It's been a few days. Ashley's dad managed to convince Jeremy to propose to her. I don't know if he had much of a choice to be honest. The wedding was going to be in a few days. To make matters worse, John came in last night. I honestly didn't want to talk to him right now as I prepared to walk to school with Anna.

When we got outside, Tyler was there. He did not look happy.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired.

"We need to talk." He said to Anna. What had happened between them to make him so upset?

"Yeah, that kiss was a little too soon." Anna replied. I don't think that was what he wanted to talk about. "I don't know if I want to go there."

"What happened to my uncle Mason?" The werewolf asked. Did he find out something? How would he have found out?

"What?" I asked.

"He's dead and I want to know what happened." Tyler replied. This was bad. This was very bad.

"I…don't…" Anna stammered.

"How about I tell you?" Tyler responded. "Stefan and his brother Damon killed him. That's because they're vampires like you and so is Caroline."

"What are you talking about?" I feigned. "Vampires, that's crazy."

"Don't play dumb." He warned me.

"Who told you?" Anna asked.

"Is it true?" Tyler challenged.

"There's stuff I need to tell you." Anna replied.

"Did you know that he was dead this whole time?" Tyler asked angrily. "Did you?"

Anna nodded and he pushed her against my car. I knew I had to do something. I took out the wolfsbane dart Ric had given me and stabbed him with it. It would give us enough time to get away. I didn't know if we should head to school or the boarding house. I then got a text from Elena saying that there was no school today.

I don't know why, but I guess that meant that we were going to the boarding house.

Ashley's POV

Because there was no school, my dad thought it would be a good idea to take me shopping for dresses. Now keep in mind that just because my dad is gay doesn't mean that he's good with clothes. That's kind of a bad stereotype.

"I don't understand why I have to get married." I told him as we entered the store. I definitely wasn't ready for it. "You're not married."

"You know it's not legal in Tennessee." He reminded me. "I've talked to John Gilbert and he also supports the idea."

You know him and John being on the same page doesn't surprise me.

"Find something that you like." He told me. It wasn't really a suggestion. I saw an off-white pretty basic looking and went to try it on begrudgingly.

Taylor's POV

I actually decided to go back inside while Anna went to take Tyler home while he was unconscious. I needed to have some. Unfortunately, John was awake. There was also a ring of the doorbell. I opened it and was a little surprised to see her.

"Aunt Casey?" I asked. Casey was John and my dad's younger sister. She had dark brown hair and one her most noticeable traits was her bushy eyebrows. She was 28 and finishing up med school at Harvard. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Taylor." She greeted me before she stormed into the kitchen and laid a piece of paper on the table. "What THE FUCK is this?"

The piece of paper in question was a printed out wedding invite that she had received via email.

"Jeremy impregnated Ashley Forbes, so her father and I had the idea for them to get married." John explained.

"In other words, they're being forced to marry against their will." I quipped.

"This is unbelievable." Casey replied. "Baby aside, Jeremy is too young to get married. Plus it makes a total hypocrite because you never married Isobel."

"What?" Jenna asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"John, kind of my father." I told Jenna. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but then he was gone."

"Why is Casey here?" Jenna then asked, probably as surprised to see her as any of us.

"I was invited to a wedding." Casey replied. Jenna looked confused about that.

"I hope you don't mean Jeremy and Ashley, because I will not give my consent for that." Jenna remarked.

"You see, I don't think a judge would take too kindly to the fact that you allowed the pregnancy to happen." John replied. "I could probably get your guardianship overturned if you don't go along with it."

John walked out of the room after that.

"I see my brother is still as big of a jackass as ever." Casey commented. "I'll stay in a hotel until we can get this resolved."

I decided to follow Casey out before she left.

"Do you know anything about the 'family secret'?" I asked.

"You mean the vampires?" Casey responded.

"Do you have an opinion on them?" I questioned.

"My parents taught me about them, but unlike my brothers, I wondered why I should hate them." Casey told me.

"Well that makes me feel better telling you that my boyfriend is a vampire." I remarked.

"What?" She asked in shock.

"I need to get going." I declared suddenly. There was going to be a memorial for Lucky, as well as some missing campers and a deputy. How many deputies have been killed recently?

Ashley's POV

I came out wearing the dress. It was loose enough that it didn't constrict my belly.

"Let's get this one." I declared. "I like it."

"Are you just saying that because you don't want to try on any more?" He asked.

"Yes." I answered. "But I'm not going to try any more on. I want to see Jeremy."

"You should spend time with your family right now." He suggested.

"You've been gone for over two years and you want to have family time?" I asked in disbelief. "I'd rather go to this memorial in town square."

I hated memorials, but I would do anything to get away from my dad.

Taylor's POV

Before I left, Damon showed up at the house.

"Where's John?" He asked.

"I don't know. The only reason that he said he was here for this wedding." I explained. "Plus my aunt is here now."

"You have another aunt?" Damon questioned in surprise.

"Yeah, she goes to Harvard Medical." I explained. "Her name is Casey and you are not allowed to date her or go anywhere within a mile of her."

