Chapter 35: Daddy Issues
The morning after Rose's death, Caroline walks outside to find Tyler waiting for her. She thinks he's there to talk about their kiss, so she tells him that they can't be anything more than friends, because Matt is still in the picture for her. Tyler is okay with this, but only because he cares more about the things Jules told him last night.
Tyler asks Caroline if she knew what happened to Mason, but she only asks him to let her explain. Tyler grows angry and demands to know if she knew this whole time that he was dead. Caroline shamefully admits that she did, but begs him to let her explain. Feeling betrayed Tyler storms off, refusing to hear another word from Caroline.
Meanwhile, feeling much better this morning, Damon takes a shower while listening to the news. The reporter, Andie Star, talks about the dead park ranger and campers that Jules tore apart on the full moon. John watches the same news from the Gilbert kitchen, as he pours himself a cup of coffee. Phoebe soon joins him, looking rather wrecked. She was wearing a large t-shirt – presumably one she normally only wore to sleep in – that had an image of a red shirt from Star Trek, and said 'Dead Man Walking'. She also wore a pair of jeans, converse, and her hair...was still down...
"What happened to you?" John asked.
"Shhh!" replied Phoebe, with a finger over her lips. "Inside voices, please."
John fought a laugh, and turned the volume down on the TV, "Are you...hung over?"
Phoebe sat on a stool at the island, plopped her head down on the counter, and groaned, "I feel like it...mmmm"
"Were you drinking last night?"John asked in that parental tone, as he fixed her a cup of coffee.
"No. I just used my power a lot yesterday. Elijah had me train most of the day, and then there was Rose and Damon..."
"What about Rose and Damon?" John asked, confused.
Phoebe looked up, and accepted the coffee, "You mean, no one told you?"
"Phoebe, no one tells me anything. You're the only one that ever keeps me in the loop," he told her.
"Right...there's this new she-wolf in town, looking for Mason Lockwood. Damon, of course, pissed her off, and she tried to kill him on the full moon, but she bit Rose instead," she said. She heard Andie talk about the dead campers and ranger, and she gestured to the TV, "I'm guessing that was her handy-work, since she wasn't locked up for the full moon."
John looked over at the TV.
"Anyway, Rose was in a lot of pain, so I siphoned it away for her," Phoebe continued. She could see John was about to lecture her on being alone with a sick vampire, so she stopped him. "Before you lecture me, I wasn't alone with her. Elijah was there. In fact, he was the one that put her out of her misery."
"So, Rose is...dead?"
Phoebe nodded, "Damon took it kinda hard. He really liked her. So I took him out for some air, and convinced him to let me help him through it, instead of literally sucking the life out of some innocent girl."
"Wow. You really did use your power a lot yesterday," said John.
Phoebe groaned, as she sipped her coffee.
"So this is what happens when you use your power too much...you get a hangover," he noted. "Is that why you didn't go on your run with Matt this morning?"
"Yup."
"Oh, god...I'm late!" said Jenna, rushing in for a cup of coffee to go.
"Well, that's what you get for hitting the snooze button three times," Rick laughed, following her into the kitchen.
Phoebe plopped her head back down onto the counter, trying to block out the loud voices; as Rick made his exit, Elena entered, and Jenna made sniping remarks at John. One thing she did catch, though, was Jenna asking John when he was going to be leaving, now that he was all better.
"As long as I'm wanted, I see no reason to leave," replied John.
"Ya see, that's the thing, John, you're not wanted. No one here actually wants you here," Jenna argued.
Phoebe half-heartedly lifted a hand, "That's not true. I want him here."
John gave Jenna a gloating look.
Jenna leaned in closer to Phoebe, "Look, I get you actually like the guy, but can't he stay somewhere else, like a hotel, or something? I mean, why does he have to stay with us?"
In the state Phoebe was in, she didn't seem to care much for filtering her mouth at this time, so she sat up, and told Jenna, "Because he's my dad, and I want him here."
Jenna, John, and Elena all looked at her in surprise, as Phoebe realized what she just said, and how she'd said it.
"What?" Jenna questioned, glancing at John.
"Jenna, I'm so sorry, we should've told you sooner," Elena began.
"Uncle John is actually our biological father," Phoebe finished. This time she said it more delicately.
"What?" Jenna repeated, in shock.
