A/N: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Everything except for my OC Grace and this story, are owned by author L.J Smith. Please review, and no flaming will be tolerated. You have been warned!
Apologies for the very late update. Life just took precedence for the moment: illness, studying, work, birthdays, deaths in the family etc. I will try to update as much as I can, but patience in this case, will be a virtue.
Thanks :)
FIVE BROTHERS IN ARMS?
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." ~William Shakespeare.
Previously on A Thousand Years…
"I was feeling benevolent." Nik insisted, nonchalantly. Stefan sneers, and for once I tended to agree with him.
"You're never benevolent." Stefan pointed out. "Who is this guy? What's the five?"
"You really think Nik's just gonna answer your questions, Stefan?" I piped up, earning his attention.
"It's a good thing I have nothing to do today, except get answers out of you." Stefan sits down and looks at Nik, who looks thoughtfully at him.
"Fine. You might actually be useful in persuading my sister to cooperate." Nik relented, and I frowned wondering what use Rebekah could be in terms of these 'Brotherhood of the Five'. Nik walks from the room and both Stefan and I follow him, all ears to what Nik was about to reveal.
"The brotherhood of the Five was a group of highly skilled vampire hunters. We crossed paths with them in 12th century Italy."
I smiled, immediately excited about learning something new about what transpired with my vampire family after my untimely demise during the 10th century.
Mikaelson Mansion
(Grace's P.O.V)
Nik smiled back, amused by my eagerness to learn something about his past.
"My siblings and I had followed the Normans as they conquered the South. Feeding, turning people as we went…"
(FLASHBACK)
Italy, 1114
(Klaus's P.O.V)
Elijah and I walked into the Town Square. Immediately we notice a man standing on a stage in the distance, with an audience standing around him. Behind him on the stage, some people were tied up to wooden poles and were staked through the chest. We watched with interest as he speaks to the crowd surrounding him.
"These demons live among you. Passing as human." He indicates to the unfortunates behind him with a gesturing hand. It became apparent that while feeding and changing people during our travels, we had unintentionally exposed our true nature. Elijah and I pause to watch this gentleman walk toward a large box, big enough to hold a person, that he had sitting on the stage with him.
"So, witness with your own eyes," He opens the box, allowing a man to step from it, and we watch as he starts burning to death from the sun exposure. I was unimpressed, and frankly a little bored with the display. But Elijah looked just a tad concerned. The man walks down from the stage, looking unabashed by what we and the crowd had just witnessed.
"He's putting on quite the show," Elijah mutters to me, and I shrugged.
"He is nothing. I could eat him for sport," I said, dismissively.
"Still, you should heed the warning. Between you here and Kol in the east, you have not been discreet," Elijah warns me, with a disapproving frown that I roll my eyes at. "Stories of the Original vampires are spreading."
I grinned.
"I welcome such infamy. But if you're worried about discretion, perhaps you should wrangle our sister," I suggested, pointing out Rebekah and the man we just witnessed proving a point that he was on to us, standing nearby. I bristled angrily when he kisses my sister's hand. Rebekah smiled, clearly charmed by this revolting public display of affection, which I immediately feel jealous of, because I cannot do the same thing with my beloved Graínne – whom I have been bereft of for 113-years.
I wish you were here, sweetheart… I thought sadly, as I watched Rebekah and her current beau walk away, arm in arm.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Mikaelson Mansion
Present Day.
(Grace P.O.V)
I frowned at the troubled expression on Nik's face, as he recalled the time, he and Elijah had witnessed one of the Five publicly incinerating vampires in front of onlookers. I wouldn't have thought Nik would've cared less to be honest, even if Elijah had stressed a little more caution from him. So, it obviously was something else bothering him about the memory.
"Nik, are you okay?" I asked, and Nik snapped out of his brood and smiled at me, taking my hand in his and kissing the back of it tenderly.
"I'm fine, love." He reassures me and remains holding my hand.
I wasn't convinced.
"So, these hunters have been around for nine hundred years?" Stefan questioned, sounding a little skeptical. Nik nodded in response to his question.
"Apparently. Though our friend in the other room is the first I've seen since then," Nik frowned. "Kind of makes you wonder what they've been up to all these years."
"And Bekah had a thing with one of them?" I added, curiously.
"Oh, she didn't just have a 'thing'" Nik corrected me, looking irritated. "She fell in love with him." I wasn't entirely surprised by Nik's reaction to this reminder. Rebekah had told me that Nik was unbelievably overprotective and possessive of those he believed to be his. Whether it be a lover, or a member of his family. She had even warned me that Nik would be just the same with me too, hence why he and Damon don't get on.
"He told her all his secrets," Nik carried on with the explanation to my question, before frowning sharply at Stefan who looked slightly taken aback. "Which I will gladly share with you provided you do one thing for me," He requested, upon which Stefan immediately gets on the defensive.
"And what's that?"
"Get Rebekah over here," He orders, urgently. "She's being stubborn and hateful. I need to make peace with her." Nik insists, and I almost snort; knowing it was going to take a lot for Rebekah to look past what he had said to her about no longer being his sister, in a spontaneous act of hurt and fury when she destroyed what was left of Elena's human blood.
Nik gets to his feet.
"I want her to give me some very important information about the hunter which she won't do, unless she believes we've made up." He explains, and I immediately protest.
"You mean, you're going to trick her?" I was appalled. "Nik, you can't do that!" He ignores me just as Stefan gets up, looking suspicious.
"And what's in it for me?" He requests. Nik waves a flippant, impatient hand at him, while I glare at him for ignoring my objections.
"Just get her here and I'll tell you," Nik instructs. Stefan goes to leave, but Nik stops him. "Oh, and Stefan, trust me when I say this; that hunter in there holds the answer to all your prayers." Stefan nods curtly at my fiancé before leaving. I sigh heavily and get to my feet as well. If Nik was going to force his sister to forgive him so he can get what he wants, then I was going to remain neutral, whether he likes it or not. "Grace…" Nik calls out, warningly.
I pause with my hand on the doorknob and look back disapprovingly at him.
"You are going the wrong way about it, if you are being sincere about gaining Rebekah's forgiveness, Nik. I hope you know this." I pointed out, flatly.
Mystic Grill
(3rd person P.O.V)
The very last thing Stefan really wanted to do was to once again be Klaus's little errand boy. However, if doing so got the answers he required about these 'five' that Klaus had briefly described earlier to him and Grace, he was willing to put his issues with him on the backburner. There was one of only a few places that Rebekah could be lurking, so Stefan went to the most obvious place, and found the Original on his first try. The blonde was sitting in a booth with April Young, warning off the younger girl away from Matt, who had just walked away from the booth. Rolling his eyes, Stefan made a beeline for the booth and slid in beside April, who looks at him with shock and confusion, while Rebekah eyes him suspiciously.
"You won't remember any of this," he compels April, before turning and looking at Rebekah. "Klaus wants me to fake peace with you, so you'll talk about the Five." Rebekah snorted, unimpressed and obviously not willing to do any favors for her brother.
"Yeah, I bet, but don't help him," she advises Stefan. "He'll just betray you. It's what he does."
