Chapter 22: The Original Hybrid
I woke up under the oak tree and stared up at the branches above me as my mind tried to process everything I had just learned over the span of one night. The memories from my first life were only just beginning to become. My mind was slowly putting all the pieces together as all of my assumptions were pushed aside for the truth that was now clear to me. Because if I thought my life was complicated before, then last night had proven myself to be very wrong in that assumption. Things would never be the same now.
I couldn't help but reach up and stare at my hand in the light as the sun began to rise in the sky. I understood that things would be different now; that I would be different. I was just slightly unprepared for just how different I would feel. The world around me seemed to glow with life as I stared up at the sky peeking through the branches of the oak tree. Everything around me felt enhanced as I felt the energy flex and move around me. I felt strange and yet completely normal.
I felt free.
I pushed myself up off the ground and looked myself over for the first time. My skin was the same soft golden tan, only now I noticed my skin looked healthier than it ever had before. I frowned slightly when I took in the sight of the dress Caroline had given me as I noticed grass stains and the small flecks of blood that were scattered on the dress. Last night was filled with blurry images from when I left the boarding house and wandered into the woods, but I did remember the unfortunate need to throw up my own blood. The unlocking of my bloodline had been painful.
But all that pain had been worth it. I had my answers now.
It all made sense to me now.
With my head up in the clouds as my mind kept replaying the clear memories from my past, I slowly made my way home. I was without my phone or even my car keys, but I had zero care in the world. I had thought I would feel more conflict knowing what I know now, but all I could think was that now I had a chance at reuniting with my Fated Ones. The I felt for them was still fresh in my mind as I thought back on our past.
I was well aware that things were far more complicated than they ever were before, but I couldn't find it in myself to feel anything but contentment. Yes, I did feel some fear and doubt itching at the back of my mind. I was afraid, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from basking in my own happiness, even if it only lasted for a little while.
I rejoiced when I arrived home to see that the house was empty and I would have at least a couple more hours of peace before reality would set back into place. I embraced the quietness of the house as I set about taking a shower. As I stood under the warm spray, I thought back to the past once again. I was born a Fae just as my mother had been and her mother was before her. My beginning was now clear to me, but my future was now uncertain. I had a decision to make now. A decision that was going to push me even further away from my sister.
After my shower, I dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. I felt refreshed after getting cleaned up and sat myself on my bed after getting dressed. My sketchbook sat unopened before me as I stared down at the soft looking leather. I reached out and grasped the book and brought it onto my lap.
I opened the cover of my journal and flipped through the pages filled with random sketches I religiously drew every time even a fragment of a memory came to my mind. I felt a small sense of excitement as I was finally able to put a name to the blurry faces I had been dreaming about for so long. I could see the likeness of my Mother and Father in my half drawn images of them. Those one perplexing eyes that confounded me now had my chest tightening in recognition. I could now name the uncompleted drawings of my Fated Ones.
As I stared at the images of my past, the question of my future came to mind. What was I going to do now? Before last night, my plan had been to find Klaus and in turn find Elijah. I had been hoping that I could make a deal with Original Hybrid. But that's where the doubt itched at the back of my mind. The name Klaus once struck fear through me. He was once the big bad of the story, and now things were different. I felt torn and heartbroken when I thought back to what he's done to my family. His actions had Jenna killed and my sister was forced to die before being brought back with John's sacrifice. But there was no part inside of me that could ever hate him for what he's done.
Fate had granted me a love so strong that it defied death and time. A love that still coursed through me. I could never hate Niklaus, but I was afraid. There was a thousand years between now and the last time I had seen Nik, and while Elijah's reaction to finding me alive had me hoping for the same with Nik, I knew that was unlikely. Time changed people, and a thousand years was a long time. The love he once had for me might not be as strong as what I felt for him. My memories of our shared life were now fresh in my mind.
But I couldn't just give up on him. Nik was my guiding light back to my Fated One. I had no clue where I would even start with trying to find Kol or Finn, so I knew I had to go to Nik first. It was a long shot, but I knew my Fated Ones were still alive, even if it had been a thousand years, I just knew fate would guide me back to them.
Now I just had to come up with some way for Nik and I to meet. Because there was no doubt in my mind that Nik knew where his brothers were. I had a distinct feeling that Nik had something to do with Elijah not coming back to Mystic Falls. I wasn't sure why Nik would keep Elijah from coming back to Mystic falls, but I did have a feeling I knew how he was doing it; the dagger. Nik more than likely had Elijah daggered. I just didn't understand his reasoning behind why he would do it. I didn't have all the answers. Something had happened after the curse had been broken, something I had missed when I had been sent away.
Thinking of the curse had my fist clenching my journal tightly. Knowing what I know now made that night all the more frustrating for me. If I had been the one to break the curse- if I had been there that night- none of this would have happened. Jenna would still be alive and Elijah wouldn't be daggered.
These thoughts only encouraged me to continue my search for Nik. I needed to see him. I needed to know if he was the same man I knew a thousand years ago, or if too much time had passed between us and he no longer felt that pull that once brought us together. I wanted so much to believe that he would still be able to feel that bond that connected us as Fated Ones. But I knew time had a way of changing people and my Fated Ones have spent a long time without me in their lives. Meaning I couldn't fool myself into believing Nik would still feel the same way I felt about him.
My decision was set in stone so I decided to go ahead and seek out someone who would have the information I needed. So I headed downstairs to use the house phone to call Sheriff Forbes. The Sheriff's office was a bust after one of the deputies informed me that Liz had called in sick. I decided to call Caroline to see if she knew where her Mother was. The phone rang and rang before finally a voice sounded on the other end of the line, only it wasn't Caroline who answered.
"Hello?" The voice was deep and masculine and I recognized that it was Tyler who had answered Carolines phone.
"Tyler, it's Serena. Is Caroline there?"
"Serena? Where have you been? Your Elena's been freaking out trying to find you." Tylers words had me going quiet for a moment as I processed what he had just said.
"What day is it, Tyler?"
"It's the 24th." Two days. It had been two days since mine and Elena's birthday. I hadn't even realized that it had been that long, but considering I didn't have my phone, I wasn't shocked I didn't even know today's date. "Listen, Carolina Day found out about her being a vampire and he tortured her. She could really use a friend. I think you should come over to her house."
"Oh my God, of course, I'll be right there." Hearing what Caroline had gone through while I had been apparently missing had my stomach twisting with guilt. Granted there was nothing I could have done when I had been unconscious as my body went through traumatic change. But that didn't mean I wasn't sad that I couldn't do anything to help my friend.
