Twenty minutes after I managed to get a hold on my wayward emotions, I found myself skulking at the foot of the stairs, perched quietly on the bottom step and still lost in a pit of melancholy thought. My hands had joined themselves together in my lap as I vaguely listened in on the soft chatter emanating through from the kitchen.

"The problem with my dad's normal side of the family is normal made for a really boring summer," Bonnie muttered and I curved one brow, the curiosity swelling before waning just as fast.

Absentee mother... check. Eccentric grandmother… check. On the surface, Bonnie's father may seem normal in comparison but his trait as a workaholic had dampened his concept of family. That was something which Miss Sheila, despite her crazy reputation, had always managed to grasp, up until the very end.

For the first time, I strangely found myself on the same page as the green eyed girl. Normality was unquestionably overrated.

That message, as always, flew straight in and out of Caroline's uncomprehending ears.

"After the last few days, I would kill for a normal family."

"Right now my household seems too normal," Elena stated lowly and I had to crane my head to listen close. "It's like I'm living last year all over again. Jeremy is holing up in his room and every time I go to check in on Kiah, she's either working, sleeping or filling up the pages of her journal. We haven't talked properly in months, I…. I'm getting worried about her..." She laughed once but no amusement tinged her tone. "If this is what normal is supposed to be like, then I don't want it."

"Maybe it's just a phase," Bonnie offered gently. "They've lost a lot, you all have. Maybe this is just their way of dealing."

There was a small silence and I frowned, gazing blankly down at the carpet, lost once again in my mind.

The momentary clatter of pans instrumented through from the kitchen until Caroline's stunned tone broke through the rattle. "Since when did you learn how to cook?"

Elena's muffled response was almost illegible to my ears. "Damon helped a little."

"Damon's helping you cook now?" Bonnie echoed and I smirked, picking up on her masked revulsion.

"Both of you stop judging," Elena argued. "He's just trying to be a good...OW!"

I swiftly leapt to my feet, my heart tumbling through my chest at the sound of her sudden scream. Within seconds, I was entering the fray where chaos had ensued.

"No no, my necklace." My sister was hastily brushing her hair off her shoulders. With a shaking hand, she closed her fingers over the pendent and raised it off her skin. "It burned me," she gasped and I lowered my gaze. At the sight of her flesh singed raw from the metal's touch, my lips twisted into disgust.

Caroline blinked once before she lightly suggested, "Maybe it's a sign you shouldn't be wearing it."

"Caroline..." Bonnie tiredly started but the blonde was quick to defend herself.

"What, I'm just saying. If you're going to be cooking without Stefan."

Elena released a small huff.

"She's not some love struck idiot," I remarked, instantly furrowing my brows. The three of them whipped around, their conversation abruptly put on hold as I tilted my head, scrutinising my sister mildly before contemplating, "Second thought…"

I deliberately left the sentence hanging and Elena scowled but nonetheless, ripped the necklace from her throat. She held it at arm's length. The pendant dangled from the loose chain and I shook my head in disbelief.

My feet started forwards but Bonnie's hand closed on my wrist and yanked me back. With a small hiss, I viciously twisted my arm from her hold but she had already placed herself in front of me. Her tone was strangely distant as she whispered, "Let me see it."

Elena gazed at her for a few moments before her apprehensive eyes rested on mine. When my expression showed nothing except sceptical amusement, she turned to Caroline who cautiously drifted her gaze in my direction before nodding once.

A flash of relief crossed her face. She turned back to Bonnie and extended her arm, the chain swinging lightly in her grip.

The emerald eyed girl paused for a moment, mentally calculating her every move. She carefully leaned forwards and examined the pendent through narrowed eyes. Then coming to a decision, she reached out, her fingers extending. Her thumb had barely brushed the pendant when a loud crackling spark burst through the air.

Bonnie jerked her hand back with a loud gasp and in her shock, the necklace fell from Elena's grasp.

Before I knew what I was doing, my arm reflexively shot out. I deftly caught the pendant before it hit the table.

Elena shouted my name. I could hear the horror in her tone but her words seemed muffled, out of focus. I gazed through unseeing eyes, feeling the faintest of shocks prickling over my skin as I slowly curled my fingers, enclosing the necklace in a tight fist.

The sense of static fizzled out faster than the speed of a gunshot… then there was nothing… nothing except the light feeling of warm metal rapidly cooling down in my palm.

No one spoke. No one moved. The seconds passed by in painful, deafening ticks. When I finally managed to bring myself to look up, my sister, Bonnie and Caroline were all staring unblinkingly back at me. Their mouths were slightly ajar in their silence and I shook myself out of my daze with a small scoff.

With a sharp flick of my wrist, I sent the necklace hurling back in my sister's direction. "Man up," I sneered at her as her hands scrambled out to catch it. "Chemistry one-oh-one, metal heats up around hot substances so since the three of you obviously can't bear the pain of a little static shock, let's just keep it out of the fucking sunlight and away from your boiling bubble of broth, 'kay?"

There was brief pause before Caroline cleared her throat. "Yeah," she chirped her agreement with an assured nod of her head. "Of course Kiah, we promise."

She swiftly rounded the kitchen table and gently took a hold of my wrist. My amber eyes locked with intense sapphire. I didn't have the chance to react.

"And in the meantime," she continued, her black pupils dilating. "You saw and heard nothing."

"I…." I began but as my voice began to waver, Caroline's grip around my wrist tightened. Her concentration never faltered. As she repeated her command, my mind turned hazy. "I saw and heard nothing," I repeated tonelessly.

When Caroline's grip fell lax, I backed away from the three friends. Without another word, I spun round on my heel and exited the room.

Caroline's ears pricked up, zeroing in on my retreat. When she caught the faint slam of my door, she twisted her body back around.

"See what I mean?" she fretted. Elena and Bonnie didn't reply, the two teenagers unable to form a rational explanation as to what they had just seen.

And all the while, in the midst of all the current commotion, the three friends remained utterly unaware that just a handful of states over, another peculiarity had emerged.

