LOCKWOOD MANSION 1864
The small town of Mystic Falls was holding the first ever Founder's Ball. It was an event where everyone who lived in the town would come to the mayor's mansion to dance the night away in their best gowns and suits as they celebrated the town's success.
The main ballroom was filled with people dancing and chatting along each other. But in the middle of all the festivities, there was one female who caught the attention of both men and women by her simple beauty. It was none other than Miss Katherine Pierce.
"Look who found his dancing shoes," Katherine commented with a bright smile as she held her right hand up and slowly moved around in a circle with her date, Stefan Salvatore. However, when the man tried to lean in for a kiss, Katherine quickly took a step back and scolded the brunette playfully, "no touching, Mr. Salvatore. Those are the rules."
Stefan chuckled at the young girl and uttered, "I thought you didn't believe in rules," before he lifted his hand back up as they continued to dance correctly. They twirled around the room gracefully before Stefan caught the eye of his older brother. He looked back to Katherine and stated, "my brother is still upset that you chose me to escort you."
Katherine took a quick glance over to the sad Salvatore before she focused back on Stefan and declared, "well, Damon needs to concede that his younger brother is a better dancer."
The couple continued to dance around the room like everyone else as they raised both of their hands and smoothly moved in a perfect circle. However, when Katherine glanced around the ballroom, something instantly caught her attention. "Oh, looks like he found someone to occupy his time," she mentioned as she stared over at the oldest Salvatore brother with a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.
Stefan didn't really think anything of who is brother was dancing with since he had the girl of his dreams in his own arms. But Stefan's body froze once he and Katherine traded places and saw who was with Damon. He felt an uncomfortable sensation run through his chest as he watched the green eyed girl glance over at him as she was being held by his brother. "Emily," Stefan called out strongly before he moved to walk towards the brunette girl.
However, before he could take a step, Katherine placed her white gloved hand on top of Stefan's black coat as she pleaded, "Stefan, don't."
Stefan shrugged off Katherine's hand without a second thought and pushed his way through all of the happy people as he tried to catch up with Emily, who was leaving the ballroom with Damon's arm wrapped around her waist. He couldn't let Damon sweep Emily off of her feet. That's not how it's suppose to be, it should be him.
"Emily!" Stefan yelled out as he rushed through the door that the girl had just went through. But as soon as Stefan walked through the entrance, he realized he was no longer inside the Lockwood mansion in a itchy wool coat. Instead, he felt the warm heaters inside of Mystic Grill and the light blue Henley and jeans that hugged him tightly.
Stefan didn't bother to worry about how he traveled through centuries in a matter of seconds. The only thought on his mind right now was finding a certain brunette girl. Stefan carefully looked at each face around the busy restaurant for a minute or two, before he finally found the girl he was looking for. Emily was standing by one of the pool tables with a cue stick in her right hand. "Come on, it's your turn, Mr. Salvatore," Emily smiled brightly as she looked in Stefan's direction.
Stefan grinned at the brunette as he began to make his way towards the pool table. Stefan guessed he must have been day dreaming about the past. However, he quickly came to a stop once he noticed someone walking up to Emily. He stood there for a moment as he watched the scene play out.
"Be prepared to lose," Damon smirked as he carried two glasses of bourbon towards the young girl.
Emily grabbed her glass from the oldest Salvatore's hand and placed it onto the table beside her. "In your dreams, sweetheart," she smirked right back before wrapping her hands loosely around Damon's neck, where they both reached each other's lips at the same time for a sweet kiss.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Katherine questioned in a whisper as she stood behind Stefan while still in her large dress from the nineteenth century. She watched Stefan's reaction to seeing Damon with Emily. "You know you are with the wrong twin now, don't you?" She asked as she noticed the frown grow onto Stefan's face.
Stefan didn't even bother looking over at Katherine as he felt frozen as he kept his eyes only on Emily and his brother. He watched Damon stand behind the young girl as he helped her shoot a ball into one of the pockets before kissing her cheek. Stefan's frown deepened as he saw the bright smile that adored Emily's face in happiness that Damon was responsible for instead of him.
"Now you know how I feel," Katherine stated as she noticed the tears building up in her ex lover's eyes. "Don't fight it, Stefan," she commanded as she placed her gloved hand on Stefan's cheek softly, "you loved me once. You can love me again."
However, when Stefan went to pull away from Katherine and look back to the girl he had feelings for, he suddenly noticed he was now back at the Lockwood mansion as he felt the chilly air and the uncomfortable clothing. "I love you, Stefan," Katherine whispered as she stared into Stefan's green eyes. "We will be together again, I promise," she added before pulling Stefan into a slow and passionate kiss.
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Stefan jumped up in his bed with a slight jolt as he was woken up from a very realistic dream. He glanced down when he felt a body laying next to him, and sighed once he saw that it was Elena. He felt guilty dreaming about Emily in that way when his girlfriend was right here. But it was only a dream, right?
"Hey, are you okay?" Elena wondered quietly as she slowly rubbed her long fingers down Stefan's chest.
"Yeah," Stefan mumbled. "Yes, bad dream. Just go back to sleep," he whispered as he calmly played with Elena's brown hair. But as the minutes ticked by, Stefan began to feel like something wasn't right. He remembered that Elena had told him last night that she was going to stay home and wait for Emily. So, there was no possible way that this was -
Stefan was out of his bed and across the room in a matter of seconds as he realized who was really with him. "Katherine," he growled.
"You have to admit, I am getting better at this," Katherine smirked as she sat up in the king size bed. "It was easy to get inside of your head," she stated before she pouted and added, "but I am surprised that you were dreaming about sweet little Emmie instead of my dull doppelganger."
Stefan's anger spiked when his past lover mentioned the oldest Gilbert girl. He disliked when the vampire was around Emily, nonetheless mentioning her in conversation. Stefan ran towards Katherine to attack her, but he didn't get far enough before Katherine pushed him onto the ground harshly.
"Are we really gonna do this again?" Katherine questioned drearily as she jumped out of the bed. "We both know I could rip you to shreds and do my nails at the same time," she stated.
"What do you want?" Stefan wondered as he slowly got up from the ground.
"I wanted to see you," Katherine uttered sweetly, "I missed you, Stefan." She pouted before she continued, "indulge in me for a little while, please?"
Stefan ignored Katherine's flirting as he questioned, "why are you back in town?"
"3 reasons," Katherine began as she held her hand up and counted as she listed, "you, you, and you."
Stefan looked at Katherine in amusement as he explained, "you see, I can't quite get that down. It just kind of gets stuck in my throat."
"You know it's the truth," Katherine stated as she disregarded the male's rudeness and slowly moved closer towards Stefan. She ran her finger down his chest as she added, "deep down inside that gorgeous body of yours, there's the Stefan that fell in love with me too."
