Twisted Love
Season Three
Dangerous Liaisons
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries, I only own Grace and Fayth :)
Damon's Dream
Damon walked through the Salvatore Boarding house towards his master bedroom, he could hear Grace giggle a lot, he assumed she was watching a show, or talking with Elena on the phone, but what he did know was he loved that sound, he loved making her make the sound, although that was the second best sound he could make her make.
It seemed he was strutting through an endless corridor and could only see the heavy, dark wooden door to his room at the end, zipping down there at vampire speed he got to the door and slammed into it, unable to get the thing open.
"Stop!" Grace screamed "No! No! No! Stop!" It wasn't a scared kind of scream or a scream for help, it was more of a playful scream as she continued to laugh, a protective side came over him as he began to slam his balled up fists against the door wanting to talk to his woman, but nothing came out.
Turning he took a run up at the heavy door, when he reached it he expected it to still be locked, but it swung open and he fell through onto the floor with a grunt of pain, as he looked around he saw two bodies on the bed, a petite one covered by a masculine frame.
"Seriously! I don't like being tickled!" Grace screamed as Klaus attacked her with his fingers, moving them fluidly up an down her thin sides making sure to attack her most vulnerable spots as she was crying with laughter, squirming away from him.
"Grace!" Damon managed to get some words out, both of the bodies stopped and they looked at him, Klaus had a knowing smirk on his lips and Grace had a confused look, she glanced between Klaus and Damon creasing her thin dark eye brows.
"Is he a friend of yours, Niklaus?" Grace questioned a small voice, she didn't recognise her own boyfriend, Damon felt a huge stake of pain in his heart as he watched the confused look on Grace's face turn to fear.
"No, he's not, love." Klaus replied playing with her thick chocolate brown hair, as Damon went to argue he was thrown from the room the door slamming shut behind him.
Damon's eye bust open and he immediately sat up in his double bed his breathing heavy "Grace!" He yelled without even thinking, his woman woke up startled beside him, her eyes wild with worry as she looked around the room for any kind of danger.
"Damon, what's wrong!" She was torn from watching the TV in front of her that was nailed to the wall , quickly clutched on to his arm, quickly he pulled her into a large huge, warm hug, just wanting to smell her for a second, his dream was terrifying, that's what their life would be like if Klaus had truly compelled Grace to forget about everything "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"Bad dream." He breathed into her slender neck, she cooed and rubbed his tanned back feeling his tender skin beneath her finger tips holding him close in her arms.
"What happened?" She questioned curiously pulling back to look into his wide, icy blue orbs before looking around the room away from her, she placed a single finger under his chin and turned her to look at him "Damon, please tell me..." He kept his mouth closed as he looked at her, his eyes flickering with pain as he thought back to his dream which was more like a nightmare "Damon?"
"It was Klaus." He murmured putting all of the piece together, Damon couldn't have been that insecure about their relationship, looking over at Grace she was sitting next to him confused, waiting for him to explain further "He manipulated my dreams... Making me think that you forgot me."
"Damon." The younger vampire whispered as she moved over to straddle his waist, she was surprised when she felt he was wearing no underwear, his eye brows rose suggestively, gnawing on her bottom lip he chuckled brushing her hair from her eyes "You, sir, have nothing to worry about, the only place Klaus could get me was in his dreams."
"Good to know." The older Salvatore brother muttered as he looked across at the TV, it was her favourite show True Blood, he creased his eye brows watching it "Why weren't you sleeping?" He questioned, she would always sleep a lot longer than him.
"I couldn't..." She whispered with a small shrug "All of this Original stuff has got to me on edge... I needed to watch some TV to relax." Grace whispered as she continued to watch carefully pulling her knees up into her chest watching Eric talk in his sexy voice.
"You should have told me, Gracie." Damon purred as he moved towards her, pressing the most elegant kisses against her slender neck, she breathed out a little gnawing on her bottom lip a little as he moved in between her legs.
Later on that day after Elena and Grace had been in to visit Alaric considering he had been in hospital after being stabbed, the doppelgänger had told the young vampire all about what Sheriff Forbes had told her about the killer not being Meredith as she was busy at the times of the murders.
"So Meredith was in surgery? Sheriff Forbes confirmed this?" Grace questioned and Elena nodded in confirmation, a low growl erupted from the vampire throat "That doesn't mean to say that she wasn't the reason for Bill Forbes murder or Brian Walters, two people who are attached to her in some way..." Bill had been Meredith's patient and Brian was her ex-boyfriend with a grudge.
"I think we should just drop the theory of it being Dr. Fell all together, I think we're going the wrong way with this, what if it's supernatural... Stefan or Klaus..." She suggested and the younger vampire gave her a questionable look, the way Stefan had acted towards Grace the other night she couldn't imagine him doing anything bad again, but this was just her innocent, young naïvety being heightened by her vampire emotions.
Continuing to talk about the murders as they walked out of the hospital they sauntered through the automatic doors and walked towards Elena's car. They both climbed inside strapping their seat belts in and about to drive away, as the doppelgänger pulled out the car rose above the ground and then slammed against it again. She had ran over something.
"Please don't be a dog." Elena begged as they quickly climbed from the car, as they got to the bumper to look underneath they saw nothing
"Get in the car." The vampire order protectively, her sister didn't listen and stood her ground suddenly the young vampire was launched across the parking lot, skidding across the uneven, rough concrete floor ripping the skin on her arm.
"Nice to see you again, friend." Rebekah's snide British voice made her blood run cold, as they beautiful blonde Original stood in front of her. Grace had known Rebekah was back alive and knew she had a temper, but she hoped that the Brit wouldn't come after her, Elena ran towards them but the look Grace gave her made her stop.
"Listen, Bekah, considering we're so close now, can't we just talk about it." Grace stood up letting the blood run down her arms, twining around her fingers before dropping to the floor in thick, crimson droplets. She knew talking sarcastically to the already riled up Original was a death sentence, but she was doing this to give Elena a head start. "I stabbed you before the Homecoming Dance, for a good reason-"
"Good to know someone kept their humour." The blonde rushed towards her smashing her through one of the hospital windows, it was lucky it was an abandoned wing where it was just being revamped. Grace felt the glass pricking into her skull as she heard the Original's heals clicking against the floor as she walked towards her. "Oh, sorry, bestie, did that hurt?" Her voice was cold as she gripped Grace's chocolate brown hair between her fingers and rose her up off the floor.
"Ah." The younger vampire felt tears in her eyes as she stood up, holding onto Rebekah's wrist to try and loosen the grip on her long tresses. She could feel the blood from her head running down her neck when suddenly the grip on her hair was gone and Rebekah was being held against a wall by Niklaus, his hand clasping against her throat as Elijah ran over to check on her.
"Are you ok?" Elijah's voice was thick with concern, Grace nodded weakly and he caught onto her waist as she almost dropped to the floor, it was too early for all of this and she was too weak from her passionate morning with Damon.
"Oh, what a drama queen!" Rebekah yelled over to them as Klaus tightened his grip on her neck, he stared her down for a couple of seconds before throwing her to the cheap floor like a scrap piece of paper he didn't need anymore, a growl fell from both of their lips.
"What did I say, Rebekah?" Niklaus growled menacingly, he had told her if he even tried to go after Grace that he would track her down and his own sister had disobeyed him, a small sigh fell from the blonde Original's lips as she got up and dust off her expensive looking clothes "Elijah, bring Rebekah home, I will speak with her there..." He slowly turned to his brother who was helping Grace removing the glass from her petite body.
After a moment Elijah carefully sat Grace down and stalked over to his sister grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the room at supernatural speed. Niklaus looked over at the wounded girl and walked over to her talking a seat next to her.
"I'm sorry about her." The hybrids voice was sincere as he watched her removing shards of glass from her blood arms and legs, he pulled a small piece from her cheek and threw it to the floor nonchalantly "Are you going to be ok?"
