"This is the book on Katherine that Damon gave you?" I asked as I took the book titled 'Petrova' on the side of it from where Elena and I sat in The Grill.
"Katherine Pierce is also known as Katerina Petrova." Elena pointed out and I rose an eyebrow at her as I flipped through the pages, seeing how detailed it was. "She came from Europe." She added and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"So how was the trip with the teacher and the psychotic vampire?" I asked in amusement to watch her roll her eyes back at me before sitting back in her chair.
"I'd be lying if I said that Damon getting shot in the back with an arrow, wasn't the best part of the trip." Elena answered, making me look away from the book in confusion.
"So this is where you spend your time when you're not stabbing people in the back." A voice stated sarcastically. Elena and I looked toward it to see Damon who came over to us before sitting next to me.
"I tricked you into telling me the truth. That's not stabbing you in the back, it's using your own tactics against you." Elena clarified in annoyance before grabbing the Petrova book from me and putting it in her bag.
"Where are you going?" He asked, eyeing Elena as she got up from the table while I remained put.
"I made myself clear, Damon. I want nothing to do with you." She stated emotionlessly before turning to wall away while he shrugged and looked at me.
"Okay. See you at Jenna's barbecue." Damon countered, making me furrow my eyebrows and Elena turn back to him.
"How did you know about Jenna's barbecue?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him as he stole a few fries off of my plate.
"It was my idea." He answered with a scoff. "Jenna went to high school with Mason Lockwood. So I figured a social gathering would be a good way to get to know the guy." Damon pointed out before Elena and I exchanged a somewhat worried glance. "So I told Ric, to tell Jennaâ" Damon started but Elena cut him off.
"Does Jenna know that you're going to be there? Because she's not exactly a fan of yours." Elena countered in annoyance before a waitress came over to the table and handed Damon a box of something.
"Perfect, thank you." Damon nodded sweetly toward her and I rose an eyebrow at the box. "I'm hoping this peach cobbler will pave the way." He added before the two of us got up from the table and I sighed, looking him over while I grabbed my things.
"What are you up to?" I asked, shaking my head at him before he leant toward me.
"I'm gonna put some silver into Mason Lockwood and prove that he's a werewolf." Damon answered quietly and I rolled my eyes. "See you at the barbecue." He added with a small smirk before walking away.
"Okay.. So tell me more about Damon getting shot in the back with an arrow?" I asked, turning to Elena in annoyance as we walked out of The Grill also.
~~~
"Thanks for letting me invite Caroline. She could use a day of distraction." Elena stated as her, Jenna and I, stood in the kitchen while I dumped a bag of chips into a bowl.
"Well, she's not the plus one I'm worried about." Jenna stated as she rolled her eyes. "Why is Damon coming?" She added, eyeing me and I sighed deeply.
"Because Alaric is a pity-taker.. Come on, JennaâBe nice." I replied and looked at her in disappointment, making her sigh in response.
"I'll be nice when Damon learns to keep his paws off of you." Jenna countered with a short nod and I exchanged a knowing look with Elena.
"Well, Mariana is with Tyler again. So that shouldn't be hard for Damon to do now." Elena blurted out and I rolled my eyes.
"Ah, ha! I found the shot glasses!" Mason stated with a smile as he came into the kitchen.
"Pour meâ" I started but Elena cut me off.
"That would be our exit." Elena pointed out sarcastically and I slowly sighed in defeat before pouting at Mason who chuckled.
'Later.' Mason mouthed to me, giving me a knowing wink and I smiled widely as Elena and I walked out of the kitchen.
~~~
"Hey.. Just checking in. Did you get my message about Jenna's barbecue? Call me back when you can." Elena stated into her phone as Caroline walked out onto the porch with a bowl of chips in hand.
"Was that Stefan?" Caroline asked, sitting in one of the chairs beside us.
"He hasn't called or texted.. I'm trying to decide if I should be worried." Elena pointed out and I rose an eyebrow at her.
"I'm sure he's fine. Don't worry about it." I nodded reassuringly toward her and she slowly nodded back.
"God, I can not stop eating.. Stefan said it's a good way to sublimate the cravings." Caroline stated as she shoved chips into her mouth. "It's horrible just fighting the urge of blood every minute of every day.." She added, sighing deeply at the thought.
"Yeah. I know that Stefan hates that part of himself." Elena replied in defeat and Caroline nodded.
"Well, yeah. And he hates that you're a constant temptation." Caroline countered with a nod, making me furrow my eyebrows.
