A/N: Still shocked how popular my last chapter was. Thanks, guys! Means a lot!
Sorry about the late update. :D
This chapter will mostly be from Klaus' P.O.V, but who knows it might change as I write it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Continue sending in those reviews, guys! And thanks for not being mean and sending flames. Xx
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. All characters (except for Grace) are owned by author L.J Smith.
Happy reading! xx
THE FINAL PART OF THE HYBRID RITUAL
"Thinking of you keeps me awake. Dreaming of you keeps me asleep. Being with you keeps me alive." ~Unknown Author.
~:KLAUS P.O.V:~
I don't know what it is exactly. But there is just something about my Graínne – or as she is now known as Grace – that makes me proud and for once believe that it's going to happen. It's just finally going to bloody happen! Nothing is going to bring me down!
But of course, those could be my famous last words, as I walked into Alaric's apartment; primed and ready to begin … and there was Katerina making coffee.
Hmmm. There's definitely something fishy going on here. Katerina turned towards me the moment I passed the threshold.
"Everything okay?" Katerina looked innocent. Too innocent actually. I frowned at her.
"What have you been doing?" I asked, suspiciously.
"Making coffee. Do you want some?" Katerina holds out a cup to me, and I immediately rush over to her and grabbed her by the throat, causing her to drop the cup.
"Tell me what you've been doing." I compelled her. Katerina's fearful eyes instantly went blank.
"Making coffee." She answers in monotone. I reluctantly release her and Katerina backs away, massaging her neck while she gasped for unneeded air. Something glitters in the light and out of the corner of my eye I noticed something on her wrist.
"Wait." Katerina turns to me, looking nervous. "Take off your bracelet." I ordered, testing a theory. Immediately, she takes off the bracelet and gives it to me. The second the trinket touches my skin, I look her directly in the eye; preparing to compel her once again. "Now, I want you … to walk over to the window and stand in the sunlight." I commanded, eying the lethal sunrays filtering in through the window.
Katerina hesitates.
"But I'll burn."
I smirked, uncaring. "You don't have a choice." I watched as she stands in the sunlight and the side of her face exposed to the light begins to burn. She screams from the pain, and I enjoy every moment. "That's enough." I said after a minute. Katerina immediately rushes over to the shadowy part of the room. I shrugged. "Guess I was wrong. All right, then." Apparently, she was truthful for once. But as the saying goes: a leopard never changes its spots. Katerina looks over at me with trepidation. "I need you to do something for me."
"What do you need?" She asks me. I walked over and picked up my phone.
"I need you to lure Jenna Sommers out of the house in any way that you can." Katerina looked nervous.
"Well, what would I say?" She asked. I just looked at her.
"Make something up. Use your imagination." I replied, hotly.
Katerina scowled at me and took the phone, expertly dialing the number to the Gilbert's. It was rather amusing watching Katerina pretend to be Elena, and before long she hung up and looked at me.
"Well?"
"Jenna will be back at the Gilbert's in half an hour." Katerina reported.
"Very good." I headed for the door. Katerina follows.
"What are you going to do with her?" She asked. I eyed her suspiciously.
"You don't need to know that." I told her. As I filed out of the apartment, leaving behind a pouting Katerina; I called up Maddox to find out his progress with what I had sent him to do.
He doesn't pick up.
Strange. This isn't like him at all. But I have a schedule to keep, so I'll try him again later. I access Greta's phone.
"Hello, Klaus." I hear her respond.
"Greta. I have a little job for you. Meet me at the Mystic Grill." I requested.
"Certainly. See you soon." She hangs up, and I smile contentedly and slip my phone back into my pocket as I calmly and casually make my way across the road and towards the restaurant. Neither Damon Salvatore nor Alaric Saltzman are pickling themselves at the bar, which is fine with me. Makes my job a lot easier without two self-righteous men breathing down my neck to postpone the ritual.
I take a seat at the bar and order myself a bourbon while I waited. My thoughts continued to drift back to the strange, but enjoyable afternoon I had had with Grace exploring the caves we used to hide out in during every full moon a thousand years ago. I was worried that she would be disgusted and refuse to ever see me again when she had learned that I was responsible for the death of my mother.
Not even my siblings know about that.
At the time I lied and told Elijah and Rebekah that Mikael had killed her in a fit of rage over her infidelity. That was when we made that pledge of always and forever to each other and eventually with Kol and Finn when we eventually found them again after they fled. But it was what Grace said before we parted that gave me hope: the fact that she had heard what I had whispered to her urgently that night before she succumbed to her mortal wound, caused by Mikael; and the fact that the words stayed with her from the moment of rebirth, and in all the times she needed the comfort and encouragement that I was coming for her no matter how long it took.
She will never know how much relief and hope that gave me to learn this. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Greta slides into the stool next to mine, and I glared at her almost immediately, before mellowing when I realised who she was.
"What is it that you require assistance for?" Greta got straight to the point. I smiled at her approvingly; that's what I like about this witch. She knows when a situation is serious and time-critical, and doesn't waste precious time. I knocked back what was left of my drink, and toss down a hundred dollar bill on the counter.
"Keep the change." I tell the shocked barkeep. I get to my feet and turned towards an alert and serious Greta. "Let's go. I need to pick up an important package." I told her. She nods and follows me outside where we pile into her car and I tell her to locate the Gilbert house.
~:GRACE P.O.V:~
(Unconscious)
I found myself lying in an unknown area, surrounded by a thick white fog and completely isolated from everything. I sat up glancing around for an idea of what was going on exactly and realized that I was dreaming again.
"Grace!?"
"Henrik?" My head snaps towards the frantic voice that I recognized almost immediately as Henrik's. He sounded distressed about something. I get to my feet, a little shakily and glance about for any sign of my baby brother-in-law before something warm, and a foot and a half taller than me collides with me, almost pushing back onto the ground.
"Oh, thank god. You're alright!" It was Henrik, hugging me within an inch of my life.
Wait! Hold up. Henrik?! He was corporeal? Solid flesh and bone? How was this possible? But then I remembered that I was unconscious; probably in the custody of whoever blew that irritating powder in my face.
