Twisted Love
Season Four
We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries, I only own Grace :)
The ticking of the clock was beginning to frustrate Grace as she lay in bed next to her loving boyfriend. Running her thin fingers through her chocolate-brown hair she sat up and growled at the obnoxious noise of the old grandfather clock throwing her pillow at it as if it would help but it only continued.
That wasn't the only thing that was playing on her mind, the dripping of the bathroom sink was beginning to sync with the clock which just annoyed her further. Throwing her legs over the bed she sat there for a long second before the whistling of the wind echoed through the house.
She began to mutter under her breath as she jogged down into the boarding house basement to get a bag of blood, it seemed like it had been a while since she had drunk from one of those. Maybe it was just because she was hungry that everything was beginning to play on her nerves and she couldn't sleep because of it.
As she came back up to the top of the stairs she was startled to see Connor standing there in the flesh with a large bite wound from his neck, holding his broken arm and staring at her with such anger. "Surprised to see me?" He taunted in a low voice and her jaw dropped open as she dropped the bag to the floor, it spluttered open leaking around her feet.
"You're not here. I'm – I've got to be dreaming." Grace muttered, she remembered killing him in cold blood, well there was a part of her that remembered killing him, it was all hazy but he was definitely dead, she'd seen his body in the aftermath. "Because you're dead. I killed you." She hissed.
"Yes, I am. And from what I understand this isn't your first time killing, is it, Ripper." Connor hissed at her and she froze for a moment, she hated it so much when people called it that, she could feel her fangs pushing down through her gums uncomfortably.
Grace tried to find logical explanations for him to be standing in front of her now. "You're a ghost. That's gotta be it. You're a ghost, that's what's happening right now." She nodded her head trying to convince herself. "D-Damon! Damon!" She called out her voice shaking as it did so.
"D-Damon!" The raven haired vampire heard his girlfriend call out in fear, he was up in moments trying to figure out where the sound had come from so he could run to protect her. "Damon!" He knew where she was completely.
"You're a ghost; you're haunting me." Grace whispered as she shut her eyes for a moment hoping that hen she opened them they'd be gone. "You're a ghost; you're haunting me." She opened her chocolate-brown eyes to see him still standing there staring down at her.
"Can a ghost do this?" He advanced on her and she moved back slipping on the blood of the floor falling backwards down the stairs leading into the cellar trapping herself in the dead-end of the basement.
"Ah." She hissed as she opened her eyes to see him walking painfully slowly down the stairs, grabbing onto the chest fridge used to store the blood she heaved herself up seeing a knife placed on the side, grabbing it she hadn't noticed he was standing right there so lashing out she quickly stabbed him in the neck pulling the knife back out.
As he fell to the floor choking on his blood she let out a relived sigh but was surprised to see Damon leaning against the wall holding his throat as blood seeped through his fingers. "Damon! Damon." She called as she fell to her knees dropping the knife to the floor. "Damon. I'm so sorry. No! No!" She screamed as he passed out.
After the younger vampire managed to pull Damon up the stairs and rest him on the couch in the parlour room she called Stefan explaining to him what had happened with his accident, he was checking over his brother the wound seemed to have healed but had knocked him out for a while.
"I can't believe this is happening." Grace muttered as she ran her bloody hands through her hair ruining it, she hissed as she pulled them out. "What am I going to say to him?" She blanked how was she supposed to explain shanking him in the neck because she thought he was a hunter that she killed not even a day ago.
"Well, if it were me then I'd started with apologising for slicing his neck open." Stefan began as he rested his hands on the couch looking down at her as she knelt next to Damon's body holding his hand tightly.
"I, uh, I heard about this thing with Klaus, and whatever it's about it's breaking you and Elena apart, and nothing should come between that." She informed him in a small voice, she had heard him argue to Elena and knew that this was something to do with Connor, as she had heard them both talking in the Grill.
"I would really love to speak to you about this but it's complicated, Grace. I can't explain this to you. I'm sorry." He quickly apologised and she continued to look down at her tan skinned boyfriend looking so guilty.
Taking a deep breathing Grace decided it was time to speak about her sister. "So, what was Elena's excuse for not wanting to come? Or does she just hate me?"
"She just needs time, Grace. To adjust to the new you and you have to remember that whatever she felt for you before has been magnified now by her new vampire emotions. You just have to be patient with her.
Grace couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh as she brushed Damon's hair back off his peaceful looking face. "Are you trying to say that my sister was just silently hating on me before?" She whispered and before Stefan could get a word in she stood up dusting herself off. "I can't deal with this right now, I need to go shower, wash this blood off." She whispered as she zipped off to her room holding back tears.
Just as Stefan heard the door to the main bedroom close, there was a low gasp from below him, looking down onto the couch he saw that Damon was now awake and looking around holding his neck. "Where is she?" He questioned there wasn't an anger to her voice. "Did she attack you too?"
"No, she called me after everything happened asking for help, in a pretty bad way. You were too, brother." Stefan informed him and the raven haired vampire creased his eye brows as he pushed up off the couch shaking his head from side to side. "Give her a minute, alright?"
"Yeah. Yeah, whatever." Damon whispered as he saw a glass of blood on the table, he picked it up and downed it quickly trying to get his head around what had happened between them both, the way she was acting was completely insane.
Grace was just about to go start running a shower she felt a presence, turning around she was surprised to see Damon sitting there on the bed with a glass of whiskey in hand, she had barely heard him walk in.
"Do you want to tell me why you were so scared of me and then stabbed me in the neck? Or are we just going to forget this all happened and ignore each other?" Damon asked in a calm voice and she looked over at him with a deeply guilty look on her face. "I just want to know what's going on, Grace. Is that so much to ask?"
"I know, I know you want the truth. But it's so hard to explain, I don't even know what's going on myself, Damon-"
"Try, Grace. Please, just try." Damon slammed his glass down on the table as he walked towards her taking her hands looking deep into her chocolate-brown orbs. "Let me in."
"You were him. You were Connor and you were trying to kill me." She quickly announced and he looked down at her confused. "I need to go shower, Damon." She pulled away from her boyfriend looking down at her blood covered body which was now dry and sticky making her feel nauseous. "I'm sorry. Can I talk about it when I get out?" The young vampire questioned and slowly he nodded his head letting her go.
Over at the Lockwood mansion it was early in the morning yet that didn't seem to stop Hayley and the other hybrids minus Tyler from pouring herself a shot of whiskey just as Tyler walked into the room surprised to see she was still up celebrating the life of Dean, the hybrid that had been brutally killed by Connor because he was sired by Klaus to be a meat shield.
"You're still going?" Tyler questioned in surprise as she downed yet another shot quickly before he could even attempt to take it away from her. "I drank enough last night and then I slept, which is what you guys should have done."
"We're just paying our respects to Dean." One of the hybrids from across the room informed him as he brought the glass bottle of vodka up to his lips and downed a large swig of the burning liquid.
"That's great, Chris, but could you pay them at a bar instead?" Tyler ordered as he looked around to see the supply of alcohol that had kept at their house was almost completely gone due to the hybrids high tolerance for the substance.
"Don't be mad." Hayley pouted as she prowled towards him like a feisty lioness. "We're celebrating out fallen hybrid friend." She reminded him as she brought the bottle up to his lips, tilting his head back and making a shot in his mouth.
As he brought his head back up the cold liquid dribbled from his mouth as he swallowed, she was quick to reach up and dry it with her thumb bringing that down to her mouth and sucking it in humming at the taste.
"Well, don't let me interrupt you." A heavy British voice came from behind them and they both looked over to see Klaus wander into the room holding his own bottle of whiskey that he was enjoying on his own.
"I didn't know you were here." Tyler instinctively took a step away from the pretty, brunette wolf in front of him glaring across at the Original, he had been the main reason Dean was dead. He only did it because he was sired to Klaus.
"Clearly." Klaus muttered as he looked between him and Hayley with a smirk on his lips. "I just popped round to celebrate Dean's successful retrieval of the vampire hunter. Yet when I arrived, I learn that not only was Dean unsuccessful, but that my vampire Grace killed the hunter."
Tyler snarled as he shook his head from side to side looking up at the Original. "Since when is Grace your vampire?" He pressed cocking his eye brow making Klaus smirk to himself taking another swig from his bottle.
"And maybe if you had let Dean use force on Connor instead of sending him in on a suicide mission." Hayley was quick to added stepping forward with a deadly, protective look on her face about the hybrids that were sired to him.
"Maybe you should mind your own business, wolf girl." Klaus replied in a harsh voice as he glared down at her she just continued to glare back hands on her hips, still a little tipsy from the alcohol that hadn't left her system.
"What do you care if Connor's dead anyway?" Tyler quizzed as he stared over at the Original with a curious look on his tanned face but Klaus just shook his head smirking lightly.
"I have my reasons." The Original hybrid informed them mysteriously and Tyler narrowed his eyes at him. "They've ceased to matter. Cheers." He raised his bottle before bringing it up to his lips and taking a long swing.
The front door to the mansion and Tyler was quick to act as he opened it to see his girlfriend standing there holding a cardboard box in her arms and a sad look on her face, she stepped over the threshold into the house ignoring the parade of hybrids in the other room.
"I brought your stuff." She informed him in a small voice as she looked down into the box of things he'd given to her or left over her house that she wouldn't need anymore. "Old laptop, your jersey, the charm bracelet."
