[Episode 21 - Isobel - 1]

Thump. Thump. Thump, thump.

Thump. Thump. Thump, thump.

Thump. Thump. Thump, thump.

"Is this what you do at 5:30 am in the morning?" Stefan questions, not at all breathless. 

I look to him with a raised brow "I'm lately feeling angry like I'm Hulk, and I may be murderous, plus I heal. So the only way to vent out my anger is-" I hit his gloved hand again and he falls down onto the grass in the forest "-physical exercise"

He sits back on his elbows and casts a look at the treehouse "Can't I take a break?"

"I'm your sober sponsor, so no" I pull him up again. He hits my hand and I stagger "Now you're talking Salvatore". I just need one day with peace and quiet.

▹▹▹

I hug Caroline "Ooo I missed you so much Care! Bonnie!" I look and hug her but she just pats me on my back. 

I sigh and look back to the assignments at hand. "So, this is how last year's floats looked like" I pull up a picture on the laptop that I got a school permit to carry "- and this is exactly how this year's floats will not be " the last year's floats were overrated and the Fell girl did not do a good job.

"So... I was thinking of showing the people southern elegance this year-" Caroline smiles and claps her hands. 

She's mad over Gone with the Wind and I thought that our common spirit can be put to use. "Gone with the Wind?" Bonnie's lips twitch up to a smile and I smile more confidently.

I put up a rough lists of the flower and ribbon orders on a paper and make sure Caroline and Bonnie get a copy of my rough sketches too. I ask Caroline "So, what's your costume idea?"

"I don't know... I was thinking of convincing you to make it a period costumes" I smile "It is Founder's Day... So, 1864 huh?" I smile nostalgically and pen it down on my list 

"So major confab needed, we'll discuss our and the runner-up's and the dates' costumes now-" I'm interrupted by Alaric as he calls to me "Kat. Little help here" I turn and leave the laptop open to my friends "You can start with the internet, then we can get our hands dirty with local ideas, I'll be back"

I go to Alaric and see Stefan and Elena coming this way too. "Hey Mr. Saltzman" my sister greets him. After calling him Alaric so many times in my mind, Mr. Saltzman just sounds foreign to me. He seriously looks between us "Come with me. We need to talk..."

"Nothing good ever comes from such words" I mutter and Stefan nudges me with a roll of his eyes.

We enter the classroom and Alaric drops the bomb on us "I met Isobel last night" 

A while later, Damon enters the room glibly "Sorry I'm late. My dog ate my uh... never mind..." he rolls his eyes at his own joke and looks around "What's with all the furrowed brows?"

"I saw Isobel last night"

His back goes rigid in anticipation "Isobel is here? In town?" he asks curiously.

Damon looks to me and my gaze goes back to Alaric. I can't believe it, she's in town. Why? Why now? For what? I doubt she wants to do mother-daughter bonding with Elena and me. Damon leans against the door, maybe ready to bounce over to where she is.

"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?"

"No..." Alaric grits out.

"No they're not?"

"No, I didn't ask"

"What about the invention?" Damon shoots.

"Didn't ask..."

"Did she know about the tomb vampires?" he sounds hopeful, if she knew, then Katherine is directly linked to Isobel.

"I don't know-"

"Did words completely escape you?"the older Salvatore grits out annoyedly.

"No, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions!" Alaric bursts out. Damon didn't think of how heavy this encounter struck the teacher. He saw his vampire wife, who abandoned him, talk to him as if she didn't at least once,love him.

Damon turns to me and my sister. I have an arm around her shoulder and Stefan stands beside her, rubbing her hand. "What did she want?"

"She wants to see us, Damon..." she says and my hand tightens.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting. We don't know why or what she wants" Stefan answers Damon's unasked questions. He doesn't take his eyes off of my sister, and instead of saying some stupid annoying Damon thing, his eyes turn sensitive "You don't have to see her if you don't want to..."

Stefan may be confused by this sudden sensitivity, but I don't react to it. I look down to my feet when my sister speaks up "I don't really have a choice. She's threatened to go on killing spree..."

"Oh! I take it that's not okay with... you guys" he jokes, back to his old self.

