Hey! Well, it seems like everyone is with me on the Hayley issue and I appreciate the input! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's got some things in it that I really enjoyed writing, like a Vivian/Kol interaction. Tell me what you think! As usual, I only own Vivian.
"Damon, I have called you like sixteen times! If you don't pick up the phone or at least, text me then I am going to commit myself to a mental hospital pronto! This is important! Call me back!"
I was pacing the living room, trying to decide whether to go to school today and Damon still hadn't answered me. I'd been calling him off and on since I came inside last night and yet, he'd never responded. This wasn't like him. I don't care what hussy he was sleeping with this time. I needed advice and I wasn't about to ask Caroline or Bonnie what to do.
Five minutes later, my phone rang. I made a noise somewhere between a groan and a sigh. "Damon, if you don't-"
"Pause," he replied. "If you're calling to bitch at me about the sire bond thing, I already know and I don't need the extra judgy-ness."
"What? No, this is about- Wait, did you just say something about a sire bond?" This still didn't surpass what I was going through.
"No one's told you yet? I guess that was a blessing in disguise."
"What on Earth are you talking about? Tyler? The hybrids? Klaus? Because I've got something that I need to tell you."
"No, it's about Elena. Wait, what do you need to tell me?" I was wrong. This totally surpassed what I was going through.
"It can wait. What the hell is happening with Elena now?" I moaned.
"Gee, it's like it strains you to be there for her." I wanted to snap and ask how I was supposed to react to everything in this town revolving around my sister but Damon kept going. "You know Elena was turned with my blood in her system? There's been some unforeseen consequences."
"That's impossible. I thought a sire bond between vampires was incredibly rare?"
"It is. Unfortunately, it's happened to me once before so maybe not quite so rare."
"Oh, my God, Damon, I'm so sorry. I would never have guessed."
"Me neither. I guess we should all be glad for Saint Stefan and White Knight Caroline."
"How did they figure it out?"
"Something about how everything I suggested was something Elena jumped at and that her only being able to drink from the vein was because I said she couldn't drink anything else. They think she's been doing all this to make me happy. And now, on top of what happened last night…"
I froze. "What happened last night? Why didn't you answer me sooner?"
"Well, it's kinda awkward to talk to you about."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"Yeah and it would be wonderful, if only Elena wasn't doing everything I wanted her to."
"Hey, this can all be fixed. She already had feelings for you before she turned and she can break the bond. Tyler has broken it and tons of the other hybrids have. She can get some pointers from them and then everything will be back to normal. There's nothing to feel guilty about."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I know that. It's Stefan that needs convincing. So what did you want to talk to me about so badly that you literally called me at 2am?" What was going on in my head paled in comparison to what Damon was going through.
"Look, I'll bother you with it later, once the sire bond thing is finished."
"Hey, if it's important, the sire bond thing can wait." This was one of those times that Damon was going to be a superb friend to me and I didn't want to spoil it by talking about something that would piss him off. But this was important. So important that I had barely slept last night.
"It's fine," I said. "Just take care of this stuff with Elena and I'll tell you about it later."
Damon didn't want to take my word for it but eventually, he backed down and just went to find something that he thought might help Elena. Later in the day, Elena called, begging me to go to girls' night with her, Caroline, and Bonnie. Deep down, I wanted to but I also knew that I shouldn't. Elena would probably use this occasion to tell everyone what had happened between her and Damon and that she was really excited about it. But Caroline would know the deal with the sire bond and asking her to shut her mouth is practically impossible. I can barely stand her when she's constantly talking bad about Damon. Some things I agree with her on him about but things that were beyond his control, such as the sire bond, didn't make it okay for him to be demeaned. Besides, if I let it slip that Klaus and I had kissed each other, the three of them may completely disown me.
It turned out to be lucky that I didn't show up because Tyler's hybrids were wrestling with him for command and wanted to do something that would piss Klaus off. They had to switch plans when they showed up at the Salvatore house and I wasn't there. They took Caroline instead and Elena and Tyler freed her.
I have to admit though that something like that sounded like a lot more fun than sitting around, moping and feeling guilty. To be honest, I didn't know why I felt guilty. This was no different than what the situation with Elijah had always been and he's never been exactly forthcoming with emotions. Then again, neither am I, really. But Klaus was different than Elijah and so different from me that none of this even makes sense anymore.
