"Rey!"

   Audrey spun on the spot, her eyes quickly meeting those of her twin sister, who jogged up to her side. She offered Elena a weak smile, who gave her the same in return. It had been a long night for the Gilbert sisters, and both were more than happy to see the back of the Lockwood's masquerade party after everything. Making the decision to keep Elena and Audrey in the dark, Stefan and Damon had tried to kill Katherine, with the help of their friends and their little brother. Yet, like she had been since she arrived back in Mystic Falls, Katherine Pierce had been two steps ahead of them all.

   As a result, both Elena and Audrey nearly died, after it was discovered Katherine had the twins linked to her. Anything that happened to her, happened to them, and they would of died if not for Jeremy and Bonnie. Yet, it didn't phase Audrey Gilbert in the slightest. Since discovering the truth about vampires, about what Stefan and Damon really were, near death experiences had become a usual occurrence. Death as a whole has become a regular occurrence, and it had been ever since the accident that took the lives of Miranda and Grayson Gilbert. 

   "How are you feeling?" Elena asked in concern, her eyes checking her sister over in concern. "Has Bonnie's spell helped?"

   "Lena, I'm fine." Audrey nodded, swatting her hands away. "Really, I'm okay. I'm just tired."

   "Yeah, I know the feeling." The eldest of the twins sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. "Jeremy's going to meet us at home, he's going to drive Bonnie back to her place."

   "Alright." For a moment, the two walked toward their car in silence, until Audrey finally broke it. She could tell from the look on Elena's face, something else was wrong. Not just what they'd just been through. "I'm guessing you spoke to Stefan?"

   "Yeah..." She trailed off with a nod, letting out another sigh. "We're not back together, before you ask."

   "Why not?" Audrey asked bluntly, earning a look of surprise in return. The youngest twin merely rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Elena. He just tried to murder his psycho ex-girlfriend for you. I think he's more than earned the title of boyfriend again." Elena just looked down. "Look, Katherine's gone, there is nothing standing the way for you two anymore. Not only are you torturing him right now, you're torturing yourself. So end the misery for both of you, and go get the guy."

   Her words put a small smile on Elena's face. "Yeah...I know you're right." She admitted, before slowly nodding. "Okay, I'll talk to him. Just not right now. All I want to do right now is go home, and go to bed."

   "Now, that, I can get behind." 

   Before either of them could make another step for the car, each of them feel a arm wrap around their waists, another covering their mouths before they could scream. Audrey thrashed violently, until she felt a cloth slip over her face, the smell she inhaled making her eyelids feel heavy. Despite her best efforts, her body soon went limp in the strangers arms, the world going black as her eyes fell closed.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Audrey remembered waking up after the accident. She woke up in a hospital bed, with a tearful Jeremy sat one side of her, clutching tightly onto her hand. Her Aunt Jenna sat on his other side, clutching her free hand with one hand, her other arm wrapped around a equally as tearful Elena. That moment, in all honesty, had been the worst moment of Audrey's life. She thought nearly drowning would be it, yet, it was learning she had survived while her parents had died. No one knew how Elena and Audrey survived that accident, not until Stefan eventually admitted the truth, that he had pulled them out before they could die.

   She wasn't sure why she was thinking of that day. 

   She hadn't thought of that day in months, yet, it was at the front of her mind as Audrey opened her eyes. Unlike when she woke up the hospital, there weren't bright lights burning her eyes, nor was there the strong sterile smell that came with being hospitalised. Rubbing at her eyes, the Gilbert girl pushed herself to sit up, looking around her new surroundings. She first looked at her sister, who laid unconscious beside her. The windows in the room were bordered up, with slim streams of light getting through the gaps, dust and cobwebs scattered everywhere. 

   "Lena." Audrey shook her sister's arm, keeping her voice quiet. "Elena, wake up."

   Elena let out a small moan, rubbing her eyes as she slowly came around. "Rey?" She pushed herself to sit up, glancing around.  "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

   "She?" Audrey repeated in confusion. "Who the hell is she?"

   "One of the people who brought us here. I woke up when they were bringing us in, she was comparing us to Katherine." Elena explained, getting to her feet. She headed straight toward the large staircase, resting her hands on the banister as she listened carefully. "I think I can hear them."

   Audrey pushed to her feet, walking up behind her sister to listen for herself. She quickly heard the voices too, a man and a woman from what she could make out. The twins exchanged a glance, before making their way upstairs as quietly as possible, heading the direction the voices came from. The pair stopped at the end of the hallway, peering carefully around the corner as they listened, trying to get a look at the two who'd taken them. 

   "Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah, Rose?" The man snaps in a frustrated tone. 

   The woman, Rose, looked unfazed by his tone. "They say he got it."

   "Wonderful and what?"

   "So that's it Trevor." Rose tells him calmly. "He either got it or he didn't. We just have to wait."

