"We're gonna be fine." I whispered, nodding at her as she sobbed from beside me. I looked back at the man to see he was wearing a hood as he slowly knelt down to Elena's window. I watched as his face got as far as his chin before he vamped away from us. Elena let out a heavy sigh of relief before Damon vamped towards us as he took the place of the man and looked at Elena and I through her window. Elena screamed at him, only to shake her head in annoyance.
"How ya doing in there?" Damon asked, eyeing us in confusion.
"Damon?" I asked, sighing in relief at him.
"You look stuck." He pointed out bluntly and Elena groaned back at him.
"It's my seat belt." Elena informed, trying to unbuckle but it was jammed. Damon nodded back at her and stood up before prying her door open and kneeling back down beside her.
"Okay, I'm gonna get you out of here. I need you to put your hands on the roofâjust like that." Damon gestured with a nod and Elena did as told. "On the count of three, okay?" He asked and Elena slowly nodded in agreement. "One, two, three." Damon counted before pulling Elena's seat belt, breaking it. Elena caught herself on the roof before Damon helped her out of the car slowly. "You're okay. Anything broken? Can you stand?" Damon asked down at her and she sighed, shaking her head in response before he left her sitting on the road beside the car. "Okay, Mariana. You're turn." He stated, turning back to me before vamping to the passenger side and I groaned, nodding before he shook his head at me. "Your legâ" He started but I cut him off.
"It's broken.. I can feel the blood just like you can smell it." I admitted in some pain as I looked up at it as blood dripped onto the roof of the car.
"I'm gonna need to break it more to get you outâIt's stuck between the door and the seat." Damon warned in defeat and I nodded quickly, as I took a few deep breaths.
"Do it." I stated, taking deep breaths. Damon stared at me unsure for a few seconds before he nodded back.
"On the count of three?" Damon asked, furrowing his eyebrows and I nodded at him in agreement. "Okay.. Put your hands on the roof like Elena did." He informed and I reached above me and held my hands steadily against the roof. "Okay.. One, twoâ" Damon started before he flung the door open and I screamed out in pain, feeling my ankle twist. Damon ripped out my seat belt and pulled me out safely, laying me on the pavement. I groaned from below him as I felt my eyes become droopy. "Mariana? You're fading fast. Marianaâlook at me." Damon stated worriedly as I lay in his arms. He tilted my head up to look at him so he could examine me closely. "Mariana?" He asked again, more loudly but I let my eyes close fully.
~~~
I slowly opened my eyes to see the ground moving outside of the window of a car I was in.. I sat up slowly sat up and turned to Damon who was driving. "Morning, sleepyhead." He said with a smile and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Where are we?" I asked, looking out the window in confusion.
"Georgia." Damon answered emotionlessly. I heard a groan from the backseat and I saw Elena who woke up also.
"Georgia? No, no, no we're not. Seriously, Damon. Where are we?" Elena asked, shaking her head at him in disbelief.
"Seriously, we're in Georgia." Damon admitted as he looked at her through the rear view mirror before he looked at me. "How you feeling?" He asked in a soft voice. I rose an eyebrow as I remembered last night before I looked down at my leg and moved it, to see there was nothing wrong with it. It wasn't broken.
"My leg?" I asked in confusion and looked back at him. "Did you give me your blood?" I asked and heard him sigh before looking back at the road.
"You looked like you needed it." Damon answered quietly and I looked back down at it curiously.
"My car.. I crashed my car." Elena stated in realization from the backseat as she remembered everything. "A manâI hit a man." She added in a tense voice. I looked at her through the rear view mirror as she widened her eyes, putting everything together. "I hit a manâthen he got up.. Whoâwho was that?" Elena asked in worry towards Damon.
"That's what I would like to know." Damon countered, looking ahead of him at the road.
"Where's my phone? Mariana, do you have your phone?" Elena asked in concern from the back as she searched her pockets. "Okay, we really need to go back. No one knows where we are. Pull over." She demanded, shaking her head at Damon who seemed disinterested. "I mean it, Damon, pull over! Stop the car!" Elena stayed loudly, making him sigh.
