𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜

[A man is backpacking through the woods near the church ruins. He hears the sounds of twigs snapping and turns around, coming face to face with Harper, the vampire from the tomb, who still looks hungry.]

MAN: Jeez! You scared me.

HARPER: Do you know what day it is?

MAN: Saturday.

HARPER: And what year?

MAN: It's 2010. Are you Okay?

HARPER: Thank you.

MAN: Wait, what's your name?

HARPER: It's Harper, sir.

[The man inches closer to Harper, observing him.]

MAN: How did you get out here? And why are you dressed like that?

HARPER: You seem like a very nice person. I'm sorry.

MAN: Sorry for what?

[Harper extends his fangs and bites down on the man's neck. The man screams loudly. Harper has killed the man. He has also taken his clothing. He pats himself down when a cell phone goes off in his pocket. Confused, Harper takes the phone out and throws it down onto the ground. He quickly leaves the woods.]

[GILBERT HOUSE]

Indiana is sitting on the porch swing, her journal laid out on her lap and her phone up to her ear as she leaves Bonnie a voicemail. Bonnie's grams dies last night and after the funeral Bonnie left to stay with family for a bit.

INDIANA: Hey, Bonnie, it's me just checking in, seeing how you're doing. We miss you here. Don't let your aunt drive you too crazy.

[Jenna walks up onto the porch and stops to look at Elena while sipping her coffee.]

INDIANA: Come home soon. Love you. [hangs up]

JENNA: What are you doing out here? It's cold.

INDIANA: Thinking, writing. The, uh, funeral for Bonnie's grandma, it brought back a lot about mom and dad. I was wondering...you said that you would do some digging about them, the adoption.

JENNA: Right.

INDIANA: So did you? Dig?

JENNA: Come on inside.

[Jenna and Indiana go inside, Indiana calls Elena she walks downstairs and joins them at the dinner table, Arno and Indiana were meeting later which was going to be awkward because,Elena broke up with Arno the day after Bonnie's grams' funeral.
She loved him of course but he was never around anymore and as much as she hated to admit it, she was falling in love with Stefan.
Jenna pulls out her laptop and sits down at the dining table and Elena stands next to her, removing her jacket.]

JENNA: Your dad kept everything from his medical practice—records, logs, old appointment books.
She pulls out a journal and opens it, showing a page to Indiana and Elena.
I found an entry from the night you were born. Patient and a birth date. Isobel Peterson.

ELENA: Do you think that's her real name?

INDIANA: Pregnant teenage runaway? Probably not.

JENNA: First name, maybe. But where'd she get Peterson? Classmate? Best friend? So I binged it.
She pulls up the Internet and types in a name in the search engine
I searched for all the Peterson's in this area born the same year as Isobel, found 3--2 men and a woman, Trudie, who lived in Grove Hill, Virginia.

ELENA: That's not far from here.

JENNA: Well, watch this.

[Jenna types something else into the search engine and pulls up an image of Isobel from high school.]

INDIANA: Isobel.
[looks at the picture with a smile]
She was a cheerleader.

JENNA: Trudie still lives there. [She hands Elena a post-it note] This is her address.

ELENA: What about Isobel?

JENNA: I couldn't find anything about her.
[Indiana and Elena look disheartened as they sit down at the table. Jenna briefly pauses before divulging new information]
Listen. There's something else. Mr. Saltzman, Ric, his wife was from around here, and her name was also Isobel.

INDIANA: Wait. "Was," as in...

JENNA: She died.

♡♡♡

[Later, Indiana is putting away clothes in her drawer. Stefan stands behind her as they discuss this new turn of events.]

STEFAN: Alaric's wife might have been your mother?

INDIANA: [sighs] It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy.
She turns around to look at Stefan and holds up the post-it note
I have the address for her friend Trudie.

STEFAN: You wanna talk to her.

INDIANA: I don't know.
I--I don't know. If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother is dead, and I don't know if I could handle that.

STEFAN: Indiana, did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife? How she died?

INDIANA: Just that she was killed and the case was never solved.

Stefan nods at this prior knowledge. Indiana looks at him, surprised.

INDIANA: You knew that already?

STEFAN: The night at the school when he attacked me, he told me some things about her death.

INDIANA: Well—

STEFAN: No, no.
He gently grabs Indiana's wrists.
It's not possible. The coincidence is—it's too much.
Now, listen, if you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you. Okay?

INDIANA: I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet.

[Indiana wraps her arms around Stefan's neck and they embrace each other lovingly.]

STEFAN: I should get going. I gotta go deal with Damon.

INDIANA: How's he doing?

STEFAN: He's dealing in his own way.

♡♡♡

[SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE]

[Damon is feeding off a young sorority girl. There are other girls dancing in the room. All of the girls have bite marks up and down their bodies. Damon comes up for air after feeding.]

