Chapter 22
When the Mikaelson family returned to their home later that night it was in silence. Not even Kol graced Katherine with the opportunity for sarcastic banter, or vicious insults from the very hybrid that was seething silently behind her. The outing seemed to have calmed the man's need for immediate bloodshed, he didn't even threaten Katherine once she sauntered off the stage.
Katherine walking side by side with Elijah looked between the siblings in annoyed amusement, clearly something was up between the ever fighting siblings even if she was not privy to that particular story. The doppelganger sighed dramatically carefully grabbing onto handle of the staircase, twisting her ankles until she was fully turned around facing the silently squabbling siblings.
"I don't know what is going on between all of you and to be honest I don't really care" Rebekah rolled her eyes at brunette's declaration. Katherine smirked at the blonde's way before continuing, "What I do know is that whatever it is needs to be handled before we all go off and become do gooders" Katherine shivered in disgust.
"If I'm risking my life dealing with a crazy ass Traveler then you all better in top form. That means whatever Mikaelson family drama needs to be dealt with tonight" Katherine glared at Niklaus as he snarled at her.
Flipping her hair, the brunette walked up the stairs, "Elijah, if you're not daggered after this you have an open invitation."
The gagging motions his younger siblings made only mildly amused Elijah as he watched the doppelganger walk away with a sway to her hips. Rebekah groaned seeing the way his eyes watched her walk away, "Brother please tell me you are not falling for that trollop."
"Rebekah" Elijah warned as his sister raised an eyebrow at the steel she could feel under his breath.
"Yes, Rebekah let's put aside our brother's dreadful taste in women for your traitorous little tale" Came the harsh words of Niklaus as he closed the front door to the mansion behind him. Their siblings stood between Rebekah and Niklaus. Kol a tad closer to Rebekah as flashes of being stuck in a bloody coffin looped in his mind.
"Niklaus" Elijah warned placing a hand on the hybrids shoulder only for it to be shoved off. Rebekah stepped further away prepared to make a run if the situation called for it.
"She called for Mikael. Led him straight into the home we had built for a hundred years. We were happy" Niklaus growled pushing against his brother in an attempt to get towards his sister. The siblings were so busy keeping Niklaus away from their sole surviving sister that they did not pay close enough attention to their surroundings.
They failed to hear the door open allowing for the entrance of their eldest brother and his partner to enter the household. Sage took one step into the mansion immediately spotting the once again arguing siblings. Rebekah and Niklaus were growling at each other as Kol stood in front of the female while Elijah stood between his youngest siblings and Niklaus.
Sage faced her beloved with an amused smile, "I told you we should have taken the long way home."
XXX
Elena let out a sigh of relief when pulling up to her house to see the lights turned on, signaling that Jeremy was indeed already home thanks to Bonnie. Still the doppelganger did not make a move towards the door. Instead the brunette turned to look over at the blonde beside her, Matt leaning back looking at her with all the patience that he had. Elena's heart thumped heavily against her chest, thinking about all the things Matt had to go through due to his friendship with her then with Caroline and now Tyler.
"Well are you going to tell me about your sudden need for space from all your supernatural friends that could have given you a ride home? I don't mind but usually you are not in such a hurry to leave" Matt asked in concern.
"Matt do you hate the supernatural?" Elena asked having the decency to blush at his knowing look at her poor ability to change the subject.
Matt took a moment before answering but his voice never wavered when he said, "No, despite everything that's happened. I don't. How can I? When all of my closest friends are now a part of it?"
"Even after your sister?" Elena winced at the pained look flashed across Matt's face.
"Damon did that. I've never considered Damon one of my friends, but I did consider him yours so for your sake I am trying to get past it. But I don't have a thousand years to do that, so I have to do so while he is still in town. I don't get the opportunity to sit in my anger without seeing him. It was not your fault Elena. My best friends are vampires or now a hybrid or a witch. I might not like the supernatural, nor do I trust most members of the supernatural, but I trust you guys."
"Caroline asked me something, that I still haven't managed to wrap my mind around." Elena admitted, "That's why I don't want to be around her too much, but I couldn't not show up tonight. It's one of our traditions."
Matt laughed, "That sounds like her. What did she ask? You know Caroline she is far to blunt for her own good sometimes."
"She asked if I even wanted the cure."
Matt nodded softly, "To be honest, that sounds like a good question. For what it's worth whether you take the cure or not you will always be Elena to me. A great friend whose been through a lot and has come out the better for it."
