"Cynthia!" The lovely sound of one Caroline Forbes' cheerful voice beckoned the petite brunette as soon as she had entered the hallway. "You totally missed it! Our Bon Bon has an admirer."
"Oh?" Once again, she was being tugged at. Caroline was far more conciliatory than her sister had been the night before, apparently still under the impression her arm might be injured. (It wasn't. A perk of being this young was that sore muscles recovered so much faster.) "Tell me about them." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully at an embarrassed Bonnie. "Does this mystery student meet your standards?"
"He was just being nice!" Bonnie whispered, looking over her shoulder as if she thought the boy in question would overhear. "He's just transferred. But he is gorgeous."
Caroline helped Cynthia get into her own locker – she still hated the dang things – and added gleefully, "Don't forget the part where shaking his hand gave you the warm and fuzzies."
No need to ask who mystery boy's name was then, except for show. Unless more than one warlock was going to be moving into town.
"Well, Bonnie has a great intuition about people. If this kid feels trustworthy to you, Bonnie, you should get to know him. He's new, right? What could it hurt? I mean.. I'm pretty sure Caroline is on the Welcoming Committee." If there was a committee, Caroline probably ran the thing. "She can assign you to be his guide. Instant reason to hang out."
For all that Bonnie was blushing, she didn't actually disagree with that notion, which was really sweet in Cynthia's opinion. That fact didn't keep her favorite future necromancer from noticing the glaring absence of one Elena Gilbert, however.
"Where's Elena anyway?" Well, she'd made it two minutes before that topic came up. A very impressive two minutes indeed. "I thought you two were going to try and mend fences after last night."
Caroline's locker shut just a little too loudly. "Please tell me you two didn't actually confront her just because she's acting differently now that her parents are dead. Elena dropped cheerleading, and I didn't confront her about not being my star flyer anymore." The blonde gave Cynthia an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Cyn. I didn't think they would actually…."
Cynthia shushed her with a hug. "It's okay, Care. But thank you for the vote of confidence." As tactless as it might have been phrased, she did appreciate the sentiment. "Elena and I are… I don't know. But she's having some boyfriend troubles right now. It's not my secret to share." She gave Caroline a pointed look however, given that the girl had already figured out that secret on her own.
"Ouch," Bonnie winced sympathetically. Cynthia decided to rip the rest off like a bandaid, because this part she did have plenty of right to share herself. "We also found out that we might be adopted. Someone named Isobel Saltzman is suing for custody of us. And possibly implying that G.. Dad kidnapped us. Or that he kidnapped another set of twin daughters born on June 22nd." She frowned a little, as if debating the possibilities.
Bonnie and Caroline exchanged significant looks over her head. (Being so short still rankled.)
"How are you handling that?" Bonnie asked tentatively, for all the world as if she thought this conversation had actual land mines. Cynthia restrained the sudden urge to itch from the amount of concern being directed her way for reasons she did not need. "Well," she answered playfully. "The lawyer who came by looks positively dreamy."
"Seriously, Cynthia," Caroline interjected. "This is big. I mean, being adopted is big news all on its own. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now."
Awkward. She felt very, very awkward.
She shrugged, feeling ungainly once again in this ridiculous body. "I don't know. We should find out more tonight. He insisted on delivering the paperwork to Aunt Jenna since she's the executor of the Gilbert estate, and presumably because she is also our guardian. I'm certainly curious about it all, but I don't really know how Elena is going to take it. She loved our parents, and she blames herself too much for their death. Finding out we have biological parents could be good for her."
Or, you know, bad, since Isobel was no doubt being used just to keep her in Elijah's direct care so that she could be sacrificed at the correct time. Naturally, Cynthia intended to keep that fact to herself until they had discovered a more foolproof way to bring her back to life. Preferably with the help of Elijah's little elixir that just needed some field testing.
.
.
Stefan found her at lunch. Cynthia had claimed one of the outside picnic tables and perched herself on the table itself. She was munching on ants on a log while scribbling at what remained of her history homework. She had even more motivation to do well in classes with Damon's suggestion hanging over her head.
At first, she didn't even notice her watcher. Celery is crunchy, and she was doing a decent job of staying focused on her target assignment. Stefan taking a seat next to her and stealing one of her snacks bought him her attention, however. Twitching an amused smile at his antics, she closed her homework back into the textbook again. "Ah, hello there. Did Elena take things okay? Or has she spurned you for your patricide?"
