Damon has escaped. This means Caroline is going to be on his hit list. I need to protect her. I can't have someone else I care about get ripped away from me.

"You said you would explain everything. That's why I asked you to meet me here. When you Google 'vampire' you get a world of fiction. What's the reality?"

Stefan sat across Elena. "I can tell you whatever you want to know.

"How is sunlight not an issue?"

"We have rings that protect us." Stefan answered.

Elena looked Stefan dead in the eye. "You said you don't kill to survive."

"Animal blood keeps me alive, but not as strong as Damon. He can be very powerful."

"And yet you let him get involved with Caroline?"

Stefan looked down. "It's complicated. It was hard to stop Damon, but I tried.

Elena paused. "Wait...if you're a vampire...and Damon is a vampire...Felix?"

Stefan nodded, knowing he had to reveal his friend's identity. "Yes, he's the one who has been trying to look out for Caroline. I believe she reminds him of someone he knew."

"Are there any others, aside from you, Damon and Felix?"

Stefan shook his head. "Not in Mystic Falls; not anymore."

"Not anymore?"

"There was a time when this town was very much aware of vampires, and it didn't end well for anybody. That's why it's important that you don't tell anyone."

Elena sighed. "I can't promise that."

Stefan continued his conversation until they finished their drinks, and then he took her to the middle of the woods. "I want to show you something...this used to be my home."

"It looks so..."

"Old?" Stefan finished.

Elena nodded.

He continued. "Yeah...because it is."

Elena was shocked. "Wait...how old are you-"

"I've been seventeen years old since 1864." Stefan answered, and Elena's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god..."

Stefan sighed. "You said you wanted to know. I'm not going to hold anything back. Half a century before the boarding house was even built, this was my family's home. Damon and I...we were both born here. The Salvatore brothers, best friends."

Mystic Falls, 1864

The crisp afternoon air filled the front of the Salvatore house as Stefan, Damon and Felix were throwing around a football.

"What are the rules of this game Damon?" Felix asked in his thick British accent. He had arrived in Mystic Falls just under a year ago after he was abandoned. He arrived, hoping to continue the friendship he had made previously with Stefan, and that someone would take him in.

He had no one else left for him. He was condemned from his family and the girl he loved had been torn away from him.

The Salvatore's were welcoming, they took the British teenager into their home and not a day went by Felix didn't appreciate it. Their father, Giuseppe, was a strict man, but as long as Felix caused no trouble and abided by his rules, he wasn't unwelcome to the boy.

Then Katherine Pierce arrived, Felix would watch from afar as she toyed with both brothers - each one visibly captivated by her charm and beauty. He wasn't victim to her charms, he was still in love with someone else.

It continued, he saw the rift she was trying to place between the two brothers - the brothers Felix considered his own. When Katherine chose Stefan for the Founder's Ball, he saw how much it broke Damon.

Felix was at the party, he went with Damon to stop the older brother from self-destructing. The nineteen-year-old fixed himself a glass of bourbon at the table when he felt a figure slide next to him.

"Enjoying yourself, Felix?" Katherine appeared beside him, her voice smooth as silk.

"I'd enjoy it more if I didn't see you playing puppet master with Stefan and Damon." Felix replied, his voice filled with venom. "You are what we call back home a wagtail."

"Now what does that mean?"

"You're promiscuous, Katherine," Felix glared, "promiscuous and manipulative. And I see right through your charm."

Her smile didn't waver, but her gaze sharpened. "Careful, Felix. Accusations like that can be dangerous."

He took a slow sip of his drink, maintaining eye contact. "I've seen enough to know what you are, Katherine. You may have Stefan and Damon fooled, but I see you for what you really are."

Katherine's laughter was a soft yet menacing sound. "And what exactly do you think I am?"

Felix hesitated. He was no stranger to the supernatural, he knew creatures like Katherine existed. Once he pieced together the secrecy she always had, the peculiar strength and how she always got what she wanted, he knew.

"A predator," he finally said, "a freak of nature. And I won't let you destroy them."

