A/N: Hello again my darlings! Good news for you, I'm going to try to post at least a chapter a month this year. I'd love to get back to a chapter a week, but one step at a time.
To the guest who doesn't like Cynthia's coping behavior, I'm sorry this isn't the right kind of story for you. For Cynthia, she already feels crazy because she's in a fictional story for no good reason. (Besides which, I know several people who acted the way she does in high school, and I'm reasonably certain they were not, in fact, from an alternate dimension. I could be wrong.) I'm writing this for my entertainment as much as I am for y'all, so while I may keep your feedback in mind for original writing? Please just accept Cynthia is who she is, and her personality isn't suddenly going to change now?
I may be a bit defensive, sorry.
Anyway, thank you guys for being so patient with me. I am always over the moon to hear this plot is so well received.
To address a few other questions: what she tells Klaus will entirely depend on how he reacts to her. She probably wants to be in his good graces since possessing others is a 'favorite trick' of his, and Cynthia has a rather vested interest in that knowledge. So I guess you'll have to wait and seeeee.~
Cynthia's heart is still back home in reality, so she isn't going to think much about whether or not Damon or Elijah think of her romantically right now. She's in denial so hardcore.
And yesss that was a Howl's Moving Castle reference. ^_^
NO FURTHER DELAYING BUT MY LOVE GOES OUT TO EVERY ONE OF YOU!
.
.
It was truly remarkable to Cynthia, when Elena chose to simply give her trust and when she could not. Stefan was a mystery, and Katherine was a puzzle she wanted solved. Lexi's closeness was grounds to worry about, despite the fact Lexi had a very clear love interest hanging about. Yet, Elena apparently had no issues with the way her boyfriend kept eyeing her twin sister.
Maybe her not twin thought that Stefan was only eyeing Damon. In fairness, Cynthia had spent most of the night in his proximity. Damon had been amazingly relaxed about not jumping right to opening the tomb, given he had all the pieces he needed now. Bree had met Bonnie, shortly after a candle lighting incident, so perhaps Damon was simply choosing not to push his luck.
Truthfully, Cynthia didn't think that Damon felt prepared to find out if Katherine was really under that church or not. She had given him plenty of reason to doubt the doppelganger's presence. Aside from her own unexplainable existence, this universe really wasn't all that different from that of the TV show. (Cynthia was aware of the books, but hadn't read more than the back covers in all honesty. Not that it mattered, this wasn't Fell's Church.)
She was trapped in the (oh so appropriately named) Mystic Falls prison world. Or close enough to one, even if it wasn't technically an actual prison.
Her life had become completely and utterly insane. Maybe she was heading that way herself. (She wouldn't know one way or another. Would she?) Dimension travel into fictional places... The young woman supposed it raised some questions as to the nature of the universe and the inspiration of both L.J. Smith and Julie Plec.
Dealing with teenage angst had to take precedence over worrying about the nature of reality, unreality, life, and undeath however.
"Who is she even?" Elena stuffed a brie and red pepper jelly topped biscuit into her mouth with a positively dejected expression. "She shows up and suddenly he's smiling and - "
"Wait, smiling is a bad thing now?" Bonnie - bless her heart - Bennett was a sympathetic, if confused, ear to this new chapter of drama in the Stelena saga. The fact she was making time to lend an ear when she was probably shaky herself said quite a lot about her nature.
"No, I mean... yes, but no." Elena flopped next to her best friend. "I just feel like she doesn't like me. Am I overreacting?"
"Maybe a little bit," Cynthia cut into their conversation. (In her defense, they were right in front of her.) "Bonnie was unsure of Stefan too."
And in fairness, both Bonnie and Lexi had valid - if differing - reasons to question their best friend's current choice of partner.
"You think she's just being protective?" The hope in Elena's brown eyes was palpable. "I should go talk to him." She stuffed a few more of the hard biscuits into her mouth before vanishing before either girl could talk her down.
Bonnie watched her go then half laughed. "That could have gone worse."
True, but it could have gone a lot better. It wasn't like she'd met Lexi as 'towel girl' this time. Had she?
Her night did not improve any with sleep. In theory, the occasions her subconscious provided her with dreams featuring her love should have been desirable. They were all but engaged (she'd picked out a ring; how and when he popped the question would be the surprise.)
And yet, they weren't reassuring. Not even a little bit. When she awoke, Cynthia would be haunted by the fear that 'Cynthia Gilbert 1.0' was living her life and spending time with _her_ loved ones uninvited. While she was asleep, her worries were different but no less troubling to her.
His face was blurry now, a fact even her dream-self couldn't ignore. It was like she was forgetting him, as awful a thought as that was. But Cynthia didn't want to forget him! Not a single detail, from his laugh to the way he styled (and complained about) his hair, to his overly pun-tastic sense of humor and his preference for simple, forthright conversation over more the use of subtle implications.
