'you will ache as i ache— tenderly, tragically, beautifully. '

Paranoia was not an uncommon feeling for Skye. She had struggled with it for most of her vampiristic life, the guilt of her victims amplifying a part of her that could easily be written of as insanity.

Usually the threat was made up. Her own imagination running rampant.

Now? The promise of death was all to real.

After her phone call with Rebekah, she knew she had to go somewhere that would give her at least an inkling of safety. The Salvatore Boarding House was the most obvious choice, but Skye didn't know if she could keep her anxiety to herself once seeing Stefan. That left her with very few options.

Eventually she decided on going inside of Rebekah's house and giving Elijah a call to explain to him what had happened. Every second of her being alone felt like an eternity, cobalt hues skittering around at any noise or shadow moving. Silas could come for her whenever he desired and there was very little that she could do.

Her siblings arrived around roughly the same time, which made her only slightly less on edge. Seeing Silas had taken the face of her sister during their brief conversation, she knew that he could appear to her however he wanted. After a few security questions, she told them what happened.

Even Rebekah managed to push away her betrayal for worry.

They decided it was safest for her to continue like nothing had happened, but to stay inside at all times. It was impossible to provide her with constant security, so staying at the boarding house was probably safest. While there was very little Stefan or Damon could do, at least she would rarely be alone. Having Elena in their basement made sure that they were very unlikely to leave.

Skye had protested the idea, fearful of spilling everything to Stefan, but eventually even she had to agree with the plan.

That's why she was now seated in the Salvatore's parlor, watching the brothers play catch while having a conversation about Elena.

The days had gone by painfully slow, her nerves constantly on edge. She tried to pretend everything was fine, but it was obvious she was lying. Stefan wrote it off as her being nervous about having a humanity-free vampire in their basement, but it made him worried, nonetheless.

There had been no signs of Silas, at least as far as Skye was aware. That only made it worse. She knew he was going to come for her sooner rather than later, and the waiting was dreadful. She just wanted it over with.

'She's the calmest desiccating vampire I've ever seen. I remember when you starved me down there for three days. I would've wept at your feet for an orange peel,' Damon said as he passed the ball over to Stefan.

His reply came quick, 'Look, she's not gonna beg for blood. Begging means desperation, emotion. She's still in the no-humanity zone.'

Skye should probably have been thinking more about Elena and how to help her, but right now she seemed like the least of her worries. Still, she had to at least pretend for Stefan's sake.

'It's been days. How hungry does she have to be?' Skye had never been starved before, at least not to this degree and she had no idea how long it would take for Elena to become antsy.

'A lot hungrier than she is now, apparently.' Stefan gazed at her, a frown worrying his face as his eyes swept over her. She seemed ready to bolt at any moment and she had been like that for days. He'd tried asking her what was wrong, but he always got the same answer.

Nothing.

'So, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?'

'Maybe I can provide a little excitement.' It only proved that Skye had amazing self-control, because as soon as she saw the face of Katherine Pierce, anger boiled inside of her and threatened to spill over.

Jeremy's face flashed through her mind, lifeless and pale. A gravestone that did not do him justice. He had died too young. Destined for so much more. And Katherine Pierce was to blame for the life leaving his eyes.

'Katherine.' Stefan's voice reflected an inkling of what Skye felt. Unlike the others, Skye had yet to have much time to truly grief her friend. It felt like only yesterday that she heard the news.

'The one and only...sort of. So, when's the Welcome Home party?' Katherine moved towards a small side table holding the alcohol and poured herself a drink.

Skye stiffened in her seat. The side table was only a few inches away from her position on the couch and the doppelganger was now within arm's reach. Their eyes locked.

A confident smirk graced Katherine's lips while Skye had obvious flames burning behind cobalt hues.

Neither of the girls liked each other, but they both knew starting something wouldn't be the smartest move considering everything. Skye was stronger than Katherine, but she had very little desire to get into a fight.

'Wow, look who went and got bold. Last time I checked; Klaus was plotting your eternal demise.' Damon's eyes flitted between them.

'Well, it doesn't matter anymore, because Klaus is gone.'

It took a few seconds to register, before Skye shot up in disbelief, whirling towards the brunette frantically, 'What do you mean he's gone?'

Katherine's eyebrows rose, a taunting smile curling her lips. 'Let's just say that werewolf girl, Hayley, turned out to be just the thing we needed to get your brother out of our lives- for good.'

The name Hayley was unfamiliar to her, but dread crept up her spine as she jumped for her phone on the table. Her eyes locked briefly with those of Stefan, before she was up and out of the room, phone clutched tightly in her hand as she dialed the now familiar number.

Niklaus didn't answer the phone. She couldn't say she was surprised, but she was getting increasingly worried. Katherine's words hadn't sounded like her brother had died, but they were menacing, nonetheless.

The next number she dialed was that of Elijah. He picked up after only a few rings, 'Skye.'

'What has our brother gotten himself into now?' The words left her lips in a single breath, eyebrows crunched worriedly. It occurred to her then, that despite their tumultuous relationship, in her mind he was still the brother who was kind and caring and protective.

No matter what happened, no matter how much she hated him, she would always love him just as much.

She could hear a sigh from the other end of the line.

'Niklaus has left for New Orleans. Evidently there are witches conspiring against him. So, knowing our brother, this was a mission to silence and slaughter.'

It took a few seconds to let his answer sink in, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Katherine's words echoed in her mind and she felt confusion overtake her.

'Katherine mentioned something about a girl. Hayley? She said that the werewolf girl had something to do with his leaving.'

A few thick moments of silence followed. She realized that this information had taken him by surprise.

'Elijah?'

'No need to worry, sister. I ask you to be careful and stay vigilant. I will find out what's happening to our brother. You make sure to be safe from Silas. We don't know when he'll show up.'

In her worries, Skye had almost forgotten about her situation. It was only now she realized that her feet had carried her outside, into the sprawling woods at the back of the house.

'I will. Please take care of Nik.'

With that, the conversation ended. Skye hastily put the phone into her pocket, twirling on her heels to go back inside.

Instead, she came face to face with Jeremy Gilbert.

Part of her wondered if this was another one of her hallucinations, but another part of her knew better. Her hallucinations felt different. Like a thick blanket. Warm but liquid in her hands.

The presence of the other did not bring that now.

A cold feeling spread down her spine, curling her toes as horror froze the expression on her face. She was one of the most powerful creatures in the world, but right now, fear was like a claw around her throat.

'Hello, Skye.'

She wanted to run. Move her legs far away from here, away from the danger the other presented. She had been bursting with anxiety. Awaiting the moment for him to come and pry the cure out of her wilted fingers.

If he wanted, he could take it from her. There was very little doubt she had about that.

'I would much prefer it if you didn't adorn the face of my dead friend.' Despite the terror racing through her, she managed to tilt up her chin, set her jaw. Her voice shook slightly, but there was a certain venom behind the words as she looked up at the other defiantly.

The birds around them sang. While still close to the porch, she had moved closer to the woods during her phone call. She'd barely noticed, until she was at the edge of the tree line. If anyone were to look outside through the window, they wouldn't see them, the shadows of the trees obscuring their bodies.

The man across from her smiled. It was so like how Jeremy had smiled while alive and it hurt her in a way she wasn't prepared for. Hallucinating about him was one thing, but someone using his face to manipulate her? To hurt her? It sent bile up her throat.

'He's not just a friend, is he, though?' He stepped closer and Skye stumbled back in return.

'Get out of my head.'

His laughter filled her ears, 'Oh, little bird. No need to deny it to me. You've tried so hard to make sense of it all. To forget about him. But you just can't seem to let go.'