"Henrik? What's going on? Where am I?" I demanded, urgently, as I held him back from me and held onto his shoulders. He looked relieved but also serious at the same time.
"You're on the other side." Henrik told me, and I immediately started to panic.
"I'm dead!?" I cried out in horror.
That can't be possible. I've only just reunited with Nik; fate can't be that cruel and pull the rug out from underneath my feet like that, again. It's just gotta be some practical joke. However, Henrik shakes his head reassuringly.
"No, just unconscious." He tells me, and I relax. "I was summoned here with I sensed that you were in danger again." He explains to me, looking tense. I frowned at him, not understanding and waiting for some answers.
"Well, if I'm not dead. What the hell am I doing here?" I demanded.
"I brought you here." An unknown female's voice interrupts us, and almost immediately Henrik steps protectively in front of me.
"Who are you?" I asked the unfamiliar voice.
"What do you want with my sister?" Henrik added, fiercely. The voice chuckles indulgently.
"She's not your sister yet, dear. Your friend needs to overcome some obstacles, and help others overcome theirs before she will officially become that." Both of us raise an eyebrow at this random tidbit of information.
"Excuse me?" I blurted out. A shadowy figure, most obviously female, steps into direct view and both Henrik and I tense up at her arrival. "I won't ask again. Who the hell are you?" I command.
"I'm rather surprised that you didn't recognize my voice by now." The woman replies, before stepping into view. My mouth drops open in shock.
"Esther?"
"Mother?"
Henrik's voice was small, barely heard. He sounded just like the fifteen year old boy he once was before he had been shredded alive by transitioning werewolves. Esther smiles warmly at her youngest and reaches out towards him. However, Henrik takes an automatic step away from his mother. I nodded approvingly. Something didn't add up right now. Best to maintain distance.
"Hello, my brave boy." Esther greets Henrik, not fazed by his reaction to her unexpected presence. "Seeing you here, brings me great joy." She said.
"Wish I could extend that same emotion." Henrik responds, defensively. Esther frowns at his words.
"Now that's not very polite son." She scolds him. I wave a hand to grab the Original Witch's attention.
"Hey, need more information about why I am here." I reminded her, attempting to distract her from Henrik and his understandable confusion and standoffish behavior. Esther gives me a polite smile that I don't return.
"Now, Graínne. There's no need to be so impatient." Esther admonishes me and I gather what willpower I possessed and did not slug her where she stood.
"The name is Grace, and please answer my question." I insisted, irritably.
"But you haven't asked the right question yet." Esther insisted.
"And what is the right question then?"
"The right question is: 'what can I do to help'?" Esther responded cryptically.
What the actual fuck?
"Well, in order to ask that question, I'd need to know who requires assistance." I retorted. Henrik makes an incredulous noise underneath his breath, as I wait for the answer.
"Why, Niklaus, of course." Esther responded like it was obvious. "You must've reunited with him by now." She added. I felt my mouth fall open in astonishment.
"Is he in trouble?" Henrik queries urgently.
"No, but he will need Grace's help in the end during his attempt at breaking his curse." Esther told us both.
I frowned.
"How do you know that he is attempting to break his curse?" I asked, cautiously. Esther looked at me like I was an idiot.
"I was the one who placed it upon him, and I've watched him for nearly a thousand years. This is the second time, I've been summoned when Niklaus was close to breaking his curse." Esther told me.
"Uh-huh. And why am I the one he will require help from in the end exactly?" I asked, dubiously.
"Because it's not Elena Gilbert who is the final part of the ritual, Grace. It's you." Esther tells me.
"Me?" I echoed.
"Yes, you." Esther confirmed, with that same indulgent smile that made my skin crawl unpleasantly.
"How?" Henrik asked, curiously. Esther let out a pained sigh, that only mounted the curiosity and fear I was feeling that I was apparently apart of the ritual Nik was about to perform.
"The night you interrupted the curse, I had only been part of the way completed with it; before you burst in unexpectedly trying to save Niklaus." She explained.
"That can't be right. I heard you explicitly say "It is done" about two minutes after I barreled in to stop the three of you. How can I be part of that?" I asked, with confusion.
"I had finished cursing Niklaus at that time you came in. But there were two parts to this specific ritual." Esther explained. "The second part involves giving thanks to the deceased witches for lending me the power to complete the curse. Unfortunately, as I had not finished giving thanks; when you were stabbed by Mikael and spilt blood you were unintentionally linked." Esther explained.
My eyes widened with shock.
"So that means…?"
"In order for Niklaus to completely break the curse and be free from it, your blood needs to spill once again." Esther said, solemnly.
I slowly backed away from her, totally freaking out.
"I have to die, again!?" I exclaimed. "Just like Elena?" However, Esther shook her head.
"No, sweetheart. Some of your blood needs to spill. You don't have to die like the last time." Esther reassured me. But I didn't feel comforted or reassured.
~:KLAUS P.O.V:~
Night fell and soon it was time to collect my doppelgänger to perform this ritual once and for all. My plans for her aunt Jenna came along flawlessly. The woman did not see me coming at all, and when the time came for her to fight back; it was already too late.
"Take her to the quarry, Greta. I'll along shortly with our special ingredient." I told her. Greta nodded obediently and took away Jenna's body along with her, while I vamp-sped towards the Boarding House to round up Elena.
I watched from the shadows as Stefan's little red vintage car pulled up in the Salvatores' expansive driveway and Stefan parks it, gets out and opens the passenger door for Elena.
How gallant.
"Thanks for today." She simpers at him, making my stomach flip over unpleasantly.
Elena Gilbert is exactly how Grace described her to me. An almost identical replica of Tatia; personality wise. Time to burst their bubble. I walked towards them casually, alerting Stefan to my presence as he immediately turns in my direction and pushes Elena behind him for protection. I smirked, as Elena looks at me with a combination of fear and defiance.
"You got me all nervous. I thought maybe you'd done something stupid." I stated, referring to their adventure wherever the hell they were. "You ready, my dear?" I asked Elena, rhetorically.
She nodded.
"I'm ready." And she walks towards me, to take my outstretched hand. However, Stefan grabs her upper arm; stopping her in her tracks.
"No." He protests. I narrowed my eyes at him with warning.