But she was, somehow. Her visual memory and recall had never been all that. Without constant reinforcement, would - could? - she really forget entirely?
Cynthia dearly hoped not.
"And who, my pet, is this to get you so terribly bothered?"
Her eyes jerked away from the blurry face of her love to the (aggravatingly pristine and clear) lines of Damon's. He was standing on grey sand, just below the beach towel in lieu of a picnic blanket over boulders the couple had set up. The smell of fish and gasoline didn't seem to bother him any.
Lucky bastard.
Cynthia squinted at the vampire trying to decide if her subconscious was cruel or if he had simply invited himself into her head. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if he thought it was okay to invade her mind with no say so. Boundaries weren't a thing the man seemed to grasp, particularly when he was on a mission. And so close to either freeing (or burying his personal feelings for) his love? That most definitely counted as being on a mission.
"Kitten?" The blue eyed vampire prompted again, his grip a little too firm as he shook Cynthia's shoulder to regain her attention. It worked; she blinked sleep ladened eyes open to his hyperfocused gaze. "I'm still waiting, but! I brought you your fizzy sugar water of choice. It's all yours," Damon brandished the soda bottle, "for the low low price of - "
"Home. He's home."
Either something showed on her face or Damon was in a giving mood, because that sufficed as an answer for him. He passed over the caffeinated drink with an understanding nod. "He's your Katherine."
While the comparison was not one that made her overly comfortable, there were similarities (particularly from Damon's perspective), so Cynthia just tilted her chin to meet his gaze. "I would do anything for him. To get back to him." So maybe he was her Katherine, sans the disregard for others' lives and feelings. Not wanting to continue down this conversational path overly much, Cynthia pasted on a smile. "Breakfast?"
"It would be my pleasure."
After all, this was potentially their last hurrah, should the fate of one Katherine Pierce also be a divergence in this universe. And they had to cram everything in before school started today. Because not even an almost friendship or partnership or whatever it was they had would keep Damon from attempting to open the tomb. He had a witch, the talisman, and the necessary grimoire.
It was show time.
.
.
At least sharing breakfast with Damon had cheered her up, even with how disgustingly early she'd been awakened. By the time the bell for first period was ringing, Cynthia was twirling through the halls and singing to herself.
"I could have danced all night; I could have danced all niiight. And still have begged for more."
Okay so she was singing very softly and trying not to feel self conscious in a school of fictional and mostly not well fleshed out characters who were also - completely coincidentally - some ten or more years younger than her in theory. Sadly for her friends, Cynthia's good mood did not appear to be shared.
Caroline was bemused at least, which was much better than the potential grudge for abandoning her to run solo on the blonde's private research project that Cynthia had feared. "You know, for someone who says she isn't interested in dating, you spend an awful lot of time with Damon. And you seem awfully chipper."
"At least one of us is." Elena slammed her locker shut forcefully, drawing the attention of all of the friend group.
Because really, of course she did. Elena seemed to thrive under the spotlight. Feeling guilty and uncharitable for the thought (directed to an actual human being and not just a character. Could you ethically judge someone based off of actions they have not yet committed? And if you could, should you if you had to live with them? Because really, this generation of Gilberts were not her faves.
Cynthia stopped singing regardless, exchanging a look with a confused Caroline and a still stressed Bonnie. The cheer captain was the one who spoke up first. "What's wrong, Elena? You and Stefan looked all cute and couple-y last night."
She couldn't still be jealous of Lexi, could she? Last time they'd become friends. Well, friendly, at least. Maybe Stefan wasn't fully in love this time (it was much earlier on) so it was different?
Or maybe, Cynthia thought, Lexi had her suspicions about what Cynthia knew that one Elijah Mikaelson would value and had distanced herself accordingly.
Elena shook her head throughout Cynthia's internal dialogue, happily oblivious to her not twin's thoughts. "I know. I had a good time at first. It's just really getting to me, all these secrets. It feels like I don't really know him at all. I like the mystery guy thing, but..."
"But you want him to open up to you," Bonnie finished understandingly. "Have you told him that?"
Cynthia couldn't quite make out Elena's next words, but she thought it was something along the lines of 'We argued about it.' or 'I talked. He didn't listen.' She could feel her good mood slipping away and crashing off the side of a cliff.
"I can't believe I'm saying this; the cheese fries weren't that life changing. You do know it's only been a few weeks? He'll open up to you when he's ready, Elena. You can't rush trust."
"How long am I supposed to wait?" Her (unfairly pretty and accustomed to the benefits of such) not twin was huffy again, shooting Cynthia a sulky glare. "He doesn't want to open up to me at all. It's like talking to a very attractive wall. It feels like you know more about my boyfriend than I do! I hadn't even heard of Lexi, before you and Damon brought her up for the party."
