Hello, lovely readers. Okay, so this is a chapter that is very Elijah centric but don't worry; there's some Klaroline in there too. Everyone ready for a trial? On with the show…
Chapter 48: People Who Live in Glass Houses
There are times in life that you question everything and everyone around you. After my candle melted all over the floor of my old dorm room and part of the building that Damon, Marcel, Enzo and I resided in burned up, I found myself questioning many things. Many of my personal possessions that I had brought from home perished in that fire. Of course, I was grateful that my friends were alright and no one was severely hurt but it made me question how the world works. How could a candle just tip over and nearly burn a room down?
This made me then move to other subjects like my disagreeable fear that my best friend and the girl that I loved would one day find themselves happily off. Together. It seemed impossible but if I had been told that I would leave my old life to come to a small town in Virginia, fall in love with a girl who was a little over one year my junior and find my best friend in the world, I would have laughed.
I also would not have believed that Finn would find the girl who he intended on spending the rest of his days with only to be forced to join some sort of military boy's school. There were times that Finn would wear on my nerves faster than any of the other children in our family but he was my brother no matter what happened. Now, he was unhappy and from the sporadic letters I received from him, his life at the boot camp was not something that I would wish on Vaughn, Alexander and Connor. No one really deserved the treatment that Finn was enduring.
I would have been shocked to see that Kol, my impish little brother, would begin to fade inside the boarding school that I had been sent to. He often came down with an illness and would seek solace in the privacy of his own room with his frogs and at times Stefan, when the older boy was not in classes. Kol would stare out the window dully until there was a visit from one of our friends or family. Even after the first few months I would come to check on him and he would ask for Mother. Again, this was very unlike Kol. When we were at home he paid our Mother very little attention after he learned to walk. Now, he would cry himself to sleep because he missed her.
The worst off was Bekah. She had been separated from all of us and I found that we had been remiss in spoiling her so. She wrote me letters informing me that she had had her knuckles smacked so many times by the nuns that she had to go to the infirmary to have them treated. My response was to tell her to tell Father. Weeks later she told me in a tear stained letter that Father replied that she must adhere to the advice of the nuns. That they only had her best interests at heart and she should not exaggerate such tales of woe.
All of this made me terribly angry and I could think of only one person who could have caused all this trouble since we had come to Mystic Falls. There was only one who could answer for my new sense of paranoia directed toward Damon and Caroline, and my brother and Bekah's separation from home. Elijah.
Elijah was at the heart of it all. If Father had not become furious with Elijah for his behavior with Hayley, then all of us would be fine. Worse yet, he had Hayley lying on his behalf. He had the girl believing that he truly was trying to bring us all home. Then there was Katherine. He had caused her to become insane. Her sudden interest in her "career" and her reliance on Damon was obviously a distraction to fill up the space that Elijah had taken up.
After seeing the way that Elijah toyed with the two girl's affections I began to fear that Caroline and I were doomed from the beginning. Then I began to look in all directions for who would become my competitor for her affections. It was not long before it dawned on me that it would be Damon. That he, Caroline and I had spent far too much time together. That we were all far too close.
All of this was Elijah's fault and I was determined that his ruining my beliefs would not go unpunished. That is why I felt satisfied when Elijah arrived at the boarding school early on a Saturday morning. Katherine had arrived with Elena and Jeremy. Hayley was with Caroline. Finn and Bekah had also arrived. This pleased me because I was determined to prove my brother to be a liar and a fraud in front of all the people he claimed to care for.
"Alright," I called to my mates, Stefan, Kol, Diego and Thierry. "We're on the move," holding up a hand, I directed them to follow my lead. They fell into line behind me with Damon and Marcel at my sides. For once Enzo was going to follow. Marching downstairs, I found our visitors waiting for us by the front door.
"Nik?" Caroline looked at me, her eyes widening as she took in my appearance. I was dressed up in military style clothing with a bandana over my forehead. Damon said that it made me look like Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots: Part Deux. "What are you wearing?" she exclaimed and the looked at the others. "What are all of you wearing?"
"March," I ordered my troops, ignoring Caroline. I held up my hand when we were two feet from the civilians. "Halt," I shouted. The group stopped. Walking toward Elijah, I stared up at him grimly. "Sir, you have been charged with treason. How do you plead?" I asked my brother solemnly as Elijah stared back at me like I had lost my mind.
