"If I have to hear the word 'doppelganger' one more time, I think I'm actually gonna have to learn how to spell it." Damon stated in annoyance towards Silas who sighed and walked slowly around the library in front of us.
"You say you don't believe me and yet, your mind is spinning at the possibility." Silas pointed out, smoking at us and leaning on the back of the couch.
" 'A', get out of my head. 'B', I think I would know if my little brother had an evil twin." Damon countered, narrowing his eyes and I sighed, folding my arms over my chest.
"Oh, we're not twins. See, when I became truly immortal, nature retaliated by creating a version of me that could die. It's called a Shadow self." Silas pointed out, sitting on the couch in front of us, smirking up at Damon and I as we stared back at him.
"Well, whatever you are, your plan didn't work. Cure's gone, now what do you want with Katherine?" Damon asked in annoyance and I watched as Silas sighed deeply and looked away from us, making me tilt my head at him.
"The cure's not gone. It's just in Katherine's blood.. Katherine's blood is the cure." I stated emotionlessly, eyeing Silas who smirked back at me and stood up.
"You're smarter than you look, Mariana." Silas stated in amusement and I scoffed at him.
"You have no idea." I replied in annoyance and he chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "But you're not getting her." I added, rolling my eyes before looking at Damon who smirked in agreement.
"I'll get her.. But in the meantime, let's talk about Stefan." Silas countered and I furrowed my eyebrows as did Damon. "Damon, how well do you know your brother? Do you really think that he would leave town for three months without even so much as a phone call or a text?" Silas asked, tilting his head and Damon narrowed his eyes back at him.
"Where's Stefan?" Damon asked emotionlessly and with warning in his voice as he came to realization.
"He's suffering. Like I suffered." Silas answered, staring back at him and I furrowed my eyebrows. "So, call the hunter, bring me Katherine. And then, I will tell you where your little brother is." Silas added with a fake smile as he sat back on the couch and eyed us. I rose my eyebrow and looked at Damon who nodded softly at me before I slowly sighed taking my phone out and dialing Jeremy. I put the phone up to my ear as I heard the dial tone ringing before he picked up and I looked back at Silas who rose his eyebrow at me.
"Hey." Jeremy stated on the other side and I folded my arms over my chest calmly.
"How far did you get?" I asked emotionlessly before looking towards Damon again who was listening in.
"You said not to tell you." Jeremy pointed out in confusion and I rolled my eyes.
"You picked now to listen to me?" I asked, snapping back at him in annoyance before I heard him let out a sigh.
"We just passed Old Miller road." Jeremy answered honestly and I slowly nodded as Silas smirked, listening in also.
"Good. Turn around. Bring her home." I stated in a serious tone as I looked at Silas who nodded in agreement.
"What? No—" Katherine started from somewhere in the background before I hung up and narrowed my eyes at Silas who tilted his head up at me in amusement.
~~~
I paced back and forth as Damon furrowed his eyebrows down at his phone as he texted into it quickly while I did the same with mine as Silas sighed deeply. "Oof. Your thoughts are churning. It's like a spool of pink taffy.. it's very messy, but very fun to watch." Silas observed in amusement, nodding up at us and I scoffed at him.
"Anyone ever tell you that's creepy?" I asked him in annoyance and watched as he smirked at me, unphased.
"You're worried." Silas observed as he read my thoughts clearly. "Jeremy's not answering the phone." He stated gasping dramatically as he got up from the couch and I rolled my eyes. "They should be back by now.. you think something's very wrong." Silas added standing next to me now as he folded his arms over his chest while I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Damon." I stated emotionlessly, looking back at him to see he already held his keys in his hand and gestured me towards the door.
~~~
I shook my head in concern as Damon drove down the road while worry washed over me and I looked down at my phone, going over the texts I had sent to Jeremy. I sighed in defeat and looked up from the phone, only to furrow my eyebrows at Jeremy's car that came into view ahead of us. I widened my eyes at the site of the pole it was crashed into, denting the entire front and smashing the windshield. I turned my head towards the body laying in the road—feet from the car as the headlights shined on it. "Jeremy?" I asked quietly to myself, feeling my heart sink as fear washed over me. Damon stopped the car quickly and parked before I rushed out of it and vamped towards Jeremy quickly. "Jeremy?" I asked, looking over his cut up body and bloody face. I groaned biting my wrist and putting it towards Jeremy's mouth quickly, feeling my eyes glaze over at the sight of him. "Open your eyes, Jer. You don't get to die, you hear me? I'm supposed to protect you, you little punk." I stated angrily down at him as tears fell from my eyes now. "Wake up right now, Jeremy—or I swear to god I'll kill you myse—" I started through gritted teeth before Jeremy's eyes opened and he breathed heavily up at me, groaning southerly. I sighed deeply as relief washed over me and I stared down at him before I let myself fall back and slowly shake my head. I looked over my shoulder at Damon who examined the totaled car before shaking his head back at me.
"Katherine is gone.." Jeremy whispered from where he was laying and I looked towards him to see him sitting up weakly before I scoffed, grabbing him tightly.