Phoebe shared a look with Elena, as they both tried thinking of the right words to help explain this to her. Phoebe then recieved a text from Caroline – a supernatural emergency. While Elena began to form words, thus drawing Jenna's focus to her, Phoebe sent a reply to Caroline.
"In the middle of something. Call Stefan," said Phoebe.
"Tyler knows that Mason is dead. And he knows Stefan and Damon are vampires!" Caroline replied.
Phoebe wanted more than anything to go talk to Caroline about this, but she had to stay here and help Elena bring Jenna to terms with this bombshell.
"Jenna just found out John is our dad. Got my hands full right now. Call Stefan," Phoebe told her.
"You sure? Did you even tell him I've been helping Tyler with his werewolf stuff? Did you tell him he already knew I was a vampire?" Caroline asked.
"No, but he has to learn sometime. Just call Stefan. NOT DAMON," said Phoebe.
And that was the end of that. Phoebe put down her phone, and focused on helping Elena talk to Jenna.
Meanwhile, Stefan and Damon argued about Stefan reaching out to John for help. John had apparently called Isobel and devised a plan to keep the girls safe with her, which he wasn't telling anyone else about. At least, not Stefan or Damon. Stefan's okay with John not telling them his plan, because he'll at least talk to Phoebe about it, and then Phoebe will tell them. Damon, on the other hand, doesn't believe they were desperate enough to reach out to Johnathan Gilbert and Isobel for help.
Elsewhere, Tyler and Jules talk in the Lockwood study. Jules wants him to leave town with her, and let her help teach him what it means to be a lycanthrope. Tyler, on the other hand, wants to stay in Mystic Falls. His mother, friends, his whole life is there. He doesn't just want to pick up and leave, without an explanation for his mom. Jules insists that he isn't safe there with so many vampires around, and tells him that he's beginning a new life as a lycanthrope. His old life is in Mystic Falls, but his new life is just beginning.
Over at Caroline's, Caroline fills Stefan in on everything. She tells him how Tyler figured out she was a vampire, but she claimed to be the only one in town. Now Tyler knows that she lied about that, and that she lied about not knowing what happened to Mason. She begs Stefan to try talking to him, because he always knows the right thing to say, and Tyler won't talk to her right now.
Back at the Gilbert House, things have finally settled down. Jenna finally accepted the news enough to calm down and leave, John left to get out for a bit, and Elena left to meet up with Stefan and help him talk to Tyler. Phoebe was about to lay down and relax, when someone knocked on the door.
"Where's John?" Damon asked. He walked right in, before Phoebe could open the door all the way.
"No, please come in," said Phoebe, sarcastically. Damon ignored her, as he looked around for John. "He's not here, Damon. He went out. I don't know where he went."
Damon stopped looking around, and looked back at Phoebe. She still looked completely wrecked.
"You look terrible," he noted.
Phoebe narrowed her eyes at him, "The three words every woman longs to hear."
Damon rolled his eyes and tried to rephrase, "You look...sick or hungover. What's the matter?"
Part of Phoebe wanted to tell him the truth about being overly exerted from using her power so much yesterday, but she knew is she did that he would refuse any further "treatments" from her.
"I didn't sleep well last night, and this morning...I blurted out that John was our dad to Jenna," she replied.
Damon eyed her suspiciously. He'd never known Phoebe to drop bombshells like that on someone so randomly.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah. Jenna's head is spinning, and Elena's not too happy with me, but I'm okay."
"So did your dad happen to tell you what his plan to keep you and Elena safe from Klaus was?" Damon asked.
"Nope," she sighed. Phoebe noticed the look on Damon's face. "I know you don't trust him, but I do. Isobel, on the other hand...not so much."
"I don't trust her either," he agreed.
"So what are you gonna do?" Phoebe asked.
Damon made a face, "Kill him."
"Damon-"
"I'm joking," he defended. Phoebe stared him down. "...Okay, I'm a little serious."
"Damon!"
Damon cracked a smile, "I'm not gonna hurt him, Phoebe, okay? I know he's important to you. So I'm just gonna have a civil conversation with your father."
Phoebe tried to figure out whether he was joking again or not, but she was so off today, she honestly couldn't tell. So as Damon walked out the door, Phoebe scrunched her face up into a pout and whined a little, then followed him out.