"You were so much more fun when you were asleep." Damon stated in annoyance before he slowly pulled over to the side of the road and parked. Elena and I got out of the car and leant against it. I leant forwards to look down at my leg and get the whole view but I almost fell over and Damon vamped over to me. "Hey." He said gently as he put a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm fine." I reassured with a nod before I slowly stood up again.
"We have to go back." Elena stated in worry from beside me and we both turned looked at her.
"Oh, come on. Lookâwe've already come this far." Damon pointed out, shrugging in some protest.
"Why are you doing this? We can't be in Georgia. I wrecked my car, we have to go home. This is kidnapping." Elena countered in annoyance and I leant my head against the car, trying to block out the noise.
"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Damon asked sarcastically before I looked back at him.
"Damon." I pressed and watched him sigh in defeat and look away from her.
"We need to go back, Damon. I'm not going to Georgia." Elena stated angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Well, you're in Georgia. And without your magic little necklace, might I add." Damon informed and gestured his head at her. Elena furrowed her eyebrows and touched her neck with her hand to see the necklace that was laced with vervain that Stefan had given her, was gone. "I could very easily make you.. Agreeable." Damon added in warning.
"What are you trying to prove?" Elena scoffed in disbelief. He opened his mouth to reply but a phone started ringing, breaking his thought. I watched as Damon looked around curiously, trying to play it off like he didn't have it. "That's my phone." Elena stated in annoyance before Damon pulled it out of his coat.
"Oh, it's your boyfriend." Damon stated in amusement as he gestured it to her but she turned away from it and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I'll answer it." He said with a nod before pressing answer. "Elena's phone." Damon stated as he held the phone to his ear. "Elena? Yeah, she's right here. And yesâshe's fine." He added, smirking at her. "He wants to talk to you." He stated, handing Elena the phone and she looked down at it uneasily.
"Uh-uh." Elena stated, turning away from it again and I stood there in confusion while Damon sighed.
"Yeah, I don'tâI don't think she really wants to talk to you right now." Damon informed with a shrug. "You have a good day. Mhmm. Bye-now." He added before quickly hanging up.
"Okay, Stefan's worried and so am I, so can we just go back? No one knows where we are." Elena stated again, trying to reason with Damon.
"We're almost there." Damon argued back at her and I rose my eyebrow at him.
"And where is 'almost there'?" I asked in annoyance, quoting him.
"A little place right outside of Atlanta." Damon answered with a shrug and I narrowed my eyes at him skeptically. "Oh, come on, Mariana. You don't want to go back right now, do you? What's the rush? Time-out." He added with pleading eyes and I sighed in response before looking at Elena.
"Our problems are still gonna be there when we get back, Lena.." I admitted, making her sigh back at me. "We can step away from our lives for five minutes. Five minutes at the least." I added and tilted my head. Elena looked between Damon and I, thinking it over before she slowly shook her head.
"Are we going to be safe with you? Am I?" Elena asked, folding her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at Damon.
"Yes." Damon answered truthfully, nodding back at her.
"And you promise not to do that mind control thing with me? Or Mariana?" Elena asked again, raising her eyebrow.
"Yes." Damon answered again and she folded her arms over his chest in uncertainty.
"Can I trust you?" Elena asked, tilting her head.
"Get in the car. Come on." Damon replied, ignoring the question and I gave a dry chuckle before I gestured towards the car, making Elena roll her eyes.
~~~~
"So where's my car?" Elena asked in annoyance from the back while Damon strummed his fingers on the steering wheel to the music playing from his radio.
"I pulled it off to the side of the road. I don't think anyone will bother it." Damon replied with some reassurance.
"What about that man in the road? Was he aâ" I started but Damon cut me off.
"From what I could tell, yeah." He answered with a stern nod.
"You didn't know him?" Elena asked, raising her eyebrow.
