A/N: I only own my three doppelgangers. And two of them are present in this chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 15: Love Is Weakness
England, 1492
"Ah, good evening, Trevor. I am pleased you could join us," Elijah said.
"I could not miss the birthday celebration," Trevor said.
"No, considering the gift you claim to bear. Where are these mystery girls of which you speak?" Elijah asked.
"Right this way," Trevor said. Elijah followed him and Trevor stopped at the two women whose backs were facing them. Their heights were similar to each other and they possessed beautiful, thick, curly hair although differed in colors. The one with dark brown hair was wearing a dark maroon dress while the one with golden hair was wearing a light blue dress.
"My dears," Trevor said and the two women turned around in sync.
"Hello," both Katerina and Cassandra chorused perfectly together.
"Forgive me. You two remind me of someone," Elijah said after a moment of shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Cassandra, Katerina, may I introduce the lord Elijah," Trevor said and Elijah held out his hand. The two sisters looked surprised before Cassandra quickly took his hand and curtsied.
"Pleasure, my lord," she said softly as he kissed her hand. Katerina did the same bu, Cassandra couldn't dismiss the look in his dark brown eyes when he gazed at her twin sister.
"Pleasure's mine, Cassandra, Katerina," Elijah said, not taking his gaze of the brunette.
"Hey," I greeted Jeremy when he entered the kitchen. "Is Bonnie alright?" I asked and he nodded with a grin. I tried to hide a smirk. The idea of Jeremy dating Bonnie was weird and I tried not to freak out. Seeing Jeremy however, was all that mattered.
"She's good," he replied, looming over me and sighed at the heavenly smell of breakfast. I laughed and placed some bacon on a plate which he took happily.
"Glad to hear," I said, taking some into my own plate and sat across him. "So what are you going to do today?" I asked and looked up at him when he didn't answer. Instead, I saw him staring at me as if I was a puzzle.
"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head, frowning as he do so.
"It's just…You're so you," he said and I raised an eyebrow, not really seeing what he was saying. "When you came back, were you already a vampire? Did you…die?" he asked. I ignored the fact that Jeremy had already known the answer and shrugged anyway.
"Stefan could only save Elena. I was already out of the car but-but I couldn't make it. I remembered dying, like totally giving up. And then Katherine pulled me to the surface," I explained, my eyes were no longer on Jeremy. I could see the event unfolded before me. I shrugged it off and returned my attention to Jeremy. "She fed me her blood but I died. And knowing me, of course I rather become a vampire than die."
Yep. What a normal conversation to have during breakfast.
"Why would she save you? I mean…she's, well…" Jeremy trailed off and I laughed.
"She's manipulative and all…and she's not that angelic to me either. But she saved my life," I said. "She turned me because she missed her sister," I told Jeremy, not really lying. She also turned me so that I could prolong her survival.
"Look," I said, meeting Jeremy squarely in the eye. "If you're worried that I'm becoming Damon or anything-"
"No, no, no," he cut me off quickly and gave me a grin. "You're my sister," he said, and my lips twitched into a small smile.
"Right," I said and hid a sigh. He had no idea…
Our conversation was interrupted by my phone buzzing and I answered it quickly.
"What the hell did you do?" Damon asked even before I could say 'hello'.
"Gee, Damon. Morning to you too," I said sarcastically.
"What did you do, Vanessa?" he growled and I realized something did happen.
"What?" I asked.
"Don't play dumb, Vanessa," he said again and I sighed, heading over to the counter. I held up my hand to Jeremy when I saw his curious face.
"I seriously have no idea," I told him and he went silent, probably realizing that I had nothing to do with whatever just happened. "What happened?" I asked him again.
"Elena," he said in realization. "She undaggered Elijah," he told and this time, it was me who went silent. My tongue was tied, my stance was frozen but my heart was beating so quickly. So quick that I thought Damon could hear it from the phone.
"I'll call her," I said finally, before hanging up.
"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked.
"Nothing," I answered quickly and he shot me a look. Damn, did he learn it from me? "Nothing for you to worry about," I rephrased it again before leaving the house.
"Hey, where the hell are you?" I asked Elena when I heard her pick up the call.
"Vanessa," Elijah said and I stopped in my tracks. "Give me a moment," he said elegantly and a second later I heard Elena's voice.
"Hey," she said and I rolled my eyes.
"Where the hell are you?" I asked her again.
"I'm at Lockwood mansion. Come over but please don't tell Stefan or Damon. Please?" she said hurriedly in one breath and I shook my head.
