Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Anastasia Gilbert – Petra Cubonova.
Ezra Fell – Matt Dallas.
By the way; in case anyone is confused, Lexi has a daylight ring. I always found it odd that Bree was friends with Lee and Lexi and never made them a daylight accessory. I believe that Bree was inexperienced to make them one before, and with Bree alive, had one done for Lee and Lexi. With Lexi having returned to Mystic Falls, Bree sent Lexi's ring in the post. So, yeah! To any confused readers out there, Lexi can totally walk under the sunlight now after three hundred years… FINALLY!
Chapter 21:
For some inexplicable reason, when Anastasia woke up and traipsed to the bathroom for a nice warm shower before school, an ominous feeling engulfed her and the blonde knew that this would be an eventful day filled with surprises – and not particularly good ones. Ignoring the bizarre feeling of trepidation, she donned on a cream V-neck open-shoulder loose yet fit top, paired it off with her favorite grey ripped fringe denim shorts, black high-heeled tassel boots and its matching tassel shoulder purse before slicking red lip-gloss onto her pouty lips, a thin line of black eyeliner and mascara and kept her golden locks in its natural curls.
The doorbell rang, interrupting Anastasia from her musings, followed by Uncle John's voice calling her from the kitchen, "Ana! Caroline's here!"
Sapphire eyes widened in remembrance and she facepalmed; with all the drama that ensued after the annual Miss Mystic Falls pageant, Anastasia completely blanked on the promise she made to her blonde counterpart to help build the Miss Mystic float for the Founders' Day parade. The blonde Gilbert descended the stairs two at a time despite her high heels, lest she faced the wrath of Caroline Forbes when she was in neurotic planner mode.
Entering the kitchen, her nose immediately took a whiff, her stance relaxing at the wonderful aroma of coffee beans in the morning and she gratefully grabbed the mug John knowingly offered her with her trademark mega-watt smile, "Thanks Uncle John. You know me oh so well."
"If by knowing you so well is code for you being a Tasmanian devil before your morning coffee, then yeah, everyone does, Ana," Caroline smirked, and Anastasia noticed that she too, was clutching onto a mug as though her life depended on it. "God, I swear, coffee in this town hasn't been the same with you gone, John," Caroline complimented with a genuine smile as she greedily sipped on her lukewarm coffee.
John raised an amused eyebrow in return and stared inquisitively at two of his favorite blondes in Mystic Falls. Anastasia giggled and pecked John's cheek before slumping on the seat beside her sister in all but blood, nodding in agreement, "Oh, c'mon, Uncle John. You make the best coffee around here. I've been waiting seventeen years to hear the secret of the famous John Gilbert Morning Coffee."
Caroline nodded in mock-solemnity, "Yeah, and Ana and I are one in the same. So I'll find out either way."
John chuckled good-naturedly and slid a mug over to Jeremy as he joined them on the island before facing the two blondes he always identified as actual twins due to their uncanny bond, "I never knew it was so coveted. Ever since Sunshine turned seven, she had an obsession with caramel and vanilla," his eyes crinkled in a smile as he concentrated on Anastasia, "You went into a state of frenzy, going as far as mixing those two with every meal. I just add a drop of vanilla and caramel extract. Not exactly a secret Gilbert recipe."
"Seriously," Caroline shrieked in disbelief and slight amusement, "That's all?"
"That's all," John parroted with a chuckle. Anastasia burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter upon noticing the disappointed frown on Caroline's face while Jeremy diminutively shook his head in amusement. Elena barged in with a sullen expression, making sure to send John a glare of utter distaste, effectively disrupting the jovial atmosphere. John gave her a stifled smile that Anastasia listed off as pointless, "Elena, want some coffee?"
Elena merely huffed and shook her head before sending a smile to Caroline, one that the hyperactive blonde didn't return, "Care, I'm going to meet Stefan, but I'll meet you in time to help with the Float. Bye Jer, Ana," and without a backward glance, she whipped her hair as she walked out the door leaving behind a scandalized Forbes, an enraged Anastasia and an uncomfortable Jeremy. John – bless the man, feigned nonchalance and smiled at the three teenagers, "Don't you three have school to get to?"
"Yeah, uh, Ana, I'll wait by your car," Jeremy clapped John on the shoulder and darted outside, wanting nothing more than to escape the tension Elena created in her wake. Elena was really making it easy for him to hate – first with her obsession with the Salvatore brothers, and then messing with his memories, and her horrible decisions to 'keep people safe;' Jeremy finally discovered that John built the façade that made him Mystic Falls' most hated individual because in order to get things done, somebody had to play the bad guy, and Jeremy respected that, especially when he witnessed first-hand how protective and caring his uncle was in terms of his family. Elena didn't have to be such a bitch and knowing that Elena didn't even bat an eyelash when Damon tried killing John at the party in the Lockwoods, she didn't endear herself to him any longer.
Caroline throttled John with a suffocating hug and beamed when his response was to ruffle her hair fondly and give her a chaste kiss on the cheek, "Don't worry about Elena, John. Who needs her when you have us," she grinned cheekily. In all honestly, John Gilbert was more of a father and uncle to her than her own father, Bill Forbes, could ever be. Even her own mother, the Sherriff, barely paid any attention to her, and in her opinion, John won the role as both of her parental figures ever since she turned nine and Bill Forbes walked out on her for his gay lover.