"If I've never met him, I wouldn't know him." Damon pointed out in annoyance. "I mean, it's not like we all hang out together at the Vamp Bar and Grill." He added sarcastically and I smirked before he took a sharp right and parked next to the sidewalk as we arrived in a very small town.
"Where are we? You brought us to a bar?" Elena asked with a scoff and look at the sign 'Bree's Bar' sign on the building across from us. "Damon, we're not old enough. They're not gonna let us in." She stated with a sigh as we walked towards the entrance.
"Sure they will." Damon said with a smirk, winking back at her before we walked in. I rose my eyebrow at the music once we entered the building. Elena and I followed Damon towards the bar to see a woman wiping down the counter. She looked up at us and shook her head as a smile fell across her face.
"NoâNo, it can't be. Damon?" She asked, recognizing him and he smirked back at her. She jumped over the bar counter and I rose an eyebrow at how tall she was compared to him. "My honey pie." She added in relief before pulling him towards her in a deep kiss. I widened my eyes and exchanged a confused look with Elena. I averted my eyes from them and cleared my throat awkwardly before they pulled away and she got back behind the bar, only to start serving up shots. "Listen up, everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, ruined my life and destroyed all and every chance at happiness." The woman said with a smirk. She put the shots along the counter and served them to everyone before handing a few to Damon, Elena and I also downing one herself.
"This is Bree. She owns the bar." Damon introduced as he gestured towards her and I rose my eyebrow.
"So, how'd he rope you in?" Bree asked in amusement as she looked between Elena and I.
"Well, actually I'm not roped. I'm dating hisâ" Elena started but Bree cut her off.
"Honey, if you're not roped... you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride." Bree replied with a smile. I shook my head and downed my shot as for Elena's and she nodded in thanks at me.
"So how did you two meet?" Elena asked, changing the subject and raising an eyebrow as Bree chuckled, refilling the shot glasses.
"College." She answered with a nod. I stared at her skeptically before looking at Damon who sat at the bar next to me.
"You went to college?" I asked in disbelief and shook my head, making him roll his eyes.
"I've been on a college campus, yes." Damon answered, downing his shot in return.
"About twenty years ago when I was a sweet, young freshman. I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love." Bree pointed out as she looked at Damon. "Then he told me about his little secret. Made me love him even more. 'Cause see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody." She added and I looked her over closely.
"You're a witch." I observed and Bree rose an eyebrow and nodded before looking back at Damon.
"Changed my world, you know." She stated with a smile and Damon smirked.
"I rocked your world." He countered in amusement as she picked up another shot.
"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Bree asked, looking down at me with a chuckle and I looked at Damon skeptically. "But mostly he's just a walkaway-Joe." She informed with a sigh. She downed her shot and narrowed her eyes at Damon and I felt a tension between the two build. "So? What is it that you want?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Um, before you answer that." I started, cutting Damon off as he opened his mouth to speak. "Do you have any clothing stores around here?" I asked, gesturing down at my blood soaked pants. Bree rose an eyebrow at me and chuckled a bit before she gestured across the street at a small boutique.
"I'm sure you'll find something over there, honey." Bree answered and I gave her a nod of thanks before I turned to Damon and held out my hand. He looked at it in confusion before back at me and I rolled my eyes.
"You dragged me here. Therefore, you pay for a new pair of jeans." I informed and watched him roll his eyes before he handed me a hundred dollar bill from his coat pocket. I looked down at it skeptically, making him sigh and tilt his head.
"Do you need more than that?" He asked in some amusement and I looked at Elena whose eyes lit up in excitement.
"Nope. This'll work just fine. But you're getting change back." I answered with a stern nod before Elena and I walked out of the bar and across the street.
~~~
I watched Damon and Bree talk indistinctly from the lounge chairs across from me while Elena talked outside on the phone with Stefan. I looked down at my phone from where I sat at the bar, and scrolled through messages from Stefan over the last twelve or so hours. I rolled my eyes at all of the texts before I saw an interesting one.
