Hi, my Klarophants! I'm back!
Forgive me for the late update. But I'm here now. Hopefully, this chapter makes it up to you guys.
Alright, have at it!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.
Chapter 11: Far From It
The moon shined high above the treetops, its white luminescent glow shining through the branches. The tall trees towered over the forest floor as their shadows cast below. The sound of crickets chirped in the air and the coo of an owl could be heard from a distance.
A man dashed through the trees as woodchips and mud were kicked away. With his inhuman speed, the man was able to wind in and out of the trees with ease until finally coming to a subtle stop. A group of people sat around a bonfire, its flames kissing the air. The people chatted amongst themselves as they feasted on their meals. The man pushed past the brush and walked towards the group of people.
Immediately all eyes turned to him, looks of curiosity, fear, and anger showed on their faces. They all stood up, their eyes following him as he walked towards them. A tall man with a strong built moved towards him, most likely the alpha. The alpha loomed over the man, staring down at him, but the stranger remained unphased.
"Who are you and why are you here?" the alpha demanded. "Answer me."
"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir," the man mocked.
"And why is that?" the alpha scoffed.
"You see, if I tell you my name, you'll run away."
The alpha huffed and chuckled as he turned to his pack who did the same.
"Is that so?" he challenged.
"Indeed it is," the man grinned.
The alpha laughed for a moment before grasping the man's throat.
"I suggest you leave," the alpha threatened, but the man continued to grin.
The man seized the alpha's arm, easily prying it off and shoving him away. The pack looked at the man shocked as their leader fell to the ground and stumbled to get up. The man dashed towards the nearest pack member and sank his teeth into their neck, draining them of their blood.
"Vampire!" a pack member screamed.
"No, worse," the man said as he threw the body to the ground, blood dripping down his chin. "Hybrid."
The pack began to back away as they stared back at the strange man. Wiping the blood from his chin, he stalked towards them, a smirk still plastered on his face.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the man outstretched his arms. "My name is Klaus Mikaelson, and I'm here to kill all of you."
Before they could make a move, Klaus rushed to another member snapping their neck. Two members ran towards him, ready to tear his limbs, but the hybrid easily ripped their hearts out. Another jumped on his back, trying to snap his neck. But Klaus wrung him around and sunk his teeth into their throat biting harder and harder until their neck broke.
More members rushed towards him, overwhelming him as they nailed him to the ground. They began to beat and kick at him. The alpha came forward carrying a knife, ready to carve his heart out, but Klaus shoved them aside.
Getting up, blood trickled down Klaus' forehead. He looked at the pack murderously as his fangs began to protrude from his lips and his body began to change. The snap of bones filled the air as he roared into the night. The members looked down at the beast that stood in his place.
Its golden fur shimmering under the moon light, and its amber eyes piercing through its pupils. The low growl of the beast made them shiver. The beast lunged forward, and thus the night was painted in blood and rung with screams.
The light breeze whisked through Caroline's blonde locks as she stood outside the border. The tall grass swayed in the wind, as her dress danced along with the breeze. Caroline's blue eyes stayed fixated on the distance waiting for a familiar face to drive up the road, but it remained empty. She looked down at her phone. Eight minutes late. Caroline was beginning to become impatient. If her mother had arrived eight minutes earlier they could've been up and on their way to spend some quality mother-daughter bonding time together. But no. She was eight minutes late and those were eight minutes she wasn't going to get back. She began to tap her foot on the ground fussily.
She wasn't sure what had gotten over her, but it had only been a day since she had recovered from the bite, and her control-freak self-was going haywire.
Stupid, Klaus and his stupid blood and his stupid promise…
She didn't know why it bothered her so much that he didn't come to save her, but it did. It bugged her so damn much. What could possibly be so important that he couldn't leave his beloved city for one day to see her? Not that she wanted him to see her because that would imply that she was hung up on him.
Caroline shook her head frustratingly. She began to recall the vague details that Damon and Stefan had given Tyler, Elena, and her about their little adventure in New Orleans. All they said was that they met some guy named Marcel who refused to bring them to Klaus unless they helped save Rebekah, but then Kol showed up and killed and tortured them for a while before they somehow escaped. And then they got Klaus' address from her mom who got it from her, but then Klaus showed up and they talked and he gave his blood, and then kicked them out. But nowhere in there was an explanation to why he hadn't given her his blood himself.
Finally, a car came into view, pulling Caroline away from her thoughts. As the car rolled to a stop, she opened the car door and hopped in.
"You're late!" she said as she buckled her seat belt.
"I know, I'm sorry, dear," Liz replied. "But I rushed here as fast as I could."
"Don't even worry about it, mom. We'll just have to extend our mother-daughter bonding time a little longer."
"I guess you're right," Liz chuckled.
Caroline began to read a list of activities to her mom. Liz smiled as she looked back at her daughter. She pressed on the accelerator and began to drive.
She was in a cold room, the walls made of hard stone. There was no lantern in sight and yet the room seemed to be lit by a blue light that seeped from under a large metal door. Bonnie groped at the walls, trying to find an escape, but she only felt the uneven crevices of the stone. She looked back at the opposite direction that was masked in darkness and thought otherwise.
