A/N I tried to get this up last night but time got away on me and also heard the sad news about Nelson Mandela.
"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."-Nelson Mandela
So without further ado … here you go!
Disclaimer- I do not have anything to do with The Vampire Diaries or The Originals except what my imagination stirs up
Marcel POV
This is life. How much better can it get? Well apart from becoming an original, but still, this feeling of power and control is all I have ever wanted. Loyalty and respect from my men knowing they will let nothing happen to me.
I sat back with my drink in hand and looked around the small bar, seeing vampire mix with human, see couples in a corner and singles at the bar looking for that special someone. Mine. All mine, I say who lives and who doesn't, and I control what happens and what doesn't and who can take it away from me? No one, when I become an original I will have it all.
I frowned at what would have to happen in order for me to keep all that I had, but I know that when she has the time to calm down she will forgive me, life will be different for her afterwards. She will come to realise that she can still be normal and powerful. I will continue to keep her safe, she can do what she wants, live where she wants and go to school where she wants but she will do what I want. With her by my side I cannot fail and I will never fall.
Just as I was about to raise my hand towards Cami indicating that I wanted a refill, I could sense the presence of another vampire. Then with my heightened hearing I could hear them flash towards me. She stood by my side and my long dead heart willed to beat. I took in her unusually ragged appearance and seen the fear in her eyes.
"Rebekah, what has happened?"
She looked around us making sure no-one could hear
"Marcel I need to speak with you"
Her eyes pleaded with me and how could I resist her? Had I not be willing to give up my life for just one kiss from her one hundred years ago? Of course I was surprised that she was here and being so open towards me, since she returned it has been glares and spiteful words but now it is clear that whatever it is that has this blonde original scared means she can overcome the hurt I caused when I chose immortality over her.
As a king I refuse to stoop so low as to beg her to listen to my explanation. If our love was real then it would have survived my choosing immortality over her, just so that we would have forever to work it out and be together. So upon her return I let her believe that I no longer cared.
We stepped out the back of the bar where she quickly scanned the area for any eavesdroppers.
"Marcel I fear my brother in conspiring against me"
Her voice shook and I knew why, Rebekah loved her brothers, she loved Klaus even though he has done nothing but hurt her in life. I knew it couldn't be him she was talking about after all he was in my cellar. I smiled but quickly wiped it off my face, what would she think if saw me smiling when she came to me in her time of need?
"I thought Klaus was out of town?"
I questioned knowing she would expect it to be my automatic response
"For once it is not Nik who wants me in a coffin. Its Elijah, he is not the man we once knew. He has changed and it is all her fault!"
She said and I could hear the anger and hatred in her voice
"Who?"
"Caroline"
She spat out her name as if it was the worst word in the world.
"Elijah and Caroline?"
"Yes. He came across her in some little town in Virginia; she was just a brand new vampire and was struggling to cope, Elijah ever the Nobel man offered to help her only he fell for her, like I've never seen him do so before. He hangs of her every word, will do anything to make her happy. Marcel I fear that he will dagger me and she will hide my body somewhere I'll never be found. Not even Klaus will find me if he ever cares enough to look"
She was desperate and I knew it.
"Rebekah why are you so afraid? You have never been afraid of your brother before"
"I am not afraid of Elijah, but of his feelings for her. He is blinded by love. She hates me and I don't know why. For once I didn't bother her I thought great one of my brothers has finally got me a new sister eternity won't be so bad now but no! She's terrible, like a stroppy child that never stops!"
I met Caroline and that is not how she came across. Her and Elijah didn't seem to be remotely interested in each other never mind in love.
"Are you sure it's the same Caroline we are talking about here? I mean I have met her and your brother did not seem interested"
She took a step back from me, hurt written all over her face.
"You don't believe me?"
I just looked at her trying to figure this all out. What the hell is going on?
"I'm sorry, I thought that maybe you could help me. I'm sorry I never came to you when I returned, never gave you the chance to explain what exactly happened that night so long ago. Maybe it's best that I don't know it will make leaving easy to do. Goodbye Marcel, maybe we'll meet again in a few hundred years from now and hopefully can figure everything out"
She said and kissed me on the cheek and flashed away before I could blink. Rebekah Mikaelson, the strong blonde beauty letting me see her so vulnerable and weak. I know I should have said something more but her last words had stunned me, maybe in the future we could figure it out, was that her way of saying she has forgiven me for choosing to become a vampire over my love for her?
I stood for only a few seconds, I knew what it was that I needed to do, go after her apologise and make her see that there will never be another for me like her, that's she's all I want, all I need.
Caroline POV
Rebekah had returned with the biggest of grins before she put her finger to her lips for us to be quiet, he had taken the bait and if he wasn't already hiding out side he would be within seconds. She stormed up stairs and packed a bag, Elijah and I waited until she returned before we began what we hoped would be my Oscar winning performance.
