Chapter 47
Tom looks down at the unconscious form of Elena being stood over by Enzo. The Englishman shook his head, " She just doesn't understand her predicament. Bon-Bon and Care will not like this at all."
"What did you do?" Tom questioned as he kneeled down, pressing his fingers to her neck trying to find a pulse. Enzo watched as Stefan 2.0 sighed in relief finding a pulse. The vampire shook his head leaning against the wall.
"As I said, Elena Gilbert has no real understanding of the danger she causes."
Enzo almost laughed out loud at the way Tom turned his gaze towards him. The glare was really cute, not as broody as the younger Salvatore. "She was scared! Of course she was trying to figure out what to do!"
"Going to the Traveler's is the dumbest idea she could've had," Enzo rolled his eyes, leaning down he picked up Elena, throwing her onto his shoulder. "Come on pretty boy. We're in for a long night."
"Why? You guys are vampires, clearly we can't do much to stop you? Elena was scared, the Mikaelson family has done a lot to her."
Enzo paused on the stairway, his dark eyes glaring down at the look-alike. "Elena in her own words was trying to make a deal with the Travelers. I don't know much about them but what I do know is that anybody who worshipped Silas and has been forced to be on the run for centuries are not the kind of people you make deals with."
"Well done Enzo," Kol's voice came up from the bottom of the stairs, suddenly appearing next to Enzo smirking at the unconscious human. "Little Elena trying to make a run for it?"
Enzo snorts, "Apparently she thinks she can make a better deal with the Travelers."
Kol sighed turning his back to the boys, "My siblings are all up thanks to this little rabble rousing. Just a little warning, Rebekah seems rather put out with you."
"Blondie needed her beauty sleep?" Enzo chuckled.
"Actually I believe I caught her leaving Stefan Salvatore's room talking to our dear brother on the phone. They'll be here shortly. Everyone heard your conversation."
That was when Elena's body began to twitch on his shoulder a sure sign of her awakening. "I thought Damon said he made all the rooms soundproof. He made a crude joke about not wanting to hear Stefan's nightly activities."
Enzo snorted, flashing down the rest of the stairs placing Elena upright in a chair as he said, "More like he didn't want to know if you went back to his Vegetarian brother."
Elena looked at Enzo with a dark look, "I can't believe you are the famous Enzo."
Enzo beamed, "So Damon talked about me did he?"
"Damon thought you were dead." Elena said harshly. "If he was your friend why didn't you ever try to find him?"
"He left me to die," Enzo shook his head, "Luckily the bastards only wanted to torture me further or else I would be dead. It wasn't until your dear friend Caroline and her band of Mikaelsons freed me that I was released."
That made Elena pause just long enough for the front door to open allowing the remaining Mikaelsons to enter, Finn being the last one closing the front door not wishing for their human neighbors to bear witness to his brother's ire.
"What has this troublesome doppelganger done now?" Klaus barked out loud turning his eyes onto Elena. Tom who had finally walked down the stairs stood beside Elena and Enzo turning towards the hybrid he said, "She was scared. Weren't you the one who killed her Aunt?"
"Her Aunt was chosen because time and time again Elena kept trying to get out of the ritual. Even after making a deal with my brother." Klaus shrugged. "It also held a certain symmetry. I'm an artist."
"Jenna had nothing to do with that. You can't expect people to happily die for your own plans!'' Elena defended herself. "Caroline was one of those original sacrifices you know. Katherine turned her for that very purpose."
"I was never planning on using her choice of vampire,"Klaus smirked. "Sadly my brother seems to still have a thing for the slippery snake but Katherine has proven her loyalty towards Caroline. I can hardly be expected to go against both my lover and my brother can I?"
Elena's face turned into a grimace, "Caroline would never be friends with Katherine. Not after all she has done to her, to Stefan, to me!"
Instead of Klaus answering the doppelganger, an unlikely chuckle could be heard from both Finn and Elijah. The latter smiled at Elena, "I'm afraid Ms. Gilbert, your assumption is wrong. Caroline has befriended Katherine. Not only did Caroline help her against you trying to force the cure upon her but they've managed to bond despite Katherine's past actions."
"Ow. I'm up you asshole!" Damon's voice full of annoyance could be heard saying from the stairs.
