Audrey was refusing to let the events of the night before bother her. She avoided Elena as she got ready to leave the house, not wanting to talk to her after their fight. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, honestly. With all the ties she had to original vampires, it should have been obvious to her how her sister and friends would react. Yet, it didn't change anything about how she felt. Rebekah was her friend, and she wasn't going to turn against her for her anyone's approval. Klaus, while still mad at him for snapping her neck, had became her friend over the summer they were away. He treated her like family, and while he had done things Audrey knew she shouldn't forgive, she couldn't hate him. She doubted she ever would. 

   As for Elijah, they were bonded. It was something that was out of her control, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew she wouldn't change anything about it. Since meeting him, all Elijah had done was protect her when others didn't, and made her feel like she was someone's first choice. There was a connection there, one forming before either of them knew about their bond, and it was one Audrey knew she didn't want to lose. Her hand clutched onto her necklace as she thought about, snapping out of her thoughts as she made her way through the busy town square, toward where Caroline and Bonnie where.

   It was the night of illuminations in Mystic Falls, and Alaric had roped all of his history students into helping. Still feeling bad for what happened at the bonfire, Caroline insisted Audrey join her and Bonnie as they helped set up decorations, and refused to take no as answer. The second she joined them, the blonde got her to help hold the ladder still, as Bonnie used to hang some lanterns in the trees.

   "So when you did the spell to send Vicki away, did that get rid of Anna, too?" Caroline asked the Bennett witch. 

   "I wish." Bonnie sighed. "All I did was block the magic that was helping Vicki get a physical foothold here. Jeremy's still got a direct line to the other side, and as long as he wants to see Anna and she wants to see him, she's still here."

   Audrey gave her a sad smile, shaking her head. "He's an idiot." She stated.

   Apparently, Jeremy had died that day Audrey left town with Klaus and Stefan, and Bonnie had been able to bring him back with magic. However, bringing him back had consequences, being that Jeremy was no able to see ghosts on the other side. Mostly, ghosts of those he had a strong connection with, like Anna and Vicki. 

   Caroline looked between the two, her eyes mostly flickering to Bonnie. "Okay, you don't think I can actually resist commenting on that."

   Bonnie simply gave her a look. "There. You commented."

   "Bonnie..."

   "What do you want me to say, Caroline?" Bonnie asked, a defeated look on her face. "I went against the balance of nature when I brought Jeremy back to life, and now I'm paying the consequences."

   "Well, I want you to say you're not okay with it." Caroline stated.

   "Because you have every right not to be okay with it." Audrey added on, giving a small nod of agreement. 

   Bonnie looked between her two friends honestly. "I'm a thousand times not okay with it. I just don't know what to do about it."

   The two looked at her sympathetically, as a familiar blue car pulled up near them, the eldest Salvatore looking at the three girls in turn. "Greetings, Blondie. Little Gilbert. Witchy." His eyes narrowed onto Bonnie. "I think you got your voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan."

   Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you mean? Why?"

   "Because I'm pretty sure I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost." Damon informed them in a dry tone. 

   Caroline looked at him in disbelief. "And why would you think that?"

   "Maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest." Damon mused, giving them a sarcastic smile as he continued. "Let's just say I'm having déjà vu."

   "I think that's called karma." Audrey shot back, before she glanced at Bonnie in confusion. "I thought you said that ghosts couldn't physically interact with people."

   "They can't." The Bennett witch insisted.

   "Yeah, well, I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood." Damon cut in, getting directly to the point. "When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead. Whatever you screwed up, fix it." He ordered firmly, before he pulled away.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Hoping Damon was wrong about it being Mason that tortured him, the three girls left their decorating duties in the town square, and went to go look for Matt. Bonnie had a theory it could be Vicki again, and they knew Matt could give them the answers they needed. Bonnie had told him to send Vicki away, and knowing how hard it could be for him, they all knew there was a chance he never went through with it.

   "I haven't seen Vicki, I swear." The Donovan boy promised. "I sent her back like you told me to."