Caroline rose to Cynthia's defense immediately. "It's not Cynthia's fault that Damon is more willing to share than Stefan." And yeah, the blonde's glare wasn't particularly terrifying yet. Her sheer determination and a long history of pushing to get her way with this group more than sufficed.
Elena folded like a deck of cards. "I know; I know. Sorry. I'm just… out of sorts, I guess. Lexi seems nice at least? We're going to hang out together this afternoon. Girl bonding time, she said."
Or a mutual interview, but at least Elena seemed down for it. Cynthia did not want the doppleganger anywhere near the vampires that had been screwed over by Katherine 145 years ago. Ignoring the remaining chatter about maybe teasing some of mysteries out of his female BFF, Cynthia slipped off to class.
Not that school was any more interesting than it had been before she took a personal day. Well, maybe a little bit, because Caroline had given her a folder full of screenshots and newspaper clippings. If she'd had a smart phone and a laptop, Cynthia could have been perfectly happy working on that PowerPoint all day. As it was, she only had lunch to make use of the library, and even that didn't work out.
She needed to 'spend time with people that know her' and 'focus more on your schoolwork' according to the overly mothering Elena. Because she really, really needed a reason to sympathize with Jeremy, apparently.
It wasn't like Damon would actually need her immediately after school though, so Cynthia stopped by the Grill while she waited for cheer practice to finish. She'd made a promise, and it was about time that she held up her end of the bargain and provide support for Caroline. Particularly given it looked like she was right on track to discover the existential crisis that was vampirism.
So far, Cynthia hadn't caught sight of Anna (unless she no longer looked like Malese Jow here, which would be ridiculous given everyone else looked the same). That didn't mean that the petite vampiress wasn't in town. Perhaps she didn't know if Damon could open the tomb yetor not and was waiting things out? Had she seen the Emily possessed Bonnie destroy the talisman the first time around? Or had she simply come late and become determined to open the tomb one way or another herself? Maybe a little bird had told her of Damon's admission to Stefan in the alternate future past about planning to bring Katherine back?
Maybe there just wasn't any need for Anna to show herself yet. After all, before Halloween (it had been Halloween, hadn't it? When had they actually opened the tomb the first go round. This was mental.) Jeremy had been happily in a relationship with Vicki Donovan. A relationship that had blossomed just last night, judging by Tyler's disgruntlement and her not brother's sudden good mood.
Cynthia was certain it would be uncharitable to make bets on how long they would last. If their relationship tanked, it should theoretically be on their own merits. Damon shouldn't be as susceptible to vervain, and therefore nowhere near as likely to go on a starvation (+ anger) fueled murder spree.
So much plot advancement was happening all at once. It was wonderful, of course it was. Cynthia did not intend to spend her entire time here saving the Mystic Falls residents from their own bad decisions, but after tonight she would have more information and possibly even more allies to pursue her own goals. Namely, getting the heck home. Understanding how she got here in the first place would also be acceptable, but it really wasn't necessary. Cynthia would be happy to be at home and still oblivious.
No matter what Elena thought, not all questions need to be answered.
The doppelganger was chatting with Lexi now over a pool table. Their expressions were both friendly but a little guarded. Hopefully there would be little in the way of bloodshed. Cynthia was reasonably sure losing the doppelganger would not be a plus at all in her negotiations with the Mikaelson clan. Stefan would be impossible to deal with, but frankly Lexi could deal with the Ripper of Monterey herself if - for some highly unlikely reason - she decided to terminate his love interest prematurely.
What were the odds of the quickly formed tv show allies having a cat fight though, really? The girl forced herself to table those worries for now, focusing instead on BSing her way through her assigned essays. In all honesty, the requirements here were more stringent than she remembered in the required college lit course she'd taken. If she ended up stranded in this world much longer, she might sign herself up for some AP tests.
That was also not a line of thought that she wanted to pursue. She wouldn't wreck Cynthia Gilbert's life, but she also wasn't going to be making plans for her. Frankly, her priority was her own life. She hadn't signed up for this disaster, and she would not be planning to lay down any roots either.
Not wanting to fail classes was more for her personal emotional health, and a little for Jenna's. That poor woman had far too much on her shoulders for 25. Grad school, her sister died, moving, and suddenly raising teenagers (multiple) with control and drug issues?
Jenna Sommers deserved a medal and a full plate of brownies. She did not deserve a cheating ex smarming his way back into her life to acquire a trouble making bespelled pocket watch. With fewer deaths in town, Cynthia could hope the council wasn't fully aware vampires were back in Mystic Falls, but there was always the possibility.
No need to borrow trouble there either, she reminded herself.
Essay as complete as she could be bothered to do right now, the girl folded away her notebook next to Caroline's folder in her backpack. Once again, Cynthia was grateful for the walkability of Mystic Falls. Reaching the Forbes' home only took around half an hour from the Grill, even if that was about twenty five minutes too long for Caroline's nerves.