Cynthia interpreted his violent bite into the snack to mean 'One day, Cynthia, I'm going to find out just how much Damon told you and why'. But she might have been projecting. He swallowed his bite, then responded in a grim tone that clearly said no, Elena wasn't doing very well.
"I convinced her to give me a day to explain. I haven't told her about your little arrangement with my brother yet. You gave me a heads up; I thought it was only fair for me to do the same." He almost sounded as if he thought he was warning her. "Now that she knows what Damon and I are, it's only a matter of time before she figures it out. You're covered in bites, Cynthia. How do you think she is going to take that?"
"Why do you make it sound like you were doing me a favor by keeping her in the dark?" Cynthia asked in a stunned sort of confusion. "I asked you to tell her ages ago."
He simply shrugged, which did not explain anything to her.
"Now that she knows, you can stop hiding so much around her, and actually be yourself. Shouldn't that be a good thing? Not a brooding your way into an early grave thing? All the stress you take on cannot be good for your heart, Stef." The girl fixed the green eyed vampire with a stern look. "You are planning on sticking around, aren't you? Or are you going to pull an Edward and run off just because she knows and took it as badly as predicted?"
"It might be for the best," Stefan told her quietly, chewing more on his stolen snack. "If I leave, Damon will leave with me. You'll both be free from his influence. And you two have a mom that really wants to get to know you. A chance at a fresh start without vampires or death or brooding. You can live happy, fulfilling human lives if we stay away."
"And if Mr. Smith really is a vampire, or an agent of the Matrix, you will still be comfortable leaving us in his sphere of influence and care? You'll be comfortable walking away and not knowing what happens to Elena?"
"I won't let anything happen to you that I can prevent," Stefan promised solemnly. "To either of you, not just Elena. I don't like how my brother has been using you, but you were right when you said you prevented excess casualties. For that, at least, I am grateful. Particularly given your revelation that the founding families are still aware of vampires."
Well, it was nice to be appreciated.
"I'm dangerous to be around," ah Stefan was still talking. "I don't want Elena to have this kind of life. Now that she knows, there will be nothing stopping Damon from messing with her or threatening her to get to me."
When did Stefan and Damon finally join forces for good, again? Did it really require both of them to love the same girl, or could she possibly jumpstart that process a little sooner?
Well, maybe not. Damon had helped her set up getting Elijah's attention, which put Elena in direct danger, however temporary that might be.
"Why, exactly, do you think your brother is here again?" Cynthia asked in confusion, pulling out an applesauce since Stefan seemed intent on crushing all of her celery to death. Stefan sighed. "When he first got here, he said Elena. The same reason as me. He's spent the majority of his time with you, but I know Damon. He can be incredibly patient if he wants to destroy someone."
"Because she looks like Katherine," Cynthia concluded. "Stefan… I can't tell you how I know this, okay? But stay. You just need to tell Elena the whole truth. She can handle a lot more than either of you think, but she really doesn't like surprises."
She didn't miss Stefan's wild eyed look at her first comment, but what he actually addressed was her insisting once again he be open with Elena. "She's been through so much already. She can barely even look at me right now. How do I tell her any of it?"
Cynthia tapped his chest with the end of her spoon. "Tap into that well of compassion that is currently drowning you in guilt. Just be honest with her. She's going to need your support. And she'll probably want to know why you weren't surprised that we might be adopted anyway."
True, Stefan leaving would make their lives easier, help the ritual run smoother, but she couldn't imagine Stefan actually leaving and staying gone. Not with the Traveler spell drawing the doppelgangers together. He'd just come back. All things considered, she'd rather him stay and not return to act on incomplete information.
"Besides. Damon isn't here in Mystic Falls because of you." She gave him a playful grin. "Not anymore."
What? It was fun to mess with him! And Stef really was terribly far behind in terms of Damon's plans. He needed to step up his game. He didn't deserve only discovering Katherine's existence when she waltzed into town, but he had to at least try to discover Damon's nefarious plans on his own. Otherwise, where would the fun and brotherly bonding be?
.
.
It said something when Jeremy sulking angrily up in his room was the closest thing to normal about the house's atmosphere that afternoon. Elena hadn't shown up to school that day at all, presumably spending it with a guilty Stefan instead. She wasn't there when Cynthia returned home, and still wasn't there by the time she finished making salmon and asparagus for dinner. (Aunt Jenna was going to have to deal with a lot tonight; the least Cynthia could do was make sure she had something vaguely nice to eat. Hopefully she wasn't allergic to seafood.)
(She wasn't. At least, not salmon.)