"Alright, well, forget him. Help me, instead." Stefan suggested, and Rebekah narrows her eyes at him, curiously.
"Why? You hate me more than he does."
"Because I want to figure out what he's up to and plus I can give you the one thing he won't." Stefan hinted, dangling the bait above Rebekah's head.
"And what's that?" She asks, cautiously, batting away the 'bait' impatiently.
"A clean slate," Stefan offers. "I'm not saying that I'm willing to forgive you for what you did to Elena, but I'm willing to set it aside and start over."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because you're obviously not leaving town anytime soon and I'm just looking for a way we can all get along," Stefan points out. "Plus, you can't be too happy wondering around school with no friends." Rebekah glowers at him for the reminder of her loner status that she desperately wanted to shake.
"Well, what if I don't care what you or anyone else thinks?" Rebekah chose to remain stubborn and uncooperative to see where her ex was going with this bargaining scheme. Stefan glances over at the bar where Matt was busy wiping down the counter and taking customer's orders.
He shrugs nonchalantly.
"Well, I'm pretty sure that you care what Matt, over there, thinks." He indicates to Matt, and Rebekah's hard face softens a little. "So, maybe I can talk to him about a clean slate too?"
"You forget that I'm with your brother?" Rebekah pointed out, churlishly. Stefan raised an eyebrow.
"Then why stop April from pursuing Matt?"
"They're not compatible. Sorry, love." She tells April, who looks both hurt and indignant by what Rebekah said.
Stefan sighed impatiently.
"Still, I can give you a hand where Matt's friendship is concerned. What say you?"
Mikaelson Mansion
(Grace's P.O.V)
I was lying on the couch in the Living Room, absently sketching away a random drawing, and trying to distract myself from my misgivings regarding Nik attempting to falsely win back favour with Rebekah. The front doors suddenly open, and I sit up and glance over cautiously, and relaxed when I see Stefan coming through with an obviously very reluctant and surly faced Rebekah in tow.
"Bekah?" I set aside my artwork and get off the couch, coming over to my sister who smiles at me and pulls me into a hug. "Stefan obviously managed to convince you somehow?" I indicated towards Stefan who was pointedly ignoring us and looking rather impatient. Both Rebekah and I rolled our eyes at his sour attitude.
"Yeah, well. We came to a sort of compromise." Rebekah was flippant which was an indication that this dinner between the four of us was not going to be a very pleasant one. "So where is my backstabbing, bastard of a brother?" She requested brusquely and I sighed heavily.
"I'm surprised you even had to ask; he's still torturing our 'guest' in his quote unquote, 'red room of pain' as Stefan described it." I raised an eyebrow at Stefan for the description earlier, but he merely smirks at me, and I shake my head and walk off in the direction of the room. Rebekah follows, with Stefan trailing behind.
We find Nik still standing with Connor who was groaning and gasping for breath on the torture device he was strapped to.
"You feeling alright, mate? Are the shackles too tight?"
Connor merely glares at Nik, as he turns his head and smiles warmly at me when he spots me standing in the threshold, frowning at him disapprovingly and looking bored.
"Hello, sweetheart. Welcome home, sister." He smirks at Rebekah. I know I should be used to my fiancé's rapid changes in mood by now, but I swear that they are going to give me whiplash one day. Rebekah steps closer to Connor, inspecting him before turning and glowering at Nik.
"Is this a trick?" She demanded. "How do you know he's one of the Five? Where's his bloody tattoo?"
"Oh, the tattoos aren't visible on this lot like they were on the last." Nik stated as he walks over to where I was standing with Stefan, and wraps his arm around my waist, leading me from the room. "Let's eat." Rebekah huffs impatiently as she follows us, while Stefan merely rolls his eyes at their theatrics and follows also.
Nik escorts us to the dining room, where he immediately pulls out the chair on the left side of the head of the table, and I wordlessly take a seat, thanking him when he pushes the chair in for me. Rebekah and Stefan take their seats as Nik sits in his and acknowledges a scantily clad young girl, roughly Elena's age, who walks in and begins serving us food.
"Thank you, my lovely." Nik said, as I frown and eye-sweep the poor girl from head to toe as she walks off, before raising an eyebrow at Nik who smiles pleasantly at me and shrugs. "I could kiss the Council for burning up all the vervain in town. They made my life so much easier." Nik comments breezily, and I glanced down when he reaches over and takes my hand, holding it casually in his while not taking his eyes off Rebekah or Stefan. I looked up at him questioningly, before belatedly realising that this was his way of 'reassuring' me that I was still his, and that the serving girl was just for show. I sigh and humour him, reaching for my wine glass and taking a sip, just as Nik admonishes Rebekah, teasingly. "Rebekah, love, eat your veggies."
"I'm not eating until you apologise," Rebekah glowers.
"For which indiscretion? There have been so many," Nik asked lightly. Rebekah bristles, and both Stefan and I tense up, both of us already over this petty (and admittedly valid) argument.
"You broke my neck."
"You threw away Elena's blood so I can't make any more hybrids," Nik retorts.
"Because you took me for granted!"
"That's what big brothers do, sweetheart!" Nik's temper was flaring, and I sent a panicked look across the table at Stefan, who thankfully took the hint, and cleared his throat pointedly.
"Let me just name the million other people I'd rather be having dinner with right now…" Stefan cut into the argument, casually.
"Can we just get to the whole reason why we are here, please?" I added, and both Nik and Rebekah pause and glance at Stefan and I, as though remembering that they had witnesses to their feud.
Eventually, Nik caved first.
"Alright, fine. I'm sorry." Nik said to Rebekah, somewhat insincerely. "I often forget how delicate you are," I shut my eyes in frustration and pursed my lips; starting to gather what little patience I owned, so I did not get to my feet and knock both their heads together. "Forgive me?"
"I'll take it under consideration."
"Good enough, I suppose?" I muttered, taking another sip from my wine.
"Okay, good. Now, why don't you tell me about Rebekah's hunter?" Stefan got straight to the point, earning a nod and smirk from Nik.
"Right, Alexander. Nice chap foregoing the obvious issues. He was looking for creatures of the night which is why we felt quite safe around him wearing our daylight rings."
(FLASHBACK)
Italy, 1114
(Klaus's P.O.V)
Elijah, Alexander, Rebekah, and I sat around our dining table, laden with a sumptuous feast. A young maiden we had compelled earlier, comes over and pours us some wine from a decanter. Alexander looked slightly uncomfortable, a feeling that I had no doubt was somewhat mollified by the presence of my sister sitting beside him.
"I am unaccustomed to such luxury," Alexander admitted, and I just barely managed to restrain myself from snorting into my own goblet of wine when I picked it up to take a sip. Elijah shot me a warning glare as he smiled pleasantly at him, ever the consummate gentleman.
"Well, it's the least we could do to repay you for opening our eyes to the truth. We're curious to hear more about your order. Your crusade."
"We are but five men. Bound by fire the last breath of a dying witch to be a single cause; the destruction of all vampires." Alexander explained, and I looked at him dubiously.
"And how do you hope to achieve this?"