"FINALLY!"
Caroline tore down the porch steps, ignoring Cynthia's mild comment of "Impatient much?" as the stylish blonde dragged her friend inside the house and to the living room.
"I've been sitting on this for days after you recommended I do some research on what's been eating at my mom. Yes, I'm impatient! Tell me you looked through the whole folder?"
Moments like this, Cynthia regretted not being able to offer tea as the cure for life's ails. Coffee just didn't fill the same role, and she wouldn't be surprised if Caroline watched her figure too much too indulge in enough chocolate. Running for Miss Mystic Falls (at some point?) and being cheer captain probably involved maintaining a healthy diet. More's the pity.
"I did. It looks like you've done a lot of research. You could probably score extra credit with the new history teacher, whenever we get one," Cynthia pulled the folder out of her backpack and set it down on a side table. "It seems like 'animal attacks' go back to the founding of the town itself."
"That's not even the best bit," Caroline promised, collapsing on the couch with a tense huff. "I read all the articles, not just the headlines." The two waited in expectant silence for a few moments. Care shifted so she was sitting up straight, clear blue eyes latching onto Cynthia's seriously.
The brunette made herself sit down, tension drying her tongue. "If this is about that Gilbert insanity thing, I promise I've experienced zero homicidal urges this week." She made a crossing motion as if over two hearts. She might have been given a Gilbert last name, but she had no plans on wearing that ring of darkness for anything. Still, could be worse. Cynthia might ask Jenna if other families had similar curses, after she had the woman up to date anyway.
Caroline frowned slightly then shook her head, looking confused by the change in topic briefly before promptly deciding to ignore it.
"I know this sounds crazy; I mean it makes Bonnie's joking about being a witch sound totally normal. Which is saying something. Her Grams comes up with some real winners. But do you remember when we were nine, and we all went camping? Elena was doing that thing where she insisted on us telling ghost stories so she could be scared and have Matt comfort her."
Cynthia deliberately blinked a few times at that, causing Caroline to shift slightly and make an apologetic face. Cynthia didn't push for anything verbal, so the other girl continued.
"Bonnie brought up some bloodthirsty guardian that protected children but burned their parents alive that Grams taught her, and Dad started going on about how you can't trust anyone that doesn't stay dead."
"You're dad isn't very religious, is he?" Cynthia asked dryly, finally startling a laugh out of Caroline who looked a little less on edge now. "What does this have to do with Mystic Falls' mysterious bouts of animal attacks?"
Caroline edged forward just a little more. "What if... what if they weren't animals? What if that's just a cover story the police and the mayor use to keep people from freaking out? Because they have to know the truth, right? If they do, it would totally explain why mom is even more absent than normal these days."
The petite brunette held up a hand in a calming gesture, "What else could be causing the attacks, and why do you think so? I can see you have a theory, but you've gotten a bit sidetracked from your comment about reading full articles to ghost stories."
That got her a nod, and Caroline took a deep breath. "One of the articles spoke about an attack at the Salvatore boarding house. It caught my interest, because Joseph Salvatore was housebound near the end of his life. My grandfather used to say he was a prime example of what founding family members shouldn't be.
"It made me curious, and I just so happened to have a dozen cookies left over from one of the functions I helped host last weekend, so I may have gone by the station and asked to check out the archives."
Cynthia's lips curled up in a smile. "I'm sure the cookies smoothed the way for you," along with her positive reputation.
Caroline pulled out her phone and passed it to her friend. "The video is very grainy; I couldn't get a great focus with it either. Tell me what you see?"
She watched as a tiny image of Franklin Fell reported the attack and whoever manned the camera zoomed in on Stefan's face in full 'wall of stone' brooding mode. Cynthia kept her expression solemn the entire time. She passed the other girl her phone back, "I'd say that's our friendly neighborhood paladin, Stefan Salvatore."
"The thing is, this video? It was recorded June 12th, 1953. How can Stefan be there?"
Cynthia nodded in understanding. "There are strong genes, and then there's 'absolutely identical'. Statistically and scientifically... it shouldn't be possible."
"Which brings me back to the ghost stories," Caroline rested her head in her hands. "How do I talk to my mom about any of this?"
"Alcohol is probably right out," Cynthia muttered, attempting to look innocent in the face of Caroline's questioning look. "Well," she said louder. "Let's look at it separately. The animal attacks probably aren't wild animals, and Stefan may be Dorian Gray. Or reincarnate and be destined to live a very short life, but probably not that."
Don't hand her the answer. It'll be better if she figures it out on her own.
"What do you think could be responsible for the attacks?" She prompted after a few moments, when it became clear Caroline was still too overloaded to start the discussion herself.
A shrug was her initial response. "A creepy cult, maybe? At least, I'd think that if it weren't for Stefan not having aged a day in decades."
Silence reigned between them again, almost but not quite reaching 'comfortable'.
