a/n: Just wanted to say thank you for all the feedback at the end of the last chapter. It was helpful for planning <3 Kol's gonna be around whenever MJ's in Mystic Falls btw (all through the chapter, not just the opening)

Also, thanks for 100 followers xx - Bea

MJ was just staring at him.

Kol.

Kol's beautiful face, brown hair looking soft as she reached forward, hand hovering above his jaw.

"Please tell me you were trying to summon me," He joked, "Not that I just gatecrash a spiritual commune with some other companion."

MJ lunged over the car's middle, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Kol freezing at the feeling of physical contact.

"...Mira - how - "

"I've had a busy summer."

"I'm sure."

"Figured out a spell and a rune to try and contact you, but it didn't work before."

He pressed his face into her shoulder, and MJ could feel him shaking slightly too as his hand cradled the back of her head.

"Sorry, it took me so long to get it right."

"Take all the time you need, darling."

MJ closed her eyes to breathe him in.

It wasn't the same.

She couldn't smell cologne or body wash, and the hug didn't feel right.

It was like she was holding onto an ice cube, and not just because he was cold – Kol had always been cold, but because he was melting. Each moment of contact had him slipping away slightly in her arms. Or, maybe a better way to describe it was, Kol felt like a water balloon. There was something secure at the surface for her to touch but beneath that? Everything was weak and squishing, and, together, it meant he could break at any second.

But MJ couldn't let go after months of existing without him.

"I overheard that conversation," He murmured.

That did allow MJ to pull away, looking at her lap in shame.

"As happy as I am to see you, Mira, I..." He sighed, "I truly wish you weren't returning to this godforsaken town."

"I need to help – "

Awkward silence.

She couldn't force herself to say the names while looking at him.

"Bonnie Bennett is dead," Kol finished, "Jeremy Gilbert phoned you in tears, so you, being you, rushed home to comfort him."

MJ's head snapped towards him.

"Oh, and let's not forget the fact that Stefan is Silas's doppelganger, and the immortal has been running around the past few days, tricking your friends, controlling half the town, almost killing Katherine Pierce – "

"Wait," MJ panicked, "What?"

"She returned," Kol explained, "No clue where she's run off to now, but she was here, he found that out, pretended to be Stefan, then outed himself to try and kill her."

"But Katherine's okay?"

"From what I can tell, she escaped. Oh!" Kol tried to lighten her mood, "She did listen to your voicemails, by the way. Wanted to phone back...Not sure why she didn't. She didn't verbalise her reasonings, but she did look miserable about it."

MJ shifted, "You've really been keeping up."

"There's not much else to do but watch."

"Have you been watching us in New Orleans?"

Kol bit his lip.

"It's okay if you haven't. Obviously, you don't owe me anything, and it might be – "

"I can't."

MJ froze.

"I would like nothing more than to make sure Nik is treating you correctly, but the universe has trapped me in the location of my death."

MJ blinked, "Oh."

"Or maybe haunting is a skill I need to learn," His eyes were pinned on her face, "That's not what matters right now."

"But – "

"MJ," His hands came up to cup her face, smile big and genuine, thumbs stroking her cheeks, "God, you are beautiful."

"And I might have a way to bring you back."

He blinked.

Moving out of his touch, MJ reached into the back of the car, bringing out a dark green bound leather Grimoire, full of spells, a logo on the front that caught Kol's eye. MJ had researched it, but she hadn't been able to find out where it was from. Given the sketchiness of the Witch Doctor site, she could assume it was some dark coven, but still. She needed Kol to see the pages.

"I'm pretty sure all of the spells have massive flaws, and I've had a bit of trouble, so if you can look them over...?"

Handing the Grimoire over, MJ was able to notice how tense Kol was, eyes jumping between the bookmarked pages, and her face; big eyes and a hopeful expression, praying he was able to ease her worries about it all.

"Where did you get this?"

"The magic dark web."

There was no point lying, and MJ doubted Kol would be against her using that side of the magic internet.

He read through the ones she'd dog-eared as least dangerous, taking his sweet time to process each spell, MJ starting to fiddle with her fingers, scared out of her mind, but not sure why.

Kol finally began to speak.

"Hate to break it to you, darling," He sucked on his lip, "All of these are fake."

The Grimoire closed.

"Someone's trying to pull one over on you."

MJ just narrowed her eyes, "Are you seriously going to try and lie to me right now."

He didn't respond.

"Kol," Her voice cracked, "I've been trying to understand these spells for months. I know the magic's real. I just need help figuring parts of it out."

Nothing.

"Please...I mean," Her heart was breaking, "You can live again!"

He turned, unable to look her in the eye, hand running over the logo.

"Isn't that what you want?"

"More than anything, MJ," His grip on the leather tightened, "But do you have any idea how dangerous this magic is?"

He willed up the courage to face her.

"Whoever sent you this?" His words slowed, "This logo means they're working with The Strix Coven, and I don't want you having anything to do with that coven."

MJ paused.

"If I'm telling you they're bad news?"

"They're bad news," She couldn't argue that, "Why?"

"If you use their magic, they tend to indoctrinate you, then you owe them things, and the spells they do always have consequences. Darkness latching to your heart and poisoning it until you die, as an example."

Yeah, MJ didn't really want that.

"You can't use this book."

"Okay," She felt ridiculously defeated, "But – "

"I'm ecstatic you've been looking, but not like this."

"Kol – "

"And not with Silas either."

Her eyes fluttered shut.

"You're not that foolish, Mira. His wants resulted in your friend's death, don't let them result in yours too."

"Yeah."

He tossed the Grimoire into the back, taking her hand in the middle, linking their fingers, opening and closing to run up her skin.

The contact was even fainter than earlier.

"If you're going to do this, find another way."

"I will."

He smiled fondly at her, and MJ's breathing slowed, relaxing.

Being in Mystic Falls meant she could see Kol.

She could focus on that, rather than everything she hated about the town.

It was five a.m. since MJ had driven straight through the night, speeding to try and get there as soon as possible, but only then did she start to realise how tired she was.

"If we can figure out how to get you ghosting places," She turned to face him, cheek against the headrest, "That would be good."

"Being able to talk to you would certainly make all of this better until you..." Kol's voice trailed off.

"If you can ghost about," She let him back out of his thought, "You can help me figure it all out too."

He nodded.

MJ yawned.

"Will the spell fade when you go to sleep?"

"Probably," She rubbed her face, "I can activate and deactivate the runes whenever I want."

"And today, you'll be dealing with the cohort?"

"Yeah."

"I'll leave you to rest then," His smile became slightly forced, "Having me floating around won't make dealing with them any easier."

Part of MJ wanted to argue, to keep him around to get her through it, but she also didn't want to think about him watching her help Jeremy or trying to save Bonnie when she couldn't work out how to save him.

"If you want to talk to me, don't hesitate," MJ moved her chair down, using it as a makeshift bed, "I don't care if I'm around them. Just do it."

"This isn't a safe place to sleep."

"I've coated the car with protection charms."

"Okay then," Kol moved his chair down too, "Still – "

He settled into the spot.

"Not safe to be here alone."

"Stay as long as you like."

~***~

It was mid-morning when she woke up, and her spell had momentarily faded, so MJ drove straight to the Salvatore House, knowing Jeremy was staying there.

No matter how much she wanted to call Caroline, she couldn't until she figured out Bonnie and Jeremy's situation

...It shouldn't be her job.

She shouldn't be the person Jeremy turned to when mourning his dead on-again-off-again girlfriend.

But he'd been crying.

It was Jeremy Gilbert. The kid she'd smashed at pool, lectured, supported – her friend. And yeah, he'd killed someone she'd cared for, and it hurt her when she let herself think about it, but he'd died for it.

He'd died, and he needed her, and he'd been crying.

MJ really hoped Jeremy was home alone, having no desire to see Damon Salvatore.

She also really hoped Elena was at Whitmore, because the only thing worse than being welcomed back by Damon would be walking in on the pair of them doing...well, anything.

Jeremy was alone.

Alone, shirtless, doing push-ups in the opening foyer of the old boarding house, yanking his headphones off as she opened the unlocked door.

God, the Salvatore's needed to get better security.

" – I just went for a ruuunn," He saw her, "MJ!"

She put on a smile, "Hey."

He blinked slowly.

He took a breath.

"I'm assuming you reek of sweat, but that you also need a hug?"

"...Kinda."

MJ rushed forward, arms going over his damp shoulders to engulf him, his head burying into her puffy hair.

"She's here?" MJ checked.

"Yeah."

"Okay," She pushed him away, "Phasmatos Vera Onu, Phasmatos Aun Neltoca."

The same phrase she'd used to find Kol.

"Phasmatos Vera Onu, Phasmatos Aun Neltoca."

She had to assume Kol had 'pulled-back' in the car and deliberately wouldn't now.

"Phasmatos Vera Onu, Phasmatos Aun Neltoca."

The wind picked up in the house, whistling through the door before shutting it, shaking the panes at the top of it and brushing the ornate carpets.

"Phasmatos Vera Onu, Phasmatos Aun Neltoca."

Again, her vision was split, blue and grey flashes, confirming the spell had worked.

MJ could see Bonnie Bennett, in all her glory, a meter away and watching them.

"Bonnie..."

"Hey?" She put up her hand weakly to wave, "That's ancestral magic."

"Yeah," MJ's voice cracked, "Picked up a few tricks over the summer."

"You can just walk around and see spirits?"

"Eh," She shrugged, "I've always had a knack for it, now I'm better at controlling it...um, Bonnie...what's going on?"

