During the night Damon laid awake as he held Grace protectively in his arms, he wouldn't admit it but for the first time in his life he was truly afraid that he lost his niece. Stefan went to go check on his brother after a while he knew that Damon was still with their niece so he quietly entered the room and went beside his brother.
"Damon she's gonna be ok, she won't disappear". Stefan said quietly.
"We almost lost her tonight Stefan, I won't let it happen again". Damon replied.
Grace had stirred making both brothers go quiet for a moment once she was comfortable again they sighed and resumed talking.
"It's not gonna happen again Damon".
"You're damn right it's not gonna happen again because she's not using her powers again not until she learns how to control them".
"Look we'll discuss that another time but for now let's leave her to rest".
"I'm not leaving her".
Stefan looked at his brother and saw fear in his eyes. "Are you alright Damon?"
"I'm fine just tired". Stefan knew his brother was lying but decided to drop the subject for the time being.
"Alright". He then kissed Grace on the head. "Good night".
"Good night brother".
Once Stefan had left the room Damon had brought his niece closer to him kissing her head. "I promise you'll be ok sweetheart, I'll never let anything bad happen to you ever again". Damon whispered.
The next morning
Damon, Stefan, and Elena were in the living room waiting on Alaric, Grace was in the kitchen eating once she was finished she had went out to the living room.
"Grace go on up to your room". Stefan said.
"Why". She whined.
"Because you don't need to hear this, what we're gonna talk about doesn't have anything to do with you". Damon added.
"Can I just stay please". She gave Damon the puppy dog eyes knowing he can't resist.
"Fine but what is said in this room stays in this room do you hear me".
"Yes".
"Damon I can't believe you fell for the puppy dog eyes". Elena chuckled.
"That's because when Gracie uses them he can't resist them he falls for it". Stefan said laughing as well.
"Don't pretend you don't fall for it as well Uncle Stefan". Grace said.
"I only fell for it when you were younger Damon falls for it because he's a sucker".
"Watch it Stefan or I'll show you what this sucker is capable of". Damon warned.
Alaric arrives at the Salvatore boarding house.
"Thanks for coming, Ric. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee?" Damon asked.
"Elena mentioned you needed my help". Alaric said. He then spotted the ten year old. "Is Grace allowed to be here for this?"
"Yes".
"Yeah, we were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family". Stefan says.
At the Lockwood mansion Mason is goes outside the house for a run. Tyler observes him and follows.
"Now, why would I know anything about the Lockwood's?" Alaric asked.
"Well, you wouldn't. But you're dead, not-dead vampire wife might". Damon said. He then wrapped an arm around Grace who leaned into his side.
"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together". Elena added.
"You said that she had spent years researching this town". Stefan said.
"Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rooted in folklores and legends but at the time I thought much of which was fiction". Alaric said.
"Do you think Isobel knew my father?" Grace asked.
"Gracie not the time". Stefan said.
"Like that amazing vampire story". Damon said.
"Aside from vampires, what else?" Elena asked.
"The lycanthrope". Alaric answered.
"Wait, like werewolves?"
That made Grace think about something, 'I wonder could I be part werewolf? Could I be a full werewolf? Is that why the device affected me?'
"No way, impossible, way too Lon Chaney". Damon says.
"Is it?" Stefan asked.
"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years, never came across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"
We see Mason running in the woods. Tyler is following him. Mason goes down some brick steps into the ruins.
"Why do you suspect the Lockwoods?" Alaric asked.
"Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founders' Day but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler. It also affected Gracie"
"And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought with one of the carnival's workers". Stefan added.
"I also seen his eyes change color". Grace piped in.
In the woods we see Mason going out from the ruins. Tyler watches him and goes in the ruins.
"It suggests it's some sort of a supernatural entity". Stefan said.
"We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure it out what it is". Elena said.
"Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there. She's technically still missing". Alaric says.
"So can we get access to it?" Damon asked.
Tyler is in the ruins. He opens some of the underground doors. He takes pictures of the underground quarters.
"Ric, we need to know what we are dealing with. If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good".
Tyler backs into some metal restraining device and scares himself. He notices scratch marks on the wall.
"It means Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior, which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed".
"I have a question, if I'm not a vampire and the device still somehow affected me d-does that mean I could be a werewolf?" Grace asked scared.
"Gracie calm down". Stefan said gently.
"How can I calm down Uncle Stefan I could be a werewolf!"
The lights in the room started flickering and everything began to shake.
"What's going on?" Alaric asked.
Damon then went by his niece and gently taking her shoulders trying to get her attention. "Gracie! Gracie, sweetheart look at me. Look at my eyes sweetie". The ten year old looked into her uncle's dark blue eyes while tears were streaming down her face, Damon wiped away the tears with his thumbs.