Watching her best friend and uncle/father trade farewells with a fond expression cemented the decision Anastasia had been pondering over for weeks now; it was time to include her blonde twin about her true parentage and everything that went bump in the night. Bonnie was Elena's best friend, and other than her awareness of the supernatural entities in existence, she was a witch and had the means of protecting herself. Caroline on the other hand, was incompetent and had already fallen prey to Damon and Logan Fell … no, it was time her bona fide sister became aware.
-THE DOPPLEGANGER DIARIES-
Anastasia had barely entered the cafeteria with Caroline when Alaric shot her a meaningful look, subtly gesturing a hand in the direction of his classroom, and upon witnessing a bewildered Elena and Stefan trailing from behind, she was reminded of the ominous feelings from the morning which brought a shiver up her spine. The blonde Gilbert plastered her blonde counterpart a reassuring smile and promised not to take long before ambling toward the history classroom, her heels clicking ominously in her wake.
"Ah, you've been summoned as well, huh," Damon smirked, his hand hovering over the door handle and Anastasia inwardly smirked once she noticed his other hand involuntarily massage his torso, precisely the spot where she had stabbed him with an icicle last night.
"Huh, would you look at that. You've been summoned as well. Did you spend the day stalking the other residents of Mystic Falls, too? Or is it special treatment reserved for my uncle?" Anastasia couldn't help but quip, but she didn't allow the rash Salvatore to offer a glib retort as she smacked his hand away and pushed the door open. Just because the dude saved her life once, and she was actually fond of him, didn't mean Anastasia Gilbert would allow anyone to mess with her loved ones, and it was about time Damon learned his lesson sooner rather than later.
Besides, she already paid her life debt in spades; they were even.
Entering Alaric's classroom, all Anastasia's thoughts flew out the window when her eyes connected with a pair of terrified chocolate orbs that belonged to the confused mien of her sister. Sapphire orbs flickered toward Stefan and Alaric, both of whom looked equally grim, and her stomach churned violently.
Alaric sent Anastasia a small smile, probably still ashamed from his actions last night before glancing at Damon, "Damon, thanks for coming."
"Sorry I'm late. My dog ate my uh…"Damon trailed off with an indifferent shrug and he waved a dismissal hand in the air, "Never mind." Anastasia rolled her eyes when Damon made a beeline toward her and leaned against the table she coincidentally sat on, "Alaric, what's going on? Is this some emulation of the Scooby Gang like Buffy the Vampire Slayer were we all assemble together to battle the supernatural forces of evil or something?" she chuckled, trying to make light of what seemed to be a very grim situation.
Unsurprisingly, Damon's face broke out into a genuine smile and he chuckled at her jest, but what honest to god surprised the blonde Gilbert, was when Stefan's expression softened and he grinned at her. Elena however, was not amused, but before her big fat mouth managed to spit out some sort of scolding, the door opened and much to Anastasia's delight, Lexi walked in.
"Oops, sorry I'm late guys. I was on the phone with Lee," she smiled unabashedly and plumped on the chair separating Anastasia from Stefan; Lexi noticed the deep scowl on Elena's face and smirked, "Elena sweetie, you shouldn't frown so much, you'll get wrinkles." Anastasia practically shoved a fist into her mouth to suppress the giant bubble of laughter that threatened to erupt and if it weren't for Alaric's next words, then Elena would have volleyed the blonde vampire with a biting remark, despite the fact that she was her boyfriend's best friend.
"I saw Isobel last night," Alaric rushed out, breaking up all the inane chattering from the assembled group.
His words had a befitting effect on them; Stefan and Elena were obviously clued in due to the other three's tardiness, but nevertheless, Stefan's brow furrowed deeper than possible, Elena's chocolate orbs watered slightly, Lexi sucked in a sharp intake of breath and immediately clutched Anastasia's hand in a tight grip, Damon's easy-going stance stiffened palpably and his facial expression turned rigid. Anastasia however, shocked them all; inwardly, her thoughts were in turmoil, and suspicion over Isobel's sudden return played in her head, but outwardly, the blonde Gilbert merely shrugged, her gorgeous face staring at Alaric with indifference and her expressive sapphire eyes were oddly blank.
Damon finally recovered from his tongue-tied state, his electric blue orbs burning into Alaric's worried hazel ones, "Isobel is here? In town?" Mutely, Alaric nodded his head in response. "Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?" he shot off, forgetting that Anastasia was in the room – wrong move.
"HEY! Watch it, Salvatore!" Anastasia sneered, shooting up onto her feet and glaring at Damon with fire in her eyes – literally. Her irises transformed into the flaming orange embers of fire and her pupils contracted prompting the older Salvatore to take a small step backwards and for Stefan to play his role as mediator. "Hey, hey, Ana, calm down. We're not blaming John, it's just, he's the only person we know that's been in contact with Isobel. Calm down," Stefan kept the soothing quality in his husky tone and placed his hands on her shoulder, snapping her from her enraged state and every occupant in the room observed in awe and a small amount of fear as her irises returned to its lurid sapphire shade.