"I'm watching Jeremy workout," She said innocently.

He snorted.

"It's not like there's Netflix over here," She justified, "It's my main source of entertainment!"

"I was just working off the extra adrenaline," He smiled at her while sitting on the small steps down to the living area.

"And," Bonnie sat down next to him, "Every girl on The Other Side thanks you for it,"

MJ didn't want to be the Debbie-Downer, but she had to be, "You both know that's not what I meant."

"Which is why I called," Jeremy shook his head, "She makes dead jokes while I avoid all of our friends on her behalf, and I can't do it anymore."

"MJ," Bonnie looked at her, pleadingly, "They can't know."

"They have to."

"They're only asking for me because they think I can get Stefan's memory back!"

"Stefan's – " MJ pulled a face, "You know what – we'll get to it later. Keep talking."

"I can't help."

Obviously.

"I don't know what to do, and I don't have magic to do it," She rubbed her hands together, "But MJ, you can figure something out. They'll stop asking for me, and they can carry on being happy."

"But you're dead, Bonnie," MJ couldn't keep that secret, "And I don't live here anymore."

Though, if Mystic Falls was the only place she could see Kol...

"If there's a problem with Stefan, whatever, I'll fix it. What about the next time?"

Silence.

"I live a fifteen-hour drive away - that I managed to do in thirteen today."

Which was exhausting.

"And sure, I'm working on teleportation,"

As a concept.

"I can jump about a little, go within my eye-line, a lot further if I siphon the right source, but I can't jump states!"

"How long's a flight?"

"Bonnie!"

Silence.

MJ lent back against the open plan doorway to the couples left, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be yelling at you."

"This is the most interaction I've had all summer," Bonnie smiled softly, "It's nice."

MJ hit her head back against the wood, sliding to sit on the floor too.

Bonnie was all alone.

On The Other Side, they were all alone.

Bonnie could only talk to Jeremy, and all her friends were living their lives, and even though MJ was snapping at her, she was grateful because at least it was something.

The thought of that just made MJ miserable.

She needed to find a way to bring Kol back.

"We need to tell them, Bonnie," MJ slowly opened her eyes, "I know it's tough, but they need to know."

"And even if MJ can help today, she's right," Jeremy spoke carefully, "Unless she's planning on moving back, she can't be our witch."

At least he got it.

"Everyone's calling me to try and reach you because they don't know you're dead."

Bonnie looked away.

"They're waiting for you to help them because that's what you do," He lent closer, "You help."

"What happened to you being there for me in my decisions?" She huffed.

"I want to, Bon, but not like this."

"Bonnie," MJ shuffled closer to the stairs, reaching her hand up.

Bonnie could feel it too.

Her eyes went wide.

"You can't live like this forever, and the longer you wait, the worse it's gonna get."

"I can touch – "

"Like I said," MJ tried to smile, "I'm way better at controlling it now."

"You can feel me?"

"Ish, I can feel it more than Jeremy will be able to."

Jeremy was staring at their linked hands.

"I can cast a spell. I can give you a foothold. Or, I can give Jeremy a foothold to get you a better grip, for a day or something, but you are dead..." She stood up, "Unless..."

Jeremy perked up, "Unless?"

She tried to order her thoughts.

Bonnie stood up too, "MJ?"

"What happened to Silas's tombstone?"

The last thing MJ wanted to do was take the guys deal, but she didn't necessarily need to.

"What are you thinking?" Bonnie narrowed her eyes, "The triangle of power is still there, but I don't know if you can just tap into it."

The triangle was tied to Bonnie, not MJ.

"And even if you could, bringing me back would just kill you, MJ."

But Bonnie would be alive.

And, if she was dead, maybe she and Kol could find peace together.

No.

MJ needed to stop that narrative in her head.

She didn't need to die. She needed to find the loophole.

A loophole to dying...

God, MJ really did love setting herself impossible challenges.

"Qetsiyah's calcified blood," She declared, "It's super ancient and powerful. I could use it to – I don't know, just, it's something to keep in mind."

"It's in my room," Jeremy admitted.

Bonnie and MJ both gave him a look.

"It was just left here," He shrugged, "No one knew what to do with it, so I took it."

"Smart instincts," MJ had to give him credit, "It's an artefact. We need to keep track of it...where exactly is it?"

"...Somewhere under my bed."

"And that's more like you."

He rolled his eyes while she ruffled his hair, batting the hand away to disappear up the stairs.

"MJ," Bonnie was grabbing her hand again, desperate for contact with people after so long without it, "I can't let you make the same mistake as me."

"And I won't," MJ assured her, "But I want to think through our options. You're a witch."

The problem with Kol dying a vampire.

"Witch spirits are safer to mess around with."

Bonnie's shoulders slumped like she suddenly realised something she hadn't wanted to.

"Bon?"

"Don't worry about it."

"You're gonna pass up a chance to talk to someone after only having Jeremy all summer?"

"I mean, we know dead girls are his type."

And MJ couldn't stop herself from laughing.

She was actually laughing about something to do with their situation.

Her arm went over Bonnie's shoulder, squeezing as tight as she could to make sure she felt it properly, "Talk to me."

"Maybe you're right."

"About which thing?"

"Maybe we should tell everyone."

MJ nodded.

"I messed around with magic I didn't understand," She shook her head, "I'm suffering the consequences for it, and keeping up this lie? Making you lie for me too..."

Lying was never the answer.

"It feels like I'm forcing you to find a solution for me."

If anyone could figure it out, it was MJ, and she'd already been looking.

"I don't wanna make you feel like that."

"You're not. Even if everyone knows, I'll be looking for one."

Bonnie frowned at her, "Don't."

"Bonni – "

"You didn't look for Ric, you didn't look for Carol – no."

MJ looked down.

"This is my fault. And spirits used to harass you – and I don't wanna do that to you."

"I'm all better," MJ had honestly been on such a high until Jeremy's phone call, "And, Carol's human. Unless I go full evil sorceress, I can't get her back. Two, Ric – "

And Kol.

"Was a vampire. Vampire spirits don't just get brought back. With you, there's so much more hope."

"I'm a lost cause."

"Bon – "

"I'm just not ready for my summer to be over yet," Bonnie didn't let her argue, "So, please, give me a day or two to be ready?"

Since Bonnie looked ready to cry, MJ hugged her.

"Jeremy played me every voicemail."

"I can't believe I didn't realise."

"You left more than anyone, MJ," Bonnie sniffed, "And I really appreciated it."

They pulled back, MJ's hands on her shoulders as she took in her face.

"It made me feel loved, so thank you for that."

The spell was fading a little, so MJ could still see and hear her, but they couldn't feel each other any longer.

"I have a rune. I can draw it by my eye," She started to ramble, "It'll last longer."

Jeremy thumped down the stairs like an elephant, tossing her the rock of calcified blood.

MJ snatched it from the air, "Careful!"

"Sorry."

Then his phone started ringing.

He looked at the ID and sighed, answering, "Hey."

Since MJ was there, the call was on speaker.

"Hey, Jer. You got a sec?" Matt was on the other end, "Um, I'm kind of freaking out here."

Bonnie looked at Jeremy closely, worry all over their faces.

"What's going on?"

"Can you come over to mine?"

"I guess?"

"Quickly."

She spoke up, "Is he allowed to bring a plus one?"

"MJ!"

It was like Matt had been shocked by volts.

"Yes! Yes, so much!"

MJ laughed, "You doing okay there, Blue-Eyes?"

"I need a witch."

"So happy to be of service."

"And I missed you," He remembered to add, "I should've started with that."

"Keep saying things like that, and I'll consider lending a hand."

"I mean it! I have."

"I know," She smiled, "We'll be right over. Have a hug ready."

She needed hugs if she was gonna get through the day.

The second Jeremy hung up, Bonnie spoke, "Don't tell him."

And MJ suddenly understood why Jeremy seemed so down about Matt calling him.

She was gonna have to lie to him when he asked about Bonnie not answering her phone.

"I need coffee," MJ slipped the tombstone into her bag, "I drove through the night with no stops, so breakfast and caffeine are required."

"Guys," Bonnie wasn't about to let them go, "Please don't. Not yet."

Jeremy caved, "Fine."

"MJ?"

"Bonnie," She whined, "We have to tell them."

The puppy eyes were used on her.

"Fine," MJ complained, "Only because, telling Matt, and Matt alone, just feels cruel."

"Thank you."

"Now coffee and food – preferably waffles."

Jeremy patted her on the back, "You call the Grill for takeaway. I drive."

"And fill me in on what's happening with Stefan? Because I'm really worried and trying not to think about it so I don't just spontaneously combust from stress."

Jeremy started to push her out the door, "One crisis at a time."

"At least tell me he's okay?"

"He's okay."

"Do you mean that?"

"He's alive, he's walking around, and he's not on a ripper bender."

"He's back in town?"

"Yep."

She breathed out in relief, "I can work with that."

He was right.

One crisis at a time.

First, whatever Matt was freaking out about; then, her favourite Salvatore could have her attention.

~***~

Matt did greet her with a hug.

An oddly tight one.

Like she was a stress-ball.

MJ realised that she wasn't the only one getting a migraine from being back in Mystic Falls after a summer of freedom.

She'd expected him to ask about Rebekah or the rest of her summer since they'd only texted a little bit, but the eyebags on Matt's face were more important than catch-up.

While she unpacked her waffles to start munching, Matt had left the room to grab a cloth out of a desk. He'd been living in the Lockwood Mansion, so that's where they were meeting him, and everything was pretty much exactly how she remembered it.