Meanwhile, in the woods, the rest of Jules' pack arrives from Florida. She meets up with them, and explains that she wants Tyler to join their pack more than she wants to get revenge on the vampires for killing Mason. Her boyfriend, Brady, suggests they get both.
Elsewhere, John tries catching up with Carol Lockwood on what the Council has been up to. She tells him Damon is leading the Council now, so he needs to talk to him about that. John isn't happy to hear that a vampire is leading their Council, but keeps his mouth shut. He then spots Jeremy and Anna and approaches them. He invites them to have lunch with him, but they refuse. Anna still hates him for killing her mother. John apologizes again for doing that, and assures them that he plans to keep his promise about not being a bigot towards vampires anymore.
Meanwhile, Dr. Martin tries talking to Bonnie, but she isn't very receptive. She doesn't like that she was betrayed by Luka, when she went to him for help in destroying the moonstone. Dr. Martin doesn't deny that he and Luka are working with Elijah, but that doesn't mean they aren't also looking out for Bonnie. He also assures her that Elijah is a man of his word, and he will keep his end of the deal with Phoebe. Bonnie doesn't believe him.
Over at the Grill, Jenna has lunch with Rick. She tells him what happened at the house, after he left this morning, which he's surprised to hear. Jenna is just amazed at the reality of how they're all connected. John is her sister's husband's brother, and Isobel is her boyfriend's dead wife.
John enters the Grill for lunch, and spots Jenna and Rick. He asks if he can join them, but neither one of them are okay with that. Thankfully, he's soon distracted by Damon and Phoebe entering the restaurant.
"We just need answers, okay? So please don't do anything stupid." said Phoebe, holding Damon back for a moment.
Damon looked down at her, "Yeah, but stupid is so much more fun."
Phoebe gave a light smirk, "I mean it, Damon. Please, just try and keep it together...Be the better man."
Damon gave her a lingering look, then walked away to talk to John. Phoebe, on the other hand, headed for the bar.
"Mint tea," she ordered, hopping onto a bar stool.
"We don't have mint tea," said the bartender.
Phoebe began massaging her temples, "Then bring me a green tea – which I know you have – and give me some of those mint leaves you put in the mojitos and juleps."
Since it was just a tea bag and a cup of hot water, it didn't take long for the bartender to return with Phoebe's order. The tea bag itself was one of the packets you get at the store in a box of tea bags, so while Phoebe tore the packet open the bartender got her mint leaves for her. That was when the woman two bar stools down began to watch Phoebe with fascination.
Phoebe tore apart the mint leaves into little, tiny pieces and stuck them aside. She then carefully opened the tea bag, and stuffed the mint leaves inside. She resealed the bag, and began steeping the tea.
"Impressive," said the woman.
Phoebe looked over to see who she was, but found she had no idea who this person was. She was completely new to Mystic Falls.
"Thanks," said Phoebe, looking her over.
The woman had long, brown hair and brown eyes, just like Phoebe; and she wore something similar to what Phoebe would wear, only far less nerdy. She wore jeans that were ripping in a couple of places, combat boots, a dark shirt, and a leather jacket.
"You know, if you've got a hangover I can think of several other remedies that would help better than mint tea," said the woman.
"So can I, but it's not technically a hangover. Not from alcohol, at least," said Phoebe, swirling her teabag in the water.
"Oh..."
Phoebe dropped her teabag, and turned to face the woman, "No, no, I didn't mean drugs. I don't…It's a long story. But no illegal substances were consumed last night."
She smiled at Phoebe, amused, and extended a hand, "I'm Hayley."
"Phoebe," replied Phoebe, shaking her hand. "Welcome to Mystic Falls."
"Is it that obvious?" Hayley asked.
"This is a really small town. Everyone knows everyone, here," said Phoebe.
"So it is obvious. Got it," said Hayley, jokingly.
Phoebe laughed, and began sipping her tea, "So what brings you to Mystic Falls?"
"Uh, I heard some relatives of mine were here, so I came to visit," said Hayley.
Phoebe became suspicious, but maintained a poker face, "Relatives, huh? They from Mystic Falls, or did they just recently move here?"
"Neither. Their just in town to see some friends," said Hayley. "I think they're from Florida."
Phoebe froze, "Florida? That's where Mason and Jules came from. Is she talking about them? Or are there more wolves in town?"
