CHAPTER THIRTY SIX / ACT TWO

The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat

                             The sunlight crept through the blinds, forcing Angelina's eyes to flutter open. She squinted against the light, slowly adjusting to her surroundings and realizing she was in her bed. Sitting up, she felt a wave of confusion as the memories of the previous night began to flood back.

She remembered Stefan staying to comfort her after her intense outburst. As she became more aware, she noticed she was now wearing clean pajamas. Her room, which she had torn apart in her rage, was tidied up. On her nightstand, a note caught her eye.

Curious, she reached for the note, her mind racing with questions. Stefan had obviously been busy while she slept, and she couldn't help but feel a mix of gratitude and embarrassment.

She took the paper and read it intently.

When you're ready, come to the boarding house to talk.

                           — Stefan

The vampire chewed her lower lip at his words as the revelation of what was to come settled in. She'd told them so many lies before, hidden things to keep them safe, and now her biggest lie was coming to light in the blink of an eye.

Part of her felt relieved to finally get this weight off her chest, but the other part knew it was time to accept the reality she had been dreading; Elijah would be back soon, and his brother wouldn't be far behind.

Stefan was always a forgiving person. She admired that about him. He forgave her at times she knew she didn't deserve it, but even Stefan had his limits. She couldn't help but wonder if this latest betrayal would be the one that pushed him too far.

Angelina entered the Salvatore's manor with a lump in her throat, biting her lip.

At the sound of her entrance, Stefan appeared before her. Angelina's eyes met his, her breath hitching. "Hi," She said as calmly as she could. "You said you wanted to talk."

"We all want to talk." He corrected, stepping closer.

The vampire took a deep breath and nodded, following him into the library with her head down. Her fists clenched once she looked up to see Stefan alongside Elena, Damon, and..

Rose?

"What the hell is she doing here?" Angelina immediately demanded.

"I just..." Rose raised her hands in defense. "I just wanted to talk. You and I both know I'm not your biggest threat."

Angelina rolled her eyes and turned to the eldest Salvatore, who gestured for her to sit. "We want answers," he said, his tone firm. "From both of you."

Angelina eyed Damon, then Rose, before finally taking a seat on the couch. She could feel the tension in the room, the weight of unspoken questions pressing down on all of them.

"Okay, you have to understand I know only what I've picked up over the years," Rose began, pacing back and forth. "And I don't know what's true and what's not true. That's the problem with all this vampire crap. But Klaus, I know, is real."

"Who is he?" the Gilbert inquired.

"He's one of the Originals," Damon answered. "He's a legend."

"Some legend," Angelina mumbled under her breath. "He's one of the first generation of vampires."

"Like Elijah?"

"No," Rose sighed. "Elijah was the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal."

Damon frowned and turned to Angelina. "And you never cared to mention him?"

"You never asked," she replied sarcastically.

"Sorry, must've slipped my mind. 'Hey Angelina, by any chance do you happen to be enemies with on of the first vampires ever?'" Damon shot back, his tone dripping with irony.

Angelina crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "If I told you every dangerous vampire I've crossed paths with, we'd be here all night."

"Anyways..." Stefan interjected. "Klaus is known to be the oldest."

"Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after Angelina?" Elena's eyebrows furrowed together as she pointed to her doppelgänger. "After me?"

"Yes," Angelina said.

"No," Damon corrected. "What they're saying is, if this is all true—"

"It is," she interrupted, rolling her eyes.

He shot her a look as she continued, "Then we're dealing with a whole new level of danger. Klaus isn't just any vampire. He's... different."

"What else do you know?" Stefan turned to her.

The vampire sank in her seat as all eyes turned to her. She bit her nails, staring back at them, unsure how to respond. "I know that Klaus is dangerous, and if he needs to—if he wants to—he'll kill each and every one of us until he gets what he wants."

"What does he even want us for?" Elena asked.

"Well, he needs a doppelgänger. Like Elena and I. He needs us to break some sort of curse. He also needs the moonstone for this," Angelina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's why Katherine wanted it so badly... as leverage. She wanted me to get it for her and bring it to Elijah in exchange for our lives."

"Exchange for your lives?" Elena said. "Doesn't he need you for his ritual? Why would he spare you?"

"He only needs one doppelgänger, Elena. You'd be the last option." Her jaw clenched. "In addition to handing over the moonstone, her plan was to hand over you as well."

Elena's eyes widened in shock. "So she was willing to sacrifice me to save herself?"

"Exactly," Angelina replied, bitterness seeping into her voice. "Katherine's always been about self-preservation. She figured if she gave Klaus what he needed, she'd be off the hook, and you'd be the one in danger therefore she wanted me to keep you safe until the time was right."

The room went silent as they all stared at her, a judgmental look in their eyes. "I said no, obviously!" she defended. "Elena and I might not be the best of friends, but I don't necessarily want her dead, okay?"

Elena chewed on her bottom lip before turning away, her expression unreadable.

"Look, if you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot," Rose quickly switched the topic, her tone sharp.

"Alright, we're shaking, you've made your point," the eldest Salvatore said, breaking the tension with a hint of sarcasm.

