Wow thank you so much for all the reviews! I planned on updating yesterday but got sidetracked by shopping and movies, thanks to my friend. Anyways, here's the next chapter. All is revealed! R & R!
"Secrets are made to be found out with time."- Charles Sanford
"Damon, tell me what's going on!" Elena begged, panic evident in her voice.
She still had her hand wrapped tightly around his wrist and he was moving swiftly through the throng of people A few people looked at them like they were about to say something to him, like he was the one gripping her and pulling her long along, not the one gripping and desperately following. She imagined Damon looked like he was about to kill someone, hint why a few people stepped out of his way completely as he walked.
Well, not everyone.
Alaric stood out right in front of him, blocking his path. He put a hand out, it hitting Damon's chest with an audible smack.
"What happened?" Alaric asked, his voice worried and low. The distress on Damon's face must have been as evident as Elena thought it would be. She still kept her hand wrapped firmly around his wrist. She wouldn't allow him to leave her behind. She knew exactly what Damon was capable of when he was like this and she wouldn't allow him to make a hasty decision and wind up regretting it later. She knew with striking clarity he would feel it later. The days of Damon shutting down his emotions were long over.
"Our friend-" he sneered the word "-Conner isn't who he says he is."
Elena felt just as confused as Alaric looked. She knew last night something wasn't right with Conner. She knew with every ounce of her being something was wrong. He transformed from someone sweet and innocent (in the supernatural awareness sense of the word) and safe to something unknown, scary and possibly dangerous. He was no longer her Conner. And Damon seemed to know exactly what that unknown was and Elena felt frustrated that he wouldn't fill her in.
"W-what do you mean?" Alaric asked, eyes wide.
"I mean, how much do we actually know about Conner?" Damon asked, voice low with purpose and intent.
"A lot," Elena said, voice shaking. "I know a lot."
"You know what he's told you," Damon said.
"But- but I've met his parents!" Elena said, desperately trying to dismiss the thought forming in her head and already in Damon's. "I've been to his house and I saw where he grew up!"
Maybe it was the desperation in her voice or the tears starting to burn in her eyes that caused Damon's eyes to softest just a touch. He touched the hand that was gripping his wrist with his other hand and even in the middle of her world falling apart again, she couldn't help but feel the tingling in her skin where he touched her. She couldn't help but feel like she was home in his icy blue eyes.
"People lie, Elena," he said, like she should know that better than most people. "They lie about who they are and what drives them. They lie about their motives and intentions."
She blinked and felt tears rolled down her cheek.
"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Alaric asked.
"Have you seen Conner?" Damon asked, ignoring his question.
"Yeah, he went down the hall, in the direction of Stefan's room," Alaric said.
Damon's eyes blazed and he started walking again, pulling Elena along with him. Alaric followed. They swerved and avoided the mass of people scattered.
Finally, they reached Stefan's room, the door closed.
She made the mistake of dropping his hand as a flood of memories washed through her. Damon opened the door and Elena saw Conner standing, reading something before Damon used his supernatural speed to run to Conner, fling what Elena recognized as one of Stefan's diaries out of his hand and pinned him against the wall by his throat.
Conner struggled and pulled at Damon's hands, unsuccessfully.
"What the hell?" Conner choked, using his dwindling air supply. "How'd you do that?"
Elena and Alaric both ran to Damon and tried to pull him off of Conner. Of course, both being human, it didn't work. Trying to pull Damon off of Conner at this point was like trying to move a brick wall by hand. Elena would have to try a different tactic.
"Damon," she begged, "stop, please, please stop. We won't find out anything like this. Let him go."
She watched the struggle on his face, to let Conner go or not to, before finally he dropped his hands from Conner's throat and he slid down the wall before hitting the floor, choking on the rush of air filling his lungs.
"What the hell are you?" Conner asked, rubbing his hands over his throat and coughing.
Damon rolled his eyes. "Stop the "innocent human" act," Damon said. "You're not fooling anyone anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Conner asked, glaring at the vampire. "Are you insane?"