"Gracie I need you to take a deep breath and calm down". He instructed her.
"How could you say that Uncle Damon? If I'm a werewolf I can be a threat to you and Uncle Stefan, I could kill you guys". She cried and ran out of the room. Everything in the house started shaking faster and stuff began falling.
The brothers had sighed confusing Ric. "Um what just happened?" Ric asked confused.
"Long story short, Grace is a witch but she's also a mix of something else but we don't know because she was adopted and we don't know anything about her father". Stefan explained.
"I'll go talk to her". Damon stated.
He then super sped up to Grace's room he saw a couple things fall off the walls so he quickly entered his niece's room, when he opened the door the lights in the room flickered and a couple of the windows began breaking he was then by his niece's side in a flash.
"Gracie, sweetheart I need you to calm down and take a deep breath". He said softly.
She shook her head as she flung herself into his arms burying her face into his shirt.
"I-I don't wanna be a w-werewolf!" Grace sobbed.
"Baby we don't know what you are just yet so there's no reason to get upset".
"It makes sense Uncle Damon, I'm not a vampire so why else would the device affect me?"
Damon sighed knowing that she had a point. "I can't stay here anymore".
"Sweetheart what are you talking about?"
"Uncle Damon if it's true and I am a werewolf, I can't stay here. I could be a threat to you and Uncle Stefan or worse".
Damon felt his heart shatter when the young girl had said that, Stefan was in the living room and heard it he also felt his heart shatter.
"Stefan? What's wrong?" Elena asked.
"I need to go talk to Grace". He replied.
Stefan then went up to his niece's room he saw the door opened, he took in the scene in front of him. Grace had wrapped herself around Damon, she had her face buried into his neck.
"Gracie you don't have to go anywhere". Stefan said gently, going towards the ten year old.
Stefan took a seat beside his brother and niece. "I can't be here Uncle Stefan, I don't wanna hurt you or Uncle Damon. It only take one bite from me and one of you could die".
"Sweetheart we don't know anything just yet so calm down". Damon said.
"What will happen when it turns out that I am a werewolf or part werewolf?"
The brothers look at each other. "You're still gonna stay here with us, nothing's gonna change. Gracie we don't care what you are we'll love you no matter what".
"Damon's right sweetie we don't care that you're a witch, or a werewolf, or any of that. We love you for who you are not what you are". Stefan added.
"I'm sorry, I just wanna find out what I really am and who my father is". She said sniffing.
The brothers sighed Grace let go of Damon and wrapped her arms around Stefan.
"Sweetheart let us worry about who your dad is, I know that your curious but we don't know anything about him just yet so leave that to us. You just worry about being a kid and learning to control your powers".
"Alright, I love you guys".
"We love you too". They hug her and kissed her head.
Elena is packing for the trip to Duke. Stefan and Grace are with her.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stefan asked.
"Which part? Digging through my birth mother's life work or going to Duke with Damon?" Elena asked.
"Either, both".
"Well, I'm not sure about the first part but then again Ric is a good buffer so we can bond in our anti-Damon solidarity. I wish you were coming though".
"You know what? Maybe we should wait a couple days, huh? Wait until Caroline is less of a danger and then I could go with you".
"It's okay that I'm going, right? And be honest because if it's not then I can just stay here and we can take care of Caroline".
"Listen, I want you to go okay? I do. You have questions about your lineage and about Katherine and...look I'm not gonna let the fact that Damon is going keep you from an opportunity to get some answers".
"You hate it though".
"I hate it but I love you".
"I love you too".
She kisses him.
"Ok ew". Grace said.
The two laugh and break apart.
Jenna and Alaric are at the front door talking and waiting for Elena.
"It's been a while" Jenna said.
"Well, the school has been keeping me busy".
"I want you to know it means a lot to me that Elena has a connection to her mother. I appreciate you bringing her along today".
"Yeah, I figured it was time to take care of my wife's things you know. Look Jenna, I know things between you and I have been a little start and stop and I'm sorry for that but maybe once I can..."
"Uh...no, don't do that. Not the half maybe apology hope for the future thing".
Damon is honking.
"Elena?! Are you coming?" Jenna called up to her niece.
She looks at Alaric.
"Do what you need to do okay?"
Stefan, Grace, and Elena are going down the stairs.
"Hey, are you okay?" Elena asked her aunt.
"Yeah, just, men and their baggage".
They go outside. Damon is waiting at the car.
"I'm ready too". Grace said.
"Sorry you can't come too, Stef". Damon said, he then turned to his niece. "Sorry sweetheart you're staying with Stefan".
"What? But I wanna come". Grace said.
"Call me if you need anything". Stefan tells Elena.
"Oh, I'll take really good care of her". Damon says.
Elena grabs Stefan by the neck and kisses him, he kisses her back. Elena is trying to make Damon jealous.