Within the bustling city of Chicago, the witch Gloria had collapsed; her ragged breaths evened out as her unconscious body slumped from her seat and crumpled to the ground.

Silence descended over the bar, no one present to observe the witch's bizarre reaction to such a simple locator spell…

No one except two irate original immortals and one apprehensive ripper, all of whom had witnessed the entire perplexing display.

The scene seemed so picturesquely normal on the surface, the sunlight streaming softly over the Lockwood Mansion, picnic tables scattered neatly across the grounds and the delighted chatter which filled the light atmosphere.

Too lost in the joy of yet another annual town get-together, not a single guest noticed the one green eyed girl who was rapidly weaving through the crowds.

Bonnie Bennett's rosy cheeks were flushed from the exertion of heaving her heavy book-loaded satchel over one shoulder. She hurried past the array of tables, heading directly towards a small wooden bench on the outskirts of the vast grounds where her two friends had gathered to await her arrival.

Elena and Caroline's heads shot up at her appearance and Bonnie wasted no time. "Okay, got it," she panted, her chest rising and falling from her strenuous sprint. "I have an identification spell that might be able to tell me what magic affected the necklace."

She dropped onto the bench beside them and wrenched her satchel up. Buckles clicked and leather opened to reveal an ancient worn Grimoire. Bonnie carefully manoeuvred it to her lap then reached out her left hand. Elena quickly dropped the necklace into her open palm.

"It's going to take a while," Bonnie muttered, allowing herself to be submerged in the Wiccan text as she flipped through the spelled pages of her ancestors. "So tell me if anyone's coming, okay?"

Caroline nodded, then unexpectedly blanched. "Hold that thought," she muttered but before the other two could demand a further explanation, the sudden clearing of a throat sounded from behind. The three friends twisted in their seats.

Directly in front of them, an older teenager stood clad in a white apron, a tray of two cocktail glasses balanced perfectly in his left hand. Alight azure eyes briefly scanned over the small slip of paper clutched tightly in his grasp.

"Which one of you is Elena Gilbert?" he queried.

The girls exchanged a baffled glance before Elena spoke up. "Yeah, I mean…" She cleared her throat. "That would be me."

A warm, charismatic smile lit his sun-kissed face. "Compliments from the bar," he announced, swiftly unloading the drinks one at a time and passing them over. "One Virgin Mary and one Devil Cocktail."

"Erm, thank you?" Elena replied. He ran a hand through his tousled copper locks and departed with one last smile. She waited until he had fully dispersed back into the crowds before she muttered, "That was weird."

"Seriously weird but I'm not complaining," Caroline resounded back, cheerfully accepting the drink which Elena passed over. Her lips began to part but they hovered over the straw. A sudden, strange thought had passed through her mind. The blonde drew back, pondering the glass in front of her as she tentatively inquired, "So you're not, like, switching Salvatores, are you?"

Elena choked and the drink burned hot in her throat. "What?" she spluttered.

"Caroline..." Bonnie exasperated but Caroline waved away her concerns.

"Stay focused."

The young witch sighed but resumed to mouth inaudibly through incantation after incantation. Caroline watched her actions for a moment before her body suddenly froze. Her vampire ears had picked up on an approaching heartbeat. She released a low curse under her breath.

"What?" Elena demanded and Caroline just hissed, "He's back."

She whirled around in her seat and the startled azure orbs provided just enough time for Bonnie to once again slam her Grimoire shut.

"Can't you see that we're trying to have a private conversation here?" Caroline growled, setting her cocktail glass to one side while she eyed the tray he was carrying with distrust. "Who even is this complimentor?"

"Hey, I'm just doing my job," the waiter calmly replied. "I don't take the orders, I just serve them." Then ignoring their protests, he thrust the drinks into their reluctant grasps. "So this time we've got one Eye Candy and one Flirtini. Do enjoy."

Caroline matched his departing grin with a false one of her own. Once she was certain his scent was far from reach, she narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "Is somebody having us on?"

"No," Elena denied, her tone falling into one of resignation. She passed one of the cocktails over to Bonnie who set it down on the ground so she could open her Grimoire once more. "This has my sister written all over it."

"What makes you think that?" Bonnie wondered and Elena sighed.

"The Devil's Cocktail and Flirtini represent Damon, the other two symbolise Stefan." Her jaw tightened as she continued to explain, "Kiah's trying to be funny. She thinks I'm in love with both of them so she's trying to make me choose."

Bonnie paused in her research to pick up her cocktail. She sipped idly but curiosity got the best of her. "Are you?" she questioned and Elena paled.

"What?" she stuttered. Bonnie just sighed and returned to the archaic text, allowing Caroline to take over.

"As your friends, who worry for you daily, what is the deal with you and Damon?"

"There is no deal." Elena hesitated for a short second before hastily adding, "He's been just as focused on finding Stefan as I have."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make him any less Damon," Caroline retorted, the fact of her words falling short and simple. "If my own father, who I love dearly, can't change me, no one's changing Damon." She shook her head once. "Not even you."

"Look, why are we even talking about this?" Elena protested but a deep voice immediately interjected.

"Order for Elena Gilbert?"

"Oh, for God's sake," Caroline muttered but her ire quickly became inquisitiveness when the waiter passed over a single drink.

Elena tentatively took it from his hands yet when he made a move to leave, she immediately stopped him in his tracks. "Wait," she called and he slowly turned back on his heel, his face the picture of immaculate confusion. "What's this one called?"

The waiter's lips twitched. "Pussyfoot," he replied. He whipped back around and strode back down the hill towards the picnic tables, leaving an irate Elena in his wake. The chocolate haired girl slumped back into her seat and Caroline placed a gentle hand on her arm.

"I swear, next time, I'll get rid of him," she declared but Elena thought she could detect a light spark inside the blonde's blue eyes.

"Hey guys," Bonnie suddenly stated, causing the two teenagers to whip around and freeze at the sight before them.

The pendant was levitating directly above her Grimoire, the long piece of silver chain dangling vertically beneath it as it climbed higher and higher into the air.

