The Victim.
"Another drink?" Alaric propositioned Damon before pouring another helping of bourbon into the crystal tumbler Damon held in his hand. Damon nodded before bringing the tumbler to his mouth, the rich liquid burnt the back of this throat slightly as he drunk it down. The old bourbon whiskey had an acquired taste, however it was one Damon enjoyed, especially now he wasn't the only one drowning his sorrows in the half empty bourbon bottle.
Alaric shadowed Damon's movement's; gulping back the expensive whiskey, Alaric's favourite since before he could legally acquire it.
"Whiskey? A little early in the day for that..." Sheriff Forbes walked towards the bar of the mystic grill towards the two day drinkers.
"It's never too early, Liz." Damon poured himself another shot of whiskey, for him and his companion. They sat and drank, ignoring the town's sheriff and her judgemental comment.
"Damon, I need to talk to you, both." Liz spoke in her usual soft tone, but regardless of how quietly she spoke the stern and authoritative attitude you should expect from the chief of police came across. Alaric and Damon turned to face the sheriff in unison; both wearing expressions of concern, knowing why the sheriff wanted them. Vampires.
Damon stepped up from the bar stool, soon followed by Alaric. The faced each other, curious about the issue.
"What's happened?" Alaric asked, seeing the concern on Liz Forbes face. Liz turns and takes in her surroundings, ensuring nobody is in ear shot of their conversation.
"Damon, when was the last time you went to the hospital?" Liz looked a Damon, who was stood with his hands in his dark denim jeans pockets.
"Well I volunteered last week in the kids ward if that's what you meant." Damon spoke sarcastically, the hours of casual drinking loosening his tongue. Damon smirked a little, amused by his own joke. Alaric sighed in disbelief; for some unknown reason he always took responsibility for Damon's usual behaviour. Damon looked at Alaric, shrugging his shoulders and moving his eyebrows as if to say 'what? I'm hilarious.'
"Someone stole a ton of equipment, not just blood bags. They stole needles, blood bags, empty blood bags, tubes." Liz listed off the various pieces that were missing for the hospitals inventory.
"Didn't the guards or the CCTV see something? You know this wasn't him." Alaric asked, as Damon 's face took on a look of sudden seriousness.
"The security were on vervain, but with you and Caroline taking the blood it seemed easier to take them off of it. The CCTV caught a blur, whoever it was... they were moving too fast to be detected properly." Liz looked at Damon, seeking answers to the supernatural activity occurring their mysterious town.
"So they were compelled. It wasn't me, or Stefan or Caroline." Damon spoke fast, you could see in his blue eyes how many different thoughts and theories were running through his mind.
"So there's a new vamp in town?" Alaric suggested, voicing what the trio already knew.
"I'll leave it in your capable hands, find out what's going on." Liz turned her radio back on, allowing her deputies contact with her once again. She walked out of the bar, leaving Alaric and Damon alone to discover just who was disrupting the towns natural order.
"First stop, let's go see if the originals got peckish." Damon and Alaric jumped into Damons 1967 Camaro. Alaric fastened the seat belt, he was aware that Vampires metabolised the alcohol faster, but Damon had been drinking all day, hours before Alaric had even finished work.
"You sure that's wise? Anyway didn't you say the originals have some treaty with Carol Lockwood. Doubt they'd want to disturb the peace." Alaric mocked, the thought of the originals playing fair amused both him and Damon, who was constantly on his toes for Klaus' next attack on him and Elena.
"They're gonna try kill me anyway, I might as well piss them off while I can." Damon started the car and drove, a little recklessly towards the large Manor the Originals had been occupying since the death of their father, mikael. And return of their mother, Ester." Damon and Alaric reached the entrance to their large house, evidence of their ball the night before were littered across the front garden, with a few cups and decorative rubbish littering their otherwise immaculate abode. Alaric was about to ring the doorbell before Elijah opened the door.
"May I help you?" Elijah stood regally, wearing his usual attire; a black suit which fitted him perfectly. Alaric sighed, secretly relieved that the original who was least likely to rip their heads off answered the door.
