PREVIOUSLY IN MYSTIC FALLS: While enjoying lunch at the Mystic Grill, Damon and Elena see a stranger at the bar and Damon completely freaks out for some unknown reason. Upon further prodding by Elena, Damon insists that this person is supposed to be dead. But clearly, he's wrong cause they're standing right in front of him! So who the hell is this person? Review!
"It can't be." the strange girl breathed. She blinked several times, as if Damon would suddenly disappear.
"Damon!" Elena said urgently.
The stranger suddenly noticed the doppelgänger.
"Katherine Pierce?" she hissed. "You manipulative, backstabbing bitch!" Her eyes darkened to a deep red. With a low snarl, her fangs extended, and she gave Elena a vicious look. She started toward Elena, and it was quite apparent that she intended to rip Damon's girl to pieces.
Damon finally snapped out of it. "No!" he stood in front of Elena. "This isn't Katherine. Her name is Elena Gilbert."
"You're still whipped, arent you?" the girl hissed, her vamp face still scaring the bejesus out of Elena.
"Smell her! She isn't a vampire!" Damon pleaded desperately.
The girl narrowed her bloody eyes, and with great reluctance, sniffed Elena's neck. Elena gasped involuntarily as she braced herself to be bitten. The girl pulled back and studied Elena.
"She's human. Smells good too." she grumbled. Her fangs disappeared and her eyes returned to their normal color.
"Sorry Elena," she apologized sheepishly. "I wasn't a fan of Katherine in 1864."
Elena let out a shuddering breath. "It's ok. I understand." She gave the girl a half-smile.
There was an awkward pause.
"Alley. Now." Damon said abruptly. The trio slipped through a door on the side of the restaraunt. Amazingly, the patrons had been too drunk to notice anything that just happened, and were completely oblivious to the sudden disappearence.
It was still pouring rain outside. Damon and girls huddled together underneath a small awning.
"Well." Damon's acquantience sighed. "I guess I should introduce myself. Valentina Salvatore." She stuck out her hand towards Elena. Elena took it and shook it warmly. Then it clicked.
"Wait a second... Salvatore?" Elena looked to Damon, then Valentina, then Damon again. "Any..."
"Relation?" Damon finished.
"Cousins." Valentina grinned. "Stefan, Damon and I were the Three Musketeers back in the day. Speaking of which, where is Stefan?"
Damon and Elena suddenly got very quiet.
"What?" Valentina questioned, searching their faces. "What happened?" a look of panic flickered across her face.
"Valentina." Damon said softly, taking her hand. "We need to talk."
"Holy shit."
Damon, Elena and Valentina were standing in front of the boarding house. Valentina was staring at the place, absolutely blown away.
"When did this happen?" she exclaimed.
Damon laughed and led the way to the door. Valentina followed him and Elena, her face still full of amazement.
Damon and Elena strolled right into the house, but Valentina wasn't so lucky. She staggered backwards like she had run into an invisble wall, which in a sense, she had. Valentina let loose many vulgar curse words, while Elena looked on in a mix of shock and amusment and Damon laughed out loud.
"Sorry, cuz. Forgot to mention- legally, this is Elena's place." Damon snickered.
"I am so sorry!" Elena said, trying not to laugh. "Please, come in."
Valentina glared at Damon, and gingerly approached the doorway. She stepped through the door quickly, and let out a sigh of relief when nothing happened.
The three of them made their way to the spacious living room. Damon poured two glasses of scotch, and handed one to Valentina. Elena gave the newcomer a towel to dry off from the storm outside.
"Ok." Valentina said briskly as soon as Damon and Elena sat on the couch opposite her. "Talk."
Damon and Elena glanced at each other briefly, then looked back at Valentina. She was startled to see the mix of emotions on their faces, from fear to sadness to shame. She leaned forward slightly, the panic still blazing in her eyes.
"Stefan has..." Elena started. She paused, trying to think of how to put the months of pain and agony into one sentence. "Stefan isn't Stefan anymore."
Valentina frowned as Damon snorted into his drink.
"That's quite a diplomatic way to put it." he muttered.
Elena glared at him.
"What do you mean, he's not himself anymore?" Valentina pressed.
"It's a really, really long story." Damon sighed. "Full of tragedy, pain and bullshit." He cast eyes down to his empty glass, unable to hide the grief he felt.
Valentina looked at him with the same sadness in her eyes. She knocked back her drink in one gulp and replied. "I have eternity."
Cousin? Well shoot, if she's a vamp, who else from 1864 is still running around? And how shall she react to the news of Stefan? Stay tuned...