A/N: This is the chapter many of you have been looking forward to in your reviews: Grace and Elijah reuniting for the first time in a thousand years! YAY!
Please review with your thoughts, but no flaming please.
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. All characters (except for Grace) are owned by author L.J. Smith.
Happy reading xx
ELIJAH
"I will fight for my family until my last breath." ~Elijah Mikaelson.
The first thing that I remember was the splitting headache caused by a lump the size of an egg on the back of my head. Second, was the fact that wherever I was stowed in was completely pitch black and very cramped. And third, somebody was desperately trying to wake me up.
A very scared somebody I might add.
"Grace! Grace!" I groaned and swatted at the person's hands.
"Stop it, Henrik. Give me another five minutes." I mumbled groggily and tried to go back to sleep.
"Henrik? I'm not Henrik! It's me, Elena!" The voice whispered urgently. My eyes snapped open and I immediately sat up, forgetting where we were and smacked my head on something hard.
"Oh, fuck!" I cussed through gritted teeth.
"Are you alright, Grace?" Elena asked, worriedly.
"No, I am not." I replied, evenly. "Where the hell are we?" I demanded.
"I don't know. All I remember is that somebody grabbed me from behind back at the Lockwood Estate, and pressed something to my face." Elena explained.
"I remember somebody knocking me out." I went to feel around to get an idea of where Elena and I were, when I realised my hands and feet were bound. "Elena, can you move your hands?" I asked, not expecting that she could.
"No, my hands are bound." She replied.
"Thought as much." Suddenly whatever we were trapped in stopped, and I realised immediately we were in the trunk of a car. Even worse, the owners were headed our way. "Quick Elena, pretend that you're asleep." I instructed frantically and snapped my eyes shut just as bright lights flashed in front of my eyelids. Rough hands grab the back of my jacket and yank me out of the trunk. Next thing I know, I'm draped over somebody's really bony shoulder. It was digging into my stomach; and I was very close to vomiting down this person's back.
"Grace? Grace, can you hear me?!" It was Henrik. I nearly cry with relief. I crack open an eyelid and see Henrik racing after this bastard carrying Elena and I. "Oh, thank God!" He sighed with relief, then threw me a serious frown. "Listen, I know these vampires. They work for my brother." My eyes widen in shock; were Elena and I about to meet one of the Originals? I desperately wanted an answer, but I didn't dare open my mouth to ask so I clamped my mouth shut. He seemed to understand. "Don't worry, Grace. Help will be coming for you and Elena, sooner or later. I swear." Henrik promised. I didn't have time to nod, as our captive burst into a room and quickly deposited both Elena and I on a couch.
He immediately removes both our ropes.
"What do you want?" Elena immediately demanded. He scowls at her.
"Ssh!" He says, sternly. I glance at her with worry, the cuts and puncture wounds she had suffered when she was still magically tied to Katherine had started bleeding anew.
"Please, I'm hurt." Elena begged, and I mentally slapped my forehead. You don't alert a strange vampire to your injuries! Do you have a death wish?! As predicted, the vampire eyed her wounds with interest. My eyes narrowed in anger.
"I know. Just a taste." He immediately starts vamping out and leans down to bite on the wound on Elena's arm.
"HEY! Fang boy!" He stops and looks over at me, looking bored. "Don't you dare touch her!" I threatened him. He smirked, as Elena looked at me in horror.
"Why? You offering?" He asked. His smile was deceptively kind. I gave him a sarcastic one back as he approached me, thankfully leaving Elena alone.
"You wouldn't be able to handle me, mate." I retorted, getting to my feet and squaring off with him. He grabbed me by the throat and I struggled to get him to release me. Elena started squealing, which wasn't helping the situation.
"No, please! Stop!" She begged. Just then a female vampire with red pixie hair bursts into the room.
"Trevor! Control yourself." She warned him. Trevor rolls his eyes.
"Buzzkill." He mutters. He releases my throat and sends me sprawling back to the couch to be fussed over by a worried Elena and leaves the room. The female gave me a once over, and just as quickly dismissed me. But when she saw Elena she froze, eyes widening in horror and amazement.
"What do you want from with us?" I demanded, croaking slightly. She ignored my question, focusing on Elena.
"Oh my god, you look like her." She said, and I groaned in frustration. Great! If it's not one thing revolving around Katherine and Elena, it's another. Bloody fantastic. We've been kidnapped by a couple of vampires looking for Katherine.
