The Phone Call

"You're looking particularly handsome this morning. Going somewhere?"

Elijah spotted Julien's reflection leaning against the doorway to his bedroom in the mirror as he finished fixing the cuff on his suit with a sly smile. "Are you implying that I don't look handsome every other morning?"

"Are you trying to change the subject?"

After checking himself once more in the mirror, Elijah sat on the edge of his bed to slip into his shoes. "Jenna is taking me out to the property commonly believed to be the very first bit of land ever settled in Mystic Falls."

"I see. And it will be just you and Jenna?"

"Of course. I have no reason to lie to you about whom I will be spending the afternoon with, dear sister."

"Mm," she assented with a quiet hum. "And after your little traipse through the woods? What plans do you have with this woman?"

Elijah paused in lacing his shoe to glance up at Julien with a raised brow, a smirk playing on his lips as he contained laughter. "'Lien, are you jealous that I'm spending time with Jenna? Because I assure you – "

"I am not jealous," Julien interrupted firmly. "I simply don't like the idea of you gallivanting about this treacherous place without me there to watch over you. I wouldn't trust the children around here to look after a goldfish, let alone you."

Elijah walked towards his sister with a grin she would have called condescending if anyone else wore it, pressing his palms against her shoulders. "You needn't worry. I'll only be gone for a few hours. While I'm away, why don't you look into spending some time with that boy you were speaking with at the Lockwood house?"

Julien raised an incredulous brow as she looked Elijah over, searching for any hint of sarcasm. "You mean Alaric? Why would I look into that?"

"Because I want you to enjoy yourself," Elijah answered somewhat cryptically. Julien simply thinned her lips in an unconvinced expression, which prompted him to elaborate. "Honestly, 'Lien. I overheard your conversation with the man at the house. Your presence has been absolutely invaluable to me in this endeavor, and I believe it's high time you do a little something for yourself while you're stuck here waiting for everything to come to fruition. You should speak to him."

Julien observed Elijah's sincere expression for another moment before allowing her own to shift into a grateful one, offering him a gracious smile. "That's very thoughtful of you."

Elijah matched her smile with one of his own before patting her shoulder once more and sweeping past her towards the front door. "It also wouldn't hurt to keep him away from Jenna while I'm out with her today."

"I suppose it – oh, you ass!"

The door Elijah had escaped through wearing a wicked grin became the victim of assault by pillow when Julien failed to hit her brother before he closed it. Though his true intentions made her huff with annoyance, she couldn't deny that he was right. It wouldn't be of great surprise to anyone that Alaric would be inclined to keep those close to him as far away from her and Elijah as possible, meaning he would probably try to tail Jenna.

Despite the slight irritation she felt at being tricked, it wasn't as if Julien could complain too much. She had done the same thing to him just the other day in finding out Elena's location so that she could have a talk with the girl. Thankfully she hadn't had to lie about her whereabouts, since she had managed to make it back to the hotel before Elijah and he had no idea that she had even left.

Deciding that anything was better than sitting here and doing nothing, Julien returned to her bedroom to physically and mentally prepare herself for the journey she was about to take.

Julien strolled through the small town of Mystic Falls with only the smallest sense of familiarity, offering kind smiles to the strangers she shared the sidewalk with. It wasn't exactly a hustle-and-bustle type of city. Instead, the citizens took their time to stop and talk with each other as they leisurely made their way around. It wasn't a pace Julien was all too familiar with, but she was willing enough to go along with it for now.

The Mystic Grill had been a frequent destination of hers since her arrival in Mystic Falls, and today would prove no different. She had been tasked with distracting Alaric, and it was the only place she had even seen him, so it made sense that this should be the first place she looked for him.

Unfortunately, as Julien stepped foot inside the Grill with the gentle tinkle of a bell overhead to signal her arrival, she was disappointed to find that he was nowhere in sight. A small frown formed on her lips at the realization, but seeing as she had no idea where else to look she chose to walk inside regardless – a choice she would quickly come to regret.

"Ah, Julien! Just the Original I wanted to see."

