A/N: Thanks for reading and for all of your reviews!

So, it's summer, and a summer hiatus was kind of inevitable. I'm going to be gone for the rest of June and July with little to no computer access, so I won't be able to update this story for a while. I'm going to be putting it on a month long hiatus. But don't worry; I absolutely intend to finish it! When I get back from vacation (around July 25), I will upload a super long chapter :) Thank you for understanding.

And apologies for the late update - I had a surprise sleep over last night and wasn't able to upload.

Chapter Twenty Six- The Lamb

"Stefan," I sighed into the phone as I brought it to my ear. "Damon said you would be calling."

The sand had been washed from my hair, and I was a wearing a clean set of the clothes, Rebekah's borrowed outfit sitting in the Salvatore's laundry room. I found myself missing Kol's presence, despite the fact that I shouldn't be. There was a certain absence in the atmosphere.

"Madeleine," he greeted. "Did Damon fill you in at all?"

"Not really," I said to him, taking a seat in their sitting room, flicking wet hair over my shoulder. "What's going on?"

I heard him sigh into the receiver. "Connor Jordan is still alive. Klaus is holding him at his mansion."

"What the hell?" I cursed. "Jeremy said he was dead. Kablooie. Rest in pieces?"

"Damon got a call from Sheriff Forbes this morning and she told him that his remains haven't been found at the explosion sight. So I went to Klaus. Madeleine, there's something bigger at play than just some hunter. He's part of a brotherhood called The Five, supernatural hunters created with magic, thousands of years ago. Their one goal in life is to kill vampires."

"Samuel said something about that yesterday."

"Klaus said Connor holds answers, but he wants me to get Rebekah back on his side. I need your help to do that."

"Rebekah and I kind of put a pause on our relationship after she, you know, killed my sister."

"I know, and I'm not really happy with her at the moment either. But I need you to be willing to give her the one thing she wants more than anything, in exchange for this information."

"And what's that?"

"A clean slate. Can you do that?"

Pondering his words, I thought to myself for a fleeting moment. Could I give Rebekah a clean slate, after the hell she had put me and my sister through? I bit my lip thoughtfully, staring down at the phone I cradled in my palms. She didn't deserve it, but then again, did anyone ever really deserve a clean slate? I sighed.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll help out."

The Mystic Grill was bustling with its normal crowd. People gathered around the pool tables and sat around tables, chatting with friends. Noises bombarded me as I walked in with Stefan, slipping my arms out of my jacket. I was pleased when I realized that the cravings had dissipated, and that when I brushed Stefan's arm, I didn't get the sudden urge to jump his bones.

Immediately I spotted Rebekah, momentarily confused when I noticed another familiar face at her booth. April Young. Curiously, I tilted my head, and although I didn't deserve to, I felt slightly replaced as I watched them interact.

Stefan glanced down at me, silently asking me if I was ready. When I nodded, we approached their table.

I slid next to Rebekah, and Stefan next to April. She looked at him, and he captured her gaze, pupils dilating as he murmured compellingly, "You're not going to remember any of this."

Rebekah looked at me, startled.

"Hey, Becks. I see you've got a new best friend."

"Madeleine," she said, eyes slitted. "Stefan. What are you two doing here?"

"Klaus wants me to fake peace with you so you'll spill about The Five," Stefan began, crossing his arms, the smallest of smirks growing on his lips as he faced Rebekah.

"I'll bet. Don't help him, he'll only betray you in the end. That's what he does."

"Fine," I said, turning towards her. "Don't help Klaus. Forget him. Help us instead."

She sighed, also crossing her arms in a stubborn manner. "And why would I do that? You two hate me more than he does."

"Rebekah, I don't hate you," I said, saying my words clearly as to get the message through her head. "I was upset about what happened with Elena. But, Stefan and I are willing to give you something. Something that you want more than anything."

"What's that?"

"A clean slate," Stefan finished. "I'm not saying I'm willing to forgive you, for what you did to Elena, but I'm willing to set it aside and start over with you."

"You would do that? Why?" she questioned, seemingly not convinced. "I'm not buying it."

"I'm not selling anything to you," I said to her with genuine honesty. "I might not be over what you did to my sister, but you're still my best friend. And hey, I kind of miss you. And I'm kind of jealous that you're here with April and not me."

"You are?" she said, quirking an eyebrow, glancing at April distractedly. "Good, because she's nothing like you, and I want you back."

