I do not own TVD or TO
There are 2-3 Chapters left depending on how long they are when I write them out: Klaus/Kol in Europe, Hayley trying to get Hope, and then a chapter set entirely at the school with Hayley's comeuppance (which I haven't quite decided on yet)
Rebekah's apartment was in the heart of the upper east side of New York City, and proved ridiculously easy to find. Elena had been expecting more of a struggle after their ordeal with Kol, but having the address proved useful.
The apartment was bright, with dozens of glass windows letting in the afternoon light. Sunshine flooded the living room, making the already large space look massive.
Elena had seen the mansion in Mystic Falls full of its old world charm and new world elegance; the two had merged together and screamed Klaus. The Abattoir was tastefully decorated in supple leather and dark wood; the combination was the embodiment of Elijah. The loft in San Francisco had been chosen by Davina, but the exposed wood beams and open space had still made her think of Kol.
The New York apartment was nothing like any of the other properties she had seen. Every other place the Original family had called home spoke to their roots in some way, but Rebekah's apartment was different. Everything was sleek and modern, there wasn't an antique in sight. There was a large bookshelf behind the sofa covered in modern art and housing the latest bestsellers. It was like Rebekah was trying to run from her past and embrace a future without her siblings. Everything seemed cold and impersonal with nothing to tie her to the family she thought she could never see again.
Personally Elena thought the white furniture was a bad idea for a vampire; tempting fate.
"I feel kind of bad," she ran her finger over the spines of the books; a couple showed signs of wear but most looked like they had come straight from the bookshelf.
"How come?" Lexa unfolded a map over the gleaming floor.
"We just walked in to someone's home," Elena stepped lightly around the couch, afraid her heels would damage the floor. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the object Lexa held between her fingers; it was placed on the floor with extreme reverence.
"Technically I own the property," Elijah glanced over his shoulder, smirking. He maintained eye contact with Elena for a moment before turning his attention back to the street. "Although Rebekah has redecorated."
Elena chewed her bottom lip, trying not to smile.
"That helps a little," she tapped her fingers against her thigh, "but you're not the one that lives here, so I still feel bad."
"If anyone should feel bad about something it's me," Lexa spread sand over her map. "I essentially stole a child's most prized possession and I'm making a mess on the floor… what are these floors?"
"Granite," Elijah paced away from the window and came to stand with Elena.
"I don't think you're gonna find Rebekah with a map of Western Europe," Elena cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm not looking for Rebekah," Lexa sprinkled a little sand over the painting, "because she'll come home eventually..."
Elijah nodded. He could smell his sister's perfume lingering in the air. Even after a thousand years Rebekah still preferred the scents she had used as a human girl: lilac and honeysuckle. It was the only link to the past he had found in the apartment, the only thing she still seemed to be clinging to.
Lexa held her hands together over the map and closed her eyes. A stream of sand moved in time with her lilting chant, circling Germany.
She picked up her phone and waited for the video call to connect. Kol's face came into focus a moment later. He readjusted the angle so the light wasn't causing a glare and she saw graffiti come into focus behind him; snippets of what sounded like Hungarian reached her ears.
"Hey, I've narrowed it down to somewhere in Germany."
"Didn't you close in on San Francisco when you were looking for me?" He cocked an eyebrow. There was a hint of a smirk around his mouth.
"Until she stole Hope's painting she couldn't get a read on him at all," Elena leaned down so her face was in the frame.
"The Hollow's getting desperate," Elijah frowned, his eyes on the map.
"Odd," Kol's picture froze as the connection buffered. His voice continued on, though. "You've extracted and disposed of two pieces of her so she's half way to dead."
"You'd think she'd be weaker," Elena blinked at the frozen screen; the picture pixelated for a second before coming into sharp focus.
"Exactly my point," Kol nodded.
"The logic does stand up, but the fact remains that he and Rebekah are practically impossible to find via locator spells and phone calls." Lexa shifted so she was sitting cross legged on the floor and tilted her head. "I can't think of anyone else who would want to hide the Hollow from me."
"Nobody…" Kol prompted with raised brows. "You can't think of anybody at all?"
"You seem to have an idea," Elena pursed her lips.
"One," he nodded, glancing at something on the street. "What about the hybrid responsible for all of this?"
"Hayley?" Elijah frowned. "What witch in their right mind would help her?"
"Any member of the French Quarter coven," Kol rolled his eyes. The movement was nearly lost in the glare of sunlight. "They're not exactly fond of our family, but they do consider Hope one of their witches."
"We never should have consecrated mother," Elijah sighed.
"If I was there I would have talked you out of it."
"Sorry," Elena swallowed, but refused to bristle under Kol's sideways stare.