Then I paused, rewinding back to what she had actually said and realised I had missed a crucial keyword in this vamp's statement. I swore colourfully underneath my breath. This meant that our vampire kidnappers were around when Katherine was still a human. And this also meant two things: 1) These vampires had to be at least, well over 500 years old, and I was stupid enough to provoke one. And 2) our presence here, meant that Elena's status as a Petrova Doppelgänger had been discovered and she was now in very grave danger.
Elena's eyes widened at the mention of Katherine.
"But I'm not. Please, whatever you—"
"Be quiet!" The vamp snapped, looking agitated and nervous. I grabbed her wrist.
"Elena, sweetie, I think she's aware that you're not Katherine." I muttered to her in a low voice, as to not piss off our co-kidnapper. She ignored me.
"But I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert; you don't have to do this." Elena protested. I grit my teeth and tugged more insistently on her arm.
"Elena, enough!" I hissed. The vamp agreed.
"I know who you are, I said be quiet." She snapped again as she advanced towards Elena. I started to panic and got to my feet to calm Elena down, she tries to shove me off.
"What do you want?" Elena demanded. The answer she got was a swift, sharp smack in the face. Elena went down like a sack of potatoes on the couch, and was knocked unconscious.
"I want you to be quiet." The vamp replied. I immediately crouched by her side and smoothed back her long brown hair away from her face.
"Damn it, Elena." I cursed at her, and glanced up at our kidnapper warily wondering what she was going to do to me next.
"Don't worry. As long as you co-operate with us, we won't harm you." She reassured me.
I scowled back.
"Forgive me if I don't feel very reassured." I retorted. "Elena is a child. She doesn't even know that she's part of this ritual … yet." I explained, feeling protective. The vamp's eyes widened in shock.
"How the hell do you know about the ritual?" She demanded.
"I read, and I was also told by a good friend of mine." I replied.
"Who told you?" The vamp suddenly looked afraid. I rolled my eyes.
"I think I have an idea of who you're thinking told me about all this; but you'd be wrong, because I haven't met him." I reassured her. "I'm a medium. The friend who told me about the ritual is a ghost." Movement caught my eye and I swiveled my eyes to directly behind her to see Henrik, who was glaring at me with accusing eyes. I narrowed mine sternly at him before focusing on the vamp in front of me, who looked a little disbelieving.
"I don't believe you." She turned on her heel and walked from the room. Almost immediately, Henrik confronted me.
"Where do you get off telling her about me?" He yelled angrily. I picked up Elena's limp body and repositioned her more comfortably on the couch before taking a seat beside her on the floor.
"Henrik, you're making it seem worse than it is. Besides, you saw her, she doesn't believe me. The only thing that she knew I was 'telling the truth' about, was the fact that I read about the 'Sun and Moon Curse'." I told him. Henrik seemed to relax a little, but still looked angry. I sighed and reached for my purse, which thankfully I still had with me. Then my eyes widened when I remembered my phone and I quickly sifted through the contents of my purse. I silently cheered when I found it, but then deflated when I realised I had forgotten to charge my phone. So that was useless. I dejectedly dropped it back into my purse, and resumed looking for what I was really going into my purse for.
"Really? You're going to do some sketching right now?" Henrik said, dubiously. I nodded. "Why?" I glanced up and noticed a large mirror right across from where I was sitting, and I could see my reflection in the slightly dusty glass.
I wonder…?
"Well, I have several options: I could sleep, and risk them taking away Elena and ditching me wherever the hell we are now. I could pick the dried blood out from underneath my fingernails." I said casually glancing at my gore-encrusted hand which was still stained from Elena's blood. Henrik made a face at that. "Or I could sketch." I told him. "Now which seems like the better option?" I asked. Henrik was momentarily silenced.
"So what are you going to sketch?" He asked, curiously.
I grinned.
"Glad you asked. Could you do me a favour?" He nodded. "Step in front of that mirror over there." I asked, pointing towards the large mirror in front of me.
"Okay? Why?" Henrik walked over to the mirror and stood in front of it. To my disappointment, Henrik didn't cast a reflection.
"Damn." I muttered, then shrugged. "I'll just wing it." I got myself into a comfortable spot and started sketching. I glanced up to see Henrik staring at me, thoughtfully. I pat the space beside me on the floor. "Come and sit beside me." I asked him. Henrik nodded and came over sitting beside me and leaned his head against my shoulder. I frowned, wishing that he was solid. "So, a member of your family is coming here. You excited to see them again?" I asked him, trying to disguise the nerves and the worry I knew I had in my voice. Plus, the fact that this wouldn't just be a reunion between Henrik and them, it would be a very awkward (for me) and presumably shocking (for them) reunion between me and them.
