A/N: Welcome back to 'A Thousand Years' guys! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, although a little disappointed with the lack of reviews. It would be appreciated if more of you could do so for this chapter. Thank you.
You know the drill: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Only this story and my OC Grace.
Please review without flaming!
Thanks, guys
REMEMBER ME
"Grief never ends… But it changes.
It's a passage, not a place to stay.
Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…
It is the price of love." ~Unknown.
Salvatore Boarding House
Night.
Hands suddenly grabbed my shoulders and forcibly pulled me away from the horrifying and confusing scene we just witnessed. Daniel pulled me outside and leaned me against the wall, placing a finger against his lips to silence me in case I had any bright ideas to talk. It was Caroline who summed it all up:
"What the hell just happened?!" She yelled, sounding freaked out.
"She just died!" Elena replied, and both Daniel and I rolled our eyes. I could picture that Caroline must've too, judging by what she said in response.
"Yeah, I can see that Elena." She replied, sarcastically. "I meant, how the hell did she die? She wasn't staked or beheaded or anything."
"We killed Finn about an hour ago." Stefan elaborated, sounding a combination of stunned and exasperated.
"What?!"
"It had to be done, Caroline." Elena made a useless attempt to placate her friend, but the blonde vamp wasn't having a bar of it. She immediately turned on her.
"No, it did not!" Caroline insisted, angrily. "I can't believe you did this!" Footsteps suggested that Caroline was heading straight for the front doors but is intercepted by someone.
"Where are you going?" Stefan demanded.
"Home. I was serious when I said that I wasn't going to help you take down Klaus and his family." There was silence for several seconds, before I heard her wince a little from pain. "Get out of my way, Stefan." Caroline growled.
"How do we know that you're not going to run and tell Klaus any of this?" Elena demanded.
"You don't. But it's obvious that you're going to do whatever it is you've got planned next. So, I'm leaving. See you at school, Elena." Caroline responded, evenly.
Daniel and I flattened ourselves against the wall when Caroline suddenly immerged from the house and blurred away without another glance back.
"We should leave." Daniel suggested, urgently. I was about to agree when Stefan spoke up again.
"So, Sage and Troy die within an hour of Finn." He mused thoughtfully, sounding concerned. Daniel listened in, also looking reluctantly intrigued by this strange turn of events.
"But why?" Elena questioned him. "Were they bitten by a hybrid or…?"
"No. I don't think hybrid bites look like that." Stefan disagreed, firmly.
"Maybe Sage was so in love with Finn she just died of sadness?" Elena suggested.
"Is she for real?" Daniel muttered at me, and I snorted.
"Not usually. But I believe she might be clutching at straws at this point." I replied, and apparently Stefan agreed with me.
"That doesn't explain Troy." He pointed out.
I risked a look through the window, since it was difficult to determine what was going on.
"Careful!" Daniel hissed.
I scowled at him out the corner of my eye as I glanced back into the window and saw Stefan and Elena standing side by side near the large fireplace, both with grim expressions on their faces. Then Stefan's eyes suddenly widened, and he looked horrified.
"It's the blood." Stefan realized. "The bloodline. It has to be." Both Elena and I looked unconvinced, while Daniel and Stefan looked scared. "Think about it: Finn turned Sage; Sage turned Troy. They're all part of the same vampire bloodline that originated with Finn."
Elena considered this, "So when an Original dies; every vampire turned from their bloodline dies along with them?" Stefan nodded. "Because that would mean—"
"If the Originals die, so do I. So would Damon, and Caroline and Tyler. The entire vampire species would … it'd just be dead."
Oh, god…
Daniel wraps his hand around my wrist and squeezes gently to grab my attention.
"We need to leave. Klaus needs to be informed." Daniel urges me.
"Grace?" I jerked my head towards the familiar and very impossible voice coming from my left. It was Finn, standing on the dirt gravel driveway and looking at me with a sad smile on his face. I took an automatic step away from him, not willing to accept that he could be standing there.
Finn…
"Are you alright?" Daniel stepped into my view, looking worried. "You've gone white as a sheet. Like you've seen a ghost." He did not know how right he really was at this moment, and I wished I could laugh at this. Instead, I struggled to swallow and looked away from Finn.
Some days I really hate being a Medium.
"Everything's going to be okay, little sister." Finn attempted to reassure me, but I shook my head; pretending that I had not heard what he had just said.
"Get me out of here." I urged Daniel who nodded without question and scooped me up into his arms, blurring away without another word.
Mikaelson Mansion.
Night.
Daniel made it back to the Mansion in record time and set me down outside the pedestrian gate entry. He used my keys to open the gate and stepped aside to let me through. Neither of us spoke a word as we walked up the driveway towards the front doors. That is, until I stopped in my tracks and stared blankly at them.
"Grace? What's wrong?" Daniel demanded, now looking fearful.
I was about to respond when Finn reappeared standing beside the stressed hybrid, still smiling that awful sad smile.
That was when the nausea suddenly hit.
I immediately bent over and threw up everything that was in my system, alarming poor Daniel. "I need some help out here!" He hollered, before rushing to my side and holding back my hair so I didn't get any vomit into it.
"Grace!" Rebekah's small, slightly warm hands touched my face and forehead and started rubbing circles on my back when I lurched forward once again to continue throwing up. "Let's get her inside, quickly!" She muttered to somebody standing on my other side. The next thing I knew I was being swept up into somebody's arms – I recognized momentarily as Damon's, due to the scent of blood and leather - and found myself sitting on one of the couches.
Unfortunately, blurring from one place to another while hurling, did not help matters, and I doubled over again to throw up. Luckily, it was into a small basin that somebody thrusted underneath my chin.
"Good one, mate." Kol drawled sarcastically, from behind the couch.
"Not now, Kol!" Rebekah snapped, as she continued rubbing my back and wiping my forehead and the back of my neck with a cold flannel. Suddenly, I heard Daniel let out a pained grunt and I glanced up a little to see that Nik had grabbed him by the lapels and had shoved him up against the wall.
