A.N.: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I was in a bit of a smutty mood, so there's a few more treats for you…
Dangerous Beauty
39
Trust
Flipping John Gilbert was easy: Elijah extracted every little nugget of information that could ever possibly be useful, and Giulia pieced together what some of Klaus' backup-plans were by those tiny details. John was apologetic, genuinely horrified he had been found by Klaus, and used to try and get Elijah out of the way, leaving a clearer shot at Elena. When every bit of information Klaus had stolen from John was aired out to them all, shocked by how much John knew – which now Klaus knew – Elijah sort of…reset the compulsion. With a few creative loopholes of his own, in his own way protecting John from his brother, and ensuring they would be kept informed of Klaus' activities but ensuring they couldn't be passed on false information.
Giulia then handed John an understated ring nobody would ever look at twice. Sheila had performed the spell Emily Bennett had cast on two rings for the Gilbert brothers decades ago. Elijah had protected John's mind, and oddly, through his compulsion, John's freedom of choice; Giulia ensured, with Sheila's help, that he was protected from Klaus. Should Klaus figure out that John had been discovered as his spy, he would inevitably dispose of the liability. He had Hayley, though, Giulia was sure, so whatever happened to John, he had made contingencies. How useful Hayley would be, well, that was up for debate. Especially because now Caroline – and by extension, Giulia was sure, Liz – knew what the werewolves had done to Giulia; Ric, Jenna and Sheila also knew. And Liz wouldn't keep it secret from Carol that the girl hanging around Mason and Tyler was dangerous, involved in the kidnapping and torture of Caroline to lure Tyler to them so he could be used as hostage against Mason. Giulia had suggested Liz might clue Carol in; she doubted Tyler wanted to trouble his mom any more than he already had. Carol had a lot to work out; but Mason had a protective streak, and a…desire to see the best in people; he'd want to look out for Hayley. Especially if they were sleeping together; he'd done everything he could to help Katherine, after all.
But Hayley was no Katerina.
They had sent the others up to bed, and Giulia stood at the sink, hand-washing everything she had used to set the table.
"I think that went well," Elijah said, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, drying the dishes and stacking them neatly on the trolley. With every full load, he replaced the cleaned crockery and silverware in the butler's pantry and the China Room. Though she was bone-tired from the heat of the day and the food, the alcohol, Giulia knew the more she cleaned up tonight the less would be waiting for her in the morning.
"Well, nobody died," Giulia said thoughtfully, her eyes on the silver-dagger resting on the windowsill in front of the sink, still sudsy. "Did you see Damon's face when he realised you had the dagger?"
"I did," Elijah smiled; they had to take pleasure at little moments like that.
"I think we did the right thing with John," Giulia frowned thoughtfully, catching sight of her own reflection in the open window as she carefully washed a crystal bonbon-basket. Outside, owls hooted, night insects chirped and the breeze rustled the leaves, bringing in the scent of flowers.
"I think it was best," Elijah said, biting his lip. "We have done all we can to ensure Niklaus does not discover we know he has been using John; we will still be fed information; and if Niklaus does find out, we have protected John from his wrath."
"And you're sure there was no-one eavesdropping on what happened after?"
"Unless someone was concealed by magic, and Sheila assured me there was not," Elijah said, giving her a warm, twinkly smile. "She told me you'd already made necessary precautions to alert you if someone does approach using cloaking magic." Giulia shrugged, smiling at him.
"I know I can't think of everything," she sighed, "but what I can think of, I've put in place to help protect everyone."
"And you're certain Hayley is working for Niklaus?" Elijah asked.
"Well, I can't be certain until I catch them in bed together," Giulia said, smirking, "literally and figuratively. But Hayley's kind of…a Peter Pettigrew. Likes to be looked after, have the biggest protector on the playground."
"I did overhear your Harry Potter reference earlier," he chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Ashlyn will never forgive Carafina for having one of her witch-friends enchant an owl to deliver her Hogwarts letter."
"Oh, that is cruel," Giulia gasped, pressing her lips together so she didn't betray a smile. "She didn't?"
"Ashlyn was devastated," Elijah said, catching Giulia's eye, and they both laughed. "Why did you tell Hayley you've protected the moonstone?"
"So that your brother knows," Giulia said, shrugging delicately. "She was there and saw what her friends did to me; no matter how much pain I was in or what they did to me, I never said a word – well, except to hit every nerve they had… He needs to know I won't be bullied into giving up that moonstone. Not until I'm ready for him to have it." Elijah sighed softly, shaking his head. "You disapprove?"
"It's likely Niklaus will take that as a challenge," he said. Giulia nodded, acknowledging that.
"It won't change anything," she told him. "He will not get the moonstone. Your brother will have at least two witches with him, they'll make guesses how I protected the moonstone's location. And I've protected my friends. He can't hurt them to get to me." Elijah gave her a warm, proud smile, drawing her close for a kiss. He smiled, rubbing the back of a finger against her cheek, and sighed, turning back to the drying-up.
"You really think Hayley is a spy for Niklaus?"
"It makes sense. Two werewolves fled town that night; Klaus wouldn't take the risk that Mason and Tyler might skip town," Giulia said. "My guess is that…he caught up with Jules and Hayley when they fled, and offered them a deal… Nasty as she was to me, to everyone else, I think in another circumstance Jules might have actually been a very good mentor to someone like Tyler – someone like Hayley. All of her friends are dead, her brother, her lover; why wouldn't she make the sacrifice to let Hayley live and be free, when she's young and can turn her life around and not make her mistakes? I'm sure Klaus probably made a game of offering them the choice – when forcing them to fight each other for the privilege of their lives failed. Hayley's not a fighter, and I think Jules lost her desire to survive. I don't think Hayley would've really cared that Jules made the sacrifice for her; she's just doing what she can to get ahead, but Klaus wouldn't just let her go, when he can use her as insurance."
