Chapter Twenty-Two:
The next day Nik and I were at The Grill having a drink when we saw Rebekah walk up to Matt who was busing a table.
Rebekah then sat a set of keys down on the table.
"What's that?" Matt asked Rebekah.
"The key to your new truck. It's parked outside, paid for, insured. Everything but a big red bow." Rebekah said to Matt.
"If that's your idea of an apology, you should probably give it to Elena. She's the one you killed." Matt said to Rebekah.
Matt then took the keys and walked away from Rebekah who looked disappointed.
"You're trying too hard." Nik said to Rebekah.
"Last I heard you were leaving town. Forever." Rebekah said to Nik.
"Well, I was, but then I thought to myself, "How can I when my sister… clearly so desperate for love and attention, is left here… bribing the help?" Nik said to Rebekah.
"Nik, be nice to your sister." I said to Nik.
"What did you want, Nik? I thought I was dead to you." Rebekah said to Nik.
"Things change, Rebekah. I've stumbled upon something I think might be of interest to you." Nik said to Rebekah.
"Doubt that." Rebekah said to Nik.
"No? Well, what if I told you the Brotherhood of The Five still existed?" Nik asked Rebekah.
"What?" Rebekah asked Nik in disbelief.
"You see? And like that, bygones. Come on, love, work to do." Nik said to Rebekah.
"We don't have anything to do. There is no "we". I don't care about The Five… and I don't care about you." Rebekah said to Nik.
"As you wish." Nik said to Rebekah.
Nik and I then left The Grill and went back to the mansion to check on Connor who was strapped down on The Rack from the Spanish Inquisition in Nik's torture room.
When we were in the room we heard Stefan walk up behind us.
"Looks like I'll have to beef up the hybrid security detail." Nik said to Stefan.
"I was going to take him, but I figured you went through such trouble… to truss him up in your red room of pain." Stefan said to Nik.
"It's from the Inquisition. I thought it was a nice touch." Nik said to Stefan smiling.
"What'd you get out of him?" Stefan asked us.
"Not enough. Unfortunately." I said to Stefan.
"He's mum about the Council fire and he's not saying anything about this greater evil… we're all supposed to be shivering over. What brings you snooping?" Nik asked Stefan.
"Well. I can't say it in front of him. As I'm sure you've figured out, our friend here can't be compelled." Stefan said to us.
"You gotta be kidding me." I said to Stefan in disbelief.
Nik then looked at Connor.
"You're full of mysteries, aren't you?" Nik asked Connor.
"I told you, I don't know anything." Connor said to us.
"Thankfully, I know plenty." Nik said to Connor.
Nik then looked at Stefan and me.
"Shall we?" Nik asked us gesturing for us to walk out of the room.
Nik, Stefan, and I then walked out of the torture room and walked into the living room to talk privately.
"So, what's with the home invasion?" Nik asked Stefan.
"Damon said you knew something about this guy. I should have figured you were up to something when you healed Elena… from the werewolf poison without asking for anything in return." Stefan said to Nik.
"I was feeling benevolent." Nik said to Stefan.
"You're never benevolent. Who is this guy? What's The Five?" Stefan asked Nik.
"So many questions." Nik said to Stefan.
"Ones that I've already asked and got no answers to." I said to Stefan.
Stefan then sat down on a couch.
"It's a good thing I have nothing to do today… except get answers out of you." Stefan said to Nik.
"Fine. You might actually be useful in persuading my sister to cooperate." Nik said to Stefan.
Nik and I then sat down on another couch that was across from the couch that Stefan was sitting on.
"The Brotherhood of The Five was a group of highly skilled vampire hunters. We crossed paths with them in the 12th Century, Italy. My siblings and I had followed the Normans… as they conquered the south… feeding, turning people as we went. But with the bloodshed came exposure." Nik said to us.
"So these hunters have been around for 900 years?" Stefan asked Nik.
"Apparently. Though our friend in the other room is the first I've seen since then. Kind of makes you wonder what they've been up to all these years." Nik said to us.
"And Rebekah had a thing with one of them?" I asked Nik.
"Oh, she didn't just have a thing. She fell in love with him. He told her all his secrets... which I will gladly share with you two…" Nik began to say to us before he stopped himself.
Nik then looked at Stefan only.
"Provided you do one thing for me." Nik said to Stefan.
"And what's that?" Stefan asked Nik.
