Chapter 8

"Do you think Damon really believes us? That we're both trying to help him?" Elena asks us as she goes through some boxes of her things.

"I don't think Damon knows what to believe. Trust isn't something that comes naturally to him."

"You know...I really think that Damon believes that everything he's done, every move that he's made, he's done for love. It's twisted, but kind of sad." I tell them and they look at me but I could see Elena still agree and knew what my point of view came from.

"There are other ways to get what you want. You don't have to kill people. Damon has no regard for human life." God it was like Charles talking about Erik. "He enjoys inflicting pain on others. For 145 years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life, he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

"So what do you think will happen if the tomb gets opened and Damon gets Katherine back?" I ask him.

"I think that no matter what Damon promises, a lot of people will die. That's Jonathan Gilbert." He tells Elena as she takes a picture from one of the boxes.

"What's this?"

"What are you guys doing?" Jeremy asks coming in.

"Hey. Just going through some stuff, feeling sentimental. Dad had this old family journal from years ago. I thought I'd dig it up."

"Jonathan Gilbert's journal?" He asks sitting next to me.

"Yeah, what do you know about it?"

"I just did a history report on it."

"Oh. So where is it now?" I ask surprise that Jeremy actually did the report but proud wish he realizes from the smile on my face since he smiles at me.

"I gave it to Mr. Saltzman. He wanted to see it." Stefan and I look at each other. This isn't good.

One Alaric gets to us he tries to shake Stefan who without effort, grabs the stake and stares at Alaric. Alaric begins to reload another stake into the gun and looks at me surprised but once he tries to escape Stefan grabs him by his shirt.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Have a seat." I tell him more nicely and he looks at me hesitating but Stefan points to the chair and he sits

"What is this, compressed air?" I ask and both man look at me surprised but Stefan keeps interrogating him

"Did you make it yourself? Who are you?"

"We are not going to hurt you."

"Unless you try attack us again." Stefan says and I give Alaric the gun.

"I wasn't going to attack you." He tells me and I smile at him.

"You're human, right?"

"Yep." I say and I sit next to Stefan on the desk he pulls in front of the chair.

"Now...who are you?"

"I'm a teacher." I gave him a pointless look and try very hard not to roll my eyes.

"Are we gonna have to do this the hard way?"

"I'm also a historian. And while researching Virginia, I-made a few discoveries about your town."

"So you show up like Van Helsing. Come on. Tell us the truth." I tell him this time. I was really trying to make this without getting into his brain.

"My wife was a parapsychologist. She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here."

"Where's your wife?"

"Dead. A vampire killed her." I gave him a little smile and I understood that is why he haunts vampires.

"Where's the Gilbert journal?" I ask him and he looks at us and asks back.

"What do you want with it?"

"Where is it?"

"It's on my desk."

"No, it's not."

I see Alaric look at the desk and them back at us and for his look there was not going to be good news.

"It was on my desk."

"How long have you been aware of me?"

"I learned just recently. What about your brother?"

"You met Damon." He asks surprise and them I remember our conversation at the dance.

"Who do you think killed my wife?"

"Are you certain it was Damon?"

"I witnessed it."

"If you're here for revenge, this is going to end very badly for you."

"I just want to find out what happened to my wife."

"I thought you just said that Damon..." I tell him but he interrupts.

"Yeah. I saw him draining the life out of her. He must have heard me coming. He just...disappeared. So did her body. They never found her."

"Damon can never know why you're here. He'll kill you without blinking."

"I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't. I can help you. If you let me." Stefan says and at that moment I knew I could trust him.

Stefan and I walk out of the school as we enter the car I ask him.

"Remember when I told you I knew about Elena looking like Katherine?"

"Yes, I wanted to ask you about that but with everything I kind of forgot."

"When you were telling us the story I kind of when back in time."

"What?"

"I know it's strange. You would start telling it and everything would go black for a second and I would be back but in the story you were talking about."

"So that is why you knew about her." He tells me and nod conforming. "Did it even happen before?"

"No, but... it is happening again, it is like someone is remembering it, I think is a vampire. I saw Katherine with Damon and a woman… Pearl."

"Yes I remember her. Anything else?"

"You, Damon and your father, he was warning you about vampires but you two were keeping Katherine true identity a secret. What is wrong with me?"

"To be honest I have no idea. Anything else but that?"

"No, pretty normal." I tell him and he can see I am lying. "Look I am telling you this because I trust you, but for now it as far as you will get."

"Thank you, for telling me." He says and I nod. "You can trust me." He says after a short pause

Once Stefan and I get to the door I see Elena and Damon and I look confused.

"Well? What did you found?" He asks both of us.

"Who took it?" Damon asks us as we are still in the porch.

"We don't know."I answer.

"You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him."

"No, he doesn't know anything. Somebody got to it right before me." Stefan says as we both agree to not let Alaric into all of this.

"Who else knew it was there?" Damon asks and both Stefan and I look at Jeremy and Damon does the same the different is that he starts walking inside the house.

"No. Damon, leave him out of it!" I say trying to stop him.

"Why, what's the big deal?"

"Damon!" I say as we all enter the house and Damon sit next to Jeremy.

"So...I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?"

"Huh?"

"Don't ask questions, just spill."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Jonathan Gilbert's journal?" I ask him and he looks confused.