Little by little, Caroline shifted further away from the floating jewellery. "What are you doing?" she managed to whisper but Bonnie shook her head.

"I'm not doing anything," she murmured back, coming to the horrifying realisation. "It has its own magic."

Without warning, Caroline's ears perked. The faint 'thud, thud' of a familiar organ was steadily increasing in volume.

With a soft growl of, "Can't he take a freaking hint?" she swiped the necklace out of the air and shoved it deep inside her pocket. With a speed that almost crossed the boundaries between human and supernatural, she leapt to her feet and snarled, "What?"

The waiter retreated one step, undeterred by the blonde's obvious fury as he passed Elena a receipt. "The first two drinks were complimentary but the last three seem to be ordered from your table."

Elena clenched her fists, slits for eyes directed towards the waiter who had once again turned his back on her, but not before shouting his parting words.

"You can drop the receipt off at the bar when you're ready."

"Remind me to never bet against you." Jeremy chuckled low to himself, his dark irises eager to watch the scene before us go down. As soon we saw the tense figure of my sister springing off the bench, I responded to my twin's high five with a small smile.

"Well, she was the one who made us come to this party of Social Etiquette in the first place so the least she can do is pay for our compliance." To my left, I eyed the waiter swiftly approaching and I muttered, "Speaking of," before making my way towards him. "Cheers, Jake," I said happily. He placed my sister's cash into my open palm and yanked the apron up and over his head with a beam.

"I owed you one. Plus, it's kind of fun to piss off the members of the high society." He tipped his head in farewell. "Till next time, Gilbert," he stated and I sent him a wide grin.

"I look forward to it."

As soon as he vanished back into the mansion, another figure took a stand by my side.

"Friend of yours?" Alaric wondered, nodding towards the doors which had closed behind Jake's retreating form.

"We make bets and owe each other favours," I explained as we both strode down the mansion steps and onto the grounds. "For example…" I gestured to the dozens of casserole dishes spread across the buffet tables. "Wanna try your hand at a game of Chili Roulette? Spice things up a little, so to speak?"

"I already feel like I'm going to regret this," Alaric muttered but his mouth tilted up slightly. He followed my lead and swiped up a spoon. I twirled the cutlery between my fingers, my amber eyes sparking.

"It's simple really, teach. Whoever picks the most repulsive dish faces the forfeit."

Rising to the challenge, Alaric dipped his spoon into the first dish and hesitated for a second, preparing to sample. The chilli slipped past his lips and he swallowed it down with relief.

I nodded my approval before internally calculating my move, all the while ensuring that I avoided one specific ceramic dish in particular.

"So," Alaric spoke as I chewed. "I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now." Crease lines formed on his forehead. "You're still alright with me crashing at your place, aren't you?" he asked and I answered with one large swallow.

"Think you're a couple of months too late for us to be having this conversation, Ric."

Alaric awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "I know and I should have talked to you sooner… I er… knew what it did to you when I left."

"You were gone four whole days before you decided to move back in," I gently retaliated. "Talk about turnaround but I highly doubt that it had an impact on my psychosis."

But Alaric didn't rise to my elusive taunts. He rounded the buffet table and came to a resolute halt before me. "Don't you want to know why I came back?" he questioned and I looked into his eyes, carefully reading his sincerity. I took my time in formulating a neutral response.

"I'm sure an Elena-shaped explanation is behind it." My fingers tapped mildly against the tablecloth and I chewed the inside of my cheek before impulsively blurting, "But consider me curious, what did she do? Connect us all together in our apparent grief and loneliness?"

Alaric faintly smiled. "That mostly sums it all up, yeah." He trailed off and when he next spoke, his voice was soft. "But she was right, Kiah." He placed a hand on my arm and my body stilled. His touch drew my gaze and I stared blankly at the appendage like some foreign object. "So if you ever need someone to talk to…"

I instantly shrugged away his comfort and raised a single hand. "Okay, hold it right there, I know where this is going. I appreciate your concern Ric, really, I do and maybe if you had told me all this a while back I would have accepted your offer… but the thing is… I don't need to talk anymore… I'm okay." At his mistrust, I stepped forwards and gently stated, "I suppose you are right, we have lost so much… but back then… I didn't have my sister, or my twin, or even you to hold me by the hand and help me through…"

I looked away from his probing gaze and through a soft, reminiscent smile, I whispered, "When the time came, I managed to get up and survive… and I managed it all by myself."

Thoughtful, Alaric stepped back and dipped his spoon into the chili bowl beside him. He raised it to his mouth. The food passed his lips and his body instantly stilled.

"Hmm," I mused as his face scrunched up in disgust. "Looks like you're paying our takeouts for the next three months… that dish was my sister's fabulous creation."

All Alaric's confusion was replaced with shocked realisation.

"You knew," he accused, forcing down a swallow and I rocked back on my heels with a sly grin.

"Well I needed a way to get you on board," I explained before curling my lips further and firing off the innocent question. "Do you honestly think you can survive three months of that?"

Alaric opened his mouth and closed it again. His shoulders slumped, signifying his surrender. "I think you've made your point."

The topic of our question suddenly came into view, approaching us fast and I greeted her with dramatic exultance.

"Elenaaa," I chirped. "How are you on this lovely, sunny afternoon? Hope you've found the Lockwood refreshments up to par. Dehydration is no joke, you know."

Elena didn't find the humour in my statement. "You and I are going to be having words," she threatened and I met her anger with a sneer.

"I can hardly wait."

Elena began to retaliate but Alaric swiftly stepped between us, effectively cutting off the bubbling argument in its tracks. "Please tell me it's time to go," he begged and Elena sighed.

"Beyond." Chocolate eyes then scanned the room. "Where's Damon?" she wondered.

"Probably off somewhere doing bad things to good people." Caroline joined our group and when Elena turned her back on us to continue searching for the raven haired Salvatore, the blonde continued, "Consider me the honesty police."

"She's right, why the hell should we care?" I challenged before grumbling under my breath, "I for one could use a reprieve from him breathing down our necks every five seconds."

