"You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no . . . anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just — exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever . . . lost."

~Prisoner of Azkaban~

xXx

January came to its bitter end with the arrival of none other than John Gilbert. Recently outed as Elena's biological father and completely renewing his gigantic douche status. Marcella and Damon were getting lunch at the Grill that day, she was busy setting up her rehearsal schedule and Damon was entertaining her by telling her about his exploits during the late forties and early fifties. It had the making for being a awesome day. The tomb vampires were taken care of, Pearl and Anna left for parts unknown, Stefan was recovered and back on his bunny diet. Elena knew she was a vampire but Marcella didn't care because she'd already told the one person who mattered.

Caroline still loved her and that was enough for her.

All it all a good conclusion to the first month of the year. Well it would have been, if these damned Gilberts hadn't kept on with their family tradition of ruining her day. Like father like daughter she supposed. As a human Marcella hadn't much cared for the man who was Elena's father, either of them. Marcella could remember something about torture and it never settled well with her. As a vampire with all of her person heighted she absolutely loathed the men in question. She was glad that Grayson Gilbert was dead by the time she turned, or else she might have just killed him herself.

She wondered what would happen if she just killed John… Marcella chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, if she did that then there went her backup in case Niklaus couldn't get all his shit together. That reminded her she probably needed to call him, it had been little over a week since she'd last heard from her hybrid. Unusual for him, he liked to keep a close tabs on her movements.

John Gilbert clears his throat and Marcella offers him an utterly annoyed look, she barely even looks away from her computer screen. Damon contains a snort, but she can see the amusement on his face. Did this insolent boy not know who he was intruding on. "May I sit?" It's a question that's not one and Marcella rolls her eyes and motions to the empty both seat across from them, Damon at her side her feet in his lap while she went over her plans.

"I guess." She mumbles lifting her head up higher laptop still opened body still turned towards Damon.

"I don't think your mother would be very happy to learn just who your entertaining yourself with these days Marcella Forbes." Ooh a full name, she was trembling. Not. Marcella shut her laptop and adjusted her seating so she was looking directly at the man.

She'd seen scarier things in her life. His petty threat didn't particularly bother her. "I don't think you have room to judge John Gilbert. Besides Damon is perfectly acceptable company, he's a real gentleman." Marcella would defend Damon and his obscured honor until she met her final death. The brunette looks annoyed at that answer or the smirk on Damon's face. Either way it was the reaction she'd wanted.

Point proven.

"He's not who I'm talking about Marcella Forbes, we both know he's matters little on the totem pole." The utensil in her hand bent under the pressure of her tightening grip. She gritted her teeth.

How dare he. The inselance, arrogance. Marcella bit her lip held her tongue. She shouldn't allow such an insignificant man to rile her up. Damon's eyes shift over to observe her, he could see the tale tell signs of her persona shifting. Marcella Forbes has left the building.

Eden Mikaelson had arrived, and she wasn't pleased.

He smirked at the human, who just didn't know what he was up against. The arrogance of Gilbert's he supposed was a universal trait. Marcella leaned forward over the table using the bench to stretch out so she was just inches from his face, careless of the scene she'd probably make. It was nothing but daytime alcoholics anyway.

"I have no desire to play games with you, either get to the point or leave." Then she slid back into her seat eyes dark and set. Damon did wonder what the man saw since only vampires saw the true color of her eyes.

Round hazel full of murderous intention. He left soon afterwards never exactly getting to his point.

Marcella stood in the Salvatore kitchen a cup of coffee in her hands, it had been a few days since the irritating arrival of the Gilbert man. She takes careful sips of her coffee, thinking over the situation with care. Damon was in the other room waiting for her they were supposed to be heading over early to help set up from the pageant but here they still were.

"You okay in here princess? I can hear you brooding from the living room." Damon peaks his head through the door, brow raised offering a concerned look. She nods absently setting her mug in the counter.

"Yeah, I guess. Let's go. Lina will skin me alive if I try to wiggle out of helping her get ready." He shook his head chuckling at that. Probably so.

"What's eating you?" He asks once there in the car so not to give her anymore reason to linger in the kitchen. Marcella turns her thoughtful eyes on him.

"Don't you find it a little weird that John Gilbert comes to town almost immediately after I threatened Isobel? And that following his arrival we haven't seen either Stefan or Elena.." Something wasn't right with this picture, something off putting was about to happen. Marcella couldn't shake her paranoid feelings on the matter either.