"I don't care." I countered, holding Jeremy in my arms before I looked back at his car and felt anger boil up inside of me.
~~~
"Hey.. sorry it took so long to call you back. Car trouble.." I lied, sighing into the phone as I looked back at Jeremy's car while the three of us still remained at the scene.
"What happened?" Elena asked in concern from the other side of the phone and I sighed deeply.
"Well.. some idiot broke the window." I countered, looking back at the windshield on Jeremy's car to see it caved it and completely shattered before I cleared my throat. "Based on your voicemail, it sounds like your day sucked worse than mine. Your roommate got killed by a vampire, you took her phone and looked through it finding a picture of her and dad?" I asked in confusion as I furrowed my eyebrows, looking away from the wreck. "You okay? You want to come home?" I asked in concern, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I can't.. and especially if dad is connected to this somehow. I need to know why." Elena pointed out and I slowly nodded.
"Yeah, it's probably for the best." I stated in agreement and looked back at Jeremy who leant against Damon's Camaro, still looking shaken up. "I'll talk to you tomorrow and you can tell me what you find out about dad. Have a good night, Elena." I added softly before hanging up. I let out a deep sigh and walked towards Jeremy who tilted his head at me.
"You didn't tell her Silas was here." Jeremy pointed out in a judging voice and I rolled my eyes.
"Nor did I tell her that Stefan's missing, Katherine's in town or that you got expelled." I countered, crossing my arms over my chest back at him.
"So you lied?" Jeremy asked in annoyance, raising his eyebrow at me in.
"No, she just withheld a bit of the truth so that Elena wouldn't drop everything and come running back home to help." Damon pointed out as he walked towards us and I gestured at him in agreement.
"I'll figure all this out.." I stated somewhat reassuringly before taking a deep breath and gesturing Jeremy towards Damon's car.
-Time Skip-
"Damon, I know I said that I'd help you find your brother, but I can't drench this entire quarry. It's enormous." Liz pointed out in defeat as we stood at the top of the quarry, over looking it.
"I'm aware of that. I mean, clearly that's why we wanted to dump Silas's body here. Because it's big and deep and no one would find him." Damon countered, putting his hands on his hips and looking back at her. "Now, say I'm Silas and I wanted to take over my doppelganger's life. Why wouldn't I dump him in a place that big and deep and no one would find him?" Damon added raising his eyebrow at Liz before she sighed.
"Damon, I already agreed to hold off on telling anyone about the mayor's death by Silas until you figure all of this out, but I can't devote those kind of resources to finding one person who may or may not be there." Liz stated and I sighed at her.
"But it's a start and if Stefan's down there, that means he's been drowning over and over again for months while we've been playing house and Elena's been getting ready for college.. Do we need to further elaborate the source of our urgency?" I asked in defeat, tilting my head at Liz who slowly sighed and looked between us for a moment or two.
"I'll get some deputies on it." Liz agreed before walking away and I smiled after her.
"Thank you, Liz." Damon replied with a sigh as my phone rang and I answered it, walking away from the rushing water from the quarry.
"Please tell me you found her." I stated in annoyance into the phone.
"I didn't.. but Matt did." Jeremy replied with a sigh and I rose my eyebrow.
"Huh.. how shockingly useful." Damon pointed out in amusement from behind me and looked back at him and rolled my eyes.
"She was mid-cat fight with someone who maced her. We think Silas might have mind-controlled himself some new friends." Jeremy stated before Damon rose his eyebrow and quickly grabbed the phone.
"How exactly did the Gilbert and Donovan brain trust put all that together?" Damon asked sarcastically and I narrowed my eyes at him before he sighed down at me. "Never mind. Doesn't matter. If Silas wants her bad enough to sick the whole town on her, that means we want her more. Stay out of sight. You're the last person Silas saw with her." Damon warned before hanging up and giving the phone back to me. I sighed and out my phone in my back pocket before looking over the quarry again, slowly shaking it in defeat.
"What if he's not down there?" I asked quietly, looking up at Damon who narrowed his eyes down at the water.
"Then we'll cross that road when we get to it." Damon answered reassuringly and I nodded at him in agreement and looked away.
~~~
"It was mortifying.. we just sat there in silence. Embarrassed for not being sophomores and getting called out about how freshman shouldn't be in Applied Microbiology." Elena stated in annoyance and I rose my eyebrow as a few deputies put on scuba wear while Damon and I stood at the bottom of the quarry now.
"Want me to beat him up?" I asked with a sigh before I smirked a bit and Elena chuckled.
"Not yet. Whatever Dr. Maxfield knows, I'm gonna get it out of him." Elena replied and I rose my eyebrow.
"Did you compel him?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest before Elena sighed at me.
"No, because chances are if he knows about vampires—" Elena started but I cut her off with a sigh.
"Then he also knows about vervain." I added in annoyance, giving a small nod. "How about violence? Did you threaten him?" I asked again, raising my eyebrow.
"No, I didn't threaten him." Elena answered in disappointment and I rolled my eyes.
"At least tell me that you used torture." I pointed out in defeat before Elena scoffed back at me.
