AN: Oh, wow, I'm so very sorry. I've had the worse writer's block that I haven't been able to work on any of my stories. I hope that's passed and the writing will come easier now. I hope you like the chapter.
Loving-The-Originals: Thanks for reading! Sorry about the super long wait. I didn't write the scene, but Rebekah would've already burnt the bridge wood. We'll have to see if the sign was included or not. I don't know! Thanks again for reading!
Charlotte: Here's the next chapter!
Guest: I will try to keep the Originals all alive. But no promises!
Storylover: Thanks so much! I wanted a chapter where Klaus and Sophia just got back to being together instead of worrying about all the drama, so it was nice. I'm glad you liked it.
Guest: I'm not sure if they'll go to New Orleans or not. I love The Originals, but I don't know if that story line would work for my story, although it would be interesting to see Sophia come into a place that practices ancestral magic, as she wouldn't have those restrictions. And seeing Klaus take Marcel to task for trying to punish her for using magic would be very interesting. But, like I said, I don't know if I'll be writing them in New Orleans or not. I'm more worried about finishing the current season I'm on. Thanks for reading!
Guest: I'm so happy you liked the chapter! And JMo's acting just about broke me, lol. The way he looked at that baby. Man. It definitely gave me ideas for this story, that's for sure.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to TVD or The Originals.
Chapter 21: A Killer Revealed
"So you really think Alaric is the one killing?" Sophia asked as she watched the tech prepare Alaric for a MRI scan. She'd wanted to stay out of all this drama, as she had enough on her plate already, but when Elena had called with the news that morning, she'd quickly made her way to the hospital. There was no way she was going to leave her sister alone with a nutcase that was on some kind of killing spree.
"I don't know, really. But Samantha Gilbert went crazy at the same time as the last murders, in 1912. We think it might be because of the Gilbert ring." Elena said with a frown, arms crossed over her chest as Meredith came into the connected room.
"What are you looking for?"
"Yeah, is there an "I've gone loco and am killing people" part of the brain that'll light up or something?" Sophia added, getting annoyed looks from both women.
"I don't know. A tumor, vascular anomalies. Anything physical that might explain his behavior." Meredith said, ignoring the witch. Sophia just shrugged and leaned closer to the computers, hand rubbing at her stomach, as it was starting to cramp again.
"If it's medical, I can treat it."
"And if it's not?" Elena asked in worry.
"Well…then we'll deal with that, too."
"Man, it really is a good thing Jenna and Jeremy got outta dodge. Could you imagine what could've happen if he'd flipped his script when he was home alone with her? Talk about major boyfriend issues." Elena cast her twin a look, silently telling her it really wasn't the time for her snarky remarks. But even though Jenna had started to express doubts about their relationship, she was still dating Alaric, and Sophia was determined the doctor remembered that.
"When did you suspect? That it was Alaric who was killing all those people?" Sophia leaned against the table as Alaric was moved into the machine, irritated her stomach just wouldn't stop twisting. She'd thought it'd gotten better, as she hadn't had them the last few days, but apparently she was wrong.
"Maybe it was when the bodies kept showing up with Alaric's weapons. That was a good sign." The doctor titled her head slightly towards her, not denying the obvious.
"That did catch my attention. But it was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. I don't know if either of you know this, but we Fells are notorious busybodies."
"And thieves." They both turned to look at Sophia, who just shrugged, arm wrapping around her belly.
"What? That was a Gilbert journal. By her having it, that means it was stolen, as I doubt the Gilberts were big on sharing. I'm just saying." Elena and Meredith turned back to the monitors, ignoring her. Why had Elena asked her to come if she was just going to ignore her? That wasn't right.
"Then why did you protect him?"
"Because I'm a doctor. I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over. And, because when he and I first met, I felt like, I don't know, I…like I just kind of wanted to help him." Sophia rolled her eyes.
"I need to go to the bathroom." She muttered and left through the door at the back of the small room that led out into a hallway.
Sophia made her way to the nearest restroom, splashing cold water on her face. But the longer she stood there, staring at herself, the worse the cramping got. She really didn't understand this whole pregnancy thing or why the pain came and went randomly; weren't symptoms supposed to be predictable or something like that? At least she wasn't nauseous, as that would just suck more than it already did. And don't even get her started on how guilty she felt about not telling anyone outside the Original family about her condition.
Sighing, Sophia dried her face and hands before leaving, just wanting to get out of the hospital. It really wasn't her favorite place, especially as she always remembered the utter agony that'd crimpled her upon hearing about her parents' deaths. She really didn't like hospitals.
The room with the MRI machine was empty when she returned, the tech shutting things down. He quickly told her what room Alaric had been taken into to get dressed and she made her way there, running into Elena on the way.
"So?" She asked as they walked into the room, hiding a wince as her stomach tightened viciously. What the hell was wrong with her?
"Meredith says that everything is normal." Elena said, answering her questions and Alaric's unspoken one.
"Well, everything is normal. Because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill Bill Forbes, and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach." The man replied in irritation.
