Author's Note: For any of those who read my other story, In Lost Time, I'm posting chapter 3 of this story because I haven't posted the new chapter of that story yet. And if you don't read it...oh well :)
Also thank you to all who favorited, followed, and reviewed. I didn't expect to get as much attention as I did by just posting two chapters. But anyways, thank you guys so much! It means more than you know!
As always, review and let me know what you think! My PM box is always open!
Chapter 3
"Noah..." He heard Adriana call from the other room with a hint of fear and uncertainty in her voice.
Dropping everything, Noah ran to the living room only to stop by his sister's side at what he saw.
"Bloody hell." He muttered, forgetting he had told Adriana not to say that like five minutes ago.
Through the window of the front door, stood Rebekah and Kol Mikaelson.
Seeing as there was no recognization on either of their faces, Noah pushed Adriana to stand behind him, taking a protective stance in front of her.
"Well, aren't you two adorable," Rebekah cooed.
"Hello little ones," Kol came closer to the door, "Be good children and open the door, would you?"
"That'd be rather foolish of me, now wouldn't it?" Noah asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
As much as a part of him wanted to be able to let them in, he couldn't. First off he was fairly certain he didn't have the ability to invite vampires into the Forbes' home and second, he'd be putting his sister at risk. All signs pointed to a hell no.
Although, Adriana didn't seem to grasp the danger, or she simply didn't care, because without anyone touching the door, it flew open.
Noah exhaled a frustrated breath. If Rebekah and Kol didn't know Adriana was a witch before, they definitely knew now.
Adriana clutched onto his arm, probably having to resist running into Kol's arms as he crouched down to her height.
"Hello there. What's your name, precious?" He asked in his sweetest voice possible for a murderous vampire. At least that's what Noah assumed. He could definitely smell that Kol was a vampire from where he was standing, but the matter on if he was psychotic or not remained a mystery to him.
Noah nudged Adriana, silently warning her not to answer him. He knew she'd get the message.
"Adriana." She answered.
Or perhaps she wouldn't get the message at all!
"Adriana? Hmm. You know, in most cultures, the name Adriana means 'dark.'" Kol informed her.
Adriana tried to move past Noah but he held her by the back of her dress, keeping her from going any closer. He would've held her by her arm, but he wanted to at least try to be subtle.
"Yes. My daddy named me. He said just because I was born in a dark era by a man drowning in his own darkness, that I couldn't prove to everyone who defied him wrong and be full of light."
Noah eyed the two vampires, trying to see if any recognition would be expressed across their faces as Adriana talked of their dad. Even just a sliver of anything that could signal a memory. Nothing. They just looked a little shocked, at most, to hear a little girl say so much about the subject.
"Your Father sounds like a dark man." Rebekah commented, sounding more impressed than Noah would have taken her for. Kol stood back to his full height, poking at the invisible barrier in a taunting way.
"He prefers damaged, although I'm sure he wouldn't mind that term either way."
Noah clasped a hand over Adriana's mouth before she could reveal anymore about their family. As the day went on, it became more and more obvious that only did nobody recognize them but it was as if they were in some alternate universe all together. If so, Adriana couldn't walk around babbling all their family's secrets.
Then it clicked in his mind. He had told his sister not say anything that leads people to know who their family is. So she thinks as long as she doesn't say a name or any personal details, she can talk as much as she wants. Adriana found the loophole in his words. Dammit. He should have seen this coming from a mile away.
"And what's your name, mate?" Kol asked, not only sensing but witnessing how protective he was over his sister.
"Not that it's any of your concern, but it's Noah. And that's all you'll get out of us."
Rebekah nodded, pulling out her phone, "Why would you look at the time? We should get going if we are to have time to prepare for the ball. Mother will have a fit if we're a minute late." She directed to Kol.
Kol, who was still holding eye contact with Noah, nodded, "I suppose we'll have to chat another time then." He then turned to Adriana, smiling, "It was a pleasure, littlest witch." In a blink of an eye, they were gone.
Noah gaped at what Kol just called his sister. Littlest witch. He remembers Kol always called Adriana 'my littlest witch.' So looking down at his sister, he understood why there were tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"He called me littlest witch..." Adriana mumbled, "He always called me that at home..."
Noah felt bad for his sister. This change must be hard for her.
One day, her parents are tucking her in her bed and telling her bedtime stories. Then in a heartbeat, she was standing in the middle of a war zone and transported to some sort of alternate universe.
Children were sensitive. They needed their parents to hug them and tell them everything was going to be alright. Not look the woman who was the mirror image of their mother in the eyes knowing she has no recollection of who her own children are.
