an answer. "Have you talked to Bonnie about any of this?" He shook his head. "I would."

"But what if it's just my imagination?" Jeremy asked questioningly.

"Then you can have a good laugh about it." Jeremy snorted at my answer. "Seriously, Jeremy. Promise me that you will talk to her about it. She might know what's going on, even if it's your imagination. There might be some sort of side effect from the magic that she used." And it being dark magic, I wouldn't doubt it.

Jeremy nodded his head lowly, "Yeah, I promise."

I just reached home when my phone started playing Elena's ringtone. I sighed as I took out my phone and answered it, "Hello, darling sister."

"Remember when I did something nice for you and you totally owed me something in return?" Elena started off.

"Uh... no."

"Well, this is me getting my favor." Elena took a breath of air before continuing, "How would you like to take a hike on some mountains?"

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I shook my head as I parked my car in front of Alaric's apartment. Elena had asked me to meet her and Alaric here before our trip. She also told me to pack light before she remembered that weight doesn't bother me, silly sister.

I climbed up the few stairs before entering Alaric's apartment without knocking. I could hear them talking inside, I knew that it was safe to enter. "What's the plan?" I asked as soon as I stepped foot inside the closed walls.

"We hike up smoky mountains until we find a sign of Stefan." Elena answered shortly.

I looked between Ric and Elena before scoffing, "That's it? That's the grand plan?"

"You got a better idea?" Elena asked raising her eyebrows.

"Your idea is going to get us killed." I shook my head. "And if the werewolves don't kill us, then Damon surely will." I had promised not to speak a word of this to Damon, but I may or may not have given him a hint or two about talking to Ric about this whole thing. I couldn't break my sister's promise, Ric on the other hand didn't promise shit.

"Damon doesn't have to know." Elena shrugged as she got up from the couch. "Are we ready to go? We have to make it out of there before the sun sets."

I sighed as Ric and I shared a look, "Yeah, let's go."

"In a couple hours, the full moon's gonna rise just above that ridge. If Tyler's right, that's where the pack will be." Alaric pointed towards the distance as we came to a stop next to the running river. "Can you sense anything, Raegan?"

"I'm not a dog, Ric." I shook my head before stopping, "Never mind."

"You were a boys scout, weren't you?" Elena laughed over at Alaric.

"Shut up." Alaric sniffed back at Elena.

"Boy scout slash vampire slayer." I cracked a joke over at Ric while giggling along with Elena.

We started moving again, "Slash whiskey-drinking-all-around lost cause." Ric finished before opening up his bag as we paused once again. I could hear something moving in the distance but I didn't feel any sort of threat so I shrugged it off my shoulders as I turned towards the running water.

"Wow, you came stocked." Elena said probably looking down at Ric's bag of weapons. I didn't bother bringing any, I had claws and teeth and that's all that I needed for my weapons.

"Well, we aren't exactly bird-watching." Alaric said sarcastically back at Elena. I snorted under my breath listening into their conversation. "Here." I turned my head to see Ric giving Elena what looked to be a vervain grenade. I appreciated what he was doing, because if Ric and I were tied up and couldn't protect her, at least she had something to help herself with. "Put that in your bag."

"Vervain grenade?" Elena questioned as she grabbed the item from his hands.

"Wolfsbane." Ric corrected, glancing over at me quickly. I wasn't all too bothered by it, I trusted that Elena wouldn't be stupid to set it off.

"Well, since we're exchanging gifts-" Elena paused as she grabbed a small object out of her pocket. I already knew that it was the Gilbert ring. I remember having a conversation about it with Elena a while back.

Neither I nor Elena would be able to use it, me being a vampire/werewolf, and Elena being a doppelganger- which is still a supernatural occurance- it wouldn't work on either of us. Jeremy already had one, so the next best person to use it was Ric.

"That's John Gilbert's ring." Alaric said pointing at it quickly.

"It was once yours." I pointed out as I turned my head back towards the river.

"Go ahead." Elena said still holding out her hand. "Take it. It'll protect you from any supernatural danger we're about to get ourselves into."

"He gave it to you." Ric replied dumbly.

Elena sighed, "Yeah, but I'm a doppelganger, it's not going to work on me. He left it for if I ever had kids."

