We're gonna be Elijah-less for a little while but it'll all be worth it!
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It was around 6am when Sabrina finished up with breakfast. Dishes cleaned and coffee filter refilled for Jeremy, she picked up her thermos and bag before walking out the door and into her car.
Pulling up near the town cemetery she carried the thermos with her and began to walk to the familiar spot in the middle of the woods.
"Elena already left?" she mused walking over to Alaric who was packing up his hunting gear. "Here," she said passing over the thermos.
"You're a star." He began taking sips from the travel mug while Sabrina walked around picking up various items.
"Don't you have a meeting with Mrs. Lockwood?" Alaric questioned, grabbing the long piece of wood out of her hands.
"I can't do it, it's gonna end badly, I just know it. I left without any warning and I come back with the man that turned her son into a hybrid," she fretted circling Alaric's stuff before leaning against a tree. "On top of all that I don't have anything ready for the new school year."
"She's aware of the circumstance. I'm sure she'll understand."
"But she didn't know that I knew, so in her eyes I've been lying."
"What's the worst that can happen?"
Alaric's calmness was the complete opposite to her worry. "I officially get fired and no one in this town hires me."
"That's not going to happen," he reassured.
"You don't know that!"
"And neither do you."
Anxiousness was written all over her face as his words did little to comfort her.
"Come on Sabrina, you just spend the whole summer with a vampire who was slowly losing his humanity and a psycho hybrid, how is Carol Lockwood the one frightening you?"
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Sabrina paced up and down the Lockwood drive way trying to build up the courage to ring the doorbell.
It was rare for her to have a meeting in the Lockwood Mansion, usually work meetings took place in the town hall, knowing this did not help calm her nerves and made Sabrina jump to the conclusion that she was no longer allowed in her office.
She stopped pacing when her phone began to vibrate. Pulling it out of her pocket she checked the caller ID before answering.
"Not now Damon, I'm trying to think of an excuse that'll ensure I still have a job in 3 minutes."
"There are two women lying dead at the bottom of the stairs bleeding onto my carpet, another 3 playing blood twister with Stefan and a blonde original vampire claims she's moving in," he listed.
"Good luck with Rebekah," she said rolling her eyes.
"Are we competing with who's having the crappier day?"
"Call me back in 10 minutes, we'll compare again," she replied.
"Can you get to the high school before the bonfire tonight, I'm thinking of a plan?"
The threat of losing her job was overtaken with a new interest. "Mission save Stefan?"
"Something like that," he answered.
"Alright."
"Good luck with your meeting." The distraction was good while it lasted.
"Thanks, I'll need it," she muttered before hanging up.
Taking a deep breath in she walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Within a few seconds Mrs. Lockwood opened the door. "Good Morning Sabrina."
"Morning Mrs. Lockwood."
"Please come in." Stepping aside Sabrina walked into the large foyer, Mrs. Lockwood closing the door behind her.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other," she began while leading Sabrina into the living room. "I must say I was surprised when Mr. Saltzman told me you were back in town."
Sabrina kept up the pretence of a fake smile while on the inside she wanted nothing more than to run out, away from this encounter.
"Please take a seat." Mrs. Lockwood gestured towards the sofa.
"I suppose he's told you?" Sabrina asked quietly a little embarrassed that Alaric had to be the one to set up this meeting because she didn't have the courage to do it herself.
"I thought you'd left because you've had enough of small town life being the city girl that you are. I was surprised to hear the real reason behind your disappearance."
Sabrina looked up to see Mrs. Lockwood sat on the opposite sofa her.
"I..." Sabrina racked her brain once more but nothing she could use to reason came to mind. "I don't know what to tell you Mrs. Lockwood."
There was a brief pause between the two women. "How long have you known?"
"A few weeks after I arrived in town," she replied.
"You knew about the Salvatores?"
"Yes."
"About Caroline being a vampire?"
"Yes."
"And Tyler?"
She hesitated before nodding.
"Well then," she breathed out moving eye contact away from Sabrina.
"Mrs. Lockwood I need you to know that I love my job and this town. I never meant to keep it from you and I did my best to make sure the citizens of Mystic Falls were not caught up in anything that could harm them. If you're going to fire me than do it, but I will keep on helping in any way that I can," she pleaded at a last attempt. The look Mrs. Lockwood has gave some hope.
"While I don't appreciate that you withheld information from me I must say you'd be a hard person to replace if I did fire you. Which I should do given your disappearance."
Sabrina braced herself to hear the words she'd been dreading all morning.
"But the unusual predicament this town is under and the fact that I know what happened over the summer was most likely out of your control, I'm willing to look past it all."
A mix of surprise and relief waved through Sabrina. "On a few conditions."
"Anything," she beamed.
"You've got a lot of work to catch up with, I still expect you to meet deadlines." Sabrina nodded.
"I'll get right on it," she said getting up.
"And." She halted knowing there had to be a catch. "I want you to join the town council."
Sabrina furrowed her brows. "But I'm not a member of any of the founding families."
"Mr. Saltzman made a good point when came to see me and I think we'd benefit from having someone like you apart of making decisions that affect our town." The look of confusion relaxed as Mrs. Lockwood stood up.
"So, do we have an agreement?"
"I agree to your conditions Mrs. Lockwood."
"Good. Oh and I think you can stop calling me Mrs. Lockwood, Carol will do just fine," she told her with a smile.
"Do I still get to keep my office?"
"It's just how you left it."
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