No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is an actual update! I really hope it was worth the wait-I sorted of edited this really fast too, as I wanted to get it out today before I lost my nerve. ALSO check my author's note at the bottom about the KC awards, as this fic was nominated in them this year! Whoever nominated me, you guys rock :) On with the story!

Chapter 20

Life passed by quickly, or at least, it did for Caroline, with her human perception of time. A month had passed, and Katherine had returned last evening from her stay with Elena. She promised that Stefan was well, and that Elena practically lived in his home to ensure his well-being. The fact that they had a romantic understanding might have also contributed to the new living arrangements. Caroline, for her part, was happy for them, though she did miss their company. However, there was enough to do on the Council that kept her from worrying over them too much.

She had worked diligently over the past month, using her influence on the Council to try and save as many innocents as she could from any unjust punishment. Of course, she did not always get her way, particularly if the Mikaelson siblings (excluding Elijah, who surprisingly had taken her side more than once during a trial) were in one of their many dark moods. Still, if the grateful looks and steady stream of letters from pardoned citizens expressing their thanks for her mercy, it was entirely worth the arguments (and often insults) traded with the other Council members.

And over time-and despite their rough beginning-Caroline found she rather liked the Mikaelsons. Elijah had taken to calling her 'sister' whenever they crossed paths, his dark eyes crinkling and smile dare she say affectionate; and not a day passed by that Kol, for all his wild ways, forgot to bring her some supplies for her magic, whether it be herbs for a potion or a new grimoire he had discovered far back in the library's shelves.

But it was Rebekah who had truly taken Caroline in, taking long walks on the grounds, amusing themselves with backgammon or chess, and planning spectacular dinner parties.

It was at one such party where, to Caroline's apprehension, Stefan's name was brought up in casual conversation, by no less than Rebekah herself.

Klaus and the rest had been going over any news of possible threats, from either witches or werewolves. Ever since Sophie Devereax and the Crescent wolves had attacked, the Council had taken measures to keep Mystic Falls secure from any foreign enemies, and to ensure the castle itself allowed no threat inside its walls. Bonnie herself had put a protective barrier around the castle to keep out any intruders.

"What news from Finn and Sage?"

"We received a letter from Finn this morning. It seems that there is restlessness among some of Mikael's former associates, and a few smaller wolf clans appear to be on the move in our direction; but there is no conclusive proof of any plans to rebel against us, not yet at least. However, Finn did mention there were movements from some of the covens coming closer to Mystic Falls, notably the Claires. Apparently there was a nasty incident of some tortured and staked vampires, it seems."

"Who are the Claires?" Caroline asked, furrowing her brow. The name sounded familiar, perhaps from one of the grimoires back home, when she had read up on some of the covens and their lines.

"Allies of the Devereauxs, and a rather powerful line of witches at that," Kol said grimly. "They won't be too happy with Sophie's death. Looking out for their own and all. But the Claires are much less excitable than the Devereauxs in a crisis. I doubt they would openly denounce us unless they were sure of both their strength in numbers and in favorable odds."

"And what of the Crescent clan?" Klaus turned to Marcel and Damon for their report. As captains of the guard, the two vampires shared the task of overseeing the security of the city and its surrounding country, ensuring its borders were kept safe from any threats, supernatural or otherwise.

"Still licking their wounds, from what we can tell," Marcel answered readily. "The forest has been relatively quiet, although my scouts reported the clan deserting their campsite in favor of moving deeper into the forest."

"It seems your little massacre sent them slinking off, at least for the time being," Damin inclined his head towards Klaus, impressed.

"Still, it is possible they could be moving to a more defensible position to regroup, and gather their strength for another attack, despite their lack of men," Klaus pointed out, thoughtful. "It would be prudent to keep a closer watch on their movements."

Marcel and Damon nodded, acknowledging his orders.

