Disclaimer: I only own my OCs
A/N: This was quite an emotional chapter for me to write due to stuff happening in my personal life. This chapter drops a hint as to something that happens in the future while also focusing on some relationship bonding. Which is always nice to have :)
XXX
Waking up on my window seat, fully dressed, with my shoes still on was a weird experience. Even when I used to get absolutely sloshed, I never woke up like that. But it wasn't even the scariest part. Nope, the scariest part was the fact that I didn't remember going to sleep last night. Nor did I remember getting changed into these clothes.
I remembered up until Damon leaving. He had wanted to spend the night with me. But had to go and deal with Stefan. My boyfriend had been plotting and had undaggered Elijah before giving him back to Klaus. And he was due to be meeting him in the morning. Stefan wasn't entirely on-board with the plan. So in order to make sure that his unstable brother didn't screw anything up, Damon reluctantly tucked me into bed before leaving.
I sighed as I slipped off my shoes, bringing my knees up to my chest. The blackouts were getting worrying. I knew that I should tell someone about them, but I was too scared. I didn't know what was causing them, but the most likely possibility was that I was sick. Like really sick. And I didn't want to face that thought.
Resting my head against my knees, I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. I missed the old days, when life was simpler. When all we had to worry about was tomb vampires and Katherine and whether Damon was going to eat the swim team. But now we had Originals and hybrids and mysterious blackouts to worry about.
I heard the front door open and close, and glanced out the window. Elena set off jogging down the street. At least some things never changed. I knew that a morning jog helped to destress my sister. And after the past few of days that we had had, she deserved some time to destress.
While I had the opportunity, I figured I would use her shower to clean myself off. With Jeremy in Denver, it was free while she was gone. I brushed my hair before carefully unwinding the bandages that Meredith had applied last night. My wrists were still tender, as was the cut on my forehead, but I wasn't going to sacrifice a shower to spare myself a bit of pain.
I scrubbed myself clean in the shower, the hot water helping to relax my tense muscles. I picked away dried blood from under my nails. I assumed that it was from my injuries yesterday, which was weird as I thought I had washed the blood off before I went to bed. But I guess I must have missed some.
I watched as the water turned red for a moment before going clear again. It was weird, how used I was to seeing my shower water turn red. But at least it was just for a moment this time. The last time I had to deal with this, was when the hybrid douche decided that it would be fun to play stab the twin.
I shook my head, removing those thoughts. I had done so well in not breaking down, thanks to Damon forcing me to actually confront what happened. I didn't want to ruin that on the one morning that I couldn't summon him to my side. Not even I was that stupid. So I deliberately pushed it from my mind, poured some extra soap on my hand and scrubbed away the bad thoughts.
One thing that I missed about my short hair was how easy it was to wash and dry. Don't get me wrong, I loved my longer hair. Mainly because it felt so good when Damon ran his fingers through it, but it was a bit of a chore. But I didn't feel like cutting it short again. When I did it last time, I was in the mind frame of needing a big change, to do something different to help me feel in control again. I don't need that now. Even if things did feel like shit sometimes.
Once I was done with the shower, I retreated back to my bedroom. It had started getting cold enough that Jenna had agreed to put the heating on in the mornings and evenings. A part of her decision was because she was fed up with me moaning about being cold. It wasn't my fault, I hated being cold. It sucked.
So, still wrapped up in my towel, I sat down in front of my radiator. It was something that I used to do a lot when I was younger, especially if I had time to kill. I would sit in front of my radiator after a shower, letting it warm my cooling skin. It was nice doing it again. Things had been so rushed and hectic lately, that being able to just chill in front of the beautiful heat machine felt relaxing.
Of course, that didn't mean that I wasn't aware of the supernatural bullshit that was still brewing in the background. Which was why I texted Damon, wishing him luck with Elijah and telling him to reach out of he needed help. While I waited for a potential response, I held my hands up in front of the radiator, enjoying the warmth it emitted.
I knew that my peace wouldn't last for long. Soon enough, I would have to get changed and dry my hair, getting ready for the day. I didn't know what it would hold, other than going to the hospital with Caroline. Her dad had been attacked by Tyler last night. He was being forced to turn, in order to break the sire bond. But the chains had been too weak. And Bill Forbes had been attacked.
Meredith had saved him with vampire blood, so we were going to go pick him up with our friend. It was the least that we could do, considering Tyler was turned as a warning to all of us for interfering with his nefarious plots and plans.
My eyes were drawn downwards when my phone buzzed against the carpet. Damon had replied, in his usual fashion
'I'll be careful if you are too.'
The little turd.
XXX
Once I had wasted as much time as possible, I got myself ready and went searching for coffee. I didn't drink as much as I used to, when I was going through that dark period. But I still enjoyed my morning cup. And apparently, I wasn't the only one.
Jenna and Ric were also in the kitchen, mugs in front of them. They both looked awful, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the sight. They used to hide when they looked as bad as they do now. But now that the youngest was gone, they didn't feel the need to hide it.
"Morning," I drawled, smirking at the dirty look that Jenna gave me. Behind me, I heard the front door open and close. I knew that it was just Elena returning home from her jog. I walked over to the coffee pot, pouring a drink for me and one for my sister.
"Thought we had aspirin," Ric groaned, his hands covering his face. I snorted in laughter as Elena walked up beside me. Exchanging a particular evil look with her, I passed her over her drink. I knew that she would put some milk and sugar in hers, but I was content to take mine black this morning.
"They're behind the vitamins," my sister laughed, placing her mug to the side to grab the apparently much needed pain killers. At the pitiful look from my aunt, I sighed dramatically and got them glasses of water to take the tablets with. A part of me wondered how long they had been sat there, suffering, until we appeared.
"What happened to you two?" my sister frowned as we gave out the pills and water.
Jenna winced, gesturing for her to keep her voice down, "Inside voices, please."
Oh Jenna. How naïve. As if we would be that kind. So I just snorted, pointing to the nearly empty bottle of whiskey and glasses that were poorly hidden behind the fruit bowl.
"They overindulged," I rolled my eyes, taking the empty glasses and refilling the coffee mugs. "So I wouldn't be as sympathetic as you were thinking of being, Elena."
"After last night, it just felt like a good idea," Jenna groaned, rubbing her eyes and running a hand through her messy hair.
"It always feels like a good idea at the time," I pointed out, trying to hide my evil glee at the situation. No lectures for me if I get drunk. Not after this. "But you always regret it the next morning."
That was something that I was well acquainted with. Hangovers were a bitch. And you always swore that you would never drink again when you suffered from one. But then you forgot about the pain and just started drinking again a little while after.
"What got you two drinking, anyway?" Elena asked, moving to stand next to me, leaning against the kitchen island.
"Alexa getting injured last night was the last straw for me," our aunt sighed and I winced guiltily. This was why I never told anyone about my injuries. I never wanted them to worry. To suffer because I had done something stupid and gotten hurt. "I just needed to escape it. And Ric had the bottle. So…"
"You drank your troubles away," I finished for her nodding. And didn't that sound painfully familiar. It had been a while since I had last done that. But you never forgot that need to do so. That desperate feeling, that desperate need, to just be numb to everything.
Before anyone could say anything else, the doorbell rang, surprising us all. It was rare that someone just dropped by. And if they did, it was someone who just walked inside. So the fact that someone was ringing the doorbell at this time in the morning was not a good sign.
After exchanging glances with everyone, Ellie went to go answer. I tagged along, curious as to what was happening, and eager to protect her if it was someone evil. Because evil did sometimes have manners. Especially in this messed up town.
But it wasn't evil. It was Sheriff Forbes.
"Sheriff Forbes, hi," my sister greeted her slowly, glancing over at me. The identity of the mystery visitor must have caught the attention of the adults in the kitchen, as they soon made an appearance. "Is everything okay?"
While we all piled out onto the porch, I couldn't take my eyes off of the plastic bag in the sheriff's hand. It held a bloody stake within it. And the sight of it just filled me with dread. I didn't know why, but it unnerved me to the point where I just didn't want to look at it.
"This is an unconventional conversation we're about to have," Sheriff Forbes' sighed, shaking her head as she glanced between us. "So I hope you'll protect me on it."
"Of course," Ric immediately nodded as I wrapped an arm around my twin's shoulders. I didn't care that she was all sweaty from her job. I just needed the comfort from her touch.
"I assume that you all heard that our medical examiner was murdered the night of the Wickery Bridge fundraiser," the sheriff started slowly and that uneasy feeling in my stomach grew.
"Brian Walters," Jenna nodded with a frown. "Why?"
"We've been investigating," Sheriff Forbes sighed, holding up the evidence bag in her hands. My gaze was once again drawn to it and I felt sick to my stomach at the sight of the blood. "Someone drove this stake through his heart."
There was silence for a moment, as we all stared at the stake. It wasn't until Ric spoke that I realised why it was so familiar. And why it made my skin crawl.
"That's one of ours," the man said, exchanging a look with Jenna. "This is one of a set from the lake house."
"That's why I'm here," Sheriff Forbes nodded. "I haven't told anyone but forensics ran it for prints and found only one clean set." I froze where I stood when Caroline's mom looked at me with regretful eyes. "Yours."
I just stared at her with wide eyes as my sister whispered, "What?"
XXX
The first thing that I did was call Damon. He had gone to the crime scene. He knew the details. And he knew me. Besides, just speaking to him helped me to feel calm. And after what I just found out, I needed to feel calm.
"Hey, how's your morning going?" I greeted him when he picked up the call, trying not to sound too manic. My heart was going into overdrive as my mind refused to settle on a single thought. I was going into panic mode. And I wasn't quite sure how to stop it. "Can't be better than mine. I just found out that my fingerprints are the only clean set on the medical examiner's murder weapon."
"Now that is an interesting turn of events," Damon mused, but I could hear the worry hidden in his voice. Was someone trying to set me up? Deep down, I couldn't help but think about the blackouts that I had been having. I had been losing time. And it had been going on for quite some time. Was it actually possible that I had killed Brian Walters? "And I thought that dealing with grumpy Stefan would be the biggest issue that I had this morning."
