A/N: In this chapter Klaus and Henrik reunite for the first time in a thousand years, and Grace and Klaus have an emotional reunion as well. Let's hope I do this chapter justice.
As always, please review with your thoughts on this chapter. No flames will be accepted.
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. All characters (except for Grace) are owned by author L.J. Smith.
Enjoy! Xx
HOMECOMING
"It's not the face that makes someone a monster, it's the choices they make with their lives." ~Unknown.
~:GRACE'S NIGHTMARE (MEMORY):~
I was running as fast as my feet could carry me. I knew something was definitely about to kill me … and I knew that somehow it was all my fault. My long hair obscured my vision, and my heart pounded frantically in my chest as the adrenaline fuelled my every step.
"Father, stop! She doesn't understand!" I jerked when I heard Elijah's familiar deep voice echoing behind me, reverberating hauntingly through the surrounding trees.
What the hell? I ran faster, still hearing Elijah's frantic voice and questioning why this was all familiar.
"She is innocent!" Esther's voice chimed in, and it fuelled my curiosity and confusion.
Heavy footsteps were closing in behind me but I did not dare look back. Suddenly, Nik appeared from out of nowhere. Totally freaking out, I immediately started fighting against him, scared out of my mind. But he pulled me down into some nearby bushes and clamped a hand over my mouth.
"Hush, love. I'm trying to save you." I stopped fighting him and looked at him in bewilderment; recognising those familiar words.
"Huh? Save me from what?" I asked, confused, and I immediately started panicking.
"Grace, please. Trust me." Nik begged, looking hurt that I was frightened of him. My eyes widened when I realised why this was so familiar to me: it was the night I had witnessed Mikael and Esther curse Nik with the Hybrid Curse, with Elijah's reluctant assistance, and as a result condemned myself.
Except that it was different somehow. For instance, Nik had called me 'Grace' not 'Gràinne' like before. Plus, instead of his 10th Century attire, Nik was dressed like he was when I had last seen him: dark wash jeans with a black leather belt, a grey Henley T-shirt with his usual black leather jacket and black boots. And his curly dirty blonde hair was short and neatly groomed instead of the long, shoulder-length I recalled him wearing the last time I visited this memory.
He was also in autopilot mode, since he was repeating the exact same words he had spoken a thousand years before, in verbatim. I decided to play along as best as I remembered. I looked into his familiar blue-green eyes, instantly calming down and nodded.
Nik started glancing around for any sign of Mikael, Elijah and Esther, and I absently wondered if they would be dressed just like Nik was in his 21st Century garb. "Okay, I think we're safe." I saw the same anger, fear and betrayal reflected his blue-green eyes as I remembered a thousand years before, and just like before, I never wanted to see those emotions in his eyes again.
He grabbed my hand and immediately took off, leading me away to safety like I remembered. However, we didn't get far; and I grimaced when I realised what was about to happen next. As predicted, something inhumanly fast slammed into Nik, restraining him up against a nearby tree. I was thrown to the side, knocking the wind out of me.
Nope. I do not miss this at all.
"NO!" Nik yelled, and I forced myself to my knees, bracing myself to look into the face of my worst nightmare as I relieved my greatest nightmare all over again. "Father, please!" I heard Nik beg from where Elijah – who wasn't surprised to see dressed in his usual pinstriped suit - had pinned him against the tree. Nik was trying to pry his brother's hand from his neck in a fruitless attempt to get to me.
"Be silent, you stupid boy!" I jerked to my feet and steeled myself as I turned to face a smirking Mikael; dressed surprisingly dapper in a dark jacket and a plum button-down shirt, and his blonde hair that used to be shoulder-length like I remembered from blurred out memories; was now much like Nik kept his. What horrified me the most was the fact that Mikael didn't seem at all surprised by my reaction. It was like all of this was expected.
I frowned, as his large hand grabbed my shoulder and shoved me – like before - against the tree behind me, in full view of Nik.
I was stunned, completely lost.
Mikael's smirk broadened, catching me off guard; this was definitely not what I remembered from the first time.
What gives? I thought, then cried out in pain and fear as Mikael grabs a handful of my hair and leaned in to whisper into my ear.
"Nice to see you again, Graínne." My eyes widened in horror. "Or, should I be calling you 'Grace' now?" I immediately attempted to pull myself free. "No matter, I suspect we'll be seeing each other soon." He raises his sword like before, and I eyed it fearfully. "Be seeing you, girl." Mikael promised.
Then he stabbed me with his sword…
~:REALITY (GRACE'S BEDROOM):~
I sat bolt right up in bed, screaming and clutching at my 'pierced side', before I realized that I wasn't bleeding to death once again. My eyes darted about the room as though expecting to see Mikael standing in the shadows, ready to strike. My heart was hammering against my rib cage and I was covered in a thin layer of sweat from head to toe.
Trembling, I threw back my duvet and sat on the side of my bed with my head in my hands; raking back my hair with them and pulling tight. I drew in a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down and then, after a few minutes I slowly rose to my feet and padded over to my bedroom window. Pulling my blinds aside, I realised that it was early in the morning and the sun was just rising in the east. The sounds of birds chirping could be heard. I reflected back upon my nightmare; shuddering at how realistic it felt at the time, and almost didn't hear when my bedroom door opened.
"Grace?" I started and turned towards my bedroom door where I saw a groggy looking Henrik (with a rat's nest for bedraggled hair) standing in the door frame, looking a combination of annoyed and concerned. "Is everything alright? I heard you screaming." He mumbled, trailing off when he let out a rather loud yawn in the process. I grimaced, and shook my head.
