"Perhaps one day I'll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow." - Sylvia Plath
18. Know Thy Enemy:
They found Stefan heading down the stairs as soon as they'd walked into the Boarding House. His eyes widened at the sight of the couple, but as he began heading in their direction, Damon stopped him by snapping, "You come any closer, and I won't be held accountable for what I do."
The younger man swallowed heavily, throwing the blood-witch an apologetic glance, before nodding his head slowly. "I guess apologising right now won't be taken very well, huh?" He questioned softly.
Thea snorted in response, feeling her heart tinge at the disaster that had become of her relationship with the vampire, a boy she once considered her brother. "Normally, it would. Problem is, I wouldn't believe you if you apologised now, and what's the point of that."
His eyes shut regretfully, before Damon said in an impatient tone, "Mind explaining why we had to cut our getaway short?"
"Isobel just showed up at Elena's front doorstep." He replied, brows furrowing in concern.
"Did she say what she wanted?" Asked the witch.
"I don't know. That's what I'm gonna go find out." Retorted Stefan with a shrug. He was about to say something else, before a figure blurred past him, and tackled the witch in a hug.
"Slanchitse!" Exclaimed Kat excitedly, before pulling away and mumbling in Bulgarian, "I'm sorry about Elijah. I may not have liked him, but no one deserves to have their family killed needlessly."
Thea smiled sadly, retorting, "Thanks Kat. Seems you've got more empathy than most people here."
The woman nodded, before turning to a flabbergasted Stefan and stating, "I don't think that you should tell her that I'm here."
"What? Why?"
"It's better if she and John not know that I stayed in town after I got out of the tomb."
"You're the one in cahoots with them. You made a deal with John that would have gotten me killed." He replied angrily.
Kat shrugged casually, "I did what I had to get out of the tomb. Now I'm reconsidering my alliance."
And she turned to leave, he interrupted her, "What do you know?"
She smiled deviously, "I know that I want Klaus dead, which puts me squarely on team you. Besides, if you two ever need me to swap places with Elena again, the less people know that I'm here, the better. Think about it, Stefan. Come on. Be smart."
The young man nodded unsurely, before looking at his brother and demanding, "Tell you what. Why don't you, uh...Call Alaric and let him know that his wife just showed up on his girlfriend's doorstep."
Damon snorted in amusement, shaking his head, "How about no? I'm not calling him, nor am I telling him jack-shit. I told you, you got yourself into this mess Stefan, you figure your way out of it."
"So. What? We're playing on different teams now?"
The blue-eyed vampire shrugged, grabbing his bonded's hand, and beginning to lead her up to their room, "Sure, if that's what you want to call it. I'm playing on the team that keeps my bonded safe, be it physically or mentally. And seeing as you seem to not be interested in that right now, then you can deal with the consequences."
—
The two had changed, before making their way to the Martin residence. Thea stepped over the threshold, before whispering a quick incantation. It didn't mean anything, wasn't any spell, but she simply wished the father and son duo safe passage beyond the veil. She always tried her best to respect the dead, regardless off her gripes with them.
Looking behind her, she watched as Bonnie and Jeremy followed them into the apartment, and told the witch softly, "We should collect the grimoires. It would be a shame for them to go to waste. We'll take them to my house, they'll be safe there, and can serve as future references."
Bonnie nodded softly, before staring at Luka's corpse, sealed out on the living room couch. "We should bury him," she mumbled.
Thea nodded sadly, sighing at the thought. Glancing around at the living space, she dusted her hands and said, "We should start looking. One of these is bound to contain some kind of harnessing spell." Turning to the witch, the questioned, "I'm assuming that's what he told you to look for? A spell that would help you harness the power of the passed Bennett Witches?" Once the girl nodded, she continued, "Okay. Start looking through, eliminate anything too old, and spell like that would be more contemporary. Anything past the Salem Trials would be a safe bet, since witches back then would have been burdened with revenge."
"Then, we're gonna need to figure out where the burial spot was." Added Bonnie.
