❛ ACT I ❜
-ˋˏ chapter four ˎˊ-

SOFIA SAT UP in her bed and placed a hand on her head, feeling dizzy. Something felt off as she looked around her room that was in black and white but when she looked at herself, she was in her yellow tank top and pajama shorts. "What the hell?" She whispered, taking in how cold the house felt.

She heard familiar laughter coming from downstairs and this only intrigued her more. She pulled her blankets off of her and slowly walked out her room and down the stairs, where everything was black and white too

Sofia felt her blood run cold when her eyes met ones similar to hers. "Mom?"

Miranda smiled at her; a smile Sofia missed so much. "Hey gumdrop, ready for game night?" The women's gentle voice flowed like a tune you love and miss through her ears.

Only then Sofia noticed her father, Jeremy and Jenna sitting in the living room talking with a few boxes of board games stacked on the coffee table.

Sofia felt tears well up in her eyes when her mother hugged her, slowly wrapping her own arms around the women who was supposed to be dead. "Mom?" She repeated, voice cracking, feeling how deprived she's been of her mom's touch.

"Who else silly?" Miranda chuckled as she brushed her hand through Sofia's dark locks.

"You're shivering honey, are you okay?" Her father walked up to her after Miranda pulled away when Jeremy handed her the phone.

Sofia just stared at him in awe. "Yeah - yeah I'm perfect." She smiled sadly and hugged her dad tightly making Greyson raise an eyebrow.

"So I take it you forgive me about earlier?" Her dad asked her and Sofia pulled away.

"Earlier?" She asked, not remembering a thing from the past.

But before Sofia could get more confused her mother re-entered the room, car keys in hand.

"Uh sorry guys, Elena needs a ride back home from the bonfire. We'll be back soon." Miranda suddenly announced and kissed Jeremy's head before motioning for Greyson to leave with her.

Sofia froze as she realized what was happening. It was the night of the crash. Sofia remembers now. Jenna came over for family game night and Elena snuck out to the bonfire to talk to Matt. Then her parents and herself went to fetch her...

"No! Don't go please!" Sofia yelled desperately, running outside to stop her parents from getting in the car but when she opened the front door she wasn't met with her front yard.

She was on Wickery Bridge, two ambulances and three police cars were parked in front of her. Sofia's eyes widen when a large machine pulled her family's car out the water without her family.

"Where's my parents? Where's Elena?" Sofia asked herself and her eyes caught a woman approaching her. Liz Forbes. "Liz -"

But the blonde sheriff walked right through Sofia like she was a ghost. She gasped and touched her stomach before turning around to watch Liz approach a medic guy.

"What happened here?" Liz asked, examining the soaking wet car from a distance.

The medic man frowned. "Driver drove the car off the road, two survivors found on the riverbank, the other two were found dead in the water."

Liz opened her mouth to ask further questioned but gasped when a medical bed with an unconscious body rolled past them to the ambulance in a rush.

"That's Sofie Gilbert." Liz whispered to herself, and Sofia watched her body get taken into the huge van with watery eyes.

She suddenly felt sick.

"Oh my God." Liz covered her mouth with her hand in shock, eyes filling up with tears as well.

Then Sofia turned around and instantly regretted it when she saw two men cover her dead parents' bodies with a white sheet, indicating that they are dead.

"No." Sofia fell to her knees, a sob escaping her mouth as she watched the men roll her dead parents away. "No, no stop it!" She whispered to herself, wanting to wake up from whatever nightmare this was. She couldn't really be reliving that night.

The Gilbert couldn't bear to watch the worst night of her life happen before her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" A low, harsh voice asked from behind her, startling Sofia.

Sofia removed her face from her hands, tears still rolling down her wet cheeks and rushed to her feet when she saw Elena glaring at her from behind.

She wasn't on the bridge anymore but in a hospital room. Sofia turned her head when she heard crying and saw a younger Jeremy crying into Jenna's shoulder as he held both his sister's hands as they lie in the hospital bed, not moving.