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?"

"Who else did you tell?"

"Just that girl Anna."

"The hot, weird one?"

"Yeah." Oh Jer has a crush. Not the time for this.

"Wait, who is Anna?" I ask.

"That's what I want to find out."

"How do you know her?" Jeremy looks between Damon and I and does a strange face.

"I just know her. She wants me to meet her at the Grill tonight."

"Perfect. I'll drive. Come on. "

"O-Okay."

"Can I drive?" I ask him and he looks at me like I am crazy.

As I watch Jeremy playing with the girl… Anna. I go back in time again.

"The sheriff was here earlier. He bought large volumes of the vervain elixir." The women… Pearl says and I see Katherine with Damon

"Did he try to put his hands on you again?"

"Doesn't he always?" I had to laugh a bit at this. Men are always the same, no matter the time.

"She's saving herself for Jonathan Gilbert"

"I'm beyond saving. We know that." For incredible that it looks Katherine and I both chuckle.

"How can you be so calm? They're getting closer to you every day." A worry Damon says, damn, it the first time I say this.

"We are the respectable ladies of Mystic Falls. Thanks to Emily, we walk the streets in daylight. No one will ever suspect us."

"Not unless a human tells them." Pearl says looking at Damon

"I'd sooner die."

"And soon enough, you will." Katherine says kissing him and I look around. Then a girl comes in and my mouth opens.

"Mrs. Fell is approaching."

"Thank you, Annabelle." Pearl says hugging her and she smiles.

Once I get back to the Mystic Grill I see they again. She is a vampire. Great.

"I know who she is." Damon says and I look at him. So he was the one having the memory.

"How long have you been here?" Damon asks as the two of us and Anna are in her motel room. Why I was here? I couldn't exactly tell Damon I didn't want to come, it would be suspicious.

"I arrived around half-past comet, watching you screw up every chance you had to open that tomb."

"How did you know about the spell?"

"I didn't say much back then, which means I heard everything."

"So if you've been here the whole time, then why are we just crossing paths right now?" Damon says trying to intimidate her.

"I like to use others to do my dirty work." And I am usual the one doing it.

"Like Logan Fell? Oh, yeah, thanks for that, by the way. Little bastard shot me."

"Logan was an idiot."

"Besides I am pretty sure you deserve to be shot." I tell him and he gives me a dirty look.

"Mm-hmm."

"We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser slayer with that compass. I needed his family's journal. I couldn't let him die."

"What'd you want with the Fell journal?"

"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong. According to her journal, Honoria gave the grimoire to Jonathan Gilbert. And, according to this..." She says getting the Gilbert's journal. "He gave it to your father. So now you're going to help me find it."

"Why would I help you?"

"Cause you and I both want that tomb open." She says giving the journal to Damon and she turns to me. "You are on hell of a woman." She tells me.

"And you're cute." I tell her and she smiles at me as Damon looks at us.

"I saw the four of you killing Noah and you and Stefan today with the teacher."

"And?" I ask her.

"You sister reacted like she was about to pass out, you knew exactly what to say. It wasn't the first time wasn't it? That you watched or even torture someone." Anna says and I swallow hard and I see Damon looking at me with a curious face. How the hell she read it so easily.

"Don't you have a tomb to open?" I tell them and Anna looks at Damon.

"Hmm." He says shutting the journal and places it back on the counter. "Sorry. I work alone. Come on Lara Croft." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Is it true?" Damon asks me as we walk to the tomb. "About torturing someone before." He tells me and I knew I had to buy time so here it goes.

"Let just say I once did the dirty work for someone." I tell him as we walk and I stop and he turns to me. "I killed before too. Self defense but still killing."

"How many?" He asks me and I start to walk away ignoring his question.

"Well, what do you know?" Damon says and Elena and Stefan turn to us startled and I murmur 'I am sorry' to them. "This is an interesting turn of events."

"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry."

"So am I. For thinking for even a second that I could trust you."

"Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."

"Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan. But you..." He says looking at me and I saw some hurt in his eyes.

"You had me fooled." I look down ashamed. "So did you." He tells to Elena. "So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out." He says treating Elena.

"You won't kill her."

Damon nods but with his vampire-speeds he grabs Elena in a chokehold.

"I can do one better." He bites his wrist and forces Elena to drink his blood. He is going to turn her. No, this can't be happening. "Give me the book, Stefan, or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend."

"Let her go first." I tell him and he looks at me and for seconds I could see some short of regret on his eyes but he mask is back on.

"The book!" He shouts at Stefan.

"I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me."

"Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!"

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will."

At this Damon let's go Elena and gets the book as Stefan goes to her as fast as she could.

"And I thought you were on my side. Do they know about your dark side?" Damon whispers at me before he leaves and I look at the couples in front of me as I feel the pain.

In my way back to my apartment I had to other flashbacks and I found out that Katherine was capture by Stefan's father as he used him to get her and how Damon blamed him.

"Argh!" I say punching the boxing bag with all the strength I could as I put my forehead against it completed exhausted as I looked at the clock and saw it was already 4 in the morning.

"We need to get the information from him."

"Nate, you are not torturing him." I tell him as he looks at my arm.

"He shot you."

"He wasn't the first." I tell him but I already see him walking to the interrogation room.

"We need the information." He says closing the door behind us.