A/n (9/9/22): Hello, So this is writing practice fodder I had to get out of my system. An honest attempt was made to write a compelling one shot.
Title Credit: Faithless- The Airborne Toxic Event (might be worth a listen if you decide to read on)
Emiliya Petrova/Emily Mansell is casted by Crystal Reed in my head.
fate is faithless:
(Our fate is faithless/ it's floating weightless/ Looking for lost souls just like us/ we never had a choice but to give up)
"How can I help you?" Emily wondered absently. "My- my daughter," Isobel stumbled, struggling with her next words. "How- How is it that she looks exactly like your sister, Katerina?" All this doppelganger business dredged up less than pleasant memories for Emiliya Petrova. As much as she empathized with a mother wanting to protect her daughter, she wondered how much good it would do either of them to know of Niklaus. (To know of the horror that lay before them.)
Bulgaria, 1492
Brilliant sunlight shone through the window. Emiliya tentatively raised her fingers to it, crying out in shock and pain as they were immediately scorched. Her sister's words echoed in her head.
"The sun will burn you alive, we need to make haste! You will feed on blood if you wish to remain alive, to not starve… This is for the best, Emiliya, if we are going to survive."
"Katerina, I don't understand-"
"Now is not the time-"
Emilia's face crumpled in tears as she saw her bloodied mother upon her bed. Katerina had tried to warn her, forbid her from returning home, but she hadn't listened. It couldn't be true!
"Emiliya, come back!" her younger sister had shouted as Emilya ran to their parents, confused and addled. For all her words on how they must stay together, her sister let her go alone.
November, 2007
New Orleans
Emily Mansell (as she was known these days) wiped down the dark, shiny oak bar before her with a contemplative face. She would be able to close Roussous early tonight, she figured, as the final dregs of drunkards downed the last of their pints.
"Get home safe boys," she nodded with a wisp of her smile on her face. The bar flies in question, Marcel's lackeys (young and itching for a daylight ring), appreciatively eyed her up and down as they tossed down a generous tip of cash before her.
Emily had been a notable fixture at this bar for the past two decades, with the Deveroux family trusting the five hundred-year-old vampire to close down their beloved pub with little to no trouble.
The dusky-haired vampire observed from the fringes of her vision a lone woman sitting by the window, her white wine yet to be finished.
Pretty, new to town. A vampire, if her sedate heart rate was any indication.
"You finally have me alone," Emily provoked as she cleared the last of the dishes. That woman had been here every night this week, always alone, politely turning down any offered company.
"Emiliya Petrova," the woman enunciated carefully, her wooden chair scraping the floor as she stood up," My name is Isobel Flemming, I'm your-"
"I know who you are," Emily interrupted with honest surprise, turning abruptly to lock eyes with her most recent descendant.
So long ago now, in an attempt to bring her sister some small comfort, it had been Emily who had delivered Katerina's babe to distant family friends (her hand forced, it had also been she who had turned young Nadia into the very monster she was).
This wasn't the first time Emily had laid eyes on Isobel, having made it a priority to keep track of the family lineage. Still, she hadn't set eyes on the girl since her twelfth birthday.
She blinked puzzled eyes as she studied Isobel's features. She had Katherine's and Emily's coloring, although her dark hair appeared to be the exact shade as the elder Petrova sister. Her light eyes, a delicate gray-green, were lovely.
"How can I help you?" Emily wondered absently.
"My- my daughter," Isobel stumbled, struggling with her next words. "How- How is it that she looks exactly like your sister, Katerina?"'
Bulgaria, 1492
As night fell over her, she tried to return to her sister but was lost as to what direction to even start in. Katerina had been terrified and relieved when she found her, and unexpectedly cruel as she made her feed on her husband.
"He was an abusive brute, it wasn't as if he didn't deserve death," Katerina had said consolingly as Emilya cried over his still body.
The older Petrova sister struggled to make sense of her horrific last two days as she trudged her way to the nearby village, the pain in her gums excruciating, the burning in her throat raw and abraded.
Just outside the assorted mess of homes, a voice surprised her. "Miss, are you okay," a young man asked as he jumped neatly down from his horse and over to her pathetic figure.
Sweet-faced, he seemed about her age.
She could hear nothing but his beating heart and saw nothing but his pale neck. As his hand hesitantly touched her shoulder, his mouth opened in a scream that she didn't give him the chance to let escape. Her fangs were soon buried in his neck, her arms clutching him to her.
Once she bled him dry, some new instinct telling her that she made the most of her meal, she pulled back, falling to her knees and onto the dirt with the lifeless body.
"I'm sorry," she whispered wretchedly. "I'm sorry I'm sorry-"
"Don't be sorry," a stranger's voice suggested. She instantly looked up, the night sky and the moonlight working against her as tried to make out his features.
"Please, you must leave me," she pleaded, the hunger in her sated just enough to give him a warning.
He crouched on his knee right beside her, smiling kindly. Her gaze was wide as his light eyes bled into black and the veins on his striking face darkened and danced.
Bulgaria, 1492
The next morrow, his carriage advanced under the moonlight. Emiliya, now freshly bathed and her hair neatly combed, was dressed in a fresh cotton dress, green as the oak leaves that surrounded them.
Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help how her eyes kept darting over to her mysterious savior. He appeared to be asleep, his head lulled to the side.
How could a man whose beauty rivaled the angels be the same monster as her? He sported fair hair that was not prominent among her people (it fell in tousled curls to his shoulders) and when they were open, his eyes were a captivating azure blue.
She felt her face warm as he peaked an eye open and his lips twitched in amusement.
"Call me Nik," he had told her.
Bulgaria, 1492
He was some sort of nobleman, and everything about him, from his clothing to his retinue of men, dripped of wealth. That first night he found her, shaking in broken tears over her sister, he had offered to help find Katerina.
Unfortunately, his men weren't able to locate her younger sister.
"I insist you return with me to England, Emiliya, as you settle your bloodlust. This life is new to you, and you won't get far as you are now," he had insisted.
She was so tired. Her parents had been brutally slaughtered. She had fed on her sweet (if temperamental) husband, and she had spurned her own sister in a state of shock.
She agreed, dazzled by the kind, fellow monster.