"Yeah, sure," I said before hanging up. I walked to the Lockwood mansion, my head was swirling with unorganized thoughts.
Over these past few days, my feelings for Elijah had dimmed, faded. But now that he was back, I was scared it would return. I didn't want it to. I remembered when Elijah was daggered, when he betrayed me, I remembered the pain. How my heart felt like it was being stabbed, how it felt like I was being punched in the gut and slapped across the face. I felt lost and empty without him.
That wasn't me. For all my life, I had never become that way. I had never depended on someone like that. Love made us weak. Too weak.
I calmed myself as I neared the mansion, pushing the image of him kissing me, throwing the feeling that I felt when I remembered how it was when we kissed. I emptied my mind from my thoughts of him. I crossed the big garden quickly and saw Elena outside of the house.
"Are you crazy?" I hissed at her, appearing by her side in a second. She jumped, not realizing that I had arrived.
"Hello, Vanessa," Elijah's deep and throaty voice greeted me and I froze, not realizing his presence. I spared him a glance, at his fresh new suit and his dark brown eyes. I ignored the longing feeling that wanted me to be lost in his eyes and instead, I glared at him, channeling all my emotions into deep hatred. One way or another.
"Welcome back," I said with a sneer and he tilted his head to the side, puzzled. "Excuse us for a moment," I told him coldly before dragging Elena down the stairs to the lawn. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I stopped and narrowed my eyes disapprovingly my twin sister.
"What were you thinking?" I whispered angrily and she looked at me with her doe eyes.
"Nessa, look, don't be mad, okay?" she said pleadingly and I rolled my eyes at her attempt of persuasion. "He's the only one that really knows Klaus. After what happened with Ric, I can't risk anyone else. We need Elijah for this," Elena reasoned and I pursed my lips. Of course she had a point. Her reasons were my reasons when we first knew Elijah. That was why I was against them killing him off.
"Damn it. He tried to kill me," I told her shooting Elijah a glare from afar.
"I know that. But we need him," Elena said again and I took a deep breath.
"Whatever," I muttered under my breath, glancing at Elijah.
"Hey, I thought you'd be happy," Elena said softly and I clenched my jaw.
"Why would I?" I shot at her bitterly, watching as Elijah walked down the stairs toward us. "Sorry about that," I said, apologizing out of courtesy. "What were you guys talking about before I came?"
"Klaus is Elijah's brother," Elena told me and I nodded.
"I already knew that," I said and noticed Elena was looking at me curiously. "Katherine told me when I was living with her," I explained to Elena carefully.
"So about the curse?" Elena asked. "Do you mind telling us more about it?"
"Right, the curse of the Sun and the Moon. It's all so...biblical sounding, don't you think?" he asked, and Elena and I shared a look.
"What's so funny?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.
England, 1492
"Look, a Roman parchment," Elijah said to Klaus, showing him an old scroll.
"I remember etching this scroll. Well, I was quite blistered from drink," Klaus said, slightly laughing.
"Your finest work remains your Aztec drawings," Elijah commented.
"Not the African carvings? Because I was quite proud of those," Klaus said.
"The Aztec. Who can resist a shaman?" Elijah said and Klaus burst out laughing.
"Yes," Klaus managed to say between his laugh.
"I don't understand," Elena said and I nodded, frowning.
"So Klaus drew the Aztec sketches about the curse?" I asked.
"Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings, and any other culture or continent we felt like planting in it," Elijah told.
"But why?" I asked, still not getting it.
"Easiest way to discover the existence of a doppelganger or to get your hands on some long, lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout," Elijah explained.
"So it's not Aztec at all?" Elena asked and I rolled my eyes at her dumbness.
"The curse of the Sun and the Moon is fake. It doesn't exist," Elijah stated.
"What?" Elena asked, surprised.
"So you two faked the Sun and the Moon curse…" I stated or more like asking for confirmation and Elijah nodded at me. "Then if there's no curse…"
"There's a curse. Just not that one. The real one's much worse. It's a curse placed on Klaus," Elijah explained.
"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.
"Klaus has been trying to break it for the last thousand years. And you are his only hope," he said and I glanced at Elena.
"What's the curse?" I asked.
"Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it, please," Elijah said, handing Elena's phone over. Of course the phone had to ring at this moment, I thought in annoyance.
"Stefan…what's wrong?" Elena asked.
"Shit," I muttered, when I heard Stefan told Elena how Klaus had gone after Jenna.
"Klaus went after Jenna. I have to go to her," Elena told Elijah.
"I'm afraid that wasn't part of today's arrangement," Elijah said and I hold back a scoff.
