Imagination is the key (stefan, Damon love triangle)

Chapter Fifty-Nine

"Lillie. . ."
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and ignored who ever it was whispering.
"Lillie, you need to wake up."
"No." I snuggled further into the duvet and extended my arm to the other side of the bed, reaching for Damon. But my hand just brushed against the cold empty sheets. My forehead creased in confusion as I blindly patted around.
A finger brushed against my cheek gently and I force my eyes to open. The room was too bright and I instantly shut them again, with a moan.
"Good morning." Damon whispered.
"Why are you waking me up?" I mumbled, half asleep. I relaxed back into the bed and yawned. The mattress dipped beside me and Damon started running his fingers through my hair.
"You need to go home, Stefan needs to talk to you."
I shuffled backwards to lean my weight affectionately against Damon. "But I don't wanna. . ."
Beside me, Damon chuckled and kissed my hair. "I don't want you too either, but we both have things we need to do today."
I rolled over in the bed, eyes finally opened and adjusted to the horrid light. "How long have you been up anyway?"
Damon smiled down at me. "Longer than I would have liked to have been."
I frowned. "Are we ever going to get time to just relax in bed together?"
He sighed and shifted to wrap him arm around me and so that I could lay across his chest. "Eventually we will. Just right now we have a lot that we need to do to ensure Elena's life." He tilted my head up and he smiled softly. "But when that's all over," He kissed me quickly. "I'm not letting you leave this bed."
"I can most definitely live with that." I said, kissing him again.
"Good. Now get up."
I rolled my eyes, kissed him once more and then pushed him off of the bed so that I could get up. "You suck."

"So," I said, waltzing into Elena's bedroom. Stefan was sat tensely on Elena's window seat, whilst she was perched on her bed. "Why did I need to get up at," I glanced down at my phone and groaned. "8 o'clock?"
Elena glanced at Stefan for a moment before standing up and approaching me. "I know that we've kept things from you recently that you had a right to know-"
I narrowed my eyes. "Where is this going, Elena?"
"We want to be honest with you."
"Great." I said. "Spill it then."
"Isobel's here. In Mystic Falls." Elena said without missing a beat.
"Hmm," I hummed, eyes flickering between the two. "Just to clarify -Mother Isobel?"
Stefan nodded. "Yeah. She turned up here last night."
I clenched my jaw. "And why am I only just now being told."
"We tried to tell you." Elena interjected quickly. "But Damon wouldn't let us. He said you were sleeping and that he wasn't going to disturb you."
"What does she want?" I asked, leaning up against the wall.
"We don't know." Stefan answered. "We haven't exactly spoken to her."
"You said she turned up here. So, you're saying you answered the door and then no words were exchanged? I don't know her, I don't like her but yet I still would have said something. Granted it would have been mean, but still."
Elena bit her lip and a sighed. "I wasn't the one who answered the door, Lillie; Jenna did."
My eyes widened and my mouth went dry. "What happened then, Elena?"
"Aunt Jenna. . . She -uh- She was having doubts about Rick," Elena quickly spurted. "And we were talking about lies and she was utterly convinced that Rick's lying to her about something -John, I think had said something but she was questioning everything but then the door went. She went to answer it and then it just went silent." Elena's eyes began to water. "Jenna knows that Isobel's our mother, Lillie and she knows that something is going on because she's supposed to be dead."
A huge wave of sadness and doubt washed over me. I felt guilty for having to keep all of these secrets from Jenna and I knew from the start that something bad was going to happen at some point that was going to eventually reveal what we had tried desperately to keep hidden. "Where is she now?"
"Who?"
I pursed my lips. "Aunt Jenna. Where is she?"
"She's gone to stay on campus. She has a paper that needs to be done and she doesn't want to be staying here with us because she knows that we knew."
I slid down the wall. "Oh god. She must feel so betrayed." I muttered.
"I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't listen."
"Obviously." I retorted. "You've never been lied to by people you think would never do that." I looked at her pointedly. "You don't know what it feels like to feel that kind of betrayal, Elena. She's hurting. She doesn't know who she can trust. She's sad."
Elena sat down heavily onto her bed and hid her face in her hands. "I don't know what to do."
"You need to give her some space. You go chasing after her, she'll only get worse."
"How do you know?"