"Unless you're crazy alter ego wanted to throw suspicion." Sophia muttered quietly, hand holding the doorknob tightly. Elena glanced at her before looking back at Alaric, her own doubtful look letting him know she was with her sister on this one. Go twins.
"Or I did, and I've gone insane, just like your ancestor, who…wore that ring." Alaric sighed, fingering the enchanted object.
"Look, I'm gonna call Bonnie and her and Sophia will find something to help."
"I am?"
"The rings were made by a Bennett witch. So maybe a witch or two can reverse the damage." Elena continued, giving Sophia a pleading look.
"Yeah, alright, I can do research I guess. Anything to make you not want to kill people." Alaric huffed a breath before sliding the ring towards Elena.
"Take it. I don't want it anymore."
"So…is anyone worried about the fact that our little brother is wearing the same ring? I'm just asking, you know, in case I should warn Jenna she might have a psychopath as a nephew." Elena shut her eyes in exacerbation, wondering again why she called Sophia. But even as annoying as her sister could be, she needed her; she needed her sister.
"I already called her and told her to take the ring away from Jeremy, just in case."
"Ah, good thinking twin. So I say we blow this popsicle stand." Sophia said, really needing to get out of there. She just needed to sit down or something; her abdominal pain was making her eyes water. Before either Elena or Alaric could say anything, Damon came sauntering to the door.
"Ready to ditch this house of horrors? Ooff. You look terrible." Even though Elena gives him a scathing look, Alaric gives a sarcastic chuckle.
"Yeah."
"Well aren't you just the best candy striper ever. Though, I would work on your bedside manner, just FYI." Damon's gaze turned to her, his eyes raking over her.
"You look terrible too. Maybe it's the water." For the first time, Elena really looked at her, noticing the beaded forehead and the white-knuckle grip she had on the knob.
"Are you alright?" Sophia glared at the vampire before giving a nod.
"Course. But I'm all for leaving as soon as possible."
"Let me—let me check out of here." Alaric muttered and exited the room, shoulders slumped. Elena scowled at Damon as she followed, leaving the witch and vampire to exchange a look before they followed.
"Don't worry about him. We'll take him out for chicken soup, we'll get him a martini, make sure he doesn't kill anybody." Damon said as they made their way out to the parking lot.
"This isn't a joke Damon!" Elena nearly yelled, surprising Sophia, as she hadn't known they'd apparently been fighting. Or maybe it was just the sexual tension that was getting to her sister, especially now that she didn't have Stefan to keep her in check.
"I know that Elena! But what do you want me to do about it?" The vampire threw his hands up, annoyed. Sophia just continued on to Elena's car, thinking she really needed to get around to getting her own.
"You're his best friend. You should be supporting him instead of making him feel more worse than he already does." Elena said angrily as she marched to the driver's side. Sophia ignored them as she got into the car, thankful she didn't have to wait long before the human was slamming into the car, clearly upset.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay. But…I mean, you know how I feel about Damon, but I'm here if you need to talk. You know that, right?" Sophia asked as Elena started the car. Her sister glanced over at her and sighed, eyes closing for a moment before reopening.
"I know, Soph. I just…I don't know what there's to say. Stefan…he thinks I have feelings for Damon and I—he makes me so frustrated!" She muttered, checking behind her as she pulled out of the parking spot and started towards Sophia's.
"I think…I think you do have feelings for Damon, Elena. As much as you want to deny it, I've seen it since the ritual."
"I don't—"
"Hey, I'm your twin, Lena, I know you. And I can tell that you're attracted to him. I don't know if it's the bad boy thing or if there's just something about him, but you do like Damon. And I've tried to put all my anger aside at him trying to kill Klaus because I know he's always trying to protect you, even if he is an idiot; besides, I can't really judge, since I'm with the biggest bad boy of them all." Sophia gave a small chuckle and shrug.
"But I still love Stefan, Soph." The twins exchanged a look.
"And he loves you. But it's not fair to any one of you for you to be stuck between them, not knowing which one you love more. That's something you have to realize; soon, I hope, because I love you and Stefan and I want you both to be happy." The witch squeezed Elena's arm, getting a small smile in reply.
"I know."
"So…we're not totally freaking out about Alaric?"
"I'm hoping you and Bonnie will find something to fix him." Elena mumbled, hands tightening around the steering wheel.
"We'll do our best. But what do we do if it doesn't work?"
"We'll just have to hope it does." Sophia knew that was a little naive, but her sister was desperate, so she just nodded. She'd do her best.
"Do you want to come in?" She asked when they pulled into the driveway.
"I guess." Elena shrugged and shut the car off, following her twin into the large house. It was different than the last time she'd been there for the ball; though no less splendid.
"I keep the grimoires in the den. We don't have a library, as most of Klaus's books are still back at the other house. And I really don't want to use Esther's office." Sophia said as she walked ahead, trusting her sis to follow. When they entered the room, Elena let out a surprised sound, as she hadn't expected to see the regal Elijah so rumpled.
