A/N: Here's the new chapter update :)
The next chapter might be a while, because my computer decided it might be fun to deem it 'corrupted and with missing parts'. So I've gotta rewrite it, and three others.
Please review, and no flaming.
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. The characters (except for Grace) are all owned by J.L. Smith.
Enjoy xx
PAYING RESPECTS
"Expect the best, be prepared for the worst, fuck what others think and do your own thing." ~Unknown.
From where I was standing in front of the 'Mystic Grill', I had the perfect view of my new apartment window. To my amusement, I could see Henrik standing there with a smirk on his face, and waving at me. I casually flipped him off, trying to disguise it as something classy like scratching my cheek, as to not unintentionally offend some random person walking down the street, looking in my direction. I leant casually against a black metal fence on the side of the restaurant, with my arms folded across my chest. I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be looking for, and I felt a little bit exposed.
"Grace?" I glanced over and saw a petite girl with stick straight light brown hair, and an olive complexion walking towards me; looking a little uncertain. I allowed my sunglasses to slide down my nose a little, and straightened up.
"Elena?" I greeted her, with a small smile. Elena's eyebrow rose a little as she took in what I was wearing. I frowned a little. "Is there something wrong?" I asked, feeling slightly paranoid again. Elena immediately attempted to reassure me.
"No, not at all. You're just not who I was picturing at all." She explained. And you look exactly like your Aunt… I thought, smiling at her in amusement. I walked over to her with my hand outstretched.
"Nice to finally meet you, Elena." I told her. The look was still on Elena's face. "Now I really gotta ask, what is wrong?" I asked her. Elena flushed when she realised what she was doing.
"Sorry. It's just your accent…" She trailed off. I laughed.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I get that all the time." I explained, falling into step with her as I followed her back up the street to where she had parked her car. "I was born in England, and travelled to America when I was ten with my family." Elena smiled.
"I've never been to England. What's it like?" She asked, politely.
"It's probably changed a hell of a lot since I was last there; but mostly cold, sometimes wet and always cloudy and grey. Or at least London is." I said. "What's it like here in Mystic Falls?" Elena smiled, smoothing a piece of her hair behind her ear.
"Mostly sunny. Doesn't tend to get very cold during winter; hardly get any snow. That's pretty much it." She told me. Elena stopped before a black SUV, and I noticed a young woman about a few years older than me, with strawberry blonde hair and curious hazel eyes looking back at me. In the backseat, was a teenage boy about Henrik's age (physically) who could've been Grayson Gilbert's mini-me, who I assumed was Elena's younger brother, Jeremy. "Hop in, Grace." Elena instructed and I nodded, opening the backdoor and sliding into the seat Jeremy had just vacated.
"Who's this, Elena?" 'Strawberry Blonde' asked Elena, and turned around in her seat to look at me better.
"Grace Williams." I introduced myself, reaching forward to shake the woman's hand. "I'm a pen-pal of Elena's. Just moved here today." I explained. The woman offered me a warm smile.
"Jenna Sommers." She replied. "Sorry for being nosy, but how old are you exactly, Grace?" Jenna sounded concerned, and I was touched; despite it being unnecessary.
"21." I replied, easily. Jenna and Elena both looked surprised.
"You don't look it." Jenna observed. I laughed.
"Yeah, I get that a lot." I turned towards Jeremy, who was eying me curiously. "You must be Jeremy." I said, offering my hand to him to shake. He took it looking surprised.
"Yeah, that's right. How did you know?" I gestured towards Elena, who was fumbling around with her phone.
"Elena talks about you and her friends a lot." I explained. Jeremy threw his sister/cousin an accusing look. I blinked, looking a little shocked.
"Really? What did she say?" He demanded, a little defensively.
"Nothing incriminating. She just described you to me, and told me things that you like to do in your spare time." I replied, surprised.
"Oh." Jeremy said, before turning away and looking out of the window. I glanced over at Jenna and Elena for an explanation.
