Previously on Everything Changes...
Late that night, Caroline and Elena sat in the living room of the Gilbert residence. Since Bonnie wasn't speaking to either of them willingly, Caroline knew Elena would need a girl's night. Especially since her birth mother turned out to be a complete bitch.
The doorbell suddenly rang, and Elena got up to answer it.
"Bonnie?" She gasped, eyes lighting up.
Caroline got up and ran over to the door, equally surprised.
"Hi," Caroline said, trying to stifle her excitement. She'd missed her best friend.
"Hey…" Bonnie looked down. "I couldn't sleep tonight. You were obviously upset about something and I just walked away. It's not me. That can't be us. You're my friend, Elena. If you need me I'm here for you and I'm sorry I couldn't show you that earlier…"
"I met my birth mother." Elena blurted out, and Bonnie's mouth dropped.
"Oh. Was it…are you okay?"
When Elena started to cry, Bonnie embraced her. We all stood there and hugged for quite some time.
Caroline's POV
After lots of your typical sleepover activities, Bonnie, Elena and I headed upstairs for bed. It was when the three of us were laying in Elena's large bed, talking, when we filled in Bonnie on what had been going on the last few days. We told her about the meetings, Isobel, John and Ezra, the invention, and everything else big.
"So, who do you think wants to meet you, Caroline?" Bonnie murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.
I shifted onto my back, staring up at the fan whirling above us.
Who did I think wanted to meet me? I asked myself. Who knew about me?
I thought for a long moment, my mind drawing a blank. "I honestly have no idea."
Bonnie hummed beside me, nodding. "I guess we'll have to wait and see then."
"I hate surprises," I grumbled, bringing my hands up to my face to rub my temples.
"Are you going to try to get the boys to stay away from the Grill when your meeting is taking place? Isobel did say her 'friend' wouldn't be too happy if Damon was there…" Elena spoke up, surprising me. I'd thought she was asleep.
My brain whirled through possible ways to get Damon to stay out of the Grill and none of them seemed plausible.
"I don't know if I even want to keep Damon out of the Grill. I don't want to be completely alone with this person, but I don't want to risk anything bad going down either…" I mumbled, growing sleepier by the moment.
~0~
Elena and I walked down the halls of our high school, headed towards an empty classroom. Bonnie was leafing through Emily's spell book and she'd found something…or so the text said.
"What do you think she found?" Elena asked as we rounded the corner to the hallway the English classroom was in.
I shrugged. "Hopefully something about that invention Damon has."
Bonnie glanced up from a desk when Elena and I entered. "Hey guys, thanks for meeting me. I wanted you all to see this."
The classroom's blinds were drawn, leaving the English 11 classroom shadowy and mysterious. The teacher's desk was loaded down with papers, while all the student's desks were empty.
"So you found something?" Elena queried, moving over to sit beside Bonnie.
I took a seat on the other side, peering down at the ancient book. The writing w as dark blue and in an elaborate cursive – and not all in English either, I noted.
Bonnie pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, nodding. "Last night, when you guys mentioned the invention, I thought of something…" she turned the page forward once and tapped on the page.
A sketch of the compass, almost an exact replica, stood out among the words.
"Yeah, that's it," I leaned forward; my eyes squinted as I tried to make out the cursive.
"According to Emily, Jonathan and William never actually invented anything. Emily secretly spelled them all with magic; the compass, the daylight rings, and now this mystery device." Bonnie explained, flipping a few pages ahead.
A schematic of the mystery device and of the compass was sketched out.
"Wait a second," I said, frowning. "If Emily was Chandra and Katherine's servant, why would she help the Founding Families with all this anti-vampire equipment?"
Bonnie scanned the page, lips pursed. "She pledged her loyalty to the girls, but she couldn't stand by and watch innocent people get killed. This was the only way she could think of to help them. Emily had to let the men believe they had created the devices."
That made sense. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like working for Chandra and Katherine. If they were as devious as the stories I'd heard…well then I would want to keep my friends safe too.
"Does it say what it does?" Elena piped up.
Bonnie hummed, quickly reading the next page. Her brown eyes widened. "Are you sure this is what Isobel wants, Elena?"
The brunette nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Why?"
I stared hard at the inky writing, only able to make out vampires and compass.
"This is a weapon," she said. "Against vampires."
Elena's mouth dropped open, brown eyes widening. I'm sure mine was similar to my brunette friend.
