Review Responses:

Bornkiller9: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I also appricaite your word choice of 'emotion,' in a chapter that has an emotionless Sarah as the lead. And no, Sarah's humanity switch isn't permanently switched on here, it's only temporary. It's also not in these flashbacks that you'll find out how her humanity switch got permanently locked on. That'll be explained later on.

And now for part 2 of our flashback extravaganza. The first and largest chunk of this part I feel is the most important, and I spent the most time on it. I'm not sure about how it ends though, but I couldn't get anything better to come out, so I had to go with the best thing I'd written for the deadline. If it continues to bother me and you all, then I'll possibly try a rewrite. Then after the serious stuff I've got some fluff, but it's important fluff. And who doesn't like fluff anyway? Besides, it's fluff that helps establish fluff...I mean stuff.

Anyway, enjoy and I'll see you next week for the final flashback chapter!

Chapter 27: Remember II

When Sarah awoke, it felt like she'd been a sleep for a hundred years. Never in all her life had she slept so soundly. It was almost as if it were a dream itself. Everything was vivid, but the fog that normally hung around her dreams was lifting, revealing that this was in fact real.

She was in beautifully decorated, yet simple, room. Thick currents had been drawn to keep out the light, but Sarah's enhanced eyes could see easily enough. Golden wallpaper with a soft brown flowers patterns covered every wall, with a slender white wooden door in the corner. The bed frame was polished to perfection, so much so that Sarah could just make out her reflection in it. And the mattress. So soft, so warm, so embracing. Sarah felt like she could stay where she was forever. In this pleasant little bubble, with nothing but a ticking grandfather clock to mark the passage of time. It was peaceful.

Part of her new this wasn't her bed. For one thing, it was softer than what she was used to. And the room was nicer than what she was used to also. For the past week she'd been living in a grungy apartment with peeling wallpaper, creaky floorboards, noise all around her and a freezing cold wind that always got inside. The only saving grace had been the bed she slept it. It wasn't like this bed. It was warmed by the presence of another. And it had been sturdier, which had been better for–

Sarah shot up.

The peace she'd been experiencing a moment ago was completely forgotten. She'd remembered. Her emotions were back on now. But while they'd been off, she'd done something she never would have otherwise. She'd slept with a woman.

She could feel herself perspiring at the thought. She was looking around frantically, as if expecting Katherine to leap out at her at any moment and laugh.

How? Sarah thought. How is she still able to tormenting me like this? How is she able to make me do these things?!

She could practically hear Katherine's cruel little giggle inside her head. She needed to get away, far away. She began looking for her cloths, then realised she still had them on. That confused her, but she pushed it aside as she scrambled out of the bed and towards the door. Her only current saving grace was that this wasn't Leiah's bedroom, meaning there was a chance Leiah wouldn't be outside waiting for her. She couldn't look at that woman's face, not now, not after what they'd done. It would haunt her for the rest of her life. To have done something so wrong, again!

Reaching the door, Sarah yanked it open and ran through, coming to a complete stop when she saw a blonde woman sat on a couch. The woman looked up, and for a brief second Sarah's breath caught, thinking it was Leiah. Then she let it go as she realised the differences. The spacing of the freckles, the faintness of them, the slightly different shine to her blue eyes. Her more pure blonde hair, her taller figure. It was Rebekah.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up," Rebekah said as she folded up the newspaper she'd been reading, and tossed it onto the nearby coffee table without a second thought. Then, making herself comfy, she leaned back against the couch, lifting up her arm to rest along its back. Her smile, directed at Sarah, was more curious than friendly. But Sarah was curious herself, as she stared at Rebekah. She remembered them being friends, and she was pretty sure she'd liked Rebekah. But with her humanity only recently back, it was hard to gage what her feelings were towards recent memories. Other than the obvious.

"How long was I–" Sarah began, but Rebekah anticipated her question.

"Two and a half days."

As Sarah took that in, she also took in the room they were now in. A living room not unlike one she'd had back home. It was small, but there was enough space for a gathering of people around the coffee table for a social meeting or just for company. There were two couches opposite each other, and an armchair at each end of the coffee table. A drinks cabinet was in the corner by the far window and while the rug that covered the floor was almost big enough to take up the entire room, Sarah could still see the dark oak floorboards around the edge of the room. The rooms colour scheme reminded her of her father's study. Though the stench of smoke and booze was a lot stronger.

"Care for a seat?" Rebekah said, waving at the spot next to her on the couch. Without thinking Sarah took it, though kept her distance and pushed herself right up against the corner. "You're a lot more timid with your emotions on."

"I'm still…just…processing," Sarah staggered, her green eyes distant as she thought back over the last ten years. Even some of the more recent bits felt like they'd happen so long ago. That somehow, between just now and when she'd last been awake, years had past, not just days.

"I think you could use a drink," Rebekah declared as she rose up, approaching the drinks cabinet. She quickly made up two drinks and returned, offering one out to Sarah. She took it, noting the alcohol in the smell immediately. Then again, why would an Original vampire have to be careful about being caught with alcohol.

The concept of the Originals was still baffling to her. A vampire that could compel other vampires. It was like her worst nightmare come to life. Questions were racing through her head, but she already knew the answers to most of them. For example, had Katherine been an Original vampire, and would she have continued to compel and use her after she turned? The answer was no. Because Rebekah and her family were the only Original vampires in existence. And while Sarah already knew this from her time without her humanity, she had to remind herself now that her emotions were back. Because the truth was it changed thing, it changed how she viewed the situation and it made her scared again. Katherine had been more than happy to abuse her control over Sarah and her brothers, and these Originals could do that to vampires if they wanted. So what was stopping Leiah from becoming her next Katherine?

Suddenly craving a drink, Sarah quickly downed whatever it was Rebekah had given her. It was smooth and warm, with an after taste tingle that radiated through her at an exceptional rate. It was surprisingly better than the stuff they'd been drinking at Gloria's these past few days. But considering the apartment she was in, Sarah didn't find it hard to believe Rebekah could get her hands on the good stuff. Not that Gloria's didn't have anything good, it's just harder to get the exceptional stuff when, at any moment, you might get busted by the cops. If someone busted Rebekah, she'd snap their neck, or if she was in a good mood, she might compel them and let them live.

