Mystic Falls. A place of mystery, of danger, of the supernatural. The home of vampires, of werewolves, of witches.
And that special population just increased by one.
She walked into town with a hood drawn over her face, Shadows would only work in her favor. It may be suspicious, yes, but she needed to hide. There were some people she just didn't want to know she was here. Yet.
It wasn't her they would know, but her mother. Still, she wasn't sure if her scent was different enough from her mother's that it wouldn't draw the suspicions of any werewolf, or vampire. If not her scent, then her looks would. She was the spitting image of her mother. Save her eyes. Those were all her father's.
She glanced at the various storefronts as she strolled through the town square. She had never been to Mystic Falls before, even though she had grown up in the town of Viper, only about an hour's drive away.
When she came across the Mystic Grill, she paused a moment outside its doors. She hadn't eaten since that morning. It was only five in the evening, but she decided that an early dinner wouldn't hurt her any. In fact, it might be just what she needed.
She pulled back her hood, just enough so that her face could be seen as she wove her way through the various patrons of the diner. As she found herself at the bar, her stomach emitted a demanding growl, making her realize just how hungry she had become since breakfast.
"What'll it be?" She looked up to see who had spoken. An employee, whose name tag read 'Matt'.
"Just a burger," she answered. "A little on the medium rare side, if you don't mind," she added, sending him a slight smile.
He chuckled, a smile spreading over his features as he nodded. "Medium rare burger, you got it. Anything to drink?"
She shrugged before looking over the various alcohols lined up on the shelf behind him. "Bourbon?" she queried, arching an eyebrow lightly towards Matt.
"I'll need to see some I.D.," Matt pointed out.
"Oh, yeah, sure," she chuckled, pulling a wallet from the pocket of her hoodie. She flipped it open, checking over the I.D. herself for a moment before showing it to Matt.
The bartender examined the card through the plastic coating it for a few moments, then nodded as he turned to grab a bottle of Bourbon, and a drinking glass. "You're in luck. We've got a lot of Bourbon drinkers in this town, so it's always in stock."
The new girl offered a laugh in reply. "Yeah, I heard it was a choice drink among certain members of the populace," she admitted, her eyes sparkling with a playful secret. She had no way of knowing what Matt did or did not know about the special population of Mystic Falls.
"Here you go," Matt offered, placing a plate with her medium rare burger down next to a glass of Bourbon. "So, you got a name?" he asked, not having thought to catch that when he looked at her license.
"Sure," she shrugged, taking a drink of her Bourbon. She watched Matt as he took a towl from his shoulder and wiped down an area of the bar where other patrons had been sitting. "But where's the fun in telling? You haven't even asked if I have a boyfriend yet," she pointed out. She was only teasing him of course, as could be seen by her playful smile.
"Well, I guess I like to get to know a girl before I get in her jeans," Matt suggested with an amused smirk.
This caused her smile to widen into a gr4in. He had a fair point. "Mercy," she supplied. "My name is Mercy Alexander."
"Matthew Donovan," Matt replied, holding his hand out towards Mercy.
Mercy smiled as she accepted the outstretched arm to shake. "So, Matthew Donovan," she started with a flirtatious tone, "you from around here?"
"You kidding? Never set food outside of Mystic Falls in my life," he answered, starting to clean out a glass that had been abandoned still half full of whiskey. "What about you?"
"Oh, you know," Mercy answered vaguely, lifting her shoulders in a shrug as she took another drink before turning to her food.
"No, actually, I don't. That's why I asked," Matt prompted.
She had to cover her mouth with her hand to remain decent, but she nodded in a manner that clearly said 'fair enough.' He did have a point, after all. Although, she'd never had that response before. "First night in town. I've lived in Viper my whole life, but never set foot in Mystic Falls before this evening," she explained, casting her gaze around the diner as she spoke.
"Really? Well, what brought you here, if I might ask?" he questioned. The girl before him picked his curiosity to no end.
