𝟏• 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂 | 𝐓𝐕𝐃 ✓

TWENTY [UNEDITED]

"Jeremy's dead. He's drained of blood, and I think Silas did it." Aurelia finished her explanation, resting her hand on her head. Stefan sighed, recalling Elena's distraught face when she saw her brother's body.

"How did this happen?" Damon asked.

"It's Katherine. There's no trace of her or the cure. Leads me to think that she followed us over here, killed Jeremy, took the cure and ran." Stefan said, as Aurelia rolled her eyes at the mere thought of the survivor. Katherine probably didn't deserve it, but she survived five centuries running from Klaus. When she first heard of the doppelganger, Aurelia thought highly of her. It was around 1790 when that changed.

"Well, what about Silas?" Damon asked. Aurelia shook her head.

"He was gone when I found Jeremy." She said. "If at all he was there. Katherine could've drained him."

"And where the hell is Bonnie?"

"No idea." Stefan answered. "Damon, Elena's inside waiting for the Gilbert ring to bring Jeremy back to life."

"Okay, I'll wait with her." Said the Older Salvatore, proceeding to walk inside. Stefan stopped him, a grim look on his face.

"Damon, listen to me. Jeremy was one of the Five. He was a Hunter." Damon looked down, before figuring all out.

"He's supernatural. The ring won't work." He paused. "Elena won't survive this. I'll find Bonnie. You get Elena off the island." Before leaving and pulling Aurelia away despite her protests to help Damon, Stefan looked at him.

"If you do find Bonnie, please make sure she doesn't use any spells." He said, as Damon looked at him questioningly. "Aurelia went crazy a few hours ago. Expression is killing her." Damon nodded, as Stefan went to take Jeremy's body.

!

Almost an hour had passed in silence as the three friends walked out of the woods and across the sand. They had packed up their materials- including Jeremy's- and were quiet.

"Stefan?" Aurelia said, catching his attention. He looked at her, gently keeping the body in the boat. "Why didn't you talk about the details?"

"What happened to me isn't important." He said. "You were in pain and Expression is a danger to you. I just put my friend before me." He said, as she smiled softly.

"Thank you." She whispered, getting into the boat, and sitting next to Elena, who's eyes never left Jeremy. Aurelia's eyes dimmed, unable to imagine what would happen once Elena found out that he wasn't coming back.

!

Caroline frowned, trying to scrub off the burn mark left on the ground by Kol. She heard the front door of the Gilbert house open, before speaking without looking up.

"Hey, you're home." She said, standing up. "I was trying clean the burn mark where Kol-" She looked at Stefan carrying Jeremy's body. "I couldn't get it out." She said, slowly. Aurelia walked inside, lightly shaking her head.

"Come on, let's get him upstairs." Elena said, going up the stairs as Stefan followed her. Aurelia sighed, glancing at the burn mark on the ground.

!

"How long has she been like that?" Caroline asked, pouring a bucket of water into the sink.

"Ever since she saw his body." Stefan answered. "She hasn't said anything except for the fact that he's going to wake up."

"But he's not going to wake up." She said. "She knows that, right?" Stefan put a finger on his lips, telling her to be quiet. Aurelia quickly turned on the faucet. The running water would prevent any vampires from listening to the conversation.