September 6, 2011

"Good morning."

The woman glanced over at the man in her bed while she slid her clothes on. "Morning," she replied. "First day of the new school year."

He hummed. "Your first day as a PhD candidate. How does it feel?"

"Same as it felt last year when I was a Masters student," she replied, facing him fully once she'd fastened her pants. "Except there's a greater feeling of authority." She raised a brow. "Do I finally get to know why you got here so late last night?"

The man sat up. "There was an animal attack."

She frowned. "One of those? Or a real one?"

"One of those."

"How is that possible?"

"You know as well as I do that they've probably begun to migrate from Mystic Falls. You're from a Founding Family. Maybe you can use your connections to get me some names."

She gave a dry laugh. "Wes, I don't have connections. I abandoned all of that the moment I turned eighteen."

"You go back ever so often," Wes replied. "Your sister was involved in some trouble, you told me yourself. I think you know some names. It would help us a lot if you revealed them."

She crossed her arms. "When we decided to go through with this arrangement, nothing was said about me giving you information about my hometown. I came here to do research and to get my Masters and PhD under the many professors I have heard great things about. I agreed to help in your class because you needed it, but none of that has to do with my past, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask that of me. I want to stay out of vampire business."

He got up, the sheets wrapped around his waist. "I'm sorry," he said calmly. "I just worry. About the students, about you."

"Don't worry," she said simply. "Any Mystic Falls vampires that are here won't hurt me. I know them, and I am notexposing their identities to you unless I think they are a threat. You don't have to be worried. Hurry up and get ready while I make us something to eat."

He drove them to Whitmore College from her apartment, occasionally glancing at her while she organized her journals for the semester in her backpack. He parked as close as he could to the Biology building, and they walked together, trading pieces of paper to finish organizing the lesson plans for the day.

"I'll be right there," he said, turning the corner toward his lab. "I just need to get something."

She nodded, and walked into the lecture hall as students started to file in. She took the chalk in hand, writing in big letters on the board 'APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY.' In a smaller font on the bottom corner, she listed the Office Hours for the semester.

At last, Wes walked in. "Morning everyone," he said, causing the students to cease their conversations. "I'm Dr. Maxfield." He dropped his bag on the floor by the projector. "First name is Wes, but call me Dr. Maxfield. One day, when you're out of medical school, you'll understand."

He gestured to the woman beside him. "This is Maribel Fell, your Graduate Student Instructor for the course. She's still working on getting her doctorate, but soon enough, you'll be calling her Dr. Fell. You'll address her with the same respect as you would if it were me. Would you like to introduce yourself, Maribel?"

She gave an awkward wave. "Hello, all. I'm looking forward to spending this semester with you. Ah... a bit about my background, I was born and raised in Mystic Falls, Virginia. My big sister Meredith is a doctor there, and she inspired me to study Molecular Biology and Genetics for my Undergrad, which I did at the University of Washington in Seattle. Since graduating with my Bachelor's, I have worked to obtain my Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genomics—"

"—all in one year," noted Dr. Maxfield proudly.

Her cheeks reddened. "In the past two semesters, yes. For the next few years, I will be here working to obtain my PhD, and occasionally assisting Dr. Maxfield and other professors in their labs whenever I'm not doing my own research."

"Pretty soon, Maribel will have a lab of her own," said Dr. Maxfield. "And some of you might be lucky enough to be taken on as research assistants. Why don't you tell them a bit about your research?"

She nodded. "Currently, I'm investigating and testing the limits of genetic manipulations as they pertain to medical treatments. I'm trying to see if we can switch certain genes on or off to prevent diseases, or to encourage the body to heal itself. Gene regulation isn't easy, and I'm thinking of creating a serum that could be specified for particular conditions. Take cystic fibrosis, for example. If I could create an injection that was generalized for any individual who is diagnosed with it, I could control the genes that cause it and cure them."

The students mumbled among themselves in interest. "When I'm ready to take undergrads into my lab, you will be the first to know," she said warmly. "Thank you, Dr. Maxfield."

He smiled slightly at her, then went to stand over his desk, placing his palms against it to begin the lesson. "So, you're all going to this bonfire tonight, right? Well, here's a quick history lesson for you. Whitmore was founded as a hospital during the Civil War. Deadliest war in American history— over six hundred thousand casualties. Disease was so prevalent that once a week, they had to gather all the dead, rotting bodies, put them in a pile, and light the whole thing on fire. So tonight, when you're getting drunk and partying, stop for a second, close your eyes, and imagine the rancid smell of a hundred rotting corpses. Which brings us to microbiology, because that rancid smell comes from a very specific bacteria. Isn't that right, chatty girls in the back?"

