A/N: Here's a new chapter to sink your teeth into! I hope that you've enjoyed that last chapter and are ready to read this one.
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. All characters except for Grace belong to author L.J. Smith. This story belongs to me.
Please review constructively. Flaming is not tolerated.
Let's go!
BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE
"Fair warning: you can mess with me all you want, but when you start in on my family and friends, I WILL PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE!"
~Unknown.
Salvatore Boarding House.
Night.
(No P.O.V)
Panicking, Damon immediately races for the nearest fireplace and starts burning the milling records from 1912. He was so intent on his task, that he failed to hear Sage come in and walk up behind him.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" She asks him. Her voice was silky smooth, which implied that she was less than impressed that he didn't follow through with her plan to get Rebekah to lower her guard so she could infiltrate her memories. Damon stiffened, realizing that he would have to be careful when talking to Sage, especially when she was in this mood.
"Yep. 1912, the Salvatore milling company chopped down a forest, its most valuable wood came from an old white oak tree that was used to make the Wickery Bridge." He said, feeding yet another piece of the ledger to the licking flames.
"Why does Rebekah need to know all that?" Sage wondered, curiously. Damon shrugged. But he was determined to keep this newfound information under wraps.
"Search me. I have no idea why Rebekah needs this info." He lied, getting up from his squat and heading for the bookshelf to replace the ledger back into its spot. Damon may be pissed with the beautiful, haughty Original, but he wasn't about to throw her to the lions out of spite.
The old him might have done that, but the slightly newer version of him saw a potential romantic partnership with her; and he was not about to jeopardize that chance if he could help it. Nor would he risk losing his strong friendship with Grace either. To him, Grace was like a breath of fresh air; something that made his rough (sometimes enjoyable) existence bearable for the first time in his 170 odd years, and if he had to play nice with Klaus and the rest of that damn Original family to keep her and Rebekah in his existence; well, he'd do almost anything to make that a reality.
Emphasis on the almost.
Sage's lip curled unpleasantly, but she maintained her silence as she followed her protégé upstairs and into his bedroom where Damon proceeded to get changed into his usual black.
"So, all the wood stripped from the underside of that bridge is basically a weapon that could kill an Original?" Sage asked idly, causing Damon to freeze in the middle of pulling on his T-shirt when he remembered something that John Gilbert had once told him, when he first presented to him (and an injured and fitfully sleeping Grace) one of the Silver Daggers and a small jar of ashes.
"In this vial is ash from a white oak tree that dates back to the genesis of the Originals." John Gilbert's voice echoed in Damon's memories, and he could very clearly picture the horrified expression on Grace's face when he had been holding the injured girl in his arms.
'Damn. I can't believe I forgot about that!' Damon cursed as Sage made her presence known again, grabbing his attention.
"Oh, you thought I didn't know?" Damon turned and eyed Sage cautiously as she leant against the doorframe, smirking at him. If she had noticed how distant he had been a few seconds ago, she didn't comment. "These aren't just for decoration." She stated, indicating towards her ears. "I heard quite a bit during your little tiff with Rebekah. Plus, I'm not stupid." Sage reminded him, and Damon frowned. "You see how this could be a problem for me, right?" She asked him, and Damon starts walking towards her, with the intention of leaving the room.
"Why? Because of your true love Finn?" He scoffs, forgetting himself and putting himself in danger. "Let me tell you something, I met the guy, you're not gonna miss him." Damon tells her, only to find himself pinned against the wall of the corridor with a pissed Sage hovering above him.
"I will rip your head off in two seconds if you take one more step." She threatens him. Damon realized that he had fouled up, and quickly racks his brain for something he could use to save his ass.
But then realizes why he should care.
He sighs, "I honestly don't give a shit. But I will make a deal with you."
Sage looks at him suspiciously.
"What sort of deal?" She asks.
"I don't get in your way, you stay outta mine." Damon said, simply. Sage backs off, giving Damon the space, he needed to get off the wall.
"Works for me." Sage shrugged and turned to leave the Boarding House to continue her search for Finn.
"Oh, and one more thing." Damon piped up, causing Sage to turn and look at him. "Both Rebekah and Grace are off limits." He smirked, and Sage looked outraged.
"Excuse me?! I thought you were only after that Original bitch for the hot hate sex." The redhead was practically spitting fire.
"Yeah, I lied. I do that a lot." Damon replied, casually. "Rebekah interests me, a lot more than the previous bitches I encountered over the years did. Only this time, I wanna make any potential relationship with her work." He confessed, demonstrative.
"I thought you were pissed off with her." Sage pointed out.
"You bet your ass I'm pissed. But that's not gonna last forever, and I can kind of understand why Rebekah responded the way she did when I invited her and Grace for drinks here." Damon admitted.
"What about Klaus's girl, why is she on your 'off limits' list? Don't tell me that you've forgotten everything that I taught you?" Sage sounded a little condescending and Damon glared at her, unamused.
"Several reasons. You just gave the most obvious reason; Grace is Klaus's fiancée, and while the guy isn't exactly my favorite person in the whole world, he is growing on me … like a fungus, but Grace has shown me that he isn't as bad as everybody thinks." Damon pointed out, logically. "Plus, he and Rebekah will have my nuts in a vice if anything happens to Grace and I did nothing to help prevent it. I happen to like them to stay where they are, if it's all the same to you."
"Charming." Sage made a face at the image. "And Klaus not as bad as we think he is? I find that a little hard to believe." She added, looking skeptical.
"Not my problem. Now, do we have an accord?" Damon pressed, extending a hand towards Sage. The older vampire eyes the hand for a few more minutes before she takes it and shakes. "Great. Now we've got some work to do." Damon reminded her.
"Work?" Sage looked confused.
"Like you said, the Wickery Bridge is made of White Oak. We've gotta get rid of that timber and burn it." Damon stated, whipping out his phone and accessing his contacts. Sage watches him as he finds who he is contacting and presses speed-dial.
"Damon? Hey, did you find something?" It was Grace. Damon couldn't help the warm smile spreading across his face the very second, he hears her slightly cockney voice in his ear.
Sage raises an eyebrow at this reaction.
"Yep. Managed to find the ledgers, and it turns out that White Oak that we cut down; the lumber that came from that was delivered to the Wickery Bridge." He reported.
"I knew it!" Damon and Sage heard Rebekah yell in the background, then Grace telling her to back it up a bit and calm down as Rebekah had shouted right in her ear.
"So now what?" Grace asked him, and Damon snatched up his jacket and keys, headed for the door. He absently realized that Sage had already left.
"How fast can you and Rebekah get to Wickery Bridge? We've got a bonfire to make." Damon proclaimed and he suddenly heard a minor struggle on the other line that made him alert, until he heard Grace's annoyed voice in the background.
"Rebekah, give me back my phone!" He heard his best friend grumbling to her sister, before Rebekah's voice appeared on the line.