"So we have a new mole," Elijah sighed.
"One who can't be compelled," Giulia said, glancing at Elijah, raising her eyebrow. "Although I'm sure your brother found ways of coercing her to do his bidding." Elijah glanced at her, then shuddered; she laughed. "The combination of his ego and her bravado would make for interesting conversation; both the victims in their stories."
"From the research Liz dug up on her, I'm quite surprised Hayley turned out to be what she is," Elijah said thoughtfully. "She had a stable home from infancy, she was…"
"Spoiled," Giulia said. "That's just as dangerous as being neglected, though. It explains why she's so self-interested, refuses responsibility."
"I did have to laugh earlier when Caroline tore into Mason about Hayley finding a job to support herself," Elijah chuckled. "It's true that werewolves are only truly affected by what they are once a month, during the evening. They have far more opportunities open to them than vampires."
"I suppose there's more that goes with it than just the transformation itself," Giulia said. "I've noticed the personalities of most werewolves I've met are, uh… Well, I can imagine why it was difficult for a lot of them to hold down jobs; and the supernatural has nothing to do with it."
"Your friend Tyler seems to be handling it well," Elijah observed.
"Better than expected, actually," Giulia said. "I think his transformation has actually settled him. He's far more relaxed than he ever was before."
"Some people suit the supernatural," Elijah said softly. "Your friends Tyler and Caroline are two of those people."
"I'd be atrocious," Giulia said, deadpan, and Elijah chuckled.
Elijah chuckled. "You are quite the handful already."
"I am," Giulia smiled at him, and he chuckled.
"I did notice Sheila Bennett's granddaughter trying to make overtures," Elijah said, glancing subtly at her. Giulia sighed, continuing washing the dishes; she emptied the sink and filled it with fresh water and bubbles. "I imagine she's had long enough to realise what a loss your friendship is."
Giulia shrugged delicately. "Does it make me a horrible person to say I'm too busy to wait for her to try and make amends?"
"No; because it's true," Elijah said, "what with you catering to my every whim and fantasy." Giulia smiled as he chuckled, leaning closer, and gave him a kiss. She smiled up at him, shy, but wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him close.
"Thank you for tonight," she said softly, turning to press a kiss against his neck.
"You did all the work," Elijah told her. He flicked the tip of her nose affectionately, darting in to stamp a kiss against her lips. He gave her an earnest, seeking look. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Giulia said tiredly, shrugging a shoulder. She sighed. "I could do without Hayley sniffing around your witches, but…it's too late to think about it tonight, I'm way too tired and full."
"She has approached the Martins?" Elijah frowned, and Giulia nodded.
"Tyler texted me that he saw her downtown, talking to the younger one," Giulia said. "Guess he's moved on from Bonnie."
"So my brother has discovered my witches," Elijah sighed.
"They're helping you because you've promised to free Dr Martin's daughter," Giulia said. "Why bother dealing with you, when they can ally with Klaus and be right by her side?"
"I sincerely hope the thought does not hold sway with Dr Martin," Elijah sighed heavily. "Niklaus will only dispose of them after he gets what he wants. He abhors being indebted to anyone."
"I think Dr Martin's too desperate to free his daughter to think about any long-term repercussions," Giulia mused. They both knew what would happen if Dr Martin chose to switch alliances; and it was a horrible thing to anticipate. Betrayal.
"The Martin witches believe Niklaus has taken Greta hostage, like a princess in the tower, beyond a great fiery dragon," Elijah said quietly. "I do not know which is worse, to know your daughter has been taken by a man like Klaus; or the realisation that she went of her own accord, seduced by him."
"Yuck," Giulia wrinkled her nose after a moment, reflecting on that thought. "A popular boy, your brother."
"That's one way of putting it," Elijah sighed, looking mildly disdainful. "He believes himself to be charming and irresistible; some fall into the trap. Inevitably they become disillusioned; but by then it is too late."
"So, Hayley and Greta," Giulia sighed, shaking her head, tutting. Greta and Hayley made it three; Giulia wondered if Jules made it a party.
"Niklaus was never very discriminating where lovers were concerned," Elijah sighed. "He never had favourites; I do not believe he has ever in his lifetime truly been able to form a connection with anyone."
"Well, he's a sociopath," Giulia said fairly. "He's excellent at mimicking emotions, but is fundamentally incapable of experiencing them. He utterly lacks compassion. I wonder if he's the origin of the 'off-switch' theory."
"Oh, without a doubt," Elijah said, drying the last coffee-cup.
"That's the last of it," Giulia sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. They had finished the dishes; it was only one a.m. "Come on, let's go to bed." Elijah hung up the damp dishtowels neatly, and Giulia got the lights before they wandered upstairs, hand-in-hand. The rest of the house was dark, and Elijah told her that Liz and Caroline were asleep; there was activity from Damon's bedroom, and Elena had left the Boarding House with Jenna and Ric. All Elijah heard from Stefan's room was the scratch of his pen against paper.
