Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries.

05

The Gilbert's rings.

The sky was dark outside, the sights of the approaching sunrise were starting to become evident in the sky as hints of yellow and orange started to blend into the night sky as the minutes passed by. The Gilbert's household was still asleep as their waking time wouldn't be until at least a few more hours. The only exception to this was the lone figure standing by Alex bed, watching her silently as he pondered his next course of actions.

It was a Saturday, the following day after Alex's 17th birthday when Grayson approached his daughter with the intention of having a serious talk that had been long due for a while, dare he say, since Alexandra was a child and confessed the truth to them. He ripped the sheets away from her body in a not so gentle way that startled her awake.

Alex's indignation was forgotten the moment she saw his expression. She frowned at him, obviously confused by his unusual behaviour as she took in her dark surroundings, "Dad, is everything okay?" She inquired, rising from her spot on the bed. Her face was a little puffy and her eyes heavy with sleep but there was an alertness to them that let him know that he had her full attention.

"Sorry for that," he apologised sincerely, "But I know how hard it is getting you out of bed on Saturdays and we need to talk. Urgently." He concluded. There was an eager note to his voice that unsettled Alex.

Her frown deepened slightly at his words, her mind racing with the motives of this talk, "I'm not in trouble, Am I?" She cleared her throat, "If this is about the scratch on your car, it was my fault. Jeremy has nothing to do with it-"

It was his turn to frown, "What scratch?"

'Oh shit.'

Alex laughed nervously, "Nothing! I was just rambling. What did you want to talk about?" She changed the topic not so subtly.

He sighed and pushed the questions to the back of his mind for later. They had a more pressing matter at hand, "Not here." He glanced around her room, "Get dressed and brush your teeth. We're going to the lake house."

"Why do I have the feeling this isn't going to be a father-daughter bonding fishing trip?"

He stopped by the doorway, looking over his shoulder, he addressed her concern, "Well, for once, we're not fishing."

Alex muttered under her breath as soon as he left her room, "That hardly makes me feel better."

She moved as fast as her tired body allowed her to, which was a little above slug speed. She shoved random pieces of clothing in a bag before she remembered they were going to the lake house, she had clothes there.

With a grunt, Alex unbuttoned her pyjama top and tossed it aside over her messy bed before she did the same with her shorts and hurried to get into more outside appropriate clothes. Leggings, a sweater and a jacket were her choices along with her trusty ankle boots.

She was already out of her room when she remembered to grab her phone and her charger.

She heard movement coming from the garage, and Alex went to the kitchen to grab a quick bite as she knew the lake house was an hour and half away drive and the pantry there was most likely empty and a starved, cranky Alex was never good to have a conversation with. Two apples, a pack of crackers, a juice box and a pair of sandwiches were stored safely in a zip bag for her later consumption.

Alex hurried to the garage, aware that she had made her father wait long enough with her impromptu trip to the kitchen but he brushed off her apologies, and smirked at the bag on her hands.

"Good to know you're always prepared."

"I thought you would appreciate not hearing me bitch about being hungry." She explained as she climbed on the passenger seat and her father inserted the key on the ignition.

"I greatly appreciate your foresight," he commented jokingly before his expression shifted.

Alex fixed her seat belt, "Is that what you wanted to talk about? My witchy powers?"

Grayson pointed the controller at the garage door and pressed a button that opens it. He reversed the car out before answering, "Yes and no. It would be best if we leave this conversation for later."

His answer did nothing to placate her worry and as he drove away from Mystic Falls, that feeling only increased in size. Her father did his best to keep her entertained, going as far as to tell her about his many mischievous deeds as a young boy with an active imagination. Then came the tales that included his brother, Uncle John. The way he spoke about his younger brother was affectionate and prideful. The smile lines along his eyes were accentuated as he recalled the time they attended a party in another town that resulted in them being grounded for two months and their game console to be taken away.

"I still haven't found it," he lamented with an exaggerated sigh. He dropped one hand from the steering wheel to ruffle Alex's hair, "If you, or any or your siblings for that matter try to do that...'' he paused, smiling widely, letting her imagination finish his sentence.