"Did she tell you? Do you know?" It read. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked outside to see Elena pacing back and forth while she talked, clearly frustrated. I got up from the stool and moved towards the door as a guy came over me, pool stick in hand.
"I Haven't seen you around here before. You new to town?" He asked, looking me over slowly but I didn't look back at him as I kept an eye on Elena.
"Uh, no. Just passing through." I replied, going to walk away but the guy stepped in front of me again. "Excuse me?" I asked in an agitated tone and finally narrowed my eyes at him.
-Damon-
"Come on. There's got to be another way." I stated from where Bree and I sat talking in the corner of her bar.
"After all these years, it's still only Katherine." Bree replied in annoyance. "How do you even know she's still alive?" She asked in a doubting tone.
"Well, you help me get into that tomb and we'll find out." I countered, slowly grazing her arm with my fingers but she pulled away.
"I already did. Twenty years ago, remember?" Bree asked in annoyance before looking away from me. "Three easy stepsâcomet, crystal, spell." She added, listening them off and I sighed.
"There's a little problem with number two. I don't have the crystal." I informed, tilting my head back at her but she shrugged.
"That's it, Damon. There is no other way, it's Emily's spell." She stated, looking at me in defeat.
"What about a new spell? A new crystal that overrides Emily's spell?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get into that tomb." Bree countered and shook her head. I sighed and looked away from her, thinking it over. "Looks like one of the townies is a little excited about the new blood you brought in." Bree stated, bringing me from my thoughts. I furrowed my eyebrows and followed her gaze to see Mariana talking to a guy who stood in front of her with a pool stick.
"Haven't seen you around here before. You knew to town?" The guy asked, tilting his head at Mariana as he looked her over seductively. Or tried to.
"Uh, no. Just passing through." She replied, clearly uninterested. She went to walk away from him but he stepped in front of her again and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Excuse me?" Mariana challenged as she now met his gaze.
"You going to go help her out or what?" Bree asked uneasily from beside me and I smirked a bit.
"Just wait." I answered, making her raise an eyebrow before she looked back at Mariana.
-Mariana-
"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be left alone at a bar." The guy stated with a smirk and I folded my arms over my chest, slowly tilting my head. He stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my cheek before slowly running his fingers over my skin. I quickly clenched my jaw and slapped his hand away, making him furrow his eyebrows.
"A, Don't touch me. And B, this pretty girl is just fine." I countered in a threatening tone but he chuckled in response.
"Yeah, you're mighty fine indeedâ" The guy started, moving his hand towards my face again. I sighed and quickly kneed him in the balls and watched as he stumbled back, groaning in pain.
"Like I said. Don't touch me." I stated in annoyance before walking outside to see Elena hang up the phone. "Who was that?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest as she turned towards me and ran a hand through her hair.
"Stefan. He won't leave me alone." She answered in annoyance.
"What happened, Elena?" I asked in confusion but she shook her head back at me and looked away. "Elenaâ" I started in protest but she cut me off.
"I look like Katherine, Mariana." She stated and I furrowed my eyebrows as she turned to me. "We look like her." Elena added quietly and I slowly shook my head, not following. "Stefan had a picture of Katherine in his room from 1864âShe looks exactly like us... Except you are an exact replica. Curly hair.. Dark eyes." Elena whispered in awe and I scoffed, shaking my head at her in disbelief.
"That's notâ" I started, cutting myself off as I thought of the possibility. "Katherine? Stefan and Damon's Katherine?" I asked in annoyance, not understanding.
"Yes, MarianaâStefan and Damon's Katherine.." Elena answered quietly. I looked back inside to see Damon sitting at the bar again and I sighed.
"We should get back inside." I informed emotionlessly before going back into the bar as Elena followed.
~~~~
"Let's just say that we are descended from Katherine.. Does that make us part vampire?" Elena asked Damon as we ate at the bar.
"Vampires can't procreate." Damon countered, shaking his head. "But we love to try." He added with a smirk before putting another fry in his mouth and I rolled my eyes. "Noâif you were related, it would mean that Katherine had a child before she was turned." He pointed out with a shrug and I slowly nodded at him.
