Greetings, all! First of all, I apologize for the late update, but there was a test that I had to study for, which I couldn't fail, so all of my focus went to that. And I managed to get everything sorted, so I decided to give you guys another chapter as soon as I was done with the test, so here it is. Since I'll be posting it today, there won't be an update on Wednesday, so expect for updates to continue to be on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Today is a special occasion, since you were all very supportive and patient with me.
Now, to respond to those lovely reviews you all left behind that I love reading:
-xenocanaan: I agree, vampires getting emotional is never good and blinds them, especially since their emotions are heightened. I like to think that while Originals have better control, they can still have their moments when strong emotions surface. Well, I don't want to spoil Gwen's involvement in all of this, but it's not gonna be a fun ride for her. And while June doesn't make a heroic entrance in this chapter, she does appear!
-Love . Fiction . 2020: Thank you, love!
-GreenLilly: Thank you! And yes, I want Rebekah to have a friend, since she never really had one in the show, you know. She never had that one person she felt comfortable enough to trust, so here enters Gwen. And yeah, Damon and Stefan being snitches will complicate things. And this is Mikael we're talking about...I'll leave it at that.
-Undercoverlikeaspy: I am so happy that you do and will continue to love it even more! And we haven't even gotten to meeting the other Mikaelsons, so this makes me very happy, since I was worried that the whole introduction into the story was taking too long.
-PrincessMagic: I am so glad you liked it, and I will be trying to show more flashbacks like that. I find it a bit difficult, but I like showing the past, it's so good to work with. And the bond between Gwen and Rebekah will continue to grow, so look forward to that!
-littlemissy3982: I am so glad you like my story! And you're onto something, since Gwen is a person who was raised by him and she has mentioned that she's biased because of that, so she's very aware of herself.
-jgood27: Very happy you love it and here is another chapter for you to read!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Vampire Diaries and claim no ownership over anything pertaining to it.
different people
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Colorado Springs, Colorado
11 years ago
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A mess of dark brown curls on the head of a child of five bounced on her back as she ran down a staircase. She wore light denim overalls over a mint green T-shirt with a necklace she always wore around her neck that she rarely took off. Her hazel-green eyes that were bright with glee matched the broad smile that decorated her pink lips. The small girl panted with excitement as she passed through the back door of the grand and beautiful two-story home surrounded by trees and was nestled near Cheyenne Mountain and 'far away from it all'.
Once she was out on the terrace, the small girl's bare feet met cool stone as she enjoyed how sunny the day was with fluffy clouds dancing in the blue sky as a cool breeze ruffled her tresses. And the spectacular view of nature around the property never failed to mesmerize her.
Having taken in her surroundings, the girl's eyes focused on the back of a man who was painting in the middle of the backyard with a small table beside the canvas with a variety of paint colors and brushes on display. The little girl giggled as she ran toward the man, the grass tickling the skin beneath her feet. And before she could ram herself against his legs, the blond man placed the brush he had been using on the table and turned around with his arms open to catch the squealing child that he hoisted her up in the air before placing her on his hip, prompting her to wrap her arms around his neck.
"There she is. The birthday girl," Klaus chuckled, keeping his arms coiled around her small body. "I was wondering when Sleeping Beauty would awaken from her slumber to celebrate her special day with me."
"Good morning," little Gwen greeted.
Klaus hummed as he raised an eyebrow, "Good afternoon, you mean." He exhaled while shaking his head. "I should have known better than to give you chocolate ice cream before bedtime." He smiled as he recalled the night before with fondness. Even though it was a struggle to get the girl to sleep after giving into her big eyes that pleaded for him to let her have some of the frozen sweet, he couldn't deny that he had fun. Even so, he should have known better than to give a child so much sugar before bed.
"Only because you wanted to," she justified, her eyes shining with fake sheepishness.
"Oh, I know," said Klaus, grinning at the child. It amazed him how he was an immortal being with incredible strength and healing abilities, but he was exhausted and his back was still sore after having fallen asleep sitting on the floor against Gwen's bed while reading The Princess Bride, a book and movie she was now obsessed with, which was his own fault for having introduced her to them on her last birthday. "I had to live with that decision," he added.
Gwen looked at the canvas and smiled at the image of a field of lily flowers under a clear, blue sky. "It's pretty."
"I'm relieved," Klaus sighed with a dramatic sigh of relief as he glanced at his painting before returning his attention to Gwen. "So, do you like it?"
"Very much!" The small girl smiled at Klaus, asking, "For my birthday?"
He nodded before he hummed with a smile, "It is. I hope it's to your liking."
The little girl hummed in agreement, her curls bouncing around her face. "I love it."
