The Vampire Diaries: Bastard Line of Delgallo

Jenna stormed out of the Gilbert house, her breath coming in ragged gasps, the weight of revelation pressing down on her like an iron vice. Leon and Vanessa followed closely behind, their expressions unreadable, but their presence only added to the suffocating feeling in her chest. Her mind reeled from the encounter with Isobel—Alaric's wife, Elena's mother, and a ghost from the past that should have stayed buried.

The cool night air did little to soothe her, and she spun around to face them. "What the hell just happened in there?" Her voice shook, but there was an undercurrent of steel in it.

Leon exchanged a glance with Vanessa before speaking. "You learned the truth, Jenna. That Isobel is not only alive, but she has her own agenda. You needed to see it for yourself."

Jenna let out a sharp laugh, devoid of humor. "Oh, I saw it, alright. I saw the mother of the girl I've been raising stroll back into her life like she has any right to it."

Meanwhile, inside the house, Elena stood stiffly in front of Isobel, arms crossed over her chest, her expression a mask of fury and betrayal. "You don't get to waltz back into my life and call yourself my mother," she spat.

Isobel's lips curled into a smirk. "I gave birth to you. That makes me your mother whether you like it or not."

Elena shook her head, anger flashing in her eyes. "A mother is someone who stays, who cares, who fights for her child—not someone who abandons them because they decided they wanted something else more."

Isobel's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before she regained her composure. "You think your precious Jenna has done such a great job raising you? She doesn't even know half of what's going on in this town."

Elena's jaw clenched. "She didn't need to. She was there. And that's more than I can say for you."

Isobel sighed, tilting her head as if examining Elena. "You'll understand one day."

Elena stepped forward, her voice a low whisper filled with warning. "No. I won't. Now leave me alone."

Isobel hesitated for only a moment before turning on her heel and walking out the door. Elena's heart pounded in her chest, but she stood firm, watching her biological mother disappear into the night, knowing that blood alone didn't make family.

_________________________________

Salvatore Boarding House —April 9, 2010

The morning sun cast a warm glow over Mystic Falls, but Bonnie felt nothing but frustration as she sat across from Vanessa in the Mystic Grill. The coffee in front of her had long gone cold, untouched as she processed Vanessa's words, the weight of the revelation pressing down on her like an immovable force.

"There's no way around it?" Bonnie asked, her voice barely above a whisper, almost as if saying it out loud would make it more real.

Vanessa shook her head, her expression sympathetic but firm. "Only the one who took your magic can give it back. I'm sorry, Bonnie."

Bonnie exhaled sharply, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. Her magic had always been a part of her, an extension of herself, and now she was powerless. She had been clinging to hope that there was another way, another spell—something that would allow her to reclaim her power. But now, she was back to square one, dependent on forces beyond her control.

"Then I'll make them give it back," Bonnie said, her voice laced with determination.

Vanessa sighed. "It's not that simple. Magic isn't just about taking and giving. It's about balance. If you push too hard, there could be consequences."

Bonnie's jaw clenched, but she didn't argue. She knew Vanessa wasn't wrong, but the thought of remaining powerless wasn't an option either.

Meanwhile, across town, Katerina smirked as she leaned against a dusty bookshelf, watching the Salvatore brothers pour over ancient texts in their study. "Now that we know where the witches were massacred, we need to harness their power," she said, crossing her arms.

Damon shot her a glare, slamming a book shut. "Oh, is that all? Just tap into centuries-old, pissed-off witch magic like it's a keg at a party?"

Katerina chuckled. "You always did have a way with words, Damon."

Stefan ignored their bickering, flipping through the brittle pages. "We need to find the spell. If we don't, someone else will, and I doubt they'll have good intentions."

Katerina's smirk widened. "Exactly why we need to act fast."

As the tension between them thickened, Stefan's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening. "It's Caroline."

Damon frowned, his fingers tapping impatiently against the book. "What does she want?"

Stefan answered, his voice steady but concerned. "Caroline? What's wrong?"

On the other end, Caroline's voice was laced with worry. "It's Matt. He knows about vampires."