"What the bloody hell happened!" Nik roared into Daniel's terrified face.
I immediately attempted to intervene.
"Stop it, Nik." I gasped, recoiling from the foul taste of bile still coating my tongue, and feeling my stomach rebel once again. "He hasn't done anything wrong!" I defended Daniel after making another disgusting deposit. Nik turned to look at me with disbelief and confusion, before dropping him in a heap and striding over to crouch down in front of me.
I hated the concerned expression on his face.
"What's going on, sweetheart? Tell me!" He urged, and I drew in a deep breath, trying to both calm down and avoid throwing up once again. I sat back slowly and flinched when I saw Finn standing beside the couch looking down at me with concern also.
"Something very bad has happened, and I'm afraid none of you are going to like what I have to say." I responded with a raspy voice, still slightly nauseated.
"What is it?" Kol demanded.
I glanced at Finn and he nodded, gesturing for me to continue.
"They need to know, Grace. You can't keep this from them, especially with what will happen next." Finn reminded me.
I nodded and turned to look Nik in the eyes.
"Finn is dead." I whispered, reluctantly. "Stefan and Elena killed him with a White Oak Stake a couple of hours ago."
There was a horrible stony silence for several seconds.
"You're lying." Nik muttered, looking stricken.
"I'm not. I saw it with my own eyes, Nik. He's gone." I confirmed, tears welling and spilling down my face as I looked away and avoided eye contact with Kol and Rebekah.
"Who's gone?" We all glanced over at the door and spotted a confused Jeremy and Henrik standing at the threshold. It was Jeremy who had asked the question and his eyes widened when he noticed all the grief-stricken and disbelieving faces.
"Finn. He was killed by your sister and my brother, apparently." Damon spoke up, sounding both disgusted and genuinely sorry.
"He's standing right there." Jeremy denied, pointing to the side of the couch where Finn was perched on the arm rest of the couch beside me. "How can he be dead?" Henrik wordlessly and solemnly walked over to his recently murdered brother and clapped a hand onto Finn's shoulder. It must have looked odd to everybody else; but it was clear that the only ones who could see Finn now, were Henrik, Jeremy, and myself.
"I'm so sorry, brother." Henrik greeted Finn, confirming the truth, and causing Rebekah to break down into tears.
"Don't be." Finn acknowledged. "I never wanted to be a vampire. I finally have the chance to be free and be at peace at last."
"Yeah? Well what about the rest of us?" I snapped, alarming the others who looked at me in bewilderment as I glared in Finn's general direction. "Are we supposed to just let this go?" Finn looked at me with a stoic expression on his face. "Especially when I know what will happen about an hour after an Original is killed?!"
"What do you mean when one of us is killed?" Nik demanded, his legendary temper already simmering on the surface.
I turned to look at him.
"Sage was there when Finn was killed. As soon as Finn spontaneously combusted, she decided to get even and go after his killers. But not before telling me that as soon as she did, I was next." All the vampires in the room immediately let out inhuman growls of displeasure, causing Jeremy and me to shudder.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Nik retorted in a low dangerous voice, that spelled trouble. "I'll rip her limb from limb before that happens."
"Dibs on how we kill her." Kol announced, darkly.
"Don't bother." I jumped in. "Sage is already dead." All four of them looked at me with disappointment.
"How?" Rebekah asked, obviously angry that the window of opportunity to get rid of Sage had already expired.
"I decided to go after Sage." Nik growled at this, but I kicked him hard in the shin, and he grunted, mostly out of surprise rather than pain. "Caroline was supposed to meet up with me at the Grill like we had planned. She never showed up. It turned out that she was at the Salvatore's delivering some herbal remedy to Alaric to keep his murderous alter-ego under control."
Nik glared at Damon, "Did you know about this?"
"I've been with Rebekah all day. What do you think?" Damon retorted, his eyes flashing just as angrily at him in return.
"I didn't want Caroline to die for something that she didn't even do, so I went to warn her. However, Sage had already beaten Daniel and I there." I continued, ignoring the bickering between Nik and Damon.
"Shit…" Damon muttered.
"She and one of the vampires she had changed, Tory, burst inside and started threatening Caroline, Elena and Stefan. Elena tried to make a run for it, but Tory caught and restrained her. And Caroline and Stefan tried to fend Sage off." I paused, hesitating.
"Darling?" Nik shook my leg with one of his hands. I placed my hand over it, gripping for dear life. "What is it?" He asked me gently, obviously growing more concerned after I squeezed his hand.
"Things took a turn for the worst. Sage was about to act on her revenge when she suddenly started coughing and throwing up blood. Then about a minute or so later, Tory started doing the same thing." I continued, knowing that I had to tell them eventually. "Seconds later both of them were dead."
"So? What's wrong with that?" Kol asked, looking confused.
"Had she been bitten? Staked?" Rebekah added, a little subtle malicious smirk on her face, probably at the very thought.
"Not at all. That was what was so horrifying about it." I explained. "It was Stefan that eventually came to the answer. It was the blood; specifically, the bloodline that had been created from each of you when Esther first cursed you all."
"I don't understand." Jeremy piped up.
"Sage was turned by Finn; and Troy was turned by Sage. Which means that—"
"When one of them dies; every vampire created within their bloodline, will die with them." Damon realized, then swore colorfully. Nik looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "So, whose blood do I have running through my veins apart from my own?" Damon demanded, looking a little stressed. "Just so I know who to protect." Nik started randomly laughing, causing everybody in the room to look at him like he had finally lost the plot. "What's so funny?"
"That would be me. But I wouldn't worry about protecting me; I'm practically invincible." Nik grinned somewhat triumphantly, and the stressed expression on Damon's face deepened into disgust. "Sorry to burst your bubble, mate."
"No, you're not." Damon realized.
"No, I'm not." Nik was quick to agree. "So, you better put a leash on your brother, before he does something he will regret." Nik warned Damon, who looked completely horrified.
Suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by some calm but determined footsteps walking into the foyer.
"Klaus, I'm here! Let's do this." My eyes widened the second I heard Stefan's voice. So did Jeremy, as he immediately started looking for the nearest exit to avoid being spotted by Stefan.
"Quick! This way!" Henrik whisper-shouted at Jeremy who nodded and followed Henrik out of another doorway, presumably on their way upstairs to the safety of the bedrooms. I sat forward and placed the basin I had been sick into on the coffee table, intending on getting to my feet.
However, Nik stopped me.
"Calm down, darling. Everything's under control." He promised me. I wanted to protest, as I eyed a couple of swords either Nik or Elijah had displayed on the wall above the fireplace. "Grace…" My eyes swiveled towards Nik, who was frowning at me sternly. I relaxed and sat back on the couch as Nik and Rebekah got to their feet and started walking towards the foyer.
"Oh good. What do you want?" Nik demanded Stefan, pleasantly. Damon comes over to perch beside me on the couch, listening in on the conversation. The sound of something heavy fell with a thud on the ground.
"I'm here to make a deal." Stefan explained. Damon immediately frowned and he abandoned my side and power-walked into the foyer to investigate. Kol took Damon's place beside me on the couch, placing a hand on my knee to steady me.
"Stefan, what are you doing?" Damon pried, suspiciously.
"Eight stakes made of white oak." Stefan ignored Damon's question, choosing to continue with his plan. "The part of Wickery Bridge that you forgot to burn." There was silence for a few seconds before Stefan spoke again. "You don't seem surprised about that."
"Should we be?" Nik asked, nonchalant.
"Yeah. Considering that your brother, Finn, is dead." Stefan retorted, sounding both smug and annoyed that he had not gotten the reaction he had apparently expected. I calmly got to my feet and headed over to the swords, plucking one of them from the wall.
Kol, surprisingly enough, did nothing to stop me.
"We've been well informed about that." Nik stated, and I continued walking calmly into the room, securely holding the sword in my hand.
"Who told you?" Stefan demanded.
I immediately held the sword against Stefan's throat, causing him to freeze. His green eyes looked over to me in surprise.
"Take a wild guess." I said angrily as Stefan stared me down defiantly.
"You do realize that I'm stronger than you and can easily disarm you from that sword?" Stefan pointed out, mockingly.
I pretended to give it some thought.
"Very true. But do you realize that my brother is standing right behind you, his hand positioned directly over your heart, and is just itching to yank it from your body?" I retorted, as Kol lightly placed his hand on Stefan's back.
"Grace…" Nik warned me, using a weary tone, and I glanced at him before lowering the sword, taking the hint and stepping back with Kol who draped his arm around my shoulders, taking the sword from my hand. "What are your terms?" Nik requested, all business.
"In exchange for the last eight weapons," I immediately tensed up, knowing that he was lying about the last three stakes, since the third one was currently charcoal and embedded in Finn's body. "—You leave Mystic Falls." Stefan stated.
"And how do I know there aren't any more left?" Nik asked, sharply.
"Because there aren't." Stefan stated matter of fact.
"I think you're lying." Nik stated, confidently. "Because I was already informed about the existence of those White Oak Stakes, by none other than your brother." Nik walked over and clapped a hand on Damon's shoulder, causing the elder Salvatore to wince, especially when he saw the furious expression on his brother's face. "So, minus the stake that's in my brother, how many more stakes are out there that can kill the rest of us?" Nik demanded, glaring at Stefan. Stefan swallowed hard, knowing that his plans had been screwed up from the start thanks to Damon's big mouth.
"Eleven." Stefan said, reluctantly.
"Eleven! Really? So, not eight then?" Nik stated, cheerfully.
"You really shouldn't have lied." Rebekah told him, unsympathetically. Stefan schooled his face into a blank expression, but you could tell that he was scared and most definitely pissed.
"I'll get you the other three." He stated, dully. A saccharine smile spread across Nik's face, even though he was anything but at this point.
"Yeah, that'll be nice." Nik agreed. "Or since you lied, maybe I'll just compel you to chew out your own lying tongue." He mused thoughtfully as Stefan suddenly lashed out.
"What is wrong with you?"
Nik looked at him in outrage, "What is wrong with you?! Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate, to loathe, a target for all of your anger; so, you don't have to turn it on yourself." He seethed. "I have given your life purpose, as your friend." Nik lets out a dark laugh which made Stefan (and if I am being completely honest here, myself) cringe. "I really think you should be thanking me."
Stefan immediately rushes at Nik and pins him against the wall, holding up a white oak stake he was white knuckling in his free hand. I immediately went to take back the sword from Kol and made to charge over to them, but Kol held me fast as Nik grabs Stefan's wrist.
"Step down, or you'll die." Nik warned calmly, leaving no room for argument. Stefan slowly loosened his grip on the stake and Nik takes it, letting go of Stefan's wrist. "There. Now you only have to get me the other two." He declared as Stefan glowered at him. "Bring us the stakes. ALL of them. Or I will wage a war against everyone you love." Stefan stiffened, looking over Nik's shoulder at Damon for help, but to no avail. "I hope I'm being clear?"
Nik turns to leave, which was apparently the cue for everybody else to scram too. However, I was not quite finished. There was one thing that I wanted to make absolutely crystal clear with both him and Elena.
"Hang on." I called out, causing Nik to stop mid-step and turn to look at me, while Damon and Rebekah both looked wary.
"Grace? What are you doing, poppet?" Kol grabbed my arm, but I hastily brushed it off.
"Making things clear." I replied firmly as I walked over to where Stefan was still standing; duffel bag lying at his feet where he had dumped it upon arrival. I reached down for the straps of the bag and picked it up; not looking Stefan in the eyes. "You know, Stefan. The only reason why I have not sought out your precious little Elena, and gutted her like a fish…"
Stefan immediately growled underneath his breath, and I retaliated; having already anticipated that he would react like this; and vented my fury against both him and Elena by slugging him extremely hard in the face with my fist.
