The Breaking Point

It was ridiculous how terrified Julien was. Over one thousand years old, having faced horrors that people these days could never even imagine, being experienced in and with unthinkably terrible torture methods – and she could not even bring herself to open a damned door.

Julien had been standing in front of the door that concealed Elijah for far too long, the next day's sun long since risen, her hands remaining stubbornly by her sides. She had been gone longer than she initially intended, leaving all of her hard feelings towards her brother dissipated into something different. The disappointment in his choices remained firm, while the anger and confusion morphed into resigned understanding followed by a deep, hollowness in her chest… her chest.

Alaric had seen the hollow, the fear. It wasn't something she had talked to anyone about in a long, long time. Her constant worry for the wellbeing of her family – the ones who lay sleeping in coffins and the one who had put them there. It was a constant battle for her to try and justify Niklaus' actions to both others and herself. Though she knew it would be impossible for her to ever not love her brother, that didn't make it any less difficult to like him.

Morally, Julien never imagined that she might agree to any sort of plot against a member of her family. Logically, however…

Julien shook the slightly disturbing thoughts from her head, finally reaching for the door handle. Her fingers had barely brushed the cool metal before the door was pulled open, revealing a boy she had never met before standing in her way. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Elijah laid out on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest with an older man leaning over him.

Before the boy could ask who she was, Julien's hand had wrapped itself around his throat like a vice, her fingers clawing angrily against his skin as she propelled him backwards. The back of his head thudded painfully against the wall opposite the entryway, leaving him momentarily stunned. The man that had been leaning over her brother stood quickly, his wide eyes meeting her dangerously narrowed ones.

"You have two seconds to step away from Elijah, or the boy dies. One, t- "

Julien's words were interrupted by a thick, hacking cough. Her hand that had been around the boy's throat clutched at her own as she was forced to her knees, the man in front of her glaring at her when he recovered from his shock at her sudden entrance. The blood of the last person she fed from spewed from her lips, the fluid being rejected by her system.

"You must be Julien," the man guessed, keeping one hand leveled over her as he reached the other out towards the boy she had just threatened to kill. He waited until the boy had moved to stand behind him before speaking again. "Elijah told me you were protective of your family… Well, so am I."

Julien slammed a trembling fist against the floor as she choked, dropping her forehead into the dent she had caused when breath refused to return to her lungs. Agony rolled over her body in waves as more blood trickled from her lips. It felt like she was drowning.

Her vision had begun to blur from the throbbing pain in her temples when it finally ended. Julien barely managed to keep her elbows locked in place when the warlock released his hold on her, refusing to show any more weakness than she just had. Though the torture had ended, Julien felt the familiar hooks of hunger embedding themselves into her stomach as she stared down at the blood she had lost.

"If you ever come near my son again, I'll come up with something a lot more painful than that to keep you down."

"Duly noted," Julien rasped, raising her head to meet his gaze. She waited until she was back on her feet to speak again, her eyes flashing to Elijah once more. "What did you do to him?"

"A locator spell. He's looking for the Salvatore house."

The knowledge that her brother was safe, simply sleeping off the effects of magic, was of immense comfort to Julien. She had no idea who the Salvatores were, but as long as he wasn't hurting, she needn't worry. She allowed a moment to pass of peace to settle before turning back to the warlock. "It seems I'm at a disadvantage. You know who I am, yet I have no idea who you might be."

The man thinned his lips, still wary of this woman. Though he had seen her visibly relax when he told her that he hadn't hurt Elijah, confirming that she had only attacked his son because she thought her brother to be in danger, he wasn't quite ready to trust her. If he didn't share, however, he was certain Elijah would the second he awoke. "Jonas. This is my son, Luka."

Julien nodded, extending her hand towards the man in a show of good faith. Despite the fact that she had just attempted to murder his son in front of him thirty seconds ago, she held no ill will towards the family. She had only been acting in Elijah's best interests, but if that involved keeping these two alive, she would do that.

Jonas glanced at her hand before glancing at his son and back to her. When he didn't take her hand, she nodded in understanding.

Okay, maybe there was a little bit of resentment there. Julien doubted she would find the time to care.

