three

Returning To Mystic Falls and Pleasant Reunions

'Welcome to Mystic Falls', the board greeted me as I reached Mystic Falls' borderline. I entered through the border with a deep sigh and heavy heart. I really didn't want to do this, but Caroline needed my help. As well as Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, Jeremy…the Salvatore brothers.

Memories of them flooded through me freshly as I reminisced my times with them and remembering every little detail of it as if it was yesterday. Back then, in 1864, I returned to Mystic Falls with the third doppelgänger, Katerina Petrova, or as she calls herself, Katherine Pierce. And I remembered. I remembered everything.

How the Salvatore brothers chased me through the maze of freshly grown leaves and flowers in the gardens from the times of spring, how I giggled in every turn while in their presence, how Damon protected me and Stefan took care of me. How Katerina played with them…how I let her…

In the end, the downfall of our friendship was of my own fault, I knew that. I didn't stop Kitty when she purposefully toyed with their hearts, compelled them, drank from them…used them. I was to blame. Because I didn't tell them. Instead, I told their father. And in the end, it was Katerina they saved and me, they abandoned.

But I don't blame them. They didn't know what was going on. And I was stupid to think they would actually choose me over her. Of course not. They never would. And I was so stupid as to think they would believe me over her. But I needed to redeem my mistakes and I've done it. And if it costs our friendship, so be it. After all, who was I, to beat the famed and envied 'allure of the Petrova doppelgängers'?

Caroline had already told me this new version of them. Well, technically whining to me over the phone, about how rudely and embarrassingly Stefan had rejected her, all for Elena – nothing can beat the allure of the Petrova doppelgangers – and then how she got the other brother, meaning Damon, and how he manipulated her, compelled her and used her…Damon learned well from Katerina. And also how Damon swore to make Stefan's life a complete and total misery for all eternity – didn't see that one coming – and how Damon is a jerk and total psychopath and that he likes Elena. How Stefan and Damon are polar opposites and how Stefan and Elena are each other's epic love.

What can I say? Teens these days. But both Damon and Stefan has changed a lot. That I can tell. They used to be close, not even able to be mad to each other for more than five minutes. And now…this…it was very unexpected. I assumed it started because of Katerina, but I though the feud would've went with her. I suppose not. And Damon…manipulation? The Damon I remembered doesn't go well with manipulation. Yes, he was silly and yes, he was very capable of outsmarting people and he had the talent of persuasion. But manipulation, has Damon gotten than bad? The man I knew back then would have never been capable of such a thing. 'Oh how the times have changed', I thought to myself.

Without realization, I've already reached the Salvatore Boarding House where Caroline said they would meet up to discuss their 'major life or death problem' as Caroline calls it. I was then hit with hundreds of memories, all of them crashing down to me.

But I simply shove it to the deepest pit of my dark heart and sighed deeply. My hands reach for the car handle and I got out of my red Ferrari. 'Everything is going to be just fine', I told myself as I walk to the door of the boarding house.

I took a deep breath before calming and steadying myself. 'I am an Original Vampire! I will not be beaten by this. I am strong and I am brave…and I will overcome my fears.' I reprimanded myself and straightened up, while putting on my mask of thoughtlessness and a handful lot of smirks and eye rolls. As well as some fake sighs of annoyance and seemingly careless – yet carefully crafted – acts of mischief.

It's been two years since I last came back here. I liked to keep tabs on everything happening in my hometown. I didn't want to be out of the loop. However I came only once in a while and suddenly the Salvatore brothers have raided Mystic Falls. I did meet Zach Salvatore. Their great nephew. He was nice and a perfect gentleman. He promised to call me every week to keep me informed on how the town was going. But he stopped about two months ago, to my utter confusion.

I directly walked inside since Zach – the current landlord of the boarding house – have invited me here a few times and gave me permission to enter his house. He actually gave me rights to the boarding house and all of his other properties when he died. He discussed it with his lawyer already. Good thing I'm a part Shadowhunter as well as witch. I found out after Jace accidentally gave me an iratze – a healing rune – and I actually healed. So I guess I'm still a part living. Which means vampires still needs my permission if they wish to enter my residence and property.

"Caroline!" I called out cheerfully while opening my arms in an embracing manner and they all turned their heads to look at me. I saw Damon roll his eyes. "Great…your saviour of a sister is another doppelgänger. A measly human." He sneered while crossing his arms in his chest. I widened my eyes for a fraction at his attitude, disbelieving that Damon, my Damon turned out like this. I quickly put on my mask and put on an 'I don't give a damn' look while lowering my hands and crossing them in his manner.

