Klaus
Louise sank to the floor, danger in hand and waited. It felt heavy in her hand and something about it drew her in, making her want to sink it back in Elijah's chest. But she couldn't. Not now. Not when she knew with conviction that Damon would put everyone she loved at risk if it meant saving her life.
"I don't mind being the bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions, while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let Louise hate me for it...but at the end of the day I'll be the one to keep her safe."
She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she replayed the words Damon told Stefan when he thought she was out of earshot. Louise felt the weight of how impossible Damon truly was. Even armed to the teeth with good intentions, he still managed to turn her world upside down, complicating it to the point that she didn't know which way to go or what to believe. In less than a day, Damon succeeded in annoying her, disarming her, brought her to her knees and then in the final stretch, pulled her out of every darkness she wanted to dissolve into.
But he was right and she counted on that. He will keep her alive, even when she didn't want to be saved. He would do anything to protect her, even if it meant pushing the limits of whatever it was they had. With Damon, there was no right or wrong but just the question of the lengths he would go to in order to protect her.
Louise clutched the dagger to her chest and her sister's voice drew her out of her thoughts.
"How long is it going to take?" Elena whispered nervously as she stood in the doorway as a look out for Stefan or Damon. Louise merely shrugged in response, twisting the dagger in-between her fingers.
Suddenly there was an extremely loud gasp from the floor, causing both of them, startled, to turn to see Elijah wiggling on the floor, desperate for air. Elena rushed over to him, trying to hush the awakening vampire as she bent down and calmed him.
"Elijah."
Elijah's eyes widened when he saw her. "Katerina!"
"Elijah!" Elena tried to calm him. "It's me, it's Elena."
"Oh, my God." His eyes stricken with fear. Startling the two brunettes in the room once again. Elijah abruptly rolled over on his stomach which cause Louise to stand quickly, dragging Elena up as well as they watched the original punch the floor of the cellar before he slow stood. They watched him warily as he gasped for air. "I can't-I can't breathe! What's happening to me?"
Elena shook her head, unable to think of an answer. "I-I don't know."
He rushed over near the door but slammed right into the doorway and toppled over. Louise moved forward to help him up. He continued to gasp for air. "I can't...I can't be in this house."
Louise's eyes widened with realisation. "You're not invited in."
"Then get me out of here."
Before she could help him, he slipped out her arms, racing towards another wall which he slammed against. Louise looked back at her sister in shock and Elena watched as Elijah fled up the stairs, causing both the girls to rush after him. For a moment, Louise's heart began to race as she realised she might've set the original on the loose, but luckily she found him knelt over waiting at the doorstep.
His gaze lifted to glare at the two brunettes. He made a move to lunge at them but froze at the threshold, unable to enter. "What happened-?"
"Shh!" Elena cut him off, tapping her ear then pointing upstairs indicating that the rest of the vampires in the house could hear. "We'll tell you. Not here. Can we trust you?"
"Can I trust you?" Elijah resorted in a whisper, eyeing the two girls.
Louise pulled out the dagger from her back pocket. She waved it around for him to see and he followed his course every second of the way until she finally handed it over to him.
England 1492
The dim lighting from the candles made it hard to make out the faces of the many people in the room. It was dark and there those many people were trying to catch Klaus' attention. He walked toward his brother, the only person he could make out in the crowd when he bumped into someone who jumped into his path.
Gasping the woman looked up, apology on her lips when it got stuck in her throat. The man she hand just bumped into was handsome but that wasn't what caught her breath. She recognised him. She had seen him before. The same blue eyes, curly golden locks. Everything about him screamed danger to her. He looked at her with the same shock on his face as if he was looking at a ghost. It made her a little uncomfortable. He quickly recovered and spoke.
"I'm sorry, miss." he apologised, his accent unidentifiable.
"It's you." She breathed. Klaus titled his head slightly once the words left the brunette's mouth. "I mean, no, I should be the one apologising. I was the one not watching where I was going. I shall be careful next time." she said and went to hurry past but he reached out and grabbed her.
Once he made contact with her, her mind was interrupted by a vulgar scene of bloodshed and fire. He watched her intently as images flooded her mind, things she had once seen before. Then it stopped and her gaze returned to him. She blinked several times to refocus her eyes and tried to keep a calm demeaner.
"Wait," he said. "Please, may I know your name?" He sounded hopeful and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mind screamed at her it wasn't a good idea to give him her name. Nonsense. She quickly brushed it off.
"Viviana Petrova." she introduced.
"Viviana." He purred and it scared her. "I'm Niklaus but you can call me Klaus." He brought her hand up to his lips, leaving a light kiss on her knuckles.
"Niklaus! You're the Lord I was told about." Vivienne stated. "Once again, I'm sorry for colliding into you."
"It's quite alright, I'm glad you did." he said with a smile. "What brings you to my party?"
"My sister was invited and she would not attend unless I did."
"Your sister?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, Katerina." Vivienne nodded as she looked around the room till she spotted her sister standing with Trevor. The original turned to follow her gaze and saw the smiling face of the other doppelganger. He shared the same shock expression he did when he saw Vivienne. "I can introduce you to her if you'd like."
