A MOUNTAIN LION ATTACK.

That's what the news was calling it.

Everything that happened since Raven returned—Vicki's attack, the mangled drivers, even Ryder's death—it had all been chalked up to a wild animal.

Raven scoffed in disbelief as reporter Logan Fell broadcasted the deputy's findings. According to him, the animal had been caught this morning after attacking a local fisherman. Nearly everyone in Mystic Falls was rejoicing (minus Jenna, who was too busy loathing the reporter; apparently, he was the reason she'd first left town). Normally, Raven would tease her as she turned off the TV.

But her gut stirred with dread.

Whoever this vampire was must've been good at covering their tracks.

"What are you doing with that?" Jenna suddenly asked, sitting at the table with a coffee mug in hand. In front of Raven was a wooden box, containing her father's watch.

"I went yesterday and got it from the safe deposit box," She explained. "Mom had told Mrs. Lockwood that she would loan it to the Founders' Council for their heritage display."

Founders' Day was a significant event in Mystic Falls, with several celebrations leading up to it. Normally, it was grand and fun, a hot balloon floating toward her, bound to whisk her away from a year of responsibilities. But this year, it felt imposing and dangerous, like it was trying to tear her away from the ground. The Gilbert couple parents had always played a major role in the anniversary. Celebrating without them just felt...grim.

Raven picked up her father's watch, inspecting it. It was a shiny gold thing, probably older than both of her parents combined. She'd polished it the same day she'd picked it up, and now she was waiting for Tyler Lockwood to retrieve it. 

Unfortunately, Jeremy wasn't too happy about this. She'd already explained that it was a loan but he insisted that she was "giving it away." Yet another reason for him to hate her.

"That's a pretty necklace," Jenna said nonchalantly...a little too nonchalantly. She lifted her mug to her lips, concealing a smirk. "Where'd you get it?"

Raven glanced at the silver pendant nestled on her chest, surrounded by a bed of straight black hair. "Um..." Her cheeks warmed. "It was a gift...from Stefan."

"I didn't realize you two were official."

"It's not like that," She insisted. "He just wanted to thank me for encouraging him to try out."

"Whatever you say," teased Jenna. Raven looked down at her dad's golden watch, her face on fire. Normally, she'd consult Caroline for all things boy-related, but Caroline was been avoiding Raven like the plague since their argument at the Homecoming Game. It was driving Raven crazy but she knew that the bubbly blonde needed time. Caroline's distance was merely the consequence of her actions. It was hard to be angry with fate and its ever-burning need for balance.

Suddenly, loud footsteps thudded down the stairs. Jeremy charged for the refrigerator without so much as a good morning. Raven bit her lip. She and Caroline weren't the only ones on the outs. Jeremy had hardly spoken to her since his fight with Tyler Lockwood, and it'd been over a week.

Her heart sank as she remembered the news segment. He'd probably heard about the body in the woods. It'd only be a matter of time before Jeremy connected the dots, and it was best that he heard it from her.

Jenna noticed the way Raven was eyeing her younger brother and cleared her throat. "Well, I'm going to stop by the Grill for breakfast. Anyone want anything?"

"I'm good."

Jenna nodded, gave her niece an encouraging smile, and headed out.

Jeremy hardly spared Raven a glance as he turned for the stairs, a spoon of yogurt dangled from his lips.

"Jeremy, wait!" She called. He faced her, a neutral expression hardening his face. "Um, I have to talk to you...It's about Ryder."

Jeremy groaned. "Look, if this is about those stupid pills-"

"No," She interceded, glancing away. Annoyance dimmed from his features. His eyes narrowed, weakened by dread. "It's.." Her voice was trapped in her throat. She gulped down her nerves. "At the bonfire, the police found a body. Then...before the festival, Sheriff Forbes interviewed me because..."

"No."

"It was Ryder." Raven's voice came out quick and strangled. She shut her eyes. She couldn't do this again. She couldn't meet his brown stare, blazing with accusations. Jeremy didn't say a word. She heard the squeak of a table, footsteps drifting further from her, and the hard slam of the front door. When Raven opened her eyes, he was gone.

