The Vampire Diaries

Previously on The Vampire Diaries:

For over a century, I've lived in secret. Until now.

- I know the risk. I have to know her. - She's a dead ringer for Katherine.

- Why do I look like her? - You were adopted.

This girl showed up, 16 and about to give birth.

- What else do you know? - Just her name. Isobel.

My wife, Isobel, spent her life researching paranormal activity.

- Where's your wife? - Damon killed her.

There's a tomb under the church. A spell sealed Katherine in that tomb.

I'm gonna bring her back.

She's not here!

- You knew Katherine wasn't there. - She knew where you were, didn't care.

Jeez.

You scared me.

Do you know what day it is?

Saturday.

And what year?

It's 2010.

- You okay? - Thank you.

Wait. What's your name?

- It's Harper, sir. - How did you get out here?

Why are you dressed like that?

You seem like a very nice person.

- I'm sorry. - Sorry for what?

Hey, Bonnie, it's me.

Just checking in, seeing how you're doing.

We miss you here. Don't let your aunt drive you too crazy.

Come home soon. Love you.

- What are you doing out here? It's cold. - Thinking, writing.

The, uh, funeral for Bonnie's grandma...

...it brought back a lot about mom and dad.

I was wondering, you said that you would do some digging about them.

The adoption?

- Right. - So did you? Dig?

Come on inside.

Your dad kept everything from his medical practice.

Records, logs, old appointment books.

I found an entry from the night you were born.

Patient and a birthdate.

- Isobel Peterson. - Think that's her real name?

Pregnant teenage runaway? Probably not. First name maybe.

But where'd she get Peterson? A classmate? Best friend?

So I Binged it.

I searched for all the Petersons in this area born the same year as Isobel.

Found three, two men...

...and a woman, Trudie, who lived in Grove Hill, Virginia.

- That's not far from here. - Well, watch this.

Isobel.

- She was a cheerleader. - Ha-ha-ha.

Trudie still lives there.

- This is her address. - What about Isobel?

I couldn't find anything about her.

Listen, there's something else. Mr. Saltzman, Rick?

His wife was from around here.

And her name was also Isobel.

Wait.

"Was" as in?

She died.

Alaric's wife might have been your mother?

It can't be true, right?

I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy.

- I have the address for her friend Trudie. - You wanna talk to her.

I don't know. I...

Ha, l...

I don't know.

If it's true, and they are the same person...

...that means that my birth mother is dead.

And I don't know if I could handle that.

Elena, did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife?

How she died?

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

You knew that already?

The night at the school when he attacked me...

...he told me some things about her death.

- Well... - No, no, no. It's not possible.

The coincidences. It's too much.

Listen, if you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you.

Yeah?

I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet.

I should get going. I gotta go deal with Damon.

- How's he doing? - He's dealing, in his own way.

- How do I taste? - Ahh.

So much better than your friends. But, shh, don't tell them.

- They might get jealous. - Ha, ha.

No. Buzzkill Bob.

Greetings.

Can we talk?

- Yeah. - Without the Tri-Delts?

Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them.

They're really good at keeping secrets.

You're worried about me. That's nice.

Don't be. There's no need, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?

I spent the last 145 years

Get in that tomb. I succeeded.

Granted, Katherine wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell?

You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan...

...because I can do whatever the hell I want.

- That's kind of what I'm afraid of. - Relax.

I haven't killed anyone in, phew, too long.

- Those girls? - Will end up in their dorm.

With headaches. Think they blacked out.

Business as usual.

Predictably, you didn't pull me over here for a pep talk.

So drink up. Spill it, brother.

There was a woman you may have known a few years back...

...named Isobel, in North Carolina at Duke.

You wanna discuss the women in my past right now?

- Seriously? - You killed her.

What's your point?

I just wanna know if you remember anything about her.

- It's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan. - Well, think hard. It's important.

Nothing is important. Not anymore.

Great chat.

I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief.

Which I'm sure you understand.

TTFN, said the Tri-Delt.

Another big game for Fernando.

Taylor is not gonna be able to take him down.

- What? - This is boring. I'm bored.

Wow, ha.

But we have this entire house to ourselves.

I mean, it's practically a bachelor pad.

And?

So shouldn't we do something a little bit more bachelor pad-y?

What? Something like this?

Something like that.

I don't know. This is a pretty good show.

Seriously?

Oh, God. Not on my couch.

Mom.

Hey.

I don't know, it's just weird, you know, me being raffled off like a Disney cruise.

In this town, fundraising is like indentured servitude.

You don't have a choice.

And besides, you're a bachelor and you're eligible, so there you go.

Here, let me help you with this.

There we go.

Oh, God, I can't believe I'm gonna do this.

- What? - I'm totally gonna ruin this moment.

But I have to tell you.

Elena recently found out she was adopted...

...and she's been looking for her birth mother...

...whose name is Isobel.

Isobel? Like my wife?

No, Isobel never had a baby.

Are you sure? Not before you were together?

Nope. No way.

This is Elena's birth mother.

Uh, she, uh...

She never told me.

I, uh...

I'm gonna go.

Yeah, I'm gonna go.

Trudie? Tru...? Trudie Peterson?

- Yes? - Uh, my name is Elena Gilbert.

I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming.

Well, I haven't heard that name in years.

How do you know her?

I think that, um, well...

Do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption?

Oh, my God.

You're her daughter.

I was just gonna make some tea. Would you like some?

- Sure. - Uh, the kitchen's this way.

I wasn't gonna come. I didn't think I was.

But I was driving, and I hit this stoplight...

...and it made me think about when I was learning how to drive...

...and my mom would always warn me about this blind turn on the left side...

...and then I was thinking about my mom and...

I had your address. I'm sorry for barging in.

It's no problem.

Um, just a surprise, though.

- I haven't thought about Isobel in years. - When was the last time you saw her?

About 17 years ago, when she left to go have you.

We kept in touch for a while, but, well, you know, people drift apart.

And you don't know where she ended up?

She was in Florida for a while.

She was on her own. I know it wasn't easy.

Do you have any idea who my father is?

I could never get her to fess up.

Anyway, she finally pulled it together, got into college on a scholarship.

- Where did she go? - Somewhere in North Carolina.

Duke, I think.

Smart girl, smart school.

Let me just grab that, ahem.

So it's been a few months. Where you been?

Oh, you know, here and there. Never one place too long.

You know Pete.

No, actually, I don't, because you've never brought him around.

So blond's the new flavor of the month, huh?

So sorry I scared her off.

- She's not a flavor, Mom. I like her. - So she's the one?

No, probably not. But maybe.

Matty, seriously, Lezzie Forbes' daughter? Ugh.

Mom, seriously, knock it off.

Ice, please.

So have, uh, you heard from Vick?

No, but don't worry.

She'll come home eventually, when she needs something.

- I've played that game. - Are you playing it now?