The vampire returned his full attention to the brunette in front of him. "You may introduce us but that would cut into our time together. May I have this dance?" He offered his hand to her. She knew she probably should have declined but she couldn't help herself but take him hand. They went to join the other dancers.
From across the room, Katerina let out a small sigh. Trevor stood beside her talking but she had checked out of the conversation the minute it started.
"Katerina, may I introduce the Lord Elijah." The introduction of a new person caused the brunette to move her attention from the floor to the tall, brown haired man stood in front of her.
"Hello." Was the first thing she thought of to say to him. Elijah stared at her with complete wonder and she blushed slightly under his gaze. He gently lifted her hand and placed a kiss upon it. "A pleasure, my lord."
"The pleasure is mine, Katerina." Elijah said and they were both unaware of Trevor walking away. "It would be an honour of mine if you joined me for a dance." He offered his hand to her and she took it.
They soon found themselves among the many other dancers. The dancers were all in sync as they performed one of the traditional dances of that period. Katherine and Elijah quickly fell in step with them. With all the spinning, twirling and switching partners they eventually separated. Katherine eventually found herself in the grasp of Klaus, he smiled down at her.
"Hello, there." He smiled as they glided across the room. "Your sister, Viviana spoke of you."
"Where is he going?" Vivienne jutted her chin towards the door that had recently closed behind Maddox. Curiosity shone in her brown eyes.
Klaus, who was still in the body of Alaric, snatched the offered mug of coffee from her, barely sparing her a glance. "To retrieve me. So I can get out of this bad hair-do." Vivienne resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she took a slow slip from her own mug of coffee.
Katherine raised a curious brow as she glanced over at her sister. Attempting to instil a casual note in her tone, she asked. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Klaus?" For good measure, she cocked an eyebrow, displaying her scepticism.
"Well, the full moon is almost upon us." Klaus shrugged carelessly and sat the moonstone on the countertop. A wicked chuckled escaped his lips before he spoke again. I've killed the witch," The witch, Vivienne's mind supplied. The judgemental Bennett witch. "I have the moon stone, and the doppelgängers are waiting in the wings. Ohh, I am ready to break this curse."
Clearing her throat, Katherine shifted her upper body. "But why would you do that here? There's so many people that would try to stop you."
"Because I have to. It's the birthplace of the doppelgänger."
Taken back, Vivienne slightly stuttered. "I-I didn't realise that was a requirement."
His tone was heavy with condescension and his words a painful slap across her face. "Well, how could you? You betrayed me and fled England with your sister before I could give you the details, Viviana." His lips then contorted into a devilish smirk. "But I did find your birthplace and I slaughtered your family. So I guess we're cool. Let's just hope that Louise and Elena aren't as stupid as you two were."
"They won't run. She'll die before she lets anyone that she loves get hurt.
Vivienne's automatic response was to appease him by asserting that the Gilbert sisters would rather die than run and sentence their family and friends to certain horrific death. Klaus then went on to compel both Vivienne and Katherine not to leave the apartment until he told them to.
Elena pulled the car over just as Elijah finished his third blood bag, finally regaining a bit more colour from his recent state. The car ride was awkward and silent. Somehow, Louise thought opening with "I'm sorry my boyfriend planned a dinner party to murder you," didn't seem too wise so she remained silent along with Elena. The older Gilbert twin looked over at him and sighed. "You look better."
Elijah raised his head from the blood bag before he produced a handkerchief which he patted over his lips. He finally disposed of the empty blood bags and handkerchief then turned to face Elena. "Where did you get the dagger?"
Elena shook her head. "I'll tell you everything. But we have to work together, Elijah. I need your word."
"Your ability to make demands has long passed."
"No demands." Louise sat forward on the middle seat in the back and looked between her sister and the original. "I mean, you can certainly think of it as a demand but it's just helping each other out. We're offering you our help and return, we want yours. No demands."
Elijah scowled. "And why should I even consider this?"
"The same reason that you haven't killed us." Louise stated confidently. "You need our help to kill Klaus. And we need you."
Before the vampire could get a chance to respond, Louise's phone buzzed for what seemed to be the twentieth time. With a hard exhale, Louise pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear, instantly Damon's brisk voice rang through the phone.
"It seems I'm not the only one with a penchant for doing stupid things when I get upset." Damon said, not even bothering to hide his irritation.
"I call the shots, remember? No lies, no secret agendas."
"Excuse me, Miss I-have-a-death-wish, you broke your own rule. I think this counts solidly as having a secret agenda because this was not what I had in mind when we asked you to sign those documents." Damon said. "What have you done? Where's Elijah?"
"He's right here. I pulled out the dagger." Louise said quietly.
"Stating the obvious won't get you out of this mess, Louise." Damon retorted from the other end of the call. "I want to know why and don't tell me you're actually convinced we're lucky enough that somehow Klaus and Elijah will just kill each other and all our problems will be solved."