   "Are you sure?" Bonnie pressed. "Because she has just as much reason to haunt Damon as Mason Lockwood does."

   "She's gone, Bonnie." Matt shook his head. "If she was here, I'd know it."

   Caroline raised a brow. "Why do you think it's Vicki and not Mason?"

   "Because if any ghost other than Vicki Donovan has a physical foothold on our side, then that means Damon's right and something has gone really, really wrong." Bonnie explained, concern and stress running through her eyes. 

   Audrey let out a sigh, glancing at Matt with a sad smile. "You okay?"

   "I've had enough of this ghost stuff to last forever." He answered honestly. "So you guys can leave me out of this one." Just barely giving Audrey a smile back, Matt turned and walked away, leaving the three watching him go sadly. 

   "I feel so bad for him." Caroline said quietly. "It took a lot for him to send his sister away." She glanced at Bonnie, who nodded in agreement, adding on. "So much strength as a man."

   Bonnie simply rolled her eyes. "I've got a ghost problem to deal with, Caroline." She reminded with a sigh. "Save the Jeremy lecture for later." 

   Reaching down, she snatches her bag strap and pulls to pick it up, the lid opening and spilling the contents on the ground. Sighing once again, the Bennett girl reached down to put it away, when her grimoire suddenly blows up, causing her to jump back as it stops on a specific page.

   Audrey looked at it warily. "Okay, did that just...?"

   "I think so." Bonnie said, as she grabbed the grimoire and looks at the page it opened to.

   "Okay, please tell me that's a recipe for witch cookies." The Forbes vampire stated, her voice filled with what they knew was wasted optimism. 

   "It's a manifestation spell." Bonnie read through with a furrowed brow. "It's used to reveal veiled matter."

   "What's veiled matter?" The blonde asked.

   "Ghosts."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "So this is where you brought Jeremy back to life?"

   Caroline and Audrey followed Bonnie down the stairs, as the three made their way into the basement of the old witch house, where Bonnie said she needed to the do the spell. Audrey was wary of the plan, unsure if doing the spell that something magically opened her grimoire onto was a good idea, but Bonnie thought it might help them find a solution to their current problem. 

   "Yeah." Bonnie nodded, as she settled onto a spot on the floor, placing the grimoire down in front of her. "Sorry. I know it's creepy, but we needed a private place around here to do the spell."

   "Hmm." The blonde hummed, unease to her tone. "There's no chance it's haunted by the hundred dead witches who were horrifically burned to death in this very spot, is there?"

   "That's a nice thought..." Audrey trailed off, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked around the basement.

   "They're not here anymore." Bonnie assured the pair. "And they made it clear they were never coming back."

   "Right. You pinkie swear?"

   Bonnie gave her a look, before handing both of them some matches each, getting them to light the candles scattered around as she set up. Neither of them argued, and got to work, Caroline doing one side of the room as Audrey did the other. 

   "Ready." Caroline said after a moment, putting out her match. She turned back around to look at Bonnie. "Do you need us to..." She stopped as she saw Bonnie's eyes were closed in concentration, already chanting the spell to herself. "Right. Okay."

   Audrey moved to stand beside Caroline again, looking around as breeze began to pick up around them. "Should this be happening?"

   "Bonnie, I don't like this..." Caroline began, as everything in the room began to shake, the breeze getting even stronger. "Bonnie." Bonnie ignored them, keeping her concentration on the spell as she continued the incantation, the wind suddenly stopping as someone grabbed her hands. Both Caroline and Audrey stared with wide eyes, both of them instantly recognising the woman now crouched in front of Bonnie. "Oh, my God. Is that your...?"

   "Grams?" Bonnie let out in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she looked at her grandmother, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "I can't believe you're here!"

   Shelia Bennett looked at her softly, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "Now stop your crying, we don't have time for tears." She looks toward Caroline and Audrey. "It's nice to see you again, Caroline. You, too, Audrey."

   "Hi, Miss Shelia." The pair let out in sync, staring in disbelief.

