Alexandria Gilbert

by JChavz95

Vampires, witches, werewolves and doppelgangers, oh my! All Alexa Gilbert wanted was a quiet life, a free drink and to party the night away with her friends without being nagged by her twin sister Elena, but the arrival of the mysterious Salvatore brothers may just ruin those plans... Starts Season 1, Episode 1, Slowburn Damon/OC, Now on Season 4!

58. Dangerous Liaisons

Disclaimer: I only own my OCs

A/N: I know that this is a chapter that you've all been waiting for ;) it also has the honor of being the longest one so far, which is quite amazing. We get some lovely Dalexa moments, twin angst, Original appearances and quite a few threads for future subplots ;) all in all, an exciting chapter!

XXX

I don't quite know how, but we managed to get Ric and Jenna to the hospital. I remembered that Matt helped us get Ric down the stairs, while Elena supported Jenna. They had both protested, insisting that they didn't need to go. But after the scare that they had given us, we weren't going to let them get their way.

It was fortunate that Meredith wasn't on shift at the time, otherwise Elena might have actually snapped at her. Even though she had been cleared of all suspicion, and probably didn't even know that she had been a suspect, my sister didn't trust her anymore. So we gave our adults to Dr Potter to take care of. He whisked them away to observations while we waited in the waiting room.

While we waited, I got in contact with the cleaner that the Salvatore's used. She had been cleaning the Boarding House for years, and had been compelled to not freak out over any blood or bodies that she found. Damon had told me that if I ever needed to, I could give her a call. After explaining what happened, Mrs Cortez agreed to clean the house for us while we were in the hospital. I did love Mrs Cortez. She had a soft spot for the Salvatore brothers, especially Damon, and was always eager to help them. And she was well paid for it, to the point where her and her family lived comfortably in the fancier part of town.

I knew that returning to a clean home would help calm my sister down. Seeing the reminder of what happened wouldn't help anyone. Not even me. So I was relieved that I was able to get it cleaned. I made a mental note to send Mrs Cortez some pumpkin pie when I made some. I knew that she loved it, and I wanted to say thank you.

Once we had received confirmation that they were both okay, Ellie decided that we should probably head home. They were to be kept overnight for observation. Ric was fully healed but we wanted to make sure that there was nothing wrong. Our experience last time had made us a bit wary. Jenna had a concussion, and I refused to let her check herself out.

After bidding the two good night, we went to go search for Matt. He had given us some privacy while we spoke to Ric and Jenna. The sweetheart hadn't left our side while we got everyone to the hospital. And I realized how much I loved Matt. He was just so strong and supportive. He didn't judge and he had your back.

"How are they?" Matt asked when we approached him. I had my arm around Elena's shoulders. Despite our tense conversation on the way to Caroline's, we had made peace for now. We kind of had to. Until Ric and Jenna were back home with us, until we knew who attacked them, we couldn't afford to be fighting.

"Resigned to be spending the night in observation," Elena sighed, shaking her head. "So long as we promise to change the lock on the house."

"See, my plan was to just invite Damon over to be our guard dog for the night," I shrugged, my tone light despite the tension in my body. "No one is sneaking up on us with my man around."

Elena rolled her eyes at me before looking back at Matt, "So I talked to Bonnie earlier. She and her mom are fine. Have you talked to Caroline?"

"Yeah, she's holding it together," Matt nodded as we got in the lift, heading to the ground floor. "Considering how close she and her dad used to be. Any word on who's behind these attacks?"

"Unfortunately not," I scrunched my nose up in annoyance. "The sheriff hasn't identified any suspects at all. She couldn't even make a guess."

The sweetheart hummed in sympathy. It was annoying. And worrying. Someone was targeting the members of the special Mystic Falls council and we didn't even have any suspects. I was tempted to make Ric and Jenna quit the council until we found out who had done it.

"Do you need me to stay overnight with you?" Matt asked as we made our way outside.

"Only if you want to," I smiled softly, reaching out to pat his shoulder. Matt was so sweet. I didn't want him to be alone if he needed the company. But I knew that Elena wanted to keep him out of this craziness as much as possible.

"How are you dealing with everything?" Ellie asked instead of answering the question. I had a feeling that she would avoid the issue, and I wasn't in the mood to push it. "I mean, you keep getting dragged into all of this."

"Honestly?" Matt sighed and shrugged, shaking his head. "I'm kind of lucky, the only thing that I have to worry about for tomorrow, is showing up for my shift at the Grill."

"Damn, I'm jealous," I teased softly, getting a gentle eye roll in return. I was slightly envious. Matt had a peaceful life, but I knew that I wouldn't give up this insanity for anything. Because it meant giving up Damon. And I just wouldn't do that.

"Thank you," Ellie said sincerely, reaching out to give Matt's hand a squeeze. "For everything today. Really."

Matt smiled back, his voice soft, "Get home safe."

"You too, Mattie," I nodded, smiling back. We parted ways then, Matt heading to his truck. We were parked slightly further away. I kept my arm wrapped around my sister while we made those extra steps. I shivered slightly in the cold, night air. But I kept my eyes sharp. The darkness out made me wary. Bad things happened when it got dark in Mystic Falls.

Once I had gotten Elena settled in her seat behind the wheel, I walked around the car to climb into the passenger side. I briefly caught sight of Matt reversing out of the carpark, Ellie waving from inside the car. I gave my own quick wave before climbing in.

"Let's go home," I sighed, wondering if Mrs Cortez and her team had finished cleaning yet. If they hadn't, then I would offer to help out. Because I knew for a fact that I wouldn't be able to get to sleep anytime soon.

I looked out of the window while my sister reversed out of the parking space. But we didn't get very far. The car hit something, a loud thud catching both of our attention. Elena immediately hit the brakes, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What?" she gasped, unlocking her seat belt. I quickly did the same, getting out the car before my sister. I walked around to look at the bumper, aware that my twin was doing the same. But there was nothing there. No damage to the car. Nothing on the ground. So what did we hit?

As my instincts screamed at me that something was wrong. I approached Elena, pushing her against the car, keeping myself in front of her. I scanned the area, seeing nothing but darkness. But the feeling didn't leave. It only grew.

I was proven right when I felt myself being pushed to the ground. I hit it with an oof, the sleeves of my coat protecting my palms from scrapping against the ground. I heard a familiar voice behind me and gasped, turning around so that I was on my back.

"Drive much?" Rebekah snarled, glaring down at my sister. She was no longer in her homecoming dress, which meant that she had been undaggered for a while. The sharpness of her ponytail only emphasised the anger etched into her face. My sister gasped out her name before the Original pushed her into the car, pushing on her shoulders. "Surprised? You drove a dagger through my back, Elena. It hurt."

"Rebekah, don't," I begged, pushing myself to my feet. "She's sorry for what she did. She just panicked."

"No, Alexa," the blonde snapped, shoving me back again when I tried to intervene. "She knew exactly what she was doing."

Rebekah's face changed as she looked at me. It took me a second to realise what she was going to do, and it was my sister's screams that jolted me into action. Rebekah's face was against her neck, trying to rip her throat out. But before I could stop her, an unlikely hero appeared.

Elijah ripped his sister away from mine. I grabbed Elena's arm, tugging her over to me and pushing her behind me. I didn't quite trust that the Original's ahead of us would let us go. But I was going to protect my sister either way.

The older Original held his sister against the car by her throat, a stern look on his face. Despite my misgivings, I was relieved to see Elijah. He scared me shitless most of the time, but he had a calming presence. And he had always been quite insistent on keeping Elena alive, even giving her some ancient witch brew to do so.

"Elijah," Rebekah snarled, looking unimpressed that her older brother had spoilt her fun. On the other hand, I was very impressed that he had done so. Elijah had clearly been clever enough to know that his sister would go after mine.

"Leave," he ordered, releasing his grip. In a move that I didn't expect, Rebekah stepped forward, a challenging look on her face as she narrowed her eyes. But Elijah didn't look phased by it. In fact. He seemed amused by it.

"Are you challenging me?" he raised an eyebrow, in a way that only older siblings could.

Rebekah scoffed, shaking her head, "You're pathetic. Both of you. See you later, Alexa."

She disappeared from view and we both looked over at Elijah. He was looking back at us, a charming smile on his face.

"Elijah, still swooping in to save the day, I see," I nodded at him, still slightly shocked at seeing both of the Originals again.

"Naturally," he inclined his head at me. "I do believe that we have a little catching up to do."

Well, that was one way of putting it.

XXX

Damon was waiting for us when we got home. I had texted him after we said goodbye to Elijah. The moment I saw him, I just stepped forward into his arms. Now that he was here, I felt all of the tension in my body melting away. He would make everything okay. He would look after everything. I didn't have to anymore.

Seeing that I was now in safe hands, Elena bid us goodnight. I was slight wary about letting her out of my sight, but I knew that Damon would let me know if she was in danger. So I just let my head rest against his chest, breathing in his comforting smell.

"How are you doing?" he asked, keeping his voice soft as he ran a hand through my hair.

I grumbled against his chest, "Like crap. Today has officially sucked."

Damon hummed, moving to scoop up my knees. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me up the stairs and into my bedroom. I pushed the door closed behind me as he laid me down on my bed. I quickly kicked off my shoes as he removed his jacket and shoes.

It didn't take long for him to gather me in his arms again and I sighed. I needed this. To just be held by my boyfriend. It was comforting and relaxing, and I didn't have to worry about being strong. I squeezed my eyes shut as I gripped onto his jumper. Damon let me, knowing how much his hugs made me feel better. He just adjusted himself against my headboard, running his hand up and down my back.

We didn't need to talk, and I kind of didn't want to. I just wanted to forget what had happened today, and just relax. I didn't know how the dinner party had gone, but it felt as though Damon wanted to do the same. So we just laid there.

Eventually, I muttered, "Don't let me fall asleep in my bra. I always regret it in the morning."

Damon chuckled, the sound vibrating against my chest, "You may want to get changed now then, because you will fall asleep soon."

I grumbled and reluctantly pushed myself away from my vampire's chest. I immediately missed his warmth. Which was ridiculous, because he was still right there. I rolled my eyes at myself as I pulled my jumper off, throwing it to the side. But as I caught sight of the window seat, I paused in unhooking my bra. I was reminded of my worries from the morning. And I knew that I had to tell someone, before it ate me up inside.

Sighing, I finished off getting into my pjs, before sitting in front of Damon. He had been watching me with sharp eyes. I knew that he had noticed me pausing before, and was waiting for me to bring up why. If I didn't, then he would have no issues with asking. I did admire that about him, he didn't put up with my bullshit, just I didn't put up with his.

I glanced down at my hand, twirling my magic ring around my finger until Damon's hands covered mine. I sighed and looked up. I didn't quite know how to start saying what I wanted to. It all felt like a mess in my head, and putting that into coherent words didn't feel easy. Like at all.

I sighed again and shook my head, "I don't know how to say this. To be honest, I don't really understand what's happening. But it's been in my head all day and I can't stop thinking about it. And I don't want to worry anyone but I can't keep this to myself."

A gentle finger rested against my lips, hushing me. I looked into Damon's eyes as he said, "Alexa, breathe. Just tell what it is. Let me help you."

"I keep losing time," I whispered as his hand moved to cup my cheek. "It's been happening for a couple of weeks. It's little things. Like I don't remember getting somewhere or I wake up fully clothed. At first, I thought I was just forgetting things. But… its really starting to scare me now. This morning, I woke up fully clothed with my shoes on, like I had been out somewhere. And then I learnt that Brian Walters was killed with a stake with my fingerprints on it. And Bill Forbes was attacked. And I'm just so scared that I'm the one who did it."

Damon's gaze was soft as he pulled me into his arms. I settled on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. My head rested against his cheek as he ran a soothing hand down my back. I hadn't realised just how much it had scared me until I said it. But now that I was thinking about it, I couldn't stop.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" my vampire sighed into my hair as he adjusted his grip on me. My arms had moved to his waist and my head was tucked under his chin.

"I didn't want to worry anyone," I mumbled, closing my eyes. I knew that it was a stupid reason, but with everything that had been happening, it felt like something so small. "And talking about it… it would make it feel real."

"I still wish you would have told me," Damon shook his head and I winced guiltily. "But I'll keep an eye on you. Let me know if you experience any more blackouts."

"I will," I nodded as my vampire laid back against my bed. He tugged the blanket to the side, before adjusting me against his chest, between his legs. I snuggled down into him as he pulled the blanket over me. I knew that it meant that he would be spending the night here, and I was so relieved. After what happened, the thought of sleeping in an empty bed just freaked me out. I needed Damon's strength to get through the night.

XXX

The next morning, Stefan was summoned to the house for Elena to explain to the brothers what Elijah had told her. I was content to let her speak as I was sat on Damon's lap at the coffee table, sipping my mug of coffee. Telling Damon about my blackouts had eased my mind slightly, but the fact that they were happening still worried me. And until I found out why, they would continue to.

"It was their mother, Esther, who was sealed in that coffin," Elena was explaining, while Stefan lurked by the island. He kept his eyes on my sister, even as I relaxed in his brother's arms. Ric and Jenna were to stay in hospital for a bit longer. It was probably a good thing, considering we had more Original's to deal with now.

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan frowned, resting his elbows on the island.

