Holy crap, this chapter is HUGE. But, I really wanted to get the whole climax in at one go, so enjoy! I really hope I did everyone justice, and please let me know how I did in the comments! Y'all are so quiet lmao
It was a beautiful morning, one that Val couldn't pass up. She'd been focusing mostly on weapons training in the mornings, but with the weather, she found herself getting back outside with her running shoes and earbuds. The large plots of land surrounding the boarding house were perfect for runs, offering overturned trees, ditches, sharp turns, and hills to add a little extra effort to her normal five miles.
Eventually, she found herself nearing the end of her adventure, spying the tops of the roof from the trees. Eventually, she wound up at the back patio. Perfect timing as the thumping base in her ears came to an end, and she grabbed the water bottle she'd set there when she first left, taking several long gulps.
After some stretching and cool-down movements, she walked back inside, rolling her eyes at the sound of the Salvatore's arguing.
These yahoo's could argue about what color the sky is, she thought wryly, coming around the corner just as Andie was leaving.
"Heading to work?" She asked the older woman, and the blonde nodded. Val liked Andie, and Andie liked Val. Val also took it upon herself to make sure Andie's wounds were always attended to, and usually was the one making sure she was still healthy from all the feeding. She still hated what Damon was doing, but after the vampire caught her spiking Andie's drink with some vervain, they'd called a truce when he promised to limit the compulsion and feeding to a minimum.
"Yep, big stories today!" The journalist said with a bright smile, and the two bid one more goodbye before she turned to the boys.
"So, it's," she checked her watch, "8:13 a.m. and you guys are already arguing about something."
"I can't find Elena." Stefan told her grimly, and Val sighed.
"I swear, that's the damn statement of the century." Shaking her head, she looked at the boys, "You know, Elena's a big girl. She's not going to drop dead just cause you let her out of your sight for thirty seconds."
"Yeah, well, she's not answering her phone either." Stefan shot back, now sounding even more irritable, and just as she was mid-eye roll, she saw it.
The door to the basement where they were keeping Elijah was wide open, and she knew for a fact neither she nor the Salvatore brothers had been down there after last night, when she'd made sure it was locked before going to bed.
"Guys," she announced in a warning, immediately going down the stairs. She heard their footsteps pounding after her as she finally came to a stop outside the cell, door wide open and Elijah nowhere in sight. And neither was the dagger.
"Oh, she didn't…" She heard Damon murmur behind her, and Val stared at the empty room in horror.
The trio had bolted back upstairs to Stefan's phone, Damon and Val nervously sitting across from the youngest Salvatore as he called his girlfriend.
At first, she feared Elena wouldn't answer, but let out a sigh of relief once she heard a female's voice come on the other line.
"Are you safe? Are you ok?" Stefan asked, then paused as more sound came from the phone. "Is Elijah with you?" Another pause, and his face visibly darkened. "Where? I'm on my way." Unlike Damon, Val couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but she knew Elena well enough and could tell from Stefan's facial expressions that she wasn't being very cooperative with her boyfriend. "No, listen to me; he can't be trusted. He'll use you to get to Klaus."
Another long pause, and Damon rolled his eyes and scoffed next to her as Stefan gawked at his phone in disbelief.
"You can't do this alone!" He protested loudly, but the conversation clearly ended soon after.
"Did she just hang up on you?" Damon asked in slight disbelief, and Stefan ground his jaw.
"She did."
If the situation wasn't so dire, Val would've been proud of her for standing up to her bodyguards. But, unfortunately, she was doing it by running off with the man who had killed Val and threatened to kill everyone else.
"She's lost it." Damon concluded, but Stefan only looked thoughtful.
"If anyone can get him to help us kill Klaus, it's her." He said softly, and his friend and older brother stared at him in shock.
"Bonnie's the way to kill Klaus, Stefan!" Damon exclaimed, and Val stood, rubbing her temples. As much as she wanted to be angry at Stefan for suggesting it, she couldn't. The huntress was already scared enough for the young witche's wellbeing, and the fact that Damon had so willingly sent the girl to her doom, (even if hadn't actually meant her death) gave her extreme anxiety. She knew Damon was willing to let her die, but nobody else was.
She hated Elijah. Very, very much. But what if he could help?
"Bonnie might die in the process," she interrupted the arguing brothers, "if Elena can find a way that equals the survival of everyone here, then we might want to consider that."
Damon stared at his frenemy in what seemed to be horror. "Please don't tell me you agree with this! Val, the guy killed you!"
"I know, Damon!" She shot back, feeling irritated he felt the need to remind her. "Trust me, I remember! But I'm not just going to sit back and let Bonnie be killed! We have to find another way!"
"Elena's way is gonna get her killed!" He snarled at the two, but Val shook her head as Stefan chimed in.
"Look, Elena has a plan, and I trust her. Val does, too. So, we need to just back off, and let her do her thing, alright?" He told his brother.
But Damon didn't look convinced. Rising to his feet, he shot a nasty smirk at the pair.
"That's your plan. Mine's better." He started towards the door, but Stefan grabbed him harshly, face like stone.
"I said back off." He told his older brother firmly, and Val turned to leave. She knew the brothers wouldn't stop arguing just because she spoke up; it was best to let them work things out. Or fight it out, however they did it. They wouldn't kill one another, so it'd be fine.
She showered and got dressed quickly, constantly watching her phone to wait for a call from Elena. But it was silent.
Finally, once she was dressed and finished her makeup, she couldn't take it anymore. Snatching it up, she called the girl's number. Unsurprisingly, it went to voicemail. However, she knew for a fact that at least Elijah could hear it, so she called and called and called and called and called…
Finally, it picked up.
"Val?"
"Lena, what the hell?" She muttered into her phone, closing the door. She couldn't be sure where the brothers were at in the house. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Look, I know, but I promise, I have a plan. I can't let Bonnie die, Val, you have to help me!"
Val sighed, closing her eyes, "I know. Look, I'm with you on this one. I want Elijah dead, and I hope he can hear me when I say that, but it's not worth sacrificing Bonnie. If he's got a better way to do things, then I'm all for it."
Elena sighed on the other end, and when she spoke, her voice as sincere. "Thank you, Val. I knew I could always count on you."
"Yeah, well, that's me. Friendly neighborhood vampire killer." She joked, then her tone dropped again. "Look, Stefan is backing off, but Damon isn't. I'll try to keep an eye on everything here, ok?"
She'd only just hung up when Stefan ran through the door, looking panicked.
"We've got to get to Jenna."
Val actually beat Stefan to the front door of the Gilbert house, knocking frantically. When a familiar strawberry-blonde opened it, she shot forward, enveloping the woman in a hug.
"Oh, hey, Val…" Jenna greeted hesitantly, but her friend only squeezed her tighter.
"Dios mio, Jen, I've been so worried." She told her, pulling back. "We're going to explain everything, I promise!" She gestured to herself and Stefan. The vampire nodded.
