I want to be surrounded by your love
As a hand is covered by a fitting glove
Does love infest your soul and every sense?
The colours of the world are evidence
- Rumi, Use What He Has Granted You
Warning: Graphical violence ahead in the chapter.
Proceed at your own discretion.
Winter, 1859
Cloverville
"When did you arrive home last night?" Sharel asked her grand-daughter as they sat around the table with the Mikaelsons enjoying breakfast.
"The Council is aware of vampires visiting Cloverville. I provided them with another trail leading to the other town. It might help us and they shall do it unknowingly for I would like the men and the Mikaelsons stay away from one another," Adelia answered.
"Quite devious, aren't you?" Klaus commented, looking at her.
"I would've been less offended with the company you keep if it were you rendezvousing with a man instead of scheming with Councilmen," her grandmother admitted with a snort, making Klaus laugh as he put down his cutlery.
"Grandmother, please," Adelia said trying to hide her blushing cheeks.
"You are my only grandchild! In addition, you are not getting any younger so I am obliged to assist you for your father does not like the prospect of you getting married. The town already gives me hard time with their gossips of Sharel's granddaughter not having a betrothal contract. I cannot very well inform them that while other fathers discuss dowry, my son discusses wretched politics with his daughter," Sharel confessed, almost looking offended.
"I suggest you take the matter to father," the young woman replied.
"And not discuss personal matters in front of guests, Sharel," Elijah offered, trying to help Adelia.
"You Mikaelsons are family, Elijah. And you would not know the hidden questions behind those betrothal obligations. They believe my sweet Adelia is with a child," Sharel said and the girl in question instantly put down her fork in mortification.
"Or she is a seductress using her wiles to charm men. As if Arnold would ever allow a man near his daughter," Sharel scoffed and continued. "Last night an old snobby woman accused the Laurentis heir of setting traps for marrying the richest. Not only do have we money to feed generations, but they dare accuse my Lia of such insolence. I set her granddaughter's hair on fire and rendered the grandson impotent; I am a witch of brilliance after all."
Everybody looked at Sharel in silence processing her words.
"Grandmother! What have you done?" Adelia exclaimed.
"That was uncalled for Sharel," Elijah sighed but let his lips tug upwards finding it too hilarious.
"You fought for Adelia's honour valiantly. Did you do something to the snobby woman?" Klaus smirked.
"I hexed her into a hallucinatory fever of course. People will consider her mentally ill and she deserves so for accusing my granddaughter of such nefarious plots," Sharel smiled.
"For an old woman you seem enthusiastic about causing mischief when you are to worry about your joints," Adelia replied, greatly disappointed.
"She wishes I did not poison her tea. Her taste in the beverage was awful, no sense of quantity and proportions," the older lady retorted. "You should have seen her granddaughter. The neckline an inch lower and her parts would've on display for the entire town." Sharel added ruffling Adelia's high collar-very sophisticated her grandchild is.
"That was offensive grandmother. While I consider your sentiments peculiarly heartfelt, they were quite derogatory. You will remove the hex by this evening or I shall do it myself and do send her an invitation for an afternoon tea. Do not forget to ask her granddaughter to accompany her," the younger witch spoke impassively and turned to the gentlemen. "It was a lovely breakfast. Thank you." Adelia got up and the men followed her actions and watched her exit the room before retaking their seats.
"Ruins my sense of adventure that girl. Not a Laurentis or a Beauchêne trait I reckon, must be the Fleureaus. My son's wife Alessandra was rational to a fault and like her mother, Adelia seems to cling to the moral compass," Sharel replied, smearing the marmalade over the bread. "Now I have to indulge in a tea with that old snob and tolerate her granddaughter."
"Authoritative she is," Klaus humoured.
"Now that is a Beauchêne trait!" She exclaimed and then continued softly. "I am proud of her. Her witch nature may have failed her in providing her with a normal life but she hasn't resented it ever."
The Mikaelsons knew Adelia was a siphon-witch, one of her kind as told by Sharel. She did not have her own magic and could siphon off anything magical and a powerful one at that where her abilities had to be restrained so she would not harm others. The brothers had never met a witch like her and were curious but they knew better than to ask for a demonstration when it was such a sensitive topic in the household.
"She doesn't seem the kind to resent anybody's nature unless given a reason to," said Elijah.
"I couldn't ask more from her. She has turned out the way Raymond wanted her to and we wouldn't change it for the world."
Adelia was sipping ginger tea in the study going through several documents when Elijah entered the room and kissed her cheek from behind. "Any plans?" He asked his wife sitting across from her and picked up a document from the pile on the table.