"Don't be so bloody dramatic Rebekah!"
"Dramatic? Elijah this in not dramatic! This is me leaving before I find myself with a dagger in my heart. This is me realising that you have chosen her over me, over family"
"Family? Since when Rebekah have we acted like family? The fighting, leaving each other for centuries, that is not how family works. The only one of us you related to as family was Niklaus, you ran side by side with him when father found us, always following in his shadow"
"So that is what this is about? Jealousy over Klaus?"
"Why would I ever be jealous of Niklaus? I have Caroline, I have returned home to New Orleans and I even have Marcel as a play toy when I get bored"
"Marcel? Christ Elijah can you not just leave him be? You are as bad as Nik. Look what Marcel has done with this place, he done in one hundred years what none of us could do in two hundred"
"As I have already said Rebekah, I already have all that I desire"
"So much for Always and forever"
I knew it was my queue after all this supposed to be all because of me.
"Well he has an Always and forever. With me"
"Stay the bloody hell out of this you blonde imbecile"
"That's rich coming from you, Rebekah 'drop-her-knickers-at-the-first-smile' Mikaelson"
I could see the chuckle wanting to escape Elijah, even Rebekah wanted to smile, we all knew we needed to make it convincing and not sound as if it had been scripted so that meant coming up with this stuff on the spot!
"Ha! Funny, if I am not mistaken you were desperate and craved any sort of attention. When my brother found you, you automatically dropped to kiss his fucking ass"
"Rebekah, you will not speak to Caroline like that"
"I will speak to her however I bloody damn please, Bro…"
Neither Rebekah nor I was expecting it, we were staring to have fun with it, then suddenly mid-sentence Elijah flew towards her pain on his face for what he was about to do, he mouthed "I'm sorry" before he plunged the dagger into her heart. I couldn't help but lose my breath, for once I hated to see her desiccate, and every fibre of my being wanted to remove that dagger. Whereas before I always wanted to push it further in, somehow get it to melt into her body so that it could never be pulled out.
I hope to whatever God there is that Marcel is buying this.
Elijah came back to my side and with a quick nod I knew it was my turn to speak again, clearing my voice of the previous emotion I quickly turn on my bitch mode, or should I say Klaus' bitch mode as he was always on the receiving end of it.
"Thank God for that, there is only so much of your whining sister I can take. Although I am glad it is finally just the two of us."
Hopefully Marcel would catch on what it was we were trying to portray next, and realise that he doesn't want to hear us 'have sex' and leave, it was the only thing we thought of that might show him that the party was over!
Slowly I ran my hands up Elijah's arms and rested them on his chest, as I done this as any lover would do, but my eyes were glued to Rebekah's body, and I knew Elijah hated what he had to do and it would take time to get over it and even though she offered to do it, he would spend a long time making it up to her.
"My love if you would please calm your hands, I have to take care of said sister, her desiccated body does somewhat kill the mood"
Both Elijah and I kept up the act until we were sure Marcel was no longer in hearing range. We were supposed to wait until we were outside the house before we started the argument but when the time comes the times comes, when you have all these witty remarks you have to say them no matter what the plan is. Still not comfortable speaking out loud I whispered to Elijah
"Does she have to remain daggered?"
Elijah stepped back from me giving us both back our personal space. The permanent shake that had taken up residence in my hands quickly left.
"I am afraid she does, she knew what she was offering to do. If she knows Marcel as well as she thinks she does he will return for her body, which he will not find or will he even have the chance to find it"
I looked at him slightly confused
"As of tomorrow morning the deeds to this house will be in Hayley's name therefore only those she grants permission to can enter"
I don't know how he done it, but I am glad he did. It's reassuring to know that Marcel or any of his Hench men cannot get in. Now that the plan had been set in motion hopefully the rest will just fall into place, Ha! Wishful thinking Caroline!
"Hayley it is safe to come out now"
Elijah shouted upstairs so she could hear him, a few moments later she appeared at the top of the stairs and slowly started to make her way down.
"Thank God, I thought my stomach was going to growl so loud and practically ask him to leave so it could eat!"
Without another word she was in the kitchen raiding through the fridge. Knowing there was nothing more that could be done tonight I went to bed.
I lay there for ages remembering my earlier epiphany, my feelings towards Klaus, how I realised that all the things he needed were all the things that I could give him, I could love him like no other, make him see that someone cares, show him how to let people in.
Do I really want to be that person?
Let myself fall head over vampire heels for this man who can already share my dreams?
I want to see the world more than I want anything else; I want to see the genuine beauty he told me about.
Am I prepared to let a love that would come from loving him consume me?
Deal with all the possible dangerous and evil things he can do?
Can I change my entire life for him?
Will a love like that make me happier or be too much to handle and make me miserable and bitter?