"She has every right to be mad..." Grace whispered as she moved her chocolate brown locks away from her bright eyes "But I never wanted to dagger her, I just, we just couldn't trust her... The loyalty that we wished for lay with you." She added in a small voice, they had to dagger Rebekah because she was a liability, the young vampire seemed to regret doing it, but had been left with no choice.
"I suppose you are right." Niklaus muttered nodding his head looking around the destroyed hospital wing "Hmm, it seems like you and my sister did quite a number on this place, it's going to take a bit of money to fix, but I will sort it." He nodded a little and Grace grimaced, she didn't need him tidying up after her mess' she could do it on her own.
"I don't need you're money, Niklaus." Grace rose from her seat and crossed her arms over his chest, but unfortunately his mind was made up as he flashed her a quick, charming grin and zipped from the room at supernatural speed.
As Grace walked back outside dusting her clothes off she saw Elena waiting for her, she looked worried yet relieved to see her, running over the doppelgänger threw her arms around her hugging her deeply, they both quickly decided it was time to get back to the safety of Elena's home where Rebekah and Klaus couldn't get inside.
Elena told Grace that whilst Klaus was speaking with her inside of the hospital and dealing with Rebekah that he had come to see her to discuss what had happened with the coffins and the Original witch Esther, it didn't take long for them to ring the Salvatore Brothers and it wasn't long until they arrived and was told the story too.
"It was their mother Esther who was sealed in that coffin." Elena explained as Grace avoiding looking at Damon, she knew that he could smell Klaus' scent on her but was trying not to be absolutely furious about it around the other two.
"As in the Original witch?" Stefan questioned from where he sat casually at the dining table looking over at Elena who stood at the sink.
"What?" Damon growled looking over at them, breaking away his gaze that was boring into Grace's petite frame intensely "How is she even alive? Thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago." He added a little confused to find out the Original witch was still alive and roaming around Mystic Falls with her lethal Original family.
"I don't know." Elena muttered as she looked over at Grace who was perched up on the kitchen counter just watching the conversation carefully "I'm guessing she has a couple connections in the witching community. Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus..."
Stefan let out a small growl as he rose from his seat and began to pace around the table slowly "She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus."
"Well, not anymore..." Grace finally spoke up, her voice was low as she played with the end of her chocolate brown hair "at least not according to Elijah." She added with a small shrug.
"The coffins was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds..." Stefan looked over at her but she was just looking out of the window into the small back garden as the sun beamed through brightly.
"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" Damon announced as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger feeling the frustration and anger of the Original's taking over him, he walked towards Grace seeing that she had a small scratch down her arm, like gravel burn "What happened?" He questioned running his hands over the sensitive skin carefully.
"I got into a fight." She added in a small voice, he rose his eye brows waiting for more information and she paused before continuing "Whilst Elena was speaking with Elijah... Klaus was saving me from the the wrath of Rebekah."
"What?" Damon growled, she just shrugged a little "That's why I could smell him on you..." A hiss left his lips as he gritted his teeth as the doorbell rang "Did he touch you?" He asked and she paused momentarily, Elena walked from the room to answer it.
"He helped me get the glass of out my arms..." She informed him as Elena entered with a elegant piece of card in her hands reading it carefully, Grace took he opportunity to change the subject "What's that, 'Lena?"
Elena's eyes flickered up to her twins before looking back down "It's an invitation... 'Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration.'." She creased her eye brows a little before shrugging handing it over to Grace.
"Who the hell at the Mikaelsons?" Stefan questioned, Klaus had obviously never told him off his last name and neither had Rebekah.
"The Original Family." Grace informed him before picking up the card and reading it carefully, it was going to be a formal ball, with long gowns and high heels, she had plenty of heels but wasn't even sure if she owned a formal gown, it wasn't something she chose to wear.
"It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a home warning gift?" Damon scoffed as Grace turned the card over to see a note written in a beautiful, old time script.
"There's a note on the back..." Grace informed them all, and they all looked over to see what was written "Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet, Esther." Elena looked over at her vampire twin a little surprised that Esther wanted to see her.
Kol and Finn had been fixed up to look handsome and like they were from the 21st century, both looking dashing and fit for a party. The younger brother, Kol, was up looking in the mirror, his blonde locks were cut shorter than before into a spiky style that suited him perfectly. Finn, however, had a longer style, much like Elijah's before he had his cut.
"Rebekah?" Kol called over to his sister who was sulking from being told off by Niklaus and Elijah about going after Grace and Elena for daggering her, she was flicking through a modern fashion magazine "Tell me how handsome I am."
"Ah Kol, you know I can't be compelled." The blonde countered flashing him a taunting smile as he gritted his teeth before rolling his beautiful midnight black eyes as the door swung open and Klaus walked in looking incredibly angry.
"You won't after Grace? What is wrong with you?" Klaus growled as he stalked towards her, she quickly stood up a pout on her lips as she crossed her arms carelessly over her chest.
"Here we go." She rolled her bright blue eyes seeing the anger that was set in his.
Klaus growled seeing how she wasn't taking him seriously at all, it was much easier when all of his brothers and sisters were in their coffins and didn't bother him in his own home "Do you want another dagger in your heart!"
"Again with the dagger threats?" Kol scoffed in his beautiful British accent "Don't you have another tricks?" He leant casually against the wall smirking as he watched his bickering brother and sister.
"Oh, go back to staring at yourself." Klaus hissed as he narrowed his eyes at his younger brother Kol who in turn chuckled darkly looking down at his hands before looking up at his hybrid brother.
"And who are you, my father?" Kol taunted his brother, he knew that calling Niklaus his father was a great insult, because Klaus hated his father more than anyone.
"No, Kol, but you're in my house!" Klaus retorted angrily as he stalked towards him both of them ready for a fight, the younger brother saw this and his eyes flashed with a challenge.
"Then perhaps we should go outside-"
"Enough!" Esther announced with a set look on her face, she looking glorious her longer blonde tresses had been cut back into a stylish bob, curling at the ends and she looking more like a 21st century mother than she did before "Niklaus... come." She ordered.
Klaus sent a growl to his brother before turning on his heels and walking from the room with his mother leading him, they were in his drawing room, it was so beautiful and well lit "Rebekah wasn't even out of her box a day before she tried to ruin my life. What happened to peace, acceptance, family?" The hybrid scoffed as he grabbed his bottle of whiskey pouring himself one.
"You put daggers in their hearts." Esther replied giving him a look, she had a point, nothing was going to be fine and dandy after they had just woken up from their own brother sending their to sleep for a long time "You want them to go down on their knees and kiss your feet for reuniting them?"
"So it's a crime to want out family to be as we were?" Of course Niklaus meant as they were without their crazy father taking them down and trying to be the alpha over them all.
"You need to give them time, Niklaus." She answered looking over at her distort hybrid son "I've had a thousand years on the other side to be angry and heal. I'm here to make sure this family does the same." She informed him of the real reason she was here with them.
"I just don't understand. I killed you, and still you forgive me." Niklaus questioned creasing his eye brows, he didn't take to kindly to people even trying to kill him, so he couldn't understand the forgiveness he was getting from his own mother that he had killed.
"Its been my dream for a thousand years that this family could be as one. Forgiveness is not a chore. It's a gift. Now, who are you bringing this evening? That nice girl Rebekah was telling me about?" She questioned and Klaus was surprised Rebekah had spoken to his mother about Grace "Grace... I think was her name."
"Don't be ridiculous." Klaus sighed a little and Esther could sense he was upset about Grace "It doesn't matter what I do for her, or what I say, it doesn't matter because she with another man." He paused to see the understanding look on his mothers face.
"It's going to be a magical evening and I'm sure she will look radiant and will not be able to resist you..." Esther giggled to herself as she turned and walked from Niklaus' artist room.
Back at the Gilbert house everyone seemed to be working against Damon, even though Grace didn't want to put Elena in danger she figured it would be a smart move to find out why Esther, the Original Witch, wanted to see her, Stefan thought the same.
