twenty-seven. kill or be killed
Devon Residence
Rosie opens the door of her medium-sized walk-in closet in her own bedroom to check on her things; more specifically, her outfits. Although she grabs a black duffel bag sitting under the hanging clothes, unzips it once she takes it out and starts to shake it in order to pour any contents from the bag. Once only a few micro-sized dusts have fallen out, she begins to take her clothes from the closet one by one to put into the bag, as if she's going to move out, packing her necessary belongings around the room afterward. Once she has seen her own doppelgänger with her own crystal clear eyes the previous night, she had to remain in her parked Acura on the front driveway for two more hours when she had to dial Cassie from there about the situation; it was confirmed that that girl is the real Minerva Devon, who has returned from Baylor Boarding School (private) in North Carolina. How could she not tell her about this? Which is why she dialed Stefan once again the previous night to inform him about the possibility of her being a twin stranger to someone, just like how Katherine and Elena are exactly alike.
He couldn't believe it at first, with the thought that she was probably hallucinating due to her lack of rest, which she denied and confirmed that she was completely in her right mind about the whole situation. Since Minerva didn't see her at all once she got back inside of the house after the phone call she had on the front porch the previous night, Rosie had to sneak in through the back door in the kitchen and vamp-sped upstairs to her room without Minerva's awareness of her presence in order to prevent confusion. Although as an aide, Stefan offered her to move into the Boarding house with him and Damon since they have six other unoccupied bedrooms, or it would be a much better idea if she can share a bedroom with her boyfriend. Rosie grabs her toothbrush, the brush covered with a clearly clean plastic top, from the plastic cup sitting on the sink and walks back to her connecting bedroom. She looks up when she senses someone in the room, only to find Stefan leaning against the walk-in closet door, which is now closed right after she has already packed her clothes inside her duffel bag.
He smiles at her, especially at the sight of her packing her necessary belongings in her duffel bag in order to move in with him today, "Hey."
She closes the connecting bathroom door, walks towards him as he does the same towards her, and gently kisses him sweetly, smiling, "Hi."
The adorable, intimate couple embrace each other lovingly into a warm hug.
"Are you ready for today?" The green-eyed vampire asked in determination, also gesturing towards her duffel bag now sitting on her queen-sized bed, referring significantly to their easy stage fight in front of everyone in public.
Today is going to be a big day for her, since she has to pretend that her relationship with Stefan is going through a rocky phase which will lead to a break up in order to evade Katherine, and she has to move out of this house in order to evade Minerva, her own eerie doppelgänger, for their own good. She doesn't want her to find out about her just yet, or Cassie has probably already informed her about her identity. On the bright side for the day, she will move in with her boyfriend and his brother at the Chatêau Salvatore. They know it's risky, a big one, since Katherine can come in and show up at any time and find out that they are living together, though she can always use a separate bedroom in the excessively spacious, massive royal manor. Although perhaps she can pretend that she's much closer with Damon now since Katherine wants Stefan all to herself, even though it's not happening. Therefore, she is beyond ready to play their part in front of everyone.
"Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the master of fighting, even if it's only fake with you." The hybrid adorably pecks his lips, "It's fun though." They need to do so in order to convince Katherine that she's getting what she wants in order to prevent her from hurting any innocents to hurt them.
"Yeah, I know, but if Katherine thinks that we are fighting, then she will think that she's winning and it keeps her from following through with her threats. You know that now." Stefan reminded her for safety measures.
Rosie nods a little in understanding, "Yeah. But it doesn't make it any easier. Neither does knowing that Caroline will be there, reporting everything back to her." She releases a tired sigh, "She's supposed to be on our side."
She knows that Caroline Forbes is always going to be on her side because she's her best friend. A big part inside of her seems to know that she can't completely be on her side as long as Katherine's threats are haunting her. Hopefully, this way with the stage fight will cease her from threatening her. Caroline doesn't deserve to be the reluctant messenger, she's a free soul, despite how shallow she may be. Otherwise, they will have to kill Katherine in order to protect everyone, especially the innocents, once and for all.
"Hey, everything's going to be okay. Yes, we have to keep up this ruse for a little while, but it's the best way to keep Katherine from hurting anybody, from hurting you. Okay?" Stefan advised her as he rubs her arm gently. He'd be devastated if anything horribly bad happens to his love once again.
She can't let the same woman to hurt her again, she can defend herself now. She can defend everyone now that she's a vampire/banshee hybrid. '...everything's going to be okay.' That's their relationship motto, perhaps. She believes that it will be okay eventually, and he believes the same way.
"Okay. So it's basically doing the wrong things for the right reasons." Rosie concluded in quick recognition and he nods a little, which makes her smile.
"Exactly." Her sweet, intimate lover leaves a warm kiss on her temple.
"Hm. Just promise me that she won't get her way with us. We can fake a fight, we can pretend that her threats are tearing us apart but none of it is real, okay? I love you." Rosie truly expressed as she pulls him even closer. I love you so much, she thought; she can't imagine to live on without him.
All he wants to do is just to kiss her over and over again for the whole day and not have to deal with their stage fight to convince his crazy, jealous ex. If only someone, perhaps Damon, could just capture Katherine and drive a stake through her heart much like how he did the same to Alexia Branson that one night outside of the Grill. If his brother has the courage to do so, he wouldn't know how to thank him enough. No words can describe his gratitude if someone has the courage and the brilliance to end Katherine. Although he sticks to their relationship motto; '...everything's going to be okay.' He would never tear this relationship apart for the second time, otherwise he would be considered an idiot to let a girl like Rosie go. He can't even imagine to have a real fight with Rosie because it would bring him to actual tears. He loves her so much that he never thought of ever hurting her. He's not going to let Katherine win this time. When it's time, she'll be dead.
"Okay, how about this? Today, when we're fighting, if I say 'I can't do this anymore, Rosie', what I'll really mean is that I love you." Stefan assured her; I love you so much, he thought in return. He loves her so much to let her go.
"And when I say, 'I know, Stefan, we should see other people', well that means I love you too." His lovely girlfriend smiles as she leans in to kiss him.
****
Public Park, Mystic Falls Historical Society Volunteer Day
Numerous preparations for the local public event are underway around the brand new local town park. Carol Lockwood is giving a clear formal speech using the microphone, on the main front stage, "This is all part of the historical society, continuing efforts to give back to the community. Thanks to the generous donation of the Fell family. We are now standing on the sight of our newest public park. Thank you to everyone who has shown up today to lend a helping hand. Thanks." She smiles brightly at her audience.
The shady Lockwood uncle is removing big cardboard boxes from his parked car trunk when a serious, uptight vampire walks up to him and he looks at him with a fake smile, "Stefan, right? The other Salvatore." Although he considers both Salvatores to be the same. Talk about brothers.