"She's a family, Elijah," I said, stressing out the word 'family'. "I'm sure you understand," I said snidely and he stared at me.
"We'll be back. I give you my word," Elena told, still waiting for Elijah's consent while I had started to walk to her car.
"That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it," I heard Elijah said and rolled my eyes. Well, I didn't trust you either, bitch.
Jenna was totally freaked out when we arrived and Stefan had tried to calm her down which was useless. I let Elena do all the work since well, I was one of the lies. I waited outside the library with Stefan, who was looking just as grim as me.
"It is true, Jenna. I should have told you. I thought that if you didn't know, you'd be safe. But then things got so out of control and everything I had done to keep you out of it, it just blew up in my face," I heard Elena explained to Jenna. I sighed.
"I thought we would at least keep this from her until Klaus drama is over," I said to Stefan with a sigh.
"And how can Vanessa be a vampire? Oh god, did-did she…was she-was she a v-vampire when-oh my god," I heard Jenna's incoherent word through her sobs and felt like I was being slapped. I shut my eyes closed and drew a sharp breath.
"Look, Jenna…"
"I need a drink," I said, walking to the living room. The truth would always catch up with you. I just had to learn this the hard way.
"Welcome back," Elijah said when Elena and I entered the mansion.
"So tell me, what is Klaus's curse?" Elena asked, sounding tired. I was exhausted as well, mentally though.
"Please," Elijah said and gestured us to sit. He then sat next to me. I stilled myself, feeling the heat of his skin and I focused my thoughts on my blue and white nails.
"My family was quite close, but Klaus and my father did not get on too well. When we became vampires, we discovered the truth. Klaus was not my father's son. My mother had been unfaithful many years before. This was her darkest secret. Klaus is from a different bloodline. Of course, when my father discovered this, he hunted down and he killed my mother's lover and his entire family. Not realizing, of course, that he was igniting a war between species that rages until this day," Elijah said and I looked at him. What a family.
"Between vampires and werewolves?" I asked and he nodded. Wow.
"So Klaus' real father was from a werewolf bloodline? What does that make Klaus? A werewolf? Or a vampire?" Elena asked.
"He's both. A hybrid would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore the witches, the servants of nature, saw to it that my brother's werewolf side would become dormant," Elijah explained.
"Now that makes sense," I muttered. I had been killing my neurons wondering why would Klaus wanted to break the Sun and the Moon curse.
"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race. Endangering not just vampires, but everyone," Elijah said.
"But you helped him," Elena said slightly accusingly Elijah's composure remained.
"I helped him because I loved him. That's changed, now he must die," he said calmly.
"We have the dagger now. We can stop him," Elena told.
"When a werewolf is wounded by silver, it heals. An Original can't be killed by anything but white oak ash on a silver dagger. So you see the conundrum. The dagger does not work," Elijah told.
"So you're saying that Klaus can't be killed?" I asked, looking at Elijah and he nodded, confirming it.
"How do you plan to kill him then?" Elena asked.
"There's one way to kill any supernatural species. At the hands of the servants of nature themselves," Elijah said.
"A witch if they can channel that much power. But it would kill them," Elena said.
"The curse must be broken during the full moon. When Klaus is in transition, that's when he'll be at his most vulnerable. A witch with enough power can kill Klaus," Elijah said and Elena looked at me.
"What if I told you that I knew a witch that could channel that much power?" Elena asked.
"Then I would tell you there's one more thing that you should know," Elijah said.
England, 1492
"The full moon is tomorrow, brother," Klaus said when he heard his brother entered the room. Klaus stared at the fireplace and smiled softly. "After all these centuries, it is finally time," he said in satisfaction.
"I have been to see the witches. They believe they may have found a way to spare the doppelganger," Elijah told Klaus of the new information.
"What does it matter if she lives or not?" Klaus asked and Elijah sighed, disapprovingly. "She's a means to an end that is all," Klaus said, indifferent at the information.
"What, she should die for your gain?" Elijah asked, trying to keep his composure.
"She is human. Her life means nothing," Klaus said casually and Elijah turned around, walking to his brother.
"I beg you to consider this. She means everything to Cassandra," Elijah said, slightly pleadingly, having promised the girl that her sister would survive the ritual. Klaus turned around, looking at his brother.
"And are you so foolish as to care for her?" Klaus asked slowly, meeting Elijah in the eye. Seeing as Elijah didn't reply, Klaus placed a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel, and we do not care," he told Elijah.
"We did once," Elijah countered, looking at his brother in the eye. Klaus's blue eyes flickered with mixed emotions for a moment before he finally composed himself.
