A/N: Be warned. Trauma and maternal confrontation abound. Not going to lie, I just wanted this to be over while I was writing this... It's still not as good as I wanted it to be. I hope it still bears the emotional impact that I wanted it to have.

Chapter Twenty: Just Another Piece of Wood for the Burning Pile

Songs for this chapter:

"Burning Pile" by Mother Mother

"Time in a Bottle" by Sarah Joy

-O-

The urge to rip her bracelet off grew the deeper she ventured into the woods. Confliction burned in her chest as something begged to be released. Not now, she hummed. Not now, not now, not now.

Her eyes sharpened as she scoured every distance shadow, ears pricking with every noise amplifying painfully. A twig snapping to her left, deer scattering to the four corners, then the dull hum of the distant falls. At that, she squeezed her hands into tight fists, anxiety burning her chest. With the water so close, she could—

Sabrina whirled around.

She didn't need to be here. She needed to be at the festival researching, but a tug inside her chest refused to let go. She argued within herself. Caroline was nearly grown. She needed a little time to herself…didn't she?

A gunshot rang out. Sabrina ran.

Leaping over downed tree branches, she looked up as an eagle soared above her. Moving in a blur toward the noise, her bracelet scorched her skin.

She stopped in a small clearing before a cacophony of noises echoed before she heard a broad hiss then Caroline's small voice.

"Hi, mom,"

Sabrina moved again, skidding to a stop in front of a cave near an old Civil War munitions storage. Near to the Lockwood cellar too. She wondered how many werewolves had ended up here over the years. Old blood bit through the air as well as the acrid notes of gun powder and a sweetness she couldn't recognize. Purple flowers littered the ground under her feet. She thought blearily, The Library had such good plans for this place.

Damon whirled, venom in his voice, "Will you stop being such a bitch to your mom, Caroline!" He stared down at Liz. "Now, what are we going to do with you? I don't particularly enjoy being shot multiple times. The vervain?" He clicked his tongue. "Also, not your best moment,"

Franticness edged into Caroline's voice. "You won't tell anyone, will you? Mom? Mom? Please." Caroline never begged.

Sabrina moved around the ruins of the old Lockwood estate, peering into the old windows, brushing away caked dirt with a harsh scrub of her fingers.

"Look, I know that we don't get along and that you hate me but I'm your daughter and you'll do this for me, right? Mom, please. He will kill you,"

Sabrina stood in the Lockwood cellar entrance, chest heaving. Elena spotted her before anyone else. "Sabrina!" She explained. "Don't come—,"

Before she could finish, Sabrina stood in front of Damon, baring sharp teeth with her clawed hand wrapped around the tender skin of his throat. She lifted until only his toes dragged the ground.

"Crazy bitch," he gasped, clawing at her hands.

Her eyes darkened. "That's not very nice,"

With Sabrina's hand around Damon's throat, Caroline yelled, "Sabrina, no!"

Sabrina's hand moved deftly, breaking Damon's neck with a sickening crack. He slumped in her grip, her claws drawing blood. Stefan's eyes widened as Sabrina held Damon's weight with one hand for a long moment before carelessly dropping him to the ground, letting him strike the side of his head on a rock. She turned cold, black eyes toward Stefan, and he recoiled slightly, standing a bit straighter in front of Elena. Good, he had the sense to be afraid.

Caroline's chest heaved as Sabrina turned, her eyes wild. "Either that, or something worse," she hissed before her face returned to normal. Later, she would relive the terror that Caroline's eyes held for the briefest moment.

"God! Sabrina!" Liz cried, despair edging into anger. "You too? They can't have gotten to you too,"

Caroline approached her mother, her hands raised. "No, she's not a vampire, mom. She's ok," Caroline's eyes darted warily back to Sabrina, silently asking for affirmation.

"Yeah. I'm not," she said, remaining still. "Not a vampire, that is,"

"What the hell are you?"

"Not important,"

Liz's nose wrinkled, her voice rough with disgust. "I really don't know what's worse at this point,"

"Mom," Caroline began.

From her place crouched in the cellar, Liz held up her hand. "No." She looked at Sabrina. "Can you keep Caroline away from me, please? I don't wanna see her,"

Caroline recoiled.

Sabrina moved forward, stepping in front of Caroline. "She's your daughter, Liz,"

"Not anymore." She spat out. "My daughter's gone." Liz laughed bitterly. "Look around you. These men are dead because of her. Not because of my Caroline. Because of the damn monster,"

Stefan and Elena looked between the pair. Out of the corner of her eye, Sabrina saw how her eyes lingered on Damon's form.

Sabrina finally noticed the three deputies strewn about the room in bloody disarray. A perverse pride thrummed through Sabrina. Blood dripped from Caroline's chin that she raced to wipe from her face when she turned away. Gunpowder lay underneath Caroline's fingernails.

"What do you expect when you plan an ambush against your daughter?" She murmured.

"And you," Liz said, and Sabrina's eyes shot back to her, watching for any sudden moves.

Sabrina's frown deepened. "What about me?"

"You think you're helping her, don't you? Letting her run free like she is? Don't you understand how dangerous that is? The blood on her hands is yours too,"

Sabrina flashed sharp teeth, and Caroline grabbed her forearm with bruising force. "So be it." The voice wasn't hers, graveled and sharp. "It's more than you've ever given her,"

Caroline yanked her back. "Sabrina!" She cried. "Stop it,"

Liz let her head fall into her hands, murmuring. "I would rather have buried you both than see you like this,"

The words dealt a blow to Sabrina but a sharp wound to Caroline, who faltered in her grip on Sabrina. Sabrina lost her breath. Caroline's arm dropped from Sabrina. The salt of Caroline's tears broke above the stench of blood. The quiet was suffocating.

All stood in silence until Stefan spoke up. He explained no one else would be dying today, that the sheriff would be coming back to the Boarding House, that Damon would compel the memories away. After much begging from Caroline, Liz reluctantly rose from her place on the floor, keeping her distance from all of them, stepping over Damon's prone floor.

Caroline stopped in the doorway, letting Stefan lead Liz away by the arm. "Why were you following me?" It wasn't an accusation strangely.

Sabrina sounded as defeated as Caroline looked. "I saw you go into the woods with Elena. It was just a feeling. I dunno." She shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I dunno, I dunno," Caroline needed a hug, but Sabrina couldn't summon the energy. "What's happening? Why were you here?"

"Mason told mom." She whispered. "He told her that Stefan and Damon were vampires. Elena ran after them,"

"And you followed?"

Caroline didn't answer. She tilted her head; seeing Stefan keeping her mom so close galvanized her into moving again. "I have to go with them, Sabrina,"

Caroline took the stairs two at a time. She met Caroline's eyes before her cousin looked away back to her mother, heartbroken. Sabrina left her with Liz. She only cried as she curled into herself to sleep that night.

'I would rather have buried you both than see you like this,'