"Care, this isn't a good time." Tyler tried to reason with her, he just wanted to talk about this but she wasn't having anything of it as she shoved the box into his hands making him hold all of his things.
"Just take it." She ordered giving him a painful look both of them were trying to ignore that they were making a scene but it was hard with a smirking Original standing across from them still nursing his bottle of alcohol.
"Barbie." He called her nickname and she turned to look at him flipping her blonde locks over her shoulder as she did so, narrowing her silvery orbs in the process. "By the break-up drama unfolding before me I assume you've met Hayley." He announced and the blonde continued to say nothing. "Alright, come on, let's go. Let's leave them alone. Your talents are needed elsewhere." He informed the other hybrids.
Tyler narrowed his eyes over at the Original before asking. "For what?"
"I think you've got more important things to deal with, mate." Klaus smirked wildly as he looked between the vampire girl and the wolf girl in the room before he exited with his other hybrids in tow.
Slowly Caroline turned as the final sired hybrid left and she closed the door as she turned back around she was grinning brightly at the two. "Do you think he brought it?" She questioned excitedly.
"Hell, I brought it." Hayley informed the vampire making her giggle as she stood next to her boyfriend looking at him lovingly before looking back over at the wolf whom had told her that the Original was there.
"Thanks for the heads up that he was here, Hayley." Caroline thanked her accordingly and she only shrugged as if it was nothing, Tyler was quick to cuddle his girlfriend cutely holding her close to him as he placed a peck on her forehead.
"You girls are good liars." Tyler complimented them both before kissing the vampire heatedly on the lips leaving Hayley standing looking on with a mixture of jealousy and awkwardness running through her veins.
Letting the warm water run over her body Grace couldn't believe she actual felt relaxed for one after everything that had happened, although she wasn't looking forward to going into more detail with Damon what had happened, it felt insane in her own mind.
She was caught by surprise when she saw a pool of blood on the blood, moving back she glanced up at the shower head to see it was perfectly normal water coming out, letting out a small breath she resumed her wash until she looked down at her feet to see even more blood than before.
Clearly freaked out by what was happening she slammed her hand against the knob twisting the water off and walked from the shower as quick as she could grabbing a towel wrapping it tightly around her.
In the parlour room of the Salvatore boarding house Damon was sitting there nursing a blood mixed with bourbon when his brother walked in holding his phone, he was just waiting for the call from Klaus, the younger brother knew he must be in town by now, out for blood.
"How are you feeling?" Stefan questioned looking across at his brother as he grabbed a glass as he grabbed his own bourbon for him to enjoy.
"Great. You know, my girlfriend just jammed a knife into my neck because she thought I was a hunter that she killed, it felt great." Damon muttered sarcastically as he ran his hands through his raven black hair trying desperately to understand what was happening with his girlfriend.
Stefan's phone began to ring in his pocket, he dragged it out and looked down at it with a frown. "It's Klaus." He informed his older brother looking down at the name on his phone.
"Oh, time to face the music." Damon taunted but he wasn't even in the mood to be playful, there were too many things playing on his mind, even though he continued to talk anyway. "Pay the piper. Dance with the devil."
"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing." Stefan glared over at him earning another look from Damon. "If he finds out I told you about the cure, he'll kill both of us." He announced trying to warn his brother.
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady." Damon told him brother in a firm voice as he referred to how his younger brother wasn't answering his phone. "Shady people get outed." The raven haired vampire added.
Stefan didn't waste anytime in answering his phone and Damon disappeared into his room waiting for Grace to reappear from where she would be getting dressed into a new clean, blood free set of clothes. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Well, I can't imagine why, what with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future." Klaus hissed as he approached the drive way of the boarding house, he figured that if Stefan wouldn't come to him, then he'd go to the house full of vampires.
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy." If he'd been able to even get a little help, even from his brother that day then the hunter wouldn't have escaped straight and ran into Grace's fangs.
"Well, life's full of ifs, Stefan. But lets accentuate the positives, shall we?" Klaus offered as he casually walked up the large drive way, one hand in his pocket. "The hunter was one of five; we'll find another. It may take centuries, but we've got nothing but time, right?" She taunted smirking into the distance.
"You're using your calm voice today." Stefan noted how the hybrid wasn't anger but rather calm and collect, which didn't really seem to be in the hybrids vocabulary. "Who's getting killed?"
"Not you, if that's what you're worried about. But I am concerned about my beloved. Have the hallucinations started yet?" The Original questioned and the younger vampire creased his eye brows, how did he know about that Grace had seen Connor instead of Damon.
"What do you know about that?" Stefan pressed shoving his hand into his pocket staring at the front door biting his bottom lip trying to find the logic of the situation in his head.
"I'll tell you." Klaus promised in a sure voice as he approached the heavy front door of the Salvatore house which he would easily be able to get into due to no humans living there. "Where are you?"
"I'm are my house."
"How convenient, so am I." The door swung open and in waltz Klaus looking more handsome than ever smiling at his vampire friend. "So, Grace is a little distressed?" He looked around for the little brunette but couldn't see her anywhere.
"You need to get out before Damon comes out here and makes you leave." Stefan growled at him as he walked towards the hybrid with a hard look on your face. "It's bad enough me talking to you on the phone, but now you're here? What do you know?"
"I killed the original five hunters, remember?" Klaus quizzed reminding the young vampire of how he protected his family from the people who tried to kill them due to the emotions of his sister. "When one kills a hunter, there's a bit of a consequence."
"What kind of consequence?" Stefan eyed the hybrid curiously, whatever what was happening to Grace just seemed as if it was going to get worse from what was being said by the Original.
"The hunter was spelled by witches to kill vampires; if you prevent one from fulfilling his destiny then he'll take you down with him." Klaus explained with a frown, he was beginning to take this very serious now and the younger vampire could sense that.
"Grace isn't going anywhere with you. Damon has her basically on high security lock down in that room, there is no way you're going to be able to get past him. She isn't going anywhere with you, Klaus."
"He can not protect her the way I can, Stefan. You have to understand if she stays here then she'll take her own life before the day is out." Klaus hissed as him taking a step forward. "Do you want her to die? I don't."
Shaking her head from side to side Stefan refused to let the hybrid take the brunette. "She's stronger than that."
"Is she?" The hybrid questioned as he cocked any eye brow. "Believe me, it's for her own good. I'm only trying to help her." He stated and Stefan gave him a weary look.
Grace looked at herself in the mirror, she had decided that after everything that happened today all she wanted to wear was a nice, simple, comfortable outfit. She an oversized grey long-sleeved sweater and a pair of black skinny jeans seemed to suffice.
As she ran her fingers through her now dry, slightly curled chocolate-brown hair in the mirror she was startled when she saw Connor looking at her through the mirror, she turned abruptly gasping loudly staring at the deceased through wide eyes.
The hunter pressed his long fingers to his neck, gathering some blood on the tips inspecting it for a moment before holding it out in front of her. Grace could smell it; still warm, fresh, tempting. Not being able to help it when her fangs extended from her gums making her wince as her pouted pink lips hung open exposing her deadly fangs to him, almost drooling for the blood in front of her.
"Would you like some, Ripper? I know you can't resist." He wavered his fingers under her nose and her eyes turned their threatening black colour. "Why don't you take a look at yourself in the mirror. Look at what a monster you've become? Do you even scare yourself anymore, or is it just a mixture of sick thrilled pleasure?" He questioned as she glanced behind her into the fogged mirror at herself.
"This isn't me. I'm good." She whispered trying so hard to put her face back to normal but would not matter how much she tried to not think about the blood. "I'm not this person. I don't want to be this person."
"You were this person when you snapped my arm and threatened to break every bone in my body. You were also this person when you drained my body of blood. Do you know what that felt like? I felt everything until the moment when I finally died, I was begging for death because I had a monster on me. Admit it you're a monster! You're a Ripper! You deserve to die! Admit it!"
"No!" Grace screamed as she ran from the room straight into Damon's arms trying to hold back tears, he held her tightly in his arms asking her what was wrong over and over, she could still feel her fangs extended. "I can't make them go away. He won't... I can't... My face." She whispered.
"Look at me." Damon pulled her face up so she was looking at him, her eyes were completely closed, to him her face was completely normal, pale but normal. No veins, no fangs, no redness around her eyes. "Gracie, your face is fine. Nothing is wrong, sweetie. Open your eyes. Look at me."
Prying her eyes open she expected to look up at the loving face of her boyfriend but when she did she only saw Connor, tearing herself from his arms she fell down again quickly scrambling back up to her feet moving back so far she hit the wall staring at him with such fear in her eyes.
"Decomposition starts in the first twenty-four hours. I'm rotting in an unmarked grave because of you!" Connor barked at her, reminding her once again that she had killed him, she quickly zipped across the room opening the door wide and running down it standing on her own rubbing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she looked to her side to see Klaus standing there smiling at her and Stefan, too.
"Grace! Grace wait!" Damon called as he ran down the hall after her, the hybrid didn't waste any time in grabbing her, holding her bridal style giving the raven haired vampire a look before zipping them from the house. "Grace!"
The brothers were quick to follow the from the house but the hybrid was too quick leaving them on the porch both looking extremely worried, Stefan reached over and patted his brother on the back carefully but assuring.
