Chapter 5: Mercy
"You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories." ~Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
…
Persephone could vividly recall many tings she'd experienced in life. There were other things that she couldn't recall near as well. For example her first meeting with the Originals, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember when she met them as human. Not all together at least.
She knew she had met Kol during the days her brother was alive when he had been a tavern keeper. That's why they were close because she could remember him from her human days, remember him looking after her while he stayed in their home.
The woman knew she met Elijah before she turned, but couldn't place the memories to anything specific. She didn't trust him for this reason, because he always acted like they were close friends but she never remembered being close friends with him.
Rebecca was harder to place in her mind. Because the woman had been a friend to her when she first turned. Of course she knew that the mentally younger woman had some form of respect for her but it hadn't made sense.
And then there was Niklaus. Persephone didn't know what to tell you of their relationship. He had always treated her differently. Katherina had been the first to point it out to her some five hundred years ago. He perhaps could have loved her at one point, but to suggest that they had been married and had a family was ridiculous. Elijah was desperate. Wasn't he?
Persephone shook the insane thoughts from her head as she prepared her art lesson. There was no way she was his wife. But it did explain the blanks in her memories. Because she knew him better than anyone and if he believed that she'd be better off he would have done it.
"Stop thinking like that." She scolded herself out loud.
"Thinking like what?" Persephone looked up and saw Damon standing in her doorway. She must have forgotten to lock it.
"Nothing to worry yourself over Damon." He took her glass off the table before plopping down next to her on the couch.
"Hmm. How are your lessons going?" He didn't sound like he actually cared, and Persephone wondered then why he was there.
"What do you want Damon?" She snapped, a bitter tone to her voice. Persephone frowned at herself momentarily because she hadn't meant it to come out so harsh.
"We daggered Elijah." Her body froze at his statement and all color drained from her face. She appeared ghostly. Quickly she tried to pull herself together. But it was too late Damon noticed her reaction.
"How did you know about that?" He raised a brow at her.
"How do you think?" His sarcastic taunt of a question caused the woman to narrow menacing eyes at him.
"Katherina, I presume. Which means you learned of the dagger through me. Because I told her, whilst she was still human." Persephone ran a hand through the top of her scalp, Niklaus would not be happy to hear of this. She could feel the headache already forming.
Damon Stood from his position, he wondered now why he had come. "I think I would have hated to know you back then." He stated watching with an amused smirk as she leaned back into her chair with a loud sigh.
"Probably. I hated myself back then too. Did you know Klaus killed Katherina's whole family for what she did?" Damon gave her a look, Persephone drew her legs up on the cushion before folding them under herself.
"She mentioned something of the likes to Elena." Persephone picked her lesson plan back up intent on finishing the stupid thing while she talked.
"Klaus doesn't show mercy, it isn't his style, he simply doesn't believe in the concept. Elijah on the other hand is much tamer, he isn't as vindictive as Klaus. You and your little gang wasted a good chance to have a powerful ally. Now get gone, and lock the door on your way out." She gathered the remainder of her things of the coffee table, got to her feet and vanished down the short hallway. Leaving Damon sitting in her living room with a seriously confused look on his face.
….
Persephone stood by his side arms crossed defiantly across her chest. She couldn't believe he was doing this, it wasn't fair to make Marcellus choose like this. "Nik, I can't believe you would make my son pick immortality versus the woman he loves. Who is also your sister. Marcellus should be able to have both!" Her voice pitched as she spoke, he could hear her anger loud and clear.
"I do not think I asked for your opinion Persephone!" He snapped at her as he stepped away with a newly daggered Rebekah in his arms. Klaus laid her down in the bed softly. Persephone cast her eyes to the floor and muttered something less than dignified under her breath. She knew he heard her, and pretended to ignore her like always.
"If he loved her then he would have chosen her." Klaus stated as he closed the door behind them. Persephone stopped in her tracks, had he been human and not paying attention he would have run straight into her.