Everyone snapped their heads up at a brunette and blonde in the back row who'd been talking. Maribel furrowed her brows when she realized who they were. The girls' smiles faded instantly.

"And what is that bacteria?" asked Dr. Maxfield.

Elena Gilbert tried to reply. "Uh, that's the... um, um... I don't know." Beside her, Caroline Forbes remained silent.

"Maybe because you're freshmen, who shouldn't be in this class," said Dr. Maxfield flatly. "How do I know? I'm observant— a skill you'll learn in Bio 101, down the hall."

The two girls quickly picked up their things and rushed out. Maribel cleared her throat, shuffling the papers in her bag before getting to her feet to pass out a few worksheets while Dr. Maxfield began his lecture. The entire time, she was wondering what business Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes had in an upper division class.

"Those girls," said Dr. Maxfield once the class had finished and he and Maribel were cleaning up. "You knew them."

"My cousin used to babysit us together," she said simply. "We weren't friends. I was four years older than them, we never talked. Our parents just knew each other from the Founder's Council."

"I see," he replied slowly. "What are their names?"

She knew he'd probably find out anyway, so she replied, "The brunette was Elena Gilbert, the blonde was Caroline Forbes."

"Gilbert? Like, Grayson Gilbert?"

"She's his daughter. It's okay to fangirl, Wes, I know you have studied his research thoroughly."

His lips curled upward. "I think I ought to keep the fangirling to a minimum." He checked the time. "I should get to the lab. I just signed on a new lab assistant and I need to give him a tour."

"I'll see you later, then," she said. "I'll be at the library doing some pre-lecture notes, and after lunch, I'm going to my lab for some trials."

He looped his arm around her waist, kissing her firmly. "Are you going to the bonfire tonight?"

"God, no," she replied, smoothing a hand through his hair. "So I can get infected with that bacteria? I'd rather be safe in my lab."

He chuckled and kissed her once more. "Then I'll see you at your apartment tonight." He picked up his bag and strolled out of the classroom.

She decided to get lunch first. Maribel sat at a table near the exit of the café, reading a book as she enjoyed some chicken salad and a matcha latte. Her eyes drifted off the page when someone sat across from her.

"Caroline Forbes," she said, nodding to her. "You're all grown up."

"And you're a PhD candidate," said Caroline. "I hadn't seen you since you graduated."

"I've been back a couple of times," said Maribel. "I was at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant the year you won. You competed against Blair and Tina, my cousins. And then the year after that, my cousin Valerie competed and lost against April Young."

"Oh, that's right!" recalled Caroline. "Wait, wasn't Tina was escorted by—"

"Bartholomew Whitmore," said Maribel at the same time as her. "They are still together, but neither of them have plans for college, which I find a bit funny considering his surname. Oh, and then I went back when my cousin Logan was killed. He used to babysit us together. You, me, my cousins, and sometimes Elena, back when he and Jenna were still a thing."

"I remember that," said Caroline softly. "And then... oh my god, your dad. Maribel, I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," replied Maribel. "I heard yours died not long after. My condolences. I don't know if I could ever apologize enough for what my sister caused. I warned her to be strict about the twenty-four hour observation period if she was going to mess with vampire blood. I don't think it reasonable to incorporate magic into medicine unless one is a witch and a doctor to be able to control the outcome a tad more, but... um... Meredith didn't listen."

"It was a more peaceful death," admitted Caroline. "He chose not to transition. Your dad, though..."

Maribel sighed. "Yeah. Ghost vampires or... whatever they were... stringing him from a tree... it was brutal. Definitely not a pleasant memory in my mind. My mother still has nightmares about it. And the kids that were his students at the time, I remember a whole bunch of them were at the funeral not even daring to go near the casket." She tilted her head. "But I take it you didn't come here to make small talk, huh? You're here for information about Wes."

Caroline blushed. "It was... humiliating to be kicked out of class this morning."

"Probably why you shouldn't enter an upper division course solely to spy on the professor. Mind if I ask why you did it?"

"Um... so, Elena and I had this roommate, Megan King—"

"The suicide," recalled Maribel. "I'm sorry about that. I saw the flyers today for her memorial."

"Yeah, uh... it wasn't a suicide. She was killed by a vampire."

