𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃
hold my fucking hand, loser. we're using the buddy system for the rest of our lives

AT THE GRILL the next day, Echo, Caroline and Elena were sitting at a table outside working on their graduation letters. 

"Stamp, please," Caroline requested and Elena tore off a stamp, then handed it to her. "Thank you." 

"You don't have to pretend to be nice to me, Caroline. I know this is just a ploy to keep me distracted," Elena stated with a heavy sigh which made Echo look over at her with a frown.

"She's just preoccupied, El," Echo stated and sent a glare at the blonde. She understood that Care was angry because Elena tried to kill her, but she should move on. Hell, she can't even count how many times she tried to kill someone she knew and vise versa. At this point, everyone should be used to it. "I'm always going to be here for you."

Caroline sighed and then looked at their graduation letters. "You're both done? I'm only on my second batch." 

Elena held an envelope. "We have family friends in Denver." She then placed her hand on Echo's. "And it's not like we have much family left. Other than that, no one cares that I'm graduating and, to be honest, neither do I." 

"I know that's how you feel now, but once you get through this hating Katherine phase—" Caroline began to analyze but was cut off by Echo scoffing.

"Hating Katherine isn't a phase, it's a life. That bitch had destroyed every life she has encountered. All of ours, and let's not forget Trevor and Rose. They didn't deserve any of what happened because of that pathetic and whiny bitch."

Elena tilted her head and glared at the blonde. "Wait, do you know where Katherine is?" 

"No. Why would I know where she is?" Caroline asked in confusion while shaking her head. 

"Yeah, but, Caroline, if you did, you would tell us, right?" The brunette vampire pressed, her glare not softening.

"Elena, you're obsessing." The blonde sighed and looked over at her friends.

She grabbed Caroline's hand with ferocity and made eye contact. "Caroline, listen to me, if you know where Katherine is then you have to tell us."

The older vampire yanked her hand out of Elena's and gave her a look that was more annoyed than confused. "I don't, Elena. Chill." 

"We do not have to chill, Caroline!" Echo snapped and then lowered her voice when she noticed the stares she was getting from people sitting nearby them. "You have been here to see every thing Katherine has done. She killed Jeremy and you make it seem like we shouldn't give a crap. Our little brother died by the hands of that skank, and I'm not going to let her get away with it!"

LATER THAT NIGHT, a couple entered the Grill while the wind whipped their hair around from outside.

Caroline, Rebekah, and Echo was at the bar with Matt behind it. Echo ignored Matt's looks and words as she snatched a bottle from behind the bar, and poured it into a glass.

Caroline looked out the door then back to the group. "Is it supposed to rain tonight?" 

"Do I look like a meteorologist?" Rebekah snarkily questioned which caused Echo to roll her eyes and throw back her drink.

Caroline gave the other blonde an exasperated look before glancing over at Elena, who was across the room throwing darts. "Well, someone needs to do something, before she explodes." The younger blonde commented in worry. 

Echo stood up with the bottle of bourbon she stole, at the same time as Rebekah stood with a bottle of liquor and a shot glass. They glared at one another before sighing and walking over to the brunette.

"Drink." Echo held out the bottle towards her sister, giving Rebekah a side-glare. "It will help."

Elena yanked the bottle from her sister and chugged a good amount of it down before pushing it back into Echo's hand.

"So, what's the deal? I'm new to this whole emotional switch situation." The Original said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"It's not complicated. See that dart board? All I can picture is Katherine's face," the older twin informed her as she threw a dart forcefully and hit the bullseye. 

Rebekah nodded in understanding as she spoke, "So, your emotions are on, they're just dialed to rage." 

Elena sighed and looked over at her with a blank face. "Look, Rebekah. I get that we had our Thelma and Louise thing back when I had my humanity off, but let me make one thing clear: we're not friends." 

"Okay." The Original was unaffected by her words. 

Elena walked over to retrieve her darts when Caroline joined them with a hopeful expression. "What about us? Are we still friends? All those things you said when your humanity was off — is that how you really feel?" She asked hesitant of the answer. 

"Caroline, I really don't feel like going down memory lane," the brunette sighed and walked back to line up her next throw. 

"Well, what about when you said, and I quote, "You're a repulsive, bloodsucking control-freak monster"?" Caroline asked, remembering the time she spent with Elena in her cell. "Did you really mean those things?" 

Elena hesitated over her next throw, then gave it up and looked at her. "If you're waiting for an apology, you're not gonna get one. I can't let myself feel bad, because if I feel bad, then I feel everything, and...we've all seen how well I handle that." Just as she threw another dart, the lights went out throughout the restaurant. 