With these questions bombarding my mind the possibility of sleep drifted further and further away. I turned to my side and looked out the window and the beautiful night lights of the city, since arriving here I haven't been able to bring myself to close the curtains at night, to block out such a beautiful sight would be a sin. It was looking at these beautiful lights that finally help send me off to sleep.
"Mother…Mother!"
I saw Klaus, with long blond hair, blood smeared all over his face and clothes. He was carrying a young boy limp in his arms; tears flowed freely down his face as he looked at the child who was covered in cuts and deep wounds. I saw the pain as Rebekah and Esther came running towards them, heard Esther beg another woman to try and save him to do anything that would bring him back to them. It hit me; the child was Henrik, the youngest of the siblings.
I saw Rebekah trying to hold Klaus together as he all but fell apart with guilt. His eyes widened when the realisation sunk in that there was nothing he could do, his baby brother was gone and I knew by the look on his face he blamed himself. From that second the look in his eyes reminded me so much of the look he wears now.
I flew out of the bed to a standing position, tears streaming down my face. It seems that Davina being in his head has brought all these painful memories to the front of his mind and dragged them into his dreams.
Looking at the time, I saw that it was only 3 am, but I knew that there was no hope for anymore sleep to come my way. I put on a dressing gown and made my way downstairs. I found Hayley peeping out of the fridge at me with a sheepish grin on her face.
"I didn't wake you did I?"
"No, bad dream"
I answered; she nodded and closed the door taking with her a tub of ice cream. She got two spoons, held one towards me and made her way to the living room mumbling about how she's eating so much it scares her.
It wasn't until I was sitting and going for my second spoonful of ice cream that I realised what exactly was happening, I was sitting at 3 am eating Ice cream with Hayley in the Mikaelson home, the she wolf were slut herself, mother of the miracle hybrid baby.
Too tired to over think it or even to bother questioning myself further I just sat and continued to eat the ice cream. After a few moments of a surprisingly comfortable silence Hayley spoke
"Caroline, I never had anything against you or Tyler. Professor Shane promised me information on my family, information I had spent years looking for, I had to do it, it was the only way"
No, this is not happening right now!
"Hayley, I know you had your reasons but can we not do this right now? There is enough going on here at the minute without having to drag up the past!"
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to clear the air seeing as we are going to be living together for a while"
I respected the effort; she was trying to make this bearable for us both.
"How about for now we pretend that this is our first meeting? We'll work together to get done what needs doing!"
She agreed
"Sounds fair"
We went back to the ice cream
"Plus as far as for the living together part, it won't be for too much longer. As soon as Klaus steps foot in this house in one piece I'm leaving. I am going to ask Elijah to compel me forget ever being here"
She choked on her ice cream and looked at me in surprise, I was a little stunned myself I didn't know I had actually made up my mind.
"Compulsion?"
I nodded
"I thought you hate it?"
"I do, I hate it more than anything in the world, but I fear what might happen if I let my feelings for Klaus grow much more. I'm afraid of who I might become, what kind of person I will be"
For a brief second I thought I saw pity on her face but it was quickly gone. She hung her head and chuckled.
"I can't believe I am going to say this, but why don't you give him a chance? I know he has hurt you in so many ways but Caroline he cares for you, I saw how he looked at you in Mystic Falls, how he hated Tyler for having you. You know, it could be pretty great!"
I smiled, but knew she would never fully understand, and it's better left that way.
"No, I need to forget. Its better this way for the both of us"
She shrugged and went back to her ice cream
"Hmmm you know what would go really well with this? Carrots, oooh there's carrot sticks in the fridge! I'll be right back."
She handed me the tub and pushed herself up of the sofa and waddled away towards the kitchen.
Really?
She came back looking like a child on Christmas morning, casually she sat down and started munching on them between spoonfuls of ice cream, and finally she gave up and just started dipping them into the ice cream tub. I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled from my lips.
"Seriously?"
I questioned raising my eyebrows
"Sooooo good"
She muttered with a full mouth. When she finally stopped eating we began to talk again.
"Have you thought of any names yet?"
She immediately caught on to what I was saying and half shrugged
"Sort of, I like the name Jenifer it's uncommon. Although Klaus will probably want some ancient from his time old English name with some crazy great meaning"
We both giggled
"Imagine, wouldn't it be awful?"
She nodded in agreement,
"Hopefully when I tell him that she will be a Mikaelson he'll let me have it. Her surname alone will keep her safe; anyone stupid enough to cross a Mikaelson deserves to die"
I smiled
"Jenifer Mikaelson, I like it"
"Thanks"
The conversation drifted towards life as a young mother, how having Rebekah and Elijah for support is fantastic. I told her about my course in Whitmore and other friendly banter. She starting yawning so she went bed leaving me alone to my thoughts once again.