"If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why." Elena noted and both Stefan and Grace nodded, Damon couldn't believe what he was hearing, it seemed crazy and dangerous and he was baffled as to why his girlfriend was agreeing to it.
"Well that's a dumb idea, you can't let her do this, Grace. You're not going and neither is she." Damon growled at his girlfriend who gave him an anger look, she really hated it when Damon told her what to do and usually would end up doing the opposite.
"No, Elena is right. Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there is more to this than just some family reunion." Stefan spoke up as he read the back of the invitation, Damon let out another growl as no one was agreeing with him, he hated it when they all worked against him.
"Can we just do back in time to where the old Stefan cared is Elena lived or died? And Grace actually listened to me!" The oldest vampire in the room looked over at the anger look on his girlfriends face.
"Stefan has a point, Damon. I should find out what she wants." Elena spoke up and looking over at Grace to defend her, she nodded.
"You can't protect yourself." Damon told her firmly, it was like a suicide mission Elena going in there on her own, he could almost guess what was about to happen next and immediately looked over at Grace an angry look on his face.
"Then I'll go with her." Grace shrugged a little, she needed to get out of the house and just have a little fun for one night, even if Klaus was going to be there and Damon would be pissed, she wanted to know what Esther wanted.
"With Klaus there? I don't think so..." Damon growled gritting his teeth as he turned away from her, she reached out and took his hand carefully, he sighed a little before ripping his hand from hers snatching the invitation from her twins hand and putting it in his pocket.
"I'll take Elena, you take Grace." Stefan offered with an assuring smile seeing the unsure look on his brothers face "All you have to worry about is Grace, I have Elena, alright?"
"Don't you think you've pissed the Original's off enough?" Damon scoffed before Stefan grabbed the invitation back from his older brothers hands and politely handed it back to Elena who smiled kindly at him.
"End of story." Stefan told him firmly.
It didn't take long for Grace and Damon to return home, they saw a large beautifully wrapped box laying on the porch with an invitation laying on top of it, the older vampire zipped over to it and picked up the note before handing it to her, a grim look on his face.
"It's from Klaus." Damon informed her in a dark voice, she carefully took it from his hands and read it, a beautiful script was on the back
'I look forward to seeing you tonight, Klaus. I sure you will look absolutely gorgeous.' She gulped a little as she opened the box Damon was holding to see a beautiful nude coloured ball gown inside, fit with sequins and a corset back and lace ribbons "Oh." Was all she could manage.
"Are you going to wear it?" He questioned, he was hurting on the inside, he wanted to buy her a dress, but Klaus had beat him to it, she shrugged a little, he could see that she loved it but was trying to hide it in front of him "You can, if you want. I'm not going to stop you or destroy it."
"No." She shook her head "No. No. I'm sure I'll find something else to wear." She shrugged before stroking his cheek a little and he turned his head away from her, she picked up on his hurt feelings and slowly pulled the lovely dress from it's box "What do you want me to say, Damon? Tell me! Because you're really making me work for it right now... You don't want me to wear the dress? You do? Make up your mind!"
"I want to be able to protect you and have you to myself completely." Damon replied in a low voice and Grace growled as she turned back around and stared out into the front yard a little
"What makes you think that you don't have me completely? I told Klaus to back off! It's not my fault he keeps sniffing around." As she turned back around Damon wasn't standing there anymore, a loud growl escaped her lips as she shoved the dress back in the box and zipped to Elena's house.
It wasn't much later on that day that Caroline, Elena and Grace all meet up at Grill to talk about the Mikaelson Ball and speak out the fight between Grace and Damon. "It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball. Like an actual ball." Elena announced still a little baffled by the idea.
"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is. And why does the Evil Witch want an audience with just you?" Caroline questioned looking at the doppelgänger who still seemed to be confused how Esther wanted to see her alone.
"I have no idea. There's only one way to find out." Elena shrugged a little and Grace sipped at her diet coke a little bothered by the idea of Elena possible being in danger, but her curiosity had got the better of her.
"So, what's going to happen with you and Damon? Are you still going to go?" The blonde looked over at Grace who seemed to be in a world of her own, startled she looked up suddenly staring into the silvery orbs.
"Yeah, I'm still going. I need to be there for 'Lena and that's all... As much as I hate to use Klaus' gifts I don't have time to go shopping for a new dress and I don't own any other dress like that..." She groaned a little leaning her head back in frustration. "Things used to be so much easier..." She noted as Rebekah walked into the room to see the three girls sitting around the table gossiping.
"Oh, hey, buddy." The blonde Original walked over to Grace who looked at her a little too exhausted to be dealing with Rebekah "I hope I didn't hurt you, but you keep refusing to invite me to your little get togethers and sleep overs and it really hurts my feelings." Sarcasm was heavy in her voice.
"Sorry about that, Becky... You seemed a little too busy dealing with a dagger in your back to be concerned with your pals." Grace replied making both Caroline and Elena smirked a little "Can I help you with something, friend?"
"Nope, I'm here to see someone, catch you later at the Ball, right?" Rebekah winked once before turning on her heels and walking over to Matt Donovan who was having his lunch break she slid a invitation over to him and the three girls gawped when Matt nodded a little.
"Oh my God. She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him!" Caroline almost screamed, people from tables around them looked at the hysterical girl who was screaming about her ex-boyfriend going to the dance with a crazy Original.
"She's doing it to get a reaction Caroline, this is Rebekah we're talking about. Psychotic Rebekah Mikaelson..." Grace replied bluntly seeing the look the Original was giving her from across the room, it was deathly and evil, she had heard her.
Later that day the party was well under way, elegant music flowed through Klaus' extravagant mansion as the citizens walked around sipping wine, martini's, whiskey, anything they wished for from the bar the Original's had paid for.
"Hello, Carol." Damon looked absolutely dashing in his tux as he walked over to Carol Lockwood who was certainly dressed for the occasion, she had to admit she was a little surprised to see Damon here without Grace, the two seemed to be inseparable.
"Hello." She nodded once, things hadn't been the same between the two since they had the fight about Klaus moving into town, she was clearing on Team Original due to Klaus having sired Tyler, or son, and Damon hated the Original's more than anything.
"Hanging out with your new besties?" He taunted in a low voice and she gave him a look, the two seemed to always been getting into fights over the Originals, much like himself and Grace.
"I'm the mayor, Damon. When the oldest, deadliest, family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile." She sipped daintily at her martini and Damon rolled his eyes a little scanning the room for any sign of trouble, he wasn't going to let his guard down.
"Hmm, well at least you know who you're borrowing a cup of sugar from-"
"I'm trying to protect this town." She cut him off in a hushed voice "They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured that I'd enforce it." As one of the Original brothers, Kol, walked over to greet them both, he had a charming smile fixed on his perfect face as he nursed a glass of whiskey.
"Mayor Lockwood. We haven't formally met. Kol Mikaelson. I hope your lovely town embrace us just as much as we plan to embrace it." He grinned before looking over at the devilishly handsome young gentleman standing next to her, his tousled black hair was perfectly disarray around his head.
"Damon Salvatore." The younger vampire nodded watching the Original carefully "Have we met?" He questioned seeing the odd look he was giving him in return.
"I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out." Kol shrugged a little as Damon's gaze was broken from his own as his woman walked in to the room, dressed in the dress Klaus had given her, anger drove wildly through his body, but was extinguished when he saw how truly beautiful she looked in it.
"Excuse me, won't you?" He questioned as he crossed the room to her, she had a timid look on her face as he approached her "You look... wow... I can't..." He was absolutely gob smacked and a violently blush creeped over her cheeks as he took her hand and placed it in his elbow escorting her into the room "I didn't think you would come."
"I didn't think you would either." Grace countered giving him a look as he threw her a smouldering smirk, she giggled as they walked over to the drinks tabled, he was surprised to see Elena and Stefan from across the way talking under their breath.
