"The thing about real life is, when you do something stupid, it normally costs you. In books the heroes can make as many mistakes as they like. It doesn't matter what they do, because everything works out in the end. They'll beat the bad guys and put things right and everything ends up cool.

In real life, vacuum cleaners kill spiders. If you cross a busy road without looking, you get whacked by a car. If you fall from a tree, you break some bones.
Real life's nasty. It's cruel. It doesn't care about heroes and happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost.

Evil often wins.
I just wanted to make that clear before I begun."

~A Living Nightmare~

xXx

Marcella was content to spend her entire day hanging out in her studio. She could have stayed up there all day happily. Dancing until the end of time. Something that was now legitimately possible now. Forever was a long time. Unfortunately her time alone was cut off relatively short due to the arrival of her favorite person. Caroline clapped her hands together as she watched Marcella come to the end of herself rehearsal for the Sugar Plum Fairy, smiling happily at her younger sister.

The smaller blonde bounded over excitedly. It had been a while since she'd spent genuine time with her sister, she was starting to miss it. "You've been avoiding the house." Caroline states sounding entirely put off as she wraps her arms around Marcella.

She smiles bashfully. Since that wasn't exactly an exaggeration, Marcella was avoiding being seen in too many public places or places she was known to frequent. If Katerina was still lingering in town Marcella didn't want her to know that she was still alive...technically. See Marcella knew that the bitch was probably still here and she wanted to watch the doppelganger fall gradually. So she couldn't be too obnoxious about her presence in the small town. Sneaking around and making her presence as minuscule as possible. Going so far not to be seen in some of her favorite places.

Her dance studio had been the only exception so far and she'd arrived well before dawn. Marcella didn't really need to sleep anymore, which gave her ample opportunity to perfect her dances. "Mom is babying me since my escapade in the wood. I don't like being suffocated." Caroline just nods along as if she completely understands the sentiment.

Their mother had always had the bad habit of babying Marcella, especially since the inexpiable breakdown she had when they were younger. Caroline knew her sister was a capable person and could handle herself. Most of the time. Marcella wasn't a fragile flower and their mother often tended to treat her like one.

Regardless that out of the two of them Marcella was definitely the more mature. "Mom wouldn't be smothering you if you were home more. It's lonely in the house without my partner in crime." Caroline's words make her feel guilty. Marcella swallows sharply making a sudden and rash decision.

It was time for Caroline to know.

Maybe not everything, but definitely enough to keep her sister human. Or at least aware to make her own decision ultimately on the matter. No one would have take Caroline's choices from her.

She pulls nervously at a loose strand of hair, twisting the curl around her finger. Marcella wasn't sure how her sister would react but she needed her to know. Just in case something else happened to her. There was no way she would keep skirting deaths final embrace if he came for her again.

Caroline's expression softens, concern litting in her beautiful blue eyes. "Marcie what's wrong?" And instead of the explanation Marcella wants to give her, instead of the comfort and condolence she should give, the words die on her tongue. Silent tears slip down her cheeks.

Because she wants to tell her sister the truth. Wants to resume the closeness of the bond they'd previously shared. But she's scared, no one ever reacted the way she thought they would and Marcella would never be able to handle it if Caroline no longer loved her.

Everything she's done is because of the love she feels for her sister. If her sister couldn't love or accept her back as a result of the unfortunate situation thrust upon her than she didn't know what she'd do.

Overwhelming anxiety bubbled under her skin eating at her core and Marcella burst into tears. Throwing herself into Caroline's arms and clinging to her big sister like her death depends on it.

Suddenly forever seemed like an eternity to long.

She could just turn her sister and hope for the best, but no one had the right to take that choice away. Not even her. Marcella would never be able to do that to Caroline.

In that moment Marcella completely understood why exactly love could be and was considered a weakness. Her love for Caroline would ruin her.

Had ruined her.

The worst part though, was that she didn't even care. Caroline was hers. Marcella wasn't fond of sharing.

Eventually she'd tell Caroline the truth but right then,in this moment it wouldn't happen. Someday. Just not now. Instead she cried, for all the things she couldn't say, praying for the forgiveness of things she was still going to do. For the forgiveness that she knew she wasn't deserving of.

