Chapter 36 - God's Gonna Cut You Down

ELIJAH'S POINT OF VIEW:

My thumb and forefinger pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration as I listened to my little brother's vehement verbal tantrum. He was blathering on and on, and I was struggling to make sense of it. His speech was garbled and disgruntled, making him sound like a madman; I'd had an easier time understanding him when he was hammered. Though in this particular instance, he had not been drinking. Niklaus had just returned home from the Davilla Estate, and presumably - obviously - the discussion with his daughter had not gone well, thus his incessant bluster. In the few phrases that were lucid, I gathered that it was regarding Fiona, they'd had some sort of bitter disagreement, but the specific matter was beyond me.

"Pardon me, Brother, but your ranting is unintelligible," I told him. "Calm yourself and tell me what happened."

"If she wants a fight, I'll give her a fight," he growled.

"No, Niklaus, don't," I said for what felt like the millionth time in the past decade. "There is nothing honorable about engaging a war with your daughter. You may as well take candy from a toddler."

"Don't, Elijah," he grouched.

"Don't what? Counsel you against your own worst instincts?" I queried with fervor. "A thousand years, I have desperately tried to sway you toward some kind of reason."

"And for a thousand years, I have trusted you!" he spat.

"So now what?"

"So why aren't you doing anything?" he bellowed. "My daughter is spiraling out of control and you're just letting her go! And you won't let me save her!"

My brother's hysterics tugged at my heartstrings, for I was seeing him as my helpless baby brother who had been left at the mercy of Mikael. Niklaus was reacting out of anger, but that anger was a result of his fear; in this case, fear for his child. Rarely did he find himself in this kind of situation where he was stumped on what to do; he did not know how to cope with it. I softened my demeanor and approached my brother slowly, tenderly placing my hands on his burdened shoulders.

"Niklaus," I whispered, causing him to make eye contact. "Niklaus, I am afraid for Fiona too. I am not stopping you from saving your daughter, I am preventing you from doing something you will only come to regret, for it will serve to worsen the matter. I want to bring her home just as badly as you do, but if we force her to come back before she is ready, we will end up right where we started with her hating us for taking away her independence. Not to mention that Tristan has endangered our family and any move we make against him could be taken as a sign of initiating battle. I repeat, we will take him down when it is time, but for right now, the risk is much too high."

Despite my gentleness, Niklaus' rage erupted again. "You didn't see the way she looked at me, Elijah! You weren't there to hear her vindictive words! My little girl is gone, replaced by a rebellious wannabe tyrant! Tristan brainwashed her, I'm sure of it, and he'll continue to do so until we get her out of there! She's not herself! She's… She's… She's me. She sounded just like me!"

My brother was sporting a bewilderingly deranged look that left me feeling rather unsettled. "I ask you again, what happened?"

Niklaus resumed his muddled thundering, and it became evident that he wasn't going to reveal what exactly had transpired between the two of them. My patience with my brother was running thin, he was becoming dangerously unstable which created a malignant stress, and I decided it was time to gain control of the issue. I fished my cell phone from my pocket and promptly dialed Fiona's number. Likely out of old habit, she answered on the first ring.

"Hello, Fiona. I believe it's time we had a little chat," I greeted tersely, letting her know I meant business.

I swear the rolling of her eyes was audible. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Somehow, I doubt that," I said, keeping my firm tone. "Now, your father came home, enraged, and he's refusing to tell me what happened. I was wondering if maybe you could enlighten me?"

"We butted heads again, just like we always do," she confessed.

"I see," I said thoughtfully. "Details would be helpful. On what matter was it this time?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Elijah."

"Fair enough," I allowed. "I won't pressure you. However, I would like to implore you once more to end this Strix nonsense and come home. Say the word, and I will deal with Tristan if he attempts to stand in your way."

"I'm not coming home, Elijah!" my niece barked. "I have no desire to live with my controlling arse of a father or his cruel brother."

Heaviness washed over me as I was reminded of my guilt. "I'm sorry, Fiona. I did what I thought was best for you and Niklaus."

