'We might be related?' I repeated. 'Is she talking about her uncle?'

'Why are you telling us this now?!' Damon growled.

'I was too busy grieving the people you murdered.' Jeremy snarled back.

'Ok, ok.' Alaric stood in front of Jeremy. 'Did she tell you what she meant?'

'No, but I'm sure if we tell the truth, she will tell us everything.'

'No, I don't trust her.' Damon countered. 'I vote no.'

Alaric, Bonnie, and Caroline agreed with Jeremy; either way, I lost.

But still, I turned to Stefan. 'What's your choice?'

'Her scent makes her a target for any vampire within the city limits. It would be hard to explain why she can't be alone with certain people.' he replied quickly. 'Besides, she has those photos, and you want them. This might be the only way you get them.'

'I don't want to tell her.'

'And you shouldn't have too!' Damon replied quickly.

'Then why should Bella share what she knows with Elena?' Stefan pointed out. 'She might have answers, and if John has them, Bella can ask for them without raising suspicion.' he looked at me. 'You can't.'

I looked away; he took my hands in his. 'Just tell her the truth; the woman in the photo is your birth mother, and you think Beau was your birth father. Judge her by that and decide whether you want to give her a whole story.'

Stefan was not on my side.

'Do I have to do it now?'

'Not until you're ready.'

'Will you be with me?'

'Every step of the way.'

'I want to be there too!' Damon demanded.

'Me, too.' Alaric insisted.

'She'd never open up with the two of you there.' Jeremy pointed out. 'It would probably be better if just the two of you.'

'When do we do this?' Stefan asked.

I said nothing, only held him in my arms.

My phone buzzed like crazy all night and morning. I must have gotten texts from everyone in the friend group.

And they all asked the same question: Elena over there?

I just put them all in a group chat.

No. Elena is not here.

Do you know where she is? An unsaved number asked.

Damon, perhaps, I guess. I mean, I don't have his number.

No.

Do you have any ideas?

I don't know Elena as well as all of you.

Great. Another unsaved number, the Saltman, perhaps?

Sorry.

Has she contacted you? Caroline's number.

Not recently. Maybe she went to the park.

Both Caroline and Jeremy asked, why would I say that?

I just remember us always going to the park.

What else do you remember about the park? It was Stefan who asked this.

How is it going to help us find Elena?!

I could ask Rosalie if she's seen her.

A furry of text demanded that I don't do that.

Just let us know if you see her.

Every other day, that girl goes missing; why do people like kidnapping Elena?

A few days after the Where's Elena fiasco, I got a text message from Elena.

She and Stefan wanted to meet up with me. She said that she had to tell me something.

Who else is coming?

What do you mean? She played dumb.

I don't have the energy to deal with your goons.

My goons? What's that supposed to mean?!

I planned to tell her when Stefan called.

'Hello?'

'Hello, Bella.'

'Stefan.' I felt my heart skip when I heard his voice.

'Elena and I need to speak to you.

'I'm listening.'

'It's not something we should say over the phone.'

'Do you want me to come over?

'Maybe we can come over there?'

John's augury echoed in my head. 'I don't like having people over while Gram is sleeping. Maybe we can meet up at the grill. I didn't feel like making dinner anyway.'

'Alright.'

Stefan and I left as soon as he hung up the phone.

We waited 10 minutes before Bella arrived, stumbling through the door.

She wore a long blue-sleeved shirt, faded jeans, and worn-out black sneakers.

She couldn't even take the time to comb her hair.

She went over to Matt, then came over to us.

'Bella,' Stefan, always the gentleman, stood and held out her chair, 'we're glad you could make it.'

She sat down while eyeing Stefan; when he sat down, she placed her phone, revealing a 15-minute countdown. 'You have until my order is ready.'

'I can't say what I have to say in 15 minutes, Bella!'

'You have 14, Elena!'

I started to tell her about herself, but Stefan uttered, 'We know Jeremy told you about Elena being adopted.'

She blanched at the announcement. 'Oh.' she started tossing her hair; her scent made Stefan's grip on his fork tighten. 'Were you asking for advice on how I handle it?'

Oh, that's right, I forgot she's adopted too.

'No.' I cleared my throat. 'I-' I closed my mouth. 'Bella?'

'Elena?'

'Are you going to find them?' I felt Stefan's gaze turn to me; Bella cowered, then once again began tossing that mane of hers around. 'Could you stop that?'

'What?'

'Are you going to find them?'

She sat up straight. 'What's this all about?'

I couldn't speak, so Stefan said, 'Elena found her birth parents.'

'That's...' she looked at me. 'How do you feel?'

'I don't recommend it.'

Bella fidgeted and looked away, biting her lip as she did. 'Is that why you invited me here? To dissuade me from doing the same?'

'No.'

'Ok...'

'Elena-'

'I met my birth mother a while ago.'

'Is that why you've been so distant with Caroline?'

'Yes and no, but...'

'We're down to 10 minutes.' Stefan said quietly.

'Can we do this at your house?'

'Here's fine.' Bella stated. 'Say what you have to say, and if I need more details, then we can talk about it privately.'

I sighed, then threw up my hands and exclaimed, 'Mr. Saltzman's dead wife is my mother.'

Her eyes widened as she looked from me to Stefan. 'What?'

'Mr. Saltzman's wife was my mother.'

'Does he know?'

'Yes.'

She shifted around uncomfortably, tossing her hair around. 'Ok, but I'm guessing there's more.'

Now, it was my turn to shift uncomfortably. 'I found my father, someone I've known my whole life; you've met him too.'

'I have?' she gasped. I nodded. 'Well, who is it?'

I paused; this was not going the way I wanted.

Maybe I should have met at Caroline's house; she would know how to talk to Bella.

'Earth to Elena!' Bellas's voice rang. 'T minus 5 minutes.'

'To hell with your food! I'm trying to tell you something!'

'Then spit it out!'

'You could show some compassion!'

'You're increasing my anxiety!'

Stefan touched both of our hands. 'Ladies.' he turned to Bella. 'John Gilbert is Elena's father.'

'What?!'

'My uncle is my dad.'

'Did you get a blood test.'

'No.'

'Then how do you know?'

'John-'

'Do you trust him?'

The question made the hairs on my arm stand. 'Yes.'

'No, you don't.'

'They went to high school together.' I challenged.

'So, what that doesn't mean- wait, did you say they went to high school together?'

'Yes.'

She looked, no, she glared at Stefan, then took out her book, Wuthering Heights. I noticed her taking out the bookmark and placing it face down.

Stefan and I exchanged glances as she folded the corner of the page.

She picked up the photo, and she held it facing her for a bit, then slowly turned it around.

It was of John, Isobel, and Beau sitting outside my house; I held my breath. 'Is this her?'

I nodded as Stefan held my hand; Bella looked away, her eyes darting around the grill wildly.

'Are you sure?'

'Yes.'

The timer went off, causing Bella to jump and knock over my drink.

'Order was Swan!' Matt's voice called.

'I have to get my food.' she grabbed her phone and hurried away.

'Ok, it's ok.' Stefan said as she hurried off. 'Now we can go to her talk; remember, she only lives a few houses down. It wouldn't surprise me if she called later to talk.'

I'm glad he was so optimistic about this because I was under the impression that we failed.

After Bella was gone for a while, Matt walked over to our table holding two bags. 'Is Bella in the restroom?'

'No.' I sniffled.

'Why?' asked Stefan.

'She left her order.'

Stefan and I exchanged a glance; it's good to have optimism.

'We'll take it to her.'