Elowen and Josiah were heading out the front door to head to school. They were supposed to help with the Miss Mystic Float for the parade. Elowen had her phone wedged between her ear and shoulder as she unlocked her mom's car. The other line picked up when she turned the ignition on.

"Hey-!"

"Not Stefan," Damon's voice rang out. Elowen rolled her eyes and pulled out of the driveway.

"You really need to stop picking up Stefan's phone. It makes you look like you want to be an annoying big brother."

"No. I'm just nosy. What's on the agenda today, little witch?"

"Building a float for the Founder's Parade. I was calling Stefan to tell him to meet us there. If one of us doesn't show, Caroline will personally kill us all with her bare hands."

"I'd like to see her try."

Elowen transferred the phone to the other shoulder. "How is he doing?"

"Oh, he's…. He's terrible," Damon said with faux concern. "He's back to boring, straight-laced, off the junk. You've successfully cured him of anything that was interesting about his personality."

"Don't act like you weren't worried he was gonna eat the whole town."

"Don't remind me."

She could hear the eye roll in his voice. She sighed.

"I've gotta go. I'm driving. Just please pass the message on to Stefan."

"Will do, my favorite little witch."

xxxx

Elowen and Josiah entered the cafeteria and went to their respective tables. Alaric was handing out a guideline, almost, noting how he wanted the float to look. Josiah pulled one towards himself to scan it over.

"So these are the specs for the history department," Alaric explained. "For the Founder's Day float, we'll be recreating the Battle of Willow Creek. Josiah and Tyler have been nominated as the head of the production design." Josiah looked up from the paper in mild surprise. He had no problem designing anything, but working with Tyler?

"By who?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

"By me. I've seen your sketches and they're good."

"I'm not really into the-"

"You just pick you team, be creative and…" He spotted Elena walking in with Stefan behind her. Elowen had gotten up to greet him. "Don't screw up. You have Josiah helping so I doubt you will. Excuse me." He approached the trio and grabbed Elowen's arm. "All of you come with me. We need to talk."

Later, Damon sauntered into the classroom. Elena was sitting at one of the desks, Alaric was leaning against his desk and Elowen and Stefan were standing off to the side. They all looked either worried or distressed.

"Sorry I'm late. Dog ate my uh.." He tried to joke until he saw everyone's faces. "Nevermind. What's with all the furrowed brows?"

"I saw Isobel last night," Alaric chimed in. Damon turned to him with wide eyes.

"Isobel is here? In town?"

Alaric nodded. The classroom was quiet as Damon processed this piece of information. Finally, he spoke up.

"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?"

"No," replied Alaric.

"No, they're not?"

"No, I didn't ask."

"What about the invention?"

"Didn't ask."

"Did she know about the tomb vampires?"

"I don't know."

"Did words completely escape you?"

"Knock it off," Elowen finally cut in. "Can you blame him? He just saw his dead vampire wife for the first time in forever. Don't act like you wouldn't be the same if Katherine suddenly appeared in front of you."

"Okay, well, what did she want?"

"She wants to see me," Elena spoke up. "She sent Alaric a message. Arrange a meeting for us or she'll… go on a killing spree."

"Oh! I take it that's not okay with you guys."

"Now is really not the time to be a douchebag," Elowen commented. Damon blew her a kiss. She rolled her eyes, but she was fighting back a laugh. Instead, there was a faint grin in its place. Stefan noticed and furrowed his eyebrows. He glanced from her to Damon. He was still trying to figure out the situation and what was different between them even as Elena spoke.

"I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don't I know I'll regret it."

xxxx

With almost perfect stealth, Elowen snuck out of the school and got to her car without Caroline seeing. She knew that she would get an earful later, so she texted Josiah the rundown and told him to tell her that she was sorry. Her phone chimed a second later.

She's already pissed lol. Idk how much this will ease the blow but thnx for the update. Tell Elena I said good luck.

"I call shotgun." Damon came up behind her and stood closer than he needed to. She turned and tried to step back, but her back was already against the car. He smirked down at her.

"Have you never heard of personal space?" She quipped.

"Nope."

When it became apparent that he wasn't going to move, Elowen pushed him away. "I'm surprised you aren't kicking me out of the driver's seat like you usually do."

"Do you want me to?"

"Not really."