"A little. Just wish it was under better circumstances." Henrik admitted. I hummed in agreement. "I wonder which one's coming?" He mumbled.
Then he fell asleep.
A couple hours later, I had finished my sketch and had decided to take a nap after all. It was an improvised picture of Henrik and me just leaning against each other (kind of like we were doing at the moment); which I had intended to draw even if Henrik had cast a reflection in the mirror. I woke up and stretched, glancing around at Elena who was still passed out on the couch behind us. It concerned me a little, and I wondered exactly how hard she had been hit. I turned to her, and checked her pulse. It was there, steadily beating away at the normal pace.
I felt instant relief.
"Grace? What are you doing?" Henrik mumbled groggily, and I glanced over to see him getting to his feet, yawning and stretching.
"Just checking on Elena. She hasn't woken up yet." I told him.
"Is she okay?" He asked. I nodded, smoothing back the girl's hair.
"She's alive. That's all that matters." I told him. Suddenly, I hear voices coming from upstairs.
"How are the girls?" I heard the female asking Trevor, sternly.
"The doppelgänger's still passed out. And last I checked the other girl was asleep." Trevor reported back.
"You didn't touch them, did you?" She asked. Trevor growled underneath his breath just as Elena started to stir.
"What's going on?" Elena mumbled, but I immediately clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from making more noise. She glared at me, then froze when she realised why I had silenced her.
"Give me some credit." Trevor bitched. There was silence for a few minutes before he started talking again. "Why have we even got that other one? We only needed the doppelgänger." He demanded, curiously.
"Partly a mistake, and partly so there were no witnesses to leak out what we're doing with her." She replied, sounding a bit irritated. I bristled, and Elena laid a hand on my shoulder grabbing my attention. I looked at her and she pointed towards the door. I nodded, and helped her up from the couch.
"Right." Trevor sounded disbelieving. "So, you called him?" Elena and I looked at each other, mouthing 'him?' simultaneously as we walked as silently as we could towards the stairs leading to the next floor up, with Henrik following; walking at a normal pace.
"No, I called one of his contacts. You know how this works." The female stated, getting increasingly annoyed with Trevor. I frowned. Were they talking about Niklaus? Trevor made an annoyed grunt.
"Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?" He asked, talking to his partner like she was incredibly slow. The name Trevor mentioned rang a clear bell in my head. Why? I glanced over at Henrik for an explanation, but was shocked when I saw him avoiding direct eye contact.
I frowned; that was suspicious.
"They say he got it." She confirmed. Elena and I walked up the staircase, still listening to the conversation.
"Wonderful and what?" Trevor asked, sarcastically. We got to the top and peered into the room where the voices were coming from. Trevor was lounging casually in an armchair with his legs draped over the armrest, glaring at his partner who was pacing like a tiger trapped in a cage.
"So that's it Trevor. He either got it or he didn't. We just have to wait." She retorted. Trevor swiveled in the chair and got to his feet.
"Look, it's not too late. We can leave it here. We don't have to go through with this." Trevor reminded her. I observed their mannerisms. Despite the both of them being annoyed with each other, they also seemed extremely nervous and paranoid about something.
Possibly this Elijah they mentioned?
"I'm sick of running!" She raged. Trevor immediately got in her face.
"Yeah? Well, running keeps us from dying." He insisted. But she shook her head.
"Elijah's old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free." She promised him. Elena takes a step backwards, and accidentally steps on a squeaky floor board. I tense when the female vamp's head snapped in our direction.
Shit…
"You two! There's nothing around here for miles." She advances towards us, and I immediately push Elena behind me trying to shield her from the angry vampire. "If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically mistaken. Understand?" She growled at us. I nodded, maintaining a poker-face.
"Who's Elijah?" Elena asked, trying to get out from behind me. But I stopped her. Our captor fixed her with an unusual expression: pity and resentment.
"He's your worst nightmare." She told her, before she turned and stormed off. Elena and I looked at each other in confusion. We hurried after her and I found her first sulking in another room. I knocked politely.
"What do you want?" She spat, angrily. I stepped into the room, but maintained a distance between us both. She was still a strange vampire. I ignored her question.
"What's your name?" I asked, trying to inspire some calm among us. If we were going to be stuck here, at least we could be civil. She eyed me doubtfully. Elena found the room and blurted out the first question that sprang to her mind.