"What?" Damon scoffed, carefully shaking his head. I just sipped at my coffee, having heard this from Elijah last night. If I was being honest, I hadn't fully processed it. But it was the latest in a long line of shitty things that I had heard. "How is she even alive? Thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped out her heart a thousand years ago."

"I don't know," Ellie sighed, shaking her head. "I'm guessing that she has a couple of connections in the witching community. Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus."

Not that was the part that I really didn't believe. It just felt like complete bullshit to me. No one was that forgiving. Especially if she had been on the Other Side for so long, watching all the bullshit that her son had caused.

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus," the younger vampire groused and I placed my empty coffee mug to the side.

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes, before wondering if it was worth leaving Damon's arms to get another mug. Part of my grumpiness was connected to the disjointed sleep that I got last night. just when I settled, I felt myself wake up again. Discussing that our secret weapon had abandoned us to make peace with her douchey son just added to that grumpiness.

Damon ran his fingers through my hair as Elena shrugged, "Well, not anymore… at least, not according to Elijah."

Stefan pushed away from the island with a frustrated groan, pacing back and forth across the kitchen, "That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds."

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" my vampire frowned from above me. I grabbed his free hand, entwining my fingers with his.

"I know that I am," I agreed, scrunching up my nose. Witches were so fickle. I was glad that Bonnie wasn't like that. She was quite content to tell you what she was up to, or she would tell you that it was none of your busy. She didn't play games like other witches did.

"Look, Elijah promised us that his family wouldn't hurt any of us," my sister sighed, resting a hand on her hip. "And I believe him."

"I mean, considering Rebekah tried to rip your throat out last night, you probably shouldn't," I pointed out, getting a dirty look in return. Elena had been quite cold towards me this morning. Now that the emotional finale of last night was over with, she was back to being grumpy with me over my choice to turn. I didn't care. Because I was grumpy with her in return. Rebekah only attacked her because she fucked up by stabbing her in the back.

The doorbell ringing saved me from being scolded by my sister. I wasn't too upset about that. I really didn't feel like having an argument so early in the morning. I watched as she approached the front door and opened it. There was no one outside, but I saw my sister bend down to pick something up. I was content to wait for her to come back to the kitchen, but the vampires had other ideas.

Damon stood up, ignoring my grumbling, and urged me to follow his brother into the hallway. After glancing around one more time, Elena closed the front door, turning around to face us. In her hands were two envelopes, our names written in ornate, cursive writing. It looked incredibly fancy and expensive. And I couldn't help but wonder who had sent these to us.

Elena passed me the one with my name and I wrinkled my nose at the sight of 'Alexandria Gilbert' being written in that lovely writing. Whoever sent this wasn't someone who knew me personally, otherwise they would have just called me Alexa. The paper felt heavy in my hand and I knew for a fact that it was definitely expensive.

"What is that?" Damon frowned as he stood at my shoulder. He watched me with careful eyes as I opened the envelope, revealing a card inside. It was an invitation. To a ball. That was some kind of fairy-tale type shit.

"It's an invitation," Elena murmured before raising her voice. "'Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration.'"

I read the words on my invitation while my sister read them out loud. This definitely felt like one of the weirder things that had happened.

"Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?" Stefan frowned, looking down at Ellie's invitation."

"It's the Original Family," I replied, exchanging a look with Damon. He had a grumpy look on his face as he looked down at the paper in my hand.

"It's not bad enough that they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?" he groused, and I had to sympathise. I had hoped that all of them would fuck off now that they were reunited. But nope, they had moved into the eyesore that Klaus had decorated on the edge of town.

Ellie turned her invitation over and frowned slightly, "Wait, there's a note on the back. 'Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet, Esther'."

While she glanced up with wide eyes at Stefan, I turned my over.

It was blank.

XXX

Damon seemed to be relieved that I didn't get a message on the back of my invitation. It was kind of cute really. I wasn't being targeted by the Original Bitch which meant that we only had to be worried about my sister. Of course, I wasn't just worried about my sister. I was annoyed at her too. She was apparently in the mood to be taking stupid risks, as was proven by her words.

"If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why," my idiot twin shrugged as she avoided my narrowed eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing, and I was not pleased. Clearly, my boyfriend agreed as he backed me up.

"Well, that's a dumb idea," Damon rolled his eyes as we followed her into the living room. "She's already tried to kill you once."

"No, Elena is right," Stefan nodded and I shot him a dirty look. He just rolled his eyes and kept on speaking. "Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there is more to this than just some family reunion."

"I don't care if there is more to this," I scoffed, crossing my arms as I reminded myself that stabbing Stefan was not a good idea. "Elena isn't going anywhere near that witch."

"Can we go back in time to when the old Stefan cared if Elena lived or died?" my vampire shook his head, resting his hands on my hips. At his touch, I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. I knew how stubborn Elena could be. If I pushed too much, then she would dig her heels in. But it was so hard. I had been mad at her for a while, even if I refused to admit it. This just felt like the final straw.

"What for?" Stefan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "It's your job now. You help Alexa do that."

"Stefan has a point," Elena sighed, looking at me with imploring eyes. "I should find out what she wants."

"Uh, no you shouldn't," I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "How will you protect yourself if things go south? You can't."

"Okay, fine, then I'll go," Stefan rolled his eyes and I was just really glad that I had Damon holding me. Otherwise I probably would have done something stupid.

"You've pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime," my vampire rolled his eyes at his brother, clearly as annoyed with his sibling as I was with mine. "I'll go."

Elena made the mistake of stepping closer to me, clearly trying to persuade me to let her go to the stupid ball. I used the opportunity to snatch the invitation from her hand. Although I did make sure that I was careful, so as to not give her any papercuts.

"Hey!" my sister protested, frowning deeply. She clearly didn't approve of what I just did. And I didn't care. I had nearly broken myself keeping her stupid ass safe when the sacrifice was looming. Just because I had built myself up again, did not mean that she was able to start making stupid risks again.

"Nope," I shook my head as I passed the invitation back to Damon. "I am not going to let you do something stupid, Elena. Not this time."

"Maybe you're just annoyed that you didn't get invited to come with me," Elena snapped, crossing her arms. "It would be different if you could come with me."

"Oh do fuck off," I scoffed, trying not to let my anger show. She was seriously accusing me of that? Even if I was invited to go speak to Mommy Original, I wouldn't let Elena go. She should know me well enough to know that I wouldn't let her walk into the lion's den. "That's a low blow, Elena, and I'm honestly disappointed that you would think that."

"Then why won't you let me go? I thought you wanted Klaus dead more than anyone," Ellie raised an eyebrow and I shook my head. "In order to complete your deal with Katherine."

I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath, in order to not snap at my idiot twin. She knew that I wasn't proud of making that deal with Katherine. And she had been kind enough to not mention it since everyone found out. But here she was, throwing it in my face.

"For one thing, Katherine is long gone, she doesn't give a flying fuck if I completely my end of the deal," I hissed, not sounding as calm as I would have liked. Well, I didn't sound calm at all, actually. "So fuck you for bringing that up. And b, I don't give a shit that I wasn't given a special little message. She probably doesn't want to see me cos she knows that I'll mess her up for trying to kill you. Klaus dying isn't worth you getting hurt. You're not going, Elena, just accept it."

Elena narrowed her eyes at me. But before she could say anything, Damon gently tugged me away. I couldn't see what expression he had on his face, but it was enough to shut my sister up. She sniffed and turned to flounce into the kitchen, her hair swinging behind her.

Stefan rolled his eyes and followed her. He better not be encouraging her. Otherwise I would not be happy. Just because he was determined to kill Klaus above all else, did not mean that he could put my twin in harm's way. Especially since he still loved her. It was easy to see. Well, easy for everyone who wasn't Elena. She was still blind to the younger Salvatore's emerging feelings.

I shook my head at her as my boyfriend gently pushed me towards the stairs. It was probably a good thing that we got some space, since things were getting pretty heated. It was just annoying that she was willing to take such stupid risks. We had proven that her risking her life wasn't good for anyone. And here she goes again.

XXX

"Feel better?" Damon asked as he closed my bedroom door behind us. I shook my head, throwing my invitation to the side. It landed on the floor by my mirror, and I didn't care enough to pick it up.

"She's just so stubborn," I moaned, throwing myself down on my bed. I covered my eyes with an arm, the other resting above my head. "It's so annoying. I swear, she never used to be this bad."

"Gee, I wonder what that's like," my vampire rolled his eyes and I lifted my arm long enough to give him a dirty look. "Don't worry about Elena, I'll make sure that she doesn't go."

"Good luck with that," I scoffed as I felt Damon settle down next to me on the bed. "With the mood she's in, that annoying little shit is going to sneak into the ball to meet fucking Esther. Even if she does it only to piss me off."

Damon hummed in agreement, "As long as you don't go with her."

I frowned and moved my arm, resting it above my head with the other, "You don't want me to go?"

"I don't want you to go," my vampire repeated, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me. "It's not safe for you either, Alexa."

"You do know that if Elena goes, then I'm going to," I pointed out, unable to lie to him about that. I hated keeping things from my boyfriend. Honesty was important to me. I hated keeping things from anyone, which is probably one of the reasons why people try to keep things from me. But especially Damon. He trusted me with things that he never told anyone. So it was only fair that I did the same.

Damon rolled his eyes, tapping my nose, "Oh, I know. Which is why I'm going to try to stop Elena from going."

"Well, good luck," I repeated my words from earlier. "I'll do what I can to stop her from going too. But I'm not expecting any miracles."

"You really think that she won't be stopped?" my vampire frowned, allowing me to push him onto his back. I moved so that my head was resting on his chest. His arms automatically came up to hold me closer to him, one resting on my hip, the other on the thigh that rested between his.

"She wants Klaus dead. Not just because of what he has done, or the fact that he wants to use her blood to make his minion army. It's because when Klaus dies, then she'll get Stefan back," I sighed, fiddling with the buttons on Damon's shirt. "Stefan's only thought is about killing Klaus. If Ellie wants him back, then she needs to get that done. And I happen to know that, deep down, she does want him back."

Damon was silent for a moment before he asked, "Think Jenna will kill me if I lock your sister in the basement cell until the ball is over?"

I couldn't stop myself from snorting in laughter, "I dunno. She might just help you do that. I suspect that Elena will neglect to let our aunt know about Esther's little message."

"Do you think you'll tell her?"

"Nah, not yet. If she didn't have a concussion, then I might do. But I don't want to put her through any more pain until she is fully healed."

"How are they? Her and Ric?"

"Grumpy at being stuck in hospital," I snorted as Damon's fingers snuck under my jumper. "But after what happened, I won't let them come home until the doctors are ready. Especially since Ric's death count has now equalled mine, which is an uber weird sentence to be saying. But I can't take any risks that their attacker comes back for them. At least in the hospital, they are safer cos Sheriff Forbes has deputies keeping an eye on them."

My vampire nodded, ducking his head down to kiss the top of my head, "You don't have to feel guilty for what happened."

"Logically, I know that," I shrugged. "But its hard. I should have been there to protect them. I knew that there was a killer attacking council members, and I left them alone."

"It's not your job to protect everyone, Ally," Damon sighed into my hair. "You aren't responsible for everything that happens."

"It just feels like my fault. If I had told someone about my blackouts sooner, then maybe they wouldn't have been so focussed on Meredith. Maybe they would have been more alert for attackers."

"Alexa, you weren't the one who attacked them," Damon cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his stern eyes. "Do you remember everything from last night?"

"Yeah," I muttered, unable to look away.

"Then it wasn't you. Your blackouts might not even be related to these attacks."

"It just feels too coincidental."

"You aren't going to listen to reason to this, are you?" Damon rolled his eyes, releasing my chin to gently stroke my cheek.

"Probably not right now," I winced. "Sorry."

"Then I'll just have to persuade you," he murmured against my lips, before slowly kissing them. I reached up to tangle my fingers in his hair, as he shifted me so that I was laying on him. I let all other thoughts fade from my mind as I focused on Damon's lips against mine, the feel of his hands against my skin, the feel of his body against mine.

His hands came up to squeeze my ass before pushing my top up. Even as I lifted my body up so that he could pull my top off, leaving me only in my bra, I whispered, "Stefan is still here. He'll hear."

"He's gone," Damon shook his head, as he rolled over, so that I was on my back. He loomed over me, an intense look on his eyes as he gently ran his finger over my lips. I opened them slightly, allowing his finger to dip inside. I sucked gently on the tip of his finger as I stared up at him with wide eyes. My boyfriend groaned lightly, his head ducking down to rest against my neck, "You drive me insane."

"You do the same to me," I shot back, my breath hitching as Damon sucked on the sensitive part of my neck. I felt his smirk against my skin as his fingers hooked into the waistband of my leggings, slowly easing them down.

"Hmm, I can tell," I could feel my cheeks flush at his words, as he slowly moved down my body, kissing as he went. I let out a small gasp as he pressed an open-mouthed kiss to my boob, his breath warming the lacy fabric of my bra, before moving down. He tugged my leggings all the way off, my panties quickly following.

Damon paused then, his breath lightly caressing my wet core, as I throbbed. I knew what he was waiting for. And I hated myself as I knew that I would give in. Especially with the way that he was kissing my thighs. He held them down with his strong hands while he kissed them, sucking and nibbling. Leaving me breathless. And every now and then, as he moved from thigh to thigh, I felt his breath against my core.

