Hello again. Welcome back, everyone. Thanks for all the well wishes and reviews. All the new reviews feed my imagination so I can write more. Sorry, it took so long but this is a very long chapter. And I was sick and barely motivated. I was thinking about how to continue onto the canon so I went back to watch TVD's Arcadius arc again. Spoilers: I can't wait to kill that guy since hell and the other side and the ancestral plane have a part to play in my story. I also have an interesting idea about how Matt and Ria will face their father.

REVIEWS

poppyflower1235: I'm feeling better now, thanks. I'm glad you like where I'm headed with the story.

Blu3b3rryT3a: I think you're gonna like this chapter since a large part of it is about Jenna. I'm not gonna reveal her patron god yet though. And more gods will come into play later.

Ashes2Dust18: Welcome and thank you for picking up my story. I'm not gonna focus too much on the Mystic Falls gang. I'm glad you're enjoying everything so far so I'll try to meet your expectations. I am feeling better now, thanks.

Misnis09: Welcome back. I'm glad you're feeling better since it's the time of year when everyone tends to get sick. Stay hydrated and stay well. Thanks again for spending your time reading my story. I feel honored. Stay well. Here's another chapter for you. I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter.

Enjoy.


"I think all of us are always five years old in the presence and absence of our parents." Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian)


Chapter 11 - Abandoned

I like my sleep. I really liked my sleep. If I didn't, I wouldn't schedule a nap every afternoon since I discovered the sweet benefits of nap time when I was forced to attend preschool. Maybe it's my daddy's influence but I really don't like anything that interrupts my sleep. Silencing spells and privacy spells keep sound inside a room from being overheard by people outside; it doesn't keep sound from outside a room from reaching inside. So who in Hades is disturbing my beauty sleep with their ruckus in my living room? I huffed as I removed my bedsheets and went to the door. I squinted my eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the light in the hallway. When I reached the living room, I found a group of drunk strangers who were stinking up my living room with bottles of hard liquor that were strewn about on my beautiful customized oak table. What if they got stains on my good throw pillows?

My magic surged to the surface and I felt Quetzal's tug, waiting to attack should I feel threatened. "Who the fuck are you people and what are you doing in my house?" I yelled in one breath. Everyone stopped as they were made aware of my presence.

"Ah, Kelly's kid," said a man as he turned around on the couch to look at me.

"We're friends of your mom's." Of course they are. Who else would bring drunk strangers into a house where her children are sleeping? "What's your name, doll?" A woman asked.

"None of your business," I replied. I raised my hand to point to the door. "Now, get the fuck out of my house."

"Kelly, your kid's got attitude. You need to put 'er in 'er place," said the same man as he stood up off the couch and stalked toward me. "I can do it for you."

I just raised my eyebrow. Did that man just tell my mom to discipline me? Or else he'll do it? He walked like he was the baddest thing I'd ever seen, it was almost funny. I've met three century-old vampires in my life and Mikael the Destroyer who are so much badder that this pathetic excuse for a human being couldn't even compare. I scoffed as I crossed my arm over my chest. "Excuse me?"

"Phoebe, go to your room." Kelly came from the kitchen with more bottles of liquor. She was wearing a long slit-thigh red satin dress that curved around her figure. "Isn't it already past your bedtime?" My bedtime? Since when? After 5 years of her acting like I was invisible, like I didn't exist, like I was more like a roommate she just passed by rather than her daughter, she dared to try to order me to go to bed. Had it been any other time, I would have listened to her. I wouldn't have bothered if it were her old friends from school, whom she barely interacted with. Had they not been a group of drunk, and possibly high, strangers with Matt and Ria in the house, I would have just ignored them. I didn't even really have time to police my mom and her friends. I couldn't help rolling my eyes as I stared at her incredulously.

"Are you kidding me right now? First of all, I don't have a bedtime. Had you cared before, you probably would have already given your 13-year-old daughter one. And two, I was already asleep before you and your possy came into my house and woke me up. You would have also known I sleep at 10 if you cared." I started and I couldn't stop as my temper rose. So many things I wanted to say to her before began to pour out of me and I didn't care that we had an audience. "Third, you haven't talked to me in years and now I'm suddenly visible because I'm inconveniencing you and your friends? And, how dare you bring a bunch of drunk strangers in the house when Matt and Ria are here?"

I barely noticed when she crossed the room and I felt a stinging in my cheek. The echo left the room before I processed that my mother had slapped me. She slapped me. Slapped me.

"I'm your mother and you'll do what I tell you," she whispered as she stepped closer to me. I finally looked up through hooded eyes as she looked down at me. "I let you have too much freedom. You're just a kid. You're my kid and I won't let you embarrass me in my own house." She raised her voice above the whisper. "Now go."

I inhaled sharply as my eyes darted around the people in the room, then back at my mother, who just raised her hand against me for the first time. All the hairs on my body stood on end as I felt Quetzal pulling on my magic, begging to be set free to attack the person who had struck me. I rushed back to my room and slammed the door shut as I tried to catch my breath to keep my magic under control. "Quetzal, come."

A shadow jumped from the bracelet. She slid up my arm and wrapped her body around my neck. She anchored her body to my neck and faced me. Hissing angrily, her scales and horns stood erect, telling me she was also angry. I passed my fingers under her head, soothing her. "It's okay. It's okay. It's just mom. She didn't mean it." The words were also to calm me down as I felt my heart still beating fast from the shock of the events that happened to me. I extended my hand out toward the bed where she crawled down my arm and curled herself up on the mattress.

Crash! I jumped when I heard something break down the hall. The anger at my mother vanished when I thought of my handmade glass vase breaking in the living room. My magic was still humming under my skin but I couldn't just remove muggles with magic so I needed to handle this like a human. I had already prepared something for when I wouldn't be able to use my magic.

I let a bit of magic out of my body to open the hidden compartment at the base of the bookshelf to remove the black lockbox. I put in the number combination before taking out the gun and the magazine. I stepped on the stool to reach above the bookshelf to search for the box of bullets. I placed the bullets in the magazine and locked the magazine in place before I slid one bullet into the chamber. "Quetzal, stay," I said before I left the room.

I kept my finger straight, off the trigger, and kept the barrel down toward the floor. When I reached the living room, my eyes went to the sage in the incense holder, lighting it for a privacy spell. I went around the couch to face the drunk men and women and aimed the gun at the man who threatened me. "Okay, everyone out."

"Phoebe, what are you doing?" my mom said. Before she could stand, I cast a spell under my breath, "Paralysei" to keep her frozen in her seat and "Sigasi" to keep her mouth shut.

