twenty-three. the return
Mystic Falls Hospital
Matt is sitting alone outside, on the waiting bench in the hallway, of his girlfriend's medical room, deeply concerned for her major condition after the car accident, caused by Tyler by the noise from the 'deactivated' Gilbert device. Although Matt Donovan, being an ordinary human boy, remains oblivious and confused of the dark reality of the town in which he is living in. The guilty Bonnie and Rosie/Minerva, deeply concerned for their injured blonde best friend, show up side by side and speed-walk over to him.
"Hey, how is Caroline?" The senior student asked, frowning in concern.
"We got here as soon as we got the message." Her best friend nods a little.
"She's not good. Are you here with your mom?" Matt asked the hybrid.
"Yeah, she's with the Sheriff out at the front." Rosie/Minerva replied.
"What happened, exactly?" The other junior asked even though she has been told by the overheard hybrid that it was a major car accident.
"We were driving and Tyler heard this noise and he got..."
"A noise?" Bonnie asked him, frowning as she recognizes the main source being the 'deactivated' anti-vampire device; how could Tyler be a vampire?
Although if Tyler Lockwood is a vampire, he would have known that Stefan and Damon are just like him, followed by Rosie/Minerva. Therefore, it's quite certain that he is definitely not a vampire, but he's something else... Otherwise, why would his father — Mayor Richard Lockwood — be rounded up with the rest of the vampires in that basement? They are not vampires, because as much as she remembers, vervain doesn't cause them harm.
"He got this migraine or something and he lost control of the car and...I thought that Caroline was fine and then...and then she wasn't, so..."
Cassie and Sheriff Forbes, close friends, are talking at the hospital desk about the latter's daughter's condition in concern, most regarding about the highly suspicious car accident, when Damon walks over to them in arrival.
"Liz, I came as soon as I got the message. Is she okay?"
"She's in surgery, it's...they're doing everything they can. I need your help, Damon." The deeply concerned blonde sheriff mother requested.
"Sure, anything, Liz."
"Will you excuse us, Cassie?" Liz nods at her friend before she moves a distant space from her with the vampire, alone, "Mayor Lockwood is dead. They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement." The body was entirely burned to a crisp, so how is she supposed to tell Carol?
He knows, because he was there. He almost died. He watched the mayor die. Although he knows that Mayor Richard Lockwood wasn't a vampire.
"Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?" Damon asked on purpose.
"No, no. A mistake was made, they said he dropped like the others when John's device went off, but he...he couldn't have been a vampire, I've known the man my whole life and now Carol Lockwood is going to want answers and all I can think of right now is Caroline and..." The woman begins to cry.
He truly understands how stressful this can be for a busy woman like her; the one with the one and only daughter, the revered local sheriff, the friend, the responsible leader of her deputies...which makes him sympathize her. As a loyal friend, he would do whatever he can to aid her in one of those. Honestly, he knew he shouldn't have trusted the Bennett witch. She lied about deactivating the device of it's power, and look where that's got them; him, Rosie and Stefan almost died that same night earlier on. Although the million dollar question for now is 'what is Mayor Richard Lockwood'? He's clearly not human because he was also affected by the anti-vampire device.
"It's okay. It's okay." Damon hugs his poorly emotional friend as she weeps, rubbing her back gently as he does so and gently shushing her down.
Elena shows up at the hospital, and she walks over to her best friends.
"Hey. How's Caroline?"
"She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it." Minerva replied, though remaining entirely hopeful for their strong best friend's survival. She has to make it. She's Caroline Forbes! The girl who never gives up. Rosie/Minerva truly believes that their best friend can make it out of this alive.
Elena looks at her in pure horror of this information, frowning, "What?"
Bonnie embraces the Gilbert girl while the Devon girl watches them. Damon is near and peers over at them when he sees both Elena and Rosie/Minerva.
"Is there something that you can do? Like a spell or something?" Elena asked and at the mention, the hybrid looks at their witch in utter suspicion.
"She doesn't know how, do you?" Damon piped in to judge the witch.
"No, I don't." Bonnie admitted the truth this time, learning her lesson.
"No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that."
"Well, I can take down a vampire, that spell was easy to learn." Bonnie said.
"Don't get too cocky, sweetheart." Rosie advised without looking at her.
"I can give Caroline some blood." The smug vampire suggested for them.
