You are my Freedom

A few Good Brother in Laws

"Alaric's wife might have been your mother?" Stefan asks surprised.

"It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy. I have the address for her friend Trudie." Elena tells him

"You wanna talk to her," Stefan says more as a statement rather than a question.

Elena looks down, "I don't know. I...I--I don't know. If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother is dead, and I don't know if I could handle that."

Stefan sighs, "Elena, did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife? How she died?"

"Just that she was killed and the case was never solved."

Stefan nods, "The night at the school when he attacked me, he told me some things about her death... no, no. It's not possible. The coincidence is—it's too much. Now, listen, if you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you. Okay?"

"I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet," Elena tells him wrapping her arms around Stefan's neck they embrace each other lovingly.

Stefan soothingly runs this hand up and down her back, "I should get going. I gotta go deal with Damon." He regretfully tells her.

"Yeah what's going on with him? Is he still sticking the wife story?"

"Yeah apparently she was a servant of ours and they married in secret before he left for war," Stefan explains

"And what now they are just gonna carry on like nothing has happened? He promised once he got Katherine he would leave... Bonnie's Gran died." Elena says getting frustrated.

"I know, apparently his plan was to kill Katherine for taking him away from Clara, but now I don't know... I'll try to talk to him again."

"Clara?" Elena asks.

"His wife."

Elena smirks, "Don't you mean your new sister in law." Elena says sarcastically.

Stefan drops his head, "Look just focus on Bonnie and Trudie, I'll deal with it okay?"

Elena nods agreeing.

**Salvatore Boarding House**

Damon has been trying and failing at calming Clara down. Finding out she has missed out on 150 years of her life has sent her spiraling.

"Please, can you stop saying everything is going to be alright!" She shouts at him

Damon looks at her with sympathy, "I'm sorry."

"And stop saying that too!" She shouts again.

Damon sighs, "Not leaving me with a lot of options here dear." After he stresses the word dear Clara shoots him a look saying don't push it and wisely Damon doesn't. Instead, he goes down into the library and grabs books from the late 1860's to early 1900's.

"Here." He says tossing the books near her.

"What are these?" She asks.

"Books from the first 40 or so years you missed, catch up. I have to go out and get some more blood bags, might have to go a few towns over so this should keep you occupied and out of trouble for a while.... look you're overwhelmed I get that but please just try and take a few deep breaths and see the bigger picture."

"And what's that?" She asks annoyed.

"That we're together again, and this time for good." He said ending with a smirk causing her to playfully roll her eyes.

She nodded agreeing to try to be more positive and sent him off with a kiss.

Later as Stefan returned to the house he found Clara sitting in front of the fire books sprawled out all around her.

"What's all this." He asks a little annoyed at the mess.

Clara jumped a bit not realizing anyone else was near.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." Stefan softly tells her.

Clara smiles, "Of course not, I am sorry. I am not yet use to these heightened senses I seem to only be able to focus on one at a time and right now my advanced reading comprehension muscles seem to be in command."

Stefan looked around seeing such titles as Little Women, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Red Badge of Courage, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Harriet the Moses of her People, and of course one of Damon's favorite's Jack London's Call of the Wild, which she was currently engrossed in.

"Call of the Wild huh?"

Clara nods, "It's terrible what Buck is forced to go through."

Stefan studies her, "Surprised it's not Spitz who you identify with."

Clara sets down the book and looks as Stefan confused.

Stefan shrugs, "Just saying he and Damon have so much in common."

Clara now understanding the passive-aggressive comment Stefan gave trying to needle her gets up and sits on the sofa motioning for him to sit down as well.

"Stefan, being new to this century and completely missing the last how about instead of trying to be clever and cutting you simply engage me in conversation?"

Stefan rolls his eyes, "Fine, look I don't know you but the Damon from his human days is drastically different to who he is now, and a newbie vampire which for all purposes you are, is not exactly going to suddenly help stabilize and calm him. I care about the people in this town and I think it would be best for everyone if you left."

Clara is trying hard to control her temper, "How exactly would it be best for me? I am terrified, completely unknowledgeable of the times, the only thing I am a little familiar with would be the Salvatore lands. How does sending me and Damon off into that unknown help anyone but to stabilize and calm your own life?"

Stefan doesn't really have an answer for that but pushes through, "Look I sympathize with you, I do. But things are happening that I can't keep Damon out of for much longer, and eventually, that will catch up to you as well. I am trying to help you."

Clara studies Stefan now, "I will discuss it with Damon when he returns."

Stefan looks around, "Where is he, how come he isn't here with you?"

"He said he needed to go a few towns over for more blood bags."

"He doesn't have you out sucking down the townspeople yet?" He asks her letting his contempt for his brother show.