At Mystic Fall High, Jeremy was standing in the middle of the hallway staring down intently at his hand trying to work out how the hunters mark had got there when he had done nothing in order to get it, Connor had died by Grace's hand and it had magically appeared not even an hour later. He looked up when he heard footsteps approach seeing that Matt was standing there.
"Hey, do you see anything on my hand?" The younger human questioned and the blond answered by just shaking his head, he couldn't see anything that looked odd about it, and he most certainly couldn't see the tattoo. "What if I told you I saw the beginning of a mark like Connor's?"
"Are you serious?" Matt questioned as he looked down at his hand once more, he seriously couldn't see anything, once again Jeremy was the only able to see the hunters mark like the first time with Connor.
"It showed up after he died." The brunette explained biting his bottom lip. "He told me that I was a potential. That that's why I could see his mark." He added explaining the whole story to Matt whom at the moment seemed to be his only real friend who he spent time with.
"So what does that make you?" The human questioned creasing his eye brows looking up at Jeremy confused. "Like, the next chosen one or something." They stopped their conversation when they heard more people approaching.
Turning to look they saw Elena, pretty April Young and Professor Shane carrying artefacts whilst walking towards them smiling happily. "Hey guys." She announced cheerfully standing in front of them with her same happy-go-lucky smile.
"Hey April." Matt smiled at her, Jeremy was trying to get out a greeting to the raven black-haired girl but he was so engrossed in looking down at the brand new tattoo on his arm that no one else seemed to see.
"well, don't let her do the heavy lifting." Shane scolded playfully looking at the two burly boys in front of him. I found her wandering the hallways with this." He showed the giant rock that he was holding. "Just teasing." He informed them and they all let out breathy laughs. "I'm the guy who wrangles all the freaky stuff." Shane juggles the rock to shake both Matt and Jeremy's hand. "Atticus Shane, please call me Shane, I beg you." He insisted with a kind smile towards both boys. "Thank you guys for helping, I really appreciate it. You all get free admission to my free exhibit." He joked before walking away with the large rock.
"Why does he look so familiar?" April questioned tilting her head to the side as she watched the Professor walk away down the hall on his own, greeting over volunteers and thanking them politely.
Jeremy creased his eye brows at her before shaking his head, looking over at his sister and then back to the blue-eyed girl. "No idea."
April just shrugged her shoulders before remembering that she needed to speak with Matt about Rebekah, it was obvious that Caroline's compulsion had worked and she had forgotten everything she had seen about yesterday. "Hey, um, have you seen Rebekah? She said she was gonna help me look into what caused the explosion at my dad's farm and then she just-"
"Disappeared, yeah I know." Matt confirmed as he picked up a heavy-looking cardboard box wandering off leaving the three on their own. The raven haired vampire looking innocently at the soon-to-be hunter and the vampire thinking she'd done something wrong, when really the human was just pissed they had to lie to her, to compel her into forgetting things, he knew what that felt like, to be kept in the dark about this forsaken town.
Stefan and Damon had decided it was time to get some help in tracking Grace and the only person they could think of was their witch friend, Bonnie. They all stood in the parlour room of the Salvatore boarding house.
"You lost her?" Bonnie asked in disbelief as she looked between them confused, wondering how it had been possible to let the brunette vampire slip under their radar without either of them knowing where she is.
"We didn't exactly lose her, we just don't know where she is." Stefan explained as he looked down at his phone, Elena had continued to ignore his texts and calls. It turned out even his sisters disappearance with Klaus wasn't enough to call her siblings side into action, Stefan could understand what she was going through but just hated seeing it. "I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse."
"How does Klaus even know about this?" Bonnie looked at them and Damon scoffed loudly as he knocked back yet another bourbon, it really seemed to be helping with the pain of losing his girlfriend, whom the crazy hybrid had stolen dragging off to God knows where.
"How does Klaus know anything?" Damon quipped looking down at the witch through glowing eyes. "Guy's like a billion years old." He added rolling his eyes as he poured himself another drink of his favourite.
"He said it was a witch's curse." The younger brother announced looking down at the witch in front of him, hoping that she might have something in her arsenal to stop Grace's hallucinations of the dead hunter that was going to haunt her until she killed herself, his final vampire kill.
Bonnie frowned heavily as she looked up at the two vampires, they knew her magic didn't work like it used to, she was basically useless to them at the moment until Shane helped her enough. "You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I-"
"But nothing." Damon hissed cutting her off with a startling look, his brother gave him a look from beside which seemed to calm him. "Wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever." He patronized her and she glared up at him.
"The spirits won't let me do the magic I'd need to break the curse." She explained shaking her head from side to side, remembering the last time she was able to do magic, Shane had helped her through hypnosis, maybe he had some information for them. "But I can ask Shane for help, he knows everything about everything." She added confidently.
"Great." Stefan nodded his head as he pulled on his leather jacket grabbing his keys. "You two go do your thing."
"Where are you going?" Damon pressed giving his brother a look, Grace had just been hauled off to Klaus' territory and he was about to take off without another word.
"I'm going to get her back." He informed him taking off before Damon could ask anymore words, frustrated the raven haired vampire launched his glass at the wall making the witch in front of him flinch.
Over at Klaus' mansion, the hybrid had the tiny, feather light vampire thrown over his shoulder fireman style as he walked through making sure she couldn't shake lose and run about the town trying to find ways to end her life, he was worried for her that was why he was doing this.
"Klaus, you can't... you can't just do this." She tried to wiggle out of his but he only smirked he nodded at his sired hybrid Chris as he opened a door to a room which had no windows and only one exit the front door. "Klaus, put me down! Please. This is making me nauseous." She referred to the fact that she was upside down.
"Certainly." He placed her carefully on her feet smiling down at her brushing her hair from her face making sure it fell in all the right places. "There perfect." He assured her and she looked up at him wondering why she was here. "I apologise for the lack of window; it's to preserve the art. And of course to prevent you from taking of your daylight necklace and burning yourself to death in the sun. Wouldn't want that now would we, love?"
Grace shook her head from side to side before looking up into his patient mixed coloured orbs. "I'm not going to kill myself. I would never do that." She informed him in a hard voice but he only placed his hand delicately on her own.
"Oh, but you'll want to. I did." He announced and she looked up at him suddenly, he had once wanted to end his life but of course being an Original couldn't die any other way than a white oak stake. "Problem is, I'm immortal."
"You... You went through this?" She whispered referring to what she was going through, it made her feel slightly better than someone as strong, yet absolutely insane as Niklaus had also gone through this.
"Yes, I did." Klaus confirmed nodding his head at the dreadfully painful memories of all the ways he attempted to end his life. "For fifty-two years, four months, and nine days. I was tormented, in my dreams, my every waking moment, relentless, never-ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time." He explained and she looked up at him with a look filled with sympathy and sorrow.
"So, you knew that the hunter had to be kept alive." Grace muttered as she looked down suddenly feeling so stupid for what she had done out of anger. "Why did I do it? My sister hates me. She won't let me see my family-"
"Why would she do that?" There was a rough edge to Klaus' voice she glanced up to see the angered look on his face. "Why would she deny you that?" He pressed and she shook her head softly. "Tell me, Grace."
"She said... She said I'm not the same person I was, she thinks I'm a... Ripper." She explained and the hybrid looked down at her intrigued. "I don't know what I am." She whispered and he gently rubbed her hand giving her an assuring smile. "How did you make it stop?" She questioned in a light voice.
"I didn't." Klaus admitted looking down at the doe eyed girl. "Eventually it just stopped. The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms." He added as he walked over to the door of the room opening it and looking back at her. "I'll keep you safe."
Elsewhere Stefan was speaking on his phone with Caroline trying to find a way to get Grace out of Klaus' grasp and back into their home where they would be able to keep her safe. "He's got Grace. I need Tyler to get the other hybrids away, so I can get her out. I know I'm probably asking the impossible."
"Actually, you're not."
As soon Stefan found out that they would be able to get help from the hybrids he was over to the Lockwood mansion as soon as he could to find out what they could do to help him.
"Hayley is the one that helped me break the sire bond." Tyler started from where he stood across from the vampire. "She showed me what do ho, how to help. When she showed up here I thought it was just coincidence, but it turns out she's been helping one of them, her friend Chris. And she came to help us get the rest of them from under Klaus." He informed him.
"So... are you telling me that Chris isn't sired anymore?" Stefan questioned, he could most certainly use this against Klaus in order to get Grace back in their protection.
"That's exactly what he's telling you." Caroline's eyes flashed with glee so happy that they would be able to help.
Sitting in the middle of the bed on her own Grace hadn't seen the hunter in a while but it felt like something was coming, something big. Closing her eyes for a minute she opened when she heard a crackling sound. Looking around her eyes caught a flickering in the corner of the room.
A fire. It was spreading fast towards the bed, engulfing the entire room and Connor standing next to it smirking arms crossed over his chest. "Isn't this the way your parents died? You really did deserve to die with them, so you are going to." He added and she ran to the door the thick black smoke was filling the room fast making her cough and splutter.
"Help! Help!" She screamed slamming her fists against the reenforced door, tears in her eyes as she hit after. "Help! Klaus! Please! Help me!" She began to cough as she fell weakly to her knees. "Help! Please! Klaus!"