"Yeah, thanks for not meeting Alaric at the Grill. Listen, I-"
"Well, about that," Jenna started, but footsteps interrupted them. Val turned around and felt her heart drop straight to her feet when she saw who was standing in the doorway.
"Hey Stefan, hey Val." Rick/Klaus greeted them, eyes narrowed. "How's it going?"
Val floundered for a second, and turned to Stefan. He was staring at the imposter with wide eyes, looking equally as panicked.
"Come in, you two." He told them with mock warmth, "I was just chopping some vegetables to make a meal, I would love to get Valentina's help with it." He smiled at the huntress before retreating back to the kitchen. Val turned around to question her friend, but Jenna only shook her head, and walked into the kitchen as well.
Fucking perfect.
In the kitchen, she stood by Stefan as Klaus/Rick aggressively mutilated some onions, smirking mischievously as he did.
"You know, I like chopping." He announced randomly, and Val felt tension increase. He was doing this on purpose. "I find it so…calming."
"Is somebody gonna tell me what the hell's going on?" Jenna spoke up, still looking more than a little annoyed. Val immediately stepped over to her, angling them so she was in between her friend and the threat in the room.
"Yeah, I'll tell you, come on-"
"No, let's talk here!" Klaus/Rick spoke up, and Val turned to him, glaring. She could feel her rage slowly overtaking her fear as he continued to speak. "Do you believe in vampires, Jenna?"
Val knew Jenna well enough to know she was probably staring at the man in front of them as if he'd officially lost his mind, (which, technically and ironically, he had).
"Because, believe it or not, they do have a place in our history. And as a 'history teacher', I find them fascinating."
"Why are we talking about this?" Jenna asked, sounding even further freaked out. Klaus/Rick sighed mockingly.
"Well, we've been arguing about secrets, and this is one of my secrets." He told her sadly, and Val shook her head.
"Shut up." She snarled, but he continued as if he hadn't heard her.
"I'm obsessed with vampires." He chuckled, then sighed. "There. I said it!"
"Are-are you joking?" Jenna asked, and the murderous ancient vampire shook his head.
"Nope, I'm not. What about you, Stefan?" He asked the younger boy, smirking. "Do you like vampires?"
"In literature." Stefan responded, and Val had to give him props for his responses. "Bram Stoker. It's dense, but I appreciate it."
Klaus/Rick nodded, then turned to Val with a wicked looking smile. "And what about you, Valentina? Vampires?"
Val took a deep breath, and put on a deep thinking look. "I definitely find it satisfying when I think about a hunter in a story, tracking down the oldest and most dangerous vampire alive, and slamming a wooden spear through his heart, yeah."
He narrowed his eyes at her, but she only smirked back before her face dropped back to her original somber expression.
"Well, did you know that vampires are the oldest creatures of the night?" He asked them all, an dangerous, wicked gleam in his eye. "Except for werewolves, of course."
"Werewolves." Jenna repeated in disbelief, then shook her head, walking over to the window. "Now, I know you're joking."
"Did you know there's an Aztec curse that keeps werewolves slaves to the full moon and vampires weakened by the sun? Isn't that right, Stefan?"
The youngest Salvatore only watched him cautiously as he continued.
"You know, they say these creatures would do anything to have this curse broken. And that they wouldn't care who they had to kill."
Val pressed her lips together, walking closer to Jenna and ensuring she was always in between she and Klaus/Rick as the vampire loaded up a bunch of plates of food. They all sat tensely around the table as Klaus/Rick spilled everything to Jenna, Val unable to stop it. She and Stefan were both counting on the fact that she wouldn't believe the man in front of her, hoping that they would be able to break it in a much more gentle fashion. Finally, he finished his speech and they sat there, the only sound was their forks hitting the plates as Val nibbled on the spinach. Not very well done, needed some seasoning.
"I know, I know it's hard to believe." Klaus/Rick told Jenna, shaking his head. "But vampires are real."
Val watched her nervously, messing with her fork, her shoulders wound so tight they probably could've stopped a bullet.
"Let me get you some more wine." Klaus/Rick stood, but Jenna interrupted him, dropping her fork loudly.
"Get out."
The three other people in the room turned to the blonde in shock, watching as Klaus/Rick's eyes widened in surprise.
"I don't know why you're telling me these things, and I don't care. Get. Out."
Val caught Stefan's gaze, and they nodded at each other before standing.
"You heard her." Stefan told the man darkly. "Get out."
Klaus/Rick scoffed, clearly not expecting that to be her reaction. "Well, I'm afraid I don't want to."
"It's not a request, Rick." Val all but snarled, stepping around the table to stand closer to Jenna, who was still sitting and watching the scene in front of her in anger, fear, and confusion.
"Fine!" Jenna exclaimed, throwing her napkin on the table, "I'll go!"
Klaus/Rick grabbed the knife he had been using to chop and held it up in front of him threateningly. Val wasted no time jumping between them, grabbing Jenna's arm in one hand and putting another out in front of her as the ancient vampire threatened them.
"You're not going anywhere." He said darkly, and Val didn't even have time to respond before he was no longer in front of her. Stefan now had him pinned up against the wall, the knife now turned on the monster's own throat.
"Woah, Stefan!" Val cried, eyes widening, "You know that's not actually Klaus! You'll just kill Rick!"
"Yeah, Stefan." Klaus/Rick smirked at the boy in front of him. "Kill me. But just so you know, if you kill this body, there's nothing stopping me from using, say…Jenna as my new one."
Val heard Jenna gasp in fear and horror behind her, but she didn't have time comfort the confused blonde.
"Get her out of here, Val." Stefan ordered lowly, and the huntress turned around, grabbing Jenna's hand to pull her away. But Jenna resisted, staring at the two men in shock.
"Stefan, what-"
"I said GO!" Stefan turned and his eyes immediately went red, black veins rising to the surface of his eye sockets as his fangs extended. Using Jenna's shock to her advantage, Val grabbed her arm and successfully pulled out of the house and to the car.
The blonde didn't resist as Val buckled her in, tears rolling down her face, her body weak with shock as Stefan came speeding out of the house and hopped into the backseat, signaling Val to take off for the boarding house.
Val sat across from her best friend for fifteen straight minutes, an untouched mug of chamomile tea sat cooling next to her. Her eyes were red and tearful, but she hadn't cried. She hadn't even spoken.
"Jen, please, say something so I know you're ok." Val begged, but just as she finished, the front door slammed and she turned to see Elena rushing towards them, her face dropping in relief at the sight of the two women on the couch.
"Oh, Jenna, thank God-" she started, but Jenna leaned back, away from her.
"No." She refused quietly, stopping Elena. The brunette turned to Val, and the huntress nodded sadly at her, confirming what she was thinking. Elena shook her head, biting her lip.