Some of her stuff was still lying about, some of Ty's...memories and footprints of Carol.

Then there were Matt's things.

Workout clothes, his uniform, a blanket on the sofa from where he'd crashed the previous night.

And a video camera.

Pointed at the messy blanket.

MJ raised an eyebrow, "Explain. Now."

Matt glanced at where she was looking.

"Because my brain has gone straight to not-PG places."

"We'll get to it," Matt unwrapped the cloth, "I woke up last night, covered in mud. With this."

There was a knife inside.

One that made MJ take a step back.

It was really thick, meant to sit firmly in someone's hand, intricately cut designs in the main metal and fancy dark stones pressed into a sticking out plate in the centre. The weapon's hilt looked smooth, but it felt bumpy, webbed metal melded together into four stripes, finished with a crest pressed into it.

"Okay," Jeremy looked to her, confused, "Weird."

"Yeah, I know," Matt ran his hand up it, "I have no idea where it came from – I blacked out, and I'm pretty sure that it's not the first time."

Oh no.

MJ needed to get out of the house.

She needed to get out of the house and run for her freaking life back to somewhere where she was safe.

"How many times have you died wearing the Gilbert ring?"

"No," Matt wasn't even wearing the ring, "I don't think it's the Gilbert Ring messing with me."

"Um," MJ's voice was shaking, making both of them look at her in surprise, "It isn't the ring."

"You know what it is?"

The look of hope on Matt's face reminded MJ of exactly why she couldn't run.

Yes, Travellers liked to kill Floare on sight, but she couldn't abandon her friends to them.

People used as host bodies tended to end up dead too.

If Matt was somehow a host...

"I assumed it was to do with Silas," Matt spoke quickly, "Like, he couldn't mind-control me the other day?"

God, MJ was so out of the loop.

"He saw something or someone or whatever that Czech freak put in my head," His volume lowered, "But I think it's still there."

"Hold up," MJ put her fork down, "'Czech freak' and Silas? Catch me up?"

"Silas killed Bonnie's dad at the end of summer barbecue and mind-controlled the town to look for Katherine," Jeremy explained the details Kol had left out, "We found her first. He then found us. Silas can't get into my head because I'm a hunter, so I beat him up a little."

"Then he couldn't get into mine either," Matt added.

"And the Czech freak?"

"Some girl Rebekah and I met during our last stop in Prague," Matt groaned, "She pickpocketed us, came back here and did something to my head."

No, no, no.

"Matthew Donovan, your luck is truly awful."

Run. Run. Run.

No.

Stay and help Matt.

But how?

She had so many spells to do with her own head – how she could use Floare versions of Traveller spells and master body jumping for herself. MJ had assumed she would've been the target of any Traveller appearances.

Though, the books she had would probably have some things for passengers too?

She could learn how to kick a Traveller out from somewhere –

Her brother.

MJ was not calling him.

She didn't care if he'd been working with Traveller kids. She wasn't calling him. Not now she knew he hadn't thought to tell her their dad had been compelled.

Especially since Marcel had implied that Ryos had asked for it to happen.

"My luck?"

"That," She tapped the base of the knife, "Is the symbol for The Travellers."

"What?"

"A group of witches who used to be Floare till they got booted out for messing with Immortality."

The quick version of events.

"Silas was one of them. Now they hate him, and the witch who made the immortality potion. Siding with them got them cursed."

"And what does that have to do with me and the knife?"

"They can't settle in one place, so they possess people," MJ tried to keep her voice calm, "Someone said something in Czech while knocking you out? That means there's someone in your head."

He jumped to his feet, "Get them out."

"I don't know how yet."

"And the knife?" Jeremy asked her.

"All I know is that where Travellers go, the knife tends to follow."

They were based on the Spirit Walker knives but way less cool.

"I don't know what it does – it might just be an heirloom or..."

Matt somehow got tenser, "Or?"

"Don't worry about it."

"MJ," His voice went up, "You can't just tell me that someone's in my head then not finish the sentence!"

"It's nothing that'll affect you."

It'd affect her.

The knife could be sacrificial for all she knew.

A way to sacrifice a Floare Siphoner and break their curse.

"Now," MJ pointed to the side, "Tell me about the camera?"

"I set them up to help me figure out how I'm losing time," He started to pace, "Have either of you talked to Bonnie? She might know something else."

Jeremy's eyes jumped to her, scared, "Yeah. She's, um, in D.C."

The lies were clearly killing him.

"With her mum or something."

"So she can't pick up?!"

Matt was too panicked to notice the way MJ and Jeremy were holding themselves.

"I sent her, like, so many emails this summer," He looked as upset as MJ had been, "And she writes back twice."

So, it seemed like Matt and MJ were the two most concerned about Bonnie's behaviour.

Interesting.

"Did I do something to piss her off?"

"I don't know," Jeremy cringed, "She hasn't mentioned anything."

"It's the same with everyone Matt," MJ felt sick saying it, "None of us have heard much. She's just busy."

They needed to come clean.

"I'll see what else I can find – this magic is my witch history. I have info on Silas and Travellers in New Orleans. Literally about body jumping – I just didn't think to bring it. I can look at it when I get back."

"Please," He nodded furiously, "I haven't slept, okay?"

And it was showing.

"I'm scared I'm going crazy here."

She knew that feeling.

"And can't you do a witch spell to talk to Bonnie too?"

MJ looked down.

"I need to know she's okay."

Jeremy pushed back in the chair in a rush, "I gotta go."

"What?" Matt tried to stop him, "Where?"

But Jeremy was already out of the door.

"I'll talk to Bonnie," MJ assured him, "And I'll see what I can find."

"MJ..."

Her voice sounded so weak, and she hated it, "Yeah?"

"What aren't you telling me about the knife?"

"Honestly, Matt, I don't know what it is. I just know of Traveller Knives."

"And?"

"I'm pretty sure it's to-do with killing Floare. So just...keep it hidden."

"Wait, like," His eyes went wide, "When I'm blacking out, the person possessing me might be hunting you?"

"Maybe," She nodded, "Or maybe I'm completely wrong, and it's just decorative. Or maybe it's something else entirely."

"Maybe."

Silence.

He came back to the counter as she took the last bite of her waffle, "Are you okay?"

"I was doing pretty well."

"How come you're back in town?"

"Jeremy needed me."

He hugged her over her shoulder, "I am happy you're back."

"Me too."

She didn't mean that.

She'd been back for less than a day, and; Bonnie was dead, Jeremy was a mess, Matt was possessed, Stefan had spent the summer drowning, Silas was hunting Katherine, and MJ hadn't even seen Caroline yet.

But she had seen Kol.

She stood up too, looking around the familiar kitchen, "I'll see what's up with Jeremy."

She did miss the Lockwood's.

"God, this house is gorgeous."

Matt laughed, allowing his stress to dissipate for just a second, "Yeah."

"Did Tyler add you to the dotted line?"

"Nah," Matt smiled, "Thought leaving it in your name only would be an easy way to avoid inviting Damon in."

"Smart," She stepped outside, "Talk to you later."

Jeremy was waiting in the car, staring at the steering wheel like it was about to burst into flames.

"We have to tell him."

"Yeah."

"Damon's texting me too."

MJ gagged, "Fun?"

"They want a Bonnie solution for the Stefan situation, and," He pressed his head into the wheel, "I can't keep doing this."

"Then tell him."

"But Bonni – "

"Bonnie isn't ready to be dead, I get that."

MJ felt a coldness in the air.

"But she is. And they need to know, or you're the one everyone will get pissed at."

Jeremy sent Damon a text then started to drive.

Damon instantly phoned back

"Jeremy Gilbert picks up!" His voice was bitter, "Wow. It's a Remembrance Day miracle."

MJ wasn't going to say anything yet.

Not until she'd figured out what on earth she was meant to do about everything.

"Now tell me you found Bonnie, because I have a hungry vampire who forgot that he's the hero of the story."

Forgot?

Okay, so Stefan had amnesia.

Or he had his humanity off.

Or he'd been mind-messed with by Silas.

W o n d e r f u l.

"I need you to meet me," Jeremy looked between MJ and the road as he talked, "And I need you to come alone."

"And I need you to be less vague and less weird."

"I know where Bonnie is. Get over here, and I'll explain."

~***~

Jeremy was sitting on a couch while MJ flicked through one of the old notebooks she'd left at the Salvatore House. She'd forgotten she'd kinda ended up with a room there during all her stays there, but it was definitely coming in handy. There was a mini blood stash for tracking and healing there, witch supplies, clothes, and a notebook.

She was using the notebook to transfer her spirit spell into a better rune, one that would last longer now that she knew that was a problem.

She was drawing it on her left temple when the door opened.

"Okaaaay – Sabrina," Damon paused in the doorway, "You're back."

She stood up, "I am."

A quick swipe of her hand over the rune activated it, allowing her to see Bonnie again.

"And you were totally right about something happening to Stefan over the summer."

"And I stupidly let myself not do anything about it."

Damon shut the door and came properly inside, "You didn't tell anyone you were back?"

"I didn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I needed to talk to Bonnie first."

MJ couldn't just call Caroline singing 'reunited and it feels so gooodddd' if she was gonna have to lie to her.

Damon smiled, looking around, "Where is she?"

"That's the problem," Jeremy found his voice, "I can't actually call her."

Bonnie realised what was happening.

"No one can."

Damon automatically became puzzled.