New Orleans, 2007
Emily tossed her keys onto her kitchen counter as she entered her apartment. Small and charmingly untidy, any available walls had been dedicated to bookshelves that were overstuffed with weathered novels and nick nacks.
"Please, have a seat," she insisted as strode over to her balcony, carefully pulling the dark purple curtains closed. Isobel had yet to get her hands on a daylight ring.
When she turned around, the younger vampire had found a seat at the kitchen island.
Emily cleared her throat as walked past the thirty-something, sleekly dressed woman. "Thirsty?" She offered as she held up a blood bag. Isobel nodded, almost shyly, gently accepting the O-positive blood from her.
Emily stole a seat across from her, contemplating where to begin, wondering precisely how much to share. As much as she empathized with a mother wanting to protect her daughter, she wondered how much good it would do either of them to know of Niklaus. (To know of the horror that lay before them.)
Blinking away her thoughts, she realized that Isobel had been staring at her.
"I'm sorry, it's just that- You don't look much older than her, you can't be more than 20," Isobel said with a frown.
Emily smiled wryly. "I was 19 when I turned, and Katerina, 17. Does your daughter know where you are? You must've had her young, assuming she's a teenager-"
"I had her when I was fifteen and gave her to a family I knew would do right by her. I doubt she knows she's even adopted," Isobel reflected mournfully. "That's probably for the best, given my circumstances." The veins on her face darkened as she looked down at her blood bag.
Perhaps a warning was only fair. If Katerina could make her own way… (But at what cost?)
"Isobel, your daughter-"
"Elena."
Emily smiled dimly in acknowledgment. This doppelgänger business was dredging up less than pleasant memories. "Elena's a beautiful name- Isobel, I don't know how the doppelgängers came to be. I do know that if she isn't already, your daughter will soon find herself in awful danger."
Bulgaria, 1492
Emiliya's new diet disturbed her. Warm, bright, and deep red, the blood that flowed in others' veins was now what sustained her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," she said in a broken, weak voice. She sat on the dirt-embedded path, Nik's coachman head in her lap. His body was pale and still, his neck bloodied red. Emiliya had been festering in the carriage all day, a shield from the sun. As the coachman opened the door for her once night had fallen, she had fallen victim to her new hunger.
"That's enough, love," Nik said, suddenly crouched at her side, his grip gentle but firm as he pried her hands off the dead man who laid before her. "I wasn't all that fond of him- Rise with me."
"How do you live with it?" She asked bleakly as he helped her to her feet. "How do you make sense of the bloodthirst within you?"
Feeling his eyes on her, she lifted her gaze, comforted by his patient face.
"I was like you once, I found it difficult to reconcile the monster and the man… Emiliya, you are not a mere mortal anymore. You are stronger, better than the rest of them."
She frowned.
"I remember how difficult it is to reconcile the gift of time you have been granted." Her eyes darkened as he nimbly lifted her forearm, then pressed a feather-light kiss at her wrist. He smiled as he released her hand. "Your sister has granted you the gift of youth, good health, immortality- The price for these gifts may seem steep now, but I have no doubt you'll adapt."
Emiliya numbly nodded, unable to stray her gaze from his face. His lips curved, a light eyebrow briefly rising. She quickly looked away. "I- Thank you, Nik."
England, 1492
"Simply look into her eyes, and tell her not to be scared. To not run, that your bite will bring her pleasure if you're feeling kind- Go on now, love," Nik coaxed her.
They were just outside England, and he insisted that his men needed a break from their travels. And so, vampires crowded a lowly lit tavern, and Nik was teaching her the ways of compulsion.
Shyly, she followed his instructions, hugging the soft and floral-scented barmaid to her as she fed. She was sure how much time had spun by when the woman's heart began to dangerously slow.
"That's enough," Emiliya insisted in broken English as the barmaid insisted she continue. "Leave now," the newly turned vampire ordered, compulsion laced in her words.
"I think I'm improving," she turned, beaming at Nik, who was studying her with dark eyes. Her smile slowly fell away as she mouthed a silent "Oh."
His focused, heady gaze was intoxicating, leaving her breathless and wanting. "You're exquisite," he murmured as he neared her, their mouth's a breath away from each other. He bent his head, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. He paused, the dark of his blue eyes wide as he studied her face. She let out a staggered breath. He pressed another kiss just above her chin, this time allowing his tongue to dart out and taste the wet blood that stained her face.
This entire trip, the lightest of touches, the brief graze of his fingers dizzied her, his close presence winding her.
Now, he frowned as she remained frozen under his ministrations. "Forgive me, Emiliya, I misread-"
A frustrated noise sounded from the back of her throat as she stepped into him. "No, you haven't," she said in her native tongue. She raised her hands to grasp his face as she touched her lips to his. Sweet and careful to begin with, their chaste kiss quickly grew amorous and searching. His strong arms wrapped around her, one hand on her back as the other wove through her hair.
He pulled back, pressing rough kisses down her neck, and she surprised herself as her fangs descended.
He raised his head and angled it, using the hand in her hair to guide her head to the nook of his neck. "Have at it love," he encouraged enticingly.
May 2008
Mystic Falls
"...Emily? Isobel said she learned about the sacrifice ritual from you- That you're Katherine's sister, that you knew Klaus, that you wanted to help… Klaus, he- He killed her. Isobel. Or made her kill herself. Please, I need to know more about him, about the ritual, and I think you're my best chance. Please call me back."
Emily thought about the last time she was in Mystic Falls, back in 1964. Rumors that her sister had settled here had made their way to her, along with a flock of vampires who meant to make this town their home.
Her dearest friend, Alexia (Lexi) Branson (whose acquaintance she had made when she first journeyed over to the Americas), had accompanied her, looking to settle down.
By the time they had arrived, all those vampires had been massacred (Katherine included).
The gorgeous, raven-haired man who had shared this with her had been tortured by her sister's death. As she consoled him (under the guise of being Katherine's friend) she thought of the note slipped to her by Katherine Pierce's former handmaiden, the magical and clever Emily Bennett.
It seems we've missed each other again, my dear Emiliya. Do what you must to remain safe and well, sweet sister, and I shall do the same.
