The Other Hale.

Chapter Twenty One: Introductions.

"Ready to meet the team?" Stefan asked me as he pulled open my door.

I laughed, checking my new look was still intact as I followed the Salvatore brothers back into their home. I never noticed before, but their house was gorgeous.

"Stefan?" A voice called out.

A mirror image of what I looked like a half hour ago appeared in front of us. Her chocolate coloured eyes moved from Stefan to myself, then onto Damon before going back to Stefan.

"Elena." Stefan replied, his voice filled with love.

Elena stared at me once more before she linked her arm in Stefan's and led Damon and myself into the drawing room. The three from this morning were still here, plus two extra.

"Wasn't her hair the same colour as Elena's?" The blonde girl asked.

"It was." Damon smirked.

"So does this mean you're staying?" Elena gaped.

"Sure does wannabe." I smiled.

"This is Katrina." Stefan told everyone.

"I'm Caroline." The blonde one piped up.

"Matt." The 'boy next door' introduced himself as.

"Tyler." Said the boy dating Caroline as he rose his hand in a half-wave.

"Jeremy, Elena's little brother." The younger of the new additions added. So he was the one dating the witch, who was noticeably absent.

"And what about you?" I asked the other new addition, who was slightly older than the rest.

"Alaric." He stated.

I smiled at him and stood up straighter. "So let's see if I get it." I smirked.

"You have Elena, the latest human Petrova doppelgänger. The Salvatore brothers, vampire. Jeremy who is really Elena's cousin but is her brother, human. Matt, human. Tyler, werewolf. Caroline, vampire and Alaric, human but a vampire hunter. How did I do?"

They didn't have a chance to do anything bar gape in amazement as Bonnie came bounding in.

"Sorry I'm late," she started, "who is this?" She finally asked, her eyes settling on me.

"And this is Bonnie, the Bennet witch." I concluded.

They all stared, eyes clouding with suspicion, mouths hanging slightly open.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked, turning to face her friend.

Elena shook her head and Matt stood straighter.

"How did you know all that?" He asked in a bold voice.

"I have a way with people." I smirked.

Caroline rolled her eyes slightly. Stefan shuffled forward ever so slightly, "The truth, Katrina." He ordered.

A burst of laughter escaped my lips, gaining more suspicious looks, but I couldn't help it. The whole irony of the situation, me telling Paul my secret, and now about to tell these strangers the other half, it was absurd!

"I'm a vampire." I finally blurted.

"You don't have a daylight ring." Jeremy stated.

"Or necklace or bracelet." Piped Caroline.

"She doesn't need them." Cut in Damon as I was away to explain. When everyone's accusing eyes turned on him, he continued. "She's a different kind of vampire, different species. An almost extinct one." He finished.