Chapter 10: The Dinner Party.
AN: And again, some of the dialogue is from the episode 'the Dinner Party'. And Alaric is in on the entire 'kill Elijah' plan from the beginning, but that is of practically no consequence to the story.
Darwin was gone for the rest of the afternoon and didn't arrive at the Boarding House until 6.30. By then he was drunk out of his mind.
"What the Hell did you drink?" Damon asked him exasperatedly as they stood facing each other in the hall.
"Absinthe, "Darwin slurred.
"An entire bottle?"
"Yes. And another one after that."
Damon rolled his eyes. More than enough to kill a human. This was completely out of character. Yes, Darwin was flakey and highstrung, but he was not an idiot; He knew when to keep a level head. Ever since the boy had met Elijah, though, he had become more and more desperate and jumpy.
Something was clearly going on.
The doorbell rang and Damon decided to leave it for the moment.
"You should go change, "he said, ushering Darwin toward the stairs, "and maybe retire early tonight."
Darwin ran up the stairs .. and that without stumbling, Damon noticed. As drunk as he was, he had a surprising amount of control over his body.
There was another ring and Damon went to the door and opened it.
"John! Surprise! Now leave ..."
John Gilbert moved past him into the hall, completely ignoring him.
Alaric and Jenna came out from the kitchen and Jenna looked at John with pure animosity. "Who invited him?"
"No one, I believe, "Damon answered.
John turned to face him: "When Jenna told me she was going to a dinner party for Elijah, I decided that I couldn't miss out on all the fun and games."
"That was not an invitation, "Jenna mumbled on her way back into the kitchen.
"There are not going to be any games tonight, John, "Alaric said calmly while approaching him and Damon with his hands in his pockets, "this is just a friendly dinner party."
He and John locked eyes for a few moments, then Alaric moved back into the kitchen.
John turned to Damon, who held up his hands in a disarming gesture.
"What he said!"
(Break)
Darwin was sitting in a chair by the large dining room table, while Jenna and Andie were trying to sober him up, bringing him coffee and Oreos, which he absolute refused to consume.
"What can we get you?" Andie finally asked in defeat.
"Maybe a bucket, "Stefan suggested at the sick expression on Darwin's face.
"I am seriously going to report the bartenders at the Grill to the police, "Jenna stated angrily, "this is far from the first time they've served alcohol to minors."
"I wasn't at the Grill, "Darwin said.
"Where were you, then?"
"In the girls' locker room at the High School. But there were no girls."
"Why?"
"Apparently, they don't go to school on a Sunday."
"No, why were you there?"
"I'm not sure, but I believe I was drinking from the toilet at one point."
The door bell rang.
"I'll get it, "Stefan said, getting up from his seat across from Darwin, and walking out into the hall. He opened the front door, and Damon moved up behind him.
"Good evening, "Elijah greeted them serenely, looking as immaculate as ever.
"Thank you for coming." Damon placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, and felt the tension in Stefan's muscles. "Please, do come in."
"Just one moment ... "Elijah reached out and touched the door frame, "Can I just say that if you have less than honourable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest, you reconsider."
"No, nothing dishonourable, "Damon assured him, "Just getting to know you."
"That's good." Elijah finally stepped inside, but halted abruptly as he was about to pass the Salvatore brothers. "Because, you know, although Elena and I have this deal; if you as much as make a move to cross me, I'll kill you and I'll kill everyone in this house ... Are we clear?"
"Crystal, "Damon confirmed.
(Break)
Darwin was uncharacteristacally subdued, during the first half of the dinner party. He hadn't said a word since Elijah entered the house. But the absinthe had done the trick; he wasn't afraid of him.
He pushed his salad around on his plate, testily. The bad thing about alcohol; It enhanced whatever mood you were in and right now; his was rapidly declining. He was turning from a happy drunk into a snappy drunk.
"Eat something, Darwin, "Jenna told him from across the table.
For some reason he didn't feel like playing along anymore.
"I'm a vampire. I don't need food, I need blood."
Damon and Alaric laughed, the rest of party looked at him; all worried, but for various reasons.
"He's tired, "Jenna explained, "and not quite himself."
"Don't talk about me over my head, I'm not a child, "he grumbled, only loud enough for the vampires to hear.
"Maybe it would be better if he left?"
"And just who the Hell are you?" Darwin turned his head toward the blonde human. He had never seen the man before.
"That's John Gilbert, "Damon answered and Darwin noticed the caution in his voice. Damon didn't know this side of his lodger, didn't know if it was dangerous or not.
"Oh, you are John Gilbert! Everybody hates you, you know."
Darwin stared the blonde man down, until he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. "Christ, what now?"
'One new message from NIKLAUS.'
NIKLAUS said: Why have I received no updates from you today?
Darwin quickly texted back.
I said: Go screw yourself, Niklaus!
He put the phone back in his pocket.