"Oh, must we talk of enemies and strategy all evening?" Rebekah piped up, huffing in complaint. "Let us talk of more palatable subjects for a change." Ignoring the men's chuckles, she turned to Caroline, easily changing the subject. "You've been settled in here nicely for quite some time now, Caroline. It seems so long ago that you and Nik were wed, despite that messy business with the Crescent wolves and that witch," Rebekah commented, helping herself to a glass of blood-laced wine. "Whatever happened to that guard? Stefan, was it?"

Caroline stiffened slightly, keeping her face neutral. Rebekah might know Stefan to be a friend of hers, but she still had no intention of enlightening her or the others of her true relationship with her cousin.

Klaus seemed to pick up on her anxiety instantly. "I had no idea you were so interested in a guard of such...humble status," he answered smoothly, taking Caroline's hand under the table and giving it a firm squeeze.

"Well, he did play a rather successful part in stopping the Devereax witch and her schemes. I don't suppose you were planning on thanking him, then?" Rebekah queried, absently toying with the gold bracelet that adorned her wrist.

Klaus paused, contemplating. The Salvatore guard certainly did deserve some sort of honor-not to mention that he was a relative of Caroline's. "Did you have something in mind, sister? Another ball, I presume? You do like just about any excuse for a party," he smirked at her.

"Hmm, the thought is tempting," Rebekah agreed. "Although I was actually thinking you should give him a promotion. Though I wouldn't say no to a party, either."

Klaus nodded slowly. "A promotion, you say? Perhaps Damon and Marcel could use another captain…"

Marcel laughed. "Another captain? Do you doubt our capabilities, then?"

"Of course not," Klaus shook his head, raising his glass in toast towards his captains. "But loyalty must be rewarded, and Salvatore has more than proved his worth to the crown. Who better than he to be awarded a high-ranking position?"

Marcel opened his mouth, as if to protest, but shut it, thinking better of it. "Who indeed," he replied, his lips quirking up once more into his usual charming grin.

"Excellent."

Katherine could never resist the temptation of a midnight snack, especially when the castle's kitchens offered much richer fare than back down in the city. A little blood and a few strawberries wouldn't be missed by the cooks. The kitchen maid she had compelled from sleep tasted delicious, and Katherine sighed in contentment as she drank her fill and then retracted her fangs, the blood dripping from her chin. Releasing the compelled servant, she fed the girl some blood to heal her wounds and sent her off to bed. She licked the blood from her lips before popping a ripe strawberry into her mouth, moaning at the taste.

"Ah. So you're the strawberry thief. I might have known."

Startled, Katherine turned around slowly at the voice, her expression guilty, even more so when she spotted her intruder. "Good evening, my lord."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "I see your manners have improved during your absence. You haven't called me 'my lord' in a long while."

In response, Katherine simply shoved another strawberry into her mouth, chewing the fruit loudly, and swallowing it with an inelegant gulp.

He merely smiled at her, moving closer. "You've just returned, then?"

She nodded, avoiding his gaze. "My sister is...a delicate creature. I wanted to ensure she would be alright, after the attack on the wedding, after Lexi's death." She sighed, looking back up at him. "And I do not like leaving her for too long at time...but…"

"But you are also loyal to Caroline," he finished her thought for her, studying her intently. "And you find it difficult to be there for them both when they need it."

Katherine cocked her head to the side. "I imagine you feel the same sometimes, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean splitting your loyalty between your siblings and yourself, of course." She blushed, immediately wishing to take the words back. How tactless he must think her!

"Is it so bad to work for the good of one's family, even if it's a personal inconvenience?" He asked mildly.

"No, not necessarily," Katherine reasoned. carefully taking a step away from him, acutely aware of their close proximity. "But mustn't one also put oneself first from time to time? Isn't it exhausting, always putting others' whims and wishes before your own? I would hardly call that living."

Her breath caught in her throat when he reached out to stroke her cheek, her skin tingling with awareness at his touch. She didn't believe Elijah would hurt her, but the monster inside of her recognized his controlled power, crawling just beneath the surface of his handsome face.

