A/N: Welcome back and Happy New Year! May 2021 be exceptionally better than 2020, with less death and a swift discovery of an effective vaccine. 2020 had completely zapped me of any motivation or inspiration, so I took an unscheduled but necessary hiatus from this story to recharge and refocus.
I apologise profusely to all my loyal readers, and I solemnly swear that I will not give up completely on this story. Having said this, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and are ready to begin reading this one!
I do not own The Vampire Diaries. All I own is this story and my OC, Grace.
Please review to let me know you are still there and don't hate me, and no flaming!
Enjoy x
MAD WORLD
"I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take. When people run in circles it's a very, very
Mad world, mad world." ~Gary Jules & Michael Andrews.
Alaric's Apartment
Day.
We were screwed.
That much was self-evident as Damon, Alaric and I glanced at each other, looking stricken. It seems like Alaric's alter-ego was more stubborn than we thought, and likely to take no prisoners when pursuing his goal to eradicate all vampires. I let out a frustrated groan and turned away from them both, sinking down on Alaric's sofa.
"What now?" I demanded, glaring at them both.
This was indeed the very last thing that we needed dumped into our laps. Not only were Nik and our family still grieving the loss of a brother and a friend; we had set it aside in order to focus on finding Esther and stopping her from killing her children and possibly others who stood in her path. We did not need a missing White Oak Stake in the hands of a vicious, cold-blooded killer who appears at random to add to our growing list of problems.
"Sorry. I'm a little rusty on what to do when one of your best friends' evil alter-egos hides a stake that will kill my girlfriend and her family." Damon responded and I glanced over at Alaric, who was downing a double bourbon and looking very scared. "But feel free to put forward any ideas you can come up with." He added, gesturing sarcastically.
I merely glared at him for that comment. It really was not helping anyone. But I did have one option that I was surprised (or not) that nobody was considering.
"Why don't we just ask Alaric what he wants to do. After all, it's his alter-ego that's screwing around with us and our plans." I suggested, thumbing over at Alaric who stopped mid-sip and looked at me in surprise.
"Bad idea." Damon immediately piped up.
"Why? Because it's mine?" I snarked back.
"No. It's because of his evil vamp-hating Mr. Hyde personality that we're in this mess." Damon retorted, snippily.
"Well, I don't see you coming up with any other ideas!" I yelled back.
"Okay! Time out! Back to your corners!" Alaric stepped between us, looking irritated. Damon and I backed down, but still aimed lukewarm glares at each other. Alaric drew in a deep breath to steady his nerves. "You mentioned that this has happened before, right?" He asked Damon, who raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah. To Elena and Jeremy's ancestor Samantha Gilbert. Why?" He asked, cautiously.
"What happened to her when they found out she was the one doing all the mysterious murders around the town?" Alaric pried.
"I was long gone from Mystic Falls when that went down." Damon admitted. "But from what Stefan and I read during our research when the killings first started; the council sent her to the local sanitarium." He continued. Alaric looked a bit taken aback, but eventually relaxed seeming to accept this.
"Then that's what we'll do." Alaric concluded, smiling sheepishly. "Except at the Boarding House."
"Then she lobotomized herself with a knitting needle." Damon felt the need to add that little tidbit to the equation.
Alaric blanched a little.
"Charming." I drawled, making a face at the unwanted image that formed in my head. "But I doubt that Alaric's likely to do anything like that. He's been taking those herbs Bonnie's been making for him, right?" I directed this question towards Alaric who nodded but looked at me suspiciously.
"How did you know about that?" He asked, and I smiled slightly.
"Caroline explained how she was going to drop off some herbal remedy to you, on her way to meet me at the Grill last night." I explained.
"Oh."
"Clearly they're not working if 'Mr. Hyde' pulled a fast one with the stake." Damon insisted.
"Let's not jump to conclusions just yet." I suggested, narrowing my eyes at Damon who shrugged.
"I didn't jump to conclusions. I took a small step, and conclusions were there." He quoted and I looked at him with surprise.
"Did not pick you for a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer fan, Damon. Is this a guilty pleasure? Enquiring minds want to know." I asked, smirking.
"Fuck you." Damon retorted, although I could see the ends of his mouth twitching upwards a little; obviously enjoying the playful banter we were sharing.
"Not the cheating kind, sweets." I countered, rolling my eyes, as Alaric cleared his throat and both of us turned to look at him. He was scowling at us with annoyance.
"Come on, guys. We haven't got time for this. If we are going to lock me up so we do not have a repeat performance of what has happened, we better act now." Alaric reminded us, getting to his feet, and disappeared into his bedroom to shrug on a jacket, and grab his wallet, phone, and keys.
"Fine by me. Let's go!" Damon immediately dropped the subject like a hot potato and made a beeline for the front door.
"Ladies first." Alaric gestured for me to go first.
I paused for a moment, studying him and his can-do attitude; something just did not point true about him right now. It seemed far too easy that he was willing to co-operate without a fight. I didn't want to take the chance that Alaric's evil personality was trying to lull me into a false sense of security. So I shook my head, standing my ground. I was not in the mood to be taken down from behind.
Sometimes instinct never fails you. Or at least I hoped so, in this case.
"Age before beauty." I insisted, and Alaric shrugged and walked towards the front door, eying me with a puzzlement. Damon was waiting for us at the staircase, looking at us impatiently.
"What's the hold up?" He questioned.
I closed the deadlocked door behind me and jiggled it a little to make sure it was securely shut.
"Nothing. Just checking to see if I had everything." Alaric explained away the delay, as I walked by him; eying him cautiously.
"What were you doing here anyway?" I asked, curiously. "I thought you were taking up residence on the Gilbert's sofa, since Jenna ditched town."
Alaric nodded, scratching the back of his head somewhat nervously.
"I sometimes crash here when I pull an all-nighter, or if I've drunk too much at the Grill and I don't want to get behind the wheel." Alaric explained, and I nodded, accepting the answer.
We all piled into Damon's car, with Alaric taking the passenger seat while I lounged comfortably in the back, still eyeing him carefully, before eventually retrieving my novel from my purse and staring at its pages, not really taking in anything that I was reading.
Salvatore Boarding House
Day.
It didn't take long to get to Damon's place, but it was silent the entire drive to get there save for the music playing quietly in the background from Damon's radio. Occasionally, Damon would hum along with the song; probably to break the silence, but otherwise no words were spoken. I could not have been more relieved to see that bloody Tudor-style house the second Damon turned into the driveway.
"Okay! Let's get this show on the road." Damon announced briskly, before getting out of the car and making a beeline inside without a second glance towards Alaric or me. It seemed that he was still pissed with Alaric for what his alter-ego had done. Or he was feeling the tension himself and wanted to get as far away from it as possible, like me.
"Where's the fire?" I called out to him as I got out, shrugged on my jacket, and closed the car door with my hip. I got no reply as I turned towards an uncomfortable Alaric who stood beside Damon's Camaro; hands buried deep in the pockets of his jean jacket, eying the house with trepidation. "You know, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to." I reminded him, but he shook his head and smiled at me gratefully.
"Nah, it's cool." Alaric reassured me and started walking towards the front double doors. I fell into step beside him; still cautious and wary, but firmly stomping down on the bad feelings as I 'escorted' him to his temporary dungeon lodgings. "It's better this way, so Stefan and Damon can keep an eye on me until we can figure out how to stop it from reappearing."
I nodded.
"Fair enough. I'm just sorry that you're the one going through all of this." I stated, sympathetically.
"Yeah? So am I." Alaric agreed, bitterly. Damon was waiting at the door to the basement when Alaric and I stepped inside.
"Do you need anything while you're staying down here?" Damon asked, surprisingly decent.
Alaric shook his head, "Nothing that I can't get Elena to pick up for me at the house." He responded as we descended the stone staircase to the basement and Damon paused at one of the wooden doors at random.