I lasted longer than I thought I would. But it eventually became too much. And I couldn't stop myself from begging, whimpering his name as I throbbed in time with my heartbeat, desperately seeking more. I felt Damon smirk against my thigh as he gave me what I wanted.

He dove in like a man possessed, his tongue doing all of the work. If he wasn't holding my hips down, then I would have thrusted up against him. His tongue, his fingers, his lips. They were driving me crazy. The way that he curled his fingers just right, rubbing against that spot that made me clench around him. His skilful tongue, moving in ways that just drove me insane.

It didn't take him long to reduce me to a writhing mess, my fingers digging into his hair, begging him for more. And more he gave. His thumb replaced his tongue, and I felt his lips against my thigh, followed by his fangs. I knew what he was offering. And I wasn't going to say no. It was weirdly addictive. Especially with the way that he made it feel so good.

I came with a groan at the feel of his fangs sinking into my thigh, my eyes rolling back. I could feel my body trembling as I eased my fingers out of Damon's hair. His happily lapped up the blood that he had missed before looking up at me. His messed-up hair, his red lips, the satisfied smirk on his face as I looked down at him, resting between my legs.

"Feel better now?" he asked, sucking on my fingers and I rolled my eyes, my chest still heaving as my body calmed down.

"You little fucker."

"Hmm, I'm sure I can do more to live up to that name," Damon purred, moving forward, covering my body with his.

XXX

After a hot shower, I went to go meet Caroline at the Grill. She had texted me after she had also received an invitation, asking for a pow wow. I knew that she was using this an opportunity to avoid dealing with her dad's death. But I would be kind, and let her avoid her feelings. It was something that I was a pro at. And it would be kinda hypocritical of me to force her to do something that I didn't.

Of course, the little fiend had failed to tell me that Elena was also joining this pow wow. We had managed to successfully avoid each other while getting ready. And while I said goodbye to Damon. I didn't know what my sister had been up to, but I knew that she would be plotting something that I would not approve of.

I had said this much to Caroline while Elena went to order us some drinks from the bar. We were being a bit unfair in using the blonde to communicate with each other. But we were never rational when it came to each other's safety. And this had been building for a while, especially on my end. So I just sat at the table, my arms crossed, a grumpy look on my face as I watched my sister at the bar.

"It's so weird, seeing you two fight like this," Caroline mused, glancing between us. I knew what she meant. It was rare that we fought, and when we did, it was usually over quickly. And we didn't make it public like we were doing now.

"She started it with her stupidness," I groused, rolling my eyes. I shifted slightly in my seat, feeling the fabric of my jeans rub against the bite mark on my thigh. Damon had more than lived up to the loving insult that I had shot at him, and it wasn't the only bite mark that I was hiding.

Something in my movements must have caught Caroline's attention as a gleam entered her eyes. She leant forward, making sure to keep an eye out of my sister, "Alexa, I recognise that little shuffle. Are you hiding something from me?"

I crossed my arms and glanced away, "Care, I'm not discussing my sex life with you." At the victorious look in the blonde's eyes, I groaned and rolled my eyes, "Shit. I did not mean to say that."

"You are hiding something," she sounded far too delighted for my liking. "Go on, tell me all about it."

I remained grumpy for all of two seconds before leaning in close and smiling slyly, "Let's just say that I totally understand why you bunked off school in order to keep him in your bed all day."

Caroline giggled in delight and I felt accomplished. Even if we were discussing my private life, I was happy that Care could laugh. I remembered what it was like after my parents died, adopted and birth. Laughing was hard. And I refused to let Caroline wallow in her grief. It wasn't healthy. And I was determined to help my friend in any way that I could.

"He's good, isn't?" the blonde winked and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"He definitely is," I agreed, watching as my sister turned away from the bar, drinks in hand. "He has definitely put his years on this planet to good use."

Caroline grinned at me before turning to face my sister as she reached the table. I grudgingly accepted my soda from her, before resting my elbows on the table, one of them supporting my chin. I could tell that Elena was just as mad at me, as I was at her, from the way that she avoided looking in my direction.

Caroline just rolled her eyes at us before nudging my sister as she sat down, "So what's going on with you and Stefan?"

"I don't know," Elena sighed, looking down into her drink. "He's starting to care and feel again. But it's like he doesn't want to admit it. And it's just so hard, being around him."

"You just need to confront him about it," the blonde urged gently, glancing over at me. "Stefan will try and hide from this until you force him to talk about it. After what he did, he's probably scared to talk about your relationship."

"You're probably right," my sister shrugged helplessly, looking around the Grill. "You always are."

Care nodded sharply, acknowledging the point, before asking, "Has he asked you to go with him tonight?"

"Not yet, and since neither of them are particularly keen on us going, I doubt that he will," Ellie rolled her eyes at the proctiveness of the brothers. On some level, I could understand why she was frustration. But the idiot didn't always think about her own safety when carrying out her plans. And that was why we had to get involved. "Especially since I told them that I wasn't going."

Which was a total lie.

"Why not?" Care frowned, glancing over at me when I snorted.

"Cos the Original Bitch has requested my sister's company while everyone else is distracted," I ignored the dirty look that Elena shot me. I didn't know if she would tell Care about it. So I took that choice out of her hands.

"She wants to what?" Caroline raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at my twin.

"It's just all so weird," my dumb sister shook her head. "The Originals are throwing a ball. Like an actual ball."

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is," Care rolled her eyes, not allowing my sister to dodge the question. "And why does the Evil Witch want an audience with you?"

"I have no idea," my sister shrugged, still not looking in my direction. "There's only one way to find out."

"I thought you told Damon and Stefan that you weren't going," the blonde frowned, glancing over at me when I made an annoyed noise.

"She was lying to them. Little Miss Doppelganger was always going to go, she just didn't want anyone who would stop her from doing stupidness to know," I muttered bitterly, poking at an ice cube with my finger, wrinkling my nose as it bobbed back up.

"I did," Elena gave me another dirty look before refusing to look in my direction again. "Which is all the more reason why I need a drama free bodyguard."

"Well, I think a Salvatore would look better in a tux," the vampire rolled her eyes, but I could tell that she was keeping an eye on how I would react to her words. "And by that, I obviously mean Stefan."

"Uhh, I can't deal with either of the Salvatores right now," my sister groused, pushing her drink to the side. "Whatever Stefan is feeling, he is channelling it all against Klaus. And Damon… he'll support Alexa, no matter what."

"Are you going, Alexa?" Caroline asked, looking over at me as I narrowed my eyes at my sister's words. I didn't know if she was jealous that I had a boyfriend that would support me. Or if she was just bitter that she had lost her boy. But either way, I didn't appreciate what she had just said.

"Yeah," I nodded, keeping my tone gentle for Caroline. She didn't deserve for me to bite her head off just cos I was mad at my sister. "But only because that idiot is insisting on going. And I can't let her walk into the lion's den by herself."

Elena glared back at me and opened her mouth, but she was interrupted by the other blonde vampire in town.

"Careful, girls," Rebekah sneered down at my sister as she stood by the table. "It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back." She turned to face me, a small smile forming on her face, "Hi Alexa."

"Hey Rebekah," I sighed, giving her a nod. "It's good to see you again."

"You too," she smiled, and I had forgotten how adorable she looked when she was happy. "We'll catch up properly later."

I think it was those words that pushed my sister a tad too far, as she snapped, "What are you doing here? I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals."

The Original rolled her eyes, "Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you."

After giving me one final smile, Rebekah walked away from the table. She approached the person that I would least suspect. The look on Matt's face as the blonde passed him an invitation was hilarious. You could tell that he wasn't expecting it at all. But I was glad that he was getting an invite. He didn't deserve to miss out on an opportunity like this. Even if it was a group of murderous, ancient vampires that were hosting the event.

"Oh my god," Caroline narrowed her beautiful blue eyes at the pair, while I internally cooed over the shy look on Rebekah's face. "She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him?"

"Probably to get this reaction from us," Elena rolled her eyes and I shook my head at the pair.

"She was going to go to Homecoming with him," I pointed out, ignoring my sister's guilty wince. "So she clearly likes him. Besides, I think he would be good for her."

Care just scoffed, slumping back in her chair and crossing her arms, "What time is this stupid dance?"

XXX

In an attempt to distract both of us, Caroline took me dress shopping. Elena had been invited along, but she said that she had other plans. I didn't know what those plans were, or who they were with, but I just knew that I wouldn't like them. But since she didn't want help picking her dress, there was nothing that Caroline could say to persuade her to come along.

On a more selfish level, I was glad that my sister wasn't accompanying us. I needed time away from her. I hated being mad at her, I really did. But she was making reckless decisions. Again. It was like the sacrifice all over again. But this time, she was even more stubborn about it. I was just glad that I was stronger this time. I could be properly mad at her for her stupidness.

Care drove us to a store in the fancier part of Mystic Falls. It wasn't one that I went to often, only when I had Caroline with me. But since this was a fancy ball, she thought that we would enjoy the occasion. I humoured her. After all, I would be getting some expert advice on what dress to wear.

I let Caroline pick her dress first. She had compelled the lovely ladies that work there to provide us with champagne while we tried on different dresses. I slumped down on the fancy sofa while the blonde went through every dress on the rack. The way that Caroline chose her dresses was hilarious. She would go through every rack, putting together a sample of different designs and colours before trying them on. It was probably a good thing that we had near enough all day. Because this would take a while.

Once she had put together her selection, the blonde started trying them on. I gave my view on each one as I sipped champagne. There wasn't many that I liked. A pink one caught my eye, with swirls of different colours mixed in with it, but Caroline didn't feel as though it fit the ball theme. I shrugged and let her carry on. In the end, it was between a deep purple, halter-neck dress, and a pale blue one. The blue one had a decorative corset design, with sparkling diamantes set in silver, that did a lot to emphasise the cleavage. The moment I saw Caroline wearing it, I knew that it was the one for her. Of course, even as I told her that, she still took time to decide. I wasn't offended, I just knew how her mind worked.

Caroline looked in the mirror, her hands smoothing down the skirt of the dress, as the diamantes glinting in the light, and smiled, "This is the right choice, isn't it?"

"Care," I gave her look as I grabbed the bottle to refill my champagne flute. "It is the perfect dress for you. And if you don't get it, then I'll have to be convinced that Rebekah had compelled you not to be prettier than her tonight."

The blonde rolled her eyes at me, but I could see the pleased look in her eyes, "You're so dramatic, Alexa."

I just shrugged, "I'm only telling the truth, Care."

She smiled softly at me before nodding decisively, "I'll take this one."

Of course, I had forgotten that once she had chosen a dress for herself, that I would be next. So while she got out of the dress and got it boxed up, I just sat there happily, sipping my champagne. It wasn't until she was stood in front of me, her hands on her hips, that I realised what I was in for.

"This isn't going to be fun, is it?" I sighed, glancing sadly at the empty bottle next to me. Don't worry, I hadn't drunk all of it. But I didn't know if Caroline would let me get a new bottle.

"Alexa, you're so dramatic," the blonde rolled her eyes at me and grabbed my wrist. I debated going limp, but I knew that Caroline found still find a way to drag me over to the dresses, especially with her super strength.

So I just groaned loudly and let her pull me up from the sofa. She nodded her approval before dragging me over to the dress racks. Caroline kindly let me keep my champagne as she held dresses up against me, deciding if they would work. I was content to let her do her thing; I knew that I would get a choice in the end. But Care would find me suitable options to choose from. It was why I always went shopping with her when we had something important coming up. My girl had good taste.

Once she had evaluated what work for me, Caroline paused, her hand resting on one of the dresses, "I know that I normally give you a choice, but… I know that this one will look amazing on you. And that Damon won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

I was suitably intrigued, "I trust your judgement, Care. Let me go try it on."

I passed her my champagne flute and she passed me the dress. It was a deep burgundy, with a sweetheart neckline and no sleeves. I was definitely intrigued. I slipped the dress on, with the lady helping to zip me up. Once I had properly adjusted, I turned to look in the mirror.

Caroline was officially a genius.

The dress fit me like a glove, and not gonna lie, it made my cleavage look amazing. Care was not joking when she said that Damon wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of me. There wasn't any additional decoration to the dress, but its simplicity worked well. Plus, I could be freer with my accessories.

"Well?" my friend asked from behind the curtain. "What do you think?"

I rolled my eyes at her impatience and stepped out. Caroline was watching me with worried eyes, but her face relaxed into a smile as I did a little twirl.

"Amazing choice, Care," I smiled, admiring the feel of the soft fabric. "I love it."

"I am good," the blonde winked, sounding completely and utterly smug.

I just laughed.

XXX

On my way home, I picked up Jenna and Ric from the hospital. I wasn't too pleased about them discharging themselves, but I knew that they wouldn't stay in the hospital for any longer. So I did the sensible thing and made sure that they got home okay.

Of course, on my way, I told them all about the Mikaelson ball and Elena's desire to meet the Original Witch. Did I feel guilty for throwing her under the bus? Nope, I did not. I knew that she was more likely to listen to one of the adults than she was to me. So I took advantage of that fact.

Once I had gotten them home, Jenna had expressed her displeasure over Elena's plan. It probably didn't help that she wouldn't be able to attend, as she was on bed rest. And Ric would make sure to enforce it. I knew that after the attack, he was not going to leave her alone in the house any time soon. I was totally onboard with that plan.