Elena gave him a bright smile, "Thanks Matt that means more to me than you know."
"Have you thought about it much?" He asked softly when he noticed she had yet to move from the car. Knowing that she must still be in need of friendly conversation, he hesitatingly asked the question he thought would be overwhelming her.
"It's been on my mind ever since. Do I want the cure? Yes, but I know that a part of Stefan wants it to. As far as we know there is only one cure. No one has ever taken in before we have no clue it will work" Elena's voice got stronger the more she talked. Matt smiled softly seeing his friend collect her thoughts.
"Or what the consequences would be. Better the devil you know than the one you don't right?" Matt's lips broke into a smile at the same time that Elena let out a small laugh.
"The problem is we thought we already met the devil" Elena sighed softly to herself, "Now he is dating our best friend."
"If Caroline is happy then what should it matter?"
"I want her to be happy. It's just still shocking that she is happy with Klaus of all people. The fact that she brought in Katherine… after all she has done? I don't trust that Katherine won't betray us the moment she has the chance."
"I doubt she wants the cure" Matt pointed out.
Elena playfully glared at him, "I can't imagine that Katherine Pierce wants the cure but that's the problem. What does she want? Freedom from Klaus that might be easy enough if Caroline will fight for it, maybe. Unless we know her motives, I can't trust that she won't betray us."
"Your right. She can't be trusted but we can trust Caroline. Until you make the decision if you even want the cure anymore isn't this all moot?"
Elena shakes her head, "The cure is in the hands of a psychotic immortal witch who wants to die but is desecrated to the point he can't die. He is trying to escape and undo the magic of the other side, using the cure as a way to get all the things he needs to be released in one spot."
"Getting the cure, means possibly releasing Silas" Matt surmised.
Elena sighed, "The Mikaelson's clearly want the cure to control it, and to stop Silas. I think Rebekah wants the cure for herself, but the question is if she would actually take it."
"I guess the question is if given the cure, would you take it if no one else needed or wanted it just you?" Matt asked her.
"I…I don't know. On one hand I always wanted a family on the other…." Elena's voice trailed off.
"The Salvatore's. This whole mess started with them thinking that you can't handle being a vampire. How did they come to that conclusion anyway?" Matt questioned
"I've been very vocal about not wanting to become one when Kol turned me. Stefan took me away for the day, trying to give me a choice. I was very vocal that I wanted to stay human" Elena admitted thinking back to how when she came close to dying, that she actually drank when she had been so sure that she would allow herself to die for most of the day.
"Then you started seeing Damon."
Elena gave Matt a stern look who held up his hands, "Elena I'm just stating the facts. You wanted to remain human, was willing to die to keep it so then decided to transition last moment. Soon after you began to see Damon after breaking it off permanently with Stefan. I'm not trying to make you feel bad one way or the other. You deserve to be happy Elena but even your actions have consequences."
"I know that Matt" Elena snapped instantly feeling guilty for snapping at him only for Matt to shake his head.
"It's fine. But the Salvatore's would do anything for you. The rest of us however don't matter to them. Especially not to Damon, as much as Stefan tries he will put you first always but tries to listen to your desires."
"Damon will keep me alive no matter what" Elena muttered.
"Yeah, I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing. That level of loyalty but it does have repercussions for those you care about. I guess what you really need to be asking yourself is what you want your life to be. Because Damon from where I am standing was meant for vampirism. Stefan not so much. I know you Elena you care for both of them but both of them have done some bad things. Some to you some to people you've cared about. Are your feelings enough for you to forgive them? If they are who would you want to be with if a Salvatore is what you want after all. If it is Damon will he be okay watching as you age? Would he take the cure? Would you still love him as a human?"
"I…I really don't know. After finding out about what he did to Caroline? No. I couldn't."
Matt breathed a sigh of relief offering the girl a slightly brighter smile, having heard of the confrontation later from Bonnie who wanted to warn the blonde of any impending fireworks from their emotionally wrought friends.
"My advice? For what its worth. No matter what your feelings for someone are if their actions are unforgivable as a human then they need to be held to the same standard as a vampire. Vampire's don't need to kill to feed right?"
Elena nodded, " Caroline and I both live off of blood bags. I haven't met a vampire that hasn't killed before but it's possible to feed off a human without killing or turning them."
"So, you consider the situation before you cast judgement. Has what Damon done cover any specific situational complication?"