"I know it's your favorite flower," he told her. "And it's not the only gift I have for you on this very special day." This elicited a pleasant gasp from her that had him smiling wide in response.
Gwen gave Klaus a brilliant grin that matched his dimpled one before she asked, "Really?"
Klaus chuckled at the absolute wonder he saw in her eyes, nodding as he said, "Really."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Well," he began, turning around to go back to the terrace. "The painting was done on a whim, an extra present if you will. This other one, I made myself from the heart."
"I want to see it," Gwen squealed with excitement as he walked them over to a dark brown couch with white cushions and an armchair on either side of the couch with a coffee table in between the three pieces of furniture.
Klaus sat down on the cushioned couch, readjusting Gwen to have her sit on his lap facing forward. He reached for a long, velvet box in red that sat on the coffee table and had a white bow wrapped around it. "Here we are," he breathed as he presented the gift to Gwen, which she took. He placed his chin on her head, grinning as he watched her carefully remove the bow since he found it amusing how she disliked tearing open gift boxes without care–unlike most children. "Happy birthday, princess."
Gwen dropped the white ribbon on the coffee table before her dainty hands opened the velvet box, the contents inside causing her eyes to widen in delight as she placed the box on her lap to reach for the piece of jewelry. She loved the charm of a silver wolf that hung from the silver chain, so she quickly fastened the bracelet around her wrist, finding that it was a bit too big, but that didn't matter to her. She turned her head to look up at Klaus with a toothy smile. "I love it!"
"Good," Klaus said as he cuddled her close to his chest, elated that she adored her present. "If you ever feel lonely, you only need to hold this close to your heart and I will be there," he said as he touched the wolf charm. "This wolf will watch over you until I am by your side, protecting you in my place."
Gwen looked up at Klaus and smiled, and he would be a bloody liar if he said that it didn't melt his heart. It made him so happy to have someone who loved him unconditionally, if only for some time. He wasn't one to delude himself into believing that this moment would last as it was forever since she would grow up learning many things about him that she would probably condemn him for. He would treasure whatever time he had with her, also knowing that his time with her was limited, for he was immortal, and she was not. Turning her into a vampire wasn't an option, since faeries were unable to be anything else, and oh how he wished he would not have to suffer her passing, but that was inevitable.
Still, he made a promise–to have her live a long and happy life–and he intended to keep it.
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Mystic Fall, Virginia
Present Day
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Gwen frowned at Rebekah from where she sat on the edge of her bed. She placed a cup of vanilla tea that the blonde had brought her on the bedside table, having only drunk half the contents. She was unable to finish it due to the words that had just left the Original vampire's mouth. "You're not serious," the half-fae huffed.
It was only the day after Rebekah told Gwen about what had happened to the Original witch, how it was not Mikael but Klaus who killed the matriarch of the Original family. The halfling had stayed up all night next to Rebekah on the blonde's bed, having found it difficult to succumb to slumber when her mind was too jumbled for her to even get an hour of sleep, and she had also wanted to watch over her friend who had cried herself to sleep as she agonized over the truth of her mother's death.
The exhaustion the young hybrid felt didn't help when it clashed with her current annoyance at what Rebekah had told her she talked about with Damon, Stefan, and Elena. They asked to speak to the Original around an hour ago after they arrived at the house at dusk. Gwen was irked for having been excluded, but it was mostly because she didn't want to leave Rebekah alone, not when she was so vulnerable. Still, she trusted her friend when she assured the halfling that she would be fine.
Gwen took a deep breath to calm herself before exhaling, "Tell me that you're joking, Bekah."
Rebekah sighed as she stared down at Gwen, her eyes blank and her shoulders sagged in defeat. "I am not jesting, pet."
"You do know that they're using you, right?" Gwen asked as she stood up to stand in front of the centuries-old vampire. "You're talking about helping them kill Nik." Speaking such words left a bad taste in her mouth as if she had chewed and swallowed copper.
Rolling her eyes, Rebekah said, "It's less than he deserves."
"This is Mikael we're talking about, Rebekah!" Gwen exclaimed, now growing fearful at the thought of such a monster being anywhere near Klaus. She didn't think that he'd be in town, let alone working with the supernatural residents of Mystic Falls. "Are you thinking this through?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "What makes you think Mikael won't hurt you in his pursuit of Nik?"
"It doesn't matter!" Rebekah exclaimed in return, now regretting having told Gwen about the plan to kill Klaus. She knew she should have expected such a response from the hybrid.
"Rebekah," Gwen began, her brows furrowed.
