"Knock knock! Lucas! Claire! We have a situation." Val said as she burst into Lucas' front door with Helena in tow. Claire frowned and spared a panicked look over to Nadine who was just eating her pancakes and seemed totally used to people just barging into her home. Lucas grabbed Val and pulled her out of the room. Val sped him to the Manor, Helena and Claire following close behind. Thankfully Nadine didn't look up to question what her new history teacher was doing in her home for that brief moment.

"What the hell!? You can't barge in my house with this shit" Lucas sajd Val shrugged.

"I assumed everyone knew. Don't blame me because you're a liar" Lucas' jaw tightened a bit but he said nothing. "Ms. Helena here is a vampire hunter" Val said crossing her arms.

"Why bring her there?!" Claire asked looking around.

"Because I found a problem. Now fix it" Claire pulled at her hair a bit.

"I'm not a problem to be fixed. I came here to kill you" Val scoffed and laughed a bit.

"You've done excellent. The problem is i killed you and you're still here. How's that happening?" Val said leaning back on her couch.

"The point is the only real problem here is yours. I'm here for you and unless you two get in my way we're fine" Helena went to get closer to Val but Claire stood in her way. Val watched the exchange closely now. This was going differently than she'd expected.

"I'm not going to let you kill my sister. Even though I'm sure whatever she did she deserves it. You still didn't answer the question" Claire said shooting her sister a side eye.

"My husband gave me something that keeps me from dying at the hands of the supernatural. It was the last thing he gave me before he died. Do you even remember him? Alan Zurich do you remember when you took him from me" Helena asked making Val raise an eyebrow at her. Helena stroked the ring on her right hand when she explained how she came back. An action that Val did not miss.

"If I say no you'll try to kill me but if I say yes it probably won't make you feel any better and you'll still try to kill me. So you tell me how I should proceed" Claire sighed as Val spoke and interrupted before Helena could speak.

"Just tell her the truth" Val rolled her eyes but stared at her a moment to remember.

"Alan? Yes, I remember him. He begged me to change him, came to me saying that he figured me out and then said he'd... do anything to be like me" Helena jumped at Val and before Claire or Lucas could exact Val had her pinned to the ground manicured nails dug in Helena's neck.

"You're a bitch" Helena said as Val looked at Helena unaffected.

"You asked me a question, if you don't like my answer then you shouldn't have asked" Helena pulled at Val's hand.

"Why? Why not answer me honestly? All I wanted was an honest answer" Val rolled her eyes.

"I am being honest. As fun as I'm sure you'd think lying to you would be I'm growing bored of even looking at you. Especially since I can't kill you. There's no fun in a lie. I killed him because he asked and he asked because he wanted to. He wanted to leave. The sooner you get past the asshole who didn't want you or the life you had anymore the better. Take it from me. We're two peas in a pod that way" Val was being honest. That was what she remembered. After everything with Julius how could she lie when it was clear that Helena was fighting for the same things she was not long ago? It's the entire reason Val didn't kill her even though Helena launched herself at Val and Val had her throat in her hands. Val saw no point in lying to a person who's just trying to get back to the person she loved. Someone who didn't deserve it.

Claire watched as Val let go and walked away, leaving Helena to rub her neck in the middle of Claire's floor with blood staining her hands Lucas gave Claire a look, and Claire began to go after her sister.

"I'm sorry about that Ms. Zurich, too be fair I don't think it was the greatest idea to come here looking for Val " Lucas said.

"It's fine. I was expecting it not to go well, but this- this is a little different from what I had in mind" Helena just got up and left rubbing her arm. Helena was hurt. That man she loved didn't love her as much as she hated the thought. And to make matters worse, the monster that killed him even if at his request she's completely powerless against. How pathetic was she?

•••

With Claire she'd finally caught up with her sister and grabbed her to spin her towards her "Shouldn't we talk" Val crossed her arms.

"About what big sis?" Claire sighed.

"Val you don't... We don't have to be like this anymore. I would rather us be able to put things behind us. Especially when it seems like you need it" Claire said.

"I don't need the mushy bullshit Claire. I'm fine" Val said turning away from her.

Claire spared her a sad glance before she walked back to Lucas defeated. Val wouldn't let her see but there was a small tear that fell from her face. She wiped it away quickly before she crossed her arms and walked off herself. Val didn't trust herself to be vulnerable around anyone anymore. Not even Claire.

•••

At home, Nadine was eating the breakfast Lucas and Claire made her when a knock came to the door. She rolled her eyes but went to answer it regardless. Nadine swung the door back to see Paul standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey" he said quietly.

"Hey" Nadine said indifferently. After their last encounter she didn't want anything from him. She was tired of being his toy, she wanted- no deserved better.