"If you want to sacrifice every part of your life for the cause of Klaus' highly unlikely redemption, fine, it's within your freedom to do so. But your relationship with me? That's my sacrifice too. I'm not willing to give that up. You were the reason I could sleep at night, and ever since you purposely created space between us, I haven't slept consistently. I used to lie awake, wondering what I did to make you hate me and worrying that Klaus would turn me into a hybrid breeding machine if I allowed myself a moment of vulnerability. Then I find out that your disdain was falsely engineered for the sake of forcing me to get closer with that very person, and now you expect me to come crawling back? Hell no. I know you believe he's changed, I know he said he would never do that or anything else to hurt me again, and maybe he is trying to be better to me, but if my memory stands correctly, he's a pathological liar and a master manipulator," she angrily fulminated. "Elijah, you should have let me decide what I was willing to sacrifice. If the choice is between you and Klaus, I choose you."

I was at a loss for words, and my phone beeped in my ear, meaning that Fiona had ended the call. I slowly put my phone down, processing what my niece had just said. Niklaus was standing motionlessly in the hallway; he'd heard everything. I went over to him and our eyes instantly locked on one another, commencing a staredown. I waited for him to start screaming at me for stealing his daughter from him, but he didn't. On the contrary, it was my temper that was threatening to act up as we glared at each other, and I was the one to break the silence.

"How is it that I appear selfish and mean when it is you who is heartless?" I snapped, barely controlling my rage as I walked away.

I locked myself in my study for some peace and quiet. I sat down in my black leather office chair and took several deep breaths to collect myself before pulling out my journal and beginning to write. Between Niklaus' outburst of rage and my upsetting phone call with my vexatious niece, I had grown rather discountenanced. My patience was running thin, every little thing seemed to be gnawing at my nerves, and the last obstacle I needed was for my emotions to cloud my judgement, but remaining stoic was proving to be a difficult task as I was coming to terms with the truth that I did not know what to do about Fiona either. What I did know was that I would not allow myself to leave this room until I had found a solution.

My hand scrawled furiously across the page, recording my troubled thoughts and feelings of personal frustration. I was irrefutably responsible for the predicament. I had hurt Fiona, created a breeding ground for resentment, and given her too much slack endeavoring to make up for it. I thought I had been doing right by her in giving her time and allowing her to be angry with me, but now it was manifesting to be a profound error. She had become so carried away with her resentment that it turned into a desire for revenge, which was currently being taken to outrageous extremes. The Strix were never supposed to be a part of the picture, and I needed to pluck them out of it. I should have eradicated those vampire sirelings of mine long ago.

The pen in my hand snapped in two, spattering the paper with black ink. I forced my grasp to relax, dropping the utensil on the desk. It was imperative that I calmed myself down, for the things hidden behind the Red Door were knocking. The Red Door needed to stay closed, whatever lies beyond it needs to stay buried for eternity. The darkest parts of my personality had no place in handling the problems with my niece. I needed to approach this from a loving angle and do what was truly best for her and my family, not what my inner monster was provoking.

That brief moment of reflection was what I had needed to discover how to proceed. I realized I needed to restore my guardianship of Fiona. She was blossoming into a strong, beautiful young woman, she'd been seventeen for nearly thirty years, but she still needed an authority figure to rein her in from time to time. I had entertained her grudge because it was justified, but enough was enough. She was endangering herself in addition to implicating our entire family, and she could never possibly benefit from that. My strict guidance was what had priorly kept her grounded, secure, and relatively happy. I had taught her, laughed with her, and cried with her. I was the gentle, loving, and caring figure she had wanted in her life since she was a little girl. In spite of all the outside problems that plagued us, she had thrived in the home I had created for her. My taking it all away had been a grave mistake, and I was prepared to remedy that. Firmly resolved, all I required now was the opportunity to put down my proverbial foot.

Unexpectedly, the answer to my prayer later found me, in the form of a ringing cell phone.

FIONA'S POINT OF VIEW:

I bounced my leg anxiously as I sat across from Tristan de Martel once again. He was looking directly at me and his lips were moving, but I couldn't hear a single word he was saying, for I was too distracted by my own thoughts. Reality was beginning to set in, I was seeing how dumb and careless I'd been, but I would deny it to myself and to anyone who asked. I was questioning my decision to join the Strix, but, admittedly, I was afraid to go back to Klaus and Elijah. Not only because of their tendency to control the workings of my life, but also because I knew they were absolutely furious with me, Klaus especially.