"Elijah?" The eldest Mikaelson shot up, eyes jumping from the TV screen to her before looking down at the jeans and t-shirt he'd had to borrow, as his suits were a little uncomfortable for gaming. Kol rolled his eyes and paused the game, head tilting back to get a better view of the sisters.
"Elena! I—how are you?" He fumbled for a minute, making Sophia have to cover her mouth with her hand to keep her giggles in. She'd gotten so used him and his new addiction that she'd forgotten just how different this new Elijah was so different from the one they were used to.
"I—are you playing video games?" She didn't know why she was so surprised, but she was. She'd never even imagined Elijah would be into that sort of thing.
"Uh, yes. I have found they are very entertaining." Sophia snorted and quickly headed to where Klaus was seated, laptop in front of him. Whatever he'd been looking at was gone when she reached him, piquing her interest.
"How is Alaric?" He asked when she stepped into him, his arm wrapping around her side as he pulled her into his lap.
"We don't know. The scans were clean. So I'm gonna look into trying to find a magical cure." She said quietly, fingers tracing his scruffy cheek. His red lips pulled down into a frown and his arms tightened around her, his eyes peeking over her shoulder to look at Elena, who was still in a state of shock. Elijah and Kol were speaking, but his focus was on Sophia, muffling all other noise.
"You're doing that here, right?"
"No, I'm gonna go to the house. Elena's gonna call Bonnie too and we'll hopefully have an answer quickly." Klaus shook his head, sea-green eyes locking on hers.
"I don't like you being there. What if Alaric comes back?" Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward to give him a light kiss before pulling back.
"Alaric is fine now. I'll be fine." She smiled, but he wasn't placated.
"Sophia—"
"Nik, I'll be fine. Stop worrying so much. I can take care of myself." She rolled her eyes, annoyed at his overprotectiveness. Klaus glanced down, his hand moving until his palm rested against her stomach, making her breath catch. Thank god they were facing away from Elena.
"I don't like you putting both of you in danger." He said quietly. Sophia tightened her hold on him, resting her forehead against his.
"I know. But you can't keep me locked away from the world, Nik. I won't let anything happen to me or to—I'll be safe. I promise. And I can't leave Elena in danger either."
"Then doing the research here makes more sense, does it not?" Shaking her head, Sophia pulled back to smile at him, her eyes bright with love as she stared into his.
"I doubt anyone would be comfortable here, Nik. I'll call you if there's any trouble, I swear. But I'm going and you can't stop me." She said firmly, rubbing her nose lightly against his. He pouted, but she just smiled and pressed a kiss to his red lips before standing.
"Make sure your phone is on." He muttered, snagging her hand before she could walk away.
"I will. Why don't you guys go out, have fun. Get Elijah off the couch before he gets a beer gut." She said, her voice rising, catching the attention of the brothers. Elijah gave a horrified huff while Kol laughed loudly, making the twins share an amused smile.
"I do not have a beer gut!" Elijah exclaimed, his cool and collected self missing at the moment. It really was the funniest thing to see him so frazzled, as it didn't happen often.
"Maybe not now, but if you don't get up off that couch you will. Have you even brushed your hair this morning?" His hands shot to his hair in horror before he vamped from the room, leaving them to chuckle.
"I mean it; you guys need to get out. That means you too Kol. You're worse than Elijah! Take a page out of Bek's book and go get a life." Sophia shook her head as she went to the corner that'd been designated as hers, as it housed the shelves that her grimoires were kept on.
"So a strip club?" Kol asked, smirking when the witch whirled back around with a scowl.
"What? That's not what I meant!" Klaus laughed at her irritated face as he shut the laptop down.
"I would rather watch you than any other woman, Sophia." He whispered, suddenly behind her, his hands sliding up her sides and making her shiver.
"You better. Besides, only the desperate have to pay women to take their clothes off." She replied, giving Kol a pointed look that had him clutching at his heart dramatically.
"You wound me with your words! I thought we had something!" Kol whined, getting an eye roll from his brother, who was taking the opportunity to press his lips against the skin of her neck.
"That's what happens when you confuse your dreams with reality. You couldn't handle me." Klaus's low chuckle against her skin made her shiver again.
"You never gave me the chance." Kol pouted, bemused. Sophia really was something else and he'd be lying if he said there wasn't a small part of him that was jealous that Klaus had her and he didn't.
"Sorry. I—need a little more monster in my man." Sophia said, her breath hitching when fangs were suddenly pressing against her skin, her eyes growing heavy as her heart raced.
"Now you're just being mean. I'm gonna tell Elijah on you." Sophia just rolled her eyes, head tilting back to rest against Klaus's shoulder. Elena gasped when his golden eyes met hers, his lips stretched over his large teeth into a smirk; her heart pounded when Sophia's red ones also met hers, the picture they made unsettling.
"Don't mind them, they're always like this. So how about that strip club? You in?" Kol turned to the human with a quirked brow and smirk, finding her reaction amusing. He'd ben unnerved the first time he'd seen the witch's new form, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy watching others responses to the unusual sight.
