Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 14:

IT CAN'T BE ELIZABETH TAYLOR

Anomaly (noun): a person or thing that is different from what is usual; abnormal

"I had always known the sky was full of mysteries, but not until now had I realized how full of them the earth was."

"The sweetest smiles hold the darkest secrets…"

"If eyes are the window to the soul, then grief is the door. As long as it's closed, it's the barrier between knowing and not knowing. Walk away from it, and it stays closed forever. But open it and walk through it, and pain becomes truth."

"If our grave was watered by the rain, would roses bloom? Could roses bloom again?"

Receiving a summons to Joshua's playground was an unprecedented anomaly, a notion forsaken for untold millennia since their Father's unforeseen departure. In the aftermath of God's abandonment, the Garden endured under Joshua's diligent care, and the center of Heaven metamorphosed into a state of perdurable seclusion. Occasionally, the higher-ups would visit the Garden to engage their reclusive brother in a laconic discourse, their mostly monosyllabic colloquy a series of probing questions consisting of God's whereabouts or His impending return. However, as one millennium progressed into two, and with the elapsing of countless millennia, any and all hope of their Father's return to Heaven vaporized into nothing and the Garden no longer played host to choleric inquisitors.

For this reason, when an unsuspecting angel of the Host sensed the mental intrusion of a telepathic communication instigated by a fellow Brother or Sister, with a summons to the Garden and a demand for secrecy, he reacted accordingly – immeasurable surprise coursed through him and deep down, a speck of intense hope began to blossom.

Lounging amidst the fraternity of galvanized angels, the venture of separating from his garrison without detection was a ridiculously easy feat to accomplish due to recent events. The slaying of Lucifer's Vessel's significant other incited the Vessels' search for the Prince of Hell, Azazel, and thus, spurred the initiation of the series of events that would ultimately lead to the implementation of the Apocalypse as its occurrence had been foretold thousands of years ago. A fraction of the Host, including himself, have been tasked with observing the two pesky mortals pivotal to the predestined end of the world, John and Dean Winchester, ensuring neither candidate meant to fill the position of the Righteous Man, died before they had a chance to sell their soul.

Almost a fortnight back, a Rawhead almost succeeded in terminating the life of Dean Winchester, forcing Michael himself to intervene and prompting the Host to work overtime in fear of provoking the Archangel's wrath. Consequently, this worked in the summoned angel's favor as he was capable of disengaging from both, his garrison and the assignment without notification.

In less than no time, the angel crossed the threshold of Heaven's cynosure and became encapsulated in the canvas of green and gold foliage and brown copses of trees. Sensing his presence and exact location, he ethereally glided toward the Garden's sole inhabitant, his shimmery form pulsating with mirth, "Has trimming the hedges stultified you to the extent of summoning my presence, brother?"

Straightening from his crouched position, Joshua chuckled warmly at his younger brother's antics. Unlike with the higher-ups such as Michael, Raphael and Zachariah, Joshua found the other angel's lack of formality and eschewed usage of stilted words to be equal amount of endearing and refreshing; withal, those traits, exceptionally unique in an angel, are what led to him being chosen. "Ah, brother, your dulcet tones were sorely missed," Joshua teased.

That prompted a short bout of laughter, "Funny you should say that, Mr. Gardener. Can you believe mortals find the sound of my voice utterly deafening. Rude of them, I say." He then scoped the vicinity with his bright blues, a shard of disappointment lacing his otherworldly visage. Of course He wasn't here… the advent of God into Heaven would generate portents.

"I have received revelation, brother," Joshua articulated, cutting into his negative thoughts.

Impassive, he shrouded any vestige of hope with a drawl of apathy, "Is that right? So you have spoken with God."

"God usually does all the talking, brother. I merely listen," Joshua reminded him, his tone mildly chiding. The younger angel emitted a noncommittal sound, "You might have mentioned it once…mayhap twice." He looked around then, expression bored, "Why am I here, Joshua?"

"Like I said, I have received revelation," the Gardener intoned blandly. "There is a task, brother. It is clandestine and you are meant to undertake it."

Intrigue fully restored, he squarely met Joshua's solemn gaze, sensing the untold secrets brimming in his vibrant eyes, "Task? From whom, Michael?"

Joshua's response was crisp and abrupt, "No. You know I do not take orders from either of our archangel brothers." He had a meaningful look in his eyes that elicited reverence from the younger angel. "It is I delegating the assignment to you, brother. Should you choose to accept it, you shall be dispatched to a small town in North America, posthaste."

A mixture of reluctance and disgust featured heavily on his expression. "Eurgh, Joshua. Brother! You want me to live amongst those hairless apes? You know I have little tolerance for them," he admitted shamelessly. Just because he wasn't advocating for the extermination of the human race, did not mean, in no uncertain terms, that he loved humanity, and perhaps the reason was born out of spite of God's abandonment.

"You are not to interact with them. Merely observe. And you shall have no need for a vessel either," Joshua warned him sharply. At the younger angel's bemusement, he added, "For a limited amount of time. Once you have seen what you are supposed to see, you shall know and return promptly. No one is to know of your assignment. No one. Not even Castiel or Uriel."

Suspicion colored his celestial visage, "You're being awfully cryptic, brother." However, the corner of his mouth crept upward in a sly smirk, "Luckily, I've been feeling quite tedious of Winchester Watch. I'll do it."

Effectively absconding Heaven unseen through a Heavenly Portal of Joshua's design, the impetuous angel traversed North America, only stopping once he reached a sign emblazoned with the words: 'Welcome to Mystic Falls'.

His head tilted to the side, the invisible celestial being chuckled to himself, "What a quaint little town."

Almost a month had passed since that fateful night when the tomb got opened and Sheila Bennett died, and much had occurred. The moment Mystic Falls High School released the students for the winter holidays, a depressed and mourning Bonnie left town to stay with family, but despite the tragic losses in Mystic Falls, Christmas festivities commenced as usual and the town gathered together to enjoy the holidays. Most surprisingly, Stefan expected his brother to either ditch town in a fit of murderous rage or lash out at the town upon the discovery of Katherine's deception; however, other than his constant intake of alcohol and nightly indulgence in women were he fed from them and had sex with them, he didn't kill a single soul and remained mostly sane.

In Snow's case, she was recovering swiftly from the successive surprises the first fortnight of December had in store for her. The sight of her melancholic best friend, who had recently been bereaved of her grandmother, snapped the raven-haired girl out of her catatonic state which subsequently encouraged a heart-to-heart between the girls that culminated in a sleepover at Logan's. With Bonnie gone, and Caroline unaware of the supernatural entities in existence, Snow and Elena were practically attached at the hip and constantly confided in each other whenever nasty doubts assailed them – Elena, regarding her probably stupid decision to have Jeremy compelled as his obliviousness was what had him befriending a vampire with ill intent and almost led to his death, as well as her uneasiness with being a doppelgänger; Snow on the other hand, bemoaned her probable nonhuman status, the woes of feeling everything profoundly, and the ugly fact that her father had been alive all this time and had her mourn him because he hadn't wanted her in his life.

Another surprising development to take place in Mystic Falls post-tomb, was the tenuous alliance between Logan and Damon. By no means were the two vampires with strong personalities friends, but they each developed a subtle soft spot for the other. The aftermath of Snow's spine-chilling nightmare prompted them to build an alliance for the sake of keeping her safe and secure both, from the unknown and another attempt at her life. Occasionally, Damon would stop by after Snow went to bed, and like the first night, would drink through Logan's bar in mutual silence. Other times, they'd sit side by side at the bar in Mystic Grill and poke fun at each other.

Moreover, while Snow maintained her silence regarding the evil being with yellow eyes that featured in her nightmare, it didn't mean she had forgotten about it. During bouts of solitude, Snow obsessed over it, mumbling to herself about the veracity of her nightmare coming to life, and the search engine's history in her laptop – a Christmas present from Logan! – was overflowing with research regarding beings in possession of authentic yellow eyes, the lore of empaths, and strangely enough, Sam's, hoping she'd find the guy with a head of floppy brown hair from her dreams, whose mother and girlfriend?, died and whose brother ended up being a serial killer before succumbing to death as well.

All of which led to the impromptu meeting Logan assembled at the house.

Bleary-eyed and dressed in fashionable pajamas an ecstatic Carol had gotten her, Elena's drowsy, "What are you two doing here?" snapped Snow's sleep-addled brain into awareness. Blinking, violet eyes landed on the three vampires congregated in the living room. Blinking again, Snow gauged her pajama-clad-self and messy bedhead, and then Elena's equally disheveled appearance, the brunette having had slept over much to Jenna's burgeoning disapproval.

Emitting an eep! sound, Snow sheepishly smiled at the amused Salvatore brothers as she attempted to subtly hide herself behind Elena's form. An endeavor she failed at as Elena was intending the same with Snow. They didn't mind looking horrible in front of Logan or showing bare skin in his presence, he was their overprotective, cool uncle-figure. But two handsome vampires and, in Elena's case, her boyfriend's lecherous brother – forget it!

"Like I said, if I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it," Damon drawled out, smirking broadly at the mortified girls. In unison, Logan and Stefan reached over and smacked the back of his head, drilling lethal glares into him that would have any lesser man running for the hills. Sending another glare at the vampire, Logan turned to address Snow and Elena with a smile, "How 'bout you girls shower and get dressed. I'll have breakfast ready for you then we all need to talk, 'kay?"

Wanting to probe the reason behind the early morning congregation, yet itching to escape the lingering gazes brushing their skin, especially Damon's shameless burning stare, they obediently retreated into Snow's room, taking it in turns to shower and dress. Laughing the incident off, after breakfast – the only meal Logan was excellent at making – Snow and Elena squeezed into the three-seater sofa with Logan, and fixated the vampires with questioning eyes.

"So… what's up?" Elena finally asked, having enough of the staring contest.

Clearing his throat, Logan achieved eye contact with his goddaughter, her blood running cold and entire form stiffening at the sympathetic quirk to his lips, knowing without a doubt that she was the reason for the impromptu gathering. "A lot's been happening. Stefan had a thought, and I agreed, that'd be best if we put our heads together and deliberate on everything. Maybe then, we can come to a solution, or know what to expect or keep an eye out on," Logan revealed, his tone kind and hazel eyes brimming with compassion.

Hesitant, Snow voiced out, "Like a, like a brainstorming club?"

"Ughh!" Damon groaned, eyes rolling aggressively before they glared heavenward. "When you put it like that, sounds lame. This isn't the Breakfast Club, you know."

"Bottom line!" Logan snarled out, throwing another warning glare at the irritating vampire he still didn't know why he was wasting his time humoring. "During these past few weeks, I've come to the realization that everyone's been holding on to a piece of a puzzle, and without connecting them, we're all left with more answers than questions."

A soft frown slowly started to materialize as Elena's perfectly plucked eyebrows snapped together, "Like what?"

Logan steepled his hands together and placed them under his chin. "Like," he drawled pointedly. "The night Snow got attacked-" the aforementioned girl couldn't wait for the day where she'd stop flinching at the mere mention of that horrible night, "-Damon was in Georgia, visiting a witch who mentioned something about the 'Pure' being in danger of some looming darkness—"

Careless flippancy in his tone, Damon cut in, "In my defense, I thought Bree was spouting off nonsense to get me to spare her life." He then proceeded to roll his eyes in a 'can you believe it?' demeanor. Elena glared at Damon, this being the first she's heard of the kind witch's death. An impressive glower taking over her soft features, the brunette hissed with as much vitriol as she could muster, "And just when I think you're not a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities, you go ahead and prove me wrong."

A bark of laughter emanated from Logan's mouth, his head thrown backward due to the intensity of his laugh. Tears of mirth brimming in his mischievous hazel eyes, he formed a fist and offered it to Elena, "That's my girl! Absolutely priceless. Come on, Princess. Pound it."

Her anger slowly draining, Elena giggled and bumped her fist with Logan's proffered one. Stefan coughed to disguise a laugh while Damon compressed his lips together in a tight-lipped smile, eyes portraying anything but amusement. Snow however, frowned, "You killed someone?"

"Okay, moral police, let's not do that guilt-trip crap right now. I killed her. It's been a month. It's done, it's irreversible. So, let's move on," Damon snarked, stomping on the guilt Snow Silverstone had a knack for awakening with a mere look. Damn doe eyes!

Before Snow could counter with a sad retort, something along the lines of Bree having been his friend, the endeavor was drowned by Stefan. "We're digressing," he stated, matter-of-factly. "Point is, according to Bonnie, Emily called you, Snow, the Pure and claimed you must be protected. Same as Bree had."