"Too many lifetimes ago to matter. Tell the witches not to bother. The sacrifice will happen as planned," Klaus said, ending the discussion.
"Is that so, brother?" Elijah asked, challenging his brother's words. "Why else would you sacrifice Katerina if you do not feel, do not care for-"
"Don't you dare to say her name!" Klaus growled, turning sharply to look at his brother with his vampire face. Elijah looked at him, having made his point and Klaus calmed himself.
"Too many...lifetimes ago to matter," Klaus said again, before walking out of the room.
"You found a way to save the life of the doppelganger?" Elena asked with hope as I was about to ask about the woman that Klaus was supposed to care.
"Yes, Elena. I did. But unfortunately, Katerina took matters into her own hands first. I believe you already know how that played out," Elijah said.
"I'm sorry…about Cassandra," Elena said, and glanced at me. I remembered about my encounter with Klaus and how the chance of Cassandra being alive was possible. I looked up and caught Elijah looking at me, with sadness and felt my heart breaking. He will forever love her.
When we arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House, all I could hear was chaos and the sound of someone fighting. Damon and Stefan were on each other throat and Elena stopped them.
"Now you've invited him in?" Damon scowled.
"Elijah and I have renewed the terms of our deal," Elena said and I raised an eyebrow at her. When did that happen now?
"Really" Damon asked snidely.
"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands. I only ask for one thing in return," Elijah said and I looked at him, wondering what that could be.
"What?" Damon asked.
"An apology," Elijah said and I hid my snickers.
"A what?" Damon asked, disbelieved. Stefan and Damon looked at each other before Stefan walked towards Elijah.
"I'm sorry for the part that I played in your death. I was protecting Elena. I will always protect Elena," Stefan said and I smiled softly. How sweet were they?
"I understand," Elijah said and we all turned to look at Damon.
"The sacrifice is going to happen, Damon. Bonnie will be able to kill Klaus without hurting herself and Elijah knows how to save my life. I told you I'd find another way. And I did," Elena said, trying to convince Damon.
"Is that true?" Damon asked.
"It is," Elijah confirmed.
"And you're trusting him?" Damon asked Elena.
"I am."
"You can all go to hell," Damon said coldly and left.
"He's angry with me right now. But he'll come around," Stefan told Elijah.
"Perhaps," was all Elijah said.
"It isn't safe for you to be here," I heard Elijah said and I looked over my shoulder. I was at the Town Square, admiring the comforting silence of the night. He walked towards me and stopped. "May I?" He asked and I nodded silently. He sat beside me and I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent.
"Elena told me that you met Klaus?" he stated although it was more of a question. I sighed.
"Yes, after all the stories that I'd heard, it's good to finally meet him," I said, with a little bit of sarcasm.
"Did he harm you?" he asked me and I looked at him.
"Please don't do that again," I begged him in annoyance. "You make it sound like you actually care-"
"I do care about you, Vanessa," Elijah said firmly and I scoffed.
"Oh, I beg to differ! You would have no problem staking me in the heart to get Elena come with you," I said darkly, feeling angry again. He was quiet for a while.
"Do you really believe that I would kill you?" Elijah asked. I couldn't make out the emotion in his voice, so I turned to look at him.
"Yes," I answered softly, meeting his eyes. "I do believe that," I said and he let out a sigh.
"We didn't have a good start, Vanessa. I did torture you, threatened you, threatened your sister to kill you, but I do care," he said and I laughed.
"Klaus knows," I stated. "He looked into my mind and saw everything," I said.
"Did he harm you?" he asked again and I shrugged.
"He didn't kill me," I said and looked at Elijah. "Look Elijah," I said as I stood up from the bench. "Your empty talk on how much you care about me means nothing to me. I can't trust you after what you did," I told him seriously and he looked down on his hands.
He sighed and looked up to me, his dark brown eyes meeting my blue eyes. There you go. My heart skipped a beat and I forced myself to look away. "I'm sorry for what I did," he said and I shook my head.
"I should go," I said and sighed as I walked to my house. Sad, regret, anger, everything was heightened. How do you handle this?
Then I spotted her in the middle of the night. Pink floral dress, golden straight hair that fell down her shoulders, blue eyes, thin eyebrows, full lips, and basically…me.
"Cassandra," I gasped and her blue eyes widened as she saw me. I stopped in my tracks, not believing it but there she was, looking at me from across the street.
And then she was gone.
The next chapter is the sacrifice and it's ready. But I'm still debating whether to make Elijah and Vanessa have one last moment before he was daggered again. What do you think? A kiss?