"Really? Who are they staying with?" Phoebe asked. Hayley gave her a suspicious look, so Phoebe gave her an innocent smile, and added, "Sorry. Small town nosieness. We're all used to knowing everything about everyone."
Hayley seemed to buy her explanation, but still seemed a little suspicious, "I'm not sure who they're staying with. I just heard there was a group of them heading to Mystic Falls."
"A group?" Phoebe thought to herself. "Holy Hera, that doesn't sound good."
"I'm sorry if this is too personal of a question, but why are you so desperate to meet up with relatives that you don't even know?" Phoebe asked.
"Who says I'm desperate?" Hayley questioned.
"You came all the way out here to Mystic Falls to meet up with some relatives, based off of a thin rumor that they were coming here to see some friends. You haven't even mentioned how you're related to anyone of them, or mentioned anyone by name. That means they're pretty distant relatives, but for some reason, you want to find them," Phoebe explained.
Hayley looked impressed, "You always this smart?"
Phoebe shrugged, "I'm kind of the town genius. Literally."
"Genius as in a literal genius, with the high IQ and all that; or…"
"Literal genius," said Phoebe.
Hayley got excited, "I've never met a genius before. What's your IQ?"
Phoebe shook her head, "I don't like telling."
"Why not?"
"Because when I do, people tend to think I'm bragging or something, and they get all offended. And if they don't get offended, they get intimidated and never speak to me again," said Phoebe.
"What if I promise not to do either? Then will you tell me?" Hayley asked.
"Why do you want to know so bad?" Phoebe asked.
"Has anyone ever told you you ask a lot of questions?" Hayley countered. Phoebe gave her a look. "Come on, I've answered several of your questions, it's only fair."
Phoebe rolled her eyes, and grinned, "167."
"Wow, that's…awesome! What are you doing in a small town like this, with an IQ like that?" Hayley asked.
"My parents never wanted me to skip grades – even though they were asked every year – because they wanted me to make more friends, and moving me up with the older kids would make that harder to do. Plus my best and only friend was in the same grade as me, and they didn't want to separate us," she explained. Phoebe held up a finger, "Correction, my aunt and uncle, not my parents."
"You were raised by your aunt and uncle?"
Phoebe nodded, "My parents were just teenagers when they got pregnant with me and my sister – we're twins – so my dad's brother and sister-in-law raised us as their own."
"When did you find out? I mean, that they weren't your parents?" Hayley asked.
"I found out when I was 4 – I heard my dad and uncle arguing one night. My dad wanted to take us and raise us, now that he was older, but my uncle argued that we were already too settled in where we were, with the lives we had to be taken away. Even living in the same town would have been too much change, in his opinion, because we were already used to seeing our cousin as our little brother, and our aunt and uncle as our parents. Personally, I would have preferred to be raised by my dad. Not that my aunt and uncle weren't good parents, it's just I've always been close to my dad. My dad is my favorite person in the world…I don't know what I'd do without him," Phoebe explained. "Anyway, my sister and I found out for sure just a few months ago."
"Wow. Well, I suppose that's better than being given to a new family entirely," said Hayley. "I have no idea who my birth parents are, and my adoptive parents disowned me when they found out I was a wer-"
Phoebe looked at her out of the corner of her eye.
Hayley cleared her throat, "I mean, when they found out I was…different."
Phoebe thought it over, before saying, "Parents couldn't handle the supernatural, huh?"
Hayley looked at her suspiciously.
"My sister freaked out, too, when she found out she was dating a vampire," said Phoebe, casually.
Hayley still said nothing.
Phoebe looked at her, "You were gonna say werewolf, right? Your adoptive parents abandoned you when they found out you were a werewolf."
Hayley looked around nervously, and moved to a stool closer to Phoebe, "How do you know about werewolves and vampires?"
"Okay, first of all, relax. I'm not gonna hurt you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you. I may have several vampire friends that I'm particularly fond of, but only one of them actually believes in werewolf genocide. Me personally, I don't care if you're a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, a doppelganger, or an elemental. I have friends and family of all those kinds," Phoebe told her. "Secondly…I believe I've just answered your question. Mystic Falls itself is like a fraking beacon for supernatural creatures."
Hayley continued to stare at her. She wanted to believe her when she said she didn't care what kind of supernatural creature you were, and that she wouldn't let anyone hurt her for being a werewolf; but they'd only just met. Could she really be taken at her word?
