DISCLAIMER is in chapter one.
.:Chapter Three:.
June 15, 2010
Lexington, Kentucky was one of Ryne's favorite places he visited by far since his began his summer trip with Klaus, Stefan, and Katherine. The damp ground squished beneath his sneakers as he walked along one of the trails in the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary. Everything was green and vibrant, animal calls sounded every now and again, and a nearby stream seemed to echo around them. Ryne turned on his heel, but continued walking backwards while grinning at the tall blonde that treated him like family. Clutched in his hands was a small camera Klaus had purchased for Ryne so the boy could photograph their many excursions.
"This place is awesome, Nik," Ryne boasted happily, addressing his father's friend with the name he was given.
Klaus mirrored Ryne's grin with one of his own. It was just the two of them today, Klaus having compelled Katherine and Stefan to remain in their hotel room until tomorrow night when the full moon would happen. There was a rumor about a small pack of werewolves that liked to stow away deep within the 734 acres sanctuary, and Klaus had every plan on finding them.
"Indeed, it is. Since we've been walking the trails since morning, how about we find us a place to have lunch, before I take you to the best place in Lexington," Klaus offered, chuckling under his breath when Ryne ground to a halt as his stomach growled.
"Yes please," Ryne answered and Klaus' heart squeezed.
God he was so much like Henrik that it hurt sometimes.
"Good, I hope you like chocolate then," Klaus stated, the two making their way back to the entrance of the sanctuary, Klaus being sure to have kept Ryne close by.
Umber orbs glowed with excitement.
"I do!"
"Then prepare yourself for a feast made by the best chocolatiers in the states," Klaus told him and swore Ryne floated a bit at that tiny amount of information.
"Not the world?" Ryne questioned, still smiling as they made it to Klaus' car.
"That could be debatable," Klaus voiced with a smirk.
.:oOo:.
Alaric paced up and down the Salvatore living room, his forehead creased in thought while Damon stared down at a map spread out over the coffee table.
"Will you stop pacing, you're breaking my concentration," Damon muttered, tracing route 64 on the map and placing a small sticker as a marker for the last known murder that resulted in a brutal scene where an individual was torn apart.
It was just outside of Lexington, Kentucky.
"It's been almost two months, Damon," Alaric seethed, but he did stop his pacing.
Instead, he moved over to the sofa and sat on the end opposite of the raven. Blue eyes flickered in Alaric's direction, noting the exhaustion hanging heavily over the brunette. Tired hazel brown eyes met Damon's and Damon felt the need to do something.
"You need sleep, Ric," Damon started softly, rolling up the map and tucking it away in case unwanted company showed up to be nosy.
Alaric scoffed, running a hand down his face.
"I can't sleep, Damon, not when Ryne is out there…," Alaric trailed off, his voice catching in his throat.
"You don't eat either," Damon huffed, standing up. "I'll grab you something from the kitchen and you better eat it. Then, you're going to at least try to get some sleep."
Alaric's brow rose as he watched Damon saunter out of the living room. Moments passed before Damon was coming back with a sandwich and a bottle of water. He forced the sandwich into Alaric's hands with a hard look.
"Now eat, before I make you."
Alaric's lips twitched, the first sign of a smile since Ryne was taken from him. Not wanting to test the raven's words, Alaric took a bite of the sandwich. Several more bites saw the sandwich gone and Alaric realized he was hungrier than he had previously thought. He soon finished the bottle of water, blinking when another sandwich appeared in front of him. Alaric glanced up to see amused blue orbs staring back at him.
"Eat," Damon ordered with a teasing smirk that had Alaric roll his eyes much in the same way his son tended to do.
He took the sandwich.
.:oOo:.
June 22, 2010
"I don't give a damn about Stefan, Elena! I just want my son back!" Alaric shouted at his step-daughter…and boy was that a hard pill to swallow.
He had gained a daughter and a son in Elena and Jeremy, but the circumstances leading to it left him with Ryne being taken away. Elena turned her attention to Damon, her brown doe eyes filled with hurt. Damon bit the inside of his cheek as he gripped Alaric's elbow.
"Go, I'll talk to her," Damon murmured low enough to where Elena did not hear what was being said.
Alaric peered at Damon, but instead of striking out with the anger simmering beneath his skin, Alaric gave a stiff nod before walking away from the two. Damon listened out until he heard Alaric pouring himself a glass of bourbon in the living room. He then looked at Elena, his jaw clenching at the unfamiliar surge of annoyance he suddenly felt in her presence.
"What…," Damon took a deep breath to stop the bite from entering his voice. "Do you want, Elena?"
Elena frowned.
"Damon, I want to find Ryne and Stefan too, not just you and Ric. Why didn't you tell me the two of you were tracking Klaus and Stefan this whole time?" Elena asked, her voice carrying the pain she felt.
"Because it doesn't concern you," Damon stated bluntly, catching the sound of Alaric settling down on the sofa after consuming a second glass of bourbon.
Elena glared, her hands balling up at her sides.