"He said that?" I asked, looking between Caroline and Elena, who stared at Caroline blankly.
"Well, yeah.. The desire to rip out Elena's jugular every time he's with her? Trust me, it's there." Caroline admitted and shook her head before eating more chips. "That's why I had to break up with Matt." She added with a soft shrug before Ric came out to the porch.
"Hey.. Foods ready. Come get it." Alaric stated toward us before walking inside again.
"Finally. I'm starving." Caroline stated with a smile as she quickly got up from the chair and walked inside. I looked at Elena who sat quietly next to me, silently thinking over what Caroline had just said. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly before walking in after Care.
~~~
I grabbed the peach cobbler that Damon brought and took it out of the box as he came into the kitchen. "Aunt Jenna is getting tipsy." Damon stated in amusement as he came over me and I rolled my eyes.
"Will you stop plying her with alcohol?" I asked in annoyance at him as he walked beside me closely.
"I want her to like me." Damon said, slightly leaning into the back of me.
"How's operation Lockwood, going?" I asked, looking at him from over my shoulder.
"He's my new bff." Damon replied with a smirk as he whispered in my ear and I rolled my eyes as Jenna came in.
"There you are. Isn't this fun?" Jenna asked, smiling at me in amusement.
"Yes, thank you so much for inviting me." Damon replied with a wide smile, which made hers disappear.
"Did I have a choice?" Jenna snapped in annoyance and looked away from him as I smirked at her.
"I know what you must think of meâ" Damon started but Jenna cut him off.
"No you don't. You haven't dated you. I have dated many you's." Jenna slurred and narrowed her eyes at Damon who tilted his head in response.
"Well, I'm a work in progress." He pointed out and stared at me as he said it. I looked away from him and grabbed my grandma's China, handing Jenna a knife from it. "Ooh, these are fancy." Damon added eyeing the set as I set it on the counter.
"Thanks. It's my mother's silver set." Jenna replied, not looking over at him. I rose my eyebrow and watched Damon grab a pie cutter and smirk back at me. I slowly sighed as everyone came into the kitchen and sat at the table with their beers. Damon cut the cobbler and put the knife cutter underneath one of the pieces before putting it on the table.
"Mason? Why don't you start us off?" Damon asked, smirking at Mason who eyed the cobbler.
"Sure." Mason replied with a smile. I watched in curiousness as he turned the cobbler and grabbed a piece with his hands before putting it on his plate. He licked the pie of off his thumb before he rose an eyebrow at Damon, Ric and I, who looked at him in confusion. "What? Oh, I apologize. I'm an animal." He chuckled and I shook my head and smiled.
"So, Mason. You and Jenna never dated?" Alaric asked, raising an eyebrow at Mason who only laughed and shook his head.
"She was always lost in Logan Fell-land." Mason pointed out and I shook my head, putting salad on the table.
"That was her first mistake." I stated and smirked at Jenna. "The Lockwoods are a catch. They have girls lining up at every turn. Mason's probably where Tyler gets it from." I added and looked at Damon who rose an eyebrow at me.
"Really? Huh. I always pegged you for a lone-wolf." Damon stated, looking back at Mason who just stared at him.
"Well, I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer that you were." Mason replied knowingly. Damon narrowed his eyes and put a small smile on his face as the tension between them built. "How about a toast?" He asked, holding up his beer before Jenna, Alaric and Damon mimicked his actions. "To new friends." Mason added, eyeing Damon with a small and all knowing smile. I walked away from them and into the living room where Elena and Caroline were picking up the game of Pictionary.
"Would I be the worst friend in the world if I abandoned you and went to Stefan's?" Elena asked as she turned toward Care who put the markers back in their box.
"You wanna leave?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at her.
"Well, it's just that he hasn't gotten back to me." Elena informed and I folded my arms over my chest. "And I'm starting to get this bad feeling." She added, shaking her head in defeat.
"I-I don't think that's a good idea, Elena." Caroline replied in protest and I shrugged.
"I'll go with her. Damon's got it under control here." I pointed out as I started to walk toward the door.
"Take it from me, there is nothing worse than a clingy girlfriend." Caroline stated with a dry chuckle and Elena furrowed her eyebrows.
"I'm not being clingy. I'm just concerned." Elena countered in defeat. "You understand, right?" She added, walking over to me where I now stood beside the door.
"How about I drive you? I mean, we can make a girls trip out of it." Caroline suggested with a shrug as she looked between us.
