Dark Side.
Chapter 7: Isobel. Part I.
"You are waiting for someone
who is not coming back
meaning
you are living your life
hoping that someone will realize
they can't live theirs without you."
—realizations don't work like that. Rupi Kaur.
It takes three weeks and a couple of days, give or take, until the incessant ringing of her phone drives Cassandra insane. Seriously, can't this woman take a hint? It doesn't help that Cass is already in a delicate state of mind. Yesterday was a mess of undesired memories that left her turning all night. If Cass is honest, sleep deprivation is culpable for the harsh way with which she finally picks up the phone. For now, however, she'll blame it on Katherine's terrible manners.
"What?" Cassandra barks into the phone.
She's sitting in one of the picnic tables near the school's parking lot, waiting for Bonnie and Caroline. At her angry greeting, some students pause and turn to frown at her. She sends them a glare that makes them scurry away. Teenagers, she thinks with distaste.
"Is that how you talk to your friends?" Katherine practically purrs on the other line, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'm not surprised you don't have any."
"You're such a bitch." Cass complains, shaking her head. "You didn't tell me."
How hard could it have been, really? A little word of warning, it could have even been a quick text. 'hey, fyi, the man you've been in love with on and off for a century is in Mystic Falls. Love u xx.' Instead, Katherine acted like Cassandra returning to Mystic Falls was the best joke ever. Promise me you'll at least make my stupid doppelgänger trip… on her own heart as you kill her. She had laughed, dismissing Katherine's obsession with said doppelgänger, and reminding her that it was imperative that Elena remained alive for now. Everything was fine… until she saw Stefan in that classroom, and Cassandra realized Katherine's laughing had little to do with Elena and everything to do with Cass's oblivion.
"I thought it was high-time you saw him again." Cass can practically hear Katherine shrugging.
"And…" she trails off, scoffing slightly.
Katherine doesn't give a rat's ass about Damon knowing Cass is alive.
"Fine." Katherine relents, sighing. "I needed you in Mystic Falls. You know, to keep me informed."
"Mhm." Cassandra hums, leaning one elbow on the table and her chin on her hand.
"Except I wasn't counting on your irritation being so strong you'd ignore me." Katherine nearly snarls. "Which is why, I'm sending in the cavalry."
"I hardly consider John worth the title." Cassandra scoffs.
John is a cadet. Actually, no. John is the excited kid signing up to serve his country. He's transparent, sucks at covering his tracks. Overall, downright laughable.
"I was talking about Isobel, actually." Katherine brags smugly.
"No. Absolutely not," she says immediately, straightening up in her seat. "You are not sending Isobel to Mystic Falls. Elena has gone through enough."
Sure, Cass wouldn't say Elena is her best friend or anything like that, and if something were to happen to her, Cass wouldn't mind horribly. But she's a lovely girl who has gone through way too much in way too short amount of time, and Cass thinks that if they add Isobel into the mix, Elena will probably crack under pressure.
"Don't tell me you like the little bitch." Katherine snarls.
"Easy, Kat. I'm still on your side." Cassandra laughs bitterly. Trust Katherine to still doubt her after so many centuries. "I'm only suggesting there's probably a simpler way to get whatever it is you want."
"You are compromised. And John is utterly useless." Katherine complains. Katherine's slight betrayal is the reason behind Cassandra's reluctancy to help her, and the woman knows it. "Also, Isobel excels in dramatic entrances, you'll see." Katherine giggles.
"I can't wait." Cassandra admits.
It's the truth. Sure, she did promise herself she'd turn a new leaf, stop the scheming and back-stabbing. But she's been well-behaved for the last thirty years and it is boring. Also, some drama might distract her from the bitter knowledge that everything she'd been embarrassingly dreaming off for a hundred years will never come true.
"I know."
Katherine is practically beaming on the other line. Cass knows what it means. Katherine already has a plan in motion to fix the mess Damon created when he released the tomb vampires. They're all a liability, which is why John has been keeping an eye on them, that much Cassandra has surmised. She's relieved Tweedledee and Tweedledum are the ones taking care of it, though. There's no need for word to get around that Cassandra Woodhouse is the one planning to kill a bunch of vampires just to protect one Highly Wanted Katherine Pierce.
"Oh, my gosh, Cass!" Caroline exclaims, running down the small grass hill near the basketball court.
