As soon as we left Klaus' mansion, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Stefan smiled softly at me as I leant against one of the trees and sighed, revelling in the silence although it was anything but calm.

"Well that was certainly dramatic." I groaned and opened one eye to see Damon's face smirking back at me. "I'm impressed." He relaxed against the tree next to me. "Truth be told, I didn't think that you would be able to handle it."

I opened my other eye and stared blankly back at him. "I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted."

Stefan grinned, crossing his arms. "I would say it's the closest to a compliment that you'll ever get from him. I'd take it if I were you."

I smiled back. "I did do pretty good, didn't I?" Then I remembered what Klaus had tried to do to the youngest Salvatore earlier this evening and stepped towards him. "How's the arm?" I asked, squinting through the darkness, trying to find any visible damage.

Stefan held it out. "Healing," he stated and I nodded in relief, just seeing very faint scars etched into his skin. They would heal up and his arm would be good as new within the next hour or so. "Which is what I would like to ask you about."

This was why I shouldn't intervene when there were people watching. They always had questions. Demanding answers for the things they couldn't explain.

I broke my gaze from Stefan's and glanced around, pulling my jacket closer tighter around me as I shivered. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You know you're a really bad liar Sophia Gilbert," Damon observed and I calmly retaliated,

"and you're an ass but you don't see me commenting about it."

The two of us came to a halt and stood there, shooting daggers at each other, both of us waiting for the other to crack. It sure as hell wasn't going to be me.

Stefan cleared his throat, and I gladly turned my back on the raven haired vampire to face him. "You know exactly what I am talking about," Stefan stated before pausing, his forehead brooding. "How did you do it?"

I tensed and Damon looked back and forth between us. "Am I missing something?"

I shook my head but Stefan wouldn't let it go. Daring me at any moment to contradict him, he elaborated, "You stopped me from feeling the agony of being burned and the fire didn't damage my arm as it should have done. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful," he added at my guarded expression. "But I just want to know how."

I looked unseeingly towards the forest. "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to Stefan, curiosity like that can get a person killed."

"Wait, wait back up. Is this similar to all that drama in the forest?"

I could have throttled Damon for bringing that up as Stefan arched an eyebrow in curiosity. "That was nothing," I whispered, my voice faint against the steady wind but Damon continued,

"That wasn't nothing Sophie, you blasted baby Lockwood, hybrid extraordinaire, into a tree!"

The two of them were now pushing for answers and if there was one thing I hated, it was being pushed around. Instead of explaining, I turned my head to glance warily back towards the original mansion.

I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. There were no broken windows or external destruction so Klaus must still be alive. If they had finished their dispute, were they close enough to hear us? Were they listening in?

"You can trust us Sophie, we can protect you from what you are running from."

I pushed myself away from the tree to turn to face Damon, my heart pounding incredibly fast. "I'm not running," I muttered.

"Sure you are," Damon interrupted, daring me to contradict him. When I didn't, he continued, "I've seen that expression you're wearing hundreds of times on so many faces: Katherine's, Rose's, even Klaus'."

I glanced down at the ground, suddenly finding a broken branch beneath my shoe very interesting. "I can protect myself."

My own voice didn't even convince me but I had kept myself alive so far, hadn't I? At least I was capable enough. That and I didn't want someone to protect me... it would just be adding one more person's blood on my hands.

My tone and the silence which followed was as good as a confession for the brothers.

"We can help you Sophie, just tell us what is going on," Damon implored and Stefan nodded along in complete agreement.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep away this entire conversation. "I can't tell you," I replied, strained.

Stefan stepped towards me looking worried. "Why?" he whispered.

My eyes were beginning to sting within their sockets and I turned away from them to hide my small emotional blip from view. It would be so much easier if they could only understand that my secrets were my own. To just let it go but their curiosity was mounting.

I hardly recognised my own voice as I spoke the next words. "The last person who tried to help me… got… hurt. There are so many things out there besides vampires, werewolves, witches, hybrids and doppelgangers."

So many things which were much more dangerous.

"My sister cares about you both. I am not going to bring the two of you, or anyone for that matter, into that kind of world."

I could feel their eyes penetrating into my back but I ignored them and swallowed, composing my face back to one of complete seriousness. "Right now the priority is my sister. The only thing I don't want is for the three you to end up hurt."

"Talk English Sophie," Damon commanded and I turned back to see the two brothers standing side by side. This close together, I could see the similarities between them.

I knew that no matter what they said about each other, no matter how many times they had argued or fought against each other, in the end they were still brothers. They would always care for each other.

But that didn't stop me from forcing out the only words which would have the power to shake up their sibling bond, "I don't want you all to end up hurt when my sister makes her choice."

