A loud groan escaped the human Petrova doppelganger's mouth when she finally opened up her green eyes about forty five minutes later - which immediately caused Emily to begin to look around while she ignored the pain in her head. However, when Emily saw that she was inside of an unknown car, another groan escaped from the human girl's lips because, of course, she would end up getting herself kidnapped once again.
"I'm really tired of this crap," Emily whispered to herself while she began to quickly look around the car for anything that could be used as a weapon against her captor or captors. However, sadly, the human girl came to notice that the vehicle was bare with not even a single spec of dust in sight. It's probably brand-new, the human girl realized as she couldn't find a slip of paper or a piece of trash.
The human girl released a defeated sigh at the fact that she couldn't find anything to defend herself with before she leaned her head against the cool tinted windows as she tried to think of a plan to get out of here. However, when Emily placed her head against the window, she heard the sound of metal clinking against the glass which instantly caused the human girl to place her hand on the side of her head before a wide grin slipped onto her lips.
Thank you, protective Elena, the green eyed girl thought as she swiftly pulled out the two hairpins from her tight bun which happened to actually be two small knife hairpins that Elena had bought her a few days ago when they were shopping through downtown. Emily then quickly took the metal caps from the small weapons once she had them in her hands once she heard voices coming closer to the vehicle before she readied herself to attack whoever thought it was a good idea to kidnap her.
However, while Emily was waiting for her captor to try to do something to her, the human girl instantly recognized an extremely familiar voice that belonged to her twin sister. Emily immediately furrowed her brows in confusion at the fact that Elena was talking to her captor. But Emily soon came to the conclusion at the easiness in her sister's voice that she wasn't in danger, so she clipped the hairpins to the bottom of her dress before she slowly and cautiously exited out of the car as she was still on edge at who took her.
But before the human Petrova doppelganger could get a good look at her surroundings and who took her, Emily was immediately ambushed by a familiar pair of arms that wrapped themselves around her waist in a tight grasp. "I'm so glad Katherine didn't hurt you too badly," the Gilbert vampire whispered into her twin sister's ear as she listened to the sound of Emily's steady heartbeat. Elena had been so worried once she had woken up from her broken neck and saw that Emily wasn't moving.
"What are you talking abo-" Emily began to question Elena with her brows deeply furrowed once they pulled away from their sisterly embrace. However, before Emily could fully get her question out, she was instantly pulled into her last memory. 'I'm sorry about this, Emily,' the human girl remembered hearing Katherine whisper from behind her while everyone was rushing towards the staircase before she recalled everything turning dark on her.
"Why the hell did Katherine do that?" Emily changed her question with a hint of fire in her green eyes and anger in her voice as she felt betrayed by the Petrova vampire. The human girl felt blindsided as she always believed Katherine was being truthful with her since she was doing something for her deceased sister, who Katherine obviously cared a lot for. It just didn't make any sense to Emily for why Katherine would have betrayed and lied to her like this.
Elena looked at her twin sister with her brown eyes softened as she knew how much Emily wanted to trust Katherine to do good by her - even though she didn't really understand why her twin sister would believe anything Katherine says. Elena still felt bad for Emily, though, as she hates seeing her sister upset, which is why her expression swiftly changed into a glare as she remembered what she heard on the phone on the way to the cemetery.
"Katherine brought us to Isobel before she betrayed Katherine so she can hand us over to Klaus herself," the Gilbert vampire explained to Emily about what she had come to realize on the ride here before she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her fierce glare over to the silent raven haired woman that was standing slightly behind her. Elena still felt bitter and hatred towards their biological mother as she couldn't believe Isobel was really going to let her daughter be sacrificed for the hybrid. It made Elena realize even more that Isobel was never really their mother as Isobel only cares about herself.
The human Petrova doppelganger's facial expression didn't change all that much at what Elena told her as Emily knew all along that this was going to happen. Isobel wasn't going to just have a change of heart because of her daughter, who she never cared about, is in trouble. It just isn't who Isobel is. However, though, that didn't stop the anger from entering the human girl's voice when she finally spoke - despite already knowing that this was going to happen.
"So, what?" Emily snarled as she stepped around Elena and glared at her biological mother before she continued her angry questioning, "you're just gonna hand us over to the big bad hybrid? You made a deal, right? Our lives for yours?" The human girl then let out a humorless chuckle when Isobel avoided looking into her eyes and answering her questions before she added the final blow, "wow, you really are a cold hearted, selfish bitch that would turn her back on her own blood."
The Flemming vampire didn't respond to any of her oldest daughter's cruel words like she did with the words she had gotten earlier from her younger daughter as Isobel knew she deserved every single one of them and much more for never being the mother Emily and Elena needed while they were growing up. Instead, the raved haired vampire took a couple of steps towards the right before she stopped in front of a familiar tombstone and silently began to push the dark brown leaves from Virginia's fall season to the side.