"Suit yourself." Damon replied, seemingly caring less, causing Alaric to sigh and head into the dungeon; taking a seat on the uncomfortable looking cot that was already inside. "I'll be back. Just freshening up." Damon told me after he shut the dungeon door behind Alaric.
I nodded, watching him blur upstairs and hearing a door slam shut.
"So, what's life like living with the Mikaelson's anyway?" Alaric randomly asks me, and I turned and approached the dungeon viewing window, blinking at him quizzically.
"Not any different to what it was like a thousand years ago. Except that the world is a little more laid back." I replied, casually.
"You really remember that far back? Aren't there any gaps in your memory?" Alaric sounded skeptical as he attempted to make himself comfortable after taking off his jacket and reclining on the cot.
"Not really." I shrugged, leaning comfortably on the door, and grasping the bars on the window with both hands. "Besides, I was nineteen when I died. It's not like I had that many memories of them if you really think about it." I reminded him.
"Not all of them good, I'd imagine." Alaric looked genuinely curious and I smiled bittersweetly.
"No. Considering that all the bad memories mostly related to Mikael." I admitted. "And they've got about twenty or so centuries worth of memories on me." I laughed a little, then raised an eyebrow at him when he pulled his phone from his pocket and started texting. "You letting Elena know that you're here?" I asked, curiously.
"Yeah. Just getting her to bring some stuff over to help pass the time I'm in here for." Alaric confirmed.
We talked for a little while longer after he sent that text to Elena. We immediately paused when we heard footsteps coming down the staircase about a half-hour later, and we went on alert. I instantly stiffened when Elena stepped off the last step, carrying a bag in her arms. She too gave me a cold look the second she spotted me.
"What are you doing here?" Elena demanded, suspiciously.
I offered her an unfriendly smile.
"Last I remembered, this was a free country. Plus, I co-own this property; I can come and go as I please." I responded, flatly.
"Girls, seriously. Now is not the time for this." Alaric's irritated, tired voice piped up from inside the dungeon block and I pushed off from the wall opposite the cell and headed for the staircase.
"Agreed. I'll talk to you later, Alaric, when we're in better company." I called back to him, staring down Elena who looked offended by what I said.
"Talk soon, Grace." Alaric said, wearily.
As I walked by Elena, my sharp hearing picked up on her muttering 'good riddance' underneath her breath. I immediately shot out my arm, blocking her way, making her jump and forcing her to hop backwards to avoid clotheslining herself on my arm. Her doe brown eyes had widened out of shock, probably not expecting that I would have heard what she had said.
"If I were you, dearie, I'd hold your tongue." I suggested, glowering at her for her cheek.
"Grace…" I heard Alaric groan exasperatedly, but I ignored him; this selfish, spoilt brat needed a reality check, since it was obvious that Stefan had ignored my request to pass on my message.
"You've already got an entire family of Originals who want you hung, drawn and quartered for what you've done to Finn." I continued, as though Alaric had not spoken. Elena's eyes narrowed. "So, I suggest you watch what you say and do from now on." I warned her.
I then lowered my arm and continued my way up the stairs.
"Is that a threat?" Elena asked angrily, and I turned and looked over my shoulder at her.
"A promise. One that I won't hesitate to carry out." I confirmed before walking upstairs, out of sight.
Or so I wanted both Alaric and Elena to think.
Instead, I sat down on the top step, against the basement door so I could – once again – eavesdrop on their conversation. The staircase had excellent acoustics, so it was not particularly difficult to hear conversations.
"Finn? Klaus's brother?" Alaric sounded surprised, then let out a frustrated sigh. "What did you do?"
"Stefan, Matt and I took down Finn with one of the White Oak Stakes. I don't see what the big deal is." Elena responded, sounding petulant.
"Oh, Jesus. Elena…" Alaric groaned.
"Whose side are you on?" Elena demanded.
Alaric ignored the question.
"I don't blame Grace for that warning she gave you; it's like you're inviting danger to take you out." Alaric sounded annoyed.
"Stefan and I know what we're doing, Alaric."
My eyes widen when I hear Elena unlock the door and enter the room.
"You know, you shouldn't be in here." Alaric pointed out. "It defeats the point of the whole being locked in a cellar thing."
Something small, presumably the bag Elena was carrying, thuds to the floor.
"You asked me to get you some things. So, I brought the basics: toothbrush, clothes, and some boring books to help you sleep." Elena listed.
"Thanks." Alaric sighed. There was an awkward silence before Elena suddenly spoke up again, sounding concerned.
"Are you sure that you…? I mean you don't have to be kept in here." Elena protested, and I rolled my eyes as Alaric let out a humorless chuckle.
"That's exactly what Grace said to me. But no, this is… this is the right place for me to be. At least until you guys can convince my highly uncooperative alter ego to fess up to where I or he hid the white oak stake." Alaric insisted.
"Why? What do you need the white oak stake for?" Elena sounded suspicious.
"Apparently, Klaus has requested ALL of them back." Alaric explained.
"Seriously? After all the effort you went through to create them?" Elena bitched.
"Yeah, well. Take it up with Damon or Stefan, they're the only ones who know why." Alaric suggested.
"Since Damon went over to the dark side, I doubt he's likely to tell me anything. But I'll try and get the info from Stefan." Elena explained, sounding dejected and just a bit angry about that.
"What do you suppose Klaus'll do if you can't find it?" Alaric asked, curiously.
"It's the only thing that can kill him and his family. So, wage war, murder people. You know, Klaus stuff." Elena replied, flippantly.
Yeah, sounds about right…
Something scraped against the floor, and I assumed it was the chair that I saw in the dungeon earlier.
"Listen, Stefan is gonna watch over you for a little while." Elena said. "I'm going see if I can persuade Damon to go to Denver with me to pick up Jeremy."
I stiffened.
"Why?" Alaric asked.
"If what Grace said before is true, then I'm not going to run the risk of Klaus finding out where Jeremy is and using him as leverage to get what he wants." Elena stated with a determination.
And they call Nik paranoid?
I decided that I got enough information and quickly went straight for the front door, with the intention of waiting for Damon beside his car. I nearly collided with Stefan, who was heading inside. He looked at me with surprise then disdain when he registered who I was.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded, coldly.
"Dropping off Alaric with Damon." I responded succinctly, then continued my way.
"What for?" Stefan called out to me, and I turned look at him. It was obvious that he was deeply suspicious and I frowned when he started following me to the car. I turned and started walking backwards so I could see him.
"Take it up with your brother." I said, carefully boosting myself up onto the bonnet and lying back against the windscreen to watch the clouds blow by in the sky as I waited for Damon to finish his 'beauty routine'. Stefan sighed in frustration and turned to head back inside, while I rolled my eyes and closed them as I made myself comfortable, letting the cool breeze blow over my slightly over-heated skin.
Damon is the immature brother?...
En-route back to Mikaelson Mansion
Day.
I was interested about how Jeremy was going to react to Elena travelling to Denver to retrieve him. Would he decide to just come clean and reveal that he had been living here in Mystic Falls in the Mikaelson Mansion, underneath their noses? Or would he keep up with the illusion we had created, that he is 'blissfully ignorant' of all the drama unfolding here, while he had been supposedly cooling his heels in the Colorado Rockies?
I was interrupted from my musings by Damon's deep, mildly annoyed, southern drawl in my ear causing me to flinch from the proximity.
"Comfortable?" He questioned dryly, and I yawned and stretched, sitting up from my nana nap. "Get off my car." I swiveled around on the bonnet and slid off.
"Took you long enough." I muttered, straightening my skirt, and glaring up at him, also in annoyance. Damon shrugged, reaching for the driver's side door.
"Yeah, well. I was ambushed by Stefan on my way out." Damon explained, dismissively.
I blinked, surprised that Stefan took my advice for once. Then I winced, realizing that Damon was less than impressed about being cornered by Stefan.
"Uh, that might be my fault." I admitted sheepishly, sliding into the passenger side, and earning a look of confusion from Damon. "I kinda suggested to Stefan that he should talk to you about why I was here with you." I added, surprised by the look of amusement reflected in Damon's baby blues.
