Thanks for the responses, I wasn't sure anyone would like my brand of drama.
Sweetwater Gal, thanks! I appreciate such high praise! You're very kind. I love E&E too, and had been trying to find a way to write them into a fic in a believable way. Hopefully this works!
lilylulurose : thank you! I love E&E, and thought that Jeremy could use an Elijah in his life! I will try and update as much as possible!
So this chapter is kind of long. Sorry
Chapter One: Sacrificial Lamb
Caroline sat at the kitchen table, contemplating her final decision. It had been a few days since Klaus had infiltrated her home and prepared to rip her heart out. She and her friends had found no course of action, because it seemed that Klaus had all of the power. She wondered how long her friends could stay holed up in this house in the woods.
In truth, she didn't really need to think about anything, her mind was already made up. The fact of the matter was that she was just stalling for time. This would be the last day that she tasted freedom, it was possibly the last day that she would be alive. Well, as alive as a vampire was anyway. There was only one solution to save her mother's life, to possibly keep Bonnie, Elena and Tyler safe. How strange it was for her to be contemplating the sacrifice, was this not the role that Elena usually played? It was Elena who had given herself up to Klaus so that he would not kill her family, like he had done to Katherine. This really wasn't her style at all.
A sound from the sitting room caught Caroline's attention and she got up from her spot to see what the ruckus was. Upon opening the door she saw Bonnie, glass shattered around her. "What's going on?" Caroline asked; her friend had been acting strangely for the last couple of days and Caroline was starting to get worried. Her mother's departure compounded with the fact that they were not any closer to killing Klaus, seemed to be really getting to her. Caroline had not told her of the decision that she had made, afraid that her friends would stop her. Of course they would. What she was going to do was on the verge of a suicide attempt, they would be terrible friends not to stop her. Bonnie and Elena were anything but terrible friends and so she kept her idea to herself. "Bonnie?"
"I was trying to spell," the words felt like a lie, "I thought maybe I could concoct something to stop Klaus. It turns out, that my ancestors had no solution either. I guess they thought the tree would do it."
"Bonnie? What is really going on?"
She sighed heavily, then, in a tremulous voice that broke Caroline's heart she said, "we're all just going to get killed off. All of us."
She reached over and took Bonnie's hand in her own. "No. We aren't. We will find a way to stop him."
Bonnie swallowed loudly and nodded, though her expression did not hold any conviction. She knelt down and started picking up the pieces of the shattered bottled, setting each of the shards in bowl next to her. "I wish Abby was still here, So we could find out how she kept Mikael in that coffin. If we knew how to do that, we could do the same thing to Klaus." Bonnie muttered, as the glass made clinking sounds when it hit the bottom of the bowl and the other pieces of glass. When Bonnie looked up at Caroline, her dark hair framing her face, thick dark lashes around large almond colored eyes, she was struck by just how witchy Bonnie looked. Funny how she never noticed this before.
"What if we found Abby?" Caroline mused to herself, then realizing the brilliance behind this thought she repeated it. "We should find Abby."
"And how would we do that?" Bonnie inquired, an edge in her voice. Then she stopped, looked pensively at Caroline, then the window. "What if I went looking for her? Better yet, what if I take your mother with me. We can use her position as Sheriff and my magic to find her. Your mother would be safe then."
It was a brilliant plan. Caroline could not wait to put it into action, it however did not cancel her plans. In fact her actions would buy them time to accomplish their goal. "I could kiss you for your brilliance!"
"Has Tyler really been gone that long?" Joked Bonnie. It was nice to see a genuine smile on her face, and it was even nicer to think that they now had a shot, a plan, something to give them hope.
XXX
Elena stared out the window of her bedroom, wishing that she had been able to go to sleep. She had taken a break from Ric duty in order to spend some time by herself and get her thoughts together. Stefan wanting to know whether she loved Damon was troubling her. While she cared for him, and to be honest was quite attracted to him, she wasn't sure if that equated love. It wasn't at all like she felt for Stefan and to be honest, how she felt for Stefan was even different now. She thought perhaps they have both changed, but as she sat with her diary in hand, having leafed through several pages, she realized that she was the one who changed. The thought made her incredibly sad.