The Gilbert twins glanced at one another in confusion as they watched Isobel focus on one certain tombstone. Emily and Elena were both still angry at their biological mother but they couldn't help but be curious to why they were in this unknown cemetery, so the Gilbert vampire linked her fingers with her twin sister's before they took a couple of steps closer to where their biological mother was standing. "What is this?" Elena wondered as she tried her best to read over the tall Isobel's shoulder.
Isobel took an uncommon shaky deep breath as she stared at the words in front of her before she turned her body to the side and showed her daughters what she was looking at which read; 'In loving memory ~ Isobel Flemming ~ Jan 18, 1978 - May 4, 2007.' The raven haired vampire watched Emily and Elena's facial expressions for a calm moment before she began to softly utter, "my parents, your grandparents, they put it here when it became clear that the police weren't going to find my body."
A small smile graced Isobel's usual stone-like face before she recalled, "they visit every week, and they bring flowers, even though there's no one buried here." The Flemming vampire then paused in her speech as she let memories of her parents take over her mind for a few minutes of tranquility before a grim expression instantly shined on her face as she stated with a shake of her head, "but the Isobel they knew is dead."
The Flemming vampire slowly turned her attention onto her two daughters as a thought popped into her head. "Maybe there's a part of me that's buried here," Isobel stated with a half smile as she pointed towards her tombstone, "the-the human part. The part that I abandoned when I-when I chose to become a vampire. The part that used to dream about the day that she'd know her two beautiful daughters."
The Gilbert vampire's brown eyes widened in surprise before she gaped breathlessly, "what?" Elena was shocked that there had ever been a part of Isobel that actually cared about her and Emily. Maybe she wasn't a cold hearted, selfish bitch like we thought, Elena thought as she felt like she was seeing Isobel in a new light.
Isobel shrugged her shoulders in a careless fashion to hide her true feelings of her regretful choices. She knew there was no point in trying to get close to her daughters now, so she would rather act like the selfish bitch that Emily and Elena thought she was. It's easier that way. The Flemming vampire's mood then took a whole three-sixty as she looked at her daughters with sadness in her eyes before she murmured as she continued with her speech, "instead you guys got to meet the other part." Isobel gave Emily a small smirk as she repeated her oldest daughter's words, "the part that would betray her own flesh and blood."
The Flemming vampire let her words sync into her daughters for a few minutes of silence that she would forever cherish before she turned her whole attention on her younger daughter. "I'm so sorry, Elena," the raven haired vampire apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you and your sister." Isobel gave Elena a small smile before she continued, "If I could go back in time, I'd like to believe I would have picked my daughters over my obsession with vampires. It'll haunt me forever. I wished I could have seen you guys grow up to the beautiful girls you are now. I wished I could have loved you guys like a real mother should. It'll always be my biggest regret." Isobel shook her head a sad smile as she stated, "but sadly, that's not how things work. I can't go back. Instead, I can only offer you these words, whether you take them is your choice."
Isobel took a deep breath before she uttered the last kind thing that she would say to her youngest daughter, "I know I was never a mother to you, but I just wanna tell you how proud I am of who you have become." The Flemming vampire let out a soft chuckle as she recalled, "John used to call me all the time with every milestone in your life. It almost felt like I was there too." Isobel paused for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts before she told Elena, "I hope your vampire life isn't filled with regrets like mine was. I-I just hope you can find your own happiness."
Isobel gave her younger daughter the first real smile she has ever shown in years before she finally turned her eyes onto her oldest child. "Emily," the Flemming vampire began with a soft but sad smile before she murmured, "I am truly sorry for the danger I have put you in - even though I'm not sure why I did it... probably compulsion." Isobel shook her head as she tried to not think about being compelled before she continued, "but I know that you can get through this. You know what you have to do. You have Darina's journal. You don't need Katherine, you just need to look through the lines."
The Flemming vampire opened her mouth to continue but before she could, her cell phone in her coat pocket began to ring. Isobel instantly let out a heavy breath as she knew what the call was about. But instead of answering immediately, Isobel looked back up at her oldest daughter as she hurriedly uttered, "like I told your sister, I am really proud of who you have become. You are a lot of stronger than you realize. You were born for so much greater things that Darina had tried to finish. You can survive Klaus. I know you can, Emily." The Flemming vampire let a small smirk raise onto her lips as she concluded, "you're a Petrova and us Petrova women are survivors no matter what."
Isobel gave her oldest child one final happy and proud smile for a moment as she absorbed Emily's strong and protective aura that always seems to surround her before she looked down at her phone with a deep frown. The Flemming vampire then shakily pressed the accept button and brought the device to her ear before she slowly began to walk away from her daughters as she was finally ready to accept her fate.
