1864

GRACE WILLIAMS' POV

When Katherine told me to leave Damon and Cassidy's child at an orphanage, I knew I couldn't actually go through with it. Katherine may have forgotten, or maybe I never told her but my parents abandoned me as a child and I had to grow up with a sickly grandmother. I fled at sixteen and crossed paths with Katherine, she was like an older sister to me, she told me she saw a lot of herself in me and that's why she wanted me at her side. But I'm not as cold as her, even after turning and living free of emotions, I can't hurt children. I went to Emily Bennet with my dilemma, I knew she would take pity and keep my secret because she believes family comes before anything. She told me of her friend Marta, a witch living in Lynchburg, and told me to take Daniel there. She couldn't have kids so she'd be more than willing to look after Daniel and I told her one day soon, I'd come back for him.

I had a master plan brewing, to at least get Cassidy back to her child one day. I know Katherine is feeding Stefan and Damon blood so seeing Marta would give me another thing too, daylight rings for Cassidy and Abigail. If Katherine is going to turn the boys then I have to turn them. They're a family and have to be together and even though Katherine has been with me forever, the four of them deserve each other. When I got to Lynchburg I explained the situation and told Marta my plan. Willing enough, she made two daylight rings and I returned to Mystic Falls. The founding families are going after the vampires soon and we have to be prepared. I instructed Emily Bennet to tell Katherine I'd been staked the night everything went down, I can't risk Katherine finding out about Daniel and killing me herself. It's better off that I can leave without a trace. Katherine thinks I'm going to kill the girls instead of turning them.

PRESENT-DAY: IN THE CAR

"Cass, do you remember that night when everything fell apart? Do you ever wish we saw Stefan, Damon, before… Dad thought we died before he did." Abby's words drifted away. "I try not to think about what would have happened if Katherine Pierce came to Mystic Falls, it doesn't do us any good. We have all the hypotheticals, maybe we would have all been together when they went after the vampires, and Stefan and Damon wouldn't have died. All four of us and our fathers would have been safe and on the same side. The vampires would have been gone and we'd get on with our lives as humans. Damon and I could have rebuilt, you and Stefan would have gotten married. They'd both get to meet their daughters," Cassidy's voice cracked but she dared not to let one tear fall. Abby put her hand on her sister's shoulder as she drove, "I can't believe we're going back," Abby stated hesitantly.

September 25, 1864

CASS' POV

Today is the day the founding families are getting rid of the vampires. Our dad told us that as evening approached we were to stay in the house as no vampires had been invited in. I can't help but want Damon and Stefan here with us, it doesn't feel right without them. But what they did with Katherine, and we're never going to know why. As it got dark Abby and I could hear the commotion outside. We sat in the corner of my bedroom on the floor. Abby started to cry, "Cass I want Stefan and Damon here and dad, what if something happens to them?" I draped one of my arms around her, "Everything is going to be okay Abby." We heard a crash in our house and we both jumped up.

My door burst open and a woman came rushing in. "Who are you?" I exclaimed and pushed Abigail behind me. The woman said nothing and instead, her eyes turned black, "You're a demon, get away from us!" She got closer to us then ripped her flesh at her wrist and put it against my mouth. I choked and spit it up, "Please stop, you're going to hurt my baby, my baby!" I began to cry. She backed away and her eyes went wide. I looked at her, confused as to why she wasn't sucking the life out of us. "I'm pregnant," I looked at Abby, "We're both pregnant, please I don't want our babies to die." She looked between both of us then grabbed our wrists, "Come with me," she tried to compel us but we'd been drinking vervain tea. "Why would we come with you? You just tried to kill us!" "If I wanted you two dead, you already would be, I can protect you, come with me!" She started taking us away from our house and we ran deep into the woods.

September 26, 1864

Steven's Quarry

"Damon, we have nothing to live for anymore except for each other. Cassidy and Abigail are dead, our father is dead, everyone we loved is gone. Katherine destroyed us, Damon. This is what we've become. I've already taken the final step, drink from this girl and be with me for eternity." Damon couldn't resist and feed on the girl, even though he just wanted to die. After transitioning, Emily told them, "I didn't want to affect your transition, but I found a way to save Katherine. It'll take the power of the next comet in 100 years to uncover her from the tomb under Fell's church."

"What tomb, what do you mean Emily we saw them take her away, she's dead." Emily shook her head, "I'm tied to Katherine, I couldn't have you making this decision so you could plan your revenge. But she's alive and can be untombed." The two brothers looked at each other, "I fell for her Stefan, I really did, the first time she compelled me but after that, she didn't need to." "Damon, what about Cassidy! What she took from you! I want her dead. She destroyed us." "I know Stefan, I know!" He screamed, "I was a fool and now the women we truly loved are dead and all we can do is be undead for the next century in order to kill the woman who started all this. We would have all been safe if we hadn't been separated."

September 26, 1864

Virginia Wilderness

"Katherine wanted me to kill you two, but I couldn't do it, she'd already caused you two so much pain, that's why I wanted to turn you. But now, I'll just keep you safe here, so you two can have your children." Grace had tracked them to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, playing a damsel in distress she got the man that lived there to let her inside before she killed him and disposed of him, doing this after she knocked out the girls. "We can't go back to Mystic Falls?" Abby asked. "It's not safe still, everyone thinks you two died," Grace replied, "But what about our father and the Salvatores what happened to them?" Cassidy implored. Grace shook her head, "I don't know, but we'll figure everything out in the next coming months." The two sisters were exhausted and eventually fell asleep.

That night, Emily tracked Grace and found her in the cabin in the woods. "Grace," Emily called out as Grace retrieved more firewood to keep the girls warm. "Emily is that you?" She asked and Emily finally became visible under the moonlight. "Everyone who died last night, the vampires and humans are going to be written as civilian casualties in the Battle of Willow creek. It will include the Salvatore brothers, their father, and Jonothan Gilbert among others. Grace, you've always been true and I admire your want to preserve families. So I tracked you to tell you that Katherine is alive, she made her escape and is going to leave Virginia. I want you to be safe." As quick as she'd arrived, she was gone. Grace knew that the Salvatores would transition.

She couldn't unload everything on the girls, not while they're pregnant. She wanted to wait until after they had their kids then she'd show them a newspaper documenting the deaths. The girls can't know about the brothers, it'd be too much for them while they're pregnant to confront both men and know that they're vampires. But she'd tell them Katherine was alive, and they'd have to search for her as vampires in order to one day kill her. Grace knew she also needed to tell Cassidy about Daniel, he needed to be raised with his sibling and cousin.