"No," she paused. "I might be onto the witch massacre site. See this," she handed him the paper, "Lockwood and Gilbert's files described it differently so either they were hiding something or they didn't know what happened."
Elijah took the paper and went through the information. "It is not at all suspicious that the founders were not aware of a supernatural incident in their town." He drawled and gave her a look that made her smile, "Beauchêne papers turned out to be accurate."
"Our first lead is here," she told him and he got up.
"Come, I made breakfast," he stated before leading her out of the room.
"It is his birthday today," Adelia twirled her hair between her fingers, giving him the most innocent look she could muster.
"Give Rafael my best wishes," Elijah rolled his eyes at her attempt to persuade him. He plucked her hair from her fingers and made a moustache of it over her upper lip. "Now this is fashion."
The witch narrowed her eyes, slapping his hand, "I will destroy your hair. I should have listened to Raffie and burnt it to the ground."
"Give your dear Raffie my regards."
"Let me out!" Caroline shouted.
"Excuse me? What was that?" Brady mocked the vampire when she continued to kick and scream.
"Let me out!" The vampire said again when he left to join Jules outside.
"Get it out of your system?" Jules asked.
"No, I'm just getting started," he replied.
"Brady, let's be smart about this. I just want the boy. It's our duty to help him, it's who we are," Jules reasoned.
"You want to talk duty and honour? These are vampires. They cross one of us, they cross all of us. That's who we are."
"It is not honourable to torture an innocent, sweetheart," a woman said, appearing out of nowhere as Jules and Brady looked at each other.
Jules went on to attack the vampire, but she dropped to the floor unconscious with a wave of the woman's hand making Brady take a step back.
The woman looked around the woods and then at him, "We have company so let's take this to a more private location, shall we? I wouldn't worry about the invite to your sweet little home. I had the rental revoked some minutes earlier," she told him and went on to throw the werewolf inside the RV with magic and followed him inside before shutting the door.
"Who are you?" Brady asked standing up.
"Adelia. Now be a gentleman and free Caroline this instant," she told him sweetly.
"Maybe you can join her too," he replied with snark and blew wooden darts towards her, but she caught them unblinkingly and threw them back at him, puncturing his chest and neck.
"I was sightseeing this beautiful little town and came across you wolves inflicting such brutality on a young girl, vampire or not," she said while walking towards him, her stilettos hitting the RV floor in a concurrent rhythm.
"If you want to live, then get out," he shot the vervain water over her from his gun.
"Hurts a little, but not a lot," she smiled, wiping the water from her wrist. "Last warning wolf, let the girl go."
"Not before you die," he launched a stake at her but she caught it easily and then swooshed towards him to hold his hand and snapped it.
Adelia stabbed the stake through his spine and got hold of his other hand, bringing them both behind his back and dislocated them from his shoulders.
"You will heal and I will shatter your bones again and again until you beg for mercy and then I might consider granting you a little reprieve. I will kill you and hang you outside your home for all to see," she whispered harshly into his ear and then looked towards Caroline.
The witch broke his arms again and dropped him on the floor. She unlatched the cage and helped the vampire out of it.
"There are other werewolves outside. Stay here with me until your friends arrive," Adelia stopped Caroline by her arm when she tried to run past the woman.
Adelia walked towards the fallen wolf and crouched beside him, "I hate when people hurt innocents. You hurt someone when they deserve it and you have earned this since the moment you touched her, therefore I am not sorry about your inescapable doom. Caroline darling, this is PG rated. Don't look."
She grabbed a handful of tissues from the counter and stuffed it into his mouth before taking out a knife from his pocket. The heretic sliced his arms, making deep cuts and left the knife in there so it wouldn't heal. She got up and went behind him and grabbed his foot and twisted it snapping it off its joints and did the same to the other. Caroline heard his muffled cries and looked at Brady.
"I've had my share of fun with your limbs. Let's move on to your weapons, shall we?" Adelia picked up the shotgun lying beside the man and pulled out the stake from his spine making him howl in pain. She turned him on his back and shot him repeatedly to injure, but not enough to kill him.
"Where do you keep wolfsbane again?" She asked him and got disappointed when she didn't get an answer, "No worries sweetheart, I came prepared." She got a wolfsbane packet out from her pockets and added the powder in the same gun with the vervain water used to hurt Caroline. Adelia shot the wolfsbane water all over his wounds and body which made him thrash on the floor which was slowly getting drenched with his blood.
"Please leave me," Brady cried out when Adelia pulled out the tissues from his mouth as he repeatedly tried to get away from her.