"How are you feeling?" Rebekah asked as Sarah sat her empty glass down on the coffee table.

"Overwhelmed," Sarah answered, before running her hands down her face. Despite her exceptionally long sleep, she still felt drained. It wasn't the same as the last time her emotions had been brought back. That had been an intense few days. But this time it was like she'd skipped those few days, but still felt the after effect. It was weird, and it made her feel uncomfortable, like she didn't know how to feel.

"I assume you remember me?" asked Rebekah, her brow lifting.

"Yes, of course. I remember everything. I'm just not sure how I feel about everything that's happened," explained Sarah as she looked down at the coffee table and her empty glass.

"Understandable. It can take time for everything to come into perspective after such a long time without your emotions," explained Rebekah. "Some things come faster than others. The more intense emotions, such as the ones you have for my sister, for example, can come quite quickly."

Sarah wished then that her glass would magically refill itself. She needed it. She imagined it would have helped the itch that was suddenly all over her skin. Subconsciously she curled in on herself, folding her arms and crossing her legs. As if that would somehow protect her from what she'd done. The whole thing was reminding her of Katherine, and how just the mention of her made her uneasy. Now the same thing was happening with Leiah's name. Just thinking about her brought back everything and made Sarah want to scream and cry. How could it have happened again? That had been one of her saving graces as a vampire, knowing no one could ever do what Katherine did to her again. But now she knew someone could, and that someone was Leiah.

"You did tell her it was a bad idea," Rebekah murmured into her glass, as she took a sip.

"Sorry?" Sarah said as she turned.

Laying her glass down, Rebekah explained, "Right before I had you turn your emotions back on, you said that with them you'd be unable to love Leiah."

"I never loved her," Sarah said quickly, feeling horrified by the idea. She couldn't love another woman. It was just…wrong. It wasn't meant to be, wasn't how people were supposed to act. All she had to do was remember her own experience with the same sex to know. Nothing was more unholy and repulsive than a vampire, and the worst of them all had forced her into loving her. How could it possibly be right, if she had to be forced into it, to have her used as a play thing by a literal demon?

But despite this, Rebekah didn't share her view. Suddenly regarding her rather coldly with a sideways glance of her piercing blue eyes. "I'd beg to disagree. But it seems to be a touchy subject so we'll leave it for now." Taking another sip of her drink, Rebekah noticed through the corner of her eye that Sarah was looking around nervously. Not out right turning on the spot, just craning her neck this way and that, examining possibly entrances Leiah could come from. Or escape routes she could take if the smaller Original did appear.

"Don't worry, she's not here," Rebekah assured Sarah, once again leaning back in her seat. "Like I said, you did warn us. I figured it would be foolish to have her be here when you woke up."

"So where is she?"

Rebekah shrugged. "No idea. I've been keeping an eye on you these past few days, waiting for you to wake up. I'll consider it my good deed for the year, since because of you I've been missing out on all the fun, while our brothers grow ever closer." Sarah cringed at the mention of her brother. It pained her to admit, but he wasn't exactly top of her priority list right now. If he had been, she would have marched her way over to his apartment, restrained him and then found a way to contact Lexi so that they could get his humanity back. But, since he now knew she'd killed their brother, Sarah wasn't terribly eager to meet the normal Stefan. She doubted she'd even be able to face him.

Besides, the thoughts of her brother were quickly replaced by her fears of Leiah. That the Original might come in regardless of what Rebekah had said, and compel her to make love to her right there and then. So far, Leiah hadn't seemed as cruel as Katherine, but then maybe that had been what she was compelled to think. Or maybe she was just waiting for when she tried to escape, then she'd show her true colours.

"I should go," Sarah said abruptly. She went to stand but was pushed back down by Rebekah before she even felt her rear leave the seat.

"You're not going any where until we've talked," Rebekah declared, fixing Sarah with a pointed look.

"About what?"

"About where we stand?"

"We?" asked Sarah.

"Yes, you and me. Are we still friends?" asked Rebekah, with a glimmer of hope in her eye.

But even though Sarah saw it, she couldn't absorb it. She knew exactly what Rebekah wanted to hear, and she could have patronised her. But right now, her mind was being pulled in so many different directions and she wasn't thinking straight. So she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Sorry, Rebekah, but that's not exactly high on my long list of concerns."

Again, Sarah went to stand – this time actually getting her rear up off the couch – and again Rebekah pushed her back down while also pushing herself up. In a blur of supernatural speed, Sarah saw Rebekah move so that she was stood in front of her, blocking any further attempt to stand up. "Who gives a rat's ass about your concerns! Did you not listen to a word I said? I gave up my time to look after you. I brought you into my home, I gave you a bed, I made you a drink. I waited out here for two days for you to get up so we could talk. The least you could do is answer my question."

"No, the least I could do is ignore you, completely" replied Sarah as she stood up. This time Rebekah didn't shove her back down, but she did glare heatedly at her through scornful blue eyes.

"You ungrateful bitch," Rebekah snarled.

"Rebekah, in case you haven't noticed, I'm struggling to keep myself together right now. I've just had my emotional switch forced back on by you, and I've spent the last week sleeping with your sister! You have no idea what I'm feeling right now, how violated I feel! I'm sick to my stomach and keep feeling like I'm going to break down!"

"Oh, boo hoo, you had sex."

"With a woman!"

"So?" scoffed Rebekah, not seeing the big deal. "I've done it. It was…fine. Not something I'd personally race to do again, but you seemed comfortable enough doing it before."

"That was different!"

"Why, because you didn't have your emotions?"

"Yes!" cried Sarah.

"Despite what you might think, your personality doesn't completely change when you flick your switch," stated Rebekah matter of factly. "The only thing that changes is the perspective, since you have no emotions clouding up your decisions."

