Mystic Falls Hospital

Caroline wakes up with a start and goes out of the room. The nurse is the only one in sight.

"Excuse me? Where is everyone?" Caroline asked.

"It's the middle of the night honey". The nurse replied.

"It is? Oh, uh...have you seen my mom?"

"She left after dinner with your boyfriend and then your friend Elena stepped by".

"She did? Yeah, she did but she said her name was Katherine. Can I just get something to eat?"

"Breakfast comes around seven".

"But I'm hungry".

"You should go back to sleep".

She goes toward the room but then she stops.

"What is that smell?"

"Back to bed".

The nurse leaves but Caroline stays in the hallway. She looks everywhere and sees a blood bag in a patient's room. She goes toward the bag and touches it but the nurse arrives.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I don't know".

"You need to go back to bed".

She takes Caroline to her room and leaves. Caroline sits down on her bed and takes the hidden blood bag from her pocket. She drinks but she doesn't like it and, disgusted, throws the bag on the floor. She looks down at the bag on the floor, climbs down from her bed and picks it up. She starts drinking again and her fangs appear.

Salvatore Boarding House

Grace was still up in her room fast asleep while Damon and Stefan were in the study trying to figure out what their niece is and how to help her.

"Damon it's late we need to rest now we're no good to figure this out if we fall asleep". Stefan told his brother tiredly.

"Something doesn't add up Stefan when I talked to Anna she said that she wasn't suppose to survive after giving birth so we can say that she was indeed human but then Isobel fed her blood which turned her". Damon replied.

"So you're saying whoever Gracie's birth father is she got whatever from him".

"It would make sense".

"Well since we don't have a name to go by I'm going to check on Gracie then I'm going to bed".

"Stefan we need to find this out if we're ever gonna be able to help Gracie, she's already losing control of her powers as it is".

"She's losing control of them because of her emotions and she doesn't know how, look I'll talk to Bonnie about helping Gracie".

"I don't want her teaching Grace".

"Why not? It's not like we know anyone else who will do it".

"After the tomb spell not happening".

"Well this isn't up for debate Damon, Gracie needs help and Bonnie can help. End of discussion".

"Fine ".

Grace was in her room has she tossed and turned as she started having a dream.

*Dream*

Grace was in a field and no one was in sight for miles.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Grace called out.

"No need to shout Gracie dear I can hear you". Katherine said.

The ten year old had whipped around to see Katherine.

"Now what do you want?"

"I noticed that your magic is starting to show".

"So what about it?"

"It'll draw your father out of where he is".

"How do you know?"

"I've been on the run from him for years".

"What's his name?"

"I can't tell you that just yet".

"So what am I doing here and what do you want?"

"What I can't talk to my favorite Salvatore?"

"Not after what you did and said to Damon".

Grace then had felt her anger rising, she then looked over at Katherine and watched as she fell to her knees clutching her head in pain and she isn't getting up.

"Now I'm only going to tell you one time. I'm not scared of you or anyone anymore, and that you're gonna stay away from my uncles".

Katherine tried to get up but couldn't. "W-what are you gonna do about it?"

Grace had felt more anger rising and looked at Katherine who held her head in more pain. "Now as I say again stay away from my uncles or I'll kill you myself and I will do it. Don't underestimate me now Katherine, I now know what I'm capable of and now so do you. Don't cross me or things will not look pretty for you in the end. You're gonna leave Mystic Falls and never come back and if I ever see your face again I will rip your heart out before you could blink".

By this time Grace had warm blood oozing out of her nose, she had felt dizzy, she had fallen and before she passed out a tall figure had stood over her and briefly said, "I'll see you soon my daughter". With that Grace had passed out.

*Back to reality*

Grace had awoke with a start, she looked around and put her head back on her pillow. She felt something wet on her face so she brought her finger up to her nose and felt the blood. 'That's weird'. She got up and went to her bathroom to clean the blood off her nose. The ten year old had went back to her room and she had suddenly felt more confident. Something was on her mind just as she went back to bed, 'I think I saw my dad'.

The next morning

Grace had awoke the next morning feeling refreshed she got up, quickly got dressed, got her stuff for school and headed down for breakfast, she entered the kitchen to see Stefan making her lunch while Damon cooks. Stefan was sipping on some animal blood in a foam cup while Damon had a blood bag near by.

"Good morning". Grace said happily.

"Morning Gracie". Stefan said.

"Morning sweetheart".

"Uncle Damon I was hoping I can walk to school by myself today".

Damon had seemed surprised as did Stefan, the brothers had looked at each other surprised.

"How about tomorrow you can walk by yourself and today I'll walk you, I have somewhere to be anyway".

"Ok".

"Stefan can I see you for a minute".