"Niklaus, what is all of this?" Elijah inquired, waving at the group assembled behind me.
"He's about to hit the colonel," Thierry shouted. "Attack," he roared and then a swarm of bodies surrounded Elijah, all holding up their weapons.
"Oh, my God," Katherine said, pushing Elena and Jeremy behind her as Hayley held Caroline back from me.
"Do not fire," I ordered my men. "I repeat. Do not fire," looking up at Elijah, I gave him my best angry look and he simply stared back, not looking amused. That was a good thing because I was not amused either. "Sir, you are under arrest," I grabbed my brother by the shoulder and roughly turned him around with the help of Damon. Marcel placed a pair of handcuffs on him and Diego opened the front door. "March," I ordered.
Damon and Marcel began to lead Elijah out of the room as Caroline caught me by the wrist. "Nik, what are you doing?" she demanded quietly.
"This isn't something for you to concern yourself with, Caroline," I told her and attempted to free my wrist. "Caroline, you need to stand down. I have a trial to prepare for."
"Trial?" Hayley whispered angrily. "What do you think you're doing?" She looked really angry but she was not my concern.
"Step back, M'am, or I will be forced to have you charged with attempting to influence the judge in this proceeding," I told Hayley as Katherine came over to us.
"What proceeding? Are you insane?" Katherine demanded as she attempted to block my way.
"M'am," I began when Katherine snorted.
"I am not a M'am," Katherine snapped at me. "Anymore than you're in the military. Now, cut this out. Right now!"
"You are interfering with a criminal proceeding," I informed Katherine who continued to stand in the doorframe. "Guards. Arrest her," I called and Enzo came forward with Thierry. They placed handcuffs on a protesting Katherine.
Jeremy looked at Kol's weapon. "Can I join?" he inquired.
"Sure," Diego said. "Let me go get you a weapon real quick."
Elena was yelling at Damon, "What are you doing?"
"I didn't start this," Damon replied, refusing to look back at her as he held his weapon across his chest.
"Hey, you can't do that," Hayley shouted as Katherine was being led out.
"You can either stand down or you will be held for attempting to interrupt a trial," I yelled at Hayley who glared at me.
"Go right ahead," Hayley snapped and I waved for her to be arrested too. When she was in handcuffs she was dragged off with Katherine.
"Nik," Caroline called after me while Stefan came to march behind me. "You have to stop this," she cried, trying to take ahold of my hand.
"Stefan," I shouted and Stefan came to stand before me. "Take Caroline to sit with the viewers of the trail."
"Why do you keep saying trial?" Caroline shouted to me as she was forced to sit beside Elena while Stefan stood over them, making sure that they stayed put.
Coming to stand in a box that was outlined with chalk and had several pillows thrown down, I took my seat. Looking down at my brother, who was also sitting in a smaller box about six feet away facing me, I began to yell, "Elijah Mikaelson, you are being held on multiple counts. How do you plead?"
Elijah looked back at me with an expression that told me that he had no idea what I was talking about. "How can I plead? I have no idea what I'm being charged with."
Scoffing, I held out a hand. "Damon, please, read the defendant the charges so he may make his plea."
Damon stepped forward with a pad of paper. Clearing his throat, he began to speak, "You, sir, are charged with tampering with the Mystic Falls Dare Club. You are also being charged with willfully disbanding your family, the seduction of underage girls, repeatedly promising the return of said siblings to their home which has been proven to be false, and causing grievous injury to your family and friends both physically and emotionally."
Gaping, Elijah looked at me as I stared back at him with my face set, lacking emotion. "How do you plead, sir?" I inquired.
"Not guilty. Obviously," Elijah replied.
"Prosecution, what say you?" I inquired.
"We, the prosecution," Damon began. "Would like to try the defendant under the highest form of punishment," he began when Elijah interrupted him.
"Which would be?" Elijah snapped.
"You will be stripped of your membership from the Mystic Falls Dare Club," I intoned. "Then you face death by firing squad."
"What?" Elijah looked pale as I waved a dismissive hand.
"May we proceed," I questioned the group as Katherine, Hayley and Elijah began to yell at the same time and Caroline began to cry while she screamed at me.
"Yes, colonel," Enzo called, saluting me. "I would like to call my first witness on behalf of the Defense. Myself." He grinned as he walked over to the witness box to my right and looked out at the crowd. "May I begin?" he asked me and I nodded, giving him a sour look. "I've known Elijah for a bit of time. He seems okay to me."