"There was a break in at the hospital, a bit of equipment and some blood bags went missing, we were wondering if you knew anything about this?" Damon spoke fast, wanting the get this encounter over and done with. The disdain and dislike on Damon's face wasn't easily hidden as he spoke to Elijah.
"I can assure you, neither myself or my siblings have visited the hospital." Elijah spoke with honesty, his moral personality heightened by his vampire nature stopped him for lying to the two men stood on his doorstep. Damon knew that he wouldn't get anything more from the Original vampire. Alaric began to walk away from the open door, hoping Damon would follow. Thankfully he did, they survived another day.
"Definitely a new vamp." Alaric jumped into Damon's car, and directed Damon to his apartment; they needed weapons. Alaric filled a duffel bag with wooden stakes, vervain grenades and various other weapons that could easily kill a vampire. They threw it in the car and went in search for the anonymous vampire.
"Where d'ya wanna start the search?" Alaric asked Damon, knowing he had more experience in a vampire's behaviour.
"Well, I want to know why they needed all the equipment. Blood bags is self explanatory. But empty bags, tubes and needles?" Damon narrowed his eyes, thinking hard about what they'd need them for.
"Well I've given blood before... Tubes, empty bags and needles are necessary... maybe they have a favourite type and they want it on tap?" Alaric smiled, before realising the look on Damon's face. He knew something, something had clicked.
"Elena."
Damon pressed down hard on the break, before spinning the car around, heading towards the doppelgänger. Alaric located his cell phone, calling Elena and ensuring her safety.
"She's with Caroline. Stop the car. Damon, she's fine. Stop the car" Alaric pleaded, but Damon continued to speed up passing various red lights and dodging numerous other cars. Alaric shoved Damon, who at this point was seething with anger at whoever was attempting to get to Elena.
"Stop the god damn car!" Alaric's voice was loud, louder than the roaring car engine, but still Damon drove. Alaric lifted his foot stomping hard on the break, the car gradually began to slow down.
"Damn it, you could have killed us." Alaric was red in the face from shouting at Damon. Damon began to calm down, his grip on the steering wheel becoming less tight as Alaric comforted his erratic friend. The pair decided the best way to ensure Elena's safety was to search for the vampire who wanted the doppelgänger blood; there were many supernatural beings who wanted to be in Klaus' favour, and news of the doppelgänger has circulated since the death of Rose. Many vampires would want to bleed the doppelgänger dry, giving her essence to Klaus. They shouldn't be surprised one finally made it to mystic falls.
"You're a member of the undead, where do you suggest we look first?" Alaric pulled on his dark brown jacket, before putting his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans.
"It's a cliché, but let's check the woods – loners make easy targets." Damon raises his eyebrows at Alaric who nods. Damon takes the wheel and they make their way towards the woods.
Klaus sat alone, in the dimly lit room filled with various paintings and drawings he had collected over the years, working on his latest project. It was silent; Rebekah was cheerleading, and Elijah was occupied elsewhere in their large house. Klaus was relaxed, sketching the fine lines of his art work when the sound of the front door opening travelling to Klaus, his ability allowing him to hear clearly what mere humans would be oblivious to. Klaus prepared himself, picking up his various sketching tools – mini stakes. He waited for more noise, and it soon came; delicate footsteps got louder and louder, the delicacy and slightly high tone gave away the gender of the intruder – female. Klaus waited, maybe it was Rebekah, he thought. He swiftly moved to the first floor of the house, coming up from the basement silently. He stood, hidden by the door frame looking into the grand foyer of the house. His turquoise eyes caught sight of the intruder – it wasn't Rebekah.
"Nikola." The shock Klaus felt vibrated through the entire house. It was her, with her dark shiny hair that fell in waves past her shoulders, she resembled her father greatly, they had the same defined features that made her look almost regal. She even stood like her father, her arms down by her sides, her face calm and almost expressionless. The only thing that she possessed that her father did not was the most piercing blue eyes, almost identical to Rebekahs; however they had specks of turquoise throughout, similar to the man she was named after. Niklaus.
