Chapter 1 – The Girl

Elijah looked around the room at his siblings, "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

Everyone nodded their head in agreement but Elijah had to ask one more time. "If you have any doubts, now is the time to speak up. Once we do this there is no going back."

"Elijah, we've been planning this forever. Yes, we're sure." Rebekah, Elijah's younger sister, stated in a bored, detached tone, while examining her finger nails.

Elijah glared at her, "I'm just making sure. Once we make the move there is no going back."

This time Kol, their younger brother, spoke up. "Yes, we are sure. The girl has managed to spark all of our attention in a way no one else has. She even got Finn out of his suicidal faze."

Finn, the eldest of the siblings growled at this but his wife jumped to his defense, sort of. "Hey, I did that. The girl just stopped Finn from being pulled into your mother's plans."

Niklaus, the middle child of the group, rolled his eyes. "The point is, she's the one. We've been waiting for her for ages and now is the time to act. Elijah, we are all sure, and it's time to go get her."

Elijah nodded, "Well then, let it begin. I will go retrieve her. Make sure everything is ready when we return."

Elijah swiftly left the room, leaving everyone to their tasks. Within minutes everyone has dispersed, Rebecca went upstairs to make sure a bedroom was ready. As she set about her task she thought about its newest occupant, whom Elijah was getting. She didn't really get along with the girl, well not anymore, but for the sake of her brothers she would support them in this. She knew how important this was.

"I know you aren't thrilled about this little sister." Came a voice behind her interrupting Rebekah's train of thought.

Rebekah turned to look at the speaker, it was Niklaus. "I liked her fine until she stabbed me in the back. It's a little hard to get past that but I know how important this is to everyone."

Niklaus closed the distance between them and kissed her forehead. "It'll be fine. Just don't hurt her."

"I know Nik." Rebekah gave Nik a hug and sighed.

"If you do hurt her you'll find yourself in my playroom." Nik threatened.

Rebekah shuddered at the threat, Nik's playroom had all kinds of torture devises he had picked up over the years. Nil had never threatened her with it before, preferring the dagger to keep her in line, but now things had changed. Nik had agreed not to dagger anyone anymore since the girl would be coming to live with them. She was relieved about that, but also knew that it did give him the option of using his playroom to keep them in line if he so wished.

"Yes Nik." Rebekah responded meekly, looking at the floor.

"Now is everything all set here?" Rebekah nodded. "Good, now go get ready for the ritual."

Niklaus observed his sister scurry away before taking a look around. Everything seemed in place, Rebekah did do a good job decorating setting up for the girl, despite her dislike for the girl. He reflected on how the girl had caught all of their attention, she was fiery, loyal, and fierce. Oh, she had fear, and too often let that fear drive her decisions but she never backed down from a fight.

He gave the room another glance then went to find his brother Kol. He found Kol talking to the witch who was performing the ritual.

"Is everything in place?" Niklaus asked the pair.

"It is indeed, brother." Kol replied. "This is Sabrina, she'll be performing the ritual for us."
Kol introduced the witch to his brother.

"Nice to meet you." Niklaus murmured. "How did you meet my brother?"

Sabrina glanced at Kol nervously as she answered Niklaus, " Kol was very good friends with my several times great grandmother. He tracked down her ancestors when he was undaggered."

Kol smirked lazily and wrapped an arm around the witch's shoulder. Sabrina looked down at the floor but made no move to pull away, as Kol answered Niklaus' unvoiced question of why he had tracked her down. "Sabrina's how every many greats grandmother owed me and I wanted to see if anyone of her grandchildren would honor her promise today. Sabrina here agreed, speaking of which, she'll need a room. She will be staying a while with us."

Niklaus nodded. "Fine. Talk to Rebecca and she will have one set up for her."

Kol nodded and turned to walk away his arm still resting on Sabrina's shoulder. Niklaus stopped him, "Kol, I expect you to keep your witch under control, if she or you, for that matter, hurts the girl you will both be punished severely."

Kol nodded briefly. "Understood brother. You will have trouble from us." He knew what was riding on this going smoothly and has no intention on messing it up. He too had been affected by the girl, despite only seeing her at a distance. She awoke something in him that he had thought was long gone, her love of life made him want to live again, to feel, to love, to be human.

Niklaus nodded and allowed Kol to lead the witch away. He then continued on his way to see if Finn and Sage were ready. He searched the place over before he finally found them in the dungeons.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked them confused. In all of their planning he did not remember the dungeons being mentioned once.

"Sage thought it might be better to do the ritual down here instead of upstairs." Finn explained as he wrapped his arm around his wife who had tensed up at his brother's appearance.

"Indeed?" Niklaus asked looking at Sage. "And why might that be?"

"Well, I figured there would be an adjustment period for the girl and that it would be better if we did the ritual somewhere she won't see every day. That way she won't have a constant reminder of the ritual as she adjusts." Sage responded from the safety of her husband's arms. Her brother-in-law made her nervous and she wasn't sure how he would react.

"Hmmm. Very well. Carry on." Niklaus said noncommittally. He was kicking himself for not thinking of that, it was a brilliant plan. He would never let Sage know that though, he was not a big fan of her, but she made his older brother happy and definitely less suicidal.

Sage relaxed slightly, she had been worried about Niklaus' reaction. She believed in her plan, her own brief encounters with the girl
had influenced her plan. She knew the girl was strong, probably stronger than most of them, but the constant reminder of seeing where the ritual happened would have made it harder for the girl to adjust, and it was going to be difficult enough without it.

Finn kissed Sage's forehead, he knew she had been as affected by the girl as he had been. Back before his wife had come back into his life he had been all set to help his mother destroy all vampires forever. He had gone so far as to help his mother meet the girl alone, away from his siblings and her so called protectors.

However when he met her, he felt something spark within him. The more he saw of her, the less he wanted to help his mother and the more he wanted to live. The girl truly believed that there was good left in vampires, that they made their own choices to become monsters, but it didn't have to be that way. Oh, how he wanted to believe that. Then Sage came back into his life and he was content to live, truly live life.

Niklaus turned to go back upstairs. "I'll tell the others to meet us down here for the ritual."