When I took my dress up to my room, safely boxed up still, I was ambushed by my irate twin sister. She followed me into my room, from where she had been lurking by her doorway. There was an intense frown on her face, but I just rolled my eyes at it. I didn't fear her displeasure like I used to.

"I can't believe you told Jenna on me," she narrowed her eyes at me as I flopped down on the bed. My dress box was safely on the window seat, where no one could damage it. I rolled my eyes and propped myself up on my elbows.

"I can't believe that you were going to sneak off to the ball without telling anyone," I retorted, raising an eyebrow. My sister deepened her frown, leaning against my door.

"I have to Alexa. Esther can help us take down Klaus. I need to go there to talk to her."

"Well, I don't want you to go," I had to remind myself to take deep breaths, and not snap at my idiot twin. "It's not safe for you. And I refuse to let you put yourself in danger."

"It's my choice, Alexa," Elena snapped and I decided to hell with it, I'll snap too. "I want to do this."

"And I don't want you to do it," I pushed myself up so that I was sitting on the edge of my bed. I held my shaking hands together, hiding them between my thighs. I hated fighting with my sister. But I couldn't let her get hurt. We had been through so much, I wasn't going to let a bitch witch, who had a track record for hurting my sister, get anywhere near her.

"I have to," Elena pushed away from the door, pacing back and forth. "We can finally get rid of Klaus."

"Getting rid of Klaus is not worth your life," I shifted so that I was crossing my arms, making sure to be careful of my newly manicured nails.

"It is to me," my idiot sibling shook her head and I had to take a deep breath. Knocking her out was not a good idea. It felt like one. But I knew that I would regret it at some point. And I would get in trouble with Jenna.

"It isn't to anyone else!" I cleared my throat after my loud words. "Look. If you really must go to the ball, then you are not going to leave my side. At all. For every second, you are going to either be right next to me, or where I can see you."

"That's not realistic, Alexa," Elena protested and I raised an eyebrow. Did she really think that I cared about what was realistic? I was so far beyond that.

"Then you aren't going," I got off the bed and approached my twin, grabbing her arm to spin her around, halting her pacing. "If you don't agree to my terms, then I will get Bonnie to spell you inside again. Or I'll get one of the Salvatore's to compel you to stay inside, since you love playing the compulsion game to 'protect the family'."

Elena winced at my words and I felt guilty. But I would play whatever card I could to get her to agree to what I needed her to do. I didn't even want her to attend. But I knew that she would go anyway. At least this way, I could keep an eye on her. And protect her.

"Fine," my sister rolled her eyes. "I won't leave your side and I'll stay where I can see you. I promise." She sighed and shook her head, "But what if Esther wants to see me alone?"

I scoffed, "Then Esther can go fuck herself. She does not get to dictate the terms of the meeting. And I will tell her that to her face."

My sister studied my face carefully, "When did you get so brave? You never used to be outspoken like this."

I rolled my eyes and prodded her cheek, "When I realised that your stupidity wasn't limited to stupid sacrifices. I spent my summer learning that I didn't need to be afraid all the time. And I'm embracing that."

"Damon's been good for you," Ellie said quietly, watching me with a considering gaze.

"It's nice knowing that someone has my back no matter what," I shrugged, clearly my throat and stepping back. "Especially when it comes to dealing with idiot sisters."

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Elena rolled her eyes, walking past me towards my bedroom door.

"When you stop doing idiotic things," I scoffed, shaking my head and approaching my mirror. "Which is not going to be anytime soon."

Ellie huffed and left the room while I ran my fingers through my hair. I hated talking to her like that, but sometimes she needed the tough love approach. Before, I could rely on Stefan taming her more impulsive and reckless actions, but now the little shit just encouraged them. So if I had to be the bad guy by telling her to calm the fuck down, then I would.

I would do anything to keep my sister alive, even if she hated me for it.

XXX

Damon's POV

Klaus' mansion looked a lot more impressive tonight then it did before. Despite having very little time, it was well decorated. Lights were draped along the hedges and bushes outside, as well as the ornate banister. It was still as ostentatious as its owner, but it certainly fit the atmosphere.

The main hall was filled with the inhabitants of Mystic Falls. All of them gossiping and drinking and just being nosey. It was nice to know that some things never changed. In the enclave under the stairs, a live band sat, playing classical music to entertain the guests. Waiters wandered around with trays of champagne flutes, looking suitably bland. It was everything that I expected from the family.

I appropriated a couple of glasses of champagne, before approaching Carol Lockwood. She was dressed in gold, looking very elegant. I had expected her to come and had watched as she greeted Elijah and one of the other brothers. Fortunately, Klaus had stayed out of view for the time being.

"Hello Carol," I passed her one of the glasses, a small smirk on my face. She shook her head but accepted the glass with a smile.

"Hello," she returned, clinking her glass with mine. She took an elegant sip, before glancing back around the room. Carol had always been obsessed with her image, both as the Mayor and the Mayor's wife. It was just amusing to see her doing it now.

"Hanging out with your new besties?" I asked, keeping the bitterness in my voice to a minimum. I knew that she had to protect her son, as well as do what was best for the town. But it was annoying to see one of my friends play nice with someone that I had tried to kill several times.

"I'm the Mayor, Damon," Carol sighed, glancing over at me. "When the oldest, deadliest family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome then with a smile."

I leaned in close to snort in her ear, "Mm, well, at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from."

"I'm trying to protect this town," the Mayor sighed, showing her frustration and worry for a moment, before her political mask slipped back into place. "They've assured me that they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it."

"Mommy Original must have a lot of power over her children, if she can guarantee that," I mused, glancing around to see if she was around.

"You don't think that she can?" Carol frowned, glancing over at me.

I sighed and shrugged, putting on a comforting smile to ease Carol's mind, "There are just a lot of volatile personalities and if I know siblings, which I do, then those personalities will explode at a moment's notice."

Luckily, before Carol could begin to worry, one of the unknown brothers approached us. It was the one that felt recognisable. And I still didn't know where from. It was infuriating. But if I knew Originals, then I wouldn't get an answer for a while yet.

"Mayor Lockwood," he smirked, a playful look in his eyes as he took Carol's hand, placing a kiss on the knuckles. "We haven't formally met. Kol Mikaelson. I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as plan to embrace it."

In an attempt to get some answers, I held out my hand too. Kol glanced over, his brown eyes meeting mine. He examined my face carefully before grasping my hand.

"Damon Salvatore," I nodded as we let go. "Have we met?"

Kol smirked, and I hated how familiar it felt. I didn't like not knowing things. And this was killing me. I knew this Original brother from somewhere. I just didn't know where. The fact that it could have been compelled out of me had crossed my mind. But I didn't want to pay much attention to that thought yet.

The Original just smirked, giving me a wink before walking away. That was an answer in itself. He did know me. And I knew him. But I didn't have the memories. Before I could ponder the mystery any further, I caught site of a familiar face out of the corner of my eye.

Elena had walked through the door. Her hair was been styled into a wave and pinned to hang over her shoulder. Her dress shimmered in the light, a combination of black and gold, the corset of her dress decorated with black stones. But it wasn't her that caught my attention.

Alexa had walked in behind her sister. She smiled sweetly at the lady that took her black shawl, before turning to face the room. The curls in her hair brushed over her bare shoulders. It was pinned back at the sides, highlighting her high cheekbones. Her dress clung to her body, taking my breath away. It accented her cleavage in a way that made it hard to take my eyes off of it. My girl had taken my breath away, even if I wasn't pleased that she was here.

I barely heard Carol speak, her voice filled with warmth and amusement, "I'll speak to you later, Damon."

I twitched my head in a nod before I approached Alexa. She caught side of me through the crowd, and I enjoyed the admiring look in her eyes. It was the first time that she had seen me in a tux, and I enjoyed the way that her eyes scanned me from top to bottom, like I had done to her.

I saw Stefan and Elena approaching us through the crowd, but I kept my gaze on Alexa. She smiled up at me, a guilty glint in her eyes as she breathed out, "Hi."

I gave into my urge and cupped her face, tilting her head up. I always enjoyed the way that she moved willingly, always eager to kiss me. And I never kept her waiting. I pressed my lips against hers, running my fingers down her bare back, enjoying the way that her heart skipped a beat at my touch.

"Hi," I smirked as I pulled away, Alexa leaning in slightly, trying to catch my lips again. But when she couldn't, my girl settled for taking my hand in hers.

XXX

Alexa's POV

Caroline was definitely right about the dress. When Damon saw me, and I saw him, he looked as though he wanted to devour me. It was definitely good for the ego. I could feel my cheeks flushing at the thought of it. I knew that he wasn't expecting to see me here, and I did feel guilty for not telling him. But seeing that look on his face made it a bit worth it.

Especially since he looked utterly delicious in that tux. It was weird, I knew that tuxes made a guy look twice as hot, but I didn't think it would work on Damon. He was already drop-dead gorgeous as it was. I didn't think anything could add to that. But seeing him in a tux was a panty dropping experience. And I cursed the fact that I had to keep an eye on my sister because it meant that I couldn't enjoy the deliciousness that was Damon Salvatore in a tux.

As Damon came to a stop in front of me, I breathed out, "Hi."

He even smelt amazing. It was so unfair. He had done everything possible to set my hormones on fire. And I couldn't even do anything about it.

But from the way that his eyebrow was slightly raised, I could tell that he was impressed at seeing me. I did feel bad about that. Like uber bad. But I couldn't let my sister come here alone.

Damon sighed, a tolerant look in his eyes, as he cupped my face. I sighed into the kiss, enjoying the feel of his lips against mine. My boyfriend's hand slowly ran down my bare back, my skin tingling at his touch. It hadn't been that long since I saw him, and yet I was seriously tempted to just drag him into an empty room and ravage him.

"Hi," my vampire smirked down at me after he pulled away. I wanted so desperately to kiss him again, but I couldn't. I saw my sister and Stefan approaching and sighed. I knew that I wouldn't devour Damon's lips in front of them. So I settled for taking his hand in mine. My vampire clearly didn't mind, as he entwined his fingers with mine, using his grip to tug me closer.

I rested my head against his arm as Elena glanced between us. While she knew that I would be here, the vampires were a surprise. Of course, I knew that at least one of them would be here. It was too important an event not to.

"What are you doing here?" Elena sighed, glancing between the two vampires. Stefan was in a tux too. And he looked pretty damn handsome. I knew that my sister thought the same, as I saw her glance him up and down. She was lucky that I only saw it because I knew her so well.

"I could ask you the same thing," the younger vampire retorted, raising an eyebrow at my sister. I noticed that he didn't look over at me. I guess it was assumed that I would always come with Elena. I knew that a lot of people said, where there was one, the other wasn't far behind. But I didn't care. I had Elena's back, even if she didn't always want me to.

"Surprise, surprise," Damon rolled his eyes at the pair, eyeing his brother for a moment. "Nice tux." He stared down at Elena, "You're not supposed to be here."

"Well, I am," my stubborn sister just shrugged, sounding as though she didn't particularly care. She had been annoying me all evening. I was almost tempted to let Esther have her. But I knew that I would regret my pettiness. So I just held my tongue and let her be an annoying little shit. "And I'm not leaving until I find out what Esther wants."

"As long as she doesn't want to get you alone, then I can accept that," I nodded, feeling Damon's thumb rub my palm through the satin of my glove. As crazy as it sounded, it actually felt more sensual like that. And I loved and hated the power that he had over my body. Stupid hormones.

Elena rolled her eyes at me, looking less than impressed, before glancing over at Stefan. He nodded once, staring down at my sister with unreadable eyes, before holding out his arm. Ellie smiled softly as she took his arm.

I watched as Stefan escorted my twin further into the room. It was almost as though they were still together. Like the past few months hadn't happened. I wished that they would talk to each other. But they were both too stubborn to discuss their feelings. It would take something big to do so.

I felt Damon slip his hand from mine before he held out his arm. I glanced up into those beautiful eyes of his as he gave me one of those special, soft smiles, that he only gave to me, "Ms Gilbert, would you do me the honour?"

I smiled back, cursing the blush that I could feel on my cheeks, and gently grasped his arm, "Mr Salvatore, it would be my pleasure."

Damon looked pleased as he tucked me close to his body, before he led me into the room. Dotted amongst the crowd, I could see members of the Original family. Rebekah was dressed in green, smiling adoringly at Matt. I couldn't see Klaus, but Elijah cut a fine figure, standing on the bottom step, surveying the room. Throughout it all, I made sure that I could see my sister. She was still with Stefan, although it looked like things were getting uncomfortable. He said goodbye to her by the drinks bar, before disappearing through the crowd.

"So, how did Elena persuade you to let her come tonight?" Damon asked, as he slowly led me in the direction of my sister.

"I made her promise that she would stay by my side, and if that wasn't possible, then she would remain where I could see her," I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my boyfriend's eyes wander down to my cleavage every time he looked over at me. I couldn't blame him. The dress made them look good. But it was equal parts satisfying and hot.

"And you expect her to keep it?" my vampire mused and I sighed.

"If she knows what's good for her, she will," I could see Elena scanning the crowd, probably looking for Esther.

"I'll help you keep an eye on her," Damon promised, pausing to face me. He rested his hands on my hips and stared down at me with serious eyes. "I'm here for you tonight, Ally. Whatever you need, I'm here."