The regrettably noticeable voice grated on Julien's ears and nerves from the first syllable, causing her footsteps to pause. She had been on her way to the bar to order a drink when it came from the booth on her right, soon followed by the man it belonged to standing to follow after her.

"Salvatore," she greeted with a sour smile staining her mouth when the elder of the two brothers presented himself to her with arms spread open as if inviting her for a hug. Rather than accept the gesture, she simply crossed her arms over her chest. "What an unpleasant surprise."

"Oh, don't be like that. I know we got off on the wrong foot, you and I, but I was sincerely hoping that we might move past that. Turn over a new leaf, let bygones be bygones, all that good stuff."

"I'd sooner choke on my own spleen."

Damon clicked his tongue disapprovingly at her refusal before turning his head back in the direction of the booth he had been occupying. "Did you hear that, Andie? I don't think she likes me very much."

A blonde woman Julien vaguely remembered seeing at Carol Lockwood's home the other day appeared at Damon's side, attaching herself to his side like a leech as he wrapped his arm possessively over her shoulders. "That's because she hasn't had the chance to really get to know you like I have."

"I wonder what we could do about that," Damon commented casually, tapping a long finger against his chin in thought.

"Absolutely nothing," Julien answered before Andie had the chance to. "I have exactly no interest in getting to know you – or anyone else in your little Babysitters Club, for that matter."

"Oh, don't be like that. We're all on the same side here! What could it really hurt in the long run?"

"My sanity."

Damon chuckled in response as his eyes drifted over Julien's shoulder. "Well, I know one friend of mine that you wouldn't mind, uh… getting to know. Ric, buddy!"

Julien was of two minds when Alaric stepped into her peripheral vision, obviously avoiding eye contact with her and clearing his throat nervously. On the one hand, she had come here to see him in the first place and he was a welcome interruption into her conversation with Damon. On the other, they hadn't parted on the best of terms and she wasn't quite sure how to talk to him. Luckily, she had centuries of experience in dealing with awkward conversations.

"Alaric, you've met Julien, haven't you?" Damon asked teasingly, gesturing between the human and the Original. "I seem to remember the two of you being suspiciously close a few weeks ago. Why, I think it was in this very room that you two met!"

"Damon," Alaric warned lowly, his expression matching his icy tone. "Enough."

Though the words did nothing to lessen the infuriating look of smug superiority from Damon's face, they were at least enough to quiet him. He showed this by shrugging nonchalantly before dragging his pinched finger and thumb in front of his closed lips, mimicking zipping them shut. Andie chuckled at his antics, which he responded to with a wink in her direction.

Julien could barely contain the contents of her stomach at the sight. Thankfully, after a somewhat suspicious look was given to Alaric, Damon led Andie back to the booth they had been sitting at before Julien came in.

"I'm sorry if he's been bothering you," Alaric said to Julien, sighing as he scratched the stubble on his cheek. "He really does mean well, even if he's complete shit at showing it."

"I'm sure he means well for someone," Julien allowed. "Most likely himself."

"That's… not completely untrue. But he does care about other people – one of which is Elena. So you can understand why he's a bit wary of you and Elijah."

Julien hummed in response, not quite relenting to his point but not quite denying it either. "You make quite a few excuses for other people, but you refuse to make them for yourself. That much was obvious the night we met. It's… an admirable trait."

Alaric bristled slightly, glancing back at Damon and Andie before taking a step closer to Julien and lowering his voice. "I thought we agreed that we can't be friends?"

"We did," Julien nodded, copying his tone and volume. "And I stand by that agreement. We did not, however, agree that we couldn't be civil towards each other. Of all the people I have met so far in Mystic Falls, you are the one I most desire to remain on good terms with after all this mess."

"That doesn't… Good terms? We can never be on good terms," Alaric scoffed. "This isn't a mess, this is Elena's life we're talking about. She's my family, and you want to take her from me."

"I won't deny that I have little love for Elena, but that doesn't mean I would wish harm upon her. Believe me when I say that nothing in the world could possibly make me happier than this matter being dealt with without any casualties. That simply isn't likely."

"But it is possible."

Julien shook her head lightly. "I didn't say that."

