Disclaimer- don't own Vampire Diaries! Nor is any money made off this story.

Author's note- this is co written by me, dear old Salllzy, and Imaginary Raine. Also there will be a lot of us messing with the cannon. Also events, times and people's real names will not be used. There will be things changed as well.

Chapter 5

They had been keeping busy; with Micaela learning spells from the grimoires, and Henry working non-stop to fix up his restaurant (he even had unlikely help in one Tyler Lockwood (though, how that came about was something the albino refused to disclose, and the raven was not asking). That night, they were enjoying some measure of peace; a rarity in their new lives. However, they both knew that it was not to last. For some reason, they had been on edge all day. There was something in the air that was calling to them. Whatever it was, they weren't too sure if they wanted to find out, after all, Vicki would be attacked soon. And while they had planned on not doing anything major, neither of them were about to let an innocent get hurt because Damon was suffering from dickhead syndrome. Something that was going to cause problems sooner rather than later. And sooner (than they both knew) was coming far quicker than they had expected.

Micaela looked at Henry before returning her attention to the papers she was correcting. Things had been tense between them since they had fought. She knew that he had had the best intentions in mind when Henry did what he did. However, that didn't change the fact that he had treated her like a child (and an unruly one at that). Something that she had never enjoyed, nor was she fond of. She was a grown woman, thank you very much. But still, the fight had gone on long enough and it was time the both of them made up. Micaela could admit she hadn't handled things well enough, pulling out the disappearing act. Yet, she was aware Henry knew she had a temper and, if anything, he knew how to push her buttons like no one else (the opposite was also true). It didn't help that they were both pigheaded, so fights tended to last for a while. Instead of one of them giving in, they both continued to fight, even if it was pointless. The only saving grace was that they didn't make things escalate between them (unlike with others. They were free game).

The gentle sound of a plate being deposited on the table broke her focus. She looked up, but didn't say anything. Henry didn't meet her eyes – a sign that he was feeling guilty about something – and he was bouncing from foot to foot as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to.

He bit his bottom lip and began abusing it between his teeth until he blurted out. "I'm sorry! I didn't lock you in the house because I didn't think that you couldn't deal with it! I did it because I didn't want you getting involved if Lockwood had decided to go to the police. Then, at least you wouldn't get into trouble. And you wouldn't have to worry about me either because you know I would be safe, but the point I am trying to make is I should've handled it differently," he said it so fast and in such a way that she wondered if he had breathed at any point while he had been speaking all of that .

Micaela pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Sometimes – just sometimes – she wondered if Henry could deal with guilt. It had a nasty way of eating him up, which, in turn, annoyed her, seeing as he didn't know what to do with himself and just ended driving her crazy.

Looking at him, Micaela began speaking. "I am sorry as well. I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did. Though, you fail to realize that, if any of them had, indeed, decided to involve the police, I would have been screwed either way. Or did you forget that they don't like us, as in you and me?" She asked dryly.

Henry smiled sheepishly, running a hand through his white mane, then glanced at the very large slice of triple chocolate fudge cake with homemade vanilla ice-cream and three brandy snaps that he had put in front of her before returning his attention to her, gaze expectant. Micaela raised a finely sculpted eyebrow.

"Planning on bribing me, were you?" She inwardly scoffed; as if she needed any kind of incentive when it came to chocolate.

Pale lips twitched into a smile and Henry shook his head, white hair falling around his face. "Nope. I made it in-case we made up. If we didn't?" He casually shrugged, then took a seat. "Well, I was just going to give it someone on and see their reactions."

Micaela did nothing to hide the affront she was feeling at his suggestion. As if she would let anyone take away her cake. Henry smirked and made as if to pick the plate up. Fortunately, she was faster, and had her precious goody out of his reach before he was halfway through. He cackled, and she pretended to be put out by his actions before allowing a smile to grace her lips. Picking up the spoon, she began to eat with relish. The best part of having a chef as a sibling was that their bribes and/or make-up gift was always delicious, mouthwatering food.