Where the hell was she?
She stared back down at the light that continued to glow from below the door and got down on her hands and knees. She tried to see what lay on the other side, but only the blinding light greeted her. Getting up she tried to find a lever, running her hands across the door. Nothing. Just an empty key hole.
"You need a key."
Bonnie jumped and slammed her back against the door. A black woman stood before her. She had dreads resting on her shoulders, light brown eyes, and a silver dress that wafted with cold air.
"What?" Bonnie said breathlessly.
The woman took a step towards her, "You need a key to get inside, Bonnie."
Bonnie looked at the key hole and then back at the strange woman.
"How do you know who I am?"
"We are a descendant of the same bloodline."
Bonnie looked at her confused. She had to be a witch, but by the looks of her, she was a much older witch. Bonnie eyed her suspiciously.
"And you are?"
The woman smiled at her mysteriously, taking a step forward.
"My name is Ayana," the woman replied. "I've been waiting to meet you, Miss Bonnie Bennet."
The hustle and bustle of New Orleans came into view as Elijah drove through the city. The streets were filled with crowds of people and the sweet sound of music filled the air. As Elijah exited the car, Hayley held Hope and followed after him. Pulling open the gate, they entered the compound of their abode.
"You go upstairs and unpack," Elijah instructed to Hayley. "I must speak to my brother."
Hayley nodded.
Elijah walked up the steps and down the hall to the study, but it was empty. He scanned the room, looking for any signs of a break-in, but there was nothing.
"Niklaus?" he called out.
"Yes, brother."
Elijah turned to face Klaus, his shirt tainted in blood and completely in shreds.
Elijah looked at him appalled. "My God, what happened to you?"
Klaus nonchalantly walked across the room and began to rummage for clothes in his drawers.
"Don't act so surprised, brother. This wouldn't be the first time you've seen me like this," Klaus joked as he took off his shirt.
"Who attacked you and why?" he asked sternly.
"I was just settling some business, is all."
"And what business would that be?"
"Nothing of your concern," Klaus said as he pulled on a pair of jeans. "Just know it's been handled. "
"At what cost…"
Klaus shrugged. "Their lives."
Klaus left the room, Elijah's eyes still following after him. What could entice his brother to perform a mass murder? Surely there had to be a reason for it. Klaus returned wearing a fresh Henley and a smug grin on his face.
"I presume there were no troubles arriving here."
"Ah, yes," Elijah replied, he decided not to push the matter any further. "Hayley has Hope and she's unpacking."
Elijah dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
"Here's the note from Finn," he said as he held it out.
Klaus took it from him and sternly stared down at it, his eyebrows furrowing together.
What puzzled him the most was how Finn was even aware of Hope's presence. Had he not sent his daughter away to be kept hidden from the atrocities of his enemies? And yet, somehow his eldest brother was able to find her. It made no sense and it only infuriated him that he'd have the audacity to threaten his daughter's life.
Klaus crumpled the piece of paper in his fist.
"So what's the plan, brother?"
For a moment Klaus didn't reply, too consumed in his thoughts. He looked back at Elijah.
"We do what he says."
"What?" Elijah looked at him in shock. Since when did his brother become so easily swayed?
"We give him mother."
Klaus began to walk out of the room, Elijah followed after him.
"I hope you do realize even if we give him mother he'll still know about your daughter. It may stop him temporarily, but I get the notion that this is just the tip of the iceberg." Elijah stopped in his place and said more sternly, "Finn will stop at nothing to kill her."
Klaus stopped, refusing to turn back to him, "Yes, I know that brother."
"Then why comply with his demands?" Elijah reasoned, "We should be planning an attack."
Klaus turned to face Elijah with a stern look. "I know very well of our predicament, but he has somehow acquired limitless magic and it frustrates me that I don't know how."
He paused, Elijah, seeing the hopelessness in his eyes.
"I cannot allow you to take that risk. I will not allow it."
Klaus opened the door, walking inside. Elijah still followed behind him and then stopped when he realized where he was. It was Rebekah's room. He scanned the room, it looked exactly how she left it. Klaus stood over a strange woman who seemed to be fast asleep.
"And who might this be?"
"It's our sister."
Elijah looked back at the sleeping woman again. She had dark skin, curly tresses, and long eyelashes.
"But how? Where did you find her?"
Klaus pushed aside a loose curl from the strange woman's face as he spoke, "Believe it or not, but while you were away, I was visited by some old acquaintances from Mystic Falls."
Mystic Falls? It seemed like he hadn't heard that sad town in ages.
"Is that so?" he cocked his eyebrow. "By who, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Damon and Stefan Salvatore." Elijah looked at him questionably as he continued, "Marcel found them at Rousseau's yesterday. They were looking for me and it just so happened that along the way they picked up sister."
"I'm not following."
"They needed my blood, Elijah. What else would they need?"
"It seems I've missed much since my absence."
"Yes, that you did, brother." Klaus went on, "Marcellus then revealed to me that our conniving brother, Kol, was to blame for our sister's imprisonment. Even after Marcel freed her from her cell, Kol took her and the Salvatores to torture them."
