A/N: In this chapter we say goodbye temporarily to Elijah after he 'confronts' Elena and Stefan for betraying him by allowing Damon, Alaric and Grace to dagger him. Damon and Grace discover a newly freed Katherine in the Boarding House, and Grace goes home and encounters somebody closely associated with Klaus.
Please review, and no flaming.
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. All characters (except for Grace) are owned by author L.J. Smith.
Enjoy xx
ONE STEP CLOSER
"Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect."
~Luna Lovegood (J.K. Rowling: 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix')
Damon and I ran back upstairs to the parlour, trying not to draw attention to ourselves since Alaric, Jenna and John were still in the dining room. Thankfully, Alaric was attempting to keep Jenna and John occupied so they could remain unaware of what had been occurring downstairs in the basement with Elijah.
"C'mon. We gotta beat Elijah to the Lake House." Damon told me and shrugged on his leather jacket, grabbed his keys and my wrist and pulled me towards his car. I broke free, and looked at him with confusion.
"What Lake House? Why?" I asked him.
"The Gilbert Lake House. That's where Elena and Stefan are." Damon explained. "Elijah is going down there to confront them about what we did to him."
I wasn't really concerned.
"You do realise that we didn't actually betray him, right? He's just pretending to be pissed off to buy us time to find the dagger and try again." I reminded him. "Elijah is a man of his word, he'll still honour the deal we made with him." Damon didn't look entirely convinced.
"Okay. Then where is the dagger?" He demanded frantically. I rolled my eyes and walked with a determination back inside the house and into the dining room. Jenna wasn't in the room; presumably in the kitchen or in the bathroom. I pasted on what I hoped was a convincing horrified face just as Alaric and John looked up. Alaric was instantly alert, while John looked suspicious.
"Grace? What's wrong?" Alaric asked, getting to his feet and coming over to me. Damon walked into the room and piped up just as I started to give the explanation.
"Elijah's gone from the basement." He announced, and Alaric looked stricken. But John looked smug, causing the both of us to scowl at him. It was obvious he had neglected to tell us the fine details regarding the dagger and what it could do to another vampire if they stabbed an Original with it.
"Gee, I wonder why?" John taunted, as he held up the dagger. I glared at him and put my hand out to him.
"Give it here, John." I demanded sharply. John looked back at me defiantly.
"I think not. If you want the job done right, you gotta do it yourself." He stated, as he got to his feet and moved to leave the house. I stepped into his path, and got right into his face.
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear." I stated slowly and carefully. "Give me that dagger right now, or else." I repeated my request. John smirked at me, then looked over my shoulder at a visibly angry Damon.
"Or else what? You'll sick your little boyfriend on me?" John taunted. I ignored the 'boyfriend' jab and pulled free my dagger, brandishing it in front of his face. John's eyes zeroed in on the blade, and he paled instantly causing Alaric to immediately step forward to defuse the situation.
"Wait, Grace. Don't do anything you might regret." Alaric urged. I ignored him.
"Or else, I will slice you up into ribbons. And what I don't cut up, I will leave for Damon to take care of." I responded, sounding just as menacing as Elijah did when John had threatened me. "You're already in hot water with that stunt you pulled when you deliberately neglected to tell Damon the whole story. You never gave him the full information revolving around that bloody dagger, and he is just itching to take out his frustrations on you. So, I'll ask for the final time; kindly hand over the silver dagger." I requested. John immediately reached into his jacket and produced the dagger, handing it to me handle first. I smiled sweetly at John as I took the dagger and carefully wrapped it up in a protective cloth. "Thank you, John. Wise move." I praised him, before turning and walking back over to Damon, who looked at me with a wolfish grin.
"You're my kind of girl." Damon praised me, and I rolled my eyes.
"Down boy." I drawled, as I handed him the dagger for safe keeping. We both moved for the front door and Damon's car, and Alaric followed us.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Elijah is too strong for the both of you." He felt the need to remind us.
"We're well aware of that, Ric." Damon stated. "That's why we're gonna get Elena to do it when we get to the Lake House. Elijah wouldn't dare harm Elena, he needs her for Klaus' sacrifice." He reminded his friend. I didn't say a word. Alaric still looked concerned, but knew that he had no choice but to let us go.
"Be careful." He urged us. Damon started up the car and put the pedal to the metal to get to the Lake House before Elijah did.
It didn't take us long to get to the Lake House; probably because Damon had floored it the second we got onto the highway, and probably went through several red lights in the process. I'm amazed that we didn't get picked up by the cops on the way here. Almost immediately after Damon drove up and parked the car, Stefan and Elena immerged onto the deck of the house and looked at the both of us with a combination of confusion and annoyance.
