Isabella's POV
I awoke in a tangle of blankets and sheets. What was going on? I didn't know what the dreams meant, and why I said what I'd said to both Stefan and the stranger. Wait...I hadn't said it. For some reason, I just knew that it wasn't me, but it was her. Elena. But how could I dream up someone I'd never laid eyes on? It didn't make sense. I shook my head, flopping down onto my pillows. An image of Stefan flashed through my mind, and I felt a gut instinct in my stomach that I needed to talk to him. I needed to talk to him about Elena Gilbert.
Stefan's POV
I watched Caroline as she paced the living room, trying my best to ignore the glass of human blood in her hands. I glanced glumly down at my glass of squirrel blood. Nowhere near as satisfying as a blood bag, I thought grimly. But if I was going through with this, I had to learn control.
"It's too weird..." Caroline muttered. "It was like seeing Elena all over again...God. I'm lucky I didn't burst into tears."
"She's not Elena," I reminded her. "We have to remember that. Isabella is a completely different person."
"I'm skipping school tomorrow to do some research on Isabella," she told me. "Her family, her history and anything like that."
I sighed. "I Googled it. Reincarnation can happen when someone dies young...Elena died young; she was only seventeen. It all makes perfect sense."
Caroline finally quit pacing, and sat beside me on the couch. "Stefan...I've changed my mind."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I think we should forget about this all," she confessed.
"Are you kidding me? I've spent two centuries loving Elena, and now I've found out that she's been reincarnated and there's a chance we can be together again. I can't just walk away now," I said.
"But what if she doesn't remember you? What if she...doesn't love you?"
I shook my head. "I love Elena with everything in me. I know she felt the same way, I mean, what if she was reincarnated so we could be together again?"
"I just don't want you to get hurt, Stefan. And I don't want Isabella to get hurt either," Caroline said firmly.
"She won't get hurt," I argued. "I would never hurt Elena." And then I bit my lip.
"She's not Elena," Caroline whispered.
Isabella's POV
At lunch the following day I waited in the cafeteria, remembering Stefan's offer to eat with me today. My stomach was turning with butterflies – I had so much to say and I knew this wasn't the time to say it.
"Hey."
I glanced up in surprise to see Stefan standing over me, holding a lunch tray. I smiled, remembering all over again how his gorgeous eyes melted me, making my knees weak and my stomach fluttery. Stefan sat opposite me and smiled. I wanted to stay and talk with him, and forget all about Elena Gilbert. But I knew I had to do something first.
"Stefan, we need to talk," I stated.
He frowned in confusion. "Okay. What do we need to talk about?"
"Now's not the time," I told him. "Can you meet me after school at the cemetery?"
"Okay, I'll bite. What's going on?" he asked.
"I – I can't explain it right now. But it's important. Will you be there?"
"Of course," he agreed without hesitation. "Whatever you want."
"Okay," I said, smiling in relief. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I promise I'll explain myself after school, all right?"
"Uh, yeah," he replied. He looked more than confused now, but there was no more I could say at the moment. I quickly swung my bag over my shoulder and stood up.
"Bye," I called quickly over my shoulder, before hurrying to the school's library. I sat down at one of the computers, and typed Elena Gilbert into the search engine. A huge list of results came up, mostly to do with founding families. I clicked on a promising link to the town's website, and found a passage on Miss Mystic Falls 2010. My mouth fell open when I saw how old these pictures were – they were two hundred years old! Which meant Elena lived...maybe died two hundred years ago...hadn't Stefan said he'd known her? But how was that possible? I clicked on a link for some pictures, and I was dumbfounded at what I saw.
I saw a line of female contestants for Miss Mystic Falls. My eyes widened in shock when I saw...no, it couldn't be. I read the caption for the blonde girl in the turquoise dress: Caroline Forbes. When I zoomed in on the photo, I recognised Caroline's face – the girl I had met yesterday...what was going on? And then my heart dropped into my stomach when I read the caption, Elena Gilbert, and saw the picture of her. It was me. She looked exactly like me, like a mirror image. Her hair was curly and pinned back, and she was wearing a blue silk dress. I leaned back in the chair, my hands shaking. I looked exactly like Elena Gilbert who had died two hundred years ago, and supposedly knew Stefan and Caroline who were supposed to be seventeen years old...what? This was unreal. Absently, I flicked through more photos, and saw one of Elena dancing with her escort. When I zoomed in on his face, I felt a pang of shock – it was the stranger from my dream! I scrolled down to read the caption, and my heart skipped a beat. His name was Damon Salvatore. The name rung in my head, like an echo from a forgotten dream. I knew that Stefan and Damon were brothers. What. Was. Going. On?
I waited in the cemetery beside Elena Gilbert's stone. I gently touched the engraved writing, and felt a warm sensation pass through my arm. I didn't pull back this time, and I embraced the feeling. It wasn't eerie – it was warm and pleasant. I drew back when I saw Stefan approaching.
"Hi. Are you okay?" he asked in concern. "You had me worried at lunch today."
"I – I'm fine. Who was Elena Gilbert to you?" I asked.
Something in his expression changed. "I loved her. She was my girlfriend."
"Really? There's no year on this tombstone. That's weird. But I've got evidence to prove that Elena Gilbert was alive two hundred years ago, and you and Caroline knew her. How in the hell is that possible?" I demanded.
Stefan paused, and then gazed at me in shock. "You figured it out so much quicker than I expected."
"What do you mean?"
"Think," he said. "Think really hard. You know the answer. Deep inside of you," his eyes scorched mine. "Really, really think."
I shook my head. "Stop it. I want a straight answer."
"Fine. Does this word mean anything to you? Vampire," he said coolly.
The word sent chills crawling down my back at first, and then I felt inexplicably comfortable. But why?
"Damon Salvatore," I said. "Does that name mean anything to you?"
He paused. "My brother," he told me. "How do you know of him?"
"I want the truth, Stefan. I want to know what's going on. Why do I feel like I know you, and Damon, and Caroline, and Mystic Falls altogether? Why do I feel comfortable with the word "vampire" and why do I look like Elena Gilbert?"
Stefan sighed. "It's not something I can tell you. You wouldn't believe me. You have to think, Isabella," he said, his eyes suddenly full of urgency. "You have to really remember. Only you can answer this question."
And then he turned, and began to walk away.
"Wait!" I shouted after him. "You haven't told me anything!"
He didn't respond. He just continued walking.