Both Logan and Elena grimaced, the latter saying, "Yeah, I can see what you meant by puzzle pieces, Logan." And usually, Logan would make a good-natured retort to call him Uncle Logan, followed by the fact he had changed her diapers once or twice and therefore deserved the title. But the situation had no room for levity. "Exactly," Logan uttered grimly, hazels orbs possessing a haunted quality.

Terrified, Snow whispered, "You think it's connected to the nightmare I had?" It was the first time Snow willingly brought the topic up since it happened, and Stefan and Elena were aware of the occurrence because of Damon. Damon had told Stefan, who, naturally, confided in Elena.

"Nah," Damon denied abruptly, a relaxed smirk on his face. "I'm sure it was just a nightmare. No need to get our panties twisted over nothing."

Logan disagreed. "I wouldn't rule it out." At the dual expressions of fear on Snow and Elena's gorgeous visages, he solemnly elucidated, "I don't want to frighten you, I'd never want that, but I'm not gonna lie, either. We can't bury our heads under the sand in denial. I, for one, firmly believe that in the supernatural community, coincidences don't just happen. It cannot be a coincidence. Dead and alive, the witches keep talking about some mystical darkness and they're pretty damn sure it's after you, Jellybean. I'd rather be prepared and equipped to protect you, than remain blind."

Despite her quivering form and the way she burrowed herself deeper into the sofa, all the while ensuring she kept tactile contact with Logan and Elena, she nodded bravely and didn't avert the four pairs of eyes wholly fixated on her. "Like it's not enough I have some hitman after me, I've got supernatural entities gunning after me too. I never did anything to anyone," she huffed out, sounding more than a little petulant. "It's not, it's not fair! What's the point in being nice all the time and not pissing anyone off!? I hate being a stupid empath, maybe if I was incapable of feeling emotions then—"

"Hey, hey," Elena shushed her, placing an arm around her kind-hearted friend. "The fact that you're who you are is why you have so many people on your side. I wouldn't be willing to protect some asshole. No one would. You've got us, Snow. Hell, you even have dead witches on your side! No one can say that, can they? And we're not going anywhere, you hear me?"

Muttering to himself, Damon could be heard loud and clear by the other two in the room with enhanced hearing, "Why do I feel like that was a verbal attack against me?"

Eyes rolling in unison, Stefan and Logan simultaneously shook their heads in exasperation.

"On another note." Desperate to change the subject and prevent the tears from welling in his goddaughter's eyes, Logan broached a topic that had been subject to much controversy throughout the month, "About that serial killer you uh, dreamt about? I had a buddy of mine from New Orleans PD send me a copy of the case file."

Confused, Elena interrupted, "Wait, why didn't you just ask Sheriff Forbes?"

"I'd rather not bring Liz's suspicion into all this. If it ain't children or vampire related, I'd rather keep her out," Logan smirked, a wicked glint brewing in the depths of his hazel orbs. "Woman's relentless. Wouldn't let it go. Then she'd bring Rich into this and we do not need the Sheriff and the Mayor sniffing into all this." Nodding in comprehension, Elena motioned for him to continue, wanting Snow's obsession with those brothers to end once and for all. "Anyways, got a name: Dean Winchester. There's a lot of holes, though. No identification found on him but an impressive collection of weapons, so that's all they got," he divulged, apologetic at the lack of information. "He did hint that the FBI probably got more, but the Feds are big league, my buddy Kinney couldn't rattle that nest without getting caught."

Regardless, Snow relayed her gratitude with an open-mouthed smile, flashing her set of pearly whites, "It doesn't matter, I've got enough. Now with a last name, I can easily find Sam."

"Why are you so determined to find this guy?" Stefan inquired, brows furrowed in a mixture of confused concern. Lowering her gaze, Snow shrugged a shoulder; though despite the nonchalance she portrayed, her following words resonated through them, "I just, I feel like there's this…connection. I mean, I witnessed his mother and then his girlfriend die, and all that was before that yellow-eyed being of pure evil threatened me. I just don't think it'd be a smart move to ignore it. I think it's a message."

A set smile crept its way onto Logan's face, effectively veiling his grave thoughts from his goddaughter and her best friend. The truth of the matter was Snow's vivid dreams, which were made more alarming by the fact that they're based on real people and not merely a fabrication of her overactive imagination, evoked reasons of worry and concern from him much more than her empathic abilities and her strange lack of scent did.

Donning his most charming smile, Logan gracefully pivoted around, glass of scotch held loosely in his hand and he inclined his head in greeting and sent a few winks at the gaggle of annoyingly loud, shamelessly salivating, and mindlessly tittering women, all of whom were diehard Logan Fell fans – vociferous, ingratiating and unctuous. A familiar face with clunky glasses and a large smile amidst his fawning crowd stood out and he belatedly recognized her as Shannon from Medical Records. Bringing his drink up and consuming a mouthful, Logan smirked slyly around the rim of the glass, mentally patting himself for compelling her to forget about his little pit-stop.

Once more, his alluring pair of hazels fell on Jenna. This time, she was full-on glaring at him.

Sighing to himself, he chugged back his drink and promptly knocked on the bar, ordering another. For the past half hour since stepping into the Grill, Logan's been oscillating between Carol, Jenna, and his fans. The Mayor's wife merely met his glare of promised retribution with a smug smile and a finger-wiggle wave, and Jenna stubbornly quashed the magnetic effects of his stare and alternated between hatefully glaring at him and following the history teacher's movement with wistful eyes.

Hearing a familiar voice call out his name, Logan huffed out a groan of relief, "Stefan. Sit, sit, pull up a stool." He then proceeded to subtly position Stefan's form in a way that successfully blocked him from his fan base's myriad of longing stares. Amused, Stefan briefly focused on the glass of scotch, "Liquid courage?"

"That damn harridan!" Logan grumbled after an intake of scotch. "She didn't even ask, you know?" he harrumphed, throwing another glare at Carol Lockwood's direction. "There's a protocol, a formality. Before you truss someone up like a turkey and put them on display for the hyenas to salivate over, you ask. I feel objectified!" And not even allowing Stefan a chance to get a word in, Logan continued to rant and get everything off his chest, "Her and Liz are competing on who'd get the most eligible bachelor. Liz got Damon to come and Carol, oh that nag knew I'm not interested. Every year she asks, and every year I refuse. That bitch. No one doles out revenge better than a Fell. Let her wait, I'll show 'er."

Forest green orbs squinting in mock thought, Stefan, his amusement having intensified throughout Logan's angry rant, said, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're not thrilled to be a part of the Fundraiser."

He speared Stefan with a glare, "No shit, Sherlock!" His eyes then narrowed on Alaric and Jenna, the former looking incredibly uncomfortable and the latter mildly apologetic. "What's worse is the heads up Elena gave me. Jenna's got her heart set on winning Alaric. But on the plus side-" a wicked smirk graced his features, "-Princess pretty much admitted she'd rather have her aunt date me." He took note of Stefan's burning stare. "What?"

"You're a great guardian to Snow, and her friends, they love you. You're great with them," Stefan stated matter-of-factly, his forest greens two orbs brimming with suspicion. Logan did an 'annnddd?' face, gesturing with a hand to continue. "But in reality, you're the devil in disguise. And up till now, we've only seen your good side."

A wolfish grin settled on Logan's face and he winked, "Don't you forget it, Stef. Anyway, you don't want to see my bad side. Trust me." He clapped the broody vampire on the shoulder and turned his attention back to his drink, "So, what can I do for you?"

"You know about Isobel, right?" Stefan prefaced, analyzing the other vampire carefully. Quickly swallowing, Logan lowered his glass and squarely met the pair of forest-greens. "Yeah, uh, Snow told me. Y'know-" he shook his head in a rueful manner, "-I would've never guessed Elena isn't a Gilbert. I mean, she's got their traits in spades. But yeah, I know about it, Snow asked if she could accompany Elena to that Peterson woman. Why?"

And didn't he experience a zing of shock when a frantic Snow called him shortly after their visit to Trudie Peterson, informing him of the shady character that had been watching them across the street from her house. Even outside of Mystic Falls, those two girls couldn't catch a break. He was beginning to think he'd have to invest in a leash…

In response, Stefan laid out the picture of Isobel that Alaric had given him in hopes of receiving enlightenment from Damon – which was a bust. "That's Isobel. Di—"

"Wait, I-, I know her," Logan gasped, recognition flickering in the depths of his eyes. "Isobel Flemming! Am I right?" he looked at Stefan who nodded, his eyes having gone wide. "She was head cheerleader at Grove Hill High. I was one of the stars of the Mystic Falls High's football team and sometimes, we'd go over to them or them, us. Wow… come to think of it, I vaguely remember some chatter about a cheerleader getting pregnant. Small world," he emitted a long whistle.

Still sporting wide eyes, Stefan agreed, "Extremely." A sudden thought struck him and he looked uncomfortable, "You didn't, uh… You and her-"

Chuckling, Logan clapped his back, "You can relax, Stefan. Isobel and I never did the horizontal tango. Nah. I'm not into the dark and silent type. I go for the bright and carefree ones."

But Stefan had inadvertently succeeded in lighting a fire under Logan. He was attacked by a moment of clarity, capable of looking at the onslaught of memories from the past that were infiltrating the recess of his mind in a different light. During senior year, upon visiting Grove Hill for the championship, Isobel Flemming had been replaced as head cheerleader by a spunky redhead with cat-like green eyes – Monica Grace. She had instantly grabbed his attention with her bright aura, sharp tongue, quick wit and infectious laugh, and he was hooked. For the remaining half of senior year, Logan initiated a secret affair with Monica, incessantly cheating on Jenna in the process as he commuted between towns. Eighteen-year-old Logan was thrilled at the prospect of dating two gorgeous girls at the same time and having grown complacent, he slipped up and Jenna discovered his duplicity. Adding salt to the wound, while Jenna didn't even think twice about breaking off their relationship, Monica resumed dating him and they remained together until the cessation of their freshman year at college.

It made perfect sense now… At the time, Isobel had been pregnant with Elena and Monica replaced her which in turn, set the future events into action. Such a small, tiny world…

"Logan!"

Snapped out of his reverie, Logan forced a painful smile at Richard, "What can I do for you, Rich."

Eyebrows arched, there was an amused tilt to Richard's mouth. "For starters, you can wipe that fake smile off your face. Your beef's with Carol not me. Although I'd have thought you'd be chomping at the bit to flaunt your bachelor status." Hearing Logan grumble, Richard smirked and drank from his glass. "You know, I'm surprised there hasn't been a trail of women leaving your place," he mused aloud, and while he kept his tone light, his eyes were solemn.

"I'm not currently interested in putting myself on the market, Rich. However, it does make me wonder…are you watching me?" The predator in Logan wanted to claw his way out and attack the Mayor at the mere probability, but since he grew up with Richard, he maintained perfect composure and adopted an equally light tone, "Staking my place out in a van, perhaps."

Richard scoffed, "I've better things to do than monitor your sexscapades, Logan."

However, before any more words could be traded, and before Richard could satisfy his curiosity regarding the strange interactions he'd been witnessing between Logan and the Salvatore brothers, Snow and Elena stepped into the Grill, waving at Logan before approaching Jenna just in the nick of time as Carol got on stage. Grumpily, Logan deposited his drink on the bar, "Well, if you'll excuse me, Richard, I've got a date to make."

Naturally, with Damon Salvatore involved, trouble lurked nearby. A nice fundraiser where the eligible bachelors of Mystic Falls were supposed to stand in a straight line like cattle for sale subtly ended in disaster as Damon was the last bachelor to be questioned. To the congregation that managed to squeeze into the Grill, it may have sounded like Damon was being himself, which was a dick, by broadcasting the fact that he had sex with Alaric Saltzman's wife, but to the vampires in the room, Elena, Snow, and the history teacher himself, they automatically knew the elder Salvatore was boasting about his kill – a consequence of Stefan's many inquiries about Isobel and Alaric's shady attitude toward him.

Delegating the task of ensuring Snow got home safely to Stefan and simultaneously stay far away from the Damon-drama he could feel brewing on the horizon, as Logan had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Alaric would be coming after the volatile vampire in revenge, Logan steeled himself for the lucky lady he'd be spending the remainder of the night with. While he would've rather kept Snow and Elena company – the brunette most probably a mess at the disclosure her mother was yet another victim of Damon's – and guaranteed their safety, unfortunately for Logan, he couldn't evoke Carol's wrath or suspicions by ditching. Besides, he already had one Lockwood hoarding suspicious thoughts about him; Logan wasn't the least bit fooled by the exchange of niceties Richard initiated, having instantly recognized the Mayor's efforts to gather information through casual nonchalance.

