A/N: Two more reviews since yesterday! Thank you guys! Here's another chapter for you to sink your teeth into.

As always, please review.

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, just this story. All characters (except Grace) belong to J.L Smith.

Enjoy :)

A BLOODY HISTORY

"Here's the thing. There's moments in your life that make you.
That set the course of who you're gonna be.
Sometimes they're little, subtle moments.
Sometimes . . . they're not. I'll show you what I mean."
~Whistler (Buffy: the Vampire Slayer (Becoming pt. 1 [S2 EP21])

The knowledge that Henrik had been mauled to death by werewolves a thousand years ago was a lot to swallow. I wouldn't wish that sort of death on my worst enemy, it just seemed too horrible to imagine, let alone relive. Poor Henrik. He must've been so scared; and I felt sorry for the unfortunate brother who witnessed and tried in vain to fight off the animal practically shredding his baby brother before his very eyes.

After Henrik revealed that little tidbit of information surrounding his death, neither of us said a word for a while. Possibly because if it was difficult for him to give the details about his death, then he obviously assumed I was having a hard time letting the fact sink in. However, Henrik told me that the story was not over; and I was getting curiouser and restless, wanting to know what happened next. He hadn't really answered my question about how it was possible for his siblings to still be around after all these years.

So maybe I would get the answers I sought.

"You okay, Grace? You look a bit sick." Henrik observed after I got back in the car from a brief rest stop at a roadhouse halfway towards Virginia. I offered him a weak smile, as I put my aviator sunglasses back on and started the ignition.

"Learning you were mauled to death is a lot to process. It's hard to imagine how much pain and fear you went through." I admitted. Henrik grinned, looking unsympathetic.

"You asked." He reminded me. I grimaced.

"That's my bad." I agreed, sheepishly. We both laughed as I stepped on the accelerator. Henrik made himself comfortable and kicked up his feet on the dashboard. Normally, I would've kicked up a stink about it. But since I was the only one who could see him, I let it go. Henrik crossed his arms over his chest, and turned his head towards me.

"Think you're ready for more?" He asked. I hesitated, absently wondering what else he had left to share.

"Do I need to know?" I pulled a face. Henrik smirked.

"You're heading for a town that's practically a hot spot for the supernatural. You need to know all the facts before setting foot there. It could be the difference between life and death." Henrik stated, firmly. I sighed.

"Guess I have no choice then, huh?" I stated.

"No not really." He confirmed, still smirking. I chuckled and waved a hand at him to continue his story.

"Lay it on me." I said. Henrik shook his head, and focused upon the rolling landscape outside his window as he continued.

"After I died, I didn't go where I was supposed to. I apparently still have unfinished business to take care of." I rolled my eyes.

"That's so cliché." I muttered. Henrik ignored me.

"I found myself standing amongst the gathering crowd watching my mother sobbing over my mangled body, and my sister and brothers comforting each other. I watched you get to your feet, covered in my blood and just walk away." I eyed him curiously from my peripherals.

"So you did know I was there. Why'd you lie?" I asked, sternly. Henrik shrugged.

"Like I said, my memory of that morning was fuzzy. It's coming back to me in patches." I nodded. "My sister and one of my brothers eventually persuaded you to come back."

"So what happened next?" I asked.

"Our family was devastated by my death, and as a result, our peace with the werewolves was over. My father was particularly vengeful and his pride inspired him to get even." Henrik looked shattered.

"Do you blame him? He just lost his youngest child to a bunch of dangerous predators. What did you think was going to happen?" I asked, dryly. Henrik flashed me an ugly look that I nearly recoiled from. Maybe I should keep my mouth shut for now… I thought uneasily.

"If you knew what plan he had in mind for my siblings, you wouldn't be so quick to defend his actions." Henrik sounded strongly opposed to whatever his father had obviously done.

"So what did he do?" I asked, nervously. Henrik shuddered violently.

"I witnessed the entire thing, and now that I remember it; I wished that I hadn't." He said. Angry tears started welling up in his eyes. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I never wanted this to happen!" He shouted, and I looked at him with alarm.

"Henrik…" I started, but Henrik scowled at me.