GIRL: How do I taste?

DAMON: [drunkenly] Oh, so much better than your friends. But shh. Don't tell them. They might get jealous.

[Suddenly, the lights come on. Stefan enters the room.]

DAMON: No! Buzzkill Bob.

[Stefan turns the music off. Damon looks up at him blearily.]

DAMON: Greetings.

STEFAN: Can we talk

DAMON: Yeah.

STEFAN: Without the Tri-Delts.

DAMON: Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them. They're really good at keeping secrets.

[Stefan gets his way though and him and Damon converse in a private corner while the girls lounge around on the sofas. Damon has a bottle of booze in hand.]

DAMON: You're worried about me. That's nice. Don't be. There's no need. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I spent the last 145 years with one goal: get in that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, Anastasia wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell? You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan, because I can do whatever the hell I want.

STEFAN: That's kind of what I'm afraid of.

DAMON: Relax. I haven't killed anyone in-- [sighs] too long.

STEFAN: Those girls?

DAMON: Will end up in their dorm with headaches, think they blacked out. Business as usual. Predictable you didn't pull me over here for a pep talk. So drink up.
He pushes the bottle into Stefan's chest.
Spill it, brother.

[Stefan grabs the bottle and places it to his side.]

STEFAN: There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke.

DAMON: You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?

STEFAN: You killed her.

DAMON: What's your point?

STEFAN: I just—just wanna know if you remember anything about her.

DAMON: Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan.

STEFAN: Well, think hard. It's important.

[Damon grasps Stefan's shoulder and whispers in his ear.]

DAMON: Nothing is important, not anymore.

[He claps Stefan on the shoulder and pulls away, grabbing the bottle from Stefan's hand.]

DAMON: Great chat. I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief, which I'm sure you understand. "TTFN", said the Tri-Delt. Heh.

[Damon walks back to the girls.]

♡♡♡

[MYSTIC GRILL]

[Alaric and Jenna are hanging up a banner, outside, for the Founder's Fundraiser.]

ALARIC: I don't know. It's just weird, you know, me being raffled off like a Disney Cruise.

JENNA: In this town, fundraising is like indentured servitude. You don't have a choice. Besides, you're a bachelor, and you're eligible, so there you go.

[Alaric moves to the side of the banner that Jenna is attempting to hang up.]

ALARIC: Here. Let me help you with this.

[Alaric helps her hang up the banner and Jenna smiles up at him. Alaric leans in and kisses Jenna. Jenna looks windswept as he pulls away.]

JENNA: Oh, god. I can't believe I'm gonna do this. I am totally going to ruin this moment, but I--I have to tell you. Indiana and Elena recently found out they were adopted, and she's been looking for her birth mother...whose name was Isobel.

ALARIC: Isobel? Like my wife?

[Jenna nods.]

ALARIC: Isobel never had a baby.

JENNA: Are you sure? Not before you were together?

ALARIC: Nope. No way.

[Jenna takes out her phone and hands it to Alaric. A picture of Isobel is on the screen.]

JENNA: This is their birth mother.

[Alaric looks alarmed.]

ALARIC: Ah, she, uh—she never told me. I, uh—I'm gonna go. Yeah, I'm gonna—gonna go.

[Alaric awkwardly walks off. Jenna sighs heavily.]
♡♡♡

[TRUDIE'S HOUSE]

Elena holds up the Post-It note with Trudie's address and looks at Indiana and then looks up at the house which matches the address. Elena walks up to the front door and prepares to knock, but hesitates for a moment. Indiana gets bored and knocks on the door. Elena shakes her head at Indiana and turns away when Trudie answers the door. Indiana and Elena look at her.

ELENA: Trudie? Tru-trudie Peterson?

TRUDIE: Yes?

ELENA: Uh, my name is Elena Gilbert and this is my sister, Indiana Gilbert.
I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming.

TRUDIE: Well, I haven't heard that name in years. How do you know her?

ELENA: I think that, um, well--

INDIANA: --Do you know if she had twins that she gave up for adoption?

TRUDIE: My god. You're her daughters. [laughs] I was just gonna make some tea. Would you like some?

ELENA: Sure.

TRUDIE: Uh, the kitchen's this way.

[Trudie backs away from the door, anticipating Elena and Indiana's entrance. Elena steps over the threshold as Indiana follows and Trudie releases her breath, shutting the front door with a quick nervous glance outside. Trudie walks into the room from the kitchen.]

ELENA: We wasn't gonna come. I didn't think we would, but Indie was driving, and we hit this stoplight, and it made me think about when I was learning how to drive and then my mom would always warn me about this blind turn on the left-hand side, and then I was thinking about my mom, and— We had your address. I'm sorry for barging in.

