Carly stood on the dock of her family Lake House. She had successfully avoided Elena the morning after Vicky died. She asked Jenna to tell them she had to go back to New York for a few days to deal with her old Land Lord. She explained she was having a hard time being back and she needed a few days to deal with her emotions. It wasn't a lie. She wasn't ready to talk to Elena. She knew she would have so many questions. Questions Carly wasn't prepared to answer.

It was a delicate situation. Elena and Carly had grown up with very different parents. She didn't want to destroy Elena's memory of Grayson. Miranda had loved and doted on Carly. But she never stopped her husband from making Carly feel worthless. For him trying to take away the one thing that was special about her. She never stopped him from sending her away.

"Well hello there Witcherella." Carly froze when she heard Damon's voice. She spun around and glared at him. He frowned when he saw her tear stained face. It was strange for him to care about the emotional drama of humans and well in this case witches. She looked broken. She was wearing capri leggings and a oversized NYU sweat shirt. Her long hair was knotted on top of her head.

"How did you even find me here Damon?"

"I have my ways. Your sister is spiraling you know. Imagine my shock when I found out she had no idea you were a witch. And then that you had fled the scene of the crime. What are you hiding witchy?" He watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Like the night Vicky died the wind began to pick up. He approached her and put his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes popped open and she glared again. Her eyes softened as he wiped the tear stains from her cheek. "I hate when pretty girls cry." He gave her a small side smirk. Much to her dismay she felt a crack in her armor. She saw actual sincerity in his eyes. She felt another tear drop.

"You don't understand." She said in a whisper.

"Make me understand." Damon was convinced he'd lost the tiny connection when she pulled away from his grasp and walked passed him. She stopped and turned.

"Come." She commanded. He followed her, intrigued. He stood outside the threshold of her family home waiting for her to officially invite him in. "Before I let you in. You MUST give me your word that you will not breath a word to anyone what I'm going to tell you. Especially not Elena. The only other people that know the truth are dead. I have to find a way to tell Elena what she wants and needs to know without destroying her. Give me your word."

"You have my word." Damon had to know. No other Gilbert was a witch. So this had to be a good story.

"If you break your word- I will melt your insides and drive a stake through your heart." He gave her a look.

"I said you have my word."

"Then please come in."

Elena was a storm of emotions. Damon murdered Lexi for his own gain. Damon had almost killed Bonnie. Bonnie was a witch had been possessed by her ancestor Emily. Her sister was a witch and then flew the coup. It had been days since she had spoken to her. Jenna had given them some story about her having to deal with a landlord issue. Elena wasn't buying it. She knew Carly had a difficult relationship with their father. Was this the reason why? Was her magic the reason she seemed so broken?

Caroline had been attacked by Logan Fell- who had been turned into a vampire and then killed by Damon. How was this real?

The hardest part of everything was Stefan. He had planned on leaving her. But the ordeal with Logan had changed things. She told him she loved him and they were together for the first time. But then she found the picture of Katherine...how did they look the same?

There was a bright spot in all of this. Jeremy was doing so well. He didn't talk about Vicky anymore. He was actually going to school, picking up extra credit and most importantly he was drawing again. It warmed her heart to see him happy. Now she just had to figure out what was happening with Carly.

Elena felt like she had no idea who her sister even was. She had lied to her. For Elena's entire life Carly was someone completely different. Did she not trust Elena?

Elena was certain Carly felt betrayed. Elena didn't tell her about Stefan. She should have told her the truth about Vicky. Elena felt her mind spinning.

How the hell did Carly know about Vampires? But especially about Stefan and Damon. Elena was so confused. Carly had left. She spent so much time away. She needed answers. She needed to talk to her sister.

Elena dialed her sister's cell phone number again. Straight to voicemail. Elena's frustration was building. Stefan kept calling her. She needed her sister.

My Dear Carly-

Your last visit home was so incredibly horrible. I'm so very sorry for that. Your father would be furious if he knew I was telling you all of this. It's time you knew the truth.

I'm sure you wonder how you could be so special and the rest of us so ordinary? I'm not your birth mother. You are so very much my child. But my blood doesn't run in your veins.

Your father and I had a rough patch. We were apart for a little while. He was out with friends one night and spent time with a very beautiful woman. Your mother. He didn't know she was pregnant with his child. She never told him.

She showed up on our doorstep when you were 2 years old. She told us what she was. Someone was after her and you weren't safe with her. She asked me to raise you as my own. She couldn't keep you safe. She had investigated us and knew you would have a wonderful childhood. She claimed to have cloaked you so no one could locate you but the cloak would only last until you came of age at 16 but by then she would have defeated her enemy or they would have defeated her and you wouldn't be in danger either way. But she promised that she would stay away if she survived until you were grown. She wouldn't disrupt your childhood. I don't know what happened to her. But I'm planning on coming to see you. We can look for her if you want. I would like to thank her for giving me the best gift that I was ever given.

