"There was something about her.

Something pure, something kind.

You broke her.

Snuffed out her light, and in return she destroyed you.

Kindness turned to blood in the water, and purity to ash.

What rose from the dust, well you'll never survive.

Phoenixs' are their most beautiful as they burn."

~x~

….

Elijah watched her from the corner of his eyes. She'd turned her attention away from him back to staring sulkily out the window. Absently taping her fingers against the table taking very few sips of the coffee held in her other hand. Marcella wanted to be left alone but she knew he wouldn't be letting her go anytime soon. He'd hold on to any reminder of his family in a vice unwavering grip.

"How?" He finally breaks the silence, she drags her eyes back to him. Instead of answering immediately she brings the coffee cup to her lips and takes a long sip.

Marcella sets the cup down leaning forward deliberately. She encroaches dangerously close to his person, fully aware of all the eyes on them. Every vampire in the vicinity knew exactly who was sitting across from her and she was just couldn't find herself to care. Elijah didn't instill the same type of fear that Niklaus had. Either way it didn't matter anymore. Abruptly she stands, startling the glass on the table.

She was entirely too dead to care.

"I'm bored, let's take a walk." She chides whimsicly holding out a hand to him playfully. Elijah can see it in her-his- eyes that it's not really something that he has a say in. It's demanding, colloquially acted, she's not going to answer his questions until she gets whatever it is she wants from him.

They walk quietly, she practically skips next to him, he observes her perfected act. Elijah was starting to see exactly why his contact had made such a big deal about her presence. She reminded him so strongly of his brother, the resemblance is uncanny. Guilt builds in his core as he tries to push away the memory of his role played, the reason he hadn't seen his brother in over a century.

She watches his from the corner of her eyes, tucking her hands in the pockets of her coat she slows her pace until she'd no longer moving standing still. Elijah stops with her and follows her gaze; they're on a young mother and her child. The look that takes over her face is thoughtful, reverent. He wonders briefly why such a thing would warrant such a look. But ultimately decides that she more than likely wouldn't be sharing.

He wasn't privy to her thoughts.

Marcella looks away after another second, uncovering one of her hands and then linking it through his arm. She leans into his side, as if her limbs are to heavy as if she were still human as if she needed him to hold her up. Much to his surprise-because from their interaction thus far, he nary believe such a thing to be true-, although he doesn't show it. Elijah goes back to his silent observation. Gently she tugs him along, as if something has changed, as if entertaining him is something she doesn't practically mind doing contrary to what she'd showed.

As if entertaining him was amusing for her. Elijah knew undoubtedly that that was definitely a trait of his brother. Marcella gently urges them up the sidewalk, tucked into his side, expression distant. Pondering. He held his breath curious as to what she'd say.

It would be impervious to pay attention.

"I use to think that if I was a good person, if I tried really hard, than nothing bad would ever happen. That what I did, and had to say was important enough.." She rambles, thoughts far away, Elijah listens to her drift.

"As I grew, I realized some things. The how, the why, none of that really mattered. That I wasn't a good person. I am okay with it, I think. So don't ask me how, or why. Because not only do I not have the answer for you Elijah honestly even if I did I wouldn't give it." Marcella dropped her hold, leaned up pecked his cheek softly before turning on her heal and walking away.

"I'll see you later darlin'!" She throws a hand over her shoulder as she walks, leaving him standing there alone.

Elijah lets her walk away knowing it's not the last time. Knowing that not only would he be seeing her soon, but it wouldn't be the last time she left him feeling so baffled. There was so much to her that was his brother that he'd overlooked the things that were her.

Marcella Forbes was something special. Something unpredictable.

Something still mostly human.

…

The petite blonde is standing center stage, clapping her hands together as she directs. "One, two, one two, three, down, up, and again." He watches as she joins in the ensemble fitting in to place easily as the other dancers look to her smaller frame for instruction.

He'd known she was good, but he hadn't seen, hadn't realized just how good she was. He leaned against the door frame watching young dancers practice being snowflakes, following her every move. She moves among them with such ease. When she'd told him about her upcoming show, he hadn't realized it would what might have been one of his favorite ballets.

When the number ends she flits out of the group drawing her hands together in a loud clap. "Good job everyone, I'll see you bright and early." Marcella bounces off to the side of the stage where what he assumes is the actual director of the performance is waiting for her.

"Are you sure you aren't taking on to much Marcella? Dancing one of the main and then teaching the younger… You must be tired." The older woman muses, he doesn't see it but he's sure she just smiles. If her response is anything to go off of that is.

"Don't worry about me Mya, everything is fine. Let's run through the pas de deux and then we can call it a night." Her tone nothing but compassionate, gentle, kind, he'd almost forgotten. He watches from his spot as another dancer joins them. A young man, probably the male dancing the role of the prince, he joins them eagerly. Marcella turns to smile at him.

"I know i'm no Roman Wealcan, but I'll do my best." That same gentle look on her face as she accepts his outstretched hand. Niklaus hadn't been aware of just how popular she was, how well known. He hoped that she wouldn't need to be reminded that as a vampire she could no longer be that.

She laughs, it's soft, soothing to the ears. "Ro' can't dance Coqueluche, you'll be great." Marcella assures her dance partner and then they part and take the starting spots.

In his long life, he has seen many different version of The Nutcracker. Klaus had seen the original performance in St. Petersburg with his brothers. Both he and Elijah had found it rather charming at the time, a nice change. But it had been Kol who was completely taken by the piece. When they'd gone to see it Niklaus had forgotten just how much his younger brother had loved dancing, music. It was one of those things that had been frowned upon in their childhood and Kol, well Kol always loved those things.