The scent of sage tickling her nose, Giulia set the silver-dagger on her old nightstand, and Elijah stripped out of his clothes before unzipping her dress. Exhausted, full from dinner, they slipped naked beneath the covers, and groaned with relief. Giulia curled up beside Elijah, his body purposely cool from not drinking coffee so he could keep her cool during the night while the heat-wave continued to make her uncomfortable. She smiled, shivering slightly at the chill against her body, and pressed a kiss to his jaw, sighing.
But he didn't fall asleep; Giulia could hear his mind whirring. She propped her head on her hand, and gazed down at him. "What's going on in there?" she asked gently, stroking his hair back from his forehead.
Elijah sighed. "Just…thinking of the possibilities."
"The possibilities of what?"
"Of everything," Elijah said, his face stony as he opened his eyes, flicking them over her face. She frowned softly, distracted by his hand smoothing its way up her thigh, across her stomach, his eyes dipping to her breasts. He let out a shaky breath, shoving his head back against the pillows, and ground his jaw, staring up at the ceiling. She sighed.
"He had three daggers available," Giulia told him. "We have one. He'll give one to Hayley so the Martins can make their own choice. That leaves only one, for him to finish the job himself. That will leave Kol free from the danger of being daggered. After he gets what he wants, we both know what he'll do… He doesn't realise you know the lie; but he is still frightened of Mikael. He'll go looking for more werewolves."
"You can't be certain of that," Elijah said softly.
"I believe it," Giulia said, gazing at his features lovingly. "I think he's built up expectations of what lifting this curse will mean for him." From what Willem had told her, confirming what she had guessed, he had no chance; and it was amusing. She was going to enjoy seeing him get exactly what he wanted – and everything he would come to regret.
"You talk as if I am fully convinced not killing him is the best option," Elijah said, glancing at her.
"You want me to try and convince you again?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, hand slipping down under the covers between them, and his stomach-muscles contracted, exhaling sharply, his eyes rolling back. His lips parted, he bit down on his lower-lip, he peeked his eyes open, and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away. She huffed, disappointed.
"You think my brother does not deserve to be slaughtered, as mercilessly as he killed our mother?" he asked, frowning. They had had the argument of letting Klaus live versus putting Elijah through the crippling guilt and agony of having murdered his own brother, no matter what kind of a brother he had been to his siblings for a thousand years. Giulia's arguments were valid, but without having spoken to Willem himself, Elijah wouldn't know just how accurate they were; he had to take it on faith that what Giulia guessed was the true state of things.
"I think he deserves to be punished for it," Giulia said earnestly. "I don't think you deserve to have his death on your conscience for eternity. Because I know you; it would haunt you, no matter who he is."
"Niklaus is not my only concern," Elijah said, and his eyes lanced to her, his fingers tracing up and down her back, making her curl against him and shiver. She sighed, took her hands in his, entwining their fingers, and climbed into his lap, pressing their clasped hands against the pillow either side of his head, gazing down at him.
"Do you trust me?" she asked, not breaking eye-contact. Elijah gazed up at her, and after a moment, he sighed.
"I do," he admitted.
"And you trust that I understand what Klaus is capable of?" she said softly. "Do you trust that I have thought through every move, every counter-action, every permutation, I know exactly how he is going to act. I have engineered everything so that he has only very limited paths open to him." She sighed, dipping her head, to press her lips against his, savouring the gentleness and excitement of the kiss, his hips shifting ever so subtly beneath hers, aligning things perfectly so the subtle rock of his hips caught her in the perfect place. She gasped when their lips parted, and pressed her forehead to his, gazing into his eyes. She panted, heat building as he tenderly rubbed over that spot, her thighs starting to tremble, aching and wet for him. She licked her lips, resisting the distraction. She sat up straighter, gasping and hissing in a breath as he quirked an eyebrow and gave a tight little thrust against her lips, the jarring ache winding her up tight. She swallowed, frowning at him, saying sternly, "Do you trust that I have thought of everything. Of how this plays out?"
"I trust you believe you have thought of everything," Elijah panted, his voice strained as he pumped his hips subtly against her, making her eyes roll at the sensation.
"Elijah." He stopped, and she shook her shoulders, trying to quell the heavy ache unfurling in her breasts, the pit of her stomach. "Do you trust that I will do anything to protect my friends, and bring your family back together? No matter how long it takes?" She shifted her hips so he couldn't keep teasing her, trying to distract her from the conversation they had both known was coming, the one they didn't want to have, it was too unbearable. They both knew what she meant, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"I trust you," he panted.
"And do you promise me," she said urgently, untangling their fingers and placing his hands on her breasts with a groan, resting her forehead against his for a moment as she held his cupped hands to her breasts, her pierced nipple throbbing against his sword-calloused palm, "that no matter what happens to me, you will honour our plan? You'll honour your promise to me."
He hissed, winced, tried to glance away; she didn't let him, and he clenched his jaw, angled his hips, and gave a sharp thrust as he used his hands on her breasts to push her down. She gasped, arching her back, and her eyes slid closed, panting. He bit down on her earlobe, panting, "I promise." She gave a breathless grin, and wrapped herself around him; he flipped her to her back, and she arched as he pumped into her hard, once – she pushed against his shoulders so he sat back on his knees, bit her lip and brought her legs up, crossing her ankles behind his head, groaning as explosions went off inside her with each subtle thrust he kept giving her as she moved, propping her ass against his thighs for a punishingly exquisite angle, leaning tight over her with his arms clasped around her head so she was stretched, every sensation magnified, receiving his aching thrusts, feeling it in her toes, in her teeth, the tips of her hair, glad of the burning sage Sheila had protected them with, panting and clinging to Elijah as he gasped and pumped into her, her hands clasped on his muscular ass, shivering as he bit her pierced nipple, tonguing her little ring, pushing himself up on straight arms to thrust and grind his hips into her, hard and unforgiving, staring into her eyes as she squirmed and panted, coming in a wet rush so hard the world glittered in front of her eyes. He grunted, unhooking her ankles from behind his head, shoved her to her side, lifted her hips as she scrambled to her hands and echoed her anguished cry as he shoved deep into her in one carrying thrust that she felt in her throat.