"Considering it was the only way to save the city and everyone in it I don't think you could have talked us out of it," Elijah shook his head. His hand landed on the small of Elena's back. "Also, you are alive again and she has apologized – twice now – so kindly cease with the snide comments and veiled threats."
"I don't think so," Kol shook his head. "It took ten years to get the apology, so it's going to take at least half of that before I forgive."
"As long as we have a timeline," Elena joked. She saw Kol suppress what looked like a smile as his eyes shifted away from her.
Her palms were sweating. Her heart was fluttering. Her eyes were darting. There was a sense of stone cold terror at the base of her spine that she couldn't explain. There was a voice in her head telling her to run far and fast.
The last time she had heard that voice the opera house had been burning and her father had nearly killed her brother. The last time she had been as afraid as she was now Mikael had been driving a sword through her brothers' chests moving from Finn to Kol before killing Elijah and Nik; he had moved in the order of those most likely to fight back first, Kol and Finn with magic and her other brothers with steel. She had been last, drowning in her terror; she was the daughter without magic or skill.
She hadn't known true fear since the night she had looked into her father's eyes and seen her death, but it was back now and there was no reason for it.
She stood frozen on the sidewalk, Manhattan's foot traffic moved around her; she was just another piece tree or bench decorating the Upper East Side. She even trembled in the breeze.
There was no logical explanation for her terror, no reason for the prickling at the base of her skull, but it's there all the same. She can't shake it.
All she wants to do is hop in the nearest cab and race to the airport, taking the first flight that will bear her away from the city she has started to consider a home – as much as a home as it can be without her family.
A hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped, heart in her throat.
"Ya alright?" Marcel frowned, a line between his brows. The usual grin, always on his lips, was replaced with a look of pure concern.
"I…" She held her throat, massaging her collarbone and feeling the chain, "… I feel like if I go inside I'm gonna die."
"Okay…" Marcel tilted his head, not sure where she was coming from. "There are only three things in the world that can kill you and most are under lock and key being guarded by your sister."
"Your bite can kill me," she crossed her arms, rubbing away the gooseflesh.
"Do you want me to stay out here?" His brows rose. "I'm the only thing anywhere nearby that can kill you."
She shook her head, grasped his hand. The thought of being alone when she walked through the door was terrifying. She didn't know who was on the other side, but it might as well have been Mikael with a stake, or Dahlia with ashes, or anyone of her enemies with stolen thorns that would end her life.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to run," she stared up at the building.
"Then let's run." He moved as if to pull her away, but she stood her ground.
Her blue eyes narrowed, hard sapphires gleaming beneath the rising moon. Every muscle tensed up. She searched frantically for the snooze button on the alarm that blared in her mind.
"I am Rebekah-bloody-Mikaelson!" She gritted her teeth. "I don't run."
Marcel watched her fight and internal battle for several minutes before the resolve hardened her features. He wasn't sure whether she had won or lost when she pushed open the door to the building and strode towards the elevator, but it was her power walk so he took that as a good sign.
She tapped her foot impatiently until the silver doors slid open. Anxiety passed over her features as they rose upwards to the top floor, but she made no move to stop the elevator even though her fingers twitched to do it. She made no sudden movements, hesitant or otherwise, until they were standing outside the apartment door.
The voice he heard on the inside made him want to turn tail and run, but a glance at the flowers in the hall confused him.
They should have wilted.
"You know," Elena tipped her head back to stare up at the moon, "if Rebekah doesn't come home soon Kol just might win the race."
"I highly doubt he will find Niklaus before Rebekah returns home," Elijah chuckled.
"Hopefully she gets home soon," Lexa placed the painting in its folder with the utmost care, as if it were her most prized possession and not Hope's. "We're going to lose the full moon. At this rate I'll have to do the spell here which is not ideal because being beneath the full moon helps."
"There's roof access," Elijah pointed to the balcony. Lexa followed his gesture and spotted the fire escape that led up. "There's a garden up there as well. It's hardly on par with the Japanese Tea garden, but it does provide a connection to nature. Will that help?"
"It'll be better than doing it here…"
The sound of the door creaking open drew their attention from the balcony and the moon that was nearly at its apex.
Lexa didn't recognize the blonde in the door or the man at her side, but she knew the ring on her finger; it was the same one that adorned Elijah's hand. It was the same ring that Kol wore.
"You must be Rebekah," she smiled, glancing over her shoulder to the window. "I'd love to give you a full explanation, but we've only got about ten minutes before I lose the full moon, so…" she spun on her heel and pushed open the balcony doors and stepped outside, "… follow me."
Rebekah stared after the witch for a moment before ripping her eyes away and frowning at her brother.
The voice in her head wasn't telling her to run anymore. It was screaming at her to rip out the young woman's heart. It was shrieking in the back of her mind demanding she tear Elena's pretty head from her elegant throat. It begged her to slaughter both of them and bathe in their joined blood.
