Love Me *TVD* (Years book 1)

Family Ties~Part 2~Maybe

"Juliet! There you are. Oh, you look beautiful, darling. Where's your date?" Carol greeted me, as soon as I walked through the mansion doors.

"Mrs. Lockwood! Hi, thank you. Um- I, actually, came alone, but I'm fine with it. Now I don't have to match my dress with someone's tie." I joked, after seeing Carol's sympathetic gaze.

"Oh, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Carol. You've known me long enough, and I helped raise you." She reminded me.

"How could I forget? You taught me everything I know. And when my mother died you were there for me when I needed a strong female in my life." I recalled, genuinely thankful.

"Well, don't tell anyone, but, you were always my favourite Gilbert," Carol whispered to me. We laughed and she excused herself to greet Caroline.

~

I walked through the mansion, saying hello and smiling to people who knew me, and I ended up in front of the heritage project. I looked sadly at the artifacts that we, the Gilbert's, loaned to the project. I stopped at mom and dad's wedding rings. People say that they were the most in-love people in the whole town, that they didn't mind to be attached at the hip. I've heard that even people who have been happily married for decades were envious of their love. I just wish I had more time to see it.

"Are those your parent's wedding rings?" I looked up to see Elena and Stefan looking at the rings too.

"There's a lot of history here." Elena generalized, looking at the display. "'The founding families in Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural founder's council celebration.' Wow, look, it's the original guest registry. Look at all these familiar names-Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that Damon Salvatore? And Stefan Salvatore?"

"The original Salvatore brothers. Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually." Damon snuck up on us, followed by Caroline.

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past." Stefan stopped Damon from continuing.

"It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family." Elena silenced him.

"Well I am bored, and I've heard all the stories. Since I don't have a date could I maybe borrow one of your dates for a dance or two?" I asked Care and Elena.

"Oh-I don't dance. But Stefan does. You should see him. Waltz, the jitterbug, the moonwalk. He does it all." Damon cut in.

"Do you mind?" I looked at Elena.

"It's up to Stefan," Elena said.

"Come on!" I dragged Stefan to the outdoor dance pavilion. He came, arguing halfheartedly.

"You seem to know my family's story. What's your story?" Stefan struck up a conversation.

"It's kinda sad," I warned him.

"Okay, then, um- where'd you get your bracelet? I don't think I've ever seen you without it."

"When I was really little I had nightmares almost every night. One day mom and dad gave me it, saying that it would keep the 'demons of the night' out of my head. I never had another nightmare since then, until the accident. Only it was a different type of nightmare. It got so bad they had to send me to a therapist who gave me something to stop the hallucinations. I see them, they're mad at me for not saving them, for being selfish and only saving myself. Elena doesn't know that I still take them sometimes. Jenna didn't notice when I switched the prescriptions. She thinks I'm getting pills for my bipolar disorder. Only Jer knows. He caught me taking one last month. Now he keeps them in his and 'Lens bathroom, he says that he wants to know whenever I take one." I confessed to Stefan.