The room was tense as everyone waited for Elijah to wake up. Jonas had sent Luka on his way, telling him that he ought to get back to school before his lunch break ended. Julien had moved to sit on the edge of the couch, her hand moving to sit restlessly in her lap when Jonas stopped her from running her fingers through Elijah's hair – something about disturbing his concentration.

It seemed like hours before Elijah finally gasped, his eyes shooting open. As his vision cleared from the fog of being in his own mind, his sister sitting by his side came into view. "Julien?"

Julien's response was a bright smile – overjoyed to see that he was unharmed – as her hand cradled his cheek, a content sigh passing through her lips. "Welcome back, brother."

Elijah cupped his hand over Julien's, propping himself onto his elbow. He offered her his own wide smile before turning to Jonas who stood on the other side of the room, his arms locked over his chest. "It worked."

Jonas nodded, looking between the two Originals. His first impression of Julien had been her eagerness to murder his son right in front of him, which certainly didn't leave him with very much confidence in her. The sight before him now – mere minutes later – with a love so true in her eyes as she looked down at Elijah, her entire form leaning protectively over his even now that she knew he was perfectly safe, was entirely different. It didn't make him suddenly want to be her best friend, but he did know that she would do anything to protect her little brother. As long as Elijah was helping him get Greta back, that was a good thing in his eyes.

"Then my work here is done," Jonas finally said, though Elijah had already turned back to his sister. He spared another moment to observe the two before taking his leave, hurrying out of the hotel so that he could catch up to Luka before he got too far.

Neither sibling noticed his abrupt absence. Julien shifted backwards, allowing Elijah to sit up fully. "You gave me quite the scare," she mock-scolded him, her eyes squinted in playful annoyance. "Poor Luka might have paid for it, too, had your friend Jonas not stopped me."

Elijah's back straightened, the happiness that had been plain on his features at Julien's return quickly disintegrating. "Did he hurt you?"

"It was nothing I couldn't handle," she assured him.

Elijah nodded, though his expression remained tense. "I'm sorry that I lied to you," he apologized weakly. "I told myself I was being rational, but that was just another lie. I wasn't being smart – I was afraid."

"Of?"

"I was afraid… I was afraid that you wouldn't choose me. That if it came down to either me or Niklaus, you wouldn't – "

Julien silenced Elijah with a finger against his lips, waiting patiently for him to quiet before tucking it beneath his chin. "My sweet little Eli," she sighed. "It would seem that I am the one who owes you an apology, for failing to show you exactly how much I would do – how far I would fall – if it meant your safety was ensured."

A strange swirling of relief and confusion veiled Elijah's thoughts at her words. "You owe me nothing of the sort."

"But I do." Julien shook her head with a bitter laugh, dropping her hand from Elijah's chin as she averted her eyes to her lap. "I may not always do what makes you happy, my little love, but rest assured that I will always do what is best for you. If you believe nothing else, you must believe that."

It was Elijah's turn to cup Julien's face, bringing her steel gaze to his warm one once more. "Always and forever. I can promise you that."

Julien released a sharp breath resembling a chuckle. Her face was flooded with love as she looked at the man in front of her, utterly taken aback. "When did my baby boy grow into such a strong man?"

A smirk played on Elijah's lips as he shrugged, glad that his sister had returned to her usual self. For the twenty-four hours that she had disappeared he could do nothing but worry. Worry that she had gotten herself into trouble, or done something foolish to ruin his plans. Worry that she wouldn't come back. Worry that she would find Niklaus, and bring him here. He should have known that she was smarter than that.

"It is your support that makes me strong, dear sister," he informed her, taking her hand in his to press a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Julien tapped her finger against Elijah's nose in response before pulling her hand back, rearranging herself on the couch so that her back rested against it while Elijah moved his feet to the floor. "Jonas said that you were looking for the home of the Salvatores with the help of his locator spell."

"I found it," he confirmed with a nod. Her question was clear in her eyes, and he had no qualms answering it. "The troublesome boys who have taken a liking to our dear doppelganger."

Elijah took his time explaining what he knew of Damon and Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert, Katerina's return, and all the other comings-and-goings of Mystic Falls. Julien listened to his tale intently, soaking in every detail he provided and storing it all carefully away in her memories. She never knew what might be useful to know later, and so she would know it all.