"Only a little," Damon said, narrowing his eyes at him. "But you already know that, don't you?"
Conner turned to Elena and Elena felt nothing but wariness and uncertainty staring at him. He looked like he genuinely had no idea what Damon was talking about but how could Elena believe him? Conner was hiding something. Elena just knew it.
"Elena, what is he talking about?" Conner asked, brown eyes wide and innocent.
"Stop acting like you don't know, Conner," Elena said. "You can stop lying. We know."
Technically, she knew nothing but if Conner thought they knew something he would be more inclined to stop acting innocent.
She was right and his expression suddenly changed and Elena let a gasp escape her lips. His face looked so much older and wiser, like he'd seen more things than anyone his age should. It was no longer the sweet, carefree, happy expression she'd come to know and even love. He was a stranger now. It was like in just a second he was a completely different person.
He stood up, effortlessly, not like he had just been choked thirty seconds ago and ran a hand through his hair. "I doubt that, Elena," he said. His voice changed just as rapidly as his face and Elena felt her eyes widen. "I really, really doubt that."
"Who are you?" Elena whispered.
"I'm Conner Wilkins" he said. "I grew up in California, I had a sister named Melody, I go to Columbia now. You know who I am."
Elena shook her head. "Who the hell are you?" she practically shouted. She forgot she was at a party with a hundred other people who could hear her shout. She forgot there were two other people in the room with her. She forgot everything. "Stop lying and tell me the truth!"
"Tell her or I will," Damon threatened.
Conner shot him a dangerous look, like Conner could physically hurt him if he wanted to. "You don't know what the hell the truth is, Damon Salvatore," he said, sneering Damon's name. "You don't know anything."
"I know I can and I will snap your neck and not think twice about it," Damon said, voice low and dangerous.
Conner looked amused, which only further irritated Damon and confused Elena. Was Conner suicidal or was she completely missing something? "I highly doubt that." Conner said, rolling his eyes.
"Want to bet?"
Conner shook his head, looking tired and annoyed. "You're arrogance and cockiness makes you blind, which makes you stupid. The combination will get you killed someday."
The look on Damon's face could have made someone melt but Conner held strong, looking at him with a look of distaste on his face. Alaric was as pale as a sheet and Elena wanted to scream out in frustration. She felt like she was the only one who didn't know what was going on.
"Stop it!" she yelled, causing them all to look at her. "Stop fighting and tell me what's going on!"
"He's a witch," Damon said.
Conner shot him a dark look. "Warlock."
Elena felt like she just got hit in the stomach. Conner was a warlock. He had supernatural powers. He knew everything. The very thing Elena wanted so desperately for Conner to never know he already knew. He was a part of it.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena whispered.
"Oh because there's more I'm sure," Damon said, answering for him. "Go ahead, Conner, tell her."
Conner hesitated, a look of uncertainty on his face.
"You're working with Elijah aren't you?" Damon asked.
Elena gasped. No, no, no. He couldn't be. She couldn't have been with the person who worked with the person who killed Stefan for the last few years. It was impossible. She would have known wouldn't she? Elijah would have contacted Conner somehow and Elena would have known. Wouldn't she?
"You don't know the truth," Conner said, staring at Elena. "I can see the accusation on your face."
Conner took a step towards her and Elena took one step back, not wanting Conner anywhere near her.
His eyebrows furrowed and he almost looked hurt. "Listen to me, Elena," he said, a hint of desperation in his tone. "You have to trust me-"
"Trust you?" Elena shrieked. "Trust you? You are working with the person who killed him! You've been lying to me about who you the entire time I've known you! Why in God's name would I trust you?"
"Elijah didn't kill Stefan," Conner said, shaking his blonde head.
Damon and Elena both froze, caught between shock and suspicion. Alaric, who had kept quiet the entire time asked, "If Elijah didn't kill Stefan, then who did?"
"One of Klaus's… men," Conner said, bitterly. "They were more than likely looking for the moonstone and thought Stefan would have it. When he didn't, they killed him."
