Chapter 23: Brothers

Salvatore Boarding House

[Damon's POV]

I grab one of the top shelf whiskeys Elijah provided and pour a shot, downing it in one gulp. I promise myself the next shot will be sipped properly. Stefan is acting really weird. He is being too amenable. I still think it's wise to keep him out of the loop, as far as our developing Leylock energy abilities are concerned. I really hate that I have this really bad feeling about revealing Bella is pregnant with my child to him.

I sense Bella behind me. She wraps her arms around my waist. "What is bugging you?' She points to the bottle in my hand, I was about to pour another shot.

"Stefan," his name says it all.

"Want to talk about it?"

"I am getting this really bad vibe about announcing that you are expecting our child."

"Will it be so bad? He will hear the additional heartbeat soon."

"I have the feeling that Stefan is dangerous at this time. It's like he is the darker side of himself. The side I associate with his 'ripper' personality."

"Ripper?"

"When Stefan is not on the 'bunny' diet, he is a mass murderer that when he gets a taste of human blood he rips off the head of his victims and poses them as if they were sleeping. It's super creepy. It is really hard to bring him back from that stage."

"My truth stone can be altered so that our child's heart beats are shielded, if that will help. There is more to be worried about?"

"I really don't want Stefan to be aware of our plans. If I could lock him out of the house, I would."

"We can relocate back to the ranch."

"We need to deal with Esther, Mikael, Dahlia and eventually Silas. They have caused so many problems and they will not stop before they kill someone. We really need to deal with them before anyone else in the family gets hurt or killed, which means we need to stay here in Mystic Falls to do that." I pull her closer to me.

"I have the feeling that our house guests are keeping Stefan in line. He knows how dangerous the Originals and Jasper Whitlock can be. They all have reputations within the world of vampires for killing those that challenge them." Bella kisses me on the cheek.

"What can I do to help?"

I take a sip of the second glass of whiskey. "You are helping by just being you."

"We can talk to the others and ask them to watch Stefan discretely. Everyone needs to keep a lookout for Elena, Caroline and Bonnie. They could be under the same dark influence that is affecting Stefan."

Charlotte walks into the drawing room. "We can do that. We overheard your concerns."

I nod at her. I'm not too worried about any of the Leylocks overhearing my conversation with my wife. They at one point or another expressed the same concerns. I glance up as the rest of our house guests enter the room.

[Niklaus POV]

"Damon from the previous conversations some dark force or magic was used to create the first two Immortals, from that spell the doppelgangers were created as a byproduct of that creation. Then our mother got a copy of the spell and modified it to create the Vampire species by using the blood of a doppelganger. How are the werewolves connected?"

[Sage's POV]

I checked with some of my mentors in Asia, their stories tell of a dark object that fell from the heavens, shattered and landed in different parts of the world. There are legends about them in several cultures. We think that one of these dark objects is here in Mystic Falls. The energy from one of them was probably available to Qetsiyah when she created the first immortality spell. Its power was also available when she created the 'Other Side'.

[Damon's POV]

"So you are saying that there is a reason for Mystic Falls to be the capital of supernatural mayhem?"

[Elżbieta's POV]

"We think that one of these pieces is located close to New Orleans, the first stories of the Werewolves that we are familiar with spread from there. We believe that Qetsiyah inadvertently anchored the 'Other Side' to the piece here in Mystic Falls."

[Kol's POV]

"So 'old world' and 'new world' Witch magic are linked to these fragments? They were possibly used to create five subspecies of humans: Witches, Immortals, Doppelgangers, Originals and Werewolves?"

[Finn's POV]

"Without deeper research, this is our theory of what is linking the subspecies together. We need to find a way to limit the power of these fragments. Damon you and Stefan have a history of leaving this area sometimes for decades at a time. A conflict of some kind develops between you and you both leave. Then years later you both show up at the same time back in Mystic Falls. Could this be part of the Dark objects influence?"

[Damon's POV]

"That is a possibility. I have never really felt like Mystic Falls is my home. I just come back due to my family history here and to meet up with Stefan. Since I met Bella, she is my home." Bella kisses me on the cheek.

[Charlotte's POV]

"We can use our Leylock talents to see if we can get more information on how to limit the dark objects influence. It could also be the reason why there is an excess of Leyline energy here."

Bonnie's Grandmother's House

[Stefan's POV]

"Stefan, you need to get more useful information about what the Originals are planning." Elena demands.

"Elena, I told you that I don't know what plans Damon is making. Everyone at the house is doing some kind of research. The rooms have some kind of privacy spells on them, thank God. I don't want to hear what each of the couples is doing at any given time."

"Bonnie, what does your magic tell you about their being here?"

"The ancestors have warned me not to interfere with them. There is something the Originals need to do that will benefit all supernatural species. Elena this is not about you personally. There is a darkness that needs to be cleansed. That is all I know about what is going on. I have been warned to leave them alone."

"Bonnie is there something I can do to help?" Caroline asks tentatively. Elena has been ranting most of the morning.

"If you want to go back to the boarding house and volunteer to help them, there isn't much you can do." She points out.

"Help them! What are you thinking Bonnie? Every time they come to Mystic Falls they create mayhem wherever they are!" Elena vents.

I sigh. "Elena, they are not here to hurt us. Just give it a rest. If they can do some good by being here, let them. I will keep listening and see if I can pick up more information about why they are here." I am really tired of her ranting. Something is up with Elena.

I leave Bonnie's to return to the boarding house; that is the last thing I remember until I wake up surrounded by water.