"We have to tell Stefan!" Elena leapt out of the chair and practically ran out of the classroom.
I heaved a sigh, getting up.
"Thanks Bonnie," I offered my friend a smile before following after Elena.
After searching the halls for a good five minutes, I went outside.
Where did that girl run off to?! I grumbled, mentally cursing Elena for running off.
I'll try Stefan's cell! I thought, grinning. Fishing my cell phone out of my pocket, I dialed his number. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Hey Caroline, what's up?"
"Stefan, where are you? Is Elena with you?" I asked in rapid-fire. "Bonnie figured out what the invention is and she took off to find you."
"No, she isn't," Stefan said, obviously distracted.
I pushed through a group of people, heading out towards the parking lot where the floats were being constructed. Suddenly, a dark head of hair came into view.
"I see Elena-" My mouth dropped open as I saw who she was talking to. "Oh my god, Stefan, she's with Isobel," I hissed.
Suddenly a smirk spread across Isobel's face and I followed her gaze to Matt. A tall man was looming just outside Matt's group, obviously out of place. He had a dark look to him, and I could instantly tell something wasn't right. The man glanced over at Matt, who had just situated himself under the rear axles of the trailer. With a small smirk, the man leapt up onto the trailer with a loud thud. The trailer shuddered under his weight, and Matt cried out.
I gasped, beginning to run over to Matt, simultaneously shoving my phone into my pocket. "MATT!"
Stefan beat me to the trailer.
"C'mon guys!" Tyler called out, and Stefan slid beside one of the boys to pick the trailer up.
I pushed my way through the crowd of onlookers and pulled Matt away.
"Care, call an ambulance," Stefan urged and I quickly brought my hand up, noticing it was still in my hand, and dialed 911.
I glanced around desperately as I told the dispatcher what had happened.
Isobel was still talking to Elena, the brunette's arm in her grip.
An annoyed rage rushed through my body, and I got up, stalking over to Isobel. I hung up my phone and shoved it into my pocket moment before I said, "Why are you doing this?"
Isobel smirked again, strangely calm.
"Why, hello Caroline. I was wondering how long it would take for you to come over here after you attempted to save your friend."
"Answer my question!"
"I'm showing the both of you how easy it is to hurt the people you care about."
"And you're doing this all for some stupid invention?" Elena asked.
Isobel shrugged a shoulder, her dark hair flopping behind it. "Hand it over and everything will stop."
"I told you, Damon won't give it to me!" I insisted, throwing my hands up. I glanced behind my shoulder, feeling someone's gaze on us.
Stefan.
"Don't you love your godfather, Caroline?"
Zach's face flashed into my mind and my heart stopped in my chest.
I pressed my lips together, teeth grit. "What did you do?" I bit out, glaring daggers at the bitch.
"I think that you underestimate how much Damon cares about you, dear." Isobel released Elena's arm, only to reach over and pat me on the shoulder. "Bring the invention to your meeting tonight, or your godfather dies."
I whirled around, meeting Stefan's eyes. He was already headed this way.
I tore my phone out of my pocket, quickly calling Zach.
It rang once, twice, and then suddenly, I heard his voice.
"This is Zach Salvatore, I can't come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave a message after the beep, I'll get back to you as soon as I can…." The tone sounded, and I felt tears pool in my eyes.
"Zach, it's Caroline. Get home as soon as possible, and don't let anyone in. I'm serious Zach. Some…things….are happening. Please stay safe. Love you." I hung up and by the time I had finished blabbering out the message, Isobel was gone and Stefan and Elena were at my side, embracing me.
It was then I realized I had tears streaming heavily down my face.
~0~
Third Person POV
Ezra and John entered the foreclosed house Isobel was living in while she stayed in Mystic Falls. When the two men entered into the foyer, they were surprised to notice that there were quite a few suitcases piled up over to the side. They advanced farther down the hall, now in the living room, where Isobel was packing.
"I see you're packing. That's a good sign," John commented, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Isobel glanced up, none too surprised to see the two men. "It won't be long now."
"Have you gotten the missing piece? Where is it?" Ezra asked, eyes scanning the bare living room. "Does that Salvatore brother still have it?"
Isobel straightened up, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "No, Ezra, I don't have it yet."
John scoffed, looking a bit peeved. "Then why did you call us here?"
"I have the next best thing, of course," Isobel's signature daring smirk played across her face and she motioned for the men to follow her into one of the guest bedrooms.