"You said it isn't likely," Alaric argued, once again moving closer to Julien. His eyes had widened slightly and his words were the tiniest bit rushed – she could hear his heartbeat pick up in his chest. "So there is a way for it to happen."

"You're jumping to conclusions. All I said was – "

"You choose your words too carefully for that to have been a mistake," Alaric cut in before she could make an excuse, gripping her shoulders and bending at the waist to match her height. "You said that you don't want anyone to get hurt. That's all I want too. If you know a way to save Elena, you have to tell me. Please."

Julien met Alaric's gaze for a moment before prying his hands off her shoulders and taking a measured step away from him. "There may be a way to ensure her safety, but that's a discussion for another time and place. We've already been too liberal in our speech here. These aren't the type of matters you discuss in a place like this."

Alaric opened his mouth to argue, but reluctantly closed it before he said a word. He wanted to argue, but knew that she was right. Their hushed conversation had caught more than just Damon's attention, which wasn't good news for either of them.

His acquiescence was met with a small, relieved smile from Julien. "I know that we aren't supposed to be friends," she murmured. "I believe we've both made ourselves quite clear on that matter, when our other companions come into play especially. But I mean what I said about remaining friendly. I have seen the kind of man you are and it inspires nothing short of wonderment on my end. I've lived long enough to know that ignoring that fact would make me a fool. If you believe nothing else I say, believe that."

He couldn't say he trusted either of the Originals with much, but if anything Alaric had learned about Julien up to this point was true it was that she always meant what she said. That wasn't to say that she was always completely truthful, but there was a great difference between lying outright and avoiding the truth.

"What a coincidence running into you two here," a new voice joined in on the conversation, his cool hand pressing against Julien's back as he came into her field of vision. She didn't have to look at him to recognize who it was, but the sight of her brother was always a welcome one.

"Yeah," Alaric replied dryly as Jenna mimicked Elijah by moving to stand at his side. Though his words were directed at Elijah, his eyes remained on Julien as he spoke. "Coincidence. Right."

Elijah offered the history teacher a polite smile and a nod of confirmation, ignoring the sarcasm in his tone. "Jenna and I were just coming in for drinks after our little hike. I see that the two of you decided to skip the middleman and get straight to business."

Julien smirked at her brother, chuckling lightly as she spoke. "It's like the old saying goes, Eli. 'Everybody should believe in something. I believe in having another drink.'"

"How quaint."

"Words to live by, if I've ever heard any," Damon tacked on, having decided to rejoin the conversation with Andie tacked onto his side – which was apparently a constant. "I always was a fan of the big drinkers. Maybe you and I aren't so different after all, Julien."

"If you say so."

Alaric drew the attention of the group to himself by clapping his hands together. "Well, as much as I'd love to continue this, I've got papers to grade."

That seemed to signal to everyone that it was time to go their separate ways, but Andie had a different idea. Just as everyone moved to head for the exit, she took a small step out of Damon's shadow and spoke up. "No, you know what? We should continue this. Let's have a dinner party!"

While Damon complimented Andie on her "fantastic" idea, Julien and Elijah shared a distrustful look unseen by the others present. "I'll be happy to host," Damon continued, raising his hand for effect. "Say tonight, maybe?"

"It's good for me," Andie readily agreed. "Jenna?"

"Uh, I don't know if tonight works," Alaric tried to interject, but was quickly cut off by Jenna saying, "Yeah, actually I am free tonight."

"Perfect," Damon grinned widely before holding his hand out towards the two Originals who had yet to answer. "Tonight sound good?"

Julien pursed her lips tightly together, resisting the strong urge to laugh in his face at even the thought of joining him for what was sure to be an entirely unsatisfactory evening, and allowed Elijah to answer for the both of them.

"It would be our pleasure."

"It would be our pleasure? Our pleasure? Really, Elijah? That was the word you chose to use?"

Elijah kept his eyes plastered on the dark swirling wine in his glass as Julien paced back and forth in front of him, almost definitely wearing a hole in the carpet as she went. It was the only alcohol left in the house after Julien's many, many drinking tangents. The glass was nearly empty now, but he had been too afraid that standing from his place on the couch would only instigate Julien further. As it was she had been on a tangent for nearly twenty minutes and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. "What did you expect me to say, 'Lien?"

"Anything but our pleasure! I don't even want to attend, and now that egotistical maniac is probably strutting about thinking I'm pleased to be attending his little soiree. And that's not even mentioning the fact that the whole thing is clearly some poorly thought out ruse designed to draw us out into a territory they think they can control, which we are blindly walking into like the fools they believe us to be!"

"I think you're forgetting that Jenna will also be in attendance tonight."

"What difference does that make?"

"She is unaware of the existence of vampires. They wouldn't do anything in her presence."

"Clearly you underestimate the stupidity of our host."

Elijah sighed through his nose before setting his glass on the coffee table separating him from his sister and standing to maneuver around it. "We have given our word that we would attend," he tried to reason. "I intend to keep that promise, whether you join me or not."

Julien narrowed her eyes, annoyed at Elijah's infuriating and incredibly convenient sense of nobility. "You're being stubborn."

"I learned from the best," he countered with a casual smile and a peck on her forehead as he passed by her on the way to his room. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find some way to entertain yourself tonight. I also know how long it takes you to get your hair to curl the way you like it and we only have a few hours until we're expected to be at the boarding house, so I suggest you begin preparing yourself now."

"You're hilarious, Elijah," she called after him as he closed the door behind himself. Whether he had been joking or not, Julien contemplated only a moment further before following his lead and heading to her own bedroom to begin preparations for the night.

The car engine cut off, the doors closed, and all too soon Elijah and Julien were walking arm-in-arm into the lion's den with false positivity plastered on their faces.

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this," Julien hissed between her teeth when Elijah knocked on the front door.

"Everything is going to go swimmingly," Elijah assured her quietly as to keep their conversation between the two of them. "Relax, dear sister. I'll protect you from the big bad vampire."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be the one protecting you?"

"Your big sister instincts must be kicking in."

"You say that as if I ever turned them off."

Elijah chuckled to himself as the door swung open to reveal their host for the evening leaning against the wooden frame with all the arrogance Julien had imagined, and then some. "Good evening, Damon."

"Elijah," he returned with a nod before smirking in Julien's direction. "Smaller, less threatening version of Elijah."

Julien's smile that had previously only been worn for politeness suddenly became much more genuine when she released her hold on Elijah to step over the threshold leading into the house, looking up at Damon with a glimmer in his eyes he didn't register as dangerous until her fingers were on his. To his credit, he only groaned instead of yelling when she bent them back far enough for the resulting crack of his broken bones echoed faintly in the foyer.

"You were right, Eli," Julien said to Elijah over her shoulder as she brushed past the seething Damon Salvatore. "I am glad I came tonight after all."

While Julien sauntered around the corner of the short hallway, following the sounds of idle conversation to find where the rest of the guests had gathered, Elijah remained behind to have a quick word with Damon.

"Julien believes that you may have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to play out," he began, tapping his fingers along the doorway as Damon popped his fingers back into place with a hiss. "I have assured her that due to my deal with Elena you surely wouldn't consider insulting us with such nonsense. Was I wrong to do so?"

"Nope," Damon answered with a shake of his head, flexing his fingers experimentally. "Nothing dishonorable. Just a getting to know you."

"Hmm. Well, that's good, because despite aforementioned deal, if you seek to pose any sort of threat to me or Julien tonight, I will kill you and I will kill everyone in this house. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

Meanwhile, as the men held a staring contest in the entryway, Julien had made her way to the dining room where she saw that they were being joined by an unexpected dinner guest. "John," she greeted as he stood from his chair at the sight of her. "I wasn't aware you'd be joining us this evening."

"Well, when I heard that you and Elijah were going to be in the area, I couldn't possibly have stayed away."

"Unfortunately," Jenna breathed to herself as she set out the silverware on the other side of the table.

Though John hadn't heard the insult, it caused a small smile to perk up Julien's lips. "It's lovely to see you again, Jenna. Here, let me help you with that."

Before long, everyone had seated themselves around the dining table. Serving bowls and wine bottles were passed about in a mannerly fashion, with all scowls and nasty thoughts courteously kept secret. There were even a few genuine laughs throughout the meal. It was a somewhat pleasant affair when all was said and done – even after all the talk of dead witches and their missing burial grounds.

A topic which was of great interest to Julien. More specifically, the reason for Elijah's curiosity about it. She couldn't just bring it up in front of everyone, of course, so instead she simply chastised him for his poor choice of dinner conversation before tucking the thought away for further inspection later on.

When dinner concluded, Damon dropped his napkin onto his empty plate before clasping his hands together. "Would anyone care for some cognac? I have a bottle I've been saving for ages."

"None for me, thanks," Alaric passed. "Nine bottles of wine is my limit."

Julien scrutinized the look that passed between Damon and Alaric before chiming in. "I'm usually a fan of the sweeter white wines, but who am I to turn down a well-aged brandy?"

There was only the briefest moment of hesitation before Damon stood from his chair that Andie used as her chance to jump into the conversation, laying her hand on Julien's shoulder as she spoke. "Actually, I was thinking that the gentlemen should take their drinks in the study while we girls talk in the kitchen."

"That sounds like a splendid idea," Elijah agreed. The statement earned a deadly glare from his sister, which he ignored in favor of stacking her plate on top of his as he stood from the table. "And I must say, the food was almost as wonderful as the company."

Andie beamed at Elijah, taking the dishes from his hand. "I like you."

"Here you are, gentleman." Jenna dropped her own stack of plates into John's arms with an insincere smile. "Make yourself useful, yeah?"

While John looked none too pleases at being used as a mule for delivering dishes, Alaric was quick to step up and request to be put to work. When Jenna merely glanced in his direction before insisting that she could handle the rest herself, it became clear that his eagerness came not from wanting to do his part with the household chores, but instead for Jenna to acknowledge him.

Julien observed the moment that passed between the two with mild curiosity before stepping in front of Elijah as he tried to follow Damon out of the room. "A word, Elijah?"

Elijah glanced at Damon's retreating frame from over her shoulder before returning his eyes to Julien's. "Lead the way."

The siblings slipped away from the rest of the guests into a secluded hallway, with Julien standing in a position that would allow her to watch and make sure they weren't followed. Although she was reasonably sure their conversation wouldn't be overheard, she still made sure to keep her voice only barely loud enough for Elijah to hear her.

"What's with your sudden interest in witches?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, 'Lien."

"Don't," Julien scolded, shaking her finger in a way that reminded Elijah of a reprimanding mother speaking to her mischievous child. "Don't do that. After everything I have done for you these last few days, you are not allowed to keep secrets from me anymore."

She was right, of course. He knew that she was right. With a resigned sigh, Elijah admitted as much. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's a bit difficult to switch back and forth between evading everyone else's questions and answering yours plainly."

"You're damned right I'm right, and you better not forget that again anytime soon, or else," Julien warned with a nod. The obviously embellished threat broke any small bit of awkwardness that had formed between the two, bringing a smile to both of their faces. "Now tell me – why are you concerned with where the witches are buried?"

"Not here," Elijah cleverly avoided. Before Julien could argue, he tapped his ear with one hand and the wall with the other. "I promise I'm not keeping any more secrets from you. I'll answer any questions you have when we get home. For now, I'm late for a date with our host."

"Remember what I said earlier, and don't let him do anything foolish. I won't hesitate to rip him to shreds should he so much as breathe too close to you."

"He has promised there will be no games tonight."

"And you believe him?"

"No. But I like to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. Besides, I can handle myself."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure."

Instead of being offended, Elijah took his sister's concern at face value and simply placed his usual kiss to her forehead before sweeping out of the hallway and towards the study. Julien lingered behind for another moment, taking the time for a few deep breaths to regain her composure. The longer this farce of a night went on, the more the nasty dread in her stomach twisted and gave her a sickly feeling.

When she felt at least well enough to walk back to the dining room, she saw Alaric just long enough for him to shove his phone into his pocket and hurry out of the room without so much as sparing her a glance. As it wasn't him she had been looking to speak with in the first place, she simply allowed him to go about his business and continued in the direction of the kitchen.

While everyone else had scattered to the far ends of the house, Jenna had remained in the kitchen, her back towards the entrance and her hands busy in front of her. Julien knocked lightly on the wooden archway as she entered to get her attention. "Care for some assistance?"

"Oh, no," Jenna dismissed with a wave of her hand. "You're a guest, you don't have to do that. I got it."

"Technically, you're a guest as well, since Damon is the supposed host. Which means you shouldn't have to do it either. Yet here you are."

Jenna chuckled, holding her hand up in surrender. "You've got me there. And I am a bit helpless when it comes to baking, so if you could offer any kind of advice it would be very appreciated."

"I'm certainly no expert," Julien admitted as she took Jenna's place in front of the oven, glancing through the window to get a look at the cake inside. "My mother used to bake, but only traditional family recipes. Nothing like what we eat today."

"Well, hopefully some of it translates."

Julien cracked open the oven door and held her hand out towards Jenna with a smile. "Hopefully being the key word. Would you mind finding a piece of straw for me?"

Jenna raised her eyebrows curiously and shrugged her shoulders as he turned to look through cabinets. "I doubt the Salvatores have any straw just laying around, but I could probably find some pasta or something."

"That would work perfectly." Julien waited patiently for Jenna to find a box of uncooked spaghetti and hand her a strand, which she slipped into the middle of the cake. It came back out with a bit of batter clinging to it, so she shut the oven and tossed the pasta in the trash. "It'll need a few more minutes, which means we have a bit of time to gossip."

"Ooh, gossip. I love it. What did you have in mind?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you might tell me about your troubles with Alaric."

Jenna's expression soured quickly and she crossed her arms over her chest defensively as she turned away from Julien. "There isn't anything to talk about. Even if there was, I wouldn't want to ruin the evening."

"Oh, come now, Jenna." Julien stepped closer to the woman, tilting her head to catch Jenna's eye and offer her an encouraging grin. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to hear about it. Besides, it's a bit obvious. Now, I'm not claiming to be any sort of expert on giving relationship advice, but I'm more than happy to lend a listening ear. I won't force you to talk if you truly don't want to, but I think it might help you."

Jenna tapped her foot quietly against the floor, thinking to herself for a minute before dropping her arms and fidgeting with the box on the counter in front of her. "It's just… I can tell that he's been lying to me about something lately. Maybe multiple somethings. I just can't figure out what."

Julien nodded with understanding, leaning her hip against the counter. "I see. Do you have any theories as to what that might be?"

"No..." Jenna paused, her brows knitting before she continued. "Actually, there is one thing. Something about what John mentioned to me the other day."

"Go on, then."

"John mentioned something about Alaric not being completely truthful about what happened with his wife, Isobel. He told me that she had died and the police never found her body, but John said that isn't the whole story. And when I confront Ric about it, he just goes quiet or changes the subject. I know he's hiding something, but he absolutely refuses to talk to me about it and it's so infuriating!"

As Jenna spoke, her voice climbed and her hands began to flail about animatedly. Julien watched and listened until she had finished. When she did, Julien thought over her words before offering her opinion. She thought of the first night she had met Alaric as she spoke, and their time on the bench. She thought of the colors she had seen encompassing his being, and of their significance.

"Alaric is a very unique man. From what I have seen he is very compassionate, loving and open. He cares very deeply for others, and would do anything in his power to make sure that they are protected. But he's also very insecure. He's unsure of his place in this world – whether or not he truly belongs. I couldn't tell you where that stems from, but it's true… Perhaps this has something to do with why he's keeping secrets from you? Perhaps he's afraid that if you were to know the truth, you wouldn't love him anymore."

"But that isn't his call to make," Jenna argued, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips. "I love Ric, but I can't be with somebody who doesn't know how to be honest with me. I can handle a lot of things. I don't need to be babied. I need to know that he trusts me, and that he knows I can take care of myself."

Julien breathed out a short chuckle, moving once more to check on the cake. "You sound like Elijah. He's always been quite independent, even when it wasn't for his own good. I suppose the reason I can sympathize with Alaric is because I often find myself in the position he finds himself in now – trying to find the fine line between protecting our loved ones and keeping them sheltered."