God, he hoped it wasn't Shannon, or some sycophantic fan.

"Well, well, well. What do you know…Mystic Falls' very own celebrity is mine for the night."

The extremely familiar silvery voice pervaded the air behind him, prompting Logan to stop short, his posture literally freezing in place. "It can't be…" he murmured to himself in an undertone. Yanking his hazel eyes from Jenna's dejected form, Logan spun round, only for them to land on a gorgeous, curvaceous woman with a bronze complexion and a genuine, open-mouthed smile, displaying an upper row of straight, white teeth. Sly emerald eyes set in an oval face gleamed at him, a mischievous quirk in her crimson-painted lips, and her dark mahogany hair cascaded down her back in thick waves. She looked fantastic and elegant in a cashmere oversized cream turtleneck sweater paired with tight black leather pants and high-heeled ankle boots.

His lips curled into a cheeky grin. "You cheated," he stated knowingly.

A sound similar to 'duh' emanated from the beautiful stranger and with her arms akimbo, she cocked her hip to one side. "Of course I did, Gunny. How else was I supposed to win you? Besides, you should be thanking me," a strain of cockiness seeped into her tone. "Your diehard fans weren't happy. not. one. bit. D'you know how many of them I literally had to fight through to get to you? Jeez!"

"Oh, I'm definitely thankful," Logan assured her. Performing a come-hither motion with her hand, she demanded, "Well, Casanova, you gonna give me a proper hello, or what?"

Genuine laughter escaped him as they crossed the remaining distance and engulfed each other in a tight embrace, Logan lifting her off the ground and twirling her around in perfect circles while she playfully smacked his back and mockingly demanded that he put her down, their combined laughter drawing attention. Hands on her shoulders, he pulled her back to get a good look at her, eyes twinkling madly, "You're the one who recently moved in."

"Just two blocks away from you, neighbor," she retorted promptly, her grin unwavering. Logan's grin reflected hers, "It's great to see you, Danica. I was hoping Sophie'd sent you."

The beautiful stranger – Danica, let out a sharp bark of laughter, her eyes performing a half-roll, "Sophie didn't send me. Josephine did; was forced to step in. You know how embarrassing it is to have the Regent intrude on coven business because we're fighting among ourselves like silly children? If you ask me-"

"Which I didn't!" he cut in.

Acting as though no interruption occurred from a particular somebody in major denial, Danica proceeded to blurt out, "-I'd say Sophie's jealous. I said it before, and gosh darn it I'll say it again, that woman's crushing on you, and hard! She sees me as a threat which is ridiculous because-"

Interrupting once more, Logan sounded like he was reciting a boring speech that had been drilled into his head over and over again, "We're best friends and do not see each other that way." Voice back to normal, Logan informed her, "I've told you this already, Dani. Sophie doesn't have feelings for me, and even if she does, I'm not interested." Changing the subject, he asked, "Did munchkin come with?"

Glaring at him, she reluctantly let the subject drop. "Like I'd let Davina out of my sight," she scoffed. Looking around swiftly, her sharp gaze immediately landed on Caroline who sat at the till, handing out tickets, "Left her with that nice blonde over there. Heard some MILF wannabe trash talking the poor girl about not being good enough for her son, so I trashed her skanky ass. The kid insisted on watching Davina as a thank-you."

Logan whistled, "Damn, I would've paid to see Kelly Donovan get a taste of her own medicine."

Just then, a childish squeal of "LOGAN!" reverberated around him and a small body knocked into him, arms automatically wrapping tightly around his waist. He grinned down at the adorable eleven-year-old with a head of wild mahogany curls, who was staring up at him with large blue eyes. Crouching down, he lifted her into his arms, "Now that you're here, Munchkin, I gotta tell you, this is the best date ever. So what do you want to do?"

Giggling, Davina wrapped her arms around the vampire's neck in a strangling hold, "Chinese and ice cream!"

"Like old times," Danica chuckled.

As the trio left the Grill, Jenna's glare seared a hole through Logan's retreating back, surprised by the unexpected sensation of jealousy that coursed through her.

Almost seven mortal days have elapsed, and during the celestial infiltrator's aimless wanderings throughout Mystic Falls, he had arrived at many interesting conclusions.

This aptly baptized quaint town, Mystic Falls, was truly sinistrous and minacious with necromantic undertones. Each and every weathered and eroded rock in the mortal town vibrated with nefarious magic that dated back aeons; the very air in which the hairless apes breathed resonated with potent magic. However, it wasn't merely the very foundation of which the town was built on that intrigued him… it was the population itself.

Non-mortals inhabited the land.

Monsters…

Strange blood-sucking fiends that were in no way spawns of Eve roamed past his invisible form, interacting normally around mortals, befriending them, living alongside them in harmony, battling their frenzy for blood. He observed around two dozen of those aberrant monsters crawl their way out of some odd underground tomb that resonated with the aftereffects of light, protective magic, though he effortlessly sensed the barrier keeping them from the mortal world to have disintegrated, and had been for quite some time.

Moreover, upon closer inspection he realized these monsters were fashioned from black magic. The trillion upon trillions of regenerating cells in their unnatural body were imbued with said magic; husks reanimated through necromancy. Another perplexing matter was the bearers of magic, a mother daughter duo he discovered to be recent additions to the sinistrous town. Yet they were in full possession of their souls, and what bright untainted souls they were.

He shook his head; too much had Heaven been preoccupied with the predestined Apocalypse, ignorance of the evolvement of monsters had been inadvertently encouraged.

"Fine!" he grumbled, changing course. Ejecting a slew of Enochian imprecations, the celestial being finally surrendered to the lure niggling at his mind, like the cry of a banshee or the siren's song from Greek Paganism beckoning him forward. Utilizing his wings, at the speed of light, he appeared before a grand manor that exuded power, royalty, and history. An old winding stone path led to the colossal edifice which he followed; despite the environs' historical vibe and the archaic layout, the architecture was modern in comparison…mayhap a century-old if he were to blindly compare the structure to those scattered throughout the town.

Something in this vicinity beckoned him, coaxing him forward, beguiling his mind. It was plaguing and extremely disconcerting. Bright, fathomless eyes scoured the premises for the enchantment that was almost succeeding in bewitching him. Alas, before he could narrow it down, his ethereal form about to check the secret partition he sensed to be situated beneath the very ground he stood, a nasal voice filled with loathing assailed his aural faculty and he tilted his head in synchronization with the opening of the heavy oak door that led to the structure's interior.

The being – a female! – that appeared in his line of vision had an aura as bright and as colorful and as pure as her eyes: A profound shade of violet… an ethereal violet.

He didn't think his celestial form was capable of such reactions – his chest tightened, his entire body went cold and his grace leapt into his throat. Forcing his faculties to function, he methodically stalked her movement, fathomless eyes narrowing the instant he detected her entering one of the monsters' driving contraption.

And he knew…

Dismissing the mystery enchantment's allure, he proceeded to pursue the enigmatic being with the violet aura, knowing for certain that she was the task.

If Snow were to choose one word to describe the entire atmosphere of the Grill, it would be overwhelming. The air around her pulsated with a nerve-wracking tension, it took everything in her not to faint. The anxiety threatened to consume her but Snow stayed seated in the booth, halfheartedly listening to the conversation permeate the thin bubble that encapsulated her table while her violet eyes moved with the alertness that accompanied the heavy stress of being assaulted by a mishmash of negative emotions, and her hands involuntarily remained clenched underneath the table.

At school that day, Caroline, who was starting to collapse under the weight of the large boulder that typified her lack of self-esteem, brilliantly came up with the suggestion that since the couple dynamics have changed, Elena, Stefan, Matt and herself should go on a double date in order to eliminate the awkwardness between the girls and Matt as well as ensuring her boyfriend realized Elena and Stefan were happy together, prompting him to finally let go of his love for Elena, once and for all.

Thankfully, Snow already had plans that night as she wasn't the least bit interested in being the pathetic fifth wheel, knowing that Elena and Caroline's adamant cajoles that she accompany them would have eventually wore her down. It didn't hurt that Snow was completely incapable of disappointing her friends.

While she'd known about Logan's witch friend's arrival in Mystic Falls along with her daughter, Snow had yet to meet them face-to-face. Since the fundraiser that took place a week ago, Snow's been avoiding her godfather's house. She'd alternate most of her time either at her Manor, the Grill, Elena's, or Caroline's… and she despised it. She missed her amazing bedroom at Logan's. She missed his company and the affection he constantly showered her with. She missed feeling comfortable and loved and at home.

Truth? Snow was insanely uncomfortable by the Claires' appearance in her town and with them barging into her private life. Because that's exactly what their arrival signified. Danica Claire moved into Mystic Falls to spy on her – to put it bluntly; the witch may be a perfectly nice woman and Snow trusted her godfather wholeheartedly, but… the brokenhearted girl residing inside of Snow found the mere notion of playing nice with the witch and making her job easier wholly unappealing, none of it sitting well with her. 'If Dad wants to know anything about me, he should come himself instead of sending minions to spy on me!' she grumbled to herself, the acid coating her tongue and the bubble of bitterness in her belly that expanded with each passing day, a foreign sensation and Snow hated it.

Instantly realizing Snow had been going out of her way to avoid his friend, Logan insisted he pick her up that night as her presence was required at the Grill where they'd be having dinner with Danica and Davina. Having no other choice, Snow grudgingly agreed… Leading to where she currently sat, in a booth with the trio.

If Snow thought the night couldn't get any worse, what with her heart on her sleeves – dripping, bleeding, abandoned, crying out at the unfairness of everything – and battling the awkwardness from the double date occurring at the other end of the Grill, she was sorely mistaken.

Sitting on the bar, inappropriately drunk and adding another coat of tension to the thick atmosphere was the pièce de résistance: Damon, Jenna and Kelly.

Caroline felt insecure and inadequate; her usually bright and bubbly persona replaced by terror and irritation at Elena, a shard of envy stabbing into her as the blonde glared at the laughing brunette. Stefan simply felt awkward, the tension Caroline radiated eating at him, though a part of him enjoyed the insight into Elena's past. Poor indecisive Matt felt torn; the guilt ate at him, but he couldn't kill his feelings for Elena, longing and wistfulness consuming him; then, he'd look at Caroline and joy wrapped around his heart, followed by another round of guilt. Then a potent round of disappointment, embarrassment, resentment and anger flooded him at the sight of his mother getting drunk and flirting with Damon Salvatore. On the other hand, Elena was a breath of fresh air; while slightly uncomfortable, she radiated profound happiness, ecstatic at the drama-free night… until she returned from the bathroom with Caroline, profound fear and anxiety blanketing her. Her emotions were apparently contagious, for no sooner had she joined him, did Stefan send waves of fear and suspicion, and a mild hint of anger.

At the bar, the emotions wreaking havoc in Damon prompted Snow to suppress the strong desire to collapse on the ground and break into tears. The elder Salvatore was utterly heartbroken; self-hatred coursed through him and he felt confused and lost, like he was drowning in the merciless clutches of the sea. Kelly Donovan on the other hand, sent a disgusting amount of lust, her calculating green eyes basically undressing Damon's form, not a shred of dignity or mortification enveloping her in regards to the fact that she was shamelessly attempting to seduce a 'younger man' in the same room as her seventeen-year-old son and his friends. Envy embraced Jenna – the toxic sensation had a tight hold on the kind woman as she glared daggers at Logan and Danica; insecurity, loathing and shame attacked her, its blows unmerciful.

Blinking rapidly, Snow fought the darkness that slowly began to infiltrate the corner of her eyes, her nails digging into her palms. Focusing on her table and the conversation flow, grabbing onto the sound of Logan's laughter as though it were a lifeline, it was a herculean effort, but Snow succeeded and the blackness ebbed.

A short breath of laughter left her mouth, thrilled at her accomplishment. Unfortunately, the sound she produced had the spotlight shine on her. "Snow?" Logan inquired, a small crease between his brows. "You've been awfully quiet, honey."

"Oh, that's probably my fault. I have a tendency to ramble sometimes," Danica laughed, eyes kind and encouraging, pleading with her to contribute.

