A/N: As previously mentioned and stressed at the conclusion of the last chapter, if I don't update this story for a long time; it is notbecause I have abandoned it. It will most likely be due to my commitment to my Uni course and some ongoing issues I'm experiencing with my job at present. Thank you for your patience.
I do not own The Vampire Diaries. All characters (except for Grace) are owned by author L.J. Smith.
Your reviews will be most definitely appreciated, and thank you to those who have reviewed so far. You guys rock! But please do not flame.
Enjoy x
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
"Perseverance, determination, commitment, and courage: those things are real.
The desire for redemption drives you." ~ Michael Phelps.
Rebekah, at the last minute, opted out of going with me to the Mystic Grill where Damon had said Alaric would be with both the Gilbert Siblings. She decided to head back to my apartment for some time to herself as the very last person she wanted to see was 'Miss Priss' Elena Gilbert herself. However, she did object at first when Henrik stated his wish to come with me to the Grill too to continue with the investigation into Bonnie's spell.
"How else is Alaric going to believe Grace if I don't tag along too, Bex?" Henrik pointed out, and Rebekah reluctantly nodded and urged him to return to the apartment when it wasn't absolutely essential for him to be there with me. I seconded the request, to which Henrik reluctantly agreed. Henrik and I walked casually down the middle of the town's square, weaving our way through the locals trying to set up for their 'Night of Illumination' celebration and trying hard not to draw too much attention to ourselves (considering that Henrik was still dressed in his 'Viking' best.) When we both spotted Damon waiting somewhat impatiently for me and by default Henrik to show up.
"Sorry we're late, Damon. Been waiting long?" I asked, draping my arm around Henrik's shoulders as we waited for his response. Damon still looked at my baby brother like he was something rare and exotic to gawk at, and I had to click my fingers in his face to gain his attention. "Damon? Hello? Are you good?" I asked, now feeling impatient myself. He immediately snapped out of it and scowled at me, unamused.
"Fine. Let's just get this over with." He grumbled, seizing the main door and striding though. It didn't take very long to locate Alaric; mostly because he was at his usual perch at the bar. Only this time he had Elena with him, and both by the looks of it were talking rather urgently with each other. Neither of them seemed to have noticed our arrival, oddly enough.
"I'll grab Jeremy." Alaric said to Elena, who nodded and slid off her bar stool.
"I'll be right back." She promised and disappeared towards the restrooms. Damon started towards Alaric, but I seized him by the shoulder and pulled him to a stop.
"What now?" Damon grumbled, and I raised an eyebrow at his whiny, put upon attitude.
"I'd like to test something. Just to make it easier for Alaric to agree with you when you spring the fact that Mason Lockwood just attempted to roast you alive." I explained.
"And how are you going to do that?" Damon demanded. I smirked.
"It's already in progress." I said, indicating towards the bar; where Alaric had already turned away and was focusing on something in front of him and sipping at his usual bourbon. Damon's eyes widened as he watched Henrik already heading over to the bar stool Elena had vacated and taking a seat beside Alaric. He paused, not saying anything and just taking in the room and occasionally glancing at Alaric, who eventually realised that Henrik wasn't leaving any time soon and turned to observe him curiously.
Henrik grinned cheerfully at the confused History teacher/vampire hunter. "Hi!" He said. Alaric placed down his glass and frowned cautiously at him.
"Hey?" Alaric responded.
"Are you Alaric?" Henrik asked, allowing his legs to casually dangle. Alaric raised his glass to his lips and takes a large sip.
"Depends. Who's asking?" He inquires, looking at Henrik curiously. "Have we met before, kid?" Alaric asks, putting down his glass and turning to fully face Henrik. "You look strangely familiar." Henrik offered Alaric a very Nik-like smirk that made Alaric's eyes widen in surprise and recognition.
"That unfortunately, is very complicated." Henrik replied vaguely.
"How so?"
"Because I know you. But you don't know me, or have met me at all as a matter of fact." Henrik continued to complicate matters, earning an exasperated and rather annoyed sigh from Alaric.
"Look, kid. I don't have any time for cryptic. So either tell me who you are or—" Alaric cut himself off when I walked up to them both and greeted him cordially.
"Hey, Alaric." I said, hooking an arm around Henrik's thin shoulders.
"Grace, do you know him?" Alaric asked, indicating towards Henrik. I grinned.
"Sure. This is my brother. Hope he wasn't giving you too much grief." I improvised, and Alaric shook his head. "Alaric, I'd like to introduce you to my baby brother, Henrik Mikaelson." I introduced him. Alaric frowned, recognizing the name from the many stories I had shared with him and the others about my past life.
