Christina Two years after transformation
Night had fallen and our neighbors retreated into their homes. Niklaus stood by the fire next to Elijah, the two discussing something quietly. Mikael eyed them from the window and disappeared further into the dark house.
"You seem troubled." Kol appeared next to me, his usual smirk replaced with almost genuine concern. Klaus shouted something and stormed away from Elijah.
"I fear that the immortality that was forced upon us will only tear us further apart." I sighed, watching Elijah walk toward the woods, anger and worry hanging about him.
"Sometimes, I imagine being a family again. Henrik would be alive, you and Elijah would be married with a baby on the way and everything would be as it should have been." I glanced at the youngest Mikaelson brother. Kol rarely showed his soft side, but my heart always ached when he did. He was just a boy. He straightened himself, his smirk returning. "But might as well embrace it now instead of a hundred years of brooding later."
"Well you're simply no help at all." I teased. We both looked at Elijah's retreating back.
"You get one brother I'll get the other?" Kol suggested. I stepped toward the woods, but Kol grabbed my wrist and a wicked grin spread across his face. "Dibs on Elijah!" He yelled before speeding off after his brother. I huffed and ran in the direction Klaus stormed off to. A woman's scream echoed through the forest, followed by those of Niklaus. Using the pained cries as my guide, I rushed to the sight of Mikael withholding Elijah from his broken brother, a girl lying dead on the ground.
"Help me father!" Niklaus wailed as another bone snapped. "It hurts!" I pushed pass Mikael and knelt in front of Klaus.
"Get back girl!" Mikael shouted seizing my arm.
"Unhand me." I growled, yanking myself away.
"What's happening to me?" Klaus whimpered.
"Shh," I soothed, touching his cheek comfortingly. He looked at me with terrified golden eyes. "It's okay." Something about his expression angered and suddenly he wasn't the boy I grew up with anymore. "Klaus…" As I cautiously drew my hand away, Klaus sunk his fangs into my wrist.
"Christina!" Elijah shouted, finally breaking away from Mikael's hold. He pulled me back just as Klaus lunged. Mikael was pinning his son to the ground before I had time to protest. The sting in my wrist was nothing compared to the fear rising within me.
"Both of you get out of here now!" Mikael commanded and I let Elijah lead me away.
"Why hasn't it healed?" Elijah wondered, holding up my hand. Distant howls filled the air and I looked up at the moon.
"Oh my god," I gasped, freezing in place.
"Christina, why isn't the wound healing?" Elijah's voice was filled with panic.
"He's a wolf." I answered breathlessly, moving my gaze form the sky to Elijah's shocked face. "Niklaus is a werewolf."
"That's… not possible." He objected. "Wolves descend from other wolves."
"But what if Niklaus descended from wolves?"
"What are you saying Christina?" Elijah asked angrily.
"I'm saying-" A growl sounded from a few yards away. Two yellow eyes and a mouth of teeth appeared between the trees.
"We'll have to discuss this later." Elijah addressed, taking my hand as we rushed back to the house.
By the next morning, the bite had only gotten worse. The wound began to burn and for the first time in two years, I felt dizzy. Since Elijah was still upset about my accusations last night, I decided to carry out my chores with Rebekah. Although she was curious of what was going on, she remained silent. Two figures emerged from the house, one arguing viciously with the other. As Mikael and Esther disputed a questioned dawned upon me. Where was Klaus? I put down the sheet I was folding and marched up to the bickering couple.
"What have you done with him?" I questioned, staring Mikael in the eye. "Where is Niklaus?"
"That beast is none of your concern." He spat, striding off, pulling Esther along.
"He's no beast, he's your son!" I called after him, hatred lacing my voice. Mikael was in front of me in an instant, his hand tightly wrapped around my neck.
"That thing is not my son!" He boomed. My eyes darted to Esther then back at him.
"So it is true," I jeered. "Niklaus is the child of another." Mikael tightened his grip and my smirk turned to a wince.
"Do not test me."
"Father!" Rebekah yelled approaching us. Mikael released me and disappeared.
"You shouldn't anger him." Esther warned. "Not at times like these."
"I don't believe you are one to talk." I snapped. I coughed as I began to sway.
"Christina?" Rebekah grabbed my injured arm to steady me. I cried out and looked won at the festering bite.
"We have to… find Klaus." I stepped forward, only to all back into the small blonde's arms.
"Mother!" Rebekah exclaimed. She carried me inside and set me on the table, her mother rushing to my side.
"Go get Elijah, hurry!" Esther shouted, placing a wet towel on my burning forehead. She noticed my arm. "How did you get that?"
"Klaus." I wheezed.
"The bite of a wolf." She gasped. She filled a cup with water and brought it to my lips, but my body rejected it.
"What's happening?" Elijah's worried face appeared over me.
"Niklaus' bite carried werewolf venom." Mikael explained from the doorway. "Stupid girl."
"Will it kill her?" Elijah gently touched my cheek.
"I don't believe so." Esther answered grimly. "But it will get worse."
"How do we stop it?"