"You're really going to help us burn the White Oak?" The blonde Original sounded suspicious. Damon rolled his eyes as he got to his car and hopped in.
"I said I would." Damon was short when he responded to Rebekah's question. "When can you and your sister get there?" He repeated his question.
"We'll see you when we see you, just go!" Rebekah stated before hanging up the phone abruptly and Damon just looked at it.
"Nice talking to you too." He muttered, before putting his car into gear and tearing off down the driveway and flooring it towards the Bridge.
Mikaelson Mansion.
A Few Hours Earlier.
(Grace P.O.V)
Rebekah and I went home after Damon basically told her to 'go to hell' back at the Restoration Fundraiser. When she made an insulting insinuation about why Damon had been fishing for information from her, then he stormed off after promising to get the information the family needed to continue surviving.
The entire trip home, Rebekah remained silent and just stared out the passenger side window at the scenery blurring past. I had absolutely no idea what to say to her, but the silence was deafening and it was making me extremely uncomfortable; so I decided to turn the radio on to my favorite station, and prayed that Rebekah didn't tell me to switch it off.
Luck was on my side, and I managed to distract myself from making a major faux pas with an already highly strung, volatile vampire who could kill me with her pinky finger if I unintentionally provoked her. Eventually, we turned into the electric gates and up the large winding driveway. But Rebekah didn't even wait for my car to coast to a complete stop before she unlocked the door and strolled straight for the front door and disappeared inside.
Well, shit.
Damon's scathing words must have hit her harder than I initially believed. I turned off my car and moved fast inside to try and catch my sister before she could do something she might regret. However, Rebekah was nowhere to be seen when I stepped through the threshold, which meant that she had blurred away to god knows where in the mansion. Now I regret not at least saying something in the car, or at least asking her if she wanted some company when we eventually got back.
It was pointless to go off in search for Rebekah, because if she wanted to be alone and hidden, she could easily conceal herself away from other people. Which really shits me because I want to help her. So, in the end, I headed straight in the direction of the Mikaelson's large commercial style kitchen. In times of great stress, for my sanity I sometimes liked to lose myself in a spot of baking.
Desserts, cakes, biscuits.
Nothing makes me happier or makes me feel better when I am down, than creating something that I can potentially share around with others and just generally distract myself from my brooding thoughts about what I could've done better.
"May I help you, Grace?" A voice interrupted my thoughts.
I blinked, "Huh?"
I slowly registered the amused, but respectful smile on Emma's face, and realized that I had walked into the kitchen and proceeded to stand in the middle of the doorway, looking off into space.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. But is there something that I or any of us can do for you?" Emma gestured around at a small handful of hybrids who were busy at work in the kitchen; presumably preparing something for dinner tonight. Most of them were focused upon their chore, not paying me or Emma any attention, but other more curious hybrids were looking over at us with interest. I smiled sheepishly at the redhead hybrid with embarrassment.
"Yeah. I actually came in here to do some baking." I clarified, and Emma blinked at me with surprise.
"Baking?"
"Yeah, is that going to be a problem?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Emma immediately smiled and gestured for me to continue coming further in.
"No, not at all. It's just an unusual request coming from one of the mistresses here in the manor." Emma explained.
"I'm used to being highly independent." I told her, wincing at the term 'mistress', that obviously described both Rebekah and me. "I'm still getting used to the idea of being waited on hand and foot, in a situation that doesn't involve sitting and eating in a restaurant. It's a bit uncomfortable for me." I added, feeling a little awkward.
Emma smiled politely.
"I guess I can understand that. Anyway, let us know if you need anything." She said, before disappearing out of the door to attend to whatever it was she was doing before I had unexpectedly barged in. I turned back to the busy kitchen and spotted one of the hybrids waving me over, gesturing to a vacant workspace.
"Thank you." I said to the hybrid who nodded and walked over to a different spot in the kitchen where he had been apparently chopping vegetables.
I eventually settled upon making some basic scones and grabbed the equipment and ingredients I needed. I carefully removed my engagement ring from my hand, so I didn't get any dough caught in it and strung it on the cord that held Nik's silver wolf tooth for safe keeping. About half an hour later, I had just finished kneading the dough and was ready to cut out the scones, so I searched around for a baking tray. I nearly jumped back in surprise when one suddenly appeared underneath my nose and I glanced up at one of the hybrids who had helpfully retrieved the tray for me.
"Thanks." I smiled and went back to preparing my scones. Another five minutes went by and the first batch of scones were browning in the oven while I prepared another tray. Pretty soon I had about two dozen scones and had selected four of the best ones I had, still warm from the oven and smeared on some strawberry jam and a dollop of whipped cream, before picking up both plates and heading for the swinging kitchen door. "Could you follow me with those cups of tea, please?" I asked one of the hybrids, who nodded, picking up both mugs and followed me out of the kitchen doors. I nearly collided with Kol on route to Rebekah's room that I assumed my sister had disappeared to when we had first arrived home.
"For me? Aww, you shouldn't have." Kol smirked playfully at me and reached for one of the plates. "They smell heavenly, sister."
I pulled the plate out of reach.
"Thank you, Kol. I made them myself; but these are not for you. If you would like some, there's some fresh, warm scones down in the kitchen." I told him, and Kol shook his head.
"No thank you, Grace. I'm content for the moment. I was just messing with you." He explained. "Which one of my lucky siblings is getting the second plate?" Kol wanted to know, and I smiled at him.
"Rebekah." I said.
"Bribe?" Kol fell into step with me as I continued towards Rebekah's bedroom with my hybrid helper following at a respectful distance behind us with the mugs.
"Not at all. I made them to hopefully cheer her up, actually." I explained, scowling slightly at him.
Kol raised an eyebrow.
"Is something the matter with her?" He seemed genuinely concerned, and I immediately forgave him for the 'bribe' comment.
"Our sister was just reprimanded by Damon Salvatore for making rude assumptions about him in order to gain some crucial information." I explained, and Kol immediately scowled. "Before you do anything impulsive, Kol, I happen to agree with what Damon said to her. But it doesn't stop me from wanting to make her feel better and help her understand why he said what he said to her."
"Now that just sounds intriguing. What did he say to Rebekah?" Kol demanded, a little too eagerly.
"That she shouldn't be so quick to judge or hurt somebody before getting to know them firsthand." I confirmed. "In this case, Rebekah wrongfully assumed that Damon was only after her for sex, in exchange for some important information about the White Oak Tree."
"Was he?" Kol scowled, protectively.
I shook my head, "Not at all. I had already informed him of the suspected return of the White Oak Tree earlier. He just didn't know that it was the White Oak. I never specifically told him what type of wood the feared tree was." I confirmed.
"Why did you tell him in the first place?" Kol wasn't as loud as Rebekah was when she learned that I had told Damon the truth; but it didn't mean that he was exactly impressed either.