"We need his help, Damon. He knows how Klaus operates and maybe, just maybe, he can come up with a better plan."
"No, Louise, don't be naïve." Damon pointed out, his voice dripping with false calm. "His plan will still be the same - use you as bait and then kill Klaus. You know why that's his plan? Because it's effective and it will require the least effort on his part. Why will he bother with complications that only serve your purpose not his? Louise, his plan will not involve a win-win situation. But I'm guessing you know that. The only question is what deal did you make with him this time?"
"You're angry." Louise stated in a small voice. Dealing with Damon was something she had no time for.
"Yes, Louise, again with the obvious!" Damon exploded.
"Don't do anything stupid. I'll be in touch."
With that said, Louise hung up the phone and looked over at Elijah in silence. From the front seat, Elena sighed. After a few seconds, they could hear a buzzing from Elena's side and with a groan she answered Stefan's call.
"I assume you're with Louise. Listen to me. Elijah can't be trusted he'll use you to get to Klaus."
"Elijah is a noble man, Stefan." Elena found herself defending the original. "He lives by a code of honour. I can trust him. He knows that I'd be incredibly stupid to betray him again. By removing the dagger, I have proven myself.
"You guys can't do this alone. Where are you? I'm on my way."
"No. It's my decision, Stefan. Please respect it. I'll be in touch." Elena let out a heavy breath as she hung up. Elijah looked back at Louise then over at Elena before he simply extended his hand, waiting for them to place their phones in it.
"Seriously?" Louise mocked. Elijah only nodded.
The seer sighed before handing him her phone and Elena reluctantly follow suited. Elijah put both the phones in his suit pocket where he knew they'd be safe.
Eager to get the worst news out, Elena blurted out. "He's here."
"Klaus is here?"
"He's taken over Alaric's body."
Elijah nodded with a small sigh. "Of course he has. One of his favourite tricks."
"Well," Louise drew out, looking for something more helpful. She raised a brow at the vampire. "What are his other tricks? What is he going to do next? You're the only one who knows him."
"Yes, I do." Elijah responded simply making Louise and Elena exchange glances.
"I don't think this is a good idea." Andie voiced as her and Damon approached Alaric's apartment door.
Damon shrugged at her. "You're an investigative journalist...we're investigating." He nodded towards the door in front of them and with reluctance, Andie knocked on the surface and spoke aloud, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Alaric, are you home? Andie...Star, Jenna's friend."
They could hear music blaring through the apartment but no one answered the door. Andie shrugged, not sure what to do next but Damon's eyes flickered around the halls to make sure there were no human witnesses. The vampire twisted the knob of the door so hard that it snapped, resulting in the break of the lock. He gestured Andie towards the door once again and she pushed it open to reveal Vivienne and Katherine standing in front of it. They both let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God." Katherine breathed.
Andie took a step over the threshold but Damon fell short at the doorstep. The human's eyes widened as they flickered between the two brunettes. "Wow! You were right. They look exactly like Elena and Louise."
"Yep." Damon nodded before he sighed, realising he couldn't get in. He looked at Katherine and Vivienne with a disappointed sigh. "Thought you guys might be dead."
Katherine scolded. "Unfortunately not."
"Where's Louise?" Vivienne's eyes squinted as she eyed Andie mysteriously. "You traded her in for another human already?"
"Andie's a friend. She's a journalist, she knows a lot of information...helped me find this place."
Katherine folded her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here?
"We are here to rescue you." Andie reiterated what Damon had told her earlier on the way over.
Damon shook his head as he corrected her. "No, sweetie. We are here to see if they deserve to be rescued." The human nodded in understanding. Damon returned his attention back to the other two vampires. "I figured you still might be kicking. Alaric-Klaus was blending way too easily. Figured he probably had some coaching." He pulled out a phial of clear liquid.
"Is that...?" Katherine's chocolate orbs shone in hope.
"Vervain? Your salvation."
Vivienne shook her head hopelessly. "It's not going to undo anything."
"There's always a loophole. Did he tell you to stay in this apartment until he said it was okay to leave?" Vivienne opened her mouth to speak but found the words caught in her throat. Damon gasped dramatically "You can't say. Did he tell you to do absolutely everything he says until the end of time?"
"No." Katherine and Vivienne answered in unison.
"There's your loophole. Drink this and it'll prevent any further compulsion." He held up the phial.
Vivienne's tough-girl façade cracked at the endless possibilities of the loopholes that would liberate her from Klaus's compulsion. "Give it to me." She nearly lunged at the vampire in excitement but Damon saw it coming.
Closing his hand around it, he arched an eyebrow, a patronising smile replacing the smirk he patented over a century ago. "Answer one question first. You double-crossed us with Isobel, why?"
"I didn't think you could stand a chance against Klaus, so I was looking out for Katherine and myself." After all, Vivienne Pierce would always look out for herself.
