A/N 1: Okay so here is Chapter 2. I hope you guys like this so far.
Chapter 2: Sara's Explanation
Jeremy sat in silence as he stared at Sara. He was in shock mostly, in awe slightly, but everything was also starting to piss him off a bit. Here he was tied to a chair in a cheap motel room with a look-a-like of his sister who claimed she was the first Petrova Doppelgänger. And if he had his timeline correct that would have made her older than Klaus and Klaus was over 1,000 years old.
"So if you're the original doppelgänger, the very first after Amara, how old does that make you?" he asked, it was the only question he could properly form with the information he had running around. The next one was going to be why she had kidnapped him.
Sara scoffed slightly, but she wasn't offended by the question. In fact, she more than anticipated it. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not polite to ask a woman her age?" she said with a smirk on her lips.
"Well she's dead, so I guess it doesn't really matter what she taught me now does it." Jeremy hissed back. Though it had been a few years now since he and Elena had lost their parents, he wasn't going to allow some back handed comment about his parents, disrespect them. Sara's smirk fell from her lips as they merged into a hard line. She stood from her seat on the bed and gripped the collar of his shirt, forcing him to look at her.
"Do not sass me boy." She growled. "I meant no disrespect towards your deceased parents so relax." She said before releasing her grip on him and sitting back down on the bed. It was not her intent to harm the hunter in front of her. She just needed him to take her to Elena. "Now to answer your question Jeremy, let's just say it's closer to 2500 years. Amara was my Great Great Great Aunt." She informed him, letting him process the information.
Jeremy took it all in. The fact that she was the Original Petrova Doppelganger, Amara was her distant Aunt, she was nearly 2500 years old, that she was here in Mystic Falls and once again he had been kidnapped by a woman who looked like his sister.
"So what do you want with me? And what the hell are you?" he demanded while he struggled a bit against his restraints, remembering how her eyes had changed. He was starting to feel like himself, his head was just swimming with all this new information. Sara's smirk returned to her face as she sat back down on shitty bed, leaning back on her hands as she crossed her legs.
"I don't want anything to do with you Little Hunter. I do, however, want you to take me to Elena. As for what am I? Well why do we just wait and see shall we?" she said with a chuckle.
"Like hell if you think I'm going to take you to Elena!" he spat as he struggled in the chair.
"That's fine." She said with a shrug. "Elena will come to me eventually."
"What do you want with Elena?" Jeremy asked as he glared at the woman in front of him, knowing she was right. Elena would do anything to get him back.
Sara realized she was being a bit of bitch about all this. She didn't mean anyone any harm. She never really did, but it was hard being what she was. She blamed the fact that she hadn't fed properly in a while. Sara's features hardened as she stood and moved over to her bag on the table where she pulled out a dagger.
"What are you gonna do with that?!" Jeremy exclaimed, freaking out as he saw her walk over to him with the dagger in hand. Sara approached him and reached a hand out as the dagger was brought closer to Jeremy's person. "No! Wait, please!" Jeremy pleaded as he looked away and squeezed his eyes shut.
Sara reached behind the chair and sliced the dagger through the ropes holding Jeremy hostage. When Jeremy felt the ropes release their hold he opened his eyes and stared at Sara confused. He noticed the hard gaze on her face had softened and she looked slightly apologetic.
"I don't…I don't understand." Jeremy said as he brought his arms in front of him and rubbed his wrists where the ropes had held him.
Sara placed the dagger back in her bag before sitting back on the bed in front of him. "I'm afraid I owe you an apology Jeremy. The last thing I want is to harm you or your sister, though I'm afraid I've already done that." She said with a sigh. "I'm here to help and to offer guidance. There's something coming and I'm afraid it's going to be worse than what any of you have had to face so far." Sara spoke softly. She really was a kind person, it was the monster inside her that was evil. However, one didn't survive for thousands of years without being discrete, ruthless, and badass.