"Even if it is just a minor inconvenience," Rebekah began as she took a deep breath to calm herself as her anger began to grow once more, "I will direct my fury at him and make him feel just as I do. He ripped my heart from my chest, just like he did to my mother." She bit her lower lip to keep her voice from trembling. All she wanted was to hurt her brother and loom over him as he had done to her for almost her entire immortal life. And if that required her risking her life by assisting her father, then so be it. It wouldn't be the first time she had to resort to such means. "Even if it is for a small moment, I will take that chance."
"They're still using you as the gun and Mikael as the bullet so that they can pull the trigger." Gwen scoffed as she combed her shaky fingers through her soft tresses due to frustration and anxiety, now coming to terms with the news she received moments ago. "This has nothing to do with whatever justice you want to get for your mother."
"It has everything to do with the fact that my bastard brother killed my mother," Rebekah argued, her eyes narrowing, but that did little to intimidate Gwen, given who she had been raised by.
"They don't care about you or what happened to your family, but I do," Gwen pushed further, wanting to make Rebekah see reason and not be taken advantage of in such a disgusting way. "I may not understand what you're going through." She gave Rebekah a sorrowful smile. "I can't even imagine the pain you must be feeling, but you have to think this through. They're not doing this to help you. Given the chance, they'll discard you the moment you're no longer useful."
Rebekah raised an eyebrow at Gwen. "Please," she snorted. "You don't care about how I feel. You only want to protect him, much like Elijah."
"I'm not going to be a hypocrite by denying that, because I don't want Nik to die, but I do care about you, so make no mistake about that," Gwen said bluntly, which had Rebekah frowning since she expected the half-fae to refute her claims, not agree with them. "As I said, I can't imagine what you must be feeling, but these people for sure do not care about you or how this all affects you. They're only going to look out for themselves, no matter what happens to anyone else. How is that fair?"
Oh, how the conflict was growing within Rebekah the more she talked to Gwen, but she wanted to remain firm in her decision. "It wasn't fair for Klaus to kill my mother."
"Please, don't do this. I know this isn't what you want to do, Bekah." Gwen took Rebekah's hands in a tight but comforting grip, her chocolate eyes never straying from staying locked on the vampire's blue orbs. "You're acting on anger, and that is something no one should do," she paused as she shook her head to clear her vision that swam a bit for some reason unknown to her. "They want to kill your brother," she said, speaking the words slowly and carefully for the blonde to fully understand what she was getting herself into with the group of supernatural beings of Mystic Falls, hoping that Rebekah would not be swept by her well-placed fury. "They want to kill him. Do you really want that?" she asked once more. "Do you want to help your ass of a father, the same man who abused you and your family for almost your entire human lives?"
The thousand-year-old vampire was suddenly assaulted by memories of her time with her brothers, wishing they would stay in the back of her mind, but she had no control over it. She felt water begin to gather in her eyes as she recalled her time as a little girl playing with her siblings in the forest so long ago, enjoying her time with each one of them. Finn was her oldest brother and tended to keep an eye on her, reprimanding her when needed. Elijah was always tender with her, building her up but keeping her grounded. Kol always protected her from anything and everything, always standing by her, even when she didn't do the same for him. Her darling Henrik was her little warrior as well as her confidant and loved spending time with her. And then there was Klaus, her once gentle brother who took her on strolls and struggled to shield her from any harm, which was why it destroyed her in such a colossal way to know that he was the one who killed her mother.
"I've suffered for a thousand years at the hands of my brother, be it out of fear and out of my own choice for stupidly remaining by his side," said Rebekah, shaking her head. "But he killed my mother."
With a heavy sigh, Gwen said, "Then, shouldn't it be you who determines how Nik should be punished?" She tightened her grip on Rebekah's hands and gave the vampire a pleading look. "Please, Bekah. You and I can get through this somehow where we don't need to help these people."
Rebekah's eyes fell to the floor, becoming more and more confused with what she wanted to do. On one hand, she only held contempt for her brother for taking her mother and lying about it for over a thousand years. Yes, her father was a brute and filled with so much hatred that it frightened her, but Klaus still killed her mother. And even though she had not been the best mother, she was still her mother, the woman who loved and comforted her. On the other hand, she still loved her brother and the good memories she had with him made her so happy. Even after their relationship became a muddled and toxic mess throughout the centuries, she still loved her brother above all the hurt they had caused one another.
"Bekah, please," Gwen pleaded.
The Original exhaled heavily with her eyes closed for a moment as she steeled her resolve before looking up at Gwen with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," muttered Rebekah, shaking her head as her chest began to burn with anger at the thought of Klaus, her head conjuring up images of Klaus ripping her mother's heart from her chest. "I really am, Weny."
Gwen frowned, letting go of Rebekah's hands to place one of her own on her head when she became dizzy. "What?"