Emily had interpreted three truths from this simple note.
Katherine knew Emily was looking for her.
She wanted the world to believe she was dead.
She would seek Emily when she was ready, if at all.
She wished Damon safe travels and aided Lexi in rehabilitating the burgeoning ripper in their midst.
Once she left Mystic Falls, she didn't give the small town another thought.
Emily wasn't entirely surprised to see Lexi's killer and the ripper again (Stefan had been the one to tell her that Lexi had died, and Lee had told her the how and the who).
It occurred to Emiliya that it couldn't end well for Elena that both of Katerina's former lovers were besotted with her.
Emily wanted no part in this drama. She was content with her simple life in New Orleans. While there was the constant power struggle to weather between the factions (as sure as the land was bound to suffer hurricanes and floodings) it was her home. (Although, Jane-Ann Deveraux had hinted that the witches would be making a move soon and dethrone the vampires, namely Marcel. Perhaps it was best she stayed out of town as they sorted themselves out.)
And yet, Elena's voicemail played again in her mind.
Emily had a tradition with the Petrova lineage. She would check in on them, and ensure they were well. She had yet to do that with Elena, too put off by the Klaus of it all. With a suffering sigh, Emily already knew she would not leave town without conversing with the doppelgänger.
England, 1493
Her eyes focused on the book before her, Emiliya mouthed the words on the page as she read them. She may as well have been reading aloud. Giddy fulfillment filled her as she finished her book,
She closed the book and hugged it to her chest as she exited the study and made her way to Nik's private quarters down the long, drafty hallway, eventually finding her way to his private library where a guard stood post at the doorway.
The blonde, hard-eyed man shook his head at her as he was closing the door. "The Lord Niklaus wishes to be alone-"
"Let her in, Oliver," Nik commanded in a carrying voice.
Face devoid of emotion, Oliver let her through.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company," Nik smiled enticingly from his armchair, his arm reaching out for her as neared him.
Emiliya's lips curved up as she rolled her eyes, and she playfully batted his searching hand away from her skirts.
"Pay attention, Nik" she bid in her native tongue, handing him the book. "I finished it, finally! Merely months ago, the most I could make out were my mother's recipes, and now, another language."
"You're a quick learner," he admired as he lazily flipped through the pages.
When she had first arrived, he had caught her mournfully eyeing the books in his library. She sadly admitted to him that she didn't even have a decent comprehension of her written language.
"My father said women didn't have need for education… This didn't cease him from favoriting my sister, teaching her when she showed interest in the family history. She did attempt to teach me as well, but my father married me off, and my husband put a stop to her efforts."
Emiliya frowned as she told him, remembering all the attention her husband demanded of her. He had even loathed conceiving a babe, already envious of the time she would dedicate to the new life.
Nik's face had been incomprehensible as she told him, and he gave her her first reading lesson that evening. Nearly every night thereafter, he knocked on the door to her private room with the intent to further her education.
She didn't know what to make of him.
"Katerina," Emiliya had once gently scolded her younger sister as she tugged her dress low to better display her cleavage as she prepared to barter for their village trades.
"We are pretty girls, sweet sister," Katerina had said with twinkling eyes. "The sooner you use that to your advantage, all the better, Emi."
It did cross Emiliya's mind that she was benefitting from her fair looks as far as Nik's attentions went. It was the only way she could find reason in his ongoing kindness. Despite herself, she was hopelessly taken with him. He was far too charming for his own good. (Her free affection for him was devastatingly earnest, the monster in her pushing her to follow her instincts in ways she never would dare as a mortal.)
"And what was your favorite part?" he asked, blue eyes focused and genuine.
Blind desire consuming her, she took the book from him and placed it on the table, then took a seat on his lap.
He smiled curiously up at her, his eyes glittering in the firelight. She pressed her lips to his in a hungry kiss, her hands fisting his shirt as his practiced fingers slid up her skirts.
Mystic Falls, 2008
When she was sure the doppelgänger was alone (something she gathered was a rare occurrence), Emily knocked soundly at her front door.
Elena answered with a guarded smile. "Hello?"
So much like Katerina. "It's nice to finally meet you, Elena, I'm Emily… Emiliya Petrova."
Her mouth fell open.
"I would understand any hesitancy to invite me in, if you'd like we can speak outside-"
"No no," Elena rushed to say, warily sweeping her street with a glance. "Inside is okay, please come in Emily."
Emily nodded as she stepped inside.
"I was expecting a phone call," Elena said mildly as she closed the front door. "We can talk in the kitchen."
As they took their seats, a determined glint set in Elena's doe eyes. "I- I don't have much time for pleasantries. I've been dealing with- With your sister, who seemed to be set on making life hell. I thought Elijah could help, but that's no longer the case, and Isobel said you've met Klaus personally, you know what he looks like… Not that that's necessarily helpful, given he's stolen my history's teacher body," Elena shook her head. "I'm sorry, my head's everywhere, and I have so many questions. Isobel said you were the one to tell her my life was in danger- What exactly did you say to her?"
Emily took a moment to gather her thoughts. Katerina and Elijah were also in town, either subdued or laying low for the time being… as was Klaus. The thought of him being so nearby caused her muscles to tighten and tension to curl like barbed wire all over her body.
She took a deep breath, calming herself down. She had thought she was beyond these bewitched feelings.
She met Elena's eyes. "What do you know about the ceremony you are meant to be sacrificed for? About Klaus and Elijah?"
"I know about the sun and the moon curse," Elena began with a frown. "That I need be sacrificed to undo it, along with a werewolf and vampire. Katherine wanted to gift me and my friends to Klaus in exchange for her freedom. Elijah is also one of the original vampires and seems to be in league with Klaus. I- Please," the mortal said tiredly. "Tell me what you know."
Emily nodded thoughtfully. "You should know Klaus and Elijah are brothers." Elena's eyes widened, opening her mouth to speak, but the vampire kept up with her train of thought. "I'd tread lightly there if I was you, for all their spats, family matters most to them at the end of the day. It might also benefit you to know the sun and the moon curse isn't real, it was a clever rumor Klaus spun so that werewolves and vampires alike would do his work for him in seeking out the ingredients necessary to break his curse. I don't know the whole story, but Niklaus is essentially a hybrid- Part vampire and part wolf, only the werewolf is locked away within him," Emily admitted candidly.