TRUDIE: It's no problem. Um, just a surprise, though.

[Elena, Indiana and Trudie sit down at the table.]

TRUDIE: I haven't thought about Isobel in years.

INDIANA: When was the last time you saw her?

TRUDIE: About 17 years ago, when she left to go have you.
We kept in touch for a while, but, well, you know, people drift apart.

ELENA: And you don't know where she ended up?

TRUDIE: She was in Florida for a while. She was on her own. I know it wasn't easy.

INDIANA: Do you have any idea who my father is?

TRUDIE: I could never get her to fess up. Anyway, she finally pulled it together, got into college on a scholarship.

ELENA: Where did she go?

TRUDIE: Somewhere in North Carolina. Duke, I think. Smart girl, smart school.

[The kettle starts whistling from the kitchen.]

TRUDIE: Let me just grab that.

[Trudie gets up and goes into the kitchen, looking back at Elena. She takes her phone out of her pocket and texts "She's here." to an unknown number.]

♡♡♡

[TOWN SQUARE]

Stefan walks around in the Town Square. Alaric walks up to him.

ALARIC: Thanks for meeting me. Something's come up.

STEFAN: Jenna told you.

ALARIC: Yeah.

STEFAN: So it's true. Your wife Isobel was Indiana and Elena's birth mother.

ALARIC: What do they know?

STEFAN: About your wife?

ALARIC: About everything. About you, your brother.

STEFAN: They knows what I am, and they knows that you know about the vampires.

ALARIC: Do they know about Damon and Isobel?

STEFAN: No. I couldn't tell them, not until I was sure.

ALARIC: You said you'd help me.

STEFAN: I asked Damon without saying too much. He doesn't remember.

ALARIC: Ask him again.

STEFAN: Damon is not stable right now.

ALARIC: You know, he murdered my wife, or at the very least made a meal out of her. When has he been stable?

STEFAN: I'm telling you not to push this.

ALARIC: Give me a reason not to.

STEFAN: Your survival. How's that for a reason? I'll handle it, but for now, I need you to let it go.

ALARIC: Is that what you'll tell Indiana? Let it go?

Stefan moves closer to Alaric until they are merely inches apart.

STEFAN: [threateningly] Leave Indiana out of this.

ALARIC: I need to know what happened. I think you would, too.

STEFAN: I need something more than just your wife's name.
A picture, something I could show Damon.

Alaric retrieves a photo of Isobel from his wallet and hands it to Stefan. Stefan takes it and walks away.

FLASHBACK

In Alaric and Isobel's apartment, Alaric awakens to the sound of typing on a keyboard. He sits up groggily. Isobel is typing away on her computer.

ALARIC: Iz.

ISOBEL: Just a few more minutes.

ALARIC: Can't you, uh, can't you finish this in the morning?

[Isobel turns back and looks at him.]

ISOBEL: But I like working at night.

ALARIC: Yeah, see, I like sleeping at night. With you.

[Isobel turns back to her computer and continues typing. Alaric sits up in the bed.]

ALARIC: Okay, I'll bite. What is it, thesis stuff?

[Isobel stops typing and bites her lip, not responding.]

ALARIC: Look, baby, I'm in a three-way here with you and your computer, the least you can do is let me know what you're up to.

[Isobel gets up from her desk and walks over to the bed.]

ISOBEL: I was doing research, and I dug up all this stuff about this small town in Virginia near where I grew up. It's isolated, out of the way, and quiet. And every now and then, people die mysteriously, and they say that it's animal attacks. Except, these bodies are drained of blood.

[She pauses briefly. Alaric looks at her, confused.]

ISOBEL: It's vampires. It has to be.

ALARIC: Okay. I'll get my garlic and holy water, and then maybe, just maybe...

[Isobel rolls her eyes.]

ISOBEL: No.

[Isobel hits Alaric with a pillow.]

ALARIC: We can get some sleep. Come here.

ISOBEL: No.

[Alaric pulls Isobel onto the bed and caresses her face.]

ALARIC: Look, this is why I love you, because you believe in all of this stuff. So much so that you're making a degree out of it. You're like Mulder, except hotter and a girl.

[Isobel rolls her eyes again and pushes Alaric down on the bed, moving on top of him.]

ISOBEL: This is not a joke, Ric. You think that this is cute, but I'm gonna prove it.

[Isobel kisses him then scoots off the bed, heading back to her computer.]

ISOBEL: And Mulder was right in the end.

**
♡♡♡

[TRUDIE'S HOUSE]

[Elena, Indiana and Trudie are looking through an old yearbook. Trudie points out a picture of her and Isobel.]

TRUDIE: Ah. They came to the games for us. The football team hadn't won in years. We were the stars. Well, Izzie was. But I was a damn good backup.

ELENA: [smiles] Heh. This is great. Thank you.