They all fell silent before the man let out a loud, obnoxious laugh. "Kelly, your daughter's something. She likes to play with toy guns." I lowered the barrel and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew between his thighs into the couch. The room fell silent as they all looked at the hole in the couch cushion between the man's legs.

They turned back to look at me with eyes wide with fear. I mimicked his laugh. "Look at that. Not a toy. It's so easy to get a gun these days." I brought the barrel of the gun up with his forehead in my sight. "Anyone who's still here when I get to 10 will get a bullet in their ass. One."

"And what are you gonna do when the police come?" the man asked, smirking as though he trapped me.

I raised a brow and met his smirk with my own. I sniffled as I let tears fall from my eyes on command. My voice climbed to a higher pitch and trembled as I vibrated my vocal cords. "I'm so sorry, sheriff. I- I thought they were gonna hurt my mom. I really didn't did- didn't me-mean to hurt anyone. I was so sc- scared." I wiped the fake tears away and cleared my voice before aiming the gun at the man's forehead. "Two. The next one goes in your head. Now get out."

The women were the first off the couch, not bothering to gather their things as they ran out the door. "We're outta here. Your kid's a little psycho, Kell."

"Three."

The men quickly followed one after another. My eyes and the gun never left the man as I followed him out as he was the last of the drunks.

"Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out." My magic slammed the door and spelled it shut so no one who was not a resident or a guest I recognized could open it. I turned to my mother, lifting the spells I placed on her. "Good night mom." I turned to leave without a second thought only to be stopped once more.

"Phoebe!" Kelly called and I turned to face her, making sure to aim the gun at the floor. "I don't know who you think you are but this is my house."

"Your house? Look around, mom. Look at the furniture and the plates and utensils. Which ones did you choose? Did you decide the type of brick, maybe the floor, the beds, or maybe the couches? Please tell me when you had any input on anything that went into this house? Was it when I was sitting down with the contractor for the greenhouse, maybe the lighting, or the tiles on the roof? You come here to eat and sleep here." I scoffed and ranted, my eyes never leaving hers. "You might as well be living in the Salvatore Boarding House."

"You think I don't know you bring random people here, too. That man and those girls and you leave them around Matthew and Victoria and you think you can judge me…"

"Those people are Jenna and Caroline who I grew up with and Enzo and Lora who are my friends and I trust. And Matt and Ria love them. When I'm not around, they're the ones who take care of Matt and Ria, not you." I kept my body rigid and my arms down by my sides to keep from doing anything I might regret. "Do you really think I would let Matt and Ria get close to anyone I didn't trust? Anyone who would do them harm? I wouldn't let anyone I didn't trust near even you because I love you," I finally shouted. My eyes burned as tears welled and fell down my cheeks. "You are my mother. And I miss you. I miss when you did my hair. I miss us going shopping together. I even miss those awful reality TV shows we used to watch together. You're never around for our birthdays. There're no more gifts, nothing." I wiped my eyes, taking a few steps forward until I stood in front of my mother. "And you know what the worst part of all this is? Ria and Matt don't remember you. They don't remember when you were present in their lives. They don't remember when you carried them, or cooked for them, or fed them, or took them to school. I remember those things and I just can't let you go because I'm still hoping for the day when my mother will return because the person in front of me, living in this house, is not her." I turned around to return to my room without a second glance at her. I just couldn't do it anymore. Every time I looked at her face with her makeup smudged, her pallid skin, and her unhealthy thin frame, I felt like I was looking at a stranger. The woman who'd been living in this house, standing in front of me, wasn't my mother. "Good night, Kelly."

I returned to my room, my tears still flowing as I unloaded the gun, throwing the bullets above the bookcase and storing the weapon back in its safe, back in the hidden compartment. I sealed it back up and jumped into bed with Quetzal slithering across the mattress to huddle next to me as I struggled to stop the flowing tears.

I awoke once more in front of the River of Forgetfulness that flowed around my father's cave. After years of practice, I finally made a spell that allowed me to enter Erebus willingly rather than being pulled in against my will. But, this time, I really was pulled in against my will. "Well, dad, what do you want?" I asked as I sensed his approach behind me.

"Children these days are so rude." I turned as my eyes narrowed at him to dare him to continue. Kelly had already riled my temper, I don't need my absent father to start parenting me. He raised his shoulders. "T'was a jest. To lift your mood, daughter."

"It wasn't funny and I'm not in the mood." I leaned over the river, taking some water in the palm of my hand to splash my face. Immediately, I felt all my worries leaving me as though it was never there. My mind became clear and focused and my temper abated. "Why did you call me here?" Over the past three years, I had been coming here once a week as Hypnos helped me put the shattered pieces of my memories back together. Now, they are organized, like books in a library that I could access any time I wished. The only memories I could not recover were my memories in the other universe I lived in as Medea Lowen. They seemed to have been lost to me forever.

"Through the last three cycles, our goal has been to organize your memories so you would no longer be burdened by them. We have yet to speak of your status as my daughter. Have you noticed any change in your powers and abilities? What spells do you have the greatest mastery over?"

I inhaled deeply, leaving Kelly in the back of my mind to give my father my full attention. "I can see well in the dark. Although not as well as the day, I don't need a light source to see at night," I explained. "Enzo tells me vampires also see just as well."

"You are a child of darkness. Your grandfather is the embodiment of the darkness and your grandmother is the night. You will never find yourself hindered by the dark or the night," he explained. I felt the warmth of his dark feathers against my back. "What else?"

I thought back to all the spells I had in my grimoire and the spells I've mastered recently outside the spells I'd been learning since I was younger. "I recently mastered a powerful cloaking spell. It completely hides my presence even from supernaturals with enhanced hearing. No heartbeat, no breath, no magical signature, movements are completely silent and almost invisible. And I did it by myself without channeling anyone. I've also recently learned to project my astral form a short distance from my body."

"Cloaking and illusions are associated with darkness. You are currently projecting your astral form here," he explained.

I turned to face him. "Really? This is another dimension. My astral form can't even leave the room my physical body is in."

"Your astral form is projecting under my power, not your own. You are not powerful enough to project yourself here. Not to mention get past the veils that separates this dimension from the mortal plane."

"Okay." That made sense. The Olympians moved all of Olympus and Hades from physical space into this void where the laws that command the physical forces of the universe do not apply under the gods' powers. They most likely had to put up many shields to cause the separation between the two planes. Hades holds not only Tartarus where prisoners and enemies of the gods reside, but also houses the billions of souls of humans who have died and keeps them from returning to the land of the living. I can't even fathom the power their protection spells would require. If other powerful beings haven't been able to break those protections over thousands of years, how could I, a young witch, do so? Unless I was permitted to pass through. "I get it. Then, what's the difference between the spirit and the astral form?"

