There was a Whitmore-Fell Romance And We've Been Blind To It!
So, I've been story building for Inheritance when I found myself looking back at uncredited characters and names thrown around for extras in TVD and Legacies.
Not giving out spoilers, but for an upcoming idea I had, I needed someone who could give access to a lab, and then that jumped over to me looking at Whitmore College on the TVDU Wikia, and then...Something surprised me:
The name looked familiar somehow, so I looked it up and what I found surprised me:
For those who need more context of the Whitmore name: In 1943, two years before the end of World War Two, an American medical physician named Aaron Whitmore met Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John, a vampire who enlisted in the war. Intrigued by his healing factor and what it could mean for science and, subsequently modern medicine, he faked Enzo's death and shipped him back to America where he would be tortured and experimented on...something that would last for the next 60 years.
But Whitmore's name goes further back. Aaron Whitmore's family was responsible for founding Whitmore College, which originally started as a hospital during the Civil War and became more prominent with time and eventually added a college to go alongside it. It is unknown when the Augustine Society was formed, but the Whitmores have heavy ties to it, seeing as members were chosen from college students who went to Whitmore College, met up at Whitmore House, and hosted events and experiments there. The major downside was the future and torture of vampires that came with it.
But then, there was a connection between the Fells and Whitmores I remembered. Back at the New Year's Eve Party of 1957, a Fell woman was part of the demonstration to prove the healing effects of vampire blood.
This was the first time a Whitmore and a Fell interacted in person (minus the implied relationships).
Now, how does this go back to the title of this post?
Easy: I connect two characters who are only mentioned once and create a relationship.
Sarah Whitmore (5x09) and Bartholomew Whitmore (1x19) as mother and adoptive son!
Get ready: This is a hidden love story we never realized was happening!
• Sarah Whitmore was the oldest of two siblings. Her mother was Dr. Aaron Whitmore's daughter, who told her about the supernatural early on, the Augustine Society, and the deaths of those involved.
• Sarah and her brother, Aaron Whitmore the 3rd, were the surviving siblings of a "house burglary". Aaron didn't know that it might have been deliberate murder, but Sara did and distanced herself from him for years. An act of self-preservation she'd regret one day.
• In 1993, Bartholomew "Barry" Whitmore was born and adopted by Sarah Whitmore.
• She chose to adopt but never had kids because she knew that the Whitmore line was being hunted down and hoped the vampire responsible would spare a non-blood-related Whitmore child.
• This ends up feeling like a proven point when her brother, Aaron Whitmore the 3rd, and his wife and her sister-in-law, Ashley, are murdered in 1997 and their son was left alive. Sarah chose not to step forward when a man named Wes Maxfield came forward wanting to take her nephew in, to which she agreed.
• Sarah also had suspicions as to why her brother's murderer hadn't come for her then.
• Barry grew up in Mystic Falls and his loving upbringing included knowing about the vampires.
• He knows about vampires and the Augustine society because his mom wanted him to know the dangers of vampires, how to protect himself, and why a vampire would be after them one day.
• Barry loved being active in community service because it gave him a sense of pride and involvement.
• Meets Tina Fell when she was a part of the community service he organized as she was serving mandatory community service for a DUI conviction.
• Tina found Barry cute, both admitting his horrendous first name is pretty out there and decided to be friends as well as he is a mutual voucher for her community service.
• Even after her time was served, they continued to get closer.
• When reminded of Miss Mystic Falls, Tina asked Barry to be her escort.
• Barry in turn introduces Tina to his mom, Sarah.
• Sarah isn't stupid and knows the Fells and the Whitmores go way back, especially where Dr. Whitmore is involved.
• May have subtly threatened Tina if she hurts him.
• Both find themselves catching feelings as they prepare for the pageant.
• May have ditched dance rehearsal for fun and was forced to make it up by a private rehearsal under Carol Lockwood herself.
• Finally, fall in love during the Miss Mystic Falls dance and confessed afterward.
• They continue dating afterward and go through most teenage problems.
• Tina invites Barry to the annual Fells Family Reunion...and is immediately attacked by her near 30+ relatives!
• Was a success for the most part.
• Got stared down by her dad but welcomed by her mom.
• Was a HIT with the kids though.
• Did blush when the elderly asked if he would marry Tina.
• Took a long time to reveal about the supernatural and others knew about it. Tina was told about the existence of the supernatural community on Founders' Day. Barry had been informed of everything by Sara through a friend on the council.
• Drinks vervain regularly to build strong immunity against vampires.
• Fell Family was definitely in the know when all the Big-Shot vampires, witches, and Immortals were in town and had a hand in covering up any murders because of that.
• Both Whitmores and Fells upped their dosage of vervain during that time.
• Tina and Barry had to fake compulsion during a lot of these events, school, and community-wise.
• Barry attended the funerals of Logan and Tobias Fell with Tina (the first as a friend, the second as her partner)
• They had their issues with their futures (Tina to Georgetown and Barry to Howard. WHITMORE & DUKE WERE OFF LIMITS!)