"Pessimistic words for a young vampire who has seen little of the world," Elijah murmured.

Her spine straightened. "Forty year is hardly young, my lord. I am no stranger to the ways of the world, and I am not a child."

"No," he breathed. "No, indeed you are not."

And his lips found hers. Katherine couldn't suppress the dreamy sigh that escaped her lips, throwing caution to the winds and wrapping her arms around him. His arms encircled her waist, his lips warm and soft against her own.

All too soon, he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, a small smile on his face.

"I missed you, Katerina."

Warmth spread from her heart through her veins at his words, at the reverent use of her real name. They had been dancing around each other since their first meeting, and had it really been a whole month she'd not seen him, and been near him?

The feeling of his strength and heat surrounding her was too much. She captured his lips once more, whispering against his lips."Take me to bed, my lord."

She could feel his smile widen, and nearly shrieked when he picked her up bridal-style and carried her bodily out of the kitchens. "How many times must I remind you, Katerina? Call me Elijah."

The night was cool when Stefan took over his shift on the watch, pulling his cloak further about him. He greeted the few other men posted near his position, exchanging a few jokes and pleasantries before settling in for another night. The sounds of the city were slowly ebbing down as the sky deepened, the last few rays of light disappearing.

An hour into his shift, his peace was abruptly disturbed.

"You know, I thought I might find you here," a voice drawled out behind him.

Stefan turned slowly, squinting in the torchlight before drawing in a deep breath. "Marcel," he acknowledged shortly.

"That would be Captain to you, Salvatore. Really, with such lack of manners, one might question your upbringing, not to mention your heritage."

"Yes, sir," Stefan replied, grimacing. He and Marcel had always been at odds, since the moment they first met in the ranks of the royal guard. Marcel's natural charms and prowess in combat had catapulted him through the ranks until he became captain of the guard, a position which he certainly used to his advantage. Stefan himself had no cause to be jealous of his status-he had never been much interested in the life of a soldier, despite being one-but something about Marcel had always made him wary. It didn't help that Marcel was a good friend of Damon's, and Stefan found that knowledge to be a little too painful. The guilt of the rift between him and Damon was still too great, even after all those years. Perhaps he was envious of their friendship, when his brother barely acknowledged his existence. Or perhaps it was Marcel's renowned loathing for the witches that made him dislike the handsome vampire. Not to mention Marcel was always quick to humiliate him when he was on duty. "How can I be of service, sir?"

"I have a favor to ask of you. I have it from a credible source that there is talk of your being promoted. If such an offer indeed is made to you, I want you to decline it. Simple, really."

"And why would I do that?" Stefan couldn't stop the small grin playing around his mouth. "Are you afraid I might outstrip your rank?"

Marcel narrowed his eyes for a moment, then chuckled darkly. "Don't patronize me, warlock. I can have you arrested for insubordination and executed at a moment's notice."

He pushed past Stefan, calling over his shoulder. "Remember my orders, Salvatore. Or one night you'll come home to a staked corpse of your pretty little brunette wench. And what a shame that would be, to waste such a pretty face because you couldn't obey a simple request."

Stefan's blood turned to ice in his veins at the threat. Marcel knew about Elena, meaning he had been spying on them. Why and for how long, he had no idea-but Marcel was never one to make idle threats.

Trouble was brewing, and he'd be damned if he didn't try to stop it.

"Tell me about your family."

Caroline had spoken aloud, as she watched the mesmerizing brushstrokes of Klaus's deft fingers as he worked on his newest painting-one of her.

In retrospect, she might have been more flattered and pleased by his interest in capturing her image on canvas if she hadn't foolishly given him her word that she would follow his exact instructions on how to pose.

Which was how she had ended up here one evening, artfully draped across the divan with her curls mussed about her shoulders, completely and utterly naked.