"Surprised to see me Nik?" Nikola held her head eye, and began circling her uncle, who remained stationary – frozen with shock. How could she be alive? She was never turned, she remained human, she should have lived a normal life along side the villagers and werewolves until she reached a natural death... Memories and thoughts ran through Klaus's mind.
"I've brought you a little gift." Nikola drops a rucksack at the feet of Klaus, he looks down and opens the bag. Empty blood bags and tubes fill the bag. Klaus looks up at Nikola with confusion, still unable to speak with shock.
"We can take the doppelgänger." Nikola smiles at Klaus, aiming the please him with her kidnapping plot.
"How are you alive? How are you here?" Klaus whispers, looking Nikola up and down. She wore simple brown boots over the top of dark tight jeans, with a vest top and open shirt. A leather jacket hung loosely over her, the sleeves pulled up to her elbows. She wore little jewellery, after over 1000 years she still hadn't pierced her ears or modified her body in any way, instead she wore a single ring that had a small emerald jewel in the centre of a silver band, this ring was her mothers.
"You left me." Nikola's voice was quiet and breaking slightly as she attempted to hold back tears.
"You didn't need this life." Klaus spoke, shaking his head as he continued to look at Nikola, the only member of his family who wanted him.
"You left me alone, no word of where you'd gone with a bunch of werewolves for neighbours. There was no other life for me." Nikola's voice was louder, anger and hatred filled it as tears filled her eyes, making them sparkle even more.
"You know it was out of my hands, after they killed your mother and I killed mine, we couldn't stay. You couldn't come it was too dangerous, you had Riann." Memories of those weeks filled Klaus's mind, leaving Nikola with Riann was the hardest decision Klaus had to make. Riann promised to look after her, he had the strength and power to... being a werewolf.
"I would have rather had danger with you than danger from the wolves! You're my family, and you deserted me. The only one who was concerned about me was Rebekah... She left me a vial of her blood, told me to take drink it if I ever got in the way of a wolf transformation. She said it had the power to heal me. I drunk the vial of blood after Riann accidentally attacked me one full moon. It got too much, I killed myself. Woke up a vampire." Nikola stared at Klaus with unforgiving eyes.
"I'm sorry." Klaus muttered, putting both his hands in his pockets,a little ashamed of his behaviour; Nikola was always there for him, when nobody else wanted him she was there.
"I spent years searching for you, 1000 years is too long to be angry and full of hate. It was hard, you were always running from Mikael. But I finally heard news of you, you and Elijah. You were trying to break the curse. So I went searching for the doppelgänger and with next week being a full moon I'm sure we can find the necessary things to break the curse." Nikola smiled slightly, again trying to impress her favourite uncle.
"I already broke it." Klaus looks at Nikola, unsure of what her reaction would be.
"Without me? We promised to do it together. You said we'd do it together." Nikola was mad, clearly.
"I thought you were dead!" Klaus shouted in Nikola's face, unsure of his source of anger. He didn't know what had got him so vexed; Nikola's unwillingness to co-operate and just be happy they're together again, or the fact she'd been away for so long. Nikola was silent, she was used to Klaus and his short fuse, but he had never directed his anger towards Nikola.
"I tried so hard." Nikola's knees buckled and she fell to the floor, beside Klaus's feet. She didn't cry, she just sat there, defeated.
"Have you seen Elijah yet?" Klaus asked, looking down at Nikola. She rose, and composed herself, realising the issue had been resolved without question. Like old times; Klaus and Nikola were thick as thieves when they were humans, always standing up for each other. Nikola would comfort Klaus when his siblings looked away as Mikael shunned and humiliated him. Klaus embraced Nikola's presence, unlike her father. Her father showed no emotion to her, viewing her as the product of a love that could never continue. A love that came between him and his brother.
"He wasn't interested in me back then, why should he be interested now?" Nikola spoke very matter of factly, she had accepted long ago that her father didn't want her, just like Mikael didn't want Klaus. However, Nikola couldn't deny she still craved attention from her father, who showed such love and affection to everybody else around him, apart from her.
"Nikola, you're just as stubborn as Rebekah." Klaus grinned slightly, finally embracing the love and happiness he felt being around Nikola again.