"Oops… my bad. I couldn't tell what with your fangs deep inside this delicate little thing." Kol's voice answered following the dark-haired vampire with a very naked human woman trying to keep her decency by holding a sheet to her chest.
Elena's eyes drifted towards the stairs, her mouth opening in shock at seeing what clearly was, bite marks on the woman's neck. Stefan grimaced from Rebekah's side as the blonde snorted. "Couldn't wait until your doppelganger was officially off the market could you. Drowning your sorrows in the nearest drunken escapade you could find."
"I'd have fucked you but I don't do sloppy seconds." Damon sneered as Kol compelled the woman to go back upstairs, get dressed and leave the house forgetting she ever met Damon Salvatore.
"Why'd you do that! I wasn't done!" Damon yelled at the original.
Finn rolled his eyes, "Mr. Salvatore, your doppelganger, went ahead and tried to plan an escape."
Damon's eyes narrowed at Elena, "Elena? What happened?"
"They're after Tom and I! I thought we could make a deal with them, find out what they really want." Elena admitted. The Mikaelsons appeared to be in unison as Stefan watched as each and every one of them rolled their eyes, then sighed as Klaus's temper finally exploded.
XXX
Caroline stood next to Bonnie in front of the old church. The two shared a look locking arms as they stepped closer to the old building. "Are you sure you want to do this? I don't think Klaus will appreciate you being around a potentially dangerous witch." Bonnie asked for the fifth time.
"For the last time, no one but you is practicing magic today. This is a meet and greet. I'm amazing at those." Caroline said confidently. "Besides, both Sage and Katherine are within range, and I don't know about you but they can be rather intimidating. I mean look at Marcel's goons."
Bonnie laughed out loud waving at the goons walking around the parking lot, as they spotted Marcel waiting for them. Bonnie looked Marcel up and down muttering to Caroline, "Why do I feel like he is a mini Klaus?"
"That's because he is," Caroline snorted. "Right up to the betraying family part. He also has the same weaknesses, tender to those he does care for even if he's willing to dagger them himself."
"Great, just what we needed, a mini-Klaus. With the addition of your offspring the world is doomed!" Bonnie moaned her lips tilting into a grin as Caroline elbowed her.
"Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett. Davina is looking forward to meeting you Miss Bennett." Marcel greeted them with a flourish of his hand.
"I'm happy to help a fellow witch. I have a few ground rules before we begin though." Bonnie greeted the vampire cooly.
"I already negotiated with your friend here." Marcel narrowed his eyes, grinding his teeth. Feeling slightly on edge.
"That was for your cooperation and the chance to meet Davina. Davina has agreed to my tutelage which means I need you to stand out of the way. You are not to interfere with witch business, Davina needs to be prepared to handle her power with or without the ritual. I need you to let her grow and not try to sway her in anyway nor stop the magic we will attempt. I will not do anything to harm her, all the drills are made to strengthen her without pushing her over the edge.'' Bonnie spoke softly, keeping her cool, as Caroline crossed her arms and raised a brow daring Marcel to go against the Bennett witch.
"You won't be alone in the room with her until Davina says so." Marcel countered.
"As long as you do not interfere with our lessons." Bonnie nodded. Marcel stared at the duo before bowing before them, "Ladies first."
"Mini-Klaus." Caroline coughed into her hand, causing Bonnie to burst into laughter as the two took the lead Marcel scowling after them.
"I'm not a mini- Klaus." Marcel muttered to himself.
"Oh yes you are, Marcellus." Caroline smirked as she and Bonnie took the stairs up to Davina's room.
"You know I could kill you." Marcel threatened, flashing with his vampire speed to stand between Bonnie and Caroline. Before Caroline could get a word in edgewise, Marcel was on his knees groaning in pain.
"You were saying?" Bonnie said sweetly. "Hurt a hair on her head and you will not only have to deal with me but the whole Mikaelson clan. Which thanks to Caroline, just got a lot bigger and are far more united than before."
"Yes, I managed to get that on my own with Finn being up and walking about." Marcel muttered. "The fact that Katherine is free to roam also astonishes me."
"Is it really that shocking? Or is it because she seems actually loyal?" Caroline shook her head as Marcel finally stood up allowing Caroline past him further up the stairs to Davina's domain.