"Give me grumpy Stefan over this any day of the week," I snorted, covering my eyes with one hand. When we returned inside after Sheriff Forbes left, Jenna had forced me to sit at the dining table. Jenna was on one side, while Elena bustled around making more coffee for everyone. I could feel Ric's worried eyes on me from the side, but I just covered mine and pretended that I was not a murder suspect. Maybe it was fortunate that no one else knew about my blackouts, it meant that no one would take this seriously.
"Wow, you must be stressed. Do you need me to come?" my heart melted as he offered to press pause on his plan to come look after me. Despite the tough guy image that he put out; he really was a bit of a cutie.
"No, it's fine, you're busy," I sighed as Ellie placed a mug of coffee down in front of me. She gestured for me to put the phone on speakerphone. I rolled my eyes as I did as requested. She was so nosey. "This can wait."
"But you're the prime suspect?" my vampire confirmed as I wrapped my hands around my coffee. The warmth from the mug helped warm them, as they had gone cold in shock earlier.
"I mean, in theory, yeah I am. But Sheriff Forbes said that she doesn't think that I did it," I shrugged as Jenna rubbed my back. "She just wants to know why somebody would use one of the Gilbert family weapons to kill a council member."
"Well, why don't you ask Jenna if her naughty little doctor friend had access to the weapons," Damon asked and I snorted at the look on my aunt's face. I knew that she didn't appreciate my vampire's little dig at her lifelong friend. But considering she had blood jacked him yesterday, Damon did have the right to get some sly little digs in.
Unfortunately, Ric didn't share my thinking as he rolled his eyes, "You're on speakerphone, dick."
"I'm just sayin', first suspect's usually the right one. Don't get so defensive," you could sense the shit-eating grin that he had on his face as he said that.
Jenna was content to let Ric handle the vampire while she focused on me. She encouraged me to drink my coffee while she went to get me some food. I watched as she popped bread into the toaster, exchanging a look with Elena as she did so.
"Brian Walters was killed days ago, alright?" Ric shook his head, hands clenching into fists. "We didn't show Meredith the weapons until last night!"
"It wasn't Meredith," Jenna agreed while I stayed silent. As much as I wanted to contribute to the defence of Meredith, I just couldn't get my mind off of the blackouts. The sick feeling that I had in my stomach at the thought of it all forced me to keep quiet.
"But Brian Walters was her ex-boyfriend," Damon kept going, clearly enjoying his theory that Meredith Fell was responsible for the death. "And you both saw them fighting that night."
"It's not Meredith!" Jenna snapped, before taking a deep breath as she placed Nutella covered toast in front of me. "I've known her my entire life, I know that she didn't do this."
But do we truly know those we have grown up with? Everyone has a dark side. Sometimes it just takes something tragic to unveil it.
"Who else knows about your secret little slayer stash?" my boyfriend wisely backed off. He always did when Jenna was involved. He held a level of respect for her that he didn't tend to show to others.
"Who doesn't?" Ric groaned, closing his eyes. "Got weapons everywhere. Here, the school, my loft, your car."
"It's Klaus, it has to be," ah, Damon had a new target. Of course, why we never suspected Klaus, I did not know. He was an obvious choice. "He's screwing with us."
"But why would he kill the medical examiner and then not gloat about it?" I frowned, feeling slightly guilty at poking holes in Damon's theory. "When he kills people, he likes us to know about it."
We mused over that for a second before Ellie slowly said, "What if it was Stefan? He was crazy that night. And you know that he was trying to get underneath Klaus' skin, he was capable of pretty much anything."
That was true. Stefan was unstable that night. He could have killed someone just for looking at him the wrong way.
"Ahh, makes me nostalgic for the time when Stefan was a bunny snacking pacifist, anyway, got to go, you'll know more later."
"Hey, where are you?" Ric asked before Damon could hang up.
"Tea with an old friend," my vampire answered, keeping the mystery alive. I was probably the only person, other than Stefan, who knew what Damon was up to. And I would keep that secret for as long as I needed to.
XXX
Elena still wanted to confront Stefan about the murder. I think having my finger prints on the stake unnerved her. There could have been an innocent explanation. The stakes did belong to our family, so it was only natural that I had handled them at some point. But this felt darker than that. And I knew that I should tell my family about the blackouts and losing time, but I was too scared to. What if they looked at me like I did it? What if they thought that I was a killer?
Since Ellie was intent on confronting Stefan on the way to the hospital. I didn't think that it was a good idea. But my sister was in the mood where she just wouldn't listen to anyone. So I just let her do it. The best that I could do was look after her when it blew up in her face.
I had called Caroline, letting her know that we would be a bit late in meeting her at the hospital, while Elena asked Bonnie if she knew where Stefan was. When Care sounded a bit peeved at our tardiness, I was forced into explaining what we were up to. I didn't want to involve anyone else, but Caroline had an uncanny ability to track down the truth, so she would be able to help us.
Bonnie had revealed that Stefan was going to take her and her mom to the special little cave hidden close to the old Lockwood cellar. Damon had managed to hide the locked coffin there, and the witches were going to try and spell it open. So we drove there and waiting in the cellar. Elena had wanted to confront Stefan further inside, but I had persuaded her to wait in the actual cellar. It was lighter there, and there weren't as many places for Stefan to run away to.
We didn't have to wait long before we caught sight of the younger Salvatore brother. He looked so happy to see us, that he groaned dramatically and rolled his eyes, "What are you doing here?"
Elena held her ground, a firm look on her face, despite the slight narrowing of her eyes, "Bonnie told me that you guys would be here. I need to talk to you."
"Well, there's nothing to talk about," the vampire tried to brush her off, clearly not wanting to talk to my sister after their emotional little confession last night. "I'm just focused on getting this coffin open."
Stefan went to leave when my sister blurted out, "Did you kill the medical examiner?"
He froze for a moment, almost as though he couldn't quite believe what he was being asked. I, too, couldn't quite believe it. But my disbelief was centred around the fact that my idiot sister had just blurted out the question. There was no build-up, no investigating. Just a straight up demand for information.
Stefan slowly turned around and frowned, "Why would you think I did that?"
Elena crossed her arms, a hard look on her face, "Maybe because I don't know what you're capable of anymore."
I tried my hardest not to wince. That was a bit mean. After their admissions to each other yesterday, I thought they were doing a lot better. But clearly not. Elena still had a bee in her bonnet, and Stefan was still a grumpy little douche. Not fun for the person caught between them.
"Well, believe what you want, Elena," the vampire scoffed, shaking his head. My twin's words had affected him, it was easy to see. As much as he didn't want them to.
"I don't want to believe any of it, Stefan," Ellie snapped softly, actually sounding sincere.
"But you had to ask me anyway," Stefan sounded disappointed and I actually winced then. Even after everything, hearing the disappointed tone in Stefan's voice sucked. Like majorly sucked.
Ellie must have realised that she had crossed a line as she winced, "Stefan…"
"Did you ask Damon?" Stefan asked before she could say anything else. He clearly didn't want her sympathy, and he wasn't going to let her give it. "If he killed anybody lately?"
"She didn't need to," I spoke up, when my sister didn't. I kept my voice soft, not wanting to ignite any of the fraying tempers. "He was with me that night. And… he doesn't do that anymore. Not without telling me."
Stefan looked at me, his eyes hard, before turning and walking off. We watched him go, as he didn't look back once, and Ellie called after him. But neither of us expected Stefan to turn back around.
"Well, that went well," I sighed, scuffing my shoe against the floor. I hated being down here. But I couldn't leave until Elena was ready. I couldn't exactly abandon her in this shitty little place.
"Alexa," Ellie glanced over at me with an unimpressed look and I shrugged.
"What? We both know that you could have handled that a lot better," I pointed out, feeling guilty when she winced. "But if it helps, I really don't think that he did it."
"So who did?" my sister let out an exasperated sigh. "Because it couldn't have been Meredith."
"I don't know, Elena," I looked anywhere but my sister's face. "But I don't think we should worry about it. Sheriff Forbes doesn't think that I did it. And I have a pretty good alibi in Damon. It'll just be some stupid coincidence that has no actual impact on us."
"You really believe that?" Ellie looked over at me, forcing me to meet her gaze.
No.
"Yes, I do," I nodded slowly, trying to convince myself too. "Just you wait. It'll turn out to be nothing and in no time, we'll be distracted by vampire drama again courtesy of Klaus."
Elena didn't look convinced, but she let it go. Until we had more information, there was no use worrying about any of it. And I refused to divulge the only bit of information that I knew: that I was losing time. I could actually be a suspect. I just didn't want to admit it.
XXX
We had met Caroline outside the hospital, where she was collecting her dad. She was going to take him home, and considering he had been healed by vampire blood, it was probably the safest thing for him. Elena had asked her to check on Dr Fell. Our blonde friend had impeccable instincts when it came to people. So we trusted her judgement. Especially since she didn't really know Meredith that well. Which gave us an advantage as her judgement wouldn't be clouded.
While Care spoke to Dr Fell about her dad, and just generally assessing her, Elena and I waited further down the corridor. I had argued that it would be smarter to wait outside for Caroline to return. But my stubborn sister wanted to be close by. Why, I didn't know, but I just stayed with her. After all, I had to be there to defend her if she did something stupid.
It wasn't until we heard the familiar clicking of heels that we looked around the corner. Our vampire friend was approaching us, Dr Fell nowhere in sight. There was a slightly worried look on Care's face as she glanced around.
"That was fast," Ellie remarked as the blonde joined us. She didn't stop, instead continuing to walk down the corridor. I exchanged a glance with Elena before we followed. I wondered what Dr Fell had told her, to put Caroline in this weird of a mood. Was it the fact that she was going to take her father home? Or was there more to it?
"Yeah, he's not here," Caroline answered, sounding distracted. "He was already discharged." The blonde shook her head before looking at Elena, "And she seems perfectly nice, by the way. A little intense, maybe. But I think it's sweet that you wanna make sure that Jenna's friend isn't a total psycho."