"Jenna, I am so sorry," she started softly, "I swear I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
Their friend and aunt was quiet for several seconds before she spoke, voice shaking. "When I was little, your mom used to tell me bedtime stories." She explained, "About vampires. I didn't think any of it was real."
"We thought you would be safer not knowing," Val explained quietly, resisting the urge to flinch when Jenna turned to stare at her shock, "but things got very out of hand."
"It's true," Elena chimed in, sitting down in the armchair next to them. "Everything we thought we were keeping you safe from just showed up at our front door and blew up in my face."
"Who else knows?" Jenna demanded, her voice hard. Val bit her lip and looked down at her feet.
"Jeremy?" The blonde asked in disbelief, and Elena looked away as well. Jenna's face darkened. "John?" It came out as part-question, part-statement, and Val shook her head.
"John, unfortunately, knows more than most of us." She told her softly, and Jenna shook her head.
"Jenna, I'm sorry, we thought we were protecting you-" Elena started, but her aunt cut her off.
"Elena, I'm the adult! I'm supposed to be protecting you and Jeremy!" She exclaimed angrily, then turned to Val, looking furious. "And you should have told me! My niece and nephew were in danger, and you didn't tell me?!"
Val looked at the floor in shame, scooting away as Elena interrupted her. "No, don't blame Val. She wanted to tell you, and so did Rick, but I begged them not to. It's my fault, Jenna."
"Jen-" Val started, but Jenna's voice, hard as stone, stopped her.
"Get out."
Val paused, her eyes filling with tears. "Please-"
"I said get out!" Jenna shouted, sitting up, her eyes blazing. "I don't want to talk to you anymore, get out!"
Val's breath caught in her throat, but for all her anger problems, cursing, attitude, and all-around personality, she couldn't find it in herself to shout back. Because she knew Jenna was right. All this time she thought she'd been protecting someone she cared about, and in reality, she'd been the one causing them the most heartache. So, she stood, holding back tears that were threatening to spill over and betray her, and left as quickly as she could.
Stefan was standing outside the room, but she didn't even acknowledge him. She left immediately for her room, searching for her bow.
She needed a release.
It was dark outside, but the floodlights installed at the back of the house lit up her targets. It wasn't great sight conditions, but Val was fine with that. She needed to work on her aim in less-than-ideal conditions, anyway.
The small, empty tomato soup can sat roughly twenty feet away, on top of an rotting tree stump. Taking a deep breath, Val knocked the arrow and pulled back, taking a deep breath, holding the bottom of it as she finished breathing out.
1,2,3…
She released it, loosening her fingers to allow the small spear to fly forward. It slammed into the can, dead center of the painted tomato, and carried it back into the tree behind it. Val lowered the bow, not even able to smile at her small victory. Her heart was too heavy.
Danger, danger, danger…
"Kind of stupid to try and sneak up on a girl with a weapon in her hands." She said aloud, staring at the can for another few seconds before turning around. Elijah stood there, clad in a new suit, (of course) watching her with his hands in his pockets.
"Well, it's not like your weapons could do much harm to me, Valentina." He told her pleasantly, smirking slightly at the way her jaw tightened upon hearing his tone.
"Which is a real shame…" she muttered, starting forward to retrieve her arrows. They were all embedded into different things; trees, two targets she'd painted herself, and a few cans.
"Your aim is remarkable, if I may say."
"Gee, thanks." She shot back sarcastically, "Now, I'm in a very bad mood as of right now, so if all you're here to do is point out my aim and make me uncomfortable, mission accomplished." She aggressively yanked an arrow out of the tree and turned around just as she finished speaking, only to find him standing right in front of her.
Of course, she didn't flinch, she didn't back down. Not to him, she wouldn't.
"I've renewed the terms of my deal with Elena." He told her, eyes boring into hers. "I've agreed not to kill the Salvatore's and to not kill you."
"I'm sensing a 'however' somewhere in here."
His smirk widened. "However, I only asked for an apology."
Val snorted, then actually laughed out loud. "Yeah, no. Not happening."
"You killed me."
"And you killed me; so that makes us square." She quipped back, her temper flaring. Who the fuck was this guy?
Elijah stared at her for several seconds, his eyes searching her face, before his expression softened a tad. "Fair enough." He stuck his out his hand, and Val cocked an eyebrow at it, then looked up at him. He shrugged. "I understand you hate me, and I'm sure you understand my feelings towards you are far from benignant, but we currently share the same goal."
Val watched his face, not shaking his hand. "No," she spoke softly after a while, shaking her head. "No, we don't."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Elena told me Klaus is your brother." She explained, cocking her head and looking up into his eyes. "And from what I've observed, I'm guessing your younger brother. I know you're angry and hurt right now, but when the time comes, you won't be able to do it."
Elijah's hand dropped, and then he was closer to her, much closer than he had been before. His eyes were alight with a dangerous fire, and his voice was low.
"I would be careful of your tongue, Valentina. You know nothing of me, or my family."
"Maybe not." She agreed, refusing to move. They were so close, her chest brushed his rib cage when she shifted. "But I do know family. And I can tell you right now, that when you're an older sibling, you get mad. You get furious, you become livid, you reach a point where you could burn an entire building to the ground in the name of your younger brothers and sisters with no remorse. And they also inspire that anger towards themselves. But when the time comes, when the opportunity really arises," she shook her head, "you can't. Because, at the end of the day, they will always be family." With that, she brushed past him, walking back towards the house as she spoke. "So, I won't shake your hand. Because you won't keep your word."
The next day, Val was standing in the library with Stefan, Elena, and Elijah. From what she understood, Damon was still pissed. And as awful as it sounded, she hoped he stayed away. She was still upset about what was happening with Jenna and was even more anxious and upset about the risk Bonnie would be taking. However, they were not being left with a lot of options. She sat there, biting her thumbnail as Elijah explained the plan.
"Tonight is the full moon; we should assume Klaus is prepared to break the curse." He told them seriously; Stefan and Elena were sitting down in an armchair and the couch, while Val was leaning up against the railing behind them.
"Elena told us the sun and the moon curse is fake, that's it's actually a curse place on Klaus?" Stefan asked, mostly to clarify. Val had to admit, that had been an extremely shocking and most-unwelcome announcement.
"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline," Elijah explained, "the curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting. But if he breaks it…he'll be a true hybrid."
"Great." Val muttered, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Then why are we letting him break it?" Damon asked as he entered the room, raising his eyebrows at the group. "Hm? We can kill him today, with Bonnie."
"No." Elena and Val both spoke up simultaneously, the latter glaring at him as Elena spoke up. "Bonnie can't use that much power without dying."
"I'll write her a great eulogy!" Damon protested, and Val felt herself snap a little bit. Bonnie was sixteen, and Damon was being a prick.
"I'm pretty sure we all said, 'no', Damon, so leave it the fuck alone." She snapped, and the blue eye vampire scowled venomously at her while Elijah watched the exchange with an interested expression.