Zach was tied to a chair, Cherie and Franc, her two compelled dolls, were around him.
Ezra's eyes widened. Caroline's godfather! He had no hard feelings towards the man. Zach practically wanted what he wanted – to keep Caroline save and away from all the vampires.
"What the hell?" Ezra heard himself exclaim before he could stop himself.
"Caroline cares about him. If we want our plan to actually work, then we need him to get what I want," Isobel explained, stroking the man's face with the back of her fingers.
Zach struggled, recoiling in unveiled disgust away from her.
"Yeah, but he's my niece's godfather- he wants what I want for her – and you're going to let him go right this moment!" Ezra snarled.
John laid a hand on his partner's shoulder, feeling the tension rise in the room.
Isobel stepped forward, leveling her gaze onto Ezra. "Those gaudy rings you both have, they come off."
Ezra swallowed, working his jaw anxiously.
"C'mon Isobel, I know you, okay? You wouldn't want to take away a girl's only guardian. You know how that feels, Isobel."
Isobel let out a sharp breath, rolling her eyes. "He's not the only guardian you buffoon. Do you really think you two are the only ones I have working for me?"
John furrowed his brows, wondering who Isobel could possibly be alluding to. Then he remembered who could possibly be on her side.
No…surely not… John thought, glancing to Ezra, who kept a blank expression.
Isobel murmured something in French, her gaze rough. Cherie and Franc moved closer to Zach, who flinched away. Franc, much stronger than Cherie, shoved Zach's chair over and the two began to brutally kick and punch the man.
Ezra gasped and moved to stop them, when the vampire caught his hand.
"Ah, ah, ah," she chided, slipping off Ezra's ring. "Let's see how you do without this."
John subconsciously rubbed the ring on his hand and suddenly Isobel had his as well.
"Can't have you two sharing that now can I?"
Isobel left the room, leaving a broken and bloody Zach behind.
~0~
Caroline's POV
Bonnie, Stefan, Elena and I all headed to Alaric's classroom, needing some time to discuss what had been happening.
"Where's the device?" Bonnie asked, looking at the three of us. "And where is Klaus? I thought he was supposed to be helping us."
Stefan shrugged. "Don't know. He seemed kind of preoccupied whenever he was with Ric last night."
"What do you mean?" I asked, not really following.
"Ric told me that he seemed, off…like he had his mind elsewhere," Stefan shrugged.
I simply hummed in response, my brows furrowing.
Was Klaus up to something?
"Damon has the device," Elena explained to Bonnie. "Isobel seems to think that Caroline will be able to get it from him."
"He's going to be difficult to reason with, Care," Stefan warned.
I nodded in agreement. "We can go find him and talk to him, maybe once he hears what's going on he'll change his mind?"
Stefan shook his head, "He definitely won't just hand it over. It's harmful to vampires."
Elena had been thoughtfully staring at Bonnie during this whole conversation, and Bonnie had been staring right back.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Bonnie murmured, and Elena beamed.
"We have an idea…what if the device isn't harmful?"
~0~
Damon snorted, shaking his head. "Absolutely not, Blondie!"
I grumbled to myself, I knew this would be hard.
"Damon!" I complained, jutting out my bottom lip. "You haven't even heard me out yet!"
He let out a long sigh in response. "I'm not going to give you some device to give to Isobel so she can give it to Ezra - or John or god knows who – just so they can use it to kill me. I like being a living-dead person thank you very much."
I paused for a beat, letting his words wash over me.
He did have a point, after all, but still!
"She has, Zach, Damon! You can't just let him die!" I whined before changing tactics. "And – it'll be useless because Bonnie can take its power away!"
"Oh, well, in that case…" he said, feigning seriousness, "NO."
I growled in frustration. "It's not like they'll even be able to tell!"
"I don't trust her…she's too…witchy," Damon waved his hands, making a face.
"She can remove the original spell, she's completely sure!"
Damon shook his head, putting the drink he'd been swishing around in his cup for quite some time down. "No, Care, I'll get Zach in my own way."
Stefan and Bonnie entered the room then.
"Really?" Stefan challenged. "How are you going to do that? Because Isobel is a vampire and Uncle Zach could be dead the second you walk in the door."
The elder brother ignored this and turned to Bonnie, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you even up for this? I mean no offense, you're no Emily Bennett – she knew what she was doing…"
Bonnie nodded earnestly. "I've been practicing."
