A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed, followed, and favorite my story. Much appreciated! =P

Chapter 3 - The Lonely

"I'm a ghost of a girl that I want to be most.
I'm the shell of a girl that I used to know well."

-Christina Perri

"I want to go see it."

She wasn't going to let anyone stop her. She had woken up from her accident a week ago with the revelation that her loving aunt passed away three weeks before. Jenna Sommers, the aunt who had taken in Jeremy and her with open arms when finding out their parents had passed away. She had been hysterical when she found out because it was only a year ago that she lost her parents and to wake up finding out she had also lost her aunt had broken her heart. It felt like everyone was leaving her and she didn't like it.

When she found out about Jenna's death, she was adamant to visit her at the cemetery, but Uncle John banned her from leaving her bed because according to him she wasn't strong enough. Three weeks had passed now and she was more than ready to face the fact that Jenna was gone.

"Elena..." Jeremy tried to stop her.

"No," she shook her head and stepped away from him. "I want to go see it for myself. I need to. Please, Jeremy. I am going with or without you."

"Alright, we'll go, but let's wait for Bonnie and Matt to come back."

"I am not waiting."

"At least wait until Ric comes back."

"Ric? Don't you mean Mr. Saltzman? Since when did he become part of this family?"

"Aunt Jenna loved him, Elena. You might not remember, but he was like a surrogate uncle to us."

"Don't you mean to you? I don't even know him except he's the history teacher at Mystic Falls High School."

Jeremy spotted Alaric coming to a stop outside of Elena's room once he heard what Elena had said. Alaric's face fell and he immediately noticed. He felt bad for him because Elena didn't know him anymore. She had kept her distance away from Alaric because he wasn't someone familiar and Jeremy could see the hurt in his eyes. He couldn't allow Elena to speak bad of him though. Alaric Saltzman was the only person left that they can rely on.

"It doesn't matter, Elena. He cares about you just like he does me. Jenna trusted us with him. You have met him, 'Lena. Just give him a chance, please. He's a good person and he's all we have left."

Elena took a deep breath and shook her head again, "I don't talk about him anymore. I can't deal with all that at the moment. Right now I want to go to the cemetery and see it for myself. I want to go see the aunt that I lost and wasn't even there to say goodbye to. I at least deserve that!"

"I'll take you," Alaric walked into the room. "I'll take you there and if it makes you more comfortable, I'll stay back at the car and wait."

She glared and him and nodded her head, "fine. Let's go."

...

Here lies Jenna Sommers. A beloved aunt and friend.

As soon as Elena saw the headstone, she immediately broke into tears. It all became so real just then. Her aunt was gone and she didn't even get to say goodbye. It wasn't fair. Her aunt didn't belong here at the cemetery, buried. No, her aunt belonged with her. Them; Jeremy and her. It wasn't fair. None of it was.

"Elena..." Jeremy carefully approached her.

"It's not fair," she mumbled out.

"I'm so sorry," Jeremy apologized as he pulled her into a hug.

"This wasn't how it was suppose to be like. Why is this happening? We just lost our parents not too long ago and now losing Jenna...I don't understand it. We're good people, Jeremy. Why can't we just live a regular, normal and happy life like everyone else?" She looked up at him with her tear stained face, "it hurts, Jer."

Seeing her so broken brought tears into his eyes, "I know and I am so sorry you have to find out this way. I'm so sorry you have to keep losing people you love because of me."

Elena shook her head, "hey. I still have you. As long as I have you, I'll find a way to be fine."

Jeremy kept his eyes closed as tightly as possible and tried to prepare himself for the pain that he was about to experience, but as he stood there and waited, all he heard was the girlish giggle. Slowly, he popped on his eyes open and raised his hand to touch his neck. It hadn't been pierced.

"Gotcha!" the blonde grinned.

He stared at the couple in front of him and blinked. He couldn't believe it. After two years he was finally coming face to face with two of the three vampires that left Mystic Falls after incident. He had hoped he would see them again someday in the future, but he didn't think it would be this soon. The last time he saw Stefan, he was carrying his brother's body out of the woods and away from Mystic Falls. He last saw Caroline when she had visited him before Elena woke up to say goodbye. She had decided to leave Mystic Falls also, to help Stefan with his brother. He was elated to see them again, but what he didn't understand was how they got into Mystic Falls. If he remembered correctly, Bonnie had told him she did some magic that banned them from entering Mystic Falls ever again.