"Sure".

Stefan then set the plate of food in front of Grace as she dug in, the brothers had went to the study.

"What was that?" Damon asked.

"What was what?" Stefan asked confused.

"Gracie wants to walk to school by herself, what's with that".

"Maybe she's trying to be independent, she's gonna want to do things on her own".

"But she loves it when we walk with her".

"She's growing up Damon she's not always gonna want us around and I say let her".

"What if it's her powers changing her? When Bonnie got her powers she started changing".

"Were not discussing this right now".

"Why the hell not?"

Stefan glanced and listened out for their niece to make sure she's still in the kitchen. "Because I don't want to talk about with Gracie around, I don't want her getting any ideas until I talk to Bonnie".

Little did they know Grace was standing out outside the doorway and heard everything, 'I need to tell them' she thought to herself.

"Grace get your stuff for school and let's go". Damon said to his niece.

"And no more eavesdropping". Stefan added.

The ten year old had went to grab her backpack from the kitchen leaving the brothers talking. "We'll discuss this later after I talk to Bonnie".

"Alright fine whatever, but if this starts to become too much for Grace she stops".

"That sounds fair".

Grace then came from the kitchen with her backpack. "I'm ready".

"We'll finish this later". Stefan says.

Damon nodded as he went to the door before they left Grace had hugged Stefan around his torso and he kissed her head, Damon and Grace then left the house during the walk they both stayed quiet till Grace had spoke up.

"Uncle Damon". She said.

"What is it sweetheart".

"How would you feel if I said I used my powers?"

Damon had stopped dead in his tracks and sighed, it was bad enough that she had powers but now that she was using them was worse because if she doesn't learn to control them something very bad could happen.

"Grace I want you to listen to me very carefully". He said in a firm and strict voice.

"Ok".

"I don't want you using your powers for anything unless it's a life or death situation. You are not I repeat not allowed to use them in public especially at school. Until Stefan talks to Bonnie about helping you control your powers I don't want you using them. Do you understand me".

"Yes sir".

"When did you use them exactly?"

"I had a dream last night and Katherine was talking to me, I used them on her. I told her to leave Mystic Falls and don't come back or I'd kill her then right before I woke up Uncle Damon I think I saw my dad".

Damon was in too much of shock and surprise to talk. "Didn't you hear me Uncle Damon I think I saw my dad".

"I heard you sweetie but I don't want you to get your hopes up, we don't even know his name yet or what he is for that matter".

"I won't get my hopes up I promise".

"Did Katherine say what she wanted?"

"No but".

"But what sweetheart".

"The information she has I know what it is".

"What is it?"

"She knows who my father is".

Damon was in more shock as he took in the new information. "I'll worry about that sweetheart and we'll talk about this later alright for now let's just go".

"Alright".

The two continued the rest of the way to the elementary school.

Mystic Falls High School

Everyone is preparing for the Mystic Falls High School Carnival. Bonnie and Elena are taking care of everything.

"Katherine looked just like you, it was freakish". Bonnie said.

"She is my ancestor. Hey, I moved the student booth into the cafeteria". Elena replied.

"Your vampire ancestor and she didn't just resemble you like a family member would. She was you".

"I don't know, I can't explain it. It's creepy, that's all I got".

"How do you know she's not still out there pretending to be you?"

"I don't but I could sit here and be tortured by the not-knowing or I could get these prizes to the ring toss".

"Have you talk to Damon since he killed Jeremy or tried to kill Jeremy?"

"No Bonnie, I haven't and I won't and I don't want to talk about Damon or anything else that's vampire related okay?" She gives a bag full of plush to Bonnie. "I'm human. And I have to do human stuff. Otherwise, I'm going to go crazy".

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll focus. We have to make Caroline proud or she will kill us. I don't know how she does all of this".

"Well because she's not human, obviously".

"Obviously". They laugh.

Jeremy and Stefan are in the hallway at Jeremy's locker.

"It's the same as the bracelet Elena gave you". Stefan said.

"It protects me from compulsion". Jeremy said.

"Vervain is toxic to vampires".

"Like poison?"

"Yeah, it's very poisonous. It keeps them out of your head".

"But why vervain?"

"Don't know, certain natural herbs and roots and other elements are just harmful to vampires".

"Like a stake to the heart?"

"Right but it has to be wood"

"You're pretty confident in yourself telling me all the different ways I could kill you".

"Jeremy, if I thought you wanted to kill me we would be having a much different conversation".

"Yeah, Damon is the one that deserves it".

"I want you to forget about Damon, all right? He's hundred times stronger than you and right now he's not stable. You got to try to move forward. Between you and me, I had to threaten Damon".