-.-.-.-

It was nighttime and the sound of laughing teenagers and too loud music being blasted from speakers could be heard. Micaela and Henry were walking through the woods while discussing how they should act. They traded glances. That night was when Vicki would be attacked, and they had no idea what they were going to do. There were just too many possibilities. They could decide to do nothing and let things play as they should and wait until they knew their actions would have the most impact. Or they could change small things here and there and hope things wouldn't snowball to the point their previous knowledge became completely obsolete.

What should they do? Should they search for Vicki and take her to the hospital? But doing so would definitely put them in a bad light. People in town absolutely despised the both of them, so would certainly point fingers, even if there was no evidence. Should they risk it, or should they let things go on as they ought to, knowing that, in the end, Vicki was completely irrelevant to the plot? (And didn't that last thought made them sound completely cruel?)

What to do? What to do?

Unfortunately, there wasn't much time for them to really consider it, one hour at the most. Eventually, they decided it would be best to just go with the flow. They would keep walking the woods and, if they happened to find Vicki before anyone else, good; otherwise…

Honestly, the current crisis – the first of many they would have to face – could simply be resumed as a clash between their morals and their mission: saving the Originals vs. saving everyone they can. Which was a tad bit ridiculous, in truth; they weren't gods. They were just Micaela and Henry. With a something extra. Anyway, the fact still remained that they couldn't save everybody, no matter how much they wanted to. But just because they had decided what to do, didn't mean they were happy about it.

"I know we made our choice; however, I can't help but think Vicki deserves the chance to make something with her life." Purple met red, and Micaela could see in those crimson orbs, as well as in the hand running through snowy locks, all the frustration, the bitterness and resignation at their situation. She knew her eyes looked the same.

"Indeed." She looked up the sky and observed the stars. It was a magnificent night. And the beginning of disaster. "But like you just said, we have already decided, and even if we hadn't, we couldn't just walk up to her and say "Hey, Miss, you should come with us if you don't want to be attacked by a vampire!"", she pitched her voice so it sounded higher, clapped her hands and adopted a chirpy disposition that Henry found outright disturbing. After a second or two, she went back to normal. "At the very best, she would laugh. Or call us crazy."

Henry pursed his lips. "Aren't we? I mean, right now, we're a universe away from our homes at the behest of some ghosts and no way of going back because said ghosts killed us off!" No matter how accepting his previous self had been in the other side or how blasé he had been acting, the gravity of their situation was finally sinking in, and he was feeling a little bit frazzled. "Not only that! We're in the middle of the forest on a night when someone's going to get attacked!"

Micaela looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Like I said, crazy at best."

Henry deflated. There was sadness surrounding him like a shroud. Also a bit of hopelessness. It was a look Micaela saw from time to time when she looked in the mirror. Unlike her brother, she had already come to grips with their situation in this impossible reality. As a teacher at the local high school, she had to face the people she had thought of as characters every day, which came a long way in making them real in her mind (and if they were real, so was their reality). It had been mind numbing and chaotic and she was still this close to having a mental breakdown.

Henry sighed and also turned his eyes skyward. "Do you think we're going to survive this?"

"We have to."

He hummed. "I'm almost tempted to say that we would be able to overcome anything if only we had our family with us…"

"We have each other, don't we? Besides, while they would certainly offer us support and a reason to fight for, they would also be a weakness." And God, how it hurt to think of them like that. It hurt a fucking lot! But better for their families to mourn and keep on living than to become targets for the vengeful and/or the self-righteous members of this dimension. "One we can't afford."

"In other words, we've traded one life for another and neither of us knows if it was worth it." They fell silent. Those weren't thoughts either of them liked to contemplate. It was best if they remained in the corner of their minds, where they wouldn't bring about doubt. Because the two of them were going to make it work, no matter how much blood, sweat and tears it took. They simply had to.