"Is that it?" I inquired.
"Yes," Enzo replied as Elijah slapped his hand to his forehead. "But I have other witnesses. Let me consult my notes."
I sighed as Enzo flipped through his papers while whistling. "The defense calls one, Hayley Marshall, to the stand," he called and Hayley got to her feet and walked over to sit down by my right.
"Miss Marshall, how long have you been acquainted with the defendant?" Enzo questioned Hayley.
"Five years," Hayley told Enzo.
"And in your time with Elijah would you say that he ever voiced any desire to see his family split apart," Enzo asked.
"No," Hayley replied, shaking her head.
"And he never showed any desire to see the Dare Club disbanded?" Enzo continued as he read from his notes.
Hayley shook her head. "No, Elijah knows how much Klaus loves that club," she told Enzo who nodded.
"And on the charge of seduction…" Enzo trailed off.
"He did not seduce me. It's what I wanted," she said quietly.
"She's all yours," Enzo called to Damon.
Damon came to stand before Hayley, "Hello, Hayley. How are you today?"
"Okay," Hayley replied slowly, staring at Damon uncertainly.
"Good. Can you tell me if Elijah, to your knowledge, ever expressed an interest in you before the night that you and he… you know?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows and then smiled at Elijah who glowered at him.
"No. He did not," Hayley replied.
"Really?" Damon pulled out a piece of paper. "My dearest Hayley. By the way this is dated two years ago. 'I have been having dreams of you. I cannot seem to free you from my mind. You consume my waking thoughts and I think of what I would do if only you were with me now.' Now, does that sound like the thoughts of a guy who is not interested, Miss Marshall? Is there anything else you want to add?" Damon inquired and Hayley stared at him.
"I never read that letter," Hayley protested.
"That's because it was never sent," Damon retorted.
"Wait a bloody minute. He's trying to upset the witness," Enzo yelled. "What's the damn term?"
"Objection," Marcel who was part of the prosecution team called and Enzo grinned.
"Yeah, that," Enzo shouted.
"Too bad," I replied. "Damon, please, excuse the witness and move on," I told Damon who nodded.
"The defense calls Katherine Gilbert," Damon shouted and Katherine exchanged places with Hayley. "Kat, you had a lot of sex with Elijah?"
"Yes," Katherine replied as Elijah groaned.
"And what kind of things did you two do?" Damon inquired.
"Objection," Katherine cried.
"Sustained. Find a new line of questioning," I ordered Damon who shrugged.
"Alright. When you had sex with Elijah the first time was it his idea or yours?" Damon inquired.
"His," Katherine replied.
"Okay, and the last time?" Damon replied.
"Mine. But it was because I thought that it would keep us together. We kept arguing and he would say that we were done and then I would come over and he'd change his tune," Katherine told Damon and then she looked at Elijah who was staring at his hands.
"And would you say that you and Elijah were together a lot after your breakup?" Damon asked.
"Yeah, I think," Katherine replied.
"And when was the last time that you were with Elijah before he was with Hayley?" Damon continued.
"A month," Katherine said.
"And why did you come to see him that day?" Damon asked Katherine who looked confused.
"He had a fight with his father," Katherine said. "And he called me. I came over and we were talking and then we started making out."
"And this was a month before he was with Hayley?" Damon asked and Katherine looked like she was about to start yelling.
"Yes, I already said yes. What is wrong with you?" Katherine hissed.
"Nothing," Damon replied. "Next witness, please."
"But I didn't get to cross examine her," Enzo complained.
"Go right ahead," Damon said, walking away.
"Katherine," Enzo called. "How many other boys have you dated since you broke up with Elijah?"
"Ten," Katherine replied, jutting her chin out.
"And how many were you with?" Enzo asked. "As in did you have sex with?"
"Ten," Katherine replied, shrugging when people began to whisper. "Whatever."
"And how old were you when you first had sex?" Enzo inquired.
Katherine bit her lower lip before replying. "Fourteen," she told him.
"And how old were you when you had sex with Elijah for the first time?" Enzo asked watching Katherine closely.
"Fifteen," Katherine sighed and Elijah groaned.
"I'm done with the witness," Enzo called.
