By meekobb · Twilight & Originals
Rated M · 14 chapters · 67,811 words · Complete
Bella had been sent to Forks for her protection to an ally of her husband's while her family handled a long ongoing threat that returned. Her short time away from the family is felt by them in more ways than one as she was the only one of them to truly hold onto her humanity despite the nature running through her veins. Only there is so more to her than even her own family knew.
Author Note... This is a new venture for me into the Originals. There will be references to The Vampire Diaries but eventually the story will end up in New Orleans, I assure you. There are many canon aspects being taken from TVD and I'm sure if you follow the show you can guess what it is. As far as other stuff regarding Bella...Well, hm, she has an interesting story in this project and I can't wait to bring it out. I hope you all enjoy it! Much Love, Meeko
It'd only been a few months since Bella had been sent away to the furthest that her family could send her on the short notice they had. While she was supposed to seek out her brother-in-law's friend for his aid due to his gift, once she had arrived in Forks, the insecure young woman in her emerged as it was truly one of the first times in many years that she was alone without the support of any of her siblings.
Compelling the local sheriff after observing his habits on her arrival, Bella quickly found herself in a human home. As she didn't know how long she was supposed to remain in hiding, she kept a low profile and was careful of her natural habits.
Having to undergo formal education was not something she was pleased with and it was clear early on she was decades ahead of the humans that surrounded her. Several of the students, she contemplated often of simply draining their blood because they were just that irritating. It was especially worse that as she continued to play human, one of the local Cold One covens had taken an interest in her and no matter how polite she tried to be, he and his sister would not give up with pairing her with him.
In keeping with the charade, Bella dreaded every affectionate touch and pathetic kiss she accepted from Edward Cullen but she had chosen to take on a particular role rather than seek out Kol's friend. If she hadn't pretended to know nothing of the supernatural world when he begun to express his interest in her, knowing it was simply because he was unable to access her mind, she would have surely put him in his place when he first attempted to tell her what she should and should not be eating.
The rest of his family she enjoyed her time with however, as she got to know them. With the exception of Rosalie. If the woman knew of her true self, she was certain they would have gotten along much better. She reminded Bella so much of her sister at times that she had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking and revealing herself. While she'd grown affectionate towards the group in a way, she was a long way to trusting them if they had any ties to her family's parentage. Trust - was something earned by dedication and blood.
With the holiday approaching, Bella found herself slipping into a depression and no matter how much their empath attempted to help raise her mood, each time she looked out the window towards the falling snow, it only reminded her of more days passing that she was away from her true family. Edward's constant questions about her emotions as he interpreted them from Jasper got under her skin and it took nearly every ounce of strength to not reach out and rip his tongue from his mouth in front of the cafeteria of humans. What held her back was her apathy and lack of interest of having to compel everyone to forget what they witnessed. It was bad enough that she had to make excuses to run out of town unknown to the young vampire so that she would be able to feed as she preferred.
The moment Alice begun talking about how much fun she saw them having doing Christmas shopping at the mall, she finally broke. Pulling out a water bottle that she had in her bag that was filled with an old scotch from Charlie's cabinet, Bella swallowed a healthy mouthful before looking over at the shocked girl. "I am not going shopping. I have told you time and again Alice, I do not enjoy shopping."
"But I've seen…"
"I do not care what you have seen," she snapped, her natural accent escaping as she snapped her mouth shut and glared at her. A new sensation filled her senses, another of her kind nearby, distracting her as she had begun to strongly consider ripping the Cold One's head off and looked around with nervousness.
Jasper studied her closely and frowned as he too glanced around for whatever threat that might be unnerving his human friend. "What is it Bella?"
"Don't be ridiculous. There is nothing wrong. Bella, you should go to the mall with Alice. I think you would truly enjoy yourself if you just let her take you," Edward commented in his arrogant manner and reached over to pull her water bottle from her as she went to take another sip. "What are you drinking? Is this alcohol?"
"Yes and it's mine. Give it back," she said as her tone evened out. Her eyes narrowed on him as she went to grab the bottle back but he held firmly, refusing to relinquish it.
"You shouldn't be drinking this. You are much too young and it's bad for your health," he scolded her but it only fanned the anger that was slowly bubbling inside her.
"You should hand it back to her. My sister can be a deadly breed when she doesn't get her way," a voice spoke up from behind Bella, causing her to freeze briefly before turning around to stare at its owner with her jaw dropped.