"I wouldn't. No reason for you to die, too." I said, as Elena turns on the spot to face Stefan. However, he doesn't stop staring me down. I rolled my eyes.
"No. Stefan, hey, hey, it's fine, it's fine." She attempts to reassure him. I withdraw my hand, allowing them to share their final goodbyes. It's only fair; I'm not completely heartless, and I do understand what it's like to be in love and how unbearable the pain of separation from somebody I love is. "I'll go. No one needs to get hurt. There's no reason for you to get hurt." Elena tells him before kissing him. "I love you." She whispers.
"I love you." He reciprocates, tears visibly falling down his face. They kiss again, and I grimace. There is such a thing as too much public displays of affection. I was about to intervene when they finally break apart.
"Close your eyes." She encourages Stefan. "Close your eyes."
Stefan reluctantly closes his eyes, and the very second that Elena lets go of his hand; I swoop in, wrap my arm around Elena's waist and take off running down the street with Elena clinging to my arm for security. We come across Greta, and I pass Elena over to her with relief.
"I'll be along shortly. There's one more thing I require from the apartment." I tell Greta.
"The moon is rising." Greta warns me, and I narrowed my eyes at her. She gets the message and quickly leads a surprisingly compliant Elena away.
At the apartment, I let myself in and feel annoyed when it becomes clear that Maddox has failed to report back in to me. I turned towards Katerina for an explanation.
"Where's Maddox? He should be back by now." I demanded, angrily. Katerina looks at me, fearfully and resentfully.
"I don't know." She insists. I sat down and opened up my laptop to access a live video recording of one of my captives. To be precise, the same bloody wolf who apparently attacked my beautiful girl.
Fancy that.
"What are you doing? Where's Elena?" Katerina questions me.
"I sent her off with Greta." I replied absently, still staring at the laptop at the transitioning wolf on the screen. I smiled triumphantly. "It's almost time." I reacted with mild surprise at the presence of the unexpected and highly unwelcomed visitor. "I wasn't aware you'd been invited in." I commented, still staring at the laptop screen.
"I've come here to tell you to postpone the ritual." It was Damon Salvatore. I bristled. Do we seriously need to cover this again?
"Didn't we already have this conversation?" I asked, dismissively. Then something on Damon catches my eye and I notice that the eldest Salvatore has been careless with an animal. I can work with this. Damon narrows his eyes, clearly not liking what I had said. But then he offered me a triumphant smirk which made me frown suspiciously.
"Yeah, but that was before I rescued your werewolf and vampire and killed your witch." My eyes widened in shock.
"Excuse me?" So that's where Maddox disappeared off to.
You son-of-a-bitch!
I immediately get to my feet, feeling anger rush over me as I turned towards him.
"And you can kill me for it. I don't care. It was all … me." Damon stated, proudly.
I almost killed him, but somehow managed not to as I had heard that this arrogant little shit was apparently dear to Grace, and she was likely to be pissed if I killed him. Doesn't matter anyhow, judging by the bite he had on his arm, it looked like a werewolf had got him; which means that he is not long for this world. I glanced over at Katerina.
"Give us a moment." I ordered her. She glances over at the both of us and quickly leaves. I slowly turned towards Damon, analyzing him calculatingly. "I've heard about you. The crazy, impulsive vampire in love with my girl." I chuckled at the horrified expression that appeared on his face. "I knew that either you or your brother would try to stop me. It was just a 50/50 guess on who." I loved the part where he paled dramatically. I woke up the laptop and turned it towards him, revealing Jules, who was still slowly – and hopefully painfully, if I can recall correctly – transitioning. "The nice thing about werewolves is they tend to travel in packs. Need a closer look?" I asked him.
"Jules." Damon whispered. Was that a hint of a triumphant grin on his face? I grinned at him.
"Yeah, I believe that's her name. Heard from Grace herself that she had a bit of a run in with the bitch. Pun intended." Damon looked stunned that I was one-step-ahead of him. "You see, when you spend a thousand years trying to break a curse … You learn a thing or two. First rule… always have a backup. Backup werewolf. Backup witch…"
"Backup vampire." Damon mutters underneath his breath with a sense of dread.
"Precisely." I smirked, discreetly eyeing the room Katerina had disappeared into. "I've got that covered, too." I promised, as I broke his neck and watched as he crashed to the floor. Katerina burst out into the room, looking nonchalant about the fact that one of her playthings was lying on the floor with his neck broken.
"He had it coming." She commented casually. I raised an eyebrow at her comment.
"That's harsh, Katerina. He's only trying to protect those he loves." I replied, my voice as smooth as silk. "I can at least relate to that." I added darkly, thinking about the bite mark she had left on Grace's throat. Without warning, I sped behind her and like Damon, snapped her neck. Her lovely body tumbled to the floor. A little winded, I took a couple of deep breaths then cocked my head. I felt invigorated; imagine how I would feel once this curse was lifted? "I never get tired of doing that." I spoke out loud.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Greta's phone number as I closed the laptop lid with a click, and scooped up Katerina's body over my shoulder.
"Got what you needed, Klaus?" Greta enquired.
I smirked, feeling over the moon. "Let's get this show on the road." I confirmed.
~:GRACE P.O.V:~
(Unconscious)
I glared at Esther disdainfully. The very last thing I wanted to learn was that I was a key ingredient in breaking the Hybrid curse cast upon Nik a thousand years before.
"How dare you!" I hissed. "You should have owned up to Mikael about your indiscretion long ago. Then we wouldn't be in this mess!" Esther glowered at me also, as angry tears threatened to fall down my cheeks. "He is your son, and you just allowed him to be tortured and humiliated by a person I would feel insulted to call a man! A real man would accept any child regardless if he was his own or not." I pointed out to her. "But that would be too much work or an effort to achieve, now wouldn't it?" I spat, hatefully.
"You have no idea what I had to put up with all those years ago." Esther protested, resentfully. "I had to keep Niklaus' parentage a secret." She insisted, trying to get me to see reason.
I narrowed my eyes.
