Sophia's POV
Man it's never felt so good to be alone which is something I'd never thought I'd enjoy since I've always had people in my life that I wanted to be around but after everything that happened I think time away is what I needed which is why I'd left Mystic Falls.
My phone was near constantly ringing with calls from Kol and Damon taking turns but I was ignoring both because right now I just didn't want to deal with anyone and that wasn't a crime so my phone was on silent and I was only really answering texts from Damon telling him I was okay after Stefan had undoubtedly told him I was alive and ignoring him asking me to come back.
I hadn't really planned on where I was going so I just headed to the only place I knew I'd be able to avoid everyone and that was Chicago, the city of freedom and after how much fun I've always had here I figured it was the best place to go where I can take time for myself for the first time in my entire life partaking in some good ol' fashioned bar crawls and I reckon I've been a bit careless but I didn't care right this second.
"Sorry" I apologized to the man I just let drop to the ground I'd just drained off blood behind the current bar I was at before I pushed him back between two dumpsters wiping the small trail of blood that ran down the side of my mouth before I grabbed the discarded bottle of bourbon I'd bought and tipped the last bit into my mouth as I started to leave being done with this bar and ready to move onto the next.
"Sophia Lillian Salvatore-Mikaelson" I stopped halfway down the alley with a heavy sigh but couldn't help the small smile at the pissed off tone in his voice recognizing it instantly.
"Get tired of the phone tag battle?" I asked without even turning towards him.
"My, my you've been careless darling" I scoffed finally turning and saw him looking down at my latest victim.
"What can I say the guy was a dick, trying to spike my drink after I rejected his advances" I smirked and he finally looked up at me, a mixture of emotions on his face but anger was the most prominent. "Hey Kol, long time no see" I smirked.
"That's all you've got to say to me?" he asked glaring straight at me.
"You're the one that showed up despite my clear avoidance" I shrugged tossing the bottle aside hearing it shatter before I continued on in the direction I was going and he followed me.
"Do you have any idea what I've been through thinking you were dead!" he yelled making me stop and turn to him.
"Welcome to the club Kol, we both got lied to, we both mourned people that aren't dead" I shrugged since honestly what did he expect me to do.
"All you had to do was answer the phone Sophia, I would have-"
"You would have what?" I asked cutting him off. "I thought I was dying Kol, I was supposed to have been dying when Nik was staked and I couldn't answer that phone and say goodbye to you because I was barely holding together" I yelled letting it all out seeing his face fall. "I'm still barely holding it together" I felt the tears building up. "God don't make me cry Kol" I wiped at my eyes before they spilled over and he came over wrapping his arms around my shoulders before I could react and attempt to avoid the embrace but the moment his arms went around me I caved hugging my arms around his waist laying my head on his chest.
"Don't you ever ignore me like that again Sophia, I don't know what I'd do if you died" I sighed closing my eyes as I hugged him back.
"Your such an asshole for making me cry" I laughed and his chest vibrated as he let out a small laugh of his own.
"You deserve it for what you've put me through"
"I'm sorry" I sighed apologizing. "I wanted to answer Kol I did but with everything that happened-"
"I know Sophie" he cut me off and I smiled for the fact that he had. "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to"
"Thank you" I smiled letting go and stepped back from him.
"I will however kick my brothers ass if you want me to for letting you believe he was dead and that you were dying, as well as making me believe that my best friend was dying"
"I might just take you up on that offer" I laughed as we started walking and he chuckled hanging his arm over my shoulders and I didn't remove it this time.
"Lets forget about it all right now darling, we're celebrating"
"Celebrating what?" I asked confused.
"Your non-death" he replied and I scoffed shaking my head.
"Your so weird"
"You love me"
"I reckon you're lucky that I do" I remarked pushing his arm off me. "But I won't say no to celebrating especially if there's booze involved"
"Bar hop?" he questioned raising an eyebrow at me.
"Bar hop" I nodded my head before we whooped and took off heading for the next bar on my list.
It was only an hour later that we were both completely drunk off our asses in a new bar and Kol was currently singing karaoke while I laughed and shook my head at his antics with dead bodies all around us and blood covering the floor and walls from nearly everyone in here since it had gotten a bit wild after guys tried to flirt with me and Kol went homicidal when they didn't take no for an answer which led to more booze and us being drunk on bourbon, tequila and blood...all our favorites.