She searched for words as they stared at one another. More like she in disbelief that he was there, him smirking at her knowingly. "Interesting story you have compelled everyone to believe, Poppet," Kol smiled as his eyes twinkled with untold secrets.
"Who are you? How do you know my Bella?" Edward demanded as everyone watched on confused. Jasper not as much as he looked back and forth between the Original vampire and the human girl he knew - that they assumed before realizing what was happening and looked away to hide the smile that grew on his lips.
"Someone not to be trifled with, Cold One. Now hand over Isabella's bottle or I will rip your hand off at the wrist to give it back to her," he said coldly as he looked back at him. "As for as being yours, I am sure Isabella has other opinions to that. Don't you Poppet?"
"Of course. I tried to tell him several times over that I wasn't interested in his advances but he refused to listen. He believes me to be his mate, Kol," she snorted as she jerked her scotch back from Edward and stood from her seat to join her brother-in-law. Looking up at him hopefully, she bit her lip. "Is he with you?"
Kol continued to eye the boy as he answered her with a smile. "He is not far behind me. We only arrived not long ago and it took some time to track your scent due to the rain here. He had some - business to tend to but is most anxious for your reunion."
"And Mikael?"
"Bella...I will ask you this one more time, who is this man and what is going on?" Edward demanded as he stood up as the bell rang, ignoring it as curious students walked by, trying to eavesdrop for every bit of information they could get to gossip on later.
She looked up at Kol who only smiled his unique smile for her and smirked back. "Oh Kol? He's an old friend. Family more so. Actually, for the truth - it may be best if Jasper, you sedate him some right now because Kol is actually my brother-in-law and my very jealous and possessive husband will be coming for me soon."
The Cullens present, bar Jasper, stared at her after her newsbomb. "Husband? You are only eighteen!" Edward exclaimed.
Sighing, Bella inspected her nails in her growing boredom. "Actually I am 23."
"Ahh, you should tell them the truth Poppet," Kol continued to smile from beside her in glee.
Rolling her eyes, she stuck her tongue out at him before relenting. "I've been 23 for a thousand years. Give or take a decade."
The Cold Ones, except one, stared at her in shock as they tried to let the information sink in but they couldn't seem to grasp the truth of the facts that were spoken to them. Alice looked to Edward to confirm their stories through their thoughts but he continued to stare at the dark haired man that shared in his Bella's claim that she was over a thousand years old.
"I can't hear his thoughts either," he admitted painfully, earning a pleased smile on the young woman's lips.
"Well good. It serves you well to keep out of people's heads that you have no need being in," Bella snarked as she pulled her bag up over her shoulder and moved to make her way to Kol's side, scowling as the young vampire reached out to pull her back to him.
"Please Love, don't. We don't know who he is or what he is capable of. I don't feel that you are safe with him or that you are in the right mind right now. Let us take you back to Carlisle. He will know what to do about this," he pleaded.
She looked back over at her brother who slowly grinned at the name. "I'm game for the party, Poppet. It'll be fun," he said as he waggled his eyebrows.
Bella let out an exasperated breath and looked to Jasper to make sure he was doing okay with the situation, surprised that she hadn't taken account of his reaction to everything sooner. He watched on amused as he winked quickly at her. "I am sure that the good doctor will enjoy hearing about this. I can assure you that he will be quite apologetic, Sugar," he replied with a much stronger Texan drawl than he'd ever offered before, making her curious as to why he had held it back before. Feeling her curiosity, he only shrugged in response but his eyes darted back over to the shopaholic vampire that stood nearby. Explanation said wordlessly.
"Fine. Let's go. It should be interesting to see their reactions when they learn the truth that your world is much smaller than your puny minds really believe yourselves to think it is," she sighed. Looking at the wonder twins, she waved them off. "You two may go ahead and warn the rest of your insolent coven. I'd like Jasper to stay here."
Edward immediately turned to look over at Jasper who kept his eyes on the pretty brunette human. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at his brother who expressed his thoughts that he should do as he was told and return to the others and wait.
"Let's go Alice," he muttered as he pulled her along while she tried to stare blindly into a future that had nothing for them in the coming hours which frightened her. The following days were murky at best because it seemed whatever was to occur at this meeting would determine the future. "We'll talk to Carlisle about this. Fix this somehow."