"And what of Rose-Marie?"

"What does she have to do with any of this?"

"She was with the doppelganger, Elena," Julien scoffed. "At the house in Richmond."

Elijah held back a flinch. "You were there. That's how you knew about the doppelganger."

Julien nodded quickly, though in her mind that matter had already been resolved. She had something much different on her mind in that moment. "Yes, but where is she now?"

Elijah caught up to her train of thought, his eyes glazing over in thought as he considered the possibilities. It was most likely that she had run off again to the ends of the earth – especially if she had been spooked by Julien's arrival. "I doubt we need to worry about her," Elijah soothed his sister's worry. "Knowing young Rose, she will have fled far from Mystic Falls and its gang of meddling teenagers by now. What could possibly compel her to stay?"

What, indeed, but the deadly werewolf venom pumping through her deteriorating veins?

Rose tried to ignore the stabbing pains in her stomach that grew worse with every passing hour. The blood had helped to dull the ache for a while, but she knew that it was only delaying the inevitable. While she was still lucid, she was determined to be of help. She had spent the last 500 years caring for no one but herself and Trevor, and where had that gotten her? If these were to be her last days on earth, she was going to leave her mark on it.

Which was why she had spent the last half hour trying to convince Elena to fight. Siding with Elijah was the obvious answer, the simple answer, but it wouldn't truly solve anything. In the end Elena would still be dead, and her friends would be heartbroken. Klaus would be dead, and Elijah would never forgive himself for killing his own brother. It was a lose-lose situation, and she could only pray to a God she no longer believed in that it wouldn't happen that way.

"You really are determined to die, aren't you? At least I ran. You aren't even trying."

Rose watched as Elena thinned her lips and lowered her eyes. Good. She should be ashamed of her terrible decision making.

Another wave of exhaustion lapped over Rose, her eyes fluttering as she sucked in a deep breath. "I'm so tired," she admitted quietly. She was vaguely aware of Elena removing the glass of blood from her hands before all she saw was the back of her eyelids, Elena standing to leave the room. That was, until…

Trevor stepped in front of her, his expression hardening to try and mask his panic. He had distracted the Originals for now with a false lead, but it wouldn't be long before they realized what he had done and came for his blood. "We will make it through this," he promised Rose, closing his hands around hers. "As long as you are with me, I will protect you… you and Katerina."

Rose rolled her eyes with a huff at the mention of the woman who had gotten them into this mess in the first place. Trevor sighed at her reaction. "We have been over this," he chided softly before releasing his hold on her. "I will not leave her behind. Wait here, I'll go fetch her now."

"No," Rose mumbled from the bed, shifting onto her back. "Tell them to prepare the horses."

Elena turned back as Rose spoke, sighing gently. She hadn't known the vampire a long time, but she wasn't heartless. She wouldn't wish this fate on anyone, let alone a woman who had tried so hard to make up for her mistakes.

"It's okay, Rose," she whispered, stepping towards the side of the bed. "Just get some sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"It's okay, Rose," Trevor whispered, returning to her side to lay a hand on her shoulder. "The three of us will be long gone before they ever find us. Elijah has taken his men to the west, while we head east. There is no chance – "

"She knows!" Rose gasped, her back arching off the bed as her eyes flew open, her voice panicked as she rambled. "Julien always knows! You have heard the legends, seen it for yourself. Nobody threatens him without threatening her. She will never let us live, not after all we have done to betray her trust – her family."

Elena blinked in surprise at how vivid Rose's hallucinations were becoming. Lifting the glass from the nightstand she had set it on, Elena tried to take Rose's hand and press the cup into her palm. "Take this, Rose. You need more blood."

"She never left home," Trevor assured Rose. "She cannot catch up to us."

"We will never make it before the sun."

"Not if you keep on like this, we won't. Take your own advice, Rose, and ready the horses. As soon as I get Katerina, we will be on our way."

Rose tried to reply to Trevor, but she found her mouth full of a familiar, thick liquid. When she blinked again, she was surprised to see that Trevor had been replaced by Elena. "Swallow it," Elena commanded, and Rose obeyed.