"When Clotho weaves the thread of life, one end tethers your spirit - or what you call a soul- to the physical body as it forms. The other end remains in Hades because it is where all spirits are born. When you die, the thread is cut, permanently severing the spirit from the physical body and the Spirit returns to Hades," he explained.

"Wait," I said. "I have this strange feeling that you haven't been hoarding spirits since the beginning of time, so where are the dead? Are they reborn, too?"

"No. You are the only spirit who has ever reincarnated. One soul, unchanging for all time," he replied. "You have taken a Physics course, correct?"

"Yes?"

"What is the law of conservation of energy?"

"Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Only transferred. Changed from one form to another."

"When the Universe began, Khaos birthed the primordials: Gaia, Erebus, Nyx, Tartarus, and Eros. Gaia then bore the Sky, The Mountains, and the Seas. Then she bore the twelve Elder Titanes, the Cyclopes, and the Hecatonchires. The Elder Titans bore the Younger Titans and the Olympians. The Olympians made humans. Everything is filled with Khaos' Divine Energy. In humans, that energy takes the form of the soul. When a human dies, their soul returns to Hades, where it becomes a different form of energy. Sometimes it becomes spiritual energy returning to the Divine Well, and other times it becomes physical energy like nourishment for the soil or the wind to gather the clouds."

"So magic is…?" I wanted to get as much information from him as possible to note in my grimoire when I returned to my body. I took in everything he said, and getting the true story of the universe from the source, might help me understand magic better to make new spells.

"A form of energy manipulation. Hekate is the keeper of the Divine Well. When Olympus was on Earth, Hekate taught humans to draw power from the Divine Well to summon rain in a drought, to grow food, to heal deadly wounds. However, humans wanted to become like the gods. To have power with no restraint. They bathed in the Divine Well to gain immortality, but the physical body cannot handle such power. Their physical bodies were destroyed and their spirits scattered on the earth. Gaia absorbed the residue of those spirits into the earth…"

My eyes widened as I realized where he was headed. "...allowing her to also grant power to humans, thus creating her own group of witches that drew power from her rather than being granted power by Hekate through the Divine Well."

"Yes." Hypnos nodded. "When the thread of fate is being woven, Hekate chooses a few to grant power to. She dips the thread in the Divine Well, forming a core of Divine Power. The physical body is formed around that core, thus creating a Magus."

Magus. In old languages, the word 'mage' or 'magus' means 'wise one'. "One who does not only seek power, but also wisdom."

"Mmm."

"Okay, okay. So I'm not a Hekatean witch but a Magus. Witches draw power from Gaia while Magi have a core of magic power." My mind is officially blown but we had gotten off track as I was lost in the history lesson about the creation of the universe, humans, and magic. "What does that have to do with Astral Projection?"

"Astral projection is using magic to give your consciousness form on the physical plane." I felt his wings flap behind me as he stood up. "That is enough for tonight, daughter. It is time for you to wake."

I felt my spirit being pushed out of Erebus, but I wanted to know more. "Wait, wait, wait. What about vampires? And the witches on the Other Side? What about the Other Side itself? And Hell? I need to know more." Wait, what's Hell? Damn, one of those brain farts again.

He ignored my questions as he pulled me into an embrace and kissed my forehead. "Congratulations on your graduation. Goodbye, daughter."

"I don't care about the stupid ceremony," I yelled as I was pulled out of the poppy fields back into my body, "I want to know more. Tell me!" I shot up in my bed, breathing heavily as I took in my surroundings. I rushed off the bed and picked up my grimoire, writing everything he told me word for word. "You drop a bomb like that on me and expect me to just be satisfied with a half answer. I'm a Magus. It's in my nature to seek knowledge. Next time we see each other, I expect you to finish the lesson." Even if I couldn't see him, I'm sure he could hear me cursing him out for cutting me off. My body jittered uncontrollably as I was left unsatisfied. It was as though I was drinking the sweetest water before I was denied access to the well. I wanted more. I needed more to satiate my thirst.

June 13, 2003

Graduation day. Finally, I never have to set foot in a classroom again. I didn't really want to attend the ceremony, knowing well I could have just had the registrar send me my diploma in the mail, but Jenna wanted to go. It also became an excuse for her to dress me up and help with my makeup in return for helping her with Miss Mystic Falls. My siblings wanted to use my graduation as an excuse to skip school for a day. And I couldn't say no.

I had already done my hair in box braids the day before so I wasn't in a hurry to get dressed as I stood in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. I heard a door slam upstairs before loud steps from high heels resounded on the tiled floors before coming down the stairs. I continued to slice the cherry tomatoes, sensing her moving past the living room toward the front door. "And where are you going?" I raised my head to meet her green eyes.

She turned away, her eyes staring straight at the door as she pulled her purse onto her shoulders. "I'm going out. I'm not gonna let you ruin my social life. Don't be jealous just because you have no friends." She finally turned back to look at me as if to make a point to me.

I raised my brow at her. Was she seriously saying that to me? Why the hell would I be jealous of my insecure addict of a mother? I gripped the knife in my hand as I closed my eyes to reel in my emotions. Why? Why would I argue with her about anything? It would be a waste of energy. Energy I'd rather spend on other things that are more important to me. I just couldn't find it in myself to waste anymore of my breath. The night with Hypnos had made me almost completely forget about our quarrel from the night before, and now everything was coming back. I shook them out of my head as I returned to my salad. "Whatever. I can't even bring myself to care anymore." No. I cared. I still cared. No matter how much I wanted not to, when it came to her, I cared. I just wished I could hurt her like she hurt me. "Granny would be so disappointed in you," I said. I didn't look up but there was a long pause when she opened the door before she left and slammed the door behind her.

That was mean of me, but I couldn't help myself. No one grates my nerves like my mother. "Damn it." I felt around for the knife again, only to slice my palm on the sharp edge. "Damn it." No matter how many times I've cut myself before to learn the healing spell, it still hurts like a bitch. "Epidiorthosis." But, I found that understanding the natural healing process from a biological perspective makes my healing spell much more effective as I can just picture my cells dividing until the cut tissue mends as though the cut never happened. To clean the blood off the countertop, I used the spell, "Kathariste." I found the spell in an old grimoire.

There were many spells that the Magi and the Witches used to make their daily lives easier, from keeping their houses clean to gathering the harvest, from summoning rain to finding lost children and even lighting homes. Thinking back to what Hypnos said, magic could be seen as an early form of technology, to make human life easier when there was no vacuum cleaner to clean the house or hose to water the garden or electric lights. Over the ages, those everyday spells seemed to have been lost as witches decided that magic could only be used to 'keep the balance of nature' whatever that means. With all the grimoires Enzo collected for me, I was able to pinpoint the time when the nature of the use of magic shifted. Two thousand years ago. Something happened two thousands years ago, but I'm not sure what. Thea. I was Thea around 2000 years ago. Perhaps her grimoires will have some information I can use. I made a mental note to check the grimoires later.