"What are they planning?" Damon hissed to his girlfriend playing with the lace corset straps on the back of the beautiful ball gown "Grace?"
"I have no idea." She shook her head a little before looking up into his skeptical eyes "What? I'm serious... I don't know." She wasn't lying Stefan and Elena had decided to keep her out of the loop for the sake of her relationship with Damon, it already seemed pretty tense between he two and they didn't want to push it any further.
"My goodness." A beautiful British voice came before behind them, they both turned to see Klaus standing there looking rather handsome in his tux, he eyed Grace up and down "I see you liked my little gift." He referred to the dress and she nodded "The colour suits you very well."
"Thank you, but you really didn't have to, Klaus." She played with the soft material between her fingers, he chuckled under his breath before shrugging a little.
"If you'll excuse us, Klaus, we have people to see." Damon pulled her away from him, she could hear the growl that rumbled deep within his throat as they approached Stefan and Elena "You're both not supposed to be here, go home and take Grace with you."
"Are you kidding? No. I'm already here now... I don't have to do anything you say, Damon. I'm here with Stefan and I'm safe." Elena told him firmly before giving Grace a hug "How is everything with Klaus and Damon? I saw you two speaking with him..." She thought in her head knowing that Grace could hear due to her telepathy, the vampire just gave her a look in return.
Finn Mikaelson walked over to the four that were gathered with a kind smile playing on his lips, he nodded respectfully at the gentlemen before looking at the doppelgänger "Elena Gilbert, I presume?" He questioned and the Elena nodded once in confirmation "You're here to see my mother?" He referred to the Original Witch, Esther.
"Is she here?" Elena scanned the room, she couldn't see anyone watching them, or anything out of the ordinary and no one seemed to be making her too nervous.
"Her request did not include your friends." Finn informed her looking first at Damon then to Grace and finally to Stefan, they all growled under their breaths when he said that, they knew it wasn't going to be that easy.
"They're protecting me. Grace is my sister. You may not know but your mother's already tried to kill me once." She was referring to when Vicki made a deal with the witch on the other side so she could return to the human world, she had to kill Elena for this to be completely, it was ruined by Bonnie sending them back with the help of Matt.
"If you want to see my mother, you'll need to be alone." Finn told them in a firm voice as he looked over his shoulder to see his family all gathered on the stair case, Elijah about to make an announce meant "Excuse me." He joined his siblings.
"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." Elijah's soothing voice announced and everyone gathered at the bottom of the stairs looking up at the amazingly beautiful family smiling down at them, their prey. "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance..." He informed them all as Esther stood at the very top of the stairs scanning the crowd.
"Do you see who I see?" Damon muttered to Grace who was clinging on to his arm, she nodded as Stefan then nodded at her in confirmation.
"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah smiled kindly before descending down the stairs his family in tow as they all made their way towards the ballroom, Stefan caught Elena's arm before she could go up the stairs towards Esther's private chat and Damon lead Grace towards the ballroom.
"Damon, I can't dance." Grace hissed at him, but he was lining them up with everyone else, Grace look opposite her to see Caroline in a beautiful sea blue dress that matched her complexion perfectly and dancing with none other that Kol.
Everyone started their waltz, Grace and Damon couldn't be any closer if they tried, she kept staring down at their feet and he kept holding her chin up so she was staring deep into his gaze. "You look stunning, if I didn't make the obvious earlier. You made me at a loss for words, Gilbert."
"Well, Salvatore, you clean up nice, too." She giggled a little, stumbling in her giant heels, he caught her before she could fall, chuckling a little holding her hips firmly as they elegantly twirled around the room with the other couples.
With Kol and Caroline she was trying to ignore him and try to get off of the dance floor, but he wasn't having none of it "I'm glad you came, when I first saw you walk in I was taken away by your beauty." He informed her, Caroline's stomach churned with guilt, poor Tyler was out in the unknown trying to save himself from Klaus' sire bond.
"Well, I needed to get out of the house." Caroline informed him in a low voice as she looked over at everyone who was changing partners swiftly.
"I heard about your father. Niklaus informed me-"
"Don't." She hissed making him stop, the wounds were still healing and it was too soon to talk about it from someone who didn't know him and was about to give him tribute, she didn't need that especially from an Original.
"Very well." Kol nodded respectfully "One to a more mannered subject then, like how ravishing you look in that dress..." He grinned at her and Caroline blushed a little before looking over her shoulder at the crowd that gathered around the dance floor "You're quite the dancer."
"Well, I've had training... I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls." Caroline boasted flicking her blonde locks over her shoulder.
"Well, that is an achievement."
"Mind if I step in, mate." Klaus approached Grace and Damon, she gave him an assuring smile before Damon spun Grace into his arms and they began to then twirl elegantly "How is your evening so far?"
"Fine." she answered looking over at Damon who was now speaking with Rebekah, a wash of jealous came over her before looking up into Klaus' eyes "I really do appreciate this dress, it's extremely beautiful... but you didn't have to-"
"Oh, but I did." Klaus smiled as she stumbled in his arms, he chuckled as he straightened her up again "Careful, sweetheart..." He paused for a moment "I hope it didn't create strife between both you and Damon, just so you know, that was not my intention, I just wanted to show you what you are missing-"
Grace smirked a little rolling her dark, chocolate brown eyes "What, Klaus? What am I missing? Extravagant gifts? Beautiful sights? Amazing places-"
"Passionate, primal sex." He purred in her ear making her knees go weak again, he straightened her up looking around the room to see if anyone was watching he saw his older brother Elijah watching them from across the room "It seems my brother is awaiting a dance with you... you are quite popular tonight." He backed away pecking her the back of hand once before Elijah took over a kind smile playing on his lips.
Matt and Caroline were both dancing together, she was still pissed how he had come to the dance with Rebekah of all people, not jealous, but worried for his safety "What are you doing?" She hissed in a lowered voice, she didn't want to start a fight, now wasn't the time "WHy are you here with the She-Devil?"
"What was I supposed to say, no?" He questioned and he had a good point, she was an Original and would probably had torn his head off his shoulders just for saying no "And why the hell are you here with Kol?" He questioned in a low voice looking over at the charming young man who was chatting up the older women as they all cooed and gushed over him.
"Don't even get me start."
Rebekah had dragged Damon out onto he dance floor, she was keeping an eye on her date and he kept a watch on Grace who was currently having a good time with Elijah as they danced around the hall, he fell safer leaving her with the moral Original than the psycho hybrid.
"Stop staring." She hissed as she broke away her gaze on Matt and Caroline "It's creepy..." He gave her a look and she rolled her bright blue eyes "Yes, yes, she is very beautiful and you and Nik are going to continue you fight for her, but you really have no chance... Not against Nik, when he wants something he takes it. Now, he enjoys the chase for Grace at the moment, the trying to win her over but he will grow bored and that will be it-"
"Shut up, Rebekah." He hissed narrowing his eyes at her, she smirked a little muttering something about him being insure about the two under his breath "Where's Elena? Where's Stefan?" He glanced around the room looking for them both, he stalked towards Grace and grabbed her arm pulling her away from a joking Elijah.
"What is your problem?" She hissed almost falling down in her heels "Damon? What the hell is wrong with you tonight?"
"Where is Elena and Stefan?"
"I don't know!" She growled shoving him away, she saw Klaus watching them from across the room "I don't want to be any part of this, I wanted to come here to have some fun and get away from all of this, but it seems as if I can't!" She walked away from him swiftly drying her eyes trying to salvage her make-up.
Outside the large mansion Elena and Stefan were speaking about going to see Esther up in her drawing room, of course he wouldn't be able to accompany her, but that didn't mean that secretly he wasn't going to worry for her. "If Esther is secretly on our side, we need to know." She informed him in a hushed voice. But I can't get to her with three bodyguards."
