I only own Jane Evans and Bradley Talbot. Jane is played by Lily James. Bradley is played by Evan Peters.

Chapter One

Jane Evans opened her green eyes as daylight flickered through the thin beige colored hospital curtains, and she let out a sigh. She knew that she would be late for school if she didn't head out soon. She sat up in the dark green armchair and reached over to take her mother's limp hand.

"Today is the first day of school," she said. "I'm a little nervous, but I don't know why…" She bit her lip.

She moved to stand, shivering a little as her bare feet hit the cold tiled floor. She ran a lightly tanned hand through her long honey-colored hair that fell to about the middle of her back in soft bouncy curls. She moved to stand at the only window and pulled back the curtains to reveal a dull cloudy gray sky.

"It's kind of cloudy today," she said conversationally.

She had long gotten used to the silence and only hoped her mother could hear her. Some part of her believed it was true. Six months ago, her mother had suddenly collapsed. Doctors hadn't been able to explain why, and now she was in a coma. How long it would last, no one was quite sure. She, however, held a firm belief that her mother would come out of her coma, and no one was going to convince her otherwise.

Her father had disappeared two years before that, and that left her and her mother alone and a mystery as to where his body had gone. Her unconscious mother was all Jane had left.

A tapping caught her attention, and she blinked out of her thoughts to see a large black crow sitting on the windowsill.

"Good morning," she greeted warmly. She had always liked birds.

The crow tilted its head like it was examining her, and she tilted her head too with a giggle. It suddenly flew off, and she sighed, feeling lonely all over again.

She didn't really want to go to school, but she knew that her mother would have made her go. She packed up her things and came back over to the hospital bed. "I'll see you, later, mama," she whispered, and kissed her forehead.

Jane peddled her bike along the backroads of Mystic Falls, avoiding traffic and other people as she cut across town to the school. She parked her bike next to the others on the stand, dismounted, and rummaged for her bike lock.

"Hey, Jane."

She looked up to see Matt Donovan looking at her.

"How are you?"

She smiled. "Matt!" She went over to hug him.

He laughed and returned her hug just as fiercely.

"It's good to see you."

"You too. So, um, how are things?"

Jane sighed. "Well, it's been kind of hard, but I think I'm little better now. Or least getting there."

Matt nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'm okay. Just all this stuff with Elena."

Jane nodded in sympathy.

Matt had been one of her childhood friends, and she had been there through all the ups and downs of his relationship with Elena Gilbert. Elena had broken up with him only hours before the car crash that had killed her parents.

"I understand. Well, I mean I don't—" She frowned. "But I think you get what I am saying."

Matt laughed. "Yeah. I do." He waited for her to get her things, and they walked into the building together.

She walked with Matt to his locker and saw him looking over across the hall. She followed his gaze and saw Elena talking to Bonnie Bennett.

Elena smiled at him, but Matt only turned way.

"See you later, Janey," he said and then shifted. "Look, if you need anything, just let me know."

Jane smiled. Matt was very protective of her; it was sweet, and it felt nice, considering that she hardly ever received that kind of attention from anyone. But then, he had always acted that way to her. They were the same age, but Matt cared for her like a little sister, and really, Jane didn't mind in the least.

"Thanks, Matty," she said, "but I'll be okay."

He nodded, giving her one last smile before trudging up the hallway.

Jane gave a sad smile and went to the two girls. Elena, last she had seen, was somewhat coping, while Jeremy, her brother, had turned down a dark path of pilfering pharmaceuticals.

"Janey Evans!"

The girl looked up as her name was shouted and was immediately engulfed in a hug by a tall blonde girl before she could reach Elena and Bonnie.

The blonde pulled her back and smirked at her. "How dare you slip in here and not say hello to me first!" she demanded, and Jane laughed.

Caroline Forbes was the school's cheer captain and pretty much everything else. She was the queen of the Mystic Falls High.