They resumed their stroll. They traversed a few meters before Micaela broke the silence. "It doesn't matter if it was worth it. Not anymore," she told him quietly. "Even if we hadn't agreed, we were already dead."

"You're right," Henry nodded. "We agreed. Nothing we can do about it. We'll simply have to focus on this world now. These people don't deserve what can possibly happen to them. We can change things so it can be better for everyone."

Even if we'll possibly end up sacrificing everything we are.They locked eyes. There were many thoughts warring inside their heads… So many things that could possibly go wrong. Well, even worse than they originally were. Micaela linked their minds and tried to soothe him.

That single action broke the dam.

With a heart-wrenching sob, Henry stumbled forwards and clutched his sister and keened, adjusting himself so he could muffle his wails against her shoulders. The both of them knew this had been a long time coming. His previous self had been quite emotional; it was a miracle he had managed to hold on until now. Micaela, for her part, just began humming, then wrapped her arms around him so she could rub circles on his back and run a hand through his hair, trying to calm him both physically and mentally, and ignoring the death grip he had on her. It was good that one of them would have support while going through this clusterfuck. Not that he wouldn't try to help her if he knew she was still mourning their old selves, Henry was sweet like that. But she was his older sister, and so it was her duty to help only looked down once his shakes subsided. She gently moved his head so he was facing her, protectiveness and anger surging in her at the sight of tear tracks on his face. She sighed when she realized he had fallen asleep and looked around, there was bound to be a tree that looked comfortable enough for her to lean against.

This was going to be a very long night.

-.-.-.-

Stefan didn't even turn around as he spoke to a seemingly empty room. "Crow was a bit much, don't you think?" He didn't need to see them to know they were smirking. He could practically hear it when they answered him."Wait till you see what I can do with the fog."

Stefan whirled around and glared darkly at the man smugly standing there. Just like he had divined, a smirk was present on his lips.

"When did you get here?" He snapped, hostility clear in his voice.

The other's smile only widened as he took a step forwards. "Stefan, Stefan. Is that anyway to treat your older brother?"

Stefan snarled at him, fangs bared, as he growled out. "What do you want Damon?"

Damon didn't even bother to reply. Instead, he looked out of the window. He knew Stefan wouldn't have the guts to physically go against him; his diet of animal blood simply wouldn't allow him to. He, unlike Damon, hadn't learned to control his bloodlust, and so had to settle for something that wouldn't spike it up. That made him weak; it was fact. However, Stefan's feeding choices or his inherent weaknesses were not of interest to Damon. He had never really been able to think kindly of his younger brother after his stint with the Augustines and realizing Stefan had never looked for him, hadn't even realized he was gone – and then had the gall to act like his self-righteous self, as if he had no sins. No, the only reason he was back in this hellhole was Katherine. She was all that mattered nowadays. Not that he would let dear old Steffie know that. God knew he would try and stop Damon for some reason or another. Not that Damon would let him succeed.

Stefan took a step forwards to him. "You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you." He had changed tactics. Seeing as intimidating wouldn't work on Damon, he turned condescending.

Damon mentally narrowed his eyes. Who was Stefan to act with condescension towards him? What right did he have to judge? Him, the fucking Ripper of Monterrey! The one who had dragged Damon metaphorically kicking and screaming into this life when all he wanted was to die, just so he wouldn't be alone! And then he had the gall to abandon Damon because he acted like a fucking vampire! (And a proper one at that, capable of controlling himself so he won't cause carnage and risk exposing himself.) He decided to ignore it for now. He had plans to make and plots to scheme and a love to save. No need to waste his energies on Stefan. Unless it was to drive him crazy. But Damon's mere presence was enough to make his brother twitchy. Perhaps it was because of sweet, innocent Elena, who was a dead ringer for Katherine? From what he could observe today, Stefan seemed to be already attached to her. The thought of going after her was tempting. Sinking his fangs into that familiar looking neck...