"I don't know what Stefan's deal is, but I can't imagine him attacking anyone," Caroline said slowly. (How terribly fortunate for her.) "He's our star football player, not exactly the picture of a homicidal maniac."
It was more of a struggle to stay patient now. She might be able to change even more once Caroline had seen the light! And Care was so, so close. "I'm sure he would find your confidence touching."
"Right, because I can totally tell him that I think he might be either undead or an immortal, but I still expect him to show up to the car wash fundraiser on Thursday."
Cynthia really couldn't help her smile now. "I think you should do precisely that. Promise you'll let me watch?"
.
.
Dinner with the Gilbert family was as entertaining as it was awkward. Damon had invited himself over again, bringing apple pie and a determination to charm Jenna. (Possibly also to rub in Stefan's face that a responsible adult preferred and welcomed him. All on her own too, Cynthia had seen to it that Jenna had her own set of vervain treated jewelry.) He might overdo it a bit, but her aunt - and Cynthia would totally claim Jenna as family. She was too badass not to do so - told her that she appreciated the effort Damon was making.
Plus, Damon was good at getting actual responses from Jeremy, far more consistently than any of the kid's relatives seemed to. Maybe because he'd once been a teenage boy, or because he'd also pined for years after what he considered to be the love of his life. Maybe it was just that he saw Jeremy being together with Vicki as a sign he too would be successful with Katherine.
Maybe it's Maybelline.
Whatever the reason, Vicki, Jeremy, Damon, and Jenna did not make for the worst of dinner partners. Jenna's tacos were amazing, and the two stoners had the decency to not be high in front of Jer's guardian.
All in all? Not a bad end to the day or a bad start to the night. Even if Cynthia suspected it would all be downhill from here. There really wasn't a good answer - from her perspective - to the tomb question. It wasn't a skippable plot point though, so her only way was forward.
Bree actually came to pick them up, giving a pretty illusion of adult supervision (Damon was supposedly younger than Jenna, but Bree was not.)
"Ready, lover boy?" Bree smirked at how radiantly cheerful Damon was as she hopped out of her car and walked up the steps to the Gilbert house. "His girlfriend is supposed to be arriving. Somehow we became the welcoming committee."
Cynthia would later admit quietly to the witch that it was entertaining visibly seeing her dynamic with Damon be re-evaluated.
"Well stay safe, you three," Jenna gave them all a warm smile, thawing even more at the thought one of her minor charges was not, in fact, being pursued by a legal adult. Something too many people seemed to doubt, in Cynthia's humble opinion. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Jenna added with a wink to her niece before waving the three off.
Damon insisted on grabbing a cooler with some blood bags from the boarding house before they actually started the creepy ritual. Given his vamp speed, Cynthia didn't actually notice he had left until suddenly the man returned. (With all the beautiful, terrible timing of a planned jump scare.) She'd been helping set up candles, and Cynthia just about burnt herself on one from shock.
The incorrigible vampire was far too amused at her close call.
Forcefully tuning out of the actual spell itself, Cynthia focused intently on Bree's face instead. She had the Bennett grimoire in one hand and the talisman raised in the other after having completed the elemental offering portion. The amber colored crystal started to glow the longer Bree chanted; Cynthia tried not to worry about the sweat beading on the witch's brow. There should be more than enough power from the comet, given Emily hadn't destroyed it (yet).
"It's open," the witch announced after a few minutes. "The barrier itself isn't down, but it's open."
"What are you waiting for?" Damon asked impatiently, trying to shake off Cynthia's hand without hurting her. (There was no need to hurt his friend. She was worried for him, but he knew she was wrong. Knew Katherine would be there. So why all this caution from his witch now?)
Bree just stared him down, unimpressed. "We had a deal about killing the others, did we not? I see no reason to make it easier for them to escape."
Damon's hackles lowered slightly at that, even if he did grumble that dessicated vampires couldn't run all that fast. He also, sulkily, promised to keep the blood outside of the tomb.
"Now," Bree continued. "Seeing as Cynthia is just as familiar as you are on what Katherine looks like, she and I are going to find her, then burn the rest of these sorry sons of bitches, and I'll be able to go back to my bar."
Cynthia straightened slightly. "Not all of them." It was almost a question. "Pearl and Harper will be reasonable." She could feel the full weight of Bree's gaze on her, asking what gave her the right to play God, maybe. "I'm not saying let them out if Katherine isn't here. Just... don't kill them?"
The witch lifted up a torch and shrugged. "On your head be it. I suppose it won't matter until we go look. You - " she pointed to Damon, "stay there and don't worry your pretty little head, sugar."