Elena whirled around on her heel. "And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded but I didn't answer. My attention had diverted and my eyebrows had lowered, watching as Caroline came to a swift standstill.

The blonde jerked herself back, away from the hallway and Elena's ire was gone in an instant.

"What is it?" she whispered. Alaric turned, his attention caught.

"What's the matter?" he murmured and Caroline's body began to tremble.

"It's my dad," she stammered and I frowned, the faintest trace of worry flooding through me at the bizarre sight of her pristinely perfect composure which was rapidly falling apart at the seams.

Elena shoved past me to take her quivering hands, her expression one of utter repugnance whilst she glared in the direction which Caroline had fled from. "Why would he even show up here?" she hissed and Caroline shook her head, her face paling with every passing moment.

"I don't know. But…" Her voice cracked with a fearful squeak. "I can't..."

"I know," Elena reassured her. "I'll call you later."

A single tear streaked down the blonde's cheek. She fled towards the stairs, ascending quickly and disappearing from sight.

I watched that space for a few seconds longer, then taking a brief scan of my sister, ensuring that she was too engrossed in her huddled conversation with Alaric, I quietly slipped off towards the hallway, my eyes sparking out their anger.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Alaric muttered to Elena who looked up at him, her chocolate orbs clouded with rage.

"Speaking of doing bad things to good people..." She left the sentence hanging, finally realising that the commentary around her was too silent. Her brows furrowed and she quickly spun on her heel before releasing a loud groan. "Where has she gone now?" she muttered darkly.

Her steps hastened through the mansion, beginning her frantic search with Alaric following swiftly at her heels.

He had excused himself from the council and followed me… just like I expected him too. I stood at the far corner of the empty room when he entered, my head tipped back, casually admiring the clusters of paintings which hung from the mocha walls.

My body never reacted when the door closed with a soft click not a minute later and as the seconds ticked on, a cold silence descended. Yet I continued to examine the walls, playing the picture of ignorance, refusing to acknowledge his presence until he made it so.

"Kiannah Gilbert." He greeted me cordially but his voice was cold, signifying that his short tether of patience had finally come to a snap. "Last time I saw you were in pigtails. Running around after that Lockwood boy."

"William Forbes," I drawled back. "And so the prodigal father returns." I finally spun around on my heel to face him. "Last time I saw you, your own daughter hadn't been the type to run, come hell or high water, at the mere mention of your name."

His lips thinned and I tapped my forefinger to my chin as I took one calculating step forwards.

"Come to think of it, you also hadn't left your wife all high and dry, just so you could jump into bed with another man." A leer curled my lips. I watched the bulging vein pulsate inside his temple avidly. "By the way, how is Steven? I'm guessing those brain cells of his are still taking a long ass time to recover cause let's be frank here, only someone so foolish would continue to play the ever so doting partner."

He never made a single move and I clenched my teeth, tired of all my failed declarations.

"If that wasn't clear enough I despise people who are unfaithful to those they claim to love." I sent him a mock salute as I swept past him and approached the door. "Enjoy the party alone."

"Do you know what vervain is, Kiah?" he called me back and my hand paused over the door handle. "Legend has it that our ancestors, the founding families, used to ingest the herb to prevent any influence from outside forces. Forces which were… unnatural… so to speak."

"So our ancestors were diagnosed with a case of psycho superstition," I muttered and yet, despite my outward denial, my heart was racing. "Doesn't prove anything."

"And yet your friends and family have been taking the exact same herb. Everyone except for you." I drew my hand back to my side and slowly retreated from the door as he questioned, "I wonder… why exactly, do you think that is?"

I turned back around to face him, ensuring that my feelings remained perfectly composed. Because I knew that even igniting the tiniest spark of hope could be dangerous.

Because if I allowed myself to believe, for even a single second, that the stories and the myths about the vampires could even be true… that the dreams I had experienced for the past year were not just some senseless longing for someone to understand… only for that very belief to shatter when this small shred of proof of the supernatural turned out to be nothing but a lie…

It would break me.

"Why are you even back in town, Bill?" I said, resigned. "What the hell do you want?"

He moved towards me, his hand gesturing wildly to the space around us. "I want you to see the truth, Kiah," he urged. "The town is no longer ours. It belongs to the monsters which infest it. It's our job to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, to ensure that we put a stop to this plague…"

He calmed his rant and sighed as he crossed over to the corner table. I warily watched him pour out a drink and he took a small sip from the glass, his sharp gaze never leaving mine.

"It's what your father would have wanted."

It was a low blow, reminding me once again of all the loss and the grief which I had been fighting so hard to overcome.

When I raised my head to acknowledge his desperation, I carelessly recalled, "Well you know what they say about our ancestors… batshit crazy then, batshit crazy now."

The door was suddenly flung open and a familiar voice began to drawl.

"She does have a point."

Damon Salvatore was immediately by my side, his cold eyes narrowed in on the Forbes patriarch with distain.

"Is that scotch?" He shrugged. "I figured you for an abstainer."

"Everything in moderation," Bill solemnly replied. "Keeps the mind clear from...influence."

"Yeah yeah, I heard your little recruitment offer. Go team presentation! But I can guarantee that baby Gilbert will like mine better."

Before I could respond, his hand had fisted in my hair, yanking my head up to meet his black ice stare. "Forget your conversation with Bill Forbes, he called you in here to talk and you shot him down, that is all."

I struggled in his hold in a desperate blind panic, fighting off thick clouds which were beginning to overpower my brain.

Damon dragged his gaze away from me to regard Bill with disappointment. "Threatening to out me? With her?" He tutted. "Low blow."

But the Forbes patriarch wasn't listening.

"So it's true." I could vaguely hear his curious tone as the raven haired Salvatore's words steadily settled all around me until it was all I could think about it. "She is combating it. That is interesting."

"Mhmmm." Damon hummed before finally releasing me. I stumbled and threw out my hand, bracing my palm against the nearest wall for balance. "Although just to be certain…"

A white hot pain burst through my head. I barely heard my own ear-wrenching screams. Daggers of agony flared through my brain; it ripped into my vision, tore it apart until all that was left was utter darkness.