"Alright, how do we break this curse?" Stefan interrupted, clearly trying to steer everyone back on track.
"Well, the ritual itself is pretty straightforward. The moonstone; a witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone. After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each."
Val felt her stomach turn; she'd warned Caroline to be careful today and took some comfort knowing Tyler was no longer in town.
"And where do I fit in?" Elena spoke up, looking nervous.
"The final part of the ritual," Elijah told her, retrieving an ornate box the side of a book, "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelganger to the point of death."
A heavy silence settled over the room as Elijah's words hit them; Elena was going to die. No matter what they did. In a way, all the talk of death kind of hit Val right in the stomach.
Have I failed these people, these children? Have I failed this town?
"And that's where you come in." Elena continued, and one could tell she was trying to make sure the conversation remained positive.
"Yes. I acquired this elixir some five hundred years ago for Katerina; it possesses mystical properties of resuscitation."
"So, I'll be dead?" Elena asked, and Elijah nodded.
"And then you won't."
Val ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath as Damon began to protest, again. "No, no way! That's your plan? A witch potion with no expiration date?" He turned to Elena, "You want to come back to life? What about John's ring? Or Val's crucifix?"
"The ring only works on humans, the doppelganger is a supernatural occurrence," Elijah cut Val off before she could start speaking, gesturing to her, "and the crucifix will only work for a hunter of the Rodriguez bloodline. Odds are, the ring won't work, and Valentina's crucifix definitely won't."
"I'd take the ring over your elixir!" Damon spat the word like it was a joke, then turned back to Elena. "What if it doesn't work?"
The brunette merely shrugged her shoulders, steeled her face, and responded, "Then I guess I'll just be dead."
Damon turned to his brother in shock, as if to say, Are you even hearing this? And he looked at Val as well, but the huntress was only rubbing her temples.
'Then I guess I'll just be dead', these fucking kids give me high blood pressure, good Lord…
The blue-eyed vampire looked at the group around him, absolutely fuming, then stormed off. Val patted Elena and Stefan's shoulders, quietly reassuring she'd go after him before leaving, avoiding Elijah's gaze.
It took a minute, but she eventually found Damon. He was standing on the balcony, sipping a glass of bourbon. Of course.
"If you're here to talk me down, don't even bother." He called behind him, and Val sighed as she walked forward to stand by him.
"You know, I hated you from the moment I saw you." She said after a beat of them looking out across the estate. "You were so cocky, arrogant, petulant, selfish…"
"Is there a point to this? Cause as much as I love being complimented by a beautiful woman, I'm not having the greatest day." Damon snapped, interrupting her. Val shot him a glare before continuing.
"What I'm trying to say is; I know you and I aren't best friends. And I don't expect us to ever be. We're very different people, and you still make me want to hit you every time you open your mouth. But," she paused, now turning to look at him. "For all your faults, for all the shit that drives me absolutely insane, I will say this: when you're in, you're in. You act like you don't care about anyone because you know that once you're involved, and I mean really involved, you'll never be out. Not until it kills you."
"Well, that's sweet-" Damon started, but Val cut him off.
"I'm not trying to compliment you. I'm telling you what I've observed, and I'm also warning you; don't let your emotions get the better of you, Damon. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, so do yourself a favor, and remember you're not the only one sacrificing." With that, she left, not wanting to be around the brooding vampire anymore.
She was headed to her room to grab her bow and throwing knives, planning on passing some time and relieving some stress, when she heard it.
"Get out! Get out!"
"Jenna, it's me! It's me, put the crossbow down!"
She bolted down the halls, coming to a stop to a pretty unfortunate scene. Rick was standing in the entryway, hands up, with Jenna pointing a crossbow at him.
"It's me! It's me, you guys!" Rick cried again as Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Elijah came running towards the group. "Klaus let me go, I swear!"
"Prove it." Damon told him firmly, watching with narrowed eyes. Rick looked around, going a little red at the cheeks, and sighed before turning back to Jenna.
"The first night you and I spent together, Jeremy walked in right as I was about to-"
"Ok! It's him." Jenna interrupted quickly, putting the crossbow down. Val turned to her best friend, eyebrows raised and a little smirk on her face before Damon interrupted.
"Wait, why did he let you go?"
"Cause he wanted me to send a message." Rick told them, face grim. "The sacrifice happens tonight."
"So, you can't remember anything?" Val asked her friend. They were all grouped together in the living room, listening to Rick tell his story.
"Nothing." He concluded. "It's like I blacked out and woke up three days later." He reached back, rubbing his shoulder, "Somebody must've fought Klaus, though, cause I feel like I got my ass kicked."
Val pursed her lips, reaching up to rub the back of her neck as she avoided everyone's gaze.
"Katherine was there." He added, and Stefan nodded.
"Yeah, Klaus compelled her. Damon snuck her some vervain, but she can't leave until Klaus tells her she can."
They all sat, quietly mulling over the information they had been given. How did one even prepare for something like this?
"So, what else did I miss?" Rick suddenly asked, and Val turned to Jenna, watching the woman's face drop. The blonde still wasn't speaking to her best friend, and Val decided to leave them to it. It was a pretty private conversation, anyway.
As she walked away, she felt her little compass spinning. Having Elijah in the same house was confusing it, but it still told her whenever a vampire was behind her, and it seemed pretty sensitive to the Original.
"What?" She asked flatly, turning around to face them. They were both in the hallway, the vampire watching the huntress with his hands in his pockets.
"I thought you might have some questions about your family." He said, and Val paused in disbelief. Yeah, she did have questions about her family, but she sure as hell never expected an original to be the one to answer them.
"Yeah," she stated slowly, then narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Well, I thought since you clearly have such a hard time trusting me," he pulled a hand out of his pocket, gesturing between the two of them, "I thought I would offer up some known facts as a sort of peace offering."
"Why do you care if I trust you?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest. "You already have the trust of everyone that matters."
"Do you truly think you don't matter, Valentina?" He asked smoothly, and Val's eyebrows narrowed.
Oh, no, don't even start.
"Don't start the shrink crap on me, ok? You said you had info." She shrugged, then reached into her shirt and pulled out the crucifix. "I want to know about this."
"That is a very old family heirloom," he replied, "almost as old as me."
Val's eyes widened, and she looked down at it, turning it over in her fingers. It looked like it had just been bought yesterday. "Then why is it so…?"
"Perfect?" Elijah finished her sentence, stepping closer to look down at the crucifix with her. "It was spelled by a very powerful witch. Those rubies aren't actually rubies, they're diamonds holding the blood of one of your ancestors. That is why it only works for a Rodriguez; blood recognizes blood."
"Is that why you can't touch it?" She inquired, running the pad of her thumb over the highest point of the cross. Elijah nodded, looking somewhat put off.
"Yes. It was created to protect whoever wore it, and make them stronger in the battles against the supernatural. When the last Rodriguez dies, and there are no more heirs to wear the Rodriguez Armor, the blood will leave, and it will only be a necklace again."
