I wake up the next morning on the couch. I saw Stefan talking and Damon staring.

"Did she just hang up on you?" Damon asks Stefan and he's nod. "She's lost it."

"If anyone can get him to help us kill Klaus, it's her. The next time Klaus comes after Ash it's to kill her, which you almost let her do yesterday." Stefan says.

"No, i let her learn what she's capable of. Do you want her to always need us for protection? Or, would you want her to be able to fight back?" Damon says and Stefan nods. "Speaking of her, how was your sleep?" Damon says looking at me.

"Is Bonnie—" I say not get interrupted by Stefan.

"She's alive. How you feeling?" Stefan asks.

"Better. My head doesn't hurt so at least I know I don't have a concussion. I'm gonna go eat something." I say walking away, knowing they were in a middle of a conversation, or argument.

I was in the kitchen but Stefan comes up to me. "What happened?" I ask Stefan.

"Your mom called me saying that Alaric asked her to go to the grille." Stefan says and I instantly look at him, worried.

"But Alaric is Klaus." I say and Stefan nods.

"I know. I'm going to head over there but it's not safe for you to come to. I told her to not go to the grille but—"

"I'm coming. She's my mom." I say walking out the door.

—

"Mom." I say happy to see her and she instantly hugs me tightly. "Thank you for listening to Stefan about not going to the grille. I'm going to explain everything—"

"Um, Ashley." My mom says and Stefan furrows his eyebrows.

"Hi, Stefan. Ashley. How's it going?" Alaric/Klaus walks behind us. I stare down Stefan and he stares at me back.

"You know, I find chopping... calming. The feel of the blade in the hand, maybe." Alaric/Klaus says in the kitchen.

"I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the hell's going on." My mom says.

"Well, would you like to tell her, Stefan, or should i? Or would you like to tell her, Ashley?" Alaric/Klaus asks.

"Tell me what?" my mom asks.

"Do you believe in vampires, Jenna? No? Well, who does, right. But believe it or not, they do have a place in our history. And as a history teacher, I find them fascinating." Alaric/Klaus explains.

"Why are we talking about this?" Jenna asks.

"Well, you've been angry with me for keeping secrets, and this is one of my secrets. I'm obsessed with vampires." Alaric/Klaus says. "There. I said it." Alaric/Klaus laughs

"Are you joking? Jenna asks.

"Not at all. How about you, Stefan? Are you a fan of vampires?"

"In literature. Bram Stoker. It's dense, but I appreciate it." Stefan responds to Alaric/Klaus, which is very Stefan-like of him to say.

"Hmm. Did you know that vampires are the oldest creatures of the night? Except for werewolves, of course." Alaric/Klaus says, looking at me.

"Werewolves. Now I know you're joking." Jenna replies.

"You know, I've read that there's an Aztec curse on both species. That keeps werewolves slaves to the moon and vampires bound by the sun. Isn't that right, Ashley? They say that these creatures would do anything to break this curse. And that they wouldn't care who they had to kill to do it." Klaus/Alaric says sitting down at the table.

"Oh, I know this all sounds so crazy, but... vampires are real. Would you care for some more wine?" Alaric/Klaus stands up.

"Get out." Jenna says.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know what it is you're trying to do or why you're saying these things, but i said get out." Jenna tells Alaric/Klaus and he makes this look like he's about to do something.

"You heard her." Stefan tells Alaric/Klaus.

"I'm afraid I don't want to." Alaric/Klaus says walking towards my mom but I get up and walk in-front of her.

He grabs a kitchen knife and holds it up to my neck.

"You guys aren't going anywhere."

I was shaking. I was already scared of him, but now, they terror increased 100x more. Thankfully, Stefan used vamp speed to grab the knife and hold him against a wall.

"Mom. We got to go. I'll explain everything, ok?" I assure her, I grab her hand and run to the car.

—

"Mom— I never meant for any of this to happen." I sit with her on the couch of the boarding house.

"When I was little, your aunt used to tell me bedtime stories. Stories about vampires. I never thought that what she said could be true." Jenna tells me.

"It is true, mom. I should have told you. I thought the less you knew, the better. But, everything is so stressful and scary lately you were going to find out eventually." I explain.

"Who else knows?" She asks.

"Everyone knows. We wanted to protect you, I'm so sorry. I'm gonna tell you everything." I say.

"No, Ashley... I am the one who's supposed to be protecting you, Elena, and Jeremy."

"I know, but there's nothing you could have done. What's going to happen in the next couple of days... you can't stop it." I say.

"I'm scared." My mom says, as tears fall down her face.

"I know." I say hugging her. "Me too."