My words obviously had an impact but the reply was interrupted as my phone rang. Ignoring the now silent brothers, I pulled it out to see caller I.D.

Speak of the devil.

I flipped it open. "Hey."

"Sophie, where have you been? I've called ten times." Her voice sounded panicked and I was instantly on the alert.

"What is it?"

I closed my eyes as I heard the anguish in my sister's voice. "It's Ric Sophie, I found him stabbed at our home." My heart faltered and I inhaled a sharp gasp of air as she quickly continued, "He's okay, the Gilbert ring brought him back but what if it hadn't? I can't do it Soph, I c-can't… I can't lose anyone else."

I straightened and looked at Damon and Stefan who were listening in, holding on to every word. "Where are you now? I'll come and get you."

"Matt and I took Alaric to the hospital. They want to run some tests but there's another thing." She trailed off and I clenched my jaw, waiting for the next set of bad news. Couldn't there just be one day that my sister could live through without having to deal with any supernatural interferences? Was it too much to ask? "Bill Forbes… h-e… h-he…" Elena's voice broke and from over the phone, I could hear her breathing begin to increase in loudness and in pace. She was panicking.

"Elena, put Matt on the phone," I demanded softly, knowing right now she needed my firm voice to keep her from losing it. "It'll be okay sweetie, I promise you."

There was a silence and I paced back and forth as I waited and listened to Elena's quietening sobs before I heard her finally pass the phone over.

"Sophie." Matt's urgent voice reached my ears and I immediately cut to the chase.

"What the hell happened to Bill?"

Matt sighed. "Same as Ric but he had vampire blood in his system."

My breath cut short and I stood still. "Oh my god," I breathed out in horror. It felt as if my stomach was falling down into an endless pit of despair for my bubbly blonde vampire friend.

I knew exactly what dying with vampire blood in the system meant for Bill Forbes. Well, I remembered the man well enough to know exactly what type of person he was and what his decision would have been.

Matt continued, confirming my thoughts. "He didn't complete the transition, Caroline is a mess. She is barely holding herself together. She won't talk to anyone. Liz doesn't have a clue what to do, she's worried that Care's gonna flip her humanity switch... she needs you Soph."

I paused, trying to think of a plan. How I wished I could be in two places at once but despite Elena being my sister, I had to think about this rationally. Alaric would be fine. Caroline's father would not and all the humans in this town would not if she decided to mess with her humanity trigger.

"Matt, can you stay with Elena tonight? Take her back to yours?" It was a lot to ask of him but I didn't want my sister sleeping by herself tonight. She needed the rest and there was no one I trusted more than Matt to carry out the job.

Besides, she and Matt still shared a deep connection, strong enough for the two of them to stay close friends, despite no longer being together. Not to mention, he was one of the few humans left in this town. If anyone could fully understand what she was going through, it would be him.

"In the morning, bring her back to the hospital. It will give her peace of mind."

"Yeah sure," Matt quickly answered but then his voice lowered slightly and I pressed the phone closer to my ear, straining to hear his next words. "But I have no idea what to do about her panicking."

The answer instantly came to my lips. "Lavender. No matter what, it always calms her down."

"How come we never knew that?" Damon whispered to Stefan who shrugged. I almost started at his words; I had completely forgotten the two of them were still there.

I almost missed what Matt was saying, "-got some at home somewhere, I'm sure… but why lavender?"

I smiled sadly but remembered he couldn't see me. "Because it smells like mom."

I felt everything fade away as I remembered Miranda Gilbert. Her smile, her laugh, the way she would hold me tight when I would wake up in floods of tears. God I missed her so much.

My eyes burned and I blinked quickly, forcing the painful memories away.

Matt's gentle voice brought me back to the present. "You're a good sister Soph, you always have been. I am so glad that you are back."

My throat felt strangely clogged at his admission. "Me to. The both of you stay safe."

"Bye Soph."

I hung up and without acknowledging either of the two brothers I said, "You two need to have a little chat, I meant what I said earlier."

And with that I walked away leaving them standing frozen in my wake. On the way to my destination, I quickly made a pit stop at a small local supermarket. The clergy rubbed tiredness from his eyes as he blearily looked up from behind the till. "Sorry miss, we are about to close for the night."

I widened my eyes at him, causing a red flush to stain his cheeks. "I will only be ten seconds, I promise."


It took ten minutes before I found myself standing outside a familiar house with a small carrier bag in one hand as I rang the doorbell. A few moments later, there was the rattle of a key in the lock before the door slowly opened.

"Liz," I sighed as I saw the sheriff's blotchy eyes. At the sight of me, she pulled the door open wider to let me in. "I'm so sorry about Bill."