"I—uh, no, sorry, we have plans. Sophia?" Elena swallowed over the lump in her throat, uncomfortable. She'd seen Sophia's red gaze and fangs before, but she'd never seen the two of them together like this. It was almost frightening, especially when she stopped to think about what those sharp teeth were capable of. Yeah, there was definitely no way Sophia could judge her for her taste in guys, that was for sure.
"Yeah. Sorry. I'm going." Sophia sighed before stepping away from Klaus, her eyes returning to their normal chocolate brown. Klaus just smirked at Elena, amused. The witch gave him a light swat as she moved past him, carefully selecting the grimoires that she thought would have the best chance of helping them.
"I must apologize for my appearance; I did not know you would be stopping by." Elijah said as he reentered the room, groomed and put together like Elena was used to.
"It's okay, Elijah. You don't have to apologize for enjoying yourself." The human said with a smile, grateful for the distraction.
"Do you think it wise to be around Alaric when he is the one responsible for the recent deaths?" Elijah questioned as he straightened his suit jacket.
"I can't abandon him, Elijah. He's family and he needs me, us, to help him." He nodded and gave her a small smile, squeezing her shoulder.
"I understand. Do be careful, though. If you sense anything is wrong, do not hesitate to call me and get out of there." Elena smiled and nodded.
"I will."
"I'm ready." Sophia announced, large tote bag slung over her shoulder. Klaus took her hand, bringing it up to kiss her knuckles and making her smile.
"Okay. Great. Uh, have a good time doing…whatever." Elena nodded at the vampires before turning back towards the door, Sophia following after a kiss goodbye.
"He's a little overprotective, isn't he?" The doppelgänger asked as they got back into the car.
"Seems to be a common state for vampires, as Stefan and Damon are like that with you too. I guess they just don't think we can take care of ourselves, which is total bull. I'm a witch for heaven's sake." Sophia rolled her eyes, ignoring the twinge of guilt at hiding the real reason he was so worried. Well, more so than he usually would have been. Vampires, and hybrids, really did worry too much. Although, given the town they lived in, she could see the reasons for it.
"Yeah." The two lapsed into silence, both with their own troubled thoughts. Sophia realized for the first time that her stomach had stopped hurting, for which she was thankful. It hadn't been a crimpling pain, but it sure hadn't been comfortable either. But hopefully it was gone for the day. Fingers crossed.
/*/
"So what are we doing here?" Caroline asked as she poured herself some tea, eyes watching as Bonnie and Sophia sat up their books on the table.
"Elena thinks Alaric has gotten a ticket on the crazy train and is killing people. So we're gonna try and find a way to fix him." Sophia said with a shrug, missing the way Caroline's eyes widened.
"She…Alaric is the one killing people?" Looking up at her friend's question, the witch saw how horrified she looked. It took her a second to realize just why she'd be so shocked.
"Oh, Care, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about—"
"My dad." The blonde whispered, arms wrapping around herself. Sophia hurried over to her, wrapping her arm around her, being joined a moment later by Bonnie. Elena had left to get a book from the Boarding House, leaving the three friends alone.
"I just…I think I need some time. You guys are gonna be fine without me?" Caroline broke away from them, grabbing her purse. The two witches shared a look before giving affirmations, both watching as the vampire nodded before disappearing.
"Damn."
"Yeah. I hadn't even thought about it." Bonnie shook her head as she headed back to the table, sighing as she sat down.
Feeling awful for the pain Caroline was in, Sophia took her own seat, wanting to get the answers quickly so she could make sure her friend was okay. Well, as okay as you could be when you realized that one of your friends killed your dad, turning him into a vampire, and then he let himself die to avoid that at all costs. Talk about a messed up friend dynamic.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Bonnie questioned after a few minutes, glancing through her grimoire.
"I'm not really sure. But I might know someone who does." Sophia replied as she pulled her phone out and scrolled through her contacts until she got to the right one.
"Hello?"
"Gabby! Hey, it's Sophia."
"Sophia! I haven't heard from you in so long. How are things? I was sorry to hear about John." Her mentor said, sympathy in her voice. Sophia felt a pang of guilt at having been out of touch for so long, but she'd had a very confusing and complicated last few months, so give her a break.
"Thanks. I was actually calling for your help."
"'Course cher. Anything."
"Okay, so I have this friend who's been wearing a magical ring that brings him back to life from death when it's caused by supernatural causes."
"Sophia, that's really dark magicks. It goes against everything I've taught you."
"I know, Gabby, and I didn't make the rings. But the reason I need your help is because my friend is…well, going crazy, I guess. We think he's murdering people, but then he doesn't remember anything." She heard the older woman sigh heavily and she could just picture her stroking the petals of her favorite summer tulip plant, something she did when she was thinking. She missed her mentor more than she'd realized and she made a mental note to call her more.
"How many times has this friend died and come back to life?" Sophia looked at Bonnie, as she had no clue. Actually, she really knew very little about Alaric, as she hadn't really talked that much about him with Jenna or Elena before this.