Walking among dessicated bodies was really, really creepy and queasy making. The show had not warned her sufficiently that she would be slapping at imagined bugs, or what the scent of so many not fully decayed bodies would be. It didn't prepare her for the squishy sensation of stepping over dead maggots (how were they even here? was she dreaming them?). It definitely did not prepare her for the discomfort of leaning close to examine the faces of starved vampires, or the blood rush that created when her subconscious was certain they'd reach up and grab her any second.
Dragging the bodies of the vampires she was saving? That was going to give her nightmares for weeks. Cynthia's heart had lodged itself in her throat, and she whimpered quietly around it. To her eternal gratitude, all Bree did was squeeze her shoulder nonjudgmentally and walk out to talk to Damon. Going by the soft, comforting patterns of the woman's voice, and the sudden growl and gust of wind, Bree also told their mutual friend the news.
Cynthia was dead certain of that fact when she started hearing trees crash to the ground in Damon's anger.
Even knowing it was possible, he hadn't wanted to believe. Was it better or worse, to not have his younger brother as a witness. As someone to help shoulder the knowledge of her betrayal and to be visible proof he wasn't the only one abandoned.
Then again, Stefan was someone with expectations of him, however low.
"You didn't seem surprised that Katherine was missing."
Cynthia turned towards Bree's easy stare and offered the older woman a shaky smile. "Would you believe I saw the drama on TV once upon a time?" Stars above, but life might be a bit easier if she did. Her fledgling hope died immediately at the complete lack of reaction, so Cynthia took a deep breath and tried to force herself to light the vampire corpses.
Except, it wasn't that easy. When it came right down to it, knowing they'd mind controlled and fed off of plenty people, that they would threaten the entire town's safety if let free, that they were only in the land of the living because of magic... It didn't make killing them, burning them alive - however unconscious they might be - any easier. Hell, even the part where they were and should be fictional didn't keep the taste of hot copper out of her mouth or the dizzy feeling of guilt.
"I think I might... I might sit down for a sec." The dead weren't going anywhere just yet anyway. She couldn't just let someone else act out her plan alone, that wouldn't absolve her of anything. And Cynthia had no illusions that tonight had been anything but her plan. Yes, it might (probably would) have happened anyway, but the method and the timing had been down to her. Besides, if anything, tonight reinforced that her knowledge was correct.
If you knew away to prevent unnecessary loss of life, didn't you have to try?
Throwing her torch angrily into a pile of nameless bodies, Cynthia staggered out of the entrance and into a familiar, tight hold.
"Easy, kitten."
It didn't matter that he smelled like leaf detritus and tree pulp or that there were honest to goodness acorn caps in her hair now, Cynthia squeezed the life out of Damon in return.
(How fortunate for them that he didn't have any to lose.)
Does it count as murder if they were already dead?
She strained her neck to look up into Damon's eyes, his as wild as hers right now. Only Damon's were full of outrage and anger while hers were fear and uncertainty she would have preferred to deny.
"You two have a safe place for the ones she's vouching for?" Bree nodded to the two limp mummified bodies after Cynthia's breathing had slowed. "Or would you rather leave them here? It's no sweat off my back either way, hun."
For a staggering moment, Damon's expression curled and Cynthia fully expected him to march in and kill Pearl and Harper for being buried alive when Katherine hadn't. A breath and she had discarded that idea. He might be self destructive, but so far Damon hadn't let her down once. She had to return the favor and not doubt him ahead of time.
"Someone else is bound to come check for them. I've asked for enough help through the years," Damon acknowledged, shielding Cynthia's certainty with a perfectly reasonable explanation of his own. "I'll take custody of them. Thank you, for all your help."
Damon kissed Bree thoroughly, as if he hadn't been raging about the betrayal of his sire and former flame. He received a bemused look afterwards. "Just so we're clear, they are not going in my car."
Cynthia paid more attention the second time, watching the light ebb out of the crystal in waves before dissipating after a few words. Damon zipped in then out of the tomb in moments, taking his blood bags with him.
"Just us ladies then. Come on, sweetheart. You look like you need a shower and some quality time in bed."
Managing a weak smile, Cynthia shuffled into Bree's passenger seat and stared blankly out the window at the dark blur of leaves, needles, and bark the forest made. What did she do if she couldn't convince Lexi to use her contacts to find Elijah? None of the Salvatores had heard of the Originals at all, and while Katerina was certainly well informed, she didn't have much of a way to get ahold of her either. Or convince her to do what she wanted.
Isobel had done a poor job of looking out for her daughter's interests the first time round, but beggars can't be choosers. Cynthia would explore alternate methods as long as she could. She was manipulating quite enough to her advantage, and all things considered she didn't want to be competing with too many others.
Particularly others she didn't much like.
"I'm still not sure what you're doing getting in Damon's mess, but it seems you've got a fair few problems of your own. No matter what it feels like, the world isn't actually going to end." Was she getting a pep talk? It wasn't really helping, but Cynthia could at least appreciate the sentiment. Bree continued without looking away from the road. "Don't let your fear drag you into the dark."