   Shelia looks back at Bonnie. "A fine mess you've made, honey. The witches told you there'd be consequences to bringing Jeremy back and you did it anyway."

   "I didn't have a choice." Bonnie choked out, as she tried to stop her tears. "I love him and I...I couldn't just let him go."

   "I understand." Shelia nodded. "But you cracked open the door to the other side. There's an old witch over here. She took advantage of it. She took advantage of you, honey." She explained to her. "When you did that spell to send Vicki Donovan away, she wedged the door wide open, giving a free pass to anybody with unfinished business." 

   Bonnie slowly nodded, taking the information in. "How do you know this?"

   "Witches talk. Even on the other side. Who do you think makes all the rules?" She asked her.

   "What does the witch want?"

   Shelia's expression morphed into a stern one. "That's Original vampire business, not yours. I don't want you getting in the middle of that." Her eyes flickered back over to Audrey. "And I suggest you stay out of it. Your name is part of the chatter, Audrey. You've got yourself tangled into Original vampire business, and it's dangerous." Audrey stared at her silently, opening her mouth to respond but stopping herself. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. Shelia gave her the same stern look she gave her granddaughter, before turning back to Bonnie. "I'm here because you upset the balance of nature. And it's your duty to set it right. You need to close that door."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   To close the door the old witch had opened, the talisman she was drawing power from needed to be destroyed. The talisman turned out to be Elena's necklace, the one that had once belonged to Rebekah. After Elena told them Damon was the last to have it, the girls made their way to search around the boarding house, after Damon said it was somewhere in his room. Though, they searched everywhere he said it could be, the necklace was still nowhere to be found. 

   Still not ready to talk to her sister, Caroline called Elena when Damon failed to answer, as the Gilbert and Bennett girl continued to look. "Okay, let's just find it first and then we'll choose between boyfriend ghost dramas." Caroline said as she hung up. 

   Bonnie looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

   Caroline looked at her warily, biting her lip. "Um...Lexi's back. So Elena wants us to hold off on destroying the necklace."

   "You said boyfriend ghost dramas. Plural." Bonnie pointed out, giving her a narrowed look. "What is it, Caroline?"

   "Care?" Audrey looked at her, as the blonde remained silent.

   The Forbes girl let out a sigh. "Elena caught Jeremy kissing Anna." She told Bonnie sadly. "I'm sorry."

   Bonnie was silent for a long moment, tears in the corners of her eyes. "He kissed her?"

   "Oh, Jeremy..." Audrey sighed in disappointment, pinching the bridge of her nose.

   "She's got a foothold now, so she probably thinks that she's here to stay." Caroline held her shoulders with a calm look. "But you, me, and Audrey, Bonnie, we're going to find that necklace. Okay? Okay."

   Audrey looked at the heartbroken expression on Bonnie's face, and she struggled to hide the anger she felt toward her little brother. She hoped he'd do the right thing, send Anna away and make things right with Bonnie, instead he just hurt more than he already had. The three went back to searching, checking ever single place possible. Audrey crawled underneath the bed, as Caroline even looked through the soap bowl, Bonnie emptying the chest at the foot of Damon's bed. 

   With a noise of frustration, Caroline tossed the soaps back into the bowl. "Ugh! I give up. It's not anywhere in this room."

   Bonnie says nothing as she checks her phone, which sat vibrating on the drawers. Her face dropped as she saw who it was, giving it away to Caroline and Audrey instantly. Caroline went to answer it for her, but Audrey beat her to it, taking the phone and pressing answer. "What do you want, Jeremy?" She snapped.

   "Audrey? Did you find the necklace?"

   "Not yet." She said, pausing as she heard the tone to his voice. "Wait, what's going on?"

   "Ghosts of the tomb vampires killed Tobias Fell. You might want to find that necklace before they start going alphabetically through the founding families."

   "Well, it's not where it's supposed to be." She told him. A thought came to mind, and she frowned. "Unless someone took it."

   "Who?"

   "Who do you think?"

   Jeremy was silent for a moment. "She said she didn't take it."