Elena being out all day left Cynthia with the dubious honor of having to comfort a very stressed aunt who didn't understand why Elena would so blatantly disrespect her authority by not even giving her a heads up that she was skipping school. She also had to explain why she'd set an extra place setting.
Mostly, it was that hope springs eternal in the human breast.
But it was also because they were expecting a visitor in the form of a lawyer, and by the way, were they really adopted?
Needless to say, Cynthia found herself waiting on the front porch while Jenna processed that news bomb. It wouldn't be fair to overwhelm the woman when she was already going to have to deal with a highly emotionally charged Elena later this evening. And then have her guardianship formally challenged.
Suddenly, Cynthia wished that she had either made or bought dessert.
Elijah arrived before Elena did, which seemed irresponsible of the other girl but then, she was a teenager whose world view kept being upturned. Truth be told, Cynthia wasn't particularly aggrieved by the situation. The elder vampire had parked his car visibly several houses away, then had promptly sped over to her side.
"Miss Gilbert. Or do you prefer Miss Gallagher in private?"
Cynthia rose to her feet and offered him a curtsey with a playful smile. "Please, Lord Elijah," she spoke softly, not wanting to draw attention from within the house. "Call me Cynthia. I should like to think we will be close enough in time for the familiarity. Particularly given the hand you will be playing in our custody."
"Cynthia, then." He looked mildly amused, but she wasn't positive. "Will you be persisting in referring to me as a Lord?"
She gave him an impish smile. "You and your siblings practically embody the sentiment of nobility and power. Would it not be churlish to call you anything else?"
His expression was inscrutable as he considered her; Cynthia wondered who it was that he saw. He looked as if he was lost in another time, another place.
"Mr. Salvatore, who is rather impressively dedicated to you, intimated that he had brought all the white oak that he knew of. Are there any other sources?"
In that case, Cynthia thought darkly, Damon had no one to blame but himself should he want to go against the Mikaelsons later. This is what happens when you threaten an Original. They get testy with your rudeness. At least he wasn't promising death?
"It was all that could be said to be in my possession, but not the only source. There is one more source in town, and another at least whose location I have no idea of, beyond your father's stake. I'm afraid it is simply something I've heard of, not saw for myself. Although I think that last is perhaps only the size of a bullet or a chess piece."
She watched Elijah tuck one hand into his pants pocket, suit flaring about his waist. "And why, precisely, has the source in town not been turned over to me?"
"Because someone in town built a bridge out of it." Cynthia responded matter of factly. "The Founding Council is all on vervain, to the best of my knowledge, and I assumed you would like it even less for a sudden fire to carry white oak ash hither and yon."
Just as she had known as soon as he discovered its existence, it would no longer be a workable trade for the future. She had intended to leave the Salvatores something to maneuver with, but that choice had been taken from her hands. So be it.
"Is there anything else that you aren't telling me, Cynthia?"
His gaze felt so heavy, so serious, and she felt like utter rubbish. "Quite a lot. I could only tell you so much during our relatively brief meeting." Blessedly, he did not disagree their hours long interview qualified as brief, given the circumstances. "I thought if I proved myself to you first by helping with Niklaus, you might be more prone to believe me. And, truthfully, less likely to kill me for knowing."
"I have no intentions of harming you in anyway, so long as you stay true to our deal. You should know that."
So long as you have use.
Cynthia breathed in, then out, focusing on the motion before she spoke again. "I do know that. If I had any doubts; I would not have invited you into my home."
That did bring a small but genuine smile to his face, and Elijah nodded in acceptance of her point.
"Speaking of which, I believe it is time you introduced me to this aunt of yours."
"Jenna is such a good person," Cynthia murmured wistfully. "I hope things change for the better for her, that she has a life she deserves."
She felt his gaze focus on her expectantly, not responding in any verbal fashion, so she rushed an explanation quickly, hoping to get it out and then let him inside before she managed to shove her foot into her mouth. "In the timeline I saw, she was Turned just to be used as the vampire sacrifice. After giving up so much and struggling so much to keep this family together, her life was stolen from her twice over. And I just… there's powerful writing for TV, and then there's what someone actually deserves from life. You know?"
Cynthia's entire face felt as if it was flaming as she quickly let herself inside and briefly away from Elijah's stare, then called out for her aunt. "Aunt Jenna! Mr. Smith is back to see you!" She left the door open, it would hardly keep Elijah from hearing anything closed, then left to seek out her wayward guardian.
As it turned out, Jenna was polishing off a glass of wine before dinner. She popped a breath mint in her mouth and followed Cynthia back to the foyer.