"Well, do you agree, Fiona?" Tristan inquired, the interrogative catching my attention.

I stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry… What was that?"

He gave a smile that conveyed slight amusement. "I said that someone needs to put your father in his place. I couldn't help but overhear your interaction with him, and now I know that the problem is more urgent than I originally accounted. His interest as a leader is only for himself, and that selfishness will burn this city to the ground for the third time. That would be such a shame. I believe the Strix have a duty to keep that from happening, don't you think?"

I nodded. "Of course. We must serve the greater good."

"I anticipated you would be in agreement," Tristan said, pleased. "I have formulated a plan, but it has not yet been set in stone. You are the most talented member out of all of us, therefore it would be up to you to take charge in the effort. You and I will combine on the strategic side, but all things witchcraft will fall to you and your Sisters. Together, we can remove your father from the throne and make New Orleans into the great city it's meant to be."

My eyes widened. "You seriously want to overthrow my father?"

Tristan sighed. "Have you been listening to anything I've said in the last fifteen minutes?"

"I heard what you said ten seconds ago, and it sounds insane," I replied ardently. "He's Klaus effing Mikaelson! The only "overthrowing" would be that of your disembodied head. Over a bridge, into the river… which would probably have my head floating in it too."

"When he came to see you just an hour ago, you seemed confident that you could orchestrate and execute his demise," Tristan pointed out. "What's changed?"

"What's changed is that my conversation with Klaus was never supposed to inspire you to plot against him," I stated. "What I said to him was a threat. Not an empty one, but also not one to act on anytime soon. I'm powerful, but I have a lot to learn before I take on an immortal hybrid who's over a thousand years old. I only said those things because I was angry and he's a dick."

"But your words were true," Tristan countered. "The Sisters will compensate for your lack of knowledge. They've been preparing for this for more than a decade. We will trounce your father unlike any other king in history. You will crush him so triumphantly that it will requite everything he's ever done to you."

I wracked my brain for a response that wouldn't give away my hesitation toward my recently sworn loyalty, but also wouldn't give him a green light to take action. "Too many wars have broken out in this city the way it is. Countless conquerors have challenged each other for leadership since the dawn of time. Tristan, the people of New Orleans shouldn't have to go through that again. They already had to endure the power struggle between my father and Marcel Gerard. I don't know the exact body count, but it was up there."

"You are the rightful queen for this city," Tristan pressed. "I thought you wanted that power?"

"I do, but as I said, I'm not ready for it."

"This is what you were created for, Fiona. You were born into a family in which legends are made and you have grown into a power with the ability to ignite a revolution. With the Strix standing behind you and the reputation of the Mikaelson name, no one would dare challenge you, Fiona."

"I'm sorry, Tristan," I rejected. "I just can't."

"By refusing to oblige, you are violating the Strix's most precious rule."

"Why don't you just shun me, then?"

"You'll come around," was his cryptically nonchalant reply.

Tristan stood up and walked away, leaving me sitting all alone, motionless and bewildered. My skin was crawling; I needed air, and I needed out. Now. I unlocked the window and shoved the glass open, slipping through and leaping out, landing on the manicured ground four stories below. I sprinted away as fast as my legs could carry me, fifty times faster than the average vampire. The only destination that came to mind was the bayou. It was the only place that seemed like a safe haven - the Crescent wolves had vowed to protect me in return for freeing them from their curse.

I slowed down to a brisk jog as I approached their division of the bayou, not wanting to appear a threat and alarm them. As soon as their camp - which was deep in the bayou - came into view, I could see that many of them wore expressions of worry. I scanned the area for Luke, but he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he was out working. I hurried my pace as Alpha Rayborn, Luke's father, noticed my arrival and gathered everyone to greet me.

"Hello, Miss Fiona," the alpha said, his face as grave as those of his pack. Luke's mother, Anna, was weeping into her oldest son's shoulder.

"What happened?" I asked. "Where's Luke?"

Alpha Rayborn shared a distraught look with his wife, causing panic to rise inside my heart.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded, my volume rising. "Where is Luke?"

"He's missing," Alpha Rayborn struggled to tell me, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Someone took him. Vampires. They were here, and then they were gone, and so was our son."