The sound of her voice despite the genuine kindness she radiated, hit Snow like a freight train and the suffocating sensation returned with a vengeance, overwhelming her. Danica Claire provoked alien sentiments to rumble through the kindhearted girl and she hated it. She wanted her gone! To leave Mystic Falls and never return.

She stood up abruptly. Three pairs of eyes fixated on her in concern and Snow blurted out, "Bathroom!" before she ran off, not giving Danica the opportunity to invite herself as she sensed she would. Danica reeked of desperation as she wanted Snow to like her, something she was a hundred percent against.

However, instead of ducking into the bathroom, Snow stealthily snuck outside, the cold wind whipping past her and the night's silence calming the influx of negative emotions addling her brain and thus, allowed her to regain total control of her thoughts. An exhale of relief left her and she leaned against the wall, her face buried in her open hands.

Regrettably, it wasn't meant to last.

"Bad night?"

Sucking a sharp intake of breath, the hair on the nape of her neck stood at the voice. Warily, her eyes lifted, connecting with the penetrating pair of blues belonging to Joshua Reeves, Snow's very own stalker. "Josh-Joshua, I-I, I was just going i-in," she managed to articulate, quickly turning around to head inside. The firm grip circling her upper arm halted her in her tracks and against her own accord, her eyes shuttered. "Please, leave me alone. Please." Honest to God, Snow didn't know why she thought pleading with Joshua would make a difference – it never did.

All of a sudden, she jumped, startled by his breath as it fanned her right cheek, not a whiff of alcohol assaulting her nostrils, which, in her opinion, only made the situation worse. The startling realization that even when Joshua was in control of his actions he preferred to win her over through harassment made him a much more terrifying individual. It meant he couldn't be reasoned with. But before she could plead with him some more, or he could make a move on her, a heavenly voice cut through the air – her perennial savior.

"What's happening here?"

Joshua's looming presence disappeared and Snow immediately took a step toward Logan, creating a sufficient amount of distance between her and the furious senior. With a shrug and a forced smile, Joshua said, "I was just asking about Snow's night, sir. Anyways, my friends are probably wondering where I am. Gotta bounce." But before he left, he deliberately met the pair of frightened violets from over his shoulder and performed a jaunty wave, "See you around, Snow."

The threat, the promise in those three innocuous words didn't escape Snow and she promptly wrapped her arms around herself. Wrongfully assuming his goddaughter felt cold, Logan shrugged off his coat and slipped it around her before he tugged her further outside, "C'mon. We're leaving. You'll be sleeping over tonight and I'm not taking no for answer."

Something in his tone had her head snap upwards, profusely confused. Logan never forced Snow into anything….never!Even when she adamantly avoided his house, which inevitably evoked his suspicions, he didn't force her into confiding her reasons. "Why? What's going on, Uncle Logan?"

Grimacing, his hazel eyes were on full alert, scoping each and every thing or person that lay in their path. "The tomb vampires are out and about. Apparently, they're not in the tomb. Don't ask me how. I only know because one outed himself by calling Elena 'Katherine'." Sensing her full-body shiver, he gently pushed her into the car and, after starting the engine, peeled out down the street. "One thing I can assure you, is they're out for revenge. And since you and I are part of the Founding Families, we're fair game."

Dispensing with the usual niceties, the split-second the front door swung open, Damon shouldered past Logan, "Doesn't anyone answer their phones anymore!?"

Taken aback by the vampire's sudden appearance and the profound insolence he portrayed through the method in which he barged into his house, Logan sarcastically sneered, "Oh please, do come in." Inwardly, he fumed at Damon's capability to trespass whenever he desired; it was his only regret when he gave his goddaughter free will to make her own decisions in his attempt to decondition her from Lucille's abhorrent training and put an end to her inhumane rules.

Intense blue eyes alert as they flickered throughout the house's interior, and jaw taut, Damon dismissed the sarcastic attack and tersely demanded, "Is Stefan here?"

Before Logan could process the unanticipated non sequitur, Elena's smoky voice pervaded from the threshold, "According to Damon he went to the woods to feed and didn't come back."

Startled, Logan sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry, Princess. I didn't notice you; was preoccupied." He glared at Damon in emphasis, who responded by lazily rolling his eyes. Bitterly thinking about her wake-up call, Elena closed the door behind her and sent Logan a commiserating smile, "Yeah, Damon has a certain effect on people."

"What's going on?" Snow's sweet voice suffused the room. The raven-haired girl frowned, bemused and concerned, her gaze flickering between Elena and Damon. When Damon informed her of the latest conundrum, she wringed her wrist, nervously boring a hole through the living room floor, "Where could he be? Why would he be missing in the first place?"

That astute inquiry prompted a moue from Elena while Damon sneered. A scowl of recognition darkened Logan's handsome features, "That's right. Why would he be missing?"

"I was gonna tell you," Damon prefaced, his tone deceptively light, almost like he were consoling Logan. "Last night, two vampires from the tomb paid us a visit at the Boarding House. Stefan managed to kill one so the other bailed. Now I'm thinking, it's no coincidence Stefan's missing. Damn it, Stefan!" he hissed, briefly displaying his fear for his brother. "He got stabbed and went to feed. They must've followed him to the woods and cornered him."

'…and with him weak from last night and not feeding on people blood, he didn't stand a chance,' remained unsaid.

An infusion of snark in her voice, Elena groused out, "Yeah, heads-up, all the vampires have been released from the tomb and here's the cherry on top, Damon made a deal with Pearl to get Katherine back. He doesn't know the meaning of rejection."

A growl vibrated in Damon's throat. "Oh my God, I turned your mother into a vampire. Get over it already!" he snapped sounding very much like a teenager annoyed with his mother, irregardless of the menacing look he pulled off.

"You what?" Snow gasped, shock eliciting her eyes to widen. Logan, too, appeared stunned. "Is there anything else we should know?" he demanded.

Rearranging his expression into one of mock contemplation, Damon flippantly offered, "Well, unless Stefan didn't tell you about the history teacher's brush with death—"

Another shocked "What?" from Snow met his retort.

"I'm guessing that's a 'no'." Huffing, Damon shrugged a shoulder in nonchalance, "The guy attacked me. I retaliated. He died and got resurrected by some ring Isobel gave him. The end. Now-" he clapped his hands together, expression determined, "-if you'll excuse me, I need to bust down Pearl's door and get Saint Stefan back."

Blocking the impetuous vampire's path to the door, Logan firmly disagreed, "No, what you need is a locator spell. I doubt they'd be that stupid to take Stefan to a location you know about."

Damon sarcastically retorted, "Too bad Mystic Falls' is fresh out of witches."

"Oh goodie, something you don't know," Logan bit back, the wicked glint in his eyes a reflection of his smile.

And to Snow's visible disappointment, he took them to the Claire Residence. The group barely touched the doorstep. The door opened with unnecessary force and Danica stepped out, arms crossed against her chest, an eyebrow arched and green eyes narrowed. "Logan, this is a surprise. What's with the army you've brought on my doorstep?" she sounded quite upset, which had Logan wincing in apology and Snow's frown to deepen.

Smiling disarmingly, Logan shoved a hand into his coat pocket, "I'm sorry 'bout this, Dani. I need a quick locator spell."

Suffice to say, Damon received a sting of vehement surprise when the witch, Danica, readily agreed without so much as volleying back a single threat, dragging her feet, or demanding a favor in return. In his lifetime, he had many experiences with witches, and none of them portrayed pleasure or the willingness to come to a vampire's aid. They were natural enemies – like it were written in the bylaws or something. So to see the newbie vampire surrounded by willing witches was a huge shock… and a hit to his ego.

Danica held the door open, a tight smile on her face. Logan entered easily, having received an invitation prior to their current visit. Elena and Snow entered as well, the latter grudgingly. However, everything came to a stop when Damon pointedly cleared his throat, a sarcastic expression on his face, "I need to be invited in, you know."

"Good. 'Cause you're not welcome inside my house, Mr. Salvatore," she retorted heatedly, her tone biting, eyes glacial, and attitude completely belligerent. When Damon responded with a menacing snarl, Danica took a bold step forward, though she remained safely ensconced behind the threshold. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. Logan is the only vampire I trust and would willingly do business with. Unlike the other residents in this charming little town, I do not trust you or your brother. And since I have you here, let me bring another matter to light. I am my own person, not somebody at your beck and call you could come to whenever shit hits the fan. Got it?!" she sneered, her glare dagger-like and narrowed.

Feeling a sense of déjà-vu, despite knowing the foolishness of his words, Damon menacingly snarled, "Why don't you come outside and repeat that."

"Damon-!"

Danica cut Logan's warning off, a harsh laugh erupting from her, "I was born and raised a powerful witch in New Orleans, Damon Salvatore. I do not get provoked by vampires. My family is well-known and can be traced back through many generations, which means I'm used to receiving threats from vampires, and trust me, you're nothing but a baby throwing a temper tantrum compared to the head honcho there. So… no hard feelings. I hope you understand."

Damon responded with a derisive smile, "Not really."

"Pity," she deadpanned.

Before more barbed words could be traded, Logan had Damon donate a small amount of blood for the locater spell. Realizing his missing brother was a priority, Damon promptly obeyed, though his glare of promised murder never once wavered from the saucy mama-witch. However, to the collective surprise of everyone in the vicinity, Snow retreated from the house. "If it's all the same to you, I'm gonna wait out here with Damon," she stated stiffly.

"You don't have to, you're welcome any time, sweetie," Danica's tone softened, perplexed eyes seeking Logan's out. Snow's composure was as stiff as her tone, and she swallowed back her initial response of 'why, so you can spy on me!', replacing it with, "Thanks, but I'd rather stick with someone I trust."

The witch recoiled as though she had been struck and disappointment flashed in Logan's eyes. In fact, his entire face and posture turned rigid, a clench in his jaw as he stared at his goddaughter, feeling like he were looking into a stranger's eyes. …Snow hated Danica Claire even more at that. Before that-, that woman darkened her doorstep, nothing Snow did evoked his ire; he'd look at her like she was an angel that fell from Heaven, not some demon-possessed who sided with the enemy and hurt his friend's feelings.

Who cared about that witch's feelings?! Definitely not Snow!

Totally awkward, Elena stepped out and hesitantly cleared her throat, "Uh, I'm, I'm gonna stay with Snow. You two finish that spell." She then mouthed to Logan, 'I'll talk to her.' Nodding stiffly, sparing an unrepentant Snow one last glare of disapproval, he disappeared inside with Danica. "Okay, what was that, Snow?" Elena whirled around the moment the door clicked shut behind them, eyes wide and tone demanding.

Acting oblivious, Snow shrugged, "What was what?"

But Damon let loose a few chuckles, his expression genuinely ecstatic, "You don't like her. Do you?" His question was completely rhetoric; Snow was abysmal at masking her feelings and expressions. The girl was an open book.

"What tipped you off," she retorted sarcastically, prompting Elena and Damon to simultaneously lift their eyebrows. Another chuckle was produced by Damon, "Ooh, snarky. You're full of surprises, Snow Silverstone."

Elena bewilderedly shook her head, "No, really. Were you body-swapped or something? Is this actually you or do you, like me, have an evil doppelgänger, 'cause this isn't you, Snow. You don't have a mean bone in your body. Even Lucille and the step-bitches you treat kindly after everything they've done. What's gotten into you?"

Close to exploding, before Snow could unleash every single bottled up emotion she'd been hoarding since the revelation her father had been alive all this time came out in the open, the door reopened and Logan stepped out. "You were right," Logan sighed, his tone grudging. "Stefan's in that farmhouse."

"Well, what do you know, seems the bad guys are stupid after all," Damon quipped.

"Then let's go," an impatient Elena pleaded, filing away her friend's weirdness until after they rescued Stefan from the clutches of the tomb vampires. Looping her arm through Snow's, before they could take a step toward Damon's car, Danica's voice permeated the air, bringing them up short. "Excuse me, wait just a minute," she huffed, her tone one of disbelief. "Snow, sweetie, I think it'd be best if you stay here. We can get to know each other and Davina would love to make a friend—"

Violet orbs blinked rapidly, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Well, it's just…" Danica looked at Logan for support before her green gaze focused back on Snow. "It's very dangerous. You're just a defenseless kid against what? Over twenty vampires…? You can easily get hurt." Seeing an indecipherable emotion flash across her expressive eyes, she kindly added, her tone incredibly gentle, "If you're nervous around me, Elena can stay. In fact, I insist she does."

The tight leash Snow had over her emotions snapped.

Her tone uncharacteristically cold, Snow broke into speech, "I'm not nervous around you. I simply don't like you."