I was pulled out of my mind when the front door opened. I smiled when I saw her but that smile immediately fell when I saw her tear-stained face. "Jenna?" I rushed to her as she began to sob, dropping on her knees in front of the open door. "Jen." She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly as she cried her eyes out, her tears staining my cotton lounge shirt. For Jenna to fall while sobbing uncontrollably must mean something severe occurred and affected her emotionally. I remained on the floor with Jenna even when Victoria came down the stairs. I simply nodded my head toward the kitchen and she nodded in understanding.

I helped Jenna up, still holding her body close to me as I brought her to the snug. I sat on the couch with her, leaving her head on my shoulder as I passed my hand down her back and through her hair, letting my magic calm her down. Jenna stopped crying but she never said a word before the door to the snug opened as Ria came in with a tray, two tea cups, the teapot, and a bottle of honey. I simply mouthed 'thanks' to my sister as she put the tray on the table in front of us and left.

"Lemon balm tea?"

"Umm. I'm sure Ria knows you don't like ginger in the summer," I said as she chuckled. She lifted her head and I quickly used the opportunity to pull the tray close to pour the tea into the cups. I added a bit of honey to each cup and stirred the tea before handing one to Jenna. She giggled when she saw the frollicking cats on tea cups.

"Times like these are when I remember that you're still young," Jenna said as she blew on her tea.

"Hey, I don't have to be a kid to enjoy cute cats on my tea cup." Jenna sipped her tea with her eyes closed to enjoy the taste. "So, are you gonna tell me what happened?"

I just sat with my legs tucked under me on the couch as I turned toward Jenna. I drank a sip from my tea, holding the cup in one hand as I placed a hand on Jenna to comfort her. Another long moment passed as silent tears fell from Jenna's eyes once more. "Logan cheated on me."

"He what?"

"With Megan." Jenna looked at me, her eyes widening for a moment as I was certain that all emotions fell from my face. All my friends had told me that I don't show emotion when I'm angry, rather my face becomes emotionless. I have a cold fury rather than a hot anger as my mind goes blank as I formulate a plan of retaliation against the person who has wronged me. I was already thinking about the hexes I planned on putting on Logan Fell and that bitch, Megan, who dared to break my Jenna's heart. But, other than thinking up a revenge plot for Logan Fell and Megan, I had no idea how to comfort Jenna. I didn't have any words for her.

I've been married before in a past life and had children. I've been courted before but I had never been on a modern date. I don't know the extent of the emotional investment that Jenna had made in her relationship with Logan, whom I don't even personally know. Obviously, she liked him enough to be so hurt over his infidelity that she can't stop crying and she probably feels betrayed by her friend and her boyfriend. I sighed, scooting closer to Jenna to hug her. I could only offer her silent comfort. What am I supposed to say? It's gonna be ok? Of course, it's not okay. Even if I've never had a boyfriend before, I know I can't stand infidelity. It's the greatest form of betrayal when a person decides to share their body and their heart with another, only to find that their trust is not reciprocated. She was betrayed by two people she trusted at the same time. I don't need to be an empath or experienced in relationships to know that her heart must be in pieces.

I kept her head on my shoulder until her tears dried again. "Jen, can you tell me what happened?"

"You know I hadn't been coming here as often since I started dating Logan. I thought we were good, you know." Her speech slurred as she spoke softly. "We went on dates and I spent most of my free time with him. I barely had time to do all my extracurriculars. I just wanted to show him that I was all in on the relationship. I wanted to show him he was my priority." Jenna began to sob again. "Oh gods, I've been a horrible friend, haven't I? I prioritized a guy over my friends."

I released a sigh and put my teacup down on the tray. I took her face in my hands and wiped her tears with my thumbs. "It's okay, Jen. you haven't been a horrible friend. You were still going to come to help me dress for the graduation ceremony. If you were a horrible friend, you wouldn't have cared. But you did. And you promised me you would come. And even though I didn't care much for the ceremony, I was still gonna go because you wanted me to." I wrapped my arms around Jenna's back, patting her lightly as she once again began to cry on my shoulder. "Because you were gonna be by my side, in the crowd, cheering for me when I went up on that stage. You haven't been a horrible friend. You've been the best friend I could ever ask for."

I waited until her tears ceased before asking, "Do you want to continue your story or do you want to go to bed? I know you haven't been sleeping." I could easily see the bags under her eyes now that I was closer to her. With the small pats on her head, I could sense her energy was down and her mind was muddled and lack of sleep. One of the many powers I've discovered since I found out my father is the God of Sleep. No spell necessary.

Jenna pulled back on the couch and drank the rest of her tea in one gulp. "Four days ago, I went to Logan's apartment because I wanted to surprise him. I was gonna tell him about the acceptance letters I received for grad school. I bought a cake and wine to celebrate. I had a key so I just went in. And I found them. On the couch. Completely naked." Jenna shut her eyes as if to try to block out the memory of her boyfriend and her friend in the midst of their betrayal. "I just…" she paused as she shook her head. "I couldn't do anything. I just froze. Then I turned around and left. He tried to follow me. I didn't stop. I just got in my car and drove away. I went to my sister's. I just really needed her. She was always there when someone broke up with me. And when I was the one doing the break-up."

"Then, I'll be here for you as well." I took her cup in my hands and placed it on the tray along with mine. I pulled her off the futon. "Wait a sec." I unfolded the futon mattress out and took Jenna's hands in mine again, lying her down as I pulled the throw blanket over us. "You know, Jen, you're my family. It's not just Ria and Matt and me. It's all of us. You, Lora, Enzo, and Caroline." I passed my hands through her hair and down her back to soothe her. My voice was low as I spoke, "Family doesn't end in blood but it doesn't start there either. You're the family I chose. So I'll always be here for you."

"Um. Yeah. You're not just a friend. You're my little sister." Jenna chuckled softly, "Even though I'm feeling like the little sister right now."

I joked, "Well, you sorta are." She hummed with a soft chuckle as her eyes slowly closed. "Hey, Jen?"

"Hmm?" I could sense her falling asleep in my arms.

"Can I hex Logan and Megan? No one hurts my family and gets away with it."

"No…" she muttered.

"I'm gonna do it anyway."

"Sure… whatever you want." I stayed with her on the futon as she fell into slumber, making sure that she had a comfortable rest, protected from any nightmares that might come. Another gift from my father: the ability to block my brothers- the Oneiroi -access to a person's mind. No dreams. No nightmares.