"I was killed by a vampire and brought back by a magic ring. How do you move forward from that?" The teen then stopped and stared at Stefan in shock. "Wait you threatened Damon? How?"

"Right. Well, today we have a nice little distraction courtesy of the slave driver Elena. I told Damon that if he lost control around Grace I'd send her back to our friend Lexi".

Elena arrives.

"Hello Elena". Stefan said.

"Hey, did you..." She said.

"Yeah, yeah, I set up the gold fish toss all three hundred gold fish". Jeremy said. He then says in a sarcastic voice, "It's gonna be epic!" He leaves.

"He's gonna be alright, he's just been through a little bit of an ordeal". Stefan said.

"I was just hoping that this carnival would reel him back into the land of a high school teenager". Elena replied.

"That was what we were doing here?"

"Yes, we all are. We're going to be boring high school students who live in a world where the "v" word is not uttered".

"Got it!"

"Then later you're going to take me to the Ferris wheel, we're gonna ride to the very top and then you're gonna kiss me and my heart will flutter like a normal high school girl. Do you see a running theme here?"

"Yeah I know, I'm seeing it and I'm liking it but I have a quick question. Uh, what do we do about Damon?"

"Uh, no "D" word okay? That has been deleted from the list of topics that we can discuss".

"Unfortunately Katherine showing up has been a little bit of an odd place, little off-kilter, kind of dangerous. Who knows what he's up to?"

Lockwood Mansion

Damon is in the living room with Carol Lockwood. He arrived shortly after dropping Grace off at school.

"So I understand John Gilbert has left town. Have they found the vampire that attacked him?" Carol asked.

"Well, the sheriff has asked me to take the lead on that and I promise you I will get to the bottom of it". Damon says.

"Which brings me to my next subject. With Richard gone, I'll be acting as interim mayor until the elections and I'm going to need someone to spearhead out the council. I'd like that person to be you".

"Whatever you need Carol. As a founding family member it's something that's very close to me so I would be honored to help keep this town safe from vampires".

Mason and Tyler enter the house after exercising. Carol closes the door of the living room.

"Is it safe to talk?"

"It's my brother-in-law, Mason. He's still visiting. I just don't want him to hear us. He didn't want any part of the council when he lived here and I see no reason to bring him into it now".

Damon is listening to their conversation with his powers.

"What was that? Like seven?" Tyler asked.

"Six. I don't count the last one. You crawled it". Mason said.

"What?"

"I think Grandma Lockwood actually passed you, in her walker".

"Yeah, okay. Shoes off. Mud...my mom..."

"Yeah, yeah".

Mason sits down and removes his shoes.

"So all this anger and aggression you're talking about, you notice a difference when you exercise?"

"Dude, I play three varsity sports. I work out four times a week and run three. I'm gonna say no".

"Do you have episodes? What happens exactly?"

"Starts out normal, I get angry typically over nothing. I'm an angry guy. I know it just amplifies and I just go off".

"You black out?"

"Yeah, it's like I go blind with rage".

"Is there a pattern? Like once a month, only at night?"

"All I know is I lose myself, you know? For that time I become something else and I hate it".

Damon is still listening.

"More tea? Damon?" Carol asked.

"Oh yes, please. Thank you Carol". Damon replied.

Mystic Falls Elementary School

Grace was on the playground she wasn't in the mood to play or run around so she sat quietly on a step as she read a book, she didn't have any friends and she liked it that way but she did get picked on a lot. The ten year old kept thinking about what Damon had told her in the morning, 'Don't use your powers at school' she just wanted to do a little just to get back at the people who pick on her. Just as she turned a page in her book somebody stood in front of her blocking the light.

"What do you want Mark?" Grace asked annoyed.

"What are you reading geek?" The boy asked snatching the book from her.

"Give it back". She shot up from her spot.

"Or what?"

Grace had narrowed her eyes glaring at the young boy he started holding his head in pain, after a couple of minutes Grace had stopped and realized what she did. 'Oh no Uncle Damon's gonna kill me'.

"Here just take it". Mark cried throwing the book down.

She then looked around and heard everyone murmuring and calling her names and asking questions.

"Such a freak". "Weirdo".

"What do you think she is?"

A nearby teach began wondering what happened but before he could ask Grace she dashed inside the school heading to her classroom, the ten year old was lucky that her teacher wasn't in the room so she went and grabbed her backpack then looked in the hallways to make sure that the coast is clear.

When no one was looking she dashed out of the front door. 'Where am I gonna go? Oh man Uncle Damon is gonna kill me. I know I'll go to Uncle Stefan he might be less mad at me'. The young girl had began running to Mystic Falls High.

But what Grace didn't know is that a man was watching her from the trees. "There's something very familiar about this child and I will get to the bottom of it". He muttered before speeding away.