"Help us with Klaus," I said to her. "If you want to. I'm not saying that you have to do it to mend our friendship, but it would mean a lot to me if you did. And to Stefan, although he's not going to say it."

Stefan gave me a gruff look.

"You mean it, then? A clean slate, really?" She tried to hide it and say her words nonchalantly, but I heard the hope seeping into her voice as she looked at me with crystalline eyes, speculatively and observantly, trying to catch any traps laid down for her.

I put up my pinky. "Pinky swear."

She smiled, and wrapped her pinky around mine. "Thank you," she said, almost relieved. "I'm not really fond of April, to be honest. She's kind of a wimp."

"Don't be mean." But a smile upturned my lips as well.

A clean slate was really starting to sound good, and I couldn't believe I had been so hesitant before. I guess I had missed my best friend.

Stefan stood, pulling out his phone to call Klaus, no doubt, and see where to go from here. I looked over at April, who was staring vacantly at me, like she couldn't register who I was, despite the fact I had known her most of my life.

I had never been as keen towards April as Elena had been, partially because I'd never been quite good with children like my twin sister, who had babysat for April more than once during her childhood. Drawing my eyebrows together, I said, "April Young. I haven't spoken to her since she got back to town."

Rebekah unfolded her arms. "I've missed you, you know. That's not something I say to people very often."

Glancing at her, I said, "Thanks for helping out. I know you're not on good terms with your brother at the moment, but it's really good of you to help."

"Of course I'm not on good terms with my brother right now," she said distastefully. "He snapped my neck."

"Happened to me for the first time a couple weeks ago," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Not very pleasant."

She wrinkled her nose, and then peered at me from the corner of her eyes. She said, "Thanks, by the way."

"For?"

"Offering me a second chance. Or third chance, but hey, who's counting?" She averted her gaze to her hands in her lap. "Most would have given up on me by now."

"That's what best friends are for."

Stefan reappeared, pocketing his cell phone and clearing his throat. Mildly, he said, "Klaus has invited us over for dinner."

The car ride to the mansion was pleasantly quiet, and my lack of sleep from the previous evening had caught up to me. I yawned, stretching out my stiff legs, hesitant to wonder what the evening would bring. Niklaus was unpredictable in a way his other siblings were not; sometimes he was calm, but most of the time he was the devil with a charming smirk.

That was what differentiated him from Kol. The latter was malevolent and he knew it, and he wore it with a sense of pride. Klaus was a monster with a beautiful face, cunning and alluring, always leading the lamb to the slaughter with a reassuring smile.

The mansion was splendorous, as usual, glowing in the light of the setting sun as Stefan pulled his car into the drive. I was the first to step out as he muttered, "I've spent far too much time here today for my liking."

At the door, a waitress led us to the dining hall.

"He was always one for dinner parties," Rebekah huffed. "Likes to put on a good show."

A meal was arrayed on a small table, the room light with the light from the hearth. Klaus sat at one of the four chairs, his hands and legs folded politely as he invited us all to take a seat.

"Rebekah, sister, thank you for joining me. You too, miss Madeleine." He gave me a welcoming look. "It's always a delight to have you."

I thanked him, unsure of what else to do.

Klaus clapped his hands, and the waitress reappeared. "We'll have first course now."

She nodded, turning around the corner towards the kitchen.

"Madeleine, you look lovely," he said.

Glancing down at my simple blouse and jeans, I said to him, trying not to sound sarcastic, "You're too kind."

"But you reek of my youngest brother, Kol. Tell me, have you been spending time with him lately?"

Finding it hopeless to lie, I shrugged. "Yes. But it's none of your concern."

Food was set before me, courtesy of the lady tending to us. "Thank you, love," Klaus murmured to her, before she left us be. "You're right. But, I find it necessary to warn you of his impulsive, psychotic personality. I would loathe to see you come to any harm."

I seriously doubted it.

"Rebekah, sweetheart, eat your veggies." He wagged his fork at her plate.

"I'm not doing anything until you apologize," she said, wounded.

"For which indiscretion? There are many to choose from."

"You broke my neck," she deadpanned.

"You threw away the last of Elena's blood so I couldn't make any more hybrids."

"Because you took me for granted!"

"That's what big brothers do."

They stared at each other venomously from their opposite sides of the table.

"Let me just name the million other people I'd rather be eating dinner with right now," Stefan said from his spot.

I held back the grin that threatened to stretch over my lips. I had never really seen the side of Stefan apart from Elena, and I realized that I rather enjoyed his sarcastic and blatant personality.

"Alright, fine." Klaus put his hands up, as if he surrendered, sitting back comfortably in his chair. "I apologize. I often forget how fragile you are, sister. Forgive me?"

"I'll take it under consideration."

"Okay, good, so let's get on with business." Stefan leaned forward, folding his hands. "Tell me about The Five, or more specifically, Rebekah's ex."

"Ah, yes, Alexander. Nice chap, apart from the obvious. He was hunting creatures of the night, so we felt quite comfortable around him with our daylight rings on. He claimed that their cause was to eliminate all vampires, using the ultimate weapon that no vampire could survive."

"So that's what this is all about? A weapon?" I asked from my corner, after swallowing a mouthful of asparagus.

"Not just any weapon," Rebekah said.

"How is a weapon the answer to all of my prayers?' Stefan inquired, looking at Klaus with confusion.

Rebekah and Klaus shared a look, implying that they knew more than they were letting on. I studied the three before me curiously, trying to understand what they were getting at.

"Okay," Stefan said with frustration lacing his voice. "Let's skip the theatrics and get straight to the point."

"In order to find the weapon, we need to solve the puzzle, which seems to have disappeared."

My mind race as I tried to configure his words. "What puzzle?"

"The Five, back hundreds of years ago, had these tattoos on their bodies," Rebekah explained.

"But, as I've witnessed, the tattoos have seemingly disappeared from the hunters' bodies over time," Klaus said, clutching his silverware in his hands. "They're no longer visible to the ordinary eye."

"And the tattoo is some kind of map?" Stefan asked.

"Leading us to its treasure."

"Fat lot of help the tattoo's going to do if we can't see it," Rebekah said, shaking her head.

"Fortunately for us, Connor mentioned someone else in our very own Mystic Falls with an eye for the tattoo. And he just so happens to be something of an artist." Klaus gestured towards the waitress. "Bring him in."

My heart stopped beating as Jeremy was shoved into the dining room by one of Klaus' hybrids.

"Jeremy!" I called out, standing immediately and blurring to my brother's side. But Klaus stopped me, dangling something in front of my face.

The Gilbert ring.

"I'm not helping you with anything," Jeremy growled stubbornly, despite the fact he was most vulnerable without the ring on his finger.

"You seem to need more encouragement then just your own life at stake." Klaus smirked deviously and disappeared from my view, his hands slithering around me, holding me closer to him. "Oh, I'm afraid you are going to help, Jeremy Gilbert."

I stared at Jeremy, and he stared at me.

Klaus was good at leading the lamb to the slaughter.

Tonight, the lamb was me.

"Let her go," Stefan said, eerily calm.

Klaus readjusted my body against his. His breath was hot but his words were cold as he hissed, "Nate."

The hybrid who had delivered Jeremy straightened at the sound of his name, and he waited for Klaus to give him an order.

"Take the boy to see the hunter. Give him anything he needs to sketch the tattoo. And Jeremy, try not to take too long, or your sister might just pay the price." Klaus dismissed him, and Nate took Jeremy away from sight.

"Let me go," I demanded, struggling against him. "I can't get away anyways."

I heard him inhale, and he chuckled humorlessly. "The blood of the succubus, still so alluring, even centuries later."

Klaus threw me away from him. "Sit down," he instructed to all of us.

I cast a fleeting glance at Rebekah, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. She sent me a regretful look.

Sitting once again at the table, I was filled with an unbearable rage towards Klaus, who had taken so much from me and given my family and I so much grief. I clenched my fists beneath the tablecloth, and became silent and still.

Stefan sat across from me, his eyes tight and lips thin. I could sense an aura of guilt surrounding him; he felt bad for ever bringing me into Klaus' plans. "Tell me more about the tattoo."

"My sister's suitor was unwilling to tell us anything, but Rebekah was more than willing to investigate." He said it with a taunting edge, humoring her. "She discovered, with a little coaxing, that his sword was the key to deciphering the map. But Alexander found out about what she was and outsmarted her, eventually putting a dagger in all of our hearts. First Rebekah, then Elijah, Kol, Finn, and myself. Cheers, to my sister's uncanny ability to choose men."

"I thought the dagger didn't work on you, because of your werewolf side," Stefan said.