He stared at me with shock as blood dripped from his nose. "…is because Nik still has plans for her blood in the future to create more hybrids." I continued as though Stefan had not started growling at me.
"Grace-" Rebekah interjected.
"But mark my words," I cut her off, narrowing my eyes at Stefan, angrily. "Elena crossed the line when she killed Finn, and if she crosses me again for a similar reason; all bets are off, she will be punished, and I will enjoy every second of it." I warned him.
"You're starting to sound like Klaus." Stefan sneered and I merely shrugged.
"Flattery won't stay my hand, sir." I responded, smiling sweetly at him. "Oh! And do relay what I said to you just now to your girlfriend. None of us want any loose ends." Stefan launched himself at me but was intercepted by Damon, who grabbed his brother by the throat.
"Walk away, Stefan. Just walk away." He suggested, shoving him away, forcing Stefan to stumble a little.
"You're a traitor for siding with them. You know that, right?" Stefan pointed out, probably trying to insight some guilt within Damon. But we all knew it would be falling on deaf ears.
Damon shrugged, carelessly.
"I'd prefer to think of it as 'making a strategic move', Stef. Sorry, not sorry that you cannot seem to see that, blinkered as you are." Damon smoothly retorted. "Now run along. Elena will be wondering how her little lap dog is fairing, don't keep her in suspense." I watched as Damon lightly tapped his brother on his cheek, condescendingly, before he turned on his heels and walked back towards a pensive Rebekah and wrapped an arm around her waist.
She allowed it, as Damon pecked her lightly on the forehead affectionately, ignoring when Nik growled warningly underneath his breath to maintain his distance while Kol just smirked, looking a bit amused by what had just happened. Stefan stormed out of the mansion and I turned, walking back into the living room, duffel bag in hand and immediately dumped it stakes and all, into the fireplace, watching both quickly catch alight. I then walked without another word upstairs and nearly thudded into a rock-hard chest.
I glanced up to see Kol's mildly stern face looking down at me.
"Where do you think you are going, love? We've got a family meeting in the living room." He announced and I shook my head tiredly.
"Not now, Kol. I'm not in the right headspace." I declined, continuing up the stairs and into Nik's bedroom.
I closed the door behind me and leant against it, pausing to collect my thoughts and to catch my breath. I could not believe that Finn was now dead. Even though he was not my favorite brother, he was still family, and I regretted not attempting to spend more time with him when I could a thousand years ago, never mind now. Peeling myself off the door and wiping away the tears gathering in my eyes and down my cheeks, I walked sluggishly towards the bed, removing my shoes, and curling into a ball on the bed.
"Why, Finn?" I muttered out loud, despairing. "What was so wrong with spending the rest of eternity with your family?" I pondered, knowing that he was lurking somewhere unseen; probably listening to every word I was muttering out loud.
I found myself drifting off to sleep…
Grace's Dreamscape
Night.
Wherever I was, was warm, comforting, and safe. I smiled contently and curled up closer to the heat source that immediately started chuckling and carding fingers through my hair-
Wait, what?
My eyes snapped open and I sat up, looking directly into Finn's calm, relaxed smiling face.
"Finn?" I blurted out in bewilderment.
"Hello, little sister." He greeted me, with a sad smile on his face. "Do not be afraid." Finn reassured me, and I started looking around to figure out where we were. Coming up blank, I turned back to Finn to get some answers from him.
"I'm not afraid. Where are we?" I replied, placing my hand on the ground, and felt grass between my fingers as I pushed up and got to my feet, and glanced around.
Finn glanced about himself, looking unfazed and completely indifferent.
"I have no idea. Where do you think we are?" He asked, slowly getting to his feet, and giving me the opportunity to appraise his appearance.
Gone was the modern day 21st century clothing he had reluctantly donned to fit into modern day Mystic Falls. In its place was what he used to wear as the eldest son of a 'respected' Viking warrior: a heavy-duty cotton drawstring long sleeved tunic top; laced up loosely around the collar and a belt around his waist. Some leather vambraces, tight durable trousers and calf-skin boots. His long hair was loosely tied back with a leather-cord.
It made sense that he was dressed like this; because in the distance was what looked like a bustling Viking village, and the lush, untouched, and uncharted Virginian forest from our childhood.
I smiled.
"Home. Or rather what home used to look like a thousand years ago." Only it was like everything was shrouded in a heavenly white glowing mist, which was making it a little hard to see through because it was so blinding.
Finn's smile widened a little.
"Is it really?" He teased. Finn's smile slowly dropped when he could see how unamused I was about this entire situation.
He sighed.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened to me." He advised, firmly. "None of us could've seen it coming."
I let out a bitter scoff as I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to hold back the anger and the tears that I was feeling.
"I don't blame myself, Finn. I blame your fucking mother for all of this." I spat, gesturing around the place and earning a slight frown from Finn; probably for 'besmirching' his mother. "But at the same time, I'm also grateful to her."
"Why?" Finn asked, surprised.
"Because I suspect that if Mikael hadn't 'persuaded' Esther to change you all into vampires, my death still probably would've occurred; and I wouldn't have seen you all ever again." I explained, bitterly.
"But she did; and there was not a day that went by that I didn't regret not speaking up in protest against Father's plans." Finn retorted. "This was not something that I desired for myself or our family."
"Yeah, well. Destiny can be a shrewd bitch; it always gets its way. And I am assuming, that your family becoming the world's first vampires was always going to happen." I said, and Finn made a face at my choice words.
"Must you use such vulgar language, Grace?" He complained.
I simply glared at him.
"I'm venting my frustrations, Finn. People who are venting cannot be held responsible for what comes out of their mouths. Etiquette be damned." I retorted snidely as I stomped my way over to a nearby tree stump and sank down onto it, carding my hands into my hair and smoothing it back from my face.
