Somewhere around 4x14... I think. Maybe 4x13. Anyway.
One world apart, part 14: Operation Calm-the-Wolf-King
Operation Calm-the-Wolf-King was going pretty smoothly. Damon had taken upon himself to play the part of an ambassador, with Alaric whispering at his ear to prevent the vampire from saying just the thing that shouldn't be said. Though, whispering wasn't actually needed, as Klaus couldn't exactly hear the ghost anyway.
The Original had pouted – sorry, Damon-speech here – had been rather adamant that he would not tolerate Ariane's meddling at first, true. But luckily for Damon, Ariane and Carol Lockwood, the two latters were not in Mystic Falls. Damon didn't even know where the grim reaper and the woman had gone, because Ric was acting as a talkie-walkie – sorry, as their contact. He could, after all, appear in and out of their hiding spot in a matter of instants, and no one could spy on him – unless they were Damon, thanks to the nexus ring, Ariane because she was a grim reaper, or Jeremy with his near-death experience and his emotional link to the history teacher.
As it was very unlikely for Klaus to have another grim reaper who would be working for him without Ariane knowing of it, Alaric was the most discreet contact they could hope for.
But Damon had reminded the Original that he didn't actually want Carol dead, as the thousand-years-old hybrid kind of liked her, that he only wanted revenge on Tyler. Then the vampire had brought up the sensitive topic of Caroline Forbes, and pointed out that Klaus wasn't going to endear himself to her by killing either her probably-future-mother-in-law or her boyfriend. Which was a lie, as Caroline was definitely done with Tyler – not that Klaus needed to know. In fact, it would even work to the Original Hybrid's advantage if he could... overlook Tyler's rebellious attitude, and let it go for this time. If he did that, and the teen hybrid went on with his scheming, then he would be ungrateful, and Klaus could get his rightful revenge without getting in Caroline's bad books.
When Ric had suggested that idea, Damon had given him an odd look. Klaus had noticed the strange moment, but it had been pushed out of his thoughts when Damon had actually repeated the ghost's idea. Niklaus Mikaelson seemed to be really smitten with Caroline, after all, and it was obvious that he was making efforts to be less of a bastard – just, not enough efforts, and he often reverted back to his villainous ways, reason why the fair lady had been so hesitant to give in to his charms and let go of Tyler's problematic attitude.
So far, the negotiations had gone well enough, and even Carol Lockwood had agreed to keep Klaus' own problematic attitude and misdeeds a secret, if the Original promised not to murder her when she'd get back in town. It wasn't easy, because Klaus and promises were a fickle combination at best, but it was better than nothing, considering the mayor refused to go and live somewhere else. Ariane didn't really fear Klaus, but she wasn't keen on the idea that they'd have to fight again... and again... and again, if the situation didn't settle down, so she was more than willing to cooperate, as long as she was free to go wherever she wanted. Klaus had first suggested for her to keep out of "his" territory – which hadn't been very well received.
Damon wished to point out, though, even if they were now at a standstill, these negotiations had just gone waaaaay better and had lasted waaaaay longer than what was usual for Mystic Falls.
The thing was, while Damon, Alaric and Klaus were busy trying to agree on a way that would not cause the death of anyone, the other people in the small city had lived. And their drama had unfolded too. Shady Shane had told Jeremy and Stefan about a cure to vampirism, some time ago, and now the two of them and Elena had come to the conclusion that for them to find said Cure, they had to kill the Original Kol. And they had done just that.
In normal circumstances, Damon wouldn't even have blinked at the decision. Actually, he didn't like the Kold Bastard – and yes, "Original Bastard" was already taken, so he had to find another derogative nickname. Anyway, getting Kol out of the way wasn't exactly a problem to him.
And the fact that said Kold Bastard had compelled the vampire to try and kill Jeremy during the last week certainly wasn't working in Kol's favor, true. But.
But it just so happened that the Kold Bastard was the Original Bastard's brother, and that Damon was in fact trying to negotiate peace with said Original Bastard. So things weren't exactly... looking good, right now.
But it just so happened that the two only people who could have fought – and would have been willing to fight – Klaus off long enough for everyone to run away before they were brutally murdered were either a ghost, or not here. Meaning, Alaric was kind of unable to do anything, even if he was the ghost of an enhanced Original plus a man cursed with assassination instincts, because the important word here was "ghost". Meaning, Ariane was somewhere else, protecting Carol Lockwood from the very same Original Bastard. Meaning, they were screwed.
Oh, and did Damon forget to mention that now, Klaus was trapped in the Gilbert's house? Yes? Well, now he had thought it.
The vampire scowled, and shook his head. All this, before, was a brief summary of his last days. Sometimes he wondered why he wasn't fervently wishing for the supernatural to simply be eradicated from the surface of Earth. It would make his life so much easier... – then he would remember that it was this supernatural that allowed him to live right now.
That was why he was scowling, by the way.
On the other side of the magical barrier, Klaus snorted.
"Am I not the one who should be angry at being here? You're not stuck in this house, are you? And no one killed your brother."
Invisibly sitting on the couch, Alaric's ghost nodded. He totally saw why Kol's murder would anger the hybrid. Even if he didn't like Kol any more than Damon did.
"He's got a point, you know. You're not stuck in the house, unlike him. Though I have to say, if Kol hadn't been killed, Jeremy would have been, and it would be Elena sulking and calling for revenge for her brother's murder, which is much more sleep-depriving for me than Kol Mikaelson's death."
There the ghost squinted at some point of the ceiling.
"Not that I can sleep, of course."