Liz sniffed but her expression held true gratitude. "Thank you for coming Sophie. I honestly don't know what to do."

I saw the desperation and guilt and my heart went out to her. "Where is she?" I whispered.

Liz turned her head towards a pale door to the right. The only door shut off from the rest of the house. I approached it slowly, hearing nothing but silence. "She hasn't come out yet," Liz murmured, standing beside me.

I nodded and placed my hand on her arm briefly then waited for her to turn away. When she was out of earshot, I knocked on the door softly before entering, not waiting for an answer.

If I did, she may have turned me away and I wasn't going to risk that. Not when she was experiencing a vampiric emotional overload which could prove too hard to bear.

My heart clenched at the sight in front of me. "Oh Caroline."

I took her in; the blonde vampire was curled up into a tight little ball on the bed, tears streaming down her face, her blank blue eyes staring unseeingly at the picture she clutched in her hands.

I edged slowly into the room and sat down on the bed beside her, saying nothing, not pushing her to express herself, just waiting until she plucked up the courage to talk to me.

"He's gone… he's gone Sophie," Caroline whispered hoarsely. "He didn't want to stay with me."

I gently took the picture out of her slackened hands. Looking down, my eyes rested upon a younger Caroline atop of her dad's shoulders, both their eyes sparkling, completely full of laughter. Back when times seemed so much simpler.

"It's not that he didn't want to Caroline. If there was any other way he could have stayed with you, he would have done it in a heartbeat. For you. Because he loved you Caroline." I emphasised the words as I took her hands in mine, squeezing them gently. "And he always will."

Caroline sniffled and looked down at our hands before shuffling closer to me. "I wanted to hate him Sophie… for leaving me and mum… for judging me… hurting me, yet all I could think of was wanting to save his life."

She shook her head and pulled her hands away. She wrapped her arms around her knees as if protecting herself.

"What is wrong with me? I shouldn't have to feel like this." She rested her forehead on her knees and sobbed, the tears coming down faster.

I put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me. "There's nothing wrong with you Care. It's natural to feel like this. No matter what he has done, you can't help but love him. You're allowed to, he's your dad."

I felt her head move slightly against my shoulder as she mumbled, "Did I make the right decision, by letting him die?"

I met Caroline's watery eyes and nodded, smiling a soft smile, "You gave him a choice. It takes a lot of strength to do that."

Caroline smiled slightly and closed her eyes. "I stayed with him until he d-died and all we did was talk like we used to. He finally accepts me Sophie. He accepts me for who I am."

I rubbed my hand up her arm, "Deep down, he always did. Better late than never. You let him go without regret."

Caroline hiccupped and smiled slightly. "Yeah," she whispered, then wiping the tears away from her face she looked down, her grief stricken expression faded and was replaced by one of curiosity. "What's in the bag?"

I grinned and reached down for the ice cream. "The two men we can always rely on during times like this. I think we are in need of a long awaited movie night."

A faint smile came across the blonde vampire's lips. It would take her a long time to get over it but for now, she needed the distraction. For one night, she needed to be happy. It was what Bill Forbes would have wanted.


It was one in the morning when Liz Forbes finally decided to go to bed and forget about the evening's events. It had been the first time that both she and her husband had been in the same room together without arguing, since he left her for Steven.

They had finally sorted out their issues. Liz truly wished that the two of them could have reconnected much sooner. At least then, she could have spent more time with him.

Maybe then he might not have died...

Liz closed her eyes and slouched against the wall. She couldn't go blaming herself; no one could have predicted that this would happen.

The truth was, even after all the heartbreak, despite him acting like a complete asshole most of the time, he would always be the one man she would ever truly love. It was why, whilst he moved on with someone else, she never did.

In her mind, despite the countless arguments they always had, the good times were immeasurable. No one could or would ever measure up to him.

She remembered the day clearly when he walked out of their home without a backwards glance, after another relentless argument. He left her to bury herself in work as a distraction and consequently neglecting her daughter. Caroline. The living reminder that she could never fully forget him.

How selfish she had been.

Looking back, she couldn't ignore the rising guilt she felt for leaving her daughter to cope on her own, especially during her transition. Liz didn't even realise the impact vampirism had on her daughter.

She never realised how strong and mature Caroline had suddenly become. Her little girl had been through so much. She should have been there for her, maybe then Caroline wouldn't have had to keep so many secrets.

Her heart clenched with loneliness and she wiped away a stray tear as she headed towards her room.

On her way, she found herself pausing outside her daughter's room and hearing some faint noises, she opened the door. At the sight before her, she faltered and smiled, seeing Caroline and Sophie Gilbert passed out on the bed, sound asleep; chocolate wrappers and Ben and Jerry tubs everywhere with the credits of some romantic comedy rolling on the T.V.

