The Owl Gilbert

1:15: Bachelor Auction

I walk out onto the porch with green tea in both hands for Elena and I, and see her and her phone call, with Aunt Jenna standing next to her, holding a coffee cup in her right hand, and I hand Elena her tea that's in my right hand. "What are you two doing out here? It's freezing." Jenna says and I sip my tea. "Thinking, writing. The, uh, funeral for Bonnie's grandma, it brought back a lot about mom and dad. I was wondering.. you said that you would do some digging about them, the adoptions." Elena says and we both look at Jenna. "Right." She says. "So did you? Dig?" I ask and she nods, smiling at us both. "Come on inside. Both of you." She says.

We're inside hovering over Jenna as she's on her laptop. "Your guy's dad kept everything from his medical practice—records, logs, old appointment books." She says and picks up a journal with her right hand. "I found an entry from the night you were born, Elena. Patient and a birth date. Isobel Peterson. Same for you as well, Adam." She says. "Do you think that's her real name?" I ask. "Pregnant teenage runaway? Probably not. First name, maybe. But where'd she get Peterson? Classmate? Best friend? So I binged it." Jenna says and pulls up the internet and types in 'Petetson; Grove Hill, Virgina'. "I searched for all the Petersons in this area born the same year as Isobel, found three. Two men and a woman, Trudie, who lived in Grove Hill, Virginia." She says. "That's not far from here." Elena says. "Well, watch this." Jenna says and types in 'Trudie Peterson; Grove Hill Highschool' and pulls up a picture of a woman with dark hair and her name is listed as 'Isobel Flemming'. "Isobel." Elena says and we both smile. "She was a cheerleader." She says. "Trudie still lives there." Jenna says and hands me a sticky note with her address. "This is her address." She says. "What about Isobel?" Elena asks. "I couldn't find anything about her." Jenna says and we sit on either side of her; me in her right. "Listen. There's something else. Mr. Saltzman, Ric, his wife was from around here, and her name was also Isobel." Jenna says. "Wait. 'Was', as in.." Elena says. "She died." Jenna says.

I'm in Elena's room with her and Stefan as she's putting her clothes away. "Alaric's wife may have been your guy's mother?" He asks and Elena sighs. "It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy." She says and turns around, and I hold up the note that's in my right hand. "I have the address for her friend Trudie." I say. "You two wanna talk to her." He says. "I don't know. I.. I--I don't know." Elena says and goes to hang up her jacket. "If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother is dead, and I don't know if I could handle that." Elena says. "Me either." I say. "Elena, Adam, did Jenna tell you guys anything about Alaric's wife? How she died?" He asks. "Just that she was killed and the case was never solved." Elena says. "You knew that already?" I ask. "The night at the school when he attacked me, he told me some things about her death." He says. "Well--" Elena says and Stefan interrupts her. "No, no. It's not possible." He says, holding her wrists gently. "The coincidence is-- it's too much." He says and they both nod. "Now, listen, if you two do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you guys. Okay?" He asks. "I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet. We both don't." She says and wraps her arms around his neck, and he places his hands around her waist, hug and release. "I should get going. I gotta go deal with Damon." He says. "How is he?" I ask. "How's he doing?" I ask. "He's dealing in his own way." He says and gives me a tight, friendly hug.

Elena and I arrive Trudie Peterson's house and she's about to knock on the door, then hesitates. I use the knocker with my friend hand, and she shakes her head, and the door opens, and we look at Trudie. "Trudie Peterson?" Elena asks. "Yes?" She asks. "Uh, my name is Elena Gilbert. And this is my brother, Adam. We wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming." Elena says. "Well, I haven't heard that name in years. How do you know her?" Trudie asks. "We think that, um, well.. do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption? Two of them within two years from each other?" I ask. "My god. You're her children." Trudie says and laughs. "I was just gonna make some tea. Would you two like some?" She asks. "Sure." Elena says. "Kitchen's this way." Trudie says and moves to the right side to let us in, and we walk through the threshold.