"We have the ultimate weapon which no vampire can survive," Alexander boasted, confidently.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Mikaelson Mansion
(Grace's P.O.V)
A weapon? Seriously? All of this fear and warmongering is over yet another bloody weapon of mass destruction. Stefan and I just blinked back at my fiancé, unimpressed and quite frankly annoyed.
"So, that's what this is about? A weapon." Stefan clarified.
"Not just any weapon," Rebekah corrected him, but Nik jumped in before she could elaborate further.
"Rebekah, love, don't get ahead of the story." He scolded lightly.
"How is a weapon the answer to all my prayers?" Stefan demanded. I watched as Nik and Rebekah exchange looks with each other but didn't elaborate. Stefan clenches his fists in frustration, and I wasn't the first to admit that I was right alongside him with the feeling. "Okay! Why don't we just skip with the theatrics and get right to the point?"
"Not quite yet, because in order to find this weapon, we need to solve the puzzle." Nik explained, before frowning. "Which seems to have disappeared."
"What puzzle?" I piped up. Nik doesn't look at me, or bother giving any explanation. He just looks meaningfully at Stefan and raised his eyebrows; obviously waiting for him to get the message. It didn't take long before Stefan suddenly cottoned on, and a surprised expression appeared on his face.
"The tattoo."
My eyes widened in shock.
"What is it?" I asked, and Nik turned and smiled at me indulgently.
"A map. Leading us to its treasure," He explained.
"Fat lot of good a tattoo's gonna do, if we can't see it." Rebekah bitched.
"We can't, but someone else can." Nik turns towards a nearby serving girl and beckons her over. "Why don't you tell the hybrid to bring him in, love?" The girl nods and walks from the room. "You see, the hunter was so eager to get to the bottom of his mystery tattoos, that he mentioned there was only one other person that can see them…" Nik gestures to the dining room door and on cue, a hybrid walks in, leading a slightly confused and protesting Jeremy with him.
"Oh, yeah. Jeremy. I can't believe I forgot that." I muttered. Nik looks at me with slight annoyance, just as Jeremy spots him and calls out.
"Hey, Klaus. I got your message. What's up?" He asks, prompting Stefan to immediately jump out of his seat and blur towards the youngest Gilbert. Nik lets go of my hand and also blurs from his seat, standing directly between Stefan and Jeremy. He turns and offers Jeremy a friendly smile, which he ignores in favor of looking around Nik and frowning at me questioningly.
"Uh, Grace? What's going on?"
"I'm getting to that, Jeremy. If you will indulge me for a few moments?" Nik pipes up before I could respond. Jeremy immediately frowns at Nik, sensing trouble. "You see, Stefan, lucky for us, young Jeremy here is a bit of an artist." He hints, and Jeremy raises an eyebrow.
"You want me to draw something for you?"
"Smart lad," Nik complements him, but Jeremy doesn't smile.
"What am I drawing?" He asks, and I get up from my seat and walk over to them, pausing in front of the teenager.
"Jer, do you remember that tattoo you saw on that guy's arm back at the Grill?" I hinted, and Jeremy immediately grinned.
"Oh, yeah. That was some awesome ink. What about it?" He asked, and I just looked at him. It only took a few minutes for it to click in the teenager's head and his eyes widened. "You want me to draw that tattoo?" I nodded. "What do you need me for? Can't you draw it?"
"See that's the thing, Jer. I can't see it. For some reason, only you can." I stated.
Jeremy immediately groaned.
"Oh, shit."
I lead Jeremy into the room Nik was keeping Connor captive in. The moment Jeremy spots Connor he freezes, especially when the older man glowers at him when he realises who Jeremy was.
"Is there a problem here?" I asked Jeremy who shakes his head and walks over to a nearby chair and takes a seat on it.
"Let's just get this over with," Jeremy mutters, and I nod and hand him one of my spare sketch pads and a pencil. However, I kept noticing him glancing every now and then at Connor with curious glances, that had nothing to do with the purpose he had been brought in here for.
"Do you want me to stay with you, or are you cool?" I questioned my friend who looks up at me and gives me a weak smile.
"Up to you." He shrugged, before getting started drawing out the tattoo. I decided to stick around, mostly because I was curious about what the tattoo actually looked like, but also because there was safety in numbers, just in case Connor attempted to try anything with Jeremy in a bid for escape. A few minutes into Jeremy's sketching, Connor finally spoke up.
"You set me up at the hospital," he accused Jeremy. "Led me into a trap. Why?"
"You were trying to hurt people who are important to me," Jeremy replied without looking away from what he was doing. This was apparently the wrong thing to say to Connor who suddenly looked outraged.
"Important to you?" I observed them, curiously. "That vampire is forcing you to do his bidding! I don't understand how you can see the tattoo if you're a sympathiser." Connor ranted.
Jeremy paused and glared up at him.
"Okay, first of all, nobody is forcing me to do anything. I came because I wanted to, and because he is one of my friends," Jeremy retorted coldly. "And secondly, what exactly do you understand? Because a couple days ago, you seemed to have all the answers and now you know jack." He accused in return. "Where did this tattoo come from? Why am I the only one who can see it?" Connor eyed me suspiciously, and I scowled mistrustfully back. "You can say whatever in front of her, she's cool." Jeremy reassures Connor, who still doesn't look convinced.
"How do I know she won't tell anyone?"
"You don't." Jeremy shrugged, before returning to his sketching. Connor still eyed me suspiciously, but realising he technically had nothing to lose letting me hear what he was about to reveal, he started talking.
"Years ago, I met someone with the mark. Claimed he had this intense desire to kill vampires, like it was engrained in his DNA. He told me the same thing I told you, that if I could see the mark, I was a potential." Jeremy paused once again and looked at me, with a raised eyebrow.
"Who was he?" He asked.
"Just a guy I served in Iraq with," Connor shrugged like it was no big deal. "I lost track of him and then one day; tattoo just showed up on me. It started on my hand, but the more vampires I killed the more it spread – like it was trying to tell me something." My eyes widened in response to this valuable piece of information. "I just – I just don't know what." Connor then fell silent after that, and Jeremy glanced back down at his work, and continued drawing; looking troubled by what he had just learned.
"Uh, keep drawing. I need to follow up on something," I explained to Jeremy, who nods absently before I get up and walk from the room.
I head back towards the dining room, just in time to hear Stefan ask Nik a question.
"So, tell me more about this tattoo." Stefan requested, just as I stepped into the room. Having obviously heard me coming and without looking in my direction, Nik holds out a hand towards me, inviting me into the conversation too. I walk forward and take Nik's hand, allowing him to pull me towards him and perched on one of his armrests.
He wraps an arm around my waist.
"My sister's suitor was unwilling to tell us anything. Rebekah, however, was more than willing to investigate," Nik explains, before looking over at Rebekah, who looked pale. "Isn't that, right?" Rebekah looks down, ashamed.
I frowned, wondering why.
(FLASHBACK)
Italy, 1114
(3rd person p.o.v)
A giggle here, a chuckle there, and the sounds of lips smacking and sheets rustling, leads Rebekah and Alexander into a passionate make-out session in his bed. Rebekah straddles him, looking down lovingly into his eyes before they resume kissing. Eventually, they both pull apart and Alexander smiles at her while Rebekah runs her hand across a familiar tattoo emblazoned on his chest.