3rd person POV

Lora closed her eyes tightly as she gripped her phone in her hands. She inhaled a breath before she relaxed her grip. "Okay… yeah. We'll be back once we're finished here… Yeah, I'll see you soon." Being so pale, she knew her skin must have turned bright red in her anger. She paced around in front of the building for several moments to calm her drumming heart before she returned to the cafe restaurant. She sat down beside Enzo across the table from her client. She and Enzo had come down to Richmond to do business and she wanted to dress the part to make a good first impression. She was wearing a halter-v-neck black and yellow striped jumpsuit cinched at the waist and flared at the legs with a pair of peep-toe heels. A special vintage golden locket with the engraving of a lounging cat rested beautifully on her breastbone. Her long straight red hair was cut short and curled to just past her shoulders. She moved her bouncy curls as she said, "I'm sorry about that. It was the coven."

"Did something happen?" Enzo asked.

"I'll tell you later," Lora replied. "So, Slater, let's get down to business. What do you know of my coven?"

Slater shrugged, leaning across the table as he spoke in a whisper. "Nothing much. You guys just suddenly appeared on the internet selling daylight jewelry and other protection charms. You're a coven of witches who don't mind making deals with vampires and other supernatural creatures. For a price."

"You don't have to lean so close, mate," Enzo said. "The privacy spell's still up. No one outside this booth can hear you." His eyes motioned to the sage incense burning on the tray.

"Well, you're partially right," Lora said. "We are a coven. We call ourselves the Silver Moon Coven. We are not witches." She crossed her hands over the binder and asked, "What do you know about the Magi?"

Slater's blue eyes almost popped from their sockets as he looked between Enzo and Lora. "Magicians not beholden to the spirits or the rules of nature's servants. Rare but powerful. Believed to be extinct as they've been hunted by witches who believe the Magi upset the balance. I'm guessing you either are Magi or you're looking for one."

"I am a Magus. And like you said, we don't care much for the 'balance of nature'. We serve the Old Gods and believe that everything that exists is according to their will. Vampires, included," Lora explained. "We're willing to work with vampires, werewolves, humans, and other witches. So far, we only have Enzo."

Slater took a sip of his coffee before he said, "So, I'm guessing you want me, in return for the Daylight Ring. Or else you wouldn't be telling me something like this."

"What we want are your connections," Enzo replied. "We know you're the guy who knows everything that goes on in the supernatural world. Your connections even reach The Originals."

Slater's eyes darted around the cafe, looking for eyes or ears who might have been listening in on their conversations. Then, he remembered the privacy spell and looked down at the still-burning incense. "What do you want?"

"We want you, mate." Enzo leaned forward with his forearms on the table.

"We're not like witches. Our coven is also a business. We sell jewelry to the supernatural, but also to humans who need a little magical boost for a few million. A charm for luck or confidence or self-esteem or trauma. You, probably, have a few friends who could use a little boost not just for themselves, but also for their loved ones."

"You just have to send them our way," Enzo added. "You'll also be looking for a few magical artifacts like ancient grimoires and weapons. Anything you hear down the grapevine, just funnel it to us. And if it's important, we'll deal with it. We'll also give you information that you can sell to others. Magical or otherwise."

"We also want more allies to join our coven. Good vampires, who don't just murder for the fun of it. I trust your discretion. You're one of the good ones," Lora said. "I can tell. You use your immortality to gather knowledge. So we'll give all the knowledge we can gather. Knowledge that has been lost for thousands of years."

Slater sat back against his chair, nodding as he thought about the deal. It wasn't a bad deal. He would not only get information and knowledge from a group of Magi without needing to compromise his morals, but he would also be able to have a group of Magi to help him when he needed a little magic. Just looking at the woman and the man, who seemed to be waiting for him to say yes. And their eyes shimmered as though they knew he would. So he did. "Yes. I agree."

Lora smiled as she held her hand out in front of him. "Thank you." He shook her hand. "Enzo will be your contact."

"Gimme your phone," Enzo said. Slater pulled his cell from his pocket as he looked at Lora, who brought out a box full of different types of jewelry, all with a blue stone embedded in them. "So, what'll it be?"

Lora graduated from college with a degree in business administration almost two years before. She spent months trying to find jobs she was passionate about in the job market, but nothing spoke to her. One thing she learned after becoming a Magus was to trust her instinct. Interview after interview and she turned down all the offers. She continued working at the bar-restaurant near Whitmore while living with the Donovans, but deep down she wanted to be independent and self-sufficient. She got the degree to be her own boss.

Around the same time, Phoebe was preparing for her last year at Whitmore. She decided once she never had to go to school again, she needed a hobby to satisfy her time. Phoebe was of the same mind as Lora that they needed to be their own boss. Phoebe did not want to work. She didn't have time for what she calls 'a nine-to-five job at a soul-sucking black company'. Her family was her priority. Her focus was taken up with family, magic, and gymnastics. She wanted something else. She studied art history and archeology for years at Whitmore. She became interested in glass art since she carved those flowers with magic all those years ago.

With funds saved up and dividends from her investments, Phoebe built a glass furnace on the property. With Lora as the face and Phoebe as the artist, they went into business together. Phoebe had already been designing jewelry since she made Enzo's Daylight Ring and the moonstone jewelry. She easily fell into designing glass vases, drinking glasses, and other art pieces, both large and small. Lora took to the internet, setting up a website to post Phoebe's designs for people to order online. She also made deals with small businesses in and around Mystic Falls to display Phoebe's pieces. And with that, they started their own business.

Enzo was the one who came up with the idea to sell the Daylight Rings. Because witches don't like vampires, most vampires didn't have daylight jewelry. Even older vampires who've more money than they can spend have to spend their immortality in the dark because the majority of witches will not do business with vampires, no matter the price. There was a lot of demand for what the Donovans had to offer. And the daylight jewelry were beautifully designed for the millions of dollars they were worth. And everything was done online. When Phoebe saw Slater's name in their contacts, she sent back a message to meet in person for a business negotiation. A free Daylight Ring for his communications network in the supernatural community. Now, they could reach anywhere.

After an hour of discussions and exchanging information, Enzo and Lora walked out of the restaurant, making their way to the black SUV. "So, are you going to tell me about what that call was about?"

"It's Jenna. She came to the house in tears. Logan Fell cheated on her with her friend," Lora explained. She jumped into the backseat while Enzo opened the door to the driver's seat. "Phoebe said Jenna hasn't been sleeping for a few days. So, now, she's pissed." She threw off her shoes and turned her back to Enzo for him to unzip her dress.

