Disclaimer: I do not own any Originals/Vampire Diaries characters. However, the plot regarding Varik is mine.
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Eternal
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Chapter 4: Endless Chase
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Rebekah was happy to get out of the house. It's not that she had a problem with Hayley, but the mother-to-be seemed to be trying to bond with her. The blonde original may be short in the gal pal department; but history proved that she was better off alone. Girls tended to stab each other in the back. In fact, the last time she attempted to befriend another female was with Elena. Literally seconds before said girl stuck a silver dagger in her back, piercing her heart, and sending her into yet another deep slumber. Still, Rebekah decided to give the little wolf the benefit of the doubt; for Elijah, not Niklaus.
Looking over the map in her hands, Rebekah stopped outside of a seemingly abandoned church. Her search this morning led to nearly twenty buildings with shutters over the attics windows. Luckily, her brief stop at the vampire bar produced a wealth of information. Marcel's little lackey brought her attention to the quarter; and what do you know. There were five buildings fitting the description; but only one with the grandeur to pull it off. Rebekah glanced at the sign on the building. St. Ann's "Bingo." She said, before crumpling the paper in her hands and tossing the crumbled ball into the nearest waste bin, as she walked into the building.
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The Annual Street Festival was in full swing as the tourists all made use of the local attractions. Arik was no different. Taking a sip of his cappuccino, he looked about the quarter; watching as those around him fully enjoyed themselves. The place was always booming. As great of a party as it all seemed, Arik was rather annoyed with it all. It's one of the reasons he elected to tour Europe at this time of year. It was a wonder he attended the celebration at all. Although admittedly, he had been hoping to see a certain blonde who had been on his mind for the last few days. She's been avoiding him; and he did not like it.
Leaning against a light post, his eyes made contact with the King of the quarter. 'More like a squire.' Arik thought to himself, as he took another swig of his scorching hot drink. Though tasteless as all human sustenance was to him, he did love the way it warmed his insides. A breeze blew past him, carrying the sound of soft laughter with it. 'And who is this?' He wondered. He could feel his brown locks dancing in the wind as he raised a brow in contemplation. He witnessed Marcel and the young girl walk into a bar, where a small musical performance was being held. He smirked at that. Perhaps he should have volunteered his talents for the night.
Arik waited about another ten minutes before he saw Marcel exit the establishment; sans girl. With one last swallow of his now warm beverage, he tossed it into the trash. In a matter of seconds, he stood before Marcel. "Greetings." He said with a smile.
Marcel was slightly stunned, not expecting the man to appear before him so suddenly. "Arik. Something I can do for you?" He asked, trying not to appear annoyed.
"Not exactly, no." Arik answered him, but made no move to leave.
Marcel pushed down his irritation. "Enjoying the festival then? I'm surprised not to see you behind an instrument or serenading some poor enamored girl." He said in an attempted jest.
Arik simply laughed. "If I had it my way, you would not be too far off." He said with a twinkle in his eye. "As it were, I can't seem to find Rebekah anywhere around here, let alone serenade her." He finished with a smile.
"Rebekah huh." Marcel started, his mood already souring at the mention of an original. "You seem to have quite an interest in her." He stated, eyes narrowed.
Arik smirked. "Let's just say, I'm invested. Though I'd be a fool not to acknowledge the notice you've provided her."
At this Marcel laughed. "I assure you. Bekah and I are just friends. If she is what you want, then by all means, have at her." He said, with arms wide open and a sparkling smile.
"Oh I intend to." Arik stared intently into Marcel's eyes, before throwing up a wide smile of his own. "Though I would feel much better if you'd keep your distance. You may choose to pretend you have no feelings towards her; but I share no such delusions."
At that, Marcel's smile fell at that insinuation. "I've always welcomed you into my city Arik. Now you show me this disrespect?" He asked in anger.
Arik was not fazed. "Please Marcel… This city is as much yours as it is his. And I choose not to recognize either monarch." He said nonchalantly. He understood Marcel's confusion; really he did. The younger vampire has never seen this side of him. Spending all of these years hiding his true self, his true power; well, it was freeing to finally stop the charade. "This was a good chat." He said with a laugh, and a pat to Marcel's back. "Cheer up lad; you still have… Camille, was it? Besides, it's not like you had a chance with Rebekah." He told him, stepping past him waving goodbye over his shoulder.
