No pairing.

Thank you for the insightful comments. I haven't had time to respond, but I am reading all of them and including them in the plot.

Mystic Falls Cemetery

Monday, April 2, 2012

Evening

Damon and Stefan led the others to the old part of the cemetery.

"This part was established in 1792," Stefan began when they arrived. "Two years after they burned a hundred witches, so the story goes."

Damon surveyed the old, stone graves. The grass was untended and weeds obscured the blackened headstones, but he still knew where Giuseppe Salvatore's bones lay.

"That's true," Damon confirmed. "Emily Bennett told me that. Damn shame that they burned her after we left town. And here lies the old prick himself..."

Damon knocked aside some of the weeds. Time had erased the saying on the bottom of the grave, but the word "Father" was still clear. Giuseppe Salvatore, born October 9, 1810 and died January 23, 1864.

"Ha, I never noticed the date was wrong. Everything went down on September 25, 1864," Damon noticed. "I wonder if the Founders did that on purpose. Too many deaths on that day might have been a tad suspicious."

Stefan grinned, "Cover-ups were Mystic Falls strength from day one. Typical. But so many died who were never given fancy, stone headstones or a spot in a mausoleum."

Elijah set down a lantern although the vampires could all see well in the dark. The full moon would not rise for three more weeks and clouds obscured any stars that may have been visible.

Wordlessly, Stefan crouched down and pulled the weeds after from their mother's headstone. Damon helped him.

"These lands have always been thirsty for blood. It tis a shame that our own fathers were a party to that," Klaus mused. "Elijah, remember when those raiders came near the village. I think that was the only time I saw father happy. Then, he caught me looking whilst I was looking for pigments. I came across a dying warrior. Mikael thrust his blade in my hands and tried to make me kill him. When I wouldn't, he turned the blade on me..."

Elijah handed one of the shovels to Damon.

"I remember that raid, but I don't think you ever told me the rest," Elijah said, pausing to look at Klaus. "You couldn't have been more than ten summers."

"I was nine," Klaus said bitterly. "If only we could bring him back again, so I could kill him again..."

"Let's focus on the task at hand," Elijah reminded him, about to plunge his shovel into the hard dirt. "Sorry, Stefan, you should have the honors."

"You would probably mess up your nice suit," Stefan said, taking the other shovel.

Klaus smelled the air.

"A buck, perhaps?" Klaus announced. "We are getting low on animal blood. Stefan, you stay and help your brother. Elijah, up for a hunt?"

"No, as Stefan mentioned, I am not dressed for it. I forget my mobile in the car. I told Ric I'd call him with news," Elijah said.

Damon was about to say he had his phone, but Elijah vanished into the night. Klaus was already hunting the deer that he sensed.

Stefan guffawed, "They do that a lot. Don't they?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah, it's kinda annoying. Ready?"

"Born ready," Stefan confirmed, as they commenced the digging.

Several minutes and multiple shovels of dirt unearthed and the brothers heard a voice. A voice neither wished to hear.

"Hullo, boys," Katherine Pierce said in a musical tone. "I am happy to see you here!"

Damon groaned, flinging a load of dirt at Katherine's high leather boots.

"Katherine, we're never happy to see you. You have a lot of nerve showing your face here," Damon warned.

Katherine giggled and hopped back so none of the debris touched her boots. They were not cheap. She wore tight black leather pants and a silky blue blouse.

"You should have stayed in New York, Katherine. You look out of place here," Stefan said, they were several feet down in the hole and he had to look up to see her. Even in the dark, he noticed her heavy make-up and could smell her expensive perfume. She always had a fondness for the cloying smell of jasmine.

"You look tired, Stefan," Katherine noted. "I went by the boarding house but it was abandoned. I'm here to make things up to you."

Damon frowned at her use of the word you.

"He's not interested, Katherine. Why don't you run along while you still can? I'm sure you have lives to ruin and people to eat," Damon said, tapping his shovel on the coffin lid.

Katherine came closer and peered over at the edge.

"Open it. Let's see how the old man fared," Katherine giggled.

Elijah came back, not with his cell phone, but with a younger woman with dark hair.

"Ah, Katerina," Elijah said. "It has been a while. I see you brought a friend."
"Elijah," Katherine breathed. "What are you doing here?"

Damon jumped out of the grave.
"I told you that you should leave," Damon quipped, swinging his shovel menacingly.

