Try {One | Alaric Saltzman}

Bad Moon Rising

After Damon told a very hostile Abigail the story of Mason Lockwood's violent outburst at the carnival, more questions surrounding the Lockwood family came to light. He had an idea to get answers, one that required Alaric's help. So, he sent her to find him and bring him back to the boarding house. No matter what.

"Thanks for coming, Ric." Damon led them into the library. "We were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family history."

Alaric and Abigail sat down on the couch across from Stefan and Elena. "Now, why would I know anything about that?"

"Well, you wouldn't." Damon poured himself a glass of bourbon. "But your dead, not-dead vampire wife might."

"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together," Stefan clarified. "You said that she spent years researching this town."

"Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls was rooted in folklore and legends." He leaned back, draping his arm over the back of the couch. "Most of which I thought was fiction at the time."

Damon smirked. "Like that amazing vampire story."

Elena let out an exasperated sigh. "Aside from vampires, what else?"

His answer to her question was casual, "The lycanthrope."

Abigail turned her shoulders toward him, furrowing her eyebrows. "As in werewolves?"

The room fell silent at his confirmation.

"No way. Impossible." Damon sat down in an armchair. "Way too Lon Chaney."

Stefan looked in his direction for only long enough to ask, "Is it?"

"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years, never came across one." He tapped his fingers on the side of his glass. "If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"

Alaric shrugged. "Why do you suspect the Lockwood's?"

"Vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founders' Day, but the Gilbert device did," Damon said. "You explain that."

"And..." Abigail took a shaky breath, leaning forward. "Tyler was affected by it too; that's why he crashed the car."

Stefan nodded. "And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought with one of the carnival's workers."

"We were," Elena hesitated, "We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure it out."

"Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there." His arm slid down the couch, so close to her that she could practically feel it. "She's technically still missing."

"Can we get access to it?" The question earned her a weary look. "Ric, we need to know what we are dealing with."

"If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good." Damon pursed his lips. "It means Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior, which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."

Abigail ran down the stairs at the sight of Alaric's car outside of her house the next morning. She wanted to get outside before Elena to give Damon something of a warning, but as soon as she saw Alaric standing in the foyer she was stopped in her tracks. Jenna was there, too, waiting to send them off, but she didn't even really notice her there.

It was a strange thing to be able to communicate with someone so easily, to be able to tell exactly what the other person was thinking, but they knew moments in a crowded room so well that it had become effortless.