ATHENA

"You just drove past my apartment!" I holler.

Enzo draws his eyebrows together in a scowl. "We're not going to your apartment, love."

I huff out a breath between my slightly parted lips. "Alright, who are you gonna kill this time?"

He smiles in a secretive sort of way. "Sarah Salvatore," he coos. "Stefan's relative. I don't know if I'm going to kill her yet."

I cock my head to the side, clearly unimpressed with his nonchalantness. "You're going to kill Stefan's relative? You don't think he won't try and kill you?"

He shrugs. "He can try." He pauses, grinning to himself as if he finds something funny. "Don't you think Stefan's going to kill you if you hook up with Kai?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "You son of a —"

"It's true!" he protests. "Don't shoot the messenger, love."

I lace my fingers together in my lap, clasping them together painfully tight. If not, I might lose it and slap Enzo across the face. "One big difference, Enzo," I say. "Stefan is my friend."

"Do you think he'll still be your friend once he finds out you helped Kai?" he questions, raising and eyebrow.

"Jesus, you're a cockblock," I mumble.

"So you do admit it," he points out. "You fancy the evil witch supposed to be your enemy."

I shake my head just as the car rolls to a slow stop. Enzo's stopped outside of a diner that's decorated in cotton candy pastel pink, black and white.

Enzo wordlessly steps out and shuts the door behind him with an abrupt click. He strolls up to the door of the diner and I scramble to keep up. I fall into step beside the vampire as he pushes open the glass door. A small jingle sounds, courtesy of the vintage style "OPEN" sign hanging on the glass.

Matt's dull blonde mop of hair sits atop his slouching figure. Oh, God. The next time I see that kid again it'll be too soon. A pretty young girl with dark hair and inquisitive dark eyes sits across from him.

"So Stefan has extended family," Enzo exclaims. "I'm intrigued."

Matt turns around, his eyes a mix of detest and hurt. Cry me a river, Matty. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Apparently rescuing this one from the world's most dreadful lunch," Enzo retorts. "Matt and Stefan? Sweetheart, you can do so much better." He pauses, his eyes boring into her. "Me for example. I'm Enzo."

"The guy who killed Tripp," Matt says sourly.

"Oh, my God," she gasps.

I roll my eyes. "Drop the holier than thou act, Matt," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. "For the record, he did try and kill Enzo first."

"You are the most terrible wingman, Matt," Enzo sighs.

"Both of you, leave."

"Or what?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Or maybe I'll pick up where Tripp left off," Matt says in a low voice.

"Go on then," Enzo declares.

"Hey," a voice says behind us. I turn around to see Stefan standing firmly planted with his shoulders squared. I offer up an awkward smile. "I really wouldn't do that if I were you," Stefan continues. "You hurt him, and, uh, I hurt you, and really don't feel like cleaning up two corpses today."

"Making threats in front of impressionable family," Enzo says, with his signature smirk. "How brutish."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asks.

"Me," the brunette pipes up. "He's, uh, talking about me. I'm Zach and Gail's daughter. Sarah Salvatore."

Stefan parts his lips slightly. "We'll take a seat over there," he says to her, pointing somewhere on the far right of the diner. As he ushers his relative away. I sit down between Enzo and Matt.

"You want something, love?" Enzo asks.

I shake my head. "My car back, maybe."

Matt furrows his eyebrows. "Who stole your car?"

"Well," Enzo begins, smirking. "She —"

I kick his shin under the table. He yelps. "It was a lapse of judgement. That's all."

Matt glances behind his shoulder and then back at Enzo. "What are they saying?" he whispers.

Enzo cocks his head to the side as if he's trying to listen in. "She's saying you're stupid, and Stefan is agreeing." Matt grunts. "Now she's saying you're good for nothing," Enzo continues, "and Stefan is disagreeing. He says you're a great punch line to a joke."

"Everyone hates you," Matt points out. "Except maybe Athena."

"Don't be jealous you can't vamp hear because you're a big blond bowl of mush," the vampire replies. "Just be thankful I don't fancy mush."

With Enzo still listening intently to Sarah and Stefan's conversation, I look over at them. They seem to be catching up on lost time, smiling and chatting with ease. A waitress comes over and takes their order.

A blender sounds out and Enzo swears under his breath. Stefan looks at the girl intently and says something before they both walk out.

"We have to follow them," Enzo says. He rises out of his seat and cocks his head in the direction of the door. "You guys coming?"

I hesitate. I shake my head no. There was something I had to do.

***

If I were an evil witch, where would I be most likely to go? I finish wrapping the last of the tinsel around the tree and slip my shoes on. With no car and no companion, I have no choice but to scour Mystic Falls on foot for Kai. Or, well, just look for my Chevy driving past. It's not my preferred method of searching, but it'll have to do.

I try the Salvatore house, which is now inhabited by Jeremy, since no one of the Salvatore brood can step foot in the house as of yet. I knock on the door. Jeremy opens up. "Hey, Athena," he says. His eyes are sad and tired.

"Have —" I cut myself off. What am I doing here? I'm probably intruding on his grieving of Bonnie. Why was it me? Why was it me and not her? I mean, it's not like I wanted to be stuck in the prison world, but why, when Bonnie had so many people out there looking for her, was I the one who got out? I feel a tinge of remorse. "Never mind. Sorry."

He knits his brows together. "Okay," he says. "Athena, can I ask you something? I know you're incapable of being anything short of blunt."

"What is it?" I ask, although I already know what he's going to ask.

"You were in the prison world. Do you think there's any way Bonnie will get out?" His voice is shaky, timid.

I let out a small exhale and press my lips together. And even though I have no idea if it's true, the words come out of my mouth. "Yeah." He smiles halfheartedly, clearly relieved. "I'm gonna go," I say. "Bye."

I turn away after a curt nod. My hands shoved in my pockets, I begin the trek home. The wind is bitingly cold, certainly fitting for the lead up to Christmas. I decide that when I get home, I need to make hot cocoa and watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas. In my Christmas sweater, of course.

I hear a car horn honk behind me. I whip around.

My car.

I frown at his devilish smile behind the wheel. "Kai, you cunt."

Kai furrows his brows. "That's not very nice," he says. "So you want a ride home, or what?"