Waking up with a gasp Grace looked around the room she had been locked away in taking deep breaths of fresh air, it had all just been a terrible nightmare. Letting out a sigh she threw her legs over the bed and sat there for a moment until she heard the door open and the hybrid Chris wandered into the room.
"Hey. Klaus asked me to bring you some things. Clothes. Toothbrush." He handed them to her in a black duffel bag, had the hybrid been back to the boarding house and taken her things creasing her eye brows she looked at the bag as he rested it on the bed next to her. "He, uh, he said you're going to be here until he figures out where to put you."
"Just... Please go away." Grace muttered rubbing her eyes and Chris left the room, she really wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone today plus her dream about the fire had scared her more than ever, although when she had asked to be left alone she wasn't talking to the hybrid.
"I can't." Connor's voice came from across the room and she looked up at him with a deathly look on her face. "I'm going to be with you forever, a constant reminder of what you've become. So, tell me, how did it feel to drain the life out of me?"
"Great." Grace admitted as she looked up into his eyes. "It felt so good to drink all your blood, you know why? Because at least now you're no longer here and you can't hurt my family." She added narrowing her eyes. "Are you happy now? You got the truth didn't you?"
"I'm not happy, Grace. I'm dead." Connor informed her like she didn't already know, she crossed her arms over her chest looking up at him. "Did you know I had a family?" Her heart sunk into her stomach and she gulped. "I was doing this to protect my family. I had a brother, parents. More than you have at the moment."
"I'm sorry-"
"I thought you were happy I was dead..." Connor wandered towards her. "Did you like that little dream I induced, no Klaus there to save you that time was there. I'm not going to stop until you've taken your last, miserable breath."
"I'm not going to let you do this to me. I'm not going to let you end my life."
"Why not? You never wanted to be a vampire in the first place, right? Then one day you leave town with Klaus and you came back a Ripper. Don't you blame him for that? I would, but then again I would be able to control myself, unlike some people."
"I don't blame him." Grace hissed looking over at him growling like it was going to accept the hallucination of Connor. "What happened to me is no one's fault but my own. I couldn't control myself, no one told me to drain him." She stood up and turned away looking at the painting on the wall.
"You don't want to listen to me? Fine." Connor shrugged his shoulders, Grace heard a whoosh of air and as she turned back around she saw someone she never expected to see.
"Then how about you and I have a little chat." Elena offered staring at Grace through devilish eyes, the smaller brunette narrowed her eyes.
Grace blanked for a moment looking around for the hunter but he was nowhere to be seen, this must have been what Klaus was talking about when he said the hallucinations turning into stranger forms. "Elena?"
"How's it going, sis?"
Elena and Jeremy were standing just outside of Professor Shane's seminary talking about all of his ancient artefacts, the siblings were speaking about Grace and how the human wasn't allowed to be around her for a while.
"Are you telling me that we're banned from seeing each other? Doesn't it seem a little harsh to keep her away from her family, Elena?"
"I'm asking you to trust me on this, Jeremy. There's something off with her at the moment, she isn't the same Grace that we know and love and until her and Damon face up to that fact then I'm not allowing her to see you. She's dangerous."
"Are you serious?" Jeremy scoffed loudly looking down at his vampire sister. "I'm not sure if this is your new emotions talking, or what... But the Grace I know has stood by you through everything that you've been through."
"I'm not saying she hasn't-"
"She stood by you against Klaus and the Originals, she helped you when you were having vampire problems, remember when you couldn't keep the blood down? She was there standing by your side, helping you out of situations every time. She looks out for you, Elena." Jeremy shook his head from side to side. "Maybe it's time you stepped back and looked at the bigger picture in all of this. Grace is looking to you for support and help, for once." He added before wandering off leaving her on her own to think.
Just inside the gym Shane was giving his lecture to the students who actually seemed quite interested in all of it. April and Matt were stood towards the front next to each other listening to the professor speak.
"You're looking at what people believed to be the world's first tombstone. This item was donated to Whitmore College last month." He informed them all holding up the artefact for them all to see.
"Oh, I just remember how I know him." April announced in a whisper looking up at the blond whom looked at her intrigued. "Through my dad."
"That guy knew your dad?"
"Yeah, he taught a theology seminar at Whitmore last year." She remembered smiling as she continued to listen to the Professors interesting words.
"It belonged to a very powerful witch, a witch so powerful in fact that Silas, that was his name, created a spell that would grant him immortality. Now legend says that Silas did the spell with the help of the lady witch who loved him, a woman named Ketsia." Shane informed them all as he held the large rock in his hands, it was weathered and old-looking. "Sadly for Ketsia, Silas wanted to give immortality to another woman, so Ketsia killed her and buried Silas alive, leaving him powerless, immortal, and alone. This might actually be the origin story of 'Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn'."
Damon was beginning to grow bored with this story as himself and Bonnie stood in the same room, he glanced down at his phone to see Stefan hadn't got back to him at all. "You got this?" He questioned.
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you."
The vampire was beginning to walk away when Shane said something that caught his attention. "Now, it's said that Silas wants to rise again..." The blue-eyed vampire stopped in his tracks listening further. "Regain his power, wreak havoc on the world. Maybe we should be afraid. Or maybe it's all a bunch of crap and this is an old rock." He joked and everybody in the room laughed, minus Damon who had vanished from the room by this point. "Alright, listen, enjoy exploring the exhibit. I'll be around to answer any questions. Thank you for coming." He told the students graciously as they all begin to explore.
Shane couldn't help but notice Bonnie in the crowd and quickly wandered towards her with a charming smile plastered on his face. "Hey, you made it."
"Nice cautionary tale." Bonnie giggled as she ran her fingers through her hair light a blush over her cheeks. "Ketsia sounds like a badass." She added thoughtfully nodding her head.
Shane smirked a little before replying. "Nothing compared to Silas."
Standing in the middle of the windowless room she was watched her hallucination of a sister wander around the room running her fingers over the priceless original paintings that were hung elegantly but claustrophobic feeling room in the room.
The hallucination turned and looked over her shoulder to see the stoic look on her sisters face, arms crossed over her chest, her chocolate-brown eyes never looking away from her making sure she wouldn't change into someone else.
"Do you ever stop brooding?" Elena cocked her eye brow as she placed both of her hands on her hips. "I mean, let's be honest if you're not killing innocent humans or brooding then you're crying... It's pathetic really, I mean, it makes me wonder why Damon is still with you, he could have so much more, and let's be honest you were never really honest about your feelings with Klaus, were you?"
"Shut up!" Grace ordered as she advanced on Elena whom just stood there on her not threatened at all by her deadly low tone which seemed to it her dark side so well. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"You're just like Fayth... Or worse Rebekah, you know, maybe Damon is trying to turn you into barbie Original, I mean, he did hook up with her, right? Whilst the two of you were still together? Oh no, he almost did, you walked in on them-"
"Shut up, Elena!"
"Wow, a lot of pent-up aggression in there, huh? Sounds like you've wanted to say that to the real Elena for quite some time..." She smirked a little before taking a step towards her sister. "He doesn't love you anymore, you know that right? You are most certainly not the girl that he fell in love with, I mean, at least when you were human he was all you wanted and now Klaus walks into the picture and you sleep with him? What else happened on your little road trip? What else didn't you tell Damon about."
"We kissed once, Damon knows about that. Nothing else happened." Grace hissed and she launched herself across the room about to attack her sister forgetting that she was actually hallucination but she knew how to push all of her buttons so well.
Slamming into a brick wall with a lot of force Grace groaned holding her arm as she slid down looking up at the ceiling trying to find her sanity, which seemed to be a very hard task. She was shuddering hard wrapping her good arm around the broken one setting it back into place with a loud snap which she just grimaced at.
Wandering into Alaric's old class room a look of nostalgia spread across the raven haired vampire face as he took a seat at his desk, opening the draw he found one of his friends hidden bottles of bourbon, smirking he took it out and propped his feet up on the table just looking around the room.
"You're missing all the adventure, pal." Damon remarked to the empty room but in heart he was talking to his deceased best friend, he took a long swig of the bourbon when the door suddenly opened and Bonnie walked in followed by Shane.
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon." Bonnie informed the professor gesturing over to the vampire whom still sat there casually drinking the alcohol. "He's kind of an expert of this stuff too." Due to him being a vampire and alive for over 100 years, he was most certainly an expert.
"I audited your class. Very enlightening." Damon informed him with a smirk on his face as he reached over and shook his hand,
"That's right, I remember you." Shane nodded, he remembered the raven haired man sitting towards the back with the brunette, both of them talking through the lecture. "What's your specialty?" He questioned curiously.
"The origin of a species." Damon replied and the Professor couldn't help the chuckle that crawled up his throat, earning a look from both the witch and the vampire.
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for the distinction."
"Not that species." Damon announced slyly giving him a look and Shane finally caught his drift, he was into the supernatural side of things as well as he was.
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome." Shane nodded his head smiling a little as Damon sat up straight in his chair placing the bourbon glass on the table.
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe." The vampire informed him as he pulled out a sketch of the hunters mark handing it over to Shane who just seemed surprised to see it before his eyes.
"This is the hunter's mark." He announced and the witch looked over at the raven haired vampire with a hopeful look on her face. "Where did you get this?" He quizzed looking up at the two suspiciously.