"Mariana!" Elena countered in amusement and I shrugged innocently.
"You do realize that I am dating a reformed serial killer, right?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at Damon who rolled his eyes back at me in amusement as he listened in.
"What would a hero do?" Elena countered and I chuckled a bit before I sighed loudly.
"That I have no idea. For that, I would have to ask Stefan." I answered and looked out into the quarry again in wonder.
"Stefan?" Elena asked in confusion from the other line and I rose my eyebrow at her.
"Yeah.. you know. The 'epic' love of your life?" I asked with a small chuckle, shaking my head at her in confusion before she chuckled back.
"No—Stefan's here. Right now." Elena pointed out and I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at Damon who narrowed his eyes at me.
"What?" I asked in a serious tone as concern washed over me while she didn't reply.
"Turn off your phone." Silas stated in the background, controlling her and I widened my eyes.
"Whoa—Elena, that is not Stefan, that's Sil—" I started in warning but she hung up. I groaned in anger, putting my phone in my pocket and looking at Damon, clenching my jaw before he gave me a short nod in agreement.
~~~
Damon and I walked into Elena and Caroline's dorm room at Whitmore to see Caroline standing in front of her mirror in a towel before she turned towards us and widened her eyes. "Damon, Towel. Knock!" Caroline stated loudly in annoyance at him as she tried to cover herself up more.
"Caroline, no one cares. No." Damon countered sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at them.
"Hey, where's Elena?" I asked, not seeing her in her room and Caroline sighed back at me.
"I don't know. She probably went to the bonfire to get more Intel on our weirdo professor." Caroline answered with a sigh and rolled her eyes.
"Silas is here. He's with Elena pretending to be Stefan. Get dressed." Damon warned emotionlessly but Caroline just furrowed her eyebrows at us.
"I thought Stefan dropped his body in the quarry." Caroline replied in confusion and I sighed loudly.
"Join the club, get dressed." I repeated in annoyance and throwing Care a shirt before she grabbed it and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Oh, my god.. oh, my god—Elena was right. All summer she's had this pit in her stomach about Stefan." Caroline stated in confusion as I saw her think about it over in her head.
"What?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows at her, obviously not being a mind reader.
"I don't know, she just said that she's been having this weird feeling that something was wrong with him." Caroline answered, shaking her head and I slowly nodded handing her black shorts that were on the bed next to me.
"Just put some clothes on and meet us out there. We have to find her." I warned with a sigh before Damon and I walked out.
~~~
I furrowed my eyebrows walking around the school campus and looking through the crowd of people setting up for the bonfire before I groaned in annoyance as so many idiotic people bumped into us. "Hello, brother." A voice finally said and I rose my eyebrow before Damon and I turned to see Silas. "But I guess distant nephew is more accurate—" Silas stated before Damon grabbed his neck quickly while I folded my arms over my chest.
"There's no need for violence, Damon.. you'll find her eventually." Silas reassured in amusement before Damon moved hand away slowly, and I clenched my jaw in realization as Silas controlled Damon to do so. "There you go.." Silas pointed out with a smile before looking at Damon who now stood in front of him. "Look, I get why you like her.. I mean, I have a soft spot for brunettes, too. What I don't get, is why she likes you." He stated, looking between Damon and I curiously.
"It's because you haven't had sex with me." Damon countered in annoyance and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Cockiness masking fear.. how transparent." Silas observed as he tilted his head at Damon who sighed.
"You expect me to believe you came all this way just to talk to her?" I asked, eyeing Silas in annoyance before he looked at me.
"No.. that doesn't really make much sense, does it?" Silas countered and I rose my eyebrow at him. "But if I told you exactly what I did, then it would ruin the fun." He added in amusement, smirking at me. "Enjoy the bonfire." Silas stated, patting Damon's shoulder before he walked away from us and I narrowed my eyes at him as he did so.
~~
"Why would Silas want to hurt her?" Caroline asked in concern as she walked beside Damon and I as the bonfire was in full effect now that it was dark outside.
"Because he wants to hurt Damon." I replied in annoyance as Damon nodded in agreement. "Therefore, hurting Elena equals hurting me which also equals hurting Damon." I stated, scoffing at the entire circle of shit.
"You know, if you would have told the truth, all of this could have been avoided." Caroline pointed out and I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"Wow, thanks, Caroline. Your hindsight is invaluable in this situation." I countered in annoyance as we walked through the bonfire while the moon shined on everyone partying and drinking around us. Damon groaned in annoyance as a very tall guy bumped shoulders with him and they both quickly turned towards each other.
"Watch where you're going, douche." The guy stated down towards Damon who rose his eyebrow at him, only to take the high road.
"Have you seen Elena Gilbert?" Damon asked narrowing his eyes up at the man.
"I have no idea who that is." The guy answered in annoyance and Damon sighed in defeat and looked back at me. "But if I were her, I'd probably run from you, too." He added and Damon slowly nodded at him and looking at me again, sighing.
"Wrong answer." Damon stated quickly before grabbing the guy's neck with his hand, choking him. I rolled my eyes and pushed Damon away before I looked the man in the eyes.
