Circumstances

Pairing: OC/Rebekah

Summary: As much as everyone thought they knew, Jacqueline always managed to prove them wrong. People claim to know who she is, what she's done, what's she's been through - and yet none of them can see all of it. What happens when she meets a certain Original Vampire who sees every little thing about her. From the way she walks to the way she acts... but will Jacqueline allow her supernatural mate to see her past as if they experienced it themselves. Elena bashing..

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"Good and evil do not exist by nature, meaning that good and evil do not exist within the things themselves. All judgments of good and evil are relative to the one doing the judging."

Pyrrhonism

VENTICINQUE

Jaqueline = 21
Elena = 18
Jeremy=16

Being back in Mystic Falls certainly felt different now that she had left for three years without returning. The town may look the same; the same school, the same roads, the same Mystic Grill.

But it isn't the same.

Mystic Falls was just good at pretending.

A literal humm of energy surrounded the entire town - though only visible to some witches - its a subconscious attraction for other supernatural beings. Because of that, she couldn't really be all that surprised when she had waltzed back into town, a hurricane of deadly and barely contained fury - and found her hometown had been riddled with vampires.

What had been a surprised though was finding none other than her little sister at the heart of it all.

A human.

A doppelgänger.

Jaqueline could admit that she was disappointed in Elena, angry and even hurt on some level. The little Elena that she had practically raised had allowed for two vampires that are constantly fighting for her attention, to hurt her brother. It was so very wrong and Jacqueline had never been more angry in her life than when she had found out Elena had sat back and watched it all happen.

Elena didn't seem to have a care in the world for how it affected Jeremy.

It should never have happened.

Damon and Stefan should die for it too.

And at the moment, Jacqueline wasn't sure which route was worse; allowing them to live for Elena's sake or killing them both and accepting that it means loosing Elena.

"I need a goddamn drink" she muttered pushing her way through the locals standing around, so she could get to the bar.

It was official; Jacqueline was in a bad mood.

There had only ever been one solution to that - and that's a shit load of alcohol and some fun.

Getting to the bar she took her seat on a stool and rapped her knuckles against the bartop, catching the bartenders attention. The guy looked at her and nodded - he remembered her frequent visits to the bar all those years ago. At least nowadays she didn't have to threaten the bartenders into giving her a drink...

"Hello, love?" A smooth accented British voice drew out

Jacqueline turned to look at the man, his blue eyes seemed to take every inch of her appearance in. It wasn't a leering sort of way though. Rather calculating. As if he wanted to know her intentions and capabilities before even she knew them. The crooked little smirk he sent her way was easy enough to see through. At least it is for Jacqueline, but she recognised the annoyed and almost wary look he was trying to mask.

It made her wonder what was frustrating him so much?

And why he thought she might add to his problems?

With practiced ease she turned more of her attention to the man and let a calm smirk tug up the side of her lips. "Can I help you?" she hummed tapping her fingers on the bar silently.

Effectively giving off an almost lazy calmness to her appearance. All the while being alert and ready for something to go down.

"That depends, love" the man answered a little more serious this time, as he leaned forward on his stool.

"Niklaus" came the reprimand from a tall suited man, who was quick to approach the bar and stand between them.

Jacqueline took both of these men's movements in, with a slightly impressed smirk. They held power - both of them, and they knew how to use it. That was obvious enough from the way they held themselves. Her magic told her they were vampires, old vampires, but it was the blonde one who really caught her attention. Her magic picked up on both a vampiric and werewolf aura at the same time.

He's both?

The Hybrid, her mind supplied, the Mikaelson's.

Which she assumed would make these two Elijah and Klaus Mikaelson.

"I'm just having a friendly chat with the lady, Elijah" the hybrid smiled at the other man, confirming her suspicions of their identities.

"You want to know if I will be a problem for you and your family" Jacqueline stated, her eyes narrowing slightly on the hybrid who's attention had quickly snapped to her. She tilted her head curiously at him, "Why? Why would you think I would be a problem for you?"