"Because Kol, he's on our side. He wanted to help us." I said, gathering up my patience.
"Help us? There has to be another reason besides that flimsy excuse, considering he's tried to kill us in the past." Kol insisted, and I sighed.
"Damon's also interested in Rebekah romantically and is trying to gain her trust the right way. Elijah's the only one who knows, and now so do you." I said, somewhat impatiently since the Devonshire Tea I had prepared for Rebekah was getting cold.
"I see." Kol said.
"Although, if they keep up with this mistrustful bullshit that's going on between them; that potential relationship might never take off." I drawled, disapprovingly.
"Good." Kol stated, and I kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What was that for?" He demanded, glowering half-heartedly at me.
"For immediately making an assumption that their relationship is doomed to fail." I clarified, before sighing. "Look, Rebekah deserves a chance to be happy, and Damon believe it or not, seems to be the right fit for her. They both have had shitty love lives, and it's up to them to help it survive or watch it crash and burn." I told him. "They don't need you seriously maiming him for something that hasn't even begun yet." Kol looked doubtful. "Just let it go."
I abandoned a brooding Kol in the corridor as I continued walking to Rebekah's room, and knocked politely on the solid wood with my foot since my hands were full.
"Miss Rebekah just said 'Go away.'" The hybrid who was helping me said, politely. "Maybe you should tell her that it's you?" He suggested, and I nodded.
"Bekah, it's just me. May I come in please?" I called out to my sister and looked at the hybrid for Rebekah's response. The hybrid paused for a few seconds, before nodding.
"You can go in." He said, and I shifted the plates into one hand, before pushing down the doorknob and letting myself in, followed closely by the hybrid. It was a decent sized bedroom with a generous space and tasteful light interior colors. Although, one glance about the room told me straight away that my sister also had expensive taste.
Typical… "Just leave the mugs over there." I instructed the hybrid, who nodded and walked over to place both mugs on a large glass-topped coffee table with an elegant crystal vase of freshly cut magnolias positioned in the center of it. The table itself was sandwiched between two crème velvet couches in front of a large active fireplace.
"Was there something you wanted, Grace?" Rebekah's slightly petulant voice called out from the direction of a nearby doorway.
"Thanks, that'll be all for the moment." I hurriedly told the hybrid who mutely nodded and quickly exited the bedroom. I sighed and called back to my sister. "Just to chat. I brought you something to eat." I said, setting down both plates on the coffee table while I continued exploring Rebekah's room.
"You brought me some blood? I hope it's O-positive. How did you know that I was peckish?" Rebekah asked, and I grimaced at the idea of willingly bringing blood to a vampire.
"That's not exactly what I had in mind when I said that I brought you something to eat, dearest." I clarified. "However, I can get you some if what I brought you doesn't satisfy."
A couple of seconds went by before Rebekah eventually spoke.
"I'll be out in a moment."
I heard splashing water and I nodded, understanding almost immediately that I had unintentionally interrupted Rebekah in the middle of a bubble bath. I perched on the armrest of one of Rebekah's couches and looked around. She had a Queen-sized bed with a crème backboard, several large plump cushions and a white bedspread with a dusty pink throw rug, folded neatly at the end of the bed.
What looked like a very old trunk sat at the end that I presumed was left over from the 1800s, and some heavy dusty pink curtains hung across some windows that led to a lovely walk-out balcony view. There was a white and light grey patterned floor rug positioned between the bed and a couple of steps that elevated the bed, bedside tables, vanity, Rebekah's wardrobe and ensuite from the rest of the room. A second matching floor rug was stationed underneath the coffee table.
Surprisingly, Rebekah owned a couple of bookshelves with a decent amount of literature stored on them, some modern pieces of artwork that had not been painted by Nik adorned her walls and more vases of flowers were spread about the room. Which explained why I was hit with a fresh, flowery fragrance the second I stepped inside.
"So, what did you bring me to eat?" Rebekah requested, walking in from the bathroom wearing an expensive looking silk kimono robe. Her long freshly combed blonde hair was still damp and hung about her shoulders in waves of dark gold. I raised an eyebrow at her light-hearted attitude; considering when I saw her last, she was quiet and distant and barely talking. I gestured towards the coffee table at the Devonshire Tea I had created for the both of us.
"Hope you enjoy it. I made it from scratch." I explained as Rebekah walked over and picked up one of the scones, examining it. I stood up from my perch and folded my arms across my chest as Rebekah took a tentative bite before smiling widely.
"This is wonderful. Thank you, Grace." Rebekah praised me and I nodded, not saying a word as I took a seat across from my sister who was watching me just as curiously as she finished her first scone.
"How are you feeling now, Bekah?" I asked, cautiously.
She frowned at the question.
"How do you want me to be feeling?" She challenged me, as she picked up her second scone.
"Don't do that." I responded, firmly.
"Do what?"
"Answer my question with another question. It's a classic sign of diversion." I pointed out in annoyance.
"And you're qualified to make that assumption?" Rebekah asked, snidely.
I frowned, shocked that she was being so rude.
"Who do you think you're talking to exactly?" I demanded, angrily. "We are friends, Rebekah. Sisters!" I stood up and started to pace; something I did when I was trying to stop myself from doing something that I might regret. "Or at least I thought that we were."
"You know that we are, Grace. Don't be stupid." Rebekah retorted, and I scoffed.
"You have a very funny way of showing that. I was taught that sisters or family in general reach out to each one another to seek or accept comfort if it's offered." I lectured her. "If that makes me 'stupid' then I must be quite brainless."
"Well, I don't require comfort at the moment." Rebekah stated stubbornly.
"Like hell you don't!" I growled. Rebekah looked at me with eyes full of warning.
"You're sounding a lot like Nik right now, Grace, and I don't like it." She complained.
"Good. Because from what I have heard, you and Nik have a strong relationship despite the few times he daggered you."
"We do."
"So, use it. If you feel uncomfortable talking about how you're feeling to me; pretend that I am him and let it out. It's not healthy to keep it bottled up." I urged.
Rebekah hesitated, "It's not that I'm uncomfortable talking with you about it. It's other things."
"What things?"
"I don't know how I feel. I've never felt like this before." She admitted. I could feel my anger ebbing away a little once I realized what was eating my sister. From what Elijah, Nik, Kol and Henrik had told me about Rebekah's past, it seemed that she had been let down by men a lot since she had been changed into a vampire.
Some of the stories had not been flattering, and privately, I agreed with them that it sounded a lot like Rebekah had flung herself at any man who paid her the slightest bit of attention. However, Damon, while he had paid her some attention when they first met; had not hung around her like she was a bitch on heat. Something that I dare say probably confused the hell out of Rebekah, who was probably unused to being treated as a young woman worthy of wooing correctly.
"Sounds frustrating." I admitted.
"Tell me. Was it love at first sight with you and Nik?" Rebekah asked me, and I blinked at her.