"I had a nightmare … about Mikael." I admitted, and Henrik's eyes widened almost immediately.
"What?" He breathed, looking horrified. "Why on earth would you be dreaming about him?" He demanded, coming over to me; now completely alert and looking serious. I scowled at him.
"It's not like I actively planned for it to happen, thank you very much." I bitched back, still wincing at the memory and feeling of Mikael's sword piercing my side once again.
"What was the nightmare about?" Henrik asked, as I reached for my robe and pulled it on, tying it shut and slipping on my slippers. "C'mon…" He sighs and grabs my hand, dragging me from my room and out into the living room and kitchen, where we both found a fully dressed Rebekah sitting on the couch, drinking from a mug of coffee and fully immersed in angst mode. She eyed us curiously, taking in my stressed out demeanour that I was probably shedding like an old skin at present.
"What happened to you?" Rebekah set aside the magazine she was flipping through, and got to her feet to approach us. Henrik led me passed her and over to the couch where he pushed me down onto it.
"Grace had a nightmare about Mikael." Henrik explained to his sister, whose mildly concerned face went pale and she looked afraid. "I'm gonna get you a tea." He told me and I nodded, absently. When it was ready, Henrik pushed the cup into my hands, then perched on the coffee table in front of me; wearing a no nonsense expression on his eternally teenaged face.
"What?" I muttered, taking a sip of the robust black tea I liked. Henrik's eyes narrowed at me, as did Rebekah's.
"You know bloody well 'what'. You haven't answered my question. What was the nightmare about our father about?" Henrik demanded.
"And don't try to lie about it. We've both known you long enough to know when you are lying." Rebekah reminded me, sternly. I smiled at her; even though she was dealing with something painful herself, she was willing to set it aside to help me. I was suddenly feeling a bit better, but no less eager to spill what I had dreamt.
I sighed.
"I had a nightmare about the night Mikael killed me, which also happened to be the night that Esther placed that Hybrid Curse upon Nik." I admitted, reluctantly. "I was running through the woods surrounding the caves, trying to evade Mikael who was coming after me with the intention of killing me to teach Nik a lesson." They both nodded, curious. "Except this time, the dream … it was different from what I remember. This time, Nik and Elijah were wearing their usual attire from now: pinstripe suit, and jeans, button-down shirt, leather jacket and boots. With both of their hair cut short and well-groomed." I explained. Rebekah and Henrik exchanged confused looks with each other before looking at me with frowns on their faces.
"It sounds like history could be potentially repeating itself." Rebekah observed.
God, I hope not.
It took Nik half a century to finally achieve his freedom. He would rampage through all of Virginia and then some if he got cursed again. But I was not through with my explanation yet.
"I don't think so. I think it's more likely a very ominous warning." I disagreed.
"Why do you say that?" Henrik asked. I took a generous sip from my tea to lubricate my suddenly dry mouth.
"Well, in the nightmare; after Nik found me and told me he was trying to save me like he did for real a thousand years ago. We tried to make our escape, but then Elijah appeared from out of nowhere like how it happened a thousand years ago, and pinned him against a tree. But when Mikael appeared on cue, wielding his sword to finish me off; I knew something was different. For starters, he was dressed in 21st Century style and was very pointedly smirking at me." I shuddered at the memory of his malicious smirk.
"What happened next?" Rebekah asked, also looking a little disturbed.
"A thousand years ago, all he did was shout at Nik to 'be silent, you stupid boy!'" I imitated Mikael's deep voice, causing both siblings to grimace at the memory of their father's harsh booming voice in their heads. "Which he did, word for word. But this time he greeted me like we were old friends and seemed to already know that my name was not 'Graínne' anymore, but 'Grace'." Rebekah and Henrik looked at me with horror. "And then he promised me that we'd be seeing each other very, very soon … before he stabbed me, and I woke up screaming." I concluded.
Rebekah clenched her fists, unflinchingly drawing blood in the palm of her hand.
"I hate this!" She hissed. "Why won't he just leave us be? Let us live our eternity without this constant harassment?" Rebekah looked at me with angry eyes that caused me shrink away instinctively, looking at her with wide eyes.
Woah…
"Every time we get a word or a whisper of Mikael, Nik immediately panics and lashes out at all of us when we attempt to calm him down, before ordering us to run for it. I'm growing tired of this constant relocating every time our father pinpoints our location." Rebekah looked like she was on the verge of tears, and Henrik wrapped a comforting arm around his sister's shoulders; looking disturbed by what he was hearing.
"Was it really that bad? Why didn't you try to confront him before?" He asked her, trying to sound reasonable.
Rebekah just scowled at Henrik.
"Because every time we tried or resisted, Nik would just simply threaten us and/or dagger us because we dared to defy him or stand in the way of what he believed to be the right way to deal with the situation regarding Mikael." She told him.
I let my head fall into my hands, and shook it exasperatedly.
"For God's sake, Nik…" I mumbled.
Just then Rebekah's phone rang and we all looked at it, in astonishment. It was still fairly early in the morning for anybody to be awake and completely alert at this hour. As Rebekah reluctantly picked up her phone and moved off to answer it, I reflected back upon last night after Elena was forcibly ejected from my apartment. Rebekah was inconsolable. It took a while to completely calm her down after she had found out the truth about Nik killing their mother. But once all the tears had been shed, Rebekah had...
… Well, sort of withdrawn into herself.
But I wasn't really surprised to be honest; and I wasn't going to hold that against her. She was grieving for her mum, and the fact that it had been her brother who had cut her life short was a bitter pill to swallow. And while I wasn't Esther's #1 fan, she was still somebody's mother; and every girl needs their mother at some point in their life.
When Rebekah came back from answering her phone, she looked confused and wary.
"What's up?" I asked her.
Rebekah looked over at me and offered a small smile that I assumed she meant to be reassuring.
"Damon Salvatore wants me to come down to the Boarding House at noon." She reported back, and both Henrik and I frowned at the weird request.
Since when did Damon want to see her? I mean, sure, they were developing an interest with each other; but this seemed oddly coincidental, since I had just bitched him out over Elena's phone just last night and requested that he picked a side (Nik's and mine, or Elena's) and stayed there. He must have known that Rebekah would've been nearby to hear the conversation between us, or that there was a very slim chance that she would even consider betraying Nik.
"What for?" I asked, surprised.
"They never said." Rebekah replied, succinctly.
"They?" I parroted. Rebekah looked frustrated with the interrogation.
"Stefan and Elena Gilbert were listening in on speaker. They apparently need my assistance with something important." She said, flatly.
"Yeah. Probably something to do with killing our brother, Bekah. You can't trust them." Henrik pointed out.
Rebekah looked indecisive, and also looked slightly irritated with the entire thing. And while it was extremely likely that the only reason why Elena, Stefan and Damon would want Rebekah's presence was to plot a way to get rid of Nik before he could cause more trouble for them; the idea did have some merit. Rebekah could go down there and act as spy while agreeing to 'help' them.
"But at the same time, Henrik, this could also be a good thing too. And while I have no doubt that Rebekah probably has a yen for hurting Nik right now, because he had killed your mother; Rebekah's presence could serve as a double edged sword." I said, trying to aim for the optimistic.
"Huh?" Henrik blurted out.
"She could act as a double agent; pretend that she wants to kill Nik for killing Esther, while in reality find out exactly what Elena and her entourage are planning, and help unravel it on the inside." I translated. Rebekah made a face at the idea.
"So, I'm basically being used as part of your nefarious plot?" Rebekah stated, flippantly.
I raised an eyebrow at her whining.
"Seems like it." Henrik sounded amused. I just looked at him before continuing to persuade his sister to the idea.
"Do you want your father gone permanently, or not?" I asked her, pointedly. Rebekah fell silent for several minutes before eventually she nodded. I couldn't help it; a triumphant smirk spread across my face. "Good." I said. "Because this time, Mikael is going down … once and for all." I vowed.
So here I was: walking along the same street I had previously gotten myself lost on the last time I had desired a walk to distract myself from my brooding thoughts. Only this time, it was on purpose, and I had a companion with me.
"Are you okay?" Henrik eventually asks, knowing that I was getting increasingly anxious, as every day and every hour; possibly right this second, Mikael would be arriving in Mystic Falls to potentially take out Nik once and for all.
As if life wasn't already complicated enough.
"Not really. I'm mostly worried." I replied, truthfully. Rebekah had left for the Boarding House almost an hour ago, and feeling restless (or on Henrik's insistence) I decided to go for a walk and pick up a take away lunch to munch on during it. The street was quiet, with just the odd car passing beside us; and Henrik was curiously glancing around just observing everything.
"Well, don't let that worry suddenly spiral into panic and then paranoia. I think one member of this family with those traits is enough, don't you?" Henrik mused, casually. I scowled and lightly nudged him in the ribs. He grunted, but it didn't erase the playful smirk that appeared on his face the very second he had finished insulting me about becoming just as paranoid as Nik sometimes could be. I would not allow myself to get that far; it was unhealthy.
We turned a corner and I stopped, looking at the same house I had unintentionally stumbled upon when I had last been here, totally lost and requiring Damon's assistance to come drive out and take me back.
"Huh. That house has sold? Didn't think that would happen, what with so many people upping stakes and leaving nowadays." I observed, steering Henrik towards the same beige sandstone two story I had semi-admired the last time. Only this time round it was currently being renovated: the French doors and windows had been given a fresh lick of paint and the previously overgrown and incredibly ugly front yard had been immaculately tidied up and some fresh sprays of flowers and shrubbery had been planted.
Frowning, I approached one of the workers nearby who were darting in and out of the expansive mansion with various materials needed to repair the impurities, and decided to interrogate them about who the newfound owner was; if they knew, of course. "Excuse me, sir?" A young man in his mid-to-late twenties and dressed in a grubby tradies' outfit paused mid-step and turned towards me, looking at me politely but also raising an eyebrow at being addressed. "Do you happen to know who bought this place?" I asked, not holding my breath to get an answer.
He shook his head, "Dunno. I've never even seen the guy. I just go where I'm told. He just gave our foreman a set of instructions and checks in periodically. Why?" The guy asks, looking unnecessarily suspicious.
I frowned at him.
"No reason. Just the last time I saw this place it had been repossessed by the bank. Didn't think that there would be anybody who could afford this place." I admitted. He shrugged, dismissively.
"Well, now you know. Gotta go." He said, and disappeared back on site.
"Well, that was insightful." I remarked, sarcastically.
Henrik didn't respond, but he too was frowning at the incredibly brusque and dismissive response to my innocent observation. We continued walking along the pavement to the side of the property, and I was relieved to see that the little stone bench I had sat upon the last time I had been here had not been disturbed. I approached and sat down on it with relief, as Henrik chose to remain standing and moved to stand in front of me with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his duster jacket.
"When were you last here?" He asked me. I glanced up at him, registering the question before reaching into my purse and withdrawing my sketchbook, flipping through the pages until I got to the one with my sketching of Nik and I, beaming down at a beautiful little baby girl cradled carefully in Nik's arms.