The day was beautiful and the sun shone in the sky brightly, Elena wished that her mood matched it. That was impossible though, too much was going wrong too fast. They had learned that Klaus's death mean Stefan's, Damon's and Caroline's death as well. His death would certainly mean Tyler's, and she wasn't quite sure whether she could live with that. But she also wasn't sure whether she could live with all of the blood that would stain Klaus' his hands should he remain alive. It was all very confusing.
What made matters worse, was that she felt so incredibly alone. If she spoke to Damon, she felt guilty, like she was betraying Stefan and if she spoke to Stefan she felt the loss of what once was. It left her in a very precarious position and so she avoided both of them. When she talked to Bonnie, she felt the shame of people valuing her life more than Bonnie's mother's. Since Caroline was often with Bonnie, that left her off the list as well. Finally there was Alaric but considering he had so much on his plate, it hardly seemed fair for Elena to burden him with her problems.
This was no good, she was drowning in self-pity. Disgusted with herself, Elena put her diary underneath her bed and walked downstairs to make herself some food. She was not a good cook, but she was going to have to make do because her stomach was rumbling and really there was nothing left for her to do. At least there was no pressure here by herself and she felt a little lighter than she had at Bonnie's, where she was constantly reminded of what her life cost. Could I even go back to a normal life? Elena wondered this to herself as she pulled out a pot and filled it with water. Would I even know how to function if things were calm? She put the burner on and then searched the cabinet for some noodles. Spaghetti should be an easy thing to make, especially since she had Ragu sauce in the cabinet. As she watched the water come to a boil, she pondered how everything became such a mess. At the end of the day, she was the center piece of this disaster area, and she couldn't help but feel the guilt of it.
When the water came to a boil she poured the noodles in and thought to put a drop of oil in it as well, but was distracted by a knock at the door. She opened it without even thinking who might be on the other side.
To her shock, it was Elijah and he looked grim. "Jeremy is missing." He told her without even saying hello.
XXX
He should've killed her. Why did he hesitate? Why did he waste time with thought instead of just ripping her heart out? He knew, deep down, that if he had truly wanted her dead she would be. It's the human side of him, that part that he had tried to squash so many times and refused to be extinguished, that kept her alive. Caroline was a weakness and he could not afford a weakness. His enemies were mounting, family and former friend alike, all wanting him dead.
Caroline would've killed him if she had the chance, so why could he not return that favor? Even days later the question plagued him. She was still out there, she was still conspiring against him, and yet he still didn't want to see her gone.
More than anything, Klaus wished that he could talk to Elijah. His brother would understand, and his brother would have advice. It still ached to know that at the end of the day his family did not support him and never would. He had never felt more alone, and he knew that his hybrid army would be of little comfort to him.
Alone, Klaus lounged on the leather couch in the sitting room. There were enough places to sit for all of his brothers and for Rebecca. His plan had been for them to live together, as a family. How foolish of him to think they would forgive him; would he have even forgiven himself if their situations were reversed?
Maybe that was why he didn't kill Caroline. After all, why would Caroline show him any loyalty? He was her enemy, the vampire that was going to sacrifice her so that he could break the curse binding his werewolf side. He had almost killed her. He had killed someone she considered a friend. He was going to kill her best friend, in fact he had killed her and if it hadn't been for a spell, Elena would be dead.
In this moment of curious rationality, Klaus had the decency to feel guilty and he didn't like it one bit.
XXX
Visiting his mother, to let her know of his return, came with the surprise of being greeted by Rebekah, dressed to kill in a red transparent shirt over a black cami and black leggings. She gave him a nonchalant look, as though she had every right to be where she was; and he had no right to his place in the house at all.
Tyler suppressed the frown at seeing her in his home, knowing just how close death his mother was on a regular basis. "It's so nice of you to drop in," she told him in a tone that inferred just how pleasant it wasn't. "Did my brother send you to check on me?"
From this, Tyler decided that Rebekah and Klaus were on the outs. Excellent. The less allies his sire had, the better off the rest of them were. "I haven't actually seen much of him."