"Why am I here?" Elena demanded. Both our captor and I glared at her. "What?" She asked.
"Rose." She answered my question, then looked at Elena. "And you keep asking me these questions like I'm gonna answer them." Rose retorted to Elena, who scowled at her. I rolled my eyes.
"Why won't you?" Elena challenged.
"Elena…" I muttered underneath my breath at her. "Enough." I insisted. Rose smirked at Elena.
"That's another one." Elena threw her hands into the air, looking frustrated.
"You've got me, okay? It's not like I can go anywhere. The least you can do is tell us what you want with me." Elena requested, gesturing between us both. Rose paused, before answering Elena's request.
"I personally want nothing; I'm just a delivery service." Rose explained.
"Delivery to who? Elijah?" Elena asked, suspiciously.
"Two points to the eavesdropper." Rose said, dully. I sighed with frustration, and started pacing. That was how I noticed Henrik standing against the wall, watching the commotion emotionlessly.
"Who is he? Is he a vampire?" Elena asked, another question. Rose shook her head, looking mystified.
"He's one of the vampires, the Originals." Rose explained. Elena looked confused.
"What do you mean the Originals?"
"Rose means the first ever vampires in existence. You know what I'm talking about Elena." I intervened, looking at Elena pointedly and making 'drawing' gestures with my hands. Elena's eyes widened in shock. Luckily Rose didn't catch on.
"Good. The Salvatores have been at least teaching you that part of vampire history." Rose observed. Elena looked at me accusingly, but I shook my head indicating for her to just let it go.
"So you know Stefan and Damon?" Elena asked, taking my advice. Rose shook her head.
"I know of them. A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan." I watched Elena's eyes narrow slightly. "She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys though but I digress." Rose said, dismissively.
I grinned.
"You and Damon would get on well then." I commented. Rose looked at me curiously.
"Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired, we want it over." Rose told Elena, who looked scared. "We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess." Elena looked like her head was about to explode.
"But why me?" Elena insisted. You're the doppelgänger. I thought just as Rose echoed.
"Because you're a Petrova Doppelgänger. You're the key to breaking the curse." Rose confirmed. The blood drained from Elena's face.
"The curse? The sun and moon curse?" She breathed. Rose nodded. "What do you mean I'm the key? The moonstone is what breaks the curse." Elena protested. Rose shook her head, amused.
"No, the moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it." Rose explained. Oh shit. What a way to learn your connection to a curse.
"The sacrifice?" Elena whispers. Rose nodded.
"The blood of the doppelgänger. You're the doppelgänger. Which means, in order to break the curse you're the one who has to die." Elena didn't say anything for a moment, just stared into space. It's not every day that one learns that you're the key ingredient to something terrible.
"Elena?" I called out to her, concerned. Then her face went completely serious and I knew that nothing good could come of this.
"Tell me more." Elena demanded, taking everybody aback with her tone of voice. Rose gave me a look as if to ask me if Elena was for real. I smirked and nodded, causing Rose to sigh.
"Capacity has made her pushy, eh?" Both Elena and I glared at Trevor, who had just re-entered the room, while Rose rolled her eyes; obviously used to him. "What do you want to know doppelicious?" He asked Elena, flirting with her.
Elena ignored his advances.
"Who were you running from?" Elena asked both Trevor and Rose.
"The Originals." Trevor replied promptly, like it was supposed to be obvious. If it wasn't for the fact that I was best friends with, and was supposed to have become a member of the family of Originals myself a thousand years before; I probably would be just as eager to learn as much as I could. As such, I was hearing old news. But I wasn't going to ruin Elena's chances to learn more about what she was getting herself into.
Or rather who was going to be dragging her into it.
"Yeah, Rose said that." I replied.
"We want to know what does that mean?" Elena asked. Trevor looked amazed by Elena's question.
"The first family, the old world. Rose and I pissed them off." Trevor explained.
"Mm-hmm." Rose nodded in agreement. I walked over to the nearest wall and leaned against it, listening to their conversation. Then suddenly, Henrik came into view.
"Grace. Show them the drawing of our family." Henrik suggested. I looked at him with surprise, as I pulled my sketchbook free. I hesitated. Trevor, Elena and Rose remained oblivious. "It's okay, Grace. It might help you in the long run." Henrik theorized.
"Actually, I pissed them off. Rose had my back, and for over half a millennium, they wanted us dead." Trevor continued. I decided to wait for a good moment.
