9. Isobel
The events that had unfolded changed everything for Zandra and it changed her perception of Isobel. Alaric had gone with Damon to find Isobel only to find a tomb vampire instead who was trying to kill her father so he died. Elena was with Stefan trying to save him but Zandra couldn't deal with her right now so instead she was with Tyler playing video games at her apartment.
"Your dad is a dick," Zandra said as they played Mario Cart and he was ahead of him.
"Yeah he is," Tyler agreed scowling because he was losing.
"That's alright sometimes people have that one parent that is horrible or a dick somehow," she said.
"Do you?" Tyler asked.
"No I don't," Zandra said little did she know how wrong she was.
~Zandra Saltzman~
Alaric sat in The Grill drinking a glass of scotch as he sat dejected. He didn't understand how Isobel could turn and abandon her own daughter and husband. He was just going to have to explain to Zandra that he couldn't find Isobel because she didn't want to be found.
"Hello Ric," a voice said.
Ric turned his head and froze at the sight before him. There stood Isobel looking cold and acting like nothing had happened.
"What do you want?" Alaric asked.
"I heard that you were looking for me, you and Elena," she said coldness in her voice.
"That's why you're here? Elena? What about Zandra?" Alaric asked not believing it.
"She isn't important to me so if you could let Elena know that I want to see her I would appreciate it," Isobel said ignoring him to stand up.
"No," he said.
Alaric walked away not being able to believe that the woman he loved was so cold and so cruel that she didn't care about Zandra at all. It hurt and he knew once he told Zandra that she would be hurt as well. He was held against the car by his throat as Isobel threatened to kill people unless she saw Elena and that hurt as well because she never once mentioned Zandra at all. How was he going to tell her?
~Zandra Saltzman~
Zandra stood in disbelief as she looked at her father. He had told her what Isobel said and what she wanted and it hurt. What was so special about Elena? She let the tears fall as she realized that her own mother didn't even want her. Alaric's heart broke as he watched his daughter cry and he pulled her into his arms trying to make it better. It wasn't right at all and he didn't know how to make the pain go away.
"I can't do this I need to meet Caroline because I promised to help her work on the parade," Zandra said pulling away and wiping her eyes as she walked out of the classroom.
As she walked into the lunchroom where Caroline was with Bonnie she saw Elena and became angry. She understood that it wasn't her fault but what was so special about Elena that everyone fell down before her and acted like she was the queen or something. She walked up to Elena and glared at her not caring anymore.
"What is it about you Elena?" Zandra asked coldly.
"What are you talking about Zandra?" Elena asked confused.
"Isobel is back in town and instead of wanting to see the daughter that she raised for six years she wants to see the one she gave up for adoption. I hope your happy Elena you get two Salvatore brothers and our mother so have fun with that because I'm done," Zandra told her walking away towards Caroline and Bonnie.
~Zandra Saltzman~
Zandra stood with Alaric and Damon outside of the Grill as Elena talked with Isobel. She had only agreed to this because Isobel was threatening people which included Caroline and Bonnie. Isobel only wanted to talk to Elena and Damon wanted to go in there and Zandra laughed because it looked like Elena might just become another Katherine Pierce it seemed.
"Isobel is a bitch that deserves to die," Damon said to them.
"No Damon. You're right she is a bitch but she's my mother and she may not care about me but I don't want her dead. Gone and out of town yes but not dead," Zandra said.
"That wasn't the Isobel we knew Zandra," Alaric told her.
"What do you mean Dad?" Zandra asked confused because she believed him and his judgment.
"The Isobel we knew wasn't cold. I mean she was strict yes but she loved us this one doesn't love anyone," Alaric explained.
"It's called the switch. Our humanity can be turned off, it's like a button. Stefan wants to feel everything and some vampires can choose what the feel and don't feel. Isobel must have turned off her emotions to make things easier," Damon explained.
Hearing Damon explain things made the two Saltzman's wonder if the Isobel they had known was the real one. They thought that she had loved them but it seemed like that at first they were wrong. Zandra wanted to hate Isobel but she couldn't because it was her mother but she was still pissed at Elena even though it didn't make sense. She just hoped that Damon was right and Isobel really did turn off her emotions.
~Zandra Saltzman~
Tyler watched Zandra as they played on the pool table that was in her apartment. The two of them had been friends for a while now and he could tell that something was wrong with her that involved her mother. He had heard her talk about it with her father that her mother was in town so he knew that something was wrong with her.
"My mother abandoned my father and me ten years ago. She came back to town and instead of seeing me she wanted to see Elena the daughter she had given up for adoption," Zandra explained.
"I'm sorry," Tyler said not knowing what else to say.
"What did I do wrong Tyler?" Zandra asked looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
Before Tyler could say anything or comfort Zandra there was a knock at the door so he went to answer it giving Zandra time to herself. He opened the door and saw an older woman standing there with an air of coldness to her. There was something about her that made Tyler's defenses go up but he didn't understand it.
"Are you my daughter's boyfriend?" she asked revealing her identity to him.
"No he's not and even if he was it's none of your business," Zandra said. "Tyler can you give us a minute please?"
"Are you sure?" Tyler asked looking at her.
"Yeah I'll be fine," Zandra said reassuringly.
"Alright I'll go get the X-Box up and running," Tyler said walking away to give mother and daughter some privacy.
"What do you want?" Zandra asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"I know you think I'm a monster," Isobel started.
"I think that you're a bitch and that I want to believe that you care about me but the way you've acted I find it hard to believe that," Zandra said interrupting her.
"I wanted to be a vampire and I wasn't a good mother Zandra. Know this though I love your father and you. I gave him that ring to protect him so he could be around to protect you. Never doubt that Zandra," Isobel said walking away.
Zandra actually believed her and closed the door. She stood there frozen as she sobbed curling in on herself. She felt arms wrap around her and turned to bury her face inTyler's chest. He let her lose it knowing that she was upset because she found out a lot of things about her mother that she probably couldn't deal with so Tyler was going to be a good friend and just be there for Zandra through it all because that is what friends were for.