Tyler sat across from her in the dining room and kept his gaze levelly on hers. "Did you need checking up on?"
She chuckled, then turned a little as a young man entered the room. He wore a black jacket over a loose white button down shirt and a pair of slacks that looked tailored to him. "Kol, have you met Tyler?"
"I don't believe I have." He said in an accent that seemed just slightly older of an accent than Rebekah's. "Is he your beau, sister?"
Sister? Tyler tried to keep his face neutral. So there was another Original out? Well…that wasn't exactly good news to him. He tried to keep his cool, mind wondering to the little vampire he had tucked away in the ruins. With so many Originals about, Tyler had to wonder if her resurrection had anything to do with them. Were they powerful enough to bring vampires back from the dead? And if so…what did they want from Jeremy's amnesiac ex?
There were a lot of questions and he only hoped that Jeremy would respond to his message and come home to help him sort the whole mess out.
"Hardly," she replied caustically. "He fancies Nikaus' new obsession, Caroline Forbes."
"Ah- of course." He smiled, which looked more like a bearing of teeth. Tyler himself had used that expression on more than one occasion. "Oh…yes. Now I recall hearing the name. You're the first of Niklaus' little pets, right? What is it they are called again, Bek?"
"Hybrids." She answered in a saccharine voice.
"Right. How does it feel to be a drone, Tyler?" Kol asked as he leaned against his sister's chair and tilted his head to the side. "Is it tiresome to always follow orders?"
Struggling to keep his temper in check, Tyler managed a wolfish smile back. "It has its bonuses." He had to play nice, his mother was in this house with them and he couldn't afford to anger them enough to hurt her. She was all the family he had left.
The siblings glanced at each other and he wanted nothing more than to wipe those disgusting smiles off of their faces. "Well," Rebekah said cheerfully, "I am sorry to say that your mother is out. We'd love to give her a message for you."
"No need. I'll be home shortly to tell her myself. It turns out that I'm moving back in." Tyler got up from the table, told them goodbye and then started out of the house before his fury took over.
Rebekah and Kol in his house with his mother? Something had to be done, they had to be put in check and it had to be done fast.
But first….what the hell was he going to do with Anna? She was living in the damn ruins and he couldn't just let her stay there by herself. Sure, she was a vampire, but she had no memory of who she was and the last few days had consisted of him waiting for Jeremy and explaining to her that he would know what to do.
But…Tyler wasn't even sure Jeremy was going to come. He might have thought the whole thing was a trap set by Klaus and frankly, Tyler wouldn't blame him for it.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
XXX
Bonnie, Jamie, Ric and Sheriff Forbes were all packed up and ready to go within an hour. Caroline told them that she could not go with them, saying that someone needed to stay behind with Elena, in order to protect her as best as possible. They had all agreed that Elena could not go because then Klaus would go searching for them and they would never have the chance to find out how Abby had stopped Mikael. They didn't know that Caroline already had a plan to distract Klaus, and that was the real reason why she didn't need Elena to go with them.
The car was ready, all the bags were inside. They had packed light, with the expectation that they would not be away for very long. Caroline truly hope that was the case because what she was about to do was not something that she felt comfortable with.
The hardest was saying goodbye to her mother. Partly because she was trying to convince Caroline to go with them, and partly because this may very well be the last time that they would see each other. "I can't go, Mom. I'm sorry." She touched her mother's cheek and for the first time realized how beautiful her mother was. Sure, she hid behind the short haircut and the uniform, but even unadorned her mother looked good. Maybe, when this all blew over, she could help her mother tap into that beauty. Maybe she could even find love…with a straight sane man. "But you'll see me again soon, and we'll be able to be normal…or..." Caroline made a face, "something close to normal." She said this, not just for her mother but to give herself hope as well.
Her mother put her hand over Caroline's and pressed her cheek into her palm. "Normal is for boring people- you've never been boring, Caroline." She said sweetly.
They kissed and hugged.
It was really resolve that got her through the goodbyes. The last goodbye was to Bonnie, who promised to take care of the group if Caroline promised to take care of Elena. She took the note that Bonnie had written for Elena and put it into her purse, promising to give it to her.
"Don't let my mom come back until you all come back." Caroline warned, "no matter what, Bonnie. I don't care if you have to use your magic to brainwash her- do whatever it takes."
"I will." Bonnie promised. She held Caroline's hands in hers. "Listen, Care. I was getting bitter, really bitter. This new plan that we came up with? I feel good about something for the first time since my mom left. I really think we can do this."
"We have to." Caroline agreed. "Not just for us, but for everyone."
She hugged her friend tightly, not wanting to let go. She was going to miss Bonnie's determination, her wit and her humor. Most of all she was going to miss the comfort of Bonnie's embrace and the way Bonnie was able to chide her for ill behavior without making her feel like a total ass (Even when she was being a total ass.) "Take care of yourself too," Bonnie whispered in her ear before letting go.
"You too." Caroline responded, holding back tears. "You take care of yourself. Don't get burned out on magic, okay?"
"I won't. I promise."
Bonnie walked towards the Sheriff's SUV and Caroline felt her heart sink as they went. This is it, Forbes. She told herself with a verbal smack, don't start crying now or they'll know what you're up to and they won't let you do it. Just wave goodbye.
She looked into her mother's eyes from her place in the SUV. She had her hand over her heart and the look on her face was one of pure, maternal concern and love.
Caroline mirrored it back at her, thinking about how far they had come since she was just a bratty, insecure teenager who resented her mother for something that, in the end, had been her father's fault.
Caroline banished all of that from her mind though. Thinking of her dad was only going to deepen the depression that she was sinking into.
She couldn't pull her eyes away from the moving vehicle as it started down the road. Her eyes followed it until it vanished completely and the occupants were far enough away that she knew they wouldn't be returning. Sighing, she turned back into the house and flattened the piece of paper Bonnie had written her note on. Caroline tore out a piece of paper from the same notebook Bonnie had used and began her own letter, carefully wording it so that Elena would understand how severely problematic interference would be.
Dear Elena,
I am sure that you're upset, and you have every right to be. I realize that leaving you out of the loop was not kind of us. I hope that one day you can forgive us, forgive me, for doing all of this without your consent. Time is of the essence and we knew that convincing you of any of our plans would take a lot of time that we did not have. If it's any consolation, I didn't even tell Bonnie about my plan, because I knew that she would try to stop me just like you would.
While Bonnie and the others search for Abby, I will be keeping Klaus at bay. He has become too dangerous, too crazy and too much of a problem for me to ignore and we need to buy the group time to find a fix for the problem. I feel like I can distract him, and keep him from hurting anyone else. I have no reason to believe this, it's just a feeling, but I don't think that he will hurt me. So I am going to him, offering myself, in exchange for my mother's safety, and for the safety of all of you. I know that of all people you will understand that what I'm doing is the right thing. After all, I learned this move from you, right? Don't play stupid either, you know exactly what I am talking about.
All my life I've been the selfish one, jealous of your kindness and the attention that it got you. Now I realize that I had inside me all along, I just needed a real reason, something substantial, to bring it out. This was the moment for me to protect everyone. It can't always be you, you know. So don't go and try and ruin this either, we need to keep him from figuring out that the others went away for as long as possible. Which means you have to stay out of his way! More importantly, you can't tell Bonnie or my mom what I'm doing because they will totally freak.
I want you to know that even when I was jealous of everyone liking you best, I still loved you like a sister. I always have and I always will; nothing can ever change that. Well, unless you mess this up and try to rescue me because then I'll be pissed.
Lots of love,
Caroline
She folded the note carefully and placed it next to Bonnie's note that said now said, 'open first.' That note would explain what the others were up to so that Elena would not be confused.
She looked at the notes, side by side, waiting for the reader to take them into her hands, and sighed heavily. Elena was going to be so mad. Caroline only hoped that she would be respectful enough to do as her own note asked and butt the heck out.
Caroline started toward the door, stopped and looked behind her at Abby's home. Find her, Bonnie. She willed with her mind, so that this can all be over soon.
But now it was time for her part…and she needed to put in an Emmy winning performance.
XXX
Elena tried, with difficulty, to absorb the information that Elijah was giving her.
Stefan had arrived a moment after Elijah showed up at er door, as if sensing the Original. Damon closely followed and Elijah had to revisit the story that he was telling so the older brother could know the full tale. Stefan was across from her in the dining room, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest. Damon was to her right, closer in proximity as usual.
As it turned out, Elijah was keeping Jeremy safe in Colorado. He was teaching Jeremy how to protect himself from vampires. Elijah was doing all of the things that Elena wished she had been doing. "I sent him away to keep him safe," she finally told Elijah when he had finished talking about his time with Jeremy. "But that was just a pipe dream, wasn't it? He was never safe."
"You did what was best for him." Elijah responded in that elegant, polite tone he always used unless anger got the best of him. The way he sat, the way he spoke and the way he moved commanded respect and attention, as though he were a great leader. "He was safe, still is. He called me to tell me so, it's how I know he wasn't taken. He waited two days though. I suppose it was to give him a head start if I went looking for him."
"And you think he came here?" Damon asked, "why?"
"Where else would he go?" Elijah replied, turning his head ever so slightly to look at Damon. Elijah's features; which Elena had always thought were that of a stony warrior and so lacked the same descriptors as his tone and mannerisms that they should belong to two different people; were taut and serious. She half-thought he really cared for Jeremy, but knowing the Originals better than that, perished the thought. This had to be some sort of trick.
"I don't know, maybe not the place he was compelled to leave?" Damon asked caustically.
For a moment, she noticed Elijah's expression changed, as if he were missing a piece of some puzzle and it finally made sense. He must not have realized that Jeremy had been compelled. "He's here." He said, "something made him come back. There would have been no other reason for him to leave Colorado. We were getting along fine."
Her stomach plummeted and she cursed having ever sent her brother away. What an idiot she had been. As soon as Elijah was gone, she would find Bonnie and they would locate him together. She'd need to talk to her friend anyway and give her the apology owed to her over sending her brother away in the first place.
"We should split up and look for him then." Stefan decided. He looked directly into her eyes, as if silently telling her not to go with Elijah. She didn't need the warning, where she was going, she didn't want any vampire with her. Bonnie would freak out if she brought any of them, and Elena didn't really blame her for it.
"We should," she agreed with Stefan and gave him a small, tentative smile. She still wasn't sure how she was supposed to handle Stefan, how she was to treat him or talk to him and that left her feeling awkward and uncertain. "We'll call if any of us find him."
"We will find him." Elijah told her reassuringly.
"Where do we look though? Boy wonder was a lone wolf." Damon pointed out.
"Klaus may have him." Stefan put in, "I'll take Klaus."
Elijah began to shake his head, but Elena interrupted. "As far as we know Klaus doesn't know you're here, which means we have a little advantage over him. I'd like to keep that advantage."
"Maybe wolfboy is back?" Damon put in, "so I'll check the Lockwood mansion."
"And where will you look, Elena?" Elijah asked.
"I'll try the Mystic Grille and a few of his favorite haunts. It's worth a shot." She lied, knowing that Elijah would hear the lie. It was strange that he knew when she was lying, while Stefan and Damon couldn't pick it out. Her gaze settled on Elijah in contemplation of that fact, when he caught her staring, she quickly looked away and back at Stefan. "Elijah will stay here, in case Jer shows up. Whoever finds him calls the others."
"Right."
XXX
All of his things were ready. All he would have to do is grab Elena and he could head out of Mystic Falls forever, and nothing suited him more than leaving such a miserable place. As he pulled out his phone to make sure his jet was ready to take them overseas, a knock came at the door. Sighing with exaggerated impatience, he walked towards the sound and opened the door to see Caroline Forbes standing there looking like sunlight personified. She wore a yellow sundress that made her hair look all of the more golden and her pale skin look like beams of light on a white wall. Her being there took him off guard, but her looking like that was enough to take his breath away and leave him speechless. "You didn't kill me." She said, brushing past him and into his house like she owned it. "Why?"