"I'm not a measly human, Damon. I thought you knew me better than that." I retorted while smirking and gave him a taunting look. I show him my vampire face and he immediately vamps out while pinning me into wall. "Angel." He growled while keeping his hands on my neck, but I heard his voice crack a bit, obviously not prepared for his former lover – that he assumed was dead – come to him, alive and well. Not completely alive, but you get the idea. And as a vampire.

"Don't call me Angel! Only my family can call me that! And you are not my family!" I snarled, flinging him to the other side of the room. "You underestimated me Dee-Day." I smirk in a sing song tone, using the nickname I made for him back in 1864 while getting of the wall. "And you know I hate being underestimated." I continued while craning my neck and shrugging invisible dust off my shoulders.

"Hey, Triple S." I greeted Stefan with a sincere smile, using my nickname for him. Triple S, abbreviation for Saint Stefan Salvatore. See, Triple S! He smiled back at me with a sincere smile and his beautiful green, mossy eyes lightening. Collective gasps were heard from all throughout the room and he was quick to move to me and embrace me in a hug.

"I've missed you, Lyka." He confessed as he relaxed more to our hug and breathed in my scent of fountain and freshly bloomed lilies, with a mixture of honey dew. My scent mixed with his manly ones. "Missed you too, Stef." I told him while smiling and gripping on him tighter.

"Hate to break it up to you, but we have a problem to solve and we don't exactly have much time." Damon says, breaking our moment. "Plus, you're not the only one who wants and needs a hug from Angel." I let go of Stefan while scanning Damon from head to toe, as he already recovered from my throw earlier.

"You never learn do you?" Referring to him calling me 'Angel' again while raising my eyebrow. "Never have been a fan of the L word." He says with a shrug. His aqua blue eyes met my own. Our eyes are exactly the same, with the same colour and the same shade of it. "Come 'ere" He gestured for me to come to him with his arms wide opened and I walked towards him.

As soon as we were directly face to face, he engulfed me in a big hug and buried his face in my hair while taking my scent in. I laid my head on the crook of his neck and breathed in his amazing manly odour. He runs his hands through my wavy, golden hair and I hugged him with all I got.

"I missed you." His voice cracked as he whispered while still burying his nose in my hair. "I missed you more, Dee-Day." I confessed. He looked at me in the eyes. "You're a vampire." He announced as if trying to comprehend the situation. I rolled my eyes and try to be sarcastic to cheer him up.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, moron." I roll my eyes and cross my arms in front of my chest again. "I mean, I knew you were a dimwit but I didn't know you were that stupid." He let out a chuckle on my words as his eyes never leave mine, the others in the room laughing as I call him names.

"Well, uh…meet the rest of the gang." He said in an attempt to introduce me to the others but I roll my eyes as I already know them from two years ago. Heck, I even stayed here for a year. "No need." I say, arrogance lacing my tone that I got here before he did.

"Caroline…obviously." I said as I pointed over to Carey – my special nickname for Caroline. "Then let's see…hmm…Bonnie Bennett." I turned to Bo-Nett – another special nickname. "Matthew." I nodded towards the brilliant-blue-eyed human, Donny. "And our lil' Baby Gilbert." I grin as I tease Jeremy, him being the youngest Gilbert, preferring my nickname for him, Bae Gibbs.

"You know them?" He asks, confused. "No, I was just suddenly overcome with the ability to know people's names and be friendly with them." I retort sarcastically with an eye roll accompanying it. He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if it was true. "Really?" He seems genuinely curious and I widen my eyes at this.

"And the dumber got dumber." I muttered under my breath with a deadpan. All the vampires in the room heard it and started giggling while the others just looked around confused. And Dee-Day, he was glaring holes at me.

'Like I care.' I muse to myself.

Suddenly, a man with sandy golden hair and a bit of golden scruff with baby blue eyes came in. Alaric.

Hey guys! This double update is for making up my non-existent self. I know I'm the worst. So, please forgive me… J

Oh and, major shout out to dorisangel for faving and following me. I love you. Also to Polkadottedgiraffe11 for being my rock when I hit rock bottom. You guys are the best. By the way, check out Polkadottedgiraffe11. Her stories are to die for. (I'm not exaggerating).