TRUDIE: You're welcome. [She looks at Indiana's teacup]
You haven't touched your tea.

INDIANA: Oh. Yeah, I'm not exactly a fan of tea.

[Elena glares at Indiana who sighs before picks the cup up]

INDIANA: But looks like I'll have to drink it anyways to save myself from getting lectured later...

[She takes a sip. She furrows her brow at the taste of it and gives it a whiff.]

INDIANA: What is this?

TRUDIE: Uh, it's just some herbal mixture.

INDIANA: Vervain?

[Trudie doesn't respond, Elena picks up her tea and smells it realising she knows about vampires.]

ELENA: You know.

TRUDIE: Know what?

INDIANA: Don't play dumb...

ELENA: You didn't invite us in, and you're serving vervain tea. You know.

[Trudie stands up.]

TRUDIE: I think that you should probably leave.

ELENA: Wait. What are you not telling us?

TRUDIE: Please leave. Now!

INDIANA: I think we've hit a nerve.

[Elena gets up and drags Indiana towards the door and leaves the house. As they walks back to Indiana's car, grabbing the keys from her purse, they sees a man standing in the middle of the road. As fast as they can, Indiana unlocks the car door, ignites the engine and drives off, Elena looking out the back window at the man in the road until he's out of sight. The man slowly walks down the street towards where Indiana and Elena were parked.]

♡♡♡

[TOWN SQUARE]

Harper walks into the middle of the square and looks around, overwhelmed by the changes over the past century and a half.
He looks over at a bench where a woman sits. The woman and him exchange long looks, as if they know each other.
She nods her head slightly and Harper walks away.

♡♡♡

[SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE]

INDIANA: Stefan?

DAMON: Better. Me.

Damon walks out of the bathroom, without a shirt on.
Indiana couldn't help but notice how good Damon looked but she scolded herself for thinking that, she loved Stefan.

INDIANA: You look, um...

DAMON: Dashing? Gorgeous? Irresistible?

Damon walks across the room, closing the space between him and Indiana. Indiana pushes him back when he gets uncomfortably close.

INDIANA: Wrecked. You look wrecked.

DAMON: No reason why.
Do you know that I am one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?

INDIANA: Huh, they got that desperate?

DAMON: [sarcasm] Ha-ha.

INDIANA: How are you doing?

DAMON: Never better.

He puts on a button up shirt.

DAMON: What can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favours today.
It's my newfound purpose—how can I help people?

INDIANA: I'm just meeting Stefan. We're going to the fundraiser.

Damon pretends that he is too drunk to button up his shirt, so he tries to let Indiana to do it for him so she'll be close to him. He turns around, looking at Indiana hoping she'll come over to him.

DAMON: Help a guy out, will you?
Can't get this.

Indiana sighs and walks over to Damon. She grabs the front of his shirt and begins buttoning it up.

INDIANA: So I found out who my birth mother is.

DAMON: Eccch. Who cares?

DAMON: She left you. She sucks.

Indiana and Damon exchange glances for a moment, they both can't help but feel something between them like electricity trying to pull them even closer but then Indiana looks over Damon's shoulder and smiles.

INDIANA: Stefan. There you are.

Indiana walks over to Stefan who is with Elena. Stefan smiles at her. Damon feels hurt for a second before he hides his feelings, he loved Anastasia not her human look-alike he starts to put his jacket on.

DAMON: Uhh. I need a bigger jacket. Wow. You know, an occasional sorority girl might, um, you know, help fill you out a little bit.

Damon throws the jacket onto Stefan's bed and leaves the room.

INDIANA: He's fine.

STEFAN: He's Damon.

INDIANA: Maybe this heartache will be good for him.
It'll remind him that he has one, even if it doesn't beat.

STEFAN: Won't hold my breath.

Indiana and Elena smile and laugh.

ELENA: So we went to see Trudie Peterson.

[Stefan's face becomes stony.]

INDIANA: I know. I'm sorry. We didn't plan it.

STEFAN: How was it?

ELENA: She has vervain. She knows about vampire stuff, and it can't be a coincidence.

STEFAN: It isn't. This is Alaric's wife.

[Stefan takes out the picture of Isobel that Alaric gave to him and hands it to Elena. Elena and Indiana look at it.]

INDIANA: This is her. This is Isobel. He gave this to you?

STEFAN: Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her. He believes that she was killed by one.

ELENA: Oh, my god.

STEFAN: Listen, there's a lot about Isobel that Alaric can tell you, but I need you both to hold off a little while before you talk to him.

INDIANA: Why?

STEFAN: I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but will you both do that for me?

Elena nods and Elena and Stefan make eye contact leaving Indiana feeling very uncomfortable, she knew she shouldn't feel like that.
Elena was never the type of girl to steal her boyfriends, was she?