"Why are you crying when this is all your fault!" Elena screamed from next to Sofia, making the girl jump.

"What - what?"

"This." Elena pointed to their unconscious past selves and their crying loved ones, eyes staring at her with an emotion Sofia never thought Elena would show towards her, hate. "Is all your fault!" She seethed in anger.

"No." Sofia shook her head, feeling her lip tremble as her younger sister took angry steps towards her, backing Sofia into a corner. "It's - it's no one's fault." Sofia tried to convince herself.

"It is! If you didn't convince me to go to the bonfire to talk to Matt, our parents wouldn't have died that night! If you didn't give up like a coward and try and break us free from the car our parents would still be with us! I wouldn't have been depressed last year and Jeremy would never have become addicted to drugs! Jenna wouldn't have to sacrifice her studies and you wouldn't have become monstrous creature you are!" Elena screamed in her face, Sofia's eyes closed tightly shut, shaking her head. "It should have been you. "

"Shut up." Sofia protested in a weak voice, her sister's words piercing her heart.

"It should have been you." Elena whispered lowly, hatred and anger dripping from her cruel words that Sofia was starting to believe.

"SHUT UP!"

"Sofia! Sofia wake up!" Jenna shook the crying vampire's shoulders, concern in her voice for her niece.

"Stop it! It's not true!" Sofia sobbed; eyes still closed as she continued to thrash.

"Annie?" Elena and Jeremy ran into the room after hearing their sister's cries. Both teenagers ran to Sofia's side, trying to wake her up too.

"Annie it's okay!" Jeremy grabbed her arms gently to prevent them from thrashing.

"What happened?" Elena asked Jenna, worried for her sister.

"I don't know!"

"NO!" Sofia shook her head before suddenly sitting up, eyes wide open, tears running down her face

"It's okay Sofie, you're here, you're safe!" Jenna told her firmly, grabbing Sofia's face gently and locking eyes with the scared girl.

Jenna felt her heart break when Sofia latched onto her tightly repeating the words 'it's all my fault, I'm sorry.' over and over again. Jenna rubbed her niece's back soothingly. Sofia lifted her eyes to meet her younger siblings' and she cried harder, not being able to look them in the eye. Elena frowned and stepped closer to comfort her sister, but Jeremy stopped her and shook his head, seeing that Sofia needed Jenna at the moment.

After they left, Sofia pulled away from Jenna, deciding to lean her back against the headboard and pull her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as if she was protecting herself from the nightmare that definitely shaked her core.

Jenna moved to sit closer to her niece, grabbing the tissue box on Sofia's bed side table in case the girl cries more. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently.

Sofia surprised herself when she nodded. "It was horrible Aunt J. I-I watched the night of my parents' death all over again and felt the pain again. And Elena hated me Jenna, she hated me. She blamed everything on me and said it-it should have been me. And it's true, I should have never survived that crash and our parents should have because I know everyone would be happier." Sofia said in a shaky and broken voice, staring at her aunt in pain.

Jenna gripped Sofia's hands, looking into the girl's watery eyes. "That's not true Sofie. None of us, not even you, could have controlled what happened that night. You are not to blame, no one is. And never say that you should have died that night again understand? It was a miracle you did Sofie because, I for one, wouldn't know what I'd do without my little angel." Jenna cupped Sofia's cheek, wiping away a tear.

Sofia sniffed, nodding slightly but the frown remained on her face. "I just thought that-that I'd be over it be now, that I wouldn't have nightmares anymore."

"Something like that could never be easily moved on from and it's okay to still be grieving and healing Sofie. They were your parents and they loved you so much." Jenna brought the girl into her arms again, Sofia resting her head on her aunt's shoulder, grateful to have Jenna.

"I just miss them, so much." Sofia sighed, eyes locked on the photo on her dresser, showing her parents' beaming and proud smiles as they were on each of their eldest daughter's sides, graduation certificate in Sofia's hand.

"Me too Sofie." Jenna whispered.

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"Ew." Sofia laughed as she sipped her coffee in the kitchen the next morning, Elena and Jeremy sitting on the counter stools opposite her as she leaned her arms on the island. "I can't believe you saw Ric half naked!"

