Chapter 77: Down the Rabbit Hole
February 8, 2011
Everything was covered in a darkness so thick that Ellie could barely see the hand in front of her face. It was freezing. Elijah's undershirt did nothing to protect her from the biting cold. Her arms and legs were exposed and her feet sunk into the icy earth. Where was she? Nothing looked familiar to her. "Hello?" She called. It felt like her voice echoed across the space while being small at the same time, almost muffled.
It was so cold. She moved slowly, one step at a time with her hands outstretched trying to find something to ground herself. She didn't know how long she'd been there, but she was starting to shake as the chill crept into her bones. It was awful. She turned slowly, trying to make sure she didn't hurt herself as she willed for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Has something happened? Had someone managed to take her while she slept? But how would that have been possible while she slept next to an Original who would do anything to keep her safe?
Something flickered out of the corner of her eye. She whipped around to face it, her magic tingling against her skin. There was a little light in the distance and something about it felt familiar. With caution, she made her way towards it. As she walked, it felt like she was stepping over things like roots and rocks. Was she in the middle of the woods? But where in the woods? It felt like the weather was below freezing, and as cold as it had been in the past few days, it was nowhere near that level.
The light flickered again, and the desire to reach it was stronger than before. She moved a bit faster and tried not to stumble over the roots she still couldn't see. With her next step, her foot slipped into a small puddle and ice shot through her veins. "Son of a bitch." She hissed as the air cooled the water even more. She was starting to feel like a popsicle. She tried to warm herself with her magic, but it stubbornly refused. "What?" She whispered.
She tried again but her magic wouldn't work with her. It wasn't gone though. She could feel it dance around her, but it was like something was blocking her from using it. The light flickered once more. Something felt insistent about it. As if it didn't like how long it was taking her to reach it. Ellie forced herself to ignore the pain she felt from the cold as she kept moving. Her eyes had finally adjusted slightly, and she was starting to be able to see the outline of the trees. The movements started to come to her easier. Instinct took over as she darted through the trees, trying not to cry as the wind blew. It was so cold.
The light was much closer when it flashed again, and as she reached a clearing that gave her slightly more light, she started to run. Her running was interrupted as the ground shook so hard that it sent her to her knees. Where the hell was she? Her magic sensed danger and pushed her to feet, making her move faster than she had before. A different light caught her attention, this one glowing orange like a fire light. There was a small torch burning at the opening of a cave. Odd that the fire wasn't spreading to the grass.
Another torch was lit at the bottom of the cave, lighting up the rope that led all the way down. She was supposed to go down there. It was a gut feeling, but she didn't know why. At least in the cave she wouldn't be so cold. Plus she could always climb back out again. When she reached the bottom, she could see a small flashlight discarded to the side. She couldn't feel any negative energy from it, so she picked it up and turned it on. "Hello?" She called again.
It came on easily, lighting up the unfamiliar cave. This wasn't the tunnel that was woven underneath the town. She looked around the room, and her stomach dropped at the sight of a trail of blood. The light glinted off of it, so whoever had been injured, it hadn't been long since it happened. She followed it cautiously. She stepped around it, unsure of where it had come from. The farther into the cave she crept, the more blood there was.
Her foot caught on something and the young witch tumbled, only to let out a horrified scream at the sight of the body before her. She didn't recognize them. They looked native with white face paint in a pattern across their cheeks and nose. They were covered in blood and their eyes were still open. However they had died, they hadn't seen it coming. "Ellie." A voice whispered.
"Hello?" She called as she whipped around. Somehow the air had gotten colder in the cave. The blood didn't stop with the body. It went deeper in the tunnel and she followed it after a moment of hesitation. She entered a strange cavern with a large platform in the center. "What the hell is that?" She whispered. Was that a body?
"Ellie…"
She turned around, half expecting the space behind her to once again be empty. Jeremy stood before her with wide eyes. "Jeremy?" She asked as she raised the flashlight to get a better look at him. The light bounced off the blood on his neck, the flesh torn and the blood stained his shirt. He tried to speak, but blood just spilled out of his mouth. Jeremy reached for her helplessly, but as she grabbed his hand, pain rushed through her as a scream ripped out of her throat.
Elijah woke abruptly as Ellie's scream pierced the room. His heart was racing as he turned to look at her. Ellie had her eyes firmly closed, but her back had arched off and her head was twisted at an almost unnatural angle as she screamed. "Eleanor!" He called, trying to wake her.
The screams continued and the bedroom door burst open as both Jenna and Klaus rushed in. "What's happening?" Klaus demanded as the young witch screamed, unable to wake.
"I don't know. We were asleep and then she just started screaming." Elijah replied.
"No! No, no, no!" Ellie was crying out body twisting oddly as her panic overwhelmed her.
Jenna crouched down next to the bed, close to Ellie's head. "Ellie, honey, you have to wake up. It's just a nightmare. We're all right here. Ellie, baby you've got to wake up." Her voice was soft and soothing as she tried to coax Ellie out of her nightmare. She kept reassuring the young girl of her safety, but it didn't seem to be working. The three of them were on edge as the lights started to flicker. Klaus took a second to look down the hallway to see that it seemed as if every light in the house was going berserk.
