Bloodlines
Chapter 14: Fruit of the Poisoned Tree
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.
Giuliana fiddled with her iPod, blaring music through her ear buds as she danced around the Mikaelson mansion. She had taken quite a liking to today's music and she enjoyed listening to any new songs that she could get her hands on. She'd always liked music, but this kind was liberating and loud and fun all at the same time. She hummed along, shuffling about with a wide smile on her face but she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks seeing the limp body of a young girl lying splayed out on the coffee table.
"What the..." She yanked the buds out of her ears and her emerald gaze darted between Klaus and Elijah, both who were much too enthralled in their books to notice. Classical music was playing softly in the background and she cleared her throat to get their attention. Elijah's eyes met hers, while Klaus just gave her a quick glance before going back to his book.
"Why is there a dead girl in the middle of the living room?" She asked. Elijah was ready to answer, but Rebekah traipsed into the room.
"I asked them the same question before. Good luck getting an answer out of them." She grumbled. "So, this is what you do the first time we're back together as a family? Vampire book club?" She placed her hands firmly on her hips, waiting for one of her brothers to answer her.
Once again, Klaus didn't look up from his reading, but he did reply to her. "Reading edifies the mind, sister. Isn't that right, Elijah?"
"Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus." Elijah responded calmly, his eyes passing from one page to the next.
"And what about..." The brunette peered over at the girl while pocketing her iPod.
Elijah tilted his head to the side, contemplating something before speaking again. "This is a peace offering."
"I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish." Klaus replied.
"And I explained to my little brother, that forgiveness cannot be bought. I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition, and personal growth," Elijah countered and gestured to the girl. "Not this nonsense."
Klaus grinned as his eyes peered over at the bleeding wound from the side of the girl's neck. "Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?"
"Well, I suppose I'll go fetch the rubbish bin, because she's staining a two hundred-year-old carpet." Rebekah huffed as she stomped out of the room. Giuliana's stomach turned as she watched the girl bleeding out onto the table and then the puddle dribbled onto the floor.
Elijah happened to look up from his book at that and saw that Klaus' latest victim was indeed ruining that priceless rug. "Ah, yes."
"On that note, I'll be making breakfast." The brunette then followed Rebekah's path, ignoring both Klaus' and Elijah's subtle glances. The two brothers sat in silence, each engrossed in their own books when Elijah cleared his throat and spoke.
"And how has the outside world been since I have been daggered? Things are running smoothly, I trust?" He asked.
"Everything is falling into place, brother." Klaus merely disregarded him with the wave of his hand. "That reminds me, have you heard any sort of chit-chat between Marcel and his little witch?"
"I heard chit-chat, but it is not the kind that you are thinking of." He spoke.
"Is that so? Well, spill it."
"Cassandra is pregnant, Niklaus."
The Original hybrid's eyes snapped up from his book and he stared at his brother. "What did you just say to me?"
"I did not stutter, brother. She is pregnant and expecting a little girl." He added and Klaus' blue eyes grew even bigger.
"It's not possible," he said, shaking his head slowly.
"I spoke with her just shortly after I was undaggered. I have known since I have arrived, but I was placed in a box so quickly that I was not given the chance to tell anyone." Elijah then heard feminine laughter coming from the kitchen and he rose from his seat. He placed the grimoire beside him and walked out of the room. "I suggest that you speak with her, Niklaus, and offer your congratulations." Klaus wanted to retort with some smart remark, but he was rendered completely speechless. It couldn't be possible that Cassandra was now pregnant. Elijah must have been lying to him. He had to be. Klaus took his phone from his pocket and scrolled down to Cassandra's name. His finger hovered over the 'call' button for a few seconds before pocketing the phone again. He didn't really have time to confront a baby rumor; he had more pressing things to take care of.
"There's no milk? Really?" Giuliana closed the fridge after grabbing some eggs and a packet of shredded cheddar cheese. She cracked them into a hot skillet on the stove and let them cook. Hayley sat by the island, a hand on her belly which growled with hunger. The girls were in silence for some time with only the sounds of breakfast being cooked to break it up.
"So," Hayley kicked her feet back and forth underneath the table.
"Hmm?" The brunette looked at the wolf over her shoulder.