"How did you get her to work with you?" Marcel questioned curiously. The Katherine he remembered was just as sultry as the one who demanded he meet up with her. Katherine Pierce always looked out for one person only, herself yet there she was in New Orleans obviously looking after Mikaelson's pregnant human. The blonde was far more than she appeared to be but something tickled at the back of his brain that he was missing something vitally important.
"Katherine always knows who will likely turn out on top." Caroline shrugged.
"Or it could be that you saved her from a miserable existence as a human after five hundred years as a vampire?" Bonnie shot back with an eye roll. "I'm still surprised we haven't caught her doing anything devious against us yet."
"Katherine has yet to meet anyone that could potentially be an equal troublemaker to her outside of Klaus." Caroline shrugged to herself. "It doesn't hurt that even a blind man can tell Klaus wouldn't be stupid enough to try to get something past me. She likes having something to pull over on Klaus, especially if it means she gets to bang her favorite Mikaelson."
Bonnie's face twisted into a look of disgust just as Davina's door opened. The teenager looked upset, obviously thinking she did something wrong by the way she was casually sniffing her hair and arm. Caroline laughed, "It's not you Davina. Bonnie just hates thinking about two vampire's having hot vampire sex."
Davina's eyes widened as saucers as Marcel cried out, "She's still a child!"
Caroline shot him a scathing look, "She is a teenager. Almost a grown ass woman with hormones of her own. You've kept her locked up in a church to use her power for your own gain without thinking about her social welfare other than keeping her from the witches. Yes, they lied to her but she is still human and needs to be around people!"
Bonnie shook her head mouthing something towards Davina who let out a small giggle opening the door further to allow the trio entrance. Bonnie took several minutes to take a look at the room, it wasn't barren but it was still not a place a teenage girl should be living in. Davina's room looked rather comfortable, except it wasn't the attic of her parents home but of an old abandoned church that no longer had a living congregation.
"Davina, can you tell me more about your training? I practice magic based in nature. We still commune with our ancestors but our power isn't tied down to the town of our birth nor the pleasing of our ancestors" Bonnie started offering the young girl a smile.
"Before the ritual…" Davina licked her lips thinking of how to skirt around the Harvest issue, despite knowing that was part of why they were here. Marcel admitted as such telling her that the reason Caroline wanted to meet with her was to allow Davina some choices. "I was training with my coven in basic spell work, grimoire research and tapping into our ancestors."
"And after?" Bonnie prompted gently. "I've had experience with tapping into something far more powerful than myself. The raw power is frightening but knowing that you have control over it is exhilarating at least until you stop being able to control it."
"I can control it!" Davina rebutted, shaking her head. "The visions are hard to control and I haven't been able to study much. Marcel looks over the grimoire he gives me." The teen glared at her guardian.
"You have the power of four witches inside of you. Far too much for any one person to handle. I'd like to help you, the more control you have the longer we'll have before it overtakes you. I want to teach you, but I'm afraid the ritual will complete itself whether you like it or not."
"What do you mean?" Davina narrowed her eyes.
"The ritual is on a time crunch, your coven had a year to begin and end the ritual once it was invoked. If you do nothing, nature will attack you but I cannot guarantee you will be revived with the others and if nature has to take you I have no idea if your coven would survive it." Caroline spoke up quietly.
"You tricked me." Davina accused them.
"We want to help you. I'm afraid there is no loophole around the ritual," Bonnie shook her head, "I've looked in my grimoire and into the Mikaelson's and believe me they have the largest collection in the supernatural community."
"The only way for me to live is for me to die?" Davina's voice cracked as Marcel wrapped his arms around her pressing his lips to her forehead.
"The ritual will be completed and you will be revived and the magic of your coven will be strengthened. Freya Mikaelson and I will be working to ensure that while that is happening no one can take advantage of the powerful energy before you four awaken."
"You think someone will try to hijack the ritual?" Marcel asked.
"There are two possibilities. One we can avoid as long as she's not buried within the town. The other I'm afraid I've only heard in passing and have very little idea of how to get past at the moment." Caroline admitted.
"You sound like a seer." Davina muttered.
"She sort of is if you believe her story of having lived this life before." Bonnie shrugged. "I almost didn't believe her but luckily she didn't tell me until after we graduated high school and had proof that her sudden genius pieces of advice were more than a hunch."