Ellie was clawing at her sheets as they tried to wake her, but nothing worked. Not words of comfort or gentle touches. Not even trying to shake her awake could break her free of her nightmare. Suddenly, Ellie let out an ear piercing scream that was matched by the shattering of the lights. Klaus moved to cover Jenna as Elijah protected Ellie. Her screams turned into sobs as she clawed at Elijah, trying to pull him closer. "Make it stop, make it stop."
"My love, you've got to breathe." Elijah told her as he rubbed circles on her back. For a few minutes, she didn't lift her head from the crook of his neck. "Baby, breathe."
Finally, she managed to pull herself away. She shook as she tried to support herself. Elijah held up her arms as she took unsteady breaths. "Ellie, are you awake?" Jenna asked gently from where she was still crouched next to the bed.
"I'm awake." Ellie confirmed slowly. "Why is it so dark?"
"Because you shattered all the lights in your sleep, love." Klaus replied easily. "Quite a bit of glass actually."
"Niklaus." Elijah warned, making it clear that he wasn't helping. "What were you dreaming of?"
Ellie felt sick at the thought of the nightmare. "I was in the woods, and then a cave. There was so much blood and then… and then there was Jeremy." A whimper escaped as her eyes started to water. "He died. He died in front of me and I couldn't save him."
Her heart was pounding and they all understood her panic. Jeremy was farther away than he had ever been and she'd just buried the brother of three of the people she was closest to. "Jeremy's ok, Ellie. I promise." Jenna assured her.
"I feel like something horrible is going to happen." Ellie admitted quietly. Over the past few days, she'd been sleeping poorly, but she hadn't remembered any nightmare as vividly as this one, and she definitely hadn't woken up screaming. "I'm sorry." She apologized in a small voice, looking over the shattered glass.
Jenna squeezed her hand in reassurance. "It's ok, we can clean it up. Nothing to be upset over."
Even Klaus, in an attempt to placate her, said, "Don't worry, I'll get the broom and we'll fix it all in the morning. It's as easy as that."
"I'm sorry I woke everyone up." Ellie apologized and Jenna watched as Ellie tried to make herself as small as possible to curl into Elijah's side.
"It's ok." She repeated. "We'll clean up in here so no one steps on glass and then try to go back to sleep."
"I'll clean it." Ellie insisted. They watched as the small trash can floated over to where they were before the glass shards floated up, glinting in the moonlight that made it through the crack in the curtains before they all carefully fell into the bag. "It's safer than risking stepping on a micro piece and being in trouble."
No one reminded her that there were lightbulbs shattered all throughout the house. That could be dealt with in the morning. "We'll leave you two to it then." Klaus said before he offered a hand to Jenna to help her stand. "Try and get some rest, Ellie." She was so exhausted that she didn't notice Klaus picking Jenna up so that she wouldn't step on glass with her bare feet.
"I'm sorry." Ellie said once more as turned to Elijah's side.
"There's nothing to apologize for." He promised. "I just wish there was something I could do."
"Hold me." She said softly. "I can't make the images go away."
He shushed her gently, pulling her as close as he could. To her surprise, he started humming a tune gently, but the vibration of her chest was so relaxing she couldn't help but sink into him. They continued that way, him humming and stroking her hair until she fell into a fitful sleep. He didn't stop until her heart had slowed to a steady pace and her brows were relaxed before he also returned to the land of dreams, hoping that maybe his hold on her would be enough to protect her.
When they finally woke, it seemed like it was the middle of the morning, and Ellie felt sick to her stomach. Despite not remembering any other nightmares, or if she'd dreamt at all after going back to sleep, the original nightmare lingered. Jeremy's screams felt like they were echoing off the walls as Ellie tried to slow her erratic heartbeat. Elijah was already awake apparently, though he couldn't have been gone long since his side of the bed was still warm.
She walked downstairs and found all three of them in the kitchen, sweeping up glass. "What happened?" Ellie asked in confusion as she looked around to see the shards of glass shattered in both the living room and kitchen.
In unison, they all looked up at her. "Don't you remember, Ellie? Your nightmare?" Jenna asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I remember my nightmare. What about it?" Ellie asked.
"You happened to pop all the lights in the house like over-filled balloons, love." Klaus explained. "We told you last night."
She looked embarrassed at her actions. The only explanation that she could think of was that she hadn't been totally awake when she'd come out of her nightmare. "I'm sorry." She apologized gently. The three of them watched with fascination as she cleaned the room with a wave of her hand. To their surprise, glass floated down the stairs. Even Klaus hadn't been aware that she could do something like that on this scale so easily. The glass went safely into the can, saving them who knew how long in cleaning time.
"Well, that was rather convenient." Klaus commented.
"That's a lot of glass." Ellie said with a wince. "How did I even do that?"
Klaus shrugged. "Bad enough nightmares will make anyone react badly and replacing light bulbs is easy enough."
"I should probably take out the old ones. If the glass shattered, the metal part is probably still stuck inside. I don't want anyone getting electrocuted, even if you and Elijah are immortal."