Stefan stiffened. "How?"

"He saw me heal someone. He put the pieces together, Stefan. He's freaking out."

Damon scoffed. "Great. Just what we need—another human existential crisis."

At nearly the same time, Damon's phone rang, and he answered with an exhausted sigh. "Bonnie? What now?"

Bonnie's voice was urgent. "I need your help. We have to take down the Martins before they cause any more damage."

Damon's fingers tightened around his phone. "And what exactly do you expect me to do?"

"Meet me at the old church," Bonnie said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "We'll discuss it there."

As the calls ended, the front door of the Salvatore boarding house swung open with force. Elena strode inside, completely unaware of the weight of the morning's revelations.

She barely took a breath before launching into a rant. "Isobel is back in Mystic Falls, and she just walked into my house like she belongs there! I can't believe—"

She stopped short, finally noticing the grim expressions on Damon and Stefan's faces. The exhaustion in their eyes. The shadows of something darker lurking beneath. Damon looked uncharacteristically shaken, his usual arrogance replaced with something heavier.

"What?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "What happened?"

Stefan exchanged a glance with Damon before sighing. "It's been a long morning, Elena."

Elena frowned. "Yeah? Well, mine hasn't exactly been a picnic either."

Damon finally spoke, his voice lower than usual. "Let's just say we've got bigger problems than your absentee mother showing up uninvited."

Elena folded her arms. "You don't get to dismiss this like it's nothing, Damon."

Damon let out a humorless chuckle. "Trust me, I'd love to care about your family drama, but right now, we're dealing with potential witch-fueled destruction, rogue vampires, and—oh yeah—Klaus coming to murder us all. So forgive me if I'm not in the mood."

Elena's face fell slightly. She hadn't considered what they might have been dealing with, not really. She had been so caught up in her own emotions, in the betrayal of Isobel's return, that she hadn't stopped to think about what was happening around her.

Stefan placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll deal with Isobel. But right now, we have to focus."

Elena hesitated before nodding. Whatever had happened while she was gone had left its mark on both brothers, and that realization sent a chill down her spine.

Damon and Stefan shared a brief glance, both realizing that Elena was unaware of what happened to her the night before. She behaved as if it was completely wiped from her memory. As vampires who toyed with human minds, this shocked them to see Elena at the other end of mind games.

Stefan then began to see flashes of the girl loved, stripped naked, bent over, and railed from his enemy as her face twisted in pleasure. Then buried memories resurface as he hears her voice. Her soft moans, and subtle trembles of orgasms stacking and her repeated pleasure soaked words of being stretched and touched deeper than ever before.

Stefan's face shifted, his turned black and veins protruded on his face as Elena backed away in fright. Damon quickly stopped him. He calmed Stefan and Elena now knew that something had changed her men for the worse.

"I should go." she said.

"No." Stefan stopped her, "Stay. We need to help get Bonnie's magic, Harness the Witch site and kill Leon before Klaus arrives and then we kill him too!"

Elena had never seen him so enraged. It was as if a stranger was standing before her.

"We can't do that." Elena spoke sharply, a deep urge to protect forming.

"Leon can be trusted. He's good..." she reasoned, her words like a knife to the brothers' hearts.

______________________________

The air was thick with tension inside Old Fell's Church as the Mystic Falls gang gathered to discuss their next move. The wooden pews, long abandoned by worshippers, creaked under their weight. Candles flickered against the damp stone walls, casting long shadows as everyone turned their attention to Bonnie.

"We need to get my magic back," Bonnie said, her frustration evident. "But the only way to do that is if Dr. Martin gives it back willingly."

A silence settled over the group until Elena spoke, her voice steady but filled with an edge of determination. "Then we force his hand."

Bonnie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Elena took a breath. "Provocation. We need to lure him into making a move."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that? I don't see the good doctor just handing over Bonnie's magic because we ask nicely."

Elena's gaze was unwavering. "We use Elijah."

A murmur rippled through the group. Everyone knew that Elijah's body was still in the basement of the Salvatore house, daggered but intact.