"Yeah, ok. That'd be great. Thanks." Elena agreed with a nod before she went and grabbed a light coat. I rose an eyebrow and watched Caroline sigh and put the markers down on the coffee table before the three of us walked out of the house.
~~~
"Thanks for this. I appreciate it." Elena pointed out as Caroline drove down the highway toward Stefan's.
"Here we comeâTo the rescue." Caroline replied sarcastically and I rose an eyebrow at her from the backseat.
"Why are you being so snippy?" I asked, shaking my head at her behavior.
"That's my own drama. I'm sure Elena and Stefan will beat the odds." She answered with a short nod and I furrowed my eyebrow as Elena looked at her in confusion. "Not that there's any study to pull odds from. What is the ratio of success for vampire/human couplings? I'm guessing Nil." Care added, tilting her head as she thought about it and Elena sighed.
"Ok. Caroline." Elena replied in annoyance and Caroline sighed, shaking her head.
"Sorry." She replied emotionlessly before I sat up between the two and turned the radio volume up, trying to drown out the tension and awkwardness.
"I love this song." Elena stated loudly over the song and Caroline rose an eyebrow at her. A loud thump came from outside the car and Caroline sighed before the sound of a flat tire came through my ears.
"Crap." Caroline sighed in defeat before she started to pull off to the side of the road.
~~~
Elena paced back and forth in front of Caroline's car as it was now dark outside. "Are you sure the tow's coming? We've been waiting forever." Elena stated in annoyance and Caroline nodded.
"I know. It's weird." Caroline replied and looked down the road for any sign of a truck or car. "You know, they said they'd be here by now." She added and I sighed loudly as I leant against the car.
"Yeah." I pointed out in annoyance and folded my arms over my chest. "I'm just gonna call Damon. He should be on his way back by now." I added as I pulled out my phone.
"No, wait." Caroline protested and I rose an eyebrow back at her. "Let me try the tow people again. And I'll use my Agro voice." She added with a soft smile before dialing into her phone.
"We could just walk from here." Elena stated with a shrug before she went to start walking but Caroline stepped in front of her.
"Well, I can't just leave my car." She countered with a dry chuckle as she looked down at her phone again.
"We'll come back for it." I reassured her as I put my phone back in my pocket.
"Just give me a minute, Mariana." Caroline snapped, not wanting to hear it. I exchanged a confused look with Elena who furrowed her eyebrows.
"Caroline, what part of 'I'm worried about Stefan', didn't sink in?" Elena asked in annoyance at her.
"What's the rush?" Caroline countered as she snapped her head up and I rose an eyebrow. "Why are you hurrying to get to a relationship that will never work?" She added in disappointment, making Elena furrow her eyebrows.
"Okay, look. I know that you're upset about Matt, but will you stop projecting your relationship onto mine and Stefan's? Please?" Elena asked in disbelief and I folded my arms over my chest.
"I'm not projecting anything. You're human. He's a vampire. You're going to be seventy and in diapers, and he's still going to be smoking hot. And you will never have his children, Elena. You are too maternal to not have children.." Caroline stated loudly and I quickly walked and stood in between them.
"Where is this coming from?" Elena asked in disbelief towards her, feeling attacked.
"I'm just trying to be your friend." Caroline replied and shook her head in defense but Elena sighed.
"Okay, well, do me a favor and stop trying." Elena countered in annoyance and I sighed at the two of them.
"There's the tow." I pointed out quietly, watching as the truck drove up beside us.
"I'm gonna walk." Elena stated emotionlessly before she started to walk away but Caroline quickly grabbed her arm.
"No. Elena, don'tâ" Care started in protest before Elena cut her off.
"Aah, Caroline, you're hurting me." Elena warned and looked down at her arm that Caroline was pulling and I furrowed my eyebrows, about to interfere.
"Don't leave me alone." Caroline pleaded toward her quietly before looking between both of us.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked, shaking my head at her behavior before she let Elena go.
"Hey, there. Someone call about a flat tire?" The guy in the tow truck asked and I looked back at Caroline and rose an eyebrow.
"She did." I answered emotionlessly toward her. "Come on, Lena." I added, gesturing towards Elena as I walked away from Caroline and in the direction of the Boarding house.
~~~
Elena and I walked into the Boarding house and I rose an eyebrow at how quiet and empty it seemed. "Hello?" Elena asked loudly from the hallway as we walked in and I shut the door behind us. "Stefan?" She added, going into the living room. I sighed as I walked in behind her before moving over to the bourbon and pouring myself some.