"I would never willingly sleep with a woman," declared Sarah.

"Well, you did. Now get over it and answer my question."

"No! We're not friends. Happy?" Sarah really didn't need to ask. If Rebekah had been hurt by the answer, it would have been a blink and you missed it reaction. Because all Sarah saw was an enraged woman with flared nostrils. Before she could even think of a next move, Rebekah had her by the throat and rammed up against the wall. The wind was knocked from her as she heard the brick wall behind her crack. It was like being hit by a bull who then collided with a rock, though it was probably best to keep that analogy to herself. Sarah didn't think Rebekah would appreciate it.

"No, not really," Rebekah snarled, her vampire features on full display. "I've been kinder to you than I have anyone in a long time, and this is how you repay me?"

"Rebekah, let her go!"

Both Sarah and Rebekah turned their heads towards the archway that lead into the hallway. Under it, was Leiah. At the sight of her Sarah felt her breath catch. But more than that, she felt confused by what was going on inside her. There were so many conflicting signals. The warmth to her cheeks, the closing of her legs, the quickening heartbeat, the inability to look away. Her whole body was tingling, but some of it was good and some of it was bad. She was both terrified and excited at the same time which only further horrified her. Was she compelled, was this all Leiah's doing?

When those gentle blue eyes tried to look into hers, Sarah quickly lowered them to Leiah's feet. She couldn't look into those eyes. If she did it'd be the end of her. She'd get compelled, and would be trapped for the rest of her life. A permanent toy used only for Leiah's pleasure. She'd had a taste of what that was like with Katherine. At least with that, there would have always been an end, but as vampires, Leiah could make sure it never ended.

That, and she still wasn't sure what it was she was feeling at the moment. Seeing Leiah had brought out some strange fight or flight instinct in her. Part of her wanted to stay and confront her for some strange reason but another, louder part, wanted to get as far away as humanly possible, maybe even further if that was an option.

"I thought I told you to leave," Rebekah snapped at Leiah, not relaxing her vampire features.

"I did. I went up to the roof and listened in on you. I guessed something like this would happen and I knew you'd lose your temper if it did. Now, let…her…go," Leiah said. Rebekah huffed and continued to hold Sarah against the wall with one hand.

But after a short staring contest with her sister, Rebekah's face returned to normal and she released her hold on Sarah. Or at least her physical hold. For the second Rebekah's fingers left Sarah's throat, her blue eyes appeared before Sarah's. She had no time to think or react, only to be pulled in by the shifting irises of those mesmerising eyes. "You will stay here until either myself or Leiah tell you to leave."

Once the compulsion was in place, Rebekah turned, her long blonde hair whipping Sarah in the face as she marched out the room, giving Leiah a shove with her arm as she brushed past her. "Enjoy yourselves," Rebekah muttered spitefully, vanishing from sight into the hallway. A second later, a door opened, then slammed shut.

Neither Sarah or Leiah moved for a moment. Sarah remained by the wall, looking straight ahead at where Rebekah had just been, while Leiah remained under the arch looking down the hallway in the direction Rebekah had gone. But all too soon, time resumed and Leiah turned her head, looking towards Sarah. Again, Sarah's cheeks burnt, her heart right quickened and she felt tingles were she desperately didn't want to. It wasn't right, she didn't want to feel any of this.

"Can I come in?" Leiah asked.

Sarah frowned, looking to Leiah who avoid her gaze this time. "What?" Sarah breathed, before looking down at Leiah's feet and realising that she hadn't actually stepped into the room. In fact, her toes were literally at the threshold.

And with Sarah looking down, it gave Leiah a chance to look at her. "I won't come in unless you say it's okay. I don't entirely know what you're feeling right now, but I have an idea. And I don't want to frighten or scare you, I just…want to talk. But if you don't want to do that, and you want me to leave you alone, all you have to do is say the word."

That wasn't entirely true, Sarah noted. After all, she was compelled by Rebekah to stay in this place until she or Leiah gave her permission to leave. And if she sent Leiah away, then she couldn't let her go. Add in the mood Rebekah left in and Sarah doubted she'd be back any time soon. Meaning if she wanted to leave, which she very much wanted to do, then she'd have to get Leiah to let her. Which meant at the very least she'd have to hear her out.

But even knowing this, Sarah just couldn't bring herself to invite Leiah into the room. She knew there was no magical force keeping her out, that she could in fact come in and compel her just as Rebekah had. But she hadn't. And with all the talk about invitations, Sarah's subconscious must have made the connection between vampires needing to be invited into a home. So as long as she didn't invite Leiah in, she was safe...

It was tempting to believe the lie. But it wouldn't do her any good. She'd still be trapped in this place, and perhaps Leiah wouldn't even leave if asked. For that reason, there was a part of her that wanted to invite Leiah in. At least then she could play along long enough to lower her guard and then fly the coop.

For some reason the idea made her feel horrible, like she was betraying Leiah. An overkill reaction perhaps, a nerve being struck harder because her recently returned emotions. And yet, Sarah thought it was completely justified, because she really didn't want to hurt Leiah.

The thought had Sarah shaking her head. What was she thinking? Leiah had taken advantage of her, she was no different than Katherine. The only difference was that Katherine had compelled her and Leiah had waited for her inhibitions to be lowered… But then that just wasn't true either. Leiah had met her when her emotions were off, she hadn't laid in wait or toyed with her like Katherine had. She'd taken an instant interest for sure, but once it got to the bedroom, once Sarah told her about Katherine…Leiah had put the breaks on. In fact, looking back, it had always been Sarah to initiate their sexual encounters. And all while Leiah was slowly trying to get her emotions back on.

Suddenly Sarah found herself looking at Leiah. She was staring in fact. And that was when it hit her. Leiah was avoiding her eyes, as if she was shy. And if Sarah knew one thing about Leiah, it was that she was anything other than shy.

"Why are you avoiding my eyes?" Sarah asked. She thought the question would force Leiah to look her in the eye, but the petite woman refused, instead turning so she was looking at Sarah feet instead.

