hello everyone! I hope you all had a very happy holidays. I was recently snapped out of my vacation trance by a reviewer for this story who reminded me that it has been almost a month since I last uploaded. I'm sorry for the wait, but I promise you it's worth it! I apologize for the short chapter, but I just needed to get this in here! And just remember that people who die in this story have a way of coming back. Also, I would like to ask all you lovely readers whether or not you would like the Originals, when I get to it very soon, to include a pregnancy. I have gotten reviews that people would like to see Hayley pregnant or no pregnancy at all. I have BIG plans for the coming chapters, so I hope you are all looking forward to them as much as I am!

Rebekah tried to break up her brothers' fight, but the two men would not listen to her. I then attempted to get their attention by yelling, "Stop it!" Everyone, except Kol, turned to see me with surprised looks. I stared at Niklaus' bloodied attire and knew he had killed someone. I always knew I wouldn't be able to change him, I didn't want to, but I wish he would at least make the effort.

He took a menacing step towards me as Elijah stepped in front of him; the expression on his face was full of anger, and even worse, disappointment. "Where have you been?" He growled at me, and I flinched at his tone.

"If you're gonna yell at me, can you not do it here?" I asked him, and Nik snapped back, "They will all be able to hear us anywhere we go! You're a vampire now, stop acting like a pathetic little human. And, you went to Kol of all people to help you, that was just plain idiotic!"

His words cut through me like a knife, and Kol growled next to me while Elijah and Rebekah looked at their feet. "It's okay, Kol. I deserved that." I stated, and I heard Rebekah softly speak, "No, you didn't."

Klaus glared at her, but I turned his attention back to me so Bekah wouldn't get in any trouble. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Nik. I just needed some time to think away from all if this."

"You mean away from us, from me." Niklaus spoke, and I nodded at him slowly. "Klaus, I'm happy that I'm acting human. My humanity is the one thing that keeps me sane at this point. Just because I'm half vampire doesn't mean I can start acting like a monster. And as for Kol, I've known him the longest, and right now I trust him a hell of a lot more than I trust you."

The hybrid scoffed and chuckled unemotionally, "Trust? You're one to talk about trust, love." I shook my head at him and snapped back, "If I could control the sire bond, do you think we would be in this position right now? And I went to Kol because I knew he would never judge me. Everyone here probably treated the situation like it was gossip while Kol tried to help me."

They all went silent after I spoke, but it was quickly cut off. The door opened loudly behind us all, and I saw the bodies of my brothers be thrown into the room. I then felt a dagger be plunged into my back, and I groaned and fell to my knees.

I looked up to see my brothers and the Originals in front of me. They tried to come towards me and help, but they were blocked by an invisible barrier. I knew immediately that I was in trouble when the vampires saw who stabbed me, and I cried out as my attacker twisted the knife.

I heard a woman's cackle from behind me, could this be the ally? "Oh, Sydney. I believe I have the solution to all of your problems." I froze as the woman spoke, and I felt her take out the dagger from my back. I turned my head to see the person I never wanted to see again.

"So you're the ally Jesse was talking about? You would want to kill your own daughter." I spat at her, and Samantha raised an eyebrow at me. "Well well, you have it all figured out, don't you?" She surmised, and I looked around to see that she was alone.

Then, I vampire sped towards her and slammed her against the wall. "What do you want?" I demanded, and she stayed calm under my grip. "I had a witch link us so don't even think about killing me because you'll die too. Even if you're a hybrid."

I repeated my question and wrapped my hand around her throat, "What do you want?" Samantha laughed under my grip and replied, "I want what everyone wants, especially you're pretty little hybrid boyfriend-or ex boyfriend I should say, power."

"How are you gonna get that after you kill me?" I questioned her, and my mother raised an eyebrow at that. She then replied, "I would never kill my daughter, that's plain sadistic. Now, I have other ways to persuade you to help me achieve my goals."

Suddenly, I was thrown off of her. I slid across the floor and grumbled, "You've got to be kidding me." Samantha then sauntered over and crouched down next to me. My mother offered, "Now, why don't you tell me what you think you know and I'll fill in the blanks."

I glared at the woman and reluctantly started to tell, "You've been planning this ever since you met me before Eben came. You knew I would turn back, you knew Jesse would warn me, you sent Silas to kill me. But why? You said you wanted power, but there's something else isn't there?"

"What else did dear old Jesse tell you about me?" Samantha asked, and I responded, "You know, the usual. One of his old allies wanted to kill me, that they gained a lot of power...wait. Silas said that I could be powerful with the right motivation, that's what this is about isn't it?"

The woman in front of me smiled and stated, "You're more like me then you'd care to admit. Smart, lethal, beautiful. And you're right: I'm here to get you on my side and to solve your problems. Now, let's start, shall we?"

My mother snapped her fingers and the mansion doors flew open. Jesse walked in with a scared human girl at his side. I sent him a questioning look, and his eyes portrayed that he was apologetic. Something was definitely wrong, nothing good would come from this.

"Now now, dear, don't be shy." Samantha addressed the girl who shook when my mother pulled back a piece of her hair. She then stared at me and pleaded, "Please help me." I felt bad for the teen and I told, "Let her go, this is between us. You don't have to hurt anyone."