"Was it something I said?" I asked, slightly worried. Jenna shook her head, glaring a little at Jeremy who pretended he couldn't see her.
"Don't worry about him. Jeremy's just sulking a little." Jenna apologized. "He just recently lost somebody close to him. In the same accident that our Mayor was recently killed in." My eyes widened.
"Oh, shit. Sorry to hear that." I said to him, sympathetic. Jeremy shrugged, but didn't say anything else. Suddenly, Elena's phone rang shrilly.
"Hello?" She answered, sounding a little tired. I watched her face closely as it went from tired to annoyed in a space of two minutes flat. "Bonnie, I know I'm late. I'm getting in the car now. I'll be there in five." She hung up, and immediately started the car. Elena looked back, and glanced at me. "Sorry about that, Grace. It's just been a rough few days." She explained.
"I've had those days. No need to apologise." I waved away the excuse. Elena nodded and then proceeded to move her car on to the road, driving towards our destination.
After a quick car ride, Elena turned onto a long driveway and drove up towards a large mansion that looked like it was circa Civil War.
"Wow." I said, eying the impressive building. It was a two story, brick monstrosity with white columns at the front, holding up the roof. On the expansive front lawn was a duck pond with a fountain that was currently switched off. "The Mayor knows how to live in style." I commented, mildly impressed. Elena parked her car, and everybody got out and started walking for the front door. The four of us stepped past the threshold and walked deeper into the house. Jenna glanced around at the mingling guests.
"Looks like the whole town has turned out." She mused. Elena shrugged from where she was standing beside me, being the dutiful tour guide.
"Yeah. Well he is… he was the mayor." She reminded her Aunt. Jeremy frowned in confusion.
"Why don't they save it for the funeral?" He wondered out loud. Jenna reached for a champagne glass a waiter was passing around on silver trays. I raised an eyebrow. If this was a casual affair, why the waiters?
"That's what people do." She explained. "The Lockwoods were here for us when we went through this." I stiffened, thinking immediately about Miranda and Grayson, and their message I was supposed to relay to Elena at right moment. I just hoped that nobody noticed. "It'll be quick; we'll drop off the food and pay our respects and go." Jenna told him. Jeremy considered this and nodded in agreement.
"In and out? It sounds like a plan." He stated. As I was glancing about the room with interest, sipping absently on a glass of champagne I had managed to grab at the same time as Jenna did, I noticed a tall, attractive man with jet black hair and dressed completely in black come into view. Elena reacted, and quickly turned towards Jenna, Jeremy and I.
"You guys go ahead, I'll be right there, okay?" She indicated towards the guy, before grabbing my attention. "Uh, mingle. I'll introduce you to everybody in a sec." Elena promised.
"Hey, don't stress. I'll be okay here with Jeremy and Jenna. Go do what you have to do." I replied. Elena nodded and darted over towards the guy, who looked less than happy to see her; I noticed. I nudged Jeremy. "Who's tall, dark and gorgeous?" I asked. Jeremy apparently knew who I was talking about.
"Oh, that's Damon Salvatore. He's a total dick." Jeremy said, dismissively. I paused mid-sip.
"Right then. So no love lost between you, I assume." I mused. Jeremy snorted, before turning and disappearing into the crowd, leaving me standing awkwardly with Jenna, who seemed to be looking through the crowd for someone. I decided to follow Elena's advice. "Excuse me." I said to Jenna, who nodded in acknowledgement. I allowed the crowd of mourners to swallow me up, as I walked blindly around the room feeling a little awkward as I knew nobody.
The interior of the Lockwood Mansion - as Elena had mentioned the name to me before – was beautifully decorated, but very obviously overdone. Like somebody was trying to flaunt their wealth in a very obnoxious way. I made my way into the main foyer, which had been decorated in various shades of creams, browns and white; with a large staircase that spiraled up, leading to the second floor. The temptation to walk up those steps was high, but I didn't want to piss off the hostess by traipsing around places that were probably out of bounds. Especially when the hostess probably had enough on her plate dealing with her grief.
