Camilla couldn't contain her excitement as she stood at the front door, eagerly waiting for Stefan to arrive. The sound of the doorknob turning made her heart race, and the moment she saw Stefan's face, she couldn't help but shout out his name in sheer joy. Her bag slipped from her grasp as she threw herself into his arms, enveloping him in a tight hug. It had been over four years since she last saw him or Damon, and the moment was nothing short of magical for her.
"Cami!" Stefan chuckled as he effortlessly lifted her off the ground, spinning her around before gently setting her back down. Camilla, her arms still wrapped around Stefan's neck, gazed at him with a mix of happiness and concern.
"I'm fine, Cami," Stefan reassured her, noticing the worry etched on her face.
"You sure?" Camilla questioned, not entirely convinced by his words.
"You worry too much," Stefan teased, his eyes reflecting genuine warmth towards her.
"Stefan? Who is she?" a voice interrupted, drawing their attention. Camilla turned to see a striking girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to Katherine standing before her. That must be the doppelganger Damon had mentioned, Camilla pondered silently.
"Hi, I'm Camilla," she introduced herself with a friendly smile, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"Where's my girl?" Damon's voice boomed as he entered the living room, his arms outstretched in anticipation.
"Damon!" Camilla squealed, rushing towards him and embracing him tightly. The bond between them was instant and unbreakable.
"Who's your favorite uncle?" Damon teased, looking down at Camilla with a mischievous grin.
"I am," Stefan chimed in, playfully joining the banter.
"Says who?" Damon shot back, turning to Stefan with a mock frown, the sibling rivalry evident.
"She did," Stefan pointed towards Camilla with a grin, setting off a round of laughter among them.
"She was twelve," Damon chuckled, turning back to Camilla. "Tell him," he encouraged, nodding towards Stefan.
"Is anybody going to explain why we're here and who this girl is?" Another voice questioned, breaking the tension that had settled over the group.
"This is Camilla," Damon stated, his voice carrying a mix of caution and protectiveness.
"Salvatore," Elena added, her eyes widening as she finally took a good look at the woman in Damon's arms. Recognition dawned on her as she recalled the photos she had seen on Stefan's desk in his bedroom.
"What!" The group collectively shouted in disbelief as they all turned their gaze towards the enigmatic newcomer.
"You must be Elena," Camilla spoke, her eyes locking with Elena's in a knowing gaze.
"That's me," Elena responded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips despite the unease swirling within her.
"Your doppelganger is a bitch, she can't be trusted," Camilla's words cut through the tension like a knife, leaving everyone stunned by the implications of her statement.
Damon pointed his finger towards the two girls standing there, staring at them with curious gazes. "That's Caroline and Bonnie," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Hi," Camilla said with a warm smile, stepping forward to greet the girls.
"Who do you know Katherine?" Bonnie questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"She's the witch, right?" Camilla asked, turning to glance at Stefan, who nodded in agreement. "That makes you the vampire?" she said with a sly grin, looking back at Caroline.
"She tried to kill me when I was 2," Camilla admitted nonchalantly, as if speaking of a distant memory. She walked over to the bottle of bourbon on the table, pouring herself a generous glass. "But I didn't realize it was Katherine until a few years ago," Camilla confessed, taking a sip of the strong drink.
"Don't forget," Damon interjected, holding up two fingers as a playful reminder.
"Oh right, and she tried once when I was 16," Camilla added, a touch of bitterness in her voice as she recalled the past.
"She tried to kill you twice?" Bonnie gasped, her eyes widening in shock at the revelation.
"Elena said Salvatore? What are you, like their long lost sister or something?" Caroline's words hung in the air, the tension palpable.
Camilla turned towards Elena, a twinkle in her eye, before casually taking a sip from her glass. "Close," she replied cryptically.
Damon, ever the charismatic one, decided to shed light on the intricate family ties. "Camilla is our great-great-great-great niece," he announced, taking Camilla's glass and finishing the drink in one swift motion. Camilla simply smirked and poured herself another drink, unfazed by the chaos she had caused.
Bonnie, never one to back down, turned to Elena with disbelief written all over her face. "You knew they had a sister and you didn't tell us?" she demanded, her eyes boring into Elena's.
"It was not my place to say," Elena defended herself, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Damon, always the protective older brother, chimed in with a teasing tone. "Are you even old enough to drink?" he questioned, taking the glass from Camilla once again.