Alice looked back at Jasper suspiciously but all he did was spare her a glance that held little emotion. Once the nosey duo was clear of their senses, the three remaining looked among themselves. Kol flashed a cheesy smile at his sister and winked. "Would you like to take this outside or shall we remain in this establishment where I get to kill anyone that overhears our conversation?"
"Kol?" Bella sighed tiredly.
"Yes, Poppet?"
"Shut up!"
"May we get back on subject here?" Jasper interrupted.
"Yes. Shall we?" Bella smiled as she looked back at the blonde vampire speculatively. "Friend?" she questioned in such a way that was almost like there were more words preceding the singular one, but the man understood.
"Yes. Wife?"
"Yep," she answered, popping her 'p,' earning an amused snort from her side as it had been a learned habit from the current generations as compared to their actual one.
Kol looked around exasperated, and perhaps with more than a twinge of hunger in his eyes that his sister did not miss. "Now that you are all caught up on your husband's allies, I'm growing bored with the scenery here and I'm hungry. There were some lovely humans that smelled simply divine that left the room just shortly before…"
"You will not eat anyone here, Kol," Bella warned before smiling devilishly. "There are certain - factors that you may not be aware of around here that may need some attention before we leave."
"What are you speaking of?" he asked, confused as his dark hair flopped forward into his eyes, making her smile affectionately for a moment.
Bella shrugged her shoulder noncommittally as she turned and walked out of the cafeteria with extra grace to her step that she never displayed previously to keep up the facade when she believed she was in hiding. "We need to leave here. I think after our display, we should skip the rest of the day. What do you say Jasper?"
He shook his head slowly as he smiled at her. "I think you'll be having to compel the entire town to forget you after this Miss Ylva," he remarked, following until the name he said made her trip in her steps.
Whirling around to glare at him, a rare moment in his vampire existence did he feel fear coming from himself due to another that many assumed was a helpless being, however he knew better. "You are never to use that name in the presence of the others. Do you understand me?" she hissed at him, her eyes darkening as the blood seeped into the whites of her eyes and veins grew out as she took on the vampire visage that was in her nature.
Swallowing hard as he lowered his head submissively to the clearly stronger and more powerful being before him, he nodded and pushed out his regret for his words to her. "I apologize Bella. It won't happen again," he replied.
"Of course it won't mate. My sister won't hesitate to rip you apart and keep you in her hat boxes in her closet for a century for speaking out place. Crazy hag can be worse than my brother sometimes," Kol huffed as he trailed behind.
Bella turned to look over her shoulder as they approached her old pick up truck. "Would you really like me to tell him that you referred to me as an unattractive, hysterical middle aged woman when he arrives?"
Scowling at her, he growled under his breath. "What does it matter, Poppet? He'll find something about this mess to blame on me then shove that dagger in me again. I recall you helping him the last time."
"You were out of control with your witches. We were being hunted again by Mikael and you were more focused on killing your brother!" she argued angrily. "My husband! Of course I would help him! You're still here, breathing. Obviously he felt the need to remove the dagger, so why are you complaining?"
"Can we just get back to the Cullens?" Jasper interrupted as he pushed out as much calm as he could between the agitated siblings. Bella frowned as she glanced at him apologetically but she held no such feeling towards her brother as she climbed into the driver's seat in the cab.
"The asshole can ride in the back or follow on foot. I may end up snapping his neck the way I'm feeling at the moment," she muttered before turning the engine to drown out Kol's protests as it had just about begun to rain again in the miserable state. She looked into the side view mirror as the man-child paced in place, waiting for him to make his decision before he jumped up into the bed of the truck and sat in the corner like the petulant child he was.
Jasper joined her in the passenger seat just as she put the truck in drive. "His feelings are genuine for you. He cares deeply despite his behavior," he shared quietly.
She looked at him silently as she drove, frowning at his intrusion on Kol's emotions. "I know they are. My entire family is like this. It's why I hate being away from them too long otherwise they self destruct when left to their own devices. You do not know them Jasper. Only what my husband told you and even then, he can be very - finicky on whom he trusts."
"I got that from him when we met. I was actually quite surprised when I received his call about you. I was concerned when you never showed up but your conflicting emotions and your ability to block Edward...Well, I had to say, I was starting to grow suspicious there before this one decided to make his appearance," he admitted, thumbing over his shoulder.