"No. Not at all." I replied, amused when Rebekah looked crestfallen. "Rebekah, sweetie. Nik and I were just little kids. We were still stuck in the 'Ew, girl/boy germs' stage. If anything, I was closer to Elijah." I chuckled. "Our romance happened when I reached 13-years old and Nik turned 15-years old. But before then he was a right little twerp."
"I don't remember that." Rebekah looked surprised.
"Maybe because you were still too young to understand. But back then, Nik was a typical prepubescent boy with the responsibilities an adult would normally have in comparison to today. We all did." I pointed out. I sighed and sat down beside Rebekah on her couch, resting my head in my hand. "Why don't you just describe what you're feeling for Damon to me and I'll help you translate." I offered.
"Who says it was Damon?" Rebekah was quick to argue. I just looked at her, unamused. "Fine." She pouted, and I waited for her to spill. It took several minutes, but eventually Rebekah's baby blue eyes welled up and I was confronted with an unexpected 900-year old deluge of emotion from my emotionally abused sister. "I don't want to lose him." Rebekah confessed, in between sobs as she clutched onto me like a frightened child, and I attempted to awkwardly comfort her; having not expected a reaction like this from my normally stoic 'little' sister.
"I know you don't. It's gonna be okay, Bekah." I promised, feeling shocked by the stories of her past lovers that Rebekah had spun for me, and the fates that each man had met during these rendezvous at the hands of her brothers; mostly Nik and Kol, and even on one occasion, Elijah.
My phone began ringing, scaring the both of us a little as I pulled away from Rebekah to answer the bloody thing (and turn down the volume).
"I'm going to get dressed." Rebekah told me, standing from the couch and heading towards her wardrobe.
"Righto." I responded absently as I finally found my phone and checked caller ID. "Damon." I muttered and hit answer. "Damon? Hey, did you find something?"
"Yep. Managed to find the ledgers and it turns out that White Oak that we cut down; the lumber that came from it was delivered to the Wickery Bridge for the restoration." Damon sounded a bit stressed. But before I could confront him about it, Rebekah yelled right in my ear.
"I knew it!" She yelled and I cowered out of sheer fright before I got up from the couch and retreated from both it and Rebekah.
"Bloody hell, Rebekah!" I growled. "Give me a little warning next time and lower your voice." I scolded out of annoyance. I put the phone back to my ear. "So now what?" I asked Damon, as Rebekah rolled her eyes and went back to the closet to finish getting dressed.
I ignored her.
"How fast can you and Rebekah get to Wickery Bridge? We've got a bonfire to make." Damon asked.
Suddenly, my phone was yanked from my hand and I spun round to see Rebekah holding it to her ear. She was fully dressed from head to toe, and I resisted the urge to strangle my sister, despite the fact that I was no match for her.
"Rebekah! Give me back my phone!" I protested and made a grab for it, but Rebekah easily sidestepped me.
"Oh, hush." She lightly scolded me, before focusing her attention on Damon. "You're really going to help us burn the white oak?" Rebekah asked him, sounding both suspicious and skeptical. Whatever Damon said to her, caused Rebekah's face to fall a little out of hurt. But just as quickly she seemed to recover and adopted a slightly indifferent air about her. "We'll see you when we see you. Just go!" She snapped down the line at Damon before hanging up and tossing me my phone.
I caught it with my freehand and eyed her with frustration.
"I thought that you didn't want to lose Damon?" I stated.
"I don't."
"Then talking to him like that won't do you any favors." I pointed out as I walked over to the door and opened it, sticking my head out the door to yell down the corridor. "Emma!" On cue, she appeared.
"How can I help?" She chirped.
"Could you fetch Rebekah a couple of bags of O-Pos, please? We're heading out on a short errand and she hasn't eaten yet." I instructed politely.
"Coming up!" Emma blurred away. I headed down the corridor towards Nik's room and knocked politely just in case Nik was in there changing or sleeping. When I got no reply, I cautiously opened the door and ducked inside. I walked back out a few minutes later, shrugging on one of Nik's leather jackets and a change in shoes. I almost collided with Rebekah in the hallway, sucking down a blood bag and eyeing me with slight resentment. "Feeling better?" I asked, knowingly.
"How did you know?" Rebekah asked, after swallowing her mouthful of her blood meal. I shrugged as we fell into step, side-by-side down the corridor and down the stairs.
"Observation. You reacted the same way Damon does when he hasn't had some blood in over a while." I explained, hurrying down the marble staircase and checking that I had everything I needed for this – hopefully – brief outing. "I went with my hunch and ordered you some blood bags to see if it would calm you down."
"Thank you." Rebekah mumbled, sincerely.
I smiled, "You're welcome. Shall we?" I opened the front door and stood back to let her go through first.
"Well, well. Where would you two lovely ladies be going at this time of the night?" Kol asked, as he stepped from the living room, also holding a blood bag in his hands as he eyed us both curiously.
"Don't be an ass, Kol." Rebekah scowled, pushing her empty blood bag into his chest before flouncing out of the door and into the cold night air. I grimaced; clearly two bags of blood were not enough to curb my sister's hunger, or her feisty attitude at present.
"We're going on a quick errand." I explained, wearily. "We'll be back soon." I promised and Kol, rather than looking offended, instead smirked at me unsympathetically.
"Good luck with that." He indicated to an impatient looking Rebekah. "Baby sister's going to be a delight when she is in this state. I suggest you allow some time for her to top up during this 'errand'. At least for your sanity." Kol told me.
"I heard that, Kol!" Rebekah yelled, and I quickly stepped outside and yanked the front door closed, listening to the muffled sounds of my 'twin' chuckling to himself fading off in the distance inside the mansion. "Ass." Rebekah spat, before returning her attention on me. "Are we going or not?" She demanded, a little calmer but no less irritated.
"Uh, yeah. Let's get this over with." I agreed, suddenly visited with a desire to do an about face and run back to the safety and sanctuary of Nik's bedroom … hopefully with him in there with me too.
Wickery Bridge
Night.
Rebekah and I made it to the Wickery Bridge, which was deserted except for some construction equipment that had been left behind by the crew the Mayor had hired for the restoration project. Along with the equipment, there was also a large stack of something hidden underneath a blue tarpaulin; protected from the elements.
Exchanging looks with my sister, we walked over to the stack and I used my dagger to cut through the thick rope tying down the tarpaulin and we pulled off the blue plastic sheet to reveal what had been hidden underneath. My eyes widened in shock when it revealed the large delivery of extremely pale white oak timber that Damon had mentioned was supposed to be transported here to the restoration site.
"Now what?" I blurted out loud.
"You burn it." Both Rebekah and I turned and spotted Sage standing off in the distance, observing us with a sober expression on her face.
"You again?" Rebekah growled, and I placed a calming hand on her shoulder. Sage ignored her in favor of coming over to where I was and pulling the tarpaulin completely off and impatiently tossing it to the side.
"We've got it under control, thanks. Damon already told us about the white oak." I told Sage, firmly. The redhead merely rolled her eyes, probably sensing the mistrust I was radiating, and grabbed a large armful of the timber and hefting it into her arms easily.
"I don't recall requiring your permission." Sage retorted, treating me as though I was some sort of errant child. "I have my own reasons for wanting to burn this White Oak."
"To protect Finn?" Rebekah sneered, drawing Sage's hateful gaze on her. "How touching." Sage ignored her and picked up her load to carry it to the middle of the bridge, constructing a crude teepee pile with the wood. "Not to mention pointless." The redhead bristled and let out a menacing hissing sound, that she aimed at my sister who did not look intimidated in the slightest. On the contrary, a malicious little smirk played about her full rose-hued lips that reminded me of Nik's. I sighed, making a mental note to shove a few more blood bags into Rebekah's arms when we got back to the mansion, as I headed for some nearby petrol canisters.
"Help me out here, Bekah. These things are heavy." I grunted underneath the weight of one of the canisters and pouted when I looked over and saw Rebekah pick up one in each hand as though they weighed like feathers. Rebekah glanced over to see if I needed help and rolled her eyes at my put-out expression.
"Don't pout, Grace. It's unattractive." She advised me, as we hefted our burden towards Sage's teepee and started splashing the wood with the petrol.
Once the wood was reeking of the sharp smelling compound, Sage produced a silver zippo lighter from the pocket of her black coat and flicked it open. She ignited it by dragging it across her denim clad thigh and then flung it at the teepee. Both Rebekah and I jumped back when the white oak caught alight with a large whoosh, lighting almost immediately like rice paper underneath a naked flame, and I shielded my face from the radiant heat the stack emitted with my hand.
"Woah!" I blurted out and took several steps away from the bonfire as I started sweating, despite the chill of the night air. I suddenly hear the roar of a car engine thundering down the road behind me, and I heard a car door slam shut and footsteps walking briskly towards us. I glanced back and saw Damon looking at the bonfire with surprise.
"What did I miss?" He asked, casually.
"Quite a bit, actually." I responded with a smile, then thumbed over to my left where Sage was standing looking at the both of us. "You didn't say that Sage was gonna be involved in this."
Damon barely acknowledged his old mentor.
"That's because she invited herself." He drawled, then started glancing around, looking for something with a slightly confused frown on his face. "Your mansion is miles away from this bridge. How did you and Rebekah get here so fast? I don't see your car anywhere." He asked me, and I grinned.
"We came here Twilight style." I responded. Only Sage seemed to understand what I meant by that, judging by the mildly amused smirk on her face.
"Twilight style?" Rebekah repeated, coming over to me looking confused.
"What does that waste of a couple of trees have to do with how you got here so fast?" Damon looked at me, blankly.
I sighed tiredly, "There's a scene in both the novel and the movie adaptation, where Edward Cullen takes Bella Swan to a meadow so that he can show her something." I explained. "However, because the meadow was a fair distance away, and because Bella is a klutz that trips over air, Edward had to use a different, faster method of transportation." I said, conversational-like.
"Like what?" Damon scoffed. In response, I simply walked behind him and placed both my hands on his shoulders. "What are you doing?" He demanded, and instinctively hooked his arms underneath both my knees when I pushed up on his shoulders and straddled his back by hugging my thighs around his waist; and wrapping my arms around his neck as I clung for dear life.
"Like this." I said. "Then Edward just vamp-sped up the mountain, getting to the meadow in seconds."
"Oh. You mean like this?" Damon questioned, then without warning and before I could stop him; Damon blurred off into the surrounding trees, and blurred back. All while I tried desperately not to scream loudly into his ear … even if he would completely deserve it.
"Don't ever do that again!" I hissed into his ear and smacked his arm, as Rebekah frowned at me.
"But I didn't carry you on my back." She stated, and I gathered my patience.
"Doesn't matter how you carried her, blondie. The point your sister was trying to make was that you blurred here with Grace as your passenger." Sage cleared things up for her, and Rebekah scowled.
"Okay. Now that you have proven your point. Could you get off my back now, you're heavy." Damon teased, and I reached over and flicked him on the ear. "OW!" He yelled, as I jumped down from his back. "Was that necessary?!"
"Yeah. It was." I was quick to respond. "Never call a woman fat, even if you're just teasing. It won't end well." I scolded him.
Damon glared at me. "I didn't call you fat."
"But you called me 'heavy'. The implication is still the same." I retorted and both Rebekah and Sage nodded, backing me up.
"Whatever. I'll talk to you later." Damon turned and walked back to his car, still rubbing his ear. I pulled something from the confines of my pocket and jangled them.
"Not without these you're not." I said, and Damon turned and saw that I had his keys dangling from my hand. He immediately started patting himself down, before looking at me with disbelief.
"How'd you get those?" He demanded, walking back over to me to get them back, but I immediately stuffed them back into my pocket and backed off.
"Nah-uh. You're not getting these back just yet." I told him, earning an annoyed scowl from Damon, an amused look from Rebekah, and a surprised look from Sage, who hadn't left yet. This was strange, since she had supposedly completed what she had come to the Wickery Bridge for.
"I'm not kidding, Grace. Give me back my damn keys." Damon insisted, looking serious.
"So am I. You're not getting your keys back until you and Rebekah have reconciled." I insisted, pointing behind him at my sister.
"Don't bring me into this." Rebekah glowered at me, and Damon just turned and looked at her, hesitating a little.
I grinned in triumph.
"Get to it." I ordered and turned to saunter over to Damon's baby blue beauty, perching carefully on the bonnet. I sat there, watching what looked like an awkward conversation between my sister and my best friend.
"I'm impressed." I stiffened as Sage came over and leant against the bonnet, also watching Rebekah and Damon, and completely relaxed and at ease. "You really know how to handle him." She observed and I bristled slightly.
"You make it sound like Damon is a disobedient toddler or an out of control dog." I responded, folding my arms across my chest, huddling deeper into Nik's jacket to escape the cold night air and stuffing my hands into my armpits to warm them up.
Sage shrugged, "In a way, you're not that far from the truth when it comes to Damon. He can be quite the handful."
"Is there something else that I can help you with, Sage?" I questioned her intentions, feeling my dislike for Sage rising with every word she uttered. "But just to let you know, I have no idea where Finn could be." I was feeling a little anxious for some reason as I quickly changed the topic; not liking the way she was describing Damon, who was supposedly her friend and protégé from nearly a hundred-years ago.
"I want nothing from you." Sage responded, and that caused me to break eye contact with the little melodrama unfolding in front of me and looked at Sage with confusion. "I'm just going to give you some advice: enjoy what time you have with your beloved Niklaus, because if I don't get to spend the rest of eternity with my Finn, why should you?" She stated, her voice full of malice and a clear threat, and my mouth dropped open in both shock and outrage.
"Excuse me? What gives you the right to threaten me? I don't even know you!?" I retorted, angrily, and mystified that Sage would be that petty.
"Just tell Klaus that, when you next see him." Sage instructed, ignoring what I had just said as she turned on her heel and walked off into the darkness. I was not about to let that slight pass. I immediately slide off Damon's car and shouted back at her.
"Hey! I believe I asked you a question. Look at me when I'm talking to you." I ordered, and Sage turned to look at me. My little shout apparently attracted the attention of both Damon and Rebekah as they stopped talking almost immediately. "It's not my fault that Finn was daggered and left in a coffin for 900-years, you sanctimonious bitch!"
"Grace? What's going on?" I heard Damon shout at me, but I ignored him; still focusing on Sage.
"For fuck's sake. I was dead for the same amount of time and was only reincarnated nearly 22-years ago!" I pointed out, incredulously. "Did it ever occur to you, Sage, that if Finn was so consumed with thoughts about you, that the very second he was released from his coffin he would've gone in search?" I questioned her. "Clearly not. Because he's not here, is he?"
I made a show of gesturing about the place to prove a point.
"Watch yourself, girl. You don't know anything about him." Sage snarled back, looking like she wanted nothing more than to come over and strangle me. I scoffed at her words and found myself staring right into Damon's alarmed ice-blue eyes.
"Enough, Grace. You don't stand a chance against her if you go too far. You'll be as defenseless as a cat toy." Damon warned me. I narrowed my eyes at him, before shoving him aside so I could see Sage.
"That was probably the stupidest thing you could've said to me." I informed the ancient redhead, whose eyes narrowed dangerously. "I know nothing about him? Honey, I grew up with him. Finn was there when his brother, Kol and I were born, so I think I know a fair deal more than you do about my own brother; even if we're not of the same blood." I stated.
Sage slowly walked towards me causing Damon to instinctively step between us. She paid him no mind, instead focusing on my face.
"You're either very brave, or very foolish to call a vampire stupid. Still trying to decide which one." Sage mused, then turned on her heel to walk away. "Be seeing you." She blurred off, and Damon turned to glare at me.
"You really do have a death wish." He stated, frowning with disapproval.
I just looked at him defiantly.
"I hate being called out on something that wasn't my fault in the first place." I defended my actions, earning a snort from Damon.
"And that is worth risking your throat being ripped out, huh?" He placed both his hands on my shoulders to make sure I had his undivided attention. I frowned at this, instinctively getting defensive. "Do me a favour, sweetheart, don't pull an 'Elena'. You are better than that, we don't need a second." Damon advised, and I shoved him away out of annoyance and from being compared to a manipulative, spoilt teenage girl who thinks she's just being selfless in sacrificing herself for her family and friends, when in reality she is being quite selfish.
A perfectly manicured hand descends onto my shoulder, and both Damon and I glanced up at Rebekah's unamused face.
"Could you be any more of a condescending ass?" My sister asked Damon before grabbing my arm and leading me away. He suddenly blurs in front of us before Rebekah could scoop me up and blur us back home.
"Wait! Why don't I give you a lift home?" He suggested.
Rebekah and I sidestepped him.
"No thanks." Rebekah responded, then grabbed him by the throat when he steps into our path again.
"I insist. Seriously." He croaked, grabbing Rebekah's hands to prevent his larynx being crushed underneath her deceptively strong hands.
"Why is that?" I asked him, before remembering that I still had Damon's keys in my pocket. "Oh."
Damon smirked, "Exactly. Besides, we still need to have that conversation." He said this to Rebekah, who grimaced; obviously less than enthused by the idea and released him, allowing Damon to gasp in a lungful of fresh air. I let out a huge yawn, that I struggled to hastily cover up with my hand as I chucked Damon his keys and shuffled my way over to his Camaro, completely exhausted.
"Whatever. I just want to get home and sleep." I mumbled tiredly. I leant against the side of the car and shut my eyes. I must have dozed off for a split second, as I did not sense anybody coming up to me, and the next thing I knew somebody was shaking me awake.
"What are you doing out here, Grace?" I opened my eyes and saw Elijah standing beside me, looking for an explanation about why I was leaning against a car, half asleep on Wickery Bridge with a bonfire still crackling away in the middle of it.
I was about to answer him when Rebekah spoke up before I could.
"Elijah?" She moved away from a visibly frustrated Damon, who looked less than excited to see my older brother here at the bridge and walked over to us. "What are you doing here?" Rebekah asked him, obviously looking for any excuse she could find to avoid talking with and sorting out her feelings for Damon.
"Waiting for an answer from Grace about why the both of you are here." Elijah narrows his eyes at Damon, who trailed behind Rebekah as she approached her brother. "And with Damon Salvatore of all vampires?" Before Damon could say anything derogatory, that could earn him serious maiming; I pushed off from Damon's car and walked over to hug Elijah, partially as a distraction, and because I remembered fondly that both he and Nik made excellent 'living' pillows.
Since Nik was unavailable, I was content cuddling up with my second favorite pillow and Elijah instinctively wrapped an arm around me and held me close to him, as he waited for an explanation.
"I'd be happy to give you one. If you take me home first." I mumbled sleepily and scowled at Rebekah pointedly. "Bekah needs to have a heart to heart conversation first with Damon. Otherwise, we'd be home already." I told him, earning a glower from my sister in return. Elijah frowned at the three of us in bemusement, but eventually (and a little reluctantly, I noticed) he nodded.
"Of course. As long as I do get one, dearest." He told me, sternly. I hummed in agreement and tucked my head into Elijah's neck, after he swept me up into his arms bridal-style and started walking in the direction of town. As we passed by Damon and Rebekah, Elijah paused to leave a parting remark with his sister. "I'll be expecting one from you too, Rebekah. Don't dawdle." He warned her, before locking eyes on Damon who looked back at him, warily. "Have a pleasant night, Mr. Salvatore." Elijah nodded politely at him, before blurring away.
Mikaelson Mansion.
Night.
The second that Elijah had left Rebekah and Damon on the bridge to take me home, I guess I must have fallen straight to sleep because I don't remember what happened after our departure. Then I jumped in Elijah's arms and frowned when the next thing I heard was an anxious Nik suddenly bellowing at his brother, drawing me out of my dreamless nap.
"What the hell happened?" He demanded, and I instantly felt a very warm hand smoothing back my hair from my face and cupping my cheek as Elijah sighed tiredly. I smiled and leaned into the warmth because of how bloody cold it was outside in the night air.
"Relax. Nothing's wrong, Niklaus. Grace is just sleeping." Elijah reassured him. "Or at least she was, up until you bellowed out just now." He muttered, and I felt my equilibrium shift unexpectedly as my feet touched solid ground, and warm arms wrapped around my body to steady me. "Wake up, little one. You still owe me that explanation." I yawned as I rubbed at my eyes like a young child.