"That girl over there begged you too," she grabbed his head and made him look towards Caroline, "Did you spare her? No, then why should I?" She finished before using her heels to break his ankles making him shout.
"I am sorry, please," Brady pleaded when Adelia muffled his shouts with tissues again.
"Very well, since you asked politely. Darling, please look away," Adelia told Caroline, who immediately complied. She pulled his heart out before separating his head off the neck, throwing his body inside the cage. The witch pulled out tissues to clean her face and hands, walking towards Caroline.
The girl in question looked up from Adelia's blood splattered heels and saw her clothes in a similar condition. The woman wrapped her rumpled peacoat over Caroline.
"Let me see," the woman examined her closely. "You are fine, physically. A blood bag and you'll be up and running."
"Thank you," Caroline cried when the commotion outside reached their ears and Tyler entered the RV in disbelief.
Adelia checked her phone and saw the hesitation in the wolf's face before he opened the RV door so Caroline could leave but Jules grabbed her and pushed her face-first against the vehicle, putting a gun to her back. Tyler saw Caroline being held at gunpoint but didn't take a step.
One of the werewolves grabbed a stake and was about to kill Damon when all of the werewolves except Tyler began screaming in pain as they all covered their ears with their hands and fell down on their knees.
"What's happening?" Caroline asked.
"Oh darling, help has arrived," Adelia exited the RV with a heart in one palm and with another, she clutched Brady's head by his hair, horrifying Jules and her pack.
The Salvatores were shocked by her presence when she rolled over Brady's head in the middle of the woods and moved towards it. She muttered a spell and the werewolf's head caught fire.
"You hurt an innocent and your fate shall be worse than death," she told the pack grimly, dropping his organ into the flame too.
"What the hell is going on?" Tyler said when Jonas Martin walked in with his hand held out, casting his spell on the werewolves. Damon and Stefan got up from the ground after his arrival just as Elijah walked in, his eyes meeting Adelia's.
The Original stepped forward, removing his coat and silently walked over to his wife. Relieved to find her safe and sound, he draped it over her and moved his gaze towards the newly turned vampire. "Are you alright, Miss Forbes?" Caroline nodded, silently thanking him and the woman.
Elijah looked around at the crouched wolves and his eyes narrowed. "I am an Original. Elijah, sure you've heard of me," he bellowed seeing various one stiffen. "These people are under my protection until I see fit. If you interfere in my business then I guarantee you all a very painful death. Do not cross me." A second later he grabbed Adelia's wrist and disappeared out of sight.
Adelia walked out of the shower in a bathrobe drying her wet hair stepping inside the bedroom and saw Elijah sitting on the recliner. She directly went towards the vanity and sat down and continued drying her tresses.
Her husband looked up from the document he was reading and their eyes met in the mirror.
"Dr. Martin informed me of your little escapade in the woods," Elijah asked, not breaking his stare.
"The wolves were torturing Ms. Forbes. She did not deserve the repercussion for the sins committed by another," she replied with a sigh, choosing to look at her reflection instead and set the towel down on a nearby chair.
"You could have been injured," the Original breathed out, "I am not particularly happy with your actions tonight, but if you deemed it necessary to intervene then I will not question it," he got up and took the brush from the vanity and proceeded to untangle her hair.
"I am an immortal like you," Adelia mumbled under her breath.
"If you're an immortal then so is Caroline," Elijah gave her a look in the mirror and then his eyes softened. "I would prefer if you didn't endanger yourself during our stay in this town where nothing ever happens," he sarcastically finished with a smile, hoping to not come off as a disapproving husband.
"Thank you," she smiled a little when he finished brushing her hair.
"I have business to conduct with the Martins. Get rested, dear," the Original bent down to kiss her head and exited the room.
She walked along the streets of Mystic Falls while on the phone, "And now he seems very gruff. I will have to endure a silent dinner tonight."
"I fail to understand why you must live with that neanderthal," a voice replied from the other side.
"Do not call him a neanderthal! He is my husband!" She pouted into her phone.
"He called me insolent for just suggesting a change of style of his insipid hair. I will call him for what he is-a neanderthal," Rafael suggested and Adelia could very well imagine him rolling his eyes.
"Just because he is a bit protective doesn't make him that," she frowned.
"I am a bit protective. Your husband is overprotective."
"Well doesn't change the fact that I am his wife," she said.
"I was hoping for a divorce. Is that even applicable to eternal vampire marriages?"
"Cease your jokes," Adelia stared at her feet. "Elijah is your not-so-technically brother-in-law."