"It's not piano lessons, witch," a deeply accented voice said, and Klaus entered the Salvatore's living room. "You called?" Klaus asked, directing the question to Damon.
"What's your favorite book, Damon?" Bonnie asked, completely serious.
When Damon shot her a confused look, she repeated her question.
"How about…"Call of the Wild", by Jack London?" Damon said and it was obvious he wasn't following.
Bonnie turned and looked at the tall bookcase, stuffed with books. Suddenly, a book on the middle shelf quivered and flew at Damon. He caught it unceremoniously in his hands.
"Jack London. Great parlor trick-"
"We're doing this now, Damon!" I snarled, tired of trying to persuade him the nice way.
I'd squirt him with a vervain water gun if I had to- we were getting my godfather back!
"Now give me the device, we're wasting time! I don't even know if he's still alive! Haven't I lost enough already?!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.
Damon narrowed his eyes, shooting me a look I couldn't read. He then turned to Bonnie.
"I don't trust you, I tried to kill you."
She nodded slowly, a look of pure hatred on her face. "You're right, you can't trust me."
I got up out of my seat and went over to Damon who'd gotten up to pour himself a drink.
"Damon," I whispered, getting his attention. "You may not be able to trust her, but you can trust me."
His deep blue eyes pierced into mine for a few moments before heaving a sigh. Fishing his hand into his pocket, he grabbed my hand in his other hand, and pressed the device into my open palm.
"Please, please don't make me regret this," he said pleadingly.
I nodded slowly, still staring up at him.
"Thank you," I murmured, and he squeezed my hand before letting go.
~0~
We'd all decided that we would go to Mystic Grill at 6, since none of us were quite sure what time the mystery guest would arrive. It was now 5:30 pm and everyone had gathered inside the library. Emily's Grimoire laid open on the oak table, my witchy friend standing next to it.
"Done," Bonnie suddenly said, and she pushed the Grimoire shut with a clunk. "There you go," she said, quickly handing the device to me.
If I'd have been paying more attention at the time, I might have noticed how quickly Bonnie forced the device into my hands. But because of my impending meeting, I did not.
"Great," Damon said, though he didn't seem really think so. "Now what?"
I sighed, wiping my hands on my jeans. "Now, we go to the meeting and then give it to Isobel."
"Yeah, about that meeting, love," Klaus spoke up, leveling his gaze on me. "Who are you expecting to meet?"
I licked my lips, pausing for a moment. "I honestly don't know. I guess I'll have to just wait and see."
Damon scowled, his brows lowering. "Yeah, that sounds like a fantastic plan, Blondie. We're going with you," he stuck out his thumb and motioned from himself to Klaus.
I opened my mouth to retort, when Bonnie jumped in. "I have to say I agree with him, Caroline… as much as I hate to admit it."
I took a deep breath, letting the air hiss out loudly.
"Fine," I got up off the couch, grabbing my purse. "But if either of you get anyone killed-"
"It'll be fine, Caroline. I'll keep them in line," Stefan murmured.
But who will keep you in line, Stefan? I wondered.
~0~
I sat at an empty table. I felt okay, considering I could technically be sitting in a trap. It was obvious I was anxious - sweaty palms, fidgety-ness, chewing on my lip – the signs were all there.
"Calm down, Caroline," Bonnie's voice was suddenly present in my head, despite her being seated with my friends across the restaurant. "Damon says he can hear your heart without even trying."
I pressed my lips together and took a long sip of my ice water. Each time the front door's bell chimed, I would jump in my seat, and my gaze would lock on the front door.
"How am I supposed to know who we're waiting for?" I thought, directing it to Bonnie. I had no idea if she could hear, but it was worth a shot.
I glanced to where they were and she shrugged slightly, offering a small smile.
I breathed out a long exhale and raked my hand through my hair.
Someone took a seat across from me, and my heart did double time.
"Hello Caroline," the man said, and my eyes widened. "You look exactly like your mother."
It's the man from the raffle! And he was outside Trudie's house! I realized.
"Who are you?" slipped out of my mouth, and I was unsure if I could say anything else.
"All in good time, my dear," the man coolly responded.
I bristled. "Don't call me that."
He held up a hand. "Sorry."
"Why do you look so familiar to me?"
He laughed, and something pinged in my brain.