Elena looked at her with wide eyes. "Did- did Klaus tell you all this? How exactly do you know him-"
"He took me in after I was turned and separated from Katherine," Emily admitted carefully. "He- It was Elijah who told me that he knew Katherine and his intentions for her… He was toying with me to spite her, in some way." Emily cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful-"
"Why did you come all this way?" Elena wondered.
"I've been keeping track of the Petrova line for the last few centuries, it's a habit of mine. With all the terror that happened with my sister repeating itself- I figured at the very least, I owed you a conversation." A beat passed. "If I may, where is Katherine?"
England, 1493
"Lord Klaus, a message from your brother," Nik's messenger, Gemma, said efficiently, then steadily made her way out of the room, her full hips swaying seductively as she made her way to the front door. Emiliya's eyes flickered up from her book, then back down, tempering a hissing, ugly monster just below the surface.
Nik paid her no mind as he read his brother's missive.
"You are aware it won't last?" the lovely Gemma had contemptuously informed her as she completed her chores one morning, tidying Emiliya's room. "For all that Lord Klaus is seemingly taken in by your pretty face, it won't last."
Emiliya blinked her eyes in tired surprise, surprised the lady maid had finally gathered the courage to speak her mind. The fair maid knew the vampiric nature of Klaus and his men, willingly allowing them to feed from her, and emphatically lived to serve their needs. (especially Nik.)
It had been Gemma's words that had finally provoked Emiliya to ask Nik if she should go her own way, not wanting him to feel she was taking advantage of him.
"Love, I have walked this world for over five hundred years, and am rather difficult to take advantage of. You are still here because I want you here."
Her mouth had fallen open at that admission, she hadn't realized he was quite so old.
"Your company pleases me, Emiliya, and I propose that we continue as we are. When that ceases to be… You and I can walk away at any time."
She was pulled from her thoughts, flinching at the sound rumbling crash, and looked to see that Nik had smited the stone wall with his fist.
"Nik," she cried out in concern, stepping out of her seat and over to him. He threw the parchment he had received into the fireplace, his back to her. "What is it?"
"My brother failed to track the thief I've been searching for. For someone so young… They're a conniving, resourceful little thing."
Emiliya frowned and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her chest in a hug. "I'm sorry he failed to locate them."
She loosened her grip as he spun around, his gaze unreadable. He pressed his lips to her hairline and gently tugged at a stray curl. "It's nothing for you to worry about, please continue with your reading," he assured her as he stepped out of the room.
Her affection for him overwhelmed her good sense at times.
Intuition (perhaps fear) told her to refrain from voicing her love for him. (Yet, Nik might possibly be the smartest man she knew. She wondered if her hugs, her caresses, her emphatic fondness of him and his brilliant mind spoke for itself.)
It was impossible to make Nik's acquaintance as she did, and not take notice that was not necessarily a "good" man, for all that he was unassuming and downright sweet with her.
In her shoes, how could anyone not fall helplessly in love with him? She didn't know him nearly as well as she wished, he was still a riddle in so many ways to her. She felt as if she was holding her breath, waiting for the day he stumbled along another pretty face that caught his eye, and decided to part ways with her.
She was certain she would not be the one to walk away from him.
Mystic Falls, 2008
When she was sure she would find Katherine alone, Emily made her way up to Alaric's apartment. Thoughts of betrayal, of abandonment, of hurt rose to the forefront of her mind. Over the past few years, it had become so easy for her to compartmentalize everything. Out of sight, out of mind.
Then she stepped into Mystic Falls.
Brushing aside her thoughts she opened the door.
Katherine was on the other side, her eyebrows raised in bewilderment.
"Katerina," she greeted lightly.
Katherine tossed her com hither curls over her shoulder, schooling her features so that they betrayed nothing. "Emiliya."
Emily hadn't seen her sister in over five hundred years. She had fallen in love with the man who kept her in hiding in fear all because she didn't want to die. A man who (for all their faults) had killed her beloved parents.
Brushing her thoughts aside, she studied her sister.
She adapted well to the 21st century, her haughty demeanor a stark difference from Elena's.
Realizing how they were effectively strangers pained Emily more than she expected.
"Elena told me where to find you."
Katherine rolled her eyes at the sound of her doppelganger's name. "This isn't how I unexpected we'd meet again, Emiliya."
Emily smiled sadly. "Me either… and I go by Emily Mansell these days."
A touch of fondness lit her sister's eyes. "I know you do- I always knew where to find you, Emi... And I imagine Klaus did as well. That's why I never reached out. It wasn't in my best interest."
"Oh." Stunned, Emily didn't know what to say. "I'm sure rumors spread- It's not what you think, Kat… I want to help get you out of here, but I'm not sure how-"
Katherine squared her shoulders, her face serious. "Klaus compelled me to stay here, but I have the means to work on my exit." A touch of satisfaction lit her sister's eyes. "I can take care of myself… I'll find you after Emiliya, I promise."
England, 1493
"You are to burn down your former home and your pathetic excuse of a village. Once you are done…" Klaus's smile was dreadful. "You are to rip your heart of your chest- Now, out of my sight."
"No- please!" the man pleaded as Nik's stone-faced men dragged him out of the room.
He managed to break free and fell at Emiliya's feet.
"Please my lady, I only wanted to help her-"
"Get him away from her," Nik snarled.
She looked at him with startled eyes, the man's wretched face still in her head.
"Everyone, clear the room."
The young vampire moved to leave with the small crowd-
"Except you, Emiliya."
With a still face, she turned toward him. His vengeful brutality was still new to her. She had never seen such a dark temper on him.
At this time, she was typically at the far end of the castle, enveloped in her studies. Perhaps that was why his doors had been left wide open as she sought him out. She had seen the brief startle on his face as she met eyes, as she was helpless as she stood by the doorway as he berated the man who had somehow wronged him.
"I- I wanted to thank you for the dress you bought me." She met his eyes, unable to break his stare.
His lips twisted sardonically. "Is that all?"