Bonnie is a little ways behind her, currently apologizing to a really cute guy. Cassandra inwardly takes a deep breath in, trying to gather enough patience in her to tolerate Caroline for the rest of break. Outwards, she perks up and smiles, waving the blonde and brunette over.
"I need to go." Cass mutters down the phone.
She hangs up before Katherine can say anything and just in time for Caroline to flop down on the other side of the table, a huge binder clutched in her arms. Cass utters a small 'hi' as greeting. Caroline beams at her, practically hopping on her seat. She's suspicious of the glint on the human girl's eyes.
"Jeez, Caroline!" Bonnie huffs, finally joining them. "You wanna walk any faster?"
"Time is of the essence!" Caroline chirps happily. Cass frowns, while Bonnie raises her eyebrows. "Or something like that." Caroline dismisses.
"Okay… why the hurry?" Cassandra asks.
"Elena is too preoccupied by Stefan drama… or uncle John drama… or… Jeremy's-back-on-drugs drama?" Caroline rolls her eyes, showing no sensitivity towards Elena's troubled home-life. "Whatever, the point is, she's busy and this year's Mystic Court needs to be amazing." Caroline explains with a bright smile.
"So, I'm chosen by… default?" Cass asks.
Besides Caroline, Bonnie snorts with laughter. Caroline seems unbothered by this. She shrugs, dropping the binder on the wooden table with a hollowed thud!
"No. I chose you because you have impeccable fashion sense." Caroline explains, opening the binder.
"Last year's Mystic Court was really bad." Bonnie adds, scrunching up her nose in distaste. "Like, ew."
"And I'm guessing you don't want a repeat of that." Cassandra deadpans.
She won't admit it, but she's kind of really interested. It's the perfect distraction from real life. Also, she does love planning events.
"Definitely not!" Caroline shakes her head, as chirpy as ever, before turning over the binder so Cass can take a look at it.
Her heart drops to her feet. Well, fuck, this is not going to serve as a distraction. Because Caroline's idea of perfection comes in the form of civil-war-era attire that would put Scarlett O'Hara's best dresses to shame. She looks up from the cut-outs from civil-war-recreations magazines and pictures from Gone with The Wind clearly taken from Google to an over-excited Caroline. Her eyes go to Bonnie, who is undoubtedly containing a knowing smile.
"Gone with The Wind, Caroline, really?" Cass raises an eyebrow.
Gone with the Wind is an amazing book. And the movie is iconic. But dressing up like a Southern Belle will only bring up more undesired memories and Cass isn't sure she can take any more.
"Hey, Gone with The Wind is a cinematographic masterpiece!" Caroline defends her idea with a bob of her head, blonde ringlets bouncing with the motion.
"Also, she's a little bit obsessed with Scarlett O'Hara." Bonnie adds with a teasing smile. "She channels her daily." Bonnie stage-whispers to her conspiringly.
Cassandra allows a smile, amused.
"Okay, you two can judge all you want, but she's amazing and the dresses are super cute!" Caroline shrugs off their comments.
"And Mystic Falls was involved in the civil war." Cass adds, reminding the teenagers that the meaning behind this idea will be more than just 'the dresses are cute.' "Mr. Saltzman has the boys doing a parade float to represent the battle of Willow Creek. It would tie in nicely." She relents.
"You're in?" Caroline asks, even if her tone suggests more of an exclamation than a question.
"I'm in!" Cassandra laughs.
Caroline beams, turning to Bonnie with a victorious smile. The other girl shakes her head with a small smile of her own. Cass rolls her eyes, but she's surprised over the fact that she's not overly annoyed at this exchange.
"Great! Because we sort of have another favor to ask you." Caroline announces, tone changing into full convincing mode.
"What?" Cass asks, already dreading the favor about to be asked.
"Amber is petrified after that stupid animal attacked her in the woods." Caroline rolls her eyes. "So, I need you to take her place in the Mystic Court."
"What?" Cass repeats.
"Yeah, I don't want her having a break down when she sees a dog in the crowd or something!" Caroline shakes her head. Bonnie sends her an unimpressed look. "I hope she feels better soon, though." Caroline amends.
"Fine." Cass agrees, unwillingly laughing at how blunt Caroline is. "But I'm getting my own dress." She warns.