INDIANA: I can't make promises, I might not keep.

♡♡♡

[MYSTIC GRILL]
Carol is on the stage, talking into a microphone, introducing the Fundraiser.

CAROL: Tickets for the raffle are now on sale. All proceeds benefit the annual Founder's Day celebration.

Jenna walks up to Alaric. Alaric has a drink in his hand.

JENNA: That's a good look for you.

ALARIC: What? Embarrassed and uncomfortable?

JENNA: Yep. That's--that's the one.

ALARIC: Hey, look, um, I'm, uh, sorry about earlier.
It was just kind of a--a shock.

JENNA: No, I'm sorry for dropping it on you, but I felt like you should know.

ALARIC: No, I get it.

JENNA: At some point, maybe you, Indiana and Elena could talk.
I'm sure they'd like to hear about Isobel, what she was like.

ALARIC: Yeah.

JENNA: Uh...Or not. No pressure.

ALARIC: I don't know if that's a--a great idea.
At least not—not for a while.

[Jenna nods, understandingly.]

♡♡♡

[SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE]

Stefan walks downstairs where Damon is putting on a bigger jacket.

DAMON: Where'd our girlfriends go?

STEFAN: They're on their way to the Grill. I, uh, wanted to talk to you.

Stefan pulls out the picture of Isobel and hands it to Damon, who looks at it with his usual smugness.

STEFAN: This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina. Remember her now?

DAMON: Who wants to know?

STEFAN: I do.

DAMON: Who else wants to know?

STEFAN: Did you kill her?

DAMON: Sorry. Don't know her.

Damon walks past Stefan and looks back at him.

DAMON: Hey, are you coming? The Real Housewives of Mystic Falls await.

♡♡♡

[MYSTIC GRILL]
Caroline, Elena, Indiana and Matt are all milling around at the front of the Grill.

CAROLINE: He's already been hit on, like, 35 times.
He's total cougar bait.

INDIANA: Impressive.

MATT: More like embarrassing

Caroline laughs and sees Kelly enter the Grill.

CAROLINE: Hi, Mrs. Donovan.

Kelly glances at Caroline with distaste and looks at Elena.

KELLY: Elena, honey.

ELENA: Hi, Kelly.

Kelly and Elena exchange hugs.

KELLY: Long time, no see.

ELENA: How are you doing?

KELLY: Oh, same old. Oh.
Matty tells me you broke his heart.

MATT: Mom.

KELLY: Just kidding. Calm down.
He found his rebound girl.

She glances over at Caroline, Indiana rolls her eyes and scoffs.

INDIANA: Of course, you would know, you're always the rebound.
That's why you always end up single...and lonely...and begging for money.

Elena hits Indiana's arm, Caroline bites her lip trying to hold her smile in.

KELLY: Indiana. I see you haven't lost the attitude.

INDIANA: honesty's the best policy.

KELLY: Huh.
Here you go, sweetheart. However many that'll buy.

Kelly extracts some money and hands it to Caroline, who takes it with a small smile.

KELLY: I just hope I don't get Bachelor 3.
I dated him in high school. Not impressive. In any way.

INDIANA: I rest my case.

Kelly glares at the young girl. Matt shakes his head, embarrassed. Caroline hands Kelly her tickets and she takes them.

KELLY: Very exciting.

Kelly walks off into the Grill. Elena turns around and sees Alaric. They stare at each other for a moment before Alaric walks off and Elena turns back around with a dissatisfied look, Indiana smirks after getting an idea.

INDIANA: I'll buy a couple tickets.

They look at her confused, she hands Caroline the money when she giggles and hands her the tickets

ELENA: Don't forget you have a boyfriend.

INDIANA: Oh, they're not for me...

♡♡♡

DAMON: I've got the big date planned. It's a romantic dinner, secluded spot somewhere woodsy.

CAROL: You're making me think I should buy a ticket.

DAMON: Well, you are in charge. You could always rig it.

Damon says this with a sly smirk. Liz enters the Grill and Damon spots her.

DAMON: Mmm. Pardon me.

Damon rubs Carol's arm and walks over to Liz.
Liz and Damon retreat into a corner.
Liz has a folder in her hand.

LIZ: I ran the check on the history teacher. You want this before or after your big debut?

DAMON: How's it look?

Liz hands Damon the folder and he begins looking through it.

LIZ: He checks out. Couple of speeding tickets. It's a rough story, though.
Turns out his wife went missing a few years back in North Carolina.

DAMON: North Carolina? She have a name?

LIZ: Yeah. Isobel.

Liz flips back to a page containing Isobel's photo. Damon looks at it.

DAMON: Isobel.

Damon looks out into the Grill at Alaric with a smirk on his face. Stefan enters the Grill as Carol introduces each of the bachelors on stage.