"Stefan?" I asked, picking up my glass and drinking from it. "I don't think he'sâ" I started as I turned to Elena, only to widen my eyes. Elena furrowed her eyebrows back at me before quickly turning around and widening her eyes also.
"You must be Elena." Katherine stated from where she stood in front of Elena and I, tilting her head curiously.
"How is this possible?" Elena whispered in confusion as Katherine who walked slowly toward her. "How do we look exactly alike?" She added, furrowing her eyebrows but Katherine just stared back at her silently, looking over every feature. Elena breathed heavily and Katherine ran a hand through her hair, slowly walking around her tauntingly.
"You're asking the wrong questions." Katherine replied emotionlessly and looked at me with a small smirk.
"Elenaâ" A worried voice stated from the hall before Stefan appeared in front of us, breathing heavily. He looked at Elena and I in confusion, making me look back at Katherine who vanished. "Are you okay?" Stefan asked, walking slowly toward Elena who shook her head as breaths of relief washed over her.
"Not really." Elena answered as she tried to calm down. "Are you okay?" She asked, looking over Stefan who seemed beaten and shaken up as well.
"Not really." He replied and I sighed deeply, shaking my head at both of them as they engulfed each other.
"Well.. Neither of you are really going to be okay after I tell you this then." I pointed out before I downed the rest of my bourbon and watched them both look at me in confusion, waiting for me to tell them what I have been keeping from them.. From everyone. "Katherine'sâmy birth mother." I added emotionlessly.
-Time Skip-
"I can't believe that Tyler Lockwood is a werewolf." Jeremy stated in disbelief as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom with his bag slung over his shoulder.
"We're not for sure yet. The only thing we really know is that Mason Lockwood is." I pointed out and turned to him with a nod.
"It should be easy enough for us to figure out." Jeremy replied in agreement and I rose an eyebrow.
"There is no 'us', Jeremy. Elena and I aren't keeping things from you anymore. That doesn't mean we want you involved in it." I pointed out and narrowed my eyes at him, only to hear him scoff.
"By definition of being in this family, I'm involved." Jeremy replied as he gestured down at the Gilbert ring on his finger.
"This is dangerous, Jer. You have to stay out of it." I warned in protest and folded my arms over my chest.
"Alright... Just saying." Jeremy stated, dropping the argument as he shook his head and walked toward the stairs.
~~~
"So, suddenly she's in the running for mother of the year. Just when I'm trying to avoid her the most." Caroline stated in defeat as we walked with paint buckets in hand, to help with the Mystic Falls Society Volunteer Day for getting a new park up and running. "I'm babbling. You don't want to hear all this." She added in defeat as we walked under a wooden arch, getting ready to paint it.
"Oh, um. No, sorry." Elena replied in reassurance, her mind somewhere else. She put her bucket of red paint down and started painting the bottom of the arch while Caroline and I started to paint the top.
"Then what happened?" I asked, gesturing for Caroline to continue her story.
"Well, I was a bitch. Which is part of the course for us." Caroline answered as she painted, letting silence come over us. "So, how are things with you and Stefan? Anything?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Elena expectantly.
"No. Not since the fight." Elena pointed out in defeat. "He's been pushing me away because he thinks that Katherine will get jealous enough to hurt me." She informed and looked up at me from where I stood and I gave her a small nod as Caroline fed on every word. "I just don't know how to change his mind." Elena added in defeat. I watched as Caroline put her brush down and went over to Elena reassuringly.
"You said that Katherine's dangerous.. so maybe he's got a point." Caroline stated quietly, kneeling beside her.
"Yeah, I know that she's dangerous. And I know that he's just trying to protect me.. but it feels like he's giving up." Elena admitted, shaking her head in annoyance. "And IâI just.." She added, leading off quietly and I tilted my head.
"Just what?" I asked, joining in on the conversation while I still stood above the two.
"I just thought that we were stronger than that." Elena stated, sighing deeply as she looked between Caroline and I. She shook her head and looked away from us, landing her eyes on Stefan who was measuring a piece of wood by the wood saw across from us.
"Uh-oh.. longing looks are being exchanged." Caroline stated cautiously as she stood up and watched the two carefully.
"You know, I think I'm gonna go talk to him." Elena informed with a nod as she stood also.