She silently cleared away the mess whilst inwardly feeling a strong surge of gratitude towards the eldest Gilbert for being there for her daughter.

Both teenagers had lost so much and yet they stayed strong and made it through. That was how she knew her daughter would be okay. Liz and Bill always knew that Caroline would turn out to be a tough kid and Liz strived to be there for her more in the future - not as the sheriff of the town… but as her mother.

With that resolution in mind, Liz walked out of the room and headed off to bed, feeling lighter and happier.

Bill had gone, her world had fallen apart but she didn't have to deal with it alone. Because she wasn't alone. She still had her daughter.


"Sophie… Sophiee… WAKE. UP!"

I yelled as I tumbled out of bed, landing with a loud thud on the wooden floor, my heart pounding fast against my chest as I scanned the room on high alert. When there was nothing of importance to deal with apart from the alight eyes of the blonde vampire before me, the adrenaline vanished and I sagged back down.

"It's not funny," I moaned, rubbing my elbow as I watched Caroline put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, "Seriously, that hurt."

"You're right, I'm sorry but you were sleeping like the dead, I should know and shouting was all I could think of." Her eyes sparkled with laughter. "But the look on your face-"

"Yeah, yeah was hilarious, now give a girl a hand."

Caroline pulled me to my feet and passed me some dark jeans and a tank top. I raised my eyebrows, noticing the quick tapping of her heel against the floor. "I get the feeling we are in a rush."

Caroline smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we are meeting your sister at the grill in an hour. Now shower."

She pointed to the door and I strode towards the bathroom. Before I went in, I spun around on my heel and posed, making sure to pout. "Do I really look that bad?"

"You look like you have crawled out of some freaky horror film. I may be a vampire but I am not going out with you looking like that."

"Bitch," I muttered half-heartedly. Caroline just laughed and shoved me into the bathroom.

I closed the door with a slam hearing a faint call of, "Love you too, Sophie!"


Klaus was furious. He clenched his hands into tight fists and swung the door of the living room open. It crashed into the wall but all he saw was red as he strode into the room, ocean eyes with a glimmer of gold beneath the surface fixated solely on his victim.

"You went after Elena!" he growled at Rebekah.

His siblings all calmly turned to face him feeling no shock, just exasperation. Niklaus was at it again. The rampages and temper tantrums after a thousand years were quickly becoming monotonous.

Elijah glanced up from the shoe he was inspecting, briefly surveying Niklaus and Rebekah before going right back to ignoring them. Kol meanwhile, jerked his head away from the mirror to watch his new found source of entertainment with concealed interest.

"What is wrong with you?" Klaus demanded.

A faint smirk twisted its way across Kol Mikaelson's face. Now things were getting interesting. He was always one for a good ol' family squabble. The youngest male original was itching for a fight. He exchanged a mischievous glance with his sister who rolled her eyes then leaned back into her seat.

She turned her head to face Klaus, smiling, which caused her brother's eyes to flash gold. "Here we go," she muttered cheerfully, completely unperturbed. For a matter of fact, she felt triumphant, knowing that she was getting under her brother's skin. Served the bloody wanker right.

Klaus snarled at his sister's ignorance. Didn't she realise he needed the doppelganger alive to make his hybrids? "Do you want another dagger in your heart?" he threatened.

"Again with the dagger threats?" Kol mocked from behind him, unable to keep his silence for a moment longer and Klaus' eye twitched in irritation as Kol leisurely sat on the sofa arm and leaned forwards, revelling in Klaus' rage. "Don't you have any other tricks?"

"Oh go back to staring at yourself." Klaus demanded, attempting to brush him off but Kol was not so easily swayed. If anything, it spurred him on even further.

"And who are you, my father?" Kol mocked.

"No Kol," Klaus sneered, stepping forward. "But you are in my house."

Kol's expression turned emotionless, his dark eyes glinting as he closed the distance between them. "Then perhaps we should go outside."

Finn and Rebekah watched on impassively whilst Elijah just shook his head as he regarded the stare down dispassionately. For so long he had strived for his family's redemption but they always made it ever so difficult. The immaturity in the room was staggering.

"Enough."

The five original siblings all whipped round to see their mother with disappointment evident in her eyes. "Niklaus. Come." She commanded and left the room without another word, expecting her son to follow her. Klaus narrowed his eyes after her but complied. He shoved past Kol who watched him leave the room with a dark twisted smile.

Elijah observed Kol, who's eyes were still fixed intently on the door where their mother and brother had disappeared through and knowing what the youngest Mikaelson brother wanted to do, he placed his shoe on the table and approached him. "Enough Kol."