Marcel watched him leave. Arik was beginning to unsettle him. True, he had always kept to himself, playing his music and keeping up with pleasantries. But this new persona he was taking on was more than a bit disturbing. His arm shot out and grabbed the first vampire that walked past him. He pulled him closer to himself. "I need you to find out anything you can about the vampire Arik." He ordered, eyes never leaving the back of Arik's head as he started to disappear in the crowd. "And his connection to the old ones." He finished, releasing his hold on the vampire in the process.
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Rebekah quickly made her way up to the attic after compelling the priest. As soon as she was at the threshold, she knew she was at the right place. Pushing the door open, she took in the familiar room. Her eyes fell onto her older brother as he lay in the coffin. Before she could attempt to find a way to free him, she was pulled into a dream.
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Dream World
"What the bloody hell!" Rebekah shouted, feeling as though she were transported back in time.
"Rebekah, language please." A calming voice reproached her from behind.
Rebekah turned around at the soothing, but familiar voice. She ran into the arms of the man that stood before her. "Elijah!" She shouted, as she was embraced in his tight hold. Though happy to see him, she was thoroughly confused. "What is this?" She asked in consternation.
Elijah proceeded to tell her about the witch that was keeping him contained; Davina. He also explained the reason for his awakening. Rebekah pushed all of those explanations from her mind, and insisted that he release her from this dream so that she could find a way to release him from his prison. However, Elijah refused. Instead, he wished to speak with Davina; perhaps even turn her to their side.
Rebekah was not pleased. So, she pulled her last card. "Varick is here." She told him simply.
"Pardon?" Elijah asked, eyes narrowing in confusion.
Her eyes watered and her face fell in worry. "Varick, Lijah. My Varick, from the old days." She said, her voice starting soft, but ending louder and harder. "He is here."
Elijah took this in, composed as ever. "How is this possible?" He questioned, but received no answer from Rebekah. He then turned from her, raising a finger to his chin in thought. "It's not. No one survived that massacre." He said out loud, forgetting that his young sister was standing behind him.
"What… what do you mean no one survived Lijah?" She asked confused. "Varick and his family and a few others did." She corrected. "Niklaus told us he got them out before things got bad, remember. Only it doesn't add up, does it?" She asked him, an accusation in her eyes, but a silent plea in her voice. "Tell me, that he did not lie to me Elijah. Tell me, that Varick's appearance here now, has some other explanation." Tears began to fall down her cheeks. "Tell me that you did not lie to me." She pleaded.
Elijah turned around slowly, with a look of sorrow. "Rebekah… I'm sorry to tell you this, but Niklaus… we were only trying to protect you." He told her calmly. "I regret our actions that day, but we only wish to spare you the pain that the truth would have brought." He watched as she turned from him. "Still, the Varick that we knew did, in fact, die that night. Or at least, should have."
"He was obviously turned Elijah." Rebekah smarted.
"No, I don't think that he was." He told her.
She was surprised at that response. "What do you mean?" She asked.
He only shook his head. "No. We will discuss this further once I return. For now, you must leave." He commanded. "And Rebekah, you and Niklaus must protect Hayley at all costs. She is family now."
End Dream World.
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At the last utterance of his voice, she was pulled out of dream world and back into present day. With one last glance to her brother's coffin, Rebekah turned to leave. "This conversation isn't over Lijah." She said, before speeding away.
Once she was out in the quarter, she found herself surrounded by drunken morons. With a roll of her eye, she pulled her phone out and sent Hayley a quick text. If Elijah wanted her to watch the girl, she would. He, unlike Klaus, deserved her loyalty. Stuffing her phone into her pocket, she glanced over her shoulder as she began walking. Since she was not watching where she was going, she ran straight into a ghost from her past. "Beks! I've been looking for you." Arik announces with a smile.
Rebekah was shocked that Arik was once again standing before her. "Varik… what do you want?" She asked him, unsure of his agenda.
He held in a sigh at her use of his full name, but decided against pressing the issue. Secretly, he enjoyed hearing it fall off her lips. "I should think it were obvious. I want you Rebekah." He told her plainly; and quite seriously as there was no smile placed upon his lips.
She simply rolled her eyes and tried to push past him. Only he would not let her. She lightly glared at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked him suspiciously.