"How do you read these symbols?" She asks, curiously. Alexander gently grabs her hand in his and sits up, with Rebekah still sitting astride his hips.
"The map took my brothers and I years to translate," He leans over and picks up a nearby sword, which was leaning against the bed. Rebekah eyes it curiously. "The sword is the key to reading it." He puts it aside, and cups Rebekah's cheek in his hand. "Have you considered my offer? To come with me when I leave to follow the map." He asks.
"I have, and I would like that very much," Rebekah responded, nodding. Alexander smiles and accepts the kiss Rebekah gives him. When they pull apart, she glances over at something lying on the cabinet next to the bed. "What is that?"
"Oh, that. That…" Alexander picks up a very familiar silver dagger, which would soon become the bane of Rebekah's existence every time she sees it from then on. "…is a very special weapon. For a very special kind of vampire." He explains slyly as he dips it into a vial of white oak ash. "When my brotherhood has achieved its destiny, those monsters will cease to exist. Until then, we have the daggers."
"Do you really believe they're all so evil they must be put down?" Rebekah asks him, looking sceptical.
"Let us not talk of such evil. Let us do this," Alexander leans forward and kisses an eager Rebekah. "And this," He kisses her again. "And this," He kisses her neck, earning a giggle from Rebekah, who fails to notice a sinister gleam in her lover's eyes. "And this!"
He stabs her through the heart with the silver dagger.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Mikaelson Mansion
(Grace's P.O.V)
My eyes widened in outrage and looked sympathetically at Rebekah who continued to avoid looking in anyone's eyes during the entire explanation by Nik.
"That sneaky son-of-a-bitch!" I hissed, angrily. Nik's thumb rubbed soothingly over my hip, understanding, and presumably agreeing with my outburst, as he continued to casually recall what had transpired 897 years ago.
"My sister's boyfriend threw a slumber party that night. He and his brothers put us all down in our sleep. Elijah, Kol, Finn, and me." He aimed a disapproving, irritated look at Rebekah, who flushed with anger.
"How was I supposed to know?" She retorted defensively. Nik reached for his wine glass and raised it in the air in a salute.
"Cheers, to my sister's uncanny ability to choose men." He toasted, and I elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grunt.
"Oh, be fair. People do a lot of stupid things when they're in love," I scolded him, as he looked at me for an explanation. "Rebekah's not the first, and she's certainly not going to be the last." Nik merely rolled his eyes as my sister threw me a grateful smile.
"I thought the daggers didn't work on you because of your werewolf side." Stefan pointed out, looking lost. I gulped uncomfortably when Nik's response to this statement was to smirk evilly.
"They don't."
{FLASHBACK)
Italy, 1114.
(3rd person P.O.V)
Klaus stood in the middle of Alexander's chambers; the only Mikaelson sibling who had not succumbed to the effects of what was soon to be known as the White Oak Dagger, that Alexander and his brothers had ruthlessly (and foolishly) impaled the siblings with. The room looked like a massacre had taken place, which in essence, it had. The walls were stained with smears of blood, and Klaus himself was covered with blood from head to toe. He paused at the foot of Alexander's bed where his sister was lying with a dagger in her heart and glared scornfully at her for her stupidity and naivety.
Hesitating for only a second longer, Klaus calmly walks over to Rebekah's side and pulls the dagger from his sister's chest, before walking back to stand at the foot of the bed. A few minutes later, Rebekah gasps and wakes up, looking around the room in a bewilderment before finally catching the hard, livid stare of her older brother.
"What happened?" Rebekah wheezed, confused.
"Ask him," Klaus suggested before stepping aside and revealing Alexander who had been impaled against the wall with his own sword. Seeing this, Rebekah immediately begins to cry. "Only, he cannot answer because I have ripped out his tongue. Along with the rest of them." Rebekah cringed at the hard tone her brother was using, and looked up at Klaus, seeking absolution.
"Nik, I had no idea—"
"But you should have!" Klaus snapped. "Your only family was nearly wiped out, because of your stupidity. What did he promise you?" He demanded, harshly.
"Nothing. Nothing." Rebekah whispered, remorseful. Klaus did not believe her. He walked over to the side of the bed and towered over her, demanding the truth.
"He would not have made a move unless he knew you were vulnerable. You trusted him, over me!" He snarled. "What did he promise you?"
"Nothing, Nik. I swear." Rebekah insisted, tearfully.
"What did he promise you?!" He repeated the question unrelentingly, and Rebekah's tears began streaming down her face as she cried harder.
"Nothing. Nik. Nothing." Rebekah flinched when Klaus grabs her roughly by the shoulders and makes her get to her feet.
"Tell me, Rebekah!"
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Mikaelson Mansion
(Grace's P.O.V)
I glanced between both Nik and Rebekah at the heated staring match between them. This time there was no tears being shed, only animosity, and part of me desperately wanted to remove myself from the situation. But Nik's hand was firm on my waist, holding me in place and I had no choice but to stay where I was, as Nik stared Rebekah down. I glanced over at Stefan to see what his reaction to all this was, but to my surprise, he barely looked fazed. If anything, he was bored.
"Go ahead, Rebekah. Tell them. Tell them what the hunter told you the tattoo leads to. What is this great weapon that could bring about the end of the vampire species?" Nik mocked Rebekah, who sighed heavily and reluctantly replied.
"A cure. He said there was a cure." She revealed, and both Stefan and I were shocked.
A cure for vampirism?
"Not possible," I spoke up. Without another word, Nik pulled his arm away from my waist and stood up leaving the room, followed quickly by Stefan.
"There is no cure for vampirism," Stefan agreed with me.
"He's telling the truth, Stefan." Rebekah insisted, sulking. Stefan turns and glowers at her.
"Then why wouldn't you have searched for it, found it?" He insisted logically, and Rebekah rolls her eyes and gets to her feet, tugging me to mine in the process and we follow them into the parlour, where Nik was helping himself to a drink.
"Because when the hunters drew their final breath that night, the marks disappeared from their body, the map was gone, the brotherhood of the Five extinct." Nik takes a generous sip from his scotch. "For nine hundred years, there was not a whisper of another hunter, until our friend in there showed up in town."
"Well, now we have the map, what do we do next?" Rebekah questioned.
Nik eyed his sister sternly.
"We don't do anything. You can't be trusted, little sister. You'll be blabbing this secret to the first boy who calls you pretty." Rebekah flushes indignantly, offended by her brother's lack of faith in her ability to keep a secret; especially one as important as this. "I mean, it's pathetic, really, isn't it? How she continues to hand her heart to any man who shows her a hint of affection. You'd think she would have learned by now from the endless cycle of disappointment and deception."
"I think you've made your point, Nik." I stated, coolly. I crossed my arms over my chest and fixed him with a hard glare, which Nik noted and seemed to deflate a little and looked remorseful because he had pissed me off with his unkind words.