Lexi grinned, "That was awesome, Annie!" The blonde vampire was the only person at complete ease around Anastasia; for one, she wasn't stupid enough to provoke her ire, and secondly, Lexi was too loyal to the human girl. It was a well-known fact that Anastasia Gilbert would protect her loved ones fiercely, and only the certain individuals such as, Damon and Elena, that angered her, was well in their rights to fear her wrath. Anastasia returned to her vacated seat and scooched closer to Lexi, linking arms together before glaring at Damon, "My uncle will not be some suspect in your case! We aren't the Scooby Gang; there are no evil forces we're ganging up to fight in Mystic Falls."
Swallowing the lump from his throat, Damon concentrated on Alaric and continued shooting off twenty questions, "Okay, uh, forget about John. What about the invention?"
"Didn't ask," Alaric refuted; Anastasia held a hand out, "Woah, what invention?"
Damon seemed to have recovered his cocky attitude, for when he turned to face Anastasia, there was a complacent grin on his visage, "You mean Saint John didn't tell you? …Before he killed Pearl, she gave me an invention Jonathan Gilbert made back in 1864; apparently dear old Uncle John has been pestering her for it. Suspicious? I think, yes." Not giving her a chance to retort, he quizzed Alaric again, "Did she know anything about the tomb vampires?"
"I don't know."
"Did words completely escape you?" Damon snapped in irritation.
Alaric gritted his teeth in frustration, once again questioning himself why exactly he's friends with the dick, "No, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions." Lexi nodded in agreement and was quick to add in her two cents, "The guy has a point. I mean, it's a completely natural reaction. Ignore him, Alaric. Damon isn't known for having much emotions or be understanding towards other people's distress." Alaric and Anastasia chuckled at Lexi's barb, but Damon merely rolled his eyes at her riposte and snarled, "What did she want?"
"She wants to see me, Damon," Elena pouted; Alaric cleared his throat and stared pointedly at Anastasia, "Actually, Elena, she wants to see you and Anastasia."
Anastasia scoffed and waved a nonchalant hand aside, "Ah, don't worry about it, Ric. You'll soon get used to Elena's self-importance. After all," she flashed Elena a condescending glare and a mocking smile, "The world revolves around little Miss Elena Gilbert, doesn't it?" she quipped rhetorically, garnering a heated glare from said bitch. Stefan shifted uncomfortably while Lexi silently cheered her blonde best friend on. But it was Damon's reaction that completely astounded them; he fixated Elena with a creepily soft expression that reeked of adoration, "You don't have to see her if you don't want to."
"Wow, I am totally feeling the love in the air. Nice to see how much you care about me, Salvatore," Anastasia drawled sarcastically. Damon rolled his eyes and glared in return, "Coming from the friend who literally stabbed me last night." Anastasia raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Coming from the friend who is incessantly trying to kill my uncle, and oh, wait, yeah, actually DID kill him!"
Damon blatantly pointed out, "He's still alive isn't he?"
"Yeah, only because of a little magic ring, you knew nothing about! I bet you anything, that if you noticed the ring on his finger, you would have chopped it out and then killed him like the self-proclaimed emotionless jackass that you are!" Anastasia ranted, her skin literally heating up with anger. Catching the warning glance Lexi shot him, Stefan quickly placed himself between them again, "Stop it you two. Look, Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting. We don't know why or what she wants, but what we do know is that she threatened to go on a killing spree if Ana and Elena don't show up."
Damon snorted, "Oh! I take it that's not okay with you guys."
Anastasia had a bitchy smile on her face, "Well, unless you're her first casualty, then I don't mind," prompting a snort out of Lexi and a sinister glare from Damon that the blonde Gilbert merely shrugged off; Damon Salvatore never scared her before, even when she didn't know about her eerie powers, why would he now.
Elena sighed, "I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it."
Anastasia gaped at her incredulously, "Fuck it. You are all stupid. We can just kill the bitch and move on with our lives, but of course, precious Elena disagrees so I'm outnumbered." Whipping around to leave, she called out, "Hey Lex, want to help Care and I decorate a Float?"
-THE DOPPELGANGER DIARIES-
For the umpteenth time since the kids left for school, John let out a plethora of expletives under his breath; clambering out of his car, sapphire orbs gloomily stared at the house, briefly examining the 'FOR SALE Foreclosure Open House' sign by the front lawn. Naturally, Isobel compelled the realtor to put off the opening house event until she departed town and not for the first time, John's heart ached for the Isobel Flemming he intimately knew and loved at sixteen.
Disregarding the scantily clothed man and woman dancing in the room that were obviously mortal and heavily compelled, John's eyes flickered over to the vampire observing them as though they were remarkable specimens and without sparing him a glance, she barked out, "You're late."
"I didn't realize there was a schedule," John sarcastically retorted, "What's with the sideshow?"
Isobel tittered, a sound so unlike her mortal-self and her dark orbs sparkled seductively at John, "Cherie is a little jazz singer that I picked up in a blues bar in Brooklyn. And I got the cowboy at a gay rodeo in Amarillo."