"The nice one. The one offering an apology." Stefan nods on behalf of his own brother's indiscretion when he stabbed the surfer with a silver knife; perhaps Mason doesn't deserve that even after he almost murdered him and Rosie the other night in the woods, though he remains skeptical. Although that doesn't mean they have to be supernatural enemies.
Mason, however, doesn't feel like he ever wants to speak to either of the Salvatore brothers at this point since one of them stabbed him in the gut. Let alone listen to their (fake) apologies. Despite being brothers by blood, the guilty culprit should be responsible for his own apology, he thought. Otherwise, who knows that the apology should come from Damon as well? He doesn't want to differentiate which one is the better brother, he doesn't like either of the Salvatores anymore, which means he sees them as equal.
"Not interested." Mason simply brushes him off as he looks away to work.
He knew he was going to say that, after what his stubborn brother did. "Look, my brother acted impulsively." Stefan begun to defend his brother, who definitely learned that quality from their selfish ex-girlfriend. He definitely learned a lot from her in order to get whatever he wants in life.
It's that obvious, which makes a scoff escapes Mason, "You think?"
"If you and Damon keep at each other's throats, somebody innocent is going to get hurt and I don't want that. You have family here so I can't imagine you'd want that either. So what do you say we just quit the whole alpha male fighting thing and call a truce?" The nice vampire requested; they need it in order to protect everyone, especially the innocent, in town. He sees no point in fighting, because what does that benefit either of them? Unless if he really tries to hurt the innocents, especially Rosie, he would obviously take action in order to cease him from causing any more trouble.
Mason, remaining bitter by what the other Salvatore did, would turn that offer down with no hesitation, "I made that same offer to your brother. He turned it down with a knife." What would a truce exactly benefit them? In fact, the fighting has just begun right after he gave Damon an ultimatum the previous day. Perhaps he'll start by inflicting pain on the Salvatores' top priority — Rosalina Kartwright, or perhaps he'll just go straight to Damon. He doesn't want to hurt any innocents, though Damon hurts innocents throughout his long life as a sadistic vampire just for fun; therefore, in his logical perspective, he is an innocent and the vampire is the wicked culprit. Why should he call a truce to the person who remains hurting innocents?
A silver knife, he's aware, which truly does hurt a werewolf. For his brother's part, Stefan remains guilty and ashamed for him with a frown, "He made a mistake. I'm here to make sure that neither one of you make another one." If either one of them does it again, someone innocent will probably get hurt.
Mason gets that, he understands. Fighting can cause collateral damage, which is unnecessary. Although he can't seem to let that go with an apology. That silver knife undeniably hurts him and the pain remains in his heart. The scar isn't just going to heal with a simple apology from the culprit's brother. How rude and cowardice could Damon Salvatore get for his brother to do these responsibilities for him? Heck, his brother probably has to tell the girl Damon is in love with to express the other guy's feelings for her. Pathetic.
"Tell your brother to watch his back." Because he's coming for him.
Stefan catches the young man's left arm, "Well, I'm guessing that he only has to worry about that during a full moon. Otherwise you're not as strong, am I right? Or you would have killed Damon by now. There's one of you. There's two of us. I think you're the one that needs to watch his back."
Mason bites back his amused smile that this vampire is underestimating him. He may be a werewolf, though he doesn't have to tell anyone about it as long as he has a regular appearance like the rest of the human residents. His brother was in the Town Council, for hunting vampires, and his sister in-law remains in the group. Therefore, he has more people standing on his side of the fight rather than only two-- four vampires in this small town. He may not be able to end Damon by being human, though he can by exposing him-- or the rest of the vampires in town to the local authorities effortlessly. He doesn't even have to watch them get driven a stake into their hearts, he can just easily walk away in pure satisfaction. He may not be strong, but he can still be smart. He doesn't need a full moon to enact his revenge on him. Although in order to think the vampire is winning, he pretends to be afraid.
"If he comes at me--"
"He won't." Stefan will make sure of it. He will ensure his brother's behavior for the benefit of the innocents, especially Rosie, in their small hometown.
Mason remains unconvinced by this, despite how very certain he sounded. They shake hands and Mason walks away, carrying the big cardboard box. Damon shows up behind his younger brother, "What are you doing?"
"Negotiating peace on your behalf." Stefan answered simply as he skeptically watches closely as the young surfer walks away from them. They require peace in order to ensure everyone's necessary safety in this town.
Damon frowns, truly puzzled and disgusted by this, "I don't want peace."
Stefan knows how that's very typical of his brother to think so due to his intensifying ego, so he retorted in return, "Consider it opposite day."
He doesn't even want to know what opposite day is supposed to mean.
"Stefan, please tell me you don't seriously think a hand shake just solved our problem." The icy blue-eyed older brother mentioned it in disbelief; a handshake to signify a truce right after he stabbed him with a silver knife. He doesn't care if they have to keep fighting, he doesn't care about what would happen if they continue — the unnecessary collateral damage.
The junior Salvatore knows that a hand shake doesn't really solve anything, though it's the best indication he has at this moment with his call for truce.
"No, actually I think that the first chance Mason Lockwood gets, he's going to drive a stake through your heart and then through mine, all because you took it upon yourself to try to kill him. So thank you, because we don't have enough problems." Stefan walks away after the bitter, sarcastic words.
Now that their manipulative ex-girlfriend has returned to their small town, he thinks that is already a big problem, especially when Rosie is involved. Katherine could just effortlessly tear her throat out for a second time and no one would even notice, and that would be the one thing Stefan fears most. Damon, actually, feels truly sorry for his brother for that because Katherine treats them like inanimate objects rather than real people. She treats his brother like an object whenever she wants to, and he hates her for that. Stefan's extremely terrified of losing his one true love once again. He can't. He can't live on without her, he doesn't even know what his life would look like without Rosalina Kartwright in it. He loves her so much to let her go. Therefore, he doesn't need his brother to make a new enemy out of Mason Lockwood, who can just as easily inflict harm onto Rosie, who's innocent. If he does even lay a finger on her, Stefan would retaliate by inflicting unbearable pain for both Damon and Mason, due to their intensifying ego and defensiveness whereas neither of them ever want to lose in this fight.
Rosie is standing alone, watching the townspeople, when she sees Mason helping Liz with the rest of the boxes, so she decides to eavesdrop on them.
Liz lets out a relieved sigh, smiling gratefully, "Oh, thanks Mason."
The young surfer smiles in return, "Hey Sheriff, you've got a second?"
"I'm out of uniform. Let's go with Liz." She nods a little, remaining to smile.
"Alright, Liz. I was hoping to talk to you about the council." Mason begun, which makes Rosie frown in deep concern, concentrating on her hearing.
Now why would a non-believer like Mason would want anything to do with the Town Council? Most probably it has something to do with Damon. She slowly shakes her head in pure denial when she remembers distinctly when her best friend stabbed their supernatural enemy with the sharp silver knife. Of course he wants to retaliate by siding with the Town Council against vampires by, possibly, taking his recently deceased brother's position in it. Sheriff Forbes, however, frowns when an outsider like him would say that.