"Came to me in a dream." Damon replied sarcastically making sure he was continuously vague with the Professor so he didn't away too much information. "Do you know anything about the hunter's curse?"
"Why, you got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something." Shane joked adding a laugh into the equation Damon looked at him for a moment before laughing a little too.
"Metaphorically speaking."
"Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the Earth in torment until..."
Bonnie looked over at the hunter with wide eyes. "Until?"
"Until the new hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials." Shane went on to explain and something clicked in Damon as he pulled his phone out of his pocket smiling gently. "Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go and grab it for you?" He suggested kindly.
"That'd be great." Damon muttered as he continued looking down at his phone, the hunter's drawing was put on the table which he quickly snatched up putting back in his pocket. "Hey, thanks." He called before the Professor left the room leaving the two alone.
"How are we supposed to find a potential hunter?"
"Yeah, about that." Damon smirked as he held his phone to his ear waiting for the person to pick up and when he did he smiled. "Little Gilbert, your services are needed." Damon glanced over Bonnie him with a sly look on his face.
Back over at Klaus' mansion, Tyler and Stefan walk into the large parlour room to see Chris was there waiting for them like it had been arranged they were going to find a way to get Grace out of there without the Original even knowing she was gone, which seemed impossible but it wasn't going to be.
"Thanks for meeting us." The hybrid announced kindly and Chris looking around fearfully just incase Klaus had been lurking, if he knew what they would planning he wouldn't hesitate killing them all.
"Yeah, but make it fast, Klaus will be back soon." Chris announced looking over at the unsired hybrid whom just chuckled gently shaking his head from side to side.
"No, he won't."
Over at the Grill Klaus was sitting up at the bar nursing a glass of deep red wine whilst stewing over his day when suddenly he heard footsteps from behind him, high heels if he wasn't mistaken, and usually he never was.
"Place is pretty good considering your hybrid got blown up in it." A light voice announced and he looked over his shoulder to see the blonde vampire standing there with her jacket in hand, she looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Barbie." He announced and she grimaced at him, she hated it when he called her that, or even acknowledge her for that matter. "To what do I owe the... pleasure?" He questioned, if he was honest he didn't really want to be here with her either but company was company after all
Caroline tried to act tough and in charge but again a 1000 year old Original hybrid there was no in charge got her, only not getting killed by his anger if he found out what they were planning. "I want you to give Grace back."
He couldn't help the chuckle that crept up his throat. "Ah, I see the men sent you because they think I wouldn't kill a female." Klaus took a long sip of his wine thinking it over. "Well, nice try, but I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Grace is my vampire and as much as you want to say that she doesn't love me, or whatever your little speech if you have prepared for todays encounter just know... I am only doing this to help her." He added and she scoffed loudly looking down at the Original. "Look, I'm not going to burden you with the gory details, I know you have enough on your plate already." He reminded her with a smirk.
"That's none of your business, actually." Caroline narrowed her eyes over at him and he nodded his head accepting that it was her personal businessmen and he wasn't allowed to be involved considering Tyler was no longer sired to him.
"Ah, so you see where I'm coming from in regards to Grace. Terrific, now that we're on the same page can I at least offer you a drink to celebrate staying out of each others personal lives?" He offered and she hesitated before taking a seat next to him. "Wonderful."
"All you need to do is get me access to Grace and I'll take it from there." Stefan informed the hybrid thinking it was going to be that easy, but Chris had a long look of hesitation on his face, if Klaus ever found out, he knew who would be on patrol.
"Please, man, help us and then you can disappear. You'll be free." Tyler offered and it was all too tempting for the other hybrid but he knew what could happen if you tried to walk away from this life.
"Yeah, until Klaus sends on of his other hybrids after me..."
"Hayley and I got your back." Tyler informed him kindly and it actually reassured him. "We'll make sure nothing happens."
Her patience was now wearing even more thin as Elena kept wandering around her, the sound of tapping heels was making her head ache and to add all the talking from the hallucinations end into it all she was ready to rip someones head off.
"I was always the better sister wasn't it? I mean, even when I was a human I was always willing to sacrifice myself for my friends-"
"Except when they were the ones that got hurt because of you!" Grace hissed looking over at the hallucination whom for the slightest moment looked hurt before regaining its composure running her hands through her hair. "I always stood by you, through anything. Even if it went again Damon, I was there for you, no matter what! And this is how you repay me!? By cutting me off from my family!?"
"You're a Ripper, sweetie. You're dangerous to everyone around you. I mean, if I were you'd I'd just up and leave Mystic Falls, wouldn't think twice about it. Or better yet, just kill myself." She announced and Grace took a moment to take it all in. "I bet they'd all be relived if you were gone. Damon included."
"I'm not going to kill myself."
"Ugh, why not?" Elena looked over at her through narrowed eyes. "I mean, Damon and Klaus have to grow bored of you at some point. Your family doesn't want you anymore. You're a Ripper. You are nothing anymore. You're a monster, Grace. You deserve to die." Her words stung as Grace took a seat on the chair holding back tears, she wouldn't give into the hallucinations.
Just on the other side of the room Chris had come to his decision to help the vampire trapped in Klaus' mansion. Walking down the hall he saw two sired hybrids standing at the door, he would have to get them away so he could get Stefan in.
"Klaus said you have to go to Tyler." Chris informed the both of them who share a skeptical look.
"Why?" The dark-haired female questioned.
"Something bout his girl Caroline. I'll take over." He announced and the both nod their heads before walking away leaving the house to find Tyler.
after a couple of seconds of Chris standing on watch he heard footsteps, looking down the hall he saw Stefan approaching looking like he was on a mission. With a bit of hesitation Chris handed over the keys and left quickly to go find Tyler.
Sitting on the ground with her knees pulled into her chest Grace had a thoughtful look on her face as the only door to the room unlocked, she looked up to see Connor entering the room but little did she know it was actually Stefan only due to her hunter's curse she was still seeing him as the hunter she had killed.
"Grace. Hey." His voice was small as he took steps towards her but the younger vampire freaked out moving back away from him scrambling to her feet ordering him to stay away from her. "Hey, it's ok. It's me." Stefan assured her. "Let me help you."
Without another thought Grace zipped over to the bed, pulling out a loose lead pipe wielding it in her hands, she rushed towards him but Stefan managed to fight her off the first time when she shoved him back against the wall he was defenceless for a moment and she didn't hesitate to shove the pipe into his stomach rushing from the room with her supernatural speed leaving the older vampire wounded.
Damon and Bonnie were standing in the hallway of artefacts as the witch was reading all of the Professors papers on the Five, she shook the papers at the vampire aggressively and he glanced down at her.
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" She ordered in astonishment, when he came to the younger Gilbert she was usually one of the first to know, now she wasn't involved at all.
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations." Damon replied and she glared over at him before they heard two people run into the room Jeremy and Elena.
"Is everything ok? Is it Grace?" Jeremy questioned before there was a loud growl that erupted from Damon, they turned to look at him but he was just staring at Elena.
"Who the hell said you were invited to this? You don't even want Grace as a sister anymore, why the hell are you here?" Damon announced and the witch looked over at the newborn slightly surprised at the way they were acting. "I want you to leave."
"No-"
"It wasn't an option, Elena. Get out or I'll throw you out." He warned and before she left she looked at the other two in the room and just left thinking about what a huge mistake she had made making Grace not be able to see her family.
"We figured out how to help her. You need to kill a vampire." Bonnie informed him and he smiled a little nodding his head.
"Great. Give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now." Jeremy informed them both, no matter how much Elena was in the wrong with kicking Grace out she still didn't deserve to be treated like that no matter what had gone on between them it was just between them.
"Easy, Van Helsing." Damon rolled his eyes. "We'll get you one. Don't worry." He added before his phone began to ring in his pocket, he pulled it out looking down to see his brother was calling.
"Before you do this, you need to know what you're getting yourself into." Bonnie warned the human placing the stacks of papers into his hands as the vampire answered his phone.
"You can rest easy, brother. We figure out how to solve our little Grace problem." He announced proudly a wide grin on his face but Stefan didn't sound too good on the other end of the line.
"Yeah, well, no we have a bigger one. I... I lost her." Stefan replied and his older brothers blood ran cold for a minute, how had he managed to lose her, she was locked away with Klaus.
"I think my hearing must be off, what did you say, Stef?"
"She's in bad shape." Stefan informed him as he pushed up from the floor the lead pipe now fully removed from his abdomen. "I tried to help her but she attacked me. Listen, you go find her, alright? Talk her down, she'll listen to you. Just tell me what I need to do..."
Back in the Grill, Caroline felt her phone go off yet again, glancing down she saw all these messages from Stefan telling her that Grace had escaped and her heart stopped, she knew she had to tell Klaus and knew that she was going to get the brunt of his anger.
"So, here's the thing, I didn't just come here to try to get you to release Grace." Caroline announced innocently and from just beside her the hybrid rolled his eyes.
"You don't say..."
"I came here to distract you so that Stefan could go in the house and break her out, which he did." She admitted and slowly he turned his head to be looking at her, she could already see the anger rising in his eyes. "And, don't get mad, but then he lost her."
Klaus got up in anger, knocking his glass over and grabbing his jacket of the back of the chair about to leave when suddenly Caroline stepped out in front of him. "I don't care if your Grace's friend or not, if you don't move out of my way I will kill you." He threatened.