She felt his anger… At her. She wasn't sure what she had done wrong, her body still in terrible shock.
"Yes, that is all."
England, 1493
She shifted restlessly as she felt another weight on her mattress. An herbal, minty scent enveloped her senses. She pointedly turned to her other side, curling away from him.
"None of that, love," he murmured as he wrapped a strong arm around her, nuzzling his head into the crook of her shoulder.
God, she was pathetic, she thought as she relaxed instantly. More often than not, he had begun sharing her bed at night, making a disappearing act in the morning. For the past week, he hadn't sought her out. Figuring he was displeased with her, she gave him a wide birth.
She kept her back to him, her pride still bruised. She didn't know what had done to earn his ire. Was that how they were to come to an end, as she had feared, with him simply losing interest in her?
A strangled noise left his throat. "Emiliya," he said roughly, almost beseechingly. With how proud he was, she imagined this was the most she could expect as an apology.
She rolled over to face him, entwining her legs with his. "What demons haunt you Nik?" she murmured gently, eyes still closed as she cupped the back of his head, touching her forehead to his.
All throughout the ball, noblemen paraded their fine and rich daughters before Nik, and he had danced and indulged every one of them, content to leave Emiliya at the fringes of the party.
Nik's retinue all left her alone, and the only men bold enough to ask her to dance were brazen, mortal, wealthy nobles who must've thought she came from finer stock than she truly did. (Nik's velvet, red-wined dress cut a fine figure on her. She wore her dark curls loose, her dark eyes accentuated by coal.)
She smiled prettily as the man stepped away to gather her a drink, and sighed exasperatedly when he instead left the party entirely, having been compelled by Nik to not return to her and to leave the ball post haste.
Infuriated that Nik wanted to ensure there was no fun to be had for her, she strode past him in a huff.
"That was quite unnecessary Nik," she had scorned as she made her exit.
And now, in her bed, he remained quiet, prompting her to open her eyes.
His gaze was more vulnerable than she had ever known it to be, his features soft and admiring.
"I had not expected to enjoy you as much as I do," he began regretfully. "The little, helpless vampire I picked up on my travels… My sister is a plain fool for love and my brother is all too vulnerable for a pretty face- And here I am." His smile was rueful. "Drawn to your beauty, your thirst to learn, your open affection- A woman hasn't rendered me so foolish in centuries."
Emiliya stared at him with large eyes.
"How you gazed at me as I made an example of Willhem-" Nik frowned. "I'm a proper monster, Emiliya. It's my own fault, how much this fact comes as a surprise to you."
Discomfort shone in his eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to soothe him, this captivating, enigmatic monster.
"I'm terribly in love with you, Nik," she whispered. His heavy gaze stole her breath as she responded to his unspoken question. "I think you'll find there's little you can do to scare me away."
Doubt seemed to adorn the air.
She smiled sweetly at him. "Certainly, I'm not of your caliber, but I had thought I was on my way to becoming a proper monster as well."
Finally, his solemn face broke into a laugh, blue eyes tender and heartbroken.
Mystic Falls, 2008
"Elijah," Emily greeted lacklusterly as she exited the simple brick apartment complex.
He held her eyes. "With me, Emiliya."
She ticked an eyebrow at his lack of compulsion, taking a seat after he opened the sleek, black car door open for her. "Always the gentleman," she murmured. His lips raised at a hint of a smile in response.
"Where are we going?" she asked as he began driving.
"Unfortunately, the Salvatore boarding house. I'm told you're familiar?"
Emily nodded, assuming the brothers had put two and two together.
"What are you playing at, Emiliya? Enlightening Elena, conversing with Katherine, lurking about town-"
"Family business- You know all about that Elijah." It was almost imperceptible, how his muscles tightened. "I haven't seen my sister since she was turned, and I'll admit, I was curious about this Elena."
"What is your goal here?"
Emily relaxed against her headrest. "I prefer my sister leave this mess alive- And it's awful, this business with Elena, but she's not a priority of mine. She does seem to have a solid group of fighters in her corner and is no slouch herself, I've observed. She just might escape this alive." It was more than Katerina had had.
Elijah cast her a glance. "And Niklaus?"
Silence reigned as Emily struggled to find the words. "I haven't seen him since… Since I left."
"You're aware that he's here- You have yet to seek him… Do you fear him?"
Emily smiled sardonically. "Please."
He parked his car little ways down from a wide, spacious boarding house.
Elijah turned to meet her eyes. "What affection do you hold for my younger brother?"
Emily did her best to stamp down her words, to no avail. "I loved him once, and I miss him. It angers me how he holds my little sister captive- It's complicated, you might say." A complicated storm of self-loathing and pity crashed and thundered in her head.
Elijah's expression was implacable as his dark gaze burrowed into hers. He left the car running as he stepped out. "You are free to go, take the car if you wish."
England, 1494
A listlessness submerged Emiliya, making her nights dull and her hours tedious. Nik was still very much a bright spot during her waking hours, and she did her best to rise for air during their time together (for him, it was rarely a struggle.)
A fine layer of guilt weighed her down for not searching for her sister herself. While Nik had a wide array of men who he bid to keep an eye out for Katerina, shame had settled in for not doing more herself.
Selfishly, she longed for sunshine, to bask in it as she looked upon the sky. She had gone merely two years without that simple comfort, and couldn't fathom an eternity.
In these moments of weakness, she envied her little sister's strength. Precocious Katerina, whose bold actions and keen wisdom was beyond her years. It often seemed to Emiliya that Katerina had acted as the older sister and her the younger.
Nike had been gone for a fortnight on extended travels, and she didn't expect to see him for a few more days still.
She mournfully gazed at her window. She had forgotten to close the curtains, and now, a stream of warm light lit her room. Just a touch-
She gasped as her hand blistered, then blackened and burned, the air smelling of charred smoke.
She sucked in a deep breath, embracing the pain. Invigorated by it.
"Emiliya!" A familiar voice sharply reprimanded, pulling her out of the way. Nik tightly gripped her shoulders, holding her place in front of him. "What were you doing?"
A light seemed to be lit from within him, making his eyes bright and feverish. Terror and anger shone on his features.