"Did I forget to mention we already figured that out?" Mocked the blue-eyed vampire softly, grabbing onto his bonded's shoulder, pulling her away from the fray.
Dipping his head to her ear, he asked in a whisper, "Are we really going to have to look through all of these books manually?"
"No," Thea shook her head, a small smile pulling on her lips. "I could easily locate the correct book, but I want Bonnie to do it. It'll help reaffirm her own powers back into her mind."
"So not only are you helping locate the damn thing, but you're also giving her a confidence lesson while you're at it."
She shot him a small wink, before turning back to the other two, watching as Jeremy unknowingly repeated Damon's earlier question. Bonnie close her eyes, and inhaled unsteadily, thrusting her hands out in front of her, and muttering a spell.
Thea watched proudly as a single book flew into her hand, and clapped slowly when the witch opened her eyes again, astounded that her magic had worked. "See," she said with a smile, "You can still practise the craft, you just needed to believe it. I told you, magic is tied to emotions."
Bonnie tilted her head, "You could have gotten it the minute we stepped in here, huh?"
Thea shrugged, grabbing onto Damon's hand, and heading back to the door, throwing out a "Well come on then, we haven't got all day." Over her shoulder at the two other teens.
—
She was reading through her mother's compendium in the living room. She suspected there may have been more information regarding her chaotic magic, and how she could harness it safely.
When Klaus inevitably made his appearance, she wanted to be ready. She wanted to be able to make use of the full range of her abilities, and that included her weirder ones.
The page she was on discussed those powers in detail.
The Chaos Wielder must ascend beyond the veil, in order to become one with her magic. Only after this transcendence, will she be able to harness and wield the forces of chaos, to influence the mind, body and soul, the cosmos and changes themselves.
Only then, will true power be reborn once more.
"Ascend beyond the veil?" Murmured the young witch questioningly. The wording was interesting, and ominous. There was only one veil she was aware of, but it couldn't be that. Surely the book didn't mean that she had to die, in order to access those powers.
She. Was staring down at the words with such focus, that she only noticed her bonded had taken a seat beside her, when he placed his hand on her thigh in concern.
"You okay baby?" He asked softly.
Thea looked up at him, nodding her head, face seemingly free of all concerns, but she sent him a thought that spoke the opposite. I just read something fairly worrisome. I'll tell you once I'm sure we're alone, okay?
Damon nodded, placing a soft kiss on her forehead in response. She could feel the concern wafter through him, and held his hand, tightening hers over it, rubbing his knuckles soothingly.
"Stefan and the human are here." He said suddenly, head perking up.
"By human, I take it you mean Elena?"
"Yes. She's the only one I know so far that isn't deserving of a name."
The witch giggled softly, watching as the aforementioned couple walked into the living room, coming to a complete standstill when they spotted her sitting there. She raised her brow, shutting the book on her lap, and placing it carefully on the table, before asking, "Are you two going to keep staring at me, or say something? Because if its the former, then I may just take your eyesight out of spite."
As Elena opened her mouth to speak, she raised her hand, stopping. Her, "Nevermind, I just realised the sound of your voice is bound to make me angry, and I don't think you want me to be any angrier at you, so let Stefan do the talking, I can handle him better."
The younger man sighed, before telling them what they'd learned form Isobel. Evidently, the woman had a safe-house for the girls, one where no vampire was invited. Since apparently, news of their combined existence had spread across the immortal gossip mill, and Klaus was sure to make his appearance any day now.
"Well, that sounds like a you problem brother." Stated the blue-eyed man, leaning back into the couch, pulling his bonded into his chest.
"He's coming after both of them, Damon. It's both of our problem."
"No. The way I see it, Thea lives here already, where I can keep an eye on her, keep her safe. Plus, like you've so eloquently stated many times before, my girl's strong enough to. Take care of herself. Elena, however, is the weak link here. You figure out a way to deal with it, but do not drag the both of us into it."
"I'm not going to move in here!" Exclaimed the brunette indignantly.
"Good, I don't want you here either. Less opportunities for you to piss me off that way." Retorted the witch, raising a mocking brow at the girl. "Keep living at home, or maybe go with Isobel, I don't care. Just keep me out of it. I've officially washed my hands off you Elena, you wanna stay alive, you're gonna have to figure out how to do it without me."
"Thea, if he comes, he's gonna kill the both of us, not just me."
"Sure, but at least I know I can put up one hell of a fight. At first, I was going to fight for the both of us, now? Now I couldn't care less if he drained you dry or not. You've effectively managed to removed any splinter of care and concern I once had for you."
She turned to her bonded, before asking jovially, "Now, don't we have plans? I'm thinking it's time we get to them."
He stood up with a grin, pulling her up as well. Picking her mother's grimoire off the table with care, he said, "Right you are, Angel-mine. We've gotta go, you two handle Katherine, and try not to piss her off too much, will you? You're already on thin ice where she's concerned."
"Since when are you and Katherine on such good terms?" Questions Stefan angrily, blocking the exist.
Damon's eyes narrowed menacingly, but before he could reply, the woman's voice piped up, "Since we both decided the little witch was worth all of you combined. Now, I think it's time for you to move Stefan." And with that, the young man's body went flying in the opposite direction, revealing Kat's smirking face behind him. She looked at Thea, before gesturing too the empty doorway with a flourish, "There you go. I'll handle my doppelgänger and her toy, you two go get whatever it is you've gotta do, done."
Stepping out, she threw Kat a small wink, before joining Damon, and together they headed out. They had a dead witch house to visit, after all.
—
They'd joined Bonnie and her boy, and currently, the group of four was trekking through the woods.
Looking around, Jeremy turned to the vampire and asked curiously, "Is this the spot Emily Bennett was killed, too?"
The man nodded, "Founders thought it was poetic burning her where the other witches burned."
Thea snorted at the irony, while Bonnie questioned, "How do you know where the witches were burned?"
"'Cause I tried to save her. Emily was just my key to getting Katherine back," he retorted, before wrapping a loving arm around his bonded, and adding, "That of course, was before I knew I had bigger and better things coming my way."
The blood-witch chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to the hand that was hanging next to her, before saying, "careful Ace, we're veering really close to cheesy territory."
His tightened his hold on her, leaning closer to her ear and whispering, "Don't care. If the truth makes me cheesy, then so be it."
They came to a sudden stop inferno of an abandoned and run-down house. Immediately, Thea tensed at the immense power rushing through her veins. It was unlike anything she'd felt before, a hub of pure, raw magic. Closing her eyes, she inhaled sharply, feeling the magic run through her veins like tiny pinpricks of ice. The Bennett witches were not happy she was here, not happy at all, if the tell-tale sings of pain she was feeling were anything to go by.
She opened her eyes when she heard Jeremy ask dubiously, "You sure it's the right place?"
"Yep. This is it. I can feel them, and boy, they're not happy you brought both a vampire and an abomination in their midst Bon." Muttered the blood-witch, shuddering as the pain increased. She heard Damon state angrily, "Whatever witchy prank you're playing, don't. It's not funny."
"What's wrong?" She asked, turning to him, wincing as the movement sent electric shocks through her veins.
"I can't move, like at all." Muttered her bonded angrily, glaring at the house.
Thea nodded, before turning back to the building and saying in a clear voice, "Whatever grudge you old decaying bitches have, I'd recommend stopping before I unleash all of my unholy, unnatural power. Let the both of us go, and we won't step a foot inside, I give you my word."
She felt burning across her skin, and gritting her teeth, allowed the crimson glow to overtake her irises, letting her anger lead the way. "I am the Chaos Wielder, and unless you want me to get your souls out of the afterlife, and into whatever the witchy version of hell is, I'd recommend you let my bonded go. NOW!" She screamed, allowing her scarlet ribbons to wrap around her fingers, feeling her own powers flush the previous pain away.
Everything went quiet, still. Until Damon's voice broke her out of her trance. "It's alright Angel, they stopped whatever it was they were doing." His hands landed tenderly on her shoulders, kneading the tense muscles there, before he looked at the other witch and the human boy, "You two head on in, we'll stay out here."