"What did you do?" I asked, hiding the sketchbook for now.
"He made the same mistake countless others did: he trusted Katerina Petrova." Rose told us, looking at a guilty looking Trevor with disgust.
"Katherine." Elena realised. Rose nodded.
"The one and only, the first Petrova Doppelgänger." I smiled at them sympathetically.
"Don't feel bad. She's been screwing with everyone we know lately. We understand completely." I reassured them.
"Well, I helped her escape her fate and now I've, sorry, we've been marked ever since." Trevor said, bitterly.
"Which is why we're not gonna make the same mistake again." Rose vowed, looking at Elena pointedly. The atmosphere went sour and I decided to play my ace.
"Is this the family you're talking about?" I asked them, drawing their attention towards the 'family portrait' I had created nearly a week ago. Both Rose and Trevor's eyes zeroed in on the picture as Elena gently took the book from me. Her large brown doe eyes widened in realization.
"You're telling me that your fiancé from your past life is a member of this group of Originals that's coming after me?" Elena sounded appalled.
I nodded.
"You're telling me you know them?" Rose sounded shocked.
Again, I nodded. "A thousand years ago I did. Now, I wouldn't know if I were staring at one if they walked passed me on the street."
"Which one is Elijah?" Elena asked the two older vampires. Rose took the sketchbook from her and studied each of the four men in the picture.
"He is." Rose said, pointing.
I came over and looked over her shoulder to see Rose pointing to one of the taller brothers in the back row. Elijah was apparently, the brother wearing the tunic with no sleeves, dark trousers and boots with leather wrist cuffs and a leather belt secured around his waist. His dark hair was long; just coming past his shoulders.
"Why are their faces all blank?" Trevor asked, frowning at the page. I rolled my eyes; this was the same question I have been asked, every time I showed these pictures to someone new. Rose and Elena continued looking at the picture.
"Most of the drawings in this sketchbook have been created from memories or dreams I've had. But every dream or memory I've ever had of these people or vampires have always had their faces blurred out so I can't recognize them." I explained.
"And which one of the Original brothers was your fiancé?" Trevor sounded skeptical. I frowned at him. So did Henrik who came over to see the picture again for himself. Without a word, I pointed to Niklaus. Almost immediately, both Rose and Trevor paled.
"That's not possible." Rose whispered and looked right up at me, almost afraid. "You're Gráinne?!" My eyes widened.
"I was once." I confirmed. "How did you know that?" She ignored my question.
"You're the one he's been searching for all this time?" I was starting to get annoyed. These were facts that I already knew. Before anybody else could say anything else, both Rose and Trevor fled the room, leaving Elena, Henrik and I behind.
Elena and I were bewildered.
"What was that about?" Elena wanted to know. I shrugged.
"I have no idea." I said. But I noticed Henrik had a nasty little smile on his face.
"I can't wait to see Elijah's reaction when he finally gets here." He chirped. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. Only he would find this amusing.
"What's that?" I noticed something white underneath Elena's hand. She looked down and picked up a piece of paper with a handwritten note on it.
"It's a note from Bonnie." Elena said, relieved.
"What does it say?" I asked. Elena unfolded it and eagerly scanned.
""Stefan and Damon are coming for the two of you." – B." Elena read.
I sagged with relief. Oh, thank god. We were getting out of here!
Hopefully, unscathed.
However, we weren't left alone for very long by either Rose or Trevor. Both of them burst back into the room, with Trevor looking extremely afraid.
"He's here!" He announced. "This was a mistake." He panicked. Rose came over to him and grabbed Trevor by the shoulders.
"No, I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me." Rose attempted to calm him down. But Trevor didn't believe her.
"No! He wants me dead, Rose!" Trevor insisted.
"He wants her more." Rose insisted, pointing towards Elena, who immediately paled. I pulled her aside, and made her focus on me.
"It's going to be okay, Elena. I won't let them hurt you." I promised her. She shook her head.
"How can you promise that?" She whispered with a small voice.
"I'm being optimistic." I stated. Trevor continued panicking, and I shook my head at his behavior. Was Elijah really as bad as they're making him out to be?
"I can't do this. You give him to her, he'll have mercy on you but I need to get out of here." Trevor made to run, but Rose intercepted him at the last second.
"Hey! What are we?" Rose asked him. Trevor hesitated before looking Rose in the eye, calming a little.
