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Β Β Β β "THANKS FOR COMING, RIC." Damon greeted as he opened the door. Skyler walked downstairs as her eldest brother allowed his so-called drinking buddy and Hunter into the house. Closing the door behind the hunter, he asked, "You need something to drink? Coffee? Bourbon?"
She tried not to tense as she made eye contact with him. Hunters weren't exactly known to be fond of the supernatural, and no matter how friendly he was with her brother, she couldn't trust him. "Bourbon in your coffee?" She chimed in as she stepped into the entrance room where Damon and Alaric stood. Surveying the room quickly, she found Elena and Stefan sat on the couch and made her way over, sitting on the arm of the couch beside her twin.
"Elena mentioned you needed my help." Alaric told them, Damon gestured for him to take a seat, which he did with his eyes on Skyler. She gave a wave and winked.
She was a stranger in this town now. The time since she had ruled this town had long since passed, and nobody knew her as anything but the mysterious sister of her brothers, mysterious in their own right.
"Yeah, we were hoping you could shed some light on the Lockwood family." Stefan explained as the man got comfortable.
Alaric seemed curious but not entirely surprised which intrigued Skyler who began to eye him curiously. "Now why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?"
"Well, you wouldn't, but you're dead-" Damon began as he sat down, "not dead vampire wife might."
He looked down as Elena chimed in, "Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together."
"You said that she had spent years researching this town." Stefan continued. Skyler stayed silent, studying the man with narrowed eyes. She looked at the things others wouldn't pay any attention to. Little tells in his eyes, his posture, and when he spoke, his tone.
"Isobel's research here- Mystic Falls - was rooted in folklore and legend." Alaric told them cautiously, "At the time I thought most of which was fiction."
At the end of his words, Skyler let out a hum of agreement as she raised her chin arrogantly, "I am indeed a work of fiction." She smirked, "Far too perfect for the real world, and the likes of this town." Indeed, she was too perfectly dark for this town. She no longer felt she belonged here, a town wrapped in mystery and secrets. She belonged draped in the darkness of the Mikaelsons, who hid in the shadows but never hesitated to come out for the call of family.
"Like that amazing vampire story." Damon continued, ignoring Skyler's comment in favor of pursuing more information that could help his theory, now found to be a fact. She rolled her eyes but leaned forward in intrigue as she masked her expression with a seriousness she couldn't currently grasp when she already had all the answers to their rather simple questions.
"Aside from vampires, what else?" She asked Alaric, unable to help herself, she continued sarcastically, "Mermaids? Werewolves? Witches?" She tilted her head as if half of them weren't known to be true, her eyes twinkled and she gasped dramatically, "Oh please tell me dragons exist!"
Beside her, Stefan rolled his eyes at his sister's antics, while his girlfriend seemed less amused by her ways. Damon kept his narrowed eyes on Alaric who finally spoke a moment later.
"The lycanthrope."
Stefan turned to Damon with raised brows, "Wait like werewolves?" Elena asked confused.
"No way, impossible. Way too Lon Chaney." Damon shook his head, leaning forward.
Skyler scoffed and raised a brow at her brother, "What, like vampires?"
"I've been on this earth for a hundred and sixty years, I've never come across one." He argued in disbelief, she supposed he was right to be in disbelief. If she hadn't not only come across one but married into the family of the only hybrid, she wouldn't believe it either. "If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?" Damon asked his friend.
Glancing at Alaric, she decided to answer for him, "Most likely?" She began, drawing all eyes to her, "Right under our noses. Hiding in plain sight." She waved her hand around to prove her point as she added, "Just like vampires." Just like her.
A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Or rather, a villain in a hero's cloak.
The Mikaelson hiding in plain sight as a Salvatore.
"Well, why did you suspect the Lockwoods?" Alaric asked them curiously.
Damon took the lead on this one, "Because vervain didn't affect the mayor on Founders Day, but the Gilbert device did." He explained, "And it affected his son, Tyler."
"And at the school carnival, his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought one of the carnival workersβ"
"That Damon compelled." She added to her twin's explanation.
Stefan glanced at her but continued anyway, "It suggested some sort of supernatural entity."
Alaric nodded in understanding, his eyes finding Elena as she spoke, "We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure out what it is."