Immense despair deflated her as tears made their way to her eyes. Her lips wobbled. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her legs collapsing from under her. Nik caught her, holding her to him, running his hand through her hair.
"It's alright," he reassured her, holding her right.
"I miss my sister," she said in a choked voice. "I miss the sun-" She hid her face in his shirt. "I don't know what to do with myself Nik. I knew what my life was before, and now…" She shook her head. "As much I want to be with you Nik- This castle, as grand as it is, is starting to feel confining- I think I'm ready to leave, to search for Katerina-"
His nails dug into her skin. He relaxed his grip immediately, staring down at her, eyes contemplative and lips severe.
Italy, 1494
The warmth of the sun was bliss on her skin. Around her neck, a delicate silver chain held a bright lapiz lazuli gemstone, encased in an oval pendant. Emiliya's hands propped her to sit up, her legs stretched out before her, and she enjoyed the open air. Nik lay beside her, arms crossed behind his head, his eyes closed.
They both lay upon a quilted blanket, surrounded in a quiet meadow, little ways from Nik's much more modest Italian home.
"Before you make your own way, accompany me to Florence," he had asked her over dinner one evening. "The city is ripe with imagination and fine art- Its advances in education outdo my pitiful collection-"
"I've only just mastered English, and absolutely no Italian," she had said in shock.
"So you shall learn," Nik had enthused. "I hold all confidence you'll pick it up quickly- Come with me, Emiliya. In the grand scheme of things, it'll be but a brief interlude before you set off to find your sister."
Nik's admiration of fellow artists had been a site to behold, his eyes aglow with child-like wonder.
"Why are you kind to me?" she now asked softly.
So much about him was still a mystery to her. She had been in no position to question him when he had first made her acquaintance, but now, she knew it was the oddest act of goodwill from him. As lovely as Nik was to her, even she had learned how far and between his acts of kindness were.
"Why do you love me?" he countered, eyes still shut.
Her lips curved as she run her fingers through his lazy curls. "You're beautiful, you're smart, you're sweet- How could I not, Nik? You're much too charming for your own good."
"Truth be told," he began, eyes still closed, "In the beginning, I saw myself in you."
She hummed in acknowledgment.
"Then, once you felt more at home in your own skin- You became one of the rare joys in my day. Being a vampire amplifies who we already are. You are quick to laugh, to smile, to be delighted… You've never asked for more than I was ready to give."
Mystic Falls, 2008
Emily walked through the outskirts of town, picturesque little homes on one side and a vast forest on the other. She was contemplating a case to make to Klaus, on Katerina's behalf, when she heard a growl.
She stilled and slowly turned to face the dark trees. No more than twelve feet from here were glowing yellow eyes. She could make out tawny brown fur in the moonlight. A werewolf.
She slowly stepped back, immediately prompting it to open its mouth in a furious snarl. It walked in a slow circle around her, and just as she gather the nerve to run-
A pained scream sounded from her lips. The wolf's teeth were wrapped around her thigh. She gasped as it released her, benignly surprised that it had settled for a surface wound rather than taking a chunk from her.
It howled proudly at the moon, then galloped back into the trees.
Italy, 1494
Emiliya studied the shelves of books in Nik's library, unsure what to read next when doors burst open.
A regal, handsome man with neat brown hair pulled back strode into the room.
"My apologies, I was expecting- Who might you be, Lady…"
Emiliya cleared her throat. "Petrova. Emiliya Petrova."
If possible, his eyes turned even more focused, more scrutinizing, as he traced over her face and body. "You- you're Katerina's sister-"
She lurched forward, grasping the shelf at her side. "You know my sister?" she breathed hopefully. "My apologies, sir, and what is your name?"
"Elijah Mikaelson."
Mystic Falls, 2008
Emily withered away in bed, her sheets stained in sweat and blood. The sun streamed through the window. Her body curled in the fetal position, crying, begging for relief. Any relief.
She had been under the impression the venom from a werewolf bite wasn't supposed to kill her so quickly.
"We shall run away together Emi," Katerina has tearfully pledged to her after their parents had tearfully announced her engagement.
"All will be well, Katerina," Emiliya had soothed as she combed her sister's curls.
Emily whimpered as the venom in her body ignited further.
"I love you Nik," she said brokenly, her face wet with tears. "Why- why did you do this-"
Emily moaned in relief as a cool, calloused hand was placed on her forehead.
"Enough of that, love," a familiar voice promised. Her eyes blinked open. Azure blue eyes, burnt gold hair.
"Nik?" she croaked.
He smiled fondly down at her. "Terribly sorry about this, sweetheart, the wolf- Your scent drove it insane." He soothed her hair back, murmuring, "You drove me insane."
She shook her head. "I don't understand-"
"Shh," he hushed gently. He relaxed against the bedrest and nimbly pulled her onto his lap, his arm wrapped around her. He took a bite of his wrist. "Drink, Emiliya," he ordered, leaving no room for argument.
England, 1494
Emiliya was making her way to her room after the most tense supper.
Nik and his brother were decidedly not happy to see each other, and she excused herself from the heavy atmosphere as soon as it was appropriate and busied herself with her novel.
Tired and yawning, she now made her way to her bedroom-
Emiliya bared her fangs as a hand gripped her forearm and pulled her into an alcove.
"Nik?" She asked as her fangs melted away.
"Emiliya," he breathed as he traced his nose along her exposed collarbone. His very person emanated the sweet smell of wine. Mayhaps too much wine.
His lips found hers in a desperate, demanding kiss. "Nik," she breathlessly attempted to scold as he nipped at her neck with blunt teeth. "Oh," she breathed as he lifted her, readily wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Emiliya," he teased, smiling against her ear as her head fell back and chest instinctually rose forward. "Here, with a perfectly good bed mere feet from us?" she asked even as she helped him to undo his pants.
He grinned against her neck, placing rough kisses upon her. A stifled moan escaped her as he sunk into her.
He hushed her quiet as he rocked into her. "You don't want the whole castle to hear us, do you?"
He pressed his wrist to her mouth, and her fangs descended as she took a bite.
Mystic Falls, 2008
She clung to him as she fed, her body slick with sweat, his skin blissfully cool against hers.
