Gilbert House

Elena did as her dad told her and had listened as he spoke of how there was more then just humans walking the earth. She didn't understand how everything was just going right, her life was about to be perfect well aside from her mom being dead but Amelia was kicked out! Then, her dad started talking crazy. It was as if he'd been spending time with Bonnie's grandma, the drunk bitch. And then it clicked. That had to be it. Bonnie's 'Grams', Sheila Bennet, had to be the reason her dad was talking about there being vampires. She most have been spouting her crazy and he latched onto it. She had to do something but what? She couldn't tell anyone he thought vampires were real he'd end up in a loony bin and that just didn't fit in with her plans. Hell she'd be back where she started when he was in a coma and with Amelia as one of her guardians. Ick.

"Elena, pay attention! I know this is a lot to take in but this knowledge has been passed down through the Gilbert family for over a hundred years. In fact, all the founding families and even those working in the Mystic Falls Police Station are aware of this. It's only been your generation that hasn't grown up with the knowledge since birth. We, that is the council, decided it was best to wait until our children were grown before letting them in on the secret. I admit now, that may have been a mistake on our parts." He sighed at he ran a hand through his hair.

"Wait a minute. Your saying the Founding Families, all believe this? In vampires and woo-ooo?" Elena wiggled her fingers out at him.

"Yes, Elena. That is what I've been trying to tell you the past half hour but that is the least important that we have to discuss."

"What could be more important than the fact that this town's governing body has meeting that are actually secret meeting about the supernatural and not actually the town? Wait! Is Amelia a vampire? Is that what this is about? Do I have to stake her as some sort of initiation or something?" She smiled at the thought of Amelia being this monster she got to take down. It was like a dream come true.

"ELENA!" Grayson's eyes narrowed in on her, furious. "Amelia, is not a vampire. I don't know what she is but a vampire isn't it. And you will keep your mouth shut about her being anything but human. Do you understand me?"

"Dad, you ju-"

"I said. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND." His brown eyes glared down on her and she swallowed hard.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. There will be no talk of staking your aunt."

"Is she still my aunt?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean, you just got done talking about how it was human vs monster. As in you are human or you're not. Prey vs. Predator. You said Amelia isn't human so is she really still my 'Aunt' or is she just the enemy?" Elena raised her hands as she quoted aunt during her questioning.

"She- Amelia I-" Grayson struggled with an answer. He knew what his heart was saying but his head said something completely different. He loved her. Hell, he raised her after the death of their father and her mother. She had been his sunshine since the day he laid eyes on her; only for her hands to reach out, grab his nose and giggle. His father's words rang in his head though. There's only one thing to remember son. There's humans and then there are monsters. If is isn't human, it doesn't deserve your sympathy. It's nothing but a monster looking for its next victim. But was he right? He'd lived by those words for so long. If he didn't hold to them then what did it say about all he'd done? What did it say about him and Augustine? Augustine. The very thought of Amelia taking the place of one of his subjects, ripped at him. Their occasional screams of pain being replaced by hers as they/she was cut open, as their/her organs were removed piece by piece to see if it could regenerate. He stood knocking into the coffee table and sending his mug crashing to the floor as he stumbled only to stop at the doorway. "Amelia, is my sister. That makes her your aunt. A member of this family whether she forgives me for doubting that or not. And you will not do anything that compromises her safety in any way, Elena." He turned to meet his adopted daughter's eyes, the brown eyes of his mother with a look he remembered once being in John's, (during his little rebellion against the family) head on. "If you do, you won't like the consequences, Elena. I promise you that. And do not think that just because I am ending this here that our conversation is over. We still need to discuss your behavior that night."

"Wha- What are you talking about?" Elena's heart stuttered. She'd never seen her dad look at her the way he just did. And she was pretty sure he had just threatened her to keep her mouth shut. He couldn't possibly mean the night she thought he did though. The doctors said he'd probably be unable to remember most of what happened that day let alone ever that night considering the trauma.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Elena. The night you called and lied to your mother once she mentioned Amelia was picking you up saying she put her hands on you. The night you were so drunk, you couldn't control yourself and sent us careening off the Wickery Bridge, killing my wife. That night."

"Dad, I-"

"Don't. I know you've been lying about not remembering the details of that night. So does Amelia, Jenna, and even Jeremy." She gasped at that.

"H-How?"

"Amelia was driving behind us, she saw you. She wasn't sure about it and told Jenna as much when she told her. They planned on talking to you about it but you pretended not to remember. As for Jeremy, well, he read your journal. Stop pretending, Elena. Haven't you realized yet that it does nothing but dig you into a deeper hole?"