"That is why I even tolerate him. Perks of being an acquaintance of Original familia aside," he humoured.
"Of course. Perks!"
"The alcohol is calling to me. It's not everyday you turn 172," he laughed.
"Once again Happy Birthday. I sent the gift and Elijah also wished you alright."
"Your husband must have been cursing me internally but I do hope he sent me that wine bottle he had been hoarding for a century," Rafael's voice had a hint of annoyance.
"Bye! and stop sending my husband annoying texts. He gets a headache," the witch kicked a pebble.
"Why do you think I send them anyway?" He smiled and hung up. Adelia stared at her phone and pocketed it with a huff.
A little later she came across the Lockwood boy apologising to Caroline. The witch stopped on the porch of the house as the young girl ordered the boy to get out. Tyler turned around and both he and Caroline noticed Adelia standing there. The werewolf without a word decided to leave the two women as they stared at each other.
Adelia without a word sat down on the steps and glanced behind at Caroline to join her. With hesitant steps, the blonde girl took her place next to the brunette.
"I will not ask you about your well-being because you are not fine," Adelia stated.
"I am not," admitted Caroline after a minute as tears pooled in her eyes.
"It's okay to accept that, it doesn't make you weak."
"I don't want to be weak. I was weak tonight and I let them do this to me," cried Caroline.
"You were strong and you fought for your survival. I don't see a weakness," Adelia told her.
"I am a big girl. I should have done something."
"You will see every facet of life and experience it first-hand. It's not easy being what we are, Caroline. I consider it alright to shed tears over something like that, I would have cried too and I am 170 years old," Adelia added the last part with a little humour in her voice, hoping to distract the blonde.
"You cry too?" Caroline asked hesitantly.
"Of course, I cry. My tear glands need to stay clean and not rusted with cobwebs surrounding it," Adelia cringed.
"My friend betrayed me when he didn't save me tonight," Caroline said.
"Betrayal comes in various forms, sweetheart. It's on you whether you want to forgive or not."
"Should I forgive him?"
"If you want to. You are a big girl after all," Adelia winked at her, quoting the blonde's words from earlier which made the girl sitting beside her snort.
"How do I forget this?" She questioned softly as they both stared at nowhere enjoying the silence.
"You never forget Caroline, you take it with you. Learn something out of everything and consider it a life lesson. You cannot move on if you do not accept. And if you are accepting then know that you were very brave tonight, coming out of this even stronger than before," the witch answered, placing a hand over Caroline's and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you for tonight and for everything. You never mentioned how you knew me?" Caroline glanced at the beautiful vampire to her right.
"Elijah made sure I knew what I was getting into and even if I didn't know who you were, I would've come to your rescue. What they were doing was wrong. Prejudices shouldn't dictate your morals."
"You are that Adelia?" Caroline asked, remembering Elena telling her about the vampire-witch who got Stefan out of the tomb.
"I am indeed that Adelia," the witch held out her hand to the vampire with a smile.
"I am Caroline Forbes," the vampire took the outstretched hand. Then she instantly took Adelia's other hand and noticed the rings, "You are married."
"You should take a bath and sleep. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Forbes," Adelia said getting up.
Caroline nodded at her doing the same when the brunette flitted away, leaving the young girl to her thoughts.
March, 1941
Seattle
Elijah heard a resounding knock at the door and frowned in confusion. They were not supposed to have any visitors today and Adelia was out. She definitely would not have knocked.
Exiting the library of their rather secluded villa, he trudged forward and opened the door to be greeted with the sight of his brother he had not seen in seven years.
"Niklaus," he spoke as they stared at each other for a few moments before the silence was broken.
"Hello, Elijah. Forgetting your manners? Let me in," the younger one smirked.
Elijah didn't say anything but opened the door wider for him.
Klaus stepped in and looked around the residence thoughtfully, "Adelia does capture your sense of flair quite beautifully." He took a seat and put his feet on the table across him, earning himself a look of disapproval from the elder Original.
"She happens to know me very well," he replied, choosing to stand across his brother. "Why are you here Niklaus?"
"Why dear brother? Afraid I will wreak havoc on your jovial peaceful life?"
"As informed on several occasions, you are welcome to join us," Elijah drummed his fingers on the couch.
"Maybe," Klaus picked up a frame from beside the lamp and looked at it. Elijah and Adelia; they looked happy and he couldn't help but envy them when he lived in constant fear.
"Adelia and I would like for you to think about it. She hasn't seen you in decades," the elder brother smiled while looking inquisitively at the man who was busy staring at the picture.