   "Oh, and you believe her." Caroline rolled her eyes.

   "You know what, yeah, yeah I do." Jeremy shot back, having heard her comment. 

   "You're smarter than this, Jeremy. Or I thought you were." Audrey snapped, growing annoyed. "You're about to lose everything over this. There's probably something about this I don't understand, but what I do understand right now, is that you're breaking the heart of someone who loves you so much. So buck up, Jer." With that, she hung up, Bonnie looking at her with a small, grateful smile.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Audrey separated from Caroline and Bonnie when they left the boarding house. As the pair went to head back to the witch house, Audrey made her way back into town, looking around for Jeremy. She needed to make sure he was going to do the right thing, and not let what was going on with Anna cloud his judgement. She paused as her phone vibrated, a text from the boy in question appearing on the screen, saying he take the necklace to the witch house. She sent the message along to Caroline, before slipping her phone away into her pocket, looking up to head in the direction of home. 

   "Well, well..." A voice trailed off. Audrey froze as her eyes landed on a man, who stared at her with a smirk. "Audrey Gilbert."

   A sense familiarity flooded through the Gilbert girl, as she stared back at him cautiously. Then it hit her who it was, as two men appeared either side of the guy, all of their eyes glowing yellow. It was the wolves. The ones from Jules pack, the ones Elijah killed the night they attacked her behind the Grill.

   Instantly, she took a step back, making them all chuckle. "Scared? No boyfriend around to protect you this time?" The first wolf continued to ask, his voice a sneer. She swallowed a lump in the back of throat, as she thought back to that night. She could remember the blade he held, the coolness of the metal that he pressed against her neck, seconds away from killing her with it. "We're not here for you this time, princess." His eyes narrowed in on her necklace. "We want that."

   Audrey slowly shook her head, forcing all the fear from her face. She refused to be scared. She wasn't the same girl she was that night they tried to kill her. A lot had changed, and she was going to show that. "You want it?" She asked, standing still and tall as she looked at them. "Come get it!"

   All three of the wolves ran toward her, and Audrey felt a heat on her chest, as the necklace began to glow red. Clenching her fist, she swung and punched the first guy across the face, kicking him hard in the chest so he stumbled back. She then turned to the one on her left, swinging to punch him, pausing for a second as he caught her fist tightly in his hand. She winced as he squeezed, twisting her arm behind her back and pulling her back against his chest. The Gilbert girl lowered her head against her chest, then lifted it back up at a quick force, slamming the back of her head into his nose.

   The wolf let out a scream of pain, dropping his hold on her as he brought his hands up to his nose. "You little bi--"

   Audrey looked confused as he paused, having no time to do anything as a hand grabbed the necklace, yanking it from around her neck. "No!" She yelled, running to try and grab it back, only for the first guy to quickly yank her back.

   "You sure this is what the witch wants?" The other wolf grunted, holding the necklace up tauntingly. 

   "That's it." The one holding Audrey nodded, as he pulled her back against his chest, wrapping a hand tightly around her throat. "You know what to do."

   Audrey's eyes widened as the necklace was dropped to the floor, and the wolf brought his foot up above it, going to stamp on the crystal. And then he disappeared. The hand dropped from around her throat, making her breath deep as she stumbled back, looking around rapidly. But the wolves were gone. Not questioning it, Audrey ran and snatched the necklace up from the ground, latching the necklace back around her neck. 

   Not clocking the small crack on the red crystal. 

I bet you can all guess which witch is up to no good. And while the witch didn't get what they wanted, the necklace is cracked, and I have so many plans. 

We're only five episodes away from Elijah being back, but a lot is going to happen between now and then. I've officially finished University now until October, so I should be able to get back to more frequent updates. There might be another update tonight, if I get the chapter finished. If not, the next chapter will be out at some point tomorrow. 

Oh, and from now on, Alaric is portrayed by Robert Downey Jr in this book. With everything going on with Matt Davis, I hope you understand and respect this change. It's a change that's going to be implemented in all of my TVD fics going forward.

I hope you all enjoyed!