We spot the Salvatore brothers and immediately walk over to them. Stefan has his back to us but Damon spots me right away, his eyes widening when he sees me. I swallow dry when Stefan turns around and has the same look on his face.
I am a ghost from their past.
I look more like Katherine today than I ever did.
I look exactly like that picture.
I curtsy at them and Damon has an unknown look on his face when we walk closer to them. "You look stunning." Damon comments and I give him a small smile, the memories from the previous night rushing over to me.
We haven't spoken about him saying the three dangerous words to me. In fact, he fell asleep in my arms and I rushed home to try to figure out everything he said to me.
Are we together now?
Am I even more confused now than before?
"Thank you." I mumble, the two of us staring at each other and I recall last nights' events.
Is he thinking about it as much as I am?
"Listen I hate to ruin the mood but we need to tell you something." Stefan states and I groan in frustration, looking away from Damon.
Can't we go one day in peace?
"What happened?" Elena asks with a nervous expression.
"Um, we think we found out who your father is." Stefan looks down at the ground as if he's scared to tell us and I don't show any reaction because at this point nothing will surprise me.
Maybe our father is an alien.
"Who?" She asks.
"We think it's John." Stefan drops the news and my mouth hangs open in surprise.
I take back what I said before... what the actual hell?!
"John? Is that even possible?" I ask, my eyes nearly popping out of my head and I can see that Elena is as shocked as I am.
"We have no proof but he dated Isobel when she was a teenager. And he was the one who brought her to your dads' office for her delivery." Stefan explains and that's when I remember Isobel's words about John.
"My whole life, I've never liked this man, I....." Elena trails off, running a hand through her hair and I nod in agreement.
Does he know?
He must know.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to tell you before Damon told Em and then she would tell you in some inappropriate way." Stefan confesses and I narrow my eyes at him.
"You know I'm standing right here, right?" I exclaim and he gives me a nervous smile.
"No, I'm glad you told me. I just really hope it's not true." Elena says but knowing our luck it's most likely true. I mean she did say John had a crush on her and she said our father was a waste of space.
"So how will we know? Do just walk up to him and be like "Hey, uncle John, how are you in this fine morning? By the way did you know it's going to rain tomorrow. Oh, nearly forgot to ask... by any chances are you our dad?'" Damon chuckles at my words and we lock eyes for a moment.
"I guess when you two are ready." Stefan suggests.
"To be honest... I don't wanna know."
"We already have problems with the family we care about. Jeremy hates us, he read my journal." Elena tells the Salvatore brother's and I wonder if Jeremy hates me too. I don't know what Elena wrote down and we haven't spoken since the other day. "I mean my journal gave him every reason to."
"He's just hurt and confused." Stefan says to reassure Elena, wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her side.
"He's never going to forgive me for Vicki. For taking his memories away." Elena shakes her head and I can see tears threatening to fall down her eyes.
"He's your brother, he'll forgive you. Just give him a little time." Stefan smiles and Damon should take his advice.
It's been decades... they should forgive each other.
###########
"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome our stunning Miss Mystic Falls court and their handsomes escorts." Mrs. Lockwood announces, making everyone to cheer and clap their hands together.
I put on a fake smile and wave at everyone watching us. "This is fun." Damon whispers in my ear, causing shivers to go up and down my spine.
"Miss Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls." Mrs. Lockwood speaks through the mic, causing everyone to cheer louder and I look up to give Caroline a smile, she returns it with a wink as she looks in between Damon and I.
I look away with a sigh and notice Stefan with Elena, Bonnie standing right behind them. I can't help but to smile genuinely and wave at them. They smile back, Elena and Bonnie waving at me with a somewhat happy expression which turns into a glare as Damon waves at them.
"You look beautiful, you know?" Damon asks me, smiling and waving at the crowd as we move past them and watch the random people wave and cheer for us.
"I look like your ex, you mean." I snap back, not meaning to sound as harsh as I did but he doesn't reply as we keep waving and smiling at everyone on the street.
############
I walk out of the restroom and head towards the pool table where my sister and Stefan are standing but Damon walks in front of me, stopping me dead on my tracks.
"Hey."
"Hi..." I trail off awkwardly.
"Is this how we are now? Awkward around each other and acting like nothing is happening?" He questions, narrowing his eyes at me and I shrug, not sure what he wants me to say.
"I'm sorry?" I shrug.