"Appreciate the honesty, but Stefan probably would've done it with or without your suggestion. But thanks for owning up." He told me, winking. "So, what's the plan now? Give Jeremy the head's up about Elena's rescue mission?" Damon asked me casually.
I blinked.
"Of course, you heard that. But no, that's not the first thing we do." I replied.
"I'm all ears then." Damon stated, slightly impatient as he put his car into gear and headed down the driveway.
"We tell Nik the situation with Alaric and the missing White Oak Stake." I said, like it was obvious.
Damon sighed tiredly.
"I knew you were going to say that. Couldn't this be a situation that your boyfriend doesn't need to know about?" Damon whined, and I just looked at him; amazed that he even had the idea.
"It's fiancé." I corrected him. "And let me guess, you want the last thing that you'll see on this earth to be your still feebly thudding heart nestled in the palm of Nik's hand?" I pointed out sarcastically. "But in all seriousness, mate, that stake is probably the worst weapon to be kept hidden under lock and key right now." I told an unamused Damon, who was scowling at me from his peripherals.
"I know that!" Damon growled back.
"Good. At least we're on the same picture." I said, making myself comfortable in my seat as I continued where I left off trying to figure out how to get Jeremy out of the situation with Elena. I jumped a little when I felt Damon reach over and grab my hand, squeezing it a little out of comfort and reassurance.
"Don't stress. We'll figure it out. We always do." He stated, and I smiled and squeezed back before letting go and turning to stare absently out of the window, praying that this all wasn't going to be one colossal clusterfuck. My phone started to ring. I pulled it from my jacket pocket and peered down at the screen, my eyes widening in shock when I read Jeremy's name. "Who is it?" Damon asked, probably concerned by the expression on my face.
"Jeremy." I replied, hitting answer, and putting the phone to my ear. "Hey, what's up?" I greeted the teen.
"That's the thing, I'm not sure." Jeremy responded, sounding confused and a little uncomfortable.
"How can I help if you don't know?" I prompted him, and I literally heard Jeremy hesitate.
"Do you get weird vibes sometimes?" Jeremy asked, hesitantly.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Could you be more specific?" I asked, wondering where he was going with this.
"I've got a funny feeling something's about to go down that involves Elena." Jeremy stated, causing Damon to let out a low whistle underneath his breath.
"That's creepy." He muttered, looking freaked and I frowned at him.
"What's creepy? What's going on, what aren't you telling me?" Jeremy was instantly suspicious.
"Yeah, I sometimes get little 'psychic hints'."
"Okay? Is that bad?" He asked, warily.
"No, it's mostly just annoying." I said, letting my head fall back against the headrest and shutting my eyes. "Listen, do me a favor and meet me in the living room. I've got something to tell you, and you probably won't like it." I told him.
"Why, what's wrong?" Jeremy demanded.
"I'll explain when I get there. I've also got something to tell Nik too." I said, impatiently. "See you in a minute." I hung up and sighed.
"I don't envy you." Damon commented and I turned to scowl at him.
"Nor do I envy you when Elena comes to you to 'persuade' you to take her to Denver to pick up her brother." I retorted.
"She can try." Damon stated flippantly.
"And succeed." I reminded him. "Because I'm pretty sure Elena will probably end up going to Denver with or without your help."
"Won't that be a fun experience." He said, sarcastically. "Besides, I really don't care what she does anymore." Damon turns down Nik's street.
"True. But Alaric does, and I am fairly sure you don't want to lose his friendship should anything happen to her. Would I be correct in saying?" I pried, and Damon's cocky expression immediately soured. "Thought so." I said, triumphantly.
Mikaelson Mansion
Day.
Damon didn't say another word for the rest of the trip, except after we cleared the gates and drove up to the mansion.
"You're really irritating, you know that?" He felt the need to inform me, as we got out of the car.
I smirked a little, "So I have been told."
I dug around my pocket for the house keys and strode for the front doors with Damon following begrudgingly. But just before I could let us both in, I paused not really wanting to put another spanner into the works. I mean, we already had enough problems to deal with, without me adding more to the pile. But I also knew there would literally be hell to pay if neither Damon nor I owned up about what we just learned during our little 'errand'. Damon's hand landed heavily on my shoulder. He must have sensed my hesitation also.
"C'mon. Let's get this over with. Your fiancé is already melodramatic enough, let's not make things worse." He suggested, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly before letting go and casually plunging it into his jacket pocket.
"You really need to stop reading my mind, Damon. It's off putting." I joked half-heartedly, before pushing open the door and stepping inside.
"Where's the fun in that?" He joked back; his boots making dull taps on the polished floorboards as he swaggered deeper into the mansion. We did not get far before the door to the study opened and out stepped Nik with a cheerful expression on his face that made both of us pause and look at him warily.
"That was quick. Welcome back!" He greeted us both, before glaring lightly at Damon. "And I heard the 'melodramatic' comment." Nik stated, sternly.
Damon merely rolled his eyes and turned away.
"He's just telling it like it is, Nik." Kol walked down the staircase, drawing all eyes towards him. "You do tend to overreact when things don't go your way." He added, smirking, and dodging an irritated swipe Nik aimed at him for the comment. I stepped over to Nik, cuddling up and kissing him affectionately.
"Why, thank you sweetheart. What was that for?" Nik asked me, raising an eyebrow at the gesture as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I felt like being spontaneous." I responded, smiling lightly, shrugging off my jacket and passing it off to one of the maids who approached to take it from me.
Nik wasn't fooled.
"Nice try. What's up?" He demanded, firmly.
I sighed, glancing at Damon for assistance; but the coward merely shrugged gesturing 'you're on your own' at me. I scowled at him, earning curious glances from both Nik and Kol, who stood with his arms folded across his chest, waiting for me to spill the beans.
"Follow me." I requested, taking Nik's hand, and leading him to the living room where I hoped Jeremy was already waiting. Both Damon and Kol followed.
"Alright, now explain." Nik insisted, just as Jeremy came into the room with Henrik in tow. Henrik threw me a questioning frown.
"What's going on?" Jeremy repeated himself from earlier, and I sighed heavily. "Why did you ask me to meet you in here?"
"Patience is a virtue, mate. Grace is just about to reveal all." Kol replied for me as I perched on one of the sofas.
"First of all, I'd like to apologize for what I'm about to say." I began, causing Damon to groan impatiently.
"Don't beat around the bush, Grace. Just tell them." He grumbled and I snapped.
"If you're not going to contribute to this, Damon, kindly shut up. You were there also, and quite capable of telling them this too!" I lost my temper with him, and Damon opened his mouth to retort when Nik intervened.
"Somebody better start talking. I haven't got all day!" He growled, and both Jeremy and I flinched at the harsh tone.
"Alaric's alter-ego has struck again." I reluctantly revealed.
"You mean he's killed someone? Who?" Jeremy asked, urgently. I shook my head and started to pace.
"He hasn't killed anyone. Not yet at least." I reassured him, then looked at Nik and Kol seriously. "He's hidden one of the White Oak Stakes."
"Wonderful." Kol muttered sarcastically, just as Nik let out a low growl underneath his breath. "It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"So, what's the next move?" Henrik asked, worriedly.
"We've locked up Alaric in one of our dungeons at the Boarding House. It should buy us some time so we can figure out what he's done with it." Damon jumped in, causing Nik to snap his head in his direction, looking furious.
"Should buy us time? I don't think that's good enough, do you?" He stated, waspishly.
"Elena's also convinced that you're likely to travel to Denver, Nik, and hold Jeremy ransom until you get what you want." I pushed on, trying to avoid a fight. "She wants Damon to take her there to stop that from happening." Jeremy looked at me with shock, as Nik seemed to give it some serious thought.
"It does have merit." He mused, and my mouth fell open while Jeremy glared at Nik, unamused.
"Nik!" I protested, in outrage.
"Don't I get a say in this?!" Jeremy agreed. Nik chuckled at him with amusement.