She rolled her eyes playfully, taking a sip from her juice box, "You're such a hypocrite." She said, and took a bite out of her PB sandwich, "I didn't know Uncle John was this... How do I put it without offending you?"

He barked a laugh, "I know how John is, Alexandra. He wasn't always this-"

"Bitchy?" Alex finished for him with a grin.

He snorted, peeling his gaze away from the road to give his daughter a pointed look, "I was going to say uptight."

She shrugged, still smiling, "Oopsie?"

Grayson sighed again, though his face grew serious, Alex could see an amused glint behind his eyes, "You need to watch your language, your mother will have my head if she learns that I let you swear around me- and what have I told you about talking before swallowing your food?"

Alex sipped the remaining juice from the box to wash down the food before she answered, "To not do it?" She said, pouting, "In my defence, the opportunity was too good to let it pass and if I remember correctly, you were the one who swore around me first." She said, steering the conversation back to where Grayson didn't want to.

"You weren't supposed to remember that." He muttered after a few seconds of silence.

"But I do, and there's nothing I can do to change it." She turned her gaze out of the window, admiring the lovely view as a distraction.

The sun rose high in the sky, announcing the beginning of a new day and if she paid attention, over the volume of the stereo, she could hear the sound of birds chirping around the woods. Alex was busy mentally counting down the trees they passed when her father spoke.

"We're here," he said, pointing ahead, to their house.

The sun reflected itself on the water surface, giving it a crystalline look that looked almost magical as it twinkled like precious gemstones that took her breath away. It didn't matter how many times they came to the lake house, it was always a sight to behold for her. Grayson parked near the entrance before Alex jumped off of the car, running to the lake. He killed the engine, grabbed the forgotten bag of food his daughter had left behind and went after her at a slower pace.

He came to stand by her side, he too was taken away by the beauty of the place. Buying a house here was the best investment he'd ever made, "I keep forgetting how beautiful it is." He said in a whisper to his equally enthralled daughter.

Alex hummed in agreement. They shared a few minutes of silent admiration when she turned her eyes away, "Are you finally going to tell me why we are here? Or should I wait for lunch before asking again?"

Grayson turned to face her, letting out a breathy sigh he motioned her to follow him inside the house, "I brought you here for a reason, Alex. I want to tell you the truth about your origins. About what it entails to be part of the founding families." He said and guided her to the room he shared with his wife when they stayed here, "There's more to it than parties and fundraisers." He stopped in front of the closet door, stepping aside to look at Alex, "This is also part of it." He said as he opened the door.

Alex's eyes darted around the room, watching the equipment with an unreadable expression, "Killing vampires?"

"You don't sound too surprised. Did you-"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, "Yes. I had my suspicions after some weird visions I had but I didn't know how to mention it without sounding crazy. Considering how you and mom reacted to my visions last time I mentioned them. I didn't want to take any chances."

Grayson was filled with guilt as he pulled her for a sudden hug, "I'm so, so sorry, honey. It wasn't fair for us to demand that of you."

Alex smiled sadly, "I understand your reasoning."

"You're too wise for your age, you know? Even when you were a baby, you were always ahead of any other babies around. Grandpa William used to say you were an old soul, sent to us with a purpose far greater than anyone's else. I guess he was right, though I don't think he had a witch in mind when he told us that." He said fondly.

Alex's heart was beating loudly at the mention of her being an old soul. Grandpa William wasn't entirely wrong, she was here for a purpose, but she wasn't sent here by some magical being to fulfil a prophecy. Alex was here because of her own stupidity and she had no one to blame but herself.

But now, being held in a comforting hug in her father's arms made it impossible for her to regret her mistake as she would gladly do it again if it meant she would have a loving family like the Gilbert's by her side.

Grayson was the first to pull apart, squeezing her a bit before fully breaking the hug, "There's more to the story," he said regretfully, "I'm afraid our family is known for other things as well besides hunting vampires." He hesitated, unsure of what words to use.

Alex pitied him and his attempt at trying to discuss a grim topic, "Like going for killing sprees for example?"

He was momentarily taken aback, "How did- You know what? I'm just going to keep going. You knowing most things just makes it easier." He said and lifted his hand for her to see.