"I want to talk, Sarah. And I don't want you to think I've compelled you in anyway. That's why I brought this." Reaching into her purse, Leiah brought out a glass vial which contained a crushed up purple powder. "It's vervain. I know it doesn't sound appealing, but if you take this, I won't be able to compel you."

"You must be joking," Sarah declared. This was a trick surely? A vampire would be a complete idiot to ingest vervain. Considering the damage it did to their skin, it'd probably tear their insides apart. And even if it didn't, Sarah would be in so much pain that she'd probably be unable to defend herself from whatever Leiah had planned for her.

"I'm not," Leiah promised.

"If I take that, I'll die," Sarah exclaimed. She saw Leiah's gaze lift then, and she thought for sure their eyes were going to connect. This was it, this was when she'd compel her. She was wrong, Leiah didn't want her as a play thing, she was bored with her now and wanted to kill her in the most entertaining manner. She'd force her to consume the vervain and–

Leiah's eyes closed before they could lock with Sarah's.

"I understand you might be worried. So I'll prove to you it's safe." Uncorking the vial, Leiah hesitated and Sarah thought for sure she'd back out, until she said, "Could you pass me a glass with something in it? It doesn't matter what." Sarah spotted Rebekah's unfinished drink and handed it over. "Thanks," Leiah said with a small smile.

To Sarah's surprise, she herself didn't jump back from Leiah the moment she handed over the drink. She felt almost, comfortable when stood near Leiah. Or maybe it was just the intrigue, to see how far Leiah would go with this charade.

Her eyes widened as she watched Leiah tip a little of the vervain into her glass. She then swirled it around, allowing the powder to mix with the liquid. "Take this, I don't want to end up spilling it, on either of us." Sarah took the vial from Leiah, but her eyes were still on the glass as Leiah tipped it towards her lips. She gasped, as she watched Leiah swallow and then instantly start coughing.

Almost dropping the vial, Sarah rushed forward. She quickly snatched the drink away from Leiah before she could have any more and set it aside on a nearby table in the hallway. "Are you mad?! What were you thinking?!" snapped Sarah, as she furiously rubbed at Leiah's back. Now hunched over and couching, Leiah waved her back.

"It's… It's fine…" Leiah heaved, struggling to speak in between the coughing. She patted her chest and forced herself to cough, before she straightened and sighed, the worst behind her. "Forgot how bad that stuff goes down."

"You've had it before?"

"Yeah," Leiah said as she softly smiled at Sarah. "Stupid bet with my brother when we were young and still learning what it meant to be vampires. Sorry, I…" She paused, turning away from Sarah who found herself reaching out to Leiah.

"What is it?" Sarah asked softly, her hand on Leiah's shoulder.

"I just… I was going to say I didn't mean to worry you, but you probably don't care–"

"I care." Sarah surprised even herself when she said it, and more so with the certainty in which she did. This time, Leiah couldn't stop herself from looking Sarah in the eye. And while there was a moment of fear, before it, Sarah saw the genuine happiness in Leiah's eyes. The surprise in hearing that she cared. After a week of hearing she didn't, it moved Leiah to hear that Sarah really did care about her. Because now it actually meant something. It wasn't just words, they were words from the heart.

But Sarah still looked away, worried about being compelled.

"Sorry," Leiah quickly apologised. "I didn't mean–"

"No. It's okay," Sarah said, her eyes now looking towards the glass with the vervain.

If it meant she could look Leiah in the eye again, and see those beautiful blue eyes that sparkled even more than Ronnie's… Maybe it'd be worth it.

In a moment of pure instinct, Sarah reached for the glass and threw it back against her lips. The second the liquid splashed against her lips she felt the burning sensation. Impulse made her pull back, but then she forced herself forward and swallowed as much as she could. Most of the liquid ended up running down her chin and onto the floor, but she felt like enough of it went down her throat. It burnt the whole way, but it didn't feel like it was destroying her insides. It was certainly making her weaker, and the burning sensation around her lips and chin wasn't helping.

She felt herself sway and her feet gave way all of a sudden. Before she could fall though, Leiah's arms got under her and pulled her back up.

"You were only supposed to take a sip!" Leiah snapped, readjusting her hold as she quickly sped Sarah into the living room. Sitting her down on the couch, Leiah quickly joined her as she rubbed Sarah's back the same way she had for her. "What made you do that?!"

Sarah shook her head as she coughed, feeling herself turn purple as her chest heaved. Admittedly, not her brightest decision. But if being with Lexi had taught her anything, it was that sometimes you had to do the stupid spontaneous things that came into your head. Because sometimes, those dumb things lead you to something beautiful. And Sarah had to agree. Because the second she looked into Leiah's perfect blue eyes, she felt her whole body sigh. And she was pretty sure Leiah's did the same, as they both froze. Simply looking into each other's eyes, as if it had been a life time since they last saw them.

"So…I can't be compelled now?" Sarah finally asked.

"Not for now. But you'll need to keep taking vervain if you want the effect to last," Leiah explained.

Suddenly another violent cough came out of Sarah. She hunched over and lost sight of Leiah's eyes, much to her regret. She did feel Leiah's small hand working its way up and down her back however, helping force the air out. "How did you even learn about this?" wheezed Sarah as she let out a final couch to clear her throat. As she straightened, she turned to Leiah for the answer, but instead saw the Original looking away shamefully.

"Leiah?"

The Original was avoiding her gaze again. "It's just… I don't want to scare you off. But I want to be honest with you. And if you hear this you'll… Let's just say it doesn't put me in a good light," explained Leiah uneasily.

"What is it, tell me," said Sarah, turning to give Leiah her full attention.

It was strange how easy it was to do all of a sudden. Now that she'd taken the vervain, there was no fear of being compelled. And thanks to her past experiences with Leiah, while her humanity was off, she knew Leiah wouldn't make an advance on her unless she gave the signal. It made her feel relaxed, which five minutes ago she would have thought was impossible. And yet, she was. She was happy to sit next to Leiah, despite what had happened. She didn't know where they were going but she felt okay for the time being. It was new. Different. Nice…

"My first…" Leiah began, but she was struggling to get it out. But knowing how hard it was for herself to tell anyone about Katherine, Sarah knew to be patient. "My first relationship, after I became a vampire – my first serious, proper one that is…" Leiah looked towards her. "Sarah, I need you to know about this. Not because I need to get it off my chest, but because I feel you deserve to know what you're getting into. And I don't want Klaus or Rebekah or anyone telling you later and having you think I deliberately kept it from you. I want to be honest with you. And while I can't tell you everything because we'd be here all day, this is what I feel concerns you the most. You need to know about this piece of my past before we go any further."

She was crying. Sarah felt her lips part as she watched the tears glide down Leiah's cheeks. She felt an overwhelming urge to reach forward and hug her, but she didn't. Because what Leiah was saying was frightening her. She felt that comfortable sensation she'd had a moment ago being pulled away. Anxiety was beginning to move through her and her thoughts were beginning to pick up pace once more. Part of her wanted to tell Leiah to stop, that it didn't matter. But she believed Leiah. Whatever this was, she knew herself she needed to hear it before anything could continue. She could feel it. This was something that would change everything. And her reaction to it would determine how she as a person would change. Would she run away again? Or would she stay?

"Her name was Adèle. At the time I didn't realise what I was doing. I was just trying to help. When we first met…I knew there was something there. I felt it deep inside, and she did too. But she was…she was scared. I know now she just wasn't ready, but back then I was stupid and impulsive and I thought I could speed things along. So…I compelled her."

Sarah was frozen. She couldn't feel her body at all. She was just helplessly staring at Leiah, who couldn't look her in the eye. Her head down casted in shame. "At first it was just little things. I thought I was making her more confident. But then it just got out of control after I turned her. I… I went too far. And by the time I realised it, there was no saving the relationship."

"What happened to her?" For a second Sarah wondered who'd spoken. Then she placed the voice and realised it had been her.

"She's still alive. She likes to drop in ever couple of decades and visit. She says we're friends, but I can still feel the resentment. The betrayal. And even if she doesn't feel it, she should.

"She was my first love, and part of me still loves her. And that makes it all the worse, because I know if I hadn't done what I did, then we could've been together forever. I screwed up so badly. Bad enough to make her try and take her own life.

"That was when we learnt about vampires taking vervain. She mixed it in her drink thinking it would kill her. It didn't. But that same day I tried compelling her and it didn't work. Then came the first argument we'd had in a long time. Before I used to compel them away, but that didn't work this time. And then everything came out. I finally saw what I was doing, because she told me.

"Then Klaus found out about Adèle being able to resist compulsion suddenly. And being the paranoid bastard that he is, he started torturing her to find out how. It went on for days, but not because of the vervain. That left her system within a day. But Adèle didn't know how she'd been able to resist me, she had no idea it was related to the vervain she'd taken. Klaus didn't believe her, and so the torturing went on. Days later we made the connection, but by then the damage was done. There was no saving what me and Adèle had.

"But I did manage to save her. Klaus wanted to kill her, to stop the information getting out. But I compelled her to run away and to never to mention it to anyone. When Klaus found out he… It doesn't matter what he did, and the information got out anyway, so it would have been pointless killing Adèle."

Suddenly Leiah turned to face her, and Sarah swore she felt some of Leiah's tears splash against her face. The urge to comfort her wasn't as strong now, but it was still there. Sarah wanted to reach out, to hold her hand. But the part of her that felt disgusted by the idea was back. As was the little voice inside her head. See. They are the same. Sarah tried to silence the voice, but it was right. Leiah had done just what Katherine had. She'd forced someone into doing something they didn't want to do. And Leiah was right, Sarah had needed to know this. But now she would never look at Leiah the same way again. There'd always be that shadow next to her. The one that resembled Katherine.

"But that's why I never compel anyone like that anymore. Anything intimate and I let them decide. If they say no, I stick to the flirting. But, Sarah, I promise you, I will never force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. I'll never compel you or force you to feel things. You can take vervain for the rest of you life to make sure I don't. And I know you must be looking at me completely differently now, but I love you, Sarah. I love you."

And I know you love me too.

It sounded like Leiah's voice, but her lips hadn't moved. Not after she'd said she loved her.

Sarah didn't know what to do. Her emotions were already turned up to the max and now Leiah had dropped a bombshell on her. It was hard to find an appropriate metaphor for what was going on inside of her. A whirlwind didn't cut it. A tsunami didn't either. A giant mushroom cloud explosion like the one she'd sent Damon up in couldn't even compare. There was just so much for her to process and she didn't know what to tackle first.

"I…" was all Sarah got out. She really didn't know what to say next. Words flew by inside her head, but none seemed right for the situation she now found herself in. How could she articulate something inside her which she herself didn't understand.

For the longest time after that, there was silence between the two. As if Leiah was waiting for Sarah to say something and Sarah was trying to think of something to say. But the truth was Sarah had given up on trying to think of what to say. Her mind was preoccupied with other things, like who this Adèle was. What was she like? Did she resemble her? Did Leiah have that same deep down feelings when she looked at her?

But Sarah couldn't bring herself to ask these questions aloud. Every time she thought about it, she remembered what else she'd been told. About what Leiah had done to Adèle, and how closely it mirrored her own tale with Katherine. She should hate her like she did Katherine. She should fear her and be running for the hills… But she couldn't because of the compulsion.

"You can leave."

Sarah blinked in confusion, but then it clicked. She was free from the compulsion now. Leiah had said she could leave, she'd been given permission. With those three words she was no longer bound to this room. She could go anywhere, from out into the hallway, to the other side of the globe.

"There's more I want to tell you," said Leiah quietly. "But you've heard the important bit. I'd understand if you ran out screaming."