Elena smiled, happy to see her story put Sofia in a happy mood after the previous night. "It was less than half! He had to cover his boxers with a bowl." She giggled.

Jeremy cringed. "I'm so happy I was asleep."

The siblings quitened down when they heard Jenna and Alaric talking as the descended the stairs and walk into the kitchen. The two adults instantly guessed what the siblings were smiling about and Alaric frowned.

"So what? You guys know too now?"

"What are you talking about?" All three Gilberts asked in unison and Jenna giggled, opening the fridge to take out the milk.

Alaric narrowed his eyes suspiciously before reluctantly nodding. "Alright, I'll see you kids later." He said and kissed Jenna's cheek before walking away to leave the house.

Alaric opened the front door, but Sofia shouted from the kitchen. "Hey Ric! Want some chunky monkey?"

The teenagers and Jenna laughed when they heard the man groan loudly before stomping out of the house.

"You three are terrible." Jenna pointed at her nieces and nephew with a smile.

"We try." Jeremy smiled before swiping a muffin from Sofia's plate and quickly stuffing it in his mouth when she looked away.

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Sofia looked up at the tall apartment building, covering her eyes from the blinding sun. She, Elena and Rose were at Slater's apartment to find out more about the curse and Klaus since Slater was such a know it all on the supernatural. They didn't get the chance to ask much last time because some lunatic blew up the coffee shop with them in it.

"Shall we?" Sofia asked no one is particular as her ankle boots clicked against the concrete, leading the way into the building.

Once they reached the top floor, Rose pointed to two closed doors. "There." She told the sisters before banging her fist on the door. "Slater? Slater, it's Rose! Open up!"

But that was only followed by silence.

"He's not home, sorry." Rose shrugged and began to walk away but Elena stopped her. "No, we did not come all this way for nothing."

The sound of chains breaking made Elena and Rose turn to the now open door where Sofia stood, chains at her feet. "Yeah, and I did not drive two hours for nothing." She said.

The three entered the very spacious apartment and Sofia couldn't help but admire it, liking the decor. She then started looking around for her jacket, hoping Slater just threw it somewhere for her to easily find.

"Slater?" Rose called out to her friend.

Elena watched her sister sigh in frustration, and she asked. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for my jacket." She said bluntly "But I can't seem to find it. I swear if Slater got rid of it or something I'll kill him."

Rose gasped as she stared at something on the floor, meters away from the sisters. "Well, I think someone beat you to it." Rose said shakily.

Sofia sped to stand next to Rose and gasped as well, shocked to see Slater's dead body on the floor with a stake through his heart. "I take it back!" Sofia said quickly and as silly as it sounds, she hoped Slater would magically get up, alive and well.

Sofia gently placed her hand on Rose's shoulder, seeing the sad expression on her face. "I'm so sorry Rose."

Rose nodded slightly, expression going blank once more.

"Looks like whoever blew up the coffee shop found him and killed him for his information." Elena said after seeing the body and she started to shuffle through the papers.

"Yeah, probably to stop him from helping people like us. Knowing too much information just bit him in the arse." Rose stated, walking towards the body and dragging it away.

Rose entered the room again and reached to pull the curtains open making Elena speak up. "What are you -"

"It's tempered glass with U.V. rays just like the coffee shop." Sofia answered knowingly, not looking up as she browsed through a dusty book.

"I use to just come here and watch the day." Rose said, voice fading off.

"I'm sorry about Slater." Elena told her as Sofia inspected a framed picture of Slater and a girl.

"Any luck?" Rose changed the subject.

Sofia placed the picture back down as her sister sat down in the desk chair trying to log in to Slater's computer. "It's password protected. I can't get in."

Sofia shooed Elena away so she could give the passwords a try, but Rose shook her head, beginning to walk towards the door. "No, it's fine. Let's just go."

But what made Rose stop was the urgent sound of a doorknob rattling inside the apartment.