I finished off my champagne, and passed it to the nearest waiter and wondered out of the French doors into the garden, where a few guests had congregated. The sun was still fairly high in the sky, so I pulled my sunglasses off my head and slid them back on my face before plunging both hands into my jacket pockets. The garden itself was immaculate and smelt divine, all roses and jasmine and lilies in various clusters all around me. I followed a white stoned path around the house, just casually strolling when I noticed Elena and a tall, light brown haired man with green eyes walking not too far ahead of me. I immediately went to make an about face, realizing that I was about to intrude on something private; when I noticed the expression on the guy's face. I had assumed that this guy was the boyfriend Elena had mentioned last night, but he did not look happy to see her at all. I frowned, and silently wondered closer. Lover's spat? I thought.
"There's nothing more annoying than a vengeful vampire, Stefan. Just ask John Gilbert." Elena said casually to the newly named Stefan. I smiled, silently approving Elena's taste in boyfriends. Then the smile disappeared when I remembered Elena saying the word 'vampire'. Oh, great. Elena knows about Vampires? I thought miserably, feeling sorry for the poor girl. I watched Stefan glaring heavily at Elena, so much so that I was tempted to go over and act as her support in case Stefan was violent.
"You haven't changed at all, have you?" He stated, his voice was cultured with a hint of the Southern twang in every other syllable. Elena smiled coyly at him, making my stomach flip over uncomfortably. Something didn't feel right about this.
"But you have. You're stronger. Meaner. It's sexy." Elena told him, batting her eyes. Stefan didn't react.
"Don't flirt with me Katherine." Katherine? "I'm not Damon; I haven't spent one hundred and forty five years obsessed with you." Stefan told her firmly. I was definitely confused. Not only was that not Elena talking with Stefan just meters away from me, but also Damon had been brought into the conversation as well? And exactly who was Katherine? Elena's sluttier twin sister? I continued watching them from where I was, hopefully hidden from their direct eye view. Throughout their entire conversation, Stefan was getting increasingly irritated, while Katherine looked completely calm and serene.
"You want to know why I'm here, Stefan? I came back for you." Katherine confessed, sounding extremely sincere. I made a face. Yeah, big shocker there… I thought, dryly.
"Well the problem, Katherine, is that I hate you." Stefan confessed back, also sounding completely sincere. Katherine froze, losing the demure smile and immediately frowned. I winced at Stefan's choice of words. Then without warning, Katherine picked up an iron stem from the ground and impales Stefan in the stomach with it. I stifled a scream with my hand, as my eyes widened in horror. Katherine leaned in close.
"You hate me, huh? That sounds like the beginning of a love story, Stefan, not the end of one." Then Katherine violently removes the iron stem and leaves without another word. When I knew that it was safe to do so, I immediately ran towards Stefan to offer him some aid.
"Oh God!" I saw the gushing wound, and swallowed. "Here let me help you." I insisted to Stefan, who looked at me with alarm and attempted to back away.
"No, please. It's not necessary, I'll be fine." He insisted. I immediately turned to retort how NOT fine he really was when I noticed an unusual ring on Stefan's index finger. It was a very old-fashioned ring fashioned like a regal coat of arms. A capital 'S' had been emblazoned on the front. But the thing that I noticed most of all about the ring, was the stone it contained; specifically, lapis lazuli. He's a vampire!? I thought, and hoped that I maintained a straight face as I quickly straightened up and pulled out my phone. "What are you doing?" Stefan asked, cautiously. I scrolled through my contacts, locating Elena's name.
"Calling for assistance." I replied matter-of-factly.