"Henrik? Isn't he supposed to be dead?" He asked, with confusion.
"For centuries now." Henrik agreed, quoting Elijah. Alaric then look a good look at Henrik and his general appearance, and gaped openly.
"This is impossible. How are you alive?" He demanded.
"I'm not. I'm still a ghost, it's just that for some reason you and everybody else can see me." Henrik answered, nonchalantly. "You wouldn't believe the strange looks people have been giving me today." He added, trying to make light of the situation.
"We believe Bonnie is the culprit in this situation, actually." I stated, causing Alaric to groan in dismay.
"Figures."
"Ah, but wait. There's more." I didn't hesitate to tell him.
"More? Like what?" Alaric demanded, and Damon chose that opportunity to walk up alongside Alaric. "Wait, don't answer that. I think I already know." I said, and turned to glare at Damon. "You know, I've had enough vampires today, thanks." Alaric turns back around to face the bar and drains his glass.
"Oh, come on. Have a drink with us. We've got trouble." Damon indicated the three of us. Well, four, if we somehow managed to get Alaric to help us with this rather unique situation currently unfolding.
"No, you've got trouble. See, we're not a team. You tried to kill me. All right?" I frowned at the both of them; surprised that I hadn't heard about this before. But then again, I had been away with Nik and Stefan for the entire summer, and focusing upon making Rebekah comfortable and fit in with the 21st century. So, I guess I wasn't supposed to know about it. "We're not friends. I don't like you anymore." Alaric didn't hesitate to remind Damon of their former friendship. But Damon persevered.
"Ah! But remember back when you liked me and we conspired to kill Uncle werewolf Mason Lockwood?" He reminded him. Alaric scowled at him.
"Yeah, and?"
"I think he's still a little pissed." Damon reported.
"He's right. I intercepted Mason before he could roast him alive." I confirmed. Alaric gave me a look that said in no uncertain terms that he wished that I hadn't intervened. I raised a questioning eyebrow at him, but Alaric simply turned away and drained his glass. However, when he turned back; presumably to tell us both to fuck off, he froze looking at something over my shoulder with shock.
"Mason." He gasped, causing Henrik and I to look over where Alaric was gawking and practically jumped out of our seats like they had been set on fire. Henrik bravely shield me, as Mason shrugged at our reactions and took the seat I had just vacated, smiling pleasantly at us all.
"God, I miss whiskey." Mason declared, taking a drink from a glass and smacking his lips with delight … before smashing the glass on Damon's forehead. He grunted, mostly out of annoyance rather than pain, before he looked at Alaric pointedly.
"Told ya." Damon said. Alaric looked between both Mason and Henrik, still probably trying to figure out how this was actually possible.
"So you're both definitely ghosts?" He asked them. Henrik scowled at the stupid question.
"I just pointed that out to you a few minutes ago." He grumbled, at the same time that Mason responded with a cocky, and incredibly lame:
"Yep. Boo!"
Just then Damon's phone buzzed. He groans impatiently and skims the message briefly before groaning again, only this time out of irritation.
"I am never going to hear the end of that damn necklace." He declared out loud as he sends back a responding text. I raised an eyebrow.
"Necklace? You mean Rebekah's necklace?" I asked him, curiously. Damon looks up at me and nods, as he hits send and shoves his phone back into his pocket. "What has this got to do with our current ghost situation?" I asked. Damon farrowed his forehead, looking like he wanted to hit something hard.
"Apparently, everything to do with this. Witchy conjured some sort of freaky resurrection ju-ju to bring back Baby Gilbert from death." He explained.
"And this is the consequence." I figured out the rest for myself.
"That's just completely idiotic. I might not have been studying witchcraft for very long under mother's tutelage; but even I know that they screwed up big time." Henrik piped up disapprovingly. "There are just some things that you don't mess with. Death being one of those things." Damon snorted, taking a perch on a bar stool.
"Yeah. Tell that to Bonnie." He suggested. Mason cleared his throat, pulling our attention towards him to remind us that he was still there, as he drinks from the shot glass.
"One of you will pay for this, right? Cheers." Mason takes the shot and slams the glass back on to the counter. Thankfully, not chucking it at Damon again.
"Right then. Let's get to it." Damon addresses the ghost of the former werewolf. "I killed you. You want revenge. Get in line." He suggested to Mason, who played idly with his shot glass.
"Actually, I want an apology." Mason corrects Damon. This unexpected request causes Alaric to snort with laughter, earning an affronted glare from Damon. Henrik and I chose to maintain poker faces and stay out of the conversation until we were required.
"Good luck with that." Alaric said, sounding rather snide.