They drove the rest of the way in silence as Bella refused to comment on why she didn't reveal her nature to them and her knowledge. She worried on how the approaching confrontation will go considering the unstable nature of the hitch-hiking vampire in her truck.
By the time she pulled up the Cullens' driveway, a glance to the bed of the truck found Kol staring towards the house, his body tense for a fight. She knew that he was preparing to be on the defensive and it only gave credibility to Jasper's words. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she said nothing as she jumped out and raised an eyebrow at the wet vampire in warning. He had just jumped down beside her as the front door opened slowly, catching their attention.
Bella turned to see who was audacious enough to approach them and smiled at seeing Carlisle as he eyed the trio warily. "Bella," he greeted softly with a nod as his golden eyes took in Jasper first as if to assess his control in the presence of the stranger before looking at the human. "Who is your friend?"
"Oh this idiot? My brother in every way that matters Carlisle. Always and forever," she smiled as she walked up to him. It wasn't the usual innocent, timid one that she gave but a darker one that brought a shiver of an underlying threat that ran up his spine. "Is everyone else here? I really don't like having to repeat myself. The last time I had to - well, my brother could tell you how that turned out for him."
"Evil fucking bitch," Kol muttered under his breath. "That's what you are."
Carlisle's eyes darted to him before turning back to her. "Um, are you sure it's wise to bring your brother to visit here? It's not such a good time. Edward returned home quite - upset," he said as he struggled to choose the appropriate word.
"The wanker should be bloody pissed off," Kol said loudly, clear enough to be heard inside for anyone, human or vampire to hear. "The way he treats my sister is a bloody fucking insult. When my brother gets here, I hope you all have have said your goodbyes because I don't doubt that he'll be a pile of ash once he hears what I witnessed in that pitiful excuse of an educational facility."
"Enough," Bella snapped at him with ferocity that caused him to simmer down but he still remained glaring in his anger at the coven patriarch.
Carlisle eyed the two, taking in the difference in the demeanor of the girl his son had come to love and quickly realized that this young woman that held herself with so much authority that pulled the emotional man back with a simple command was not whom he thought she was. He looked to Jasper, surprised to find him with his head down in a common submissive position to her, giving her complete authority over him as well. Blinking in his shock, he looked back at the two again, swallowing as realization of just how much influence they may truly have if they could get a vampire as powerful and renown as the Major to submit them so willingly.
"Please, why don't we all go inside and handle whatever misunderstanding that may be going on. I'm sure that Esme could find your brother something dry to change into as well," he offered with some hesitation in his voice.
"While I should be grateful for the gesture, I'll take whatever Jasper here will bring me. That alright with you Sparkles?" Kol replied, remaining as polite as he could without losing his stubborn dignity that caused Bella to roll her eyes without comment.
"Of course," he frowned, stepping back for them to enter. As soon as Bella and Kol entered Edward's line of sight, he had started to growl low enough for a human not to hear but Carlisle somehow knew better. "Edward. Please - now is not the time for such behavior. If you never heed my advice after today, then so be it, but for all our lives, do not anger Bella and anyone she chooses to protect. They are more than they seem," he commanded to him in his thoughts.
Immediately, the growling simmered down, replaced by a confused and pained look on his face as he looked back at him. "What is going on? I want to know what has changed!"
Bella sighed as she went to fall into the empty armchair that Carlisle often claimed and smiled indulgently as she looked around. As expected, Rosalie glared at her with disdain while Emmett was just as confused, but she had no worries other than him being upset that she would be leaving the family. Esme looked at her with concern, but with a hint of fear because she had enough sense to know that something certainly had changed.
"So demanding, Edward," she frowned at him, her accent only filtered partially. "Behaving like a crotchety teenager should be beneath a creature of your age. Emmett is younger than you and I have not seen him throw the tantrums that I've heard from you in the months I've been in this wretched town."
"Who the hell do you think you are speaking to him like that?!" Rosalie interrupted as she moved to approach her threateningly. "I thought you loved him! You're his mate after all!"
The amusement that was on Bella's face faded the moment the word mate left the blonde's mouth and she looked up at her coldly, not moving from the position she sat. She could feel Kol and Jasper eye her cautiously as they returned from getting a change of clothes and needed to take a breath to calm herself even with the emotional assistance she welcomed from her husband's friend.