Blonde eyebrows reached his hairline as he observed the man, "He's gay?"
"Not right now, he's very good to me," the implication was received and understood, and John once again hated himself for informing Isobel about vampires during their youth. Isobel ordered for them to leave in French before focusing her entire attention back on John, "I'm teaching them French. …Oh! I can smell the judgment coming off of you."
John stared incredulously at Isobel, biting back the retort of 'no shit', "Well, they're people, Isobel, and you're treating them like dolls."
Isobel scoffed derisively, maintaining her blasé façade as she addressed John, "If we're gonna be partners, you really have to stop being such a hater," she pointed out in reminder; John parroted her scoff and slowly shook his head, "See, here's the thing, Isobel. I'm terminating our partnership. We shared a mutual goal, but now, I'm reconsidering my options, I'll get the invention on my own, and when I do, I'll make sure to act accordingly and not because you're so far up Katherine's ass you forgot your true loyalties and the ties you have to your human life. Got it? As for being a hater," John reveled in the flabbergasted look Isobel was sending him, "Not so much of hater anymore. I've had my eyes opened recently, and the only vampires I despise, are the ones like you, those with no compassion and who lost touch with their humanity."
Devoid speechless, Isobel snapped out of her shock as John neared the door and she flashed in front of him, blocking his way out. "You've changed," she murmured in confusion and John could have sworn he recognized the old Isobel before her eyes hardened once again into the heartless monstrosity she became. In the blink of an eye, she slapped him with her vampire strength and glared down at him, "Be that way, John. You're backing out, so I'm gonna take it from here."
John forlornly watched her saunter away from him. Slowly, he walked out of the house and into his car; his loyalty would always belong to Anastasia and Elena, and his love for Isobel blinded him to her true goals and her hatred to everything that tied her to her human life. Isobel was firmly in Katherine's pocket, and he could truly see that everything Isobel fed him, was a lie; she didn't want to kill the tomb vampires to protect the twins… no, Isobel's main goal was to eradicate them for Katherine's safety. After all, Katherine Pierce cannot be listed off as deceased when there were over twenty vampires that watched her escape with her life solely intact in 1864.
It was time for John to cut off all ties with the two backstabbing Petrovas and work on his own to protect his daughters; like it should have been from the start when he wasn't blinded by the love he felt toward his high school sweetheart.
-THE DOPPELGANGER DIARIES-
"Thanks for coming, Ana. I don't think I could do this without you," Elena sounded truly genuine, and it was these rare moments when the blonde Gilbert forgot all about her rapidly growing hatred toward her twin sister. Sighing, Anastasia glumly nodded her head in acknowledgment, "I was overruled remember. The second that hoe-bag tries my patience, I'm outta here, because unlike you, I don't give a shit to what she has to say. Miranda is and will always be my mother."
Honestly, Anastasia was grateful for Lexi's presence where she was currently playing pool with Stefan in the corner; the blonde vampire insisted on being in close proximity to her, and with her age experience, she would be a great help against Isobel. Unlike Elena, Anastasia had an ominous suspicion about her sudden arrival into town, especially now that she knew about her ancestor's invention. It was glaringly obvious that Isobel hadn't come to town for a touching reunion.
"Hello Anastasia, Elena," a smooth voice announced in a professional tone; the woman was dark-haired, and beautiful with an ivory complexion and sharp features, and the only resemblance Anastasia identified, was the same chocolate brown eyes as Elena, but they were dissimilar in regards to their lack of warmth. Compared to Anastasia however, they looked absolutely nothing alike which was a great relief to the blonde; it was now profoundly obvious that Anastasia got all her features from John. Sitting down, Isobel gasped aloud as she scrutinized Elena, "You look just like her, that's eerie."
"You've met Katherine?" Elena inquired in surprise. Isobel hummed, her dark orbs flickering over to Anastasia in confusion, probably due to the zero similarities, "She found me after I turned. Genetic curiosity, I suppose. She would be fascinated by you. And you too, Anastasia."
"Oh," Anastasia drawled impassively, "And why is that?"
Isobel took Anastasia addressing her as a small victory; for some reason, her blonde daughter made her uncomfortable. She had been looking forward to decrypting the reason of why exactly she was John's favorite, and she came up blank. "Well, Katherine didn't have a twin sister. She'd be fascinated to discover the reason of your birth. I mean, a fraternal twin to a doppelgänger is unheard of," she let out a dark chuckle that deeply disturbed the twins.
"Hmm, you know Isobel, you shouldn't base everything on folklore and the supernatural," Anastasia sneered, reveling over the fact that she caused Isobel to lose her poised façade, "I mean, there could be a scientific reason, such as the genetics of our father. Didn't think of that, did ya?" she mocked her.
Elena pounced at the opening Anastasia unconsciously gave her, "Who's our father?"
Isobel wrinkled her nose in distaste, "Not important. He was a teenage waste of space."
Anastasia let out a cynical scoff and glared at the bitch, "Actually, if we're going to describe our father, I'd say you were the teenage waste of space, and he lacked any taste at a young age. He did after all find an attraction to you. Personally, I don't see it," she sneered, giving Isobel a heated glare coupled with a knowing smirk and she concentrated on reading her mind, one of the powers she had been avoiding using.