"Yeah, well then why don't you save it for future generations of stubborn relentless baby Gilberts?" Ric joked but he was really just trying to let Elena keep the ring, but she already had her mind set on giving it to Ric.

"Okay, how about you borrow it until after we survive this? I'd feel bad if I got you killed before happy hour." I snorted at Elena's joking tone. I heard Ric also snort before he took the ring- finally.

Elena came up next to me as she started pulling off her over-shirt. "I don't know why you think that you're a lost cause." Elena shook her head and I realized what sound I was hearing before it was too late.

I felt the scream escape my lungs as I went air born into the air and splashed into the water. I resurfaced quickly as I looked to who threw me- and Elena- into the water. A pair of blue eyes were narrowed looking over at me and my sister.

"Damon!" Elena gasped as she also looked up at my arrogant boyfriend. "How are you even here?"

"Thanks for the tip, brother." Damon looked back at Ric and I shook my head as I tried to ring out my wet hair.

"You sold us out." Elena shook her head as she pointed from me to her and back.

"You think I'd take you to a mountain range of werewolves on a full moon and not call for back up?" Ric called out to me and Elena as we sat in the water, not moving.

Damon nodded his head at the both of us. "Get out of the water."

I sighed as I climbed up the slight hill before Damon reached down and grabbed my hand. He winked at me as I stood up to my full height. I gave him a little smile before walking over to Alaric. "I thought I was back up?" I asked with a joking pout.

He just shook his head at me.

I looked back to see Damon and Elena arguing- per usual. "If I get out of the water, you're gonna make me go home." Elena pointed out stubbornly.

"Yes, because I'm not an idiot like you two." Damon gave me a once over as his sentence ended. I rolled my eyes but decided to keep my mouth shut.

"Right now, you're both acting like idiots." Alaric said from behind us all. I snorted quietly under my breath.

Elena shook her head, "You gave up on him, Damon."

Damon sneered as he started walking towards Elena, "I didn't give up on him, Elena. I faced reality. Now get out of the water."

Elena crossed her arms, "No!".

"What's your big plan, Elena? Huh?" Damon jumped into the water to get Elena out of the water. I just shook my head at both of them before focusing on trying to dry my clothes off. I knew that I should of brought more clothes with me.

"You're gonna walk into a campsite full of werewolves roast a marshmallow and wait for Stefan to stop by?" Damon finished as he stopped right in front of Elena.

"My plan is to find him and help him." Elena said calmly. I didn't blame her for wanting to help Stefan. If the situation was reversed, I would definitely walk stupidly into a death trap if it meant that I had a chance of helping Damon out. I wouldn't think twice about it. "Damon, this is the closest that we've been to him since he left. I'm not going home."

I cringed as I thought about the other night and how Damon and I got even closer to Stefan than we were now. He definitely didn't look or act like the same Stefan that we've all come to know and love. Klaus definitely got to him somehow.

"Klaus thinks you died when he broke the curse, that makes you safe. This? This is not safe." Damon shook his head.

"I'm not leaving before we find him."

"It's a full moon tonight, Elena."

"Then we'll find him before then."

It was silent for the most part, except for the running water as we all thought about what the argument was all about. I think Damon's resolve was starting to wear thin.

"Damon, please." Elena got down to begging as she looked up at him.

"Damon..." I called out to him, "You know you would do the same if it were me out there."

Damon shook his head as he sighed loudly, "Okay. Okay." Damon agreed, making Elena's eyes perk up, but Damon wasn't finished, "But we are out of here before the moon is full. And I'm werewolf bait."

"I promise." Elena nodded.

"Unless either one of you want to relive that deathbed-loving thing." Damon looked back at me and I shook my head quickly.

"Let's not." I muttered under my breath.

"I said I promise." Elena repeated.

"Fine." Damon sneered.

They both finally got out of the water and I helped Elena up and over the small hill. Even though, I helped Elena with her side of the argument, I couldn't help but think that something was going to happen soon.

"How you doing?" Damon asked for the millionth time as we hiked further up the hill.

"Fine." Elena answered this time around, since I answered the last time.

"You know, I could help you." Damon pointed out cockily. I sneered before throwing him my backpack.

"Here, Mr. Helpful."