"Any chance Slater had a roommate?" Sofia asked as Rose went to investigate.

"Stay here."

The sisters watched Rose open a set of doors leading to a small hallway and to their surprise, a women peeked out from the corner. "Alice?"

"Rose!"

From her place at the desk Sofia could hear the loud footsteps as Alice ran into Rose's arms, sobbing while Rose just awkwardly patted her back. Sofia had never heard a human wail so loudly in her 18 years of living.

"He's dead!"

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Sofia calmy poured three cups of tea as her sister nervously paced around the kitchen.

"You know, pacing gives you stress lines." Sofia said making Elena roll her eyes but stand still.

They've learned that Alice was Slater's human girlfriend, and she had the lungs of a sailor by how loud she cries. Now, Sofia knew how insensitive she was being but with her vampire hearing, it sounds like nails against a chalk board.

Rose strutted inside the kitchen with an exhausted face. "She found him a few minutes before we did."

"How is she?" Elena asked as Sofia moved the tea towards Rose and Elena before walking over towards Alice and handing her a cup.

"Here." Sofia said gently as Alice gratefully accepted the cup before walking back to the other two.

"Those tears are for her. She didn't care about Slater; she was only dating him long enough to see it he'd turn her." Rose told them.

"That's terrible." Sofia commented, wondering if Slater knew this.

Elena looked behind her sister towards Alice before walking to the couch and sitting next to the crying girl. Rose and Sofia chose to stay a few feet away.

"You look really familiar... did you know Slater?" Alice asked Elena.

"Not personally, no. I just knew that he kept detailed records of all his vampire contacts, and I was hoping that he could point me to Klaus." Elena said.

"Doubtful, Klaus doesn't want to be pointed at."

Sofia was getting tired of dragging this on. "Sorry to interrupt but do you know Slater's password?"

Alice snapped her head to the vampire, glaring at her. "Are you seriously asking me that now?! I just saw my boyfriend with a stake through his heart!"

Sofia narrowed her eyes at the women who sheds crocodile tears, but Elena quickly spoke before Sofia could. "We understand that but do you know his password?"

"Who do you think you are?" Alice scoffed, no longer crying. She looked away.

Elena's eyes traveled to Sofia and Rose as an idea came to mind. "And what if I could get either Rose or Sofia to turn you? Will you show us the files then?"

Sofia rolled her dark eyes at Elena's offer as Alice beamed and practically skipped to Slater's desk. Mourning my ass. Sofia thought as she pulled Elena towards her. "You understand that she's not touching my blood, right?" She whispered.

"Mine either." Rose added.

"I know, she doesn't." Elena slyly told them.

Sofia smirked. "Look at you, finally becoming clever."

Elena gently pushed her sister before focusing on Alice.

"Someone's been here, the hard drive is completely wiped out." Alice frowned.

"Yeah, probably whoever killed him." Rose said. Elena turned away in disappointment, but Alice spoke again.

"Lucky for you, Slater was paranoid. Everything's backed up on a remote server."

Elena leaned closer to the computer screen as Sofia and Rose stood on either side of Alice.

"Kristen Stewart, god he was so obvious." Alice muttered as they were granted access.

"These all lead to vampires?" Elena questioned, pointing to the list of names.

"Slater was obsessed, almost as much as me." Alice proudly said as she scrolled.

Sofia slightly cringed, not thinking that was something to be proud of but kept her tongue. "What about that one? Cody Webber? They exchanged dozens of emails about Elijah."

Elena nodded "Can you call him? Cody?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah, what's the message?" She asked.

The doppelgänger handed Alice the phone. "Tell him we're trying to send a message to Klaus. The doppelgänger is alive and she's ready to surrender."

Sofia uncrossed her arms as her eyes widen. "What?!" She asked angrily as Rose stared at Elena in shock.

"Oh my God! I knew I recognized you!" Alice squealed.

"Get him the message, please." Elena ignored her sister's glare and walked away.

Before Alice could dial Cody's number, Sofia grabbed it out of her hands and crushed it effortlessly in one hand to prevent Alice from calling him. The women looked at her in fear but Sofia stormed off after her sister.