"That's what it's called? The Rodriguez Armor?"
Elijah nodded, reaching out to hover his fingers over the gems. "You are much more powerful than you could even begin to dream, Valentina. You are young, but something tells me you will be the most powerful I have ever seen."
It was then Val noticed how close they were. For whatever reason, they seemed to have a habit of doing that whenever they were together. Clearing her throat, she pulled away from him, dropping the cross back under the silk, black camisole she was wearing. "Um, what-"
A panicked, angry shout and several loud thumps cut her off, and she wasted no time taking off towards the stairs. More crashes and angry yelling came from Damon's room, and she realized with a start that Jenna and Rick were ahead of her. They all came to a stop at the doorway, and Val's heart dropped. Stefan, Damon, and Elena were all on the ground. Damon looked furious, Stefan had a freaking piece of wood in his stomach…
…and Elena had blood leaking out of her mouth.
"Damon, what have you done?!" She demanded, running over to them. Rick started to help Damon up, but the dark-haired vampire slapped his hands away angrily, rising to his feet. He glared at all of them for a few seconds before storming out of the room.
"Jenna, in the basement there's a freezer with blood bags in it, I need you to bring me one!" Rick ordered the blonde, who ran out of the room to retrieve it. Val crouched next the young couple, gently shooing the brunette away before grabbing a hold of the wood.
"Ok, Stef, on three, alright? One, two, three!" She yanked it from his body as fast as she could, and Stefan yelled in pain before falling over, Elena moving to cradle his head on her lap.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" he started muttering, and Val stood beside Rick, a hand over her mouth as they watched the scene.
A little while later, Val was walking out of the room, wanting to see if she could track Damon down and talk some sense into him. As she walked down the hall, though, she spotted Jenna and Rick at by the stairs, lip-locked. Her footsteps must have alerted them, because they both pulled away. Val stuttered, wide eyed.
"Um, sorry, you guys, I was just going to find Damon." She told them softly; Jenna still wasn't speaking to her.
"Let me come with you," Rick told her, letting go of Jenna. "Maybe we can talk him down together."
Val nodded, moving to follow him, but Jenna's hand on her arm stopped her. "Val, wait."
Turning back around, the huntress faced her friend as the blonde bit her lip. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I was just so upset and confused and freaked out, and…"
"No, Jen, hey," Val leaned forward, pulling her into a hug, "you don't have to apologize for anything. You were right; Elena and Jeremy are your responsibility, for me not to tell you was pretty messed up. If anything like this was going on with Alex or Hector, I'd be furious if no one told me."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, before Jenna pulled away and smiled tearfully at her best friend. "Thank you for looking out for them, Val, and for Rick. I could never thank you enough."
The two hugged one more time before Rick called up the stairs, urging Val to follow him. Giving the strawberry blonde one last smile, Val left with him to the Grill.
As they entered the bar, Val's eyes zeroed in on Damon immediately. She and Rick followed him, watching as he sat down and coming within earshot as he ordered some bourbon.
As Val moved to sit, though, that little compass came to life. Her head snapped around, searching for the threat, but she couldn't see anything. The hairs on the back of her neck rose up, but she brushed it off as she and Rick sat on either side of Damon.
"I'll have the same," Rick told the bartender, and Val nodded at the man.
"Water."
The trio sat in silence for a little bit, before Damon sighed. "I screwed up."
Val snorted as Rick nodded. "Yeah, you did."
"Gentlemen, my lady?"
Val turned to see a man stand next to her at the bar, and the little compass in her mind wiggled, whirled, and clicked into place.
Klaus.
The realization made her stomach drop as he smirked down at her, eyes flitting over Rick and Damon. "Why so glum?"
She heard Damon scoff behind her, but she refused to take her eyes off the threat that was less than a foot away from her. "Klaus, I presume."
"In the flesh." He told him, his eyes moving to Rick. "Thanks for the loaner, mate."
The older hunter was silent, and Val went to stand up in front of him, but Klaus's hand came down hard on her shoulder and squeezed it. Not hard enough to hurt, but as a warning. She stilled, feeling Damon shoot out of his seat from behind her.
"No need to worry, I just need to make sure the littlest huntress doesn't do anything stupid while I'm here." He reassured them mockingly, and Val felt herself begin to shake in fury.
"Any reason you stopped by to say 'hi'?" Damon asked, and Klaus shrugged.
"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelganger. Just thought I'd remind you not to do anything you'll regret."
Damon laughed sarcastically, and Val's shoulders tense when she felt him shift closer. She was stuck in between two pissed off vampires, not even allowed to stand. What an un-ideal situation.
"I don't suppose I could talk you into a postponement by any chance?" Damon asked him, albeit a little snidely, and Klaus looked down at the bar, chuckling.
"You are kidding. He's kidding, isn't he?" The original asked Rick, and she was sure the hunter had confirmed that Damon's stupid questions was, in fact, very serious.
"I mean, come on," Damon shrugged, "what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?"
Damon, please shut up, Val prayed as Klaus shifted, his grip on her shoulder tightening to the point of pain. She shut her eyes, her own hand shooting up to curl around his wrist, but it didn't lessen the pressure.
"Let me be clear; I have my vampire, I have my werewolf. I have everything I need, so the ritual will happen tonight. So, if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up." He squeezed Val's shoulder one last time before letting go, and a relieved sigh escaped her lips as the pain receded. Looking down, he smirked. "Always good to see you, Valentina." He told her, and then he was gone.
Afterwards, Val had left to go back to the boarding house while Rick and Damon went to figure out where Klaus was keeping the werewolf of the ritual. She could only find comfort in the fact that as far as anyone knew, Tyler wasn't around.
Stepping through the backdoor, she looked around, a little confused as to how quiet it was. "Jenna? Elena? Rick?"
Danger, danger, danger…
Her gun was in her hand and pointed out in front of her in less than three seconds, walking forward as silently as she could in heels. The house was deadly quiet, but she knew that there was someone, or something, in there with her.
She continued to move down the hallways, her heart thundering in her chest. The wood beneath her feet creaked occasionally, but everything else stared back at her, almost mocking her.
Val rounded another corner, but the living room was empty. She felt her breathing pick up, becoming afraid at the realization that everyone else in the house either couldn't answer or was no longer there.
"Jenna? Please, say something!" She called out, but still, nothing. The sound of the front door swinging made her head jerk to the side, the gun following. It was quiet enough she probably could've heard a pin hit the floor, and she didn't mean that lightly. Her footsteps were slow and methodical as she approached the doorway that led into the entry hall, and she stopped, pressing her back against the wall just beside the corner.
Three, two, one…
She turned, gun out, but no one was standing there.
Instead, the front door was ajar, creaking back and forth in the wind, and Jenna lay motionless on the porch.