"She knows about John!"
Well, at least Isobel didn't lack a brain.
Elena elbowed Anastasia and shot her a glare before concentrating on the seething Isobel, "Why did you compel that man to kill himself? Right after he told us to stop looking for you." Isobel shrugged, her face as emotionless as ever, "Dramatic impact. I wish it would have been more effective."
"Believe me, I tried convincing her you were a bitch, but she's stubborn," Anastasia stated, garnering herself two glares in response, but Elena's held a glint of disappointment, "Human life means that little to you?"
Isobel rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Means nothing to me. It's just a part of being what I am."
"No it's not," Elena vehemently disagreed, her orbs flickering for a moment toward Stefan, "I know other vampires, that's not true." Isobel smirked, "Your new boyfriend over there by the table? Or the blonde vampire by his side? A friend of yours," she glanced at Anastasia who gave her a blank look in return, eliciting a shiver down Isobel's spine. Deciding it was safer to address Elena, she scornfully spoke, "Stefan Salvatore. Why Stefan? Why didn't you go for Damon? Or are you enjoying them both like Katherine did?"
It wasn't Elena's scandalized expression that lit the inferno in Anastasia's belly. No. It was the pained grimace on Stefan's face that had her irises flash orange as she glared at Isobel, whose eyes widened, emotion finally seeping into her visage. "I've had it with you Isobel! So let's get this over with. You didn't come here for a mother-daughter reunion, nor did you come to satiate your curiosity over the fact that Elena looks like Katherine. You want the invention," with her incensed rage, Anastasia's telepathy worked perfectly and she was privy to Isobel's scheme, "Let me give you a word of advice; to me, you're merely an incubator, nothing more, nothing less. So if you want to keep breathing the same air as me, you'll hightail your way out of Mystic Falls, never to return because I swear to god I'll kill you!"
Anastasia shot up to her feet and went to leave with Elena following close behind, but Isobel grabbed her wrist in a tight grip using her vampire strength and hissed, "Sit down," Lexi and Stefan began to make their way over to their table, something Isobel noticed, "And tell your boyfriend and your little blonde friend to walk away. I want the invention!" Stefan and Lexi paused in their footsteps and Elena cautiously grabbed Anastasia's free hand, "I don't have it. Damon does and he won't give it to me."
"Then the blood will be on your hands," Isobel ominously replied with a sneer; Anastasia slammed her hand on the table and reached out for the nearest fork before spearing Isobel's hand with it, emitting a pained yell from her and allowing Anastasia to yank her hand from her grip. She quickly held Elena's hand comfortingly and glared down at Isobel who was trying to extract the fork while hiding her bleeding hand from the crowd, "Don't touch me again, and don't you dare think I am easily threatened, Isobel. If you have any sense of self-preservation, you'd take my advice. Let's go Elena."
"Ana!" Ezra had watched the entire scene unfold and wasted no time in rushing over to her as they stepped out of the Grill where Damon and Alaric had been nervously pacing for the better half of the mother-daughter reunion.
Anastasia's brows knitted in confusion, "Ezra? What are you doing here?"
"Uh, Annie, we're gonna go. I'll meet up with you later," Lexi quickly hugged her and left with the weeping Elena, the concerned Salvatores and Alaric. Ezra surprised Anastasia by interlacing his fingers with hers and stroking the inside of her wrist with his thumb, "Ana, I-, god I'm horrible at this. I miss you, Ana. If you still want me, I-, I want us to try again."
"Ezra," Anastasia bit her lip and avoided looking into his captivating jade eyes; "You seem to have a habit of breaking up with me. I still love you, but-, I'm not going to allow there to be an 'us', if you're going to leave when the times get rough. My life is completely submerged in the supernatural, and that will never change, especially since I have no clue of what I am."
Ezra pulled her flush to his chest, both his hands settling on her hips, "I won't ask you to. I'm in Anastasia. I'm completely in. I'll never leave you again. I'll be there to help you when the times get rough, and when you need a shoulder to cry on, or when you just need someone to take your mind off the supernatural drama. Just, please, say yes. Be my girlfriend again."
"Yes!" Anastasia squealed; the couple sealed their reunion with a passionate kiss that could set Mystic Falls on fire and the two of them spent the whole day ensconced in Ezra's bedroom, savoring and reintroducing each other to their bodies and making up for all the lost time.
-THE DOPPELGANGER DIARIES-
So, sleeping over at your boyfriend's house didn't really go well with Uncle John. Jenna was cool about it, but John completely flipped out, however Anastasia knew that deep inside, he was glad that unlike Elena, she was healthily dating and in love with a mortal who so happened to be a vampire hunter that would keep her safe.
When the blonde Gilbert arrived at school, she could feel it in her bones that not only were Elena keeping something from her, but Stefan and Bonnie as well. Making a beeline toward her guilt-ridden twin, Anastasia didn't give her leeway into getting a word in as she grabbed her wrist, "You're hiding something from me, Elena. I could practically smell the guilt the second I got out of my car. Spill!"