"No, Elena. I think it's a bad idea." I protested quickly but she ignored my warning and walked away. Caroline sighed in defeat toward her and I watched her silently, examining her.
"What's her problem?" Damon asked as he came up from behind Caroline and I, also watching Elena walk over to Stefan with purpose.
"Don't worry about it." Caroline answered, folding her arms over her chest as she listened intently to the start of their conversation.
"Why are you being such a bitch to your mom?" Damon asked in annoyance as he narrowed his eyes at her, making me raise an eyebrow.
"Don't worry about it." She snapped and walked away from him before she started painting again. I went back to painting as well, carefully watching as Caroline put her hair behind her ear, listening more closely into Elena and Stefan's conversation. I looked at Damon who was staring at the two with his arms over his chest, clearly listening in as well and I rolled my eyes.
"You guys are ridiculous." I pointed out in annoyance. They ignored me and I looked back at Stefan and Elena who were clearly arguing before their eyes fell on Damon and Caroline. The two avoided eye contact, awkwardly looking around as they pretending not to have been listening. I watched in curiousness as Stefan and Elena talked indistinctly to each other again before she walked away from him in defeat.
"Relationships are about communication." Damon stated with a sigh as he watched Elena come back over to us.
"Was that the case when Katherine told you she only loved Stefan, after the decades you spent looking for a way to break her out of the tomb she was never in?" I countered sarcastically and looked at him from over my shoulder. Damon narrowed his eyes at me in annoyance and I smirked before looking away.
~~~
Caroline and I found Elena as she sat by the small waterfall that lead into the park, ripping apart pieces of grass in her hands. "You okay?" Caroline asked quietly before the two of us sat on either side of her.
"No." Elena answered bluntly, looking at back at her with a stone cold expression.
"You know, maybe it's for the best." Caroline stated with a shrug, making Elena scoff.
"It's not for the best Carolineânone of this is for the best." Elena protested angrily. I looked over her carefully, trying to figure out if she was acting anymore while Caroline looked away in defeat. "I'm sorry, Okay?" She apologized, letting out a small sigh. "IâI don't mean to take it out on youâOn either of you. You're just being a good friend.. And sister." She pointed out as she looked between us. I rubbed her back in reassurance but Caroline slowly shook her head and looked down.
"No, I'm not." She informed quietly, making Elena and I furrowed our eyebrows. "I'm not being a good friend at all.." Care stated, looking at Elena, only to furrow her eyebrows as she looked past the two of us. "Is she leaving?" Caroline asked in confusion and we turned to look at what she was staring at, to see we her mom walking away from the volunteering committee while she talked on her cellphone. "Where is my mom going?" She asked in disbelief before quickly getting up. Elena and I got up also, following her over to Liz but we stayed back to let them have their space. We watched the two talk for a minute before Liz walked away in somewhat of a rush.
"What's going on?" I asked, walking over to Caroline and furrowing my eyebrows as the three of us watched her mom walk away quickly.
"I don't know." Caroline replied uneasily and folded her arms over her chest. "Something's up." She stated quietly, staring at her mom in some wonder. "Come on." Caroline gestured toward us before the three of us started walking up into the woods, getting to higher ground.
"What are you doing? What's going on?" Elena asked in confusion before Caroline stopped and turned, overlooking the park below us.
"I need to be able to hear better." Caroline replied as she pushed her hair behind her ears and stared to listen in on her surroundings.
"Hear what?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest while Caroline ran a worried hand over her forehead.
"Something's wrong, guys." Caroline warned in concern, making Elena and I exchange a look. Caroline closed her eyes to better focus on what she was listening for and Elena furrowed her eyebrows.
"Carolineâ" Elena started but Care cut her off quickly.
"Shh." She countered, holding up a hand toward her and silencing her quickly. "Oh, god." Care stated, turning around to face the woods behind us as her body became highly alert.
"What is it?" I asked, noticing the concern on her face.
"Stefan and Damon." Caroline informed before she started running forwards, in the direction of whatever she was hearing.
"What?" Elena asked, her voice becoming filled with worry as we quickly ran after her.
~~~
Caroline came to an abrupt stop and looked around us curiously, making Elena and I stop also. "What is it?" Elena asked, breathing heavily as she looked at Caroline in confusion.
"They've been here.." Caroline stated before she slowly knelt down to some small plants below her.
"What?" I asked, watching her examine the plants leaves carefully before touching them and pulling away. I narrowed my eyes at the red liquid that appeared on her fingers... blood.