There is no way she's wearing one of those cheap, clearly fake, too-vibrantly-colored dresses that will probably never fit correctly. Also, if she's putting a corset on again after so many years, then it'll definitely be her own bespoke ones, not something from a store. Bonnie grimaces, probably knowing Caroline's answer before she even says it. Cass won't take any of Caroline's bullshit, though, even if it leads to a battle of wills.
"Whatever." Caroline shrugs, turning back to the binder. "Just, show it to me first to make sure we all match. Now, let's talk colors."
With that, Caroline flips a page on the binder, revealing two pages side-by-side filled with more cut-outs, plus cut pieces of fabrics taped to the thick paper with color-coordinated Scotch tape. Purple Scotch tape is for organza, while yellow is for lace, and red is satin. Cass can't help but be impressed. It looks like Caroline is just as good at event planning as Cassandra is.
"Miss Woodhouse?"
The interruption is startling, especially because it's been a while since anyone has addressed her in such a manner. Cassandra blinks and looks up, half-expecting George Lockwood to be standing in front of her, or someone else from her past coming to say 'hi'. It's only Alaric, and her heart goes back to a normal beating.
"Mr. Saltzman." Cassandra returns the greeting, slightly confused as to what would be so important that Alaric would need to address her formally.
"Hi, Mr. Saltzman!" Bonnie smiles, nodding at their History teacher.
"Hi, Bonnie, Caroline." Alaric returns the nod to both students individually before his attention returns to Cass. "Cassandra, could you come with me for a moment? There's something I need to talk to you about."
"Yeah, of course, Mr. Saltzman." Cassandra nods slowly, sharing a feigned alarmed look with Caroline and Bonnie. If Alaric was going with, 'I'm your teacher and you're in trouble,' she'd play along. "See you later, Bonnie, Caroline."
With that she lifts herself up from the table and follows Alaric into the building, feeling a pit in her stomach. There's no denying the teacher's concern, concern that mixes between sorrow and fear. Cassandra knows what's happened before she's told. Isobel just made her move.
Isobel's move was… a bit more dramatic that Cass thought it would be. Still, she kind of approves. Not that she would say that aloud, especially considering how stunned her new friends seem over the news. While Stefan is understandably worried, Mr. Saltzman and the Doppelgänger are the most shaken. Elena sits in the front row of seats, chocolate brown eyes stuck to the stained tile of the classroom floor. Alaric, however, Alaric is a barely contained mess all on his own. Cassandra didn't think it was possible for someone to look so sad and angry and betrayed all at the same time, except Alaric is the embodiment of all those emotions in this moment. And more.
When the door opens to reveal Damon Cool-As-A-Cucumber Salvatore, Elena visibly flinches. They all turn to him, Alaric even stops pacing the length of his teacher's desk.
"Sorry I'm late," Damon announces, smirk secured in his face. "Dog ate my…" at this he trails off, noticing how the energy in the room isn't exactly light. His clear eyes go from Elena, who is currently pressing a hand to the back of her neck, to a frowning Stefan, to Alaric, and finally to her. "Never mind. What's with the furrowed brows?"
Even though it sounds like an open question, Cassandra knows it's directed at her, the only one who seems to remain composed. She doesn't answer. Instead, her eyes jump to Alaric. Damon's do, too.
"I saw Isobel last night." Alaric explains with a repressed sigh.
"Isobel is here?" Damon asks, needing confirmation that this happened in Mystic Falls and not one town over. Cass thinks he looks almost… shocked. She can't remember the last time she saw his eyes that wide. "In town?"
Alaric nods mutely. Damon doesn't say anything, he just turns to Elena. The human girl lifts her head up to meet his eyes, searching for comfort. Just like that, he joins the worried club. Cassandra presses her lips into a thin line. She figured the only ones who would be affected over Isobel's appearance would be Elena and Alaric. Clearly, she underestimated how much the Salvatore brothers cared about the Doppelgänger.
"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?" Damon asks after a beat of nothing but silence.
He swirls in place until he faces Alaric. Yes, Cassandra immediately thinks but keeps quiet. Maybe if they think there's no connection between John and Isobel they'll stay focused on John and stay out of the real trouble.
"No." Alaric shakes his head, leaning onto his desk like he's exhausted.
"No, they're not?" Damon demands; his raised eyebrows say that wasn't a good enough answer.
"No, I didn't ask." Alaric clears up the confusion.
"What about the invention?" Damon asks within a beat.
"Didn't ask." Alaric grumbles.