"I don't know what you're talking about." The sheriff denied it down.
"I know you and the other founding families have a secret council." Mason mentioned casually, hinting of the well-known fact that he is in one of those respective Founding families as well, which means he can participate also.
Yes, a secret Town Council, for the Founding family members involved only. Why would Mason touch on this? Is he trying to avenge his brother's death? Carol Lockwood most probably informed him about this, as a sister in-law.
"If that were true, then you'd know it's a secret and isn't discussed with non-council members." Liz simply pointed out defensively, very secretive, which seems to relieve Rosie at the slightest that she would defend them.
Although he remains defensive with the well-known fact that he is a Lockwood — one of the respective Founding families in Mystic Falls. Therefore, he can take his deceased brother's place any time he feels like it. Now he's feeling angry, and he would be doing everyone a favor by exposing the vampires in this small town and they would be captured and murdered. Much like Damon, he doesn't want a truce. He wants to retaliate with pain.
"I know I rejected all that, but it's only because I wanted a life outside of this town, not because I was a non-believer. Look, I know vampires exist and you have two of them living right under your nose." The young werewolf warned her as a great ultimatum, targetting both Salvatore brothers initially.
Rosie immediately becomes alarmed by his crystally obvious reference of two, that she quickly starts to look around her surroundings for Stefan or Damon anywhere. Although a part of her thinks that, since Damon is close with Liz as platonically good friends, she wouldn't believe Mason one bit. How could Damon Salvatore be a vampire when she saw him killing vampires himself before her own eyes; that he even helped provide vervain.
The young woman looks up at him in surprise and disbelief, "Really?"
"Yeah." He can't say he's sorry to watch them get captured and staked.
"Who would they be?" Liz questioned, expecting him to be accusatory.
"Damon and Stefan Salvatore." Mason revealed with no hint of hesitation and Rosie widens her already-big hazel doe eyes in intensifying alarm.
"That's impossible. I know Damon Salvatore. Do you know what he's done for this town?" The young woman asked him out of true offense that he would 'accuse' her good friend like that; in her own personal opinion, Damon Salvatore is a hero to this small town. He's a hero to everyone else.
Not much other than maintaining a good low-profile and lying to everyone about his true self. He fooled this entire town, including Sheriff Forbes herself, to think that he is one of them, that he's on their side. But he's not. Damon Salvatore is nothing but an egotistical, manipulative vampire who would do anything, no matter who he hurts, to get what he wants.
The young man nods a little, "I know it's a lot to digest." The ugly truth. No one wants to hear the hideous truth that they would rather hear the beautiful lie. Although every lie, no matter how bad it gets, will end somehow, and he plans to uncover Damon's petty act once and for all.
Rosie shakes her head a little in denial that Mason would actually do this even though a big part of her knows for certain that he would expose them. Although, fortunately, Liz doesn't believe of the fact that Damon is a vampire. She can't believe anything unless she's seen it with her own eyes. Actual, real evidence is completely necessary to prove his point, honestly.
"No. I watched him kill vampires. He's an ally; he's part of the council." Which means, she trusts him. Carol trusts him, everyone in the council does. Because Damon Salvatore is a hero; a courageous and determined hero. If he is one, why would he stake them? Why would he have toxic vervain?
Although Mason remains with the defensive mindset that Damon is on no one's side but his own; he probably murdered the rest of the vampires to maintain the trust between himself and the Town Council, especially Liz. He's masquerading as one of the ordinary local residents for his own safety. It seems that the town of Mystic Falls is only seen as a stage to the vampire, in which he's constantly putting on a show in public that he's just ordinary.
"Think about it. When did the vampire attacks begin? When Damon and Stefan Salvatore moved to town?" The young surfer reminded her logically; the so-called 'heroes' are actually the villains themselves. Hypocrites.
Liz shakes her head in persistent denial, "They walk in the sun, Mason." Vampires aren't able to do so, otherwise they would burn themselves alive.
Rosie lets out a sigh of relief that Liz seems to be a smart, defensive woman before her big doe hazel eyes trail down to look at her Colombian emerald diamond daylight ring which magically protects her from the raining sunlight, all thanks to Stefan and Emily who she both cannot thank enough. Stefan, for giving her the antique emerald ring on their engagement day, and Emily, for casting a protection spell on the exact ring for her own ease. Although, Mason isn't just going to accept that as a simple valid answer.
"They've evolved. It's not 1864. They figured it out, Liz." He concluded, much to more of Rosie's pure horror and deep concern of their reputation.
"No. Damon Salvatore is my friend." Liz articulated in confirmation, truly stubborn to believe that her trusted close friend is a brave hero to them all.
No, he's not. "What if I can prove it to you?" Mason offered.
They look at Stefan and Damon from afar, which alarms and concerns Rosie even more than she already is, overwhelmed with fear of his capabilities. He can't just expose Stefan and Damon in public because she can't lose them. In fact, she would most probably be next to be exposed right after them. Once their identities are revealed, they would definitely be considered liars, murderers, manipulators. Not that she cares about that, but Cassie would most probably be taken down as well, followed by Minerva Devon herself (especially her since they look exactly alike as unrelated identical twins). Afterward, Caroline, Elena and Rosie are talking to each other while they're walking side by side to and start painting a veranda together.
"So suddenly, she's in the running for Mother of the Year just when I'm trying to avoid her the most. I'm babbling, you guys don't want to hear all this." The insecure Forbes girl referred to her own busy mother.
"Oh, no, sorry." Elena said with a truly apologetic, awkward smile.
"And then what happened?" The curious Rosie asked to distract her own subconscious about the exposure situation as she's looking around for them; Stefan and Damon seem fine, which is just an initially slight relief. Although where did Mason go? What is he up to? How could he do this?
"Well, I was a bitch which is par for the course with us. So, Rosie, how are things with you and Stefan? Anything?" Caroline changed the subject, genuinely curious with the hope that the pair are going to break it off soon. Now that they're 'fighting', perhaps Katherine will leave her alone for good. She can't be her sneaky little stalker anymore, getting in between a couple, because that would make her a hypocritical bitch indeed, just like her.
"No, not since the fight. He's been pushing me away because he thinks that Katherine might get jealous enough to hurt me. Overprotective boyfriend, you know. I just don't know how to change his mind." Rosie claimed with a feigned sad and hopeless tone; she has to make this act believable if she's going to win, and she's not going to lose against Katherine once again. She has to make it seem like she and Stefan are hating each other right now.
Caroline seems utterly relieved by this because she will be safe. "You said that Katherine's dangerous. Maybe he's got a point." She sided with him; in which her life will be safe and sound without any of Katherine's threats invading it. Therefore, she's glad that Stefan seems to be on her side.
Stefan does have a point. He's protective that way.
