Chapter 24: Vacation

[Elijah's POV]

After seeing Damon and Angela off for Italy; I guide Isa to a hangar with my private jet waiting in front of it. We are going away for a few days. I want to spend time alone with my wife. I received clearance from her doctor so she can fly. I want to show her where the family story began. We are visiting the place where the family started out in Scandinavia. The next stop from here is one of my favorite spots. I want to show Isa my getaway in the mountains of Colorado.

[Isa's POV]

Elijah and I vacation in Bergen Norway. He tells me stories that had been passed down to him by Finn about living in the forests. Finn remembered being on a fishing boat with Mikael and other fishermen when the weather permitted. His task was to keep the ropes coiled properly.

We spend a week in the beautiful city. We tour several art galleries and museums. I try different foods, even venturing to eat a reindeer meat pizza.

He explains that the trade routes that were established here were very important even back when Finn was growing up. The family used those routes to leave for the new world. Finn remembers a bad storm and them finding a harbor to shelter them until the storm passed. They eventually made their way to Mystic Falls.

He doesn't maintain a home here. He was still in the womb when his parents relocated to the new world so he doesn't have an attachment to the city.

[Elijah's POV]

I nudge Isa to wake up our plane will be landing soon. I hope Isa enjoys my getaway home as much as I do. My Colorado home is by a private lake surrounded by mountains miles from the closest town. It's a large two story ranch styled home from the front. When I built it I chose to use native Colorado materials for esthetic reasons. The entire outside facade is made from red sandstone quarried nearby, which complements the tiled roof. The large windows have roughhewn flower boxes. The front door is thick made of Oak with black iron hardware.

Inside my home, the kitchen and bathrooms have marble floors, shower stalls and counter tops also quarried here in Colorado. To complement the western feel of the home here are a few stuffed animal heads and bear skin rugs in the downstairs living/rec room. All of them being Niklaus, Kol's and my trophies, all of us are excellent marksmen. Much to the locals' dismay, we outshoot the local marksmen in the nearby town.

I'm not disappointed, Isa gasps as she sees my home for the first time as we drive around the bend. My home is hidden by thick woods. The outlying stone fence also hides the structure.

She whispers, "This is your getaway home? It's a freaking mansion. You can't do anything small can you?"

I laugh. "This is small compared to some of our dwellings in England."

Isa narrows her eyes. "You own castles don't you."

I laugh, "A few here and there throughout Europe. I think we own a few Haciendas in Spain and Villas in Italy and Greece."

She pops me lightly on the arm. "Show off."

"I'll show you something more impressive when we get inside." I waggle my eyebrows. She laughs.

Later in the afternoon just before sunset, we are on a stroll around the lake I notice a white oak sapling that is not indigenous to the area.

[Isa's POV]

Elijah is chatting with me about his property. He pales. He is looking at a small sapling and I see his hands tremble. I ask him "what's wrong?"

He points at the small sapling. "That is an ancient white oak tree. I can tell by the bark and the leaves."

I respond by asking, "Ok, what has you so upset?"

"The only wooden stake that can kill an Original Vampire is made from Ancient White Oak. There can only be one tree in existence at a time. This is the first living one I have seen since we burned down the first tree."

"Who has access to this place?"

He looks at me questioningly. "Family, a caretaker and a very few close family friends have visited with us."

"Limit access to only family, after today. Only hire people that really need jobs from various cities, compel them to care for the place, return them to their former homes, without memory of where the place is located, only knowing a wealthy eccentric hired them to do a job and paid them good money if they are ever needed."

"If you have restricted access to this area, let it grow here. Then it will not appear in an area you have no knowledge of or no access to; which would give your enemies an advantage. Here you have control, and only the family will have knowledge of where it is."

What kind of oak is that one over there among the spruce trees? Elijah looks up to where I'm pointing. "That is a Bur oak: it is in the white oak family also."