"Listen I know you're probably like- I know I fucked up ok. I went away for a bit and it really put like a lot of shit into perspective. I never wanted Elsie. Not even a little. The entire time I was gone all I wanted was to talk to you. To be around you... you know. And I've been on this bit of an apology tour so I'm here" Nadine just blinked at him. Was that it? For all the shit, for every moment of making her feel like she was crazy and made up their romance? That was his apology? She wanted to laugh but she wouldn't because Nadine had had a good breakfast she didn't want to ruin her day already.

"Thanks. I guess. Look I'm happy you got your time away to see how great I am but I'm not doing that with you and if that's what you're here for then you've come to the wrong place" Nadine said putting her own hands in her pocket.

"I just thought-" Nadine interrupted him.

"What? That you'd come here with an apology that barely mentions the word sorry and that I'd fall to my knees because it's everything I'd been wanting you to say for so long? No Paul. You can't treat me the way you did and then expect me not to care anymore like it didn't happen. Because it did. There was a time I would've done anything for you. You didn't want me then, you want me now because I don't care anymore. That's your type. So it's like I said you've come to the wrong house" she said crossing her arms and shaking her head. Paul stood there a moment. Nadine didn't know his emotions were everywhere and Paul needed her. He needed his anchor and right now she was telling him she didn't want to. So he made a decision. Wasn't a smart one, just a decision.

Paul reached out grabbed her neck and looked her deep in the eye "You will take me back. And we'll go back to everything that we had that summer. You were never done with me. You love me" he whispered never breaking eye contact as he compelled the girl. Nadine was helpless and just nodded along giving him a hug afterwards. A piece of Paul felt guilty. Guilty for manipulating her in this way but most of him was happy he got what he wanted. What else did he need after that?

•••

Meanwhile, on the happier side of town Nick was waiting at the Grill a beer to the left of him. Helena wanted to laugh a bit as she watched him look around for her. She shook her head and approached trying not to be effected by the way he smiled when he saw her. Nick stood up and pulled out the chair for Helena then pushed up to the table and scurrying back to his seat.

"Thanks for meeting me here" Helena chuckled and took a swig of his beer.

"If you were any other parent I would say this is wildly inappropriate" Nick laughed.

"Well I'm new to parenting, you've got to show me the rules" he said flashing her a sweet smile.

"Ok Charming. I wanted to tell you like I told Nadine that she gets a fresh start with me. I threw out her old folder that that bitch of a teacher had on her and she can start clean. If she works hard enough she can even move up to the next grade" Nick nodded and leaned forward.

"Well thank you. That's very kind. You know, that's not the reason I'm being nice to you" Helena made a face of mock surprise and Nick rolled his eyes.

"No? Really? Wow, kindness for free. Never heard of that" Helena said as the two shared another smile.

"Really, tell me a bit about you. Where you from? What brought you to Mystic Falls?" he asked.

"Well I'm from Washington. Nothing really special about it except that I couldn't wait to leave. And I did I graduated and left for Brown where I took up Supernatural Studies and History. I was great at both and naturally when I heard about a town like one with as much history as this one and also a load supernatural conspiracy on top of that I couldn't resist. I had to come" she said looking back at him pushing some of her hair behind her ear.

"Makes sense. Never would've guessed you to be a Brown girl. You strike me as more of a... Stanford type" Helena laughed and leaned back.

"Do I now" their pleasant conversation continued the two wrapped in really wanting to know the other. Despite what Helena came for she wanted to move forward and now that she knew how everything happened she really needed to move on. That was what was best, but whether or not that would work out she didn't know. But Helena was willing to try.

"Sorry to interrupt" a voice said cutting off Nick's next question. Nick shut his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek. He hated that voice. Why did it have to show up here?

"Lori" Nick said simply gritting his teeth.

"Nick Hewitt" Lori McBride, the half sister of Lucas' Dad. And the ex wife to Nick. He wanted to pull her apart every day since the day they broke up. Every time she came around she made his life hell. He wouldn't stand for it this time.

"What do you want" Lori feigned hurt.

"I wanted to say hi. It's been a while. Don't I get to say hi?" Nick rolled his eyes.

"No not really. But since when did you care about what anyone else wanted. Right. Anyhow I'm sorry about this Helena, this is Lori my ex-wife" Nick said taking a large swig of his beer. There wasn't enough of this in front of him if Lori was in town.

"You're so much meaner than the man who proposed to me beachside" Lori said looking down.

"Well people change. You know all about that though" Nick said cutting a pretty nasty glare at the woman. Lori knew she wasn't wanted but she liked riling him up. Usually it made for pretty good sex later. Something about tonight felt different though.

"We should probably head out. But it was nice to meet you Lori. Hope you have a good and short stay" Helena said shortly offering a hand to Nick that he gladly took. The two then walked away from Lori Nick's arm wrapped around Helena's shoulders. Lori watched them leave narrowing her eyes a bit. She would get everything back in order in this town. Starting with the simplest things. Lori was confident of that.