Klaus, whose eyes had been trained on his hands, looked up slowly with devilish eyes and a sinful smirk. "It doesn't."

Rebekah's eyes glazed over, remembering.

"What about the hunter's curse?" I asked him, my tone biting, but my curiosity getting the best out of me.

He seemed pleasantly surprised at my knowledge. "How do you know about it?"

I shrugged, waiting for him to answer.

Klaus shifted in his seat. "I was plagued by the curse for over fifty years, before I was finally freed from it."

"Hunter's curse?" Stefan questioned.

"A curse that a vampire inflicts on himself when he kills a member of the brotherhood." Klaus frowned slightly.

"So, wait, what does the tattoo lead to, then?" Stefan continued. "What is this weapon that could bring about the destruction of all vampires?

"Go on, Rebekah. Tell him what the great weapon is," Klaus said.

"A cure," she breathed.

Klaus stood, dismissing himself from the table, turning to help himself to something that smelled strongly of old bourbon. Stefan followed suit, as did Rebekah, but fearing for myself and Jeremy, I didn't dare trail after them and disobey Klaus.

"A cure? There is no cure for vampirism," Stefan snapped, shaking his head with disbelief.

"He's telling the truth, Stefan."

"Then why haven't you searched for it? Found it? Surely after all this time you would have discovered it!"

"Because the tattoo disappeared from the bodies of the hunters after I killed them. I was led to believe that the brotherhood of The Five became extinct that night; not another word has been whispered of them since then, all those years ago. Not until our friend in the other room came waltzing into Mystic Falls."

"Now that we have the map, what do we do next?" Rebekah asked.

"We don't do anything. No, I'm afraid you won't be a part of this ploy, seeing as you'll go blabbing our secrets to the next boy who vows his love for you," Klaus said bitterly to his sister. "I mean, it's pathetic how she seems to hand her heart to every single man who calls her pretty. You'd think she'd have learned by now!"

"But I haven't!" Rebekah yelled in return. "Instead, I've spent centuries following you, letting you leech every bit of happiness from my life! At least I fared better than Finn. You left him daggered because you were tired of his judgement."

"Finn was a dullard; he was more interesting lying comatose in a box," Klaus pointed out.

Rebekah stared at Klaus for a moment, before something clicked inside of her head. "You want the cure for Elena, don't you? So you can go back to mass producing your hybrids! That's why you brought Stefan into the picture, because you knew he would help you, even though he hates you! You know what? You can shove you're cure."

She looked at me as she turned away from her brother.

"Come on, Madeleine, let's get out of here."

"No, you can leave the Gilbert girl where she sits," Klaus said threateningly.

"You're an animal!" Rebekah screeched. "A monster! How can you live with yourself, throwing everyone else's lives away just to get what you want?"

Klaus' form blurred as he appeared in front of Rebekah, stepping between her and me. "You can let yourself out, sweet sister."

And she was gone, leaving me and Stefan alone with Klaus. "I'm sorry Madeleine," she said as she left.

"I hope you got what you wanted from her," Stefan said as the door slammed at the front hall, seeming to vibrate the house.

Klaus paused, digesting the harsh words his sister had exchanged with him. Then, he smiled. "She wasn't going to tell me, anyways, but I'm fairly confident that she will confide all of her secrets in you."

Stefan, torn between helping and going, was defeated by his insane wish to cure Elena of the curse that had been thrust upon her. He wanted his human Elena back, void of any plaguing urges and overwhelming issues. He desperately wanted to help her pain go away. "What do you want me to find out?"

"That's the attitude," Klaus commended, knocking back a sip of his bourbon, which had been abandoned during his argument with Rebekah. "I'll be right back, Stefan, Madeleine and I are going to go check up on young Jeremy Gilbert."

I followed him from the dining hall without resistance, although my lips had formed a frown and my eyes had darkened. Trailing behind him, I found my brother and Connor in a room set apart, hidden behind a set of doors.

"What's she doing here?" Connor Jordan asked acridly.

"Didn't you know, mate? She's Jeremy sister," Klaus said. "How's the sketch coming along?"

Jeremy sighed, glancing up at me, and then at Klaus. "I'm done."

My eyes met Connor's, and I tilted my head slightly, feeling no sympathy towards the man who had tried to kill me twice. "Sister? Does that mean he's like you?"

"It's complicated," I told him, refusing to share anything else, crossing my arms. "Comfortable, Jordan?"

He sneered hatefully at me.