The cemetery in Grove Hill grew silent for a couple of minutes as the Gilbert twins watched as their biological mother spoke quietly on her cell phone before the tense silence was interrupted when Elena gently placed her hand onto her twin sister's lower arm and softly asked, "hey, you okay?"
The human Petrova doppelganger flinched slightly at the unexpected touch but instantly calmed down when she connected her green eyes with her sister's brown ones. Emily then gave Elena a small nod and murmured a quiet, "yeah, I'm fine." However, the truth was Emily didn't know if she was okay. It was just such a shock to hear the words coming out of Isobel, a vampire who never showed a second of interest in their lives. It also just seemed so puzzling to why Isobel went through all this trouble of basically kidnapping them and bringing them to her grave before taking them to Klaus. What is Isobel's point of apologizing to us like this, Emily confusingly thought as she stared down at her biological mother's tombstone with her brows furrowed together.
The human girl would soon find her question being answered in a few minutes as the Flemming vampire slowly made her way back towards the Gilbert twins with nerves racking all through her body - which put Emily even more on edge as this wasn't Isobel's usual attitude. "Who was that?" The Gilbert vampire quickly wondered as she too was becoming more puzzled by Isobel's movements and motives.
Instead of providing the answer that both of her daughters obviously wanted, Isobel only shook her head before she silently moved to stand directly in front of her children. The Flemming vampire then soaked in every feature of the twins before she finally looked into their brown and green irises. "The both of you will always be my biggest achievement and my biggest regret. I'll forever regret not getting to know you guys, but I am damn proud of who you guys have become," Isobel confessed before she uttered with a humorless chuckle, "maybe that's why you are so perfect, because I didn't raise you."
The Flemming vampire quickly glanced towards the sunny and bright sky for a moment as she tried to hold the tears in before she focused back onto her daughters. "J-Just keep each other safe," Isobel ordered in a low murmur, "fight through this. You guys can get survive whatever Klaus has planned. Y-You just need to fight it and protective each other." The Flemming vampire then took a couple of steps away from her daughters and brought her shaky hand up to her chest as she prepared herself for what she was about to do.
Emily continued to stare at her biological mother with her brows furrowed as something didn't feel right. It was this whole situation. It just didn't make sense for all this to go down just for Isobel to hand them over to the hybrid. Emily tried to rack her brain for the reason Isobel would be doing this. So while Emily tried to think, she closed her eyes and went through everything and every move Isobel had made before something finally clicked.
It was as if Isobel was saying goodby- the human girl slowly noted before her green eyes instantly looked up at biological mother as she finally realized why Isobel had gone through all of this trouble by telling the story of what her parents did and all the things that she had never told her children. However before Emily could try to stop whatever Isobel was planning to do and to shield herself and Elena from anymore death, the Flemming vampire gripped her daylight necklace in a tight grasp before she tore it off of her neck - which instantly caused her body to gulf up into flames.
"Isobel!" The Gilbert vampire yelled out in shock and terror as she watched her last living mother burn right in front of her. However before Elena could even try to help, the human girl, who knew this was going to happen, quickly wrapped her arms around Elena's waist to stop her from being harmed as well.
Emily held onto her twin sister's waist until there was nothing left of their biological mother before she slowly released Elena's body while the shock slowly slipped through her own. Even though Emily had realized what Isobel's plan or whoever compelled her was to kill herself, it was still a horrible feeling to have to watch someone die right in front of her.
"Hey," the soft and trembled voice of the Gilbert vampire called out as she took a step towards her twin sister, who was staring down at the pile of ashes that was their biological mother. "I-I-I don-" Elena had began before she instantly closed her mouth as she couldn't even form a single sentence from the shock she was still experiencing.
The human Petrova doppelganger immediately turned her attention on Elena as she could hear the sadness in her sister's voice. "Come here," Emily murmured before she wrapped her arms around her taller sister's neck and brought Elena into her chest. "It's okay," the human girl whispered as she leaned her forehead onto Elena's shoulder.
Emily honestly didn't know why she or Elena were feeling this emotional over Isobel's death. It wasn't like they loved each other or were even a real family. Isobel was always just the person that gave birth to them and the vampire that tried to ruin their lives and terrorize their friends and loved ones.
"We should probably head home. It's not safe to be in the open when Klaus knows where you are," the Gilbert vampire murmured after about three or four minutes of silence had passed of the twin sisters holding each other as she wanted to keep Emily as safe as possible right now. Elena then slowly pulled her body from the human girl and quickly wiped her eyes before she glanced around them. "I'm going to make sure none of our things are in the car first, though," the Gilbert vampire informed Emily as she didn't want anything to connect back to them. The last thing they needed was the police trying to find them when they come across an empty and abandoned car in front of a cemetery.