"Yeah, I know that she's dangerous and I know that he's just trying to protect me but it feels like giving up and I just..." Rosie suddenly trailed off as if she's tired from talking about this when she shakes her head, sighing. I just can't do it anymore. It's better to give up rather than to get caught and innocents will die because of an envious ex-girlfriend. Protect everyone.
Caroline doesn't seem to be concerned at all that her best friend is going to break it off with her boyfriend, tired from this 'fighting'; she feels relieved. Perhaps they should give up, to protect everyone from Katherine's wrath.
"Just what?" The compassionate Gilbert girl asked, genuinely sympathetic.
"I just thought that we were stronger than that." Rosie eventually ended, though with the belief that her relationship with Stefan is strong. Despite the amnesia, the challenges they have to face, they remain together. They both believe strongly that they will get through this in the end, always. Their love is so strong that it feels like they can overcome anything together.
Caroline does feel truly sympathetic for that. Perhaps their love is strong. Otherwise, why would Stefan avoid her to protect her from Katherine? Sometimes, you have to do the wrong things for the right reasons...
Rosie has no idea how to warn Stefan and Damon without posing as Minerva and she helplessly watches as the older brother joins Liz to talk, which he mentioned about her encounter with Mason earlier, and a mention about Caroline who had a mini moment with her mother earlier at home before she walks off. Back to Rosie painting, she looks at the younger vampire brother from afar, who looks at her. Caroline is looking at them.
"Oh, oh. Longing looks are being exchanged." She smiles in a teasing way.
"I'm going to go talk to him." The hybrid sets the wet paintbrush down.
"No, Rosie. I think it's a bad idea." Her blonde best friend warned in worry.
Rosie walks away anyway and goes towards her boyfriend when his brother joins Caroline and Elena, who remain painting, "What's her problem?"
"Don't worry about it." Elena advised as she looks up at him.
"Didn't ask you. Blondie? Why are you being such a bitch to your mom?" Damon turns to the deeply concerned blonde, watching the pair 'fight', from what Liz told him earlier about what happened at home with her daughter.
"Don't worry about it." Caroline repeated, tired to touch on that.
Rosie walks up to Stefan with a frown, "Do you still care about Katherine?"
"Don't do this. Please don't turn this into something that it's not."
"So this is not for discussion. Is that what you're saying?" She asked.
Damon and Caroline are listening in on them curiously from afar.
"No, I'm saying that this isn't up for discussion right now because we have ears on us." Stefan, followed by his girlfriend, looks at Damon and Caroline; they both pretend that they're not listening as he doesn't notice Minerva.
Of course they do. Katherine's stalkers are everywhere, it could be anyone, which means they have to proceed on with their believable stage fight.
Rosie sighs in a tired manner with an obvious look, "Okay, when?"
Stefan shrugs it off as if it's no big deal, "I don't know."
"I saw her, Stefan. It's like she's the same as Elena. How could you--"
"No, no. You're reaching. I'm not...I'm not Damon." Stefan reminded her that he's not going to wait around for one hundred and forty-five years for a worthless girl who, in the end, spat in his face that she has never loved him.
She knows that. Stefan is nothing like Damon. Stefan's better. He's good.
"How about we don't bring Damon into this right now?" Rosie suggested since their 'fight' has nothing to do with his brother, who's only a neutral.
He knows that. Damon has no part in between Rosie, Stefan and Katherine.
"You know, I can't...I can't do this anymore, Rosie." Stefan begun his coded line as he looks at her with feigned tiredness, though he means 'I love you'.
Rosie remembers what this means, so she stifles her smile with a sad frown and replied, "I know, Stefan, we should see other people." I love you too.
She walks away from him, who watches her go with a feigned sad frown of his own to convince everyone that him and Rosie are over. Caroline seems sad and guilty by this 'break-up' though as she lets out a tired sigh. Damon notices this as he remains on his spot with her and Elena when he advised the blonde former, "Relationships are about communication."
Caroline walks away as well. Mason is at the lemonade stand, taking a cup of cold, fresh lemonade from the girl operating the stand, "Thank you."
The redheaded girl takes his one dollar with a smile, "You're welcome."
Mason drinks it, relieved, when Damon walks up, "Well, Mason. Working hard?" Of course he is. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been very thirsty.
"Doing my part." The younger man shrugs it off with a fake friendly smile.
"I heard you talked to Stefan." The smug vampire mentioned it — the truce. Although he doesn't want a truce. He already doesn't trust Mason.
"Nice guy." Mason commented before he continues to drink his lemonade. They all may think Stefan is nicer, but he knows both brothers are the same.
Damon's genuinely tired of hearing that, "Yeah, a lot nicer than me."
A whole lot nicer, that's for certain...or not. "Nice is overrated." Mason said, hinting to both Stefan Salvatore and the offer for their peaceful truce.
"That's what I thought. Huh!"
"You have a good day, Damon." Mason sets his now-empty plastic cup down back on the table and walks away after giving him another fake smile.
Stefan walks up to his brother, "Please tell me that you were just bonding." He watches closely as the young surfer walks away from them once again.
"So what's up with this faux drama in your relationship?" Damon brought up, genuinely curious of anything that involves with Rosie. Fighting? Nah. These two can fool anyone but him since he's the master of petty acting.
His brother frowns, playing dumb, "What are you talking about?"
"Oh come on, Stefan. You and Rosie don't fight, especially not over me. She doesn't care about me. Unlike Elena." Damon shrugs it off with a scoff; he doesn't care if Elena Gilbert cares about him, or if she has a crush on him. She's considered only rubbish, worthless, pathetic — just like Katherine.
Rosie does care about Damon; Stefan believes that. Otherwise, she wouldn't have defended him over that 'fight' they had. She excluded him out of this whole situation to protect him because she knows how much he means to Stefan, despite how in denial he could be most of the time.
"Drop it, Damon." Stefan told him as his girlfriend walks up to them.
Damon fakes a sarcastic smile for his insecure brother, "With pleasure."
Stefan turns to the doppelgänger in deep concern, "You shouldn't be here." They're supposed to be avoiding each other after their 'fight' in public earlier. Caroline could be anywhere to report this to Katherine at any time. It's not safe for the both of them to be this close in open public together.
"Ooh. That's no way to talk to a lady." His older brother piped in, smiling.
"They know about the 'fight' we're having. I'll be quick." Rosie nods.
"Okay, so what are you doing here? You need to leave." Stefan told her rather protectively while his brother curiously watches them closely.
"He means that with a little heart in the end." Damon added on playfully.
"No, I'm just trying to tell you to be careful." Rosie advised them seriously; Mason probably did something suspicious in order to expose them all.
Although the brothers are genuinely clueless at this. Careful? Of what?
"Would you like some lemonade?" The redheaded girl by the stand asked.
"Thank you, sweetie." Damon takes the served plastic cup of fresh lemonade when his brother's lover grabs his arm, "What? You want one?"