The world around me began to tilt sideways and as I swam in a sea of numbness, muffled voice waves sounded around me, threatening to drown me within the wrathful tones of furious hurt.

"- wake up with one hell of a headache, though."

"You can't do this anymore, Damon. Not in this town. Not around me."

"I'm not Stefan. Why don't you stop trying to turn me into him?"

"Come on Kiah, don't do this… wake up!"

My body lurched forwards and hands quickly shot out to steady my violent sways as a sharp cry of tore from my lips.

"Easy." The soothing voice of my twin cautioned me and I whimpered, my body trembling in agony.

The splitting sensation of an ice pick was drilling its way through the base of my skull and cutting off all coordination. With its next attack, I gritted my teeth to hold back another cry and forced my way through the darkness until my eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey there," he murmured, his blurry face sharpening into view.

"Jeremy," I croaked and he weakly smiled, his relief paramount as he lowered me gently back down onto the bed. I blinked sluggishly at the familiar bedroom walls which came into view. "What… what happened?"

"You tell me," he quietly challenged and I frowned, struggling to sort through my most recent hazy memories

"Bill Forbes… he cornered me, said he wanted to talk but I shot him down… and then… there's nothing." My fingers curled over my covers as I stammered, "Please tell me I crashed into Elena's chili dish, it'll make me feel so much better about this goddam headache."

Jeremy looked away from me with a short laugh but his eyes seemed oddly distant. "Think it was the Lockwood steps," he responded and I groaned.

"Fucking hell." My sluggish gaze moved to the ceiling. "You can go now, I don't need my twin to play babysitter on me."

His concerned look fell back onto me. "You sure?"

"I'm okay," I replied but when he made no move to leave, I added, "Really."

Jeremy rose from the edge of my bed and reluctantly began to approach my bedroom door yet he hadn't made it two steps before he turned back around.

"Kiah," he started, clearing his throat. "If you ever need someone, I'm here. I'm always here. You know that."

"That's the thing Jer," I mumbled, my eyelids beginning to close. "I don't know that. Not anymore."

There was a small silence.

"You're wrong," he whispered and I snorted softly.

"Okay, then prove it. Prove to me that I'm not going crazy, that there is a completely justifiable reason behind why you all just suddenly decided to shut me out. Let me in, because whatever it is I can handle it. Because I just want answers, Jer." My voice cracked and water stung behind my closed eyelids. "What are you all keeping from me?"

I waited and waited in the quietness, hoping against hope that he would finally cave and confide in me the way we used to.

But the sound of shuffling feet became fainter and fainter.

When the door softly closed, I had received my answer.

"That's what I thought," I murmured, blinking back my burning gaze, forcing back the tears which threatened to leak through.

This time, I refused to break.

This time, I managed to succeed.

"I'm not gonna say I told you so."

Elena glanced over at her blonde friend, watching in apprehension for any subtle hint which would give away what she was truly thinking. When she found no deceit in Caroline's unwavering air, she let out a small exhale of relief.

"Thank you."

A brief, calm silence descended between the two friends.

"But I did tell you," Caroline declared and Elena closed her eyes, her fingers curling reflexively over her bag strap, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she had been dreading for the past couple of days.

"Okay, you and Damon were both right," she reluctantly admitted, focusing on her own footsteps instead of the judgement which she knew would be passing over Caroline's face. "I was trying to change him," she continued before she jutted out her chin, pushing forth her resolution as she stated, "but if he wants to be in my life…"

"What? Wait," Caroline began, her nose crinkling and her strides faltering.

Elena paused for the smallest of seconds then turned around to face her. With surprise coating her doe-eyed features, she silently watched the blonde tilt back her head and drift into deep thought.

"I er…" Caroline started then clamped her lips shut.

Elena raised a brow, watching her friend swiftly raise and lower her hands in an effort to conceal her aggravation. But the blonde vampire could no longer hold back her tongue in favour of protecting the brunette's feelings.

"It's been a long week so I'm just going to be blunt," she blurted. "It doesn't matter what he does, Damon's gotten under your skin."

"That's not true," Elena reflexively denied, unable to stop her impassive laugh of denial and Caroline threw up her hands to cover her face.

"God, just admit it, Elena, okay?" she implored, her blood boiling out her exasperation through her pores at the sight of Elena's strange smile. "Even Kiah's seen it and she's been pointing it out to all of us for the past week and we've just been too worried to confront you about it."

Elena turned her head, gazing blankly to the right, letting Caroline's words wash through her mind.

"You are attracted to him!" the blonde exclaimed. "In all of his bad brother glory!"

"No," Elena whispered, her smile now gone and Caroline's rant stopped short.

"Wait." She tilted her head to one side as she accused, "No, you're not attracted to him, or no, you just won't admit it?"

"I can't, Caroline!" Elena burst out, her voice cracking from the pressure which she could finally release. The forbidden thoughts she didn't dare approach, the guilt for her despicable feelings which were creeping through and drowning her more and more with each passing day.

Caroline blanched at her exclamation but Elena couldn't bring herself to stop. The dam had broken and tears now welled at the rims of her eyes.

"After everything he has done in the past, to you," Caroline flinched but Elena pressed on. "to Jeremy, to Kiah… to me." She shook her head and looked down. "If I admit it," she murmured. "If I even thought it, for just a second..." She hesitantly glanced back up as she quietly finished "What does that say about me?"

And with that, all Caroline's anger faded. All that was left was understanding. "It says you're human, Elena," she breathed and Elena gazed at her, her chocolate eyes wide as they begged so desperately for her help.

"What do I do?" she uttered and Caroline smiled. Yet her tone was sad.

"You don't need me to tell you that."

Elena drew her lower lip between her teeth, already realising the underlying truth behind the words. "I can't talk to her, Caroline," she murmured, unable to even consider going down that road.

"Yes, you can," Caroline adamantly urged. "You're sisters. You two used to know each other better than everybody else."