This, made Damon snap. Why did Ric had to defend Klaus, of all people?
"Don't defend him, you dick. And yes, someone killed my brother. My father did, a few decades ago. 'Killed me too, parenthetically."
Klaus' eyebrows shot up. The Original seemed... amused. Wasn't he the one who was willing to gut them all, not even ten hours ago? Something about Karate Kid murdering his beloved troublemaker of a bloody vampiric brother?
"Technicalities. Stefan is... un-alive right now. Speaking of which, my father / step-father / trash-father killed us too... 'Must be the reason why we're so shitty at family stuff, you and I."
Ric laughed drily, having himself some family issues, though not with his father.
"You should start a club. But I'm quite sure that the fact you don't care about people in general might have something to do with your issues."
Damon threw a sponge at the ghost, who winced when the soaked thing fell through him. It still was strange, when such things happened. But it was better than when it was a living thing, person, animal, or monster, because those pushed him out of the way...
"Shut up."
This time, Klaus did not let the odd behavior go by. It wasn't the first time he had witnessed the vampire speaking to someone who wasn't him – or here for the matter. It wasn't the first time, either, that he had witnessed the vampire swinging at the air, as if he was trying to get rid of someone – who was not here. And the Original be damned – that is, more than he already was – if the new ring the vampire was wearing wasn't a magical one. Klaus had seen enough magical rings to recognize one when he saw one.
And this ring was not a daylight ring. Besides, Damon still wore his old daylight ring.
There obviously was something he was missing here.
"Who are you talking to?"
Damon continued to glare at the empty couch.
"Not your business."
Klaus waited for a minute, and asked again. The answer was the same. So he asked once more one minute latter. Damon was still snapping at him. The Original squinted, far from willing to lose this battle of will.
Alaric watched the two for a time, but soon he couldn't bear it anymore, and burst out laughing.
"You sound like bickering children, you know that?"
"Yes I do. Now shut up."
Ric smirked, and went back to lying on the couch.
"Kids, these days..."
Klaus was now staring at the couch intently, eyes squinted. Then a large, toothy smile spread on his face, and he turned to taunt Damon.
"You've got a ghost haunting you, and for some reason that new ring of yours makes it possible for you to see them! Who is it? One of your victims? I bet the one who gave you the ring is that grim reaper? Oh my, Damon! I thought she was your friend..."
"She is! And no, it's not one of my victims. It's someone... I care about."
The vampire had mumbled that last part, refusing to look at the Original. Ric's smirk, back there on the couch, grew a bit larger, but he said nothing. Klaus kept silent for a time, as he thought back to...
"Damn, it's your teacher, right? You are still head over heels for that guy! I believed you had gotten over him after he tried to kill you, but apparently you did not. You know, I didn't think you were that kind of guy... You seem too, ah, attached to the fairer sex."
The Original had a malicious look on his face, and was definitely thinking this was all very funny. Damon, of course, was getting grumpy as the conversation didn't seem to die down.
"I'm still straight. Ric's an exception. If you really want to pinpoint my sexual orientation right now, you can say I'm alaricsexual. And he's not 'my' teacher."
A chuckle came from the far-away couch, that only Damon heard.
"Whatever you say, Sweetheart. And I'm sure 'alaricsexual' isn't an actual word, but I'm flattered. That aside, you know you can retaliate with Caroline, don't you? Wolfie still hasn't gotten her good favors, and he is still pinning after her, I believe. You, at least, have mines."
Caroline had gone with Elena and the others in search of the miraculous Cure, as Damon had stayed behind to take care of the peace negotiations – and of the charred remains of one Kol Mikaelson, because, really, it wasn't looking good, all that black in the kitchen.
No need to say, Klaus had been disappointed to hear that. He'd rather have had the blond girl to keep him company than Damon, who kept on going back to the possible terms of their possible truce even if it was obvious that the vampire didn't enjoy it any more than Klaus did. Though Damon was almost as entertaining to tease as Caroline... Not in the same way, of course.
The same was true, however, about teasing Klaus.
Damon decided he'd rather not spend the rest of the day being the Original Bastard's victim, ignored Alaric when the ghost pointed out he didn't have to spend the rest of the day with Klaus, and let go of the cleaning products he had been attacking the burnt traces with all day. The vampire stood up, rested his back against the kitchen island, and tilted his chin up so that he'd seem a bit haughty. Damon could do haughty very well, after all.
Klaus locked eyes with the vampire, waiting for a jab of some sort. He'd tolerate it for now. After all, it helped him not to get bored with his captivity.
"Behave, wolf-vamp. Vampire Barbie is a control-freak, and you definitely need practice."
Klaus only squinted daggers at the vampire for the comment, which was an odd thing to do, but eitherway, while Damon suddenly grew toughtful, no doubt trying to imagine the Original Hybrid on a leash, happily trotting behind Caroline...
Damon gulped, unsure whether it was hillarious, or creepy. Maybe it was both.
"Now's the moment to change subject, I believe..."
Alaric was finding all that very entertaining, to be frank, but he couldn't let it be heard in his tone, or Damon would surely snap at him again...
As if he had heard him, Klaus focused on something else, that would soon lead them back to their peace negotiations, but not yet. Something else, or someone else, more accurately. Someone who had taken off his arm, not long ago.
"You said this Ariane was a grim reaper? I met one, once, long ago... He said they were only eleven of them... Count yourself lucky to have such a 'rare' friend, Damon."
Unseen to Klaus, the ghost and the vampire shared a surprised look.
Hadn't Ariane said there were twelve of them?
