Chapter 29: Family Matters

Whitlock Ranch TX: Hacienda

[Angela's POV]

I wave at Bella to get her attention. I pull her into the sitting room of Elijah's and my suite. "Can I see your truth stone?" Bella hands it to me. I concentrate and it emits a purple glow for just a second and I hand it back to her.

"What did you do to it?" She asks curiously.

"It's to disguise the babies' heartbeat. I had to enhance my truth stone this morning and from the sound of it you need the same modification to yours." Bella's eyes widen.

"You and Elijah are expecting too?"

I feel my cheeks warm and I nod at her.

Bella reaches over to me and pulls me into a hug. "Thanks for the additional protection to my stone. I am so glad for you and Elijah."

"I am glad for you and Damon. Be aware all the Leylocks in the family already know."

Bella blushes and laughs. "Charlotte will keep Pete in line."

I laugh. "That's a full time job." We both hear; "Don't I know it." Charlotte tells us as she enters the room. "I am so happy for y'all. I get dibs on godmother."

I laugh. "I think you will have to wrestle the rest of females in the family for that honor."

Charlotte laughs, "I'm up for it."

Salvatore Boarding House: Great Room

[Stefan's POV]

I am lying on the couch in the great hall sipping a glass of Damon's best Bourbon. I understand that he put me in the subterranean cell to protect me from Silas. Henrik was kind enough to leave daily servings of whatever meal the family was eating while I was incarcerated. Early this morning Henrik released me from the cell.

I called Caroline a few minutes ago. She, Bonnie, Elena, and Jeremy are fine. Bonnie put a protection spell on the Gilbert house to protect them from detection by Silas. From some of the conversations I overheard here, he isn't looking for either Elena or I. I guess we could call it a doppelganger reprieve. His attention has been directed elsewhere. I have a hunch that I can thank Damon and his friends for that distraction. I really hate to think I owe my brother yet again.

There are things going on that I am not aware of due to my preoccupation with Elena and her inadvertent change into a vampire. Bonnie is still pissed about that change. But at least she is still willing to help us even though we are vampires. I need to find out what Damon is up to now. The closest to the 'old' Damon behavior is his dramatic reading of Dracula to torture me. To add to that he has definitely been avoiding me lately. Granted I haven't been around for him much since his marriage. I will have to make a better effort in getting to know my new sister in law, if I want to keep any kind of relationship with my brother.

Mystic Falls: Mikaelson Mansion

[Klaus' POV]

I enter the mansion. Everything is quiet. I enter the great room. There is a pentagram drawn in salt in the middle of the room. It's a good thing it is a marble floor. The furniture has been pushed and stacked along the edges of the room. I go down to the cellar where I keep a secure refrigeration unit for Elena's blood. We may need some for the binding spell Freya and Henrik are working on. I glance into the chest one of the bags of Elena's blood is missing. I grab one of the smaller coolers from the shelf above the unit and pack the remaining blood bags for transport. I am not leaving the rest of the bags for Esther to get her hands on. She has enough ammunition with just the one bag she took already.

On my way out, I stop by the kitchen and grab some sugar. I carefully sprinkle a fine amount along the circumference of the salt circle right in the middle of the salt line to prevent detection. I make sure I have a continuous stream from the sugar dispenser. This will add a little something to disrupt her spell. Henrik wants to be the lead on taking down the 'evil' trio as he likes to call them. I am all for helping him to do just that. I port back to the boarding house with my cooler and the sugar dispenser.

Salvatore Boarding House

[Henrik's POV]

I want to take the lead in the banishment of Mikael, Esther and Dahlia. I admit I am holding a major grudge about how my parents and aunt treat my siblings. I have seen it all from the 'other' side: their plotting the double crosses, the enslavement of my older sister the death of Freya's little family. I watched my mother's attempt to link and kill all of my siblings and in doing so all of their sires. My father's insanity that increases as time unfolds. It is time for all three of them to pay for their transgressions against my family.