"Did Stefan think he could use me to replace her?" Elena asked in disgust as she fiddled around with her fries.
"Kinda creepy if you ask me." Damon answered, looking down at his food and I rose my eyebrow at him. "Come on, whatâyou don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" He asked, looking down at Elena's food and sighing in annoyance as he took the pickles from her plate.
"How can you even eat if technically you're supposed to be.." Elena started, leading off quietly and Damon rose his eyebrow, looking around him.
"Dead?" He asked sarcastically, making Elena sigh. "It's not such a bad word." Damon reassures with a shrug. "As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, my body functions pretty normally." He added with a smile before shoving a fry with ketchup in his mouth and I chuckled a bit as I did the same.
"This nice act.. Is any of it real?" Elena asked again as she stared at him as he was about to pick up his burger.
"Mm-hmm." He replied, not looking at her as Bree came back over to us.
"Here you go, honey." Bree smiled, handing Damon a beer after she popped the top.
"Thank you." Damon stated, nodded back at her.
"I'll have one, too." Elena said quickly and I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Hmm?" Damon asked in surprise as he looked at her.
"What?" I asked, just as confused and Elena sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Time out, remember? For five minutes? Yeah, well that five minutes is gonna need a beer." Elena informed and I watched Bree smirk a bit.
"There you go." Bree replied, putting a beer in front of her before tilting her head at me and I sighed.
"I should be the responsible one.. but hell." I stated with a sigh and Bree smirked before handing me a beer also. Elena rolled her eyes and started drinking her beer while Damon and I clicked bottles. "She's gonna get so wasted." I added in amusement before eating my fries in silence again.
-Time Skip-
"Ready... Go!" Bree said loudly before we all downed our shots and I smiled, putting my glass down on the counter before everyone.
"That's three." I stated with a smirk as Damon wiped his chin. "Do you need a bib?" I asked, pouting in amusement.
"Sorry, I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol." Damon countered sarcastically at me and I laughed, shaking my head.
"Whatever." I replied, eyeing him and looked around at the people surrounding the bar. "Who's next? Another round, Bree?" I asked, smirking at her as she poured them.
"Honey, you should be on the floor." A woman pointed out groggily from beside me and I laughed.
"She's not even drunk. Her tolerance is like way up here!" Elena slurred, jumping up and clumsily coming back down and I rolled my eyes.
"And yours isn't." I replied, tilting my head at her. My phone started ringing from my pocket and I furrowed my eyebrows, grabbing it. "Hello?" I asked as I answered it.
"Mariana? Where are you? Are you okay?" Jenna asked from the phone in worry and I sighed, standing from the stool.
"One sec, it's loud in here. And yesâI'm fine." I reassured once I stepped outside. I tripped over a step in front of me and groaned as I dropped my phone. I leant over and picked it up before bringing it to my ear. "Hello?" I asked into it before a hand covered by mouth from behind me and I gasped, widening my eyes. I dropped my phone from trying to get out of their hold but they vamped us away from the bar. "What the hell are you doing!" I yelled, biting the hand over my mouth, making them groan in pain. I looked up to see a man but didn't recognize him as he put me down on the ladder of a electrical power plant that was around the corner from the bar.
"Stay here. That's a warning." The man stated threateningly. I shook my head in protest but he vamped away from me, not waiting to hear it.
"Good one, Mariana. Get freaking kidnapped after being here for five minutes." I scoffed at myself in annoyance and slowly got down from the ladder before hearing footsteps from somewhere around me. I froze and remained still as I looked around me for a place to run but I was too high up on the ladder and in plain sight to go anywhere. I heard the footsteps get closer before Damon and Elena came from around the corner. I sighed as relief washed over me before Elena's eyes fell on me, staring up in confusion before I widened my eyes at them. "Damon, no!" I yelled out in warning before the man that grabbed me, came out of nowhere holding a metal baseball bat in hand and he swung at Damon over and over.