"Snow!" Logan barked out. He was still looking at her as though she were a stranger, therefore intensifying her anger. "Apologize now—"

"Since when do you force me to do anything, Logan!" The vampire flinched when Snow purposely dropped the affectionate appellation, her eyes flashing with a hidden fire nobody knew meek and demure Snow Silverstone possessed. "I thought the whole point of getting me away from Lucille was so I no longer have to be submissive to anyone. Or was that a lie." Dismissing her godfather, Snow pinned Danica, who had gone pale, with a glare, "And you! You're not my mother, you don't get to tell me what to do. I can go wherever the heck I like and you can't stop me. Get out of my town. Get out of my life. Leave my loved ones alone! And stop showing up everywhere! You think I'm stupid, that I don't know what's really going on, why you're really here? You fudging spy! You're spying on me for a father that abandoned me."

Two orbs brimming with violet fire flickered between Logan and Danica, as she addressed them both, "You wanna know why I've been avoiding you this week? Why I'd rather spend my time in that hellhole with Lucille and the twins? Because at least when it comes to them, I know who they are. I am not interested in sticking around some spy that you invited into our lives. I don't care about you, I don't care about your daughter, and next time my dear father calls for an update, tell him if he cares so much to come over here himself! I was finally happy!" Tears streamed down her face as she captured Logan's sorrowful gaze, "I felt safe and protected and, and loved. Then she came along and you allowed her into my happy bubble! You let her intrude on my life!" she screamed. "I'd rather die a thousand deaths than have some minion watch after my every move and invade my privacy. So bugger off, you…you interloper!"

Turning her back on her gobsmacked audience, Snow stormed over to Damon's car and threw herself inside.

Proceeding with the series of ensuing events featuring whatever could go wrong, did go wrong, upon reaching their destination, which was some dreary little house that exuded an impression of extreme desolation, situated on the outskirts of Mystic Falls and neighboring the vast woods, Damon flashed ahead to scope the situation and get Stefan, leaving Logan to babysit the two defenseless teenage girls as the vampires had high hopes Pearl or Anna would be there, which would therefore limit the imminent annihilation and death-defying circumstances that were to occur with a bunch of vengeance-seeking vampires in the picture.

The secluded location, while advantageous for a vampire – especially a mob of vampires who had been out of commission for one hundred and forty-six years and were intent on death and destruction but plan on staying under the radar for the unforeseeable future – it was an inexpedient choice of dwelling for a human.

The air thick with tension, a knife couldn't cut through it. Logan's hazel eyes seared the back of Snow's head, wordlessly beseeching her to meet him halfway and open up to him, but the girl adamantly kept her back turned, stubbornly averting any form of contact with him whatsoever. Relief wrapped around both girls like a straitjacket at Damon's rapid return, though the emotion transformed into dread the instant they realized he had come alone.

The owner of the house had been compelled by 'that douche Frederick!' to never let Damon inside. And if Logan were to try his luck, he'd probably meet the same fate. Meaning they needed the help of a human to get inside and since Snow and Elena were obviously forbidden from getting anywhere within close proximity of the tomb vampires, and a witch – cough, Danica, cough – would not take any part in the death of an innocent old woman, they had stumbled upon a standstill – because apparently, when Damon impatiently listed the reasons why Snow or Elena couldn't help, other than the fact that they were utterly defenseless and could get killed in the blink of an eye, he harshly illuminated that the only way he and Logan could get inside was by killing the owner of the house, something neither girl were comfortable with.

"What about Mr. Saltzman?" Elena suggested.

A heavy silence infiltrated the car, settling heavily over the five individuals. The unsettled eyes of Alaric Saltzman – who agreed to help them rescue Stefan after much convincing and a tiny bit of manipulation on Damon's part when he claimed Pearl might have information on his wife's whereabouts – glanced unceremoniously around, attempting to deduce the source of the tension that had managed to sink its claws in the vampires, Elena and Snow.

As Damon haphazardly parked his precious car adjacent to the mouth of the woods, a safe distance away from where all the action and danger would soon be occurring, Snow bit her lower lip and furtively sent a side-glance at Logan. Earlier at the Claire Residence, the moment the harangue spilled forth from her lips and she concluded her broadside against Logan, a part of her immediately regretted it; not because she didn't mean it, but because she hurt her godfather. She wasn't herself – her disposition completely alien… but damn did she feel a ton lighter after getting everything off her chest.

She didn't want Logan to go in. It was selfish of her; Damon and Stefan needed Logan, but so did she. Snow couldn't lose another loved one. Or at least, he couldn't go into battle without her apologizing or assuring him she loved him. Her mouth however, wouldn't open and her tongue felt heavy.

Snow sat in the corner, eyes watchful and ears waxed, observing Elena initiate round two with Damon, arguing fiercely over the benefits of her and Snow accompanying them. Until finally, a distressed Logan stepped in, his voice firm and unwavering and leaving absolutely no room for further argument, "Elena, that's enough. You and Snow will stay in the car and wait for us. Having you two along invites weakness. They manage to get a hand on you, threaten either one of you, every single one of us won't be making it out alive, including Stefan."

"Huh, next time I'll just leave the parenting to you, save me the migraine," Damon quipped once Elena immediately stood down and grumpily slid in the backseat next to Snow, though not before sending an irritated glare at Damon for his comment.

The three men disappeared from their line of vision, the subsequent rain only intensifying the sense of foreboding that shrouded Snow and Elena, the best friends huddling together for comfort. After a brief spell of silence, Elena finally murmured, "What's going on with you, Snow?"

Tears cascading down her ivory complexion, the violet-eyed girl comprehended the course of her friend's thoughts without clarification. "I don't know. I-I think something's wrong with me, Lena," she produced a pathetic sniffle and nestled deeper in the brunette's embrace. "I think everything became too much. With finding out about my Dad and all the negative emotions I'm picking up from everyone. Then she prances into town," she grumbled, eyes flashing with anger like they always did at the very mention or mere sight of Danica Claire. "She's spying on me for my father, Elena. And Logan adores her. Am I supposed to just let her infiltrate my life?" she demanded in disbelief, though her inquiry was mostly rhetoric.

"Honestly? Knowing that, I'd have slapped her the second she showed her face and called me sweetie," Elena giggled. Come hell or high water, Elena Gilbert was first and foremost on Snow's side. "No but really. I'm proud of you, Snow. You finally did what Caroline, Bonnie and I've been telling you to do from the first day of our friendship." A bright smile settled on Elena's face, eradicating all lines of worry and terror, "You stood up for yourself."

With the culmination of their heart to heart, Elena revealed the two vervain darts she managed to pilfer from Alaric's impressively scary collection and proceeded to hand one over to Snow. "We're not damsels," Elena had said in determination, something the raven-haired girl wholeheartedly agreed on.

Just then, a tree branch fell, slamming into the windshield, prompting both girls to scramble out of the car. Clutching their respective dart to their chest, they held hands in solidarity and, battling through the downpour, ran toward the house, their combined footsteps thundering with resolution.

As they disappeared, a set of intense dark eyes watched. Moments later, Alaric appeared. Opening the car door and seeing the backseat devoid of the two troublesome teenagers that seemed to be a magnet for danger, he grabbed a duffle bag and hissed to himself, "Damn it, Elena, Snow!" before retreating back toward the house. And throughout it all, the stranger remained hidden amidst the shadows the woods cast, a wary eye fixated intently on the quiet, empty scene… waiting.

The dusty brown rind of the fashioned stake emitted a sickening squelching sound as it tore into the heart of the fourth vampire that dared stand in Logan's way. His smile looked positively wicked and his warm eyes turned fierce, alight with bloodlust as he kicked the desiccated vampire from his path and continued onward, the crimson-stained stake in one hand and a vervain dart in the other. Truthfully, Logan was enjoying himself as it was only moments like these where he could unleash the beast caged within and temporarily abandon composure.

His vision narrowed on a door that had been left slightly ajar. Suspicions high, he moved toward it, only to bump into Damon, who had unwittingly impersonated his movements. "Enjoying the free killing-spree, Cupcake?" he inquired with a devious grin.

Damon let out a dark chuckle, "Definitely. No sign of that douche Frederick though. You?"

"Not a peep," he shrugged. "So-" he inclined his head at the door, "-reckon Stefan's behind door number three." He received a determined nod and both vampires quietly made their way down the stairs that seemed to lead to a cellar. In unison, hazels and electric-blues widened on the vampire lurking by a corner, about to attack the backs of two extremely familiar individuals. In a blur, Damon appeared behind him and thrust a stake into his heart, effectively killing him.

Unmitigated anger burned in Logan's chest as he glared at the girls who had blatantly disobeyed him. Damon however, took the words right out of his mouth, "Are you insane?"

A rush of confidence and defiance coursed through Snow. Head held high, she jutted her chin out toward the overprotective vampires, especially her disappointed godfather. "We're not damsels," Snow echoed her friend. She then squarely met Logan's furious pair of hazels, "If you think Elena and I were gonna stay behind while you all risk your lives then you're as nutty as a fruitcake!"

Despite the resolution weaved in her unyielding tone, her solemn expression, and her challenging gaze, Damon and Elena were hard-pressed to stifle their laughter at her trademark argot. All her life, for as long as she could remember, Snow Silverstone despised the use of offensive language, finding it much too vulgar for her; for that reason, she'd substitute each and every profanity with a tame version that almost always generated bouts of uncontrollable laughter from her audience.

Fighting back a smile, Logan pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger, inhaling and exhaling deeply through his nostrils. His glare receding, he instead fixated Snow and Elena with the most potent stare of disappointment he had in his arsenal, "We will be talking about this later!" And regardless of the surge of confidence and her recent attitude, Snow bowed her head, but otherwise, stealthily followed Elena into the cellar.

Two gasps mingled in the air at the gruesome sight that lay before them. Stefan and a dark-skinned vampire were tied to a chair, a couple of stakes embedded in them. Snow automatically took a step backward, their pain, anguish and hunger slamming into her full-force.

Recognizing the heavenly voices of his girlfriend and dear friend, Stefan weakly lifted his gaze, their angelic visages immensely welcoming visions to behold in his pain-induced and half-delirious state. "Elena … Snow … you-you shouldn't be here," he managed to wheeze out, struggling to spit each and every word out through the toxic fumes of vervain that clogged his orifice. Grimacing, Logan made to move forward. "Unh! No. There's vervain on the ropes," Stefan quickly warned them.

Grudgingly, having come to the realization that Snow and Elena actually did have their uses, Damon and Logan urged them to untie Stefan, but before they could make an attempt to kill his torture-mate, Stefan promptly stopped them, claiming he was in this position because he had made an effort to help him. Once both vampires were freed, Logan and Damon warned the girls to remain extremely vigilant and to not make any stops until Stefan and them were safely ensconced in the car.

"I still have a vervain dart on me," Snow softly reassured them. Before the five had a chance of splitting up, Snow flung herself at Logan, crushing him in a teary embrace, "I love you so much! Promise you'll return to me, to us." She then pinned Damon under her imploring gaze, "Both of you." Promises made, Snow stopped short once more, her nose scrunched up in contemplation and entrancing orbs focused on the ceiling, "I feel a… a lot of rage. I can sense more than ten vampires up there, but…some are leaving-" she blinked and cocked her head, "-a bright presence just popped up… I sense concern and-, oh! Mr. Saltzman's here," she beamed at a stupefied Logan and a slightly amused Damon. "You have backup."

Damon's lips curled into a smirk, "Huh, would you look at that. Turns out you are useful—Ouch!" His face broke into a mini glower as he glared at Logan, who had smacked him on the back of his head – hard!

A moue of mild annoyance on her face, Snow huffed and threateningly raised her vervain dart, "Don't make me waste this on you." Though really, she simply looked like an adorable mouse trying to act tough. Turning her back on them, as Damon and Logan joined the throng of murderous vampires and the moody vampire hunter on the upper level, Snow and Elena looped each of Stefan's arms around their respective shoulders, stood close to him, and helped him walk, nearly dragging him outside.

The walk to the car was long and cumbersome, and Snow inwardly bemoaned the imminent pain her back would be facing. Twin sighs of relief escaped the two girls once the powder-blue car entered their field of vision and they picked up speed. Propping Stefan in the backseat, Snow and Elena climbed into the passenger and driver's seat, respectively, their movements rushed and frantic, and eyes darting across their surroundings in alertness. Just about ready to fasten the seatbelt, a sharp gasp from Elena and the terror emanating from her had violet eyes narrowing in on whatever had her friend in a panic.