Or maybe he would go for the mysterious purple eyed woman he had seen walking through the woods, the one who had smiled at him even though she shouldn't had been aware of his presence. Damon smirked; he really wouldn't mind sinking his fangs into her. In more ways than one. She was one of those kinds of people who gave the vibe of being untamable. Ah, the challenge!

There were so many people he could choose to feast on... Which one to pick? Decisions, decisions…

-.-.-.-

Tyler walked down a unused path as he came to the Black's house. He wanted to speak to Henry – or Mr. B, as he called him in his head. Though he was also dreading arriving at his destination, on the off chance that Ms. B would be there as well (seeing as it was also her house), which would probably cause him undue amounts of embarrassment. He was still incapable of looking in raven's direction without feeling his cheeks warming, damn the albino! Still he would do what he needed to. He had been rather shocked when Henry had turned up at his door a few nights ago.

-.-.-.-

Tyler looked at him and saw the anger in those red eyes. He made sure that the door was closed as he pulled Henry down the path that went a little bit away from his house. "Look man, I don't have a crush on your sister!"

"Try telling that to someone else!" Henry snorted and rolled his eyes before levelling a glare at him. "I have seen your tests score and I have also seen your homework. The results are screaming 'I have a crush on my teacher!' so tell me how I have it wrong?"

Tyler gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times as he tried to answer. "Look, Ms. B is the only one that treats us all fairly."

"Ms. B?" Henry's eyebrows had nearly disappeared into his hairline. "That's the best you lot can come up with?"

Tyler grinned sheepishly and shook his head. He sat down on a tree stump as he looked around. "Look, it wasn't me who came up with the name!" How had his day come to this? Just who had he managed to piss off to have an overprotective brother on his doorsteps? Sure, Ms. B was beautiful, that was a given, but the woman was his teacher! No matter what fantasies his teenage hormones came up with – which he would definitely not think about, especially with the red-eyed man by his side – he respected Micaela Black a great deal. She was the kind of person who saw you for you and didn't take any bullshit from anyone. Henry sat down next to him. They both gazed out at the woods that were around them, the albino waiting in silence for Tyler to organize his thoughts.

"Ms. B treats us all fairly," Tyler spoke. "She doesn't care that Caroline's mother is the Sheriff or that my dad is the Mayor. She marks my work how she sees it, and she doesn't judge us, you know?"

"Yeah I do," Henry nodded his head, chuckling. "Don't forget, Tyler, that she is my sister." He looked up at the stars that were littering the sky like diamonds. "So you do well to make her proud?"

Tyler followed his gaze. He saw movement from the corner of his eyes; he chanced a glance and saw a pale finger tracing a constellation. Following the digit with his eyes, he saw it.

"It's called the Big Dipper."

Tyler smiled, a small quirk lifting the corner of his lips. "Why is it called that?" He asked.

"No idea." Henry shrugged his shoulders.

Tyler laughed at that and kept on contemplating the firmament. He thought back on Mr.B's question. It was good to finally have someone who was pleased with his notes, not because it was expected of him or because it would look good on his transcript, but because he was understanding and taking an interest in what was being taught. It was refreshing.

He loved his home, he really did. But all the expectations and the pressure made him feel trapped. People were born, grew up, worked and died in Mystic Falls. It was rare for someone to leave just as it was rare for someone new to move in. And, for those like him, who belonged to the Founding Families, their lives were practically set from the cradle. And there was a part of him that didn't agree with these constrictions and was always angry. It wanted to run free and roll around and travel the world and, at the same time, it wanted to stay and protect what it considered his. It made no sense to Tyler and always gave him a headache when trying to understand it, so he mostly ignored it.

"Yeah, I do want to make her proud," he affirmed, catching Mr. B's attention. "She's the only one who tried to see beyond the jock or the Lockwood name." She was also the only one who had sat with him and asked what he wanted to do with his future.

Henry had this strangely pleased look in his face (and he looked more like his sister in that moment ever, in Tyler's opinion, whenever she handed him back his assignments or when he participated in a debate) as he looked at Tyler. "That was probably the most serious and sensible thing that I have ever heard you say."