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In the midst of the very busy Mystic Grill sat Emily Gilbert as she began to read through Darina's journal with a basket of fries and a vanilla milkshake on the table. Emily and Elena had woken up early to read more about the Petrova family, but a couple hours later Emily complained about being hungry. Emily decided to go the Grill so she could eat but also to read through Darina's journal privately. She still didn't want to tell anyone about what Darina wrote, not until she was sure that there was danger really coming like her doppelganger mentioned.
Emily started on the very first page, since she didn't get the chance to finish it while she was at Duke University. She wanted to make sure that she reads every word carefully. It has to be important if it's been save and in good condition for centuries.
... You might have felt the need to protect everyone over yourself as you have grown. That is because of the spell that was placed over me. But I must warn you, you must not tell the man who is after you that you have the blood of the protector. The man you shall never tell is called, Niklaus. He is to be never trusted. He is the most feared man of them all.
But I promise you, I will try my very best to protect you from Niklaus as I stand on the other side. This is why I am going to tell you about the witch that helped me. The witch was called Maria Radkova. She belonged to защитник на невинността, which in English means The Protector of the Innocence. It was a special coven in the southern part of Bulgaria. Their duties were to protect those who could not protect themselves. It was not just the vampires and werewolves they protected people from, it was from any danger that would arise to our country.
That is why you feel very protective over your family and friends. It was how I felt after Maria placed the spell over me. I had to drink a mixture of her blood and herbs, so I would be protected by her and couldn't be used for the sacrifice Niklaus needed me for.
I need you to remember the name Maria Radkova, because when the times does come, someone very close to my heart will deliver something to you that belonged to Maria. You must take what is given to you. It will help you survive the supernatural world and the wrath of Niklaus.
Emily placed the brown journal onto the wooden table with a heavy sigh. There was just so much information that she was trying to absorb from Darina. Who is this Niklaus person and what did he want? Was Emily part witch since she has Maria's blood in her system? There was just so many questions that Emily had and didn't know how she was going to get the answers quick enough.
Emily reached for a fry from the small basket as she thought about everything, but grew confused when she only touched the table. She looked up and groaned instantly when she noticed Damon eating her fries with a smirk on his face. Emily ripped the basket from his hands before questioning in annoyance, "what do you want?"
Damon shrugged his shoulders carelessly with the same smirk on his face as he responded, "oh, you know, just seeing how my best friend is doing."
Emily rolled her eyes, "well, I'm surely not your friend, so you must be mistaken." She swiftly closed the journal and placed it into her black and white purse. Emily smirked at the vampire as she mumbled, "remember, Damon, I'm not my sister. I don't like you," before she got up from the wooden table and walked away.
"Where are you going?" Damon questioned as he quickly followed after the fast Gilbert girl. He decided to ignore the flutter in his stomach when she mentioned Elena as he focused on getting Emily as his friend again.
Emily swiftly turned around and glared at the blue eyed vampire. "We are not friends, Damon. I only put up with you because you are Stefan's brother and Elena has a soft spot for you," Emily stated, "I don't want to talk to you unless it's necessary for the safety of my family and friends."
"Okay," Damon muttered before he added dismissively, "see you at Jenna's barbecue."
Emily looked at Damon with furrowed brows as she questioned, "how did you know about the barbecue?"
"It was my idea," Damon stated as it was obvious.
"Of course it was," Emily mumbled under her breath as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Emily thought she was just going to have a normal day with her family. But no, Damon has to ruin it by having some sort of a sneaky plan.
"Jenna went to high school with Mason Lockwood so I figured a social gathering would be a good way to get to know the guy," Damon explained with a smirk before trailing off, "so I told Ric to tell Jenna..."
Emily rose an eyebrow at the vampire as she stated, "you know, Jenna and I are very alike." She gave Damon a condescending smile as she continued, "we both don't like you."
However, before Damon could open his mouth to speak, a blonde waitress suddenly walked up to the vampire and handed him a white container. "Perfect. Thank you," Damon uttered as he smiled at the waitress. "I'm hoping this peach cobbler will at least change aunt Jenna's mind about me," Damon told Emily once they were alone.
Emily rolled her eyes and mumbled, "doubtful," before looking at the vampire as she wondered, "what are you planning?"
"I'm just gonna put some silver into Mason Lockwood and prove he is a werewolf," Damon whispered to the brunette. He moved passed Emily as he added, "I'll see you at the barbecue, best friend," before he walked out of Mystic Grill with the dessert in hand.
Emily watched Damon leave the restaurant with furrowed brows. She didn't like what Damon was up to. Mason Lockwood might be a werewolf, but he was still family to Emily and she didn't want him to get hurt.
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Katherine Pierce laid lazily across a long leather couch in the center of the Salvatore's living room as she read through one of Stefan's many journals. The one she was currently reading was when Stefan started eating on the animal diet. Katherine found it amusing that Stefan wastes his talent on drinking blood from small hopeless animals.
"You shouldn't read someone's journal," Stefan uttered as he walked into the living room and spotted the familiar journal in his ex lover's hands.
"I know. I'm sorry," Katherine apologized with a pout. "It was just too tempting. All of your inner thoughts and feelings, laying there on your desk for me to read," she explained teasingly.
Stefan silently grabbed the journal from Katherine's hands. He didn't feel like entertaining Katherine and listening to her antics all day. Instead, he held a crystal glass in front of her hungry brown eyes. "Damon's private stock," he mentioned as he handed Katherine the red liquid. He hoped that it would at least get her off his personal life for awhile.
"That's right!" Katherine exclaimed as she remembered, "you don't do human, I read that." She took a large gulp of the warm blood and added, "I also read about your recent werewolf sighting. That must have come as a surprise."
"What do you know about werewolves?" Stefan questioned the older vampire. He realized she must know something if Katherine wasn't all that surprised by the sound of her voice.
Katherine played with her long curly hair as she mumbled, "I know not to pet one." Once she heard Stefan huff out a sigh, Katherine continued but seriously this time as she warned him, "their bite kills, Stefan. It's best to stay clear of them during a full moon."
"And how do you know this?" Stefan interrogated.
Katherine stood up from the couch and looked around the boarding house as she questioned him back, "who do you think was responsible for ridding this town of vampires in 1864?"
"The founding families," Stefan responded easily.
"And spearheaded by..." Katherine trailed off as she waited for Stefan to understand what she was saying.
Stefan thought for a moment before he nodded his head as he realized what she meant. "The Lockwood's," he stated.
Katherine smiled pleasingly at Stefan before she wondered, "you remember the Founder's Ball, don't you?" She smirked before adding, "the one that you were dreaming about?"
Stefan glanced down at his hands as he muttered, "I was your escort."
"That was before you and Damon knew about my little secret," Katherine stated before she was pulled into the memory of that very night.