"I want to do it" Elena rushes "I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it" Elena states firmly and there's silence. I look up and realise that everyone's staring at me expectantly. Saved by a ting, I open my flip phone to see Caroline's message

Care: Carol L here. Grilling me. Come ASAP.

I wave my phone and withdraw from Elena "Have some work. Bye" I turn about and rush out but Stefan follows me out "Viv... Anyone would understand if you don't want to meet her..."

"Elena wouldn't. She's decided so no one would care if I want to do it or not"

"Hey..." he stands in front of me "Don't be like that... If you don't want to meet Isobel, you won't"

"I don't want to" I nod my head in affirmation.

▹▹▹

The Grill bustles around with people and every 2 seconds, my look goes to my left, to the pool table where Stefan keeps up the facade of playing pool but helps me get through this.

"So can the floats have lesser violet colour? I don't wanna make my name a theme" I murmur and look at him, I hear him scoff "You're Miss Mystic Falls now" he says simply. 

I roll my eyes and drink some more water, at this rate, I'll be in the restroom when my vampire birth mother comes. Elena looks at me "Who're you talking to?"

"Stefan" I say and she raises her eyebrows and looks around till she finds him.

She looks down and tilts her eyes towards him and whispers "Can you hear me?" he nods discreetly. "Thanks for coming... I'm nervous" Stefan smiles at her. 

And once again, I'm struck by how much he loves her. Stefan and Elena. Elena and Stefan. They're in love, always and forever, will be in love. It's both heart-touching and heartbreaking.

I close my eyes and look down as Elena finishes her conversation "I'm happy that you're here. I love you" I hear Stefan whisper I love you.

And a minute later, I feel it - this urge to rip someone's head off. I understand why.

"Hello Elena" Isobel swoops in slowly, gracefully, and sits opposite us. She looks older than in her picture obviously, but I didn't expect her to be so glossed and calm. My jaw tilts in disappointment as she doesn't acknowledge me.

But then she does.... like this "You both look just like her, Kat even more so, despite the eyes, it's eerie"

"You've met Katherine?" Elena asks, almost curious. I feel my throat burn with a visage of emotions. Of course the first conversation our mother has with us has to be Katherine 1864. What was I thinking?

"She found me after I turned. Genetic curiosity, I suppose. She would be fascinated by you" she says to me.

"How exactly are you related to Katherine in her bloodline?"

She just looks at Elena, ignoring my question as Elena asks hers "Is that how you can walk in the day?" she points to the big blue pendant of Isobel's necklace.

"Katherine helped me obtain it" Even though it's my name, I'm so tired of hearing that. Let me just rip this lady's throat out- No! I tell myself, I hold the edge of the table hard.

"Who's our father?" I ask.

"Not important. He was a teenage waste of space" she waves it off.

"A name would be nice" I glare. Why wouldn't she give us his name? Is she really that cruel?

"It would, wouldn't it?" she smiles with narrowed eyes "You ask a lot of questions"

"You avoided all of them" I shoot back. 

"Why-" Elena intervenes "-did you compel that man to kill himself? Right after he told us to stop looking for you..."

"Dramatic impact..." she says smugly "I wish it would have been more effective" 

"Human life means that little to you?" Elena accuses.

"Means nothing to me. It's just part of being what I am"

"No it's not. I know other vampires, that's not true" my twin defends her decisions clearly.

"Your new boyfriend over there by the pool table?" she jerks her eyes towards the pool table 

"Stefan Salvatore" she states, as if we thought she wouldn't read ahead, at least I did 

"Why Stefan?" she leans forward on her elbows as she smiles sarcastically. I thought she's talking to my sister, but I see her gaze flit to me "Why didn't you go for Damon? Or... are you enjoying them both like Katherine did?" 

An awkward silence follows and I avoid looking at anyone but Isobel, why would she do this? She wants something, I can tell, but splitting her children's lives apart shouldn't be a part of any deal on Earth.

"Why did you want to meet us? Can't be to just catch up" I get down to business.