They nodded, complying, and as the door shut firmly behind them, she finally allowed herself to relax. His fingers came to tenderly wipe under her nose, removing the evidence of the powers she'd used.
Looking up, she found him gazing at her softly, "Alright?"
She nodded, before breathing in, "I just hate their goddamn bigotry. It's been a while since I've been reminded how much normal witches hate my kind."
"Doesn't matter, they're all dead, and you're still alive. I'd say your winning." He replied, chuckling softly.
She giggled in response, grabbing onto his hand, and pulling him to the ground with her, leaning her back against his chest, sighing when his arms came to wrap around her naturally.
"What was it you read earlier today that freaked you out so much? I could feel your panic." He questioned quietly.
Leaning her head back against him, she replied, "I don't know exactly. I was reading something about the Chaos Wielder, and how they'd control their powers, but the book mentioned something about them ascending beyond the veil. It's probably nothing, but that verbiage isn't what you'd usually read."
He tensed, "The veil. Isn't that what you call the place where people go after they die?"
Turning around, the placed her hadn't on his cheek, angling his eyes back to her own. Smiling softly, she murmured, "Hey, it's just what my family called it. But it could mean a number of different things. Could be a veil of consciousness, or awareness even. No need to jump to conclusions okay?" Nuzzling her nose against his, she added, "I told you, I don't intend to go anywhere for a really long time."
"Promise?" He whispered.
She nodded, before pulling him into a soft kiss, pouring all of her emotions into it.
She wasn't going anywhere he wasn't. It was her and him, against all odds, powers-that-be be damned.
—
Around the half-hour mark, she began giggling, watching as her icy-eyed vampire paced with impatience. Walking to the door, he shouted, "Wanna hurry it up in there?"
As it shut by itself, he sighed, and Thea laughed loudly at the sight. Her phone pinged, and she looked down, seeing a ,message from her current least favourite brooding vampire.
"Screw you too, Emily. You know, you're all on your own in there." Screamed Damon in frustration, as he began heading in her direction. She stood up, dusting her skirt, as she gave him her phone, saying, "John got himself killed, so we gotta go mitigate before he rises from the grave like a psychotic zombie and gives Carol a heart attack."
Her bonded looked at her in exasperation, before dragging her towards the car, muttering under his breath, "Why can't anyone just do what they're supposed to in this godforsaken town?"
They'd reached the Lockwood Mansion in record time, stepping in just as the guests began leaving. Heading directly towards a distraught looking Carol, Damon asked, "Hey. How is he?"
The Sheriff, looked at him, before sighing, "He's dead."
Meanwhile, Thea had leaned down next to the prone man, and raised his hand, spying the Lazarus ring resting unattractively on his finger. "Uh, not quite. He's wearing the Lazarus ring." She informed them in an uncaring tone, standing up again, and dropping his arm unceremoniously.
Taking her place next to Damon, she watched as he told the Mayor, "He'll be fine in a couple hours."
"What are you talking about? Damon, he's dead."
"Well...Here's the thing. John's ring, it's an old Gilbert family heirloom that protects its owner from death by a supernatural entity."
"But, he's not breathing. He's got no pulse." The woman said, voice wavering. Thea sighed in response, looking at her bonded and saying, "You carry him. We need to get him out of here before the paramedics arrive. Don't know how we'd explain him gasping back to life to the whole lot of them." She watched as he complied, grabbing the man beneath the armpits, and beginning to haul him out of the hall, before she turned to the woman and said, "He will be. Trust me. We're gonna need a cover story...epileptic fit, alcohol binge, banana peel, whatever works. But right now we just have to get him out of here."
Carol nodded in agreement, and Thea smiled at her in return, before turning on her heels and joining her bonded in the car. They headed back to the boarding house, John's Gilbert's body filling the once empty trunk.
The minute they walked inside, Damon dropped him carelessly on the floor, before pulling the girl into his arms, smiling wide at her loud giggle. "I can walk, Ace. Christ!"
