"Knowing can be a curse on a person's life. I'd traded in a pack of lies for a pack of truth, and I didn't know which one was heavier. Which one took the most strength to carry around? It was a ridiculous question, though, because once you know the truth, you can't ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now."

~The Secret Life of Bees~

...

"I might have told a five hundred year old vampire I was a Mikaelson." Is what she states without any preamble when he picks up the phone that morning. Klaus is silent for a moment before he asks.

"Why?" He can hear Marcella take a deep breath and also the sound of what was probably a pot fall out of a cabinet. She curses softly before answering his question.

"Because she's one of Katerina's sires and she wants to stay in my town. I figured she was old enough to know your name and would be more inclined to take me seriously if I used it. Sorry if that's a problem but I'm probably going to keep using it." She tells him unabashedly, absently he nods. Thinking before for a moments. Finally he chuckles.

Klaus laughed like a madman processing what she'd just told him. Well then, at least he knew she had no problem being one of them. His phone was on speaker as he sat in his chair with a sketchbook and a pen. Marcella was on the other end-cooking if the noise was any indicator-telling him about her exploits since she'd last seen him. It had only been a week but she liked keeping him in the loop.

"What did you do with it?" He wonders letting his laughter die. Now that was what he wanted to know.

"I told her to give me a reason I should let her stay in my town." Bravo, he thinks. Good girl. Smart, letting people believe they had choices. That their say actually matter. It was a very Mikaelson thing to do. Marcella was fitting for the name.

"So sweetheart, what did she offer?" He draws, she grumbles as expected at the pet name before answering the question. Klaus places strokes on paper, curving gently and he draws fine lines. Picturing her face carefully.

"Her allegiance. Which was frankly the only acceptable offering." Klaus hums his agreement. Yes that was an acceptable offer, he approves. Marcella continues. "By the way the founders council is throwing a winter celebration and Damon has decided he can't be my date. Wanna come?" What she doesn't say that Marcella hopes he just understands, is that this is good opportunity for him to finally lay eyes on the doppelganger.

He agrees instantly. Comprehension clear. "Great! I'll see you then, I'll talk to you later Niklaus I got to go-Damon do not touch my pie!" The call clicks off, Marcella had hung up on him. Leaving him to his sketching. Klaus briefly wonders if he should call the other male to see if their girl didn't maim him over pie.

He decides that not only does he not care, but if she had then Damon deserved it. Klaus finishes his sketch. Marking the back with a simple note-Eden- before setting it down and standing up from his desk. There was work to do.

Marcella glares at Damon who is smirking smugly at her from the other side of the kitchen bar. A spoonful of pie filling in his hand. She points her finger accusedly at him. "You thought I wouldn't notice. Shame on you." Her pout is so adorable he just laughs setting the bowl and spoon down.

"Why'd you have to invite him? I only said we couldn't go together because I don't think you should go. Because of you know what." He reminds her, and Marcella knows he's still thinking about her murderer who's out there loose. She crosses her arms over her chest. Petulance dripping off her, she was going and there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

"Because I think it's a good way to keep a certain person away from Mystic Falls. Away from my family. I don't think I have to remind you of all people what I'll do if someone hurts a single hair on their head." Marcella says softly, hating that he's making her explain herself instead of just trusting her judgement. Honestly Damon should know better by now.

The sound of a car rolling up the driveway silences any rebuttal Damon may have. Stefan was back and there could be no more talking about this. So far no one but Damon knew she'd transitioned to the night life. They'd like to keep it that way. Although both knew it wouldn't last forever.

"Thought you'd be doing thanksgiving with the Gilberts baby brother." Damon calls from his spot at the counter, taking a bite of the pie filling. Marcella snorts turning to look back at the pot of macaroni she was working on. Girl still loved her carbs.

Stefan rolls his eyes at that, offers Marcella curt nod which is ignored to no surprise. She still didn't like him. Didn't trust him. Damon smiled fondly at the back of her head as he did often. The blond rolled his eyes. "Elena's doesn't want me to come over until later. I thought we could spend some time together beforehand. I hadn't realized Marcella would be over." He says pointedly, but still he's not surprised. Marcella was usually glued to Damon's side. They both look at her. As if asking for her permission.

Good.

She turns at the feel of two sets of eyes on her. Tilts her head to the side comically. "It's your house Steffy, I'm just borrowing the kitchen." Marcella informs him bouncing around the kitchen like a hyper toddler. Damon knew he wasn't going to leave her alone in this room anytime soon.

He did not want to watch his home burn down again. Nor did he have any desire to watch her burn or accidentally cut herself again, so far she'd been careful. But any slip especially later when Caroline and her mother came over would not be good. Marcella didn't want them to know.