"Are you okay with John being here?" He replied.

"Well Jenna is confused, and Casey is very angry, but I'm okay." I admitted. "Can I ask you if we've stepped into the bizarre world where John is trustworthy and Elijah is not?"

"I personally don't trust either of them." Damon declared. Well at least he was honest about it. "I say we kill him."

"Really? That's your first solution to everything." I told him. "We're not killing him. We don't even know what he wants."

"I was joking." He replied. "We do need to find out what he wants first. I'm the good guy now."

"What does that mean?" I inquired.

"I am going to have a civil conversation with your father." He explained.

"I'm coming too." I replied as we went out the door.

Ashley's POV

I went to town square to find that memorial was just as dreary as I thought it would be. I found Jeremy, but unfortunately, he was with John. How is it that someone I love so much is related to someone I hate so much?

I walked over anyway as Jeremy was taking his ring off.

"If you want it back, take it and leave." He spat.

"What kind of man would I be if I took that from you?" John asked.

"Do you really want to hear the answer to that?" I quipped.

"Maybe I can take you and your fiancée to lunch." John suggested.

"No." I responded. John walked away. "I hated how he called me your fiancée."

"It's kind of true." Jeremy pointed out.

"Only because my dad and your uncle are forcing us to get married." I argued.

"I think my aunt is here." Jeremy stated.

"Jeremy, you live with your aunt." I reminded him, hoping he wasn't using drugs again.

"No, I mean Casey." Jeremy said.

"I don't think I remember her." I admitted. "Why is Bonnie talking to Dr. Martin?"

"I don't know." Jeremy responded.

"Do you think it's possible that Elijah might be the good guy?" I asked.

"Please tell me you're joking." Jeremy declared.

"I just think if he wants to protect Taylor, maybe we should let him." I responded.

Taylor's POV

Damon and I walked into the Grill together.

"Where's Stefan?" I asked curiously.

"I haven't been keeping track." Damon said before we noticed John. I hope Damon wouldn't do anything stupid here.

"Don't do anything stupid." I requested.

"But stupid is so much more fun." He replied.

"Just keep things civil." I told him.

"Okay." Damon remarked before we walked over. "John, buddy, how you been?"

I stood close by to be a buffer. John was lighting the candles. I think having those inside is a fire hazard.

"So I hear you have a lot to say, but aren't talking." Damon commented.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" John asked. "Originals can compel other vampires and last I checked that necklace was the only source of vervain you had. That's why Ronnie is still in the tomb."

"We've been drinking vervain." I explained. "It's not easy for them, but it prevents compulsion. Ronnie did it, but hers was gone."

"You're drinking vervain?" John questioned in surprise.

"You know I don't see that ring on your finger." Damon remarked. "So if you know something about Klaus, you should start talking or I'll rip your throat out."

Of course, threatening is completely civil. Why did I even bother asking?

"Now is that any way to let someone know they can trust you?" John asked him. Damon is an idiot. Damon is an idiot. "Can I trust you? Can I count on you?"

"What happened to civil?" I inquired after John had walked away.

Anna's POV

I was walking around, hoping that Stefan was handling the Tyler thing. I was still kind of nervous that Tyler would pop out again. At this point, I wasn't sure if I should kill him or not.

"Excuse me?" A woman called to me. "You're Anna, aren't you? I'm looking for Tyler. Do you know where he is?"

"No." I lied.

"I know you're lying." She told me. So, my suspicions about her were correct.

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked.

"How about this?" She responded as she sprayed me with a bottle of vervain. I turned away as I prepared to rip her heart out. I turned around…and was promptly shot in the face with a wooden bullet. I fell to the ground in pain before I lost consciousness.

I woke up a few minutes later after my brain had regenerated. I had a really nasty headache as I realized at that I was in a cage. I knew the first thing that I had to do was get the bullet out. I stuck my hand in the hole and removed the wooden pellet. I looked around and then noticed a werewolf with a gun was seated in front of me. This was not good.

He shot me a second time. Okay, wooden bullets really hurt.

Ashley's POV

I was with Jeremy in his house since no one else was really there right now.

"So do you have a tux yet?" I asked.

"Not yet." Jeremy explained as the door suddenly opened. It was a dark-haired woman. I think that was Jeremy's Aunt Casey. "Hey, Aunt Casey, it's good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same." Casey replied. She then looked at me and my stomach. "You're Ashley, right?"

"Yeah." I responded. I didn't know what else to say.

Taylor's POV

I sat next to Damon at the bar because I knew I had to stick close to him. I wasn't drinking this time. Jenna came up with the local reporter. What is it with Jenna and reporters?

"Damon, this is my friend, Andie Starr." She introduced. Was she trying to set him up?

"Can I buy you a drink?" Andie asked.

"My glass is full." Damon replied. Thank God. Damon doesn't need a human girlfriend. "Come on, Taylor, let's get you home."

My phone then began to ring. It was Stefan.

"Hello…" I purred.