"Why should you be sorry?!" He snaps at me with a somewhat angry look roaming around his eyes.
"I don't know. Okay? I just-. I have to go." I walk past him and spot Jeremy a few tables away from the pool table.
"Em." Jeremy breathes out with an annoyed look as I take a seat in front of him.
"Jer, I'm sorry about what happened. I tried to stop Elena. I can't change the past but I can amend the future. I'm truly sorry. You're my brother and I love you and I feel terrible because you got your memories taken away from you and that's selfish. Please, forgive us." I tell him in hope that he will accept my apology.
"I know it's not your fault. I read her journal. I know it was her idea. I'm mad at her, not at you." He tells me before standing up from the chair and walking away from me without letting me say anything else.
"Bon." I frown when she seats in front of me.
"Hey! How are you doing?" She smiles, reaching over the table to hold my hand on hers.
"I'm alright. Are you?" I question since Bonnie is acting a little bit strange.
"I still feel like a terrible friend. I shouldn't have shut you out. I should have been there for you and for your sister but... I just can't in their presence after what happened to grams." She says with sadness roaming in her eyes.
"It's alright. I know how it feels to lose someone you care about. I know you blamed yourself and you shouldn't have." I grip her hand tighter and shoot her a small smile.
"You know, it's weird, uh, Damon being love with you. You basically say 'jump' and he'll simply ask 'how high?'" She tilts her head to the side but I just laugh at her words.
I roll my eyes. "That's not true."
"I hate to admit but it is." She says and I look at her in uncertainty as I get lost in my thought.
Why would he fall in love with someone like me?
###########
"Em, I really need to talk to you." Damon states as he gently grabs my hand, pulling me away from Bonnie and Caroline who pulled me outside for us to watch the fireworks.
"Damon!" I call out but he doesn't slow down his pace, instead Damon tightens his grip on me. "What is going on, Damon?" I question, making him stop dead on his track to turn around to face me.
"The tomb vampires are here and they want to kill all of the founding families. This is why I need you to go find Stefan and Elena." Damon commands and I shake my head, knowing that I'm stupid for thinking this day would end better.
"Fine!" I groan when he gives me a knowing look as if saying not to argue with him.
He interlaces our fingers as he drags me through the crowd as everyone is gathering together to listen to what the mayor is saying. We both go our separate ways and I run through the crowds, trying to find any of them.
After about twenty minutes, I take a sharp left on a street and come face to face with John talking to Elena and Stefan, cops standing behind him and the smoke coming from the store is increasing by the second.
"Damon is there with the others. Burning alive." I hear John chuckle as I walk up to them and before anyone can blink, I slap his face as hard as I can.
"What the hell is wrong with you, you bastard?!" I yell hysterically which draws people's attention to us.
"It's over for Damon." John states calmly which contrasts my mood.
"You're crazy." Elena glares, while I clench my fists ready to punch him.
"For what? Doing what should've been done 145 years ago? This is the right thing Elena. And it's the best thing for Emma. This affection you have for Damon is the worst thing that will happen to you. So, I will put an end to it." John tells me and then looks over at Stefan. "Go ahead, you won't make it out alive. It will save me the trouble of killing you myself."
"You two know the building well. Is there another entrance?" Stefan asks us.
"Yeah, utility door. There's one around the side." I inform him about to push past John but he grabs my hand, making me elbow his face and he takes a few steps back in shock. "Don't you ever touch me again."
"Take one more step and I'll alert the guards." He threatens, spitting some blood out to the side.
"I'm begging you not to." Elena pleads.
"That doesn't mean anything to me." John spits.
"As our father, it should." I glare at him and there is a long pause as we look at each other. "That's what I thought." I push past him, making sure I bump my shoulder into his as I walk over to them.
When I get to the door, I see Bonnie standing in a stunned position. I try to walk inside the building but Bonnie holds me back, making me narrow my eyes at her.
"You can't go in there! I'm sorry I lied to you." She whispers to me and I stare at her confused.
Lied?
The device... she didn't deactivate it!
"How could you?!" I snap back at her, angry that she would lie to us. Bonnie closes her eyes and starts chanting something under her breath. "I'm going in!" I try to walk inside but Bonnie keeps a tight grip on me.
She keeps chanting as Elena reaches us and starts crying out Stefan's name. After a few moments of Bonnie's chanting, she opens her eyes and releases my hand, making me look at her with a questioning look.
What did she do?