"What they are." Skyler added, "If they're friends or foes."
"Well, all of her things are still at Duke." He cleared his throat, "I mean her office is still there. She's technically still missing."
"So can we get access to it?" Damon questioned, getting straight to the point. Alaric looked away uncertainly as she watched her brother's eyes narrow, "Ric," he called, "we need to know what we're dealing with."
"Before they turn around and bite us on the next full moon." Skyler supplied helpfully, "And not in a kinky fun way."
Damon and Stefan stared at her in disgust for a moment before the eldest of the Salvatores managed to compose himself enough to continue, "If this wolf-man thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good." He told Alaric as he steadily avoided looking at his sister who watched with amusement, "It means that Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney Jr."
"Hey, do they have the whole alpha-beta omega system going too?" Skyler wondered curiously, "Or any supernaturally enhanced co-"
"Which means-" Damon cut her off with a glare, "Bella Lugosi β meaning me β is totally screwed."
ΰ³ββ·
LAIN on her bed, Skyler flips through the pages of her old journal from her human years, back when she was engaged to one Hadrian Lockwood. She read through her analysis of Katherine, even back then she had been more observant than her brothers and had seen the darkness in her eyes. She knew there was something more to the strange young woman who had her brothers wrapped around her finger, yet she had never looked twice at the man she was supposed to marry or the secrets his family hid.
She snapped the worn book shut as Stefan entered the room, "To what do I owe the pleasure, dear brother?" She asked teasingly.
He made his way across the room and sat at the end of her bed by her feet, eyeing the familiar worn book curiously. "What's on your mind?" He asked after a moment of studying his twin.
She sighed and looked away, "Hadrian." she answered, the reaction was instantaneous as he looked down shamefully, "He was a Lockwood. I was wondering..."
"If he was a werewolf too." He finished knowingly when she trailed off.
She nodded and set her journal down on her bedside table before sitting up, "What do you need, Stef?" She asked with narrowed eyes.
He cleared his throat guiltily, "I need a favor."
Skyler nodded expectantly. She knew that already. He didn't often come into her room or even speak to her in general unless he needed something these days and usually, it involved the doppelgΓ€nger.
"Go with Damon and Elena to Duke." He continued, "Just... Keep an eye on them."
She arched a brow, "Why should I?"
"I don't trust Damon, and you don't trust Elena." Stefan told her knowingly, "This way you can keep an eye on both of them."
She shook her head hesitantly, "I don't know, Stefan." Actually, she did know. She did not want to go to Duke and be stuck with the doppelgΓ€nger when she could spend the day with her husband.
"Please, Sky." Her twin pleaded, puppy dog eyes in full effect, "For me? Your favorite twin?"
"You're my only twin." She reminded with a roll of her eyes and sighed when his puppy dog eyes never ceased, "Fine but you owe me, big time." She agreed, knowing he wouldn't stop until she did, and he wasn't entirely wrong. She needed to keep an eye on Elena and he was giving her a reason to do it without suspicion.
ΰ³ββ·
"GUESS what, I'm finally going to college." Skyler told Kol conversationally as he picked up the phone.
She slipped a small piece of wolfsbane into her bag as he spoke, "Is Mystic Falls boring you that much?" He teased, "What's your major? Or are you going to be a hot teacher?" She laughed, she could practically see the way he was waggling his eyebrows.
"I'm going to be a cock block because of Stefan's fragile masculinity." She informed him, "And to keep an eye on the doppelgΓ€nger." She added as an afterthought.
Kol groaned on the other end, "Boring."
She rolled her eyes knowingly and teased, "I'll dress up as a teacher for you another time." She continued, "They're researching werewolves."
"Little behind, aren't they?"
"Everyone's behind to you, Kol." She reminded him with a shake of her head, "You're ancient."
"Good thing you have a thing for older men then." She laughed loudly just as her brother called out to her from the stairs.
"Time to go, shortie."
Kol cackled as she hung up and threw the bag over her shoulder before heading downstairs. "Who was that? Your newest boy toy?" Damon asked curiously.
She rolled her eyes, "He keeps me sane while I'm in this hellish town."
"Oh yeah? How does he manage to keep you sane?"
