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"This," Garnet said as she passed a vial to Miranda. "Is the cure."
"The cure?"
"Garnet nodded. "If there's anything important I learned from my ancestors, it's this. The cure to vampirism."
"Can't we just force this down the original's throats so that their whole lines return to normal?"
The elder witch shook her head. "No—magic is strange. The cure only works for individuals. The vampire lines don't have a strong enough link for such a transition."
Miranda turned the vial over and over in her hand.
"I give this to Rebekah?"
"Yes; she is her mothers daughter," Garnet said. "Once she is cured of her vampirism, she will just be a mortal witch. An original witch. She will be sacrificed in the ritual along with Niklaus and one of her other brothers. We need the Original Family."
Miranda sighed, a battle between right and wrong stirring within her. She nodded, though. "Sounds like a plan."
Bonnie gasped as her back hit the wall. Her hands grasped Kol's jacket in an attempt to pull him closer. His lips left her neck and trailed up her collarbone.
She hadn't meant to give in so easily—it just sort of happened.
They hadn't been able to find Miranda—they weren't sure how the witch could fall off the face of the planet—and had ending up arguing in the park.
One thing led to another and then they were in his bedroom, kissing fervently.
"I'm sorry," Kol sighed, momentarily halting his haste movements.
"What?" Bonnie breathed. She tried to gather her wits.
"I'm sorry for being such an asshole," his hand squeezed her hip.
Bonnie blinked, slowly detaching herself from him.
"I forgive you—just try not to be so childish next time I deny to go out with you."
"Then don't deny me next time," he said stubbornly. Bonnie gave him a look and he managed a smile. "Okay."
She reached for his hand, ignoring the sparks that coursed through her body when she touched him.
"We can do this, can't we?" she asked softly.
His eyes stared into hers for a moment.
Without saying anything else, he leaned in and captured her lips once more.
He felt her melt against him. The action was a confirmation to her question.
Kol wasn't much of a believer. But being with Bonnie made him want to try.
"Bartender, another." Rebekah demanded as she downed another shot.
"Maybe you should slow down," Matt said as he took away all of the empty shot glasses.
Rebekah groaned, pulling out a twenty. "Maybe you should hush up and get me more to drink."
Matt rolled his eyes, taking her money and handing her the bottle.
"Have at it," he said.
"I don't think that's wise," another voice said.
Rebekah pulled down the bottle, her eyes squinting and shoulders squaring. "Miranda."
The blonde scoffed. "That's an understatement."
Miranda stepped closer. "I'm going to need you to follow me outside."
"Why should I do that?" Rebekah interrogated sharply. "I may be drunk but I'm not an idiot."
"Are you, now?" Miranda quipped. "Follow me," she demanded.
Rebekah groaned again as she watched Miranda leave through the side exist. Her eyes looked back to Matt.
"Do you think I should go?"
"I think you shouldn't," Matt responded solemnly. Rebekah sighed, looking at him before gazing at the exit.
"But I have to," she said blandly, pushing herself off of the stool.
Her heels clicked as she stepped out into the sunlight. Her eyes took a second to adjust.
"What-"
Rebekah was cut off when the force of an object hit the back of her head. The sharp pain and tinge of coppery smell clouded her sense as she toppled to the pavement.
Miranda dropped the metal object and bent down to the unconscious blonde.
"That was too easy for an original vampire," she mused to herself. She dug into her jacket pocket until she pulled out the cure.
Uncapping the vial, she forced the liquid into Rebekah's mouth.
Miranda watched as the blonde coughed and spat, her eyes opening quickly and her hands shoving Miranda away with full vampire force.
Rebekah stood up, a death glare evident in her eyes until she froze, her hand moving to her chest. The killer look left Rebekah's eyes and was replaced by fear.
Her body convulsed sharply.
"What did you do to me?" Rebekah gasped in pain, falling to the ground.
Miranda limped to the blonde. "I gave you what you wanted. I gave you your cure."
"I don't—I-" Rebekah's eyes rolled to the back of her head and that was it. She was out cold.
Miranda moved forward to grab her when the side door opened.
Matt stepped out and his eyes widened as he saw Rebekah's body lying on the pavement.
"What the hell?" he said, fishing for his phone.
Caroline had barely returned from another training session when she noticed the note on the wall.
Well, it was more like a creepy message message burnt into the beige of the wall.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR FATHER AGAIN, RETURN TO THE HOUSE.
The house. Caroline assumed that Garnet meant the house where she had been resurrected.
Without a second thought, she grabbed her keys and raced to her car.
It was deep in the woods and it was getting close to sundown. Nevertheless, she had impulsively traveled alone.