"Don't you have a family to haunt?" Damon asked Mason, coldly. "You know your nephew has turned into a mindless hybrid minion." He felt the need to point out, causing both Henrik and I to roll our eyes; realizing that Damon had said that to get a rise out of Mason, and rub salt into the wound. Mason shrugged it off.
"That's why I'm here. To help Tyler." He confirmed. I waded in.
"That's not going to be possible, Mason. Nik won't allow that to happen." I pointed out, firmly. Both Mason and Damon ignored what I said.
"Tyler can't be helped. At least not while Klaus is alive. Which is, like, always." Damon stated, and both Henrik and I glowered at him.
"Not necessarily. Not if you found a weapon that could kill him." Mason responded, and both Henrik and I froze; praying that Mason hadn't just implied that there was an existing White Oak Stake floating around god-knew where. Damon shook his head.
"There is no weapon that…" He trailed off, reflecting immediately upon what Mason had just said, and my face fell. "What do you know?" Damon demanded almost instantly. I knew that Damon would take any advantage he could get to get rid of Nik, one way or another. He might have accepted that he and I were not going to be anything more than just best friends … and this was confirmed when I noticed the interest he was starting to develop towards Rebekah.
But I would've thought that he would've considered how I'd feel about this; or if not me, then at least how Rebekah – Nik's sister - would definitely feel about his plan. If Damon wanted to get on her good side, asking questions about the possible White Oak Stake that could kill not only Nik but her as well, would definitely sour any potential romance between them. And as far as trust went with Rebekah; once it was broken, it was almost impossible to get back.
"I know that you need to apologise." Mason insisted, stubbornly.
"You've got to be kidding me." Damon bitched. Alaric looked at him, scandalized.
"Are you incapable of remorse? Just apologise!" He growled at Damon, who rolled his eyes.
"You're absolutely right. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do." He said, begrudgingly. Henrik made a face.
"That's an apology?" He looked disgusted. I draped an arm around his shoulders.
"Yeah, pretty much." I confirmed. Mason gave a loud belly laugh.
"Good enough." He said, getting to his feet and headed for the door. "Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar. Bring a shovel." Mason instructed, then looked at Alaric and back to Damon. Completely disregarding Henrik and I at the same time. "Come alone."
I stepped into Mason's path, stopping him by placing a hand on his chest. "I think not. Henrik and I will be coming along as well." I told him. Mason paused for a moment, studying the both of us curiously before he shrugged.
"Whatever. It really doesn't matter." Mason continued walking. But Damon stopped him again.
"Why do you want me to bring a shovel? You're going to bury me alive?" Damon was unnecessarily critical, and Mason just looked at him with annoyance.
"Don't tempt me." Mason left the Grill, and Damon looked over at Alaric, Henrik and me enquiringly. But all we responded with was a shrug. Who knew what Mason had planned? But suffice it to say; despite how much of a prick Mason had been before Damon had stirred up all the shit associated with him, he had been a good person who hadn't wanted to be involved in all the supernatural occurrences that frequently happen in this danger magnet of a town. If all he wanted from Damon was a simple 'I'm sorry' in exchange for helping us out, then he wasn't likely to turn around and stab him in the back.
When night fell, Henrik and I met up with Damon who still looked irritated from what happened back at the Grill that afternoon. Wordlessly, the three of us walked towards the old Lockwood cellar with Damon carrying a dirt encrusted shovel over his shoulder. When we get to the cellar, we found Mason lighting a couple of lanterns.
"I'm surprised you showed up." Mason admitted to Damon, who rolled his eyes.
"You put a snag in my only other Klaus lead. So I'd say I'm highly motivated." Damon retorted. Mason chuckled, awkwardly.
"Mikael? Yeah. That didn't turn out so great, did it?" Mason stated. Henrik and I were barely paying attention of what they were talking about, but we became very alert the second Mikael had been mentioned.
"What about Mikael?" I demanded, very serious. Mason rises and handed Damon one of two lanterns.
"How do you know so much?" Damon asked, avoiding eye contact with both Henrik and me. Mason smirked, obviously enjoying our discomfort.
"There's not much to do on the other side but sit around and watch other people screw things up." He admitted. Damon decided to just get on with the reason why we were here.
"What are we looking for?" He asked. Mason straightened up from his perch against the entrance to the cellar, and got serious.
"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an Original vampire. Like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried." Mason explained. Damon turned towards Henrik and me, looking slightly accusing.
"Did you know about this?" He asked. Mason frowned at him with confusion.
"Am I missing something here?" He asked.
"Uh, yeah. Grace is Klaus' girlfriend, and Henrik here…"
"I'm his baby brother. My death is responsible for my family's transition into Original vampires." Henrik explained, distractedly as he glanced around the area, frowning. Mason looked dubious.
