Prank Night Fall Out

22. Tangled Web

No Pairing

'Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.'

- Sir Walter Scott, Marimion: A Tale of Flodden Field (1808)

Chapter Text

Gilbert House

Matt sat in the window seat for another minute and then gave up on his math. He went to see what Jeremy was up to. He went through the bathroom and tapped on Jeremy's bedroom room.

"Yeah come in," Jeremy called out.

Matt opened the door, "Hey man, I gotta talk to you."

Jeremy took out his headphones, "What's up, Matt? You look freaked out."

"Well, I'm going to get a D in algebra if I don't do better on this test tomorrow. Jer, have you noticed how...different Elena has been?" Matt asked bluntly.

"What do you mean? She's been kind of bitchy, but I think it was like PMS or something," Jeremy said dully.

"Dude, it doesn't last that long. Vic got a little moody sometimes, but her whole personality never changed. Elena is even talking weird. I can't believe no one else has noticed," Matt exclaimed in frustration.

"You're a little paranoid, man. Okay, I will let you in on a major secret. Elena writes in her diary like every freaking day. She has done this for years. If she is okay, we can tell by her entries. I sweat I only read it when I am worried," Jeremy confessed.

"You read your sister's diaries? That's low, man," Matt said with a chuckle.

"Come on, I will show you that there is nothing to worry about that a little Midol can't cure," Jeremy quipped.

Matt said, "Again, that's not what Midol is..., but just show me so I can try to figure our my equations."

Jeremy went back through the bathroom into Elena's room. He shut the door to the hallway. Matt gave him a curious glance, "What? My butt is still aching from the paddle. I am not getting in trouble ever again. I am going to ditch that thing, as soon as I figure out how." Jeremy carefully got on Elena's double bed and fished out her diary from behind the horse painting.

"Voila! Got it," Jeremy said in triumph.

Matt's eyes grew narrow, "Elena has no idea that you know where she keeps that?"

"None. It is my biggest secret. If you tell her, I'll tell her that you still keep a pic of her in a bikini in your wallet," Jeremy threatened with a grin.

"Fuck you, Jer. Open it. What does the diary say?" Matt prompted eagerly.

Jeremy opened it and started reading. He sat back down on the bed forgetting about his sore rear a moment and wincing, "Shit, Matt. You are right. She hasn't written a word.....since the night before the party at the Mikaelsons. Something is wrong. We have to tell Ric and Jenna! Stefan also needs to know."

"Maybe she just didn't feel like writing?" Matt asked in confusion.

Jeremy countered, "No, nope. She writes every freaking day. She wrote on the day our parents died, Matt. She got home from the hospital and wrote about it in her damn diary. Elena does not skip a day. Ever."

"Let's go tell them," Matt said solemnly.

Mikaelson Mansion

Elena was freed. Finally! Elena's body had been occupied by Katherine's spirit, but Elena was still in there. In and out of consciousness to various degrees. She had been "awake" when Katherine confronted Greta. She used the split second of Greta's confusion at her waking up to snatch the mystical blade out of her grip and stab her with it. The knife was imbued with old Traveler magic that would eject a "traveling" soul from anybody, human or vampire.