Just wanted to let everyone know just in case. If you are sensitive to using drugs as a way to cope, there will be a trigger warning later in this chapter. 

Happy reading!

-DA

—-------

It's been a week since El has been staying with Caroline. And about four days since Caroline brought Dasher over knowing that El wouldn't have survived more than three days without her pup.

Yet even with Dasher there, Care could see the dark rings under the witch's eyes. They seemed to get darker as days passed, and the blonde was getting worried for her. But, El would dodge the topic, not wanting to discuss the nightmares. So Caroline dropped the topic for now and went on deciding on what dress she should wear to the founder's party.

"Yellow or blue?" Caroline held up the dresses to her body, while El laid on the bed writing in her grimoire, Dasher laying his head on her back.

El peaked up to see. "Which one do you want to wear?"

"I like the yellow." The blonde said after a minute.

"Then wear the yellow." The brunette gave a half shrug, going back to writing.

Caroline turned around and glared at her friend. "You're supposed to tell me which one looks better."

"You look pretty in everything, Princess." The nickname came out like second nature. "Besides, we're going stag right? The only person's opinion on that dress should matter is yours."

"Actually," The blonde’s eyes shifted down. "I was thinking since neither of us have dates…maybe we could…" Her face had a hint of rose to it. "go together, be each other's date."

"Oh!" The witch said, her brows jumping upwards in surprise. "I uh, yeah. Sure, I would love to be your date." El's cheeks were now matching Caroline’s. 

Said blonde lip's broke out into a shy smile as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Great! I mean good, it's good." Caroline cleared her throat. "So blue or yellow?"

"Yellow." El gulped quietly. "Yellow is good."

The two stared at one another for a few seconds, but broke when they heard El's phone go off. Knowing he had to move, Dasher lifted his head off El when she sat up and reached for her phone. 

The witch flipped her phone open to see a text from Jeremy. -Jenna 👀 for f.p stuff were?-

El felt she was having a stroke trying to interpret whatever her little brother said. After coming to the conclusion on what he was trying to say, she was pissed about two things. One - Jenna didn’t have the guts to text her herself, and two- Jeremy still has not apologized about the almost stabbing incident.

Caroline, still facing the mirror, saw El pull a face at her phone. “What’s wrong?”

“Jeremy texted.” The brunette told her. “Jenna wants to know where the stuff is for the Founder’s Party that Mrs. Lockwood wants.”

“You mean she didn’t just text you herself?” Care scoffed, her anger at Jenna jumping to a new level.

“Yep.” El kept looking at her phone.

“And then Jeremy texted you, not even apologizing for what could’ve happened at the game if you weren't trained to be some sort of magic ninja.” She was ranting now, not liking how El’s family was treating her. “I mean, it’s been a week! You would think they would muster up the courage to say ‘We’re sorry El. We realize you were just trying to protect us. We love you, please come home!’” Dasher snorted in agreement with what Caroline said.

“You would think.” El shrugged and answered the text. -Be home soon, I’ll deal with it.- She slid off the bed, snapping her fingers so her things would pack themselves. “I need to go home, get the stuff settled.”

“No.” Caroline disagreed with her. “You stay here, I’ll bring it back.”

“It’s fine Care.” El threw her bag over her shoulder. “I have to go home to get ready for the party anyways.”

“Just get ready here.” She pleaded.

“All my stuff is there.” The witch told her. “I couldn’t get ready here even if I tried.”

“Magic?” The human suggested in a last ditch effort. 

“Caroline.”

“Oh my god, fine.” She threw her hands up. “At least let me drop you off at home.”

El smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

—-------

The three pulled into the driveway of the Gilbert household. Caroline, who was driving, put the car in park and turned to El. “I’ll pick you up at 5:45 since the party’s at 6.”

El nodded, agreeing to the time. She opens her door and then opens the backseat to let Dasher out. 

“Thanks Mama.” The pup said as he walked past her, heading towards the door.

She just nodded at the words, shutting the door. El then went to shut her own door, when Care spoke up. “If you need me to come get you earlier, I will.”

“I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.” The witch closed the door then leaned on the open window. “See you later, yeah?”

"See you later." Caroline repeated the words back before backing out of the driveway, leaving El alone.