"What do you think you are doing? Giving yourself up? Lying to me?" Sofia said harshly, feeling betrayal and anger bubble up.

"I'm getting Klaus's attention." Elena tried to not back down as her older sister's eyes pierced into hers.

Sofia was fuming. Elena has never kept secrets from her before. And know that she has, it's one that could not only endanger her family but also her friends who she knew will do anything to protect her sister. Herself included.

Sofia was about to speak but Alice walked inside the kitchen with an excited smile. "Cody is on his way and he really wants to meet you!"

Sofia scoffed, of course Alice got hold of another phone. The human stepped back slightly when she noticed Sofia's angry look towards her.

Sofia looked at her sister once more before storming away. Elena felt a pang in her chest at the look of hurt in the girl's eyes, but she knew what she was doing was the right thing. Elena knew Sofia would always protect her and was scared that, that might be her downfall.

Sofia took out her phone and dialed the number she memorized. There were two rings before he picked up. "I need you to come to Richmond." She instantly said.

"What? Why?"

"I'm pissed and I might rip off my sister's head but I need you to come here now. Elena is calling Klaus's attention."

"What?" Damon's angry voice hissed. "And you didn't stop her?

Sofia scowled. "I didn't know until now, she kept it from me."

Damon sighed. "Okay, okay, I'm on my way. Text me the address."

After he hung up, Sofia sighed deeply and rubbed her temples while hanging her head. When she lifted her head to look out the window she gasped and staggered back when she saw the reflection of Elijah behind her, watching her. Sofia spun around to find no one.

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"Took you long enough." Sofia grumbled and moved aside for Damon to walk in.

Just in time too as Elena entered the room and gasped as Damon snuck up behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked her angrily.

"What are you doing here?" Elena snapped back before her eyes flickered to her sister behind Damon. "You called him? Seriously Sof?"

Sofia pursed her lips. "Yes, seriously Elena."

Rose walked in with Alice, surprised to see Damon. "Damon Salvatore!" Alice practically sang, looking at Damon like he was a God - which was definitely not good for his already huge ego.

"Get rid of her." Damon told Rose who didn't hesitate to pull the human away.

"No way!" Alice continued.

Once Alice was gone, Damon walked towards Sofia, pushing her towards the door, thinking Elena was following him. "Come on, we're leaving."

"No." Elena said sternly.

"I said we're leaving."

"I'm not going with you!"

Damon scowled; Elena really had her sister's stubbornness. "You do not get to make decisions anymore."

Elena stepped closer to the vampire. "When have I ever made a decision -"

"You made the decision to trick me into coming with you and lying to me." Sofia said as she leaned against the back of the couch.

Elena gave her sister a look before continuing. "You and Stefan do that for me. And when you fail, my sister does the same thing. Now this, this is my decision."

"Who's going to save your life while you're out making decisions?"

"You're not listening to me, Damon. I don't want to be saved. Not if it means that Klaus is going to kill every single person I love. That includes you and Sofia. I can't let it happen."

Damon had enough. "Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself."

He grabbed her arm tightly making Elena protest, but Sofia walked towards them and pushed Damon away as he let go. "I called you to help me convince her to leave, not hurt her Damon." Sofia told him as Elena rubbed her arm.

"You want to give it another try then?" He snapped and Sofia rolled her eyes before turning to her sister.

"Stop this, Elena. I know you want to protect everyone, believe me. But giving yourself up is not the way. You're not thinking straight. Let's just go home and figure out a plan, please?" Sofia pleaded with her stubborn sister.

Elena stayed quiet, looking down. Sofia sighed and looked to Damon who only nodded and went to compel Alice.

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"Time to go. Alice is sound asleep and won't remember a moment of this horribly stupid day." Damon said as he left the bedroom, grabbing both Sofia's arm and Elena's to lead them out.

"I don't know why you're pulling me, I want to leave." Sofia grumbled and shook off her best friend's grip to walk on her own.

