Chapter 38: The Sun and the Moon

Both Elijah's and Evangeline's family sat in the parlor of the Salvatore home. Bonnie stared at Evangeline's necklace warily. The sun pendant was crafted expertly, and though its light, silvery metal was tarnished from the ages it was strong, made to last through time. "Lucy just gave this to you?"

"Yes. I mean, we were really close." Evangeline creased her eyebrows. "Why? Is something wrong with it?"

"Well, no, it's just strange." She breathed hesitantly. "I mean, don't you recognize this?"

Evangeline shook her head and frowned.

Bonnie pursed her lips and exhaled impatiently, "It's the same sun symbol that was etched on the door of the safe house."

Elena gasped, "Are you serious?"

Bonnie nodded, "Whoever made the safe house impenetrable to locator spells belonged to the same family as Lucy and her grandchildren." Bonnie continued to simmer in her thoughts.

"So let me get this straight," Damon sat up with a perturbed expression. "The witch, whose spell was so powerful that Bonnie couldn't break it, even when channeling the power of a hundred dead witches, is from the same family as the witches after Evangeline?"

Elijah wrapped his arm tenderly around Evangeline as she clutched their son to her chest. He pierced Bonnie with his discerning gaze. "What can be done to protect Evangeline?"

Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows, deep in thought. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I think I might have seen the symbol of this pendant somewhere else." She stood with a somewhat absentminded air. "I've seen this before… I need to figure it out…" She walked out the door, without another word, leaving everyone else dumbstruck.

Rebekah stepped out from the shadow to join the conversation. "She'll stay with us. Between Niklaus, Kol, Elijah, and myself there's no way anyone can harm Evangeline or Henrik."

"Oh be serious, Bekah," Kol sighed. "I have better things to do with my time than to play bodyguard to a human."

"Then we'll take her," Elena chimed in defiantly.

Klaus shook his head, "And leave the line of doppelgangers and my nephew in the hands of the most accident prone family known to man… I think not."

Jeremy leapt up from the couch angrily. "We'd never willingly put Evangeline in danger. Even you can't say that."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Oh please… that's in the past. Can't we let bygones be bygones?"

Matt joined Jeremy's side. "I'll be dead before I let Klaus alone with Evangeline or Henrik."

"That can be arranged," Klaus seethed.

The sound of Henrik's crying immediately put a halt to the arguing. Evangeline cradled him gently in her arms and swayed him back to sleep. Finally she looked up and murmured, "No one should be forced to help or not help, and if I have any say I'd prefer to stay in my own home."

"Agreed," Elijah assented. "Anyone who wishes to help protect Evangeline and Henrik must first check with Evangeline or myself, and a time will be arranged for them to meet at our home."

"It sounds fair." Stefan stood calmly with his arms folded.

"Well, you won't rope me into this," Damon smirked. "It's nothing but a bunch of glorified babysitting."

Three days later Damon sat in utter boredom on the couch as Evangeline gently patted Henrik's back. Bonnie had tracked the lineage of the pendant back to a family in Sweden, and Elijah and Klaus left the country to do more digging, and thus the babysitting had begun.

"When is Rebekah getting here…" Damon groaned exaggeratedly.

"She'll be here any minute," Evangeline grinned. "But I really appreciate you helping, Damon."

"Don't mention it… ever." Damon threw his head back in sheer ennui.

Moments later the door flew open, and Damon was immediately on his feet. Then he huffed in disappointment. "It's just Kol…"

"Here to relieve you of duty," Kol's eyes flickered with roguish charm.

"I thought Rebekah was coming." Evangeline stood with Henrik in her arms.

"She's going to be late and begged her dear brother's help," Kol grinned impishly.

Damon threw a suspicious glance at the Original. "Oh yeah? Late doing what?"

"Apparently Klaus discovered a clue to the pendant's origin leading back to the states, and our sister has volunteered to do all the dirty work."

"Well, lucky her," Damon hesitated but ultimately sided with his own impatience. "Whatever, I'm out of here." He ran out of the house and gloriously inhaled the free air.

Two hours later Evangeline put Henrik in the nursery for a nap and leaned tiredly against the parlor wall. "You know, Kol, I don't need you here to babysit me."

Kol cracked a knuckle and exhaled passively. "There's certainly better ways I'd wish to spend my time, sweetheart, but until Rebekah gets back it looks like we're stuck together."

Evangeline rolled her eyes, leaning against the wall. "Well, you won't be stuck with me for too much longer."

"Yes, Bekah should be here within the hour, and then I shall be free of you," he raised an eyebrow mischievously.

Evangeline considered his sarcasm and replied in a surprisingly thoughtful tone. "Thank you, Kol. For helping keep Henrik and me safe." She thought of Veronica's outburst at the fair and flinched.

"Yes, well, Henrik is part of the family." Kol rose smoothly from the sofa and narrowed his eyes teasingly. "What else could I do?"

Evangeline pouted at Kol's subtly backhanded remark, and Kol smirked playfully, walking toward her. "Relax, love," he said, cornering her against the wall, "I nearly think of you as family." Kol feigned deep deliberation and grinned, "Like a red-headed step-child of sorts."

Evangeline laughed lightly. She waited for Kol to back away, so she could move, but to her surprise he lingered, his hands pressed against the wall on either side of her. His reflective gaze became pensive as he stared at her with narrowed eyes. The air around them suddenly grew much too warm, and Evangeline frowned slightly. "Kol, are you all right?"

Kol blinked and backed away. He gaped at Evangeline as fleeting emotions flickered across his face: confusion, attraction, disbelief, anger, disgust, temptation. "How is it that the Petrova line has succeeded in luring so many of us in?"

"What are you talking about?" Evangeline inhaled nervously.

"Vampires." Kol leaned on his left arm, and lifted Evangeline's chin until she could only see into his penetrating gaze. "Century after century they've been drawn to the Petrova's sweet, innocent, seductive nature. Why is that?" His face was so close to hers she could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips.

She struggled to turn her face slightly. "It's probably because Tatia's blood was used to create vampires in the first place," she breathed.

"Perhaps," His face retreated an inch, "But then, Niklaus and Elijah fell in love with Tatia while still human, just as Stefan and Damon fell for Katerina when they were mortal."

"I don't know," she whispered. Evangeline felt the seeming magnetism between them and found herself unable to move. Her eyes grew wide as Kol brought his face closer. Her mind screamed to get away, but her body wouldn't comply. Her skin felt flush with fever as Kol leaned in, his cheek grazing hers. Her breathing grew shaky and uneven as she felt his breath close to her neck.

Kol's mind raged at war with himself, but finally, painstakingly, he pulled back and glared at Evangeline. "You're a human," he spat defiantly. "And I will be free of you." Then he turned and stalked out of the parlor, slamming the front door behind him.

Evangeline sank to the floor, and cried into her hands. Relief poured out with the tears, but traces of disappointment also seeped their way out. What would she have done if Kol had actually tried to kiss her? She sobbed again in utter bewilderment, having no idea how she would have reacted.

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