"Just in time for dinner," Jenna managed to smile tensely. "My favorite time to be accosted by lawyers."
"I don't mean to make you feel accosted, Ms. Sommers," Elijah replied genially. "My client bears no ill will towards you, after all. Here," he pulled out a thick folder from his briefcase and reached across the threshold to offer it to her. "All of the pertinent information should be in that file. We're also more than willing to pay for a DNA test to prove Mrs. Isobel Saltzman is the biological mother of the twins. She claims that she never signed away her maternal rights. As such, I'm afraid it's up to the Gilbert estate to disprove that claim."
"Miranda and Greyson said she left them, just cut and ran. How is that not giving up her rights?" Jenna clenched the folder tightly, then tried to calm herself. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate of me. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. It's just been… a trying day."
Stepping aside, Jenna gestured to the office. "It's warmer in here, if you would prefer to discuss things inside?"
Clever, Cynthia thought proudly. Indicating he should come inside without actually inviting him. So her aunt had decided to believe her after all.
"Of course." Elijah stepped inside, closing the door behind him before complimenting Jenna on the house. It was a vampire thing, Cynthia was convinced. The girl left the two adults to their discussion and went to grab dinner for herself. Jeremy was in the kitchen, eating junk food instead of what she'd cooked. "Why is there a lawyer here, again?"
For the briefest of moments, Cynthia considered teasing him that it had to do with his drug problem. Instead, she stared at him a little too long, enough for him to squirm a little. Then she relented.
"Elena and I may be adopted."
"And the lawyer is for….?"
"Our egg donor is trying for custody."
Jeremy whistled, and Cynthia hugged him impulsively. "Don't worry. You'll still be our annoying little brother, Jer."
He grumbled in response, but he didn't tense or pull away from the hug, so Cynthia assumed she had made the right decision. When she finally convinced him to have some healthy food, she felt even better. Particularly given the fact it helped her avoid Elena's little temper tantrum with Aunt Jenna right in front of Elijah. Brilliant way to prove you think Jenna is a fit guardian by challenging her authority, Elena. Truly inspired.
"Excuse me. I better run and do damage control."
Or at least be around to hear what was being said.
.
.
Elijah had left shortly after Elena arrived, although not after a very intense staredown. Vicki was once again notable in her absence, but Stefan did come over. Ostensibly, he had been invited to dinner to serve as emotional support. That didn't stop Jenna from insisting they keep Elena's door open, or from asking him to leave by ten pm.
Cynthia doubted he actually would, but she kept her peace for now.
She would worry about pushing for Jenna to know who were vampires and who weren't later. There was more than enough on that woman's plate right now.
"How are you taking all of this?" Stefan was seated across from Elena, not cozied up next to her like normal, clearly wanting to give her space to process all of the news she'd received today. "I know it's a lot to handle."
"Which part?" Elena's face was slightly wet, she'd just rinsed it off earlier in an attempt to cool down. Elijah had apparently shamed her by calling attention to his presence. She had looked so guilty that Cynthia had held her tongue rather than chiding her. "The part where you're a vampire? Where my sister trades some sort of favors with your murdering vampire brother? The part where the people I've thought were my parents my whole life aren't? Or the part where said parents might have kidnapped us to begin with? Because I don't know how I'm taking it, Stefan. I don't know that I can handle any of it."
Somehow, it did not come as a shock to Cynthia that Elena was already on Team Damon is Untrustworthy. Stefan was practically a founding member of that club. She washed the dishes just a little louder to block out the sounds of their argument in the den. Normally, she refused to clean the dishes after she'd cooked, but tonight Cynthia was sure if she didn't it would be left to Jenna. Jeremy and Elena were both too wrapped up in their own issues to care about or pay attention to domestic chores.
So dishwashing it was.
Once she had finished, Cynthia skipped into the den and claimed the seat next to Stefan. Elena was still incredibly tense around him, and given Cynthia didn't see any reason for Stef to skip town she decided to demonstrate that she felt him trustworthy.
"So, did either of you hear about Bonnie's new suitor?" She chirped, happily pretending Elena didn't look uncomfortable with Cynthia's choice of seat or her decision to interrupt them. Still, she played along. "No. I didn't. Who is it? Someone we know?"
"Nope!" She popped the 'p'. "New student. Caroline has been gracious enough to assign Bonnie as his mentor, so I'm sure she'll have plenty of details for you."
"Cynthia, what are you doing?"
She turned and gave Stefan a hurt expression. "Elena was upset I didn't share anything with her. So I'm sharing."