"There we go, Care-bear!" a man laughed and I felt strong hands push me higher and higher on the swing. My mom laughed from the bench a few feet away. I laughed, kicking my small legs like my father had –
"Oh my god," I gasped out, leaping to my feet. "You're my father."
I began backing away, eyes wide.
My father. Bill Forbes. He's alive.
How does he know Isobel? How did he know Trudie? Does Ezra know he's alive? More questions shot rapid fire throughout my brain and I heard my father growl,
"I thought Isobel told you to come alone."
"Do you really think we'd leave Caroline by herself?" Elena said, surprising me. I hadn't realized she came over. "We care about her, unlike you."
I glanced over my shoulder to see Bonnie, Stefan, Damon, Klaus and Elena standing clumped together behind me.
"You're friends with vampires?" My 'father' –Bill - spat, looking thoroughly disgusted. "I knew Ezra had said that-"
"Ezra knows you're alive?" I interrupted, mouth dropping open. "I-I can't even be around you right now. I don't want to even see you. You've been around all this time, and you didn't even come to Mom's funeral, send birthday cards –" my breath hitched in my chest and I felt as if someone had their knees pressing onto my lungs. I swallowed thickly. "I'm leaving. I need to get my godfather back."
"You're giving her the device?" He looked taken aback. "Good."
"I don't want your approval," I snarled, scooping up my bag and phone.
"C'mon guys," I said to my friends, as if my father wasn't there. "We have somewhere to go."
I felt everyone's sympathetic stares at me as I led the group away. Someone's arm came around to gently meet my lower back, and I glanced to my left to see Klaus. He had just looked over his shoulder to stare hard at Bill.
Damon appeared on the other side of Klaus, and then my other friends popped up to my right.
We all left the Grill. I was so beyond thankful that they were there – and that Bill didn't follow us.
We walked in silence through the dusky parking lot, headed towards Mystic Falls' main square.
When we all grouped to once side, silently waiting for the vampire to appear, I spoke up.
"Thanks you guys," I said softly, my gaze traveling to each of them. "None of you had to come, but I'm glad you did."
Damon snorted. "As if we were going to let you meet some mystery friend of Isobel's by yourself, Blondie."
Stefan nodded in agreement. He seemed to want to say something, but was cut off as Isobel stepped into view from behind a tall oak tree.
"I see you couldn't follow my instructions, Caroline," Isobel chided, noticing my group. "I just hope for your godfather's sake that you can follow these."
I stepped forward, my heart pounding as I left the protective cocoon of my group.
"Where's the device?" Isobel asked, finally getting to the point.
"Where's my godfather?" I countered, folding my arms across my chest.
"This isn't a negotiation. Where's the invention?" she asked again, looking annoyed.
"Do you really think that I came alone?" Isobel said, as if I was that gullible.
I snorted, "Of course not, you know I didn't."
As if on cue, a man and a woman appeared behind Isobel, their arms crossed.
I heard footsteps and figured the three vampires stepped forward in challenge.
Isobel rolled her eyes and groaned in annoyance, as if our entire conversation was just one big inconvenience. "For god sakes, just call home."
I frowned. Did I hear her right?
"Call your godfather's cellphone," she repeated.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, my hand brushing against the device.
I dialed Zach's number and swallowed, listening to the rings. After three or four, his deep voice answered.
"Caroline," Zach and I both exhaled a sigh of relief. "I'm okay."
"You're fine? Like completely?" I asked, despite his statement.
Zach chuckled. "Yes, Caroline. A few bruises here and there, but I'm fine."
I knew I probably visibly relaxed at that.
"See?" Isobel said smoothly. "He's perfectly fine."
"You were never going to hurt him," Elena said from behind me, stepping out from the shadows where I knew her and Bonnie stood.
"No, dear, I was going to kill him. Don't try and look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any." She said to Elena as if she was talking to a small child.
Elena's footsteps stopped behind me, and with a quick look over my shoulder I saw she had stopped beside Stefan.
"But you took a risk with Damon-" I cut in. "How did you know that he would give it to me?"
Isobel shrugged, a sly grin moving over her face as she gazed over my shoulder. "Because he's in love with you."
My whole body tensed, heart skipping a few beats at this.
Damon? Damon Salvatore? In love with me? What? The signs were all there, I figured. The long stares, the flirty little quips. Hell- I looked like his long lost love; it'd be surprising if he didn't feel anything for me.
I swallowed down a sudden nervous lump in my throat. "Thank you."