"What the hell?" Damon asked, groaning in agony as he now lay on the ground in pain. I watched as Elena stood off to the side in horror and I groaned quickly but carefully, started getting down from the ladder, probably walking towards my death. When I reached the bottom, I turned and saw the man pour a gallon of gasoline all over Damon.
"No!" Elena yelled out in protest, going towards him but the vampire looked at her, flashing his red and angry eyes in warning. I clenched my jaw at him as Elena froze in fear before the vampire turned back towards Damon, pouring the gasoline on him again and I made my way over to Elena slowly.
"Who are you?" Damon asked weakly, sitting up on his elbows and looking up at the man who scoffed.
"That's perfect. You have no idea." He replied in anger and I furrowed my eyebrows as I stood beside Elena now.
"What are you talking about, what did he do?" Elena yelled angrily back at the vampire.
"He killed my girlfriend." The man answered emotionlessly, looking back at her with his eyes glazed over before he continued to pour the gasoline over Damon. "What did she do to you, huh? What did she do!?" The vampire yelled angrily.
"Nothing." Damon answered in defeat, breathing heavily before the vampire threw the empty can of gasoline away from him.
"I don't understand." Elena stated in concern from behind him and the vampire turned to her again, holding the metal bat in his hand still.
"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her, got it?" He asked angrily and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. He looked away from us and angrily kicked Damon in the face, making him groan and fall back.
"Lexi?" I whispered in realization. "Lexi was your girlfriend?" I asked, remembering our conversation from the night in the bar. "She told me about you. She said that you were human." I pointed out, looking at him in confusion and he slowly nodded back at me.
"I was." He stated quietly with hurt and sadness showing in his eyes. He turned back to Damon who weakly groaned, trying to get the strength to get up but he couldn't. I furrowed my eyebrows and watched as Lexi's boyfriend slowly pulled a box of matches from his pocket.
"Lexi turned you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow and changing the subject quickly to buy Damon some time.
"If you want to be with someone forever.. You have to live forever." The vampire stated as Damon tried to crawl away from him. The vampire growled and quickly kicked Damon in the face again and I gasped, looking back up at the vampire.
"She loved you. She said, 'when it's real, you can't walk away'." I quoted as the vampire looked back at me angrily.
"Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make." He pointed out through gritted teeth and I furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"Don't, don'tâplease don't hurt him." Elena yelled, shaking her head as Lexi's boyfriend lit a match.
"I'm doing you a favor." He countered reassuringly, not looking back at her and I took a deep breath.
"Lexi loved you." I said loudly and slowly walked forward. "And she was goodâAnd that means that you're good, too." I stated, shaking my head at him as he turned to me, narrowing his eyes that glazed over more. "Be better than him." I whispered, looking down at Damon who stared back up at me. "Don't do this.. I'm begging you. Please." I whispered pleadingly up at Lexi's boyfriend again.. I watched him slowly turn back to Damon and shift angrily before picking him up from the ground. I breathed heavily, feeling my breath hitch in my throat as I watched, not knowing what he was going to do.. The vampire finally growled loudly and threw Damon away from him, making him fly into the side of a building. I sighed in relief went through me as he turned back to me, shifting back to normal. "Lexi would be proud that you did that.." I whispered with a small nod and he slowly looked down before vamping away.
-Time Skip-
I rose my eyebrow and looked in the rear view mirror to see Elena asleep in the backseat. "So why did you bring us with you?" I asked, cutting through the silence as I looked at Damon. "You could have taken us home. Then you'd still have that hundred." I added in some amusement as I gestured at my jeans.
"Well, A, those jeans look better on you than the ones you had before. Blood or no blood." Damon answered, looking at me cheekily and I rolled my eyes at him. "And B, you're not the worst company in the world.. You should give yourself more credit." He added, giving me a short nod.
"Seriously?" I asked with a small scoff as he turned back to the road.
"I don't know. You were there in the road, all damsel in distress-like." Damon stated as he remembered last night before a small smirk fell on his face. "And I knew it would piss off Stefan." He admitted, making me chuckle. "And... you're not the worst company in the world, Mariana.." Damon repeated, smiling back at me and I slowly nodded.