"Oh, thank God. He's not here yet." I muttered, leaning against the car and sighing with relief. Stefan frowned at what I said.
"Who's not here yet? What are you both doing here?" He demanded.
"This is supposed to be a private weekend away." Elena pointed out, irritably. I ignored her, focusing instead on Stefan who seemed to be the most reasonable out of the both of them. Or at least, the most likely to hear us out without getting defensive or immediately start throwing accusations at us when they learned why Damon and I were here.
"Elijah is on his way here. He is on the war path." Damon stated, playing the part of the concerned older brother and friend brilliantly. Almost instantly, Elena and Stefan were completely alert.
"What? Why?" Elena demanded.
"Didn't Alaric dagger him?" Stefan added, seriously. Damon and I nodded, confirming.
"But he took out the dagger after stabbing him, which you're apparently not supposed to do, and he was revived after a few minutes." I stated.
"How do you know that?" Elena asked, frowning at me. "I would've thought that you'd be pleased that Elijah wasn't daggered." She stated to me, a little snidely. I just barely held back my temper.
"Damon went down to make sure that he was still there and in one piece. But Elijah had disappeared." I told her, letting a little of my irritation seep through.
"We came down here to warn you, and to get you to stick this back into his heart when you next get the chance." Damon said, handing the silver dagger to Elena, whose eyes widened in horror.
"Me? Why me? Why can't Grace do it, or even Damon?" Elena protested. I glowered at her.
"You know why I can't do it." I snarled at her, causing Elena to recoil in horror. "Would you be able to do it if it were Jeremy?" I asked her. Stefan rolled his eyes and waded in to explain.
"And neither Damon nor I can do it. Remember?" Stefan attempted to jog her memory and Elena immediately paled.
"Because it's forbidden for a vampire to kill another vampire. So the dagger will take both lives." Elena recited. "I guess it's up to me then." I rolled my eyes once again. Then something caught my eye out of the window, and I glanced out to see Elijah striding up the gravel footpath towards the house. He immediately caught my eye and smiled slightly, nodding at me. I nodded back just as Stefan finally caught sight of him as well.
"He's here." He announced.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Damon muttered as we watched Elijah kneel down and pick up some rocks, tossing them back and forth from hand to hand. Elena walks over towards the front door, while I went out the backdoor and around the side of the house so I could see things better. Nobody stopped me. Elijah throws the rocks at the door, which breaks the front door off its hinges and causes Elena to shriek a little in fear.
"You have to go. I need to talk to him alone." Elena told Stefan, who was hiding just out of sight from Elijah.
"Elena…" Stefan was obviously against this idea.
"Stefan, I'm okay. He can't come in the house." Elena reminded him. I watched Elijah walk closer towards the house.
"You know, I might not be able to enter this house … but I am a very patient man. I'll wait you out." He told them, putting on his livid voice. I grinned; he was very good at acting like he was betrayed. Which then made me question whether or not he really had been betrayed like this in real life, and he was using those memories as inspiration. Elena opened the front door of the house but doesn't step outside. Elijah's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"They shouldn't have done what they did. I'm sorry." Elena apologized on Damon and my behalf.
"The deal is off." He told her, angrily.
"I'm renegotiating." Elena insisted.
"You have nothing left to negotiate with." Elijah insisted, and there is a pregnant pause before Elena pulls out a kitchen knife. My eyes widened in shock. Surely Elena couldn't be that stupid? I looked over at Elijah and was relieved to see him looking a bit concerned as well. It was clear that Elena really didn't think a lot of things through.
"I'd like to see you lure Klaus into Mystic Falls after the doppelgänger bleeds to death." She tells him. There is a noticeable tremor in Elena's voice. It is obvious she doesn't want to do this; but clearly wants to call Elijah's bluff.
"Stefan won't let you die." Elijah attempts to remind her. Elena nods in agreement.
"No, he won't." She said. "He'll feed me his blood to heal me, and then I'll kill myself and become a vampire, just like Katherine did." I nearly launched myself at her to stop her from doing so. I wouldn't put it passed Elena to actually do something like that, and fuck up Niklaus' chances well and truly. Because if Elena did martyr herself without giving birth to another child, Niklaus would remain stuck in the Hybrid curse for all time. And neither Elijah nor I could allow that to happen. "So unless you want that to happen again, promise me the same as before … promise me … you won't harm anyone that I love. Even if they've harmed you." Elena pleaded with him.