Emily slowly nodded her head as she knew that would be a good idea. The human girl then went to follow after her twin but before she could, her green eyes continued to go back to the silver chain on the grass. Emily couldn't help but want to pick up, so she glanced over to her waiting sister with a soft and assuring smile. "I'll be right there," the human girl promised before she murmured, "I just need a minute alone."
Elena instantly nodded her head as she understood with all the stuff that has happened in the last couple of minutes. She's in the same boat as her twin as she needed a few minutes to collect her thoughts about Isobel's death. "Take your time," the Gilbert vampire uttered softly before she silently turned around and headed towards the black SUV.
Emily watched her twin sister walk away for a moment before she slowly turned and faced the pile of ashes that was her biological mother. The human girl hesitated for a moment before she quickly bent down and picked up the daylight necklace before she could change her mind. Emily didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to take Isobel's necklace with her. It was the last item that would ever connect her and Elena to their biological mother, so Emily felt, even though she despised Isobel, that any family is family no matter how much you hate them and that they have to accept and cherish the ones they have left.
"I'm sorry that our lives were never meant to link together," Emily mumbled as she rubbed her finger across Isobel's daylight necklace. The human girl let out a small chuckle as she continued, "you were a major bitch and a pain in our asses but you gave birth to Lena and I, so I guess that's why I'm feeling sorrow for a person I hated."
Emily released a deep breath as she stood there in silence for a moment before she slowly moved her green eyes over to her biological mother's tombstone for the last time and whispered, "goodbye, Isobel." The human girl squeezed her fingers around the daylight necklace in her hand before she finally turned around and headed to find Elena by the black SUV with thoughts of today replaying in her head and confusing feelings entering her chest.
***
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
It took about fifteen minutes before the Gilbert twins were silently settled in the living room of the boarding house after Elena had vamped them out of Grove Hill, once they had sure that there was nothing that could link them to the SUV, and arrived back in Mystic Falls. The sisters were currently relaxing closely together with their knees touching as thoughts of Isobel continued to run through their minds while they both stared down at their biological mother's daylight necklace in the human girl's hand. It was just still such a shock to the sisters and they weren't exactly sure how they were suppose to feel about this situation.
"Hey," the soft voice of the younger Salvatore interrupted the tranquility that the sisters were sharing as he walked into the living room. Stefan placed a soft but quick kiss onto Emily's temple once he was close enough before he handed the human girl and the young vampire a glass of bourbon. The green eyed Salvatore could only imagine what the sisters were feeling right now after watching Isobel die in front of them. It would be a tough situation for anyone.
"She was such a horrible person," Emily mumbled as she was the first one to speak while she ran her thumb over the slick blue stone that rested in the center of Isobel's daylight necklace. "She was a selfish bitch that got what she deserved," the human girl stated before she glanced over to her silent sister and up at her boyfriend as she muttered, "but I just feel this emptiness for someone I didn't care about."
Stefan gave his girlfriend a sad smile as he squeezed the human girl's bare knee from where he sat on the edge of the table in front of her. "She was your mother," the Salvatore vampire explained to why Emily was feeling like this before he glanced over to Elena and added to offer his friend the same comfort, "it's understandable for you guys to feel this way no matter how you felt about her."
Emily let out a low sigh as she silently nodded her head before she looped her arm with Elena's to absorb her twin sister's comfort and offer Elena the same. The human girl understood what Stefan meant as it made sense. Isobel was family in some dysfunctional way so it's plausible for why they feel this way from Isobel's death. Emily just wished the feeling would go away, though. She was just so tired of losing people.
"But there's just something I don't understand," the Gilbert vampire mumbled after a moment of silence had settled in the living room. "Isobel was on the phone with someone that had her compelled, probably for Klaus, so why did they just let us leave like that?" Elena questioned before she glanced over to her twin sister with her brown eyes softened and continued in a whisper, "why didn't they take you?"
The younger Salvatore vampire took a deep breath to keep the incoming panic down from the idea of someone taking Emily away from him before he cleared his throat and wondered as he tried to make sense of all of this, "well, anything John told Isobel, we have to assume that Klaus knows, right?" Once Stefan saw the Gilbert twins nod their heads in agreement, the Salvatore vampire continued but with his eyes solely on his girlfriend as he grabbed her hand that wasn't holding Isobel's necklace, "so he knows that you have everyone in Mystic Falls keeping you safe."
Emily and Elena immediately glanced at one another as they realized what Klaus knows from the keyword in Stefan's statement being their hometown. "He knows that I'm not going to try to run or hide," the human girl muttered which meant Klaus would know exactly where she would be when he's ready; Mystic Falls. Well, game on, hybrid, Emily thought as she was not going to go down without a fight and would rather die than allow any harm to come to her loved ones just because Klaus wants her.