"I wanna come to Uncle Damon". Grace said.
"Sorry sweetheart you have to stay here with Stefan, this isn't a place for kids but I promise when I come back we'll spend a day together just me and you".
"Alright".
"Now the rules. You do what Stefan tell you to do, he's in charge. You do not use your powers unless Bonnie teaches you or it's a life or death situation. Another thing you do not use your powers in public I don't want a repeat of the school incident, if I hear that you did then you little miss are grounded again but this time for 3 weeks. Do you understand me".
"Yes sir".
Grace then hugged Damon's waist, Damon had wrapped his arms around his niece holding her close to him he then kissed the top of her head. "I love you Gracie".
"I love you too Uncle Damon". He then kissed her head one last time just as she kissed his cheek.
"Okay, time to go". Damon announced.
He goes into the car. Elena does too. Stefan looks at Elena.
"Goodbye". Stefan says.
"Bye Uncle Damon". Grace said.
The car pulled off leaving Stefan and Grace standing there.
"Uncle Stefan what am I gonna do about my powers?" Grace asked.
"I'll talk to Bonnie today and see when we can start teaching you". Stefan replied.
"Do you think my powers could hurt me?"
"If you don't learn to control them then yes they could hurt you, Gracie you already blacked out because of it if you don't get them under control something bad could happen and I'm not talking about blacking out".
"Do you think it's true that I could be a werewolf or part werewolf?"
"I don't know Gracie until we know there's no reason to get upset or worry about it".
"I have to worry about it Uncle Stefan".
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to hurt you or Uncle Damon, all it'll take is one bite from me and you two could die. And that's if I am a werewolf or even part wolf".
"Gracie, sweetheart remember what Damon and I said we don't know anything yet and let us figure that out and let us worry about it".
"I guess I'm just curious".
"It's alright to be curious but it's not something you should worry about at your age, all you need to worry about is being a kid".
"Alright can we go to the Mystic Grill?"
"Yeah let's go".
Mystic Grill
Stefan, Grace, and Bonnie are sitting at a table. Grace was quietly eating a burger and fries while sipping on a soda while her uncle was talking with Bonnie.
"I don't know how to make a day-walking ring". Bonnie said.
"Emily made mine, she made Damon's too, instructions must be in the Grimoire". Stefan said.
"That doesn't mean I can cast the spell".
"Bonnie, you know how to drop vampires with a single look, okay? I think you can figure it out".
"Caroline killed someone, Stefan. I can't make it easier for her to do it again".
"No, we're not making it easier for her; we're just giving her the chance to survive. Listen, every day that she's cut off from her old life - from you, from Elena, from Matt, it'll make it that much harder for her to hold on to her humanity".
"And how do you know she won't hurt anyone else?"
"I don't, but if we don't do everything we can to help her or at least trust the fact that she can keep it together, we might as well just stake her right now".
"I don't know if I can trust her, not with this".
"Then trust me".
Once the two had stopped talking Grace took a drink from her soda then faced Bonnie.
"Hey Bonnie". Grace said.
"Yes Gracie". She replied.
"When do you think you could teach me how to learn to control my powers?"
Bonnie looked over at Stefan waiting on his answer. "Gracie let's wait for Damon to get back before we do any of that". Stefan says.
"But what Uncle Damon doesn't know won't hurt him".
"Grace if Damon had found out you did magic without him here and something happened to you he would kill me".
"Your kidding right?" She looked at the serious look on his face. "Oh you're serious, but how am I supposed to learn?"
Bonnie then looked at Stefan. "Stefan if it's alright with you maybe I could teach her something small and if it becomes too much for her we'll stop".
"Please Uncle Stefan please".
"You two are gonna get me in so much trouble with Damon".
"Does that mean yes?"
"Yes, as long as it stays small and nothing big, I'm serious if something happens Damon will stake me".
Alaric's Car
Damon, Elena and Alaric are in the car, going to Duke. Damon looks at Elena.
"How are you doing back there? You know, this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly". Damon says to Elena.
"I don't think she's pretending. You did kill her brother". Alaric said.
"There is a huge asterisk next to that statement: he came back to life".
"Yeah, thanks to a ring that you didn't know he was wearing". Elena said looking out the window.
"Why are you so sure I didn't know?"
"Did you?"
"Yes".
"You're lying".
"Elena, I saw the ring! It's a big tacky thing. Hard to miss".
Alaric looks at his own ring.
Forbes Residence
Bonnie, Caroline, Grace, and Stefan are in Caroline's bedroom. Bonnie has Emily's grimoire in her hands. Caroline has the ring in her hands.
"So, I don't get to choose the ring I have to wear the rest of my life?" Caroline asked.
"Hey, if you don't want it..." Bonnie says.
"No, no, she wants it". Stefan said.