"I am thirty-one," Camilla retorted, reclaiming her glass with a confident demeanor. "So, yeah."Camilla finished her drink before turning to Damon, flashing him a brilliant smile.
"Do you mind getting my bags from the car?" she asked, her tone sweet. Damon simply nodded and made his way towards the front door. He wasn't one to be bossed around, but for Camilla, he'd do anything.
"Why did Katherine want you dead?" Bonnie inquired once more. Camilla looked at Stefan, locking eyes for a brief moment before he spoke.
"She saw Camilla as a constant reminder that she'd always be the second choice, knowing we'd pick our sister, Emmaline, over her."
As Damon dragged Camilla's bags into the house, one of them dropped to the floor.
"Be careful with Loui..." she started, but Damon kicked the bag slightly. "Hi!"
"Did you name your bag Loui?" Stefan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's Louis Vuitton," Camilla replied.
"Don't you already have like four others?" Damon chimed in.
"Five, but he's vintage," Camilla defended with a sly grin, showcasing her unique taste in bags.
Caroline stared at the bags on the floor, her eyes sparkling with envy. "I would love a bag like that," she remarked wistfully.
"I have one in the car I don't use. If you want it?" Camilla offered, pointing towards the door.
"Really?" Caroline's face lit up with a radiant smile.
"Sure, but..." Camilla's voice trailed off as Damon interjected, "Enough about Louis Vuitton bags!"
Damon frowned as he glanced between Caroline and Camilla. "Let's get to the reason as to why we brought her into this," he said, turning to Stefan with a look of frustration.
"Oh, yes. Do tell me why I'm here," Camilla quipped, settling comfortably on the couch.
"Don't," Damon warned, waving his hand dismissively. "You already know why you're here, you little witch."
"You're a witch?" Bonnie exclaimed, her eyes widening with excitement at the revelation of another witch in town.
"That she is," Damon declared, a sly smile playing on his lips as he gestured towards Camilla.
Camilla shot him a warning look before landing a solid punch on his arm. "Keep it up, and I'll show you what real power looks like," she warned, her eyes flashing with suppressed energy.
Stefan sighed, massaging his temples. "Will you two knock it off."
Camilla turned towards Bonnie, her expression serious. "What Damon means is that my powers come from my dad's side of the family, thanks to these troublemakers."
Stefan interjected, his tone grave. "She's a hunter."
Caroline's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're a witch and a hunter?"
"Witch hunter at your service," Camilla declared, a hint of pride in her voice as she toyed with the rim of her glass.
As Stefan's sharp eyes caught sight of the fresh wound on the side of Camilla's neck, a flicker of concern crossed his face. He couldn't help but blurt out, "What were you really doing in Paris?"
Camilla, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, flashed a coy smile and replied, "Would you believe me if I said shopping?"
Stefan and Damon, exchanged incredulous looks before almost in unison shaking their heads. "No," they both replied firmly.
Camilla chuckled at their skepticism before relenting, "Fine." With a nonchalant shrug, she gracefully slipped off her jacket, unveiling the large, raw wound on the side of her delicate neck. All eyes in the room widened in shock and concern as they beheld the gruesome sight.
Damon placed his hand on Camilla's chin, turning her head to the side as a storm brewed in his eyes. "What happened!" The words cut through the tense silence like a knife.
Camilla met his gaze, her own a mix of defiance and guilt. "When the cats come out, the vamps come out to play," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I thought I told you to leave it alone," Damon's voice was low, carrying a dangerous edge. Camilla squared her shoulders, her resolve unwavering.
"They're my friends, Damon. They needed my help, and I—" Before she could finish, Damon interrupted, his tone cold and final. "They're not good friends."
As Damon rose from the couch and started to walk away, Camilla followed his retreating form with pleading eyes. But then, he stopped abruptly, his body tense as he turned back to face her. "It's because of him, isn't it," Damon's accusation hung heavy in the air.
"Damon, please," Camilla's voice was tinged with desperation. But he wouldn't be swayed. "No," he said, his gaze now fixed on Stefan. "Remember the last time we saw her. Do you? She was dying, and whose fault was it?"
"Damon, you of all people should understand," Camilla's words were a last resort, an attempt to bridge the growing chasm between them.
But Damon's walls were up, his pain and anger fueling his resolve. "Understand?" His voice held a bitter edge.
"You love me, and you still love Kathrine, and I never once made you feel bad about loving someone like—" Camilla's words were cut off by Damon's outburst.