I hung up with Tyler and made my way out the house. I was without a car and needed to fix that situation before heading over to Caroline's house. Luck was on my side when I showed up at the boarding house to find no one home and quickly snuck into the vampire residence and grabbed my phone and bag with my car keys in it. After my little side trip, I headed straight to Caroline's house.
When I arrived at the Forbes house I noticed the Sheriff's cruiser in the driveway, as well as Tyler's car. The second I stepped out of my car, I felt the air around the home shift and change with the different supernatural beings occupying the household. It was slightly jarring being able to feel the difference between the vampire and the werewolf who were waiting in the house. Both held the auras of predators, but Caroline felt more cold and dark compared to Tyler who felt closer to a normal predator found in nature.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for approaching the house. As soon as I knocked on the door Tyler was opening it and inviting me inside. "Hey, Serena. Carolines in her room."
I walked past the werewolf and headed down the hall. I could feel the energy around Caroline grow as I got closer to her room. I would have thought the feeling would have had my skin crawling, but that wasn't the case. I trusted Caroline, and with that trust, I pushed down the instinct to run away. Caroline wasn't a monster, she would never hurt me.
I noticed Caroline's mother first when I peeked into the room from the open door way. "Thank you," Caroline said to her mother as she handed the woman an empty blood bag. Liz took a seat on the edge of the bed her daughter was resting in and shook her head sadly.
"Honey, your dad… all of our families," The Sheriff started. "We have beliefs that have been passed on through generations. And we were taught never to stray from them."
"You did." Caroline pointed out to her mother.
"You taught me to look at things in a different way." Her mother explained.
"I just thought that he was the one who got me." The sadness in Carolines voice had my heart breaking.
"He did. He will again." Sheriff Forbes stood up and caught sight of me standing in the doorway. I felt bad for listening in on the conversion as she sent me a strained smile before Caroline spoke up behind her.
"Hey, mom?" The Sheriff looked back at her daughter. "Thanks for believing in me." The Sheriff sent her daughter one last smile before walking past me. I looked back over at Caroline and felt my heart tighten in my chest. Caroline Forbes was never one to look defeated, but as I looked my friend over, I could see the disappointment and sadness reflected in her eyes.
"Hey." My voice cracked a little and I saw tears begin to pool in the corners of Caroline's eyes. The dams came down at that moment and I rushed to my friend's side. I sat on the edge of the bed as the vampire pulled me into her arms and cried. "It's okay, you're safe now." I spoke softly as the girl got her emotions out. I felt her sobs begin to grow soft as she slowly pulled away. Caroline rubbed at her now red eyes and sniffled.
"Thanks, I needed that." I smiled softly at Carolines words and nodded my head in understanding.
"I'm sorry, you did nothing to deserve what happened to you." I leaned forward and brushed a bit of hair out of her face. She nodded her head and took hold of my hand. She held on tightly as we sat for a moment in each other's presence. She was taking in a deep breath when her eyes suddenly shot up to mine.
"Why do you smell different?" The vampire took in another deep breath and leaned forward. "Like, sunlight and the dirt after it rains." She tilted her head in confusion and I gently pulled my hand out of her hold.
"It's a long story," I muttered quietly. "I promise to explain everything soon, but you need time to recover, and I need time to adjust." I knew my words only sparked more curiosity in Caroline, but I just wasn't ready to begin explaining everything, not just yet. I felt Tylers presence standing in the doorway and decided it was time for me to leave. "I'll leave you two alone." I stood up from the bed and sent Caroline one last reassuring smile before making my way past Tyler.
I was well aware that by leaving Caroline in the dark about what happened to me on the night of my birthday, was something that would come back to bite me. I had very little doubts that she wouldn't let the conversion drop and wanted answers. I just had to figure out how I was going to explain myself. I knew I could trust Caroline with my past, but I was afraid. I wouldn't know what to do if Caroline looked at me differently because of my past. Because of who my past connected me to.
As I made my way towards the front door, I noticed Liz sitting in the living room. I was well aware this was probably a bad time to be asking, but I knew I needed to ask her before I lost my chance.
"Sheriff Forbes," The woman quickly dabbed at her eyes before standing up to greet me.
"Serena, please, call me Liz." I smiled at the woman and nodded my head.
"Liz," My smile fell slightly as I pulled my words together, "I know now isn't the best time, but I was wondering if you had any information on where Klaus and Stefan could be?"
The Sheriff frowned slightly and sighed. "I don't like the idea of any of you looking for this hybrid, but Stefan is a friend, so I understand your need to find him." The Sheriff looked conflicted about what she was deciding to say next. "It's nothing solid, but there was a murder in Tennessee. You can look into that and you might find something worth looking into."
I left the Forbes house with both a heavy heart and a new found look in life. I felt a great sadness for what my friend had to endure, but I also got some solid information. While the Sheriff wasn't confident in the information she had given me, something in my gut told me it was worth looking into. I was well aware that Elena and Damon had this same information, but I was still unwilling to go to them about anything involving finding Nik and Stefan. I was planning on treading lightly around the two of them. I needed to find Nik first, before they went in guns blazing trying to take out the Original Hybrid to get to Stefan.
I went to sleep that night with my thoughts trapped on finding Nik. My thoughts kept going in a circle, making up scenario after scenario . When the next morning finally came, I woke to a familiar presence down stairs. The energy that circled Damon was far stranger then the energy I felt the day before when I visited with Caroline. It was clear to me that the older the vampire, the more powerful the energy around them felt.
I could feel Damon in the kitchen before I even set foot on the first floor. So I wasn't surprised to see the vampire as I rounded the corner and walked into the kitchen. What I was shocked to see was my sister and Damon seemingly getting along. Alaric wasn't far behind me when I stepped into the kitchen. The history teacher and I shared a look before turning out gaze back towards what was happening before us.
"It's an old family recipe, okay?" Elena spoke as she and Damon danced around one another. They were working in tandem on, whatever it was, that was cooking on the stove.
"Yeah! I know. I knew your old family." Damon voiced as Elena stirred at the pot on the stove. "They made sucky chili."
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" I asked the history teacher standing beside me as I unconsciously crossed my arms over my chest. Alaric huffed in reply and I understood that meant he noticed what was happening as well. I decided I was finally tired of watching the weirdness going down in the kitchen and spoke up, "So what's going on in here?" My voice broke some of the strange atmosphere surrounding Elena and Damon as the two looked up to see Alaric and I standing near the dining table.