So maybe not really a pep talk then. She shifted to stare out the windshield instead of the door.
"I'm already in the dark. The doppelgangers are being drawn to each other again. We're already on a self destructive slope. One I would much rather disembark alive and in good health, all things considered."
"Doppelgangers. As in plural?"
Cynthia snorted, grinning with all her teeth at the question. "My friend, you have no idea."
"You're a strange one," Bree shook her head. "I can see why he likes you. Listen, this amulet and the grimoire should go back to the Bennetts. I helped Emily repay a debt to Damon, and I like the man besides, but they belong with her family now. You don't mind handling that for me?"
As Bree must have predicted, Cynthia did not. So the woman kept talking after a brief pause, "You try to take care of yourself, alright? If you're ever in town, don't be shy about paying me another visit."
The tires grinded to a halt just off the driveway, and she gathered up the items for her new side quest (because that was absolutely what this felt like) before she waved goodbye to Bree. They hadn't spoken much else on the trip. Cynthia was unwilling to disclose what she meant by doppelgangers much less how she knew. Witches weren't all that trustworthy by her standards, which was unfortunate because they probably had something to do with her arrival.
It worried her, during quieter moments, that she couldn't think of a time to minds were switched. Sure, there had been possession, but no Freaky Friday moments that Cynthia could recall on the show. If she was here because of a spell gone wrong, what would it take to return?
Setting grimoire and talisman on a dresser, the girl bundled up clean clothes before heading to the bathroom to scour herself clean. Her mind felt a mess after everything that had happened. The fire, the decay, the flare of magic, the way Damon's eyes had fractured then shuttered closed. She soaped up her loofah and stood under the water as it slowly started steaming.
She needed out of here, before it drowned her. Before she got so wrapped up in the teenage hormones and magic drama that she felt responsible for the outcome. As it was, Cynthia already had to fight off the occasional bout of guilt she was planning on using Elena as a bargaining chip in any way. She didn't have any significant memories of being the girl's sister, but using her position as her twin seemed wrong. Just like burning the vampires had. Never mind that it was for the best, that it would save lives. Never mind that Niklaus would have every reason to keep Elena human after the ritual to make his hybrids with, and since it would be important to him, he would be more than willing to spend his time and resources on the matter.
If she were an identical twin, she could use herself, but that was out of the question. Cynthia rinsed out the bile that had risen to her mouth with the shower spray, then pressed her forehead to the tile and just breathed in the steam.
There's no need for panic. (She knew where her towel was.) Giggling at the absurd appropriateness of that thought helped Cynthia finally finish scrubbing and conditioning her hair. And if it was a little cathartic to comb out her tangles? She didn't think there was anything wrong with that. After she dried off with a gloriously fluffy towel and donned her pjs, Cynthia skipped down the hall to the stairs, happily ignoring the muffled 'Finally!' from Elena's room. Apparently girl bonding time was over, then, and it had ended with Elena in one piece. Excellent.
Elena's lack of patience did not stop Cynthia from her next goal, namely, hot chocolate. She made several mugs, carrying one to leave in Elena's room as a peace offering and the other to Jenna.
"Making any headway?" She asked as a way to announce her presence shortly before placing the cup on one of the cleaner areas of the desk. Jenna jerked slightly before shuffling a few papers and smiling her thanks. "Some. Isn't it a little early for hot cocoa?"
Cynthia tssked good naturedly, "It's never too early, Jenna. Didn't you know?"
"Guess not," her aunt blew over the top to try and cool down the liquid some. "Did you get to meet Damon's girlfriend then? He was glowing when your friend picked the two of you up."
Her good cheer crumpled slightly – bruised but still managing – and she shook her head. "We looked, and I mean really, really looked. She wasn't there. I'm pretty sure that Emily, the friend of his girlfriend's who said she'd be there, tricked him."
Jenna drank some of the hot chocolate and grimaced, "That's harsh. How'd he take it?"
Somehow both better and worse than she had expected.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he became one of the Grill's most dedicated patrons. He can drink alcohol like it's water." Cynthia paused. "Bree drove me home." Best not to imply he was driving drunk, Jenna looked like she was in advising mode, preparing to dispense life truths. "You'd let me know if there was anything I can do to help, right? I'm excellent at passing out surveys. Caroline's given me loads of practice in handing out papers people aren't sure they want to take."
"Away with you. I have essays to grade and a test to study for, I don't need your sass." Jenna was laughing though, which Cynthia took as victory even as she danced out of the room. At least the night wasn't ending on a completely bad note.
.
.
Vicki was still around by breakfast, which might amuse Jenna but annoyed the heck out of Elena. Not because Jeremy was a minor, but presumably just because of Vicki herself. Cynthia had to bite her tongue to not tell Elena to just suck it up, even if her whining to Bonnie about it tested the limits of her patience. Jenna was fine with it. No one had to run their overnight guest choices by Elena, even if it was awkward having your ex boyfriend's sister date your brother.