"Disappointed, but not surprised."
"Neither was I. But when I came to retrieve them, they had already escaped and Rebekah was passed out." Klaus looked back down at the sleeping lady, "She hasn't stirred since."
It made no sense. How could they possibly escape? No doubt Kol probably used his magic to inhibit the vampires and Rebekah had no experience with magic, so she wasn't an issue either, and yet somehow they were able to break free.
"And that's not it either."
Elijah glanced at Klaus again, he could see the graveness in his eyes. Reaching for a folded paper on his desk, he held it out to Elijah. It was a map.
"Stefan found this while searching through the Fauline House for Rebekah."
"What is it?" Elijah asked as he began to unfold the paper.
He could see three locations marked on the map of New Orleans.
"It's an expression triangle, Elijah."
"Forgive me, brother, but I don't believe I am familiar with the term."
"It's an ancient ritual that can only be completed through three sacrifices. One of the three sacrifices has already been done, leaving only two left."
"And what exactly happens when all three are completed?"
"A witch who practices expression magic can channel an immense amount of power from the three sacrifices, becoming nearly invincible."
Elijah stared back at his brother trying to process everything.
"You don't suppose–"
"Finn," Klaus interrupted. "We think Finn might be behind all this."
"If he attains that much magic he'll easily overwhelm us, we can't let that happen."
"Yes, I know. That's why we must confront him tonight."
"And then what? Continue to live our days in fear until he chooses to kill us. There has to be a better way, brother."
"There is," Klaus runs to the other room, Elijah following after him.
Klaus dug into the drawer, pushing aside things until he pulled out what he was looking for. A bone-white carved knife cursed with the deaths of many. Elijah shivered at the remembrance of the excruciating pain that followed with a single stab.
"We'll use this against him."
"And what of Hope? Who will protect her?" Elijah walked towards him.
"She will stay with Hayley, here."
"Why not have Jackson's pack or Marcel protect them?"
"I will not risk more enemies knowing of our daughter's existence," Klaus growled. "It's not safe."
"Neither is leaving her alone with no one to fend for her. Brother, this is ridiculous. We need more reinforcements!"
"No!" Klaus roared, silencing Elijah. "I cannot have my enemies know of her existence, not if it puts my daughter's life in jeopardy. You will stay here with them if you feel so inclined to. I will face Finn alone if I must. But I will not go down on my knees begging for protection from the mongrels that wait to steal my throne. I will not have it."
Klaus stormed out of the room.
Elijah sighed and walked to the open drawer that Klaus left. His fingers pressed on the wood until he stopped.
Curiously, he reached his hand into the drawer and pulled out a loose paper from one of Klaus' sketch books. The paper was worn and fading, but the image remained. A young woman with short wavy hair looked out into the distance with a sweet smile on her face. Looking cautiously around, Elijah pulled the drawer out further and began to look through the sketchbook the picture had been taken from and found more versions on the same woman. Elijah continuously flipped through the pages until he reached the end. The woman was dressed in an extravagant mermaid dress with intricate pearl beading throughout the bodice. He stared harder at the drawing.
Who was this?
The doors swung open as two figures emerged. Walking in was Damon and Stefan Salvatore dressed in the usual leather jacket and shirt attire. The college pub was empty with glasses scattered on several tables and crumbs littering the floor. The two brothers took a seat on bar stools, Damon pouring a drink for both of them. They both took a sip.
"So, Damon," Stefan set his glass down. "What now?"
"I don't know, brother," Damon sighed. "I mean, the whole reason we even went to New Orleans was to get Klaus to one, save Caroline's life and two, compel Elena's memories back. But it looks like we only got half of what we came for. I don't know about you, but I think we just got gypped."
"No kidding. What I don't get is why the hell he wouldn't come back with us in the first place?"
"Exactly," Damon threw his arms in the air. "Here he goes around pining over the same girl and then suddenly he leaves, like what the hell, man."
"Well, what about the whole thing with the expression triangle? You know that it's going to affect us just as much as it'll affect him."
"I don't know, I didn't think that far," Damon went in for another sip of his drink. "The guy told us to leave, so we did. If he wanted our help, he would've asked."
"I guess," Stefan sighed.
The two brothers clinked their drinks together and gulped down the rest. Damon took another bottle and refilled their glasses when Elena, Liv, Luke, and Tyler walked in.
"About time," Damon lifted up his drink. "Join the party."
Elena rolled her eyes.
"Isn't it a little early in the day to be drinking?" Liv frowned as she yanked the bottle from the Salvatore.
"Suit yourself," Damon shrugged.
"Alright, so why are we all here?" Tyler asked.
Elena reached into her bag and pulled out a stuffed bear.
"We're here for this."
She set the bear down in front of them.
"We're here… for a teddy bear?" Tyler stared at the stuffed animal confused.
Damon smacked him with the bear, Tyler looked at him incredulously.
"Hey!" Tyler pushed the bear away.
"It's not just any teddy bear, its Bonnie's teddy bear," Damon explained, ignoring Tyler. "She sent it from retro-hell, dumby."