My mother then pointed out, "I won't have to hurt anyone if you do as I say." My brother's voice snapped my mother and I from our stare-down as Damon spoke, "Don't do anything she says, Syd. You can't trust her."

"Damon, and here I thought we were close. Dear, I think you should hush." Samantha said, and with a wave of her hand, she cut off Damon's ability to speak. I grew confused when she did that, she was a vampire. "How did you do that?" I asked her.

Samantha swiftly responded, "Oh, that? It's simple when you use expression." That made me even more perplexed, it was impossible. I tried to point that out, but she cut me off. "Impossible? Maybe if you were a vampire. Listen to my heartbeat, I took the cure to become a witch again. And that is why my magic works on you, I'm a Black witch."

My jaw dropped, this was bad, really really bad. I then turned to Jesse angrily, "This whole time you've been working with her, haven't you?" He looked like he wanted to say something back, but he stayed silent as my mother answered for him. "Not by his own free will anyway. He tried to warn you about me, so he needed to be punished. Like your brother, he wont be able to talk until I tell him to."

I took in all of the information I had been given and changed subjects, "You said you had the answers to my problems." Samantha smirked and bargained, "Yes I did. That's where this human comes in. You have to drain her of her blood, and then I will fix that pesky sire bond."

I didn't need to think about my answer as I immediately responded, "No." I stood tall in front of her, and I did not waver as she approached me. My mother laughed as she got in my face, "I didn't say you'd have a choice. That's where the motivation comes in." Black veins appeared on my mother's face as she did her magic.

Kol screamed from inside the barrier, and Rebekah and Elijah attempted to help but nothing worked. When I tried to vamp speed towards him, I was blocked. Samantha then used her magic to bring Kol past the barrier, and I immediately rushed to him. I tried everything, but it seemed that she put a spell on me to block my magic. A tear rolled down my cheek from seeing Kol in pain and I begged, "Stop, please! I'll do what you want, just stop!"

I sighed in relief as Kol stopped screaming. Samantha nodded toward the girl to urge me. Reluctantly, I stood up and made my way towards the human. She started crying as I approached her, and I whispered, "I'm so sorry, but I have no choice." I moved her hair away and bit into her neck, making her whimper in return. As the blood flowed into my mouth, I didn't feel the euphoria I was supposed to. Instead, the blood felt like hot garbage being shoved down my throat.

I threw up the blood onto the floor as the girl dropped dead in front of me. My first kill. "What's happening to me?" I asked, but no one had an answer. I fell to my knees as Kol crawled over to me. As I cried softly, he held me. This only lasted a moment, for Samantha mumbled, "Well, it looks like we're going to have to do this another way."

I screamed as Jesse roughly pulled me against him and away from Kol. I fought against him as hard as I could, but he was older and stronger than I was. The Original growled as my mother froze him, and everyone behind the barrier, except for Damon, started yelling.

Samantha appeared behind Kol with the white oak stake in her hand. "It's nothing personal, Kol. Actually, it's very personal. I need power, and this is the only way to get it." She stated, and then she stabbed him in the heart with the only thing that could kill him.

"No!" I cried, and Jesse released me. Samantha moved out of my way and next to Jesse. I sprinted to Kol's now graying body, and I cupped his face in my hands. "Kol! No!" I spoke as tears streamed down my face. His eyes found mine, and I sobbed, "This is all my fault, I'm so sorry."

I crawled away from his body as it caught fire, and guilt and sadness started to eat me alive. My mother came from behind me and told, "Look at him, burning flesh. And look at her, that poor dead girl on the ground over there. You did this, this is your fault. Can you live with that, the guilt? There's another way you can live with it." And with that, Samantha and Jesse left.

I started sobbing uncontrollably, and a few minutes later, the barrier lifted and I felt my brothers hug me. "This my fault, I did this." I repeated, and I felt all of the happiness and hope from before melt away. "Make it stop, please make it stop. It hurts, I can't do this, please." I cried, and Elijah sat in front of me.

He had tears in his eyes as well, but he didn't dare let them fall. "Sydney, this was not your fault. This was Samantha, and we will deal with her, I promise." He tried to soothe me, but I ignored him. The Originals, though they were his family, didn't know Kol like I did. They thought he was an obnoxious, trouble maker, but he was more than that. He is-or was- my savior. And no one would ever replace him.

"There's another way; I can make it stop." I stated, and as everyone around me shook and yelled, "No!" I searched through my brain for a tiny switch, and with a simple flick, I felt numb. The pain, the guilt, the sadness, everything just disappeared like magic.

I sat up straighter, and the light in my eyes died. Everyone realized what I had done, and they didn't know what to think. I rolled my eyes at their stupidity and vampire sped away from them.

This was going to be fun.

I stood at a pay phone with change in my hand, I didn't have a phone since Kol crushed it in Boston. The line rang until I heard a voice, "Whoever this is, I'm sure I don't wanna talk to you."

"Au contrair, Kitty Kat. It's me." I purred into the phone, and my best friend teased, "Using someone else's phone, Syd? Who are you running from?" I smirked into the phone and replied, "The whole of Mystic Falls."

Katherine replied, "What's the occasion?" I paused for dramatic effect and answered her, "I turned my humanity off. Now it's time for some real fun, so are you in?" Kat was silent for a moment before she stated, "Always."