"I want to go home, Noah!" Adriana cried, finally moving out from behind him and throwing herself onto the couch, face down into one of the pillows.
For a child, Adriana was extremely mature. She could read with at a grade level much too high for age and she didn't act nearly as clueless as other children. Most adults would be impressed with all the history she could go on and on about. Her artwork that hung in her classroom was far more remarkable then any piece the teacher could muster up. But despite all those skills, Adriana was still a child. Noah forgot that more times then he'd like to admit.
After a minute, he heard her sniffling which meant she was crying.
"Adriana..." he started not knowing how to comfort her, "It's not safe at home. Mom and Dad are missing and all hell has broke lose. We can't go back..."
"I want Daddy!" Adriana cried, her voice muffled by the pillows, "I miss him! I want Daddy!"
Noah slowly sat on the floor against the couch, his heart aching listening to his sister sob into Caroline's pillows. The worst part about hearing her cries is knowing there's nothing he can do to help her. He felt so helpless in that moment. It wasn't an idle feeling to say the least.
He'd do anything to put his sister at ease, even if it was only for the smallest passing moment.
He reached up and began rubbing her back to soothe her cries. It's what he always did when she was upset. It always seemed to calm her more than his words ever could.
After about three more minutes of crying, Adriana sat up and wiped her tears away.
Noah moved so he was kneeling in front of her. He wiped away what tears remained with his thumbs.
"I miss him too," Adriana looked down to her lap as he spoke, "So let us go to him. Tonight."
"What?" Her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets in shock.
"Caroline was invited to that ball Rebekah spoke of. It will be the perfect opportunity to at least catch a glimpse of him. Would that cheer you up?" He asked, hopefully.
Noah hardly had time to prepare himself before Adriana threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
"Yes." She whispered with a smile, "That would most definitely cheer me up, brother."
Noah let out a breath in relief. On the plus side, his sister would stop crying about missing their dad. However on the down side, they were going to see their dad.
What could possibly go wrong?
After saying goodbye to Elena, and agreeing to meet up later at the ball, Caroline headed back home. On the drive back she had stopped at Matt's, who conveniently had something that'd fit and suit Noah. She had chosen a few plain t-shirts, preferably ones that weren't too bright and colorful, and a few pairs of jeans.
She had left Adriana with a few boxes of her old clothes, so surely enough both of them were taken care of.
Thinking about it, Caroline didn't mind having either of them over. Adriana was an absolute sweetheart with the cutest accent and dimples, while Noah wasn't like the other obnoxious teenage boys. The way he held himself and took care of his sister made him seem more mature and even older in a way.
The two siblings looked very much alike. They both shared dimples, bright blue eyes, although Noah's had a hint of green in his while Adriana's were just blue. A familiar blue even. The main difference between them, besides their age and gender, was their hair. Adriana's hair was bright blonde and was curled to perfection, almost matching her own. Noah's hair was darker though. He had sandy blonde curls that made her think of a certain hybrid. A certain evil hybrid, Caroline reminded herself.
As she turned onto her street, she wondered how long the two would stay with her. Not that she minded having them over, nor would her mom once she told her. It was just that Mystic Falls wasn't safe for two innocent kids. She wouldn't forgive herself if they got hurt because they got caught up in the supernatural drama currently consuming Mystic Falls.
Caroline parked her car in the driveway and stepped out. Checking the time, she frowned as she realized there was no time to shop for a dress for the ball. Hopefully she had something in her closet. There was no way she was wearing the most obvious choice. As she approached the front door, she reached into her purse for her keys only to see the door was wide open. Why would the door be open? Caroline wondered. Suddenly, knowing the dangers in this town, Caroline frantically ran into the house.
"Noah? Adriana?" She called out, but there was no sight of them. Caroline then ran into the kitchen. Shards of glass crunched under her boots, which only sent her into panic. "Noah! Adriana!" She used her vamp speed to check their room, her room, and every other room in the house with no luck. "Oh my god." What if someone had took them? What if something happened? What if they're hurt or even worse...
"Caroline..."
She jumped at the sound and turned around to be met by Noah, who looked apologetic for scaring her, "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to- we were just in the backyard and-" Before he could say another word, Caroline pulled him into a bear hug.
"The door was opened and there was glass in the kitchen. I was so worried something happened to you guys!" Caroline rambled on, letting out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding.
Slowly Noah relaxed into the hug, wrapping his arms around her.
When Caroline pulled away, she changed her composure from worried to determined to get information, "What happened? Why is the door wide open? And the glass?"