"She hasn't exhibited any psycho traits over the many years that Jenna has known her," I snorted while Caroline pulled out her phone, dialling her dad's number. If there was something wrong with Meredith, then Jenna would have picked up on it by now. But there had been nothing.
"I don't care, Alexa," Elena sighed, sounding reluctant to get into that again with me. "Jenna's family. I have to look out for her."
I was tempted to continue the discussion, but I left it. It wasn't just for Jenna that I was defending Meredith. I honestly didn't think it was her. Was that because I was scared shitless by my blackouts? Yes. But it didn't matter. Jenna trusted Meredith, and I trusted Jenna's judgement. She had been there for us in our darkest times, it was only fair that we trusted her on this.
We were both quickly distracted by the blonde slowly lowering her phone from her ear, a blank look on her face. But it was her eyes that had my heart clenching. The amount of worry there was unnerving. Caroline had heard something and it wasn't a reassuring sound.
"Care, you okay?" I asked quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder. She glanced over at me with wide eyes before shaking her head.
"I hear it," she revealed softly, cupping her ear and closing her eyes.
"Hear what?" Ellie frowned, glancing over at me as I stared at the vampire.
"My dad's phone," Caroline patted my hand before starting to walk away. We followed her, as she led us down the corridor. I felt my body tense up with worry as she led us down one of the emptier corridors. Care paused then before glancing to the side.
She opened the door to the medical supply room. The blonde didn't even hesitate as she walked in. I quickly followed, before Elena could try and keep me outside 'for my own safety'. I wouldn't abandon my friend. Even though I had absolutely no idea what was going on, I was going to stick with Caroline, so I could support her when she needed it. And oh boy, would she need it.
I heard the gasp before I saw it. We were at the back of the room, looking down the different aisles, squinting in the dim light. But when we got to the last one, Caroline let out a gasp before dropping to her knees.
Bill Forbes' was leaning against one of the shelves. A knife was sticking out of his chest, and his neck was stained with blood. There was so much of it. It was puddled on the floor, surrounding his dead body. His shirt was covered with it, from the stab wound and the blood that had leaked from his slit neck.
I was barely aware of Caroline sobbing in front of me, "Dad! Dad?"
"Oh my god," Elena gasped behind me as I carefully crouched down next to the distraught vampire. I refused to look at the body. Something deep inside me screamed that it wasn't a good idea. So I focused my attention on my friend. I couldn't imagine what she was going through. Seeing her dad like this. Seeing him dead. It must be killing her. As much as I hated Bill Forbes for torturing Caroline all those months ago, I didn't want him to suffer this fate. Especially since Caroline had apparently forgiven him.
"Don't be dead, don't be dead, don't be dead!" the blonde chanted softly as she reached out. She gripped the handle of the knife, pulling it free. I barely resisted gagging at the noise it made as it slid from the cold flesh. "Daddy!"
I felt movement behind me as Elena stepped closer, hushing her voice slightly, "Caroline, he has vampire blood in his system."
We looked up at her. My eyes shocked, hers wet and distraught. I didn't quite understand what my sister was saying. It wasn't clicking in my head. There was something inside me that didn't want to believe it.
It wasn't until there was a sudden gasp sounded behind us that we turned around. Caroline's dad was staring at us, his skin still stained from blood. But there was life in his eyes, that was slightly dimmed. And then it clicked. And oh fuck this wouldn't be good.
Bill Forbes was awake.
Bill Forbes was in transition.
Oh shit.
XXX
Since we couldn't smuggle Bill Forbes out of the hospital while he was covered in blood, the only thing we could do was find him a room. I had snuck out of the medical supply room first, looking to see if anyone was nearby. It was just lucky that Mr Forbes had his bag with him, as we gave him his coat to cover up the blood. I had found a room down the corridor, away from the main ward area.
After we got into the room, which we had confirmed was not being used through compulsion, the other two girls left. Elena went to go call Sheriff Forbes at Caroline's request, while the vampire went to compel the nurses to stay out of the room.
I gave Mr Forbes some privacy to clean off the blood and kept myself occupied by closing the blinds. I remembered what Caroline had told me about when she transitioned, how the brightness of the room irritated her. I also dimmed the lights, artificial light might not have been as bad as natural, but I wanted to make Caroline's dad as comfortable as possible.
"Is there anything else that I can do for you?" I asked quietly after Mr Forbes put on a new shirt. The bloodstained one had been discarded in the bin. I knew from bitter experience that there was no salvaging a top that had been soaked in blood.
"No, thank you," Mr Forbes gave me a small smile, one that I returned, before the door open. I spun around, ready to think of an excuse that didn't sound too bad. But quickly relaxed. It was only Caroline.
She shot me a grateful smile as she saw that the blinds were already closed before looking at her dad. The blonde took a deep breath, standing strong, before nodding, "I compelled the nurse to stay out of this room. You'll be safe here."
But Mr Forbes wasn't paying attention. He repeated something that he had muttered a few times while cleaning up, "My wound is completely healed." He shook his head, "I need something to eat."
I exchanged a worried look with Caroline. I had never seen someone in transition before. Caroline had been alone in the hospital during hers. And the only other one would have been Vicki. But she had done a runner before I could see much of it. So I had no idea as to what to expect, and I really didn't like that.
"Daddy, why don't you just come lay down and just relax?" Care asked softly, trying to herd her father towards the bed. But the man just shook his head.
"I can't. I'm too wired and my pulse is racing," he paced back and forth, occasionally resting his fingers against his pulse point. "It's the effect of my body wanting to transition."
Would this be what I would go through, when I eventually decide to turn? Would I go through this? Or would I have completed the transition by this point? It was a lot to think about. And it probably wasn't the best time to do so.
"Well, maybe Dr Fell can give you something," Caroline suggested as I walked over to her. I knew that it wasn't my place to say anything. This was between Caroline and her father. But I could provide some silent support to my friend.
Mr Forbes scoffed and shook his head, "She's done enough."
I winced at the bitterness in his voice. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have come back. He would have just died. The vampire blood in his system was only there because of Meredith. She had saved his life, and Mr Forbes hated her for it.
Caroline looked at me helplessly as the door opened. Content that it was only my sister, I just focused on Care. I didn't know how to help her. Her dad was rejecting all of her suggestions. He knew what was happening, but it was like he just didn't want to accept that it was.
Ellie glanced between us before saying, "I called your mom."
Caroline took a deep breath before nodding, "Thanks."
Elena gave her a small smile before looking at the adult in the room, "Mr Forbes, did you see your attacker?"
I don't know why I was so nervous at the question. But something deep inside me tensed up in fear. Did Mr Forbes see who did this? He hadn't said anything so far. But maybe he just needed some pushing before he did.
"I didn't see anything," he shook his head. Huh, or maybe he just didn't see who did it. "Tried to sneak out the back exit and someone came up from behind."
Wow. They didn't even take him on from the front. Definitely wasn't a vampire then, or even a hybrid. But who was it? I knew where my sister's thoughts had gone. But luckily she didn't try and mention her theory in front of the two Forbes.
Care shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing, "Look, we'll figure this out, but in the mean time, we need to get you some blood."
Mr Forbes looked at his daughter, a determined but regretful look on his face, "I'm not going to drink any blood."
Caroline froze next to me, and I exchanged a wide-eyed glance with my sister. I wrapped my arm around the vampire's shoulders while my sister frowned, "You have to. You died with vampire blood in your system. If you don't feed and finish the transition into a vampire, then you'll die."
"I understand how it works," Mr Forbes sighed, not taking his eyes off of his daughter. "And that's what I'm prepared to do. Now get me out of this hospital. I smell blood everyone."
He zipped up his jacket before walking out of the room. We stared after him with wide eyes. And the only thought in my mind was 'poor Caroline'. This wouldn't be easy for her. Her dad would rather die than turn. And I wouldn't wish that pain on my friend.
XXX
While Caroline took her dad home, my twin and I went back to ours. After telling Ric what had happened, he requested that we bring him the knife that was used to kill Mr Forbes. We were lucky that we were the first ones to find him, as Elena had been able to wrap it in a spare towel.
Ric and Jenna were laying out weapons when we got home. They covered the dining table, the kitchen island, even the worktops. I hadn't realised just how many Ric had stashed around. It was equal parts terrifying and impressive.
"What are you doing?" my sister frowned as we walked over. Jenna immediately started checking on us, making sure that we hadn't gotten hurt in our brief time outside of the house. I knew that after yesterday, she had started worrying even more. After all, what was supposed to be a simple trip to find Bonnie's mom turned into an adventure in kidnapping. She had insisted of bandaging my wrists this morning, before we left. And had texted us throughout the day to check in on us. I did feel bad for worrying her so much.
"Taking inventory," Ric answered as I wrapped my arms around my aunt's waist. She just brushed my hair from my face as rested her head against mine. "Did you bring it?2
"You mean, did I steal evidence from a crime scene?" Elena countered with a raised eyebrow before nodding. "Yes."
She carefully pulled the cloth out of her bag before handing it over. Ric had a slightly sick look on his face as he slowly unwrapped the cloth. The knife laid in his palm, staining the white fabric red. I tried not to look at it, and instead focused on the worried expression on Ric's face. Although, to be honest, that wasn't really any better.
"You're right," he eventually sighed, carefully placing the knife down on the table. He flicked the cloth back over it, covering it from view. "It's a match. This is from the crawl space in the foyer. Which means that Meredith knew where it was."
"Just cos she knew where it was doesn't mean that she took it," I muttered petulantly, still determined to defend my aunt's friend. I didn't want it to be true for her sake. Jenna deserved better than that. And I would give it to her if I could. Especially since not everyone knew all of the facts. And while I was too much of a coward to tell everyone about my blackouts, I wouldn't let Meredith be penalised because of that.
Ric gave me a slightly pitying look as he held gestured to the stakes on the kitchen island, "This is from the loft." He pointed to another group, "These are from the duffel in Damon's car."
Ellie sighed as she looked at them, "Identical to the one that killed Brian Walters."