"I was sleeping and right in the middle of a good dream, like all at once I wake up from something that keeps knocking at my brain before I go insane I hold my pillow to my head and spring up in my bed screaming out the words I dread" I laugh as the next song started and Kol immediately started singing. "I think I love you" he jumped up onto the bar. "This morning I woke up with this feeling, I didn't know how to deal with and so I just decided to myself I'd hide it to myself and never talk about it..." Kol sang to the girl he was dancing with, her being barely conscious from the lack of blood running through her veins. "And did not go and shout it when you walked into the room...I think I love you" his eyes met mine and I laughed rolling my eyes at him as he dropped the now dead girl and she fell off the bar as he made his way along it towards me. "I think I love you so what am I so afraid of, I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for" he held out his hand and I laughed taking it letting him pull me up next to him.
"I think I love you isn't that what life is made of, though it worries me to say that I never felt this way" we both belted out the lyrics before I threw back another shot.
"Believe me you really don't have to worry, I only wanna make you happy and if you say 'hey go away' I will but I think better still I'd better stay around and love you, do you think I have a case let me ask you to your face, do you think you love me?"
"I think I love you!" I yelled out throwing my head back as he dipped me and I laughed.
"I think I love you!" Kol went on letting me go and I fell off the bar still laughing my ass off as he continued to sing but I heard my phone vibrating on the bar and sighed rolling my eyes as I stood picking it up seeing Damon's caller ID.
"What do you want brother?" I asked finally deciding to answer just to get him to stop calling.
"Sophia finally" he breathed out making me roll my eyes.
"I'm kind of busy Damon" I laughed as Kol spun with his arms out finishing the song.
"Are you at a club?" Damon asked clearly hearing the music which Kol and I had up full blast.
"Sorry what, can't hear you trying to have fun" I laughed then pretended the phone call was breaking up. "Damon...what...sorry...talk later" I hung up as Kol jumped off the bar.
"Time to move on darling?" he asked seeing as everyone was dead including the bartender and the booze was dwindling.
"Yes I'd think so since you just drained the bartender" I laughed looking down at the blonde girl he'd drained.
"She was nosy" he shrugged excusing it which just made me laugh even harder before we headed out and I threw a lit match over our shoulders to cover our tracks since the amount of alcohol we'd split the place would go up easily and cover the amount of people we'd killed.
The next place Kol and I grew tired off quickly since there wasn't very much to keep us entertained and we couldn't go wild like the last place since it'd just be stupid and a waste so we grabbed a couple of bottles for the road and decided to head for the nearest beach where we lit a bonfire and sat on the sand content to just watch the waves roll in.
I nursed the bottle in my hand staring out at the waves as the drunken stupor from all our previous bar crawls was slowly draining away as my healing sobered me up, the bottle was half empty.
"You know I really am sorry Kol" I sighed and turned seeing him turn towards me. "I never wanted to hurt you, I just couldn't say goodbye to you because saying goodbye meant I'd be hurting you"
"For a thousand years I'd suffered at the hands of my family, until you...your the only thing in my life that I actually love Sophia and the thought of losing you near broke everything inside me, I never want to lose you and you took the chance for me to say goodbye to you...that hurt darling"
"I know" I sighed hanging my head as I stared into the fire. "It wasn't just about not being able to say goodbye, I'd already lost Nik and I didn't want the same thing to happen to you since Alaric was still around and the only thing I had left was the feeling that I had to protect you, protect the rest of you"
"That's not your job Sophia" he argued and I sighed drinking more out the bottle until he pulled it away from me getting half of it down my top in the process.
"Kol!" I exclaimed jumping up.
"Oh I'm sorry, it's not my fault you're a klutz"
"Me, you're the one that grabbed the bottle and got it all down my top!"
"Well maybe you need to wash off" he replied and before I knew what was happening he'd stood up and picked me up running towards the surf.
"Don't you...KOL!" he tossed me into the air and I came down hard landing in the water.
"I'm gonna kill you one of these days" I glared at him as I walked out of the water and squeezed my top to get the water out before I collapsed on the sand laying back and he fell down next to me and we just stared up at the stars.
"So what are you doing here anyway?" he suddenly asked. "I thought you'd be glued to Klaus's side" my face fell as I let out a sigh.
"He didn't tell me he had a back up plan, he let me believe that he was dead just like my brothers had and he knew how much that would hurt me"
"He's an ass" Kol chuckled and I let a small smile show but it didn't last long.
"It just proves that the only one I can trust implicitly is me"
"And me, I have never let you down darling and I don't plan on it" he argued.
"You better not or I'll kick your ass"
"I'd like to see you try" he remarked.
"Don't think I can't Kol Mikaelson" he chuckled as I shoved his shoulder before we laughed but my phone rang interrupting the peace and I groaned pulling it out of my pocket once again seeing Damon's name. "God we have one moment when I think I'm dying and now he thinks he can call me"
"Allow me" Kol yanked the phone from my hands and answered it. "Sophia's phone this is her brother, what can I do you for?" he asked and I sniggered under my breath.
"Where's my sister?" I heard Damon ask straight away.
"She doesn't want to talk to you"
"Sophia I know your there, get the phone off this maniac we need to talk" I laughed at Damon's reply and the look on Kol's face.
"Sorry but Sophia's not here-"
"Kol just give me the phone" I pushed him and grabbed the phone off him as I stood shaking my head to rid myself of the water dripping from my hair. "What do you want Damon?" I asked walking away from Kol who rolled his eyes.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Does it matter, just because we had a moment of clarity and talked on my apparent death bed it doesn't make us siblings again so whatever you and Stefan have gotten yourselves into just leave me out of it"
"Just tell me you're not in Mystic Falls" he asked and I frowned confused.
"I'm not, I left the moment you told me to run" I lied and heard him let out a sigh. "Why do you want to know anyway?"
"Well for one I said I'll find you and I meant what I said" he argued. "I was worried when you hadn't showed up and there's a hunter-"
"Whoa wait what hunter?" I asked cutting him off.
"Don't worry about it-"
"Damon" I growled out. "What hunter?" I pressed since if there was a vampire hunter in Mystic Falls than it wasn't good and Rebekah was still there given she was adamant to be a normal teenager for once and the white oak stake was in the hands of my idiot brothers which didn't leave me with a lot of confidence.
"We don't know yet but he's skilled enough to almost take out Tyler Lockwood"
"Tyler?" I questioned since it took a lot to take down a hybrid and Damon was making it out like he'd done it with ease. "I'm on my way back" I told him since I didn't trust them to be able handle this alone.
"Sophia-"
"Bye Damon" I hung up and sighed pocketing my phone before I turned to face Kol seeing him standing up kicking sand into the fire to put it out and I frowned knowing he'd heard and was no doubt upset since I'd told him I wasn't going back but I was just mending things with Damon now and I meant what I said when the only person that was allowed to kill my brothers was me.
"Don't do this Sophia" he spoke before I even had a chance to open my mouth. "Don't go back there"
"I kind of have to Kol"
"No you don't" he argued glaring at me and I sighed heavily rubbing my eyebrow. "What have they ever done for you"
"I know but they are my brothers and-"
"And they've done nothing for you for the past 150 years"
"They didn't know I was even alive" I argued frowning when I realized I had actually defended them for the very thing I was mad at them for. "Family is the most important thing right, Always and Forever?" I questioned and he rolled his eyes. "That's what you Mikaelson's have always taught me.
"I was never really apart of that" he argued making me frown.
"Yes you are Kol" I shook my head since that wasn't true. "We're all a family even if it is the most dysfunctional family ever" I laughed and he let out a heavy sigh before he finally gave me a small smile. "I'll keep in touch Kol and I'll be back before you know it and we'll keep the party going
"You better Sophia, I mean it otherwise I'll snap your neck and drag you-"
"Okay Kol, calm those sociopathic tendencies I'll be fine" I hugged him tightly and it took a second before his arms wrapped around my waist. "I love that you want to protect me Kol but I can handle myself quite well"
"I know you can protect yourself" he agreed making me smile as I pulled back and quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"You'll always be my wingman of mayhem"
"And you'll always be my partner in madness" he smirked at me before he squeezed my hand and I smiled one last time then backed away to leave heading back to the motel room I'd been staying in packing up what little belongings I had and got into my car driving all the way back to Mystic Falls pulling up out the front of the Salvatore Boarding House 12 hours later.
I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat and walked right up to the front door pushing it open and walked right into the house finding Damon in the parlor room pouring himself a glass of bourbon and I smiled since this was gonna be entertaining.
"I'll take one of those brother" I smirked when he looked up hearing my entrance.
"Sophia, what are you doing here?" he questioned.
"I said I was coming back" I rolled my eyes dropping my duffle bag onto the ground. "Now what's this bloody mess you've gotten into now and which room is mine" he frowned towards me. "I guess I'll see to one myself, nice to see you too brother" I huffed picking up my bag and went up the stairs.
I found a room at the end of the hall and threw my bag onto the four posted bed before running my hands over the black and red comforter and I smiled jumping back on the bed spreading my arms out to the side.
"Hey, Stefan called wants me to meet him at the school, wanna come?" I looked up raising an eye.
"Why would I do that?" I questioned.
"You're the one that came all the way back here for no apparent reason" he argued and I rolled my eyes.
"I came back because you have a hunter problem and if he was stupid enough to try and take out a hybrid then he's dumb enough to be a threat" I argued back.
"Sure" he smirked condescendingly making me glare at him.
"You just want me to go so your not alone with Stefan and Elena" I spat and it was his turn to glare at me which just proved how right that statement was.
