Chapter 12

I finished my last push up and I relax on the floor for a bit when I heard the door knocked and sign in annoyance.

"One second." I scream to the door walking pass the living room and opening it to see Damon standing there. "How did you found out where I lived?"

"I have my ways. Can I come in?" he asks nicely but I could see he was half faking it.

"No." I say and he smirks falls then he starts to eye me up and down and I take noticed that I was wearing a grey tank top with a black sports bra under and black leggings.

"Nice clothes."

"I was working out." I tell him as he lean in the door and raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"We have a council meeting." He tells me and I sign again.

"Remember why I let you convince me that I wanted to be part of it?"

"Because in the last years you connected with your biological father and he told you about vampires and the council." He says and I give him the are you seriously look because we both knew there was not a truth in that sentence. "And I wanted company." He says making me smirk. "Get dress, come on Lara Croft."

"I need a shower first."

"Is that an invitation?" He saying flirting and I roll my eyes.

"No. I will meet you at the park in 15 minutes." I say with a smirk closing the door in his face.

"The coroner's office has officially ruled Vicki Donovan's death a drug overdose. Her family has been notified, the truth will stay in this room and we can put this behind us."

"Thank you Sheriff. And on to a more pressing issue, John Gilbert has asked to say a few words" I look at Damon who looked surprised. Damn more complications.

"Welcome back John, it's good to see you" The mayor tells him.

"Hello everyone, it's wonderful to see you, I wish it were under better circumstances. As a founding family member I find it's my duty to report some very distressing news"

"He's a Gilbert?"

"Elena's uncle, well our uncle. His name is John."

"But I call him Jackass." Sheriff finished and I nod agreeing with her as Damon looked at both of us but we turn out attention to John.

"A hospital blood bank in the neighboring county of Amherst has reported several break ins over the past two weeks. 7 hunters, 4 campers and 2 states employees have been reported missing as well. All of this within a 75 mile radius of Mystic Falls."

"Okay okay, no need to get alarmed right at this moment" The mayor says interrupting him.

"Meaning he doesn't want to cancel the Founders' Day kickoff party." Liz tells us both and I try not to smirk. Typical but right now, it was actually good for us.

"You think all of your problems are over but I'm here to tell you, nothing's been solved." I look at Damon and he seemed uncomfortable. What has he hiding?

"Sofia McCullough." He says giving highlight to my last name and I wanted to laugh. I knew he wasn't much of a fan not that I enjoy his presence too. Who am I kidding I hate the guy.

"John, back in town."

"Came to spend some time with my family. Is this your new boyfriend?" He says referring to Damon.

"This is Damon and he is not my boyfriend."

"Oh that is right you just date guys with a criminal records and wanting posters." My face falls and I wanted to punch him so much but I took a breath and put the mask back

"We got to go."

"We do. John." I almost spat his name as I look with Damon.

"Criminal Records?" Damon asks me and I elbow him.

"Shut up." I say trying to contain my smile.

"Come on Damon spill it."

"What?"

"Whatever has been happening?" I tell him focus on not letting him go without talking about it.

"Ok Stefan has been acting strangely." I take a deep breath as I listen to him.

"So what do we do?"

"Nothing, we wait. Come on you need a drink before you see John again." He tells me.

"Oh god! I shouldn't be here."

"Come on, don't be a downer, it's a party for the founding families! That would be us. That would be rude to skip it"

"I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody" I say approaching both of them. (the look Sofia is wearing in on my polyvore account)

"Oh I still do. I just love that they love me." He says and I roll my eyes.

"How are you feeling, Stefan?" I ask him worry about him.

"I'm good, I'm fine." He tells me and I gave him a little smile.

"No cravings? No urges? Is that whiskey you've been drinking all day doing its job?" He says and Stefan laughs at him but I didn't like it. "We are who we are Stefan. Nothing's gonna change that." For god sakes how much can Erik and Damon be alike?

"Ah! Nothing will make you happier to just see me given up hein Damon?"

"Whatever, it's inevitable."

"Well, I'm gonna find Elena." Why is Stefan trying to change the conversation or better run for it?

"Don't embarrass me young man!" Damon says and I roll my eyes then he looks at me. "I can see the working out has been paying off?"

"What?" I ask then I see his smirk and I realize what it meant and I roll my eyes.

"Come one let's enjoy some of the time."

"Yes but I need a drink, at least."

"Now we are speaking." He tells me putting his arm around my waist and guiding me to the bar.

"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" He says and I roll my eyes as I see Stefan dancing.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Eventually. One way or another. Hey where are you going?" He asks me as I walk to the dance floor.

