Who Names Their Kid Malachai?

Let The Right One In

The next week was busy but boring. Jenna and I had agreed that it would be best to let Alaric come to terms with his dead wife having a secret daughter before tacking on another, and I had started school. I barely knew anyone in town so it was hardly a surprise that I knew no one in any of my sophomore level classes, but I liked it. No one talked to me and I was able to focus on what I needed to.

Besides that, I got Jenna to sign a permission slip allowing me to work at the grill. It was clear I'd be in town for a while, so why not replenish my funds?

My first night serving solo, Elena and Stefan had a double date with the blond duo from the fundraiser, Matt and Caroline. I wasn't an overly nosy person when it didn't benefit me but I also couldn't help but wonder what the history was, leading to such a tense atmosphere. Caroline looked miserable and no one else seemed to notice, least of all her supposed boyfriend. But what do I know? I've never had close friends or been on a date, maybe this was normal.

The following day however, Elena woke me for an emergency at the Salvatore's. I got that I was a witch and that I knew what they were, what I didn't get was why I was there. Two vampires had broken in the night before and tried to kill the brothers, so?

" I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night." Damon said waving around the hammer he had been using to board up the broken window.

" Yeah, and then what?" Stefan stared him down. " We turn to the rest of the house of vampires and say, 'Oops, Sorry'?"

" I can't believe you made a deal with her." Elena whined in judgement.

" Why?" I tilted my head. " It's not like she's done anything to any of you. At least prior to what I think we can all agree is the only way to make Damon listen."

" Her daughter kidnapped me!"

" As leverage to save the only family she had. I'm pretty sure spending your immortality alone is a heavier weight to bear than making a couple of teenagers hang out in a motel for a few hours."

" It was more like a helpful exchange of information." Drama took back his stage. " And it's not like I had a choice. She's ... scary. Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back." Why do you want someone, who doesn't love you, back?

" Of course she is." Elena scoffed. " Damon gets what he wants, as usual. No matter who he hurts in the process." Who is this hurting, other than himself?

" You don't have to be snarky about it."

" I woke up this morning to learn that all the vampires have been released from the tomb. I've earned snarky."

" How long are you going to blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?" Drama sighed, falling back into an armchair.

" I'm not blaming you, Damon." Aren't you? " I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities." Dad?

" Ouch."

My hand went up. " I'm confused."

" What is there to be confused about?" Elena whipped her head around to look at me.

" Damon already explained that Isobel came to him, literally asking to be turned. So, he's not wholly to blame." I explained rationally. " Not to mention that this was years before he even knew you existed and before you knew you were adopted. It's not like he did it just to upset you or even like it affected your life at all. So, why are you so angry?"

" Why don't you care?" Her nostrils flared.

" Because I've never met the woman or heard one thing to suggest she gave even the slightest crap about either of us. She's a stranger, Elena. She gave birth to us, sure, but that doesn't make her our mother."