"Where is Rebekah?" Nikola's pupils dilated as she thought of Rebekah, they were close, often gathering food and braiding hair together, but Rebekah always held a little bit of bitterness when Klaus devoted his attention towards his young niece as oppose to his ageing sister.
"She's out. Cheerleading practice would you believe?" Klaus smiled, two dimples forming on his cheeks beside his mouth.
"I can actually..." Nikola giggled, picturing Rebekah doing flips and somersaults in a uniform.
They walk to the living room sitting on the couch, after 1000 years things are not at all awkward and it seems their bond has never been stronger.
"Nikola?" Elijah stands in the doorway of the living room, his face white as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Father." Nikola stood up, unsure of how to act around her father. She attempted to remain emotionless, but her eyes were filled with want, want for a hug a smile, something to show he was happy she was here.
"You shouldn't be alive. Why would you want this?" Elijah was almost angry and ashamed by Nikola's choice to become a vampire.
"I didn't do this on purpose. But I dealt with it in the same way you did. I shown the same strength and morality as you did, father. But you wouldn't know – because you abandoned me."
"For your own good." Elijah argued, edging his way closer to his daughter.
"Is that what you call it? It was your idea to leave me there, your own daughter." Nikola shouted at Elijah, showing the same temper as both Rebekah and Klaus. Klaus sat in the background, silent as his brother and niece argued like cat and dog.
"Nik, tell him!" Nikola was red in face, unable to express to Elijah her feelings.
"I can't." Klaus's face was straight. "I haven't been with you for 1000 years, I can't tell him things I don't know." Klaus's face held an expression of deep regret and guilt. He knew he should support Nikola, but he'd just got Elijah back and didn't want to risk upset among his siblings due to the new arrival. Nikola was hurt, but she soon composed herself, switching off her humanity was second nature.
"Fine. I've been alone for 1000 years, and you've abandoned me before. I guess I could live through it again. I guess family doesn't mean the same thing these days." Nikola left without warning, leaving both Elijah and Klaus dumbfounded and shocked by her return, and swift exit.
"I don't see why you two can't just sit and talk. You're her father, you owe her that." Klaus spoke quietly unsure of Elijah's true emotions towards Nikola. "1000 years and you didn't speak of her once. Is it true, this numbness towards her. Is it true you feel nothing?"
"Of course it isn't. Surely you know me better than that brother. But after how I treated her during childhood, always pushing her away – pushing her towards you. I knew I'd hurt her, and I couldn't forgive myself. Numbness and fighting is easier than me feeling like I don't deserve her love, it's better for her to hate me." Elijah spoke in a similar way to Nikola, stating this in a matter of fact tone.
"You really know nothing of her. She's constantly craving your love and affection, she gets mad because she doesn't know how to act around you. She has no idea how you feel about her. She just thinks you hate her, she thinks she's to blame. She always did, even when she was a child." Klaus spoke honestly, thinking of how many times Nikola came crying to Klaus, confused and upset by Elijah's behaviour. As Nikola grew, the crying became less and less frequent, but the emotions in her eyes remained the same. The same deep sadness and self loathing sat in her blue eyes, every time Elijah brushed her off. Klaus looked up at Elijah. A single tear occupied each of his dark brown eyes, Klaus was wasn't phased by Elijah, they had known each other too long to hide what they were feeling from each other.
Nikola sat at the bar of the mystic grill, alone. Tears fell freely down her face as all regard of dignity and self preservation left her.
"Excuse me? Are you okay?" The bus-boy, dressed in a blue t-shirt that matched his startling blue eyes.
"No, not really." Nikola sniffled, using her fingers to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. The bus-boy passed her a napkin to wipe away her tears.
"Thankyou...Matt?" Nikola looked at the name tag that was pinned on Matt's t-shirt.
"My break is in five minutes, if you want to talk I'm happy to listen." Matt's face was honest, and Nikola felt safe talking to him.
"I'd really appreciate that, Matt. I'm Nikola." Nikola held out her hand for Matt to shake, he accepted it without thinking before leaving to clear the tables of the grill, before returning as promised to console the stranger. Matt sat down beside Nikola at the bar and ordered two milkshakes.