• When Prom came around, they left early to "celebrate" surviving high school as long as they did...and conceived that night.
• Tina's pregnancy was discovered a month (May) after conception. Tina noticed she missed her period and thought it was preparations for graduation and college stressing her out.
• When they found out, Barry was the perfect gentleman, willing to stand by whatever Tina wanted to do and marry her if she wanted. Though flattered, Tina decline to get married young and ultimately chose to keep it.
• Both families were NOT happy. Officially, Barry was kicked out by Sarah and moved in with the Fells before graduation.
• Unofficially, Sarah and Barry parted on amicable terms because with Barry farther from her, the more likely he won't be killed if the vampire who killed her parents and brother comes for her and leaves Barry alone.
• Both families are visited by the dead when the veil drops and speak through mediums.
• They graduate on June 15th, 2011 (Tina is 2-3 months pregnant)
• Tina and Barry decided to go to Georgetown and live off-campus. Sara moved away to put distance between her and Barry's future family.
• Tina was an emotional rock for Barry, who was distraught when Sarah was killed in July 2011 in Charleston, South Carolina. It was ruled a "burglary gone wrong", just like her parents. (Tina is 4 months pregnant)
• Unknowingly to Barry, the night the vampire (revealed to be Damon Salvatore) came to kill Sara, he disclosed that he recognized Barry was a Whitmore as an escort at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant but decided not to kill him because he wasn't a true member of the Whitmore line. Something he realized Sarah intended. And the only reason he didn't kill Sarah after killing her brother, sparing her the way he spared them when he got their mother, was because he had other stuff to worry about and felt like giving the "true" last Whitmore the mercy of being a parent before leaving her nephew all alone.
• Barry didn't avenge her because Sarah made him promise to put his and his family first. She was long prepared for her death and doesn't want the vampire responsible to have any reason to go after them. It pained him, but he remembered that as much as she loved him, she also raised him to be the only Whitmore not be killed for her grandfather's wrongdoings.
• Found out they were expecting a boy on August 15, 2012. (5 months pregnant)
• Bartholomew "Barry" Fell Jr. was born January 20th, 2012 in Mystic Falls, Virginia (9 months) (Baby BJ takes Tina's name for protection).
• Barry is tracked down weeks later by a lawyer who learned he's the only surviving "Whitmore" and learns he inherits Whitmore House estate and shares with the college & hospital after his cousin Aaron's death. This makes Barry a rich man due to this.
• Barry decided to hold onto the estate until his son is old enough. A lot of pain came from his adopted family, but maybe his son could do some good with them.
• Barry studied under Human Resources and Tina studied Journalism
• Barry proposes to Tina at graduation, May 15th, 2015 (with help from a 3-year-old BJ running across the stage!).
• They did want to elope to save time and money...but the Fell Family was NOT having that!
• (Unofficially, there was an elopement, but 🤫! Only the bride and groom know!)
• Officially, Tina Fell and Bartholomew Whitmore joined hands in holy matrimony on February 7th, 2016. 4-year-old BJ Fell was the ring bearer.
• "All I Need" by Within Temptations was the song to their wedding dance.
• By 2018, Tina was working as a Reporter while Barry is working in a firm with public relations.
• Tina had met up with Caroline Forbes and met her daughters, Lizzie and Josie.
• (And it was not lost on Tina that despite how grown up and mature she carried herself, Caroline was still in the body of a 17-year-old girl.)
• (Nor the fact that she carried, "surrogacy, she said", for their former high school History teacher.)
• Despite the 2-year age gap, BJ enjoys playdates with the twins.
• But that new friendship shot straight to Hell when Tina's youngest cousin, Violet, died at 158th Annual Miss Mystic Falls Pageant and became a vampire. Then, died the next day.
• After that terrible funeral, and one of the youngest ones the Fells had to plan in nearly 10 years, Tina was distraught and cut off contact with Caroline and refused to let BJ near her girls.
• The only "truce" they formed was at Caroline's wedding and reception...which would have started the healing process if it were not revealed that Kelly Donovan was dead, the Lockwood Mansion exploding and Mystic Falls nearly burning in Hellfire.
• This was the last the Fell-Whitmore family ever associated with Forbes and her friends & family again.
• Though Tina did send condolences for the loss of her husband.
So that is what happened! This is how the Whitmores share a strong connection to the Fells and when you look at it? The Fell-Whitmore Family is a good component to add to Legacies.
The very idea of a child (a mixed-race child, if you wanna go there) being the product of two important families with significant histories in Mystic Falls merging and inheriting both hands in the supernatural honeypot that is the state of Virginia, all because of a parents' love, makes Bartholomew Fell Jr. a worthy character of Legacies!
And if you have any lingering doubts if Tina and Barry are canon:
...The irony hit me: Tina and Barry fell in love during Miss Mystic Falls in 2010 and their son would be an escort in Miss Mystic Falls in 2028.
Who says love doesn't last? Look:
