Chapter 21

I reached my hand through the bars of the small cage Caroline and I were being held in and tried to unlock the door. My arm twisting in a painful manner. I grasped the latch and pulled. Almost as soon as the RV's door budged opened the guy who shot me stepped in and stomped his way over to me quickly. Kicking my hand just as I was about to pull it back into the cramped cage, he brought his foot down a second time and crushed it, breaking every single bone in my fingers. When I finally managed to drag my limp hand back into the cage, I growled at him.

"Goodnight sweet cheeks," he said with an evil smirk.

He pulled out his gun and an excruciating pain blasted my head. The world fell away from me as I collapsed onto the harsh cage floor.

~New Orleans: 1875~

I smoothed my dress down and smiled at Rebekah who was tearing up behind me. She had helped pick out the dress which caused an unfamiliar smile to grace my lips. I knew that we would get along, but not as well as we have since I woke up in her brothers bed.

"Oh, God, you look so beautiful Alex," she said in her soft British accent, making me smile harder at her.

"Nik is going to go insane" she smirked, walking around me. She patted her eyes with a lace handkerchief and admired her handy work.

Stopping her as she walked in front of me, I pulled her into a tight hug which she returned almost immediately.

"Oh, thank you, Bekah," I pulled back as she began to cry a little harder. "I know one day you'll have the chance to do this."

I grabbed her handkerchief and dabbed the spot she had missed.

"I hope so," she mumbled, tearing up once more as she realised how big a hold Nik had on her life. She didn't fight it often but when she did, it was tooth and nail. Regularly ending with her in a coffin.

Smoothing the hair so I could tuck it behind her ear I smiled at her sadly.

"It'll work out in the end," I smiled.

A knock came from the door and Elijah entered the room.

"Are you ready ladies?" he asked with an easy smile.

He'd gotten so comfortable with me being around and even stopped calling me 'Miss Salvatore' and started to call me Alex, or the lovely Alexandra when he was feeling extra nice.

"More then ever," I mumbled with a smile.

I linked my arms with Bekah and Elijah, allowing them to escort me into the garden where a crowd of people were waiting. Music began to play as we made our way down the aisle towards Nik. He was looking rather dashing in his Sunday best.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you are here to witness the union of this man and this woman. They will be entering the holiest of matrimony and so let us begin," the priest began as soon as I was close enough to Nik.

Nik stared at me with lovely eyes lightened with happiness.

"Who gives away this woman?" The priest asked, looking at Elijah who I had a death grip on.

"I, Elijah Mikaelson, am stepping in for Miss Salvatore's late father," Elijah said, his face smoothed into a serious expression and his eyes glittering at the Priest.

"And who is receiving this woman?"

The Priest looked at Nik who was still staring at me.

"I, Niklaus Mikaelson, am receiving this beautiful woman," his eyes flashed with a looked of absolute determination and love.

"Step forward," the Priest motioned for me to move closer and take Nik's hand. "Do you, Alexandra Salvatore, promise to love and hold Niklaus Mikaelson for as long as you both shall live?"

I stared at Nik and licked my dry lips.

"I do," I mumbled, a blush warming my cheeks, causing Nik's smile to grow even more.

"And do you, Niklaus Mikaelson, promise to love and protect Alexandra Salvatore for as long as you both shall live?" the priest turned to Nik who grinned harder.

"I do, Always and Forever," he said, making my heart clench with love.

"The rings?"

Bekah stepped forward and handed me Nik's wedding ring which was just a simple silver band. With shaking fingers, I slide the ring onto his left hand and smiled up at him. Bekah handed him my ring, once again simple sliver, but with a moonstone setting.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride Mr. Mikaelson," the priest stepped back and Nik stepped forward. He pulled me into his arms, kissing me soundly and pulled away with a smirk, knowing I wanted to keep going.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson," there was loud applause and I was pulled into a bone crushing hug by Bekah.

"I'm so happy for you Alex," she smiled, kissing both my cheeks.

I returned her smile and wiped away the tears that were sliding down my cheeks.