"Ever feel like there isn't one person who cares about you enough to love you, like actually love you." Nikola spoke, looking into her Malt Milkshake like it was going to reply.
"You have no idea." Matt spoke, and the rest of the conversation naturally came – they both discussed their dysfunctional family life, actually having someone to talk to about it helped them both. Matt hardly spoke of Vicki, or his mother as everyone was occupied with the latest vampire related drama; Nikola only ever spoke to Klaus, and for 1000 year she had been without him. It was clear they were both damaged, but as they spoke it also became clear they weren't as alone and they first conceived.
"Thankyou Matt. Even though you're a stranger, you probably know more about me than most of my family." Nikola smiled at Matt, taking the final sip of her thick strawberry milkshake.
"Thankyou too, Nikola. My next shift is starting in 10, but you sure you'll be okay?" Matt's eyes were filled with concern; this both confused and comforting Nikola – who had never experienced such humanity.
"I'm be fine, thanks to you. I'm really glad I met you..." Nikola took a deep sigh, knowing what she'd need to do next "which why i'm sorry I have to do this." A tear fell out of Nikola's eye as she stared into Matt's intense blue eyes. Her pupils dilated as she compelled Matt to forget their meeting; unknown to Nikola, Matt regularly consumed vervain – protecting him from compulsion. Matt knew instantly that Nikola must be a vampire, so he walked away faking compulsion well enough for Nikola to believe it.
Matt walked away, leaving Nikola alone at the bar once again. Nikola truly felt better, even though talking to Matt didn't solve any of her problems, discussing them seemed to lift the weight off them off her shoulders slightly. She watched the bus boy clean another table away, before he walked through the door at the side of the bar that bore a sign which said 'staff only'. She knew she would never see him again. She stood up, placing a $5 on the bar for the milkshake. She turned to leave the grill, just as Elijah opened the door. Relief painted his face as he saw Nikola.
"I thought you might have left town already." Elijah said walking towards Nikola.
"Don't worry, I'm leaving now. I won't waste your time with my presence for a moment longer." Nikola spoke fast, walking past Elijah out of the Mystic Grill. Elijah appeared in front of her a second later.
"Nikola, please come home. We should talk." Elijah's eyes pleaded with Nikola, he wasn't expecting her to respond well due to her stubborn attitude that she inherited from both Rebekah and Klaus.
"Okay." Nikola nodded and smiled, her talk with Matt taking the edge off of her bitter attitude.
Elijah and Nikola sat alone in the living room of the Mikaelson Mansion. For the first time ever, they were alone – unable to hide and distract themselves by conversing with others. They were alone, and forced to communicate. The silence was haunting; both clueless about how to start the awkward walk towards a real relationship. As expected, Elijah breaks the silence.
"I should start by apologising." Elijah looked at the floor, feeling a little embarrassed and ashamed.
"If Klaus has forced you into doing this, don't bother. I'd rather not have an apology if i'm getting a fake one." Nikola began to stand up, assuming the worst.
"Please. Klaus hasn't forced me into anything. He simply made me realise a few things." Elijah lifted his head, and Nikola sat down slowly and silently.
"Go on then." Nikola encouraged her father into explaining himself. Elijah began with explaining why he had distanced himself from her for so many years.
Nikola listened, attempting to recall memories of her mother and how conflict between Elijah and Klaus often arose due to their mutual love for her. However soon after Nikola's turned eleven Elijah and Klaus agreed that their bond was too strong to be severed by the love of a woman. Klaus didn't see Tatia's face when he looked at Nikola – he saw Elijah's, which was why it was so easy for him to care about her. However, the glow of Nikolas skin, her kind smile and soft laugh reminded Elijah too much of Tatia.
Soon after Nikola's youngest uncle, Henrik's death, her family were turned to vampires. Her mother fled from both Elijah and Klaus, seeking comfort in an human who was yet to trigger his werewolf gene. His name was Jasper, and they bore twins before Tatia was killed in the ritual to keep Klaus from manifesting as a hybrid. Nikola sought comfort in Klaus, and Klaus sought comfort in Nikola; this solidified their bond, making it unbreakable.