"Sabine said that my baby might be a girl." She added and Giuliana rocked excitedly on the balls of her feet.
"Really? That's so great! Congratulations!" She smiled warmly while tending to the cooked eggs in the pan. "Oh, how much cheese do you want?"
"A lot. I've been craving a cheesy omelet for days and it doesn't help that we're the only ones in this house that eat." Hayley replied. Giuliana opened up the packet and sprinkled cheese into the mixture, letting it melt inside before folding over the rest of the eggs and letting that cook. Once the omelet was done, she placed it neatly on a plate and handed it to Hayley who was practically drooling.
"Yum! This is so great! Thanks!" She said with a mouth stuffed full of eggs and cheese.
"Slow down, will you? Wouldn't want to choke." Giuliana joked and Hayley glared playfully before dipping her fingers in a glass of water and flicking it at her. "Hey!" She grabbed a nearby dishtowel, waving it around and the snapping Hayley on the thigh.
"Don't make fun of a hungry pregnant lady." Hayley chuckled, readying herself to flick more water at her friend.
"Bring it." She challenged and snapped the wolf again. Hayley jumped up from her chair, glass of water in hand and began flicking her. The girls shrieked from each other's attacks, but it was merely out of friendship. It amazed the both of them how close they had become from when they had first met back in Mystic Falls. Oh, how they hated one another. But all of that was put aside with the news of Hayley's pregnancy and Giuliana was surprisingly one of the first people to really help her. They were far from enemies now; they were friends.
"What's all this?" Elijah waltzed into the kitchen and the girls immediately stopped their assaults.
"We, uhm..." Giuliana trailed off, using the dishcloth to wipe the water off of her face. "We're just playing, Elijah." Hayley sat back down and proceeded to finish her breakfast and while Elijah stood beside her.
"Well, I'm glad to see that you two are getting along." He smiled and Giuliana's eyes found the floor awkwardly as she busied herself around the kitchen.
"By the way, there's no milk in the house, so can you put it on the grocery list?" She put the carton of eggs and cheese back in the fridge and fished for a bowl and a box of cereal from one of the cabinets.
Just then, Rebekah marched through the kitchen with a pair of yellow rubber gloves and a scrubbing brush. "Speaking of, add bleach."
Elijah chuckled watching his sister leave the kitchen. She was hardly the domestic type, so to see her scrubbing blood stains from a carpet would be pretty comical. He then moved to the fridge and opened it up, his oak brown eyes looking for something in particular. When he found it, he grasped the container of milk and placed it on the island. "You know, I do hope my siblings were hospitable to you, in my absence." He said to Hayley.
"You already know my side of the story." Giuliana chimed in as she poured cereal into the bowl and her eyes spied the milk on the counter. "Oh...milk. Right." She reached for it, but Elijah beat her to it and took the bowl from her hands. He poured milk inside the bowl and handed it back to her. "Thanks."
"In your absence, as you like to call it, which is a way-too-polite way of saying that your brother put a dagger in your heart." Hayley interrupted the two who were taking lingering stares at one another. "I have been attacked by French Quarter vampires, I've had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins, and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer." She then got up to grab a container of ice cream from the freezer and a spoon.
"Uh, we, thank you. I mean, except for the baby Lucifer part." Giuliana scooped up some cereal on her spoon and ate it.
"They've been fine. Your siblings are weirdly protective, I know I have you to thank for that." The wolf said while eating her ice cream.
Elijah stood in between the two ladies. "I'm just happy to see that you're both in one piece. So, back to the murderous witches. I have some concerns."
"They're evil." Hayley growled and put the container of ice cream back in the freezer. All she wanted was a little taste anyway. "And, my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting."
"Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem." Elijah nodded.
"I am all for it. As soon as they're unlinked, we get to leave this crap town." Rebekah mentioned as she came back through the kitchen. Attached to her hand was the body of the dead girl whom she was dragging across the kitchen floor. "Who do we have to kill?"
Elijah took a moment to think about that. "Probably no one." Both Hayley and Giuliana sent him a questioning glance as if to make him rethink his answer. "Alright, potentially everyone." He stood up to leave and Hayley moved back into the living room. Giuliana started to clean up the kitchen and just as she grasped the milk to put it on the top shelf, her shoulder gave a sharp twinge of pain. She winced and hissed through her teeth, dropping the milk and it splattered all over the floor. Elijah was beside her in seconds, a gentle hand placed on her back.
