CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
"family meeting"
"I apologize for nothing." I shrugged as i sat on the stairs of my house. Stefan drove me home, because Damon weirdly had plans with Bonnie and Jeremy.
Stefan stood near the front door with his arms crossed over his chest, "nothing? Not a single thing? From last night or from a few years ago?"
"Yep." I glared at him. "I don't regret sleeping with Klaus, because I didn't know he was Klaus back then. And if I did feel guilty for taking that pill last night, I wouldn't have to be apologizing to you for it." I sighed, laying back on the stairs for a second before realizing it was very uncomfortable. "You only drove me back to talk to Elena, so go do that."
I faked a smile before going up to my room. I heard Stefan come up as well, but he went towards Elena's room.
Ric had fixed my door from when John broke it down, but being that Ric is a teacher and not a handy-man, it's not perfect. The door is crooked, and you have to lift on the handle to close it.
I stood in front of my mirror, just staring at myself. Flashbacks of last night, and from when I was younger and partied, raced through my mind. One night specifically, though. The one night I haven't been able to remember flooded my brain for the first time. The night before I was sent away.
Tyler and I were halfway through six grade, at our last forest party. Tyler was basically sober, he always was at the parties. He followed me everywhere I went, making sure I didn't go too deep into the woods alone, making sure the high schoolers we partied with weren't trying anything on me, making sure I survived all the pills and alcohol given to me. I typically handled all the drugs pretty well. I'd feel the fuzzy, I'd sit against a tree with Tyler by my side, watching the high schoolers dance and make out with each other. I never threw up. No matter how much alcohol I drank, or how many pills I swallowed, I never once threw up. Until that night, when my drink was spiked by the high schooler that originally invited me to the first party. I still didn't know what he mixed into my cheap gin and juice, but I didn't feel the fuzzy that night. I just felt tired. I laid up against the same tree I always did, Tyler noticed that I was way too out of it for only drinking half a cup of booze and taking one pill, so he lightly slapped my cheek, trying to get me to wake up some. I puked three times in under five minutes and he knew something was wrong. Tyler watched as my breathing slowed after puking the final time, and he didn't hesitate to call my parents. Even though he knew there was a chance I'd hate him for it, he called them and told them exactly where we were and what I did. I was rushed to the ER, and while the doctors tried to figure out what mystery pill was dropped into my gin, my heart stopped. The pill apparently didn't mix well with the gin and the pill I willingly took. The doctors had to shock me three times, but my heart started up again and they pumped my stomach. I remember my parents screaming at each other, trying to figure out what they did wrong to make me turn to drugs. My sister was consoling my brother in the corner of the room, and my uncle/father was crying in the hall. That was the last time I took any pills until last night.
I closed my eyes tightly for a moment and looked back at myself in the mirror. My eyes were filled with tears threatening to fall. I hated the way I currently looked. I havent had any blood since before the bar yesterday, so I was looking paler. The bags under my eyes were obvious, but I didn't know if that was because of the lack of blood or the drugs. When I looked at myself, I thought of Vicki. She was at all those parties with me and Tyler. She would always say 'this was the last time', 'I'm going to get better' but she would always show up at the next party. I said I'd get better, that I'd never take another pill in my life. But all it took was for my heart to hurt and someone to offer and I was so willing.
I let out a small scream as I ran my hands against the top of my dresser, everything that was once on it now thrown across my room. "I. Am. Better. Than. Vicki." I stared myself in the eyes through the mirror in hopes that I could somehow compel myself into believing it. I hated that Klaus was the reason I decided to take a pill, and now that I thought about it, I hated that Stefan was the reason I decided to drink again. If I didnt sleep with the doppelgänger-obsessed boys, I'd still be completely sober.
Before I could even comprehend it, my door was on the floor again. "Sorry, I know it just got fixed, but I couldn't get it open." John spoke shyly, as if he wasn't the most confident, cocky guy in the world. "I need you downstairs; family meeting or sorts."
I wiped my eyes quickly as John looked at all my things on the floor. "I'll pass."
"C'mon Blair, its important." John sighed, tilting his head as if to attempt a puppy-dog look.
"If this is to finish that conversation about me being a vampire, I don't really feel like it right now." I groaned, but he shook his head.
"Not about that, just come down. Stefan and Elena are down there already." John nodded slightly before heading down the stairs.
I followed after him confused, "if it's a family meeting, why is stefan there?" I asked nobody in particular. I glanced over the stairs and seen Elena, Stefan and John all looking into the kitchen. "What? Family meetings going to be in the hall?"