"No, you need to know this." He insisted, and I closed my mouth and waited for him to finish. "Father 'requested' my mother to use dark magic to help make my brothers and sister stronger than the werewolves. Mother protested at first, attempting to explain to him that what he was asking for went against nature. But my father, stubborn and prideful as he was, insisted." The tears were starting to spill down his cheeks.

"I'm starting to get the idea." I replied, uneasily. "Please tell me I wasn't a part of this plan." I pleaded. Henrik gave me an unpleasant smile.

"If you were, we wouldn't be sitting in his car having this conversation. You'd probably be wherever my brother was at this moment, happily married." Henrik theorized. I nodded. "So my mother created a potion designed to render the drinker immortal, and mixed it in the wine father offered my siblings; which had also been laced with the blood of a local village girl. I think her name was Tatia Petrova." Henrik frowned thoughtfully.

I nearly choked on my spit.

"Your father did what!?" I exclaimed, nearly driving up somebody's backside. Henrik still had that unpleasant smile on his face.

"You heard me. But that's not the worst part." Henrik stated with disgust.

"It gets worse?" I asked, incredulously.

"After my brothers and sister had finished the wine, my father drove his sword through their hearts; killing them instantly." I was horrified. I was convinced that I'm gonna to have nightmares for weeks after hearing this dark story. "I remained in the house just watching the commotion from a corner, feeling helpless and knowing that all this was very, very wrong. When they woke up, I knew that something strange had happened to them. My suspicions were confirmed when father lead another local villager into our house. He used his hunting knife to slit open her wrist and then forced them all to drink from it." My eyes widened. I had to pull over to avoid causing an accident.

"Wait a minute." Henrik turned and looked at me. His dark brown eyes were cold and angry, and I knew that if my suspicions were correct that I'd be feeling much the same myself. "Please tell me that you're lying to me and attempting to get a rise out of me. Because you can't seriously be telling me that your parents deliberately changed your brothers and sister … into vampires." I waited for Henrik to suddenly burst out laughing and tell me that he was lying. But the dark expression on his face never changed.

"They didn't know that they had become vampires at first." Henrik admitted. "But yes, that is exactly what they became." He paused, probably preparing himself to drop some sort of massive reality bomb upon me. "My family are known as the Original Vampires: the very first vampires in existence." Holy shit… "Very powerful, indestructible and extremely dangerous." I nodded slowly, taking it all in. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't completely afraid. I mean, I'm not stupid enough to think that they wouldn't harm me. Because they could and probably wouldn't hesitate. But then I frowned.

"Nothing is completely indestructible." I protested. Henrik nodded.

"I agree. They do have a couple of weaknesses. And including you, only a handful of people know them." He admitted.

"Such as?" I prodded, maneuvering the car back on its course towards Mystic Falls. Henrik pointed up into the sky.

"Well let's start with the good old fashioned sunlight. Nature fought back by allowing the sun to burn their skin. It kept them inside for weeks before Mother finally found a solution." I squinted into the sunshine, which was blinding even with my tinted aviator sunglasses. "She fashioned rings imbued with a protection spell only activated by a witch's blessing and the Lapis Lazuli stone. Do you know what I'm talking about?" Henrik asked me. I nodded, picturing the blue stone in my head clearly. But I had always thought that that particular stone was used for those who were keen on wisdom, and was associated with cleansing and purification rituals. Colour me stunned that it had other uses.

"So if I see a person wearing a ring with that particular stone on it, I'm most likely staring at a vampire?" I confirmed. Henrik nodded.

"Where we're going, you probably won't see many. But if you do, maintain extreme caution. Which brings me to the second consequence my family discovered when they first became vampires." Henrik continued. "Mother had used the essence of the ancient White Oak Tree that grew not too far away from the village. Now ordinary wooden stakes – yes, I know that's a cliché, Grace – can kill other vampires. But those stakes would only temporarily paralyze my siblings. They can only be killed with the wood from the White Oak Tree. And because the tree is so rare, the only solution that they knew of was to burn down the tree." My eyes widened. I was learning about some seriously badass vampires. "At the base of the tree and growing in patches nearby, were some small purple flowers that look like weeds. This was the third consequence discovered. These little flowers are called vervain and they repel vampires by burning their skin like the sunlight. They can also protect humans and other supernatural beings if they wear the flower either in their pockets or in jewelry, or if they consume it on a daily basis. It will protect you from being compelled." Henrik stated.