The ignition had been removed…

All of a sudden, the sound of glass shattering rang in the car's interior like a gunshot. Screaming, Snow and Elena twisted around to see shards of glass from the broken window littering the backseat just as a blur knocked into Stefan and tossed him outside.

"STEFAN!" they screeched at the top of their lungs, clumsily trying to escape the confines of the car and come to Stefan's help as a dark-haired, dark-eyed vampire they correctly assumed to be 'the douche Frederick', beat him senseless, his fists pummeling into the nigh-unconscious vampire's face with lightning speed.

Armed with a tree branch, Frederick proceeded to stab into Stefan's torso, and after puncturing him three times, he aimed for the heart. "This is for Beth-Anne!" Frederick growled.

The vervain dart forgotten, Snow's fingernails dug into her temples as she fell to her knees, the rage and grief from Frederick and Stefan's excruciating pain along with every hit he received hitting her tenfold. Next to come was Elena's fear and panic. However, through sheer strength of will, Snow managed to navigate through the vampires' intense emotions and dismiss the influences of everyone in the vicinity; it was Snow's profound fear for her friend's life and all the rage and sorrow, the constant fear of being hunted and the bottled up emotions amassed since the beginning of December that consequently became her undoing and set the next inexplicable event into motion.

Head flung back, Snow's lips parted against her own volition, a scream from deep within forcing its way from her mouth. The eldritch scream that tore through her diverted the attention onto her; her pulse quickened, her eyes widened, and her heart thudded aggressively against her ribcage, it felt as though the strength and speed of her heart's beating could potentially shatter the bone.

"Snow, Stefan—, oh my God!" Elena whimpered, clasped hands pressed to her quivering lips. She didn't know what to do, Elena felt at a complete loss with Frederick in the picture.

But before anybody could react, the ambience around them started to crackle, hiss and spit. A presence percolated through the air around them – intimidating, oppressive, ubiquitous. Then the dwindling rain picked up speed and morphed into a deluge, the spate of raindrops relentlessly slamming into the earth. Suddenly, Snow began to radiate, bright white light hugging the contours of her form and from within her, a blast of pure energy was unleashed and catapulted toward Frederick. The vampire only had time to widen his eyes and take a step away from Stefan before it engulfed him entirely and he disintegrated into nothing.

The air around them crackled for a second longer like static electricity before an eerie stillness encompassed the area and the glow returned to its previous darkness. A broken gasp left Snow and her eyes, which had been glowing an unnatural vibrant violet, recovered its normal shade. For a quick second, a blinding light caught her attention – it was a bright white light of unfathomable shape. She blinked and the form almost gained form, the image otherworldly and ephemeral. No longer capable of bearing her own weight, Snow collapsed onto the ground and promptly sank into oblivion.

From the shadows, the watchful dark eyes widened in unadulterated shock and he lowered his crossbow, the sharp end of the wooden stake kissing the winter mire. Rendered speechless, after blinking a couple of times, he had to force his brain to function again, endeavoring to make sense of what just occurred. There must be a plausible explanation; he needed to research this unforeseen predicament. He needed answers.

Beyond the congregation that surrounded the unconscious girl with the violet aura and a few feet away from the watching stranger, hovering a few feet into the air, the celestial being witnessed the inconceivable occurrence with palpable disbelief and mild wonder. One word left him in a puff of stupefaction, "Impossible…"

"Hello?" a sweet melodic voice hesitantly called out from within the darkness. Long raven hair styled in light curls, bare but for a headband, had her back to him as she cautiously climbed the stairs, one hesitant step at a time. In the darkness, her rainbow-colored tie-dyed dress stood out. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

A loud thump resounded; the girl jerked in alarm and emitted a little shriek, a hand clutched to her chest as though to calm her rapidly beating heart, while the other was pressed to the wall, fingers splayed. Greedily breathing in a lungful of air, she frantically called out, "Uncle Logan?"

Another rattling thump met her inquiry.

"Damon…? Damon if that's you, it, it isn't funny!"

However, when she was instead met with complete silence, the girl quickly slid a hand in her boot and pulled out a phone. Her finger hovering over speed-dial, before she could tap the screen, the lights started to flicker ominously and the phone went on the fritz before it promptly darkened, shutting off. Rough exhales leaving her nostrils with barely any inhales echoed eerily in the silent house and, sucking in a sharp intake, the dark-haired girl swiftly crossed the room to her purse and with shaky hands, withdrew a sharply fashioned wooden stake and a silvery dart, its content unknown. "St-Ste-Stefan?" she stuttered horribly, fear butchering her tone.

But complete silence ensued.

"Whoever this is, it isn't funny!" she shakily yelled out. The thumping sound returned, echoing from a room in the far corner. Carefully, she opened the door. Panicky and breathless, her voice hitched, "Uncle Logan?"

This time, the response was different. A loud cackle reverberated in the room and an odious voice filled with malice crooned, "I told you I was coming, didn't I? I told you there was no running from me!"

She screamed. The girl whipped around, but he couldn't see her face clearly; the only distinguishable feature visible was her fair skin, almost as white as snow. Despite her fear, the girl bravely placed the wooden stake in front of her in defense. "Stay-stay away from me! I h-haven't done anything to you! Leave me, why won't you just leave me alone!" she whimpered fearfully before gasping as the stake erupted into flames. Letting out a yelp, she promptly dropped it and it landed with a clatter on the floor. With both hands, she clutched the dart as though it were a lifeline, her hands clenched around it and bone-white.

After another explosion of cackling, the odious voice rasped, "A dart of vervain liquid? How… amusing. You actually think you can defeat me? That that herb can affect me?" The voice cackled louder and suddenly, amidst the surrounding blackness, yellow eyes flashed in a mixture of contempt and glee. Crooning, it said, "You? Who they call the Pure of heart is nothing against Pure Evil!"

The lights flickered again and an excruciating scream of agony and anguish resonated in the room before it was engulfed with fire. As the yellow-eyed being's cackles intensified, a set of haunted chocolate brown orbs widened when they looked upward – the girl was pinned to the ceiling, spread-eagled, and a pool of crimson accumulated from her womb, dripping onto the floor.

But what was seared into his mind, was the girl's large, doe-like violet eyes, framed by thick black lashes. They stared right at him, frozen in its fearful state as the life slowly drained out of them just as the flames shrouded her form and devoured the house.

"Sammy! SAM! C'mon Sam, wake up!" the familiar deep, husky voice, one that represented safety, lanced through him and with a sharp gasp, a tall brown-haired man jerked out of bed and into a sitting position. Wide chocolate orbs, brimming with an unhealthy amount of fear and horror, latched onto his older brother. "Dean?" he choked out, his voice a mere whisper.

Vibrant green eyes studying his brother in concern, Dean placed both hands on his shoulders as though to steady him, "Yeah, Sammy, I'm here, I'm here. What the hell was that? It sounded pretty… intense. Nightmare?" Dean failed to effectively hide the hopefulness from slipping into his tone; he really didn't want to deal with another one of Sam's visions – he was still recovering from the revelations of the last one. Hope however, dwindled the instant Sam shook his head. "No, not a nightmare. I think it was another vision."

"You think?" Dean groaned, causally flopping onto the other bed, "Don't wanna sound insensitive, Sammy, but at this rate, we'll never catch up with Dad."

Indelibly seared into his memory, those pair of violet eyes proceeded to haunt him. Every blink, they swam in front of him and Sam clutched his head, fisting clumps of his shaggy hair. Why were those eyes so entrancing…?

"Dean, you're gonna wanna hear this," he whispered, prompting Dean to square his shoulders and throw him a solemn look. The stiff quality detected in his voice and the quivering breaths he released let Dean know this was no joking matter and some serious shit had hit the fan. And then Sam said it, eviscerating any and all signs of annoyance the elder Winchester held in regards to the unnatural visions that's been plaguing his brother, "It was the thing that killed Mom and Jess."

The disclosure resulted in the intended effect. The air was sucked out of the motel room, and Dean's handsome face contorted in a grimace. His visage radiating utter rage and equal amount of determination, he growled, a clenched fist held aloft, "Who?"

Desperate, Sam wildly shook his head, "I don't know, Dean." His body was wracked with another shiver as another flash of violet impaled his mind, "I didn't get a location or a name. But the girl, she's still a teenager, Dean and-, God!" Again, his head moved from right to left, the movement almost mournful, "She was-, is, she's beautiful, Dean. Like out of this world pretty. But what stays with me, are her eyes. They're violet."

"Violet, huh?" Dean scratched the top of his head, then the underside of his jaw, his brows snapping together in confusion. Violet eyes were rare and in his twenty-six years of life, he had yet to meet anyone with that kind of rare coloring. "Okay. Alright, Sammy, think. Anything seemed familiar? Anything grabbed your attention? Names, pictures, something we can use to track down this chick?"

Sam frowned, his face strained in concentration as he attempted to relive the haunting vision. "Actually, now that you mention it, yeah. Something seemed off..." he articulated hesitantly. Dean extended both arms out in a 'well?' gesture, expression impatient. "Her clothes were weird. She was dressed like those hippies from the sixties in a rainbow dress."

"Costume party?" completely nonplussed, Dean shrugged a shoulder. "Probably not Halloween since it already passed, though…" he drifted off in contemplation.

Clearing his throat, Sam continued, "Also, she called out for an Uncle Logan, a Damon and a Stefan. Oh, and-" excited, he brought his middle finger and thumb together in a loud snap as another detail launched at him, "-from her purse, she grabbed a wooden stake and some dart, the demon called it vervain."

"Okay, what... wooden stake in her purse? What is she, Buffy?" Dean scoffed, frowning at the head-scratcher. He then pointed out, "There's no such thing as vampires."

Shrugging, his expression mirroring Dean's, Sam added, "It gets more confusing. He said that, 'he told her he was coming, and did she think she could run from him.' He also said that 'the pure of heart cannot defeat pure evil'."

"Well, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dean groused in annoyance. Without warning, he punched the wall, "We can't let that demon kill anyone else, Sam!"

Getting worked up, Sam's yelling was interspersed with harsh breathing, "You think I don't know that! I'm the one who saw her die. Just like Jess, and I couldn't save her, okay?" Calming down after a moment's silence, he snapped, "We should have never let Dad take off. It was a mistake."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dean glumly inclined his head, "Let's just try and find Dad, alright. He'll know what to do… There must be a pattern." He looked utterly lost as he dragged a hand down his face.

Nodding, Sam got to his feet and started packing his duffel bag. But no matter what, every time he closed his eyes, a dead pair of violets stared right back.

Returning from the necromantic-tainted town, he snuck back into Heaven unseen and flounced toward its center, his movements unceasing until he stood before his brother whose face remained impassive as though he hadn't taken notice of the intrusion and continued to trim the hedges, wholly unperturbed.

The moment the girl with the violet aura was rendered unconscious, he vigilantly watched over her for many a day as she endured in a quiescent state, the mortal healers having declared the anomaly comatose. However, upon the passing of another mortal week, he decided he had overstayed his welcome. The route his suspicions were traveling on was extremely dangerous and not conducive to his welfare; if Michael or Zachariah or even the intelligence division discovered his sojourn on Earth and the forbidden knowledge he had fortuitously acquired, it would all be extracted and he would become brainwashed into a mindless puppet, his memories modified.

"Ah, brother. You have come home at last!" Joshua donned a friendly grin on his lips and his bright eyes crinkled in a smile. The younger angel surrendered to the tic he had appropriated from the mortals during one of his many excursions to Earth with Anna, which eventually became a habit Uriel especially abhorred – he rolled his ethereal eyes at the Gardener's artificial ignorance, knowing Joshua sensed him the moment he stepped foot in his playground. "Why did you have me go there?" he demanded, mostly curious.

The Gardener coruscated with genuine anticipation, "Why, what did you see?"

"I dare not speak of it," he retorted and his gaze narrowed at the knowingness that lanced past Joshua's eyes. "Merely thinking of it could impel Naomi to descend upon me. It should not be possible, Joshua."

No, he wasn't scared – not exactly, not at all. He was a formidable warrior, a member of Heaven's most infamous garrison, and an angel who had been present when the world was first created and thus, was several millennia older than biblical time. He had witnessed countless horrors and untold miracles, and throughout it all, he had managed to uncover the plethora of secrets Heaven harbored through stealth and ingenuity… as well as a good measure of curiosity. However, Heaven had a hierarchy and the upper echelons could easily sentence him to the Dungeon or the Chair – a favorite indoctrination method. Despite the impetuous quality he possessed, he happened to be one of the rare few to escape the 'honor' of warming Naomi's Chair or see the inside of the intelligence division, and it was all due to his impregnable, indomitable sense of self-preservation.