"No offense Sara, but if we can handle Klaus and Silas, I think we can handle whatever it is that's coming next." Jeremy said as he stood and brushed himself off.
"But that's just it Jeremy. You can't." she spoke softly as her brown orbs began to change to milky white and her breathing became slightly shallow. Jeremy noticed her change and feared what would happen, but he really wanted to know what she was. They had encountered many supernatural creatures over the last few years, but this one was new.
"Sara? Are you okay?" he asked, actually slightly concerned. Though she had kidnapped him, she never actually harmed him. She had released him and said she was sorry. She was only here to help and from his experience one should never deny the help of a 2000+ year old supernatural creature. Besides, she seemed like the type you didn't want as an enemy. Plus, in a way they were family, right?
Sara squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. The hunger was getting to be too strong. "I'm fine. It's been to long since I've fed." She said as she opened her eyes, the brown had replaced the white.
Jeremy knelt down in front of her. "But isn't that what you did to me? Feed off me?" he questioned, remembering the feeling of the life being drained from him. It was different than having a vampire feed from you.
"Not exactly." She said with a shake of her head. "What I did was enough to render you unconscious, but not to properly feed for myself. That would actually require killing you." She stated as she tucked a curl behind her ear. Jeremy really was a good kid and she was sorry for treating him the way she had. She only hoped his sister was as forgiving he was.
"Oh." He said before asking a question from before. "So what are you?"
Sara looked at him with a smile. "Why don't we get you back to your sister and let everyone in on what's going on and who I am, this way I only have to repeat myself a little bit, okay?" she said as she stood. She hated repeating herself. She found there was enough repetition in history as it was, no need to add more to it. With a nod from Jeremy she grabbed her keys and together they exited the motel room and went down to her car. This time Jeremy was conscious and in the passenger seat then being unconscious and laying in the back.
x-TOPD-x
At the Salvatore boarding house Elena paced the living room franticly. They didn't know who had taken Jeremy, though they had a good idea what she looked like, or why she wanted him. But one thing was for sure, if that doppelgänger bitch touched one hair on Jeremy's head, she would pay.
"Elena, stop pacing! You're going to wear out the floor." Caroline said as she stood from her spot on the couch and grabbed ahold of her friends' shoulders.
"And that's a two hundred year old rug Elena. Irreplaceable." Damon joked, but was only received with glares. "Tough crowd." He murmured with a shrug and went back to his bourbon.
So far they had no leads as to where Jeremy was. Matt had called Elena earlier saying he'd found Jeremy's phone outside The Grill, but no Jeremy. Matt had since joined the gang at the boarding house; all worried about Jeremy and wondering what problems this doppelgänger would bring.
"Caroline, I'm just so worried. I know he's a hunter now, but…" Elena choked out before Caroline wrapped her arms around her.
"I know, Sweetie. I'm sure Jeremy is fine. We'll figure this out and find him." Caroline said to sooth her friend.
Katherine rolled her eyes from her spot next to the liquor cabinet as she refilled her glass of bourbon. Things were getting way to mushy around here for her. Why had she decided to come here again?
"Bonnie, can't you track Jeremy?" Stefan asked as he moved to sit next to the worried ghost-turned-Anchor. Bonnie ran a hand over her worried face before shaking her head.
"I can't. My abilities as a witch disappeared when I died. They never came back when I become the Anchor." She stated softly, wishing right now she had her powers as a witch, but she didn't so she was useless to help find Jeremy.
Stefan wrapped an arm around his friend to try and comfort her. The truth was no one knew what to do about this new doppelgänger. They didn't know what she was capable of and if she could kidnap a vampire hunter, then she clearly couldn't have been human. All this doppelgänger stuff was giving Stefan a headache. Caroline had finally gotten Elena to sit down next to Matt when the front door to the boarding house swung open and in stepped Jeremy.
