Years since her families death and with a determined face, Gwen pounds on the front door to the Salvatore boarding house. Minutes drag by, with no answer.
Screw this.
Quickly, Gwen scans for anybody who might be watching. Finding no one, she reaches into her back pocket, pulling out a lock picking tool. In four tries Gwen gets the clicking noise of success and heads inside.
"Zach!" She steps into the parlor, "Hello, is anyone here? I'm going to break something!" Grabbing a lamp, ready to smash it into pieces.
"Wait!" Gwen freezes at the voice, Stefan Salvatore. "Please put that down," Slowly she sets the lamp down, "Why are you looking for Zach?"
"Just forget about it."
Gwen walks four steps before a hand grabs her upper arm, spinning her around. She comes face to face with Stefan Salvatore's wide eyes, green as a forest.
Both take in each other's unchanged facial features. His brown hair now spiked, hers flowing down in waves. Above all the mirror that neither has aged leads both to the same conclusion.
Both blurting out at the same time, "You're a vampire."
Gwen doesn't correct Stefan as he speaks one word.
"Katherine," Hate blooms in her soul at the monster who compelled Gwen's father to murder his family, while she danced away laughing. "She fed us her blood, ended up getting shot trying to rescue her."
"Us?" But Gwen already knew from the moment she saw Stefan "Damon."
He nods, hand still gripping her arm, "Gwen ho-"
"Doesn't matter, not staying in town long."
"You can't just show up alive and leave."
Stefan is focused on getting answers, resulting in him failing to notice her arm slipping free of his grasp.
"Watch me."
Hurt flashes in his eyes as Gwen steps back. At one point in life, she was drowning in pain and anger. Gwen lost a brother, while Stefan lost a best friend. Without Stefan, Gwen would have been left in her pain, alone. With a sigh, she drops her cold demure and sits on the couch.
Stefan follows her lead as Gwen informs him, "It's a long story."
At that moment Stefan goes rigid.
Her mouth opens, ready to question him, when a smooth voice interrupts behind her, "And what do we have here?"
Stefan looks over her shoulder "Damon, you look pleased."
"But Elena won't be," Gwen clenches her jaw as Damon leans in, his breath tickling her ear, "Who is your lovely guest?"
Damon takes a strand of blonde hair, twisting it around his finger. Her heart used to flutter and swell at his touch, now, Gwen is annoyed.
Gwen pulls away, stands and turns.
Keeping her face passive, "Hi."
Damon's body goes rigid, confusion shining in his blue eyes.
"I'm going to leave now," Gwen states bluntly.
Air is knocked out of her lungs as Damon slams Gwen's back into the wall, his face intense with anger.
"What the hell are you doing!" Stefan shouts while wrestling Damon off, "It's Gwen... Gwen Jordan, your friend."
Damon gets free, "No!" Anger radiating off him in waves, "We buried her body."
"Yeah, a body that was burned beyond requisition it could have been someone else," Damon shakes his head at Stefan.
Gwen takes a few steps forward "Damon, it's me," Again, she is slammed into the wall, Damon's hands on her shoulders.
"Liar," He spits out.
Her eyes narrow in anger, hand latching around Damon's arms.
Stefan's tone is full of surprise, watching as her eyes go completely black, "Gwen your eyes."
Ignoring him, Gwen focus instead on finding her mother and Elizabeth's bodies, father stabbing her, dropping the match igniting a fire. Every detail burned vividly into Gwen's brain. Damon gasps, dropping to his knees as she curses him.
Whispering "Enjoy my memory."
"You're a necromancer," Her eyes, now blue again, falls on Stefan.
She gives him a small smile, "Yes," Her smile falls "I need to go, Damon will be good in an hour or two."
Damon's grunts distracts Stefan long enough for Gwen to make it to the door.
"Wait," She turns back to Stefan, "I still don't understand how you are here alive."
"Right, I will be back tomorrow when Damon isn't around. Have some vervain ready."
Gwen leaves behind a smiling Stefan. At the graveyard Gwen stares at four gray chipped stone markers, the names now faded. A family forgotten and invisible to everyone. Except for Gwen.
"I promise, I'm getting us a second chance," Her voice a whisper as she lays down yellow flowers on each grave.
Even father, after all his actions were not his own, they belonged to Katherine. In the hotel room, Gwen finds sleep easy.
The next day Stefan shares what has been happening since Damon's return to town. Like Damon killing their uncle Zach. Finished its Gwen turn to share her life after the fire, while filling her plain oval locket with vervain.
"After that night I started training with Michael. He also taught me about all this supernatural stuff."
"I don't understand. How you have not aged?"
Snapping the locket shut, Gwen answers "Got myself an enchanted ring," raising her right hand, showing off the sapphire ring on her index finger "Good for two hundred years then I'm back to aging."
"If that exist, how did you know I'm a vampire?"
"Necromancers and witches can be sensitive to each others presence, it's like a warm welcoming vibe that radiates off of us. Takes some practice to automatically detect, but becomes like second nature. Anyway, you weren't sending out anything and clearly haven't aged. Simple elimination."