"I dunno. 4, 5 times maybe?"
"Bonnie says 4 or 5 times so far. We're not exactly sure."
"When someone supernatural dies, they travel to the Otherside, where they're supposed to stay. Coming back repeatedly may have chipped at his psyche, changing him with every resurrection. Witches that get obsessed with black magick go through this too, so it might be like that."
"Can we fix it?"
"Yes. There should be a spell in one of the grimoires that can tie his current state to his body so he doesn't change. I'm sorry I don't know its location or name, but I've never had to perform it. Sophia…be careful. People in this state are unpredictable."
"Yeah, I know. Thank you for the help. I just hope we find the spell before his alter ego returns."
"You're welcome. You'll call if there's anything else I can do?"
"Of course. I'm sorry I haven't called recently. Things have just been…"
"Complicated?" Sophia gave a little laugh at that.
"You could say that. Take care Gabby."
"You too cher." Sophia ended the call and put her phone back in her pocket.
"So?"
"Gabby thinks there's a spell that can keep his normal Alaric self in place so Evil-Alaric can't come back. But we have to find it, since she didn't know more about the spell." She sighed and flipped the first grimoire open.
"At least we have something to go on." Bonnie said, trying to find the silver lining. It hadn't escaped her notice that if her mother hadn't abandoned her again that she would have had her own witch contact to get help from. Was she so unlovable that her mother couldn't even spend a day with her?
"Yeah. Alright, let's get this shit done. I don't particularly want to be doing research the whole day."
The two witches fell into silence as they skimmed through the text, hopeful it wouldn't take too long to find their answer. Both for their sakes and the sake of Alaric, as there was no telling when his other self might come back.
/*/
Stefan looked up when he heard the front door open, surprised to smell Elena, as no one was supposed to be home. Curious, he zipped up the bag he'd just finished packing and grabbed it before exiting, shutting his door firmly behind him. Heading down the stairs, he found Elena leaving the library, the journal he'd found in hand.
"Oh! Huh, hi." She stopped short when she saw him, startled at his appearance. Her eyes flicked down to spy the suitcase in his hand before returning to his face.
"Hey." Stefan replied, the question clear in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be here."
"I just swung by to pick up some more clothes." Stefan replied with a shrug, his heart clenching tightly in his chest. He hadn't been alone with Elena in a while and the sight of her still took his breath away and made the ache in his chest intensify.
"I just came by to pick up this book that you found about my ancestor Samantha." She explained, having to swallow around the lump that'd suddenly formed in her throat. She just wanted to throw her arms around him and beg him not to leave her again, but she kept still, knowing he wouldn't welcome it. Especially not if what Damon had so gleefully told her was true.
"That's fine. See you later." Stefan nodded before turning towards the door, taking but a step before Elena's hand was on his arm.
"How are you doing?" She asked quietly, her doe eyes filled with emotions he didn't want to get caught up in. At least not until she'd made up her mind about what she felt for Damon once and for all. Sophia had taught him that he deserved to be loved unconditionally and completely; he deserved better than to have the one he loved torn between him and his brother.
"I'm good." He replied, but the arched brow she gave him told him she wasn't satisfied with the answer.
"I am, Elena. Sophia is still working with me and my feeding, so I'm handling it. I have good days and bad days, but that's life."
"And…you like living with Rebekah?" Elena's voice caught as the words came out, silently cursing herself for saying them. But even as she didn't want to know, she wanted to know. She needed to hear it from Stefan himself.
"Yeah, uh, it's good. I might actually look for my own apartment, get my own space." He said, free hand rubbing at his neck as he shifted his feet, uncomfortable.
"Damon told me." She whispered, fists clenching around the book she still held to her chest. The vampire sighed heavily, his head dropping forward slightly before he met her eyes.
"Look, Elena…I meant what I said about you figuring out who you love. I can't do this tug-a-way with Damon over a woman again. I'm sorry he told you about Rebekah, as I never meant to hurt you. But we're not together anymore and she's just helping me deal."
"Do you—do you love her?" Her voice was barely audible, her throat tight. Stefan stepped forward until his hand was on her chin, titling her face up until she met his gaze.
"No, I don't; and she doesn't love me. We simply needed each other. My heart still belongs to you." He replied softly, his own hurt shining through.
"Oh." Elena nodded, hating how much pain she'd caused him. Stefan cleared his throat and straightened up, wanting to get out of there.
"Samantha Gilbert was committed to an insane asylum. She tried to give herself a lobotomy with a knitting needle. And bled to death on the floor of her cell. If the same thing is happening to Alaric, I don't know if there's anything you can do." He said with a nod towards the journal. Elena sniffled and clutched the bound book to her chest.
"No, there has to be something. Bonnie, Care, and Sophia are looking into it. I'll uh, see you around." She said before hurrying past him, needing to find answers and get away from him before she burst into tears. Stefan just sighed before leaving, hating that his life was always so complicated. He missed the simpler days.