   Trevor bit down anxiously on his lip, rubbing his face with his hands. "Look, it's not too late." He says after a moment. "We can leave it here. We don't have to go through with this."

   Rose lost her temper at that, glaring at him. "I'm sick of running!"

   "Yeah? Well, running keeps us from dying." He shot back, his glare matching hers.

   "Elijah's old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free." Audrey felt her breath hitch in her throat, as Rose spun and narrowed her eyes on them, a squeaking floorboard beneath Elena's feet giving them away. "You two! There's nothing around here for miles. If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong. Understand?"

   "Who's Elijah?" Audrey asked bravely, as the two sisters stepped fully into sight. 

   Rose let out a dry laugh, the smallest hints of sympathy on her face as she looked at the two. Though, it was gone as quickly as it appeared, as she answered. "He's your worst nightmare."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "Why are we here?"

   Rose glanced up from what she was doing, to see both Elena and Audrey stood in the doorway. She rolled her eyes at the pair. "You keep asking me questions like I'm gonna answer them."

   "Why won't you?" Elena shot back.

   She rolled her eyes once again. "There's another one."

   "You got us, okay? It's not like we can go anywhere." Elena pointed out to her, Audrey staying silent at her side. Unlike her sister, she thought it best not to test the vampires who'd taken them. "The least you can do is tell us what you want with us."

   "I personally want nothing." Rose told them honestly. "I'm just a delivery service."

   "To Elijah?" Audrey guessed knowingly.

   "Oh, so she does speak." Rose hummed, glancing at her in slight amusement. Audrey just gave her a blank look back. "But, two points to the eavesdroppers."

   "Who is he? Is he a vampire?"

   "He's one of the vampires." She corrected. "The originals."

   Elena looked confused. "What do you mean the originals?"

   "Again with the questions." Rose sighed, shaking her head. "Haven't the Salvatore's been teaching you your vampire history?"

   "Not personally." Audrey shook her head, leaning against the wall behind her.

   "So you know Stefan and Damon?" Elena asked, ignoring the question entirely.

   "I know of them." Rose corrected once more, shaking her head. "A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones." She shrugged, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys though but I digress."

   Audrey pulled a face, quick to try and change the subject. "Who are the originals?"

   The answer Rose gave just confused them even more. "Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired, we want it over. We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess."

   "But why us?"

   "Because you're Petrova Doppelgangers. You're the key to breaking the curse." She stated like it was obvious, her gaze flickering between the two.

   "The curse?" Elena repeated, pulling a face. "The sun and the moon curse?" 

   "Oh, you do know your history." She rose a brow.

   "What do you mean we're the key?" 

   "I misspoke." Rose shook her head. "Only one of you is the key. Only one doppelganger is needed to break the curse." The Gilbert sister's looked at one another, Rose glancing between them once again. "There's only ever been one doppelganger alive at one time. Katherine, being a vampire, became the exception. But twin doppelgangers? It's unheard of."

   "So we've heard." Audrey said quietly, her mind thinking of Katherine. It wasn't the first time they'd heard that. It had even intrigued Katherine when she met the pair, though they didn't know why at the time. Now, it was starting to make sense. She pushed it to the back of her mind, focusing on what Elena told her from her trip to Duke. "The moonstone is what breaks the curse." 

   "No, the moonstone is what binds the curse." Rose shot back knowingly. "The sacrifice is what breaks it." 

   Elena blinked at her words. "The sacrifice?"

   "The blood of the doppelganger. You're the doppelgangers. Which means, in order to break the curse, one of you has to die." 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   The thought of dying didn't scare Audrey Gilbert. Since the accident on Wickery bridge, she'd nearly died a handful of times. The entire idea of death no longer phased her. Yet, when Rose revealed the sacrifice, she had to walk away. Elena tried to stop her, but she was quick to tug out of her older sister's grip, making her way back into the room they'd woken up in. She sat down on the tattered couch, holding her head in her hands as she tried to just breathe.

   She knew what the outcome was going to be.

   One of the doppelgangers had to die, and she knew it was going to be her. Not out of choice, or out of bravery. It would be because she wasn't her. She wasn't Elena. Elena and Audrey were a lot alike, not just because they looked exactly alike, but it had never seemed to matter. All eyes always fell onto Elena, and Audrey had never minded. She'd always preferred the sidelines to the spotlight, never envied the attention she got from boys, or the way she clicked more with those within their friendship group. When Stefan and Damon arrived in Mystic Falls, she didn't care about the attention Elena got from them either. In that regard, she classed herself as lucky, not being caught between brothers constantly at one another throats. Even when the word normal took a whole knew meaning, she'd managed to maintain a sense of calm and ordinary, while Elena took the rest onto her shoulders. 