"And if you loved either of them you wouldn't have made him choose. Marcellus loves Rebekah, but he also loves and respects you Niklaus. Can you fault him for wanting to remain with his family forever?" Her eyes seethed with rage. It was that moment that he wished to be anywhere else than standing in this hallway arguing about love and family with this woman.
Niklaus was however saved from continuing this conversation by Elijah walking up to them. "Perhaps here is not the best place for this discussion brother, sister." Persephone huffed at the both of them before turning her heel and storming off. There were perhaps still small mercies for the hybrid.
….
There was a knock. Persephone's eyes narrowed at the front door, she was certainly not expecting anyone. It had been several days since she last seen anyone, not even Damon bothered her in the last days. She placed her coffee cup down on the counter, newspaper still in her other hand she walked slowly over to the door.
It took quite a lot of skill to shock the dark headed immortal woman. She dropped the newspaper when she saw who was at her door. "Ms. Gilbert, Elijah.." The doppelgänger was giving her a determined look, Persephone couldn't wait to hear what came out of her mouth.
"Elijah has promised to tell me everything about Klaus if you will accompany us." For some reason Persephone didn't think the human was asking. She gave Elijah a look that said 'really', he shrugged his shoulders at her. Persephone scowled at him over Elena's head.
"Sure, why not." She pulled at the thin cardigan she was wearing before following them to Elena's SUV.
Persephone sat in the back, the human in the passenger seat, and Elijah driving the monstrosity. She shot a short text to Nik before putting her phone away. It was never good to leave an impatient almost hybrid hanging.
"Sister put that cursed thing away." Elijah was giving her a look in the rear-view mirror. Persephone stuck her tongue out at him.
"Bite me Elijah." Elena looked between the two of them, confused.
"You're siblings?" Persephone looked up at the question that had obviously been directed towards her.
"No…" She drawled out in monotone glaring at Elijah now. Before Elena could ask a follow up question the arrived at the Mayor's house. Persephone bolted from the car as soon as it slowed down.
Once Elijah was in a fresh suit and Persephone had muttered something insulting the three of them were in the main parlor of the Mayor's house. Persephone lingered by the door watching her brother interact with the human girl. "I assume the Martin witches are no longer with us?" A question directed towards the teen. Because she certainly didn't know what they speaking of.
She look down ashamed. "No.. I'm sorry.." That was news to Persephone, she hadn't even been aware there were other witches in the falls. Maybe she wasn't paying close enough attention.
"And Katherina, she would have been released from my compulsion when I died." Persephone snorted at his tone. Elijah almost rolled his eyes at her. Elena tilted her head slowly looking between them before answering.
"Klaus took her. We think that she may be dead." Elena admitted softly. Persephone smirked. "Unlikely." Just as Elijah spoke. "I doubt that. Not Klaus's style." There was a small smirk on Elijah's lips.
Persephone walked around the couches to stand behind him. "Death would be to easy for her, after what she did." Elijah told her calmly. "Klaus shows no mercy to those who cross him." Persephone added her two cents while leaning over the couch to watch the human's reaction.
"I don't understand, you say you want Klaus dead but you still make Katherine pay for betraying him. And you, Damon says you turned Katherine shouldn't you feel something for her?" Persephone turned her nose up not dignify an answer to that question.
"I have my own reasons for wanting Katherina to pay." Elijah's tone was dark, and for the first time in many years Persephone laid a hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"There was a time I would have done anything for Klaus." He told her, Persephone couldn't help but to loose herself in the memory Elijah then spoke of. Meeting the enchanting young Katherina for the first time.
"Klaus is my brother." Words he hadn't spoken in fifty years out loud to anyone other than herself Persephone was surprised to hear them now. Still in shock over hearing those words admitted she missed whatever Elena had said and only refocused to hear Elijah's snark.
"I believe the term you're looking for is 'OMG'" Then the smug bastard took a sip from his tea cup. He proceeded in his story telling the human all about the originals.
"So there's a whole family of Originals?" Elena asked, to make sure everything he said was true. Persephone spoke next.