His ring caught her eye right away. The chunky piece of jewellery was hard to miss even for those who didn't know their story. More than once Grayson had to shut Jeremy's questions about it.

"What about your ring?" She asked, puzzled.

"Is a magical ring. It was given to Jonathan's Gilbert as a way to combat the growing vampire population." He explained, removing said ring and handed it to her.

Alex inspected the piece carefully, paying special attention to strange characters embedded on the steel. The centrepiece was where the magic of the ring resided as Alex could feel it buzzing inside of it.

"It's heavy," she said just to fill the silence, "Is there any particular reason as to why you're showing me this?" She asked, having a clue as to where this was going.

"A witch was the one to create them." Was all he said and Alex heard his silent plea.

"You want me to make more?" She asked incredulously, "Dad, I never done anything like this before."

He gave an understanding look, "I know, but can you try at least? For our family?" He added to give her the last push she needed.

The rings were created by none other than one Emily Bennett, so of course Alex was going to reach the witch to ask her about it. Maybe she could mess around with it enough to make it work in doppelgangers?

"I will try." She said, "But I made no promises that it would work."

"That's enough for me, honey. Thank you."

Alex's gaze softened at his sincerity, "You have nothing to thank me for, dad."

Grayson was obviously relieved as he directed his attention back to his Van Helsing closet, "You can look into it later. For now, we can focus on this," he said, grabbing a stake, "This is what kills vampires. You run in straight to their heart and they're done for."

Something inside of her told her Grayson wouldn't be too pleased to know his younger daughter was going to be the centre of affections of two vampires and become one later on and that his eldest daughter was a vampire sympathiser.

'Looks like that's a problem for future Alex.'

"Now, there's no much you can do to fight against a vampire since they're faster and stronger than humans and they could rip you apart in a blink-"

"I'm sure there's supposed to be some advice hidden there."

"Sorry, got carried away. As I was saying, they are at the top of the food chain. But every creature has a weakness and vervain happens to be theirs." He produced a bottle filled with clear liquid from one of his pockets as realisation dawned upon him, "...But you already know that."

Alex grinned, "I do. But go ahead with your explanation. I'm quite enjoying your vampire 101." She joked, picking one of the stakes and pretending to stab someone.

Grayson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Can't you at least pretend to be surprised?"

"I can gape like a fish and stutter if you want? Maybe scream a little for more realism."

"Please, don't."

(...)

Their educational adventure ended well into the night, with both of them sitting in the living room, reading Jonathan's journal's for clues about the rings as they waited for their dinner to arrive as they didn't feel like cooking and also, Grayson hadn't bought groceries.

Though Alex knew the origins of her family magical rings, part of her wanted to keep her connection to the witches a secret. She trusted her father, but he was a firm believer in his convictions and saw no wrong in his beliefs and like the witches, he didn't hold vampires to the highest standard. If the situation arose, and her father asked her to make a decision...

The doorbell rang and her father was the one to get it, returning with their food and glasses for the soda. They devoured the pizza quickly since they didn't have lunch or a proper breakfast for being too immersed in the vampire verse.

"Does mom know we're here?" She asked while she washed her hands on the kitchen sink.

Alex had been wondering for a while, considering none of her siblings had sent her a message to ask her whereabouts, she could only guess her mom was the one behind it.

He gulped, hesitating for a bit before answering, "Yes. But she doesn't know the real reason." His confession surprised her, judging by how big her eyes turned.

"She wasn't born into a founding family so it is harder for her to understand how important our family tradition is..."

He looked away, "I believe so, yes. She's part of the council because of our marriage but I believe part of her always wanted to keep you guys out of it. Especially after what happened to Abby..."

"That makes sense. But she knew what she was getting into when you two got married." She shot back, resting her elbows on the breakfast bar, "It's up to us whether we choose to be part of it, yes?"

"Yes. But honey, don't blame your mom. She, well, both of us had your best interest at heart."

"I know." She smiled at him, lifting her elbows from the bar, "I should go to bed now. It's getting late."

With their hunger satisfied and most of their questions answered, they both went upstairs to their respective rooms, not before bidding each other a goodnight.

Alex was quick to fall asleep, her early awakening finally catching up to her.

She paid Emily a visit that night.