I got down the stairs as well and seen what they were looking at. "What the hell."
"I asked John for a do-over." Isobel spoke, the smallest hint of a smile on her face.
"You invited her in?!" Elena yelled at John.
"She has information about Klaus." John said, calmly. "Listen to her, okay?"
"So do I. We don't need her." I groaned, walking in front of Stefan but behind Elena, "you need to get the hell out of our house, now."
Stefan placed his hand on my shoulder and walked back in front of me, "wait, Blair." Stefan nodded at me as if a way to tell me 'i got this'. "Alright, what do you know?"
Isobel turned to her side slightly, gesturing for us to join her in the dining room - like this was an actual family meeting. Stefan sat against the island, Elena paced the kitchen, Isobel sat the table, John stood behind the table and I leaned against the wall.
"Since I was last here, I have been doing everything possible to find Klaus. We knew our best chance was to find him before he could find you."
"Best chance at what?" Stefan asked before I could.
"Keeping Elena alive." John added.
"You don't get to talk, okay? Not after everyone you've done." Elena stopped John from saying anymore, and I had to hold back a small laugh. I couldn't help but feel slightly happy whenever John got shot down by someone. He definitely deserved it.
"Were you able to find Klaus?" Stefan asked Isobel, and I scoffed.
"No. Nobody knows where he is." Isobel shrugged, both Stefan and Elena looked at me, because we now knew he was in town.
"I must be nobody." I muttered to myself, but nobody caught it.
"But there are rumors going around that a doppelgänger exists." Isobel said, and John finished for her.
"Which means any vampire that wants to get in favor with Klaus, will be lining up to capture you."
"I'm not buying any of this." Elena continued her brave act, but I could tell she was scared. "Last time you were here, you made it clear that you didn't give a damn about me or Blair. Now all of a sudden, I'm supposed to believe you want to help?"
"Isobel's been helping all along." John tried to defend her.
"All along?" I scoffed, "When she kidnapped Jeremy and threatened to kill him, I never really seen that as helpful."
John sent me a glare, "Klaus has been obsessed with finding Katherine for centuries. All it would take is for anyone of those 1864 tomb vampires to spread the word that Katherine is still alive, and it would bring him straight here, to mystic falls where you were bound to be discovered. So we killed them."
"And almost killed Stefan and Damon in the process." Elena pointed at Stefan while spoke.
"Yeah." John nodded, agreeing he indeed tried to kill the Salvatore's.
"I have a safe house that I can take you to. The deed is in your name. No vampires can get in without your permission, not even me. Let me help you." Isobel spoke, now standing. "You and Blair will be safe there."
"I will be safe whereever I am, because Klaus doesn't want me dead. Elena will be safe whereever Stefan, Damon and I are. We will protect her." I stood up straighter. We didn't need Isobel or John. I knew what Klaus looked like, I knew what he was like for the most part.
"How do you know Klaus doesn't want you dead?" John asked, Isobel looking interested as well.
"Because I know him. I dated him. Hell, I was with him yesterday and I'm standing in front of you now. If he wanted me dead, I would have been dead long before now."
"What?" John and Isobel both spoke out, shocked.
"That doesnt matter now." Elena got their attention again, "you what to help? Then get the hell out of my house."
Isobel looks between John, Elena and I, nodding. "Okay." She sighed before walking out of the house, and without thinking, I was running after her. Her standing on the sidewalk as I stood on the porch.
"Why were you so infatuated with me? That night I first met you. You acted like you and I were so close, but you treated Elena like another business partner."
"When you and Elena were first born, Elena was perfectly content with your parents or in her crib. But you cried and screamed unless I was holding you. Grayson couldn't hold you, neither could Miranda or John. I was the only one who could call you down." Isobel smiled, "I was more connected with you, emotionally. It was harder to leave you behind."
"That's messed up." I mumbled, but she was able to catch it. She shrugged, sending me a small smile before disappearing.
—
Elena, Damon, Stefan and I went to the Lockwood's to accept my mother's foundations check from the historical society. Everything was fine until John was thrown down the stairs, most definitely temporarily-dead. Stefan, the mayor the sheriff, and everyone else at the house ran to the scene while Elena stayed in the room where the check was, and I went to the kitchen to find something to eat. "Hey there B." I turned away from the kitchen to see Katherine smirking.
"I've already had to deal with one relative today, could you give it a day before you bother me?" I groaned, finishing the string cheese I stole from the fridge.