"Please don't do this," She stood behind Jeremy, "Guys."

"I've been lying to everyone for months," Jeremy took a pause, ready to back out, but then he looked to MJ, and she nodded, "And I can't keep lying while everyone's waiting for her to swoop in and save the day. So I called MJ."

"I don't speak 'crazy-person,'" Damon looked between the pair of them, "You're gonna have to translate that for me."

MJ kept her voice low, "Think about it, Damon."

"I was dead," Jeremy spoke the words clearly, having gotten used to saying them over the years, "I wasn't supposed to come back."

"Yes, exactly," Damon came further into the room, "The beauty of Bonnie magic."

"You're not hearing me!"

"Magic finds a balance," MJ emphasised, "Always."

"I'm not supposed to be here."

Realisation dawned on Damon's face, "No."

"You can't just bring somebody back from the dead," MJ repeated, "There is always a price to pay for it."

The question was whether or not MJ was willing to pay that price. For Kol and Bonnie.

"Don't say it," Damon hissed, "Don't you dare!"

"She didn't show up to her dad's funeral, Damon," Jeremey stood up, "Nobody's spoken to her all summer."

"Please," Bonnie was begging them.

"You say it, and everything in Elena's life goes to crap."

"Don't do this – "

"Do you understand me?" Damon couldn't look any of them in the eye, "Everything changes."

Bonnie was still behind the sofa, "Don't say it."

"Don't," Damon's fist was shaking.

"Not yet," She was teary, "Please."

MJ spun to look at her, "Bonnie."

Damon's shoulders slumped.

"They need to know!"

"Lydia moment..."

Silence.

Jeremy used the pause to just say it, "Bonnie's dead."

"Damn it!" He turned, "You realise what you just did?"

He marched to the door.

"Why would you say that?!"

"People need to know."

There was a beat, Damon shaking his head, clearly upset.

Then he rushed at Jeremy.

MJ thought Damon was going to punch him, but then his arms went around him in a massive hug, the truth of the situation washing over them.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie," MJ apologised, and the spirit of her friend just looked to the floor in disappointment, "Long-term lies are poison."

She didn't respond.

Damon began to turn like he expected her to jump out from somewhere, "Who else knows?"

"Just us two," Jeremy responded.

"And Tyler," MJ felt like she probably should've mentioned that early.

Bonnie was back to looking at them, "What?"

"I told him," She admitted, "The second I found out...I called him. He was the only person I – I don't know."

It was a mess.

"He needed to know, and he needed to come back to town...especially if I've gotta tell Caroline."

"Yeah," Bonnie could respect that, "You're right."

Jeremy and MJ were both staring at her, so Damon could work out where she was.

"You guys are right."

"I – I need to tell Matt," Jeremy picked up his keys again.

"I'll tell Caroline," MJ decided

"Elena," Damon rubbed his face, "She's managing..."

He perked up.

"You!"

"I can help with whatever's happened," MJ rolled her eyes, "If Jeremy's okay telling Matt on his own?"

He nodded.

"Meet back somewhere later."

"Yeah."

Then he was gone.

Bonnie vanished too. Not after him, just no longer in the room.

MJ assumed she was checking in on Caroline, or Matt, or something, the way Mason had talked about being able to float around and do things.

How could Mason watch people, yet Kol couldn't?

Damon started pouring himself a drink.

He stopped.

He added a second cup, one without ice, with a twist of lemon, for her.

"Thanks," MJ happily accepted, despite it only being the afternoon, "So...Stefan?"

"Qetisyah brought herself back to life while the veil was dropped."

"Good for her, I guess?"

"And gave Stefan amnesia to stop Silas from being able to use magic."

"Less good, but witches do be like that," She sipped the bourbon, "You guys should've called me the second you found out he wasn't okay."

"I know."

"Get over yourself!" She snapped, then paused, "Wait, what?"

Damon snorted, "Expected me to say something else."

"Little bit."

Silence.

"Silas has his phone," MJ finished the glass, "He's been talking to me as Stefan this entire time."

"No way?"

"Yeah."

There was a feeling of pathetic self-hate about the fact she hadn't figured it out, all popping out as another quiet kicked in.

"He had me looking into a way to make the cure."

A notebook dedicated to it.

"I didn't know it wasn't Stefan - because you guys didn't tell me."

Damon was cringing for her.

"What if I'd helped him do something awful?"

One point out of many.

"And he told me he chucked Stefan's body into the creek. So he's been drowning all summer."

Damon slammed his glass down too, "You think I don't feel guilty about it?"

"Then why didn't you call me!"

"I didn't know Elena was dreaming about him until a week or two ago!"

"Exactly. You've had a minimum of a week!"

"If I'd called you, would you have answered?"

A valid point.

"Okay, fair enough," She had known about the dreams, "Sorry. It's been an intense day – everyone should've called me, not just you."

She had to think Caroline knew about the situation too.

"Sorry we didn't tell you."

An actual Damon Salvatore apology.

That was a first.

"We should've."

His phone rang.

"Hey!" Elena's voice, "Where are you? I've been calling."

"I'm at home," Damon finished his drink, "We have a visitor."

"Hey."

"MJ!"

"Jeremy called me to help with stuff."

"We should've called you the second we found Stefan."

"Yep," MJ agreed, "Damon's already taken the brunt of my rant."

"Look," Damon went to rip the band-aid off, "I really need to talk to you about something – "

"Stefan's gone."

"What?" His plan changed, "What happened?"

"I told him about you and me, and he just—he stormed off," Elena rushed out, "Said he was hungry – Damon."

Not a good situation.

"There's an entire graveyard full of people here tonight."

"We're on our way."

He hung up.

"You wanna help?"

"I'll find him, and I'll tell Caroline. You handle your girlfriend."

~***~

It was early evening, and the Cemetery really was full of people. MJ had forgotten about the bell ringing celebration, pausing when she arrived to take in how many people were gathered in the woods. She passed a few familiar faces from the High School, waving and laughing at the chit-chat while scanning for Caroline or Stefan.

Damon was looking on the other side of the graveyard, for Elena or Stefan.

MJ let herself smile at the college kids doing keg stands on their grandparent's graves around small group bonfires until she was brought out of her thoughts by a welcome visitor.

Kol's voice in her ear. "What's going on?"

She jumped, him standing directly behind her, grinning at the reaction.

"Mean."

"Got to have some fun over here," He tapped the tiny rune next to her eye, "Reinforced magic to make it last longer and give you a foothold in both realms...very impressive."

"Thank you."

"So what's going on?"

"I need to find – "

"Stefan and Caroline, yes, I'm aware," He waved a hand, "I meant, why is there a buffet in the woods?"

"Not a buffet you can pick from."

He pouted, "A man can dream."

She laughed.

"They're in a cemetery! It's like they want me to picture murdering them in glorious ways."

"Or, it's because it's a town tradition," MJ started to walk around the edge of the crowd, "Cholera paranoia created early burials – do you know about cholera?"

Kol frowned.

"1840s, so you would've been daggered, but you might've learnt about it in the 1900s."

"It didn't appear in any of my readings. Then again, mortal problems weren't my pickings in the 1900s."

"Well," MJ bobbed her head cutely, "Lots of towns have bell-ringing holidays because of people being buried when their families thought they had cholera."

"Citizens would be buried out of fear of this disease, but pull on the bell if they didn't then die?"

"Yup," She shuddered, "I call BS, though."

"BS?"

"Bullshit, a swear word, popularised around 1915 onwards."

Caroline's blonde hair was nowhere to be seen, forcing MJ to have to wade through people to get a better look, catching a few odd glances as she continued to talk.

"Like I said, cholera burials were a thing in the 1840s, but Mystic Falls wasn't founded until the 60s."

"Ah," Kol's steps were somewhat springy beside her, "And given the vampirism in the air here, you think this celebration has more to do with that, using the guise of 'cholera' to keep the humans unawares."

"Enough vampire theorist talk about being buried as part of the process."

"Nah, you just need magic, blood, and a quick sword through the heart."

MJ grinned, head turning to focus solely on him as she walked across the uneven mud of the cemetery.

He was smiling right back.

"As someone who's been buried alive," She couldn't help but think about how pretty his eyes were, "I certainly wouldn't have tested that theory."

"Rather have the sword?"

"At least it's a quick death," She put her hands out, "Not saying it's a nice one, but it is quick."

"Neck snaps are quicker, a sharp type of painful, but I'm always going to have a soft spot for heart removal."

"And here I thought exsanguination would be your favourite way to murder someone."

"Oh, it is!" He nodded furiously, "But it's time-consuming, and we're talking swift departures here."

MJ laughed again.

Exsanguination was the term for when a body had been drained of blood.

Why was she laughing?

Because she'd missed his peppy murder anecdotes.

"Burying is a nightmare," She entered a different section of trees, still met by large groups of people, "At this point, I think my claustrophobia means I'm gonna ask to be anything other than buried when I die."

"You're not allowed to die, darling."

"Sweet sentiment - found your ashes, by the way."

"Tell Nik to hide them better," He looked disgusted, "Can't have you getting your sticky fingers on the gold dust until there's a spell to use that won't kill you in the process."

"Unless you approve the spell, I won't use one. Promise."

"Good," He held up his hand, "Teamwork."

She looked at it, confused.

"...This was how you initiated a high-five, wasn't it?"

"Oh!" She completed the gesture, "Yes. Teamwork. My brain's a little crazed right now. Sorry."

"Still thinking about how you'd liked to be stored post-mortem?"