"Damon! Back up," Klaus said, he dropped the deer he had caught. "I see my hunting is not over yet. This one is mine..."
Elijah pushed the woman he held forward.

Katherine scowled, "Elijah, let her go!"

"Why? For all me now, she is as evil as you," Elijah purred, baring his fangs and about to bite her neck.

"No, don't. She's my...daughter," Katherine protested.

Stefan hopped out. "We heard you suddenly had a daughter, Katherine. And a few other new tidbits about you. If you want this daughter to live, you better start talking."

Katherine slapped her own leg in frustration.

"I came here in good faith," Katherine said boldly. "Look, boys, there is no reason we can't all be on the same side here. I need something and then I'll be out of your hair."

Elijah retracted his fangs, letting go of the girl.

"Apologies, my dear," Elijah said. "I'm sure you are learning how ruthless you mother is. I am Elijah and this is my brother, Niklaus."

The woman shrank back and in a slavic accent said, "I am Nadia and we just came here for the book."

Damon smirked, "Ah, Emily's spell book. I'm assuming you have the Lockwood wolf tamed, eh? Did he call you right after he left tonight? Poor prick never had a chance against you."

Katherine vamped to Nadia and clutched her arm.

"No, he didn't," Katherine admitted. "But I have his truck and phone bugged. Amazing what technology can do. I'm sure you all still live in the dark ages. But at any rate, I need the spell book. By rights, Emily gave it to me."

Stefan chuckled, "That's bull, Katherine. You left Emily to burn when you escaped the tomb. I bet you had your lackeys kill her so she couldn't talk. I wouldn't put that past you."

"For your information, Stefan. I made a promise to a friend. Pearl is still in there," Katherine said. "I heard her little daughter, Annabelle, was intent on finding getting her out. I would hate for all the tomb vamps to get unleashed on this lovely little town. That would be sad. After all, boys, we were happy here once."

Stefan hopped back down in the hole and started to pry off the lid.

"Katherine, we don't have the time or patience for you," Stefan said, using a crow bar to lift off the lid.

Damon jumped down to help him.

Elijah and Klaus, still keeping Katherine and Nadia in their proximity, leaned closer to get a look.

Stefan finally used his fingers to pry the rotten wood open and with Damon's help flung back the lid.

Giuseppe's bones were clutching the grimoire along with rosaries. Damon went to get the book and when he touched the bones he was struck with a vision...

Salvatore Estate, 1864

They walked across the property, a father and his two sons.

Giuseppe said, "As descendants of the Founding Families, they'll want to know that they can count on you."

Stefan agreed saying of course they could.

Giuseppe turned his piercing eyes on his oldest, intoning, "I'm not sure your brother Damon understands the importance of duty."

Stefan, always loyal, blurted out that Damon left the Confederacy on principle.

"You'll forgive me then if I have trouble respecting a deserter," Giuseppe hissed.

Damon finally found his voice, "Well, I never asked for your respect."

Giuseppe sneered in revulsion, "Good for you, Damon. Because all I have is disappointment..."

Stefan took the grimoire from Damon gently and handed it to Klaus.

"Damon, hey, look at me," Stefan said carefully, trying to make eye contact with his brother.

Katherine leaned over, "Give Giuseppe a little kiss from me. After all, he got me out of a real jam..."

Damon snapped out of his dark thoughts, his eyes burning orange.

"Yeah, thanks, bitch," Damon growled. "If it wasn't for you..."
Damon leapt out of the grave and knocked over Katherine before anyone could react.

"Son, don't," Klaus said, pulling him off, the grimoire left in the dirt.

Katherine laughed before spitting in Damon's face.

"I heard he was your son!" Katherine howled. "How not fucking surprising!"
Damon roared again and howled, using his hybrid strength and bit Katherine's outstretched arm. Klaus was able to yank him back again with some effort.

"Mother!" Nadia screamed, going to her side.

"He bit me!" Katherine said, holding her bloody arm. "It burns!"

Elijah took the lantern as Stefan and Klaus tried to restrain Damon.

"He's a hybrid now," Elijah said, examining the bubbling, bloody wound. "This isn't going to heal."

Nadia stood and looked at Damon.

"He's not just a hybrid," Nadia determined. "He has a passenger fighting inside of him! You must chain him up immediately."

Elijah cast his eyes at her.

"What do you mean? He was cleansed of all that," Elijah replied.

"No, I've seen them do this before, when I was a child," Nadia confirmed. "It's different for vampires. The blade doesn't always work to excise the passenger. If the original body was destroyed, then there is no where for the soul to go back to."

Elijah handed Katherine a handkerchief to put over the wound, he pulled her up. She staggered.

"Klaus, get the grimoire," Elijah directed. "Nadia, in exchange for helping Damon, we'll see your mother cured. But until then, Damon won't be the only one chained up."

Mikaelson Mansion

Sage sat on the couch, trying to show Kol how to work her laptop.

"No, see you have to use the mouse to direct the arrow. Let this," Sage advised.

Julian spoke up, "There's mice in the attic. I think there's a couple of them."

Indy shushed him, "Shh, I'm trying to watch this."

Finn looked at the grandfather clock.

"Children, I'm afraid it's bedtime," Finn announced.

"Ah, but this isn't over. Can't we finish it, Uncle Finn?" Indy pleaded.

"Well, I suppose that would be okay-," Finn started.

Sage interrupted, "Dear, we can pause the show, it's on a disc. They can watch it tomorrow. Now, children, I wonder how can be the first up the stairs by walking?"

Sage had learned that the children liked to run everywhere and often fell or knocked off things in their haste.

Finn sheepishly said, "You are right, of course. I do not understand these things as yet."
"How come you don't know nothin'?" Julian grumped. "We're kids but we know a lot more."

Finn guffawed, "You can help teach me then. But I bet you don't know how to..." Finn was about to say hunt a wild boar, but he corrected himself to say,..."build a tree house!"

"Oh, I want a tree house," Indy moaned, getting up to go upstairs. "Can we have one?"

Finn shrugged, "Of course, but you two will have to help me. It's been many years since I picked up a tool or felled a tree."

Sage laughed, "We can buy the lumber now, my love. Come, children, I got you a new bubble bath."

Kol grumbled, "But Sage, you were helping me?"

"I thought you were going to wash those dishes, hmm?" Sage prodded. "Indy, pick up your toys. Julian, put the pillows back on the couch please."

Kol grumbled under his breath, "I'll never figure this out anyway."

Sage rounded up the children and took them upstairs as Finn said he'd be up shortly.

Finn sat by Kol.

"I'm proud of you, little brother. You are doing things I never dreamt of. I do not think I could be surrounded by all those people, as you were today. It must have been a sight," Finn shared.

Kol leaned back and agreed, "It was pure chaos and so loud. But Finn, you should have seen the ladies! Some were half-naked and so bold. I think I even blushed a few times."
Finn laughed and patted Kol on the arm.

"Well, we'll have to trust you to mind your manners and remain a gentleman," Finn counseled. "How did Rebekah do?"
"She had a fine time," Kol answered. "But she was surrounded by a gaggle of girls most of the day. I did see her run off with a human boy, though. Matt Donavan, one of Elena's friends. Don't worry, she didn't seem to feed off him or anything untoward."

"That is good news. I best go help Sage," Finn said. "I don't know how we would manage if she didn't know how to manage children. They are rather energetic, no?"

"You should see the ones at the high school!" Kol responded. "Some speak out of turn and seem like the world is the bane of their existence. Such folly to waste their youth being miserable."

"It is good to remember the gifts we have now. Oh, and don't forget those dishes," Finn said smiling again before he left.

Kol cocked his head, muttering, "Did he just smile again? Wonders never cease..."

He opened up the laptop and decided to try again.

Garage
Klaus drove the SUV into the garage and opened the door for Nadia. She had been holding her mother, as Stefan sat beside them just in case they got any ideas of escape.

Elijah and Damon drove back in Katherine's Aston Martin coupe.

Klaus took Katherine's good arm.

"I can still walk!" Katherine snapped, faltering a bit. "God, you could clean out this garage. What is all this junk?"

Klaus cleared his throat, he and Damon hadn't gotten very far in their cleaning of the garage.

"Antiques, from the previous owners," Klaus mumbled. "Now, you might start experiencing some hallucinations. We have humans in the house and we cannot have them endangered. I'll bring you a better bed, but for now, you'll have to make yourselves in the cellar."

"Great," Katherine said haughtily. "I've lived in castles and now I have to live in your basement? That's rich."