"I promise you, sister," he took a step towards her, "I will explain everything after, but right now I need you to go up to the roof with Elena and Lexa so they can banish the Hollow."
It spoke to the fact the Hollow was indeed weakening when his sister nodded and stepped outside with Elena; hesitation held her back for less than a minute.
Rebekah did her best to silence the voice in her mind because her brother was in front of her. He was there and nothing nefarious had happened. He was there, and the Hollow was not with him.
He was there so she followed Elena. In seconds they were standing on the roof watching the blonde she took for a witch place candles and pour a stream of water into a bowl. A black box completed whatever spell set up was underway and Elena beckoned her to stand over the open lid.
"I assume you're the one to thank for his memory," Rebekah frowned at the box. The voice in her head was back. 'Smash it' it seemed to whisper.
"And all of this," Lexa motioned to the box with a grin.
"I said stop him from digging," she fixed Elena with a glare.
"Actually you said 'take care of' him," Elena held out her hand for Lexa. "That's very different, and he didn't remember anything until after the Hollow was extracted."
Rebekah eyed the two women with shaking breath. She could hear her heart drumming in her chest. She fought the voice and took their offered hands.
"You'll explain after?" Rebekah stared down at the box; a voice screamed in her mind before she heard the answer.
Lexa's muscles tensed as she chanted. She pulled the magic out creating a circle of sorts; it started in Elena and poured out grappling with the piece of Hollow in Rebekah until it ripped free. The blue light flowed from Rebekah's open mouth easier than it had Kol. She thought she knew the reason; with Elijah the Hollow had been arrogant and not put up much fight until the end, with Kol it fought from the beginning, but with Rebekah that beginning fight was weaker.
She dropped to her knees and thought she might have just enough strength to make back down the ladder and collapse on Rebekah's pristine couch.
"Easier?" Elena watched the light pulse, shifting from blue to violet to crimson.
"And harder," Lexa stifled her yawn.
Rebekah rubbed her temples to ease the migraine and looked down in time to see the box sparkle like blood. For the first time in what felt like years she was weightless, she was floating.
"What did you do?" Her eyes flitted from Elena to the witch. With a jolt she realized she still didn't know the woman's name.
There were dark circles under their eyes. She wasn't sure about the witch but Elena looked like she could use a litre or two of fresh blood, a hot bubble bath and a good night's sleep.
"I took out the Hol…hol…hol…" Lexa gave up and succumbed to her yawn.
"I guess getting rid of it tonight is out of the question?" Elena rubbed at her eyes.
"I think I've got just enough energy to get down the ladder." Lexa stood on shaking legs and immediately stumbled.
Elena caught her but staggered under the weight of her friend. Rebekah surged forward and caught them both.
Elena gave up Lexa and let Rebekah pick her up as if she weighed nothing. She bent for the box and blew out the candles; her movement was lethargic.
"I can walk Rebekah," Lexa lifted her brows.
"Maybe you can…"
"Lexa," Elena supplied.
"… Lexa, but I'm not gonna let you fall off the ladder," Rebekah rolled her eyes.
Elena followed her when she jumped over the side of the roof and stumbled on her landing. Strong arms wrapped around her waist before she could fall over. She looked up as Lexa was placed on her feet to see Elijah's dejected expression.
"It didn't work," he frowned.
"No," she shook her head, "it did work. I've just got a little more energy this time." She held up the glowing box as evidence.
"Oh," he took the box from her hands, a playful smile on his lips, "how much energy?"
"Enough for this coming conversation," she smirked, accepting the quick kiss to her cheek. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and use his chest as a pillow.
"Marcel," Rebekah steered the young witch towards her boyfriend, "would you show Lexa to one of the guest rooms?"
"Sure," he offered Lexa an arm.
She hesitated before taking the help.
"So," Rebekah perched on an armchair as her brother took the sofa with Elena, "start talking."
He had been concerned that the rumors were old, but Lexa's locator spell had confirmed some of the quieter whispers he had heard over the last few days. The thought that Nik would go to ground and actually attempt to disappear was not uncommon, but it appeared he was actually somewhere in the city.
There were rumors of murder and mayhem on the Eastern side of the Berlin Wall, and he recognized a few of the names of the dead.
If he had to hedge a guess he would have say it was Nik's paranoia making itself known through an endless list of enemies who might have had long memories.
"He could have tried being nicer to people," Kol breathed, standing outside the silent mansion, "or at least left fewer survivors." His eyes found the source of the blood he could so clearly smell: three dead bodies.
He wondered if there was anyone inside alive, and the reception he would receive.
I thought Rebekah would be easier because they had the address and she saw her brother right away with no negative effects. Unlike Kol she wasn't greeted by a stranger, but by the brother she thought she would never see again and the doppelganger he loves who would do anything to help the people she cares about.