❪ 𝓢𝑰𝑿 𝓕𝑬𝑬𝑻 𝓤𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 ❫ ⚰️ ˖ ׁ ⁩ 𓂃
𝚃𝚅𝙳  ⸻  ✸ 🔮⭑.ᐟ
❝ 𝖲𝖤𝖭𝖣 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖡𝖨𝖳𝖢𝖧 𝖠𝖶𝖠𝖸 ❞

✦ ╮ 𝟒𝟗. ❝ 𝖦𝖧𝖮𝖲𝖳 𝖶𝖮𝖱𝖫𝖣 ❞ ── .✦

𝗔 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 𝗢𝗙 volunteers are preparing the town square for the "Night of Illuminations", some hanging lanterns from the trees while Carol Lockwood stands on a podium.

"As a long-time member of the Historical Society, I am especially proud to be kicking off this day of festivities. Thank you, volunteers. Tonight, we turn off our town's lights and flare up our lanterns in honor of the night of illumination started by our founders 150 years ago." Carol is making a speech to those in the square, "Here's founding family member Tobias Fell with a history lesson."

Standing in the crowd is Alaric, Jeremy and Anastasia, the couple holding hands as Anastasia can't help but to feel a pair of eyes on her, but sees no one as she looks around.

"What are we doing here?" Jeremy asks his History teacher, now legal guardian.

"Tobias Fell is the head of the history department." Alaric tells him, "I don't have a choice."

"Alright, that explains what you're doing here." Jeremy says, "Not the two of us."

"Three of us actually." Anna says from behind the group of three, only Jeremy chooses to ignore the ghost vampire to the best of his ability.

Especially, after learning last night that he could actually feel her touching him.

"Well, I'm the one who can fail the both of you if you don't help me out." Alaric tells them.

"Hey, I came willingly." Anastasia jokes, holding her free arm up in defense.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" Elena joins the three.

"Just a bunch of historical lies." Anna jokes, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of the Gilbert male.

"You didn't miss anything." Jeremy states to his sister.

Now, Tobias Fells stood in the spot Carol had been in, giving a speech of his own, "The first illumination was held in celebration with the newfound prosperity that Mystic Falls enjoyed after the war."

"After the founders stole from all the vampires." Anna says, looking towards Jeremy and frowning once she notices that he's still not paying any attention to her whatsoever.

"The founders, they placed lanterns over the doors to indicate that it was safe for their neighbors to come outside again."

"Safe from the vampires." Anastasia smirked, leaning more into her boyfriend's side as he chuckled, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer than she already was to him.

"That night was an opportunity for the community of Mystic Falls to come together, a change to strengthen ties with the neighbors, business owners, and the...,"

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

❝𝗛𝗘𝗬, 𝗝𝗘𝗥, 𝗜 need you to help me with something.❞ Elena tells her brother as the group of four - with one uninvited guest lingering around - as she pulled one of Stefan's old journals out of her bag.

"What's up?"

"I've been going through Stefan's old journals. Every single time that he's gone off the rails in the past, his best friend Lexi's been the one to bring him back." Elena says to him.

"So where is she now that we need her?" Alaric questions.

Anastasia looks down at her lap, messing with Jeremy's fingers that rested on top of her thigh.

"She's dead." Jeremy says before looking back over at his sister, "And you want me to try and reach her, don't you?"

"I thought if I knew how she did it, maybe I could help him." Elena said.

"There's no hope, and they're not helping him." Anastasia bluntly tells her, "Not without Aunt Lexi's help."

"I don't even know if she's on the other side." Jeremy said.

"Is that what it's called?" Asked Anastasia.

Jeremy hesitates to answer her for a moment, "That's what Anna calls it."

"So, what is it, like some sort of supernatural purgatory?" Alaric asked.

"Well, Anna said it's like being here with all of us, only we can't see her or hear her. And she can't interact with anyone. She's all alone."

Anna appears beside the group, leaning on the walls of the Mystic Grill.