"I know how I wanna be stored – I'm thinking about – "

"How?"

The interruption had MJ pausing her walk, quickly scanning the faces for Caroline then focusing on him again.

"Are you okay?"

"Morbid topic, I know," He shrugged innocently, "I've missed casual conversation with you."

Her heart melted, "I want something spooky."

"Spooky?"

"Like, for my spirit to be tied to house so I can be a friendly ghost that a family can commercialise for income."

He laughed.

"Or, I want my ashes in a river, or used to grow a tree or something. That way I can be reincarnated as a nymph."

Their odd conversation was interrupted, MJ tackled by a beautiful blonde she'd missed immensely.

"MJ!"

"Caroline!"

"You're back!"

The hug was ended in a rush, Caroline shoving her back

"How dare you not tell me you were coming to town!"

"I, too, am quite offended you didn't think to call," Kol joked, "Didn't give me any time to make sure my hair looked good."

"Your short hair always looks good."

"Um," Caroline woke her up to the conversation she was meant to be having, "What?"

"Your hair looks good," MJ corrected, forcing a smile as Kol laughed, "Don't know what happened with my phrasing there."

Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't tell you because it was a last-minute trip," She rubbed her neck awkwardly, "Jeremy literally called me yesterday, and I drove through the night."

Caroline instantly looked concerned, "Why?"

Rip the band-aid –

"Caroline Forbes!" Stefan's voice, "Mira Jung Floare-Ruiz!"

"Wonderful," Kol's tone was flat, "He's here."

They both turned to face him.

Caroline managed a smile, "Stefan."

"My best friend," He pointed a tequila bottle at her, then looked at MJ, "Yeah..."

Awkward silence.

"I can't work out what we were."

"Uh?"

"He's implying hat his amnesia state thinks you were together."

Caroline stepped towards him, "You recognise us?"

"Well, I've studied pictures," He nodded, opening checking her out, "You're much hotter in person."

MJ laughed, Caroline unable to hide her smile too.

"She's not as gorgeous as you."

MJ shot Kol a look.

"But I'll happily let him think so."

"Sorry," Stefan took another sip from the bottle, "I'm a little drunk."

"Yeah. I can see that," Caroline sent MJ a concerned glance, "Are you okay?"

"Well, if by 'okay' you mean heavily spiralling into Ripper oblivion?"

Kol perked up, "He's a ripper?"

"Then yes."

"Why didn't I know this information?"

"I'm dandy."

"I love rippers!"

"Oookkkaaay," MJ put her hands up, Stefan's drink flying into one, "That means it's time to slow down."

A guy jogged up to them holding two red cups, "Keg-stand guy passed out, so I stole these."

MJ momentarily froze, remembering they were very much in public and she'd just used a summoning spell.

"I don't think he saw."

MJ had been talking to a ghost in public.

She'd high-fived a ghost in public.

"Let Stefan eat him for me?" His puppy eyes were not helping the situation, "If I'd realised he was a ripper, we could've hit it off."

The guy was African American, a semi-shaved head, goatee, and light green eyes. He was taller than all of them, bar Kol, and thinner – not someone who worked out. The cool-guy vibes he radiated came from the chill tone of voice. He also seemed utterly unbothered, so MJ had to assume he hadn't noticed the flying drink.

"Jesse," Caroline blinked like she'd realised something bad, "Um, Jesse, this is my best friend...MJ."

MJ offered him a warm smile, "Hi."

"Hi, yeah!" He seemed excited to meet her, "As she said, Jesse."

His attempt to shake her hand despite the cups was a bit of a fail.

"Sorry."

"Smooth."

"Don't worry," She did a quick scan, then sent Caroline a raised eyebrow, "Another time."

"Hey," Caroline's voice went softer as she gave him an apologetic smile, "Do you mind giving us a couple of minutes?"

He looked between the three people.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded, "That's probably a good idea."

His tense tone was concerning.

"Because I can smell a paper cut on the palm of your left hand, and I want to rip your entire arm off."

MJ grabbed his arm, "Stef."

"Wha – "

"Go away, hide," Caroline flashed in front of him, compelling quickly, "I'll find you."

He walked off, still holding the cups, no more questions asked.

"Well," Kol chuckled, "This is a new side to Hero-Salvatore."

"Look," Caroline turned on her heel, glaring at her friend, "I know that you're hungry, but you don't do people. Okay? It just—it doesn't end well."

"Please let him do people."

"What about blood bags?" Stefan asked reasonably, "Do you have any of those?"

The acceptance of advice meant MJ let go of his arm.

"Yes," Caroline sighed, "In the car. Come with me."

And Stefan was gone.

The first time MJ had ever been played by any of the vampires in their friend circle.

She couldn't not smile, reluctantly impressed.

Kol narrowed his eyes at the look, "Sweatheart – "

"You go left, I go right," She suggested to Caroline, "Before it goes too far?"

Caroline nodded, "Jeremy called you about Stefan?"

"Oh..." MJ closed her eyes, "No."

"Did someone call you about Stefan – I swear," Her tone was anxious, "I only found out this afternoon!"

"That's true."

"If I'd already known, I would've told you – and I was super confused too because I thought you'd been talking to him – "

"Silas played me," MJ admitted, "He had Stefan's phone. Asked just the right amount of friend questions among magic ones that I didn't get suspicious."

Caroline raised an eyebrow, "And you bought Stefan's 'I'll settle for a blood bag'..."

"I know," MJ sighed, "It turns out that when I'm happy with my life, I get less paranoid, i.e. sloppy."

Kol shifted, uncomfortable about something.

"That's good," Caroline smiled sweetly, "It's good that you're happy."

Or maybe it was just because MJ had the whole Bonnie situation on her mind, so she was a little unfocused.

"I'll be happier when we catch a pre-ripper Stefan before he goes too far."

Caroline nodded in agreement, and they split up.

MJ tried to think smart.

Jesse had a cut on him, and Stefan knew that, so he'd probably follow him, and Jesse had been compelled to hide.

"Can you smell blood while you're a ghost?"

Kol was still walking beside her, "No."

She knew it was a stretch, but she had needed to ask.

"Can't hear heartbeats, or smell anything, or touch – "

MJ grabbed his hand.

He smiled slightly.

"Sorry you're stuck following me around chasing Stefan."

"...I mean...You don't have to."

She raised an eyebrow.

"We could go to one of the less crowded areas," He spoke innocently, "Talk about your summer. Let the dust fall where it may."

"I'll give you all the details later."

"Happy?"

MJ stilled, squeezing the hand tighter, "Would've been better with you."

"But you are happy?"

"...I guess."

He nodded in acceptance.

"It's a bit up and down," She let her shoulders slump, "If I was satisfied, Kol, I wouldn't be studying resurrection spells."

"I want you to be happy, Mira."

Silence.

Just them walking.

"I've missed you," He added, "Clearly."

"I've missed you too."

"But one of the first conversations we had was about how spirits haunt you. How you hated it."

"Yeah, but Kol," She let go of his hand, suddenly feeling a little weird about holding it, "You don't count."

"Am I not a ghost?"

"But you're..."

'My ghost.'

Her mum had been her ghost too.

Going to New Orleans had been motivated by her wish to rid herself of her ghosts.

"But I want to see and talk to you," She rephrased, "Because you're not haunting me the way those spirits did – you're just...here for me."

"So you don't mind me being here?"

"I'm never going to mind seeing you."

MJ tried to ignore a stranger a few metres behind her, staring at her, talking to air.

"I hate thinking about you being all alone over there – and why shouldn't we talk?"

Someone else sent her an odd look before focusing back on their drink.

"I'm bringing you back."

Something MJ had never been good at?

Letting the dead go.

She's just made progress with her family ghosts, she could let herself slip-up a little.

"Okay," Kol smiled genuinely again, "And, I mean, it's only when you're in Mystic Falls, so it's not that bad."

"Exactly!"

"It's good for both of us."

"I've had this gift since I was little – what's the point of having it if I can't use it!"

"Now that's sorted, catch-up elsewhere?"

"Now that's sorted," She corrected, "Finding Stefan."

"But – "

"As much as you might wanna see a massacre, I don't."

"Fine," He grumbled, "I'll stop distracting you."

An implication that his earlier focus on methods of death, already knowing she was only at the cemetery to find Stefan and Caroline, had been him somewhat stalling her because he didn't like Stefan.

"He's going to have gone to the tombs."

"Stefan?"

"Caroline's-Fill-In-Boyfriend."

MJ stilled and looked around.

They were in an open graveyard, so Kol was probably right.

Anyone with more than two brain cells would know better than to try and hide among the trees.

It was too exposed.

"He would've gone to the crypts, and Stefan would've followed the smell of blood."

MJ took off in that direction.

The family tombs were like medium-sized sheds of stones, creating shadows across the mud and grass, the insides perfect for hiding inside of.

"Let me out of here, please!" Jesse's strained voice, coming straight from the Salvatore Crypt.

And MJ thought Matt had bad luck.

The guy had chosen the worst place to hide.

"MJ," Kol was rushing behind her, "If he's craving mortal blood – "

"I'll be fine."

Stefan's voice, "I know I should let you out."

MJ rushed past the other tombs.

"Mira!"

"I'm good, right? I'm compassionate."

Kol ghosted in front of her before she could enter, hands forward to stop her, able to thanks to her rune.

"Kol," She pleaded, "I don't wanna fight about this."

"It's dangerous."

"And you know I'm drawn to that."

"But I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"He's my friend."