It made him wonder just how his younger brother would react to seeing someone he'd so obviously claimed be apart of something he fancied. Klaus wasn't a fool. He'd known from the moment he'd met Marcella just how important she would be, how important she was. As an older brother he hadn't forgotten the feel of his younger brothers magic, how it felt when it was lost and just how she'd made him feel there first meeting. Marcella was special.

Klaus wasn't sure how far his brother had gone for the blonde, what deal he'd made, or even how he'd made it. But he knew undoubtedly that Kol had made a deal for her soul and his younger brother always got what he wanted. There was a tiny part of him that didn't know if he wanted to share.

Tchaikovsky faded out of the background and the pas de duez came to an end.

Marcella patted the cheek of her dance partner offering him on of her brilliant bright smiles before hopping off the stage and giving a round of thanks to the small orchestra. Then her eyes locked with his and she rolled them before picking up a bag out of on of the chairs and waltzing over to him gracefully. Still in her pointe shoes and acting like it didn't bother her.

"When I told you I was performing it wasn't an invitation to drop in on rehearsal." She tells him chastising all the while throwing her arms around him and kissing both his cheeks. Thoroughly contradicting herself with her own actions. He offers her a smirk.

"Just came to check on you sweetheart. My sources told me of your meeting with my elder brother." She rolls her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Probably at the use of the pet name he knows she hates. But regardless all it does is prove to amuse him

"Yeah, Eli' is a piece of work. I hope you know that by showing up you now have to buy me dinner." Marcella tells him using his arm as support she doesn't need while bending over and untying her shoes. He just shakes his head.

"I'm the most feared vampire in existence, have care how you speak." He warns, although his tone isn't at all serious and she just giggles. Condescending patting his arm in response.

"I'm entirely too dead to care." Marcella informs him, smile coy and couth. Pulling a pair of high-tops out of the duffel on her shoulder putting them on quickly. Klaus smirked at the top of her head.

Well at least dying hadn't ruined her sense of humor.

…

Damon snickers down at his phone, at the obnoxious selfie Marcella has sent him, at the over the top expression on the blonds' faces. Smirking that the other male had reacted just as he suspected when Damon had shot him a warning text and a picture of Marcella's eyes. He figured if anyone would know what that happened when apparently only vampires could see the change of tone it would be that old bastard.

When neither Liz or Caroline had noticed the tone change, Damon knew something was wrong. Eyes didn't just change colors, that wasn't something that happened. Not even to vampires. Vampirism wasn't a cure all or some sort of cosmetic upgrade. Yeah there were perks, but that didn't mean there weren't aspects of it that were also a curse.

He hoped she never had to learn them, but he wasn't naive to believe otherwise. "Marcella?" Damon looks up taking in his brothers curious face, ignoring the concerned undertones. Stefan could take his self righteousness and shove it. He rolls his eyes.

"What it matter to you Stef-o?" Stefan sort of shrugs and takes the empty seat next to him despite not being asked to.

"Just unusual I guess, since you met her she's been glued to your hip practically every weekend. You two are practically an old married couple." Damon can't help but to gag at the thought. Married to Marcella just was all sorts of wrong. Implied that he had gross feelings for her.

His princess was just that, a pretty perfect princess, he was not the knight intended to save her. As if she needed saving that it. Instead, Damon believed himself to be more the ferocious dragon guarding the tower. He did not have romantic feelings for the small baby vampire.

Damon chuckles at the accusation out loud, mostly for Stefan's benefit, as if it the single most hilarious thing he'd ever heard. "Don't be disgusting brother. Pedophilia isn't my style." Whatever he's about to say is cut off by the ringing of his video chat and Damon is quick to answer.

Marcella forever frozen baby cheeked face pops onto the screen. She giggling madly and trying to regain the control of her breathing. "Nik is trying to seduce our waiter and it's the funniest thing since she's been flirting with both of us the whole time!" Damon snorts, picturing how put off the other male must be not to have to undivided attention of the waitress. He should have known Marcella just had that effect on people.

She was easy to love.

Damon stands taking his phone with him, quirking an eyebrow at her. Stefan watches quietly from his spot, wondering briefly who Nik was and how Damon knew him. Especially considering his older brother's reaction to that piece of information.

"I'm obliged to inform you that you can't have a threesome with that guy, he's entirely to old for you princess." There is a snort from the other end followed by an amused but disgruntled protest.

"I'm not that much older than you mate." There's something vaguely familiar about that voice, but Stefan can't place it and Damon leaves the room before continuing.

Stefan doesn't missed the amused. "Physically maybe." From the blonde girl and then whatever is said after Damon is to far away for him to hear.

Well then. Whoever Nik was he was apparently another vampire. Stefan couldn't shake the feeling of inexpiable dread that washed over him in that moment. How did such an innocent human attract and warrant such a feeling from him? Why?

For some reason, Stefan got the feeling he was going to find out very soon. And that he wasn't going to like what he discovered.

XOXOX

OMG! You guys! Your reviews have been so wonderful and inspiring to me. Thank you, thank you so much! I'm so glad that you are all still liking the direction I'm taking this. Also time frame wise just so you know, It's mid November at this point. Now I know that the Miss Mystic fall pageant episode was aired in the spring but in this story it is a winter pageant taking place in December/January.

Halloween has passed, its almost thanksgiving. The way I have it planned the curse won't be broken until the new year. Just a heads up, so probably 5+ more episodes before we see Kol… Maybe. Depends on how the flow for the next little arch goes.

Anyway thank you again for your kind words and lovely reviews!

A note, to help explain. The bond between Marcella and Kol is also affected by the effects of vampirism… Just so you know. Also look out for some strong contradictions of Marcella's character in the future as a result of this. Just a warning.

Thanks for reading, please keep letting me know how you feel and what you think! I love hearing from you guys!

Have a great one!

Sincerely, La'Rae