With that final statement, he walked off away from the vampire. He could feel her glare on the back of his head, he knew he'd made an enemy - potentially a dangerous one.

Later that evening, Felix found Stefan alone by the fireplace. The younger Salvatore's expression was distant, lost in thought.

"What has she done? Has she said something? Has she gotten under your skin?" Felix asked, taking a seat across from him.

Stefan looked up, startled. "Katherine? Why of course not. She's...she's remarkable."

Felix scoffed. "She's manipulating you, Stefan. Both of you."

"Why would you say that?" Stefan's tone was defensive.

"Because I'm not blinded by whatever spell she's cast over this house." Felix leaned forward. He opened his mouth to continue speaking but Katherine suddenly appeared. Her stare locked on Felix.

"Come Stefan," she beckoned, "let's go upstairs."

And Stefan, by no means of compulsion and simply because he was truly captivated by her, followed.

The confrontation came the next day, in the woods surrounding the estate. Felix had cornered Katherine, determined to reveal the truth.

"I'll expose you for what you are," he said, his voice steady despite the racing of his heart, "it stops now."

Katherine tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "And what will you do, Felix? Run to the council? Tell them you've been sharing drinks with a vampire? You're a human. I can kill you right now in the blink of an eye."

Felix's breath hitched, but he stood firm. "I won't let you turn this place into your feeding ground."

In a flash, Katherine was before him, her fingers cold as they brushed his cheek. "You're brave, Felix," she murmured, "and terribly foolish. Don't you worry, my main concern is not killing people."

His vision blurred as her eyes locked onto his. "You'll forget this conversation," she whispered, "you'll forget what you've pieced together. All you'll remember is how much you enjoyed my company."

Felix looked at her, blank. He didn't say anything. He knew he couldn't say anything.

It was enough for Katherine.

"Good boy," she said, a satisfied smirk on her lips. "Now go. They'll be wondering where you are."

He walked off, hiding the truth from her. He couldn't be compelled, but she didn't know that. He hadn't revealed how he knew so much about the supernatural to her. To the best of his knowledge, Katherine was clueless.

Felix knew so much about the supernatural because he was part of it.

Mystic Falls, present day.

The Salvatore mansion felt eerily silent when Felix arrived. He had been out for most of the day, trying to formulate a plan. He knew that Elena had confronted Stefan about his true identity and he knew Damon had escaped. Since it was the day, he was less worried as Damon didn't have his ring, but he still didn't feel fully at ease.

He paused as his hand hovered over the doorknob, his eyes narrowing at the faint, rhythmic thrum of music coming from deeper within the house.

Something was off.

Felix entered and followed the sound to the living room, where he found Damon lounging on the sofa. Vicki Donovan danced erratically to a song blaring from a radio player, her movements unsteady.

"Damon," Felix said, his voice cold, "what the hell is going on here?"

Damon grinned, raising a glass of bourbon in greeting. "Felix! Welcome back. You're just in time for the grand finale. I'm going to make Vicki's life better."

Before Felix could respond, Damon sped over to Vicki and snapped her neck. Felix rushed to her side immediately, but he knew it was no use.

"Damon!" he held Vicki's lifeless body in his arms.

"She's dead," Damon said casually, "well, sort of."

Felix's eyes shot to Damon. "You turned her?"

"Relax," Damon drawled, "she wanted to party. Her life was depressing as hell. I just gave her the ultimate upgrade. Now all she has to do is feed, and she'll be good as new."

Not long after, Vicki's eyes fluttered open, her breaths shallow and frantic. "What...what's happened?" she stammered.

"You're dead." Damon said plainly.

"I'm dead?"

"Yeah, well, let's not make a big deal out of it. You drank my blood, I killed you, and now you have to feed in order to complete the process."

Vicki shook her head, not believing him. "You're wasted."

Damon sighed. "You don't wanna be out there all alone. You're about to get really freaky."

"Ok, I had a really good time. I just wanna go home." Vicki replied, heading to the door.

Damon made no attempt to stop her. "You're gonna start craving blood, and until you get it, you're gonna feel very out of it. You have to be careful."