"Let's get one thing straight, Bitch. I have never once said that I loved that pain in my ass. If anything I have attempted to shake his attention but him and that annoying little chihuahua you call a sister wouldn't let it go. I do not know where the fuck he got it through his head that I was his mate but I have one and he is on his way here as we speak," she spoke evenly, her voice low and clear in her confidence.
"You have a mate?" Rose laughed. "You're human. What could you know about mates before you met us?"
Bella gave her a slow grin that revealed just a hint of her glimmering white teeth. "I know plenty. I've spent over a thousand years with him," she whispered as she canted her head. "He is my husband after all."
The vampire looked up at Carlisle, feeling the same disbelief that Edward and Alice had when they told them when they rushed home to tell them what was going on in school. Expecting to see their father figure reassure them that what was being said couldn't possible be true, she instead found that he appeared nervous. Fearful even.
"Carlisle?" she questioned before looking over at Edward, silently demanding him to speak their leader's thoughts.
Edward's mouth was open in shock, speechless as rumors, stories, nightmares of their race ran through his mind of another race of vampire that were stronger than them. A race that was lead by a family that could not be killed by any known means.
"Invincible vampire race," he murmured as he shook his head.
"Huh," Bella huffed as she looked up at her brother. "You hear that Kol? We're the boogeymen to the Cold Ones. Did you have something to do with that?"
Jasper looked to the man who emitted some feelings of guilt despite his outward calm display. "I have no idea of what you speak of, Poppet," he lied.
"Sure," she murmured, clearly not believing him in her experience with him and turned back to the children in the room. "I'm not sure how much time we have but I may as well educate you properly on our type of vampire since you are too foolish to believe facts if they smacked you in the face."
"Poppet? Those facts already have," Kol pointed out.
Bella pursed her lips in irritation, her eyes glaring in his direction at his interruption. "As I was saying, our type do have it's weaknesses and can be killed. However my family, well we are special."
Edward stared at her, still having a difficult time trying to piece together that the human girl he claimed to be his mate was indeed already a vampire, but now was also much older and powerful than he could imagine. "Special? How?"
"More importantly, how the hell do I kill you?" Rosalie demanded before Emmett pulled her back with a disapproving frown on his face as he shook his head at her.
"We fit most vampire lore. Inability to walk in the sun as we would burn, we require invitation into homes, wooden stakes to the heart would kill us," Bella explained with a bored tone as she inspected her nails.
"But you've been in sunlight, you entered our house without any problems?" Edward sputtered out, trying to understand and failing.
Kol was getting antsy with his whining. "Oh give it a rest already! She's telling you what she wants to tell you. If she doesn't want to tell you everything, then it's her bloody choice. Why do I have the feeling that you have the habit of getting everything that you bloody want when you throw a fit?"
Looking around, Bella and Kol caught a mixture of amused and guilty looks from the various vampires making him let out a disgusted grunt. "Bloody nit. I ought to teach your childish behavior some harsh lessons on life. Perhaps you might learn a little respect to those around you."
"Kol. Enough now," she smiled up at understandingly. "As coven leader, Carlisle will handle his punishment appropriately. Won't you?" she questioned, though it was clear it was a demand behind the lightness in her voice as she looked at the man.
"Of course Bella. I see the error of my ways in how we have raised Edward since his turning," he said quietly, his head lowered, ignoring the incredulous look from his son. "If they are of the family they are claiming, and more are coming, we cannot argue with our place. We must agree to their commands and abide. I have been too lenient on you over the years, Son."
Rose still was not ready to submit to whom she'd believed was nothing more than a human girl, a threat to her family's existence for the months she'd intruded on their sanctity. "Who the hell do you think you are to be commanding us to do anything?"
"I am the one that will be keeping my husband from killing you all for treating me as you have been," Bella replied with a smile. "I'm thirsty. Do you have any blood bags in the house? Or bourbon? Seeing as your son tried taking my scotch from me at school."
"You were drinking alcohol at school?" Emmett asked amused.
"Yes Emmie," she smiled happily at him. "Alcohol helps with our bloodlust. Dulls it down some. Alice's demands for shopping was getting on my nerves which stirs my hunger and having so many walking sausages around...well, I needed something to stave off my thirst and your brother decided to be the little prick that he is."