"No." Did she just not tell him to be careful?
"You're boring, you know that?" Damon commented breezily.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She warned him.
"Why?" Stefan asked as his brother drinks the fresh lemonade.
Although he spits it out and starts coughing in agony from the toxic vervain he just ingested, regretting not heeding to Rosie. Liz catches them from afar, feeling truly shocked and betrayed that Mason was right all along. Damon Salvatore is nothing but a blood-sucking liar, murderer, a monster.
"What part of 'be careful' are you not registering?" Rosie snapped angrily.
"What's wrong?" Stefan asked him, frowning in deep concern.
Damon is gasping in actual pain in his burning throat, "Vervain! Vervain!"
Rosie serves him an open plastic bottle of clean mineral water, which he uses to rinse his burned mouth and significant throat out with it, and spits it out, bubbling up with fury as looks around for any signs of Mason.
"I'm going to kill him." Damon snarled in a roughly threatening manner.
"No, no, don't do that. Don't react on anger." Rosie advised her best friend.
"She's right. Listen to me! Sit! Sit!" Stefan added, alarmed by his fury.
"I'm not listening anymore of your 'give peace a chance' crap. He's dead!"
"Yeah, and so will you if you keep making bad choices." Rosie warned him.
"Okay. I don't like it. He's making threats. He could expose us. We need to put him down." Stefan decided and looks at Rosie, "You don't have to do it." He's turning her down because he cares about her. He's protecting her.
"Alright. Let's do it." Damon spots their target, from afar, walking into the woods alone, as if he's leading them there, "Woods. Trash duty. Come on."
****
Mystic Falls Woods
Caroline and Minerva, who have just met each other earlier at the public park, are going into the woods as well, unseen and unknown by others.
"Where are you going? What's going on?" The latter asked in deep concern as she only trails after her new blonde friend rush into the local forest.
"I need to be able to hear better." Caroline replied, actually relieved that the girl has already been informed of the supernatural background of this town. She knows something is definitely wrong the moment she found out that her mother has to go back to her top work with the rest of her deputies.
Minerva shakes her head, genuinely clueless, "Hear what, exactly?"
"Something's wrong, Minerva." The deeply concerned vampire stated.
The Devon girl slowly shakes her head in denial, "Caroline..."
"Shh."
Mason is somewhere around the woods as well, not too distant from the two girls, as the bait when the expected Stefan and Damon finally show up.
"Don't look so surprised. You knew this was inevitable. Go ahead, run. I'll give you a head start." Damon snarled at their mortal enemy, scowling, actually curious to find out how werewolves could run from vampires.
Although Mason doesn't want a head start. He's not going to run from his foes because he doesn't consider himself as a pathetic cowardice. He only bends down when, suddenly, loud shots ring out, hitting Damon and Stefan; they both fall to the ground and Caroline has heard everything, "Oh God."
"What? What is it?" Minerva asked frantically as she quickly looks at her.
"Stefan and Damon." Caroline gasped in pure shock, "And Rosie too."
The Devon girl shakes her head a little, frowning in pure horror, "What?"
Stefan and Damon are on the ground, temporarily dead even though they were shot by sharp wooden bullets. Liz and some of her deputies show up.
"Thank you, Mason." Liz injects the two unconscious vampires on the neck with individual syringes of toxic vervain, "Get the other one too."
Not for long afterward, Liz, Mason and the deputies are going into the nearby old, abandoned Lockwood estate ruins somewhere in the woods as well. The deputies are carrying the unconscious Stefan, Damon and Rosie, who have also been caught and weakened with toxic vervain earlier on. Mason can't exactly say he's sorry to watch them go and meet their end, especially Damon himself. They have made an enemy out of him after all. Liz, on the other hand, remains betrayed and genuinely hurt by her one-sided loyal friendship and belief in them, especially Damon and Rosie. How could they do this to her? Rosie was even best friends with Caroline...
"It's down the stairs to the left." Mason informed them, stifling his smile.
"Careful. The wooden bullets and vervain won't keep them down for long. What is this place?" The sheriff asked the young man in a grave tone.
"Old slave quarters from the original Lockwood house." Mason answered.
Once they are in the dark ruins below, which seems to be the basement, one of the young male deputies lights up a few torches on the walls to give the place some light while two other young male deputies roughly dropped Stefan and Damon on the ground, leaving a space in the middle, before another young male deputy gently set Rosie in the middle of the brothers. The deputy who provided the torches earlier, Deputy Creevy, looks at the one who looks down at Rosie with a slightest hint of sympathy in his eyes.
"You care about her. Why?" Creevy mentioned lowly, rather skeptical.
Deputy Moore sighs, "I know her. I just, can't believe she's one of them." He shakes his head a little, in denial, that 'Minerva Devon' would be staked.
"Well, she is, and she lied to you. Who knows she probably compelled you to forget that she ever fed on your blood? She probably controlled you, messed with your head. If you side with her, you're just as bad as them." Creevy warned him, lowly, as an ultimate reminder that they're innocents.
Although how can they be innocent when they're killing these unfortunate undead people who only wants to feel alive once again? Vampires are originally humans who had to die, with or without their own will, with the blood in their system in order for them to come back to life as an undead. Moore knows-- he believes that 'Minerva' would never compel him or feed on him because that's not who she is. Undead or not, she remains good. He refuses to believe that she would feed on people. Perhaps only blood bags.
Which justifies the reason why he has the nerve to say it, "No."
Creevy, and even the rest of the male deputies, looks at him in pure shock and disbelief. He's about to retort back, though Sheriff Forbes comes in from upstairs. Outside, Caroline and Minerva are running in the woods, searching for Liz, Damon, Rosie and Stefan but suddenly Caroline stops.
"What is it?" Minerva asked as she looks at her once again in deep concern.
"They've been here." Caroline bends down and looks at a plant by a tree, which has blood on it and Minerva sees it too when she bends down a little.
"Oh my God."
Mason suddenly shows up, "What are you two doing out here?" He seems to be tongue-tied, dumbfounded, once Minerva turns around to face him in true surprise, appearing as the striking resemblance of Rosie from earlier. Although he knows for certain that this couldn't be Rosie. This is Minerva.
"Have you seen Stefan?" Minerva questioned him, frowning in concern.
"Yeah Minerva, I've seen him. Seen Rosie and Damon too." Mason replied.
"Where are they?" Minerva demanded sternly that they're on the rescue.
"You don't need me for that. I'll let your friend here sniff them out, or you can hear them too, right? You can sense death?" Mason looks at the blonde vampire, "Does your mother know what you are? I'm happy to tell her." He thinks that, Liz doesn't need any more of her trusted people to lie to her.
She goes towards him but he catches Minerva from behind and strangles her with an arm under her chin, resisting her ability to scream out loud.
"Don't be stupid! Necks snap easy around here." Mason threatened her.
"I can take you." Caroline nods in strong determination, frowning.