"Enjoy some of my time." I tell him and I see Stefan. "Nice work with the DJ." He smirks at me and I keep dancing.

"Hot history teacher three o' clock."

"How do I look?" Jenna asks me and I smiled at her.

"Beautiful, he is totally going to flip." I say and Alaric joins us.

"I was looking for you." He says and looks at me complimenting me.

"Here I am. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well uh…" He says looking at me and I nod for him to keep talking. What would they do without me? "Things have been a little crazy but I'm here now. Do you want to get a drink?"

"Sure."

"Sofia, do you?"

"No go. I have to find Damon anyway." I turn to the dance floor and I saw Stefan dancing with Matt's mom and Elena with Matt, crazy party but I still needed to focus on Stefan so I just observed for a while his actions. His been the opposite, not that I mind, it was nice to see Stefan get loose for a while but right now. Not the best time. I need to find Damon.

"Have you noticed what your brother has been up to?" I tell Damon as I approach the bar and ask for a drink.

"No, I have been too preoccupied with yours." He says and I look at him with a concern look. "Jeremy has been asking questions about Vicki Donovan's death."

"He knows that her death was ruled an overdose."

"Really? 'Oh but sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?' I know I know! Me! I mean I could compel him but he's wearing vervain."

"No, I don't want you to compel him."

"If he keeps asking questions…"

"Damon, no I'm serious. I'm not going to do that to him again, and I almost didn't agree with it the first time. I'll handle it." He takes a rose and gives it to me and I smile a bit.

"Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you." He says leaving and the bartender comes with the glass of champagne wish I drink all at once and then ask for another on as I turn to the party and I saw Jeremy so I take the glass on my lips and then walk away living the glass empty on the bar.

"Jer? I heard about your conversation with Sheriff Forbes."

"No one is trying to figure out what happened to her. They all want to believe that she OD'ED."

"The coroner's office confirmed it. If that's what they said happened then…"

"Is that what you believe?" God he was so much like me sometimes.

"What do you think happened?"

"I think somebody killed her and buried her body and I don't think we should write it off just 'cause it's easy."

"They're just doing what they can to move on."

"The truth is the only thing that's gonna help people to move on. You of all people should understand it." I look down to the floor. He was right. Not knowing it kills you inside but that couldn't happen to him. Jeremy needs to be the normal and not worry about things that are over him, he needs a change of normality.

"Jer, just let it go, okay? Whatever it was she's gone now."

"Whatever it was? So you don't think it was an overdose?" Damn it.

"Yes… I do."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Damn it I suck at this. Come on pull it together. God this is uncomfortable. "Why aren't you looking at me?"

"Stop it, that doesn't mean anything."

"If there was something else you would tell me, right?" It depends. Not if could get him hurt. I was tired of seeing the people I care about getting hurt… or killed.

"Of course I would." He looks at me suspicious but leaves and I take a deep breath I didn't knew I was holding. I see the waitress coming and I take another glass drinking it.

"You want to hear the bad news or the really bad news?" Damon says coming at me and Stefan as we both were drinking in the bar.

"Actually, I don't want any news Damon another glass would be nice actually." I tell him and Stefan agrees with me as he gets one for himself and another one for me and I smile at him to show gratefulness.

"Alright, let me rephrase. Do you want to hear how the council is back in vampire mode or how I just killed Uncle John Gilbert?"

"What?"

"You did what?" I almost scream.

"Great party by the way, huh?" He leaves and we follow him. Stefan is stopped by Kelly but I keep going stopping him.

"Just too clean things out what is the bad and the really bad news?"

"I think you drank too much."

"And you don't seem to remember I have a high tolerance for alcohol."

"Did you got it from dating guys with criminal records?" He asks me with I tone I never saw in his voice it emotionless and cold and couldn't understand but the question disturb me more than I thought it look. "Sofia. I"

"I need some air."

I sat in the rock bench and took my phone from my bag and clicked to get into the gallery as I saw the picture I wanted. Me with my arms around Nate's neck, it where celebrating we getting our apartment in my second year of college. I smile at the memory. I remember how simply he said: if you are going to Yale I am getting us an apartment. I turn the photo to see one of the last pictures we took together. We both had drinks in our hands as he took the pic. It was one year before it all, we went to Cabo for the week, it was May all our friends were there too. It was also the last vacations we had together. I feel the sadness and the pain in my chest and I put the cell phone bag and get a painkillers taking three all at once and then I adjust my eyeliner, it was only make up I had. I get up and walk back inside.