CAROL: And what do you do, Bachelor Number 3?

MAN: Yeah, I'm a plumber.

CAROL: Well, isn't that wonderful? We could always use more plumbers. Moving on.
Number 4, "Alaric Saltzman." Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?

ALARIC: I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High.

CAROL: Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper. What do you teach?

ALARIC: History.

CAROL: History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy.

Alaric looks over at Damon. Damon places his hand up to his ear, sarcastically anticipating a response.

ALARIC: Uh, well...

[Carol pulls the microphone away.]

CAROL: He's probably saving the best stories for his date.
And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you.

Stefan stops in the middle of the room and looks at Indiana.
Indiana smiles at him and waves from a table she is sharing with Elena and Jenna.
Stefan smiles back and waves, then looks back at the stage.

DAMON: Well, I'm tough to fit on a card. [he winks at Indiana who scoffs and turns to Elena]

INDIANA: How hard is it to fit an arrogant asshole on a card?

[Elena laughs silently and Damon rolls his eyes before turning his attention back to Carol]

CAROL: Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?

DAMON: Oh, yeah. L.A., New York. Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina. Near the Duke campus, actually. I think—I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Ric?

[Damon turns to look at Alaric, who does the same.]

DAMON: Yeah, 'cause I-- I know your wife did.

Stefan becomes alert and looks over at Indiana and Elena.
Elena's face starts to falter and Indiana narrows her eyes waiting for Damon to continue.
Stefan makes his way over to them.

DAMON: I had a drink with her once. She was—she was a great girl. I ever tell you that? Cause she was -- Delicious. Mmm! Mmm mmm mmm.

Indiana and Elena's mouths hangs open. Their eyes filled with tears as they stares at Damon.
Jenna looks over at them.

JENNA: Are you two okay?

ELENA: I just need some air.

Elena gets up and walks past Stefan, out of the Grill.
Stefan follows her.
A tear falls down Indiana's cheek she wants to walk out like Elena but can't find it in herself to move. She makes eye contact with Alaric who looks at Indiana sympathetically

♡♡♡

Later, Carol pulls out a raffle ticket from the bowl.

CAROL: And bachelor number 3 goes to 37458.

KELLY: That's me.

[Kelly walks towards Carol.]

CAROL: Ah. Kelly Donovan. Lovely.

[Kelly takes the ticket from Carol.]

CAROL: You and the plumber should have so much fun.

[Kelly walks over to Caroline and Indiana who are sat at the ticket booth, she wanted to take her mind off Damon and Stefan and Elena who are embraced outside which is filling her heart with jealousy.]

CAROLINE: Congratulations, Mrs. Donovan.

KELLY: Okay, just stop. Stop trying so hard. This thing you're doing, this nice thing, it's fake.
Like you. Like your mom. And for some reason, Matt fell for it, but that doesn't mean that I will.
I don't like you, okay? So tell plumber boy I'll be at the bar.

CAROLINE: Okay.

INDIANA: No, not okay

KELLY: Indie, don't start, okay sweetie.

INDIANA: Please, you don't have to be such a bitch, but then again it's in your nature to do so.

CAROLINE: Isla, it's fine.

INDIANA: No, Care. It's not fine.
[she stands up to look at Kelly]
You may be older but hurt my friends feeling's, I will more than happily hurt you
Matt's mother or not.

KELLY: Did your mother never tell you to respect the elderly before she died?

INDIANA: Well she never said anything about whore's.

Indiana walks closer to Kelly but Damon steps in between them.
Kelly glares at the girl before walking towards the bar, Caroline see's Matt and walks over to him leaving Indiana alone with Damon.

DAMON: Even though that was very hot. You should calm down.

[She stomps on his foot, he groans and looks at her]

DAMON: That was uncalled for...

INDIANA: Was it?

Stefan see's Indiana talking to Damon and runs over to them with Elena holding his hand dragging her through the crowd

STEFAN: Indiana.

Stefan shakes his head at Indiana. Damon looks from Stefan to Elena then back to Indie

DAMON: Am I missing something here?

INDIANA: Did I forget to mention earlier when we were talking about my birth mother?
The one that gave me up?

DAMON: Mm-hm.

INDIANA: Her name was Isobel.

INDIANA: Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her.

Indiana turns to Stefan notices his locked hand with Elena she turns back to Damon before she rams into Damon's shoulder as she walks past him.
Stefan and Damon exchange looks before Damon smirks at Stefan and Elena

DAMON: Everyone thinks I'm the worst sibling in the world but holding your twin sister's boyfriend's hand in front of her, that's cold Elena.

he walks away, Stefan and Elena look at each other before Stefan lets go of Elena's hand and follows Indiana outside,
Elena stands there for a minute before following them.

STEFAN: Come on. Let's get you home.

