Chapter 8

Elena woke up in a room she was unfamiliar with. Sun streamed through the guazy curtains and onto the exposed brick walls.

"You're up. Let me get Vincent, Miss Gilbert."

Elena observed the small woman leave the room without saying anything. She had no clue where she was but she felt as if she had the best sleep of her entire life.

"Elena. Thank the ancestors." The kind faced man smiled. "You were out for a couple hours. We were worried about you for a second there."

"Who is we?" She heard her child like voice sound off in her ears. Now that she was thinking about it she couldn't quite remember much of anything. Where should she be if she didn't recognize the room she was in. She watched the mans face scrunch into a frown.

"Marcel and I… you feelin ok?"

"I'm honestly not sure.." She watched him patiently wait for her to elaborate. "I-I don't"

"You don't what?" Another man said happily as he walked in confidently. She could tell he must be in charge.

"Who are you?" Elena blurted out not even sure how to say that delicately.

"What's going on here Vincent?"

"I'm not sure."

"I'm asking who you both are, you don't have to speak like I'm not here."

"You don't remember us Elena?" Vincent said gently as he placed a hand on her arm.

"No." She said getting more impatient. "If I'm being honest I don't remember anything I should. Where should I be? Who my parents are? I didn't realize right away because I felt so at ease but now that im coming to it all seems fuzzy."

"I'm Vincent, and this is Marcel. This is Marcel's house and you're in New Orleans."

"I'm a vampire."

"Yes…." Marcel said hesitantly as he and Vincent looked to each other. "So you-"

"Yes that seems to be the only thing I do know."

Marcel watched her delicate round eyes as she searched her mind.

"No wait. I know I have a brother too. I know that I'm safe." He watched her smiled to herself and couldn't help but stare in awe of how beautiful she was. Something had changed in her. She looked like every burden had been erased, lighter, happier, content.

"Alright there Einstein, you don't have to try and remember everything all at once." Marcel chuckled at how pleased she looked with herself.

"Well Marcel- sorry what's your last name?"

"Gerard." He smiled.

"Well Marcel Gerard what exactly happened to me?"

"You want the entire story?" He looked skeptical but she nodded for him to continue. "Well, the spark notes version is you came through –"

"The stones! I remember the stones.. I don't remember why or what came before that but I remember touching stones."

"Yes" he smiled "You didn't mean to come here but the stones pulled you through to here, to us" he waved over at Vincent who was sitting on the other side of the bed still observing Elena. "You weren't here long before you fell unconscious and that brings us to now."

"Ok…what about my life before I came here? Do you know anything about that?" She was on the edge of her seat like a child hearing a story for the first time.

"It wasn't the best, a lot of hardships from what we gathered."

"Wait Marcel." Vincent jumped up as they both looked to him. "Elena when you were under, the ancestors used you as a vessel to bring us a message. I think this has to do with that – and if I'm correct that could mean maybe you weren't suppose to know anything else. What if they wiped your mind clean for a reason. Now I'm not going to sit here and keep anything from you and if you want to know we will tell you everything but I think you should think about it first."

"What was the message?"

"Let fate play out."

"That's it?" Elena gawked.

"That's it."

They both sat in silence for a few moments waiting to see what Elena was going to say next as she thought quietly.

"Then let's let fate play out. If this was my fate to forget everything then ok. I'm not sure what I should be doing but I feel like I can breath again, even though I don't know why." She smiled easily at Marcel.

He chuckled. "My place is now yours."

Days had gone by. They were getting into a natural rhythm that Marcel really enjoyed, although he'd never admit it to anyone out loud. Vincent dropped in everyday to check on Elena or to take her to the Treme to explore the city and hang out with her new witch friends. He watched her laugh and live as if nothing was wrong and she was simply starting life from the beginning. They ate formal dinners, and beignets in the morning on the terrace and people watched. He almost forgot there was something coming, that there was a reason she was here to begin with.

"I'm going to the Treme to meet up with Lucy, don't wait up! She's teaching me how to make herbal elixirs today!" Elena shouted as she walked out the door.

"Be careful! Those witches will get you involved in messes you don't want to be in." He had found a kinship with the witches since Elena came to town but that didn't stop him from knowing the power they had. It almost felt like she was meant to bring them altogether. Surely they could feel it as well.

"No dinner tonight Jules, I'm going out." Marcel called to the maid as he grabbed his coat and opened the door.

"Where to?" Elijah smirked menacingly in the open doorway.

"Elijah."

"Marcel."

His hand jerked just so slightly as he tried to calm himself. He didn't want the originals knowing who was staying here or that this someone was even alive."

"Long time no see buddy." Marcel flashed him his cockiest smile.

"We thought you were dead."

"Yeah well you know what happens when you assume." He was still bitter. The family that left him. He was never a part of the always and forever this family loved to embody.

"Listen I come to you not to start problems but what comes out of your mouth after I ask you this question better be the truth Marcellus."

He cocked his eyebrow at that. "Whiskey?"

Marcel watched as Elijah sat down methodically.

"Klaus, he – well did you or anyone in your quarter have anything to do with an attack on my brother? In retaliation for any plans he may have made to come back here?"

"Still the same self-righteous vampires I knew you to be huh?" He couldn't help but scoff.

"Answer the question I asked you Marcellus."

"No. I haven't seen the likes of any of you since you left me to DIE when your big bad daddy came to town 100 years ago. Didn't think I'd ever see you again to be honest. Better things to do I guess."

"Listen, I know we haven't seen you as we assumed you were dead-"

"Key word assumed." Marcel added

Elijah ignored the childish remark and continued " But I'm in need of your assistance in accruing a witch."

"The big bad original can't muster one up himself?"

"When you're done acting like a child I will explain."

Marcel waved his hand for him to continue.

"From what information I gathered you run the quarter and as I'm coming to you for help I'm extending the curtesy of asking your permission to get help from your witches."

"They aren't my witches they can help whoever they please." He challenged. Had it been 2 weeks prior, Elijah was right, he would've ripped the heart out of anyone who challenged him and didn't extend the curtesy he was just being granted but things had changed. New Orleans was changing.

"From the information I got you were somewhat in control of the covens."

"Your information is wrong don't know what to tell you. However I can make some calls if I feel called to do so."

"Then let me leave you with this information Marcellus there was an attack on my brother which left him with no memories. He's wiped clean. All he knows is his name and his family and that he's a hybrid. You may not care now but whatever was powerful enough to do this to him may be a risk for us all."

Marcel's cold dead heart skipped a beat. "He lost his memory? When?" He tried his hardest to appear uninterested but he could tell Elijah could see it in his face he most certainly was interested.

"Almost a week ago."

"I can make a call to some friends. In the meantime though, where is Klaus?" Although he may have no memories he could still be a threat the Elena.

"He's at our compound by Rousseau's. Seemingly not burdened by his hatred for the world. It truly is nice to see, strange even."

"Well keep him there, I don't want any trouble. Regardless of his new change in personality he's still Klaus Mikaelson and there's a lot of people around here that don't even like the name spoken. I don't need any uprisings on my hands."

"Done."

"I'll be in touch." Marcel absentmindedly said as he went to work flipping through contacts in his phone.

"Oh and Marcellus?" He stopped and look up at Elijah who was guiltily looking down at the ground. "I do hope you'll make some time to catch up as well once we get this sorted. Contrary to what you may think, i'm glad to see you alive and well." He was so bitter all this time. His so called family left and never bothered to see if he was dead or alive and he hated that is was hard for him to admit that this was the moment he always hoped for. He took a sharp intake of breath before answering.

"That can be arranged." Marcel smiled as he watched Elijah walk out of the compound.