"Thank you all, thank you, very much, thank you. Thank you all for joining us tonight in just a few moments we will officially begin the countdown to our upcoming founders' day celebration and it's a very special one this year. The one hundred fiftieth birthday of our town and I would like to welcome back one of our town favorite's sons to do the honors of ringing our official charter bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?" Wait what? I look over at Damon and I walk to him as he walked to Alaric.

"One hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, we look after each other, protect each other; it's good to be home," Everyone start to applause and Damon and I get to Alaric.

"How?" I ask as soon Damon sees me but he was looking at my eyes strangely.

"Look at his right hand."

"Who's?"

"Town's favorite's son. Look at his ring." Damon tells me we looked as John ring the bell it was the same ring as Alaric.

"Well, it looks like mine."

"Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just came back from the death 5 minutes ago."

"Meaning Damon tried to kill him." I add just to make everything clear and add some sarcasm to it.

"Where the hell did you get that ring?"

"Isobel, my wife."

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of my father the esteemed Dr Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!" We all looked at John, damn it, more problems.

"Do you think John knew Isobel?"

"I think John knows a lot of things." I say fixing my eyes on my uncle. How the hell did he knew about Erik and I? Better yet how much did he know about my past?

"Are you ok, your eyes, it looks like you had been crying." Alaric asks and Damon turns to me also.

"Yah… I had something in my eye." I told him but he didn't believe it but he let it go and went to meet Jenna.

"You're ok?"

"I am fine."

"Look if it is because of my comment I."

"Damon let it go. We have more important things right now."

"Going somewhere?" Damon says as he, Alaric and I follow John.

"I've never liked to be the last one to leave a party. It's too desperate." He says and looks at me. "You understand it don't you Gennie."

"Don't call me that." I say with anger and Alaric and Damon looking at me shocked.

"Well Damon, you're going to kill me again or you're gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work? Or the woman who does it very well." He says with his eyes fixed on mine. What does he knows all of this?

"Okay, you obviously know who I am."

"I do. Alaric Saltzman, a high school history teacher with a secret."

"Sure know a lot for someone who just got to town."

"More than you can imagine, Damon. My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that you or you or the council knows." He says to Damon and Alaric but I knew that one was for me. Does he mean the brotherhood? How can he know? "So, if you're planning on some clever high speed snatch ring vamp kill move, know that if I die, everything I know goes to the council including the fascinating little tale of the originals Salvatore brothers and their present day return to Mystic Falls and of a certain person." He says fixing his eyes one me.

Both men seen to be lost in their words so I decide to talk before I go fight club on John as I fixed my mind on his making him respond my questions.

"How did you get that ring?" I say using my powers to make him speak.

"I had inherited one, my brother Gray had the other. This was his and I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I had known she'd hand it over to another guy." I try to access his voice again but the pills and the alcohol was starting to affect my powers.

"So you did know her?"

"Who do you think send her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?" I blink at this things were getting better (or worst) at ever minute.

"You sent her?"

"Guilty. Why, did you think someone else send her? Maybe Katherine Pierce?" Great! Of course she had somehow be involved in so short of way.

"How do you know about Katherine?"

"How do I know anything Damon?"

"What do you want?" I ask him and he looks at me with a fake smile and I wanted so much to punch you.

"So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rick. I've heard so much about you. Sofia, I would hoped this time you picked your companies better but I am afraid you still don't. Still doing into the dark side Erynys." He tells me and if Damon didn't hold my arm I swear I would kick him in the balls.

"See why he is a first class jackass." I say with anger. Too much anger. "I need to get the way out of this party."

"Come on I will take you."

We stopped at the Salvatore's driveway and Damon opens me the car door.

"The last time I checked I didn't leave in here."

"You don't but you had too many drinks and too much anger for one night. So I won't let you spend the night alone."

No One P.O.V.

"We have a problem Stefan and when I say problem I mean global crisis. It seems Uncle John has…" He looks over at Stefan and notices how he is. "You don't look so good. Its different this time, isn't it? The need is too strong. Of course it would be after all these years"

"Why is Sofia sleeping in the couch?"

"Cut it short, between more than 9 glasses of champagne, me pissing her off, all the drama with Jeremy, you, Elena and the fact that she hates John and almost punched him tonight or worst. She had the night of her life."

"What did you do to piss her off?"

"For all the things I say that is what you remember." He looks over at a sleeping Sofia and gets her in his arms. "Well I am talking her to bed. Have a good night brother."

He leaves carrying Sofia. Stefan looks at the glass, takes it and drinks the blood.