✔ | Allure, S. Salvatore

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ɴɪɴᴇ - 𝑰'𝒎 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒄𝒚...?

[Episode 11 - Bloodlines - 3]

One of the chief gestures of life is belonging to someone. And no one can express enough, how much it makes you feel safe. Everyday after my parents died, I woke up, forcing myself to get out of bed and live my life because I'm their legacy - I'm a Gilbert. And I made myself live the miracle of a life that I had in my hands.

Stefan slowly nods, sitting beside Elena as he takes her hand in his in a pleading gesture "Every couple of years I come back here, to see Zachary and see my home. Last spring, I was out in the woods, by old Wickery Bridge. And I heard the accident. All of it. I was fast getting there, but not fast enough. The car was already submerged. Your dad was still...he was still conscious. I was able to get to him, but he wouldn't let me help him, until I helped you both-".

I gasp "You. You were the.... I saw..."

He nods "I went back for them. But it was too late. I couldn't-- I couldn't save them. When I pulled you both out, I looked at your faces. You looked like Katherine. I couldn't believe the resemblance. After that, I spent months when I watched you. And I saw that neither of you were nothing like Katherine. And I wanted to leave town, but, Elena, I couldn't. I couldn't leave without knowing you. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to. But you were so sad..."

I get up and give them space as I pace on the floor "Why do we look like her?"

"You've both been through so much-"

Elena gets up and joins me as she demands "Why do we look like her, Stefan? What are you not telling me?"

"It didn't make any sense to me. You were Gilberts. She was a Pierce. But the resemblance was too similar. And then I learned the truth. You were adopted-"

"How do you know all this? It might not even be true!" I scoff. 

"Your birth certificates from the city records. They says Elena Gilbert, Katherine Gilbert, Mystic Falls General. But there's no record of your mother ever being admitted. There's no record of her ever being pregnant"

"What else do you know?" I demand. What else do I not know about myself?Stefan shakes his head "For me to go any further, I would've had to look into the Pierce family, and I couldn't do that. It's too much of a risk. If someone found out I was asking about Katherine..." he trails off.

"I have to go" I clear my throat with a plastered smile "...Thank you for telling me"

▹▹▹

I make my feet sludge into my house when my aunt bombards me with concern.

"I don't set a lot of rules, Kat. Not with you. I trust you to tell me everything and be safe. Why would you not tell me about it before? I thought that we were closer than that-"

I raise my hand, stopping her "Question: am I adopted?" she looks to me with guilty eyes but doesn't reply.

"Are Elena and I adopted?" A tear drops onto my cheek and I run to my aunt and sob into her shoulder.

Life sucked. But at least I knew where I belonged. And now I get to know that the people I loved and called my parents were not my parents.

"I-I'm so sorry... They asked me not to...."

I sob harder.