"It was back when we first suspected that the Lockwood's were werewolves. Remember?" I asked.
"Vividly." Henrik drawled, dryly. Then he noticed the sketch. "What's that?" He asked, taking a seat beside me and peering down at the picture I was currently completing. He raised an eyebrow. "Why did you draw a picture of Nik and yourself smiling down at a baby?" He asked, curiously. I finished drawing in Nik's facial features before responding.
"Because that same day, I had just learned from Elijah that Nik was missing me just as much as I was missing him, and that lead to an unplanned walk through town that brought me here to this mansion." I gestured to the mansion behind us, surrounded by the ebony coloured iron fence with a thumb over my shoulder. "Only it had been foreclosed and overdue for a tidy up. This is clearly not the case now, but I digress. At that same moment I had received a rare premonition (courtesy of my medium abilities) about Nik and my child, and was inspired to create this." I gestured to the picture.
Henrik looked disbelieving.
"But that's impossible. Nik's dead, which means it's not possible for him to father any children." He insisted.
I nodded, agreeing with him.
"I thought that too at first. But then realised that I wouldn't have gotten that vision if it wasn't possible, which also led me to believe that it might be his werewolf gene that might be responsible." I listed the facts. Henrik still looked a little sceptical, but at the same time willing to concede given the right evidence.
"So I could potentially become an uncle one day?" He ventured. I giggled at the hopeful expression on his youthful face.
"It's certainly not being dismissed entirely." I said, optimistically. "I for one am holding on to hope that it will come true. I think that Nik would make a great father; because he will learn from Mikael's mistakes." I predicted. Just then, my phone rang, and it startled both Henrik and me as I fumbled around trying to find the damn thing to answer it, and silence its overly loud chiming.
I really needed to turn down the ringer on this thing.
"Hello?" I answered without looking at the caller ID. I heard affectionate chuckling coming down the line, that I instantly recognised (and felt slightly freaked out) as Nik's.
"Hello, darling." Nik responded, warmly.
I instantly beamed.
"Nik!" I exclaimed, grabbing Henrik's attention as well. "Wait, hold on!" I asked him, and pulled the phone away from my ear to put it on loud speaker so that Henrik could pitch in with the unexpected conversation about to take place. "Okay. Just letting you know that Henrik is here too." I announced to Nik. Henrik laughed at how enthusiastic I was being, and I scowled at him warningly.
"Hello, brother." Henrik greeted Nik.
"You have no idea how wonderful it is to hear your voice, baby brother." Nik responded to Henrik, earning a grin from said boy. "How have you been?" He inquired after the youngest Mikaelson.
Henrik hesitated.
"Uh…" He looked to me for assistance, and I shrugged; out of ideas of how to break it to Nik that his prideful stepfather was going to be setting foot in Mystic Falls at any moment. And that he (Nik) and I were in serious danger when he did arrive. "We've got a bit of a situation about to unfold here, Nik." Henrik admitted, reluctantly. It was probably better to rip of the metaphorical plaster and have Nik freak out now, than wait until he actually gets here and go completely mental.
"What do you mean 'situation', Henrik? What's going on?" Nik demanded, sternly. All the affection and humour was replaced with seriousness. I was about to open my mouth and explain when an odd beeping noise sounded from Nik's end. "Hold on a second. I've got an incoming call. I'll just get rid of them. Be right back." Nik ordered, and there was silence for several agonising seconds, as both Henrik and I tried to figure out between us how to explain Mikael's imminent arrival back into our lives. "That was Stefan on the other line. He says that he has something urgent to tell me." Nik's voice had a deceptive tone that made both of us nervous. "Am I going to happy, or disappointed?" By 'disappointed' I'm pretty sure Nik meant, 'fly off into a ferocious rage'.
I took the plunge. "I'm pretty sure 'disappointed' would be a safe bet here, Nik." I admitted, truthfully. I heard Nik growl underneath his breath that sounded uncomfortably close to what a dog would sound like when it was snarling warningly.
I swallowed hard.
"Well, whatever it is. I'd rather hear what it is from you and Henrik. So out with it." Nik insisted, impatiently.
"Mikael's back, Nik." There was a deadly silence. "Mikael's back, and I am utterly terrified." I am not ashamed to admit that my voice shook from fear when I admitted this. "Nik? Please say something…" I whispered, feeling Henrik taking my hand and squeezing it comfortingly.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll think of something." Nik eventually responded with a tender, soothing voice; while somehow managing to sound equally as terrified as I felt, but also extremely pissed off. "Just hold on while I deal with Stefan—"
"Wait, Nik! Don't hang up on us. Add our conversation to the one you're about to have with Stefan. Henrik and I wish to listen in to what Stefan has to say to you." I requested. I could practically sense Nik frowning at our weird request.
"Why on earth for?" He asked, sounding bewildered.
"We had a feeling something like this might happen. So we came up with a plan with Rebekah to send her in as a double agent, so we can figure out how to stop Elena and the others from implementing their plans to bring Mikael to town." I explained.
"How pray tell is that going to help?" Nik sounded dubious.
I rolled my eyes.
"Did you seriously think that we were just going to sit back and let them find a way to kill you, Nik? Even Rebekah was for the idea." I chided him. "The more information we can get about their plans to bring Mikael to Mystic Falls, the better the plan we can construct to help defend you. If you hadn't called, we were going to get in contact with you to assist you." I told him.
Nik was once again, briefly silenced.
"Fine." Nik reluctantly agreed. I sagged with relief. "But when I see you again, darling, you better be prepared to explain all this to me. Understood?" He demanded.
I scoffed at him.
"Nik, I'm gonna do more than just explain the sodding plan to you when I see you again. Do you have any idea just how much I've missed you? The bloody plan can wait." I told him.
"I'll hold you to that, sweetheart. I've missed you too." Nik admitted, sounding pleased. Beside me, Henrik was making a face at the probably nauseating spectacle Nik and I were making of ourselves (not that we give a flying toss, mind you).
"If you're both through grossing me out, can we get on it with it please?" He said, crossly.
Next thing we know, Nik had successfully linked our conversation with the one he was about to have with Stefan. We just hoped that none of them would catch on that Henrik and I were spying on them. The first thing Stefan did was inquire where Nik currently was.
Which I admit, I was ashamed I hadn't asked before myself.
"Portland is fantastic." Nik shared with us all, jovially. "Once you get over all the whiny music and healthy looking people, it is literally a breeding ground for werewolves." He told us. Then Stefan moved in for the 'kill'; which would've been earth-shattering for Nik, if Henrik and I hadn't beaten him to the punch first and fully prepared him for the shit storm currently heading our way, courtesy of one Elena-Bloody-Gilbert.
"Your father is dead." Stefan said.
There was silence for what seemed like a split second before Nik angrily responded. Hell, even Henrik and I were surprised; but also highly suspicious. That seemed a little too good to be true, and Mikael wasn't the sort to be easily taken down by a couple of – let's face it – 'baby' vampires, and a doppelgänger. It just seemed highly bogus.
"What did you just say to me?" Nik sounded royally pissed, and Stefan appeared to immediately backtrack.
"Oh, my mistake. Not your actual father and not dead. Mikael. Daggered. What do you want me to do with the body?" Stefan asked, sounding way too casual for somebody trying to break the news that their father had been 'killed'.
Nik sighed with frustration.
"Well, first I want you to explain to me exactly what happened?" He demanded.
"It happened this afternoon when Elena came by the Boarding House to visit. Turns out that Mikael had been tracking her – presumably because he knew that you were using her blood to create hybrids - and he followed her inside and made an attempt to grab her." Stefan explained.
"But we got the drop on Mikael, and managed to vervain him before he could take Elena as bait. In the process we discovered that he was in the possession of a dagger." Damon piped up, causing me to bristle out of anger.
"Which he planned on using on Rebekah. But instead we managed somehow to drive it into his own heart." Stefan said. Henrik and I frowned at each other, growing increasingly mistrustful with this entire situation.
"I wanna see him. I want to see his rotting body for myself." Apparently, Nik agreed with us.
"Well, he is here. Come by whenever." Stefan invited him. I made the mental note to ask Nik if Henrik and I could tag along also.
"If you are lying to me Stefan, your compulsion will expose you." Nik cautioned him, sternly. "So, answer with your life: is what you are saying the truth?" He demanded. I held my breath, hoping that everything was false and that Mikael was not currently lying dead in the parlour at the Boarding House, or even better, not in Mystic Falls at all.
"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes." Stefan insists. I had to bite down on my tongue to stop myself from calling him out.
So we're supposed to just take your word for it, huh? I thought, sceptically. I must've been physically showing how angry I was feeling, because Henrik had taken my hand in his and was squeezing it gently, obviously intending on calming me down from doing something that could give it away that we both were listening in.
"I want to talk to Rebekah." Nik demanded, irritably.
"That's not a problem. She is right here." Stefan confirmed and about two seconds later, Rebekah comes on the line.
"Hello, Nik." Rebekah's bored sounding voice greeted her older brother.
"Rebekah, love." Nik's stern, no nonsense tone instantly mellowed. "What's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run in with the dagger?" He asked her, pleasantly.
I smiled at the affection I could hear in my boyfriend's tone. Nik had always had a soft spot for Rebekah, and it appeared a thousand years hadn't changed their feelings for each other at all. Although, the knowledge that Nik had killed their mother in cold blood; probably might have put a bit of a strain in their relationship at the moment. But by the fact that Rebekah strongly defended her brother against Elena, proved that despite their sibling rivalry and the fact that if pushed too far, Nik will dagger his siblings; they loved each other deeply.
"It's true." Rebekah confirmed. "He's finally out of our lives for good." I would've believed her if the words coming from her mouth didn't sound so false. "I miss you. I'm miserable here." Rebekah whined. I could picture Nik smiling fondly.
"I'll be home sooner than you think." He promised, and I felt my heart flip over and lodge in my throat.
"Good. I'll see you then, brother." Rebekah said, sincerely. That I did believe. Rebekah hung up.
"I so don't trust them." I commented. Nik started chuckling over the line and Henrik rolled his eyes, but had a fond smile on his face as well.
"Glad we're on the same page." Nik agreed with me.
"You are coming home now, aren't you?" I asked, hopefully.
"I'll be home within a day. I don't trust any of them, but if there is even the slightest chance that Mikael is actually dead; I need to confirm that that bastard is finally out of our lives." Nik reassured me. I could feel the fear rising again.
"I hope so." I mumbled. Henrik looked at me with worry.
"Are you alright, baby?" Nik's voice was quiet and full of deep concern.
"No. I'm not, Nik. Hurry back, please." I responded, my voice cracking a little, and I could feel the tears welling up in my fear and I hung up. I got up from the bench and started to walk away, ashamed that I was letting my fear overwhelm me.