/*/
The house was soon filled with noise as Elena, Alaric, Damon and Meredith all came back, which was a little surprising, as Sophia would've thought they'd go to the Boarding House, as it seemed to be the hub of their gatherings. She was surprised at how sad Elena looked, her face drawn and her shoulders slumped; she was even ignoring Damon, who had been trying to flirt with her. Something was definitely up.
Deciding to take a break, Sophia stood from her spot at the table and snagged her twin's hand, titling her head towards the door. Nodding, Elena followed her out to the front porch, taking a seat next to the witch on the porch swing.
"What's wrong? Besides Alaric being a lunatic and killing Care's dad, I mean?" Elena heaved a sigh and laid her head back against the wood, eyes shutting as she tried to make sense of everything. But it was like her life had become a hurricane, completely destructive and out of her control, leaving her confused and uncertain.
"I saw Stefan." She said finally, eyes opening to meet Sophia's.
"Okay?"
"Did you know? About him and Rebekah?" The witch looked forward as her feet pushed against the ground, making the swing begin to slowly move.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think it was any of my business, to be honest. Stefan and Rebekah are my friends, Elena, and you're my sister, so I didn't want to get in the middle of it."
"But—they're sleeping together!" Elena said angrily, glaring at her sister, who should've told her.
"Yeah, I know, I walked in on them once. But you're not together anymore, Elena."
"I still love him!"
"I know. And I'm sorry; I know that has to suck. But you still haven't dealt with the feelings you have for Damon."
"I don't—"
"Yes you do, and you know it. I want both you and Stefan to be happy, as you both deserve that. But I'm not getting in middle of this. You need to come to terms with your own feelings and make a choice." Elena's lips trembled a little as she hugged herself.
"I don't know if I can." Sophia squeezed her arm and gave her a sad smile.
"You have to." The sisters lapsed into silence as they got lost in their own thoughts, watching as the sun sank below the horizon.
"Bonnie found something." The two jump at the sudden noise, both looking to see Damon leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest.
Sophia shot up off the swing and hurried past him, not wanting to be a witness if there was going to be more drama, as she'd already had her fill. How Caroline thrived off it she'd never understand.
"What'd you find?" Sophia asked when she reached the kitchen, where the three were gathered around the table, looking at one of the grimoires.
"It's a cleansing spell, basically. It's used to bring witches back from the brink when they've become obsessed with dark magic. They lose control and start acting out their darkest impulses, like Gabby said."
"Great. How do we do it?"
"We need to get something personal, something you wore before the Gilbert ring." Bonnie looked up at Alaric, who'd stepped away from the table, tumbler in hand. It was clear how stressed he was and she felt bad for him, as he hadn't asked for any of this. Well, none of them had asked for any of this.
"Uh, my wedding ring, I guess."
"You still have it?"
"Yes. It's at the loft." He nodded.
"I can go get it." Elena said when she joined them.
"I'll go with you, as I need to pick up some fresh herbs from the store. We can perform the spell when we get back."
"I'll stay here with Alaric and Meredith to make sure he…you know, doesn't go crazy." Sophia said, looking over her shoulder at the man, who just sighed and finished his drink.
"It's in the dresser by the kitchen. It's in, uh, an aspirin bottle. Probably covered in cobwebs."
"Ok. We'll be back soon." Elena gave a strained smile before grabbing her phone and heading out, Damon and Bonnie following. Sophia just rolled her eyes at the vampire, as he really was like a puppy dog, only less cute and more annoying.
"So…are we gonna talk about it being awkward that you're still dating my aunt and have a thing for the doctor here or are we just gonna pretend otherwise?" Sophia glanced between the two adults, who were both blushing and looking anywhere but at her or each other.
"Okay, pretending it is. You hungry? I'm starving." The witch moved past them to the refrigerator, her stomach rumbling.
"I, uh, I could make us something." Meredith said as she stepped up next to her. But there really wasn't much to eat in the fridge, as neither Elena nor Alaric was big on cooking, especially since they were rarely home long enough to make a meal.
"I'll just have some cereal." Sophia shrugged and grabbed the milk.
"Why don't you go relax? I'll make some coffee." Meredith said to Alaric, who was leaning against the island, looking haggard. He glanced between the two women before shrugging and heading into the living room.
"So, uh, you're a witch. That must be cool." The doctor said with a strained smile as she started the coffee pot, knowing Sophia really didn't like her.
"Yeah, it has its days. Do you like being a doctor?"
"I do. I love being able to help people, even saving them when they would've died otherwise."
"Hmm. I—ow." Sophia dropped her spoon back into the bowl as her stomach cramped painfully, the sudden ache startling, as she'd felt fine since that morning.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just—stomach ache. I'm gonna just step outside for a minute."
"Are you sure?" The witch nodded as she clutched at her stomach and staggered out of the room, the pain growing more intense with every passing second.
Sophia sat down heavily on the stone steps, body hunching over as she tried to breathe through the pain. It was worse than it'd been that morning at the hospital, her insides feeling like they were being twisted and pulled sharply until tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Pushing off the stairs, Sophia fished her phone out of her pocket and staggered down the street, not wanting the others to overhear as she called Klaus.