   In the end, she'd be the one they'd protect. 

   In the end, Audrey knew she'd been the one that would die. That was how it was going to be, and she knew there was nothing that could change that. 

   "Audrey?" She lifted her head from her hands, glancing at her sister. Elena stood awkwardly in front of her, concern written across her face. She moved to sit beside her, placing a hand gently on her leg. "We're going to find a way out of here."

   Like always, Elena was clueless to it. She always had been, and that was another thing that would never change.

   Audrey forced a small smile onto her face, placing her hand on top of her sister's, giving it a small squeeze. "Yeah, maybe..." 

   "He's here." They could hear the panic in Trevor's voice, well before he even entered the room. Rose walked in behind him, remaining calm, but there was hints of the same panic also on her face. "This was a mistake."

   "No, I told you I would get us out of this." Rose reminded him, packing some things away into a bag. "You have to trust me."

   "No!" He shouted, pacing around the room. "He wants me dead, Rose!"

   She pointed toward the two sister's, who huddled closer together on the couch. "He wants them more."

   Trevor still refused to listen, running a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "I can't do this." He breathed out. "You give them to him, he'll have mercy on you but I need to get out of here."

   "Hey!" Rose snapped, walking forward and grabbing him by the shoulders. Trevor sighed once more, having no choice but to look her in the eyes. "What are we?"

   "We're family." He said after a moment, finally beginning to calm down. "Forever."

   "You're scared." Elena said as she looked between them, the fear reappearing as loud bangs came from the front door.

   Rose ignored her, keeping her eyes locked with Trevor's. "Stay here with them and don't make a sound." With that, she walked back upstairs to answer the knocking, leaving Trevor pacing anxiously.

   Getting to her feet, Elena discreetly dropped a crumpled paper into Audrey's hands, before crossing her arms and pacing herself. Audrey furrowed her brow in confusion, before flattening the paper out the best she could, her eyes scanning the words scribbled across it.

Stefan and Damon are coming for you two. -B

   That brought Audrey no sort of comfort, but she gave Elena a nod as their eyes locked, quickly hiding the paper in her back pocket. Footsteps approaching hit their ears, and Audrey jumped to her foot, moving to Elena's side and grabbing her hand. Rose came into sight first, with a man following behind her, dressed smartly in a suit. He paused in his steps, his eyes falling onto the Gilbert sister's in a instant, as they looked back at him with scared expressions. 

   Before either girl could either blink, he appeared right in front of them, leaving barely any space between them. Elena flinched back, as he leaned closer and breathed in deeply, pulling away with interest and amazement in his eyes. "Human. It's impossible." His eye then moved to Audrey, who stood calm and still compared to her sister, trying not to show her fear as she looked back at him. "Two of you. Hello there."

   The more they looked at one another, Audrey couldn't understand why, but the fear she once felt began to slowly fade. A new feeling bubbled in the pit of her stomach, one that she couldn't place. "You're Elijah." She let out quietly. 

   "That's right." He nodded, stepping so he stood directly in front of her. He brought his hand up to her cheek, his fingers grazing her skin softly. For a second, she swore she saw a smile tug at his lips, but he pulled away before she could think more about it. "We have a long journey head of us. We should be going."

   Elena looked over at Rose desperately. "Please, don't let him take us."

   Rose looked down at her pleas, as Elijah looked between the two doppelgangers. "One last piece of business and we're done."

   Elijah turns and goes toward Trevor, who looks down to the ground. "I've waited so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly, very sorry."

   "Oh no, your apology's not necessary." Elijah mused, slowly circling him. 

   "Yes, yes it is." Trevor said firmly, shaking his head in shame. "You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you."

   "Oh yes, you are the guilty one and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you and that now I honour." He nodded, glancing toward Rose who also looked down. "Where was your loyalty?"

   "I beg your forgiveness."

   "So granted." As Trevor begins to smile in relief, Elijah swipes his arm forward in one fluid motion, taking his head off of his body.

   Rose cried, as Elena gasped and stepped back more, gripping tightly onto Audrey's arm. Audrey didn't move, feeling like her feet were glued to the ground. She just blinked rapidly, a lump in the back of her throat. 

   "You--"

   "Don't, Rose." Elijah warned, as he wiped the blood off his hands with a handkerchief. "Now that you are free." He looked over at Elena and Audrey. "Come."

   "No." Elena shook her head. "What about the moonstone?"

   He looked at her in interest at that. "What do you know about the moonstone?"

   "I know that you need it." She replied, a slight shakiness to her voice. "I know where it is. I can help you get it."

   "Yes?"

   "It doesn't work like that."

   "Elena." Audrey hissed, digging her nails into her arm to get her attention. "Stop it."

   A mixture of amusement and annoyance appears on Elijah's face. "Are you negotiating with me?" He asked, looking over at Rose for answers.