"Why are you telling me this?" Stefan questioned looking over at the woman he loved, he missed her more than anything and wished things could go back to the way they were, but right now Klaus was his top priority, killing him and getting rid of the extended Original family.
"Because Damon won't let me anywhere near her without protection. And you care about killing Klaus more than you care about anything. So..." She saw the look on his face, it was almost pain stricken when she stated that she thought he didn't care for her anymore, which was untrue "What am I wrong?" A small part of her hoped he would sat she was wrong and he cared, but that wasn't going to happen and she braced herself.
"No, you're not wrong." he confirmed the lie, lying to each other seemed easier than admitting the truth "What do you need me to do?"
"Make sure that I can get into the room with Esther. Alone." She answered, that meant without Damon kicking up a fuss, without Grace going with her, although the twin seemed preoccupied with relationship drama's which is what Elena hated seeing.
"You sure you can do this?" Stefan knew she could, she was strong, independent and that was why he loved her and he loved being able to give her the choice which was the main reason why she loved him.
"I can do this." She nodded confidently about to walk back into the party before turning and looking at Stefan carefully he seemed to have a proud look on his beautiful features, his forest green eyes flashing with genuine love and pride "When we were together you used to let me make my our decisions. You trusted me. After all this at least that hasn't changed." She smiled fondly before turning and walking into the party.
In the hallway of the giant mansion Rebekah was standing there sipping her wine whilst watching all the pitiful human buzz around drunk and speak with the others, she saw Kol sauntering towards her a smirk on his lips as he grabbed a glass of wine for himself
"Where's you date?" Her older brother questioned in a taunting voice, the Rebekah he remembered would never be this sappy and jealous, well, possible jealous but that was part of her nature as a protective predator.
"Flirting with his ex." Rebekah replied a pour pulling over her light pink lips as she poured herself a large glass of wine, Kol couldn't stop a pinch of jealousy from inside of his stomach thinking about the beautiful Caroline with another man, with a human.
"You've changed, Bekah." Kol told her firmly, granted he hadn't seen his baby sister for over a century, but even before that she wouldn't show the weakness of love "You know, settling for mortals is the first sign of weakness."
"I'm not settling." Rebekah told him in a harsh tone narrowing her bright blue eyes at him catching the smirk pulling across his lips "I brought hi here to kill him. He's Grace's and Elena's friend. If he dies she suffers. But I've already been scolded once so I was hoping you'd help your baby sister out." She flashed him a demonic grin.
"And spit right int he face of mother's rules." He sounded as if he wasn't ok with the rules, but Kol wasn't one to ever really follow anything so he was all for having fun and killing "I'm in."
Damon walked into the large library looking down to see that he had a text from his brother telling him something was wrong with Grace in the library, he was in a blind panic as he walked in to see only Elena standing there with a look of sorrow.
"Where is she? Where's Grace?" Damon's voice was filled with panic as Stefan jumped out and snapped his neck, effectively knocking him out so Elena could get into Esther's meeting without the complications of Damon or Grace.
"Better hurry up, he won't be down for long and he will wake with a vengeance." Stefan told Elena, she swiftly walked from the room, her black ball gown skimming against the floor as she collided with a hard chest
"Elena." Elijah's calming voice spoke from above her "I understand my mother requested to see you." He nodded, Finn had possible mentioned something to him, or possible he had seen the Gilbert invitation before it was sent out to her address.
"Uh, yeah." She timidly tucked a long lock of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear before looking up into his moral deep brown eyes "Why, is something wrong?" She asked a little worried, she didn't want the Original witch to back out now, she was in too deep.
"Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little strange to say the least." He informed her, it did seem odd the Esther would forgive Niklaus so quickly after he had ended her life.
"Do you think that it's an act?" Elena had come to realise that Elijah held a rather good judgement on people and was really the only Original sibling she could trust, not a lot, but enough to get his opinion on his own mother.
"It has me asking questions I never thought I'd ask." He mused rubbing his chin carefully before looking down into her scared, smouldering orbs "Can I depend on you to tell me what she says?" He questioned, he could completely understand if she said no, he hadn't given her a lot of reasons to say yes, but he could hope.
"Of course." Elena rubbed his arm carefully before walking past him looking over her shoulder at the moral Original "I'll find you later, ok?"
Esther was preparing the room, burning sage so that both herself and the doppelgänger could speak without people on the other side being able to hear them, an ancient witch spell whilst his son Finn stood sharpening a dagger with a knowing smile on his face as the door was knocked twice.
"That could be the girl." Esther informed him as Finn, ever the gentleman, went and opened the door seeing the beautiful, strong girl standing there with a kind smile playing on her lips.
"You're alone." Finn moved so that she could move inside of the room "Wise choice." He muttered as she looked around the large room to see Esther burning the sage.
"It's only sage." She called the girl who still loved a little confused as to why the witch was doing it "I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard..." She nodded understandingly as Esther turned to her son "That'll be all Finn, thank you." He took his exit leaving closing the door after him "You must have a million questions for me Elena. Please." They both took a seat on the couch casually as they could in their tight dresses.
"How are you alive?" Elena questioned, it was the one question she had been wanting answered, she was pretty sure Grace had said Klaus had killed his mother, so how as she here being able to be seen by her? "Are you a ghost? Or-"
"Not exactly." Esther chuckled a little "When I died the witch Ayanna preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine and an ancestor of your friend Bonnie." She informed her and suddenly everything made sense to the doppelgänger.
"So that's why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket." Elena noted as she remembered back to Bonnie and Abby had taken a while to open up the coffin with the help of knowing about the blood knot.
"They complete the Bennett bloodline." Esther confirmed "I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side." She added with a small smile.
Elena nodded a little before looking over at the Original witch "So you've been on the other side for a thousand years?" She questioned a little amazed, that was a long time to be dead/alive.
"Natures way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires." Esther shook her head a little "But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created."
"You're going to help us KIll Klaus, aren't you?" Elena couldn't mask the small spark of hope lighting up in her voice and Esther smiled a little looking over at the doppelgänger, her son had been causing them trouble if she was this glad to see the back of him.
"On thing at a time Elena. For now, I simply need your help..."
Out the front of the mansion Grace stood with a white horse stroking it's nose carefully, he neighed and huffed as she continued, a genuine smile pulled over her glossy lips as she was startled by a whoosh of air brushing past her, tickling her skin sinfully.
"You like horses?" Klaus questioned in his beautiful British accent watching her playing with the horses mane, it was so soft under her fingers as she looked over her shoulder at him shrugging a little.
"I, uh, I always used to beg my dad for a pony for Christmas." She giggled in remembrance, he chuckled a little too moving forward to pat the horses soft skin "He used to say if I was good then Santa would bring it... Never happened... He, uh, he used to say Santa was too busy and I was ok with that."
"Yes, I remember when your father and I were at the pub once he told me that story..." Klaus had known Grace's parents when she lived over in England for a short while before she had to move back due to their death "He was very proud and had many stories about you that he wished to tell everyone. He had the most delightful little picture of you in his wallet, you were incredibly young..." Klaus pulled his wallet out and showed her the exact picture "Here. I kept it to remember you until I could see you again."
"Oh my." She whispered a little taken back, Klaus seemed to own more pictures of herself and her family than she did, running her fingers over her younger self tears lined her eyes as she sniffled "Things used to be so much for simple back there, before vampires and hybrids and werewolves..." She paused seeing that there was almost a hurt look in the Original's eyes "Tell me about her... Lífa... I know what Fayth is like, a bitch, but what about the Original doppelgänger? Will you tell me about her, Klaus?"
"Where do I start?" Klaus mushed as he slid the photo of Grace back in his wallet before tucking it away carefully "She was amazing... So beautiful and strong and she didn't care about what anyone thought, even after having a child by an unknown man and people talking behind her back, but she didn't care." He smiled to himself remembering the first woman he had ever loved "When I lost her... I was devastated, I almost hated what I was, but... then I met Fay... she reminded me so much of her, but at that time I cared more about wanting to be more powerful than anyone who tried to face my and she would help to overcome that... Then I met you." He sighed a little "The fact that you're a challenge and that I have to work for you makes me what you a lot more."