"Nice of you to join us, little sister." Damon smirked at me and I titled my head as he gestured towards the pot on the stove. "And yes, before you ask, it is what you think it is. Gilbert family's famous chili."
"Shut up, Damon." Elena laughed lightly before returning to stirring the pot.
"Why are you here, exactly?" Alaric asked the vampire in the room. I stepped around the history teacher and took a seat up at the bar and watched the strangeness unfold before me.
"She knows." Damon pointed over his shoulder at my sister.
"He thinks I'm going to break." Elena started to explain. "I'm not going to break. I am just going to keep making chili, and pretend like I didn't just spend the entire summer looking for someone who didn't want to be found."
"She's in denial." Damon spoke up.
"And I'm missing something." I muttered to myself. Something had clearly transpired in the last couple of days, and I had a very good feeling that it involved Stefan, which in turn, meant that it involved Nik.
"I'm not in denial." She argued.
"No?" Damon questioned her. I watched as the vampire leaned in close and touched the necklace she was wearing. "You're still wearing this necklace. Isn't this the reminder of your unbreakable bond with Stefan?" I glanced over at Alaric and we both sent each other a look. Something was definitely going on between Elena and Damon. "Anyway, we have somewhere we need to be, don't we Alaric?" I glanced back at the history teacher and watched him roll his eyes before heading towards the back door.
The second Damon and Alaric left, I felt the air shift as the vampire got further away from the house. I would have to get used to being able to feel the shift in the air when vampires were around.
Elena and I were quiet for a long moment as she continued to cook. This was the longest the two of us had been alone in the same room with one another since Jenna's death. The two of us had a lot to discuss, but I was still hurt by her actions, and while I might be able to forgive her for what she did, I would never forget.
"Damon and I went to Chicago yesterday." The quiet was suddenly broken by Elena speaking up. She didn't bother looking at me as she spoke, but I could tell she was nervous. "We found Stefan, and I tried to get him to come back with us. But he didn't want to." Elena didn't stop with her cooking as she explained. So I simply listened to her. "He walked away from me. He went back to Klaus and told me to leave." I knew my sister was hurting. She loved Stefan, and to watch him walk away must have killed her inside.
I felt for my sister. No matter how much anger I held towards her, I didn't want to see my sister hurt. "I'm sorry. I know how much you care about Stefan," I wanted to tell her not to give up hope, but the words never left my lips. Elena had her back to me as she stood in front of the boiling pot on the stove. She was still in the silence that filled the air around us.
My sister turned on her heel quickly and looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Serena, I-," I knew her next words were going to be another apology, and while that was a conversion we certainly needed to have, I wasn't ready for it. So I thanked a certain blonde haired vampire when the doorbell suddenly rang and interrupted my sister's words.
Elena quickly rubbed at her eyes to rid herself of her tears before making her way towards the front door. "I come bearing gifts!" Carolines voice had a small smile gracing my lips as I peeked around the corner. I had felt the vampire at the front door and knew it was Caroline before she even rang the doorbell.
"Please say it's not chili." Just as the words left Elenas lips, Bonnie appeared in the doorway. "Bonnie!"
"I'm back!" Bonnie declared as the two friends reunited with each other. "I leave town for the summer and everything goes to hell for the both of you." Bonnie says as Elena and her separate. I watched the friends as Elena and Caroline shared a look when Jeremy made an appearance as he walked downstairs. The two shared a long hug and I made my way back into the kitchen.
Things almost felt normal for the short moment as Bonnie was welcomed back into the fold, but I knew the moment wouldn't be one that lasted for very long.
"The problem with my dad's normal side of the family is normal made for a really boring summer." Elena was back to working on her chili while Bonnie spoke of her summer with her family. I sat on the bar stool with Caroline standing beside me as she watched Elena cook.
"After the last few days, I would kill for a normal family." Caroline said as she moved around the kitchen island to help Elena transfer the chili into a crockpot. "Since when did you learn how to cook?"
Elena shrugged. "Damon helped a little." She answered her friend.
"Damons helping you cook now?" Bonnie perked up and I raised a brow at the look on Bonnie and Carolines faces.
"He was here earlier, helping her cook." I spoke up and both Caroline and Bonnie shot Elena a look.
"All of you need to stop judging." Elena told us with a stern look. "He's trying to be a good- ow!"
"Ahh! Did I splash you?" Caroline asked as she quickly set the pot back onto the stove. There was a sudden spike in the air that had the hair on my arms standing on end.
"No, no. My necklace." I watched as Elena pulled her necklace off her skin and we all saw the burn that marked her chest. "It burned me." Elena pulled the necklace off and held the chain in her hand. The feeling I had felt hung around the necklace as Elena held the pendent in her hand.
"Maybe it's a sign that you shouldn't be wearing it." Caroline commented.
"I don't think that's it." I said as I watched the pendant swing in my sister's grasp. "Something happened to it."
"Well, I'm just saying. If you're going to be 'cooking' without Stefan." Caroline muttered as Bonnie reached out for the necklace.
"Let me see it." My sister handed over the necklace to the Bennett witch. Bonnie touched the pendant and it shocked her finger with an audible zap. The witch dropped it and the necklace clattered onto the counter. I kept my eyes locked on the piece of jewelry and slowly reached out to touch it. The metal felt normal under my finger tips, but as I picked it up, I felt something. There was an unnatural warmth coming from the pendant and I knew it had to be something magic related.
"I think someone is trying to find this." I looked up at the three girls and set the necklace back onto the counter. I wasn't completely sure in my assumptions, but something was telling me that someone was using magic to find the necklace. All I had to go on was a gut feeling, but it was a strong feeling.
"You can do that now?" Caroline whispered as she raised a brow at me. I knew I had a lot of explaining to do. But the timing wasn't right at the moment as I placed the necklace back down on the counter.
"I'm not completely certain that that's what's happening right now, but someone's magic is definitely affecting the necklace." I explained.
"I can grab my Gran's grimoire on our way to the potluck." Bonnie spoke up as Elena placed the necklace into her pocket. The other girls nodded their heads and Caroline helped Elena load up the chili into her car. I had actually forgotten about the annual potluck, granted, a lot has happened and I wasn't really set on going, curiosity was telling me to see this through.
The front and back lawns of the Lockwood mansion were filled with tables where people were sitting and enjoying the potluck being put on by Mrs. Lockwood. Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and I were squashed together on a bench just out of sight as Bonnie searched through her grimoire for a spell. "I have an identification spell that might be able to tell me what magic affected the necklace." Bonnie said as she settled on a page in her book and Elena handed her necklace over to the witch. "It's going to take a while, so tell me if anyone's coming, okay?"