"They figured out how to stop the hallucinations." Caroline quickly called as he stepped around her about to leave, but he stopped and turned back to her slowly now intrigued to hear how, he had suffered for years with the hunters curse and now it could be solved, he was interested.
"Ok, you have ten seconds to tell me."
Her movements were slow and fragile as she clumsily walked through the deep forest just before dusk, the air was heavy as she ventured forth to her destination. She could still feel her hallucinations there following her every move but still felt the reality of branches scratching against her pale skin and the cold chill brushing against her exposed skin.
"Are you ready to die yet? You know it's the only way out of this." Connor's deep husky voice reminded her and she was so deeply emotionally exhausted she slumped down against a tree, the sharp bark gnawing into her skin, almost shredding it but still making blood spill over.
When she looked up through dizzy eyes she saw Elena standing in front of her with a pointed smirk playing on her lips, pushing herself up from the tree she knew she wasn't far now, the sound of rushing water was filling her ears but almost birds chirping around her was reminding her how close it was to sunrise.
"You can't take back what you did, you know." Her hallucination of her sisters snide voice came from beside her keeping up with her swift pace through the uneven forest ground. "It can never be undone. The families can never get their members back. You're a monster. You deserve to die." She told her and the vampire stopped abruptly, she was here.
The old creek down by the Lockwood cellars, it was not too far from here not that long ago where she had first died when she was human but having vampire blood in her system, she had died by the hands of the werewolf Mason Lockwood, who had died for his crimes not too long after that. Wrapping her arms around herself she fell to her knees onto the cold, hard floor looking into the deep rippling water.
"Grace." A familiar voice came from behind her, she didn't even want to look around she knew that voice to well and didn't want to look into the judging eyes of her Gran. "Grace. Sweetie. Open your eyes. Look at me." She breathed as the vampire felt a hand against her bony shoulder, brining her head up she slowly opened her eyes to reveal the kind face of her Gran knelt there. "I know what you're going through. It's ok. This was where your life should have ended that night. This was where that werewolf killed you and you died. You died peacefully. Now pain. No gore. Just peace."
"I'm... I'm so lost, Gran. I need help." She stuttered over her words as for the first time that day tears poured over her eye lids slowly slipping down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so scared."
"I know you are, sweetie." Heidi nodded as she reached over and took Grace's face between her hands making her fully turn to face her as she then began to stroke her thick chocolate-brown hair supportively making her calm down. "But you know what to do, don't you?" The vampire hesitantly reached down and ran her finger tips over the silver chain to her daylight necklace. "That's right. The sun will go down and this will all be over. It's the right thing to do, Grace. You know it is. Admit it."
"Because I've become a monster. I'm a Ripper and I deserve to die." She whispered out feeling more tears pressing down her cheeks her heart pounding heavy in her chest as she clasped her hand around the necklace and sharply pulled until the metal clasp broke allowing it to fall off her neck, she looked down at it for a long moment before throwing it into the creek without a second thought.
They sat there waiting for the clock to run down but Grace was beginning to fight against her hallucinations, she didn't want to leave her family behind, she loved them even if they didn't love her, she wanted to spend an eternity with Damon, not leave him alone in this town, she loved him it was selfish to just opt out like this without even speaking to him first, without telling him she loved him.
Her heart rate increased as she looked down the creek to see dusk was drawing on faster than before, her breathing raising in her throat and her Gran seemed to notice this as she rubbed her back calmingly. "I can't do this." She whispered shaking her head from side to side, her wild brown hair falling over her eyes. "I can't leave Elena or Jeremy, or Stefan or Damon. I can't. I can't do that. They're my family. I can't leave them. I love them." She babbled like an idiot.
"Calm down. Calm down." Heidi breathed slowly and Grace looked over at her through manic rich brown orbs, her Gran stroked her cheek giving her that same smile she would give her when the young vampire would wake up from night terrors about what happened to her family. "Your friends. Your family. They're better off without you. Damon can move on with his life, go and do things without having to worry for you. Elena and Jeremy don't want you intruding on their lives anyway. Stefan can be happy with his girlfriend. Trust me, this is for the best." She assured her and the vampire sobbed a little nodding her head.
"You're – You're right... I'm sorry... I'm – I'm so sorry. I only ever wanted to make you proud, but I'm so sorry, Gran. I let you down. I became this. I'm sorry." She whimpered pathetically and Heidi cooed stroking her long hair carefully.
"You did make me proud, honey. When you were a telepath. But then you died and your parents were so happy they were going to see you again, see their beautiful human baby girl. But they couldn't because you became a monster, Damon corrupted you. They want to see you, Grace. You parents are waiting for you on the other side. Do you want to see them?" Slowly Grace nodded her head sniffling a little drying her eyes with the back of her hand muttering about how she missed them. "Then you know what has to happen."
"Gracie." Another voice came from behind her and she timidly looked over her shoulder to see Damon standing there, she pushed herself off the ground and turned to be facing him drying her eyes again that were leaking more tears. "Gracie, everything is going to be ok."
"How did you find me?" She quizzed looking at him, she wondered how he could possible know where she was, he wasn't even here when she had been killed by Mason, although she had been one the phone with him at the time, plus Stefan would have know but it was from none of those reasons that he knew where she was.
"I, uh, I got some hints... From Klaus." He admitted begrudgingly and she looked up at him a little confused, how would the hybrid had known where she was, he most certainly didn't know about her human death. "He figured you'd come back to the place where you'd die and I remembered where that was." He informed her and she frowned putting her head down.
"I'm a monster, Damon. I'm a Ripper. I kill people for fun. What have I become?" Her voice showed the clear disgust with herself as she shuddered heavily wrapping her arms around herself again, she looked up at him through pain filled chocolate-brown orbs.
"I know this looks bad at the moment but it's all a matter of perspective, honey. Personally, I think you're a great person. A trouble vampire but an amazing lover. I love you, Grace. And I think we should get home before you end up doing something you'll regret." He moved towards her speaking in a soft tone that wouldn't startle her or scare her off.
She wasn't looking at him through, because even though her hallucination of Elena and her Gran had vanished the original hallucination was still there taunting her with her from where he stood behind her boyfriend with a stoic look on his face.
"The sun will be up soon." Connor reminded her in a hard voice tilting his head to the side watching the timid vampire stand there, twisting and untwisting her fingers. "It's almost over." Somehow that managed to reassure her that she was doing the right thing, she looked over the creek to the the suns rays just begin to creep through the winding branches towards where they were standing.
"Grace, where's your necklace?" Damon's voice stopped her train of thought as he saw her bare neck, only one of the necklaces on there that he had given her for her birthday, the one that protected her from the sun was currently not, he could feel real terror taking over his body as she watched the sun intently. "Grace, where is your necklace?" He pressed further.
Not too far away at the Lockwood mansion, Chris was just beginning to leave he had wasted no time in collecting all of his personally belongings, a small amount of clothes into an old duffel bag and was about to get out of that godforsaken town away from the crazy hybrid master.
Hayley and Tyler were stood with him in the grand foyer seeing him off, they had assured him that he was going to be fine against Klaus and they were going to stick to the promise if it was the last thing they did. Chris had helped them, so they were helping him.
"You're doing a good thing, Chris." Tyler assured him with a kind smile, he was so loyal to his pack he was going to help every last one of them, with the help of his wolf friend Hayley, to be unsired from Klaus, if he could have that pleasure, that freedom again then they should be allowed it too.
"Yeah, well, let's see how fast a good thing can get me out-of-town." Chris smirked a little hiding his true feeling of fear under a macho attitude which the wolf just grinned at before walking towards him and pulling him into a tight hug.
Hayley had always had a soft spot for the hybrid, he was a good friend of hers and she was going to help him and keep him safe like she and Tyler had promised. "Call me when you're safe, ok?" She ordered him in her usual bossy tone before pulling away and standing next to her good friend arms crossed over her chest.
"Yeah." The hybrid agreed before picking up his single duffel bag and walking towards the large wooden doors on the mansion pulling one open, his heart skipped a beat when he saw his hybrid master standing on the other side walking in, he instinctively took steps back dropping his bag to the floor.
"Going somewhere?" Klaus questioned in a low voice, when the hybrid didn't answer he caught him by the throat rushing them across the room so he was smacked against the stairs still in the tight, death grip of the Original. "When I said don't let her out of your sight, what did you think I meant?" He tightened his grip cutting of Chris' air supply.
Tyler was quick to jump to his friends defence from where he stood behind, he knew would never be able to fight off Niklaus, he had years of strength and skills on top of him and the Original would end up ending them up but he could possible talk him down. "It's not his fault, it's mine! It was distracting you. It's my fault Grace got away!" He reminded Klaus whom actually seemed to take this into consideration, but never letting go off the other hybrid.
"Then maybe you should be the one to die for it..." Klaus muttered as he looked into the raven black eyes of the hybrid in front of him, they were filled with fear and desperation as he tried to claw against his masters hand.
"No one has to die!" Hayley called from where she stood next to Tyler a deep sense of panic in her voice but Klaus had had enough of the wolf interfering in his hybrid problems and troubles, she was beginning to play on his last nerve.
He released his grip from Chris neck and zipped across the room to be standing in her face before yelling. "Did I not say mind your business!?" She completely shut down for a minute in fear before regaining her careless look and building up the courage to argue against him.