"Compelled? You mean like mind control?" I asked, sounding outraged. Henrik nodded and my dislike for vampires was increasing rapidly. Then another thought occurred to me. "And let me guess, Vervain is probably as scarce as hen's teeth right?" If I sounded bitter, you'd probably be correct. Henrik smiled.

"No, as far as I'm aware that is quite common." I relaxed a little. Then got serious when something more sinister and I would've thought obvious occurred to me. But Henrik beat me to the punch. "But I think the worse consequence that my siblings ever encountered – and still suffer daily from nowadays – was the unquenchable thirst. This was always something that I felt guilty about." Well, I suddenly felt a bit better about going to a supernaturally aware town. I at least was equipped with the basics of how to protect myself in the event that I could potentially be confronted with a blood crazed vampire.

"Well, thanks for telling me all this, Henrik. You've really opened my eyes for me." I thanked him. Henrik scowled at the tone.

"You don't have to sound so bloody sarcastic about it. It was smarter to actually let you in on the secret, rather than having you drive into the town and not know anything. That's like painting a target on your back and inviting somebody to kill you." Henrik griped. I scowled back.

"Well, excuse me for being slightly overwhelmed. I'll try to maintain a poker face next time you bombard me with information like that in the future." I bitched back and stared straight ahead at the road. Henrik's severe look softened slightly.

"Hey, I'm just trying to protect you so you don't end up like me. My brother would be devastated and probably go insane if anything happened to you, and he wasn't able to prevent it." He attempted to help me understand. I deflated a little, touched that he obviously cared enough about me to be honest.

"Thanks." I said, smiling a little. I glanced at the time on the dashboard and realized how late it was getting. It looked like I would be arriving at Mystic Falls probably late afternoon the next day. "I gotta check in for the night." I announced and immediately turned off into the next town, searching for decent motel. The motel I eventually found was small, but looked clean and reasonably occupied by other weary travelers. Parking my car, I wondered over to the reception desk and rapped smartly on the window. A tired looking middle-aged woman came into view.

"Yes?" She asked, glaring at me slightly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at how low customer service had sunk nowadays and gave her my best smile as I pulled off my sunglasses and perched them on the top of my head.

"Hi, may I have a cabin for one please?" I asked. Henrik leaned on the wall beside me raising an eyebrow at the woman's rudeness. The woman sighed.

"Give me a sec." She muttered and disappeared over to a nearby computer, clicking away at it. This woman was testing my already frayed patience.

"Manners are lacking nowadays." Henrik observed dryly, and I struggled to maintain a straight face as to not arouse suspicion in the woman when she turned and came back over to me.

"Number three is open." The woman muttered. "How many days are you staying?" She asked, sounding slightly impatient. It was becoming clear that this wasn't her day job, and she was just filling in for somebody on break. She just didn't seem very hospitable for a proprietor.

"Just overnight." I replied, eying her warily. "How much do I owe you?" I asked, hoping the fee wasn't overpriced.

"$45 a night." She replied, and I nodded and forked over what she asked. At least the price was fair, but then again I was from England where prices were considered slightly more expensive. At least they were when I was a kid. I took the key she pushed under the partition.

"Thanks." I walked back to my car, followed closely by Henrik before something else occurred to me. I jogged back to the window and knocked again. The woman reappeared, scowling.

"What do you want now?" She growled. I was taken aback, and immediately scowled back.

"Well, excuse me for breathing." I retorted hotly. "You don't need to be rude, I wanted to know what the checkout time was." I snapped back.

"10:00am." The rude bitch barked at me. This woman was extremely lucky that I wasn't a vampire or a werewolf. I wouldn't have hesitated to rip out her throat.