At least, she tried to. The blood barely made it an inch down her throat before it was forced back up, splattering in bright red droplets against Damon's white bed sheets as she choked. "Elena – "

"I'll get some water."

Elena hurried from the bed to Damon's adjoined bathroom, grabbing the white towel by the sink before wetting it. She had been hoping there would be a glass there as well for Rose to drink from since her body had begun to reject the blood, but the towel would have to do for now. If she could just get Rose to fall asleep for a few minutes, she could call Damon and ask for his help figuring this out.

When she returned to the room to press the cool compress to Rose's forehead, Elena found the bed empty. She didn't get the chance to call the woman's name before a floorboard creaked behind her, causing her to pivot on her heel.

Rose had appeared from seemingly nowhere, her eyes black and bloodshot as the veins beneath her eyes pulsed quickly. Her fangs protruded from between her lips as she hissed, gripping Elena's shoulders roughly enough to leave dark purple bruises.

Katerina's eyes widened in horror when Rose shoved her against the wall, showing her true face as she shook the young girl.

"This is all your fault, Katerina!"

"I never intended – "

"You have led them straight to us," Rose growled. "They will never stop hunting us now – Klaus, Elijah, Julien – all because you were too selfish to die!"

"I'm not Katherine!" Elena insisted, trembling at the thought that Rose would kill her if she couldn't snap her out of this hallucination. "It's me, Elena! I'm not Katherine!"

Recognition slowly spread across Rose's features as they returned to her human face. Her bottom lip quivered slightly, her grip on Elena loosening. "Elena?"

"It's me, it's Elena."

"Elena," Rose gasped, hurrying to drop Elena's shoulders as she backed away. "I'm so sorry. I – I don't know what's happening to me. My mind…"

Elena helped Rose settle back into bed, murmuring words of comfort and forgiveness as she tucked the thick comforter underneath the shivering vampire's chin. Her shoulders throbbed from being held so tightly, but her mind was far from her own discomfort at the moment. On top of having to worry about Rose slowly losing her mind, there was something about what Rose had said that bothered her.

When she mentioned being hunted, it wasn't just Klaus and Elijah that she mentioned. There had been another name – Julien. Though she'd never heard of the woman before, it was clear that Rose was terrified of her. Rose's agonized moans and rapidly blinking eyes told Elena that she wouldn't be getting any answers from her right now, but she made sure to tuck the name away for later questioning.

"I think it would be best if we kept my affiliation with you a secret," Julien told Elijah when he had finished his full explanation of everything she had missed. He raised his eyebrow in question, so she elaborated. "From what I can tell, these Salvatore boys don't seem to trust you very much – understandably, of course, considering their connection to the doppelganger and her impending death. They won't tell you anything about their inevitable plans to try and stop you."

"They would be fools to try."

"They staked you." Julien's eyes darkened a shade at the mention of Elijah's temporary death. The image of him pinned to a door, his skin ashen and limbs limp, was not something she wanted to remember or allow to happen ever again. "We already know that they're idiots. They also know next to nothing of us if they thought that you were actually dead. It would be logical to assume they know nothing of me either."

Elijah followed Julien's train of thought rather well, nodding slowly. He wasn't exactly enthusiastic about her involvement in his plans, but he knew that she could handle herself better than most. "They might trust you, given the chance."

"Exactly." Julien hesitated for a moment, taking a breath before she spoke again. "I'm not agreeing to help you, I simply think it wise to plan for what may come. I know that it seems sneaky and a bit under-handed, and that isn't usually your style, but it could work. Of course, if you don't think we should, it won't… why are you laughing?"

Elijah, who had pressed his lips tightly together to contain his chuckles, released them in a short burst when she confronted him about it. "Sometimes I wonder if you are too thoughtful to be a Mikaelson," he commented with a shake of his hand. "I don't mind being sneaky in all this, as you so eloquently put it. It might actually be preferred, considering who we're up against. In fact, I spent the better part of yesterday at Elena's house, speaking with her Aunt Jenna."

A switch in the back of Julien's mind flicked on, her eyebrows pinching together. "Jenna?"

"Elena's guardian," Elijah explained. "I told you that her parents died a while back. Jenna has been caring for her and her brother Jeremy ever since."