"Oh, probably the fact that she got the invention," Isobel's cynical voice infiltrated the air and both twins whipped around to face a smug Isobel. Ignoring her rage at Elena, Anastasia sneered at Isobel, "What the fuck are you doing here?"
Blinking coquettishly, Isobel smiled and spoke in a saccharine voice that fooled no one, "I'm your mother, Anastasia. I want to be more involved in your life."
"We don't want you in our lives," Elena snarled in response, and Anastasia silently applauded her for her backbone and for finally seeing sense that Isobel was nothing but a manipulative bitch. She really hoped it wasn't a Petrova gene. But Isobel didn't even blink as her smile grew wider, "I understand that. You already have a lot of people that you both care about but I've been studying. Let's see if I got this right," Isobel tapped her finger against her chin and flickered her gaze toward Bonnie, "There is the witchy best friend, Bonnie. Gonna stay away from that one," she then pointed at Jeremy, "Oh… sad little brother Jeremy. And there's Caroline… obnoxious Caroline, Anastasia's best friend and most loyal supporter. Most people believe you both to be twins. I got all my info from her by the way. She had no idea who I was and she wouldn't stop yapping. Oh-"Isobel smirked toward Matt's direction, ignoring the death glare Anastasia was burning into her skull, "And there's Matt, friend, ex, yappy's future ex. Lots of connections there. I would aim for the dashing Ezra Fell, but I'm not suicidal enough to go for a vampire hunter."
"Matt's not involved in this," Elena desperately pleaded, forgoing all hostility; Isobel tutted condescendingly, "Oh contraire, Elena. He's involved with you, isn't he?" Elena whipped around to face Anastasia, astonishment the main expression on her visage, "Why are you quiet, Ana! Do something!"
"Oh, I am," Anastasia smiled mockingly, "I'm currently thinking of a hundred ways to kill her."
Isobel scoffed in return, "You can try, honey. But in case you didn't get the memo, I'm a vampire," disregarding the blonde as though she were an irksome fly, Isobel concentrated on Elena's imploring orbs, "I have some friends here too. Look, you see that man over here, standing next to Matt by the Float? His name is Frank, he's very handsome and he's also quite handy and he noticed that the axles are a little rusty which is very dangerous. So, all you have to do is apply a little bit of pressure and…"
An agonizing scream permeated the air that sounded uncannily like Matt; Anastasia and Elena stared in horror as Matt's hand got crushed. Just as Stefan arrived to help lift the trailer, Isobel tutted again in fake sympathy, "See how easy it is to hurt the people you care about? Hand the invention and all of this will be stopped."
"I told you, Damon is not going to give it to me," Elena snarled through gritted teeth, wondering why on Earth Anastasia chose now of all times to keep her mouth shut when she lacked a filter. Isobel rolled her eyes and stared at the brunette as though she were a major disappointment, "I think that you underestimate how much Damon cares about you."
"He'll kill you before he gives it up," Elena retorted.
Anastasia felt Isobel's grin to be foreboding. "Is that before or after I kill your brother Jeremy?" Both girls whipped around in search for Jeremy, to no avail. Isobel had vanished too.
"Jeremy?!" Elena cried out, clutching her chest.
Anastasia growled, "That's it. That bitch is dead!" She turned away from Elena toward the direction of the parking lot. Elena hurried after her, "Where are you going, Ana? We should go to Damon-"
"No, Elena!" Anastasia screamed hysterically, whipping around to glare at her hyperventilating twin, "Unlike you, I won't put all my hopes on a volatile vampire despite the fact that he's in love with you- and don't bother denying it, Elena. It is so obvious. I can see it. Lexi can see it, and Stefan sure as hell can see it. Stop burying your head under the sand and grow the fuck up! I'm not placing all my eggs in one basket. Vampires aren't our only call for help. I'm going straight to the source and I'm going to get my brother back by myself!"
And with that, she left a bewildered and severely guilty Gilbert to watch her retreating back.
Anastasia surpassed many speed limits as she sped over to her house and in record time found herself barging inside, ensuring she slammed the front door with a loud bang and bringing forth a concerned John. "Ana, whats-"
"Isobel has Jeremy!"
"Wait, what?" John gaped at his daughter and quickly drew her into a hug before wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumbs, "Take a deep breath, and tell me what happened, Sunshine."
"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing," Anastasia retorted harshly, "Look. Just tell me what's the big deal with that device. I read Isobel's mind yesterday, and I know you had a partnership with her, and that you broke it off which really pissed her off by the way. But that's all I know. Tell me!"
With a loud sigh, John sat on the couch beside Anastasia, "Your ancestor, Jonathan Gilbert wrote in his journals about his inventions, but what he didn't know, was he never actually succeeded in inventing anything. In 1864, there was a witch called Emily Bennett who pledged her loyalty to Katherine Pierce, but she couldn't stand by and watch people get killed. The only way she could think of to help us, was to get your ancestor to believe that he'd actually invented these devices. The compass, the rings, and the device Isobel wants. You with me so far?" mouth agape, Anastasia mutely nodded her head and allowed skin contact between her and John when he placed an arm around her shoulder, "The invention Isobel requires is a weapon against vampires, Sunshine."
