Chapter 19 – Family matters
"So he kept complaining?"
Rebekah asked me as we walked together on our way to the cafeteria.
"yep. First he didn't like the bar is close to the hospital. Then it was that there are no pool tables, then that there's no underage drinking... I swear I considered staking him just to shut him up!"
I complained as we took a seat in our lunch table. she rolled her sky-blue eyes and took a bite out of her perfect red apple.
"you know it makes sense"
"what does?"
I asked her taking a sip of my lemonade.
"when Kol returned home around three am he went straight to Mikael's office and he and Damon were still locked in there when I left"
"please tell me they were talking"
I begged her adding a shudder for good measure.
"Actually I think they're starting a business"
Stefan announced sitting with us. I waved to Mike and turned to Stefan
"a business?"
"Damon kept talking about buying the bar"
he said with a slight smile. I returned it
"that's good?"
Rebekah asked with a slight frown
"I think so yeah. Damon never did anything like that back home"
Stefan offered taking a large bite out of his pizza. When lunch was over Rebekah skipped to her new pep squad and Stefan walked with me to his locker where he handed me the journals back in a large blue shopping bag
"did you finish them already?"
I asked amazed.
"yeah. Damon was right, our sister did live a long full life"
I smiled
"What about the locket? If yours are to protect you from the sun, what about hers? She was human."
Stefan chuckled
"you will have to ask the person that made it for her, first"
he hinted with a raised eyebrow. I mimicked him
"the same person that made yours?"
"no, the original witch"
"Esther"
I finished with a smirk.
"Guess I know where I'll be spending my afternoon then"
I said in upbeat tone and walked to the squad. I wanted to put the journals in my car but a sight stopped me dead. A short, bulky guy with a sneer was pushing Peter around. Pete wasn't taking it and they had attracted a crowd that kept cheering 'fight, fight'. I went to them right as the kid punched Pete and got a sharp kick in return
"hey!"
I pulled them away.
"What the hell is going on?"
"oh, your biggie sis came to bail you out dog?"
dog? Seeing as how the kid barely reached on my chest level I grabbed the back of hid shirt and with my vampire strength lifted him off the ground
"you, shut up. one word and you'll be missing a tongue"
I let him drop to the ground again.
"Pete, what's going on?"
"he was hitting on a kid"
peter spit out through his split lip motioning to a scrawny, even shorter guy with bleached hair and caked dirt on him. Crap!
"Break it up guys. Nothing to see here"
The crowd broke and I knelt to the fallen guy. Gently I shook him and looked for a pulse. Thankfully he had one.
"You asshole"
the bulky bully sneered and I heard a snapping sound. turning around I saw him waving a pocket knife at peter.
"Bekah, get he principal here"
I called in a low voice before stepping in front of peter as the bully moved the knife as if he'd cut me. I hit his arm back
"You got a problem kid?"
I growled and as the guy charged at me, I bit him on the shoulder. Not to eat him but to protect Pete, only one word flashing through my head like a neon sign, 'protect'
"easy there kitty"
A male's voice flitted into my head as I felt arms wrap around my waist and gently yet firmly pull me away from the bully who looked more like a scared kitty.
"You, quiet!"
the voice ordered the kid who shut up immediately. shaking my head to clear the haze I saw Stefan crouching next to a positively freaked out Pete and telling him in a low voice that everything was okay now.
with a large deep breath I looked at the person that was holding me and was guiding me to sit on the stone steps that led to the school's front door. it was Niklaus, Rebekah's brother who seemed ready to commit murder himself.
"Biting someone's head off for attacking your brother. you're certainly not a scared little vampire"
he joked in a deep English accent. I felt a coy smile build on my lips.
"Ask me how I feel about it later again"
I responded and took a bottle of water from my bag and washed my lips until I was sure the only redness came from my strawberry chapstick.
"I attacked him"
"You had good reason, and you stopped. That's all that matters love"
he shrugged, obviously a stranger to the whole 'lending a shoulder and giving advice' thing. I couldn't help smiling a little though and running a hand through my messy hair I pulled it up in a ponytail.
"how did you get here?"
"I was coming to pick Stefan actually. Kol and Damon wanted to see us both in the next town over and heard her call the principal so I sped a little"
he said with a bashful expression
"thank you Niklaus"
I said softly but his eyes hardened.
"even though my relationship with Mikael is decent I prefer to be called Klaus"
he said in a hard tone that had me recoiling
"I'm sorry, I didn't know"
I lamented as he calmed himself. Soon the friendly expression was once again on his face
"it's alright. can you stand?"
he offered a hand and helped me up. we walked to Pete who looked in the distance unmoving, I knelt next to him only then realizing I still held Klaus' hand.
"Pete?"
with a startle he flung himself in my arms
"hey buddy. you're okay, I'm okay, everyone's okay. Well, not the bully but who cares about bullies?"
I joked happy to feel him chuckle in response. I pulled back a little
"I guess its time for your own taster. Try not to over use it, Charlie would hate it if he has to arrest you buddy"
I told him as principal Clemmons [what the heck is his name anyway?] came jogging with Rebekah hot on his heels clad in her gym suit.
"what is going on here?"
he called in a clear voice. I nodded at peter who stood up tall
"I was helping Ethan to the nurse when Van jumped at us. he bullied Ethan and when I intervened he tried to hit me"
Principal nodded and turned to me
"what are you doing here, miss swan?"
"I was in my car, sir and heard the commotion"
"don't you have class?"
"free period
I replied casually. principal's eyes traveled to Stefan and Klaus but he asked them nothing. He motioned for the bully to go inside to face his crime and told peter to take Ethan to the nurse. Pete nodded and helping his friend stands the two left for the nurse's office.
Stefan pulled a long chain from his pocket that ended to my pendant and handed it back to me.
"this is yours"
he said simply.
"actually its your sister's. I won't wear it if it makes you uncomfortable"
I said softly remembering his broken tone from lunch. Stefan shook his head.
"you just attacked someone because he hurt your brother. THAT is exactly when Lorelai would do and its what both me and Damon have done in the past. please take it"
Stefan said simply unclasping the necklace and let it glimmer in the soft sunlight. I bit my lip and turned around lifting my hair. Stefan fastened it around my neck.
"welcome tot he family"