He glanced around them, before answering. "Why, I'm enjoying the festivities, as it were." He answered with a wide grin.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it." She told him, then stepped in closer to him; in a whisper, she continued, "How are you here Varik? You should be dead."
"Is that what you want?" Arik asked her in a low voice.
Her eyes widened at the question; then just as quickly narrowed. "It doesn't matter what I want. You died that night. I know you did. Niklaus said that-"
"Oh Niklaus!" He interrupted her loudly, ignoring all those around them. "Yes do tell; what did your precious Niklaus have to say?" He asked her, growing upset.
Rebekah was surprised at his reaction to her brother's name. It only made her more wary of what happened the night of the massacre. A light melody pulled her out of her reverie, as she realized she had received a text. She turned away from Arik, pulling out her phone; there was a message from Hayley: Bayou clinic with doctor. Pocketing her phone once more, she looked at Arik. "I… I can't do this right now. I've… got to go." She said, and then sped away.
Arik watched her go. He was not too pleased with her treatment of him. He decided to casually stroll amongst the populace. The night was still young, and there was always something stirring in the quarter of the city. He slowed his pace as a familiar voice floated past his ears. "Never forget Marcel that you live in the city by the grace of those who know your secret and tolerate you." He raised an eyebrow as he used his vampiric sight to watch the exchange occurring across the way from him. Though the passersby in the street made it hard for him to get a clear shot; he could hear the two quite easily.
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"And this city thrives because of me and my people. Anytime you need a reminder of that, let me know." Marcel resisted the urge to sprout fangs and put the priest in his place. Instead he forced the rage back, and kept a cool head. Immediately his attention was taken when one of his youngest vampires rushed up to him.
"Marcel, Diego says he lost sight of the girls." The young one informed him.
'Dammit!' Marcel thought before facing the priest once more. "To be continued." He said before leaving the man behind.
The priest watched him go; still upset with the way Marcel had been handling things in his absence. He turned to leave in the other direction, and collided into the first person to cross his path. "I'm sorry." He said, looking into the strangers face.
"No Father." The young man said with a smile. "It is I who should apologize. Though, I am quite relieved to have run into you." He said, holding out his right hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arik; and I believe you and I have much to discuss." He finished with a grin that set the other man to great confusion.
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The brunette ran as fast as her legs could carry her. 'Stupid, you're so stupid!' She yelled to herself internally. Before she realized, she had been caught. Doing her best to fight them off, she soon realized she was outnumbered. And then… that changed… She felt a weight lift away from her. 'What?' Hayley turned to find Rebekah ripping out her attackers' hearts. Just as relief began to warm her body; a chill came over her as she observed more assailants coming nearer to them through the foliage.
Immediately Rebekah turned to face Hayley and shouted, "Run!..." She faced the men moving towards her. "If I had a dollar for every mess my family's gotten me into-" She was cut off by the arrow that pierced into her shoulder. Before she could react, another pierced just a spot lower. She felt herself falling to the ground, with the hope that Hayley got away.
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"We have nothing to say to each other." Father Kieran told the stranger. He had a discomforting feeling about the boy before him. When they shook hands, he felt a chill go up his spine.
Arik was not deterred. "Come now Father, is it not your duty, your obligation to lend an ear to the masses." He said with a charming smile.
Father Kieran only let out a deep sigh. He was in no mood for this right now. He had things to do. "If you wish to speak to me, then do so at St. Ann's during my office hours. As of right now, I am in the middle of something." He said, trying to dissuade the boy further.
Arik began to speak, but paused looking out into space as though he sensed something. He soon turned his rapt attention back to the priest. "Very well Father, we will meet again soon. I leave you to your… business." He told the stoic looking man, and then turned away from him rushing out into the night.
Father Kieran watched him leave. He didn't trust the boy. There was something… dark about him. It reminded him of Marcel. As the thought crossed his mind, his scowl deepened.
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The first thing noticed was the pain. The second… well still the searing pain. Her eyes blinked open as she stared out into the dark night sky above. She felt over her chest, reaching for the arrow, when a hand stopped her progress. "Easy there love." The calm soothing voice of the man she knew as her old friend spoke to her. Arik pulled her into his arms, and gripped the first arrow. "Now, brace yourself. This will hurt a bit." He told her, and without waiting for a response he pulled the arrow out. At the sound of her anguished cry, he pulled out the second.