"Thank you," I smiled softly, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

XXX

I stood by my sister at the drinks bar, watching as Damon made his way through the crowd. He had gone to speak to Stefan. The younger vampire was apparently avoiding my sister, in order to avoid the uncomfortable conversation that was bound to happen.

I couldn't blame him, if I was being honest. Discussing feelings was not easy, especially when you had fucked up as much as Stefan had. He was doing his best not to care, to stop the guilt from flooding him. But there was only so long that that would work for.

I was just sipping at my champagne when we were approached by someone new. He was one of the Originals, I knew that much for sure. He looked so much like Elijah, with those high cheekbones and strong jawline. Damon had mentioned that there were two unknown brothers, and I was clearly about to meet one of them.

"Elena and Alexandria Gilbert, I presume?" newbie asked, glancing between us. He had a smooth, baritone voice, and I hated how good looking the entire family seemed to be. "I'm Finn Mikaelson." Finn turned to face only my sister. "You're here to see my mother."

Elena ignored my narrowed eyes as she nodded, "Is she here?"

"Her request did not include your friends," Finn replied instead, keeping the mystery alive. "Nor did it include your sister."

I raised my head, meeting his gaze head on as the Original glanced over at me. Someone was clearly bitter that I had made an appearance, despite not being wanted. Sucked to be him.

"They're protecting me," my sister sighed, resting her hand on mind. I knew that she was telling me to stay quiet. I didn't want to, but I would humour her for now. "You may not know, but your mother's already tried to kill me once."

"If you want to see my mother," Finn said, his voice stern as he looked down at my twin. "You'll need to be alone."

"Fat chance of that happening," I snorted into my drink, drawing the attention of the Original. He didn't look impressed with my interjection and I wondered if he was always this uptight. Or if he was just being grumpy at being mommy's messenger boy.

I was saved from being berated by a school girl by the sound of chiming glass. Everyone looked up to see Elijah standing on the landing halfway up the stairs. He held a glass in his hand and his voice carried across the room clearly, "Uh, if everyone could gather, please."

"Excuse me," Finn nodded at us, before he gracefully made his way through the crowd. I could see the rest of the family doing the same. They gathered behind Elijah, staring down at everyone. Yep, they were one unfairly attractive family.

"Welcome," Elijah greeted the room, as movement at the top of the stairs caught my eye. Someone new was walking down the stairs, scanning the room while Elijah spoke. "Thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance." It had to be Mommy Original. The resemblance to the rest of the family was uncanny. "Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

As her children made their way down the stairs, clearly looking for dance partners. I saw Esther's gaze glance towards my sister before she made her way back upstairs. Clearly someone was too important to hang out with the common humans.

I felt my sister start to move forward and grabbed her arm. She shot me a dirty look as I moved to block the way to the stairs. I knew what my stubborn sister was thinking. That everyone being busy with the dance would be the perfect opportunity for her to sneak off. Which was not gonna happen.

"You better not be doing what I think you're doing," I raised an eyebrow as I felt the Salvatore brothers arrive behind me.

"She wants to see me alone, Alexa," Elena rolled her eyes and huffed. Huh, looked like someone had forgotten about our agreement. Didn't take my stubborn sister long to do the exact opposite of what she said she would.

"Well, sucks to be her then," Damon scoffed from behind me, as he rested his hand on my back. "Were we not clear this morning? You know what you promised your sister."

Ellie narrowed her eyes at him, "I was invited."

"Tough shit," I tried to smile nicely, but I knew that I had failed when Elena winced. I was probably being a touch grumpy. But she knew how I felt about it all, and yet she tried to do it anyway.

"You have to tell me before you walk into a lion's den," my vampire narrowed his eyes and I bit my lip as I felt a brief flash of guilt. I knew that I should have told him before we came. But so many things had happened today, like my sister being a stubborn fool.

"Why?" my twin shook her head, making sure to not dislodge her hair. "So that you one of you two can stop me?"

"Damn right," I nodded sharply before glancing to the side. Stefan stood there, watching this with an uncomfortable look on his face. "Stef, be a dear, and go dance with my sister. Make sure that she stays out of trouble, please."

Elena shot me a dirty look while Stefan held out his hand. I could see my sister swallowing hard before taking his hand. She stared at him with wide eyes while he escorted her in the direction of the ballroom.

"Next time, I will ignore Jenna and lock her up somewhere," I sighed, watching my sister leave the room.

"And I will help you with that," Damon hummed in my ear, my heart skipping a beat at the feel of his breath against my neck, before he moved to stand in front of me. He held out his hand, "But first, would you honour me with a dance, Alexa?"

I could feel my cheeks flushing as I accepted his hand, "I would be delighted."

The smile that Damon gave me made me feel all gooey inside as he led me towards the ballroom.

XXX

I was suddenly so thankful for the dance lessons that my mom had forced me and Elena to attend when we were younger. She was insistent that, as Founding Daughters, we would know how to dance. Of course, that didn't mean that I knew all of the steps. But Damon promised to show me what to do.

He grasped my hands in his, as we stepped forward to the music. Those who weren't dancing stood around the sides of the hall, watching all of the couples in the middle. There would be a lot of people watching if I fucked up. I took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. My boyfriend gave my fingers a gentle squeeze, reminding me that I had him there to look out for me.

When we turned to face the couples on the other side, I saw that Klaus had persuaded Caroline to dance. My girl was far too professional to obviously show her displeasure, but I could see it in the tightness of her mouth, the way that she stood a little too far away from him.

After a few more steps, the men twirled the ladies into hold. I was relieved that I was now in the safety of Damon's arms, and didn't have to worry about taking too many steps or going in the wrong direction. He stared down at me with comforting eyes, his fingers brushing the bare skin of my back.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he said quietly as he directed me around the room, moving in time with the other couples. I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks heating up.

"Thank you," I smiled back, biting my lip as he gave me a cheeky wink. Around us, I could see the other couples moving. Some danced in silence, others conversed quietly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carol Lockwood dancing with Elijah. It was rather amusing that she had finally gotten her hands on him, after all this time.

As I glanced around the room, making sure that I could see Elena when the dancing allowed, I could feel Damon's eyes on me. Every time I looked back at him, my cheeks flushed and I became aware of the bite mark that decorated my inner thigh. And I knew that he realised what affect he had on me. His eyes shone silver in the light of the room, contrasting deliciously with the hunger in his gaze. If I didn't have my sister to look after, I would have dragged him off to one of the spare rooms to have my way with him.

My vampire glanced around the room before asking, "Ready to spin?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I nodded once, preparing myself for the change in partners. This was the part that I was dreading the most. I had no idea who I would get passed onto. And if they would be able to properly lead, as I was in desperate need of an experienced dance partner.

My boyfriend gave me a reassuring wink before spinning me out to the side. For a second, I just twirled, waiting for someone to grab me. A hand grabbed mine, pulling me against a strong body. I glanced up into brown eyes. A sly smirk looked down at me. It was the only Original sibling that I didn't know the name of.

"Um hi?" I frowned lightly as the Original confidently led me around the room.

"Kol Mikaelson," the newbie greeted me, tugging me slightly closer. "It's a pleasure."

"Yeah, same," I saw him glance down and just knew that he was getting a good view of my cleavage. Damn Caroline and damn my desire to impressed Damon. "Alexa Gilbert."

"Oh, I've heard a lot about you," Kol smirked as I caught sight of Damon watching me over the Original's shoulder. He was dancing with Rebekah, who was glaring at Caroline. Who was dancing with Matt. Honestly, so much drama. My vampire raised an eyebrow, silently asking if I was okay. I nodded, giving him a quick smile before refocusing my attention on Kol. "Rebekah's best friend and the bane of Niklaus' existence."

"Yep, that's me," I sighed, rolling my eyes. His description of me was quite amusing. I was the bane of Klaus' existence. I didn't know what I had done to earn that particular honour. All I had done was attack him a couple of times and mouth off to him. It really wasn't much, in the grand scheme of things. "I'm afraid that I don't know much about you. Your siblings have been a bit light on the details."

"They're just jealous," Kol winked and I couldn't stop myself from giggling. "I'm the fun brother."

I nodded slowly, "That actually makes a lot of sense. No offence to the others, but, Rebekah aside, they don't really strike me as fun."

That made the Original laugh. Damn, was I making friends with another Original? Watch out, Rebekah, you might have competition.

"I'll see you again soon, Alexa," Kol promised, an interesting glint in his eyes. I didn't get a chance to work out what it meant as I was soon spun to the side.

I rolled my eyes as I recognised who my final dance partner was, "I was really hoping that I would manage to avoid you tonight."

"You are always so rude to me, Alexa," Klaus sighed dramatically, his thumb brushing my bare skin before it quickly settled on the corset of my dress.

"Gee, I wonder why," I raised an eyebrow. "The innocent act doesn't work for you, Niklaus, so don't even try it."

Klaus tutted, shaking his head, "Are you going to mad at me forever?"

"Maybe, why?" I frowned, wondering what mischief the Original hybrid was up to this time. He normally just growled and threatened me. Disappointment in my continued anger towards him was new.

"Maybe I would like a fresh start," Klaus deliberately kept his gaze away from my eyes as he spoke. "A chance to start anew. You have charmed my siblings. Maybe I want a chance be a part of that."

Okay.

What crazy parallel world had I been spun into? Klaus wanted to start anew? The Klaus that had stabbed me, the one that repeatedly threatened me? The one that made it quite clear that he would kill me if I got in the way?

"I think I've finally gone insane," I muttered as the dance drew to an end. I was barely aware of my movements as I honoured my partner. My mind buzzed as Klaus gave me an indecipherable look before walking away.

I stared after him, wondering if someone had spiked my champagne, when a familiar arm wrapped around my waist. I glanced up at Damon and asked, "You heard that, right?"

Damon hummed his affirmative, staring after him with a hard look on his face. The jealousy in his voice was obvious and it warmed my heart. His arm held me against him possessively, "I heard it."

"Well, at least I haven't gone crazy," I sighed, turning around to face Damon. I reached up to stroke his cheek, drawing his eyes down to me. "Want to get a drink?"

"You offering?" he smirked, wiggling his eyes and I couldn't stop myself from giggling.

XXX

Elena's POV

After Stefan snapped Damon's neck, I used the opportunity to go find Esther. I didn't know where my sister was, she hadn't arrived with Damon. But I had to speak to the witch before Alexa could stop me. I had nearly lost my opportunity after Elijah caught me. But after I reassured him that I would tell him his mother's plans, he led me to Esther's study.

As I stood outside the door, I took a deep breath before knocking. There was silence from within and for a moment, I thought that Elijah had led me to the wrong room. But before I could worry, the door opened, revealing Finn. The Original glanced down the corridor before nodding in approval.

"You're alone," he stood the side, gesturing for me to walk inside. "Wise choice."

I paused just inside the door as I saw Esther burning a herb in front of me. I heard the door click closed behind me and for the first time, I wondered if I had made the right decision. Maybe I should have brought Alexa along with me. As much as I didn't want her near Esther, I knew that I could draw upon her strength. She made me feel brave. And I needed that.

The power that I could feel coming from Esther was unnerving. I knew that she was powerful, she had to be, in order to cast the spell that created vampires. But I didn't expect to feel it the moment that I stepped into the room.

The Original Witch must have sensed my unease as she smiled gently, "It's only safe. I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard." She glanced over at her son, dismissing him from the room, "That'll be all, Finn, thank you. You know what to do." Finn nodded before leaving, closing the doors behind me. After making sure that he was gone, Esther refocused her attention on me, "You must have a million question for me, Elena. Please."

She gestured towards the leather sofa in the middle of the room. I slowly walked over to it and carefully sat down. I didn't know if sitting was a wise choice, as it would take longer for me to run if I needed to. But I had to find out what she wanted.

"How are you alive?" I asked the first question that came into my mind. I had wondered this ever since Elijah had revealed that his mother was alive. "Are you a ghost?"

"Not exactly," Esther nodded, a calm look on her face as she wafted the smoke from the sage around the room. "When I died, the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of your friend, Bonnie."

I glanced over at her with wide eyes. That would explain so much. Why Bonnie had those dreams about the coffin. Why she was continuously sucked into this.

"So that's why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket," I breathed and Esther nodded.

"They complete the Bennett bloodlines," she explained, resting her clasped hands on her knees. "I drew power from them and their ancestors, who were with me on the Other Side."

I frowned, "So you've been on the Other Side for a thousand years?"

For the first time, Esther's mask cracked. I could see a haunted look in her eyes before it was replaced with the calm look again, "Nature's way of punishing me for turning my face into vampires. But there is a way for me to undo the evil that I created."

This was why I came to talk to her, why I ignored my sister's worries. If Esther could kill Klaus, then it would be over. We wouldn't have to worry anymore. We would be free. And that was all that I wanted. For his presence to no longer be hanging over my head. He would be punished for everything that he did to hurt my loved ones.

"You're gonna help us kill Klaus, aren't you?" I asked quietly, unable to utter the words, even as I hoped for it.

"One thing at a time, Elena," the Original witch cautioned me gently. "For now, I simply need your help."

"Why just my help?" I asked, surprising Esther with my words. She glanced over at me, and I added, "Why didn't you want my sister to help to? She wants Klaus gone just as much as I do."