"Damon's car was at the Wickery Bridge fundraiser," the hunter shook his head, looking like he hated what he was saying. But he still said it. "So was Meredith. And that was the night her ex-boyfriend, the medical examiner, was killed. The one who called her psycho."
"Almost everyone calls their ex a psycho," I pointed out, as Jenna gave me a grateful squeeze. "That really doesn't mean anything. Messy breakups tend to led to insults being thrown around. And Brian Walters was a dick. Not to speak ill of the dead, but he really kinda was."
I knew why my aunt was keeping silent. She could see the evidence being presented. It was a lot. And she wanted to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. But it was hard. So I did it for her. I could be stubborn when I wanted to be. And I would protest Meredith's innocence until I was shown undeniable proof.
"Well, she was trying to save Bill Forbes," Ellie mused aloud, a thoughtful look on her face. "Why would she turn around and try to kill him?"
"If she gave him vampire blood, then she would know that he would come back. Making another vampire doesn't really make sense. Unless she wanted an unlimited supply of vampire blood. But then she would have locked him up after killing him," I sighed and shrugged. "It doesn't make sense."
"Look, I don't know what to think either," Ric ran a hand through his hair. "You know that I consider Meredith a friend, but… we'd be idiots to ignore all these facts."
"So, what should we do?" Elena asked, glancing over at Jenna. I could tell that she shared my guilt. Neither of us wanted Jenna to be in this position, where her friend was accused of being a murderer. Jenna deserved nothing but happiness. Not this.
Ric paused for a moment, deep in thought, before picking up the knife. He carefully passed it back to my sister, "Well, get this to the police. Then you should probably be with Caroline."
"Will you two be okay?" I asked softly, reluctant to leave my aunt's side. Jenna nodded, giving me a gentle squeeze before pressing a kiss to the side of my head.
"We'll be fine. Go be with your friend," my aunt sighed. "She's going to need your support."
"He doesn't want to complete the transition," I whispered as the two adults winced. "I don't really know what to say to her after that."
"Just be there for her," Ric said quietly, glancing over at Jenna. "That's all you can do. Make sure that she knows that she isn't alone."
"We can do that," Ellie nodded, holding out her hand to me. I gave Jenna a squeeze before taking my sister's hand. She had tucked the knife back into her bag, ready to hand over to Sheriff Forbes. Whether she would admit that it was one of ours, I didn't know. But considering the previous murder weapon was ours, and had my fingerprints on it, I probably would have left that detail out.
XXX
Damon's POV
It had taken some persuasion, and vague threatening, but Stefan and I were stood outside Klaus' mansion. It was a garish building, all substance over style. I shuddered to think about what the interior décor would be like. Probably over the top, if it reflected its owner.
My eyes darted back to the door as it swung open. Elijah stared at us with his dark eyes before inclining his head, inviting us inside, "Niklaus, our guests have arrived."
I briefly nodded at the Original as I walked past him, my brother grumpily doing the same. The first entrance off of the hallway lead down to a small dining room. It was cosy, with fire crackling merrily, and a small table set up, laden with food. Two blonde women stood at the edge of the room, dressed in contrasting gold and black. All of it was designed to be intimidating. And stood in the middle was the Original Hybrid himself.
Klaus smirked widely, "Damon. Stefan. Elijah tells me that you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men, shall we?"
He gestured to the table, obviously keen for us to sit and entertain his whims. As much as I loathed to, if it gave the witches more time to do their thing, then I would oblige. We needed that coffin open. It was our only advantage. And I would do anything to take advantage of that. Getting rid of Klaus made Alexa safe. And I would keep my girl safe.
"It's better to indulge him," Elijah spoke softly, an exasperated tone to his voice that only older siblings could relate to. As was proven by my foolish younger brother scoffing and shaking his head. Like the annoying child he was.
"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus," he said petulantly, crossing his arms with a narrow gaze. "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told that I had to cos you would hear us out."
"Well," Klaus smirked, a dangerous look in his eye. "We can sit and eat, or I reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours."
"Stefan," I said, my voice low, as I looked over at my brother. He knew why we were doing this. He knew how important he was. And yet, he insisted on causing trouble. He was lucky that I needed him here, to keep the distraction going, otherwise I would have done something that I would have regretted. Because he was definitely heading in that direction.
My brother scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking a seat. I noticed that he sat opposite the hybrid, which might have been a good choice, except for the fact that he could now glare daggers at him the whole time. I rolled my eyes and sat down between Klaus and Stefan, Elijah opposite me.
The meal was pleasant, the conversation quiet. But everyone was focused on glancing at each other, wondering who would speak first. I was content to let one of the Original's make the first move. The longer we went without speaking, the more time Bonnie had. Of course, Stefan was the one to ruin all of that.
I gave the girl a grateful smile as she refilled my wine while Klaus smirked, "You lost your appetite?"
I glanced over at Stefan, who was sat with his arms crossed, a petulant look on his face, "Eat. I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home."
Stefan shot me a dirty look before picking up his wine glass. He sipped at it, still staring daggers at Klaus. I left it, at least he was playing along. That was the main thing.
"That's the spirit," the hybrid looked far too gleeful. "Isn't it nice? The four of us dining together? Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?"
I knew that I had gotten under Klaus' skin when I did that. He had no intention of releasing his siblings from coffins yet. So I took the liberty of messing with his plans. It was only fair, since he continually ruined mine.
"Well, I know how he felt about you," I smirked, switching my glaze to Elijah. "So I figured: the more, the merrier."
I shot the older Original a playful wink and Klaus' eyes narrowed for a second. He had always struck me as one of those who got jealous of his sibling's friends. And that was something that I was determine to exploit. Especially since Elijah was playing along.
"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century," the hybrid shrugged, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "But we always make it through."
"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan just couldn't stop himself from smirking. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked, she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."
Klaus' look hardened slightly, "If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows that I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah."
I didn't expect any different. There was no way that that would work twice. But hopefully it had still driven Elijah even further onto our side. I had taken the liberty of explaining why Rebekah was still daggered, as well as how she was daggered. Elijah had a soft spot for the twins, even if he didn't want to admit it. But that didn't mean that I shouldn't intervene, we couldn't afford this going south yet.
"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed dad?" I glanced over at my brother with a raised eyebrow. "Might want to dial down the judgement until dessert."
"We're here to make a deal, Damon," the idiot scoffed, shaking his head. "Doesn't mean that we need to kiss his ass for seen courses."
"I'm just saying that we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."
XXX
Alexa's POV
We drove to Caroline's in silence. Neither of us knew what to say. It was a horrible situation, and I just didn't know what to do to make it better. Logically, I knew that there was nothing. But I couldn't accept that. I needed to help Care, to make all of this better for her. And it killed me that I wasn't able to do that.
"What would you do?" Ellie's voice broke the silence. I glanced over at her with questioning eyes and she sighed. "If you were in Bill Forbes' position, what would you do?"
"You mean, would I turn?" I clarified and Elena nodded. I stayed silent for a few seconds. I already knew what my answer would be. But could I tell my sister? I knew how she felt about all of this. And I was worried that she would try and change my mind. But I guess I owed it to her to tell her.
"Yeah, I would," I eventually sighed, turning to stare out of the window. The light of the streetlamps hid the stars, but it was easier than looking at my twin. "I would turn."
Elena was silent for a moment before croaking out, "Why?"
I winced at her tone. It was exactly what I was expecting. But at least I knew what I wanted to say.
"I know that you don't want to think about this, Elena. Even when you were with Stefan, you didn't want to think about it. But… I have. I love Damon, Ellie, and I want to be with him forever. I know what you'll say, that I'm young, that it's Damon and he'll do something to screw it up, that I might not love him as much as I think I do. But they don't mean anything. I know what I want."
"So you want to become a vampire?" my sister's tone had me wincing again. It was a combination of hurt and disappointment and frustration. All those things that I hated hearing from her. But I wouldn't take back my words. For once in my life, I was making a choice for me. I was going to be selfish. I wanted this; I wouldn't let my sister make me second guess my choice.
"Not right now," I shrugged, looking at Elena's reflection in the window. "But yeah, in the future. After I graduate. Or maybe even a little bit after that. But it will happen. When I'm ready."
"Have you spoken to Damon about it?" Elena asked, and I felt her glance over at me.
"We have a bit. Not as in depth as I suspect you will demand. But he knows how I feel and we will discuss it more when the time is right," I sighed and looked over at my twin. She was frowning deeply, her hands clenched around the wheel. She was holding it so tight that her knuckles had gone white. I didn't think that she would react this strongly. I guess I naively assumed that she would support my choice. Like I try to do for her. I normally did respect her choice, the only time that I didn't was when that stupid sacrifice was involved. And that was way beyond normal, it involved her actually leaving us forever. At least with my choice, I would still be there for my family.
"I can't believe that you want to leave me like that," she muttered and I shook my head. Her words had my heart clenching, but I tried not to think about it. But a small part of me whispered, that traitorous little voice, asked if that was how she would treat me if I did turn. Like I would be a stranger to her, one that she didn't want to speak to. She didn't treat Caroline like that, but the blonde didn't choose to turn. It was forced upon her, and then she acted on her instincts.
"I won't be leaving you, Elena, I'll still be here. I won't be any different. I'll just be able to protect you better, I'll be stronger and I won't have to be so scared all the time."
I wanted so desperately to put my hand on her knee, to comfort her. But I knew that she needed a bit of space. She had to realise that I would be doing it for me. I loved Damon, and I knew that I wanted to be with him forever. And forever meant turning. I had spent enough time with vampires that I knew what I was getting myself into. And I knew that Damon would be there to look out for me. I wouldn't even consider turning until I was ready, and I knew that Damon wouldn't turn me before I was ready.
"I don't know what to say," Elena shook her head and I quirked my lips.
"Don't say anything," I suggested softly, looking back out of the window. "Think about it. But… don't tell anyone, please? I don't want people to know yet, not until I'm ready."
"I can do that," Ellie nodded and I shot her a quick smile in thanks. My fears in regards to the others were the same as Elena's. I didn't want my friends and family to try and talk me out of it. I would tell them when I was ready. Before I wanted to turn.
Really, it should have been a comfort to my sister. She knew that if we were ever in this position, then I wouldn't be leaving her. Like Bill Forbes was leaving his daughter. I could understand why he didn't want to turn. He had spent his whole life hating vampires, he hated them so much that he tried to torture Caroline's vampire instincts out of her. But there came a point where you had to chose what you valued more: your life or values. Especially since it would mean leaving his daughter.
I knew what I would choose.
XXX
After checking on Mr Forbes, we went to go sit outside with Caroline. The blonde was sitting on the porch steps, staring down at the ground. I sighed and sat next to her, my twin on the other side, and wrapped my arm around the vampire's shoulders. It didn't take much convincing for her to rest her weight against me. I wrapped my other arm around her waist, resting my head against hers. You could tell that she craved the comfort from the way that she curled into me. And I wasn't going to deny her.
Caroline had told us that she tried to reach out to Tyler earlier. But he had been MIA since the attack. I worried about him. I knew that turning was hard for him, and if remembered hurting Caroline's dad, then he wouldn't forgive himself.
"Did you hear back from Tyler yet?" Elena asked as I fussed with the blonde's jacket. I knew that as a vampire, she couldn't get cold. But I still wanted her to be comfortable.
"No," she sighed, shaking her head. "And I've left messages for him everywhere."
"I haven't heard from him either," I revealed, keeping my eyes on the vampire. "I've even left him a few stern voicemails. But I'll let you know if I do hear anything."
"Thanks, Lexa," Care gave me a shaky smile before looking back at my twin. "So, do Alaric and Jenna really think that Dr Fell did it?"
"They don't know what to think," Elena sighed and I could sympathise. "Jenna doesn't want to believe it, but when you put all of the evidence together…"
"What do you think?" Caroline asked softly, glancing between us.
"I don't think Meredith did it," I shrugged carefully, trying not to dislodge Care too much. "She doesn't give off that sort of vibe. And… I just don't think that she would hurt people. Let alone kill them."
Caroline's eyes turned to Elena who sighed, "I just wish that our aunt's friend wasn't in the middle of all of this. Jenna has been through so much; she deserves to be happy. But yeah, she looks guilty. It's why I told your mom."
I wasn't happy that my sister had done that. But there was nothing that I could do to stop her. Meredith didn't do any of this, I knew it deep down. I guess there was one good thing about Sheriff Forbes knowing, she would be able to help clear Meredith's name.
I felt the blonde glance towards the front door, and shake her head, "My mom's in there, sitting with my dad. And I don't think they've been in the same room this long since I was 10 years old." It was weird, the things that grief could do. Jenna just about tolerated John, when he was around for the funerals. They got along for us. Grief could make even your worst enemy seem tolerable. Because it ripped you apart. And then put you back together differently. You were never the same after it. "Is there any chance that Tyler did it?"
Elena frowned, glancing back at Caroline from where she had been staring into the night sky, "What?"
Care was clearly clutching at straws, but I let her stutter out, "If Klaus was trying to mess with you and he's sired to Klaus. And, I mean, he does everything that he's told."
"He didn't do it, Care," I said softly, brushing her blonde hair away from her face. "Klaus wouldn't care that much and… I just know that Ty was not involved in this. Not like that."
Care nodded, her body trembling against me as she looked over. Her blue eyes were filled with so much pain that my heart clenched inside my chest. She should never look like that. It wasn't fair. She had been through so much, she didn't deserve to go through this.
"I can't just let my father die," she shook her head, her lip trembling. "You know, I'm… I'm gonna force him to feed."
I winced. That wasn't the right course of action, and we both knew it. But I could understand why she wanted to do that. It was her dad. No girl wanted their dad to die.
"Hey," Ellie said quietly, when I couldn't bring myself to speak. "He doesn't want to, Caroline. The only thing your dad has is his choice."
It was my sister's soft words that finally caused the tears to fall. They dripped down her cheeks, illuminated in the streetlights, as she sobbed, "I hated him so much for what he did to me. So much. Now all I want to do is save his life."
"Of course you do," Ellie quirked her lips sympathetically, reaching to take Caroline's hands. "He's your dad."
"What was the hardest part for you two?" the blonde asked, looking between us with wet eyes. "When you lost your dad?"
I met Elena's gaze, swallowing hard, and nodded. I knew that if I tried to speak, then I would break down too. And I needed to be strong for Caroline. I couldn't put into words what losing my dad did to me. He wouldn't be there for so much. I would never be able to introduce my boyfriend to him, he would never walk me down the aisle. He wouldn't be there when I graduated. He wasn't there to comfort me after my heartbreak. He wouldn't be there to buy me my first legal drink. It hurt, when you thought about it all.
"Realizing all the things that he wouldn't be there for," Elena whispered, her voice thick. "The things that… that you just need your dad for, you know?"
Caroline nodded, her face crumpling, and I cleared my throat, "Group hug."
Ellie didn't take any more encouragement. She scooted over, and I wrapped my arms around her too. I felt her arms encircle Caroline, so that she was safely cocooned between us. The blonde rested her head against my neck as we just let her cry it out, letting her know that she wasn't alone.
It wasn't until a shadow appeared in front of us that we looked up. Matt looked down at us, eyes soft and he smiled sympathetically.
"Hey," he said quietly, looking between the three of us. I knew that we had all been crying, but I refused to acknowledge my tears. Not now, anyway.
"Hey," Care sobbed back as we let her get up. Matt quickly gathered her in his arms, holding her close. I felt an arm wrap around me and glanced over. Ellie looked at me with sad eyes as she tugged me close, tucking my head under her chin.
The only sound in the night was Caroline's soft sobs.
XXX
Damon's POV
It was Elijah who broke the silence next. He had laid his knife and fork down on the table, and clasped his hands together. He glanced between us with dark eyes, before asking, "Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?"
"I don't know," Stefan replied bitterly, giving me a dirty look. "Ask Damon."
I rolled my eyes. He was still bitter about the fact that Elena was more likely to talk to me than she was to Stefan these days. It was his own fault, really. His little stunt on the bridge had completely driven her away. And he just didn't want to admit it to himself.
Klaus laughing drew me from my thoughts, "I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Ah, trouble in paradise."
Elijah glanced over at me questioningly as I sighed, "He's just jealous that Elena and I are actually friends now, since Alexa is now officially mine."
"So, you two have finally stopped dancing around each other," the older Original mused, but there was a satisfied look in his eye. I was just surprised that even he had noticed the attraction between me and Alexa, and our fear to take that final step.
"Thanks to Stefan," I smirked over at the younger vampire, getting a dirty look in return.
The older Original titled his head to the side in understanding as my brother groused, "One more word about either of the twins and this dinner's over."
The hybrid smiled mockingly and held a finger to his lips. I knew that he was only infuriating Stefan further. Not that that was difficult. Stefan's fuse had been rather short since he was released from Klaus' compulsion.
"You what, probably best just to keep the twins on the do-not-discuss pile," I suggested with a tight look. I didn't mind so much. I knew that it wouldn't take long for Klaus to say something about Alexa, and it would only piss me off. He enjoyed hurting my girl, and he would mention something along those lines.
"You're probably right," the hybrid agreed, much to my surprise. Klaus was being reasonable? Alert the media. I nodded before a shit-eating grin formed on his face. Ah, that was more like it. "It's just… the allure of the Petrova doppelganger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?"
I had never seen Elijah look uncomfortable, so it was weird to see him so do now, "Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?"
"Well, given their shared affection for Katerina, and Stefan's love for Elena, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line," Klaus shrugged, still looking far too gleeful. But he was presenting me with the perfect opportunity to waste time. So as much as I didn't really want to hear the story, I knew that I should be encouraging it.
"Well, we're not going anywhere, Elijah," I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my wine. "Please do tell."
The noble vampire sighed, but played along with his brother's whims, "When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus."
"I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much," Klaus shrugged, the sly look on his face ruining the innocent tone of his voice.
Now, that was interesting. All of these doppelgangers, they couldn't help but entice brothers to love them. And rip them apart afterwards. I was lucky. As much as Elena interested me at first, I was soon distracted from her. I never loved Elena; she wasn't like Katherine. She didn't have the power to destroy the slowly regrowing bond between me and Stefan. We were blessed that this doppelganger had a twin. One that captured my heart when I didn't even have one.
"Wait a minute," it was Stefan's turn to be gleeful and I had to fight not to roll my eyes. "So you both loved the same girl?"
Elijah nodded slightly, "Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires. Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, much to the frustration of her sister, so for a time, Niklaus and I… grew estranged. Harsh words were traded, we even came to blows, didn't we, brother?"
Those doppelgangers, so fickle, so annoying. But at least Stefan and I weren't the only ones who had been caught in their snare. I wonder if that would explain the history between Katherine and Elijah. She had dropped hints, during the time before sacrifice, about her and Elijah having a bond. Did our stories mirror each other that much? We had each fallen for the same doppelganger, only for one brother to move on after. It was an unnerving thought, that I was more similar to Klaus than I had originally realised.
"But in the end, we realised the sacred bond of family," Klaus nodded, a fond look in his eye as he looked at his brother. As much as he loathed weakness, it was interesting to see just how much the hybrid loved his siblings. I knew that he pretended otherwise, but he couldn't hide his expression, not properly.
"Family above all," Elijah agreed as the brothers held up their glasses. I couldn't help but glance at my own brother at those words. But he was too busy narrowing his eyes at the two Originals.
"Family above all," Klaus repeated as they clinked their glasses together, staring only at each other. I didn't know whether it was a message for us, or for each other. But it was intriguing to watch.
Family above all indeed.
XXX
I felt a buzz against my thigh, and pulled out my phone. Bonnie's message was simple, 'Getting closer. Need more time.'
It was equal parts annoying and satisfying. I didn't know how much longer I would have before Klaus started to get impatient. But at least I knew that she was making progress. It was a worry, especially when she revealed that her mom had lost her magic. But I knew that her hatred for Klaus was deep, and she wanted him out of our lives as much as I did.