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LOCKWOOD MANSION 1864
The very first Founder's Ball was in full swing as everyone danced and laughed with each other. The Lockwood mansion was filled to the rim with chatter and smiling faces. However, the large mansion grew silent when there was a sound of metal hitting against glass. "Everyone will you please join me in raising your glasses to my good friend, George Lockwood," Damon Salvatore exclaimed as he stood in the middle of the room beside the guest of honor. He turned to his friend as he continued, "George, thank you for so bravely defending the south."
George Lockwood grinned at his friend and raised his glass in appreciation before stating, "my honor, Mr. Salvatore." He smirked as he spoke to the whole room in a joking matter, "after all, someone has to do it." Once the two men clinked their glasses together, everyone else joined in before cheers and laughter fell all through the room as the residents of Mystic Falls continued to celebrate.
Only a few feet away from the toast, was the youngest Salvatore and the beautiful Katherine Pierce. They clinked their own glasses together with smiles on their faces before they brought the gold liquid to their lips. However, they were soon interrupted by a male walking quickly up to Katherine. "Can we have a word, Miss Katherine?" He questioned politely as he bowed his head to the female.
"Grab a glass, Henry," Katherine ordered as she dismissed what he needed to speak to her about. She smiled brightly and stated, "it's a celebration."
"Please, Miss Katherine," Henry begged as he stared into her brown eyes with seriousness in his own.
Katherine realized it must be important by the expression on the male's face, so she gave Stefan a sweet smile and uttered, "please excuse us for a moment," before she walked away with Henry.
They walked through the Lockwood mansion until they were in a quite area but the stairs. Henry glanced around as he made sure no one would be eavesdropping on their conversation. Once he was sure it was safe, Henry moved closer towards Katherine and whispered, "I looked into those attacks from the other night." He shook his head, "and it wasn't vampires."
Katherine smiled happily but quickly frowned when she saw the look on the male's face. "That's good news, Henry," she explained, "that means we have nothing to worry about."
"I'm afraid you do not understand," Henry whispered nervously, "those folks were torn apart in ways I have never seen before."
Katherine's whole body turned rigid at the revelation. "Then..." she trailed off as she realized what would happen, "it will not be long before the founders drop an investigation."
"We will leave town immediately," Henry hastily told Katherine, "I will tell the others."
"Relax, Henry," Katherine ordered with an easy smile. "This town is our home and the vampires are my family. I will not let anything happen to us," Katherine reassured him as her eyes focused on someone in the corner of the room.
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"From the moment I met George, I knew he'd be a problem," Katherine stated with annoyance in her voice as she remembered the man.
"So, you're saying that all the Lockwood's are werewolves?" Stefan questioned.
Katherine shook her head as she slowly walked around the room. "The werewolf gene runs in the Lockwood family," she corrected, "not that they're all wolves."
"How many werewolves are out there?" Stefan wondered, "I mean, is it just limited to the Lockwood's?"
"No," Katherine denied, "there was others. Not many. They're practically extinct. They mainly exist now in books and really bad movies." Katherine gulped down the rest of the warm blood before she placed the crystal glass onto a small wooden table. She turned to Stefan with a smirk, "now it's my turn to ask a question."
Katherine quickly swiped Stefan's journal from his hands with a small giggle and began to look through the book for a certain page. Once she found it, Katherine pulled out a picture of herself and showed it to Stefan as she questioned, "why did you keep this picture?"
However, when Stefan didn't utter a single word, she continued to taunt him, "hmm? Why not burn it? Tear it up?" Katherine closed the journal as she slowly moved in front of Stefan, "you wanna know why I came back? Well, I have a better question; why did you? For Elena? For Emily?" She shook her head, "no. You came back here to fall in love with me all over again, didn't you?"
Stefan looked anywhere but at his ex lover, before he was suddenly right in front of her in a blink of an eye. He grabbed Katherine's face softly in his left hand and whispered, "what is it about you that makes me still care?"
Katherine's eyes softened as she believed every word that was coming out of Stefan's mouth, just like the Salvatore wanted. She moved her lips to Stefan's and pulled him into a passionate kiss. However, the loving kiss didn't last very long before Katherine suddenly pulled away in pain.
Stefan had stabbed Katherine in the back with a vervain dart. He knew this was the only way he was going to get the answers he needed. So he silently watched the older vampire fall back onto the couch in pain as a heavy glare settled on his face. Stefan just waited for the right moment to grab her and set his plan in motion.
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It only took Stefan about two minutes to carry the weakened vampire down to the basement once she had passed out on the couch. He placed her into a hard chair before chaining her ankles and wrists to the floor and to the chair. Once Stefan made sure Katherine was secure, he took a step back and looked at her as she began to gain awareness. "Now, where were we?" Stefan questioned as he looked at his ex lover. He watched Katherine squirm before uttering amusingly, "that's right. You were going to tell me why you came back to Mystic Falls, weren't you?"
"You didn't have to do this," Katherine moaned as she fought the chains.
"Answer the question," Stefan commanded as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I came back for you," Katherine stated tiredly.
Stefan stood up straight as he uttered, "we're gonna play by my rules now." He grabbed a pair of gloves and placed them over his large hands before he moved towards Zach's stash of vervain. He ripped off a small strand of the plant before walking back to Katherine.
"What are you doing?" Katherine quickly whispered once she noticed the toxic plant in Stefan's hand.
Stefan ignored Katherine's question as he swiftly placed the vervain across her cheek and listened to her cry out in pain. "Answer the question," Stefan growled once he pulled the plant away from Katherine's skin.
"Y-You're going to torture me now?" Katherine croaked out as tears streamed down her face.
Stefan held Katherine's throat tightly in his gloved hand and stated angrily, "I'll do whatever it takes to get you to tell me the truth."
Katherine took a deep breath once Stefan had let go of her throat, before she tried to explain, "later that night at the Founder's Ball -"
"No!" Stefan growled, "I don't wanna hear anymore stories about the past."
"Yes, you do, Stefan," Katherine mumbled, "that's exactly what you want to hear."
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LOCKWOOD MANSION 1864
"She's all alone," George Lockwood noted with a smirk as he walked up to Katherine Pierce. "Does this mean I can finally have you all to myself?" He questioned teasingly.
"Your father has outdone himself," Katherine complimented as she glanced around the room in amazement before she looked back at George with a charming smile.
"Knowing father, he will want to throw a Founder's Party every year," George muttered as his eyes focused on the beautiful brunette.
Katherine chuckled lightly before revealing, "I must admit, I am rather surprised that you would come looking for me."
"Because you are the rope in the Salvatore brother's tug-of-war?" George questioned as he rose an eyebrow at the young girl.
Katherine giggled before she corrected the man easily, "no, because I am a vampire who could kill you in your sleep."
