Elena narrowed her eyes towards Stefan's direction. "What are you?"
"You know." Stefan said calmly.
"No, I don't." Elena responded tightly, refusing to face him. "I'll ask again, what are you?"
It took a second for Stefan to respond before he said. "Vampire."
It took a minute for Elena to register the comment and when she did it sounded unbelievable even to her own ears. "I have to go."
Stefan flashed in front of her, quickly. There was panic in his eyes. "Please don't. Let me explain."
"How did you-"her voice trailed off as she shook her head. How could she have been so stupid? "All those animal attacks, did you cause them?"
Stefan shook his head desperately. "No, of course not. That was Damon. That is not how I chose to survive by hunting innocent people." He grasped her arm. "Please let me explain. Elena, you can't tell anyone. Do you understand?"
"Let me go, Stefan." Elena said stiffly. "I can't promise you anything. I need to go."
"Wait, Elena. All I'm asking you is for a chance to explain. Please." He pleaded. "One chance."
Elena hesitated at the doorway before she said. "One chance. But no one else is getting involved. We'll meet wherever you want to."
Stefan looked uncomfortable. "Actually, I think you should bring Holly."
"Why?"
"Trust me." Stefan said before closing the door. "I'm not the only one hiding secrets."
Damon let out a low groan of desperation as he looked over at Vicki-his snack from last night that he had brought home, passed out on the floor. He looked at the window, crap there was still sun out and he without a daylight ring. Damn Stefan.
Vicki let out a low, confused groan. She was half naked and there was blood pouring from her neck. "What the hell happened?"
"Don't get blood on the couch."
Vicki simply slumped in her seat.
Damon rolled his blue eyes. "I think I choose the wrong girl." He bit into his wrist and forced Vicki to drink the ruby colored liquid. "Drink up. There's a good girl."
"You have to be kidding me, a vampire?" Surprisingly, Holly didn't sound as surprise later that afternoon. She, Elena, and Stefan drove in Stefan's car towards some unknown location in the woods. Elena had insisted that she come with them and at the precise moment Stefan told Holly that he was a vampire. "Like with fangs and blood and stuff?"
Stefan suppressed a smile. "Yes, with fangs and stuff. You don't seem so surprise."
Holly opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it. "I've heard worse."
"I doubt it." Stefan stopped in front of the ruins of a white house. "Here we are. Get out."
Holly frowned as she looked at the ruins of the house. "What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?"
Stefan give her a patient smile. "This didn't used to be nowhere. This used to be my home. I was born here."
Elena gaped. "How much-"
"I've been seventeen years old since 1864."
The color drained from both Elena and Holly's faces. "You've been alive for 146 years?" Holly asked.
Stefan nodded as he looked back at the house with sadness, the three of them began walking towards the house. "This is where Damon and I meet Katherine for the first time. She was a vampire and the one who turned us. Damon made you and Holly believe that we knew Katherine recently, but we haven't seen her for 146 years. She died in the tragic fire, I told you about Elena-except she and a couple of other dozen vampires were burned to death. Katherine was beautiful, but she was also selfish and manipulative. She managed to pin Damon and I against each other." Stefan pulled out Damon's ring from his pocket.
Elena grasped the ring. It was similar to Stefan's. "Damon's ring. As long he doesn't have this, he can't walk in the sun, right?"
"Right." Stefan said as he took the ring back. "But I'm giving it back to him."
Holly frowned. "You mean Damon is here? In Mystic Falls?"
"He's back home." Stefan clarified. "And I know, it's stupid of me, but I need to give him the ring back. Otherwise, he'll hurt you, or Elena and the last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt."
"Don't worry about me," Holly replied, trying to sound braver than she actually felt. She had been practicing a few small spells, mostly levitating some things with the borrowed grimore. "I can handle myself against Damon."
Stefan's features relaxed. "You know."
"I knew for some time." She shrugged. "I guess I was just in denial."
Elena turned her gaze from Holly to Stefan. "Know what?"
"That I'm a witch." The words came out more easily than Holly had anticipated. "I have been having these you could say symptoms all summer-a lot stronger than Bonnie and you could say creepier. I went to talk to her grams yesterday and," Holly kneeled down and picked up a dead flower. She muttered a short spell and her flower began to bloom. "I'm not saying I'm good at it, or that I will ever learn how to control it, but I'm trying. I really am, it might be rough for a few months, but hopefully it will get better."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena replied in a hurt voice.
"I was going to tell you." Holly said guiltily, though it was clear that Elena didn't believe her. "I just didn't know how to bring it up. I couldn't exactly say, 'hey Elena, guess what I'm a witch. What's for lunch?"
"I guess not." Elena crossed her arms over her chest.
Holly's smile faltered. "You're not mad are you? It's not like I choose it, Elena."
"No, I know it's not your fault. It's just a lot to process in one day, vampires, and witches." She began walking towards the car. "It's just overwhelming. I think we need to go home."
Stefan and Holly watched Elena walk back to the car. "She hates me." Holly said, her voice wobbling a little as she watched Elena's departing figure. She hadn't been sure how Elena was going to react, but she sure hadn't been expecting this.
Stefan gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Give her time."
Holly knocked on the Salvatore's door, later that afternoon. When no one answered she pushed the door open. The stereo was playing at high volume and there were clothes and trash everywhere.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Trying to ignore the chill going down her spine, Holly quietly made her way upstairs trying not to feel like an intruder. "Come on, wake up already. I'm bored!"
Damon's voice. Holly quickly approached to where the voice was coming from. Stefan's room. Damon was happily sipping something that looked like whisky while Vicki laid on the floor. "Vicki."
Damon turned around and smirked. "Holly, long time no see. Come to join the party?"
Holly glared at him as she rushed towards Vicki. "What the hell did you do to her?" she pressed two fingers against her throat and she paled. "Is she-"
"Dead. Yep." He said without a hint of regret. "Two plus two."
"You killed her?" she demanded as she stood up. "Why? She's Matt's sister!"
Damon rolled his blue eyes. "I assume my dear brother gave you the vampire 101 course, so I won't bother explaining. Just stay there and wait for the excitement."
Vicki suddenly sat up, gasping for air. "What happened? We were dancing and then-"
"I killed you," came Damon's smug reply ignoring the look that Holly was given him. "You're dead. You remember, Holly right Vicky? Kind of hard not to she has those big, brown doe eyes."
"Sure." Vicki rubbed her head. She felt very hung-over. "Hey, Holly."
"Hi," she stared at her with concern. "How are you feeling?"
"Let me guess with a craving for blood and to rip people's throats out."
Holly turned to face Damon. "Do you honestly think this is funny? You're not helping."
Damon rolled his blue eyes. "What, didn't my brother mention this in his lecture? You died with vampire blood in your system, you feed, and you complete the transition. End of story."
"He explained it perfectly. My concern is that you're acting casually about it."
Vicki stood up as she started putting on her clothes. "Yeah, no offense but I have a killer hangover and I really don't want to hear you two bickering. I'll see you later."