/*/
"Isn't the mother supposed to do this?" Kol asked as he looked around the brightly colored store in distaste, hating he'd been roped into joining them.
"Don't be ridiculous, Kol. This is the twenty-first century. Now blue or pink?" Elijah held up two different onesies, unsure. Klaus was pacing up and down the aisle, completely freaked out, a soft green blanket in his hands.
"Maybe this should wait. I mean, we don't even know what it's going to be. What if Sophia doesn't even like any of this stuff? We should wait." The hybrid muttered as he moved, his entire body taunt with agitation and nerves.
"Ah, look, the big bad hybrid is scared." Kol taunted with a laugh, getting a death glare from both men. Klaus went to lunge for the annoying vampire, but Elijah's reflexes were fast and he caught his brother before a fight could break out.
"Kol, really. Go make yourself useful and annoy someone else." The elegant man said with a glare, getting an eye roll before Kol disappeared around the corner, eyes set on the cute cashier.
"I can't do this Elijah. I can't be a father." Klaus shook his head, showing his true fears to his brother for the first time.
"Yes you can, Nik."
"No, you're wrong. I'm going to ruin the child like Mikael ruined us and Sophia'll never forgive me. I can't lose her."
"You're not going to lose Sophia. And you can do this." Elijah gripped Klaus's shoulders tightly as his gaze bored into his brother's.
"You don't know that."
"I do. You're not the same selfish man you used to be, Nik, you've changed. I never would've believed it, actually, before I met Sophia and saw how she's brought out the best side of you. I know you're scared, no matter what you say, but I also know that we'll get through this, together, as a family."
"But—"
"No, Niklaus, no buts. We're in this together and we'll survive. This child…they'll be loved and protected and will never doubt how much they mean to you or me or any of us." Klaus looked down, eyes clenching shut for a minute as he tried to get control of himself.
"Ignore Kol; it's perfectly normal to be afraid of pending fatherhood. But you need to remember that Sophia will also be—" Elijah was interrupted by Klaus's phone going off.
"Hello?"
"Klaus—"
"Sophia, what's wrong?" He asked in alarm, as he could hear the strain in her voice.
"I—I don't know! It hurts Nik. Really bad."
"What hurts? Where are you?"
"My stomach. It feels like—arg—"
"Sophia, tell me where you are." Klaus demanded, striding from the boutique quickly, his brothers falling into step behind him.
"Elena's…sidewalk—ow—please."
"I'll be there soon."
/*/
"Sophia!" The witch glanced up from where she sat huddled on the sidewalk, her arms wrapped around her middle tightly as the painful cramping continued.
"Nik!" Klaus was out of the car before it'd come to a complete stop, vamping to her side, his hands ghosting over her in worry.
"What's the matter? Is it the baby?" The hybrid questioned as Elijah and Kol joined them on the sidewalk, all three men looking panic-stricken and out of sorts. They may be over 1000 years old, but this was a completely new thing for them and they didn't know how to handle it.
"My stomach. It—ugh—it really hurts Nik." Sophia groaned, her abdomen spasming with another torturous cramp.
"Ok. I—we need a doctor."
Klaus fumbled for a moment before he scooped her up into his arms, holding her against his chest tightly. He was completely overwhelmed, his heart pounding with an emotion he'd only felt around Mikael, true and utter fear. He was terrified, his own gut tight, for both Sophia and the baby. He didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to either of them.
"Meredith. She's inside." The witch mumbled as she curled against him, the ache lessening slightly as her skin touched his. The sense of safety and home she always felt around him settled over her and she was able to breathe again.
"Wouldn't a hospital be better equipped to help Sophia?" Elijah questioned as they started back towards the house, his own worry for the doppelgänger clear in his voice.
"The doctor is closer." Klaus muttered, his hold not easing as they reached the house. Elijah reached around them to open the door and stepped into the foyer, his gaze moving around the open space, his senses going into alert mode.
"Come—"
"Wait." He interrupted Sophia, making the witch go silent, detecting the unease that'd filled his body. She was too consumed with fear and pain for her own senses to tell her anything, so she had to trust Elijah was on to something.
"What's the hold up?" Kol questioned, getting impatient with just standing there while Sophia was still in obvious pain. He'd only known her for a short time, but the witch had grown on him and he didn't like that she was suffering.
"I smell blood." Klaus announced, his grip tightening on Sophia as he took a step back from the door.
"That's my fault." Alaric said from the top of the stairs, bringing their attention to him. Sophia gasped softly as the twisting in her stomach intensified as the history teacher made his way down the stairs.
"I dropped a coffee cup and cut myself. Is she alright?" He asked when he spotted the girl in Klaus's arms.
"We need to see the doctor." The hybrid replied tensely, his control slipping with every flinch or gasp Sophia let out, the pain obviously having increased again.
"She had to go to the hospital. A last minute surgery. Sorry." Alaric apologized as he came to stand next to Elijah.