"But that's the problem, Care!" Elena protested, her voice croaking from her pain. "I don't know who she even is anymore!" She sighed and her shoulders slumped before she admitted, "I'm not so sure I ever did."

"Look." Caroline drew in a deep breath. "I get it, after everything we have been through, I get that you want to protect her, the way you weren't, from all the trauma she would have to endure should she ever discover the truth. But she deserves something more from you Elena and as annoying and frustrating as she can be, isolating her out isn't the right way to go."

Although Elena continued to gnaw on her lip, Caroline could see her resolve breaking and confidently persisted.

"If you want to spare her the gory, unnatural details then fine but what you're feeling Elena, has nothing to do with the supernatural." She brushed a stray blonde curl behind her ear, scanning over the town as she advised, "Tell her that part at least because once you get past that reckless and insensitive front she's putting on, she always knows what to say."

In her confliction, Elena couldn't bring herself to reply and Caroline's voice softened as she drew her forlorn gaze back to her.

"I know you're concerned about her Elena but once the two of you talk you might realise that maybe, just maybe, she needs help too and trust me, confiding in her about what you feel for Damon is this is the best way for you to get her to open up. So you can both move forward as two sisters." Caroline finished off her speech with a sigh. "A family."

A familiar scent suddenly caught her attention and her focus whipped to one side, honing in on the familiar figure heading towards the parking lot.

Elena followed her line of direction. "Speaking of family," she uttered, her brow furrowed with worry. "Do you need me to...?"

"No, I got it," Caroline exhaled, placing her hand gently on the brunette's arm. "Think about what I said," she muttered before gathering up her courage. When her father finally noticed her presence, the blonde vampire steadily approached him, her shoulders back and her head held high.

All the while, Elena was left standing alone in the middle of the street. Her body still... her thoughts a blur.

It was not a situation they had ever come across in the entire history of the town and yet here they all were: two self-respecting women against one insanely passionate man. A man who was not of the founding families, a man who was not part of the council… but a man nonetheless… a man fighting hard for his voice to be heard.

Elizabeth Forbes exchanged a glance with Carol Lockwood before turning back to the adamant figure sat straight-backed on the sofa across from her. "I understand where you're coming from," she said, ensuring her tone remained as understanding as possible. "But..."

Alaric Saltzman impassively cut across the rest of her sentence.

"The Gilbert family is a founding family and they deserve to have a voice on the council." He leaned forwards, his hands clenched tight together in his lap as he professed, "I'm taking care of them, I should be that voice."

Carol uncrossed her arms and brushed a trace of lint from her skirt before taking a seat on the plush armchair beside Liz. The two providing a united front in upholding the values of the council. "That's not the way it works, Mr. Saltzman," she stated.

"Oh, really?" Alaric counteracted. His voice wavered before rising steadily with his hot anger, his dedication to protect the people he cared for. "Well, then tell me how it does. The council's job is to protect the people of this town."

Carol's lips pursed yet Alaric never faltered as he gestured to each woman in turn. "Now your daughter's a vampire and your son's a werewolf. So who's looking after the actual people?"

Liz looked to Carol, the first uncertainty passing over their eyes and Alaric nodded to himself as he implored, "Some of them may be family or friends, but they are still supernatural. They don't follow our rules or our laws, they look after themselves and that's what we need to do." He rose to his feet, glaring down on the silent women as he concluded, "And how can they do that if most of them continue to live in the dark?"

Neither Carol nor Liz could provide an answer. They knew all too well of whom the history teacher in particular was referring to.

"The threat of the unknown puts them in constant danger. They're unable to defend themselves and I refuse to let them die because of it. And that is why I will be the voice in their corner." He nodded his farewell and turned to the door. "I'll see you at the next meeting."

It had made an impact on them both and the two council members mulled over the echo of his words long after his exit.

Because his statement rang true. Supernatural creatures ran the town without regulation or restraint. How long would it take until the next human suffered simply because they lacked the power or immortality to fight back?

The human's needed an unbiased voice and Alaric Saltzman was the prime candidate.

Liz and Carol simultaneously released a guilty breath before finally rising to their feet. Inside their minds they mirrored a single resolute thought.

They needed to do better.

"You know, I hate being stuck in this bloody place."

We were back in the compound tonight, our forms swathed beneath the familiar glow of the gaslights. He stood a fair few feet away, his form twitching, signifying his fury at whatever past family conflict currently tormented his mind.

"I'd be more than happy to swap," I admitted and stepped forwards, hoping to distract him as I eyed the familiar courtyard, from the walls of cracked mortar and decay, to the vines which creeped out from the fractures and swathed the lining of bricks of with uncontrollable tendrils.

"Something's changed," I muttered to myself and out of the corner of my eye, his head turned slightly in my direction. He silently listened while my mind attempted to break apart the complex puzzle which had suddenly presented itself. "It's like I've suddenly been put under this twenty-four-hour scrutiny. So yeah, if I could spend my whole life trapped in here, then I'll damn well be tempted to do it."

"I'd have to disagree with you on that one, this place…" he stopped before biting out, "It's not the most grandest of cities that it makes itself out to be."

"And yet it must have had some impact on you because we still seem to end up here," I murmured, coming to a stop beside him and at the smallest intimacy of my mere presence, his arm instinctively encircled my shoulders, pulling me to his side.

"Yes well, the sense of a family was a little warped." His tone turned scathing as he recounted, "The daggerings, the betrayals, my brothers who chose a common whelp over their own blood to become family. It certainly made an impact."

His gaze then fell onto me, never moving away and when he spoke again, his voice held a sultry trace which caressed my body with goosebumps and warm fire.

"And yet somehow, you being here, makes it seem less of an awful city to return to."

My cheeks tinged to a rosy shade and when my body relaxed against him, he took that as tacit encouragement.

I rested my head on his shoulder as he spoke, avidly recounting the tales of old, how he had helped to build the grandeur that was New Orleans from the ground up.