"Look, it's great that you want to help me. But I can assure you, I'm fine." He insisted. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, I know that." I said, as I waited for Elena to pick up. I eyed Stefan, who looked at me suspiciously and I was sure, he was about to open his gob again and demand to know how I knew he'd be okay when ten seconds ago I was practically a nervous wreck. Finally, Elena picked up before Stefan could speak.
"Grace? Where are you?" Elena asked, sounding both confused and a little concerned.
"Out in the garden. I found something you need to see." I explained. I heard Elena shift in the background, and then sound of loud chatter slowly faded away.
"What? Are you okay?" I smiled weakly, as Stefan frowned at me, still looking suspicious.
"I'm fine. Just standing in a position I'd rather not be in." I replied, matter-of-fact. Just then Elena came round the corner and spotted both Stefan and I. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide with horror as she took in the sight of her wounded boyfriend, who was apparently, a member of the undead. I hung up the phone as Elena jogged over towards us.
"Stefan? What happened?" She demanded, examining Stefan's still gushing puncture wound.
"Some girl called Katherine stabbed him with an iron stem." I explained. Elena immediately snapped her head up and looked at me with an expression closely resembling fear.
"Katherine did this?" Elena stated. Stefan nodded, his eyes not straying away from me. Elena sighed heavily, as though used to this. "Hang on a minute, I'll be back in a sec." She mumbled and got to her feet, disappearing back into the mansion. It was an awkward few minutes after Elena disappeared.
"Who are you?" Stefan demanded, taking on a protective tone. I eyed him with the same amount of caution.
"I'm Grace Williams." I replied. "Elena and I have been pen-pals for several months before I moved to town today." I explained. Stefan raised an eyebrow.
"And why did you move here, specifically?" He asked, calmly.
"Partly because I was seeking a change, and because I have a personal history with this town." I replied succinctly. Stefan nodded. "So how long have you been a vampire?" I asked, bluntly. Stefan's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, just as Elena reappeared.
"How do you know he's a vampire?" Elena asked, suddenly nervous.
"His lapis lazuli ring." I said, pointing towards Stefan's ring. "Like I said: I have a personal history with this town." Elena and Stefan eyed me warily, as she sat down beside him on the stone bench and gingerly lifted up his T-shirt revealing the gruesome looking wound that was already starting to heal over. Elena started wiping Stefan's wound with a wet cloth she had fetched from the mansion.
"You gonna be okay?" She asked Stefan, worriedly. He smiled reassuringly at her.
"Yeah, it will heal." Stefan confirmed. Elena glanced up and looked him dead in the eye.
"That's not what I meant." She stated, sternly. He sighed tiredly, obviously over it.
"I was trying to figure her out. I was playing along and I let her get to me." Stefan explained. Then directed his attention towards me, obviously still fishing for answers.
"So how long have you known about vampires?" He asked me, using a serious tone as Damon Salvatore, the guy Jeremy unofficially introduced me to from a distance, walked up. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Stefan's question directed towards me, a relative stranger. I didn't bat an eyelid.
"I've only known the existence of vampires for a couple of days." I replied. Damon decided to make himself known.
"I tried to track her, but she's gone." He announced, then recoiled when he saw Stefan's exposed chest. "Oooh, cover up, Fabio." Stefan pulled down his shirt. Damon turned his attention towards me. "Who are you?" He demanded rudely. Elena looked scandalized, and Stefan groaned; just as I sized him up.
"Nice attitude." I countered sarcastically, ignoring the question. Damon bristled noticeably.
"Doesn't answer my question." He retorted. I smirked.
"Grace Williams. I'm a friend of Elena's." I answered. I stepped towards him, but stopped when I noticed the same ring Stefan had on Damon's index finger with a capital 'D' emblazoned on the surface. "I'd say it was nice to meet you, but we'd both know that was a huge lie." I added, before sliding on my sunglasses, turning on my heel and striding away with a swing in my hips. I could feel his ice blue eyes digging into the back of my head as I walked away. However, I didn't walk too far; enough so that I could still hear their conversation.