"But I haven't, instead I stayed with you and let you leech every moment of happiness from my life!" Rebekah hissed, angrily. "You know, at least I fared better than Finn." She glances over at Stefan and I. "Klaus left him daggered because he was tired of his judgement." And just like that, Rebekah's words sobered Nik right up from his remorse, much to my chagrin.
"No, Finn was a dullard. He was more interesting lying in a box." Nik stated, very matter of fact.
"You want the cure for Elena, don't you?" Rebekah realised, sneering unpleasantly at Nik. "So you can go back to mass producing your hybrids. That's why you brought Stefan here, because you knew that he'd help you even though he hates your guts!" Nik neither confirmed nor denied Rebekah's claim, just took another healthy swig from his scotch. Rebekah scoffed in disgust. "You know what? You can shove your cure." She walked away, and I winced when I heard the front door open then slam shut in Rebekah's anger.
"You two really are your own worst enemies, aren't you?" I commented, disappointed and ashamed of their behaviour. Especially when Nik smirks and turns to face Stefan.
"Well, I hope you got what you wanted out of her before you chased her off." He stated, and Nik grinned at him over the rim of his glass.
"She never would have told me what I needed to know. But she'll tell you." He confirmed, as Stefan frowned at him in confusion.
"What do you need me to find out?"
"The map is useless without the tool to decipher it," Nik explained, and my eyes widened in realisation.
"The sword."
"Exactly, love." Nik smiles warmly at me, but I don't return it, as I'm not exactly happy with how he has been treating Rebekah lately. I turn to leave the room to check-up on Jeremy's progress with the tattoo sketch. I notice Nik's face fall a little, realising that he was in the doghouse (ha-ha), but plasters on a 'fake' smirk as he turns his attention back onto Stefan. I pause out of sight, overhearing what he tells Stefan next: "She knows where it is. And you're gonna get her to tell you. You have a chance to save Elena from the very thing that is going to destroy her. You can call it a deal with the devil if you like. But you know she won't walk away from it."
I approached the room where Connor was being held captive and politely knocked on the door, as to not startle Jeremy and give him a head's up that I was coming in to check on him.
"Hey, Jer. How's it going?" I questioned curiously. He looked up and smiled before returning his attention to the sketch.
"Nearly done. Just shading the last few parts." He explained. I walked over to look over his shoulder.
"May I see?" Jeremy held up the sketch pad and I glanced down at the strange tribal like sketch of runes, and what looked like pictographs and jagged lines. I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I wasn't expecting this. I don't get it."
Nik chose that moment to enter the room.
"Ahh! So, this is where you went to, love." He said, smiling at me. Nik walks over to stand behind Jeremy and looks over his shoulder at his work. "Nice lines." He complements him. "Now, if you could hurry it up a little bit." Jeremy finishes shading the final part of the strange tattoo he was copying before getting to his feet and handing Nik the sketchpad.
"I'm done," Jeremy states as Nik takes the pad and looks down at the artwork. However, instead of looking impressed, or at least grateful for all the hard work Jeremy had put into the drawing, Nik frowns and walks closer to a mistrustful Connor, who was watching his every move. Suddenly sensing danger, I cautiously move to step beside the oblivious teenager.
"What is this?" Nik demands.
"It's the tattoo," Jeremy responded, looking, and sounding confused by his reaction. Without warning, Nik suddenly turns around and with cobra-like reflexes, grabs Jeremy by the throat.
"Nik! What the hell are you doing!?" I protested, but Nik ignores me in favour of glaring at Jeremy.
"I've seen the tattoo, you impertinent punk. There's more to it!" He snarls. I immediately grab onto Nik's arm, trying to break his grip on Jeremy's throat.
"For Christ's sake, Nik! Let him go now!" I yelled, horrified by his actions.
"That's all of it," Jeremy insists, wheezing because of Nik's powerful grip. "He says every time he kills a vampire it spreads." Nik immediately let's go of Jeremy who starts coughing and struggling for breath.
"Oh my God!" I immediately grabbed onto Jeremy to steady him. "Are you okay?" Jeremy nodded, massaging his throat, and glaring at Nik as he turns and looks at Connor. "What the hell is your problem, Nik?" I demanded angrily.
"Nate!" Nik shouts, once again ignoring me, and a hybrid walks in. "Tell the girl to take Jeremy home." He turns and points at Connor. "Keep this one alive at all costs."
"Actually, Nik. I'll take Jeremy home." I stated, earning a surprised look from Nik. "Clearly you're dealing with some personal issues, and I don't feel particularly safe around you at the moment. So, I'm going to step out for a little while … at least until you cool down." I wrap an arm around Jeremy's shoulders and escort him to the door. "Let's go, Jeremy."
"Just a moment, Grace—" Nik protested, but I threw him a dirty look.
"No, Nik. I mean it, I'll see you later." I stated firmly, before following Jeremy out of the room. I didn't need to look back to know or hear Nik yell in frustration as I grabbed my keys and purse and headed out the front door.
Salvatore Boarding House
(3rd person P.O.V)
Shortly after Rebekah stormed off, and Grace disappeared, presumably to check on Jeremy's progress with his drawing, Stefan went home, armed with the instructions from Klaus in regard to coaxing Rebekah for more information on the whereabouts of the sword. He sent Rebekah a text message in his car before driving back to the Boarding House and making a beeline for the parlour, fixing himself a drink. A few minutes later, Rebekah walks into the parlour, looking at Stefan apologetically.
"I got your message," Stefan took a sip from his bourbon, his back facing Rebekah. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted my help; he just makes me so angry." Rebekah admitted bitterly. Stefan turned and offered her a small smile.
"No one deserves to be treated that way," He acknowledged, turning back to grab the drink he had made for Rebekah, assuming that she'd want one.
"I wanted it back then. The cure. I was willing to leave behind my family for it." Rebekah stated as Stefan turned and offers her the drink, which she takes gratefully. "Would you take it if you had the chance? Or is it just for Elena?" Stefan hesitated before responding.
"A part of me wishes that she and I could have an eternity together. But Damon's right, there's not a single vampire who hasn't killed a human. Elena will kill and then there will be the pain, the guilt, and then…"
"The humanity switch," Rebekah correctly finishes Stefan's statement. He nodded, looking troubled.
"But Elena, she's driven by love; by compassion. If she turns off her humanity, then I don't think we'll ever get her back." He predicted. "So, I'd do anything to save her." Rebekah grimaces, looking at him enviously.
"I envy that. You and Elena. I envy the love you have," She swallows hard, reflecting upon painful memories from her past with Alexander and his betrayal. "I really did believe Alex when he said he loved me. He promised we'd be married. We even picked out a church; San Vittore in Brienno." She studies Stefan thoughtfully. "I know you want my help, Stefan. But I just can't do anything that lets my brother get what he wants." She takes a large sip of her drink before placing it down on a nearby table.
She turns and starts to leave.
"I never did answer your question," Stefan spoke up, causing Rebekah to pause and turn around to look at him. "If it meant that I got to be with her, have children, grow old with her. If it meant that we'd die together, be buried together, then yes. I'd take the cure." He admitted, sounding almost regretful, which caused Rebekah to smile sadly at him.