My heart sheared in half. "The Strix."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh God!" My hand went up to cover my mouth as I began crying, my heart in a million pieces. "Oh God! This is all my fault!"

"How do you mean?" the alpha asked.

"I made the wrong choice," I said through my tears. "I told Tristan no, and now he's punishing me."

"Who's Tristan?" Alpha Rayborn asked. "Fiona, Honey, you're not making any sense."

"There's no time," I said. "I need to go. I will fix this, but I need to go now."

I ran back to the mansion, pushing my body so hard that my muscles began to ache with every stride. I didn't care, I had to save Luke. I would tear myself in half if that's what it would take to get him out of this. I burst through the door, my eyes a dark yellow, veins bulging, and my fangs at the ready. I was immediately restrained by Aya and Shen Min, who were about to inject me with a poison that would probably send me into unconsciousness when Tristan appeared on the stairs.

"Wait," he instructed them. "Let's give her one last chance before we get indecorous."

"I will kill ANYONE who hurts him!" I screeched.

"That won't be necessary, Fiona," Tristan said calmly. "Your lover is alive and well, and he will remain that way, so long as you change your answer about the matter we discussed earlier."

"Fine!" I relented. "I will do whatever you ask of me in the matter of overthrowing my father, you have my word! Just let Luke go!"

Tristan grinned with evil satisfaction. "As you wish, my dear."

Two Strix guards opened the French doors behind Tristan, and I peered past them to see Luke in chains, dying of severe blood loss, for he'd been weakened by a nearly lethal amount of wolfsbane. I threw off Aya and Shen Min and dashed over to Luke, gently taking his face in my hands and lifting it up so I could look at him. His eyes opened to the barest slits, and his mouth twitched, attempting to smile at the sight of me. Hot tears ran down my face as I stroked his hair a couple times before releasing him from the chains they'd used to string him up. He fell to his knees, and I followed him to the ground, cradling his jaw in my hands again.

"You're alive," I breathed.

"Barely."

I bit into my wrist and held it up to Luke's mouth. "Here, drink. You'll heal instantly."

"My system won't accept it," Luke said. "Vampires and werewolves are mortal enemies, my body doesn't heal any faster with vampire blood than it does as is."

"I know you can't drink vampire blood, but I'm a magical miracle tribrid, remember? My blood works for everything on everybody."

"But you're still part vampire…"

"Just try it," I insisted. "It's not like you'll spontaneously combust."

Even in his wounded state, Luke managed to shoot me a withering look. I stared back at him for a minute before he finally gave in and drank from my wrist. Sure enough, the blood went down smoothly, and he was good as new in a matter of minutes despite the extensive injuries. He got onto his feet and offered me his hand, which I took and allowed him to pull me up from the floor.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" I lightly teased.

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and gave me a warm, fond smile. "I missed you, Fiona."

"I missed you too," I said, teary-eyed as I threw my arms around his shoulders, inhaling deeply and savoring his wonderful scent. "I'm so sorry you got mixed up in this."

"It's not your fault," Luke said, wrapping his chiseled arms around me. "I'm not sure why the hell they came after me, though."

"You're leverage," I explained. "Tristan wants me to do something, but I told him no, so he took you. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to agree."

"Of all the situations I thought I might find myself in because of you, being held for ransom wasn't one of them. Not quite like this, anyway."

I giggled. "I think you may need to adjust your expectations a little."

"Clearly." Luke grew serious. "Are you okay, Fiona? What does that Tristan guy want you to do? I don't want you sacrificing yourself to save me."

"I'm not in danger," I assured him. "Contrastingly, I'm precisely what he wants. It's the people I love that are at risk of getting hurt."

Luke looked at me inquisitively. "Fiona Mikaelson, did you just accidentally admit that you love me?"

"No way," I said, biting my lip to hide my smile. "How could I love you already? Our relationship mainly consists of text messages and time apart. I don't think you've ever even taken me out on a real date."

"Yeah, because every time I ask you always say that you're too busy with your dysfunctional, homicidal family," he rebutted.

He had me there. "I know, I'm sorry I've been distant. I need to make time for you, but I honestly can't right now. I have a hard time maintaining a simple friendship, and if we are to be more than friends, I want to be able to commit a solid piece of my life to you. We won't work if I can't do that."