I find Charlotte in the kitchen baking morning scones: "Charlotte can I talk to you for a minute?"

She grins at me. "I already called the family for a meeting." She hands me a warm blueberry and walnut scone. I grin at her, "thanks." She nods as she puts another batch into the oven.

[Freya's POV]

It's a brisk morning. I am walking towards the greenhouse in the back of the mansion to gather the herbal and plant components for the spells we need to perform Henrik's and my scrying spells. I reach to clip a sprig of holy just outside of the greenhouse. There is a black dahlia growing among the holly along the edge of walkway. I quickly put my shears and trowel in my basket. I need to let the family know Dahlia is trying to spy on us. I port to the great room.

I immediately call out, "Charlotte we need to move the family meeting to Texas." Charlotte enters the room with a basket packed with fresh scones. "We'll make the coffee when we get there." She grins at me.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I sometimes forget she is in tune with future events.

Whitlock Ranch TX: Hacienda

[Finn's POV]

Henrik has filled me in on several centuries' worth of our father's, mother's and Dahlia's exploits. Mother cannot fool me now. Henrik has been watching and gathering information all the years he was condemned to the Other Side. He wants justice. I can't blame him. I am relieved to be with my soul half again. Sage has shared all of her experiences with me from our years apart. My parents deserve to have justice served for all the malignant acts against the family and specifically my mate. I pull Sage onto my lap, waiting for the rest of the family to join us in the great room of the Hacienda. We have some personal news to share with the rest of the family. I'm sure that Charlotte and the rest with 'Astral' affinity already know.

[Klaus' POV]

I pull Charlotte aside. "I would like to give a truth stone to Caroline. Will you add your Affinity's powers to it for me?"

She grins at me. "I'll have all of our Affinities added to it. Your Caroline is a very interesting person and will fit in with the rest of us." With that cryptic note she walks off laughing. I will never be able to figure out women, add Leylock abilities to the mix which just confuses me further.

Freya is sitting in the corner of the great room going through a grimoire. I walk over to her. "I sabotaged mother's magic circle at the mansion. I put sugar line in the middle of the outside circle of her pentagram. Freya looks at me in shock. "Where did you learn that trick?"

"I learned it a few centuries ago, when a witch tried to kill me by summoning a demon."

"The one Elijah was so fond of?"

I nod. "She left to get something of mine, in order to complete her casting. I did a sugar line along the outside circumference of the circle. The spell rebounded on her. Sending her to wherever the demon dwelled."

"Esther is trying to summon Mikael back from the Other Side. I couldn't let that happen without trying to foil her somehow."

"It will mess up her casting of the spell. I'm not sure what the ramifications of your sabotage will be. You may not have a mansion in Mystic Falls anymore."

"It's a risk I was willing to take."

"I'll get the 'Astral' Leylocks to check the results for you." Freya promises.

"Thank you," I pull her into a hug. She looks surprised, smiles and returns my hug.

Caverns near the Ranch TX

[Damon's POV]

We are meeting in the cavern with the ceremonial pool. Charlotte has agreed to perform a hand fasting ceremony for those that wish to participate. Bella and I are going to join the other couples in this ceremony. It is the Leylock version of reaffirming our marriage vows. Charlotte calls for each couple to join hands. She hold up one of the chords. "This chord represents our Leylock affinities: The Red strand for Fire, white for Air, violet for Astral, blue for Water, grey for Earth, yellow for Electrical and the green strand represents the unity of life we all share together. Pete walks around the circle and binds each couple's hands together. I am surprised to see Charlie and Rebekah holding hands. I'm not usually so unobservant. I can feel Bella's joy at seeing her father finally happy with someone.