"I buried him. Even after everything. I laid him to rest in the place where we were to be married." She scoffed disparagingly. "What kind of hopeless fool does that?" Then Rebekah freezes and realises exactly what she had just said, and analyses Stefan who had a blank expression on his face. She scoffed, realising she had been tricked. "Oh, but that's what you wanted to know, isn't it? Because I buried him with his sword."
"I'm sorry, little sister, but you're right." Rebekah turns and faces Klaus who had stepped out from behind her and immediately tears up when he pulls the silver dagger and white oak ash from behind his back. "You really are a hopeless fool." The expression on Klaus's face was hard and cold as he dipped the dagger into the ash. Rebekah makes an attempt to escape, but Stefan intercepts her.
"I'm sorry, Rebekah." He tells her, but Rebekah merely glares at him for his betrayal before turning back to face Klaus. Tears were now streaming down her face as she stares her brother down defiantly.
"Go right ahead. Laugh at the girl who loved too easily," she sneers brokenly. "But I would rather have lived my life than yours, Nik. And I dare say Grace would be disgusted with you if she knew what you are about to do." Klaus pauses, and for a split second, Rebekah saw a spark of guilt and regret on his face before it hardens. "No one will ever sit around a table telling stories about a man who couldn't love. Do it. Look me in the eye and do it, you coward!" She yells at him. But Klaus refuses to look her in the eyes. "Do it!" Klaus immediately stabs Rebekah in her heart with the dagger, causing her to desiccate.
Stefan watches this with regret, as Klaus picks up his sister's body and places it on the couch; pausing only to smooth back a stray piece of her blonde hair away from her face. The only indication that Stefan could see that Klaus did regret daggering his sister once again. When Klaus moves away, Stefan covers her body with a blanket.
"I have a plane waiting," Klaus tells Stefan, who nodded. "I'll get the sword. My hybrids will keep an eye on Connor. You put Rebekah somewhere where no one will find her and make sure Jeremy forgets everything he heard today."
"I'll take care of it."
"No one must know about the cure, do you understand? Not Damon. Not Elena. Nobody. If this gets out, it could mean all our deaths. So, if you tell anyone, I'll erase each and every memory from the lot of you—"
"I won't say anything." Stefan interrupts him. Klaus nodded grimly.
"It's just you and me in this, Stefan. Some secrets are stronger than family." Klaus tells him, and Stefan raises an eyebrow.
"What about Grace?" He asks, and Klaus pauses for a moment before replying.
"And Grace too."
Mystic Grill
(Grace's p.o.v)
After dropping Jeremy off at home and making sure that he was alright from nearly being throttled to death by Nik, I decided to go and drown my sorrows at the Grill. Before coming to this bloody town, I wasn't nearly as much of a drinker as I had become, so it depressed me that my go to method to wind down or forget my troubles was at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon.
Much to my horror and disgust, I realise that I was in danger of becoming a female version of Damon; jaded about how my life was turning out. I understood that Rebekah's actions had deeply hurt Nik, to the point that he was particularly vengeful. But ever since he learned that this 'Brotherhood of the Five' had returned from supposed extinction, Nik had become even more ruthless than before … and it bothered me a lot. More to the point, it concerned me that not even the affection he regularly showed me would probably save me from his wrath, should I somehow get in his way from whatever plans he had for the retrieval of this 'cure'. I just hoped that by the time I returned to the mansion tonight that he might've had a good think about his actions and calmed down somewhat.
I was definitely not going to be putting up with this; not even if it meant my life was on the line. I loved him too much to just watch him become consumed by his ruthless behaviour and damned the consequences of anybody who happened to stand in his way.
"Rough night?" I looked over to see Damon had sat down on the bar stool beside me, looking equally as disheartened as I probably did. The bartender automatically set down a double of bourbon in front of Damon, who barely acknowledges him.
"I've had better nights," I stated, taking another sip from my drink, and frowning when my phone vibrated, alerting me to a message. I reached for it and pressed the on-switch on the side to light up the screen. It was a text from Nik. I let out an exasperated sigh before ignoring it and setting the phone aside.
"You okay?" I looked over to see Damon staring at me with concern on his face. He must've seen me make a face at my phone. I smirked and raised my glass up to my mouth.
"Nope. You?" I asked him and Damon snorted.
"Not excessively," Damon responded, truthfully. "You want to talk about it?"
"Not even a little." I didn't have to be a genius to know that Nik would have my guts for garters if I even so much as hinted towards what he, Stefan, Rebekah, and I had discussed tonight about the so-called vampire cure.
"Might make you feel better." Obviously, Damon didn't believe me. Or maybe he needed a distraction from what happened to him tonight. Who knows, but I wasn't revealing anything.
"Okay, fine." I swivelled around on my stool and faced him. Damon raised an eyebrow at me, and I continued smirking at him. "I'll make you a deal: you go first, and then I'll stick with my thing about not talking about it." I knocked back what was left of my drink and signalled to the bartender for a refill. Damon looked at me suspiciously, but eventually nodded.
"Okay," then he knocked back his drink and requested another too.
"So … what's up in Damon land? What did you get up to?" I requested with false cheerfulness in my voice. Damon paused mid-sip and turned to look at me strangely.
He lowers the glass.
"Okay, first of all, Damon land? Do you seriously think I'm gonna answer that?" He questioned me, then raised the glass to his lips.
"Yeah." I replied nonchalantly. Damon paused, then shrugged, and took a generous sip.
"Yeah, it's almost freaky how well you know me." Damon admitted. I giggled, then waited for him to continue. "I spent this morning looking through some boxes Connor had in his RV. May he rest in peace." He said, sarcastically. I somehow managed to maintain a stoic expression on my face, when in reality I was cussing up a storm.
I cleared my throat, "What were you looking for?"
"A supernatural handbook." Damon replied.
"And what made you think that Connor is supposedly supernatural? He seemed pretty ordinary to me … if a little gun happy." I questioned.
"Funny you should say that, because Stefan said exactly the same thing," Damon stated, and I struggled to maintain a straight face. "Well, like I told him, Connor definitely wasn't natural."
You betcha! I thought as I hummed in agreement and sipped from my drink, just for something to occupy myself with.
"I mean somebody blows up the Founders Council, and he just randomly shows up? Then he has an invisible tattoo that only the most unlikeliest person ever – Jeremy freaking Gilbert – can see, and then your honey claims he's one of the 'five' before imitating a suicide bomber. Does that seem ordinary to you?" Damon ranted, and I bit my bottom lip and shook my head.
"Did you find anything?" I asked, and Damon shook his head looking pained.
"Nope." He said, succinctly. "Liz Forbes called to tell me that there was no sight of Connor's corpse at the explosion site."
"Which means Connor's still active."
"Stefan was supposed to find out more about that. I need to follow him up." Damon realised, and again I nodded and occupied myself with my drink. Damon was definitely not likely to get anything out of his brother, if Nik had anything to do with it … but I'll let Damon figure that out for himself.
"Good luck with that. So, what else happened?" I quickly moved things along.
"I took Elena to college," Damon grinned.