He was punishing her for what they both knew she was saying. She grinned to herself, crying out as he fucked her harder and harder, merciless, upset, channelling everything he was feeling, pouring it all into her the only way he knew how. Propped on her front half against the pillows, she gasped and bit into the pillows, whimpering, as he thrust into her, her thighs spread far as they would go, a pillow stuffed under her hips to raise them so he kept hitting that spot over and over, punishing her, not letting her come until she was shaking violently, breathless; he pinched her nipple and bit her shoulder, making her shudder with sensation, his fingers devastating on her clit as she sobbed and arched her back and bit into the pillow in her arms.
She let out a hollow, bereft gasp, tears welling in her eyes, when he whipped out of her, gasping. Then he grabbed her by her waist, hauling her to her back, looming over her as he grabbed her thighs, kneeling between her, and thrust back into her, making her gasp and sigh with relief, clenching around him so he hissed and thrust harder through her shuddering orgasm. He propped her knees up, fucked her through her orgasm, and when she cried out, overwhelmed, he pulled out, descending to gentle her with kisses and licks, suckling, massaging her shaking thighs; she mewled, grasping her own breasts, and rolled her hips to him, panting for breath. When she had gentled, he gasped, panting, wiped his mouth and trailed kisses up to her navel, her breasts, tugging her nipples with his teeth, laving them with licks and kisses, and he settled into the cradle of her hips, her thighs still shaking, torsos pressed together, her nipples tickled by his chest-hair, he raised himself on his elbows and bit her lip as he pushed into her, both of them breathless at the raw sensation, gazing into each other's eyes. She wrapped her hands loosely around his waist, and leaned up to press kisses against his lips, until he groaned, tongue delving between her lips, savouring, in time with the leisurely pace of his hips.
"I promise," he grunted, gasping as he came, shuddering over her. Giulia nodded, wiping her face, and wound her arms around his neck, drawing him close. He exhaled harshly, burying his face in her chest, pressing his forehead hard, his fingers clenched into fists at her waist, as he gently withdrew, angling his body so he didn't crush her, reaching down to pull the covers over their legs, but he licked and bit and suckled her pierced nipple, savouring, as his fingers relaxed her to the point where she was boneless. He nuzzled her breast, sighed, and groaned, before she shivered, coming, and drifted to sleep, her fingers threaded through her dark hair.
They both knew what was coming. They were a team, now. And tonight was her permission; he wouldn't stop her. He would honour his promise to her. Her plan was everything. If she sounded confident in it, she was; she had to believe it would all work out the way she thought it would. There was only one uncertainty, to her, but it was that that had allowed her to refine her plan. He didn't know what her plan was, he didn't need to; all he had to do was have faith in her.
And he did.
He had faith that Giulia would do what it took to remove the silver-dagger from his heart after he allowed Klaus to plunge it there. No matter how long it took. And he had faith that Giulia would not sit out on her own life while she did.
She was human; he would never allow her to sacrifice her own life to give him his. Or his siblings theirs. She had a certain number of years; they had eternity.
But she knew he was making contingencies; even if he couldn't be around, there was someone he did trust to keep an eye on her. Two eyes, as often as he deigned to spare them: he had been making private phone-calls to Kol. He now knew the same truth Giulia had unveiled for Elijah in that cave. And he agreed with Giulia. He had called Giulia, sharing ideas. He had only spent a thousand years wondering how most creatively to punish Niklaus for his crimes against their family; now he knew they were even more deserved.
She got updates from the others: she no longer attended Mystic Falls High and relied on them to feed her information. She was surprised when even Bonnie texted her, to let her know she thought Ric had been protected by another witch to make his human body more durable. None of them let on, but according to Jenna, knowing what was going to happen made it incredibly obvious, spotting the flaws and differences. It also made it easier to foil Klaus' plan.
He had body-snatched Ric, wearing him like a suit so he could wander the halls of the school, learn their secrets without detection, plant seeds of doubt and rupture their bonds from the inside. The problem was, they had anticipated it: Jenna made out like they had had a huge fight at Giulia's dinner-party, about Ric's continued association with Isobel. Klaus knew they had been unsuccessful in daggering Elijah that night; John confirmed that Hayley was in fact one of Klaus' spies. She had given a silver-dagger to Dr Martin, and been ordered to do what she had to do to seduce the younger one, Luca, to their line of thinking when he proved hesitant to betray their alliance with Elijah.
And that was becoming easier, as Giulia learned indirectly from overhearing a phone-call between Elijah and Dr Martin that he and Luca had again been unsuccessful in finding the area where, centuries ago, at least one hundred witches – or innocent young women in the wrong place at the wrong time – had been chained together and burned to death.
That very same place where Emily Bennett had been dragged in the middle of the night shortly after the fire destroyed Fell's Church.
Katerina had tied up her loose ends, but she hadn't counted on Damon trying to save Emily; or Jonathan Gilbert being distraught at Emily's execution, on the same ground where her sisters had been burned a century before.
