CHAPTER SEVEN

"So, the girl you're in love with is not only dead, but was in love with another man and had two kids with him." Enzo says as he takes a shot at the pool table. "I don't see the appeal of a girl who's in love with someone else."

"Yeah, well, that's because you never met her." Damon tells him.

"Have you ever even kissed this girl?"

"Technically speaking, no."

"What the hell is technically speaking?" He questions as they switch ends at the table.

"I thought I kissed her, and I thought she kissed me back. Turns out it was actually her evil bitch of a doppelganger." He says as he leans over the table. "Then I kissed her — actual her — the night after that, but she didn't kiss me back. That didn't exactly end well."

"That's rough, mate." Enzo says. "I say it's time to move on. Find a new girl."

"Not many out there like her."

"She's just a girl."

"So is your mysterious missing girlfriend, and yet you're still pining after her." Damon argues. "Where the hell is she, anyway?"

"I don't know. The Travelers — I.E. my only lead — decided to play a fun game of spontaneous combustion before giving me what they promised." He tells him.

"Yeah, and now things are all jacked up over here." Nyx says as she looks around at her version of the world on the Other Side. "And I'm talking big time, buddy." She sighs and then goes to find Bonnie.

"Nyx?" Bonnie says, and her eyes widen.

"You can see me?" She asks, and Bonnie nods.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I haven't been able to get through to you. I tried and then it was driving me crazy that I couldn't. I left after Professor Psycho almost turned Elena into a cannibal." She tells her. "I've popped in every now and then, but I could never get you or Jeremy to see me."

"Grams?" She looks behind Nyx, and the ghost turns around.

"Sheila?" Nyx asks, confused.

"Hello, child." She greets Nyx and then looks at her granddaughter. "I heard the Travelers did a number on you last night."

"Did you read that in the Other Side news letter?" She asks. "Why couldn't​ Nyx get through to me or Jeremy?"

"I don't know." Sheila says, shaking her head as Bonnie walks closer to them. "It wasn't​ the witches doing."

"You guys don't look right." She says as she looks between the two ghosts.

"Something's wrong over here, Bonnie."

"Yeah, something changed majorly last night." Nyx says. "It was like I could feel it shake."

Sheila​ nods. "Some of the witches think that the Travelers tried to overwhelm you so that someone could get through."

"As in come back?" Bonnie questions.

"Whoever it is, he's hiding from us, and now this place is—"

There's an odd rumble and it starts to shake again. The three of them look around.

"That wasn't creepy." Bonnie says sarcastically​ and then looks back at her grandmother. "What's going on over here?"

"I don't know, but whatever the Travelers did and whoever managed to get through — it's got the witches scared." Sheila tells her.

"Okay. Well, that officially scares me." Nyx says as she looks between the two Bennetts.

—

"Matt!" Nyx yells as she runs over to him. "Why are you here?" She asks as she helps him up off of the ground in the graveyard.

"Nycole?" He asks, and she nods. "Oh my God." He pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." She says as she pulls back. "Why are you here? What happened?"

"Sheriff Forbes stabbed me in the neck, but I think she was possessed by a Traveler."

"Oh, well, that's..." She sighs.

"How can I see you?" He asks, and then looks around. "How can I see anyone here?"

"I don't know." She shakes her head.

"It's all topsy-turvy over here, darling, but I've got to say it's good to be seen." A familiar British accent catches their attention, and they both turn to face him.

"Kol." Nyx clenches her teeth as she looks at him. He's leaning against a tree.

"No hard feelings, I hope. I was only getting my revenge after being pointlessly murdered by your brother." She says as he moves a little closer to them.

"You took me away from my kids." She says as she pushes Matt behind her. "I didn't get to be with them for their first birthday."

"No offense, Nyx, but I think there's more pressing matters at hand right now." Matt says. "I thought the whole point of this place was to live your afterlife in solitude."

"It is."

"Then why can I see you? Why can you two see each other?"

"Well, apparently there's trouble in paradise." Kol says. "The rumblings from the witches is that somebody tore his way out of here, and now this whole place is unraveling." He tells him as he walks closer.

"Nyx?" Matt looks at her. and she nods.

"Yeah, that's what Sheila was telling me." She says. "The witches are scared, Matt."

"Not that that matters to you." Kol says, looking at the ring on Matt's finger. "You're just on holiday, which means you're going back."

"Vicki." Matt looks around.

"The cute little brunette who tried to save you?" He motions to Nyx.

"Go to hell, Kol." She says.

"Where is she?" Matt asks. "If I can see you then that means I can see her."

"I haven't found her yet. I've been looking for her, Ric, Lexi. Hell, even Mason." The brunette tells him. "Not everyone stays in Mystic Falls."

"Well, let's find her."

"Matt, you have to get back." She argues.

"Not without seeing my sister first." He argues, and she sighs.

"Okay. Fine." She nods and then looks at Kol for a second. "Let's not do this again."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, darling." He says as they start walking away from him.

"Vicki!" Matt calls.

"Ric!" Nyx yells. "Lexi!"

"Vicki!"

"Matt?" They hear a female voice and spin around. "Nyx?"

"Vic?"

"Matty, I'm here." She says as she walks over to them.

He quickly grabs her and hugs her. "I'm here now. It's okay."

"Oh, Vic." Nyx says as Vicki pulls her into the hug. "God, I've missed you so much."

"Listen to me. It's not okay." Vicki says as she pulls back and looks at them. "Something's wrong — look at this place. Matty, you need to get to your body and go back." She tells him, and the wind picks up even more, blowing the girls' curled hair around.

"I'm not leaving you again. We're getting out of here. Take my hand." He says as he looks between the two of them.

"Matt, we can't get out." Nyx says. "Go!"

"Take my hand!"

The three of them start running as the wind starts to blow much more violently. They trip and end up on the ground. "Matt!" Vicki yells, and he grabs her hands, keeping her from being picked up by the wind.

"Matt! Vicki!" Nycole​ yells, and they look at her. She's being pulled back, and they can't reach her.

"Nycki!" Vicki yells as her brother holds her down.

Someone's hand grabs Nyx's and pulls her back down. "I got you." He says, and her hair whips out of her face. She sees Ric with one arm wrapped around a tree trunk, keeping him from being lifted up off of the ground as well.

The wind dies down, and she falls back to the ground. Ric pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her. She leans into his chest as she wipes tears from her face.

"I thought..."

"I told you I'd always be here." Ric says, and she sighs as she looks back at Matt and Vicki.

"Matty, you gotta get out of here." Vicki tells him. "We'll stay together, but you have to go. You shouldn't​ be here."

"She's right." Nyx says as she and Ric stand up. "Matt, you've gotta go."

"I..." He looks between the two of them.

"I'll take care of the girls." Ric tells​ him. "I promise."

"They're right, mate. Chip-chop." Kol says as he walks over to them. "I don't know where your friend was about to get sucked to, and honestly I would love to never find out. So, I need you back in your body, shouting from the rooftops about what happened here."

"It doesn't matter. When I go back, I'm not gonna remember any of this." Matt says.

"Well, you better find a way to remember it."

"Matt." Nyx gets his attention. "Listen, I hate Kol, but he's right. There are so many of us over here and if this place goes down, then we all go with it. The way it looks now, this dark and twisted — it's not how it's supposed to look. Matt, you have to go back. Find Bonnie. You guys have to find a way to stop this." She tells him.

"Matty, go." Vicki says. "We have each other over here. Help Bonnie save us."