"What if I promise not to tell anyone that you're a werewolf, or that you're here to meet up with a pack of werewolves?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, I'm assuming that's why you're here, to join their pack."
"How do I know you'll keep your word? I don't know you. And you said it yourself, you've got vampire friends. How do I know you won't tell them, and have them wipe us all out before the next full moon?" Hayley questioned.
Phoebe thought for a moment, trying to find some way of making her feel more at ease, "What if I tell you something equally secret? Something I've never told anyone, and don't want anyone to know about. Something you could very easily tell my friends and family, if I break my promise."
Though she'd only known her for a few minutes, Hayley found it hard to believe she kept secrets from her friends, much less a big one. In the end, Hayley decided to trust her, "So what's this big secret? I can't imagine a girl like you having many secrets."
Phoebe smirked for a brief moment, then became serious, "I'm dying."
Hayley hesitated, "What?"
Phoebe looked across the Grill at Damon to make sure he wasn't listening in, before explaining, "I have a rare condition called cystic fibrosis. It's a condition which affects the lungs and digestive system. When you have it, you're lucky if you live to be 40…I'll be lucky if I live another 20 years."
Hayley studied her, wondering how she could hide something like that. Why would she want to hide something like that?
"I don't want people to know, because they treat me like I'm fragile just know I'm sick, if they knew they only had another 20 or so years left with me...," Phoebe continued. Hayley followed her gaze to Damon, as she went on. "The vampires especially wouldn't want to let themselves get close to me. It's bad enough as it is to make friends with a human, but one that's already dying…He'd run so fast, just to avoid the pain…Good enough?"
This girl was either a damn-good actress, or she was telling the truth. Hayley decided to believe the latter. She gave Phoebe a simple nod of acknowledgement. After that, the conversation turned to a lighter note.
Meanwhile, Stefan and Elena try talking to Tyler at his house, but Tyler isn't very receptive. Stefan tries explaining that this is his home, too, and he wants to stay in Mystic Falls, so why not make it work? They also try explaining that the vampires versus werewolves thing is an age old feud that doesn't apply to them anymore. They don't have to be enemies.
Unfortunately, Tyler would prefer to believe Jules over Stefan and Elena – remarking that Elena has probably been compelled to take Stefan's side – and when Jules calls him, he calls out for help. Jules – out in the woods with the other wolves – tells them that Tyler is in trouble, and they devise a plan to get him back.
Back at the Grill, Damon tries threatening John into telling him what his plan is, but John isn't phased at all by Damon's threats. He remarks that since originals can compel vampires, he doesn't know if he can trust Damon. For all he knows, Damon could be compelled to find out John's plan and report back to Klaus or Elijah. Damon reminds him that he and Stefan have been drinking vervain, so they aren't susceptible to compulsion; but John still refuses to say a word.
Elsewhere, Caroline runs into Matt on the street, as she's getting into her car. Matt asks her if they can talk later, and clear up some of the weirdness between them. Caroline happily agrees to do that, making plans to swing by after his shift is over.
Once Matt walks away, Jules approaches Caroline. She asks her if she's seen Tyler, but doesn't believe Caroline when she says she hasn't seen him since that morning. Caroline becomes annoyed with Jules, and tries to attack her; but only gets a face full of vervain water, and a wooden bullet to the head.
She wakes up inside a cage in the camper that wolves have in the woods. She cries out in pain, as she removes the wooden bullet from her head. After trying – and failing – to unlock her cage, Brady shoots her again – only this time, in the right side of her chest.
Back at the Lockwood's, Stefan and Elena continue to try talking to Tyler, without success. In the middle of another conversation, Stefan gets a call from Caroline's phone, but it isn't Caroline on the other end. It's Jules. She wants Stefan to meet her in the clearing by Wickery Falls, so they can trade Tyler for Caroline. To prove she has Caroline, Jules has Brady shoot Caroline in the arm. Her agonizing screams are Stefan's proof.
Meanwhile, at the Grill, Jenna introduces her friend Andie Star to Damon. Andie offers to buy him a drink, hoping to get the chance to get to know him; but after a look at Phoebe, Damon politely refuses her offer, and walks away. He joins Phoebe at the bar, since her new friend has left to go to the bathroom.
As Damon order a drink, Phoebe remarked, "You totally just blew her off."