"We're family, forever." He told her. Rose nodded. There was a knock at the door that made everybody freeze. Except Henrik who immediately raced for the front door to see his older brother for the first time in a thousand years. Rose took a nervous glance towards Elena and me before turning her attention back to Trevor.
"Stay here with them and don't make a sound." Rose warned us before she left to answer the door. I closed my eyes and waited.
"Rose-Marie." A deep, very cultured European male's voice came from downstairs. My eyes widened in shock. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" I could hear my heartbeat thudding ominously in my ears.
"Yes, in here." Rose replied, her voice wavering a little. "You have to forgive the house." She apologized. Footsteps begin to climb the staircase.
"Oh, no, what's a little dirt? I completely understand." Elijah replied, politely. I frowned. He sounded a little too polite; a little too controlled. "So tell me, what is it that gives you the courage to call me?" He inquires. Elena looked at me, panicking. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it in comfort.
"You're okay." I whispered to her. She nodded, but didn't look entirely convinced. Trevor was standing guard to make sure that neither of us attempted to escape, but at the same time he was shaking like a leaf.
"I wanted my freedom." Rose replied, bravely. "I'm tired of running. You in a position to grant me that?" She requested of him, nervously.
"I have complete authority to grant pardon to you and your little pet." Elijah reassured Rose. "What is his name these days? Trevor." Trevor flinched. "If I so see fit." Rose delivered her ultimatum to Elijah.
"Katerina Petrova." She revealed. There was silence for several seconds, at which point the footsteps ceased as well. Elijah finally spoke again. This time his pleasant voice held a hint of darkness in it. Both Elena and I held our breath.
"I'm listening." He said, coolly. I had to imagine that Rose probably breathed out a sigh of relief when Elijah didn't rip off her head in his anger … or so I assumed, judging by the reactions of both Rose and Trevor before Elijah had even stepped foot into this house.
"She didn't burn in the church in 1864." Rose reported.
"Continue."
"She survived." Rose told him. Elijah went silent again, and I squeezed Elena's hand. I dreaded to think what sort of reaction Elijah would have when he saw Elena.
"Where is she?" Elijah asked. The footsteps resumed their climb. I frowned, and I imagine Rose probably did too.
"You don't appear surprised by this." Rose observed. Elijah grunted.
"Oh, when you called and invited me into this armpit of civilization, which is a mere three hours from the town we know as Mystic Falls, I surmised it had everything to do with Katerina." Elijah explained, logically. I shrugged. What he said made perfect sense. "Do you have her in your possession?" Elijah requested, in a no-nonsense tone that told me that if Rose and Trevor hadn't had Elena here, their lives would not be worth living for another 500 years.
"No, but I have better. I have her doppelgänger." Rose confirmed. Elijah went silent again.
"That's impossible, her family line ended with her. I know that for fact." Elijah replied.
"The facts are wrong." Rose argued.
"Well, show her to me." Elijah ordered Rose, starting to sound a bit impatient. Elena squeezed my hand so tightly that I let out a cry of pain and turned to look at her. She was absolutely terrified.
I offered her a comforting smile.
"Elijah, you are a man of honor, you should be trusted but I want to hear you say it again." Rose requested. I made a face. Was she serious? How many times did this guy have to reassure her that she wasn't going to die a horrible painful death? Was she that bloody paranoid? It was then that I realized that they were standing outside the door. I could hear the annoyance in Elijah's tone when he replied.
"You have my word that I will pardon you." My eyes widened. I was just seconds away from meeting the older brother of my fiancé. Rose seemed to have gotten the answer she wanted.
"Follow me." She requested. I held my breath as Rose walked back into the room, followed closely by a tall man dressed in a very expensive looking suit.
My mouth fell open.
I know his face.
It was the same face I remembered looking back at me with absolute horror when I witnessed him helping his parents curse Niklaus. It was the face I remembered looking down at me with both guilt and grief as I lay dying in my lover's arms. I couldn't wait to see what face he was going to be giving me when he looked at me right now. Elijah freezes when he sees Elena. His expression revealed genuine surprise and he rushes over to her. Elena doesn't move a muscle as Elijah examines her from head to toe, before smelling her neck.
"Human. It's impossible." He mumbles before pulling back and giving Elena a charming smile. "Hello there." Elijah greets Elena who doesn't respond. He then turns to look at me, and his eyes widen. A look of shock and disbelief comes over him. "Gráinne…" He whispers. He comes over to me and cups my face with one of his hands. "This is impossible, I saw you die." He told me, disbelieving. I was shocked when I saw tears in his eyes; but I wasn't sure if they were tears of grief or tears of joy.