"So how do you deal with it?" Jenna asked as she handed Julien another strand of spaghetti. "How do you know where that line is, and how do you decide what you should and shouldn't hide?"

"I let Elijah decide normally," Julien answered. "I explain the potential consequences, and let him decide if he thinks he should know. Sometimes he wants to, and sometimes he decides it would be best for me to keep certain things to myself. Of course, there are times that I don't give him the option at all. We all have things that are better left unsaid."

"Not if you care about somebody," Jenna disagreed. Julien's almost snapped back that of course she cared about Elijah, but bit her tongue. Though it was irritating, she recognized that Jenna was ignorant of her words.

"Regardless, I believe Alaric will tell you all you need to know when the time is right. Speaking of the right time, the cake is almost – "

Jenna stumbled backwards in surprise of quickly Julien shot up from her crouched position, her words abruptly cut off and her face contorted into a strange expression of worry and confusion. "Julien? Are you okay?"

Her question lingered in the air, unanswered as Julien glanced in her direction. The previously upsetting expression on her face had morphed into rage, which for reasons she couldn't put her finger on disturbed Jenna to her very core. She didn't have the chance to ask anything else, because in the blink of an eye the woman in front of her had disappeared into thin air with nothing but a slight breeze left in her place.

A symphony of sounds took place in a very short span of time in the dining room, none of them pleasant. It all began with Elijah's scream of surprise when the dagger was plunged through his chair and into his back, which entered with a strange squish that made the wielder cringe. When Alaric pulled the dagger back out, the weapon slick with blood pulled out with a pop. The last sound was Elijah's body thumping against the table.

Everyone in the room was silent. Andie had shot out of her chair and stumbled back against the wall with her hands over her mouth. John dropped his coffee mug on the ground, his hand frozen halfway to his lips. Damon stared wide-eyed at his best and only friend, shocked that he had actually gone alone with the plan. Alaric stared at Elijah's body in front of him, his mind racing to catch up with his actions as he twirled the dagger in his fingers. None of them knew what to say or do next.

Until they heard a ragged gasp, followed by what sounded like a choked sob.

All eyes were immediately on Julien, who stood in archway that separated the hallway from the dining room with her mouth agape and her wide eyes glued to her brother. The shaking began in her hands that balled into fists and traveled up her arms until practically her entire form quivered with an emotion impossible to place from the look on her face.

It seemed like an eternity before anyone in the room moved an inch. When they did, it all seemed to happen at once.

Julien's eyes shifted from Elijah to Alaric – more specifically, the dagger in his hands. Her eyes grew bloodshot as veins distorted her face, an almost inhuman growl forcing its way out from deep in her chest as she leapt forward. Alaric stepped back, his arms shooting up to cover his face. Just as Julien's hands wrapped around his neck, Damon's gripped her shoulders and threw her against a wall. Too quickly for the humans in the room to see, the situation had reversed and it was Julien who had Damon pinned. No words were wasted before she snapped his neck with a sickening crunch and his body collapsed to the floor.

Another scream was heard from the entrance to the room, and though Julien's eyes remained on Damon with the momentary satisfaction his temporary death brought her, Alaric, Andie and John were very aware of Jenna standing there with her fingers tangled in her hair and her chest heaving from her hyperventilation.

With Damon out for the count, Alaric knew that the weapon in his hand was the only hope for anyone else in the house escaping Julien's wrath. He felt the slightest flutter of hesitation in his chest, but that was all the time Julien needed. With her face still distorted into its vampiric state, she looked away from the vampire on the floor and back towards the man who had stabbed her brother.

At a speed that only an Original vampire could possibly manage, Julien abandoned Damon to head back towards the table. Before Alaric even had the chance to raise the dagger, she was gone.

And so was Elijah.

Once again, everyone was left in a stunned silence. Everyone except Jenna, that is.

"What the hell just happened?"

While they were left behind to attempt to calm Jenna down, Julien had thrown Elijah over her shoulder and sprinted the entire way back to their hotel room with him. The door nearly lost its hinges with how roughly she kicked it open before slamming it closed and locking it. She hadn't even bothered to turn on the lights, relying on her superior vision to carry her feet to where she was headed.