As I sat quietly beside Bonnie, Caroline peeked out at Elena from my other side. "So you're not like, switching Salvatores, are you?" My sister looked over Bonnie and tilted her head at the question.
"What?" Elena asked in confusion at Carolines question.
"Caroline." Bonnie scolded the girl and continued working her magic on the necklace. It was strange sitting beside the witch as she worked. Bonnie definitely felt different when compared to a normal person. Her energy was connected to the energy all around us. I understood that witches were keepers of the balance and pulled their magic from the earth. I was still new to a lot of this, granted having my memories back from my past helped somewhat, I was still figuring some things out.
"Stay focused." Caroline shot back at the witch before turning her gaze onto Elena again. "As your friend who worries for you daily, what is the deal with you and Damon?"
"There is no deal." Elena argued back. "He's been just as focused on finding Stefan as I have."
"Yeah, but that doesn't make him any less Damon. If my own father, who I love dearly, can't change me. No ones changing Damon. Not even you." I frowned slightly at Carolines words. While I had been avoiding Damon at all cost, I knew him well enough to know when he was pretending to be helpful and when he's actually being helpful, and he was definitely acting differently around Elena. This morning proved that.
"Look, why are we even talking about this?" Elena asked with an exasperated tone of voice. But while Elena and Caroline were going back and forth, I watched with wide eyes as the necklace began to lift off of Bonnie's grimoire.
"Hey guys." Bonnie spoke up and got both girls' attention as the necklace lifted into the air on its own accord.
"What are you doing?" Caroline hissed.
"It's not her." I said as I watched the necklace float in the air. The magic surrounding the necklace didn't feel like Bonnie's magic.
"It has its own magic." Bonnie spoke up.
I kept my eyes on the necklace as I reached out and gently tapped the pendant with my fingers. I felt a subtle shift in the air and titled my head. There was something strange about the necklace. It felt like there was more than just one source of magic radiating off of it, and one of those sources felt oddly familiar to me.
Bonnie decided to take the necklace with her and do some more digging around as she left the potluck. Elena, Caroline, and I headed inside the manor just as the sun began to set and stopped in the foyer as we looked around for Alaric.
"Did Stefan ever tell you where he got the necklace?" Caroline asked my sister.
"No. And I never asked." Elena admitted. "Hopefully Bonnie will be able to figure it out." Just as the words slipped from Elenas lips, Alaric walked up to us.
"Please tell me it's time to go." The history teacher voiced and Elena nodded her head.
"Beyond." Elena answered. "Where's Damon?"
"Probably off somewhere doing bad things to good people." Carolines comment got her a look from Elena, but the girl only shrugged her shoulders at her friend. "Consider me the honesty police." After the words left her mouth, Caroline's gaze caught something in the distance and she went quiet.
"What is it?" Elena asked and looked towards where Caroline was staring.
"What's the matter?" Alaric joined in looking for what had Caroline going silent.
"It's my dad." She spoke quietly.
"Why would he even show up here?" Elena questioned.
"I don't know. But I can't…" The Forbes girl cut herself off and Elena nodded her head in understanding.
"I get it. I'll call you later." Caroline gave Elena a thankful look before heading up stairs.
"Okay, what was that all about?" Alaric asked, but before Elena could answer him, her gaze caught something. I looked over and noticed Damon walking towards us.
"Speaking of doing bad things to good people…" Elena spoke and the three of us turned and went outside. Damon of course followed us out and stopped us before we could get far.
"Wait, wait, Houston, we have a problem." The three of us stopped and Elena crossed her arms over her chest.
"Where have you been?" My sister asked the vampire in front of us.
"Managing Bill Forbes. Apparently he's impervious to compulsion." I raised a brow at Damons words and wondered how someone like Bill Forbes could fight against a vampire's compulsion.
"How?" Alaric asked and Damon shrugged.
"I have no idea. But he threatened to out me." Damon rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started on the irony of that."
"What did you do to him?" Elena spoke up. "How do you know the compulsion doesn't work?"
"That's not the most important piece of information I mentioned, Elena." Damon sassed back at my sister.
"What does he want?" Alaric asked and Damon turned his attention towards the history teacher.
"He wants to control the council." Damon answered. "Says it's been compromised."
"It has!" Alaric exclaimed. I glanced between the vampire and the history teacher and let out a sigh.
"Well, we can't exactly let him tell the council that." I piped in from my place beside Alaric. It wasn't exactly a great idea to let the council in on the fact that there was a vampire living in town, not to mention witches, werewolves, and Fea.
"She gets it!" Damon waved towards me before adding, "He wants to put vervain in the town's water supply."
"Maybe it's not a bad idea." Elena started. "I mean, it'll help you keep yourself in control now that Stefans not here to-"
"To what? To keep me in check? Make me behave?" Damon cut off Elenas' words and I saw the regret shine in her eyes. "I should have killed him this morning."
"You can't kill him. He's Caroline's dad. She would never forgive you." I spoke up and Damon turned his gaze onto me.
"Yeah well, when I kill him, she'll have one more parent then we do." I frowned at Damons words, but did not offer him any rebuttal as he made a move to head back towards the manor.
"Oh, come on, Damon!" Alaric stepped out in front of him and stopped the vampire from getting any further.
"You're repeatedly killing my buzz today, Ric. Step aside." Damon glared at the history teacher.
"Yeah, it's not going to happen." Alaric declared.
Damon then shrugged, "Your temporary funeral." Without even blinking Damon lunged at Alaric and with a snap, the history teacher collapsed to the ground with a broken neck.
"Damon, no! What is wrong with you?!" Elena shouted at the vampire. Damon only spared her a look before he disappeared. I was frozen in place as I felt the life in Alaric disappear as the history teacher died. It was the first time I've actually felt death in the air, and it was a grim feeling.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and tore my eyes away from Alaric's body. "What do we do now?" I asked. Elena let out a sigh and shook her head. I watched as Elena pulled her cell phone out and sent Caroline a text.
"I'll stay here with Ric. You should just head home." Elena pulled her car keys out and handed them over to me. I nodded my head and took the keys out of her hand. When I got home I saw that the house was empty and figured Jeremy went out somewhere. There was only silence as I made my way up to my room and I felt the weight on my shoulders double as thoughts drifted in and out of my mind.
I felt like I was stuck at a crossroad, and I was too afraid to choose which direction I wanted to go in. If I choose wrong, what would the consequences be? Could I trust myself to make the right decision, or was I bound to get hurt no matter my choice? I'm afraid that no matter my choice I'll end up alone and hurt.
