Chapter 5:

Candy and Anna finally arrived in town and were both tired so instead of going to see Stefan immediately, they headed straight to the house they owned.

It wasn't a very big house like Lakewood but it was big enough for the two of them and any guests they might get. It was elegant and fully equipped with all the latest technology, their favorite books, movies… Everything they liked. Candy was particularly proud of the fact the house was working with solar energy!

"I hope everything goes well tomorrow… I really don't know what to expect from Damon…" Anna said.

"I can understand his pain… I can't imagine how hurt he will be when he learns that Katherine has been playing him all this time…" Candy replied.

"I can't believe the time is finally here… I feel like I've been waiting forever to find my mother again…" Anna said.

"Don't worry Annabelle, I will do anything in my power to help you reunite with your mother!" Candy swore.

"I know you will… We're sisters!" Anna smiled back before wishing Candy a goodnight and going to bed.

The next day, not only would Candy meet Damon but Lexi would arrive in town with her new man and they would all meet the new Katherine look alike.

Hopefully, she wouldn't be as bad as the previous one…

-C-

Klaus was getting frustrated.

Over the years, he had never wanted anything more than he wanted to know his daughter. It didn't have anything to do with him breaking the curse anymore, he didn't care about that for now, all he wanted was to see her, talk to her, have her love him like any daughter loves her father!

He still had the picture Gloria had given him and spent a lot of time drawing her, imagining what she would have looked like younger, drawing her growing up with him… He had a whole box full of drawings picturing his daughter growing up with him, surrounded by his family… He drew her as a little girl, sleeping in his arms after consoling her from her nightmare or him giving her a piggy ride on his back… He drew himself watching over her during her sleep when she was a baby…

He simply drew what his mind could imagine… He drew what he wished would have happened.

He had always thought that love would make him weak but he had been wrong… he already loved his daughter and he felt like he would be able to move the world for her and he hadn't even met her yet…

At some point, Gloria had told him Candy was in Europe during World War 2 and he got so worried for her that he went there as fast as he could. Of course he didn't find her… Europe was wide, war made it chaos and hard to find someone… Especially since he had no idea where she went exactly but he didn't leave the war zone until after peace had been declared. After a while Gloria then took pity on him and told him Candy was safe… She had helped people, been a nurse on the front but was now enjoying life, visiting historical monuments with Annabelle.

Sighting, Klaus looked at the coffins of his siblings… Rebekah, Finn, Kol… Even his mother was there… They would all love her, he was sure of it… He didn't need to meet her to know she would enchant them all…

He had run into a couple of vampires his daughter had met over the years and they all said the same thing: She was selfless, nice, pretty, cheerful… She loved life and enjoyed it, doing her best to have people around her enjoying it as much as she did…

Elijah, his elder brother was running around the world, probably looking for a way to stop him from breaking the curse, unaware that he had a niece… Maybe it was time to find him and try to make peace… Maybe it was time to try and work on getting his family back on his side… Work for it… Like the spirits wanted…

Mickeal… Well, Mickeal had been out of reach for the past few years and nobody really missed him… Klaus knew the man wasn't dead but he also felt like he wasn't a threat anymore. As long as he wasn't chasing him, he wouldn't know about Candice and she would be safe… Klaus didn't know what he would do if Mickeal was to find his daughter and hurt her before he could even get to know her… He would probably go on a rampage and kill everyone who stood in his way to get to Mickeal…

What if Elijah met his daughter before him? That was Klaus's biggest fear… He feared that word of his past behaviour would reach her ears and that she would find herself unable to love him…unable to forgive him… He really needed to find his brother and make peace… It was a necessity.

Shaking his head, Klaus grabbed his sketchbook and started to draw the reunion he wanted to have with his sweet baby girl. He would never see her grow up but he at least had the pleasure of imagining how it could have gone…

-C-

The next morning, Candy was her normally cheerful self and Anna was getting nervous. In a few weeks the comet would come and the tomb would be able to be opened… She was close to seeing her mother again and couldn't wait to introduce her to Candy… They would be a family all together and she couldn't wait for it to happen.

The two girls got ready until the doorbell rang and they saw Lexi on the other side. Candy had given her one of her Lapis Lazuli rings as a gift a few decades ago and so Lexi could walk in the sun.

"Lexi! I'm so happy to see you! Come in!" Candy greeted her friend.

"I'm happy to be here!" The other blond replied.

"Where is that new boyfriend of yours?" Anna asked their friend.

"It didn't work out… We broke up…" Lexi replied with a small smile to show it didn't affect her that much.

"Oh… I'm sorry… Do you want to talk about it?" Candy asked, always up to helping people out.

"Nah, it's fine… Turns out he was just dating me so I would change him… It's okay… I didn't love him that much anyway… Are we ready to go see Stefan?" Lexi asked.

"Sure, he told us to meet him at the Mystic Grill for lunch…" Anna informed Lexi.

"Let's go!" Candy said before they all grabbed their purses and were out the door and into Candy's car.

When they arrived at the Grill, it didn't take them long to spot Stefan who was speaking with a slightly younger Katherine.

"I guess it's her…" Candy said.