"What are you three doing out here?" A voice asked and the three of us whipped around to see Mason, staring at us in confusion.
"Mason.. Have you seen Stefan?" I asked, feeling somewhat relieved until I saw the way that he stood.. So tense and still as he looked between us.
"Yeah, Mariana. I've seen him." Mason stated emotionlessly, making a shiver rub down my spine. "Seen Damon, too." He added, walking forwards in a slow manner. Like he was stalking us.
"Well, where are they?" Elena asked, shaking her head at him while Caroline stood from the ground.
"You don't need me for that. I'll let your friend here, sniff 'em out." Mason countered and gestured at Caroline. I rose an eyebrow as Caroline and Mason stared at each other silently, tension building between them. "Does your mother know what you are?" He asked skeptically, shaking his head at her as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm happy to tell her." Mason stated in amusement. Caroline clenched her jaw in anger and went to vamp toward him but Mason grabbed me, making me gasp as he put me in a head lock.
"Mason!" I yelled out, anger and hurt clouding me at the fact that he would use me against Caroline.
"Don't be stupid." Mason warned, shaking his head at Care tauntingly. "Necks snap easy around here." He added, caring so little about the fact that he practically grew up with me around.
"I can take you." Caroline stated, nodding at him with confidence.
"Want a bet?" Mason asked in amusement, making Caroline narrow her eyes.
"Yeah, I do." She answered before she vamped toward Mason. Caroline angrily pulled him off of me and shoved him back into a tree, making him gasp as the wind was knocked out of him while she held him by his neck. "Told ya." Caroline smirked in amusement before she kneed him in the balls and let him fall on the ground in pain. Caroline scoffed and kicked him in the stomach, making him fly him back into another tree. I rose an eyebrow at Caroline, obviously impressed before I looked back at Mason who breathed jagged breaths from the ground. "Come on." Care nodded, gesturing for Elena to follow her again.
~~
Caroline, Elena and I walked quickly through the woods of the Lockwood estate before we walked past the old Lockwood cellar, only for Caroline to stop. "Caroline?" Elena asked, furrowing her eyebrows as Caroline slowly walked over to the entrance and stared down the stairs in curiousness.
"What is it?" I asked quietly, only to see her gasp and put a hand over her mouth quickly. "Caroline." I pressed, looking at her in urgency.
"My mom.. She's killing them." Caroline informed, breathing uneasily and I looked back at Elena who quickly widened her eyes.
"What?" Elena asked frantically, going to run down into the cellar but Caroline grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Elena, no, no, no." Caroline started in worry and protest as she shook her head.
"We have to stop her!" I countered in confusion and watched Caroline look between Elena and I, shaking her head vigorously.
"I can't." Caroline argued, making me furrow my eyebrows back at her. "She's going to find out about me.." She added in defeat, her voice cracking a bit. Elena shook her head in disbelief before she pulled herself out of Caroline's grasp and ran down the steps, into the cellar. "Elenaâ" Caroline started but I cut her off.
"Caroline, I understand.. But Stefan and Damon will die." I stated in warning, trying to get her to change her mind. Caroline just stared back at me silently, not answering. I sighed deeply in defeat before I ran down into the cellar after Elena. I furrowed my eyebrows as my surroundings became dark the further I got into the cellar. I looked at passage in front of me before I heard the sound of a metal gate creak to my left, making me catch a small glimpse of Elena as she walked into the main cellar.
"Elena! What are you doing!" Liz's voice asked loudly before I walked through the metal gate and into the cellar after her. I furrowed my eyebrows at a deputy and Liz, who held a gun down toward Damon and Stefan who were laying unconsciously below her.
"You can't kill them. I'm not going to let you." Elena stated in warning and I quickly nodded in agreement and moved beside her. I felt a hand shove me from behind, making Elena and I move forward. I looked behind me to see another deputy, holding a gun toward both Elena and I. The metal gate from outside the cellar creaked, making all of our heads turn in confusion and alert.
"What was that?" One of the deputy's asked in a shaky tone as he pointed his gun at the cellar entrance.
"Who else is with you?" Liz asked, pointing her gun at Elena and I also. I opened my mouth to answer but saw a shadow flash across my eyes and against the cellar walls.