"And we all know how vindictive our little mage gets toward anyone who harms those she considers hers." Enzo pressed the key into the ignition and turned into the street. Lora kept her back to him, changing into comfortable gray and black patterned leggings, a loose-fitting tank top, and a pair of white sneakers as Enzo drove down the main road in the direction of Mystic Falls. "I don't pity Jenna's ex-boyfriend."


Jenna spent a week in her and Lora's bedroom in the Donovan house. Lora had wanted to give Jenna privacy to grieve her broken relationship so she moved out of the room and into Phoebe's bedroom. They left her alone with her emotions as she cried over and over again, every day after waking up and before going to sleep. Jenna turned into a ghost in the room. The only sign of her was the food trays that were left at the door were emptied by the start of the next meals.

Days after she isolated herself in her room, Jenna had no tears left to cry. She was simply left with her thoughts and her emotions, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. Her mind started from her adolescent life when she had a crush on the older boy in high school. He was the perfect son, handsome, part of a founding family, in the football team, and on Honor Roll. The only thing they had in common was the honor roll. Her self-esteem had taken a nosedive after she had been rejected by John Gilbert. She feared she would also be rejected by Logan Fell.

"John's an elitist asshole. I think it runs in the Gilbert family," Phoebe told her.

"Take a leap of faith, Jen. You can't read his mind. I can't read his mind," Lora had told her once when they were soaking the sun while gossiping on the Whitmore campus. "You need to be more confident. If you wait too long and he gets taken, you'll always wonder 'what if'. Just be yourself and if that's not what he wants, sucks for him. You can find someone else who wants you." Jenna chuckled to herself as she remembered when Lora bumped her shoulders as she joked, "In our line of work, it might just be a handsome immortal vampire." Jenna's cheeks had warmed into a deep blush at the thought, although she was unsure if she wanted to be in a relationship with someone in the supernatural community.

Jenna focused on Lora's words. Someone who wants her. Who wants her. Logan wanted her. She was over the moon with glee that he said yes when she asked him out. She told all her friends and her sister and everyone was happy for her. Logan was kind and had the most beautiful smile. He listened to her rant about her professors while she was always there for him when there was something going on in his family. She made time to accompany him to all those Founder's Family social functions that she didn't like so much, but for him, they were bearable. He never treated her as less than just because she wasn't part of a founding family. The only secrets between them were their associations with the supernatural. Jenna knew Logan couldn't tell her about his family being vampire hunters just as she couldn't tell him about her association with Enzo and the Donovans. The thought never crossed her mind because she never wanted to betray her friends. It was a secret she would take to her grave.

When did it start? When did they start pulling away from each other? "GW, Columbia, Duke, Harvard. What's this?" He asked her when he saw the brochures on her desk. It was her junior year and Jenna was looking into graduate programs she wanted to apply to in Psychology. She didn't want to wait. Being the overachiever honor roll student that she was, she wasn't taking a year off after college. She wanted to go straight into her graduate program to get her degree early. She wanted to go to the best schools with the best programs and she knew that schools loved students who showed initiative enthusiastically.

"I'm looking into psych grad programs. These are some of the schools I'm thinking of applying to," she told him enthusiastically. She had wanted to share her happiness with him, but her smile fell when she noticed the frown on his face.

"Why don't you just transfer into Whitmore's program?" He asked.

Jenna didn't want to stay at Whitmore. The school was small and their graduate programs even smaller, with very little funding. She wanted the best and she wanted to get out of Mystic Falls. She wanted to travel and explore. She only applied to Whitmore for undergrad because she couldn't afford to move when she was 19. She had been planning on leaving Virginia since she was a teen and she had been saving money to afford to live in a big city. But that was before Logan. She loved Logan. She wanted to be with him, but at that moment, her heart almost stopped beating. Did she love him enough to give up her dreams for him? Did he love her enough to be happy for her that she was following her dreams?

"They're just brochures." She lied to keep the peace. She wanted him to be happy. "I was already planning on transferring into the Whitmore programs. But you know, I can't apply to just one program. I need safeties and I really want to see if I can get into the best schools." She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him.

"I just think it's better if you stay closer to home." When she placed her head on his shoulders, her mind went to her friends. Lora and Phoebe, when she told them she wanted to go to Harvard for graduate school, screamed and jumped and hugged her saying how happy they were for her. They were proud of her. Even Enzo said, "You're a smart girl. You should never settle for second best."

"You know, Harvard is the oldest university in the country, founded in 1636 before we even became a country. It's actually in Cambridge, not Boston, but the cities are in close proximity. It's in such a historic city. Oh, when you get there, you have to go explore and tour and take pictures to send us. But, don't forget to dress warmly. New England winters are freezing." Caroline was the one who went on a tangent about everything she found out about Harvard over the internet. The shimmer in her eyes told Jenna that Caroline was much like her, not satisfied with small-town living. They were always looking for an adventure, always looking to find what more the world has to offer.

"Yes, you need to enjoy everything the city has to offer, but don't forget about us. You have to call once a week, at least," Lora said.

"You have to go. I want to see those red brick buildings in your photos," Phoebe added.

Why did her friends and Logan react so differently? It was after Logan confronted her that their relationship became strained. Jenna kept the schools she was applying to a secret and Logan began giving excuses when she asked if they could go on a date together. Their relationship deteriorated to the point where they were no longer intimate with each other.

Jenna closed her eyes. All the reflection she had done only made her realize the relationship had long since ended, but she never had the courage to break up with Logan. She bought wine and cake because she thought she could maybe bridge the gap. Finding Logan in bed with Megan just made her realize that the gap had grown into a chasm.

Jenna finally got up off the bed and went into the adjacent bathroom. Even though it was summer, she still liked taking hot showers. She stepped under the showerhead, letting the warm water wash away all the dirt and grime and tears she shed. When she stepped out of the shower, she felt refreshed as though she had washed away all the emotions that had burdened her over the last few days. Jenna dressed in comfortable sweats and braided her hair in a loose French braid before she stepped out of the room for the first time in a week.

As she walked down the stairs, her instincts flared when she found the house completely silent. Training in the martial arts had made her instincts keener than a regular human. It was out of the ordinary for the house to be completely silent unless everyone was in the woods by the Moon Pool or wandering around the property. But, at the same time, she didn't have any bad feelings of danger. It was more like something was happening that she wasn't privy to. "Hello? Phoebe?" She continued to walk down the stairs and turned into the dining room, gasping when she found everyone gathered around. "Surprise!" Jenna couldn't help bringing her hand to her heart at the sudden movements and loud cheers.