"Of course, it does, Damon! I love him," Elena said loudly, honestly offended at his words.
"They are gone because of you!" Damon shouted right back, before realizing what he said when she flinched back. "Look, Stefan is my brother and Ryne is Alaric's son. Just…go home, Elena."
He sounded defeated at that moment. She reached out and grabbed his hand, but Damon slipped away from her. Elena sighed.
"Okay, but please keep me updated on any information. Ryne's my brother too," Elena pleaded, before reluctantly leaving.
Damon took a moment to collect himself before going to see how Alaric was doing. It took him ages to get Alaric back to some semblance of who he was before Ryne was taken. If Elena showing up here today reversed all of his work, Damon would be unable to stand being face-to-face with her for a while without biting her head off. An empty glass rested on the coffee table while Alaric sat hunched over on the sofa with his head resting in his hands. Striding over to him, Damon sat down beside Alaric before tossing his arm around the other's shoulders.
"I should go back. Jeremy and Elena—."
"Are perfectly fine, Ric. You call and check up on them every single day and it's not like they don't know where you are if they choose to seek you out," Damon stated, interrupting the brunette.
"I miss him so much, Damon," Alaric whispered, leaning more against the raven.
Damon wrapped his other arm around Alaric, holding him close. Resting his chin on top of Alaric's head, Damon stared at the map where it was spread out over the coffee table. He wished he knew where they were going, not where they have been. If he did, he would pack Alaric up in a car and the two of them would be off in order to save their family.
"We'll find them."
.:oOo:.
August 17, 2010
Klaus peered into Ryne's bedroom to see the boy still up. Checking his watch, he noted the time being close to mid-night. Klaus knocked lightly against the bedroom doorway and gained a pair of tired, but excited umber orbs. Klaus stepped over to the bed and sat on the edge facing Ryne.
"What are you reading, Little King?" Klaus asked, his lips twitching upwards into a smirk when Ryne huffed in exasperation at the nickname.
"I can't believe Dad told you about my nickname," Ryne murmured, more embarrassed than bothered by being calling Little King. "It's all the sights to see while in Chicago. Elena got it for me."
"Oh, yes…Elena," Klaus voiced, heavily amused.
Everything was easier with Ryne believing his step-sister was with him on his summer trip. It would have been much harder to explain a doppelganger in their mists.
"And where would you like to go first?" Klaus asked, fixing the cover around Ryne when the boy settled further into bed.
Ryne held out the pamphlet, showing the Chicago Riverwalk.
"You enjoy nature, don't you?" Klaus asked quietly, thinking back to all of the places Ryne wanted to visit.
Almost all of them consisted of hiking trails and waterfronts. Ryne nodded.
"Dad loves these things and I want to take as many pictures for him to see when we get back home," Ryne whispered, his eyes drooping as sleep started to pull him under.
Klaus' felt his chest tighten, his fingers unconsciously crinkling the pamphlet at Ryne's words. Forcing his fingers to relax, Klaus reached over and brushed some locks of hair off of Ryne's forehead.
"Do you miss him that much?" Klaus asked quietly, Ryne having already drifted to sleep.
A tear appeared at the corner of Ryne's eye, catching the lamp light and Klaus' attention. He brushed the tear away before standing up. He was a selfish man, heartless to most that were not family. Klaus could whisk Ryne away forever, reunite his siblings, and be a whole family again…, but Ryne was hurting whether the child knew it or not. During his brief stint as Alaric Saltzman, Klaus knew just how much the father and son duo adored one another. Their bond was completely different to what Klaus and Mikael seemed to have. Alaric would go to the ends of the world protecting Ryne, while Mikael would do the same only to see Klaus dead.
Stepping out of the bedroom, Klaus shut the door and turned around to come face-to-face with Stefan. The younger vampire's face was blank…would be if not for the hard glint in his eyes. Klaus' brow lifted in an unspoken challenge. He did not trust Stefan around Ryne, not because he thought Stefan would see to Ryne's return to Mystic Falls, but for him to use Ryne's existence against Klaus. During their venture towards Chicago and searching for wolf packs, Stefan had born witness to Klaus' caring side when Ryne was involved. Stefan knew how to manipulate Klaus…if he dared to. Klaus would not give the brunette the chance, his compulsion forcing Stefan to keep his distance from Ryne when Klaus was out of sight. This was reflected in his orders to Katherine, the female annoyance being compelled to do anything to stop Stefan if the vampire stepped one foot in the wrong direction where Ryne's safety was concerned.
"Grab your things, Stefan, there's someone I want you to meet," Klaus ordered, waiting until Stefan moved away before he himself left Ryne's door unguarded.
Klaus found Katherine sitting at the small kitchen island sipping a glass of blood. She frowned at him, but he just grinned.
"Be a dear, Katerina, and watch over Ryne for me. Stefan and I are stepping out for a bit," Klaus informed her, his gaze narrowing as her frown deepened. "Problem?"
"I hate playing babysitter," Katherine hissed and suddenly found herself dragged off of the stool she was occupying and pressed up against the nearest wall by her throat.