"Well damn," Echo mused and then chugged down some of the bourbon, because she somehow knew she wasn't going to be able to enjoy it for a while.

OUTSIDE, THE WIND was so strong it was blowing debris through the air and the sound of heavy objects falling and breaking were heard by the group nearby.

"The power's completely out!" Rebekah shouted, to be heard over the wind. 

"I'll call my mom — maybe she knows what's going on!" Caroline shouted and walked back inside as a police cruiser drove by with its sirens sounding. 

After getting a call from Damon, telling them that they think they found Silas, and that Bonnie was performing a spell, the twins and Caroline quickly raced to the school in the Impala that Damon bought Echo.

Once they got there, Echo told them to go inside, look around, and to find Damon who was already there, while she walked towards the trunk, and lifted up the floorboard. Inside was weapons, perfectly laid out and organized. It wasn't quite like her father's, but it was similar enough that it made her nostalgic.

Pulling out her handmade daggers — it was made with metal painted with vervain, so it would be more effective than a regular dagger. she then grabbed her quiver and bow which she hasn't used much recently. She then placed a take in her pants waist before slamming her trunk shut.

"Hell is coming your way, Katherine," she snorted before making her way into the school.

Walking down one of the school hallways, she paused when groaning could be heard, and she quickly picked up her speed.

"Don't yell at me!" Damkn exclaimed once she came inro view. He had been stabbed in the stomach by a stake which Elena used to slow him down so she could get to Katherine.

"Elena did this?" Echo asked with a smirk as she looked down at her boyfriend. "Damn, you're an idiot."

"Haha!" Damon fake-laughed, but then his eyes widened when he looked over her shoulder at something.

"Need a hand?" A familiar voice asked and Echo spun around so fast she stumbled. "So, this is either really good or really bad."

"Ric!" Echo shouted as tears pooled in her eyes, and she took off, and jumped into his arms. He chuckled an swung her around happily. "Oh, my god, I can't believe you're here!"

"Um, excuse me! Boyfriend is dying over here!" Damon dramatized while pointing at the stake that was still in his stomach.

Alaric laughed and set Echo down who turned to her boyfriend with watery eyes. "You do know that in the time of me running and hugging Ric, you could've pulled that out by yourself?"

He nodded and then poured. "But, I wanted my girlfriend to do it."

Ric shook his head at the couple before walked over to his best friend, and pulling the stake out.

"Ouch!" Damon shouted and then grinned. "Does that mean you're my girlfriend now?"

Ric rolled his eyes. "You wish."

"Wait!" Echo shouted and then pulled out an arrow, and notched it. "This could be Silas." Damon quickly stood up and narrowed his eyes at Alaric.

"You think I'm Silas? Are you kidding me?" He questioned incredulously and held up his hands.

Damon brushed his hands on his pants and gave Ric a pointed expression. "See, now this puts us in a bit of a pickle, because that is exactly what Silas would say." 

Alaric pondered it for a moment, then walked away toward a locker. He punched it once and it spring open, before he pulled out a bottle of liquor. "Now, would Silas know about Locker 42?" 

Damon started to grin, as did Alaric, and they embraced while laughing happily. Echo lowered her bow and smiled at them. "Ah, hang on," he mused, pulling away slightly. "If we can see you—" he patted Alaric's arms and face. "—and I can touch you, that means the little witch did it. She dropped the veil."

"Bonnie did this?" Echo asked, generally happy about the witches existence for a moment.

"Well, not completely. It's only down inside the Expression triangle. If I step outside of it, it's back to ghost world," the new Original explained with a shrug. 

"Well, where is everybody? I figured with the veil down, it'd be like Ghost-a-palooza," Damon commented, looking around for the other friends they had lost. 

"Well, not every ghost has a reason to come back to Mystic Falls. Just the ones like me, looking after their idiot best friends," Ric informed him with a small grin, then turned to Echo. "And their stupid kids."

"Excuse you?!" Echo shouted and then lowly chuckled. She definitely missed Ric, and she didn't want to lose him again.

"I'm more worried about the ones looking out for their enemies," the Salvatore grumbled in worry.

"Fuck, you're right." Echo took in a deep breath and then steeled her shoulders. "Come on."

The three of them began to walk to the boiler room as Damon talked with Matt on the phone. "Perfect," he commented sarcastically. 

"Yeah, it gets worse. The veil's down. Kol came by looking for Elena, and he seemed a little pissed," Matt informed from the Grill. 

"Kol?!" Echo worried, her eyes widened. She took in a deep breath and thought about running to save her sister, but then remembered that Katherine was currently in the building.

"You got any good news for me, Donovan?" Damon asked incredulously. 