Sarah would have understood too. In fact, she wouldn't have given it a second thought if she'd done just that. But instead she found herself still sitting. She was free to make her own choice, and she was choosing to stay. This made her think twice. Three times in fact. But each time, she just knew she wanted to stay, and she couldn't work out why until she lay her hand on top of Leiah's. From there, the words came out, as if she'd always planned to say them.

"How about instead you help me understand why I'm staying?"

Leiah stared in awe. Her eyes filled with just as much shock as Sarah felt on the inside. She'd clearly expected her to flee too.

"I…don't know if I can," Leiah said after a moment.

"I think you can," Sarah said, and in spite of everything, smiling. "And I think you might be the only who can help me make sense of what's happening to me. I'm not sure what I'm feeling. Right now, I'm both scared of you and… And I'm not sure what else. All I know is that sitting here with you now… It's nice."

She gave Leiah's hand a squeeze. The Original's gaze dropped, then shot back up. This had not been what either of them was expecting.

"Are… Are you saying…that you want–"

"I'm not sure what I want," Sarah cut in. "And I think it might take me a while to find out. But if you're willing to be patient…I'd really appreciate your help."

Leiah smiled, a smile that showed her true heart and the sweet little thing Sarah knew was inside. "It would be my pleasure, Sarah."

"You know, Sarah. Now that you've got your humanity back, I must admit, I find you slightly less bothersome," said Klaus, grinning as he took a sip of his drink.

They were all in the Gloria's, at their usual booth. There was a sense of nostalgia that Sarah didn't quite understand, since her emotions had always been off when she was here. It was like she saw the place in a whole new light when she walked in, thanks to her humanity. She could feel the joy this place brought not just everyone else, but herself. She had fond memories of being here, even if she didn't completely understand them.

Even when they'd sat down, they'd sat as they always did. Rebekah in the middle, Stefan and Sarah on either side of her and Klaus next to Stefan at the end. Only Leiah had hesitated before taking the spot next to Sarah at the other end, as had been the case before. But things were different now and it surprised Sarah how much thought and consideration Leiah was putting in. She'd expected Leiah to sit down next to her without a second thought – in fact, she'd been surprised with how disappointed she was when the girl didn't. But she understood what Leiah was saying with this simple action. She was showing Sarah that she wasn't taking anything for granted between them, that she wouldn't assume she was ready for things to snap back to the way they were when her humanity was off. She might have even been worried they wouldn't get back to that point, Sarah certainly was. But she wanted to try. She never had before, but she wanted to try for Leiah. So, she'd smiled at her and patted the spot next to her. Leiah had smiled back and sat down, but there was a noticeable space between them, one that Sarah felt. She had a long road ahead. But after the ideal chatter began, along with the laughing and the drinking, those nagging thoughts of the future melted into the background. It was just another night like another, and Sarah was spending it with her brother and new friends. And Klaus.

"Why thank you, Niklaus, how very kind of you to say," replied Sarah with the appropriate amount of sarcasm attached.

"Pay no attention to him. He's just happy because with your humanity back, it means you have that many more buttons to press," elaborated Rebekah, casting a tired and bored look towards her smug brother.

"You know me so well, sister," Klaus said, as he raised his glass to her. Rebekah scoffed at him. Klaus merely smirked before his gaze returned to Sarah. "So, what is going on between you and my sister now? After all, Stefan tells me that with your humanity on, you're not terribly fond of same sex relationships."

"Klaus," growled Leiah in warning, although her blue eyes conveyed the extend of her anger far more efficiently.

"It's just a question, Leiah," said Klaus as he raised his hands. But the grin on his lips showed the joke he thought it was.

"It's fine," Sarah said. It wasn't actually, but she knew Klaus' type. He liked to get reactions out of people. That had been one of the reasons he didn't like her before. With her humanity off, she didn't care for anything he said or for him in general. She didn't care about his sad stories, his miserable life or for any of his problems. And when he tried to retaliate by teasing and mocking her, Sarah hadn't cared. She knew now that if she just stayed cool in the face of him, Klaus would eventually find someone else to play with. Preferably someone they could all drink from afterwards.

"And Niklaus is clearly just concerned about you. He obviously doesn't want you to get hurt," Sarah said, as she glanced away from Leiah and towards Klaus.

"Exactly," agreed Klaus. It wasn't the reason at all, but he was happy to go along with it.

"Well, for your information, I don't want to hurt Leiah either. I like her, and I'd like to get to know her better now that my humanity's back on. The same goes for Rebekah too," Sarah added, as she gestured to Rebekah who was flattered by the suggestion. Klaus however, lowered his brow in annoyance.

"That doesn't really answer my question."

"Which was?" Sarah shot back.

"Where is this thing with my sister going?" demanded Klaus, leaning down on the table.

Sarah leaned forward to meet him. At first, her face was set with determination to stand her ground. But in a second it softened and surprise over took Klaus as he saw the vulnerability on display in Sarah's expression. "I don't know," admitted Sarah, before suddenly smiling and leaning back. "We'll see. But Leiah's a big girl, Klaus. She can look after herself. And if you're really that worried then talk to her about it. But unless she says otherwise, I'm not going anywhere."

No one else saw it, but right then, Sarah took Leiah's hand underneath the table. It hadn't been intentional. It just happened automatically. Neither of them even realised it for a moment, during which time Rebekah started having a go at Klaus for picking on Sarah. Klaus naturally argued and Stefan sided with him, which started a whole other argument between the three. Which was why none of them noticed Leiah and Sarah looked down at the gap between them.

They then looked up at each other, both as shocked as the other. They could feel each other's hearts stopping, both worrying about how the other would react to this development. Again, without thought, Sarah's thumb ran over Leiah's soft hand. And suddenly she found herself smiling. Leiah took a second longer, but then she too smiled back, her big blue eyes showing how astonishingly happy she was by this. Things were moving fast, faster than Sarah thought they would have. But sat here with her family and friends, holding Leiah's hand just felt right. It was muscle memory, it was something inside of her that wanted to do it. She liked how it made her feel. And for the first time, ever since Katherine, she wasn't repulsed by what she was feeling. She wasn't being forced or compelled. This was all her.