Caroline ran a hand over the length of her sisters back, pulling the smaller girl right to her center. "Shh, Marcie don't cry. It's okay. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you." She apologized for things that weren't her fault and beyond her control. Marcella knew that she never deserved the goodness that was Caroline.

No one deserved the love, the true and purity that was Caroline Forbes. Especially not her. Marcella wasn't good, and Caroline deserves much better than the shades of gray she can offer.

But Marcella was selfish and despite all of this, she nary had any desire to let her sister go. Someone had to protect those that were just too good for this terrible dark world.

Marcella let her sister comfort her.

...

"We have a problem." Marcella looked up sharply, spaghetti hanging off her chin. Damon smirked, as if he'd planned it. She glared slurping the noodles up then wipe her mouth.

"What sort of problem warrants you breaking into my bedroom and interrupting my pasta time?" Damon stops, he quirks his brow at her. Trying to figure out the seriousness of her sentence.

"Pasta time?" He questions while taking a further step into her room closing the opened window behind him. Marcella turns her nose, she would not be explaining herself to him.

"You've ruined it, so it doesn't even matter. What's wrong?" She sets the plate of marinated noodles on the nightstand. Damon fidgets uncomfortably and he plops down next to her.

"So remember how I thought Katherine was in the tomb." Marcella offers a nod and a semi cross look.

"Yeah, and then you discovered she wasn't and we moved on. Had a lovely weekend in New York, and then I became a vampire." She recites the order of events raising her brow as if to say why was he bringing it up. It's been officially three weeks since he discovered Katherine was a treacherous bitch, about two since the turn. Lovely mid-November, almost time for thanksgiving. Damon was going to let her use the Salvatore kitchen to cook as another way to make up to her and Marcella was looking forward to cooking at vampire pace.

She didn't need talks of Katerina to ruin her good mood.

"Obviously Katherine wasn't in the tomb. But…" He trailed off as if he didn't want to say the next thing. Marcella stared at him blankly as sudden realization dawned over her face.

Despite the drawback of being turned and the slight shift to her plans everything was going good. Nothing was coming back to bite her. Everything was fine. It would have continued to be. Except she'd forgotten about those pesky tomb vampires Damon had left the door open for, she'd forgotten about founders day. The small details that is, about the Gilbert watch and the council's plan. Somethings were still par for the course, somethings were just inevitable.

It was what she got for meddling, she supposed. Although she wasn't the slightest pleased about the predicament she was in now. This was an irritating set back.

"You accidentally let out the other vampires, didn't you." She throws herself back into the back rubbing both hands over her face. How had she forgotten? Why had she forgotten? That had been such a pivotal point from the first season.

What were they going to do about this?

Marcella suddenly had a brilliant idea. She wondered how much sway she had over Elijah, and just how willing he would be to please her. He would want to be on her good side, she's sure of it, since Marcella was almost positive that he still felt guilt over what he did to his brother and that he stilled believed them all the be buried. In his mind she was the last remaining connection to Kol. Was Marcella willing to use familial ties against the original?

The answer was simple. She do anything to protect her family.

"Maybe a little." Marcella rolled her eyes at him sitting up, stretching her arms above her head. Well then looked like she wouldn't be finishing her spaghetti now.

"Alright let's go figure out what they want." Damon narrowed his eyes incredulous expression on his face.

"Oh no, you're not coming. This is bound to be dangerous, I'm probably not their favorite person." She just laughs, funny he thought he had a say in the matter. Obviously she was coming.

"Which is why you are driving and I'm doing the talking. Besides some of them have to be older and they'll have heard the rumors about me. About the dangerous friends I've made." She tells him standing and pouncing over to her closet to pull a sweater on-one of his- he notes and then she pulled on wedge ankle boots. Pulling her wild hair up into a messy bun as she walked over to him.

"Is that a good thing?" He wonders. Looking over her appearance.