Esther sighed and it looked as though she was choosing her words carefully, "Alexandria would not be able to do what is necessary. Her heart is too soft and she would not allow any harm to come to you."

"What do you mean by that?" I frowned, feeling nervous about the witch's plan. "What are you planning on doing to me?"

"You don't have anything to worry about, Elena," Esther was quick to reassure me, looking confident again. "Alexandria carries a grudge against me for my actions. She would not allow me to lay a finger on you, even when you consented. She would jeopardise our plan if she thought that it would endanger you."

I sighed. There was nothing that I could say to argue against that. Because it was true. Alexa had said herself that she wouldn't take down Klaus if it meant putting me in danger. But she didn't understand. Klaus had to go. I had to get him out of our lives. I knew that Esther wouldn't kill me. So it was worth the risk.

"I understand," I eventually nodded as I felt the witch's gaze on me. "I won't tell her what we are doing."

"Thank you, Elena," Esther nodded once as she stood up. "I appreciate that."

I just hoped that my twin would forgive me for keeping this from her. For coming here without telling her. I knew that Alexa was mad at me for a few things. I just hoped that this wouldn't be the final straw for her.

XXX

Alexa's POV

When Damon failed to return from getting me a drink, I started to get worried. That worry only grew when I realised that I didn't know where my sister was. I couldn't see her anywhere in the room, nor could I see Stefan.

It was that worry that had me walking through the maze of corridors. Why Klaus' home had to be so big, I did not know. But it was incredibly tedious. It meant searching for my stupid twin sister would be a lot harder than I wanted it to be. I poked my head into various rooms, looking only for my sister. I didn't bother examining any of what I found. I didn't care enough.

I was just turning a corner when I bumped into someone. I took a step backwards, fixing a fake smile on my face as I glanced up, "Oh, I'm sorry…"

Finn Mikaelson stared down at me. It was kind of off-putting as he was incredibly tall. And I felt incredibly small next to him. The Original glanced down both corridors before whisking me into a closed room. I barely had a chance to form my outrage before he pulled my bracelet from my wrist. The one that I had put vervain in before I came.

I uttered a quiet "oh fuck" before Finn caught my gaze. I was too slow at closing my eyes as was caught in that sick, floaty feeling that was compulsion. I panicked, screaming at my body to run, but it didn't listen to me. I was powerless. And I had no idea as to what he wanted to do to me.

"Take off your glove," Finn commanded quietly, his hazel eyes staring into my own. I didn't want to take off my glove. But I had no choice. Fucking compulsion. I slowly slid the satin fabric from my hand and dropped it on the table to the side.

Finn nodded in approval, the ass, as he placed my vervain bracelet next to it. I wanted to reach out and grab it. But I still couldn't move. I could feel my heart racing in my chest and told myself to calm the fuck down. The last thing that I wanted was to have a panic attack while I was frozen by compulsion. I had done that before and it fucking sucked.

The Original carefully took my arm, holding my hand while he took something from his pocket. It was a small vial, and I really didn't want to know he was going to do with that. A small dagger followed the vial, and I definitely didn't want to know what he was going to do with it.

So I closed my eyes, wincing when the sharp tip of the dagger pressed against the tip of my finger. The vial immediately replaced the dagger and I squinted one eye open to see a few drops of my blood fall into the glass container.

"Thank you, Alexa Gilbert," Finn had the good grace to nod at me as he tucked the vial and dagger back into his pocket. Questions buzzed around my mind. Like what the fuck did he need my blood for? "Now, you will remember none of this."

I blinked and frowned at the unfamiliar room.

What was I doing in here? My idiot twin wasn't in here, so why would I just stand in here? I sighed and shook my head, adjusting my bracelet on my wrist. It did give me a moment to catch my breath. My chest felt tight with worry. I couldn't find Damon, Elena or Stefan. It was like they had disappeared off of the face of the planet.

After failing to find her, I returned to the main hall. I flagged down Mrs Lockwood, who looked like she was getting very merry.

"Hi, Mrs Lockwood, have you seen Elena?" I asked, wondering if I should confiscate her wine glass. I saw one of her aides through the crowd, and gave them a wave. Paul glanced at the merry mayor next to me and nodded, rolling his eyes. Well, at least he knew the situation.

"Alexa, dear," she smiled brightly, patting my cheek. "I saw her go outside earlier."

"Thank you, Mrs Lockwood," I couldn't help but smile back. She patted my cheek one more time before I left to go outside. I didn't know why my annoying sister would be out here. But I had to check. It would be easier to look outside than it would be to find my way around the maze that was the upper floor of the mansion.

I shivered in the cold air, immediately regretting forgoing my shawl. I really should have expected it to be cold. But my worry for my sister and boyfriend had made me slightly irrational. I walked around the grounds of the mansion, away from the carpark.

The sound of a horse neighing caught my attention. A couple were stood attached to a carriage. One was a gorgeous black colour, the other a ginger. Despite my worry, I couldn't stop myself from approaching.

"Hey cuties," I sighed, reaching out to pat the ginger horse's neck. "Don't suppose you've seen my reckless idiot of a sister?" The horse snorted and I took that as a no. "Yeah, I haven't seen her either."

I swear, if she had done something stupid, like going to see Esther, then I was never letting her out of the house again. I would actually get Bonnie to spell her inside. I wouldn't even let her get garden time. I was that pissed off at her.

"You like horses?" Klaus asked from behind me and I groaned as I turned around. He was watching me with unreadable eyes. I wrapped my arms around myself, in an attempt to not shiver in the night air. "Do you want one?"

"You are joking right?" I looked at the horse, and it felt like the beautiful creature was agreeing with me. "Oh lord, you aren't joking."

"The offer will remain, for when you are ready," Klaus' voice was soft, and it got under my skin in a way that I didn't expect.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I knew that I was whining, but all I wanted to do was find my sister. Not deal with annoying hybrids who had decided that stabbing me was no longer fun. "Seriously, why do you keep bothering me?"

"Maybe I want to be your friend," Klaus shrugged, sounding vulnerable in a way that I had only heard once. And that was when Mikael was tormenting him. It was weird. And I didn't like it.

In an attempt to quell the funny feeling in my stomach, I squinted at him, "Is it cos I'm friends with Rebekah? Is this some kind of jealousy thing? You want your sibling's friend? Cos I get it, I tried to steal Bonnie from Elena when we were younger."

"No, it's nothing to do with that," the hybrid shook his head, stepping past me to gently stroke the black horse's nose. "I've always admired you, Alexa."

"Even when you were stabbing me?" I frowned doubtfully and Klaus laughed. It was a genuine laugh. One that I had never expected to hear from him.

"Yes, even then. You're so full of fire and you'll do anything for the ones you love," Klaus glanced over at me and my breath caught in my throat. "You know, the horses are the opposite of people. They're loyal. My father hunted me for a thousand years and the closest he ever came was the day that he killed my favourite horse. He several its neck with a sword as a warning."

I cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably on my feet at the unexpected turn in the conversation, "Your father was a dick. I mean, you aren't perfect either. Far from it, if I'm being honest."

I ignored Klaus' chuckle, "And you are always honest."

"But if you are serious about wanting to be my friend, then you cut the bullshit. Okay? Leave my family alone. You have yours back now," I sighed and shook my head. "Look, I need to go find my sister. I imagine I'll see you later, since you can't seem to leave me alone."

XXX

Elena's POV

I stood next to the sofa and watched as Esther lit candles around her study. They gave the room an eerie glow, casting a dark shadow on the witch's face as she turned to face me, "I understand that Rebekah shared the story of my family. How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."

I nodded, remembering the story that the Original had told me and my sister, "She said that you did it to protect them from the werewolves."

Esther sighed, "It's true." She placed a glass chalice on the table in front of her. It was filled with a clear liquid. I didn't know what it was for, but I couldn't stop glancing at it. "But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against me."

I frowned at the mention of the Original hybrid, "How are you gonna kill him? He's immortal."

The witch nodded in understanding before answering, "It will take time, magic and your assistance."

"What do I have to do with it?" I asked, ignoring my instinct to back away as Esther stepped closer to me.

She had a hard look in her eyes as she said, "My children believe that I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. But in truth, I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood form the doppelganger." I stepped back, gasping lightly in fear. But Esther was quick to add. "Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening." The witch picked up a long, thin knife from her desk. She held it in her hands as she stepped back over to the chalice. "Will you do it? Or shall I?"

I froze for a moment, considering my options. What was a small drop of blood if it meant getting rid of Klaus. It would be worth it. I was suddenly so glad that Alexa wasn't here. She wouldn't have let me give any blood to Esther. As much as I loved my twin, she could be irrational and overprotective. Neither of those would be a good thing right now.

I took a deep breath and nodded, slipping off the glove on my left arm. Holding it tightly in my other hand, I extended my arm. Esther grasped my hand, gently holding my finger still. Her touch was colder than I expected. It was unnerving and I was tempted to pull my hand back. But I had to do this.

Esther pricked the tip of my finger before holding it over the chalice. I watched as a drop of my blood fell into the liquid. Content that she had what she needed; the witch immediately released my hand. I took a step back as I slipped my glove back on.

"Elijah is more suspicious than the others," Esther sighed, but you could see the fondness in her eyes at the mention of the noble Original. "So he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink at the toast in order to be linked as one."

"What do you mean 'linked as one'?" I asked with a frown, wondering what I had just given my blood for.

"You said yourself that Klaus can't be killed," the Original Witch explained patiently, putting away her knife. "But tonight's spell links all my children together, so that if one goes, they all go."

"What?" I gasped, my mind immediately going to Elijah. He didn't deserve to die. He had always helped me. Elijah was as noble as they came, he didn't deserve that. And I couldn't help but think of Rebekah. I didn't particularly like her. But I knew that my sister did. I had seen the happiness in her eyes as she saw her friend again. Could I really take Rebekah away from her again?

"I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination," Esther's words reminded me of Mikael. It was something that he had said. It appeared that even after all these years, they still agreed on stuff like this. "I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them."

I nodded slowly.

"I'll convince Elijah," I spoke quietly, my stomach twisting in guilty at the thought of it. "And I'll make sure that he drinks the champagne."

"Thank you, Elena," Esther nodded at me before glancing towards the door. "You had best return to the party. Before someone comes looking for you."

Before my sister came looking for me. I knew that Esther was referring to her. Even if she wouldn't admit it. But with Stefan supporting my plan, Alexa was the only one who would interfere. Well, Damon would to. But he would do it for Alexa. I nodded and left the room, my mind buzzing.

If this was the only way that I could get rid of Klaus, then I had to do it. I needed to. Klaus was a threat to everyone, to my twin, to my brother, to my aunt. He had hurt so many people. It was my duty to do this. Even if I hated that it affected more than just the hybrid.

But I had to be strong. In a way that I didn't think my sister could be. She would put her feelings first. She wouldn't go ahead with the plan because of how it would affect Elijah and Rebekah. No, I knew that Alexa would look for another way. When there wasn't one. Our only weapon that could kill him was gone. This was our only option. But could I convince her of that…

Or maybe I just didn't tell her. If Alexa didn't know, then she couldn't interfere. And if she didn't interfere, then she would be safe. That's what I had to do. I had to keep my sister out of the loop. Even if I hated it. Even though I knew that she would be mad at me for it. But it was the best thing to do.

For everyone.

XXX

Alexa's POV

I was ambushed by my fourth Original of the day, fifth is you included Rebekah's adventures during the night, not long after I went back inside. It was like they just couldn't stay away from me. I still couldn't find Elena and Damon, and I had to remind myself not to panic. They were here somewhere, I just had to be patient. And not think about all the horrible things that could be happening.

"Alexandria."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I turned around to face Elijah. He looked even more dashing in his tux than he normally did. If I wasn't head over heels for Damon, then I definitely would have been getting my flirt on.

"Elijah," I greeted him in return as he stepped closer to me. "Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

Elijah's eyes were dark with amusement as he shook his head, "It is a lovely name, Alexandria, you shouldn't reject it like you do."

"It just doesn't feel like me," I wrinkled my nose, accepting a glass of champagne that the servers were offering. "Maybe I just need to grow up a bit more. I'm too young and fun right now."

"You do seem a lot happier than the last time that I saw you," the noble Original commented, and I could feel his eyes examining my face. "I trust that Damon Salvatore is at least partially responsible for that."

"Good lord, you've been back a couple of days and you're already aware of my new relationship status," I rolled my eyes as I sipped my champagne. "But yes, Damon is responsible for it. The fact that your most annoying brother is no longer trying to kill my twin also helps."

"Has Niklaus been bothering you this evening?" I couldn't hide my smirk at the slightly frustrated edge to Elijah's voice.

"He wants to be my friend," I grumbled and Elijah raised an eyebrow. "I know, it's surprising, isn't it? I don't know if he has ulterior motives or if he just appreciates that I don't take his bullshit."

"He has always admired strong women," the Original mused and I felt my cheeks blush as Elijah called me strong. It was nice, after being weak for so long. And I did feel a lot stronger.

"He should admire me," I shrugged, brushing my hair over my shoulder. "I stabbed him with a cocktail umbrella once."

Elijah's laugh startled me. I had never heard him laugh and I definitely wondered why he didn't laugh more often. It was a rich laugh, one that made you want to join in. His eyes sparkled and I wondered if I had been a fool to disagree with him so much before the sacrifice.