"Oh gosh, you guys almost gave me a heart attack," she said. She looked around the room to find her friends smiling brightly around the table full of food, a cake in the middle, and a bottle of wine. She walked closer to them. "What is all this?"

Caroline stepped in front of Jenna, bringing the woman into her small arms to give her the biggest hug she could manage with her smaller stature. "I am so sorry. Logan was an asshole for what he did to you. I mean how could he? He agreed to have a relationship with you and then decided that he wanted to bring someone else into it when he cheated on you. That's just not okay. I don't care what he says to justify it, but I swear I will curse his name forever for breaking your heart." Caroline rambled on as Jenna looked at her friends, giggling and nodding their heads in agreement with Caroline's rant.

"Caroline's right." Victoria stepped closer and pushed Caroline away from Jenna, before also bringing the older woman in for a tight hug. "If he wanted to fuck another woman, then he should have ended the relationship with you first."

"Caroline, Victoria," Enzo scolded. "Language. Aren't you two just 10 years old?"

Both Ria and Caroline rolled their eyes as they looked at Enzo. "Oh, please, we already know all the swear words," Caroline replied.

"And where do you think we learn it from?" Ria said. "Sis swears like a sailor."

Phoebe ignored Enzo's piercing eyes in the back of her head and went to give Jenna another hug. "And I already hexed him with a limp dick." She puffed out her chest and touched Jenna's face gently. "I don't care who he is. You're family, Jenna. And no one gets away with hurting my family. But if you so wish I can undo the hex."

"Phoebe," Enzo called her name like a father reprimanding his daughter.

Phoebe just turned and batted her eyes innocently. "Yes, Enzo?"

"Okay, enough," Lora said as the two locked eyes with one another. She turned to Jenna. "Phoebe told me about your acceptance letters." She took Jenna's hand and pulled her toward the table where Enzo pulled out the chair at the head. All her acceptance letters were placed in front of her on the table. "I bought the wine and Phoebe baked the cake and all the food…"

"... and Teddy and I helped," Matt added as he held the giant Newfoundland pup in his hands out to Jenna. She took the brown dog into her arms, its white paws pressing on her chest as the dog licked her face excitedly.

Lora continued, "So we want to celebrate with you."

"Your happiness is our happiness," Enzo said. He brought Jenna into a side hug as he kissed the top of her head. "Just follow your heart, love."

Jenna looked around the table at the happy faces of all her friends. They were the same faces that encouraged her to follow her dreams and go to Harvard like she always wanted to. They wanted her to be her best self even if it meant she had to be away from them. Jenna's eyes filled with tears, -not tears of heartbreak but happy tears- as she realized how much her friends truly loved her. They placed her needs before their own. She never had to be anyone but herself when she was with them. She unconsciously brought the fluffy animal into her chest as she passed her fingers through it fur.

Matt sat beside Jenna and grabbed her hand. "Jenna, it's okay. Don't cry. Even if you go far away, we'll come visit you. And when you're lonely, you can call us."

"You're our family, Jen. This is your home and when you leave, your room will still be here, just how you left it," Phoebe added.

"And no matter where you are, you have to come back for the holidays, okay," Caroline commanded.

Jenna wiped her tears. "I -I'm just so happy. I love you guys too. Thank you." Everyone walked up to Jenna and wrapped her in a group hug as Jenna calmed down and stopped crying. When they pulled apart, Enzo asked, "So, which one are you going to choose, love?"

"Yes, Jenna, which school will have the great honor of hosting Jenna Sommers in their Psychology graduate program this fall?" Lora asked.

Jenna smiled as her hands passed over the envelopes with the school emblems on the top left-hand corner. She picked the third envelope, raising it over her head as she said, "I'm going to Harvard!"

They all cheered and clapped before they settled around the table as they began eating and chatting. The rest of the afternoon was all about Jenna as Caroline took it upon herself to make a to-do list of all the things Jenna would need to prepare over the summer before she left for New England.


September 15, 2005

She stood frozen at the back door of the house. Every other sound was blocked out as she listened to the voices of her father and her mother arguing. They had been arguing more and more recently. Caroline was blonde, not stupid. People underestimated her because she was blonde and liked girly things. She tends to take charge and can be outspoken, saying the things people think but never say. But she was also observant. Caroline saw how her peers looked exasperated when she was honest about her opinions, especially when her opinions were different from theirs. They thought she didn't realize it but she did.

Since she was a child, Caroline had been more observant than most, especially since her parents worked in law enforcement. They were paranoid that something might happen to her so they taught her how to recognize certain dangers. Her father made sure she knew what to do if she were to ever find herself kidnapped. Outside of her family, Caroline spent a lot of time amongst the older girls in the gymnastics club. They taught her how to evaluate the people around her based on posture, eye contact, and clothing. It was how she learned to evaluate the other gymnasts when she became the lead on the junior team to make sure that every routine was perfect. Unlike her friends from school who didn't like how Caroline examined them, her friends at the gymnastics club admired and encouraged her calculating and perfectionist attributes because it brought them success.

Enzo also encouraged her discerning eyes. "Caroline, love, your eyes are always calculating and observing the scenes and the people around you. They're what'll keep you alive. Trust your instincts, Caroline."

And her instincts at the moment told her to wait. She needed to hear the argument before she made herself known. Those same calculating eyes had made her realize that her parents' marriage had been on thin ice. The conversations that ended abruptly when she walked into a room and the forced interactions her parents had when she was around, not knowing she noticed how they tried to be as far from each other as they possibly could. When their eyes met, they quickly looked away. Caroline saw it all. The only thing she hadn't figured out was exactly why, until now.

"... how long Bill?" she heard her mother say.

Her father sighed as his voice came out in a soft whisper she almost missed. Times like these, she wished she had a vampire's enhanced hearing. "... last year. We've been together for a year. I love him, Liz. I feel complete." Caroline's eyes welled with tears as she brought her hands to her mouth to block the gasp that threatened to escape. "I want a divorce. I'm sorry…" Caroline opened the screen door and pushed her way into the house, into the kitchen where her parents turned their eyes on her. She stared at her father as he looked back at her with wide eyes.

"Car…"

"Daddy, how could you?" Bill tried to get another word in but Caroline wouldn't have it. "How could you do that to mom? If you wanted someone else, then you should have just divorced mom before you betrayed her. Do you think that just because you found out you're gay, it makes it okay for you to cheat on mom?"

