neverhurthim | (no subject)

So it was over.

Anna had been wandering the streets of Mystic Falls since handing over the necklace to Jeremy the night before. She'd let him go. She knew it was what was best for him, even if it hurt. Elena was right; they didn't have a future together. She was dead. A ghost. And that wasn't exactly grounds for a healthy relationship.

She hadn't found her mother, either. Apparently her punishment for the things she'd done in the last five hundred years was to be alone for eternity. It was appropriate, really, considering how much she'd always hated being alone. Maybe there was some kind of god after all. And maybe this was just her own personal version of hell.

Since she'd been a ghost, she'd been able to feel emotions, but not physical sensations. The realization that she was exhausted was alarming and disturbing at the same time. Ghosts didn't exactly have a need for sleep. Unless this was just the next form of punishment she was to face. Really, was there anything worse than watching the guy you loved be hurt or killed, over and over, and be unable to do anything to help or even to console him? She didn't think so. But she supposed she'd find out.

Giving into the exhaustion that she felt, Anna moved over and laid down on the park bench, closing her eyes. She wondered if maybe, just maybe she'd be able to actually sleep.

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After giving the necklace to Bonnie, Jeremy had gone for a long walk. He didn't know what to do with all of this - Anna hiding the necklace, his feelings for her and Bonnie... it was all just too confusing and he couldn't wrap his head around it.

He loved them both. It was possible to love more than one person at a time, right? Jeremy knew his sister did, and some of the guys at school had multiple girlfriends.

Being a teenager sucked sometimes.

He made his way into the park, and as he was walking past the bench he saw Anna sleeping there. Maybe Bonnie hadn't finished the spell yet, and he did have a change to say goodbye.

"Anna?"

She started at the sound of his voice and opened her eyes, sitting up quickly. "Jeremy." She shook her head, confused as to why he was there again. Or as to why he could even see her. Hadn't Bonnie done the spell? What time was it?

Anna raked a hand through her hair, tucking some of it behind her ear. "What are you doing here?" She had too many questions and no answers and if there was one thing she didn't like, it was not having answers. She'd always made an effort to stay in the know of what was going on.

And she was still really tired.

"I was just taking a walk." He gave her a half shrug, his hands in his pockets and looking like a lost puppy walking himself home. "I guess the spell isn't done yet if I can still see you."

Her chest tightened at the look on his face. Resting her hands on her lap, she scooted over to make room for him on the bench, a silent invitation.

He looked over his shoulder, trying to see if anyone was watching him, and then he moved to sit next to her.

He really didn't know what else to say, except, "I'm sorry."

Anna sighed softly, shaking her head. "You don't owe me an apology, Jeremy," she said softly. She'd never blamed him for any of it. If anything, it was she who owed him an apology.

She looked at him sideways, then looked down at her hands, fiddling with the lapis ring still on her finger. "I'm sorry that I messed things up for you and Bonnie." And she meant it. She knew he'd had a good thing with the other girl, something healthy and real. She just hoped that she hadn't messed that up entirely.

"I'm the one who messed it up, Anna, not you. Don't worry about it." He leaned back into the bench, sighing.

She was worried about it, though. She was going to be gone soon, completely, and she'd wrecked the one happy part of his life.

"I just want you to be happy," she whispered.

"I know." He didn't think about it, and just reached out to rest his hand on top of her leg to comfort her.

Anna looked down at his hand on her leg, eyebrows furrowing. She felt his hand there, and it didn't make any sense. She'd seen some of the other tomb vampires vanish before her eyes, which meant the spell was done. Why could he still touch her?

Slowly she lifted her head to look at him with wide eyes.

Jeremy looked over at her too, confused. "How did you do that?"

She shook her head. "I didn't -- Jeremy, I didn't do anything."

He turned more towards her, reaching out to gently touch her arm, then shoulder and then cheek.

"This can't be happening."

"I don't understand what's happening," Anna whispered, eyes wide. Unable to stop herself, she reached out and touched his face, too. She could feel him, solid beneath her palm.

"Whatever Bonnie's doing was supposed to help you move on. Not stay here."

Did Bonnie mess up? Would she even be able to make this happen?

"I know." There was no question that was what Bonnie had intended to. All things considered, Bonnie likely hated her. And she didn't blame her for that.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to "pop" up somewhere else, but when she opened them, she was in the same place. She got to her feet, eyes widening again. "I can't make myself disappear anymore." There was alarm in her voice. Was this why she was so tired? Because she wasn't a ghost anymore at all?

Jeremy leaned forward, concerned. "Hey, don't freak out. Just breathe. We'll figure this out."

She looked at him, shaking her head. "Jeremy, you don't understand," she told him.

"I'm hungry." Which meant she definitely wasn't a ghost anymore. Ghosts didn't get hungry. They didn't need to eat.

"Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but what are you hungry for?"

There was a big difference if she was hungry for blood, or tacos.