"Edward. Why the hell would you do that? I've told you that you can't keep trying to control everything in Bella's life. You were even telling her what the hell she can eat and drink?" the bulky vamp questioned, outraged by the controlling nature of the boy. "That's just wrong man."
"She's my mate…" Edward begun to argue but suddenly deep, angry growls reached their ears that had most of them looking around in fear.
Having anticipated such an arrival, Bella's eyes looked up at Edward's with a sparkle. "Oh. That? I hope you are good at groveling for forgiveness. Seems his hearing of your behavior before my brother or I could tell him ourselves may not quite work in your favor."
"Who is that Isabella?" the boy vampire demanded as he tried to make himself appear as menacing as he could as he turned to prepare for an attack from some unknown source.
"That? Oh. My husband," she shrugged carelessly and looked over her shoulder. "About time the bastard showed up."
Several pairs of eyes looked around cautiously, unsure whether to flee or take up a defense until a new male walked in. He was dressed impeccably in a suit, brushing the rainwater off his sleeves in annoyance before he laid eyes on her and smiled, ignoring the minor inconvenience. "Lovely Isabella. It is a relief to see you faring well. I trust we have arrived in a timely manner?"
Bella smiled at him as she stood from her seat as he approached her, pulling her into his arms in an affectionate hug. "I have missed you, Elijah. You have not missed much. Nothing I could not have handled myself. They are nothing but troublesome children that need a timeout," she replied as she gestured towards Edward and Rosalie with their teenager glares that seem to be permanently etched onto their faces.
"Of course," Elijah frowned at them as he watched them curiously, letting her step out of his embrace. "He is outside attempting to calm himself for you. He will be in momentarily but he is not happy with that one there."
"I did not expect him to be but I do not wish any of them harmed, Brother," she announced as she leaned on the arm of the chair she vacated. "Mikael has been dealt with?"
"He is no more. We had some assistance with the local vampires in our home village," he replied, eyeing her with a heavy look.
Bella sucked in a deep breath with the weight of the implication of what he meant. "So the rumor was true? You had found the girl there?"
"We did," he answered with a nod. "He broke his curse while we were there. He is free of his binds and now the family is free to live without being hunted."
"You were being hunted? So you lied when you said you were invincible?" Rosalie spoke up.
Bella sighed in exasperation, throwing her hands up as she looked over at Kol and Jasper, who both shrugged wordlessly. They both gave up a long while back and turned to entertaining themselves in their wait with a deck of cards, making her wonder momentarily when they even pulled them out.
"Our family's business is none of yours, Cold Bitch," a voice snarled from behind the pair of siblings and caused a wicked grin to emerge on Bella's face. Every vampire in the room could also pick up the scent of the her arousal at the tone he used in his defense of their family. "The next time you insult my wife in the manner that you have been, I won't hesitate to rip your tongue from your mouth and use it as a paperweight."
Edward shifted uncomfortably as his nose picked up the undeniable scent of wolf in the room and took a step backwards. The first smart move he made that day. "Who - or what are you?" he asked, wisely keeping a neutral stance and tone.
The Cullens' visitors all moved to stand beside or behind the sandy haired man while Bella lined herself up against his body as she gazed up to his eyes adoringly. Jasper stood close to them, making his wordless alliance known to his former family as well, watching them in warning in case they made a foolish move, monitoring their emotional states the entire time.
"Who am I, mate? I am Isabella's husband," he smirked. "As to what I am…" He sighed as his hand slid down Bella's body, holding her tightly to him as he made his claim to her in front of the boy that his brother had texted him in warning about. "Well, I am the original hybrid. Niklaus Mikaelson is my name and how about you give me a good reason why I should listen to my wife's request to not end your life for attempting to steal my mate, mate?"
"Who am I, mate? I am Isabella's husband," he smirked. "As to what I am…" He sighed as his hand slid down Bella's body, holding her tightly to him as he made his claim to her in front of the boy that his brother had texted him in warning about. "Well, I am the original hybrid. Niklaus Mikaelson is my name and how about you give me a good reason why I should listen to my wife's request to not end your life for attempting to steal my mate, mate?"
~o.O.o~
Edward's face twisted as he tried to process everything assaulting him. The stranger's scene and announcement that he was a hybrid. Carlisle's whirling thoughts as they flew through his head and memories of when he was still with the Volturi. "What is a hybrid exactly?" he asked nervously as his eyes darted to Bella, concerned for her safety despite her familiarity with the man.