The nickname did it. She hadn't heard it in such a long time. Not since her mother had turned against them. It was Esther that had called her that. When she was younger, Skye would hum along with the birds, spread her arms, and pretend to fly. Their freedom and beautiful song ever so intriguing to the little girl.

That's why her mother had called her that. Now, hearing the other take the nickname in his mouth, her anger flared, and something burst inside of her.

The moment she jumped forward; she knew it proved futile. Where he stood before, was now only empty air. As Skye twirled back around, she was met with a different face.

'This better, then?'

'You're a coward. If you were brave enough, you would show me your real face. Not some manufactured illusion.' Anger pulsed in her veins, the words leaving her lips sharpened into daggers.

His eyebrows rose, amusement visible, 'How bold. Not as innocent as you appear, are you? I quite like this face; it seems to be able to rile you up even more so than Jeremy's.'

That was because he now looked like Stefan. It was one thing to see a dead person, but an entirely different thing to see the face of the one you love, knowing that he was only a shout away.

The issue was, if she called for him, he would surely find out about the cure. This is why she managed to keep the words from passing her lips.

Silas seemed to know this.

'You must be consumed with guilt. Having the cure, yours for the taking, but knowing that Stefan wants it for Elena. What an impossible quandary.'

She gritted her teeth, her eyes flitting towards the porch. If only she could sneak past him… she didn't think he would follow her inside. Neither did she think he was going to kill her. Not yet at least.

'We both know what you're here for. Why don't you just take it from me? Get it over with?'

He seemed to consider this, before a laugh escaped him. It sounded so much like Stefan; she was almost convinced it had been him all along.

'You're going to give it to me. Willingly. Why should I use force if we can talk this out instead?'

'Why would you think I'd give my one shot at being human again away to someone like you? You said it yourself, I am not even giving it to my friends.'

In a flash, he had her pressed up against a tree. The air rushed out of her lungs at the collision, eyes wide at the realization of what just happened. They were completely obscured now. She couldn't see the house through the line of trees, which he had ignored in favor of one further in.

Despite her earlier irritation, her body now shook with fear. He could take the cure from her. Right here and now. There was nothing she could do.

His breath ghosted over her face, his own now dangerously close to hers.

'Because it would mean you wouldn't have to make the decision between yourself and Elena. You'd be able to enjoy your time with Stefan without worrying about what he will think when he finds out. You're not good at being selfish, Skye. Don't start now.'

And then he kissed her.

It was rough and hard, but it only lasted a second. The moment she blinked; he was gone.

Before she could even process what happened, she heard her name being called from inside the house.

'Skye?' Stefan. The real one, this time.

Her legs numb, she made her way back towards the house, seeing Stefan looking at her worriedly.

Part of her warned her this could still be Silas, but somehow, she knew he had left her to dwell on his words.

He hadn't been lying. He was sure she would come to him willingly. She almost believed the same.

After having explained to Stefan and Damon (and Katherine, unwillingly), what Elijah had told her, Stefan pulled her aside to their shared room.

She resisted but followed eventually when she saw how worried he actually was.

She was hurting him without meaning too. All she did was to make sure they were okay, but it only made it everything worse.

'Talk to me, Skye. Don't tell me it's nothing, it's obvious something's wrong.'

Suddenly, she felt tired. So overwhelmingly tired. The lies and the secrets and the pretending… it was all too much. She sank down on the bed, looking up at Stefan from under her lashes, her face showcasing how drained she was.

'It really is nothing.'

It was like she could feel exactly how much he didn't believe that.

'I thought we promised to tell each other everything.'

A mirthless laugh threatened to spill over, but she swallowed it away. He loved her, didn't he? He just wanted to make sure she was okay. The cure burned in her pocket at the thought.

'We did and I swear I am telling you the truth. If it were something you should actually know, I would tell you, I promise.' It was only a partial lie. He didn't need to know about the guilt she was feeling. It was hers to deal with and hers alone.

She was the one that made the decision to keep this a secret from him. The consequences should be hers to deal with.