"Thank you. Try to have a good night." I said, frowning at her with disgust before I jammed my sunglasses back on and stomped back towards my car. Any pleasant mood I had was gone, and I wasn't in the mood to do anything except sleep by the time I guided my car towards the correct motel room. Henrik looked a little afraid of me, which I noticed and I drew in a couple of deep breaths like my mum had taught me whenever things got too stressful, before turning and smiling at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, cautiously. I blinked back at him, aware that my temper hadn't completely fizzled out yet.

"I'll live, why?" I asked. Henrik looked a little spooked.

"No reason, you just looked exactly like my brother did just then when he got angry." He observed. I raised an eyebrow.

"Which brother?" I asked, intrigued as I shoved the motel room key home and let myself in. The room itself wasn't remarkable, but it at least looked clean. Henrik didn't waste time and immediately went and lounged lazily on the double bed before responding.

"My favourite brother." He said.

"The one who tried to save you from the werewolves?" I asked.

"Yep." Henrik answered, popping the 'p'. "He can't stand people who are out and out rude for no good reason, other than because the person they are addressing had disturbed them or not." I added that bit of information to my list. Apparently, he and I had that in common as well. Good to know.

"Got a bit of foul temper has he?" I asked, trying to lighten up the already miserable mood surrounding us like a heavy blanket.

"Yeah, a little more than 'a bit' to be honest. But it's been forever since I've last saw him. Things might've improved." Henrik shrugged. So no help at all then? I sighed and quickly darted back out to my car and pulled out my rolling suitcase, sketchbook and art supplies before closing and locking the car, for the moment. "I'll be back later. Don't wait up for me. If I don't see you here, I'll meet you at Mystic Falls." Henrik suddenly spoke up, and disappeared from sight.

He did this quite a bit, so I wasn't worried. If he was moving on permanently, there probably would've been something more dramatic happening. I closed the door and hooked the security chain in place before turning and scanning the room. It was still a little early to head out for dinner, so I decided to do a bit of internet surfing, some sketching or maybe have a little nap before heading out to find a diner or a pub somewhere for dinner.

Heading for the tiny kitchenette, I located the complementary kettle and filled it up before grabbing a mug and a teabag and setting it aside as I clicked the kettle on. While the water was boiling, I pulled out my laptop and searched around for the free WI-FI. Once I accessed it, I logged on and almost instantly was bombarded with a loud dinging noise that indicated somebody had come onto Facebook Messenger. It was Elena. Almost instantly, she sent me a message:

Hey Grace! Did you find a new place to live yet? I smiled, and made myself comfortable as I answered her question. I needed some cheering up after this … interesting day rich with information about Henrik's colourful history.

As a matter of fact, I have. I'm currently en-route to a town called Mystic Falls in Virginia. I typed back, just as the kettle finished boiling. I immediately jumped off the bed and fixed myself a drink. I frowned at the little dinky milk creamers I found in the mini-fridge, and made a note to purchase some milk on my way back from getting some dinner. Heading back to my laptop, I found a heavily punctuated message from Elena. By what I read, she was obviously excited about something.

OH MY GOD! I live in Mystic Falls! This is so great! I was taken aback at this odd co-incidence.

Small world. Maybe I'll look you up when I get there. I replied back. Seconds after I hit the enter key, Elena's message jumped up at me.

Or, better still, how about we meet up some place and get to know one another, face to face? Elena suggested. I paused, thinking it over. It wasn't a bad idea, and it would be a good idea to have somebody who knew the area to show me around. Still…

Oh, I don't wanna be a bother. I'm sure, you've already made plans and I don't want to unravel them… I returned, sipping from my tea.

No, don't worry about that. I hadn't really made any plans. A lot of stuff has gone down here and I just need something to take my mind off it for a while. I just kinda need a distraction. I frowned. Wasn't really sure how I was supposed to take that. I don't really want to be somebody's distraction.

Well, I'm glad to be of service... I think? Do you need any help with your problems? I asked tentatively.

I don't think you can do much. My boyfriend, my friends and I have got it under control, I think. But thanks for offering. What time are you arriving? Elena asked. I glanced at the room's alarm clock and did a mental calculation in my head. Provided I got out of here on time, I estimated that I'd probably had another couple hours or so to get to Virginia. If I didn't somehow get lost along the way. And part of me hoped that Henrik would be back, so he could guide me too.