I wanted to trust Elena and the others. I wanted to be able to tell them everything that I've learned about myself. I wanted them to understand that the monster they saw in Klaus, wasn't the same person I knew. But it's been well over a thousand years since Niklaus and I had been face to face with one another, and while the idea of being able to see him again sent butterflies rushing through my stomach in an excited mess. I was setting myself up for a heart break if I didn't reel in my emotions and remind myself that the Nik I once knew is no longer the same man.
I wasn't ready for any of this. I wasn't ready to face Nik or tell Elena the truth. I wasn't ready for Damon to find out that my heart was tied to Klaus in a way that defied the laws of nature. I wasn't ready to make a choice, and I really didn't want to.
The next couple of days passed with very little strangeness, beside the obvious. I was still riddled with conflict by the time Sunday evening rolled around. Monday would mark the start of the new school year, and the being of my senior year. I did everything I could think of to distract myself from the inevitable, but no matter how I avoided everything going on around me, I knew the bubble was set to pop at any moment. I was still set on finding Nik, but my leads were at a stand still at the moment. Sheriff Forbes had no new information and I wasn't ready to go to Damon and Elena for help.
So I focused on preparing myself for the first day of school. This was going to be my first outing in a place filled with people in compacted hallways and classrooms. I was going to have to get used to the acuteness of my senses now that my bloodline had been unlocked after turning eighteen. I didn't have enough time to practice or slowly reintroduce myself to crowds of people.
I was lounging on the couch trying to read a book when I heard the doorbell ring. I didn't bother getting up or even peeking over the top of my book as Elena came downstairs to answer the door. I knew it was Tyler on the other side of the door and figured he and Caroline were picking up Elena for tonight.
"Hey, are you sure you don't want to come with us tonight?" I peeked over my book as Elena grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair next to the couch. "You know Caroline will get upset if you stay home. You know how she feels about making memories. Especially in our last year of high school."
I shrugged my shoulders and went back to just staring at the words of the book in my hand. "I'll be fine. You guys have fun with your little senior prank night," I flipped to the next page without even bothering to try and read anymore. "I'll be perfectly fine staying home tonight."
"Alright then," I listened as Elena walked out the front door and let out a sigh. She was right about making memories, but I didn't feel like I deserved to have a normal night with friends when I was dealing with so much inner turmoil.
Just as I was about to set my book down, I noticed that the air hadn't changed with the departure of a certain werewolf who came to pick Elena up, meaning that Tyler was still here. I set my book down on my chest and immediately noticed that Tyler was smiling sheepishly at me from the end of the couch. I hadn't even heard the werewolf enter the house, let alone even noticed him get so close to me.
"Sorry about this, Serena," My mouth fell open and my eyes went wide at Tylers words, "Girlfriends orders." Before I could even utter a sound, Tyler had reached down and pulled me forward by my feet, before grabbing me by the hips and tossing me over his shoulders. I stunned into silence as the werewolf carried me out of the house and down to where his car waited in the driveway.
Tyler opened the back door on the drivers side before setting me down. I straightened out my shirt and sent the wolf a glare before spotting the mastermind behind my kidnapping. Caroline was smiling at me from the passenger seat with a look of absolute success written on her face.
"You do know this is kidnapping, right?" I muttered as I, begrudgingly, slid into the back seat of the car.
"It's a necessary kidnapping," Caroline declared as her boyfriend got in the driver's seat and set off towards the high school. I should have guessed that this was going to happen. No one defied Caroline Forbes, not even otherworldly beings.
Elena, who was sitting in the back seat beside me, handed me my phone and sent me an amused smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure tonight will be fun." She tried to reassure me. "Besides, don't you want a chance to throw toilet paper at the school and not get in trouble for it?"
With a sigh, I admitted defeat to myself and gave into the fact that this was my fate now and that I should just try and enjoy myself. Even with everything that's been going on, maybe a night of pranks and mischief wouldn't be so bad.
"I hate this." Never mind, I was not enjoying myself. I cursed myself as I tried to set another mouse trap. Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, Tyler, and myself, were all setting up mouse traps and layering the floor with them in their English teachers classroom. I set another trap and carefully placed it on the floor and started on the next trap, but just as I was about to pull the trigger down, Tyler perked up.
"Oh shit, I think someone's coming." The werewolf looked towards his vampire girlfriend for confirmation and Caroline nodded.
"Quick, get the lights!" I quickly turned the lights off at Carolines orders and hid with Bonnie behind the teacher's desk. We all waited with baited breath as the footsteps got closer. Then the door opened and the lights were flicked on, and every mouse trap that I had set up near the door was set off. "Oh! Come on, seriously?! Do you know how long it took us to set all this up?"
A very startled looking Matt stared at the five of us as we stood up from our hiding spots. "Forgot about senior prank night, huh?" Tyler asked his friend. I could only stare down at all my hard work before looking up and sighing in defeat.
"Nope, I am not doing that again," I reached over into the box full of prank-like items Tyler had brought and pulled out a sharpie. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in Alaric's classroom." I didn't wait for anyone to speak before slipping past Matt and making my way upstairs towards the history teachers classroom. When I entered the quiet room I had made the decision to draw something on the whiteboard and leave little hidden drawings with the sharpie. Nothing too upscale, just something that would cause the man a minor inconvenience. I paid the rest of the world no mind as I worked on recreating Washington crossing the Delaware river. It wasn't my best work considering it was created using dry erase markers and a sharpie, but I was kind of proud of it.
When I felt satisfied with my work, I decided I had completed my part in senior prank night and planned on just watching the others finish whatever pranks they had planned. But as I walked the empty halls of the school, I noticed something felt off. Most of our senior class had shown up for tonight, and yet as I made my way downstairs, I didn't pass by a single person. The halls were quiet and the air felt oddly still.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw that I had no texts or missed calls from anyone. I knew that if the night had been busted, that someone would have texted me about it. So I decided to head for the gym where I knew a prank was being set up by most of the senior class. I figured everyone must have joined in on helping out in the gym and that's why the hallways were so empty.
My footsteps echoed down the hall as I made my way towards the gym. As I got closer, a pit began to form in my stomach. Something wasn't right. It was too quiet for a senior prank night and I was starting to lose hope that everyone was just hanging out in the gym.
When the gym doors finally came into view, I felt a small ounce of relief when I spotted Elena through the doors windows. But even though I could clearly see my sister on the other side of the doors, my heart rate continued to climb as I got closer to her. Something was clearly wrong, but I couldn't stop my feet from continuing forward. Even when I hit a wall of pure power just outside the gym doors. I felt as if I had been thrown into a lake as I was surrounded by an energy so dense it had my breath catching in my throat and fear racing up and down my spine. Whoever was on the other side of those doors was powerful.