"Get Rebekah over here. She's being stubborn and hateful. I need to make peace with her. I want her to give me some very important information about the hunter… which she won't do unless she believes we've made up." Nik said to Stefan.
"And what's in it for me?" Stefan asked Nik.
"Just get her here and I'll tell you. Oh, and Stefan… trust me when I say this: That hunter in there holds the answer to all your prayers." Nik said to Stefan.
After that Stefan left to go talk to Rebekah and a couple of hours later Nik and I walked back into the torture room to check on Connor.
"You feeling all right, mate? Are the shackles too tight?" Nik asked Connor.
We then heard Rebekah and Stefan walk into the room.
"Welcome home, sister." Nik said to Rebekah.
"Is this a trick? How do you know he's one of The Five? Where's his bloody tattoo?" Rebekah asked Nik.
"Oh, the tattoos aren't visible on this lot like they were on the last." Nik said to Rebekah.
Nik then looked at Rebekah, Stefan, and me.
"Let's eat." Nik said to us.
We then walked out of the torture and then walked into the dining room to eat dinner.
Once we were all seated at the table a waitress poured each of us a glass of wine saving Nik for last.
"Thank you, my lovely." Nik said to the waitress.
The waitress the walked to the corner of the dining room and then Nik looked at all of us.
"I could kiss the Council for burning up all the vervain in town. They made my life so much easier." Nik said to us.
Nik then looked at Rebekah who was sitting across from him with her arms crossed over her chest and frowning.
"Rebekah, love, eat your veggies." Nik said to Rebekah.
"I'm not eating till you apologize." Rebekah said to Nik.
"For which indiscretion? There have been so many." Nik said to Rebekah.
"You broke my neck." Rebekah said to Nik.
"You threw away Elena's blood so I can't make any more hybrids." Nik said to Rebekah.
"Because you took me for granted!" Rebekah yelled at Nik.
"That's what big brothers do, sweetheart." Nik said to Rebekah.
Stefan and I then both let out a frustrated sigh.
"Let me just name the million other people… I'd rather be having dinner with right now." Stefan said to us.
I then rolled my eyes and looked at Nik.
"Nik, just apologize." I said to Nik.
"All right, fine. I'm sorry. I often forget how delicate you are. Forgive me?" Nik asked Rebekah.
"I'll take it under consideration." Rebekah said to Nik.
Stefan then sat up straight in his seat and cleared his throat.
"Okay, good. Ahem. Now, why don't you tell me about Rebekah's hunter?" Stefan said to Nik.
"Right. Alexander. Nice chap, forgoing the obvious issues. He was looking for creatures of the night… which is why we felt quite safe around him wearing our daylight rings." Nik said to us.
Nik then told us that Alexander had told them that The Five had a weapon which no vampire can survive.
"So that's what this is about? A weapon?" Stefan asked Nik.
"Not just any weapon." Rebekah said to us.
"Rebekah, love, don't get ahead of the story." Nik said to Rebekah.
"How is a weapon the answer to all my prayers?" Stefan asked them.
Nik and Rebekah then stared at each other and Stefan and I could tell there was something they weren't telling us.
"Okay. Why don't we just skip with the theatrics and get right to the point." Stefan asked them.
"Not quite yet. Because in order to find the weapon, we need to solve the puzzle, which seems to have disappeared." Nik said to us.
"What puzzle?" Stefan asked Nik confusedly.
Nik then looked at Stefan like the answer was so obvious and I answered it.
"The tattoo." I said to Stefan.
"What is it?" Stefan asked Nik.
"A map… leading us to its treasure." Nik said to us.
"Fat lot of good a tattoo is going to do if we can't see it." Rebekah said to us.
"We can't, but someone else can." Nik said to us.
Nik then looked over at the waitress.
"Why don't you tell the hybrid to bring him in, love?" Nik asked the waitress.
The waitress then walked out of the dining room.
"You see, the hunter was so eager to get to the bottom of his mystery tattoos… that he mentioned there was only one other person who could see them." Nik said to us.
"Jeremy." I said to them.
I then looked at Nik.
"Nik, please tell me you didn't do what I think you did." I said to Nik.
Nik then had a guilty look on his face and then the waitress walked back into the dining room with Nate dragging Jeremy behind her.
Stefan then used vamp speed to run over to Jeremy but before he could reach him Nik used vamp speed to get in front of him.