She grinned widely, "By planning your murder." Her grin transformed into a smirk as she continued, "And he's not my boy toy, he's my sugar daddy."
She laughed loudly at his expression and continued to the door, "Come on brother, wouldn't want to keep poor Elena waiting!" She called over her shoulder teasingly before closing the door after her.
ΰ³ββ·
"YOU two doing okay back there?" Damon asked, glancing to the backseat where Elena and Skyler sat while he was in the passenger seat, Alaric driving the car.
"Well, your precious Elena isn't dead, yet." Skyler shrugged, the doppelgΓ€nger glanced at her but didn't say a word. She hadn't said anything the entire drive and a glance at Damon told her that he was tired of it.
"You know this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly, Elena." He told the doppelgΓ€nger.
Alaric scoffed beside Damon, "I don't think she's pretending. You did kill her brother."
"Besides, it's very easy to hate you, Day." Skyler added in a serious tone with a teasing grin.
Damon narrowed his eyes at the driver, "There is a huge asterisk next to that statement. He came back to life." He turned to his sister and waggled his finger, "And you, you love me and you know it."
"You sure about that?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
Beside Skyler, Elena scoffed, "Thanks to a ring you didn't know he was wearing."
"Why are you so sure I didn't know?" Damon asked, turning his full attention onto the doppelgΓ€nger even as he looked away so he wasn't facing her.
"Did you?" She responded with a raised brow. He looked back and answered with a yes, but she didn't seem so sure. "You're lying." Elena narrowed her eyes.
"Elena, I saw the ring." Damon continued petulantly, "It's a big tacky thing, hard to miss."
Skyler arched a brow and chimed in, "Is that why I found you drinking your sorrows and crying that you killed poor Elena's little brother?"
Damon turned and glared at her, "That's it. You're no longer my favorite sister." He turned to face ahead in his seat and added, "Stefanie is my favorite sister."
Skyler only scoffed and shook her head, settling into her seat as the silence descended upon the group once again. This was going to be a long drive.
ΰ³ββ·
SKYLER looked around at the University of Duke as the group walked in, Alaric was speaking β something about Isobel's department β but she paid no attention to that. She wondered if she could sneak away and take a selfie in front of the Duke banner to send to Kol, he would surely get a kick out of it.
Ahead of them, Alaric peeked into an office and began to speak to the woman, seemingly a secretary or assistant, "Excuse me. Hi, I'm Alaric Saltzman. I called earlier."
The woman stood from where she was filing away a stack of files, "Yes of course," she greeted them with a smile and shook his hand, "I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant β comparative folklore." The woman now known as Vanessa eyed Damon up and down before she was able to snap herself out of it, "Let me just grab Isobel's keys."
Before she could leave, Alaric spoke to introduce the rest of his group, "I'm sorry, these are my friends, Elena, Damon, and Skyler." Upon hearing her name, Skyler gave a little wave. "I hope this isn't too much of an imposition."
"Please. Isobel's office is right through there." She brushed Alaric's worries aside. She continued as she approached her desk, "Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student. She was brilliant." She grabbed her keys and slid onto her desk, sitting comfortably, "One of the reasons I went into folklore."
Alaric smiled awkwardly as the young woman continued, "I have to ask... Has there been any news?"
"No. No, I'm afraid not." He responded shortly with a shake of his head, ignoring the way his body tensed.
Vanessa nodded solemnly before leading them through to Isobel's office, "It's right this way." She told them, unlocking the door.
The group glanced at each other before each of them entered. Elena went first, followed by Damon, then Skyler, and finally, Alaric. In the office, Skyler studied the room carefully. It was dark and dusty, clearly having been abandoned in Isobel's absence, the only light being from the open blinds of the window. The bookshelves were all filled to the brim, and Skyler couldn't help but wonder how many of them had truth inside, hiding in plain sight.
"I'll grab the light, feel free to look around." The assistant told them, "It's fascinating, isn't it?"
"That's one word for it." Skyler smiled as the assistant walked out of the room.
Unsurprisingly, Damon immediately found the poorly hidden alcohol while Elena and Alaric surveyed the various items around the office. Skyler found her way to one of the bookshelves in the far corner, her eyes scanning the books with curiosity.