"Thanks, Elijah. There's nothing like a ten second nap." I drawled dryly and opened my eyes, focusing on Nik's amused face and smiling. "Hey Nik. Have a nice day?" I asked him, turning and stumbling a little as I walked towards the living room.
"Not as good as yours was apparently." He guessed, falling into step with me to make sure I didn't fall flat on my face, with Elijah following behind us. I let out a derisive snort.
"Yeah, if you call being threatened by a strange vampire a good day." I responded, and almost immediately Nik and Elijah frowned.
"Another vampire?" Elijah piped up, alert.
"Who threatened you?" Nik demanded, protectively. I went to take a seat on the couch and was redirected to Nik's lap at the last moment. I rolled my eyes but proceeded to answer their questions.
"Apparently an old mentor of Damon's from a hundred-years ago. Rebekah and I met her this morning when we went to the Wickery Bridge." I explained.
"What were you doing there?" Elijah asked, patiently.
"Following a hunch that Rebekah had, involving the reappearance of that White Oak Tree you guys supposedly burnt down a thousand years ago." I said, lying back and making myself comfortable against Nik who wrapped his arms around me.
"The White Oak Tree grew back?" Elijah was immediately alarmed.
"Back and cut down already. It turned out that the Salvatore's owned a milling lodge here in Mystic Falls during the 1860s and cut down an entire forest to help build the town, including the White Oak which was used to build the Bridge." I explained.
"That explains why the three of you had a bonfire burning on the Bridge when I found you." Elijah observed.
"But what does that have to do with the vampire that threatened you?" Nik steered the conversation back on point.
"Nothing. But she was there when Rebekah and I were at the bridge looking for the information." I said. "And it wasn't just me that she threatened, hon, it was you also." I stated, uneasily.
"Me? What for?" Nik was both confused and angry.
"Did she say what her name was?" Elijah pressed.
I shook my head.
"Didn't have to. Both Damon and Rebekah identified her as Sage." I replied and flinched at the ominous growl that uttered from Nik's lips. I let out a nervous laugh; Rebekah had not been lying when she said that she and Nik hated Sage.
"Sage is back in town?" All three of us looked up when Kol sauntered into the room, munching on one of my scones. "Delicious scone, sweetheart." Kol complimented me, as he came over and took a seat on the couch in front of Nik and me.
"Unfortunately." Elijah confirmed.
"Too bad that Finn doesn't know." Kol stated, finishing off the scone.
"Yeah. A real pity." I said, darkly. "She's really got it in for Nik. And she got really pissed when Rebekah and I told her that Finn skipped town with Esther." I reported. "Ow! Nik, not so tight." I complained, and Nik loosened his grip around my waist.
"Well, what were you expecting exactly? The bloody bitch is obsessed with Finn." Kol frowned at me, like it should have been obvious.
"So Rebekah told me, and from what I observed. Didn't stop Sage from cornering me at the bridge and laying down the facts." I retorted.
"Which were?" Nik asked me quietly, obviously trying and failing to hold back his foul temper.
"Sage told me: 'Enjoy what time you have with your beloved Niklaus, because if I don't get to spend the rest of eternity with my Finn, why should you?'" I muttered, trying to get off his lap. Instead, Nik just tightened his arms a fraction.
"She said what?" He sounded a bit disbelieving; pretty much how I felt when Sage had said it to me the first time.
"Sounds to me like Finn's stalker just implied our beloved Grace was just as responsible as we are that our manically-depressed brother was locked away for 900-years." Kol stated, and Nik flashed an annoyed glare at his brother.
"Yeah, I got that the first time. Thank you, Kol." Nik retorted, cuttingly.
"Just trying to help." Kol raised his hands up in the 'I come in peace' gesture.
"Well, don't." Elijah jumped in before Nik could verbally rip Kol another arsehole, before coming over and crouching down in front of me and taking my hand in his. I looked at him with confusion. "We're deeply sorry about what Sage said to you. It was not called for." Elijah said to me, sincerely.
"Why? It's not your fault some bitch with a holier-than-thou attitude decided to take out her frustration on the nearest member of the Mikaelson Family." I responded, dismissively. "It would've made more sense if she threatened Rebekah in a similar fashion. But just my luck, I copped the threat."
"There's no reason for the defeatist attitude." Elijah scolded me, and I immediately leveled a glare on him.
"Defeatist attitude? A few hours ago, a vampire I've never met before or have any desire of seeing again, just verbally handed me my ass for something that I had been dead for the duration of 900-years." I pointed out to him, causing all three Originals to wince at the memory. "I think I'm justified in feeling pissed off, and if I ever see the bitch again; I'll personally give her a fat lip … and pray I can get out again without loss of limb." I added, a little lamely.
"I have never been as proud as I am right now that you are my sister." Kol smirked proudly at me, and I gave him a strange look.
"Thank you, Kol. That's sweet." I responded, awkwardly. Elijah just shook his head at the both of us, while Nik was yet to say anything. However, in the next few minutes, Nik suddenly stands up – me and all – and gently puts me on my feet before storming from the room without another word. "Uh, Nik…?" I went to follow my obviously angry fiancé but was immediately stopped by Kol, who wrapped his hand around my wrist gently.
"Let him go." He warned me. I turned to look at him after Nik slammed the door to his study closed.
"What? Why?" I protested, then flinched when the sound of broken crockery and other things being thrown around was heard.
"That's why." Kol confirmed. "Don't you remember how he used to get whenever Mikael went at him hammer and tongs?" He asked me, and I cringed at the memories that immediately invaded my head. Kol nods in acknowledgement. "Yep, he's just letting out his frustration. He should calm down after a few hours." He reassures me.
"A few hours? What has he got to be frustrated over. I thought we were figuring out how to locate and deal with Finn and Esther?" I questioned, in confusion.
"Normally that wouldn't faze him, darling. What are threats to us nowadays? We usually get them daily; and the ones who threaten us are dealt with accordingly." Kol replied a bit too flippantly for my tastes. "It's when those whom you love and are innocent that also get the threat, well, that's what crosses the line."
"Which means, Grace, that you can expect to have at least one of us keeping a close eye on you until the current threat with Finn and Mother is over." Elijah told me, and I immediately protested.
"What?" I yelled.
"Normally, I'd side with you on this; but this time, I tend to agree with Elijah and Nik. We only just got you back, darling. We're not taking any chances." Kol sided with Elijah, surprisingly. I open my mouth to protest some more but then realized that if I did so, I would be acting very much like Elena, and that was the last person that I wanted to be.
"Fine. If that's what you think is best, I'll cooperate." I replied with a smile. I cringed when something else smashed in Nik's study. "I'll see you all later." I promised, heading out the living room door and for the winding staircase, but first made a pit stop at the kitchen to request something to eat, since I had missed out on dinner when Rebekah and I quickly left to deal with the White Oak at the Bridge.
