Moving Forward ~1

Research Becomes Reality

I loved this chapter and I hope you guys do to.

Damon and Stefan are convinced that something is supernaturally wrong with the Lockwood's. They believe that the research Isobel did at Duke will provide us some answers. I wish Stefan was the one that would go with us, but he's staying back to give vampire lessons to Caroline and that meets a car ride with Damon.

Elena is taking forever to get to the car, wanting all the last alone time she can get with her boyfriend. "You know if you eat all of your road snacks before we hit the road you won't have anything to eat later."

"Shut up Damon." I continue to munch on my bag of chips. I'm stressing eating and I would like to do it without hearing his annoying yet amazingly seductive voice. Finally, they make it to the car.

"Sorry, you can't come too Stef." Damon eggs his brother on.

"Call me if either of you needs anything." I wave at Stefan as I continue to eat.

"Oh, I'll take really good care of both of them." Damon winks at me and I flip him off. Elena responds by having a mini make-out session right in front of us.

"You know we could do the same thing if you would stop eating a whole bag of chips." Damon states.

"I'll have better luck with my chips."

"Alright, that's enough. Time to go." Damon opens the passenger door and we head off.

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Didn't even make it thirty minutes into the drive when Damon resorts to annoying us. "How are you two doing back there?" He goes to reach for my leg but I smack his hand away.

"Leave them alone." Alaric scolds Damon, but he doesn't listen.

"You know, this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly."

"I don't think they're pretending. You did kill their brother."

"There's a huge asterisk next to that statement. He came back to life."

"Yeah, because the fact you snapped his neck isn't an issue." I sarcastically remark back to him.

"And thanks to a ring that you didn't even know he was wearing." Elena points out.

"Why are you so sure I didn't know?"

"Did you?" Elena asks and I perk up wanting to know the answer.

"Yes."

"You're lying." I say.

"Sofia, I saw the ring. Big tacky thing. It's hard to miss." I notice Alaric looking down at his wring.

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Alaric pulls up to Duke and I'm in awe of its beauty. "So, Isobel was officially employed by the Anthropology Department, given that most paranormal phenomena rooted in folklore. Excuse me. Hi, I'm Alaric Saltzman. I called earlier." We follow behind Rick as he approaches a young woman.

"Yes, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant. Comparative folklore." I get a weird feeling she gives Elena and Damon. "Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys."

"I'm sorry. These are my friends, Sofia, Elena, and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition."

"Please, Isobel's office is right through there. Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student. She was brilliant. One of the reasons I went into folklore." I wish the same Isobel this woman knew was the one we met. She sounded like someone so full of knowledge and obviously, an inspiration to Vanessa, but a disappointment to me. "I have to ask...has there been any news?"