There was a knock at the door. I scurried out from under the bed and looked over.

"Elena, are you okay in there?"

Kol. I got to my feet and went over to the door.

"Yeah… I'm okay… I'm just feeling a little queasy. Can I take a rain check on the tea party?"

"Of course. Do you need anything?"

"No… I just need to sleep I think. I'll see you tomorrow!"

I waited until I heard his footsteps retreating before turning back to the bed. I didn't want to go back under there but I wasn't entirely sure I hadn't imagined things.

"You going back under there?" Lucien asked.

"I have to…"

I crawled back under the bed and peered down into the hole.

Inside were clothes, bundles of filthy clothes. All of them were thick with dried blood and dirt, the stench of which wafted off of them and up to my nose. I gagged and recoiled. Amongst the bundles was a large knife with a serrated blade. I stared in horror. I hadn't imagined things.

"How the fuck…?"

"Someone's been a very bad girl," Lucien said in a sing song voice.

"I didn't do this…"

"They're in your room, under your bed, in your house where you live. Sensing a theme here?"

"I… I would remember if I'd been stashing blood soaked clothes under my bed… I would… I would…"

I stared at the knife. I reached down hesitantly and picked it up. The weight felt right in my hand, familiar. I held it in front of my face, the metal reflecting my eyes back to me in a distorted way.

I was walking the streets of New Orleans. Every step I took, I felt the key in my pocket bump against my skin, reminding me of my failure. I hated myself. I hadn't been able to do it. I should have killed him. I should have. He deserved to die. Deserved to suffer for what he had done to me, done to Lilah, to Blair.

I felt tears on my cheeks. They weren't tears of sadness, they were tears of bitterness, anger and resentment. I was a failure. I didn't deserve my freedom.

My feet carried me to Tristan's building. I stopped outside, looking up at the lights in the windows. The very thought of him, alive up there, was eating away at me.

'So what are you going to do about it?' a dark voice at the back of my mind whispered. My hand reached into my pocket and lightly fingered the key still tucked there. I took it out and held it in the palm of my hand. I could rectify this… it wouldn't be hard. I went to take a step but my legs wouldn't move.

'Not yet… wait…'

I stood there, waiting in the shadows, the lamplight flickering overhead. Eventually the door opened and Tristan came out with Aurora. I watched as they headed down the street and disappeared from view. My feet moved of their own accord, guiding me inside the building and up into the elevator. The apartment door was unlocked, I guess Tristan wasn't one to fear robbery.

I went inside, moving slowly. My eyes fell on a cabinet with a number of drawers in it. I'd never really looked at them. I knew now wasn't really the time to explore but something drew me to the cabinet. I opened the first drawer and smiled to myself. Rows upon rows of knives, elegant blades set in deep velvet casing. I opened the next drawer and saw more of the same. I wondered how long they'd been there. Had Tristan had them the whole time? Had they come with this fancy apartment? Aya had said it used to belong to an antiques dealer. Maybe they were his.

I picked up a knife with an elaborate blade, curved and serrated, the handle made of reddish wood, varnished and inlayed with gold. I ran a finger along the edge, a sharp sting following as the skin split.

I went to the door and slid in the key, letting myself into Lucien's prison. He was sitting in the chair where I'd left him. His head turned slightly as I entered.

"Elena…" He said, voice hoarse from the toxins in his blood. "Come to torture me further?"

"No. I've come to kill you."

"Really? Is this like last time when you tried to kill me? Because I'm all up for that."

"Not this time. This time you die. For good."

I clenched my fist around the handle and stalked towards him. I was filled with resolve. Nothing would stop me this time.

As I advanced, Lucien's eyes widened as he seemed to realise that I was serious. He could see that something had changed. Something had snapped.

"You think killing me will make a difference Elena?" he said, his voice tinged with panic. "You can kill me today and tomorrow there will be someone else, someone just as bad or worse! The Mikaelsons have a lot of enemies! You can't kill them all!"

"I can try."

I reached over and sliced his throat open. Blood gushed out of the wound and I watched as he choked and spluttered. It wasn't enough. I stabbed him violently, the knife tearing through flesh with ease. Blood splattered on my face and chest.

