The Next Morning:
I woke up groaning as my phone rang.
"Answer it already love." Klaus groaned. "This is the 3rd time in ten minutes."
Rolling my eyes I roll over and grab my phone.
"Hello?" I answer.
"Rose, thank god!" Jenna said worried. "I've kept calling."
This caused me to sit up worried. "Jenna, what's wrong?"
"You need to get down to the station with me! Alaric's been arrested for attempted murder."
"I'm on my way!" I hung up and quickly got out of bed.
"Do you need my help love?" Klaus asked and I started to get dressed.
"I think I'd be better if you let me handle this by myself right now, I'll keep you in the loop though."
"Fine." Klaus frowned. "Be safe."
"Always am." I nodded and bolted out the door.
At The Police Station:
When I arrived Jenna, Damon, and Sheriff Forbes were already talking with Alaric who was in his cell.
"What the hell?" I frowned looking at Liz. "You're arresting him?"
"No, I'm detaining him." Liz assured. "The cell is for his own good. You were shot. Dr. Fell used vampire blood to heal you."
"Dr. Fell is the one who shot me!" Alaric exclaimed.
"Because you came at her with a knife!" Liz shot back.
"Yeah, with a knife he had found hidden in her things." Jenna defended.
"Are we going to go ignore the part where he's one of the killer's victims?" Damon stated.
"Wait? Killer?" I frowned. What has been going on around here that I haven't known about?
"Long story, get the e-book." Damon shrugged then turned back to Liz. "I mean, the guy was practically stabbed to death."
"Well, Dr. Fell suggested his wounds could have been self-inflicted." Liz said.
"You really think Ric would stab himself?" I scoffed.
"Look, I think I don't know what to think." Liz shrugged. "I got nothing except murder weapons from your stash and a respected member of a founding family pointing a very long finger."
"She is setting me up!" Rick stated. "I'm being framed here!"
"That maybe so, but I don't have any proof of that!" Liz stated.
"Then we'll find some!" I suggested.
"Yeah!" Damon agreed.
"No! You two stay out of this!" Liz exclaimed. "You two getting involved is only going to make matters worse."
"Listen, Liz- -"
"Don't make me put you in that cell with him!" Liz cut Damon off.
"Fine!" I glared at her. I turned to leave with Damon following as Jenna stayed with Rick for a little bit.
Damon and I were about to walk out when Elena walked in. Oh, great. This is going to be so much fun. Not!
"What are you doing here?" Elena glared. "You have some nerve showing your face around me!"
"None of your god damn business." I shot back. "And this is rich from the one who tried to have me killed! Again!"
"Okay, let's cut the drama girls." Damon said getting between us. "Ric is fine. Sheriff wants Rose and I to stay out of it."
"Good." Elena said glaring at me then turned back to Damon. "But you aren't going to? Are you?"
"Seems just as good a plan as any." Damon shrugged.
"Seriously? I didn't take you as someone being a coward." Elena rolled her eyes, making Damon look at her hurt. Fucking bitch!\
Damon's hurt look then turned to a glare. "I guess I could rip out Dr. False Accusations throat out, or maybe her toungue. You know I could chew it up into little tiny pieces and feed it to the squirrels."
"Stop it Damon!" Elena exclaimed.
"Guess me staying out of it suddenly sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?" Damon smirked. "Come on Rosie."
I shurgged an walked passed Elena, bumping my shoulder into her's making her stumble back. I smirked and walked out with Damon.
"So, I guess I should thank you for saving my life last night." I smiled. "I am sorry though you had to be manipulated."
"No, I'm sorry." Damon sighed. "Stefan and I had no idea you were going to die. Elena has changed."
"She hasn't changed Damon, she's just gotten worse." I admitted. "It's been like this my whole life."
"And it shouldn't be." Damon added. "Listen, no matter what, I will always have your back. You won't loose me. Even if you are mated to that hybrid freak show."
"Glad to hear." I smiled then my phone buzzed. It was Rebekah.
'Meet me at the grill.'
"Hey, I gotta go." I stated. "Catch up later?"
