06|LOST GIRLS

"What are you?" Elena demands, her voice wavering. Gemma parts her lips, unsure on how to answer. It was clear that Stefan was lost, looking to his sister for some sort of answer too. "What are you?" The human asks again.

"You're not stupid, Elena," Gemma bites the inside of her cheek. "You know."

"No, I don't," she denies.

"Yes, you do," Stefan finally speaks up, arguing with the girl. "Or you wouldn't be here."

"It's not possible," Elena cries. "It can't be!"

"Everything you know...and every belief that you have is about to change. Are you ready for that?"

"What are you?" Her voice is more firm.

Gemma shuffles forward, a sad smile gracing her lips. "We're vampires, Elena."

A short gasp escapes the girl's lips, her eyes welling with tears of fear and betrayal. "I shouldn't have come," she scrambles away from the door and toward her car.

Gemma lingers behind, letting Stefan handle the girl. After a few loud words from each teenager, Stefan rushes inside, his eyes worried.

"I've got to make sure she's alright," Stefan tells the female Salvatore.

"Then do that," Gemma shrugs. "I'm not sure you're going to like the response you get."

His eyebrows furrow, "what do you mean?"

"She just found out we're blood sucking creatures, Stefan. What do you want her to do? Throw us a tea party?"

"Can you please take this seriously?" He snaps.

"Opposed to what? Being a vampire who thinks they can play house and get away with it?"

The youngest Salvatore shakes his head, frustration brewing on the lines of his face. "What happened to trying to be Elena's friend? What happened to liking her two days ago?"

Gemma folds her arms, leaning against the wall and lazily looking up at Stefan, feigning ignorance. "Sixty years is like the blink of an eye to us, Stefan. Do you really want to spend time attaching yourself to a human who's going to leave you?"

Stefan doesn't reply, disappearing out of Gemma's sight as if he were never there to begin with.

•••

Gemma lounges on the chair next to Elena, a full glass of Bourbon placed in front of her. A heavy sigh escapes her lips, her body slouching further into the metal chair.

"What's wrong with you?" Elena questions, her eyes quickly flicking away from the vampire when Gemma looks at her.

"Oh, nothing at all, Elena," the dark headed girl drones.

Elena huffs, leaning forward when Stefan trudges up and sits down in front of her.

"You guys said you would explain everything," Elena reminds them. "That's why I asked you to meet me here. When you Google vampire, you get a world of fiction. What's the reality?"

"I can tell you whatever you wanna know," Stefan nods.

"And I can try," Gemma pipes up. "It really just depends on how drunk I am the longer this conversation goes on."

"I know you eat garlic," Elena says.

"Yes," Stefan confirms.

"And somehow, sunlights not an issue,"

The conversation comes to a quick stop when the waitress saunters up, putting Stefan and Elena's drinks down in front of them. "Hi, here are your drinks."

"Thank you," Elena smiles tightly.

"We have rings that protect us," Stefan tells her.

Gemma lifts her hand, wiggling her fingers at Elena as to present the ring.

"Crucifixes?"

"Decorative,"

"Holy water?"

"Drinkable,"

"But," Gemma pauses. "It's a preference."

"Mirrors?"

"Myth,"

"You said you two don't kill to survive?"

Gemma grins, "we're practically saints, Elena."

"Animal blood keeps me alive, but not as strong as Damon and Gemma." Stefan tells her.

"I drink human blood, but I don't kill," Gemma chimes in, seeing the Gilbert's weary look.

"Damon can be very powerful," Stefan admits.

"And yet you let him get involved with Caroline?" Elena side eyes Gemma. "Especially you, who's closer with Damon."

"I didn't know he was hurting her," Gemma picks up her Bourbon and takes a large sip.

"Forcing Damon not to do something is much more dangerous, believe me." The youngest Salvatore says.

"He was hurting her!" Elena snaps.

"He was feeding on her," Stefan calmly corrects. "He was able to take away her memories of being bitten using a form of mind compulsion. She never knew what was happening to her. If he wanted to kill her, he would have."

"Is that supposed to make it okay?"