She needed to figure out why, and put a stop to it. Before whatever it was had the opportunity to ruin her day. The sullen look on her face dewormed, and the smile she wore the rest of the evening was fake. Only Damon noticed, everyone else to caught up in the festives.

He couldn't help but to frown. Something wasn't right with her. Bubbly Marcella was gone, and he didn't know when he'd see her again.

x

In New York Klaus was feeling a bit lonely. After spending all of December with the ray of light that was Marcella Forbes and then her constant calls since his departure to suddenly not have heard from her in two weeks was a little unsettling. Lonesome. She had such a warm presence for her not to be around well it made him lonely. Klaus thought on times past and another blonde who had made him feel that way.

Rebekah. He missed his sister.

He also needed her help.

He needed a way to save the doppelgängers life, according to Marcella that was, and since she had no love for the human he knew it must be true. Every witch he'd gone to so far couldn't give him an answer. Elijah supposedly had one, but he hadn't talked to his brother in fifty years. Klaus wasn't yet ready to do so either. His brother had betrayed him, it would be a while before he just forgot such actions. Forgave such things.

Now the question was would Rebekah forgive him.

He gently pulls the dagger from her chest, setting it inside the coffin before leaving the storage unit. He'd find out. As he's walking out to his car his phone rings, it's her tone. Klaus fights the smile on his lips.

"It's been a while sweetheart." He can practically hear the rolled eyes, her annoyed huff, but something ever so slightly is off. Klaus stops in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" She laughs a little on the other end, but it sounds like she's trying not to cry. A growl build in his throat whoever hurt her was going to pay. There would be blood.

"I'm just feeling my humanity a little strongly right now. I'm fine." In his long life Klaus had learned that when someone said they were fine it usually meant the opposite. He sighed, well it seemed she wouldn't be telling him.

"If it makes you feel any better the next time I visit I'll be bringing my sister along." She giggles at her gleefully, childlike joy echoing on her tongue. It's haunting and familiar, when was the last time he'd heard her laugh like that. Klaus knows it's been a while.

"She's not going to like me, but it's okay I'll love her anyway. Hey I have to go, I just needed to hear your voice. Goodnight Niklaus." The receiver clicked off and he frowned staring down at the phone. Klaus shakes his head.

"Goodnight sweetheart." He sent a quick text to Damon, her closets protector before heading out for late night bite. Dealing with Rebekah was going to be taxing.

x

She is rudely greeted by screeching and then a sudden sharp pain across her face. Marcella had just turned around from the blood lunch she was fixing at the sound of the door opening. Damon was at a council meeting and shouldn't have been back yet. Honestly she hadn't been expecting the violent greeting in the slightest.

Her reaction is delayed by the sheer surprise she feels at that moment. What the hell, who did this girl think she was. Marcella cupped the slowly fading stunning cheek lightly and narrows her eyes in return. Before she can even open her mouth to express such sentiments Elena is going off on a tangent.

"When did you become so heartless?! How long have you known about the sacrifice?! How could you befriend such a monster?!" Elena is seething and Marcella's brow raises higher and higher.

What? When did she find out?

"I take it your father told you about the curse of the sun and moon then. I guess that's what you and Stefan have been doing so secretly, spending time daddy." Marcella muses dryly, picking up her blood bag and brushing passed the girl. Trying her best not to snap. She'd just insulted Niklaus and the petty little girl didn't even know him.

Monster was such a cruel term. Niklaus wasn't a monster, sure he had some not so great tendencies but he wasn't a monster. Monsters hurt little girls and felt no consequences of their actions, no guilt. Marcella knew that deep down he did feel.

Especially if what he'd recently done was true. And she knew it was. He'd never lie about freeing one of his siblings. Not to her, not when they both knew she knew better.

She wasn't like Elijah.

Marcella sauntered into the living room ignoring the human on her heels. She drank her blood bag as she walked going to sit on the couch. Why couldn't she just be left alone? Why was it that every freaking time she thought there'd be some peace a Gilbert went and ruined it.

"Just how could you?! This isn't like you, you were good kind and now.. now your just like Damon. Cruel and uncaring." Marcella picked up an abandoned glass from the table turned on her heel and hurled it at Elena.

Elena ducked, expression horrified. The glass soared way over her head and collided into the wall behind. Shattering into little pieces. Marcella actually snarled. Completely fed up.