I had intended to listen, to absorb every detail but without warning, his words turned to mindless sound in my ears, drowned out by a sudden chill. The hairs on the back of my neck began to rise as my stomach turned over with a familiar dark foreboding.

I knew it was there before I saw it… but when I finally gained the courage to turn my head and cast my eyes upon the shadow which had haunted me for the past few months… I couldn't move… I couldn't think.

I just stared unblinking. Goosebumps elevated up through my flesh. The paralysing fear dragged me under and my breaths turned ragged. Spots danced before my eyes as the figure floated forwards. Its black cloak billowed, the silver blade glinting as it rose high.

"Thea."

Ares cautious shout broke through my paralysis and heart lurching, I jerked my head round to face him. His hands skimmed down my arms then curved round my waist.

"You're a twitchy little thing tonight, aren't you love?" he murmured to himself and I blinked up at him before inhaling a breath and turning my head back around.

But there was nothing there. The phantom figure… its glinting blade… it had gone.

"Yeah," I stuttered before clearing my throat before my voice broke, "Yeah no it's just…" A dull pain throbbed through the back of my head and I reflexively raised my hand to briefly force away the discomfort .

Ares watched the action silently and as soon as my arm had lowered, he reached forward to brush my hair over one shoulder. His hand stilled and there was a moment's pause

"Who did this to you?" he demanded quietly with an undertone of sharp ice. He cupped the back of my neck and I winced as his thumb rubbed up and down over the small raised wound. "What happened?"

"Me," I uttered back then reached up, closing my hand over his wrist and stilling his movements. "Clumsiness isn't one of my better traits but it can't be helped." With a shaky laugh, I lowered his arm back to his side.

He studied me for a long moment then without warning, he caught my hand in his own before jerking me forwards. Unprepared for the abrupt momentum, I tripped into arms which enclosed around me, holding tight.

Seconds later we were moving at an impossible speed. My lips parted and my gasp of awe was drowned by the wind brushing past my face, whipping through my hair as he flashed us up the courtyard stairs. The glass doors burst open and we slipped through, entering the main house.

I didn't pay attention to my surroundings when he released me, my wide amber eyes never moving away from the man standing directly in front of me. He backed up with slow steps, sinking down onto the leather sofa aptly placed behind him.

"You ready to come down on me, darling?" Suggestive humour tinged his husky tone and I bit back a smile as I stepped towards him.

"I bet it's not the first time you've used that line."

Once I was within reach, he grasped my hips and lifted me cleanly onto his lap, my legs straddling his thighs. One hand splayed across my lower back, pressing me to him whilst his other palmed the back of my head, gently massaging.

I pressed my face into his throat and moaned low, feeling the pain momentarily fade.

"You know," Ares mused. "One small sip of my blood would have that nasty scratch healed right up."

"Of course, the perks of living the life of Dracula," I drawled back, smirking at my own disbelief. "Flaunting your lightning speed and magical blood can really start to impress a girl."

"And yet you've once again forgotten the most important part." He pulled back to trail his fingertips over his wrist, circling his pulse. I turned my head and hazily followed the movement as he explained, "My blood's extraordinary talent as a natural aphrodisiac. We can have some fun with that particular magic one day."

He tipped up my chin, angling my head. My breath caught. By now, I knew him well enough by now to tell what he was about to do. When his hands closed over my upper thighs, I was quick to grasp his shoulders. He leisurely lowered his head to my pulse which hammered fast against my throat. His teeth sank lightly into the soft flesh, enough to leave a mark.

It took everything I had not to make a sound.

"We'll make it quite the intimate affair," he promised and pressed a light kiss to the indented skin, soothing the slight sting before slowly drawing away.

But I didn't let him retreat far. With my chest still moulded against his, my hands lifted to gently cup his face.

"How can you be so sure that you're real?" I whispered to myself as I gazed softly, my fingertips grazing over the features I would never remember or see. "That one day, you'll walk down my street and I'll see your face and finally know your name."

I shook my head and reluctantly continued, "You say all these certainties Ares and I want to believe you, more than I have ever believed in anything else. But I can't let myself. I… just can't."

My melancholy cut through me, sharper and more painful than any aching injury as I forced myself on. "The only thing I know is the one thing that I fear. That you were only ever just a figment of my imagination and one day, when I fall asleep and come back to this place, you won't be here."

I gently caressed the strong line of his jaw, half-heartedly visualising as I lamented, "You'll be gone… and you'll have left me… just like everybody else."

With a watery smile, my hands fell to his lap and he immediately took them in an inescapable grasp.

"I won't let that happen," he said, speaking his declaration aloud and shocking me into stunned silence. "Because your family is wrong. Because one day I promise I'll prove it to you."

He interlinked our fingers and squeezed them tight.

"Because bottom line, to me, my little dreamer," he murmured as the lights around us began to dim. "You're not someone who is worth leaving."

You're not someone who is worth leaving.

I opened my eyes and my lips parted with a soft sigh.

I was right all those months ago. Ares was different but it wasn't because he was a created figment of a vampire which lived on inside my mind. Nor was it because he played outside the rules of society…

The truth of the matter was, even though I couldn't see his face or know his name, hell even though I couldn't recall the way he sounded after I woke, I still remembered our conversations, our actions, my feelings, his words…

…and his words still had the ability to make me smile.

A shuffled movement started to my right and I jolted at the sound, rapidly jumping back to reality. My gaze slowly rotated towards the far corner of the room where a dim lamplight swathed the round plush armchair to illuminate the expressionless figure which was perched against it.

She sat utterly still, her arms crossed tight and her back ruler straight.

"In parts of the world there are some who would consider this sleep stalking, Elena," I grumbled but when she remained seated, her muscles all frozen in place, I frowned. Curiosity settled over me as I blinked myself fully awake. "Aren't you supposed to getting ready for Prank Night?"

"That can wait Kiah, we need to talk." She withdrew a rectangular object from behind her back and my eyes snapped to it. She rose to her feet, watching impassively as my body stilled. "Care to explain this?"