"Because I'm curious about you" I glare in clear disbelief, forcing Isobel to amend herself "But the real reason is: I want what your uncle wants. Johnathan Gilbert's invention"

"How do you know my uncle?" Elena asks, surprised.

"I used to spend a lot of time here when I was younger. John had a crush on me for years. He was the first one that told me about vampires..." Wait..... Crush? Younger?

"So what made you want to be one?" Elena asks, getting down to the bonding part, the part that I was evidently not ready for. "It's a very long list of reasons, Elena. All of which I'm sure you've thought about" our mother continues with the meddling and spilling.

"No" Elena denies, even I can tell that it's a lie. 

"That was your first lie" Isobel smiles conspiratorially "It's inevitable, you're going to get old, Stefan won't... Forever doesn't last very long when you're human"

"Sorry not sorry" I speak up, cutting this disappointment of a meeting off "-but we don't have what you're looking for" I nudge Elena to get out and she gets up, only to have her arm forced down by our very own mother.

"Sit down-" she gestures to me "-and tell your boyfriend to walk away. I want the invention"

"A. He's her boyfriend in case you've confused our names mother. And B. I don't have it"

"I know that but Damon does and she-" she grips Elena's hand once again "-is going to get it for me"

"He's not going to give it to me" my twin tries to get out of this. Don't blame her.

"Then the blood will be on your hands" Mombie Dearest gets up "It was nice meeting you Elena" and leaves.

I put my hand around my sister as she sobs. I gulp down the rest of my water with a forced gulp and set it down as normally as I can. Elena springs up when Stefan is around the corner and hugs him hard. 

I stay in the booth. I eye the adjacent water glass and drink it up, hoping that those gulps will help put down the lead in my throat.

When I set the glass down, Bonnie comes into my filed of vision. She looks between Elena and me. But when she sees Stefan, her steps back down and she leaves. I get up only to encounter my best friend helping his girlfriend into the booth. He looks to me and looks sadly. 

I don't need pity, or sympathy. I want someone to understand me.

But lucky as I am, I'm sure no one understands me. That's precisely the reason I find myself in the restroom, washing my hands shakily. I look up to see mirror-me, tears running down, eyes red-rimmed, heart broken, but hair perfect. I jokingly pout for myself and laugh.

And laugh. 

God, what's so funny?

I met my birth mother, who turns out to not even acknowledge me in front of my sister. She gave us up when she was a teenager, she left her husband to believe that she was dead at the hands of a vampire. Then she sleeps with one of my friends to become a vampire. She comes back all these years later and asks, not 'How are you?', but 'I need an invention'. I laugh harder after I hear these points in my mind.

Catching my breath, I wipe my tears, and look once again in the mirror. I smile in practice and close my eyes. I can do this. I'll be strong.

I rush out and find Elena still hugging Stefan, hiding her face in his chest as he cradles her "I'm here Elena, I'm here for you..." He sees me and smiles but his smile fades when he probably sees me. I shake my head and rush outside, head down. 

I swear I'm not weak.

Rushing out into the side alley, I grit my teeth and fist my hands. 

"Aah!" I growl and drive my fist against the brick wall. And again. And again.

"Kat! Kat stop! Stop!" someone tries to hold me from behind and I turn to punch him too.

Only to find Alaric forcefully stop my fist. "Stop" he whispers, frowning eyes, gentle gaze but authority ringing through his voice.

So much like my dad's.

Letting out a sob, I bury my head in his heaving chest "I-I don't even exist for h-her" I cry. He sighs "Shh, it's okay... She's not worth it... Shh" he leads me to my car and settles into the seat behind the wheel while I sniffle into tissues.

Dropping me off at school, Alaric smiles sadly "She's not worth it okay?"

"I know" I rub my face "I know, but... She should have been" I get out and go into the crowd at the school.

"Oh my God Ka- what happened?" Caroline's eyes widen when she sees me. I gulp, hugging her without words "I'm nothing" I murmur into her hair. 

She skims a confused hand over my temple, looking at me "No... You're Katherine Gilbert, Caroline Forbes' friend, that makes you the best person in the world"

Her arms tighten around me and I sigh. It's the safest place in the world right now.