Klaus waited a moment until Elijah pulled in.

"Damon, come, you'll have to go in the cell also," Klaus explained.

Damon balked, as he slammed the car door shut, yelling, "I am fine. There is no passenger in me! Don't you think I would know?"

Stefan tried, "Damon, you blacked out a minute in the grave. You were gone."

"I was thinking about Father!" Damon roared, then looked at Klaus guiltily. "I mean, Giuseppe. You know what? I need a drink!"
Damon vamped away into the main house. Klaus started to follow him, but Stefan stopped him.

"Let me talk to him, okay?" Stefan said.

"He needs to be in the cell," Klaus confirmed. "He's not himself."

Nadia paused, holding her mother's arm.

"Ask him if he's had episodes of waking up in strange places or losing time," Nadia shared. "That's a sign that the other is trying to take over his mind and body."

"Thanks," Stefan said.

Klaus and Elijah took the woman to the basement cells, as Stefan went to try to reason with Damon.

Living Room
Kol looked up, realizing he had spent another hour on the computer. He finally got the hang of it. He was looking at cat pictures when Damon stormed in. He had already showed Enzo who was more perplexed than amused.

"Hey Damon, you have to see this picture! This cat is riding a...board with wheels on it!" Kol exclaimed.

"Nice, Kol, but kindly fuck off," Damon sneered, slamming around the glass decanters and sniffing them. "Where's the bourbon?"

"I don't know, mate. I fancy gin myself. What's happened?" Kol said. Stefan came rushing in.

"Kol, um, we just dug up our father's grave. Could you give us a minute?" Stefan asked, pleading with his eyes.

"Always so somber," Kol complained. "Shite, I best wash those dishes...Maybe I can get Wes to do it?"

Wes had been moving Aaron's things into a smaller bedroom off the kitchen. Aaron balked at being put in the maid's room, thinking he should stay in the larger room and Wes should be in the smaller one.

"Damon, come on, come sit with me," Stefan said. He had slipped off his shoes in the garage. "Or at least take off your boots. You're tracking mud everywhere."

"I don't give a fuck about mud," Damon fumed. He poured himself a glass of vodka straight and gulped it down. "That girl thinks I'm possessed!"

Stefan sighed and leaned back, patting the side of the leather couch.

"Yeah, well, you certainly haven't been yourself lately," Stefan commented. "I mean, have you had any incidents of like, losing time?"
Damon slammed down his glass shattering it, but not noticing.

"How did you know? Are you spying on me, too?" Damon accused.

"No, man," Stefan said. "Nadia said that was a sign. Look, what happened in the grave?"

Damon exhaled and shook out his hand, now wet with liquor.

"I don't know. I touched his hand and it was like I was back in 1864, when Father told us about the vampires," Damon admitted.

"Yeah, I remember that," Stefan said quietly. "I was just so happy you were home. I wanted you and Father to get along for once, but you couldn't."

"Couldn't? He called me a deserter!" Damon shouted. "And I was one. A part of me thought he'd actually be happy that I was alive and in one piece. So many others, younger and older, never got to go home."

"I was happy, Damon," Stefan said with emotion. "I was so scared that I'd never see you again. I wrote you letters begging you to come home. I didn't understand what you were risking, though."

Damon finally came and sat down by Stefan.

"Why do you think I came home? I got your last letter, you sounded so miserable and alone," Damon confessed. "I didn't care if they hanged me, I know I had to get home to you. Then, when I did...Katherine was already there."

"Nothing was ever the same again," Stefan finished. "But thank you, Damon. Thanks for coming back. I guess I never said that before."

"You never had to," Damon said, quietly.

Stefan reached over and embraced Damon, unashamed to let himself cry. It had been a hell of a night.

"Come on," Stefan said, wiping at his face. "We need to get you better. Will you come down to the cellar with me?"

"Yeah," Damon said gruffly. "But only to see Katherine suffer."

Stefan smiled and they walked down arm in arm.

"What's going on?" Rebekah asked. "Did I miss anything?"

"Oh, not much," Stefan said lightly. Then, the brothers laughed and went down to the cells.

Cellar

Klaus looked at Katherine's wound again, it was already festering.

"Call a witch," Katherine demanded. "It burns like acid. Nadia has told you everything she knows."

"Not everything," Elijah snarked. "We need the location of these Travelers. They threatened us before. You are kin to them, you must know their habits."