Meanwhile, the dinner conversation had returned to normal.
"I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town, "Jenna said, while pouring Damon another glass of wine.
"Hm, do tell, "Damon encouraged the Original.
"Well, as I mentioned to Jenna earlier, "Elijah explained, "A faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690's. Over the next hundred of years they developed this community, where they could feel safe from persecution."
Jenna leaned towards Andie, who was seated beside her: "Because they were witches!"
"Yeah, but there are no tangible proof that there were witches in Salem, "Andie pointed out.
"Andie is a journalist, "Damon informed Elijah, "Big on facts!"
"Well, the lore says that there was a wave of anti-witch hysteria, "Elijah continued the lecture on local history, "It broke out in the neighboring settlement. So these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and burned. Some say you could hear the screams for miles around. They were consumed by the fire."
"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society, "Jenna laughed.
"It is starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me, "John said sounding sceptical.
"So why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres? "Damon inquired politely.
"You know ... "Elijah looked around at the people assembled, "A healthy historian's curiosity, of course."
"Of course."
Alaric stood up and grabbed the empty bottles. "I'll get some more wine, "he said and left the room.
"I'm surprised you didn't mention the Vikings, Mr. Smith, "Darwin remarked, casually.
"I'm sorry; the Vikings?"
"Yes, the original Scandinavian settlers, the ones we talked about at the Lockwoods. You know; ยด'Erik the Red' and 'Red Worm' and ... the rest of the 'Red Family' or whatever. They settled here more than a thousand years ago."
"Really?" Elijah actually succeeded in sounding interested.
"Yes, and they threw smashing parties that everyone attended, even some wolves and the witches, you mentioned earlier. And they drank mead and ate wild boars and mammoths ... Until Kol Mikaelsen died of alcohol poisoning. Then they tied all the witches to a white oak tree and set them on fire."
"And then what?"
"Then they ate the rest of their guests and the Midgard Serpent and, quite possibly, all the Indians, too. "
"Darwin, you're not making any sense, "Jenna finally stated.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that, "Elijah said dryly. Everyone looked at him expectantly, but he didn't elaborate.
Then there was the sudden sound of an incoming text message.
"Sorry, "Damon said, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, "Forgot to turn off my cell."
(Break)
Exactly one hour later, Damon stood in the doorway to the parlour with his cell phone in his hand.
Darwin was sleeping, streched out on a sofa and with a pained expression on his face. Stefan was sitting in the arm chair next to him, reading a copy of 'Propaganda.'
Damon glanced down at the text message, he had received earlier:
Rick said: The dagger is gone.
He heard laughter coming from the dining room. "This is not exactly what I had planned."
"I know, "Stefan said without looking up, "So what are you going to do?"
"Well, you know; if you can't beat them, join them."
Stefan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, Elijah is not the only one around here, who is keeping secrets."
Damon winked at his brother, feeling strangely chipper considering the events of the evening, and walked back into the dining room.
"Well, the kids are tucked away for the evening, "he said cheerfully, "now, what are you talking about?"
Jenna looked up at him: "I was just apologising for the dessert taking so long. I mean, it's cooking, not rocket science."
She went back into the kitchen and out of ear shot, leaving Andie, Damon and Elijah alone in the dining room.
"So let me guess, "Damon said to Elijah, "in addition to the moonstone, doppelganger, the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, you need to find this witch burial ground?"
"Because I feel as though we've grown so close, Damon, I will tell you; yes." Elijah paused for a couple of seconds. "Do you know where it is?"
"Maybe, "he admitted, "tell me, why it's so important."
"We're not that close."
"Then tell me instead, what do you know about Darwin Havens?"
"Absolutely nothing." Elijah shrugged. "I had never even heard of him until a few days ago. Why?"
"I don't trust him."
"That is probably wise, "Elijah said, "since he definitely knows something."
"So, what do you say we go look through his things? "Damon suggested casually.
Elijah looked at him as if he had sprouted wings.
"Come on, it's for his own good. Besides, he's passed out on the couch and probably won't wake up until tomorrow. He has consumed two bottles of absinthe."
"And why do you want me to do this with you?"
"Darwin is old. I've heard him talking about being present at Henry the 8th's coronation and something about bad work-environment during the time of the Black Death... I may find important things that I know absolutely nothing about."
(Break)
"So where do you want to start? "Elijah asked looking around the tidy room.
"Well, I know there is nothing on his laptops. He has lent them to both Stefan and I on several occasions." He considered his options. "How about this?"
He went to a chest that was placed beside the door to the walk-in closet. He knelt down and tried lifting the lid. It opened easily.
He pulled out a crossbow. "Would you look at this ... And an arrow."
"Bolt, "Elijah said calmly.
Damon looked up in alarm: "Why?"
Elijah knelt down, facing the side of the chest. "It's not called an arrow, it's called a bolt."