▹▹▹

When I come into the house next day, after working on the parade the whole day with Caroline, I see Elena sitting at the bar stool in the kitchen. "Hey, where were you? I wanted your suggestions, plus Caroline wanted to talk to yo-" I catch her serious look and trail off. I sigh and drop all the charts and sit opposite to her.

"So?" I ask.

Silence. She doesn't even look at me.

"Elena, wha-"

"I need you to stay away from Stefan" she shoots, finally looking at me. My eyes narrow in confusion "Wh-Where is this coming from Elena? I-"

"I just, can't take it anymore Kat... This, this thing between both of you is, is enough. Please..."

I don't say anything. I don't have anything to say. But my twin does "I've seen the way y-you look at him okay? It's just... I don't want anything beyond friendship to happen. I mean, haven't you had enough?"

"Enough?"

"The tomb vampires caught you both in the forest. You were the one to bring him back when he was off the rails, apparently, my talk failed Kat. And you're been sparring in the forest together? I mean, there's only so much I can tolerate without being insecure... Don't you understand? He's weak when he's with you. He's my boyfriend. He loves me..."

She goes upstairs and I hear a door slam. I don't move for a long time. We're back to this again? She thinks that of me? I admit it, I might like Stefan, but I would never drive him to be weak or unfaithful. And from the first moment, all he's ever done is love her. Why can't she see that?

Jeremy comes down a while later and sees me watching a burnt hand heal "Are you... cooking?"

"Come 'ere" I ask, at least now he might talk to me, it's been a while. Abiding, he does and I widen my arms "Can you gimme a hug, I've had a shit day and you owe me for the diary part" I reason and to my surprise, he does hug me "I know..." I breathe out a laugh and pat him 

"So, which sauce for pasta? And you can invite Anna if you want I guess"

"You know about Anna?" he asks, shocked.

"Just because I said I'd give you space doesn't mean I'd stop looking out for you. Anyway, she's a good girl, I know that now..."

He smiles and looks down with a happy face "Thanks..."

We cook for an hour and he even helps me set up the table. Uncle John comes in and sometime later, so does Jenna, weighed with her thesis work. I wait lazily as she freshens up for dinner. Finally, she comes out and calls for Elena. 

When she doesn't come down, I grit my teeth and stomp upstairs and into our room. She stares into space by her window, sparing me a look when I thud the door shut.

"Elena?" I say.

"I'm not in the moo-" a loud slap echoes across the room as Elena's face swivels sideways.

Pursing my lips at her accusing face, I pat my mind for making me do something I've wanted to do since yesterday "I don't care if you thought I was gonna grovel at your feet for the benefits of your sisterhood, but snap out of it Elena. You're not the only one in this and unlike me, you get what you want."

"How ca-"

I raise a hand to stop her "I didn't want to see Isobel, yet you made me. And that's not the only thing I've had to for your satisfaction. Stefan is the one helping me through that and I couldn't care more if you're jealous of our understanding. Come out of Elena-land for one moment and you'll understand what you're actually asking of others, bye Elena"

I turn around and start to leave when Elena shouts "How can you say that!"

I scoff "Dinner's downstairs. Eat, or you'll have more than peanut butter with your jelly mind"

I rush downstairs and gather my coat and charts when John speaks up "Wait, you're leaving?" I throw him a discreet glare. His teenage crush is supposed to be my birth mom, can it get anymore weird? 

"I'm staying at Caroline's. Founder's Day stuff, I just wanted to make sure all of you got a proper meal in a while" I smile hesitantly at the others, balancing the stuff while taking my car keys.

"You can't go out now, I can't allow it" he snatches my keys away and I smile sarcastically, taking them back "You don't have to, Jenna?" I look to her with a tilted head "Love you, bye"

A few minutes later, I'm in front of the Forbes'. I ring the bell and Caroline opens the door in surprise "Hey Kat!" she sees my look and pulls me inside. The Sheriff is nowhere to be seen and I see a microwaved meal sitting on the couch. I hug her "I just... Can I stay the night? Please?"

She hugs me back with a smile "I was gonna call you myself, now, tell me all about the Mombie"