"That is a pathetic excuse, Esther. You might as well have helped Mikael with his harsh treatment of your children whom you profess to love." I sneered. "I will gladly help Niklaus break his curse. But only because I love him with all my heart and soul." I declared. "And I'm going to tell him, that you kidnapped me." I promised, before turning and walking away from her. But then suddenly, I found myself frozen in place and unable to budge an inch. I looked over at her with anger. "What are you doing? Let me go!" I protested.
Esther looked extremely calm as she walked towards me with her hand outstretched and clawed.
"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that, Grace. It will ruin the plans that I've been making for my family." She explained, coolly.
"What are you going to do to me?" I asked, suddenly fearful for my life.
"What I must." Esther replied simply. "You will not tell Niklaus or any of his siblings that I was involved in all of this." Then Esther extended a finger and moved to touch my forehead.
"Hey, what are you doing!? Leave her alone!" Henrik protested angrily, and moved to intercept his mother.
But it was too late.
Esther touches my forehead and I scream as I feel an excruciating pain; like she had stabbed me in the head with a dagger. I woke up to the rapidly fading sounds of Henrik screaming in the distance; cradled gently in someone's arms. I opened my eyes to see Nik's horrified and worried blood-smeared face.
~:KLAUS P.O.V:~
(before Grace awakened)
I could hear Elena reassuring her aunt from far away. Once again, I marvel at the usefulness of enhanced hearing. I paused and craned my head, curious about what Elena had to say to her aunt to comfort her. But the back and forth footfalls I could hear, I assumed correctly that Elena was also pacing like a stressed out tiger in a cage.
"How are you feeling?" I hear her say. I walked closer to the clearing and caught a glimpse of the doppelgänger standing in her circle of fire, while Jenna was kneeling in hers; looking absolutely petrified.
"I feel like myself … Only not." Understatement of the year. "Everything is brighter. The fire's hotter. Part of me is terrified, but there's another part of me that doesn't want to feel anything." Jenna admits. Ah, memories! I do not miss that revolting feeling I remember when I first awoke as a newborn vampire all those years ago. Elena nodded solemnly.
"Vampires can turn off the part that's human. That's the part that hurts." She explains to Jenna, whose eyes filled up with tears. If only she knew my real plans for her, then maybe she'd be reacting a little differently.
"I'm gonna die, aren't I?" Jenna whimpers. No, honey; you're not. I'm sorry that I've had to do this to you; but it was necessary so I could prove a point towards your little bitch of a niece and her lapdog, Stefan, that they should not meddle in other people's affairs.
"No! Jenna, I'm not going to let that happen. I don't care what I have to do." Elena immediately reassures her. I shook my head. This girl really has no sense of self-preservation at all. Suddenly, in the distance the sounds of twigs snapping and somebody groaning in pain makes heads turn towards the source. Ah, perfect timing. The collection is complete. I looked down at Katerina who is still unconscious where I laid her behind a bush.
It will all be over soon for you, Katerina. This time, you will not escape from me and you will get what is coming to you.
"Who's that?" Jenna asks, frightened. Elena watches as Jules is dragged over to a third circle of fire. I noticed a look of pity pass over her face the second they clap onto Jules.
"That must be the werewolf." Elena suspected. Greta pushes down Jules to the ground, as the she-wolf clutched at her stomach in pain. She glanced up at Greta, looking both scared and bewildered about what was happening to her.
"What's happening to me?" Jules demanded. Greta merely deadpans at her as she answers Jules' question.
"I cast a spell to slow down your transformation. Your insides are trying to tear themselves free." She explains before moving away from her and giving an easy flick of her wrist. That action creates yet another ring of fire around Jules, and at the same time reminds me of a Johnny Cash song.
"Greta, witches are supposed to maintain the balance in nature. It's your duty to them to keep this curse sealed." Elena tries to appeal to Greta's conscience. Admirable effort, but a pathetic one nevertheless. What was about to happen to her, was gonna happen. I am deaf to pleading and excuses.
"My duty is to Klaus! The new order." Greta dismisses Elena, and that is my cue to make my grand entrance. As I walked towards the group of girls, heads swivel in my direction and I can't help but grin at Greta's words.
"Glad to know I still have a dance partner." I winked at her, before focusing upon the three women all looking back at me with dread. "Hello, my lovelies. Are we ready?"
No one responds. That's okay, I wasn't really expecting an answer. Turning away from the three of them, I walked up a nearby hill and pulled the moonstone from my back pocket. "I've got the moonstone. I spent 500 years looking for this, and I hate to part with it." I stated. Still, I hand it to Greta who takes it and immediately looks up at the sky, contemplatively.
"The moon has passed its apex. Remember everything you need to do?" Greta asks, seriously.
I nodded.
"I remember." I confirmed, before Greta immediately drops the moonstone into a stone bowl filled with flames. Sparks start flying as the moonstone is destroyed, thus officially beginning the ritual. Greta starts chanting in Latin, and I turn towards the three rings of fire. But more specifically, at Jules. As I approached the three of them, Jules continues moaning from the pain and she looks up at Elena, who looks at her with pity and condemnation.
"Everything I did… I was just trying to help Tyler." Jules confesses to Elena, who merely nodded.
"Are you Jules?" Elena asks her. Jules nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"I didn't want him to be alone!" I walked towards Jules' ring of fire, and waited for Greta to release Jules as I looked down at her.
"Shall we?" I asked rhetorically.
The ring of fire vanishes, and Jules' eyes glow yellow; a sure fire hint that she was pissed. Her response to my question was to use her werewolf speed to rush at me. However, I easily managed to pin her to the ground and plunged my hand into her chest. Wrapping my hand around her heart, I yanked it from her chest cavity, breathing heavily as I hold up the bloody heart in my hand. I barely acknowledged as Jules takes her last breath, and even more so when both Elena and her aunt watch what has happened in horror.
I carried Jules' heart over to the ceremonial bowl and proceeded to squeeze the blood into the flames, while Greta continues chanting her little spell. I glanced over at her for confirmation.
"Does that mean it's working?" I asked, curiously. Greta nodded, still concentrating on the spell.
"It's working." She stated. Excellent. I overhear the conversation Jenna had begun with Elena over in their separate rings, and couldn't help but listen in while preparing for the next ingredient to be added to the ceremonial bowl.