Noah had the decency to look guilty before answering, "Well you see..." he hesitated, "I was getting Adriana a glass of juice when I dropped the cup. I did clean up a majority of the glass, however before I could, Adriana opened the door wanting to go outside. Which is how we ended up in the backyard. Must have forgotten to shut it."
Caroline chuckled, "No, don't worry about it. I'll get the rest of the glass," she offered, "Um, where's Adriana?" She asked once she realized she wasn't in the room with them.
"I'm sure she's outside. Here, I'll go check on her, let her know you're home." Noah insisted before heading in the direction of the back door.
"Oh hey! Before I forget, I picked up some clothes that should fit you. They're in my car if you want me to go get them..."
"I'll get them! Thank you, Caroline!" He called out from his spot in the house.
As she heard the back door open and shut, she couldn't help but compliment him. He was definitely not like other teenagers, but more like a respectable gentleman.
Instead of going outside, Noah pretended to shut the door and made sure Caroline had already went in the direction of the kitchen before quietly making his escape up the stairs.
He made sure not to step on too many loose boards that might creak as he made his way to Caroline's bedroom. While they were talking, Adriana snuck up stairs, as planned, to meet in Caroline's room. Their goal was to find anything that would help them find their dad, not that anything would be in Caroline's room that led to him. Who was he kidding, there had to be something.
"Ree?" Noah called out hardly above a whisper, knowing his sister would hear him perfectly.
"In here."
Looking down the hallway one more time, Noah stepped into Caroline's room. He didn't bother shutting the door, just in case they had to make a run for it. He crept over to Adriana's side, "Find anything?"
She shook her head, "Just got here." She whispered. Both siblings tried to speak in short sentences so there would be a smaller chance of being overheard. Caroline was a vampire after all.
Upon hearing an incessant buzzing, Noah rushed over to Caroline's purse and picked up her phone. Noah's breath was taken away at the name on the screen. He felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. Jackpot, He thought. Caroline had gotten a few text from one man they knew all too well. Stefan.
"Adriana. Look." Noah turned around to see her holding a fancy piece of paper with the same look as him on her face.
"I know where to find Daddy." She whispered.
"Me too."
Noah handed Adriana the phone, knowing she would be able to read it, as he took the paper.
The text messages read, 'Hey Care. We should grab a bite ;)' and 'Come on. That was a joke. Lighten up.' Noah had to admit, they were a little uncharacteristic coming from him, but Noah paid it no attention as he examined the paper in his hands.
It was the invitation to the Mikaelson ball he had seen earlier, which had the address to the mansion. Perfect. Now they had the address to attend the ball. Flipping it over, Noah saw the message from earlier. 'Save me a dance. Fondly, Klaus.'
"Oh my god." Adriana gasped upon reading the texts. Noah hardly heard her when they mumbled in unison, "Uncle Stefan."
"Dad."
Adriana watched as Caroline desperately dug through her closet for a dress. The ball was just starting and Caroline had 'nothing to wear.' Obviously, Adriana knew that was crap. She had a stunning blue dress sitting in a box, waiting for her to try on.
"Wear this one." Adriana advised once more, holding the box in her lap.
Caroline didn't answer as she examined another dress before shaking her head and putting it back. She groaned in frustration.
"Wear this one." Adriana said again, but a little quieter.
Caroline only shook her head before double checking her closet for the thousandth time.
Judging by Caroline's small house, Adriana assumed she wouldn't have such a dress to wear. Unless it was her mother's old wedding dress, if she even kept that. Even then there was nothing remotely close to a ballgown. Sooner or later, Adriana knew Caroline would come to face that truth.
However, why she refused to wear such a pretty dress was beyond her. Besides, she had just the bracelet to match. Not to mention, Caroline would look radiant in the blue. At least her dad thought so.
"Wear this one." She whispered even quieter.
Caroline suddenly turned to her and Adriana smiled, holding up the box. She looked ready to accept the dress which made Adriana's smile widen, "You can't ignore the temptation, Caroline." She sang in a mocking tone.
"Fine." She caved, then pointed a stern finger at her, "But you, little missy, are helping me with my makeup."
She didn't have to even ask before Adriana willingly agreed.
Rebekah was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Kol barged in, almost causing her to smear her mascara.
"Kol!" She groaned in complaint. She turned in her chair to face him, "I know you've been daggered in a box for over a century, but when you want to come into a lady's room, you knock."
"I wasn't aware there was a lady in here." He teased with a smirk as he jumped onto her bed and grabbed a bowl of gummy bears she had out earlier. "Let's talk."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"About Noah and sweet little Adriana." He said as if it was obvious.
Rebekah immediately got up and shut her door, hoping no one had heard him.
"Have you gone mad? What if Nik had heard you yelling about?" She scolded him, coming to sit back at her mirror.