"Tyler's covering for me. I'm the one that let her go." Hayley quickly announced and the Originals gaze only grew harder as he glared down at the unwanted wolf in front of him, Tyler was trying to talk her down from beside him but she knew she needed to do this, she couldn't be pushed around by this hybrid. "No. You want someone dead, go ahead. Kill me. I'd rather die anyway than end up as one of your sired little bitches."
A sickening smile crossed Niklaus face as he looked down at the small brunette in front of him. "Don't tempt me, little wolf." He ordered in a thick voice before turning back around to Chris who had finally regained his composer. "Your existence is to serve me. To please me. Do you understand?" He ordered in a low voice and the hybrid was all too quick to nod his head obediently.
"I'm sorry. I won't fail you again!" Chris promised feeling so lucky to still have his life, he knew all too well that if Klaus would have wanted him dead he would have been as soon as the door opened, even before that if he was overly angry.
"No, you won't." Klaus muttered before stepping aside letting his hybrid walk past him. "Get out of here." He warned and Chris swiftly picked up his bag about to walk out the door when from no where a stake was stabbed deep into his gut making him choke and fall to his knees in pain, it wouldn't kill him but it would wound him.
"No!" Hayley covered her mouth looking as she saw Stefan standing there, he had been the one to take down Chris and just behind him another person entered, Tyler looked up surprised to see Jeremy enter holding a small axe in his hands.
"Jeremy?"
The raven haired vampire couldn't believe that she wasn't wearing her daylight necklace, was she this serious about ending her life, it had to be the curse, she wouldn't be that selfish, she could just leave him like that it wasn't fair, she can't just make decisions like that and expect him to be ok with it.
"We need to get you inside." Damon commanded her as he took a step towards her but instinctively she took a step away edging closer to the creek behind her, the sun was beginning to peek through the trees even more now, the birds continuing their merry chirp.
She wasn't looking at her boyfriend though, she was looking behind him at the hunter that had sworn to end her life, and now he was going to fulfil his destiny of killing the vampire that had killed him. "It's almost time." Connor informed her in a sure tone.
"What you're going through is a curse." Damon's rough voice pulled her back to reality, she could hear the desperation behind it as he stood in front of her. "We know how to break it, but we just have to get you inside." He told her but she still didn't move, nothing was going to make her move from that spot, it was her choice if she wanted to end her if, even though she had been pushed to the edge by a curse.
"Don't let him stop you." Connor's voice made her shudder with fear as she once again looked past her boyfriend towards the deceased hunter. "I know you want to, but you can't. Don't." He commanded her in his firm voice.
The sun began to edge its way higher beginning to start a new day in Mystic Falls and this made Damon even more nervous due to the fact that her necklace was nowhere to be seen, he really didn't have any other option but to force her to live. "Dammit, Grace." He muttered before rushing towards her but she used her keen senses to avoid his iron grip and stand a good distance away from him.
Tyler looked between the two men, Jeremy and Stefan, they were meant to be his family, they were all meant to be in this together against Klaus and now they were here working against them to take down his pack, this didn't feel real, it all felt like some sick nightmare taunting him.
"What the hell, man!?" The younger hybrid demanded looking between the two and they both looked at him regretfully, if there was another way around this they would take it but Grace needed help as soon as possible and they weren't about to wait around for her to end her life, like Klaus had tried to.
"I'm sorry." Stefan muttered looking towards the human who was waiting in the sidelines, he stepped towards the wounded hybrid who was looking up at him begging him with his eyes, but Jeremy saw no mercy, swinging the hand-axe back and hacking it forward. There are only two ways to kill a hybrid, remove the head or remove the heart...
Back over at the creek Grace let out a breathy sign as she felt like a huge weight had been lifted, like nothing about what had happened to Connor had her feel so guilty anymore, the thoughts about being called a Ripper were still there but didn't sting like they'd used to and they were done, the hallucinations haunting her had vanished from her mind completely leaving nothing behind but mad memories.
She could feel her entire body begin to relax, her muscles unwound as she looked forward at Damon and he even noticed an immediate change in her personality and look of her face. The intensity behind her eyes was softer and more loving as she looked at him, a small smile crept along her pale pink lips and there was the same rosy tinge in her cheeks.
Looking down at the bloody mess on is hands Jeremy couldn't help but feel a little guilty for the hybrid he had just killed, there had been nothing that went on between them that had made him want to kill him.
But still he could feel it growing there was a sense of entitlement and power in him now, one that he didn't want to let go. He turned his right hand over to see the tattoo beginning to spread up his arm and he couldn't help but smile as he watched it grow.
Running her fingers through her hair she finally felt comfortable in her own body. "He's gone." She informed him happily, her voice was subtle and gentle like he was used to which he felt good about. Without another thought he rushed towards her and caught her in his arm in a loving embrace so good to have the old Grace back.
She felt warm and safe in his arms and both had completely forget about the biggest problem they'd have to face. As she pulled back she felt a burning sensation travelling over her left arm, she glanced down at it to see that it was turning a deep red colour, the skin beginning to peel disgustingly.
It was at that moment that Damon remembered she was standing in direct sunlight without anything to protect her from the harmful ray, she looked up at him through scared eyes as he tried to figure out a plan, her face was beginning to peel and burn also. "Damon..." Her voice broke.
He didn't think he just did as he tackled her, taking all the air out of her lungs they landed in a bundle in the creek behind them a huge splash coming from their smack with the water. At least this way they could be safe, it wasn't like they had to breathe anyway; what different did it make having to spend a full day underwater.
Waking up later that day she could hear a light bickering coming from the other room, the bed was comfortable and all too familiar, she was home in the Salvatore boarding house. Pushing up from the mattress she looked around the room still slightly dazed and sleepy.
The argument continued and was getting loud, but she couldn't tell if that was because it was getting closer or it was getting more heated. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up surprised as she felt something heavy around her neck, someone had returned it to her, and for that she was thankful.
Suddenly the door behind her opened a single person entered and then it slammed shut, she turned fully to see Damon standing there with a relieved smile on his face as he crossed the room and captured her into a tight hug holding her close to his body. "Don't ever do that to me again, Gilbert." He warned in a low tone and she breathed out snuggling closer.
"I'm sorry." She quickly apologised before she pulled away from him looking up into his icy blue orbs that were intensely watching her like she was going to break any minute. "How are you feeling?" He questioned and she shrugged her shoulders a little trying to think of how she could explain how she felt, it all was surreal like it wasn't real.
"My head's clear." She informed him and he ran his fingers through her thick hair nodding his head as he looked down at her. "I can remember everything, but not like I lived it, like it was a really bad dream." She explained and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You saved me. Thank you." He pulled away from her looking around the room before taking a seat on his unmade bed.
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide. Don't do it." He looked up at her and she couldn't help the small smile that pulled across her lips. "Unfortunately you don't have me to thank for saving you. Klaus was the one who knew where you were. He won't tell us how, but I'm one bad conversation with him away from checking you for a tracking device." He informed her and she creased her eye brows. "It's really nothing we need to be worried about."
"I just... I can't believe that I almost..." She couldn't bring herself to say it as she turned away and looked out the window over the Salvatore back yard, she didn't want to say it but it was all she could think about, she was ready to just leave him she had barely lived and at the point she was ready to end it.
"You weren't yourself." Damon argued as he stood up from the bed and stood behind her rubbing her back cautiously just incase she was still jumpy from what had happened but she just melted back into his embrace warmly.
She shook her head from side to side pressing the pads of her fingers to the window in front of her. "Yeah, but if it wasn't you for-" I'd be dead would've been the end of that sentence but he didn't want to hear it and he most certainly didn't want to hear things like that come out of her mouth.
"Listen, I need to tell you something. Stefan has already spoke to Elena and I think you have a right to know, but you can't tell anyone, do you understand?" He quizzed and she creased her eye brows as she looked up at him. "Because I know you think Stefan's been lying to you, too. Which, yeah, he has, but this is because he's trying to help Elena."
"What... What do you mean, Damon?"
"There may be a way out of this... Being a vampire... He doesn't want Elena to be a vampire and surprise, surprise neither does Klaus." He announced and she turned around to be facing him fully, he pressed her softly against the glass leaning down to peck her lips. "There may be a cure." He added and her jaw dropped slightly as she looked up into his eyes. "There is something else as well, something Klaus related."
"What is it?"
Damon sighed heavily leaning his forehead against hers carefully. "Caroline has done something... Something bad, but she said she did it to help you..."
Over at the Lockwood mansion Hayley was in a deep drunken stupor on the couch whilst Tyler sat next to her slumped with a bottle of scotch in his hands, he was still going whereas the wolf had passed out. Caroline slowly walked into the room but he didn't even seem to notice her presence as she stood next to him watching down.
"Tyler."
"It's just us." Tyler informed her looking down at Hayley whilst she drunkenly slept next to him. "Paying our respects to Chris." He had promised his hybrid friend, his pack buddy that he would keep him safe from Klaus and people he considered to be friends, better yet family swept in and took his life.
The hybrid took a long swig from the bottle and the blonde frowned a little. "Tyler, we didn't have a choice." Grace was their family, they would do anything to keep their family safe, they had proved that over the past couple of years with everything they've been through together.