"What is that?" A deputy asked in fear, aiming his gun everywhere around the cellar that the shadow appeared. I watched as Caroline came into my view and vamped over to one of the deputies. He yelled out in panic at the sight of her before she bit into his neck and let him flail his arms around in pain. She pulled her teeth out of him as the deputy behind Elena and I, started shooting rapidly at her. Caroline instinctively used the deputy she had fed on, as a shield from the bullets. Once there was a break in the bullets, Caroline dropped the deputy from in front of her. She angrily vamped across the cellar to other one before shoving his gun away from him. I watched in a somewhat shocked silence as Caroline backhanded, snapping his neck and making him fall to the floor. Caroline backed up against the wall, hiding her shifted features in the shadows as she breathed heavily, trying to calm down. I watched Liz who stood in shock, slowly lowering her gun in disbelief and realization. Caroline slowly walked out from the shadows, her eyes shifting into her human ones while blood covered her mouth and chin.
"Hi, mom." Caroline whispered, staring at her mother in defeat. Liz's eyes glazed over at the sight, making her gasp and breath heavily as shock overcame her.
~~~
Elena knelt beside Stefan who groaned in pain as his body tried to heal itself. Damon detached his fangs from the deputy behind the two while I leant against the wall across from them. "You need to drink some deputy blood." Damon stated as he groaned slightly and moved in front of Stefan.
"Oh, no." Stefan protested and looked away from him as he sat on the floor. "I'll be fine, it's just going to take a little bit longer." He informed and took a deep breath while Elena rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.
"Damon's right, you know. If there's ever a time to break your dietâ" Caroline started from where she sat on the entrance steps but Elena cut her off.
"He said he didn't want it, okay?" Elena snapped, making me sigh deeply in annoyance. Damon ignored the two and slowly stood, groaning in exhaustion as he did.
"This is the most unfortunate situation." Damon pointed out, making me furrow my eyebrows. "Two deputies dead.. And you." He added, turning to Liz who silently looked up at him from where she sat against the wall. "What am I going to do with you?" Damon asked, looking her over in disbelief himself and I watched as her eyes glazed over.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Caroline asked from across her. Liz met her gaze but didn't answer as she quickly looked away, ignoring her. "Mom?" She asked again, shaking her head and watched in sadness as her mom didn't answer. "Mom? Please! Look, I know that we don't get along and that you hate meâbut I'm your daughter and you'll do this for me, right?" Caroline pressed, both anger and disbelief falling over her as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Mom, please... He will kill you." She warned, making Damon nod his head threateningly toward Liz.
"Then kill me." She countered up at Damon, her breath heaving as she cried in defeat.
"No!" Caroline protested loudly, taken aback by her moms words while Damon stared down at Liz in confusion.
"I can't take this." Liz admitted in disappointment as she looked back at Caroline. "Kill me now." She added, turning back to Damon who slowly walked closer to her. Caroline shot up from where she sat and watched Damon kneel in front of her mom, tilting his head at her.
"But you were gonna drag it out so painfully." Damon whispered vindictively as he narrowed his eyes. I felt the tension build around us all before Damon quickly grabbed Liz by the arms, making all of us gasp.
"No, no, no, no!" Caroline cried from behind him and I quickly narrowed my eyes.
"Damon, don't!" I warned in protest and pushed myself off of the wall behind me.
"Damon, please!" Elena pleaded up at him from where she still sat beside Stefan but Damon rolled his eyes.
"Relax, guys. No one's killing anybody." Damon informed in annoyance as he looked over all of us, making us sigh in relief. Damon looked back at Liz who cowered from under his touch, a look of fear showing on her face. "You're my friend." He stated in a reassuring voice. Liz looked away from him in disbelief and Damon looked between the two dead deputies in front of us. "We gotta clean this up." He informed with an exhausted sigh.
~~~
Elena opened up the Boarding house door and Caroline smiled back at her, holding a suitcase. "Hey. Sorry that took forever. I just didn't know how long my mom was going to be here." Caroline stated as she slowly came into the house.
"Damon says it'll take three days tops for the vervain to leave her system." Elena stated as she shut the door and we started walking down the hall.
"Maybe even sooner." I reassured her before Stefan came from the living room and walked with us.
"Hey." Caroline smiled, looking back at him and he nodded in greeting toward her. "Get some bunny in ya?" She asked, giving him an awkward chuckle.
"Yeah. I'm feeling much better, thank you." Stefan answered one agreement as we walked through the basement door and down the stairs into the cellar. I walked into the hall and started to hear small voices coming from ahead of us before I started making them out.
