Chapter 5

The silence stretched for a long while. Even though he was used to them by now, not hearing Elijah's opinion on the matter put him in a state of anxiety. The once caged animal helping someone without expecting anything in return. Not even his bloodlust was present among all that blood. Who'd have thought that even his wilder side knew that it was not the time to wreak havoc on the person before them.

"Caroline."

He tasted the name on his lips. She was really something. He didn't need long conversation and explanations, her eyes told him her story.

"Now Niklaus it was bad enough to ignore our plan and stick to the script but you had to go and already make a connection with a person that was as broken as you. She isn't that person anymore. Your Caroline has her second chance and she'd want to spend it as far away from you as she can."

He missed the silence. He really didn't like this side of his brother.

"Well Elijah we can't all be noble, calm and asserted as you. And for God sakes, can't you appear in anything else than a suit?"

It wasn't not that he disliked Elijah, but in this moment he was a know it all and needed to be dealt with. Elijah on the other hand smirked and patted down the suit.

"I like them. Very me. Elegant and clean."

His imagination did like to turn into a marshmallow from time to time.

"Ah for Christ sake act like a man."

He tended to drive him insane when he was in this particular version.

"I am, and happen to be gentleman at that. If I happen to look good it is a plus in my book."

How he handled him all these years was beyond him. Why could his mind conjure Rebekah or Kol. It was as if he wanted to humiliate himself further. But at least they agreed on something.

"Alright, I won't bring up Caroline anymore."

As they continued to trek towards the apartment where he resided the only sentence that passed from his lips was "Glad we agree on something."

The trek didn't take long for he was in the apartment sooner than he wanted.

When he got inside a scent of a person was spread around and when he turned he was greeted with a sight of Mikael's lackey. The witch was here and she looked like she wanted blood.

"Now what is it you want witch, I have no patience for you."

Before he could say anything else he was thrown back, experiencing what felt like the death through him. He only wondered will it ever end.

"I know everything. How dare you try and defy Mikael. This will be a slow and agonizing death for you. In the end you achieved nothing. This was all you ever amounted to."

With that a piercing pain intensified and he felt like his entire body just collapse, but before he could understand what was happening the pain stopped and he was looking at a face he never thought he'd see again.

"Amount to this, witch."

The said witch looked incredulously at the owners hand as it held her heart, and after a moment she collapsed. He felt agony when he thought of what this meant. He really will die here. In front of his sister after all this time, but as the time passed nothing happened and his lost face showed a question he wanted answered.

"Don't worry Nik. We have broken the connection beforehand. We have the access to mothers grim oars, we prepared in case it was true."

He still couldn't understand, his little sister before him. She looked the same yet so different as she stood with the confidence he never knew she could have.

"How?" was all he managed to say as Rebekah kept her hardly restrained happiness at seeing him after all this time standing confidently before him and taping her foot impatiently. A good natured annoyed look passed through on her face.

"Is that all you have to say to your sister after all this time, Nik?"

She was bloody fantastic.

"Bekah..."

As soon as her name left his lips his nose was buried in blond hair and his eyes circled around her lithe frame. Small subs and hiccups could be heard from her but he couldn't do so. After so much time he had given up on the reality of ever seeing her. Instead of thinking what it all meant he just held her. The first person who deserved that privilege was always supposed to be her.

"I believe we will have to cut this reunion short. We aren't in the situation to bond now that Mikael's witch is lying dead not far from you."

He looked past her shoulder where Elijah was standing. As much as he wanted it to be the real one, by the lack of reaction on his sisters side he knew he wasn't there. Imagination it was then. He nodded at him and turned his attention to Rebekah. He slowly extracted himself from her embrace and looked at her with a smile he had restrained for a while now.

"Truly the problem at hand needs to be resolved quickly. The problem of the dead witch."

She looked at the said body, a pout on her face for being interrupted in her moment of happiness. He comforted her as if he saw her yesterday. The connection still there.

"You know I am ecstatic at you being here but I believe it is time for me to relocate."

She looked at him as if he was saying the stupidest thing possible at this time.

"You are coming with me Nik. I have to tell you what we learned in the meantime."

She was saying all that while she picked up the canister of what he presumed was gasoline. Pouring it over his crumpled residence she dumped the canister and led him out of the apartment. She looked at him swiftly.

"You have nothing of value here."

He looked grimly at the place.

"Nothing but some ghosts crawling out the walls."

She smiled brightly at him and a glint in her eyes followed.

"Good."

With that she threw the lighter into the apartment, the flame rising immediately.

He thought when Mikael finds out about this. The flames would be nothing but ashes.

They moved quickly, her guiding him to the nearby car and taking off into the night. As she drove she managed to relay some of the story of how she got there.

"It was pretty odd to find out about you walking around the Mystic Falls. I always knew that father would never kill you. He hated you too much for it I suppose."

Like he needed that gate opened to let the warms crawl over his saturated mind. There was no need for that now. Those thoughts could be left for a later date.

"Why expose yourself when you know that's what Mikael wants in the end no matter if it was me or not?"

She looked angered at the thoughts he shared. Why, he did not know, but Rebekah was never one to keep her mind to herself.

"How can you say that Nik? That we would just leave you there with father after we found out that it was you. I didn't believe it myself until someone confirmed it for me."

He could take a guess at who that was but he was interested to fish out some fresh information about her past.

"And who might that be dear sister?"

He bets that the hair fancying Salvatore was the one to share the news. There seemed to be more than he was able to find out. His instincts are something he relies on and he will know soon more.

"I got the confirmation from Stefan, the younger Salvatore brother you met. We've known each other for quite some time. He was rather impressed by the vampire who managed to knock down Damon a peg or two. Those two still squabbling like children."

Just as he thought, and the warmth in her voice as she mentioned the younger Salvatore only served to confirm his suspicion.

"Mhm," was all he shared with Rebekah.

"Not that it matters now. All it does matter is that you are well and back with us. We can be a family once more. I can't wait for you to meet Elijah again."

He toned out as she went on her tirade about how stern and disproving he was. In the back of his mind was just the question of how and when will Mikael come for his life and will he be ready?

Elijah's voice filled the car, but he knew he was the only one who heard it.

"This is going to be awkward."

He hated that he always agreed.

-00—