"That's not an option. Come with me." Katherine grabbed my arm and pulled me to Elena. Katherine pulled out a stake and held it over my heart. I struggled in her arms, but she held me still. "Shh, stay quiet. Elena, I will let your twin live if you willingly give me your dress and go climb into the black SUV out front. Nod, yes or no."
Elena's eyes were wide and she glanced as me. I shook my head, but Elena nodded. "Good." Katherine snapped my neck, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the back of a black SUV.
A man stood outside of the car staring at me through the window. "Why did I not get the option to willingly come?" I groan as I rub my now-sore neck.
"She's awake, Isobel." The man spoke, and before I knew it, he was ripping me from the car. I spotted Isobel and Elena.
"Come on, Blair." Isobel motioned for me to come closer to her and Elena. The second I took a step, the man who pulled me out sped off in the car. I made my way to my two "family members".
"So you lied," Elena continued with their conversation, not considering to fill me in. "You did find Klaus, didn't you? Are you taking me to him?"
Isobel didn't say anything until we got to the grave stone with her name on it. "Hmm, nothing like visiting your dead mother's headstone with your not-so-dead mother." I muttered.
Isobel smiled at me, "you called me your mother."
I rolled my eyes as Elena spoke back up, "what is this?"
"My parents, your grandparents, they put it here when it was clear the police werent gonna find my body." Isobel continued to smile, "they visit every week and bring flowers. Even though, there's no one buried here."
"The Isobel they knew, is dead. So maybe there is a part of me buried here- the human part, the part that I abandoned when I chose to become a vampire. The part that used to dream about the day she'd know her daughters."
"Yadda, yadda." I leaned against the back of another person's headstone, feeling slightly guilty but not enough to move. I was weak, and in need of a blood bag.
"What?" Elena asked quietly, as if she were believing what Isobel was saying.
"Instead you two got to meet the other part. The part that would betray her own flesh and blood." Isobel's phone rang and she answered it hesitantly.
"I have Katherine and the moonstone. Is the doppelgänger safe?" The males voice flowed out of the phone and into Isobel's head.
"Yes." She watched and Elena paced in a small circle.
"Then let her go." The other voice spoke.
"Let her go?"
"Klaus has everything he needs for now. Your part is finished. You did what he compelled you to do." When the man said this, Isobel looked relieved.
"I'm done?" She asked, calm and happy.
"You're done." The line ended, and Isobel let out a breath I didn't know she held.
"Who was that?" I asked as Elena put her attention back on Isobel. I stood up straight, and made my way beside Elena and whispered, "Somethings not right, E."
"I'm so sorry, girls. I was such a disappointment to you." Isobel spoke, still looking at peace.
"Yep." I agreed, and Elena hit my arm.
Isobel took a deep breath before she gripped her necklace, which was what she was using to protect her from the sun, because the second she pulled it off, she started burning. Instantly going up in flames.
Elena looked shocked, and almost sad, as she watched our mother kill herself. But I didn't feel anything. I knew I should have felt something, she was our mother, but she felt like a stranger to me. I felt like I just watched a random person kill themselves in front of me, and I didn't feel anything for that person. Isobel's screams filled the air until she was on the ground, dead. "She must've been compelled." I shrugged, bending down beside the now-corpse that was still flaming as I picked up the necklace and pushed it into my pocket.
Elena's tears were about to spill out as she still stood in shock, her eyes locked on Isobel's body. "Come on, E." I grabbed her arm, stealing her attention, a single tear fell down her cheek as she looked at me. I moved my hand down to hold hers. "Let's go home, okay?" I felt bad that I didn't feel as bad as Elena. I wasnt some emotionless monster, I just didn't feel anything for Isobel when she was alive, so I didn't feel anything when she died. I wasn't sure if I didn't feel anything because I didn't care about her, or because I didn't want to feel anything about it.
Elena and I walked, hand in hand, as we made our way to the Salvatore's boarding house to find John, Damon and Stefan already sitting in the living room with bourbons in hand.
—
I am so sorry for how rushed the Isobel/Elena/blair scene is, I am very tired lol. I just wanted to get this chapter out tho. I messed up because the last three chapters (31, 30, 29) have all been based on the same episode and I just got idk confused? Haha idk uh, I also forgot that tyler left with that werewolf, so I had a whole scene of him and Blair written out and I had to erase it bc he ain't back yet lolol. Anyways, please vote and comment !! Also, check out my other books !! xx