"I'm sorry, Caroline!" Jane said through her giggles. "I wasn't trying to sneak in!" Then she waved to the two girls behind Caroline. "Hey, Elena. Hey, Bonnie."

"It's great to see you," Elena greeted, and the girls hugged.

Next was Bonnie, who gave Jane a large, warm smile and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I've missed you," she said, and Jane returned her gesture with her own radiant smile. "How have you been?"

I'm coping the best I can." Jane then looked at Elena, who was nodding at her in understanding. If anyone could comprehend how Jane felt it was Elena. "Dare I ask where Jeremy is?"

"I have no idea. He's been so out of it lately…."

Jane only put a hand on Elena's arm. "We all have," she said simply.

Elena gave her friend a grateful smile. Everyday people asked how she was, and she was starting to become bored of answering. At least Jane understood her. She always understood. She was one of the nicest people that Elena had ever met.

"Are you okay, Janey?" Caroline asked.

Jane smiled grimly. Only Elena could tell it was strained. The both of them were orphaned now. That didn't begin to cover the word okay.

"I mean," she continued, "with everything? I mean is your mom still in that coma—"

"Caroline," Bonnie hissed, seeing how uncomfortable Jane was becoming.

"I'm fine, Caroline," Jane said. "Really."

Caroline was skeptical, but she accepted the answer for now and hugged her again tightly. "See you later, then?" she asked with a wave of her fingers.

The other girls nodded.

"Okay, bye!" She turned and walked away with a flounce in her step.

Jane did not miss the look that Elena gave Bonnie and ended up giggling.

"No comment," Elena had said.

Bonnie nodded. "I will not say anything."

Elena gave a short laugh as they walked up the hallway.

Jane turned to her. "Same old Caroline, I see."

"Yep," Bonnie said through a laugh. Suddenly, she sucked in a breath.

"What?" Jane asked.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at something behind her. "Wait a minute. Who is this?"

Elena and Jane turned to see a tall young man with a black leather jacket, sunglasses, dark jeans, and a head of light brown hair standing with his back to them inside the office.

"All I see is back," Elena stated with a smile at Bonnie's obvious attracted look.

"It's a hot back," said a smirking Bonnie.

Jane giggled. "I agree."

"I sense Seattle," Bonnie said ominously, "and he plays a guitar."

"You are going to run this psychic thing into the ground, huh?" Elena asked teasingly, and Bonnie grinned with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Pretty much."

They laughed.

Jane, however, didn't understand what they were talking about, and she turned to Elena for clarification.

"Her grandmother thinks she's a psychic."

Jane smiled at Bonnie. "Really? Is she serious?"

"Very," Bonnie drawled with an eye roll, and then they went back to ogling the new boy.

Elena turned suddenly around. "I'll be right back," she said, and Jane looked at her.

"Jeremy?"

"Yes," she sigh through a sigh, and then patted her arm before walking off.

Jane turned to Bonnie upon hearing her chanting under her breath:

"Please be hot. Please be hot."

Jane giggled again.

Then, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome turned away from the receptionist, and his gaze rested on Jane. He stared at her for a moment, his forest green eyes locked on her, a surprised expression on his face.

She blinked as he walked up to her and studied her closely. Why was he looking at her like that? Did he know her?

"Excuse me," he muttered, and she stepped to the side to let him pass.

Jane chewed her lip as he walked around her, and glanced over at Bonnie, whose eyes met Jane's.

"Oh my god," she mouthed.

Jane nodded in agreement before she watched him disappear down the hall. Who was that?

"Stupid locker!" she hissed as she tugged on the ancient door. The bell had rung a few seconds ago, and she had fought her way to her locker; she had been fighting with it ever since.

It finally opened with a final tug.

"Aha!" she said in triumph, and then her books spilled out, scattering across the floor. "Great!" Cursing herself internally, she knelt and began the tedious task of putting her school supplies back into order. "Stupid, stupid… locker and books and, and—"

She reached for a stray pencil, and gasped when a hand other than her own grabbed it. She looked up to see the handsome young man from the office smiling crookedly at her, and she flushed.