"We don't." Mikael snapped. "It's time Christine learned what happens when you stand with the beast." He moved to the table and pressed down on the wound, sending pain shooting up my arm. "Hopefully this will teach her a lesson.' He pressed harder and I screamed. That seemed to be Elijah's breaking point.
"Do not touch her!" He growled, grabbing Mikael by the collar. "You are going to help her or I will make sure you never hurt anyone again!"
"How dare you threaten me boy?" Mikael spat, throwing Elijah against the wall. He broke off the leg of the table, sending me to the floor. He started toward his on, the sharpened piece of wood in his hand.
"Elijah!" I shouted, speeding in front of Mikael's weapon as he raised it to strike. The wood sunk into my heart and I fell back on Elijah.
I jerked awake, taking in a deep breath.
"She's awake!" Kol alerted the others. Elijah was at my side in seconds. I looked at my arm, finding it smooth and uninjured.
"Fascinating…" Finn mused. "All symptoms of the bite are gone."
"Dying must have reversed the effects of the venom." Elijah said helping me to my feet. "But that stake was meant for me." He cupped my face in his hand.
"And putting myself in front of it cured me, so I see no problem."
"Christina…" Elijah sighed. Despite the watching eyes, I pulled him into a kiss, receiving a whistle from Kol.
"Now," I breathed, glancing at the setting sun. "Let's go find your brother.
Elijah Later that evening
We searched the woods together, eventually splitting up to cover more ground. I was the first to find my father chaining Niklaus to a cross.
"Brother!" Klaus shouted straining to get free. "Don't let them do this to me!"
"Elijah!" Mikael barked. "Help me restrain him!"
"Elijah don't!" Christina appeared behind me.
"Now boy!" Mikael struggled to bind Klaus. Veins protruded under Christina's eyes and she bared her fangs. She lunged toward Mikael but Esther held her in place with a spell. "Elijah!" Mikael continued. The memory of the stake piercing Christina's heart plagued my mind. If I stood against him again, he would surely take it out on her. I held Niklaus down as Mikael tied him the post.
"Don't let them do this to me." Klaus begged. I strapped a chain around his arm.
"How could you?" Christina screamed. "Elijah, he's your brother!" From the ocean of tears, only one escaped my eyes. Esther chanted the words of a spell and Klaus cried out, his eyes turning gold.
"Stand back." Mikael commanded. Klaus' wails echoed and the fire grew larger. I looked into Christina's eyes, finding only anger and disappointment and I ran into the forest, away from my sins.
A week passed before Christina could even look at me. Klaus was more vicious than ever, devouring victims every night, and even during the day. As our lives were dragged through hell, the villagers prepared for a celebration, another ridicules ritual to appease the gods. In my two years of being a vampire, I have ceased believing in the holy entities our neighbors prayed two. But that didn't mean I could turn down the music and dancing. And neither could Christina.
The night of the celebration was the first time she looked truly happy since the spell was cast. Even Klaus seemed to be enjoying himself, and had gotten Christina to dance with him. Eventually, she couldn't avoid my gaze any longer and marched, looking annoyed, over to where I was standing.
"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to dance with me." Her mask of irritation faded and she smiled, her bright green eyes sparkling, and I knew she had forgiven me, even if I hadn't myself. She took my hand and led me into the crowd around the fire. The two of us spun and bounced and laughed and grinned as though we were the merriest people on earth. A part of me wanted to marry her right there in that perfect moment. But even the happiest of moment can end in sorrow. Niklaus came to us with terror on his face and tears in his eyes.
"She's dead… he killed her." He gasped, as if shocked at himself.
"What?" Christina pulled him away from the rest of the villagers and I followed. "Klaus, what's going on?"
"Mikael killed her."
"Who did Mikael kill?" Christina's voice dropped to a panicked whisper.
"Esther." His voice was barely audible, even with my enhanced vampire hearing. He looked at me. "He killed our mother."
"No," A small voice whimpered from behind us. "She can't be dead." The three of us turned to see Rebekah. Before an of us could say anything, she sped off. I looked back to the two of them, tears filling my eyes as well.
"Go find her," Christina said softly. "She needs you right now. I'll stay here." I rushed off after my little sister, searching everywhere but eventually finding her in the house, kneeling by our mother's body. I too sank to my knees beside her. She saw me and buried her head in my chest, her sobs shaking her entire body. I wrapped my arms around her, unable to take my eyes off of the red stained ground and my mother's expressionless face. If I didn't know better, I would think I was going to be sick. But Christina was right, Rebekah needed me and I couldn't be weak for her.
"She's gone Elijah!" Rebekah cried. In my sorrow's, I hadn't noticed the smell. My fangs grew as the sweet smell of blood took over my mind. I began to lean around her towards the source of the blood. I half growled as she pushed me back. "Elijah?" Her worried and sad voice seemed to break me out of my trance. I realized that my hands had dipped into the crimson liquid and I shot backward, unable to look at Rebekah.
"We should go meet with the others." I muttered. She shook her head.