The playfulness was washed from the Lockwood's tan skin as he stared at the girl in shock. "I beg your pardon?" He choked out as he hoped he didn't hear her right.
Katherine rolled her brown eyes in annoyance as she noticed the man was looking anywhere but at her. "Relax, George," she muttered, "I know you know my secret."
George glared at the female and stated, "this conversation is over," before he turned to walk away.
However, before George could fully move away from Katherine, she quickly grabbed onto his arm tightly. "And I know your secret, too. And I know that you are extra strong, only not as strong," she revealed with her own glare.
George yanked his arm out of Katherine's grip before he quickly whispered, "how do you know who I am?"
Katherine chuckled humorlessly, "you think I would settle into a town without knowing my enemies?"
George swallowed thickly before he asked, "what do you want?"
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Emily walked into the kitchen of the Gilbert house, where she found her twin sister and aunt preparing for the barbecue. She had called Caroline earlier to invite her to the event. After Damon had mentioned he was going to try something at the barbecue, Emily decided to have Caroline join as well. Emily thought the more people that came, the less Damon would try and do something stupid that would put the people she loved in danger.
Emily made her way to the kitchen table and sat down as she grabbed a couple of chips from the bowl. But she was instantly stopped when Elena quickly slapped her hand away. Emily glared at her sister before she looked at Jenna with a smile when her aunt walked towards them. "Hey, thanks for letting Caroline come to the barbecue. She's been having some problems with her mom lately, so I thought this could help with her being surrounded by family," Emily told Jenna.
Jenna waved her hand carelessly as she stated, "Caroline is always allowed in our house, no matter what." She glanced over at Elena and added, "she's not the one I'm worried about. Why is Damon coming?"
"Alaric invited him," Elena explained before she pleaded to her aunt, "come on, Jenna, be nice."
Jenna scoffed, "I'll be nice when Damon learns to keep his paws off of you."
But before Elena could defend the oldest Salvatore like she wanted, Mason Lockwood walked into the room with a bottle of liquor and glasses. "Good news!" He exclaimed, "I found the shot glasses!"
"That would be my exit," Elena mumbled before she looked over at her sister and questioned, "are you coming?"
Emily eyed the clear liquid in Mason's hand before looking at Elena with a smirk, "I'll be there in a second."
Elena rolled her eyes playfully at Emily before she commanded, "you better, or I will drag you out of here."
"I promise!" Emily yelled as she watched her sister walk out of the kitchen and make her way towards the front door.
Jenna threw her arm over Emily's shoulder as she looked at Mason with a chuckle. "You're here for 10 minutes and I'm already back under the bleachers at the pep rally," she stated.
"It's just like old times, huh?" Mason laughed before he began to pour a couple of shots. "Only I didn't swipe this bottle from my old man and the beautiful Emily is joining us," he uttered as he shot the young Gilbert girl a wink.
Emily smirked at Mason as she muttered jokingly, "you got that right, Mase. Now it's even better."
"Oh, the expensive stuff!" Alaric hollered as he walked into the kitchen with a plate full of steaks. "I like you already," he told Mason as he eyed the liquor.
"Just happy to be invited," Mason expressed.
Emily rolled her eyes as she moved and hugged the Lockwood's waist, "you're always welcomed here, Mase."
Jenna chuckled at her niece before she looked at Mason and stated, "thank Ric, it was his idea."
"Really?" Mason questioned doubtfully.
"Yeah, you know I thought it would be nice to meet some of Jenna's high school friends," Alaric explained. "Dig up a little dirt," he whispered as he looked at Jenna in amusement.
"Oh, I've got dirt," Mason stated with a smirk.
"So do I!" Emily yelped as she glanced at her aunt teasingly, "thank you alcohol for letting Jenna spill her secrets."
"I have no secrets," Jenna denied before grabbing a shot glass and mumbling, "only dirty shame."
"To dirty shame," Alaric toasted as he clinked his shot glass with Jenna's, Mason's, and Emily's before they all downed the strong tequila.
"Hey," a voice suddenly spoke from behind them after they had sat their shot glasses on the kitchen counter.
Emily twirled around with a smile on her face before it was instantly turned into a frown when she saw who it was. Her mood was quickly ruined when she noticed it was Damon. Now she knew she had to be on guard with the vampire around her loved ones.
"Damon," Jenna deadpanned as she glared at the blue eyed man.
Alaric detected the tension in the room, so he looked at Damon and stated, "we were just doing shots. Let me give you a shot glass, buddy."
"Here. Use mine," Jenna growled as she slammed the glass into Damon's chest before she quickly walked out of the kitchen and away from the oldest Salvatore.
Emily glared at the vampire as she muttered, "I need to go check on MY best friend," before she copied her aunt as she made her way out of the kitchen and began to look for Caroline and Elena.
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Stefan leaned his elbows on his knees and huffed out a heavy sigh as he watched Katherine closely. He was tired and annoyed as he waited for the older vampire to tell him the truth about George. "You know, we can sit here as long as you want," he stated, "and when you start to desiccate, there's a tomb with your name on it."
"I've been doing all the talking," Katherine uttered in a raspy voice, "it's your turn." Once Stefan stared at her quietly and impatiently, Katherine asked her question, "do you pretend to be human when you're with her?" She twitched her head to the side as she added, "and I'm not talking about Elena. I'm talking about the girl you really love, Emily."
Stefan didn't utter a single word, he only glared at the girl in front of him that kept bringing up Emily in conversation. He didn't bother denying his feelings for the oldest Gilbert. There was no point when it was the truth and his relationship with Elena was spiraling everyday. But Stefan didn't like when Katherine brought Emily up, he felt more protective over her when the older vampire did, it made him feel like she was in danger.
Katherine smirked as she watched Stefan glare at her. She knew she was getting to him. "We all know Elena isn't the one you truly love. You are only dating Elena because it's the easy choice. The only reason you are with my dull doppelganger is because she reminds you of me," Katherine exclaimed. Her brown eyes softened as she wondered, "does Emily make you question yourself? Does Emily make you feel like a better person?"
Stefan glanced down at his fingers as he played with his daylight ring. He finally looked back up at his ex lover after a moment and mumbled lowly, "I don't have to pretend to be anything when I'm with her. I am just me."
Katherine nodded her head silently as her mind compared Emily with her own twin sister. They are very similar, Katherine thought. She looked up at Stefan and questioned, "does Emily know you are in love with her?" Katherine rose an eyebrow as she continued, "do they both know that you love me?"
"I don't," Stefan growled at the last question. He jumped out of the chair in frustration for his feelings for his girlfriend's sister and annoyance for Katherine's mind games.
"That's where you're wrong, Stefan," Katherine mumbled with a sigh. "Don't you remember bringing me home that night? Your family taken me in," Katherine added as she tried to get Stefan to feel for her again.