"We'll handle this, just... watch your back."

Damon hung up and looked at Alaric. "Call Stefan and tell him about Caroline. Tell him to keep an eye on Elena."

"Are you serious?" Echo asked with a loud scoff. "He can't even make coffee right, how is he going to protect my sister?"

"Why do you need Stefan to look after Elena?" Alaric asked as he looked between them with raised brows.

"Because I know she's so full of rage, she wants to rip Katherine's head off," he told his best friend who nodded and dialed Stefan's number.

"What's wrong with wanting to rip a head off of the most annoying bitch in town?" Echo pouted as she trailed after her vampire into the tunnels.

"Bonnie? Bonnie?!" He called out, causing an echo. "Hey..." he laughed and nudged his little warrior. "Your name is Echo and I just made one."

She rolled her eyes. "You're annoying and stupid." But, she couldn't help but smile at him.

Suddenly, they came across Ric, and Echo raised her bow before she realized who it was. "Whoa, it's just me. I called Stefan, he's heading for Elena. Did you find Silas?" He questioned the two curiously. 

"Yep," Damon answered with an unamused look on his face then swung the butt of his flashlight at Alaric's face, knocking him to the ground. Dropping the flashlight, the vampire picked up a length of chain and started to strangle 'Alaric' with it.

"Damon, it's me!" Silas, pretending to be Alaric, said gasping for air while chocking. 

Echo rolled her eyes as she shot an arrow at Silas, it went into his shoulder. "You are not him. I have spent more time in this damn tunnel because of a crazed blonde with a killing fetish, and there's no way you just came from the school. Your mind games don't work on us, Silas!" She shouted and Damon snarled as he tightened the chain.

Smirking, Echo shot another arrow which went into his chest, making him cry out in pain.

As Silas continued to make choking shouts, Bonnie entered the tunnel with a scowl. "I may not be able to kill you, but I will stop you." She closed her eyes as she concentrated, her hair stared blowing in a sudden breeze. "I will make the blood clot in your veins. I will make every bone, muscle and joint in your body turn to stone. You won't have power over us anymore." 

Silas turned away as his body hardened and groaned in pain. His face started to change back to what it really looked like, and Damon let him go while looking at Bonnie in confusion. "What the hell is happening?" 

"He can't hide behind his mind-control anymore. He's becoming his true self," the witch answered with a stone cold look. 

Silas hardened completely with his hand covering his face, and Damon glanced around to look at him. "Who exactly might his true self be?" 

Bonnie shrugged while looking at Silas. "I guess we'll never know." 

"That's more than creepy, Bonnie," Echo commented, and then, surprising both herself and the witch, she jumped into her arms. "Thank you so much for bringing back Alaric!"

Bonnie let out a surprised breath, but patted the girl on the back slowly. "You're welcome."

LATER ON IN the night, Damon, Echo, and Alaric was packing the trunk of Elena's vehicle.

"Calcified Silas is one heavy son-of-a-bitch." Damon groaned as they slammed the trunk shut. Suddenly, he pulled out a flask and took a swig. 

"I can't think of a more appropriate way to spend my last moment as a semi-living person," Ric remarked sarcastically. 

Damon looked over at him with a raised eyebrow and smirked. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have some place better to be?" 

The un-dead idiot laughed and shrugged. "Guess not." He snatched the flask from Damon and took a swig. 

"I thought you were cutting back," Echo teased lightly as she leaned into her boyfriends side.

"Yeah, well, I thought you were gonna take care of yourself," Alaric commented and turned to the girl who sighed and looked down with a frown. "It's alright, O. You're just doing your best. After all, you're a kid with a crazy ass life."

"Two lives, to be exact," she commented and took the flask.

"I, ah — I found this—" Ric said, holding up a small box. "—in the dead guy's pocket. Thought it might do more use here than, say, three miles below sea level." 

Damon took the cure out of the box and held it up. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" 

Echo smirked evilly. "Can I slam it down Katherine's throat?

Damon chuckled and pocketed the cure before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I really do love you."

"Gah!" Ric exclaimed and then snorted. "You guys are disgustingly cute. I hate it."

Echo laughed loudly, broke free from Damon, and then jumped onto Ric's back. "You missed us, admit it."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "I really did."

Echo smiled and laid her chin on his shoulder. "We should get home because I need to check in on Jack to make sure he's safe."

"Elena texted me and said he was with her," Damon commented and smiled warmly at his true love. "They protected each other from Kol."

"He was near Kol?!" Echo exclaimed loudly and then jumped off of Alaric. "We need to get back now."

"Who's Jack?" Alaric asked with furrowed brows. "And what the hell happened while I was gone?"