Finn chose to give me the space I needed, and for that I was grateful. I was still angry and reeling from watching him die before my eyes, and then watching his stalker and one of her vampire fledglings succumbing only an hour later.
"Have you calmed down yet?" Finn asked me about a few minutes later after I had rebuked him for my language. I looked up at him, and straightened up, nodding.
"You still haven't answered my question, Finn." I reminded him, earning a perplexed look in response. "I assume you were listening in when I was despairing back in Nik's room. Would I be right?" I asked, and Finn sighed heavily.
"It's not that I did not wish to be with my family for the rest of eternity, dearest." Finn eventually responded. "Our time on this earth, as far as I was concerned, was over. It seemed selfish to linger for as long as we have." He stated, stubbornly.
I blinked at him. He was right in some ways, he was also misguided in others. But I reckoned if I had been trapped in a coffin in death-like limbo for 900-years, I would probably have similar thoughts.
"I get what you're saying, Finn." I acknowledged, and he smiled affectionately at me. "But you've been trapped in a coffin for an exceptionally long time. You weren't around to experience history or create it like your siblings have in your absence." I reminded him.
"Leaving a trail of bodies and bloodshed along the way, I bet." Finn snorted.
I nodded.
"It wasn't perfect, and I'm not condoning what most of their actions might've been. But think about it this way, brother; had they died when they were supposed to: do you think the world would've turned out the way it has?" I challenged.
Finn was silent for a moment while he contemplated this. I did not expect him to suddenly become enlightened, realize the error of his ways and regard me as the female version of the Dalai Lama.
That was not my goal.
Besides, it was too late for him to go back and pretend to enjoy his extended existence. There were positive sides to being a 'bloodsucking demon' that did not involve thriving on carnage.
"I'm not going to be selfish or unfair and tell you that you've made a huge mistake in wanting to die. Because I can see with my own eyes, that you're at peace with what has happened." I concluded, sadly.
"Yes. I have no regrets; I feel free and complete now that the burden of being damned has been relinquished." Finn stated, and I could feel the tears welling up again. He came over and squatted in front of me, cupping my face and wiping away the tears; much like he used to when I was a child. "No more tears. It was obvious from the start, dear heart, that I was not meant for the life of a vampire. Do not grieve for me." He scolded, gently.
"You're my brother, I'm supposed to grieve for your loss and all the times I wasted not at least attempting to spend time with you when I was a child." I protested, tearfully.
"What do you think we are doing now?" He questioned. I paused, momentarily silenced by that. Finn laughed at my dumbfounded expression and I pouted at him with slight resentment. "I will be watching over you and my siblings, until we are reunited once again. That I can assure you." Finn promised, standing up and I smiled and nodded as I got up as well to embrace him in a hug.
"I will miss you." I told him.
"And I you." He murmured back, kissing the crown of my head before pulling back. "Take this." He requested, pulling his daylight ring from his forefinger, and placed it in my hand curling my fingers around it.
"Your ring? Why?" I asked him, confused.
"I don't need it anymore. And it's something you can use to remember me by." Finn explained, before pulling me back into a hug when the tears returned. "I shall always be with you, in here…" He tapped lightly on my forehead. "And here." Finn pointed towards my heart. "And tell Niklaus, that even though we may have had our differences and disagreed about a lot of things, I still love him and our siblings; always and forever."
Finn's voice started fading away, like an echo, and suddenly everything started getting fuzzy…
Reality: Klaus's Bedroom.
Night.
I was dimly aware of strong arms cradling me, and I shuffled closer to the person; believing that it was still Finn who was hugging me.
"Are you awake now, love?" The arms tightened, protectively.
My eyes slowly blinked open, and I realized that it was not Finn who was holding me, it was Nik. I pulled back a little and found myself looking into Nik's overly concerned blue-green eyes. I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. My behavior down in the foyer was a little unexpected, and he'd be expecting an explanation from me, but I had no doubt that Nik probably would have reacted the same way, had he witnessed what I had saw … only a little more violent.
I sat up and uncurled my fingers, revealing Finn's old-fashioned daylight ring; feeling only mildly surprised that it was there. It meant that my medium abilities were working in overdrive, and that Finn's ghost had taken advantage of my 'ability' to say goodbye.
"Finn…" I mumbled, softly.
"Sweetheart? Are you alright?" Nik tried again. "What have you got in your hand?" He frowned in confusion when he noticed the ring. "Where did you get that?"
I held up the ring.
"Finn." I repeated myself, then looked at a slightly impatient Nik who immediately softened when he saw my face. "He's really gone. Isn't he?"
Nik nodded, "I'm afraid so."
I immediately covered my face with my hands, abandoning Finn's ring on the duvet as I dissolved into tears. Nik immediately pulled me onto his lap and started rocking me like a child.
"I'm so sorry." I sobbed, clutching onto Nik's Henley like a lifeline.
"Why on Earth are you sorry? It wasn't your fault that my brother was murdered." Nik attempted to soothe me, despite his obvious confusion about why I would be apologizing.
"You lost your brother, and here I am sobbing in your arms like a pathetic basket case." I responded, feeling disgusted with myself.
Get it together, girl!
"Steady on, love. That's my fiancée you're talking about." He joked, but his voice sounded despondent.
"That's not funny, Nik." I frowned, pulling away and wiping at the tears. "You should be focusing on Finn, not me." I insisted, trying to stand up and walk away from the bed, and failing when Nik tightened his arms around me to prevent any escape.
"There will be lots of time to grieve for Finn, Grace. Right now, my attention is on you and your frankly out-of-character actions tonight." Nik smoothed my hair behind my ear and looked at me with a mingled combination of concern and no-nonsense on his handsome, slightly stubbled face. "Mind explaining yourself?"
I looked down at where I had discarded Finn's ring on Nik's duvet and reached for it, holding it in my hands.
"What occurred tonight between Finn and both Elena and Stefan was just the final straw. Particularly when it occurred to me – too late – that Finn was the most vulnerable out of all of you." I said, fidgeting with the ring.