"Whatever" he said and walked out making me snigger as I stood and followed him anyway since I didn't really have anything better to do anyway.
"So what does Stefan even want?" I asked sliding into Damon's car in the passenger seat.
"I don't know he just told me to meet him at the school"
"So how are things, I have expected you to have hightailed it out of Mystic Falls the moment Elena chose Stefan?" I asked.
"Like you did" he remarked.
"I don't like Elena" I laughed watching as he rolled his eyes at me.
"No but clearly things didn't end well when you found out Klaus found his loophole and survived" I turned to glare at him.
"That's not really any of your business"
"Your my sister, that makes it my business Soph" I scoffed shaking my head since seriously we had one bonding moment and he expected that everything was alright between us.
"I still haven't forgiven you"
"I know" he replied looking over. "I don't expect you to but that doesn't mean we can't try and find a way to move on, your still my twin sister Sophia and you always will be no matter what" I looked over taking in his look over at me but had nothing to reply to that and was relieved when he was pulling up at the front of the school and we got out seeing the teenage witch getting out of her own car as well. "What are we doing here?" Damon asks her
"I don't know" she replies looking at me with surprise and I saw the distaste in her eyes and I honestly couldn't blame her which is why I stayed silent as we approached the picnic table on the school grounds where Caroline, Matt, Elena, Jeremy and Stefan are and Stefan looks like he's taking Japanese lanterns out of a box. "Ask Stefan"
"Stefan, what are we doing?" Damon asked looking up at our younger brother.
"We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier" Stefan replies looking at me with confusion and surprise that I was here no doubt. "We need to start healing Damon, we've all lost so much especially recently" I frowned since he had a point. "I think we're numb to it, we push it away we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel, time to just let ourselves grieve
"So you're lighting lanterns" Damon pointed out seeing as they all pretty much had one in their hands.
"Yeah" Stefan nodded and I raised an eye since how would this help them. "Yeah, we need to do this"
"What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the council, we have more important things to be doing right now than this" Damon argued and I actually agreed with him.
"Not tonight, we don't" Stefan protested and Damon scoffed. "This is for my Uncle Zach-" I raised an eye since I think he meant distant nephew, one in which I'd never met considering I thought the Salvatore bloodline had ended with us. "My friend Lexi, for Alaric" he finished then lights his lantern before Matt stands up next to him and takes the lighter.
"This is for Vickie" he states before he lights his lantern then Caroline is next to get up and take the lighter.
"This is for my dad and Tyler's" she lights her lantern and Jeremy gets up taking the lighter)
"This is for our parents, for Vickie...Anna, Jenna and Alaric" he says looking at Elena before he looks up at Damon and goes to hand him the lighter but Damon shakes his head.
"No way, I'm not doing that" he says then turns and leaves and I frown watching him go for a second before I turn back and see Stefan looking at me holding out a lantern but I shook my head.
"I'm not really the sentimental type of girl and I agree with Damon, there's more pressing matters at hand" I shook my head turning and followed Damon letting him go off alone sensing he needed it and I just decided to go on a walk leaving the teenagers to their own since reality I didn't have anyone to grieve for and for that I was appreciative for that fact but I still didn't feel better since while I wasn't grieving a death I was grieving the way I'd left things with Niklaus but I wasn't ready to let go of what he did.
Third Person's POV
"They're floating lanterns in the sky, can you believe that?" Damon asked sitting on a bench in the graveyard with a bottle of bourbon in his hands talking to the headstone of Alaric Saltzman. "Japanese lanterns is a symbol of letting go of the past, well here's a newsflash…we're not Japanese" Damon took a drink out of the bottle. "You know what they are...children, like lighting a candle's going to make everything ok or even saying a prayer, or pretending Elena is not going to end up just like the rest of us murderous vampires...stupid, delusional, exasperating little children" he let out a heavy sigh. "I know what you're going to say, it makes them feel better Damon" he scoffed knowing that's exactly what Alaric would say.
"So what, for how long, a minute, a day, what difference does it make?" he asks not knowing that Alaric was there and listening. "Because in the end when you lose somebody, every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be...and a rock with a birthday carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong" unknown to Damon who couldn't hear or see him, Alaric chuckled. "Ah so thanks friend, thanks for leaving me here to baby-sit because I should be long gone by now" Damon sighed sitting down on the headstone. "I didn't get the girl remember, I'm just stuck here fighting with my brother, trying to reconcile with a hostile twin sister and taking care of the kids" Damon takes one last swig from the bottle. "You owe me big" he said looking down at the grave again as he puts the bottle on the grave before getting up and left.
"I miss you too, buddy" Alaric said hating the fact that no one could see him.