"Which is why we need to take some precautions," the newly arrived Damon Salvatore exclaimed as he came strutting into the living room of the boarding house. The older vampire plopped down onto the couch next to his girlfriend and took a stiff drink of Elena's bourbon before he continued with an eye roll, "cause we got played - all of us." Damon then reached into his leather jacket before he stretched his arm across his girlfriend and tossed a stack of papers onto the human girl's lap.
Emily glanced down at the papers in confusion as she didn't understand what Damon was trying to tell her. "What's all this?" The human Petrova doppelganger inquired with her brows furrowed as she didn't see how a stack of thirty or so pages was going to help them against the feared hybrid.
"It's the deed to our house," the younger Salvatore vampire began to explain to his girlfriend the plan he and Damon had came up with as he softly rubbed circles on Emily's bare knee, "it's in Zach's name." Stefan then gave Emily a small smile before he continued, "but as soon as you sign it, it'll be in your name."
The human girl's green eyes continued to be furrowed as she glanced between the stack of papers and the Salvatore brothers. Emily then lifted an eyebrow when Stefan and Damon didn't say anything else before she inquired with humor in her voice, "so, I'll be in charge of the boarding house?" I like the sound of this plan, the human girl thought in amusement as she glanced around the spacious room, but there definitely will be some upgrades.
Stefan let out a soft chuckle as he could see the fast thoughts roaming around the human girl's mind. "Theoretically, yes," the younger Salvatore vampire answered with a simple nod of his head before he explained why Emily would be signing the deed, "Isobel had the right idea with the safe house." Stefan then squeezed the human girl's knee as he assured her, "you'll just stay here until it's all over."
The silent Gilbert vampire quickly agreed as she realized what the Salvatore brothers' plan was. Elena then squeezed her twin sister's arm, that's looped with hers, to assure Emily that it's the right idea before she voiced her thoughts, "since Jenna and Jer can invite anyone inside of our house, this way you and you alone will be in charge of who can come inside the boarding house."
Damon swiftly lifted up his finger and pointed over at the human girl with a playful glare after Elena had basically finished explaining their plan. "But if you don't let me in, I'll kick your ass," the older Salvatore vampire jokingly exclaimed with a wide smirk.
Emily couldn't help but let out a heavy chuckle before she rolled her green eyes at her twin sister's boyfriend because, of course, Damon would be joking during a serious situation like this. "Oh, please," Emily exclaimed as she added her teasing, "I'll kick your ass any day of the week."
However before anymore jabs could be thrown by the older siblings of the Salvatore and Gilbert family, they were immediately interrupted by the loud sound of a gasp echoing throughout the boarding house. The three vampire and the human girl instantly moved their eyes towards the noise - where they saw the temporarily dead John Gilbert spring to life.
The first one to move towards the human man happened to be John's vampire daughter as Elena picked him up and rushed him against the wall in anger. Elena was beyond furious as it is John's fault that Klaus knows where her twin sister is located since he's been telling Isobel everything. "I swear I had no idea what she was gonna do," the Gilbert man hurriedly explained before he murmured, "I'm sorry." John then glanced over Elena's shoulder to his human daughter before he apologized once more with emotions clouding his blue eyes, "I am so, so sorry."
Emily stared directly at her biological father for a moment with her arms crossed over her chest as she tried to think of what they were supposed to do. But luckily for John, the human girl finally thought of something before Elena had the chance to kill him as Emily told her twin sister, "Lena, we should all have a talk." It was the only way they were going to figure out John's motive now that he wasn't under Isobel's spell.
It took a couple of minutes to get everything situated with Emily assuring Stefan that she would be fine with John by reminding him that Elena would be in the room with her and that he can always listen in to make sure nothing bad happens. Once Stefan was finally convinced, Emily gave her boyfriend a soft kiss before the Salvatore brothers left the living room which left the Gilbert man and his daughters.
"I always knew that she and Katherine were close," John began to speak about the deceased Flemming vampire once he was seated across from Emily and Elena on the light brown leather couch. The Gilbert man shook his head as he tiredly ran his fingers through his short hair before he mumbled, "but I never realized that Isobel and her were working against me."
Emily quickly spoke before John could continue as she defended her doppelganger's sister, "Katherine really thought she was helping. She just didn't know that Isobel was playing her. Katherine only wanted to make Darina proud." The human girl knew from the bottom of her heart that Katherine didn't lie or trick them. The doppelganger connection that Emily always feels wouldn't allow Katherine to trick her or she would be able to tell. Emily, of course, didn't understand the connection that much but she definitely would know if the Petrova vampire was being truthful or not.
John shrugged his shoulders at his daughter's statement as he couldn't agree or disagree with that. He never could find it in himself to trust Katherine ever since he met her all those years ago, so he didn't really know if the Petrova vampire was being truthful about the plan that was supposedly set into place centuries ago. So instead of arguing about what he thought about Katherine to his daughter, he just continued with his speech about Isobel and Katherine's close relationship as he uttered, "they were two of the world's most uncaring and selfish vampires and yet they were genuinely friends."