"I think you shouldn't be involved in this. You have my word that I won't let anything happen to you," Rebekah said as she walked by Gwen and went over to the nightstand to grab the younger girl's phone before pocketing it in her pants' pocket.
"Wait," Gwen mumbled as she frowned when she swayed a bit, her feet becoming like jelly, which had her placing a hand on the wall to steady herself. Her narrowed eyes locked with Rebekah's and found regret displayed in them. "What did you do?" she gasped as her body began to get heavy. She looked at the cup she left on the nightstand before frowning at the blonde vampire. "What did you do?"
"I just needed to make sure that you wouldn't interfere," Rebekah explained as she approached the half-fae. "I know you would do anything for my brother, but that could get you killed."
"Bekah," Gwen groaned as her vision turned black.
Rebekah was quick to grab the unconscious hybrid before the limp body hit the floor. She sighed as she gathered Gwen in her arms before placing the sleeping body on the bed, making sure the teenaged girl was in a comfortable position. The blonde stared down at the halfling with worry and listened for the soothing rhythm of the girl's heartbeat, making sure that she didn't overdo it with the number of sleeping pills she grinded and incorporated in the tea she gave to Gwen earlier. It pained her having to resort to such methods with Gwen, but she didn't think that there would be any other way to ensure that the young hybrid would stay out of way and out of harm.
The Original had to admit that she admired the teenage girl's pure heart and sincere want to help, but what Rebekah wanted to do was something that would cause her newfound friend pain, given that she intended to make Klaus pay for what he did to their mother. It wasn't easy, playing a hand in what would be her brother's death, but she found that it was necessary. Her heart squeezed at the thought of her brother being dead and no longer a part of her life, her thoughts screaming at her that it was all wrong, but her anger was too great to rein in.
The last favor she would do for her brother was to ensure that Gwen wouldn't be harmed and would not be mixed up in what the Salvatore brothers and Elena planned to do. Somehow–in the short time they spent together–Rebekah found herself endeared to the faerie-human hybrid, something that surprised her. The vampire found such innocence in Gwen's eyes, an innocence that allowed the young girl to embrace life, no matter how harsh and cruel it was. And Rebekah found she envied that since it reminded her of her own self long before her father drove a sword through her heart.
Leaving Gwen's room, Rebekah made her way down the stairs to meet up with Damon, Stefan, and Elena in the library, finding them standing around the lit fireplace to ward off the night's chilly air.
"I take it Thumbelina isn't on board with the plan?" was Damon's greeting for Rebekah when she entered the room, taking a sip of his bourbon. He used his enhanced hearing to listen in on Rebekah and Gwen's conversation, needing to stay alert for any signs of betrayal.
Rebekah's face was blank, not at all happy to be spending unnecessary time with the young vampires and the doppelgänger she detested with a passion. "You leave Gwen to me." She purposely ignored the body lying on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace, feeling her undead heart skip a beat before it became still, her body becoming rigid at being in the presence of the man she abhorred. And it was seeing his desiccated body with a dagger in his chest that had her realizing what she was doing as Gwen's words registered in her mind, but she shook her head to keep herself from thinking too much. "So, don't concern yourself with her."
"You know," Damon began with a lopsided grin, "having her and knowing she is a potential weakness of the immortal asshole gives us a distinct advantage here that we could use."
Before Damon knew what happened, the glass of bourbon in his hand disappeared before it was slammed against his head, causing shards to cut into his skin as he yelped in pain from the burning and pulsing wounds that the blonde vampire caused. He lifted a hand to his bleeding face, managing to open his left eye that was now bloodshot to meet Rebekah's piercing glare as she stood a foot away from him.
"Damon!" Elena breathed as she raced to his side with her brows furrowed in concern, inspecting his cuts that were slowly healing.
"What the hell?" Damon hissed when Elena pulled a shard of glass from his head, letting it drop to the floor with many others before working to remove any other pieces of glass.
Stefan chuckled at the spectacle as he took a seat on an armchair. "That was fun to watch and oddly satisfying."
"I'm only going to say this once, so pay rapt attention, my darlings," Rebekah began with finality to her voice. "Gwen is to have no part in any of this. If I find any of you going anywhere near her, I will skin you and hung you up to dry." Her gaze shifted between Damon and Elena, not bothering to threaten Stefan, given that he was compelled to also protect Gwen. "Am I understood, or is a demonstration needed?"
Damon shared a look with Elena before nodding at Rebekah. "I was only joking. We're sticking to the plan," he sighed with a groan when Elena ran a thumb over one of his cuts that sealed up. Mikael had previously agreed with him to use Gwen as bait to bring Klaus back into town, but it had too many risks since they wouldn't know how Klaus would react and they needed him to be as predictable as they could get him. "No one goes near Klaus' little helper."