Cass thinks maybe he's just realized his own uselessness.
"Did she know about the tomb vampires?" Damon asks instead, desperately hoping for an answer that might help them figure this out.
"I don't know." Alaric pushes himself up from the desk, tone of voice challenging.
"Did words completely escape you?" Damon nearly gapes at him, hands up in the air in exasperation.
"No," Alaric says, voice hardened. "I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions."
"Okay." Damon scoffs lightly. Suddenly, he takes one long stride towards the window, where Cass is sitting atop the cerulean-colored low cabinet. She tenses, but otherwise doesn't even blink. "What do you know, Cassandra?"
"Excuse me?" she retorts.
Inside, she's reeling. She didn't expect him to catch on so quickly.
"You know John." Damon's sarcastically cheerful tone is everything but cheerful. It carries a threatening undertone. "And you didn't mind too much when he told he'd kill all the vampires. Including… mhm, I don't know… me!" Damon reminds her with widened eyes.
Elena takes a sharp intake of breath, while Alaric crosses his arms, turning to her with a near-reprimanding look. Stefan, however, does the most he has since they came into the classroom. He uncrosses his arms and jumps off the desk next to Elena's, taking a closer step towards his brother. Suspicion is back in his leaf-green eyes. Cassandra turns back to Damon with anger burning her blood.
"I don't know what Isobel wants." She lies coldly. "As for John, I know as much as you do. He wants the invention, but I don't know what for."
That is also a lie. But Isobel and John's plan needs to take place, and fast, before word starts to travel around not just about how Katherine and Cassandra are alive, but also how the Doppelgänger is in Mystic Falls. Klaus's minions would arrive here in the blink of an eye. They would find Elena, the Moonstone, and two vampires with a connecting past to not just Katherine but Cass as well. Also, Cass has other enemies besides Klaus, and they think she's dead. She wants to keep it that way, except Damon and Stefan are compromising the whole thing.
Damon holds her gaze for a moment longer than he should, clearly trying to deduce whether she's lying or not, before turning back to the other people in the room.
"What does she want?"
This time, it's Elena who answers.
"She wants to see me," she says with a small voice.
The effect is immediate. Stefan walks back to her side, placing one hand on her shoulder. Damon softens all over, blue eyes clouded with concern as he and Elena have a private moment strangely filled with understanding.
"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting." Stefan explains to his older brother. "We don't know why or what she wants."
Damon doesn't look away from Elena. He takes a minute step towards the human girl, and Cass can practically feel him reaching out to Elena, even if he's not moving.
"You don't have to see her if you don't want to," he tells Elena, carefully.
There's a hidden promise there. Like he will do anything in his power to make sure Elena doesn't go through any more emotional trouble if she doesn't want to submit herself to it. Stefan looks surprised by the sudden warmth surrounding his brother. Elena doesn't mind it, if anything she seems grateful for it. Stefan's green eyes go from Damon to Elena and back again. Alaric, however, is looking at her.
"I don't really have a choice, Damon." Elena murmurs.
Damon frowns, not following.
"Isobel has threatened to go on a killing spree," Cassandra explains. "If she doesn't… see Elena."
Elena's eyes glaze over, arms tightening around herself. Cassandra bites the inside of her cheek, feeling out of place.
"Oh!" Damon rolls his eyes, looking around the room once more. "I take it that's not okay with you guys."
Cassandra shrugs. She's been here a little over three weeks and while she has new friends who are lovely, she honestly doesn't mind if they die, at least not yet.
"We could always take her out." She comments, even if that's not what she wants happening.
Damon's comment earlier probably shook the foundation of Stefan's trust for her. If she suggests killing Isobel, that can propose she's not on Isobel and John's side. Alaric shoots her a glare, already opening his mouth to protest.
"I want to do it. I want to meet her," Elena says before Alaric can speak his mind. Everyone's attention goes back to her. "If I don't, I know I'll regret it."
With that, she turns her eyes back to Damon. They look at each other, and it almost looks like they're having a silent conversation with one another.
The meeting between Isobel and Elena was arranged for later that day, in the Grill, a neutral place where Elena could feel safe. While Stefan was allowed in, the rest of them had to stay outside.
