OUTCOMES

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and I am so sorry for the long wait.

Gently and soundlessly, I laid my sister on the bed, slipping my arm out from under her neck and from the back of her legs. She shifts for a second but remains expressionless. The only assurance I received was how the colour returned to her cheeks and lips.

Her awakening was gradual but I knew it wouldn't take too long so I had ordered three bellboys on my way up. Knowing that she had undergone a deeper state of unconsciousness, I knew that blood bags wouldn't be enough.

Just with the thought, I heard a low rapping on the door and whipped my head up.

That should be them.

With one last glance at my sister, I sighed and strode out of the room, heading through the living room and making a beeline towards the door.

When I unlocked the door, I readied myself to drag them inside but paused as I caught the unexpected sight of my other sibling.

"You look disappointed" he smirked while casually leaning against the doorway.

With one hand still gripping the door to block his path, I grimaced at his appearance. "Do you blame me?" I questioned dryly, the words scraping against my throat. When he kept the smug smirk on his face, I narrowed my glare. "When are you leaving Mystic Falls?"

"Actually I came to talk about that…" he mused and I caught how his eyes darted from me and then to the room behind me. "Let me in sister…" he said and I scoffed, "…it will be worth your time" he peered up at me with mirth.

Something in the expression had me sighing and stepping back from the open door.

I walked inside and slipped onto the stool next to the counter. My fingers were now threaded together as I placed it onto the table, staring at my brother who now sat opposite me. "They daggered Rebekah" I said, wanting to gauge his reaction.

"Where is she?" he blinked, clearly surprised and I exhaled, happy that he had nothing to do with it.

"In her room" I gestured towards the open door. "She'll be awake soon" I added.

He nodded quietly. "And she knows…"

"Yes but be warned, she hated you" I reminded him and walked towards the fridge to take out the only alcohol offered – champagne. Nothing too fancy or strong but it would do the trick in simply numbing my stress.

"You know Rebekah, she can't stand being alone" Klaus answered, shrugging off my warning. "It won't be long until she forgives me" he added confidently and with a smug smile.

"Don't hold your breath"

We turned to my dear sister, still looking weak but better than before. "You're awake" I gasped and took out another glass from the cabinet. Before walking back to my seat, I reached into fridge and took out a blood bag, quickly throwing it over to her.

At least she wasn't tired enough to not catch it. "Thank you" she smiled feebly, "…for everything"

"No problem" I shrugged and motioned for her to join us by the table. When she did, I made sure she was capable of opening the bag before looking back to our brother, who was regarded with great disdain from his sisters.

I had waited for him to ask one of us for something but was surprised with his following words. "I think it's time that we set out differences aside" he exclaimed and we froze, gaping at him. "…make peace and be a united front" he continued, emphasising his words with a shake of his fist.

"Ha!" Rebekah scoffed.

I moved back and studied him through narrowed eyes. "What exactly do you want Nik?" I asked, waiting for him to get to the point.

He leaned forward and rested his linked fingers onto the surface. "I'm going to say something and while I speak, I want you to be quiet until I finish" he explained with a cautionary glance.

"What gives you the right t-"

He silenced me with another one of his stern sharp looks. It was enough to tell me that what he wanted to say wouldn't be taken lightly.

"Now, can I begin?" he eyed us warily.

I shrugged, "Whatever"

A silence stretched out, filled with nervous glances being shared. After that, my brother was appeased with our silence because he finally spoke, though not the words I was expecting. "Our siblings aren't dead but they are daggered"

"WHAT?" both me and Rebekah screamed simultaneously and incredulously.

He held up one hand trying to stop us but my head was already reeling. "Until the end…" he reminded us.

"You don't get to say something like that and expect no questions" I argued in a growl, only growing more enraged as my mind began to wrap itself around the fact that while I was busy playing human, my siblings were trapped in – in coffins.

"Well you'll have to be patient" he murmured, dangerously eyeing us. When the silence prevailed again, he continued on with his tale. "I had them placed neatly in their own coffins…" he added and I released a frustrated growl at his nonchalance. "…which are now under Stefan's possession"

"What?" Rebekah gasped.

This time, I lost sense of reasoning with words as my fist whipped out, hitting his jaw and causing his head to snap to the side. The force behind it left a slight sting but it was quickly diminished with a gentle shake of my hand.

Nik simply raised his head and cradled his broken jaw, trying to lock it into place.

"What is wrong with you?" I hissed, gripping the sides of the counter to stop myself from hurling the champagne bottle at his head.

He peered up at me. "Feel better?" he inquired with a raised brow. The sight of him only frustrated me more so I pushed away from the stool and began to pace the limited space before me. My body trembled as I listened to him speak. "As I was saying, I have decided to take matter in my own hands"

"Yeah you seem to do that a lot and screw everyone else over" I accused, pressing my fists by my side to avoid breaking something valuable in the hotel. "What plan is it this time?" I snapped.

