Author's note: Hi beautiful souls! I had a lovely, beach-filled weekend, followed by a positively exhausting day today, which means that it's time to cheer myself up with an update! :D
I'm now wondering if this story will actually extend to 18 chapters. Oopsies. :D
The look Freya sent about the room would terrify the fiercest immortal. Perhaps if Klaus and Elijah were more creative in their pursuit to find an aid to keep Mikael and Esther away, they'd have thought to put them in close quarters with an angry Freya, and spend the rest of the trip on more pleasurable pursuits.
Instead, the present occupants of the parlor of the Mikaelson mansion were left to deal with that lot.
"I'm waiting," Freya hissed, her hair practically crackling with electricity, or so the chamber's occupants could have sworn they saw, emanating from the sheer anger dispersed by the witch's slight form.
When no one spoke, her eyes immediately fell on Kol, her forever first suspect, who raised his hands in innocent surrender, much to the disbelieving looks of anyone who's ever met him.
"You're telling me you had nothing to do with this?" Freya asked with obvious skepticism.
"With what?" Kol replied, his eyes widening even more so in that innocence he somehow managed to affect earlier.
"With all the weird things happening around town – I know you're behind it, somehow," she growled, then rounded on Bonnie. "And you! I know you're hiding something. Fess up!"
"Dear sister," Kol soothed exaggeratedly, which only served to rile Freya up even more – though that may have very well been his intention from the start. "Have you considered perhaps that you're imagining things? Nik's oft-ostentatious displays of paranoia have me convinced that it may be hereditary, and you don't have the benefit of vampiric healing for your blood pressure," he continued with seemingly utmost innocence, though any Mikaelson could see the undercurrent of jest and mocking in his tone.
"It's a wedding present for Rebekah," Bonnie stepped in, wisely interrupting the escalating altercation between the two siblings. "And it's a surprise. You'll find out within a few days."
Before Freya could respond, Rebekah jumped up and squealed with joy, pulling Bonnie in for a tight hug. "I love surprises! I can't wait!" she exclaimed exuberantly, then leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. "Will Marcel like it, too?"
Bonnie only smiled mysteriously, as witches are wont to do, and whispered in return. "Perhaps not at first, but he'll grow into it, when I make more."
Stepping away from Rebekah, Bonnie looked at Freya earnestly, taking the elder witch's hands in hers. "Please, Freya," she implored. "Trust me," then smiled playfully. "I'm invoking the Witches Council code, so now you have to."
Freya rolled her eyes at her antics, since no such code actually existed, and looked put out for a second, but nodded. "You shouldn't have snuck around."
"I wanted to make sure it'd work first – so I wouldn't get anyone's hopes up," Bonnie explained. "Once you see what it is, you'll understand," she smiled.
"Fine," Freya grudgingly admitted. "But the craziness around town? I know it's not my imagination, no matter what my annoying hell-spawn of a brother wants me to believe," she scoffed, sending Kol a look that could have frozen lava.
"I'm afraid that's my fault," Elena finally spoke after clearing her throat, pulling her hand out of Damon's to not implicate him, and stepped forward. "I cast a spell for my birthday."
"Just you?" Freya eyed her with a dubious smirk. "You're not a witch."
"Wow, your witchy powers of deduction really astound, Veronica Malfoy," Damon stepped closer, slightly in front of Elena, in a familiarly protective gesture that he hoped she found more comforting than alarming.
"What?" Freya asked in very clear confusion, having spent most of her life under a centuries-long sleeping spell. "Who?"
"He's making a pop-culture portmanteau," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes, still just a tiny bit salty over their little tryst – while not enough to physically cut into him again, certainly more than enough for the occasional verbal jab. "And trying to be funny, as usual." At Freya's utterly flabbergasted look, she continued. "Oh, come on. Veronica Mars is a blonde detective. Draco Malfoy is a magical, blond git. He's making fun of your hair. You should turn him into a newt," she added with a haughty little grin. "She can do that, you know. She's an Original witch."