"You've met us before." Marcel stated. "That's why the Mikaelsons didn't come in guns-n-blazing."
Caroline grinned, "Yes I have had the pleasure of meeting you occasionally. Believe me this timeline so far, is much more bearable."
XXX
Caroline was finalizing her class finals on the bed that she shared with Klaus, hand on her ever expanding belly. At around four month's pregnant Caroline felt like a balloon, this is what she gets for getting pregnant the summer before her first semester of college. Her phone rang with a familiar ringtone.
"You better have a good fucking reason for not answering your very pregnant girlfriend's messages you bastard." Caroline hissed into the phone. When suddenly there was a knock on her door.
"Answer your door, Love." Nik replied with a soft chuckle. "Take this as an apology for getting caught up in the never ending drama that is your former friend Elena Gilbert."
"She's still my friend." Caroline answered as she opened up the door to find Sage with a gift in her hands.
"Klaus, I'm done playing messenger just bring my man home already." Sage spoke loud enough for Nik to overhear sending a wink at Caroline who looked down at the box with a mixture of curiosity and dread.
"This isn't the head of an enemy is it?" Caroline asked him.
"Sweetheart you're not a head of the enemy type. Open it." Nik encouraged.
Caroline sat back down on her bed, moving her school books to the side as a precaution. One could never be sure with Niklaus about what he would consider a gift. Lifting the lid inside Caroline found a sketch, full of the faces of their family including her mother.
"Nik, what is this?" The pregnant woman whispered, holding the drawing close.
"I thought once I got home with our guests, that could be on the wall in the nursery."
Caroline's head perked up, carefully placing the drawing down. "Guests? Nik what is going on? Don't you dare use this pregnancy against me. I've been busy dealing with Marcel and Davina so shut it."
"The travelers you've told me about are very active, a Gemini witch found Elena and the other doppelganger, Tom. Enzo found out about the kidnapping and alerted us. Elena has recently decided that it would be a good idea to work with the Traveler's so to keep her from her own stupidity we're bringing her to you and the Bennett witch.
Perhaps she will listen to reason if it came from her supposed best friends." Caroline closed her eyes taking a deep calming breath.
"Elena tried to work with the Traveler's?"
Nik scoffed, "Enzo was on guard duty and heard her explain everything to Stefan's little human look-alike. She wants to go to them thinking they would be open to some sort of deal."
"In my last life they almost succeeded in removing all the magic from the world. We got lucky that Stefan's death halted the spell, only allowing it to affect Mystic Falls. It completely destroyed the other side." Caroline could feel her blood pressure rising.
"We will deal with them but in order to do so, we need the numbers which we have in New Orleans. Have the wolves been doing their part?"
"We haven't needed them for anything. The witches are waiting on us, while the vampires are being held back by Marcel."
"They will be needed, get in contact with them. Use Sage as a contact, do not go by yourself." Nik ordered.
"I met with Davina!"
"A teenage witch with no rage towards you. Even with minimal training I can assume you were safe enough. If you were present during magical lessons, then I might have to remind you just who the father of those children of yours are." Nik growled.
Caroline sighed, "When are you coming home?"
"Due to our human companions it will take a little bit longer. We will be home in twenty-four hours."
"Does that include breaking speed limits?" Caroline couldn't help but snark.
"And ambassador plates." Nik shrugged.
"Nik!" Caroline groaned. "Just don't murder Elena okay? I know what she's done…what her actions could have caused but I've known her for years. She is doing what Katherine has done for half her immortal life, just trying to survive."
"Sweetheart you are far too good for that little town you came from. Don't think I haven't heard about all your adventures while I was away."
"Yet I don't hear you yelling." Caroline smirked into the phone as her eyes landed on the picture once again. "The picture really is beautiful, Nik."
"Don't think we're not having a talk about you going to meet with Davina with only Katherine for company."
"You just said you weren't concerned about an untrained teenage witch!"
"I'm not but I am concerned about my very pregnant lover going at a pace she can't keep up with around supernatural creatures."
"I got Marcel to let me in and meet Davina. She even agreed to meet with Bonnie. They hit it off wonderfully by the way. The witches will have their ritual before the time runs out." Nik could hear the pride in her voice, that her skills with people were still strong as a human. Returning to her human form had been a hard adjustment for her, something Caroline still struggled with.