He rested a hand on Kol's shoulder who just shook it off and rounded to face him sneering, "Why should I Elijah? That conniving bastard we call a brother stabbed us like it was sword practise and chucked us into boxes like yesterday's trash."

Kol scanned his elder brother's face and finding what he was looking for made him laugh but out of exasperation, not humour.

"Don't tell me you are still on this petty quest to be the noble brother. To watch out for the bastard. Always and forever."

Kol scoffed, causing Rebekah and Elijah to look away. As they should.

This whole mess started with that sentimental little pact made a thousand years ago which didn't seem to include him or Finn. Not that he cared. And he didn't care.

Not one bit.

"And look where that got the both of you. Daggered in a box. Mark my words Elijah. Nik will never be redeemed."

Elijah sat down next to Rebekah. Kol's words had certainly made an impact but he still refused to believe that their brother was completely lost. All Elijah had desired for centuries was the hope that one day he would reunite his family.

He had managed that, hadn't he?

But despite everything, Klaus still wanted his hybrids; the back-up family. Unwilling to throw them away for the only shred of happiness he might ever find. How long could Elijah keep searching? He had sacrificed his life for Niklaus for so long and had gained nothing in return.

It was Rebekah who spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "As much as I agree with you Kol, our mother's back." She smiled a gentle smile. The appearance of her mother made her feel complete again. Like she was once again the teenage girl her physical age deemed her to be. "She wants us to be a family."

"And how long do you really think that Nik will heel to mother's demands and keep his word?" Kol arched a disbelieving brow before turning his attention back to Elijah, aiming his next words at him. "He kept you away from Sophie by daggering you. You might have come across her sooner if he didn't play God."

Elijah focused on his brother more intently, his expression faltering for a slight second. Kol grinned at locating the crack in his brother's usually calm facade. He turned back towards the mirror triumphantly.

Finn just looked confused and finally decided to chip in. "What is this you speak of Kol?" he questioned.

Kol just kept grinning as he examined his clothing, admiring how perfectly the fabric fitted his form. Such a shame that his suit would be drenched with blood if he had his way tonight. At least it would add a splash of colour. "Our brother is smitten. It's obvious."

Elijah leant forwards, examining his cuff length nonchalantly but his dark eyes had lightened. "I am not 'smitten' as you so put it."

"Lies," Rebekah sung out, watching her eldest brother's reaction intently. There was a slight pause but other than that, his composure faded back to one of adept coolness. "You're smitten with her Elijah, Admit it. Personally, I think it's great that you have moved on from those bitch clones and Sophie is okay I guess, despite the fact she is the sister of one said bitch."

Rebekah stopped there and went back to examining her nails but she had to admit, she felt a tiny shred of admiration towards the older Gilbert. From the way the girl had introduced herself to Kol without a shred of fear, even when he had her cornered like prey, to the way she had gained Elijah's undivided attention. All within the span of one night. Most humans would have been killed on the spot.

That girl was definitely something.

"Her blood also smells like yours," Kol added casually, standing tall, running his fingers through his gelled hair to tousle it up slightly. He smirked at the result. Not bad at all. So many women would fall to their knees for him tonight, so many willing bloodbags. He licked his lips.

Finn coughed, unable to hide his shock at Kol's revelation and Rebekah's eyes widened.

"What do you mean Kol?" Elijah whispered, staring attentively at the back of his younger brother's head.

He couldn't disguise the astonishment which was currently surging through his body along with a faint primal urge; an urge that he had blocked away for centuries.

It was slowly creeping out from within the deepest crevices of his mind, gathering strength; his vampiric instinct which he had kept hidden behind the tattered red door.

All because of this one girl... the girl he was now aching to claim.

Kol smirked and turned towards him. "Sophie has a similar scent to you, brother and we all know what that means." He kept his lips tightly sealed after that but his smirk widened when he saw Elijah's eyes darkening. He knew the exact same realisations would be running through the rest of his siblings' heads right now.

That little Sophie Gilbert was officially connected to Elijah and by extension, the rest of the original siblings. They would automatically assume that Sophie was Elijah's mate but it was so much more than that.

Kol decided to withhold the rest of the information to himself for now until the girl came clean but his brain was working fast, putting the puzzle pieces together.

When he inhaled the scent of her blood, it was not just similar to Elijah's... it was the exact same.

For that to even occur there was only one explanation. After all, Kol had seen a similar situation only once before and that had been over a thousand years ago. His siblings wouldn't remember her kind but he certainly did.

Kol Mikaelson knew exactly what Sophie Gilbert was.

This time, Kol hoped for the sake of his brother and the girl that it wouldn't end in tragedy.

His musings were cut short as Klaus re-entered the room. Noticing the silence, the hybrid smiled. "Oh don't stop on my account."