"I don't think she meant you sharing gossip about other people." If this was him hinting that she needed to tell Elena she fed Damon, he could put a sock in it. She was waiting for the other girl to notice on her own. It was bound to happen one of these days, surely. Although she was less suspicious than Caroline had been, given she wasn't really afraid of Damon's reaction should Elena find out.
Really, Cynthia was fairly certain Damon found it amusing that Elena hadn't noticed. It was like a game; catch me if you can. Some days, he would heal her. Others, Damon just left the scabs to heal on their own. As morbid as it was, she did find it amusing herself.
"It's okay, Stefan. I appreciate her making the effort," Elena said slowly. "Especially since she made it pretty clear last night we had to find a new normal for us. And that's what I need to do for everything, I think. Find a new normal. I just don't know how to do that. And I think… I think I need space to figure this all out."
Stefan nodded reluctantly. "If that's what you want."
"It is. Not forever, just… give me a day, Stefan?"
Apparently Stefan was going to leave before his allotted time was up. Cynthia hadn't remembered quite how hard Elena had taken the news. That, or the bonus reveal had made things worse, she really wasn't sure.
Both girls sat in silence after the green eyed vampire had whisked himself away. Elena was brooding, much like her boyfriend in that regard, and it almost hurt to watch. So after a few moments, Cynthia spoke up quietly. "Want some hot chocolate? It makes everything better, remember?"
Elena's smile was weak but present in response.
"Yeah, I would love that."
.
.
"How and why did we end up on the news?" Elena's outrage rang clearly through the house, loud enough to drag Cynthia out of bed. In retrospect, Damon's ideas about what merited acceptable alarms was more pleasant. Generally, he was far more cheerful about it, and he had even been known to occasionally deliver breakfast.
Grumbling to herself as she shuffled into clothes, washed the sleep from her eyes, and brushed her teeth, Cynthia kept half an ear on whatever was going on downstairs.
Long story short, it appeared that Logan Fell was now a persona non grata in the Gilbert household. Elijah had filed whatever information that the public at large could have access to, but Cynthia would bet money that he had also spoken with a drunk, tearful Jenna the night before. Now, the paternity of the Gilbert twins was being publicly questioned. No doubt because it made a good story.
The fact compulsion might have conceivably been involved didn't change Cynthia's opinion on the man one jot. He'd been perfectly happy to film teenage girls in swimsuits to take advantage of the male gaze for more viewership, and that had been all on his own. A scandal amongst the founding families? That seemed like a story he would legitimately run with, probably claiming if he didn't someone who wasn't 'considerate' would do the same and say worse things.
Cynthia wasn't sure if that sentiment would be correct or not. It didn't really matter. Their pictures had not been released, considering they were still technically minors, but both their identities as 'twin girls' and their mother's name had been.
"Suddenly I wish we were home schooled," Cynthia groused, turning off the television as Aunt Jenna continued to insult Logan Fell all over again. "Today is going to be wonderful."
Jeremy very helpfully pressed a cup of coffee into her hands, which warmed her considerably. Even if it was only because she had taken up making breakfast and coffee for them on the weekdays Jenna went to school early. "Complaining about it just makes you suffer twice," he informed her. "At least you're single, Cynthia. All the rest of us are having shit luck."
"Language." Jenna corrected automatically, before shooting Elena a concerned look. "Are you and Stefan fighting?"
"Sure sounded like it last night," Jeremy muttered into his own coffee cup. "I could hear you yelling over my music."
"Sorry, Jer. Stefan's been keeping a secret from me, and I didn't handle it well, especially with everything else."
"You'll get through it, Elena." Cynthia decided it was her turn to try and provide life wisdom. Jeremy was beating her today. This was unacceptable. "You two may or may not come out together on the other side, but you'll get through it."
Wisdom was not always comforting.
Elena gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Cyn. Are you hitching a ride with Damon again today?"
She shook her head slowly. "I don't think so, unless he surprises me, which has happened. I was just going to walk in. Get some fresh air."
"Mind if I come with?"
A little bit, but I doubt saying so will help anything.
"You want to walk to school?" Cynthia regarded the taller girl with a mild amount of confusion. Her morning caffeine hadn't kicked in just yet for obvious reasons, and she was finding it hard to process this idea. Elena shrugged in response. "I could drive."
She hummed into her coffee and slid some waffles into the toaster.