"No," Gemma heaves a sigh. "But it was supposed to make you feel a little better, which he obviously failed at."

"None of this is okay, Elena," Stefan says. "I know that."

"Are there any others, aside from you, Damon, and Gemma?"

"Not in Mystic Falls; not anymore,"

"Not anymore?" Elena's eyes widen.

"There was a time when this town was...very much aware of vampires, and it didn't end well for anybody. That's why it's important that you don't tell anyone."

"I can't promise that,"

Gemma's head snaps up, her eyes squinting at the girl. "Who could you tell that'd believe you? Who could you tell that we wouldn't compel to forget right after?"

"Gemma," Stefan hisses.

"I've been very calm, Elena," the girl continues. "I was starting to like you, to be frank. All of that stops very quickly if your attitude causes us trouble."

Elena looks at the girl, betrayed.

"Give me one day," Stefan pleads, redirecting Elena's attention. "I will answer any question that you have, and when it's over, you can decide for yourself what you wanna do with what you know. It'll be your choice,"

•••

Gemma sulks in the backseat, making eye contact with Elena in the rearview mirror.

"Stop here," Stefan says.

"What are we doing here?" Elena asks, her eyes darting between the Salvatore siblings as they get out of the car.

Gemma doesn't reply, her eyes taking in the woods around her. A solemn smile graces her lips, her head angled down.

"I want to show you something," the youngest Salvatore says.

"In the middle of nowhere?" The Gilbert cocks her head to the side.

"This..." Stefan trails off, clearing his throat.

"This was our home," Gemma speaks softly.

"It looks so..."

"Old?" Stefan cuts the human off. "It's because it is."

"Wait," Elena's eyes widen. "How long have you both been—"

"I've been seventeen years old since eighteen-sixty-four,"

Elena falls silent, glancing at Gemma expectantly.

"I'm twenty-two," the dark headed girl tells her. "Or, was twenty-two."

"Oh, my God," Elena breathes.

"I know," Gemma smirks. "We don't look our age. It's probably the vitamins."

"Gemma, please," Stefan sighs. The girl presses her lips into a thin line, sending him a snarky look. "You said you wanted to know," he addresses Elena. "I'm not gonna hold anything back. Half a century before the boarding house was even built, this was my family's home. Damon, Gemma, and I...we were born here. The Salvatore siblings, the best of friends."

Gemma gets pulled along by Damon, a short laugh escaping her lips when Stefan urges them both out of the house. "Damon," she starts. "I'm not sure Father—"

"Wait," Stefan interrupts his sisters concerns. "Where did you say you learned this game?"

"Camp outside Atlanta," Damon informs his brother. "One of the officers picked it up at Harvard. Catch," he throws the ball to Stefan.

Gemma watches her siblings fondly, standing off to the side with her hands folded.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Stefan pauses. "What are the rules?"

Damon lunges at Stefan and the boys playfully struggle for the ball, their attention quickly being captured by the alluring Katherine Pierce. Gemma straightens up, her eyes widening at the sight of the mischievous girl.

"Who needs rules?" The brunette arches an eyebrow. "Mind if I join you?"

"Uh, well," Stefan glances are Damon. "You could, uh...you could get hurt. My brother likes the play rough."

"Somehow," Katherine creeps closer. "I think you play rougher." She snatches the ball from Stefan and quickly latches on to Gemma's hand, yanking the girl along with her as she prances off. "Come on, Gemma!"

"Where are we going?" Gemma breathes, eyes bright.

"Nowhere," Katherine grins. "And everywhere."

"You guys knew Katherine in eighteen-sixty-four?" Elena blinks, confused. "Damon made it seem like..."

"Damon was trying to make you think that I was still heartbroken," Stefan tells her. "He saw that I was happy with you, and he wanted to ruin it."

"All because you loved the same woman one hundred and forty-five years ago?"

"She wasn't just any girl," Stefan says simply.

Gemma walks in step with her father's newest match for her, a young man named Leo. The girl watches her brother with Katherine, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Ha!" Katherine struts around the statue, her eyes flirting. "I win. What's my prize?"

"What would you like it to be?" A familiar voice rings out.

