𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋
i promise that i care much more than i show
AFTER finding out that Alaric had the journal - which was something that is suppose to help Damon find Katherine — Echo, Elena, and Stefan made their way to the school late at night.
Of course, Echo had no idea of Elena and Stefan's actual intention's with the journal seeing as the couple saw how close she and Damon were after their little road trip. To Echo, she didn't consider her and Damon friends, just allies who help each other out.
Once they entered Alaric's classroom, they started to rummage through it. Not even a few moments in, Alaric ran into the room, and shot a stake at Stefan who caught it.
Echo was quick to walk up to Alaric's and grab the weapon, and yanked it out of his grasp. She glared at him. "Careful. You could've hurt yourself." She smirked at him before backing away to stand in front of her twin.
Stefan made Alaric sit down as Echo inspected the weapon. "Is this compressed air? Did you make it yourself?" Alaric nodded which caused her to grin. "This is awesome!"
"Who are you?" Stefan asked. "I'm not going to hurt you...unless you try that again."
Elena glared at Stefan before turning to Alaric. "He doesn't mean that he's just a little cranky today. So please tell us who you are."
Echo handed him his gun back, and sat down on the desk in front of him.
"I'm a teacher." Alaric told them.
Echo rolled her eyes. "Thank you, captain obvious. Now answer the question properly please."
"I'm also a historian. And while researching Virginia, I - made a few discoveries about your town."
"So, you show up like Van Helsing," Echo stated. "Come on. Tell us the truth."
Alaric chuckled. "My wife was a parapsychologist. She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here."
"Where's your wife?"
"Dead. A vampire killed her."
Echo looked at the teacher sympathetically while Stefan continued to question him, "Where's The Gilbert Journal?"
"What do you want with it?" Alaric asks confused.
"Where is it?"
"It's on my desk."
"No, it's not."
Alaric looked over at the desk then back at Stefan. "It was on my desk."
"How long have you been aware of me?"
"I learned just recently. Not sure about you, though." Alaric gestured to Echo who frowned in confusion. "I saw you stake that vampire. Nice work by the way."
Echo smirked. "Thanks. I've been practicing until the moment I get to stake Damon," she joked.
Alaric gave her a look. "Who do you think killed my wife?"
Echo's eyes widen and she turned to see Elena with the same expression. "Are you sure?" She crossed her arms. "If you're here for revenge, this is going to end very badly for you."
"I just want to find out what happened to my wife."
Elena looked at him confused. "I thought you just said that Damon—"
"Yeah. I saw him draining the life out of her. He must have heard me coming. He just... disappeared. So did her body. They never found her."
Stefan sighed. "Damon can never know why you're here. He'll kill you without blinking."
"I can take care of myself."
"MY father never approved of anyone I dated." Damon smirked. "Which only made me want them more, of course. What about you?" He asked Jenna he cut up vegetables.
Jenna was sitting on the counter, drinking wine, while Echo sat on the couch. "There were a few guys," she dismissed. "Logan isn't the only loser I've dated." She scoffed efore sipping her wine.
"Have they ever found him?" Echo questioned from the couch, turning to them. "Is he still missing?" She knew Logan was dead and she's glad that they won't have to deal with his ass anymore.
"He's not missing," Jenna laughed. "He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled that he marches to the beat of his own drum." She scowled before finishing her wine.
"He's a Fell. In other words. A total douche," Echo reply as Damon refilled Jenna's wine glass before going back to cutting the vegetables.
Without looking up Damon commented, "Hello, Elena."
Jenna and Echo turn around to see Elena walking in the kitchen. "Hey!" Jenna greeted a little too giddy. "Where have you been? We're cooking dinner."
"Damon is," Echo piped in before getting up, and making her way into the kitchen.
"Is Stefan with you?" Damon asked Elena as he watched Echo make herself a coffee.
"Um, he'll be here soon," Elena replied hesitantly.
SEEING as she didn't help with cooking dinner, Echo was stuck on dish duty which she didn't complain about. She was used to being the one who did the cleaning and the dishes because while Dean cooked or went out and got something, Sam researched. She was stuck with everything else.
When taking out a plate to put in the dishwasher, Damon purposely bumped in to her.
She rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "Don't do that."
He stepped out of her way before standing on the other side of her, passing her the plates. "Do what?" He asked, playing dumb.
She playfully glared at him. "You know what. That move was deliberate."
"Yeah." He scoffed. "I was deliberately trying to get to the... sink" He smirked. "Speaking of Stefan. Where is he? He's missing family night. Which I am enjoying immensely."
She frowned at him. "Why are you asking me this?" She turned to look at him. "I haven't seen him since last night and even then, it wasn't for too long."
"Is it real?" He asked all of a sudden which made her pause.
"Is what real?"
"Our renewed sense of brotherhood?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, Damon. You might want to ask Elena."
"Ask me what?" Elena questioned as she stepped into the kitchen, looking at her twin and Damon with raised eyebrows.
"Can I trust Stefan?" Damon asked, turning to her.
She hesitated slightly. "Yes, you can trust him."