The Gilbert vampire grinded her teeth together as she still felt the need to attack her biological father. However, Elena kept her emotions in check thanks to Emily's hand linked with hers which kept her anchored in place knowing that her twin sister was currently safe. So instead of ending John's life for risking her twin's like she wanted, Elena interrogated with a hint of anger in her voice, "if that's what you thought of Isobel then why did you ever put your trust in her at all?"
John glanced down at his fingers for a silence moment before he answered in a soft tone, "because I was there when she gave birth to you both." The Gilbert man glanced up at his daughters as he continued, "I saw how heartbroken she was to give you guys up." John then paused as his childhood began to play through his mind before he murmured, "and because she was the first girl I ever loved, and when she said she'll help keep Emily and you safe... I believed her."
The human girl couldn't help but turn her green eyes over to her twin sister, who was definitely feeling the same thing as she was as it was shown all over Elena's face. The Gilbert twins were feeling an array of emotions but the biggest one was sadness and shock from how John really cared for Isobel and the fact that he really did think he was helping his daughters.
"At this point," the Gilbert man began again after a moment of silence had settled in the living room and his daughters didn't say anything, "I will do whatever you guys want me to do." John looked into their brown and green eyes with his blue ones clouded with unshed tears before he told his daughters, even though it pained him to do so, "if you guys feel safer with me not around, then I'll go."
The Gilbert twins slowly turned towards each other after John's promise as they tried to figure out what they wanted to do. It was like they were secretly conversing like they always do with their twin connection before they finally came to an agreement. But when the Gilbert sisters turned back around, they saw John standing up from the couch so Elena quickly told their biological father before he could leave, "you screw up everything, John. Everything you touch just falls apart." The Gilbert vampire then glanced over to her twin for reassurance before she told John in a softer tone, "but you're the only parent we have left... so maybe I can learn to not hate you."
Emily nodded her head in agreement as she stood up from the leather couch and faced her biological father. "We have never gotten along, but you're family and we need all the family we can get these days," the human girl honestly told John. "So, if you are serious about helping us defeat Klaus and keeping us safe, then I think we can make this work," Emily concluded with a small smile.
John had been her least favorite person in the world for basically her whole life but with Klaus coming closer to arriving, Emily knew that she couldn't keep this on her conscience by not making up with someone in her family before the sacrifice. There could still be a chance that Katherine's plan doesn't work and she could die, so Emily just wanted to make sure that she left this world on a clean slate. So if that meant that she had to let John in for the first time, then Emily would gladly do so.
The Gilbert man looked across at his daughters with a bright smile as he was glad that they were accepting him and was allowing him to help them like he always wanted to do to begin with. He only wanted to keep his daughters safe, so John was glad that he would now get the opportunity without Isobel or Katherine's interference. Once John finally found his voice through all the emotions he was feeling, the Gilbert man murmured, "okay." John then took a step closer towards his daughters and lightly touched their shoulders as he exclaimed, "thank you."
The twin sisters both silently nodded their heads as they both felt this awkwardness hanging in the air. Unlike John, Emily and Elena didn't feel like they were ready for the emotions that their biological father was already displaying like the caring and loving attitude as John has always been the jackass in their lives. But they knew that they couldn't be picky with the help they are getting, so the twin sisters both uttered together to hopefully end the awkwardness, "not a problem," and, "you're welcome."
John must have finally realized that his daughters were getting uncomfortable as he rubbed the back of his neck before he quickly began to make his way towards the front door of the boarding house. The Gilbert man then turned towards his daughters once he grabbed the doorknob and promised before he finally walked out of the Salvatore boarding house for the night, "I'll be in touch tomorrow and we'll figure out how to stop Klaus together."
The Gilbert twins watched and waited until their biological father had closed the large wooden door behind him before they both glanced at one another and a small chuckle escaped their lips at the craziness of their lives. "I don't think I can even absorb anymore information tonight," the Gilbert vampire mumbled out of exhaustion while she rubbed her hand down her face. It had been a long day after watching their biological mother die in front of them and, surprisingly, accepting their biological father's help.
"Tell me about it," Emily mumbled with a loud and tired yawn. The human girl walked over to where her twin sister was standing by the staircase before she pulled Elena into a tight hug for a minute or two before she pulled away and uttered, "we'll worry about John in the morning, but right now I just want to sleep." Emily was just too tired to do anything else. The only thing she wanted to do right now was to lay down with her loving boyfriend and just forget the rest of the world.
"We'll figure this out," Elena promised her twin sister with a small smile as she squeezed Emily's upper arm. The Gilbert vampire swiftly pulled her sister into another hug as she breathed in Emily's scent as she tried to assure herself that Emily was safe and okay before she pulled away and murmured, "get some rest, Emmie."