Tyler thought it weird the man would say something like that, as if the albino knew him. He decided not to dwell on it and just scowled at him. "I can be serious from time to time."

Red eyes kept on looking at him; assessing him, Tyler realized. He stiffened in response, then straightened himself up and glared defiantly into those vermilion orbs. Henry hummed before turning his attention back to the heavens. "Yeah, I can see that."

Tyler stared. Pale lips had curled up and he felt as if he had passed an unknown test.

-.-.-.-

Mr. B was a good man to talk to, despite his temper and possibly scathing remarks. The man had seen something in him that night, and Tyler wanted to know what it was. He was a jock, sure, but Ms. B's classes proved he wasn't dumb.

But it was easier to conform and act how everyone expected him to.

Tyler looked at the door before knocking on it. He waited for a few minutes until he tried knocking again. "Mr. B?"

He heard thudding as someone cursed."Fuck!"

Tyler looked around and noticed that no one was there. Or, at least, it didn't look like anyone was there.

"Lockwood up here!"

Tyler looked up at the giant oak tree that was right next to the house. There, sat in the tree, halfway up, was Henry. He was smiling down at Tyler.

"Can you climb up?"

Tyler looked at his trainers. "Can't!" He shouted up.

Henry nodded his head before he began to climb down the tree. Once he was a few branches from the ground, he jumped down. He wiped his hands on his trousers and looked at Tyler. "What can I do for you?"

Tyler shifted for a few minutes, gathering courage. "Is the job offer still open?" He blurted out.

"Yes, why?" Henry titled his head to the side, making his long white hair cover half of his face.

Tyler looked at him before he responded. "Could I have it?"

Henry nodded his head before he walked over to the front door and unlocked it. He looked at Tyler. "You coming in?"

Tyler followed him into the house and closed the door behind him. Henry was rummaging around in the kitchen trying to find some mugs. Micaela had a habit of moving everything around every few weeks. As a result, the rooms never ever looked the same. It was one of her security measures; only she knew where everything was at any given time. Henry thought it was a great measure to hide the things they wouldn't put behind wards, because they used them all the while; until it became annoying.

Tyler looked around the room. "Where is Miss. B?" He inquired, still not knowing if he wanted to see her or not.

Henry poked his head out of the kitchen. "Micaela is out trying to get me someone who will come in and look at the building, as most people hear my name and suddenly have jobs that they need to finish." He told him flatly.

Tyler suppressed a wince at that. He had been like that when he had first heard about the witch siblings, dubbed like that because of their 'unnatural' appearances. And while Ms. B's looks were more common than her brother's, her vivid purple eyes still drew attention. Tyler was simply glad that the cold woman became his teacher and shattered his preconceptions. And now, while he was ashamed he had been one of the sheep, the siblings' attitudes had him straying from the flock and thinking for himself. He couldn't say much of Micaela, for he had only seen her in the school, but he had seen Henry when no one else was around but the two of them, and so knew there was more to them than the image they let the others see.

Mr. B, he had seen, was rude, impulsive, fiery, very much overprotective and undoubtedly loyal. He was also a tad mysterious and, supposedly, a cook, given his wish to open a restaurant (though, if he was moderately good, great, or somewhere in-between, Tyler didn't know). He found that he liked him, the man behind the mask. Tyler knew all about masks – the brainless jock; the Lockwood heir, perfect golden boy – so he knew they were never dropped around strangers. Either the albino considered him so harmless as to never be a threat – he inwardly bristled at this thought before pushing it aside – or, for some unknown reason, he trusted Tyler.

This last thought startled him. Something told him this was the truth.

Tyler blinked when a mug was placed in front of his face. He looked up at the grinning face and stared. Why did this man trust him? He took the mug, and Henry rolled up his sleeves, his visage morphing until he was looking like a madman.

"Let's get started, my young padawan."

Tyler gulped and looked at his mug, a sense of foreboding pervading him. He just knew it was going to be one hell of a day.