Klaus chuckled, "Smart one, you are, love"

"Then don't insult me" Jacqueline responded instantly, "I assume a threat is what you greet everyone you meet with?" her lips curled up briefly in amusement, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

"I do apologise for my brothers assumptions" Elijah cut in as he straightened his cufflinks. Almost as if by fixing them he would regain his own composure. "My name is Elijah Mikaelson, as I assume you know, and you must be...?"

"Jacqueline" she held out her hand watching as Elijah took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Jacqueline- well, I suppose everyone here knows me as a Gilbert"

Klaus rose a brow, "Are you not a Gilbert?"

"I was adopted and - aside from when with siblings - I do prefer my biological name" she informed them with a shrug of her shoulders. Though she made no attempt to offer her biological name.

She knew that as soon as she allowed Elijah her hand, that he was aware she was a witch.

...And the Gilberts aren't witches.

So, she offered the information first, knowing it allowed her to decide how much she could divulge. Giovanni had taught her a lot over the years. One of those lessons was how to hide things without looking like she was doing so.

Jacqueline didn't want them to know she's a BloodWitch yet.

She needed to figure them out first.

"I see" Elijah hummed, "And I believe what my brother had been attempting to say was that we hope for peace with the Gilberts. We do not want a war or more plots to harm our family... you understand?"

Jacqueline nodded her head in understanding with a pleasant smile on her lips. "I do understand. I'm in town now and I plan on getting to the bottom of whatever my sister had gotten herself caught up in. As long as you are not allied with those Salvatore brothers, than me being here won't affect you"

"The Salvatore brothers have done something to upset you already, love?" Klaus laughed, this time more genuine than before.

Clearly he didn't like the brothers either...

"They have... and I'm not someone to be taken lightly" Jacqueline said, allowing the warning to roll of her tongue in the most pleasant way possible. "Against me those brothers don't stand a chance on my worst day" she chuckled

The bartender approached and placed the bottle of whiskey and a glass down in front of her on the bartop. "H-here Jacqueline" the guy stuttered a little before making a quick exist once his job was done.

Jacqueline snorted at the sight.

She let herself chuckle fondly for a second before she poured a glass.

"I fucking hate this town" she smirked and rolled her eyes, downing the burning liquid in one go.

Klaus chuckled and held out his own glass for her to fill. She did so with a dry smirk on her face. He seemed to understand it well enough though. Elijah silently excused himself but Klaus stayed and shared a few drinks with her in silence. Jacqueline knew the basics of what happened in this town during her absence... she knew what he had done to Elena, more specifically.

While she understood Elena's anger and inability to let that go - it didn't mean that Jacqueline had been wronged by the man.

If anyone understood that sometimes you have to sacrifice someone to get something done; it was her.

"You really want peace?" Jacqueline asked him suddenly and turned in her stool to face him.

Though he still sat in his seat, one down from hers.

Klaus sighed, "At the moment, yes. I get your lot all wants to kill the big bad evil but sometimes good just doesn't prevail. The hero's need to learn when to cut their losses" he said looking serious and quite exasperated.

Jacqueline snorted.

"What? You don't agree with that?" Klaus asked, looking at her as if she were stupid

"I don't believe in all that shit" she confirmed nodding her head with a small shrug of indifference

Now it was Klaus' turn to snort, "What?" he mocked, "Your one of those people who think there is still good in me? That I am not evil? That I can be saved?"

Jacqueline leaned forward with a secretive little smirk as she told him, "No, dipshit. I don't believe in any of that bullshit. The whole pure vs. evil, good vs. bad, right or wrong" she waved a dismissive hand in the air at the pathetic notions.

It was all a load of bullshit anyway!

Klaus tilted his head at her then, studying her as if he would be able to figure out what she meant. As if he could see how her mind worked so different to others that it allowed her to believe such common concepts to be irrelevant.