"Was that entirely necessary, Damon?" I heard Stefan reprimand Damon.
"Never mind her." Damon replied, dismissively. "We got a crazy ex on the loose." He pointed out. "You better watch out, looks like Katherine is trying to steal your guy." I assumed he directed this to Elena, sounding somewhat bitter.
"That not what's happening." Stefan insisted.
"Isn't it? I mean it's only fair since I went after your girl." Damon said, obviously intending on wounding. I snorted at the low blow.
"I'm gonna go check on Jenna and Jeremy. And apologise to Grace. Let me know when you guys are done." Elena requested, exasperatedly. I heard her approaching footsteps coming towards the house, and flagged down Elena when she appeared.
"He's a charmer." I observed, sarcastically. Elena didn't smile. Instead, she came over and grabbed my elbow pulling me towards a vacant room.
"Who told you about vampires?" Elena asked. "And please don't lie to me. Too many people have been doing that to me recently." Elena insisted. I sighed.
"It's complicated. You probably wouldn't understand." I answered. Elena crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at me.
"Try me. You'd be surprised how much I do." Elena was stubborn.
"I was born here, during one of my past lives." I said, reluctantly. "And the reason I know about vampires, is because my friend told me about them." I eventually revealed. Elena looked confused.
"What's so complicated about that?" She questioned.
"Because there's so much more to this explanation. And I'd rather not reveal it here where anybody could hear it or take it the wrong way and misunderstand." I explained. "Which is why if I reveal this to you that I need you to keep an open mind. Because I'm scared, Elena. This is more complicated than you know." I must've looked sincere, because Elena's severe expression softened, and she came over to me and took me by the hand.
"You can trust me." Elena said. I smiled, squeezing her hand gratefully. "Do you want to take this conversation to the Mystic Grill?" She asked. I shook my head.
"No, I know a better place." I replied.
After driving a very relieved Jeremy and Jenna back home, Elena drove me back to my Apartment. She frowned, looking bewildered.
"Where do you live?" She asked me. I grinned and walked straight towards the apartment block across the road from the police station. Elena's eyes widened. "You live here?" She stated with disbelief. I looked at her curiously.
"Why would I lie about that?" I asked her, letting myself in and stepping aside to let Elena walk passed. "Do you know somebody else who lives in this block?" Elena nodded.
"Yeah, my history teacher." She replied. I smiled.
"Huh, small world." I walked up to my apartment door, and inserted the key into the lock. But paused before turning the key. "Now, before we go inside Elena. I gotta tell you something." Elena immediately looked wary. "Don't look scared, it's nothing bad … depending on your reaction to what I'm about to reveal to you." I scolded her. Elena allowed herself to relax a little.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I am a medium." I said. Elena raised an eyebrow.
"What's that?" She asked.
"I have the ability to see and talk to ghosts." I explained. Elena nodded once.
"So what's that got to do with entering your apartment?" I laughed, encouraged by the fact that Elena didn't laugh in my face and walk away.
"Because my friend who told me all about vampires and other supernatural entities is a ghost. He's been by my side since I was born." I told her. Elena looked at me skeptically.
"Look, Grace. If you're not going to take this seriously, I'll just take off right now and go home. I've had a really lousy day." I got annoyed.
"I thought you agreed to have an open mind when I told you the truth?" Elena looked at me incredulously.
"You're really serious, aren't you?" I nodded, not cracking a smile. I was actually hurt by Elena's assumption that I was making fun of her and trying to get out of telling her something this personal. Elena swallowed and nodded. "Alright. So your friend's a ghost, and he told you all about vampires. Can I see some proof that he exists?" Elena asked. I frowned at her.
"You believe that vampires exist, and yet you deny the possibility that ghosts do too?" I shook my head, but agreed to her request. I turned the key in the lock and let myself into the apartment. Henrik was lying on the couch, daydreaming.