"I told him we had his back." The hybrid slurred as he looked up at his girlfriend whom looked down at him with tentative eyes. "I told him if he helped us he's be free." He added feeling so guilty for what he had done when in reality he really wasn't the one who had done it.
"But we needed to help our friend." Caroline levelled with him tilting her head to the side but the hybrid just scoffed a bit as he took another log swig from the bottle.
"Yeah, we helped our friend by handing over another friend." Tyler muttered putting his head down in his hands for a moment.
"Chris wasn't-"
"Chris was a friend, Caroline." The hybrid made himself very clear looking up at his girlfriend. "He's like me. He's part of my pack. All he wanted was to be unsired by that disgusting piece of..." He couldn't even bring himself to finish the sentence he just let out a suppressed groan. "How did you even get Klaus to agree to give up one of his hybrids?"
Caroline took a long moment before revealing. "I agreed to get Grace to go out on a date with him, without Damon's interruptions."
"So, when's Damon coming round to rip your heart out?" Tyler's voice was soft yet there was no emotion behind it, she frowned a little putting her head down she knew what she had done was wrong but the way that Klaus' eyes lit up when she suggested it, she saw something in them that changed at the slight mention of Grace's name.
Alone. She was sitting alone for once enjoying the peace of the outdoors. She had been banned by Damon to leave the Salvatore boarding house but that didn't mean she couldn't occupy the back yard with her presence. The brunette had a lot to think about after today but when she tried to put it all into context she would back out and think about something else, something safe.
There were voices heard from behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see Stefan and Klaus stood there, the hybrid spoke in a low tone before sidestepping the vampire whom just stood there and watched him arms crossed over his chest before he faded back into the house.
Klaus joined her on the stone stairs that were looking over the entire yard nicely, he didn't say anything for a long time, really there was nothing to say between them but he knew he just had to be there at that time. "What are you thinking?" He questioned in a light voice and she looked over to him, like she hadn't seen him approach or take a seat.
"I'm thinking why is Damon locking me away in a house and why is everything watching me like my bones are made of glass." She admitted looking down at her fingers that were twisting and untwisting on her lap, she heard a slight chuckle come from beside her.
"They're just worried." Klaus informed her she was a little taken back by that, she had half expected some witty or inappropriate remark, but instead his eyes were soft and his voice was caring, it was very rare to see this side of him. "I know this is a big thing you're going through and I know you're trying your hardest to fight it, but bloodlust is never easy, love. You don't need to do this alone."
"Sometimes it feels like it." She muttered as her head dropped, her mind was just catching up with her mouth. "I mean, people say they understand, but they still get that look on their face when you talk to them, the one where they don't really pay attention to your words, but rather watch your body language to see when you'll snap." She informed him pulling at the tips of her hair. "when I became a vampire, I just... I pushed all my problems down hoping they'd go away and now they're coming back worse than ever."
"I know it can be a little overwhelming sometimes." Klaus muttered as he looked off into the distance. "But you're strong enough to fight through this." His voice was actually reassuring her, like Damon's would have if he had been here. "Listen, I know I'm the last person you probably ever want to talk to about your problems, but if you ever need someone, I am always here. Nothing from you is ever a burden to me, no matter how big or small."
She couldn't help the smile that pulled across her face as she looked across at him. "I know you that you always say this to me, but why do you still... like me, or even want to speak with me after everything that has gone on. After everything we've done, everything I've done you're still willing to sit here and say such nice things..."
"It wouldn't be a chase if you weren't willing to put up a fight, love." He joked and she couldn't help the small smile that came across her lips. "You need to know what you want more. That's what I want for you. I've waited 1000 years, I can wait some more..."
"Why would you want to?" She questioned looking down at herself, nothing screamed out that she was worth fighting for, worth all the hassle he'd gone through. "I'm not worth it..." She added shaking her head.
"You, Grace Gilbert, are the most amazing girl... sorry, vampire, I've ever met and believe me, I've met quite a few in my time." He informed her and a heavy blush pulled over her cheeks. "You will overcome this whether it's with my help, or with Damon's, or Stefan, or all of ours. You are stronger than everyone gives you credit for, my love." He paused for a moment, never taking his eyes off of her. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded her head answering, scared her voice was going to give if she tried to speak.
"Did you ever think the main reason you're struggling so much is because you're trying so hard to be something or... someone you're not anymore?" He questioned in a light voice and intrigued by where he was going with this, she looked up at him. "I asked you not too long ago why you didn't turn off your humanity switch and your answer was because you want to be as human as possible as you can..." She remembered that conversation very well. "Well, what if you're not that girl anymore? You're not human, so why continue to try to be something you're not anymore. Embrace who you are fully with open arms... You might like the new you, I do." He added before he stood up and quickly vanished from standing next to her.
She took a long moment to think about it, he wasn't suggesting turning off her humanity, he was suggesting that she finally admitted to herself that she could never be human again so she should just enjoy this new part of her life. It wasn't a half bad idea.
The raven haired vampire somehow found himself at the Grill, he shrugged off his jacket as he took a seat at the bar, he looked up at the bartender. "Bourbon." He ordered as he looked at the empty seat next to him. "Make that two."
Matt wandered over seeing the vampire was alone. "You're still saving a spot for Mr. Saltzman, huh?" He had never seem right to him to call his teacher by his first name, no matter how much of a family member he may have been.
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified."
"I know that you don't like me." Matt nodded his head as the vampire moved the two Bourbons in front of him and where Alaric would have been sat. "But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about." The blue-eyed vampire urged him to continue without using words. "So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about the hunter's curse, and we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise."
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home."
"I got the Sheriff to dig up the pastor's phone records. Turns out, he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times. The office of Professor Atticus Shane..." This left Damon deep in thought as he mauled over his bourbon.
At Whitmore College, the young witch and Atticus Shane were in his office sitting together talking quietly. "Did your, uh, did your friend, Damon, did he get everything he was looking for in my files?"
"Yeah. Thanks. I... erm... I have to ask, how do you know this stuff?" Bonnie questioned as she looked up at him.
"Bonnie, look, I've been around the world ten times over. I've studied every supernatural creature known to man; and for the record, witches are hands down the most powerful so, I'm in your corner all the way, I'm your biggest ally. But let me just say one thing, when your new hunter – and I know you have one – when he completes his mark you're gonna want to come to me. Cause I'm gonna be the only one who can help, trust me on that, ok?" He assured her and slowly she nodded. "The only one."
A/N
So, it's kinda a quicker update today, I hope y'all enjoyed plenty of Drace and Klace scenes kinda :)
What did you think? Tell me in a review, I really like getting feedback from you guys it makes my day and you know I love you for it! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, faving, and all that other stuff, you have no idea what it means to me!
Anyway, I hope you all have a good day and a good week, I'll try to update as soon as I can, looks like Klace as a date :) how is Damon going to react to that? I'm sure we'll all find out pretty soon.
If you would like to follow me on tumblr then visit little – vampire – girl1 . tumblr and if you would like to see outfits and pictures of Drace or Klace then follow me on polyvore my name is graciiieee
If you left a review for last chapter then check below, because I would have answered it :)
FallenDownTheRabbitHole – Thank you so much for reviewing and thank you double for the pics, they were really awesome, cheers for posting them!
Winxgirl1997 – I hope you enjoy :)
Mia Salvatore – Here you go, girl. The new chapter :) and don't worry for the short review it's all good ;) Elena is really getting to me too, I think that's kinda why I left her out of this chapter a lot xxx
NCISGGfantic – Klaus is really protective of Grace, that's one of his traits, he protected her when she was younger and now he looks out for her now she's older too.
Guest – Well, this chapter had plenty of Klace, so I hope you enjoy :) and the next one will too :)
Luli Cullen – Thank you so much :) xoxo
Chloe – Here's the update hope you enjoy :)
Aryabloodlust – Hope you enjoy ;)
Guest – Well, here is some Klaus and Grace action for ya, and there will be some next chapter too :) I think she is going to get onto the 'Klaus might not be the big bag like we always thought' and he is going to be helping with her Ripper situation :) there is a little twist coming up with the sire stuff so I hope it's ok :)
Chella8181 – I really like Drace moments as well :)
MissJess13 – Klaus and Grace check! Grace and Rebekah, not so check. I can't have them together until she's out of that box, but when that happens they will have some run ins, after all, they all friends :)
David Fishwick – I feel bad for Grace and Elena too, but she had no right to act like that towards her sister.
Nymartian – Yep, I figured I had to let Grace tell him before he saw it for himself, or Stefan told him. It was better that way :) and you're right it does open up new doors for them and Klace, as we've already seen in this chapter ;)
SomebodyWhoCares - Elena does need to calm the heck down! And he will always stick by her.
xxxRena – I hope it was you really wanted to punch Elena and not Grace, but haha yeah me too! I love Klaus' protectiveness and the deepness of Drace :) it's cute :)
grapejuice101 – Yeah there is definitely some tension between the sisters, I think that is how they differ from Fayth and Katherine, those two never really thought they looked out for each other in a weird self-preserving way.
Tvdlover87654 – Poor Grace :( I figured that would be the best way to have Drace react to the book, otherwise it made it too complicated for them :) and Klaus is very protective, he has his hybrids and he has his vampire, his lovely little vampire. :)
Graciiee