"Bonnie, what is it? Are they going to be okay?" Elena asks but Bonnie simply stares at us emotionlessly.
Our worries end soon when we hear coughs and a groan coming from the doorframe. I turn towards it to see Stefan walking out, helping Damon as he has an arm around his waist.
"Damon." I sigh relieved, running over to him and helping him stand. "I thought you were going to die." I whisper, wrapping my arms around him and he can't help but to wrap his arms around me and kiss the top of my head.
He looks down at me and moves my hair away from my forehead, he leans down and rubs his nose against mine before pulling me closer to his chest. "I wouldn't leave you like that. I'm your hero, remember?" He mumbles and I smile at his words.
###########
3rd person pov
Emma walks up the porch steps, holding her dress on her arm with no emotion. Suddenly, Damon walks out of the house, surprised to see Emma but deep down happy because there's something he wants to get off his chest.
"What are you doing here?" She asks him with a small smile.
"Failed and feeble attempt at doing the right thing." Damon answers, smiling at her smile since he can't help it anymore.
"Which was...?" Emma trails off, not knowing what he was trying to amend.
"It's not important. Let me take this for you." Damon says, taking the dress and the bag from her hands, setting it down over the ledge before he turns back to her.
She watches him, worried about what he's up to. "Thank you."
"You know, I came to this town wanting to destroy it. Tonight, I found myself wanting to protect it. How does that happen? I'm not a hero, Em. I don't do good. It's not in me. But you... you see me as a hero somehow." He smiles, looking down at the ground before locking eyes with hers.
"I will always see you as a hero." She smiles, knowing that Damon will always be that sweet guy that she met. He just wants to be feared for some reason but deep down he's not the bad guy.
"You shouldn't. That title is reserved for my brother, and you... and Bonnie... who even though has every reason to hate me, still helped Stefan save me." Damon points out, surprised that the little witch helped him even though a few days ago she would do anything to see him dead.
"Why do you sound so surprised?" Emma asks curiously.
"Because she did it for you. Which means that somewhere along the way, you decided that I was worth saving like you told me. You're the only one that ever cared about me ever since we met, giving me chances over and over again, the only one that would risk their human life to save me." He takes a step closer to her, licking his lips as he looks down at her. "And I wanted to thank you and I want to say that... I love you, Em. I didn't want to admit it out loud because then it would be real. I want us to be together. I want you to be mine."
"Why would that be a bad thing?"
"Because I have known that you're in love with me for a long time. I was ashamed searching for Katherine when deep down I wanted you and not her. You made me feel real love for the first time in a long time." He confesses, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
Her eyes widen at the confession and she opens her mouth to speak but his lips meet with hers. The two of them kiss passionately for a few seconds before Jenna interrupts the moment by opening the door and coughing loudly.
Emma pulls away embarrassed to see Jenna standing there with a glare on Damon and Elena is standing by her side. "Hi..." Emma nervously speaks, shooting her sister and aunt a shy smile.
"It's late, you should probably come inside." Jenna demands, while Elena shoots Emma a glare.
Emma looks at Damon, grabbing her dress and bag before heading inside the house. Once Emma gets inside the house Jenna closes the door and heads upstairs, knowing the twins are going to argue about what they witnessed.
"What are you doing?" Elena questions in fury.
"I don't want to talk about it." Emma shrugs, walking away from her angry sister.
Emma walks into the kitchen and sees John opening the fridge but before he closes it Emma stands behind the door which startles him. "You scared me."
"Sorry." She shrugs emotionlessly.
"You know... I first met Isobel when I was a teenager. I fell in love with her instantly, although I'm pretty sure she never loved me. She was special. A part of why I hate the vampires so much is because of what she became, how it ruined her. I never would have sent her to Damon had I known she wanted to turn. But turns out they had already met before." She looks at him while she puts away the dishes. "I'm telling you this because I hope you can understand." He looks at her, hopeful for forgiveness as she puts the knives away.
"I understand." She smiles.
"Can I help?" He asks with a grin, walking over to Emma who is eyeing his ring with caution.
"Sure." She smirks.
Suddenly, she brings the knife up and cuts his fingers off the hand with the Gilbert ring and she is quick to push him against the sink, making John scream out in pain.
"Katherine?!" He panics.
Katherine eyes change as she shows her vampire face to him. "Hello, John. Goodbye, John." She smirks and stabs him one last time with a evil chuckle.