"How generous of you." Klaus joked. It was easier for them to focus on repairing the house than it was to focus on their grief and their nightmares. The four of them worked together to start fixing the destroyed house. Jenna went around with Ellie with a trash can as Ellie used her magic to remove the metal end of the lightbulbs. Klaus went to clean up the large pieces of debris while Elijah started repairing the railing on the stairs from where legs had been ripped off.
It felt… oddly domestic. Somehow, in their grief, the four of them seemed to have developed a strange little family dynamic. But tragedy always did have a way of pulling people together. It was oddly peaceful as they worked together. They'd been settled into their rhythm for a while when Ellie's magic tingled. "Klaus!" She called.
He and Elijah were at her side in an instant. "What's wrong, love?"
"We've got company." She replied as she nodded her head towards the front door. He returned to the room where he was supposed to be trapped and waited as Caroline let herself in.
"What are you doing here?" Ellie asked as she stood between the Mikaelsons.
Caroline looked surprised by Ellie's tone. It was practically hostile. Ellie had never been hostile to her before. "They made a mess. I came to clean it up." Caroline said gently, trying to not anger the witch. Tyler had warned her about how different Ellie had seemed.
"We've got it." Ellie told her, and Caroline didn't miss the way that Ellie subtly moved forward as if to block both Elijah and Klaus from her.
The blonde sighed, looking at Ellie sadly. "Listen, Ellie-"
"Caroline, I love you, I do, but if you're going to try and make some sort of excuse about it was necessary to do that to Kol I really don't want to hear it." Ellie replied.
The blonde's phone started to ring and she looked unsure as she said, "It's Elena…"
"Answer it. Makes no difference to me." Ellie shrugged.
Caroline answered with slight hesitation. "Elena, hey. How's everything going?" The four of them watched as her expression changed. "Tell me you're not serious." Klaus had started to grin as Caroline asked, "Well, where's Damon in all this? Meaning what? Do you think Shane took him?" After a pause, she said, "I am so sorry. I wish I was there to help. Anything. Tell me. Unless you get the hunter's sword from Klaus." The hybrid looked incredibly smug at this point. "I'll find it. Don't worry. Just email me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword and I'll call you back. Bye."
"Need my help with anything, love?"
"Nope." And then she was gone as quickly as she'd arrived.
Ellie looked over to the two brothers. "What exactly just happened?"
"Apparently, Jeremy is missing but on top of that, Shane, Bonnie, and Damon have all vanished as well. In terms of Damon, there were signs of a struggle and so she doesn't know what happened to him, only that Shane wouldn't be able to take him down on his own." Klaus explained casually. "And without the human compass, they now need my sword to decode the map that is Jeremy's tattoo because Bonnie happened to take photos of it before everything went sideways."
Ellie felt dread crawling up her throat. "You're just going to let her get the sword?" She asked worriedly.
"Darling, trust me, even if they do find it, which I'm sure they will because Stefan's right. There are only so many places I can hide a three foot piece of metal. But even if they do, it will be useless for them." Klaus told her.
"And Jeremy…" Ellie trailed off. "Oh my god. He's missing!" The panic was instantaneous. "My dream… my dream… What if it was real? What if it was a warning?" She started to hyperventilate. Jeremy's death was the one thing that she couldn't handle. She couldn't lose him.
Elijah's hands were cupping her face, whispering words in that familiar language of his, the one she didn't understand. It seemed that he meant for her to not be able to understand. The words caught her so off guard that her thoughts cleared slightly as she tried to process what he was saying. Once she was breathing slightly slower, he switched back to English. "Eleanor, look at me. Are you with me?"
"I'm with you." She said shakily. She focused on the warmth of his hands on her face and the steady thrum of his energy. "I'm with you." She repeated. Elijah pulled her into his arms as she steadied herself. With his heartbeat in her ear, she matched the beat as she continued to calm down.
Both Klaus and Jenna watched silently, not wanting to do anything to set the girl off again. They both knew the pain of losing a sibling intimately and with Elena involved, Ellie's fear was more than justified. After the worst of it passed, Jenna gently asked, "What can we do to help?"
She wasn't sure if she was speaking to Ellie or Elijah. "I need Jeremy's hairbrush and that picture of him that's in my room." Ellie replied. "Bring them to the kitchen."
Jenna didn't hesitate to gather what Ellie asked for and when she returned, Ellie was sitting down at the table with Elijah standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. "What is this for?" Jenna asked curiously.
"Locator spells don't always have to be shown on a map. If you choose to, you can see them physically. I've done it to see Elena when I couldn't find her, and Dr. Martin used it to find Elijah and Elena. I'm going to do that to see Jeremy. Just knowing where he is on a map isn't enough. At least, if I see him, I can calm down a bit when it comes to knowing that he's ok." Ellie explained.
She placed the items on the table before she hesitantly asked, "Is there anyway… can I see him too?"
Ellie smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, sit down across from me." Once Jenna was in place, Ellie pulled the blade across her own hand and muttered "Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem." Her blood spilled across the brush and photo before she held her hands out for Jenna. The blonde looked a little squeamish at the blood but she got over it quickly. Once she had a hold of Jenna's hands, she started to chant again. "Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem. Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem." Their surroundings shifted as they looked for Jeremy.