"For what?"
I smiled. "For showing me that I wasn't missing anything without having a father in my life. It lets me love my godfather like I'd love a father."
"And you showed me what a monumental disappointment you are. It keeps the memory of my real mom perfectly intact," Elena added bravely, and I couldn't help but to smile at that.
Isobel stiffened ever so slightly. "Goodbye Elena, Caroline."
I raised a hand in a wave, glad to see her go.
"As long as you have a Salvatore and a Mikaelson on each arm, you're doomed. Chandra was smart, Caroline. She got out while she still could…" she smirked. "But we all know that you obviously aren't Chandra." Isobel then turned her attention to her daughter, the smirk still present. "And Elena, as long as you have a Salvatore on your arm…" she shook her head slowly, pressing her lips together. "Then I'm afraid the same fate awaits you."
Isobel nodded once more to the both of us before turning to look to her companions. Without another look back, they disappeared into the night.
I swallowed thickly, trying not to allow myself to be phased by the young vampire's warning.
What did she know? I wasn't in a relationship with a Salvatore or a Mikaelson.
Elena's arms wrapping around my body brought my conscious back to the present. I hugged my friend back tightly.
We broke away, turning to face the group.
Bonnie had left, much to my displeasure. My eyes scanned the rest of the group. As Stefan came up to hug Elena, my gaze darted over to Damon.
He met my gaze for a moment, before swallowing thickly and disappearing. My line of sight was then drawn to Klaus, who had his piercing blue eyes locked on me.
Klaus held my gaze for a moment, his pursed.
~0~
I had just finished a long conversation with Zach about the night's events when my cell phone rang.
Elena appeared on the screen, a selfie of the two of us right below it.
"Hello?" I answered.
Elena sniffled and my heart raced.
What happened?
"Jer-Jeremy knows. He read your journal, Caroline," Elena sniffled again, much louder this time.
"How much does he know?" I tentatively asked.
I'd written a lot in my journal – and by a lot… I meant a lot. More than I probably should have most of the time.
"He knows his memories of Vicki were erased and I'm sure Anna has told him stuff…" I heard a soft swoosh and figured Elena was running her fingers though her hair, a nervous trait she'd inherited from her mom.
"It's okay, Elena. He was bound to find out at some point or another…I'm sure he feels hurt and betrayed…lied to even…but at least now he knows. He just needs time to heal. I felt the same way when Zach told me about the Council and how my mom was a part of the vampire fighting bunch, y'know?" I forced a slight chuckle.
My friend sighed, her bed squeaking loudly under her weight.
"I guess you're right, Care. I just feel so bad... part of me was always so worried that he'd find out…"
~0~
Third Person POV
Alaric exited his class room, the only light coming through the wide windows illuminating the hall.
He rounded a corner and much to his shock, there stood Isobel, arms folded across her chest.
"What do you want?" he asked once he had overcome the initial surprise.
Isobel didn't respond right away. She simply unfolded her arms and looked around the dimly lit school.
"I totally get it now. You, here as a history teacher…" she smiled wistfully. "It's good."
Alaric stalked forward, tired of his once-dead wife playing games.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, throwing his arms up. "You act like you don't care and yet here you are…hunting me down!"
Isobel's face shifted back into her cool composure. "I'm leaving. I just thought I'd say goodbye first."
Alaric snorted, shifting his weight to his other leg. "You couldn't be bothered to the first time, so why now?"
"You hate me. Good," a sad little smile drifted across her face as she studied her ex-husband's handsome features.
"Does that make it easier for you?" Alaric's eyes brazenly met her own. "I mean, what's the whole point of this… exercise?"
She held his gaze. "What did you expect? You spent so much time trying to track me down. What did you think you would find?"
Alaric sighed, feeling so many emotions he thought he'd successfully buried away come rushing back to the surface.
"The woman who gave me this…" he trailed off, bringing up his clenched fist. On his middle finger was the ring that she'd given him – the same ring both John and Ezra had as well.
"I mean you act like you don't care, but you cared enough to protect me after you left…" Alaric let his words hang in the air, hoping she'd give him some explanation. He didn't necessarily expect one, but that didn't mean he didn't want one.
"I was a different person back then," Isobel said with a sigh; staring hard over Alaric's shoulder and out the window into the school's courtyard.
"Right," Alaric said incredulously. "And that person is gone. The woman that I married, the woman I loved, she's just…gone."