However, Elijah was unimpressed; and quite frankly looked rather insulted too.
"I'm sorry, Elena. But I'm going to have to call your bluff." Elijah stated, frowning. We all watched as Elena breathes out and points the knife to her stomach. Elijah is curious and unsure about what she will do, and I could feel the anger rising inside me when that little bitch looks Elijah dead in the eye and stabs herself in the stomach. She screams out in pain and falls to the floor.
Good, I hope it really did sting like hell!
Blood gushes everywhere, causing Elijah to immediately rush towards the door and thud against the threshold because he had not been invited in. I race up onto the wooden deck and prepare to help, as Elena drops the knife on the floor and clutches at her stomach.
"Elena, you idiot!" I panicked, and attempted to stem the bleeding with my bare hands; despite Elena trying to push me away. Elijah attempts to help me.
"Alright, yes. Yes, you can have your deal. Let me heal you!" Elijah urges frantically.
"Give me your word!" Elena shouts through the pain she is obviously feeling.
"I give you my word." Elijah agrees without hesitation. Elena limps outside of the house and her legs promptly give out underneath her, causing Elijah to catch her in his arms. However, Elena stabs Elijah through the heart with the silver dagger and he falls to the ground, dead. I abandon Elena and immediately catch Elijah, and started to weep. Elena falls to the ground as well, weakened from the blood loss. Stefan rushes out of the house and throws me a scandalized glare for not helping Elena, and bites down on his wrist; feeding it to his girlfriend.
"What the hell, Grace!? Can't you see that Elena is bleeding out?" Stefan growls at me. I ignore him, still rocking Elijah's body in my arms. Damon walks out of the house and stands in the doorway.
"Shut up, Stefan. Go attend to Elena." He suggests, looking at me with sympathy. Stefan glowers at Damon before scooping up Elena into his arms and moving to head into the house. Damon stops him briefly, causing both Stefan and Elena to look at him questioningly. "Little tip: don't pull the dagger out." He reminds them.
Once Elena was sufficiently healed enough to be moved without bleeding profusely again (it was her own damn fault); we picked up Elijah's body and transported him back to the Boarding House, where he was carried downstairs by Damon and Stefan, and stashed for the time being in the basement. Elena and I followed them, and I immediately crouched down beside Elijah with Damon who began searching through his pockets, while Elena stood close by Stefan who wrapped a protective arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.
Damon suddenly gave a triumphant smirk.
"Uhh! What do we have here?" He called out, and pulled out the moonstone. "A little moonstone of soap. I'll hold on to this." Damon declared, but I brandished my hand in front of his face.
"Yeah, right. I'll take that." I insisted, and Damon reluctantly places the moonstone in my hand. I immediately shoved it into the back pocket of my jeans. Elena looked pensive.
"So, that's it?" We all looked at her, waiting for Elena to elaborate. "I mean, as long as we keep the dagger in there, then he stays dead?"
"Pretty much." I confirmed in a quiet voice, straightening up from my crouch beside my brother. Elena immediately pulled away from Stefan and went straight for the stairs.
"Okay, then … Good night." Elena goes to walk up, but pauses for a split second to turn and look back at us. "You know, you guys want me to fight, I'll fight…" Damon, Stefan and I had differing expressions on our faces as we observed Elena's mannerisms. Stefan looked concerned, Damon looked suspicious, and I was eying her with deep resentment. "But if we're gonna do this, you can't keep anything from me anymore. From this moment on, we're doing it my way." Elena stated firmly.
I snorted, drawing her attention almost immediately.
"Here's a better idea: how about we don't?" I drawled.
"Excuse me?" Elena blurted out. Both Damon and Stefan looked at us curiously.
"Did I stutter? Every plan you've come up with Elena, has either involved you running off to surrender yourself, or needlessly harming yourself to prove a point." I pointed out, indicating what happened earlier at the Lake House with Elijah. "If you want to kill yourself, be my guest. I won't be a part of it." I stated, before bending down to kiss Elijah on the forehead, and heading up the staircase.
"I'm with her." Damon declared, causing me to pause mid-step and look at him with astonishment. Damon had a look of disgust on his face that was directed towards Elena, who looked shocked that Damon had sided with me.
"But Damon…" Elena protested.
"But nothing. This is more than just you at stake Elena. Pissing off Klaus is probably the last thing we need right now." He stated.
"Since when have you been on Grace's side?" Elena wanted to know.