"Now what?" Caroline asked.
"Now is the part where I explain the rules. The witch who spells the ring has the power to de-spell it so if you ever do anything to hurt anyone..." Bonnie replies.
"I'm not gonna hurt anyone".
"You are a vampire that mean the urge to kill is a part of who you are. The minute you let it take over, I will stop you".
"Bonnie, you're supposed to be my friend".
"I can't ignore what happened, okay? If you want to be friends, you have to prove that the Caroline I remember isn't gone. Now put the ring on the bed".
Caroline puts the ring on the bed.
"Do you really think I meant to kill that guy at the carnival?"
"He's still dead. Now, do you want me to cast the spell or not?"
"Can I help?" Grace asked.
Bonnie had looked over towards Stefan for his approval. "Will it hurt her or cause her any harm?"
"It shouldn't".
"Alright".
"Grace just do what I do alright".
"Ok".
Bonnie opens a little bit the curtain. The sun shines on the ring. Bonnie and Grace looks at the ring and closes their eyes a moment and finally opens them.
"All done". Bonnie states.
"I don't feel like I did anything". Grace said.
"That's a good thing Gracie". Stefan tells her.
Bonnie gives the ring to Caroline. She takes the ring and puts it on her finger.
"So that's it? I mean nothing witchy happened. You know, no flickering lights, no gust of wind. Have you even done this before?"
"I haven't but when I get angry or my emotions get out of control stuff happens". Grace said.
"Caroline..." Stefan starts, he then turned to his niece. "Gracie not helping".
"Sorry". She whispered.
"What? I just want to make sure that it worked". Caroline said.
Bonnie opens the curtain.
"It worked".
"What if it hadn't Bonnie?!"
Bonnie looks at Stefan.
Bonnie whispered, "She's all yours".
She takes the grimoire and before she leaves Grace had stopped her.
"Bonnie". Grace said.
"Yes Grace". The teen witch said.
"Thank you for teaching me how to control my powers".
"Your welcome Gracie, maybe when Damon gets back and it's alright with him we can work on some spells in the grimoire".
"Really?" The ten year old had seemed excited. All of the doors in the house had begun swinging open and slamming shut.
"What's going on?" Caroline asked.
"Um Gracie could you tone down the excitement a little I think Caroline wants her house to be in one piece". Stefan said.
"Sorry". Grace said., just had began to calm down a little shortly after the doors in the house had stopped.
"Yes".
"Bonnie could I talk to you for a moment?" Stefan asked.
"Sure".
Grace stayed in the room with Caroline while Stefan went outside to talk.
"What is it Stefan".
"I don't think it would be a good idea to teach Grace those kinds of spells, your Grams used those spells. Emily herself could have used them. I don't want my niece using those kinds of spells".
"Stefan how else am I supposed to teach her?"
"Teach her some beginner spells".
Bonnie knew something was up with Stefan. "Is there something you're not telling me Stefan?"
He then sighed and began to explain, "You didn't hear this from me".
"Alright".
"At the carnival when Grace tried to help Damon and she passed out, I never in my whole life seen Damon so freaked out before".
"Wait Damon was scared?" Bonnie seemed shocked and surprised, she knew that Damon was one of those people who never got scared of anything.
"He was scared because of how much power and energy she used, he thought she wouldn't make it. Damon didn't leave her side at all that night".
"That's why he doesn't want her using her powers in public".
"He doesn't want her to use them period but if her emotions get high her powers start acting up but if she has control of them it'll be better".
"I'll see what I can do".
Meanwhile
Katherine is at Anna's hideout she looks around and didn't see anyone so she enters the house as she looks around again, her eyes then landed on Anna's dead body as she slowly walks to it as her heels were clicking on the floor.
"Well looks like mommy dearest is out of the picture but I wonder could she be any use to me?" Katherine asked herself.
Anna's eyes then shot open looking up at Katherine who backed away, Anna looked down at the stake in her chest she pulled it out and threw it across the room and watched as it smashed. She then looked over at Katherine.
"What are you doing here?" Anna asked annoyed.
"I wanna know how you got staked in the heart but came back". Katherine replied.
"That's none of your concern Katherine, now if you'll excuse me I have to go see Damon".
"Actually I was hoping to talk to you".
"About what?"
"I know who Gracie's daddy is and I can bet so do you".
"Maybe I do, Maybe I don't. Why the hell do you care?"
"Simple. I want him off my tail, you want him away from you and Grace so you can have her back".
"I'm listening".
"We can help each other we both want the same thing, besides I'm amazing at persuading the Salvatores".
"Can you help me get Grace back?"
"But of course I can but not just yet they still need to think you're dead and I'm out of town, that little daughter of yours discovered her magic and is very good with them".
"I was afraid that would happen".
"Sweetie just leave everything to me".