"I know," replied the younger Original, placing back the frame.
"When do you intend to undagger them?" Elijah asked.
Klaus' features changed drastically giving out an evil smile as he stared at his lone breathing sibling. "Let me ponder over it. I prefer them daggered, Elijah. It gets quite difficult to be on the run when you have baggage to carry around. Rest assured they are doing fine."
Elijah pursed his mouth, "Whatever do you mean, Niklaus?"
"They are faring well buried deep within the sea," the younger brother snorted and the older vampire stiffened.
"Do enlighten me brother," Elijah's eyes blazed with fury as he clenched his fist, looking at him.
"You and your beloved wife can cease your efforts to look for them. I can assure you that they will not be found."
"Please tell me you are bluffing, Niklaus. They are our siblings."
"The coffins are untraceable somewhere in a sea. The destroyer is nowhere near me. My life is once again on track," Klaus grinned at him. "I envisaged for you to be happy brother. You get to play happy families with Adelia without any worries."
"How dare you?" Elijah sped forward and pulled him up before rushing him into a wall, the frames on the wall falling to the ground on impact.
"Calm down Elijah. Your true colours are showing," the younger Original pushed Elijah off him who fell over the table, shattering it into pieces.
Elijah got up and charged at him, breaking his jaw before thrashing him against the wall. Klaus swiftly stood up when he heard the iron gate being opened. With a sigh, he sped over to his brother and snapped his neck.
"Give my farewells to dear Adelia, brother." He dropped the unconscious body before walking over to the picture frame he was examining earlier and quickly put it inside the jacket.
Giving a last look towards Elijah, he fled through the open window just as the sounds of heels against the cobblestone pathway became clearer.
Adelia unlocked the door, carrying a thick book in her hands. "Elijah, I came across this wonderful vol..." she stopped when her gaze fell onto her husband lying on the floor with the parlour in disarray.
She ran over to him, keeping aside the book and turned him over on his back. She looked around the room with suspicion before her hands snapped his neck back in place with a crack.
Within a minute, Elijah stirred and opened his eyes to find Adelia kneeling beside him. "Niklaus."
"Elijah!" She made him sit up before he was engulfed in her arms. His own arms went around her, breathing in her sandalwood fragrance.
"Where is he? I will kill him Adelia!" He asked, getting to his feet.
"What are you going on about?"
"Niklaus. He visited this noon. He has done the unthinkable, my love," his voice quivered.
Adelia noticing his distress asked him, "Please tell me, Elijah."
And he did, he told her everything. "I do not know what to make of it," he seethed in anger. "He will pay for it."
Taking a deep breath she gripped his hand, catching his attention. "Listen to me. Niklaus wouldn't dare commit such a heinous crime."
"He told me himself, Adelia."
"I refuse to consider it. His ways are a bit extreme at times, but he would never harm them."
"You are blinding yourself to the truth," he told her looking her in the eye. "He has hidden them in the sea. We would never find them. Rebekah, Kol..."
"He wants you to believe that," she interrupted him loudly. Taking his hand, Adelia made him sit on the sofa and crouched on her knees in front of him. "I know Nik comes off as an uncaring entity, but he has always looked out for his siblings. He doesn't know how to convey it. He has protected you all in the way he knows how. You are his brother and you should not doubt his love for family. He lied to get a rise out of you and succeeded. Maybe he embarked this for Mikael to dissuade him from going after his only vulnerabilities."
"I cannot help but think that Klaus said the truth, Adelia," his features begged her to not trust the younger Original on his claim.
"He is keeping them safe. Not in the sea but somewhere he would never be able to reach. I have heard the rumors about coffins and the Mediterranean Sea. If you start believing what Klaus says then your father would do the same, riveting towards Nik. He is doing all this to make certain that we never fall into father's hands. This is not a matter of intent, my love but also of perspective. Trust him; put your faith in your brother."
Elijah stared at her for some time as he tried to get out something but his throat clogged up in contemplation and disbelief. "Niklaus did not bury them in the sea."
"No, he didn't. He is for the lack of a better word, paranoid. His paranoia only dwindles if his precious things are within his reach, including his family. If we want to find the coffins, we have to find him," she said.
He grabbed her wrist and stood up immediately, bringing her up along with him. "He shouldn't be far away."
"And we will indeed get hold of him. He is persistent but so are we." she intertwined their hands and kissed his cheek softly.
A/N: Adelia is not in favour of his hair style. Must be the wifey thing ;)
Introducing
Julianne Moore as Sharel Beauchêne
"My granddaughter is my pride."