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SALVATORE ESTATE 1864
"I had a lovely time, Stefan," Katherine stated with a smile as she followed him up the stairs of the Salvatore estate.
Stefan turned to Katherine as he helped her up the last step before he questioned, "how long do you plan on staying in Mystic Falls?"
"As long as I'm wanted," Katherine responded softly. "Your father has been very kind to give me shelter," she added as they walked along the narrow hallway.
"How could we not?" Stefan questioned the young girl. "Losing your family in the fire, thankfully you made it out of Atlanta," he spoke with a grateful smile.
"So," Katherine trailed off as she turned to fully face Stefan before continuing, "I gather I am wanted?"
Stefan nodded his head as he muttered, "very much so." He chuckled nervously before staring into the beautiful girl's brown eyes. Stefan took a silent deep breath as he readied himself for what he was about to say. "I know we have only known each other for a short while and I know I am in competition for your affections, but I have never met a woman quite like you," Stefan confessed.
Katherine's eyes slightly widened as she listened to Stefan's confession. If she was being honest with herself, she was feeling the exact same way as she stared into the young man's bright green eyes.
"I look at you and I see an angel," Stefan whispered gently. "I touch your skin," he trailed off as he brought his white gloved hand to Katherine's tan cheek before continuing, "and my entire body ignites." Stefan watched the girl in front of him fall under his words before ending his heartfelt speech, "I kiss you and I know that I am falling in love."
Katherine glanced down at Stefan's pink lips as her own parted in desire. She knew he was only human and it wouldn't last, but her dead heart was pleading for the young man in front of her. She needed and wanted this to happen.
Stefan and Katherine both glanced down at each other's lips in excitement before the Salvatore boy lowered his lips to Katherine's. The kiss was slow but passionate. They both had craved the taste of each other since the moment they laid eyes on one another.
But as soon as Katherine realized what she was doing, she quickly pulled away from Stefan's lips with a heavy sigh. Her brown eyes saddened as she knew they could never happen because of what she is.
"I am in love with you," Stefan stated as he stared into Katherine's eyes. He didn't noticed the turmoil that was running through the beautiful brunette's mind. Stefan just wanted the girl to understand how he felt.
Katherine closed her eyes briefly before mumbling sadly, "there is so much you do not know about me, Stefan."
"More to learn and love," Stefan uttered with a small chuckle as he tried to reason with the young girl.
Katherine looked down at her hands nervously as she spoke, "I must say good night."
"I have upset you?" Stefan questioned worriedly.
"No," Katherine quickly denied. "You have not upset me. You have just surprised me," she explained in a small voice. "Until tomorrow," she stated before quickly turning away from the youngest Salvatore as she made her way into her room.
However as soon as she closed the door to her room, she gasped in shock. In front of her was another guest who was also competing for her heart. She didn't want to deal with the oldest Salvatore brother at the moment. She was still trying to comprehend that Stefan had confessed his feelings and kissed her. "What are you doing here?" Katherine whispered to Damon once she pushed him away from her lips that had just touched his brother's.
"I told you I would come," Damon uttered as he furrowed his brows at the young woman.
"Well, I am tired," Katherine told the man dismissively, "you should go."
"Did my little brother's confession overwhelm you?" Damon smirked as he brought Katherine's gloved hand to his lips.
Katherine quickly pulled her hand away and scolded the man, "you should not eavesdrop."
Damon watched Katherine avoid his gaze before he asked dishearteningly, "is my love not enough?"
"I told you. I am tired," Katherine uttered before she looked straight into Damon's blue eyes as she compelled him, "I wish to be alone tonight. Please leave."
Damon blinked his eyes a couple of times before he looked up at the young girl with a bright smile. "Good night, Katherine," he stated before he quietly exited the brunette's room.
Katherine waited for the door to shut fully before she pressed her fingers to her lips as she thought about the kiss with Stefan. She didn't understand how a human boy could make her feel this way. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this, and that is what scared her the most.
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"Go ahead, Stefan," Katherine mumbled from the Salvatore basement as she revealed the story to the youngest brother. "Torture me, keep me captive, drain me of my blood until my body turns to dust," she listed before insisting, "it'll never change the truth."
Katherine watched Stefan closely for a moment, but when he wouldn't even look at her, she laid her head against the brick wall in disappointment as she stated, "I never compelled your love. It was real and so was mine."
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In the middle of the Gilbert's living room, there was a loud game of Pictionary being played. It was Damon's turn and he was drawing some sort of animal with a small piece of clothing, from what Emily could tell. She decided to just watch the disaster unfold instead of attempting to join in.
"Dress! Ballerina!" Jenna yelled out as she tried to guess what Damon was drawing. But she honestly was just throwing out guesses now after not understanding the drawing the first time.
"Puppy! Puppy with a tutu!" Caroline shouted as she tried to guess with Jenna. She never had this much fun with her mom, so she was just so excited to be a part of the entertainment.
"No, no!" Damon shook his head and rounded his hand in a circle as he tried to give them a clue.
"Dog! Hound dog!" Jenna continued to yell before stating with confidence, "you ain't nothing but a hound dog!"
"Dances with wolves," Mason uttered without a second thought, causing everyone's eyes to look over at him. Jenna and Caroline were just annoyed that he got the right answer on the first try, but the other three people in the room knew that it wasn't good.
"Mason wins... again," Damon mumbled as he stared at the man who he thought was an actual werewolf.
"How is that a wolf!?" Jenna whined as she stared at the drawing in disbelief.
Emily chuckled as she watched Jenna complain about Damon's drawing for a couple of minutes. She could definitely tell the drawing was a wolf now but her aunt's drunk mind wasn't seeing it. Emily stood up from the couch and grabbed Jenna's arm as she stated, "come on, let's go get you something to eat, drunkie."
"Yes!" Jenna yelped. "Let's get lots and lots of food! Ooh! How about candy?" She questioned as she hung her arm around the amused Emily's neck.
"Whatever you want, Jennie, as long as it's not alcohol," Emily joked as she led her aunt into the kitchen.
"There you are!" Jenna uttered in excitement as she saw her other niece with Damon. "Isn't this fun?" She questioned drunkenly.
"Yes," Damon grinned, "thank you so much for inviting me."
"Did I have a choice?" Jenna deadpanned as her hatred for the oldest Salvatore was still there, no matter how much alcohol she consumed.
Emily couldn't help but chuckle at her aunt. She knew when Jenna drinks she always spills nothing but the truth and it was always fun to watch unfold.
"I know what you must think about me," Damon began as he stared directly at the strawberry blonde.
"No, you don't," Jenna quickly interrupted him with annoyance dripping from her voice.
"Do tell, Jenna," Emily smirked as she leaned against the counter.
Jenna pointed and shook her finger at Emily for a moment before she turned to Damon with a glare, "you've never dated you, I have dated many you's."