"Grace? Wait!" I heard Henrik running after me, but I ignored him. My little brother had to grab onto my hand and stand in front of me to stop me from retreating before I finally gave in to my fear and anxiety and started weeping into his shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay, Grace. Rebekah, Nik and I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Henrik muttered into my ear, trying his best to comfort me as we both sank to our knees on the pavement leading back into town.
Nik… help me…
I don't know how long Henrik and I were kneeling there on the pavement while I cried my eyes out, but pretty soon I was all out of tears; and was filled with a numbness that soon evolved into a determination to enact my revenge and frustration upon Mikael. I normally prided myself (in a good way) for being a strong-willed person, and falling apart like I did back at the beige sandstone mansion vexed me completely.
I was human, justified in having these fears about Mikael. But now was not the time to fall apart. I needed to be useful, and I intended to help Nik get rid of Mikael once and for all so the both of us could stand a chance of being free and happy; without constantly looking over our shoulders and expecting to see Mikael there ready to take us down. Henrik and I made our way back to my apartment, and I ignored the deep concern on Henrik's face. Rebekah had made it back and she was waiting impatiently for us to return from our walk to report back on what she had 'found' at the Boarding House.
Too bad Henrik and I were already fully informed, and so was a probably worried-out-of-his-mind Nik; considering how I ended our conversation so abruptly an hour or so ago. Rebekah immediately got to her feet the very second we walked into the apartment. She looked thoroughly annoyed and at the same time anxious to report back.
"There you are! I have so much to tell you both." Rebekah announced, in her usual haughty way. I jumped in before she had the chance to reveal what we already knew. But there was only one thing that I wanted to know about her that really concerned me.
"Mikael is back in Mystic Falls and Elena and the Salvatore Brothers are currently plotting a way to help Mikael get rid of Nik once and for all?" I guessed, almost smirking at the astonished expression on my sister's face. "Yeah, we know." I stated, taking off my leather jacket and tossing it on the couch before flopping down on it myself. Henrik just went and slouched against the wall beside my bedroom door, still looking at me like I was a potentially lethal ticking time bomb of psychological proportions, about to implode and take out anybody within several feet of me.
Which essentially, I suppose I was.
Rebekah blinked, "How did you know that?" She demanded, looking surprised.
"Nik called me." I replied. Rebekah rolled her eyes and came over to sit beside me on the couch.
"That figures. I suppose he filled you in on the details?" Rebekah assumed. I shook my head, getting a little annoyed at her bored, dismissive tone that she was using in regards of Nik.
"No, you misunderstand me, Bex." I said, causing Rebekah to raise her eyebrow at me. "Nik called me before the four of you got into contact with him to report Mikael being daggered at the Boarding House." I explained.
"You've lost me completely." Rebekah confessed.
"Henrik and I were listening in to the entire conversation you, Damon, Stefan, Elena and quite possibly Mikael were having with Nik. It was a deliberate move on my part, I'm proud to say." I admitted. Rebekah frowned at me, unimpressed.
"I see." She said, eventually. I gave her a serious look, which made Rebekah recoil slightly out of self-preservation.
"I must say we heard some highly questionable things during that conversation. Which begs the question: are you joining forces with them to take down Nik for what he did to Esther?" I asked, sternly. Rebekah looked appalled by the suggestion, but before she could deny it I continued talking. "Because you should know, Bekah, she deserved it and then some." I made my opinion very clear and Rebekah looked outraged. She immediately pinned me to wall, holding me tightly by the neck.
"Rebekah, stop!" Henrik protested, fearfully. She ignored him, jet black veins surrounding her eyes and she bared her incredibly sharp fangs at me as tears started threatening again in her eyes.
"How dare you!" She snarled.
I won't deny that I seriously feared for my life just then. But I wasn't going to back down from my opinion. I almost felt triumphant when Rebekah finally glanced over at Henrik, possibly expecting him to be just as affronted by what I said. But she faltered at the sober expression on his face. He agreed with me wholeheartedly, and it was time for Rebekah to accept her mother's fate as something that was well-deserved.
I glared at her, unflinchingly. "Oh, come off it, Rebekah. It is the truth and you know it!" I croaked, angrily. "What Esther did to Nik and to all of your siblings was horribly wrong and denying it won't change anything." I said. Rebekah released my throat and moved two paces away from me, as I coughed trying to draw breath back into my lungs. "However, she was your mother; and having lost my own mother to illness myself, I'm not heartless to know that you miss her deeply. But you can't blame Nik for wanting to get even." I conceded.
"No, I suppose I cannot." Rebekah agreed, begrudgingly. She finally looked me in the eye, still looking supremely resentful that what I was telling her was 100% the truth. I sighed heavily.
"Look, I get that you and your siblings are going to be a bit frosty towards Nik for a while when they eventually learn the truth for themselves. But be the bigger person, even if Nik makes the wrong decisions. All of you love one another unconditionally regardless of your faults." I reminded her. "Always and Forever. Remember?" I said. This familiar phrase that she, Nik and Elijah once vowed to each other a thousand years before, finally produced the tiniest of smiles from Rebekah.
"I remember. Thank you, Grace." Rebekah said, before coming over and wrapping me into a hug. Henrik came over to join the embrace too. Eventually, Rebekah broke off from the embrace and moved to pick up a garment bag and some strappy black stilettos from off the island bench.
I eyed them questioningly.
"What's this then?" I asked, curiously. Rebekah sniffed a little, before giving me a small smile.
"My homecoming dress arrived today." She said, excitedly. I smiled approvingly, pleased that Rebekah was capable of getting excited over what I considered – as a British immigrant – just another high school dance. It seemed tragic and unfair that she had been deprived from having an adolescence.