"How...how are you guys here?" Jeremy stuttered.

Caroline rolled her eyes and brushed her blonde bangs from her face, "oh please. I have my ways."

Stefan shook his head at her, "what she means to say is that Bonnie's magic only banned my brother. Caroline and I are free to come and go if we want. We just haven't had time to come back until now."

"Oh don't lie to him, Stefan. The truth is, Jeremy, that we have been too busy doing damage control after the last stunt that happened here."

"Wait," Jeremy held his hands up. "Is...is he here?"

Stefan shrugged and Caroline shook her head, "why the hell would you care? You guys wanted him gone so he is. It shouldn't concern you if he's back or not."

"Caroline..." Stefan tried to stop her from going on a tantrum.

"Don't Caroline me, Stefan," she crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Jeremy. "Don't stand there and act like you care if he's back or not. You just want to know if he's back so you can go warn those monsters about his return. I'm not stupid, Jeremy. Whether he's back or not, you wouldn't be finding it out from me. Nope."

"I...I'm sorry, Caroline," Jeremy apologized. "I understand completely. You feel loyalty to him..."

"Of course!" she interrupted him. "But you wouldn't know what loyalty is if it bit you in the ass!"

"Okay, Caroline," Stefan stepped in. "Calm down."

She glared at Stefan and stomped her foot in defiance, "no, I will not calm down, Stefan. He needs to hear it. It's about time someone voice out how fuck up this whole situation is. They were in love, Jeremy, and you allowed them to cruelly break them up. How is dear Elena, by the way? Is she living the grand life that you guys wanted for her? I bet she's living in a glorious house with Matt with a white picket fence and a dog. She must so happy!"

"Shut up!" He had heard enough. He already felt guilty for it and Caroline wasn't helping him ease the pain that consumed him. No, Caroline didn't understand. Of course she didn't, she left. She never there to see the broken Elena. The Elena that hurt herself to feel at least something. He knew Caroline was just mocking him because she blamed him for what transpired years ago and he wasn't pissed at her for it because he blamed himself, too, but he couldn't allow her to talk about Elena in that way. Especially when she wasn't even close to how Elena was really living like.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Caroline!" He hissed, angrily. "You don't know anything. Just shut up!"

"Oh, really? Enlighten me then!"

He decided to deflect instead.

"You have no right to be angry, Caroline! You were the one that decided to leave. No one told you to go. You decided that yourself. Don't be angry with me because you chose to ditch your friend that was in need!"

Caroline scoffed, "you said that I don't know anything? Well, you don't know anything either, so don't go assuming things you don't know anything about!"

Jeremy shook his head and felt tears forming around his eyes. If he so much as to blink it would fall and he couldn't help but blink. A tear slowly fell as he let out a harsh breath.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," he quietly apologized.

She glared at him as she tried to steady her breath. She was definitely getting way too worked up. As she concentrated on calming down, she suddenly felt Stefan nudging her on her shoulder.

"What do you want, Stefan?!"

He crossed his arms across his chest and indiscreetly signaled her to apologize back to Jeremy. Not really feeling like apologizing, but wanting to please Stefan, Caroline let out a huff and glared at Jeremy.

"Fine!" she gritted through her teeth. "I'm sorry, too."

He gave her a small smile and let out a harsh breath. "Honestly, I wish I could tell you that she's living the life you think she is, but that would be a lie."

"What are you saying?" Stefan asked as he stared hard at him.

He shook his head, "I...I can't tell you. Not now."

"Excuse me?!" Caroline screeched. "If something is wrong with Elena, you better tell me right now or so help me Elena's brother or not, I'll rip your throat out."

"Just do me a favor, please," Jeremy pleaded. "Don't approach her. Not yet. There are some things that you must know before you do and I promise to tell you, just not now. Right now is not the time. If I'm ever going to talk about this, we're going to need privacy and something strong to drink."

"Okay then, how about the boarding house right now, then?" Stefan suggested.

Again, Jeremy shook his head, "I'm sorry, but today is not the time to get into it. She just got back to Mystic Falls. I have to go."

"Jeremy..."