Damon sped over to her, making her jump a little, and he looked into her eyes. "Can I trust him?" He repeated, staring intently, hope shining in his blue eyes.
Elena scoffed. "I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not going to work." She stepped around, avoiding both him and the question
"I'm not compelling you," he denied, frowning. "I just want you to answer me. Honestly."
"Of course you can trust Stefan," She said, sighing.
He turned around to face the both of them. "There was a time that I trusted him more than anyone."
"Trust breed trust. You have to give it to earn it," Elena lectured, her hands on her hips.
"Are you lecturing me?" Damon scoffed.
"Do you need to be lectured?" She retorted with hands on hips.
"I just want her back," Damon admitted. "I'm sure you two can understand that."
"I can understand that you will do whatever it takes to get her back." Elena glared at Damon.
"Then you both understand what I'll do if anyone gets in my way." He glanced at Echo before leaving them alone in the kitchen.
"You're not lying to him, right?" Echo gained her sister's attention. "He really needs this, Lena. And if anyone can understand that, it's you and me."
"YOU said you've never played this before," Jeremy complained to Damon.
Damon smirked as he kicked Jeremy's ass in whatever they're playing. "I'm a fast learner." Damon shrugged. "Quick reflexes."
Jeremy's phone rung, so they stopped playing. He looked to check who it is, let out a groan of annoyance, then ignored the call, and un-paused the game.
"Who are you dodging?" Echo asked with a smirk as she walked towards the couch.
"Some girl named Anna. She can be uh... persistent," Jeremy replied, both eyes still glued to the screen.
"Is she hot?" Damon asked.
"Yeah." Jeremy smiled. "Yeah, but she can be, uh , weird."
"Hot trumps weird. Trust me," Damon told him.
Echo rolled her eyes and walked over to Jenna and Elena in the kitchen who are both whispering their conversation.
"He is ridiculously hot," Jenna whispered, staring at Damon.
Echo scoffed. "He's a major assbutt, but if that's you're type, go for it."
Jenna looked back at Elena with a frown. "What are you doing with all that stuff?" She pointed to the box of old things.
"Looking through here," Elena replied, sighing. "Only to see if there's anything about our birth parents."
"Have you guys told Jeremy?" Jenna asked, glancing at the youngest Gilbert.
"We will," Echo reassured. "When the time's right."
The door bell rung and Elena smiled. "That's Stefan." She made her way to the door, and on instinct, both Echo and Damon followed shortly after.
"Well?" Damon demanded impatiently as he stared at his brother.
Stefan nodded for then to go outside. "Someone took it," he said, sighing, looking at Damon for his reaction. "I went to Saltzman's office and it wasn't there."
"Who took it?" Damon demanded while pacing the porch.
"I don't know," Stefan replies6 with crossed arms.
"I bet it was that teacher," Damon accused. "There's something really off about him."
"It wasn't him. Somebody got to it right before me," Stefan reassured.
"Who else knew it was there?" Echo asked and Stefan looked through the window to stare at Jeremy. Echo saw Damon's mischievous expression and groaned. "Damon don't you dare," she snap as he entered the house.
"What's the big deal?" Damon shrugged.
They followes him inside, and he sat on the arm of the couch that's closest to Jeremy. "Heard you found a cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?" He asked, barely containing his anger.
"Huh?" Jeremy asked, not taking his eyes off the screen with his video game on it.
"Don't ask questions just spill," Damon demanded.
Jeremy looked away from the screen and looked at Damon. "You're serious, right?" Jeremy asked, letting out an amused scoff.
Before Damon could say, or do, anything Elena spoke up, "Jer, who else did you tell about the Jonathan Gilbert's journal besides Mr. Saltzman?"
"Why is everybody so obsessed about that thing?" Jeremy complained, huffing.
"Who else knows about the journal, Jer?" Echo questioned, a little more demanding though.
"Just that girl, Anna." Jeremy shrugged, looking back at the screen.
"The hot weird one?" Damon clarified.
"Yeah."
"Wait," Stefan interrupted, gaining their attention. "Whose Anna?"
"That's what I want to found out," Damon growled out.
The phone rung nd Elena went to answer it.
"How do you know her?" Damon asked Jeremy, getting impatient.
"I just know her." Jeremy shrugged. "She wants me to meet her at the Grill tonight."
"Perfect. Let's go I'll drive," Damon said, pulling out his keys.
"I'm coming too!" Elena announced, following them to the car.
"SHE'S from 1864?" Echo questioned once they entered the motel room. After seeing who this 'Anna' was, Damon immediately brought them to her place of residence which he somehow found.
"The daughter of a friend of Katherine's," he clarified, closing the door behind him. "Get on the bed."
Echo raised an eyebrow. "Cute."
"As much as I would love to continue on this path of the conversation, I've gotta bring it back. Get in the bed so you won't get hurt when she comes back."
Echo rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself." But, she did as told, sitting Indian style.
Finally, after a few moments of waiting, Anna walked inside, her eyes landing on Echo. Immediately, Damon grabbed her by the throat. and pushed her against the wall. She grabbed his throat, and they choked each other.
