CHAPTER SEVEN

"I can't believe it." Stefan says as he looks between the two of them. "I thought you guys were gone."

"Well, you didn't think we were gone gone, huh?" Damon questions. "I promised you an eternity of misery."

"Who's your friend?" He asks as he looks at Jessica.

"Oh, God. Don't get me started on these two. They shouldn't be this close after only spending four months together."

"And this is why I throw things at you." Jess says as she wraps her arm around Nyx's shoulders, giving him a dirty look before looking at his brother. "So, you're the famous Stefan Salvatore?"

"Stefan, this is Jess." Nyx tells him. "We met through Sam on Halloween three years ago. She died a couple days later and somehow, magically ended up with us."

"What about Bonnie?" He asks.

"She and Jenna sacrificed themselves so we could come back." Damon tells him. "We don't need anyone to know. No sense making this harder than it already is."

"Yeah. Can you imagine telling Jeremy, Elena, and Ric that we almost got her back, just for her to die all over again?" Nyx shakes her head, looking down.

Jess tightens her hold on the brunette as she looks at her, seeing the tears in her dark eyes. Nyx looks at her, offering her a small smile, trying to reassure her that she's okay.

"What are we gonna tell people?" Stefan asks as he looks between the three of them.

"That the three of us were alone over there."

"There? Where is there?"

"Mystic Falls, 1990." Damon tells him.

"What?" His eyebrows furrow, and Nyx shrugs, shaking her head.

"I know. If a bunch of witches were gonna get together and create some space-time purgatory, you'd think they'd pick a better year than just after the fall of the Berlin Wall." He shakes his head. "The whole thing was just very depressing."

"So, how did you get back?" He asks as Damon takes another drink from the bottle that he threw a few minutes ago.

"Long story. Big flash of light, two decades worth of jet lag." Nyx tells him. "Damon can explain it all to you while Jess and I head for my babies."

"Wait." Stefan stops her from walking past him. "I'll call Lexi, she and Vicki can bring them back here. You should see your siblings and Ric. It's been really tough here for everyone without you."

"I..." She sighs as she looks at him.

"It's the same drive time no matter who's making it — you to them or them to you. At least this way, you can be with Jeremy, Elena, and Ric too." He reasons, and she nods.

"Okay. Yeah. Call them, get them here ASAP."

"You should get to Whitmore, I'll call Elena and fill her in while you're on your way." He tells her, and she nods.

"Can I come?" Jess asks, and Nyx smiles as she holds her hand out toward her.

"Hell yeah. I definitely want you to meet my family. You're one of us now, best you embrace it sooner than later." The brunette says, and she laughs, shaking her head at her. The two girls leave the crypt, and Stefan quickly pulls his phone out of his pocket.

"What aren't you telling her?" Damon questions, his eyes narrowed.

"You guys aren't the only ones who rose from the dead today." He tells him as his oldest friend answers her phone. "Hey, Lex, do you think you can get the twins to Mystic Falls without Dean?"

"Um... I mean, yeah, probably — he and Bobby took off a couple hours ago. They're trying to find Sam." She tells him. "But why exactly do you want me to take his kids from him? He's been dead four months, he wants them where they're safe and he can see them as much as possible. And he did not take it well when we told him that—"

"Nyx was dead?" He nods. "Yeah, well, she's back. She and Damon, and a friend of hers that knew Sam a few years ago. Dean's trying to figure out what brought him back, he needs to do that. And I think we should ease Nyx into this too. I mean, the last time we saw her—"

"She was on a mission. Keep busy, keep moving — don't think about Dean dying, and get back to the twins." Lexi nods. "Vicki can drive them out there tonight, and I'll tell the guys after we have them together — Dean and Sam. But are you sure about this, Stefan?"

"About how to handle a situation where two people who were in love both died, and have accepted the fact that they'd never see each other again, but now can?" He questions. "No, I have absolutely no idea. But I know Nyx, and I'm doing the best that I can. Let's just start by giving her back her kids." He says, and she nods.

"Okay." She sighs. "I'll fill Vicki in."

"Dean's alive?" Damon asks, more than a little confused. "As in back from hell?"

Stefan nods as he looks at his brother. "And they have no idea how — just that he's back, and he crawled out of his grave in Pontiac." He tells him.

"And what's going on with Sam?" He asks, confused. "They have to find him?"

"He took off. Nobody's seen or heard from him in months." He says. "He wanted to find a way to save Dean and Nyx, that's all anyone knows. Now, who's that blonde?"

"Sam's long time girlfriend from a few years ago. They were together for over a year, and he was going to propose to her." Damon explains. "But the same demon that killed his mom then killed her. November 2, 2005. We have no idea how she or Jenna ended up with us over there. But Nyx spent all four months training them, hoping that they'd be safer if we ever got out."

Stefan sighs. "What the hell's going on?" He asks, and Damon shakes his head, telling him that he doesn't have any viable ideas either. "These last four months have been hell without you."

"You have no idea, little brother." He says, and Stefan hugs him again.