After several minutes, the assistant never returned. "Where'd she go?" Damon asked, Elena turned around to look just as the assistant came back in with a crossbow, pointed right at the doppelgΓ€nger who let out a gasp. He was in front of her in a flash, protecting her and taking the arrow that would've killed the human before Skyler could make a move to take down Vanessa.
Damon released a groan of pain, his hand flying out and landing on the nearby bookcase which he used to hold himself up as he fell, blood staining his clothes. Skyler ran at the huntress, slamming her into the closest wall, she held her by the throat a few feet above the air. She snarled, glaring fiercely at the girl as she spoke in a dark tone, "You almost killed my brother."
ΰ³ββ·
"PULL it out. I can't reach it, Elena." Damon told the doppelgΓ€nger who stood behind him as he bent down so she could do just that, "Just pull the damn thing out. It hurts." He continued when she hesitated, his eyes found Skyler where she stood watching in the corner of the room, "C'mon, help me out here." With him distracted, Elena hastily yanked the arrow from his back as he yelped. "Ahh!" He exclaimed.
Standing, he stretched his back as he attempted to shake it off, "that bitch is dead." He growled lowly.
"Uh, you're not gonna kill her." Elena told him in her attempt at being stern.
Damon walked up to her with narrowed eyes, "Watch me." He said, his voice rough.
"She's right." Skyler spoke, stopping him in the doorway, "You can't kill her." He turned to her incredulously and she smirked, "Not without me, anyway."
"Either of you touches her and I swear I will never speak to you again." Elena threatened weakly with a glare.
Skyler scoffed, "Is that supposed to make me change my mind?"
"What makes you think that has any power over me?" Damon questioned, narrowing his eyes at Elena, "Cause I took an arrow in the back for you?" He walked up to her with a grin, "You are severely overestimating yourself."
"And his will to live." Skyler added helpfully.
Ignoring his sister, Damon attempted to swing an arm around Elena's shoulder however she stopped him, holding his arm, "Right, I forgot that I was speaking to a psychotic mind who snaps and kills people impulsively."
"So basically... a vampire."
Elena glared at the both of them, "Fine. Go ahead." She told Damon, "Do whatever you want."
Skyler rolled her eyes as her brother looked into Elena's eyes, "You're trying to manipulate me."
"If by "manipulate" you mean tell the truth, okay." The doppelgΓ€nger nodded, "Guilty." Elena stared at him expectantly before walking away when he remained silent.
Left alone in the room with her brother, Skyler spoke, "Totally manipulating you."
Damon turned to her with a smug grin that didn't quite meet his eyes, "I knew it!"
ΰ³ββ·
"THIS box tracks Katherine's arrival to Mystic Falls in April of 1864." Vanessa, the assistant slash huntress, told Elena as she brought over an old box to the doppelgΓ€nger while 2/3 of the Salvatore siblings stood watch.
"Is that all there is about her?" Elena asked curiously.
Skyler leaned closer to Damon as she whispered, "I say we run for it while we can."
"And have Stefan sick his squirrels on us?" Damon responded with dramatically wide eyes.
"Does vervain really work?"
"Nope!" Damon called, "Not at all!" Skyler joined in.
The assistant shuffled and asked Elena nervously, "Can they hear us?"
"Nooo that would be creepy." Damon stage whispered.
Skyler nodded, looking at her brother with wide eyes, "And stalkerish." She added in the same mocking tone, "Vampires know to mind their own business." With those words, she gave a pointed look to Damon who only smirked.
"Can he read minds too?"
Damon turned around with a smirk, "You know if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask."
Skyler made a fake gagging sound as she scrunched her nose, "Gross."
"Okay vamp with the sugar daddy." Damon retorted readily, she snorted.
"No." Elena answered the assistant's previous question while ignoring the sibling's antics, "That he can't do. He is very capable of being a first-rate asshole."
ΰ³ββ·
"ANY luck?" Damon asked Elena who was going through all the information on Katherine's arrival.
She shook her head, "There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know."
He sighed dramatically, "Ah man. You know it's a bummer we're not friends anymore. Because I can tell you what I know."
"Or I can just have Skyler tell me." Elena responded, turning to the younger Salvatore who scoffed.
"I am playing no part in this besides killing the bitch." She shrugged and added as an afterthought, "And making sure Damon's mouth stays off yours for Stefan."