Elijah turned to her, looking like he was stifling the urge to roll his eyes as he realised she had yet again been a few dozen steps ahead of him. He sighed, tucked his phone into his inside jacket-pocket and arched an eyebrow at her. She smiled sweetly.
"You know, Sheila's granddaughter Bonnie also sought to harness the power of those dead witches," he said mildly. "As soon as she stole that truth from Luca's mind, she had the Salvatore brothers searching to find the location of the witches' execution."
"Is that so?" Giulia said, raising her eyebrows.
"Mm. I'm afraid it'll be disappointment all around," Elijah said. "This would explain why Sheila has been able to do such powerful spells without drawing so very much from me."
"Well, you two don't know each other very well," Giulia said, "taking advantage of your body would just be rude!"
"Giulia."
"Yes, darling?" Giulia smiled. He sighed.
"You realise this will only compel Dr Martin and his son to more seriously consider Niklaus' offer of an alliance," Elijah sighed, looking uncomfortable. Giulia knew it wasn't that he would lose his allies; it was what he would be forced to do when the inevitable happened.
"I know," she said softly. "You could put them out of commission until it's all over." Elijah glanced at her, looking thoughtful, but he sighed and shook his head.
"Witches' codes dictate one cannot harm another – especially not for a vampire," Elijah sighed.
"Even to save their lives?"
"I anticipate that those who witness Niklaus' transformation will not live to tell about it," Elijah said softly. "Greta will die, by accident or design – to Niklaus, her life was forfeit the moment he set his sights on her… It…would be better for Dr Martin and his son that they died, knowing they had done all they could to protect Greta…rather than live to see how futile it was after all." He winced, raising a hand to clasp his forehead. Giulia set her glass down, sidling over to him, and rested her chin on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"People make their own choices," she said sadly. "Their decisions aren't on you. What the Martin witches do… You've done all you can do, you've been faithful to your promise, to them."
"I know," Elijah said softly.
She squeezed his middle. "So whatever happens, they understood the risk of their choice." Elijah stared out the window, holding his glass of wine, looking miserable. She cuddled him close, hurting for him – he knew what could possibly happen, and what he would be forced to do out of lack of any other option, influenced not by hatred or a desire to punish but by his own perspective of being a father bereft of his own daughter because of Klaus.
Something had happened the night of Giulia's dinner-party. Damon, Stefan, Elena and a couple of the other nonbelievers had realised how far ahead Giulia was, and they were unsettled to realise they should have been listening to her all along. Jenna had always had Giulia's trust, from the first afternoon Giulia had let herself into the Gilbert house and dragged Jeremy out of bed; Giulia respected Sheila too much to take her for granted, and whatever she did for Giulia now would be repaid by her later. Giulia was prepared to do whatever she was asked to do. Ric was temporarily out of commission while Klaus used him to do reconnaissance of his own, not trusting what he could not hear with his own ears and compel with his own eyes. Jenna used their fake argument and her thesis as an excuse to distance herself from Ric, too busy, again leaving Klaus without a direct source of information. Because he was so far still trying to masquerade as Ric, he couldn't out himself by making threats. Elena carried on as she normally would, Stefan-longing, preparing for the Sixties dance Giulia was no longer going to attend, grounded until she pulled her GPA up to a more respectable place, the end of the semester approaching with daunting swiftness, and with it the next full-moon.
The 27th of May was the next full-moon, and selfishly Giulia wanted it all over before summer break – so her road-trip with Caroline wasn't affected! While Klaus played his little game, Giulia only had to wait; she had put everything in place she possibly could, and now she sort of felt like she could put her feet up, and not worry about a thing.
Klaus had his werewolf, the doppelgänger was waiting in the wings, he had his witches, and he'd make himself a vampire. He had to: she had protected the only ones in town – besides, one of them was his old best-bud, the only person alive he thought had actually, nearly a century ago, liked him. So far, he was still playing his coy little game, hiding behind Alaric.
Her phone buzzed, and she glanced across the room at Elijah, sat at the piano with Firenze, the little whore, draped on his shoulders, purring, rubbing his face against Elijah's cheek, his tail flicking, as Elijah played. She sighed, set her highlighters down and accepted the call.
"Hey, Tyler."
"Giulia – I messed up!"
"What's wrong?"
"There was a car – it hit us! It's Matt – he was hurt real bad… I mean, real bad…"
"What?!" she cried, tossing her books and things away.
"We were with Caroline, she healed him, we took him back to her place, but when he woke up – he freaked."
"What do you mean, freaked? Why?"
"Caroline told him she's a vampire; he started talking about Vicki – he was so pissed! Giulia, he thought Car had something to do with Vicki's death. But he had vervain in his system from The Grill so Car couldn't compel him to calm down, and he bolted."
"You can't sniff him out?"
"I'm still new at this!" Tyler said reproachfully, and Giulia covered her face with her hand.
"Are you and Caroline okay?"
"Pretty shaken, the car just came out of nowhere, drove straight for us at top-speed," Tyler said, and he did still sound shaken. "Car's on the B-Positive. I had half a bottle of tequila."
"Okay, did Matt have his bracelet on? You know, the one I gave Car to give him?"
"Yeah, Car compelled him never to take it off between doses of vervain," Tyler said. "He still had it on." Giulia sighed.
"Okay. Whose car did you crash?"
"We were all in Matt's truck," Tyler said. "Car and I moved it off the road – but he doesn't have insurance. And Caroline says the guy who hit us is dead – his licence says he lived in Richmond."