I know your father was always so hard on you. I think he was scared that if you used your, well I guess your magic, that it would draw her enemies to us. That they would be able to track you. All he wanted was to keep you safe. He knows of the super natural world. You must know that he's never been ashamed of you. Just scared for you. Mystic Falls has always had a supernatural history.

I love you so very much. I'm sorry that I never stood up to him. That I didn't make him choose a different way to protect you. I always felt that since you weren't biologically mine that it wasn't my place. But I see how wrong I was. You grew up feeling like an outsider. You do not deserve to feel that way. We will figure this out.

I love you my girl-

Mom

Damon looked up from the letter. He didn't say anything, he just waited for Carly to speak.

"My father was cruel to me at times. As I grew, I couldn't always contain my magic. He even went so far to send me to Sheila Bennett to get her to help me surpress my magic. Instead she helped me hone my abilities. She said I was too powerful to contain but that I could control it. When I turned 16, he sent me away. He must have been afraid that dangers would come after me as I was no longer protected. He was afraid Elena and Jeremy would be hurt. So instead of helping me, keeping me safe, he sent me away unprotected. He didn't know I could protect myself at this point. He sought no ways to keep me safe. He just sent me away and I came home at Christmas. I was the child he never meant to have.

"What happened that caused her to write this."

"I can't talk about that. I'm just not ready. It still hurts too much." Damon's heart actually hurt for her. He knew how it felt to have your father treat you that way. And for whatever reason he just couldn't shake this woman.

"And you don't want Elena to feel responsible for you being sent away."

"That and I don't want to ruin the idea of Grayson Gilbert in her eyes. She deserves to remember her dad differently. He was so warm and loving to her. She got the best of him. I don't want to take that from her." Damon couldn't help but look at her with admiration. She was holding into so much pain to save her sister from it.

"You should tell her. Tell her everything. She's not made of glass. You don't deserve to be alone in this." Carly looked at him slightly shocked. "You're a good sister for wanting to protect her feelings at your own peril." Damon reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you." She cursed herself as she felt the heat rising to her face. What was wrong with her.

"Did you ever look for this Witch mother?" Carly sighed. She stood up and walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Reisling. She sat down on the couch after she popped the cork and took a long drink out of it.

"No. My mother wrote this letter the day they died. She must have dropped it in the mail earlier on in the day. It felt like I would be dishonoring her memory." Damon took the bottle of wine and took a sip.

"I can see why you'd feel that way. But she wanted to help you find her. I'm betting she'd want you to look for her."

"Perhaps. I think my grief is still too close to the surface. I'm not ready to go there yet either."

"Well, when you are ready. I'll help you. I'm very old and wise. I'm betting I would be an excellent resource." Carly narrowed her eyes.

"Damon- why did you come find me? You want something. You found out I'm a witch and figured, what? You'd threaten me to do your dirty work?!"

"Not threaten. Ask. You have a hell of a lot of power. I wouldn't be dumb enough to threaten you. I know you know about the tomb under the church. I heard Elena leaving you a voicemail. And even though that little bitch Emily destroyed the crystal, there's another way to open it."

"Let me let you in on a secret. Bonnie is very important to me. Sheila Bennet saved my life. You tried to kill her."

"I know. And I'm sorry. Look- I lash out when I'm angry. I promised to protect the Bennet line in exchange for saving Katherine. Emily went back on her word-"

"Not Bonnie's fault. Do not touch her. Ever again."

"Does that mean you'll help me?"

Carly stood and crossed the room and stood by the window. Damon could feel her weighing the pros and cons.

"Not exactly. Witches and their ancestors have a very strong bond. For a witch outside of their family line or coven to go against them is poor form. Emily didn't want that tomb open for a reason. So, with that being said, IF you can get a Bennet witch to be willing, I'll help." Damon grinned and stood. He crossed the room towards her. She was a little stunned when he kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you." Damon smiled at her. "I'll keep the secrets you told me. But you should really talk to Elena." He opened the door and stepped out on the front porch.

"I will. Have a good night." She shut the door leaving Damon on the front porch.

Carly didn't like the butterflies in her stomach.

"Jenna- slow down. What do you mean Elena is missing?" Carly had turned her phone back on and was greeted with her frantic aunt. "I bet you she stayed with Bonnie and forgot to tell you. I'm coming back home today. Relax. I'll find her and ring her skinny little neck." They spoke for a few more moments and then Carly hung up. She threw her duffle bag into her white Grand Cherokee. She doubted Elena was with Bonnie but she had an idea of where she might actually be.