Emily nodded her head as she gave her twin sister a large grin before she exclaimed with a smirk, "you don't have to tell me twice." The human girl then headed up the wooden staircase as she called out to her sister, who was making herself comfortable on the couch, "good night. Love you, Lena."
The human girl then headed down the long hallway in the boarding house once she tiredly made her way up the stairs. Emily rubbed her green eyes as she headed to the bedroom that she calls hers. But before Emily could open the door, she decided to stop by the bedroom across from hers first. So with her mind set, Emily knocked her knuckles softly on the wooden door before she slowly opened it and peeked her head inside with a small grin as she uttered, "hey, you."
The younger Salvatore instantly looked up from the book that he was reading on top of his bed at the voice before a smile instantly lifted onto his lips. Stefan then vamp sped up to the human girl and placed his hands onto her hips as he slowly pulled Emily into his room before he inquired softly, "how did it go with John?"
Emily shrugged her shoulders as she lightly rested her arms around Stefan's neck before she murmured, "as to be expected. Awkward as hell but at least we're getting some help with all this." The human doppelganger wasn't honestly sure how her interaction with John went. It wasn't like she could ever trust John's words, so Emily decided to wait for John's actions to speak for themselves.
Stefan silently nodded his head in understanding and muttered, "that's good." The Salvatore vampire didn't trust John as far as he could throw him, but he knew Emily is right; all the help they can get with dealing with Klaus, the better. It just means that Stefan was going to be even more protective and more careful now that John is involved. Stefan wasn't going to let a single thing happen to the girl in his arms - no matter what.
Stefan shook his head after a moment of silence had settled in his bedroom as he hated thinking about Emily being taken from him, so the Salvatore vampire decided to change the conversation to something lighthearted. "You ready for bed, babe?" Stefan wondered softly as he rubbed the right side of the human girl's face with the pad of his thumb.
Emily closed her green eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of Stefan's cold touch on her warm skin for a minute or so before she finally opened her eyes to tell the younger Salvatore what she originally came in here to do. "I'm just gonna jump in the shower then I'll join you," the human girl explained as she tried to take a step away from her boyfriend.
However, before the human girl could even take a step back to go shower, the Salvatore vampire kept his arms wrapped around Emily's waist in a tight grip with a cheeky grin so she couldn't leave. "I could always join you now," Stefan uttered with a smirk as he slowly and teasingly trailed his right hand along the human girl's warm skin.
Emily threw her head back with a loud chuckle before she looked into Stefan's green eyes with amusement in her own and exclaimed, "I don't think so, mister." The human girl padded the vampire's chest with a shake of her head as she explained to the pouting Salvatore, "we'll be in there for hours if you come along." Emily smirked as she took a step back as she teased, "but thanks for the offer, though."
The human Petrova doppelganger then swiftly turned around to leave but, once again, she was stopped as the Salvatore vampire grabbed ahold of her wrist and turned her around with a small smile. "Where's my kiss?" Stefan inquired with a deep pout.
Emily couldn't help but roll her eyes at her clingy boyfriend but she wouldn't lie and say she didn't like it. It made her feel loved and like a normal teenager for once that wasn't dealing with the supernatural, so Emily decided to indulge in her adorably sweet boyfriend. "I guess you can have one," Emily mumbled in false annoyance before she leaned up on her tippy toes and softly placed her lips onto the Salvatore vampire's cold ones.
However, the one kiss turned into two kisses which turned into a small make out session before the human girl had to forcefully pull herself away before she got sucked into the Salvatore vampire's charm which would lead to her never leaving Stefan's bedroom. Emily would rather stay in her boyfriend's arms but she knew she needed a shower and out of this dress, so she forced herself away and questioned with a raised eyebrow, "happy?"
The Salvatore vampire glanced up towards the ceiling like he was thinking hard before he moved his green eyes back to his girlfriend after a minute or so with a wide grin spreading across his cold lips. Stefan then crossed his arms over his grey Henley before he exclaimed cockily, "very."
Emily shook her head in amusement at her boyfriend and muttered, "you are trouble, Mr. Salvatore." The human girl then leaned up on her tippy toes for one more addicting kiss before she swiftly turned around and quickly walked down the hallway before Stefan could grab her again while she listened to the sweet melody of the vampire's laugh trailing behind her.
I am so ready to get out of this dress and in the shower, Emily thought once she finally opened the door to her personal bedroom. The human girl flicked on the light switch next to her and went to head towards her closet to grab something comfy to wear after her shower but instantly paused once she noticed something lying on top of her bed that wasn't there the last time she was here. "Wonder what they could be," Emily mumbled to herself before she gently picked up the lilac colored envelope that was settled on the edge of her bed.