"Okay, Tyler, listen to me – that crash I doubt was an accident," Giulia said, glancing at Elijah, who had stopped playing, watching her with an intent frown. "Klaus needs a vampire."
There was a pause. "Caroline fed him her blood to heal…"
"He's wearing my bracelet," Giulia said. "Even if he's killed with vampire-blood in her system, the spell on it will cancel it out."
"Couldn't we get him one of those Gilbert rings?" Tyler asked.
"They only work on death by the supernatural," Giulia said. "That's why Klaus compelled a driver from out of town to hit Matt in his truck, in case Matt had one of the rings."
"Klaus did this to him?"
"Doubt he counted on Caroline being in the truck, they're still kind of on the outs," Giulia said.
"Oh, you didn't hear? I guess, how would you; we just literally left The Grill – I think they're…they were back together," Tyler said. "Before we got hit. There was a live band… Caroline went onstage and sang."
"She did? I missed it?" Giulia said, disappointed.
"Don't worry, I took a video on my phone," Tyler said. "She has a really pretty voice." Giulia sensed disappointment in his voice, and pressed her lips together to prevent a smile; she knew the two had bonded, and she knew how easy it would be to fall in love with Caroline. She was exceptional. "What do we do about Matt?"
"Try and find him – don't go on your own, okay? If you can…try to explain everything," Giulia sighed. "If she can't get him to calm down…have her compel him. For his own safety. And keep an eye on him. Without his truck he'll need some way to get around; invite him to stay at your house if you have to. Just don't leave him alone. Stick to him like Epoxy, no matter how pissed off he gets."
"Got it," Tyler sighed.
"There are only so many places a teenage boy can get to in Mystic Falls on foot late at night," Giulia said. "Did he just leave?"
"Yeah, Car and I are gonna go see if we can find him," Tyler said. "I just…wanted to let you know what was happening."
"Thanks for keeping me in the loop," Giulia sighed heavily. "Keep your nose to the ground."
"Ha-ha," Tyler said, hanging up. She put her phone down, riled up, and glared across the room.
"Your brother is a dick."
"I know," Elijah sighed, turning back to the piano. She groaned, scrubbing her face with her hands roughly.
"That's it, I'm going to bed," she grumbled. "You have fun staying up late with the little slut."
"Don't talk about my best-friend like that," Elijah gasped softly, covering Firenze's ears with his hand, tickling them before he shot her a playful smile. "You're only jealous." Giulia shrugged, it was true; Elijah was Firenze's favourite now. "What do you intend to do about Matthew Donovan? If Caroline cannot convince or compel him…"
"I'll think it over while I sleep," she grumbled. She picked up her phone and trudged upstairs, getting ready for bed, her head hurting. Elijah followed, giving her a scalp-massage and Tylenol to help, and she fell into a deep sleep.
She grumbled and groaned, covering her head with her pillow as something buzzed annoyingly by her ear. She grabbed around, Elijah's arm heavy over her waist, and peeked blearily at her phone-screen. She rolled onto her back, Elijah rousing beside her long enough to peek at her body preening luxuriously beside him in the cosy warmth of the bed, nuzzling and pressing a kiss to her neck before he smiled, sleepy and sweet and cheeky, and trailed his hand between her thighs. She bit her lip, and shivered as she accepted the call.
"Hello?" she sighed.
"Please tell me you're not having crazy morning-sex or something," Caroline blurted. Giulia chuckled sleepily.
"You know how much I love breakfast," she sighed.
"Ew. Can you come and meet us?"
"Us who? Where?"
"Us – me and Tyler… We found Matt, but…I think we're gonna need you on this," Caroline said solemnly. "We're at the donut-shop." Giulia gritted her teeth, shivering, and Elijah laughed silently as he worked on her.
"Alright, give me an hour. Just have a hot one ready for me," Giulia sighed, hanging up the phone to Caroline's disgusted noise, and Elijah grinned mischievously, disappearing under the covers, tickling and teasing her, making her laugh, and groan, and her thighs shake. He gave her a delicate kiss against the inside of her knee, smirking, as he resurfaced, chuckling.
"You are evil," she sighed contentedly, smiling.
"And you have to get ready," Elijah said, relaxing back in the sheets, hands behind his head. "Your friends are waiting for you, you'll be late."
"You're such a tease," Giulia grumbled, as she wandered over to the bathroom, piling her hair up to climb into the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she was scratching Firenze's ears as he stopped her at the front-door, purring at her ankles. "Did Elijah compel you to show me some love? Or are you just feeling guilty for ignoring your mamma?" She sighed, reaching down to show him some love, little though he deserved it, and told him to look after Elijah, before slipping out the door.
"I'm here. Where's my donut?" Giulia asked, dumping her bag on the seat beside Tyler. Caroline sat blocking a stricken-looking Matt into the other side of the booth. Matt, pale in the face, glanced over at her, as Tyler shoved a box of fresh, custom donuts in front of her, with a steaming coffee chock full of sugar. She liked hers dark, strong and sweet. She opened the box of donuts and inhaled the scent of warm doughy goodness, eyeing the variety of toppings – Car always bought a dozen specialty donuts: blackberry cobbler, Caramel Bliss, Carnival, Chocolate-covered Strawberry, Morning Buzz, Smores, Strawberry shortcake. Her mom was a cop, after all!
"Matt, are you okay?" she asked earnestly, glancing across the table. He looked like he was barely holding it together, simmering with anger. She could feel it, let alone Caroline and Tyler.