"Oh don't get your knickers in a knot, Rebekah. Our lovely, caring older brother is currently greeting the guests that have arrived early. We can speak freely." He finished, throwing a red gummy bear into his mouth, "These, by the way, are delicious."
Rebekah rolled her eyes at her childish brother, wanting nothing more than to smack the candy out of his hands. "I thought we were going to talk about the children, not assorted candies."
Kol nodded and threw a few gummy bears in Rebekah's direction before putting the bowl down on her bed, "Right, straight to business then." Rebekah looked at him, awaiting his input, "Lets not tell Nik."
She rolled her eyes. No one would be stupid enough to tell their psychotic hybrid brother about either of the two kids. Especially Adriana, who was a young witch. "I'd have to have some sort of head injury to even consider telling Nik," She said half-jokingly then said quieter, "She was a witch, Kol."
Kol knew more about witches then Rebekah did. He spent a lot of time with them before he was daggered. Witches usually didn't tap into their power until they were young teenagers at the least. However, Adriana had the ability to set a bridge on fire and have a door fly open without lifting a finger. Only witches with extremely powerful bloodlines had access to their magic at such a young age, and even then it was beyond rare. To say Kol was stunned when he witnessed that small glimpse of her power would be an understatement. He was damn impressed with the adorable blonde.
"I don't even want to imagine what Nik would do if he knew of her power." she continued.
"Absolutely nothing. I'll be damned if I allow Nik to know of her or touch a hair on her head."
A small smile formed on Rebekah's lips, "What?" Kol asked upon seeing the look on her face.
Rebekah wasn't a fool. Over the centuries, Kol had purposely avoided children at all cost. He said that they were 'little brats who cried and screamed for no bloody reason.' Yet he had taken an immediate liking to Adriana. It was so unlike her brother, but she had to admit the change was refreshing, "One little chat and you already care for her." She stated more than asked.
Kol straightened up, taking a defensive position, "You're delusional, little sister."
"Sure." she smiled before deciding to change the subject for his sake, "Is it just me or does Noah look awfully familiar to you?"
"Sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, dimples?" He shook his head, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Of course he knew what she was talking about. Many of Noah's features resembled Klaus'. So much so that it was sort of freaky. Of course it could have just been some type of coincidence and they were just seeing things, but then again what are the odds?
"Liar." Rebekah accused.
"Believe whatever you wish, Bekah," Kol said as he threw his legs over the bed and made his way to the mirror Rebekah was sitting at, "Now who would I be if I kept the young ladies of Mystic Falls waiting?" He smirked, fixing his hair in the mirror
"Their savior," She smacked his hand away as he started picking up her lipsticks, "Get out!"
Kol laughed all the way to the door, only stopping to grab the bowl of gummy bears despite Rebekah's complaints.
Noah had gone through the bag of clothes Caroline had brought from him. Not much had appealed to his normal style, but he managed to find a pair of black jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. In the bag were also a few pairs of shoes. Not having many options, Noah chose a pair of white shoes of some name brand he didn't care for. When he was done, he looked in the mirror and smirked knowing he looked good effortlessly.
After running his hands through his hair a few times, Noah sat on the couch and waited for Caroline and Adriana to come back downstairs. He didn't mind waiting on them because he's had a lot of practice to control his patience, unlike his father. But mostly it gave him time to think of a plan to get to the ball tonight without getting caught.
His first thought was to use a cloaking spell and get a ride with Caroline, but that would require magic and there was no way he would use his sister for any plan of his. While Noah had Caroline's phone earlier, he typed in the address to figure out how far it was. The Mikaelson mansion was all the way across town, but luckily Mystic Falls was small or else he'd have a little issue on his hands. His second idea was to just call a cab, but his wallet was back in his universe in his coat. His only option was to walk, which wouldn't be too bad. It would probably only take them about twenty minutes or so if they took shortcuts.
It was probably going to be incredibly risky to be spying on his dad, but Noah could hold his own long enough for his sister to run if anything happens. Adriana was his priority. If this whole plan goes south and they get caught, he would do everything in his power to protect his little sister.
Noah was brought out of his thoughts by the little patter of footsteps running down the stairs. He lifted his head to see Adriana rushing towards him, mocking elegance.
"The queen is coming. Be prepared to bow for her, you peasant." She announced with a smirk, "She's wearing the dress and I helped her with her makeup, so obviously she looks amazing."
Noah stood from the couch to greet his sister and see Caroline come down the stairs like a gentleman would.
"Oh really?" He asked, watching Adriana climb up the outside of the staircase to reach his height.