"Vicki could interact." Alaric shoots him a sarcastic smile, "She blew up my car."

"Yeah, my ass had to pick him up." Anastasia says, "I could've been asleep still."

"Awe, come on, what happened to always paying attention to me?" Alaric jokes, causing the girl to kick him in the leg, "Oh, shit. I was only joking, Salvatore."

"And I'll happily kick your ass, Saltzman."

"Vicki had help from a witch on the other side. Anna....she says she's doing this all by herself."

"I'm just saying, maybe we learned our lesson about summoning dead people."

"Do you think it's even possible to contact Lexi?"

"I don't know." Jeremy tells his sister as he picks up the check, handing it across the table to Alaric. "I didn't have an emotional connection with her. I've only ever met her once."

"Can we just drop it, please?" Alaric asks.

"I agree with the history teacher." Anastasia raises her hand slightly.

"No, I can't drop it. I don't know what else to do." Elena says.

"Get a new boyfriend."

"Don't you think we have a few too many dead vampires in our past to be sitting here thinking of them watching us?"

"I don't think all supernatural spirits go to the other side. I think some of them find peace." Anna says, causing Jeremy to turn his head to look in her direction.

"Is Anna here right now?" Elena asked her little brother.

Anastasia looks down at her lap one more, crossing her arms over her chest as Alaric gives her a sympathetic look.

"Don't tell them I'm here. Neither of them will like it." Anna said.

"No, no. I'm going to go, uh, check my work schedule." Jeremy tells them as he gets up, planting a kiss on the top of his girlfriends head and walking inside of the grill.

"Hey, guys." Stefan takes a seat in Jeremy's old spot, but not before kissing his niece's head, a frown on Elena's face going missed by everyone. "Who forgot to invite me to the family summit?"

"You were still asleep when I left the house." Anastasia shrugged her shoulder.

"I'm surprised you were up early since you were on the phone with Dylan all night." Stefan tells her.

"You're still talking to Dylan?" Elena asked.

Anastasia shrugged, "I thought he was dead for years, we're just catching up. Thinking about taking a trip to New York when this is all over with."

Stefan takes notice of his journals sitting on the table, picking it up to look through it, "Hmm? Wow. All these words. I forgot how much I used to care."

"I didn't." Elena says.

Stefan throws the journal onto the table, "You know, Elena, it's probably best you not torture yourself with memories from the past. It's best we both just move on and accept things as they are."

"You don't have to be here, Stefan." Alaric states.

"You know what, Alaric, you're right. I don't. But my niece is here, and she's the only bit of humanity that I have left. And Elena's here, and I look out for Elena." Stefan tells him, "Besides, there's going to be people everyone tonight. So there's going to be lots to eat."

Elena looks at him in shock, Anastasia lets a smirk appear on her face as Stefan lets out a laugh.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Loosen up." Stefan stands up, pointing a finger down at his niece as he gets eye level with her, "Don't stay out too late. Come home at a decent hour. Love you, kid."

"Get out of here!"

Elena looks at Alaric, "I can't drop it, Ric."

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 the bathroom as Anna enters in behind him, the Gilbert boy checking the stalls to make sure no one else was in there with them.

"What's wrong?" Anna questioned as Jeremy turns to look at her.

"Why did you tell me to lie?" Jeremy asked her.

"Anastasia is your girlfriend. She's already mad that you're still letting me be here." Anna tells him, "And Elena is her friend. Neither of them will like what's going on between us."

"What's going on between us? There is no us, Anna." Jeremy tells her. "There's me and Anastasia. But there is no me and you. I've told you this before. She's told you this."

"You can't possibly tell me that in the time we've known each other that you haven't grown some type of connection with me. I mean, Jeremy this is something." Anna says as she reaches for his hand.

"How are you able to touch me?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest so that she couldn't take his hand in hers, "Vicki had to use magic to do that."

"I don't know." She said, "Honestly, I have no idea."

"The witch on the other side that gave Vicki her foothold, is she helping you now?"