"He's craving blood," He pushed her down the tomb steps and back to the ground, "And let me tell you – that craving isn't something to get in the middle of. Friend or not."

"I have no memories because my brain was fried."

They could still hear Stefan's voice.

"My brother, who's been my brother for a hundred and sixty-some-odd years, stole my girlfriend."

"You've given me a foothold, and I'm going to use it."

"And my girlfriend let him...so you tell me..."

"Especially if you're going to get yourself hurt."

"What's the point of being good?"

Stefan was going to go off the deep end.

"He's not your responsibility."

MJ wrung her fingers together, lifting them up.

"Mira – "

She blew over them.

And Kol was gone.

She closed her eyes, "I'm so sorry."

Kol was trying to keep her safe, but MJ couldn't let someone get hurt.

"I really am."

She'd pull back again later to re-establish his foothold and apologise properly.

Then, MJ heard a scream and jumped into action, running into the tomb to see Stefan's vampire eyes showing, fangs in Jesse's profusely bleeding neck, pulling back to clock her arrival.

He was panting, diving in again the moment he saw it was her.

MJ's hand went up, freezing Stefan in place.

Jesse looked at her, fear in his eyes, and she knocked him out before he could see anything else.

MJ didn't know him, she didn't know what his relationship with her friends was, but if he was human and not in the know, she knew how that story tended to end, and she wanted no part of it.

She released Stefan so he could turn to face her, staggered breaths and blood dripping down his chin. The veins were coming in and out like he was about to tear into her.

"You can try," MJ offered, "You won't succeed."

"You're," He took a step forward, "You're my friend."

Followed by two steps back.

"I know that, at the minimum, we're friends."

"We are," She nodded, "And I can help."

MJ ran her left finger diagonally up her right palm, then up to the top of her middle finger.

Then she slid her right arm up, leaving the finger in place to trace straight down her hand and arm until it hit her elbow.

His fangs retreated, the breathing becoming easier.

"Bloodlust spell," MJ walked to stand in front of him, "Most witches have one to up bloodlust, to make a vampire lose it."

She'd seen a lot of them in Grimoires over the summer.

"It's a twisted way to control them, so I wrote a reverse."

He nodded.

"And Stef," She put a hand on his face, twirling her finger over his cheek, so the blood evaporated from around his mouth, "You are compassionate, you are good."

Hearing him ask that question was the only reason she'd been emotionally strong enough to just send Kol away.

He'd sounded so broken.

"And I know that once you get your memories back, you're not gonna want to have gone off the rails again."

His voice was quiet as his eyes moved around her face, "You're so sure?"

"I am," She stepped back, "And to answer your question, the point of it?"

She had to remember that Kol was probably watching, so holding Stefan's face wasn't the way to go.

"You do good because you're a good person."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Based on what?"

"Based on the fact that truly good people don't do good things to get rewarded."

Ana's point to Kol at graduation – but MJ didn't know that.

"They do it because it's the right thing to do. Because doing good is a healthy thing for them."

It was a healthy thing for her too.

"When you do good, it isn't about Elena and rewards. It's about you. Doing good, that's your humanity, and I'm not going to let you lose it again."

"You care an awful lot about me."

"I do."

"According to the journals Damon made me read, I cared an awful lot about you too."

"I think you did."

He backed another step away, "If I'm this great person, why aren't I that person now? If that's who I am at my core?"

"Because you have no memories," MJ thought it was obvious, "You don't know who you are, and, on top of that, being good isn't easy. It's a choice."

Morality was complicated.

"I believe everyone is in the middle."

Even if hearing her voice didn't help ease his mind, it would at least buy time.

"You choose to do bad, and you choose to do good. Everyone has different reasonings and experiences that shape those choices," She spoke gently, "You've lost your experiences. Sure, reading about them might pressure your personality back on. But reading and living are two very different things."

She wouldn't have just gotten Stefan to read his old life.

"Elena tried to retrace steps with me," He looked down at Jesse's unconscious body, "How we first met. Then she took me to the bridge."

"Which is a better plan," She smiled, "However, you lived for one hundred and sixty-two years without her."

Two years was both a long time and an incredibly short one.

"Yes, she's important."

He'd been in love with her.

"But if we want all of Stefan back, all your memories – ones that make doing good seem worth it, we should probably do a Lexi tour. And we should probably let you feed, fail, stress, and want to do better."

"You want me to kill someone?"

MJ motioned to the floor, "Is he dead?"

"No..."

"Do you want to kill him?"

"...No..."

"How do you feel?"

"In all honesty,...a little sick."

"Are you going to try doing that again?"

He shook his head.

The gesture was cautious, like he had to force his head to do it.

"Are you lying to me?"

"I feel like you're the type of person who knows me well enough to know whether or not I'm lying."

"When I'm overanalysing, sure. But, right now, I want you to either be honest and make progress, or lie so I can kick your ass."

He managed a laugh.

Then he looked at the blood on the floor, eyes momentarily turning red again until he looked away.

"I don't wanna kill him."

"Good."

Progress.

Caroline rushed in, a voicemail from Jesse playing on her phone.

"Stefan!"

She saw the pair of them standing, casually talking, while Jesse lay on the floor.

Caroline's face crumpled a little.

"He's alive," MJ assured her.

A simple hand wave had him sitting up with a stark breath, eyes rolling as he fell back to the floor.

"Missing a percentage of his blood, but alive."

Caroline took a stern step towards Stefan, "This isn't you, okay?"

He looked away in shame.

"You might not remember, but I do," Caroline cared about him so much, "You're better than this. You are not this person."

His eyes kept being pulled back to the blood on the floor.

"Stefan – "

"I have to go."

He was staring at the way his teeth had cut through the light blue shirt Jesse had been wearing.

"What?"

"I have to leave."

"Stefan."

He was gone.

MJ sighed, following him out of the tomb, "I'll handle it."

Then she stopped.

"Caroline," She needed to say it, "We need to talk about something."

Caroline knelt down by Jesse, "I know you're probably conflicted since I know Ty and I didn't technically break-up, and Jesse is clearly a date – "

"No," MJ stopped her, "Jeremy called me because Bonnie died."

Caroline froze.

She stood up.

"What?"

"Yeah," MJ's eyes shut, "She died bringing Jeremy back, and I managed to talk to her, and we were going to tell everyone, but then stuff happened with Matt, and now this, but, Bonnie...She's dead and, well, I'm sorry?"

Caroline came back to her feet, "Dead?"

MJ nodded.

Shakey breath in.

Watering eyes as she waited for her to take it back.

MJ didn't.

"De – dead?"

"Since Graduation."

The tears feel heavily down her round cheeks.

MJ was hugging her before they could slip off her chin.

"Bonnie, she can't – she can't just be dead."

"I know," MJ whispered, "But she is."

Jesse gasped for air again, reminding them of the situation they were in.

"Stefan."

"Go," Caroline nodded, wiping away her tears in a flurry, "We can talk later."

MJ did as instructed, leaving Caroline to bite into her wrist, feeding Jesse blood while mumbling apologies about inviting him, letting him kiss her, and letting him get caught in the supernatural mess.

~***~

MJ found Stefan back in his room at the Salvatore House about five seconds before Elena did. Eyes catching on the fireplace, diaries curling up among the flames, leather melting, colour dripping over the wood.

She may have thought the mass journaling was a bit over the top, but seeing the yellow pages and blue ink shrivel into red and black didn't feel nice.

It was eye-witness accounts of history!

He was burning eye-witness accounts of history.

"You look like I've killed a baby," Stefan commented.

"The nerd in me is very conflicted," She could fix them.

MJ could wave her hand, stop the fire, and reverse the damages...

"You shouldn't burn books."

But he was going through something, and MJ needed to let him process his life however he needed to.

"Stefan!" Elena rushed into the room, breathing out in relief, "There you are."

MJ's lips were in a thin line.

"We've been looking everywhere for y – "

She saw what MJ was staring at as Damon walked in behind her.

"What you doing there, brother?"

"Well, you know," Stefan poked the fire with a stick, "Just tying up a few odds and ends."

"You sure you want to do that?"

"Well, I know what I don't want," He looked at the happy couple, "I don't want to be the person in these journals anymore."

Oh, this was not going to go well.

"I don't want to live in this house. I don't want my brother's advice."

Then, he faced his ex.

"I don't want to hear how I supported you, Elena, and I definitely do not want to continue this conversation."

Stefan had every right to be mad.

Part of MJ found the situation hilarious. Elena had been so sure that she and Stefan started the summer as friends. Part of her had clearly clicked how delusional that was based on the fact she hadn't tried to contact him all summer.

Stefan grabbed a duffle bag he'd packed before MJ had got there.

"Stefan," Elena walked after him, "Wait – "

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna go on a Ripper binge. Besides," He held up his phone, "I texted Caroline. Asked her to call me every hour to make sure I was okay and, uh...I actually do trust her."

"But – "

"I also trust MJ," He stopped in the foyer, "And she's clearly going to track me down if I run for the hills."

"I would."

"Because she clearly cares a lot more about me than either of you do."

"Stefan," Elena's face dropped, "We care about you."

"People who really care about me wouldn't do...," He pointed between them, "That."

Then he left.

MJ sighed.

"I think we just got dumped," Damon commented.

"We need Bonnie," Elena shook his head, "Why hasn't she called us back?"

Oof.

"It's so unlike her," Elena bit her lip, "He can't stay like this."

Damon and MJ shared a look.

"I'm gonna go," She pointed to the door, "Make sure he has a place to sleep that isn't a cemetery."