Katherine got up and glared at Enzo as Damon called Finn to the stand. "Finn, I want you tell me what you saw the night that Katherine reports to be her last with Elijah," Damon instructed Finn who looked unhappy.
"I saw Kat leaving Elijah's room. Her hair was a mess and she was adjusting her skirt. Father was at the other end of the hall. That must be why she didn't see him when she was leaving," Finn told everyone.
"And then what happened?" Damon inquired.
"Father went downstairs and began to talk to Mother. They began to fight and Father said that if Elijah did not stop he would destroy the future of our family over a 'little tart,'" Finn said slowly and Katherine huffed.
"Thank you, Finn," Damon replied. "The prosecution rests."
Enzo got up and walked over to Finn. "Mr. Mikaelson, to the best of your knowledge, did your brother have any way of knowing that your father was planning to send all of you away for his behavior with his lady friends?"
"No," Finn replied.
Damon looked to his left where Marcel was smacking him with his legal pad. They began to speak and then Damon rose to his feet. "Objection. The defense is obviously leading the witness," he shouted.
Enzo smirked at Damon. "I'm done. The defense rests."
"It's time for me to deliberate," I announced. Getting up, I started to walk away when Elijah began to shout at me.
"You? Is there not a jury?" Elijah protested as I shook my head.
"No," I told him and then I walked away to think.
"Nik," Caroline called as she came to sit with me. "You can't do this. He's your brother,"
I tuned her out while Caroline began to weep. "Arrest her," I ordered Stefan who had come to stand by my side. He placed handcuffs on Caroline and my heart squeezed painfully as she called after me.
Coming to stand before my former hero, I looked down at Elijah. "It does not give me great pleasure to see you so, brother," I informed Elijah who did not respond as he stared at me, his expression blank. "By the court of the Mystic Falls Dare Club, I find you guilty of all charges. You will now await sentencing. You, Elijah Mikaelson, have been convicted of all charges. You shall now face both being stripped of your membership and execution."
I waved for Damon and Marcel to pull Elijah to his feet as an outcry could be heard. Leading Elijah to stand before a tree, I spoke again. "Do you have any last words, brother?" I inquired loudly.
"Yes, I am not guilty. And I have done everything in my power to bring you home, Niklaus," Elijah yelled at me as I stared back at him.
Walking backwards, I came to stand beside the execution squad. "Ready," I shouted to the troops who held their weapons pointed at the sky. "Aim," they set their weapons to train on Elijah who closed his eyes. "Fire," I shouted and paint balls poured onto my brother's clothing, coloring him in every shade of the rainbow. "Elijah Mikaelson, from this day forward you are dead to the Mystic Falls Dare Club. Do not seek re-entry." With that said I turned my back and re-entered the main building of my school. I told everyone that I needed time to think as I sat down on my new bed with a charred photo of Elijah holding my newborn self and I began to cry until I felt nothing at all.
Thoughts, questions, requests for the sequel that do not include killing off any characters that I did not already mention dying?
Thank you for reading, reviewing, faving and following.
Ferrylis: I know. I sometimes wish that I could include Klaroline in every chapter but the story doesn't like that and I have to follow what the story wants otherwise it will give me headaches like when Bonnie gets pissed at one of the vampies. I'm glad that you like jealous Klaus because there's going to be a lot of that in the sequel.
Cchavi: I really need to write a chart. Seriously, I can't keep on top of how old they are. Let's say that Klaus and Damon are ten/eleven. Caroline and her friends are eight/nine. Elijah and his ex/girlfriends are about fifteen. Finn and friends are fourteen. Sage is thirteen. Kol is seven/eight. Bekah and Jer are six/seven. Henerick I can't remember. I think he's like one or two.
Tippy093: You will see Klaus' final decision about his life in the next chapter in a flashforward sequence which I am truly excited to post next Saturday. Damon and Klaus is the epic bromance of this story.
ObsessWithElijah: Then you will like the sequel.
Okay, I made a stupid mistake in saying that the present year is 2014. It's supposed to 2019 and the story begins in 1996.
CB4389: I hope that I don't crush your dreams but we'll have to wait until next Saturday to see if I'm right. I haven't made up my mind about how exactly Enzo dies or why he dies. All I know is that something happens when they're teenagers so it will be sometime during the third story. But since there are ghosts in the story just because he is dead does not mean that Enzo will not be part of the story.
Peace,
Jessica