"I used to be more fun." I pointed out and leant back against the seat.
"Oh, really? Drinking me under the table wasn't you at your most fun?" Damon asked in amusement and I rolled my eyes, letting silence fall over us for a few seconds.
"I saved your life." I stated, looking at him as I changed the subject.
"I know." Damon countered, looking at the road with a small smile.
"And you better not forget it." I replied with a chuckle and looked out the window again.
-Elena-
I walked into Stefan's room and saw him sitting behind his desk before furrowing his eyebrows at me. "Hi." I stated bluntly, watching him quickly stand.
"Hi." He replied, clearly confused and relieved at the same time. Stefan stared at me in silence and I slowly shook my head.
"You could have told me." I stated in some anger and he nodded in agreement.
"I wanted to tell youâ" Stefan started and I scoffed, cutting him off.
"You said no more lies. Only the truth." I stated, slowly walking towards his desk. "I can handle the truth, Stefan. As crazy as it is, I can handle the fact that you are a vampire. And you have a vampire brother. And that my best friend is a witch." I added, now standing beside the desk while Stefan stared back at me quietly. "I can accept the fact that the world is a much more mysterious place than I ever thought possible but this?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows as I walked around the desk, closer towards him. "This lie, I cannot take." I pointed out angrily at him. "What am I to you? Who am I to you?" I asked, shaking my head at him in defeat.
"You are not Katherine." Stefan answered, shaking his head back at me. "You are the opposite of everything that she was." He reassured and I scoffed again.
"And when did you figure that out?" I countered, narrowing my eyes at him. "Before you kissed me? Before we slept together?" I added in disgust and watched him look down in silence.
"Before I met you." He answered emotionlessly, looking back up at me and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"What?" I asked, taken aback and he sighed.
"The first day of school.. When we met.." Stefan started, leading off and looking away from me. "It wasn't for the first time, Elena." He added quietly and I narrowed my eyes at him.
-Mariana-
I poured some bourbon into a glass and looked at Damon who was carefully listening in on Stefan and Elena's conversation from upstairs as he stood in the hallway. "You know, you're being an ass right now, right?" I asked with a sigh as I put my glass on the coffee table and laid on the couch.
"I'm always an ass." Damon pointed out in amusement as he came into the living room and grabbed my feet before sitting down and putting them on top of him. I sighed in some agreement and drank my glass of bourbon.
"So then... What are they saying?" I asked, gesturing my head towards upstairs while I put my glass in my stomach, holding it there.
"Oh, you knowâ'I'm sorry I didn't tell youâI wanted to tell you', 'I didn't know how toâblah, blah, blah." Damon answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes in annoyance at the two. I slowly nodded in amusement before watching his eyebrows furrow, becoming silent as he listened. "Wait.." He stated, tilting his head at me in curiousness and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Stefan said that when he met Elena at school, that wasn't when they first met." Damon informed and I chuckled a bit at his seriousness before I sat up and watched him.
"Then when was it?" I asked, taking another sip from my glass as I watched his head tilt slowly.
"May 23, 2009." Damon answered quietly, looking away from me in deep thought. I felt my breath hitch in my throat and I took my feet off of his lap in shock.. "Mariana?" He asked, looking back at me in some concern.
-Elena-
"But that wasâ" I started, shaking my head at Stefan but he cut me off.
"That was the day your parents' car.. went off the bridge." Stefan nodded in agreement. I felt my eyes glaze over as I breathed heavily, clenching my jaw.
"You were there?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him as I tried to wrap my head around it.
"Every couple of years I come back here.. to see Zach and see my home." Stefan informed quietly as he stared at me. "And last spring.. I was out in the woods, by old Wickery bridge." He added, walking towards me and around his desk. "And I heard the accident.. All of it." Stefan whispered, now standing directly in front of me as tears blurred my vision. "I was fast getting there but not fast enough.. The car was already submerged. Your dadâhe was still conscious, I was able to get to him." Stefan stated quietly as I slowly shook my head, remembering the accident all over again in my mind. "But he wouldn't let me help him, until I helped you and Mariana." Stefan added quietly and I looked away from him.