He turned around, closed the door and stood in front of her; doing so in one swift move. "You just escaped." He replied, inching into her space for two reasons. The first was to intimidate her, and the second was so that he could breathe her in. "But I see we still have a death wish, I'm happy to oblige."
"No." She told him currently, "you had your chance to rip my heart out, and I know you are fast enough, strong enough and mad enough to have done it. You didn't. You must want me alive, so here I am. Alive. Standing before you with an offer."
"You wish to deal?" Secretly he was delighted, this audacity on her part was most attractive. He kept his voice full of antagonism though, as not to show his hand too quickly. "What do you have to deal with?"
"Myself." She answered, chin squared, shoulders back and eyes narrowed. She crossed the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She looked like she belonged in his home, matching him and stature and confidence. Her surroundings were as grand as her beauty, tall walls with famous paintings hanging; items so rare and precious that even the most powerful and mighty would turn green with jealousy. The light colors of the foyer made her look all the more golden and treasurable. "I will stay here with you."
"And what makes you think I still want you?" He scoffed.
She smiled, much like the expression of the Mona Lisa that had so many wondering her thoughts, or rather the thoughts of the man who painted her. "Why wouldn't you?"
At that he couldn't help but smile, "so you will stay here, with me." The words tasted delicious coming out, but he left a smile fade. "What is it that you want?"
"The safety of my family and friends. No more raging and threatening. Let them live their lives in peace, and I will be yours for as long as you want me."
"Ah." He paused, "so you were the sacrificial lamb, so to speak. Odd, I didn't picture you to be the victim. In fact, I suspect that this is some kind of hoax and you mean to thwart me." He was unable to suppress his arrogance and the amusement he found from the whole idea of this teenager getting the best of him. It could never happen.
"I'm not asking you to trust me." She took a step towards him, eyes glittering in the light. "In fact, I know it would be stupid of you to trust me, it would be weak and it would be foolish. You're none of those things." Her voice had gone lower, softer. If his hearing was as weak as a human's he wouldn't have even heard the words. She was close to him then. Very close and he couldn't help but feel the attraction that hummed between them. If he bowed is head slightly, he could brush his lips against hers. "I'm asking you to keep me here. A man who has lived as long as you have would never be tricked by a small-town high school girl, would he?"
Klaus gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, not entirely sure what she was getting at.
"You have lived for so long, don't you ever get bored?" She stepped back, sounding nonchalant and almost bored herself.
"I find entertainments where I can."
"Think of this as that, as a game. Assume that I am trying to trick you at every turn, never take your eyes off of me, doesn't that sound exciting?"
Boredom was, indeed, a trap of eternity, and what she offered sounded pleasing and fun. In the end she would never win though, but he was inclined to let her try and it would pass the time. He stepped towards her, rekindling their closeness "what if I just kept you locked away?" He asked, he gently took a lock of her silken hair between his forefinger and thumb, standing so close to her that the scent of her flowery perfume invaded his senses. "Like my own Rapunzel? Then you don't stand a chance, do you?"
"That is entirely up to you. If locking me away is the kind of game you find entertaining, then you know I can't stop you."
He smiled again but this time he knew it was the expression of a predator because her eyes widened just a little with fear. She was right to be afraid, for he knew he was terrifying and it delighted him that she knew what she was getting into. He kept his face centimeters from hers and fought the urge to kiss her. Not yet. That would come though, after all that was part of the game. "I accept your deal. Your life for theirs. I'll have a room prepared for you, next to mine."
He could no longer read her expression but somehow he knew she was relieved. They stood there eyes locked together and he dropped her hair back onto her shoulders. Then he stepped back as he heard a familiar voice from the outside speaking. "Stefan is at the door. Is this your doing?" He questioned, looking at her speculatively. His hand dropped her wrist, he held it up, his grip tight. He pulled her so that she was against him and their eyes were locked so he could read what her eyes should be telling him. "Have you betrayed the game already?"