"What for?" I frowned. As far as I knew, Elena was having issues with consuming blood. Wasn't Damon supposed to be helping her?
"To teach her how to feed. You know: snatch, eat, erase? Colleges are great places to learn." Damon replied, wiggling his eyebrows at me, suggestively.
So sorry I asked…
"So basically, Elena was Daniel LaRusso to your Mr Miyagi, huh?" I clarified, and Damon made a face.
"I'm sorry. Did you just use The Karate Kid as a reference just now?" He questioned me, and I nodded; completely serious. "You are really weird, but yeah, that was basically my aim." Damon confirmed. "So anyway, Elena, Bonnie, and I set off for Whitmore College—"
"Hang on, why did Bonnie go with you?" I interrupted him, frowning in confusion. Damon looked a little annoyed by the interruption but seemed to get over it and smiled.
"Bonnie wanted to attend some sort of lecture run by this Professor Shane. Apparently, he took over her Grams' occult class, and supposedly he knows 'a thing or two' about the paranormal."
"Fair enough, I guess." I stated, earning a smirk from Damon. "What?"
"Nothing. You're just a very interesting person, Gracie." Damon complemented me, and I rolled my eyes.
"So the three of you went to Whitmore…?"
"… and we sat in on his lecture." Damon made a face, and I grinned.
"Not to your liking, huh?" I guessed.
"I think he's a bullshit artist … and that Bonnie has the hots for him. However, I was more concerned with teaching Elena how to pick the right … delicacy." Damon threw me a devilish smirk and I made a face.
"Charming, Damon. Really witty." I chided him.
"Yeah, I thought so." Damon joked. "Elena and I then stalked a random girl from the lecture, and I attempted to coach Elena how to feed. And it started off okay…"
"But?"
"Elena's bleeding heart got in the way," He groused, unhappily. "She saw a picture of that chick's sister, or whatever, and chickened out." Damon looked frustrated, and I couldn't decide whether I was relieved or disappointed that his plan had fallen through. But this is Damon we're talking about, there would have been a plan B. "Thankfully, Bonnie came to the rescue." He grinned triumphantly.
See?
"And what was the solution?" I reluctantly asked.
"A frat party was hosting a murder house party: come as a murderer or a victim." Damon explained. I blinked at him in confusion.
"I need more information."
"Well, like I said to Elena and Bonnie, a frat party is douche central; basically a walking all you can eat buffet." My eyes widened in alarm.
"Um, yay?"
"Don't look so shocked, Grace. We gotta get our fun somewhere." Damon stated, and I shook my head, feeling mystified.
"Yeah, whatever, Damon. Go on." I waved my hand dismissively, and Damon grinned, obviously relishing in the memory of what transpired earlier tonight while I was trapped in the middle of a shit storm with Stefan back at home. "So what did you guys end up going to the party as?"
"Jack the Ripper, and two of his victims."
"Nice. Wish I could've been there with you." I mused, thoughtfully. "Unlike what I was doing tonight." I muttered, drawing a curious look from Damon.
"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?" He asked, and I smirked at him.
"Dead sure. Tell me more about what happened at the frat party." I requested, trying to distract him away from my horrible night.
"Well, let's just say; the murder party wasn't actually as terrible as I thought it was gonna be. We were greeted by a random frat boy, before Bonnie spotted Professor Creepy and went off to talk with him." Damon reminisced. "Which left Elena and I to go off and 'mingle' with the other guests." I shuddered, not needing clarification on what he meant by 'mingle'.
"And was she successful?" I reluctantly asked.
"Yep!" Damon grinned and took a generous swig from his drink. "True, she almost killed the idiot she chose, but nobody's perfect the first time they solo feed." I smirked at him, amused by how much of a 'proud father' he sounded just now.
"So, what's wrong then? Sounds to me like tonight was a success, what was with the mopes?" I questioned.
"I wasn't moping," Damon glared at me, and I just blinked at him. He sighed in resignation. "Look, what you gotta understand is that the more blood vampires consume … it's like being on a drug high," Damon explained. "Which is exactly what happened with Elena, the more she drank, the more … friendly and carefree she became."
The smirk on my face fell slightly.
"Uh, oh. What happened?" I sensed at some point the shit had hit the fan, resulting in Damon's current downtrodden attitude, and hence the current conversation we were having.
"Bonnie happened, actually." Damon replied.
(FLASHBACK)
Fraternity House Party
Whitmore College
McKinley, VA.
(3rd Person P.O.V)
Elena and Damon were dancing with two college girls. Damon bites into the neck of the girl he was dancing with, and drinks from her, while Elena continues to dance with the other girl and grabs her by the shoulders, compelling her.
"Don't scream. This isn't gonna hurt," Elena reassures the girl, as she tilts her head over and bites her neck and drinks.
After a few gulps of the compelled girl's blood, Elena stops and pulls away, grinning as she starts to dance again. Damon notices this from across the room and walks towards her. Elena spots him and smiles before wrapping her arms around his neck and they dance together, both high off the blood they had consumed. Elena runs her hand across Damon's neck, wiping off the residue of some blood that had smeared there, and licks off the blood from her fingers with a content, blissed out smile.
Bonnie walks back into the room after her talk with Shane and freezes when she sees Damon and Elena dancing together in such an intimate way. Her mouth falls open in her shock, prompting Elena to come back to her sense when she spots her, and immediately stop dancing with Damon.
"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Elena is on the brink of hyperventilation when she realises what she had been doing. Damon, still blissed out on the blood high he was in, reaches out to stroke Elena's cheek, but she backs off and walks away towards Bonnie. Damon watches her leave, nonchalantly. It was obvious that Elena had a lot to learn when it came to the eating habits of vampires; what had just happened at this precise moment was just the beginning. "I've got to get out of here." Elena tells Bonnie, panicking, before walking past her.
Bonnie turns back to watch Damon, who had easily dismissed Elena and directed his attention to the nearest college girl and had resumed dancing without a care in the world.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Mystic Grill
(Grace's P.O.V)
"So, Elena just freaked out, and you did nothing?" I confirmed, and Damon nodded, seemingly unfazed. "Not sure whether I should be pissed or intrigued by this." I mused curiously.
"Why would this intrigue you?" Damon looked at me curiously, surprised that I wasn't tearing him a new asshole for his flippant behaviour when it came to Elena freaking out. "If anything, I'd have thought you'd be disgusted."
I just gave him a flat look.
"I'm living in a small town surrounded by vampires. I'm living in a mansion owned by my fiancé who just happens to be an invincible vampire-werewolf hybrid, who, when he was still talking to Rebekah, occasionally had private parties where the 'guests of honour' happened to be their food, where they literally painted the walls red with their victims' blood because of their blood highs. And my best friend happens to be a cocky, sarcastic, sometimes ruthless, but loveable vampire himself, who just admitted he 'let his hair down' at a bloody frat party. I think I little bit past disgusted by now," I explained to him. "I think the appropriate word here is 'immune.'"
"That can't be healthy," Damon smirked.
"Yeah, well. What is 'healthy' nowadays?" I pointed out. "I'm just surprised that Bonnie didn't tear you a new one when she spotted you and Elena in your blood frenzy."