They held on for a little while longer, lost in their own world until Rebekah dragged them out.

"Sarah, tell your brother he needs to start siding with me from now on."

"I'm sorry?" replied Sarah, having missed half of what was said. As she turned, her and Leiah's hands naturally disengaged and slid away from one another. While she was making progress with her feelings, she'd didn't need everyone to see and comment on them. She knew Leiah understood. The original quite possibly understood her even better than Lexi. Or maybe they each understood separate parts of her. Lexi understood the sister that wanted nothing more than to keep her family together, and Leiah understood the strange new feelings now forming inside of her.

"We're a couple now," Rebekah continued, having turned away from Sarah and towards Stefan who had his head rolled back. "You're supposed to side with me, not Nik."

"I do side with you," said Stefan. "Just not when it comes to my sister. Trust me, you'll come to see how crazy she is soon enough."

"He must be right, Rebekah. Leiah only ever dates the crazy ones," added Klaus, as he and Stefan both chuckled.

"I may not want to kill him anymore, but I'll absolutely help you knock some sense into him and your brother if that's what you want?" Sarah whispered over to Rebekah, who grinned fondly at the idea.

"Please, like you could take us on," scoffed Stefan.

"Three against two, brother," pointed out Sarah.

"You're forgetting his hair," Leiah cut in.

"Oh, you're right. In that case I guess it's fair."

"Nothing's fair when I'm involved, sweetheart," declared Klaus confidently.

"That's only because you cheat," replied Leiah.

Klaus glowered at his youngest sister. "I do not cheat."

"Please, you always cheat," scoffed Rebekah, pausing as she took a sip of her drink. "Remember your duels with Elijah?"

Klaus grinned fondly. "Well, perhaps I play a little dirty from time to time."

"You want to hear about dirty, you should hear where Sarah used to hide when we were children," Stefan cut in.

"That was one time!" protested Sarah.

"Where did she hide?" asked Leiah eagerly.

"Pig pen," answered Stefan, to which every one but Sarah laughed. "She was covered in mud and half buried. Father was furious when we finally found her. He was so embarrassed by her, she wasn't allowed to leave the house for a month."

"I won didn't I?" argued Sarah.

"I would say otherwise, considering you weren't allowed outside for month. What was your family's barn like anyway, since we're on the subject?" Klaus teased before he and Stefan laughed some more.

"We didn't have a barn. But if we did, Stefan would be able to tell you all about its roof, since he was stuck up a tree for a half a day."

"It wasn't half a day," scoffed Stefan.

"It sure felt like it with all the crying you were doing," replied Sarah, taking her drink while the three Originals around them laughed.

"Tree climbing's not for everyone mate," said Klaus as he patted Stefan on the shoulder.

"Certainly wasn't for you," agreed Leiah.

"I climbed trees with you," protested Klaus.

"Yeah, but only after hours of me begging you," added Leiah. "And even then you barely went up."

"How could he with you and Henrik kicking anyone that tried to follow you. You're only lucky Finn and Elijah managed to get you both down before Father or Mother found out," said Rebekah.

"If we're going to start talking about parents, we're going to need more alcohol at this table," Sarah said.

"I second that," agreed Klaus as he hailed a waiter.

And from there the night went on, and as more drink was consumed, the laughs became heavier and the stories shifted from their childhoods to their time as vampires. All humorous antidotes that embarrassed someone or each other. A few glares and growls might have been exchanged, but it was all in good fun. A fews threats of violence popped up but they vanished quickly enough when someone finished the next story, by which point they were howling with laughter once more. It was a good time, but never again that night did Sarah hold Leiah's hand. Something which she regretted afterwards.

A steady sigh passed from Sarah's lips, as she felt the smooth hands of a woman press down against her back. She was laying face down on a table, her arms folded and her head resting on them, eyes shut in a bliss of relaxation. She felt the hands on her back move up and down rhythmically, pressing and rotating and making her moan in sweet, sweet release.

"Do you make this much noise during sex too?" commented Rebekah from the table next to Sarah.

"Shut up," Sarah murmured, trying to maintain the blissful dream she was having.

"I genuinely don't think I've ever been as loud as you right now," chuckled Rebekah tauntingly.

Foolishly, Sarah took the bait as she always did. "Well, you certainly won't with my brother, that's for sure."

There was a beat, then Rebekah replied, "Tart."

And that was the end of the blissful sensation that had overtaken Sarah. Now, her eyes were opening, and through her lose raven hair she could make out Rebekah. The Original was in a similar position to her, arms folded beneath the side of her head, as she stared across at Sarah. Only difference was Rebekah had brushed her long blonde hair over her other side, were as Sarah had let hers run wild. It was a mistake for sure, but she was hardly going to fix it now, not when her body felt like jelly and every muscle felt at peace. She didn't want to work. So with a huff of air, she blew aside a few strands so that she could see Rebekah more clearly.

The Original in question was currently scowling at her. While it was fair to say they'd become close friends, which had been Rebekah's goal all along, it was a fact that even the closest of friends fought. And the thing they fought about the most was her relationship with Stefan.

Sarah had come to learn that Rebekah didn't like being challenged, especially about her romantic choices. And thanks to Klaus and Leiah, Sarah had also learned that everyone Rebekah had dated throughout her life, she'd initially considered to be her true love. As Klaus had once said, "She falls hard and fast."

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Rebekah was head over heels for Stefan. Stefan on the other hand, though clearly cared for Rebekah, wasn't as infatuated as she. Sarah admittedly wasn't entirely sure what either one saw in the other, but she was happy for them both. Even so, she liked to tease them, as did Leiah and Klaus. They were, after all, the couples' brother and sisters. That came with the territory. Rebekah's probably was that she didn't handle the teasing very well.