"But why?" Luke asked picking up the bear. "Why send a stuffed animal, and not herself?"
"Well, she is still stuck with your guys' sociopathic of a brother," Damon explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if the psycho tried to force her into bringing him home with her."
Liv touched the bear and closed her eyes. "I can feel her magic surging through this bear. She must've put it in here so Kai couldn't use it against her."
"Wait," Elena jumped in. "Then how can she get back without her magic?"
"She can't," Luke said sadly. "Only Bennett blood and magic can send her home, without it, she's stuck there forever."
"Well, there has to be another way. That just can't be it," Elena interjected. "We can't just leave her there with Kai."
"Well, there is one way," Liv started, but Luke stopped her.
"What? What is it?" Elena pushed.
Liv looked to Luke pleadingly.
"You can't be serious?" Luke frowned at her. "You know how dangerous that would be."
Damon dashed forward and grabbed his shirt glaring at him.
"Damon!" Elena cried.
"If there's any way to save our friend, you better spit it out blondie before I get cranky," he threatened.
"Hey! Let go of him!" Liv commanded, punching his arm.
"Damon," Elena crossed her arms. "Let him go."
Damon looked to the brunette and back at Liv. He rolled his eyes and freed Luke, who scrambled away. Liv hovered protectively over him, putting her arm around Luke.
Elena sighed and turned back to Liv.
"If there's any way to save Bonnie, it would be great if you'd tell us. I've known her all my life and she's always been there for me, so this is my chance to be there for her. So please, please help us."
Liv looked down at her brother who refused to look at the group. Liv sighed.
"There is one way to save your friend," Liv began. "But it would acquire some items."
"Alright," Damon nodded. "Lay it on us. What do you need?"
"I need the ascendant and Bennett blood."
"We can ask Bonnie's mom for some blood," Stefan added. "But I don't know where we'd find the ascendant."
"Jo has it," Liv said.
"Alaric's girlfriend?" Elena said confused.
"So you're telling me, I have to steal the ascendant from my best friend's girl?" Damon asked.
"Well, if you want to save your friend–"
"I'll do it."
"Wait, really?" Elena turned to him. "You know Jo won't just hand it to just anybody, right? That ascendant is the only thing keeping her safe from Kai."
"Who said I was going to ask nicely?" Damon grinned.
"Damon…"
"Damon's right," Stefan joined. "This is our only chance to help Bonnie. The next full moon is in a couple of days and I don't think Bonnie can wait another month so I think we should take it."
"But it doesn't feel right to just take it from Jo…"
Damon shrugged. "Fine. Stefan will ask nicely first, but if she says no we're doing it my way."
Elena pressed her lips in a fine line, staring at Damon before she finally gave in.
"Fine," she relented. "Just don't hurt her."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
"What kind of spell are we talking about?" Stefan asked.
Liv looked at him and replied, "I can only send one of you to her and you would only be there for a half hour before the spell ceases."
"Why so short?"
"Well, Luke here doesn't want to help and the spell requires a lot of magic, if I tried to send more than one or make it last longer, I might die in the process."
"Makes sense."
"Alright, sounds like a plan," Damon threw a thumbs up.
"Great, I'll call Bonnie's mom and see if she'll send us some blood," Elena started getting up from her seat.
"And I'll go steal myself some witchy woo woo," Damon chimed.
"Wait, guys," Stefan called out to the two of them.
They both stopped and turned to him.
"What?"
"We haven't decided who we're sending."
Caroline took a sip out of her strawberry milkshake, letting its frozen goodness tickle her insides. She plucked the red maraschino cherry off the top of the whipped cream and bit into it, pulling it from its stem. Something about being a vampire made milkshakes taste a thousand times better. She looked up from her meal to see her mom giggling at her.
"What?"
Liz pointed to her nose. "You have a little whip."
Caroline's eyes focused on her nose where a clump of whip sat making her look cross-eyed. Liz laughed further. Caroline frowned and grabbed a napkin to dab it off.
"Real mature, mom."
"Hey," Liz held up her hands defensively. "I could've let you walk around with that on your face for a couple more hours, but I thought otherwise."
"Oh, so you're suddenly 'Mother of the Year'!" Caroline tried to suppress her smile, but the way her mom was glowing made it impossible to, so she let out a little laugh.
Liz set her fork down and folded her hands on her lap.
"Alright, so we've finished dinner at–"
"Lyon's Hall," Caroline said proudly.
"Lyon's Hall," Liz continued. "So what's next?"
"Hmm, let's see." Caroline grabbed her purse and began to rummage through until she pulled out a list. "Alright! So we finished shopping at that one boutique, and we bought my mini fridge at that one store, and we finished grocery shopping, and we went bowling, and we're done with dinner, so, um… I think that's it actually."
"Wow, what a day," Liz sighed, leaning back in her seat.
"Oh, was it too much?"
"No, of course not, hun. I'm just a little exhausted is all."
"I mean, you can just drop me off at Whitmore now," Caroline said, pulling on her denim coat. "I mean, Elena's been texting me nonstop about Bonnie. And I mean, if you're tired, it's totally cool with me."