He started to walk away when he paused, turning around. Without another moment's hesitation, he pulled off the ring and threw it to her.
She caught it easily, not to Alaric's surprise. "You expect me to believe that?" he continued, as if he'd not started to walk off.
Alaric then removed a small bag of vervain from his pocket, throwing it to the floor.
Isobel watched the man with an animalistic sort of curiosity. "What are you doing?"
"Well, I'm ring free, I'm vervain free," Ric threw up his hands, walking a few steps towards the vampire. "So either kill me or compel me because I don't believe it…not even for a second."
Isobel darted forward with her inhuman speed and grace, pinning Alaric against the lockers with a loud thud.
"I wanted this – I needed this – and I'm going to regret it forever. This was my mistake, not yours."
Alaric's eyes widened and Isobel took this moment to compel him, tears pooling in her eyes.
"You won't remember this. I loved you…I did. When I think about what I gave up, it hurts. But now…your heart is free of me; it's easier this way," Isobel shut her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, the tears were gone. "Goodbye Ric."
Isobel slipped the ring onto his finger, replaced his vervain, gently caressed his face, and left.
~0~
Meanwhile, at the Gilbert residence, Anna slipped into Jeremy's room, tears trickling down her face.
She explained to a sleepy Jeremy how her mother had been killed.
"Oh my god, Anna. Hey, I'm so sorry," the human embraced his friend, who was sobbing in his arms.
~0~
Damon poured himself a glass of scotch, the fire roaring behind him.
A soft whoosh signaled Stefan's arrival.
"Would you like one?" Damon asked, not looking up.
When his brother didn't say anything, he sighed exasperatedly. "Say it, whatever it is, purge, get it out."
Stefan hesitated for a moment before taking a seat behind Damon on the couch. "It's about what Isobel said."
"What about?" Damon feigned, though he know exactly what his protective younger brother was thinking of.
"Well…" Stefan started, testing the waters. "I know that you and Care have bonded recently and I know she cares about you…and you care about her."
Damon chuckled before taking a long sip of his scotch. "Well, this is going in an interesting direction," he commented, jutting his eyebrows up and smirking.
Stefan rolled his eyes as Damon turned around, leaning against the mini bar.
"I'm just…concerned about Caroline being hurt. She considers you a friend, y'know…." Stefan continued.
Damon smiled sweetly. "Same here, Caroline is a very good friend."
Another swig of scotch.
"Actually, she might qualify as my only …friend – excluding Klaus and Elena, that is. Is that a problem?"
Damon fought to keep the cocky grin off his face. He'd tried to hide his feelings for the blonde for quite some time – from his brother and from Klaus. But now that it was out in the open, he might just consider pursuing it. It would be interesting to see how Caroline reacted to it all…
Stefan gnawed on his lip, the fire casting angsty shadows over his face. "So, uh…at the risk of sounding like uh…protective big brother-"
Damon snorted, cutting Stefan off. "Oh, there's no risk, little brother, you do."
"History will not be repeating where Caroline is concerned. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Memories flashed into Damon's brain. When he and Stefan were young, Stefan had a good friend, Amelia, that Damon had taken an interest in. The elder Salvatore had played the girl while simultaneously destroying his little brother's friendship with her. Amelia, heartbroken and upset, had moved out of Mystic Falls the moment she was old enough. She had hated the Salvatore brothers from then on.
Damon would never admit it, but part of him regretted what he had done. It was the first of many things that destroyed his relationship with his younger sibling.
Damon waved his hand dismissively. "Sure, sure."
Stefan was off the couch and shoving Damon against the wall in seconds.
"Do you understand?" he grit out, staring the raven haired man down.
Damon eased Stefan off of him, smirking. "Whatever you say man, I mean honestly, she and I are just friends and as a friend I wasn't looking forward to telling her or your girlfriend the truth anyway so, I'll let hero-Stefan do it."
Stefan's eyes widened, brows dropping down. "What truth?"
Damon slithered out from between Stefan and the wall and went over to pick up his fallen glass.
"About John, Ezra and Daddy Forbes," He poured fresh scotch into the beveled glass and took a sip. "Because, I know you guys don't like to keep secrets from one another."
Stefan frowned, still not catching on. "What are you talking about?"