Damon rolled his eyes at my dramatics before placing the bag over his shoulder. I sighed happily as I didn't have to carry anything anymore- even if the weight didn't bother me.

"What are you guys, 12?" Alaric asked as he started getting sick and tired of our bickering.

"Yes." I said at the same time Damon said, "No." Alaric shook his head at the both of us before sighing.

"We got about a mile left." Alaric mentioned as I stepped over a pointy rock.

"Sweeeet." I mumbled under my breath.

"The sun's about to set." Damon pointed out, I could tell that he was just getting nervous about the whole thing. He didn't want another werewolf accident to happen- neither of us did.

"I can see that, Damon." Elena sighed back at my boyfriend.

"I'm just saying." Damon shrugged.

I butted in, "The moon doesn't reach it's apex for a while."

"We have time." Elena agreed.

I stopped as I heard moving in the distance, this time I did feel a threat coming our way. "Damon." I called out quietly as I listened carefully. Whoever it was, was moving fast and they didn't care who heard them.

Another twig snapped as we all looked up as a very familiar face appeared out of the bushes. I looked at Ray Sutton, the guy that I met the other night with Klaus. Really the other difference was that he now had blood come out of his eyes and mouth. Whatever happened to him, happened recently. Plus this meant that Klaus and Stefan really were on this mountain with us.

Ray looked up at us as Alaric held up his gun to shoot him, "Stay where you are." Alaric warned the newcomer.

Ray took a big breath in as he looked at Damon and I, "Vampire." He ran straight for Damon, but not before pushing me out of the way with his teeth. I snarled as I looked down at my arm before it started to heel slowly- and painfully. I ignored the pain as I grabbed the werewolf off of Damon and threw him onto the ground as a wolfbane grenade was thrown.

I jumped out of the way before I could get hit with the poison.

Ray screamed as the wolfsbane hit him in the face before Damon slammed his foot into his head roughly. We all looked down at the unmoving werewolf before Ric spoke up, "Let me guess: Hybrid."

I nodded my head before walking over to my bag and grabbing ropes. I turned around to the rest of the group and threw the ropes down, "Better start tying him up."

Elena came over to me as Damon was busy tying Ray up against the tree. "How is your arm?" Elena asked as she looked down at the- now- pink scar. I shrugged my shoulders aloofly.

"It only hurt for the first few minutes." I looked down at the new scar, "I didn't even realized that it healed the rest of the way before you said anything."

"I'm just glad that the bite didn't affect you like regular vampires." Elena sighed calmly.

I smirked humorlessly at her, "I'm not a regular vampire, Elena."

She nodded her head before turning back to what she was doing before.

I looked over at Damon and Ric to see that they had Ray tied up, but it wasn't going to last. "Those ropes aren't going to hold him." I pointed out softly.

"What else do we have?" Damon asked looking at the unconscious body.

"Ric, here." Elena said holding out ropes soaked full of vervain, I could smell it strongly.

Damon reached out his hand and before I could tell him to stop, he yelped as his hand burned from the vervain. Elena looked up at Damon surprised, "I said Ric!"

Ric finally grabbed the ropes, "Let me see." He started tying them up around Ray. "Alright, that's the last of the vervain. We don't have enough stuff to hold him." Ric backed away from Ray. "I don't think we're gonna make that ridge before the full moon."

"If we can get him to talk, we don't have to." Elena said stepping forward towards Ray.

"Elena, watch yourself." I warned lowly. I didn't need anything happening to her while we were out here.

Before Elena could touch Ray's face, he woke up with a start. We all watched as Ray started turning right in front of our eyes. I felt my eyes widen as I realized that he really was turning into a hybrid.

"Guys, we need to get out of here." I pointed out loudly. "He's turning."

"But the moon's not even out?" Ric said looking back at me.

"It doesn't need to be." I shook my head as I watched Ray scream out in pain.

I looked over at Damon as he tried to restrain Ray from breaking free of the ropes, "Damon, we need to get out of these mountains!" Elena pointed out as she realized how much in danger we could really be.

Damon snarled at the werewolf but he didn't seem like he wanted to move, "Damon, we have to get out now!" I pushed Damon out of the way as Ray's teeth came very close to were Damon's arm just were. I pushed Damon away from the turning hybrid as we all ran away.