Maribel narrowed her eyes. "Then why is it being staged as a suicide for the whole school?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," said Caroline. "I thought it would've been written off as an animal attack."

Maribel thought back to her earlier conversation with Wes. "In that case, I'd suggest you be very careful. Wes suspects there are vampires in the school. I don't intend on giving him your name or Elena's, but just... watch your back."

Caroline nodded. "It was Elena's idea... our roommate had a connection to her dad."

"Her dad is a legend here, and he was pretty involved in the Whitmore Foundation... whatever it is. I just know they make big decisions about funding, and they are also like the equivalent of Mystic Falls's Founder's Council. Cover-ups are nothing new, though writing it off as anything other than an animal attack is weird. Unfortunately for you I don't have clearance for those meetings, and I don't think I should be asking Wes any questions about that. I can't risk my spot here investigating things that can get me hurt. My sister told me a lot about the drama in Mystic Falls and I just know I'll be in danger if I get involved in this. If I hear anything, or if Wes admits anything, I'll tell you, but, honestly? I recommend you don't look into it. If this was done by a vampire you don't know, chances are that they're older than you and stronger than you."

Caroline sighed. "Thank you, Maribel. I'm um, planning to keep with the class just so I can monitor Dr. Maxfield. What classes are like, prerequisites for it?"

"Biology 101, lab and lecture, and Microbiology 101, lab and lecture."

"Good. I'll check books out for those courses and read up on them."

Maribel raised her brows. "Alright. Wes is a good guy, Caroline. If anything, he's following the protocols enforced by the Foundation. If he didn't do it, they could cut his funding or fire him. I'd rather not see him hurt. He means a lot to me."

Caroline raised her brows. "Are you two—?"

"Not an official couple," she admitted. "Friends with ah..." she rubbed the back of her head, "a lot of benefits, including him sponsoring my research. But still, first and foremost, friends."

"I'll relay the message to Elena. We just want to find out more of why our roommate had any connection to her dad. And why they chose to write it off as a suicide."

"I don't know," admitted Maribel. "But it might have something to do with the fact that there isn't a forest near enough for it to be believable the way it is in Mystic Falls. Like I said, if I hear anything, I'll tell you."

Caroline got to her feet. "Thank you. Um, send Meredith our regards. We hope she's doing well in Alaska."

Maribel half-smiled as she watched her leave.

When she finished eating, she made her way to the library, typing a message to her sister on her phone to let her know they needed to talk soon. Meredith was always very eager to hear about her and Wes, even if there wasn't much to talk about other than the crazy places that they slept together. (He would never admit it to anyone but he loved running the risk of someone walking in on them. Maribel grew nervous even if it wasn't wrong for them to be together.) Her sister was highly entertained with finding out as many details as she could milk out of Maribel.

Once she set her phone aside, she started to think. She couldn't help but be curious about why Megan King's death would have been denoted a suicide. What was Wes hiding from her?

As she was walking, someone bumped into her. "Excuse you, asshole," she muttered under her breath at the man in the leather jacket that had brushed past her carelessly.

She hadn't expected him to hear her. Next thing she knew, he'd turned around, and practically materialized in front of her, making her flinch. She relaxed once she realized who he was, and why he'd been able to move so suddenly.

"Damon," she said dryly. "How wonderful."

He didn't immediately recognize her. "Who are you and why are we on a first name basis?" But after a few seconds of thinking, he hummed. "You look an awful lot like someone that once vervain'ed me and took my blood. You wouldn't happen to be related to Meredith Fell, would you?"

She raised a brow at him, astonished he didn't already know her. "I'm her sister, Maribel."

"And how old—?"

"I'm twenty-three; she's nine years older than me. We've seen each other several times before, and I am pretty sure you and Meredith considered each other friends before she moved. Do vampires really have such bad memory?"

He glared at her. "Mind saying that a little louder?" he asked sarcastically.

"Vampire," she said much more loudly. She pointed over at him, and glanced around at the people passing by her. "He's a vampire."

Nobody believed her, or even cared.

"You are just begging me to kill you, aren't you?" asked Damon, raising his eyebrows with a maniacal glint in his eyes and a wicked smirk curling up his lips.

Maribel crossed her arms. "No. I'm just wondering what you're doing here. Don't tell me you suddenly want to enroll in college."

"I'd never enroll at this dump," he said, pointing at the 'Whitmore College' sign a few feet away from him. "I'm looking for Elena Gilbert. Happen to remember her?"