"Relax, mate. I treat all my guests with respect." He reassured Jeremy, who looked confused. "It would be a ruse, to throw your sister off the scent while we hunted around for the stake." Nik explained, as Kol – who had been frowning in confusion too – suddenly groaned.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be involved in the convoluted plan of yours?" He blurted out, whining a little.
"Because you're bored, and in need of some amusement. And we both know what happens when you become bored, brother." Nik replied, flippantly.
"What happens?" Jeremy asked, curiously.
"I don't think we want to know." I muttered, eying both brothers with trepidation, wondering what Nik was up to, as I took a seat on the sofa.
"Care to fill in some blanks?" Damon asked, impatiently.
Nik smiled at him.
"Of course. You have a role to play in this as well, mate." Nik replied, cheerfully.
"I do?" Damon looked skeptical.
"You do. I suspect that Elena and Stefan are probably going to try and find out whose bloodline Stefan belongs to, so they can 'kill' me once and for all." Nik explained.
"Yeah, and?"
"And, you Damon, are going to feign ignorance on the subject too and accept Elena's request to take her to Denver to 'pick up' Mr. Gilbert." Nik gestured towards Jeremy, who looked less than impressed that he was going to be used as a lure.
"At the same time, we're going to send Jeremy to Denver with Kol, and pretend he's been there all this time with his new 'friend'."
"Yeah, I can't see this plan falling apart at the seams." Damon drawled.
"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Kol scowled at Damon, who smirked back; obviously not intimidated by my unstable 'twin'.
"I'll go with them. To keep Kol and Damon from killing each other." I sighed heavily, already anticipating the headache that might be resulting from this.
"Uh-uh. Sorry, darling. But I've got another plan already laid out for you." Nik smoothly intercepted, a far-too-innocent smile spreading across his face.
"What plan?" I demanded, suspiciously.
"You're going to spend some time with me." Rebekah's voice rang out from the doorway, and we looked over to see her strutting into the room towards Damon and planting a chaste kiss on his cheek before sitting beside me on the sofa's arm. I was about to object, because I knew that Jeremy would not be able to stop Kol and Damon from needling each other, but I realized that I hadn't spent as much time with my sister as was probably normal, especially during this time of grief.
I smiled and nodded.
"Sure. Can't wait!" I agreed, a little reluctant.
Rebekah returned the smile brightly.
"Excellent! We better get going then." Rebekah seized my hand and dragged me from the couch and out of the living room. I immediately frowned, not liking the fact that I was being dragged around.
"Going where?" I asked, looking back at Nik for an explanation. But he merely shrugged, looking amused.
Absolutely no help whatsoever.
"The high school." Rebekah replied. "You're going to help me decorate for this year's Decade Dance."
I blinked, "The Decade Dance? Is it that time already?" I followed Rebekah upstairs to her bedroom, waiting for her to do whatever. I sighed heavily, trying to wrack my brains for 1970s ideas. "Okay? I guess I can do some research on all things '70s—"
"The theme isn't the 1970s." Rebekah interrupted me mid-sentence.
"It isn't? But that's the next decade after the '60s." I pointed out, confused.
Rebekah wrinkled her nose.
"I changed it." She stated matter of fact, disappearing into her walk-in. I winced, biting my bottom lip, and dreaded the rest of this day. It was probably not going to end well.
"Caroline's not gonna like this." I muttered.
Mystic Falls High School
Day.
I drove Rebekah straight to the High School, and almost immediately after setting foot inside the cafeteria, she started ordering about the confused dance committee students to start transforming the place into a 1920s speakeasy. I stood shuffling my feet in the middle of the cafeteria entrance, feeling awkward and out of place.
"Okay. Put me to work. What do you need me to do?" I asked Rebekah, deciding to just dive right in and wing it, instead of standing there looking like an idiot. Rebekah paused, and glanced around for a chore for me to complete.
"Help rearrange the twinkle lights, I guess." She instructed, and I nodded and shrugged off my jacket and cross-body purse, striding towards a couple of students who were struggling a bit to detangle a bundle of fairy lights. I kept glancing at the door, waiting to see what Caroline's reaction was likely to be when she eventually arrived. A few minutes later, the bubbly blonde cheerleader walked in; glancing about in utter confusion.
"Hey, could you hold the ladder?" One of the students I was helping nudged me, holding the – finally – detangled strand and was about to climb the medal ruts.
"Of course. Sorry." I smiled at the student and grabbed both sides of the ladder, jamming my foot at the base of one of the legs so the ladder didn't slip and slide across the floor when the kid started the climb.
I immediately glanced back over at Caroline, and noticed that she had made a beeline towards a quiet looking Matt. I immediately stiffened the moment I saw him because he had been involved in Finn's death. But I stubbornly forced down the negative emotions, as it had been obvious last night, that Matt was the reluctant accomplice and hadn't wanted to get involved.
"Too flashy, people!" Rebekah called out. "It's supposed to be a speakeasy, not the World Fair." She instructed, and I smothered a smirk when some of the students who stood nearby rolled their eyes but obeyed her. I had almost forgotten how bossy and how much of a perfectionist Rebekah could be.
I walked over to her.
"How's that?" I gestured towards the students I had helped set up the lights. They were looking back at me for their next instructions as Rebekah scrutinized them with an expert eye.
"Not bad." Rebekah admitted and I nodded, accepting the response and gave the students a thumbs up.
"Nothing that a quick Google search couldn't help me with." I responded, not taking it to heart when Rebekah seemed to ignore what I said, in favor of walking over to where Caroline and Matt were still in conversation.
"Ah, good, you're here." Rebekah greeted Caroline, who looked taken aback, and Matt glanced up at her voice only to freeze and pale when he locked eyes with me. "I need you to help Grace set up the tables so, get to it." I winced at her haughty tone as Caroline narrowed her eyes at my sister.
"What do you think you're doing?" Caroline demanded, as Rebekah shrugged and continued supervising the transformation. I offered Matt a pained smile and a wave which helped him to relax a little; but he still looked a bit nervous. Like I was about to strike him down where he stood.
"Somebody has to be in charge." Rebekah replied, carelessly.
"Yeah, me. I'm the chair of the Dance Committee." Caroline pointed out. "The theme of the Decade Dance is the 1970s."
"I wouldn't waste your breath, honey." I attempted to smooth things over before either of them could lose their tempers. "I already pointed that out to her earlier." Caroline just frowned at me and opened her mouth to respond.
However, Rebekah beat her to it.
"So, you'd rather dress in tacky colors with bad hair, than be a classic flapper from the Jazz Age?" When Caroline just looked at her, Rebekah rolled her lovely blue eyes and looked at the younger vamp with distaste. "Honestly, it's a good thing I am here to sort this mess out." She stated.
"Rebekah, enough." I scolded her firmly, just as Caroline started fuming.
"Uh, maybe we can do both decades?" Matt suggested, trying to be helpful.
"No." Both Rebekah and Caroline replied in unison.
"Go on, Matt, don't be a coward." Rebekah teased, causing Matt's eyes to widen in alarm and I hid my face in my hand in exasperation; knowing that Rebekah was just needling Caroline as usual, mostly because she could as the stronger vampire, and Caroline had a snowball's chance in hell of defending herself. Not that it was any excuse to be a cow. "You know you loved my 20s idea when I presented it to the group." She insisted, and Caroline turns and looks at Matt with an expression closely resembling betrayal.
"You traitor!" Caroline shouts at Matt, who looks sheepishly back at her and then helplessly at both Rebekah and me.
"Bell bottoms and disco? I don't know, this just seemed cooler." Matt admitted, and I privately agreed with him. I had seen one too many episodes of TV shows like The Brady Bunch and The Love Boat to develop a healthy dislike for the decade. Rebekah had a smug little smirk on her face.
"See? It's just cooler."
Caroline just eyed Rebekah and Matt with disgust, and then at me with suspicion and I just shrugged helplessly, unable to wade in to help her.