"And where did that get you?" His mocking inquiry was accompanied by a sneer. He shook his head before tossing the phial. "Here." She didn't waste a second; the moment the salvation was within her grasp, she uncorked it and swiftly took swing, the burn as the liquid caressed her oesophagus which resulted in a cough. "Be careful with that. If he finds out you have that, you're never getting out of here." She handed the other half to Katherine who did the exact same. Damon glared at them pointedly. "You owe me. And I will collect." Damon turned to Andie and jerked his head. "Come on."
"Nice to meet you guys" Andie blurted out with a smile before she closed the apartment door behind her.
Louise peered over at Elena who stared anxiously at the tea set that Mrs. Lockwood had laid out while the sisters waited for Elijah too change into one of the late mayor's suits. The originals had admitted that he had gotten Mrs. Lockwood off of vervain and was compelling her. Louise let out a sigh as she sat back in the white arm chair. That was one thing she always hated about the Lockwood manor; everything was so pristine and white, making it feel as though it was sterile and unlived in.
Now dressed, Elijah sauntered in the room an made himself comfortable in the armchair opposite the two brunettes. He fixed himself a cup of tea with milk and sugar then poured one for Louise and Elena before sitting back. He sipped at the tea silently for several minutes. Eventually he set the cup back down and his eyes flickered between the duo. "So I assume that the Martin witches are no longer with us."
Elena averted his gaze. "No. I'm sorry."
"Daggering me would have released Katerina and Viviana from my compulsion. Where do they stand in this?" Elijah wondered.
"Surprisingly, Damon let Vivienne live after she encouraged him to use the dagger on you, knowing it would kill him." Louise began to explain. "Her and Katherine were on board with helping take down Klaus but it seemed as though a better offer came along. She was betrayed and Klaus took her."
"We think that she may be dead." Elena added.
Elijah shook her head. "I doubt that. Not Klaus' style. Death would be too easy for them after what they did."
"And that's where you keep losing me." Louise stated and Elijah cocked his head to the side curiously. "You say that you want Klaus dead, but you still made Katherine and Vivienne pay for betraying him."
Elijah turned his head away and now wore a dark look. "I have my own reasons for wanting Katerina to pay. There was a time...I'd have done anything for my brother." Louise's mouth literally dropped in shock while Elena's eyes widened in disbelief. This sisters simultaneously looked at each other before turning back to face Elijah. "Yes. Klaus is my brother."
"We heard." Both girls replied in unison. "Still processing." Elena added.
"Yes, I'm a little behind on the times, but I believe the term you're searching for is 'O.M.G.'" Elijah matter-of-factly stated, casually taking a sip of tea as he watched the two brunettes process the unforeseen revelation.
"So there's a whole family of Originals?" Louise raised a brow.
"My father was a wealthy land owner in a village in Eastern Europe. Our mother bore seven children and once upon a time, we were human. Now? We're the oldest vampires in the world. We are the Original family, and from us all vampires were created. Nothing can kill an Original. Not Sun, not fire, not even a werewolf bite. Only the wood from one tree." He paused to take another sip of tea. "A tree my family made sure burned."
"That's where the white ash for the dagger comes from." Elena said out loud as the pieces started to fall in place.
"Yes." Elijah nodded. "The witches won't allow anything truly immortal to walk the earth. Every creature needs to have a weakness in order to maintain the balance."
"Right." Louise drew out. She had been listening and devouring each word the original had been entrusting them with. The only thing she wanted to know still revolved around the only other original she knew of. " So Klaus is your brother and you want him dead?"
"I need some air. I'm still feeling a tad...dead." Elijah was up and on his feet within a blink of an eye, his eyes drifting towards the Lockwood gardens for the briefest moment before he turned back to the Gilbert sisters. "Come."
Elena was the first one behind Elijah. Louise looked over her shoulder but followed. "Maybe that's because you was dead." she uttered, picking up her pace to catch up to the original and her sister.
"So the Sun can't kill an Original. Why is Klaus so obsessed with breaking the Sun and Moon curse?" Elena asked as she walked beside Elijah down the stoned steps.
"Right. The curse of the sun and the moon. It's all so...biblical-sounding, don't you think?" A sneaky grin etched itself onto the vampire's visage and Louise cocked her head inquiry.
Elena's brows furrowed. "What's so funny?"
"The curse of the Sun and the Moon...is fake. It doesn't exist."
Elena's jaw dropped. "What?!"
"Klaus and I faked the sun and moon curse dating back over a thousand years. Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings, and any other culture or continent we felt like planting in it.
"So much effort to make people believe that there was a curse?" Louise prompted with a frowned. Elijah carefully guided them across the grass lane. "Why?"
"Easiest way to discover the existence of the doppelgängers or to get your hands on some long, lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout." Elijah explained with a small smile on his lips.
"But if there's no curse-"
"There's a curse." he interjected. "Just not that one. The real one's much worse. It's a curse placed on Klaus."
Elena and Louise exchanged looks with each other before looking back at the original. Elena's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Klaus has been trying to break it for the last thousand years. And you are his only hope." Luckily Louise had put her phone on silent however Elena's phone had been buzzing for a while, but she had ignored it in favour of giving Elijah her full attention. Polite, but the device was starting to irk him with it's incessant vibrating.