Elena frowned but couldn't manage to get a response out before Alaric spoke, "Hey guys, check this out." He handed a book to Vanessa as Elena made her way over to them.
"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls." Vanessa explained as the Salvatores reluctantly moved closer, "But here are some records of some of the lesser-known legends."
With a barely suppressed groan, Skyler tuned her out entirely. She figured she wouldn't get any new information from this, Klaus didn't often speak of his werewolf side however before this "mission" he had informed her of all he knew so she was prepared. Even without all of that, she simply couldn't force herself to be interested in the conversation. Well, that is until curse came into the conversation.
"The short story, 600 years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside and made farming and hunting impossible. Until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making Vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon." Skyler tilted her head curiously as Vanessa continued, "As a result, vampires could only prowl at night, and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, whoever is unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf."
"Can they control the transformation?" Damon chimed in curiously.
"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse." The assistant responded.
"And they wouldn't be called servants of the moon." Skyler added thoughtfully, a curious hum finding its way out of her mouth.
Vanessa nodded and continued, "Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice β vampires."
The Mystic Falls group glanced at each other, and Skyler sighed, "Of course."
"If werewolves are hunting vampires, I would know about it." Damon told them, stubborn disbelief leading him.
The assistant shook her head, "Not if there aren't that many werewolves alive." She responded, "Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction."
With furrowed brows, Elena asked, "Why would they do that?"
"To protect themselves," Skyler stated easily, seemingly the only one who didn't lack basic observation skills.
Vanessa nodded in confirmation before she further explained, "Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires." The words settled the room into silence filled with shock and unease.
ΰ³ββ·
"HEY, have you done any research on doppelgΓ€ngers?" Elena asked several hours later after they spent what felt like nearly an eternity looking through books, notes, and files for new information. Skyler had long since given up and was sat on a desk, filing her nails out of boredom.
Isobel's assistant looked over at her and answered, "Well the word means a lot of different things to different cultures. But typically a doppelgΓ€nger is a living breathing double of oneself."
"Did Isobel have anything that'd explain the link between me and Katherine?" She questioned further.
Vanessa shook her head, "That's all she had on Katherine unfortunately." She responded which caused Elena to sigh, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she looked down, disappointed. The assistant continued, "But I can tell you that doppelgΓ€ngers usually torment the people they look like, trying to undo their lives."
Skyler rolled her eyes, "We already know that. Katherine loves to undo people's lives."
The woman glanced at her before she commented, "It's not exactly uplifting."
"And more things we already know." Elena replied, flipping through a file, "Just β I want to know why we look alike."
"Shit luck." Skyler suggested with a shrug.
"Headscratcher isn't it?" Damon asked.
Elena slammed the file down, down with both the siblings as she glared, "Do you two know something or are you just being yourselves?"
Skyler scoffed, "I'm always myself, sweetheart."
"Well if I know anything, I'm not going to tell you. Not with that attitude." Damon responded which caused his sister to roll her eyes as he approached Elena.
"That's good, Damon, and this is coming from someone who wants to be my friend." Elena said with narrowed eyes, "but you know what? Friends don't manipulate friends. They help each other."
ΰ³ββ·
HOURS later, they were finally able to leave and the car ride back was spent in uncomfortable silence until they reached the town sign.
Skyler groaned, "I hate this town." She spoke, glaring at the town sign that welcomed them in.
In the drivers seat, Alaric chuckled and looked back at her through the rear view mirror, "If you hate it so much, why'd you come back?"
Damon's eye twitched, and he looked back at his sister curiously. She shrugged, shuffling in her seat, "My brothers are idiots but family is always and forever." She responded simply, looking out the window.
It was the truth, she was tired of lying.
She just didn't mention who her family was. And why would they ask when her brothers sitting in the passenger seat?
ΰ³ββ·
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Y'all I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long, I've pretty much been hyper focused on writing my other story, Vienna, but I'm trying to force myself to get back into this now.
I've also started the rewrite of Her Second Chance, another story from my old account, so while updates will still be posted as written I am hoping to have biweekly updates out for this story.
Thank y'all for your patience, until next time! <33
BαΊ‘n Δang Δα»c truyα»n trΓͺn: AzTruyen.Top