Elena shook her head, "Everything with Caroline was not needed. He could have found anyone else to feed on or just fed on her. He crossed a line more than one all because he wanted to hurt Stefan."
"Elena you don't need me to tell you how you feel or to give you permission. But the question is how you feel enough? You can care for someone without accepting their actions. Just because you might love someone does not mean you have to be with them. You loved me right? Yet we are no longer together, you still love Stefan but are no longer with him."
Elena bite her lip deep in thought only shaken out of it when Matt reached over to open up her door.
"Time to make up your mind Gilbert."
XXX
Caroline really tried to stop fidgeting. Really she did. The baby vampire attempted to sit still as her mother casually poured herself a cup of coffee. The younger blonde mentally tried to prepare herself for the conversation she was about to have with her mother. How on earth did she get away with all of this in the past?
Then it occurred to Caroline that she did not get away with, every single extended excursion outside of Mystic Falls without at least a phone call to her worried mother caused her to be grounded a month.
Being eighteen did nothing to squash her mother's temper and fear for her only child. Something Caroline would only come to terms with once she was a mother herself. The vampire quickly wiped the tears from her eyes at the thought of her daughters.
"Alright, Care. I'm listening what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Her mother's voice over came the whirlwind of thoughts that flew around in her mind. The teenager looked on as her mother placed the cup of coffee onto the table, after taking a sip.
Her mother was dressed in her uniform, having a about another hour before having to go into the office.
"Mom, I'm going to need you to cover for me for a little while at school. Bonnie, Elena, Jeremy and if possible Rebekah, Stefan and Kol as well. But I know they could handle it themselves, I just thought I would ask" Caroline felt her lips move but could hardly hear the words out of her mouth.
"Caroline. What is happening? Why would I need to cover for you at school? I know your eighteen, but you are still under my roof" Liz went to further berate her daughter when Caroline smiled softly at her holding up her hand to signal she wanted to speak.
"It's a supernatural problem, that is too risky to let just sit. Telling you anything more could put you at risk, I can't do that" Caroline felt her shoulder's lower when Liz's hand reached over to hold hers.
"Okay. I don't like it, but I believe you. I'll make up something for all of you. But it would be best if whoever is written as the legal guardians for the Mikaelson's to call in for them, perhaps a family death? That would buy them time without giving a large group of students the same illness that could cause a panic" Liz said thoughtfully already wincing at the headache trying to calm parents panicking at the sudden disappearance of a group of students with an illness.
Small towns….
"I'll mention that. Mom how do you feel about New Orleans?" Caroline brought up, knowing that with the few months she had left until graduation she needed to get this out now. Better to let her mother get all her protective lectures out now.
She would rather not have her mother and Niklaus at each other's throats on her graduation day. As amusing as it would be to see her mother go toe to toe with the big bad, Caroline would not put her mother at risk of Niklaus losing his temper especially with all the stress Silas was causing.
"Why are you asking about New Orleans? I thought you wanted to go to Whitmore?' Liz questioned.
"Actually…"
XXX
Finn sat on the loveseat, a new piece of furniture he noted, placing his hands possessively on Sage's waist pulling her onto his lap. The redhead leaned into his chest with ease, as the rest of the siblings began to settle down Rebekah and Niklaus being placed as far from each other as possible by Elijah.
"Someone want to start the sharing circle?" Sage asked her voice just a tiny bit mocking, as she replicated the voice of a kindergarten teacher she overheard once.
"As it turns out, Mikael did not find us in New Orleans on his own" Elijah spoke keeping a distinct eye on his younger brother who had leaned into the couch and crossed his arms glaring at their sister who was glaring right back.
Elijah wondered sometimes if his family ever had any hope. If his optimism that one day they could be happy would come true, something that the reintroduction of Sage and the continuing influence of Caroline was helping to stem. But would it be enough?
"Ah, the city that you built" Finn nodded in recognition, his eyes switched towards Niklaus.
"The witches there they observe ancestral magic do they not?"
Kol perked up, "Yes. Funny ones those New Orleans witches their power is based in the city if they were to leave then their magic would cease to work until they returned."
"What are you two going on about? So, what if they practice ancestral magic!" Rebekah pouted looking over at her brothers to see how Kol and Niklaus's both had a similar gleam. "What am I missing?" She demanded to know.
"Nik please tell me you didn't send our mother there" Kol turned towards his older brother, begging that his brother would not be so stupidly sentimental for a city they had not stepped foot in for a hundred years.
"And if I did?" Niklaus dared his brother to react negatively.