Clara squeezes her hands into fists and anchors herself to the sofa, "I don't know what happened between you and your brother but would you mind not coming and talking to me with so much hostility about the only person in the world I love? I am a newbie as you called it... there's only so much sarcasm, passive-aggressive taunts, and condescension I can take before these new heightened emotions get the better of me. That wouldn't lead to anything stabilizing or calm now would it?"

**Later that day once Damon has returned**

Elena walks into the Boardinghouse calling out for Stefan but instead, Damon comes rushing at her and drags her back outside.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" He asks her

"Have you? What the hell!" She says twisting herself out of Damon's grasp.

"Oh, I don't know there happens to be a new old vampire inside who would turn homicidal if she was ever confronted with your face!" He shouts at her.

Elena closes her eyes, "Right, I forgot."

Damon smirks, "Just trying to keep you alive princess, wouldn't want Steffy brooding the rest of eternity of your untimely death."

"How very generous of you."

Damon shrugs, "I try, so what does the great Elena require today?"

"I found out who my birth mother is."

"Eccch. Who cares?"

Elena looks hurt but Damon can't bring himself to care having enough on his plate. He looks over Elena to see Stefan pulling up.

"I thought we agreed it wouldn't be safe for you here," Stefan says.

Elena looks a little sheepish, "I know I forgot, I went to see Trudie Peterson."

[Stefan's face becomes stony.]

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it."

Damon bored of whatever this is announces his exit, "Well this seems to have nothing to do with me... oh btw Stef next time you want to form a little book club with my wife make sure to invite me will ya, it sounded like a hoot!"

Once Damon is gone Stefan returns his focus to Elena.

"How was it?" He asks.

"She has vervain. She knows about vampire stuff, and it can't be a coincidence."

"It isn't. This is Alaric's wife." Stefan produces a photo he got from Alaric earlier.

"This is her. This is Isobel. He gave this to you?" Elena asks studying the photo.

"Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her. He believes that she was killed by one."

"Oh, my god."

Stefan sighs, "Listen, Elena, there's a lot about Isobel that Alaric can tell you, but I need you to hold off a little while before you talk to him."

"Why?" Elena wants to know.

"I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but will you do that for me?"

Elena relents and agrees.

A little bit Earlier

"Honey, I'm home," Damon announces cheekily

"Hi, I finished all the books!." Clara says smiling.

Damon smiles back and brings her in for a kiss

"What'd you think?" He asks her.

Clara hums in contemplation, "Hated Little Women loved Call of the Wild."

Damon smirks, "Knew there was a reason I loved you, anything else happen while I was gone?" Damon noticed Clara purse her lips a little, a tell of hers.

"What?"

Clara looks down, "What happened with you and Stefan?"

Damon sighs and brings her in for a hug breathing in her scent.

"That is a very long complicated story." He tells her.

Clara wraps her arms around him, "Will you tell it to me someday?"

Damon kisses the top of her head, "Of course I will."

Clara thinks she hears something, someone, and is alarmed it almost sounded like Katherine. Damon distracts her by asking her to put away the blood bags and promises her it's nothing and he'll explain later.

He zooms out and nearly throttles Elena for her stupidity in coming here. Luckily Stefan was not far behind her and he left the annoying emo lovebirds to it.

A little while later after Elena is gone Stefan comes downstairs to try and talk again to Damon.

"Where'd your wife go?" Stefan asks.

"I introduced her to internet shopping, she's trying to find clothes that appeal to her but won't draw a lot of questions like 'how many children are you trying to hide under your skirts.'"

Stefan pulls out the picture of Isobel and hands it to Damon, who looks at it with his usual smugness.

"This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina. Remember her now?"

"Who wants to know?" Damon asks.

"I do."

Damon narrows his eyes a bit and asks again.

"Who else wants to know?"

Stefan ignores the question, "Did you kill her?"

"Sorry. Don't know her."

Damon walks past Stefan and looks back at him.

"Better get going your gonna be late, give my best to The Real Housewives of Mystic Falls."

Damon retreats back upstairs to his bride leaving Stefan just as frustrated as before and no closer to finding the answers he needs.

Later at the Grill Elena overhears Alaric questioning Stefan again over Damon tired of waiting for his revenge and realizes what must have happened to her birth mother.

Elena paces around outside the Grill. Stefan exits the Grill and approaches her. She turns to face him.

"Elena," Stefan calls out.

"He killed her?" Elena asks accusatorially, "Damon was the vampire that killed her?"

Stefan looks upon her sadly, "I don't know what happened. Alaric said that they never found the body."

Elena shakes her head, "Oh, my god. Stefan." She says close to tears.