"Lífa sounds nice." Grace nodded a little playing with the horses mane again, he brushed his nose against her tentatively and she giggled like a small child, Klaus found himself smiling wildly.
"I love that about you." He grinned a little "The innocence and youthfulness of you, the fact that you could turn your feels off, yet you continue to want to be as human as possible." He leaned down and pecked her cheek "I hope that you never change, Grace Gilbert."
Esther was still sat with Elena in her study about to talk about her plan to end the Original's once and for all, she looked over at the young girl "I understand that Rebekah shared to the story of my family with your sister, Grace... How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."
"Grace told me she said you did it to protect them from the werewolves." Elena nodded, she had to level with her on that the doppelgänger would do anything to protect her family, she wouldn't go as far to kill them and turn them into vampires, but anything to keep them alive and safe, sure.
"It's true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood." Esther remembered, a violently shiver cascading down her spine "They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against him." She nodded a little.
"How are you going to kill him?" Elena questioned, he was a Original hybrid nothing was going to be able to kill him completely "He's immortal." She reminded her shaking her head a little.
"It will take time." Esther told the young girl truthfully, this wasn't going to be a quick process and it wasn't exactly going to be easy either "Magic, and your assistance."
"What do I have to do with it?" She questioned, everything always seemed to come down to her, being the doppelgänger was a lot more hard work than it had originally seemed.
"My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion." Esther informed her, letting the girl in on her secret "But in truth I've gathered them together to preform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger. Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening." She offered her the dagger that Finn had been sharpening, Elena seemed to have a timid, squeamish look on her face as she hesitated to take the dagger from the witch "Will you do it or shall I?" ELena slowly pulled her glove off and held her hand out to Esther, she gently pricked the tip of her finger "Elijah is more suspicious than the others, so he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink the host in order to be linked as one."
"What do you mean 'linked as one'." Elena questioned as she watched the blood trickle down her finger, a small churn of guilt twisted uncomfortably in her stomach as she thought back to Elijah, she had promised him the truth about this meeting with Esther, but he had betrayed her before.
"You said yourself Klaus can't be killed. But tonights spell links all my children together, so that if one goes, they all go." Esther replied with a firm look, there was no sign of sadness or regret, she truly wanted her children gone, the monsters to be banished from the world completely.
"What?" Elena hissed, this was the same witch that went against the balance of nature to make her children into what they were, now she was going to take that all away in one fell swoop.
"I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination. I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them."
Downstairs in the foyer Kol was watching his baby sister who was carefully scanning the room, all the humans were more drunk now, but still trying to act respectful.
"I'm itching to kill someone." He stepped towards her with a snide look falling over his perfect features "What are we waiting for?" His impatience was killing him.
"The mayor concerned me." Rebekah answered with a small girl pointed at him "Give me fifteen mites to lure Matt outside." She hissed in a low voice making sure no one around her would hear, she knew not everyone here was human and some would have supernatural hearing like them.
"Outside?" Kol scoffed crossing his arms over his chest "What's wrong with right here on the stairs? Make a spectacle of it." His eyes flashed with excitement, the excitement of a kill, it had been a while since he had, over a century to be exact.
"You sound like an idiot, Kol." She hissed narrowing her icy blue orbs at him picking up her emerald green dress between her clenched hand "Mother would kill you if you ruined her party. See you outside." Swiftly she walked away from her older brother.
In the library Stefan could see that Damon was finally coming around, his eyes fluttered open as he glanced around the unfamiliar room to see his younger brother sitting across from him on a leather chair with a playful smirk and a glass of whiskey.
"Easy, buddy." Stefan cooed as he walked towards his brother who was finally standing up bushing himself down "Don't want you doing anything stupid." He smirked as the raven haired vampire lunged for him.
"Where's Grace? Where's Elena?" He questioned in a low voice, admittedly he was more concerned for Grace due tot he fact that he loved her and Klaus was still prying around her.
"Elena is exactly where she belongs, talking with Esther." Stefan answered with a stubborn look "Grace... I haven't actually seen Grace, you know."
"What?" Damon went to walk out but Stefan blocked him from leaving once again "What did you do?"
"Ah, don't blame me. This was all Elena right down to the broken neck. And you need to give Grace a little bit of room to breathe, you're smothering her. You know, maybe you should stop being such a controlling dick, Damon." He added with a pointed look.
"Wait. Hang one." Damon stopped him from talking holding his hands up completely shocked "I'm the problem here?" He hissed in a low voice.
Stefan smirked a little reaching over to pat his shoulder gently "You're a liability, brother." He told him and his brothers jaw dropped open.
"I'm trying to keep them alive, Stefan!"
"Yeah, well, your emotions are getting in the way of our plan." Stefan replied to him rolling his forest green eyes.
"My emotions?" Damon scoffed, it had always been either Elena or Stefan that had let their emotions get the better of them, now he was the problem? This were getting pretty ridiculous in Mystic Falls. "How is this even happening right now?"
"Maybe because you care too damn much."
Out in the parking lot Rebekah and Matt were advancing towards his truck, he was a little confused as to why he was out here alone, in the cold with the Original, but she was just beginning her plan, moving towards the set location where Kol would attack and end the poor human's life.
"So... what are we doing out here?" Matt asked the blonde as she watched him carefully.
"Just taking a break from the polite chit-chat." She answered a little fed up with everything inside, it was so boring in there and tedious, too.
"It's freezing." He noted the crisp Virginian air "Let me grab my coat." He admittedly it wasn't for him, he hated the thought of this beautiful woman cold made the gentleman in him flare up as they approached his beat up old truck, Rebekah gave it a look.
"This is your car?" She was so used to extravagant that she compelled people for, or spent way too much, nice sports cars, or old fashioned cars, not trucks.
"Yep." Matt answered, not ashamed of his baby, he only worked in a the Grill, and spent most of his money on bills so any car was good enough for him "If I could compel myself a Maserati, I would. But I can't." He grabbed his varsity jacket and put it over her tiny shoulders a kind smile on his lips.
"Oh... I'm a vampire. We don't-" She looked up into his hypnotising blue eyes and saw the genuine concern for her being out in this crispy weather, guilty filled her body when she thought of this poor boy dying taking his arm she began to lead him back towards the house "Thanks. Lets go back inside. I got all the fresh air I need."
As Elena walked back to the ballroom she had a look of guilt on her face as Elijah intercepted her, she had promised him a full confession and that was what he was expecting "So, how was my mother?"
"Intense." She answered truthfully, she didn't expect the woman to be so tactful and resentful that she was willing to kill all of her children, not just the troubled hybrid alone.
"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" The Original questioned "Elena? Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?" He creased his eye brows looking at her for an answer.
"She just wanted to apologise for trying to have me killed." She lied, it was easier that way, Elena wanted Klaus out of her families and friends lives more than anything, unfortunately the moral Original would be gone too, but that just meant they were crazy Original free for good and could continue with their complicated lives.
"So it's true, then?" Elijah asked in a small voice "She's forgiven Klaus?"
"It's true." The doppelgänger confirmed with a nod as a everyone was called to the foyer that was being over-looked by the grand staircase where Esther was standing with a champagne glass in hand. It was happening.
"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen." Esther announced to the gather crowd, as Elena glanced around the room she saw Grace standing with Klaus in the crowd, Caroline with Kol, Matt with Rebekah, Finn by himself at the very bottom of the stairs and she was with Elijah, all Original's were counted for "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as on. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!" She smiled as everyone rose their champagnes glasses taking it down.
"Cheers." Elijah muttered to Elena as they clinked their glasses together and he drank his down, she sighed with a heavy heart of guilt before taking down the alcohol too.