So, that's where they are, right across the Grill, waiting until the stupid meeting is done with. It's a lovely day, at least weather-wise, with a clear-blue sky and a bright sun overhead. It'd be enjoyable, the kids playing in the middle of the square and the birds chirping around them in a perfectly scenic ambiance, except their moods are everything but cheery. Cass leans against the backrest of a park bench, Alaric beside her. She follows Damon's pacing with her eyes, feeling like someone just stabbed her right through the heart. How is it possible for her to be in the same position she was a hundred years ago? Worse, at least back then she and Damon were friends.
"We should be in there." Damon complains, glancing at the main entrance of the Grill.
"No," Alaric denies with a shake of his head. "Isobel made it clear we're not to step a foot inside."
"I'm not going to kill her in the middle of a crowded restaurant." Damon scoffs, finally stopping his pacing.
"Of course, you are." Cassandra snorts, crossing her arms across her chest.
Damon shoots her an unamused look.
"You're not going to kill her, period." Alaric snaps.
Cassandra turns to him. The poor man just saw the wife he thought was dead and realized she's a carcass of who she was. Cass imagines it must be quite a shock, not to mention painful.
"Alaric," she begins kindly. "She was married to you, committed, and, still, she tracked me down all the way to Alaska, just so she could get a two-line address, where she begged a vampire to turn her without any regards for your feelings."
It's hard, but it's the truth. Alaric doesn't look away from her and Cass can see the pain flashing behind his eyes. She wishes she could compel him, take away his heartache, but he wears vervain every day. Alaric clears his throat, momentarily looking down at the gravel beneath his feet.
"This isn't the kind of woman you want to protect," Cass tells him.
At this, Alaric's head snaps up to look at her, eyes narrowed.
"She's my wife!" he protests. Cassandra doesn't say anything, just looks at him until the man realizes his mistake. "Was my wife. I looked for the woman I married but she isn't there. Whoever that is, she's cold and detached." He corrects, eyes going from Cass to Damon.
"She gave up her humanity." Damon explains.
"See, I don't get that," Alaric says. "Stefan has his humanity, he's a good guy. And you're a dick and you kill people, but I still see something human in you." He raises an eyebrow Damon's way, before turning to look at her. "And you are pretty normal, too, except for when you're tearing people's hearts out, of course. But with her there was...nothing."
Cassandra presses her lips into a fine line, so Alaric won't realize she's trying not to smile. Pretty normal with a tendency to murder people seems accurate.
"There's this thing inside your mind, like a switch. It shows up the second you turn into a vampire." Cass explains, trying to simplify it as much as possible. "You flip it off, and… puff,"—she snaps her fingers.—"You're completely numb."
Alaric frowns, not following. She doesn't blame him. Cass herself never really understood the workings of the humanity flip until she completed her transition. Then, the switch suddenly appeared near the back of her mind, inviting and luminous. Damon lets out a half-annoyed breath, before delving into his own explanation.
"Stefan wants the whole human experience, wants to feel every episode of How I Met Your Mother. So does Little Red Riding Hood over there." With that he nods at Cass. She scrunches up her nose in disgust at the new nickname. "The problem is, as a vampire, your instinct is not to feel. Isobel chose the easier road—no guilt, no shame, no regret. I mean, come on, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?"
Silence follows Damon's small speech. Cassandra doesn't look away from him. She never wanted him to feel either of those things. Because she knows those are the feelings that haunt him, the ones that make him want to turn it off. She inwardly shakes her head. It doesn't matter. Not anymore, anyways. They're nothing but acquaintances.
"You two haven't." Alaric points out at last.
"Of course, I have, Ric." Damon answers within the second, being his sarcastic self. "It's why I'm so fun to be around." He sends them both a smirk.
She doesn't buy it, but doesn't say anything either, too busy thinking about her own past. The thing is, turning one's humanity off is ten times easier than turning it on. The only time she ever did it, she didn't turn her humanity back on until two hundred years later. It's the very reason people in Europe believe redheads have a connection to the devil, because they were terrorised by a redheaded monster for two whole centuries. And not just any monster, but a hybrid. She inwardly sighs, still remembering how painful it was when she was forced to turn her humanity back on. Not that it turned her into a saint like many had hoped for, but, hey, at least she felt something now.
"Turning it off is definitely more fun than having to experience every excruciating heightened emotion, Alaric." She comments darkly.
She's not sure what Damon and Alaric see in her face or hear in her voice, but both men straighten, and neither speak again until Stefan comes out of the Grill, Elena nestled into his side.
UPDATED: 16/01/2020