"It's not exactly the Ritz.. but it's secure. I brought you a good thread count." Damon stated from inside the cellar as we walked closer to it. "And once the vervains worked its way out of your system, I will compel you, you will forget everything, and you'll be a free woman." He added in some amusement. I made it to the doorway and was about to walk into the cellar but stopped once I heard Liz's words.
"Keep Caroline away from me, please." Liz stated abruptly from inside. Damon's eyes met mine as he stood in the middle of the cellar while Liz was sat against the wall, away from the door so she couldn't see me. I looked behind me and saw Caroline standing completely still, obviously hearing her mother's words too. "I don't wanna see her." She added, making me furrow my eyebrows and look back at Damon who narrowed his eyes in Liz's direction.
"She's your daughter, Liz." Damon pointed out with a sigh, knowing Caroline was with me.
"Not anymore. My daughter's gone." She protested in defense. I looked toward Caroline who stood silently beside me, taking in everything that her mother way saying.
"You have no idea how wrong you are about that." Damon countered in disappointment. Caroline quietly set her mother's suitcase down outside of the cellar door before she walked past Elena and Stefan, in the direction that we came. I followed her upstairs and into the living room where she flopped herself down onto the couch and held a pillow to her chest.
"Caroline." I stated in defeat, watching her cry as her moms words finally hit her. "Do you want me to take you home?" I asked softly as I knelt down in front of her.
"I can't go home." She replied, shaking her head as more tears fell from her eyes.
"Why not?" I asked, sitting on the table in front of her. She slowly shook her head and looked away from me as Elena came into the room also.
"Because I'm scared." Caroline whispered, her breaths heaving as she cried.
"Why are you scared?" Elena asked, coming into the conversation as she moved over to us but Caroline remained silent. "Caroline, you can talk to us." She added reassuringly as she sat beside her and rested a reassuring hand on her leg.
"Katherine's going to be thereâAnd she's going to want me to tell her everything that happened today.." Caroline admitted, looking away from us in embarrassment while Elena and I exchanged a knowing look. "She told me I had to spy on you and report back to her." She added quietly and looked down. Elena sighed in response and gently removed her hand from Caroline.
"I know." Elena informed, making Caroline look up at her in confusion. "And I have been so mad at you.. but then I tried to put myself in your position so I could understand why you would do this to me, and to Stefan, because he's been such a good friend to you." She added and slowly shook her head. I folded my arms over my chest as Caroline started to tear up even more now, realizing that Elena knew everything.
"Who did she threaten?" I asked, tilting my head at her and she looked back at me knowingly.
"Matt." Care answered, feeling a weight off of her chest as she did while I sighed in defeat. "She threatened Matt." She added, shaking her head and crying more. "And I am so scared of herâI am so scared of her." Caroline sobbed through heavy breaths before I sat forward and put a hand over hers.
"And you should be." I admitted and watched her furrow her eyebrows back at me. "Caroline, we all should be." I added, looking at Elena who looked down in defeat. I looked back at Caroline and felt my breath hitch in my throat as I gained the courage to tell her.. "Caroline.." I whispered and watched her eyes meet mine as she gave me her full attention. "..Katherine is my birth mother." I stated, making her furrow her eyebrows at my words. "All I know is that she used a powerful witch to create me, all so I could be used in whatever game she is playing." I clarified and shook my head as I felt a slight weight lift off of me also.
"Why is she doing this? What does she want?" Caroline asked, looking between Elena and I in both confusion and uncertainty. Elena held her tightly in reassurance while I sighed and stood up from the table.
"That's the million dollar question." I answered quietly before turning away from her and looking at the fireplace in front of us.
~~~
I gently covered Caroline with a blanket after she fell asleep on the couch. I grabbed my coat from the back of the couch and walked to the front door as Damon came from the hall. He looked me over and stopped in front of me and I put a finger to my mouth before I gestured to Caroline. "Caroline is sleeping on the couch." I informed, making him slowly nod as he looked at her before back at me.
"I heard.. And you?" He asked gently, making me sigh and put my coat on.
"I'm going home." I answered and walked past him. I made it to the front door only to stop as my hand touched the handle. "Thank you for what you did for Liz." I stated, looking at him from over my shoulder. He met my eyes and didn't respond, making me slowly nod and open the door before walking out onto the porch.
"Hey." He stated and look back to see him looking me over slowly, as if he was afraid I'd disappear before his eyes. "You're nothing like Katherine." He informed, making me furrow my eyebrows at his words. "You're better, Mariana." Damon reassured as he gave me a small smile before walking silently down the hall.