"Good," said Rebekah, stepping away from Damon to stand behind the armchair Stefan was occupying, needing to be as far away from her father as possible.
"All right," Damon exhaled heavily as he wiped away the blood from his face with the long sleeve of his shirt. "Let's get started." He then directed a pointed look at his younger brother. "You're up, Stef."
Stefan took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose before he reached into the pocket of his jeans and fished out his phone. He looked at the screen and swiped his finger on it a few times before placing it to his ear, leaning forward to place his other arm on his knee.
"Portland is fantastic," Klaus' accented voice greeted Stefan after a few rings. "Once you get over all the whiny music and healthy-looking people, it is literally a breeding ground for werewolves."
"Your father is dead," Stefan said in return as his eyes focused on the prone body of the Original on the floor some feet in front of him, deciding to be blunt and get right to the point. He could tell that his words caused Klaus to falter by a hitch he heard through the line.
"What did you say to me?" Klaus asked, his voice dropping into a whisper as if all air had left him. All the immortal hybrid could think about was if Gwen and Rebekah were all right, which had him feeling anxious.
"Oh, my mistake," Stefan sighed. "Not your actual father and not dead." He cleared his throat. "Mikael. Daggered." He paused as he waited for Klaus' reaction but was only met with silence, so he continued. "What do you want me to do with the body?"
Klaus huffed, "Well, first, I want you to explain to me exactly what happened."
Stefan took a quick moment to recall the story he fabricated an hour earlier with Damon and Elena, thinking about every detail they came up with for any sort of question Klaus could throw his way to ensure that he was telling the truth. "Well," he began with a steady voice, "he suddenly showed up in town with the thought that he could use Elena and Gwen to lure you back into town. And, since you asked me to protect them, I had no choice but to risk my life to stop him." Having a bit of attitude was not difficult without his humanity, which helped sell the story. "Damon was with me, so we tried to subdue him."
Klaus's eyes narrowed. "It's a miracle you're both alive."
"He had a dagger on him, so we used that," Stefan explained, keeping himself from answering too quickly. "It was pure luck. It's all still a bit of a blur."
"And Gwen?" asked Klaus.
"She's fine," Stefan responded. "She got a little banged up during the struggle, so Rebekah got her to rest a bit."
"I want to see him," Klaus growled at the thought of Mikael harming Gwen or his sister. "I want to see his rotting body for myself."
"Well, he's here." Stefan heaved himself up from the armchair to stand next to Mikael's body to stare down at him. "Come by whenever," he added nonchalantly.
"If you are lying to me, Stefan, your compulsion will expose you. So, answer with your life," Klaus said with a dangerous edge to his voice. The thought of being fooled made him furious, especially when it came to the possibility of his father being dead, which was something he had dreamed of since before his transformation into an immortal. "Is what you are saying the truth?"
Stefan remembered how they all staged the supposed struggle with Mikael, needing it to have happened so that he would be able to claim it did occur. "It's true." He glanced up at Elena who now stood next to him, having watched her dagger Mikael. "I saw it with my own eyes."
"I want to talk with Rebekah," Klaus demanded.
"That's not a problem." Even though he couldn't be seen, he still shrugged as he looked to the female Original. "She's right here." He walked over to a tense Rebekah and handed his phone over to her.
Rebekah took a steadying breath as she looked down at the phone in her hands before placing it to her ear. "Hello, Nik."
"Rebekah, love," Klaus greeted her, and his voice only served to anger his sister as thoughts of her mother came to the forefront of her mind. "Are you and Gwen all right?"
"I arrived when it was all over," Rebekah answered. "The little pet had been choked and had a nasty gash on her head, so I forced her to rest a few moments ago with a bit of help of a sleeping pill to get her to settle down." She found it was better to lie to her brother with the truth. "She's quite stubborn, like you."
"Of course, she is," Klaus chuckled, imagining Gwen refusing to lie down and promising that she was all right, all to keep others from worrying about her. His laughter died as he asked, "And what's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run-in with a dagger?"
"It's true." Rebekah bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from succumbing to her rage, taking a step closer to Mikael's body. It amazed her how she was still frightened of the man who raised her, even though he had a dagger in his chest that kept him in a forced sleep with no possibility of being able to wake up as long as the small weapon was in his heart. "He's finally out of our lives for good," she sighed, hearing Klaus do the same on the other end of the line. Oh, and how she wished that her words were true, which would have made her life better once upon a time. "I miss you, and so does Gwen." She cleared her voice. "We're quite miserable here."