"What happened to your eyes?" And just like that the facade crashed. Stefan knew. Marcella grins wickedly at him meeting his intense gaze. He hadn't come all this way to spend time with Damon. Oh no he'd come to see if he could catch them in there lie.

Stefan knew she was a vampire. Well then.

"I'd keep your speculation to yourself Stefan." Marcella warns lowly. Never stepping away from the macaroni. Never making any indication to follow through. But there is something about the way her eyes darken as she speaks, something about the tone chosen that makes his skin crawl. His blood itch.

It was unsettling. Just how dangerous a simple thing felt.

"Noted. If you want to keep fooling everyone Marcella, I'd suggest being less suspicious about it. Caroline came to me to figure out why you were avoiding her." Marcella narrows her eyes trying to detect deceit but finds no indicators. She takes his words into consideration before biting her lip.

That wasn't good. But there was nothing she wanted to do about it right now. "If you tell my sister anything, I will run a vervain stake through your stomach." Stefan rolls his eyes and just nods. He wasn't taking her as seriously as he should.

Marcella frowned, displeased while Damon was no help either he was just grinning at her like a demented hyena. He thought it was funny. She wasn't surprised he didn't see just how serious she was, or he knew and the thought of her staking Stefan in the stomach amused him. Damon was a little twisted like that. It was one of the reasons she loved him.

"I'm not going to tell your secrets. It wouldn't be fair since you had ample opportunity to tell mine and didn't." She quirks a brow at his words. Good. Meant he still realized exactly who's mercy he was at.

Stefan still had to earn her favor.

…

Pearl is dignified she doesn't twitch at the scrutinizing look she gets from a child have her size. The vampire who claimed to be a Mikaelson stared her down cooly. It was just her today, no Damon at her side and Pearl almost wished to have seen his familiar face. Instead it's just this baby faced girl. Eden Mikaelson… An enigma, something unexpected.

Marcella gave the woman an uninterested look. Honestly she really didn't want to be here but she needed something from the woman. It also served as a test for the vampire who had allegedly sworn allegiance to her. The Mikaelson name was power, a power that she didn't mind using.

"The piece you stole from Jonathan Gilbert in 1864, I want it." Finally she states pushing a fallen curl out of her eyes. She gives the older woman credit, she doesn't falter or flinch.

"I no longer have it. It wasn't on me when I woke up." Pearl states without any indicators that it was a lie. But unfortunately for her, no matter how good of a liar she might have been, Marcella knew the truth. She grimaced in return. Tsking in response.

"That's too bad.." She takes a measured sip from her cup of tea. Before placing the cup back on the plate in her lap. Marcella in a dainty displace places the set back on the table and stand slowly. Having no desire to stick around and be lied too. No that wasn't something she was okay with.

Pearl held her breath.

She takes a few steps from the table, before turning her head over her shoulder. "Pearl, I suggest you find it. I'd hate for something to happen to Anna because of your carelessness." Marcella doesn't wait for the woman's response. Vamping away.

Feeling vaguely disappointed as she gets into her car. She had had such high hopes for the woman. There was so much potential there. A perfect tool. This would be the only chance she'd give the woman. No one could ever say she didn't let you try to rectify a mistake. Pearl would discover that trying to lie to her was a grave mistake.

Marcella was by no means fond of liars.

…

Klaus Mikaelson officially arrived in his old home on December 3rd, nine days before the Christmas party Marcella had invited him too. Marcella has him meet them at a foreclosed property -well the driveway of said property he suspects since no house can be seen- just on the outskirts of town. She's with Damon, bundled up in scarves and a knit hat as if the cold still bothered her. The aforementioned male is only wearing a leather jacket as his shield from the winter winds and is rolling his eyes at her.

Obviously as a vampire you didn't actually feel the cold. It didn't bother you anymore. Marcella just liked to live in her humanity. Staying as close to it as she could.

"Welcome home!" She exclaims giddily throwing her arms around his shoulders as if they hadn't seen each other three weeks ago. He smirks into her shoulder at the irony of the statement. Marcella pulls away before kissing his cheek. Damon snickers, and he glares the younger man.

"Tell me sweetheart, why have you brought us here?" He questions and she just smiles pleased to be getting to the chase. Marcella links her arm around his elbow tugging him along. She points with her other hand.

"A mile up this road is the old Kern mansion. The Kerns were a relative of my family and the house is in my name. I'm giving it to you to use while your here." Klaus grins leaning down at kissing the top of her head, her foresight never seizes to amaze him. He's proud of her.