"She is more safe with Niklaus than she ever would be with you as a human Edward," Jasper interrupted, causing him to jerk his head to him and hiss.
Klaus however was only amused as he had been watching the coven leader through the entire exchange. This wouldn't be the first time meeting the famous vegetarian vampire and he could see that he had held his own family and race secret from his creations. "You have kept your coven quite naive from our world Carlisle. Shame on you," he murmured, looking at him, though his eyes had strayed to take in everyone's shock since no one had been introduced.
"It was not my intention to do anything but protect my family," Carlisle answered cautiously, glancing to his children before stepping forward. "I shall correct them."
"I am sure that you will Carlisle. However I can't be sure that you would actually tell them the whole truth without focusing on the nightmarish parts to put myself and my family in a bad light. Although I shall give you the opportunity to do so now," he smiled indulgently.
Bella, whom had remained silent and observant at his side grinned as she saw exactly where her husband was going with his actions and was certainly agreeable to his plan. "How about we have some drinks during storytime? Carlisle? Didn't you keep some bagged blood in the house for me in case I was ever injured after the James and Victoria incident?" she asked, blinking her eyes demurely.
If the vampire could pale, he would have as his golden eyes looked up to her husband in fear before nodding. "I do, yes. I can get them for you Bella-"
"Nonsense! Just tell me where they are stored. My family has a particular taste for how we enjoy our blood so I can prepare our own drinks," she smiled as she interrupted him.
He hesitated for a moment as he looked back at her before gesturing towards the hall that lead down towards the basement. "Downstairs I have a storage supply for emergencies in case you were harmed as we had believed you were human. I took precautions, fearing your safety for spending so much time as you appeared quite the clumsy girl."
"All part of the charade, child," she said patronizingly as she patted his cheek, passing him on her way to collect the blood bags.
In her absence, Klaus' good humor fell from his face as he glowered at the coven. "What harm is it that she has insinuated that you brought onto my wife? I am very well aware that she won't tell me every facet of her time here but she knows very well that when it comes to her safety, no man is exempt. Tell me Carlisle what did you do that she is avoiding in telling me herself? Or shall I ask Major Whitlock? Between the displeased expression on his face and the disgust and resentment he has been sending me since the subject rose, I suspect his expertise was ignored."
"I didn't think that that Victoria would be a threat. James, yes and we dealt with it but they never indicated that they were mates in their thoughts," Edward said as he glared at the man, offended at the insinuation that they were at fault.
Unfortunately for the young vampire, Klaus was even less pleased by his explanation. By the bored expression on his face and the way he blinked lazily at Carlisle, it was clear that his patience was only for his wife's benefit. "Do not take me for a fool, Carlisle," he said in a low growl.
The coven leader swallowed as he looked over at his family. "I trust my son when he believed that he heard nothing in their thoughts. Between their thoughts and the visions that Alice get, we had no way of anticipating Victoria's motives until later."
"You had an empath within your coven who could feel the bond between them and I trust he informed you of their mateship. Our lives have always been a mate for a mate. If one of yours ever even thought to harm mine, you can trust that not even the ashes of your miserable body would satisfy my lust for revenge," he announced coldly as he looked around the room. He didn't need to turn around to know Elijah and Kol were doing the same. He eyed the blonde female and her own mate shooting glares at the penny head.
"I suspect that judging from the tension among a few of your coven, that you may know of some other threat to my sister," Elijah spoke, saving his brother the effort.
"Yeah," Rosalie bit out, figuring that considering the if their father knew enough to be frightened and Jasper sided with this group, it would be wise of her and Emmett to remain as truthful as possible, hoping that they would come out of whatever conflict as unscathed as possible. "Bella is his singer. He damn nearly tempted to drain her and a classroom full of humans. Only none of us knew what she really was. Maybe he should have. We wouldn't be here right now."
"Rose!" Her mate hissed at her, causing her to roll her eyes. Despite his keeping a low voice, the Originals could still hear him. "Bella did nothing to you for you to be a bitch to her. You may not like her but she's like a sister to me and I know that regardless of your treatment of her since Fuckward became obsessed with her, she likes you."