"Huh," A moment of silence, "Hey Gwen, why did you come back to Mystic Falls?"
"By the time I could raise the dead, my family was bones. Got me down until Michael told me I could still get them back. Thanks to a crystal that could restore someone's body, but it's lost. The spell to find it could be in my family's journal."
"Thought the Jordan's were ordinary people and your father was just some farmer your mother fell for."
Gwen snorts, "Yeah me too, but apparently my mother's side are keepers of the crystal. They guard its location... I'm not sure yet if my mom was part of it directly, or just as unaware as I was," she leans on the table "What about you? Why come back?"
"One night, while visiting Zach, I came across a car that drove off the bridge. I could only save the girl, her parents already had drowned. Her name is Elena," His lips smile wide, "And the opposite of Katherine in every way."
Gwen sends him a knowing smile, "You are falling for her," Stefan nods, "Well, I'm going to have to meet this Elena."
His smile falls, "Okay, but you have to promise to be nice."
"Like I'm not nice."
Stefan steps closer, "I'm serious Gwen... Elena,she looks exactly like Katherine."
"What?" Gwen snaps, "Stefan, if she looks like Katherine then-"
He cuts her off, "Elena is not Katherine I checked, please trust me."
"Okay, but are you with this girl because of her looking like Katherine?"
"No, you will understand when you meet Elena at the school carnival."
Minutes of Stefan's hopeful face and Gwen gives in, promising to be nice. They arrive at some school fair, full of laughter and smiling faces under a dark sky.
It takes a bit, but Gwen convinces Stefan to let her find Elena on her own. For the first time in years, Gwen isn't sneaking out to a event like this. There is no guilt or worry about her teacher finding out. She let's herself get lost in games and cotton candy, savoring each bite.
Inside, her eyes land on Elena Gilbert counting cash, looking exactly like Katherine. Everything from her bone structure, height, brown eyes to her dark brown hair.
In fact, the only difference is Elena's hair style. Katherine always had curls, while Elena's is straight. Gwen pushes the anger bubbling up back down, it's not Katherine.
With a friendly smile on, Gwen walks over "Hi," Elena's brown eyes look at her in confusion, "Don't know if Stefan told you, but I'm Gwen."
Elena's confusion disappears, a smile taking its place, "Oh yeah he did, hold on," Elena hands the cash to another worker, "You can take the next shift."
Their steps are slow, "Stefan said you two were old friends and that you lost your family," pity flashes in her eyes,"Because of Katherine."
"Yeah, we have known each other since a young age."
"So you are like him, a vampire I mean."
Stopping near lockers, Gwen leans on one, "No I'm a witch, well a Necromancer to be more exact."
"I don't understand."
"Pretty much we have the ability to bring the dead back, talk to the dead plus got some nice curses up our sleeves but compared to normal witches, we have more limits. As for not being six feet underground," Gwen shows Elena her ring, "Enchanted to give me an extra 200 years."
"Where can I get one?" Elena's tone is playful.
"Sorry, the ring only works for us magical folks."
"Hmm I will have to let my friend Bonnie know, she's a witch," They fall into a brief moment of silence, "We should hang out sometime, give me the dirt on Stefan."
"Yeah sounds like fun."
Conversation is interrupted by none other than Damon Salvatore "Girls."
Elena snaps, "Whatever you want, not interested."
"Look, I know I'm the last person," his eyes briefly look at Gwen, "either of you want to see but I need to talk to you both, right now."
It's the urgency in his tone that has them reluctantly following to an empty classroom, where Stefan already waits. Gwen begins to wonder why Damon even needed to include her as he informs Elena her friend is now a vampire.
Pacing, Stefan questions Damon first, "How did this happen?"
"I fed her blood, Katherine obviously killed her A plus B equals."
Gwen is floored that Stefan left that out, "Wait! Katherine is alive, not ashes in the old church?"
"Yup," Damon replies, "Wait, how did you know about that?"
"What does it mat-"
Stefan interrupts Gwen, "And she said game on, what does that even mean?"
"Katherine is a nasty, manipulative person who gets a kick out of this stuff," Gwen's voice drips with hate "She is playing dirty and wants you to know."
Elena stands, voice shaky, "But why Caroline?"
Sighing, Damon throws his head back, "I don't know."
"Caroline, she must be scared out of her mind," Stefan's hands land in his hair "She has no idea what is happening to he-"
"Oh, I think she does. All my compulsion started wearing off the minute she was in transition," Gwen eyes narrow at Damon, "what?"
"I don't appreciate vampires using humans as toys." Her tone is cold.
Stefan arms wrap around Elena, "We have to find her."
"Yup," Damon agrees, "and kill her." Damon brings up some girl named Vicki and her tragic ending, being staked because she couldn't control her hunger. "You know I'm right."
Stefan stands to get in his brother's face, "We're not going to kill her."
He walks away with Elena, leaving no room for argument.
Gwen heads for the door as Damon mutters "There is no other way."
Maybe he is right, Gwen thinks.
Vampires, in her experience only harm others. Tearing apart lives, playing twisted games because it was fun. Except Stefan genuinely seemed different. After all, he didn't have to protect this girl Caroline, but Elena wouldn't forgive him.
