𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄
some people are just born with tragedy in their blood

THE SMALL GROUP was standing around on the beach as Elena talked on the phone with Caroline, who was still in Mystic Falls.

"Tell me you're not serious," the blonde said over the phone. 

Elena sighed heavily and threw her hands up in exasperation. "I wish I weren't. When we got back from looking for Jeremy, Shane and Bonnie were gone too. Shane needs Bonnie to cast a spell on Jeremy's tattoo in order to find the cure, and he managed to sneak them both out from under our noses." 

Echo stepped closer to her sister to say, "And Damon is gone, too. We went to the beach to see if he backtracked for some reason, but we saw a struggle. Someone had to have took him."

"Do you think Shane took him?" Caroline asked, sounding more confused than them. "And are you alright, Echo?"

Echo nodded even though the blonde couldn't see her. "I'm fine, just worried about my brother and boyfriend."

Elena shook her head as she got back to Caroline's first question. "There is no way Shane did it. He's not strong enough to take Damon on, even with the element of surprise. He must have someone, or at least a few someones helping him." 

"I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to help."

"Well, maybe there's something you can do from home," Elena admitted sheepishly. 

"Anything. Tell me."

"So, Shane's looking for the cure. We think we can find him. We have pictures of Jeremy's tattoo, but we just can't translate the map," Echo stated, going to tuck her hair behind her ear before she remembered that it was pulled into a ponytail.

"Unless you get the Hunter's Sword from Klaus," Caroline finished in understanding. 

"Exactly," the older twin said.

"He'll never give up the sword," Rebekah suddenly remarked sternly. 

"Yeah, but if anyone's gonna get him to give it up, it's Caroline," Stefan argued with a knowing face. 

"He will never give up the sword, not even for Caroline," The Original stressed with wide eyes. "He's terrified we'll use the cure against him to make him mortal, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want any of us to derive a moment's worth of happiness from being human." 

"Well, maybe he doesn't have to give it up," Stefan pointed out as he shifted on his feet. "I mean, Klaus is stuck in Elena's house by Bonnie's spell. He can't go anywhere. There's only so many places you can hide a three-foot piece of metal." 

"I'll find it, don't worry. Just e-mail me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword, and I'll call you back," Caroline answered determinedly. 

"Thank you, Caroline," Elena expressed her gratitude with a wide smile. She glanced to look at Jack who was barefoot, feet in the water, just staring out in the distance.

"Love you both! Bye," Caroline said before hanging up. 

IT WAS MERELY an hour later, and they were still all on the beach as Rebekah was raising her cellphone in the air, trying to get a signal.

"And once again, everyone's life is in danger looking for this cure because poor Elena can't deal with being a vampire," Rebekah grumbled loudly which made Echo turn around quickly, flinging a dagger at her which she dodged.

"Have you not been listening or is the blonde getting to your brain?!" Echo snapped angrily as she marched over to the Original. "Elena says she likes being a vampire! She wants to stay a vampire! The only ones who want the damn cure that's on this island is you and Stefan!" She huffed and rolled her eyes. "And the only reason why Stefan wants the cure now is because Elena is a vampire and likes it. He is being pathetic because Elena finally gave him a piece of her mind and broke his heart."

Stefan shook his head at her and scoffed. "That is not true. You really need to stop making this about the things I did to you. You're just as bad as Elena; making it all about you."

Echo tilted her head and crossed her arms. "How am I making this about me, Stefan? Huh? You have manipulated Elena from the very beginning, you have betrayed me and your own brother, and you literally ripped my throat open. So, please elaborate how I'm being selfish and making everything about me?" She then gestured to Elena who was walking over to Jack, her shoes off as she dipped her toes in the water. "And how has Elena ever made anything just about her? She literally risked her life to try and save you from the tomb vampires. She sacrificed herself so Klaus wouldn't kill the people she loves. She tried to slit her own throat to stop Alaric from killing us. So, please tell me how she's selfish?"