"He neglected to mention that," he shook his head, still chuckling. I felt proud for getting that reaction from the normally so collected Original.

"He was probably embarrassed," I laughed slightly. "Cos I keep kicking his ass."

Elijah nodded, his eyes warm as he looked down at me, "You found your fire again."

"Yeah, I did," I agreed softly before sighing. "I'm sorry for everything that I did before. Like daggering you and insulting you. I know that you did actually want to help my sister. I was just a bit… irrational… during that time period."

"You don't need to apologise for protecting your sister," the Original rested his hand on my shoulder for a moment. His skin was warm to the touch, and it felt oddly comforting. "With Elena's attitude at the time, you were right to be suspicious." Elijah paused before speaking slowly, "Which is why I am surprised that you did not accompany her to see my mother."

"I wasn't invited along," I rolled my eyes, doing my best not to sound bitter. "Oh no, she isn't there now, is she?"

Elijah looked slightly apologetic, "Last I saw, she was on her way there."

"Of course she was," I groused, downing the rest of my drink. I placed it to the side and groaned, "Don't suppose you can point me in the right direction?"

Elijah kindly did just that.

I followed his directions up the stairs. But it didn't take me long to get lost. It was even more of a maze up here. All of the doors looked the same and it was easy to get turned around. So when I saw an open one, I went inside, hoping to find someone who could help me find Esther's study.

The room was filled with art, different landscapes decorating the falls, carefully displayed with lights. The tables that filled the room were covered in sketches, some finished, some just started. It reminded me so much of Tyler's study, the room that his parents had given him to practice his drawing.

I glanced down at the table and saw a sketch of Rebekah. It wasn't finished but it was quite captivating. It had caught her in a laugh, her eyes crinkled in happiness. I had never seen her like that, and I hoped that I one day would.

"No one was supposed to come in here," Klaus' voice came from behind me and I sighed. I glanced at him over my shoulder. He was watching, his blue eyes looking oddly open.

"The door was open," I shrugged before turning to face the paintings. "I was hoping to find someone that could point me in the direction of your mother. Since I seem to be finding every Original except for the one that I want."

"Why do you want to see my mother?" Klaus frowned as he walked up next to me.

"I don't," I wrinkled my nose at the thought. "But since my sister is an idiot and does, I need to make sure that nothing bad happens."

"I didn't know that Elena was to see my mother," the hybrid didn't sound too happy about that. I couldn't blame him, if I was being honest. It was annoying, not being told stuff.

"At least you didn't get blatantly rejected," I rolled my eyes as I moved some of the sketches, curious as to what other ones there were. "Esther left a little note for my sister and didn't want me there." In an attempt to ignore my bitterness, I remarked, "These are good, by the way."

"How do you know that I did them?" Klaus glanced over at me and I shrugged.

"From the way that you were so protective over the room," I sighed as I thought of my absent brothers. "Tyler and Jeremy were the same. They didn't want anyone near the sketches if they weren't ready for people to see them."

"I heard about your brother leaving town," Klaus' voice was soft in a way that I had never heard it.

"Well, after your little stunt," I shot him a dirty look there. "My family thought that it would be safer for him to spend some time away from here."

"It must have been hard to say goodbye to him."

"It was," I whispered. "I miss him."

"Rebekah mentioned how close you are with him. And how loyal you were to your loved ones," I glanced over at Klaus as he spoke. "She was happy to see you again, after she was awoken."

"I'm glad that she wasn't mad at me for what Elena did."

"Rebekah is fickle, but she is loyal to her friends."

I bit my lip, wondering if I would regret asking the question on my lips. But I was itching to know, "Do you have any friends?" The hybrid shot me a look, and I realised that it was a bit of a stupid question. And I winced, "Sorry."

"I have my family and I have my hybrids."

"But you don't have any friends," I sighed and I just knew that I would regret my next words. "Look. You seem to have caught me in a charitable mood. If you stop your bullshit, and stop threatening the people that I care about, then I might, and that is a huge might, consider being your friend. But you have to prove that you can change."

"Did Damon prove it?" Klaus' eyes were dark as I nodded.

"He did. He showed that he was more than a vampire dick," I glanced down at the table one last time before moving to leave the room. "If you genuinely want people to be loyal to you, then you need to show that you deserve their loyalty."

XXX

I had given up on finding Elena upstairs. She had been missing long enough that she was probably done with Esther. Assuming that the Original Bitch Witch hadn't killed her. But I quickly shook that thought out of my head. I couldn't think like that. Elena was fine. Well, she was fine until I got my hands on her.

I was just walking past one of the downstairs rooms when I heard a familiar groan. I paused for just a second before I rushed through the closed doors. Damon was on the floor, rubbing his neck as he slowly pushed himself up.

"Oh my god!" I gasped as I rushed to his side. I crouched down, wobbling slightly in my heels, and carefully eased him up. "Damon, are you okay?"

"He'll be fine," a different voice answered. I looked up to see Stefan leaning against the wall in front of us. He had a hard look on his face and I narrowed my eyes. Did he do this? He must have done this. I didn't know who else would have. Especially since Stefan was just chilling in here, not seemed worried at all.

"What did you do to him?" I asked quietly, doing my best not to snap until I knew what had happened. Because I was just assuming that Stefan had done this. I didn't know why he would have. But it was the only guess that I could make.

"Snapped his neck," the younger vampire shrugged before looking down at his brother. "Easy, buddy. Don't want you doing anything stupid."

Damon glared up at his brother as I helped him to his feet. His hand rested on my shoulder and it was only my touch that stopped him from rushing over to Stefan.

"Where's Elena?" my vampire ground out and I looked over at Stefan with wide eyes.

"Elena was here?" I asked, reminding myself that I needed to breathe. "Where is she?"

"Exactly where she belongs," Stefan narrowed his eyes as he pushed away from the wall and approached us. "Talking to Esther."

"Oh fuck no," I gasped, feeling my chest growing tight. My worry was mixing with my anger. And it was creating an ugly combination. "I'm going to kill her. Yep, I'm going to kill her." I refocused my gaze on Stefan and snapped, "Why didn't you stop her? Why did you let her go?"

"Don't blame me," he glared down at me, and I met his gaze, narrowing my eyes. "This was what she wanted. She planned it all. Right down to breaking Damon's neck."

"That stupid little girl," I hissed, wishing I had my twin right in front of me so that I could throttle some sense into her. "I'm never letting her leave the house again. No, in fact, I'm putting her in the cell in the basement. She can stew in there for a while."

"I'll help you," Damon agreed, sounding just as unhappy. I knew that it was partly due to the fact that she arranged for him to get his neck snapped. By Stefan, of all people.

"You know, maybe you two should stop being so controlling," Stefan rolled his eyes, drawing both of our attention. What did he say? Did he seriously just say that? What the fuck was he on about?

"Wait, hang on," my vampire shook his head as I stared at Stefan with outraged eyes. "We're the problem here?"

"The pair of you are a liability," the younger vampire scoffed, and I immediately took back all of my sympathetic thoughts. He was still a douche. And he was lucky that I had to find my sister and shake some sense into her. Otherwise, I would be taking my displeasure out on him.

But his words hurt. We were a liability? I was a liability? Was this just Stefan saying this? Or did Elena feel the same way? Did my sister think that I was a liability? I had worked so hard on keeping her alive. And then she goes behind my back like this. Which apparently included hurting my boyfriend.

"We're trying to keep her alive, Stefan," Damon growled, looking like he was getting pissed off. I was already there. Stefan was actively stopping us from looking out for my sister. And that really made me mad. He didn't have the right to interfere anymore. He lost that right a while ago, and he hadn't done anything to earn it back.

"Yeah, well, your emotions are getting in the way of our plan," Stefan snapped back, looking frustrated for the first time. Their plan? Had they planned this together? I stepped closer to Damon, my mind whirring in shock. I just didn't know what to think. But I knew that it hurt. The disregard that they felt. We just wanted Elena to be safe. And we were treated like this when we tried to do that.

"My emotions?" Damon scoffed and I could understand his shock. It wasn't often that he was accused of being the emotional one. It was only when it came to my wellbeing. And I wasn't a stupid person who put themselves in danger. "How is this even happening right now?"

"Maybe because you care too damn much," the younger vampire shook his head before walking out of the room. I stared after him through narrowed eyes. He was officially back on my shit-list. And he was not going to come off of it any time soon. That was for sure.

I spat a curse at his retreating back before I turned to face Damon, cupping his face, "Day, are you okay?"

"I'm debating the merits of putting my brother on a prolonged timeout," he glared at the door before looking back down at me. "But I'm uninjured. My neck is all healed up."

"Well, that's one less thing for me to worry about," I sighed, stroking his cheek with my thumb. I leant up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Because it would suck if I had to kill your sibling as well as my own."

XXX

When we arrived back in the main hall, it looked like a concluding speech was about to be made. Servers were giving everyone champagne, and I accepted a glass as I scanned the crowd. Since Esther was at the top of the stairs, it was safe to assume that my annoying sister was somewhere in the crowd. And let's be real, she was probably avoiding me. It was only a matter of time before I found out about her little plan. So she knew that she would have to avoid me once she was done with Esther.

The champagne was a pink one. Which was an odd choice, but whatever, it wasn't my party. I didn't care what choices they made. The only thing that I cared about was throttling my sister before locking her up. I didn't even know if I would let her explain before I did that. I was tempted not to. Because I didn't know if her words would only make me angrier. Which was quite possible.

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen," Esther began, just as I found my twin in the crowd. She was talking to Elijah, staring up at him with wide eyes. I didn't know what she was saying to him, but I could tell that she was uncomfortable. Good. She deserved to be uncomfortable. "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

Everyone held their drink up in a toast, "Cheers!"

But I didn't, I just stared at my idiot twin. She hadn't noticed me yet. Which was lucky for me. Knowing Elena's state of mind right now, she might have tried to run away. But I did take a sip of the champagne when everyone else did. It was the only thing keeping me calm. Because I didn't want to cause a scene. Elena should have been glad for that. Otherwise I would have berated her and dragged her from the building.

Damon's hand rested on my shoulder, gently squeezing it, reminding me to calm down. I knew that he was just as mad. But, as he normally did, he put my feelings first. He made sure that I was as calm as I could be, considering the situation. And I adored him for that. It was side that he never let anyone else see. And I would always treasure the fact that he allowed me to see it.

We lurked at the edge of the room, waiting as it emptied out. It was probably a good thing, since I could only feel my anger rising. I think it was because she went behind my back. She deliberately waited until I was distracted, before breaking her word. And that hurt. I was angry and I was hurt. And that would not end well.

Once the room was empty enough, I approached Elena. She had her back to me, looking up at the stairs with a wary look on her face. I didn't know why she was wary, but I was going to make her tell me everything. Right after I got her out of here.

"Elena," I kept my voice low, but even then, she gasped and spun around. "Forgot about me, did you? Did you at least get what you wanted?"

Elena narrowed her eyes and stood straight, meeting my gaze, "Actually, yes, I did get what I wanted."

"Awesome, you explain everything once we are at home," I went to grab her arm, but she stepped back. "Elena, we've getting the hell out of here. Come on."

But apparently, Elena didn't want to go home. She stepped back one more step, squaring her jaw. She looked so annoyingly stubborn, in a way that drove me insane. Sometimes, her stubbornness was useful. But most of the time, it was just a pain in my ass.

"Alexa, stop it," my sister frowned, sounding unhappy. "Look, I'm sorry that I had to cut both of you out of the plan. But it had to be done."

"Had to be done?" I hissed as I felt Damon rest a hand on my back. But this time, I wasn't able to calm myself down. "You shouldn't have even made a plan, Elena. I didn't even want you to be here, but I allowed it. But then you just had to go behind my back."

"Do you think I like doing that?" Elena snapped back, narrowing her eyes. "I don't. But if I hadn't asked Stefan to help keep you both out of it, then you would have done something stupid while trying to be the hero, and it would've ruined everything."

"Oh wow," I scoffed and shook my head. "I see how it is. Stupid Alexa always doing stupid stuff that makes life inconvenient for Elena. How foolish of me to try and keep you alive. I should do what Stefan does, and not give a fuck anymore."

"Now you're mad at me for including Stefan?" my sister shook her head, clearly thinking that being silly.

"No, Elena, I'm mad at you because you're a stupid, suicidal fool and yet I can't stop loving you!" I snapped.

"Well, maybe that's the problem."

It was like everything froze. My breath got stuck in my chest. And I just stared at my twin with wide eyes.

Elena must have realised what she said, as she immediately tried to backtrack, "Alexa, no, that's not what I was supposed to say. I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did," I took a deep breath, despite the tightness in my chest. "But hey, I get it. I'm too much of a liability. I care too much."

Elena stared at me with wide eyes as Caroline approached from the side. She glanced between us before slowly asking, "Have you guys seen Matt?"

XXX

We hadn't seen Matt.

While Caroline and Elena fretted over the fact that darling Matt was missing, I let Damon escort me away from them. I was still in shock over my sister's words. On one level, I knew that she did regret them. They were said in the heat of the moment. But I knew that it was something that she had thought before. It wasn't the first time that she had excluded me from a plan. But this one hurt more.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Damon sighed as he led me up the stairs. His hand a comforting weight on my back, his fingers gently stroking my skin.