"You were the Mikaelson boy who was mauled by werewolves?" Mason asked, disbelievingly. Henrik scowled at him, and held up his ripped and shredded tunic top that he still wore. Mason's eyes zeroed in on the shirt and he paled.
"This enough evidence for you?" Henrik snapped. "Plus, I have a vague idea where you're going, and why you believe that that shovel Damon's carrying is needed." Henrik added, looking at me for confirmation. I blinked down at him in confusion; until I realised exactly what Henrik was getting at and my eyes widened.
"Oh, yeah? Where are we going then, kid?" Mason asked him, disbelievingly. Henrik started walking off through the trees, expecting that we would follow. "You're going the wrong way, kid." Mason sounded, quite smug. However, Henrik didn't rise up to the bait.
"No, actually. I'm not. There was more than one entrance to where we're going. You see: A thousand years ago; there was a cave that my family, Grace's family and the rest of the villagers used to seek shelter in every full moon to avoid the werewolves." Henrik responded, smugly. Mason's eyes widened in shock when he learned that there was apparently another entrance to the caves. "I presume that is where you were headed?" My baby brother smirked at the werewolf who looked stunned, then confused when he realised I had been mentioned.
"Wait. What do you mean 'Grace's family'?" He looked at me critically. "You're not a vampire. Hell, you're not even immortal; so it's impossible that you would've been around in this area a thousand years ago." Mason pointed out. Henrik and Damon rolled their eyes, while I felt uncomfortable by the scrutiny.
"She would've been if she had she not been reincarnated." Henrik explained to Mason, as if the former werewolf had the mentality of a five-year-old. The closer Henrik lead us to where he believed Damon and Mason were headed, the more I began to recognize our surroundings. My heart leap into my throat when I realised what the 'old Lockwood family' legend was likely to be; and if they managed to find that story of how Nik killed Esther in a fit of rage over what she and Mikael had done to him, then Rebekah and possibly me were going to be interrogated about it non-stop until they eventually worked it out for themselves.
"Is this it?" Damon's annoyed voice penetrated into my thoughts, and I realised that we had arrived at the location of the old caves. Henrik both nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah, this is the place." He said, and turned towards Mason who instantly glanced at Damon.
"Go for it." Mason encouraged him. Damon immediately looked at him suspiciously.
"You first." Damon insisted, earning an eye roll from Mason for his paranoia.
"What, you think I'm leading you into a trap?" He sounded slightly insulted. Damon smirked and shrugged nonchalantly.
"The thought crossed my mind." He confirmed. I immediately lost my patience with the both of them.
"Oh, for the love of God!" I blurted out, with irritation and pushed passed them; entering the cave swiftly. Henrik followed a split second later. I stuck my head back out and glowered at the two astonished men. "Are you both finished acting like children yet, or are you coming in?" I asked, before withdrawing. I stepped aside and lean up against the tunnel wall as Mason entered first, followed by Damon who looked at me with confusion. I ignored him and focused upon Mason, waiting for him to take point.
"What now?" Henrik asked him.
"Yeah, I agree. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Your motives are deceptively pure." Damon stated, suspiciously. Mason takes off down the stone and dirt corridor of the cave followed closely by Damon, Henrik and me.
"You talk the talk, but I know you'll do anything for your brother. You won't screw me over as long as we have the same agenda." Mason stated.
"The same agenda being trying to kill my boyfriend?" Both men paused and turned to look at me. "Tell me I'm wrong." I dared them. "Because I'm telling you, right now, it won't just be me that will stop you. It will be Rebekah and Elijah. Even Henrik would find a way to stop you." I promised them both, before brushing past them and continuing down the path with Henrik following. We followed the path until we suddenly come to a fork in the road that I instantly recognized.
"Alright. Which way?" Damon asked us.
Mason shrugged. "You're asking me? I've never been here before." He turned towards me and I pretended to give it some thought.
"I don't know. Flip a coin?" I suggested. Damon looked at me shrewdly.
"You've been in these caves before. Shouldn't you know where to go?" He bitched, and I gave him a bored look.
"I would, if I knew what Mason was looking for." I retorted, and we turned towards Mason who raised his hands in the air defensively.
"I'm a ghost. I'm not God." He said, before gesturing randomly to the left. "Go left then." He suggested. Damon immediately goes left, but there isn't anything down there. It was then that I remembered the deadly trap lurking down this particular tunnel.
"Uh, Damon…" I spoke up, just as Mason did to chastise him.
"You have trust issues. Anyone ever tell you that?" Mason asked Damon. His response was to point towards me.