"I'll wait."

"Please do," I requested genuinely. "You should probably get back to the bayou. Your parents were worried sick when I left. I didn't explain much, so be prepared. And please tell them I'm sorry for being so abrupt, I hope I didn't offend them."

Luke nodded and held me close once more. "Be safe. Let me know if there's anything I can do, and text me every day so I know you're all right."

"I will," I promised. "You should really go now."

I walked out with him to ensure that he safely got past all the Strix members that surrounded the house. We shared one final look before he took off into the night, back to the bayou where he belonged. My heart yearned for the day when I could pursue our relationship, but until then, I would do everything to keep him away from my messes. I took in one last breath of fresh air and went back inside.

Tristan was still standing on the stairs, but I brushed right passed him and flitted straight up to my quarters. Thankfully, he got the message and didn't follow me. Lord de Martel had crossed a line, and while I'd promised to aid his agenda, I had no intention of keeping my word. I picked up my cell phone and pulled up Elijah's number. I stared at the screen, debating whether or not to make the call. I didn't want to involve my family, but I needed to know how to get out of the Strix, and the only person with that information was their founder. Deciding to swallow my pride and wave the white flag - temporarily, at least - I tapped Elijah's name and put the phone to my ear.

"Elijah? I need your help," I said in a humbled tone. "Probably Klaus' too, though I doubt he'll be happy to oblige after what I said to him. Please, Uncle Elijah, I screwed up bad. I don't know how to fix it, and I'm… I'm scared."

There was a long pause, then finally my uncle spoke the words I was desperate to hear. "I'm on my way."

I breathed a sigh of relief and flopped onto my bed. I was exhausted, but the long day and night was far from over. I anxiously awaited my uncle's arrival, afraid of what he would say and do. He obviously wasn't going to be happy with me. Frankly, I wasn't happy with him either, but I knew I needed his help. I was having a difficult time swallowing my pride though, and I wasn't ready to forgive him yet. I felt my defensive walls build up, protecting me and preparing me for whatever version of Elijah walked through the door. I would be civil, but I wasn't about to be subordinated to his edict.

I heard Elijah's car park in front of the mansion, and my heart began to race. No one knew I had called him, and Tristan wasn't going to be thrilled that he was here. The Strix were all sired to Elijah, but Tristan was essentially Elijah's equal. Tristan had made sure he could never be compelled by an Original again, and since he wasn't much younger than my uncle, he was almost just as strong. Their confrontation could get ugly, but all I could do was stay in my room and wait for Elijah to come to me.

I expected to hear some sort of banter or protest at Elijah's unannounced visit, but I heard no voices as he walked right in. I heard one of the minions scamper down the hall, probably off to report back to Tristan, but it was otherwise silent. Elijah's footsteps became louder, sounding like the beat of a drum as he walked toward my room at a purposeful pace. I stood with my arms crossed, confidently positioned, but I was flipping out on the inside. Three quick knocks sounded at the door before it swung open, causing me to jump. He was clothed in his typical suit and his face was stern, instilling a healthy amount of fright. I'd performed a subtle spell, which my uncle sensed as soon as he entered the room, making it so we could speak freely. I met his eyes, showing no fear, and decided I'd let him be the first to speak.

"Fiona," Elijah said, his voice full of disapproval. "What on earth have you done with yourself?"

"You were right about Tristan," I said, wringing my hands nervously. "He's the scum of the earth. He's trying to control me and I don't want to be a part of his organization anymore. I want out."

"I am sorry, Sweetheart, but I am afraid that the only way out of the Strix is by death," my uncle said. "That rule is very clearly stated in the Charter."

My eyes widened. "But you made the rules."

"As a matter of fact I did, thereby I have the power to break them for you," was Elijah's assured reply. "Why don't we make a deal?"

"Slow your roll," I cautioned. "I asked for your help, but we are doing this my way. Try anything else and someone's going to get hurt."