"Because that's how I felt every time you stabbed me in the back. And every time you tried to approach me, I literally wanted to stab you in the back." I gave her a tight smile. "You question my self control all the time, but you have no idea how much control I actually have."
She groaned and fell backwards on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "This is a nightmare. Between Isobel and Jenna and now Matt too, I don't know what to do."
I cocked my head to the side. "What about Matt?"
"He knows about vampires. . ."
". . . How?"
Stefan stepped foward. "Last night at the Grill he got injured, Caroline had to feed him her blood to save his life; she's decided not to compel away him memories either."
"That's great." I said. "Not the injured thing, but now he knows. One less person to have to hide it from. . . Right?"
Again Stefan and Elena exchanged glances.
"What now?"
"Matt; he uh- kind of freaked out."
"But you did too when you found out. What the difference?"
Stefan cleared his throat. "He knows that it was vampires that killed V-"
"That it was vampires that kill people and that it's not actual animal attacks." Elena quickly cut it.
Something was off. I'm missing something. Something important and that I feel like I should have a right to knowing. Because that's not the first time that something along these lines have happened recently. They hiding something.
But I just shook that thought from my head. We have more pressing issues to deal with than them once again lying to me. Wow. I really need to get some better friends.
"You'd have to be stupid to believe that all the sudden deaths around here were actual animal attacks." I said.
I could see Elena physically deflate and relax at my 'obliviousness' to Stefan's lapse. If she's not going to tell me. I'd just have to find somebody that will. Hmm, perhaps Caroline will run her mouth if i ask her enough.
"People around here are just oblivious and ignorant to what's going on around them." Was Elena's response.
A shy tap at the door broke us away from out conversation.
"You can come in, Ric." Elena said.
I remained sitting on the floor beside the door, seeing no reason to have to move right now. Except I've never moved away from a door sa fast in my life than I did just now. Because when the door opened it reveal John.
"What do you want?" I demanded coldly.
He looked down at me where I now sat by Elena's feet. "I was hoping that I could talk to you and your sister down stairs for a moment."
"No." I said.
"Elena?" Said John.
"Why?" She asked.
John's eyes flitted over to Stefan for a moment. "It needs to be said in private."
"You know what?" I said. "I'll make you a deal. I'll let you talk to us if Stefan comes down with us."
"Look," he began. "I don't think this is a good ide-"
"I don't trust you." I said bluntly. "And frankly, I want you gone, but Elena and Jeremy feel differently, so i'm trying my hardest to give you a change. Take my offer or fuck off. Your choice."
His eyes narrowed. "Language, Lillie."
I glared at him challengingly. "Fuck. Off."
He clenched his jaw together and glared at my blatant disrespect but decided against saying anything else. "Fine." He gritted. "He can come."
I grinned. "Just in case you were unaware; he was going to come anyway. Or he was going to listen. Either way, you weren't going to be able to hide anything from him."
Elena smacked me around the back of the head and stood up. "Does it have to be downstairs?"
"Yes." He turned on his heels and disappeared down the hallway.
I looked up at Elena and Stefan with a smile. "Make sure you tell me everything he says."
"You coming down as well."
My face went blank. "I don't think so. The only reason I made the deal for Stefan to go down was so that you had some company and weren't alone with him. He's weird and I really really don't trust that man."
"Lillie," Elena said. "He wants to talk to you too, you have to come down."
"Well, I don't really have too. It's not like he can force me down physically."
"He can't, but I'm sure I could."
"I'd smack you." I warned.
"You've hit me before."
"Only because you hit me first."
"Not true." I denied. "I'm a pacifist."
Elena bit her lips as her eyes glinted brightly and it only took a few seconds for her to start laughing. "You?" She chocked. "A pacifist?"
I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yes. And stop laughing!"
"You were the violent child out of all three of us!"
"Nuh uh."
"How many black eyes did you give Jeremy when you were little?"
"Three." I answered. "In my defense, one of the time's he broke my arm first."
"That's not the point. And do you remember the time you br-"
"Broke two of your fingers? You were chasing me around the house with a hammer. So what if I accidentally closed you fingers in the door. I was protecting myself."
"It was an inflatable hammer!" Elena incredulously exclaimed.
"So?" I grumbled.