"Oh, I do," Maribel replied. "She made a fool of herself in class earlier today."

"Heard about that," said Damon. "That professor sounds like a dick."

Maribel shrugged. "He just has no tolerance for immaturity. If you're looking for Elena, she's either at the bonfire or in her dorm. Most likely at the bonfire. Have fun searching." She began to walk past him, but he caught her arm and made her stay.

"How about you help me?" he demanded. "And then, I won't kill you for being a cheeky little shit."

"I have work to do," she said pointedly. "And I'm not helping a vampire who has no manners. At least Caroline was civil. This is the kind of thing that drove my sister to haul ass to Alaska."

Damon snorted. "Your sister was an alcoholic who violated all sorts of hospital rules when she fed people vampire blood without their consent. That's why she left."

"Oh, yeah, Mer is definitely an alcoholic, but you forget about the part where her boyfriend Alaric attacked her and almost killed her, then actually killed our cousin Logan. I'm surprised you don't remember that we saw each other when it happened."

He blinked. "When?"

"A few days after Logan died, you were with the Sheriff, and I had to come by the station to collect some of his possessions. You looked me in the eyes then turned away."

Damon vaguely recalled the moment. "Uh, that was you? Not your sister?"

"It was me," confirmed Maribel. "She had just finished her residency and was adjusting to a new schedule, so I was the next one in line to be called."

The vampire just continued to stare at her. "Okay, well, we never spoke that day, so it still begs the question of how you even knew my name."

"A year ago," she explained, "right when I started graduate school at Whitmore, those ghosts killed my father, Tobias Fell at the Night of Illumination. He was a History teacher at Mystic Falls High School and Head of the Historical Preservation Society. We were heading home after the funeral when you passed by in your blue car. Meredith told me your name. She wanted to switch to work in a different hospital, but because of what happened to our dad, she stayed, and kept close to our mom. Not even a few days later, she was telling me about how she vervain'ed you. And way before both events I mentioned, I was at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant when you danced with Elena. We've seen each other many times. But I imagine a mere human doesn't stand out to you unless you get cravings, huh?"

Damon just huffed. "Explain to me what your deal is with that creepy professor."

"He knew my dad, and Elena's dad. He helped me get settled into the Master's program here and helped me with a few research papers when I needed it. I volunteered to be his Graduate Student Instructor because he needed one, and I have been helping him with his research ever since."

"Sure he's not helping you with anything else?"

"I already told Caroline the nature of my relationship with him, but if you really want to know the details, I'll happily name every place that I've slept with him in the past week alone."

Damon decided he didn't want to ask her about that anymore. "Well, if you spoke to Care Bear, then you know your boyfriend signed off Elena's roommate's death as a suicide when we all know it was vampire related."

"Yes, Caroline mentioned it, and I found it strange. Dr. Maxfield does the same thing my sister's ex Brian Walters did as a Medical Examiner. I promised if I heard anything, I'd tell her. Can you leave me alone now?"

"What is he researching?"

"I don't know, he hasn't told me yet. As much as he likes me, he's paranoid enough to think I might steal his idea or something. He'll tell me when he's ready. Good luck finding Elena. I need to get to the library." She tried to walk away once more, but again, he made her stay.

"Not so fast, Baby Fell," he said. "I'm serious about the fact we need intel on your professor. Something fishy is going on here and it would be a shame to have to tell Meredith that I killed her sister for obstructing our investigation."

"If I see something suspicious, I'll say something," said Maribel tightly. "Dr. Maxfield has been very kind to me. I don't know what trouble you're looking to find."

"Word of advice, don't trust so easily," he warned. His jaw suddenly went slack when he saw someone in the crowd. He walked toward the man, who Maribel recognized to be his brother, Stefan Salvatore.

"Hello, brother," said the man. "But I suppose distant nephew is probably more accurate."

Definitely not Stefan.

Damon put his hand on the man's throat. "Where the hell's Elena?"

Maribel couldn't help but stand there, watching. The man who looked like Stefan gazed intently at Damon, and then easily pried his hand off of his throat. "There's no need for violence, Damon. You'll find her eventually. There you go..." he released his hand. "Look, I get why you like her. I mean, I have a soft spot for brunettes, too. What I don't get is why she likes you."

"That's 'cause you haven't had sex with me," said Damon cheekily.

"Hmm," said the other man. "Cockiness masking fear. How transparent."

