Chapter 17 – Solutions?
Finn called everyone in the mansion to the living room to fill them on the new developments. Elena had taken a shower and was feeling much better, she was resting in a lazy boy. Kol and Sabrina were still stretch out on the couch together, though Sabrina was now awake. Rebekah and Sage walked in the room at the same time wondering why Finn had called them in. They quickly found chairs at his biding and prepared to hear what he had to say.
"Elijah and Nick saw Alaric Saltzman and Meredith Fells at the site if the cave-in and invited them here. Alaric refused to come over without the Salvatores. So they all will be here in about an hour." Finn told them.
Everyone started talking at the same time.
"What were they doing there?" Sage asked.
"Why are they coming here?" Rebekah asked.
"Who are the Salvatores?" Sabrina asked
"Stefan and Damon are coming?" Elena squeaked out.
"This is not going to end well." Kol stated.
"Silence." Finn yelled out and everyone turned to look at him in surprise. "Now, Meredith has a theory that Alaric's ring is making him crazy, and he is the one behind the recent string of murders."
"But I thought Alaric was cleared?" Elena asked.
"The paper that cleared Alaric was forged by Meredith Fell." Elijah said walking in the room. Niklaus followed behind.
"Why would she have him arrested and the forge something to clear him?" Rebekah asked confused.
"She claims that she just wanted to catch their attention." Elijah replied. "Now ground rules for this afternoon- play nice, don't antagonize our guests. Please don't start anything. We need to find out if Alaric is truly behind these murders."
"Elijah and I are going to go clean up before our guest arrive. Do remember to be on your best behavior." Niklaus said in an even tone.
Niklaus and Elijah left and the room burst into noise, with everyone talking over each other. Finn called out for silence again and pointed out to everyone why it was so important they find out what was going on for sure.
"Alaric has one of the Gilbert family rings, there are two and..." Finn started to say.
"Oh God! Jeremy has the other." Elena paled.
"Seriously, best behavior everyone." Finn restated. "Elena depending how this goes this afternoon, it might be best to bring Jeremy back home. It'll be up to you though." Elena nodded. Finn knelt down so he could look her in the eyes, "Are you going to be alright, little sister?"
Elena shrugged, "To be honest, I don't know. I'm not ready for this."
"You'll be fine 'Lena." Kol called over to her, "You are stronger than anyone gives you credit for. Tougher too, you had the upper hand this morning."
Elena grinned, "That I did, and don't you forget it Kol."
"Well, I would have loved to see Kol taken down a peg or two," Caroline cane into the room and teased Kol.
"Hello Care, what are you doing here?" Elena asked surprised.
Bonnie answered, walking in behind Caroline. "Klaus called, told us the Salvatores were coming over with Alaric and wanted Care and I to come over as moral support."
"We let ourselves in, hope you don't mind." Caroline said carelessly.
"Of course not, love. Glad you made it." Niklaus said joining them. Bonnie jumped in surprise, along with half the room, Caroline only turned and greeted Niklaus cooly before strolling across the room to Elena.
"I'd love to see that memory of you besting Kol sometime, 'Lena." She said grabbing a chair near Elena and pulling it closer.
Kol pouted, "Hey, I bested her first."
"Which only served to make 'Lena mad, right?" Bonnie laughed.
Kol frowned. "Well, yeah."
Bonnie smirked a little at the response, she too pulled a chair closer to Elena. "You'll learn, you don't mess with 'Lena and get away with it." She turned to Elena, "How are you doing?"
Elena frowned, "It's been a long day and it's just getting longer."
"What happened?" Caroline asked.
"She'll fill you in later, the Salvatores and Alaric are almost here." Elijah said walking into the room. "There is to be no mention of what happened this morning while they are here. We need to focus on the issue at hand."
There was an edge to Elijah's voice that told everyone that his words not to be disregarded lightly. Silence fell as they waited for the invasion of the Salvatores and Alaric. Not long after Elijah spoke there was a knock at the door and Elijah left to welcome them in. He returned with Damon, Stefan, Alaric, and Meredith in tow.
Damon studied everyone as he entered, seeming as standoffish as ever. Stefan was borderline hostile as he entered, if Elena didn't know better she would have thought that Damon was the more level headed one. Alaric and Meredith weren't at ease but they entered calmly and collected.
Stefan glared at everyone, his hatred for Niklaus clearly showing. "Why is she here?" He asked harshly.
"We are adopting Elena." Niklaus spoke up calmly. Stefan bristled and Damon tensed, while Alaric and Meredith shifted uncomfortably.
Elijah sent him a warning glare, "Why don't you let me do the talking." He sent telepathically to Niklaus. He cleared his throat and said out loud, "As my brother said we are adopting Elena, we are also adopting Jeremy. We've already performed a blood adoption with Elena, and we'll do so with Jeremy as soon as Elena wishes."