"See? I told you everyone would be here. Hey Matt." Jeremy greeted with a wave to his friend and a goofy smile on his face. It was like he hadn't been missing for the last couple of hours.
"Jeremy!" came the voices of everyone besides Katherine as she didn't really care. In fact, she just poured herself another drink. Why did she bother to associate with these people?
Elena jumped up and all but tackled her brother to the ground. "Jeremy! Oh my god! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Elena asked question after question all the while looking her brother over to make sure he was indeed okay.
"Elena, stop! I'm fine really." Jeremy reassured as he hugged his sister, then Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Stefan and even Damon.
"Alright kiddo, where's the doppelgänger?" Damon said, looking like he was ready for a fight. Once all the hugs were done and everyone had deemed Jeremy alright for themselves it was then that Katherine spoke up.
"You all do realize that Jeremy was talking to someone when he came through the door, right?" she said with her arms folded over her chest.
"Jeremy, who were you talking to?" Stefan asked, hoping the boy didn't do what he thought he did.
"Oh yeah, right." Jeremy said as he moved away from the group to get Sara who stood waiting outside the door just out of view of the others. "Do you need to be invited in?" Jeremy asked in a hushed tone to Sara who shook her head.
"I'm not a vampire Jeremy, but I do have manners." She stated simply.
"Well you did knock me unconscious and kidnap me so..." Jeremy countered in a joking manner.
Sara smirked before she stepped over the threshold. "True." She said as Jeremy led her into the Boarding House.
"Guys, this is Sara. Sara this is everyone. I think you can pick out Elena and… Katherine? When did you get back in town?" Jeremy asked when his gaze landed on the older vampire doppelgänger.
"Earlier today Little Gilbert. So this is the new doppelgänger, huh?" Katherine said as she stalked up to the woman with a predatory gleam in her eyes. She was going to let her know who the doppelgänger in charge around here was while the others stood in shock as they were faced with the new look-a-like of Elena. Though you would've thought that they'd be used to it by now.
Sara's gaze had widened for a fraction of a second when she saw the group of people, but it wasn't due to the fact of seeing two other versions of herself, it was because of another familiar face in the room. Her gaze quickly shifted to Katherine as the vampire looked at her like she was something that belonged under her shoe.
"Well let's just get one thing straight here… Sara was is it? You may be the new doppelgänger in town, but I run things around here so I suggest you figure out how things are done around here and quick if you know what's good for you." Katherine threatened as she got in Sara's face, a manicured finger poking Sara in the chest.
"Ah, Katherine? I don't think that was such a good idea." Jeremy warned as he took a step back from the two older doppelgängers.
Sara didn't do well with being threatened and like hell was she going to let a younger look-a-like of herself push her around. A smirk formed on Sara's lips that Jeremy had come to know as he watched her eyes go from brown to white.
"My, my Katerina, such an attitude you have there. Didn't your mother ever teach you to respect your elders?" Sara spoke in Bulgarian, shocking everyone including Katherine. Well that was all, but Jeremy. He kinda figured she had to know another language or two being as old as she was.
"What?" Katherine gasped as she saw the change in Sara's eyes. Sara's smirk turned deadly as she gripped the younger version of herself and fed off her slightly; a small, white wisp of vapor moved from Katherine's mouth from Sara's before she let the younger woman fall to the ground choking for air.
"I'd be careful there Katherine. As I'm sure you know, it's not smart to piss of those who are older and stronger than you." Sara warned before she turned her attention to the others. "Kids these days." She said with a shrug, a smirk on her lips before her face became rather serious. "She'll be fine and I'm sorry about taking Jeremy, perhaps I should explain." She said as she observed everyone, though Stefan couldn't help but notice that Sara wouldn't look at him.
"Yeah, that might be nice and you can start with what the fuck are you?" Damon said as he watched her with a careful eye. Never in his 170 plus years had he seen something like Sara and he wasn't talking about her physical appearance. Sara simply nodded at him and suggested that they all sit down. Everyone was on the defensive, but did as they were asked.