"Forget all about this and get out of here." I compelled and watched as he slowly walked away from me and I turned towards Damon. "You need to calm down." I warned, shaking my head at him in defeat.
"He turned the entire town square into a hunting party for Katherine—how am I supposed to calm down when every single person here could be working for Silas?" Damon countered in annoyance. I sighed at him and looked around at all of the people around us before I rose my eyebrow as I saw Elena's face walking through the crowd.. while a guy walked behind her before they both walked into a small shed across from me. I narrowed my eyes and vamped towards it to see hear laughing and talking from inside before I vamped in and quickly knocked the guy out as they stood beside piles of firewood.
"Mariana?—What the hell?" Elena asked in confusion towards me and I furrowed my eyebrows back at her as Caroline and Damon came in behind me.
"Seriously? That's Jesse.. I kind of liked him." Caroline stated in defeat as she looked down at him and I rose my eyebrow back at her to see her pouting.
"We need to talk. Now." I warned, looking back at Elena emotionlessly and watched as she rose an eyebrow back at me.
~~~
I sighed as Elena and I went into her dorm and she closed the door behind us. "Okay, before you get mad, just let me explain—" I started and turned towards her before Elena's fist collided with my face and I groaned, as my head turned quickly and my neck cracked. "Well, that's not how I planned it." I pointed out in some annoyance before I looked back at her only for her to growl and vamp towards me, kicking me in the stomach. "Silas got in your head, didn't he?" I asked, groaning and falling into my knees while as she walked away from me and grabbed a bottle of water from a box that sat on an empty bed. Elena vamped back towards me and poured it all over me, making me scream as the water burnt my skin and mouth as she poured it. Vervain. I coughed, spitting the vervain out as Elena poured the last of it on me before throwing the bottle away from her. "Elena, what did Stefan tell you to do?" I asked weakly, coughing angrily as the vervain seeped into my shirt and I groaned, ripping it off of me and tossing it to the side.
"Get you alone, weaken you and then kill you." Elena answered through gritted teeth as she grabbed a hockey stick from the box again, that I guessed was probably their dead roommates'. Elena snapped the stick in half and I clenched my jaw, putting my hands up in defense towards her. I clenched my fists tightly before Elena groaned, clutching her head and dropping the stick. I sighed in relief and let my arms fall beside me as Elena stood above me sighing and gasping in relief her head before she furrowed her eyebrows and looked down at me in realization. "Mariana, I—I'm so sorry. I..—what the hell is happening!" Elena asked herself angrily and I sighed groaning as I weakly got up from the floor.
"You were in some kind of Silas trance.. but I think you got out of it." I nodded somewhat reassuringly, eyeing her carefully her as she picked the hockey stick up and examined it.
"Silas? But I—" Elena started, breathing heavily in confusion before I cut her off.
"Before you ask, no. He's not in the quarry. It's a common misconception. You talked to him today, Elena." I replied, heavily breathing as well, watching as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
"How is that possible? I was in a crowd of people.. I was talking to him about my life and about—" She started but cut herself off short and I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "Wait—If that was Silas then where's Stefan?" Elena asked looking at me with a serious expression and I slowly walked towards one of the beds and sat on it, ignoring her. "Where is he!" Elena yelled angrily now and I groaned back in annoyance.
"Can we talk about this when you don't have that murderous look in your eyes?" I pointed out in annoyance and Elena scoffed lightly.
"You're right.. every time I look at you, I want to kill you." Elena countered through gritted teeth and I sighed at her and looked down at my vervain burns that covered my chest and stomach.
"It must be Silas' mind control.. he's using your anger towards me as a trigger. You have to resist it." I warned carefully, looking up at Elena who angrily walked towards me, holding the hockey stick tightly in her hand and holding it above me threateningly.
"I can't!" Elena protested out loudly, trying to fight against it with al her might.
"Elena, you have to resist it." I repeated in warning, towards her as I looked down. There was no use trying to force my voice on her, that would only make her angrier.
"I'm trying!" Elena argued, throwing the hockey stick to the ground and pacing back and forth in front of me, running her hands through her hair as she pondered what to do. I furrowed my eyebrows at her as she finally moved a chair towards the fireplace and sat on it quickly. She grabbed a poker from beside her and took a deep breath, clenched her eyes before shoving the poker into her leg and yelling out in pain as I widened my eyes. Elena breathed heavily as pain overwhelmed her before she slowly looked up at me and shook her head in defeat. "Tell me what's going on." Elena breathed heavily and I took a deep and weak breath.
"The mayor died last night, Elena.." I whispered looking up at her. "Silas killed him in front of the entire town square.. and he compelled them to search for Katherine." I stated, slowly gaining some strength back as I saw Elena's eyes glaze over.
"Poor Bonnie.. she must have tried to call me right after Silas stole my phone. Has anyone talked to her? Is she okay?" Elena asked worriedly, shaking her head at me.
"I don't know. I emailed her. Texted her. Called her.. she's not answering anymore. I've had other things to worry about." I countered with a small sigh before Elena scoffed.
