"It's a bad idea." Rose concluded, pacing in the living room of the Salvatore Boarding house.

Elena shook her head in denial "No, it's not. From what Stefan told me, your friend Slater obviously has more information about Klaus. And you and Damon just gave up before you got it."

"Because somebody blew up a coffee shop with us in it." Rose stated.

"Big deal." Ana mused, her arms crossed as she perched on the arm of the sofa. "You've lived longer than me, you should learn to suck these things up. A little violence never hurt anybody."

Rose scoffed "You should listen to yourself, Ana. Searching for Klaus is like strolling into the lion's den."

"I have listened to myself, actually." Ana admitted, laying her legs across the chair. "I find my voice quite relaxing, if I may say so myself."

"Look, there's more to learn." Elena tried to reason, hiding her smile at Ana's nonchalant attitude. "We just have to find a way to learn it."

Body tense, Rose snapped "Why are you coming to me with this? Wasn't Ana once Klaus' fiance? I'm sure he'd love to get in contact with her..."

"I'm not on the ladder, Rose." Ana retorted, frowning. "I have no contact who could find him for me, anyway."

Seeing how resistant Rose was to the idea, Elena added "Plus, you owe me. One word from me, and Damon and Stefan could have killed you for kidnapping me."

"Or maybe you're here with Ana and asking for my help because you know that they wouldn't want you doing this. And their moonstone caper gives you a chance to sneak away." Rose figured, raising her eyebrows at the doppelganger.

A slow clap interrupted the silence, and Rose and Elena shifted their gazes to find Ana smirking "Well done, Rose, you figured the puzzle. Gold medal, really."

"We're having a disagreement, okay?" Elena concluded, looking at Ana, pleading for her to shut her sarcastic mouth. "They're willing to risk everyone that I love, and I'm not."

Rose sighed in response "They're just trying to protect you."

"And you've proven that you can't care less whether I'm protected or not. So we're back to you taking me and Ana to Slater." Elena resolved, looking at Rose expectantly.

Sitting down, the vampire didn't budge her opinion as she asked "What exactly do you have to achieve by this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ana chuckled, glancing over at Rose. "I might see Klaus again and Elena can find out how much danger she's in."

"How would you like to be able to walk during the daylight?" Elena inquired, her expression stiffening into a business-like state.

Rose nodded, her mouth slightly agape as she replied "I've been a slave to the shadows for 500 years. What do you think?"

"It sure is helpful." Ana added, waving her daylight bracelet happily.

Pleased with the reaction, Elena said "I think I know a witch who's willing to do whatever it takes to help, if you're willing to make a deal."

★·'¯'·★

"That car was awesome." Ana breathed as they walked up the steps to Slater's apartment. "I felt like we were in some kinda mafia."

Rolling her eyes, Rose put a finger to her lip to signal for Ana to shut up, and the vampire followed suit, after glaring slightly. Rose pounded her fist against the door, yelling "Slater! Slater, it's Rose. Open up."

Elena watched with caution, her heart plummeting when Rose said "He's not home. Sorry."

"No. We didn't come all the way out here for nothing." Elena stated, and used her eyes to signal to the door.

Ana nodded, chuckling at how Rose reluctantly went back to the door and opened it, Ana and Elena right behind her.

Rose put an arm out for both girls "After you."

Seeing her friend hesitate, Ana marched forward. Inside the house were countless computers, all stacked up.

"Slater?" Rose called, searching the house.

A gasp tore through Ana's chest, and she turned to Rose, her mouth agape "Rose, your friend is either asleep, or killed."

"What?" Rose asked, her head snapping round, and the vampire frowned at Slater's corpse sprawled across the floor. "I don't think he's going to be much help."

Her brows furrowed, Elena rushed over to the two supernatural creatures, and sighed when she saw a stake plummeted into Slater's chest. The doppelganger glanced at Ana, unaware of what to do next.

★·'¯'·★

Rose walked forward to check Slater's body, but Elena just put a hand to her forehead, exhaling, and saying "God."

Whilst Rose dealt with Slater's dessicated body, Elena marched off, and Ana followed.

"You okay?" Ana asked her friend, eyebrows furrowed.

Elena frowned, turning around to face Ana "Yes, no- I don't know! Slater was our only contact for Klaus, and now he's dead too. This is hopeless."

"Not necessarily. Plus, I thought you didn't want a contact for Klaus, only information?" Ana said, raising an eyebrow at the doppelganger. Ana wasn't stupid, she knew that Elena was probably searching for a way to put herself in harm's way and the vampire was being careful to avoid that.

Evading the question Ana asked, Elena stated "It looks like whoever blew up the coffee shop found him and killed him for his information."

"Yeah, probably to stop him from helping people like us." Rose agreed, coming up behind the pair with her hands on her hips. "The guy was a vampire almanac. Knowing too much information just bit him in the ass."

"Hence why I stay under the radar. Living proof. Well, dead proof if you want to be technical..." Ana muttered, putting a hand on Elena's shoulder as she looked through the papers. "Hey, maybe you're getting a bit uptight about this. I think we should just abandon this Klaus mission, seems like it never did anyone any good."

Before Elena could respond, her attention was diverted by Rose swinging the curtains open.

"What are you-"

"Tempered glass." Rose interrupted Elena, continuing to push the fabric away from the window. "U.V rays can't penetrate."

Ana hummed, impressed "Cool. Not that I really need one."

"You don't realise how lucky you are, Ana." Rose stated, staring out the window with sad eyes. "I used to just come here and watch the day."

Glancing down at the picture of Slater, with whom Elena assumed his girlfriend, the doppelganger replied "I'm sorry about Slater."

"Any luck?" Rose questioned Elena, not responding to Elena's comment and instead, focusing on their mission.

"I'm sorry, you're actually gonna go through with hacking into a dead guy's computer." Ana laughed dryly, circling the desk that Elena was now sat at. "Isn't that a bit, I don't know... insensitive?"

"I'm desperate here." Elena told Ana, turning to Rose and replying "It's password protected, I can't get in."

Processing Ana's words, Rose nodded, heading towards the door "Ana's right. Let's just go."

Before anyone could make a move, a doorknob rattled in the background, and Ana and Rose's heads whipped round, sensing for the noise.

"Stay here." Rose told Elena, shifting her gaze to Ana. "Follow me, you check the rooms on the left, I'll check the right."

Bewildered, Elena watched both women walk off and scour the house.

Opening the door on her side of the room, Rose gaped when she saw a familiar human hiding behind the closet. "Alice?"

"Rose!" Ana heard a woman call, and the vampire sped over to see a youngish human-looking girl in the arms of the vampire they had been working with.

Ana and Elena shared a nervous glance.

"He's dead!" The woman cried, clamoured over Rose, clinging onto her like she was a lifeline in a vast ocean.

★·'¯'·★