"Jenna!" Val cried, her heart leaping to her throat, and she lunged forward. Before she could even get halfway to her body, though, a young woman stepped into view, her hand coming up. Val felt her head jerk to the right, and then it went black.
Her neck was throbbing, and pain was running up and down her spine and into her skull. An agonized groan left her lips before she could stop it, and her limbs began to wake up, slowly. She shifted, feeling something crunch underneath her. Whatever she was lying on, it was somewhat soft, like dirt or grass. Her eyelids felt like lead, but she forced herself to come to, prying them open. It was bright, too bright; something orange, white and red was moving and blurry in front of her, but she couldn't see it. Another groan, and as it ended, she realized someone was talking. No, not talking, crying and yelling.
"Val! Oh, god, Val, please wake up! Val!"
Everything seemed to slam into focus, hard enough it felt like someone had shot her full of adrenaline. She shot into sitting position, and that's when she realized where she was.
The woods, a clearing. It was dark out, the full moon hanging above them. And for whatever fucking reason, she was sitting a circle of fire.
"Val! Val, hey!"
Whirling around, the huntress realized she wasn't alone. Across the clearing, Elena was also stuck in a flaming circle, doe eyes heavy with distress. And next to her, Jenna sat, tugging at her hair and rocking back and forth with her arms around her legs, knees to her chest.
"Elena, Jenna!" Val stood, moving to leap over the flames, but it was like running at a wall. She growled in frustration, reaching up to run her fingers over the crucifix. "What the hell's happening?!"
"It's Klaus, he-" Elena cut herself off, swallowing tearfully. "He used Katherine to lure Jenna out of the house, and then, he, he fed her his blood, and…"
"No," Val whispered, horror rushing through her veins. Her eyes fell on Jenna, and by the light of the fire, she saw it. Jenna's mouth was covered in blood, and black veins were slowly rising and falling just underneath the skin of her eye sockets. "No, Jenna, no…"
"I'm so sorry, Val," Jenna cried, "I thought it was Elena! I couldn't resist the blood, I didn't-I don't-"
"Jen, hey, it's ok!" Val cut her off, steeling her face. "It's gonna be ok, we're all gonna be ok! I'm going to figure out a way out of this," She whirled around in a circle, desperately trying to find something, anything to help. "Just give me a second…"
"Oh, you won't be getting out." A female voice cut her off, and Val's head whipped around to see the same woman that had snapped her neck standing just outside the circle, smirking. "Klaus wants to make sure you can't intervene. Normally, I'd just kill you, but as long as that crucifix is around your neck, I can't. So, you'll be there until the ritual ends."
"It's spelled by a witch, why can't you just take it off, huh?" Val really didn't want the witch in front of her to think too hard about it, but she needed to try and distract her. "Not powerful enough?"
The witch scoffed. "Of course not. Only one witch and one vampire in the entire world can remove that from your neck, and luckily for everyone, they're not here right now."
Confusion festered in the huntresses gut, but the witch turned, ignoring her, and walking off.
"I'm going to die, aren't I?" Jenna's voice, thick with tears, made Val's heart physically shatter. She and Elena both shook their heads vehemently.
"No, Jenna, you aren't. I'm not gonna let that happen, and neither is Val. Right, Val?" The brunette asked her, and Val nodded her head, still determined to find a way out.
But there was a part of her mind, the part that was reasonable and logical.
And that part knew that there wasn't any way out of this.
A loud cry of pain interrupted them, and they all turned in the direction of it.
"What was that?" Jenna asked.
"Must be the werewolf." Elena responded, and Val nodded grimly. A few seconds later, the witch dropped a familiar blonde figure to the ground as it writhed in pain.
"What's happening to me?" Jules ground out, and the witch only stepped away.
"I've spelled your transition to keep it from manifesting; your insides are trying to tear themselves free." She explained carelessly, and Val's blood curled in fury.
What a heartless bitch. And all for Klaus?
"Greta, witches are supposed to balance nature!" Elena cried, in one last attempt to change the witches loyalties back to sanity. "You owe it to them to keep the curse sealed!"
The witch, Greta, only sneered. "My loyalty is to Klaus! The new order."
A figure stepped into view, and Val's blood ran cold at the sight of the devil himself, standing next to Greta.
"Glad to know I still have a dance partner." He said softly, then turned to look at the trio of flaming circles in front of him. Val's own prison sat further off to his right, she was guessing because it was far enough away that, even if she did manage to get out, there was a lot of distance to cover to get to the group of women, and she couldn't make it with human speed before getting caught.
"Hello, my lovelies. Are we ready?"
Val stood, clenching and unclenching her fist, watching him walk up to Jules. "I've got the moonstone," he said aloud, mostly to himself, "I've been searching for it for five hundred years." Holding out his hand, the milky white rock seemed to glow in the firelight. "I hate to part with it."
Greta reached out, taking it. "The moon is past its apex; do you remember everything you need to do?"
"Yes." Klaus said firmly, his eyes practically gleaming, before Greta threw the rock into a small, stone bowl sitting on top a makeshift altar. There was a sharp boom! and flames leapt up, before Greta began to chant.
The flames around them seemed to flare up higher, continuing to feed energy to Greta, as Klaus approached Jules. The blonde was writhing on the ground, still screaming in pain, before she turned to the women.
"Everything I did, I did for Tyler!" She cried, face twisted in agony, "I just didn't want him to be alone!"
Val watched in absolute horror as the flames around Jules suddenly died, and she stopped writhing and twitching. Klaus approached her as her eyes went yellow, and she shot forward towards him. But faster than anyone could've comprehended, he grabbed her and swung her around, slamming her into the ground-
-and shoving his hand straight through her chest.
Val's lips parted involuntarily as he slowly stroked her face, tears of pain and fear running down her cheeks, before ripping his hand back, her heart clenched in his fist. His face held nothing but pure joy and elation as he walked over to the bowl/stump, squeezing the heart and draining the blood into it. The flames seemed to go higher and higher when the blood hit it, like it was feeding the heat.
"You know when the lawyers called to tell me I was going to become your guardian," Jenna spoke up tearfully, causing Val to look over to the pair, "my first thought was: isn't there anyone else who can do this?"
Elena shook her head, sinking down to her knees. "Jenna, there was no one who could have gotten me and Jeremy through all of that."
"Look around, Elena!" Her aunt exclaimed, her face loaded with a guilt that wasn't hers to bear. "I failed you."
"No, I failed you." Elena protested, and Val felt like someone was stabbing her in the chest. Listening to the young brunette try to console the older woman, Val knew one thing only: she was the one who had failed. She had a job, a mission, a damned destiny to watch after these kids and this town, and she had failed. Time and time again, people were killed, caught in the crossfire, their lives treated like pieces on a chessboard, and it was her fault.
"Jenna, listen, you're stronger and faster!" Elena whispered urgently to the woman, "You can fight back! I'll be ok, and so will Val, we swear. Just promise me something; when you get the chance," her voice dropped even lower, and if Val wasn't able to read her lips, she wouldn't have been able to hear her. "Run."