She unlocked the car and slid behind the steering wheel. The passenger door opened and Damon got in next to her. She started up the ignition and peered out of the windshield.

"Where's Stefan?"

"Going with your twin. Alaric offered to drive."

"Please don't call her that," she said before Damon had fully finished his sentence. She hadn't heard an Elena comparison in awhile and she discovered that she still didn't like it. Damon's eyebrows drew together at the tightness in her voice. A quick glance told him that the comment had made her insecure.

"... Are you….. Jealous of her?"

"No," she sighed. "I'm just tired of people making me feel like I'm a downgrade version of her. I get it. She's prettier than me and more likeable and everyone naturally gravitates towards her. That I can live with. But being compared to her all the time just because we resemble each other? That I can't."

Neither one of them said anything for a long moment. Elowen was still staring straight ahead, her hands clutching onto the steering wheel. Damon moved first, brushing her hair behind her hair so he could get a better look at her face. He studied her features, really studied them. From the way her glasses sat on her nose (he noted that he liked her better with them on than her having contacts in), all the way down to the little mole she had on the right side of her jaw. Elowen started to feel anxious at the stillness in the car. What was he even doing? Right when she was about to say something, Damon shook his head.

"No. Elena's mousy compared to you. You're a big, fiery, smart mouthed little witch who isn't afraid to speak her mind. Your hair has more personality than hers and your eyes don't have that pathetic, doe-y, 'Help, I don't know how to work a toaster' look." Elowen laughed a little at this and Damon lightly knocked his knuckles against her jaw with a click of his tongue. "There she is! All anyone really needs is a bit of humor and boom! Problem fixed. Now, let's go before the tank goes empty."

xxxx

Damon and Alaric were to stay outside. All of them in there was too obvious and they couldn't take that risk. Stefan and Elowen were the two safest choices to keep watch. Neither one of them was a reckless vampire or an emotional ex-husband. They hung by the pool tables and were playing a round to seem normal. Elena was at a table nearby, completely and utterly nervous. She kept fidgeting and fixing the napkin dispenser. At last, Isobel took the seat across from Elena. The conversation seemed to be going well until Isobel said something that bothered Elena.

"No, it's not," she defended. "I know other vampires. That's not true."

"Are you talking about your vampire eye candy at the pool table with his girlfriend? Actually," Isobel tilted her head as an idea struck her. She made a beckoning gesture with her index finger over her shoulder. "Send the witch over."

Stefan stood protectively in front of Elowen, who blinked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Stefan quickly replied.

"It's not nothing. What did she say?"

"Send your stupid witch girlfriend over here before I kill every useless human in here. I know you can hear me, Stefan."

With some hesitation, Stefan stepped to the side. "She, uh," he cleared his throat. "She wants to see you."

"She what? Why?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know." He took her pool cue out of her hands and leaned it against their table. "But we should do what she says."

Elowen hesitantly maneuvered through the crowd and came to stand in front of the table. Isobel motioned towards a chair that was at the table next to theirs.

"Please, take a seat."

Elowen glanced behind her and hooked her foot on the leg of the chair. She dragged it over and sat down. Isobel leaned forward and placed her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Hmm," she hummed. "You look like a cheaper version of my daughter. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Elowen's hands tightened on her jeans, bunching them together on her thighs. Isobel noticed this and smirked. She leaned back against the back of her chair.

"Thought so."

Elena's eyebrows knit together. What? She'd never heard of anyone saying such a thing. Isobel crossed her arms and kept her attention on Elowen.

"Tell me, why Stefan? Why didn't you go for Damon? Or are you enjoying them both like Katherine did?"

The individual reactions from everyone was immediate. Elena was shocked that she'd ask a question like that. Stefan looked uncomfortable from his spot by the pool tables. Elowen took the more forward approach, scoffing with a roll of her eyes.

"Excuse me? I think that's hardly any of your business. You aren't my mother."

"So you're the livewire. Every group of misfits has one. Maybe it's a good thing you and Damon didn't hook up. Two hotheads in the same room? It's a miracle you haven't burned a house down yet."

"Alright, can we just get to the point?" Elowen dodged her imposing questions and changed the subject. "Why are you here? You didn't ask to meet Elena because you wanted to check in on the daughter you abandoned."

