After going back home and allowing Stefanie to pack up her things, we drove the fifteen-minute drive to the outskirts of town to where my old home used to be. It was still as beautiful as I remembered it when I left it. I parked near the entrance of the school and climbed out, Stefanie following and pulling her bags out too. I glanced around at the campus. It was a beautiful, summer, sunny Saturday and the student were taking advantage of it. Vampires were racing each other around the mansion. Werewolves were brawling in the yard, releasing their pent-up anger. Witches were practicing spells in the shade of the beautiful silver maple trees. There were a group of all three species practicing flag football. This was a sanctuary for all supernatural creatures. A sanctuary for my daughter. I met Stefanie at the back of the car, and I glanced down at her. Her eyes were wide with awe and a smile danced across her lips as she took in everything she was seeing. Angst tore at my heart like a pack of lions as guilt settled in for keeping this world from her. Keeping her isolated because Damon and I thought we were protecting her. I've lost so many of my family members and I couldn't bear the thought of losing Stefanie. Her eyes never left the students in the yard as we walked through the front door. It was different since the last time I was here. Alaric and Stefan added more rooms and remodeled and expanded the mansion to make more room for all the students and classrooms and the great hall. I guided Stefanie down a long hallway to the headmaster's office. We passed the library which looked to be the same as before but was now packed with students studying. Stefanie was taking it all in with hungry eyes. As I approached the office, there was a student sitting on a bench outside the door.
"Where's the headmaster?" I demanded. The student looked up from his book and glanced at Stefanie who was now looking at the artwork on the wall before stopping before a trophy case.
"He stepped out to break up a fight between a vampire and werewolf." The boy answered quietly. "I don't know when he'll be back."
"Find him. Now." The boy closed his book.
"I'm sure he will be back shortly." I took a step towards the boy. My blood was boiling with rage already and I didn't have time to play games.
"I said find him. Now. Tell him that Elena Salvatore is waiting in his office." His eyes widened at the last name before he took off running down the hallway. I opened the door to the office and walked in with Stefanie behind me. I closed the door behind us and walked over to the desk by the large bay windows and sat down in the leather chair, propping my feet up on cherry wood. Stefanie set her bags down by the door and slowly walked around the office, observing all the artifacts and talismans that were displayed. I interlaced my fingers behind my head and leaned back in the chair as the door to the office opened and Alaric Saltzman walked in. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of me before looking over at Stefanie in the corner. A young female teenager followed Alaric into the office. She had red hair with big almond shaped hazel eyes.
"Elena." Alaric smiled at me. I didn't return his smile, nor did I adjust my seating arrangements.
"Do you know what I saw on my way over here, Ric?" I said softly and the smile fell from his face. "In big, giant, bloody letters on the side of the Mystic Grill, Salvatore Boarding School Sucks. So, let me ask you, Ric, what have you been doing here to have my name being dragged through the mud?" Alaric sighed and put his hands on his hips. "This isn't the first time that I've seen something like this, but it is the first time that my daughter has, so I ask you again, what have you been doing here?"
"There was a scuffle between our school and Mystic Falls High last week at the flag football game." Alaric answered. "We handled it, Elena."
"Obviously not, Ric. There is a war brewing between the supernatural and humans and you and I both know which side would win, so get a better handle on it."
"I know, Elena, ok? I know. I'm going to go talk to Matt and see if we can come to some agreement." I took my feet off the desk and leaned forward to rest my elbows on it.
"I'll talk to him. I have to see him about something anyways."
"Is that why you're here?" I stood up and walked around the desk to Stefanie's side.
"No. My daughter would like to go to school. I'm here to enroll her." Alaric crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a disbelieving look.
"Elena, the last time I brought up Stefanie going to school here, you said, word for word, it's never, ever, ever, going to happen."
"Things change, Ric." Alaric laughed and threw a side glance at the girl next to him. She stepped forward to Stefanie and held out her hand to her.
"Hi, I'm Hope Mikaelson." She said and I blinked a few times as the shock of the name settled in. Mikaelson? As in Klaus Mikaelson? I heard rumors about the original hybrid getting a werewolf pregnant, but I didn't think them to be true. I just thought they were rumors. "Witch, werewolf and vampire. A tribrid if you will." Stefanie glanced down at Hope's hand before slowly taking it in her own and giving it a shake.
"Stefanie Salvatore." She said quietly. "Half-human, half-vampire. Just a regular hybrid." Hope smiled at her and Stefanie returned it.
"Hope, why don't you give Stefanie a tour while we figure out a dorm for her?"
"She can stay with me." Hope offered, turning to face Alaric. "Dorms are sectioned by species and I'm the only other hybrid so she can stay with me."
