Endgame ⚜ Sweet but Psycho

23. detoured on some random backwoods path to hell

December 20, 2017

Mystic Falls, Virginia 

Caroline's House 

It was close to 3 AM. 

"How old are your kids?" A detective asked. He looked tough, but kind in the eyes. In his hand he held a pad of paper for writing and a pen. He sat on the couch beside Poppy, who wore a shock blanket, and Silas, who held her hand tightly. Caroline stood by the couch, her arms folded over her chest. 

"Two and three years old." The mother replied, shivering from the cold air that was rushing into the house from the open door. The residence was swarming with police force. 

The detective wrote their ages down. "And their names?"

"Melody Grace Salvatore-Mikaelson and Archie Kollin Salvatore...just Salvatore." She told him. 

"Any affiliation with the nanny Seline?" 

Poppy shook her head. "No, this is the first night she watched my kids..but I used to work for her sister, Sybil." 

The detective nodded, writing the information down. "And what did you do for Sybil?" 

She opened her mouth to speak, hesitantly, but Silas spoke for her. "She ran errands for her, but quit because Sybil was asking for too much." Silas placed his free hand on top of the hand he was holding and rubbed it gently, soothingly, to tell his wife it was going to be okay. 

"Like what?" 

"She wanted me to take over her job. She wanted to quit." Poppy told him. Everyone watched as the detective picked up the large drawing from the table and brought it back. The drawing made Poppy sick to her stomach, and afraid. 

The detective observed the drawings and names, and carefully turned it around to show the parents. "Have any of you met this 'Cade' character?" 

Caroline shook her head. "No, he's new.."

"I haven't either." Silas told the detective. 

All eyes were on Poppy when she didn't give a response right away. She pulled her hand from Silas's and hugged the blanket around herself more, then let out a shaky breath. "I have." She admitted. Tears filled her eyes when she remembered what he did to Cami. Oh God, please spare her children. "I'm sorry, I need some air." She stood up and began walking, walking past Alaric and a Detective towards the front door. 

"When was the last time you saw the nanny?" Alaric's detective asked him. 

Alaric had his arms folded over his chest anxiously. "Here. She offered to watch the girls for me and the kids for Poppy. We spoke by phone a few hours ago. She was getting ready to put them all to bed."

Caroline approached the pair, holding up her phone to show pictures. "I have these. I don't know which ones you want to use." She began to point out which kid was who. "This is them. Josie, Lizzie, Archie, and Melody..." She held up a drawing. "And, uh, this is Sybil, the woman who we believe is with Seline." 

"How do you know they're traveling together?" The detective asked. 

"It's a hunch." The mom said, closing her eyes momentarily as her husband walked elsewhere. "Sybil is Seline's sorta sister."

"Sorta sister?"

Caroline shook her head. "Look, it doesn't matter. Are you gonna disseminate these photos or what?"

Poppy stood on the porch outside, taking deep breaths in and out, tears glistening on her cheeks. Scared seemed like a weak words to use to describe how she was feeling. She was more than scared, she was terrified to her bones. She brought her fingers to her necklace, fidgeting with it as she muttered a prayer. Anything that could help at this point, she would try.