"Bloody hell!" Rebekah screamed. "A bit my arse." She commented, pushing herself out of his arms.
Against her wants, he helped her onto her feet. "Your vocabulary has grown a lot more colorful than I recall." He told her with a smile. She swatted his hands away from her, annoyed. "Are you alright Rebekah?" He finally asked her, but received no answer.
Rebekah surveyed the carnage around her. There were body pieces littered everywhere. She eyed Arik. "Did you do this?" She was quick to accuse. "Hayley! … Hayley!" She shouted looking about her; concern in her voice.
"There's no one else out here love." Arik enlightened her.
She responded by pulling out her phone and calling her big brother. "Nik, we've hit a bit of a snag." She started, the proceeded to tell him of the disappearance of the woman carrying his child.
"What do you mean she's missing?" Klaus asked over the phone in outrage.
The blonde tried not to roll her eyes at his tone. "What do you think I mean? There's blood and bodies everywhere. Someone's ripped this lot to shreds. And… there's no smart alec pregnant girl." She told him as calmly as she could.
"Keep looking. I'm on my way." Was his curt reply, before the line went dead.
"Keep looking." She repeated mockingly. She glanced to Arik. "What does he think? I'm going to get dolled up and head to a party?" She asked disbelievingly. With a shake of head, she placed her arms onto her hips. "Well, you had best get out of here before Niklaus shows up. He'll think you had something to do with this." She warned him.
Arik smirked a little, and moved to invade her space. "And you don't?" He asked her; pleased that she did not think the worst of him. "You're concerned for me." He told her matter-of-factly, reaching out to push a strand of blonde hair from her face.
Rebekah swatted his hand away once more. "Listen carefully. If I suspect for a moment that you had anything to do with Hayley's disappearance, I'll castrate you myself." She promised.
"Kitten's got claws." He remarked; not at all put off by her animosity.
She only glared at him. "How did you find me anyway?" She asked.
"I sensed your agony." He told her; following it with no explanation.
She didn't like that answer, but she didn't have time to interrogate. "Don't follow me." She ordered, before speeding away to Hayley's last known destination; the Bayou clinic.
"As you wish, my lady." He said to the wind.
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The room was dark when he entered. Well, not completely. The moon was high in the sky; casting a luminous luster through the sole window in the room. Immediately, he knew that he was not alone. "I have to admit. I was not expecting you so soon." He called out, remaining near the entrance.
"What are you doing?" A melodic, yet stern voice inquired.
He smirked a little; though quite aware it could not be seen. "Well, I thought I'd catch up on some sleep; haven't been getting much lately."
"That's not what I meant." The angered voice spoke, stepping out of the shadows and into the light of the moon. "You should not be here. Not with the old ones roaming around the city." She warned him.
He looked over her person. She was a beauty, he'd admit that; fiery red hair, heated green eyes, plump pink lips. If he didn't know better, he'd be drawn to her. But he did know better. Beauty or not, this woman could be a dangerous foe; likewise a prodigious ally. "Please Enchantress… I do not fear them." He told her nonchalantly. "And why should I? The only danger was the father Michael. However, he is no more; if my darling Rebekah is to be believed."
The enchantress narrowed her gaze at him. "Careful Varik, the original family is not to be trusted. Don't be pulled in by the slip of a simple girl." She told him.
It was his turn to send a glare her way. "Rebekah is no simple girl; be mindful of what you say about her." He said angrily.
The redhead simply grinned. "Still pining after your village love." She tsked. "The same love whose family is responsible for the annihilation of said village; your family, your friends."
"It was not her fault." He said, stopping her rant. "I have, learned to accept what happened that night; and I've let it all go." He told her.
"Have you?" She asked. "It's been a very long time. She's not the same person you used to know. You're not the same. Perhaps it would be best to walk away." She advised.
"I can't do that. Not now that I've seen her." He admitted quietly.
"Then why are you here? What are you doing?" She repeated her question from earlier. Upon receiving no response, she continued. "You know the risks-"
"The risks are minimum! Michael is out of the picture now. And I sense a distance has grown between her and Niklaus." He spat out the name in distaste. He turned to the woman and rushed to stand before her. "Your coven is responsible for what has transpired. You yourself have foreseen what is to come? You know what we must do. Now is the time, it has to be." He pleaded. "IT must be completed."
The enchantress looked him over. "Since you've been in her presence, have you noticed anything different?"