Obviously, Stefan truly cares about her. Which means Gwen couldn't kill Caroline either because she wasn't ready to lose Stefan again. Sighing, Gwen begins searching any potential hiding place.
After what feels like hours, she spots Elena speaking to a blonde, tall girl. They are a good distance away from the carnival near trash cans.
"Maybe but it's not going to happen tonight," Stefan reminds Damon as Gwen joins them, offering Elena her help.
"Inside," She informs Gwen.
Damon protests, "Oh yes it is."
Seeing him out of the corner of her eye, pick up some kind of stake and charging at Caroline. Gwen, without stopping to think, runs and throws herself in front of Caroline. Damon stops, the stakes tip resting above her heart. Surprise flickers across his eyes before quickly turning cold.
Gwen matches his stare, not wanting to back down. Her breath comes out heavy, heart beating fast.
She let Damon believe for years she died in a fire, he could get payback right now. Push the stake down or tear into her throat. It leaves Gwen wondering how much the Damon she knew is in there.
Minutes stretch before he breaks it, "Whatever happens is on you."
Her voice is solid, "Fine by me."
Damon scowling, steps away. Elena's mouths 'thank you' before taking her friend inside. With a nod of Gwen's head, Stefan joins them.
Exhausted, Gwen leaves back to her hotel room, falling on the bed. Hours pass before Damon's muffled voice disturbs her falling eyelids.
Rolling over Gwen shouts "Go away!"
"Open the door before I break it!"
"Go ahead, still need my permission to enter."
"I have something for you, a family relic," Interested, Gwen opens the door to Damon wearing a cocky grin. "Knew you would find that interesting."
"Where is it?"
"Invite me in first."
Gwen sighs, "Fine Damon, please come in."
"Stefan mentioned you were looking for some crystal," She turns as something thick is shoved into her chest, "I believe this could help."
Rough leather holds ten old wrinkled pages. Gold letters engraved into the cover spelling Jordan, Gwen's tone clearing showing her confusion "A family journal."
Damon takes it back quickly flipping through pages, "Not just any family journal."
Stopping halfway to the end, he hands it back. Rapidly Gwen scans the page, excitement building with each word. Laid out in her lap is a way to track where the crystal has been, maybe it could lead to its current location.
Quickly scanning the rest, Gwen realizes it's a whole journal relating to the crystal "Damon, thi-"
"You're welcome."
Excitement melts to confusion, "But where did you find it?"
"Three days after the funeral, relatives of your mother's showed up. Claimed the farm, and sold everything. That," Damon points at the journal, "was the only interesting thing. So, I stole it just to be rebellious," he winks.
"Well Thank you."
"Now time to answer my question," Gwen raises an eyebrow, "How did you know Katherine was going to be burned in the old church?"
Jaw clenched, eyes flickering every possible emotion, Damon waits. Face inches from hers. Gwen is torn between wanting to slap or yell until she is blue in the face.
Longing to go back in time, back to them against everyone. To heal every wound they inflicted on each other, but you can't erase the past. So, Gwen tells him part of the truth.
"After a month of training, I believed I could end Katherine. Convinced my teacher to let me try. We were still in the area. He went to bring her to me, but instead found council members rounding up people. My teacher, who is a witch, did some spell that connected his mind with a council member and learned about their plan."
"Nothing else?"
"No," Disappointment flashes in his eyes, almost too quick for her to catch, "Damon, I'm sorry for letting you believe I wa-"
"Save it," He stands, eyes narrowing, "If you really cared you would have told us right away."
Damon makes it outside the door before Gwen is up, questioning his actions "If you're so mad about it, why help me?"
He answers over his shoulder "I'm just trying to help speed up your plan. You don't belong in this town anymore."
She watches him leave, surprised at the tiny flicker of hurt in her heart. He was your friend once, that's why.
"Still chasing him?" Her head snaps to the right at Elena's voice.
Her hair is curled, but it's the dangerous gleam in her brown eyes that gives the female vampire away.
"Katherine."
Katherine walks closer smiling, "Miss me?" Her voice is sickly sweet, "No?"
"What do you want?"
"Making sure a friend of mine wasn't lying," She laughs, "Want to hear how your mother begged for life while your sister just cried in a corner?" Her face inches closer, "No, what about your weak father on his knees weeping, begging for me to not kill them or you, promising to leave town. You know my favorite part? The horror on his face while compelling him to kill you and set the house on fire."
Ragging, Gwen snaps, grabbing Katherine's throat and squeezing as her power wraps around Katherine's heart. Katherine's eyes widen as red veins appear on her chest. While Gwen's pupil swallows every inch of her eyes.
Gwen's voice is full of venom, "Take this as a warning. I changed, and I'm coming after you," Feeling her body draining of energy, Gwen release Katherine, pleased as she stumbles to the ground coughing up blood. Eyes returning to blue, Gwen quotes Katharine, "Game on."
With a smirk, Gwen steps back into her room, slamming the door shut.
*******
If in Katherine's shoes would you be scared?