Late afternoon tomorrow, maybe? Don't quote me on that. I replied. I reached for where I had put my phone on the bedside table next to my car keys and room key and set my alarm for 8:30. That should give me enough time to get up and go through my morning routine before setting off again. And hopefully Henrik would be back then as well.

That sounds tricky. Let me know when you get to town, and I'll text you from there. Here's my number. Elena sent me a phone number which I immediately added to my contacts, and I pranked her so she'd get mine.

Thanks. You should've just received mine. I'll send word when I get there. I promised. Well, I'm kinda beat. I just learnt a disturbing story from a friend of mine and it kinda drained me a little. I'm gonna take a nap. I'll hopefully see you tomorrow, Elena. Talk soon. I told her. A few minutes later, Elena replied.

Not a problem. Can't wait to finally meet you face to face. See you soon, Grace! And then she logged off. I shook my head, feeling bemused before closing my laptop lid firmly and setting it down on the bedside table. I set another alarm on my phone to wake me an hour from now and lay back into the pillow underneath my head. It only took a few minutes before I fell straight to sleep.

Woke up exactly an hour later to the sound of my alarm clock blaring loudly into my ear and I resisted the urge to seize the damn thing and fling it against the wall. Groaning in annoyance, I immediately turned down the volume on it and sat up. I was hungry, so I decided to get up and put my shoes on, and go out and find something to eat. I picked up my laptop and hid it underneath my panties in my suitcase before zipping it up and leaning it against the wall out of sight from the carpark of the motel, and grabbed my keys.

Leaving the motel, I drove towards a pub that I saw on my way into the town and pulled into the nearest car spot, killing the engine. Picking up my sketchbook, I got out of the car and made my way into the building, making a quick survey around the room. It was crowded, mostly with young families, and the occasional 'confirmed' bachelors posed up at the bar prowling the scene for their latest victim. I walked up to a podium marked with a sign that read: 'please wait to be seated' and absently checked my phone. I had one text message from Elena, thanking me for my number and hoping that I had a safe trip. I smiled and texted her back.

"Hey there!" A bright, bubbly voice greeted me and I glanced up to see a seating hostess a couple years older than me looking directly at me, all smiles. I sent my message to Elena, then put my phone away giving the girl my full attention. "Just you tonight?" She asked politely.

"That's right." I replied, warmly.

"Great! Please follow me." The girl requested and snatched up a menu, walking off towards the restaurant floor. She led me towards a small plushy looking booth and gestured with her free hand towards it. I thanked her and sat down, bouncing slightly on the fake leather. The ground beneath my feet was slightly sticky. "Can I get you something to drink while you look through the menu?" The girl asked handing me said menu. I briefly scanned the drinks options.

"Um, yeah. May I have a Lemon, Lime and Bitters please?" I requested. The girl tapped away at a large tablet in her hands and smiled.

"Lovely. I'll bring it right out." She told me.

"Awesome." I grinned back, and the girl walked away. I flipped open the menu and absently scanned the options. There was a surprisingly large amount of deep fried foods on offer, but I eventually settled on a pub style Lasagne with a garden salad. Flipping the menu shut, I pushed it to one side and opened my sketchbook to document a strange image I saw during my nap. I was about halfway through roughly sketching out the beginnings of the picture when the girl arrived with my drink… and glanced over to see somebody else sitting across from me in the booth: Henrik.

"Here's your drink." The girl said, placing down a large top ball glass of an orange and yellow coloured drink topped with ice and a bobbling lime wedge.

"Hey Grace, enjoying your night so far?" Henrik asked, smiling pleasantly at me. I ignored him for a moment to quickly get rid of the girl so she didn't think I was nuts sitting in a booth and talking to myself like I had multiple personalities.

"Ready to order?" She asked. I quickly ordered the Lasagne, and turned towards Henrik who waited patiently.

"So where did you go off to?" I asked him, stirring the bitters into my drink with my black straw and turning it a shocking orange-red colour, before returning to my sketch. Henrik was silent for a few minutes, concerning me slightly.

"Trying to see if I could locate my siblings. But I only could sense two of them." Henrik explained, sounding a little upset.