The blonde nodded, then turned to face her best friend. Her face broke into a tearful smile. "Val, all those things I said, I didn't mean them. I was so upset and terrified, I'm so sorry-"
"No, Jen, don't, I already to you that you shouldn't be sorry," the huntress interrupted, shaking her head, "it's my fault. It's my literal destiny to ensure the safety of this town and these kids and you and Rick…" she trailed off, her voice cracking at the end. "And I couldn't. In the end, I couldn't protect anyone. And I am so sorry, Jen, I'm so sorry."
But Jenna only shook her head, still smiling despite the tears in her eyes. "I'm not going to forgive you, Val, cause you don't need to be forgiven. Thank you for watching after them, all of them."
Val's own eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded, her throat closing up.
Their conversation was interrupted when Klaus walked over to Jenna, and both Elena and Val jumped to their feet.
"Hello, Jenna." He greeted softly, and the huntress felt her temper flare at his attitude towards the impending doom of everyone there.
"I swear to God, if you fucking touch here, I'll-" Val started walking towards Klaus as she was talking, but was cut off when the flames flared higher, the heat searing her skin. She was forced to retreat back several steps, and Klaus turned to her, tutting.
"Careful, love; as much as it would please me to watch your skin blister and slide off your bones as you scream in agony, I don't think that's what you want. Even if you come back, being burned alive is a very painful way to go." He reprimanded her mockingly. Then, Elena spoke.
"Klaus, please! Please, I did everything you asked, I didn't run! Just let her go!" She begged, but Val knew it was futile. He didn't care enough to let any of them go. Suddenly, he paused, tilting his head to the side. A look of amusement, yet irritation passed over his face.
"Well, well," he said, "I don't remember you being on the guest list." He said, and at first, Val thought for sure he was speaking to her, when he turned his head to look up at the top of the ravine. The girl's heads followed, only to see Stefan standing there. Klaus turned back to the girls, smirking. "Very well, then." And then he was gone, blurring up to the top of the ravine.
"What's happening? What are they saying?" Val asked, and Elena shook her head.
"I'm too far away, I can barely here." She denied, then turned to Jenna. "You can hear them! You can hear anything, just focus on them." She pointed towards the pair.
Jenna was silent for a few seconds, but shook her head. "I can't-I can't make it out."
"Yes you can, Jenna, focus!" Elena encouraged, and the blonde was quiet again, eyes narrowed as she listened intently. Suddenly, her face paled and her eyes widened.
"Oh my god…" she said softly, and both girls turned to her.
"What?" Val asked, feeling her stomach turn. What could else could possibly be going wrong right now?
"He wants to take my place." She told them, and honestly, Val was shocked straight into silence. And yet, she wasn't. Val had gotten to know the Salvatore's extremely well over the last year or so, and it didn't surprise her in the slightest that at least one of them was taking the place of the family member of the girl they loved. And she didn't mean that sarcastically. She had her own issues with the brothers, but she couldn't deny their loyalty.
"This can't happen, I can't, I won't…" Elena murmured, pacing in her circle. Val shook her head, her eyes flying around the area around her, searching for something to use.
"It's ok, you guys, I'm gonna fix it, just give me some time to think I can fix it." She reassured them, but mostly, she was trying to reassure herself.
"Well, look at this." Klaus's voice had never pissed her off so much, and the huntress turned to glower at him as he and Stefan walked back towards them. "All your talk of preserving family, and here comes Stefan to grant your wish." He stopped, smirking. "So, who's it going to be, Elena?"
What a sick bastard… Val thought angrily, but Elena shook her head, fury and hatred filling her eyes.
"No." She growled out, and it was clear: she wasn't going to play the game. She wasn't going to choose.
"Well, that's alright." Klaus stated simply, walking closer, "Cause there's really not much of a choice." And without warning, he slammed the stake into Stefan's back.
"No! Stefan!" Elena screamed, and Val ran to the edge of her circle.
"Stef!" She cried, watching as the vampire sunk to his knees. Klaus jerked his arm, and a loud snapping noise was heard as the tip of the stake broke off in Stefan's spine.
"Don't worry, I have other plans for your boyfriend." He told the teenager, "But for now…" he grabbed the younger vampires head and twisted it harshly, snapping his neck and sending him to the floor. Val felt her heart begin to break as he turned back to Greta.
"Whenever you're ready, Greta." He called, and Jenna's flames died down. Val snarled, leaping forward again, but screamed in rage as her body was stopped.
"Klaus, I swear, if you do this, I will never stop hunting you, I will put you through pain you won't be able to imagine, so help me God!" She growled, but the vampire only ignored her, continuing forward. Angry, heartbroken tears fell from her eyes as she watched, completely helpless, as he approached her best friend.
"Your turn." Klaus he crooned, and Val shook her head frantically as Elena sobbed, completely helpless as well.
"It's ok, you two," Jenna reassured them, "I know what I have to do."
It was so fast, Val almost didn't catch it. One moment, Jenna stood in her spot, and the next, she had her fangs buried in Greta's throat as she tried to tear it out, the witch screaming in agony.
But Klaus was fast, so much faster. He shot over to them like a literal bullet, slamming the stake into Jenna's side. Val's breath caught as she watched the blonde fall to the ground, feeling her legs grow weak as she realized what was coming.
Jenna turned, her eyes frantic, finding her best friend. "Val!" She choked out, her expression one of fear and desperation. "Val, look after them! Like they're your own, don't let anything happen to them! Promise me, please!"
Val's face was streaked with tears as she began to sob, nodding her head, chest heaving. "I swear, Jen; I'll protect both of them with my life, I promise."
The two friends met eyes one last time, then Jenna turned to look at her niece.
"Just turn it off, Jenna," Elena tried to reassure her aunt, "just turn it off, you won't be scared anymore!"
Klaus grabbed Jenna's shoulder, flipping her onto her back. Val couldn't see, but she prayed with everything she had inside of her that she had flipped her switch, that she wasn't terrified in her last moments.
And then Klaus slammed the stake through her heart, and everything stopped.
The world seemed to halt; the air, the fire, the sounds of nature around them, it all crashed to a halt, and all the oxygen left Val's lungs. Her legs, which had already been weak, seemed to give out from underneath her. Her knees met the earth, and somewhere distant, she heard Elena cry out for one of her few family members that had remained. Jenna's skin seemed to color gray slowly, the veins crawling up her at the speed of paint drying. She stilled, and then it all rushed back.
For several seconds, Val sat there on her knees, heart falling to pieces in her stomach, unable to breath, to move, anything. But then it stopped, and strength returned. Fury slammed into her like being hit with a shot of cocaine and epinephrine, and her vison seemed to darken to red like someone had coated the world in blood. Body shaking in pure rage, her eyes lifted to Klaus, and she could've sworn she saw something akin to hesitation, and even fear, flash quickly before it was gone.