An emotion akin to pity materialized on Joshua's face. He maintained eye contact for a while longer before he dropped into a kneeling position, both knees gently pressed to the lush grass so that he could inspect the blossoming patch of floribundas. "And yet, before your very eyes, you have witnessed the impossible," he stated matter-of-factly, his countenance annoyingly nonchalant despite the circumstances.

"Enough riddles, Joshua! You have yet to give me an answer," he hissed, losing his composure.

Abandoning his efforts, a sigh emanated from Joshua as he drew himself to his full height and the younger angel couldn't help but feel cowed, the disapproval misting his brother's all-knowing eyes making him feel like a chastised fledging. "You were chosen, brother. He chose you, and in time, as the days progress, you shall understand why. Only you have the ability to know when that time comes," he revealed cryptically.

Emitting a huff that came out an amalgamation of exasperation and irritation, he swiped a hand in the air and turned to leave. Joshua continued to stand in his spot, eyes fixated on the younger angel's retreating back, waiting. Just as expected, he halted in his tracks and spoke from over his shoulder, "An abomination has taken residence in that town." In fact, the stench of sulfur was so potent, he marveled at how it remained undetected for so long.

"Oh? And what do you make of it?"

He stood stock-still for a while before the silence was broken with his scoff, "It's not my concern." And without further ado, just as he flounced into the Garden, he flounced out without a single backward glance.

Closing his eyes, Joshua continued to stand on the same spot, hands clasped behind his back and unmoving. Inundated with another integrant of revelation, deep, omniscient eyes snapped open and he smiled serenely, "For now, Balthazar."

The monotonous beeping of the ECG stabbed her eardrums, its loud intensity forcing her into consciousness with a sharp gasp and her eyes flew open, pools of bright violets pinning the ceiling with wide-eyed confusion and slight terror.

The blood rushing to her head dimmed the familiar voices that repeatedly called her name. Inhaling and exhaling frenetically, she attempted to move, but other than the entanglement of wires wrapped around her form, she felt weak and stiff, her joints numb and heavy with prolonged disuse. Suddenly, a swarm of scrub-clad individuals infiltrated her field of vision, blocking the dull and dreary view of the ceiling, its white paint marred with spider web cracks. Belatedly, she could hear them inquiring about her condition as a doctor lifted her eyelids and shone a light into her eyes, almost blinding her in the process.

Her throat scratchy and mouth as dry as the Sahara, she found the strength to cut into the profusion of medical lingo that permeated the room she was confined in and croak out, "Water."

Soon after, her doctor, baffled by her clean bill of health, left the room, murmuring nonsensically to himself as he endeavored to locate a perfectly sane medical reason behind the inconsistency Snow generated. Another medical mystery enveloped the seventeen-year-old and it didn't sit right with Dr. Michaels.

Blinking, the room swam before her. Groaning aloud, she blinked again and this time, her violet orbs brightened significantly, her pale complexion luciferous with joy at the sight of Logan. His hand instantly reached out for her, clasping it in a vice grip and Snow frowned, unable to help but take note of how utterly dog-tired her godfather looked. "What happened?" she whispered, voice still scratchy, as she carefully arranged herself in a sitting position, despite Logan's feeble effort to prevent her from making sudden movements. "I feel perfectly fine. Promise," she reassured him with her trademark megawatt smile.

"If not for my new and improved health, you'd have scared me into an early grave, Snow Silverstone," Logan wearily chastised her, the relieved smile on his face belying his tone. He couldn't keep his hands off her, alternating between stroking her hair, cupping her face and gripping her hand. "You've been in a coma, Jellybean," he finally disclosed through compressed lips and he roughly dragged a hand down his face, covertly brushing away a traitorous tear that ran down the length of his face. "It's been two weeks."

She inhaled a sharp intake of breath and suddenly, like a freight train, her memory returned, slamming into her: The tomb vampires … Stefan's abduction … Frederick catching up to them … Stefan nearly dying … the light … and—

"I-I, oh my God!" Snow broke into tears as realization dawned on her. "I killed him, didn't I? I, I can't believe I killed somebody, I-I-I didn't mean to…" her words were interspersed with harsh sobs, making her almost incoherent. Logan shook his head, wonder and awe displayed on his face. The bed dipped as he perched on its edge and drew her into a tight embrace, "Shhhh, shhhhhhhh. Never feel guilty for protecting yourself and your friends. Who knows what would've happened if you didn't, honey. Frederick was a bad vampire, you understand me? He's incapable of repentance, you hear me? Because of you Stefan and Elena are safe and well."

As though summoned, Elena peered inside, her presence and her voice the buoy that kept Snow afloat. Rushing to her other side, the brunette almost suffocated her with her embrace, tears shamelessly falling down her face like rivulets. "I still don't understand how you did it. The power that came out of you… it was as frightening as it was beautiful."

Head shaking rapidly, the raven-haired girl almost fell victim to a conniption fit as, for the second time in the span of two months, after waking up in a hospital, she was promptly introduced to a whole new world. She wanted to be human! Human and normal, human and normal, human and normal, human and normal… repeated like a hysteric mantra in her head. She began to experience a shortness of breath and the room started spinning around her like vertigo – an indication of an anxiety attack.

Luckily, Elena was right next to her and like many times before, she brought her back, clutching her hand tightly and anchoring her to the present. "…one, two, three… That's it. You've got it, Snow. C'mon, one more time. One, two, three… Hold it in annddd let it out. Inhale, exhale…"

"What kind of freak of nature am I?" she shrieked. Considerably calmer, Snow nevertheless was still overwrought. "How can this happen? I thought, I thought I was an empath. Empaths can't do anything but sense emotions, right?" Long strands of raven hair lassoed left and right as Snow hastily pivoted to face Logan and Elena and back again, "Right?!"

In total synchronization, Logan and Elena sternly reprimanded her, "You're not a freak."

"Danica and I are looking into this. Don't worry about it, honey. We'll figure it out," Logan added, his tone soothing. Snow's reaction was intense; she stiffened and averted eye contact and in a horrible attempt to sound casual and unconcerned, said, "Danica? She was here?" An awkward silence then ensued once Elena replied with an affirmative as it resulted in Snow inadvertently giving Logan the cold shoulder, her violet orbs stubbornly fixated on the television screen hovering overhead.

The two then instigated an odd staring contest, Elena's brows rising and falling meaningfully while Logan merely stared, expression unreadable. Finally, he inclined his head in acquiescence and Elena perkily jumped to her feet and announced she was going to make some phone calls to their friends regarding Snow's condition while they "talked it out". The moment the door clicked shut behind the brunette, Logan released a long-drawn-out breath, "You gonna tell me what's going on with you, Snow? Ever since Danica moved in, you've been… belligerent. That's not like you."

The stubborn silence persisted, but Logan patiently waited her out, his eyes focused on her while she collected her thoughts.

"You don't know how it feels, Uncle Logan," she suddenly prefaced in a whisper, blinking back tears to no avail as a line stained her face and coursed down her chin. "Do you know how it feels to be an orphan? To, to lose your mother at such a young age and have your father constantly away on business. To overhear nearly every single adult in your life call your father an absentee parent? To have to share your home, the house of your ancestors, the house your mother grew up in, lived in, and died in, with a woman who hates you? To be bullied by your step-sisters? Or how about, how it feels to be a slave in your house!?" Overcome with sadness and mild rage at the unfairness of everything Snow had been forced to endure, she yanked the antiseptic-smelling blanket off her and turned to properly face the vampire, "Do you know how it feels to be told your father is dead? To attend his funeral; to cry at the loss; to go through depression! To this day I haven't gotten over his-" she forcefully performed quotation marks with both hands, "-death!" Her next words were accompanied by harsh sobs, "Do you know how it feels to religiously visit your father's grave, almost every two days like clockwork, and spill your guts out, thinking he's watching over you, listening to you, only to find out nearly a decade later that you've been talking to an empty grave!? And that my father, the person I wished more than anything would miraculously appear in my life and rescue me from Lucille and her tyranny… that he's been alive this whole time. That he abandoned me. That he left me to suffer."

Head shaking, Snow promptly held a hand out, effectively stopping Logan from speaking. "Enter Danica. I don't hate her, Uncle Logan. You know I'm incapable of hating anyone that's not Lucille and the twins," she sadly disclosed, violets gleaming with a veneer of tears. "Danica Claire is a reminder of everything I've been trying to move on from. I built a cocoon for myself, I shoved back the horrible fact my father abandoned me, I attempted to come to terms with it and move on. I had you, and my friends and my honorary aunts and uncle… Then that interloper arrives, blatantly spying on me for HIM, and you, you act like-, like I'm supposed to be okay with it?" she breathed out in palpable disbelief, eyes wide and filled with hurt. "She's your friend, I get it. And I'm sorry, but… I'm not comfortable with her around me, knowing she's gonna report everything back to my Dad." A sudden epiphany struck her, "She told him, right? About what happened to me…" she trailed off.

Wholly exhausted, Logan reclined in the uncomfortable hospital chair and after rubbing his face with his cupped hands, he met her knowing gaze, "I suppose she did." He then lifted a shoulder in a shrug, "He didn't show his face though. I didn't leave your bedside, honey. Elena, Bonnie and Caroline rotated shifts around you. The Lockwoods and Salvatores visited every day. Trust me, if somebody approached you, we'd have known. You were constantly watched by us." The 'in case the hitman made an appearance and took advantage of your vulnerability' was left unsaid.

"You know, each and every witch have one single trait in common." The non sequitur startled Snow. The pools of hazels staring back at her flooded with seriousness, "They're prideful creatures, Snow. For a powerful coven to ally themselves with your father-" he cut himself off with a grave inclination of his head. "Trust me, Snow. They're not doing it for free or out of the goodness of their hearts. I can tell you they aren't pleased with having to look after you." Cradling her hands between his, Logan softly uttered, "What I'm trying to say is, take it easy on Danica. I'm not saying you have to like her or get along with her. Just… try and understand from her perspective. She was given an order and she could not refuse. She had to uproot her entire life and that of her daughter's from their home. Think of it, yeah?" He then placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and softly ruffled her hair.

Sucking in her lower lip, Snow let out a loud exhale, confused and torn. "I think… I think it was all the emotion overload that made be belligerent, as you say," she beamed brightly. "I make no promises about your witch friend. But… for now, I'll at least try and be civil." …And Logan's vibrant smile was definitely worth it. Like an avalanche, another epiphany hit her, "Wait… did you say I've been unconscious for two weeks? Does that mean I missed the Founders Day Kick-off party?"

Elena's laughter reverberated from the doorway, announcing her return. "Funny you should ask. It's tonight actually. Which is why-" she drawled out, mirth sparkling in her eyes and humor lacing her tone, "-Carol Lockwood is in Dr. Michaels' office, demanding he discharge you since he couldn't find anything wrong in your charts."

Emitting a sound of annoyance, Logan threw his head back and pressed his forearm against his face. Groaning, he got to his feet, eyes rolling heavily in their sockets, "If you'll excuse me, ladies. I'm gonna try and minimize the casualties out there. Be back soon." To Snow's surmounting confusion, as he passed Elena, it was his turn to shoot her a meaningful look, eliciting a grimace from her.

"What else happened while I was unconscious?" she demanded glumly, throwing her arms into the air.

Tentatively, Elena deposited herself in Logan's vacated chair, meeting the pair of curious violets with her sad swirls of chocolates. Swallowing the lump from her throat, Elena hesitantly revealed, "Snow, there's something else… while we were getting Stefan, Caroline had car troubles because of the weather and got stranded on her way to her Dad's." Sensing her initial concern morphing into a hysteric freak out, Elena hurriedly reassured her, "Caroline's safe. She's good. Nothing happened to her. But, Snow-" preparing to unveil the horrible news, she sucked in a deep breath, "-the storm unearthed Vicki's body. …And Caroline found her."

The reminder of Vicki and her horrifying death was like a slap to her face. As though there were miles between them instead of inches, Elena's voice sounded foggy, her words nearly inaudible as she informed her about the funeral that took place a week ago and insisted while they had wanted to wait for Snow so that she could be in attendance and say her final goodbyes to Vicki, after remaining comatose for a week, it was unfair to Matt and Kelly to wait any longer.