"I don't like her!" Anna announced.

"That's because Katherine is the reason your mother is locked in the tomb and because she's a Gilbert…" Candy joked.

"Maybe… But she's going to end up hurting Stefan one way or another… I just know it!" Anna replied.

"Well, maybe we should come in and introduce ourselves!" Lexi suggested as she led the way.

As soon as Stefan spotted them, the look on his face changed to one of pure happiness. Elena turned around to see what was making him smile so widely and frowned when she saw three girls walking toward them. One was a small brunette who looked like she was the youngest of them all, the other two were blondes, one with curly hair, a wide smile and freckles and the other with straight hair.

"Stefan, how nice to see you!" The blond with straight hair said.

"Lexi, I've missed you! Candice, Annabelle, it's nice to see you two again too!" Stefan replied before he remembered Elena by his side.

"This is Elena Gilbert, a friend I made since I came back in town. Elena, this is Annabelle, Lexi and Candice, some old friends of mine." Stefan introduced.

"Old friends as in…" Elena asked in a whisper.

Obviously she knew about vampires.

"Yes, they are vampires. Don't worry, they won't hurt anyone!" Stefan replied with a soft smile that showed the girls he was falling for the Katherine look alike.

"Well, it's nice to meet you… I'm going to go and let you have your moment with Stefan… I'm sure you have a lot to talk about…" Elena said with a smile before she walked away.

"Well, she seems different from Katherine so far!" Candy noticed.

"Yeah, I'm not fooled… It could be just a mask!" Anna replied as Lexi nodded in agreement.

"Elena is nice girls…" Stefan replied as he led them to a table where they ordered lunch.

"We'll see…" Anna said with a frown.

"So, I thought you would have brought your brother with you…" Candy started.

"Damon is…Damon… I figured it would be best for us to talk first before we go and meet up with him at the Boarding house." Stefan announced.

"How have you been?" Lexi asked him.

"I'm fine… I'm in control… I still drink from animals once in a while but I can drink human blood without going crazy so that's good." He replied.

They ate lunch and talked for a while. They caught up with each other's lives and talked about their plans to open the tomb.

"Are you sure you want to tell Damon that Katherine isn't in it anymore?" Stefan asked Candy.

"Well, we can't lie to him, it would be wrong!" She replied.

"If we tell him he won't help… Not if there is nothing in it for him!" He explained.

"Then we'll find another way! We'll ask the Bennett's or Gloria… There is always another way but we can't lie to him!" Candy protested.

"I was all for lying to Damon and telling him the truth only later, or even maybe leaving him in the tomb…. But Candy has good arguments…." Anna smiled.

"You don't even know Damon!" Stefan said.

"Maybe that's why she wants to be nice to him!" Lexi joked.

"I want to free Pearl but I want us to do it the right way! It would be wrong of us to use him for this! Plus, I'm sure he still loves his brother and would help us just to help Stefan..." Candy explained.

"Okay… We'll do it your way… But I'm still sure that Damon won't help us… We'll have to do without him!" Stefan warned him.

"Then we will manage without his help!" Candy replied with a bright smile.

"Oh, how I've missed your always cheerful spirit Candy…" Stefan said, hugging her to his side as he gave them direction to the Boarding house.

Lexi went in the car with him while Anna and Candy followed him in their car.

When they arrived, they all came in at the same time and Stefan directed them to the living room where Damon was sitting in an armchair, drinking bourbon.

This was the first shock of the day for Candy…

Damon was good looking of course but his whole attitude in this armchair… It reminded her of someone she had lost… Someone who still haunted her dreams… Someone she still loved and missed dearly… Someone she didn't think she could ever forget…

"Stefan, I see you brought some friends… Annabelle, Lexi… Who is your new friend? Nice to meet you Freckles. » Damon said as he extended a hand to her.

Anna turned around and saw Candy paled. Of course she knew why…. Only Terry called Candy Freckles and she knew it brought back some painful memories.

Candy was shocked for the second time of the day.

Did he have to call her that? Did he have to act this way? The way he walked, quirked his eyebrows… He looked so much like her Terry…

"Terry…" Candy whispered as she automatically shook his hand.

"No, my name is Damon and yours is?" He asked her charmingly.

He liked her of course. Candy was attractive and he felt himself being attracted to her… Maybe he could have fun with her until Katherine was freed from the tomb…

"Damon, this is Candice White Ardley… I told you about her…" Stefan intervened.

He, too, knew the story with Terry and wanted to save Candy for more pain.

"Oh, the woman who helped you getting control with human blood… Nice to meet you then Miss Ardley!" Damon said as he took her hand and kissed it, trying to show his gentleman side.

Candy had shaken herself up by then and took control of herself.

"Damon, I've heard a lot about you… It's nice to meet you!" She said with her trademark smile.

However, Anna who knew Candy well knew the ghost of Terry wasn't far in her sister's memory and that she would cry later.

"So, you girls came to visit my little brother? How nice! Very nice timing too..." Damon said as he served himself another glass of Bourbon.

"Cut the crap Damon, you know very well why I'm here! Let's not pretend you don't know anything and get right to business!" Anna snapped.