I felt numb as I reached out and pushed the gym doors open. My gaze never left my sister as I walked into the gym. The sound of my entrance made Elena twist around, and the second she caught sight of me, all the color in her face drained and pure fear filled her eyes. "No!" Her shout had my brain clearing slightly from the fog I had found myself in. "Serena, get out of her! Run!" The doors slammed closed behind me and I found myself completely frozen. I felt like a deer trapped in the headlight of an oncoming car, but as soon as the fear entered my body, it was gone.
Like sitting in the eye of a storm, I found myself in the center of a disaster that couldn't touch me. I suddenly found myself a thousand years in the past when my eyes found the source of my sister's distress.
The warnings going off in the back of my head completely disappeared and I couldn't find even an ounce of fear for myself at that moment. His hair was short, but still the same soft wheat color, and his eyes were the same alluring blue they had been a thousand years ago. Shock filled his eyes as the two of us stood trapped in each other's gaze. He was seeing a ghost from his past, while I found myself losing all sense of self preservation. The sight of him had my walls crumbling my chest growing warm.
"Serena?" Another voice spoke up and I found myself catching sight of another figure from my past. Her voice sounded the same as my name left her lips. Her hair was the same golden blond from my memories and her eyes were wide as she took me in.
"Bekah?" I didn't mean for her name to come out like a question, there was no doubt in my mind that this was the same Rebekah from my past. I had no time to prepare for her to suddenly appear in front of me and pull me into her arms. But I didn't fight it as I wrapped my own arms around her. "You're really here." I muttered softly as we held onto one another. The feeling of Bekah in my arms had contentment filling my chest. Her being her made me happy knowing she had survived long enough for us to meet again.
Having someone so important to me back in my life made my heart sing. It was as if the bond we shared growing up had never been served by my death as we held each other.
"Bekah." Rebekah's arms became loose when her name was spoken by the figure across the gym and the vampire released me from her tight hold. She stood beside me and squeezed my hand in support before giving me space.
I couldn't stop the shiver that went down my spine as I once again became locked in on the Original Hybrid standing across the room from me. Unlike his sister, he took slow, deliberate, steps towards me. It was like he was afraid that if he moved too fast, I would disappear. His gaze was filled with disbelief and awe. I could only imagine the disbelief he must be feeling at this moment.
We were now only a foot apart and I couldn't stop the small smile that formed on my face. "Nik." So many emotions ran across his face as his name left my lips. The doubts I had felt were suddenly gone as the two of us stood in our own little world. I almost wanted this moment to last forever.
"Klaus, please, don't hurt her." Stefans plea had the moment shatter around us and suddenly I was being tossed back into the present and realizing the situation at hand. Bekah was back by my side as she took a hold of my hand, while Nik placed himself directly in front of me. "She has nothing to do with this."
Nik's body went stiff, and while I couldn't see his face, I knew it must have shown his distaste at Stefans words. "Oh, that's where you're very wrong, mate." His voice was filled with his displeasure and annoyance at Stefans interruption. "She has everything to do with this."
"Please, leave her out of this." Elena begged. "Don't hurt her." I looked over at Elena and saw just how scared she was for me. She was terrified and I knew I had to do something. Because no matter how upset I was with her, she was still my sister in this lifetime and I wasn't about to let her get hurt in front of me. Not if I knew I could do something to diffuse the situation.
"He isn't going to hurt me." I spoke up and everyone turned their eyes onto me. Nik turned himself so he could look at me while also keeping Stefan and Elena in his peripheral vision. "You're here for a reason, and I get the feeling it's because of the curse, and not because of me." I gave him a sad smile and felt Bekah squeeze my hand gently. Hurt flashed through Niks eyes and I could see the turmoil in his gaze. There was a lot that needed to be said between the two of us, but I knew this was the last place for that to happen.
"He's here because his hybrids failed." Stefan spoke up and both Nik and I turned our attention towards him. I was confused for a moment before something sparked in the back of my mind.
"The curse was meant to stop the creation of future hybrids," I explained, mostly to myself as memories of a night I wished I could forget slowly returned to me. "But the curse was lifted, so why isn't it working?"
"It doesn't matter, he killed Tyler, Serena. He fed him his blood. He'll die because of him." Elena's explanation had my eyes growing wide as Nik sent my sister a strong glare.
"It seems that because the doppelgänger lived, my hybrids are failing at staying alive." Nik's words had my face scrunching up in confusion. There was something missing here. I closed my eyes and tried to remember everything about what I knew about the curse. Elena died, meaning the curse was broken, but if what Stefan and Nik were saying was true, then that meant there was another part to the curse.
"Wait," My eyes snapped open as a realization hit me. "It doesn't matter if Elena is alive, the curse was broken." The other all looked at me, but it was Nik who seemed to catch on as a look of understanding crossed his eyes. "It wasn't just doppelgänger blood that had been used in the curse."
"What does that mean? Whose blood was used?" Stefan asked. Bekah squeezed my hand again and I looked over at the Original Vampire.
"It was Fae blood." Bekah stared at me as she spoke and I nodded my head in confirmation. "Serena's blood was used in the curse."
"That means it's my blood that needs to be used to complete a werewolves transformation into a hybrid." My words held the truth, but I also had a feeling Elena's blood could be used as well, I just wasn't sure and I wasn't willing to risk Tyler's life testing that theory. At least with my blood, I was almost a hundred percent sure it would work, and if I was wrong, then it would be one's fault but mine.
I looked over at Nik and felt slightly unsure of myself for a moment, "My memories are still coming back to me, and I'm not fully confident about this, but please, let me try." The Original Hybrid stared at me with a blank look on his face before he reached out and gently cupped my face in his hand. I felt sparks shoot down my body as his skin met mine. The bond that once held us together was slowly reforming after a thousand years.
Nik let out an audible sigh at the contact before speaking, "Fae blood is far more powerful than doppelgänger blood. I have full confidence that it will work, love."
'Wait, Serena, you don't have to do this." Elena tried to get closer to me, but Bekah placed herself between the two of us. "Please, Serena. You can't trust him."
I shook my head at my sister's words. "You're wrong, I can trust him. But that doesn't mean you have to." Placed a hand on Bekah's shoulder and moved around her so I could face my sister and Stefan. "I know you're scared for me, but I need you to trust me. No trying to push me aside and doing it your way. No compelling and sending me away this time. I need you to trust me, Elena. As your sister and I need you to trust me." My sister grew quiet and I looked over at Stefan to see what he thought about my words, but the vampire stayed quiet and I took that as a sign that understood.