Over the next couple of days, Bonnie called me and asked me to come to the lake house to help train Jeremy not to want to kill Elena. She thought that it would be important for me to be present so that Jeremy had a human family member to focus on. I decided to do it after I baked a cake for the Winter Wonderland celebration downtown.
I was still more than a little reserved on the whole idea of Jeremy killing multiple vampires to complete some mark that will lead us to the cure. A cure that Elena didn't even seem preoccupied with. I decided I should probably tell everyone to leave him alone after they helped him not want to kill our friends.
I rode in the back of Damon's car while he and Elena had a pretty weird conversation for a while. Then the conversation turned to me.
"So we definitely have the time now," said Damon. "What was all the fuss about the other day?" Elena raised her eyebrows at me in the rearview mirror.
"Wait, what's going on?" she asked.
"Oh, not much. Vivian just called me fourteen times in the middle of the night a couple days ago and then refused to tell me what was happening because of the whole sire bond thing."
"Oh, my God, Viv. I'm so sorry." I shook my head.
"Well, it's nothing to really be concerned about. I'm kind of over it," I replied. This was totally not true.
"Put me out of my misery, Viv!" said Damon. "I've been wondering what it was since then."
"Then don't say you didn't ask me," I said. "Look, I really didn't expect this to happen, even though I probably should have. After the Miss Mystic Pageant, Klaus took me home and we talked for a little while but then when he was leaving… he just kind of…"
"He what? He did what?" asked Elena, who seemed to be getting a kick out of this.
"Please don't make me say it."
"Oh, my God, are you serious?" demanded Damon. "That son of a bitch!"
"Yes, I'm serious and I feel like I'm going crazy. I have no idea what to do or say. I haven't heard from him yet but I'm sure that when I do, I'll make a complete fool of myself. I've just been beating myself up over it."
"Why the hell should you feel guilty about it? He's the one that started it. Besides, you didn't feel guilty about Elijah."
"Elijah is different," I muttered.
"How? How is that different?"
"Damon, come on," said Elena. "Don't give her a hard time."
Once at the lake house, I stood around with Bonnie and Jeremy and Professor Shane (who had no reason to be here other than Bonnie). I had to invite Damon and Elena inside, after Jeremy gave his consent. But Jeremy only agreed to it to attempt to stake Elena. I began to think that this would be a long day.
Stefan was calling Damon and I nonstop. He was trying to get the sword that Klaus had brought back from Italy, for some reason. He had wanted me to be a distraction and I think he got a little angry with me when I blatantly told him that I wasn't doing that anymore. I wasn't sure what he was telling Damon. The most I heard from their conversation had something to do with the hybrids. I made it a point to tell myself to get home early tonight.
Professor Shane strapped Jeremy to a chair in the middle of the living room and began to explain what his idea was. "All Jeremy feels when he sees a vampire is a burning desire to kill them. Even if he consciously doesn't want to, as in Elena's case, it's his subconscious that's calling the shots."
"Persuasion helps reverse your conscious thoughts," said Bonnie.
"Think of it as a kind of conditioned response, right? See vampire, kill vampire. What I'm doing is creating a kind of middle step. It's like a detour where his subconscious learns to recognize you as someone he loves, someone he wants to protect. And that gives him a choice." Jeremy's eyes were closed and I began to question whether he was hypnotized. "He can choose to take the detour instead of the conditioned response. Okay, you can talk to him. He'll listen."
Elena looked wary. "I'm not sure what to say."
"You chose to do this here at your family's vacation house, right? So you can just start by telling him why."
"Every holiday we came here. This place was family and when Mom and Dad died, Jenna made us come here and we thought it was an awful idea but it was like they were here with us." Jeremy opened his eyes and I held my breath. "They would have wanted all of us to stick together, Jer… to fight for each other, no matter what."
"Jeremy, how do you feel about Elena right now?" asked Shane.
"She ruined our lives," he responded. "She's not even my real sister. She's just the reason that everyone I've ever loved has died. Vivian is the only family I have left." I shook my head.
"Jeremy," I said slowly.
"She means nothing to me," he said. "I will kill her, even if that means I die myself." Shane made a noise and snapped Jeremy out of it. I felt like I was going to be sick. "Did it work?" I shook my head again.
After a little while of deliberation, we decided to have Jeremy attach his detour feelings to someone else who wasn't a vampire. He wanted it to be me. So Bonnie and I decided to try again and to make me Jeremy's emotional anchor. It made me feel good to link up with Jeremy because we had always been close and I knew that this would bring us closer.