"A portmanteau connects two concepts into one word, Sexy Bexy," Damon replied flippantly, enjoying the clear rise he was getting out of Rebekah. "Too bad that's not enough to keep my brilliant jokes from going over your head."
"And then I spread the spell onto the town," Kol grinned mischievously, not to be outdone by two vampires, and successfully gathering the attention back onto himself.
"What spell?" Freya asked, though she had a feeling, based on the events that transpired over the last few hours that she knew.
"Oh, come now, Freya," Bonnie smiled. "Don't tell me you don't recognize the effects."
"You gave her the spell," Freya breathed, eyes widening at Bonnie's suggestion. "Why?"
"It was her birthday," Bonnie shrugged, shooting a friendly glance at Elena, "and she needed it. And so did I – and so do all of us, to be honest. Perhaps you, most of all, Freya," she added softly, tilting her head to the side to study the hyper-responsible witch. "And you know it." Before Freya could ask another question, Bonnie simply shook her head. "You know what the spell is – you must have an inkling. If you'd had time to sleep, and dream, you'd have confirmation."
"The Twin Flame spell," Freya said numbly.
"Wait, what does dreaming have to do with anything?" Caroline asked, finally making herself known. "And what's a Twin Flame spell?"
"It's a spell that removes barriers and draws Twin Flames together – sometimes in very chaotic ways," Bonnie explained gingerly, with a tone bordering on apologetic. Caroline certainly hadn't asked to have the spell cast on her.
"Like having my humanity switched off against my will?" Caroline balked.
"Yes, sometimes," Bonnie winced. "But it looks like it's back! How did it return?"
"Stefan kissed me," Caroline explained, blushing. "True Love's Kiss," she mumbled, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Does this mean he's my Twin Flame?"
Bonnie drew her eyebrows together pensively. "Maybe - but one doesn't have to be your Twin Flame in order for true love to exist. Any soulmate would do," she said. At Caroline's puzzled look, she elaborated. "You can have multiple soulmates, but only one Twin Flame. Did you get any other confirmation?"
"Confirmation?" Caroline asked, bewildered. "Like what? A big, neon sign on Stefan's forehead proclaiming that he's my Twin Flame?"
"Witches have dreams of their Twin Flames, when the spell is cast. Sometimes, those who don't possess magic, get other hints."
Elena gasped, remembering illusionary-Davina's words in the Chambre de Chasse, and reached for Damon's hand to squeeze it in giddy excitement. Any worries Damon had over Bonnie's words instantly melted away at Elena's joyful reaction.
"Oh," Caroline said numbly. "I see. Well, there's still time, right?" she asked, brightening nervously.
Bonnie nodded, about to answer, when she was interrupted by a clearly worried Damon.
"Where's Stef?" Damon asked, not quite able to hide the consternation in his voice.
"Oh, he's in the basement, detoxing," Caroline answered with a wave of her hand, happy for a change of subject that led her on much firmer ground. "We decided to try moderation to help him with the ripper swings."
"Like I've been suggesting for years?" Damon asked, clearly annoyed.
"Well, maybe your delivery just sucks!" Caroline shot back.
"Moderation for ripper swings?" Davina asked curiously.
"It means Steffie's gradually downgrading from Bambi, to Thumper, to Mickey," Damon snarked, then leaned in to whisper in Elena's ear conspiratorially, "who's really annoying so, I hope he eats him for good finally." After earning a smile from her, he returned to addressing the group, "all the while, increasing his human blood intake, to get him used to it. Maybe we should send Donovan over. Make him actually useful."
Caroline narrowed her eyes at Elena, who was clearly trying very hard to fight a grin from escaping.
"Come on; let's get out of here," Elena urged, sensing that Damon and Caroline were very close to verbal blows again, because he evidently seemed to be in a mood to rile up everyone that day.
Happy to leave the Mikaelson mansion behind, Damon followed her out, and was rewarded with a passionate kiss as soon as they left the premises.
"I got the confirmation!" Elena exclaimed. "The one Bonnie was talking about."