"To be clear, that's a comment on my brother, not you," Sarah pointed out, continuing their conversation while the woman standing beside their tables continued to work their magic. Rebekah merely huffed, before shutting her eyes. Sarah was sure under normal circumstances, she was would have turned away, but being in the same position as her, she doubted she wanted to move either.

"Do you want me to apologise?" grumbled Sarah in defeat. She didn't want to argue after all, that wasn't the point of all this.

"Yes."

"Fine. I'm sorry, better?"

Rebekah opened her eyes and smiled across at her. "Much." She liked to win, Rebekah did. That was a trait Sarah had noticed all the Originals shared. More than that, they were sore winners. And even sorer losers. It was probably the most irritating trait they shared, and it was one that made Sarah's friendship with Rebekah challenging at times. Right now however, it wasn't something she wanted to concern herself with. Later, when she inevitably teased her, she might stand her ground and they might even argue, but so far they'd always made up.

Slipping back into relaxation, as if it were a bath, was easier than Sarah had hoped. All she had to do was close her eyes and feel those smooth hands on her back. She honestly felt like she could stay in this position forever. The logical part of her brain told her that was impossible, that eventually the sensation would wear off and boredom would set in. But the calm warmth of her body at the moment was too embracing to care as she let out another sigh of contentment.

The idea for the massages came from Rebekah. She'd compelled them a couple of ladies who worked at the massage parlour to come to her and Klaus' apartment. She'd wanted some alone time with Sarah and something they could do together. In all honest, she was surprisingly good at sharing her with Leiah, though there had been a couple of hissy fits thrown by the Original, and accusations made that just weren't true. In this case, Leiah had been happy to give the two some time alone and had gone off to do something of her own.

It was only now Sarah was realising how much time their group was spending together. In fact, they were pretty much always in twos or threes or all together. Rebekah was either with Sarah and by extension Leiah, or with Stefan and sometimes Klaus. When Rebekah wasn't around, Leiah usually was and when Stefan and Rebekah were doing couples stuff Klaus came to them. Sarah doubted she'd spent more than fifteen minutes without one Original being around her the past few days, although the same could be said for when her humanity had been off.

"Sarah?" Rebekah spoke up. Her voice was more gentle this time however, so Sarah wasn't as annoyed when opening her eyes. She hummed her acknowledgement to show she was listening. "May I ask you something personal?"

"Depends on how personal it is?"

"How come you're fine with these ladies touching you, but not Leiah?"

Sarah let the question sink in, her mind taking longer to process her own internal feelings while caught in the sea of relaxation. "I guess I know there's nothing sexual about this," Sarah answered finally. "But with Leiah… It's hard to tell what will lead where."

"How so?"

"Look, Rebekah, I know you're trying to help and–"

"I'm trying to get you to hurry up! It's exhausting watching you and my sister tiptoe around each other – and don't think I haven't caught you holding hands beneath the table these past few nights." At that Sarah almost felt the urge to sit up. She might even have, had the masseuse not been working on her shoulders in that moment. Instead she had to settle for staring across at Rebekah with wide eyes.

"Whatever the situation used to be, it clearly isn't the case anymore. Say whatever you want, that you weren't ready, that you were still scared from what happened with that vampire who turned you. But something has changed for you, Sarah. From what you've told me, the old you would have ran for the hills when she found out what you did with my sister. But you're still here – which is good, because I imagine it'd put a real damper on our friendship if I had to hunt you down and kill you for hurting my sister."

Sarah chuckled at what she knew to be a joke. "You'd never tell her you did that of course," pointed out Sarah.

"Oh God, no," agreed Rebekah. The two laughed, then things got serious again after a pause.

"I know your still trying to figure things out, but from where I'm standing, it's pretty obvious. I won't tell you what you're feeling, God knows how infuriated it makes me when people do that to me. But I think you already have an idea, otherwise, you'd be gone.

"And if you're worried about my sister don't be. She wouldn't be giving you this much attention and patience unless she really cared. I rarely see her let someone else set the pace of the relationship, but with you, she is. She'd give you all the time in the world right now. So when you hold hands, it doesn't make her think you're ready for sex. She won't even think you're ready for holding hands until you do it openly, above the table. She'll stay in the shadows if that's what you wanted, but we both know you're not going to do that. You're not one to hide, Sarah Salvatore."

A strange numbness had befallen Sarah now. She was still comfortable, but she didn't feel like the massage was doing anything for her. She'd gotten all the good she was going to get out of it. What Rebekah was saying to her, that was what she needed now.

Pushing herself up, the masseuse backed off and gave Sarah room to sit up before providing her with a towel to cover herself. Rebekah remained in her position, but watched Sarah as the young vampire gripped the side of the table she was on.

"Thank you," Sarah said finally.

Rebekah smiled back. "What are friends for?"

"No really, I mean it, Bex. What you said, about your sister. It really helps, knowing there's no pressure. She's told me half a dozen times but there's a part of me that just wasn't sure. Hearing you say it, it's a little easier to digest I guess, like getting a second opinion. You're a good friend, Rebekah."

Sarah watched as the Original's smile grew tenfold, becoming almost as bright as a neon sign. This was what she'd wanted after all, a true friendship with Sarah. And Sarah would happily call her her friend. At times she could be selfish, but right now, she'd proven she wasn't always that way and that she could care about other people when she wanted to, even put their needs before hers and be gentle while doing it.

"Well, if you ever want to know anything else about my sister, just come to me," Rebekah said, the flattery clear in her voice.

"I think I'm good for now. You almost done or should I give you a minute?"

"No, I'm good," said Rebekah as she sat up on her table like Sarah had. The blonde Original then clapped her hands and the two women who'd been massaging them took a seat next to them, staring blankly at one another as they did. From there, Rebekah and Sarah brushed aside the lose hairs on their neck and then revealed their fangs. Neither compelled woman reacted, as had been instructed, both merely flinching as the vampires bit into their necks and drank hungrily.

After a few moments of drinking, Sarah pulled away to lick her crimson lips. "Still want to go shopping?"

"Definitely," Rebekah practically growled, before they both went back to drinking.