Once she was quite aware that she had had her fill she pulled away and fell against the bed, allowing her head to hit the pillow.
"Nik," she said simply.
"Emiliya."
Other than his shorn hair and modern clothes, he hadn't changed a bit. If anything, he looked painfully younger than the last time she saw him, and rather irradiantly smug.
"You broke your curse," she observed.
His smile grew ablaze. "That I did, my love."
She smiled tiredly. "I'm glad for you."
His gaze softened, and she benignly became aware that he was calmly running his fingers up and down her bare arm.
"You bit me," she tacked on thoughtfully.
"I missed you."
She smiled despite herself, snorting. "Good grief Nik."
His blue eyes melted into yellow as he peered down at her, his grin piercing.
England, 1494
Emiliya sat on a stone bench, the sky above her a bright blue clear.
Her thoughts were scattered and worried as fretted about Nik. He seemed forever tense these days, more temperamental against his men, against his brother.
And while their affections for each other were rarely chaste and demure, his carnal appetite had grown increasingly frequent, as did their blood sharing.
"My Emiliya," she had heard him groan possessively as she fed from him last night.
Mine, she had thought in return as he fed from her soon after.
Something was clearly on his mind, but he refused to share it with her.
Another presence in the gardens interrupted her thoughts.
"There were your sister's favorite gardens- When no one could find her, this was the first place I thought to look."
Emiliya turned and met the nobleman's eyes. Nik's brother, Elijah.
"My sister?" she asked in confusion as he sat beside her. What did he know of her sister?
He met her gaze. "Remember our words from the library," he ordered.
Emily blinked rapidly, lost memories unraveling themselves in her head. "How did you-"
"Has my brother ever subjected you to compulsion?"
She shook her head. "Never," she answered, wondering why the vampire before her had made her forget their conversation.
The lord Elijah's eyes were vindictively amused. "He goes and shames me for wanting to protect Katerina, vows that he'll make her pay for what she's done- Then goes and dallies with her older sister."
The first etching of horror blooms in her chest. "What are you speaking of?"
Mystic Falls, 2008
"Why so hasty to make your exit, love?"
"I didn't mean to stay even this long," she said pointedly, ticking an eyebrow at him.
"Mmm," he murmured. "And where is it you hang your hat these days, so to speak?"
They strolled calmly through the Mystic Falls woodlands, weaving through tangled, evergreen thickets and towering trees. All her ill-ease and anxiety seemed to be for naught, for the pair immediately fell into an effortless and pleasent camaraderie.
"New Orleans." Her lips curved up instinctually. "The past three decades… I kind of love it there."
"Oh?" A new shine took to his eyes. "I once resided in the Crescent City myself."
"Hmm?" she returned playfully, nudging his shoulder with hers. "Rumors say the abhorrent Klaus Mikaelson ruled over the city with terror and menace."
He eyed her fondly. "Something along those lines."
She felt her face warm and shyly cast her gaze to the floor. "I missed you too Nik." She toyed with her pendant. "And I have a favor to ask of you."
He didn't waste a beat."Let me guess- Will this favor involve Katerina?"
She boldly met his eyes. "Please Nik."
He rolled his eyes satirically towards the sky. "I suppose I can afford Katerina a head start." He smiled wryly.
The tension in her chest eased. "Thank you."
They spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the lands that used to be his home, with Klaus reminiscing about his family and ancient memories. She hoped her desperation to know more about him wasn't too plain to see.
Emily was stuck by him. The way he seemed more content in his skin. He unnecessarily took her hand as he helped her over a log, and it wouldn't be until their walk came to an end that he would let it go.
"Do you truly not hold a grudge against me, Emiliya?"
She shook his head, having already mulled over the words he posed to her long ago. "I hold very few grudges, Nik. My past is rife with mistakes, but those can't be helped now. I've made my peace with the fact that a long time ago, we brought each other precious comfort, and cruel intentions or not, you helped me through a particularly difficult part of my life- I'll always love you for that."
His grip on her hand had tightened. "Then why are you still leaving?"
"You are still working through your demons, Nik- And this includes the grudge you still hold against my sister and your plan to sire a hybrid army. To what end, you still have yet to share." She ceased walking, pulling him to her. His expression gave away his frustration as she wove her arms around his neck. "You'll know where to find me once you're done playing the part of the big bad wolf- If you'll still have me, of course."
Arousal tempered her agreeable as his dark eyes focused on hers, walking her backward until her back was balanced on tree bark. He sunk to his knees, his eyes never straying from her gaze as he rolled her skirt upwards. A whimper escaped her as he pressed wet kisses on the inside of her thighs.
"I plan on holding you to those words, sweet Emiliya."
England, 1944
The largest wall in her bedroom was cluttered by Nik's gorgeous paintings and sketches. She adored the focus in his eyes as he drew, how his shoulders relaxed, and she could almost imagine how he had been as a human.
Tears in her eyes and shame overfilling her heart, she tore them off the wall, shredding canvases and tearing fragile sketches to shreds.
"Emiliya," a voice at her door spoke softly.
She remained with her back to him. "Nik," she said hoarsely, a sob stuck in her throat.
"What did Elijah tell you-"
"You meant to sacrifice Katerina." She whirled around to face him, eyes burning. "She was but seventeen years old, she had managed to make her own way, without the comfort of our parents, and you lured her in like a lamb to slaughter- When you vowed to me that you would find her, it was because you sought her for yourself. It wasn't because I missed her, but because you wanted to see her punished for outwitting you." Her sister had nothing if not a tough spirit. Emiliya had always admired that about her.
His expression darkened. "He had no right-"
"What sort of game are you playing here Nik?" She asked beggingly, her vision blurry with tears. "The lengths you went to punish Katerina- You butchered our parents, you likely meant to do the same to me only… Katerina found me first," she said brokenly.
"The single redeeming act she's ever committed," he said assuredly, his eyes on hers.
"You knew from the start-"
"Emiliya Sokolov, formerly Petrova. Katerina's beloved older sister- She worried a great deal about you… And yet she abandoned you when you, in your newborn confusion, ran away from her."