She blew out a breath and met Dasher at the door. He bumped his nose on his Mama’s leg, signaling that he would be next to her the entire time. El gave him a sad smile before patting his head in gratitude. Taking her keychain out, she found the house key and unlocked the door. Dasher went in with El following him, both being able to hear the angry muttering of her aunt.

“Jenna?” El called out, hearing a small thunk, followed by a string of curse words.

The duo saw Jenna shimmy out of the closet rubbing the spot on her forehead where she hit a shelf. “Elena? What are you doing here?”

She pretended that question didn’t hurt. “I’m just here for the antique’s that Mrs. Lockwood wants for the party, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

She went to head upstairs, but the strawberry blonde stopped her. “Elena, wait.” El paused her steps and turned to look at her aunt, but suddenly Jenna's words died on her throat, seemingly like her mouth turned to cotton.

El waited for what seemed like hours, but could only have been a few minutes at the most. “Good talk.” She commented, heading back upstairs.

“No, wait Elena-”

“It’s El.” The doppelganger snapped. “My name is El, and until you find out what you want, don’t talk to me.” She rushed upstairs only to run straight into her little brother.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I live here.” El responded, pushing past him to get to the attic entrance. 

Pulling down the ladder, the witch climbed up into the dust infested room. Scanning the attic, El was trying to remember where she placed the box. She began moving boxes left and right, wishing she labeled it better. 

This went on for about half an hour, El was sweating from the heat and from moving all the boxes before she finally found the right one. Letting out a sound from happiness, the doppelganger grabbed the box and began climbing down. 

After closing the door to the upper level, El moved into her untouch room where Dasher was already laying on the bed. “Find it?” 

“Yep.” His mother said, lifting the box a little to show. “Now I just gotta go through it.”

“Need help?” Dasher sniffed the box as El sat it down on the floor.

El shook her head as she opened the lid. “I’m not sure there is anything you can do, Bud.” She rubbed his ear.

The husky laid down, covering his face with his paw. “Want to help.”

“I know Dasher.” The doppelganger chuckled a little. “But unless you suddenly have thumbs, this isn’t something you can do.” 

Dasher whined before accepting what El was saying. Once she saw this, she started going through the box. Pulling out things and then using her magic to clean them.

—-------

El Gilbert had gone through and cleaned everything in that box, including the Gilbert watch. She was hesitant about giving the watch back to Jeremy, seeing as it was supposed to go to him as the first born Gilbert son, but she knew the damage it would cause in the future. However, if she didn’t give it back then Jeremy would know that El did something to it, since he obviously knew about it. Throwing the pocket watch back and forth in her hands, El began to pace. 

She could always find a spell that could make another watch, but something in her mind told her the Jer would know it was a fake. And as discussed before, if she kept it he would know. So that only left one option, giving it to him and making sure it doesn’t come in contact with the other piece. With a sigh, El walked out of her room and knocked on Jeremy’s door. 

“What?” She heard him shout from behind the door.

“Open the door.” El knocked again.

Jeremy cracked the door open a small bit. “What do you want?”

She tried to ignore the smell as she handed him the watch. “Here.”

“Is this Dad’s watch?” Jeremy opened the door wider as he took the watch from El’s hand.

“Tecniqually it’s yours.” El corrected him. “Seeing as he’s…ya know.”

Jeremy's eyes narrowed at her in suspicion. “This isn’t a way to make me feel bad is it?” 

“Why?” El tilted her head, mocking him. “Do you have something you feel bad about?”

Jeremy scoffed at her implication. “If anyone should be feeling bad, it’s you.”

“Me?” The witch physically recoiled at his words. “How the hell did you come to that?”

“You almost broke my nose!” The fifteen year old stepped out of his room and into the hallway. 

“Because you were going to stab someone, you ungrateful little shit!” El pushed her finger into his chest. “Do you not realize what would have happened if you did? You would have been charged with assault with intent to kill. Your whole life would have been ruined!” 

“No one would have charged me, you’re being dramatic.” He pushed her hand away.

–Trigger warning coming–

“Why wouldn’t they? Cause our parents are dead? Wake up Jeremy!” As El yelled, lights began to flicker but neither sibling noticed. “Children bury their parents all the time, we aren’t special. Stop using that excuse to get away with everything!” 

“Strong words for the person who killed them!” Tears gathered in his eyes. “If you didn’t go to that stupid party, they would still be ailve!”