She had nearly gone back on her promise, but after his insistent 'it shall be for my eyes only, sweetheart, and I have no intention of sharing you,' she found little will to refuse him. Smirking in triumph, he had slowly divested her of her clothing, pressing lingering kisses to every revealed inch of her body, before positioning her on the divan so she lay on her side, one arm behind her head. 'Absolutely breathtaking,' he had breathed into her ear; and with a passionate kiss on her lips he had retreated to his canvas.

Despite her current discomfort, the room set aside for his artist's work had become a favorite haunt of hers ever since he had shown it to her the morning after their first night of lovemaking, when she had asked to see more of his work. It never failed to fascinate her at how utterly absorbed in his work Klaus became, and though she disliked breaking him from his concentration, she desperately needed some way to distract herself from her current situation.

The brush paused in his hand for a fraction of a second before he continued painting, cocking his head to the side slightly to look at her.

It was a simple enough request.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything...everything," she shrugged.

"You shall have to be a bit more specific than that, love." His answering tone, though teasing, belied that underlying guardedness that always emerged when she broached the subject of his past.

"Alright...you siblings," she began. "The five of you have lived for centuries, travelled the world, lived through so many different changes...and yet through it all you are all still together, as a family. Didn't any of you want to break away from the fold?"

"Yes. Several times, in fact. Kol in particular has always had a habit of escaping into the night without a word for decades at a time, only to return more mischievous than before. He'll hang about for a few years, wreaking havoc, until I'd-" He suddenly shut his mouth, avoiding her gaze.

"Until what?"

He studied her a moment, before reminding himself of their little unspoken agreement of honesty in their conversation. Dabbing some more paint onto the canvas, he continued his line of thought. "Until I'd dagger him, to keep him out of trouble." He looked straight ahead, before adding quietly, "It was always easier for Mikael to track us all down when Kol was in one of his more unpredictable moods."

Still not looking at her, he waited for her inevitable railing on his actions.

But it never came.

"What about the others?"

"Rebekah occasionally takes her leave for a year or two, but never stays away for long or goes too far. Finn with Sage travel, when it catches their fancy."

"And Elijah?"

He smiled wryly. "Elijah stayed behind by my side the longest of all of them. Mostly to keep an watchful eye on me, I believe. My brother is one who feels compelled to fix those whom he perceives are broken and in need of repair. Over the years I've become his most spectacularly failed venture."

Caroline suppressed a smile, seeing that Klaus had grown gravely thoughtful at his last words. "Well, anyone can see that you are fond of each other, in your own ways. I always wished for brothers and sisters when I was a child, but my mother grew too frail after I was born."

Klaus was tempted to make some biting remark on how fortunate she had been to never have to deal with the chaos that many siblings brought to one's life; but she had a look of such yearning on her face that he kept silent.

They stayed that way, the only sound her steady breathing and the soft strokes of his paintbrush, until she broke the silence once more. "It's because you love them too much, isn't it? That you keep them locked away?"

He faced her fully then, his face and unreadable mask, but his eyes burning. "Why would you think that?"

She scoffed lightly. "Well why else would you do it?"

Klaus sighed, neither confirming nor denying her statement. "Because they have all betrayed me, one by one, and needed to be taught a lesson."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"No."

"Please," Caroline pleaded softly. "I only wish to understand." And it was the truth, though she would be lying if she said that she wasn't curious about any and all stories from the many decades that the Originals had lived.

Klaus seemed to struggle internally, before taking up his brush once more and focusing on the painting. Caroline opened her mouth to protest, but his voice stopped her.