-.-.-.-

Micaela had, at first, found it somewhat amusing when Henry had tried to get someone in to look at the building and been rejected time and time again. It had been funny to hear him curse and see him lose his temper. But when the excuses kept on piling, all the amusement had fled to be replaced by protectiveness and bone-deep resentment. One would think that people of the 21st century wouldn't be so close-minded. Honestly, the only reason she hadn't ended like her brother - losing her temper and cursing up a storm - was spite. She would never give anyone the satisfaction. And she would have her way, one way or another, just like when she became a teacher. She sighed as she walked along the path. She wanted to go to a bar and get wasted. But it was a Saturday and the only bar in this godforsaken town was the Grill, which would be filled with people, a good lot of them being her students. Still going to the shop and buying some alcohol was always an option. Then home. Drink or no drink, she was ready to put this day behind her. At the very least, she was ahead of schedule; she had no papers to mark, no tests to sort out. She was so going to own this weekend!

"Why, hello there, gorgeous!"

Micaela turned around and came face to face with a set of icy blue eyes framed in what she knew to be an eternally young face. Damon Salvatore, her stalker through the woods. Damn it all, but television did not make him justice! The man was fucking delicious! She ignored her libidinous brain and tried to focus on her situation. What could he possibly want with her? Could he be curious about the woman that knew him to be there when she shouldn't or… she licked her lips, which had gone dry when her brain had caught up with her situation. His eyes zeroed in the action and he stepped forward. Oh shit! That was all she ever wanted, to become a vampire's blood bag/sex toy! (Please, do note the sarcasm and hysteria inserted in that thought.)

"Hello." Curt, cold, polite and almost rude. Hopefully, he would take the hint and leave her alone, would realize that she didn't want to talk to him or want him near her at all. But if wishes were fishes…

"What it is someone like you doing in a place like this?" He kept on coming closer and she was panicking in her mind. But she would show no fear. It would just set off his instincts and she refused to act like prey. Amethyst met aquamarine in a challenge.

"Going home." With that she turned and began to stride away, taking longer than necessary steps. She could feel his stare on her back; he wasn't used to being rejected. He was used to women throwing themselves at his feet, begging to be fucked by him. Not her, never her. She wouldn't allow it. She came here to do a job and that was what she would focus on. She would do it not fall in love or have a relationship with someone; that would only complicate things. She didn't need complications. No matter how mouthwatering they were.

Vicki being attacked told and sent to the hospital told her that things went up as they should. Which meant that Damon still had his switch off; that's all the reason she needed to run for the hills whenever he was close (even if his bad boy vibes was like flames to her moth). It was strange that, despite all the knowledge and power she gained in this life, she still felt helpless when faced with a true predator. She hated it. Hated knowing that someone could end her with a flick of their wrist.

Hm… It seemed Henry and she would have to step up their training.

Micaela found herself outside of their home. She used her key to unlock the door; Henry was sat on the couch going over everything, making plans and drawing things. She didn't even say hello as sat in front of him, lost in thought as she was.

"Ela?"

She looked at her brother – the complete opposite of everything she was – then looked at her hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She searched deep inside her; there was this part of her that was wild like a snowstorm, hidden behind a thick layer of ice. She dug into the ice and could immediately feel her surroundings getting colder by the second.

After a few moments, the temperature stopped dropping. Instead, they rose by a few degrees before stopping and stabilising. She heard the fire in the fireplace roaring to life and smiled. She felt the volcano that was her brother's magic and let contentment set into her bones. She finally relaxed. She opened her eyes and saw Henry's annoyed visage; candles all around were lit as his fire balanced her ice.

"What brought this about?"

"I may have run into an emotionless vampire."

Henry's face turned grim. First, he ran into Stefan; then Micaela ran into Damon. The two people – vampire… whatever! – they were trying to avoid... They had the shittiest luck ever, he decided. No wonder his sister had been spooked; she hated feeling powerless.

It would seem they would have to step up their training.