XXX
Jeremy arrived at the old ruins of the Lockwood estate, doing his best to keep out of site. He had been smart, wearing greens and browns to camouflage himself. He didn't trust Tyler, not really, and he liked leaving Elijah even less. After all, Elijah had been so good to him, so helpful and Jeremy found that he genuinely liked the vampire, that he enjoyed talking to him and learning from him. But Anna, he thought to himself, slightly awed and incredulously, if there is even a chance he is telling the truth, that there is someone who looks like her…that maybe she's…
He stopped short of that poisonous little thought.
The idea that she was actually alive was absurd. That kind of thing only happened in his dreams. Not even on a perfect day like this; where the sun was bright and large in a cloudless sky, the birds chirped in a cheerful and obliging manner, and where the forest was a green so lush that it looked like it belonged in a Disney movie; could something so amazing be possible. Jeremy quietly climbed a tree, and settled herself in a branch to get a good look without being seen himself. Just as his hand reached the final branch, he stopped and his breath was gone. Standing on a branch he intended to sit on was Anna, her wiry curls knotted and wild. He couldn't believe it. But there she was just the same, wearing a pair of old gray sweatpants that were far too large for her and a purple LSU t-shirt that could have served as a nightgown.
Before he could move, or even speak, she grabbed his wrist and started lifting him, as though he weighed nothing. As the pressure on his shoulder began to grow, he grabbed her with his free hand, grasping her wrist and easing the pain. His legs dangled in the air but he kept his eyes fastened on her face, puzzled at the delighted smile upturning her lips.
"Put him down!" Came Tyler's voice from below, it was a half whisper and half shout, which led Jeremy to believe they were hiding from something.
"He'll break if I do." There was laughter beneath her voice as she said the words, but she was already lifting him onto the branch and steadying him. She guided one of his hands to hold the branch above them so that he wouldn't fall. "You must be Jeremy." She gave him a once over with her eyes and smiled. "Tyler said that we were friends, is that true? Because from the way you're looking at me, I would say we're more than friends."
He wasn't sure how to answer her. The giddiness inside him was keeping words from escaping his lips, and he was not at all put off by the fact that she didn't seem to remember anything, just as Tyler had said in his message. The memories could come back, all that really mattered was that she was alive and he was with her. At this point, Jeremy would forgive Tyler anything, for this was a gift beyond measure.
She grabbed him, pulled him close and then in a flash they were on the ground with such ease and grace that Jeremy didn't even have the notion of being frightened from the fall. Instead he was too wrapped up in her fresh scent and the way she felt draped around him. Tyler was grinning at him, "so, do you think it's her?"
Jeremy wanted to believe that it was, but there was a way to check and he resolved himself to ask her despite the discomfort it might bring. "On your lower back and your lower front, just where the curve to your," he coughed and decided on saying it differently, "well, are there a series of little circles going all the way around? Almost where the hem of your pants would sit?"
"There is." Tyler said, and Jeremy gave him a sharp look, feeling startled.
"What?" He asked, "she was naked when I found her."
"Then it's you." Jeremy smiled, looking to Anna, Tyler's seeing her nudity forgotten as he pulled her in and whipped her around before setting her back on the ground. He touched her hair, sweeping it away from her face. "Anna, it's really you."
There were no words for his joy. All of his life he had lost people, and prayed that they would come back to him. This was the first time that it actually happened and he couldn't get the smile off of his face.
"Don't get too excited, Gilbert. She doesn't have a clue on who you are, and all we know about her is that we think she's running from the Originals."
XXX
Damon arrived at the Lockwood mansion to greet Rebekah, who he already knew was there. He grinned at the side of her, cheerfully noting her lack of smile. "I thought you'd be happier to see me."
"You're obviously delusional." Came her quick, snappy retort.
She really was a bombshell, and not too bad in the sack. Not that he was really interested in her, but he liked to give credit where credit was due. "Where's your brother? Or is he still at Anna's gravesite, collecting ashes?"
"You're vulgar and disgusting." She walked past him toward the Lockwood's prize garden. "What do you want, Damon?"
"Just looking around, seeing if you had any new visitors lately."
Rebekah turned to him, "we have nothing to do with Klaus, he's completely your problem." She assumed with annoyance, "Speaking of, seen Elena lately?"