"Actually," Liz sat up. "There's one more thing I'd like to do."
Caroline beamed, "Yeah, sure anything! What did you have in mind?"
"I'd like to go for a walk in the park," Liz started. "I have something to tell you."
The light taps of Klaus' footsteps echoed in the empty cemetery. It was nearly dusk as the last rays of light began to fade into the horizon. Finn sat atop a stone grave, his head down and eyes closed listening to the nearing footsteps.
"I see you've finally made it, brother," he hummed.
Klaus emerged from behind the statues, glaring at him.
"How did you know."
"How did I know what?" Finn looked up to meet his eyes.
"How did you know about my daughter."
Finn chuckled, "I had some help is all."
"Who," Klaus stepped forward. "Who told you."
"Now, now, brother." Finn jumped up from his seat. "No need to be paranoid. I assure you, it wasn't any of your little friends."
"Then who," Klaus snarled.
Finn grinned.
"Answer me!"
Finn flicked his hand and Klaus fell to the ground, the veins in his head popping instantaneously at once. He clutched his head with his hands and bent over in agony.
"Enough with the talk, brother. Tell me where mother is or I'll send my very loyal werewolves to kill your daughter."
The pain ceased and Klaus remained on his knees with his arms propping him up.
"I grow impatient," Finn growled. "Tell me where our mother is."
"I'm here, my son."
Finn looked up from his brother and saw Esther in tattered clothing. She clung to a gravestone trying to keep her balance.
"Mother!" Finn ran to her, taking her hand. "What happened? What did he do to you?"
Esther looked away from him ashamed.
"What is it?"
It was then that Finn noticed a blot on her mouth. Taking his finger he wiped it from her chin and held it up to the light. Immediately Esther's eyes turned to the blood and her veins began to protrude from under her lids. Finn jumped back, Esther falling to the ground.
"No," he gasped. "No, you're… you're a vampire."
Esther's eyes reversed back to normal, only further revealing her shame.
"I tried to fight it!" she exclaimed. "I fought it as long as I could."
Finn grasped his head in disbelief.
"But you have to understand, Finn," Esther wailed. "I was just so… hungry."
Esther went to grab his arms pleadingly, but he slapped them away.
"No, you are a disgrace," he shook his head disapprovingly. "You are a hypocrite. A hypocrite! Everything you told me… Everything you believed in… You lied!"
"No, son, no!"
"Get away from me!" Finn backed away.
Esther began to sob. Klaus' chuckle filled the air as Finn glared back at him.
"You did this to her!"
"Me?" Klaus said innocently. "No, I did nothing. This was all sister's idea. If anything we've done you a favor." Klaus motioned to Esther. "We've but shown you her true identity, brother. That she, in fact, is just as much as a monster as we are."
Finn fumed with anger.
With a smug grin, Klaus continued, "Now why don't you know tell me how you found my daughter?"
Finn looked at him bewildered. He began to laugh, his laugh becoming louder as he threw his head back crazily.
"You think I didn't know that something like this might happen?" Finn wagged his finger. "I know you too well to know that I should always have a plan B."
Klaus' smirk quickly faded.
"I must admit, I never would've guessed you'd turn our own mother into the atrocity she created, but I guess that serves her right. No matter, I'll just follow through with my plan," he pulled out his phone and pressed send. "Good luck trying to save your child from a pack wolves, brother, I hear they have a nasty bite."
With a snap of his finger, he and Esther disappeared leaving only Klaus. Quickly grabbing his phone out of his pocket he dialed a number.
"Yes, brother?" a voice answered on the other line.
"Elijah, Finn has a pack of wolves heading your way. Stop them at any cost," Klaus commanded.
"And what of Hayley and Hope?"
"I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Understood."
Klaus hung up and jammed the phone back into his pocket, he was about to dash out when Kol came running out.
"No, wait Klaus! You have to stop, Elijah!" Kol said breathlessly.
Klaus' gaze focused on him. An anger began to burn within him at the sight of his treacherous brother. Klaus dashed forward, slamming Kol into a gravestone as he roughly grasped his neck.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here after your role in our sister's disappearance, Kol."
Kol choked under his grip. "I-I know… But we need to stop Elijah!"
"And why should I listen to the likes of you."
Kol's eyes began to roll back. "Because I know about the expression triangle."
That made Klaus stop. He let go of Kol who fell to the ground and gasping for air.
"How do you know about that?" he scowled.
"It doesn't matter," Kol tried to pull himself up. "Because if we don't stop Elijah now, twelve werewolves are about to be a part of the second sacrifice."
Elijah burst out of the room, loosening his tie and undoing the first two buttons on his shirt. He zoomed down the stairs when Hayley suddenly ran out of the room.
"This is crazy, Elijah!" Hayley said rushing after him.
Elijah ignored her and continued to walk towards the gate, rolling up his sleeves evenly. Hayley dashed forward, blocking his way. Elijah stopped and frowned at her.
"Hayley, move," he said sternly.
"No," she said defiantly. "This is crazy, Elijah and you know it."
Elijah turned away from her, annoyed by her qualms.