"Our bestfriend's dad just died. That sounds more important that having to worry about how many times you and Damon rolled around in his sheets per hour." Elena stated angrily at me and I rolled my eyes at her.
"If only that were the main thing I was worried about, Elena." I argued and watched her look away from me. "Apart from protecting our brother, finding Damon's, and figuring out what the hell Silas wants with Katherine." I added weakly and groaned as my throat was still scratchy from the vervain.
"I just left. What the hell is wrong with you?" Elena asked me in anger and I narrowed my eyes at her.
"You're getting angry at me again, Elena. Remember, trigger." I warned calmly again, slowly shaking my head at her.
"Our brother got expelled! You've got him playing white knight to Katherine, who's tried to kill me.. repeatedly." Elena pointed out angrily through gritted teeth again and I looked up at her as her eyes glazed over. "Stefan's been—he's been suffering for months while you've been rolling around with a self-proclaimed serial killer and I—Oh my god.." Elena whispered, letting her breaths shutter. "Oh, my god!" She yelled angrily before grabbing the gas pipe from the fireplace and pulling it clear out, making my breath hitch in my throat.
"Elena, that's the gas. You don't really want to kill me.. You have to realize this if you're going to break Silas' compulsion." I warned carefully, slowly standing up from the bed I leant on as I stared between her and the gas line in her hand.
"I can't, okay! All I can think about is killing you." Elena protested angrily and I slowly nodded.
"Well, you're gonna have to think about something stronger than your desire to kill me.. or you're going to kill us both." I countered before I fell to the floor weakly and I groaned in annoyance. Elena put one of her hands above the fireplace and grabbed a box of matches before trying to light them. I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking of what to say before I came to realization and I looked at Elena who groaned as one of the matches failed to light. "Stefan." I whispered towards her, watching as she tried to light another match. "Stefan.. t-think about Stefan. Caroline told me you've been worried about him. That you had a pit in your stomach. Describe it, tell me about it." I pointed out, trying to distract her and she scoffed back at me.
"What? No, no, I can't." Elena countered as she tried to focus more on lighting the matches in her hand.
"Think about him.. Think about the feelings you're getting. Describe it to me, Elena." I added, pressing her and watching as she closed her eyes, breathing heavily as she thought deeply.
"It's—it's this chill.. I can't explain it but it's like I can feel him." Elena stated quietly as she took a deep breath. "He's trying to reach out to me, but I don't know where he is. I can't understand what he's trying to say, all I know is that he's scared, and he's lonely, and he's in a lot of pain.. He's in so much pain.." Elena whispered shakily, sobbing lightly before she opened her eyes and looked straight at me.. "We have to find him." She whispered in defeat and I slowly nodded, leaning myself up against the bed behind me again.
"We will.. I swear." I reassured weakly and watched Elena furrow her eyebrows as she controlled her breathing.
"The rage.. it's gone." Elena pointed out in confusion before dropping the box of matches and letting them hit the floor. The dorm door opened as we both looked towards it to see Caroline and Damon standing in the doorway and looking between Elena and I in confusion. I mean, why wouldn't they be? I'm sitting against the bed with no shirt, looking like hell as blisters were all over my skin, healing like a bitch, while Elena's in a chair, bleeding from her leg that had a fire poker sticking out of it.
"Before you ask.. Don't." I stated, scoffing lightly in annoyance and groaning as I let myself lay on the cold floor beneath me.
~~~~
I helped Elena put her things in the trunk of the Camaro as Caroline came over towards us. "I'll be back, roomie. I don't know when.. But I'll be back." Elena stated as her and Caroline hugged tightly and I shut the trunk.
"You're gonna find him, okay?" Care reassured us as the two pulled away and I looked at Elena who gave a nod in return. "But call me or tell Bonnie that I miss her if you guys reach her.. God—I'm gonna miss you guys, too." She stated sighing in defeat and we both chuckled and I hugged her.
"You sure you're gonna be okay here? With all the Nancy Drew stuff and Dr. Maxfield?" Elena asked in some concern and Caroline smirked.
"I'll figure it out and let you know what I uncover. I'm good at being secret." Caroline answered with a wink before walking away.
"I didn't think Elena Gilbert would give up so easily." A voice stated from beside us and I rose my eyebrow as Elena and I looked to see a blue eyed and blonde haired hottie standing next to us.
"Dr. Maxfield.. this is my sister, Mariana." Elena introduced as she gestured towards me and he smiled, giving me a short nod.
"You're Grayson Gilbert's daughters, aren't you?" Maxfield asked and I rose an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Elena.
"You knew our dad?" I asked in confusion as I looked back at him.
"Knew of him. He's a legend around here. Brilliant. I've studied all of his research. I can only hope to do the kind of work he did." Maxfield replied as he looked between Elena and I with a smile.
"So does that mean that he forged death certificates on dead students, too?" Elena countered emotionlessly, folding her arms over her chest and I smirked as Maxfield tilted his head at her.
"And here I thought you were just passionate about microbiology." Maxfield replies sarcastically and I stared at him silently. "I have office hours tomorrow. Come by. We can chat." He suggested as he nodded at Elena who sighed and looked at me.