"Duh! She looks like royalty, just as I'm sure Klaus intended for her to."
"I hope you weren't giving Caroline any problems." He said as he his sister leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Nope. I'll have you know, I was an absolute saint." She gave him a matter of fact kind of look as she climbed higher up the stairs.
Noah cracked a smile before his supernatural hearing picked up the sound of footsteps walking closer to where they stood.
"She's here!" Adriana whisper-shouted, then jumped into his arms so she could get down faster. Noah caught her easily then set her on her feet.
On cue, Caroline came into view, holding up her dress a little bit so not to step on it as she walked down the stairs. Adriana was right. She was a queen or at least she could pull one off when she wore this dress.
"Wow. Caroline you look absolutely beautiful." He complimented.
"Thanks." She smiled, "Adriana helped."
"Hardly," she scoffed, "I only chose her lipgloss, and her shoes, and her hairstyle, and..." Adriana went on listing everything she helped with.
Noah watched as Caroline crouched down and played with Adriana's little curls and the two laughed together. He smiled at the moment. Caroline really took a liking to his sister, which he was extremely grateful for. Adriana missed their mom so much, even if she wouldn't voice it often, that it was at least nice that she got to see her in another life. Even if it wasn't their life they were in. It was so normal and simple here. Why couldn't it be like this at home? No wars that separate family...
"Okay! I should be home late tonight. Will you two be okay while I'm gone? I could come early if you need me to..?"
"Of course not. You have done more than enough for us, Caroline. Have some fun." Noah insisted.
Caroline looked hesitant at first, but he assured her they'd be fine. Before she left, she gave them her cell number, the number to call for pizza if they got hungry, and her mom's cell in case she didn't come home which was definitely reassuring...not. Luckily Noah and Adriana were secretly going and could make sure nothing happened to her while they were there.
Noah shut the door behind Caroline and watched from the window as she got into the cab she called for. As the cab drove down the road, Noah turned away from the window to face Adriana.
She looked up at him with the most innocent look while her hands twirled her purple dress.
"Are you ready?" He asked, clapping his hands out in front of him.
"I hope you mean to order a pizza, because boy am I starved."
He face-palmed himself, "No! Get your shoes on, Adriana. We're going to a Ball." He smirked.
It took twenty-three minutes until the Mikaelson mansion was in view, as Noah predicted. Because it wasn't even remotely warm outside, they had began to run half of the way. Back home, they used to love running just as a daily activity so it wasn't a hardship.
When they got close enough that there was a risk of being seen, Noah pulled Adriana into some bushes. From where they were standing, it looked as if everyone who was going to show already has. Meaning as long as they stayed far enough from the mansion, they wouldn't be seen or heard.
"Are we going inside?" Adriana whispered.
Noah looked down at his sister like she's grown a second head, "Are you insane? We can't go anywhere near the entrance."
"Then how are we going to see Daddy?" She whined.
Damn those puppy eyes. He'd always bend to her will when she gave him her puppy eyes, "I'll find a way." He looked around to make sure no one was outside. "Come on. At the least, we can get closer."
They carefully made their way closer to the mansion, staying close to the bushes until they got close enough that they could hide behind a car. Using his advanced hearing, Noah could hear a familiar voice. "Uh, if everyone could gather, please."
Elijah. Noah could tell Adriana noticed as well by the look on her face.
"Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."
Noah eyed the men by the door, seeing how they were distracted by talking with each other. Hybrids. Noah nudged Adriana and pointed towards the men. Getting the hint, she stared at the hybrids for about two seconds before they dropped to the ground, sleeping like babies. "Good job." He complimented. Quickly. they went closer so they could look through a window without being seen due to the darkness.
"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz. So if all of you could please find yourself a partner, please join us in the ballroom."
They watched as couples got together and made their way to the ballroom like Elijah had suggested.
"Look, Noah! It's Caroline!" She pointed to a woman in a blue dress, and sure enough their stood Caroline. She was being led away by another man to dance as the music began, "...with Dad."
Noah stared wide-eyed at Caroline dancing with none other than Klaus Mikaelson. Just by looking at the two, anyone could tell that Klaus had a thing for Caroline. It was almost like watching his parents dancing together. Just like old times. Noah used his supernatural hearing again to listen to their conversation. Judging my Adriana's silence and focus on the couple, she was doing the same.
"I'm glad you came."
"Well, it was either caviar or sympathy casseroles."
"I heard about your father."
Noah had almost forgotten that Caroline's dad had died yesterday. "Don't. Seriously."
"Very well. On to mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress."
Adriana smiled victoriously next to him.
"I didn't really have time to shop."
"And the bracelet I gave you, what's your excuse for wearing that?"