I grabbed his hand and pulled it away from my face.
"You did. A thousand years ago, to be exact." I confirmed. Elijah's eyes widened even further. "My name is Grace. It's a pleasure." I told him, surprised that my voice remained calm. Elijah turned and frowned at both Rose and Trevor who visibly cringed.
"How is it that you've found her, when neither I nor my brother have been able to?" He demanded, coldly. I tapped his shoulder to gain his attention again.
"I'm standing right here. Why don't you ask me that question yourself?" I requested, matter-of-factly. Elijah studied me curiously.
"Forgive me, of course. Please enlighten me as to how you came here while we escort the doppelgänger to my brother." He smiled and grazed his knuckles across my cheek. "He will be most overjoyed to see you again." He told me.
I frowned and took a step back from him.
"Uh, the doppelgänger's name is Elena; and we are not going anywhere with you." I retorted. Elijah didn't drop the smile.
"Oh, my dear. You are as stubborn as you've ever been. But I'm afraid you have no other choice. He is waiting for us, and you know how impatient he can be." Elijah reminded me.
"Vividly. But we're still not going anywhere." I insisted, folding my arms across my chest. "If your brother wants us, he will have to come to us … himself." I challenged him, praying that he wouldn't kill me on the spot for defying him. Both Rose and Trevor shook their heads fearfully, and even Elena looked at me like I was nuts for talking back to an obviously powerful vampire. However, Elijah simply just chuckled.
"You are still most amusing, dear sister." He remarked, fondly. I scowled, not flinching at being called his sister. But I did notice Elena's eyes widen in astonishment when I responded to the term.
"I am not kidding, Elijah." I told him, firmly.
"Nevertheless, we have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going." He told both Elena and me, using a casual tone. I stood there gaping at his back. Did he not hear a word I just said? Henrik came running into the room.
"Grace!" I turned my head in his direction, indicating to him that I was listening. "I see you've reunited with Elijah." He grinned. I nodded, still frowning at Elijah who was now looking at Trevor calculatingly.
"I have and he is still as stubborn as ever." I remarked, quietly.
Henrik's eyes widened.
"Are you regaining your memories?" He breathed, shocked.
"Yes, I am." I confirmed. "But only of him. Everyone else is still blurry to me." I told him.
"Please, don't let him take me." I turned towards Elena who was pleading with Rose. Elijah grabbed everyone's attention.
"One last piece of business and we're done." He announced as he walked towards Trevor. Something told me that it wasn't going to end well.
"Uh, Elijah…" I tried to intervene, but Elijah raised a hand to stop me.
"In a moment, Gráinne." He shut me down immediately. It was like he knew what I was about to do. I barely held back my patience.
"It's Grace, and-"
"I've waited for so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly, very sorry." Trevor groveled, interrupting me in the process. Elijah smiled at him, pleasantly. I didn't trust it. Now that I have gotten my memories of Elijah back, I now knew how my brother ticked.
"Oh no, your apology's not necessary." Elijah reassured him. Trevor didn't take the hint.
"Yes, yes it is. You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you." He insisted. I winced; didn't Trevor realize that he was just digging his own grave? Elijah nodded condescendingly.
"Oh yes, you are the guilty one and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you and that now I honor." But then the smile disappeared. "Where was your loyalty?" Elijah asked.
Trevor trembled.
"I beg your forgiveness." He pleaded. Elijah nodded his head.
"So granted." He agreed. Trevor relaxes and smiles. But then without warning, Elijah smacks Trevor's head clean off his body. My eyes widened in horror and I gasped. At the same time I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the sound. Rose on the other hand screamed bloody murder, while Elena just looked shocked by the vicious move. Henrik's reaction was a little tamer; he just looked sad.
"You!" Rose glared angrily at Elijah who narrowed his eyes at her in return.
"Don't, Rose, now that you are free." He warned her. He turns to look at both me and Elena. "Come along now." He orders us.
"How could you do that, Elijah?" I demanded, angrily. Elijah turns and looked at me sternly.
"He betrayed us, Gráinne, when he helped Katerina escape. That was his punishment." He explained, showing no remorse. I had no words to describe how utterly horrified I felt after witnessing what a vampire was truly capable of. However, it seemed that Elena had plenty to say.
"But what about the moonstone?" She asked, stalling. Elijah looked at her curiously.
"What do you know about the moonstone?" Elijah asked, suspiciously. I begged Elena not to look smug at that moment. Thankfully, she heeded my unheard advice.