"I don't know," Matt said, his tone clipped.
"What have Car and Tyler explained?" she asked, breaking apart a sprinkles-loaded Carnival donut, popping the first warm chunk into her mouth.
"We…kind of explained about the Council and Stefan and the sacrifice and…and Vicki," Caroline said, ending on a soft, sad note. Giulia glanced at Matt, sipping her coffee.
"I see," she sighed. "They tell you that Damon turned your sister?"
"They told me he killed her at your Halloween party," Matt said tersely.
"Technically it was Damon's party; it's just my house," Giulia said. She sighed. "Car explained why Damon turned her?"
"Yeah, as a scapegoat," Matt glowered. Giulia nodded.
"And he killed my dad, because he got in the way," Giulia said quietly, holding Matt's eye, and said in a quiet, even tone, "So don't glare at me like I don't know how you're feeling right now." Matt blinked, stunned. She glanced at Caroline. "You didn't mention that?"
"There's a lot to cover," Caroline sighed. "I thought we should start with the sacrifice and Klaus, and why we were run off the road last night."
"Right," Giulia murmured.
It took a while, and she didn't think Matt was hearing a lot of what they said; he was too angry. He had just discovered his sister's murder had been covered up, by the very people who were supposed to protect the town. She didn't think Caroline or Tyler had even thought that Giulia was the one person who Matt could connect with: her father had been killed in cold blood, just as his sister had. It was that, possibly more than anything else the others said, that calmed Matt down. Understanding a little more about what was going on, the danger of things, the threat to Elena, Matt's posture started to change, he seemed to be more alert, taking in more; he asked how Giulia could stand them. He…was afraid of Caroline, confused by what Tyler claimed to be; they had lost his trust in an instant. The more he learned, the sadder, more alone he felt, realising that all of his friends knew a secret they had kept him from learning, that his sister's death wasn't a cut-and-dry overdose, but a calculated murder, a plot to help Damon remain in Mystic Falls and ingratiate himself with a Council of close-minded bullies and entitled snobs still clinging to old-fashioned prejudices.
Caroline ask him; did he want to forget all of this? Was it too much for him to take in? Giulia told him, she didn't want him ruining his life over some overreaching attempt at revenge for Vicki. It wasn't the best thing to ask, but Giulia did make Matt seriously consider how better off he was, as awful as it was to think about, without Vicki – or his mother – in his life. He had always been a sweet guy, hard-working and responsible, he cared about his friends – he just had bad luck, and not a great start in life.
And Tyler stuck to his word to Giulia; he didn't leave Matt alone.
One way or another, Matt would have to think over what he had learned, and deal with it. They couldn't afford loose cannons, but telling him about the danger posed to Elena, to all of them, helped simmer down some of his rage at finding out Vicki had been killed by Damon. Whatever was going on in his head, that threat against Elena distracted him long enough that they could actually talk him through things. The danger he was in, because of Klaus. And because they did love him, having kept the secret from him to protect him – as Tyler said plainly, "there should be at least one person whose life isn't totally screwed up by all this supernatural crap" – they were going to keep close to him, even though he couldn't, for the moment, stand to be near them – distrusted and feared them.
They escorted Matt to Caroline's car, driving off for school, and Giulia sighed as she plucked her phone from her purse.
"Hey, love," she said softly, tired. "My morning was a great fat donut in a fetid puddle, how was yours?"
"About the same," Elijah answered, and Giulia was instantly on her guard.
"Where are you?"
"Downtown," Elijah said, and she knew where he meant. "Can you meet me?"
She heard the emotion in his voice, half-strangled. "Yes," she said softly, raising her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. Oh, no… "Hold on, love."
The Martins had rented a place on Lockwood Road, just off Main Street; the windows overlooked a corner of the square, and Giulia glanced up, seeing a shadow in one of them. She buzzed, and he let her in. She hurried up the stairs, to the third-floor, and her heart pounded as she approached the door. It was ajar, and she pushed it open hesitantly before peering inside. She saw a body on the floor, and further into the room, another. She stepped over the threshold, sighing sadly, and closed the door quietly behind her. Father and son lay on the carpet, Dr Martin face down, but his son staring glassy-eyed at the ceiling.
Elijah sat at the small table by the window, his face like marble, twiddling the silver-dagger in his fingers so the light flickered off each edge of the blade, red with his own blood. His cheekbones popped, chiselled, one of his tells; he gritted his teeth when he was under great stress, emotional upheaval he couldn't handle.
"Love," she whispered, approaching cautiously. His shoulders heaved, his eyes were hard and glassy, and blood had seeped through his expensive shirt, ruining his tie. Someone had stabbed him, three inches too far to the left. His lips moved as he bit them, and her presence seemed to trigger the visceral response he had internalised. He gave a shuddering gasp, raising a shaking hand to his eyes, tossing the dagger aside on the table. Giulia took the blankets from a hamper by the sofa and covered the two bodies, setting her purse down, and approached Elijah, sighing heartbrokenly. She didn't need to comment; they both knew what had happened. One of the Martin witches had tried to stab him, possibly while the other used magic against him; they had failed to stick him through the heart, and he had…killed them. The worst part was, they both knew it had been coming.
She climbed into his lap, legs dangling either side of the chair, cradling his face in her hands to force him to look her in the face. "Love – Elijah, look at me." He glanced up, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
They had seen the betrayal coming, but it was quite another thing to experience it – to feel that blade plunge into his chest, inches from his heart. To hear the snap of someone's neck echo off the walls, his father's or son's grief and terror as they knew what was coming.
