A knock on the door made me jump. 'Bella?'

I peeked out the window and saw John Gilbert waving at me; I opened the door. 'Mr. Gilbert?'

'I told you, it's John.'

'Mr. John.'

He sighed but gave me a sad smile. 'I didn't see your truck. Is your grandmother home?'

'No, she went to the grill.'

'So you're going the Lockwoods?'

'Gran is going later, but she worried that might be too much for me.' I noticed the suitcase. 'Are you leaving?'

He glanced at the suitcase behind him. 'Yes.' he cleared his throat.'Yes, I am. I wanted to speak with you.' I gestured for him to come inside, but he shook his head. 'No, I won't take long.'

'Did you talk to Isobel?'

'Yes.'

'Did she tell you what we talked about?'

'Yes, but it's not-' he cleared his throat. 'There more to the story.'

'Enlighten me.'

'You seem intelligent so I won't beat around the bush. Your mother- er... Isobel was seeing us both. She thought she loved Beau, and he wasn't even sure who or what he was.'

'What?'

'Isobel- I didn't know she was sleeping with him.'

'Are you implying that-?'

'Yes. Calm down; Jeremy told me about your conversation at school; your grandmother seems-'

'Are you saying that-'

I didn't know how to finish the sentence.

'Yes.'

'When are you coming back?'

'Not sure, but I know I won't stay away.'

'You did get the message I sent you? We can talk there.'

'Alright.' he turned to leave but turned back. 'Bella?'

'Yes?'

'Don't invite Elena into your home.'

'What?'

'Do not invite Elena into your home! And don't let your grandmother invite her in, either.'

'Is Elena-?'

The truck pulled into the driveway. 'Bella?' I heard Gran call.

John Gilbert cleared his throat and, with his good hand, grabbed his bag.

'Til we meet again, Bella Swan.'

'Katherine looked just like you; it was freakish.'

'She is my ancestor.' I commented. 'Hey, I moved the student booth into the cafeteria.'

'Your vampire ancestor,' Bonnie pointed out, 'and she didn't just resemble you as 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 talked to Damon since he killed or tried to kill Jeremy?'

'No, Bonnie, I haven't and won't, and I don't want to talk about Damon or anything else that's vampire-related, okay?' I gave a bag full of plush to her. '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.'

I grinned. 'Well, because she's not human, obviously.'

'Obviously.'

'The dead has risen.' Rosalie said the second I walked into Mr. Saltzman's class.

Everyone turned to me, even The Saltman, as I sat between Rosalie and Jeremy.

It was like the first day of school all over again.

'Welcome back, Miss. Swan.' The Saltman said as he watched me.

'We need to talk.' Jeremy said.

I nodded in agreement.

'Would you mind staying, Miss. Swan?' The Saltman asked when the bell rang. 'I would like to talk to you.'

'What about?' I asked as I watched Jeremy and Rosalie hurry out the door. 'I don't want to be late for my next class.'

'You have lunch next.'

'I'm super hungry.'

'This won't take long.'

I watched the door. 'Fine. What's this all about?'

'It's good to have you back.'

'You could have told me that when I arrived.'

'You seem nervous.'

'Since I set foot in this town, I've been unusually unlucky. I'm entitled to be nervous.'

'You don't have to worry about that here.'

'Famous last words.'

'I heard your uncle was friends with the former history teacher.'

I shrugged. 'Yeah, so? Did Jeremy and Jenna tell you?'

'Elena.'

'Ok...'

'She also mentioned that they were friends with her uncle. And that you have photos.'

'Ok.'

'I'd love to see them.'

'May I ask why?'

He paused for a second, then replied, 'Your uncle was a war hero-'

'And who told you that?'

He narrowed his eyes and gave me a fake smile. 'Suspicious little thing, aren't you?'

I did not return his smile. 'When you have luck like mine, suspicion. I don't have them.'

'Could you bring them?'

'I'd have asked my grandmother; those photos are all she has left her son.'

I thought about my conversations with John and Isobel.

'Can we wrap this up? I'm starving.'

'I think your buddy Ric is in cahoots with your sister and the Salvatores.'

'He is.'

'About what the last time we talked in person...'

'Bella, I'm so sorry-'

'No need,' I sighed, 'You were right.'

'What?'

'I saw her.'

'Bella, that woman is a vampire.'

'I know. She's the reason I wasn't crushed that night.'

'She kidnapped me.'

'What?! When?!'

'The day you had your panic attack.'

'Did she hurt you?!'

'No, they wanted the Gilbert device.'

'They? Gilbert devise? What's that?'

'My ancestor created it to find vampires. How did you find out-?'

'She told me I saw her at the Founders Day parade.'

'Did she hurt you?'

'No, Jeremy, there's a possibility that we could be related.'

'What?!'

'Isobel-'

'Bella.' I heard Elena's voice call.

I groaned both internally and externally, and Jeremy did the same. 'Right there with you, Bells.'

'We can talk later.'

Jeremy nodded as Elena and Bonnie arrived. I turned away from them as Jeremy greeted Bonnie.

After she greeted him, Bonnie turned to meet, 'Bella.'

'Bonnie, how have you been?'

'Fine.'

'I heard about your... episode-'

'How is everything with you?' I cut her off. 'We haven't talked since the funeral.'

Bonnie decolorized at the mention of her grandmother but smiled nonetheless.

'Fine. How are things with your grandmother? Is she well?'

'She fine; I'm the one that's a hair away from danger.' Elena's gaze made my skin. 'Is there something I can do for you guys?'

'Elena told me about your uncle,' Bonnie said, glancing at Elena, 'I was wondering-'

'I don't have them. I gave them to Mr. Gilbert.' I watched Elena out of the corner of my eye and said, 'If you want to see the photos, you'll have to talk to him.'

'You did?! When did-'

'When he came to say goodbye.'

'Oh.' was Bonnie's response as Elena scowled and barked, 'Don't you think other people would have liked to see them!'

'Why would you want to?'

Elena paused, probably trying to muster what she thought was a believable excuse.

'I'm entitled to know about the town's war hero.'

'I bet you use that word a lot.'

'What word?'

'Entitled.'

'Excuse me?!'

'His friends, his photos, his memories. His entitlement outweighs yours.' Elena pouted. 'Where's Caroline?'

'Still in hospital.' Bonnie said, sliding between us.

'Is she alright?' I stood.

'She's fine, she's getting today.'

'When will she be discharged?'

'Tonight.'

'Tonight?' I echoed. 'Why so late?'

Elena, I guess, was annoyed that no one was paying her attention; she groaned, 'The doctor changed it.'

'What?!'

'The doctor changed it.'

'Do you know why?'

'No.'

'Did she say why?'

'No.'

'Did her mom say why?'

'No.'

'Did the doctor say why?'

'No, Bella,' groaned Elena, 'no one told me anything. It's not the end of the world.'

But it could be the end of Caroline, I groaned internally.

'I'm sure everything is fine.' Bonnie assured me.

'I have to see Dr. Francis.'