"Why would you want to adopt Elena and Jeremy?" Damon stared intensely at Elijah wrinkling his nose.
"We wish to protect Elena and those she loves from our mother, adoption makes this task easier way to perform."
"Why would Elena be in danger from your mother? She wants you dead not her." Stefan asked.
"That's not exactly true." Sabrina spoke up from the couch. She and Kol had moved where they were sitting properly on the couch beside each other.
Damon sneered at her, "Who are you?"
Kol growled at him. Sabrina lay a hand on his arm and he calmed down. She turned to Damon and cooly observed him.
"I'm Sabrina Cleary, proud witch hailing from Ireland." Sabrina exaggerated her Irish lilt.
"Cleary? As in Bridget Cleary?" Stefan asked curiously.
"Aye, she be me Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother. Did you know 'er?" Sabrina turned her attention to Stefan.
Stefan nodded slightly, "I did, briefly. Her husband was a crazy man, she got sick when she became pregnant. Now they would say she had hyperemesis gravidarum, but her husband said she had been switched with a changeling."
Sabrina nodded, "Aye. This be true."
Meredith spoke up, "I know this story, but I didn't know she had children. I'm guessing she was so sick, no one knew she was pregnant?"
Stefan nodded, "She gained no weight during it, and I think magic was the only thing that kept the baby alive. Then she gave birth one night, around St. Patrick's Day. I was there when her husband found out, my friend Lexi delivered the baby. He freaked out and killed her, Lexi and I saved the baby, a boy."
Sabrina nodded, "I was told about you. You took the baby to her aunt and uncle. They gave him the name Aodhan Cleary, after you explained that she had been murdered by flame. Aodhan means born of flames, they thought it be a fitting name. They performed a blood adoption with Aodhan, so they would have a parental bond with him."
"Lexi and I watched the blood adoption take place." Stefan told her. "I know what it entails."
"So you know the Mikaelsons can't hurt Elena, their only instinct is now to protect her, as they would each other." Stefan nodded tightly, glaring at her. She ignored the glare and continued, "Ester Mikaelson wants to kill every vampire that walks the earth. If you kill one Original, you kill all the vampires of their bloodline. This would leave Elena alive, but many of her friends and her new family would die. That would hurt Elena, when she cares she cares deeply."
Stefan frowned, but said no more. Damon regarded her carefully as if studying her every move. Alaric and Meredith exchanged glances before Alaric cleared his throat.
"Back to the issue at hand, the murders." He stated hesitantly. "We can talk more about Elena later."
Damon growled angrily. "I don't like it. I don't like Elena being here and I don't like their plan. You're stupid if you think they will just change overnight."
Elena spoke up, "Enough Damon, the issue at hand is more important. The current theory is the Gilbert ring is causing Alaric to murder people. There is another ring and Jeremy has it, we have to find out if it's true."
"I thought Alaric was cleared?" Stefan asked confused.
"Um, I kind of forged the paperwork that freed Alaric yesterday." Meredith said.
"What?!" Damon asked surprised, now he focused on the problem at hand. He didn't let people close and he let Alaric close.
Meredith nodded as Caroline spoke up in her nonsense voice. "This is why we need to put our differences aside and solve this. Alaric is one of us, and this affects all of us. Now sit down and let's start brain storming."
Damon and Stefan didn't argue and sat down, neither one wanting to deal with Caroline's ire. Niklaus hid a smirk, he was amused but didn't want to be on Caroline's radar either.
"What's this about a ring?" Sabrina asked.
"There's two rings that have been passed down in my family, it allows the person wearing it to come back to life after being killed by the supernatural." Elena explained. "Alaric has one and my brother Jeremy has the other."
"Where did these rings come from?" Sabrina asked.
"According to Emily Bennet's Grimoire, she spelled it and gave it to Jonathan Gilbert to protect him." Bonnie spoke up.
"Do you mind if I take a look at the Grimoire? I may be able to shed some light on this situation. "Sabrina asked.
"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Kol asked intrigued. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she relaxed into his touch as she confirmed his question with a slight nod.
"Not at all," Bonnie said. "It's at my house. I can run home and get it."
"For time's sake, can I just run over with you?"
Sabrina asked.
Bonnie nodded, "But only you, Elena and Caroline are allowed in my house. Sorry, I just prefer the house to be vampire free."
"Understandable." Sabrina agreed.
"No!" Kol said emphatically. "I don't want you where I can't get to you if something happens."
"Kol, I'll be fine. You can come and wait outside
Sabrina sighed, having known Kol would react as such. "I need to see the spell, and I need to talk to Bonnie first if I am right."
Kol agreed and he and Sabrina arranged to meet Bonnie at her house. Bonnie told Elena they would be back soon and the three left, Bonnie taking her car and Sabrina and Kol taking his. Leaving the rest of the group to continue to throw ideas around, which of course didn't happen.