"What do you mean vulnerable. Finn was more than capable of defending himself against his enemies, love." Nik insisted, frowning at me. "Believe me, I've witnessed it for myself."
"Be that as it may, Nik. That might've been because Finn probably was prepared for it." I insisted. "This time, he was completely ambushed and he was blind-sided by Stefan and Elena when they attacked him. He had no prior knowledge that they had eleven white oak stakes made, and that they were waiting for the right opportunity to take one of you out." I retorted, not unkindly.
Nik got up from the bed to pace; something that he only did when he was feeling vulnerable, and I know for a fact that he hated feeling like that.
"He spoke to me, you know. Just now." I relayed to him, and Nik gave me a slightly annoyed look.
"I should think so, sweetheart. You are the only person who can see him now, apart from Henrik and Jeremy Gilbert." Nik stated, dryly.
"No. I meant in my sleep, Nik." He stopped pacing and looked at me with interest. "Just before I woke up and found the ring in my hand." I looped said ring onto my thumb; the only finger that it would fit without falling off. Later, when all this was behind us; I would purchase a sturdier chain and wear Finn's ring around my neck. "I think he was using this opportunity to say a proper goodbye."
"Did he now?" Nik looked a little hurt. "What did you talk about, or is it personal?" He asked, a little sharply.
I winced, realizing that he was a tad resentful that I got the opportunity to say goodbye to him, over his younger siblings.
"I actually let him have it, if I'm being completely honest." I confessed, earning a look of surprise from him. "I wanted to know why he had wanted to end things all those years ago before you, Rebekah, Kol and Elijah unanimously agreed to dagger him for the next 900-years."
Nik looked intrigued.
"What was his response?" He asked, walking over to the bed.
"Only that he wished that he had fought harder to stop Mikael and Esther from cursing you all those years ago." I replied, sadly. "That he believed your family's prolonged existence in this world was selfish. You'd lived your lives already; it was time for the world to move on without you all."
Nik's amused smirk fell, replaced by disgust and exasperation.
"You cannot be serious. That was the best excuse he could come up with for his behavior. What utter bullshit." Nik exclaimed. "I always knew he was such a bleeding heart."
"That's a bit harsh, Nik." I scolded him. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."
"I don't hear you disagreeing with me." Nik retorted.
"I don't disagree with you." I returned, flatly. "As I also did not agree with him and his explanation. I told Finn that there was a positive side to your family being changed into vampires; however unintentional, deeply stupid and dangerous it had been at the time." I said, stifling a yawn.
"Positive side?" Nik raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.
"You and your siblings saw history come to life, during your attempts to make it by yourselves in the world without Esther, Mikael, or even me. And not only that, you probably contributed to it as well." Nik paused, thinking over the list I had just created on the spot. "You've met famous celebrities, historians, artists, collected rare antiquities and then some." I continued listing.
"All of which Finn probably ignored to list the negatives." Nik stubbornly pointed out, and the joyful, slightly dreamy smile that I started spreading on my face, faded slightly.
"He did." I confirmed, a little dejectedly. "But only at first. He went quiet and listened to what I had to say about what you, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol achieved in his absence. He seemed to accept this and made peace with his doubts."
"Well, that's all well and good, dear. But it does not excuse the fact that he was a miserable, pessimistic soul." Nik recounted, bitterly. "Even when I was a boy, he and I just never seemed to get along…" He trailed off, heading for his wet bar, and pouring himself some scotch; probably to steady his nerves. "By the way, as soon as we get back the rest of the stakes, I'm gonna take Elena and use her blood to create more hybrids, and then we're leaving." He announced, firmly changing the subject.
"And the others?" I asked, taken aback a little by the decision.
"They can come, not come. I do not really care. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing left for us in this humdrum town." Nik replied, carelessly.
"I see." I responded, looking at Nik with concern. I flipped my legs over the side of the bed and walked cautiously over to him, stopping at an appropriate distance away. "You know, Finn did ask me to relay something to you, Nik." I told him, tentatively.
Nik paused with the old-fashioned glass halfway to his lips for a sip, and turned his head slightly towards me, indicating that he was listening.
"He wanted me to tell you, that even though you and he may have had your differences and disagreed about a lot of things, he still loves you and everyone else; always and forever." I said, hugging myself as I observed his reaction.
Nik surprised me however, as I expected him to scoff, knock back what was left of his drink and then probably leave the room in an angry huff after flinging his glass against the wall to shatter into a million shards.
Instead he started shaking.
Alarmed, I immediately rushed over to his side and looked at his face. It had hardened, the epitome of 'stiff upper lip'; but there were a lot of tears gathering in his slowly reddening blue-green eyes. Even as I watched, a solitary tear suddenly broke free and trailed down his face.
"Oh, Nik…" I whispered, reaching out to wipe it away. The gesture caused him to break eye contact with whatever it was he was staring so earnestly at and looked at me. More tears fell, and I stepped into his personal space and hugged him. "There's no rule that says you can't cry for him, you know." I reminded him.
That seemed to be the right words to say, as Nik let his face drop down onto my shoulder and hid into the crook of my neck. I cupped the back of his head and started carding my hand through his hair and making shushing noises; following him down to the floor when his legs suddenly gave way underneath him as he continued to quietly sob in my arms.
I glanced up when the bedroom door opened a little, and Henrik peered in looking concerned. I shook my head at him, indicating that it was a bad time for him to be here and Henrik nodded, understanding. He withdrew, leaving me alone with my sobbing fiancé in peace.
I woke up reclining a little uncomfortably on one of the overstuffed couches in Nik's bedroom, being used like a teddy-bear by said hybrid who had dried tear trails on his face. A cashmere blanket had been thrown over us for warmth. I frowned, wondering how we managed to get over here when I distinctly remembered that we had sank to the floor beside the wet bar the night before.
