𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎 {𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱}

Chapter XXIII

╔═══════════╗
4.15
╚═══════════╝

"Hey look who's back." Lauren said getting off the floor "we, well Caroline, was trying to clean the burn..." Lauren trailed off as she saw Jermey's body. Stefan shook his head "come on let's take him up stairs." Elena said walking to the stairs.

✯✯✯✯✯

"How long has she been like this?" Caroline asked "since we found his body. All she's saying is shes waiting for him to wake up." Stefan told the blondes "but he's not going to wake up. She knows that right?" Lauren asked Stefan walked over and turned on the sink

"look deep down she has to but it's Elena we're talking about here. She feels grief more powerfully than anyone else. I think denial is the only thing keeping her together." He told them
"She can't deny it for ever." Caroline pointed out

"I know. But I don't want to be the one to break her out of it, not until Bonnie and Damon get here, to you know." Stefan explained "use the sire bond to convince her everything is okay." Lauren said

"I'm not in denial." Elena said from the door "i know that he was supernatural, but his tattoo is gone. Maybe it being gone meant he filled his supernatural destiny. Maybe he's back to normal. I mean it's possible right?" Elena vented

"Elena..." "it's possible Caroline!" She cut the vampire off "There is a chance, it's small but it's hope. And I'm going to hold on to that hope with everything that I've got because there is no way that... there is no way my brother is dead."

Caroline left to go talk to her mom and Lauren left to go find Matt.

✯✯✯✯✯

Lauren walked into the mystic grill and saw Matt busting table "hey Donovan." She said awkwardly "hey? Whats up?" He asked as he cleared the table "we need to talk." She said seriously.

"No." Matt denied "he can't be, are you sure?" "Yeah. I'm sorry Matt." "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." Matt said hitting the counter in front of them "Matt, as hard as this is, you need to help Elena. Alright She is in denial, she's leaving his body on his bed waiting for him to wake up, you need to come talk to her."

✯✯✯✯✯

Elena, Matt, Lauren and Caroline all sat at the Gilbert table and listened to Bonnie "it's called an expression triangle. I need to complete it for Silas."

"What? Bonnie you can't kill 12 people." Matt told her "I know it sounds crazy but it's the only way to get enough power." "To do what?" Lauren asked

"once the veil is dropped the other side won't exist anymore. There's nothing separating is we're all one." "Bonnie you are talking like a crazy person, you are not killing 12 people. And you sure as hell cant invite every monster who's died back into this world!" Caroline yelled

"I can do it, I have the power we can bring everyone back. Jermey, Alaric, Vicki." "Mikael, Esther, the originals. Bonnie the bad out weigh the good." Lauren said slowly.

Bonnie, Caroline and Lauren kept arguing until the phone rang. Elena got it and told April Jermey's dead.

✯✯✯✯✯

Elena and Damon came downstairs with Jermey's body and set him on the couch "where's Bonnie?" Elena asked "Matt took her home." Stefan informed her "okay I guess where doing this the old fashion way." Elena said "do what?" Caroline and Lauren asked "put his body on the couch." Elena ordered "Elena. Elena. What are you doing?" Lauren asked as Elena looked through the cabinets

"got it." Elena said as she grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid and stared pouring it on the counters. Lauren and Caroline both jumped back "what are you doing?" Stefan asked "we need a cover story right? You think I didn't hear you guys talking earlier? Well what are we going to say? Animal attack? Fell down the stairs? Nope we're burning the house down with him inside of it." She said as she poured the lighter fluid

"stop it." Stefan demanded

"why? you want me to not be in denial? Face the truth? This is the truth Stefan. I don't want to live here anymore! I don't want these sketches, I don't want this x-box. Not going to need this bourbon any more. Alaric is not here to drink it. Unless your willing to drop the veil to get him back. Would you? I know you want your drinking buddy back. Would you Damon? Drop the veil just to get him back? Because I wouldn't. Does that make me a bad person? I have no idea. He's not going to need that anymore." She threw the Gilbert ring to Damon

"Elena, stop your scaring me." Caroline told her

"what else are we supposed to do with the body? There's no room in the Gilbert family plot Jenna and John took the last slots." Elena started throwing things around the room causing everyone to jump "Elena. Stop." Lauren told her "elena don't." Stefan said when she lit a match

"there's nothing here for me anymore Stefan! Every inch of this house is filled with memories of the people that I love that are dead. My mom, my dad, Jermey and Jenna, and Alaric and John. Even John. I mean there all dead! Everyone is dead so what am I... how am I... I can't even... there's nothing here for me anymore." The match burnt Elena's hand causing her to yelp and drop the match but Damon caught it.

"elena, I need you to calm down." Damon told her softly  "no, no, no, I can't. I can't. I can't." Elena sobbed and everyone started to cry "it hurts, it hurts, please make it stop." Elena fell to the ground holding her stomach "Damon," Stefan told his brother "help her."

"Elena listen to me, turn it off." Damon told her softly as he bent down to her height "no. Damon no." Stefan protested "turn it off and everything will go away." He promised her. Elena's eyes went from sad to cold and hard.

✯✯✯✯✯

Lauren went home and she saw klaus in her room. She walked up and sat next to him on the bed "can you just stay with me?" She asked him with tears in her eyes. He nodded and the two of them laid on her bed. She buried her head into his chest and started to cry "I've got you little wolf." He said as he held her to her chest.