Chapter 36: Vacation's Over

Sorry yet again for the long delay. Been busy with school. PLEASE REVIEW

Meanwhile, Nathaniel's phone began to ring. He walked away from the commotion to answer it. Looking at the Caller ID he saw the name of who was calling, "Annemarie."

He was surprised she was calling though. "Marie?"

"Finally!" She said loudly with a sigh. "I have been trying to call you for days, why is no one answering their phones?"

"Um…" He didn't know.

She knew that tone. "What happened?"

Oh nothing, he wanted to say. Unfortunately, a lot had happened. A lot of bad.

"Nathaniel?" She pressed knowing if she pushed hard enough eventually he would spill.

"Sorry, um, can I call you back later?"

"God, no." She said angrily. "What happened?"

Nathaniel sighed knowing he couldn't hide anything from her. "We're fixing it."

"Fixing it? Nathaniel…"

Hearing Annemarie's answer, their grandfather knew something had happened. So he got up from his chair in his mansion, the house he used to live in when he was human, and marched over to Annemarie. He quickly took the phone from her.

"Nathaniel." Alexander said with a small hint of anger and disdain.

Hearing Alexander's voice on the other line automatically made Nathaniel straighten up and listen as if he were standing right there. "Yes sir?"

"What happened?"

"Um, Serena's been kidnapped."

"What?"

"Well, not exactly kidnapped, more like she volunteered."

"How the hell did this happen?"

"Lilu. Lilu's in town. Lilitu did have Sebastian too, but he got away."

"Then why is Serena not home?"

"She volunteered." He reminded Alexander firmly. "She refuses to leave in order to keep Elena safe. Elena is the doppelganger, she looks like Mara, that's who Lilu wants."

"Where's Elijah?" Alexander asked. He wanted to know how his son had allowed this to happen.

"I'm not at the house. I'm in Salem."

"Well, then get there!" He urged before hanging up on him.

Nathaniel put his phone away and turned back to see his father staring him in the face. He stepped back in surprise. While he was on the phone his mother had completed the ritual to bring his father back. His mother must have used the only thing he kept his father, which was his ring. Niklaus had taken it from his real father's dead body after Alexander killed him and then gave it to Josie to give to their son to prove his lineage.

"Alexander?" Klaus asked casually looking down at his son's pocket where his phone now sat.

"Yeah. He knows now, so they'll probably be coming back soon."

"We still have time."

"What exactly do you plan to do? Just barge into Lilu's house and kill him?"

"How little you know me." Klaus said amusingly with a smirk on his face. He was too cunning to just barge into anything. They needed a plan first. "For the time being, I think we should focus on protecting Elena."

"Why do you care about Elena?" Eli asked abruptly. "You tried to kill her."

Klaus didn't reply, he just kept smirking. Nathaniel hated that look on his father's face with a passion. So to get rid of it, Nathaniel changed the subject. "We need to get to the house. Alexander wants to talk to Elijah."

"Then we should go." Klaus agreed and led the way out of the basement.

Nathaniel looked to his mother waiting for her to say something along the lines of be cautious, but she seemed to trust her old lover as much as she ever did. Together they followed him upstairs and to the car. The others stayed there this time. Eli needed to be with his family, and Noah was a kid, he needed a break.

Nathaniel walked straight in interrupting the reunion and forced his cell phone into his uncle's hand. "Call your father."

Elijah knew that meant Alexander now knew and he was in trouble. He dreaded this, but he had to do it. He heard it ring only once and then it clicked.

"Elijah?"

"Father?"

"How could you let such a thing happen?"

"Father, it was her decision."

"How naïve you are. This only proves that you are a failure as a father. I took care of that girl, and now you put her up for slaughter."

"Father – "

"You don't speak until I tell you!" Alexander barked. He was more furious with him now than he ever had been. This was worse than abandoning them. "We are on the next plane that leaves in the morning. By the time I get there, Serena better be safe and sound in her bed or else. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir."

Alexander hung up on him and turned to Annemarie and Milena. They were in tears from worry about their cousin. They were closest to her.

"Tell me about Lilu. Why does he want Serena?"

"Do you remember that day she went missing? She and Mona were picking berries, and Mona came back alone."

"I remember."

"That's was the day she met Lilu." Marie said. "All I know is that he came after Serena the same way he came after Mona before she was wed. He couldn't have Mara, so he went after her daughters."

"That's why Mara wed them so quickly." Milena added.

"Exactly. Mara's union with Elijah was the only thing that saved her from Lilu. Now that Serena's no longer married Lilu is interested again. She's using that to her advantage to protect Elena."

"If that son of a bitch laid a finger on that girl – "

"Back then, no. But, this time he has probably already bedded her multiple times."

"Damn it." Alexander growled. "I'm going to kill him myself."

"Well?" Nathaniel asked Elijah.

"They're on a plane tomorrow morning. That gives us just over twenty four hours to get her home."

Just then Alaric came busting through the door. "We have a problem." He announced as he took the remote and turned on the TV.

The news came on and showed a weeping family. Meanwhile, in the upper corner was a picture of the young man who was found dead. They believed it to be a suicide. However, they knew the truth. The murders had begun again. The men were fighting for Lilitu's love. They would continue fighting until she made her choice of who deserved her and that man would be her mate.

"With Sebastian gone, she's started hunting again." Alaric said.

Sebastian saw the news and fell onto the couch. He felt guilty and put his face in his hands in shame. "I should've known." He whined. "I'm such an idiot. Guys, I'm so sorry."

Elijah looked over his shoulder to his son. "At least you're alive."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? I'm sorry I have a conscience!" He said loudly in anger that Elijah would say such a thing. He didn't care about those people, but Sebastian did. This was all his fault. He should have stayed and dealt with it like a man. "I have to go back." He said abruptly getting up from the couch to head for the door.

