The Good Daughter

Twenty

"Wait wait wait." I held a hand against my grin. "So Enzo went and got himself caught by hunters... human hunters?"

I was on what I assume was supposed to be Bonnie's desk. For now, I was using her portion of the room until I could find more... reasonable accommodations.

"You could take a little less enjoyment in it." Caroline sulked. "And maybe actually help. I thought he was your friend!"

Elena and her were looking over a map of mystic falls as if it'd help.

"Darling, if there's one thing I've learned from my family, it's delegation. I've got my witches and various humans doing legwork in your magic free zone, and vampires patrolling the edges. They'll call when they find something."

"How do you have so many minions?" Caroline paused.

Stefan was out looking.

So were Tyler and Matt.

And apparently Jaime? Or was it Jerome? James- Jeremy! That's it.

"I had to be incredibly careful. Orders come from my right hand. They have no idea it's me but they know to follow instructions or his enforcer, ie me, will come for them. I earned a name for myself, beyond Salvatore or Mikaelson."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is with my system." I swung my legs.

Elena's phone buzzed and she rolled her eyes. "Ric's been hounding me to make a decision."

"Yeah well that's what you get for purposefully getting amnesia."

"Ooh, has the doppelbitch actually done something interesting?"

"Okay the first step to being friends, call Elena by her real name." Caroline gave me a look.

"Doppelbitch has such a nice ring to it though."

Elena sighed. "Whatever."

"So what is it she's gotten amnesia for?"

They shared a glance. "She used to be in love with Damon but when he died, she asked Ric to compel her to forget."

I gasped dramatically. "A doppelgänger falling for both my brothers. Shocker." I truly did not understand it.

"I'm not sure I want to remember why I loved such a..." She side eyed me. "Psycho."

"Darling, I know who my brothers are. No need to do that."

"I have a question." Caroline stood up straight. "How come you've got an accent?"

"You've met Nik, no?" I went back to swinging my legs. "I want you to think about that for two seconds."

"Right but how long did you live with them?"

"Fifty five years." Holy shit. I'd actually lived on my own longer than with them. Wasn't that a strange thought.

"And did you really travel the world?"

"I wasn't aware we were playing twenty questions."

"Sorry." No they weren't. "It's just that you know so much about us..."

Right. I was supposed to let them in. Show them I could be their friend. "You get three questions before I stop answering."

There was a pause. "How did you die? The Mikaelsons seem so overprotective that it's hard to believe they'd let you get turned."

"They used a spell to put me to sleep." I'm not envious of the way others have been turned. It was always so violent.

Then I was hungrier than I've ever been. "Two more."

Elena hesitated. "Why didn't you tell Klaus that I was alive? You could've used me as leverage and you didn't."

"As far as you know."

"No, it's more than that."

"If you're implying I somehow cared for you, doppelgänger, you'd be dead wrong. It was a favor to Stefan. He asked me to keep it a secret and I did. For him. Not for you."

Caroline crossed her arms. "I've got the last question. Why are you so mean?"

"Don't know what you're referring to, darling."

"See!" She pointed at me. "That right there. You're nice and then you're mean."

"I'm a complex person. Satisfied?" My phone buzzed and my stomach dropped.

It was a text from Elijah.

'Enough of this ruse. Do not make me come and get you myself. You'll not like the consequence.'

My blood ran cold.

I bit my lip as my thumb hovered over the contact. Would he be more angry if I blocked him? That his messages were undelivered?

"What's wrong?" Caroline rounded the bed.

Was this stupid? Now that I knew Stefan was alive, he could be used against me. I hummed distractedly.

"Morgan?" Elena.

Did he know where I was?! Oh god. He probably did and the banging on the coven's magic was just Freya throwing me off while he tracked me.

Shit.

Or- He was bluffing.

My heart leaped into my throat when his contact overtook the screen and my phone began to ring. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

He was going to be so angry.

Oh god.

"Morgan." The phone was taken from me and someone grasped my hands. "You're hyperventilating. You need to breathe before you send yourself into a panic attack."

I felt my entire body start to tremble.

Who was talking?

"Morgan." Different voice, this one far more gentle. "Can you tell me five things you can see?"

What the fuck?

"Come on." Said the other. "You can go first, then me and then Elena."

Alright... "Floor," I began unsteadily. "My clothes."

"That's good. Three more." The first coaxed.

There was a ringing in my ears. "The chair."

Elena and Caroline came back into focus sharply. I realized Elena was the one holding my hands, and Caroline was hovering worriedly.

I pushed past them, using my speed to get out.