"Not everything revolves around you Niklaus," Finn sneered. "Did mother give you a good berating?"

Klaus's eyes narrowed in fury and Elijah slowly rose to his feet, ready to step in between them. Rebekah however looked at Klaus and her eyes narrowed on something. In a flash she had it out of Klaus' hand.

"Rebekah," Klaus warned, striding towards his sister with the intent to kill but she simply zoomed to the other side of the room, scanning the words written on the piece of card in her hand.

"Ugh vomit, you're inviting the blonde Nik? Caroline is it? To the ball. Really?"

"Mother said I had to," Klaus stated shortly, leaving no room for argument. Snatching the invitation back, he ended the conversation abruptly and strode towards the door.

"Wait Niklaus," Elijah ordered and Klaus halted in his footsteps as he made his way towards him, pulling out something from his suit pocket. He held it lightly between two fingers. "I also need to deliver something."

Klaus smirked as he read the name on the invitation. "Good choice, let's go brother." The two of them left the room, leaving two of the remaining three originals stunned.

Kol however, just crossed his arms casually as he threw himself onto the sofa next to his sister. "See, like I said, smitten. Already." He tilted his head towards Rebekah and threw an arm around her shoulders. "You owe me $60 by the way. I told you he would give her one within the hour."

Rebekah shrugged him off the sofa and scowled.


I was fully showered and dressed as I left the bathroom. Checking my reflection in the mirror, I smiled and made my way to the living room. Caroline wasn't there.

"Caroline?" I called out, poking my head into each room. "Caroline? Carooo-"

I cut myself off as I found her frozen near to the door with her phone in her hand. It was then when I heard Tyler's voice on speaker.

"I am going to fix myself and come home to you. I love you."

The message ended and Caroline stood frozen. I hesitantly made my way towards her and pulled her into a hug.

"Do you think he will?" Caroline's muffled voice asked and I shook my head at her insecurity. She didn't need it.

"It's Tyler."

"That's my point."

I pulled back to look into her eyes. "The Tyler I met a few days ago is not the same douchebag I used to know. He loves you, he will come back or he'll have to face me."

Caroline smiled. There was a pause. "Of course he will. I was just being stupid."

The doorbell rang and I laughed as Caroline puffed up her hair to add more volume. "How do I look?"

I raised an eyebrow, seriously questioning her priorities. "You're answering the door."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she strode towards it. I walked towards her and leaned against the frame as I looked around. No one was there. "Oh look Caroline. You scared them off."

"Shut up." Caroline laughed as she bent down to pick up two large white boxes. "Give me a hand."

Please don't tell me they're shoes "What the hell did you order?" I questioned but complied and shut the door with my foot.

"That's the thing Soph, I haven't ordered anything."

Frowning, we set the boxes down on the table. The two of us simultaneously paused, looked at each other and nodded before removing the lids. Within each box there was a sealed envelope resting on top of some thin red tissue paper.

I picked up one of the letters and my heart faltered as I saw the name typed in the elegant font. "Hey Care, this is addressed to me."

Caroline peered over my shoulder confused. "It is in the same font as mine."

Making a decision, I took a deep breath, hesitantly slipped open the envelope and pulled out the card – no not card, I corrected myself. Invitation. I furrowed my eyebrows as I read it out loud, "Please join the Mikaelson family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails and celebration."

My initial thoughts were no way in hell but I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious. I glanced at Caroline, pleased to see she looked as baffled as I was. "Who the hell are the Mikaelson's?"

I shrugged, placing the card on the table. "Don't know, don't care, I'm not going." The last thing on my mind at this moment in time was attending some fancy ball.

Caroline stepped in front of me with wide eyes, "Soph, you have to go. It will be fun."

I sighed and unthinkingly flipped the card over, "Care we don't even know who these people are…" I trailed off as I stared in shock at the writing on the back.

I believe we have unfinished business.

Ardently,

Elijah.

I smiled slightly, shivering slightly at his words then shook my head. Don't care. Still not going. Doesn't change anything! I didn't even believe my thoughts as a faint blush spread its way across my cheeks.

Caroline gawked at the writing on my card then turned hers over. "Seriously," she scoffed and I bit my lip. The curiosity was killing me.

"What does it say?" I questioned hesitantly.

"Save me a dance. Fondly, Klaus." Caroline fumed. "If he even thinks that I am going to be within ten centimeter distance from him, he has another thing coming."

She started muttering to herself and I tentatively stepped forwards. With trembling fingers, I pinched at the tissue paper and removed the wrapping from the box. My breath caught.

"-and another thing, this so called do is in less than ten hours so how does that twit think we can buy a dress during that time? I mean seriously? We aren't all gazillionaires."