"Whatever. Have fun at your stupid dance." Caroline snapped, before walking away from the cafeteria with Matt chasing after her. I turned and looked at Rebekah with disapproval.
"Was that entirely necessary?" I demanded, folding my arms across my chest. "I'll be right back to help you with those tables." I promised, tiredly. I followed Matt outside to where he was talking to Caroline outside her car. I paused, waiting for their conversation to cease before making my way over to make sure Caroline was alright too.
"Hey Grace." Matt greeted me awkwardly as he walked past on the way back into the cafeteria. I nodded and continued to where Caroline was watching us both, as she prepared to leave.
"Caroline don't take what Rebekah has done to heart. She does mean to do what she did, but it's because she's used to getting her own way." I explained to her. "Not that I'm justifying her actions—"
"Don't worry about it, Grace." Caroline interrupted me, smiling a little. "I have somewhere else I have to be anyway." She waved away my excuses, and I was immediately intrigued.
"Really? What's going on?" I asked, curiously.
A shy, but excited little smile spread across Caroline's face.
"A friend of mine is coming back to town tonight. I'm traveling now to go and meet up with them." She explained vaguely. It only took me a few seconds to work out what she meant by that.
"Oh, I see. A private rendezvous?" I pried but Caroline remained mum. "I get it. It's none of my business, but be careful. Okay?" I made her promise.
"You too. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Caroline gets into her car and honks her horn at me before tearing out of the student carpark and disappearing down the road.
I sighed, before turning on my heel and walking back towards the cafeteria, trying to sort out in my head who Caroline could be meeting up with, and how Rebekah probably wanted the tables to look like when I got back there to tackle the task.
If Kol and Jeremy had left almost immediately after Nik made up that plan a few hours ago, it would have taken them approx. three hours to beat Damon and Elena – if Damon, made Elena stall for an hour or so before leaving, which I could totally see him doing, just to spite her – to Denver. I just hoped that they would return in one piece, and not with limbs missing or even not at all.
Everything was winding down, and most of the students had already left for home, leaving only Rebekah, Matt, myself, and a few stragglers behind to clean up. I was in the process of tying a trash bag up so it could be taken to the skip out back, when my phone suddenly started ringing.
Sheesh, I'm very popular tonight... I mused as I paused, straightening up and pulled my phone out from my skirt pocket to peer at the caller ID.
"So, how'd it go?" I questioned, jamming the phone between my shoulder and my cheek as I double-knotted the trash bag.
"So far, so good. That bloody doppelgänger is still a piece of work, and she's got a mouth on her." Kol responded casually, as I heard traffic going by in the background. I frowned, wondering where he, Jeremy and Damon had gone.
"Were you expecting anything less?" I asked, straightening up and taking a seat at one of the newly decorated tables. "Where are you anyway? Rebekah pulled me away before I could hear the details of Nik's plan." I pried, eagerly.
"Something called a 'batting cage'." Kol responded, and I heard him wheeze a little, which concerned me. "Apparently, Little Gilbert had told his sister that he spent his time at batting cages during those phone calls they exchanged to appease Elena, so it seemed a good place to 'meet up'."
"Are you alright? You sound like you're struggling a bit." I asked, concerned.
"Damon staked me with a broken baseball bat. I only just woke up a few minutes ago." Kol responded, sounding slightly ticked off.
"Oh, don't tell me you idiots finally came to blows." I groaned. "I knew I should've come with you lot."
"Relax, Darling. It's all part of the plan, unfortunately." Kol explained, grumbling. "I'm just about to set off to take care of the next part of the plan."
"What part of the plan?" I asked, nervously.
Kol chuckled softly.
"Never you mind, dear. Suffice it to say, it'll be a lot harder for that bitch and her hangers on to figure out that her beloved – and rather pathetic – Stefan is linked to Nik's bloodline, when I'm through." Kol reassured me, and I reluctantly nodded.
"I'll take your word for it. Just be careful, alright? I don't want to lose another brother." I urged, and once again Kol laughed.
"I wouldn't dream of it, pet. We'll still have lots of time to catch up with each other once Nik gets back all those White Oak Stakes." He promised. "I have to go now. Be a good girl now." Kol teased, and I smirked, shaking my head.
"Bugger off, Kol." I hung up cutting off the strains of Kol's laughter down the line. Rebekah walks back into the cafeteria, minus Matt whom had left roughly the same time as she did a few minutes earlier. "Hey, where'd Matt disappear off to?" I asked her, standing up from the table and reaching over to pick up the trash bags.
"Home." Rebekah replied dismissively. "He did offer to take us back to the Mansion, but I declined."
I smiled, "That was nice of him."
Rebekah fell into step with me as I headed for the cafeteria entrance, frowning at me curiously.
"So, what did Kol want?" Rebekah questioned curiously. I frowned a little.
"Bloody vampire hearing." I grumbled. "Your brother was just checking in, giving us the heads up on what's going on in Denver with Jeremy and your sainted boyfriend/my best friend." I replied. "Apparently, Damon staked him with a broken baseball bat."
Rebekah immediately looked at me, dismayed.
"He did WHAT?"
"All apart of the plan supposedly, since you dragged me away before I could learn exactly what it entailed." I reassured her, slightly bitter. Rebekah nodded, still looking a little pissed; but I wasn't sure at whom the anger was directed towards. I walked towards the almost overflowing skip and tossed in the bag. "So ready to head back?"
"Yes. We still need to get ready for the dance tomorrow night." Rebekah replied, like it should've been obvious.
I looked at her in alarm.
"We?" I blurted out.
"Yes we, Grace." Rebekah responded haughtily.
I glowered at her.
"Uh, Bekah. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little too old to be a bloody high schooler. I'd much rather stay at home and curl up on the couch or in Nik's bed and watch movies." I protested. "Bonus if Nik decides to stay with."
"Well too bad. I've already signed you up as a chaperone." Rebekah retorted, as we paused at the passenger and driver seats of my car.
"Again? But Damon already forced me to go to the Decade Dance last year when Nik was stalking Elena. I don't want to go through all that again." I moaned.
Rebekah wrinkled her nose like she had smelt something foul.
"Do not whine, Grace. It's unattractive. Besides, why should you miss out on experiencing the Jazz Age." Rebekah scolded me, while I still looked unconvinced. "Think of what you could be missing out on: the glamour, the rebellious atmosphere, the music." Then a sly smirk spread across her lovely face that made me wary. "Would you go if I could convince Nik to come along too?"
I paused and thought back to the black-and-white photograph of Nik and Stefan I remembered seeing at Gloria's last summer in Chicago, and a small smile spread across my face. They looked like they were having so much fun; if you ignored the bloody backstory that went along with it and their narrow escape from Mikael that ruined it all.
I caved.
"Fine. I concede." I agreed reluctantly.
"Knew you'd see it my way." Rebekah stated, smugly.
"But I don't own a flapper dress." I pointed out. Rebekah waved a careless hand.
"I've got that covered. We've just got to convince Nik first." She reassured me, as we both slid into my car and I turned on the engine.
"I don't think you'll have to twist his arm much. It's his favorite era." I reminded her.
"I know. But my brother can be incredibly stubborn when it comes to doing something I want to do. It might go smoother if he knew you were involved." Rebekah stated confidently.
"Thanks. No pressure." I scoffed, as I pulled out of the parking spot and out of the school grounds towards the mansion.
Mikaelson Mansion
Late Afternoon.
Call me paranoid, but the entire trip back to the mansion, I could swear that something horrible was about to happen. The bad feeling that I generally associated with my seldom seen sixth sense – thanks to my Medium abilities - did not cease even as I turned my car into the driveway, and all the way up towards the double front doors when Rebekah suddenly turned to me looking both suspicious and puzzled about something.
"What's on your mind, sis?" I questioned Rebekah who frowned contemplatively at me.
"I think Matt is hiding something from me." Rebekah responded and I mentally groaned wishing that I hadn't said anything.
"What makes you suspect that?" I asked, unbuckling my belt and turning off the ignition.
Rebekah shrugged. "He was being too nice to me."