Damon looked at her, surprised she noticed, "I'm steering clear of all women, at the moment. Trust me; it's in the best interest of women everywhere."
Phoebe hid a smirk.
"So who's your new friend?" Damon asked, sipping his bourbon.
Phoebe was about to answer, when she got a call from Elena. She told Phoebe about the phone call from Jules, threatening to kill Caroline if Stefan didn't bring Tyler to her in the woods, and Stefan was headed there now. Damon, who had used his vampire hearing to listen in on her phone call, began to grow upset that no one told him about Tyler.
"Why am I just hearing about this now?" he asked.
"Because I knew you would try to kill him," Phoebe replied.
"Of course! That's what needs to happen," said Damon.
"No, Damon, it doesn't. Not every werewolf deserves to die, just like not every vampire deserves to die," Phoebe argued.
"Phoebe, the guys a werewolf. One bite and-"
"I know that, Damon, and if you seriously think that it doesn't terrify me to think about him possibly getting loose one night and biting one of you, you are seriously mistaken," she said quickly. "But Tyler isn't our enemy. And neither was Mason, before you spat in his face and stabbed him in the back."
"The guy was working for Katherine. He'd have stabbed us in the back, if I hadn't stabbed him first," Damon argued.
Phoebe grabbed him by the arms, "Damon, please. I need you to stop with the werewolf genocide thing."
"And you need to stop assuming I'm gonna play the good guy, just because it's you asking," said Damon.
"I have never asked you to be anything but yourself, Damon, until now. All I'm asking you for is the same thing I asked my dad for, when he believed all vampires should die," said Phoebe. "If he can put aside his bigotry of you and your kind, can't you do that for Tyler and the other werewolves? Be the better man, Damon."
Damon looked at her for a moment, and took a deep breath. He said nothing, as he headed for the door; but when he noticed Phoebe following him, he spun around, "Where are you going?"
"With you," she replied. Damon started to argue, but Phoebe wouldn't hear it. "You've got two choices, Damon. You can either let me come along, or I can knock you out with my new superpower and go without you. Your choice."
Given the choice, Damon chose to let her join him willingly. At least then he could keep her safe. If she went without him, then he couldn't do anything to help her. Meanwhile, Hayley had been watching the two talk so intently at the bar, and was now following them out.
Out at the Wickery Falls, Brady continues to torture Caroline. He asks her how many vampires there are in Mystic Falls, but she refuses to answer. He tries to persuade her with a vervain water-filled squirt gun, but it doesn't work. He then moves onto another toy, a blow dart. He blows wooden darts into her neck, but she still only screams to be let out.
Back at the Grill, Elena arrives to talk to Phoebe, but finds Phoebe is gone. John, on the other hand, has been informed by Phoebe of what is going on, and refuses to let Elena leave the Grill and put herself in danger. While he babysits Elena, Stefan and Tyler arrive at the falls. Stefan and Jules begin negotiations – Stefan doing his best to remain civil. A few minutes later, Damon arrives with Phoebe.
"My brother the peacemaker," Damon commented. "Since Stefan got here before me, I'm gonna let him try it his way, before I resort to my way – which is a little bloodier."
"Give us Caroline," Phoebe demanded.
"Let go of Tyler," Jules demanded.
"Just give us Caroline. Without a full moon it's not an even fight and you know it," said Damon. "We will take you."
"I'm not so sure of that, tough guy," replied Jules. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. All of a sudden, several wolves popped up with various vampire-killing weapons.
Phoebe was the only one not surprised by this, because of Hayley's information earlier.
"Let's try this again. Give us Tyler," Jules demanded.
Phoebe rolled her eyes, as she shoved Tyler forward. Once he reached Jules, Brady asked, "Which one of you killed Mason?"
"Uh, that'd be me," Damon replied, proudly. Phoebe hit him playfully.
"Boys, make sure that one suffers," Brady called, pointing at Damon.
"We can take 'em," Damon mumbled.
"I don't know about that," Stefan replied.
"Relax, boys. You've got me on your side tonight," said Phoebe, trying her best to focus.
Damon charged at Jules, but she scaled the wall of the camper, and came down behind him. Another wolf started up the flame thrower, aiming it at Stefan. Stefan flitted behind him, using him to shoot flames at the other wolves. Phoebe looked at the two wolves approaching her from either side. She extended her hands towards them, and closed her eyes. Just before reaching her, they both began coughing up blood profusely. Another wolf saw this, and shot a wooden stake at her head. Stefan caught it inches from her face.