Rebekah looked between Echo and Stefan before glancing over at Elena who was playfully splashing water at Jack. "This conversation isn't going to help us any." She then stormed away.

AFTER REBEKAH GOT off of the phone with Caroline, she, Echo, Elena, Jack, and Stefan began walking across the island to find the cure themselves. 

"What did Caroline say?" Elena asked curiously, standing to the right of Jack.

"I don't know. We lost the signal," the blonde answered then pointed in a direction. "Come on, this way." They all came to the edge of a cliff and stopped, so Rebekah held up her phone. "We need to get down and across. Advantage, vampires: all we have to do is jump." 

"Uh... Human's here," Echo spoke up, pointing to herself and then to Jack who didn't have his powers. "We can't do what you can, blondie."

"Then you both should stay behind. You'll just drag us behind with your weaknesses." Rebekah smirked over at Echo who was so close to punching her head off.

"I think we're pretty useful," Jack spoke up softly, glancing down from the cliff and Rebekah.

Echo rose a brow at the blonde, challenging her. "Shall I remind you that I killed your brother, went up against Klaus more than once, and stood up to your father?" She gestured between both herself and Jack. "At this point, you're the weakness."

Elena blushed as she looked over to Jack. "I can carry you." She cleared her throat and glanced to her sister. "The both of you."

Stefan nodded and gestured to them. "You guys go first. We'll be right behind you." 

Elena turned to Jack. "Jump on my back. I'll hold Echo in my arms."

Echo smirked at her blushing sister before she jumped into Elena's arms. "I quite like this position. But, I think you would rather it be Jack in your arms." She laughed as Elena only turned a brighter shade of red. "I think you both would be cute together."

Jack was also blushing as he got onto Elena's back, positioning his arms around her shoulders. "Tell me if I'm hurting you."

Elena nodded before she took a running leap off the edge. After falling a huge distance, she landed on her feet, stumbling only slightly which made Echo tumble out of her arms.

"Damn, thanks for that, El," Echo teased before Jack got off of Elena's back, and they stared up at the cliff, awaiting Rebekah and Stefan's arrival. Though, they seemed to be talking rather than taking action.

Rebekah snapped his neck and his body fell to the ground as the trio down at the bottom watched in horror.

Once the blonde disappeared, the trio found their way back at the top of the cliff — even though Echo just wanted to leave Stefan behind — and they gave the annoying Salvatore a blood bag once he awoke.

After he explained to them what Rebekah told him, Echo began pacing while Elena sat down on a fallen branch, sighing. Even though she didn't want the cure, she knew there was a lot of vampires that did, so she felt bad for them.

"So, there is only one cure?"

Echo ran a hand down her face. "This is terrible. We can't let Rebekah have it. We need to use it against Klaus or Katherine."

Jack looked between them with furrowed brows. "We'll have to deal with that when we get home."

Elena jumped up quickly, her face morphing into worry and horror. "Klaus! Bonnie's spell isn't gonna hold him!"

Stefan's eyes widened as he sat up. "And after what you did to Kol, if we don't ram that cure down his throat, he'll kill us all." 

"Exactly!" Echo shouted and then looked back down at the cliff. "Ready to carry us again, Lena?"

Elena bit her lip and picked up her sister again as Jack jumped on her back. The only reason they were piling on her was because no one trusted Stefan enough to do it.

Once they landed, Echo still ended up stumbling, and falling on her face which made Elena chuckle at her. "Oh, shush!" She exclaimed and stood up, spitting out the dirt that got in her mouth. "No one speak of this. Ever!"

Jack laughed at her. "You're just like Dean."

Stefan huffed. "We have to go. Now!"

Echo narrowed her eyes at the vampire before taking lead, the others

THEY HAD BEEN walking for about fifteen minutes until the sound of fighting was heard.

"Damon!" Stefan yelled out into the woods. 

They all ran and entered the chamber just in time to hear Vaughn — a member of the Five — reach the bottom, and Damon was tried to a post with some sort of contraption.