"I'll be home soon," Klaus assured his sister.
"Good," Rebekah sighed. "I'll see you then, brother." She hung up the phone and gave it back to Stefan. "He bought it," she told the two vampires and teenage girl who were staring at her with trepidation in their eyes. "He's coming home." Her reassurance was enough to allow everyone to release a breath they had been holding back.
Rebekah gave Mikael's body one last look and left to return to her room for a restless night, not wanting to spend another moment near him when she wasn't ready to face him.
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Chicago, Illinois
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A groan full of annoyance left Juniper as she looked around what had once been a clean bookstore with her long hair of brown tresses gathered in a high ponytail, wearing an old white T-shirt that was a little too big on her, which she paired with denim shorts and flip-flops. She was already grumpy when she came into the store from having woken up earlier than she usually did to get an early start on fixing the place that was a mess of broken decorations and books littering the floor.
The witch had been so happy when she received the call the night before that told her that she was allowed to enter the store after the police had taken their sweet time acquiring any and every evidence they could get their hands on to be able to apprehend the culprits. Still, she already felt exhausted just looking at the store that was left in disarray.
Juniper found relief that the safes she had in her office were still hidden and untouched with the help of her magic. The minute she was cleared to do as she pleased the night before, the young witch went to check that her two safes were undisturbed due to the enchantments she placed on them to keep them out of sight. The spell also made the safes impossible to be opened by anyone without a few carefully chosen words and her blood. Once she was sure that nothing important had been taken, she concluded that whoever broke in was looking for something specific and not just to steal whatever they thought was of any monetary value, since nothing was missing. She couldn't help but think that the person or people who broke into the store had to be of the supernatural kind, probably in search of her grimoire or herself, since she had nothing else that was of any serious value in the place. But she would have to investigate that another time, now needing to focus on cleaning up.
After making sure that the curtains covered the display windows and that the front door was closed, she took a deep breath to prepare herself to begin a spell that would pick up all of the books and put them back on their respective shelves, but her concentration was broken when her phone that was on top of the counter began to ring. She walked over to her ringing phone and picked it up to see the caller ID, growing even more annoyed when she saw who was calling her at such an inconvenient moment.
"What do you want, my good sir?" Juniper greeted after accepting the call and putting her phone to her ear.
"A little birdie told me you were robbed," Klaus's voice filtered through the line.
"You say it with such vagueness to make it sound mysterious, and we both know that the 'little birdie' is Gwen," said Juniper, taking a seat on a chair that she had to pick up from the floor.
Klaus hummed. "Everything still in order?"
Juniper couldn't help but smile at the question he posed, picking up on his concern that he tried to hide but she was able to pick up on it. She opted not to tease him for it…this time. "Yeah," she sighed, her lips turning down as she looked around at the work that was ahead of her. "Nothing important was taken and I think that selling this place is becoming an even better idea. After settling things here, I'll visit Missus Bixby in Florida to talk things over with her."
"It's your best course of action," Klaus told her, agreeing with her plan.
"I suppose," mumbled Juniper before her eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. "Wouldn't want to stay in a place that serves as a huge target."
"Do you have an idea as to who broke into your humble abode?" asked Klaus.
"Not yet, but whoever was here used magic," Juniper responded, her body tingling with the sensation of someone else's magic still floating in the air. Her eyes scanned the store in search of anything that didn't belong. "My best bet would be witches looking for my grimoire that used to belong to my mother since it has some pretty heavy and intense spells that even I have yet to decipher completely. I mean, from what I can tell, she seemed to be a very powerful witch, so a lot of people might know of her."
"That is a possibility," Klaus sighed, and Juniper could tell that he was frowning. "Any enemies or covens you've gotten on the bad side of, probably due to something you did?"
"Not that I know of. I've kept a pretty low profile and erased myself from wherever I might have left a bad impression," Juniper answered, her mind coming up empty with any possible suspects. "As a dark witch with a sketchy past full of mystery, I know better than to attract attention to myself from the wrong crowd."
Klaus snorted. "You sure about that?"
"So, what is the real reason for you to call me so early in the morning of this fine day?" she asked, steering away from his taunting. "It is a miracle for you to actively seek me out and ask about my wellbeing, which tells me that you need something from me since we both know that my stunning personality is too much for you to handle."
"How on earth can you possibly make me want to strangle you through a phone call?" Klaus snorted.
Juniper huffed out a mocking laugh. "Oh, I just have that effect on people." She cleared her throat. "So, what's up? Everything okay with Gwen and your sister?"