To the side, Stefan chuckled and Elena and I glared at him. "What are you laughing at?" I asked.
"You two. Is this what you're like when you're getting along?"
"You've seen us getting along before." Elena pointed out.
Stefan smiled softly. "Not like this."
"Oh, this isn't really us getting along." I said. "This is just us reminiscing on my violent moments we do that sometimes. It's to make the other feel better about themselves."
"And if we continued on the subject of Lillie's, we'd be here all day." Elena added.
I grinned evilly. "You haven't even heard about some of the mean evil things Elena's has done to me and Jeremy over the years." I looked at Stefan and smirked. "She killed Jeremy's hamster when we were younger and then told him this elaborate, mean story about the hamster hating him so much he decided to go and find a better family. He cried and hid in his room for a week. Bet you did expect that of sweet, innocent Elena."
"Elena! Lillie! Are you coming down?!" John shouted up.
"No!" I called back.
Elena sighed and stuck a hand out for me to hoist me up. I took it. "Come on, Lils. Just hear him out."
"Fine." I sulked.

When the three of us got down the stairs what I found was not what I was expecting. For some reason I was thinking that maybe he wanted to try and talk through with us and create some kind of relationship. To be in our lives. Far-fetched, I know. But I think deep deep down I was hoping that he was going to try and get to know us better than he did. . . I was wrong. Instead he was stood beside a tall, brunet woman.
I should have known, but I only realized that something was wrong when Elena froze up before me and Stefan had grabbed my arm to pull me away from the banister, out of her reach if she tried anything.
I looked between John and the woman curiously. Who was she? Why was she in my house more importantly?
The woman timidly at us. "I asked John for a do-over."
"You invited her in?!" Elena hissed accusingly.
"Wait," I said, looking at John. "you invited a vampire into our home?!"
The woman focused her whole attention on me and Stefan's grip on my arm tightened and he shifted his weight a little so I was positioned just behind him.
"Lillie," She breathed. "my, how beautiful you've grown."
I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze and looked away at Elena for help and she mouthed one word to me. 'Isobel.'
I was suddenly filled with a burning rage. This was the woman that had caused everyone a great deal of pain? Ric's ex wife? My mother? I couldn't quite figure out how to process this bit of information. I mean, I had taking it in and I knew what it meant but. . . I can't quite explain it. This is different to finding out that John was my father. Because I already knew him. I knew who he was, what he was like. But Isobel is something completely new and unknown to me. I know next to nothing about her. Except she's supposed to be evil and uncaring.
But as I stared at him now, I hated what i could see. I don't know why or how, but I knew that her physically appearance was misleading. Because to me, right now, she looked like someone I would have liked to have had as a mother. She was beautiful and kind looking, soft and gently. She held herself gracefully and carefully. But she was a monster. That much I was certain on. Elena and the others had filled me in on her last visit after I found out about Isobel. She had no remorse for human life. She didn't care about it in the slightest.
And that made me feel sick as I stared at her. . . Because looking at her, I could see myself. The resemblance was uncomfortable. The same dark long hair, facial shape, eyes. . . Looking at her, all I could see was me.
"Isobel." I said monotonously. "Get out."
"Lillie, please-"
"I'm with Lillie on this one. I want you out." Elena said sharply.
"She has information about Klaus. Please, just listen to her, okay?" John stepped forward, standing just in front of Isobel. Of course he would protect her.
"Stefan?" Elena asked cautiously.
"Fine," Stefan said. "What do you know?"
"Can we take this in to the living room to make it more comfortable?" She asked.
I crossed my arms over my chest and remained standing where I was as Stefan and Elena both made their way down the stairs. That's what i don't get about Elena. I don' t understand how she can be so understanding. She's going to have a civil conversation with the woman who literally threatened her last time she was in town and who doesn't give a shit about us. I'd rather just kick her out and deal with everything without the bullshit information John says she has. I think at this point John would say and do anything to try and get involved. He hates not knowing what exactly is happening and going on. And I like it best that way. He can't give his unwanted input, he has no reason to be sticking around and making our lives a living hell. This whole Klaus situation would pass by much easier if John and all of his own problems just disappeared.
"Lillie, are you coming?"
I inhaled deeply and my gaze locked with Isobel's. "I feel like I don't have much of a choice."