"Straight to the point." Isobel nodded her head in approval. "I changed my mind. I like you." She turned her attention back to Elena, who had been awkwardly sitting quietly on the other side of the table. "I want what your uncle wants: Jonathan Gilbert's invention."

"How do you know my uncle?" Elena asked.

"I used to spend a lot of time here when I was younger," Isobel explained. "John had a crush on me for years." Elowen narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Isobel ignored this and continued on. "He was the first one that told me about vampires."

"So what made you want to be one?"

"It's a very long list of reasons, Elena." Isobel rested her elbows on the table. "All of which I'm sure the both of you have thought about."

Elena shook her head without missing a beat. "No."

"If you think I'm going to give up my heritage, you're wrong."

Isobel grinned in amusement. "That was your first lie, witch." Her focus was back on Elowen. "It's inevitable. You're going to get old, Stefan won't." Elowen caught a glimpse of Stefan. His eyes were downcast. He seemed sad. "Forever won't last very long when you're human."

"We don't have what you're looking for," Elowen said hotly. Done with the conversation, she got up, but Isobel roughly caught her arm and forced her back into her chair. Stefan immediately started pushing his way through the crowd to get to her.

"Sit down and tell your boyfriend to walk away." Stefan stopped in his tracks. He was still a decent ways away from them. "I want the invention."

"I told you, we don't have it."

"I know that. But, Damon does and you're going to get it for me."

"He's not going to give it to us," Elena cut in. Isobel laughed.

"Maybe not to you."

It was Elowen's turn to knit her eyebrows together. "He won't hand it over to me, either."

"Y'know, my original plan was to have Elena do the dirty work. That's why I called her here. But you? You're an even better candidate. He trusts you. Get me the device, or there will be blood on your hands."

Isobel got up and smiled down at her daughter. "It was nice meeting you, Elena." She turned and left. Elena started to cry from the whole encounter. What was she really expecting from this meeting? Elowen reached over the table and gave her a comforting hug. Suddenly, Elena pulled away and wiped her tears.

"Bonnie."

Elowen twisted in her chair. Sure enough, Bonnie was standing a few mere feet from their table. Stefan arrived at the same time. Bonnie looked from Elowen to Stefan and did the only thing she could think of. She left.

xxxx

The next day, Elowen and Josiah were back at the high school, continuing their task of building Founder's Parade floats. However, Elowen had other plans. Determined to figure out what the device did, she spent all night searching through Esperanza's spell book. She found a section that contained information on both the device and Jonathan Gilbert's compass. Except, of course, half of the chapter was missing. She took a chance and texted Bonnie, asking her to meet up in one of the empty classrooms. She stressed that she needed to bring Emily's grimoire along.

So, there she was, reading over the pages when the door opened. Elowen looked up hopefully, and sure enough, Bonnie entered the room. She had Emily's spell book in hand.

"Hey," Bonnie greeted weakly. She walked over to Elowen and set the book next to Esperanza's. "Elena told me about the mystery device. When I got your message, I took the privilege of looking for the other half." She opened the grimoire to a bookmarked page and scooted it closer.

Both of them read over the now complete section in silence. Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows.

"This doesn't sound right. Are you sure this is what Isobel wants?"

"I was there with Elena. This is definitely what she wants. I just don't know why."

"We need to fill Elena in. I'll call her."

About 10 minutes later, Elena snuck into the classroom. She was a bit surprised to see that Bonnie and Elowen were in the same room, but didn't say anything about it.

"You said you had figured out what the device does?" She asked.

"Yeah. Come here." Bonnie moved over to Elena could get a clear look at both spell books. "According to this, Jonathan Gilbert never actually succeeded in inventing anything. Emily and Esperanza secretly spelled them all with magic. Compass, rings and the mystery device."

Elena looked over the pictures that were drawn in. "That's definitely it. But, Damon only had the one piece."

"Esperanza wrote that her and Emily pledged their loyalty to Katherine," Elowen elaborated. "They owed her. Except, neither of them could stand by and watch innocent people get killed. This was the only way they could think of the help without getting caught. To let Jonathan Gilbert believe that he'd actually invented these devices."

"Does it say what it does?"

Bonnie and Elowen glanced at one another.

"That's where things start getting…. Weird." Bonnie pointed out a paragraph in one of the grimoires. "Here, they wrote that the apparatus is a weapon… Against vampires."