She stared at the motionless door. This was so much harder than she thought it would be, even harder than carrying this knowledge for weeks. Ryder was the only person to see all of her, monster and everything. And now he was gone. Taken by a senseless act of violence.

Raven now realized that Jeremy could've easily been in Vicki's position at the bonfire. She had been so close to losing him and hadn't even known. She imagined that being their last moment—staggering through the woods, reprimanding him, practically pushing him toward death. She'd only wanted to help. That's all she'd ever wanted to do. But she was the reason Jeremy was spiraling so far out of reach. Drugs were closest to him than she would ever be.

Which meant that he was becoming more and more like Ryder every day, smoking and snorting and swallowing his pain away until there was nothing left but soulless smiles and an empty shell of the boy he used to be.

Raven couldn't bear the thought. She had to save him. Not just from becoming Ryder...but from becoming her. 

But right now, Jeremy didn't want saving. He didn't want her. He just wanted space. Every brick of hostility he dropped between them snapped into place with each passing day. She didn't know how to stop it. All she knew was that she could fight or run—and god, she was so tired of fighting.

So she left.

Her feet carried her down the sidewalk, across the streets, and through the town that was soulless and soulful all at the same time. Raven ignored the chill of the autumn wind and the shrieks of carefree children playing in their front yards. Cars rumbled down the road, spreading music and silence, joy and emptiness. The terrain beneath her feet changed from solid to shaky.

She returned to her environment.

And she approached the silver, ancient gates of the cemetery.

◇ ◇ ◇

Raven huddled against the blank tombstone, holding her journal to her chest. Thoughts dangled from the tip of the pen she'd tucked in her pocket. The fur on her aviator jacket hugged her throat, but no warmth could overtake the frigid air surrounding her parents' graves.

The last time Raven was here, she was harassed by a crow. But now, the yard was still. Birds flapped overhead, but they were clouds away. The leaves didn't rustle on branches or slow-dance across the grass. Even the sun seemed to quiet down, leaving only traces of its light, letting her mope in peace.

Raven appreciated it. Thoughts already buzzed loudly in her head. She didn't know if she could handle any more chaos. 

She gazed at the names permanently engraved in stone. That was all her parents would ever be. Dust beneath the ground. Names on a grave. Years from now, they'd be forgotten. Their home would be gone. The clinic would be gone. Why couldn't they live forever like that stupid watch, which fueled her brother's resentment?

Raven sighed. Life would be so much easier if she'd just drowned.

"Hey."

She flinched. Dark shoes appeared in front of her. The wearer watched her, frowning, concern glinting in his serious eyes. Stefan.

She paused.

Ever since Stefan found her at the football game, seeking comfort from Damon—a temporary lapse in judgment that would never happen again—there'd been some distance between them. Raven wasn't sure who created it.

Maybe Stefan was upset that she cozied up to his brother, who seemingly wanted to make his life a nightmare. Maybe she was ashamed of her bad choices: entertaining a conversation with Damon, drinking his beer, laughing. Her stomach flipped at the memory of her laughter, how he'd made her feel so free.

She hadn't felt like a major screw-up. She'd just felt like...Raven. The Raven who used to drink and party. The Raven used to dance on tables and feel on top of the world. The Raven who would stand in the back of a pick-up truck, zooming down the street, letting the wind catch her laughter, not knowing that such happiness would one day be limited.

Words hung on her tongue, trying to formulate a response, but her mind felt dulled by her encounter with Jeremy. She wasn't in the mood to pretend to be okay. Not when all she could think about was burying herself in the ground, making a home with her parents, and staying there. But with a vampire on the loose, a dead friend, and a brother headed toward destruction, she didn't have that luxury.

Stefan held her gaze. "How are you?"