"Probably from the moment she confided with me with her past, and wasn't making an attempt to change me; unlike you." Damon stated, matter-of-factly. "Besides, you seem to continue to ignore the fact that Klaus is also looking for her as well." I discreetly looked over to see Elena stepping off the steps leading up to the first floor, and marching over to Damon with what I assumed was a determined, petulant expression on her face.
"But I'm the one whose life is in danger, not her!" Elena protested, angrily. I grinned when I saw Damon's eyes narrow dangerously at her, and Elena taking a cautious step away from him and back into an overprotective Stefan's arms.
"Your lack of faith is insulting, Elena." Damon stated. "Do you really think that we'd let that happen? I'm pretty sure that Klaus could probably be persuaded." Damon pointed out, and made his way to the staircase as I laughed sardonically underneath my breath and continued walking up as well.
Not a chance…
The likelihood of Niklaus postponing the ritual the second he had Elena in his clutches, was slim to nil.
Not to mention laughable.
As a human he was as stubborn as a mule, and completely blinkered when he had a goal to accomplish. He also had a ferocious temper when he was pushed too far, when his plans were messed with and when somebody told him what to do when it wasn't needed or appreciated. Odds are, as a thousand year old vampire, Niklaus would not have changed, but probably gotten worse. I met Damon at the stop of the staircase, and smirked at the irritated expression on my best friend's face.
"Is Elena done acting like a three-year old?" I asked, falling into step with him when he started walking upstairs towards the second landing.
"Probably not." Damon responded, as we took a left in the hallway and continued walking toward his bedroom. However, when we got there; we could hear the shower running. Both of us froze and exchanged confused looks with each other. "What the hell?" Damon muttered. He indicated for me to stay where I was and went to investigate. I didn't argue. Damon walked over to the private luxury bathroom and once again froze when he looked inside.
"Damon? What's wrong?" I called out to him, concerned. He didn't respond as he was still surprised by what he was seeing.
"Hello, Damon." It was Katherine. I rushed over to Damon's side before he could stop me, and copped an eyeful of a completely naked Katherine. "Do you have a robe?" The cheeky vampire doppelgänger asked casually.
"How did you get out?" Damon finally demanded, discreetly stepping in front of me to shield me from her. Katherine shrugged nonchalantly.
"I knew that if I begged you not to kill Elijah, that's exactly what you'd do." Katherine replied.
"Wait, what?" I looked at Damon accusingly. He had visited the doppelbitch and had a discussion about my big brother? Was this before or after we had made our plan with Elijah? Katherine's feline brown eyes that were so uncannily like Elena's (except Elena's eyes were more doe-like and deceptively 'innocent') looked over and narrowed, as Damon sheepishly turned to look at me.
"Little known fact… Originals can compel vampires. But as soon as they die, the compulsion wears off." Katherine lectured at Damon, while not taking her eyes off me. Damon immediately refocused on Katherine.
"And you knew." He stated accusingly.
"And I'm still here. I didn't run." Katherine pointed out. "I meant what I said, Damon. I'm going to help you."
I snorted. "As long as you profit from it, I expect." I crossed my arms over my chest and fixed Katherine with a skeptical look. Without warning, Katherine immediately ran at me with the purpose of biting into my neck like a ripe apple. But I was ready for this and stabbed her calmly, but viciously in the stomach with my dagger. Apparently, she hadn't forgotten our last conversation back at the tomb when I introduced myself as being directly related to the Mikaelson Family, and taunted her. Katherine gagged, as her skin sizzled because of the vervain I had coated on the blade and handle.
While Katherine and Damon were talking, I discreetly unsheathed my dagger and hid it underneath the sleeve of my jacket; having suspected that I would have to defend myself against Katherine and her hip-jerk reaction when she possibly saw me again. Stabbing Katherine released all the frustration I was feeling towards Elena, and I felt oddly but pleasantly vindicated. I leaned down to whisper in Katherine's ear.
"Hello, Katerina. Nice to see you again." I greeted her, before ripping free the knife and examining it as Katherine dropped to the polished floorboards. "Walk it off, sweetheart." I added, stepping over her hunched over body and aiming for the bedroom door.
"Grace, wait!" I heard Damon call out. I looked over my shoulder at him.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Damon. You've got your hands full already." I said, indicating towards a fully healed, but still slightly weakened Katherine who was glaring at me from the floor. As I walked down the hallway towards the staircase, I overheard Katherine saying to Damon:
"So… How about that robe?"
At the ground floor of the Boarding House, I unexpectedly bumped into Stefan, who had just immerged from the basement. Elena was nowhere to be seen.