They were in the middle of the woods, with Jeremy and Bonnie following Shane. An oddly familiar man with white face paint was walking behind them. Both Jenna and Ellie followed the four of them into a cave. "This is as far as I go." The man with the face paint said.
"We're on the brink of a monumental event in human history. We're gonna raise the most powerful immortal creature that ever was. Come on, our work's not done yet." Shane pleaded.
"Mine is." He insisted. "You said get the kid and the witch. I did. I want to get paid now." Jenna and Ellie watched as Shane pulled a large stone out of his backpack before handing it over. "I'll say a prayer for your souls."
"That's what the tombstone was for?" Bonnie asked. "To pay off a mercenary?"
"The core of that tombstone is made up of Qhetsiyah's calcified blood. In some witch circles, that stone's more valuable than the hope diamond." He walked to the edge of the opening and asked, "So, who wants to go down first?"
They pulled out of the vision roughly. "Is your brother ok?" Elijah asked gently.
"Shane had them kidnapped?" Ellie wasn't really sure how he could have managed that instead of Bonnie using her magic against him. "He's got them in some cave thing leading them to Silas. And he is so confident about waking Silas." She didn't remind them that that was exactly what Kol had been terrified of.
She'd been so focused on what she'd seen, she hadn't paid any attention to her still bleeding hand. Elijah was though, because he gently bit the tip of his finger and ran it against the small wound. His blood healed her with ease and she watched with fascination as he put his finger to his mouth to get the blood off. She snapped her focus back and used a paper towel to clean the blood off of her own hand. "At least he's ok for now. Shane needs him alive." Jenna tried to assure her.
Despite Jenna's attempt, Ellie felt dread building in her stomach. Was there something else that she was missing? It felt like there was something that she needed to know that was on the tip of her tongue but it wasn't connecting. She didn't get the chance to linger on her thoughts. "Caroline is back." She warned. Klaus was back in the room in an instant.
"Well, if it isn't little Lockwood. Come to show how laughably impotent you are against me?" Klaus asked casually.
"I'm just trying to help my friends find the cure. You know, if you hadn't brainwashed Ellie, she would be doing the same right now instead of sticking around with your pathetic ass." Tyler shot back. Elijah subtly took a hold of her to keep her from reacting. It was clear that Tyler and Caroline had found the sword. "Found this in your attic."
"And you think finding the sword brings you closer to the cure?" Klaus questioned.
"You tell me. I was playing around with the handle on the ride over… and I found this." Ellie watched as Tyler removed a piece of leather from around the handle, revealing a cryptex.
Klaus stood and gave Tyler a look. "And what do you think this is?"
"It's called a cryptex." Caroline said confidently. When Tyler looked over to her in surprise, she added, "I've seen the DaVinci Code. You turn the different sides to the different symbols to get the translation on the other side. And with the magic of the internet, Elena sent over these." The blonde held up photos of what was apparently Jeremy's hunter tattoo. Ellie was admittedly surprised at just how big the tattoo really was. "So now all we have to do is cryptex away. If you happened to want to help, we wouldn't stop you."
"Right, well, might I suggest using the magic of the internet to purchase an Aramaic to English dictionary from your nearest retailer." Klaus suggested smugly.
"What's Aramaic?" Tyler asked as he turned to look at Caroline.
She looked caught off guard before she replied, "It's a dead language. It hasn't been used since, like, biblical times."
"Qhetsiyah's native tongue, I'm guessing. You know, even if you had the best dictionary in the world, it could take days to translate… perhaps weeks." Klaus informed them as he sat down.
Klaus said something in another language, though it wasn't one they used for the funerals. "What does that mean?" Caroline asked.
To Ellie's surprise, it was Elijah that replied. "If only you spoke Aramaic." The brothers shared a pleased grin. There was something about Elijah being a little meaner than he normally was that she found oddly appealing. "Now, if you two must be here, at least stay out of our way while we clean." He instructed. His tone was cool, and Ellie knew he didn't really want them here and she didn't blame him at all.
They'd been cleaning for a while when Klaus seemed to tire of Caroline and Tyler's idiocy and inability to properly translate. As Ellie started to take down a broken cabinet, Caroline said, "Ok, this is it. We've translated all the symbols on the tattoo. 'Passenger inside… requires a young senator and a pretty flower.' Ok, none of this makes sense."
Klaus started speaking in Aramaic again before he translated it. "Requires a powerful witch and a hunter in full bloom."
"What are you doing?" Tyler asked suspiciously.
"I don't need to tell you my reasons." Klaus replied. "Caroline, bring my sword over here." Both Jenna and Ellie stopped what they were doing to move closer to listen to what was happening. Then he started to read the translation. "Silas rests on the far side, the means of his destruction at hand." He paused to look over at the pictures of Jeremy's tattoos. "Turn the cryptex to the right. Stop. The top of the hilt reveals a key to a nautical map. Turn it to the left. Now turn the other piece. Wait. There's something else."