Stefan tried to get the rope off of Damon's neck while Damon groaned in pain, but the vervain burnt Stefan's fingers as well, making it difficult. 

"You're wasting time. Just get the cure," Damon told them, groaning in pain. "Go!"

"No!" Echo shouted at her boyfriend, tears in her eyes as she saw how much pain he was in. "I'm going to help you." She then glanced behind her at her sister. "Go find the cure, Elena. We need to make sure we get it so we can use it again Klaus."

Elena looked at Damon in worry and then held her hand out to Jack who took it without hesitation. With that, they jumped into the hole in the ground, and took off into the tomb.

"I got you, baby," Echo told the love of her life as she pulled gently at the rope, getting it free from his neck. "I got you."

"All right, come on. We have to catch up," Stefan urged his brother quickly. 

"No, it's okay," Damon answered breathlessly, looking up at his girlfriend. "I just need a minute. I'm only gonna slow you down." He places his hand on her cheek. "Go help your sister get the cure. We need to make sure Klaus won't hurt anyone else we care about."

Stefan looked at his brother, shook his head, and then jumped into the hole to find Elena and Jack.

Echo took her boyfriends face in her hands and kissed him passionately. "I'm glad that you're alright." She kissed him on the forehead before running towards the hole and jumping in, landing perfectly on her feet.

Making her way through the tunnels, she eventually arrived at Silas' tomb to see Elena throw Vaughn to the ground, who was unconscious. She then saw Jeremy on the ground and quickly moved to help him up. "Jer! Are you okay?" He nodded weakly and she let out a breath in relief.

Jeremy looked over at an injured Bonnie and ran over to place a hand on her side, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Elena, where is Jack?" Echo asked with furrowed brows as she stood up, looking the girl up and down. The way she was holding herself wasn't Elena, nor was the clothes she was wearing. "Katherine!"

Katherine — who had been playing as Elena — stopped and then smirked maliciously. "I forgot how smart and annoying you are."

Echo pulled her mini crossbow from her boots and aimed it at Katherine, but it was knocked out of her hand. She shouted in pain as something on the crossbow has scraped against her palm, drawing blood. "God, can't you just die already?!" She exclaimed and pulled out a dagger and flung it at Katherine, who just caught it with a grin.

"Why can't you just die?" Katherine asked with a raised brow, throwing the dagger over her shoulder. "All my problems would've been solved if you just died long ago."

"Boohoo!" Echo launches herself at Katherine, but the doppelgänger had just grabbed her by her neck, and flung her at the wall.

A loud snap echoed through the tunnels as her head had hit the wall at the right angle to snap her neck.

"No!" Jeremy and Bonnie shouted, but Katherine just grabbed the Gilbert boy by his neck, and dragged him into the tomb where Silas was. "Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

She ignored him as she sliced open his wrist and held it over the stone figure's mouth. 

"Katherine," Jeremy groaned out in pain. 

She looked down at him and smirked mischievously. "It's been too long, little Gilbert." Soon, Silas' body started to move from being fed. "Sorry. Family reunion is gonna have to be cut short." 

She pulled him up again and sunk her fangs into his neck, then forced a screaming Jeremy down again, his bleeding neck over Silas' mouth. Silas' arm swung up and tightly held Jeremy in place.

Katherine saw the box containing the cure, freed from Silas' grasp, and took it, before speeding out of the chamber. 

Suddenly, Echo's body launched forward, and scrambled back in surprise when she saw Bonnie's bloody body laying right beside her, unable to move.

"Katherine took Jer—"

Echo didn't let the girl finish her sentence before she stood up. But, blurry spots covered her vision, and she stumbled just as a snapping noise was heard in the tomb.

"Jeremy!" Echo screamed in worry and fear. "Jer?!" She ran to the entrance of the tomb, and came to a screeching halt. Her chest began hurting, and she gasped, her brown eyes landing in her brother's lifeless figure. "No," she whispered and fell to her knees. "Jeremy..."