"I know that you need it and I know where it is." She told him.
"Yes?" Elijah was listening.
"I can help you get it." Elena promised him.
"Tell me where it is." Elijah insisted. She shook her head.
"It doesn't work that way." Elena replied. Elijah raised an eyebrow.
"Are you negotiating with me?" He glanced at Rose inquiringly, as I quickly went over to Elena's side.
"Please, Elena. Don't push your luck. You already know what he is capable of." I told her, indicating towards Trevor's headless body. Elena looked at me with disbelief, but before she could do anything else, Elijah comes over to her and attempts to compel her. When it doesn't work, he looks at her necklace. I frowned at it too, having never seen it there before. Why did it look familiar?
"What is this vervain doing around your neck?" He accused her, before pulling the necklace off Elena's neck and throwing it away. He grabs her head and compels her. "Tell me where the moonstone is." He compels her.
"In the tomb, underneath the church ruins." Elena replied in monotone. I blinked; so that's where Damon hid the moonstone? Wait a minute, that's where we were going to hide Katherine!
Damon, you idiot! Elijah frowned at Elena's answer.
"What is it doing there?" He asked.
"It's with Katherine." Elena replied, still in that creepy monotone voice. Elijah smiled a little.
"Interesting." Suddenly, we hear the sound of glass breaking from upstairs. Elijah turns to Rose. "What is that?" He demanded. Rose looked confused.
"I don't know." She replied. Elijah didn't like that answer.
"Who else is in this house?" He demanded. Rose now looked scared.
"I don't know." She replied. Elijah grabs both Elena and me and we move to a different part of the house. Something moves around us with their supernatural speed. Henrik materializes beside me, looking anxious.
"It's Damon and Stefan!" He tells me. I groan; sometimes they have the worst timing. Elijah quickly throws Elena and me to Rose, and waits.
"Rose." Elijah asks with a warning tone in his voice. Rose looks flustered.
"I don't know who it is." She insists. A familiar voice interrupts.
"Up here." It was Stefan. Elena brightens.
"Down here." And there was Damon.
The next thing I know, Elijah has a stake shoved through the palm of his hand, and I'm flying backwards through the air with someone's arm wrapped around my waist. When I regain awareness, I realized I was standing in the shadows and I look up to see Damon's worried eyes looking back into mine. Beside me stands Rose looking bewildered. Rose and I are told to be quiet.
"Excuse me." I glance up at Elijah's voice. "To whom it may concern: you're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me." Elijah tells both Damon and Stefan, as he walked calmly down the stairs wiping his hand with a white handkerchief. "You can't. Do you hear that?" He promises, before he breaks a wooden coat rack into a stake. My eyes widen. "I repeat, you cannot beat me." He emphasizes. "So I want the girl, and my sister." Damon looks at me with confusion. "I'm gonna count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"
I rolled my eyes.
Elijah was always so melodramatic.
I went to go and reason with my brother. Unfortunately, Damon had other ideas as he tightened his arm around my waist.
"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded. I struggled to get free.
"To reason with my brother." I replied. Damon's eyes widen.
"That was true?" He muttered. I glowered at him.
"Yes, Damon. It's true, now let me go!" I insist. But Damon just tightens his grip. "Damn it, Damon! I mean it!" He ignores me, just as Elena walks out at the top of the stairs. My eyes widen in dismay.
"I'll come with you, just please don't kill my friends. They just wanted to help me out." Elena pleads with Elijah who super speeds up to her. The stake is still in his hand.
"What game are you playing with me? And where is my sister?!" He demands, all civility gone now that family is being threatened.
Elena doesn't reply except to throw a vervain bomb in his face. It explodes, and I fight harder to get free. But all I can do is watch as Stefan appears to save Elena from being harmed by my brother. He shoots him with one of Alaric's compressed air weapons. It doesn't hurt Elijah so Stefan desperately throws the weapon at him and tackles him, causing them to tumble down the stairs.
Elijah gets to his feet quickly, but Stefan is still lying in a heap as Elijah advances. Suddenly, Damon's arm disappears from around my waist, and I see him reappear in front of Elijah with a giant stake and screamed as I watched as my big brother is staked to the front door.
"ELIJAH!" I screamed in horror, and run towards him; Henrik following too, looking just as horrified. Damon approaches me and places a hand on my shoulder, but I immediately shrug it off and turn on him. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" I yelled in both fear and anger, before I turn and run out of the door.
A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please review. TTFN xx