The lights were flickering faster as wind swirled around them making their hair fly everywhere, but the witch ignored it and carried on with the argument. “You know what? You’re right! Is that what you wanted to hear? Elena Gilbert killed Grayson and Miranda Gilbert and now I have to take care of her selfish little brother who can’t even apologize for almost stabbing me with a beer bottle!” 

Jeremy ignored the weird wording, too caught up in the heat of the moment. "At least I'm not a murderer!"

A few moments ago El didn’t care about being called out on the deaths of their parents because she wasn't Elena Gilbert, but El Gilbert. The person who took over his dead sister's body, but being called a murderer when she did kill Mikael and was an accomplice for the murder of Mr. Tanner, Jamie Parker lost it. "At least I'm not a pathetic little boy who hides his feelings by being high as a kite. One day you're gonna be squatting in a building as you come down from a high wondering 'where did I go wrong?' And I can tell you, it's because you couldn't cope!"

–Trigger Warning Over–

Every single light in the house exploded. El and Jeremy cowered away from the explosions while hearing Jenna’s shout of surprise downstairs. Once everything was settled, El realized what she just said. The witch covered her mouth, disgusted with herself. “Shit, Jer-” But Jeremy had already stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

His older sister raced after him, rushing down the stairs and throwing the door open. “Jeremy, wait! I didn’t mean it!” She yelled after him, but he was already too far up the road on his bike, pedaling as fast as he could. 

The witch pulled at her hair, glancing around to see some neighbors watching the whole interaction. "God damn it!” El shouted into the sky, not caring if they thought she was crazy. 

As El screamed into the sky, the neighbors began speed walking away, not wanting to be seen looking at her 

"Fuck me." The witch whispered to herself, falling to her knees. "I'm supposed to be fixing everything, but I'm only making everything worse." Her head hung low, suddenly wishing she died in that car crash.

—-------

El sat in the grass for a good twenty minutes, too caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone walking up to her. "Elena?" Her head snapped up, seeing Tyler standing over her with concern. "Are you okay?"

The doppelganger just shrugged her shoulders. "I've been better." Tyler held out his hand to help her up. "Thanks." El thanked him.

"Don't mention it." The untriggered werewolf told her.

Once she dusted herself off, she asked a question she already knew the answer to. "You here for your mom?"

"Yeah." Tyler agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was supposed to pick up a box of stuff."

El nodded. "Just follow me, it's in my room."

The two walked into the house and up the stairs into the young girl's room. El began packing things back into the box while Tyler looked around, seemingly to be fastened by his surroundings. 

"What?" She glanced at him through her mirror. 

"It's just been a few years since I've been in here." Tyler waved her off. "You changed it."

That was a surprise to El. Don't get her wrong, she knew all the town founder's made their kids mingle with each other at a young age, she just didn't realize how much. "Well, I am a different person." She then handed him the box. "Here. It should all be there."

"Thanks, El." Tyler must have seen the shock on her face at the name. "I overheard Caroline call you that, isn’t that what you go by now?"

The doppelganger scratched the back of her neck. "Yep that's my name now, don't wear it out."

An awkward silence fell over the room, both of them glancing around trying not to make eye contact.

“I’m gonna go.” Tyler broke the silence, pointing at the door.

El nodded along. “I’ll walk you out.”

As soon as they got to the door, the werewolf looked at the witch. “Before I go, I just wanted to apologize for the game, I was drunk and-”

El cut him off. “It’s fine, really. I get it.”

“No, please.” Tyler pressed. “I need to do this, so please just accept that I’m saying sorry.”

El’s lips pulled into a smile as she released a quiet giggle. “Okay, fine. I accept your apology. Drive safe, yeah? I’ll see you at the party.”

“Save me a dance?” Tyler leaned on the doorframe.

“Goodluck trying to pull me from Care.” El copied him. “You know how she is when she dances.” 

His lips pressed together at the news. “I think I have a better chance stealing food from a wolf.”

The irony of that statement didn’t escape the witch. “Goodbye Tyler.”

He gave a salute before heading to his car, driving away once El shut the door.

—-------

I have mixed feelings about this chapter, but this ain’t about me. What do you guys think? Good? Bad? Somewhere in the middle? Let me know!

Have a good day!

-DA