He let her go and Felix didn't follow, he had to deal with Damon first. He quickly shot Stefan a message.

Vicki's in transition. Find her before it's too late. Damon's behind this.

Felix then turned to Damon. "You're playing with lives, Damon. Turning a girl who has no idea what she's walking into?"

"She was practically begging for an escape," Damon said with a shrug, "I gave her one."

"This isn't an escape," Felix snapped, "it's a death sentence."

Damon stood, his expression darkening. "And what are you going to do about it, Monty?"

"You think this is all a game, don't you? Playing God with people's lives."

Damon smirked. "Lighten up, Felix. You're so much more fun when you're not brooding and being all knight in shining armour. It's the English in you...so heroic."

Felix took a threatening step forward. "One day, someone's going to put you down, Damon. And when they do, I won't lift a finger to stop them."

Damon raised his glass in mock salute. "Cheers to that."

Felix could do nothing, he felt hopeless. So he just left Damon and went upstairs, hoping that it would all just get easier.

But it didn't, Vicki turned and soon she was cooped up in the Salvatore house as Stefan tried to support her in her transition.

Felix remembered his transition like yesterday, he didn't want to do it, he couldn't bear the thought of living an eternity without her. But then he was convinced, convinced by the prospect of having eternity to find her. Then before he knew it, he felt more powerful than ever.

Felix entered the kitchen and saw Damon. "Where's Stefan?"

Damon grinned. "With his new project. Our dear Vicki Donovan is adjusting to her second life. You should go say hi, she's quite the spectacle."

Felix's sharp gaze landed on Damon. "You turned her without a second thought. It was reckless."

Damon feigned shock. "Me? Reckless? Never."

Without another word, Felix headed to where they were. He found Stefan with a cup of blood in hand, coaching Vicki with the patience of a saint. Vicki sat cross-legged, her movements twitchy and restless. Her eyes darted around the room like a trapped animal.

"And why did you feel the need to bring her here?" Felix asked, leaning against the doorway.

Stefan looked up, visibly weary. "She's not safe on her own. She's volatile, Felix. She needs guidance."

Vicki noticed Felix then, narrowing her eyes. "Who's this guy? Another vampire? Great. Just what I need."

"Felix Montgomery," Felix said curtly, "unlike Damon, I don't find your situation amusing."

"Thanks for the pep talk, guy I've never met," Vicki muttered, taking another swig of the blood Stefan had offered her. She made a face. "This tastes...off."

"It's animal blood," Stefan explained, "it's a substitute."

Vicki glared at him. "I don't want a substitute. I want the real thing."

Felix shot Stefan a warning glance. "I know your diet works for you Stefan, but for a new vampire she needs to learn control. The longer you drag this out, the worse it'll get."

He normally agreed with Stefan but he was also a firm believer in teaching control - something that Damon preached. The more he deprived her of it, the more off the rails she would get once she had it.

As he turned to leave, he heard the doorbell chime. Damon's voice echoed from the foyer. "Well, well, if it isn't Elena Gilbert. And how may I assist you on this fine day?"

Felix reached the foyer just in time to see Elena brush past Damon, her jaw set with determination. Damon noticed Felix and raised an eyebrow.

Elena paused in the hallway. "Where's Stefan?"

"Upstairs, in his room." Felix told her.

"Alright then, little Miss I'm on a mission." Damon remarked, thinking he was hilarious,

As Elena walked off, Damon turned to Felix. "You're awfully invested in these humans, Felix."

"I'd like to think I'm just being a good person."

Damon smirked. "We both know that you've been the bad guy a couple times, I much preferred you like that."

Felix stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "You might want to ask yourself how much of this mess you're willing to clean up when it all falls apart Damon."

He had spent most of the day locked up in the Salvatore house, his main priority overseeing the entire situation with Vicki that when she left, he felt a pang of relief.

He looked through his phone and noticed messages from Caroline, asking if he wanted to go to the Halloween carnival at the high school.

Feeling like he needed a break, he agreed and started looking for an outfit to go in.