I blinked, "And that's a bad thing?"
"Well, first he tells me to leave him alone after I went to apologize to him after Kol broke his hand during the ball." Rebekah told me.
"Uh-huh."
"But then, he suddenly turns around and offers to help with the dance and defends me against Caroline. I don't buy it." She insists.
"Buy what?" I asked, confused. "A boy is going out of his way to be nice to someone he considers a friend. Alert the media." I responded, sarcastically. Rebekah just looks at me, unamused, before ignoring what I said and continues her rant.
"But that whole gentlemanly thing, after everything we've put him through. What is he up to?" Rebekah insists, and I let out a patient sigh as we got out of the car.
"Maybe nothing, Bex. Maybe there is no ulterior motive, and he was just being a nice guy because he is one. Guys generally don't have to have a reason to be one unless they are dickheads." I suggested to her. "Trust me on this; I've seen my fair share of those types before I returned here." I shuddered at the memories as my sister remained silent, deep in thought.
Eventually she smiled, content with whatever decision she had come to.
"You're right." Rebekah agreed and I smiled fondly at her.
"First time for everything." I teased.
"I'm probably gonna reorganize the whole dance and compel myself a date." She stated, somewhat upbeat. I snorted and started making my way towards the front doors.
"That's the spirit. Although, I don't think you'll necessarily need to compel yourself a date. Damon loves to dance, so you shouldn't have any trouble with that." I reminded her.
I fumbled with my keys trying to find the right one before eventually making it inside and shrugging off my coat. My intention was to head upstairs to unearth my laptop from wherever I had put it in Nik's room, to look up YouTube for a simple way of transforming my hair into the 1920s style. However, I paused, noticing somebody standing in front of the fireplace in the living room, with their back to us.
I looped my jacket over my arm and nudged Rebekah lightly in the ribs to grab her attention.
"Hey, Bex. Were we expecting company?" I asked her, and she frowned, on her guard.
"Nik didn't mention anyone. Why do you ask?"
"Because there's someone in the living room, standing near the fireplace." I said, pointing in the general direction of the room. Rebekah turned to look and immediately started walking there, indicating for me to stand behind her for protection as we both went to investigate. "Sorry, who are you and what are you doing trespassing in our home?" I called out to the stranger in a firm, stern tone.
The person turned to face us both, and both Rebekah and I gasped in shock.
"Mother." Rebekah breathed.
Seriously? The universe can go and get fucked!
My sister immediately blurs over to Esther and seizes her by her throat, shoving her up against the wall beside the fireplace.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." She demands to her mother, who calmly looks at both of us with a seemingly sorrowful expression on her careworn face. She did not even flinch with Rebekah's grip around her throat like any other sane person would have, which rang a lot of alarm bells.
"Because I'm dying." Esther responded.
I resisted the urge to snort at that response.
"I should say so. You have been prolonging the inevitable for nearly a thousand years. Why fight it?" I drawled, remembering back once again to Gloria who told Stefan when he questioned why she was still alive, that she had been using herbs and spells to delay the natural course of life. Perhaps Esther had been probably using the same technique?
Rebekah's eyes narrowed. "How are you dying? I thought Ayana preserved your body with a spell."
Esther nodded, confirming what Rebekah had said.
"She did. I'm drawing my power from the Bennett witch line. When Abby died the connection was severed. So, my body has weakened." Esther explained. Rebekah and I exchanged unsympathetic glances between us.
"If you are looking for sympathy from any of us, you've come to the wrong people." I declared, throwing my coat over the back of one of the sofas. "You lost that right when you tried to kill your children and thousands of other vampires in the process."
"I agree. If you've come to spend your last moments with your loving daughter, prepare to be disappointed. You should have spent less time plotting my death." Rebekah added, spitefully.
Esther had the cheek to look scandalized by our words.
"Is that what you think I've been doing on the other side?" Esther questioned Rebekah, ignoring me completely which infuriated me to no end. "I've been looking over you for a thousand years. Of joy and heartbreak. Your fights with Klaus, the nights you cried yourself to sleep calling out my name." I looked at her with disgust. "Not a day has gone by that I wasn't right there with you."
That was the biggest form of low that Esther could fall; using the supposed mother-child bond that she shared with Rebekah to gain brownie points with her daughter. Too little, too late as far as I was concerned. Fortunately, Rebekah wasn't fooled either.
"And yet you tried to kill me, and tortured Grace as well." My sister pointed out, and finally Esther turned her attention towards me.
She grimaced.
"Grace was a necessary victim in my plans, dear." Esther protested her innocence and winced when Rebekah tightened her grip on her mother's throat in retaliation.
"Thanks for the warning." I spat angrily, absently rubbing my forehead from the phantom pain left over from Esther's whammy.
"It shouldn't have been a thousand years, Rebekah." Esther croaked underneath the pressure Bekah was putting on her throat in her anger and feelings of betrayal. "No one should live that long."
I walked over and got into Esther's face, just barely holding back my anger.
"Well, you should have thought about that when you first cursed your children into becoming vampires!" I growled.
Rebekah looked sorrowful.
"And besides mother, I haven't lived at all." She reminded Esther, who reaches up and takes her daughter's hands and starts shaking.
"I'm sorry, Rebekah. I'm so sorry." Esther whispers before falling to the ground, dead. Both Rebekah and I stare down at Esther in horror and confusion.
"What the hell just happened?" I demanded, as we both kneel beside Esther's body, at a loss at what to do next. Nik chooses that moment to walk into the room. He takes one look at his mother's body and then at us before a stony expression spreads across his face.
"What's going on?" He asks.
Rebekah looks up at her brother with a perplexed, but also saddened look on her face. "She's dead."
I immediately straighten up from my crouch and raked a hand through my hair, as I start chuckling humorlessly.
"I fail to see the humor in all of this, sweetheart." Nik narrows his eyes at me, while Rebekah continues looking contemplatively at Esther.
"I agree. But I think I've reached my limit for today. This is way too weird." I declared before turning on my heel and heading for the door leading to the foyer. Nik immediately steps into my path.
"Where are you going, love?" He questions me, and I purse my lips, pretending to give my answer some serious thought.
"I'm headed for the kitchen for a very stiff drink, and then I'm going upstairs to our bedroom for some solitude for a while." I replied, moving to step around him. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough as Nik gently but insistently grabs my arm, pulling me to a stop.
"I'll oblige you on the stiff drink, darling." Nik agrees, steering me over to the sofa and pushing me down on it, before striding over to the wet bar and pouring himself and me a drink. "But you're not going anywhere right now." He stated, handing me the glass.
I glowered at him, "Why not?"
"Because you, Rebekah and I still have a job to do." Nik explained.
"We do, huh?" I muttered, feeling annoyed. "What exactly is my role in this 'job' we're doing, Nik?"
"Nothing in particular. I'm very close to finding out where Alaric has hidden the last White Oak Stake. Just waiting on Stefan to fulfil his task." Nik responded, as Rebekah rose to her feet and came over to stand by my side, looking intently at her brother. I frowned in confusion. "But until it is located, you're not leaving my side. I want you to be protected." Nik insisted and I groaned.
"Not exactly defenseless, honey." I pointed out, indicating towards my vervain-wolfsbane laced dagger that I always kept on my person since arriving in this goddamned town.
He scowled at me, "I don't care."
I sighed.
"What exactly did you get up to while Bekah and I were turning the school cafeteria into a speakeasy?" I questioned, casually.
"I paid a visit to the Salvatore's." Nik replied, breezily. "I thought that my presence there, might provide a bit of persuasion." I covered up my urge to snort, by raising my glass to my lips to take a sip. Most likely, Nik's presence was more of a hindrance and had them quaking in their boots than providing motivation.
"When I got there however, I found Stefan interrogating Alaric about the location of that bloody stake … and taking their sweet time about it."
"Well, what did you expect exactly? They're both as stubborn as the other." I spoke, coughing a little due to the slight burn the scotch Nik had given me supplied. "How did you speed things up?"