Damon nodded, ready to break the news to Elena.

Outside, MJ jogged to catch Stefan up.

"Okay," Her voice had him stopping at the end of the drive, "You're gonna crash at one of my places."

Once MJ was by his side, just out of sight of the windows, she continued her sentence.

"In a bed, near animal and human blood, and things that can shut you down if you go a little crazy."

After a moment of just staring at her, Stefan nodded.

"...You wanna say something?"

He had a nervous smile on his lips, "Can I ask what we used to be?"

A follow-up to his earlier comment.

"Or would that turn things super awkward?"

MJ started to walk, "What we used to be?"

"Reading all those books," He fell in stride beside her, "The old me was annoyingly vague about the mysterious Mira Jung."

"Mysterious?"

"I don't know. I wrote about you weirdly."

MJ hadn't actually read what no-humanity Elena had sent her. She hadn't wanted to make herself feel worse, and she'd kinda assumed Evil!Elena would have sent when Stefan wrote badly of her...

"He always talked about how great you were."

She straightened up.

"Powerful. Helpful. Smart."

MJ blinked rapidly.

"But then he'd start rambling about Elena and how much he needed to help her, and then I found out she was this great love of my life, and I just got confused."

Kol's dissection of Stefan's earlier comment being proven correct.

MJ shrugged, "We were friends."

"That's it?"

"You were drunk hitting on Caroline an hour ago. Be careful, Salvatore."

"But seriously?"

"Yep," She nodded, "I mean, you kissed me at our senior prom, and I shot you down."

"Ouch," He was smiling though, "How come?"

"Because you were still in love with Elena, and I deserve better than that."

He whistled, "Respect to you."

"Thanks," MJ had missed talking to Stefan.

She stopped walking.

So did he, turning to look at her.

MJ hugged him tightly, arms going over his shoulders as she pushed up on her tip-toes.

"I'm really happy you're not dead."

"You thought I was dead?"

She hid her face in his neck, "I was so worried."

Stefan tightened his hold on her too.

Slowly, MJ let go, feet back to standing, arms sliding down, except Stefan caught wrists as her fingers reached the bottom of his neck, holding them there.

"I was so scared," MJ didn't necessarily like the position, but she was an affectionate person who stood like that with Caroline, and Tyler, "And worried."

Her shoulders were shaking.

"And then I got a call that made me think you were okay," Her guilt was killing her, "And I'm so sorry I didn't realise it wasn't you."

Her eyes shut to stop her from getting too emotional.

"I can't – I can't lose another person. Not for a few more years."

The previous year had somewhat broken her.

"I genuinely – I genuinely might not - If you'd died – "

"Hey, hey," Stefan brushed her hair behind her ears, "None of this is your fault. You haven't even been around until today – how could you have known anything was wrong?"

She stared up at him.

Stefan was okay.

He didn't have memories, but he was okay.

And one of his hands was cupping her face while she was holding him close.

MJ stepped back, clearing her throat and feeling incredibly guilty again.

"I also turned you down because I'd just lost someone I cared about too."

Who was almost definitely watching them.

"And I'd really been going through it emotions wise, so it felt wrong to kiss you back."

He was watching how her eyes moved.

"Neither of us were in the right headspace."

"So you were the responsible one despite being a hundred something years younger than me."

She laughed, "Pretty much."

They ended up crashing at Ric's, and MJ tried to make him take the bed while she used the couch, but he was adamant that wouldn't be fair considering it was 'her place'. MJ had him sworn to secrecy about the fact she'd invited him in, considering she still hadn't said the magic words to Damon.

Tyler, Caroline, and Stefan were the only vampires who could get inside her safe space.

It was a list she liked.

He'd stood up for a little bit, staring at the wall she'd painted all over during the end of senior year. Her dancing girl, made of bright colours and messy strokes. MJ sat in the bed, texting Jeremy about the makeshift funeral they were gonna have for Bonnie the following day.

It was odd.

It was another reason she'd wanted to crash at Ric's.

MJ knew she wouldn't stick around Mystic Falls for any longer than she had to, not unless Kol wanted her to.

All of her Traveller research was in New Orleans, and if she wanted to help Matt and Stefan, she needed that stuff. If she wanted to put her mind at ease about them potentially coming to Mystic Falls, she needed that information.

If MJ wasn't sticking around, but she was there, she was gonna pick up stuff she wanted to take back to New Orleans with her.

Vampire hunting gear.

She felt so dumb for not packing any of it up before she'd left for the summer, but that was because she'd made the choice to leave Ric's place as her easy come and go stop. Now Marcel knew she was a potential threat, she needed to be ready, and that meant bringing back a few stake ejectors, vervain grenades, and all the stuff she'd made to attach to jackets.

Mid-pack-up, Stefan was asleep on the couch, and MJ made a choice.

Her hand moved over her rune, it flashing white as she thought about Kol.

He was sitting on the bed, scowling at her.

"I am sorry."

Silence.

MJ put the weapons down to walk over to him, sitting down, "I really am."

"Having you ignore me – "

"I'm not ignoring – "

"You banished my spirit!"

She fiddled with the blanket.

He leant forward, chin resting on her shoulder, "Mira."

"Sorry."

"Is this a habit I'm going to have to accept with you?" His tone turned slightly teasing, "Because it really seems like you listen to me until it comes to your own safety."

"You called out my hero complex pretty early on. You know I'm like this."

He sighed.

"...And you aren't here to physically stop me."

"Even when I was, you locked me in the library."

True.

"Mira," His hand moved down to rest on hers, "...At least he didn't attack you."

"Yeah."

Silence.

Kol was holding something back, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Just say what you're thinking."

"He looks at you like he wants to kiss you."

Both of them were staring towards Stefan's sleeping form on the couch.

"I don't understand how you can't see it."

"At Prom, I could."

"Today, he did too."

"He was just processing the fact I cared about him, confused by his journals, and mad at other people."

"Or, he read those journals, and realised that he loves you, mind cleared of previous delusions."

MJ shifted further onto the bed, thinking back on all the signs she might've missed, genuinely  thinking she would've noticed if that was the case.

"Have you ever had feelings for him?"

"Not those types of feelings."

"Are you sure?"

"Kol," She turned to properly look at him, "Why have this conversation?"

"Because I refuse to sit here and watch you fall in love with him."

The angry expression on his face had MJ's heart breaking.

"I want you to be happy, Mira, but watching that will kill me all over again."

MJ turned away from the sofa completely, both of them just sitting on the bed

"If it's someone else? Fine. But if it's Stefan Salvatore?"

It would lowkey undermine their entire relationship, her feelings for Kol just the universe giving Stefan something to be jealous of.

Everything felt exhausting.

MJ lay down on her side of the bed, cheek pressing into the pillow.

"Mira – "

"I told you that I want to bring you back."

"Please look at me."

"Can we just lie here for a little bit," She did turn, but she didn't sit up, "Because I've missed you so much, and I'm sorry I sent you away earlier, but..."

He shifted down to lying too.

She couldn't finish the sentence.

"I'm dead."

MJ shuffled closer, "I don't wanna upset you."

He curled his lips in, clearly still annoyed about parts of it.

"The last thing I want to do is make this worse."

He exhaled, "I know."

"Can we just go hide somewhere on the edge of town?"

The look on MJ's face made it clear she might cry.

"Mira – I didn't want to make – "

"It's just because I miss you," She waved a hand, closing her eyes, "You're here, but you're not really here, and I really miss you."

Putting it simply.

"You didn't make me cry, I'm crying because I miss you."

And the tears started.

"And Bonnie's dead too. And Jeremy's been lying. And my friend was drowning for months. And my best friend's a mess and lying to his girlfriend, meaning I have to cover for him, and she's my other best friend – and I wish we could just run away together."

There had to be a way for her to get him back.

"Just because I'm crying – it's not – don't," MJ really didn't want him to take the comments back, since he did have a point, "Never feel like you shouldn't tell me how you're feeling."

She needed someone to lean on, and she wanted it to be Kol - but it couldn't be Kol.

"How sad would it be to just hide in a house in the woods until I figure out how to bring you back?"

"I don't think it would be sad," He'd scooted closer too, a cold but touchable arm wrapping around her waist, "It would be our place to figure it all out."

"Yeah?"

"But if you're here, you'll end up stuck here."

"Not if they don't know where to find me."

"Because you could keep that information from Caroline and Tyler?"

"Okay," She dried her eyes a little, "You have a point."

"Be in New Orleans, but when you visit, we can hideaway and catch-up here."

"Okay."

His eyes returned to the sofa, anger flashing across his features again.

"Can we pause this conversation until he's not just sleeping there?"

Kol swallowed, "Okay."

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"You're forgiven."

"You sure?"

"I'm not going to be mad at you when you're already upset."

"You can be, Kol."

"I don't want to be mad at you, MJ. Not for acting so inherently you."

MJ did take note that the sentence was followed by his features naturally relaxing.

"You said it yourself. I've always known that you're like this."

She laughed.

"Always the hero of the story."

"I'm hardly a hero."

"Sure you're not, darling."

MJ wanted to argue against Kol's stance, but she also didn't want to – there was no point arguing over something like that. Not when she could just enjoy seeing his face with her, lying in bed together.

"Jeremy was letting Bonnie watch him shirtless," MJ teased, "If you want me to take mine off?"

He laughed.

"I'd believe your 'forgiven' stance if I'd done that."

"Another time."

"Kol Mikaelson! Turning down seeing my boobs?"

"Well," He rested into the pillow properly, "If you insist."