"What? No! I'm all alone, Jeremy, I told you that."

"Swear to me."

"I swear. I'm not any danger to you or anybody. I promise." Anna said, "I need you to believe me."

"Yeah, I don't know if I can do that." Jeremy moves to walk towards the sink, "I shouldn't even be talking to you. This is not okay."

"Then send me away. I'm only here because you want me to be as much as I want to be. Send me away, Jeremy. It's that easy."

"I've tried! Multiple times to send you away! But you just keep coming back!"

"Because you feel something for me! And no matter how many times you say that you don't, you know that you're lying to yourself! You love me!" Anna exclaimed before forcefully grabbing him by the face and pressing her lips against his.

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

❝𝗜'𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗕 𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗬.❞ Alaric tells the two girls as the three of them walk inside of The Grill.

"We'll be right back." Elena says to him, grabbing Anastasia by the wrist and pulling her towards the bathroom.

"But I don't need to go to the bath--," Anastasia cuts herself off as she and Elena pushing into the bathroom door, her breath catching in the back of her throat as she watches Jeremy and Anna pull out of their kiss.

"Anna?" Elena looks between the two in surprise.

"Stacie, baby." Jeremy moves to go near the hybrid, but she's already leaving the bathroom, and he quickly rushes after her, "Stacie! Stacie, wait!"

"Wait?! You want me to wait?!" Anastasia spins around as they come out of the small dinner, shoving him back as he grows closer to her, "I just walked in on you kissing that dead bitch!"

"I didn't kiss her!" Jeremy grabs her by the wrist, "She kissed me!"

"Your lips were still touching hers! It didn't look like a one-person thing with the way you had your hands on her hips!" Anastasia exclaimed, tears building up in her eyes as she pokes at his chest with every word. "Either you send the bitch away, or we're done."

"You don't....you don't mean that."

"I mean every damn word." Anastasia tells him before spinning around on the balls of her feet, and walking away from him, wiping the falling tears from her eyes as she did so.

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 the town square, arms crossed over her chest as she thought about if she wanted to stay in the town or go back home and cry in the comforts of her own bedroom.

"Darling, you know I've always hated when you'd cry." A deep Australia accent sounded from behind the Salvatore girl, causing a loud gasp to leave her lips as she spun around to come face to face with Kol Mikaelson.

"Kol?" Her voice cracks as she speaks his name, moving closer to him as he sends her a warm smile.

"Hello, Darling."

"You're - you're not real. You still-,"

"Still have a dagger in my chest? Yes, I believe that I do." Kol smirked, "But I just so happen to know a nifty little witch that's helping me right now. I'm here until they put the spell back up."

"This is cr-," She's cut off by the sound of her phone ringing, "Caroline? Now really is
goo-,"

"Bonnie needs Elena's necklace to send all of the ghost away. Damon says it's at your house, but Bonnie and I can't find it." Caroline tells her, "Is there any other place that you know of where you guys hide things in this mansion you call a home?"

"I don't know where else he could of hi- I have an idea on where it's at." She cuts herself off, "I'll call you back whenever I have it."

"Okay, bu-,"

"That sounds important, love."

"When I find the necklace, I won't be able to see you anymore." Anastasia frowned as she looks at Kol's figure.

Kol smiles softly at the Salvatore girl, "Don't worry, Darling. We will see each other soon."

"How soon is "soon"?"

"Very soon."

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗬 of her boyfriend or even Elena as she looks around the town square, Kol's ghostly figure following behind her as far as he possibly could so that none of her friends saw his face.

"-because Anna was right, Elena. I do feel something for her...deep, deep down."

Anastasia catches the end of her boyfriend's conversation with his sister, and decides to make her presence known to the three of them. "The bitch has been playing you the entire time that you've been able to see her."

Jeremy turns to face his girlfriend with a shocked look on his face, "Sta-,"

"She had Elena's necklace, Jeremy. And I came to get it." Anastasia says before turning to Anna, "How does it feel? To know that not only was your mother a whore, but so are you."