"I told her to." Adriana whispered next to him. Noah smiled at her excitement. He watched as everyone switched partners and Caroline danced with a man that looked sort of familiar. He's never seen him before back home, but there was something about him that looked really, really familiar to him. Perhaps he had relatives back in his universe that he knew of.
Noah was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed two people sneaking off towards the door. He recognized Stefan easily, but he didn't know which woman he was walking with. All he could tell from here was that she was one of the doppelgängers. The only question was, was she Elena or Katherine?
He panicked when he realized two things. One, they were coming outside and they would see him standing here. Children caught snooping through the window of a ball thrown by the Mikaelsons wouldn't bode well with most people. And secondly, if Adriana saw Stefan... "Noah?" Adriana tapped his arm, sensing that they were about to be busted. Just as the door clicked open, he picked up Adriana and with his werewolf speed, he ran until he couldn't hear them anymore. When he was sure they were far enough, he came to a stop, allowing Adriana to stand on her own.
"Where the hell are we?" Adriana asked upon looking around.
"Don't say that, Adriana." He scolded her, before turning his attention to wherever they had stopped. They were still on the Mikaelson's property, but far enough from the event that they could hardly hear the party chit chat. In front of them was a beautiful horse that just stood there, "I don't know. We aren't too far from the party though."
Adriana sat down on a nearby bench, eyeing the horse in front of them, "Fucking Tyler." She mumbled.
Noah's eyes widened in shock, "Adriana!"
"What?!" She exclaimed as if she did nothing wrong.
"Do not swear." He emphasized each syllable so she'd understand how serious he was. Right now he was all his sister had, and despite the rage that was within her blood he'd be damned if he let her lose control. Their mom was missing back home and their dad left, not telling anyone that he was going after her. She wasn't stable, but he would be here to make sure she didn't fall apart.
"It's not my fault! Caroline loves some bloke named Tyler when she should love Klaus!"
Noah sighed, "We cannot control what Caroline does or who she chooses in this world, Ree."
"Well, I don't care!" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. Noah decided to let her blow off some steam and walked over to pet the horse most likely owned by the Mikaelsons. Both his parents used to love horses. It was one of the many things that made them so similar. As much as Noah wanted to disagree with what Adriana said, he couldn't. He didn't know who this Tyler guy was, but he loathed the thought of him with Caroline. She might not have been his mom, but in any universe Caroline belonged with Klaus. He didn't care if Tyler was the most successful man in the world or some international male model; the man didn't belong with her.
Besides, if Caroline 'loved' this Tyler, why was she here with Klaus wearing the dress and bracelet he bought her? Noah scoffed under his breath, love my ass.
"Oh sh...oot." Adriana mumbled hardly above a whisper, hesitating before the swear slipped from her lips.
Noah turned away from the horse so he could look at his sister thinking she did something to cause trouble. Instead the sound of heels clicking against the concrete of the ground sounded loud enough that he didn't have to strain to hear them. A blonde woman in a blue dress was walking in their direction...oh shit. Caroline. By now, she must have seen them so there was no point in trying to run.
What was he supposed to tell her? That they accidentally walked outside to check the mail and found themselves at a mansion owned by the Mikaelsons, a family of vampires, who were throwing one hell of a ball...oops? Damn, she's totally going to kick them out now. They've already caused more trouble than normal children their age would in such a short time span. Hell, they burned down a freaking bridge in their first five minutes of being here.
To his utter surprise, Caroline stopped in front of the horse without even acknowledging he was like six feet away from her.
As quietly as possible, Noah rushed over to Adriana. She held up a finger to her lips, signaling for him to remain silent. It didn't take him long to realize that she was doing a cloaking spell. He could only pray that the spell didn't overwhelm her before they could make their escape.
'Lets go.' He mouthed to her, pulling her up and walking towards the direction he thought the driveway was. Adriana allowed him to pull her along, much to his surprise. She didn't like being controlled or called lesser than. It was just her spirit and if anyone is unlucky enough to get on her bad side, she would tear them apart.
On Adriana's first day of grade school, she got expelled for beating up a little boy and shoving his head into a swing set all because he pulled at her ponytail. Needless to say, his sister was a force to be reckoned with.
"You like horses?"
Adriana stopped dead in her tracks causing Noah to be pulled back, not expecting the sudden stop. Noah turned around upon hearing the much too familiar voice. He would know that accented voice anywhere.
"I'm not talking to you until you tell me why you invited me here." Caroline bit back.
Noah had to hold Adriana back while she fought to get closer to the scene. Caroline and Klaus were talking to one another right there and he couldn't do anything or talk to them himself. He could hardly hold his sister back, who desperately wanted to get closer than they should.