"I don't think we have to worry about a dress Caroline," I breathed out and she stopped immediately, her rant completely forgotten. I showed the rest of the content to her and her mouth dropped open.

"Woah."

Without a word, she pulled the wrappings off her box as I carefully lifted the dress out of mine. There were no words. It was simply stunning. The ruby red material felt like silk in my hands and it sparkled from the diamonds on the one shoulder. Real diamonds. Not wanting to hold it for too long in case it disintegrated in my hands, I slipped it back into the box.

Then I turned to see Caroline who was standing still, her mouth agape and I squinted down to see a pale blue dress with diamonds and long white gloves.

"Something wrong Care?"

Caroline snapped out of her daze and longing turned into disgust. She glared at the dress, not taking her eyes off it. "I'm not wearing that."

I moved next to her and raised my eyebrow. Honestly, I couldn't see anything wrong with it. But then, I remembered I wasn't Caroline. "Why not?"

"Because it's from Klaus. The freak hybrid who drove away my boyfriend and kills people without remorse."

She then paused and turned to me with an expression I knew too well from Elena and Jeremy. The puppy dog face. The face which always appeared for one reason. The blonde vampire wanted something.

"What," I sighed and Caroline stepped forwards, blue eyes moving from her dress to mine. She tilted her head to the side, considering something.

"Can we swap?"

An uncontrollable laugh escaped from my lips before I shook my head. "Hell no!"

"But Elijah has better taste."

I grinned, nodding in agreement, trailing my hands over the fabric. "I know."

Caroline moaned in frustration and I actually thought she would stomp her foot. "The blue dress would suit you more."

It was a weak attempt of a retaliation but I decided to have some fun with it. I stared at the ceiling deep in thought. "It would, wouldn't it?"

"Yes." Caroline's hopeful voice almost shouted and I let my head drop.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Caroline Forbes."

Caroline's shoulders sagged and she huffed in annoyance. I closed my eyes, a cruel cruel idea entering my mind. Opening them, my lips twitched. "We'll flip for it Care."

Caroline squealed and I felt the air move rapidly around me as she disappeared with a whoosh then reappeared a second later with a coin. I almost felt bad for her… key word, almost.

"Heads I win, tails you lose," I put in quickly and Caroline nodded before throwing it up in the air and catching it.

"Heads," Caroline whispered and I bumped her shoulder.

"Don't worry Care, I still don't know if I will go but until then, you're wearing Klaus' dress to the ball."

She protested weakly but I ignored her as I grabbed our coats and we both headed for the grill to meet my sister. As soon as we entered, I spotted her instantly.

Quickly crossing the room, I drew her into a hug.

"I'm okay Sophie," Elena whispered and I pulled back to look in her eyes. She hated it when I did this.

"You sure?" I pressed on and Elena sighed.

"No I'm not… but I will be."

"Of course we will be." Caroline squeezed in between us and threw an arm over our shoulders. "We're survivors. We always prevail."

I laughed and sat down. "Loving the confidence. So what have I missed in the past twenty four hours?"

Elena sighed and sat down, putting her head in her hands. "You are not going to believe this. This morning I got an invitation to-"

"The Mikaelson Ball?" I interrupted and at Elena's perplexed nod, Caroline folded her arms.

"Typical. It's like some twisted Cinderella fetish. Who was yours off?"

"Esther. She wants to talk to me."

I racked my brain, thinking back to last night but came up completely blank. "Who is Esther?"

"The Original mom slash witch." I was still confused and Elena, noticing, elaborated, "She was locked in the coffin that Bonnie opened."

"Wait, hold on," Caroline slammed her hands on the table resulting in some strange looks. She lowered her voice "We are talking about the original witch - as in the original witch who has wanted Klaus dead for the past gazillion years kind of witch?"

"Yeah but apparently she only wants them to be a family again."

I however, was worried. That didn't seem right at all. The witches wouldn't just give Bonnie those dreams about a weapon to kill Klaus. They weren't usually the kind to lie. Manipulate yes but never lie. There must be some other kind of explanation.

Caroline was thinking along the same lines, "Why does this evil witch want an audience with you then?"

"I have no idea but there's only one way to find out." My sister said it with such determination that I pulled her hands away from her face.

"That means you're going?" I asked, staring into her eyes as I tried to decipher the emotion within them. All I could find was resolution.

"I have to Sophie. I have to find out what she wants."

"I thought you told Damon and Stefan you weren't going," Caroline accused and Elena responded,

"I did, which is all the more reason I need a drama free body guard." She sent a meaningful glance to me and Caroline.