   Rose simply glared through her tears. "It's the first I've heard of it." She gritted out.

   Elijah looked at her for a moment longer, before looking back at Elena, taking a step closer to her. He looked her directly in the eye, opening his mouth to say something, when his eyes landed on her neck. Looking directly at her necklace. "What is this vervain doing around your neck?" He pulls the necklace off her neck and throws it away. He grabs her head and compels her. "Tell me where the moonstone is."

   "In the tomb." She answered, causing Audrey to sigh. She never understood why her sister didn't drink vervain. It was much safer than her necklace. "Underneath the church ruins."

   He looked intrigued. "What is it doing there?"

   "It's with Katherine."

   "Interesting." Elijah tensed as they heard glass breaking in a different room. "What is that?"

   Rose shook her head in confusion. "I don't know."

   His voice grew more demanding, as yet another noise filled their ears. "Who else is in this house?"

   Rose shook her head once again, clearly clueless to what was going on. "I don't know." She repeated, flustered.

   Elijah didn't ask again, grabbing Elena's arm roughly, and snatching Audrey's hand before pulling them along. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   The Original pulled the two toward the entrance of the house, with Rose following a few steps behind them. They came to a halt near the stairs, as figures rushed past them in blurs, alerting Elijah to more than one unknown presence with them. Dropping his grip on them, he pushes and twins into Rose's arms, looking around carefully.

   "Rose." He spoke, a dangerously calm tone to his voice.

   "I don't know who it is." She assured him honestly.

   "Up here." A voice called from the top of the stairs. Elena and Audrey both glanced at one another, as Elijah sped to the top of stairs, recognising the voice as Stefan's.

   "Down here." Damon's voice echoed next, causing Elijah to sped back down, unable to see him like he was Stefan. 

   The sound of a shot rang in the air, and suddenly, Audrey felt her back pressed to a wall with a hand over her mouth. She went to scream, until her eyes locked with a pair of familiar blue ones, who gave her a look to stay silent. Audrey let out a small sigh of relief, giving Damon a small nod, who then turned his attention onto Rose. He moved his hand from Audrey's mouth to Rose's, watching her carefully. 

   "Excuse me." Elijah's voice called from the main area. "To whom it may concern, you're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that?" He warned them, breaking a coat rack over his leg into a stake. "I repeat, you cannot beat me. So I want the girls, I'm gonna count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"

   Elena appeared at the top of the stairs. "I'll come with you, just please don't my friends, they just wanted to help me out."

   He rushes up the stairs toward her, narrowing his eyes. "Where is your sister?" He asked. "What game are you playing with me?"

   Elena says nothing, pulling the pin on the vervain bomb in her hand, before throwing it in his face. She ducks back to the floor as it explodes,  Elijah doubling over with a cry of pain, as the vervain burns his face. He looks up as he immediately begins to heal, going toward Elena instantly.

   "Hey, down here!" Audrey ran out to the bottom of the stairs, making him spin around to look at her. "You want a doppelganger? Well, I'm one too."

   Before he could take a step toward her, Stefan appeared with a shotgun in hand, firing round after round into him. As it appears to do nothing, the youngest Salvatore threw the weapon to the ground, and threw himself at Elijah. Audrey quickly ducks out of the way, as the pair tumble to the bottom of the stairs, Elijah getting to his feet before Stefan could move. He doesn't get chance to do anything, as Damon runs toward him, staking Elijah with the broken coat rack. Damon twisted the stake in further, and pinned his body to the door as he desiccates, only stepping away once he's dead. 

   Rose stepped out from where Damon had hid her, and looks at Elijah's body for a moment, before quickly rushing away. "Just let her go." Elena called from the top of the stairs, stopping Damon as he went to chase after her.

   "Hey, come here." Stefan said, as she raced down stairs, throwing herself into his arms with a smile. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

   Elena just nodded, as she embraced him tighter, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Audrey watched them with a small smile, looking back over at where Elijah was pinned to the door, the bubbling feeling appearing back in the pit of her stomach. 

   A hand clamped down on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You okay, little Gilbert?" 

   She rolled her eyes at the nickname, brushing Damon's hand off of her. "I'm fine." Her voice made Elena pull away from Stefan, walking over and pulling her sister into a hug, which she slowly returned. 

   Audrey wasn't fine, but deep down, she knew he didn't actually care. 

   And she was okay with that. 

I am already in love with Audrey. This chapter was so much fun to write, and I just jumped straight into the action for her. Like I said before, her and Elijah are going to be kind of a slow burn, but what I have planned will hopefully be worth the wait. Honestly, the dynamic I have for her and whole Mikaelson family...I'm going to be writing a lot for this, just so I can get to writing those relationships quicker.

Let me know what you thought of Audrey Gilbert's first appearance, I hope you all enjoyed!