"Simple. I snapped Alaric's neck. They required him to be unconscious to get anything out of him. I trust that'll hurry things along, don't you?" Nik stated, pointedly.
"And then some." I drawled, smiling a little. "But then, you've always been incredibly impatient, Nik, so I'm not really surprised."
"It's one of his fatal flaws." Rebekah stated, sarcastically. Nik ignored her, extending his hand towards me to help me off the couch.
"Shall we head off and see the progress then?" Nik inquired and I knocked back the remainder of my drink and accepted his hand up.
"Sure. I can surf the web later." I said, scooping up my coat from the back of the sofa and shrugging it on.
I followed Nik and Rebekah out of the living room when my phone started shrilly ringing. Without blinking an eye, I reached into my pocket and glanced at the caller ID, frowning at my mystery caller.
"Jeremy?" Both Nik and Rebekah turned to look at me curiously, the second I blurted out the teenager's name. "Is it safe to be calling me right now?" I asked, mildly concerned.
"It was actually Damon's idea. He's attempting to distract Elena, while also keeping a 'lookout' for Kol so he doesn't 'kill-us-in-our-sleep'." Jeremy wearily responded, sounding somewhat fed up. "That's a direct quote from Elena, by the way."
I glanced at my phone exasperatedly, as I looked over and noticed Nik smirking, probably at the expression on my face; and Rebekah rolling her eyes and flouncing outside to wait by the car for us.
"So why aren't you sleeping then?" I asked, waving away an impatient Nik who was gesturing for me to leave, and brushed past him outside towards his expensive 2012 black Audi that Rebekah was leaning against looking bored.
"Couldn't sleep. Plus, I'm waiting for this Rose chick Damon described to me to re-appear, so she can tell us where her sire currently lives." Jeremy yawned.
"Ah, they've got you playing Ghost Whisperer. Don't envy you that task." I hummed sympathetically.
"And at the same time, I'm texting Kol. I think he's having way too much fun with this whole thing, he's kinda freaking me out."
Nik snorted with dark amusement as he unlocked his car, having heard exactly what Jeremy had just said, and I threw him a warning glare as I slid in beside him in the passenger seat, while Rebekah took a seat in the back.
"Don't let Kol know that. He'll continue doing it just to get a rise outta you for kicks." I suggested, chuckling a little at the memories of Kol deliberately being a pain in my ass when we were playing as children, only backing off whenever Mikael made an appearance. "Look, if he's freaking you out, why don't you have a quiet conversation with Henrik instead to pass the time until Rose comes back?"
"Because he went with Kol instead. Apparently, he wanted to have some bonding time with his brother." Jeremy sounded annoyed. Suddenly, there came a noise that sounded roughly like static, and Jeremy started fumbling with his phone. "Gotta go. Rose just came back. I'll see you back in Mystic Falls." Jeremy suddenly chimed back in and I sighed, part of me wishing that I was there instead.
"Sure. Stay safe." I responded, dully. There was a click from Jeremy's end, and I went to put my phone back into my pocket when I suddenly remembered a question that I wanted to ask. "Oh, damn!" I cursed.
"What's the matter with you?" Rebekah asked. I raked a hand through my hair as Nik sped off down the highway towards town.
"I forgot to ask who Rose's sire was." I responded, slouching down into my seat and staring out of the window.
"Does it matter?"
I turned and looked back at Rebekah, smiling. "There's nothing wrong with being curious, sister. Besides, if anybody would know it could be you two." I pointed out and glanced curiously at Nik. But he shrugged.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you, love. I haven't the faintest idea who could've sired Rose-Marie." He stated, nonchalantly.
"Not even a bit curious?" I asked, and Nik just threw a disinterested look at me, taking his eyes off the road for a split second to do so. "Clearly not." I turned and looked at Rebekah. "How about you? Do you know?"
"Of course not. Why so morbidly curious?" She frowned at me, and I deflated a little and turned away choosing not to respond.
Salvatore Boarding House
Dusk
Nik pulls up to the house and cuts the engine. I immediately unbuckle and move to get out of the car when Nik suddenly reaches over and stops me.
"What?" I asked, alert.
Nik places a finger against his lips and inclines his head, indicating that he was listening in to something that only he and Rebekah could hear.
Sometimes I hated that I didn't have super-hearing. It would make life so much easier and I wouldn't have to rely on my vampire family members to translate for me. Suddenly, Nik smirked and turned to look at both his sister and me, triumphantly.
"Seems like my little act of persuasion has finally paid off." Nik announced and I looked at him blankly, as Rebekah rolled her eyes and got out of the car, already heading straight for the front doors.
"What do you mean?" I asked, cautiously. Nik merely waited until I got out of the car before closing it and wrapping his arm around my waist as he and I walked unhurriedly inside.
"Stefan's interrogating the history teacher down in that basement dungeon." Rebekah reported from where she was perching on one of the brother's sofas. "But he's being a stubborn ass."
"Which one?" I grinned, earning an amused chuckle from Nik and a raised eyebrow from Rebekah, which earned one from me in return.
Not even a tiny smirk? I eyed my sister slightly suspiciously as I wondered over to the basement door, which had been left open ajar, and as quietly as I could manage it, opened it all the way so the cavernous staircase could bounce back the shouting match currently underway out of sight.
"Careful, love." Nik warned, standing not too far from where I was squatting beside the door listening in, so I could gain an understanding about why I was here. Presumably in case one of them got wise to my unwanted eavesdropping and decided to attack, then he'd blur me away to safety. I nodded at him reassuringly as I focused on the conversation taking place downstairs:
The meaty thudding sound of flesh meeting flesh followed by a pained grunt was heard.
"You're not putting enough into this." Alaric's voice drifted up from below.
"If I put any more into it, I'm gonna break your spine." Stefan retorts, before he punches Alaric again and I turned and looked questioningly at Nik for an explanation. Infuriatingly, my fiancé avoided eye contact.
"Well don't back down now." Alaric encouraged him.
"No, no, no, no, no! I can't… the blood." Stefan was panicking, and I blanched mostly because Alaric had beaten enough that he was bleeding, and because he was currently trapped in a room with one door, with a stubborn vampire who was notorious for his status as a ripper.
I heard an unimpressed snort and glanced over to see Nik rolling his eyes at Stefan's whinging about blood.
"What a waste." Nik mused sounding irritated, and I could not help but agree (except for the ripper part). Stefan did make a lousy vampire. Sighing, I turned my attention back to the basement.
"Come on, you're past that." Alaric pointed out.
"No, I'm not."
Alaric sighs in frustration, "Then use it! Give into it!" He growled. "Try and kill me, Stefan. Come on!" He shouted and my eyes widened in horror.
"Not like this, Alaric." Stefan insisted.
"Yes! Like this. You're gonna have to want to kill me for me to believe that you will." Alaric retorted. I couldn't help but feel confused; why would killing or attempting to kill Alaric give us the information we needed to find out where the last White Oak Stake resided?
"If I go this far, I may not be able to stop." Stefan argued, fiercely.
"If you want the answers from my darkest side, you're gonna have to tap into yours." Alaric insisted. "So, don't back down, don't fight it. Just do it." There was silence for several seconds as Stefan hesitates. "Do it!" Alaric yells impatiently. I jumped and got to my feet when I heard a loud crash, and immediately felt Nik's hand wrap securely around my wrist; ready to move at a moment's notice.
Very dark laughter echoed up from the basement, making my blood run cold and goosebumps rise on my skin. Nik's grip tightened, and I glanced at him. He was frowning and looking extremely wary.
"You're so weak." My head snapped back to the basement when I heard Alaric's mocking voice. "Look at you, one of nature's most hideous creatures and you can't even get that right."
"Nik?" I whispered, fearfully.
"I'm here, baby. Don't worry, I'll protect you." Nik whispers back soothingly, gently tugging me towards him. I glanced over his shoulder and saw Rebekah standing in the doorway, looking stern, as she frowned in the direction of the basement as well.