"Is she buried within the city? On consecrated ground?" Kol badgered.
"Why is that so important?" Sage piped up.
Finn sighed, "Because from my memories, if our mother was to be buried in the city of New Orleans, as a witch she would become one of the ancestors. Our mother was powerful in her day, imagine what she could do if she could tap into their ancestral magic as one of them?"
"Well Nik? Is she?" Rebekah asked her brother.
Niklaus sighed, "No, of course not. I have her remains here in Mystic Falls."
XXX
Rebekah Mikaelson seethed as she stepped onto the gas pedal towards the cheapest motel nearest to Mystic Falls. With the hybrid Tyler hiding out somewhere, the original sister knew that Mrs. Lockwood would never allow the girl to stay in her house without her son present. Since Tyler had yet to show his face in town again her siblings assumed he was buying his time.
Perhaps he would try to talk to Caroline again? Rebekah smirked thinking about what the fellow blonde would say to the baby hybrid. Rebekah turned into the motel's parking lot her nose twitching in disgust automatically. Hopefully she would find the little werewolf sooner than later. The sooner the wolf was found the better for them all.
Maybe she should not have volunteered for this mission. Yet thinking about staying near Mystic Falls when she had just found out her brother had almost just committed probably his stupidest action to date. They were lucky that Nik had not indeed buried their mother within the city of New Orleans. Rebekah reminded herself this would teach them from ignoring Kol's ramblings, because if they had not ignored him so often maybe they would have been able to stop a possible second show down with their mother. Esther could never actually become a part of the ancestors. Their mother was to powerful and single minded to be trusted not to use the coven for her bidding.
A flash from one of the grungy windows caught the blonde's attention.
Ah so the little wolf was here. Perfect.
"Little wolf time to come out and play" She whispered to herself, knowing full well that werewolves had enhanced hearing.
Knowing that it would be useless to attempt to knock, the original kicked down the door with ease. Carelessly stepping onto the broken door Rebekah brought her hand up to her face stopping Hayley's last ditch effort to get away.
"Really? Did you honestly think jumping out at me was going to work?" Rebekah pushed the little wolf onto the hotel bed with little more strength than what she had as a human.
"Had to try something. I mean your only a vampire and I managed to kill twelve of your brother's little hybrid creations" Hayley mocked, obviously recognizing the blonde woman in front of her.
"You've heard of me. That's good then we can save some time," Rebekah paused looking down at the werewolf raising an eyebrow when the brunette just sat up and glared, "So Nik was right. You killed the hybrids. You really shouldn't have done that."
"Why not? Did Klaus send you to kill me?" Hayley's voice was filled with hatred, Rebekah was amused at how scathing the wolf was acting. Her eyes caught the wolf's movement to cover her shoulder, her enlarged t-shirt obviously from the night before just covering the birth mark as the wolf turned away.
"Interesting birthmark" Rebekah mentioned raising her brow when Hayley's eyes narrowed towards the vampire. Standing up from the bed the werewolf watched the original warily but was surprised when the blonde did nothing more but stand there with her arms crossed. Waiting for something.
"So, I have a birthmark what's the big deal" Hayley shrugged.
"It also happens to be in the exact same spot and shape that every member of the Crescent pack my brother has ever met has had the exact same mark" Rebekah shared, going with her gut that providing this little piece of information may be more fruitful than brute force.
"Excuse me?" Hayley asked turning all her attention back towards the vampire, " A pack?"
"Being part wolf himself, my brother was very interested in learning about the traditions of his people. We met and lived close by to a powerful pack in the south. My family could give you more information, for a price" Rebekah shrugged, smirking at the scowl that rose across the wolf's face.
"Who says you haven't given me enough information already?" Hayley challenged crossing her arms stepping bravely in front of the vampire.
Rebekah laughed, "Because you had no idea what your mark meant. Which means you have no idea where you are from. We can share that information with you but after your recent actions I'm afraid my brother might not be in such a giving mood."
"You haven't killed me yet. You want something clearly" Hayley noted, "but what makes you so certain I will accept your deal?"
"You accepted a deal with that professor. What was his name again? Oh yes dear old Professor Shane. I'm certain my brother will be willing to share with you knowledge about your family if you share all the knowledge you have about Shane's plans along with any other interesting tid bit you may wish to hide."
"I could lie."
"You made a deal for any bit of knowledge on your family before, and you will do so again" Rebekah spoke confidently, " Mikaelson's know something about doing anything for family."