"No, no way." Elena shakes her head in utter decline of his simple offer; they are not turning their poor best friend into a vampire against her own will. It would devastate her, and what's dangerous is that her mother is a hunter.
"No, just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day. She will be better, Elena." Damon assured her; that is what they want, don't they? "Rosie? What do you think?"
"I don't know, it's too risky, I can't agree to that." Rosie/Minerva shrugs.
"Do it." Bonnie sees the evident Devon hybrid's doubtful expression at this offer for vampire blood, "This is Caroline. We can't let her die. Do it." She would go to this risky length just as long as their best friend will survive.
"If I do this, you and me, call a truce?" Damon asked the young witch.
"No. But you'll do it anyway. For Rosie." The Bennett girl walks away.
Damon, Elena and Rosie/Minerva are standing around alone now.
"I know this is probably the last thing you want to do right now, Elena, but we should talk about what happened tonight. So, Rosie, can you, uh...give us a moment?" Damon asked the caramel brunette, who looks back at him, only to grow annoyed when it piques her genuine curiosity even more.
"Hm? What's so special about what happened tonight?"
"Yeah, 'special' wouldn't be the word I'd use, one of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John." Elena reported anxiously; she got home, only to find her adoptive uncle with a lethally severe wound in his stomach and four of his right fingers, one with the magical ring, were chopped off while he lied in his own pool of blood on the kitchen floor.
Serves him right. Thought Damon and Rosie, who share a relatable look. It's a good thing Elena already called an ambulance to come quick right over.
"What? When? What are you talking about? After I left?" Damon asked.
"You were there?" Elena asked him, truly puzzled by his unknown presence.
"Come on, Elena, you know I was." Damon said with a tired, annoyed look.
"When were you at the house?" Elena asked, genuinely clueless.
"Really? Earlier, on the porch, we were talking, all cathartic, feelings exposed. Come on, we kissed, Elena." Damon recalled, surprising Rosie.
Rosie/Minerva looks up at him in surprise, "Huh. Really?"
"Okay, I don't have time for this, Damon. Don't listen to him, Rosie."
"If you want to forget what happened, fine, but I can't." Damon said; then it's settled. He has fallen in love with Katherine's exact look-alike.
Jenna walks in. He moves away while Jenna glares at him, but listens in.
"Elena, I came as soon as I got your message. How is John?"
"Where have you been?" Elena asked her guardian, frowning cluelessly.
"At the fire department, I had to fill out a report. I told you earlier."
"No, you didn't." Elena shakes her head, genuinely clueless as well.
"Yes, I did." Jenna nods, certain that it was her niece on the front porch earlier with Damon amidst their passionate kiss when she caught them.
"No, Jenna, you didn't." Elena has no idea what they were both talking about; when she got home earlier, alone, her aunt wasn't even in the house.
"Yes, I did." Her aunt stubbornly believed that that was her niece earlier.
"Oh my God. What is happening? Unless..." Rosie/Minerva looks up at Damon, who suddenly realizes that Katherine was the one he kissed, not Elena; his icy blue eyes growing wide at this in pure shock, "It's not you."
"Oh!" Damn it, Katherine.
Jenna and Elena look at him with pure confusion while Rosie slowly nods.
"Ooh. Now I'm embarrassed." Rosie playfully labeled out his feelings.
"Mmm, you got to be kidding me." Damon realizes that he has said that out loud; he looks at Rosie/Minerva, Jenna and Elena before he walks away.
****
The next day, the concerned Rosie/Minerva has returned, outside of her best friend's medical room, talking with her blonde frenemy-turned-friend, who's actually glad to have her early presence here for Caroline Forbes.
"So, you've been here all night?" She asked him, deeply concerned.
"Yeah, with the sheriff." Matt replied with little nods.
Rosie/Minerva nods once, "Huh. Just you? No one else?"
"Stefan's brother, Damon, stopped by late last night." Matt informed her.
He probably did Bonnie's suggestion to inject his blood into Caroline's system just in case if anything happens to her now that she's unstable. Although Matt only assumed that Damon Salvatore is Caroline's friend.
"Okay. How is Caroline today?" She asked, hopeful for good news; now that she has vampire blood in her system, she assumes that she's stable now.
He smiles warmly at the mention of his girlfriend, "See for yourself."
They go inside the Forbes girl's room; Caroline is awake, sitting up on the bed, and looking completely healthy, smiling at them, "Jersey Shore's on."