"—stuff…"

"Need some help?" he said, offering a hand out to her.

"Um, no, that's okay," she said hurriedly, rushing to gather her things. "I'm sure you have somewhere to go."

He shook his head. "No, not really." He took her books anyway and shoved them into her locker in a neatly stacked pile.

"Thank you."

He shook his head. "You don't need to thank me. I'm Stefan by the way. Stefan—"

"Salvatore," she finished.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm, um, in all your classes," she muttered, flushing pink.

He blinked. "Oh, yes. You're Jane Evans."

She nodded and gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry. You sit next to me in Tanner's class, don't you?"

Most people didn't notice her, and while she was fine with that, she couldn't help but feel a bit happy that he had taken the time to remember where she had sat.

"It's okay," she said. "Most people don't take much notice of me." He started to say something to argue, guilt in his eyes, but she leaned up to whisper to him teasingly. "I think it's my height."

He started chuckling, realizing her intention, and smirked. "Maybe. You are short."

She nodded and then smiled. "Well, I, um. I have to go."

"I'll see you later, Jane."

She couldn't help but smile at the way he said her name—like he had meant it.

Jane twirled across the wooden floor with her eyes closed, bending her body to the music. She loved to dance like this, just letting the music guide and direct her movements. Her mother had owned the Mystic Falls Dance Studio, so she was no stranger to dancing. A few years ago, her mother had taught dancing classes and had been one of the instructors for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant that was held every year. Melinda Evans had been the best mother Jane could have asked for, and she hoped to one day be just like her.

Over the summer, Jane had instructed a group of kids, teaching them their starting steps, and she couldn't wait to finally have her own class to teach. The summer had been a warm up to see how she would handle it, and it had proved successful; so she hoped, in a few months, she could ask them to come back. Her mother had taught her every dance style there was, including some complicated ballet techniques; but Jane preferred to dance how she felt. In a way, it was like interpretive dance, and she soon discovered that it was perfect for her when she wanted to release tension and anxiety. After the first day of school, she definitely needed that. It was better than sitting home alone.

Jane was more than capable of living on her own, and she had no intention of telling anyone otherwise. Being without her mother or her father wouldn't hinder her—or at least she wouldn't let it. Elena, Bonnie, and even Caroline had asked her to move in with them for a while, but Jane had declined their offers.

She didn't want to burden Elena with more problems than she was having with her Aunt Jenna trying to raise them and Jeremy being as he was. Bonnie was having troubles with her father, and Jane didn't want to be in the middle of that either, so that put Caroline's offer out as well. Caroline's mother was the sheriff of Mystic Falls, and that put a damper on her daughter's wild nature. That, and Elizabeth had recently divorced her husband. Elizabeth and Caroline often fought, and Jane could never understand why Caroline resented her mother so much. Sheriff Forbes was a kind, loving mother; anyone would be lucky to have that. It was Sheriff Forbes who had checked in on Jane the first few months of her mother's hospitalization, and Jane would be forever grateful for her consideration.

Jane's phone buzzed and vibrated on the floor, and she stopped dancing to go answer it. It was a text from Caroline.

C: Meet at Grill. Must come.

Jane laughed and texted her back as she gathered her things. If she was going out later, she needed to go home and change.

J: I'll be there, Care.

Tyler Lockwood extended an arm, blocking Jane from passing the table he and Matt were occupying.

She had bumped into his arm with a startled gasp, and she locked eyes with him, looking up from her crossword puzzle.

"So, Jane, how's it going?"

She rolled her eyes. "Would be better if you weren't blocking my way, Ty."

He snorted. "Sassy." He smirked. "I like it."

She shook her head, then a giggle burst from her lips. "Oh, shut up."