Echo raised an eyebrow. "How kinky."
"Okay..." Damon rasped out. "I give." They both let go of each other's throats, and took deep breaths. "Damn, you're a strong little thing."
"I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me." Anna glared at him, ignoring his compliment.
"How long have you been here?" Damon asked, crossing his arms.
Anna shrugged. "I came by after the comet." she stared at Damon, a smirk forming. "Watching you screw up every chance you had at opening that tomb."
"How did you know about the spell?"
"I didn't say much back then. Which means I heard everything," She replied with another smirk.
"If you've been here the whole time, why are we just now crossing paths?" He asked, taking a step back, almost blocking Echo's view. His body turned in an almost protective manner.
"I like others to do my dirty work." She shrugged, smirking, her gaze glancing at a still sitting Echo who looked amused with the whole situation. But, she was ready to pounce at any given moment if Anna decided to attack.
"Like Logan Fell?" Damon scoffed. "Oh, thanks for that by the way. Little bastard shot me." He glared, glancing at Echo who was now glaring at Anna, now knowing who's fault it was for getting Caroline hurt.
"Logan was an idiot," she admitted. "We slipped him some blood when he started getting 'poser slayer' with that compass. I needed his family journal, so I couldn't let him die."
"What did you want with the Fell journal?" Damon asked.
"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong. She gave it to Jonathan Gilbert," Anna replied. She walked over to her her bag and pulled out something. The journal. "And thanks to this, you're going to help me find it."
"Why would we help you?" Damon questioned, correcting her.
"Because you and I both want that tomb opened." Anna frowned, realizing his words before looking at Echo. "Why is she helping you?"
"Is that your business?" Echo retorted, speaking up for the first time since she got here.
"She's also one of the only people I can trust these days," Damon added, giving Echo a warning look.
Anna shrugged her shoulders and handed the journal to Damon. He flipped through it, stopping on a certain page before closing it shut. "Sorry, I work alone," he declined.
He started walking out and Echo got up, and followed him.
When they got in the car, he started speeding out of the parking lot before Echo could even buckle up.
"Damn, Damon," she cursed. "What the hell is wrong?"
"I know where it is."
"Really?" He nodded his head. "Where?"
"My father's grave."
BY the time they got there, Stefan was already climbing from a grave, an old battered book in his hand.
"Well, what do you know," Damon snapped, gaining their attention. "This is an interesting turn of events." Elena gulped as Damon glared at the two of them.
"I can't let you bring her back," Stefan argued, standing in front of Elena protectively. "I'm sorry."
"So am I," Damon seethed. "For thinking even a second I can trust you."
"You're not capable of trust!" Stefan accused which angered Echo. "The fact that you two are here means that you've read the journal and planned on doing it yourself!"
"Of course we were going to do it by ourselves!" Damon yelled, throwing his arms up in anger. "The only person I trust other than myself is Echo!" Echo froze, honestly surprised with his trust. "But you," he snapped, pointing at Elena and let out a dark chuckle. "You had me fooled," he spat. "So, what are you going to do now? If you destroy it I will rip her heart out."
"You won't kill her. Echo will hate you for it," Stefan called his bluff.
The next thing anyone knew, Damon was right behind Elena with his arm around her neck, but not choking her. "I can do better," he growled out before bring to his wrist and force-feeding his blood to Elena.
"Damon, No!" Echo shouted, clenching her jaw, taking a step forward. She may trust him, but Elena was her sister whether or not she was from another universe.
The next thing she knew, Stefan was behind her, biting into his wrist. "Son of a—" She began to shout, but is easily cut off by him pressing his wrist against her lips. She bit him in reflex, already knowing the blood was in her system, what was more going to do?
"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear and she let outa growl of betrayal and anger. "Give Elena back."
"Not until you give me the book and Echo," Damon negotiated. "I want them first, or I'll snap Elena's neck and you will have a vampire girlfriend."
"I'm not giving you anything until Elena is standing right next to me."
"I don't trust that you'll give them back!"
Stefan looked at the frightened Elena one last time. "You just did the one thing that ensures that I will," Stefan stated softly. He removed his arm away from Echo before dropping the book beside her feet.
Echo let out an angered shout before slamming her elbow as hard as she could into Stefan's chest, turned around, slammed his head onto her knee, hearing a crack as she did so, and then she punched him so hard that he stumbled back in shock.
She spat on him, picked up the book, and walked over to Damon who whistled, impressed. They high-fived and before they knew it, Elena and Stefan was gone.
She sighed and handed the book to Damon, grinning. "You got it." Right now, she, for sure, trusted Damon more than Stefan after that little stunt.
"We got it," He corrected.
LATER that night, when getting into bed, Echo didn't notice the figure in the background until it was too late. She gasped loudly as a hand pressed against the back of her head before slamming it against her nightstand.
She quickly lifted her head, her vision coated in black dots. She fell to the ground in a blurry haze, struggling to see her assailant. Her eyes closed even though she fought harshly to not fall into the void, but once her eyes fluttered shut, she was out like a light.