"You expect me to believe you came all this way just to talk to her?"

He made a face. "No, that doesn't really make much sense, does it? But if I told you exactly what I did, then it would ruin the fun. Enjoy the bonfire, Damon." He walked toward Maribel, noticing that she was looking at him intently. "And you should call me if you want better company."

He winked, and she couldn't help but turn to look at him as he left. "So," she said to Damon, "that doesn't seem to be your brother even though he looks exactly like him. Somehow, he's a thousand times hotter. Yeah, I'm definitely not getting involved in this shit..."

"Trust me," said Damon as she walked toward the library, "sooner or later you're going to get involved just like your sister did. Your boyfriend is up to something, and I intend to find out what it is. If you want to stay alive, don't screw over my investigation, Beli."

She made a face. "Don't call me that. Why would I want to be known as 'belly?'"

"Your nickname is Beli. Deal with it."

Ever since she was a little girl, she'd been warned about the supernatural, but hadn't known how real it all was until she was of age, and allowed to learn about the Fell legacy.

She recalled being told that her maternal grandfather had been attacked by a vampire before she was born. He'd never really gotten over it. Their mother's side of the family was small, and it was easy to keep from startling their grandfather. Martin and Anna Carter lived a simple life, and had two daughters, Marina Isabel and Ana Martina. Marina went on to marry Tobias Fell, while Ana remained the cool aunt that spoiled her two nieces rotten.

The Fell side of the family was more complicated. They were 'notorious busybodies,' as Meredith liked to put it, and they had always kept their habit of putting their noses where they didn't belong.

She didn't know much about her ancestors, aside from the fact her great-great-great-great grandfather Thomas Fell had been the reverend of Fell's Church, while his wife Honoria was a dressmaker who loved being nosy and writing down everything she knew in her diary. Her grandparents, Franklin and Aurelia Fell, had died when she was still a toddler, though they left behind five sons who expanded the family and, by default, the Founder's Council. Perhaps her ancestors would have been proud of that.

Her father's eldest brother was named Vincent. He'd married Frida Cooke, and together, they'd had a son, her oldest cousin Thomas Vincent Fell III. She didn't really remember him at all, but she knew that he'd grown up being friends with Elena Gilbert's parents, as well as the mothers of Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett. He'd been known as 'Tripp,' but Meredith and Logan never called him that. When her Uncle Vincent abandoned the Fell legacy, her Aunt Frida took Tripp with her, and they never saw him again. Some years later, her father had learned of his brother's passing, and shortly after, that his sister-in-law had also died. Tripp did not return.

Her father was the second eldest in the family, and along with her mother Marina, gave rise to the second Fell cousin: Meredith. A year later, his brother Lawrence Fell and his wife Alyssa gave birth to Logan. With Tripp's absence, Meredith and Logan practically grew up as siblings. Logan babysat Maribel often when she was little, and later, had also babysat Caroline Forbes when he was taking care of her and their younger cousins.

After Lawrence came Trevor. He and his wife Veronica had three girls: Tina, born the same year as Elena Gilbert, Valerie, born three years later, and Violet, who was currently nine years old and very witty.

The youngest Fell brother, Broderick, had married a woman named Karissa and had Blair, who was just a few months younger than Tina. Now that Logan was gone, it left Maribel with one male cousin she'd likely never meet, one older sister, and four younger female cousins who talked her ear off at family reunions.

The family might have seemed normal to anyone else, despite the ridiculous age gaps Maribel often noted between her parents, grandparents, and other relatives.

But the reality was that they often got involved in supernatural problems and ended up dead. As hard as she tried to stay out of it, she had still encountered three vampires all in one day, and it seemed another unknown vampire was somewhere on campus murdering students.

She had a bad feeling she'd be dead before the semester ended.

_

A/N: Hi all! Excited to begin this story. Though, I must make a confession... I don't know how to proceed. I have my ideas, of course. But Damon is a problematic guy. And I've addressed his sexual assault of Caroline in the past with other OCs who were friends or siblings and honestly haven't felt satisfied with what I've done. This is a full-on romance between him and Maribel. And if I were Maribel and I ever found out he sexually assaulted someone... hot or not I'd run the other way and never look back. Thing is, I also don't want to just never mention it and pretend it didn't happen; I don't think that does anything helpful and it's unrealistic. So, I need advice, please and thank you. What do you guys want me to do? Mention it and have it be addressed a certain way? Don't mention it? Something else? Please tell me, thank you.