Rosie/Minerva chuckles after a sigh of relief, "Hey sweetie." She advances forward to embrace her cute best friend into a warm bear hug for solace.
"Careful, still a little sore." Caroline reminded her with a cute, playful pout and smiles at her boyfriend, who shuts the room door behind him, smiling.
"Oops. Sorry." Rosie/Minerva slowly pulls away to see her better now.
"Its okay, but they say I'm healing really quick." Caroline nods a little.
Thanks to the vampire blood in her system, thanks to Damon, thanks to Bonnie...Rosie/Minerva chuckles once again at this miraculous recovery.
"My turn." Matt kisses her on the lips while their friend gladly watches.
Caroline giggles adorably, "Oh, isn't he cute? Why are you laughing?"
Rosie/Minerva shakes her head a little, "I'm just happy you're okay, hon."
Matt looks over at her, "We all are." He pecks his lover's cheek with a kiss.
"Oh, I love you guys!"
"We love you." Rosie/Minerva truly expressed, smiling warmly.
The three of them embrace each other in a comforting, warm group hug.
****
Lockwood Residence, Mayor Richard Lockwood's Memorial
An angry, deeply upset and grieving Carol Lockwood, over her beloved husband's accidental death, is arguing with both the deeply concerned Sheriff Forbes and the defensive Damon, who is aware of Rosie's presence somewhere for the memorial, in the spacious living room of the mansion.
"I want to know exactly who's responsible for killing my husband."
"I'm looking into it, but you have to be straight with me. Is there any reason Richard was affected by the vampire device?" The Sheriff questioned her.
Although Carol takes this into great offense, defensively, and scoffs in disbelief, "What are you implying? That he was one of them?" A vampire?
He could be, though he's not. Just like his surviving son, Tyler Lockwood. They are not vampires, and they're definitely not ordinary young men.
"No, no. No one's implying that." Damon piped in, shaking his head a little.
"Your deputy screwed up, plain and simple, which makes you responsible." Carol folds her long arms with attitude, pissed off, for the blonde woman.
More like John Gilbert is responsible since he was leading the deputies. It's only a good thing that he got what he deserved when Katherine attacked.
The Sheriff shakes her head a little, in denial, "Carol...Your husband is the one who helped John Gilbert execute his idiot plan in the first place."
"Liz..." Damon tried to pipe into their argumental debate once again.
"Someone got my husband killed." The poor widow pointed out in return.
"We're all on edge here. You've suffered a great loss. The whole town has. We have to stick together, okay? Trust each other, we'll get through this." Damon advised them both, hopeful for the safety of their small hometown.
The Sheriff and the new Mayor think these words over and choose to believe in him, their 'hero', that his advice for them is true; they will get through this as long as they trust each other like a real well-community should, loyal to each other whereas they don't have to pick sides in their debatable arguments. Nothing will be going right if they keep on fighting fire with fire. He also has to convince them that he's on their side to remain in this town, defending his, his brother and his amnesiac friend's actual reputation.
Rosie sees Tyler on the front porch right before the wide open doors, greeting guests politely in a welcoming manner. A jet black Ford Bronco XLT drives up to the open front driveway of the mansion and an extremely handsome young man, with a tall, slim but muscular build, steps out of it. She watches closely, paying close attention, since the man seems familiar.
"So the black sheep returns."
"Tyler?" The young man, with short dark brown hair and clear ocean blue eyes, is delightfully surprised to see the familiar teenager, smiling.
The underaged teenager nods once in confirmation, "Yeah."
"What happened to you? In my mind, you're twelve years old."
"Then that's two years older than the last time you saw me, Uncle Mason." Tyler pointed out, the young man revealed to be his father's brother.
Mason Lockwood. Rosie remembers who he is now from the Lockwood photo albums which Carol and Tyler showed her when she was dating him. He's undeniably more handsome up close when seeing him in person. The friendly uncle and nephew embrace each other while Rosie watches them. Although Mason sees her from over his shorter nephew's shoulder and recognizes her to be Tyler's ex-girlfriend — Minerva Devon, smiling at her. Rosie, averting her awkward gaze around, smiles shyly at him in return.
"Good to see you again." Mason pats his nephew's back as he pulls away.
Tyler nods a little, "It's good to see you too. Come on inside."
Later, Damon and Rosie are watching Mason and Carol talking when the latter spoke, "I don't really trust that guy. Said he's Tyler's uncle, was it?" Despite being the recently deceased mayor's brother, he remains odd.