"Their father was a wealthy land owner in eastern Europe. Their mother gave him seven children." Persephone knew the story better than almost anyone. Rebekah had once loved to talk of home and their life before being vampires.
Elena stood still looking at Elijah. "So your parents were human?" Elijah turned from the mirror he had been looking in adjusting his suit.
"Our whole family was. Our origin as vampires is a very long story Elena. Just know were are the oldest vampires in the whole world." Elena looked between the two vampires now another question forming in her head.
"We are the Original family, and from all of us vampires were created." He was being patient with her, Persephone would applaud him for it later.
"Yah but Klaus is your brother and you want him dead? And I still don't understand Ms. Nicholls involvement here." Elijah shared a look with Persephone, they weren't answering either of those questions.
"I need some air.. I'm still feeling a tad… dead.. come." Elijah headed from the door. Persephone smirked at the human before following slowly.
…
"So if sun can't kill and original then why is Klaus's so obsessed with breaking the sun and moon curse?" Persephone snorted, she'd done quite a bit of that since being dragged out of her home this morning.
"It's not real. The curse is fake. Elijah and Klaus devised a plan to make it easier for him to break the curse." Persephone spoke over Elijah's recalling of the Aztec scroll about the curse. He looked annoyed with her.
"Sister, do you wish to tell the story?" His tone was sarcastic, and she nooded her head. Elijah made a go on motion for her then.
"Why plant the curse then?" Elena asked over their small silent argument.
"What better way to find a doppelgänger and a lost moon stone than have ever member of two warring species looking for it. Klaus is patient he could wait out however long it took to find them both. You did wonder my role in this didn't you Elena?" The teen looked at the woman then confusion clear across her face.
"My sister had been keeping an eye on you and your friends here at Mystic Falls for quite some time now." Elijah told the teen who gave the woman a betrayed look. Persephone shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't understand, are you working for Klaus? Why let me stay here then? Why didn't you take me too him?" Persephone folded her arms across her chest almost defiantly.
"I do not work for Klaus. Because you are a child, or at least you were when we discovered you. Haven't they told you that breaking the curse must take place here?" Elena did not know how to respond too that so she went back to the previous topic.
"So if there's no curse." She started as the walked, still keeping an eye on the vampire who trailed behind them.
"Ah, there is a curse. Just not that one." Elijah told her suavely glancing at her once before continuing.
"The real one is much worse, it's a curse placed on Klaus." Elena's phone buzzed in Elijah's pocket, she ignored it.
"What are you talking about?" She threw he arm down dejectedly. Elijah stopped then turned to look at her.
"Klaus has been trying to break it for the last thousand years and you are his only hope." He glared down at the buzzing device.
"Well what is this curse?" Elijah ignored her question and reached for the cell phone.
"Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it." He hand it over to her. Elena spoke to Stefan on the other end, an alarmed look crossed her face. Persephone watched with little interest as her brother argued with the female over whether or not her word could be trusted.
"I'll accompany her to the boarding house if that makes you feel more comfortable brother." Persephone placed a hand on the teen's shoulder in manner meant to seem less threatening. Elena was still however un-easing around the woman who had apparently been spying on her.
Persephone drove them to the boarding house. Only to stop a mile or so away. "Elena, I want to tell you something very quickly and then I promise to take you to the Salvatores." The human regarded her carefully and then nodded her head.
"Alright.."
"I've been keeping an eye on you for your own good. There are many out there who if given the chance would love to prove themselves to Klaus. They would have taken you from your home and killed your family. I did not want that for you, so Klaus asked me to watch over you until you were of age to make sure that did not happen." Persephone then started the car back up and continued to the boarding house as if nothing had ever happened.
Elena was perplexed by the statement and remained silent. Leaving each woman to their own demons and memories.
XOXOX
Getting closer to the Curse being broken! And Persephone and Klaus seeing each other again now that she had been told the truth. Woot Woot!
Alright so let me know what you think!
Sincerely, La'Rae