Finally, it seemed like we'd figured it out so Bonnie told Elena to stand still and not move. I watched as Jeremy handed Damon the stake he'd been carrying around all day and then walk up to Elena and give her a hug. I breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked. It had actually worked.
I decided to be happy about that small moment of success before my phone began ringing. I had to admit, I found it strange that everyone seemed to be getting calls off and on all day but then not mentioning anything about it to me.
I hesitated before answering because Klaus was on the end of the line. "Hello?" I said slowly.
"Vivian, where are you?"
"I'm at my family's lake house. We're trying to help Jeremy not want to kill everyone we know. Is everything okay?"
"Yes, it is now. Just stay there for a little while. You'll be better off."
"What's going on?"
"Vivian, I think you need to take a look at your friends and realize that they are lying to you because you've always been lovely to me. Good luck with Jeremy." He hung up before I had the chance to question what he was telling me.
He was right. He was so entirely right that it made me want to punch Damon in the face. Confronting Damon did nothing but confirm what Klaus had told me. I knew there had been something going on with the hybrids but I didn't expect them to try and kill Klaus and by extension, Rebekah.
"You either start actually telling me what's going on or I can stop helping you," I told Damon. He rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Vivian. You know that we take these shots when we can," he replied.
"Why? What has Klaus done to any of us in months? Oh right, he actually tried to help Elena during her hallucinations from the hunters' curse, he's going out of his way to help you guys with the cure, and he's been nothing but nice to me. I know that that bugs you but Klaus doesn't deserve death traps once a week."
"If you ask me, yes, he does."
"Then so do you. What has he done that you haven't? Or that Stefan hasn't? None of us is better than Klaus, Rebekah, or Elijah. In fact, they're better than you in at least one aspect; they haven't outright lied to my face."
"Vivian, have you forgotten everything that they have done to you and Elena and Jeremy? They have manipulated you into liking them and thinking of them as friends. Klaus wants you to turn on us and join him. He's all but said so multiple times. All of them are crazy. Just think about what they've done to you, what they've done to Elena, what they've done to Jeremy, and to me. Don't defend them just because they want you to think they've adopted you into their family. They're not your family. Your family is here and it's Elena and Jeremy and me. I would never lie to you unless I thought you could be hurt otherwise. Don't listen to them." I wanted to continue to lash out and get angry but I knew Damon was just trying to look out for me, as he always was.
After a few days of watching Damon bark orders at Jeremy, I figured that I wasn't doing much in the way of helping him. I knew he was supposed to be learning to not only defend himself but to kill vampires and that second part made me feel like they were holding back for my sake. After that, I went home.
Apparently, I had avoided getting kidnapped by Rebekah and Kol in the school. I had a feeling that Rebekah wouldn't have involved me anyway because we've always been silent allies. Elena is the one she seems to have the real problem with. But this only complicated the situation with Jeremy and the cure. Someone had undaggered Rebekah, who I knew desperately wanted to become human, and Kol was back in town, the only Original who seemed to have a real issue with me.
I have never even remotely liked Kol. He's terrifying and probably insane. Not to mention, he gets off on terrorizing Jeremy. I can't say I was surprised to hear that he showed up at the lake house, determined to stop Jeremy and Damon from completing the hunter's mark. Jeremy called me, exclaiming that Kol had threatened to rip his arms off if they went any further. He also said that Kol clearly feared Silas, the immortal who was buried with the cure.
"I know that you don't really know Kol but there must be something you can do," Jeremy said to me. I didn't even want to think of what he was implying. That somehow I could charm Kol into doing whatever I want just because I've had some luck with Klaus?
"Jeremy, I hate to say this because I really don't like the guy, but maybe he's got a point," I responded. "This is a wild goose chase and Elena doesn't even act like she wants the cure. Why should we risk awakening some crazed immortal witch for something like this?"
"It's a fairy tale, Vivian. Kol has no proof that Silas even exists."
"Crazier things have happened," I replied. "Besides, whether he's real or not isn't the point. Kol obviously is going to stop at nothing to prevent us from finding the cure. I would take him seriously when he says he's going to rip your arms off. God knows what he could compel Damon to do."
"The least you could do is get Klaus or Rebekah to do something. Hell, I see you on the phone every other day talking to Elijah. Get one of them to take care of Kol or something else will have to be done."