"Yeah, it's the mayor's younger brother, Mason Lockwood." Damon stated.
"I know. Is he on the council? Like John Gilbert was when he rolled in?"
"He's nothing like John. For one, he's not an ass. He's not a believer either. He wants nothing to do with the council. He's too preoccupied finding the perfect wave. Those are what I get from Liz anyway." Damon shrugs it off.
Finding the perfect wave would be literal since he's a surfer in Florida. Still, Rosie senses something not quite right about him, or perhaps she's only paranoid since she almost died in that fire caused by John Gilbert and Mayor Richard Lockwood himself. Therefore, who's to say Mason Lockwood is nothing like his brother? For all they know, he's probably enacting a revenge for his recently deceased brother, starting with the Town Council.
"Oh. Thank you for the information." Rosie/Minerva continues to closely watch Mason and Carol Lockwood suspiciously with a serious frown.
****
Rosie/Minerva, Damon and Bonnie are talking side by side.
"Did you know the Gilbert device affected Tyler Lockwood?" Bonnie asked, directing the question more to the vampire; though Tyler is not a vampire. Not even his recently deceased father, who was mistook as one and killed. Although what about Mason Lockwood? This historical family is such a mystery...If they are vampires, then they wouldn't be able to procreate.
Both Damon and Rosie/Minerva are suspicious about the Lockwoods too when they made it clear, confirmed, together that they are not vampires. Does the Gilbert device affect other supernaturals than just vampires? Absolutely. Emily Bennett must have been a powerful witch to create it.
"Yeah, well, we know it took the mayor down." Rosie/Minerva nods, confirming that both father and son must have been the same species.
"Don't you want to know why?" The witch asked them the obvious; because the Lockwoods are definitely not vampires. They're something else...
"Of course we do. We're looking for answers." Rosie/Minerva responded. Probably starting with Tyler Lockwood himself, or his sketchy uncle Mason. Hopefully, both of them can provide honest answers for Minerva Devon.
They're desperate for answers about the Lockwoods at this point.
"Yes, Bonnie, we would love to know why a non-vampire was tortured by the vampire torture device that you let John Gilbert use against us. Speaking of your guilt, how's Caroline?" Damon asked the junior witch.
Rosie/Minerva smiles at the mention of their now-stable best friend.
"She's much better." Bonnie replied and he smiles at the good news while she avoids his truly pleased gaze for her to actually feel grateful for his aid.
Rosie/Minerva chuckles at their awkwardness, "Thank you, Damon."
"You're welcome." Damon said as he playfully nudges his best friend's side.
"No, you're welcome." Bonnie corrected as she firmly looks up at him, stopping the trio in their own tracks which indicates that she's very serious.
"Why am I welcome?" Her own enemy asked casually as he looks at her.
"You live to see another day." Bonnie referred to his heroic action in rescuing their unstable best friend with his own extraordinary blood.
"Bonnie..."
"No good deal goes unpunished with you, does it?" Damon predicted her.
"Doesn't undo the bad. I know what you are, Damon, you might have Rosie, Elena and the sheriff and everybody else fooled, but not me. One wrong move and I'm going to take you out." Bonnie threatened him as a great warning; she's not going to let him take advantage of any innocents again.
Her best friend always understands, keeping it in mind, that Bonnie Bennett is the protective, defensive type of friend until she would risk her own life to save the people who she cares about. Even Damon can easily see that potential in her and no one has to be a genius to work it out. Therefore, it's understandable that she would feel slightly afraid of this grave threat as well, considering she's also part vampire. She wouldn't dare to underestimate any witches around, especially when this young witch is already extremely intelligent and courageous with very strong determination by nature, unlike this young man. This is why she loves her and she feels actually pretty fortunate to have this girl as her best friend.
"He won't. He'll behave." Rosie spoke in her boyfriend's brother's defense; she'll make sure that he'll behave, otherwise she's not going to talk to him.
Damon believes that, with Rosie by his side throughout his road to redemption, he will become a better person because she advised him to. Perhaps she's doing this for Stefan, who gave him a lot of time to heal from what he forced him to do so long ago, because she loves him so much, or perhaps she's doing this entirely for Damon himself because she believes in him. She believes that he can improve to be a better person, another hero.
"Mhm. Now you need to stop with the witches' brew. You're starting to believe your own press." Damon reviewed in a snap with a scoff.