Angelina sprang up from the couch, quietly slipping away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon snapped.

"I don't need to report to you," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, figures. Your secrets are your trademark," he jabbed, trailing after her into the living room where they found themselves alone while Rose briefed Stefan and Elena.

"Don't you dare play the moral high ground. You're no saint," Angelina shot back, her teeth clenched. "We're both liars, Damon. But at least when I lie, it's to protect the ones I care about, not to cause harm."

"Oh, please, you were only protecting yourself!"

"And were you just looking out for everyone else by lying about trying to kill Katherine?!" she scoffed, stepping closer until they were face to face.

"Yes, that's exactly what I was doing! You know we're all much safer with Katherine dead."

"I was dealing with my her but you're too selfish to even consider something doesn't go your way! It's not even surprising at this point. You're so messed up emotionally, you ruin every relationship you've ever had. With me, Stefan, Elena. Honestly, I truly don't know what she sees in you. Clearly not much anymore after you killed her brother right in front of her. It must feel pretty pathetic knowing you blew your chance with the only woman who ever loved you, no?"

In the blink of an eye, Damon lunged at Angelina, sending her sprawling to the ground. She barely had time to react before the impact knocked the wind out of her. Struggling to catch her breath, she rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding Damon's next strike.

With a quick and fluid motion, she sprang to her feet, her eyes narrowing as she assessed him. Damon was relentless, his movements precise and powerful.

Anger surged through Angelina as she sprang to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury. She was done playing defensive. Every fiber of her being was focused on bringing Damon down. Her movements were precise and calculated.

"You think you can beat me?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. Damon smirked, but his confidence only fueled her rage. The room echoed with the sounds of their fighting, each strike reverberating like a drumbeat. Neither showed any sign of slowing or tiredness. Angelina's anger burned hot, but she kept it controlled, channeled into her every move.

Eyeing her surroundings, the Petrova snapped a leg off a wooden chair in the corner of the room. Damon swung at her, but she ducked under his arm, grabbing his wrist and twisting it behind his back. He grunted in pain, but Angelina didn't relent. She swept his legs out from under him, slamming him to the floor.

Pinning him to the floor, she climbed on top of him, raising the chair leg as she prepared to drive it into his chest. Just as she braced herself, Elena burst into the room, her face twisted with fear at the scene before her.

"Stefan!" Her voice pierced the tense air, summoning the Salvatore brother. With a swift glance, he comprehended the gravity of the situation and rushed to intervene.

He seized Angelina's arm in a desperate attempt to stop her, just as the stake hovered dangerously close to his brother's heart. Elena's heart pounded with terror, her eyes wide with disbelief at the unfolding drama. Stefan's mind raced with a mixture of shock and urgency, his every instinct urging him to protect his brother at any cost.

Angelina, caught up in her own head, faltered momentarily at Stefan's intervention. Her grip on the makeshift weapon slackened, uncertainty flickering in her eyes as she wrestled with conflicting impulses.

"Lina, put it down." He spoke in a calm manner, his hand slipped down her back. "Take a deep breath and put the stake down."

The vampire kept her eyes locked on Damon under him. She inhaled slowly, regaining control of her emotions, before exhaling and handing the stake to Stefan. He threw the weapon to the side and lifted her up off the ground, releasing Damon.

Her anger subsided as he pulled her off to the side, hands on her shoulders. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing.. has gotten into me." She muttered. "He pissed me off and I got carried away."

"No, you're spiraling, Angelina, and you're taking it out on my brother. You and I need to talk about this."

"Okay, fine," she sighed. "I already know what you're gonna say. Why did I lie about Klaus?"

Hesitantly, he nodded.

"I thought I was protecting you all," Angelina explained. "I've been laying low because of him for hundreds of years. I didn't need another aspect of my life disrupted because of him. Things would've gone smoothly if it wasn't for Katherine desperately trying to catch Elijah's attention and Rose showing up out of the blue."

"We would've found out eventually, Angelina."

"I know that." She murmured, crossing her arms. "I just didn't think you'd find out like this. Every lie I've told was with the intent of protecting you, even if I didn't do the best job at doing so."

"And I believe you." He replied reassuringly. "But I need to know is there anything else you've been keeping?"

"No, there's nothing." Sighing, she stepped closer. "Every lie I've told, secret I've kept.. it's all out in the open."

The weight of her confession hung in the air, tangible yet intangible, like a heavy mist settling over them. She felt exposed, vulnerable, yet strangely liberated by the truth.

He reached out, his hand finding hers, a silent gesture of understanding and acceptance. "Thank you for being honest," he said softly.

With that, he pulled her into a tight hug, caressing the small of her back. She rested her chin on his shoulder, biting her lip as the tension faded. She felt safe in Stefan's embrace, her anxieties slipping away, but she knew above all what she needed most was her sister's comfort.

"But I want to know the full story with Klaus. From top to bottom." He said, pulling away. She nodded in response, intertwining their fingers.

"I'll tell you everything."

AUTHORS NOTE
lol sorry this was so short, if i included her talk with katherine it'd be 47648 hours long

angelina was highkey stressing me out too with all the secrets i actually feel so calmer now that everything's all out