Anastasia scrunched her nose in confusion, "But why would Isobel want a device that's harmful against her own kind?" and she was surprised to see her father/uncle look immensely pained as he ran a hand over his face. "You have to understand, Ana. I love Isobel. I would go through hell for her. And when she confided in me that she wanted to meet a vampire, I didn't think, I didn't-, I had no idea what her true intentions were when I pointed her to Damon. Becoming a vampire changed her from the sweet, caring and compassionate girl she used to be. Right after she turned, she was visited by Katherine; until now, until you broadened my mind and changed my bigotry, I didn't realize Isobel's devious scheme. The main reason I came back to town was because Katherine needed all the tomb vampires dead so that she could remain dead to everyone. Me being the gullible and foolish man in love with a ghost, agreed immediately, thinking that you and Elena would be safer with all the vampires gone. Yesterday I backed out; I told Isobel I want nothing to do with her, especially since she's planning something with Katherine."
"And you know why, don't you?" Anastasia was a sharp, astute girl, and knew there must be a reason why Katherine faked her death and going through all the trouble to eliminate the threat of the tomb vampires who could easily expose her survival. A ghost of a smile appeared on John's visage, "You're too smart for your own good. … Yes, there's a reason, and I know why, but please don't ask me. I'll tell you, just not know. It's not safe to know, especially with those two Salvatores lining up for your sister's heart. You have to trust me."
Anastasia didn't need to think about it. If she were to trust anybody in this idyllic town, it would be John, "I do. I trust you completely. Now, let's get Jeremy back."
"Right, you stay here and-"
"No! I can help you. Isobel knows about your ring, she can easily outsmart you. Please dad, I can't lose you, not now. Not when I found out about you," Anastasia cried, beseeching him with the eyes she had inherited from him.
-THE DOPPELGANGER DIARIES-
"I see you're packing. That's a good sign," John quipped as he walked through the front door. Isobel whipped around, her eyes narrowing in on him, "What are you doing here? You made it quite clear yesterday that you wanted out of our partnership."
"Yes, well. I received intelligence that you're holding my nephew hostage. What the hell is wrong with you?!" John snapped, staring at Isobel as though she were a stranger. At that moment, Isobel's two compelled minions dragged Jeremy into the room, "Uncle John!"
"Jer, don't worry, everything's going to be okay," John assured him before snapping his gaze onto an amused Isobel, "Isobel, let my nephew go."
Isobel smirked, and just like Anastasia predicted, her emotionless eyes halted on his ring, "That gaudy ring on your finger comes off."
"So can your head, or your heart. Really, I'm not very picky," Anastasia's voice permeated the room as she sauntered over to Jeremy's side who looked palpably relieved at the arrival of both his sister and uncle. Isobel lost composure for a second before stiffening and smirking once again, "This is perfect. The whole family tree kept hostage by me. You're really making things easy for me."
Anastasia dragged Jeremy to John's side and he instantly stood in front of him in a protective stance as Anastasia took a few predatory steps toward the bitch that gave birth to her. "I do recall myself giving you a warning to leave my loved owns alone and get the hell out of dodge. It seems unlike Katherine, you skipped out on the self-preservation gene."
"Don't make me hurt you, Anastasia," Isobel sneered, her cold eyes flashing in warning, "Now, why don't you be a good girl and sit over there by your uncle and brother and keep quiet."
"You mean my father. Yeah, bitch, I know. And I still stand by my previous words. My dad had horrible taste when he went after you," Anastasia snarled through gritted teeth, taking great pleasure in watching Isobel's stoic mien turn red with anger.
It seemed that Isobel was done with entertaining Anastasia, "Frank, Cherie!" But before the two compelled mortals could pounce, Anastasia concentrated on the potent power that crackled in her veins, demanding to be let out, and she extended both arms out. Isobel watched with morbid fascination as her two bodyguards were bodily thrown across the room by an invisible force, hitting the wall with a loud thud and falling onto the ground unconscious, blood pooling from their scalps and onto the carpeted floor.
"What did you-, how-, what…"Isobel stammered.
"Yeah," Anastasia whistled, "Elena may have inherited doppelgänger genes with a thirst for a freaky Salvatore sandwich, but me on the other hand, I'm a mystery and I constantly warned you not to mess with me." Suddenly, Isobel let out an excruciating scream as her skin began blistering, her powers overriding the daylight necklace. Recalling her actions towards Pearl and Anna, Anastasia fisted her palm and blocked all the oxygen from Isobel's lungs and she collapsed onto the ground with second-degree burns littering her body and from asphyxiation.
Anastasia hurled herself into Jeremy's arms, peppering his face with kisses before dragging John into the hug. Letting out a sigh of relief, John glanced sadly at Isobel's unconscious form, "Let's get out of here before she wakes up. Come on."
-THE DOPPELGANGER DIARIES-
The look on Elena's face when she returned home and saw Jeremy sitting calmly by John and Anastasia's side was comical and she immediately snapped her head toward her twin for an explanation.
"I told you I'll get him out. Instead of running to the vampires you seem to have on your beck and call, I came straight to Uncle John who already knew where Isobel was staying, and we both got him out. No thanks to you," Anastasia sneered toward the end, inwardly grinning at Elena's offended expression.