"It was unfair of my mother, to leave you human when we were all vampires. You were outnumbered and outcast by us all. I'm just glad Klaus had the same feeling of isolation, so you weren't completely alone." Elijah spoke honestly as Nikola continued to listen. This was the longest period of time they had spoke without coming into conflict. Nikola smiled as she began to understand Elijah's plight.
"Father, I forgive you." Nikola whispered. Elijah's face lit up as Nikola embraced him. Neither of them expanded on their arguments, they were just elated with their current situation; forgetting all past issues from their time together in the 8th century.
Matt stood in the storage room at the back of the mystic grill. Stood among the shelves of boxes of napkins and cutlery. He got out his phone, his heart was racing, he was unsure if the vampire he just encountered could hear him. He feared for his life if she caught him. She seemed nice enough, but she was a vampire, you can't be too careful. He called Damon, despite the nerves his hands were steady and his voice strong.
"Damon, hi. I think we need to talk." Matt was vague, unsure of who could hear.
"I'm kind of busy right now, quarterback. What is it?" Damon was clearly annoyed by Matt's call when he was currently busy attempting to locate the mystery vampire.
"We need to talk in person, can you get to the grill?" Matt asked, hoping that Damon had faith enough to say yes. With persuasion from Alaric, Damon finally caved agreeing to meet Matt on the promise of a free drink.
"So, what is it?" Damon sat at the bar as Alaric stood beside him, leaning against the mahogany wood that was slightly dull from many years of people's arms resting against it. Matt put his face close to Damon's as he pushed a glass of whiskey towards him and Alaric.
"Someone came in here earlier. She was a vampire." Matt looked at Alaric and Damon, both their faces lit up with both excitement and surprise.
"We got her." Damon grabbed the glass and downed the whiskey in a single gulp. Alaric drunk his whiskey while him and Matt went over the finer details. Damon rang Caroline and Stefan, informing them on their discovery.
"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Alaric asked, knowing they needed more information. Matt looked around, thinking hard. He spotted his fellow busboy, Jane.
"Hey, Jane. You know that girl with the dark hair, who I was sat with earlier?" Matt asked as Jane refilled the napkin boxes on the tables of the grill.
"The crying one? Yea..." Jane recalls seeing her vaguely.
"Did you see her leave, did you by any chance see where she went?" Matt asked, his eyebrows raised as he waited for her response.
"Well, that dude Elijah was here with her for a second before she left, I think she went with him." Jane shook her shoulders, not paying too much attention to matt or the napkins.
"Thanks." Matt re-approached Alaric, informing him of Jane's accusation.
"Thankyou, Matt." Alaric spoke, Damon simply smiled in agreement. They walked out of the Grill in unison, making their way to the Original mansion.
"I'm heading out, going to surprise Reekah at her Cheerleading practice." Nikola gave a giggle before grabbing her bag and walking out of the house, Elijah and Klaus went back to doing their usual activities. Nikola closed the door behind her and strolled down the long garden path out of the Originals grounds. The sun was lowering, indicating the late afternoon, however being September, it was still warm so Nikola strolled, clearly content with her current situation. Just as Nikola turned the corner, Damon's blue Camaro came cruising by the road towards her.
"Who is that? One of your students?" Damon asked, looking at the stranger.
"Never seen her before in my life. It looks like she just came from their house..." Alaric gave Damon a concerned look and within seconds Damon had stopped the car and was stepping out, with a grenade in hand.
"Only one way to find out." Damon approached Nikola, obstructing her path.
"Excuse me." She spoke politely but was clearly irritated. Alaric stood by the car, watching and waiting for trouble. Damon looked down at Nikola,spotting the unmistakable Lapis Lazuli stone that decorated her antique necklace. Without a seconds notice Damon pulled the pin on the grenade launcher and threw it in Nikola's face, causing her to let out a shriek of pain.
Nikola was older, but had never experienced such weapons – for over 1000 years she had remained low, refusing to spark conflict with both the humans and the supernatural. For this reason, she was unprepared for two skilled hunters, especially when one was a vampire, and the other couldn't be killed.