"What happened? Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.
"I'm fine." She tried to shake him off, but he wasn't buying it. His hand grasped the back of her shirt which was open down the center and pulled the fabric aside. Her right shoulder blade was covered in a thick bandage, but he could see blood staining the gauze.
"When did this happen?" He grew angrier when she didn't answer and spun her around to face him. "I asked you a question, Giuliana."
"The other night." She replied lowly. "It's only a flesh wound, Elijah. It'll heal."
"A deep wound like that will continue to get worse if you don't take care of it." He growled and pulled the sleeve back, so the skin on his wrist was exposed. "Either you drink now, or I will force it down your throat."
"I won't!" She shoved him aside, making more pain shoot up her shoulder and she ran from him. She didn't make it far, however since Elijah was quick to grab her and flash her up to her room where they wouldn't be disturbed. He sat her down on the edge of the bed and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Don't run." His compulsion relaxed her body and she sat there obediently, but she was still glaring at him. She didn't like not being in control of herself.
"Elijah..." She grumbled.
"I don't want to compel you to drink, but if I have to I will." He bit into his wrist and held it out to her. Grimacing, she turned her head away from it and shivered at the thought of taking blood from him. "Giuliana!" He snapped and she knew that defying him would make him angrier. With her head still turned away, she gripped his wrist and hesitantly brought it to her lips. The coppery taste hit her tongue and she recoiled from it, but she could feel Elijah pressing the wound harder against her mouth. She forced herself to drink from him and took a few sips. As she drank, she could immediately feel his blood working at her shoulder wound. At first the skin tingled warmly and then the skin had begun to heal underneath the bandage. She also didn't feel the dull ache in her ankle from when she had sprained it when they first arrived in New Orleans. Elijah reached around her back and yanked the bandage off, seeing that the skin was completely closed and Giuliana pushed his wrist away, having had enough of his blood. She gagged at the taste and wiped the dribbles away, peering up at him through her dark lashes.
"You can move now." He removed his compulsion from her and she stood up from her spot on the bed. She reared her hand back and slapped him hard.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" She reprimanded and readied herself to hit him again, but Elijah was quicker and caught her wrist.
"You still are so stubborn after all of these years. Why is it so hard for you to admit that sometime you just need a little bit of help?" Elijah wondered and held her wrist tightly.
"Because asking for help makes you weak. I don't look for anyone to help me. I help myself." She tried to pull her hand back but Elijah's hold was much too strong.
"It must feel awfully lonely then. I feel sorry for you." His eyes were softer now, almost pitying her.
"I don't need your sympathy or anyone else's." Giuliana scowled and she felt Elijah's hand around her wrist loosen. It was unexpected, so much so that she just let her arm fall to her side. It was the arm that had aggravated her shoulder so much when she was downstairs and it was amazing to not feel pain there anymore. She reached around her back to prod at the skin and her eyes met Elijah's feeling the smooth skin. "I...uh, thank you."
A small chuckle passed his lips. "You're welcome." He took her right hand in both of his and looked deeply into her eyes. "I am sorry that spending time with my brother was less than enjoyable. I see that you've become rougher by just being with him and for that I am sorry. I know that you want to protect yourself, but do not ever think of yourself as weak." She hadn't realized how close they were until now and she couldn't deny the heat that was burning in her cheeks as his eyes were intensely taking her in. "I would never have taken you to New Orleans if I didn't think you were strong enough." He tucked a loose wave of hair behind her ear and Giuliana drew back slightly.
"I...I have to go...get some fresh air." She quickly left him standing there alone as she darted out of her room, down the stairs and out the front door. She breathed in the fresh air, but it did almost nothing. If she spent another second with Elijah, she thought that she might have suffocated and that lingering stare of his would have made her heart explode. Elijah always had a way of doing that to her and she constantly found herself running away from it. She felt like she was being watched and she whipped around to look up at the mansion, but no one was there. All of the windows were either closed with curtains or empty. Sighing and shaking her head free of paranoia, she stepped up to one of the cars and climbed in. She decided that maybe a drive down to the Quarter and a drink would help to clear her mind.