Not in the mood for a confrontation with Elena now that the truth was out, Jeremy ascended the staircase, ignoring Elena's desperate calls. Anastasia scoffed yet again, "I warned you, Elena. When you had Damon compel Jeremy, I warned you that Jeremy would find out soon enough. Good luck trying to earn his forgiveness, because I sure as hell still haven't forgiven you yet for getting Damon to compel me despite the fact that it didn't work."
Elena scowled at her twin but didn't deem her with a retort as she addressed John, "I have the device. You can kill the vampires in this town now, John," she sneered, throwing the invention onto the table, "Since Isobel and you are working together, I figured, I wasn't in the mood to meet my heartless biological mother, so knock yourself out."
"Elena, I'm not working with Isobel-"
"Whatever, I don't want to hear it. I'm sleeping over at the Salvatore's," Elena snapped, interrupting John and like a petulant child, slammed the door shut behind her without another word. Seeing the forlorn expression on her father's face gave Anastasia the urge to throttle Elena, but chose instead to relay her suspicions, "Something doesn't seem right. Why would Elena just hand the device over to you knowing that it would kill her boyfriend?"
Dumbstruck, John shook his head, "I don't know, but… Sunshine, make sure those you love are out of town. I'm sorry but I cannot allow the tomb vampires to walk freely in Mystic Falls. Henry confided in me that they're out for revenge against every member of the Founding Families."
"I know," Anastasia pursed her lips in thought and suddenly, she had a brainwave, "Call Isobel. Tell her that you have the invention and that you're going to activate it on Founders' Day. Let her know that you're still working alone, but you cannot risk the tomb vampires wandering around town. That way Isobel would finally skip town and we'll be free from her manipulations."
John smirked; his daughter really was a wicked genius. He grabbed his phone and said, "I'll be back in a minute. This won't take long."
The doorbell suddenly rang, and Anastasia was surprised to see a distressed Bonnie waiting on the other side, wringing her wrists – a guilty tick of hers. "Bonnie? What's wrong? Come in."
At that moment, John hung up with Isobel and frowned in confusion at seeing Bonnie, "I'll leave you girls alone. If you need anything let me know, Sunshine." But Bonnie was on a roll tonight, for she surprised them both by extending her arm out, stopping John from leaving the room, "Wait. This includes you too. I need to confess something."
"Okay, what is it?" John hesitantly asked, sitting down beside a concerned Anastasia.
"I did something… bad, and I lied about it," Bonnie muttered letting out a rattling breath, "To Elena. I pretended to do something I didn't really do."
Recognition flickered simultaneously in two pairs of identical sapphire eyes and Anastasia instantly shot her arm out and clasped Bonnie's in a comforting fashion, "You're talking about the invention, aren't you?" Bonnie rapidly nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks; she loved Elena, but it wasn't fair for her best friend to have the audacity in asking her to protect Damon when he's the reason her Grams died. She stared imploringly at Anastasia and John, silently pleading for them to understand, "I couldn't, I couldn't do it. I couldn't do what she wanted me to do. It wasn't right. Grams would have never done it, so I couldn't either. But when Elena finds out, she's never gonna forgive me."
"Woah, Bonnie, sweetheart, hold on a minute," John soothingly spoke to her, sending her a benign smile, "What exactly did Elena ask you to do?"
"To remove the original spell from the invention. Damon wouldn't give the invention up knowing that it was fatal to him. So I pretended that I removed the magic, but I didn't. I couldn't," Bonnie looked completely frazzled and guilty that Anastasia couldn't help but take pity to one of her oldest friends. Bonnie's problem was her naivety towards Elena.
"Look, Bon, what Elena asked you to do, it wasn't fair. Damon aided in your Grams death, and Elena should've found another way. Don't blame yourself over this, it isn't your fault. You did what you thought was right for the people of Mystic Falls. But I am curious… why come to me? Elena … dislikes Uncle John, and I'm friends with vampires," Anastasia cocked her head to the side in confusion.
Bonnie smiled at John and Anastasia, "Ana, my Grams was fond of you. Before she died, she told me that you were one of her best students. Lexi and Stefan are good vampires, despite Stefan's drinking problems. I considered keeping it to myself, but-, it wasn't fair to you, and I thought I should warn you so that you can inconspicuously save Lexi without tipping Elena off. It's the least I could do."
Once Bonnie finally calmed down enough to drive herself back home, John gave Anastasia a considering look, "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," she responded in a hushed voice.
She was put in a hard spot. Should she confide in Jeremy and save Anna's life? Should she save Damon? Anastasia was at an impasse and she was utterly clueless over what she should do and what she wanted to do.
A/N: This was a long chapter! Whew! I hope you all enjoyed it? XD
So… Anastasia totally kicked Isobel's ass; and if you've noticed, I deviated from canon quite a bit, especially with the John/Isobel interaction. What should Anastasia do now? Ugh!
And to all rooting for Anezra, they're finally back together! YAY!
Next chapter will be the end of season 1. Honestly I am completely excited for Season 2, because that is when most of the action begins and secrets come to light along with A LOT of plot-twists & characters!
R&R.