"It's not the same!" His voice echoed off the walls, filled with raw emotion.
With a defiant lift of her chin, Camilla tried once more to reach him, "You're—"
"Next time I see him, he's dead," Damon's words were a promise, a threat hanging in the air as he turned and sped out of the room.
Camilla took a step to follow after Damon, but a hand on her arm stopped her. "Let him go," Stefan told her firmly. Camilla hesitated, her eyes filled with conflict, before finally nodding and stepping back.
"What's going on?" Elena questioned, her brow furrowed as she looked between Stefan and Camilla.
Camilla sighed heavily, turning to face Elena. "The man I thought loved me, he left me to die," she said quietly, her voice laced with hurt and betrayal.
"And you went to help him anyways?" Caroline asked incredulously, her arms crossed over her chest.
Camilla met Caroline's gaze, her eyes hardened with determination. "His family. That's who I went to help. They're good people, and they didn't deserve to die for something he had done."
Stefan approached Camilla, his expression full of understanding. "It's okay, Cami," he said gently, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace. "He just needs time to calm down."
Camilla took a deep breath and wiped at the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Enough about me," she said, her voice steady. "What do you need my help with?"
Stefan's expression turned serious as he spoke. "There are people after Elena."
Camilla shook her head before she spoke. "I wonder why," She looked over at Elena. "I'm sorry how that came out," she quickly added.
Elena, with her empathetic nature, reassured Camilla, "It's okay," understanding the regret in Camilla's eyes.
Stefan, ever the strategic thinker, began to lay out the intricate plan they had devised to trap Katherine.
"It sounds like you've got it all figured out. So, why do you need my help?" Camilla interrupted, her curiosity piqued as she glanced back and forth between Bonnie and Stefan.
Stefan paused, considering his words carefully before responding. "Bonnie is still new to practicing magic, and you, Camilla, you..." he hesitated, trying to find the right words.
Camilla raised an eyebrow, waiting for his explanation. "I'm the backup, aren't I?" she interjected, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.
Stefan chuckled. "Yes, exactly. You're the backup," he confirmed, appreciating Camilla's wit and resourcefulness.
As Camilla nodded her head, signaling her acceptance, the weight of the impending mission settled on her shoulders. Not long after Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie departed the Salvatore house, leaving Stefan and Camilla alone in the dimly lit living room. Camilla's eyes bore into Stefan's, revealing the concern she held deep within her heart.
"You sure you want to do this?" she questioned, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"She won't stop until Elena is dead," Stefan replied, his jaw clenched in determination as he turned to face Camilla.
"You will only get one shot at this," Camilla cautioned, raising her index finger in emphasis.
"I know," Stefan affirmed with a solemn nod.
Camilla closed the distance between them, her steps purposeful as she reached out and took Stefan's hand in hers, a silent promise of support and guidance passing between them.
"If I have to step in, you will have to do what I say," Camilla spoke firmly, her gaze locked with his.
"You will have to trust me," she continued, her tone unwavering.
Stefan's gaze softened as he looked into Camilla's eyes, his voice filled with unwavering faith, "There is no one I trust more than you."
Camilla was snoring away in her super comfortable queen-size bed when the sound of her cell phone suddenly woke her. She groaned as she reached out to see who it was. It was a message from one of her closest friends. "Do you really want to know?" the message read. Camilla hesitated for a moment before typing back, "Yes."
Within seconds, another message popped up. "She's the key to breaking the curse," it read. Camilla furrowed her brows in confusion. "What does that mean?" she typed back. The reply came swiftly, "The blood of the doppelganger. Which means in order to break the curse, she will have to die."
Camilla's heart raced at the thought. "I can't let that happen, it would kill Stefan," she muttered to herself as she typed a response. "You should walk away, Camilla. Leave while you have a chance," the message urged.
"What aren't you telling me?" Camilla's fingers trembled as she typed. Silence followed. Anxiety gnawed at her insides as she waited. Finally, a message appeared, "My mom had a vision about you, and you're not going to like it."
"Tell me," Camilla demanded. When she didn't receive an immediate response, she knew deep down that something terrible was on the horizon. That woman's visions were never wrong.
"Whoever's coming after the doppelganger is going to be the reason you die. So I'm begging you, leave and don't look back," the message implored.
Camilla's heart sank. "I can't. They're my family, Lissa," she replied, her hands trembling with fear and determination.
"They're already dead, and you're very much alive," came the chilling response.