Marcella invited him out here for a reason, she had a secluded place for him to stay if he desired, and was ready for the next course. "I offered the boarding house as a backup if this doesn't work out." Damon notes from her left and she nods.

"There is also the boarding house if you don't want to be this far away. But a warning Stefan is in and out regularly. I didn't know if you wanted to be seen by him yet." She tells him. Also there was always the off chance that Katherine might show her ugly face. Klaus he wasn't quite yet ready to face that part of his past. Not that he was afraid of anything like that. More like irritated that the male was so far off the path of the person he met in the twenties.

Klaus hated liars.

After taking a tour of the small mansion Marcella had set up for him, she demands that they take her to lunch. A small diner in the square not near as frequented as the more famous grill a block over. Marcella wasn't ready to be seen in the popular places just yet. Katherine probably knew she was still alive, but Marcella wanted to keep building suspense for a little while longer.

She wanted Katerina to suffer. And she was quite certain that knowing Klaus was linger closer to her than ever before was a terribly taxing situation for her to be in. Katherine wanted Stefan, she wanted to play games with them, but Katherine had acted out in childish impulse and it would be her undoing. No one acted out childish impulses better than Marcella and Marcella loved her games.

"What are your plans for Katerina?" Klaus asks between sips of coffee, Marcella gives him a measured look. She wondered how he would take it knowing that even after five hundred years of hunting the bitch Marcella would be the one to kill her.

"Death." Marcella answers after a moment of consideration. Her resolve absolute he wouldn't be changing her mind or influencing her resolve on the matter. Katerina Petrova thought she could get away with killing her, thought she could still have the world handed to her on a silver platter. But Marcella was the only princess around here and she wouldn't entertain liars and thieves in her court.

Damon smirks at the blond. At the pleased look that slips over Klaus' faces, the original grins at her. "She better suffer." Is his only contribution to the subject. Marcella smiles brightly.

"She's going to burn." She whispers fiercely. Marcella would leave no corpse for the woman to crawl back too.

"What are you wearing to the festivities you've dragged me here for?" Klaus' change of topic is drastic and swift. They will no longer talk of the vampire doppelganger or Marcella's plans for her. Instead Klaus decides to focus on the more important things.

"Probably something with sleeves, it's supposed to be really cold that day. I don't know I was going to let my sister pick my dress. She likes treating me like a doll." And Marcella liked indulging the older girl. He raises his brow at that response looking over at the dark haired male who shakes his head. Damon isn't going to make this easy for him.

"When she took me to the the Founder's ball back in September she was dressed like a Disney princess." Damon does tell him and Marcella sticks out her tongue in response huffing as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"And I told you that I have aesthetic to live up to." Klaus rolled his eyes, but he could definitely see it.

She was a princess alright. But he didn't know if Disney was quite fitting for her character. If Marcella was any type of princess than it was the dark version-the true version- all those children's tales were based off of.

"Anyway, I'll probably let Caroline pick my outfit but I'll send you a picture beforehand so we can match. Also I'm telling everyone that you are a friend from New York and that your name is Nikolas." She tells him while wiping her hands on the napkin. Then she turns to look at Damon sudden realization on her face.

"Roman and Isadora are coming for the holidays, they're on a sabbatical right now with the company." Damon shakes his head. Already knowing where this train was leading. Not that he minded.

"I assume you'll went them to stay at the boarding house?" He guesses and she just nods.

"If it's not too much of a problem. They aren't quite like us so Stefan shouldn't suspect anything." Damon shrugs taking a sip of his drink. Obviously it didn't matter to him. Besides he liked the two dancers.

They finish the rest of their meal without any problems. Marcella has to leave them almost immediately after but she promises to check in tomorrow. Giddy anticipation building in her being for the things to come.

She couldn't wait.

XOXOX

So I have written out the complete timeline for the first little pit of this, pretty much have everything decided and set in my mind for what's going to happen through June of 2010. Warning things are about to start changing drastically from canon, but I promise it's going to be realistic. Although it might be a little longer than I originally promised for Kol to finally arrive. Sorry… However I have plans to incorporate Rebekah -and Marcel- into the story very soon and I know it's not Kol but I just love her and am very excited about what I think she will add to the dynamic.

Also I have some more Marcella/Elena interaction planned and coming up as well as Marcella/tomb vampires in the fold. The tomb vampires are going to be playing a slightly bigger role than they did in cannon. As I'm almost certain they are going to help shape the Eden Mikaelson character, and a lot of Marcella's vampire character in general. So yeah. This isn't a guarantee but it's what I'm thinking at the moment and I'd love to hear you guys' thoughts on that matter.

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Thank you for reading this chapter, I am looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Sincerely, La'Rae