"Fine. Take—ah—take me to the hospital." Sophia grumbled, as the hospital was the last place she wanted to go. But she'd do just about anything to make the pain stop, so if that meant letting strangers poke and prod her, then so be it.
"Elijah! What are you doing?" She gasped and jumped against Klaus when the Original was suddenly behind Alaric, his arm twisted around the human's neck in a choke hold.
Sophia pushed against Klaus until he was forced to drop her, the witch rushing into the house. But she didn't reach them before Alaric had passed out, Elijah lowering him to the ground gently.
"Why'd you do that? Have you lost your mind?" She demanded angrily as she kneeled next to her aunt's boyfriend, checking his vitals.
"I believe he was lying." The vampire explained, picking up a kitchen knife that had blood on it up from the floor and showing it to her before setting it on the small table.
"Meredith!"
"Stay here." Elijah grabbed her before she could dash up the stairs, pushing her towards the door, where two agitated men stood, unable to cross the threshold. Klaus grabbed her hand when he could, pulling her back onto the porch, not wanting her to be so close to the teacher, even if he was unconscious.
"So are we gonna wait or are we going to the hospital now?" The couple looked over at Kol, who'd shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. He really didn't like waiting.
"We have to make sure Meredith's okay." Sophia shook her head, straining her ears to pick up the movements from upstairs. Elijah was soothing the doctor, most likely giving her blood to heal whatever wound Alaric had given her.
"The others have arrived. They can deal with this while we get you looked over." Klaus said, nodding to the car that'd just pulled up. Elena, Bonnie, Damon, and surprisingly, Stefan, all stepped out of the SUV and headed towards them.
"Hey. Is everything alright?" Stefan asked when he say them, picking up on the tension immediately.
"No. Alaric went cray-cray and stabbed Meredith. Or at least, I think that's what happened. Elijah's upstairs with her now." Sophia explained, pointing to the still form in the foyer.
"Oh god." Elena gasped before rushing into the house, followed closely by Damon.
"Did you get the ring and herbs?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna go set up." Bonnie nodded.
"Bon, wait. I-uh-I've been having stomach pains and Klaus wants me to go to the doctor. Can you handle the spell on your own?" Bonnie glanced between them before nodding again.
"Of course. Are you alright?" Sophia shrugged and gave a strained smile.
"I hope so. I'll swing by to check on everything later. Text me if there's any problems."
'Sure. See you later." The other witch went into the house, wanting to perform the spell as quickly as possible.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Stefan questioned, his eyes clouded in worry.
"That's okay, Stef. I've already got plenty of overprotective man meat." Sophia smiled and shook her head, choking on a laugh when she saw the matching looks of horror on the two brother's faces.
"Did you just call us man meat?" Kol demanded.
"Yes, yes I did. Now let's go. I'd actually like to get home at a reasonable hour tonight." She said and headed towards the parked SUV, leaving them to follow her. It wasn't until they'd reached the hospital that she realized the pain had vanished, as if it'd never been.
/*/
"How're you feeling, love?" Sophia looked up from the mug of hot chocolate in her hands. Klaus sat down next to her, his large hand wrapping around one of hers, his sea-green eyes worried.
They'd gotten back from the hospital a little while ago, after checking in at the Gilbert house and making sure both Meredith and Alaric were alright, and Sophia had been quiet ever since. He wanted to give her some space, but he also wanted her to know he was there for her. He wasn't going anywhere and he wanted her to know she wasn't in this alone.
"I'm okay. I—it's strange, really. I've been so freaked out about all of this, but tonight I was so scared that I'd lost my—our baby. I didn't realize how much I wanted it until I thought I'd lost it." Sophia said softly, meeting his gaze.
"I do as well, love." He replied, squeezing her hand.
"I'm still freaked a little, especially since I'm still way too young to be a mom. But I want our child, even if I'm not ready yet."
"We'll get through this, together." Klaus said, standing and pulling her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her, her own coming up to circle his neck.
"It was pretty cool, hearing the heartbeat like that. I mean, I know we can hear it normally, but it was still neat to hear it on the ultrasound; even if we couldn't see anything." She smiled, her body relaxing against his, her fingers twisting in his short hairs.
"It was remarkable, darling. I cannot wait until the baby is large enough to appear on the sonogram."
"Me either." They smiled at each other, both marveling at the turn their lives had taken and the wonder that came with creating a life.
"Let's go to bed. It's been a long day and you need to rest." Klaus pulled away from her and took her hand, leading her from the kitchen.
"I would totally try to jump you, but I really am tired."
He just laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they started up the stairs. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he was grateful every day that she'd chosen to love him, despite all the reasons she shouldn't. Not only had she given him her love, she'd taught him how to truly love others, brought his family back together, and now had given him something he'd never thought possible, a child.
No, he never forgot how lucky he was and he'd make sure she never doubted how loved she was, for eternity.
AN: Okay, so I hope it was alright. I'm not sure about the chapter, but I feel horrible for the delay, so I wanted to post this. I hope you guys liked it and will leave a review. Thanks!