"The day that the lawyers called to tell me that I was going to become your guardian, you know what my first thought was?" Elena looks down at her and shakes her head. "Isn't there someone else who can do this?" Ouch, that's harsh. I saw Elena wince with guilt.
"Jenna, there was no one else who could have gotten me and Jeremy through all of that." I frowned with confusion until I remembered that both Elena and her brother Jeremy were both orphans.
"It's just that I almost passed up taking care of you." Jenna confessed.
"But you didn't." Elena insisted, kneeling down in front of her aunt. "You put your entire life on hold to help us." Jenna looked at her with anguish on her face.
"Look around, Elena." Jenna gestures about the quarry, representing what will be Elena's final resting place. "I failed you." By now both of them were crying copious amounts of tears as they said what they believed were their final goodbyes.
"No, you didn't. I failed you. I'm so sorry." Elena insisted. "Listen. Being a vampire, it intensifies your guilt. But it also makes you stronger and faster. You can fight back." She wipes away a stray tear, and I rolled my eyes at the melodramatic scene I was forced to watch. "I'm gonna get through this. I'll be okay, I need you to believe that." Elena pleaded.
I'm sure they both believe that I'm a complete simpleton, if they think I can't hear their attempts to save Jenna. These ears aren't just there on either side of my head for decoration.
"Promise me, when you get the chance…?"
Run?
Oh, I think not, my dears. I slowly approached the ring of fire surrounding Jenna, and paused smirking down at her.
"Hello, Jenna." I greeted her, cheerfully. Both Elena and Jenna slowly rise to their feet and looked me in the eye defiantly.
"Let her go. I understand that I have to die, but she doesn't!" Elena makes an attempt to leave the ring, but the flames flare up causing her to step back in alarm.
"Careful." I warned her, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Elena, don't." Jenna tells her. But Elena ignores her words.
"No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family." She turns to me. "I followed your rules; I did everything you asked. I didn't run. Please!" She pleads with me. I smiled condescendingly at her, and was about to open my mouth to respond, when I sensed an unexpected presence.
"Well, well." My smile shifted into a smirk as I turned to look up at the top of the quarry. "I don't recall you being on the guest list." I mused, thoughtfully. Jenna and Elena look up as well, and Elena gasps. Stefan had arrived and was looking down at us from a top of the cliff. He has a very serious look on his face.
"I'm here to talk." Stefan confirmed.
I sighed. "Very well, then." I glanced briefly at Jenna before I vamp sped towards Stefan on the cliff, and walked calmly over to him. "What can I do for you, Mr. Salvatore?" I asked him, semi-impatiently.
"I wish to volunteer to take Jenna's place as the vampire sacrifice." Stefan stated. My smile faltered a bit. You're a little late there, mate. Someone else has already filled that position. I pretended to seriously think about his suggestion. "You don't need to kill Jenna. I'll take her place." Stefan repeated himself, needlessly. I shot him a look.
"I heard you the first time. Besides, I rather appreciate the symmetry of three women…" I walked around Stefan. "—Three goddesses— sacrificed at nature's alter." I replied, shortly. Stefan turned to face me properly.
"Don't play games with me. You'll get what you want either way." He insisted. I looked at him curiously.
"You're quite the hero, aren't you? I've heard that about you." I observed. Stefan looked frustrated.
"Just make the trade. Me for Jenna." He continued to bargain with me. I studied him, before shrugging. I'll humor him … all of them actually. This whole thing has been dragged out too long anyway. We head back down the Cliffside and approached Elena and Jenna. I addressed them both.
"Quite the predicament. You know, it's funny, all this talk about preserving family, and here's Stefan, granting your wish." I announced. Elena looked at Stefan with sad eyes.
"Stefan…"
Stefan looked just as upset as she did. "It's okay." He promised. I come up beside them.
"Well." I pointed a stake between Jenna and Stefan, looking intently at Elena. "Who's it going to be, Elena?" I asked.
"No." Elena protested immediately. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, don't worry. There's actually no choice." I vamp sped around Stefan and staked him in the back. Stefan screams in pain and crumbles to the ground, while Elena looked horrified and helpless.
"No, Stefan. No!" Elena screamed. I ripped the stake out of Stefan's back and left a sizeable chunk of wood in there.
"I have other plans for your boyfriend. I want him alive. But for now…" I snapped Stefan's neck, causing him to fall disgracefully, to the ground. Elena gasps in shock as I turned to Greta, getting bored. "Whenever you're ready, Greta." I barked at her. Greta immediately begins chanting the next part of the spell which dispels the ring of fire surrounding Jenna. Jenna looks on, frightened. Elena, who is teary-eyed, watches on.
"No…" Elena whimpers. This falls on deaf ears. I turned my attention towards Jenna. My patience is wearing thin.
"Your turn." I told her.
"No, Jenna, no!" Elena attempts to get to Jenna, but the fire around her flares up. A surprisingly calm Jenna looks over at her. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the newborn. She's going to pull a fast one.
"It's alright, Elena. I know what I have to do." Jenna reassures her niece. After a few silent moments, Jenna immediately vamp speeds to Greta and attempts to ferociously bite her neck. However, I had anticipated an attack on my witch, so I intercepted Jenna by vamp speeding in front of her and seized her by the neck. Elena squealed in horror and starts pleading as I aimed a stake at her aunt's heart.
"No, please! Please!" I paused inches away from impaling her upon the stake.
"Hmmm. You know what? Stefan's right. Jenna isn't quite the vampire needed for this." I looked over at a confused, but hopeful Elena, scrutinizing her for a moment before addressing Greta.
"Greta, my dear, I have left something important in the bushes. Would you be a dear and retrieve it?" I requested. Greta nodded once and abandons the ceremonial bowl temporarily, and proceeded to the bush I had indicated. "And take someone with you. I don't want an injured witch." I ordered. With the help of a male witch, Greta locates Katerina who is just barely starting to wake up from having her neck broken. The male witch; Ben, lays Katerina at my feet and retreats to stand beside Greta.
"Thank you, Ben." I say to him, graciously, not taking my eyes off of Jenna, who is frowning at me with confusion as well.