"So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah held his arms out, gesturing for us to speak first. This was probably going to be the trickiest part of the evening. If we suggested the wrong thing, then Klaus could react badly. He was annoyingly unpredictable. And I didn't really want this to turn into a fight before we were ready.
"That's very simple," I shrugged, exchanging a look with Stefan. "Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, Alexa and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges."
"The deal sounds fair, brother," Elijah pointed out, looking at his younger sibling. Unfortunately, Klaus didn't seem to agree. He had a hard look on his face as he stared at us.
"I don't think you understand," he narrowed his eyes at us. "Elena's doppelganger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. And Alexa is needed to help ensure that the blood line continues. I will never leave them behind." He stood up and started pacing in front of the fire. "Let's say that I do leave them here, under your protect, what then? How long before one of you turns them into vampires? Or worse, how long before one of them gets dies, having gotten caught between your feuding? You see, each of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect the twins, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena and Alexa Gilbert is… the two of you."
I smiled weakly, trying not to say something that I would regret, before glancing over at my brother, "I'm gonna get some air."
I placed my napkin to the side and stood up, walking away from the table. I wandered further into the garish house, the décor only serving to frustrate me.
Behind me I heard Elijah say, "Let me deal with this."
I knew that he would catch up quickly, so I kept on walking. I needed the quiet to calm myself down. Klaus declaration that I was the worst thing for Alexa had gotten under my skin. I hadn't hurt my girl, like Stefan had hurt his. I had proven that I could protect Alexa, when she wasn't able to protect herself. I wouldn't turn her, until she asked me to. I knew that she would, one day, Alexa had told me that much. And I wouldn't cross that line until she wanted me to. Klaus only wanted to use Alexa as a baby maker, and I knew that she didn't want that.
A gentle hand on my shoulder led to into another room. Inside were three coffins, and I didn't need to guess who was inside. I had had a sneaky peak before, when I was forced to give them back. The family resemblance was uncanny. The older of the two resembled Elijah more, long brown hair and a sharp face, noble features. The other was familiar in a painful way. I couldn't quite place why, but I knew that I knew him from somewhere. The mischievous slant to his face, the ruffled dirty-blonde hair, it prodded at something deep within me.
"You need to calm down, Damon," Elijah's voice said from behind me. I looked away from the final coffin, where Rebekah laid, and turned around. The Original was adjusting his cufflinks, looked as calm as usual.
I wanted to lash out, to say something that I would inevitably regret, but I couldn't risk losing Elijah's support. As much as I hated to admit it, we did need him. We couldn't take Klaus down on our own, even with whatever it is in the locked coffin. So, for now, Elijah was necessary.
"Let's just get this over with," I shook my head, opening Rebekah's coffin. She was still in her Homecoming dress, the red clashing horribly with her grey skin. I did feel a brief flash of sympathy for her. It sucked, getting stabbed in the back like that. The fact that Elena did it to Alexa's friend was even worse. I knew that my girl was angry at her sister for that, but she didn't want to show it. I had told her that her pent-up anger would come out in a bad way soon. I just hoped that I would be there to help her through it.
"You seem eager to leave, Damon," Elijah mused as he removed the dagger from the older looking brother. I placed Rebekah's dagger on the small table in the middle of the room.
I raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "The sooner this is over, the sooner I can get back to Alexa."
"Your love for her is admirable," the Original mused, moving over to the younger brother. "Despite what my brother says, I do not believe that you are the worst thing for her. I have seen the two of you together, a love like that cannot be ill."
I inclined my head, "You should say that to my brother. He isn't particularly happy that Alexa and I finally admitted our feelings to each other."
"Perhaps it has just made him realise how much he has lost," Elijah sighed and shook his head, placing the two daggers on a silver tray, held by one of the serving girls that Klaus seemed to have littered around the house. "My brother seemed determined to corrupt him as much as possible. It appears that he has achieved that."
XXX
Alexa's POV
Matt accompanied us home, eager to make sure that we weren't alone. Despite our hug earlier, there was still a silent tension between me and my sister. One that he had picked up on. I had taken the backseat, and the second my twin pulled up outside our house, I jumped out the car, eager to just get home and forget all about this day.
"Thanks for making sure that we got home okay," Elena said to Matt, as they followed me from the car. I knew Matt, and I knew that he would accompany us inside the house before leaving. I couldn't blame him. It must be horribly lonely living by himself. I knew that he used to spend a lot of nights at Tyler's and Bonnie's, but he couldn't spend every night away from home. I had tried to make sure that he had a freezer full of food, just in case he needed a quick meal. But he was a stubborn little thing, and wouldn't always accept my offerings.
"Are you two doing okay?" sweet Matthew frowned, looking between us. "This has to bring up a lot for you."
I shrugged awkwardly, keeping my gaze fixed firmly forward as I approached the porch. It had brought up a lot, and I just didn't want to deal with it. I wanted to curl up in my bed and wait for my boyfriend to come home to me. I didn't want to think about my dead parents, like at all.
"We've all lost a lot," Elena sighed, her voice quiet as I unlocked the front door. I couldn't see any lights on inside. But maybe Ric and Jenna had just retired to bed. It had been a long day for everyone, and it was getting late. I couldn't blame for wanting to go to bed.
"It's this town," the blue-eyed cutie shook his head. "It's messed up. None of us should have to live this way."
I had to agree with him there. It did feel like this town was cursed. But it was still home. Despite the danger and the darkness and the misery, it was home.
I sighed as I flicked the light switch. But the darkness remained. I frowned, flicking them back and forth, hoping that something would happen. But it didn't.
"That's weird," Elena frowned from behind me as I cautiously walked further into the house. My heart was beating in my chest, and I felt incredibly uneasy. I had watched enough horror movies and spent enough time caught up in supernatural drama to know that a dark building was a dangerous building.
"Electricity must be out," Matt suggested but that didn't feel right. Our neighbours' houses were still lit up, so it was just our house. And something so simple just felt so wrong. I didn't know why, but I just knew that something had happened. It was a feeling deep down, one that had my heart clenching in my chest.
I slowly edged forward, aiming for the kitchen. It was only because I had lived my entire life in this house that I was able to avoid walking into any doorways. Elena did the same, but when she reached the kitchen, she stepped inside, opening the closest cupboard. While she did so, I just scanned the dark room with my eyes. Everything felt on edge, like something was going to happen.
My sister got out two flashlights, passing one to Matt before turning her one on. I didn't mind not having a flashlight, it kept both my hands free. I would fight anything that tried to hurt my friend and sister. It couldn't have been a vampire or hybrid, unless they had tricked their way in. But Jenna and Ric were clever, they wouldn't have invited someone in unless they knew them.
The other two didn't seem as worried as I did, and I didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. I knew that I was on the wrong side of paranoid, but after what I had been through, I really didn't think that it was a bad thing.
"I think I have some candles over there," Elena shone the light to the other side of the kitchen. I followed her as she moved. It was only because I was looking around the room that I spotted it first. I grabbed my sister's arm, pulling her backward.
My gaze was fixed on the puddle of blood on the floor. Now that I was aware of it, the metallic scent filled the air, making me feel sick. I couldn't escape it now. Something was definitely wrong.
Elena gasped, "Oh my god," and Matt quickly appeared by our side. I had pushed her behind me at the sight of the blood, taking the flashlight from her hands. I flashed it around the room, seeing bloody footprints on the floor.
"What the hell?" Matt exclaimed as I moved the beam to the walls. Bloody handprints littered the walls, looking as though someone had stumbled down the hallway. I heard the other two grab knifes from the counter, and I gestured for them to pass me one too. I gave Matt a quick smile as he did so.
I took the lead as we walked down the hallway. Elena was protectively sandwiched in the middle, with Matt watching our backs. I was very much aware of the fact that I didn't know if Jenna and Ric were okay. The house had been silent since we arrived, and that was worrying. As far as I knew, they were still at home.
It was the low groan when we reached the bottom of the stairs that had me spinning around. I shone the flashlight around the room, Matt doing the same. It was his beam of light that illuminated the body on the floor. Red hair covered the face, but I knew exactly who it was.
"Jenna!" Elena gasped, darting forward. I was right behind her, crashing to my knees. Ellie carefully eased our aunt onto her back, brushing the hair from her face. Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing clearly.
"Is she okay?" Matt asked from above, watching our backs while we tended to our aunt. I let Elena answer as I saw Jenna's face scrunching up in pain. She was close to waking up and I pointed my flashlight away from her, keeping it dark enough not to irritate her eyes.
"Hey Jenna," I whispered as Jenna's eyes fluttered open. She squinted up at me, a frown creasing her face. My aunt went to sit up, but I carefully held her down. "Don't move, not yet. What happened?"
"I don't know," she murmured as Elena reached out to grab her hand. "Something hit me from behind… where's Ric?"
I winced guilty as Ellie answered, "We don't know. There was blood in the kitchen."
"Oh god," Jenna's eyes shot all the way open as she pushed away our hands. She pushed herself up, pain lining her face, but she wouldn't let us settle her back down. "I need to find him."
I knew that she wouldn't be left behind. Despite the pale skin, the sweat on her face, the pain in her eyes; I knew that my stubborn aunt wouldn't wait down here while we went to go look for her boyfriend. So I sighed, and wrapped my arm around her waist, carefully easing her to her feet. I passed my flashlight to my sister, letting her take charge.
"You are never allowed to call me stubborn again," I whispered to my aunt, ignoring my heart thudding in my chest at how weak she looked. Finding her like that was terrifying. Jenna should never get hurt, not like that. She was strong and beautiful and seeing her hurt made me feel sick. I had tried so hard to keep her safe throughout all of this. But I had failed. She had gotten hurt in our own home.
Elena led the way up the stairs, and I tried to stop Jenna from seeing the bloody handprints on the wall. She didn't need to see that; it would only increase her worry. And from my experience with head wounds, she was suffering enough as it was. She didn't need to panic any further.