"You wish to create more rings?" Emily asked with a raised brow.

Alex nodded, "Is it possible to modify the spell?" She bit the inside of her cheek nervously.

"It is." Emily confirmed, "Why do you wish to change my spell? Is it not enough to bring back your family from death? What more could you wish for?"

Alex gulped, ready to evade the questioning, "Well, they're kind of known for driving people crazy... so maybe fixing that for a start?"

Emily smug smirk was off putting, "That sounds like a problem, yes." She took a seat near the fireplace, "Is that all you wish to fix?" The way she pronounced the last word made it seem like she didn't see the problem in the first place.

'Yes, I want them to work on doppelgangers!' She wanted to say, but she was ever so aware of Esther mingling in the background and instead, opted for a similar question, "Can they work on supernatural beings?"

Emily's forehead creased a bit, "Why are you asking that?"

"Just curiosity." She replied, "But could they?"

Emily hummed softly, "No." She went on once she saw Alex's deflated form, "Is this for your sister, the Petrova doppelganger?"

Alex panic grew in size. Her fear must be evident as Emily raised a hand to calm her.

"Fear not, child. I only know because I stumbled upon her on my way to the church." Emily assured her, "But I must admit it took me by surprise to see her. She's very different from Katherine, but she still carries the Petrova fire in her."

Alex's face was as white as paper, "Yes, How do-"

"You seem to forget we were connected once." Emily said, recalling the time the young witch helped destroy her necklace, "It might be impossible." She warned, "But perhaps with the right spell it could be done. Though, Don't get your hopes up. Magic is a tricky thing."

Wanting to divert the topic away from her sister, Alex asked again, "Is it possible then? To make a ring for her?"

Emily shrugged, a pondering look took over her features, "I wonder, what do you see in her future that makes you this protective of her?"

"Bad things. Lots of them."

Emily watched her for a second, her expression unreadable, she stood from her spot, "I will help you with the rings. But I can't guarantee you that it will work." She announced, taking Alex by surprise.

She was sure the witch was going to deny her request. Never it her wildest dream she would've imagined that this would happen.

Maybe she will deny the next one.

"I have another request for you, if it is not too much to ask."

"Go ahead."

"I need to open the tomb underneath the church."

"Why?" Emily was by her side in the blink of an eye, "Do you have any idea of what lays there? I told you that's no evil you want to befall upon your town." There was an edge to her voice that made Alex back away from her.

"I know, but one of them has something that belongs to my family. I believe you understand the sentiment of wanting something of yours back?" She countered, gaining a little more confidence as she spoke, "The vampire who has it, her name is Pearl. I believe you're familiar with her?"

Emily nodded, "You know too much for someone so young," she commented offhandedly, "But yes, I knew her when I was alive. Pearl was good." She confessed, "As good as a vampire can be. Katherine took advantage of her loyalty and her blind trust for your ancestor was her downfall."

Alex didn't sense any harboured hatred towards the vampire in Emily's words so she took her chance, "I will dispose of the rest of the vampires. Burn them if you want, but let me get Pearl and Harper." She bargained as a last attempt to get her way. Getting rid of evil vampires was something she trusted herself to do.

'Hypocrite.'

"Harper too?"

Alex hesitated, "He's good."

"He is. Far too soft for a vampire. He was only alive because of Pearl's generosity." Emily said, pausing before her next words, "I will assist you, but you must know our conversation is far from over, young lady."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you!"

After that, they agreed for a date and time to open the tombs. Exactly a month after this day, on a full moon, they will lift the spell. Then, Emily started her interrogation and Alex told her what she told everyone.

She told Emily about her visions.

(...)

Once morning came, Alex made her way downstairs with the intention of eating the rest of her packed food from the day before only to find her dad devouring the last sandwich.

Alex grunted, dragging herself to the kitchen she plopped down on the wooden stool, "Dad, I'm hungry!"

Grayson smirked, "Hi hungry-"

"Don't you dare!" Alex growled, slamming her forehead on the counter, "I'm starving." She whined.

"There's some leftover pizza on the fridge."

"Pizza for breakfast," she hummed in delight, "I can work with that."

"When you're done, meet me outside." He said as he made his way out.