"You're lying," Damon said, eyes narrowed.
"Why would I lie?" Conner snapped at him. "What good would that serve me?"
"How do you know all of this?" Elena asked, skeptically.
"You don't have to believe me, Elena," Conner said. "I've given you every reason not to, but Elijah isn't your enemy. Klaus is. Klaus wants the curse broken not Elijah."
"Why wouldn't he?" Alaric asked. "Why would he not want the curse broken?"
"Why would he?" Conner countered. "The only good it would bring him would be the power to walk in the sunlight, which he already possesses. It would cause him more trouble than it would good."
"How so?" Damon asked.
"He wouldn't be the only vampire who would be allowed to walk in the sunlight," Conner explained. "It would let every vampire in the world. Do you know how bad that would be? Do you know how chaotic the world would be? Elijah doesn't want to deal with that. He wants things to stay the way they are now."
"Then why would Klaus want that?" Elena asked.
Conner's face twisted in disgust and anger. "Because Klaus is insane in every sense of the word. He loves chaos and pain and everything we fear. He ravels in it."
"And where do you fit in to all of this?" Damon asked.
"My sister wasn't killed by a drunk driver when I was fourteen. She was taken by Klaus. Melody is a powerful witch and Klaus needs a powerful witch to break the curse. He has a number of witches with him, held against their will.
"Right before I graduated, Elijah came to me and told me everything. He said that if I would do something for him, he would get Melody back."
"What did you have to do?" Elena asked, though she was certain she already knew the answer.
"He told me that I had to protect someone who was very important," Conner said, his eyes softening just a little as they looked at her. "He said that she was the key to the entire curse and she needed to be protected."
Elena stared at him, wordlessly, waiting for him to go on.
"A few months and compulsion later, I was in Columbia under the impression of a full scholarship," he explained. "Elijah gave me a picture of you and said to do whatever I needed to do to protect you. So I started asking around about you and found out about you. It wasn't long before we were talking and became friends.
"Elena I didn't plan on falling in love with you. I really didn't. But I did and it wasn't just about getting my sister back anymore. It was about protecting you from Klaus and fixing you. You were so sad and broken when I met you. All I wanted was to make you better. All I wanted was to bring out the girl I knew use to fill the empty shell you had become."
"Why should we believe a word you're saying?" Damon asked, though he looked like he believed Conner.
"You don't have to," Conner said, simply, all traces of anger washed away from his face and voice. "But she's the doppelganger and she has to be protected with all costs. You know that, Damon."
Damon looked like he was caught up in a déjà vu moment and he simply nodded, not saying anything.
"You could have told me the truth," Elena said. "You could have told me who you were from the very beginning instead of lying. I would have believed you."
Conner shook his head. "You wanted to have a normal life," he said. "I wanted you to have a normal life. I didn't want you to have to constantly worry about everything."
"But I did," she said. "I did everyday."
Elena swallowed back tears. "I want you to leave, Conner," she said.
His eyes widened and he shook his head. "Elena, I need to protect-"
"I have plenty of people who can protect me," she said, knowing this was true. "And the moonstone is safe from Klaus. He won't be able to get it."
"I don't want to leave you," he said.
"But I want you to," she said. It hurt saying those words but their entire relationship had been based on a lie. The person she thought she fell in love with was a lie. He didn't exist. "Your responsibility of taking care of me is over. Consider yourself free."
"I told you it wasn't about that anymore," he argued.
"Please leave," she whispered. "And don't come back."
He looked like he was going to argue before his face fell in defeat. "I love you, Elena," he said. "I always will. Don't forget that."
He turned to Damon. "Protect her," he said, fiercely.
Elena expected Damon to say something sarcastic or rude but he didn't. "I always have and I always will," he said.
And with that, Conner gave her one last look before walking out the door.
Aww):
I have to say I'll miss Conner just a little bit, but he needed to leave. At least I didn't make him a bad guy like you were all probably expecting!