"I was trying to clean the burn mark where Kol -- " She noticed Stefan carrying Jeremy, "I couldn't get the spot out."
                          
"Come on. Let's get him upstairs." Elena said and she headed straight up the upstairs. Stefan followed. I just stayed in the same spot in shock, what the hell had happened? 
                          
It was then I realised that if Jeremy was dead, there was no way he was gonna come back to life, he was supernatural now and the Gilbert ring only worked on humans. 
                          
My heart suddenly sunk deep into my chest at the thought. I could hear Elena talking about staying with him until he woke up, she was overly upset.
                          
Stefan came down a few minutes later and told Caroline and I what had happened. They'd found Jeremy on the floor where the cure was suppose to be, but Katherine had stalked and stolen it from right under their noses.
                          
"How long has she been like that?" I asked Stefan, referring to Elena.
                          
"Ever since we found his body. She hasn't said anything except that she's waiting for him to wake up." Stefan replied. 
                          
I closed my eyes and exhaled a long breath. I couldn't let myself cry because I had to be strong for Elena, we all did.
                          
"But he's not going to wake up. She knows that, right?" Caroline said. I opened my eyes and shhed her. Stefan turned the tap on to cover the conversation.
                          
"Look. Deep down, I think she has to, but we're talking about Elena here. She feels grief more powerfully than anyone else. I think her denial is the one thing protecting her from letting it all in." Stefan said.
                          
"But she can't stay like that forever." Caroline replied.
                          
"I know, but I don't want to be the one to break her out of it, not until we know that Bonnie is safe, not until we get Damon over here to, you know..."
                          
"Use the sire bond to convince her that everything is okay?" Caroline questioned. Stefan nodded in response.
                          
Elena walked into the kitchen, "I'm not in denial." 
                          
She exhaled, "I know that he was supernatural, but did you see? His tattoo is gone. The tattoo had the spell that opened Silas' chamber. Maybe it being gone means that he's fulfilled his supernatural destiny. Maybe he's back to normal. It's possible, right?"
                          
I sighed, "Elena -- "
                          
"It's possible, Cassie. There's a chance. It may be miniscule, but it's hope and I'm gonna hold on to that hope with everything that I've got because there's no way that m -- There's absolutely no way that my brother is dead. I'm not in denial." Elena turned back around and left the kitchen. Stefan and I exchanged sad glances.
                          
▂▂▂▂
                          
I sat on the porch swing trying not to think too in depth about the situation. Just two days ago Kol had died and now this. Jeremy was like my little brother, this couldn't be happening. Stefan walked out, thankfully interupting my thoughts.
                          
"Hey." I said.
                          
He sat down beside me, "Caroline tried to ring Tyler, she doesn't know where he is, do you?"
                          
"As far away from Klaus as he can get." I told him, "I guess he doesn't have time to stop and call home." 
                          
"Katherine's been running from Klaus for five-hundred years. It's not easy. It's probably why she stole the cure. She wants to bargain for her freedom." Stefan said.
                          
I sighed, "I just can't believe after all that, she stole it, the cure is gone."
                          
"Yeah. I mean, talk about denial. In my head, I was thinking there was no way Elena was gonna stay a vampire forever. And now without any family."