"What was it?" Damon asked, to at least partially hide the yearning in his voice. When Bonnie first made it known that simply kissing each other's humanities back on wouldn't be enough, he felt that the cloud he'd been on since they'd chosen to leave the Chambre de Chasse together had been whisked from under his feet, leaving him before a grand and cavernous freefall. How could he have let himself hope so fiercely, so carelessly again? He knew he still loved her with all his heart, but what if it wasn't enough for her? What if she wanted to leave, to search for her Twin Flame? Would this person be arriving soon? What did it matter, anyway, if they were happy and in love?
"When I was in the first world I visited," Elena said, taking his hands in hers to squeeze them, feeling the rapid beating of his heart through the pulse points in his palms. "I made my way to New Orleans, where I met that witch accompanying Kol – Davina. She told me that I dreamt of you each night because you're my Twin Flame, and my heart was calling out for yours," she explained with the onset of a blush, suddenly feeling quite shy.
Damon's face broke out in one of the happiest smiles she'd ever seen from him, as he lifted her to spin her around, before claiming her lips in a searing kiss, still holding her in the air.
They finally separated when the need for oxygen made itself known, and he put her down, still breathlessly giddy.
Correctly sensing the source of his earlier anxiety, she placed a soft hand on his cheek. "But it wouldn't have mattered if I didn't see the confirmation. I would have chosen you, anyway," she breathed, then kissed his cheek, affecting a playful wiggle to her eyebrows to mimic his patented look. "I will always choose you."
"Your taste is dramatically improving, Elena," he replied very seriously.
"How can it be anything less? I apparently got you as my Twin Flame," she grinned. "Best birthday yet."
As the two vampires exited the parlor, Keelin couldn't help but look about nervously. She'd only learned that witches even existed recently, but now the Twin Flame spell.
Freya was a witch. Was Freya…?
It would explain a lot, wouldn't it? The instant connection – her suddenly being called to Mystic Falls from her holiday in Richmond.
"So, is this why there's such a large influx of visitors in town?" Keelin asked, finally speaking for the first time in what seemed like ages.
Freya uncharacteristically brightened, smiling proudly in her direction. "Exactly! You've deduced it perfectly."
Kol rolled his eyes, smirking at his other siblings. Seeing Freya, of all people, acting like a silly schoolgirl felt like something out of the Twilight Zone – or maybe the Brothers Grimm, he amended, aware of his sister's more severe nature.
"How long will it last?" Keelin inquired, concerned about the town's ability to accommodate so many occupants.
"Until everyone finds their Twin Flame," Kol explained. "You've only seen people in neighboring towns arrive – some of them might be coming from halfway across the world. Could take weeks," he smirked.
"Weeks!?" Keelin gapsed, alarmed. "Weeks of random little accidents, overpopulating the hospital? We'd need a lot more help."
"And you'll probably get it," Freya groaned. "Especially if members of this emergency medical staff have Twin Flames in Mystic Falls."
"On the bright side!" Rebekah announced. "There will be lots of festivities for the wedding!"
As the group separated into private conversations, Caroline cautiously approached Bonnie. The witch studied her curiously, appearing aware of her intentions.
"Bonnie," Caroline finally said, wringing her hands together, yet gathering the nerve. "I really need to talk to you."
"I know," Bonnie serenely replied, and gestured to an adjoining room.
"All right, squad! Places! From the top!" Enzo announced, doing his absolute very best to sound cheerful despite the less-than-spectacular performance by his troupe.
Hayley and Tyler took their places around the prop of a bonfire, which they insisted should be quite real when the play was finally performed.
Laughing cheerfully, the two danced, while other hybrids filled in as extras to prance around them. Tyler pulled Hayley into a kiss, and she coquettishly pushed him back, giggling. "Oh, Klaus! Thou art too keen – too swift – too bold. To entrap mine eye, you will not; for another hath foreseen to see it fly."
"Okay, stop!" Enzo called, barely hiding his frustration. "Why are you talking like that?"
"You said to try new things," Hayley retorted, arching her eyebrows in defiance.