The mystery was solved when I moved my head ever so slightly and disturbed a piece of paper that had been placed beside my head. I reached up with the arm that was not cradling Nik's back and grabbed the paper, recognizing Kol's handwriting almost immediately:
'Moved the both of you here when I found you passed out on the floor last night.
Hope you're not too stiff this morning, that position you were lying in didn't look amazingly comfortable.' – K.
I smiled gratefully and set aside the paper, intending on going back to sleep when there was a soft knock at the door. Inwardly groaning, I gently eased myself out from underneath Nik, repositioned him on the couch with the blanket and moved to answer the door.
"Wow, you look terrible."
My eyes narrowed at Damon who had a slightly teasing smirk on his face the second I answered the door.
"Good morning to you too, Damon. What can I or Nik do for you?" I deadpanned, quickly picking up my boots that I had discarded last night and darting out of the bedroom to give Nik peace.
"Nothing, really. Just here to check up on you, after that rather interesting temper tantrum you had, that resulted in you smacking the bejeezus outta Stefan and then threatening Elena." Damon responded, shrugging casually as he leant against the wall opposite, with his arms folded across his chest as he watched me hop around trying to pull on my boots.
"Yeah, sorry about that." I winced, hoping that Damon wasn't here to defend Stefan's honor as the older Salvatore brother.
"Don't be. It's about time somebody did it. Hell, it's nothing Stefanie can't handle." He smirked, and I rolled my eyes.
"Totally feelin' the love you have for your brother. It's almost sickening." I drawled sarcastically. "But seriously is there something you want?"
"Now that you mention it; what are you up to today?" He asked, pushing off the wall and following me down the corridor to the staircase.
I eyed him suspiciously.
"Heading down to the kitchen or dining room for a caffeine IV. Beyond that, buggered if I know. Why?" I responded, yawning a little towards end of my response. Damon stepped into my path, blocking the way.
"Fancy going on an errand with me?" He asked, all business. I walked around him and descended the staircase, with Damon following on my heels.
"Figured you'd be asking Rebekah that question. Assuming you stayed here last night with her, and you hadn't broken in or anything?" I said, raising an eyebrow at him. Damon winced, hesitating a little and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"It's not what you think." He reassured me.
"Really? What am I thinking, Damon? And bear in mind that the last person to screw over my sister was not long for this world." I reminded him, as I walked into the kitchen to prepare myself a steaming mug of Tea.
Damon let out a frustrated sounding sigh.
"I can assure you my intentions towards Rebekah are sincere and genuine. The only reason I haven't asked her is because she is still in mourning for her brother." Damon explained, a little impatiently.
I opened the cupboard where the mugs were stored and pulled down one, popping a teabag inside it as I eyed Damon curiously.
"And what makes you think that I might not be mourning him too?" I asked, clicking on the kettle. "After all, Finn was my brother too." I reminded him.
"I figured you weren't as close as the rest of the Mikaelsons were." Damon confessed, and I glared at him lightly before sighing.
"You'd be right. But still…" I trailed off.
Damon let out an exasperated groan.
"Alright, I'm sorry. I'm an insensitive jerk sometimes. That's old news. Do you still want to come along though?" He asked me, and I shrugged.
"Why not? I need a bit of a distraction anyway." I agreed, walking over to the fridge to retrieve the milk jug.
"It's a date then." Damon smirked, triumphantly.
"In a manner of speaking." I retorted, as Damon waved his hand in the air dismissively.
"Details."
I grabbed his hand, "That you need to work on, badly. You already know what Nik is like when he's possessive."
"Yeah, don't remind me. Your fiancé is a scary and sadistic piece of work." Damon made a face and I grinned.
"And I wouldn't change him for the world." I vowed, causing Damon to roll his eyes and stride from the kitchen.
Damon graciously allowed me about ten minutes to drink my tea, then go and fresh up as I was a little bit ripe. After a quick shower, I walked out of the walk-in-wardrobe in my chosen attire for the day: a black turtleneck jumper, a grey, pleated high-waisted miniskirt with black opaque tights and my knee-high brown boots with a low heel.
I pulled back my long brown hair into a high ponytail, and I 'borrowed' one of Nik's black leather jackets to wear while I was out on this mysterious errand that Damon wanted me to come with him on. I was almost at the door when I noticed that Nik had dislodged the blanket I had draped over him before leaving the bedroom earlier for tea, and I walked over to readjust it for him.
I finished tucking him in and kissed his forehead and was just about home free when he unexpectedly reached out and grabbed my wrist.
I jumped, having not expected this.
"Where are you going?" Nik mumbled; his voice heavy from sleep.
"Out for a walk. I need one to distract myself." I replied, crouching down beside him on the couch. Nik cracked open an eye and looked at me sternly.
"Who's going with you?" He demanded, and I sighed, too tired to argue with him.
"Damon. It was his idea. He has an errand he needs to take care of, and he invited me to come with." I explained.
Nik sat up, frowning.
"Why not ask Rebekah then?" He echoed the question I had only asked Damon hours ago.
I winced.
"I suspect that he's giving Rebekah the privacy she needs to properly grieve." I replied, feeling the leftover pain of losing Finn slowly rearing its ugly head once again. Thankfully, it wasn't as potent as last night.
"Surprisingly considerate of him." Nik sounded half-surprised by this.
"A complement from Klaus?" Both Nik and I glanced at the bedroom door at a smirking Damon, who was leaning against the doorframe. "Alert the tabloids!"
"This is a private conversation, Salvatore." Nik snapped, sitting up completely and rubbing away the sleep from his face. "But since you're here, I feel it's fair to warn you, that if anything happens to Grace, I will personally make your life a living hell." He threatened, narrowing his eyes at Damon who did not look threatened at all.
"Relax, hybrid-boy. Your little fiancée will be safe as houses with me. My word of honor." He promised.
"You're skating on very thin ice, mate. Enough with the cheek." Nik warned, and I stepped between them.
"Alright, enough you two!" I growled, drawing their attention. "Need I remind you both, that I'm no damsel-in-distress and can take care of myself?" I emphasized this by picking my thigh holster and sliding my dagger into it.
