Some secrets are best kept hidden.
That's what I always thought. It was an unwritten rule that I claimed to live by but honestly at this point it kind of seems like I was lying to myself all along and that in fact I have been in denial all this time. I was being selfish and harsh. Keeping grudges and seeking revenge is easy, it's forgiveness that's hard.
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Mystic Falls, 1864
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The house was once again tense, and that's putting it lightly. Father seems to think that all will be well but I know better, he's chastising me for siding with Damon again and I worry more and more about Stefan as my brothers continue to fight and argue. They might try to pretend like everything is okay and that they're not fighting but I know better. I've known Stefan my entire life and no one knows Damon better than I do, he is my twin brother after all.
"come now Aubrey - this is hardly fair" States my younger brother Stefan as I continue to tease him. I grin at him as he tries to avoid me and all of the difficult questions. "You would rather I find out myself, because you know that I will" I remind him. He knows all too well how inquisitive, analytical and investigative I can be at the best of times and if he tries to hide something from me I will not stop until I find out what it is, I've always been that way since we were kids. Stefan seemed to look off into the distance for a moment, probably contemplating his options but he then sighed and turned back to me. "you don't want to know, Aubrey" Stefan begged, and his expression was that of a monk in prayer. I just watched him carefully "don't be silly, of course I want to know" I told him and he shook his head as he walked away from me.
The next few weeks were quiet and I had assumed that my brothers had decided to put everything to rest and somehow made peace with one another. I could never understand how they always found something to fight about but that was the Salvatore boys, always trying to hurt one another one minute then protect them the other, it's always been that way. Father says it was mothers fault, I blame him but then again I blame my father for a lot of things, that hasn't changed. Getting up quickly from my bed I had heard the screams that came from downstairs and was rushing outside of my bedroom to see my father standing before me. "not now Aubrey" he warned me as he put his arm around my waist to stop me from moving forward to venture downstairs to the shouting. I stared up at him, surprised as the blank, distant eyes that were staring back at me. How could he just stand by as this was happening. "Father" I cried. the tears filling my eyes with every second that I heard the anguish of my twin brother Damon and the anger too, the determination of my father to not interfere. He shook his head.
In that moment I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, I wanted to yell and fight with him but I knew I couldn't and it would make little difference and for the first time ever I was actually willing to see my father as my enemy once again. I never thought would but here we are. "You will not be corrupted by that evil" my father spat as he looked away from me and towards the stairs as if to claim my brothers were some kind of demonic evil. Of course as brothers and sister we fought and often too but not for a second could I actually think my brothers were anything but good men. Deep down even their infatuation with Katherine is a noble cause and could I really blame them for falling for her charms and smiles, they were only human after all.
The first night my brothers almost killed each other I cried and prayed for them to make peace and to somehow find some kind of balance but it was never going to happen. I can barely remember the details that lead to the ending of our lives as humans but I remember the way it felt, the look on their faces and I remember feeling helpless in my final moments, hoping that somehow they wouldn't kill each other upon seeing me perish to my death. I died in vain.