"Come." Klaus took Grace's tiny hand within his own and lead her into see his art collect, she was amazed y all the beautiful art works hanging on the walls, large canvases, small, medium, oil paintings, drawings, everything was in there.
"One of my passions." He informed her giving her a little more information about himself, day by day she was learning more about this psychotic hybrid.
"Wow." Grace muttered as she ran her fingers over one, feeling it was dry "These are amazing... I take it the curators at the Louvre aren't on vervain." She taunted him a little and he chuckled darkly looking around the room too.
"Yeah, well that their mistake." He answered as she walked towards a table full of beautiful, elegant jewellery, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, the lot.
"What about these?" She questioned timidly running her fingers over the large diamonds scared to break anything "Where'd you steal these from?"
"Well, that's a long story." Niklaus chuckled a little as he walked over to her, placing his arms either side of her bracing her back against the table "But rest assured it was worn by a Princess almost as beautiful as you." He flirted before she looked down to see A5 sketches that had been drawn by none other than Niklaus.
"Wait a second." She whispered as he pulled away to look at what she was looking at "Did - did you do these?" She asked in a low voice, amazed by the talent that had been hidden inside of him.
"Yeah, um... actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice..." He smirked a little seeing her looking pretty fascinated by his stories "Have you been?"
"Apart for England for a couple of years I've never really be anywhere." Grace shrugged a little, she wanted to bad to get out of Mystic Falls and explore the world, but she couldn't leave her friends, her family.
"I'll take you." Klaus offered capturing her waist in his hands and spinning her around the room, she giggled for a moment before he moved towards her, his lips so close to her own before she turned away and pried his hands off "I'll take you whoever you want Rome. Paris. Tokyo?"
"I can't." She whispered "I can't do this, Niklaus." She whispered as she brushed her long locks away from her face "I'm with Damon, I love Damon... Nothing is going to change that... I'm sorry. I understand that your father didn't love you, so you assume that no one else will either-"
"Stop-"
"And that's why you compel people or you sire them or you try and buy them off..." She shook her head as she looked down at the expensive dress she was wearing "But what I have with Damon is real and what we have... we don't have anything... I care for you, but I care for Damon more... I'm sorry." She whimpered as she walked swiftly from the room leaving him visibly upset.
By the stairs near where everyone was just gathered into foyer listening to Esther talk Rebekah was trying to avoid her older brother Kol after bailing on the plan to kill Matt Donovan, but he managed to find her in the mist of all the drama.
"There you are." The charming older brother called "I was waiting outside for you. Where's Matt?" He asked, he knew that she had bailed but he was going to torture her on it first.
"About that, I, uh - I changed my mind." She told him trying to act though, out of all of her brother Kol had been the most temperamental and unforgiving, even after Niklaus and her father.
"Don't tell me you like this boy." Kol scoffed seeing the solemn look on his baby sisters face "What did he go? He gave you five seconds of attention?" He sighed a little "Don't be so predictable Rebekah." He scolded in a cold voice that hurt her deep down.
"You don't have to be rude about it." She muttered before stiffening her upper lip "Just leave him be, ok?" She hissed as she turned on her heels and walked back towards the party.
"As you wish, sister." His voice was low and sinister.
Grace let out a shaky breath as she stood in the foyer playing with the ends of her hair seeing Damon walk towards her with a deathly look on his face. "Where have you been?" He growled in a low voice.
"Around." She answered distantly crossing her arms over her chest, he growled and looked around him before turning back to her.
"Do you want to know where I was? Stefan broke my neck so Elena could go see Esther. Nice to know you care!" He barked and she flinched at the harshness of his voice, her eyes were wide with shock knowing that Stefan and Elena had betrayed him in order to get what they want.
"What? Are you ok?" She took his face between her hands looking into his icy blue eyes, he pushed her hands away and turned away from her "Damon... I'm sorry I wasn't there... I was... I was busy." She tried to keep the truth away from him, but he wasn't having any of it.
"With him?" Damon's voice was low, he looked over his shoulder to see Grace was staring down at her feet "Good. So first you wear the dress he brought you and then you have sex with him?" He guessed but she looked up at him completely shocked.
"What!" Grace shrieked seeing the set look on his face "No! No! Damon I did not have sex with Klaus." Her voice was low and hushed "I can't believe you would even think I would do that... Why would you say that?"
"Because I can smell him all over you." Damon's eyes were filled with intensity as he turned back around to see the apologetic look on her face, she let out a small sigh before reaching over and taking his hand carefully, he just pulled it away quickly "What happened? What did you talk about?"
"Lífa... when I used to live in England and he knew my parents." She shrugged a little and he rolled his eyes "What? What's wrong now?" She hissed seeing that he was pissed off too "We can't work on this if we don't communicate with each other, alright? First you leave this morning and now you're just silently pissed at me?"
"Do you love me?" Damon asked in a low tone and Grace nodded in confirmation, she loved him more than she could possibly describe, he was her first love, the only love she needed, if they were to ever split she wouldn't know what to do "Then why do you keep going off with Klaus?"
"Damon you're only saying this because of that dream this morning... Just go cool off and I'll come find you later, alright?" She told him firmly and he huffed turning away from her walking away from her swiftly, she groaned as Caroline walked over to her
"Are you alright?" The blonde questioned seeing the frustrated look on her features, she just shrugged in response, scared to say anything because of the tears that threatened to pour out "Have you seen Matt?"
Upstairs Matt was stood out on the balcony when his predator stood behind him, Rebekah promised Kol and death and now he was going to make a scene for it "Good evening, your Rebekah's friend, we haven't met." The Original held his hand out formally.
"Matt Donovan." He placed his hand inside of his.
"Kol Mikaelson." Tightening the grip until he saw ultimate pain come across the human's face when suddenly he was shoved off Damon stood there with an angry look on his face, he need to take his anger out on someone and an Original seemed to be his best option.
"Easy on the hand, guys a quarterback." Damon pried Kol away them shoved him over the balcony following him over, he began to beat him before snapping his neck when he turned around he saw Stefan standing there.
"Damon! Are you crazy-"
Before he knew it the door opened and all the Mikaelson's walked out Grace and Elena too, she gave him a disappointed look before walking towards him, he noticed Klaus reacting to her movement, about to go after her, but saw the deathly look on the vampires face.
"You need to leave, now." Grace ordered in a low voice, he went to argue but instead just turned on his heels and walked away from the party angrily muttering under his breath.
Caroline was sitting alone in her bedroom wishing she had Tyler there to comfort her, it had been quite some night with the flirting from Kol, fighting with Damon and Grace, Stefan and Elena plotting against the Original's. She just needed a hug.
"Tyler, it's me." She didn't even realise that she had dialled his number and caught his voicemail "I'm grateful for what you're doing, but... I miss you... and I really wish you were here." She pressed end as she looked down at the picture of herself and her hybrid boyfriend.
Up in Esther's study she was absolutely fuming with her younger children, how that had caused a complete scene at a formal event, Elijah was waiting for orders from his mother, but knew that Kol and Rebekah had to be dealt with, if they were not then they could not continue to live in Mystic Fall in peace, which was what the moral Original wanted more than anything.
"No violence, that was all I asked." Esther vented as she paced around her own study that Niklaus had granted her when she came back "Rebekah and Kol disgraced our family tonight." Both of them plotting to kill Matt Donovan had stepped over the line when it came to her formal event.
"It won't happen again, mother." Elijah promised with a firm nod "I'll deal with them." He added in a sure voice, he knew how Kol could be, he was a loose cannon, hard to tame, but he was going to have to get his act together if he wanted to stay in Mystic Falls with them all.
"Thank you, Elijah." Esther immediately calmed down when she looked over at her moral son, he was so calm and collected, she wished all of her children could be like him, thens he wouldn't have to eliminate the abominations of the rest of her family. "I wish the others were more like you."