Elena used the trip in to try talking through some of how she felt about the numerous revelations recently, from Stefan to their adoption. Mostly, Cynthia just let the words roll over her politely. School itself was awkward and uncomfortable with plenty of stares and whispers. The one highlight was Bonnie's interactions with one Luka Martin.
Caroline, Cynthia, and Elena had left the two alone for the first quarter of the day. More by design than choice, as all of the warlock's classes were on the other side of the school then. They had learned some things, because Caroline could give private investigators a run for their money. Namely that he had just moved her from Louisiana recently and that he was slightly younger than them. The blonde girl warmed considerably to Luka when his attention didn't stray from Bonnie even after he met the Gilbert twins. Cynthia, for her part, was impressed by how restrained he was.
"These are my best friends," Bonnie was saying, waving to introduce the three girls. "Elena, Caroline, and Cynthia, meet Luka Martin."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Martin," Cynthia smiled warmly to the young warlock. "You take good care of Bonnie now, you hear?"
Luka grinned over to his escort. "I think she's the one taking care of me. Who are those two?" He nodded slightly up the hall. "The worried blond and the jock with anger issues?"
"Oh, that's just Matt and Tyler," Elena closed her eyes briefly and shook herself. "Matt's probably worrying about me. I should probably go talk to them. Sorry, excuse me, Luka. It was really nice to meet you," the girl promised before extricating herself. She was probably right in her assumptions, so Cynthia didn't dissuade her. Instead she elaborated a little for Luka's benefit. "Matthew Donovan and Tyler Lockwood. Elena's ex and her ex's best friend respectively. Also one of her best friends, and the opposing love interest for the girl our brother likes. Because we're that kind of small town."
"Cyn!" Bonnie chided, and Cynthia thought it might not be entirely playful. "You'll scare him off!"
"And after all Bonnie's work to make him feel welcome," Caroline teased as Luka grinned the whole thing off. "It's fine," he insisted. "If I'm going to get to know you better, then I should probably learn more than just the names of your friends. Don't you think?"
Cynthia politely hid her smile at Bonnie's reaction to that. Small talk passed between the group for a brief time, general tips about teachers to tips about adjusting to Mystic Falls. (In this regard, Cynthia was uniquely situated to offer advice.) Then it was, sadly, time for class as the bell started ringing and summoning them all to their doom.
Pity that.
.
.
Jenna ordered food in that night, after spending the evening slumped on a couch watching Hallmark movies with the stack of court paperwork to her left. Isobel was open to mediation, as it turned out, in the event that the Gilbert estate recognized her claim without going to court. That was also the reason her lawyer agreed to pay for DNA tests for her children, a conciliatory move to assure the twins new guardian that she was precisely who she claimed to be.
Cynthia wondered where Isobel was going to get her old human DNA for the tests.
Their aunt might have stayed comatose a little while longer if Sheriff Forbes and her daughter hadn't swung by for a visit. Elena had immediately and very visibly stolen Care away upstairs along with a bag of chips, several bowls, and a box of pizza. Cynthia had followed them at first, then took a seat at the top of the stairs, raising a finger to her lips before either could question what she was doing. This way she was out of sight but still perfectly able to hear what was going on downstairs, provided neither adult whispered. So far, they weren't.
"I'm sorry you're having to deal with all this, Jenna," the Sheriff sighed as she took a seat. "I know it can't be easy."
Jenna's initial response was garbled; Cynthia imagined it was said far more to her hands than to the other adult in the room.
"Some of the things this woman is claiming, Liz," their aunt's voice was strained. "I knew the twins were adopted. Miranda wanted a child so bad. She and Grayson always said that their mom was a teenage runaway. That she up and left after three days. I know the way they secured her adoption wasn't the best, but I… I never expected this."
"I know. Believe me. Custody agreements aren't fun for anyone in the best of circumstances." There was some scraping and folding sounds. Possibly she had moved her chair? "Bill agreed that Caroline should be able to stay here with her friends when we divorced. No one knows what this Isobel wants or where she'll take the girls. She seems convinced that she has a case, though."
All Cynthia heard for a while was the munching of Caroline and Elena, and their whispering on the phone with Bonnie.
"I hate to ask this, Jenna. But do you think she might be what she claims?"
"She might be," Jenna admitted with palpable reluctance. "I did some digging last night. The only name Grayson recorded for the mother was Isobel Peterson. The last name was probably false, but her first name matches, and she did know their birthday."
More chip crunching; Cynthia dug her nails into her wrist. This might not have actually been her family, but it was actually about custody for her and Elena. It also gave her a legitimate source for some of the information she had, which meant one less thing to worry about keeping a secret.