"I'm pissed off," I grumbled, shooting my sister a dirty look over my shoulder. This was the third thing that she had done to piss me off in such a short amount of time. And I didn't want to be understanding anymore. I couldn't let her get away with this one. This was important. She had promised me that she wouldn't speak to Esther without me. And then she deliberately broke that promise, while breaking my boyfriend's neck, and then had the audacity to proclaim me to be the problem.

Maybe I shouldn't have protected her from the consequences of her actions. Maybe I should have been madder at her over Rebekah. Maybe I shouldn't have protected her from Bonnie's wrath over wanting to compel Jeremy. I had looked out for her, and then she did this to me.

"Same here," my vampire agreed. I could see the tension in his body. Guess Stefan's words had gotten to him. Our siblings were the fucking worst. Where was Jeremy when I needed him? At least he didn't betray my trust.

"Let's just find Matt and get out of here," I sighed, wishing that I could just go now. But I wouldn't abandon Matt. He needed finding. And I would help him before I just forgot about this horrible day. Damon nodded before pausing where he stood. He glanced to the side and I saw two figures on the balcony. One was Kol and the other was…

"Matt," I breathed out, resting my hand on Damon's arm. Before I could say anything else, there was an audible crack. It echoed out, setting my teeth on edge. It was a noise that I recognised. And it was not good. I glanced up at Damon, "Help him."

My vampire nodded before blurring forward. He appeared behind the pair as Matt feel to his knees. I rushed over as fast as I could, eager to get Matt away from the Original vampire and to somewhere safe.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Damon's voice caught Kol's attention. The Original released Matt and I pulled him towards me as I arrived on the balcony. "Easy on the hand. Guy's a quarterback."

I could see the two vampires eyeing each other as I held Matt against me. My friend was cradling his hand to his chest, his breaths coming out as pained gasps. I knew that something was broken. I just didn't know what.

I was about to say something to Damon when he rushed at the Original. He pushed him off of the balcony before quickly following. I heard the sound of a fight below and rolled my eyes. I knew what Damon was doing. He was taking his frustration out on Kol. At least he hadn't gotten the Original away from Matt before he did so.

I carefully eased Matt back against the balcony pillar. His skin was pale and shiny with sweat. But it was the look in his eyes that had my heart clenching. With the pain swirling around those blue depths, he looked so young. And it was so unfair. Matt should never feel pain like this. He was only targeted because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Hey, Mattie," I ran my fingers through his hair as I carefully turned his head to look at me. "I'm going to go get help. Don't move, okay? Everything's gonna be alright."

I went to go look for Caroline, carefully rushing down the stairs. She was the only one that I trusted with Matt right now. She would look after him. As I paused at the bottom of the stairs, I heard Stefan's voice exclaim, "Damon! Are you crazy?"

I glanced towards the front door and saw the vampire attendees. And on the path in front of them, stood my vampire. His eyes were narrowed mockingly, but I could see the vulnerability in them. He needed me, and I was going to be there for him. On the plus side, Caroline was there too. So I could ask her to go help Matt.

"Maybe a little," Damon smirked as I pushed past Finn. I hurried down the steps to go stand by Damon. Behind him, I could see Kol's body. My boyfriend had snapped his neck. He deserved it, for what he did to Matt. "Far be it from me to cause a problem."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Stefan and Elena watching with disappointed expressions. They shouldn't be disappointed. They had no idea as to why this happened. They just assumed the worst. And after what they did, that really annoyed me.

So I rested a hand on Damon's cheek, turning him to face me, "Hey, let me deal with this." My vampire looked into my eyes before nodding. I smiled gently at him before pressing my lips to his. "I got your back, baby."

Content that Damon would be okay for the moment, I turned to face the others. I felt the skirt of my dress swish as I spun around, my hands on my hips. I deliberately kept my gaze away from Elena and looked at Caroline, "Care, Matt is upstairs. I think his hand is broken, courtesy of Kol. Can you make sure that he gets to a hospital please?" When the blonde nodded, I swung my gaze to Stefan, "Next time, ask questions instead of making assumptions. With your recent track record, you are in no position to judge."

Before the younger Salvatore could open his mouth, I turned on my heel and took Damon's hand. He swung me up into his arms and we disappeared from the mansion

XXX

Esther stood in her study, a look of disappointment on her face as she looked at her second oldest son. Elijah stood before her, looking slightly frustrated. The Original Mother was not pleased at what she had heard. Esther knew that there had been a commotion, she had heard some of it from upstairs. But when Elijah reported back to her what happened, she was not pleased.

"No violence, that was all I asked," she shook her head. "Rebekah and Kol disgraced our family tonight."

"It won't happen again, mother," Elijah promised softly. "I'll deal with them."

Esther smiled gently at her son, resting her hand on his cheek, "Thank you, Elijah. I wish the others were more like you."

The noble Original glanced to the side as the door to the study opened. He nodded at his brother, the only one that was older than him. Esther drew his attention back to her by gently stroking his cheek.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you, mother?" he asked quietly, nodding when his mother confirmed that there wasn't. He bid the other occupants of the room farewell before going to tend to his siblings. It was his duty to pass on their mother's displeasure. And he would do that.

Finn waited until he could no longer hear Elijah's footsteps before asking, "Are we alright to speak freely?"

The witch nodded, gesturing to the sage that still gently burned, "Yes, the sage still burns."

Finn nodded before pulling the desk chair out for his mother. She smiled at him gratefully before taking a seat. A large sheet of parchment laid on the table, a pencil next to it. Esther picked up the pencil, and starting writing her children's names on the parchment in runes. Each name was spaced equally apart.

Finn was examining his mother's face carefully. He had seen her expression when she bid farewell to his brother. It was one of hesitation. And they couldn't afford any hesitations now.

"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" the oldest child asked, watching as his mother wrote his name.

"Of course not," Esther sighed, shaking her head. "It's just… Elijah. He's so moral."

"You're doing the right thing, mother," Finn spoke softly, resting his hand on his mother's shoulder as she stood up. The witch glanced over at him, a grateful look in her eye as she patted his hand. But there was a sadness to her expression.

"You understand what this means, don't you?" Esther asked softly, pulling a dagger from the drawer. "This spell I'm casting tonight will bind you all together as one."

Finn had a confident expression on his face as he nodded, "I understand. When it is time, I will be ready to die."

"Then we must complete the link," Esther nodded, gently grasping her son's hand. She held it out over the parchment, palm down, before she dragged the knife across it. Finn clenched his hand, encouraging more blood to drop.

Esther closed her eyes, chanting a spell that she had memorised for this very occasion. With every word that she spoke, the blood spread across the parchment. It started with one name, before moving to another. The blood formed the pattern of a tree, a twisted family tree.

Esther's voice trailed off and she looked down at the parchment, releasing her son's hand. She sighed, "The link is complete. You are one."

Finn nodded, watching as the parchment ignited, completing the spell. While he watched, Esther gathered the glass chalice that the doppelganger had given her blood to earlier. She had kept some behind when instructing the compelled serving staff to add it to the champagne toast. Elena hadn't known that she would. And it was a secret that she would keep.

"Do you have the other twin's blood?" Esther asked her son. Her voice jolted Finn from his trance and he lifted his gaze from the burning parchment. He nodded once, pulling a small, glass vial from his pocket. He had been careful to take it earlier, having followed the younger twin, waiting until she was alone.

Alexandria wouldn't know that her blood had been taken. And Esther could this plan a secret.

"What are you planning to do with it?" Finn asked, watching as his mother added the blood from the vial to the chalice. She stirred it together with the cleaned dagger.

"Right now, if one of the twin's dies, then the other can still carry on the bloodlines, producing more doppelgangers in the future," Esther replied, wiping the blood off of the dagger and placing it to the side. "On the off chance that my plan fails, then I need to make sure that that doesn't happen. That Niklaus cannot create any more hybrids." Esther held her hands over the chalice and chanted, the candles surrounding it flared up sharply before extinguishing. "Now, they are linked as one, much like you and your siblings. If one twin dies, then so shall the other. Thus ending the doppelganger line."

"You linked them?" Finn was dubious. This spell was different to the one that his mother had just performed. He knew that the younger twin had drank the tainted champagne. But there was no family tree. No requirement of familial blood.

"Their lives and their minds," the Original Witch confirmed, before glancing at her son. "The bond between twins is different to the one between siblings. It's stronger, one that I can manipulate. One that I can corrupt, if needed."

"But what about your manipulation of the younger twin?" Finn frowned, remembering what his mother had said about her pet projects on the other side. "Surely you need her alive to do what you want her to do?"

"I have someone else who can kill vampires for me," Esther shrugged, carefully placing the chalice in a cupboard, locking it after. "If Alexandria needs to die, then she will. I can replace her if I need to. Wiping out the doppelganger line is more important."

XXX

Damon took me back to the Boarding House. I had told him that I didn't want to go home. So he took me to his. I could feel my body humming with tension. Now that Matt was safe, I was truly letting my anger out. And there was a lot of anger. I was practically shaking with it. and I needed a release.

I could tell that Damon was just as frustrated. It was the tension in his shoulders, the way that he gripped my thighs just a bit too tight. He put me down in the parlour but I kept my arms around his shoulders.

When I refused to let go, Damon glanced down at me. I knew what could calm us both down, to ease those tensions in a way that didn't involve a disgusting amount of alcohol. And I wasn't really in the mood to deny myself any longer. I was desperate to get Damon's hands on me earlier in the evening. Now wasn't any different.

I tugged him down, pressing my lips against his. My vampire didn't need any more encouragement. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth before encouraging them open. He devoured my mouth as I clung onto his strong shoulders.

When he pulled away to let me breath, I held his head close and whispered, "Damon, fuck me."

"Alexa," he groaned into my mouth, and I could feel his hard cock against my leg.

"No being gentle. I want to feel every inch of you against me," I reached down to stroke him through his trousers. "Make me yours."

It was that that broke Damon's self-control.

The veins beneath his eyes rippled as he picked me up. In a blur, we were in his bedroom. I fumbled with the zip on the back of my dress as Damon sucked on my neck. He had gone straight for the sensitive spot under my ear, sucking on it hard as he batted my hands out of the way. He tugged the zip down before pushing my dress down. I quickly stepped out of it, kicking it to the side, leaving me in just my panties.

Damon had turned his attention to my breasts, kneading them in his hands. I let out a low moan as one finger snuck down to press against my sensitive nub through my panties. I muttered a low "fuck" before I started tugging on Damon's suit jacket. I pushed it to the floor before working on his waistcoat. When his finger slipped under my panties, I gave up on being careful. I just grabbed the edges of the waistcoat and ripped it open. I pushed it off and did the same with the shirt.

Damon's finger teasing my clit, pressing down and rubbing, keeping me guessing, had worked me up to the point where I just didn't care if I was ripping his clothes. If just want to feel his skin against mine.

"Someone's impatient," my vampire chuckled against my neck, his voice low and throaty.

"Just fucking strip already," I panted and Damon did as requested. His trousers and underwear joined the rest of his clothes on the floor. I went to push my panties down my legs, but before I could, I heard the sound of ripped. The lacy fabric disappeared across the room as Damon gripped my hips.

He lifted me from the ground, and I wrapped my legs around him. I gasped as his warm mouth sucked on my nipples, his fingers teasing the other. Alternating quickly. I could feel the tension in my body start to coil.

"Damon," I moaned as I felt him line up against my entrance. "Please. I need it."

Damon groaned against my skin as he thrust forward. The sudden stretch, the feeling of suddenly being so full, had my eyes rolling back. He gave me barely a second to catch my breath before he was pulling back again. He thrust forward again, his hands gripping my ass hard enough that my fingers would leave bruises. But I didn't care.

He thrusted hard, each movement dragging against me. I could feel every inch of him and I couldn't stop myself from moaning out his name. I didn't have to be quiet. So I moaned out my appreciation. I begged for more, asking that he didn't stop.

The wooden wall was cold against my back, his chest warm against mine. Every moment had his chest dragging against my nipples. My nails scratched down his back, as I panted his name. Damon shifted his hips slightly and my eyes rolled back. With every thrust, he hit that sensitive spot. It pushed me over the edge.

I shouted out his name, as my body trembled. I slumped forward in Damon's arms as he kept thrusting. I moaned against his skin as his movements kept my orgasm going. Every drag against that spot had my body twitching.

Damon's movements became erratic as I felt my body tensing with another orgasm. I felt his fangs scrap against my neck before sinking in. That sharp prick of pain had me falling over the edge for a second time. And this time, I took Damon with me. He moaned against my skin, his mouth full of my blood, as I clenched around him.

I felt blood drip down my skin, leaving a little trail over my breast, as Damon transferred us to the bed. His tongue followed the blood, flicking my sensitive nipple. I let out a gasp and I felt Damon start to harden again against my thigh.

"How long until you can do round 2?" he smirked, hovering over me. I smirked back lazily, wrapping him legs around his hips.

"Not long at all."

XXX

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, keep them coming please! I'm hoping to get to 500 by the end of the season and the 500th reviewer gets a treat of their choice :) friendly reminder to go vote in the poll, I'm very aware of how long this story is getting and knowing your thoughts on whether to split it into two or three different fics or keeping it in one is important (as I'll need to think of a new summary if I do split it!) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was a favorite of mine to write xoxo