"Hey Grace? How'd your meeting with this Elena girl go?" He asked me.
"See for yourself." I replied to him, darting around the corner.
"See what?" Elena asked, looking confused. Henrik immediately sat up and gawked at Elena.
"She can't see me, can she?" He asked, nervously. I re-entered the room carrying my sketchbook with me.
"Nope. She can't." I told him. Elena was about to open her mouth to snap at me, when she realized what I was doing. I gestured for her to close the door and come sit down on the couch with me.
"He's in here isn't he? Your friend?" Elena asked, quietly. Henrik looked at me accusingly.
"You told her about me? Are you insane?" He demanded. I decided to answer both questions at the same time.
"Quite possibly." Elena took a seat next to me, unaware that Henrik had chosen to deliberately sit in front of her on the coffee table. I opened up the leather book, and carefully turned the pages to the one I sought. "Here." I gave the sketchbook to Elena who looked down at the picture of Henrik sleeping peacefully, quizzically.
"Did you draw this?" She asked. I nodded. "Wow, you're really good." Elena complimented me. I shrugged modestly. "What was his name? Who was he?" Elena asked, seeming to believe me now.
"His name is Henrik. He was my past life's soon to be brother-in-law." I replied, smiling at Henrik who gave me a half-smile back.
"He looks so young. How old was he when he died?" Elena asked, looking vulnerable.
"Uh, fifteen. I believe." I replied, glancing at Henrik for confirmation. He nodded. Elena looked horrified.
"That's the same age Jeremy is." She whispered. I immediately winced. "How did he die? Or is it too painful for him to remember?" Elena immediately asked. Both Henrik and I smirked.
"That's the exact same question I asked Henrik not too long ago." I told Elena. "He was … fatally attacked by an animal." I explained, fudging the truth a little as I pointed out the obvious rips and scratches I had deliberately drawn to stand out on Henrik's tunic. Elena blanched.
"Oh my God…" She muttered. "He must've been so scared." Henrik nodded solemnly.
"He's nodding." I told her. Elena looked at me with wide eyes. I decided to get to the point of her visit. "Moving on from this topic, so at least you can go home and not have nightmares; Henrik is the one who told me about the existence of vampires." I explained to Elena. "But he also told me that I was born here in Mystic Falls over a thousand years ago. That's exactly how old his ghost is." Elena nodded, absently turning the pages in my sketchbook. I placed the book in her lap. "You're welcome to look at it, while I briefly tell you about my history." I encouraged her, seeing how it made her feel more relaxed and less overwhelmed by the knowledge that ghosts existed, and that I knew more about the supernatural than I first let on.
I told Elena about how my past life grew up in another country and immigrated to the New World to have a better life back in the 11th century. How she met Henrik's family and developed a deep, close friendship with him and his siblings; and fell in love with Henrik's favourite brother – whose name I still didn't know – and agreed to marry him. Elena turned another page in my sketchbook and paused there.
"Is that him?" She asked, quietly. I glanced down at the picture she was looking at and realized she was staring at the picture of my mysterious stranger smirking up at me from the page.
"Yep. That's him." I confirmed. "I dream about him almost every night." I confessed, sounding almost sad. Elena looked at me, with a teasing look in her eyes.
"You have, huh?" Elena's eyes twinkled mischievously. I glowered at her playfully.
"Mind out of the gutter, Elena." I chided her. She giggled, before turning the page; revealing the 'family portrait' I had created of Henrik's family.
"Why are their faces blank?" She asked, curiously. I shrugged.
"Because that's what they've always looked like to me whenever I've dreamt about them. Henrik told me, it's because I'm not supposed to know their faces just yet." I explained. Elena nodded, seeming to understand.
"So did your past life end up marrying him?" She asked, curiously, indicating my mysterious stranger. My face darkened, as anger bubbled in my gut like lava.
"Grace…" I glanced over at Henrik, who looked at me with concern. I nodded at him reassuringly before I replied to Elena.