"Excuse me, Stefan." I apologized, politely. "Have a good night." I sidestepped him for the front door. But Stefan grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. I groaned, expecting to hear a lecture from Stefan about the situation revolving around Elena and her need to control everything remotely relating to her and the ritual.
"You're bleeding." Stefan unexpectedly said, and I blinked in astonishment. "Right here on your neck." Stefan indicated to his own neck, looking both concerned and angry. Cold air from a nearby open window, brushed by me and I winced at a sudden sting on my neck. Frowning, I reached up and felt a sudden wetness on my neck and when I pulled away, I saw blood coating my fingers.
"Oh, would you look at that?" I said, breezily. Not remotely concerned that Katherine had managed to actually sink her fangs into me before I skewered her. Stefan came over to inspect the wound.
"It's not too deep." He confirmed. "Did Damon do this?" Stefan looked outraged, but I immediately set things straight.
"No, this was Katherine's handy work." I corrected him, and Stefan immediately looked alarmed.
"Katherine's here?"
I nodded. "Yep. Watch your back." I advised, before opening the front door and leaving. "See you." I headed for my car. But Stefan followed me out.
"Wait, don't you want me to heal you?" He offered, but I shook my head.
"Nah, it's just a scratch. I'll take care of it when I get home." Stefan frowned, but nodded as I got into my car and headed to town.
I had just parked my car and gotten out, when for the second time that night I found myself colliding with another human being. I swore underneath my breath, as the impact had disturbed the bite mark on my neck and made it throb. I glanced up to swear at the person I had collided with and paused looking at him quizzically: he was tall and tanned, with a slightly muscular body that was dressed in a pair of smart, tight dark grey jeans, a dark button down shirt and a black leather jacket, with some black vans on his feet. The man had an oval-shaped face, with a cleft chin, full pink lips and a 'short, back and sides' hairstyle.
But it was the expression in his blue eyes that stopped me from cussing him out. They were shocked; and he was looking at me like he hadn't expected to see me standing here in front of him. It was the exact same expression Bonnie Bennett had when she had first made skin-contact with me and received a vision of my past life.
I was staring at a witch.
Wonderful. As if my life wasn't complicated already.
"Are you alright?" I asked him, frowning a little. The male witch recovered and offered me a disarming smile.
"Yeah, of course. Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." He apologized. "I'm Maddox." He introduced, offering me his hand to shake.
"Grace Williams." I returned the shake, smiling a little.
"What about you?"
"Come again?" I blinked, taking back my hand and looking at him with confusion. Maddox shoved a hand into his pocket, and indicated with his other to his neck.
"Your neck. What happened there?" He asked, mildly. I raised my defenses.
"Oh, that. I was careless with a tree branch." I brushed the topic aside dismissively. Maddox's eyes narrowed briefly before he recovered, and went back to looking concerned.
"It looks deep. Do you need help patching it up?" He offered.
"I've got it covered." I declined politely, and turned to head into my apartment. "Nice meeting you." I added, reaching for my keys.
"Uh, actually. I'm new to this town; would you be able to direct me to the nearest bar. I need a place to unwind from the trip." Maddox asked. I looked at him cautiously, then berated myself for becoming so suspicious. I smiled.
"Yeah, there's a little restaurant just across the road that has a decent bar." I came over to him and indicated to the Grill. Maddox smiled gratefully.
"Thanks." He replied.
"Don't mention it. Have a good night." I said, and turned for the apartment.
"Why don't you come and have a drink with me?" Maddox suggested. I turned and frowned at him.
"Look mate, if this is a line; I am not biting." I told him firmly. "I'm already spoken for." I added. The smile on Maddox's face heated up, like I had given him the answer he had been seeking.
What the…?
"Don't worry. I've already got a girlfriend, this is just a friendly drink; to say thanks and to make up for walking into you just now." Maddox reassured me. I shrugged; what harm could a glass of coke do?
"Well, alright then. You're buying." I agreed, and fell into step with the male witch as we crossed the slightly busy road and across the courtyard towards the Grill. "So how long have you been a witch?" I asked casually. Maddox faltered a little, looking surprised that I had picked up on the fact that he was a witch.
"How'd you know that I was witch?" He asked, looking mildly impressed.
I chuckled.
"You had the same expression on your face that an acquaintance had on her face when she first shook hands with me." I responded. Maddox still looked a little wary, and I sighed.
"Relax. Your secret is safe with me. As long as you don't deliberately attack me and my friends without provocation, you have no qualms with me." I reassured him. Maddox relaxed a little.