"Anna calm down… We have something to share with him first…" Candy said softly.

"Fine, you tell him if you want but be quick!" Anna said.

"What's going on here? I'm guessing Anna here wants to open the tomb to free her mother but what's in it for you?" Damon asked Candy.

"Anna is my best friend, my sister…. I'm going to help her free her mother!" Candy said softly.

"That's nice… So, what is it you have to share with me first? Do we need privacy? My bedroom isn't far…" Damon suggested as he looked at the stairs.

"Yeah right… Good luck with that!" Lexi said as Stefan chuckled.

At Damon's look, Anna explained:

"Candy's a virgin and is saving herself for true love! Don't mess with her!"

Candy blushed and said:

"Anyway… It's about Katherine and you're going to have a hard time believing us but just know it's the truth and we have proof…" Candy started.

She watched Stefan silently positioning himself behind his brother in case he needed to be held down.

"What about Katherine?"

"She isn't in the tomb…" Candy started.

"What are you talking about? Of course she is she's…" Damon started.

"Please don't interrupt and let me explain… Katherine is a master at escaping and all she thinks about is herself… She doesn't care about anyone else… I know it hurts… The truth often does…. I have several pictures to prove it and a video that was taken 20 years ago…" Candy said.

"I don't believe you! You're lying!" The blue eyed Salvatore exploded.

"Listen to her Damon it's the truth… I saw a picture taken at Bon Jovi's concert a few years ago and Katherine was there…" Stefan said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Damon seethed as Candy showed him several pictures of Katherine lately and a video from a few years ago she had managed to put on her phone.

"Because you wouldn't have believed me…or stopped long enough to listen to me…" Stefan replied.

"Let's be clear, Candy is the only one who insisted we told you the truth, I was all for letting you believe the lie and finding out the truth after we open the tomb but she has good arguments when she has her mind on something!" Anna said in a harsh tone.

She still blamed a little both Salvatore brothers for what happened to her mother but had managed to forgive Stefan… Maybe she would be able to forgive Damon too with time… After all, the only real culprit here was Katherine…

"I have her cell phone number… I could put her on speaker and call her right away if you want more proof…" Candy suggested softly.

"No need… I've heard about you Candy… I also know my brother wouldn't lie to me about this…. I believe you… Now if you would excuse me… I have some sorority girls to pick up!" Damon said as he stood up.

"Wait!" Candy half-yelled, making him turn around as he was at the door.

"What?"

"Will you help us open the tomb or not?" She asked as the other rolled their eyes.

They knew he would refuse…Why would he help now?

"Why would I want to open it now?" He asked.

"To do the right thing and reunite a mother with her daughter…" Candy said.

"I'll think about it…" Damon said as he picked it leather Jacket and walked to the door.

Once he was at the door and had it opened, Damon turned around and said:

"There is a talisman that can gather enough power to open the tomb after the comet comes… It's hidden at the Lockwood's. I'll help you get it at their next party if you go with me as my date!" He saw Candy smile in gratitude and the stunned look of the others.

He smiled back and exited the house, deciding to go to the Grill instead of the closest sorority.

What was this girl doing to him already?

-C-

After Damon left, Anna turned to her heart sister:

"Are you okay Candy?"

"Yeah… I think so…"

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"It's just… your brother reminds me a lot of Terry… The way he moves, talks… Only Terry called me Freckles…" Candy said, tears already coming in her eyes.

"You don't have to stay if it's too painful you know…" Anna said.

"You know I'll make it Anna… I'll be fine… Don't worry… It's just… I haven't felt this way since the last time I saw Terry… I'm confused…" Candy said.

"How do you feel?" Lexi asked her softly.

"I'm not sure… I'm attracted to him of course but… Is it him or the fact that he reminds me of Terry?"

"You just need to give yourself some time Candy… Don't rush it… It will be fine…" Stefan said as he handed her a tissue to dry her tears.

"You're right of course… I just need to give myself some time to think…" Candy replied.

"Maybe you should just stay away from Damon if he brings back painful memories…" Lexi suggested.

"I feel like he will only help if I'm here though…" Candy explained.

"Somehow I think she's right…" Stefan said.

"You don't have to stay Candy… We'll find another way, even if he doesn't help us…" Anna said.

"I want to stay Anna… I want to help you find your mother and I want to know why he makes me feel this way… I'm strong, I'll be fine!" Candy concluded with a smile.

"Good then… What do you girls think about going in town and spent some more time with Elena… I think you'll like her once you know more about her…" Stefan said with enthusiasm.

Because they were his friends and they wanted to make him happy, they agreed and they ended up visiting the town with Elena, her bubbly friend Caroline, her witchy friend Bonnie, her ex boyfriend and actual friend Matt and her little brother Jeremy.

Candy smiled when she realised Anna seemed to like Jeremy while the young man also seemed to be quite taken with her.

It looked like Pearl wouldn't be awoken with Gilbert's blood after all.


What did you think of this new chapter?

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Who will Candy end up with? Will she open up to Damon? Will he open up to her? Will they like Elena or act against her?

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Lorelei Candice Black