She was used to being able to do far more, even while pregnant. The fact that he was particularly violent when it came to his family didn't help. It was one of the reasons why Nik was willing to leave with all of his siblings, it forced him to give her breathing room. He overestimated the amount of irritation that Elena Gilbert could cause once again.
"I didn't mean to be unavailable for so long. As it turns out, your childhood friend is still as much trouble as she was when I needed her blood."
"I'm just thankful you found her and that Enzo didn't go on a killing spree."
"I might have to reward this Enzo of yours if he doesn't snap."
Caroline rolled her eyes, "Don't you dare. He's had plenty of revenge and murder for a lifetime. I'm trying to rehabilitate the brit."
"Sweetheart, are you in the habit of rehabilitating vampires? You've started a collection." Nik teased her. "I have to go now love, Elijah is giving me the stink eye and Kol looks like he is going to try to draw on Finn's face."
"I don't even want to know." Caroline shook her head.
XXX
Liz was reading in the main living room sitting alongside her daughter, who was tapping away onto her laptop dealing with the last few items on her course list a few weeks early. Bonnie was hunched over the table a few feet away, making plans for her next lesson with Davina. Katherine and Sage were discussing some of their more flamboyant exploits, grinning everytime Liz looked up and narrowed her eyes at them.
"I realize that as vampires your morals are a lot different from when you were human but you're not going to be teaching any of those tricks to my grandchildren." Liz scolded the two vampires. Caroline looked up from her computer shaking her head.
"I'm sure Sage and Katherine will be teaching them all sorts of tricks that I will hate." Caroline laughed at the way Sage shrugged with an easy grin and Katherine flipped her hair in pride. Liz smiled at her daughter reaching out to take her hand when she suddenly started coughing.
Caroline leaned over in alarm as her mother hacked up her lungs, "Mom? Do we need to call the doctors?" Caroline frowned when her mother waved away her concern, as the two vampires in the room looked concerned.
"I'll go make some of Gram's special tea. It should calm her nervous system down." Bonnie said, stopping her project to walk towards the kitchen as Caroline shot her a grateful smile. Before Bonnie could come back the front door slammed open, causing Sage and Katherine to flash in front of the Forbes woman relaxing only when they saw that it was Enzo carrying a grumpy Damon over his shoulder, followed shortly by Stefan leading Elena inside as the Mikaelson siblings followed the rear with Tom just in front of them.
"Finn?" Sage asked skeptically, eyeing Elena as her gaze turned towards Katherine and back before doing a double take with Stefan and Tom. "Just how many doppelgangers are there?"
"Just these four that we know of." Finn answered grimly offering Sage a soft kiss on the lips as Enzo dumped Damon onto the floor with glee. Sage smirked over at the dark-haired vampire who scowled when his eyes met with Caroline's.
"Blondie tell your goons to lay off!" Damon ordered, wincing at the way Enzo gripped his arm once again, not giving the Salvatore a chance to escape.
"After everything you've done Damon? I think you're rather lucky." Liz scowled at her former friend. Her face morphed into one of pain as her coughs started to worsen just as Bonnie came into the room with the tea.
"Here, try some of this. It should at least soothe the worst of it.'' Bonnie offered, pushing the mug gently towards Liz. Rebekah looked around and her nose twitched at seeing both Sage and Katherine still in their home.
"Oh you two are still here?" Rebekah sniffed looking over at Finn and Elijah. "My brothers really have the poorest taste in women if the two of you are still warming their beds."
"Now Rebekah be nice." Niklaus scolded his sister as their elder brothers refused to react to their sister's taunts. Freya snorted, having gotten used to her siblings' rather petty dynamics. "Having something to say Freya?"
"Just amuse at how much squabbling our siblings can do when we most certainly have an enemy headed this way." Freya answered as she noted Liz Forbes' pale complexion.
"Mrs. Forbes, are you feeling alright?" She asked.
"I started chemo while you were gone. I just had a session, the worst of it should pass soon." Liz said quietly snorting as her daughter insisted on giving her a new cup but was stopped by Freya who took it out of her hands.
"Let me," Freya insisted, "My siblings will fill you in." Freya announced, looking straight at Niklaus as if to say he couldn't get out of it.