It was a good thing Cynthia was keeping the mocking commentary to herself. Somehow, she didn't think that 'Don't worry, a dead girl might seduce him any week now,' would be taken as reassuring.
"...And then she straight up slapped Damon," apparently Elena's story had progressed, and now Cynthia was regretting tuning her out. "Wait what? Why?"
Elena's eyes were terribly judging. 'Weren't you listening?' they asked. Well, no, I wasn't. Also you can't speak, so shut up.
"She might have heard him say something to Stefan. Or she took offense to him bringing two girls home and an impressive amount of alcohol, if it weren't so disgusting. Lexi called him out for being a sleazebag, and he… he said something like 'teach me how to be good', and she knocked him down."
"My hero," Bonnie quipped. She had no real reason to be afraid of Damon just yet, but he still made her feel uncomfortable.
Cynthia stuck like glue to Caroline's side as soon as they reached school, unwilling to miss the potential drama of her confronting Stefan. Most unfortunately for her, Caroline kept hissing things like 'not right now', 'I don't want to say the wrong thing,' and 'Maybe after school.' Boring, honestly. What was today even good for?
Damon was once again her saving grace, updating her on their hostage guests. She didn't confront him about his choice in indulging in sorority girls. (Cynthia assumed they had been anyway.) As much as she didn't like it, Lexi had sent them on their way in short order according to Elena, and Stefan had probably given him enough of a lecture.
Not to mention, their friendship so far was basically neither of them judging each other. Now wasn't the time to be shaking that foundation, unless Cynthia was very much mistaken.
Sometime after lunch, she finally remembered she should talk to Bonnie. (Good going, brain.)
"Hey Bonnie? Do you mind taking me to see your Grams? Bree gave me something to return to her."
Well, technically, to the Bennetts as a whole, but given she wasn't 100% positive that Bonnie had accepted she was a witch, Cynthia figured it would be best to return them to Sheila.
"Really? That's… kind of weird."
She shrugged in a 'what can you do?' kind of way. Bonnie seemed to sympathize, because she smiled back. "I'll take you after school. I was going to go see her anyway."
Cynthia bounced, suddenly the picture of delight, "Are you finally accepting your calling as a necromancer? Don't worry, you'll be glorious at it!" She was, in fact, so enthusiastic that she completely missed Bonnie rolling her eyes in despair at her antics.
Cheer was hard to come by, so Cynthia refused to give it up. Even if there had been an 'animal attack' reported in the paper, and even if Lexi was only sending terrible puns via text message today. She kept her good through a boring as heck quiz, and even the ride over. Cynthia had sung along (horribly, most likely) to the radio along with Bonnie.
Sure, she was nervous to meet Bonnie's Grams in person. Sheila Bennett was a force of nature that she knew not to underestimate. Someone who had long known Stefan and Damon's secret, and kept it for them in a way. Someone whose dedication to her family was as fierce, inspiring, and deadly. But even if Cynthia was dimensionally and reality challenged right now, she wasn't threatening Bonnie and was returning heirlooms. She should feel excited, but Cynthia couldn't manage it.
Her already low expectations sunk even lower when Sheila opened the door and looked from Bonnie to her, then back.
"Who's this, now? You didn't tell me you were bringing over a guest," she told her granddaughter before reaching out a welcoming hand. "I'm Sheila Bennett. It's nice to meet you."
Of course, Cynthia took it. (Had no choice but to really.) Heck, she wanted to know what Sheila's internal witch mojo had to say about her, because maybe then she'd get some answers. Hopefully good ones, even.
"Cynthia," The brunette gave the older witch a tentative smile. "It's a pleasure."
"You're a long way from home," was her response. Cynthia felt like flying, because finally, finally something might be going right, if Sheila could tell that.
"Grams, why are you acting like she's a stranger? We grew up together. She's Elena's twin. Pleaaase tell me you haven't been drinking already? Cynthia, I'm sorry, you should probably go. I'll take whatever it is and give it to Grams when she comes back around."
Sheila glared pointedly. "I'm not drunk. And I'm amazingly not deaf either. Cynthia and I have never met." She grumbled something else, but Cynthia didn't hear it over the sound of her bag as she unzipped it and pulled out the items in question. What she did hear was Sheila's gasp of recognition.
Cynthia placed both on the coffee table. "Your history should never have been kept from you," she told the Bennett witch solemnly, "I'll see you later, Bonnie." Then she made a hasty retreat out of the house, no longer sure how to interpret Sheila's reception of her.
This was either very good or very bad news, because wasn't it always here?
.
.
Stefan smiled! Elena and Lexi do not approve of Damon's shenanigans. Caroline is the best! And what did Sheila mean?
As always, reviews are love. Reviews are life.