Pete binds Jasper and Elżbieta's hands together, Charlotte binds Bella's and my hands together, Pete binds Angela's and Elijah's, he also binds Silas and Amara's hands and Henrik binds Charlotte and Pete's together. Henrik asks us to repeat our vows to each other. I hear the quietly spoken words of each couple. I look into Bella's eyes and recite the Irish wedding vow to her. She grins up and me and repeats the same words back to me. We just wanted to affirm our commitment to each other before we 'officially' welcome our children into the family after they are born. We went with the Irish vow, we don't fight in public. Yes, we are both strong individuals and sometimes we disagree. Our disagreements are ours and no one else's business. Thank god or as Bella would say thank the goddess we found our perfect match.

Pete announces. "For those couples that are taking their marriage vows, I have some legal paperwork at the house for you to fill out to make it official in the State of Texas. For those of us reaffirming our vows, we can relax."

I laugh. "Pete you are as blunt as ever." Behind Charlotte's back he gives me a rude gesture.

"I saw that Pete." I laugh; Charlotte caught sight of it and she doesn't allow him to get away with much.

[Henrik's POV]

I am so happy to be a part of my family's hand fasting ceremony. I have an extended family with the Whitlock's, Salvatore's and Swan's added to the mix. Charlotte signals me to start the meeting.

"There are quite a few developments that we need to discuss before we confront out parents and render a final solution to the problems they are causing. Freya has some news for us."

Freya looks at each of us with a worried frown. "I was in the garden gathering components for our spells. There among the holly bushes was a black dahlia. Our aunt has caught wind of Angela's pregnancy. She has started to spy on us. So we have to make plans to contend with her as well."

Niklaus adds, "Mother created a summoning circle in the great room of the mansion in Mystic Falls. I put a line of sugar in the middle of her salt line circumference of her casting circle. We may not have a mansion there when we get back."

Charlie clears his throat, "I think we need to concentrate on neutralizing the 'dark' fragment before taking on your parents and aunt. I know they and your aunt Dahlia are our biggest threat but its energy is helping to power their spells. Isolating it will take their major power source away."

I look around the room at my family, "I suggest we join hands and concentrate on what we need to do to neutralize the 'dark' objects energy." Everyone in the room joins hands forming a circle.

Charlotte leads our mediation. "Please concentrate on what steps we need to perform and what materials we will need to neutralize the energy signature of the 'dark' object in Mystic Falls."

I see a vision of my mother, Dahlia and Mikael trapped in a summoning circle in the Mystic Falls graveyard. The 'dark' object is buried underneath the casting circle. We are channeling each type of energy affinity we have: Leylock, and Witch magic to encapsulate the 'dark' object with a barrier like spell to prevent its energy from leaking out and wreaking havoc. Other types and schools of magic are being added into our effort. We don't see the other magic users they are just adding their magical energy to neutralize the 'dark' object. All of the magic users are 'keeping the secret code', but getting the job done, to neutralize and prevent others from tapping into the 'dark' magic. I didn't expect to actually perform magic tonight to neutralize the dark object. Our family meditation triggered our magic and our fellow magic users to do the job. I take a deep breath and let go of the hands I was holding.

"Did that really happen?"

Freya laughs in relief. "I never felt that much magic before. I'm glad it was all channeled for a greater good."

"The large buildup of Leylock energy at the hub there has dissipated." Charlotte notes.

"Freya did limiting the 'dark' objects energy affect the 'Other Side'?" Charlie asks.

"The Other Side is its own dimension. It just used the energy from the 'dark' object as an anchor to this one. The 'Other Side' dimension still exists but the anchor link to ours doesn't exist anymore." She responds.

"What are the ramifications caused by the severed link between the two dimensions?" Rebekah asks.

"All spell links to the 'dark' objects magic have been severed. It is like unplugging a light cord in the house there is no further connection between the lamp and the wall socket." Freya points out.

Damon speaks up, "It looks like we will be heading back to Mystic Falls to deal with the 'cray-cray' trio."

I ask the group, "Does anyone else have anything we need to discuss?"

No one speaks up. "Let's head back to the ranch. I'm hungry." Everyone laughs and Charlotte looks up at me. "Dinner is in the oven waiting for us."

I cheer. She laughs putting her arm around my shoulder as we leave the caves.