She found herself at Rousseau's, her normal hang out spot, and she grabbed a drink at the bar before heading to the kitchen in the back. Sophie was always there making her famous gumbo, but when she pulled the curtain aside, Sophie wasn't there. Instead, she found the normally neat kitchen in a complete shambles. Broken glass jars and bottles of spices crowded the floor, pots and knives were askew on the wall and produce was smashed to bits.
"Oh my God..." She murmured and looked around for any sign of Sophie, but found none. Clearly some kind of a struggle had gone on, but who would have taken Sophie? Giuliana stood still as she heard the sound of distant whispers on the air and her green eyes darted around nervously. A pot from the floor was suddenly launched at her, but she managed to duck it as he flew past her and into the wall. Soon, more objects had begun to fly past her with only the use of magic to carry them. Vegetables, knives, utensils, she did a pretty good job of dodging them and she decided to slip out the backdoor which was slightly ajar. Once in the side alley, she slammed the door shut behind her and was met with the sounds of the objects hitting it and then thudding onto the ground. She could even feel the sharp points of the knives embedding themselves into the wood along with vegetables smashing against the window. It happened for a few more seconds before finally going silent. The girl let out a long sigh and tucked a wave of hair behind her ear. Giuliana pushed herself off the door and wandered further into the alley to look for more clues as to what happened in the back room and where Sophie could have gone. It looked as if maybe vampires had done the damage, but the objects were definitely cursed by witches. She then heard a noise whiz past her again and she whipped around to see nothing. Her heartbeat was thudding in her ears and her anxiety was slowly rising.
"Marcel?" She called into the alley, hoping that it was just the king of the Quarter playing a practical joke on her but she was met with more silence. Another noise and she jumped out of her skin.
"Soph? Come on, this isn't funny!" She hissed, but again no one stepped forward to claim the sounds. In seconds, she felt two strong hands grab her from behind and she was pulled into a hard body. Her mouth opened to scream, but a white cloth was held over her mouth and nose. Fumes were immediately inhaled and her vision became blurred and her head was swirled with jumbled thoughts that she couldn't piece together. She fell slack against her captor and spots blocked out her visions before everything turned to black.
Hayley groaned quietly as she lay in bed while Rebekah gently patted her sweaty forehead with a damp towel. She had suddenly developed a high fever and both women thought that it was just a side effect of morning sickness. Hayley, however, knew that something was wrong. Even if it was part of being pregnant, a fever that high was never good.
"Stop fussing, will you? Elijah will be here any minute." Rebekah said.
"I feel like I've been microwaved." Hayley complained as she felt her skin begin to burn up.
"Hey! Just because you're carrying a baby, doesn't mean you get to act like one! I'm sure my little niece is healing you up as we speak." The Original boasted as she blotted Hayley's forehead with the washcloth. Elijah then rushed into the room with Sophie in tow and Rebekah stood protectively in front of Hayley.
"What the hell is she doing here?"
Sophie sighed wearily, already having been through enough today. "I'm trying to help." Agnes had kidnapped her and injected her with a compound that would kill a child in utero by raising the temperature of the mother. Since she and Hayley were linked, the young wolf was feeling the effects of the drug while Sophie was fine.
"Help? You're the reason we're in this bloody mess!" Rebekah hissed. "Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?"
"Rebekah, let her do what she can." Her brother soothed.
"I may know a way to slow the fever down. But, I'm gonna need some special herbs." Sophie then looked to Rebekah. "I'll text you a list." Elijah sent Rebekah an encouraging smile to which she shoved the towel against his chest.
"Fine; happy to play the fetch girl." She grumbled.
"Take Giuliana with you." Elijah added and sat beside Hayley, picking up where his sister left off.
"She's not back yet," Rebekah replied and fished her phone from her pocket. She dialed the number and frowned hearing the call go straight to voicemail. "She's not answering."
Elijah's brown eyes met the ice blue of his sister's and his eyebrows furrowed.
"Giuliana's been out since this morning. She should have been back by now."
"I'm sure she's fine, brother." The blonde said. "She can take care of herself just fine."
"I'm going to look for her." He rose from the bed and handed the washcloth to Sophie. "You stay with Hayley and make sure Rebekah gets that list with the herbs." Sophie parted her lips to speak, but both Originals had already vanished from the mansion.