"Oh, "Damon put the crossbow and bolt down, "See, I told you that I needed you."
"Well, if you hadn't invited me to come along, I probably would have come back and done this myself some time tomorrow, "Elijah admitted reluctantly.
Damon took up a small trinket, hanging from a leather string. "Do you know what this is?"
"It's Mjolner, "Elijah said, "Thor's Hammer."
"The Thunder God?"
"So, you do know some things, after all."
"I've read 'the Avengers'."
It was Elijah's turn to look blank.
"Marvel comics ... Nevermind." He put the trinket to the side.
Then Elijah dug up several books, reading the titles and setting them aside. "Quite a lot on Norse Mythology and Existentialism. They are all in Danish."
"Anything on bomb making?" Damon picked up a picture frame that had lain hidden beneath the books. "An old Halloween photo."
It was a black and white photo of Darwin and another young man, who looked a couple of years older. They were both dressed up as court jesters. Damon handed the picture frame to Elijah, who stared intently at the photo, before turning the frame over and opening it. He took out the photo and placed the empty frame on top of the books. Then he looked at the back of the photo.
"Not Halloween, Shrovetide, "he said, showing the back of the photo to Damon.
A few words were scribbled, but they made no sense to him. He only recognised the year; 1902.
"It says; Shrovetide, Copenhagen, 1902."
"Really, "Damon said without interest, "Do you know, who the other boy in the photo is?"
Elijah turned the photo back over and rested his finger tips lightly against the glossy surface.
"Yes, it's Kol Mikaelson."
"So, Kol Mikaelson didn't die of alcohol poisoning, after all."
"You have a good memory, "Elijah observed with an amused smile, "but considering the fact that the story was a kind of coded message, I actually think Mr. Havens said the wrong name. I think, he ment the say Henrik Mikaelson."
"Who exactly are Kol and Henrik Mikaelson?"
"My brothers, "He sighed at the questioning look on Damon's face, "I'll explain about my family some other time. It's a very long story.
"How do you suppose Darwin knows Kol?"
"I'm not sure, "Elijah admitted, "But I think he misses him."
"Does he?" Damon turned his attention back to the contents of the chest. "Now what is this?"
He took out the last thing in the chest. A strange figurine; A disc being pulled by a horse. Horse and disc were placed on six wheels.
"It's a replica of 'the Sun Chariot'. The original is in bronze and gold and was found in a marsh in Denmark in the beginning of the 20th century."
"Another thing from the Viking Age?" Damon asked.
"No, "Elijah said, "It's actually from the Bronze Age. The original Sun Chariot is dated to be from around 1300 BC. Bronze Age human's believed the sun was dragged across the sky by a fish in the morning, then a ship until midday. Then the horse led the sun to the Afternoon Ship and in the evening, a serpent led the sun into the Underworld. There the sun was brought back to the fish by Night Ships."
'Oh, my God, "Damon thought, 'Alaric was right, this really is boring.'
Damon started to put Darwin's things back into then chest in the right order and Elijah went into the walk-in closet. Damon had just finished, when he returned.
"What is this?" He held up something for Damon to see.
The dagger!
Lucky for Damon, his facial expression was adequately surprised: "I don't know. Where did you find it?"
"In one of his boots. I'll just hold on to it."
'Crap!'
"Did you find anything else?" Damon hurriedly changed the subject.
"Yes." Elijah went back into the closet and came out holding a sword in a scabbard. "This."
Damon got up and went over to him. "Is it a real sword?"
"Oh, yes." Elijah handed the sword to Damon. "It's a double-edged broadsword. It's Kol's sword, actually."
Damon pulled it halfway out of the scabbard and noticed that there were runes carved into the blade.
"Do you know what that means?" He immediately regretted asking, afraid he might make Elijah start another history ramble.
"Something along the lines of; 'Christened in Blood'." Elijah suddenly looked toward the door. "Someone's coming."
(Break)
The door to his room was wide open and Darwin went inside. Then stopped short.
Damon was standing in front of the walk-in closet, holding Kol's sword. Elijah was right beside him. The both stared at him and he stared back.
"Er ... Jenna asked me to tell you that dessert is ready."
Having just awoken and still being drunk out of his mind, he didn't find the display strange at all.
"I know, who you are, "Elijah told him, "you're Kol's son, aren't you?"
Darwin blinked at him, not knowing quite what to answer to that. He finally recovered enough to answer, though. "Yes, I am."
Luckily, the moment was interrupted by Elijah's cell phone receiving a text message. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Then a look of complete surprise crept over his face.
"What?! You are mine?!"
AN: You thought I was going to let Damon and Alaric kill Elijah? No way in Hell!
I am really sorry about Elijah's history lectures. Being a history nut myself, he and I put together is a tiresome combination. I have checked all my historical facts. They should be accurate.
And I have no idea if Absinthe is legal in the US. It is in the European Union. It's like 70% alcohol and taste horrible.