Before Damon could give a sarcastic reply, the double doors of the apartment banged open and three vampires strolled in. Sofia tensed up as she stood in front of Elena and Damn stepped in front of her.

"We're here to get the doppelgänger." One of the men said, eyes looking over the group.

Sofia pushed Damon next to her while still in front of her sister and replied. "Sorry, we just ran out of stock, bye." She said bluntly, wanting to get out of there.

Elena ignored her sister and walked around Sofia. "Thank you for coming." She stepped forward.

"Elena." Sofia hissed, reaching for her arm but Damon grabbed it.

"I will break your arm." Damon spat, giving Elena a glare before turning to the three men. "There's nothing here for you."

One of the men growled and went to ran towards Elena but Sofia sped towards him and kicked his chest, pushing him back against the wall before snapping his neck - successfully making him unconscious. Before she could blink, another vampire grabbed both her arms and twisted it behind her back making Sofia hiss in pain, him being stronger than her, as she struggled to break free.

Before Damon could interfere one of the vampires by the door dropped to the floor, dead suddenly. Sofia felt her eyes widen and shoulders tense when her eyes looked at the culprit.

"Elijah?" Sofia whispered, feeling her stomach twist in shock, caught by surprise since the last time she saw him, he was staked to a door.

Rose's eyes widen before speeding away.

Elijah stood in the doorway of the apartment, dressed in a smart looking suit with the vampire's heart in hand. His lips twitched into an almost smile upon seeing Sofia before his eyes hardened when they landed on the vampire still holding her.

In a flash the man behind her let her go before falling to the ground, dead, with a hole in his chest. Sofia's eyes slowly trailed to Elijah, who was now next to her, the man's heart in his hand.

Damon then pulled her away from the original, placing her behind him protectively making Elijah scowl at him.

"I killed you; you were dead." Damon hissed, surprise and annoyance in his tone.

Elijah broke the intense eye contact between himself and the Gilbert to look at Damon. "For centuries now." He replied before looking at the last vampire standing out of the three that came in. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Cody growled.

Elijah seemed to become more intimidating. "I'm Elijah."

Cody's tough facade disappeared, and he paled. "We were going to bring her too you. For Klaus, she's the doppelgänger. I don't know how she exists but she does. Klaus will want to see her." Cody said nervously.

"Does anyone else know you are here?"

"No."

Elijah smiled sinfully. "Well then, you have been incredibly helpful."

Elijah quickly plunged his hand into Cody's chest making him choke on his own blood before violently ripping it from his chest.

Elijah carelessly dropped his heart to the floor. Instantly, Sofia pushed Elena away from them before her and Damon stood in a defensive stance, expecting Elijah to go for them next but with one last glance to Sofia, Elijah was gone.

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When they got back to Mystic Falls, they learnt that Stefan was stuck in the tomb with Katherine. The exact tomb that traps vampires. And to top it off, Sofia's own brother's stupidity was the reason her friend was stuck. When Sofia questioned Jeremy on why on earth he would go into the tomb alone, knowing Katherine was there, he just slammed the door in her face, obviously upset.

It seemed that while she's cleaning up one of her sibling's mistakes, the other decides to do something that Sofia could have prevented if she didn't leave. But if she didn't leave, Elena would have succeeded with her plan to hand herself over to Klaus.

Her siblings were going to drive her insane.

Both Elena and Damon went to the tomb to talk to Stefan. Sofia was going to go in the morning, not feeling comfortable leaving Jenna and Jeremy alone after the day's events.

Sofia tiredly opened her bedroom door, her body begging her to just go to sleep. But she was scared she'd have another nightmare, so she planned on waiting it out.

Something caught her eye on her bed as Sofia removed her earrings in her vanity mirror. Her eyes widen as she slowly approached her bed where the jacket Slater took sat, neatly folded.

"What the..." She whispered, picking up the clothing and gripping it to her chest, suddenly feeling paranoid as she looked around her room.

And her day got weirder.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Sorry for not updating for a bit but I hope you liked this chapter :) I'd love to hear your opinions!

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