Enzo took a long-suffering sigh. "You're right. I did. Please tell me why you made this choice."
"We're performing an epic play – and I thought making it sound Shakespearean would make it seem more authentic," Hayley explained.
"Shakespeare wrote in a way that was contemporary for his time – Elizabethan English – also known as Early Modern English," Enzo explained. "Tatia's scene takes place at the turn of the first millennium AD, so if you actually tried to sound like her, you'd be speaking a different language entirely. Pick up Beowulf, and you'll see what I mean," he continued with considerably more patience than he felt. "Actually, if you want to be really authentic, you'd probably have to speak the languages of the indigenous tribes in this area."
"Fine," Hayley pouted, though in Enzo's experience, she agreed a little too easily.
"I mean it. No 'thou,' no 'thine,' none of that," he insisted.
"I got it," Hayley smiled, nodding. "Is it still okay to improvise, if the spirit moves us?"
"Always," Enzo replied, finally feeling some relief. "That's the spirit of theatre, isn't it?"
"What about iambic pentameter?" asked Craig, one of the few hybrids who seemed to have a flair for the dramatic that didn't manifest almost entirely in bratty behavior.
"If you can manage it," Enzo grinned, "go for it. That's my kind of improvisation."
Enzo turned to gather the rest of his performers, not seeing the wicked grin on Hayley's face, then frowned when she heard her phone buzz again, to find yet another annoyed text from Klaus. She may be carrying his baby, but that hardly made him the boss of her.
Reluctantly, Hayley unlocked her phone to read it, feeling a sharp bout of pregnancy-induced nausea as soon as she read its contents. She was fairly positive the two were related.
Having run through the show twice, Enzo was content to call it a night. Everyone seemed to have their liens memorized, the blocking looked good, the cues were sharp. They were ready to move it up to dress rehearsals.
As he exited the rehearsal space, he found himself facing the almost chagrined face of Kimberley – the actress who quit the show days ago, upset that she had not been cast as the doppelgängers.
"Kimberley," he greeted with a frosty nod, and continued walking.
"Enzo!" she called, running after him. "I want you to let me back in."
"Now? You want me to let you back in the show now? Right before dress rehearsal?" Enzo asked, aghast.
"Were you able to find another Esther?" she asked with somewhat haughty pointedness.
"As a matter of fact, we have," he smiled tightly, lying through his teeth. Kim didn't exactly have to know that he'd taken on yet another role to save the production.
"Oh," she stuttered, not anticipating this reaction. "I see. Will you let me back in, please? I'm really sorry."
Enzo finally turned, sighing and growling at his soft heart. He could pretend to put up a battle, but he already knew it was lost. "You quit during Tech Week, Kim. You left your entire cast down. I don't know if I can trust you anymore."
"Please, Enzo! I was wrong – and I'm sorry. But this is my dream. Please don't kill my dream," she implored. "I'll play anyone."
"Fine," he huffed, lamented, angry at himself. "You can play Jenna. Dress rehearsal is tomorrow. Five sharp. Be there ten minutes to, or you're out."
"Thank you, Enzo!" Kim beamed. "I promise I won't let you down!"
Somehow, Enzo had a feeling that this was the exact opposite of true. At least the role barely had any lines.
Hi everyone! So sorry. I know I said that the play would be in this chapter, but it looks like other stories still needed to be told. Looks like I had to push it back – yet again! :D
Aah, looks like Kim is back - but she has barely any speaking lines. Let's see if she actually adheres to this. :D
I remembered that in Serendipity, witches were able to dream of their Twin Flame (but only witches) after the spell was cast, so i thought it would be handy to use it here, too!
Many gorgeous thanks to PixilatedDreamer and Wobalo for discussing the contents of the forthcoming play and all its preparation with me. Absolutely indispensable, since the play has to hit just right. :D Please read their stories, everyone. They're hilarious and fantastic and brilliant. Please also check out the lovely tales of Florencia7 and scarlett2112 to delight!
Much love to all. :D