"What are you going to do to me?" Jenna demanded, fearful. I merely smiled back.
"Jenna, I want you to go and stand next to Greta for the duration of this ritual. You are not allowed to move from her side, or attack her to make an escape." I compelled her. "You will only be able to move when I complete the ritual. Repeat this back to me." I added, sternly. Jenna's eyes glazed over as expected.
"I will go and stand next to Greta for the duration of this ritual. I will not move from her side or attack her to make an escape. I will be able to move when you complete the ritual." Jenna parroted back, in a monotone voice. I gave her an indulgent smile, as Katerina moaned feebly at my feet.
"Very good. Get started." I ordered, jerking my head in Greta's direction.
Jenna moved to obey as I squatted down beside Katerina, and waited for her to wake up. Eventually, she sits up and gingerly massages her neck while looking around with confusion, before clapping eyes on Elena looking dubiously back at her from the confines of her flame circle. I mentally counted up to ten before the penny finally drops for Katerina and she jerks towards me with fear at first, then anger and betrayal.
"You!" Katerina exclaims angrily. I wagged a finger in her face.
"Took you long enough, Katerina. And I'd watch that tone, lest I yank out your tongue." I warned her. Katerina makes a desperate bid for freedom, but I wasn't falling it this time round and easily snagged her before plunging a stake into her back. Katerina gasps, and I let her drop to the ground. She weakly looked back at me.
"Why?" She croaked. "I did everything you said." Katerina insisted. I glowered at her.
"Do not insult my intelligence with that insolent excuse, Katerina. You knew that this day was coming, the very minute you ran from me 500-years-ago. Not only are you completing your part of the ritual like you should have, but you are also being punished for attacking Grace." I laid down the facts. Katerina's eyes widened with fear, as I flipped her onto her back and hunched over her.
"No, Klaus, please! I don't want to die!" Katerina pleaded. I merely smirked down at her.
"You're already dead, sweetheart, for centuries now." I raised the stake and held it over her heart. "This will make it permanent." I promised, before I staked her. Katerina's body started to grey and decay, and I hear a horrified gasp from behind me, coming from Jenna. I ignored it as I released the stake; leaving it in her chest as I straightened up and walked over to Greta, who begins chanting the next part of the spell.
Out the corner of my eye, I noticed Stefan regaining consciousness before struggling weakly to reach for the piece of wood I deliberately left embedded in his back. Failing at that, I observed as he looks over at Elena and reacted with confusion when he sees her equally confused, but relieved face.
"What's going on?" Stefan mutters before looking over in Greta's direction. I chuckled softly at the shocked expression on his face when he sees Jenna; still alive (in a matter of speaking) and looking extremely frightened. "But who…?" He looks down at the floor nearby Greta and myself. I had never seen a person's eyes widen that much in all my thousand years. It was actually quite amusing. "Katherine." He mumbled, but I couldn't tell if it was relief or pity.
Greta stoops down to Katerina's dead body and harvests the blood the spell requires, before pouring the blood into the ceremonial bowl. It was time for the final ingredient. I turned and approached Elena.
"It's time." I told her.
The circle of fire disappears from around Elena. She looks up at me and I extend a hand towards her to help her up from the ground. However, Elena ignores the hand, gets to her feet and walks past me and towards the altar looking down at Katerina's body. I rolled my eyes and followed her up there before grabbing Elena's face in my hand.
"No…" Stefan struggles to get up from the ground, and I turned Elena's head to face him. I leaned forward to whisper into her ear.
"Thank you, Elena." I said.
"Go to hell." Elena responded acidly. I shrugged as Stefan continues to struggle up to his feet; but with every attempt he falls back to the ground, too weak to move. Elena stares out, blankly, as I wrapped my arms around her waist to hold her steady before I sunk my fangs into her neck.
Elena barely makes a sound.
I slowly and contentedly drank down her blood, draining her, and thoroughly relishing the anguished and helpless expression on Stefan's face. It's not long before Elena sags in my arms and she dies. Her task in this ritual done, I promptly released her body and Elena falls to the ground. I paused, waiting for something to happen … and I glanced over at the flame in the ceremonial bowl still flickering away. I frowned and turned to Greta for an explanation.
"Explain, Greta?" I demanded, angrily. She glanced around helplessly, looking just as confused.
"I-I'm not sure what's going on." She confessed. "Draining the doppelgänger of her blood should've broken the ritual…" Greta stammered. I saw red, and vamp sped over to her; seizing her by the shoulders and shaking her like a ragdoll.
"Then you obviously missed something in your research." I growled.
The next thing I knew, I was flying away from Greta who had gone from being completely confused and nervous, to cool, calm and collected, and landed in a heap beside Katerina's body. Greta's eyes, had narrowed and were looking back at me with defiance, as though daring me to try and attack like I did again. Either side of her, both Jenna and Ben were looking at the imposter warily; although it appeared that Ben was more composed than first thought. Which told me that he had been expecting this unexpected appearance from this witch. I sprang to my feet.
"You will control yourself." She told me, firmly. I blinked, not expecting a completely different tone of voice to spill from Greta's lips. It was obvious that she had been possessed by another witch.
"What the hell is happening? The ritual should be completed!" I snarled. The witch merely gave me a flat look.
"On the contrary, Niklaus, you have not finished the ritual. In fact, you're missing a key ingredient; and that is not Miss. Gilbert." The imposter witch insisted.
"How do you know my name?" I demanded. "And what missing ingredient is that?" I added, spitefully. The witch merely offered me a dark smile in response.
"How I know your name, sir, is immaterial. As for what the missing ingredient is; I shall enlighten you." She responded. "A thousand years ago when you were first cursed, an unexpected occurrence happened when an innocent, but feisty young woman interrupted what should've been a straightforward curse." My eyes widened in horror and recognition. "As you may recall, blood was spilled that night. Are you catching my drift so far?" The witch asked me rhetorically as Ben – whom I hadn't noticed disappearing – reappeared carrying something or someone in his arms bridal-style. I immediately recognized the person.
It was Grace, unconscious.
"You cannot be serious. To hell with the ritual, I won't kill her." I ignored the furious expression on Stefan's face, as Ben strode up to me and practically threw me Grace who was still unconscious. As I caught her in my arms, she started to stir and looked at me with confusion.