"Yeah, Grace did." Damon walks a little further down the tunnel. I charged after him.
"Damon, wait! Stop!" But then the sharp wooden poles from the last time I was here with Nik suddenly move out from the walls and go through Damon's body. "DAMON!" I screamed, covering my eyes so I didn't see him suddenly go grey and veiny. By the hissing noise I could hear, vervain had been coated over those poles. I could also hear amused chuckling coming back from where Mason was lurking.
"That's not funny!" Henrik snarled at Mason, before he took off running down the tunnel towards where Damon was currently trapped between the walls of this tunnel, by vervain soaked stakes. I followed him quickly.
"Yo! Help a brother out? Mason? Grace?!" Damon called out, slightly in pain. Henrik came up to Damon, looking panicked.
"Hang on, I'll get you free." Henrik promised. Damon looked down at my brother skeptically.
"And how are you going to achieve that exactly? You're a freaking ghost!" Damon yelled. Then Henrik proved him wrong when he managed to touch one of the stakes protruding through his abdomen and tried to force them back so Damon could slip free. "Okay, I stand corrected." Damon looked stunned.
"Don't get too excited. I don't know how long this spell is going to last on me. I could turn invisible again at any moment." Henrik told him, as he finally managed to dislodge a stake from Damon. I rushed forward to assist.
"Are you alright?" I asked, frantically. Damon looked at me, sharply.
"I'm walking on sunshine. Thanks for asking." He replied, sarcastically. We continued struggling with the stakes, unintentionally of course, causing Damon pain in the process. "Oh, I'm having a bad day." He groaned. Suddenly, Mason reappears carrying the shovel we had brought but didn't end up needing to use.
"Need a hand?" He asks Henrik and I, and comes forward taking a swing at the long stakes with the shovel and breaking through them easily. Damon stumbles forward a little, but otherwise looked alright. "You're welcome." Mason muttered, and helped Damon remove one of the stakes still lodged in his body. Damon glared at him mistrustfully.
"What's your game, man? I killed you. I jammed my fist into your chest. I ripped your heart out. There's no way this whole buddy-trust act is real." Mason responded by rolling his eyes, and decides to explain his actions to Damon; since what Henrik had said was entirely true: both he and Mason could disappear at any moment.
"You know what the other side is like?" Mason asked Damon rhetorically. "We're all alone. We watch the people we left behind and we regret our decisions. That's it." Henrik, Mason and I could tell that Damon didn't buy what Mason was saying for one second. The former werewolf gave a resigned sigh. "Look, I can't change what happened to me. But maybe I can change what happens to Tyler. I don't need change, Damon. I need redemption."
I couldn't help but look at Henrik when Mason confessed this. Redemption was exactly what Henrik and his family required. If only there was a way that we could bring Henrik back; if not alive, then at least permanently corporeal so that his brothers and sister could communicate with him without having to rely on me. Then they could resemble a somewhat functional, happy family again.
We continued walking through the caverns, going back the way we came and going right. This time, I knew that we were going to strike gold; and that Damon wasn't going to be able to get past the invisible barrier we were about to approach. And sure enough…
"God! This is not happening." Damon growled when he thudded into the invisible barrier while Henrik, Mason and I continued walking.
"What now?" Mason sounded annoyed.
"I can't get through." Damon complained, thudding his fists against the invisible barrier in his own frustration. "It's like I'm not invited in." Mason shakes his head and continues walking. Henrik was already over where the mural his brothers and sister had created, looking up at it curiously. "Wait!" Damon protested.
"I'm not stopping just 'cause you're stuck. We'll let you know what we find." Mason promised. Damon frowned.
"Yeah, but…"
"Looks like you're gonna have to trust me." Mason shrugged.
"Like hell." Damon muttered underneath his breath, before looking over at me with hopeful eyes. "Grace, could you go and find out what's over there?" He asked, urgently. I already knew what was over there from my last visit. But I nodded, just to appease him. "Thanks, beautiful." He complimented me, with a wink. I rolled my eyes and sauntered over to where I could see Henrik and Mason inspecting the stone walls of the cavern.
Henrik's eyes were wide; he had obviously found the names of his family carved into the wall in Viking runic. I approached him and clapped a hand on his shoulder, grabbing his attention.
"Are you okay, honey?" I asked him, quietly. Henrik nodded, absently, still reading the names of his siblings and parents permanently scratched on the wall.
"That's Niklaus' handwriting…" Henrik whispered, pointing towards the runes spelling out the name 'Niklaus' in Viking runic. "And Rebekah's…" He pointed to the runes spelling 'Rebekah'. "Everybody's names are here. Including yours." Henrik pointed towards my past life's name: 'Graínne' conveniently written by Nik's name (and in his handwriting also). I smiled, bittersweetly.