"Uh, yeah, I would. But I've got other important things on my plate." Elena replied as she looked back at him and he slowly nodded.
"Let me know when that plate clears." Maxfield stated before he walked away from us and I rose an eyebrow and watched him before Elena looked back at me.
"He's cute.. But mysterious and that can be dangerous." I pointed out in warning and Elena scoffed lightly in agreement before I sighed. "Here." I stated, pulling something out from back my pocket.
"Stefan's daylight ring?" Elena asked in confusion as she looked down at it and I nodded.
"I snagged it from Silas. Apparently, he doesn't have feeling in his fingers." I pointed out sarcastically. "Maybe thousands of years will do that to someone." I shrugged before my phone started ringing and I rose my eyebrow. "Hello?" I asked once I answered it.
"We found something." Liz's voice replied from it and I watched Elena furrow her eyebrows at me.
~~~
"We didn't find anything in the quarry, but a deputy found this a few miles away. We didn't open it." Liz pointed out as she turned the lock on the safe we planned to put Silas in months ago. I furrowed my eyebrows as Liz backed away slowly, not opening it. "If Stefan's been in here for three months.. chances are he's hungry.." Liz warned while Damon grabbed a hold of the safe door and looked back at me with a serious expression. I nodded at him to open it, getting ready for whatever was about to come out of that safe.. Damon turned away from me and quickly opened the safe before I widened my eyes and Elena gasped, putting a hand to her nose and mouth.
"Oh, my god.. that's not Stefan." Elena stated in disbelief as she looked away from the safe and I furrowed my eyebrows and let out a deep sigh.
"Well, you're right. He was hungry." I countered, staring down at a pale, blood covered man with a broken neck.
"And I bet he still is." Damon added warningly before he looked through the forest around us warily.
-Time Skip-
I stared at Damon as he slept racing towards me before my eyes moved towards the door where a shadow lingered. "Mariana..?" A quiet voice asked and I furrowed my eyebrows and looked to see Elena standing there.. Looking concerned as she breathed heavily.
"Hey. What's up?" I asked quietly, slowly sitting up in bed and looking at her in confusion. Damon stirred from beside me before he sat up on his elbows and looked towards her also.
"Hey, you were all up all night. You're exhausted. Go back to sleep." Damon added gently and reassuringly towards her before Elena slowly shook her head.
"I had a dream about Stefan." Elena stated as sweat coated her chest and the tank top she wore, making me furrow my eyebrows. "It was more than just a pit in my stomach this time, though. It was real. It was like I was there with him." She added, looking between Damon and I in some concern.
"We get that you have some psychic connection to your ex-boyfriend, Elena.." Damon pointed out sarcastically and I rolled my eyes and put my elbows on my knees. "But, we don't need a play-by-play." He added before laying back and turning away from her.
"Fine. Talk to me. Damon can just lay here and try to go back to sleep while the sun burns through his retinas." I stated in annoyance down at Damon who rolled his eyes back at me as I looked at Elena who slowly walked into the bedroom.
"It was just so vivid.. I saw Stefan walking out of this bar, it had a red awning and this broken neon sign, and he was screaming in pain." Elena stated with furrowed before Damon sighed and looked back at her.
"Well, should I go check in the attic to see if there's a crystal ball? Maybe you can conjure up an address." Damon stated sarcastically and I sighed in annoyance down at him.
"Route 29. Joes bar." A voice replied and I furrowed my eyebrows as we all looked behind Elena and at Katherine who now stood in the doorway, staring between the three of us. "I think I had the exact same dream." Katherine pointed out, folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorway. I exchanged a look with Damon who groaned and put a pillow over his head in annoyance. I sighed in defeat and looked back at Elena who had her eyes narrowed at Katherine.
~~~
"So I found nine bars along Route twenty-nine and none of them are called Joe's." Damon pointed out in annoyance as he walked towards Elena and I as we stood by the dinning table with a map sprawled out on it.
"I had a feeling there was something wrong all summer and I ignored it, but I was right. Stefan was in the safe. Probably killed whoever it was that found him.. I know it sounds crazy that I'm following some psychic dream—but it's the only lead we have." Elena stated in defeat and I sighed at her and looked down at the map carefully.
"It doesn't sound crazy—it is crazy." I corrected, looking up at her from the map and she rolled her eyes at me. "But I'm open-minded." I added with a fake smile as Damon smirked back at me.
"Shot gun." A voice stated from behind us and we all looked towards it to see Katherine holding a bag over her arm. I furrowed my eyebrows and exchanged a look with Damon before I looked back at Katherine. "What? I get carsick in the back seat. Another charming human side effect you stuck me with." Katherine scoffed in annoyance as she came towards us.
"Please tell me that she's not coming." Elena stated through gritted teeth as she looked away from me while I stood in between both of them.
"Trust me, I have no interest in Katherine's well-being, but for obvious reasons, Silas wants her real bad, and if Silas wants her—I want her more." I countered in annoyance, looking back at Katherine.
"Can't we just stash her in the cellar? Or maybe a deep, dark well. With a pair of water wings?" Elena suggested in amusement as she tilted her head at me.