Tyler flirted with every girl, always had, so she never paid it much mind.

"You're looking nice today."

"Thank you," Jane said lowly, and she unconsciously flushed. Why, oh why, do I have to get so flustered when boys talk to me? Probably because they don't usually.

Tyler smirked at her reddened cheeks, and Matt shook his head.

"Here you go," Vicki said, handing food to her brother and Jane took the opportunity to escape from Tyler.

Matt smiled. "Thanks, Vick."

She turned to Tyler, and she gave him a flirty, seductive leer. "Do you need another refill?"

Matt had to roll his eyes.

Tyler smirked. "I'd love one."

Vicki took his cup, and then smacked him on the arm when she saw who his eyes were wandering to. "Leave Jane alone, Ty. She's too innocent for you."

"Sure, sure."

Vicki gave a short grin before sauntering away. She had no fear that Jane would take him away from her; Jane was far too shy and pure-hearted to do such a deed. That, and she was oblivious to the way most of the boys around her leer at her.

Matt scowled. "Please tell me you're not hooking up with my sister."

"I'm not hooking up with your sister," Tyler told him but ended up smirking.

Matt rolled his eyes. "You're such a dick."

"Dude, relax. Besides, I'd totally hook up with Jane if I wasn't into your sister."

"Dude, stop pestering her. She's never liked you like that."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm just saying she's hot."

Matt shook his head.

"What? When are you going to stop being her watchdog, man?"

Matt frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"She doesn't need you hovering around her like some lame-ass brother. She can take care of herself."

"She needs someone to look for her, Ty. Protect her from weirdos like you."

Tyler snorted. "Thanks."

Matt smirked. "Seriously, though," he continued, his smirk fading. "Your incessant flirting is going to hurt someone's feelings."

Tyler only rolled his eyes.

Jane looked up when two people sat at her table: Caroline and Bonnie. "Hi," she greeted and set her puzzle aside. "So what's going on?"

"Guess what I learned about our new hot guy!" said a grinning Caroline.

Jane arched a brow. Is that why she was needed me? To listen to her go on and on about a guy? "Stefan?"

Caroline beamed. "Yep! He lives with his uncle in the old Salvatore boarding house. He hasn't lived there since he was a kid. Military family, so he was always moving. He is a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue."

"You got all that in one day?" asked a shocked Jane. It never ceased to amaze her how fast Caroline learned about people.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "That's what I asked her."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at them. "Don't make fun. Stefan is so mine."

The others giggled.

A while later, Caroline went to talk to Tyler, who was playing pool now, and Matt took her place at the table.

"How is Elena doing?" he asked Bonnie.

Bonnie sighed. "She just lost her parents," she said solemnly. "How do you think she's doing?"

She glanced at Jane, who was stirring her coke silently. She frowned in concern, but Matt only shook his head at her. Jane was not good at talking about her parents.

"She's been putting on a good face," she continued, "but it's only been four months."

"Has she said anything about me?" Matt said, and Bonnie who held her hands up as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "So not getting in the middle. You pick up the phone and call her."

"I feel weird calling her. She broke up with me."

"Give it more time, Matt," Bonnie murmured, and Matt sighed.

Jane finally looked up from her drink. "Matty, look—you have to try and remember that it's hard for her. Like it is for me." She took his hand, and he smiled at her grimly.

Bonnie suddenly looked over Matt's shoulder and gawked at something, making Jane look around him. Elena had just walked in the door and right behind her was Stefan Salvatore. That was pretty awe-inspiring, and it had everyone mind-boggled. Everyone turned their heads to see him, even Tyler and Caroline, who were still talking by the pool table.

A sour frown marred Matt's face. "More time, huh?" he scoffed. He pushed from the table and walked away.

Jane sighed. "That could have gone better."

Bonnie shared her sentiment. "Tell me about it."

"So you were born in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked Stefan, though she had interrogated him this morning, and he nodded.