"Nik? What's going on?" She mumbled as I set her on her feet and made sure that she was steady. "Why does my head hurt?" She added, frowning and gingerly probed at the back of her head which had a large goose egg rising from it. I snarled with anger and turned to the imposter witch.
"What the hell did you do to her?" I demanded.
~:GRACE P.O.V:~
(Reality)
I leaned on Nik for support as I tried to remember exactly what had happened during my temporary visit to my subconscious.
"What the hell did you do to her?" Nik practically shouted into my ear and I flinched and buried my face into his duster. Nik shushed me, rubbing my arms.
"Nothing harmful. Just a simple, but powerful sleeping powder that had been blown into her face." I turned my head and glowered at Esther who was possessing Nik's witch.
Blown into my face is right. Then obviously when I fainted I really concussed myself with the scuffed wooden floor of the apartment complex. Bloody fantastic; I really hope I don't have a concussion!
I pushed myself away from Nik, who protested big time and moved to confront 'Esther.' However, before I could make contact, I yelled out when a stabbing pain immediately reacted where she had poked me in the forehead during my hallucination, which forced me to my knees.
"Alright, you've made your point. Maintain my distance; got it loud and clear!" I shouted. Nik comes over to my side, as I struggled back to my feet. "Let's get this show on the road." I mumbled, resentfully. Nik immediately got into my face, looking angry.
"You're not sacrificing yourself for me, Grace. What did I tell you before?" He reminded me. I smiled a little and cupped his cheek.
"I'm not losing all of my blood, Nik. I apparently just have to draw blood." I reassured him, before turning and looking at 'Esther' critically. "Right!?" 'Esther' smirked.
"Not quite." She admitted.
"What!?" Both Nik and I exclaimed with outrage.
"What exactly do I need to do? Quit being so bloody vague!" I shouted.
"You can't seriously be thinking of going through with this insanity, Grace?" My overprotective vampire growled from beside me. I ignored him; something he didn't entirely appreciate.
"Just a little bit of blood needs to be spilt over the flames…" 'Esther' indicates towards the still smouldering ceremonial bowl. "And consumed by Niklaus." I felt my mouth drop open with shock.
"Why does he need to drink my blood?" I demanded.
"The night when Niklaus was cursed and when you were killed, he kissed you; and because you were quickly drowning in your own blood, some of it coated his lips and tongue. Thus making it part of the ritual." I looked at him with confusion and was surprised to see a look of realization and revulsion on Nik's face.
"And that's all the ritual requires?" I asked. "Bleed over flames and let Nik take a mouthful of my blood?" I stated, hotly. 'Esther' nodded.
"Correct."
I narrowed my eyes and immediately turned my back on both Nik, Esther, a thoroughly freaked out Jenna and Stefan; who was still watching the commotion with a look of horror and confusion on his face, and started unbuttoning my shirt.
"What are you doing?" Nik muttered to me.
"I'm not entirely sure where she'd want me to donate this blood. So I'm improvising." I spun round. My shirt was unbuttoned exposing my black lacy bra; uncaring that I was giving everybody a show. "Shall I produce it from the original source then?" I demanded, coolly. 'Esther' looked confused until she saw my birthmark, then she went deathly white.
"That was where…"
"Where I was stabbed by Mikael, yes." I confirmed, causing Nik to walk around to stand in front of me and his eyes zeroed in on my gruesome looking birthmark underneath my left breast. He looked anguished, then horrified when I produced my dagger from its hidden holster. "So, yes or no?" I asked. When nobody responded, I took the matter into my own hands. "I'll take it as a 'yes' then." I raised the dagger into the air and moved to plunge it in the birthmark. But Nik, Stefan and 'Esther' all shouted out:
'NO!' and Jenna screamed. However, I managed to stop the blade from breaking skin by resting the tip lightly on the slightly darker skin, and I glared at 'Esther'.
"Be more specific then!" I growled, and pulled away the blade.
"From your hand is fine." 'Esther' explained, rather shakily and – unless my eyes were mistaken – guiltily.
Without bothering to button up my shirt, I stomped over to the ceremonial bowl and smoothly and cleanly sliced through the palm of my hand, wincing only slightly from the pain. 'Esther' immediately started chanting in Latin as I squeezed my bleeding palm tight to coax more blood to the surface and allowed a dribble of my blood to splash through the flames.
Then without a word, I squeezed my hand again and turned towards Nik, letting my blood pool in my palm as I held it out to him. He hesitated, but after an encouraging smile from me, and letting his desire to be finally free from his curse overrule; he eventually takes my hand in his, gently, and covers his lips over the wound in my hand, taking a couple of pulls from it.
My blood drips from Nik's mouth and the flame in the ceremonial bowl is finally extinguished. Nik breathes heavily and walks down the stone steps.
"I can feel it. It's happening." He explained to those of us who didn't understand what was going on. He looks up at the full moon. I flinched when I hear his bones crack audibly as he starts to transform for the first time in a thousand years. His eyes glow the sinister gold color that I assumed were like a werewolf, but he still has the veins under them, like a vampire. It looked really freaky. "Yes, yes!" Nik shouts, happily. Before he is suddenly thrown through the air, and the flames in the ceremonial bowl suddenly reignites; startling Greta who had come out of Esther's possession.
"What the hell!?" I exclaimed, before hearing a familiar voice chanting underneath her breath. I turned towards the voice and saw to my dismay, Bonnie coming down the hillside staring down Nik. "Bonnie, stop!" I yelled out to her, and started to step towards her; but felt my legs start to give way and felt faint. I must have cut my hand a little too deeply in my anger and was bleeding a little too much. An audible crack makes me turn towards the sound and I see Damon, who had just broken Greta's neck, looking pissed as he heads over to Elena's corpse. "Damon…" He turns towards me and his eyes widen with horror as his nostrils flare and he looks down at my hand.
"Grace?! What the hell are you doing here? Why is your hand bleeding?" He demanded, coming over to look at my hand. I don't respond, as we both suddenly hear Nik screaming. I wrench my hand out of his grip and stumbled groggily to my boyfriend's side. "Where do you think you're going?!" Damon growls, I pull out of his grip again and glowered at him.