Once she was done with her 'breakfast' and had brushed her teeth, Alex stepped outside, using one hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun, she spotted her dad preparing his boat near the dock.

'Oh boy, this is going to be a long day.'

"Are we going fishing?" Alex asked once she was close enough, "You promise no fishing. "

"Yeah, I lied. I'm going to teach you all of Gilbert's tips and tricks on how to catch a fist just like my father did with me."

"Shouldn't you be teaching that to Elena and Jeremy as well?"

"I don't see them around, do you?" He sassed, "Stop pouting and get on the damned boat. We're doing some father-daughter bonding over here and I would appreciate it if you were more cooperative to the cause."

Alex raised her arms in surrender, "Alright, alright. But I have the duty to remind you that I'm impatient and that I don't like fish so if I start complaining feel free to throw me overboard. I'll swim all the way back to the dock."

Grayson loaded the cooler before looking back at her indignantly, "And risk scaring the fish away? Absolutely not. Once you get on this boat no one's leaves until we catch something."

"Please, tell me you're joking."

"I never joke about fishing." He said, "Now, get in the boat, young lady. I'm teaching you the virtue of patience."

It turned out her father didn't possess the virtue of patience himself thus he was disqualified as a teacher. The angry noon sun was high in the sky, the crystalline water reflected the heat directly on them, slowly cooking them alive.

Their skin was a bright shade of red that intensified the longer they stayed there. Alex wiped her sweaty forehead with her shirt, knocking down her father's cap from her head. She fanned herself as she reached for the stinky baseball cap that did nothing to subdue the sun's merciless attack. The top of her head was just as hot as the rest of her body and not for the first time, she glanced back at the deck with wanton eyes.

'I could just dive in the water and swim my way there. We're not that far... and the water looks so tempting.'

"Don't even think about it." Grayson warned after he noticed the way she stared at the lake. His face was just as sun burned as hers but he still refused to back down, "Why don't you lay down for a bit. I'll wake you up when I catch something." He suggested.

Alex rolled back her fishing line, putting aside the cane to lay face down on the cramped boat. She had to move the cooler to the end of the boat to be able to rest in a not-so-uncomfortable position and she used the cooler to propel her feet up, readjusting the cap to cover her whole face. Though she wasn't a big fan of the strange smell that hit her whenever she breathed through her nose.

'Whatever. I'm too tired to care.'

(...)

Alex was racked awake as the boat hit the side of the deck abruptly. She jolted from her spot, grimacing at the sharp pain growing on her neck. She took a look around, coming to a stop once she saw her father tying the boat, starting to unload their things.

Alex stretched her sore muscles, "Did you catch something?" She asked and he stiffened.

A long sigh was her only response for a few seconds, "No, I did not. But I'm still eating fish today whether the universe likes it or not." He raised a fist menacingly into the air, "You hear that fishing gods? I'm still eating fish today!" He was out of the boat by then, offering a helping hand to Alex that she gladly accepted as her body was still heavy with sleep.

'Did the sun fry his brain or has he always been like this?' She thought to herself as he all but dragged her to the car where he opened the passenger door for her before he went to the other side and he entered the vehicle as well.

Alex's mind was still fuzzy and her vision a little blurry so she had a hard time reading the time displayed on the board.

'5:57 pm?!' Her eyes widened. They had spent almost all day out in the sun, no wonder why they looked like steamed lobsters. Alex felt a headache slowly growing on her as her stomach rumbled. The remaining energy gained from her highly caloric breakfasts had been burned a long time ago and she was starting to feel the after effects of an empty stomach. She couldn't phantom how her father was able to even drive, considering he only ate a sandwich for fuck sake!

'Though I think his need to fulfil his threat to the fish gods is what keeps him moving.'

Her life was so weird sometimes.

Grayson only drove for around 15 minutes before they came to a stop in front of one of his favourite restaurants in the area. Which also happened to be the closest one to the house.

Her father killed the engine and jumped out of the car, briefly looking over his shoulder to make sure that she was following.

The gravel ground crunched under her steps as the sharp pebbles dug under the thin sole of her sneakers. Walking to the entrance was torture and Alex was immediately relieved once she stepped in the establishment.