It seemed like a never-ending questionnaire. Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, Matt, Jane, and Tyler sat around a table, listening to Stefan, as they asked their questions. Jane wondered how he wasn't bothered by all the questioning.

"And I moved when I was still young," was his response.

"Parents?" Bonnie asked.

"They passed away."

"I'm sorry," Elena murmured, feeling the connection between her and Stefan, grow a little.

Bonnie and Jane exchanged looks and smiled knowingly.

"Any siblings?" Jane asked, and he glanced at her.

Stefan grimaced slightly. "None that I talk to. I live with my uncle."

Caroline took the opportunity to talk. "So, Stefan, if you're new, you don't know about the party tomorrow."

Jane arched an eyebrow. Caroline and Elena both like Stefan, it seemed. That wasn't good at all.

"It's a back to school thing at the Falls," Bonnie told

Stefan immediately turned to Elena. "Are you going?"

Elena looked like she wanted to decline, but Bonnie jumped in. "Of course she is."

Stefan and Elena exchanged grins, and Stefan smiled at Elena, who blushed.

"And you're coming too, right, Jane?" Caroline asked.

Jane bit her lip. "I—"

Caroline giving her the puppy-eyed look.

Begrudgingly, she nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Caroline beamed. "Yay! This party is going to be awesome!"

Jane shook her head.

"Okay," Elena said, "so he's a little pretty. He's got that romance-novel stare."

Bonnie smirked. They were standing around one of the fire pits, finishing off their drinks. Jane was standing with them, looking more relaxed than when she had first arrived. She supposed it was the slight buzz she had from the alcohol.

Bonnie made wild gestures with her hands. "'Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul'."

Jane giggled at her sudden deep romantic novelist voice, and Elena laughed.

"So where is he?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't know."

Jane smiled at Bonnie. "Tell us, oh psychic one!" She giggled.

Elena nodded. "Yes, do tell."

"Right, I forgot." Bonnie nodded with a smile. "Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate."

"Wait," Elena said as she held up a finger. "You need a crystal ball." She looked around and spotted the empty bottle in Jane's hand. She took it from a surprised Jane and held it out to Bonnie. "Ta-da."

Jane smiled, trying not to giggle.

Bonnie took a hold of it, and froze.

Elena and Jane watched Bonnie's eyes widen, then she let go of the bottle.

"What?" Elena asked, and Jane bit her lip, watching her friend nervously.

"That was weird," Bonnie had said. "When I touched you, I saw a crow."

"What?" Elena said with a frown. How did Bonnie know about what happened in the cemetery?

"A crow. There was fog. A man."

Jane gasped. "You had a real vision?" she asked, and Bonnie could see that the girl was scared.

"I'm drunk," Bonnie said, trying to calm her and herself "It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it. Yeah? Okay, I'm going to get a refill."

With that, the dark-skinned girl left, and Jane looked at Elena.

"Bonnie!" Elena called out and then sighed.

"Is it just me," Jane said, "or did that freak you out?"

Elena nodded.

"Did what freak you out?"

Both girls jumped, and Jane let out a small shriek. They both turned to see a grinning Stefan standing behind them.

Jane flushed when Stefan arched an eyebrow at her.

"N-Nothing," she said quickly. "Um, see you later, Elena. Bye Stefan." With a smile, she left them alone.

"Bye, Jane," Elena said with a laugh and then shook her head to focus on Stefan.

"Hi," he said. Stefan was glad that she wanted to talk to him. She may look like Katherine, but Elena Gilbert was a normal, everyday girl, and he wanted to know her more.

She smiled. "Hi."

Stefan's smile grew. "I, uh, did it again didn't I?" he asked, referring to how he had surprised her earlier in the day.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle your friend either."

Elena shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Knowing Jane, she's probably forgotten all about it."

Jane started towards Caroline and Bonnie when an arm snaked out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a nearby pavilion.