"If it's Dr. Martin who comes, we capture him," Elena continued. "If it's Luca… we kill him."

Bonnie stiffened. "Absolutely not."

Elena turned to her, her expression dark with the weight of everything at stake. "Bonnie, if we don't stop them, they'll come after us again. And with Klaus closing in, we can't afford to lose any advantage."

Bonnie opened her mouth to argue, but the look in Elena's eyes made her pause. There was no denying the truth—Klaus was coming, and they had to be prepared.

Damon, leaning against a pillar, watched Elena with an expression he usually reserved for Katerina. Something about her ruthlessness in that moment sent an eerie chill down his spine. "You're starting to sound a lot like someone I know," he muttered.

Elena ignored him. "Bonnie, you can't be anywhere near this. Dr. Martin still has faith in you as a witch. If he sees you siding with us against him, we lose our one chance at getting your magic back."

Bonnie exhaled sharply but gave a reluctant nod. "Fine."

Meanwhile, across town, Katerina had her own agenda.

She moved quickly through the dimly lit alleyway, her coat wrapped tightly around her slender frame as she reached a secluded spot behind an old bar. Isobel was waiting for her, arms crossed, eyes filled with something between amusement and calculation.

"Did you bring what I asked for?" Katerina asked, her voice low.

Isobel smirked. "Patience, dear. I'm working on a deal with Klaus."

Katerina narrowed her eyes. "What kind of deal?"

"To spare you, in exchange for the moonstone and the doppelgänger."

Katerina let out a dry laugh. "So you're planning to double-cross Damon and Stefan?"

Isobel's smile widened. "We both are."

Katerina kept her face neutral, but deep inside, she was already calculating. Isobel thought she had the upper hand, but there was one thing she didn't know.

Leon.

Katerina had kept his existence to herself for a reason. After what she had witnessed, she knew Leon was a wild card—one she intended to keep in her back pocket should everything go wrong.

For now, she played along, nodding as if she agreed. But inside, she was already making her own plans.

__________________________

The air was thick with an impending sense of unease as Alice stepped into the dimly lit café where Vanessa and Leon sat waiting. The usual bustling hum of Mystic Falls felt distant, drowned out by the weight of the information she carried. The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered, but none of them were here to indulge in casual conversation.

Vanessa was the first to speak, her tone sharp. "You're late."

Alice slid into the chair across from them, her fingers tapping anxiously against the table. "I have news. Klaus has sent people to Mystic Falls."

Leon leaned forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Alice. "How do you know?"

Alice exhaled, choosing her words carefully. "Some time ago, Isobel Flemming reached out to Slater before his death. You know, the guy who tracked vampires? She was trying to find Klaus's people, digging for any connections she could uncover. It wasn't random—it was intentional."

Vanessa exchanged a look with Leon, her brows knitting together. "Go on."

Alice nodded. "After Isobel came to town, two more strangers arrived. They weren't subtle about it, either. One of them came in with a big truck, like they were moving in for the long haul. They've been keeping a low profile, but I know they're watching. They're waiting for something. Or someone."

Leon leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly. A smirk played on his lips, but his eyes remained calculating. "Good work, Alice."

Vanessa crossed her arms, her unease evident. "Should we act now? If Klaus is putting pieces into place, we might not have the luxury of waiting."

Leon, however, seemed unshaken. He reached for his cup, swirling the dark liquid inside before taking a slow sip. "No. Let the events unfold. We'll watch and see who makes the first move. Rushing in blind could cost us more than we're willing to pay."

Alice shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure? I don't like sitting on my hands when we know danger is closing in."

Leon met her gaze, his expression unwavering. "Patience, Alice. We need to see where the pieces land before we make our move. Klaus didn't send these people here for nothing. Let them think they have the advantage."

Vanessa didn't look entirely convinced, but she nodded nonetheless. "And if they strike first?"

Leon's smirk deepened. "Then we make sure they regret it."

Alice pursed her lips, still uneasy with the passive approach, but she didn't argue. The storm was coming, and for now, they would let the winds gather before they decided how to fight against them.