"Listen to me," she moved towards him. "I don't give a damn what Klaus says. You're not going to face a pack of wolves on your own. One bite and you're–"
"Yes, Hayley, I am very well aware of what one werewolf bite will do," Elijah interrupted her. "But we both know, it won't be enough to kill me. Now there are wolves out there that are coming to kill your daughter and I'll be damned if I don't do something about it. So if you'll excuse me."
Elijah made his way for the gate again, but Hayley still blocked him.
"Hayley," he said more annoyed.
"Elijah, I cannot allow you to make that sacrifice for my child. I will go."
He shook his head. "No. You're still a new vampire, they'll easily overwhelm you. I will go."
He pushed past her, but Hayley grabbed his arm. Elijah shrugged her off and vamped out the gate leaving Hayley alone in the courtyard.
Stepping out into the street, Elijah observed his surroundings. It was night now and the streets were empty. The lonely street lamps illuminated the city. Elijah closed his eyes and let his senses take over. He could hear the shuffling of feet in the distance, the sounds of scratching shoes on the rough concrete. He could hear the heavy breaths they took as they ran past the empty streets and he could smell the perspiration that sweated from their clothes.
Elijah opened his eyes and dashed towards the direction he heard the noise. Zooming past countless streets and empty stores, he found himself in an open area. Flagpoles stood in a row as a statue of Simon Bolivar towered over him. Suddenly, voices could be heard. Elijah hid behind the shadow of the statue as he watched the group of werewolves funnel into view.
From the distance, he could see that each of the wolves had an enchanted ring on their finger. He scowled. They could turn at any given moment.
"Where did he say Klaus lived again?" one member asked.
"He said he lived in that fancy mansion down by the French quarter on Bourbon Street," another answered.
"Will you guys shut up and move. We're supposed to kill the kid and then get out of there. You know how he gets when we don't get the job done quickly."
"I can take Klaus," one challenged.
"Oh really?" one scoffed. "Did you hear about the wolves that were slaughtered just last night?"
"That was him?" another growled.
"What do you think? Mass slaughter and no witnesses. It has the damned hybrid written all over it."
"Think about it. That could've been us…"
"Well, if killing this kid hurts him, then I'd do it a thousand times. Fucking bastard deserves all the pain in the world."
The leader stopped in his place holding his arm out to stop the others. He scanned the area suspiciously.
"What? What is it, Jason?" asked one of his followers.
"There's someone here."
The all searched around.
"That someone has a name," an elegant voice called out.
All attention turned towards the statue. Elijah stepped out from behind and leaned against it with his arms crossed.
"I'm Elijah," he looked towards them. "You heard of me?"
Some of the members nervously nodded their heads as they stared back at the original.
"I realize your master has ordered you to attack my niece, but I'm here to encourage you not to. So I suggest you run back home and leave this place with your lives intact before I change my mind and kill you for even knowing that my niece lives," he said calmly, but with a tinge of malice.
The leader stepped forward. "I'm afraid we can't do that. Orders are orders."
"Yes, well, if you choose to follow through with your orders I can't guarantee that you'll escape with your lives."
The members took a step back as Elijah's stare bore into them, but the leader remained still. He spat on the ground and snarled at him.
"Typical vampire. That's all you vampires do. Kill. You kill and kill and kill until there's nothing left. At least when we turn, we try to shield the innocent from the hurt we may cause. But you folk are truly monsters. You choose to gorge in your prey's blood and relish in tearing them apart. At least after we turn we come back, humans. There's no turning back for you guys."
Elijah stared back at the leader as if affected by his words. But that sympathy went away when he rushed forward and stabbed his fangs into the nearest member's neck and threw him to the ground. The wolves looked at him in a mix of shock and anger. When Elijah turned to look at them, their member's blood dripping down his neck, his eyes were dangerously red and he wore a grin on his face.
"You call me a monster," he laughed. "Well allow me to show you just how much of a monster I can be."
He dashed forward and the fighting commenced.
It was quiet and even for someone with super human hearing, quiet was nearly impossible. But as Liz and Caroline strolled through the park, it was quiet. They walked in silence for a while, but Caroline could feel the anxiety welling inside her. What did her mom want to talk about? It seemed like everything was going so well that it would seem strange if something went wrong. She walked a step behind her mom, watching her walk ahead. They finally arrived at the bench where Liz proceeded to take a seat. Caroline looked at her mom curiously before joining her.
Liz broke the silence.
"Caroline, how do you grasp an eternity?"
Caroline looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you're a vampire, hun. You have an eternity ahead of you."
"Well, yeah, but–"
"How do you even comprehend that much time?" she continued. "I mean, eighty years seems like forever to me, but an eternity is… is infinite."
"What are you trying to say?"
Liz finally pulled away from her daze and looked directly at her daughter.
Caroline shrugged. "I mean, I know an eternity is a very long time, but I don't know. I never really thought about it. I don't know, mom. I try not to think ahead too much because then I get anxious and I feel the need to plan ahead and… yeah."
Liz laughed. "I'm happy that even after becoming a vampire, you're still my daughter."
"And I'll always be your daughter, mom." Caroline rested her head on Liz's shoulder. "I doubt an eternity could ever change that."