"Want to bet?"
"Yeah. I do." Caroline vamp-speeds over, grabs him by the throat, and roughly pushes him against a tree, "I told you." She knees him, hard, in the groin and pushes him down onto all fours. She then kicks him hard in the stomach, which sends him flying against a tree and falls on the ground with a grunt of pure pain, shocking his free victim with a gasp, "Come on."
The girls quickly rush away from him to continue their rescue search for the captive trio. Down in the old cellar, Damon wakes up, along with Rosie, who weakly looks to the side and sees that Stefan remains unconscious. Liz shoots Damon in his right leg, which makes him loudly cry out in agony and a gasp to escape Rosie, who weakly shuts her big doe hazel eyes in true fear.
"This is how it's going to work. Answer me and you don't get shot, understand? How many of you are there?" Liz demanded assertively. She can't believe that she just shot her own 'friend', who helped her all the time, and it seems that she's about to shoot her own daughter's best friend. She doesn't think she can do this, though she reminds herself that they are not people. They aren't friends. They are vampires. Murderers. Liars. Savages.
Although Rosie only remains to remind herself with her eyes shut, repeatedly, that everything's going to be okay because she's here with him. If they're going to end their lives, she would rather end it by being with Stefan because she doesn't want to die all alone. Unlike the first time. Damon, on the other hand, groans loudly in persistently pure agony.
"Liz, please."
She shoots him again and he screams, which only makes Rosie shut her eyes tighter. She would rather die now than listening to the boys' cries.
Liz continued, "How did you fool us? How do you walk in the sun?"
When he doesn't answer, she shoots the unconscious Stefan, who doesn't react. She aims her loaded gun at Rosie, who she thinks is Minerva, so she doesn't shoot her as the female hybrid only pretends to be unconscious, which actually relieves all Rosie, Damon and Deputy Moore himself. He would hate to watch 'Minerva' die while he can only helplessly watch them.
Damon sees this through weak open eyes, "She's not Minerva."
"What are you talking about?" Liz demanded with an unfriendly scowl.
The young man shuts his eyes in pure agony, "Ugh! Nevermind."
"I will drag this out painfully." Liz warned him as a great ultimatum.
"But you're my friend." Damon reminded her with his icy blue eyes open.
"Our friendship was a lie. Answer me and I'll kill you fast."
Meanwhile, Caroline and Minerva finally arrive at the old ruins upstairs.
"Oh my God. What is that?" Minerva mentioned, frowning at the old stairs.
Caroline hears her mother, "He's not going to tell us anything. Kill them all."
"Caroline. Caroline, what is it?"
"My mom. She's killing them."
"What?! Oh no. She must think Rosie is me." Minerva starts motioning forward, but the young blonde vampire protectively grabs her left arm.
"No, no, no, no!"
"We have to stop her!" Minerva said as a great reminder of their rescue.
"No, I can't. Minerva, she's going to find out about me. Minerva!"
Although Minerva only, quickly, rushes down into the old ruins, determined.
"Let's do this. Each with a stake in the heart, then burn them all." Liz hears a metallic creaking sound, so she looks at one of her deputies, "Check it out."
Minerva hits the deputy with a heavy plank and then goes into the main cellar. Liz sees her and points her gun at her in pure confusion and fright.
"What the hell?" Liz quickly looks down at the 'unconscious' Rosie on the ground, who remains to play dead out of genuine fear, "Minerva?" She remembers what Damon said earlier about them and aims her gun at him.
"Now that's the real Minerva." Damon said with a weak smile for her.
"Then who is this? She looks just like you!" Liz demanded, eerily creeped out by the exact, inexplicable, resemblance between Minerva and Rosie.
"She's my doppelgänger...from the Civil War days." Minerva admitted.
The Civil war days...the 1800's, nineteenth century. That's almost two hundred years ago! Which means these must be the original Salvatore brothers, and the girl in the middle would most probably be...Rosalina. This can't be possible. She must be dreaming, this must be a crazy dream. How could she possibly meet the three of the most significant historical figures to ever known in their small hometown of Mystic Falls? They're practically royalty in this town — Salvatores and Kartwrights — for being raised with old money through their families which have always been close for many years. Although how could Minerva Devon, out of everyone, look exactly like her? Minerva knows for an undeniable fact that it's a lot to digest at this point. Even she couldn't believe Caroline and Elena earlier on when they told her.
"Oh my God." Liz gasped as she looks at the doppelgänger wide-eyed.
"I know it's terrifying and it's a long story, Liz, but you can't kill them. I'm not going to let you." Minerva shakes her head, protective of the poor trio. If she's going to remain in this town, she has to know who her look-alike is. Honestly, she's actually pissed that her unrelated twin would use her name to masquerade herself in front of everyone and her own mother let her.
From behind, the deputy comes up and quickly pushes her foward and prepares his gun. They hear another noise and the door closes by itself.
"What was that?"
"Who else is with you?" Liz demanded as she looks down at Damon.
Caroline circles around at vamp-speed, closes on Deputy Moore and viciously bites his neck, draining him of his own blood to his death. Deputy Creevy fires at her, but only shoots the first deputy. When he stops shooting, she rushes from behind and roughly knocks him to the ground. Caroline then reveals herself with her bloody vampire face to her unharmed mother.
"Hi Mom."
****
Old Lockwood Ruins
Damon, Rosie and Stefan are now awake, relieved that Mason's murder plan eventually failed, owing their precious lives to Caroline and Minerva Devon. If it wasn't for them, they would all be driven a stake into their hearts, dead. Damon and Rosie are feeding on the individual dead deputies and then the latter checks on Stefan in great concern after she has already fed on Deputy Creevy's motionless body, after she roughly drops it back on the ground. Caroline, Liz and Minerva are sitting quietly in different parts of the cellar, in which the final latter closely watches as her look-alike just fed on someone. Is that what she would look like if she would ever turn into a vampire? Liz, however, doesn't even want to look at either Minerva or Rosie anymore. She has been eerily creeped out that she doesn't even want to look at the two.
"You need to drink some deputy blood." Damon spoke up Rosie's thoughts to his weak brother, who continues to refuse on feeding from humans. They know, for a well-known fact, that animal blood cannot sustain them much.
Although he has to feed on animal blood in order to control his bloodlust. Otherwise, many people will die because of him — collateral damage. Rosie completely understands that about him and stares at him in pure sympathy. She can only respect his decisions, to what would ease him the most. She can't force him to feed on human blood and torture him. She loves him. Damon, however, scoffs in disbelief at his brother's defensive stubbornness and his best friend's maternal habit to constantly defend her boyfriend. Minerva can only watch them from her seat with a deeply worried frown and the only petty thing she can admit would be, Rosie looks better than her. Perhaps the wavy hairstyle would suit her better, rather than ringlets, since it suits very well on her unrelated identical twin, who seems very adorable.
"No. I'm going to be fine. It's just going to take a little bit longer."