With that done, I turned around and nodded my head at Nik, "Alright, take me to Tyler."
The Original Hybrid didn't need to be told twice as he swooped in beside me and gently grasped me by the hip. He pulled me in close to his side before leading the way out of the gym. Bleach followed close behind and I felt myself relaxing into Niks grip. This was the safest I'd felt in a long time. Even though the air around him was a strong mixture of dense darkness and pure predator, I felt no fear being held so close to him.
The three of us swiftly made our way down the hall. I recognized that we were heading towards where the science classrooms were at. We stepped up to one the doors leading into one of the labs and I knew both Caroline and Tyler were in the room.
The second we walked in, Caroline immediately zeroed in on me. "Oh my God, Serena. Are you alright? What's going on?" My friend went to move towards me, but Nik was quick to pull me back as Bekah stood her ground in front of us and growled at Caroline in warning.
"Wait, she's my friend," I quickly spoke up to avoid any further bloodshed. I reached out and placed a hand on Bekah's shoulder. "She won't hurt me, Bekah." While she didn't seem convinced, she did back down slightly and moved out of the way. But while I was able to clam Bekah down, Nik kept a firm hand around my waist as we walked further into the room. He followed my every step as I approached Tyler.
"Hey, Tyler. How are you feeling?" The werewolf didn't look good as braced himself against one of the lab tables. His eyes were bloodshot and full of fear. "It's going to be okay, I'm going to help you Tyler." I looked around the lab before looking over at Caroline, "I'm going to need something sharp. Tyler needs to drink my blood if he's going to survive the transformation into a hybrid."
Caroline looked grim, but nodded her head in understanding. She looked around and grabbed a pair of scissors off the teachers desk, as well as a small beaker, and walked them over to me. Before I could take them from her, Nik stepped up and took the beaker from her hands. He ignored the scissors in the blonds and placed the beaker on the table.
"Not so fast, love." I raised a brow at the hybrid and his actions. As I opened my mouth to question him, he took a hold of my arm and brought my wrist to his mouth. The words died on my tongue as he kept his eyes locked with mine. Gray veins spread out from around his eyes and the whites of his eyes turned black, but what really took my breath away was the shining gold that took over his once ocean blue orbs. The white gleam of his fangs caught my eye before they sunk into my flesh. The pain I expected to feel didn't come and I was caught off guard by the sudden heat that enveloped my body. Nik smirked with bloodied lips as he pulled away from my bleeding wound. He then held my wrist over a glass beaker and watched as my blood filled up the bottom of the glass. "Here you go, mate. Drink up."
Nik slid the glass across the table towards Tyler. He then licked the rest of my blood from my wrist and looked at the wound. I could feel my skin stitching itself back together as it slowly healed from the bite mark Nik had given me. My face felt hot with embarrassment as I ducked my head and forced my eyes away from Niks. I had to take a few steadying breaths before looking up at Tyler. I had not expected that and was completely caught off guard by Niks actions. Not that they surprised me. Nik was still the dominating presence that he had always been and I highly doubted that he liked the idea of me having to cut into my own skin with a pair of scissors.
The werewolf stared at the glass filled with my blood. Tyler looked up at me and I offered him a reassuring smile and nodded my head. He then grabbed the glass and took in a deep breath before drinking my blood. I cringed slightly as he set the glass back down and squeezed his eyes closed. Tyler groaned in pain and curled inward. Then the werewolf fell to his knees as he clutched his head and a menacing growl erupted from his mouth. Caroline rushed around the table just in time to see Tyler look up. Fangs protruded from his mouth and his eyes were now surrounded by gray veins. His irises were a bright amber color and I let out a breath of relief.
"Well, that's a good sign." Nik spoke up from beside me. I turned away from Tyler and looked up at the Original hybrid.
"It worked right?" I asked him and he nodded his head. I let out a sigh of relief and felt my shoulders slump. "That means my blood needs to be used to create hybrids. Not Elenas." I looked back up at Nik. He looked both excited, and conflicted, at the prospect of siring his own bloodline.
"Come along, love." Nik took a hold of my waist once more and pulled me towards the door. Caroline shot up and went to grab me, but Rebekah once again stood in her way.
"Serena!" Caroline looked at me with fear in her eyes as Nik continued to lead me towards the door.
"It's fine, Care. I'll be alright." I sent her a smile and hoped she would listen to me. Niks' grip was a gentle one, but I could tell he had no plans of letting me slip from his grasp. So I turned away from Caroline and allowed Nik to guide me away from my worried friend. Rebekah followed after us and the three of us walked out of the school. When we got to the parking lot, Nik stopped beside a moving truck and a black SUV.
"Bekah, take the truck and meet us at the hospital." Nik threw the key at his sister and the Original vampire gave him a look. "Go on, sister."
Rebekah huffed and ultimately did as Nik told her to. With Bekah and the black SUV gone, it was quiet between Nik and I. I had so much I wanted to ask him, but where do I even start? My mouth opened and closed as thought after thought went through my mind. When I finally pinned down a single question I turned to Nik, but before I could say anything, I was silenced.
Nik's lips pushed desperately onto mine as his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. My own hands gripped onto his shoulders as I tried to keep my balance. The sudden onslaught of the kiss had a gasp of surprise escaping my lips. Warmth bloomed throughout my entire body. Nik's kiss was hungry and desperate and I returned it with as much emotion as I could muster.
It was like being struck by lightning as our lips moved together. Memories of our shared kisses came to the forefront of my mind and I was reminded of how strongly Fated Ones felt for one another. My worry and doubts about Nik not feeling the bond between us disappeared as my heart pounded away in my chest. I couldn't help but pull myself as close to Nik as I could. I wanted more. I wanted to feel as much of him as I could. His mouth left mine and I sucked in as much air as I could as he peppered kisses down my jaw. "Nik." His name left my lips in a breathy sigh.
There was a sharp nip on my neck that had me gasping. I could feel the smirk on Niks lips as he pushed one last kiss onto my skin. He pulled away and I couldn't help but feel heat fill my cheeks as we looked at one another. I was given another smirk from the hybrid as he looked at my face with male satisfaction. It was a look I knew well, one he had given me the many times we had snuck away from the village to spend time with one another.