Indiana stops abruptly and so does Elena just leaving the Grill, when they see the man from earlier standing in front of Indie.
Stefan sees him too and stands slightly in front of Indiana, placing his hand out to protect her.

MAN: I have a message for you.

INDIANA: What?

STEFAN: Who are you?

MAN: Stop looking.

INDIANA: Stop looking for what?

MAN: She doesn't want to know you. She doesn't want to talk to you.

ELENA: Isobel?

MAN: You need to stop looking. Do you understand?

INDIANA: She's alive? Does that mean she's a--

Indiana starts to inch forward, but Stefan puts his arm back to keep her behind him.

STEFAN: Isla, he's under compulsion.

MAN: Do you understand?

ELENA: Yes. We do.

MAN: Good. I'm done now.

The man steps backwards into the road.
A large truck blares its horn but runs over the man, killing him.
Elena, shocked, Indiana grabs Stefan. Only a moment after the incident, Stefan, Indiana and Elena run into the middle of the street.
People around them are yelling.
Stefan kneels down and looks at the man. Elena sees a phone that must have fallen out of the man's pocket and picks it up. Stefan quickly stands up and grabs Indiana's arm.

STEFAN: Come on. Let's get out of here. Come on.

Elena places the phone in her pocket and follows Indiana and Stefan to her car.

♡♡♡

Inside, Carol holds up another ticket and reads the number.

CAROL: 37649.

Many of the women in the crowd make disappointed sounds.
Jenna raises her hand.

JENNA: That's me.

CAROL: Congratulations.

Jenna walks up to Carol and takes her ticket.

CAROL: And Bachelor Number 5, Damon Salvatore.
She pulls out a ticket
37552.

[Alaric walks over to Jenna who hands her ticket to Caroline.]

CAROL: Would you look at that? 37552. What are the chances? Me.
She looks around for Damon
Where'd he go?

ALARIC: [to Jenna] I'll call you later.

[Alaric starts to leave the Grill.]

♡♡♡

[SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE]

Damon walks across the parlour and prepares to make a drink.
Quietly, Alaric enters the room with a stake in his hand.

DAMON: Are you really this stupid?

Damon finishes pouring his drink and turns around to look at Alaric who is standing behind him.

ALARIC: Guess so.

Damon takes a drink, places his glass down, and vamp-runs at Alaric, throwing him across the room.
Alaric lands on the floor, heavily, but quickly gets back up, ready to attack.

DAMON: You gonna put down the stake?

Alaric remains in an attacking stance.

DAMON: Wow. That's courage.

Damon walks towards Alaric.

ALARIC: Where's Isobel? What have you done to my wife?

DAMON: You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy? Because I think you know what happened.

ALARIC: I saw you feeding on her.

DAMON: Yeah, I did, and I wasn't lying. She was delicious.

Alaric rushes at Damon. Damon hits Alaric in the stomach and Alaric keels over falling back onto the floor.

DAMON: Oh, come on. What do you think happened? Not an inkling? Never considered the possibility?

Alaric looks up at him.

DAMON: I turned her.

ALARIC: Why?

DAMON: She came to me.
All pathetic, looking for vampires.
There was something about her, something I liked.
There was something special.

ALARIC: You turned her because you liked her?

DAMON: No, I slept with her because I liked her.
I turned her because she begged me to.
Yeah. But you knew that, too, didn't you?
Hmm. I guess she wasn't happy at home, wasn't happy with life in general, wasn't happy with you.

Alaric rushes at Damon again, but Damon grabs the stake from Alaric's hands and stabs him in the chest, puncturing his lung. Alaric yells in pain.

DAMON: Ah, this is a shame. We're kindred spirits, abandoned by the women we love.
Unrequited love sucks.

Damon removes the stake from Alaric's chest. Alaric wheezes.

DAMON: Sounds like I got a lung. Which means I get to sit here and watch you die.

Damon tosses Alaric to the floor.
Alaric gasps for air and places his hands over his wound.
Damon throws the stake down, grabs his drink, and sits down on the sofa as he watches Alaric take one last breath before he dies. Damon takes a swig from his glass as he looks at Alaric's dead body.
Indiana walks in the room and looks at Alaric. She rushes over to the body and kneels down next to it, checking for a pulse. Tears falling from her cheeks as she shakes his dead body

INDIANA: Ric. No, no. Please don't leave me! Ric!

[She turns and looks at Damon]

INDIANA: What did you do!

DAMON: Me? I didn't do anything.
He attacked me. I think it's called self defence.

Indiana stands up and walks over to Damon grabbing his glass and slamming it on the table, he looks at her before standing in front of her.

INDIANA: What. Did. You. Do. To him.

DAMON: [whispers and smirks]
I killed him.

She slaps Damon, he touches his lip and wipes away the blood he vamp speeds him and her to the wall, her against it and him leaning against her

DAMON: You shouldn't have done that.