"Sure." Damon nodded and I walked across the street to the grill.
I walked in and Rebekah waved me over to her and Mrs. Lockwood.
"Hey, sorry I'm late." I smiled, knowing how punctual Carol could be.
"It's quite alright dear." Carol smiled. I was always her favorite.
"Thank you for meeting with us Mayor." Rebekah smiled. "I figured as head of the preservation society, you'd be a good person to ask about the oldest trees in this community."
"A long line of Lockwood women used to keep those records." Carol nodded proudly. "Back before any of them had actual jobs."
"I've been to the founders archive, but I can't seem to find any record of the tree we're looking for." Rebekah added.
"It probably got cut down." Carol shrugged. "Big old trees built half this town in the 1900s."
Rebekah and I then noticed Stefan and Damon walking in. Luckily for us, I had Lexi doing a little digging with Matt on Dr. Fell for Ric.
Damon finger waved at Rebekah and she smirked, and then it clicked. Gross! She didn't sleep with Matt, she slept with Damon!
"Do you happen to know who kept the milling logs during that period?" I asked, trying to take my mind off this new information before I threw up in my mouth.
"Back then all the logging mills were kept and owned by the Salvatore's." Carol informed.
Oh, goodie.
"Excuse us mayor." Rebekah said, dragging me towards the Salvatore Brothers.
"So what does a medical examiner, Bill Forbes, and Alaric Saltzman all have in common?" Damon asked his little brother as Stefan annoyingly kept tapping his ring on the counter. "Come on. Knock it off. You know, quitting blood cold turky after a ripper binge, probably not the best approach. Everytime you play that all-or-nothing game, you eventually leave a trail of bodies, so I'm thinking now's a good time to pay our old friend moderation a visit."
Couldn't agree more on that note.
"They were all on the founders council, Damon." Stefan frowned. "That's what they have in common."
"But why them? Huh?" Damon questioned. "Brian Walters and Alaric weren't from founding families. I mean, hey, if you gotta slaughter council members, go a-list. At least in 1912 they killed a Salvatore."
"Which Salvatore would that be?" Rebekah asked, making our presence known.
"Zachariah Salvatore." Stefan stated.
"Your nephew?" I asked curiously. I remember doing a history project on him my Freshman year. Brutally murdered but no one knew who.
"Nephew?" Rebekah asked confused.
"Well, our father knocked up one of the maids during the Civil War. She had a son. As far as anyone else knew Stefan and I were dead." Damon shrugged. "Family name had to go somewhere."
"And, uh, your family owned the logging mills back then?" I asked. Figured they'd tell me more than Rebekah.
"You two are a full of a lot of questions." Damon frowned as Stefan looked at me skeptically.
"We're just researching the town history." Rebekah shrugged. "I grew up here after all."
"You know, you don't have to disguise your true motives, blondie bex. If you want more sex just ask for it." Damon smirked.
"And I'm going to go burn that from my memory." I said grossed out.
"Not enough liquor in the world." Rebekah stated, grabbing the bourbon.
"Come on, it was too good for you to be this hostile." Damon added.
Stefan grabbed his glass and the bottle, getting up to leave. I quickly followed, not wanting to hear this. We went towards the dart board and Stefan sighed.
"Why are you helping Rebekah snoop around, honestly?" Stefan frowned.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I shurgged.
"Come on Rose, you've changed since Klaus showed up."
"If I recall everything changed since you and your brother showed up." I glared. "My sister hates me so much she wants to kill me, my best friends are a vampire and a witch, my mate is an immortal hybrid, and you've tried to kill me on more than one ocation now, but you don't see me holding grudges or turning my back on anyone!"
"I'm sorry." Stefan nodded. "But, Klaus. He isn't good for you. He's only going to bring you down."
"You know what Stefan? Maybe you should take a look at your own partner before you start judging mine. At least he knows the meaning of family and friends." I glared before grabbing my bag and stormed out. I sent Rebekah a text that she'd have to find out about the tree herself and that I was heading back home to Nik.