"Hey, sweetheart," said a voice, whose suggestive tone made Jane shudder. "Looking for someone to talk to?"

She wiggled against him in an attempt to free herself. "Let—Let go of me, Bradley!"

Bradley Talbot was Vicki's age and had always found an excuse to talk to Jane. He was tall, with long blond hair, dark green eyes, and the disposition of a territorial dog. Putting it simply: he was an aggressive teen with a 'no girl says no to me' attitude.

"Don't be like that. I just want to have a good time."

A few of the others laughed as her struggles were futile, and Brad tugged her backward against him.

"Why don't you hang with us, hmm?" he whispered in her ear as he gripped both of her wrists tightly, and the contact made her skin crawl. He whispered lowly in her ear so no one else could hear. "You look so good."

Jane held back a gasp that threatened to be released, and she tried to be angry instead of scared. "Let go of me," she murmured through her struggling. "I have to go."

"Where? I'll take you," Brad murmured in her ear, his hand trailing along her waist. "I'll take you anywhere."

The implication made Jane flush, and the shock made her tense.

She pushed away from him finally and glared at him. "Well, I don't want to. So leave me alone."

He barked out a laugh, swigging his beer. "You're so cute when you get mad."

Jane backed away with each step he took.

Brad grabbed her arm in a fierce grip. "Come on, Evans. Be nice."

"Let go! You're hurting me!"

He shrugged. "It might hurt the first time, sweetheart, but we can keep doing it until it doesn't."

"You are so gross," she snapped, her face tomato red.

"Man, let her go," said a frowning Tyler, looking up from kissing Vicki's neck. "She doesn't like you."

"Mind your business, Lockwood," Brad murmured, nosing her neck.

Disgusted, Jane closed her eyes tightly.

"I'll take you home later, if that's what you want."

Jane harshly elbowed him in the ribs, and he grunted, stumbling backward. "Don't you ever touch me again, you pig!" she snapped, and was soon on her way away from the group.

Bradley watched her go with eyes darkened with rage. He looked around to see that Vicki and Tyler had gone off somewhere, and he narrowed his eyes in the direction where Jane had gone.

No one said no to him.

Jane stumbled through the trees, trying to get away from Bradley. There was a slow fog rolling around, and she didn't like the feeling she got being out there in the dark.

She shrieked as she suddenly tripped over a tree root, and hands steadied her. She looked up to see a raven-haired man smiling at her.

"Well, hello there."

Her face was now a fierce scarlet, and she was thankful it was too dark for it to be seen. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said as he helped her stand. "I didn't know you were here."

"It's no problem." He arched a brow, his blue eyes flashing in the dim lighting. "Are you okay? Pretty girls like you shouldn't be out in the woods alone."

She looked at him and bit her lip.

His eyes flickered to something over her head and then back at her. "Hiding from your suitor?"

Bradley appeared, and Jane sighed, turning around. "There you are," he said "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Bradley," she said as sternly as she could, "please leave me alone."

He narrowed his eyes at the guy standing behind her. "Is this is who you're with? Looks a bit old for you, doesn't he?"

She pursed her lips. "He's not my—"

The guy behind her wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her behind him. "Are you bothering my friend?" he said smoothly. "I'd think twice about that if I were you."

Bradley scowled. "Oh, yeah? And what if I don't?"

Jane couldn't see what the leather-clad guy was doing, but Bradley suddenly looked spooked.

"I—I won't bother you again," Bradley had said, and in seconds was fleeing.

"I don't know what you did," Jane said, "but thank you."

Then he turned to her and smirked. He took a few locks of her hair and examined it. "Guess you'll have to owe me one," he said, twirling one of her curls on a finger.

Jane ducked her head to hide a blush.

"You be careful now. Party is back up that way."

Jane looked in the direction he pointed and then back to him. "Thank you again."

He flashed her a perfect smile. "Again, not a problem. We'll see each other soon."

She watched him walk away, and not too long after, she had forgotten to ask him why he was in the woods in the first place.