"I wouldn't." Nik said to Stefan warning.
Nik then put his hand on Jeremy's shoulder and then looked at all of us.
"Lucky for us, young Jeremy here is a bit of an artist." Nik said to us.
"I'm not helping you with anything." Jeremy said to Nik.
Nate then used vamp speed to take Jeremy's ring off of his finger and then threw it over to Nik who caught it in his hand.
"Oh, I'm afraid you are." Nik said to Jeremy smiling smugly.
I then used vamp speed to run over to Nik and took Jeremy's ring out of his hand and gave it back to him.
"No, he's not. Not if you're going to threaten him like that." I said to Nik.
I then looked over at Jeremy.
"Jer, I know you don't want to help him, but by doing this, you'll actually be helping Elena. So, will you please draw Connor's tattoos for us?" I asked Jeremy.
"If it's for Elena, then I'll help. But I'm doing this for you and her, not him." Jeremy said to me staring at Nik.
"I understand. Let's take you to Connor." I said to Jeremy.
I then looked at Nik, Rebekah, and Stefan.
"I'm going to stay in the room while he's drawing the tattoos. You three can continue discussing about that weapon and fill me in later." I said to them.
Jeremy and I then walked out of the dining room and walked into the torture room after getting a sketchbook and pencil.
Once in the room Jeremy walked up to Connor and began to draw the tattoo that was on his arm that only the two of them could see.
"You set me up at the hospital. Led me into a trap. Why?" Connor asked Jeremy.
"You were trying to hurt people who are important to me." Jeremy said to Connor.
"Important to you? That vampire just threatened to kill you. I don't understand how you could see the tattoo if you're a sympathizer." Connor said to Jeremy.
"And what exactly do you understand? 'Cause a couple of days ago, you seemed to have all the answers, and now you know jack. Where did this tattoo come from? Why am I the only one who can see it?" Jeremy asked Connor.
Connor then looked over at me and I knew he didn't want to say anything in front of me.
"It's okay. You can tell him. Whatever you say will stay in this room. It will stay between the two of you." I said to Connor.
Connor then let out a sigh.
"Years ago, I met someone with the mark. He claimed he had this intense desire to kill vampires. Like it was ingrained in his DNA. Told me the same thing I told you. If I could see the mark, I was a potential." Connor said to Jeremy.
"Who was he?" Jeremy asked Connor.
"Just a guy I served in Iraq with. I lost track of him, and then one day, the tattoo just showed up on me. It started on my hand. But the more vampires I killed, the more it spread. Like… Like it was trying to tell me something. I just… I just don't know what." Connor said to Jeremy.
An hour and a half later Jeremy was sitting down on a chair still drawing Connor's tattoos when Nik walked into the room and then looked over his shoulder to look at the drawing.
"Nice lines. Now if you could just hurry it up a little bit." Nik said to Jeremy.
"I'm done." Jeremy said to Nik.
Jeremy then stood up and then handed the sketchbook over to Nik for him to look at.
Nik then stared at the drawing then frowned.
"What is this?" Nik asked Jeremy.
"It's the tattoo." Jeremy said to Nik.
Nik then grabbed Jeremy by the throat and lifted him off of the ground and I used vamp sped to run over to them and I tried to pry Nik's hand away from Jeremy's throat but it was useless.
"Nik, let him go!" I yelled at Nik.
Nik just ignored me and loked at Jeremy.
"I've seen the tattoo, you impertinent punk. There's more to it." Nik said to Jeremy angrily.
"That's all of it. He said every time he kills a vampire, it spreads." Jeremy said to Nik.
"He's telling you the truth. Connor just told us that." I said to Nik.
Nik then let go of Jeremy's neck and he fell to the floor rubbing his neck.
"Nate!" Nik yelled at Nate.
Nate then walked into the room.
"Tell the girl to take Jeremy home." Nik said to Nate.
"No. I'm taking him home. And when I get back, we're gonna have a talk about you using my brother." I said to Nik.
"Fine." Nik said to me.
Nik then looked at Nate.
"Keep this one alive at all costs." Nik said to Nate pointing at Connor.
I then helped Jeremy off of the floor and then we left the mansion to go to our house.
After I dropped Jeremy off at our house I got a text message from Nik saying that we was going to Italy to get a sword that belonged to Alexander which is used to decode the map which leads to the cure to vampirism.