Elijah smiled gratefully before turning and walking from the room, as he opened the door he noticed his brother Finn about to enter, he stopped so he could before leaving himself shutting the door behind him allowing Esther and his brother some privacy to speak.
"Are we alright to speak freely?" Finn questioned in a small voice, he couldn't small the sage entering the room and he most certainly did not want any of his siblings overhearing the conversation.
Esther nodded as she looked over her shoulder at her son "Yes, the sage still burns." She confirmed as she grabbed an old piece of script paper beginning to write her children's name in old runic on there, Finn could see the contemplating look on his mothers face.
"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" He questioned, the Original was completely ready to give up his eternal life in order to be at peace.
"Of course not." Esther shook her head, she was more than ready to end her children's long lives in order to set things right with nature "It's just Elijah. He's so moral." She sighed a little, she wished all of her children had a heart like either him or Finn.
"You're doing the right thing, mother." He assured her in a strong voice.
"You understand what this means, don't you?" Esther looked over at her son, she didn't want to put him under false pretences that he would survive, or he would be able to do over, this was a one time thing that would permanently end his brother and his own lives.
"I understand." Finn nodded in confirmation, he had been alive for over a century, granted most of that had been spent in a coffin, but he was ready to call it quits and help his mother restore the balance of nature "When it is time, I will be ready to die."
"Then we must completely the link." She carefully took Finn's hand and pricked it with the same dagger she had used on Elena to take her blood. She let the crimson liquid leak onto the page before released his hand letting it heal and close her eyes beginning to recite the spell "Phasmatos inta grum vin callus... Amalon callagius accodam.. Cosom naben dox... Callagius amalon... Gaeda callagius ceremum... Phamato descendium vinum... Phasmatos inta grum vin callus.. Cosom naben dox." When she reopened her eyes she saw the the spell had worked, all the names on the page were connected by Finn's blood "The link is complete. You are one." She informed him before the paper set alight in front of her bright eyes.
Stefan and Elena left Grace in the car as they walked up to the porch of her house, the older vampire had promised her a ride home when Damon had abandoned her at the party when he went off to drown his sorrows at the grill.
"So, uh Esther wants to kill her whole family." Stefan nodded at little as Elena unlocked her door opening it wide "How is that for mother of the year?" He smirked a little.
"Yeah." Elena nodded a little bit accepting his sarcastic comment "And I got to look Elijah right int he eye and lie to him about it." She hated doing that to him, it was like kicking an adorable little puppy, and she understood Elijah completely, she had the upmost respect for him, she was so admiral to him because he did everything he did for his family, saving Klaus from Bonnie, although it had screwed them over and changed everything he did it for family and she understood that completely.
"Well, good." Stefan retorted in a low voice "I can't say I'll be sorry to see any of them go." Each other of the Original's had ruined Stefan's life in their own way, and if they hadn't already they were going to, he just knew it, that was the trait of the Original's, they were life ruiners.
"I just sighed their death sentences, Stefan-"
"No, you sighed Klaus' death sentence, Elena." He couldn't stop himself reaching out and touching her satin like skin, but as quickly as he touched he pulled away, she wasn't even completely sure it had happened or she only dreamed it had happened, but she could feel an icy burn from where he touched her. She was sure it was real. "Everyone else is just collateral damage."
"It's not that simple-"
"Their family has brought you nothing but darkness, Elena. It is that simple. Look at what it has done to your family, Jeremy has moved away, Jenna is dead, John is dead, Isobel is dead, Grace and Damon are on the rocks, you and me aren't together." He sighed a little as he turned on his heels and walked away, he could hear her approaching and turned to look into her dark brown orbs that were glowing in the moonlight.
"Stefan. Did you really not feel anything?" She questioned, all this love, all these feelings couldn't be one sided, she loved him so much, he had to still love her too, there had to be such hope.
"When?"
"How do you do that? Act like you don't care, like you don't feel anything? Because I can't do that. I... I feel. I feel everything." She told him, that was her basically saying that she loved him still and his heart broke a million times over looking at her.
"Elena, stop-"
"I'm not going to stop, Stefan, because I don't believe that you feel nothing." She looked over at him with a set look on her face.
"What? You think I want to be this person? I hurt you, ELena. I bit you. I hate myself for what I did to you." Stefan was surprised when Elena grabbed his face between her hands and made her look at him.
"Then show it!" She growled "Do something, Stefan, anything is better than trying to convince me that you don't care!" She added with a angry voice when suddenly his lips crushed down against her, suddenly he pulled away and left to his car to catch the look Grace was giving him.
"Don't hit me again. Please."
Damon was pouring shot after shot down his throat trying to drown his sorrows, he was completely wasted and could barely stand up straight, or sit up straight as he compelled the bartender for another bottle. Looking over his shoulder he saw Rebekah being turned down by Matt as he walked away from her.
"Burn." Damon slurred looking at the amazingly beautiful blonde "Rejected by the captain of the football team. Welcome to adolescence." He chuckled darkly as she gave him a exasperated look.
"Shut up, Damon." She ordered in a harsh tone "Knew I should have killed him..." She muttered under her breath making the younger vampire laugh a little more "Mother wouldn't let me."
"Well... never let people tell you what to do." He poured himself another shot grabbing another glass for Rebekah handing it per to her "Besides... You would have broken him in seconds." He smirked as he poured the bottle down his neck, his sex drive was picking up as he looking up and down her fine body and for a moment he forgot about the pain of Grace and remembered he was Damon Salvatore.
"Are you suggesting I can't be gentle?"
"No. I'm just saying tat you should find someone a little more durable. That's all." He smirked referring to him, before they knew it they were in a passionate make out session.
After a long drive Stefan and Grace arrived home, both were incredibly quiet as they walked in to the house grabbing a drink from the kitchen first not checking the other rooms, he handed her a scotch and she downed it, she hissed as it burned her throat uncomfortably.
"Damon." A high british voice moaned, Grace's eyes widened as she ran towards the living room seeing Damon between Rebekah's legs as they kissed heavily, removing each others clothes with need and a drunken slur.
"No." Grace whispered as she saw her boyfriend pleasuring another woman, her heart broke into a thousand tiny piece she wasn't sure could be repaired "No. No. No." She whispered covering her mouth, both suddenly pulled back surprised to see them back.
"Grace!" Damon jumped up and Stefan stood in front of the girl he thought of as a sister protectively as tears poured down her cheeks at a fast pace "Gracie! Baby-"
"No!" She growled giving him a look "Don't... Don't talk to me right now. I can't. I can't even look at you." She struggled for words as she quickly ran to the bedroom and started to pack up her stuff.
"Where are you going?" She didn't answered him, she kept replaying the scene in her head over and over, and each time it hurt even more "Please. Talk to me-"
"I'm going to stay with Elena. I need some time to think. To get my head straight." She informed him as she messily slung her clothes in her bag whilst trying to dry her tears "Just to think. Until I'm ready to talk to you. Have fun with Rebekah-"
"It was a spur of the moment, I was drunk-"
"So what makes it better!" She screamed as she zipped up her bags "I'll have someone come and collect the rest of my things..."
"Please don't leave." Damon begged "Can we just talk about this?"
"What is there to talk about?" She turned to him with a look full of fury "You were going to have sex with Rebekah, you don't care about me, Damon! You only care about yourself." She hissed drying her eyes as Stefan walked into the room.
"Just back off, Damon." He ordered in a low voice letting Grace walk past him "Wow. You really screwed things up this time, brother... You've lost the only girl who ever truly loved you for who you were. Nice job." He hissed in a low voice before turning and leaving Damon standing there devestated.
A/N
:"( No, Drace! Oh, I really hated writing that, I really hope you don't hate me for breaking them apart but they needed some kind of drama between them. What do you think is going to happen now?
I don't want you Drace shippers to lose hope, this may not be the end for that lovely couple, spark may fly ;) but Damon has some work to do and what about Klaus? OH dear...
Thank you so much for reading and please review, fave or alert!
Graciiee xx