Back by the camper, Damon ripped out the heart of a wolf that tried to jump on him from the roof of the camper, and proceeded towards Brady. Tyler ran inside the camper to find Caroline, but hesitated when she tried telling him how to unlock her cage.
With the two wolves down from severe blood loss, Phoebe opened her eyes. She stopped one wolf from attacking Stefan while he went after the one that shot a stake at Phoebe, but another one managed to stab Stefan in the back with a stake.
Meanwhile, Tyler finally releases Caroline from her cage, and Damon gets the upper hand on Brady. Jules shoots Damon with a wooden bullet, then pins Caroline against the camper, threatening to shoot her. Tyler watches, not even trying to help his friend.
Phoebe grabs a stake, and shoves it into the wolf's heart – the one that stabbed Stefan, "Should've paid more attention in biology."
Phoebe bent down to help Stefan – not realizing Damon was about to be staked by Brady – as Dr. Martin arrived, bringing all the wolves down with the aneurism spell. Everyone not affected looked around in confusion.
"It's about time," Phoebe mumbled, helping Stefan to his feet.
"Elijah made a promise to Phoebe. I'm here to see it's upheld," said Dr. Martin. He looked at Phoebe, "You and your friends need to go."
Phoebe and Stefan grabbed Damon and Caroline, and took off. Dr. Martin lingered for a moment to give Tyler a warning from Elijah: he and his friends need to get the hell out of Mystic Falls. As he walked away, Hayley tried to process everything she'd just seen. She'd been hiding in the trees this whole time, watching the negotiations, the fighting, and Dr. Martin saving the day. Phoebe had kept her promise, but she's also lent a helping hand in killing these wolves. Not only that, but she'd used magic! She never said anything about being a witch at the bar. There was definitely more to this girl than meets the eye.
"So is your mom home?" Phoebe asked, walking Caroline to her front door.
"No. She's at work," she replied, opening the door. Phoebe followed her inside. "You don't have to stay with me, I'm fine."
Phoebe looked her in the eye, "You don't have to pretend with me, Caroline. We're not mortal enemies anymore. It's okay to see each other defeated or weakened. Anyone would be upset after what you went through tonight."
"I'm not girlie little Caroline anymore. I can handle myself," she argued.
Phoebe nodded, "Yes, you can. But you still might need some help digging those splinters out of your neck."
Caroline smiled, "Fine. You can help me dig the splinters out of my neck. But then, will you please go?"
Phoebe rolled her eyes playfully, "Yes."
She followed Caroline to her room, and began pulling out the splinters. While she did, Caroline received a call from Matt. She told him that she wasn't going to make it tonight, because something came up with Bonnie, and wants to reschedule for another night. Matt agrees to it, but only because he knows she's lying. Bonnie is at the Grill, currently, laughing away with Jeremy and Anna.
When Phoebe was done, she left Caroline to shower. On her way out, Phoebe runs into Tyler. Phoebe stood her ground in front of Caroline's front door, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see if Caroline was okay," he said.
"Do you know what they did to her?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm sorry. But it's crazy now. Okay? I don't know who to trust. And she lied to me," said Tyler.
Phoebe stepped forward, aggressively, "She lied to protect our friends. She lied to protect you. Don't you get that? And Stefan and Elena tried to explain things to you, and all you did was get Caroline kidnapped and tortured."
"Phoebe-"
Phoebe took another aggressive step forward, "You just stood there! When they were going to kill us, you just stood there! You didn't do anything!"
"I didn't know what to do!" Tyler argued.
"You help your friends, Tyler, that's what you do," she said.
"I'm sorry," Tyler began.
"No, it's too late. You chose to believe complete strangers over the people you've known your entire life. You chose to stand idly by, while your friends were being threatened," said Phoebe. "If you think Caroline is still going to be your friend after tonight, you must be dumber than I thought. What happened to Caroline tonight, that will never happen to her again. So you take that back to your little werewolf pack, and you get the hell away from Caroline."
"Phoebe-"
"I said go!" Phoebe shouted, pointing. As she did, sparks flew out of her hand, like fireworks.