Stefan moved towards her, taking a seat next to her on the bed. One of his hands came up to brush a strand of her blonde hair from her face, his forest green hues unbelievably soft.

She almost broke.

'I love you. Even with everything going on with Elena, you are the most important to me. Do you believe that?'

His gaze was intense, forcing her to lock her eyes with his. Skye swallowed.

'I do.'

When his lips touched hers, she reciprocated almost fervently. The kiss obliterated every thought, every worry on her mind, all pushed away with a swipe of his tongue across her mouth.

This was different from her kiss with Silas. If one could even call it that. She hadn't moved or even registered his lips on hers until it was too late. He had done it to catch her off guard, to will his words to stick, to let her shame fester.

Stefan tangled his hands in her hair and her mind flitted back to him, her undivided attention directed at him with every tug of her hair, every slant of his head.

All she could focus on was Stefan.

Pushing him backwards onto the bed, her hands worked their way around his body, feeling each crevasse, each line accessible to her. He responded in kind, not questioning where her intense desire to lose herself in him had come from.

If this was the only way he could help her, he was happy to oblige.

Both of their clothes were quickly discarded.

Nothing about what they did was soft or sweet, but full of passion and fire. She had the control, something she so desperately longed for in her day to day.

Only here was she able to take and give as she pleased, without interference or remorse plaguing her.

After, she laid in his arms, cerulean hues focused on the ceiling. If emptiness was a feeling, she was drowning in it.

'That's impossible.'

There was no way this could be real. Elijah had to be lying… but why would he? An unborn child wasn't something to joke about.

'It's true. Hayley is carrying his child.'

Her mouth is dry.

When Elijah had told her about Klaus going to New Orleans, she hadn't expected to find out that the world she knew was about to change. Vampires couldn't have children, but apparently hybrids could.

'What does Nik say?'

A moment of silence followed, before Elijah replied, obviously pained, 'He does not wish to keep the child. He wants to kill the witches and Hayley along with it. He's doing what he does; given a chance at happiness, Klaus runs in the opposite direction.'

Despite the shock of the news, Skye manages to think about the repercussions. It was the one chance her brother needed to turn his life around, and here was willing to throw it away.

'He can't do that. You must convince him to stay, Elijah. A child is the only way our family will become whole again. A new Mikaelson. Hope.'

And she knew it, in her heart of hearts, that this child would be their saving, or their undoing.

The call ended with Elijah promising to do whatever it takes, and it wasn't long before she got a text saying that Niklaus finally agreed and that Elijah was flying back to gather his things for a longer stay in New Orleans.

She met up with him and Rebekah in her house, taking the risk of running into Silas again.

Fortunately, there were no unwelcome visitors during her trip to Rebekah's house.

'So that's it? I'm just supposed to pack up my things and leave for good? Forget my life here and devote my life to helping our brother?' Rebekah's words were sharp, tinted with indignation.

Even Skye had to concede to her words. The moment Elijah asked them to come with him, she choked. She hadn't thought about it. She should have. It was the obvious next step. And still…

It would mean leaving Stefan. There was no way he was willing to come with her. Not just because of Elena, but also because of his brother and the life he had built here for himself. One that hadn't always included her.

'I've made my case. Our family needs you, and what choice you make right now is your own.'

He expected her to go with him, Skye realized. He figured she was a clear-cut case.

'Elijah…' His name was almost a whisper, but both her siblings heard as their heads cut to her, 'I can't.'

Silence… then, 'You understand how important this child is for our family, Skye.'

He was right, but that didn't mean she could give up her entire life here.

'It is and you will make sure Niklaus welcomes our niece, but I can't go and give up the chance of a future with Stefan, nor can I give up the cure. Going with you to New Orleans would mean giving that up, Elijah. It wouldn't be safe for me there as a human.'

Her gaze sharpens, 'You said I deserved to be happy. Don't take this away from me.'