The travelling she went through the find Klaus over the last few weeks meant she hadn't fed in under a month, this also played as a disadvantage.
Nikola still managed to heal, and after most of the burns to her eye area had disappeared, she lifted her head and tried to run, only to collide with the body of Damon Salvatore. He hauled her into the backseat of the camaro before Alaric injected her with a solution of vervain. Nikola was out cold, but looked peaceful as Alaric grabbed the steering wheel and they speeded away towards the Salvatore Boarding house.
Nikola was still out cold as they carried her to the living area of the boarding house, and remained so as they tightly bound her to a wooden chair, taking extra measures by soaking the ropes that held her by her wrists, waist and ankles with vervain.
"Ric, how strong was that vervain you gave her?" Damon asked, as he inspected Nikolas face, which still wasn't healed.
"Not strong enough to take you down, but you drink the stuff." Alaric commented, and they both stood and watched, waiting for Nikola to wake.
She began to stir and murmur, but the vervain ropes restricted her movement, so she sat there and let out a few agonising moans before opening her eyes.
"How old do you think she is?" Alaric asked, curious to the small Vampire who sat in front of him, looking scared and helpless. Alaric humanity screamed at him as he looked into her eyes, he wanted to free her, help her.
"I figured she'd be pretty old to know the originals, but she seems to weak to be too much older than me." Damon's face was straight and he stared at Nikola, she stared back but with a much less intimidating visage.
"I was turned in the 8th century, in this very town." Nikola spoke, her voice was weak and she coughed due to the vervain vapours from the rope attacking the back of her throat.
"You haven't fed in a while huh?" Damon smiled, realising he had the upper hand.
"Almost 4 weeks." She spoke honestly, looking towards Alaric for help, causing him to turn away so his heart didn't override his head. Damon simply hummed, circling the chair that contained Nikola.
"What do you want from me?" Her voice was shaky and desperate. Her face still slightly scared and her wrists red raw and burnt from the vervain ropes. Her ankles and waist were less damaged due to the slight protection from her clothing.
"Why are you here, why are you after Elena?" Damon's eyes filled with fury as he thought of what Nikola might do to Elena.
"Elena?" Nikola was slightly dazed from the vervain and confused by Damon's fury.
"The Doppelganger!" Damon's face was inches from Nikola's at this point.
"Nothing, not any more." Nikola spoke honestly, hoping Damon would see that.
"I don't believe you." Damon spoke slowly, agitated by Nikola.
"I swear. I wanted to break the curse, but it's already broken." Nikola spoke, moving the ankles and waist, only making the searing hot pain of the vervain penetrate her skin more. She yelped like a dog does when you stand on it's tail.
"Who are you?" Damon shouted, it wasn't a question – it was a demand.
"Nik-nikola. I'm Elijah's daughter." Nikola admitted, hoping they would either kill her soon or release her fast if she co-operated. This environment and attitude was foreign to her, she was never hunted like Klaus and Rebekah, she was never attacked like Damon, and she was never made a victim like Alaric; until now.
For a split second, a flicker of fear filled Damon's eyes as he thought of the Originals coming for her ran through his mind, but then he remembered she couldn't be trusted.
"Yea right, Elijah doesn't have a kid." Damon almost laughed at Nikola and how pathetic and transparent her 'lies' were, not knowing they were the truth.
For hours Damon continued to question Nikola, asking things she couldn't answer. She shared with him all she could but all the answers she gave didn't agree with Damon's train of thought.
"Damon, ever thought she might be telling the truth?" Alaric finally asked as Nikola laid on the floor, tipped over in her chair coughing up blood and bile after Damon force fed her fresh sprigs of vervain.
"No." Damon spoke bluntly, almost mocking Alaric. Damon then snapped a leg from the chair that held Nikola. Fear and desperation filled Nikolas eyes as she understood her inevitable fate.
"No. Please." She begged, although she was unsure what she was begging for; her life, or a fast death.