INDIANA: Why? You going to kill me.

DAMON: Well, I am quite hungry...

INDIANA: Then do it.

[He looks at her confused]

INDIANA: Do it. Stake me. Rip my heart out. Snap my neck. Drain every ounce of fucking blood from my pathetic human body!
tears roll down her cheeks, Damon looks at her feeling sad for the girl in front of him. She was so strong yet willing to give up
Do it, Damon!

She tries to push him but he doesn't budge, his face transforms as he goes to bite her, he hears her heartbeat slow down realising she's not scared but relieved he breathes heavily before pushing away from her and walking away

DAMON: I can't--

INDIANA: --Why? You had no problem killing Isobel, Ric, Lexi!
You have no problem threatening to kill me so why don't you?!

DAMON: I can't kill you Indie!

INDIANA: Why? Kill me, Damon!

He vamp speeds towards her and she falls back into the wall, their chests touching, faces centimetres apart. He looks at her before his forehead touches her's

DAMON: Because, I can't.

He lifts his head up to look at her, and she looks at him. He wanted to kiss her so bad but he knew he couldn't.
Suddenly, Stefan opens the door, startling the pair. They look over at him, still chest to chest and centimetres apart from each other.

STEFAN: What-what's going on?

Damon backs off from Indiana, who is looking at Ric, still laying dead on the floor before she looks back at Stefan

INDIANA: I was just leaving.

She looks at Damon who is looking at her with a broken look on his face she walks up to Stefan and kisses his cheek before shutting the door behind her, Stefan see's Alaric on the floor and looks back to Damon

STEFAN: What happened? What did you do?

DAMON: Do what? He attacked me.

[Stefan sits up and looks at Damon.]

STEFAN: Damon.

DAMON: All I did was tell him the truth. His wife didn't want him anymore. It's not my fault he couldn't handle it.

STEFAN: Like you've been handling Anastasia?

DAMON: I'm handling it fine.
You know what? Isobel came to me. She found me. And if she's related to Indiana and Elena, that means she's related to Anastasia and Katherine.
Maybe Anastasia sent her to me.

STEFAN: Stop it. You don't have to keep looking.

DAMON: Can't be a coincidence Isobel sought me out. Uh-uh. Can't.
[points to Alaric]
I'm assuming you'll take care of this.

Damon gets up and leaves the room. Stefan, exhausted by Damon's actions, sits down next to Alaric's body.
Suddenly, Stefan sees Alaric's fingers move. He furrows his brow and leans over Alaric.
Suddenly, Alaric gasps back to life, panting heavily. He sits up, confused.

ALARIC: What happened? What's going on?

STEFAN: You were just...Did Damon turn you?

ALARIC: No. I - I went for him and then he, uh-- he stabbed me.

STEFAN: No, no, no. You must have vampire blood in your system. Somebody slipped it to you.

ALARIC: flexes his fingers
No. It's, uh, it's something else.

STEFAN: Then how?

ALARIC: I, uh...

Alaric looks down at the ring on his right hand.

ALARIC: Isobel.

Alaric continues to fidget with the ring and looks up at Stefan.

ALARIC: This ring protected me.

STEFAN: That's impossible.

ALARIC: I know.

♡♡♡

[GILBERT'S HOUSE]

Elena is in her bed. She picks up a picture in a frame from her bedside. The picture is of her and her parents. She looks at it for a moment then places it down on her lap. She grabs the cell phone that she took from the man that was run over. Elena opens the phone and finds the last number that was dialled. Before she can change her mind, Elena calls the number and places the phone to her ear. After a few rings, a woman picks up on the other end.

ISOBEL: Was there a problem? Did you find them? What's going on?

ELENA: Isobel?

Isobel hangs up without another word. Elena shuts the phone, looking tearful. She looks up to see Indiana at the door frozen.
♡♡♡

[MISS GIBBON'S HOUSE]

Harper is walking down a path through the woods.
He approaches a house and knocks on the door.
The woman that Harper saw in the Town Square earlier answers the door.

WOMAN: Pearl, it's Harper.

Pearl and Anna walk to the front door and woman goes back into the house.

PEARL: I'm glad you found us. Ms. Gibbons, this gentleman is a friend of mine.

Miss Gibbons comes up from behind Pearl.

PEARL: May he come in?

MISS GIBBONS: Any friend of Pearl's is a friend of mine. Please do. Come in.

ANNA: Annabelle, close the door, please.

Harper enters the house and walks off with Pearl and Miss Gibbons.
Anna looks at into the woods as she shuts the door.

Chapter Fifteen Completed!

Thank you for reading, Hope you have a good day/night!

Love you all ♡

♡ completed: 05/09/2020

♡ edited: 04/10/2021