"Oh, my god." I whispered in a shaky voice, putting a hand over my mouth as tears ran down my face. Footsteps came from outside of the bedroom door and we both turned to see Mariana who had the same look on her face as I did.. and the same amount of tears.
-Mariana-
"When Elena and I woke up in the hospital, no one knew how we got out of the car.." I stated, shaking my head at Stefan who stood beside Elena. "They said it was a miracle.." I added, looking at Elena who sobbed lightly.
"I went back for them." Stefan stated, turning to look at Elena again. "But it was too late, I couldn't, I couldn'tâ" He started in a shaky breath as his eyes glazed over. "I couldn't save them." He finished and I furrowed my eyebrows in silence. "When I pulled you both out, I was shocked at how much you both looked like KatherineâI couldn't believe the resemblance." Stefan stated, looking between Elena and I slowly, as if deleting his exact thoughts in the moment. "After that, I spent months making sure that neither of you were her. I watched youâI, I learned everything that I could about you and I saw that you were nothing like Katherine." He added, looking between us before he stared at Elena. "And I wanted to leave town, but, Elena, I couldn't. I couldn't leave without knowing you." Stefan whispered and Elena looked away from him. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to but you were so sad. You both were." Stefan added, looking back at me and I slowly folded my arms over my chest.
"Why do we look like her?" Elena asked emotionlessly toward him and he slowly shook his head in response.
"Elena, you've been through so muchâ" Stefan started but I cut him off.
"Why do we look like her, Stefan? What are you not telling us?" I asked in some anger, watching as he slowly looked down.
"It didn't make any sense to me." Stefan admitted and I furrowed my eyebrows. "You are Gilbert's, she was a Pierce.. but the resemblance was too similar." He added, looking between us again. "And then I learned the truth.." He whispered and I looked at Elena who stared at him in confusion. "You were adopted.. Both of you." Stefan answered emotionlessly and I felt my body freeze.
"How do you know this?" Elena asked, sitting down on his bed slowly and Stefan walked towards her before sitting next to her.
"Your birth certificates from the city records." Stefan answered and I ran a hand through my hair slowly. "It says 'Elena and Mariana Gilbert from Mystic Falls General'âbut there's no record of your mother ever being admitted. There's no record of her ever being pregnant." Stefan answered, shaking his.
"What else do you know?" I asked towards him as I leant against the doorway quietly.
"For me to go any further, I would have had to look in the Pierce family but I couldn't do that. It's too much of a risk." Stefan pointed out and I looked away from both of them. "If someone found out I was asking about Katherineâ" He started, cutting himself off and I shook my head before walking out of his room and down the stairs quickly.
"Mariana?" Damon asked in sympathy from the living room but I ignored him as I walked out of the front door.
~~~~
I walked into the house and shut the door quietly behind me, letting out a small sigh once the sound of quiet hit me. But it was all over too soon. "I don't make a lot of rules, Mariana." Jenna stated in warning as she sat on the couch in the living room before she got up and walked towards me quickly. "Not with youâI trust you to tell me the truth. Where were you and why did you lie to me about it, I thought that we were closer than that." She added in disappointment and I scoffed.
"Now is not a time you want to talk to me about lies." I countered emotionlessly before walking towards the stairs but she grabbed my arm and turned me towards her again.
"Don't do that. Don't turn this back on me, I didn't do anything." Jenna protested angrily and I rose an eyebrow challengingly as I pulled my arm away.
"Okay, questionâAre Elena and I adopted?" I asked in a serious tone and watched her expression turn to stone.. Clearly she wasn't expecting that. "I trust you to tell me the truth too, Jenna. How could you not tell me?" I asked quietly in disappointment as I shook my head. "I thought we were closer than that." I added, repeating her words back to her before walking upstairs and slamming my bedroom door behind me.