"What is this curse?" Elena asked, but Elijah had enough of the frequent noise.
"Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it, please."
She nodded, taking the phone before she held it up to her ear. Stefan's frantic voice blared through from the other end.
"Stefan...what's wrong?" Her eyes widened and Louise searched her sister's face for answers. "No. No, no, no, no. Okay, We'll be right there." She hung up the phone and looked towards the original. "Klaus went after Jenna."
"What?!" Louise exclaimed. "I-Is she okay?"
"I don't know." Elena gulped. "But we have to go to her."
Elijah shook his head. "I'm afraid that wasn't part of today's arrangement."
"She's my family, Elijah. We have to. We'll be back. You have my word." Elena promised.
"That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it."
"Thank you." With that the two brunettes took off running towards the car as the original looked on.
England 1492
Katerina giggled as her brown hair flowed through the wind as she ran from Elijah. She moved behind a tree, her green velvet dress flowing out behind her. He returned her laugh, chasing her at human speed. He was faster, but she was running and he was jogging. Occasionally he would get dangerously close and tickle her sides, his smile broadening when she'd laugh and rush away faster. Finally, she stopped, turning back to look at him, smiling playfully. "You're suppose to catch me"
"But if I caught you then the game would be over." Coming up near her and tickling her from behind. She squeaked, pulling her arms in to cover her ribs, doubling over and doubling over when he didn't back away.
He finally back away from her and she breathed through her fits of giggles. Katerina smile suddenly turned upside down when she spotted her sister, Viviana, sulking under a tree, no doubt about Elijah's brother's abandonment. Klaus had promised had promised her to spend the day with her but hadn't returned from his night out.
"Come on, Viviana." she said. "Have some fun. It's not the end of time if Klaus did not spend the day with you."
"I wish to be alone, Katerina." Viviana announced, not bothering to look up at her sister.
"Very well then." Katerina moved to sit on a bench in front of the large castle the Mikaelsons were currently occupying. Elijah follow suited and took a seat next to the brunette. "Thank you for entertaining me."
"You looked lonely inside, so I took pity on you."
Katerina's eyes drifted towards her sister. "Not as lonely as my sister." She returned her attention to Elijah. " I know not why Niklaus courts her when he seems to not care about her at all."
Elijah shrugged. "Many a union has been built on much less."
"He is a very charming man. Hard for anyone to resist, I suppose." Katerina noted. "Is it wrong to want better for her?"
"Do you have better with Trevor?" Elijah questioned curiously.
"Trevor believes that he loves me, but true love is not real unless it's returned. Do you agree?" Katerina said, her voice clear but everything else of her seemingly far away.
"I do not believe in love, Katerina." Elijah answered. A lie but one he wished were true.
"That is too sad for me to accept, my lord. Life is too cruel. If we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?" Katerina replied passionately, making the original afraid of his own heart.
Elijah had no chance to respond as his younger brother approached the pair, drawing their attention from each other and onto him. "He's returned." Elijah announced, standing. His eyes was drawn to Klaus's shirt which was covered in blood. With a curious eyebrow raise, Elijah stated: "Long night?"
"Klaus!" Viviana's voice rang before Klaus had a chance to respond. The brunette came running over to the trio. Her eyes widened when she saw the state of his shirt. "What has happened?"
When she grabbed a hold of the bloodied shirt, she gasped flashes appeared behind her eyes. Blood. Pain. Shock. Human beings. Too much blood. Dried blood. Sticky, wet blood. Th red, velvet looking blood swirled over the green leafy grass, their colours contradictory. Unconscious bodies were draped over a carriage, bumping along over the uneven meadow, like they were rag dolls and nothing more. Blood oozed from all. This was a site of death.
Viviana retracted her hand as if she was burnt when the images stopped and held her forehead to steady herself, her eyes fluttering close for a moment. She took in a deep breath before she reopened them when Klaus answered her question;
"The wrong villager picked a fight at the tavern." He lied and she knew it was a lie. He also knew she knew that it was in fact a lie by the look on her face just mere seconds ago. "Come, Viviana.," Klaus said, bowing his head slightly. It was with a sweep of his arm that he summoned her and she was tentative and in awe as in her approach of him. Her heart skipped several beats as he reached out to ensnare her, touch light on her back but possessive to Elijah's eye.
"I've missed you. I was beginning to believe I wouldn't see you today." She picked up her skirts and prepared herself to follow, peering up at him excitedly. Viviana was a quick study, a terrain that was unfamiliar yet all familiar at once. Her youthful face brightens in a way Diana's never did.
He guided her away, glancing over his shoulder to Elijah. Klaus smirked once at his brother—just once—before he became enraptured by her. She spoke Bulgarian to him all the way to the castle and did not speak a lick of English until supper.
"Jenna!" Louise exclaimed, her voice echoing through the large house. She prepared for the absolute worst of sights as she burst through the library with her sister in tow. Instead, her panicked expression landed on a hunched over Jenna, who was on the verge of bawling her eyes out. "Oh, Jenna, thank God."