She leaned in, pressing a tender kiss against his lips. He reached up, holding her waist, his hands shaking. He had killed Trevor five centuries after they had known each other; Slater was a stranger. But Elijah had spent time with the Martin witches; he had allied with them because he was drawn to their grief, sharing in it. And they had betrayed him; he had killed them. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, absorbing his grief, his jitteriness, his disappointment and self-hatred. She wished it wasn't on him. She leaned back, stroking his jaw with her thumb, gave him another kiss. He rubbed his palms against her hips, clutching her ass, stroking down her thighs, fidgety, distracted, upset.
"What do you need, love?" she asked gently. Elijah gave a shuddering breath, growled and grabbed her.
"You." His kiss was fierce, punishing; Giulia's hands flew to his belt, crying out with a gasp as his fingers sought between her thighs, finding no barrier, the weather too hot to wear anything but a dress; he bit her lip, his tongue delved, and she hissed, arching her back, reaching back to brace her hands on his knees, as he pushed into her in one unforgiving, relentless thrust. It was fierce and messy and spontaneous, and he needed it; he needed her, and she gasped and accepted it, thrilled by his trust in her, to be vulnerable, to need her, to want her more fiercely than he wanted almost anything else. She panted, collapsing in his arms as he grunted, coming with her, holding her close, head buried in her shoulder. She held him tight, shaking, and covered her face with her hand, overwhelmed, with him still inside her as he shook, holding her hair tight, panting. She sighed, gently rolling her hips, moaning breathlessly as she spasmed around him, and raised his face to hers, giving him fierce, lingering kisses as she threaded her fingers through his hair, peppering tiny kisses along his jaw, whispering in his ear, soothing things. He sniffed, raising his hands to cup her face, and gave her a tremulous smile before pressing a delicate kiss to her lips. He groaned, pulling out, and she sighed, reaching down to zip him back up, buckling his expensive belt. She had to take a moment before she stood, climbing out of his lap; he held her hand, and they gazed at the mess.
Two bodies, draped with blankets. A broken coffee-table. A splatter of Elijah's blood where the dagger had been withdrawn from his chest to try again. The everyday clutter of two men living alone, an academic's book-collection.
"I…thought perhaps your friend Professor Bennett would like the grimoires," he said softly. "There is a lot of history in those books."
"I'll handle the furniture and things," Giulia said quietly. She knew the rent was paid month-to-month; they had a couple of weeks until they had to get everything out. She would contract a mover to dispose of everything else, give the furniture to the charity that provided to battered women starting over with their families. "What do you want me to do with the bodies?"
Elijah shook his head, glancing at her. "This is mine. I will arrange their burial." Giulia gave him a sad look, leaning in to give him a kiss.
"Are you sure?" He nodded, licked his lips, glanced around with a shaken look on his face. He blinked and glanced at her.
"Did your friends find Matthew Donovan?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said gently. "He's simmered down, but they're not gonna let him out of their sight. He knows about Klaus; hearing about the danger Elena's in calmed him down some. I guess we'll just have to wait; if he decides he doesn't want to know all this, Caroline's offered to compel him..."
Elijah sighed, gazing out the window. "How wonderful…to be that free." He sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping; she went to the window, and he enveloped her in his arms, her back to his chest; he pressed a kiss against her neck, propped his chin on his shoulder, and they stood there for a little while, just watching the day go by.
Matt knew; the Martin witches were dead. Bonnie knew the magic from the execution-sight of the hundred witches had already been harnessed by someone else. Klaus was still strutting around in Ric's body. They wordlessly watched Hayley flirt with Mason on the sidewalk outside a cute little café, then make a hasty phone-call while he went to get them fresh coffees, her gaze flicking toward the apartment-building where they stood, watching her.
"It will be soon," Elijah said finally, on a heavy sigh.
"A couple of days," Giulia said quietly, swallowing.
"Are you nervous?" Elijah asked, tenderly kissing her ear, nibbling, kissing that spot right beneath her ear that made her shudder.
"There's only so much I can anticipate; some of it, even I have to go on faith. I'd be stupid not to be nervous," Giulia said softly. Elijah chuckled.
"You're the farthest thing from stupid," he said thoughtfully.
"Are you nervous?" Giulia asked. Elijah didn't answer for a while; he knew what she was asking.
"Not nervous," Elijah said quietly. He squeezed her waist. "More sorrowful." She frowned, and he saw it in her reflection. "I won't feel it; but you will."
"You won't?"
"Rebekah once told me, the longer you remain daggered…there comes this…awareness," Elijah said softly. "Locked inside your own mind." He sighed heavily. "I know how she suffered, from decades-long slumbers… My brothers and sisters have been daggered for centuries."
"You'll get through it," Giulia told him softly. "Together."
Elijah chuckled hollowly. "United in our desire to punish Niklaus."
"You let me worry about that," Giulia said, gazing through the window. Elijah squeezed her waist, hugging her to him. They had a few days before the full-moon. Everything would change; and Giulia was nervous.
Not because of the sacrifice, or of coming face-to-face with Klaus, or what she needed to do.
But because in a few days, they would be over. Her eyes burned, and she stifled emotion threatening to choke her, clutching at Elijah's hands. To do what was necessary, they had to sacrifice.
In a few days, he would be taken from her.
And she had to endure it, as long as it took.
A.N.: More smut. God, I'm on a smut-roll recently! But I know you little nymphos love it. And I am a slave to my readers!