"Jeremy, don't tell me you're saying what I think you're saying." Jeremy was silent on the other end of the phone. "You can't touch him! Not only would it kill thousands of vampires the world over, you would then have the other Originals to deal with. Elijah may be swift and just knock your head off your shoulders but Klaus and Rebekah would never be so kind. Don't become arrogant and think that they won't touch you because of their friendship with me. Damon and Elena are already stupidly tiptoeing that line. You're smarter than that. Don't ask me to stand idly by while you get yourself killed."
"What if there is no other choice?" he asked. "Do us all a favor and try to get one of them to keep Kol in check. At the very least, I could dagger him."
One day, I swore to myself, I would find those daggers and hide them where they would never be found.
I go to the closest Original, which is unfortunately Klaus. I don't want to talk about anything romantic because it makes me feel strange and I'm not sure how to approach the subject. I decide to keep the conversation short and to the point.
Klaus comes to the Salvatore house when I call (we can't go to my house because Elena and Jeremy would never forgive me for inviting him inside). He seems to know that talking to me about us kissing would unnerve me so he doesn't outright mention it. He also doesn't outright mention that he slaughtered his remaining hybrids at the Winter Wonderland celebration. I have to admit that I'm surprised he hasn't asked me for more blood.
"Vivian, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, sitting in front of me on one of the couches in the Salvatore study.
"It's not much of a pleasure, I'm afraid," I responded, more than a little scared to meet his eye. I can't imagine Klaus is happy with people getting me to call in favors all the time. I've been refusing to do it recently but I can't say no to Jeremy, especially when Damon might be in trouble. "It seems that Kol has attacked Jeremy and Damon up at the lake house because he doesn't want them completing the hunter's mark."
"Kol is a bit of a brat and he always has had a knack for making things worse than they need to be. He never did like Damon and surprisingly, he's never liked you." I felt my face get warm.
"Yeah, I got that when he talked to me at the ball at your house," I replied lowly. Klaus didn't mention Kol's reason for disliking me and he didn't have to. Kol had all but told me to my face at the ball that he didn't like what was happening between me, Elijah, and Klaus.
"Well, what that means is that he probably won't let up on Jeremy. I'll give him a call but I can't make you any promises."
"That's fine. I'm just- I'm just a little sick of worrying about Jeremy dying every other day." Klaus mustered a laugh at that.
"As long as he doesn't act foolish, I don't think Kol will kill him. He doesn't want to risk the hunter's curse." That was some relief. Klaus picked up the phone and called him. "Little brother, just two days home and I'm told you've already gone and made a mess."
I could hear Kol responding from where I was sitting. "Oh, Nik, I was just having a bit of fun. Let me guess, that twin of the doppelganger, who is such a stick in the mud, tattled on me."
I flinched and Klaus flashed his eyes toward me. "Don't speak against her, baby brother, or you'll have me to contend with. Now where is Damon Salvatore?"
"I gave him a good and proper beating, just for old time's sake." I shifted on the couch I was sitting on. Damon could handle himself but against an Original with a vendetta? I don't know how much of a chance he stood.
"Yes, well, now you've had your fun. Now let him go and come home. Avoid any more trouble or you'll find yourself back in a box."
"Hey, no need to be nasty about it!" All of this was like a joke to Kol, I could hear it in his voice. If he killed Damon, he would laugh about it.
"On the contrary, I find nastiness to be essential whenever my siblings try to sabotage me. Listen closely, Kol. Stay away from the Gilbert boy. Do you understand?"
"Fine," I heard him respond. "I won't touch him. You have my word."
When Klaus hung up, I couldn't resist asking. "Is his word as good as Elijah's?"
Klaus only shrugged. "Sometimes."
"Well, at any rate, thank you. I really appreciate it. As usual, you are a complete life saver. I'll get out of your hair." I move to stand up but Klaus cuts me off.
"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" he asked slyly. There it is.
"No, not really," I muttered before standing up and wrapping my cardigan around me.
"At some point we have to talk about it and at some point, you have to stop denying your feelings for me." I felt my heart pound and I saw Klaus smile, like he was trying to be bashful and not conniving.
"I'm not in denial of anything," I said.
"Really? So you're going to pretend that you haven't been feeling guilty?" I gulped.
"Why should I feel guilty?" I asked. "You started it. Now, thanks again but I really have to go."