"What did you end up choosing after that ridiculous fashion show that you forced Elena and me to watch yesterday?" I asked, walking over to unzip the garment bag. It revealed the red dress that Elena had hastily chosen when Rebekah barked at her to choose a dress. "You were serious then? I didn't think that you valued Elena's opinion." I was genuinely surprised.
Rebekah shrugged.
"I was going to choose it anyway; mostly because the style would piss Nik off the most. He tends to be very over-protective of me; especially when he believes it is in my best interests." She stated, flatly. Then she eyed me, warningly. "Fair warning; he will definitely be like that with you too. So be careful when he gets very possessive and territorial. It's the wolf in him." She told me, as she made a beeline for her bedroom.
"Looking forward to it." I yelled at her, cheerfully. "Not…" I muttered underneath my breath.
"I heard that!" Rebekah yelled back, breezily. I turned to head for the kitchen to fix myself a cuppa when Rebekah's golden head stuck out from the doorway. "By the way, did Nik tell you when he would be arriving?" She asked, pointedly.
I paused in the process of opening the fridge to retrieve the milk.
"Uh, I think he mentioned tomorrow some time." I confirmed.
"Excellent." She chirped a little falsely before disappearing back into her room. I sighed and glanced at Henrik who was quietly and patiently observing this from where he was perched on the couch's armrest.
"Nik couldn't come fast enough." I stated.
Henrik nodded in agreement, "I hear that."
The next afternoon, A.K.A the day of Mystic Falls High's homecoming dance, was pretty much all that Rebekah could focus on and was determined to make sure that it was her perfect night (considering that it was also her very first dance as a 'high school student'). It definitely starting to drive her brother and I up the wall, so we decided to just vacate the premises just for some peace and quiet and a chance to also distract ourselves from the fact that Mikael was lurking somewhere in the town, probably still plotting with Damon, Stefan and Elena for the best way to ruin all our lives.
I bet you can hear the false enthusiasm in my voice, masking my mounting fear and anxiety. Made worse by the fact that on our way to the Grill, I could swear that I could feel somebody watching me. But every time I turned around to spot the creep gawking at me and tell him or her to bugger off, there was no one there.
"What's wrong?" Henrik asked me, and I didn't immediately respond. I was still scanning the park we were currently standing in for somebody out of the ordinary. But all I saw was the War Memorial monolith and people passing through the park on their way to wherever they were going. "Grace?" Henrik was starting to sound impatient.
I glanced down at him.
"Nothing." I replied, and continued walking towards the Grill, hoping that my sudden onset of paranoia meant that I was hungry and just had low blood sugar, not that something bad was approaching rapidly. Once inside, Henrik and I were immediately greeted by Matt.
"Hey, Grace! Haven't seen you in here for a while. Who's your friend?" He smiled politely at Henrik who nodded back.
"Oh, this is my brother, Henrik Mikaelson." I introduced him to Matt, who looked a little confused.
"Mikaelson? Is he related to Rebekah?" He asked. Henrik smirked, and I laughed.
"Yeah, Rebekah's his older sister by two years." I explained. Matt still looked confused as he led the both of us towards a vacated booth and handed us some menus.
"But I thought you said that Henrik's your brother?" Matt said.
"Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. Henrik is going to become my brother." I explained.
"Oh, right. Cool." Matt smiled. "That makes a little more sense. Well, congrats to you." He said, and I beamed at him.
"Thanks."
"So what can I get you?" Matt asked, politely. I scanned the menu, while Henrik just handed Matt his menu unopened.
"Nothing for me. I'm not really hungry, just here to sit with Grace. My sister's getting ready for the homecoming dance and we needed to get out." Henrik explained. Matt immediately looked sheepish, causing Henrik to raise an eyebrow at him. "What's up, man?" He inquired, a little surprised.
"Rebekah asked me to the homecoming dance, and I said that I would go with her. Hope that's okay?" Matt sounded nervous as hell, and Henrik looked bewildered; while I attempted to hide my smirk behind my menu.
"Why the hell would I mind? Rebekah can do whatever she wants, I don't own her." Henrik responded.
Matt seemed to sag with relief.
"Thanks, dude. That's a load off my mind." He said. I handed him the menu.
"A coke and BLT, please." I ordered, smiling politely at Matt who smiled back and left to fill the order. When Matt was out of earshot, Henrik looked at me questioningly.
"What was that all about? Why did he need my permission?" Henrik was adorably confused, and I couldn't resist hooking an arm around his shoulders and hugging him.
"Remember when Rebekah told us that Nik is extremely possessive and very territorial towards males not blood related to her?" I asked him.
"Yeah, so?" Henrik frowned at me.
"Well, it's been a tradition for many years in Southern states that if a guy wants to take out a girl, he must ask the girl's father or her brother permission to do so." I explained. "This would've happened a thousand years ago too. You essentially stepped in as the male representative of your family because Nik, Elijah, Kol and Finn aren't available." I told him.
Henrik made a face, "That's a weird tradition." He observed.
"Not one that's going to end any time soon, unfortunately." I said, sympathetically.
Henrik groaned. "And damn it, why did I have to get the job?" He bitched. I giggled again, and squeezed his shoulders with affection.
"It's called responsibility, mate. Sometimes it can be humbling, and other times it truly sucks." I said, pulling free my sketchbook and pencil and focused upon my latest drawing.
"Then I'm glad I'm technically a ghost and don't have to deal with that garbage." Henrik grumbled. I paused mid-scribble and put down my pencil, fixing Henrik with a disapproving and sorrowful frown.