"I'm looking for somebody," Mercy admitted. "All I have to go on is a name and a really old picture. In fact, I'm not even sure if they're still in this town, but it's the only lead I have. I guess a lot of people may give up with those odds, but I've waited a long time to meet him."
Who is he? Maybe I could help," Matt offered. Like he said, he'd never set food outside of Mystic Falls. He knew just about everyone that lived there.
Mercy smiled at the offer of help, but shook her head anyway. "Thanks, but I've got sources of my own," she declined, standing up and pulling out her wallet. It was getting late, and the dinner crowd would be swarming soon. "How much?" she asked, sifting through her cash on hand.
Matt shook his head with a slight smile towards the strange newcomer before him. "No charge. It's on the house this time. Consider it a welcome gift," he chuckled, starting to clear away her dishes.
"Thanks, Matt," Mercy smiled, knocking back the rest of her Bourbon before she continued her walk down the streets of Mystic Falls.
"Come on, Tyler, it's the start of Senior year! It's going to be the best time of our lives!" Caroline insisted, grinning as she tugged on her boyfriend's arm.
The young werewolf rolled his eyes playfully as he looked down at the vampire beside him. She was always looking for the next adventure, the next party. Senior year would be her next big conquest.
"Just think about it! Me, you, Bonnie, Elena, Stefan, this is our time to rule the hallways," she insisted.
"I love how you're talking and dreaming about a normal high school experience when we're not exactly normal high school students," Tyler pointed out, shaking his head lightly.
Caroline was about to reply to him, but her focus on Tyler caused a lack of focus on the sidewalk ahead of her. Before words found her, she collided with another girl walking down the street. "Hey!" she shouted as she stumbled back. Meanwhile, the other girl was thrown to the ground.
Tyler knelt to help the girl up, and as they stood, he got the first good look at her face. "Mercy?" he asked, his eyes widening as recognition dawned on him.
"Oh, hey Tyler," Mercy grinned. It had been quite some time since she had seen the young werewolf. "I was just heading over to your mom's office to het directions to your house. I'm still free to stay there while I'm in town, right?"
"Of course, anytime. I can take you there myself, though, it's on our way, he offered with a smile. "What are you doing in Mystic Falls?"
"Hold on a minute!" Caroline demanded. "What the hell is going on?"
"That's awful," Caroline frowned, sitting across from Mercy. Whatever task she had been dragging Tyler towards had been forgotten.
"Do you know who's behind this?" Tyler asked, leaning forward to rest his arms against his thighs.
Mercy shook her head helplessly. "No. Mike and I woke up about a week ago, and Mom was gone. She never leaves without telling us, and she's not the only one who disappeared."
Tyler nodded slowly, thinking over the information he's been given. "Where is Mike?"
"He stayed in Viper to do some research until I could confirm you and your mom were still here," Mercy explained. "Now that I know you're here, he'll probably be down tomorrow."
"And, is he a werewolf, too?" Caroline asked. She had known that Tyler had gone to other packs, but she had never known any were so close, especially since he had never told her about Mercy and her twin brother.
Mercy nodded slowly, staring down at her hands. "Yeah, we awakened the gene in 1880, if I remember right. It's been so long, the years just kind of meld together."
Caroline involuntarily shuddered. There was a big difference in knowning she would live that long, and actually living that long. When would she start to lose track of the years that passed?
"So what made you think to come to Mystic Falls?" Tyler asked.
Mercy looked down at her hands, playing her her fingers. "My mom always talked about this place. If it wasn't for our pack, I think we would have moved here a long time ago. I know she used to visit when she was young, and even while Michelangelo and I were growing up, but…"
As Mercy trailed off, Tyler reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. It's okay. You have friends here, we can help."
"You know," Caroline said as she looked up at Mercy, "we have a get together we're going to. Maybe there are some people there that could help you out."
Mercy Smiled at the offer and slowly nodded. "Yeah, that would be nice, thanks." Now that she was here in Mystic Falls, with people willing to help her, she was beginning to think that they would actually have a chance to find her mother after all.