Agnes yanked the burlap sack from over Giuliana's head and the brunette wriggled around in her bonds. After being knocked out for an hour or so, she woke up to find herself tied to a chair with a gag around her mouth. She didn't recognize her surroundings at all, but it looked homey, so she had to be in Agnes' house. Curtains were pulled over the shanty windows and the entire house was shrouded in darkness. The witch nodded to another warlock to tighten the ropes around her wrists and Giuliana tried to speak, but all that escaped were muffled syllables.
"Sorry. Didn't catch that." Agnes smirked before reaching forward and removing the gag. "Have a nice nap?"
"What the hell am I doing here?!" She hissed.
"You're gonna help me with a little something." The witch said.
"Yeah? And what is that?"
"You're going to help me kill that demon child that's growing inside your friend." Agnes spoke.
"Yeah, right." Giuliana spat and wriggled in her chair.
"Believe it or not, it's already begun." The witch then took an old looking syringe from the counter and Giuliana recoiled away from it. "You see this? It's called the Needle of Sorrows and this can kill a child in utero."
Giuliana's eyes widened, knowing exactly what the needle was used for. "You wouldn't!"
"I already did. Sophie and your wolf friend are linked, aren't they? Well, with that link, I was able to inject Sophie and now Hayley should be feeling the effects of it."
"And what is my purpose?" The brunette asked impatiently.
Agnes smirked evilly and squirted some excess liquid from the syringe into a clear glass. "I'm glad you asked." She then took a penknife from her pocket and slashed a spot on Giuliana's arm. She groaned and squirmed around, but would give Agnes the satisfaction of showing her that she was in pain. The witch placed the rim of the glass just underneath the wound, allowing some blood to dribble into the glass and mix with the fluid. Once the blood touched the liquid from the syringe, the mixture sizzled loudly and the clear slowly disintegrated until none was left. Only red blood remained and the smell of the fumes from the chemical reaction from the mixture filled the air.
"That was a nice little science experiment there, but I'm not following." Giuliana craned her head to eye the bleeding wound on her arm.
Agnes placed the glass and syringe on the table after her demonstration and leaned in close to Giuliana. "Your blood can help save that child from the poison that we've injected Hayley with, so we can let you go back to Klaus now, can we?"
"So, what will you do? Keep me here until that poison kills the baby? Elijah and the others will come after me." She fought.
Agnes chuckled deeply and shook her head. "Klaus is more concerned with taking his empire back from Marcel and Elijah is blinded by this sudden hope that his brother will change when that child is born. Trust me; you are the last thing on their minds. All they care about is that wolf girl that is carrying that baby."
"That's not true!"
"It isn't?" The witch countered. "You've been missing for hours and I don't see them here." Giuliana fell silent against the chair as what Agnes had said sink in. No one had come for her or even called. She was alone with a group of witches who were holding her hostage.
"But, Elijah..." She trailed off.
"Won't be coming for you." She cut her off harshly and nodded to one of her warlock's. He then stepped forward and tied a gag around Giuliana's face to keep her quiet.
"So, you're telling me that she's just vanished into thin air?" Klaus asked incredulously into his phone. He had been questioning Father Kieran at St. Anne's church concerning his nephew when Elijah had called to tell him that Giuliana was missing.
Elijah gave an exaggerated sigh as he crossed the busy street."I have searched everywhere for her, brother. No one has seen or heard from her. Sophie believes that it was Agnes who took her."
"Fine. Where is that treacherous witch? I'll kill her with my bare hands." He growled lowly.
"We do not know if it was Agnes for sure, so let's not jump to any hasty conclusions." His brother replied calmly.
"We don't have time to ask questions, Elijah. Time is our enemy with the mother of my child being ill." Klaus said.
"Rebekah and Sophie are home with Hayley and taking care of her." He opened the front door to Rousseau's and headed straight to the back room. "I am looking for either Giuliana or Agnes now. Hopefully if we find one, we'll be led to the other."
"Well, tick-tock, brother. Time is wasting." Klaus angrily hung up the phone and Elijah surveyed the back room. To say that it was a mess would have been a complete and total understatement. He stepped over bent utensils and crushed produce, careful not to ruin his good shoes, as he made his way through the room. A sudden foreboding presence was upon him and he soon realized that he was not alone. He whipped around to see Marcel standing there with his hands raised to let the Original know that he meant no harm.