"Don't ever say that again, Henrik." I scolded him. "What has happened to you was tragic, and you can't glorify the fact that you were taken from us way too young so you don't have to experience what it is to be an adult." I said. Henrik just frowned at me with confusion. "Having responsibilities is what helps you define who you are, and what you're going to become. It helps you make the right decisions and learn from the mistakes you make. What you did just now for Rebekah; giving her permission on behalf of your family and your older brothers, shows that you respect her enough to trust that she won't sully your family's name and reputation by doing the wrong thing with Matt. In essence, you became an adult the very second you said to Matt: 'Why the hell would I mind? Rebekah can do whatever she wants, I don't own her.' Do you understand what I'm saying?" I clarified.
Henrik was silent as he let what I said sink in, and the expression on his face told me that he was slightly ashamed by his flippant words. I'm not entirely sure if he will take what I said to heart, or dismiss it completely; but I gave it my best shot as the 'older' sibling. In the end, he smiled; albeit a very small one.
"Yeah, I get it. I'll keep that in mind for next time. If there is a next time." He said. I grinned triumphantly at him, just as the waitress arrives with my lunch.
"Thanks." I said to her as she nodded politely and walked away. "You bet your arse there will be a next time. Make your brothers and sister proud of you." I encouraged him, before taking a sip from my coke and resuming to sketch. Henrik and I continued with the small talk, when quite unexpectedly my phone started to vibrate; indicating that I had a brand spanking new text message.
"Who sent that?" Henrik asked, craning his head over to see the name on the screen. I snatched the phone away before he could identify the caller. I typed in my password and hesitantly stabbed at the little unopened envelope which opened and revealed:
'Home Sweet Home' – N. x
My eyes widened; alerting Henrik who immediately grabbed my phone and read the three simple words, that right now, brought me more hope and comfort that never thought was actually possible. Without a word, I quickly dumped what I owed on the table, plus tip; and stuffed my sketchbook into my purse. I was out of the doors to the restaurant in seconds, with Henrik about a heartbeat behind me, also just as excited that his older brother was finally back in town, hopefully with a possible plan to resolve our current Mikael problem. What I hadn't counted on was the fact that I foolishly expected to practically run right into him outside the restaurant. It never occurred to me to ask where Nik was. So I felt kinda foolish when I stepped out, and instantly deflated when I didn't see him.
My phone rang.
"Hello?" I immediately answered, as Henrik sidled up to me to listen in. I impatiently nudged him away, throwing him an annoyed frown.
"Hello, my Darling." Nik's deep European accent sounded like music to my ears. "Are you okay since our last conversation?" He sounded slightly vulnerable. I must've really stressed him out when I abruptly hung up during our last call the other night.
"Better now that you're back, Nik. Where are you?" I asked, listening intently for his reply.
"Look!" Henrik suddenly yells and points in the direction of my apartment block. I turned and saw a figure standing there on the pavement with a phone to his ear. I grinned; recognising that smirk anywhere. I immediately hung up, at the same time that Nik did and he slid his phone back into his pocket and started to cross the road to get into the park.
Henrik and I mirrored his actions, but it just occurred to me that I couldn't be selfish right now as I glanced at the infectious smile spreading on Henrik's face, and the tearful and overjoyed one on my boyfriend's; as this was the first time both brothers had been physically reunited with each other in over a thousand years without a computer/smartphone screen between them.
So I chose to deliberately hang back, while Henrik continued running full pelt towards Nik. I somehow managed to stifle a giggle when at the last minute, Henrik launched himself into Nik's arms; causing his older brother to fall backwards on his arse out of surprise when he managed to catch his brother, since it was obvious (by the shocked look on Nik's face) that he hadn't expected this sort of reaction from his baby brother.
I also struggled to choke back tears when I realised that Nik was also crying grateful, overwhelming tears into Henrik's scalp while also attempting to smother his brother in a tight hug. Deciding that this was a moment best done unobserved and in private; I turned and headed back towards the Grill to give the two of them the time to reunite and get some closure over what had happened between them.
What I hadn't expected, was Nik to shout out at me.
"Where do you think you're going?" He said, and I froze and looked back to see Nik had momentarily abandoned a smirking Henrik and approached me. I raised an eyebrow.
"Giving you two some privacy?" I answered him, with a sheepish smile that Nik responded to with a mischievous smirk. He continued walking towards me, with a purpose.
"I've got the rest of eternity to do that. You're not going anywhere." He told me, his eyes filling up with a fiery determination, before pulling me into his arms and engaged me in a very passionate kiss; the type of kiss that instantly kick started that warm, fluttery feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nik wrapped a strong arm around my waist, as he held me against him, and cupped the back of my head with his hand; preventing me from pulling away prematurely. Not that I had visited any idea of doing so. I responded by flinging my arms around his neck and jumping into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist while Nik caught me and chuckled with amusement and affection, before pulling back reluctantly to smile at me tenderly. "Hi, there." He whispered, and kissed my forehead.
"Hello." I replied, in an equally soft tone, playing with the small hairs on the back of his head. "I've really missed you." I told him, before hiding my face into his shoulder and quietly sobbing. Nik immediately tensed up and lowered me back onto my feet before rocking us side to side and shushing me.
"I've missed you too, sweetheart. And don't worry, we'll deal with that son-of-a-bitch, so he won't be able to threaten us anymore. We'll give him what's coming to him, together." He promised.
A/N: Mikael's last stand happens in the next chapter. Now that Klaus is back, all hell is going to break loose for not only him, but everybody else as well. Stay tuned.
TTFN xx.