Damon shrugged, "well, I'm a work in progress."
"Yeah, right," Emily mumbled as she grabbed the cake server from Elena's hand, who glared at her for the jabs she keeps making to Damon. Emily just gave her sister a sweet smile before handing Jenna the silverware for the peach cobbler.
"Ooh!" Damon exclaimed once he saw the silverware in Jenna's hand before he moved towards the rest of the collection on the counter, "these are fancy."
"Thanks," Jenna uttered before adding, "they are my mother's silver set."
Emily and Elena instantly glanced at each other as soon as the words fell from Jenna's mouth before they both looked over at Damon. He gave the Gilbert sisters a smirk before opening a drawer on the box and pulled out a large silver knife. Emily definitely didn't like the look on Damon's face. She knew this wasn't going to end well if Damon was really going to stab Mason with the silver knife.
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"Hearing the truth after a century and a half of denial must be overwhelming," Katherine muttered in amusement as she watched the frown on Stefan's face while she played with the long necklace around her neck.
"It wasn't real," Stefan quickly denied, "I remember you compelling me."
"Only after I showed you who I really was," Katherine explained desperately, "you were so scared of me. I had to take away your fear."
"Well, whatever feelings I had back then..." Stefan began in a whisper before he growled, "they've all turned to hate."
Katherine scoffed, "love, hate. Such a fine line." She shook her head as she stated, "I can wait." Katherine huffed out a sigh as she turned back to the story, "anyway, George Lockwood was causing all sorts of trouble. He used the vampires to cover his own tracks. He told the founding families about us. But he was willing to strike a deal."
"What kind of a deal?" Stefan mumbled out the question.
"A deal to rid the town of vampires," Katherine responded simply as she was pulled into another memory from the past.
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SALVATORE ESTATE 1864
Katherine Pierce and George Lockwood slowly strolled across the bright green grass that laid in front of the Salvatore estate. It was to look like they weren't planning anything, just two friends catching up. But in reality, that wasn't how the conversation was really going.
"I just spoke to Giuseppe Salvatore," George told the brunette vampire, "the round up happens tonight."
"Good," Katherine nodded her head before ordering, "insist that they do a body count before the church is set ablaze."
"I will," George promised.
"27 vampires," Katherine reminded the werewolf.
George chuckled lightly before stating, "once the flames create chaos, crawl to the exit under the choir loft. I will be there to set you free."
"Make sure you are not followed," Katherine requested before adding, "I need everyone to believe that I perished in that fire."
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Stefan swiftly stood up from the hard ground as he glared at Katherine and questioned, "you knew that they were going to burn the vampires in the church?"
"I practically lit the match," Katherine responded easily.
"They were your friends. They were your family. You just sold them out?" Stefan growled. He couldn't believe that this woman could just do something like that.
Katherine nodded her head without a second thought and stated, "without blinking."
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Emily helped Caroline clean up the living room from the game they played with her sister as everyone else was in the kitchen eating peach cobbler. There was just so much of Damon Emily could stand, even though she'd like to be hanging out with Mason before he left town again.
"Would I be the worst friend and sister in the world if I abandoned you guys and went to Stefan's?" Elena questioned as she glanced between the brunette and blonde pleadingly.
While Emily mumbled to her sister with a small smile, "no, not at all," Caroline had a very different reaction. The blonde's eyes widened as she looked up at Elena and questioned nervously, "you want to leave?"
"It's just that he hasn't gotten back to me," Elena explained with furrowed brows, "and I'm starting to get this bad feeling."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Elena," Caroline told the brunette.
Emily glanced over at her best friend in confusion before looking at her sister as she stated, "I'm sure everything is fine now, so you can leave if you need to."
"Take it from me," Caroline quickly spoke once she saw Elena walk away, "there's nothing worse than a clingy girlfriend."
Elena glared at the blonde girl as she corrected her, "I'm not being clingy, I'm just concerned." She looked towards her sister and uttered, "come on. I know you want to get away from Damon," before the two Gilbert girls began to walk to the front door.
"How about I drive?" Caroline swiftly called out.
While Emily couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right, Elena didn't really think anything of it as she nodded her head at the blonde. "Yeah, okay. That'd be great, thanks," Elena told Caroline before the three girls made their way out of the Gilbert house.
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"What did George get in return?" Stefan questioned as he stared at Katherine before elaborating, "for giving you your freedom."
Katherine scoffed as she mumbled, "something he wanted desperately."
"So, you sent 26 of your friends to their death just to fake your own?" Stefan questioned in disbelief. He watched Katherine closely and noticed how silent she went. Stefan shook his head as he corrected himself, "no. You were running from something. What was it?"
"Everyone has a past," Katherine stated. She rolled her eyes, "mine needed to stay far, far away. But thanks to you, my plan nearly failed before it even began." She took a moment as she remembered what had happened before explaining, "once George told me that the round up was imminent, I made sure I could see you one last time." Katherine's brows furrowed in anger as she continued, "but your father used your love for me against you. He poisoned your blood. Then Damon, being Damon, nearly ruined everything."
"We came for you. We tried to save you," Stefan stated as he tried to defend his brother's actions.
"I didn't want to be saved," Katherine snapped.
"So then Damon and I died for nothing. For nothing!" Stefan yelled out in anger. He couldn't believe that after all these years Katherine was never in danger, she just only took care of yourself, no one else.
"No, Stefan," Katherine quickly denied. "You died for love!" She exclaimed.
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Caroline's black car was silent as the three girls made their way to the Salvatore boarding house. But Emily could still feel that something was up, she just couldn't figure out what was wrong. All day Caroline had been acting weird and Emily wasn't going to give up until she found out what was going on.
"Thanks for this," Elena spoke softly as she looked towards the driver's seat, "I appreciate this."
"Here we come," Caroline uttered before mumbling under her breath, "to the rescue."
"Caroline, what's going on with you?" Emily questioned in confusion. The blonde has never been this rude to Elena before.
"That's my own drama," Caroline muttered as she kept her blue eyes glued to the road. She took a quick glance over to Elena before she commented with sarcasm dripping from her voice, "I'm sure you two will beat the odds. I mean, it's not like he will ever get bored of you. You guys have forever together!"
"Caroline, that's enough!" Emily commanded. She didn't know what was up with her best friend, but she wasn't just going to let her talk down to her sister like that.
"Sorry," Caroline mumbled as she looked back at Emily before focusing on the road.
The car went back to silence as the tension grew between the younger Gilbert and the blonde. Elena huffed out a sigh before she began to mess with the radio. She turned the volume up to see what was on before she stated, "I love this song."
Caroline didn't say anything to Elena as she pushed a button on her steering wheel before questioning out loud, "what's playing?"