"Okay, then." I turned to Stefanie and cupped her face in my hands and tilted her chin up to make her look at me.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" I questioned her and she nodded eagerly. I smiled at her and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Your father and I should never have kept you from this world. We just wanted you to have a normal life but it's time to accept that you're not normal and it's time for you to know this world." I pulled back and looked deep into her blue eyes and she smiled up at me and for the first time in a long time, she looked genuinely happy.
"Mom, I know you're only doing this to keep me safe."
"Yes. But I also want you to be happy, Steffi. Your happiness is everything to me. So, you have your Uncle Stefan here, but if anything happens, anything at all, call me." Stefanie rolled her eyes, the notorious trait that she no doubt got from her father.
"I'll be fine, Mom." I held her gaze and she rolled her eyes again. "I will call you if anything happens." She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I leaned down into her embrace and hugged her back. "I love you, Mom." I buried my face into her hair just behind her ear and closed my eyes, giving her a tight squeeze.
"I love you, too, Stefanie." Reluctantly, I let go of her and giving me one last smile, she walked over to the door and picked up her bags before following Hope out into the hallway. I watched my daughter go down the hall until she disappeared into the vast sea of students. I literally felt pain in my heart for letting her go but it was the right thing to do. Or at least I hoped it was the right thing to do. I fought the urge to call her back and take her straight home where I could see her every day, but I stood my ground and collected myself. This was the best thing to do. This was safest thing to do. I repeated that mantra over and over in my head and reminded myself that I couldn't find Damon if I were constantly worried about Stefanie. I cleared my throat and turned back to Alaric who had moved around his desk to sit down. "So…Mikaelson?"
"She's nothing like her father, if that's what you're thinking, Elena." Alaric assured me and I crossed my arms over my chest.
"She better not be, if she's going to be around my daughter."
"Speaking of which, what changed your mind about bringing her here? Obviously, I can see something happened." As I opened my mouth to answer him, a voice sounded behind me.
"Elena?" I turned to see Stefan standing in the doorway of the office, his mouth slightly open to reveal his sharp canines. I smiled at him.
"Hey, Stefan." I greeted him and he closed the space between us to pull me into a bone crushing hug. My lungs constricted from lack of air, but I managed to let out a laugh and hug him back. "It's good to see you, too." He finally let go of me and stepped back, still smiling.
"I thought I heard that Elena Salvatore was here." I chuckled and walked over to the door to close it, my face turning grim as I prepared myself to tell them what happened. "What brings you here, Elena?" I turned back around and leaned against the solid oak door.
"Damon's missing. Gone. Taken." Alaric and Stefan exchanged worried glances before looking back at me.
"What do you mean he's been taken?" I threw my hands up in the air in dismay as I started to pace the length of the office.
"I mean, he didn't come home this morning and when I went to the bar to look for him, his office was trashed, blood on the floor and a vervain dart left behind."
"What about his bartender? Alex?"
"Alec." I corrected him. "Alec Cooper. After taking off his vervain watch, I thought I was compelling him but when I went back to look at the office and came back to the bar, he was gone. Poof. Gone. Nowhere to be seen. So, as of right now, he's my only lead so I'm going to go see Matt and see if he can pull up any information about the guy."
"I'll go with you."
"No, Stefan, I need you here with Stefanie. Her bloodlust is getting stronger and stronger every day. Damon and I have been trying to help the best we can but she's still struggling. She needs someone who has experience in that department." Stefan drew his lips into a tight line but nodded once.
"So, Damon being taken is the only reason why you brought Stefanie here?" Alaric inquired.
"I am not letting my life be torn apart after building and fighting for it and I am not letting my daughter grow up without a father, but I can't find Damon if I'm constantly worried about her. Bringing her here was my best option. I've been thinking about bringing her here for a while now. I think it'll do her some good to be around kids her own age. Or at least look her age." I threw hard glances between Alaric and Stefan before speaking again. "I am holding both of you personally responsible for Stefanie's safety and well-being. If so, much as a hair is out of place when I come back, I am eating you," I pointed to Alaric. "for dinner and you," I pointed to Stefan. "for dessert. You won't like me very much if something happens to her."
"I'm not sure I like you now." Stefan muttered under his breath.
"Good." My face softens. "I'll call if I find anything. In exchange, you two call me if anything happens with Stefanie." Stefan pulled me into a goodbye hug, and I returned it. "I know what you're going to say. I promise I'll be careful and won't take any unnecessary risks."
"Don't take any risks at all, Elena, unnecessary or not. If you find a lead, call us and we'll come help you. Promise me."
"I promise."