Alone.
Klaus had left with Elijah after their training session, something about a certain business he needed to attend to. Caroline hadn't asked him about the details but she realized now that going alone was a mistake.
Behind her, ravens crowed.
"I found her like this," Matt said to Bonnie.
Bonnie placed her hand on Rebekah's forehead. The fever had gone away now and her labored breathing had ceased.
"Well it looks like whatever it was, it's almost gone," Kol assessed, pacing back and forth.
"Is Klaus still gone with Elijah?" Bonnie asked.
Kol nodded. "He left this afternoon and said they might not get back until tomorrow."
Matt sighed, checking his watch. "I should get going."
Bonnie nodded. "Thanks for bringing her here, Matt."
Just as he was about to reply, Rebekah shot up, gasping.
"What the hell happened?" she questioned, disoriented.
"Matt found you on the ground outside of the Grill," Kol explained.
"That Miranda bitch must've slipped me vervain or something weird. I felt like I was on fire," Rebekah said.
"Are you fine now?" Matt asked, concerned.
Rebekah gave the boy a strange look. Him sounding concerned for her was weird considering how much he claimed to hate everything supernatural.
"Fine—I'm a quick healer," she said, sitting up properly. "Do you have a blood bag anywhere? I feel weak."
Kol nodded, flashing to retrieve a bag. He came back and handed her the bag.
Rebekah popped it open and tilted the bag. The crimson liquid touched her tongue and in a split second, she spit it out.
"What the hell, Bekah?" Kol remarked, stepping aside.
"That's disgusting-" Rebekah started. Her eyes widened as she ran her tongue over her teeth. The incisors were normal. Her face wasn't vamping out.
"Something is wrong."
Kol gave her a look. "What? What is it?"
Rebekah placed the bag down and slowly stood up. The curtains were drawn, blocking the rays of the late sun.
She could feel the rapid thumping in her chest—that was even stranger. It wasn't the mechanical beating of her undead heart. It was organic and much too real.
Shaking, she removed her daylight ring, tossing it aside.
Bonnie stood up," Rebekah-"
"Wait," Rebekah said. Her hands grabbed a hold of the thick curtains. She took a deep breath and yanked them open.
She had expected the sun to begin charring her skin, yet all she felt was warmth.
Warmth.
No pain. No flames.
Warmth.
"Oh my God," Bonnie said, placing her hand over her mouth.
"You reject blood, you don't burn in the sun," Kol said. "Are you human, Rebekah?"
Rebekah's jaw dropped. She was both elated and frightened. "My God, I'm alive."
This was definitely a stupid idea, Caroline thought. Under her the floorboards creaked.
Another raven crowed outside and her heart sped up.
I wish I wasn't alone-
"You came."
Caroline froze. "Garnet?"
"No, Miranda," the voice corrected. A girl stepped out from the shadows. "Hello, Caroline."
"Miranda," Caroline repeated. "Where is my dad?"
The girl's eyes looked unfazed. "He's in the basement. He doesn't have much longer."
Caroline's eyes flickered. "Please," she said. "Please give him back-he needs a doctor. He's sick."
"No, he's dying," another voice said.
Garnet stepped out wearing a long black dress that blended in with the shadows. "Nothing can save your father, Caroline."
"I can," Caroline said.
"Garnet laughed dryly. It was a sickening kind of laughter. "You are so naïve. Magic won't save him-it's too late. Besides, what would you have done?"
Caroline remained silent.
"What would you have done, dearest Caroline? Would you have turned back the hands of time?"
Garnet smirked.
"Would you have moved heaven and earth to save him?"
"Why didn't you just take me?" Caroline asked instead. "Why waste so much time when you could have held me captive?"
"Because that wouldn't have brought me such pleasure," Garnet answered. "A cat doesn't kill the mouse instantly. Rather, the cat taunts it; riles it up; makes the game last until the mouse is dead on its own. Taking you instantly wouldn't have been nearly as gratifying."
Her eyes bore into Caroline's.
"What I didn't expect to notice was how you had Niklaus fall for you."
Caroline shook her head. "You're wrong."
"Am I?" Garnet said. She motioned for Miranda to retreat. "Do not take me for a fool, child. How do you tame a mass-murdering psychotic man? His family-flesh and blood-couldn't do it. Yet somehow you managed to do just that."
"He doesn't love me," Caroline protested weakly.
"And the strangest thing; you love him, don't you?"
Caroline blinked. She remained silent and it was all the confirmation Garnet needed.
She cackled. "Oh this is rich. A hybrid falls for another hybrid. An angel-with whom is supposed to be full of light-manages to be stupid enough to fall for the darkest creature in existence."