Bonnie looks at the young man with an unfriendly scowl as Rosie watches their antagonistic relationship closely with a slight sense of joy. Damon starts to hold his own head in pure agony and Bonnie stops after a while.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you were saying?" Bonnie walks out to the front porch and over to Katherine, who she thinks is Elena, and speaks to her about Damon.
Rosie watches the cute teenage witch go and commented, "She's much more fierce than Emily, I've got to give her that. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, I've never really liked witches anyway." Damon said in a tired way.
****
Rosie and Stefan are sitting on a stone bench outside on the spacious Lockwood grounds. Rosie is wiping his mini stomach wound with a cloth; he was stabbed with an iron stem by Katherine earlier, who quickly fled. She was obviously flirting with him, though he's not going to touch on that. He wouldn't want his girlfriend to know, even though she clearly already does.
"You going to be okay?" She darts her concerned gaze back up to him.
"Yeah, it will heal." Her boyfriend simply replied as a warm reminder.
She quickly glances at his stomach wound, "That's not what I meant."
"I was trying to figure her out. I was playing along and I let her get to me."
Damon arrives, "I tried to track her but she's gone. Oooh, cover up, Fabio." Stefan pulls his shirt down. "We got a crazy ex on the loose." He looks at her, "You better watch out, looks like Katherine is trying to steal your guy."
Of course she is. That's what she's always good at — being a selfish slut. Rosie/Minerva sends a quick glance at Damon at that. How can he still be in love with her? Has he learned nothing? Although Stefan is not going to let her win this time; he's not going to lose Rosie for a second time. He will rip Katherine's throat out for retaliation if he has to in order to protect Rosie.
"That's not what's happening." Stefan denied it. He doesn't love Katherine. He never has. She compelled him to forget Rosie and love her instead.
"Isn't it? I mean it's only fair since I went after your ex-girl." Damon said.
"I'm going to go check on Cassie. Let me know when you guys are done." Rosie/Minerva stands up and walks away, leaving them both alone.
"So what's it going to be, huh? Fight to the death?" Damon gets into a playful boxing pose and pretends to punch with his fists as his brother snorts, "Go ahead, make your threats, stake your claim. I'm listening."
"I'm not going to fight you." Stefan shakes his head a little.
"Why?! I'd fight me."
"Rosie's here. We have to make a good impression. Katherine is going to try to play us against each other, you do know that right?" Stefan clarified the obvious; their ex-girlfriend is going to pit brother against brother again.
"Brother, don't you worry, our bond is unbreakable." Damon professed.
"We need to stay united against Katherine. So yes, as much as I would like to kill you, I'm not going to fight you." Stefan repeated himself clearly; it's been one hundred and forty-five years. He's tired of fighting with him.
"Because of Rosie. That's a plus. I kissed Elena." Damon proclaimed.
"Because you feel something for her, because you actually care and I'm not going to let Katherine come in here and destroy that part of you that is finally, after all of this time, willing to feel something. She will try to break you, she will try to break us and how we respond to that will define us. It's our choice. Rosie knows that. So no, I'm not going to fight you." Stefan looks up at him, meaning his words are truly sincere, and walks away.
****
Devon Residence
Rosie/Minerva is soundly asleep in her big, warm queen-sized bed with the warm sheet covering her petite body when she has a vivid dream; Caroline is in the hospital bed, safely sleeping. She wakes up and sees Katherine.
This unexpected appearance surprises her with a gasp, "Elena?"
Katherine has a sly smile on her beautiful face, "Hey Caroline."
"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked as she rubs her sleepy eyes.
"My name is Katherine. I was hoping you could give the Salvatore brothers a message for me." Katherine requested as she towers above the patient.
A message? For Damon and Stefan? Katherine? What is she talking about? She doesn't sound like the Elena Gilbert she knows extremely well. Katherine sees the utter confusion on the girl's face, which makes her smirk. Although she figures that she doesn't need to explain herself...
"What are you talking about? What message?" Caroline rubs her eyelids.
"Game on."
The blonde looks up at her, frowning in pure confusion, "What?"
Katherine grabs one of Caroline's pillows and pushes it down over her face and smothers her. Caroline's screams are unfortunately muffled as she tries to fight back, struggling for her life as she runs out of air, until she dies.
This death triggers Rosie to wake up with a long, loud and high-pitched scream which she has released in an unconscious state as a banshee.