The cool breeze of the A.C felt heavenly against her heated skin and letting out a pleased sigh she followed after her father to their usual table facing the lake. If she squinted her eyes, she could see their house off in the distance, at the other end of the lake.

The smell of sea food was divine and it assaulted her sense at full force, making her mouth water though she quickly shook away any thoughts of eating any of it. She had already been deceived like this before and it had resulted in a fish bone getting stuck to her larynx and a not so fun trip to the E.R where her father had laughed his ass off when Miranda retold the tale of the incident.

'Never again.'

Sally-Mae, the wife of the owner, was the waitress that came to take their orders as she was familiar with the Gilbert family.

Her thin, tattooed brows shot comically up to her hairline as she took in their appearance.

She barked a laugh, though it sounded more like a wheeze thanks to years of heavy smoking. Her red lipstick was a bit smeared, accentuating her nicotine stained teeth when she smiled kindly at them, "Oh my, what happened to you both, Dr. Gilbert? It looks like you and little Alex had a rough day out in the sun."

He returned the smile, "You could say that." He eyed the menu, "I want the usual and, bring a slice of apple pie with ice cream for dessert. A lot, and very cold if it is not too much to ask."

Sally-Mae nodded, keeping track of his order at the top of her head, she turned to Alex, "How about you, sweetie? Would you like the same?"

Alex bit back the urge to wince, "I would like a bacon cheese burger, a large serving of fries and a slice of cheesecake for dessert. Thank you."

The woman smiled, fixing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ears, "Coming right away!" She said, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Alex was busy staring at a new strange fish statue near the restrooms when her father spoke.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess, I can't believe I let you get sunburned this badly." he said, guilt gnawing at him, "I'm supposed to take better care of you."

Alex dismissed him, "Nah, it's okay, dad. I should've jumped off the boat earlier like I promised." She joked and he pursed his lips, still filled with guilt. "It's fine, really. No harm done besides some sun damage. Nothing more than a little aloe gel can't fix."

"Yeah, I have a feeling you're going to change your mind by nighttime."

Little did she know, he was right. Maybe he was the one with the visions.

Grayson had planned to return back to Mystic Falls that very same Sunday, but a sudden rain had darkened the sky and after Alex adamant insistence, they had stayed for another night with the hopes that the weather would've subdued by the morning and they could return just in time for Alex to arrive for her first class.

But nothing resulted as planned.

They both stunk of Aloe gel, skin sticky and peeling. They stood by the side of the road, watching the deflated tire with defeat.

Her father opened the trunk, pulling out the spare tire and the cross thingy needed to remove the screws to fix it themselves as the tow he had called gave him a time frame of almost two hours. He couldn't wait that long. Miranda wouldn't be happy to know he made their daughter skip a school day.

"It looks like I got to teach you something else." He said, dropping the tire by her side, "How to change a tire!" He said in fake excitement, the muscles on his face pulled painfully at the exertion.

Alex grabbed it, "Yay." She said with as much fake enthusiasm as him, "Can't wait to flex my new knowledge with your least favourite kids, Alina and Jermaine."

He scolded her, though she could see he was fighting back a laugh, "Alex, please. I'm trying to teach you something useful. You could at least keep the sarcasm down for a bit." He frowned, "And I love you all equally, I just happened to tell you the truth a bit earlier due to your circumstances."

"I know, dad. I was jesting." She kneel down by the tire, examining the damage, "Alright, what do I do?"

"I don't know. I never did this myself."

(...)

A time skip and some father-daughter bonding on this chapter. Decided to give Grayson a bit of a 'goofy dad' personality just because I wanted him to be the opposite of John who's all business, seriousness and doesn't know the joy of happiness lol

Just in case I wasn't clear, the only reason Miranda was having a hard time accepting Alex's witchy self is because she was in denial, like 'if I pretend it doesn't exist then is not real' type of thing and because she feared that by accepting it Alex would've end up just like her friend, alone and without magic from protecting Elena.

I'm in a bit of a hurry right now as I'm supposed to start work in a bit so I'm not able to answer the reviews as I usually do. Sorry!

AnosDT95: Alex didn't forget but I certainly did! Omg thank you so much for pointing that out. I went back and corrected it.

Thank you for reading!