When the Sheriff spoke again, she sounded resigned. "I see. Then I guess we'll all be waiting on those test results." Just not with much hope. "There is one thing you should know. I wouldn't have brought it up if my daughter hadn't insisted I confirm the secret, but… you should know that Isobel Saltzman is legally dead."
This time something fell, loudly enough for Elena to pipe up and ask if everything was okay. Liz and Jenna both reassured them that it was, but Cynthia didn't miss the ripping sound of someone gathering paper towels or Jenna's embarrassed mumbles.
Dropping a glass in the face of that revelation was rather restrained, from Cynthia's perspective.
"Do you think she's a…" the girl readjusted her legs, making a face at the clear hesitance from Jena's end. Her current guardian's voice lowered too much for her to make out clearly, but she could guess where that question was going. Do you think she's a vampire?
"We don't know," the Sheriff had also lowered her own speaking volume, just not as much as Jenna. "She's a missing person, has been for years now. She went missing from North Carolina. We might not have found out for a while, but with Logan taking the story to the news…."
"Stop. I don't want to hear a single good thing about that backstabbing tool bag."
"Apparently her husband has been interviewing at the school; he'll probably be hired on to replace Tanner as history teacher."
"Small world."
"Carol said he explained in his interview that his wife grew up around here. That he thought moving here might help him feel closer to her, provide some sort of closure."
Someone – presumably Jenna – whistled, "Tough break on that front. I doubt he considers finding her alive to be closure."
"I imagine not," Liz agreed, sympathetically. "My deputies will be keeping an eye out. If this woman is a vampire, then we'll make sure she doesn't get a hold of the twins for any reason. Whatever motivation she might have, I don't trust it to be good."
Carefully, Cynthia inched up and off the staircase and tiptoed into Elena's room. The conversation was steering away from anything useful now, so it was time to update the girls.
She budged Caroline over on the bed, then draped herself diagonally across it so she could steal one of the bowls of chips for herself before finally relaying what she had overheard. "For a town like Mystic Falls where nothing bad is supposed to ever happen? We sure do see more than our fair share of plot twists."
Care straightened up a little. "So wait, my mom thinks your biological mom might be a vampire? How weird is that?"
"No weirder than my boyfriend being a vampire and none of you telling me." Elena bit viciously into her second slice of pizza. Cynthia rolled her eyes before turning back to their mutual friend. "As you can see, she hasn't been taking the news well."
"Of course I'm not taking the news well, Cynthia! I meet this really sweet, if overly mysterious guy. Then his very overbearing, sleazy brother, and then his best friend and her husband, and it's nice and new and not tainted by… by anything from before. Then I come to find out, he's dead."
"Only sort of?" Cynthia offered weakly. "You didn't want to start planning for kids with Matt anyway. Stefan can't have any. What's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that he and his brother have killed people. Probably especially his brother."
"Stefan is a good guy, Elena," Caroline frowned at the insistent teenager. "Damon is a little creepy, but…"
Cynthia gave her friend a hug in thanks for her support. "It's okay, Care. Elena is right. Damon hasn't killed any humans since I became his BFF though." She smiled radiantly, ignoring the fact Elena was still justifiably not okay with that fact. At least until the other girl spoke up again. "How can you stand being around him? He attacked Vicki, Cyn. He could have killed her."
She shrugged heartlessly. "He didn't though. And there haven't been any animal attacks since." All of the girls were quiet for a moment. Cynthia picked the thread of conversation back up first. "Vicki, as horrible as it is to say, was a means to an end, I think. Damon believes, and I understand it's actually true, that a vampire that feeds off of fresh human blood is stronger than one that feeds just on bagged or on squirrels and bunnies."
"… which is what Stefan does," Elena filled in slowly, her forehead creasing in a frown as she tried to follow her twin's logic.
"Right," Cynthia agreed. "Stefan keeps to an animal diet for very good reason. He tends to lose control if he tastes human, and it's not very pretty. Damon wants him to… work to overcome his handicap, basically."
She was very aware of how much of a stretch her argument was; Damon had no doubt attacked Vicki mostly to have fun messing with his hero hair brother. Cynthia was also aware that her explanation did fit the limited facts Elena and Caroline had available to them, though. All things considered, she'd rather them not go about antagonizing Damon because of their stringent morals and getting themselves hurt in the process.
Going by her audience's facial expressions, it was only working so well. Elena outright scoffed at her. "So that suddenly makes it okay? Since when are you in favor of the ends justify the means?"