"Don't worry about me right now, Damon. Take care of Elena." I insisted, before continuing towards Nik. But Damon, is as usual, stubborn.
"Like hell."
"Elena…" We both hear Stefan call out to Elena, and Damon reluctantly abandons me and heads over to pick up Elena and lay her down beside his weakened brother. As I finally reach Nik and try to help him through his pain – despite his protests and insistence that I get away from him – I watched Damon kneel down and rip the remainder of the stake out of Stefan's back. Stefan grunted in pain before grabbing Damon's jacket.
"I need you to get her out of here!" Stefan indicates to Elena. Damon hesitates, looking in my direction as I make an attempt to stem the bleeding in my hand, and not succeeding.
"What about you?" Damon asks Stefan.
"I'm not leaving until he's dead. Go! I'll bring back Grace, as well." Stefan promises.
I jerked my head in their direction as Damon takes one last frustrated look at me before scooping up Elena's body and carrying her away. Stefan sits up, and watches as Bonnie continues chanting the spell, causing trees to fall all around us. I fall to my knees and reached for Nik's hand. He grabs it in his tightly and I wince from the grip, as I watch him lying against the rocks still screaming.
"You're okay, Nik. I'm here, I won't abandon you!" I promised, tears streaming down my face as I glare at a triumphant looking Bonnie with hatred. Nik also glares, but at me.
"Get out of here, Grace. I don't want to hurt you accidentally!" Nik insists through gritted teeth. I was about to retort when Elijah finally steps out of the shadows and approaches Nik. My eyes widen in horror when I realised that this was Elijah's chance to kill Nik and I immediately get between the brothers. "NO, GRACE!" Nik snarls, desperately. Elijah looks equally as serious.
"Stand aside, Grace." He orders me, and I shake my head defiantly at him.
"No, Elijah. I'm not going to stand on the sidelines and watch you do this again." I retorted stubbornly. Suddenly, Nik gets to his feet, painfully, and shoves me aside. "Nik, NO!" I yelled at him, angrily, as I sprawled weakly to the floor. I was still losing blood.
"Elijah?" Nik gasps out, painfully, ignoring my protests.
"Hello, brother." Elijah responds before plunging his arm into Nik's chest, grabbing a hold of his heart.
"NOOO!" I screamed, in anguish. "Elijah, don't! Please!" I begged him, desperate tears now pouring down my cheeks. Elijah ignores me, focused entirely on his task.
"In the name of our family, Niklaus…" Elijah intones as he twists Nik's heart.
"I didn't bury them at sea!" Nik hollers at Elijah, causing both Elijah and I to freeze and look at him with shock.
"What?" Elijah breathes, looking at his brother suspiciously. Nik grabs his brother's wrist desperately.
"Their bodies are safe. If you kill me, you'll never find them." Nik insists. I struggled to my feet, drawing both brothers' attention. Their eyes widen when they realise how weakened I really looked. I stumbled forward towards them both and Elijah manages to catch me with his free arm. The one not already buried in Nik's chest.
"Please, Elijah. There's always another solution to your problem. Don't take him away from me…" I mumbled before I passed out, slumping onto Elijah.
~:KLAUS P.O.V:~
I started to panic when Grace suddenly slumped forward due to blood loss. She really must have cut her hand a little too deeply. She needed vampire blood … FAST.
"Elijah! Don't listen to him." Stefan insisted, and I turned my head to glare at him. Elijah continued to hesitate; even more so because he was now also supporting Grace as well as me. This was my chance to bargain with him.
"Elijah." I grabbed his attention. "I can take you to them. I give you my word … brother." I pleaded with him.
"Do that and I'll take you both out!" We snapped our heads in Bonnie's direction.
"You'll die." Elijah pointed out.
Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "I don't care."
Elijah looked at me, pensively, obviously trying to decide if he should trust me, or ignore what I said and follow the plea of a couple of pathetic baby vampires and a witch who has barely come into her powers to kill me; for the excuse that they're threatened by me.
How touching.
But they don't know a goddamned thing about me, and what I have been through to achieve both this goal and my other goal: to locate and find my sweet innocent girl. Who the hell are they to accuse me of being a monster, when two of them have committed similar atrocities during their lifetimes? Finally, Elijah makes his decision. He looks me up and down, and then looks at Bonnie, Stefan and Jenna who is still crouched beside a very dead Elena.
"I'm sorry." Elijah says regretfully, to the three of them. I grinned triumphantly, causing Stefan and Bonnie to run towards Elijah, an unconscious Grace and me.
"No!" Stefan snarled.
"No." Bonnie shouted. But their actions are pointless, as Elijah blurs both Grace and I away to safety.
Once we were far away from the quarry, Elijah removes his arm from my chest and goes to support Grace.
While I removed my clothes.
"Is she alright, Elijah?" I asked my brother worriedly as we both set aside our differences to help this innocent girl, who risked everything to set me free from my curse. I didn't like how pale she had become. Elijah picks up her hand and examines the deep laceration she had made in her hand from her dagger.
"She's lost a lot of blood, Niklaus. What on earth possessed you to use her in the ritual?" Elijah demanded, fiercely. I glared at him for the insinuation.
"You think I orchestrated this!? I had no idea that Grace's blood was also the key to breaking that infernal curse." I protested. "But mark my words, I'm going to find out who that bloody witch is who possessed Greta and tear them limb from limb." I vowed, as I watched as Elijah cradled Grace in his arms. Elijah gently lays her on the grass and straightened up, wiping his hand clean from a combination of my blood and Grace's blood.
"We better take her some place safe, Niklaus." Elijah suggested. I nodded, but then let out a scream as I finished transforming into a wolf. Elijah stooped down beside Grace. "Hurry back, Niklaus. We still have a lot to discuss." He needlessly reminded me.
I growled warningly at him, before I trotted over to Grace's side and whined as I nuzzled her face before licking her cheek and stepped back to watch my brother scoop Grace up into his arms, holding her close. Satisfied that she was in reasonably good hands, I turned and bounded off into the forest.
A/N: Finished. That took forever. Hope you like the results.
Please review xx