I held onto Damon's hand before I heard Elena fall. We all turned to look at her but I stopped from helping her up as I looked at the werewolf that was standing right in front of her.

"Don't move." Damon shouted out before Elena could get up.

She looked up from the ground and gasped at the hazel colored eyes looking back at her. I looked between Elena and Damon before I called to the wolf, "Here, puppy." I whistled as Ray turned to look at me. He snarled as he smelt the vampire scent. I ran before anyone could tell me not to, knowing that Ray was following in my footsteps.

I could hear Damon and Elena calling out for me, but I kept running until I slammed into a hard body. I looked up at Stefan before looking behind me at Ray.

"You just don't know how to stay away, don't you?" Stefan asked as I looked over my shoulder as Damon came into the clearing.

"Apparently not." I replied quickly as Ray jumped towards me. I grabbed him by the back of the neck before throwing him into the side of the tree. He yelped loudly before jumping from Damon next.

Ray and Damon went tumbling onto the ground as he snapped at Damon. Before I could move any quicker, Stefan ripped Ray's heart out quickly ending his life. I looked down at Ray's heart in Stefan's hand before my eyes locked on Stefan's bite wound on his arm.

"Stefan-"

"I know." He snapped dropping the heart. "Klaus said he would heal me, don't worry about it."

Damon got off the ground as Stefan continued, "What part of 'don't follow me' got lose in translation?"

"You might want to take that up with your girlfriend." I said crossing my arms tightly.

"You don't want her chasing you, I'd stop with the late night phone calls." Damon continued. I looked over at him in wonder, but figured I'd ask him about it later.

Stefan raised his eyebrows at us, "I didn't call her."

"Sure you did." Damon replied. "She's not going to give up on you."

"Well, she has to." Stefan finalized. "Because I'm never coming back. Why don't you get her home?" He looked between Damon and I.

"You're pathetic." I scoffed at Stefan before turning around and walking north, back down the hill. I let Damon and Stefan talk a little bit longer before I felt Damon fall into step by me.

"I didn't like how you let yourself be bait." Damon said quietly looking ahead, not daring to make eye contact with me.

"I did it because I knew that you would if I didn't." I looked straight ahead as we continued to walk on. "Since I'm not affected by the werewolf bite like you, I thought I'd be a better person for bait. Besides you ended up following me anyways."

"Cause I couldn't let you be stupid by yourself." Damon smirked down at me as I gave him a gentle laugh.

I sighed as I finally saw the car up ahead. I couldn't wait to take a nap on the ride home, I needed it badly. "Raegan, Damon." I heard Elena call out to us as we came into eyesight before her and Ric got out of the car. "Are you okay? Did you-"

"Fine, bite-free." Damon said as he pushed Elena back, "Get back in the car, please."

"Can you just give me a minute to appreciate that you two aren't dead?" Elena said as she looked between me and Damon. "I was worried sick thinking that something happened to you both."

"We're okay, Elena. I promise." I smiled softly at her as I squeezed her hand lightly. She gave me a soft smile back before looking back at Damon.

Damon started pushing Elena towards the truck as they both began to argue again. I looked up at the mountain as I felt Stefan's glaze on us. I made eye contact with his momentarily before he disappeared into the dark. I sighed as I followed Damon back to his car so we could go home.

I looked up at Damon as I finished drying off my hair. "What did she say?"

"She agrees that we should keep trying, of course." Damon answered with a shrug. I nodded my head with a small sigh. "You know I was wrong about Stefan. He is save-able."

"I'm glad you changed your mind, babe." I smiled at him as I jumped onto the bed.

"Me too." Damon smirked back at me before pulling me on top of him with a slight growl from his throat and a giggle from mine.

Sorry this sucks and sorry I suck. I have no excuse I've just been having a lot of writers block and I've been very lazy. I really want to try to get back into writing, but I can't promise that it's going to be fast like I used to do it. I will try to do it more often but please don't hate me if it takes a couple of months like this time.

I hope that I haven't lost too many people from ignoring these stories, let me know how you like this chapter. I don't really like it all that much, I didn't have any inspiration going into this chapter. I just needed to get it out so I can move on before I never finish it.

Again, sorry I suck and this chapter sucks.

Much love,
Swim-