I stomped down the stairs, clearly showing my unwillingness to be in the same room as both of my biological parents. Wow. That was something I didn't think I would be able to say again. It's a shame that it's not the parents that I actually liked. I sat down on the edge of the sofa, or as far away from John as I could get. I was grateful when Stefan moved to sit between us.
Silence lapsed over us. No one quite knowing what to say right now. And it continued on like that for several moments before Stefan broke it. Thankfully.
"What did you find?"
"Since I was last here, I've been doing everything possible to find Klaus. We knew our best chance was to find him before he could find you."
"I thought you didn't care?" I sneered. "You have no humanity -or that's what I've heard."
"It's complicated."
"Un-complicate it."
"Look," She said. "It's not that simple, okay?"
"Why not?"
"Are you purposely trying to make this difficult."
"You're making this entire situation difficult by being here, Isobel. It's not me."
"I'm trying to help."
"Leave then."
"Lillie," Elena snapped. "Stop it. Isobel, please continue."
I stared at her in disbelief, is she for real? I gritted my teeth together but kept my mouth shut.
"I wasn't able to find him; Nobody knows where he is but there are these rumors that are flying around. That a doppelganger exists."
"Which means any vampire that wants to get in favor with Klaus will be lining up to capture you." John added.
"I'm sorry to butt in here," I said. " but that was obvious. You guys are acting as if the knowledge of a doppelganger was never going to get out. If you didn't think that -well i'm sorry to say, but you're stupid. The secret had gotten out a long time ago. Are any of you wondering how Rose and Trevor knew about Elena. They didn't live in town, but yet they knew. Aren't any of you curious as to how?"
"Research." Was Isobel's answer. "That's how I had originally found Damon and Katherine."
I looked at Isobel. "Fine, say that's how they found her. How did they know one existed in the first place? Someone somewhere knew about Elena. She's the kind of secret that wont stay hidden for long."
Everyone took in my words. Elena had paled a lot. Her skin was almost a chalky white.
"Why wouldn't they have come for me then?" She asked.
"Because you're not the only ingredient needed." Isobel answered as she realised. "They knew you were alive, but what use are you if all the other required pieces are missing. It was the moonstone. That was what was key."
"Why?"
"Why do you think, Elena? People are easier to find than objects. The moonstone needed to be found before you die, otherwise they'll have to wait again. People aren't patient. They'll do everything the fastest way possible. Once they have the moonstone, they'll have no problem finding you... Because you were never hidden."
"That's why we tried to kill as many possible threats as we could. The tomb vampires were a big liability. Especially considering the moonstone is here too. Klaus won't hesitate to come and collect. We couldn't leave one of those tomb vampire's alive."
A look of disgust and anger crossed Elena's face. "You almost killed Stefan and Damon because of that!"
I sat ridged in my seat. I heard this story and it didn't make it very easy to want to try and forgive either of them.
"That wasn't our intentio-" John tried to say.
"Liar!" Elena exclaimed. She was on her feet, glaring down the John and Isobel. "You, yourself dragged Damon to the basement to die, John. Don't pretend you didn't want them both dead."
"I'm trying to do what I think is best for you." His eyes flickered to mine. "Both of you. I'm not saying I wouldn't have been glad had Damon died, because if he had you sister would be able to think for herself. She wouldn't be caught in his web of violence and deceit."
"Hey!" I hissed. I was on my feet too. "How dare you? You have no say on the topic of Damon and I, as I've told you before. You know nothing about our relationship. Stop pretending you do, John. J-just stop everything. Stop butting into our lives. Stop trying to help, Stop trying to ruin everything we all have here. You've already ruined Jenna's relationship, what more could you possibly want?"
"I want you both out. Now." Elena said determinedly. Her jaw was set and her eyes hard as she looked at our biological parents.
Panic rushed over Isobel's face. "Elena, wait-"
"No. I'm done listening to you two. Get the hell out of our house."
I moved to stand by her side and grasped her hand in mine, supportively. Isobel looked at me pleadingly. "You heard her." I said. "I'm not going to help you. I didn't want you here to begin with."
Isobel and John hesitated for a moment, almost like they were waiting for us to change our minds. That just proves how much they don't know us. And when we just remained standing where we were, not saying or doing anything but glaring at them. They finally left, but not before I noticed her Isobel mouth something.