Nadia shook her head, "I haven't been a Traveler for hundreds of years. After my birth, as you well know, my grandparents were murdered. A kind old aunt had taken me in, to hide the family's shame. After, we joined the others. Though I was a Traveler on my grandfather's side, I was still considered an outsider. As my first chance, I escaped and found a vampire to turn me. I knew my mother was out there."
Katherine patted her hand. "I looked for you, too. For decades. I should have guessed my strength would manifest in my child. A pity it took so long for us to reunite. If I wasn't running from Klaus, that would have been sooner."

Klaus rolled his eyes, "The past is long over. Let us now look forward. I will make some calls and see what we can do. Nadia, we'll get you some paper to write down everything you know. Covens rarely change their patterns. Think of when and why they moved from location to location. Was it based on the stars, moon, or seasons?"

The younger vampire nodded, her dark eyes so much like her mother's.

"Yes, they did move with the seasons," Nadia replied. "I suppose they did travel in a sort of circuit..."
"Good. We'll be back with some blood and that bed," Elijah confirmed. "Katherine, try not to move that much. It is making the venom move more quickly throughout your system."

"Great," Katherine mopped. "This better not leave a scar."

"Help my son and you will remain unscathed," Klaus said. "I will not harm you."

"And you? I need more than that," Katherine growled.

"None of us will harm you. You have our word," Elijah said gravely. "As Niklaus said, we'll put old grievances aside. We've turned over a new leaf. Also, you have leaves all through your hair."

Katherine started to bat through her hair, but Nadia said she'd pick them out.

Elijah and Klaus left and locked the cell door.

Klaus whispered, "You still fancy her, don't you?"

Elijah sneered, "As I fancy a viper! Bite your tongue, Brother."

Klaus snickered but sobered up as Damon and Stefan approached.

"You were successful, Stefan," Klaus commented.

"Not if I still have a freaking ass witch inside me," Damon snapped.

"Mind your tongue, Son. It shalln't be long. I will rectify this situation," Klaus vowed. "Now, into the other cell. I'll fetch you some blood and anything else you want."

"I want a bottle of bourbon. Good stuff," Damon demanded.

"I think blood and a bit of dinner will do you some good. Perhaps a nap?" Elijah said smoothly.

Damon huffed and entered the cell.

"Better hurry before I wolf out again," Damon taunted.

They locked the door as Stefan looked through the small grate.

"Stefan, you best go to bed," Elijah said firmly.

"I want to stay here," Stefan said.

Klaus put a hand on Elijah, "Let him stay a bit longer. Come on, we have much to do."

Elijah looked back. "Not all night. You still have school in the morning. And watch your tone, please."

"Don't remind me," Stefan muttered. "I don't need a babysitter!"

Klaus pushed Elijah up the stairs as they heard Stefan say, "Watch your tone."

"Let him be. He's upset and we need him to keep Damon calm," Klaus warned. "We have many requests to make tonight. I think our contacts are going to stop answering our calls."

"I wrote Ric a hefty check," Elijah shared. "I just hope he doesn't try to cash it tomorrow. I might have to send Enzo with Wes to get those funds. There is simply no time."

"Well, didn't you compel him to behave himself? He should be fine," Klaus said, as they got into the kitchen.
"I didn't compel him. I just made him think I did," Elijah admitted quietly. "An underhanded ruse, but he has far more self-control than he believes he has."

"If he kills Wes and Aaron, I am holding you responsible," Klaus hissed back.

"I know," Elijah said. Then, he noticed the mess in the kitchen.

"Kol! I asked him to do one thing!" Elijah complained.

"Leave it, we have other matters to deal with," Klaus coaxed. "I'll phone Ric. We are going to need that information on the Travelers from the Armory. You call Bonnie and her cousin."

"I'm sure they will be thrilled," Elijah said dryly.

"Indeed," Klaus said wryly. "Or indeed not. But you can be persuasive."

"As can you," Elijah retorted. He was holding the grimoire, that he had slipped into his jacket. "I bet the Bennetts would love to get this grimoire back. It's written in a code, but hopefully they can figure out the spells."

"That tomb should probably not be opened," Klaus answered.

"As long as it is still sealed, we should be fine," Elijah replied, frowning at the mess in the kitchen. He would at least put the leftovers away, if they were still good. He was going to have words with Kol later.