She giggled.

"However, I'd much prefer a later date, given the couch-sleeper."

MJ had almost forgotten that Stefan could've overheard the conversation, even when they'd been looking at him.

He was asleep.

It was fine.

"You should probably get some sleep too," Kol pointed out, "Funeral and all."

"Yeah."

They both knew she couldn't be pulling for his spirit during the funeral, and the constant spirit magic she'd be using all day was draining her battery down...still...

Worth it.

"Wanna talk about something until I drift off?"

"Happily," He used his slight ability to touch to properly pull her into his chest, "Anything in particular?"

"Can you finally tell me about the Floare you met? Because you never actually gave me any details."

"You've fixed the necklace?"

"Yup, the Aonso Amillaus Stone is restored."

He grinned, "And you finally know the name!"

"Amillaus?"

"Named after the woman who I helped make them - Dinah," He tapped her chin, "No need to get jealous love, she was nothing compared to you."

"I'm sure," She teased, "Get on with the story."

"It was summer, some time in the fourteenth century."

"Don't act like you don't know the exact dates."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't."

Kol deliberately only focused on his first few weeks there, seeing MJ's eyes slowly shut as the funny commentary she made in response to his own became mumbled.

It wasn't hard for MJ to fall asleep with the feint feeling of Kol with her.

It was hard when she woke up alone.

She wasn't really alone, she just couldn't see him anymore.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

MJ got up, got dressed, then returned to packing up the things she wanted to take to New Orleans from Ric's, redrawing the rune. She needed it there. If Kol wanted to talk to her again, she'd see him because of it, but neither of them were probably going to reach out.

MJ was pretty miserable about Bonnie, and she wouldn't expect him to put up with listening to her talk about people who'd helped kill him.

She'd never expect him to force himself to listen to her talk about those things.

MJ had just about finished packing when Stefan woke up, her chucking a suit at him.

There was no way in hell she was letting him ditch Bonnie's funeral.

"I don't remember her."

"I don't care."

"Isn't it rude to just show up to a funeral when I don't know the person?"

"Maybe."

Kinda.

"But you do know her."

"A me-with-memories does."

"And a you-with-memories would brood about you ditching today."

There was a knock on the door, and MJ waved her hand to open it.

Caroline, "Hey," She stepped inside, "How you feeling?"

The question was aimed at Stefan.

"I'm feeling better," He nodded slowly, "Which in my world means I haven't committed a homicide since I last saw you."

A difficult goal for most of them.

Caroline sniffed.

Stefan's face melted, and he looked at MJ, "I'll go."

"You told him too?" Caroline checked.

"Yep," MJ sighed, taping up the cardboard box and looking over her own black clothes, "Bonnie's dead. He needed to know, even if he doesn't remember her."

"Can I ask what happened?" Stefan's eyes were fixed on Caroline's about to cry face.

"Please don't ask," She shook her head, "If we get an answer, I'm gonna have to actually think about it, and then I'll start crying, and I'm afraid that I might not ever stop."

Caroline slowly sat on the chair by the kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry," Stefan sat beside her, "I...I wish I could remember her."

MJ smiled to herself. That was the Stefan she remembered.

So was the Stefan who'd hugged her the previous day.

"I don't know. Part of me just wishes that I could trade places with you," Caroline slumped forward, looking down guilty, "Without all the memories, maybe it wouldn't hurt so damn much,"

"It's okay," Stefan wasn't even waiting or looking to MJ to check he was saying the right thing.

He was just acting how he wanted to.

Stefan Salvatore.

MJ let the pair have their moment of bonding, focusing on her empty coffee mug and making sure it was clean in the sink.

"I'm never gonna see her again," Caroline was on the brink of tears, "And I have no idea where Tyler is, and I got so used to them being there all the time, and now what?"

MJ realised she hadn't had time to mention that Tyler was coming back to Caroline.

He'd texted that morning to say he was nearly home, caught in a load of traffic.

"MJ doesn't live here anymore," Caroline gestured to her, "And I'm supposed to just learn to move on without them?"

MJ turned the tap off, "Care - "

"Not trying to blame you, just missing you a lot, and so happy you're happy but also incredibly jealous I'm not part of it."

"Caroline," MJ wrapped her arms around Caroline from behind, "You need me, and I'm here."

"But that's selfish."

"It's not. I love you. I want to support you."

"And I love you, and you're building a real-life. How do I do that when all I have is sadness and anger and – "

"You use me," Stefan jumped in, "Look. You guys were there for me last night."

MJ smiled softly.

"Sounds like you're always there for me."

He took Caroline's hand.

"I want to be there for you too," His voice sounded lovely when he was talking to her, "Let me be there for you, okay?"

MJ sent one last look around the apartment, in case Kol was there, and then they left.

As they walked, she had to be careful. 

In the town, MJ could see other spirits watching people, not many, but a few. The rune was only meant to show her supernatural spirits, and outside their friend group, there weren't that many supernatural families, and yet, she could see people.

"Stefan," Elena straightened up when he arrived with Caroline and MJ.

She and Damon were standing together, Matt on their left, Jeremy behind a tree stump with Bonnie by his side.

They were all holding things.

So were MJ and Caroline.

"He needs to be here," MJ declared, "He was the person Bonnie turned to at the start of her supernatural life, even if he doesn't remember it."

She looked at Bonnie.

"Thank you," She smiled at him fondly.

Jeremy looked between the pair.

Then he started everything off by placing a picture frame in the centre of the stump.

Caroline went next, carrying one red and one black pom-pom to put in front of the frame.

Matt put down the life-guarding whistle.

They'd both spent the summer of Sophomore and Junior Year life-guarding together at the public pool.

Then it was MJ's turn.

She had three candles.

Three she'd ended up with after one of the dances had gone wrong but were technically Bonnie's.

She lay them around the photo and blinked.

They lit.

They also represented that first time she'd seen Bonnie trying to light the candles at the Founder's Party. MJ had finished the spell for her, to give her some faith.

Elena scattered a collection of feathers then quickly backed away, tears starting to stream down her face.

Caroline was instantly hugging her, both crying.

MJ put her hands over her eyes while sniffing.

"It's okay," She heard Bonnie say, "They need this."

They all did.

"I need this."

Jeremy picked up the bell, and Stefan had a hand on MJ's shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.

"We ring this bell in honour of Bonnie, in remembrance for her."

The high noise tingled through the trees before he put it back on the stump.

"I'm – I'm not sure what else to say."

"Say that I'm not going anywhere," Bonnie's words became firmer, "Say that, even though they couldn't see me, I've been there the whole time."

MJ began to sway a little, lightheaded, Stefan's arm going around her waist to let her rest into him.

She wanted to push away, but she couldn't without seeing spots.

"She says that she's not going anywhere," Jeremy recited, "That she has been here all along. Bonnie has watched you have the summer of your life."

Bonnie began to walk among them, first going to Elena while Jeremy repeated her words so everyone else could hear them.

"And I saw you happy."

Even though she was dead, she was smiling.

"And I know you think now that you can't have a normal life, that you have to be there for everyone, but you don't."

She stopped, hand reaching forward like she wanted to wipe her best friends tears.

"Everyone will find their way, so you are gonna repack your things, you're gonna go back to college, and you're gonna live it up."

Then to Matt.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Matt. You know I would have sent you three hundred emails back if I could. I miss you."

She turned to Caroline.

"Caroline...I watched you decorate that dorm room like your life depended on it."

They both laughed,

"And I know that college isn't everything you expected and that you feel like something's missing, but...Tyler..."

They all turned, and there he was, standing, holding a white rose and dresses in a suit.

"Tyler!" Caroline rushed out of Elena's arms and into his.

He quickly put the flower on the stump, among the other things, then hugged her so tight her feet left the floor.

Bonnie smiled, talking just to Jeremy and MJ, "Thank you for making me do this."

"You deserve so much more, Bon," MJ rested her head on Stefan's shoulder, tears still brimming, "I should be finding a way."

"You should be getting to be happy."

"So should you!"

"And I will be. I'll be okay."

MJ used one hand to wipe the tears away.

"Even though you're not living here, MJ, I am watching you too."

Which meant she could see places outside of Mystic Falls.

"I watched how excited you were over the summer, learning about your past," Bonnie sounded wistful, "Learning magic, seeing the world...It's harder to check in on you."

Oh.

"Like, I can't just flash around to New Orleans every second, but the moments I have managed to see...you seem so at ease, and I'm so happy you are."

MJ couldn't stop the tears.

"You warned me, you supported me, and you respected my wish to stay out of it."

"I shouldn't have – "

"None of this is your fault."

Bonnie took Jeremy's hand.

"And Stefan,"

Jeremy repeated it.

"You're gonna come out of this okay."

He looked conflicted.

"MJ's right. The first time I messed up my magic – the first time I had a witch freak out at the car wash, and when I lost my connection to my Grams," She cleared her throat, "You were the one who was there for me."

Even if they'd somewhat stopped having a connection after Stefan became focused on curing Elena.

"Thank you for that. I know things got messy and hateful near the end, but thank you."

Stefan's eyes melted a little, processing the words like they were the things holding him together.

Bonnie looked around the group; Damon holding Elena, Tyler's arms wrapped around Caroline, Matt trying not to cry, then MJ and Stefan.

Finally, she smiled at Jeremy.

"This is good."

MJ sobbed.

"This is all I wanted..." She closed her eyes, "I'll be okay."

MJ wished Stefan wasn't the person she had to lean on.

"We'll all be okay."