Jenna was shaken from what had happened with Klaus, that much was obvious.
"Jenna..." Elena trailed off, her gaze flickering towards Louise for a fraction of a second before she slowly and hesitantly reached out for her aunt.
"No!" Jenna snatched herself away from the older brunette and backed away.
"I'm so sorry. We never meant for any of this to happen." It didn't sound like much of a constellation even as Elena said it but Jenna's gaze zeroed in on her nevertheless.
Jenna's eyes fell to the floor just as Louise edged closer until she stood shoulder to shoulder with her sister. There was no telling how Jenna was going to react with the new information. "When I was little, your mom used to tell me bedtime stories. Stories about vampires. I never thought that what she said could be true."
Simultaneously, Louise and Elena turned their head to one another, eyes locking for a second before Louise returned her attention to Jenna. She gulped before she began to speak. "It is true, Jenna. I-We should have told you. We thought that if you didn't know, you'd be safe. But then things got so out of control and everything we had done to keep you out of it, it just blew up in our faces."
Jenna shook her head in disbelief. "Who else knows? Jeremy?" Elena nodded while Louise pursed her lips. "John?" Jenna's voice hardened and Louise immediately knew that she'd be pissed if she knew that John Gilbert knew the truth about vampires before she did so, the younger brunette decided not to answer.
"We were just trying to protect you."
"Protect me?" Jenna repeated with a raised brow.
"I'm so sorry." Elena once again apologised. "We'll tell you everything."
The older woman shook her head, a heartbroken and humourless chuckle emitting from her before she muttered her next words. "No, I am the one who's supposed to be protecting you guys and Jeremy."
"Trust me, Jenna, there's nothing that you could have done." Louise told her reassuringly. "There's so much more to it..."
"No, this is- this is so..." Jenna released a heavy sigh as her hand reached up to grip at her roots. "I don't know how...it's..." A sob escaped her lips just as her unshed tears spilled from the rim of her eyes which prompted both girls to embrace their shaking aunt.
"I know." Elena said softly, her conflicted gaze meet her twin's.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Another sob ribbed through Jenna's chest. "I'm scared."
It was hard for Louise to see Jenna in this state. Especially since Jenna preferred to drink or eat her sorrows away instead of combusting into tears. For her to cry? This must have really been too much fro her. And as her aunt sobbed, Louise couldn't help but let her mind wander back to her first encounter with the supernatural, the one that had led her to know humans weren't the only ones roaming the earth.
After calming Jenna down and explaining everything that had gone on in past few months, the girls decided to give her some space in order to process what she'd learned.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Stefan's worried voice filled the air as Elena closed the door behind them.
"She's in shock." Louise shrugged while Elena nodded in agreement. The younger brunette let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding before she continued. "We tried to tell her as much as we could, but we barely scratched the surface with the drama pool."
Stefan immediately apologised. "I'm so sorry. I hate this."
Elena shook her head. "It's not your fault, Stefan. It's mine." Louise rolled her eyes at her sister's blame taking. "Anyway...we have to go back." Stefan knitted his brows. "To Elijah."
"Wait, what? No, no!"
"Stefan, I promised him that we would return. I can't break that promise." Elena reasoned. The green eyed vampire opened his mouth to say something but realised what she meant and that there was nothing he could do to stop either of them. He nodded. "We'll be okay." She moved passed him, following after her sister.
Louise opened the front door and she cursed her luck when she was met with a pair of icy blue eyes she was hoping to avoid. "Where do you think you're going?" Damon prompted sourly with a confused Andie at his side.
"Back to Elijah." She announced. "Come on, 'Lena." Louise avoid her boyfriend's blazing blue eyes as she made a move to past him.
He was quick in blocking her path, arms crossed over his chest. "No."
"No?" Louise scoffed in disbelief. She rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. "Get out of my way, Dam-" She cut herself off with a gasp as Damon clamped a tight grip on her upper arm.
Damon's eyes seeped with rage as he glared down at her. "If you so much as try and take a step out of this house-"
"You'll break my arm?" Louise questioned, relaying a threat he once used on her. Her jaw clenched as their gazes met and locked, until those coal-black lashes of hers fluttered closed and then open again. They stood so close her heartbeat was a hammer in his own chest. For an illusory moment, he felt alive. Truly alive
Every cell in his body was screaming for him to throw her over his shoulder and take her to his bed and keep her there, chained, if necessary, while he showed her exactly why she couldn't go sacrificing her precious life.
It would make his un-life so much simpler yet admittedly less interesting if Louise had an ounce of self-preservation. But he liked the fire she possessed, the steel core hidden by her soft curves, sweet smiles, and old-soul eyes the colour of lovingly aged whiskey.
"Let her go." Stefan ordered and suddenly he was standing beside them.
"Are you kidding me?" Damon almost scoffed in disbelief. "I just got her back."
Stefan's forest green eyes hardened and his own hand was tightening around his brother's upper arm that was still wrapped around Louise's. "You heard me. I said let her go." Louise straightened, giving an approving glance towards Stefan. She grasped her arm back out of her boyfriend's grasp and he shot her a hard stare.