"Right. Yes, of course." Julien waved her hand dismissively, nodding as if she understood – which she most certainly did not. It wasn't as if Jenna was a completely unique name, but it wasn't exactly common either. Honestly, what were the chances that Elena's Jenna and Alaric's Jenna were different people? Not very high, she assumed.

"You've heard of her before."

Julien scoffed at his observation, shaking her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "No, of course not! I've only been in Mystic Falls a day – certainly not long enough to know anyone of any significance. No, I never – I have yet to meet the lovely Miss Jenna."

Elijah simply stared blankly at his sister, unimpressed. "You're not a very good liar."

"I'm not lying," she argued defensively. When Elijah waited calmly for her to continue, she sighed in defeat. It would be hypocritical of her to keep secrets from her when she had been so upset just the previous day for him doing the same. "I haven't met Jenna. I did, however, meet her boyfriend. Technically, not a lie."

"The history teacher," he expanded, choosing to ignore her last comment.

"You have done your research, haven't you?"

Elijah smiled smugly in confirmation. "Nevermind that. What I want to know is where you met Mr. Saltzman."

Julien scratched a nonexistent itch on her cheek, her eyes scanning over the ceiling and walls to actively avoid her brother's. She hadn't even had the time to fully process her night with Alaric for herself. How was she to explain it to her younger brother? "It was only a simple run-in," she said with a delicate shrug of her shoulders. "After our… disagreement yesterday, I found myself in need of a stiff drink. Alaric had similar cravings. I saw him sitting alone at the bar last night, and… well, it simply didn't seem right to leave someone looking so forlorn all on their own. We only spoke for a short time."

"It will always be a wonder to me how your heart has remained so tender after all this time," Elijah sighed, nudging Julien's chin with his knuckle and causing a dimple to appear in her left cheek as she grinned at him in response.

It was a short-lived sight, however. The dimple that Elijah had always considered one of Julien's features that made her appear much younger than she truly was, especially considering she was the second eldest of the Mikaelson children, was soon replaced by a frown as she remembered what she and Elijah were talking about.

When she had spoken to Alaric only a few hours ago, she hadn't gotten the impression that he knew anything about the supernatural. Even when she had mentioned her affinity for magic, he had played it off as if it was only a childish fantasy. Did he know that Elena was a doppelganger? Did he know that the men she associated herself with were creatures of the night? Could it be possible for him to know of vampires and doppelgangers without knowing of witches?

"Just how is Alaric involved with the Salvatores?"

Elijah paused a moment before dropping his hand from Julien's chin with a sigh. "It seems there is still much for me to explain. Shall I make drinks?"

Julien was… conflicted.

It had been hours since her conversation with Elijah, and she still was unsure of how she felt about the situation she found herself woven into. She stood now at the edge of the balcony attached to their hotel room, a glass of red wine held loosely between her fingers as her glazed eyes stared unseeingly at the Virginia night sky.

Elena Gilbert – the self-sacrificing doppelganger – had struck a deal with Elijah to protect her friends in exchange for her lying in wait. While she simply lived her mundane life, Niklaus would no doubt track her down and come running to Mystic Falls, where he would encounter the rest of the gang.

Damon and Stefan Salvatore – the two vampires who had unwittingly found themselves at the very top of Julien's hit list by daring to lay a hand on her little Eli – were to continue serving as her friends and protectors as Elena lured Niklaus out of hiding, instead of their heads adorning spikes as she would have much preferred.

Alaric Saltzman – the man she had felt a spark of kinship with, whom she had been so bold as to place a sweet, chaste kiss on his cheek at the end of their night together – was a vampire hunter. She had shared her fears with him. She had spoken at length of her familial struggles, of her hopes and her dismay. And he wanted her dead, along with her family.

Julien felt the familiar tug in her gut that told her these people needed to die – to suffer at her unforgiving hands. They wished harm upon Niklaus, which meant they in turn wished harm upon her. They would die slowly, painfully, and she would revel in every second of their demise.

Except she had been asked to ignore this pull. For not only did these strangers wish death upon Niklaus, but so did Elijah.

Elijah – her precious little Eli, who she had forever been convinced could do no wrong in her eyes – would stand at the head of the army that faced Niklaus upon his arrival in Mystic Falls. And he had asked for her stand at his side while he did so.