Gemma's eyes widen, her smile growing larger. "Damon," her shoulders slump in relief. She moves forward to approach him but Leo stops her, a firm hand on her arm.

"They extended your leave?" Stefan asks with a grin.

"I was simply having too much fun to return to battle," the oldest Salvatore says, his eyes darting to Gemma with a 'we'll talk about that later' look.

"Your commitment to the confederacy is inspiring," Stefan jokes, pulling his brother into a hug.

"Well, this works out wonderfully for me," Katherine hums.

"How's that, miss Katherine?" Damon swings an arm around his brothers shoulder.

"Now I'll have all three of you here to keep me entertained," she smirks. "First and foremost, I'll need someone to escort me to the founders ball."

"With pleasure," the brothers say in unison. "I would be honored."

"The smart and kind Salvatore brothers coming to my rescue," she taunts. "How will I ever choose?"

"She chose me," Stefan says as they walk out of the old ruins. "I escorted her to the ball at the original Lockwood mansion."

"The first founders party," realization dawns on the Gilbert. "Where you all signed the registry."

"I didn't care that I had gotten something that my brother wanted," Stefan admits. "I didn't even care if it hurt him. I only knew that I wanted her."

"So he was upset," Elena assumes.

"More than upset," Gemma says with a distant look.

Stefan nods in agreement, "that's the thing about Damon. He doesn't get mad. He just gets even." He sighs, "what Damon wants, Damon usually gets. I didn't know it at the time, but...turns out that night, Katherine was with him, too."

"So he stole her from you, not the other way around?" Elena questions.

"Turns out, she wasn't ours to steal."

Gemma folds her arms across her chest, a bored expression gracing her features. "She was a vampire, obviously."

Elena turns to the girl, shocked. "What?"

"She could control my mind," Stefan says. "And Damon's. She compelled both of us to keep the secret from the other. She wanted us to be together, forever. Didn't work out that way, but...Damon and I, looks like we're stuck with each other...like it or not." He bends down and pulls out a cloth from under a log.

"Is that Damon's ring?" Elena peers over at it.

"I took it from him, but I have to give it back."

"No, don't, Stefan," Elena worries. "Keep it hidden."

"Elena, if I don't give it to him, he'll retaliate in the only way that he knows he can hurt me."

"And how is that?"

"By hurting you."

•••

Later on in the day, after the stolen glances and awkward silence, Elena finally speaks up. "The mind control...you said Katherine used. Did either of you ever do that to me?"

"No," Stefan says.

Gemma gazes at the girl, her face blank. "No."

"That necklace," Stefan motions to the locket around Elena's neck. "It contains an herb called Vervain. It protects you from being compelled. I wanted to protect you from Damon's influence. And...Gemma's, if she ever decided to. But I also wanted to...protect you from me. Elena, you should never take that necklace off...because no matter what happens after today, no matter how you feel about me...you'll know that you were free to make your own choice."

"Okay," Gemma grumbles, clapping her hands together. "While it's been nice to watch my all time favorite soap opera, I'd like to get miss Gilbert here home."

"Gemma's right," Stefan nods. "Let's go."

•••

"Damn, Vic!" Matt exclaims, frustration lacing his tone as the trio enter Elena's home.

"What's going on?" Elena asks, her eyebrows furrowed.

"She's really messed up," Matt says.

Gemma shuffles closer, her eyes squinting. "No," she murmurs. "She's not."

"Elena, back up," Stefan demands. He shuts down in front of Vicki, grabbing either side of her face. "Vicki, look at me. Focus. You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. Guys," he signals for Jeremy and Matt to come closer. "Take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's gonna be okay."

"Come on," Gemma helps haul her up off the ground. She runs a hand through her hair, distressed as she watches the teenagers carry Vicki up the stairs.

"You guys know what's wrong with her," Elena gathers.

"Unfortunately," Gemma turns to the girl.

"She's transitioning," Stefan tells the human.

"Transitioning to what?"

Gemma blinks, "a squirrel. What do you think, Elena...a vampire."

"What?" The Gilbert breathes, her face crumbling.

"Damon must've gotten to her," Stefan mumbles to himself. "She's new. She hasn't completed her transformation yet."