All it took was one glance and burning ice shot up my spine, heating into a hot searing rage which bubbled into my blood as the cold hard truth of what I was seeing before me erupted violently into my brain.

She knew.

I internally snarled as I eyed the leather bound journal, hanging open in her loose grasp… the source of all my secrets, my feelings, my soul… all of it exposed directly in front of my vicious gaze.

She fucking knew everything.

Oh Elena, what have you done now -_- But Prank Night is coming along with two particular originals...

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and be sure to let me know!

Reviews

RedAro: Ignorance is the worst thing, isn't it? There are a few reasons why Elena decided to keep Kiah in the dark. You'll find out a small part of that reason through both hers and Jeremy's perspective at the end of the prank night chapter! You'll also find out the reason behind Kiah's resistance to compulsion eventually - it will slowly make sense as the story progresses. It's good she has some form of resistance and let's hope that at one point, it will prevent compulsion entirely. There will be hell to pay especially after what Kol comes to realise in the next chapter! Kiah definitely needs someone on her side, doesn't she ;) Hope you liked the update!
Hellish Will: Thank you so much, it really means a lot! Hope you enjoyed the update :)
InfinityMars: Kol is throwing out confessions at the moment isn't he? :D Hope you liked the update!
AnimaQueen: I love writing Kiah's character! Haha, maybe I should give that a watch :D Hope you liked the chapter :)
megforrrrrrd: Hope you liked what happened! Prank night is coming up now and we all know the sorts of trouble that are sure to unravel there! Hopefully soon since a couple of chapters will definitely be combined :)
yasmina1: Kol's and Kiah's confessions definitely hit that spot, don't they. Hope you liked the update and now we're officially onto prank night… :D
Guest 1: We're on a countdown now until Kol wakes up! Can't wait until you read that scene :D
Serelena: Thank you so much, I'm so glad you're enjoying it! We're officially at prank night now and who knows what will go down…
Guest2: It's definitely revolting for sure! Elena's reasons for doing this come to fruition, you get to see one of those reasons at the end of prank night. There is a much larger reason but I am still deliberating on whether you'll get to discover it sooner than 'the Ties That Bind' episode, which is when I originally planned to reveal it in. Jeremy does actually have something to say about it after the prank night episode but at least Caroline and Alaric had the smallest bit to say in this chapter. With what I know, it's definitely selfish on Elena's part in the fact that Kiah should have had a choice in the matter but don't worry, it will all come to a head eventually, especially if Kiah ever resists compulsion in its entirety. This sleep thing does seem like apathy on the surface but without giving too much away, it's linked to Kiah's background and why she is beginning to resist compulsion. Hope you liked the update and enjoy the journey to get answers :D
Rose1414: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it. Kiah does go through a bit and unfortunately it gets worse before it gets better but trust me, when Kol comes into the picture, it will get better ;)
Love . Fiction . 2019: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed the update
xrysatsan: I'm so glad you loved that line, it definitely shows how connected they truly are now. I can't wait until Kol comes into the picture either, it's gonna be good! Hope you liked it.
NicCraft18: I'm so glad you're loving it! Kol is such an easy yet complex character to write but I love it anyway! Kiah's and Kol's relationship with each other has definitely grown with time and I'm so happy I've shown that progression well! Those secrets will definitely come out at one point and who knows what the fallout of that will be… hopefully I can move through the chapters fast so Kol can come back quicker and there will definitely be some episodes which I will merge together, especially since Kiah is still not in the know. But until Kol returns, we have Rebekah and Klaus coming to Mystic Falls next chapter so that's gonna be fun :D Jeremy is not as agreeable to keeping Kiah in the dark as Elena is and we see a bit of that perspective at the end of prank night! Hope you had a wonderful day too and enjoyed the update!
FlowerChild23: Hope you liked the update! Klaus and Rebekah are soon going to meet Kiah but don't worry, I already have Kol and Kiah's official meeting drafted out and I can't wait to get to that point!
EverRose808: Elena is definitely being selfish to a point. She still thinks that her way is the only way and you'll might get all the reasoning behind that at the end of prank night. Hope you liked the update! I'm so glad you're enjoying it :)
Shadowing: A part of her wants to believe but she's also holding back, because if there is the chance that he isn't real, it would probably crush her, so in a way, until she finds concrete proof, she's protecting herself! Hope you liked the update… Klaus and Rebekah are coming… :D
akagami hime chan: Thank you, it means so much :D Kiah is such a joy to write and she and Kol just bounce off each other! Can't wait to post the chapter where they meet in reality :D
justfandomwritings: Haha, aww thank you, it really means a lot that you love what I write! Hope you enjoyed the update :D
Livi: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and Kiah! I've already drafted the scene where they meet in reality and without giving away too much, it's a typical Kiah and Kol situation they find themselves in when Kiah realises that he is actually Ares. My update schedule is sporadic to say the least, especially since I do longer chapters which take more time to write and edit. With five stories that I'm working on altogether, I try to equalise the updates but sometimes one gets priority if a major inspiration for the chapter strikes. Some take longer so I can do it justice! I usually try to update my profile so you can see where I'm up to on each story! Hope that helps :D Prank night is coming ;)
BankaiTensa: Thank you so much, it really means a lot to me! Kiah and Kol are such amazing characters to write. She will be uncovering the pieces, a lot is going to go down but their meeting in reality is already drafted out! I couldn't wait for that chapter to write it but I can't wait for you to read it! Hope you liked the update :D
Guest 3: Neither can I! The situation they find themselves in when they finally meet is typical of their characters for sure and I can't wait for you to read it when it finally occurs! Hope you liked the update :D
Wolcen: Aww I love it! There are so many ways it could go down but I have one drafted and it's gonna be good. The meeting definitely does their relationship justice. But after this chapter you now know that most things pertaining physically to him that could aid in her recognition she forgets when she wakes. His voice is one of those things. All she will know is the type of person that Kol is and when their meeting finally goes down, I'm sure you're going to love it! There definitely will be background faces at one point in that scene so hold onto that :D Hope you enjoyed the update!
Arkytior's Song: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!