Ellie paused at the top of the stairs before gasping. I followed the light of her flashlight before gasping too. Ric was laying in a pool of his own blood, resting against the bathroom doorway. But it was the knife sticking out of his stomach that had my stomach turning. I didn't know if he was still alive, and I didn't want to look any closer to see if there were any signs. Seeing another parental figure being hurt, possibly being dead, had my head swimming. It was only because I had the others to look after that I didn't break down into a panic attack. Looking after them was more important. Especially my aunt.
While Elena and Matt rushed over, I helped Jenna sit down. The sight of her boyfriend had her legs shaking. I could hear her breath coming out in gasps, and pulled her close. Kneeling down, I tucked her head under my chin as we watched the other two.
Elena was panicking, her hands hovering over the man as she gasped, "Ric! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"
My sister reached out, her shaking hands carefully grasping the knife. I winced as she went to pull it out. But it was Ric's scream of pain that had me closing my eyes. Jenna sobbed in my arms and I pulled her closer. I had to be strong for Jenna. I had to be. I couldn't allow my weaknesses to take over.
Matt stopped her, carefully pulling hands away from the knife. Despite the situation, his voice remained calm, and I remembered why I had always loved Matthew Donovan, "No, leave it in! Leave it in! He's lost too much blood. I'm gonna call 911."
The sweetheart stood up, pulling his phone from his pocket. Matt rested a hand on my shoulder as he dialled for help. I just hoped that they arrived in time. Despite the ring on his bloody hand, I didn't know if Ric had been attacked by a human or a supernatural. If it was the former, then we were royally fucked as none of our vampires were able to help.
Ellie shot us a desperate look before cupping Ric's face. She forced him to look at her, to stay awake, and asked, "Ric, look at me. Who did this to you?"
His eyes fluttered open and closed as he groaned, "I don't know."
"There's so much blood," Jenna whimpered in my arms and I squeezed her tighter. I wanted so desperately to get her away from here. But I knew that she wouldn't go. As much as I didn't want her to see her boyfriend like this, I wouldn't get her to move. And on a more selfish note, I didn't want to leave Ric like this. I had to make sure that he was okay. And I couldn't do that if I wasn't there.
"I know," I brushed her hair back from her face. "It'll be okay. We'll get him help. Ric will be fine."
Ric apparently had other ideas, as he grasped my sister's wrists, an intense look on his face, "You have to kill me."
"What?" my twin gasped, freezing in shock.
"Elena, you-you have to kill me," he repeated, his voice breaking with pain. Elena looked at him with wide eyes, before carefully moving her wrists so that she could look at his hands. The Gilbert ring glinted in the light from the flashlight, and I suddenly hated it. Because I realised what he was asking for. And I knew what he would suffer through after. And what my sister would suffer through too.
"Wait, wait, wait, Matt, hang up, hang up," she looked up at Matt, shaking her head as he frowned down at her. "He's right. If he dies a supernatural death, then he'll come back to life and he'll be healed."
"But, how do you know that who did this is supernatural?" he frowned, slowly hanging up the call as he looked down at me.
"She doesn't, Ric doesn't either," I sighed, slowly turning my aunt's head away from the scene. "But Elena is a doppelganger. And that makes her a supernatural being."
While I spoke, my voice sounding remarkably calm considering how I felt inside, my sister had picked up the kitchen knife that she had discarded to the side. She held it in her shaking hands and took a deep breath.
"Elena! No, this is messed up!" Matt protested. Whether it was because he hated the situation or he wanted to protect Ellie from what she was about to do, I didn't know. But there was nothing that we could do to stop it now.
"He's dying, Matt!" Elena shook her head sharply, before plunging the knife down. Ric groaned once, as his eyes fluttered shut and he slumped all the way to the side, the knife slipping free from his body, remaining in my sister's hands.
Silence followed.
XXX
Damon's POV
Once the Originals were undaggered, I reluctantly followed Elijah back into the main room. I would much rather have stayed away until they were all awake, but I knew that Klaus would come looking for us if we didn't return. Tormenting my brother wouldn't keep him occupied for long.
I listened out for their words as we approached. It was a lot easier than looking at Elijah's calm face. It was like he was made of marble, and I still only had my hope that he wouldn't betray us again.
"Well, I guess the only reason that you agreed to this evening, Klaus, is to drive a wedge between me and my brother," Stefan commented, anger in his voice.
"Oh no, you're doing that well enough on your own," I didn't need to see Klaus' face to know that he was smirking. "Because of the twins, you're gonna lose your brother and you'll only have yourself to blame."
I didn't quite believe the hybrid's words. Despite everything, we were on the way to repairing our relationship. We weren't fighting over the same girl. Yes, Stefan did still seem to think that I wasn't good enough for Alexa, but he also wasn't doing anything about it. And I wondered if his feelings were a reflection on himself. He didn't feel good enough for Elena, so he thought the same about me.
Both eyes looked over at us as we entered the room. I noticed one of the blonde's dead on the floor, a bite mark on her neck. From the tension in his shoulders, I knew that it wasn't Stefan who had fed on her. Which meant that Klaus had been using more than his words to get under my brother's skin.
"What do you say, Klaus?" I spoke, drawing everyone's attention back to me. "It's time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer, now you counter."
Elijah brushed past me as I spoke, moving over to his brother's side. He pulled out the chair facing us, gesturing for the hybrid to sit down. Klaus did so with a satisfied smirk on his face, while Elijah stood behind him. Stefan moved to stand by me, and it felt like this was a significant moment in the evening.
"Okay," Klaus nodded, a vicious gleam in his eyes. "I offer the twin's future happiness. You see, what they need right now if to be rid of you lot. And to fall in love with a human. For Elena, maybe that nice football player, you know, the blonde one?"
"Matt Donovan?" I scoffed before I could stop myself. "Really?"
"Yeah, why not?" the hybrid shrugged, not taking his eyes off of us. "They'll marry, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a perfect family. Alexa can do the same. Since she's dating you, Damon, she clearly doesn't have any standards, so I'm sure I can find a nice human boy for her."
"And continue the Petrova bloodline," Stefan rolled his eyes, shaking his head. It was a good thing that he spoke, as I was losing my patience. His little dig at my girl had me narrowing my eyes. "Every few hundred years, you'll have a new doppelganger to drain and never run out of hybrids, right Klaus?"
"Consider it a small return on my investment in their well-being," despite the benevolent smile on Klaus' face, his words had me tensing. "See, after you hand me back the coffin, I'll ensure their safety for the rest of their natural lives. You know it's what's best for them." Klaus pushed away from the table, walking over to the fireplace and standing next to it, "So, what do you say, Stefan, hmm? Do we have deal?"
I saw my brother move out of the corner of my eye, a harsh look on his face, and hissed, "What are you doing?"
But my brother ignored me. He approached Klaus, who held out his hand. I watched, holding my breath, as Stefan reached out to grab his hand. For a moment, I honestly thought that he was giving the twins over to Klaus. But his next words had me relaxing.
My brother smirked at the hybrid, "Nice try, Klaus. But no deal."
Klaus was not impressed with his offer being rejected. And he expressed that displeasure by breaking the arm that he still held. The crack echoed around the room, closely followed by another. Stefan let out a grunt as his leg splintered under him, collapsing to one knee. With a vicious look on his face, Klaus held my brother's hand over the fire. The smell of burning flesh broke me out of my shock.
I went to rush forward, to protect my brother, when I was pushed against the wall behind me. Elijah held me back, a blank look on his face as he watched the scene in front of us. I should have known that he would betray us for his brother. I was so stupid to have trusted him. And now we were paying the price.
"What are you doing?" I snapped, just about keeping my voice down. But luckily, Klaus was too distracted by holding my brother's arm in the fire, letting the flesh burn and peal. I raised my voice in an attempt to get him to leave my brother alone, "Stop!"
"Now," Klaus looked over at me, his eyes narrowed. "Bring me my coffins before I burn him alive."
Elijah released me, stepping back, as I nodded, "I'll get it."
I turned to leave the room, Klaus' voice following me, "Go with him, brother. You keep him honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family."
Elijah's strong hand settled on my shoulder, directing me back to the room where the rest of the Original family laid. I just hoped that they were awake, so I could save my brother from the monster that hurt him.
XXX
Alexa's POV
No one wanted to speak.
And I couldn't blame them.
After watching Elena kill Ric, even if it was what needed to be done, no one wanted to mention it. I knew that it would haunt my sister. It was haunting her now. Even as she was huddled into my side. We watched Ric's body from against the banister, the moulded wood pressing uncomfortably into my back.
I didn't know how long it would take for him to wake up. With every death, it seemed to take longer and longer. I didn't know why. Was it the magic on the ring weakening? Or was it something else? But I couldn't focus on that. I had to be strong for my aunt and Elena.
Matt had gone downstairs to get the power working again. A switch had been flicked on the circuit breaker, killing the power to the house. It was something that could have innocently happened, or someone did it deliberately.
Jenna didn't remember what happened. The lights were still on when she was attacked. She had been hit from behind and everything was fine up until that moment. I was just relieved that she hadn't been hurt further. It appeared that Ric was the target. And as he was the one with the magic ring, it was probably better that he was. I know it sounded horrible, but Ric knew the pain that was involved with the ring, how it felt after you were brought back. I wouldn't wish that on Jenna. Not in a million years.
Elena had moved over to my side after Caroline had called. Her father had passed away. It was peaceful, apparently. But the fact remained that he still died. And that our friend had lost her dad. I couldn't put into words how I felt about it. I knew that pain, I knew it well. I had lost two sets of parents. And there was nothing that could prepare you for that pain in losing them.
For Caroline to be there when he died, to have sat there knowing that it was about to happen, it would have killed her. Bill Forbes had made his choice, and we had to respect it. But I couldn't help but be mad at him for it. I understood why he chose to die instead of turning, but he hurt his daughter by making that choice.
I glanced to the side when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Logically I knew that it was only Matt, especially since the power was now on. But after what happened, I couldn't help but be tense. With my aunt drowning in misery and fear, and my sister consumed by her guilt, I had to be the strong one. I had to protect my family, even if I yearned to breakdown myself. But I couldn't. Not yet.