"Care?" Elena called out quietly, her eyes widening once she got a good look at her friend. "You're pregnant?" The brunette looked between her and Niklaus, her brows furrowed in concentration.
"Yes, our brother knocked up his girlfriend. Magical loophole don't worry you were never going to get knocked up by a Salvatore.'' Kol shrugged, smirking at Bonnie who was cleaning up her papers off the table knowing the likelihood of the table being destroyed before this conversation was finished was high. Smirking at the subtle way Elena looked relieved, "What you got there Bonbon?"
"Lessons for Davina Claire." Bonnie answered, shooting Elena a curious glance. Being childhood friends meant she often could tell the subtle differences in Elena and Caroline long before they even knew something was wrong. Having spent years listening to Elena talk about going to med school, having a family, the fact that a part of her didn't want children with either Salvatore was telling.
By the way Stefan seemed to sigh out in relief while Damon looked shocked over Caroline's condition was just as telling. Freya came back with a cup of fresh tea that Bonnie had left in the kitchen, returning it to Liz with a smile. "Alright, shall we get this party started?"
Elijah coughed into his hand as Kol and Klaus both grinned wildly as Freya tried out the modern phrase. Liz glanced at her daughter who shook her head, Caroline then spoke to the room, "Can anyone tell us exactly why you brought Elena, Stefan, Damon and I'm sorry I don't know your name?" speaking the last part solely to Tom.
"Tom." The Stefan look-a-like muttered.
"Come on love." Nik glanced over at Elena with a sneer on his face. "Tell your best friends what you were thinking of doing before Enzo stopped your foolishness."
"Tom and I were captured by a Gemini witch. From what Hazel told me they're a coven that watches over the doppelgangers to make sure the Traveler's, who worship Silas, never get their hands on them." Elena explained. "When your army here helped Damon and Stefan to find us, I thought that instead of doing what we've always done I could go to those who were after me. I'm a doppelganger and people will always want my blood for something. I thought I could make a trade."
XXX
Marcel stood in the doorway of Davina's room watching from the outside as the two witches were trapped in a candlelight circle. They were both holding each other's hands, eyes closed as Bonnie guided Davina through the magical exercise. Vampire's had the unique ability to stand still for ages without the need for twitching. Twitching was a human response that vampire's no longer needed, the longer they lived the less their body twitched out of an old human habit.
Being a vampire for as long as Marcel had, allowed him the stillness to be unobserved for as long as he desired. Human needs were more of a habit, one that thanks to the Mikalson's who built an entire city to hide in allowed Marcel to shed his human habits far quicker without fear of being labeled different. It was this habit that allowed him to observe the teenage witch he had saved bite her lip in irritation before finally releasing her mentor's hands with a low growl.
"I hate meditation!" Davina cried as the air in the room shook with intensity causing the brunette to look around in shock. They could feel the magic in the air. Bonnie smirked, "I told you that the powers were growing stronger. Your emotions will only cause the magic in you to react to them. Hence the need for meditation."
'Why bother? You are trying to get me to do the ritual." Davina said petulantly, scooting slightly further towards the edge of the circle.
"Caroline and Niklaus managed to get the witches to agree to the natural deadline before coming to you. If we could keep you safe without the ritual then we would do it. The ritual is far too powerful for it to be stopped, completing it is our only option if we hope to keep you alive."
"I'll be dead." Davina frowned. "My ancestors will be angry at me. I know I'll join them. What if they won't let me return?"
"Freya and I have looked into the ritual, the magic you practice allows your ancestors great power but the four souls must be returned. The regent has communed with the ancestors and supposedly no harm will come to you." Bonnie said, pride coming over her face at how skeptical Davina's face looked.
"The ancestor's are dead, I can't believe they would agree to that.'' Davina muttered. "We obtain our magic from our ancestors, we consecrate them to obtain a connection without them we have no power. It's why the dead hold so much sway over living witches."
"You are a lot smarter than they give you credit for." Bonnie praised the teenager who blushed at the compliment. "I don't trust your ancestor's. I can barely trust mine and my magic does not link me to them the same way yours does."
"Yet you want me to sacrifice myself." Davina hissed. "You expect me to believe there's no other way?"