Find out other types of oaks that could grow here and make a grove of different kinds of oaks. No one will suspect anything. We can cloak the tree with Elven magic. Freya can also cloak this area with a witchy spell."

Elijah relaxes. "I will call Freya after dinner."

[Freya's POV]

Elijah called me last night and asked if I will come to his Colorado retreat. I dimension shift carefully so not to pop in on anything I wouldn't want to see and arrive at the house. I am in the foyer of the home. It has a mud room to the side, to hang up coats, stow muddy boots, and an umbrella rack. If Isa ever wants pets along with her triplets, it will be a good feature. "Isa, Elijah, Anyone home?" I yell.

I hear Isa's laughter. "We are in the living room. Walk past the door of the mudroom and up two steps the entry to the living room is there."

I enter a large room with three sets of couches, love seats, reading chairs, and coffee tables all in groups around the room. "This looks like a hotel lobby."

Isa laughs at me. "Elijah wanted a meeting room to accommodate our growing family. It's his way of picking on me because I call so many family gatherings."

"Well if someone stayed out of trouble, we wouldn't need so many."

"I'm not the only member of the family that draws unwanted attention." Isa mock glares at me.

"Ladies," Elijah warns.

Both of us turn towards him and stick out our tongues at the same time. Then laugh at his 'God give me patience look."

"We need a cloaking spell for an Ancient White Oak sapling growing in the woods by the lake." Elijah gets to the point of my visit.

"You will have to pick your suite of rooms. This place is huge. I know you like to keep your magic components together; there are one or two suites on the garden level you might like or there is a cottage down by the lake." Isa points out.

"I'll choose one of the suites on the garden level, Thanks."

I leave the room to check out which suite I want.

[Elijah's POV]

He pulls Isa into his arms. "Niklaus wants to relocate to New Orleans."

"I know. I just think that this place will make a good vacation home for all of us. Plus I think this place will be a break from all the action that you guys seem to attract. We all need a peaceful place to unwind. I'm just glad Freya is first to pick out a suite that she can claim as hers. I don't think she will stay single for long; now that she has a chance to regain a life for herself."

He pulls her up onto his lap and nuzzles her ear. "You can't help yourself. You want everyone around you to be happy."

She turns her face to kiss him. Breaking the kiss briefly, "I think you and the rest of the family deserve some happiness for once."

In the morning they show Freya and Adolphus the Ancient White Oak sapling. Both of them place warding and shielding spells on the sapling to prevent detection by various forms of magic and view from anyone walking in the woods that might catch a glimpse of it.

He calls for a family meeting to discuss the sapling. Niklaus flies in from New Orleans, Kol brings Caroline and Charlie with a dimension shift from Mystic Falls, Sage and Finn dimension shift from a private yacht in the Greek isles. As everyone arrives Isa asks them to pick out rooms they would like to claim. She has decreed this as one of the family vacation homes; the reason being the sapling growing in the woods. Everyone is to take responsibility of guardianship.

The next morning we all gather around the sapling. "You weren't kidding." Finn points out. "It is a good thing this area is so secluded."

"I wanted you to see this for yourselves. Isa and I have discussed letting it grow and thrive here where we know where it is and can conceal it. If we destroy it we don't know where the next sapling will appear or who will have access to it. We think it is better here. Isa and I will let you discuss it and give us your recommendations in the morning."

[Caroline's POV]

Isa called to invite me to come here with Charlie. I know she feels like I am a sister from another mother. This is a huge decision about something very dangerous to their family. I am surprised to be included. She is showing me that I am valued as a member of her family. For once I feel like I really belong.

Niklaus hands me a bouquet of wild flowers as I enter the house. I smile. "Thank you they are lovely."

He nods briefly. "I am going to ask Elijah if he will open up the stables here again. It has been a long time since we visited this place."

"You don't have to do that for me. I appreciate the thought. Which set of rooms are you looking at claiming?"

"I enjoy what we call the back forty; it has an exit that is closer to the stables."