Especially in regards to someone like him...

"How do you figure that then, love?" he asked with curiosity shinning in his eyes

Jacqueline smirked, "I don't think one person is pure or evil, good or bad, they're just them" she stated struggling to put her thoughts into words. Pursing her lips she looked around the bar until her eyes fell on Stefan and Elena. Nodding her head in their direction she watched Klaus follow her line of sight.

"What about them, love?" Klaus asked thoughtfully

"Take them, right. They both claim to be good, to be the hero's, correct?" she asked attempting to break it down as best she could.

"Right" Klaus nodded

Smirking Jacqueline questioned, "Well, if someone hurts Elena what do you think Stefan and Damon would do?"

Klaus didn't hesitate in answering, "They'd kill them - or at least, in my case, attempt to kill them" he chuckled

Rolling her eyes she nodded, "And say, if it wasn't you, and they did successfully kill the person who hurt Elena. Isn't that bad? Doesn't that make them evil by their own standards?" she posed thoughtfully. "They'd still consider themselves good in the end. Even though they'd committed the very action they condemn others as evil for"

"hmm" Klaus hummed and nodded his head in thoughtful agreement. He looked back at her with a a more genuine smile on his face. "I guess it does prove those concepts irrelevant then" he shrugged

"Life is shades of grey, as you very well know... full of contradictions" Jacqueline continued, "I can be kind, but cross me and I am ruthless. For the very few people I love and trust, I'd commit - and have committed - many acts considered despicable. Yet I don't feel remorse over it, because its simply what i needed to do" she shrugged

"It's all about perspective, love, isn't it?" Klaus nodded and took another sip of the whiskey. "Very much like how Elena and her group of friends view my actions as evil and I view them as necessary"

"Yeah" Jacqueline agreed, "Which is exactly why I don't have an issue with you. I'll protect whats mine, don't mistake that, but as long as you aren't a threat to that then you are of no concern to me"

Klaus looked a little pleased at that - though he didn't show it for more than a split second.

Jacqueline wasn't surprised and continued on with her drinking instead. It wasn't like she didn't understand, she couldn't think of anything worse than being unable to control the emotions she shows.

They're her own and she doesn't have to share them.

"So?" Jeremy prompted as soon as they sat on the couch after pizza had been demolished.

He looked expectant.

Jacqueline raised a brow at a loss for what he was prompting her to say.

Jeremy huffed, "Yesterday I was the one who did all the explaining... it's your turn" he informed her as if that had been obvious from his expectant 'so?'

Jacqueline rolled her eyes as she turned to face him. Knowing that she owed him an explanation and was not in a position to deny that. Though she would have liked a little more time to figure out what to say. Jacqueline wasn't exactly eloquent with her wording more often than not.

"Well where the hell do I even start?" Jacqueline huffed a little at her own question.

"How about when you first figured out about the supernatural?" Jeremy suggested

Jacqueline started at him warily.

"If you really want to know then I guess I have to start from the beginning" Jacqueline said rather sulkily as she slumped against the couch.

They were in for a long night.

"I was adopted" Jacqueline announced rather abruptly. "My birth parents were killed. They're names were Marcus and Miara Mancinelli"

Jeremys eyes widened, "Wow" he blew out a breath

Jacqueline hummed in agreement, "I only found out just before I left town. Turns out my parents were BloodWitches - different and more powerful than a Nature Bound witch like Bonnie or Sheila. I literally have more power in my pinky finger than they have all together" Jacqueline grinned a little at that particular fact.

Sometimes she really does have no shame...

Jeremy snorted.