"You've been marked, there is no other way.'' Bonnie asserted. "It's true that I don't trust dead witches. Witches by nature are suspicious of other supernatural species, stubborn and self-righteous. All things Caroline tells me I have in spades, but I understand that the dead are living in the past. They hold onto the grudges of their past, my ancestor Emily Bennett was burned at the stake despite helping her town get rid of the most dangerous creatures. In death she wanted to renege on a promise to a vampire, it almost got me killed despite her telling everyone it was to protect her family."
"What happened?" Davina asked curiously.
"Her necklace was used to channel her spirit. The reason I'm telling you this is that they might believe what they are telling you to do is the right thing. The problem is that the dead cannot grow or change on the other side. They remain the same, Emily died hating vampires and thinking she made a mistake in trusting one spent centuries trying to get her descendents not to work with vampires. She had good reasons, and I understand why she wanted me to stay away but I couldn't when my friends were in trouble."
"Caroline's a vampire." Davina mumbled.
"She was killed by Katherine so that she could be used as a vampire for Klaus's ritual. Our friend Elena, is a doppelganger and attracts trouble like a moth to a flame. In my naivety I almost stepped over the line with my magic, going against nature to make Elena happy but Caroline managed to talk sense to me." Bonnie admitted. "If it wasn't for Caroline I would've probably had my magic taken away by my ancestors."
"But your magic comes from nature!" Davina exclaimed.
"Bennett's are strong even in death when enough of them want something, it could happen. I don't believe nature would allow it if I overstep in the use of my gift. Witches are made to keep balance, that means helping the supernatural and the average person as the situation calls for it.
But there are things that we cannot do not without hurting the balance, when a witch does that Nature must compensate. Esther Mikaelson created vampire's and her son killed her. She was a witch, how did a baby vampire hybrid get the better of a trained witch? I believe it was her punishment for changing the balance but now her children are forever a part of it."
"My coven changed the balance, the ritual must be completed for balance to settle back into New Orleans," Davina sighed, "That's what you're trying to tell me."
"Freya and I are working on a way to ensure you will come back. Without vampire blood." Bonnie assured her.
"How?"
"Freya thinks we can bind your soul so that if it leaves your body it will not go directly to your ancestors. We need to look through the ritual to ensure all components are met, but Freya might have figured out a loophole."
"Freya Mikaelson right? Marcel told me she died years ago." Davina frowned.
"That's what the Mikaelson's had thought. You think witches are good at keeping secrets? Esther is the Queen of them." Bonnie said darkly. "The only good thing she has done is to warn us about her sister and alert her children to their sibling."
"That's why you want the harvest complete. You need my coven" Davina stated.
"The more allies we have, the safer Caroline is. I told you how far I'm willing to go for my friends. I count you a part of that group now Davina. You're an ancestral witch if you decide you want no part of the supernatural we can help set you up in a new city." Bonnie offered, using her hands to get up realizing that their lesson would be short today.
"You mean give up my magic?" Davina questioned.
"Only if that is absolutely what you want. There is no deadline for that offer, take your time. I will see you tomorrow for our next lesson, okay?" Bonnie smiled as she walked past a frowning Marcel.
XXX
If Katherine had known what an idiot her descendent would've grown into she would have hunted down Isobel and her little unwanted brat and murdered them in cold blood over a decade ago. The curly haired vampire could feel a vein pop open just thinking about that foolish plan her descendent had tried to implement. Katherine would have murdered her on the spot if it weren't for Elijah's tightened grip on her arm.
Instead she had snarled at her latest descendent, sarcastically asking if she planned on claiming her inheritance with them too. At Elena's blank look, the former doppelganger explained that her father had been a Traveler. Hating the way they had to travel he turned his back on his witch heritage to become a merchant and grow his business in Bulgaria where she and her siblings had been born. Katherine then went on to explain Traveler's may be a witch variation but their magic had long departed ways from the likes of the Nature loving witches of the Bennett's or the Ancestral practicing ones of New Orleans.
"They have long forgotten their original mission of saving Silas. They are much more interested in revenge." Kol noted. "While they would join forces with Silas if capable. They are obsessed with obtaining the power they once had."
The varying looks across the room only validated Katherine's belief of each member of their little group. The Salvatore's clearly were torn between their hatred of Katherine and irritation that Elena once again almost put herself in danger. All for a belief that she will always make it out on top. Katherine, being a woman who always came out on top, knew the difficulty of that sort of feat. Elena only came out on top due to the sacrifices other people had made for her.
