***

ELENA HAD CALLED me, leaving me a voicemail when I didn't answer. I was in my bed in the afternoon, still in PJs. I was done with supernatural drama for a day, but when I heard her message I felt like I had to be there for her: "Hey, Charlotte... I just called Bonnie. Got her voicemail too. Jenna might have found my birth mother, and I really need someone to come with me to meet this woman named Trudie Peterson, in Grove Hill, Virginia. It isn't far and I was hoping you'd come... Please call me back, I really need you there."

Elena and I have surprisingly bonded, especially out of recent invents. You know, being kidnapped together, finding out our doppelgängers were sort of enemies. It sort of made us want to befriend each other, to sort of keep history from repeating itself. We weren't going to fight over the brothers, mainly because she liked Stefan and I liked neither, but also because we aren't Katherine and Corinthia. We're Charlotte and Elena, two good friends.

I groaned and turned my phone off, standing up and throwing it down on the bed as I changed into my clothes. I wore a white sweater, some ripped blue jeans, and dark brown combat boots. I brushed through my hair and called Elena back, listening to the phone ring until she picked up.

"Hello?" Elena's voice sounded surprised to hear me.

"Hey, I got your message. Pick me up and we can go see this Trudie together?" I asked her, smiling.

"Yeah, okay!" Elena said cheerfully, and I could practically hear the smile in her voice. "I'll see you in a few minutes. I was just about to leave."

***

Elena stood outside beside me, both of us sporting black jackets. She held up a Post-It note with the address we were currently at 312 Boulder Ave. The name was indeed Trudie Peterson. Elena had filled me in on everything in the car. About Stefan visiting her, about Damon's inexcusable behavior. I knew what Damon had been doing, but I ignored it the whole day and didn't even give him and the sorority girls a glance when I walked past to get in the car.

"So, this Trudie may have information on Ric's ex-wife Isobel, who just might turn out to be your birth mother?" I asked her, making sure that I was following.

Elena nodded, "Yes." She sighed and looked up at the house after staring at the note for a while. Elena walked up to the front door of the house, me following behind her. She prepared to knock on the door, but she hesitated a little and turned, looking at the yard instead. Elena was definitely wondering if this was such a good idea. When she turned to me, I gave her a sort of 'Go on' gesture, and she nodded, building up the courage to knock on the blue door with the dark knocker placed there.

When we got no answer, Elena shook her head and turned away, beginning to walk down the steps. However, I stood as I heard movement in the houses Then the blue door opened to reveal a pretty blonde, smiling at us. "Trudie? Tru-Trudie Peterson?"

"Yes?" Trudie asked with that large grin.

"Uh, my name is Elena Gilbert. This is my friend Charlotte. Um, I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming," Elena said to her.

"Well, I haven't heard that name in years. How do you know her?" Trudie asked, still with the grin.

"I think that, um, well... Do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption?" Elena asked carefully.

"My god. You're her daughter," Trudie said in realization, the smile faltering. She then laughed as the grin reappeared, "I was just gonna make some tea. Would you like some?" Odd... Odd woman.

"Sure," Elena replied with a smile, and my eyes widened as I shook my head. I wasn't invited in.

"Uh, the kitchen's this way," Trudie explained, pointing through the door, anticipating our entrance. Elena stepped over the threshold, but I couldn't. Again, I wasn't invited in. She did that on purpose... She knows...

"Sorry... I'm uh, not a fan of stepping into the house with my shoes on," I explained to her with an innocent smile. Trudie didn't seem to find anything suspicious, thank God.

"Oh, don't worry about that! Come on in!" Trudie finally invited with a smile. I don't think she realized what she did, but that's a good thing. I hid my ring hand behind my other hand, so she didn't see it. She could catch on quickly just by seeing my daylight ring. Although, I could pass it off as a Salvatore heirloom. But the Salvatores were known vampires, almost like the mythical Mikaelson Original family. Vampires swear up and down that they're real, but I think they're just a vampire horror story to scare us.

I released a breath I had been holding, and so did Trudie I had heard. She shut the door with a glance outside and I gave a thumbs-up to Elena while Trudie wasn't watching. Her eyes widened as she smiled before her face fell. She had realized what she had done and now she felt bad for walking inside. I was almost caught being a vampire. I could tell that Trudie knew about what I was.

Elena removed her jacket as Trudie walked into the kitchen behind me. "I wasn't gonna come. I didn't think I was, but I was driving, and I 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—I had your address. I'm sorry for barging in," Elena rambled.