Elena looks over her brother's shoulder at Anna's figure. "He's at the beginning of his life, Anna. You're ruining the only good thing that he has going for him, his relationship with Anastasia. You're holding him back. You know that."

Anna holds the necklace up in her hand, a look of desperation on her face as Anastasia storms past her boyfriend to snatch the necklace from the ghost's hands.

"Call Bonnie, tell her you have the necklace." She slams the necklace against Jeremy's chest, looking up at him with a blank expression on her face and in her eyes, "Get her to send the ghost away. Then stay the hell away from me....because I'm done, Jeremy."

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

❝𝗦𝗢, 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦 your plan now?❞ Kol asks as the two are walking down the side of the road.

"To get out of Mystic Falls for a while. Leave, clear my head." Anastasia tells him as she wipes a stray tear from her face. "I can't do this anymore, not without you being here. I just - I want everything to be okay. I wish Uncle Stefan and I had never come back. I wish that I wouldn't have gotten so attached to a human boy, and fallen in love with him. Klaus was right, love is a vampire's greatest weakness."

"Love isn't a vampire's weakness, Darling. You know that better than anyone." Kol tells her as they both come to a complete stop in the middle of the road, the original vampire grabbing her face in his hands, touching her for the first time since he had shown up. "We know that better than anyone."

"You should hate me." Anastasia whispered, "I broke our promise."

"No, love. You didn't break anything. It's been over 100 years, sweetheart." Kol speaks in the same whisper tone as she had, "You have every right to fall in love with someone else, I can't hate you for that."

"God, I wish you were actually here. I wish Bonnie wasn't moments away from sending all of you back." Anastasia tells him.

Kol lets out a small laugh, "Don't worry, Darling. Like I said, the two of us will be reunited sooner than you think."

"I love you, Kol."

"I love you too, Darling."

And just as quick as he had been there, had been holding her face so close to his, he was gone again.

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

❝𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗪𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞?❞ Jeremy walks into Anastasia's bedroom as she walks out of her closet, holding a bunch of folded up clothes.

"There's nothing to talk about." She tells him, putting the clothes neatly into the suitcase sitting on her bed before moving to her bathroom to grab some of her shower necessities.

"Where are you going? You can't just leave." Jeremy tells her.

"I'll do what I damn well please!" Anastasia spun around to face Jeremy. "You want to talk? We'll talk. You fucked up, not me. You kissed Anna. You kept her around even after all the times that you said you didn't want her around!"

"You wanted me to be friends with her!"

"Yes, to be friends with her! I didn't want you to catch feelings for her!" Anastasia yells, "I didn't ask you to catch feelings for another girl and break my heart! So, yes, I meant every fucking word that I said, and I'm done! We're done! Maybe now you can give Bonnie that chance that she oh so desperately wants."

𑁍˚⸝⸝ --

--- ▎𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗥𝗞, 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬
𝗗𝗬𝗟𝗔𝗡'𝗦 𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

❝𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗔? 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗥𝗘 you doing here?❞ Dylan asks the Salvatore girl as he opens the front door to his apartment.

"Me and Jeremy broke up. Because he was kissing Anna's ghost." Anastasia can't help but to let go of her tears, a deep sob leaving her body, shoulders shaking harshly as she cried. "Why? Why does it hurt so much?"

Dylan quickly brings the girl into his arms, hugging her tightly as he brings one hand up to rest on the back of her head, her tears soaking his shirt. "It's okay. You're okay." He kisses the side of her head, "It's okay. I got you."

𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 ⦂
Sooo, with a show of hands
home many of your are mad
that I broke Anastasia and
Jeremy up....? I've actually
had this planned for a while
since having Anna show up as
a ghost for Jeremy to talk to.
And Kol being added to this
chapter wasn't even supposed
to happen until I started to write
it.

ANYWAY! Only two more
chapters to go before the
chapter where we get a
Anastasia and Kol reunion!