Raven wanted to say "I'm okay. I was just leaving. I promise I don't spend all of my days being this pathetic."  But she chuckled instead. It was hollow and uneven, but she couldn't bring herself to hide it. "I feel like shit."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

She looked down at his shoes. They were in pristine condition. The outside was wiped clean. Not a single stain or hole in sight. But when he stepped closer, she noticed the dirt clinging to the soles. Like no matter how many times he'd tried to scrub it, it refused to leave him.

Stefan sat next to her very gingerly, like she was a glass so fragile that even his presence could break it. The coldness's grip faded just a little. Raven didn't know what to say. She could ask to be alone. She wasn't good company right now anyway. But she didn't want him to go. Her fingers twitched against her journal, seeking out connection but too afraid to reach for it.

His hand laid only inches away from hers, close enough to touch. Warm enough to feel. She wanted him to hold her hand the same way he had at that cursed dinner with Damon and her friends, even if that wasn't very friend-like of her.

"Was it the Donna Reed thing?"

Raven couldn't help the soft breezy laugh that escaped her. "Totally," She said.

Being with him somehow always made things...easier.  It almost felt like she could handle Jeremy's distance; Ryder's death; and the Founders' Party, the awful reminder that her parents could never expand their legacy, and like her ancestors, they'd become one with the soil.

"How can I help?"

She faced him. Stefan's eyes searched hers—for what, she wasn't sure—but she didn't let him find it. She forced a smile. "Suffer with me at the party tonight."

It wasn't an invitation. Not really. But she'd realized that she had to say something. Anything was better than sitting here, paralyzed. Quiet. Her mask had slipped. But now it was time to play the part.

"Is this a date?" He asked lightly.

Raven scoffed, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Are jokes illegal outside of Mystic Falls?"

"So you don't want me to go?"

She faltered. Wait...was he being serious?

"Stefan," She laughed, but it didn't sound as unrestrained as she would've liked. "Did you actually want to go?"

"Well, the Salvatores don't get invited anymore," He admitted. "But I can always attend as your date."

Date. 

A strange flutter rippled through her chest. Her and Stefan...on a date? After he'd given her the necklace? (Which she was still very confused about, by the way). 

She supposed there were no rules against hanging out with friends. It was just a small, platonic get-together...in an intimate setting...where they'd flaunt elegant clothing...and dance to romantic music.

Raven shook those thoughts from her head. "Honestly, Stefan, it's so boring that a newly awakened coma patient would go back to sleep. You don't have to come."

"I would be honored to accompany you, Miss Gilbert." His hand brushed against hers. At his delicate touch, her breath caught in her throat. If he noticed, he didn't say anything. He just gave her that kind smile, his eyes glittering like he'd stumbled across a mountain of jewels. She half-expected him to kiss her hand the same way Damon had done. Except this time it wouldn't be disarming or sly. Just...cute.

"Then the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Salvatore." Her smile was crooked, but it was real.

His soft laugh echoed through the cemetery. "Well," He murmured, his tone a mix between teasing and flirty. Her index finger traced her notebook, leaving invisible circles. "I shall see you there."

She bit her lip to keep her smile at bay. "You shall," Raven agreed, her voice light and airy.

She wasn't okay. Not by a long shot.

But there in the stillness with Stefan by her side, maybe—just maybe—someday she would be.

__

Yall...just ignore the fact that I've been gone for four months please 🙏

I hope I did you guys justice with this chapter. Final part is dropping this week, I swear! I already posted on tumblr, I just have to do some light editing (mostly swapping pronouns from 2nd person to 3rd). If yall wanna catch up on tumblr, my username is ajesterwrites. I'm so mad at myself for using one n instead of two. 

Also, I was going to originally name this chapter something else but then I remembered the movie (The Invitation) which is about vampires so I thought it'd be funny. Kinda second-guessing that now but it's too late so whatever 😬

Anyway, I hope you guys liked! If you did, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you didn't, I'd still love to hear your thoughts because I'm always looking for ways to improve. 

And slight warning: things do start to get a little heavy but I promise I'll issue the appropriate content warnings beforehand.  

As always, thank you guys for reading. Hoping to see you later this week <3