"Do you really think that I want to take a road trip with you? America's most boring, self-righteous vampire?" Katherine asked smirking back at Elena who tilted her head. "Just remember. Mariana wouldn't have to play bodyguard if you hadn't shoved that cure down my throat." She pointed out as she went and sat on the piano bench.
"You tried to kill me." Elena argued in frustration at her while Katherine smirked back.
"I will admit though.. I take great pleasure in knowing that you wasted your one shot at a human life on me." Katherine pointed out in amusement before Elena scoffed and I sighed at them.
"Alright, play nice. Or I'm gonna re-visit the deep, dark, well idea." I warned in annoyance towards Katherine as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I want to find Stefan just as much as you do. Not just because I don't want to be the pawn that you can trade off for his life. I care about him. I always have and since we've been having the same dream, it makes me think that you care about him just as much." Katherine stated, shaking her head at Elena who furrowed her eyebrows.
"Okay. Train's leaving the station. Choo-Choo." Damon stated in annoyance, picking up our bags and I sighed following after him and towards the door.
~~~~
"You sure you know what you're looking for? The last bar had a red awning and a neon sign." Damon pointed out in annoyance as he drove.
"I'll know when I see it." Elena reassured with a nod as I looked at her through the rear-view.
"Me, too." Katherine added with a sigh as she sat up between mine and Damon's seats.
"He didn't ask you." I countered out in annoyance and rolled my eyes at her.
"I'm just trying to make conversation." Katherine replied with a small scoff before sitting back in her seat. "Anything to drown out the sound of egg shells breaking." She added and I sighed at her and exchanged a look with Damon. "So, Elena. I couldn't help but over hear. You've been dreaming about Stefan all summer? That must be really stressful when you're still trying to get over your feelings for his brother.." Katherine stated with a smirk and I rolled my eyes.
"Im not in love with his brother. I loved Stefan and I still do. Plus, they weren't dreams. It was just a bad feeling. Like something wasn't right with him." Elena stated in annoyance as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Oh, yeah. No, no. I totally get it. There's still a connection between you two. Maybe, deep down you know that he was your one true love and breaking up with him for someone who doesn't even want you—was a big mistake." Katherine stated and I sighed and watched Elena sit uncomfortably through the rear-view mirror.
"Ignore her. Once the vervains out of her system, we'll compel her and out her on mute." Damon stated in amusement as he looked at me and I smirked also.
"Or maybe.. Stefan's been trying to reach out to you all summer but once he realized that you were too busy trying to forget him, he reached out to someone he could trust. Me." Katherine pointed out and I looked through the rear-view mirror to see her smirking before she gave a small shrug and put her arms over her chest. "Nah. You're probably right. Elena and I had the exact same dream, in the exact same night. Why would that mean something?" She asked in annoyance and I sighed deeply and looked out the window, ignoring her completely.
~~~
Damon pulled up into the parking lot of another bar that seemed empty and I furrowed my eyebrows at it. "Joe's bar.." I whispered, reading the red awning and neon sign in the window.
"This is exactly what I saw in my dream.." Elena pointed out as we got out of the car and shut the doors. "Are we really just going to leave her in the car?" She added in confusion before I looked in the back seat and narrowed my eyes at a sleeping Katherine.
"Um, yes. The only time she shuts up is when she's sleeping." I answered in annoyance and Damon smirked in amusement as I looked back at the bar.
"Isn't this a little creepy? That this is the same bar that was in my dream?" Elena asked in defeat as she looked between Damon and I.
"Yeah. It's a lot of creepy.. but we're vampires. So there's always that." Damon replied sarcastically and I rolled my eyes in amusement.
"C'mon.. Let's go see if Stefan's inside." I stated before the three of us walked into the bar. The bar was completely empty and silent other than country music that played around us while a woman cleaned a few glasses from behind the bar.
"Can I get you something?" The chick asked once we started walking towards her and I rose my eyebrow, seeing the gauze patch on her neck.
"Yeah, sure.." Damon answered with a smile as we made it to the bar. "Why don't you tell me what happened to your neck, Joe.." He added, compelling her as he put his arms out on the bar top.
"Some sicko attacked me. Bit me." Joe replied, eyeing him as her breath became shaky and I exchanged a look with Elena. "He told me to run so I did and when I looked back, he was on fire." She added and Elena breathed heavily.
"The sun must have come up. He doesn't have his daylight ring." Elena stated quietly and I rose my eyebrow at Damon.
"And then what happened?" Damon asked her as he tilted his head.
"Some woman shoved him into her truck. Drove away." Joe answered as she gestured down the road.
"And did you know this woman?" Damon asked raising his eyebrow curiously.
"Uh, no. She was driving Cam Peterson's truck. He lives about ten miles down the dirt road out back." Joe replied and I rose my eyebrow and looked at the back door across from us. I sighed deeply and looked at Damon who sighed in defeat also. "Here. Looks like you could use one of these." She added pouring a shot of bourbon and putting it in front of Damon.