"Knock it off, Fiona!" Elijah reprimanded harshly, his sudden raise of volume making me jump again. "You have gotten yourself into a deep predicament to which you have already admitted that you have no idea how to get out of, hence why you called me to rescue your petulant self from the chasm of trouble you so proudly created. It is excellent that you've seen the error of your ways, but that does not mean you get to continue this self-aggrandizing revenge quest of yours. I have been patient, I have been lenient, but your resentment towards Niklaus and me, however warranted, is what has gotten you here in the first place. Now you will either do as I say and let me get you out of this mess, or you will have to figure it out on your own."

I didn't like how strict Elijah was being, so I pushed back. "And it comes to an ultimatum. Wow, family loyalty at its finest."

"Don't bother with the little games and guilt trips, Fiona," Elijah said sternly. "I know that you know you are being unreasonable."

"So what if I am?" I snapped. "We Mikaelsons aren't exactly known for our common rationality."

Elijah stepped toward me, which was moderately intimidating, and began to speak in a low, firm, yet compassionate tone. "If your current behavior is being driven by your pride, let it go, Child. I understand you are hurt, I understand that you are angry, but I know that more than anything you are frightened, and it's okay to disclose that. It's the very reason why I am here, Fiona. I am prepared to help you, my niece, but I will not be used as a punching bag. I know I have more apologizing to do, I do not intend to minimize the severity of our strained bond, I am simply recommending that we place our personal quandary aside until we have dealt with what is immediately in front of us."

My arms were crossed and I stared at him intransigently. I probably looked like a defiant child, but I didn't care. I appeared unbending, but internally I was seriously contemplating my options. I knew I was a bit out of line, and I was acting out of pride, but I was still hurt by what he'd done. I wanted to forgive him and go home, but I also wanted to be sure that he wouldn't purposely sabotage our relationship ever again. I wanted to make him promise me right here and now that he wouldn't, but I knew that would involve a heart-to-heart, which the clock would not allow for. Tristan would come soon, and I needed to make up my mind before then. Elijah was resolute, and I didn't want to budge, but my uncle's authority was not one to be ignored.

"What's it going to be, Fiona?" he inquired.

I sighed, my desire to be free from the Strix had won. "Truce."

"Now come here, you stubborn girl," Elijah ordered, opening his arms to me.

I tried to resist, but my uncle knew me well. I needed a hug, and there was none more perfect than the embrace of Elijah Mikaelson. I wasn't a fan of the tough love he was showing me, but deep down I knew that his heart was in the right place. I was mad about having to submit to him, but I knew complying with his plans was best, and I was growing tired of fighting to stay on my pedestal, it really wasn't who I wanted to be. I semi-reluctantly went into his arms, and he held me tightly, kissing the top of my head and breathing a sigh of relief into my hair.

"You have too much of your father in you, you know that, little lady?" he remarked exhaustedly and endearingly.

"I think you may have mentioned it once or twice."

"You are not ever leaving my sight again, you understand me?" my uncle said, tightening his arms around me. I realized this embrace was for himself as much as it was for me. My bottom lip trembled as I hugged him back, feeling guilty about being so haughty and all of the problems I'd caused. I wanted my family back.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I said, my voice shaking. "I keep making mistakes that result in life or death consequences. I mean, is this how it is for everyone? High stakes and screwed-up situations?"

"We all have to face the repercussions following our choices, no soul is exempt from that," my uncle said wisely. "For us, however, we have more time and opportunities to make bad choices. Most people die before the list becomes embarrassing, but we just keep on living."

I mulled over his words. "I wonder what it would take for me to die."

My uncle stepped back, his eyes roaming over me concernedly. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm not suicidal, if that's what you're thinking," I reassured him. "I just wonder sometimes about what's at the end of all of this."

"My premise is that we should hold off on contemplating life's mysteries until after we have separated you from the Strix," Elijah said, clapping me on the back. "Let us go show Tristan just how rational we Mikaelsons are, shall we?"

I smiled mischievously in agreement. "Let's."

A/N: At long last, dear old Uncle Elijah has come to reign Fiona in. What is your reaction on how these characters are developing? Is there anything would like to see more of? Anything you'd like to see less of? Please review, I would love to know what you think. I have many ideas for this story, and I am so excited for you to see what's coming. Don't forget to follow and favorite so you don't miss out on updates, and check out my Twitter account ActressCeCe13 (Anonymous Writer) for additional content. Thank you all for reading, I hope you are well!