Now, she sat in a nearly pitch black bedroom with her back against the headboard of her bed, her legs crossed and her desiccated baby brother's head laying in her lap. Her fingers brushed over his forehead and through his hair with a mother's touch that was lighter than air. Though her features had resorted to normal, her breathing remained ragged and aggressive as she struggled to keep her rationale intact.

She knew.

She knew that those good for nothing idiots had been up to no good.

She knew that they were going to hurt her Elijah.

"I warned her," she whispered into the darkness, a deep and disgusted frown plain on her lips. Though he could not hear her just yet, she spoke to Elijah. "I warned that little doppelganger bitch what would happen if she betrayed us – if you were harmed. But she didn't listen. And now she will pay the price."

Julien looked down at Elijah's face, trailing her fingers down his cheek until she cupped his chin. "I'm sorry that I let them hurt you. And I'm sorry that I'm going to ruin your plan."

Shifting him as gently as she could, Julien moved Elijah until he rested on a pillow instead of her thighs. She loosened the tie around his neck and removed the shoes from his feet before pulling a thin blanket over his form and tucking his hair away from his face. She abhorred the gray pallor that stained his handsome face, but placed a kiss to his cheek regardless.

"But I'm not sorry for what I'm about to do. I will never be sorry for what I'm about to do."

She walked to the door and placed her hand on the frame, turning back to look at him once more before she left him there alone.

"I love you, my precious little Eli. I promise that this is going to be the best thing for us, even if you don't realize it yet. I gave you your chance to set things right."

Julien closed the bedroom door as quietly as possible, her footsteps impossible to hear as she crept out of the hotel room. As she walked, her determination swelled and her expression shifted to match it. All of her building fury was contained inside a tiny chest in her head that she knew she would feel later, but for now she had a mission, and she needed to be clear-headed to carry it out.

"Now it's my turn."

Elena clung to the sides of her seat as Stefan pushed the car to its limits, the momentum pushing her back into the seat. "Stefan, slow down before we both end up in a ditch!"

"We have to get as far away from Dunham Lake as we can," he explained, not slowing down by a single mile. "Since you thought it would be so smart to invite Julien into the lake house, it isn't safe for you there anymore. I'm taking you to a hotel until we can figure something better out."

"I wouldn't have invited her in if I had known you and Damon were planning on trying to murder her brother! Maybe next time you won't keep important secrets from me!"

Stefan opened his mouth to argue further, but all that came out was a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry, you're right. But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is keeping you away from Julien. According to Alaric, she was angry enough to snap Damon's neck in front of Jenna before she left with Elijah."

"Poor Jenna," Elena groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "I never wanted her to know about this. I especially didn't want her to find out in such a brutal way. I feel awful."

"It isn't your fault," Stefan tried to reassure her. All he got in response was a shrug as Elena turned to look out the passenger side window.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the sound of Elena's phone. Both she and Stefan furrowed her eyebrows as she dug it out of her pocket to check the caller ID.

"It's Jeremy," she told Stefan before hitting the green button to answer the call. "Jeremy, I thought you were with Bonnie. What's up?"

"I did warn you that you wouldn't like my bad side, Elena. Perhaps after I teach you a lesson on what it's like to know that your enemies intend harm towards your little brother, the family you have sworn to protect, you will finally understand that my threats are not to be taken so lightly."

"No," Elena breathed, worried tears welling up in the corner of her eyes that made her voice scratch against her throat when she spoke. "I had no idea what they were planning, please don't hurt him. I promise we'll never hurt you or Elijah again, just don't touch Jeremy!"

Her only response was the click that signified the end of the call.

And that's where I'm going to have to leave this one! Going just a tad off track from the show here, so I hope you'll enjoy these next few chapters coming up. I just got a new job which is why it took longer than expected to update, but I'm getting acclimated so I should have some more time to write from here on out.

I hope you liked the chapter and that you'll like what's coming up next. Not much to say other than that, so as always let me know if there was anything in this chapter you particularly liked/disliked, and I'll see you all in the next one.