"I know," he replied, as he began heading towards their room, "but what can I say? I just like having you in my arms Angel. And if it makes you giggle like that every time, then you're not allowed to walk anymore." He continued, dropping her on the bed.
Laughing, she pulled him on top of her, wrapping herself around him like a koala, all arms and legs. "Guess we'll be plenty close for the foreseeable future then, huh?" She murmured.
"You bet." He replied, pressing a line of kisses down the column of her neck, smiling at the giggles the slightly ticklish gesture induced.
Raising his head back to hers, she pressed their lips together passionately, their tongues beginning to tangle together, before the sound of his ringtone interrupted them. Pulling back, she threw her head onto the mattress, grumbling, "Your brother is a cock-block. The biggest cock-block of them all."
He nodded in exasperation, answering with a rough sounding, "What?"
His body tensed, before he sped to the bathroom, angrily muttering, "You stashed the goddamn moonstone in my soap box?! Are you stupid! Yes, of course it's gone Stefan, there's no way she wouldn't have figured that out. Fine."
He hung up with a yell, and Thea stood up when she heard something crashing against the wall in anger. Leaning against the doorway, she watched as his shoulders rose and dropped angrily. Walking towards him, she placed her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them soothingly, "It's alright. We've still got our secret weapon, remember? The one no one knows about, except me and you? The moonstone doesn't matter, Klaus can't do shit with it as long as Elena and I are safe."
"That's the thing. Stefan says Isobel kidnapped her." Turning around, he grabbed her face, staring at her worryingly, "You know I couldn't care any less about her, but if Klaus gets ahold of her, then he's gonna come looking for you, and I can't have that. I can't lose you Thea."
"You won't. I promise you, you won't lose me. If Klaus gets her, then we need a safe house, and if he can compel vampires, then we need one where no vampire has been invited before, which means mine is out."
His eyes widened with an idea, and he smirked at her. Pressing a longing kiss to her lips, he pulled away quickly, rushing towards the room and he said, "You're a genius. I've gotta go look for her with brother dearest. You get some rest. Grab a bath or something, and I'll see you as soon as we're back." Before existing through the door at blurring speed, leaving her chuckling behind him.
His voice suddenly drifted through her thoughts, soft and tender, forgot to tell you that I love you.
—
She hadn't particularly listen to his exact advice, rather, she'd made an important phone call, one she'd been somewhat dreading.
Thea paced as she waited for the person on the other end of the line to pick up, gnawing on the skin of her thumb anxiously.
"Hello, little one." Proclaimed her uncle, his smile clear in his voice.
"Hello, uncle E," she replied.
"What's wrong? You sound quite worried."
Sighing, she confessed, "I think Klaus may already be here. Isobel came back, and she's just kidnapped Elena and the moonstone. And I think he may have compelled her. If he's got Elena, then that means I'm next."
Her uncle went quiet, before asking, "is it time for me to make my return?"
"No, not yet. Call me petty, but I need them to take that step themselves, if only so I can gloat about their idiocy, before you confirm that you'll be making no deals with them. Plus, I've gotta talk it out with Ace first."
"He will not hurt you. My brother may be monstrous, but he would not hurt his own child, not when he's secretly longed for one his entire existence."
"Yeah, but I highly doubt he'll be willing to just believe it. I'm not gonna stroll up to. Him and just say, 'Hey Klaus, I know you kinda want to kill me, but maybe don't cause you're actually my dad'"
"You would prove it, the same way your mother proved it to me. Or rather, I would prove it. But rest assured, little one, I shall allow no harm. To. Come to you."
Thea sighed, sitting back down on her bed tiredly, as she whispered, "I'm just so tired. All of this hurt, these betrayals, it's like I can't catch a break."
"You are a Mikaelson Althea, whether you wish to or not. Our family has been followed by tragedy, and naturally, so have you."
"Great," she giggled sombrely, "I get a family, but I also get a lifetime of misery. Love that for me."
"It is what it is, little one."