"Here's yours." I pointed out, tracing Henrik's name with my finger. Henrik returned the smile, then looked over at the mural of symbols that made up the story of how one of his brothers killed his mother, while I glanced over at Mason who looked amazed at the discovery he had found.
"So? What'd you three find?" Damon called out from where we had left him in the cavern entrance. He looked and sounded impatient.
"It's in-" Mason was suddenly cut off mid-sentence, and both Henrik and I glanced over to see what was wrong. I cursed colourfully. Mason had disappeared.
"No, no, no, no. No, where'd you go?" Damon shouted out, desperately. "Grace!? Are you still there? What's going on?" Damon called out. I was about to answer him when Henrik stumbled a little.
"Grace… something's wrong…" Henrik mumbled, fearfully.
My eyes widened when I realised that Bonnie must be in the process of sending all the ghosts back to the other side, and while it still meant that I could see Henrik because of my abilities as a Medium, it also meant that none of his family would ever physically see him ever again.
I couldn't let this happen. But I was also at a loss at how to stop this from happening. Time was running out; if Mason had disappeared, it meant that Henrik had seconds before Damon wouldn't be able to see him anymore. I instantly flung my arms around my baby brother who was still stumbling about like he was drunk and hugged him desperately.
"No! No, you can't do this to me. You can't do this to his family!" I protested angrily to any witch who could be listening to me right this second. "The Mikaelson's need their baby brother. He is the key to their redemption, you cannot take him away from them. Not again! Please, you have to do something! Anything, just don't take him away." I pleaded, tearfully to thin air.
"Who are you talking to, Grace?" Damon questioned me from where he was standing. I ignored him; wishing to spend as much time as I had left just holding the innocent young boy who had his life taken away from him much too soon.
"His death was what started all this vampire bullshit with the Mikaelson's. You take him away, and they will have no hope." I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. "Don't take him away…" I whispered, sinking to my knees. Henrik's thin, but strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a comforting hug as I wept into his shoulder.
Then I froze.
He was still here?
"Did I miss something here?" I snapped my head up from Henrik's shoulder as Alaric suddenly arrives in the cavern and stands beside a thoroughly confused Damon. It had been he who had asked the question.
"Uh, that's not important right now." Damon replied, reluctantly looking away from us and focusing on Alaric. "You're here. It's about time." He stated, a little rudely.
I tuned him out focusing on an amused looking Henrik.
"You're still here? How?" I asked, feeling extremely confused and foolish. Henrik shrugged.
"I guess one of the witches on the other side took pity on our family, and made it possible that I could remain corporeal." Henrik guessed. I frowned, bewildered.
"So you're still a ghost?" I asked. Henrik nodded.
"Yeah, I don't feel any different. People can just see me now." Henrik grinned, obviously feeling triumphant that he was unofficially back in the living world, permanently. I pulled him back into the hug, overjoyed that my plea had somehow been heard and it managed pull this miracle off. Then I pulled away feeling stricken. "What?" Henrik looked concerned.
"Nik is going to freak out." I realised, and Henrik also sagged when he realised this as well. But before we could explore this potential problem further, Alaric had stepped past the invisible barrier blocking Damon, and was approaching us.
"Everything alright here?" Alaric asked, a little awkwardly. I grinned at him.
"It's more than alright." I responded happily. "You can see him, right?" I asked Alaric, gesturing towards Henrik. Alaric glanced at him with confusion.
"Am I not supposed to?" He asked, probably wondering if this was a trick question.
"Well, Henrik is technically a ghost so…" I trailed off.
"Oh, shit. Don't tell me Bonnie's spell didn't work!" Damon yelled, looking horrified. I gestured around the empty cavern.
"Do you see Mason?" I asked Damon, pointedly. Damon frowned, still not getting it.
"Thankfully, no." He replied, ignoring the disapproving glare on Alaric's face, as he turned on his flashlight and started inspecting the cavern like Mason, Henrik and I had been doing before we were distracted with Henrik's imminent departure.
"Then yes. Whatever spell Bonnie cast worked. It's just in Henrik's case, there was a special exception." I explained.
"This is just too weird." Damon groaned.
"Yeah, well. This is how it is now. Rebekah is going to be so happy when she sees you!" I promised Henrik and he grinned brightly at the idea that he would finally be able to be with his family once again. Damon glances over at Alaric, who wonders over to where Mason was inspecting the wall.