"Oh, that's strange." I said. Henrik nodded. Then I smiled at him reassuringly. "I don't think it's anything you need to get upset about. They're probably just hiding for whatever reason. Perhaps they'll turn up eventually." I suggested. Henrik looked unsure. It was then that I felt like someone was looking right at me. I could feel their eyes burrowing into the back of my head. I tensed up, and tried to discreetly turn to locate the owner of the stare. But just as quickly, the feeling vanished.

"You okay?" Henrik asked, just as my dinner arrived. I thanked the waitress, and turned back to Henrik, feeling a bit disturbed.

"It just felt like somebody was watching me." I admitted. Henrik scanned the room, looking for the culprit and I couldn't help but smile affectionately at my little friend. It must be awesome to be able to scan the room without being noticed, because you're dead. After a few moments, Henrik turned back and faced me.

"I couldn't see anybody. You sure they were staring at you?" He asked, looking and sounding a little worried. I waved my hand dismissively, but still kept my guard up.

"Nah, I'm probably just being paranoid, as usual." I reassured him, cutting a piece of my dinner and popping it into my mouth. Henrik nodded, not looking like he believed me. He glanced down at my latest sketch and studied it curiously.

"What are you drawing now?" He wondered. I shrugged, still chewing.

"I'm not sure yet." I replied when my mouth was empty. Henrik rolled his eyes.

"You always say that." He muttered, then really studied it. "It looks like the handfasting ritual." Henrik stated. I looked at him curiously.

"What's a 'handfasting ritual'?" I asked. Henrik grinned and looked off into the distance as though attempting to remember something from the distant past.

"Mother told me once that it was a wedding ceremony that went back generations." He explained. "It means to formally promise, or to make a contract of marriage." I blinked in astonishment.

"Why the hell did I suddenly dream about an old Viking tradition?" I asked him. Henrik smiled a little.

"Remember when I told you that you were engaged to one of my brothers?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I remember. I also met him in my dreams. He's a bloody good kisser." I replied, smirking at the revolted face Henrik made.

"Thanks, Grace. That's more than I needed to know. But my point is, the 'handfasting ritual' was what you and he were going to be undertaking if you had lived long enough to marry him." He revealed. I glanced down at the sketch of two hands: one male and one female, clasped together with what looked like a ribbon or rope of some description woven around them, 'binding' them together.

"Is it a complicated ritual?" I asked, curiously.

"How should I know? I've never been to a ceremony. The best person to ask that sort of question is my sister or one of my brothers. But you've never met them before in this lifetime and I don't know where they are." Henrik replied. Figures. I took my time finishing off my dinner before signaling for the waitress for my bill, paying and driving myself (and Henrik) back to the motel room.

"I'm gonna take a shower." I told him, securing the security chain and closing the curtains. "Why don't you watch TV, until I get back?" I suggested, flipping on the cheap looking TV set and flicking through the channels until I found one that caught Henrik's interest. He nodded absently before I set down the remote, gathered up my toiletries, and my black T-shirt and light blue checkered flannel sleep pants; disappearing into the tiny bathroom.

About ten minutes later, I re-immerged from the steamy bathroom; feeling fresh and clean now that I had scrubbed away the grime of the day off my skin. The first thing I saw was Henrik passed out on the bed; deep in slumber. I was surprised, as I thought ghosts couldn't sleep as they were technically dead. But then again, I was no expert on ghosts, so I shrugged and dismissed it putting away my dirty clothes and pulled back the duvet, sliding down between the sheets.

However, I wasn't tired yet, and I knew that if I forced myself to go to sleep I won't get any or at least very little of it. I clapped eyes on Henrik and was suddenly struck with inspiration. I smiled and immediately hopped back out of bed and fetched my sketchbook and drawing supplies. Gently easing my way back on the bed, I sat sideways facing my friend and just started drawing. It wasn't though anybody was going to be looking through this book anytime soon. I was a bit sensitive about people's opinions about my work, and I didn't want to be discouraged. By the time I had finished, I was barely fighting to keep my eyes open. Instead of setting aside the book, I just lay down on my pillow with the picture between the both of us, and just fell asleep.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review :)