Elijah had come down, obviously having heard Klaus translating the map. Klaus read it in Aramaic instead of translating it, and Ellie immediately caught the look between the two brothers. A slow grin spread on Klaus' face as Caroline asked, "What does it mean?" He just smiled wider. "Klaus, what does it mean?" When he refused, she looked to Elijah for help. "Elijah, please." But Elijah wasn't budging either.
"Listen, we've got the translation, we should just call the others and tell them what we know." Tyler said with a sigh.
When Caroline realized that no one else was going to make Klaus tell her what she wanted to know, she nodded. "Hello?" A familiar voice said when Caroline put her phone on speaker.
"Hey, it's Caroline. We have the translation of the tattoo. We're emailing you pictures of the map and instructions right now."
"Got it. Thanks." Rebekah replied.
"Actually, it was me." Klaus corrected.
"Nik? You helped?"
"You sound so surprised, little sister."
"Shouldn't I be? I mean, you don't want me to be human. You don't want any of us to be human. Why would you help us find the cure?" Rebekah asked.
"Maybe I finally realized the longer I stand in the way of what you want, the longer you'll continue to hate me. Perhaps I want my sister to finally know happiness." Klaus offered.
Rebekah wasn't so easily fooled. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me a hundred times…"
"No more fooling. No more games. I hope you get to live, and die, as you wish." Klaus said sincerely.
"So do I." Rebekah said gently.
"There is one more thing, Rebekah." Klaus started. "There is only one dose of the cure. You need to find it fast and take it. It's the only way you'll…" Tyler frantically hung up the phone as Ellie started to grin.
"There's only one?" She asked curiously.
She looked between Elijah and Klaus with surprise. "There's only one." Elijah confirmed.
Tyler and Caroline walked out quickly in frustration. There was an overwhelming sense of relief that washed over her. There was no way that they were going to be able to use that dose on Klaus. It would be a waste if they did. It would all be for nothing if they wasted it on him. "I need to warn Jeremy." Ellie said suddenly.
"How are you going to do that? We saw that he was going into that cave. There's no way that he's going to get cell reception down there." Jenna asked.
She thought of her options before an idea hit her. "I don't need cell reception. When Rose and Trevor kidnapped Elena and I to give to Elijah, Bonnie was able to get a message to Elena to warn her that Stefan and Damon were coming. I can do the same thing to send a message to Jeremy warning him about what's happening. If anything, so that he can make sure that Shane doesn't use the cure on Silas or anything."
She looked between Elijah and Klaus to see if either of them would object. "Do it." Klaus said after a moment. "It doesn't matter who gets it, because no matter who gets to it first, none of them are going to waste it on me." He sounded incredibly victorious. Then again, he had, once again, gotten exactly what he wanted.
Ellie immediately moved to get a hold of the notebook that they kept stored in the junk drawer in the kitchen. She hastily wrote a note, telling him to make sure that Shane didn't get the cure and that there was only one, before she crumbled it up into a ball. This was one of the spells that she had seen in multiple Bennett witch grimoires. It was most likely their fastest form of communication when there was an emergency for who knew how long. Before the internet and email, it most likely took ages to get news to anyone. The young witch chanted the spell under her breath before it disappeared in a poof of fire. "Did it work?" Jenna asked curiously.
"I hope so. But if Shane hurts either of them, there's going to be hell to pay." Ellie warned. She had a bad feeling, but she wasn't sure what exactly was the cause of it. She noticed the way Klaus had his head tilted slightly, like he was listening to something just outside her range of hearing. If Caroline and Tyler weren't just outside, she'd probably make a dog joke. "What's he so focused on?" Ellie asked Elijah curiously.
"He's listening to Tyler and Caroline." He explained. "Tyler is currently panicking because he knows that Klaus will kill him the moment that he's 'freed' from Bonnie's boundary spell." He'd put air quotes around the word freed, but honestly, Klaus pretending to still be trapped was unsurprising. He might be protecting her by keeping the others from knowing how powerful she actually was, but he also loved drama. By pretending to be trapped, that meant that he could break free and terrify them at any given time.
She felt a swell of panic at the thought of Tyler's murder. Would he actually kill Tyler? He'd already agreed to spare him once. But Tyler had taunted his plans to murder Klaus. When he'd agreed to spare Tyler's life, it was contingent upon Tyler not being so stupid as to continue to try and murder him. Was a taunt enough for that deal to be null and void? Knowing Klaus, it just might be.
They'd continued their repair of the house while Klaus relaxed in an armchair, idly reading the first Twilight book, of all things. Elijah had been repairing part of the wall upstairs when Klaus had turned to her and Jenna in absolute disgust and said, "They glitter? What kind of absolute rubbish is this?"
With how disgusted he'd been at the thought, combined with the look on his face, both Ellie and Jenna had dissolved into giggles. Despite his complaints, he hadn't stopped reading it. There had only been a few moments like that. Just a handful of moments where they'd all been relaxed. No one had forgotten that Caroline and Tyler were just outside on the front porch, wallowing in the despair of their only being one dose.