Damon glared at his brother and warned; "That's twice today you've stood in my way. I wouldn't try a third."
Music blasted loud in Alaric's apartment and it was quite surprising that none of the neighbours had put in a noise complaint as of yet. Vivienne spun around with her sister both giggling and chugging back the bottle of bourbon like it was the cheap stuff. The sudden jiggling of keys outside the door made both brunette freeze, they eyed each other before moving with superspeed to sit motionless on the couch. In walked Klaus, still sporting Alaric's body.
"You mind turning that down?" he winced at the deafening pop music.
Katherine used the remote to turn down the stereo. With a slight pout, she asked; "Why so grumpy?"
"Well, this body has outlived its usefulness." Klaus answered, catching his reflection in a nearby mirror.
"How about a drink?" Vivienne offered the bottle of bourbon she was drinking from moments ago.
"No, Viviana, I don't want a drink."
Vivienne moved from the couch to stand in front of him, arm stretched out as she offered the bottle. "Oh, come on. It might loosen you up."
Klaus snatched the bottle of alcohol from her hand and launched it across the room and it shattered against the wall. Her eyes widened slightly when he grabbed her shoulders as his eyes bore into hers. They dilated as he compelled her. "What I want is for you to sit down and shut up."
Not wanting him to catch onto the fact she's now on vervain, the brunette followed his instructions and re-joined her sister on the couch. Just then Maddox entered the room, leaving the door wide open.
Klaus looked relieved with the witch's appearance. "Maddox, what took you so long?"
"You've got a lot of luggage." The warlock stated as two men with said luggage and along with an olive skinned woman.
"Greta. Finally."
Greta smiled. "Hello, love. Nice body. You ready to get out of it?" Two other men arrived with a giant wooden crate.
"Welcome back." Elijah greeted the two girls as they stepped into Lockwood mansion.
"You seem relieved we kept our promise to return. Did you doubt us?"
Elijah simply shook his head. "Oddly enough, no."
"Hmm," Louise hummed as shrugged off her jacket and moved ahead of Elena. "So, what is Klaus's curse?" She placed her jacket on the table and crossed her arms.
"Please." Elijah offered, gesturing towards the couch. Louise sighed and sat down, while Elena sat down on the couch across from her sister. The original sat down next to Louise and continued his story: "My family was quite close, but Klaus and my father did not get on too well." Elijah's tone was slightly nostalgic as he recalled the past. "When we became vampires, we discovered the truth. Klaus was not my father's son. My mother had been unfaithful many years before. This was her darkest secret. Klaus is from a different bloodline. Of course, when my father discovered this, he hunted down and he killed my mother's lover and his entire family. Not realizing, of course, that he was igniting a war between species that rages until this day."
Louise leant back slightly and tucked away a strand of hair. She raised a brow. "A war between the species?"
"The vampires...and the werewolves." Elijah revealed.
Elena's brows knitted together. "So let me get this right; Klaus' real father was from a werewolf bloodline? What does that make Klaus?" She stalled, she didn't want to sound stupid. "A werewolf? Or a vampire?"
"He's both." Elijah declared. Louise felt her heart skip a beat at the information and Elena was completely stumped, her mind was barely able to comprehend it. "A hybrid would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore the witches, the servants of nature, saw to it that my brother's werewolf side would become dormant."
"That's the curse that Klaus wants to break?"
"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race. Endangering not just vampires, but everyone."
Elena stood up. "But you helped him?
"I helped him because I loved him." Elijah explained and his voice lowered as he spoke the next bit. "That's changed, now he must die."
"We have the dagger now." Elena prompted. "We can stop him."
"When a werewolf is wounded by silver, it heals. An Original can't be killed by anything but white oak ash on a silver dagger. So you see the conundrum. The dagger does not work." Elijah smiled without humour. "However, there's one way to kill any supernatural species...at the hands of the servants of nature themselves."
"A witch." Elena nodded in understanding. "If they can channel that much power. But it would kill them."
"The curse must be broken during the full moon. When Klaus is in transition. That's when he'll be at his most vulnerable. A witch with enough power...can kill Klaus."
Louise's mind instantly tracked over Bonnie, if that was the case and Elijah's information was spot on, then there would be no risk of her dying from that sort of power. "What if I told you that I knew a witch that could channel that much power?"
"Then I would tell you there's one more thing that you should know." Elijah murmured.
"You found a way to save the life of the doppelgängers?" Elena asked, a slight grin spreading across her features at the possibilities that were now in their reach. Her eyes flickered towards her sister who's attention was still on Elijah.
"Yes. I did. But unfortunately, Katerina and Viviana fled before I could tell them and I believe you already know how that played out."
"You need to give Louise a break, Damon. With wat you put her through, this was bound to happen." Stefan said, taking a shot to wear down Damon a bit, force out the honesty from him. "She's emotional and thought she was doing something that could help. You were threatening to sacrifice people she loves, Damon, and she's not the type to take that sitting down. She's not selfish."