"Not exactly." I told her. Elena glanced up at me, concern reflected on her face when she heard my tone. She closed my sketchbook and set it aside on my coffee table.
"What do you mean?" She asked. "Didn't her family approve?" I shook my head.
"No, her parents were extremely excited. They loved him. It was his father that didn't approve." I gave Elena a half-truth. "One night, she went out to look for him because he had gone missing for several hours and she was worried. It turned out that his mother was a powerful witch; and she placed a terrible curse upon him, under the instructions of his father and with the assistance of one of his older brothers. My past life witnessed this and tried to intervene, but in doing so it cost her her life. His father killed her out of anger and pride." Elena looked appalled.
"All because he didn't approve of their engagement?" I shook my head.
"Not exactly. Their upcoming marriage had nothing to do with her death. He was the reason she was killed, because he had somehow revealed his mother's secret. Her death was used to give him a warning and to teach him a lesson because of this secret." I explained, still bitter that I had been used for such a stupid, selfish reason.
"That's sick. Whatever the secret was, doesn't mean she had to die." Elena protested. I smiled nostalgically.
"But there was a sort of happy ending between him and her." I told Elena. I noticed Henrik looking at me questioningly out the corner of my eye. I ignored him.
"What? Or is it personal?" She asked. I shrugged, not fussed if she knew.
"Well, it's technically me who he made this promise to. So I don't mind sharing." I told Elena, who immediately looked interested. "As she lay dying in his arms, he whispered to her that he loved her deeply, and that it didn't matter how long it took or how long he searched for her; that he would find her and never let her go." I smiled wistfully.
Elena made a face.
"I can't decide if that is corny, or beautiful, or if I should be jealous." She teased. I chuckled.
"How about all of the above?" I suggested. Elena nodded, then frowned again.
"Hang on, if this happened a thousand years ago; shouldn't he be dead?" I fell silent. Then Elena's eyes widened with shock. "Are you telling me that Henrik's family and your past life's fiancé are vampires?" I nodded.
"Yep."
"And he's still searching for you, even now?" Elena asked.
"Mmm-hmm." I yawned, deeply. "And a thousand years later, Henrik tells me during a road trip to Mystic Falls, Virginia, that story I just told you, plus neat little tips about how to spot a vampire, how to protect yourself against a vampire and how to kill a vampire." Elena looked overwhelmed.
"Wow. Thanks for confiding in me, Grace." Elena said, sincerely.
"But you can't tell anyone else this, just yet. I only told you because I stupidly asked Stefan that question about vampires without thinking." I begged her. Elena nodded.
"I promise." She smiled. "Well, I better get gone. I've got school in the morning." She made a face as she got up from the couch and gathered up her purse and car keys. "Have a good night, Grace. And welcome back to Mystic Falls." She told me.
"Thanks, Elena. You call me when you get home." I instructed her. She nodded. "And Elena, if you need somebody to talk to, I'm all ears." I reminded her.
"Thanks, Grace. See you." And she left. Henrik approaches me, a curious look on his face.
"I never told you what my brother said to you. How did you know that?" My eyes widened, when I realized that he was right.
"I-I don't know. How do I know that?" I stammered, slightly freaked out.
Henrik looked troubled.
~:NO P.O.V:~
Meanwhile in another part of the country, a certain Original vampire was making his final plans. It was only a matter of time before he would be reunited with what he had lost a thousand years before. One of his witches thought that he might've seen a young woman matching the same description of his beloved Gráinne in a small town pub on the outskirts of Virginia, but he dismissed it like all the other 'sightings' he had been made aware of.
He was more interested in the rumours that had come to him about the sightings of a Petrova doppelganger. However, he wasn't ready to accept this as the truth, until he saw it with his own eyes. Everything was finally coming together, and both the doppelganger and his beloved were the only things that crossed his mind, and he wouldn't rest until he found them … both.
A/N: Please review :D