"When we were human," he began quietly, "my siblings and I loved each other, in spite of our sufferings at the hands of our parents-our father's fiery temper that was rarely extinguished, and our mother's unwillingness to save us from it. But after Henrik died, our whole family was weakened by the force of his death. My siblings….well, they blamed me in part for his death, as I had foolishly gone out with him on a full moon. And when our mother turned us into vampires, my first kill triggered my werewolf gene. You can imagine our surprise, when my true parentage was manifested in the breaking of my bones that began right after I drained a human dry. My father, outraged at the revelation that I was not his son, called for my death, as I was one of the creatures that had killed his real son...and when my mother tried to curse me, to make my wolf side dormant...not one of my siblings rushed to my aid." His voice had an edge of anger to it now. "Mikael had chased the others off before they could intervene, but not Elijah. No, he watched my mother forsake me, but did nothing. Not until I had already killed her myself. Then he came to me, pledging his eternal devotion and begging forgiveness. Which he neither deserved, nor fully received."

He paused, seemingly lost in the memories. Caroline cleared her throat. "What of Kol? Rebekah?"

He laughed humorlessly. "Rebekah likes to give her heart too easily, always falling for the first man who gives her the slightest bit of attention. A group of hunters who were under the command of our father, wielding the daggers that a witch had forged and spelled to be our downfall, nearly incapacitated us. Their leader had used his flattery and flirtations towards Rebekah to lure her into a false sense of security, into her bed. Had it not been for me and the fact that the dagger doesn't work on a hybrid, Alexander and his men would have taken us to Mikael and we'd all be dead. As for Kol," he shook his head, smiling bitterly. "Kol has always been wild-and though I daggered him for a few years here and there at a time for attracting too much attention, he had his bouts of treachery. Once, few centuries ago, he was so furious when I awoke him after nearly a decade's sleep, he joined Mikael, offering his services to help him find us. We had been living in Utrecht at the time, and barely escaped with our lives in the fire that Mikael set ablaze across the city, thanks to Kol's inside information on us. Eventually, he came back to us, sending Mikael off to the other end of the world on a wild goose-chase, claiming that he never intended to actually help Mikael kill us. And all that because he missed a few years of his immortal life," he ended, a harsh edge to his voice.

"I see," Caroline said finally, looking at him with an unreadable expression in her bright blue eyes.

"You must despise me."

"Don't start putting words in my mouth, husband," she warned him. "Of course I don't despise you; but neither do I or will I ever condone your actions. From what I gather you mostly dagger them when their actions could plausibly put you all in danger from Mikael, and now that he's dead, the only threat to any of your lives is the missing white oak stake. I doubt that your siblings will need much 'protection' now."

He had stopped painting altogether now. "And if I should ever deem it necessary to put them down again?" he challenged, watching her with a calculated gaze.

She sighed, closing her eyes briefly before fixing him with a serious gaze. "I won't stop you, should the situation ever arise, as you need to make your own decisions and live with the consequences; but I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to dissuade you from it. Your family loves you, in their own way, and in my experience time does heal many wounds; but there is only so much pain and betrayal one can take, however noble the intention of the one inflicting it."

Staring at her until she flushed with its intensity, Klaus finally gave her a sharp nod. "Very well. For your sake, and your sake only, I shall…endeavor to keep the daggers out of any future spats."

Caroline flashed him a brilliant smile. He was trying, for her, and who could fault him for that? "Thank you," she whispered sincerely.

Seeing her contentedness, Klaus's expression melted back into its usual dimpled grin, crossing the space between them quickly. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes…"

He gathered her in his arms, fusing his lips to hers in a hungry kiss, calloused hands roving along the curves of her body. She moaned, threading her fingers through his hair and tugging lightly as he nuzzled her neck.

"Klaus, you're supposed to be painting me-"

"Already finished with you, love, I simply need to paint the rest of the background," he responded, his husky voice causing frisson of pleasure to slide down her spine. "And that I can do later."

"But-"

"Later," he murmured against her skin, kissing down her throat. "Now I wish to make love to you, Caroline."

A haze of lust descended on her mind, making it difficult to remember why she even hesitated in the first place. She moaned as he licked and sucked and kissed his way down her body, his hands following the path of his mouth. Klaus had shown her what it was to be truly worshipped by a lover. And she loved every moment of it.