I will kill you.
She rose to her feet, glowering as the vampire approached Elena, the girl's flames dying. Stefan was struggling to rise, the piece of wood in his spine keeping him weak. Klaus held out his hand, but Elena merely stood, storming past him to the altar. He followed her, walked up behind her, and Val heard him whisper, "Thank you."
"Go to hell." The teen responded, and Val watched as he buried his teeth in her throat.
"No!" She screamed in fury, "No, Elena!" Even knowing the girl would come back, a part of her had never felt so guilty. Seconds after swearing to Jenna she'd look after her, and then this was happening.
She heard Stefan screaming as well, but Klaus paid them no mind. Finally, he yanked his teeth away, and the girl dropped to the ground, officially dead.
Klaus staggered off the rock as the flames from the bowl died, his body shaking. The clouds shifted as the full moon bore down upon all of them, and Val's own flames finally died. She bolted towards Jenna and Elena's bodies, hovering over them as she and Stefan watched in terror.
"I can feel it," he breathed out, "it's happening!" There was sharp cracking nose, and Val realized it was his bones were breaking and re-aligning, his eyes turning yellow as black veins rose to the surface of the sockets.
But a figure began to step forward, and then Klaus cried out as he went flying. A dark smile broke out across Val's face as the flames all sprang back to life, and Bonnie walked forward, hand outstretched, chanting. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Greta move to stop her, and she lunged forward, grabbing the witches head and snapping her neck with all the strength and malice she possessed. She dropped, dead, and Val turned to see Damon picking Elena up and quickly moving to safety.
But Val stayed, standing over the body of her dead best friend as thunder clapped and lightning struck, the flames leaping and dancing in the wind as Bonnie continued, Klaus rolling around on the ground in agony, and chanting her spell. Finally, it died down as Elijah walked forward, standing over his brother. Val jogged over to Bonnie, meeting both her and Stefan in the center of the circle as they watched with baited breath.
"In the name of our family, Niklaus…" Elijah told him gravely, before he bent over and shoved his hand deep into his brother's chest. Klaus gasped in pain, but still spoke six words. Six awful, fatal words.
"I didn't bury them at sea!" He rasped, and the trio's eyes widened in shock and horror as Elijah paused, staring at the man beneath him.
"Elijah…" Val warned, taking a step forward. She wasn't armed, but she didn't care. Klaus was going to die, one way or another. The elder Original turned back to them, and Bonnie shook her head.
"Do it, and I take you both out." She warned forcefully.
"You'll die." Elijah reminded her, but Bonnie's voice was like stone.
"I don't care."
He turned back to his brother, watching his face, and then faced them, his eyes hardening.
"No!" Val screamed, bolting forward, but he grabbed his brother, leapt over the flames, and he was gone.
Val stared at the spot they'd been in fury and horror, panting.
Klaus was still alive.
It had all been for nothing.
Val slowly slipped the crucifix over her head, standing in front of her mirror. The gold and red didn't seem to match with her black dress, she wasn't sure why.
She took a deep breath, searching her own face. Her makeup covered the streaks of tears that had haunted her over the past two days, but her eyes were still bloodshot, and even with concealer, it was clear she hadn't slept. Biting her lip, she walked away, black siletto's clicking against the wooden floors as she grabbed her bag. She and Jenna had gotten them at the mall once during a shopping trip.
She crossed the hall a few doors down, since both she and Rick had to take up temporary residence at the boarding house due to the fact that Klaus was still hijacking their apartment building, and knocked a few times. Heavy footsteps came towards her, and the door swung open.
Even in his black funeral suit, he still looked worse than her. Same bloodshot eyes, dark circles, and his hair and tie were askew.
"Hey," she greeted him softly, "are you ready? We need to be there soon."
"Yeah," he choked out, "yeah, I just, um, I'm having some trouble with my tie."
Sighing, she entered, stepping in front of him and beginning to fix the suit. He stared straight ahead as she worked, the silence heavy between them. After that was done, she reached for a comb sitting on the couch and managed to smooth out some rats in his hair, making him a little more presentable.
Stepping back, she brushed off the shoulders of his suit, and looked up at his face. "Much better."
Rick nodded, a forced smile splitting his face for half a second, but his eyes filled with tears soon after. Val shook her head, her own eyes burning.
"I'm so sorry, Rick," she whispered, "I was there, I was right there, and I couldn't save her." She gasped tearfully, "I couldn't save anyone…"
"No, no, no," Rick shook his head, pulling his friend into a hug. The two embraced, both crying over their lost loved one, "it's ok, don't do that. I don't blame you, Val, please, don't."
After several more seconds, Val pulled back wiping her eyes. "She, um, she made me swear that I would look after Jeremy and Elena." She explained, face growing determined through her grief. "And I did, Rick, I swore to her. So, me and you, we," she took a shaky breath, looking down at her shoes before looking back up at him again. "We need to do that, to honor her. You and I are all they've got in way of adult guardians, now that John is gone, too."
Rick stared down at his friends, green eyes meeting brown. "Together."
She looked up him and nodded. "Together."
The weather was warm, too warm for a funeral. The sky should've been gray, the Earth should have been crying, it should have been just as sad outside as it was in everyone's hearts. But the sky was cloudless, and the sun was shining.
It didn't feel right.
The small group trekked across the cemetery to the new, fresh plots that had been dug. Val watched as Elena and Jeremy both placed roses on their aunt's and uncle's/father's graves, both crying. They then laid two roses on their parents, as well. Rick then stepped forward, placing a rose on his love's grave, hand trembling, before he stepped back.
Val moved forward, her small hands delicately holding the red rose she'd been given. Crouching in front of Jenna's grave, she placed it on the dirt, eyes burning with tears, but chest alight with strength and determination.
"I promise, Jenna, I promise." She whispered softly, praying her friend, wherever she was, was taking peace in the fact that the children had someone watching after them. Turning to John's grave, she crossed herself, raising her fingers to her lips and murmuring, "La familia Rodríguez te agradece, John." Before standing, moving back to the group behind her.
And when it was over, as everyone left, she knew they had found peace.
Damn, a tear jerker. Anyway, I hope you liked it! Also, I'm aware that I promised you guys Val would be gaining custody of her siblings in this season, and that the children would be joining our cast for the next season. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten lol. Custody battles and hearings in real life also take forever and a fucking day, so I thought now might be a good time to translate something literal into the story. Also, I sincerely hope that you guys like Val. I'm working very hard on having complex, genuinely good characters of my own making, and Val is easily the hardest. I think I'm gonna post a character profile in between this season and season three. Anyway, I've been put on mandatory overtime at the hospital. I saw my schedule yesterday, and holy shit, it's a doozey. So it's my goal to get these next few chapters out ASAP. Anyway, please let me know in the comments (no flames, y'all, I mean it). See ya next time!