"Not like me, you mean?"
Stefan was restraining his frustration. "If you keep pushing her, she's just going to sneak around."
"I have to hand it to you...you astound me with how well you know my girlfriend, Stefan." Damon said in a patronising voice. "I'm beginning to feel jealous because I thought I had her all figured out. Oh, well."
"You know you can say you're in love with Louise and you can tell me that I'm not looking after Elena as much as you want, but at least Elena has options with me. She controls her own life while you're taking that away from Louise and one day she's gonna hate you for it."
"At least she'll be alive." Damon countered.
"But you know what?" Stefan asked. "At least I have one thing that you'll eventually lose."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"Her respect."
Just like that, Damon punched his brother so hard that Stefan went flying into the bookshelf that it shattered. Clenching his fists, Damon watched as Stefan recoiled and lunged at him, wrapping his hands around Damon's throat, therefore causing Damon to do the same. The two vampires in the midst of a power-struggle that practically shook the entire study.
"Stop! What is going on here?" Elena exclaimed in surprise as she ran towards Damon to pull him off her boyfriend. "Let him go!"
Damon rolled his eyes and dropped Stefan unceremoniously. "At the risk of sounding like a petulant child - he started it. It's not my fault I'm stronger."
Elena glared at Damon as she gathered Stefan in her arms. "Are you okay?" Stefan nodded but remained silent, eyeing his brother. He watched Louise give Damon a look of disapproval coupled with one of exasperation.
"I take it this was the result of the third strike?" Louise arched a brow, eyes flickering between the two Salvatores.
No one gave a response to Louise's question, but rather Damon snarled. "Now you've invited him in?"
"My house now isn't it?" Louise countered and Damon's jaw clenched shut. She stuck her chin out. "Elijah, Elena and I have renewed the terms of our deal."
"Really?" Damon's eyes roamed over her as if to make sure she hadn't come to any harm.
"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands." Elijah announced, eyes flickering between the two vampires. He stepped around the Elena. "I only ask for one thing in return." Damon raised a brow and Elijah answered his silent question. "An apology."
Damon blinked, seemingly sure he had misheard the original. "A what?"
Stefan sighed and took a few steps forward. "I'm sorry for the part that I played in your death. I was protecting Elena and Louise. I will always protect them."
"I understand." Elijah nodded.
"Damon?" Now every pair of eyes in the room flickered towards Damon who merely turned his head away from them with a loud scoff. "The sacrifice is going to happen, Damon." Louise told him when he didn't make a single move to acknowledge her. "Bonnie will be able to kill Klaus without hurting herself and Elijah knows how to save our lives. I told you I'd find another way. And I did."
He turned to look at her, searching her expression before facing Elijah. "Is that true?" Elijah nodded. Damon returned his attention to his girlfriend. "And you're trusting him?"
"I am." Louise nodded. "Elena, do you trust Elijah?"
"Yes." The older Gilbert stated.
"So, what do you say?" Louise looked towards him, doe eyes full of hope and a small smile on her face. It was quickly slapped off when Damon responded.
"You can all go to hell."
Louise's brows shot up as he released one last furious growl before storming out the room.
Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "He's angry with me right now. But he'll come around."
Elijah didn't bother looking at him. He just stared after where Damon had gone and slowly said, "Perhaps."
"I doubt it." Louise muttered sadly.
"Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Uenes Phasmatos Et Sonos. Ex Tutam Exum Lamia Matus."
Maddox and Greta were knelt on the floor, lit candles surrounding them as they casted a spell. Klaus, still in the history teacher's body, stood next to the box, his head bowed and eyes closed. Katherine and Vivienne looked on intensely. The witch and warlock stopped chanting, eyes flickering towards Alaric. With a gasp, Alaric's eyes opened and quickly became confused at his surroundings.
"Elena? Louise?" Alaric groaned before he collapsed onto the floor.
Maddox stood up and opened the giant box to the original hybrid himself. He was finally back in his body. He moved forward, stepping over Alaric's unconscious body. He fixed his collar as he nodded thankfully at the two witches who had returned him to his powerful body. "Now that's more like it."
He smirked as his piercing blue eyes caught Vivienne's wide brown ones. He began to make his way towards her but she back up, her body shaking slightly. Yes, she had been afraid of Klaus while he had been in the history teacher's body but the sight of him in his original body, his eyes sparkling with sadistic mischief which terrified her. She swallowed thickly once he stopped in front of her, towering her, the power he knew he held, making him grin.
"Klaus. W-what are you going to do with him?" Her eyes flickered over to Alaric before they returned to Klaus. "Louise and Elena will come for him."
Klaus tilted his head slightly. "He's no use to me now, sweetheart. I'm going to let him go. But I've got an important matter to tend to first."
A/N:
Okayyy, here's a long overdue update. Hope it was worth the wait. A huge thank you to everyone that had been reviewing my story, very grateful for each and everyone one of you guys. So, Klaus is back in body and the sacrifice is nearing, only three more chapters until the season finale. Who's excited for season three because I am!
Drop a review if you want.