I decided to send my mom an email to ensure her that I was still alive and haven't found myself on the receiving end of a wooden stake. Obviously I will be leaving out the fact that I am in New Orleans currently working with the Original family to save Klaus.
Mom,
I know I have been neglecting your emails lately. College has been crazy, I 'm really missing home and actually for once missing the quiet small town life, never thought I would be saying that did you?
I think that when all my work settles I might come home for a few days and get a proper catch up.
I love you and will call you soon.
Care Bear x
I checked my inbox for any college mails and was surprised to see that it was empty; I've been here for a few days now I really thought there would be loads of work waiting on me. Closing down the stylish laptop that I guessed belonged to Rebekah I went for a blood bag and sat in the deck chairs by the pool, waiting for the sun to raise. It's been a year since I became a vampire and one of the things Stefan told me that would be more beautiful was to watch the sunrise with vampire sight, this will be the first time I am actually doing it.
I sat for what must have been hours until anyone came near me. Elijah came and took the empty seat beside me with a fresh glass of blood for me. He never offers me a blood bag even though I like to drink it that way he always pours it into a glass; I smiled at his kindness and unnecessary consideration.
He sat in silence for another few moments appreciating the glorious day.
"Caroline, I am sorry but I could not help but over hear your conversation with Hayley this morning."
I struggled to figure out why he would be apologising until I remembered the discussion about Klaus, my feelings and the compulsion matter. I didn't mind that he heard because he would find out any way when I asked him if he would compel me.
"Its fine Elijah, I would have come to you anyway."
He still felt the need to explain further
"When I heard Hayley get up I paid attention, just to make sure she was okay then when you went down also I was curious to how you would react to each other. I know you and Hayley have a past but your choice to overlook it really is a brilliant personality trait."
Once again with the complements, I looked away from his face in an attempt to hide my blush.
"God, every time you say something nice you make me blush. It's getting kind of annoying now!"
I said slightly frustrated.
He chuckled, a small care free laugh and it sounded good. He didn't laugh enough.
"I apologise dear Caroline, it seems that you are not used to being complemented"
I gave an awkward smile, and shrugged. The bright smile fell of his face and he gave me a serious look.
"I know how much you detest compulsion, are you sure this is what you want? I mean why not leave once Niklaus is returned and try to work your way through what you are feeling. I hate the thought of compelling you when I know you hate it, especially after you have come here to help my family. It's not much of a thank you is it?"
I looked at him, I knew he was trying to help me out but I know that even if I leave here to get away from Klaus he won't leave my mind, the more I think about him the more I open up my mind to him.
"Elijah I admire your intentions but I really don't see another way. Obviously on some level that I am not fully aware of I have deep feelings for Klaus, more than an occasional fling. I have found myself thinking, no, knowing that I could help him. Show him what it feels like to be loved so completely that without him I would die, I know I could love him like that, but at what price? A love like that with him would no doubt change everything about me, in order to love him I must become like him. I see the good things in people when I meet them, give them a chance but Klaus automatically thinks that everyone is against him, or is conspiring against him he always has a reason to hurt or kill them"
Elijah's eyes filled with pain, no doubt hating that I would not stay and help save his brother from himself. I knew he would never ask it off me, would never expect me to drop my life for him. I knew that all Elijah wants for Klaus is to let someone love him and too love them in return, seeing the pain flit across his face I couldn't help but apologise.
"I'm sorry Elijah"
A lone tear rolled down my cheek.
"Caroline, there is no need for an apology. You have done more than I could have ever hoped. It might not be now Caroline but I believe that someday you will be my brothers saviour, already he has changed in a miniscule manor, he smiles more and doesn't dagger us at every joke at his expense, for this I must thank you"
I smiled. He had faith in me, apart from my mother and Klaus he is the only one that actually believes I can do great things.
"I just want to say this so that you know, you may not be family but do not doubt that if there is anything I can do to help no matter what, you can depend on me"
I smiled at him and nodded
"Thank you Elijah"
Hearing him speak like this was comforting; it was nice to know that I had him there if I needed him. Then I remembered that I won't remember once he compels me,
"The offer is appreciated, but I'll not remember it"
He gave me that cheeky smile again
"I know, but I will compel you to know that you can trust me and that I will help you if you need me. Instead of remembering I told you, you will just automatically know that I will help"
I smiled; he had it all thought out carefully. Which made me relax; he knows it's a delicate matter. That I need to forget certain stuff, after all even though I forget New Orleans I am still going to have the dreams. Being compelled means I forget that I share dreams with Klaus and that we are connected. I can put them down to unresolved feelings for him; until the time comes that I am ready to accept I want to be with him.
A/n Hope everyone liked it.
I really do have to thank everyone who has read so far, 77 reviews, 65 favourites and 149 followers! Its blows my mind!
Thanks
Love2bdifferent x