"No, she did."
(FLASHBACK)
Fraternity House
(3rd person p.o.v)
Elena walked across the lawn outside the fraternity house, trying to wipe the drying blood crusting around her mouth. Bonnie follows close behind her.
"Who am I? Why am I acting like this?" Elena exclaimed, panicking. Bonnie rolled her eyes, and just looked at her best friend critically.
"Because you listened to Damon and Damon makes everything he wants sound like a good idea," Tears started welling up in Elena's eyes as she continued to lament over her actions. More to the point, guilt started rising in her like magma in an active volcano.
"I should be here with Stefan. I shouldn't be here with him. I should be going through all this with Stefan!" Both girls start when somebody clears their throat, and they turn and see Damon standing behind Bonnie, looking mildly irritated by the topic of their conversation.
"Guessing we should hit the road," He stated, thumbing over his shoulder in the vague direction of where he had parked his car. Bonnie glowers at him and storms over.
"You were supposed to help her and you let her get completely out of control."
"She's not out of control," Damon corrects her, rolling his eyes at her melodrama. "She was having fun." Or at least she was until her goddamned bleeding heart interfered … again! Bonnie's eyes narrowed.
"This isn't fun. She's acting like a different person," She insisted.
"She is a different person. She's a vampire. We're a predatory species." Damon reminds Bonnie, using a 'duh' tone in his voice. "We enjoy the hunt, the feed, and the kill. When the guilt gets too bad we switch off our humanity and we revel in it." He looked pointedly at Elena who paled as white as milk.
"Is that what you want? Her to be like you?" Bonnie demanded, sounding outraged.
"She already is like me," Damon stated. "And you know what makes me able to drink my fill and leave someone breathing and not rip their head off like my brother? It's that I can revel in it. I can make it fun." He pushes past Bonnie, and glowers at a traumatised Elena as he walks right past her.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Mystic Grill
(Grace's P.O.V)
Damon glared disdainfully at the bar countertop, pointedly avoiding eye contact with me as he swallowed down his bourbon like water. I grimaced painfully, idly spinning my finger around the rim of my glass.
"I think it's safe to say I can understand why you're not in the greatest moods at the moment," I commented offhand. "Still, your night sounded a lot more fun than mine." I stated, staring off into the distance, pondering what Nik was currently up to, and if he had cooled down somewhat from his temper tantrum.
"Really?" Damon looked at me, curiously. I narrowed my eyes at him, warningly.
"Still not telling you. It's private." I stated, firmly. Damon raises his hands in the 'I surrender' gesture, raising his eyebrows at the same time.
"So you're not gonna judge me about what happened?" Damon clarified and I sighed impatiently.
"Have I ever?" I asked, and Damon pauses for a moment analysing me critically, before relaxing and shaking his head.
"No, which is why we're best friends and I trust you." He smiles at me warmly, and grabs my free hand, squeezing it affectionately. I glanced at the wall clock and reached for my purse to pay, but Damon waved me off. "I got this. Thanks for listening." He said sincerely.
"What are friends for?" I shrugged, like it was no big deal and got to my feet, slinging my purse over my head, and waving at him. "Be seeing you."
Outside, I decided to check out the text that Nik had just sent me and bristled:
Flying to Italy tonight, sweetheart.
Be a good girl and keep out of trouble while I'm gone.
I love you.
Nik x
"Motherfucker!" I swore under my breath and immediately accessed my speed-dials and called Nik, as I jogged to my car, to give him a piece of my mind. I normally wouldn't be able to do this if he were on a commercial flight, but because the Mikaelson's were worth zillions, they were more than capable of affording their own jet planes. I just hoped he didn't hang up on me the very second he saw my name on his phone.
"Hello, love. Have you calmed down since we talked last this evening?" Nik asks me casually, and I once again pursed my lips in an effort not to yell at him as I put the phone on loudspeaker so I could speak to him and drive at the same time.
"Yes. I had calmed down … until I read your bloody text message! What the hell do you mean you're flying to Italy tonight?" I hissed.
"Exactly what I said, love. What part of that did not translate?" Nik sounded honestly confused by my question.
"The part where you failed to tell me why you are currently en route to Italy?" I responded, hotly.
"To retrieve Alexander's sword. Rebekah gave up the location tonight to Stefan and me, while you took off God knows where," He paused momentarily. "Speaking of, where did you end up retreating to, sweetheart?" Nik asked me and I huffed impatiently.
"To the Grill. After dropping Jeremy off, I needed to unwind a little, and I went to the Mystic Grill, and had a lovely conversation with Damon while I was there." I heard him growl over the line.
"Damon, huh?" Nik's voice practically dripped warning, and I immediately intercepted him before he could start getting accusatory with me.
"Nik, I know what you're going to say, and all I'm going to tell you is this: 'La foi peut déplacer des montagnes'. Do you really have such little faith in me that you think that I would blab to Damon about this?" I was exasperated with him. "Jesus, all we talked about was his crappy night. He wanted to know about mine, but I refused to tell him." I revealed.
"Of course I have faith in you, Grace." Nik eventually said. His raging paranoia was going to be the death of me, I swear.
"See, this is why I hoped you would still be at home when I got back from the Grill, so we could discuss this. You're really scaring me right now, Nik. What is up with you lately?" I demanded, worriedly.
"I know, darling, I'm sorry." Nik sounded sincere, but I wasn't really buying it. I wanted to see if he was as sorry as he claimed to be face-to-face.
"I really wish that were enough, Nik. But I'm serious. I'm on your side, and I always will be. But we definitely need to talk about this when you get back. Can you promise me that?" I pleaded, and I heard him sigh heavily.
"I promise."
"Thank you." I relaxed a little, desperately seeking the warmth of our bed when I eventually got back to the mansion.
"I need to go now, love. I love you." Nik said, and I smiled sadly.
"I love you too, Nik. Always and forever, right?"
"Right. I talk to you soon." Nik hung up and I wished that I felt better about this conversation, but something still nagged at me.
Mikaelson Mansion
Night
I let myself inside the mansion, and leant back against the double doors, letting my head thud dully on the expensive wood, before letting out a tired sigh and headed for the staircase. However, I pause when something catches my attention out the corner of my eye: a small red drip on the polished marble floor. Blood? I walked over to see closer, and noticed a trail of blood drips heading from the direction of the room where Connor was being held captive. Frowning, since I could've sworn I heard Nik telling Nate not to harm and to keep Connor alive at all costs before leaving the room with Jeremy, I went investigating.
I wasn't at all prepared for what I found.
Lying on the floor of Nik's torture chamber, was a decapitated body spread eagled beside the torture device, which was empty. Connor had obviously managed to catch Nate off guard and for some reason, after decapitating him, escaped with his head.
"Oh, shit!" I swore, just as two more hybrids arrived behind me, also copping an eyeful of the slaughter in front of me.
A/N: It's been a long time coming, but I've finally finished this new chapter. Once again, I'm sorry for the long delay. But I hope this chapter makes up for it. Please review if you're still here, anticipating the continuance of my story. I appreciate it.
TTFN x