"We Radiate by Goldfrapp," Caroline's car system responded after a short moment. The blonde girl glanced over at Elena with a smirk and stated, "ta-da!"
Just when Emily started to think that the trip to the Salvatore boarding house was going to go smooth sailing, Caroline's car suddenly made a strange noise as it slowed down. "Crap!" Caroline yelled out not even a second later. Emily huffed as she threw her head back in annoyance. This trip just got way worse.
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It was now pitch black dark in the town of Mystic Falls as the three girls stood outside of Caroline's car. It had been over three in a half hours since Caroline called AAA and there was still no one to be seen. Emily leaned her head against Caroline's car in boredom and tiredness. Why were they talking so long to get here?
"Are you sure the tow's coming?" Elena questioned as she had the same thought as her sister. "We've been waiting forever," she muttered.
"I know, it's weird," Caroline commented as she glanced down at her phone, "they said they'd be here by now."
"My back is starting to hurt," Emily moaned before stating, "I think I'm just gonna call Jenna."
"No!" Caroline quickly yelped. She pulled up the AAA number on her phone as she muttered, "just let me try the tow people again, and I'll use my aggro voice this time."
Elena shook her head, "you know what, I'm just gonna walk there. I just remembered since I'm a vampire, I can get us there before the stupid tow people even show up." She looked over at her sister and questioned, "you ready?"
"I can't just leave my car," Caroline whined.
"We'll come back for it," Elena stated as it was obvious.
"Just give me a minute, Elena," Caroline begged.
"Caroline what part of I'm worried about Stefan didn't sink in?" Elena questioned in annoyance.
"What's the rush?" Caroline questioned right back, "why are you hurrying to get to a relationship that will never work?"
Elena's brown eyes widened in shock as she stared at the blonde. "Okay. Look, I know that you're upset over Matt, but will you stop projecting it on my relationship?" She wondered with a glare.
"I'm not projecting anything!" Caroline yelped. "Stefan will get tired of you! It's so obvious he doesn't feel the same way about you like when you first starting going out! Ever since you transitioned into a vampire, you have changed and your relationship has been doomed!" Caroline ranted.
"Where is this coming from?" Elena mumbled lowly as she stared at the blonde vampire.
"I'm just trying to be your friend," Caroline muttered.
"Okay. Well, do me a favor and stop trying," Elena ordered before she grabbed the silent Emily's left hand and began to walk away.
"No, Elena, don't!" Caroline quickly yelped as she grabbed onto the closest arm, which happened to be Emily's right arm.
Emily looked at the blonde with furrowed brows and whispered, "Caroline, you're hurting me."
Elena felt something flick inside of her as she saw the blonde holding her sister in a tight grip. She quickly pushed Caroline against the black car with her hand wrapped around the blonde's neck. "Touch Emily like that again and I will have to end you," she growled.
Emily rubbed her arm and noticed a red mark from where Caroline had grabbed her. She sighed before looking up at her sister and noticed that Elena was holding onto Caroline's neck tightly. "Lena," she whispered softly, "it's okay. I'm fine."
Elena looked over at her twin sister to make sure she was okay before she swiftly dropped the blonde to the ground. "Are you ready? We can get there faster if I just run," Elena told Emily as she made her way over to her.
Emily stared at her sister for a moment as she tried to understand what just happened. She just thought that maybe she was Elena's anchor since they were close, so Elena felt the need to protect her from anything now that she's a vampire. Emily gave her sister a small smile before she stated teasingly to ease the tension, "just don't drop me."
Elena chuckled with a smile as she rolled her eyes playfully before she easily pulled Emily onto her back. She took a brief look over to the blonde vampire, who was scared for what was to come, before she finally took off in a sprint to the Salvatore boarding house.
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Stefan walked slowly around the dark Salvatore basement as he questioned his ex lover, "so, are you going to tell me why you came back here or are you just playing another game?"
Katherine was starting to become annoyed with the younger vampire. She felt like she had been repeating herself all day. "Have you not heard a word that I've said?" Katherine groaned. "I've answered that question 5 times over now," she mumbled.
"All right, good," Stefan nodded his head, "now make it six."
Katherine sighed before she uttered simply, "I want what I want, Stefan and I don't care what I have to do to get it." She gritted her teeth and stated, "my list of victims is a long one. And I have no problem adding one more name to that list."
"Come on, Katherine," Stefan mumbled as he rolled his neck tiredly. "If you wanted Elena and Emily dead, you would have done it by now and you wouldn't have turned Elena into a vampire."
"I don't want to kill Emily," Katherine denied before adding, "but I will snap her sister's neck as many times as I want for as long as I want."
Stefan felt something snap inside of him as his patience had finally broke. He was tired of playing her games for hours. Stefan quickly ripped a leg from the wooden chair that he was sitting on and rushed towards Katherine, where he held the stake over her heart. He growled as he stared into her brown eyes before throwing the stake down in frustration.
Katherine chuckled, "I guess you don't hate me as much as you thought you did." She stared at Stefan for a moment before stating, "I don't want you seeing Elena anymore. If you don't remove her from your life, I will kill everyone that she loves, except for Emily, while she watches, and then I will kill her while you watch." Katherine smirked before she added, "then I will tell Emily all about how you didn't save her poor family which will cause her to hate you forever."
Stefan rushed towards Katherine and grabbed her throat tightly, causing her to gasp in shock as her airway was closing up. Stefan didn't take lightly to the threats Katherine was making. He placed the stake right above Katherine's heart and growled, "don't you ever think for one moment that I will not kill you."
However, Stefan was caught completely off guard when Katherine swiftly threw him towards the brick wall. She ripped the chains off of her wrists and ankles before she slowly got up from the uncomfortable chair. "I've been sipping vervain every single day for the last 145 years," Katherine growled. She walked closer towards the shocked Stefan before she continued, "you caught me by surprise once, I wasn't going to let it happen again. It doesn't hurt me, Stefan."
"What? Why?" Stefan questioned in disbelief as Katherine stood in front of him without a single look of pain on her face. He didn't understand what was happening.
"I told you," Katherine whispered as she bent down to Stefan's level, "I missed you. I just wanted to spend some time with you."
The two vampires stared at each other for a moment before a voice suddenly called through the Salvatore boarding house, "Stef! Stefan Salvatore! You better be here! Elena and I just walked forever to see you!"
Katherine smirked instantly once she recognized the voice. "Sorry, Stefan," she mumbled and stabbed him with the stake before she sped away to the voice of Emily Gilbert and to see her dull doppelganger for some fun.
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"Stefan?" Elena called out as she walked into the living room of the Salvatore boarding house with her sister by her side, "hello?"
"He better be here," Emily mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was beyond tired and she did not wait three hours on the side of the road for nothing. Emily turned to head up the stairs to look for Stefan but froze mid-turn. "Elena," Emily whispered as she tried to warn her sister about who was in the room with them.
