cosmic love // e. gilbert 3.

18. Surprise Me

Elena looked impressed but Izzie noticed how much Lily watched her. Damon told her Lily was a Ripper and maybe it was just her blood. "Wow!" Elena chuckled clearing the air.

Lily smiled. "This was always my sons' favorite - 'Eggie in baskie.' "

Damon and Holden then entered the room as Lily sat down on the side of the girls causing Damon to take a seat next to Izzie and Holden next to Elena. "Mm. Our favorite, Damon," Holden commented sarcastically as Damon mused back.

Lily watched them as they both took a bite. Damon grimaced. "Doesn't taste like I remember."

Holden only smiled at his mom dully. "Nonsense, brother. I think it's just our taste in food and some people changed," he then took another bite as Damon contained himself from laughing causing Elena to glare at her lover.

"Well, you aren't human anymore," Lily said trying to be polite but then she turned to the girls. "Our tastes change over time. But, Elena, you're fairly new at this, aren't you?"

Elena nodded her head as Holden glared at his mom. "I turned a few years ago."

"And you, Izzie? You're... human," Lily trailed off awkwardly as Izzie stopped eating and then giggled as Damon placed his arm around the chair she was sitting on.

Holden knew exactly what Damon was doing and he was thankful. No way they'd leave Izzie alone with their mom. "I am," Izzie nodded her head so Lily mused.

"And you know Holden since you were born?" Lily questioned so Izzie nodded again. Damon was about to say something but Lily asked Izzie again. "And now you're dating my vampire son? How do you do that?"

"Amazingly," Damon answered sarcastically as he gave Lily a look to stop so she cleared her throat and turned to Holden and Elena.

"So, if I understood correctly, um, in order to free my companions from that place where I was trapped, we'll need the magical device."

Holden nodded his head. "The Ascendant."

Lily smiled warmly. "Yes. The Ascendant. Where is that?"

"Safe. Very safe!" Damon mused awkwardly as Izzie made eye contact with Holden. She was a little clueless about what happened the other night.

"And we'll also need a celestial event," Lily added to the list.

Holden wondered whether any of them should stall their mother. And that's exactly what Damon did. "We'll have to do some digging, yeah. Be patient, they take time. They're very rare."

Lily then smiled mysteriously. "There's a full moon coming up. Will that work? If not, the Lyrids meteor shower is in two weeks."

Izzie was surprised as well as Elena. "Look at you. If you're not a one-woman Farmer's Almanac," Damon told her as Holden smirked to himself.

"Actually, I took your advice, and I've been dabbling on Stefan's computer," Lily announced as Holden pursed his lips and nodded. "What a wondrous invention! All that knowledge."

"And videos of cats riding robot vacuum cleaners," Damon grumbled so Izzie chuckled causing Lily to stare at her pulsing neck.