"Jules is holding Anna captive and wants Tyler in return." Stefan explained. I knew that Damon heard that.

After I was off the phone, I took Damon into the bathroom with me to discuss what we were going to do.

"We have to save her." I replied.

"Why didn't I know that Stefan was with Tyler?" The vampire asked.

"I didn't know either. That's not important. What's important is saving Anna right now." I reminded him. "Also don't kill Tyler. You can kill Jules or any of the others, but not Tyler. He's the mayor's son. You can't kill the mayor's son."

Suddenly John barged in.

"This is the ladies' room." I told him.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

"We're talking with the door closed." I explained.

"We don't trust you either, so get out of the bathroom." Damon responded. That sounded so weird coming from his mouth.

"Look we need to save Anna now, so no fighting with John." I told him.

"I'll take care of it." Damon declared. "I'll bring Caroline, but there's nothing you can do. Okay, Papa John, ground your daughter."

"I'm going." I replied.

"No, I'm with Damon here." John responded. Since when do they agreed on anything?

Later I tried to go out the door, but John wouldn't let me.

"You're not leaving this restaurant." He told me.

"You're can't tell me what I can't do." I responded.

"Yes, I can because I'm your father." He replied.

"No, your brother was my father." I said as I crossed my arms. "That's what my birth certificate says, and that's what I'm going with and I'm leaving."

"Did you really think it was smart to make a deal with Elijah?" John inquired.

"He knows how to kill Klaus, do you?" I challenged.

"No, but I won't put you in any danger." He said. "I've made some mistakes, but all I want to do now is protect you."

"I don't want your help." I told him as I pushed past him. "If you want to help me, then take me to get my bridesmaid dress."

That led to us going to the bridal store, which was open until nine. I put on a red dress that really wasn't that exciting. I don't know if I wanted this wedding to happen or not.

No POV

Stefan, Damon, and Caroline arrived with Tyler.

"Where is she?" Stefan asked.

"Locked up tight." Jules answered. "Give us the boy and I'll let her go."

A fight then broke out and while Anna was successfully freed, the vampires were overmatched and outnumbered. They were losing when suddenly Jonas showed up and gave all of the wolves but Tyler aneurysms.

"Elijah made a deal with Taylor that her friends wouldn't be harmed." Jonas declared. "I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to leave."

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were currently watching Big Time Rush. It was my choice.

"Why do you watch this stuff?" He asked.

"Hey, Big Time Rush is going to be as big as Miley Cyrus someday." I told him.

"No, they're not because they're a boyband. The boyband era is dead." He remarked.

Suddenly, the door opened and there was Anna with Stefan. I could tell that her clothes were all bloody.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Just a problem with some werewolves." Anna explained.

"They captured her and tortured her." Stefan explained. Jeremy decided to go upstairs at that point. I went and gave Anna a hug.

"I'm fine. I promise." Anna declared. "I just need a shower and some new clothes."

"Well I think I'm going to go home." I declared.

Anna's POV

After my shower, I heard the door. No one else was getting, so I had to. It was Tyler.

"You know I should kill you." I remarked. "I won't, but I should."

"I didn't know what they were gonna do to you." Tyler declared.

"You just stood when Jules was about to kill me." Anna reminded me. "You did nothing but stand there. I thought I was your friend, Tyler. You wanna why Damon killed Mason. Mason had essentially put a hit on him and tried to kill Ashley. He was one of the bad guys, Tyler. You know I thought that I liked you. I thought I had a found a nice guy that I could be with, but I was wrong."

"I'm sorry." He told me.

"It's too late to apologize. It's too late." I remarked. I felt like quoting OneRepublic. "Now leave me alone."

I slammed the door in his face.

Taylor's POV

I was at the Grill where I met Stefan. I had finally escaped John. I was glad that they were able to save Anna.

"You're okay." I remarked as I hugged him. "How is she?"

"She's putting on a good face, but she could use some company. I need you and Ashley to help with that."

Ashley's POV

When I got home, I realized something. I wasn't going to do what my dad wanted.

"Dad, I'm not getting married. So unless you plan on staying for another reason then go back to your boyfriend in Memphis." I declared. Suddenly I got a text from Taylor. Apparently I needed to come over to her house right away.

Taylor took us to the door and instead of unlocking it, she rang the bell, but Jeremy answered it.

"I need you to get Anna." She said. "Oh and you're not getting married."

Jeremy went upstairs and the short vampire came down.

'Why are you standing out there?" Anna asked.

"We heard what happened and thought that you could use a slumber party." Taylor remarked.

No POV

John made his way down to the tomb.

"Veronica?" He called.

"What do you want?" The German replied as she came to the door as far as she could go.

"I thought you might be interested in knowing I have a plan." John remarked.

"Well it better be to get me out of this tomb." Ronnie replied.

"It is." John declared.

So here we have Casey Gilbert played by Jordana Brewster (if the eyebrow thing didn't give it away). She will be important later on. Also Anna got tortured instead of Caroline and Ashley decided there will be no wedding. Please don't forget to review.