The human girl's brows furrowed when she noticed the beautiful and elegant writing on the top of the envelope that simply said her name and nothing else. No return address, Emily realized as she looked at the front and back. The brunette girl shrugged her shoulders before she slowly and cautiously began to open the envelope - where she noticed a single letter inside. This looks awfully familiar, Emily thought as she recalled back to the handwritten note that Katherine had left her with Maria Radkova's letter as she began to read.
Emily,
If you have received this letter, then it means Klaus is here in Mystic Falls and has found me. I made sure that someone would deliver this to you because I have some things I need to explain. I know I haven't told you much of anything about the plan but I just need you to know, even though I won't be with you during the sacrifice, you will be taken cared of. Maria Radkova made sure centuries ago that my sister's doppelganger would be protected when the sacrifice happened again.
Truthfully, I never thought the plan was going to work until I met you. I saw my sister in you and from hearing how Elena and Caroline along with everyone else in this town spoke about you, I knew that I wanted and needed to keep you alive. I have grown to hold a small place in my cold dead heart for you. But now that I have gotten to know you, I know that you are meant for this and you will survive this. You have the Petrova fire, after all, and us Petrova women are survivors.
Now, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to you encase I never get to now that Klaus has me. I just wanna say sorry for all of the pain I have caused you. Most importantly, the Masquerade Ball fiasco. I am so sorry that I had my witch harm you. I wished it could have been Elena but I knew I wouldn't get the same response since everyone in Mystic Falls would rather die than see their darling child hurt and that was the only way for me to get the moonstone in my possession. Again, I apologize. I never wanted to do that.
I must also apologize for never telling you about the plan. Maria made sure that the only people to know about the plan was myself, Maria, and one other person (who you'll realize soon enough). She didn't want it to get out for Klaus to somehow hear about it. Speaking of that asshole, I also apologize for ever letting you believe that I was going to hand you over to Klaus during a few of our talks like in the tomb. I couldn't let Elena or the Salvatore's think that I was truly on their side as I don't trust them to make sure the plan happens. I had to make sure none of their feelings got in the way and ruined the chance of your survival.
Now, I am going to tell you something that may shock you. Ready? Okay, the main key to this plan is Elijah. I know this may not make sense right now since I tricked Damon into getting my freedom by having him stab Elijah with the dagger and ash but he has the answers you will need to protect yourself from Klaus with the plan Maria had set into place. I thought I would be able to get the key ingredient to the plan from Elijah before Klaus got to me, but I was wrong.
I know you feel connected and can trust Elijah like Darina did (thanks to that wonderful doppelganger connection you guys share ; hint: sarcasm), so you can trust Elijah with this. You just need to pull the dagger out of Elijah and he'll give you all the answers you will need once you clue him to the fact that Klaus is here in Mystic Falls. He has the answer to surviving the sacrifice.
I know you got this, Emily. You are a Petrova. We don't give up and we fight no matter what. Just be careful around Klaus. Do not understatement his hunger for turning into a full hybrid. I know you are all about protecting your friends and family but please focus on keeping yourself safe and alive.
Love, Katherine.
"Holy crap," was the first words out of the human girl's mouth once she placed the letter down onto her queen sized bed in shock. Emily couldn't believe that Klaus is actually here in Mystic Falls. She knew it shouldn't be that surprising, though, since Isobel had been compelled for Klaus but she didn't think the hybrid would already be here. It was like everything was going into super speed. Emily thought that they would have some time to prepare.
It put a small ounce of fear into the human girl with knowing that Klaus is here as she knew her end is coming near. However, it wasn't the chance that everything could go wrong with Maria's plan and end Emily's life that scared her. It's the fact that Klaus would do anything to get what he wanted, thanks to Katherine and Darina's history, and that is Emily's worst fear.
She didn't want her loved ones to be harmed when Klaus only wants her, so Emily right then and there made a promise to herself as she tucked the letter back into the lilac envelope and placed it inside of the bedside table that she would follow Katherine's advice and undagger the original. It's the only guaranteed way that she could keep her loved ones protected while also focusing on the sacrifice like the Petrova vampire advised.
However, Emily knew she had to wait for the right moment to undagger Elijah. It would be too obvious for her to do it right now with everyone on high alert after Isobel killed herself by compulsion from the hybrid. Emily decided that she would wait until Klaus showed himself before she would undagger Elijah and set the centuries old plan into motion along with making sure her loved ones will still be protected from the deal that she and Elijah originally made. That way, Elena nor the Salvatore brothers would stop her from undaggering the original because they will be too focused on stopping Klaus which means they will have to listen to Elijah.
Emily knew that everyone was going to have a hard time going along with the plan that only Elijah could help complete as no one really trusts the original like she does. The human girl also knew that they never really believed much about the bit of the plan Katherine had explained along with the fact that they have been dead set on being the ones to protect her from the sacrifice. Emily just hoped that once she undaggered Elijah and he explains the plan to them that everyone will realize that this will be their only chance of getting out of this alive.