I grumbled inaudibly. Was it too much to ask for just one day without any drama? I had made my decision. "Then it looks like I'm going too. Sorry Care." Caroline thudded her head onto the table. Elena stared at her oddly and I explained, "It's a long story involving dresses but I am not letting you walk into this alone Elena."

My sister knew better to argue with me and nodded in acceptance. Caroline looked up. "She'll have Stefan too. There is no way he won't go." Elena was about to protest but I held a hand up.

"Don't say anything; he can protect you if we aren't there."

"Besides, he'll look hot in a tux."

I laughed at Caroline's blunt statement but Elena just rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Uhh, right now I can't deal with either of the Salvatores. Stefan is channelling all his feelings against Klaus and Damon…" She paused and I saw some sadness in her eyes "It's just not a good idea."

"Why, cause you two made out?" My eyes widened and I snapped my head towards Caroline who had her full attention on Elena. "Bonnie spilled."

I stood up. "And on that note."

Elena glanced up at me confused. "Where are you going?"

"To grab a drink. I really don't want to hear about my baby sister tonguing anyone."

As I took a few steps towards the bar I just caught some of their conversation if I strained my ears.

"You're lucky to have her back."

"I know, I just want to know why she left in the first place. She didn't even say goodbye. No explanation, no nothing. I wanted to hate her but how could I when I missed her so much?"

"Give her time."

I closed my eyes, all of a sudden feeling extremely tired. My sister was right. She deserved to know the truth, it wasn't fair on her. I knew that I would have to tell her soon, if only to show her that I didn't need protecting but I was afraid that I would lose my sister forever.

"Do you want a shot of absinthe or could I get you something stronger?"

My mouth twitched and I opened my eyes, hearing the familiar voice. "You know that I haven't forgiven you for that yet. I'll get my revenge, just you wait."

"Oh well, at least it will be the closest we will ever get to normal." There was a note of bitter resentment in Matt's tone as he passed me a coke but I knew better than to ask him about it. "So how was the dinner party?"

"Interesting to say the least," I replied, taking a sip of my drink before straightening up. The back of my neck was tingling. Trying to not alert Matt, I casually surveyed the occupants of the bar but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Matt didn't ask anything else; his eyes were trained on Elena and Caroline's table. Swallowing, I pushed away my returning paranoia for now and followed his gaze. My body stilled at the sight of the female original who had come to a halt beside my sister.

"Think we should step in?" Matt asked as he slowly placed down a glass he had been drying. Rebekah didn't look too happy and for the first time, I wasn't entirely sure I knew how much animosity lay between her and Elena. What had my sister done to incur an original's wrath?

"She'll have to be incredibly stupid if she even dares to cause a scene here," I muttered and Matt agreed. The relief was short lived as the blonde original looked around and her eyes rested on mine. I kept my gaze trained on her as she started to make her way towards us.

"Rebekah," I greeted casually and the blonde original inclined her head in acknowledgement "Sophie, Matt."

"What are you doing in here?" Matt asked inquisitively and I thought I saw Rebekah relax. She handed him an envelope.

"I never got the chance to go with you to homecoming. I thought this would be the chance to make it up to you."

Matt pocketed the invitation and cleared his throat. "Thanks Rebekah. I'll be free tonight to accompany you."

Rebekah's lips tilted upwards. "Great I will see you there." She then turned to me and I squared my shoulders as we stared each other down. In the end Rebekah smiled in admiration. "Guess, I will see you there too. I can see why my brother invited you."

With one last look at Matt, she flounced out of the grill.

Matt looked flabbergasted and turned to me, demanding an explanation. I answered the underlying question he was dying to ask with one word. "Elijah."

Matt took a hold of my hand. "Be careful tonight Sophie. We have no idea what is going to go down. These things always end in tragedy if vampires are involved."

I heard the anxiety in his voice and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I will if you do. Now I believe I am going to have to start getting ready."

Matt stared at me weirdly. "You girls, I will never understand why you need hours and hours to get prepared."

I downed the rest of my drink and stood up. "Don't bother trying. It will hurt your head." Waving goodbye, I strode towards Elena and Caroline.

Caroline had straightened up in resignation and scoffed, "What time is this stupid dance?"

"Seven now get up," I interrupted but both girls crossed their arms in protest.

"But we haven't even ordered drinks yet."

I sighed as I turned towards the exit. "You had enough time to order when you were chatting about your sex lives. It's fine though. I guess I'll leave you to do your own hair-"

I heard the sudden scraping of chairs and laughed. A few days I had been back and both girls had clearly noticed my talent for styling. The three of us left the grill and for once in my life I felt normal.

I felt free.

I felt too happy to even notice the glowing ember eyes in the darkest corner of the room which had been discreetly following my every move.


Hope you liked this, drop a review if you did! I love reading them. Until next time :)