"Are you stupid? Did Stefan not tell you that when transitioned everything is magnified. Everything. This is who I am, this who I have always been. It's not my fault that you were blind." She took a breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Clear her heated feelings and clouded judgment. Marcella breathed deeply, closes and reopens her eyes slowly.

A switch has flipped.

"If you want to live past the full moon, my suggestion to you Elena Gilbert is to tell your father to leave town for good. And never, ever compare me to Damon again." Because honestly he didn't deserve that injustice. Marcella was a lot worse than him.

Marcella left before she could say anything more. Before Elene angered her further. Before she did something she'd regret later. There was no time for actions to be regretted, not with how close the approaching full moon was. There was no time for games.

No time for loose ends and unchecked emotions. Marcella ran, until she could run no longer when she'd finally calmed down. On the outskirts of the Salvatore property close to where she woke like this. She fell into the wet leaves clutching at her aching chest. To be so at war with oneself, to be kind and cruel, empathetic and uncaring. Hurt more than she'd ever imagined.

As a vampire every aspect of herself was magnified, the good, the bad, the Forbes and the Mikaelson. All of it tenfold all at once. Unfathomable pain. Longing. Lost. Marcella leaned back into the tree curling in upon herself. Anxiety building, time was running out all around her. There was so much to do before the moon rose. So much to consider.

This was not the time to have an existential crisis.

If Marcella thought she was already having a crappy day, by the time she made her trek back to town she got a text from Damon that was two detrementing words.

Katherine's here.

Marcella growled, her phone cracked in her hands. Then she went home to prepare herself.

She straightened her hair, refreshed her makeup and changed her clothes. Marcella prepared herself for the battle she knew was about to transpire. For the control she had to earn and the upper hand she had to keep. Katerina being here, now of all times wasn't the least bit ideal but it was what it was.

Pulled on a pair of black sheer tights, a black high waisted skirt the stopped mid-calf, with a tucked in loose white flowery blouse, brown ankle boots. She appraised her carefully constructed look with contemplative eyes. Yes, this would work.

There were just enough pieces of both parts of her soul.

x

She did not want to be here. She would not have been here, except someone was threatening her. Someone who claimed to be one of them An original. Katherine didn't want to believe it, she couldn't believe it. There were only five Originals, three of which who were locked away in boxes. Whoever was claiming to be one of them was a liar.

Katherine had to believe that. There just couldn't be another one. Except whoever this was, whoever was threatening her. They knew her name. Her real name.

Katerina will burn in the garden of lies she's created. The delivered message echoes in her head as she enters the foreclosed house. And eire feeling settling in as she turned on the lights, this would do, she shook the feeling away. It would turn out to be a dangerous mistake.

Clap. clap. Clap.. Slow and built up it echoes in the room louding bouncing off the walls. "Bravo, you did such a good job pretending to be a human. Could have fooled me." The voice that speaks is light and airy, but there is a viper hidden on their tongue dancing at their lips. Doe like brown meet honey and coffee swimming in madness.

Katherine takes a step back. She'd only seen eyes like that once. The distant memory of blood and ash. She knew those eyes, those eyes were distinctively Mikaelson. But it couldn't have been, the man who owned those eyes was long buried. Never had she met him but once briefly, never had she wanted to meet him again.

The only thing that followed such madness was death and chaos.

Clap. clap. Clap..

"Good job darlin', really such a good effort. Except we both know you have fallen far from your days as a human." A chill runs up Katherine's spine as they come into full view, no longer eyes illuminated in the poor light. No…

She was dead. Katherine snapped her neck.

"Marcella Forbes?" The girl grins, smiling predatorily. She takes another step closer, and Katherine who shouldn't been afraid of this child takes a step back. Those soulless eyes actually frightening her.

"Marcella Forbes is dead darlin', you killed her. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eden Mikaelson."

XOXOX

I don't really have much to say on this chapter other than I hope that you all like it. Ugh.. Katherine is now here and things are about to start happening very fast. The curse will be happening in March by the timeline I have in place. It's mid February at the moment.

So yeah things will start happening fast. Some of it will be fly by mentions from the characters so pay close attention. Marcella is going to struggle, and continue to struggle until the arrival of Kol. Which is still a little ways off probably another five plus chapters.

Also to answer the question asked about Kai and Enzo. uh…. Maybe… *shrugs* Undecided my plot hasn't reached that point yet so… eh..

Yah.

Anyway thank you so much for reading this chapter! I hope to hear from all of you soon!

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Sincerely, La'Rae