Like waves, grief engulfed and overwhelmed her. Blinded by the tears in her eyes, choked up and unable to breathe, Snow allowed Elena to tackle her in a strangling embrace, holding her close and whispering soothing words to her. "Can anything else go wrong?" she sniffed, nestling her head in the crook between the brunette's neck and shoulder.

Resting the side of her face on the top of Snow's head, Elena groaned, "Don't jinx it, please."

CAST:

Jessica Lowndes as Danica Claire

Danielle Campbell as Davina Claire

"Empath? So in other words, you're a sexy lie detector?" – Damon Salvatore

"Pure? That's a new one… Is that the Spirits' fancy way of saying empath? Note that my eyes are begging you to say yes." – Logan Fell

"I'm sorry but I think it's cool, Snow. I mean, maybe the emotion overload is temporary, you know? And as time goes by, you can control it… nifty gift if you ask me. I'd rather have that than being some humongous bitch's twin." – Elena Gilbert

"Hey, Bonnie. It's Elena-, and Snow!-, we're just checking in, seeing how you're doing. We miss you-, like a lot, a lot!-, don't let your aunt drive you too crazy-, and remember, we're only a phone call away, Bons. Come home soon-, we love you!" – Snow Silverstone & Elena Gilbert

"Alaric's wife might have been your mother?" – Stefan Salvatore

"Damon's too busy depleting my alcohol supply to drain sorority girls. You're welcome, Stef." – Logan Fell

"And guess what? When I was looking up Isobel, I accidentally stumbled on Monica Grace. The boyfriend-stealing, size-zero skank with red hair Logan cheated on me with." – Jenna Sommers

"It doesn't make any sense man. Why would I even have these premonitions if there wasn't a chance I could stop them from happening?" – Sam Winchester

"I am totally going to ruin this moment, but I-I have to tell you. Elena recently found out she was adopted, and she's been looking for her birth mother…whose name was Isobel." – Jenna Sommers

"Elena, something's not right. Trudie's nervous and terrified. She's hiding something. I feel her deception. She doesn't want us here…" – Snow Silverstone

"Damon, I already told you, I'm not getting involved in anything Alaric Saltzman related, got it? Anyways, just because we occasionally share booze and haven't killed each other, doesn't make us partners in crime. I tolerate you for Snow. You tolerate me for Snow. It's a good arrangement, let's stick to it." – Logan Fell

Damon Salvatore: "Do you know that I am one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?" Snow Silverstone: "So is Uncle Logan." Elena Gilbert: "Sorry to burst you bubble, Damon. You're not the only eligible vampire in town."

"Wow, you must really get your kicks, bullying a teenage girl. Says a lot about what kind of mother you are. So, I'm new in town, dunno if this is regular behavior, but as an actual mother, I'm gonna tell you nicely to back the hell off. You don't listen, I've no problem getting physical, bitch." – Danica Claire (to Kelly Donovan)

"I slept with her because I liked her. I turned her because she begged me to." – Damon Salvatore

"This ring protected me." – Alaric Saltzman

"What your Dad said, about what happened to your Mom. It's real. It happened to my Mom too, exactly the same. My nursery, my crib, my Dad saw her on the ceiling." – Sam Winchester

Sam Winchester: "Well, I'll tell you one thing. We're lucky we had Dad." Dean Winchester: "Well I never thought I'd hear you say that." Sam Winchester: "Well, it coulda gone a whole other way after Mom. A little more tequila and a little less demon hunting and we woulda had Max's childhood. All things considered, we turned out ok. Thanks to him."

"Richard, you keep staring, you're going to burn a hole through him. I don't see the problem with Logan befriending the Salvatore boys. They're good people and Damon's been very helpful." – Carol Lockwood

"It's not the fact that he's talking with them that's the problem, Carol. It's the need for secrecy. The hushed meetings. The serious looks being exchanged. I'm telling you, something's off." – Richard Lockwood

"You too? Wow. I guess I know how you felt when I went through my anti-vampire phase. Bonnie hasn't been returning my calls." – Snow Silverstone

"What does it say about me if I really like Ric, I'm bummed its awkward between us, but I'm insanely jealous of that woman who recently moved in because she's getting all cozy with Logan." – Jenna Sommers

"She doesn't really like me, does she?" – Danica Claire

"You're letting Elena turn you into a crazy person. Look it's my fault. I made it pretty clear early on that Elena still means something to me. But all that talk, that was just two old friends and some memories. Tonight wasn't about me and Elena. I was there because I wanted to be with you. And I don't know what this means or what we are but I do know that you are the only person I want to be in this car with right now. And I don't even know if that makes sense because I'm not really that good at expressing myself." – Matt Donovan

"Jenna, Danica Claire and Logan Fell aren't together. But why do you care so much? I thought you liked Mr. Saltzman…?" – Elena Gilbert

"I knew this girl. Vicki. She was attacked by an animal, a bite to the neck. She started acting crazy, weird, and it seemed like drugs, but then you showed me those articles. And then I saw your face and how it changed the night in the cemetery when I kissed you." – Jeremy Gilbert

"I spy with my little eye, a literal spy." – Snow Silverstone

"Demons I get. People are crazy." – Dean Winchester

Damon Salvatore: "I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night." Stefan Salvatore: "Yeah. And then what? We turn to the rest of that house of vampires and say, 'Oops. Sorry'?"

"It's my dad's boyfriend's daughter's birthday. We have a non-traditional traditional ritual." – Caroline Forbes

"Look, Logan, I know you said Damon Salvatore's not a friend, but you obviously have a frenemy thing going on. Snow however, is his friend. If Snow doesn't like me because of how I just treated him, I'm not going to say sorry because my daughter's safety comes first. Davina always comes first." – Danica Claire

"One hundred and forty-five years left starving in a tomb, thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you and your brother. First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kind of pain that can drive a person mad. Well… I thought your brother might want to get a taste of that before I killed him." – Frederick

"They found Vicki Donovan. Storm unearthed the grave off county road. They just brought her to the morgue. And what's more, Logan just called… Snow's been admitted to the hospital. Again." – Richard Lockwood

"I'm sorry, what did you just say? … She did what!? … Okay, I understand. You go do what you have to do. A couple days' tops I'll be there, I'm just finishing something in Michigan. … Yeah, I'm sure. … It's time I return to Mystic Falls, do my part. Jenna's been mucking everything up from what I hear. … I'll keep you updated." – John Gilbert

"Something happened, some, some blinding light. It came out of Snow. It just, it manifested from her and hit him. Frederick just… he disintegrated. How could Snow do that? Empaths don't have that sort of power." – Elena Gilbert

"It's funny, I first saw Snow, she gave off the impression she couldn't hurt a fly. Months later, she combusts some dick vampire without a single thought. Scary stuff right there. And I'd just like to make it clear how glad I befriended her." – Damon Salvatore

"What do you mean she's perfectly healthy but isn't waking up? Did you learn that kind of unhelpful crap in medical school!?" – Richard Lockwood

"I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?" – Sam Winchester

Caroline Forbes: "Maybe it's like Sleeping Beauty's curse. True love's kiss will wake her up." Elena Gilbert: "Okay, first of all, that stuff doesn't exist. You sound like Snow, Care. Second, if it does, which it doesn't, Snow doesn't have a romantic life outside her books. She never had a boyfriend or a first kiss. Hence, no true love." Caroline Forbes: "Oh my God, Elena. You did not just say 'hence', what are you sixty?"

"He is pretty good, I'll give you that. But you see, he has one weakness. You. He lets his guard down around his boys, lets his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he is in town. And he'll come and try to save you." – Meg

"This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt. … Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight. It's good to see you again. It's been a long time." – John Winchester

"We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop. They're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's- he's stronger without us around." – Dean Winchester

"I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't detect any magical interference. The best I can say, is Snow's in stasis. Whatever power she unleashed it must have wore her out, like it depleted her energy and until it's restored, she won't be waking up." – Danica Claire

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son. Okay, you've gotta let me go. Be careful, boys." – John Winchester

"I said I'll be here before noon. Now tell me, what's this I hear about Snow Silverstone in a coma?" – John Gilbert

"Oh thank God! Snow, sweetheart. I am so thrilled you're awake! And just in time for the ball tonight!" – Carol Lockwood

"Why are you avoiding your uncle, Lena? I mean, yeah, he's kind of odd, but… he really loves you. It's weird, before no one would've been able to say that with a straight face but, empath in the room is 100% certain he loves you. A lot. So, go easy on him." – Snow Silverstone

"Ah, Logan. My, my, how the mighty have fallen. Don't worry, for now, your secret's safe with me." – John Gilbert

"Is Snow seriously waxing poetry about the dick I just killed?" – Damon Salvatore

"No. I already told you this, Damon. We're not partners in crime. I may not get along with John 6 times out of 10, but that doesn't mean I'm alright with you trying to kill him. So you and your history buff pal keep me out of your shenanigans, I'm not gonna have a vengeful Gilbert after me, thanks. I've got Snow to think of and a life to live." – Logan Fell

"Elena, my head is pounding. I feel like my skin is on fire. I have this hunger inside of me that I've never felt before in my entire life and all I keep thinking about is how I promised that I would never keep anything from you, and so I'm telling you this." – Stefan Salvatore

Dean Winchester: "Every time I type in 'girl with purple eyes', I get Elizabeth Taylor." Sam Winchester: "Try violet."

"Well, well, well… what do we have here. Mystic Falls, huh? I'm just glad there aren't any cookie cutter lawns or I'd have puked all over them. The name gives it a good mystery. I'd say nice meatsuit, but I'm more interested in what you're doing here!" – Azazel

A/N: Whew! This was such a long and exhausting chapter to write! The chapter (excluding the quotes) took 34 pages! I know, I know, it's a lot. But in my defense, I squeezed in FOUR episodes of TVD. So yeah. Any of my lovely readers who followed this story when it was 'A Cinderella Story', you can clearly see I completely changed the entire chapter; before it was a boring summary, but now I added details and characters and more interactions. So, bear with me for some important notes I need to address:

(1) Danica and Davina Claire! OMG yes, I introduced Davina early. Firstly, I changed her age. If my calculations are correct, in canon she's probably 14 or 15. I can't recall if she was 15 or 16 in the Harvest. Here, she JUST turned 11 – awh, cute, I know. To be perfectly honest, throughout the entirety of TO, I was so torn on whether or not I liked or hated Davina – anyone that opposes my favorite character who is obviously Klaus! instantly gets on my shit-list (which is why I had a love-hate relationship with the MF Gang in Seasons 3 and 4 of TVD). But then Kol, my 2nd favorite character fell in love with her… so, I decided to introduce her early and change things around. Not giving any spoilers, but my story is gonna deviate a lot from canon. Also, about her mother, this isn't a Danica bashing story, but Snow's reaction to her legitimately makes sense. I will say this, excluding Logan, Danica's gonna have a hard time fitting in with the Mystic Falls Gang.

(2) Notice how I'm introducing characters from New Orleans early? Like Will Kinney, Sophie Deveraux, Davina Claire, Marcel Gerard, etc… Honestly, I find TO fascinating and I've had ideas on how to play around with the characters instead of waiting for TO to begin. Which BTW, dates are gonna be changing A LOT! So don't expect canon dates for SPN and TO Universe – but more of that'll be explained later.

(3) About SPN: This is fanfiction, and the best thing about it, is compared to canon facts & events, we can totally manipulate, deviate and create. I kind of changed Joshua's story-plot. I mean, if God talks to him, and if that fact had Zachariah running scared from him, then I'm pretty sure he'd have valuable information and have intricate power over Heaven, like allowing Balthazar to leave Heaven without tipping anyone off… right? Right. Also SURPRISE: BALTHAZAR! WHAT? He's my favorite angel… well, one of. So I'm thrilled at his early appearance. Hope you are too! As you can see I'm already shaking things up ;)

(4) And lastly, some of you are probably surprised by Snow's bitterness and her complete OOCness? This chapter marked Snow's character development. But as you can see, she still cried over killing Frederick. She's purely good and innocent and kind. But the amount of emotions drilling into her and finding out the truth about her father and realizing Danica is spying on her – it became too much and Snow snapped. I'm not saying she's gonna always be rude and outspoken, just that her character's developing and she won't be so vanilla all the damn time. What was that power? Why did she fall into a 2-week coma? What's with Balthazar's reaction? It'll be revealed in due time. Patience is the key, my lovelies.

(5) Who was that mysterious stranger? What's with Sam's visions? Aah, we finally see Dean and Sam!

(6) SPN Universe: Nightmare, The Benders, Shadow, Hell House.

R&R.