In Ellie's opinion, it was a relief. At least once it was used, the whole thing was done and it could just be forgotten about. If Stefan and Elena got to it first, it would go to Elena. The cure would still go to Elena if Jeremy and Bonnie got to it first. But if Rebekah reached it before the others, she would get what she always wanted. Surprisingly, Ellie found that she actually didn't care who got it. Secretly, or maybe not so secretly, she was rooting for Rebekah more than anyone else. It would be sweet justice for Kol if she took the cure away from Elena. But no matter who got it, no one would be able to use it on Elijah or Klaus.
The thought of a human Elijah hit her unexpectedly. She hadn't even really thought about the potential of him being human until just then. What would he have been like? Would he have been any different? For a brief moment, a very human, normal life between the two of them flashed before her eyes. Would they have still been drawn together if he hadn't been an Original and she hadn't been a witch?
Suddenly, she was more grateful for the supernatural than she'd ever been. For once, she found herself grateful for Esther. Had it not been for Esther, Elijah would have died a thousand years ago. She would have never known what it felt like to be adored by him. She wouldn't have felt the overwhelming emotions and pull she felt toward him now. Truth be told, she couldn't even imagine feeling what she felt for him for someone else. It didn't seem right. "What's going on in that head of yours?" Elijah's voice was soft in her ear as he stepped up behind her.
He wrapped his arms around her waist as she settled into him. She'd gone upstairs to get the vacuum, so it wasn't like they were at a high chance of being disturbed. He wouldn't have been so touchy if they were. "You." She replied simply before turning to face him. "Thinking about how I'm actually grateful for Esther."
His face was a perfect picture of confusion. "Why? You hate her."
"I do." She replied immediately. "But if it weren't for her creation of vampires. We would have lived and died a thousand years apart. The thought of that is kind of horrible to me."
Elijah felt his affection for her swell once more. Of course she would think of something like that. "Well, when you put it like that, maybe Esther had her uses after all." He replied. "It would have been a tragedy if I had not met you."
She rolled her eyes slightly. How could it have been a tragedy if he didn't know her? But she appreciated the sentiment all the same. "Come on, we should get back downstairs before Jenna comes up." She told him before she kissed him gently. He grabbed the vacuum before they headed back downstairs. Klaus was sitting in one of the armchairs still, though he was no longer reading his book.
It had been dark for a while now, but Caroline strode in with purpose. "You can't kill Tyler." She told him as the others watched from the kitchen, save for Tyler who was still pacing outside.
"Not only can I, I have to. I have a reputation to uphold. Moreover, I want to." Klaus replied.
"I'm not asking you to forgive him. All I'm asking is that you let him live, somewhere far from here." Caroline added.
Klaus stood abruptly. "So he gets to live a happy life after he turned all my hybrids against me, after he tried to kill me, after he made it his life's mission to find the cure so he could use it against me-"
"We all want the cure." Caroline insisted.
"Do we?" Klaus shot back. "Do you?"
Caroline hesitated before saying, "It doesn't matter. There's only one, so it's not like I'm gonna get it anyway."
"But if you could… you wouldn't, would you? You prefer who you are now to the girl you once were. You like being strong, ageless, fearless. We're the same, Caroline." Klaus told her.
"Then show me. You know how much I love Tyler. You can see how scared I am to lose him. If you and I are so similar, then show me your compassion. Show him the mercy that I would show you." Caroline pleaded.
"Mercy… for Tyler?" Klaus said slowly. "Very well. Tell him to leave town immediately. And tell him to run and hide in a place I will never find him."
Ellie was more than a little surprised. Klaus rarely showed mercy to people, especially those he hated like Tyler. "Of course." Caroline agreed immediately. She moved to pull on her jacket, but Ellie felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Tell him that this is the mercy I extend for your sake… that I will give him a head start before I kill him."
Caroline froze before she turned to look at him. She shared a panicked look to Ellie before she rushed out of the house without a word. "Klaus…" Ellie begged softly.
"Don't Ellie." He replied immediately. "I tried to spare him. I gave him every opportunity. There were more chances for his salvation than I have ever given to anyone that has dared to cross me in the ways that he has. I saved him from the curse of being a werewolf and he repaid me with the murder of two of my brothers and multiple attempts against my own life. I spared his mother because I did not wish to cause you to grieve the loss of yet another parent. I spared him because you asked me to. I had one rule that his pardon was dependent on."
"That he doesn't try to kill you again." Ellie supplied.
He nodded. "And here he stands, planning to try and do exactly that."
"But is a threat enough to warrant his death?" Ellie asked.
Klaus looked surprisingly sympathetic before he replied, "We both know that he would have had every intention in doing exactly what he threatened. He leaves me no choice."
As Caroline's energy disappeared from the front porch, Ellie made her way outside. She could feel Caroline lingering around. Most likely, the other girl needed a minute to catch her breath. "I have to leave, Ellie." Tyler said without looking at her.
"I know." She replied. "I came to say goodbye."
"To say goodbye… when you stand there by the side of the man that is going to come for me?" Tyler said in disbelief. "Ellie what happened to you? My best friend would never care about that psychopath."
