(1) The Devil's Hybrid (D. Winchester)

Chapter Sixty-Five

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Katherine Pierce is in Damon's room. She's searching for the moonstone. She goes through his closet and drawers. She finds a wad of money and pockets it. She even checks the fireplace but can't find it. She sighs and goes and washes her hands with soap in the bathroom. She starts to leave, but suddenly stops. She digs in the bowl of soap bars that Damon Salvatore has and finds the moonstone. She takes it out and smiles.

.................

Alaric Saltzman goes to his car. His estranged vampire wife, Isobel is there waiting for him.

"Hi, Ric"

"Isobel. What do you want?"

"Just cleaning up some loose ends"

"Yeah, we don't have any loose ends"

"You may not. I do. I need to apologize to you"

"It's a little late for that"

"No, not for what I've done in the past. We're beyond that. Although I am sorry for outing you to your girlfriend. That was petty of me"

"Look, whatever jacked-up vampire amends that you're trying to make with me right now, I'm not interested"

"Of course not, because I compelled you to let me go. I realize that I don't wanna do what I have to do without you knowing how much I loved you and I did. I loved you so much. He's all yours" Maddox is behind Alaric he puts his hands next to Alaric's head. He falls on the floor, unconscious. Isobel leaves, looking pained.

.............

In Isobel's Car, her phone rings. It's Katherine. Elena Gilbert is lying on the back seat, unconscious.

"Are we good to go?" Isobel asks.

"I'm at your house, but we have to hurry. Damon knows your lodging tricks. It will take him all of 20 minutes to find out where you're staying"

"We'll be long gone before that"

"Good. How far are you?"

"I'm sorry, Katherine" Isobel tells her, Elena starts waking up. "I had to do what I was told. They wanted the moonstone and they wanted you"

"They? They who?" Isobel hangs up.

.................

Katherine turns around. Maddox is just inside the front door. She rushes over to him but he stops her with his powers. She screams and falls on the ground, unconscious.

.................

Isobel's car drives inside the cemetery and stops. Isobel's minion gets out of the driver's seat, and opens the side door. Isobel gets out of the car.

"Just because you can't be compelled doesn't mean I can't force you to come with me" Isobel tells Elena who then gets out of the car.

"So is that what happened? You were compelled to betray Katherine?"

"If I was, I couldn't tell you"

"So you lied. You did find Klaus, didn't you? He knows where I am now. Are you taking me to him?" Isobel doesn't answer but instead walks to a tombstone and crouches down in front of it. "What is this?" Isobel clears some leaves from the tombstone. It reads "In loving memory - Isobel Flemming - Jan 18, 1978 - May 4, 2007"

"My parents, your grandparents, they put it here when it became clear that the police weren't gonna find my body. They visit every week, and they bring flowers, even though there's no one buried here. The Isobel they knew is dead. So maybe there's a part of me that's buried here, the-the human part, the part that I abandoned when I-when I choose to become a vampire, the part that used to dream about the day that she'd know her daughter"