Jane saw something ahead of her on the ground and moved closer. "Oh my god," she whispered.

Vicki Donovan was lying on the ground, pale with a bloodied neck.

She backed away and bumped into something. She whirled around to see Jeremy Gilbert.

"Jane?" he asked with a frown. "What are you doing out here?" He saw how pale and shaky she was, and his frown deepened. "Jane, what is it?"

"Vicki," was all she said, and Jeremy looked around her.

"Vicki!" he cried. "Oh my god!"

Elena, who had finally caught up to him, gasped. She pulled Jane away, and Jeremy went to check her pulse.

"What happened, Jane?" she asked, and the frightened girl shook her head.

"I don't know," she said through her sobs. "I just found her like that. Is she dead?"

Jeremy jumped when Vicki began gasping for air, and quickly scooped her into his arms.

Elena called for help and held Jane close as they walked out of the woods.

"Shh, it's okay," she murmured, trying to comfort the shaking girl, but she wouldn't say a word. Her sobbing had stopped, but she was too frightened to speak.

"Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?" Matt cried when he saw them and Jeremy laid on a table "Someone call an ambulance!"

Tyler shooed at people. "Everyone back up!" he shouted. "Give her space."

Elena leaned over Vicki. "It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood."

Matt went to examine it himself.

A frightened Jane, who was hugging herself, kept her distance.

Jane looked down at her lap. She was worried about Vicki. It was unreal that something like this had happened so close to where everyone else had been, so close to where she had been. She was still a little shaky since she had been the one to find her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep them away.

"Hey, are you okay?" Elena asked, walking over to her.

Jane nodded. "Yeah, still just a little spooked."

A sympathetic Elena patted her.

Bonnie approached them. "Hey, we're going to mainline coffee and wait for news."

"I gotta take Jeremy home," Elena said.

Jane sensed that Bonnie wanted to say something and moved closer. "What is it, Bonnie?"

"Look, there is no way I am psychic," Bonnie stated and then frowned slightly. "I know that, but whatever I saw, or think I saw, I have this feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" asked a curious Jane.

Bonnie looked from her to Elena. "That it's just the beginning."

The ominous tone in her friend's voice sent a cold chill down Jane's spine.

"Are you sober yet?" Bonnie asked, and she and Jane glanced at Caroline.

Caroline inhaled and looked up before groaning out in an exhale. "Nope."

"Keep drinking. I gotta get you home. I gotta get me home."

"Why didn't he go for me?" Caroline demanded, looking back up at them. "You know, how come the guys I want never want me?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm not touching that."

"I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing, and Elena… always says the right thing. She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks—for everything! And I try so hard, and I'm never the one."

"Care, you're so pretty you could have a lot of guys falling for you," Jane said, reaching over to pat her hand. "It's not a competition."

"Yeah, it is," Caroline retorted, "and I have to compete with you too."

Jane frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Guys look at you, but not at me."

"No one looks at me."

"Yes, they do, and you don't even try to get them to notice you. They just do."

Jane wasn't so sure about that, but she was getting tired of Caroline's whining. "I'm going to get some more coffee," she murmured, and got up from the table.

"I'll come with you," Bonnie said, and got up to follow her. "I'm glad you are okay," she said as they waited in line. "That was so close."

Jane nodded. "I know." She shuddered and then an afterthought came to her. "Did Bradley get out?"

Bonnie frowned. "I don't know. Why?"

"He was in the woods too."

"Did he hurt you?" demanded the frowning brunette. "Did he?"

"I'm fine. Someone scared him off."

Bonnie arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"I don't know. He was very… mysterious."

Bonnie giggled. "Ooh, mystery man."

Jane shook her head. "I don't know who he was, but I don't think I'll see him again."

"Never say never," Bonnie said, and turned around, leaving Jane to her thoughts.

Review? Beta'd by Shining Haos