"H—how does she do that?"

"She has to feed on human blood,"

"And what if she doesn't?" Elena swallows thickly.

Gemma and Stefan both hesitate, the older Salvatore sibling being the one to break the news. "She'll die. She may only have a few hours."

"She's upstairs with him right now," Elena says in horror.

"It's okay," Stefan reassures her. "She doesn't know what's happening yet."

"So when is she gonna know?"

"Right now, she doesn't remember anything. A part of her is still human, but slowly, the deeper she gets into the transition, the memories will start to come back, and then she'll know she has to make the choice."

Elena's face hardens, slowly nodding. "The same choice you guys made."

Gemma looks as if she's been slapped, her lips parting. "Wow," she squares her shoulder, crossing her arms as if to close herself off. "Tell us how you really feel."

There's a loud commotion in Jeremy's room and Vicki sprints downstairs, rushing out of the door without a trace.

"Vicki!" Matt comes running down the staircase. "Vicki!"

"You're a little too late," Gemma informs him.

"She was fine," Jeremy exclaims, hot on Matt's heels. "And then she just...she just freaked out."

"I'm gonna go look for her," Matt shuffles out of the door. "Call me if you hear anything!"

Stefan turns to Elena, his voice hushed. "I can track her while Gemma stays here with you."

Elena looks at Gemma, pausing before she nods. "Go."

•••

Gemma sits on the stairs, her elbows leaning on the top of her knees. Her eyes barely move from the door when Elena moves closer to her, a curious expression on her face.

"Was any of it true?" The human asks.

"Any of what?" Gemma questions.

"Can you look at me?" Elena huffs. Gemma's eyes sweep across the floor, meeting Elena's. "What you told me, about your father? About him setting you up with those guys? Was it true?"

Gemma hums, a sardonic smile flashing at Elena. "Very true. I made it a little more PG-13 than it actually was, though."

"Will you ever tell me how it actually happened?" Elena blinks, her doe eyes shining. "How you actually grew up?"

Gemma clenches her jaw, "no."

"Stefan doesn't know, does he?" Elena starts. "About you and Katherine...about whatever you had going on with her."

"No," Gemma responds. "He doesn't, nor does he need to. There's a lot he doesn't know about my time in the boarding house. I'd like to keep it that way."

"Maybe we should check in with Matt," Jeremy barrels into the foyer, disregarding the tense atmosphere between the girls.

"He'll call when he finds her," Elena tells him.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?"

"Wait," Gemma shrugs. "Literally the only thing we can do. Matt's trying his best, I'm sure."

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Jeremy's shoulders slump.

"She'll be fine," Elena says. "It'll all be fine."

Gemma straightens up when the doorbell rings, her fingers drumming across her knee when Elena opens the door. In an instant, when she sees Elena's panicked expression, she's in front of the girl— face to face with Damon.

"Jeremy, go upstairs," Elena demands. She sighs in relief once he does, going without a protest.

"You're afraid of me," Damon smirks, looking at Elena over Gemma's shoulder. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess, Stefan and Gemma finally 'fessed up."

"Stay away from me," Elena counters.

"Damon, leave," Gemma tightens her grip on the door. "There's no reason for you to be here."

"Hey, there's no need to be rude," he faux pouts. "I'm just looking for Stefan."

"He's not here," Gemma smiles tightly. "Nice of your to stop by, bye bye now—"

"I'm gonna cut to the chase," Damon forces his way in. "I'm not gonna kill you right now." He addresses the Gilbert directly. "That wouldn't serve my greater angenda. So...where's Stefan?"

"He's our looking for Vicki," Gemma snarks.

"Don't you two look at me with those judgey eyes," he narrows his. "Girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her."

"Did you thank Katherine?" Elena blurts out.

Gemma inhales sharply, leveling Damon with a warning look when his expression morphs into anger.

"Got the whole life story, huh?"

"I got enough," the Gilbert says.

"Oh, I doubt that." He glances at Gemma. "Tell our brother I'm looking for him. And Elena?" He smirks. "Tip for later, be careful who you invite in the house."

•••

not edited.