"Miranda and Greyson adopted me when I was abandoned at the hospital. They changed my last name to Gilbert. Miranda, Greyson, John, Abbey Bennet - they all knew about supernatural. The thing about BloodWitches is that they have powers from birth. When Abbey felt my magic she was ignorant to what it truly meant. The Bennett's think BloodWitches are evil, against the balance of nature" Jacqueline rolled her eyes

"Why?" Jeremy questioned

Jacqueline pursed her lips, "Because of old jealousy and prejudice past down through generations. The reason I'm more powerful isn't because I abuse 'nature' it's just because I'm a different kind of witch. I'm supposed to be more powerful and it has nothing at all to do with nature"

"So it's like... racism against different witches?" Jeremy asked with a grin

Jacqueline rolled her eyes and shrugged. She supposed that was close enough to correct for now.

"Abbey locked away my magic. She put a spell on me so that I couldn't use it. For years it worked but my magic runs through my veins..." Jacqueline's voice then turned a little angry as she continued. "Abbey didn't know what she was talking my about. She forced me to go through years of pain. My magic wanted to surface - it was never going to stay locked away. It's as much a part of me as a arm or leg"

Jeremy frowned, "You were in pain?"

Jacqueline sighed, "For a little while. Then it broke free and I- I set fire to the living room" Jacqueline decided to skip over most of those particular details.

He didn't need to know more than that.

Not when it could hurt him.

Jeremy chuckled as he nodded, obviously remembering the charred curtains.

"Anyway that wasn't how I found out about the supernatural though. Enzo - he's a vampire - well, there's this group in town called Augustine and Greyson was part of it" Jacqueline admitted hesitantly as she kept an eye on his reactions. "They experimented on vampires"

Jeremy paled, "Experimented? As in tortured?" He asked

Jacqueline nodded, "Yeah..."

"And this Enzo guy was part of it?" Jeremy frowned in confusion

"I went to Greyson's office one day and found the labs. I hid and watched the entire thing with my own eyes. Greyson tortured him and called it science! I used to sit and talk to Enzo whenever I could... brought him a blood bag or two as well" Jacqueline said with a shrug. As if the casual action would minimise the severity of the memory.

"How could he do that?" Jeremy muttered in horror, almost in disbelief, but knew she wouldn't lie about that.

Jacqueline shrugged once again at a loss for an answer.

Especially to that particular question.

"Raack, my old boss, he knew too. He put vervain into tattoo ink and piercings for me and anyone who requested it" Jacqueline said, easily changing the topic. "It's why i used that ink for you and Tyler"

"Yeah" Jeremy nodded with a small smile. "That came in handy. Elena had Damon 'compel' me to forget about him murdering Vicki! I went along with it. At least until I could figure out what was going on. Then Elena tried to compel me again!"

Jacqueline sighed in disappointment.

She was once again reminded that Elena had prioritised drama over family.

The Salvatores over her little brother.

Jacqueline nodded sadly, "I'm glad it protected you"

"I just wish you told me" Jeremy said

Jacqueline shrugged, "Told you what? At the time the only proof I had was a vampire Greyson was torturing! I didn't know I was a witch then... that was after Greyson and Miranda died. You weren't exactly speaking to me then either" she defended

Jeremy nodded grimly.

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't you I was mad at - I was mad that I hadn't realised what was going on until after the fact. The drugs, the alcohol, Dad cheating and moving out" Jeremy shrugged sadly, "I was mad that I didn't know. Mad that you dealt with it all on your own and never complained. Mad that I was mourning someone who clearly didn't love me"

Jacqueline sighed.

She reacted over and squeezed Jeremy hand. There weren't any words that could make that pain fade, she knew as much.

But maybe some support and understanding would?

Jacqueline wouldn't know cause she'd never had that. Though Jacqueline had dedicated her life to making sure Jeremy and Elena had what she never did. This didn't seem to be any different.

"So? How did you learn to be a witch?" Jeremy asked, changing the subject.

Jacqueline grinned and readied to tell him all about the Giovanni and the coven. If he thought what she had said earlier was cool... well hearing about wolf packs in Germany and succubus in Russia we're gonna blow his mind!

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