"I'm still your best friend, but Ty I'm tired of going around in circles trying to explain my friendship to Klaus or to Rebekah, or my relationship with Elijah. Sometimes there is no good explanation. But no matter what kind of monster you think he is, he agreed to spare you and your mother because I asked. Do you know how high of a regard he has to hold me in for him to agree to something like that? I tried to protect you, but you couldn't let it go." Ellie explained.
"How am I going to let it go?" He hissed. "He tried to kill my mom! He killed my friends!"
"And Kol was my friend. Luka and Dr. Martin were my friends. Lexi was Stefan's friend. Miss Sheila was like family to me. Mason was my friend. All of them are dead, at the hands of the others, though mostly Damon. You don't see me going on a murder mission to kill him do you? Everyone in this stupid town that's a part of the supernatural have kind of done pretty horrible things to one another. There really isn't anything that is so heinous that Klaus has done that warrants a death sentence." Ellie replied.
"My mom-"
"Is alive and well. But if it's the mom thing you're so focused on, might I remind you that Damon killed my mom? And that technically he killed my dad a few times. They might not have been the parents that raised me, but they were still my parents." Ellie told him. "I wanted to say goodbye, not fight."
Tyler just shook his head. "As long as you are so ridiculously on his side, I don't know if we have any other options."
Ellie just felt disappointed. "This could be the last time we ever see each other, and that's how you want to end it?"
That almost seemed enough to break through to him. He looked up at her with a vulnerable expression. He opened his mouth to say something before he swallowed it back. "Goodbye, Ellie."
She tried to ignore the hollow ache she felt when she couldn't feel him anymore. Caroline returned with red rimmed eyes. "I don't want to fight." Caroline said softly as she moved to sit on the porch swing. "Can you just sit with me please?"
Ellie's heart broke at how fragile she sounded. "Of course."
They laced their hands together tightly as Ellie tried to comfort the other girl. To her surprise, Caroline said, "I know it's not your fault, any of this. The problems between Klaus and Tyler are their own fault." She took a shaky breath before adding, "I didn't know you made a deal to save Tyler too, but I guess I should have. You always try to protect everyone."
"Care… I really am sorry that I couldn't get him to change his mind."
"Me too." She replied. "I'm sorry for being a crappy friend lately. I didn't know that they were going to hurt Kol. I didn't know you guys were friends, but I didn't want him dead."
"I know." Ellie replied gently. "You're not the type. And no one knew Kol and I were friends, not even Elijah."
Caroline rested her head on Ellie's shoulder. "Do you think this ever gets easier?"
"Probably if we weren't constantly getting dragged between the two sides." Ellie confirmed. "Being in the middle is not a fun place to be."
The blonde seemed to think on that for a while before she said, "But you don't seem to be in the middle anymore. You seem like you're fully on Team Mikaelson."
She pulled back to look at Ellie as the witch explained, "They might be slightly terrifying and more than willing to commit murder, but they've never betrayed me. Klaus has pissed me off sure, but he's never betrayed me. They don't keep secrets from me either. And after what she did to both Finn and Kol, it just didn't feel right to constantly defend her anymore. I don't want Elena dead, but I can't back her when she's doing things not even Katherine would do."
Caroline nodded slightly before saying, "I still love you, you know. Even if I don't always stop Elena from doing something stupid."
"I love you too, even when I can't stop Klaus from doing something stupid." Ellie replied. Caroline gave her a small smile before she rested her head back on Ellie's shoulder. The two stayed there a while, gently rocking on the swing. It was peaceful despite how nauseous Ellie felt. She still felt like something bad was going to happen. She just didn't know what.
After a while, Klaus walked out of the house. "How did you get out?" Caroline asked fearfully.
"Maybe something awful has befallen your friend Bonnie." He suggested. Clearly he had no intention of revealing the strength of Ellie's powers, even to Caroline. As he moved closer, Caroline hastily stood up. "Don't worry, love. You know I'd never hurt you."
"You've done enough."
"I've done more than enough. I've shown kindness, forgiveness, pity… because of you, Caroline. It was all for you." Ellie hadn't expected his confession, but she stayed as quiet as possible, even as he walked away.
After a moment, Ellie said, "He does care about you, you know?"
"I know." Caroline replied. "But right now, I can't handle that." She looked back at the witch and said, "I think I should go home, tell my mom what happened."
Ellie nodded and then the other girl was gone, leaving Ellie with Elijah and Jenna. The sick feeling got worse suddenly as a part of her dream struck her again. The man she had seen with Jeremy, Bonnie, and Shane… "What is it?" Jenna asked as she and Elijah walked onto the porch.
"The man in my dream… the one that died in her dream before I saw Jeremy, he was the man that we saw Shane pay off as a mercenary." Ellie told her.
"How could you have dreamt of someone you've never met?"
"I don't know, but I don't like the way I feel right now." Ellie admitted. Something was wrong… really wrong, she just didn't know what. Whatever it was, she had a feeling she was going to find out soon enough.