"You hurt my feelings."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Klaus yelled, catching my attention. Whirring towards him, I found him holding my brother up, his hand wrapped around his throat.

"Get off of him!" I screamed, hitting him. He swatted me away like I was nothing, falling backwards over the back of a couch, crashing onto the floor.

"That's all of it, I swear!" Jeremy yelled.

Standing on my feet and flipping my hair from my face, I watched with fearful eyes.

"Don't be daft, I've seen the tattoo with my own eyes!"

Jeremy grunted. "He said that it grows every time he kills a vampire."

Klaus stared at him for a brief moment. Then, seeming satisfied with his answer, Klaus looked at him, eyes unblinking. "Forget this evening ever happened. Go home, go to bed, and wake up with no recollection." Then, he tossed him away, turning to me. "Thank you for your help, Madeleine, darling. It was much appreciated. You're free to go with your brother. Don't breathe a word about our conversation tonight, though. I know you cannot be compelled, and I do not wish to use other forms of motivation to silence your lips."

"Don't call me darling," I snipped, straightening myself. "And don't worry, I won't spill your precious secrets."

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked Jeremy for the thousandth time.

"Yeah," he said, shifting in his spot on his bed. "I'm just really tired."

I looked at the alarm clock on his bedside dresser. "Elena will be home soon, so I should get going. Oh, here, before I forget." I pried his Gilbert ring from my pocket, holding up his hand and sliding it onto his finger.

"Stay, just for a little longer?" he asked me quietly.

Biting my lower lip, I consented, lying down on his bed next to him.

"I wish you were here," Jeremy said to me. "It's lonely, with only me and Elena in the house. And she's gone all of the time, doing only God knows what."

Chuckling, more so to myself, I said, "Sometimes I forget that you're only sixteen, Jer. I'll come back as soon as I can," I promised him, resting my head against his shoulder. "This whole thing with Elena just needs to blow over. Right now, it's not safe."

"I miss you," he confessed.

"I miss you, too," I told him.

"Stay safe, alright?"

"Hey, I'm the older sibling. It's my job to say that to you."

Jeremy laughed. I had forgotten how much I loved the sound of laughter, particularly his and Elena's. It made me feel complete inside, knowing that he was happy to a certain degree, even if it was only for a moment.

There was a noise downstairs, and I bolted up. "Tell Elena I love her. And I love you too, Jer."

"Bye, Mads."

Swinging out the back door in a blur, I sighed discontentedly, wanting nothing more than to curl up in my own bed in my own house with my own family. It didn't take long to return to the boarding house, my head pounding, the events of the chaotic day starting to catch up to me.

Pushing open the front door, I immediately sensed something off. Lifting my chin, freezing in the front foyer, I scanned the area around me, eyes trailing over the burning hearth and the empty corridors.

Then, I caught his scent.

Klaus.

My body tensed with fear, afraid of what Klaus could do out of spite, when his temper got the best of him. A cold tremor vibrated down my back as the lingering feeling of his hands on me from earlier, capable of ending my life, was forever burned into my skin. I refrained from calling out, unaware of Stefan's whereabouts.

"You can relax, he's gone."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding as Stefan walked into the living room, heading towards a table that displayed a selection of alcoholic beverages. He poured himself a glass.

"What was Klaus doing here?"

"Don't worry about it Madeleine." He gestured towards the bottle. "Want some?"

Shaking my head, I declined. "No thanks."

Stefan sat in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace. I followed suit, taking a seat beside him tentatively. The heat the fire offered made me feel drowsy, after basking in it for a few moments.

"But I did want to say thank you," I continued.

"For what? Almost getting you killed?" He snorted.

I peered at him as he turned to face me. I looked into his eyes; Stefan had a guilty soul. He carried the burdens of his sins with a heavy heart, a sense of bitterness and refused forgiveness always settling deep inside of him. And I wished that I could help him let go, because he didn't deserve the guilt he inflicted upon himself, and the pain that always went hand in hand with it.

"No." I sighed, shifting in my chair. "I know today was chaotic and kind of crazy, but at least I can say one good thing came out of it. If it wasn't for your pushing, I wouldn't have fixed things with Rebekah. And I haven't completely forgiven her for everything, but today was a good start. So, thank you."

He swallowed, giving me a small smile. "I'm glad I could help."

I thought I saw his expression flicker, but it was so sudden that perhaps I had imagined it.