"It's just me, Elijah." He said and the Original put his fists down. "What the hell happened here?"
"I was going to ask you the same question," Elijah said.
Marcel looked around the room in shock. "I didn't do this if that's what you're asking."
"And what about your nightwalkers? Did they do this?" The Original asked.
"No. Why would I have them wreck this place?" He countered. "I actually came down here to see if Giuliana was here. She didn't answer any of my calls."
"Giuliana is missing."
Marcel's eyes grew sullen. "She's what?"
"I can't find her anywhere. I was hoping that someone knew where she was." He replied.
"When was the last time you spoke to her?"
"This morning." Elijah's gaze then travelled to the door that was embedded with sharp knives. He cautiously turned the knob and pushed the door open to the alley behind Rousseau's. "I have a feeling that the witches had something to do with this."
"The witches?" Marcel followed him outside and the pair scanned the area for anything out of sorts. A strong smell then wafted into his nostrils and he found a white cloth hanging out of the dumpster. He plucked it up and held it to his nose. "Woah. Found something." Elijah met the younger vampire and sniffed the cloth, his nose wrinkling from the smell.
"She was drugged." He could smell both the chloroform and Giuliana's scent on the cloth.
"May I?" Marcel gestured for the cloth and Elijah handed it to him. He then fished out his phone and started to make some phone calls.
Hours had passed and Giuliana grew more and more anxious that Hayley's child was dead because her blood seemed to be the only antidote to the toxin. Her wrists and ankles were raw from the ropes that were tied tightly around them and she fought tirelessly with the gag in her mouth. The cut on her arms still bled, but not as much as it was before. Agnes made herself scarce around the house and in the few times that Giuliana had dozed off, she wondered if Agnes had actually left the house. Her question was answered when there was a harsh knock at the front door.
"Agnes!" A deep voice bellowed and the witch came out from the kitchen. "Agnes, open up!"
"Who's there?" She called back.
"Police! Open up now!" Giuliana squealed happily. They had come for her! It was only a matter of seconds before she would be out of this mess.
"Just a moment." Agnes spoke and took a hold of the back of Giuliana's chair. She started to drag her backwards until she was inside of a closet. She fought harder and made noises, hoping that the cops would hear her. Agnes tossed clothes on top of her and leaned in close. She muttered a chant and Giuliana's protests were suddenly muted. "Keep quiet." She slammed the door closed and the brunette was left in the dark as Agnes went to answer the door. She tried to scream, but it was as if someone had ripped out her vocal chords since no sound came out. The closet was dark and smelled like mothballs, easily the worst place to be in a time like this. She could hear muffled voices at the front door which was then followed by shouts and the clamor of heavy footsteps.
"She's not here!" Agnes shouted.
"Ma'am, I need you to step aside." An officer commanded.
"Marcel, what is going on here?! You have no proof!" The witch hissed and Giuliana's heart lifted. Okay, so maybe it wasn't Elijah or Klaus, but Marcel had come to help her.
"Step aside, Agnes." Marcel's voice was low and he was going to speak again, but Agnes had started shouting. Pretty soon, things sounded like they were getting out of hand outside the closet and Giuliana had to strain to hear it all. In straining forward so much, the back legs of the chair had lifted off of the floor and she hit her head against the door of the closet.
"What was that?" An officer asked and Giuliana pushed harder until she hit her head again. Footsteps drew closer and the door was thrown open, revealing three cops and Marcel. The brunette had to shield her eyes from the brightness of the room, but she was never so happy to see help before in her life. The officers worked to untie her arms and legs while Marcel took the gag off. Once she was untied, Giuliana leapt into Marcel's arms, hugging him tightly.
"You're alright." He told her softly with a hand combing through her hair. She pulled away and parted her lips to tell him how happy she was to see him, but she then frowned realizing that her voice was gone. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly and she placed her hand on her throat, shaking her head. She looked to Agnes who was being cuffed and started jumping and pointing at the witch.
"She did it!" She tried to say. "She put a spell on me!" But all she received from the cops were raised eyebrows.
Marcel glared at the witch. "Agnes." The witch murmured something under her breath and Giuliana finally found her voice again.