"Alex?" I looked up at Bekah whose voice had changed from soft and British to bubbly and American.

"Alex, please you have to wake up," she shook me hard.

~Present day~

I opened my eyes and pinned the person who was shaking me to the ground with a snarl.

"Alex," Caroline choked out from beneath me.

Letting her go with a gasp, I looked around the trailer for the guy who shot me. If someone was going to die tonight it was going to be him.

"Where is that son of a bitch?" I growled out as I strained my ears to hear people fighting outside, Caroline move me out of the way and tried to unlock the door like I had done before I was shot, she stopped dead in her tracks when the RV's door opened and Tyler stepped in looking panicked.

"Tyler, there's a latch on the door and I can't get to it" she said with a gasp, he just looked over at his and hesitated "Tyler?" she whispered out trying to get through to him. "Tyler, please! Tyler?" he sighed at her and came over to the cage unlocking the door he slide the door open and held it there with shaking legs as Caroline and I crawled out, I ran out of the RV first and pulled the heart out of one of the guys that was fighting Stefan. Caroline squealed as Jules pushed her against the RV and put a gun to her head. About to charge forward I notice the guy who shot me about to stake Damon, he lifted it above his head and stopped and began to scream in pain.

Jules did the same dropping the gun, she fell to the floor unconscious which left the rest of us to stare at each other and assessed the damage that they had done.

"What's happening?" Caroline asked as the wolves who were still alive dropped to the ground as well, there was a snap of a twig and all heads turned towards the opening of the clearing where a witch was muttering under his breath.

"What the hell is going on?" Tyler asked dumbly, as Stefan and Damon go to their feet and make their way over to me, hands touched my arms and Damon whipped away the dried blood that sat on the base of my neck.

"Elijah made a promise to Elena" the witch said looking at me with a nod "I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go. Get out of here. Now" we didn't need to be told twice, we left Tyler alone with the pissed off witch.

We were a little ways away from the RV when Damon turned to Stefan who was helping Caroline "you take blondie home I'll make sure Alex is okay" Stefan gave me one last look before nodding and taking off towards Caroline's house.

My brother and I were left in a tense silence as we made our way home, trudging up the stairs I opened my bedroom door and walked over to my vanity that sat next to my wardrobe. I cringed as I began to pull out wooden splinters out of my neck where the wolf had shot me.

"We gonna talk about it?" Damon asked coming to stand behind me, glancing at him I sighed and dabbed the blood that was slowly seeping out of my small puncher wounds.

"What is there to talk about?" I asked as he took the cotton ball out of my hand and dabbed the blood away for me.

"The fact that you know more then what you're saying and that you know Klaus" he stated meeting my eyes in the mirror.

"What do you want me to say? that I traveled with Elijah and Klaus for years? that I came to be one of their family?" I looked at him with hard eyes, trying not to tear up. I didn't want my brothers to find out this way, I didn't want them to be told by someone else.

"Yes" he threw away the cotton ball as the wounds healed and ran his hands through his hair "I feel like we hardly know who you are, you turned up in the 70's in New York to annoy Lexi until then I didn't even know you were alive"

"Do you think I wanted to keep it that way?" I asked turning in my chair I raised my eyebrow and stood up so we were talking on the same level "God when I saw you in New York I was so happy, Lexi was the one who suggested I not make contact with you until she was done her stupid mission to give you redemption" I touched his face and rubbed my thumb over his stubble.

He sighed and leaned his face into my hand "that's why you turned up after I tricked her" he asked leaning forward to kiss my forehead gently.

"Yes" I smiled pulling away from him I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly, my chest feeling lighter and my shoulders felt like the world had been removed from them, I sighed in contentment as he wrapped his arms around me, the tears that I had been holding back sprung from my eyes and I sobbed into his shoulder another set of arms wrapped around me and I knew it was Stefan.

This is where I belonged, in the caring arms of both my brothers, with my family who always cared no matter what. My mind tugged a little bit when I remembered how much Nik cared, maybe one day he'd forgive me for betraying him.