"I fancy you. Is that so hard to believe?"
"Yes!" Stubborn Caroline, Noah thought with a small smile, but then winced when Adriana's foot met his leg in a hard kick.
"Why? You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light. I enjoy you."
The honesty in Klaus' word would be evident to anyone who knew him in the slightest. However, anyone who knew him like Noah did would hear the hopefulness in his words. This Klaus did fancy Caroline, that was without a doubt true.
"Well I'm spoken for. By Tyler."
Adriana growled in front of him. Actually growled just by hearing his name. Noah nudged her to keep her from doing anything stupid. She began to relax in his arms, the fight slowly leaving her.
"But I thought you two ended things." Klaus said, sounding more disappointed than he probably thought he would.
"Yeah, because of you and your freaky sire bond with him."
"So you aren't spoke for."
Adriana seemed to relax even more when she heard that. Perhaps Caroline and Tyler had ended things and she could go to Klaus. That would be nice.
Noah listened in awe as Klaus told a story about his father, Mikael. In his universe, nobody spoke of him much. Not even Rebekah who loved to talk about anything and everything. His name only came up in fear or rage. Never once had Noah heard a good thing about him.
"...he killed my favorite horse. He severed its neck with a sword as a warning."
Now he understood why no one spoke of him. If things were the same in his world as they were here, then he was glad that Mikael died much before he was even conceived. The guy sounded like a dick.
As Caroline and Klaus continued to talk about their fathers, Noah turned his attention to his sister who completely stopped fighting to get free. Instead, her body leaned against his as he held her to him. Noah turned her to face him, a bit worried by the sudden change of attitude. When she was facing him, he noticed how she was struggling to keep herself up straight on her own.
She was growing weary from doing the cloaking spell for so long. Meaning any second, they would probably be visible to not only Caroline but Klaus too.
"Dammit, Ree." Noah muttered as he scooped the girl up into his arms and went to go hide behind someone's car, away from the lovebirds to be.
Noah set Adriana down so she was leaning against the tire of the car he chose.
When he made certain that she was alright and just exhausted from using her magic, he spared a glance to Caroline and Klaus. Except this time Caroline was walking away from Klaus, towards the mansion. For a moment, Klaus just stood there unmoving, something his dad did quite often after speaking with his mom. She'd walk away, his dad would stay where he stood before smiling and following after her. It was their thing; well one of the many.
Noah froze in place as Klaus' smile fell and he looked around the empty area as if he heard something. As if he had heard them. They're screwed. He had to have heard them walking away. The spell might have been up still, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't fading away and weakening with every second.
Klaus took a step in their direction and paused, as if he was listening hard for something.
Noah prayed he didn't come over here. Odds were Adriana wouldn't be safe if he did. He didn't know what to expect.
To Noah's utter relief, Klaus turned back and walked inside the mansion. Noah resisted the urge to sigh in relief, just in case they were still being listened to.
That was too much of a close call. He hadn't counted on Adriana using her magic at all, especially not for as long as she did. She has a lot of power but with her age and inexperience it was no surprise that she exhausted herself within minutes.
Taking one look around them, Noah lifted Adriana into his arms to carry her home. Her head fell back limply. The second he took no more than three steps away from the spot they were resting, the wind around them began to pick up at an unnatural rate. Growing up around witches taught him that this occurrence wasn't just the wind and that something is wrong.
Noah sunk to his knees and cradled Adriana's body to him, "Adriana, I need you to calm down. You're fine, just breath. Calm. Down." He tried to get her to control her breathing that he didn't even know she had lost control of.
She looked up to him, breathing uncontrollably before in half a second everything stopped like it never even happened. Adriana looked up to him with a small smile.
"I want to stay."
Noah groaned while his sister chuckled in his arms. He was aware that she had exhausted herself with the cloaking spell, but the little wind stunt was just to grab his attention.
"You are dramatic." He sighed, finally allowing himself to smile.
"No, brother," she sat up then stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, "I am a Mikaelson."
The rest of their time went by smoothingly. Him and Adriana sat on the same bench that Klaus and Caroline had spoken by about an hour ago. Only once did somebody else come walk out here and that was Rebekah and that same guy that danced with Caroline. Still, Noah couldn't help but wonder what made him look so damn familiar. Was it the eyes? Maybe it was his hair or his goofy looking grin? Whatever the hell it was, Noah made a note to find out later. The human boy had given Rebekah his jacket even though she was a vampire. Something was going on between the two which made Noah all the more curious to find out about him.