Right about the time the 'ends' became a Holy Grail level achievement. Try explaining that to someone as stubborn as her new twin though.
"Is there anyway we could focus on the fact our step father should apparently be teaching at school, soon? How do you even approach someone about that?"
"You're avoiding my question."
See, this is what she meant by stubborn. Cynthia settled for glaring at Elena instead. "I guess I'm just not as good as you," she replied waspishly. "The way I see it, the past is in the past."
Do not sing Frozen songs out loud. Must resist.
"How long have you known?" Cyn turned towards Caroline this time, thankful for the slight change in topic at least, even if she was still on the spot. "About vampires, I mean. At first, I thought you were just being really supportive of my crazy ideas, not that you weren't supportive anyway, I mean. But when did you realize Stefan and Damon were vampires?"
There wasn't any point in lying to Caroline. Stefan would out her anyway. Cynthia chewed the bite of pizza she had taken hard so she could speak clearly. "I found out the first night I met Damon. I made a promise not to tell anyone, and I don't break my promises. All I could do was sort of nudge you in the right direction."
"So you nudged me into researching animal attacks," Caroline half laughed, and Cynthia let out a slow breath. "This whole thing is insane. So the best friend you keep visiting is a vampire, huh? What are they like?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"What?" Caroline gave Elena a bewildered look. "Stefan has been playing human for you the whole time. Damon's out and proud. Why can't I ask? There has to be more to it than killing people and drinking blood."
Slowly, Cynthia started giggling. "There's… there's a bit more to it, yeah. Mostly, they're just human but amplified and with powers. Like, all of their emotions dialed all the way up. Supposedly they can turn it off, but it's not like a dial switch. It's either up to a hundred, or completely off." She took a deep breath. "As for powers, there's the obvious speed and strength. The fact they have to be invited into private homes, and they burn in the sun without protection."
After a moment, the girl frowned slightly. "Elena, Stefan's explained compulsion to you, right?"
"A little. He said that the vervain in my necklace protected me from it. I don't really understand why, but I guess it doesn't matter as long as it works."
"Lesson time," Cynthia beamed, her demeanor cheerful once more. "The spell that made vampires drew upon things like trees and the sun and verbena flowers for strength and long life and…. Honestly, who knows what else. Spells aren't my area of expertise." If they were, she wouldn't be stuck here still. "Anyway, all of the things channeled in the spell can be used against vampires. Vervain burns them, but it also helps protect you from their mental powers like compulsion. Possibly also from getting into your dreams, but don't quote me on that one."
Elena squinted at her, "Hold on. They can get into dreams?"
"Mhmn. Damon's woken me up that way a few times," she replied, still happy to have moved past the moral part of this conversation and oblivious to how disgusted Elena was by the idea. "I don't always wear my bracelet to bed. It's horribly uncomfortable to sleep in. Speaking of," she brightened further. "The jewelry Damon helped me give the three of you are laced in vervain. Bonnie shouldn't need it, but I thought better safe than sorry." Ha, try claiming he's a horrible evil monster in the face of him helping protect you!
"Why wouldn't Bonnie need vervain?" Caroline asked slowly. "Is she off limits for some reason?"
Ah. Care hadn't been filled in that Bonnie was actually, genuinely a witch. She hadn't really been either, in fairness, but Cynthia had been taking it seriously from day one. "Witches and werewolves, untapped or not to my knowledge - which is dubious given Damon has never actually met a werewolf, cannot be compelled. Bonnie is a witch, and a little bit psychic." She wasn't sure if those were separate things or not, honestly.
It wasn't really breaking confidence when Bonnie spent several days running the whole 'psychic witch' spiel into the ground, right?
Cynthia bounced off of the bed and pivoted, expression turning serious as she surveyed the young doppelganger. "Stefan really needs to open up more with you, 'lena. There is so much more you need to know. One thing I want you to remember, whenever he is finally willing to talk to you about Katherine, is that she compelled him. I'm told it can be difficult to sort out multiple lines of memory. The compelled memories and your original, native thoughts. Try to be a little… patient and open minded, okay?"
Caroline looked between the two twins and shook her head. "Right, this conversation is way too eerie and uncomfortable for me now." Cynthia twitched a slight smile at the abrupt declaration, particularly given the way it coincided with the sound of running water downstairs and Jeremy announcing his arrival home. "My gravest apologies, Miss Forbes. How can I make it up to you?"
"We do have Halloween coming up at the end of the month," Care said slowly. "And rumor has it, Luka invited Bonnie to go with him already. So you know, we have to make sure it's perfect."