Shaking her head away from the thoughts about the afternoon from hell she focused on the now, Elena and Tom were currently being babysat by Kol and Rebekah much to the duo's horror. Katherine couldn't help but smirk at the way the two youngest Mikaelsons could irritate someone. Before she decided to go see just what the two devils were inflicting onto the pair, a huffing noise came from one of the bedrooms.
She poked her head into the door, knowing that it wasn't one of the Mikaelson's. She spent far too many centuries ensuring her survival, to dare look into a room with either Klaus or Finn in it. She could hear the heartbeats of the witches downstairs, Sage was off somewhere and Klaus had disappeared in a huff. That only left the Forbes women unaccounted for.
Inside the room was Caroline looking into the floor length mirror lifting her shirt up to expose her ever expanding belly. With Katherine's enhanced senses the vampire could see her finger's playing with her jean's buttons. Snorting Katherine knocked on the doorframe to alert the woman to her presence. Caroline jumped at the noise, "Katherine."
"That was never my favorite thing about pregnancy," Katherine responded, pointing to Caroline's clothing. "I should be thankful jeans were not yet invented when I was human. Having limited clothing options actually helped during pregnancy it turns out."
"Say's the woman who came from the age where people thought wearing corsets was good for their figure." Caroline stuck her tongue out.
Katherine smirked, "It was far easier to forgo the underclothes of my time than modern fashion. We had limited resources, the dresses were of multiple pieces exchanged throughout the week. Easier to adjust to changing figures."
"Ulgh. I was trying so hard not to have to buy maternity clothing. What's the point when the likelihood of needing them again is zero!" Caroline complained using her hands to push the jeans down. Katherine walked over to her closet searching through it for something that would comply with an expanding waistline.
"You never know. Klaus seems to enjoy seeing his seed at work." Katherine ducked her head as the blonde threw a pillow at her head. Caroline huffed out a laugh as the vampire found a dress with an elastic waist and threw it at her.
"He can't stand me being human, far too vulnerable for his tastes." Caroline's nose twitched. "Four infant Mikaelson's will be a handful, don't you think?"
"I couldn't say I was never allowed to raise my daughter. I couldn't even locate her once I was a vampire." Katherine muttered bitterly, turning around to allow the blonde to change.
"How is Nadia?" Caroline asked curiously. "Is she still entrenched in the enemy's camp?"
"Yes. She has curious words about a certain werewolf in their camp. Your young Lockwood has been feeding them information on Elena and yourself." Katherine admitted.
Caroline's eyes didn't widen in surprise; it was as if she knew from the get go something like this would happen.
Katherine narrowed her eyes, "You knew that the wolf would never let go of his anger."
"Enzo spotted Tyler in Mystic Falls and Nadia has now confirmed what information he has been spilling out. Perhaps Enzo's word will be enough for Elena to see the stupidity of her plan." Caroline bite her lip. "Nik will not allow Tyler to live after this."
Katherine chuckled, "Tyler's insides will be ripped apart and strung up in his mother's face."
Caroline's eyes hardened, "He made his choice, even the wolf-bitch Hayley, told me that Tyler is still ripe with anger. I can't save him and even if I could I'm not sure I want to."
"Because of Elena?"
"Elena is making it perfectly clear just how little she thinks about anything other than what she wants." Caroline shook her head. "Klaus could have killed Tyler for trying to kill him in Mystic Falls, then again when he was here in New Orleans. Now that he is actively working with the enemy? Klaus will kill him."
Katherine touched Caroline on the shoulder forcing the younger woman to look her in the eye. "And will you be okay with that? I know you. I turned you at seventeen to be a sacrifice for the very man whose children you are now carrying. You are far more loyal than anyone I have ever met, even more than the Always and Forever Mikaelson's."
"I think Tyler's anger is never going away and if I have to choose between an ex-boyfriend with anger management issues and my family. I'm choosing my family every time."
"Then what do you say, we end this farce once and for all?" Katherine smirked.
A.N: I'm starting a new job, next month as a teacher, so my updates may be down to once a month during the school year it really depends on how much extra time I have to work on the stories. But they will not be abandoned, but updates may be slower. Anyways thoughts on the chapter? Any theories for what will happen?