Klaus took a deep breath and exhaled, "That's what I'm calling about." This had Juniper frowning with concern, her back straightening up. "I was having a rather good time amassing my hybrid army in Portland when I received some game-changing news, which had me getting on a five-hour flight to Virginia."
"Wait." Juniper frowned and asked, "You're already back in Mystic Falls?"
"I'll be arriving in the lovely town that is Mystic Falls in an hour or so," he said with sarcasm coating each word. "I had a rather interesting talk with Stefan and Rebekah last night about my father being dead."
"Your father's dead?" Juniper asked with her body becoming still and her eyes widening in shock, her mouth hung open as she tried to process how Mikael could be dead when he was an incredibly old vampire–an Original. "Are we talking about the monster who monsters are afraid of? That guy?"
"The same one," said Klaus.
"How the hell did that happen?" asked Juniper, standing up to walk off some of the anxiety building up within her. "That's just…" she began but was unable to find the words to describe what she thought about the situation. "I don't even know what to say. I mean, the guy is a thousand years old with a terrifying résumé. How is he dead?"
"Well, he's not exactly dead. He just had a supposed run-in with a dagger, but I don't like it," Klaus told her, his nerves surfacing in how his voice appeared to slightly waver. "It may be my paranoia, but this is all too good to be true, which includes Stefan painting me a rather interesting story of the doppelgänger being saved by him and his brother. My sister lacked any form of exuberant joy. And Gwen was conveniently absent from the conversation."
Juniper perked up at this. "Is Gwen all right?"
"I tried calling her, but her phone seems to have been turned off," he sighed. "I called Rebekah this morning, but she assured me that Gwen was sleeping in after her encounter with Mikael the night before." He scoffed. "Did you know that one of my sister's tells is that she rambles on about something in specific? She droned on about how excited she was for the Homecoming Dance and that she wanted Gwen to get as much rest as possible for the dance, so that's why she turned the phone off."
"I am so out of the loop," Juniper groaned, irritated that she didn't know what was happening in Mystic Falls. "I hate not knowing." The young witch despised lacking necessary knowledge, it was why she always strived to learn more about magic to know more about herself and the world she lived in as a witch, even when there was nothing left for her to learn. And knowing always helped her stay one step ahead of whatever was hurled her way, something that helped her survive when she was on her own. "It's frustrating. I'm kind of beginning to understand why you're so paranoid all the time."
"Tell me about it," Klaus mumbled. "Something's off about all of this. I know the man I call father, and I can't imagine him being overpowered by a few baby vampires and a misplaced dagger."
"What do you need me to do?" Juniper asked as she began to make her way to her office that was in a room at the back of the store, intent on getting her grimoire for whatever Klaus needed from her. "Do you need me in Mystic Falls?"
Klaus hummed. "No, not yet. But I do need you to do a locator spell and find Gwen for me." He released a heavy exhale. "I need to know where she is and if she's all right." It was nerve-wracking for him not to be able to talk to Gwen and know if she was unharmed and nowhere near his father–daggered or not.
Juniper entered her office and went straight for the safe that was hidden behind a portrait Gwen made her of a dirt path that was almost gold going through a forest in the early morning with light filtering through the trees. She smiled at the gift before taking it off the wall to put it on the floor and against the wall. "It's gonna be a bit tricky getting a precise location without something to link me to her." She glanced at the painting but shook her head since too much time had passed for the item to have any of Gwen's essence. She looked up at the wall and flicked her wrist before watching a section of the yellow wall dissolve into a safe. "I knew I should have taken some of her blood with me. It would have made things a whole lot easier," she scolded herself as she reached for the round lock and inserted the code that had the safe opening with a hiss.
"No problem," Klaus told her. "Gwen always wears a bracelet I gave her that acts as a GPS of sorts when you use me or my blood."
Juniper frowned at this. "That would only work if the item was still strong with your essence."
"That is why I had a witch imbue the charm on the bracelet with my blood before giving it to Gwen," Klaus explained.
"That is a bit messed up," Juniper countered, a bit put off that Klaus had a way to always know where the halfling was. "Does Gwen know about this?"
"She knows it's a gift I gave her and that is all she needs to know. She might take it off in one of her tantrums if she were to know, and it's the only way to find her in an emergency, so keep your mouth shut," Klaus said nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders.
Juniper sighed, "Again, messed up."
"Focus," Klaus chided. "I know you still have some of my blood, so use that as a connection."
"Anything else on your order, my good sir?" Juniper asked as she took her grimoire out of the safe, along with a vial that she filled with Klaus' blood from the last time he came to her store and asked her for a spell.
"Why, yes," Klaus said with a rather chipper voice.
.
Mystic Falls, Virginia
.