"Well, I've been a witch my whole life." He explained, as he held the door open for me and I stepped through. I glanced about the Grill and noticed Alaric at his usual spot at the bar, and that Matt was busing the tables tonight. The latter smiled and waved at me before returning to kitchen. I navigated my way over to a nearby booth and sank down into it, Maddox sliding in in front of me.
"And how do you like it so far?" I prodded, curiously.
"It's been awesome. I've learnt so much, and met … quite a few people because of it." He acknowledged, hesitating a little halfway through the explanation and giving the expected short and to the point answers. I frowned slightly, but let it go; as everybody has separate experiences, and not everything is a conspiracy or a person plotting to kill you in your sleep.
"So what brings you to Mystic Falls? Business or pleasure?" I changed the subject quickly, so I didn't arouse suspicion in Maddox.
"Business. But it's classified; I'm not allowed to elaborate, sorry." Maddox responded, looking a little regretful. I shrugged.
"That's okay. I tend not to stick my nose into other people's business." I acknowledged, and flagged down Matt who was passing by with his ordering pad.
"Hey Grace! Having a good night?" Matt enquired professionally, but giving me a friendly smile and a polite one to Maddox.
"Semi. How's Caroline?" I asked, and immediately grew concerned when Matt's eyes tightened slightly and his smile turned into a grimace. "Not so good, huh?" I guessed, sympathetically. Matt shrugged.
"Caroline's been acting a little weird lately, and she won't tell me why." He stated, awkwardly. "I'm getting tired of being kept out of the loop, so I'm staying out of it until I get a proper explanation." Matt explained. I nodded; that was fair.
"Good luck with that, Matt." I told him. "Hope it goes in your favour." I added with a smile. Matt returned it.
"Thanks, Grace. Now what can I get the both of you?" Matt stood ready with the pen and pad.
"Just a coke, please. No ice, if possible?" I ordered.
"And I'll have a whisky straight." Maddox added. Matt scribbled down the order.
"Be right out." He promised.
"Could you also get me the First-Aid kit as well?" I requested, and Matt's head shot up immediately. He started looking for a wound and his eyes widened when he saw the obvious bite mark on my neck.
"What happened to you?" He demanded, with concern. I looked at Matt beseechingly.
"Nothing serious. Just a little accident." I told him. "May I have the First-Aid kit, please?" I repeated my request. Matt nodded and turned towards the bar to give in the order. Maddox made himself comfortable and eyed me curiously, as I grabbed a napkin and started dabbing away at Katherine's bite mark, wincing occasionally, trying to wipe away as much of my blood as I could that hadn't dried already.
"So tell me a bit about yourself, Grace?" Maddox asked, obviously trying to break the ice. I just looked at him, suddenly feeling like I was in the middle of a job interview.
"I was born in the UK, and lived there until I was ten. My parents decided to move to America for a job opportunity my Dad had gotten. When I started University, my parents went back to the UK and I decided to make a life for myself here in America. For the past four years, I've been undergoing a correspondence course to attain my Bachelor's and moving whenever my lease expired to a different location." I narrated, conversationally.
"And what inspired you to come to Mystic Falls?" Maddox probed, curiously.
"A friend of mine alerted me to an available apartment to lease here, and I decided to take him up on it." I responded. "Well, that and I'm a bit of history buff and I've always wanted to learn more about the Civil War." I added, grinning a little. Matt returned with my Coke and Maddox's whisky. A large white plastic First-Aid kit was clamped underneath his armpit, and he placed it on the table next to me.
"Here you go, Grace. Do you need any help?" Matt asked, indicating towards the bite mark. I shook my head.
"I'm good. Thanks for my drink." I said. Matt nodded, still looking concerned and moved on to the next customer.
"Oh! Before I forget." Matt backpedalled, causing Maddox and I to give him our undivided attention. "The Grill is hosting a band tomorrow night. They're gonna play a few local songs." He told both Maddox and I. "Feel free to come on down and check 'em out." Matt suggested, as he slid a flyer onto the table. I picked it up and scanned it curiously.
"I'll keep it in mind, Matt. Cheers." I smiled and Matt nodded before moving on. I noticed out of the corner of my eye Alaric looking over at Maddox curiously. I smiled and waved at him. He nodded, but that was it.
"Friend of yours?" Maddox asked, indicating to Alaric with his drink and took a healthy sip from the glass. I glanced over at Alaric briefly.
"Yeah. Great guy, one of the few friends I've made in this town; which says a lot since I find it difficult to find and keep friends nowadays." I confessed, as I pulled out an alcohol swab, a large square dressing and some white medical tape. Maddox nodded, and I noticed him putting something back on the table and I realised that it was his phone. Must've been checking the time.