He paused mid-step and gave them a broken smile, "I guess I'll be seeing you guys around...soon."

Caroline and Stefan solemnly nodded their head and smiled back. Letting out a deep breath, Jeremy turned around and walked back toward the library where he had left Elena. Mystic Falls was about to get interesting once more...

...

Here lies Jenna Sommers. A beloved aunt and friend.

She glared at the words with hatred. Those stupid words that were carved into her headstone wasn't right. It wasn't enough. They didn't describe her. They didn't really tell people how much she meant to the people who loved her. No. Jenna wasn't just a loving aunt and friend. She was a wonderful, kind, fun, smart, caring and lovable aunt, friend, sister and parent. Jenna was like a second mother to her after her parents death and Elena felt horrible because Jenna never got a chance to become a mother to her own children. It wasn't fair. None of it was.

Her body shook and she quietly cried to herself as she stood in front of Jenna's grave. She thought she had gotten rid of the insufferable feeling, but it came back. All those pains she thought she overcame came coursing through her entire body and she realized it was all a lie. The past two years she was living was a lie. Lying to everyone that she had gotten better. Lying to herself that she was better, but in all honesty, she was never cured. No, she never fully confronted it so when it came back, it came in full force.

"Elena?" She heard a familiar voice call her name. She quickly turned around and herself face to face with Tyler Lockwood. "You're back."

She nodded her head.

"What's wrong?"

She let out a shaken breath and broke down. "I...I can't do this. What's wrong with me, Tyler? Why do I keep feeling this way? Why can't I make it stop? I just want to stop feeling like this! I can't...I can't..."

Seeing her breaking down in front of him, Tyler immediately rushed forward to her and wrapped her in a hug. "Deep breaths, remember?"

She shook her head and continued to cry.

"It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine."

Again, she shook her head and moved out of his embrace, "stop lying to me! I'm not fine! How can things be fine when I'm not? I feel like I'm going crazy here."

She was borderline hysterical. She was losing it and there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it. She didn't know how. She wasn't strong enough. She had deluded herself for two years that she was fine; that she was back to normal, but it had all been a lie. She wasn't fine. She wasn't normal. She was lost.

"I've just been lying to myself," she stammered on. "I'm never going to be fine. I'm never going to be the same anymore. I lost her, Tyler..."

"Lost who?"

"The girl I use to be!" she shouted in frustration. "I don't even know who I am anymore!"

Tyler stared at her and let out a deep sigh. He knew one day this day would come. She had suppressed those dark feelings for so long now, he knew she would eventually break and that was exactly what was happening. He just hope she hadn't given up just yet.

"You're Elena Gilbert," he stated as he walked up to her and held onto her face. "You're an awesome sister to Jeremy Gilbert. Your mother and father are Miranda and Grayson Gilbert. You had a kick-ass aunt named Jenna Sommers. Those people, whether they're dead or alive, will help you remember who you are. Your love for them will help you stay sane. You're going to be fine, Elena Gilbert. It might not be today, but one day...I promise."

She stared back at him with her sad, brown, doe eyes, "what if that one day never comes?"

"Oh, I have a feeling it will," he smirked. "Soon."

Elena took a deep breath and let out small laugh. She nodded her head and wiped her tears from her face. This was how their friendship worked. Tyler Lockwood was like her own personal therapist. He was the only one she could really talk to. He was the only one after she found out about her memory loss that didn't treat her like she was invalid. He treated her like they have been friends since the sandbox when actuality they weren't even really fond of one another back then. Tyler had somehow slowly became one of her best friends since the lost of Caroline and finding out about her betrayal.

"Come on," he placed one arm around her shoulder. "I'm heading to a bar out of town. I'm kidnapping you to come along. I got someone I would like you to meet."

Immediately, Elena pushed his arms off and glared at him. "You are not setting me up with one of your friends again. Do I need to remind you of what happened last time?"

"Oh come on! It's nothing like that, I swear. It's just a friend I haven't seen in like...two years! I just want to go see how ugly he turned out now."

She quickly thought about it and finally agreed, "alright. Let's go meet this hideous beast friend of yours."

Tyler excitedly rushed Elena over to his car and couldn't help stop the grin that formed across his face. Damon Salvatore was going to owe him big time!