A light went off in his eyes. He had noticed something. He stepped away from her, looking off to the side. "I feel different. Over the last millennia, I have been… lacking." He then faced the woman once more. "But when she is near, I feel almost whole."
She nodded her head. "Staying here will only reveal you to them. They will have questions. Are you ready for your secrets to come out Varik?" She asked him seriously.
"I am." He said confidently.
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Arik was once again walking the streets of New Orleans. The festival was over, with few people still walking about. After his talk with the Enchantress, he grew restless. There was so much about his history that he had kept hidden for so long, and it was all about to come to light. That would not be such a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that his fate was intertwined with the originals; and he'd no doubt have to explain to them thoroughly as to what that all meant. And if Niklaus was still the insufferable git he knew all those centuries ago, the truth will not go down smoothly.
A few blocks later, he saw Marcel hurriedly walking out of a bar. 'I could use a drink.' He thought to himself, heading towards the rough looking establishment. However, his thirst was soon forgotten as a very familiar and non to happy blonde exited the building.
Rebekah left the vampire bar with an attitude. She had yet another confrontation with Marcel and was very annoyed at his treatment of her. Before she could further ponder her dealings, she felt another come up from behind her. "Stalking me now?" She asked in exasperation, not bothering to look at him, or slow down her pace.
Arik smiled, keeping up easily. "Is that an invitation?" He asked, already amused.
"I'm not in the mood Varik." She told him.
"I noticed." He commented. "Trouble in paradise?" He then asked, nodding towards the disappearing figure of Marcel in the distance. Rebekah only responds by giving him the evil eye. With a chuckle, he holds his hands up in surrender. "Tell me, did you find your little friend." He then asked.
Rebekah slows her pace a bit, letting out a sigh. "She's find, and completely none of your business."
He gives her a nod. "Fair enough. You however, are not off limits, I take it?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Earning another sour look from her, he laughed. "That's alright my dear. You don't have to answer." He said, holding out his arm. "It's all about the chase."
Rebekah just looked at his arm, then his face. His smile is what got to her. It reminded her of days old. Maybe it wouldn't hurt, just this once, to pretend that she was still that naïve little village girl, and he her beau. She smiled at him, remembering their times together and looped her arm in his. "That it is Varik. That it is."
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Elsewhere in a dusty old attic, a young girl sat thinking over the events of the night. She was unprepared when the Original Elijah stood before her. Before she could utter a single word, he beat her to the punch. "It's alright Davina. I don't mean you any harm. Though I do think it's time we had a talk." He said to her.
The enchantress watched the entire encounter through a looking spell she placed onto her vanity mirror. "Yes Michaelson, do talk." She said with a smirk. "I'd love to hear what you have to say."
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AN: Yay there's Chapter 4! I've got to catch up, since I want to have this story happen simultaneously with what's going on in the show. This one had parts from Episode 4. So I still have to do one with parts from Episode 5 & 6. Can't wait to write about the Marcel/Rebekah kiss. Don't know how Arik's going to take it.
I was able to start on my own separate plot in this chapter. Soon we will know how Arik survived and his ties to the Enchantress… who by the way does have a name, which will also be revealed. No flashbacks in this one, but might be some in the next. This chapter ended up pretty long; so I decided to end it there. I originally had planned to put pieces of episode 5 in here, but I'll just give it its own chapter.
I hope you all are enjoying this. I'm trying to stay in character. I hate OOCness, so if there is any present, know that I apologize and I am working on it. Most of my stories, I've followed the characters for years before writing them, so I have their personalities down to a tee. But the Originals is new and the characters are still fairly new too since they didn't get a whole bunch of screen time on TVD.
Anywho! Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it.
Super Special Thanks to my awesome one reviewer for Reviewing!
CRYSTALGIRL78: Well, Varik was sort of vague on that wasn't he? lol It's like back in the day. The suitor had to ask for the hand of the maiden from the father. So basically Varik did that and got the okay. This would have been done while they were still human and right before the turning, so it's possible that she never knew. But Varik will not relent. Also, there's the issue of the blood tie. Well, that will all be explained in time. Can't give everything away. lol Thanks for reviewing!
Really sad that I didn't get many reviews for Chapter 3. (Sad Face)
Oh well… Here's looking at you kid…
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Stay tuned Everyone! … … … and… … …
… … … …Please review….