"Do you travel?" I randomly asked Maddox, who blinked a little at the question.
"A bit. But mostly I go where I'm needed by my boss." Maddox responded, sounding slightly vague. Fair enough, I guess. We both barely know each other, and it's natural to be cautious and not to reveal too much in one sitting. You never really know who you could be talking to. I bit my bottom lip when the alcohol swab grazed my still tender wound. "Here. Let me." Maddox offered when he realised I was struggling, and got up from his side of the table, relieving me of the swab and wiping where I had apparently missed a bit of congealed blood crusting over on my neck.
"Thanks." I said gratefully, as I prepared the dressing to be put over the top of the wound.
"You know, it's okay to ask for help occasionally." Maddox reminded me, chiding a little. I grimaced slightly, as I held the dressing in place, while he tapped down the corners with the white tape.
"I don't like feeling vulnerable. I felt like that once in my life and I didn't like the feeling of being powerless and at the mercy of somebody else." I explained, unknowingly grabbing Maddox's interest. "So, I learned to be more independent." Maddox nodded.
"I hear ya, and I agree. How did you achieve this?" He asked out of interest.
"I studied karate, and different styles of sword-fighting." I replied. Maddox's eyes widened, as he put away the unused medical supplies back into the First-Aid kit.
"You're having me on." He insisted, and I frowned a little and withdrew my dagger, showing it to him. "You're not kidding." He took the dagger from me and let out a low whistle. "That's hot." He flirted, jokingly. I giggled, and re-sheathed my dagger and finished off my Coke.
"Don't start, please. You're gonna sound like my best friend." I pleaded. Maddox raised both hands into the surrender gesture.
"I promise." He laughed. I laughed along with him, before I checked the time on my phone and got to my feet.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Maddox. But I gotta get home. I'm working on a project for Uni which I've gotta finish and post as soon as possible." I said. Maddox rose to his feet as well, and reached out to shake my hand.
"The pleasure is all mine. I look forward to seeing a lot more of you in the future." Maddox responded, seriously.
"Sounds great!" I agreed. "See you around." I walked towards the front door and out into the night.
~:MADDOX'S P.O.V:~
I waited until this Grace girl completely left the place before I immediately picked up my phone and made an urgent phone call to Klaus.
I seriously didn't expect to find this when I came to this back end town; but when Klaus had gotten a tip off from a loyal follower of his that the doppelgänger he was searching for, was rumoured to be in Mystic Falls, Virginia; naturally, he sent me to investigate the possibilities.
Grace, was the first person I encountered in the Town Square; purely by accident, and on the first try as well. Although, I do suspect that it would make Klaus very pleased to learn that his lost lover was living right back in the town she and Klaus had been born in a thousand years before. I hadn't intended on snooping, but the last time I had seen an image of Grace, was on one of the rare occasions that Klaus allowed me into his private studio where he was attempting to unwind after his latest disappointment, by painting.
~:FLASHBACK:~
It was just sitting there, on his desk: a charcoal sketch of a beautiful girl with very long brunette hair, dressed in an old-fashioned medieval dress, smiling up out of the page with her large doe eyes wide and looking happy to see you.
I knew better than to ask.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked respectfully, as I watched Klaus paying the canvas he was working tirelessly at, his undivided attention.
"Ah, Maddox. Good to see you, mate." He greeted me cordially without looking away from the canvas. "I have a job for you." He got straight to the point, and I knew that it meant he wasn't taking any prisoners this time round; he was getting desperate. Not that he'd admit it either.
"What do you need?" I asked automatically. He grinned in approval.
"I need you to check out the town of Mystic Falls in Virginia." Klaus said. "There is a rumour floating around that my doppelgänger is currently residing there. I want you to confirm this." He ordered.
"Consider it done." I responded and bowed a little before turning and aiming to leave the room. But the girl in the picture was still bugging me, and I needed to know who she was. I turned back to Klaus and he eyed me curiously.
"Something on your mind?"
I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and attempted to word my question carefully.
"May I speak candidly?" I asked, hesitantly. Klaus smirked at the question and set down the paintbrush he was using and stepped around the canvas to address me properly.
"Depends on the question." He responded, and leant on his desk wiping his fingers clean with an old rag.
So far so good… I thought with relief.
"Who is the girl in that sketch?" I asked, pointing towards the charcoal picture. Almost immediately, the smirk dropped from his face and was replaced with a frown. I immediately wanted to take back the question, but was surprised when I received an answer.