"You." Stefan sounded shocked. I could clearly picture Alaric standing in front of Stefan with a shit-eating smirk on his face when he responds with:
"Me."
"Where's the stake?" Stefan immediately demands, getting straight to the point. Alaric responds with a dark chuckle.
"You're worse than I ever was." He muses. "Spineless, pathetic."
"Tell me where the stake is before I kill you." Stefan orders. But it seems to fall of deaf ears as Alaric's evil alter-ego continues to taunt him.
"You know you're all gonna burn. Ashes to dust." Alaric taunts, and I flinched when I hear Stefan start whaling on him.
"Where's the stake!?" Stefan roars, and in a blink of an eye I find myself in the living room, seated neatly on Nik's lap, with Rebekah sitting beside us on the sofa. I look at Nik questioningly, but he aims a warning look at me not to speak and I have no choice but to keep my mouth shut, as I wait to see what happens next.
I did not have to wait for very long before a decidedly evil yet triumphant smile spreads across Nik's face as he casually reaches up and starts playing with a tendril of my hair through his fingers. Stefan walks into the living room a few minutes later, texting on his phone and freezes when he sees the three of us waiting for him.
"That wasn't too hard, was it?" Nik greets Stefan, who scowls at him. I let out a startled yell when my phone suddenly vibrates, and I squirm unpleasantly on Nik's lap as I grope around my skirt pocket for my phone and yank it free. Nik lays a hand on my knee, drawing my attention. "Everything alright, Grace?"
I smile sheepishly at him, as I stand up from his lap and smooth down my skirt in the process.
"I just got a call. I forgot that I put my phone on vibrate earlier." I responded and slid my thumb across the screen to type in my password. "Do excuse me. I will just check who it was. Carry on." I insisted and trotted towards the front doors and outside, ignoring Stefan's suspicious eyes following me.
Outside, I access my missed calls and scowled in annoyance when I saw Kol's name. I immediately dial his number and put it to my ear; aware that two vampires and a hybrid were within earshot. Nik and Rebekah would most likely distract Stefan long enough to avoid him listening in on my conversation with Kol. But just to be safe, I decided to take a short walk up to the end of the Salvatore's driveway.
Hopefully, that was far enough away to avoid unwanted eavesdroppers.
"Hello, darling. Miss me?" Kol's cocky voice answers and I snorted.
"Desperately. What's up?" I got straight to the point, not that I was in any rush to get back inside the house. It was probably slightly safer for me to be out here rather in the path of Alaric's homicidal alter-ego, and my best friend's highly strung-out baby brother.
"Just letting you know that I've accomplished what I've come here for and that I'm on my way back." Kol responded, sounding rather proud of himself.
"What did you just accomplish?" I asked, suspiciously. "And why aren't you telling Nik this yourself?" I added.
"You're more fun to talk to." Kol told me, like I should've known better. I smiled. "I've taken care of some loose ends. Better known as 'Scary' Mary Porter." Kol reported.
"Who or what is 'Scary' Mary Porter?" I eventually asked, not entirely sure I want to know that answer to that question.
Kol chuckled.
"Rose-Marie's sire, dear heart." Kol answered the question I had forgotten to ask Jeremy when he had called. "She was the clue that bitchy, insolent doppelgänger required to figure out which bloodline her beloved Salvatores came from." Kol spat, sounding rather revolted.
"You do realise that one of those brothers is your sister's boyfriend, right?" I scolded him, crossly. I heard Kol snort over the line.
"You do not need to remind me, darling. I always knew my sister's taste in men was foul enough."
"Kol, lay off will you. You should be happy that Rebekah is trying to be happy." I growled in Rebekah's defense. This entire family needed some serious family counselling.
"I'll believe it when I see it, Grace. That's all I can offer you." Kol replied stubbornly. I nodded, recognizing the annoyed tone in Kol's voice that indicated that I needed to move on from the topic quick smart.
"Okay, fine. So why is this Mary person nicknamed 'Scary' Mary anyhow?" I asked curiously, as I turned and strolled back down towards the house; to avoid Nik becoming worried and overly protective.
Kol chuckled, "It's hard to say, plus it's a downright shame. She used to be a blast, so I don't quite know what happened." He mused. "I fear all the time she spent with my family might have ruined her. She was a bit of an Original groupie."
"Oh God, what did you do to that poor girl?" I cried out, cringing at the possibilities I could visualize in my head.
"I rather not say, darling. I don't want to risk dear Niklaus's wrath if you start having nightmares." Kol was quick to respond. "But I do have some pictures I'd like to show you."
My phone beeped in my ear, indicating that I had gotten a text, and I pulled away my phone from my ear to access them. I immediately recoiled in disgust when I saw a rather graphic photo of a red-haired 'young' woman in a bloodied white nightgown impaled through the chest with a wooden baseball bat.
"Kol! Jesus!" I yelled, feeling a little sick. I put the phone back to my ear and bellowed down the line at him. "I'm human, remember! God, when I see you again, I'm gonna beat you to death with my baseball bat!" I vowed, hearing amused laughter down the line.
"I cannot be killed with anything but White Oak, sister. Remember?" Kol sing-songed. "Besides, I'd like to see you try."
I grinned evilly.
"Challenge accepted." I hung up on him and stomped my way back inside only to nearly collide with a beaten and bruised Alaric who was being forcibly escorted outside by Rebekah; he eyed me with interest. "Where are you going?" I asked Rebekah, who smiled at me a little.
"Just a little excavation trip, love. I'll see you later." She promised before grabbing Alaric and blurring away. I walked back inside and was greeted by a mildly concerned Nik who was sipping on some bourbon. Stefan was standing near the fireplace, looking resentful.
"You look pale, sweetheart. Are you feeling alright?" Nik asked me, as I stomped over to the sofa, still shuddering at the picture Kol sent me.
"Nothing that alcohol can't cure. I'm just plotting how best to torture Kol for grossing me out with this photo. No biggy." I responded, holding out my phone for Nik to see. Nik wondered over and took my phone studying 'Scary' Mary's desiccated corpse for himself.
"So I see." Nik responded, amused. He looks up at Stefan looking smug. "Photo evidence. You see, I knew about your brother's little mission to Denver, and judging by this photo my brother so generously sent to Grace; he failed." He handed me back my phone.
"So, what are you gonna do now, Klaus? You gonna kill me?" Stefan asked as he watched him walk back over to fix me a drink.
"I haven't actually decided yet." Nik responded, handing me the glass and taking a seat beside me. I automatically shuffled closer and leaned my head against his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and I shoved my phone into my purse and zipped it shut.
"Aww, sure you have." Stefan disagreed. "See you've had every chance and every excuse imaginable to do it, but yet you haven't. Which means you don't want to."
Nik takes a lengthy sip from his bourbon before responding.
"You know something, you're right. You see, I'm still waiting for my old friend to come back. By the looks of it, he's just beneath the surface. Waiting to come out and play. Isn't that right, Ripper?" Nik taunted him.
Stefan looked like he wanted to punch something, specifically Nik.
"I've been fighting that part of myself, thinking that if I repressed it then it would go away. But it won't. And now that I've accepted it, it can't control me. And neither can you." Stefan declared. "So, unless you're gonna stake me, why don't you and your fiancée get the hell out of my house?" Stefan immediately leaves the room.
We waited several minutes before I turned towards Nik and placed a hand on his knee.
"Well, that went well." I stated cheerfully, as I drained the rest of my glass and put it on the coffee table. I stood up from the sofa. "Shall we?" I invited Nik, who raised an eyebrow at me before shrugging and following suit.
"What's the rush?" He asked, taking my outstretched hand, and letting me guide him from the house.
"I've got a revenge to plot." I stated, smirking a little as I tried to remember where I stashed the baseball bat Henrik used to clean Mikael's clock.
A/N: Hope you have enjoyed this extra lengthy chapter I created for you to make up for my absence since August last year. I'm definitely looking forward to what I can come up with for the next chapter. Please review as always and see ya next time.
TTFN xx