It paints the most unassuming picture. Nothing out of the ordinary or dangerous waving from the view. Which he was sure she knew and realized. Now that he thought of it that had probably been the point. Marcella was a kind being, a mostly gentle human, sure she wasn't the most moral of humans he'd met but she was nice and had been nice to him. Hell as a vampire she still hadn't even killed anyone, only drinking blood bags, and for Christ sakes her vampire face was not even scary.

Marcella wasn't scorned like the rest of them.

"Yes."

The tomb vampires would never suspect a thing.

"Alright. Let's go."

…

Pearl hadn't been out of the tomb long just a few weeks, and she'd spent most of her time recovering close to the town that had burned her. Her daughter Anna however had spent the last hundred plus years without her and was very up to speed with the goings in their society. The old woman isn't surprised when Damon Salvatore shows up at their doorsteps a few weeks later, she had expected him to pay a visit. No what surprises her is her daughters palling reaction the the small blonde that had accompanied him.

Head barely reaching the raven haired males shoulder, petite in appearance, gentle childlike face. Soft brown eyes and wild curly hair. But Anna shudders when she looks at the younger girl and that alarms the mother. How did someone so unassuming warrant such reaction.

"Hi Pearl, long time. Can we come inside?" The older woman shakes her head and steps out onto the porch despite Anna's protest.

"The owner isn't currently home, we can talk out here." She tells him and he rolls his eyes but nods. Not the reaction she'd been expecting. The Damon she remembered would have never taken such a blatant no as an answer.

"Mother, we really shouldn't. We're going to be late." Anna tries but Pearl is determined to make peace with her past so they can move forward. Besides if Anna really wanted to stay in this horrible place than they didn't have a choice.

"It's not going to take long darlin'." Is the assurance given by the small blonde. The words instantly have both the mother and daughter on edge. Five hundred years was along time to be a vampire, you learned a thing or too. Like how to spot when someone was about to threaten you.

Marcella leaned against the railing on the porch tucking her hands in her pockets and smiling smugly at them. "Who are you?" Pearl asks instantly, her guard is up and she knows to be wary. You didn't live as long as she had being a vampire without knowing when to pick a fight or play it cautious.

"You may call me Eden, Eden Mikaelson." She pulls the hand from her pocket and holds it out to the dignified woman. Both vampires take a step back and Damon has to contain his snicker. Damn she was so dramatic.

"Impossible." Pearl sputters. She knew of all the Mikaelsons and there was never any mention of another sister. The blonde child's smile turns dangerous, predatory.

"Sorry darlin'. But nothing is impossible. Ask your daughter, she'll tell you it's true. I am a Mikaelson. It's why she'd been on edge since you opened the front door." Pearl turned to look at Anna and her daughter dry swallowed. Anna nodded slowly, she'd known that this girl was connected to both Klaus and Elijah. She just hadn't known how.

Pearl eyed her skeptically. "What do you want from us?" She asks carefully, knowing of the unpredictable nature of Klaus from Katherine. The old vampire had no idea how volatile the woman before her would be compared to the rest of them. Marcella hummed whimsically.

"Oh, it's not was I want darlin'. It's what you want. You want to stay, but Mystic Falls is mine, so what can you do for me? Why should I let you stay." Damon bit his tongue drawing a small amount of blood to keep from laughing. Why was she like this? He couldn't even with her.

Honestly he couldn't even believe that this was apparently seeming to work. Or why Pearl seemed to believe it. He'd met one of the Mikaelsons and really he wasn't that scary. An angry attack dog maybe, but he didn't see the hype. Although it was probably hard to see it when everything was distorted by the lenses of Marcella.

Damon in that moment realized something enlightening about Marcella though. The realization was too much and he couldn't keep the grin from his lips as he thought it. She was going to tare Katherine limb from limb, and she was going to do it with a smile on her face. He smirked down at the back of her head, another surge of protectiveness flooding through him.

Katherine was living on borrowed time and that time was about out. She was going to burn.

XOXOX

You guys isn't Marcella just the cutest little psycho ever? I love her! And I am so happy that you all love her too!

I started working on this chapter almost immediately after posting the last one, your kind words have helped so much! Also we're over 150 reviews and that's insane! You are all so awesome! Really just amazing, I am so glad your all still loving it!

Thank you so much!

Have a great day!

Sincerely, La'Rae