Author's Notes:
Sorry for being a bit late, my computer was acting up. Also, when it comes to the scene at the end with Ellie and Caroline, Caroline is still on Ellie's side, even if she's not yet on the Mikaelson's side. I felt like it was also important to point out that Caroline wasn't involved at all with Kol's death. Also, speaking of deaths and funerals, without realizing it, the way I've written them to do funerals is, at least in part, canon in the show. If you go back to the Originals and watch when Freya's in the cemetery after Mikael's death, she's in front of a grave with rocks piled on top in the rough shape of a boat. I just thought that was neat since I hadn't known that when I wrote the first funeral. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and let me know your thoughts!
To AB019: It was definitely hard watching Kol die, but I'm glad I wrote it well. And yeah, I know what you mean. I definitely wanted there to be a chance, even if it was a small moment for Ellie to be the one more in control and composed in their relationship. Elijah deserved the chance for some vulnerability even if it was small. I'm glad you're still here!
To Jules: But I think the point you bring up could actually be used to continue to prove the point of just how much Shane manipulated her. When she thought Grams got hurt, she did stop practicing magic. She didn't do anything, even when Elena and the others were in danger because she was so terrified of hurting Grams again. She didn't use any magic until Shane started teaching her again, and then he ended up getting total control over her. I see what you're saying about her making bad choices, but I feel like at least right now, she can't really help it because of Shane. Yeah, Kol definitely deserved a funeral and they all deserved a chance to grieve. Klaroline is something that I'm definitely hoping for. But it will still be a while down the road. And no, Ellie never got a thank you.
To skyellebaby: It really was bittersweet. Her instincts definitely are. Surprisingly, Jenna and Klaus really do have the vibe. Honestly, she's pretty similar to Cami in a lot of ways, in my opinion, so I think that helps it make sense why they would click. Oh my god thank you for picking up on that little panic attack detail, that's exactly what I wanted to allude to. And don't worry, I don't mind explaining stuff to people! Taking the ring was definitely a very sentimental thing, just like she took Isobel's necklace. She didn't know either of them long but they were both important to her. Lol, don't worry I wasn't really trying to be slick lol. We're definitely going to NOLA.
To LucifersAlleyCat: Jenna losing it would be very satisfying I agree. Caroline didn't really taunt Klaus, that was mostly Tyler, but she did show up! Ellie and Elijah going to Kol's apartment would be brilliant. I most likely will do that. At least on the plus side, the Scooby Gang have no idea where he lived. And yes, Stefan is finally starting to see Elena for what she really is.
To RiaChan: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed. I'm just focusing on this one for right now, but I will absolutely do the Kol and Ellie version at some point. I also think Caroline will end up in NOLA at some point, it just won't be right away.
To lolistarkiller: She really is. Honestly, Klaus apologizing would be funny. Carol would definitely be pissed at some of the stupid shit Tyler has done. But her being soft on Klaus would really be adorable. I mean, she was really nice to all of them when they arrived. The adults really do need to take back control. I agree that Sheila would be disappointed with how often Bonnie gets dragged into Elena's madness, but I think right now she would be more worried about the control Shane has over Bonnie. Caroline was absolutely blindsided, she had no idea. I do plan on Ellie getting Katherine her freedom, it's just a matter of when. I think there's a very real possibility that Ellie will offer up her blood, and I actually have an idea or two on what could cause her to offer, but that's still a bit down the road and not yet written.
To IrinaPetrova: Well thank you for leaving a review now! They're always very appreciated. And honestly thank you so much. Some people didn't seem to understand that I didn't have another option but to kill Kol because of the plot, so I'm very glad you understand. That makes a really good point actually! Elena and Ellie would have died had it not been for Katherine's actions, though indirectly and then the doppelganger line would have really been over.
To brigitm28: Yeah, the show definitely brushed over his death. Like we saw Rebekah cry for five seconds and then she's on the island taunting Elena and that's it. And yes, Ellie going off on Tyler was satisfying. I'm really glad you agree with her arguments and think they're well thought out that makes me really happy lol. Yes, her starting to think about leaving was definitely meant to make the transition to NOLA easier.
To Guest: Honestly, I'm for kicking Elena out too. It really would be petty justice for it to be in Ellie's name and then they leave. And what's she gonna do, complain? She should be up at Whitmore anyways for school.
To Gucciisoverrated: First, I love your username and second, thank you! I'm honored that you think the characters come to life so well. And, actually, now that you mention it, really seeing this from Elena's perspective could be fascinating. Because in the show, while it was centered on Elena, we rarely heard what was going on in her head. So to really see it from how she saw it has so much potential. It's just ironic that they used so much good lighting on her while making her kind of twisted at the same time. If anything, I would definitely consider putting chapters from her point of view in the one shots that I haven't had a chance to work on yet.
To nosenseorgravity: Thank you so much! I'm honored that you left me a review when you don't normally! I'm glad that Kol's death and their reactions were written well. Ellie definitely needs a hug. I definitely wanted to make Elena taste worse in our mouths. It was intentional to make her actions seem even worse than they already were. But yeah, the fact that they really just brushed over actual genocide, two to be precise, just astounds me. She's definitely going to get out of Mystic Falls. We just have to get her to graduate first. I hope you enjoyed!
-Madame Magic
Posted: 7/10/21