Klaus smiled wickedly against her skin, pleased that his distraction tactic was working. Now this-Caroline aroused and taking her pleasure from him-this was something Klaus could handle. He had shared enough of his past memories and regrets with Caroline for one night, and although part of him felt a sense of relief-that soft corner of his soul he had allowed only Caroline to see-the other part only felt more terrified at how easy it had been, to allow her the power to sink her sunshine claws into him and break down the walls he had constructed around his heart for centuries.

"You're breathtaking like this, Caroline," he whispered against her stomach, his hands sliding against her thighs, gently spreading her legs. "All spread out before me like a feast."

She moaned, her hips bucking up against him when he pressed light kisses against her inner thighs, his breath hot on her skin. He meant to devour her, and the thought lit a fire in her veins.

She cried out when his finger delved into her, creating such pleasurable friction, that she barely hesitated in threading her fingers through his hair and moving his head closer to where she needed him most.

"Klaus...I need more….oh god…"

Her entire body shuddered at the first touch of his tongue. He was everywhere, hands pinning her hips against the sofa, his tongue brushing her clit while his fingers pumped into her steadily. After spending so long without a stitch to wear with Klaus's eyes on her, stoking her arousal, it didn't take long before she shattered, writhing against the sofa as he softly sucked on her clit, easing her down from the euphoric sensations.

Smirking, Klaus delicately licked his fingers. He could see her eyes darken as she watched him, and before he knew it she had pulled him back to her, kissing his mouth fiercely before reversing their positions.

She wasted no time in divesting him of his clothing, her nails lightly scratching his chest as her hands roamed all over the exposed skin, making him growl in contentment. Straddling him, she ground her hips down on his hard length, swallowing his little gasps with her lips, teasing him, until she finally took pity on him and positioned him at her opening. She gently slid down, enveloping him in her warm sheath, sighing in satisfaction. He hissed at the feeling, his hands urging her hips on as she rode him, slowly at first but gradually increasing her speed, the exquisite sounds falling from her lips making his blood sing with bliss.

"Klaus, I'm so close," Caroline panted against his lips, fusing her lips to his and sucking on his bottom lip. "I need you to come with me...please…"

A jolt of lust shot through him at her plea, and he sat up so their chests brushed. He thrust into her, his hands moving to her breasts, deftly caressing and pinching her nipples before his mouth replaced them, reveling in her moans.

"Let go, Caroline," he commanded in a low growl, his hand moving between them to roughly massage her clit. She came with a soft cry, her lips parted, her body shaking in his arms from the force of the pleasure. A few more deep strokes later, he joined her, burying his face in her shoulder and sucking hard on her pulse point, his fangs dropping the barest bit to scrape lightly against her skin.

They lay there, tangled up in each other, sweat-soaked and flush in contentment; and it was only until Caroline yawned loudly that Klaus looked down at her, her chin now propped up on his chest.

"Much as I disapproved of your painting me naked, I cannot deny it has favorable results."

Klaus laughed, twisting his hands into her hair and bringing her up for another tender kiss. "And much as I approve of our christening this sofa, I cannot deny it is a damned uncomfortable piece of furniture for these particular activities." His blue eyes twinkled at her. "Shall we move this to our bedroom?"

She glared at him, yawning again. "You are quite mistaken if you believe we are continuing this tonight. Posing for you was exhausting."

She shrieked as he picked her up and flashed her to their bedroom, finding herself laying underneath him on the sheets, smiling seductively down at her. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not nearly finished with you yet."

"Your majesty, you are absolutely incorrigible." She suppressed a smile.

"What man would not be in your presence, my love?" He murmured, and she could sense he was serious. "For you, Caroline," he breathed, lavishing her neck with kisses, "I am insatiable."

This time, she couldn't hide her smile.

Far away, under the same moon that Caroline had gazed upon before retiring to sleep, the pale light shone faintly over the ruins of an ancient keep, built into the slopes of the snowy Alps. Long ago abandoned, time had taken its toll in the form of overgrown foliage and broken stone. The courtyard was still as death, much as it had been for years.