"He's still out?" Matt asked softly as he knelt down next to us. I felt my sister nod against me as Jenna's breath hitched.
"Caroline called," Ellie rasped, her voice sounding broken from the silent crying that she had done. "Her dad died."
"Oh," he winced, shaking his head at the news. We knew that Care wanted to be alone with her mom, to grieve. But it was hard. I wanted to be there for her. To reassure her and protect her and to let her know that I was there for her if she needed me. But I couldn't do that yet.
My sister's voice was quiet, vulnerable, as she reached out to grab Matt's hand and asked, "Will you stay with us? Until he wakes up?"
Matt took one look at her face before melting, "Of course."
He moved to sit down next to my sister, wrapping his arm around her. His hand rested on my shoulder, as we huddled in a little four-way hug. I appreciated it. It was hard, being the strong one. Especially when I wanted to cry over what happened to Ric, to Caroline, to her dad. But I couldn't. Not yet.
Not with Jenna still letting out little sobs next to me. It was different, seeing someone die. Especially when it was someone you loved. I had seen far too many deaths since the Salvatore's arrived in town last year. And none of them were easy to watch. It hadn't gotten any easier, even if I didn't breakdown like I used to.
But this one was different.
It was in our own home. We were supposed to be safe here. I wasn't supposed to worry about my family when we were at home. And now they had been attacked. The fact that Jenna had only been knocked out was a blessing. But seeing Ric like, watching my sister kill him so that he would come back to us. It would haunt my nightmares. Just like it would haunt Elena's.
Her grip on my arm was tight, too tight. But I wasn't going to move it anytime soon. She needed that comfort and I was going to give it to her. Being forced to do that to Ric was hard for her. I didn't know if I would have had the strength to do it. Probably wouldn't have, if I was being honest. So I didn't blame my sister for gripping onto my arm, her fingers digging into me. For holding Matt's hand like a lifeline.
And I was grateful to Matt for staying with us. He hadn't been exposed to the supernatural bullshit like we had. Caroline had successfully kept him in the dark for most of it. But even when he found out, we tried to keep him safe. So seeing Ric like this, watching Elena kill our history teacher, it couldn't have been easy for him. I was tempted to offer him Jeremy's bedroom for the night, so that he didn't have to go home to an empty house. Whether the stubborn darling would accept or not, I didn't know. But I had to make that offer.
XXX
Damon's POV
After the rest of the Original siblings had arrived to enact their revenge on Klaus, Stefan and I had quickly left. Even I knew better than to stick around for that family drama. Whether they would kill him now or wait, I didn't know. But the quiet fury in Elijah's eyes as he revealed the daggers was an image that I would remember for quite some time.
I had checked to make sure that Stefan's burnt skin was healing well before we made our way to the old Lockwood cellar. It had been a while since I had heard from Bonnie, and I was getting worried about the witch. Despite her annoying, self-righteous tendencies, I was found of the girl. She would do anything for her loved ones, and I respect that.
"Ah, you were right about Elijah," my brother sighed as we walked through the dark woods, towards the entrance to the cellar and the tunnels. "Undaggering him was a smart move."
His words surprised me. Stefan never praised one of my plans, not since we were children. So to hear it now, after being hurt by Klaus, it wasn't something that I had ever expected. But it warmed my heart, even if I refused to admit it.
"Wow, actual acknowledgement of a job well done," I smirked softly at the other vampire, unable to stop myself from teasing him. "You're going soft, Stefan."
Stefan rolled his eyes, giving me a look that reminded me of the days when he munched on the woodland creatures, "So, I guess I shouldn't be thanking you for saving me from Klaus?"
I immediately rejected his words. He had saved me so many times, even when I didn't want to be saved. I owed him a thousand times over, and he shouldn't thank me until we were even again.
I shook my head, nudging his shoulder, "Shut up, you don't get to thank me until I pay you back for all those times that you've saved me."
Stefan paused by the stairs; his eyes fixed upon me. I didn't know what he was thinking, but it was enough for me to pause too, "You could have left me there. Klaus would have killed me and then there wouldn't have been anyone to criticise your relationship with Alexa."
"I wouldn't say that there wouldn't have been anyone," I shrugged, looking out amongst the dark trees. There would still be plenty of people that wouldn't be impressed with my relationship with the younger Gilbert twin. Not that I would listen to them, but the fact that they were there was tedious. "But I wouldn't have left you there, Stefan. Even if you do piss me off on a regular basis."
Before my brother could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Elena's name on the screen. I immediately rejected the call. I just wasn't in the mood to speak with her tonight. Especially after seeing my brother get hurt like that. She had been far too involved in all of the drama with my brother recently. She had even caused drama with her own sibling. Despite Alexa trying her best not to, I knew that she was angry with her sister over the way that she wanted to compel Jeremy out of town, and for daggering her friend. So I didn't feel as guilty for ghosting her call as I might have done previously.
I could feel his eyes on me as I tucked the phone back into my pocket, and cleared my throat, looking away, "I didn't do it on your account."
There was silence for a moment as my brother watched me. I didn't know what he was thinking, and I didn't know if I wanted to know. When it came to Elena, it had always been tense. As was proven by Klaus' taunting earlier. I would have been the same, if I wasn't so confident in my relationship with Alexa. I knew that my girl loved me and trusted me, and I felt the same. Klaus didn't really have much to taunt me with in that regard, so he resorted to petty comments.
Stefan's voice was soft as he said, "I love her, Damon."
It was the soft vulnerability in his voice that had me looking over at her. I had seen signs of it since the incident at Wickery bridge. His humanity was coming back, even if he didn't want it to. But he wasn't fighting it. And I couldn't help but hope that we were getting him back at last.
"Then you should tell her," I nodded slowly, aware that, for once, I had to say the right thing. And I was determined to do that. "Because right now, she doesn't think that you do."
My brother shook his head and sighed, "After all that I've done, how can I do that?"
"You be honest, and you don't try to make excuses," I nodded, thinking what I had heard from my girl over the situation. She had seen Stefan's returning humanity and she had had a lot to say on the matter. "And then you show your sincerity. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to Elena Gilbert."
"Did you learn that from Alexa?" Stefan asked bitterly and I shrugged. I ignored his bitterness for the moment. The fact that I was in a stable relationship was probably getting to him. He had spent so long pretending that no one could love me and I didn't deserve it, to see someone proving him wrong must burn. And I had no sympathy for him.
"I did, and if I were you, I would listen to her. Alexa knows her sister better than anyone. And you will need her onside if you want Elena to forgive you for everything."
With that said, I turned and made my way down the stairs. My brother could ponder on my words while I went in search for the witches. I had to know if they had had enough time to open the coffin.
XXX
Alexa's POV
It didn't take long for Elena to get moving again. I knew that she would, eventually. My sister wouldn't allow herself to be consumed by her emotions for long. She would need to get moving, to get her mind off of it.
She started by calling Damon. Who declined the call. I didn't know if the brothers were done with their little sit down with Klaus and Elijah. So I didn't risk calling him. I wanted my boyfriend to keep all of his attention on not getting killed. I had tried to stop Elena from calling him, but she didn't listen to me. Now that she had a plan of action in mind, she was not going to let anything stop her.
After muttering curses about my vampire, which I kindly ignored in order to check in on Jenna, she instead called Sheriff Forbes. Now that the shock had worn off, we had to work out who had done this.
The knife was one that belonged to our collection. Of course, that could just be a coincidence. Ric had been attacked at home, while the weapons were being reviewed. The attacker could have just grabbed one. But the fact that there had been two other deaths connected to our weapon collection, I just didn't know if I believed that.
My twin wanted to know if our lead suspect could have been involved. I didn't think that Meredith would have done this, especially not to Jenna. But Elena had to make sure. So she called Sheriff Forbes. After explaining what had happened, including that Ric was currently on a magic ring timeout, Caroline's mom said that she would look into it and call us back.
While we waited, I made sure that Jenna was okay. She was no longer crying but I still worried over her. None of this would have been easy for her to see. And I hated that she had. But my stubborn, amazing aunt had insisted that she was okay. I didn't believe her, but I knew the power of pretending that you were okay. It kept you going, when you thought that you would break down.
When Sheriff Forbes did call back, we listened intently. Matt was sat next to us, letting me lean against him. It was only through his strength that I was able to listen to the conversation.
Elena nodded, her face in a tight frown at whatever it was that the sheriff said. I didn't know if Elena wanted Meredith to be innocent or not. I didn't want Meredith to be the suspect, but if she was innocent, then we had another problem. Because we would have to find out who had done this. Who had broken into our home and attacked our aunt and Ric.
"She has an alibi?" Ellie confirmed, her eyes flicking up to look at us. She listened still, her frown lines deepening before asking, "Then who could it be?"
Now that was the magic question.
"I'll let you know if Ric or Jenna remember anything. We'll take Ric to the hospital once he wakes up, to get him checked out."
Sheriff Forbes must have confirmed that that was okay as my sister hung up the call. We were silent for a moment, each of us waiting for someone to say something. But one thought was shared by all: Meredith Fell was truly innocent of this. She couldn't have attacked Ric and Jenna, but the question remained: who did?
Alaric waking up, coughing frantically, stop all thoughts. We threw ourselves into action. Jenna got to his side first, pulling him into her chest. Ric immediately grabbed onto his girlfriend, holding on tightly as the rest of us fathered around him.
Jenna sobbed Ric's name, while I asked, "Ric, are you okay?"
The man nodded, looking at us all before closing his eyes. He clearly wasn't alright, but I wasn't going to contradict him in front of Jenna. She needed him to be alright, and I wasn't going to take that from her.
XXX
A/N: Thank you for the reviews, my darlings :) I loved them, keep them coming! I love hearing your thoughts! And if you have any future requests, please let me know about any requests for season 6 onwards, like Elena going into the coma and her forgetting Damon (but it won't be Damon...) Hope you enjoyed! xoxo