"We c-can't leave her. We have to b-bury her." Despite her words, she willingly let me help her to her feet. I had to get her out of there, before she felt the craving as well. I half dragged half carried her out of the house and quickly found Klaus and Christina. Rebekah rushed into Niklaus' arms.
"It was so horrible Nik!" She breathed and he soothingly stroked her hair. I looked at Christina and turned away, shame and horror seeping in me like the reeking blood on my hands. I remembered what Esther had once told me after I killed my first victim. If I kept myself clean, no one would know what I had done. I had to get it off. I searched the area until I found a bowl of water and a rag. I scrubbed until I couldn't tell my mother's blood from my own.
"Elijah stop." Christina's soft, warm hands latched onto mine. She pulled me to her, my head resting in the space between her neck and shoulder. "I'm sorry." She whispered. I could feel myself slowly starting to break.
"I'm a monster." I pushed back so I could see her eyes. "I craved my own mother's blood. And if Rebekah hadn't been there-" a sob escaped my lips like a wounded animal. "What have we become?"
"What he turned us into." Something flashed across her face that I had never seen before: true hate. "Mikael is responsible for all of this. He forced Esther to turn us into beasts. He made her cripple Klaus from his true self and then he murdered her. And he will pay." Her expression softened. "But for now, you need to rest." Instead of leading me back to the house of bloodshed, Christina guided me though the forest, stopping at an unstable cottage, too small to even stand up in.
"Where are we?" I wondered with amusement.
"We built this shelter as children." She smiled. "We believed that if we were here together, nothing could harm us. After my father died, you found me here. You took me in your arms and you promised that nothing would ever take you from me. We would be together, always and forever."
We ducked into the poorly made entrance and laid amongst the leaves and flowers. It wasn't long before we both fell asleep in each other's embrace. But come morning, she was gone.
Christina Dawn
I unwrapped myself from Elijah's arms, careful not to wake him. The love I had for him drove my rage further. I propelled myself through the trees and ripped into the house where Esther's body lay on a cot. Finn must have cleaned everything up. Seeing her, lying there, made it all the more real. The only thing holding me together was hate, burning and hot. And it didn't take me long to find the source of it.
"Leave me." Mikael snapped and stopped sharpening a piece of wood. I stepped toward him.
"All of our suffering... is because of you." I growled. "What did you have to gain?" He slowly turned to face me, "Or did you just kill your wife out of spite?" He came toward me, but I was quick on my feet.
"Is that what Klaus told you?" I was surprised to find his eyes read from crying and his voice, underneath the anger, was sad. It was my turn to lunge at him. He ducked and stabbed a knife into my side. "He kills my wife and turns my family against me!"
"You didn't need any help with that." I laughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Winching, I pulled the knife out and sliced at his chest, barely managing a single cut.
"Ever since you were born, I've treated you like my own, took you in when your father died. I even betrothed you to my son! But you clung to Niklaus, even after he became the same beast that slayed your father."
"It was you who made us demons." I snarled through fangs. I sprung forward, but met the end of a stake. I gasped and recognized the wood as that of the white oak, the one thing that could bring us death. He drove the stake closer to my heart and blood dripped from my chin.
"And I will pay for my sins by destroying what you have become." Before he could strike my heart, two hands grabbed his head and snapped his neck.
"What would you do without me?" Kol smirked, pulling the stake from my chest.
"Kol." I coughed, nearly falling to the cold ground.
"Easy there." He said, wrapping his arm around my waist and putting my arm over his shoulders, tossing the white oak steak to the side. "We better get you back to Elijah."
By the time we had made it out of the woods, my wounds had healed, but my dress was still drenched in my blood. My thirst had grown due to my injuries so I tore into the throat of the nearest villager: causing the others to flee into their homes.
"Christina?" Elijah called, standing by a pile of earth that I immediately recognized as a grave. "What happened, are you alright?"
"Mikael has a white oak stake." I blurted.
"That's impossible." Klaus responded, appearing at Elijah's side. "We burned the tree to the ground after the spell."
"He must have made it before." I concluded. "If he has one he might have more."
"Why do you say that?" Elijah questioned.
"He said he was going to destroy what I had become…"
"And he would have if it wasn't for me." Kol boasted.
"He wants to reverse what he did by killing us all." Klaus mused, fear coating his voice. We let that sink in.
"Well I don't know about all of you," Kol started, "but I think we should get far away as fast as possible."
"Kol's right." I agreed. "Mikael could wake up at any second."
"I'll fetch Rebekah." Klaus went inside and I thought of Mikael's accusation. Klaus couldn't have killed Esther… could he?
"If we are leaving, you should pack." Elijah advised.
"No need." I smiled sadly. I wanted to leave everything about his place behind and never come back.
I feel like a horrible human being! I am so sorry this chapter took so long, but I think it is as long as I promised in the last chapter. I don't want to give away to much for the next chapter, but let's just say there will be a few familiar faces *cough cough* Mystic Falls *cough*. I know this was kind of a blast of the past filler but I really hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! I seriously love hearing from you guys. Hope you're all have a great summer!