"So, Grace. You never actually got around to explaining to me what you and Mason actually found, so I'll ask Alaric." I rolled my eyes, and so did Alaric before he finally shines his flashlight around the room. "Was Mason screwing with me, or is there something in there?" Damon demanded. Alaric continues scanning the wall, not answering Damon's question before he finally locates the pictures that told the story of betrayal and death. "Ric. Ric?"
"They definitely found something." Alaric confirmed to Damon, also just as amazed by what he sees. Damon throws me an accusatory scowl.
"Why couldn't you have told me?" He bitched. I glared at him.
"Gee, I'm sorry, Damon. I guess I was a bit preoccupied with the fact that my baby brother was potentially going to disappear." I retorted.
"What is it?" Damon asked, impatiently. Alaric looked a combination of fascinated, and deeply confused.
"I have no idea." He admitted, as Henrik and I looked at each other; silently debating whether or not we should tell them what both Mason and now Alaric had just uncovered.
"We've found ancient pictures, Damon. It tells a story about something that happened here." I reluctantly explained.
"How do you know that?" Alaric asked, curiously.
"Never mind that, who put them there?" Damon asked. I just gave both men a hard look.
"This is the exact same cave that my family and other families took refuge in during the full moon a thousand years ago." I told them both. "Take a wild guess who might have put it up there." I challenged them.
"Why?" Damon looked confused.
"I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. I don't recall my past life ever seeing this story being recorded." I offered a partial-lie, and Henrik struggled to hide a smirk that almost spread across his face. "Are we done here? I'd like to go home and tell Rebekah the good news about Henrik." I announced.
We were halfway back to where I had left my car, and all the while; Henrik had been very quiet. By the time we were in the car and in transit towards my apartment to fill in Rebekah on the good news, I couldn't stand it any longer. However, Henrik beat me to the punch first.
"You know, that's not the first time I've seen those runes and pictures. I was there when Nik and Rebekah first carved their names into that wall." Henrik confessed, and I blinked at him with astonishment.
"You were? Then why didn't you say so before?" I asked, not accusingly. Henrik raised an eyebrow at me.
"And endure endless questioning from Damon in the process? Not likely." Henrik responded, dryly. Then he smirked at me. "I thought you were smarter than that sister-dear." He teased, and I lightly smacked him over the head with my spare hand, grinning when I made contact.
"Enough of your cheek, sir. You remind me a little too much of Kol, and that's a little disturbing." I told him. "Are you going to tell me what occurred back then? Or do I have to continue ruminating about it to myself?" I asked him, negotiating a tricky lane change.
Henrik grinned. "Of course, I was. You're family. It's your right to understand." He stated, then frowned when I hesitated. "You're still going to become my sister, after all. That at least hasn't changed in a thousand years. Niklaus just has to find the right moment to ask you again." Henrik told me, firmly.
"Yeah, I'll hold you to that." I replied, dryly. "Now come on, spill. Don't hold me in suspense." I urged. Henrik made himself comfortable.
"It was before I was killed by that werewolf." Henrik started the explanation. I frowned.
"Where was I then? I don't remember carving my name or Nik carving it for me." I commented. Henrik nodded.
"It was also before Nik proposed to you, and was just courting you. You had chosen to help out with the food preparation for dinner that night in the caves, instead of exploring with Niklaus and Rebekah." Henrik explained. "I was bored so I decided to spy on them. Here I'll show you." He offered me his hand, and I glanced at it out of the corner of my eye, before I sighed and pulled over and cautiously took it; propelling myself into Henrik's memories…
(Flashback: HENRIK'S MEMORY: a thousand years ago)
I found myself staring at the familiar walls of the damp, slightly cramped walls of the cavern; illuminated only by flickering torch light. Behind me were the sounds of groups of people chattering, laughing etc. In front, was Henrik; alive, and looking like he hadn't aged one bit, and completely unaware that I was standing behind him.
I followed him deeper into the tunnel, and suddenly heard the sounds of something sharp scraping against a hard surface. Henrik froze and pressed himself against the wall of the cave, preparing to eavesdrop like I do occasionally back in reality. I stepped around him so I could continue walking towards where the sounds of scraping could be heard, and half expected to be challenged by Henrik as I went passed.
When he said nothing (thus proving that I wasn't even there, and was just an observer in this memory) I continued walking down the cavern and came across both Rebekah and Nik facing the same stone wall Alaric had been puzzling over what seemed like a few minutes ago back in reality. Rebekah was using a sharp knife to carve something into the cave wall, and Nik was standing behind her; observing while holding another burning wooden torch and making sure that she didn't accidentally lob off one of her fingers.
"Rebekah, let me have at it!" Nik was complaining, earning an eye roll from both Rebekah and myself for his efforts.