"Hmm. I could. Thank you." Damon replied sarcastically before downing it. I looked at Elena, about to open my mouth before Damon started coughing vigorously and slammed a hand down on the bar top. "Vervain." He groaned through gasps and I widened my eyes and looked at Joe.
"What did you do!" I asked angrily at the bartender who looked taken aback as Elena furrowed her eyebrows.
"I told her to pour him a drink or I'd kill her." A woman answered. I furrowed my eyebrows as we turned to see her come in front the back door, holding a small pistol towards us. She looked.. familiar. Brown eyes. Brown hair. Fair olive skin. She had good brown structure too.. And an accent of some kind.
"Who the hell are you?" Damon asked in annoyance as he breathed heavily towards her. Footsteps came from behind us as Katherine walked into the bar only to gasp and put her hands up in the air once she saw the gun.
"Which one of you is Katherine Pierce?" The woman asked as she looked between the three of us. Elena, Katherine and I.
"She is." Katherine answered quickly, pointing at Elena and I rolled my eyes.
"Katherine is a compulsive liar.." The woman stated in some amusement as she looked at Elena. "But I need her alive." She added, about to pull the trigger before I vamped towards the woman and pushed her into the wall behind her, breaking the picture frames that were nailed there.
"Katherine, run!" I yelled back at her and watched as she ran out of the door she came in.
"You really do look exactly alike." The woman stated in annoyance, shifting into her eyes and turning towards me before grabbing my face with her hands and throwing me against another wall. I broke a picture and the glass feel down on me as the woman vamped out the back door.
"Wonderful. Now we've got a vampire bounty hunter to deal with. Let me guess, eurobitch was not part of the dream." Damon stated looking at Elena in annoyance as he came towards me and helped me up.
"I've never seen her before." Elena pointed out in agreement, shaking her head back at him
"Yeah, well, whoever she was, she wants Katherine, which means she's probably a Silas spy." Damon replied and I nodded in agreement.
"We'll go chase after her. You find Stefan." I stated in reassurance as I gestured between Elena and I as we walked towards the door.
"What, no—" Damon started before he cut himself off and grabbed my arm. "She almost killed you." He pointed out, shaking his head in protest.
"We don't have time for a detour. Damon, Stefan's hurt. Find him." I warned, about to walk away again but he pulled me back.
"Wait, no—just stop. Wait." Damon stated shaking his head at me in defeat and I sighed. "Any sign of trouble, you let her go. Do you understand me? I don't care how bad Silas wants Katherine, she's not worth the hair on your head. You got me?" He asked holding my face in his hands and I gave him a smile and nodded. "Kiss me." Damon added and I smirked doing so before we pulled away. "Go." He said gesturing at the back door before I kissed him one last time and vamped out of the bar with Elena following close behind.
~~~
I rose my eyebrow and stopped in my tracks before Elena stopped next to me. "I smell Katherine.. and she really needs some perfume." I pointed out sarcastically before I sighed, not hearing other heartbeats from anywhere around us. "I'll get Katherine.. see where eurobitch went. She must be in the woods somewhere. Meet me at the car in five." I added towards Elena who nodded in agreement before I vamped away. I rose my eyebrow and heard footsteps running always in front of me before I saw Katherine catching her breath from behind a fallen tree while she looked in front of her cautiously. I stopped quickly behind her and reached out, touching her arm. She turned towards me with a look of terror on her face before gasping and giving a sigh of relief.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but—I'm glad it's you." Katherine stated looking at me while she breathed heavily and I rose an eyebrow uninterested. "My leg is cramping, and I'm freezing.. so I kind of—I—uh, can I borrow your jacket?" Katherine asked in a rushed voice and I eyed her carefully before looking away.
"Come on. Let's go before she doubles back." I warned before I started walking away from her and back towards the bar.
"Why didn't Elena kill me?" Katherine asked loudly from behind me and I stopped in my tracks before looking back at her.
"If Silas wants you, that means you're leverage." I pointed out emotionlessly, looking at her before turning away again.
"No, I mean after she shoved the cure down my throat." Katherine countered and I rose an eyebrow as she folded her arms over her chest. "I was trying to kill her, so why didn't she finish me off?" She asked again and I looked back at her narrowing my eyes as I did.
"You think that just because you and Elena share the same dreams and care about Stefan, means that you're alike.. but you're not. Elena values her humanity, which is why she let you live. To give you a chance to find whatever shred of humanity's buried beneath five hundred years of bad behavior." I answered in annoyance, crossing my arms over my chest also.
"Or maybe she thought that being human was punishment worse than death for me." Katherine replied in annoyance as she tilted her head and I smirked.
"No. That was just a happy accident." I pointed out and watched as she rose her eyebrow at me. "Look, as much as I hate to admit it—which I do.. I am your daughter. So no matter what I do, or don't do, I will always have a part of you." I added and watched as Katherine rose an eyebrow. "And hopefully it's not just the condescending bitch part." I stated in amusement, making her scoff in agreement.
"Well... thank you." Katherine replied and I tilted my head at her in confusion. "I'm glad to know you care. Even if it's just the slightest bit." She added and I smirked before I felt a huge pain in my neck and my head spun.