Tears welled up in Camilla's eyes. "I love you," she typed before closing her cell phone. She lay back on the bed, pulling the pillow over her head, and screamed out in fear and anger. She was torn between her own survival and loyalty to Damon and Stefan. The impending threat loomed over her.
Camilla opened her eyes to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. The sun's rays peeked through the curtains, signaling the start of a new day. She sighed as she got out of bed, quickly washed her face, and dressed in her worn-out jeans, pulling on an oversized hoodie and tying her hair into a bun. After lacing up her shoes, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
"Morning," she greeted Damon, who was already standing by the refrigerator, his back to her. As she opened the fridge and saw only blood bags, a reminder that they had different needs, she closed it with a sigh. Leaning back against the cool metal, she looked at Damon. "You're really gonna make this difficult for me, aren't you?"
Damon finally turned to face her. "There is coffee," he gestured towards the coffee maker.
Camilla walked over and prepared a cup of coffee, the aroma offering a brief moment of comfort. Damon's voice broke the silence. "Why?"
She looked up, meeting his gaze. "What?"
"Why do you keep going out of your way to help that man? He left you to die," Damon's words were laced with concern.
"Damon, I—" Camilla's voice barely escaped her lips before Damon's urgent tone cut her off, his hand slamming down on the countertop with a resounding thud.
"I can't lose you!" Damon's words reverberated through the room, carrying with them a weight of fear and desperation.
Camilla, unfazed by his outburst, approached him with a calm determination, taking his hand gently in hers. "You won't," she reassured him, her voice a soothing melody amidst the turmoil. "I'm not going anywhere."
As she wrapped her arms around his waist, Damon felt a sense of peace washing over him. "I don't want to fight with you," Camilla murmured against his chest, her words a gentle plea for understanding.
"I'm sorry," Damon whispered, pulling her closer and placing a tender kiss atop her head, his heart heavy with remorse.
"I'm sorry too," Camilla admitted, drawing back slightly to meet his gaze. "So, are we okay?" she asked, a playful glint in her eyes as she prodded him in the side.
A mischievous glint crept into Damon's eyes as he suddenly grabbed Camilla's wrist, a playful smile dancing on his lips. Without warning, he began to tickle her, causing her laughter to fill the room.
"Hey, stop!" Camilla squealed, squirming in his grasp. "Truce! Truce!"
Damon relented, releasing her with a chuckle. "You're no fun," he teased, his eyes sparkling with smiled up at him. "But you love me."
"That I do," Damon said as he looked into her eyes. And it was true, he did love her. But there was a secret he couldn't share, a truth that weighed heavy on his heart whenever he thought about revealing who she truly was to them.
"I'm still going to end him," Damon declared as he abruptly turned and left the kitchen.
"Ass," Camilla mumbled to herself.
"I heard that!" Damon's voice echoed back.
"Good. You were supposed to!" Camilla retorted, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder and spotted Stefan entering the kitchen.
"Morning," she greeted Stefan as he approached and retrieved a blood bag from the refrigerator. "Do you mind?" he asked politely, holding the bag up.
"Go ahead," Camilla replied, taking a leisurely sip of her coffee, her gaze fixed on Stefan's movements.
"Stop," Stefan said, pausing as he noticed her intense scrutiny.
"Sorry... Don't," Camilla replied swiftly, sensing the tension in Stefan's voice.
"You sure?" Stefan inquired, offering her the blood bag.
"I said...ahhh!" Camilla yelped, leaping off her chair and dashing out of the kitchen. In the hallway, she collided with Damon, who was engrossed in conversation with Elena and Bonnie.
"Damon!" Camilla shrieked, latching onto his back.
"What are you doing?" Damon spun around, surprised by Camilla's sudden appearance, only to find Stefan approaching.
"You can run, but you can't..." Stefan's words trailed off as Elena and Bonnie stood beside him, wearing amused expressions.
"Elena, Bonnie. What... What are you guys doing here?" Damon stammered, a mixture of confusion and amusement flickering across his face.
Camilla jumped down from Damon's back, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "I'm going dress shopping with them," she announced, her eyes twinkling with excitement. She walked over to the table and effortlessly picked up her Louis Vuitton handbag, swinging it over her shoulder with a sense of style and confidence that only she could possess.
"Shall we?" Camilla inquired, turning back to Elena and Bonnie who stood at the entrance, eager smiles playing on their lips. "Let's go," Elena chimed in, her excitement evident as she linked her arm with Camilla's. Bonnie followed suit, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.