"Quiet, Niklaus! I am to have more concentration if I am not to slice off a finger." She scolded him, playfully. She finished scraping against the wall and stood back to admire her handiwork. I came over to stand between them, and noticed neither my 11th century name nor Henrik's name was anywhere on the wall.
My name must've been added there after I got engaged to Nik, and they probably hadn't gotten around to adding Henrik's name just yet… I mused, reaching forward to touch Rebekah's newly added name. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Nik suddenly spoke up, and I thought that I was busted. But I relaxed when I realised he was still talking to Bekah.
"Father will not like you handling the blade." Nik was warning his sister, and Rebekah bristled.
"If I want to wield a blade, I shall wield a blade! Father need not know." Rebekah stated, stubbornly. Nik shook his head, fearfully and resentfully.
"He will find out. He always does." He insists. Rebekah turns to face him with a condescending smile on her face.
"That's because you always tell him." She reminds him, and Nik flushes defensively. A trait that he seemed not to have shaken even now in reality. He had done this while facing off with Damon back at Gloria's bar in Chicago and got caught by the witch red-handed trying to stake him.
"I cannot help it … he frightens me." Nik admits, looking ashamed. Rebekah looks sympathetic.
"He frightens us all. That is why we stick together as one, always and forever." My eyes widen in surprise; I had always thought that (according to Elijah) that that specific phrase 'always and forever' had only been adopted by them after they had been changed magically into vampires. "Right, traitor?" Rebekah smiles at him, playfully. Nik smiles back at her.
"Right." He agreed. I watched as Rebekah goes to hand Nik the knife.
"Here. You finish it. I am to help Mother and Graínne with the meal." She announces, and I can't help but flinch when I hear my former name. Nik gives his sister that smirk I love seeing on his face. It was the one he usually gave, when he was in a playful, not malicious mood.
"Yes, go tend to dinner, and leave the blade to the men, little sister." He says, cockily. Rebekah retorts to this by slamming the knife blade-side down into his palm, slicing it open. He hisses in pain.
"Argh, Bekah!" Nik winces. Rebekah just rolls her eyes.
"It's just a little blood. Be a man about it." She reminds him before picking up her skirts and heading for the entrance I had come from to head back to the campsite. By the fact that she hadn't noticed Henrik, told me that he wasn't caught by her. But I noticed him crawling out from his hiding spot to continue observing Nik, and I turned back to my love and noticed him scrutinizing the wall and starting to carve his name.
Foolishly, I moved to touch his face, despite the fact that he could neither see me nor hear me. However, the second before my fingers made contact with the slight stubble on his face, Nik paused and frowned.
"Hello? Is somebody there?" Nik glanced behind to see if there as a person nearby. Luckily, Henrik had ducked out of sight. When nobody responds, he returns to what he was doing and I follow through with my intention to touch his cheek. I expected that nothing would come of it, but the second my fingers touch his cheek he jerks back like I had electrocuted him. My eyes widened in shock and horror; I had not expected him to feel that.
"Niklaus? What are you doing?" Henrik had obviously decided to make his presence known. Nik turns and smiled warmly at him.
"Come, Henrik. Rebekah and I were just carving our names, and everyone else's name into the wall. Would you like to carve yours?" Nik offers the blade to Henrik, who shakes his head.
"Even if I wanted to, brother. I would be able to reach. I'm not tall enough yet." Henrik pouted, and Nik chuckles and does it for him…
(Reality)
I looked at Henrik in both shock and confusion. Why hadn't Nik told me that something touched his cheek, and that he felt it?
"Did Mikael ever find out that Rebekah wielded a knife?" I asked him, recovering easily from the shock but not the confusion and decided to make another visit with Nik back here to ask him. When it wasn't being investigated by nosey Scooby gang members, of course. Henrik shook his head, pulling back his hand as I resumed the journey back to the apartment.
"Never found out. Thank the Lord. She would've had what for if he did." Henrik shuddered at the mere thought. I grimaced.
"I'm not sure I want to know the types of punishments you all used to get if you incurred Mikael's wrath." I confessed. Henrik gave a weak smile.
"Probably best. But Niklaus used to get it all the time, even if he didn't do anything wrong." Henrik looked angry at the memory.
I nodded. "I know." We pulled up to my parking spot outside the apartment block and I turned and grinned at him excitedly. "You ready to go and make your sister's night?" I asked him, rhetorically. Henrik pretended to give it some thought.
"Rabid werewolves couldn't stop me." He responded, and was out of the car and tearing up the vestibule before I could even blink.
A/N: Finished yet another chapter. Henrik's back! Still a ghost, but at least he can be seen, heard and can physically touch and be touched. Yay! Please review. TTFN xx