"Damon's right, you know. If there's ever time to break your diet--"
Rosie interrupted Caroline defensively, "He said he didn't want it, okay?" The blonde, Damon and even Minerva seem truly surprised by her defense; Rosalina loves Stefan so much that she would protect him at all costs.
"This is a most unfortunate situation. Two deputies dead and you. You know you can just share with Rosie." Damon shrugs it off as no big deal and looks at the silent Liz, who remains seated, "What am I going to do with you?"
He wouldn't kill her, would he? Liz Forbes is still his good friend. Although who knows whose side she picks from now on? Probably Mason again? Caroline, however, quickly stands up from her seat in alarm that he would lay even a finger on her mother, despite how very harsh she was earlier.
"You won't tell anyone, will you? Mom? Mom? Please. Look, I know that we don't get along and that you hate me but I'm your daughter and you'll do this for me, right? Mom, please. He will kill you." Caroline pleaded sadly.
Liz doesn't even want to look up at her vampire daughter, "Then kill me."
"No!"
Minerva looks at the young woman as well, in disbelief, "What? No."
"I can't take this. Kill me now." Liz said, her teary eyes shut in tiredness.
Minerva slowly shakes her head in denial, "No, please don't do this."
Damon bends down to look her in the eyes, "But you were going to drag it out so painfully." He suddenly grabs her and the woman stands up quickly.
"No!" Minerva cried out as she quickly, protectively, stands up in pursuit.
Caroline starts to cry desperately, panicking, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
"Damon, don't!" Stefan shouted protectively, sympathetic for the blondes.
"Damon, please!" Rosie piped in, truly desperate for Liz to live again.
"Relax, guys. No one is killing anybody." Damon looks at Liz, smiling, "You're my friend." He looks down at the deputies, "We've got to clean this up."
****
Salvatore Boarding House
Rosie opens the main front door, to reveal that Caroline is standing on the doorstep with a suitcase which belongs to her mother, who will be staying here, in the basement cellar, to drain the vervain out of her system in order for them to compel her to forget the occurrences for the exhausting day. Honestly, Rosie feels extremely sorry that Liz has to go through all of this. She doesn't even know how it feels to have a daughter turned to a vampire because she was never a mother in the first place, therefore she can't relate.
Caroline smiles, "Hey, sorry that took forever. I just didn't know how long my mom was going to be here. You'd understand. I'm worried about her." Especially of how suicidal her mother was earlier on to find out what she is.
Rosie completely understands, "It'll take three days tops for the vervain to leave her system. Maybe even sooner." She shrugs and Stefan joins them.
Caroline's smile widens brightly at him, "Hey! You get some bunny in you?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling much better, thank you." Stefan replied with a smile, which Rosie does too and she leans in to quickly peck a kiss on his cheek.
In the dark basement cellar downstairs, Liz is on the phone with someone while Damon is closely watching her across the room, genuinely harmless, "A stomach bug. Yeah, it came on fast. I'll definitely be out tomorrow..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
She looks at Damon and quickly understands the warning, "...or longer. I'll text you. Yeah. Good night." Liz hangs up and gives the cell phone to him.
"Thank you. It's not exactly the Ritz, but it's secure. Brought you a good thread count. And once the vervain's worked its way out of your system, I will compel you, you will forget everything and you will be a free woman." Damon assured her with a friendly, warm smile after these easy steps.
Although she doubts that she would be free. Her daughter is a vampire, for crying out loud. How could she hide this from her? Because she's a hunter. Don't even get her started between the striking resemblance between Minerva Devon and Rosalina Kartwright. How is that even possible? They couldn't be long lost twins since they have one hundred years of age apart. Rosie must probably be Minerva's great great great grandmother, a hybrid of a vampire and a banshee. She can't even believe that any of this is real. Her own trusted friend, who's in the Town Council with her, lied to her about his true self with the selfish purpose that he could remain in town as a human. He did it to protect his reputation, masquerading himself as a hero instead. He did it for his brother. He did it for his best friend. She understands it now. Rosie and Stefan mean a lot to Damon Salvatore because they're his family. Perhaps she and Caroline could be the same despite her being a vampire.
Caroline, Minerva and Stefan arrive down the stairs towards the dark cellar and are about to walk in when Caroline stops outside the door and listens.
"Can you keep Caroline far away from me please? I don't want to see her."
Her mother doesn't want to see her. How could she say that? Because she's a vampire now? Because she's no longer the Caroline she used to know? She must be a big disappointment for her mother to turn away from her. Does her mother not love her anymore? Like how a mother should be? This heartbreaking request can be effortlessly correlated with the brothers' former situation with their father, who was ashamed to have vampires for sons, when he found out about them. Although Giuseppe Salvatore was much more harsh and merciless, more of a monster rather than a father, when he shot both of his sons, Damon and Stefan, without even a hint of hesitation. Not only did he not want to see them, he didn't want them to live. Even though it doesn't really mean much to Damon anymore, though it remains to squeeze Stefan's heart to this very day every day for the shame. All they ever wanted from their father, especially after their mother's death, was acceptance. They didn't ask for more. Not money. Not love. Balance.
"She's your daughter, Liz." Damon stated out as a matter of certain fact; just like how him and his brother were still Giuseppe's sons even as vampires.
Caroline will always be her one and only daughter despite being a vampire.
"Not anymore. My daughter's gone." Liz pointed out tearfully, devastated, with the consideration that her daughter actually died in that car accident.
'You were dead to me the moment you sided with the vampires...' Stefan remembers the bitter memory, fresh in his subconscious, of his own father, who admitted himself that he was the culprit who shot his own two sons. Damon and Stefan, knowing that they can relate to an ashamed parent of their child for undeniably being what they are now, actually feel extremely sorry for Caroline, and Liz as well, who's clearly hurt by her tornful words. A part of her actually feels that her mother's right; perhaps she died on that hospital bed one fateful night when someone smothered her to her end. Although Liz doesn't know that, but a part of her said she doesn't have to.
"You have no idea how wrong you are about that." Damon looks at Caroline, who's seen just outside the open door, who turns and walks away, and Minerva follows her, feeling extremely sorry for her new friend by the words.
Stefan starts to trail after them but stops in his tracks for a moment, when he looks aside and sees the refrigerator. He sends a quick glance at Minerva, who's walking up the stairs after Caroline, before he walks over and opens the door of the refrigerator, revealing that it's full of fresh cold blood bags from the hospital. He takes a blood bag in his hand and stares at it. Rosie walks down the same stairs after she just walked past Caroline and Minerva.
"Hey, I think that we should...what are you doing?" She frowns in concern.
"Katherine took a little vervain every day and built up a tolerance to it...I could do the same with blood. I could learn to control myself on it." He nods.
"Are you sure? Stefan, you don't have to." Rosie shakes her head, worried.