Liz raised her eyes to look at her daughter who had tears flowing down her cheeks. Caroline's words touched her heart as she looked at her daughter who was crying for her when she couldn't shed tears for herself. Her husband, the father of her child, was homosexual and he found a man while they were still married. Liz knew he was cheating. Had it been a woman, she would have been in her rights to swear at him, but because it was a man, she felt as though she had to be accepting of her husband's infidelity because he was being true to himself. However, the sight of Caroline's tears made her realize that even if Bill was being true to himself, he still broke the vows he made to her. Liz walked up to Caroline, taking her daughter into her arms as she cried. Liz couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes as she looked at Bill over Caroline's head. "Bill, I think you should go," she finally said.

Bill paused for a moment, looking at his wife and his little girl who was crying as she clung to her mother. It broke his heart that he was the one who had brought Caroline to tears. His selfishness hurt her. He met Steven and he felt a spark that he never felt with Liz and he couldn't help himself as he wanted to explore that feeling more. Every time he left for business, he met Steven and they became intimate. He knew he should have told Liz before the relationship even got so far, but living in the small town of Mystic Falls where nothing was personal, he wanted to keep his marriage issues private so his family wouldn't fall prey to harmful gossip. He didn't want anything to hurt his Caroline, but he still hurt her. He couldn't keep his relationship a secret as Liz soon figured out that he was hiding something and he told her about Steven. He didn't realize that Caroline would be listening in.

Bill turned around and left the house, leaving Caroline in tears in her mother's arms.

The next day, Caroline didn't leave her room. "Mom?" she called when she heard her mother walking across the hall.

Liz opened the door and peered inside. "Yes, Caroline?" When Caroline sat up against her headboard and moved over on the bed, Liz shut the door and approached. She sat on the bed and pulled the sheets over her body. Caroline wrapped her arms around her mother's torso and rested her head on Liz's chest. Liz wrapped her arms around Caroline's back. She smiled a little. Caroline had always been closer to Bill than to Liz as Liz felt that she was just too different from Caroline. She had wanted to be closer to her daughter, but she didn't expect that it would be her husband's infidelity that brought her and Caroline so close together. Whenever Caroline was upset, she went to Bill. He always made time for Caroline while Liz was focused on her career because she had to put in 150% because she was a woman who was aiming to become Sheriff. When she decided on something, she would put all her efforts into accomplishing her task. She was similar to Caroline in that aspect, but her perfectionist nature and her singular focus on her goal had caused her to neglect her daughter. She never made time for Caroline. She gritted her teeth as she became angry at herself that it took her daughter finding out about her husband's infidelity for her to make time for Caroline.

"Victoria called. She was worried when she didn't see you at school today. Phoebe and your other friends from the gymnastics club called as well since you didn't go to practice yesterday. I told them you weren't feeling well."

"Thanks, mom." Caroline stayed in her mother's arms.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," Liz said. "I know how close you are to your father…"

Caroline looked up at her mother. "You have nothing to be sorry for, mom. You have the right to be angry and sad and mad at dad. He married you even though he was gay and then he decided to step out on his marriage to be with his boyfriend. It's not okay. You don't have to accept it just because he's finally come out of the closet. If it was a woman lover he had, people would cheer for you to go rip her hair out. You shouldn't have to hold in your emotions just because dad's out of the closet. We live in an equal society." Liz chuckled at her words and Caroline rested her head back on her mother's chest. "You know, two years ago, Logan Fell cheated on Jenna with her friend. It's not your fault mom. You didn't do anything wrong. I love dad, but I'm not just gonna excuse what he did. He cheated on you. He broke your vows and he betrayed you. He should have asked for a divorce before he started his relationship with his boyfriend. If you want, then I will never talk to dad again."

Liz smiled when she realized that Caroline was trying to make her feel better. "We both know you can't hold a grudge, Caroline." Caroline could never stay mad at someone for long. Liz loved that her daughter had a big heart and would eventually forgive the people who wronged her. "And I would never ask you to hate your father. No matter what happened between me and Bill, he's still your father. Thank you for worrying about me, Caroline."

Caroline laughed lightly. She really couldn't hate her father, no matter how much she wanted to. She was angry at him, but she already missed him. Although she hadn't forgiven him yet, still angry for her mother, she knew she couldn't hold onto that emotion for much longer. She was glad her mother didn't seem too bothered by her soft heart. "Thanks, mom." Liz simply hummed as Caroline opened her mouth again. "Mom, I love you." She can't even remember the last time she said those words to her mother, but she wanted to tell her mother that someone loved her. She wanted her mother to know that she was on her side. She would eventually forgive her father, but she didn't have it in her to forgive him right now.

"I love you too, Caroline."


In the show, they never showed how Caroline reacted at the time of her parent's divorce. We just saw that Caroline was angry at her mother and still loved her father. But, I feel like Caroline would be angry at Bill as well because he kind of abandoned her for his lover. Caroline is a very empathetic character so I don't deny that she would forgive her father for leaving, but I think she would also be more understanding of her mother who buried herself in her work after her marriage imploded. I don't think it's characteristic of Caroline to just stay angry with Liz for so long. If she forgave Bill for his infidelity and leaving her and her mother, I think she would forgive Liz for solely focusing on her work. That's just my take on it.

Another chapter with a theme. Each of the characters is abandoned by someone they loved. Jenna is cheated on and abandoned by the boyfriend she loved and thought loved her, Caroline not only feels abandoned by her father when her parents get a divorce, but she also feels like her father abandoned her mother when Bill cheated on Liz with his boyfriend. All of them have the people they love leave them for someone else. There is another betrayal of a loved one in the next chapter since this chapter is just getting too long.

Once again, I wanted to focus on the other characters we'll be seeing more of later on because these events will define their action and loyalties later in the story. I'm not really satisfied with the end so I might edit and update later.

For my non-British readers, a snug is a cozy living room, separate from the main living room.

Magus (singular); Magi (plural). I will use Mage and Mages interchangeably with Magus and Magi.

SPELLS

paralysei - paralyze (freeze/ paralysis spell)

sigasi - mute (shut-up spell)

epidiorthosis - mend (healing spell)

kathariste - clean

CHARACTER AGES AS OF JUNE 13, 2003 AND 2005

Lora Heinz - Born June 8th, 1979; Age 24 (2003); 26 (2005)

Jenna Sommers - Born September 12th, 1980; Age 23 (2003); 25 (2005)

Phoebe Donovan - Born November 30th, 1989; Age 13 (2003); 16 (2005)

Victoria Donovan - Born August 20th, 1991; Age 11 (2003); 14 (2005)

Caroline Forbes - Born October 10th, 1992; Age 10 (2003); 13 (2005)

Matthew Donovan - Born February 26th, 1993; Age 10 (2003); 12 (2005)

All ages and dates of birth are taken from TVD Wikia. There was no exact date for Jenna's birthday so I made one up.

Thanks again for reading. Don't forget to leave a review. I thrive on them.

See you all later, Jamie.