"Alright, start talking." Elena said as she sat between Stefan and Jeremy, making sure she couldn't take him again.
"Right, well these days I go by the name of Sara Phillips, but I was born Selephia Petrovski in 432 B.C in Ancient Rome. Amara is, was, a distant Aunt of mine and I'm the first doppelgänger known to have appeared after Amara became immortal." She said, letting them take in the information before she continued. This was all bound to be over whelming.
"If you're the first doppelgänger then that would make you older than Katherine. So, she's not new at all then." Matt stated in wonder.
"Way to go, Captain Obvious and in case you didn't quite catch it, she's also older than fucking Klaus!" Damon shouted at Matt before downing the rest of his bourbon. At this rate he was going to need to go get more.
"Stop shouting at Matt, Damon!" Caroline said as she glared at him. "Let's let her talk. Clearly there's a reason as to why she's here. Please continue Sara." Caroline sent a kind smile at the eldest doppelgänger.
"Thank you Caroline, but it's okay. This is a lot to process and I understand it's a bit much at one time." Sara said as she returned the blonde's smile. "But you are right; there is a reason as to why I'm here. Now I know you've all faced quite the few enemies, but I'm afraid there is something that is still far worse to come." Sara told them as she moved to help herself to the liquor cabinet. She was in desperate need of a drink. What she really wanted was another cigarette, but figured it would be bad taste to light one up around everyone. This wasn't her home and there was at least one human in the room after all.
"So what's this thing that's coming?" Bonnie asked. She knew something was going to happen, she could feel it. As the Anchor she could feel the balance between this plane and the Other Side shifting slightly and besides things had been far too quiet around Mystic Falls lately. Sara put down the glass she had just filled and looked to the descendant of the witch that had started all of this.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I do know it's not something of this world. Out of my 2400 plus years things are changing in a way that they shouldn't be. I have reliable sources all around the world and they all are relaying the same information: The Travelers are up to something and it has something to do with the doppelgängers. And let's face it, when something concerns us doppelgängers, nothing good ever comes out of It." She said while taking a sip of her bourbon. Everyone had to nod their heads in agreement at that, nothing good ever happened when someone or some plan involved the doppelgängers.
"Well I have to give her that, but I don't have to give her my bourbon." Damon said as he took the glass out of Sara's hands and downed it himself. "You still haven't told us what it is that you are." He growled, allowing his inner vampire to show.
Sara sighed, not bothered by the threat. "I'm a Striga." She informed them.
"A Striga? Wow, that's cool. Ah, what's a Striga?" Matt asked. He'd never heard of such a creature and as he looked around the room it seemed no one else had either.
"Well, if you were to believe any of the legends about me, it states that I'm an Albanian vampiric witch who sucks the blood and souls of her victims. However, that legend is just from the time I lived in a village in Albania and allowed the humans of that time to know what it was they were living amongst." She said as she briefly as she recalled that short moment in time before continuing. "What that really means is that I survive by feeding off one's life source. I can also control those I feed off of, and no, I can't actually preform magic. At least not in the sense of a way that a witch can, but I can do that whole headache trick." She said just as she gave Damon one said migraine and took the glass from him and refilled it.
"Ah! Bitch!" Damon groaned as he sunk to his knees holding his head. The pain faded as quickly as it had come.
"Relax sweetie, it won't kill you." She said as she sipped on her bourbon.
"So that's what you are!" Jeremy exclaimed, jumping up from his spot next to his sister on the couch. "But you said you're not a vampire." Jeremy said, now slightly more confused.
"I'm not. I don't technically feed on blood. I can, I have fangs, but blood isn't as good as souls. Souls are to me what blood is to a vampire. Blood is just a temporary fix. I also don't burn in sunlight and vervain has no effect on me. Vampires also can't compel me, but I have found of the years that I have the ability of compulsion as well and mine however does work on vampires. I know it's strange and confusing, but nothing in my life has ever made sense so I've kind of just learned to deal with it. Not like I had any choice in the matter." Sara explained.