But this night, the sinister solitude was disrupted by faint shuffling of feet and hushed whispers, and the shadows of two hooded figures swiftly making their way through the ruins.

The figures made their way to the battered entrance to the castle's crypt, the entrance almost concealed completely by a thick curtain of ivy and lichen.

Brushing the plants aside, they silently passed through, down the winding stairs and through the damp, crumbling underground passageway, their only light a small torch that chased away the close darkness.

Finally, the passage ended, and the two trespassers stopped short at the sight in front of them: a raised altar with a large black coffin resting atop.

There was a threatening aura to the place, and it made Joshua Rosza's skin crawl. "Let's make this quick, shall we? I don't believe I can stand another minute down in this dark place. " The vampire shivered slightly, nose wrinkling at the dank smell of the air.

His companion threw off her hood, shaking her dark hair loose and fumbling with her satchel, pulling out a thick tome and rifling quickly through its dusty pages. "Patience, Joshua," Davina Claire murmured. "This is no time to be hasty, not when we're so close."

Joshua clamped his mouth shut, watching with increasing apprehension as Davina busied herself setting up bunches of candles around the altar and lighting them with a wave of her hand. He had no interest in potentially dying down here, no matter if he was assigned as her protection. It's not as if she really needed him there, anyway-she had more than enough power on her own. Idly he wondered how long it would take him to reach home if he ran fast enough. Vampiric powers were a wonderful thing.

Davina surveyed the coffin, pursing her lips in concentration. "It seems to be sealed shut. Well, nothing I can't fix."

She closed her eyes, focusing her energy on the coffin. A few minutes and incantations later, the coffin sprang open with a loud creak.

They both moved forward cautiously, creeping up to peer into the coffin. Joshua gasped audibly.

Mikael the Destroyer looked much the same in death as he had in life-cold and cruel. His lifeless mouth was set in a harsh line, his face barely visible beneath the grey veins and ashen skin. Clothed all in black, the gleaming object in his hand stood out brilliantly, glinting in the candlelight.

"At last," Davina breathed, reaching forward and pulling the object from Mikael's lifeless grip.

"Is that…?"

Davina nodded, a feverish light in her eyes as she held it up to the light. "We've found it, after all this time...the white oak stake."

"By God," Joshua whispered, never taking his eyes off the piece of wood.

"Get me a quill and some parchment," Davina ordered, her voice gleeful. "I must inform him at once."

Joshua rummaged around in his pack, handing over the items. He watched as the witch scrawled out a brief message, the ink nearly spattering all over her in her haste.

We found it. It is time.

She muttered a few incantations, and the parchments caught fire, then vanished, leaving behind a smoky haze.

Joshua coughed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Davina."

Davina grinned at him, brandishing the stake. "Don't worry, Josh," she purred. "Marcel will be most pleased with us. And finally, we will have our revenge."

So things are happening! Yay! I threw a lot in there, and I know people were asking for some Kalijah, so there it is! Also I really hope the Klaroline scene made sense, on both their sides. Honestly I am still so back and forth on if I like this chapter or not, but I really wanted to give y'all an update because of how patient you are for sticking with this story and my fickle muse! This time, luckily, I have already begun writing the next chapter so I'm hoping to update it sooner rather than later! Anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you think, particularly if you have any specific thing you might want to see in the story? We're coming up on the end soon, and I'd love to maybe try and incorporate some scenes that you all would want to see before the end. See y'all next time!

SHAMELESS PLUG: This fic was nominated (once again!) for the Klaroline Awards this year in the Best Debut Fiction category! I honestly cannot believe it, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who nominated this story. You have no idea how much it means to me :') So if you'd like to vote, go to 'klarolineawards' on Tumblr and you can vote for all of your favorite KC fanfics, authors, bloggers, and artists that help keep the spirit of KC alive and kicking, despite what the showrunners tell us! Thanks again!