"Vampire Elena suits you well," Katherine smirked as she spotted her doppelganger's wide eyes on her. She turned to Emily and muttered, "it's lovely seeing your face again."
Elena quickly moved to her sister's side before she looked up at Katherine with her eyes still widened. She remembered when Katherine had killed her, but she still couldn't believe that they looked like each other. "How is this possible?" Elena questioned, "how do we look exactly alike?"
Katherine didn't bother responding to her doppelganger, instead she looked over towards Emily. A soft smile made its way onto her face as she slowly walked around the oldest Gilbert. Katherine carefully stared at Emily's every feature and compared them to her own sister's. "Elena, you are asking all the wrong questions," Katherine muttered as she glanced over to her doppelganger.
"Maybe I should be asking why I look like Darina, right?" Emily questioned as she rose an eyebrow at Katherine.
A smirk grew on Katherine's face as she stared at Emily. "So, I'm guessing you've been to Duke University and received my sister's journal?" She wondered.
"What do you know about the journal? Do you know what happened?" Emily interrogated as she furrowed her brows. If Katherine knew about the journal, so that would mean that she knows the truth about what happened to Darina.
However, before Emily could get her answer, there was suddenly a large shout coming from the youngest Salvatore. "Emily!? Elena!?" He yelled out as he rushed into the living room.
Emily watched Katherine give her one last smile before she sped out of the Salvatore boarding house. Emily bit down on her bottom lip as she thought about how Katherine knew about the journal. She was convinced that Katherine at least knew about the sacrifice.
"Are you okay?" Stefan suddenly interrupted the turmoil that was running through Emily's mind as he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Emily nodded her head in Stefan's neck as she watched her sister closely. She could see the hurt in Elena's brown eyes as Stefan went straight for her instead of his own girlfriend. Emily didn't really know to say and it wasn't her place to say anything. So she pulled away from Stefan before walking towards Elena. "How are you feeling?" She questioned softly.
Elena briefly glanced over at Stefan before looking back to Emily as she mumbled, "I don't know."
Emily's eyes softened before she pulled her sister into a hug. "Hey, everything will be okay. It will all work out, I promise," she whispered. Emily honestly didn't know what was going to be okay. If it was Elena's relationship with the Salvatore brothers or with Katherine in town, but she had to believe everything would be fine in the end.
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Emily huffed out a sigh once she finally walked back into the Gilbert house for the last time for the night. She was so tired and ready for bed. Emily had Stefan and Elena drop her off at the house before they left for Mystic Grill to confront Caroline. Elena had the idea that the blonde was hiding that she was working with Katherine, but Emily wasn't really sure what was going on with her best friend.
However, before Emily could walk up to her bedroom to fall asleep, Jenna came up from behind her. "Hey, Emmie. You got something in the mail earlier. It doesn't say who it's from," Jenna informed Emily as she handed her an envelope.
Emily gave her aunt a smile and slipped the letter into her black and white purse. "So, did you have a fun day barbecuing with Ric?" She wondered with a smirk.
Jenna chuckled as she glanced down when she felt her cheeks reddened. "Yes, it felt nice with him cooking in the house," she confessed.
"Well, I'm happy that you're happy," Emily revealed with a bright smile before stated, "I'm tired, so I'm heading to bed." She made her way up the stairs and yelled down to her aunt, "love you, Jennie," before she sluggishly walked into her bedroom.
Emily closed the door and took her boots off before she fell onto her bed with a huff. But before she could close her eyes, she suddenly remembered the unknown letter. Emily slowly sat up and pulled the envelope from her purse. She looked at the cover and only saw her name and address with a small 'K' in the left corner.
Emily couldn't think of who it could of be from, so she just shrugged and pulled out the letter. She noticed that it was half a page long and the edges looked like they were ripped out of something. But Emily's brows furrowed once she recognized the type of paper. She quickly dug into her purse and pulled out Darina's journal before she held the letter up to one of the pages, and it was an exact match to the journal. Emily didn't understand why she was sent a letter from a ripped out page from a centuries old journal, but she decided not to think too much of it. Instead, she began to read the letter carefully.
Dear Emily Gilbert,
My name is Maria Radkova, and I know you have heard of me if you had began to read Darina's journal. I did not want you to get this letter unless it was absolutely necessary. But the person who gave you this letter, was following mine and Darina's orders.
You may are wondering how I know your name. But as you know I am from a very special coven and I had to opportunity to look into the future for you. It was the last spell I used as I am on my death bed. I must tell you what happened to Darina after I spelled her blood.
You first should know of my relationship with Darina Petrova. You see, I always thought of Darina like a daughter ever since I met her when she was only fifteen years old. Once her mother passed away from a illness, I met Darina when she came through my shop. She was a sweet young girl that I took under my wing when her father worked a lot. I took care of her and trusted in her as I told her about my coven.
You might have figured out that my plan did not work. I was only trying to keep Darina alive. That is why I helped Darina when I found out what Niklaus wanted with her. He needed to use her blood for a sacrifice. The sacrifice was to make him a hybrid; a werewolf and a vampire. But I could not let that happen to Darina, so I gave her a potion that contained my blood. Since I am the protector of the innocence, this was my way to protect her from the monster that is Niklaus. You will later learn about my coven when the time is right.
But for now, I will tell you what happened to Darina. You see, I was so headstrong on protecting Darina, that I did not think of the possibility of a loophole. However, Niklaus thought of that. Instead of using her from the sacrifice, which of course he could not since her blood was not pure, he ripped her heart out in a heat of rage and said he would use Katerina or the next doppelganger if he had to wait.
This is a warning, my dear. Do not trust anyone. This is your life that is in danger and I wish to help as much as I can, like Darina tried to do. Just know, do not let the knowledge of you having the blood of the protector get to the wrong person. It will only cause more danger to your life. I do not wish for your life to end like Darina's did. I promised her I would help her doppelganger and I wish to complete her dying wish. You will hear from me soon. Stay safe.
Emily covered her mouth with her eyes widened. She couldn't believe that this Niklaus person actually killed Darina. She could tell from the words that Nikalus wasn't someone to be played with. He was and is dangerous. Emily looked at the letter closely before she checked the other side. She furrowed her brows instantly when she read the small note.
This is what happened to my sister. I just want to help you.
- Katherine
Emily was definitely in shock now, knowing that the ripped out page was from Katherine, the devil herself. She still had so many more questions. How does Katherine know about her sister's journal? Why was this page ripped out and what is Katherine's motive for giving it back to her?
Emily huffed out a sigh and placed the ripped out page back into Darina's journal. She at least got her answer about how her doppelganger died, but more questions kept piling after every word she read. It felt like it was never ending. But Emily wasn't going to stop until she got all the answers. She just hoped that she will find out the truth before danger comes for her.