"Now then, love. Off to finish business." Nik lifted me up into his arms and I felt the air rush by as I was whisked away. When the world slowed down again, I found myself in the parking lot of Mystic Falls hospital. Nik set me back on my feet and I noticed Bekah sitting on the hood of the SUV and sent her a small smile as Nik led me towards the hospital doors.
If I had thought the feeling of the hospital was overwhelming before, it was nothing compared to what I felt now. The tightrope was gone and all I could feel was the never ending string of life and death. It was an overwhelming feeling and I pulled myself closer to Niks' side. The energy he gave off was a good buffer for the energy that filled the hospital and Nik was happy to hold me close to him as we walked up to the nurses station.
"Can I help you?" The one nurse sitting behind the desk looked up and I felt the air shift as Nik looked into her eyes.
"Ah, yes. I'm going to need a private room for my girl and I." The nurse went stiff for a second before a dreamy looking smile curled at her lips.
"Yes, of course. Right this way." The woman stood up and led us down the hall. She opened a door to an empty room. When the door closed behind us, Nik turned to look at her.
"Good. Now, I need you to whip up some blood bags and take a few ounces from my girl here." The nurse nodded her head at Niks orders and got to work procuring the supplies she was going to need. While the look on Niks face was one of cold indifference, I could tell he was uncomfortable about taking my blood. But I would rather he take my blood to make his hybrids, then end up having to take Elena's.
"Here we go. Please take a seat." I listened to the compelled nurse and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Nik was immediately at my side as he hovered over me and the nurse.
The woman wrapped a truncate around my upper arm and as she prepared the needle, Nik leaned over me and caught the nurse's eye. "Now then, I would be very careful not to hurt my girl, or it will be your blood that's drained, hmm?" The nurse nodded her head as a shiver of fear ran down her spine.
"Nik." I nudged the scary hybrid away from the nurse and shook my head at him. "I'll be fine."
Nik huffed, but gave the nurse a bit of space to work. The woman poked the needle into my skin and my blood rushed from my body and into the bag laying beside the nurse on the side table. When she was done, she quickly took the needle out of my skin and placed a cotton swab over the wound.
"There. All done." The nurse smiled up at me and I returned the look. Nik was quick to grab the blood and wrap an arm around my waist. He lifted me off the bed and my feet barely touched the ground before he flashed us out of the hospital.
When we arrived back in the parking lot, Bekah slid off the hood of the black SUV and greeted us. "So you found your solution to your hybrids, can we please get as far away from this town as possible now."
"Yes," Nik started. "Go bring the truck, and we'll be well on our way." The Original hybrid tossed his sister another pair of keys.
"Wait. Wait, hold on." I pulled out of Niks grasp and took a step away from the hybrid. Nik frowned at my words and actions as Rebekah walked up and stood beside him. "I can't just leave Mystic Falls. My family is here."
"We're your family, love. And we're leaving." Nik went to step forward and I matched him with my own step back. The hybrid narrowed his eyes at me, "Bekah, go get the truck."
Rebekah stood there for a moment before vanishing. It was now just Nik and I in the empty parking lot. "Please, Nik. There's a lot we need to talk about, but I can't just up and leave town." The Original hybrid looked displeased at my words, but before he could argue with me, I felt a shift in the air, one he must have felt as well.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up to the party." Nik turned around and stood in front of me as Damon approached us.
"Let her go." Damon demanded. Damon took a threatening step forward and I heard a deep growl well up inside of Nik.
"I'm afraid I can't let you interfere, mate." Nik reached back and pulled me closer to him. My hands gripped the back of his shirt as the Original Hybrid and my vampire brother stood against each other.
"One way or another, I'm getting her back. So, you'll have to kill me to stop me." Damon threatened. I could tell Nik didn't take kindly to his threat and I felt the anger radiating off of him.
"Oh, I would love to kill you, but I made a pledge to your brother, and unlike him, I keep my word." Nik paused and titled his head slightly in thought, "Although, I am willing to make an exception, just for you, mate." Nik was no longer in front of me and I heard the sound of Damon's body hitting the SUV before I even saw it happen. Nik had Damon by the throat as he held him against the hood of the car.
"Niklaus! Stop, please!" My words were ignored as the two supernatural beings struggled against one another. I could hear Damon struggling to say something, but I was unable to hear him. Whatever it was that the vampire said, it caused Nik to release his hold. The fear I saw on Niks face had my heart stopping in my chest. Before I could even blink, I was no longer standing in the hospital parking lot, but sitting in the passenger seat of the large black SUV.
Everything was happening so fast, and before I knew it, the vehicle was coming to a screeching halt as we faced head on with the truck Rebekah was sent to retrieve. "Stay in the car, love." Nik flashed out of the vehicle before I could question him. Bekah also got out of the truck and the two stood in front of each other. They spoke for a moment and I felt my heart clench as Nik glanced back at me. Something inside of me began to panic at the look in his eyes.
The Original hybrid left his sister behind and opened the passenger side door. "Listen to me, love. I need you to do exactly as I say." I nodded my head slightly as at his request. "Good girl. You are not to leave Rebekah's side, not until I get back. Do you understand, love?"
"You're leaving?" I questioned. My throat swelled up slightly and I began to hastily start to unbuckle my seat belt. Nik stopped me from climbing out of the car and placed a hand on my face.
"It won't be for long, I promise you. Stay by my sister's side, Serena." He leaned in close and placed his forehead against mine. "We will not be apart for long. I promise you, I will give them back to you when this is all over."
I didn't understand what he meant by that last part, but before I could open my mouth and ask for an explanation, he was gone. I felt my heart drop into my stomach as Bekah climbed into the driver seat and turned the car around. Panic rose up inside of me and I felt like I was drowning. Bekah reached over with one hand still on the wheel and grasped my hand in her own.
I still had so many unanswered questions. My mind was reeling and I felt like I was losing control of my own thoughts. "He left." I whispered softly. I glanced over at Bekah and saw the deep frown marring her face. "Why did he just leave?"
"Because my brother will do anything to keep you safe, Serena. Including something as massively stupid as leaving you here in this terrible town." Her answer didn't help soothe the wound my heart had, but it was the only explanation I was going to get out of her. As Bekah drove us back into Mystic Falls, I felt my heart being crushed under my own sadness. I had him beside me for only a moment, and now he was gone. My Fated One had left me.
A/N: It feels good being able to get more of this story out of my head. I've been struggling with writers block for sometime now, but after taking my time to map out this story's plot, I've run into some inspiration. A thank you to all the new followers and those who have favorited the story. I still have plans to upload to AO3, so if you like reading on that platform this story will be up in the next few weeks.
As always, stay safe out there and thank you for reading.