"Even if I won't be here forever," Liz said sadly.
Caroline pulled away to look at her mother.
"Don't say that."
"Well, surely it's crossed your mind, honey."
"I told you, I try not to think about it, mom." Caroline rested her hands on her lap, uncomfortable with the sudden change in the conversation. "I don't want to think about a time when you won't be here. I have years until I have to worry about that."
"What if you only had a few months."
Caroline's eyes snapped back to her mom's shocked by her words.
"What."
Liz looked at her sadly and placed her hand on top of Caroline's, rubbing it soothingly. Caroline could see the tears about to spill out of Liz's eyes. Something was wrong. She looked at her concerned.
"What's wrong, mom? What happened?" she asked.
"I've been meaning to tell you this, honey, but…" She gripped Caroline's hand in hers. "I have stage two brain cancer."
"What," Caroline said breathlessly. "No… No. No, mom, no you don't!"
"Yes, I do, Caroline," Liz started to break into tears. "After you dropped me off at the hospital, the doctor's did a scan for any internal injuries."
Caroline's eyes grew wide at her realization, tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Mom, no!" Caroline cried "You can't!"
But Liz only continued, "They found a malignant tumor in my brain. They said they needed to start treatment immediately to stop the cancer cells from spreading any further, but they said it wouldn't be able to stop the cancer from affecting the cells in my brain."
"No, no, no, no." Caroline dug her face into her mom's shoulder desperately holding onto her.
"I'm so sorry, honey," Liz cried as she wrapped her arms around her. "I wanted to tell you before, but you were having so much fun and I didn't want to ruin our day together. But I've been waiting to tell you this since you left me at the hospital, but then you got bit by that werewolf and I wasn't able to help you."
This was not what she was expecting. She knew one day her mom wouldn't be around anymore, but she figured that would be thirty, forty years down the road, not months away. It was too soon. She had already lost her father, she wasn't ready to lose her mother. So as she clung to her mother's dying body, she held onto the last moments she had with her, trying to preserve every minute she had left.
Liz held her tightly, feeling Caroline's tears soak through her shirt. Caroline held onto her protectively, refusing to let go.
This wasn't what she wanted to wake up to. She woke up from a nightmare, only to be greeted by another.
A resounding crash echoed in the compound as the entry gates slammed against the walls. Hayley set Hope back into her crib and closed the door behind her quietly. She quickly dashed down the stairs to seize the intruder when she realized who it was.
"Marcel!" she said annoyed, her hands wrapped around his neck. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to check what was up," Marcel choked. Hayley quickly pulled her hands away as he began to stroke his neck. "The vamps and I can smell blood down by the Bolivar. I told them I'd go see what was going on."
Hayley crossed her arms together.
"Then why come here first?"
"Well," Marcel looked at her, confused as to why she was being so defensive. "I came to ask Klaus to join me, y'know, just in case things got rough."
"Well, he's not here."
Marcel eyed her suspiciously. "I can see that. So where is he?"
"Out."
"Where."
"In the Lafayette Cemetery."
"Why."
"That's none of your business."
Marcel's stare bore into her as he searched for answers, but her mouth remained shut. He nodded and turned to walk away. Hayley let out a sigh as he began to leave until there was a baby's cry.
Marcel stopped in his tracks, listening to the cries from upstairs. Turning back to Hayley, he saw her skin had gone faintly pale as if she was frozen in place. Her eyes were wide and her lower jaw shaking. Marcel looked at her in shock, unable to process what was going on. Hayley quickly dashed back to Hope's room and held her in her arms, Marcel following after her. The moment he caught sight of Hope, his mouth went agape. He was in shock. How could this be? She was supposed to be dead, and yet, there she was crying into Hayley's chest.
"Marcel," Hayley said desperately. Marcel's attention was pulled away from the baby as he looked back to Hayley. "You can't tell anyone," she said gravely. "If anyone finds out my baby is alive… they'll kill her."
Marcel slowly nodded his head, still unable to process what he had just witnessed. A scream filled the air and the baby stopped crying. Hayley and Marcel rushed to the window to see what was happening, but the streets were still empty. They looked at each other.
"What's going on, Hayley, I need to know now."
For a moment, Hayley just stared back at him, unsure whether or not to trust him. But she relented.
"Elijah… he… he got a call from Klaus that Finn was sending a pack of wolves to kill Hope, so he left to stop them," she explained.
Marcel's eyes grew wide as he suddenly remembered what he had learned the day before. Something about three sacrifices and an ultimate power. He grabbed Hayley's shoulders roughly.
"We have to stop him!"
"What, why? What's going on?"
"Did they say how many wolves there were?"
"No?" Hayley answered confused, she set Hope back down into her crib. "What? Why do you need to…" she trailed off when she remembered.
She remembered being a part of an ancient ritual. A ritual that required the sacrifices of many in return for power.
"No," she gasped.
It couldn't be.
"I have to stop him!" Marcel turned to leave the room.
Marcel rushed out back onto the streets, leaving Hayley alone. He took a whiff of the air, letting the scent of fresh blood fill his senses. He turned towards the empty street and dashed away. He just hoped he wouldn't be too late.