Tyler didn't seem to notice, as he took off. He seemed to have other things on his mind, and the pyrotechnics weren't that extravagant. They were mild sparks like a sparkler, and they only lasted a brief moment. But as Tyler sulked away, Phoebe got on the phone, and called Bonnie and Elena. If Caroline Forbes ever needed a girls' night, it was tonight.
Meanwhile, at the Boarding House, John pays Damon a visit. He gives him an old dagger and a bottle of white oak ash, claiming that it can kill an original. When Damon questions how he knows all of this, John tells him that Isobel told him. He also tells Damon that if Isobel pulls off what she's working on right now, Klaus will never set foot in Mystic Falls.
"If Klaus never steps foot in Mystic Falls, why bother giving me a dagger to kill him?" Damon asked.
"Because the dagger isn't for Klaus, it's for Elijah," John answered. "Phoebe may be willing to trust him, but I'm not. He's an original, and he wants to use my daughter as a weapon to destroy another original."
"So you want me to kill him for you," Damon guessed. "Why not do it yourself?"
"Because you don't trust him either. You want him dead just as much as I do," John answered. "You see, Damon, when it comes to Phoebe, we're on the same side. All we want is to keep her safe. Now are you willing to killing Elijah to ensure she isn't used as a weapon? Or are you okay with an original using her to settle a personal grievance?"
Back at the falls, Tyler rejoins the wolves, and asks if this is what being a part of a pack is going to be like all the time. Jules and Brady both tell him no. It's only like this here, because they're in vampire country, so to speak. Brady then wonders why Mason was stupid enough to stick around and get himself killed. Tyler mentions that he was looking for something called a moonstone. That piqued their interest. They ask Tyler where it is now, but he doesn't know.
Meanwhile, at Caroline's Bonnie and Elena arrive to have a girls' night with Caroline. They tell her Phoebe arranged it, and Caroline smiles. All these years that she was so mean to Phoebe, she was missing out on having one of the best friends anyone could ask for.
Later at the Boarding House, Damon gives Andie a call – per Phoebe's encouragement – and invites her over for a night cap. The two end up in a bubble bath together, and they talk about Damon's relationship problems with Phoebe. After compelling her not to be afraid of him, he tells her their whole story, from the moment they met to right now. In the end, Andie tells him the same thing Phoebe told him: people change when they love someone. And his love for Phoebe is changing him. There's no fighting it.
While Damon receives Andie's words of wisdom, John pays Katherine a visit in the tomb. He tells her that Isobel received her message, and that he's already working on getting her out of the tomb…
Well, there you have it. More information on Phoebe was revealed, Hayley was brought in early, and Phoebe exhibited signs of her next power! The next chapter is going to be a lot more interesting. Definitely more exciting.
Will the werewolves go after both of the twins? Or just the one they've seen? Will Hayley help them? Will she tell Phoebe's friends her secret, after what she did to the wolves? How would they all react to finding out that Phoebe is dying?
As always, let me know what you guys think so far. What do you think will happen in the future? What do you hope to see in the future (no matter how distant)?
FreeSpiritSeeker:Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the chapter, and that line. I thought it sounded perfect for that situation, and it sounded like something Phoebe would say.
RavenclawPanda221b: Words cannot express how excited I am to write Phoebe meeting the originals. I can barely wait to get to the end of the season and write what Phoebe will think of Klaus. As for the ending, it felt like Phoebe and Damon were overdue for some bonding time, so I decided to have her play wingman. I'm glad it turned out okay for you guys. You all seemed to have enjoyed it.
Oliviasladky Thank you so much! It means a lot to hear/read that.
Shadowing: Thank you! I didn't wanna change it too much, and then end up with something so drastically different that it was hard to write for. I also didn't want something so similar to the show that it was just a matter of rewriting the same episodes. Glad to know I found that perfect middle ground.
Emmyaltava(aka My #1 Fan): I'm sorry I have to leave you and everyone else waiting for a new chapter for so long. I wish I could write the chapters faster. I hope this chapter was enough to satiate your need for a little while – even though there weren't any Stoebe moments. Though they do make a good team when fighting. Phoebe and Elijah definitely do have a connection, and it's only going to get stronger (Not saying it'll necessarily be romantic, but I'm also not saying it'll be strictly friendly. You'll just have to read to find out). I kinda want her to be nice to all the originals, because they've all kinda been through hell, and Phoebe's just so damn understanding about everything.