Damon's smirk grew. "Am I the only one here that has the ability to put two and two together? Isobel! Hellooo?" he said, as if it were obvious. "She dated John when she was 15; she gets pregnant and ends up at the doctor's office of John's brother. Now, what do you think John's roll is in all this? I mean, go ahead, think about it! I'll wait!"
Stefan's brows were still furrowed, his brain whirling as he processed everything that really had been right there in front of him this whole time.
"Did you get it? You there yet?" Damon asked with mock eagerness as a look passed across Stefan's face.
"So…you think that John is Elena's father?"
Damon grinned widely, downing the rest of his scotch. "Ding, ding, ding!"
"What proof do you have?"
"PSH! I don't need proof, that's a DNA test for John, Elena and Maury Povich to deal with."
Stefan nodded slowly; everything his brother was saying really did make sense.
"What does Bill and Ezra have to do with Elena's birth mother?"
Damon shrugged, plopping down onto the couch. "Well, I'm sure you heard how upset Daddy Forbes was when he found out Blondie was friends with us – and Isobel arranged the meeting between her and him…"
Stefan stared blankly, not quite seeing what the big deal was just yet.
"So?"
"So, Bill and Ezra and John must all be in cohorts with Isobel! And he seemed awfully excited when he found out that Isobel was getting that device. We all know that John hates vampires, yet he's working together with Isobel, so the two of them must share a common goal – same with Ezra and Bill." Damon finished, hopping up off the couch. "Isobel obviously knows and perhaps is working with Chandra and Katherine…and I think we both know that wherever they go, drama follows."
Stefan nodded slowly, wondering why he hadn't been smart enough to put two and two together until now.
"You know, Damon, you might actually be right…"
Damon paused from the doorway. "I know…sleep tight!"
Damon walked away, leaving his brother staring after him, pondering how in the world he would tell the girls what he just found out.
~0~
John and Ezra sat in Ezra's extended stay hotel room. The room was mostly quiet, the only sound coming from the television that was on.
RRRRRiiiiiiinnnggg!
Both men jumped, clearly startled.
"Hello?" Ezra answered, once figuring out the noise was his cell phone.
"On your doorstep you'll find what you've been looking for," Isobel's smooth 'bedroom' voice was on the other line. Ezra fumbled to turn change it over to speakerphone.
"And our rings?" John asked, hearing the tail end of Isobel's sentence.
"Don't screw this up. You know what you both have to do," she simply said.
The men got up and went over to the front door.
When John opened it, he discovered a thick manila envelope laying on the ground.
"We've got it," Ezra said as John showed him the envelope. "We won't fail."
Isobel smirked, though neither man could see it. "You better not. The girls want all of those tomb vampires dead, and I want to add two more to that list."
The men withdrew their rings from the bottom of the envelope and placed them on their fingers. Both felt much safer with them on.
"Stefan and Damon Salvatore." John guessed.
"Correct. I don't want this life for her," Isobel murmured.
"I don't want that life for my niece either, and nor does Bill." Ezra commented, staring at the phone. "But what about Niklaus?"
"He'll be gone soon enough, if all goes as planned," Isobel said, dismissing Ezra's worry. She didn't want them to get sidetracked.
~0~
Bonnie sat at her kitchen counter, idly picking at her spaghetti.
"What's wrong, Bonnie?" her father queried from across the counter.
When his daughter didn't say anything, Sheriff Bennett frowned. "You know I want you to be able to tell me anything…"
Bonnie sighed, setting down her fork with a clink. "I did something bad, and I lied about it…" when she saw her father's face, she quickly amended, "Nothing illegal, I promise…I just couldn't do what she wanted me to do, so I pretended to do it, even though I really didn't. Grams would have never done it, so I couldn't either. But when they find out…they'll hate me, Dad."
Her father started to ask more, but when he saw the hot tears streaming down her face, he simply put down his fork and went over to hug his daughter.
I'm baaaccckkkk! Sorry for the super long hiatus. I finally got off my lazy bum and got a job so that's been taking up a lot of my time. But now it's summer, I have a week or two free, and I've been writing! I'm already 5k words into Founder's Day : Part One, so hopefully that'll be up soon! The end of that chapter might take a little bit longer because I have to think ahead to figure out how I wanna change things now that Caroline is a main character.
Anyways, how have you guys been? I'm hoping to go visit where TVD is filmed sometime this month or next month because I live like an hour away from it!
QOTC: GIVE ME YOUR REACTIONS TO BILL RETURNING AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON!
xx