"Wow! That is, like, really cool!" Matt exclaimed.
"Yes, Matt it is. It's cool to be cursed to be this murderous, monstrous creature and that there is no cure for me." She said as she quickly downed the rest of her drink.
"Wait, you were cursed?" Caroline asked. "For what?"
"Yes Caroline. I was cursed, but that's another story entirely." Sara said as she quickly glanced to the form of Stefan Salvatore but to her he wasn't Stefan he was Pelicarpo and he was the reason she had been cursed. While the others processed the information they had received from Sara, Caroline being Caroline kept on talking.
"So if all the doppelgängers are being targeted due to this unknown enemy, is it wise for everyone to be here all together in Mystic Falls?" she asked, looking to Sara for answers.
"Well I…" Sara started, but she was interrupted by Katherine.
"We don't know that we're being targeted, Caroline. Everything's been fine so far. Are we really going to listen to her because she says some people have told her something strange is going on with the Travelers? News flash everyone! The Travelers are a strange group of people and besides we don't even know if what she's saying is true. I mean how can we even trust her? She did kidnap Jeremy after all." Katherine hissed as she walked around the living room with the bottle of bourbon in her hand, taking sips from it now and then. Damon couldn't help, but snort into his glass at her words.
"That's real rich coming from you, Katherine. How many times have you kidnapped someone in this room or had been the cause of their death, hmm? And we still let you hang around." Damon countered.
"At least Sara brought Jeremy back unharmed and said she was sorry! How many times can we say that about you?" Caroline argued in Sara's defense as she stood from her spot on the couch, challenging Katherine.
"Watch it Caroline. I'd hate to have to hurt you, though I really can't imagine it being any different than killing you." Katherine sneered with a smirk on her face.
Caroline scoffed at her. "Are you sure you even can? You look like you're still a bit shaken up from having a part of your soul sucked out of you. Though that's really something because I would've figured you wouldn't have had one."
Katherine glared at the blonde vampire, taking a step towards her. "Why you little…"
"ENOUGH!" Sara shouted as the windows to the living room all burst open with a strong gust of wind. As everyone turned their gaze towards the oldest doppelgänger they noticed her eyes were solid white, almost glowing even. "There is something coming and if you don't believe me than you can ask Bonnie, she'll tell you. As the Anchor, I know she can feel the changes as well. And we are being targeted." She spat through gritted teeth. "No matter where I go as of late someone has been following me and bad things have happened. I've been forced to flee more cities, more countries these past few months than I have in hundreds of years!" Sara had to clench her jaw before she went too far, before she lost what little control she still had. Her temper, her hunger, it was becoming too much. She needed to feed and it didn't help that she had an all-you-can-eat buffet of souls sitting in front of her.
Bonnie looked as if she was going to speak, but she was cut off by Elena. "I agree with Katherine. How can we trust her?" she said while everyone looked at her like she'd grown two heads.
"Well, Hell has officially frozen over if Elena's agreeing with Katherine." Damon said as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Elena…" Bonnie finally spoke, but once again Elena interrupted her.
"No, Bonnie! She took Jeremy!" Elena shouted at her friend as she jumped up, pointing a finger at Sara.
"But she's telling the truth!" Bonnie shouted back, standing up. "I can feel it, Elena. Something is changing, there's a shift in the balance between us and The Other Side."
"Okay, so she's telling the truth, that's great … or bad depending on how you look at it. Can we please just get back to Caroline's question on wither or not the four of you are in danger being in the same town together." Matt stood, pointing out that Caroline's question had yet to have been answered and that it was actually a really important one.
