Who Names Their Kid Malachai?

Genuine Kindness

It had taken nearly a month to cross the country. I had walked and hitchhiked almost 3,000 miles from Portland. The one time Jo caught a glimpse of my mother, Isobel, she had heard her mention Mystic Falls and after an inconclusive locator spell, that's all I had to go on. The spell couldn't find Isobel but it was clear she had left something major in Mystic Falls, something my blood and magic were quick to react to.

Once in Mystic Falls my first stop was a restaurant in the town square, the Mystic Grill. A dumb name if you ask me, but it had been nearly a day since I had anything to eat and I needed to iron out my plan. Now that I was here I needed a place to stay and a place to start.

" Hey." Someone suddenly slid into the seat across from me.

" Um, hi?" I returned the greeting, hoping for an explanation.

" Right, sorry. I'm Jenna. You just looked kinda lost and my nephew Jeremy over there," she gestured to a boy about my age sulking by a pool table, " said he didn't recognize you from school. So I wanted to say hi and see if you needed any help."

Jenna was an energetic woman who spoke a mile a minute. Her smile was a lot friendlier and seemingly more genuine than most of the ones I saw from my family and coven. Maybe she could give me a place to start.

" A-actually, I'm looking for someone." I started. " My birth mother, she lived nearby when she was younger."

" Oh well.."

" Kylie." The past month had been enough for me to adapt.

" Well Kylie, Mystic Falls is a small town. I'm sure if I don't know her, someone around here will. What's her name?"

" Isobel Flemming? She was about eighteen when she had me and gave me up." Jenna's face quickly went from happy and helpful to shock and then fell completely. " I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have dumped all of that on you."

" No,no, you're fine." Jenna reassured me and looked down at the table with a stressed shake of her head. " It's just my niece, Elena. She recently found out she was adopted and in our search we were also led to an Isobel Flemming." Jenna paused as we let that sink in. " Ho-How old did you say you were?" She looked almost worried.

"Fifteen? I was born in Portland and left with my father's sister."

" Is your aunt in Mystic Falls with you? I think if you talked with my niece it might benefit you both."

" Uh, I came alone. There was some drama in the family and she thought I'd be safer with Isobel, except that I can't find her."

" She sent you, alone, cross country at fifteen? To find a woman you never met, with no certainty that you would? To be safe?" Jenna's eyes widened dramatically. "Where are you staying?"

" The waiter gave me directions for Mrs.Flowers'. I was planning to check it out when I finish up here."

" No,no,no. Jeremy!" She suddenly shouted for the boy from earlier.

"Yeah?" He asked, trudging over.

" How would you and Elena feel about a new house guest?"

" Oh no, I couldn't-" I tried to interject only for Jenna to cut me off.

" Ah ah. No. I'm not about to let a fifteen year old stay in a new town alone. You're lucky I don't go straight to Sheriff Forbes. We have a spare room. So, Jeremy, what do you think?"

'Jeremy' stared at me for a moment and I shrank at the scrutiny. I didn't want to intrude. The Gemini coven did well enough in making me feel unwanted. I didn't need to relive that.