"Her name was Graínne." Klaus responded, quietly. "She was my fiancé a thousand years ago." I was shocked by the raw pain in his voice. Klaus walked over and picked up the picture, staring almost tenderly at the image he had drawn, and I almost felt like I was intruding.
"What happened to her?" I asked tentatively, hoping that I wasn't overstepping the mark. Klaus set aside the picture, and focused upon something in the distance; clearly reminiscing.
"She was murdered in cold blood by Mikael." He answered, brooding a little. "I witnessed the entire thing after I tried to save her from being killed. The bastard had the audacity to say that her death was supposed to teach me some sort of lesson." He scoffed, and his eyes flashed a little. "What it really taught me, was that you can't take life for granted; not for a second. Or else, you could lose everything forever." I remained silent, and waited for Klaus to make the next move. He was unpredictable at the best of times, and lately; anything could set him off. Then he unexpectedly laughed; although I couldn't detect any trace of humour within it. "You know, it's funny. Mystic Falls, Virginia, is exactly where she, my younger siblings and I were born, and where all of us, also died. It would be fucking ironic if I managed to find her there as well." He commented.
I raised an eyebrow. "Find her?"
"The night she died, I promised both myself and Graínne that I would find her, no matter how long it took, and never let her go." He seemed realise that he had revealed too much, and he immediately straightened up and returned to his painting. "That'll be all, Maddox. Just go do your job." Klaus ordered.
I nodded and quickly left.
~REALITY~
The very second after I walked into Grace, I could've sworn I was looking at another doppelgänger; if I hadn't already known better. And if her appearance had not been convincing enough, the slideshow of images that invaded my head after I made skin-to-skin contact with her would've confirmed everything completely.
This was Klaus' Graínne all right.
Albeit a few years older, very street-smart and highly independent. Also went by the name 'Grace' instead. When I noticed that Grace was also wounded, I mentally cursed; particularly when the wound was an obvious vampire bite. Working for Klaus, I'd seen a lot of them; mostly caused by him when he lost his temper, or the victim had served their purpose for whatever Klaus needed them for. What pissed me off, wasn't the fact that Grace had been bitten - she was obviously one of the luckier victims. It was the fact that the girl tried to dismiss it as a scratch from a tree branch. Probably been compelled to say that.
All I knew is, that whoever the vamp was that bit into Grace, needed to get their affairs in order and quick; because they had just been unofficially marked by the Original soon-to-be-Hybrid.
"Hello, Maddox? Have you confirmed sighting already?" Klaus' cultured deep European voice sounded both impressed and slightly incredulous. Now was not the time to be smug.
"Not just yet. I've located something else that needs your attention." I explained, being careful not to say Klaus' name out loud. Something told me that I shouldn't trust anybody in this town. My theory was proven correct when I noticed that Alaric guy Grace pointed out to me earlier, looking at me suspiciously.
"And what might that be pray tell?"
"Graínne." I replied succinctly, and held my breath for his reaction. I was not disappointed. There was silence for several minutes that made me wonder if I had accidentally disconnected the phone call by mistake. But then…
"That's not possible." Klaus murmured, sounding shocked.
"I can confirm it. I saw her with my own two eyes." I insisted. I heard Klaus growl inhumanly over the line, and I winced.
"If you are lying to me, I will personally pluck out both of your eyes and force feed them to you!" He snarled.
"I am 100% serious." I stated. "Stand by for the proof." I pulled the phone from my ear, and accessed my photo app and sent Klaus the photos I had taken of Grace without her knowledge: some from when she was getting out of her car and looping her purse over her shoulder, and one that I was reluctant to send that very obviously displayed the prominent bite mark on her neck that was still oozing blood.
"Is that a bite mark?" Klaus asked in cold inquiry.
"Yeah, it is. Don't worry, I helped her patch it up." I reassured him.
"You actually spoke to her?" Klaus sounded extremely interested in what I had to tell him. I smiled, happy that Klaus sounded happier than he did the last time I saw him.
"Yes. I did. She's a very fierce and very independent young woman, and she's got a lot of spunk." I confirmed. He didn't respond to that, but I knew he got the message.
"New plan, Maddox." I rolled my eyes, but this time I knew the reason why there was a new plan. "Continue locating the doppelgänger, but keep an eye on Graínne as well." Klaus ordered.
"Yes, sir." I said.
"Good man. Let me know when you've confirmed the doppelgänger is there." Klaus hung up and I flipped shut my phone and stuck it into my pocket.
A/N: Klaus knows that Grace is in Mystic Falls! YES! He's almost here, boys and girls. Stay tuned!
TTFN xx