"Vivian, Elijah doesn't-"
"Don't. Please just don't. I don't know what's happening with this or that but what's going on with Jeremy is more important than me sorting through my feelings right now. Klaus, please. I don't want to string you along. I don't want to do something to hurt people. I am not my sister. I am not Katherine." The more I said the words, the more it occurred to me that I was wrong. I was just like them. Because I tried to tell myself to make a decision and I never could.
"I don't want you to think of yourself as a bad person, Vivian. That's not my intention at all. I just want you to know that I have feelings for you and when you're ready to address them, I'll be here." I felt like sighing.
"There's no need for you to be so kind to me. But thank you."
After a while, Klaus left and Stefan returned with Damon. Stefan had snapped Damon's neck because Kol had compelled him to kill Jeremy. I should have realized that something like this would happen. Stefan told me it was fine for me to stay with Damon for a while, I just shouldn't let him out of the vervain cellar.
It was spending time with Damon in the cellar that allowed me to miss Elena and Jeremy plotting Kol's death.
Stefan came to relieve me of prison guard duty the next day and explained to me that Klaus was thinking we should dagger Kol. It would cure Damon of his compulsion and then Jeremy would actually be allowed to leave the house. The only problem was that Rebekah didn't want to give up the last dagger and who could blame her?
It was Stefan that revealed to me that Elena wanted Jeremy to kill Kol, not just incapacitate him with the dagger. Stefan had a newfound alliance with Rebekah and he had no intention of betraying her. Elena tried to convince him to dagger Rebekah and told him that Bonnie might have a way to get Klaus out of the picture temporarily. She even had the gall to suggest that I would be enough to calm Elijah.
"I've put up with a lot from Elena lately but this really takes the cake," I told Stefan. My anger at her was only growing. I had never been a mean or angry person but I was slowly getting to my wit's end, particularly with her. Ever since the twin bond we used to share was severed, I felt like I barely knew Elena. It couldn't all be blamed on a sire bond to Damon. But she had never really agreed with my friendships with the Originals and she masked her disapproval by pretending to be happy that I was finally branching out and going on dates. Now she was like to get Jeremy killed. "I know that you want the cure, Stefan, for you and for Elena, but at what cost? We can't stand by and let my baby brother try to take out a thousand year old Original. He'll be killed for even attempting it. Even if he does succeed, Kol's death could result in the death of millions. But Jeremy won't get that far, I know it. Even with his new abilities, he doesn't stand a chance. I can't lose him, Stefan. He's basically all I have left."
"I don't see how anything we say can convince them otherwise," he responded. "And it's not like we could simply call Rebekah and Klaus and tell them what Elena's planning. That would only get Jeremy killed faster. Kol clearly won't listen to reason." I began feeling like I couldn't breathe and I tried to tug at the Peter Pan collar on my lace shirt.
"Well, I'm gonna try to do something. Somebody's gonna die tonight, either way."
I tried to look at all of my options and figure out what would work out best. I first tried calling Elena. She didn't pick up so I assume she knew what I was calling about. Jeremy didn't answer either. I groaned and resigned myself to the fact that I was just going to have to go home.
When I got to the house, I saw Kol walking down our front porch steps. He gave me an indecipherable look when he stopped in front of me. I paused, feeling a bit like a rabbit who knows she's about to get eaten by a fox.
I feel my heart pound as Kol looks me up and down. The look on his face seems to suggest he thinks of me as dowdy. His physical similarity to Elijah only serves to make me nervous. "Vivian Gilbert," he said, sounding out my name slowly. "It's been a while. How has it been, switching between my two brothers?"
"What are you doing here, Kol?" I made myself respond.
"Oh, your sister wanted a truce. I assumed you put her up to it, self-righteous little thing you are."
"Well, then I assume you'll be on your way." I moved to walk by Kol and stumble into my house but he grabbed hold of my arm and twisted me back toward him.
"I thought there was something a little strange about your sister calling me. You wouldn't happen to know whether she's lying, would you?" I gulped and tried to make myself braver. I stared at Kol before responding, looking over his handsome face that reminded me so much of Elijah's. He truly did fear Silas and despite how he felt about me, he didn't deserve death.
"Get out of town while you can, Kol. I'm doing what I can to make sure no one reaches the cure. It's not worth my brother's life and it's not worth yours." Kol let go of my arm but gave me another once over, this time looking like he wasn't so disappointed with what he saw.
"Your little family of a newbie vampire and baby hunter cannot hurt me. Besides, why are you bothering to warn me? You can't imagine that you'll put me under your spell too." I snapped.