She gasped in surprise, her fingers grabbing onto Klaus' wrist. The only thing keeping her from trying to break free was the threatening growl that rumbled from Klaus' throat and the gleaming yellow and black eyes boring into hers.
"You will protect Ryne with your very existence, Katerina. Do I make myself clear?" Klaus growled, his sharp fingernails piercing into her neck enough to draw blood.
"Cry-crystal," She stuttered brokenly, the hand around her throat constricting slightly before he released her.
"Good, now be a good girl and watch something on television," Klaus huffed, before meeting Stefan at the front door.
Without a word, Klaus left the apartment he had compelled the use of for their duration in Chicago.
.:oOo:.
Katherine sat on the sofa with the television on low. She waited a good fifteen minutes before reaching down to her calf length boots. Slipping her fingers inside, she pulled free a cellphone she took off of one of Stefan's many victims. Without hesitation, she dialed a number she knew by heart and waited for the line to be answered.
"Who is this?"
Katherine grinned in amusement.
"Don't change, Damon," She answered instead, amusement in her voice.
"Katherine?" Damon hissed and she would have laughed if not for the background noise she could hear from Damon's end.
"Is she with Ryne? Is he safe? Where are they?"
"Calm down, Damon. I don't have much time. Ryne is safe and sound, tucked away in bed for the night. We're in Chicago," Katherine stated and ended the call before Damon and the other man with him could inquire more about them.
Sighing, she snapped the phone and hid the remnants deep within the trashcan. Rolling her shoulders, she went back to sitting on the sofa to wait for Klaus to return with Stefan and whoever else the Hybrid chose to bring.
.:oOo:.
As soon as the line went dead, Alaric was on his feet rushing out of Damon's bedroom and down the stairs. Damon caught up to him by the waist before Alaric could make it down the hall to the front door. Moving his hands to grip Alaric by the shoulders, Damon's blue eyes locked onto hazel brown.
"Damon," Alaric started only for Damon's hands to give his shoulders a comforting squeeze.
"Stop rushing and at least get dressed before you attempt to take off," Damon stated with a small smirk, making sure to let Alaric know that he was not preventing the man from going to his son.
Alaric glanced down at his half-naked form and flushed such a darling red that it had Damon grinning. Damon leaned forward and brushed a kiss along Alaric's brow.
"Come on, the sooner we get some clothes on, the sooner we can leave for Chicago."
Alaric nodded, moving back towards the bedroom with Damon right behind him.
"This could be a trap," Alaric stated, pulling a long sleeve shirt on before grabbing his pair of shoes.
Damon nodded, zipping up his pair of jeans and grabbing his leather jacket.
"Yes, it could be," Damon agreed. "But we'll face it together."
Alaric met Damon's determined gaze with his own. Soon Ryne will be back with him, until then, Alaric would wait to broach the subject of his and Damon's relationship…whatever that may be.
.:oOo:.
"Hello, Sister," Klaus greeted the blonde woman who currently had Stefan off of the ground by his neck.
Her head turned in his direction with a snarl.
"Nik!" Rebeka hissed, snapping Stefan's neck to get him out of the way while she leaped at her older brother.
Klaus caught her and held her back from hitting him.
"You're angry and I completely understand why. You have every right to be," Klaus stated and Rebeka paused in her effort to cause her brother pain, seeing an unfamiliar emotion flash in his eyes.
"What happened?" Rebeka asked, Klaus finally relinquishing his grip once he realized she was not about to tear out his heart.
Instead of answering, he pulled out his cellphone and opened up an image he had taken of himself and Ryne just yesterday when they were on a scenic train coming into Chicago. He turned the phone around for her to see and she gasped, her hands grabbing the phone with wide eyes drinking in every detail of Ryne's appearance.
"Henrik…," Rebeka sobbed quietly, disbelief marring her face as she looked up at Klaus, then back at the picture.
Klaus took one of her hands in his.
"He's been reborn, Rebeka," Klaus informed her quietly. "Our little brother is back and I cannot wait for you to meet him."
"Where is he now? I want to see him," Rebeka voiced urgently, not paying any mind to Stefan, her only thoughts being her youngest brother.
"Then we shall not waste any more time. Come, I will bring you to see Ryne," Klaus stated, keeping her hand in his while leading the way out of the warehouse her coffin was placed.
He paused at the exit, glancing at one of his vampires under his control.
"See that Stefan is brought back when he wakes," Klaus ordered before he and his sister sped off.
Entering the apartment was done quietly and Rebeka followed the scent of the young boy, completely bypassing Katherine lounging on the sofa. Opening the bedroom door, she froze at the sight of Ryne sleeping. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and she pressed her hands over her mouth to stifle her cries. Arms came around her shoulders and she turned to press her face against her brother's chest.
"He's alive," Rebeka cried over and over again, her words muffled against Klaus' shirt.
"Yes, and he will remain so," Klaus stated with conviction, his gaze not wavering from Ryne.