Blood. The sweet, sweet smell of blood. And the texture. The smooth and silky way fresh blood splatters on the ground. And that deep red, that deep red that's so alluring and compelling that you can't pull away. That's what he loved most about killing. Not the kill itself, but the blood.
He snapped his neck away from the victim he had just sucked dry. Their blood electrifying his dead veins. He stared down at the motionless bodies that were scattered before him, the terror that was now permanently frozen in their eyes. He watched as one victim pathetically tried to drag himself away, watched as he desperately clung to his life with every pull. Elijah strolled over to him and knelt down.
The man looked up to him, disgust on his face.
"Go to hell," he spat.
Though Elijah appreciated his bravery, he pulled the man up and sunk his teeth into his neck, consuming whatever was left and threw his lifeless body to the ground.
He looked up to see a brown-haired maiden staring at him shocked.
"Katerina," he said breathlessly.
She stared at him shaken as he looked down at his hands and saw he was covered in blood. He looked back at her ashamed, he was afraid she'd run away. But instead, she ran towards him and taking one of the folds of her dress, she proceeded to wipe the blood away. He didn't know what to say.
"Katerina, I-"
"Sshh," she hushed him as she began to wipe away the blood on his neck.
As she continued to clean him, he studied her carefully, waiting for her to scream. But she did no such thing. Instead, she continued to busy herself. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why she didn't run off. This was the first time she had ever seen him like this, as his true self, as a monster. But she did not run. She stayed. And when she reached up to wipe his lips, he grasped her arm and looked at her.
"Why aren't you afraid…" he asked, but she didn't respond. "I am a monster and yet you do not flee. Why?"
She broke from his grasp and placed her hands around his face, all the while never breaking from his stare.
"You're far from it."
Elijah broke from his trance. Blood still soaked his shirt and dripped from his chin. He looked down at his hands and wiped them on his pants. He heard a shuffle and his attention was brought back up. Klaus stood before him, Kol as well. His brother's face didn't show shock, nor gratitude, but only seriousness as he scanned the dead bodies that littered the ground. Blood soaked the grass and was splattered on the statue.
Kol counted the bodies and shook his head, he turned from the scene, his back facing him upset. He rubbed his temples.
"Brother, I…" Elijah tried to explain, but Klaus stopped him with the wave of his hand.
"Its fine, Elijah," he spoke. "You were just doing as I told you."
Shortly after, Marcel arrived. He took a step back and covered his nose.
"Oh fuck," he said.
"What now," Kol sighed.
"We clean up this mess," he said. "And then we go home."
"But that's twelve werewolves, Klaus. Twelve! One more sacrifice and–"
"We've got ourselves an expression triangle, I know, Kol," Klaus replied irritably. "But for now, we must go home."
Elijah walked towards them, unsure of what to say.
Klaus turned to Marcel. "Burn the bodies and clean up this mess."
Marcel frowned but reluctantly nodded.
Elijah and Klaus began to move away from the scene. Klaus handing him a handkerchief.
"That's two sacrifices, brother," Elijah said breaking the silence.
"Which means we've got one more to go before we have a real problem on our hands," Klaus finished.
Klaus' phone began to ring. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out as he pushed it against his ear.
"Uh, Klaus…" the voice called on the line.
"What is it Hayley?"
"Your sister's awake."
I know it's been three weeks since I last posted... things have been complicated. I apologize that this chapter wasn't as long as last time. I came to realize it's actually pretty difficult to write both shows together just because of the sheer amount of characters and content to cover. No wonder they need a room full of writers. But I'll get better at it I'm sure, just takes practice. Plus, that was always my intention from the beginning, to successfully integrate both shows into one the way JP & Co should've. I mean, how else am I going to make Klaroline happen?
As you guys know, I do read all the reviews I get and I see that many of you are really pushing for the reunion now, but I hate to pull a Julie, but I am honestly waiting for that "organic" moment to happen. Personally, I don't think they're ready to reunite yet. They both need time to figure out their shit. So I know you guys want them together now, but trust me, so do I. I've always been an advocate for the build-up when it comes to two characters coming together. But that's really just the icing on the cake. The stuff in the middle is important too you guys. Even as we speak I am in the process of creating this monumental moment. But don't worry, there will be plenty of time for sprinkles and all the extra embellishments when they finally come together.
How did you guys feel about my Liz and Caroline scene? I had been anticipating this moment and definitely felt strongly about especially since I experienced someone close to me dying from cancer and I remember how devastated I was when they told me. From the beginning, I always believed that Caroline shouldn't have heard about her mother's cancer from anyone else besides Liz. And when her mom was suffering, Caroline should've been with her up until her death (not locking lips with Stefan). So, I'm going to show you how it should've been done.
As always, thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it. I see that even when I'm not updating, new people are starting to read/favorite my story, so welcome! It's going to be crazy these next two-three weeks cause the quarter is almost over and I have a lot of papers to write. But I hope to update soon! Please don't lose faith in me! I will make Klaroline endgame!
Anyways, until next time!
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Chapter Question: Who do you think will complete the Expression Triangle?