Nik smiled a little.
"Not at all, sweetheart." He came over and gently grabbed both sides of my face. "But old habits die hard." He reminded me before drawing me in for a quick but passionate kiss. "Better get going if you want to complete whatever 'errand' Salvatore has in store for you." Nik stated before patting me playfully on the bum.
I raised an eyebrow at him, watching as he moved for the walk-in-wardrobe, peeling off his Henley as he went. I felt Damon wrapping a hand around my upper arm and leading me to the door.
"Okay, moving on from this disturbing and frankly revolting scene; shall we, Grace?" He gestured sarcastically to the outside corridor and I rolled my eyes and walked out. "Don't wait up, Klaus." He called out to Nik.
"Up yours, Salvatore." Nik cheerfully called back, and I walked briskly towards the staircase, muttering 'boys' underneath my breath as I went.
Enroute to the Town's Square
Day.
Damon made sure that I was safely ensconced in the passenger seat of his 'baby', before peeling down the Mikaelsons's expansive driveway and roaring off in the direction of what I assumed was the Boarding House.
"Oh yeah. That will definitely earn you brownie points with Nik." I drawled sarcastically, as the scenery literally blurred by the passenger-side window outside. Damon only chuckled, unfazed by my annoyance. "So, Elena and Stefan won't actually be at the Boarding House when we get there, right?" I asked absently as Damon made a right and sped off down the highway.
"We're not going to the Boarding House." Damon stated and I turned to look at him with surprise.
"We're not? Then where the hell are you taking me?" I demanded.
"Alaric's." Damon replied, and I was immediately filled with dread.
"You sure that's a good idea?" I fretted just a smidge.
"Probably not. But what's life without a little danger and excitement?" Damon drawled, and I glowered at him.
"Damon…"
"Relax. I'm sure he's tame. Don't get your panties in a twist." He reassured me, and I swallowed down the anxiety.
"I'll believe it when I see it." I responded, doubtfully.
Damon pulled into a parking space a short walk away from my old apartment block. I was a bit more reluctant than he was getting out of the car, almost to the point that Damon rolled his eyes impatiently and came around to the passenger side to let me out.
"Come on, Grace. We don't have all day." He bitched at me, and I sighed and grabbed onto the hand that Damon offered me, getting out of the car.
"Let's get this over with." I grumbled as Damon slammed shut the car door and sauntered down the road towards the apartment building while I dawdled a little behind him. I wondered if somebody had taken up the lease to my old apartment yet? Lost in my thoughts, I nearly walked right into Damon who was checking something on his phone.
"What's the hold up?" I wondered, walking around Damon and standing at the top of the staircase, watching him typing back a message to the unknown caller.
"Just your sister. Wondering where I was." Damon replied absently before hitting send and sliding his phone back into the pocket of his leather jacket. "Shall we?" He asked rhetorically as he continued walking up the stairs and passed me to make his way down the familiar corridor to Alaric's apartment. The door opened unexpectedly just as I reached up to rap my knuckles on the solid wood.
"Grace? Damon?" A very surprised and slightly wary Alaric greeted us both with a frown. "What brings you here?"
Damon smirked, "Just your friendly neighborhood wooden stake collectors, come to collect the forbidden contraband." Damon quipped.
"Excuse me?" Alaric's frown deepened.
"The jigs up. Klaus has requested the safe return of the stakes we created from the sign." Damon explained.
"So, he's still alive then?" Alaric guessed, stepping aside to let both of us in.
"Very much so. Now we need your stake." Damon requested a little briskly as he walked in, dragging me along beside him by the wrist.
I snatched back my hand from Damon, glaring at him with irritation as Alaric shuts the front door behind him and heads over to a nearby shelf, pulling back some books to reveal what he had hidden behind them.
"It's right behind these books here." Alaric explained, making Damon raise an eyebrow at his fairly obvious hiding spot.
"A bookshelf, really?" Damon blurted out. "At least I was trying to be clever about it."
I blinked at them with confusion.
"Afraid I'm not following this line of thought." I stated, walking over to possibly help Alaric find the pale wood we were so desperate to find and destroy.
"Remember when you gave Damon the moonstone for safekeeping?" Alaric questioned me, still looking for the stake amongst the books. "Well, he had the bright idea of hiding it in his soap dish."
"Seriously?" I asked, and Alaric nodded smirking at the flushed expression on Damon's face. "I can kind of see how that would fail." Damon glared at me, and I poke out my tongue at him.
"Where the hell is it?" Alaric muttered, flustered.
"Look harder, Ric." Damon insisted, stubbornly.
"I'm serious. It's not here." Alaric stated, and both Damon and me dart forward to assist him looking through his other shelves.
"Did you maybe forget which shelf you hid the stake in?" I suggested, abandoning the shelf Damon and I were searching through, and walking over to him to help search though the shelf he was working on.
"No, I didn't forget." Alaric snapped. "It's—I—I put it right here! A stake doesn't just vanish into thin air!"
Damon immediately spun on him, his eyes flashing with both worry and anger.
"Who else did you tell, Ric!?" He accused. I immediately got into Damon's face, appalled by his attitude towards a person who was doing us all a favor.
"Hey, ease up, will you?" I scolded him, while Alaric got on his defensive and started in on him as well.
"I didn't tell anybody, Damon! That's the whole point. I'm the only…"
"What?" Damon prodded.
"I'm the only one who knew about it." Alaric insisted, and I felt the blood drain from my face when I realized exactly what he was implying.
"Oh, god…" I muttered, fearfully. It took a little longer for Damon to get it, but when he did; I was pretty sure the expression on his face matched mine.
"No way." He protested. "Are you telling me that your vampire hating alter ego has a stake that can kill an entire line of vampires?"
Alaric let out a heavy, shaky sigh before responding.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you."
A/N: Finished! 2020 is seriously kicking my ass, that's why it took so long to finish.
Please review generously. TTFN xx.