Damon stifled a glare and replaced it with a charming smile. "she's safe as houses, thanks." Came his smooth reply. Rebekah and Kol had warned him that Klaus had been planning to leave town with Elena, in return he had given them information on what had happened to Jeremy's vampire, ex-squeeze, including where she died. Why they were interested, Damon had no idea, he wasn't even sure how they could have known the tiny vampire girl. Not that it mattered, the information he gave them couldn't harm them at all. But curiosity begged him to ask again. "How did you know her anyway?"
Rebekah smirked, "it doesn't matter now does it. Thanks to this town, she's gone."
"If you hate this town so much, why not just leave? Or are you sticking around, hoping for a little more hate-sex?"
"If I was, I'm certain I could find a better partner." She replied and sat down on the bench in the middle of the roses. She looked down at them almost dotingly, as though she'd rather be nowhere else. "Now go away, or look around if you'd like. Just leave me be."
"As you wish, heiness." He answered sarcastically, going on his way to see if he could find Tyler, Jeremy or anything else that might lead him to Elena's little brother.
XXX
Elijah watched as Elena walked out of the little house he had followed her to. She tried her hardest to shake any kind of tale she might have, but it was futile. He had centuries of tracking on his side, and I was not something that she could avoid. She was visibly distraught, and he could tell she had been crying. Despite his better judgment, he stepped out of the shadows so that she could see him. It was stupid of him, but he couldn't stand seeing her so upset and not do anything to comfort her.
"You followed me." She accused, her sadness giving way to anger. "I told you to stay at the house."
"I'm not accustomed to taking orders." She sighed heavily, looking every bit as exhausted as someone with her burdens should. He pitied her. She was so young and yet had such weight on her shoulders, she had seen things that no one should ever have to see, let alone someone her age. He closed some space between them, "I know you don't trust me, nor should you after how we parted ways the last time I was here, Elena. But look at you. You're tired and from the tension in the house today, that is in no small part due to Damon and Stefan's little tug-of-war with you. You can talk to me, I swear it."
She waved his sentiment away, "it's fine."
"It isn't fine. You aren't fine, Elena."
"I have to be." She countered softly, and he could tell how desperate the words were. "Come on, let's go look somewhere else for Jeremy." She crumpled up some paper in her hand and shoved it into her pocket. He wanted to question what it was, but knew better.
"You'll be of no use to Jeremy if you pass out cold, Elena." He warned. "Look, if there is one thing you know of me, I am a man of my word."
"You mean besides the time you allowed Klaus to live so you could find your family?"
The blow hit where it intended, and he gave her a slight nod. "Of course you're right." He replied, feeling more than a little dejected. She let out a defeated sound, then looked at the ground. "I'm sorry- I know I've betrayed you too. I can't really think of one person I haven't betrayed at this point, really."
Elijah resisted the urge to drape an arm around her shoulder in comfort. "You've done it for the right reasons though."
"Have I?" she asked, almost helplessly, "and even if I have, Jeremy is still out there, possibly hurt and that is my fault. And my friends-" she stopped short, "nevermind."
He let the mistake slide and did not ask what she was going to say about her friends. He started towards her SUV opening the passenger door for her. "I'll drive."
She nodded, looking too tired to even argue. He assisted her into the van then stopped before shutting the door. "I want you to know, Elena, for what it is worth. I went to protect your brother to make this all up to you, to settle this debt between us and so we could part as something other than enemies." She really was such a lovely thing, so beautiful and intrinsically good. "But…I came to care for your brother, and I will do all that I can to help you find him."
She stared back at him and he almost felt some kind of buzzing between them, like an electricity of sorts. "I believe you." She finally told him. "But I still don't trust you."
"Do you think you ever will?"
She left the question with a long silence, and instead of answering she said, meekly, "let's find my brother first, okay? I need to take this one step at a time."
He nodded, feeling he deserved no better.
Alaric and Bonnie haven't left the scene, they will be in the next chapter, I promise
More Kol next chapter, trust me!
Please read and respond! :o)