"I've asked Stefan to hand them back but he was stupid enough to refuse me" he explained hastily.

I continued to act rather than think as I stalked towards the coat rack and picked up my jacket. As I began to slip it on, Nik stood, trying to stop me. "Where are you going?"

"To rip him from limb to limb until he tells us where they are" I answered with an easy tone but inside, I could feel myself losing sense. My fingers were still shaking and I could feel the goose bumps up my arms.

He watched me with great amusement. "You're singing a different tune" he muttered but I rolled my eyes, turning to leave but the door was slammed shut again. "I'm already on it" he informed me with a nod and I paused, trying to be patient. "As we speak, one of my little friends is making another attack"

"Who?" I asked, my eyes widening with fear that he would mention a certain dark haired vampire that also happened to be Stefan's last remaining family member.

Nik remained vague when casually stepping back away from me. "Just as a warning, nothing too serious" he replied but still gave me no answer.

"Who is it, Nik?" I demanded.

-XxxxxxX-

Jeremy?

He had to go for Jeremy?

I watched as the black land rover raced towards Elena's brother. My eyes then trailed towards lifeless form that simply stood there, waiting numbly and unblinking.

Within seconds, I was already racing down the path, not caring if my cover was blown because I reached him in time. My hands pushing him out of the way while the other was stretched out, landing on the hood of the speeding car and stopping it in its tracks.

Once the engine died down, I let go of the metal and walked around to the driver's side. My fist roughly broke through the glass, unlocking the car and ripping the car door open. The other hand reached inside and violently yanked out Nik's hybrid.

He stuttered an incoherent sentence but I silenced him when slamming his back onto the car.

I made sure our gazes were locked as I began my own compulsion. "You don't work for my brother anymore…you work for me" I breathed, still harshly from racing to him. "Go back, tell him that I intervened, stopping you from doing what he asked you to" I continued and then reached up to grip him by his neck. "Then later, I will call you and when I do, you will do exactly what I say"

"Yes" he nodded torpidly. His steps were now mechanical and his movements were rigid as he walked down the street, away from me.

Once he was out of sight, I turned back to Jeremy who was now staring up at me, blinking in surprise as the trance was broken. "What the hell happened?"

-XxxxxxX-

"Why did you save me?" little Gilbert asked.

I shook my head, not able to understand it myself but still tried to offer an explanation. "You're not a part of this" I murmured, staring up ahead as we walked down the path leading to the Salvatore boarding house. Apparently, that was where his sister was, instead of being with him.

"A part of what?"

I sighed shakily, not able to give him a straight answer. "Something much bigger than you and me"

He must've noticed my uncertainly because he stopped in front of me. His eyes pleading and glassy with unshed tears. "Please…don't hurt my sister" he begged, "She's the only family I have"

A scoff left me and I was about to answer when my eyes caught something interesting happening by the Salvatore's house's doorway. Elena now had his arms around Damon while she kissed him and he let her. If anything, he had been the one who initiated it.

"That's becoming increasingly difficult"

The icy words must've been picked up by Damon as they both broke apart, wide-eyed when whipping around to gape at us. My teeth grinded together and I swallowed down my bile as I played off my indifference. "Hope I wasn't interrupting" I mused, not able to keep the venom out of my cold hissed words.

"What…?" Elena trailed off when she finally noticed the person next to me. "Jeremy? What happened?" she worriedly asked and I glared at her, hating the act of a sister that actually gave a damn. What was even worse was when she pretended to be the good innocent girl that didn't go around stabbing people in the back.

My rage was focused on her as I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge my sadness for

I watched as she began to inspect Jeremy's cuts and then whipped up to glare at me. "What did you do?" she ordered, somehow thinking she had some power over me.

By instinct, I gripped the back of her neck and pulled her body back, baring her neck to me.

"Stop!" Jeremy cried out, stopping Damon in his steps. "She saved me" he revealed and understanding flooded Elena so I released her.

"What?" she gasped shakily and I noted the guilt that pebbled her dark eyes.

I took a step back, moving away from them so I could finally leave. "Next time I won't be so benevolent" I finalised and began to try and distance myself, further away from them and everything.

"Isabella!"

I stopped when I heard his voice.

As I turned back around, a false smile was plastered on as I tried to maintain it at the sight of a conflicted Damon. His face crumpled with his confusion and his forehead creased with his exasperation. His bewildered eyes were wild as tremors racked his form. His fingers were nervously tapped against his sides as he deliberated over saying something.

I could feel myself wavering and the emotions slowly tipping me over the edge so I offered one last smirk in his direction. "Don't worry, you'll see me again…"

Only next time, I would be different.

A/N: A lot has happened but I hope you enjoyed the mini journey.