"Damon." Alaric pleaded with his friend, but the heating of the blood and adrenaline was too loud, and Damon didn't listen to his friends plea. Nikola stared into Damon's eyes as he drove the wooden steak through her heart. At that moment he felt nothing, no guilt, no sorrow, no onus.
Alaric unbound her body and laid her on the decorative rug that covered the pine wooden floorboards of the boarding house. Damon stood up and looked upon his victim, her skin was grey and the blood in her veins frozen, making her arteries visible under her dead skin. The grey tinge to her skin made her startling turquoise eyes even more beautiful, but the beauty was tragic. Her still lifeless body wouldn't be claimed, or mourned.
Rebekah opened the front door of the mansion.
"I'm back." Rebekah chorused happily, Elijah appeared in the foyer.
"Isn't she with you?" Elijah looked concerned at the absence of his daughter.
"What?" Rebekah was oblivious, unaware of the return of her only niece. Panic filled Elijah's deep brown eyes, as he stormed out of the mansion in search of his daughter. Elijah storms onto the deserted street where Nikola was taken, the smell of vervain had left the air, but the broken glass and vervain sprig were scattered on the pavement. Elijah's familiarity of the grenade (having been attacked by one himself when attempting to acquire the doppelgänger) enabled him to identify it's owner.
"Salvatore." Elijah spoke through the gritted teeth, before making his way to the Salvatore boarding house.
Elijah pushed the door to the Salvatore's house open with ease, entering without invitation. He made his way to the living area, seeing his daughters dead body laid at an unnatural angle.
"Damon." The usually calm and reserved Elijah filled with blind rage at the sight, running at Damon. They fought and scrapped; Elijah could have killed Damon within a second but instead he wanted to rip and tear at Damon's pale skin. Both were unaware of Alaric, who shot a steak into Elijah's back, freeing his friend from Elijah's powerful hits. Elijah looked at Damon, his hair was matted and his nose and lips bust. His clothes were ripped and his chest bruised and cut, but healing fast.
"She was telling the truth." Alaric spoke, looking at Nikola's cold body, with the steak still embedded in her chest. Alaric carried the guilt that Damon shut out. Elijah composed himself as Alaric apologised for his part in the death of his only daughter. Damon poured Elijah a drink, but didn't speak; knowing words wouldn't be enough to repair the damage the death of a loved one does to you.
"I'm taking her." Elijah Picked up Nikola's lifeless body, and walked out of the boarding house, leaving Damon and Alaric with the stench of rotting vervain and dried blood.
Elijah walked past the mansion he and his siblings now occupy. He walked into the grounds that were owned by the Lockwood's. He took her body down through the underground tunnel that lead to what used to be the house of the Mikaelson's. Elijah was unable to access the centre of the cave, that was filled with paintings and writings that told the stories of the original's life. Elijah laid Nikola's body at the entrance of the cave, hoping that being home may give Nikola the ability to rest in peace. He sat with her cold body for at least an hour, he didn't cry, or shout, or get angry – that wouldn't bring her back. Instead he looked at her face, recalling all the past memories and emotions that his daughter had made him feel; however few the happy memories were he smiled at all of them. Happy that they managed to reconcile before her ill-timed departure.
Elijah entered the mansion after composing himself, Klaus and Rebekah waited at the door.
"Where is she?" Rebekah was clearly excited, looking forward to having a female in the house. "Klaus told me everything, where is she... Elijah?" Rebekah noticed the lack of excitement on Elijah's face. Klaus stepped forward, his face turning worried at the absence of Nikola.
"What is it brother?" Klaus spoke, his palms getting sweaty as he assumed the worst, the truth.
"She, she left. After we spoke she realised she'd been searching for us and not living her life, I told her to go live it." Elijah lied, sparing the feeling's of his siblings.
"She'll be back?" Rebekah asked.
"I don't know." Elijah spoke, knowing deep down they could never see her again. Elijah left the foyer and headed upstairs to grieve in peace as Rebekah and Klaus absorbed the news they had just received.
"I just got her back" Klaus whispered before he too, left the foyer to grieve in peace, for the neice he could never get back. After this encounter, Nikola was never mentioned again, but thought of often. She was the victim, but never the martyr.