"Can you show me that part of the house? I may pick rooms close to yours." I flirt lightly with him. His eyes light up. I know it sounds corny but I swear he is smiling with his eyes.

"This way my lady," He responds.

He shows me to the upper level of the home that is built out onto a rock formation. The stables are behind it in a small canyon. There is an outdoor elevator that goes from the basement up to the roof of the house. This part of the house was cut out of the surrounding rock. The roof in this section is flat and looks like part of the landscape. "This style keeps the house protected from storms, wild fires and sometimes heavy winters. I enjoy being close to the land. This is my section of the house; you are welcome to pick any of the rooms here if you want."

I bounce back into the house. The suite has a large living room with a stone fireplace. There are two hallways branching off from the room. I pick the right hallway leading to rooms with large windows overlooking the valley. I can't see the stables from this side but I really love the view. "I found the rooms I want I call out to him."

He is leaning against the doorway with a smile. "I thought you would like the view." They are yours. My rooms are down the other hallway." He vamps out of the room, the next thing I know all my suitcases are stacked beside the door. "I'll let you get settled. There is a stairway to your left outside the living room. It goes down to the main floor. Follow the yellow hallway it will lead you to the main part of the house."

"Thanks Nik," his smile is brighter.

"I'll see you downstairs with the rest of the family." He disappears.

I'm a little shell shocked. I just called him Nik.

[Charlie's POV]

After I unpack, I look around. This isn't a house this is a complex. I pick a set of rooms that overlook the woods. It reminds me of Forks. I miss the people and my other family. Sue calls me or I call her weekly. I made a decision when I was in the hospital. I want to be with my daughter. I missed fourteen important years of my daughter's life. I don't want to miss any more. She is expecting my grandchildren and I want to see them grow up. Liz Forbes offered me a job if I want one in Mystic Falls. I told her I could only take it if Isa decides to settle there. She said that she understands.

Elijah is very welcoming. He suggested these rooms. I exit the sitting room and head back to the main part of the house. I hear laughter in the main room. Isa and Rebekah are looking at something on Rebekah's phone.

"What are you two cackling over?"

"Angela sent pictures of their honeymoon. I never thought I'd see Damon in a hula skirt."

"I didn't think there were hula skirts in Italy."

"He surprised her with a Hawaiian honeymoon. Angela also let slip they are expecting."

"He's a fast worker." Isa nudges me for that comment.

"We are all invited us all to the Salvatore Vineyard. Are you coming with us?"

"I wouldn't miss it." If that is the next family destination I'll gladly tag along.

[Elijah's POV]

Everyone has gathered in the main room sitting in groups. "Does anyone have anything they wish to say about the Ancient White Oak sapling?" No one speaks up. "I am asking for a show of hands for those that want to burndown the sapling where it stands." No one voted for this option. "Who wants to leave it where it is with the caveat that we keep it cloaked?" Everyone in the room raises their hands. I suggest we keep a low profile and only a few of us stay here at a time. I see everyone nodding their heads at the idea. "We can work out an informal schedule of who wants to be here when. Since most of us will be heading to Italy to visit the Salvatores, I have scheduled the family jet to meet us in Denver in two days. Let me know by text if you want to be on it."

[Charlie's POV]

Isa and the others are gathered to vote on the issue of an Ancient White Oak tree. I told her she had my vote for whatever the family decides. I enter the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and there is a marble sphere floating in midair. I blink a couple of times, making sure I'm not seeing things. I go over to the coffee pot to pour the coffee and I hear a voice in my head. "Hello I'm Artholus. You are Charlie, Isa's dad." I drop the coffee cup, It breaks spattering coffee all over the counter.

The sphere or Artholus is laughing. "Sorry about that I didn't mean to startle you. Marie said that we should meet. She said you need a tutor on Elven magic. There is a conflict coming and you will be needed to have all you magic abilities available to you for the protection of family."

I clear my throat. "I'm Charlie, nice to meet you."