It was supposed to be a good day for Rebekah, but she felt no elation or giddy excitement at the prospect of the Homecoming Dance, the first-ever event she would be attending where she could act and celebrate the way she should with the age she was forever frozen in. It didn't help that the night before had been too unsettling for her to get a good night's rest, given that she had co-signed her brother's death with people she couldn't stand. She felt even worse that she had to drug Gwen, the girl who appeared to be the only one on her side and wanted to help her with no ulterior motive, which was something she greatly appreciated. Still, she just couldn't get past her brother killing her mother.
And now that the only female Original vampire sat on a chair, painting a topcoat on her freshly painted toenails while watching over Mikael's desiccated body in the early morning, she was beginning to realize what she had done. Yes, Klaus killed their mother and she loathed herself for actually thinking that she somewhat understood him–their family was truly a living nightmare. Yet, Gwen's words still resonated within her, how she should determine how to punish Klaus, not anyone else, and certainly not her monster of a father.
Rebekah's eyes lifted from her freshly painted toenails to Mikael's prone body when her ears picked up on the familiar sound of blood that was allowed to circulate through veins once again. She leaned back on her seat when she was done with her toenails and placed the nail polish on a nearby table as she watched her father's fingers begin to twitch before a gasp left him and his body convulsed as he coughed, sucking air back into his lungs as he gathered himself into a kneeling position. She steeled herself and wore a blank face, refusing to give him anything, not even the anger she still had for him. He may have not killed her mother, but he was the architect of her family's suffering and destruction.
"Finally," she spoke up, her voice causing Mikael's eyes to turn to her. She met his eyes without blinking, knowing that it was best to show strength while in the presence of her father. "Took you long enough," she taunted.
Mikael stared at his daughter, feeling a warm emotion he had not experienced for so long, but the look she was giving him disheartened him. "Rebekah," he whispered to make sure that it was not an apparition of his daughter that was in front of him. He couldn't remember when the last time was that he had spoken to her face to face.
"Whatever fatherly rubbish you're thinking, save it." She shook her head with pursed lips. "Nothing you say matters to me."
With a defeated nod, Mikael hummed. "I see." He knew better than to try to speak with his daughter. If even after finding out the truth she still looked at him with such resentment–because he knew that it was very difficult for his daughter to hate someone–then there was nothing he could say to lessen the bitterness she had for him. He climbed to his feet and looked around the room for a moment when he felt that something was missing. "Where's my dagger?"
"Elena has it, so you can forget your plans to use it on me," Rebekah answered with a sneer.
"You were never the one I was after," he told his daughter, still failing to comprehend the bond his children had with the illegitimate child of his deceased wife.
"Nik was my family," she argued, glaring up at her father. "If you were after him, you were after me."
Mikael took a deep breath to calm himself, for he never liked discussing Klaus, preferring to see him as nothing more than the abomination who ruined his family. "He blinded you, Rebekah. He killed your mother."
"I know what he did, but Nik was not born a killer, none of us were," Rebekah countered as she stood up to square up to her father with fiery anger now coursing through her body.
When she was but a child and filled with nothing but innocence, Rebekah admired Mikael for his dedication to his family. She wanted a man who had the same passionate dedication but focused on her, but that perfect image of her father disintegrated as the years went by. As memories of dark moments of her human life resurfaced, her eyes slightly widened as she came to terms with her actions. This person who stood before her was not a good man. With every violent action focused on Klaus, with every derogatory comment and punishment her brothers had to endure, with every dismissal of comfort and care, her heart broke. And it was these thoughts that had her feeling like she had been doused with cold water that chilled her bones.
"We've only gotten to where we are now because of what you did to us, setting us all down a dark path with no light to guide our way," she spat at her father, now growing angrier. She wished that this anger that she projected onto her father could be thrown at herself for how stupid she had been to think that it would have been a good idea to side with Mikael, but it was too late. It reminded her of a similar mistake she had once done in New Orleans. "You destroyed our family, not him!" She didn't wait for him to reply and slammed her shoulder against his as she walked by him.
"Rebekah…" Mikael tried to respond, but she was already out of the room, and he knew better than to chase after her.
Unbeknownst to either Original, the startled figure of Juniper stared at the exchange with eyes wide with shock that stared at the patriarch of the Original family before she disappeared from the room without leaving behind any trace of herself.
End of chapter!
I know it was a bit of a filler, but it's a necessary one. After we are done with the whole Mikael debacle, I'll try to move things along a bit faster because I am just ecstatic to get to when the rest of the Originals are awakened.
I love and enjoy reading your reviews, so never fear to voice your opinions. You guys help center the story and make me a better writer, so review to your heart's content!
See you in the next chapter!