After eating my fill of a hearty beef stew that Nik's hybrids had been working on this afternoon when I was hard at work creating scones, I then prepared myself a large mug of English Breakfast tea and headed up the service staircase to the second level of the mansion. I padded unhurriedly down the corridor towards Nik's bedroom and darted inside, setting down my tea after a quick sip so I could get changed and ready for bed in some simple cotton pajamas, thick woolen socks and my oversized white chenille jumper.
I immediately headed for the window seat, pulling my long dark brown hair back into a temporary ponytail and sat cross-legged on the cushion seat as I sipped at my drink taking in the night sky that was streaked with clouds passing by fast in the night air. Eventually, I abandoned the window seat, shutting the heavy drapes across and walked over to my side of the bed to immerse myself in some sketching. Which was how Nik found me when he eventually came up to bed about a half an hour later.
"Feel better?" I asked absently as I shaded my drawing with my pencil.
"Define better." Nik asked, after a split-second pause.
"You've released all your aggression and frustration when you trashed your study." I clarified, as Nik walked up to the end of the bed, studying me curiously.
"No." Was Nik's automatic response as he kicked off his boots and stomped his way over to his walk-in-wardrobe, peeling off his Henley in the same moment. I could not help but eye his fit and subtly muscular chest with admiration and smiled, feeling content.
"At least you're honest." I commented, and settled myself back against the headboard, reaching for my mug of tea. "Hope that you didn't break anything valuable." I added, filling in some details.
"Give me a little bit of credit, sweetheart." Nik admonished me, as he immerged from the walk-in dressed in some baggy sleeping boxers and a long-sleeved dark grey T-shirt, before flopping down on his side of the bed, causing me to bounce a little and almost spill my tea. He crossed his feet at the ankles and rested his laced hands together on his chest and I looked down at him with concern, as he still looked a tad bit stressed and no less angry than before. "Did she hurt you?" Nik randomly asked, out of the blue.
I blinked at him, "No. Mostly she made me feel uncomfortable." I replied, honestly. There was silence for a few moments, broken only by the sounds of my pencil scratching away at the paper and then me sipping at my tea.
"I'm so sorry you were dragged into this." Nik mumbled sleepily, and I paused and turned to look at him, surprised by the vulnerability I heard in his voice. "This whole thing is my fault, not yours."
I frowned. "How is it completely your fault, Nik?"
"I was the one who daggered him in the first place."
"Because Finn was trying to off himself." I pointed out, setting aside my mug, sketchbook and pencil on my bedside table, and turning to face him, still cross-legged on the bed. "Besides, from what I heard the decision to dagger Finn was unanimous, and it was to preserve his existence."
"So why is Sage targeting us, specifically?" Nik argued and I sighed and lay down beside him, tucking myself into his side while Nik pulled me close.
"Who knows? More importantly, who cares what's going through Sage's warped little brain." I replied, and Nik frowned at the answer I gave. "However, if I had to give a straight answer, my best guess would be that she's jealous." I said.
"Jealous? Of what?" Nik looked skeptical.
"Our relationship." I replied, simply. "I only had a short amount of time in Sage's presence, and straightaway I could tell that she is most definitely obsessed with Finn." I theorize.
"How could you tell?"
"When she refused to see reason when I explained the situation to her, and because I'd seen it before with my roommate back when I first started College." I explained, yawning a little.
"That's unfortunate." Nik observed, rubbing my arm with his hand.
"Completely. It unnerved me the first time; hadn't expected it to happen again this time round." I groused.
"What happened?" He asked, sitting up and supporting his head on his arm as he looked down at me curiously. I bit my bottom lip, hesitating a little before responding.
"My roommate and I went out to a Frat Party, just to see what it was like, and she got very drunk and hooked up with one of the Frat boys." I explained and smirked at the appalled expression on Nik's face. "What?" I grinned.
"You actually went to one of those parties?" He sounded disgusted.
"I think the question should be, how do you know those parties?" I returned the question at him, and Nik looked a bit put out.
"I was following a tip off from an anonymous source of a possible sighting of a Petrova doppelgänger." He looked embarrassed. "Obviously, this wasn't the case. But at the time I was famished and in search of a meal and stumbled upon a Frat Party full of drunken College students. I didn't want to spend too much time there, so I compelled a meal then left."
"But you were obviously there long enough to be turned off what you did see." I smirked at the deadpan expression on Nik's face. "Not that I blame you, actually. That frat party was the first and last one I ever attended if I'm being totally honest." I said, wrinkling my nose at the memory.
"Good. What happened next?" Nik asked, looking a bit impatient.
"My roommate had a two-month relationship with the Frat boy. Two, long nauseating months of watching or listening to these two idiots making complete fools of themselves." Nik smirked, unsympathetically. "But eventually, I could tell that he was more into the relationship than she was, and I became a bit concerned." I said, uneasy.
"Who ended the relationship?" Nik asked, getting a bit concerned. He must have seen a change in my mood.
"She did. After telling the guy to bugger off a few hundred times. He didn't take it very well, and eventually started stalking her to the point that both transferred to separate Colleges." I revealed. "Basically, I think Sage was probably more invested in the relationship than Finn was. Finn most likely saw her as a warm body for cuddling up to during the long winter nights. Which would explain why he didn't immediately run off to find her when he was undaggered."
Nik shrugged, "Makes sense. It also sounds to me that Sage is sired to Finn."
"Sired? You mean like your hybrids are sired to you?" I asked, surprised.
"It's exactly that. Except in Sage's case, she and Finn fell for each other and when she transitioned her feelings just escalated. My hybrids are sired to me because they feel grateful that I saved them from being forced to shift into wolves every full moon." I nodded, before yawning and rolling onto my back so I was facing the ceiling.
"So now that we've figured out why Sage is out for our blood, what are we going to do now?" I mumbled, sleepily.
"Well for starters, you're not going anywhere without at least one of us with you. We can't run the risk that Sage could do something sneaky behind our backs." Nik told me, and I grinned.
"I knew you were going to say that." I told him, and Nik raised an eyebrow.
"You did?"
"Yeah. It seems that Elijah and Kol know you better than you think." I said, and Nik grimaced.
"What a horrifying thought."
"Be fair. They don't want to lose me either." I scolded him, after smacking his arm so that it leveled out and Nik rolled towards me and suspended himself above my body, using his arms to support his weight. He smiled down at me, both in amusement and tenderness.
"Good. The world would suck without you in it." He said, sincerely. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him down on top of me, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and responded to this by kissing him full on the lips.
"Good answer." I whispered and we resumed kissing passionately.
I privately wondered if Rebekah's night was improving too, and that she and Damon had a decent chat with one another. I guess I'll find out in the morning when she gives Elijah her promised explanation.
A/N: Finally finished this bloody chapter. I do apologise for my tardiness. But hopefully this made up for it! :)
Please review and I'll see you next chapter! TTFN xx