Elijah, though, quickly stopped him. "Even if I would allow that, it's too late."

"Your father's right." Mara said slowing walking into the room. She had won over Katherine again. It was obvious she was tired. She was flushed and sweaty, and ill looking. Seeing her, Elijah quickly let go of his son to help her before she fell over. "They won't negotiate. Unless – "

Elijah knew that tone, and he didn't like it. She was up to something. "No." He argued knowing full well whatever she was thinking was bad.

"I'm the one he wants."

"No." He urged again even harder.

"So you'll let your daughter suffer?"

"Do not ask me to choose."

"You don't have a choice. Your father is on his way here, and you know what he will do if he gets here and Serena is still gone. We have to get her back."

"By handing you over."

"But you're married." Sebastian stated. "Granted, you died, so technically you're not, but that won't matter to him, you're together now."

"Your sister lied, so could I. Or…"

"Or what?" Elijah asked less enthused than even before when she brought up her original idea.

"Or I make Katherine do it. I could go in and get his attention then let her out."

"But he's already had her, she's old news."

"Yes, but they have unfinished business."

"How do you mean?" Elijah asked now curious.

"She had a daughter, his daughter. The only reason their affair ended was because her parents locked her up to hide her from society so no one would know she was pregnant. Then they banished her to England where you met her."

"Mother, no matter what you do, Serena is not going to leave until she knows for a fact that Elena is safe."

Seeing the disaster on the TV still going on, Alaric butted in. "They just broke the treaty, surely she's going to notice." If she turned on the TV for a second she would see it, and then what would she do? Would she really keep her end of the deal after they declared war? "Plus, Elena's gone. He won't be able to find her."

"Serena will be upset about this. It's hard to say though. Her mood changes so damn easily." Sebastian muttered as he thought over every possible way this could end. Most of them were bad. He didn't really care as long as his sister was ok. If she died, then Lilu was going to find out what hell really was, especially with the old man on his way. Actually, Sebastian would sit back and let the old man handle it, that would be entertaining.

Serena was indeed upset about it. She was bored and turned on the TV in the bedroom. She could never leave, so the TV was her only escape. The second she turned it on she saw the news. The body count was going up quicker than a forest fire. And so did her anger.

"Lilu!" She screamed barging out of the room as fast as she could. She ran downstairs where she knew him to be and into the kitchen. It was still dark out and she had the nerve to come and see her brother before she finished the job. Was she on break or something? "You." She rasped seeing Lilitu sitting there at the table casually drinking some tea with her brother. She looked smug and proud of herself.

Lilu looked over his shoulder to Serena and snapped his fingers at her to get her attention. She was still growling at Lilitu. Then she charged. She leapt up from the floor and tackled her toppling the chair backwards. She held her down and started punching her as hard as she could, but Lilitu only laughed. Lilu was on Serena as fast as he could to pull her up, then he threw her against the wall.

"What is your problem?" He demanded to know.

"You. It's all over the news. How long did you really think you could hide it from me?"

"It just started tonight, darling. Your idiot brother's the one who broke his promise, not us."

"Lilu, please. No matter what happened, please don't take it out on the town. I am begging you." She even got down on her knees and put her forehead to the floor as if he were God. "I'll do anything."

"The one thing I want you cannot give."

She knew what he meant. She was a vampire, therefore she couldn't get pregnant. They wanted to plague the world with more supernatural creatures, and she couldn't do that. She was just a good lay to him. Unfortunately, though, she was getting weaker every day they were together. The more times a person, even a vampire, sleeps with an Incubus the weaker they get. Eventually, she'd die. "Then why keep me?"

"To rid myself of you. Once you're dead I won't be bothered by the memory of you anymore."

"Then unless you want me to walk out that door right now, make me a new deal."

They both laughed at her. What could she possibly have to make an offer worthwhile?

"Sebastian broke his promise, not I. Lilitu can have her mate, but that's the end of it. You keep me until you're done with me then you leave like you promised."

"Why should I? Why shouldn't I go out and find me a nice, beautiful, human girl to impregnate and keep you here to occupy me the rest of the time?"

"You're a son of a bitch, you know that?" She rasped angrily with her face mere inches from his. "I can't believe I ever liked you, let alone loved you. You're not that good in bed anyway." She spat knowing a blow to his ego was the way to get his attention. She turned ready to walk away, but he quickly grabbed her wrist in anger just as she knew he would, and threw her on the table.

His hand held her down by her throat. "Take it back." He said with a growl, as he showed his true self again. Lilitu sat there obviously enjoying seeing Serena being submitted like a pet.

"Go to hell."

She summoned as much strength as she could to kick him off and then spun and kicked Lilitu in the face as well knocking her over. She had a plan, though, she wasn't just doing this because it felt good to fight back. She knew how to get his attention. She was good at it. First insult him to get him angry, then fight and show stubbornness. He liked the challenge, even if it did piss him off. She ran up the stairs as fast as she could and ran into the bathroom. She locked the door then began tearing the bathroom apart. She pulled the tub from the floor and put it up against the door, then the toilet and the sink as well. It gave her enough time to figure out her next move, while he punched holes in the door trying to get through. She pulled some of the piping up and once she saw his fist come through she drove the pipe through the door and into his chest. He screamed in pain and anger as he stumbled backwards into the opposite wall.

She couldn't help but smirk. Then she tried to open the window, but it was still locked with magic. She couldn't leave the house. So she went into the next room and opened the door. She peeked into the hallway to see him crouched on the floor pulling the pipe out. She quickly ran from that room down the hall into another one before he could notice where she went.

That's why he liked humans. They couldn't run fast enough. He pulled the pipe out finally and got up. It was time to start playing hide and seek.