"Listen to me or don't. I'm not going to be mocked." I turned to go inside again but Kol moved in front of me.
"How can it be mocking if it's the truth? I can't quite fathom what either of them see in you. You're a fragile little thing that either of them might break if they held you too hard. Elijah tells me you're so kind, so innocent, so… moral. I think Nik must just admire you, a sweet girl ripe for corrupting." Kol pulled me closer and put his hand under my chin. "I'll tell you what I see. I see a frightened girl who's in over her head, much like Tatia and we all know how that turned out." I tried to jerk away.
"I am not her, Kol. I did not ask for this-"
"Oh, don't pretend you don't know what you're doing. Tatia played this game too, acting like she just couldn't possibly choose, and she played it much better." Where once I had found Kol handsome, I now found him monstrous.
"I don't care what you think of me," I spat out, ripping his hand away from my face. "Whether you believe me or not, I am on your side. You've got the time to leave and I suggest you do it."
Kol gave me a look that was somewhere between a grimace and a smirk. He brushed past me and I felt his jacket against my sweater. Then he was gone.
Once inside my house, I allowed myself to start freaking out. Jeremy was there and I let him hug me while Elena stared at me, the look on her face making it plain that she had heard everything that had been said outside.
"He said he was gonna think about the truce," said Elena. "But I guess that's blown now, thanks to you, Vivian."
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Do not ask me to stand by and watch as you dig your grave. Do what you want, Elena, but don't drag Jeremy down with you."
"You can't honestly tell me that you believe what Kol's saying about Silas."
"I can and I am. I don't care about Silas and I don't care about the cure. What I care about is keeping Jeremy alive and that seems to be the thing that everyone is the least concerned about."
"I have to complete the mark one way or another, Viv," said Jeremy. "This is the fastest way. I swear, I'm going to stay alive."
"Who are you doing this for, Jeremy?" I asked. "Are you doing it because you have urges or are you doing it because you think Elena deserves a cure?" The look on his face confirmed all of my fears.
"Vivian, what the hell is wrong with you?" asked Elena. "You aren't yourself."
"No, Elena. You're the one who's not herself. I have been pushed to my breaking point and I refuse to let you needlessly kill a man that will result in however many murders."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Elena answered it and I shuddered when I saw Kol.
"I've considered your request for a truce," he said. "Request denied." Elena slammed the door in his face. "I'm sorry! I've already been invited in!"
I hid myself in the hallway closet, trying to calm my breathing. I heard Kol bust down the door and I could only hope that Elena had hidden Jeremy in time. "Hide and seek? Fine by me," he said. I froze as I heard him walk past the closet door. He seemed to pace a few times then finally give in and call Klaus. "Did you know that your darling little girlfriend's brother and sister are trying to kill me?" There was a pause. "Don't pretend you aren't in on it. Your obsession to find the cure clearly trumps any sibling loyalty you once felt." Another pause. "I'm going to rip off Jeremy's arm and kill Elena just for sport. Then Vivian… hmm, I'm still deliberating on what to do with her. Kill her, drain her, kidnap her. There are so many options. Then I'm coming for you." I heard him hang up and finally yank open the door to the closet. He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me close to him. "Show yourselves or Vivian gets it first! I'd hate to see how Klaus reacts to that."
He gave me a good snarl and I saw his eyes darken. Jeremy shot him from down the hallway and it loosened his grip. I took the chance to run to the kitchen and try to find something that would be useful. After ripping open drawers and cabinets, I realized I was out of luck in the stake department. I heard Jeremy and Elena yelling upstairs and then after a few seconds, I heard nothing but groaning. I grabbed a knife, just in case.
"Jeremy!" I screamed. "Jeremy!" Kol was dragging him down the stairs, ready to chop off his arm. "Kol, please!" I begged, running up to him. "Please! He's my brother." I looked down at Jeremy, ready to do anything for him.
"Your friends killed my brother," Kol responded, grabbing my hand and making me drop the knife I'd been holding. He let go of Jeremy, who was obviously hurt, and put his hands to my face almost tenderly. I twisted Jeremy's ring on my finger and hoped that Elena was okay.
"Kol, don't!" Jeremy yelled.
"She'll be fine in few hours, won't she?" Kol looked down at me, like he was going to compel me to do whatever he wanted. "Vivian, this isn't really about you. No hard feelings." Then his grip tightened and he snapped my neck.