After that, nothing too interesting happened. Some random human girl had dragged out her drunk boyfriend which was amusing to watch for a bit. They fought over the keys to their shared car until the man decided to try and climb on the hood. He ended up falling off and whether it was from the impact or his drunken state, the man passed out on the ground.
That was about half an hour ago. Nothing has happened since. In attempt to entertain themselves, Noah and Adriana sat and talked about their old life. How their parents would bicker about useless matters that usually ended with a playful family team up. Adriana would stand by their dad while Noah stood by his mom. It would start like that until someone made the first move. Adriana would jump on his back in attempt to take him down, but he would just tickle her until she was forced to let go. Or maybe his dad would pick up his mom and throw her over his shoulder and spin her until she surrendered. It was actually really fun despite how childish it may sound.
Eventually the conversation shifted so that Noah was telling Adriana stories from before she was born or from when she was a baby. She often enjoyed hearing those little tales.
"...I remember, right before you were born, Mom would always sing to you. Sometimes she would sing in languages I haven't even heard of. Although she mostly sang in French. I though she was just crazy at the time, always singing to her big stomach like that." Adriana smiled brightly at hearing that for probably the hundredth time. Although it never failed to put a smile on her face.
"What about Daddy?"
"Dad, just like when you were a little girl, would tell you stories, even though I'm pretty sure Mom knew more. I think his favorite was the day he met Mom. He tells that one a lot."
Adriana sighed, her voice coming out a lot softer than what most people ever get the opportunity to hear, "I like that one."
"Me too," Noah looked down at his sister as a smile crept up to his face, "She was the bold singer."
Adriana looked up at him with a smile that mirrored his, "He was the smug guy at the bar."
"One minute they're glaring daggers at each other..."
"Then the next they're drooling over each other and drinking all the alcohol the bar provided."
"She called him a bastard."
"And he called her an animal. But..."
"They were both right." They said at the same time, laughing at how they could almost hear their parents voices as they argued how the story actually went.
"Dad said that he watched in slow motion as Mom fell off the stage and right into his arms, saving her from hitting the floor like a hero." Adriana says, defending her father's story.
"Oh yeah? Mom said that Dad was drunk and when he got too close to the stage, he spilt beer on the floor near her shoes and in attempt to dodge it, she fell off the stage into his arms." Noah defended his mother's.
Seeing the skepticism in his eyes, Adriana asked, "What do you think actually happened?"
Noah shrugged, glancing at the mansion for a second, "I think they're both lying to protect their pride. Whatever happened had to be embarrassing on both parts."
Adriana laughed a little, "Yeah, probably. I'll ask Aunt Bonnie what actually happened when we get home. She'll gladly tell the embarrassing truth."
"Oh, no doubt. You know how much she enjoys embarrassing Dad."
Their amusement didn't last long as the sound of a man grunting in pain fillled their ears. Noah didn't have to shush Adriana for her to be quiet. Tuning in to what they thought was the scene they heard, a voice that made Noah scowl rung in the air. "Hey, hey, hey, hey. Easy on the hand. Guy's a quarterback." Damon fucking Salvatore.
Before he could stop her, Adriana was running around to the front of the mansion.
"No! Adriana, don't!" He ran after her.
Just as they nearly reached the point where they could be seen, two men flew off the balcony. The man on top punched the other man with no mercy. It didn't take long for him to realize who was being beaten.
Noah pulled Adriana back and put a hand over her mouth just in time to muffle her scream, "Uncle Kol!" Luckily the commotion kept anyone from hearing her.
The two siblings watched as right before their eyes, Damon snapped Kol's neck. Adriana's scream was muffled by his hand, but if she got any louder she would draw attention to themselves. In seconds, many familiar faces ran out to evaluate what had happened.
"Damon!" Stefan yelled, coming to the scene his brother caused, "Are you crazy?"
"Maybe a little." The older Salvatore mumbled, locking eyes with the doppelgänger, "Far be it from me to cause a scene." And with that he walked away, leaving the ball all together.
Adriana still struggled in his arms to no avail. He was much stronger than her and her only advantage is her magic, but she wouldn't dare use it on him.
Out of all the commotion, Noah caught the eye of a blonde woman he knew all to well. Rebekah watched them carefully by the door as Adriana kicked and screamed behind his hand to get to Kol or kill Damon Salvatore. For a second, Noah was worried that Rebekah would expose them for sneaking out to the ball. She was obviously curious about them and if she wanted to, in a flash she could have them across town and there wouldn't be much he could do about it. Instead, to his utter relief, Rebekah nodded then rushed to Kol's side, silently telling him she wouldn't snitch.
Taking that to his advantage, Noah flashed out of there hoping they would make it back before Caroline did.