A deeply buried pain stabbed at her heart. "No-"
"Daylight was soon approaching, she knew I was nearby. When making the decision to follow you, or seek escape from me, she chose herself-"
"You terrified her!" Emiliya shrieked. "She was young and horror-struck and newly turned herself!"
Nik's expression was undaunted. "I've made it certain that she knows where to find you, there's no feasible way she does not know, and where is she?"
Emiliya pressed her lips tightly together, shaking her head.
"I had you for nearly a year before realizing she wouldn't come for you, that she wouldn't dare."
She thought of his kind words, of his soft touches and needful kisses. The kind, beautiful stranger who housed the same monster… All those times she asked herself why. She had been a fool.
"When you realized I was useless," she bit out, "Why keep me?"
Nik stared at her with fierce eyes. "You know why."
A hysterical laugh escaped her. "You toyed with me, bedded me-" Tender memories rushed through her head. Some of the most incandescently happiest moments of her life happened with him, the man who would have her little sister killed. "Surely you must've had your fill of me, Nik, and you have no lack of beautiful women to warm your bed. To seduce into being the lovestruck fool-"
"You are no fool," he growled. "It was entirely a spiteful twist of irony that I found solace with the sister of the girl I meant to have sacrificed, and I'm a covetous man who didn't wish to part with you. It is as simple as that."
Emiliya took a deep breath, her head at war with her heart. Briefly absent of anger, she studied Nik's worn-down face. "Why did you mean to have Katerina sacrificed?"
She felt the last shreds of her morality fracture even more as he reached out a hand to her, and they crumbled away entirely as the most vivid sensations were placed in her head.
A cluster of beloved siblings. A doting, if unassertive mother. A violent, brash, abusive father.
The death of a little brother, the birth of new monsters. A wolf embedded in Nik's blood festering just under the skin, trapped and subject to endless turmoil. Over the centuries, a slow burn of feverish mania coursed through him, and it was all he could do to hold it at bay.
"Let her go, Nik," she whispered.
"An example must be made of her," he said, no room for compromise in his voice. "I won't fall prey to a weakness I shed long ago."
She nodded, a tear falling from her eye.
New Orleans, 2009
The air in New Orleans had turned smothering, to say the least.
She didn't know how, but Marcel had done what no vampire before accomplished and had effectively barred the witches from practicing their magic.
As for the why, rumors whispered of sacrificial magic known as the harvest.
"Your elders ordered the murders of teenagers?" Emily had asked Sophie Deveroux, very much taken aback.
Sophie was grim, her eyes cold as she nodded. "They were supposedly going to be revived." She downed the shot of whisky Emily had placed before her. "I thought it was all wives tale- But I have no choice but to believe it if I'm going to get my niece back."
Emily shook her head sadly, remaining silent. Witches' magic was very much beyond her.
She remained grateful that the Deveroux's still thought her friend and not foe, despite her vampire nature.
"It's quaint, I suppose," Katherine had sniffed proudly as Emily prepared a rather elaborate cocktail for her one evening. True to her word, her sister had sought her out.
The brunette vampire nodded in approval as she drank her violet bright drink. "Why are you so keen on this place, sister? Other than the nightlife, I mean."
Emily smiled in response. "I fell in love- A witch. Anthony Deveroux. He was a cook here." He had convinced her to stay in town here much longer than anticipated.
Katherine leaned back on her chair and arched an eyebrow. "So Klaus has competition- And where is this Anthony?"
"With the ancestors, I imagine." Emily's grin turned bitter. "Killed by a witch from another coven- An old girlfriend who wasn't so happy he took up with a vampire." The Deveroux's promised they would handle punishing their own, and that it would be best for Emily to stay out of the crossfire.
Katherine furrowed her eyebrows. "Why do you stay here?"
"It's home," Emily said simply with a helpless shrug. "For five hundred years, I was aimless and restless, in no small part because of you, and when I found my way here I felt… settled. For now, anyhow."
Her sister finished her drink and tapped her fingers impatiently on the bar. "'I'll grant her a head start," she repeated. "That was the best you could do?" Her tone was more exhausted than accusing.
"He let you go, Kat- I sincerely doubt capturing you is one of his priorities… It was the best I could do, and it's not exactly like I'm in favor with him at the moment."
The older vampire scoffed, her eyes dubious. "I know his sort, Emiliya. You've never been out of favor with him."
She couldn't stay with him now that she knew. (Could she?)
Her hand raised up before her, her fingers wrapped in the delicate chain that held her lovely lapiz lazuli pendant. She wanted to leave Nik absent of every gift he gave her, and all the better to travel lightly.
But this.
The long nights and the absence of sunlight had driven her to lunacy, and he had been quick to ease the pain.
"By my estimations, you're a smart girl." Her head rose ever so slightly as she met Elijah's eyes. "Keep the necklace, Emiliya."
She remained reserved as she lowered her hand. "Why did you tell me?"
A brief, thoughtful silence followed her query. "I was fond of your sister, and I found the means necessary so that she would survive the ritual. Niklaus thought I foolish for bothering."
She nodded.
"And then he fell enamored with you, a most curious thing."
Her heart twinged. "I love him," she said matter of factly.
"And yet you're leaving?"
"He means to have Katerina punished for her will to live… He left me no choice."
New Orleans, 2009
"Emily Mansell- You always did like a challenge Klaus."
Emily's breath caught. Masking her surprise, she tossed an unimpressed gaze up towards the sounds of the voices she heard. Towards Marcel and Klaus. They conversed on the roof of a building across the street from her, the stars gleaming up above them. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she looked away and kept walking.
She felt stupefied as she eventually made her way onto a busy street, her head in a thick fog, the world passing by in a blur around her.
The dreaded Klaus Mikaelson was in New Orleans. Nik was in New Orleans.
When did that happen? Why did that happen?
She swore her knees nearly gave away as she heard his honeyed voice. "My favorite girl standing at the heart of one of my favorite places in the world- And I only have myself to blame for not making my way here sooner."
Ever so slowly, she turned around.
A/n: If you made it this far, hope the story was entertaining enough to fill the time. On the off chance you're following my other fic, Strange Fate, it is still actively in the works. Well meaning critique is appreciated. I wasn't too concerned with keeping up with canon events, just used them as an outline.