"Okay. Thanks, uncle E. I'll keep you updated on everything, I promise."
They exchanged goodbyes, before she hung up, feeling more exhausted than ever. It was beginning to wear on her, the constant vigilance, the lack of trust in those around her.
Thea was just tired. She was so, so tired.
—
They all came back at once. Damon, followed by both Elena and Stefan. Thea was sitting in the library, staring sightlessly as the fire, mind one million miles away.
Her powers has begun itching through her veins, the constant anxiety and hurt she'd felt lately causing her abilities to manifest in their most destructive form. An itching under her skin, like a thousand fire ants were crawling into her veins, replacing the blood that normally flowed in there.
She'd been mindlessly scratching at her wrist, leaving red lines where her nails scored. But cold, familiar hands stopped the motions, and as awareness flowed back into her, she heard Damon's concerned voice asking, "WHat's wrong Thea?"
Looking up at him, she smiled, shaking her head, "Nothing. I'm just anxious, and my magic is reacting to it. It'll calm down once I do."
Setting her eyes behind him, she raised her brow at the solemn-looking brunette, before saying, "Sorry about your mom. I may want to kill you, but I understand better than anyone what losing a family member is like."
Elena swallow heavily, nodding her head, before she turned to her boyfriend and questioned, "Why did they let me go?"
"They know. They know you have no. intention of turning, or running. You're willing to play martyr for their cause, so why would they go through all of the trouble of scaring you into submission, when you're already willing to bow down to their needs?" Muttered the witch in reply, narrowing her eyes at the girl, before adding, "Hope they're also aware that I'm not submitting to anyone's needs. Otherwise, Klaus is gonna be in for the disappointment of his long, long life."
Taking a seat next to her, she looked at Damon when a stack of papers dropped onto her lap. "What's this?" She asked, head tilting in confusion.
"The deed to the boarding house. You gave me the idea when you said you needed a safe house where no vampires had been invited. So as soon as you sign, but's yours. Hopefully, we can lock Stefan out too."
Thea looked at him with wide eyes, before asking, "You're giving me the house?"
His eyes softened, hands grabbing onto her cheeks, rubbing the skin softly, "baby, you already live here, and it's the easiest way for me to give you a safe space. That way, you can control who gets invited and who doesn't, and no one can surprise us."
"But, it's your house Damon. You can't just give it to me. Why not have Elena sign?"
"Because it was my idea, and I trust you a hell of a lot more than I do her. Besides, you're older, so it only makes sense." He lent his forehead against hers, before whispering in a slight pleading tone, "Please? It'll give me peace of mind, at least until this whole thing is over. Then you can transfer the ownership back to me."
She nodded slowly, raising her eyes to Stefan, who had a small grin on his lips at the display. "You okay with this?" She asked, raising a brow.
The green-eyed vampire shrugged, "Yeah. He's right. I've been discounting your experience in our world, but between the both of you, you're the better option to have control. Your instincts alone can tell you whether someone's trustworthy or not. Besides, I doubted you, and it broke our friendship, maybe trusting you can begin to mend it again. Show you how sorry I am."
She snorted, looking at him defiantly, "It's gonna take more than that, unfortunately."
"I know."
As she looked back down to her stack of papers, John Gilbert gasped back to life. She raised her eyes to her bonded, and asked, "Can we be done with today? I'm tired, and Elena can deal with her sperm-donor."
A small kiss was. Dropped onto her forehead, and she was picked up, finding herself on. Their bed a second later.
Looking up at Damon, she said, "Uncle E's ready whenever we are. Klaus is here, I can feel him."
"He's here? You're sure?"
She nodded, "Yeah. My magic is more aware of him, kind of like what I felt around Elijah, but magnified by a thousand. He's here."
"Bonnie managed to tap into the powers of the witches, it's hers, to use as she pleases. Katherine and Isobel had no idea, which means Klaus doesn't either. "
The blood-witch smiled slightly, looking at her bonded, "The witch, the original and the blood-witch. It's one hell of a secret weapon's arsenal we've got."