"You! You sick son of a-"
"Woah!" Marcel caught her around the waist and pulled her away from Agnes. "Easy, let's just get you home, okay?"
By the time Giuliana had arrived home, Hayley had been unlinked from Sophie with Davina's help and the baby had been saved. In a surprising turn of events, Elijah and Klaus had Agnes brought to St. Anne's church in handcuffs to deal with her alone and no one had heard from the brothers. Giuliana sat curled up on the couch alone reading when she heard the doorbell ring. She moved to get it, but stopped hearing Hayley open the door.
"Hi there; I'm Marcel. I don't think we've met." The king of the Quarter greeted a fearful Hayley.
"There's a reason for that." She snapped back and Giuliana quickly rushed to the front door.
"Ouch. No need to be hostile. I'm just here to see-"
"Marcel?" Giuliana peeked her head from behind Hayley. "What are you doing here?"
"I just came by to see how you're doing." He replied.
"I'm fine. Thanks." She smiled and Hayley excused herself with a quiet grumble.
Marcel nodded his head toward the young wolf. "Not very friendly, is she?"
"Well, we've all had a long night." Giuliana tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "But thanks for checking up on me. I appreciate it."
"No problem." He smiled charmingly and looked up at the house with a feeling of nostalgia. "You know, I remember living here back when I was a young man. My master owned plantations on this land and I remember every detail of it like it was yesterday."
"You were a slave?" She inquired and Marcel nodded. "Tell me about it." He looked a little wounded by her desire to know about his past life, so she decided to phrase it differently. "I've read books about it since I've missed a lot of time. I guess, I just wanted a first person perspective. Sorry." She turned to walk back inside the house, but his hand caught hers.
"Wait," she looked back at him hopefully and her heavenly silhouette from the dim porch light made him swallow thickly before speaking again. "Talk about it over a drink?"
A soft smile graced her lips and she stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "I'd like that a lot."
Hey! So remember when I said that I had two weeks and that I would just write and update a lot? Yeah, well, that plan got derailed when I got sick for the entire two weeks :( I hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! Please review this chapter for it will help me feel better :)
sexytime321: Thank you for reviewing! You are right about the angst. It is just getting started and it will continue to rise as the chapters continue. Cassandra is not out of the clear with the pregnancy at all and she will find herself getting into more danger in future chapters.
VampirePrincess11: Thanks for reviewing! Yes, I can't wait for the Salvatore baby too!
Shining Ruby: Thank you for your review! I agree, Damon and Cassandra do have amazing chemistry :) I like Tessa's attitude and her sass even though she is completely out of her mind. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!
Karly: Thanks for reviewing! I was thinking about having Damon freak out about Cassandra leaving, but I decided against it. He is more concerned that she and the baby are safe which is very adorable :)
SomebodyWhoCares: I agree with you. There are no words for Damon ;) I am taking suggestions for the baby's name if you would like to give them :) Thanks for reviewing!
Guestie: Thank you for reviewing! Very happy to hear that it was one of your favorites! Damon and Cassandra's love is unlike any other :)
cenation123: Hello there and thank you so much for reviewing! I try to do the best as I can whenever I write because I take great pride in it. I plan to write for as long as I can even though sometimes it gets hard with school and life. I was hoping that you could review more often too, I love hearing from my readers :) Even if you sign in as guest and review, that works too. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to hear from you again soon :)
lovinurbuks: Thanks for reviewing! I am so happy that you're enjoying both TVD and TO :)
grapejuice101: Thank you for your review! The baby is okay...for now ;)
xoxobianca13: Thanks for reviewing, girl! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter! HAHA! Damon has the best lines in the show. He is so sassy and so sexy ;) I do try to keep the funny lines in especially with Damon. I also try to make my OCs interesting and I am glad that you're enjoying all of my twists and turns :)
Guest: Thank you for reviewing! The tension between Damon and Cassandra will only rise with the future chapters ;)
rosa: Thank you for reviewing! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter :)
Guest: Thanks so much for reviewing! Well, if you look back in Does This Darkness Have A Name?, Cassandra and Damon share a moment of intimacy in Chapter 27: The Walking Dead. It's in that chapter that she becomes pregnant. Great question! It made me think a little ;)