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. But I just—I wanted to know more." He explains.

"I was feeling sorry that maybe I misjudged him.. that maybe all this time he was just grieving over being apart from the one he loved. I'm so stupid." Elena says chastising herself.

"He doesn't know about the connection to you. I thought about confronting him, but he has enough on his plate and while I hate to give him any credit he is actually doing a good job with Clara and keeping her under control, certainly better than with Vicki."

Elena narrows her eyes at him, "Why are you protecting him? Because the new vampire he brought home hasn't attacked anyone yet?! That doesn't make him a good person, Stefan!"

"Because you're not the only one hoping that he might actually change. That there might still be good in him."

Elena shakes her head slightly as she and Stefan look at each other. Elena looks over Stefan's shoulder and back up at him, but does a double-take when she recognizes the man from earlier down the street.

"That man."

Stefan turns around and looks at the man, who watches them.

"I saw that man outside of Trudie's."

"Get back inside. Come on." He tells her pushing Elena back inside the Grill.

**Back at the Boarding House**

Damon and Clara are in bed naked and content.

"Mmm, maybe you don't need any new clothes I'll just keep you naked in my bed."

"Forever?" She asks giggling.

"Hmm, there are worse ways to spend eternity."

Clara's face grows serious

"Before when you had me put the blood bags away, you were hiding something from me weren't you?"

Damon sighs,

"Yes, it's about Stefan's girlfriend."

Clara scrunches up her eyes brows. not understanding, "Why would you need to hide that? Is she human, is it not safe to meet her yet?"

Damon sighs, "She is human but that's not why I think it wouldn't be safe."

"Then why?"

Damon holds his breath and just tells her the truth, "Because she's the spitting image of Katherine."

"I don't understand? I mean how much could she really look like her?"

Damon reaches over for the long-discarded laptop on the floor by his side of the bed and pulls up Elena's f*******: page.

The laptop doesn't survive much longer after Clara's hands angrily snatch the contraption out of Damon's lap trying to understand what she was just shown.

She is sitting up in bed seething as Damon tries to explain what they have figured out so far about Elena being adopted and possibly a descendant of Katherine's.

"Look just keep breathing and I'll be right back with some blood alright?"

Damon retrieves some blood from the cellar hoping it will help calm her down before he has to warn Stefan to get Elena out of town.

Damon walks across the parlor to quickly grab himself a drink before returning upstairs to talk his now volatile vampire wife off a ledge... man he hated this new role of caring and being responsible sometimes. Quietly, Alaric enters the room with a stake in his hand.

"Are you really this stupid?" Damon asks as he finishes pouring his drink and turns around to look at Alaric who is standing behind him. Seeing no desire to rethink his decision from Alaric, Damon is actually a little pleased he has an excuse to be a little bad tonight.

"Guess so." He says tilting his head a little.

Damon takes a drink, places his glass down, and vamp-runs at Alaric, throwing him across the room. Alaric lands on the floor, heavily, but quickly gets back up, ready to attack.

"You gonna put down the stake?"

But Alaric remains in an attacking stance.

"Wow. That's courage." or stupidity he thinks.

Damon walks towards Alaric.

"Where's Isobel? What have you done to my wife?"Alaric demands to know.

Damon smirks, "You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy? Because I think you know what happened."

"I saw you feeding on her."

Damon rolls his eyes, "Yeah, I did, and you know what? She was delicious."

Alaric rushes at Damon. Damon hits Alaric in the stomach and Alaric keels over falling back onto the floor.

"Oh, come on. What do you think happened? Not an inkling? Never considered the possibility?"

Alaric looks up at him.

"I turned her."

Alaric looks shocked, "Why?"

Damon pouts a little in mock sympathy, "She came to me. All pathetic, looking for vampires. There was something about her, something I liked. There was something special."

Alaric looks at him incredulously, "You turned her because you liked her?" He asks completely baffled by the idea.

"No, I slept with her because I liked her. I turned her because she begged me to. Yeah. But you knew that, too, didn't you? Hmm. I guess she wasn't happy at home, wasn't happy with life in general, wasn't happy with you."

He knows he's just provoking him now but he really needed to let off some steam and if things kept going like this it would likely be resolved by talking, something that did not fit into his evening plans.

Alaric rushes at Damon again, but Damon grabs the stake from Alaric's hands and stabs him in the chest, puncturing his lung. Alaric yells in pain.

"Ah, this is a shame. a week ago I would have said we were kindred spirits, but alas my love has returned to me... sucks to be you."

Damon removes the stake from Alaric's chest. Alaric wheezes.

"Sounds like I got a lung. Which means I get to sit here and watch you die."

"Damon?" Looks up and sees Clara on the stairs having witness his brutality.