Yes, Julien was indeed conflicted.

The aged wine slithered smoothly down her throat as she drank more than might have been socially acceptable had she been in public. Alas, she was not. Which led her to drink, and drink, and drink, until the bottle would pour no more of the sweet liquid into her glass. With a frustrated groan, she went briefly to the kitchen before returning to the balcony with a new bottle in hand.

She had just managed to pull the cork out when she heard an irritatingly sympathetic voice from the doors she thought she had closed.

"And here I was thinking you had always preferred the sweeter taste of white wine."

"Actually, I prefer a living brother as opposed to a murdered one," she snapped over her shoulder in response.

Elijah chose not to reply to her comment, instead focusing on the fact that she had wobbled slightly on her feet in her attempt to step closer to the railing and further away from him. He glanced briefly at the table tucked against the corner of the balcony, taking note of the fact that the bottle she drank from now was one of four.

"Always and forever," Julien scoffed, causing Elijah's gaze to once again land on the rigid muscles in her back. Her tone was bitter and sarcastic as she poured the wine into her glass, ignoring the drops that splashed onto her wrist. "Family above all. What a load of rubbish that turned out to be. Half our supposed family rots in pine boxes while the few that remain have turned from squabbling to fighting to the death."

Elijah's heart thrummed painfully in his chest at her words. He struggled to keep his features composed, though he wasn't sure whether he wanted to scream or cry as she insulted the oath they made over a thousand years ago. "Once Niklaus is dealt with, I won't stop until I have found Finn, Rebekah, and Kol. We'll be a family again."

"No we won't," Julien spit harshly, finally turning to face him. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared, her lips curled away from her teeth in a snarl. "We will never be a family again. Don't you see, Elijah? We were doomed from the very beginning!" Her face morphed into a strange grin, one that portrayed glee despite the wetness in her eyes as she laughed loudly.

"From the moment our wretched father first impregnated our naïve mother, we were all doomed! Finn hates what we are," she began, counting on her fingers the tragedies they had endured. "Kol lost his mind when his magic was stripped from him. Rebekah is too obsessed with the idea of love to accept that she will never be human. Niklaus has become a monster in his search for the cure to his curse. You are so intent on saving your ideals of family that you're willing to murder one of your own blood to do so. And all while I simply sit idly by, allowing our ranks to crumble! I told you that I would do anything for you, and the fact that I am even considering harming... We have all failed each other, in more ways than one. I promised to protect our family, and I have failed, Elijah. For that I am so, so sorry."

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, silence befell the space between siblings. Both were all too vulnerable in that moment – Elijah from hearing what his sister truly thought of his plans, and Julien from the alcohol that had flooded her system. It shouldn't have been surprising to either of them when the other began to cry, but it had been so long since either of them had allowed themselves to be weak.

"Sometimes I'm glad that Freya and Henrik never lived to see what this family would become."

Julien's whispered words startled Elijah to the point of paralyzing him in place. Never before had he heard such... such defeat.

At a speed too quick for human eyes to see, Elijah had rushed forward and pulled Julien tightly against his chest. Though she usually refused to be consoled by her younger siblings that she felt obligated to protect, she offered no resistance as he brushed his hands gently over her head.

Not another word as spoken that night between the siblings, as there were simply no words to be said. Julien's arms wrapped as tightly around Elijah's waist as his had around her shoulders, offering him as much love and comfort as he did for her. Although her decision on whether or not she would agree to aid Elijah in his plans went unspoken, they both knew from the moment that transpired between them that night what she had decided.

That night, Julien Mikaelson decided to kill her brother.

Slightly shorter than the other two, but I didn't want to drag this on for numbers sake – I thought that would be the best place to end it.

I apologize for the wait: school and work, yada yada yada. You've all heard it before, you know how it goes. I should have chapter four out much sooner than this one.

Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Was anybody OOC, too much angst/fluff? Do you want to see more Elijah/Julien, more Alaric/Julien? Who do you want her to meet next? What will Elena do with her recently acquired information? I want to know what you think!

Also, to the reviewer, Mai, asking if I have a face claim for Julien – I do! Just like in the picture of the story, I see Julien as the beautiful Miss Lily Collins.