If the doppelgängers were all being targeted, was it a good idea that they were all in the same place? Everyone sat back down while the bourbon was taken away from Katherine and everyone turned their attention back to Sara. Her eyes had gone back to normal, but Jeremy could tell she was still struggling with her control. He didn't know what it was, but in the short amount of time they had spent together he felt some sort of connection with her almost if he'd come to understand her, perhaps it was due to his sympathizing nature.
Sara took a deep breath before downing her glass of bourbon, the burning sensation it left as it traveled down her throat was a much needed distraction. "Yes, well as to Caroline's question…" Sara spoke, clearing her throat. "It may not be the smartest thing, but it may be the safest. Whenever this thing comes here, and it will, it's better for each of us to be close by to help one another than it is to be farther apart as an easier target." Nods were unanimous around the room, feeling it was better for them to be together than apart.
"So what about your Silas look-a-like? I mean, if all the doppelgängers are being targeted then they should all be here right?" Caroline spoke and Sara wished she hadn't.
"I think we're all pretty much well accounted for Caroline." Stefan finally spoke up. He'd been silent up until this point, listening, absorbing all the information that Sara had given them, and he had also been trying to keep Elena from leaping up and attacking the woman, but all that seemed to do was let her take out her frustration on Bonnie.
"Stefan is right, Silas and Amara are gone, the newest Silas doppelgänger Tom Avery is dead, and Tatia and her Silas double died a long time ago." Sara spoke hurriedly, avoiding the subject of Pelicarpo. "As far as I know, we are the only remaining doppelgängers out there."
"Yes, but what about…" Caroline persisted, but she was cut off.
"He's dead, Caroline!" Sara snapped. "Pelicarpo died back in 414 B.C as a human. We don't need to worry about him; it's just the four of us." Sara's whole body was trembling though it wasn't from the sadness or remorse that everyone thought it was from. It was from the intense rage, the betrayal she still felt after all these years. "Look, we've covered a lot tonight. Why don't we just let this all sink in and reconvene at another time." Sara said as she made her way towards the door. "Jeremy, you know where I'll be should anything happen." She said before hurrying out the door and towards her car.
"Sara, wait!" Jeremy shouted as he ran after her. He didn't even make it out the door way before he saw her car speed off down the drive way. Everyone else had gathered at the door way, all deciding that they too should be going home as it had been a long day and it had gotten very late. Caroline and Matt left in their separate cars while Bonnie, Elena and Jeremy all got into Elena's car and left for the Gilbert house. Damon and Stefan shut the door and returned to the living room to find Katherine near the Bourbon again.
"You do realize she's hiding something right?" Katherine stated with a hand on her hip as she took a sip from her glass.
"Well we're all entitled to our secrets Katherine and I thought I took that away from you." Damon said as he once again took the alcohol away from the 1473 Doppelgänger.
"Whatever. I'm going to bed." Katherine scoffed as she made her way up the stairs and towards the room she had declared as hers. Damon and Stefan just shook their heads as they both indulged in another glass.
"You do realize this is the most fucked up town ever right?" Damon said, looking to his brother. He was the only Silas Doppelgänger left and he was surrounded by three Amara Doppelgänger. All who had either fallen in love with him or someone who looked like him at one point or another in time. 'Lucky Bastard' Damon thought.
"Yup." Stefan agreed before downing his glass then heading up to bed as well.
"Just checking." Damon downed his glass and instead of filling another one he made his way down to the basement for a bag of blood and then used his vampire speed to head up to his rooms. The house was quiet and Damon could hear himself think for the first time in hours. He couldn't help, but wonder what this doppelgänger was bring to his life. Something told him that the Katherine and Elena had been mere child's play compared to Sara.
x-TOPD-x
A/N: 2 So what do you guys think? I know it seems kinda slow, but there's a lot of information to get on the table and then I promise things will pick up. Up next: a puppet to the new enemy comes to MF, a fire, and the reason why Sara was cursed and perhaps the planting of a seed in romance. Please Review!