"It's no problem. Um, just a surprise, though," Trudie replied, sitting down at the table as Elena and I did too. "I haven't thought about Isobel in years."

"When was the last time you saw her?" Elena asked. I took my jacket off as well. It was getting hot in there and I knew I should probably get comfortable.

"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," Trudie explained to her. Trudie seemed just a little... off. But I tried to push past the offness for Elena. She was here to learn about her birth parents and I wouldn't ruin it with my stupid paranoia. I decided I'd keep my mouth shut so she could learn more about her family.

"And you don't know where she ended up?" Elena questioned once again.

"She was in Florida for a while. She was on her own. I know it wasn't easy," Trudie explained some more.

"Do you have any idea who my father is?" Elena asked slowly, and cautiously.

Trudie took in a breath. She had to have been lying. "I could never get her to fess up. Anyway, she finally pulled it together, got into college on a scholarship." Her pulse quickened. Her breathing did too. This girl was lying to Elena, but I wasn't able to tell her yet.

"Where did she go?" Elena asked more, believing what Trudie was telling her.

"Somewhere in North Carolina. Duke, I think. Smart girl, smart school," Trudie smiled, causing Elena to smile. That bitch... Lying to my friend, giving her false hope and false information.. What I would like to know is how Trudie found out about vampires and why she's taking all these precautions to make sure a vampire doesn't come around. The kettle began to whistle from the kitchen, she was making tea. "Let me just grab that."

I listened in as she went to the kitchen, looking at us. I heard her take out her phone and heard her keys being pressed against the phone. She was texting. Damn it... I couldn't read or hear what she was saying because it was a text message. Should've made a phone call... She was acting suspiciously. "Elena..."

"Mhmm?" Elena asked with a smile, "Isn't this great Char? I'm finding out about my mom."

"About that... Don't you think Trudie is a bit... I don't know, off? I think she's lying. I really do. Her heartbeat and breathing quickened as she was talking to you and I think she knows about.. what I am," I explained.

"Don't be crazy, Charlotte. She's a good person..." Elena brushed my worries off like I knew she would. She was too excited to hear the lies she was being fed about her mother. For all she knew, Isobel could be dead right now somewhere and at Trudie's hands.

***

Trudie had found an old yearbook with her and Isobel in it. She pointed out a picture of her and Isobel together. Cheerleaders. "Ah. They came to the games for us. The football team hadn't won in years. We were the stars," Trudie said, "Well, Izzie was. But I was a damn good backup"

Elena smiled and laughed at the picture of the two girls. This was her mother, I believed that much. But everything Trudie said about Isobel in the present I didn't believe. "Ha. This is great. Thank you," Elena thanked.

"You're welcome," Trudie smiled, looking out teacups. "You girls haven't touched your tea."

"Oh. Yeah," Elena picked up the cup and took a sip. I waited for her to take the sip before I did since I didn't trust Trudie. Upon taking the tiniest of sips, I refrained from coughing and gagging. She put vervain in this tea, and Elena had realized too. As soon as she took a taste she furrowed her brows and took a sniff, eyeing me. I nodded and cleared my throat. She was asking if what she thought was right with her look, my nod explained that she was indeed right. "What is this?" Elena asked Trudie.

"Oh, it's just some herbal mixture," Trudie explained nonchalantly.

"Vervain?" Elena questioned, looking at me. She gave me an apologetic look. I was right. But I couldn't blame her, if I were in her situation I'd like to believe the best too, not the worst. Trudie just had a suspicious look on her face, not responding.

"You know," Elena confirmed.

"Know what?" Trudie asked, mocking curiosity.

"You didn't invite us in, and you're serving vervain tea. You know," Elena repeated to her. Trudie eyed us for a moment, before eyeing me a little longer. I think she was catching on to me, so I hoped we'd leave soon.

I didn't have to hope long because right after Trudie stood up she kicked us out, "I think that you girls should probably leave."

Elena placed her cup down, looking at the blonde in shock. "Wait. What are you not telling me?"

"Please leave," Trudie said softly, before letting her voice hold more power and become sterner, "Now!"

Elena and I both got up and left the house, as Elena and I slipped our coats on. She grabbed her car keys from her purse as I looked over to see a man standing in the middle of the road. Elena turned after me before we both quickly got into her cute little red car once she unlocked it, as quickly as possible. She ignited the engine as we drove watch. I watched the man in the rearview mirror start to disappear and I let out a held breath. Thank God we got out of there.