"I almost died tonight, Rosie. Because I was too weak." Stefan stated; Damon and Caroline were right. He has to have at least one sip of human blood in order to survive alongside them all, in order to be with Rosie.
"But the last time that you drank human blood--"
"I told you I'll find a way to stop Katherine, didn't I? Well this is it, this is the only way because she's stronger than me. Okay? And unless that changes this, I can't protect you." Stefan expressed out of every love he has for her; he has to protect her, whatever it takes to keep Rosalina perfectly safe. He would go to this lengthy risk of his miserable life just for Rosie Kartwright.
Deeply touched by this risk he would go to, Rosie shakes her head in denial of his decision; he doesn't have to lose himself in order to protect her. She's capable of protecting herself, especially now that she's a hybrid, although what happened earlier on in the woods truly proves that she can't do it. They can't let Katherine win for a second time, they both know that. Therefore, she reminds herself of their relationship motto once again, just like him, to make her feel better about this; 'Everything's going to be okay.'
Rosie taps her right ear, indicating that the others, especially Damon and Caroline, might overhear him, "Yeah, can we talk about this later? Okay."
"He can hear us wherever we are, because he drinks this. This is...this is the only thing that can help me!" Stefan pointed out as he raises the blood bag; like it or not, human blood is always going to be the one to sustain them.
She knows that he's right. Therefore, she half whispered with a serious frown, "Are you serious? Are you pretending to fight? Because I can't tell if--"
"No, this is real. No more pretend." Stefan shakes his head, firm with this.
Rosie stares at him and walks back up the stairs. Caroline and Minerva are in the living room together when Rosie steps in to listen on their conversation.
"I can take you home." Minerva kindly offered with a shrug.
Her home doesn't even feel like home anymore, so Caroline shakes her head in refusal, "I can't go home. I don't want to."
Minerva frowns, genuinely clueless, "Why not?"
"Because I'm scared." Caroline admitted the truth in a whimper.
"Scared of what? Caroline, you can talk to me." Minerva encouraged her.
"Katherine's going to be there and she's going to want me to tell her everything that happened today. She told me I had to spy on Rosie and report back to her. I don't want to do that." Caroline reported the truth, truly frightened of her best friend's eerie, threatening vampire doppelgänger.
Both Minerva and Rosie feel extremely sorry for their friend at this point. Caroline didn't ask for this, Katherine threatened her to do so, as always. Although is Katherine really that desperate to get Stefan Salvatore again?
"I know, and Rosie's been so mad at you. You know that. But then, she tried to put herself in your position so that she could understand why you would do this to her and to Stefan because he's been such a friend to you. Who did she threaten?" Minerva asked her in great sympathy, truly eager to help her, knowing that a predictable vampire like Katherine would threaten anyone. Although she knows that they will find a way to stop her somehow.
Rosie completely understands the overwhelming guilt which Caroline feels for what she did to her two friends reluctantly out of her extreme fear. Although she can never be too angry, over her great sympathy, at her own unfortunate, frightened best friend for doing that against her own will. Caroline knows that neither of them deserves whatever Katherine did to them and they have to stand together as one against their wicked enemy. She just feels very ashamed of her reluctant action out of extreme fright.
"Matt, she threatened Matt and I'm so scared of her, Minerva! I am so scared of her." Caroline told her desperately at the point of crying for any aide and Minerva nods in relatable understanding and great sympathy for her friend.
This only makes Rosie hate Katherine Pierce even more than she already has, ever since she remembered how the vampire tore her throat out mercilessly, out of pure envy, when she was only a young, naïve human. There's no doubt that the woman can effortlessly do the same to Matt.
Minerva lets out a sigh, "And you should be. Caroline, we all should be." Because Katherine is, with no doubt, five centuries stronger than them, which means she is smarter and more knowledgeable than any of them.
Although Caroline doesn't want to be afraid of her. She hates her so much. Because who exactly does Katherine think she is? She's only a selfish slut.
"Why is she doing this? What does she want?" Caroline shakes her head. Katherine most probably wants Stefan Salvatore, even though he doesn't-- never wanted her. He never loved her. She only ever wanted Rosie's place, to the point of tearing her throat out without mercy or a hint of hesitation. Therefore, there's no doubt that the predictable vampire will do it again.
Although Rosie knows, keeping it in mind, that she has an ulterior motive. If Katherine ever really wants Stefan again, why would she wait until one hundred and forty-six years later to come back? Why did she run away? Perhaps the vampire's escape was because something-- or someone was chasing her. Her mysterious past must be catching up to her. Though who? Did her family really perished in those Atlanta fires which she claimed? Or she most probably made up that fabricated story to gain sympathy from the Salvatores in 1864; she fooled them all in her wicked game and she hates it. Hopefully, they will all be able to stand together in order to murder her.
"That's the million dollar question." Minerva leans in and embraces her into a warm hug; Rosie smiles sympathetically at the sight of them both.
Everything's going to be okay.
****
Stefan is sitting on the vintage couch in the library with Rosie, who gently asked him, "Do you really think that you can control it? Are you sure?"
If Rosie and Damon can do it, then why can't he? He's entirely certain, although she definitely feels otherwise about this risky decision.
Stefan shakes his head a little, "I don't know, but if I don't try..." Then he's going to end up weak and, eventually, dead. He can't have that. He wants to live. He needs to live for Rosie, he needs to be strong enough to protect her. He's not going to leave her alone in misery and loss once again. They're one.
Although Rosie is undeniably concerned of this firm decision and big risk; he would lose himself all over again once he lost control of his bloodlust, and he's doing this for his undying love for her. She loves him so much for that even though she doesn't want Stefan to lose himself because of her.
"So, a little bit every day?" Rosie concluded as she grabs a fresh cold blood bag, from the refrigerator downstairs in the basement, from the small table.
"Yeah, just a few drops of blood in my system. I think it's worth trying." Just for you. Stefan nods, gazing into the big doe hazel eyes of his worried lover. Anything is worth trying just for Rosalina Kartwright, personally. He loves her and he doesn't see the tragic end of their undying love for each other.
Their love is worth it for each other, because it's pure and it's real.
"Okay. So do I, but I don't want you to do it alone." Rosie gently opens the cap of the freshly cold blood bag and goes to take a few sips of it first.
"What are you doing?" Stefan frowns as he watches her drink up a little.
She lets out a relieved sigh, her eyes closed in pure euphoria, once she stops and reopens her big doe hazel eyes to look back at him, smiling warmly, "Here." She gently hands him the open blood bag carefully, "Your turn."
He smiles warmly at her in return as he holds the blood bag, "Thank you."
"I believe you can do it. It's you and me, Stefan. Always." Rosie expressed as she grabs his arm and leans in closely to gently kiss his pale cheek as he stares at the fresh blood bag in his hand, "Everything's going to be okay."
I love you so much. He drinks the blood, and his face changes as well. She kisses his lips, and his face becomes normal again. They kiss once more.