"See you in hell Lucien." I said as I drove my blade into his heart. I watched as his face turned grey, his skin desiccating in front of me. I looked down at his bloody body and felt satisfaction.

'He's right… there are a lot of people out there… they'll hurt your children… unless you stop them…'

I ran my fingers over the bloodstained blade.

"I can do it."

I snapped back to reality.

"I killed them. How could I kill them and not know?" I felt sick. Those clothes. That knife. Staring at them, I saw them all. Every victim, each body I'd left in the streets. There was a scrap of paper in the hole and a cell phone. I reached out and picked it up. A list of names was written in neat lettering, some written in a different pen as though they'd been added later. A handful were crossed out.

I had left the room and entered the main room of the apartment. It wasn't just Lucien. There were bigger problems. I went into Tristan's office, my body guided by the strange sense of purpose dominating me. I'd asked him once how he knew all the Strix, how he kept track of them, and he'd shown me his ledger. It contained the name of every member of the organization. He said he'd turned a lot of them but even then he couldn't remember all of their names, however he considered it important, as a leader, to at least act like he did. Under each name was a phone number and beside each name was a sticky tab, dictating their last location.

I took my phone from my pocket and snapped a picture of each page, making sure I got every name that was identified as being in New Orleans. After that was done, I left Tristan's apartment as quickly as I could.

My feet, rather than taking me back to the Mikaelson house, took me to a phone shop. Within minutes I had a burner phone and was texting the first of the numbers on the list. I wanted to feel guilty for imitating Tristan, for luring his soldiers, but the persistent force that was driving me buried the thoughts at the back of my mind.

I waited quietly. A woman arrived, looking around for Tristan. I pulled the knife from my pocket, moving with a stealth I didn't know I possessed.

I stumbled back, over to the dresser where the broken mirror was propped up. I looked at my reflection and it looked back at me.

You understand now?

The voice was loud and clear but it wasn't Lucien's. It sounded like my own, but I hadn't spoken.

You need to protect the girls. You need to get rid of the bad people and make the city safe for them.

"I need to keep the girl's safe…"

That had always been the priority. It always would be. I had to keep them safe. This city, this world was swarming with monsters who would destroy us and I had to get rid of them.

But couldn't the Mikaelsons take care of us? Klaus, Elijah, Kol, they'd protect their children.

No. They'd try to protect them but only when it's already too late. And if they find out what you're doing they'll try to stop you.

"They want to help…"

They want to. But they can't.

"What do I do?"

You do what you have to do. What you need to do.

Tristan wasn't a threat. His soldiers… why was I hurting them? I was part of the Strix after all.

No. He might be their leader but they are each centuries old, trained and dangerous. They could kill you in a second and they were very interested in Lilah. Maybe… maybe Tristan is trustworthy but you can't guarantee his army won't act out… rebel… get bored.

She… I… it was right. I couldn't trust them. They had kidnapped my children as part of their messed up initiation. What was stopping them from doing that again? Tristan helped me but I knew that nothing came for free. I had to make the city safe for my girls. I had to protect them from everything evil and wicked that might seek to destroy our home.

I turned the knife over between my fingers reflectively.

"What are you going to do Elena?" Lucien asked. He seemed less real to me now. More ghost like than most of the ghosts I'd seen.

"I'm going to finish what I started Lucien. I'm going to end all of this."

I felt a peculiar sense of calm settle over my body. This was so much easier than I thought. I had to finish it. I'd sworn to protect my children and I would.

I picked up the list, running my fingers down them. So many names… I'd been taking my time, only killing one or two so that no one notice. So even I wouldn't notice. But now… the longer I left it, taking my time, the more likely it was that the Strix would realise the connection. I couldn't afford to stall any longer. I had to move, quickly.

"I'm going to finish this…" I murmured to myself.

But first…

I picked the case up from the floor where I'd left it and opened it. Five stakes. A wolf, a fox, a stag, a bear and a leopard. I ran my fingers over the smooth wood. Five stakes. Five lives. It wouldn't kill them, just stop them from interfering.

Could I do it?

Yes. I could. I would. I had to.

A/N: I know it's short and a bit jumpy. Sorry :/