She stepped forward.
"Deny it if it is not true," Garnet challenged.
Caroline didn't respond. Despite how crazy Garnet was, she hit it on the mark Caroline couldn't remedy her feelings—despite her better judgments, her heart held a pull to Klaus.
But he didn't—he couldn't possibly feel the same.
Why would he?
"I know you and Niklaus are planning against me," Garnet said. "The ritual will happen-I will put an end to the supernatural unbalance caused by him. No one, not even you can stop me."
Miranda reappeared, Bill Forbes on her side.
Caroline stepped forward to take him but something forced her to stay in place. She couldn't move forward.
"Don't bother trying to reach him. I've spelled this half of the room to keep you from crossing."
"I will kill you," Caroline spat. "I'm here. Take me-leave him alone."
She looked at her father. He had lost so much weight. He was extremely pallid and his eyes seemed to sink into his sockets.
"Please!" Caroline exclaimed.
Something shined in Garnet's hand. A dagger.
"Don't. Please," Caroline pleaded, panicking. Her heart began to race.
Garnet ignored her and moved closer to Bill. She murmured something in another language-something Caroline couldn't quite grasp. Garnet grabbed his shoulder and looking back to Caroline, plunged the dagger into Bill's chest.
"No!" Caroline screamed, sinking to the floor in sync to her dad's lifeless body. "No!"
"Let this be a warning to you, Caroline," Garnet said, raising her voice. "Do not cross me or your friend, your mother, might be next. I do not relish in having a child try to thwart my plans."
Caroline screamed again, a sharp pain forming within her. The walls seemed to close in and she saw red.
Miranda yelped, "We need to leave."
Garnet nodded, glancing once at Caroline and the, like other things, she was gone.
The force field broke and Caroline scrambled to her dad's dead body.
Her hands were smeared in blood as she cried, holding him close. Smoke began to fill the room.
"Dad-daddy..." she gasped, tears falling and never stopping. "Please, please come back," she croaked.
Flames erupted across the walls-fire was everywhere except for the small circle where she sat, cradling her father.
"No, no, no."
What was the point in having magic if, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring him back?
One voice seemed to break through her jumbled thoughts.
"Caroline, no."
She looked up. Across the burning room stood Klaus. The night sky was behind him...How long had she been here?
"Please," he said. "Get out of there before the entire building collapses."
"No," Caroline said. "No-let me die here."
Klaus' eyes narrowed. "You can't die-I won't let you. This-you dying won't bring him back."
"Neither can my magic, so what's the point?" she argued, tears welling up. "What's the point in being labeled as someone powerful if I can't bring my dad back?"
She looked down at the lifeless body.
"He didn't deserve this," she said.
"No, he didn't," Klaus said, raising his voice slightly. "But letting yourself die won't fix anything. You can't bring him back but you can avenge him. But you have to fight. You have to live."
The boards of the house groaned as the flames intensified.
Klaus gritted his teeth. He couldn't move past the force field-the house was sacred for witches-it kept out all other supernatural beings.
His heart pounded and he outstretched his hand.
"Please," he reasoned. "Please—fight."
Caroline's eyes stared at his hand then, after a moment, she looked at her dad.
She leaned down, planted a kiss on his forehead, and placed him on the floor. Trembling, she stood up.
She blinked then coughed. The flames were out of control and she hit survival mode. She squinted her eyes and tried her best to avoid the flames, making a beeline for the opening.
Caroline ran past the frame and into Klaus just as half of the house collapsed into itself.
She coughed, her eyes shutting as she held onto Klaus.
His arms held her tightly and instinctively, closed his eyes and gave a silent thanks to the gods above. He gave thanks to Bonnie's ability to glimpse into the future. He thanked his vampire speed for getting him here on time.
"I'm here," he reassured her, feeling Caroline shake with silent tears. "I'm here."
Caroline pulled back enough so that she could see his face. His blue eyes were concerned and she thought back to what Garnet said.
She cared for him. Caroline couldn't stop it. It was like that red string people talked about. There was a force that seemed to tether her to him.
She couldn't fight it.
Caroline sighed then, her eyes flickering to his mouth. Without a second thought, she closed the distance and placed her lips on his.
Klaus froze for a moment before gently moving his mouth against hers. It was a strange feeling-a soft rush of warmth flooding him from having such contact. After a moment, he pulled away.
Caroline's blue eyes bore into his and he leaned his forehead against hers.
"I'm here," he repeated.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and have a wonderful New Year my lovelies.
Until the next chapter ;)
-Fanatic4Fiction