"Enough!" Elijah barked out as his own impatience begun to grow thin as he rubbed a finger at his brow. "I had believed my own siblings were frustrating but the short time I've spent in the presence of this so called family has simply worn on my very nerves. Would you kindly end this squabbling and explain what it is we wish to know."
Edward let out a hiss at the blonde female as he looked back to his coven leader in alarm before silencing. "Niklaus, my apologies for my children. Rosalie was just expressing some unpleasant thoughts that Edward did not like as he can hear thoughts. As to your questions - yes…" Carlisle answered hesitantly as he eyed his son with concern. "He was very attracted to the scent of her blood but had managed to refrain from giving into his natural instincts as they had met in a classroom of humans. She remained unharmed as he resisted, though he grew curious about her, believing she was his singer and later, mate."
"Is that so?" Klaus frowned, clearly displeased by the information as he glared in the direction that the woman had disappeared to. "And my wife has since forgiven him?"
"No," Jasper answered for him. "She merely tolerates him for the pretense of her situation. Alice and Edward had been pushing her into a relationship and she's resisted. Her emotions are extremely controlled, more so once she learned of my gift which made it more difficult for me to have learned of her true identity to be able to do as you had asked of me from the beginning."
"What?" he questioned incredulously.
The cold one rolled his eyes. "I tried to tell them that as accepting as she was of our nature, she wasn't interested in Edward in that way but Alice had insisted that she saw her as one of us and that they would one day be mated. I personally believed she was full of shit from the beginning. If they were mates, Bella would have at least reciprocated something and she felt nothing except apathy towards him. But Alice knows best."
Bella's husband focused on the petite dark haired vampire who attempted to look as innocent as possible. "I believed that Edward and Bella were perfect each other. I did nothing wrong! I couldn't see that she was already taken!" she defended herself.
"You lot are worse than petulant children!" Klaus laughed. "It's a wonder how Isabella tolerated you as long as she did and has yet to kill anyone. Her temper can honestly rival my own when pushed to the limit!"
Kol chuckled as he stared at the cards in his hand, not bothering to give anyone more attention than they were worth at that point anymore. "This is beginning to look worse than something that bastard Shakespeare put out. Just waiting for someone to drop dead then maybe we can make this a real party. Speaking of which, what is taking Poppet so long?"
"You know how Isabella is. She's giving us time to settle our strife with the Cullens," Elijah replied calmly. "Once we have finished we shall return home."
"Home? You really want to go back to Mystic Falls? Can you really see Poppet sipping brandy with those Salvatore brothers?"
Klaus frowned at the comment as he turned his glare back on his normally level headed brother. "I don't want my wife anywhere near them," he muttered. "I'll compel those fools to stake themselves before they get anywhere near her."
"Relax," Elijah breathed out as he looked up to the skies for patience. "We are not returning to Mystic Falls. I have another location in mind so don't worry. Let us just finish our business here in the meanwhile."
Footsteps echoed the hallway, leading back to them as Bella's bright and devious smile graced her face as she held a number of blood bags in her hands. "I hope you have behaved," she remarked as she looked around, as if assessing each person for any damage. "Hm," she hummed thoughtfully before making her way to where she learned where Carlisle and Esme kept their liquor for their human guests and began to mix some in with the blood. "So, what tales have been told so far?"
"None Poppet. They've been squabbling like children over you since you left but I'm sure you know all about it already," Kol huffed as he threw his cards down and flashed over to her side for his glass that she held ready for him, without even looking up as she prepared the next glass.
"Very well, so I suppose I am to tell the truth of how things came to be of our family since my husband must prove he has the biggest dick in the world," she said as she raised his glass to him while he smirked at her.
"You are lucky that I want you around for eternity at my side or I would have your head for that Love," Klaus replied as he bent to kiss her neck, his tongue lapping at her pulse point so that Edward could see from where he stood. The Cold One growled slightly in his irritation earning an amused chuckle from the hybrid as he held his wife tighter to himself.
Bella only smiled in response as her eyes moved to look over the Cullens, trying to decide where she would begin in their story. She knew no matter what, it was a bloody one and while a few would be receptive and accepting, certain ones would be quite judgmental. As Elijah made his way over for his glass and settled in on the other side of her in his support of the couple, she rested an arm on her husband's shoulder and ran a solitary finger around the rim of her own tumbler.
"Where to begin? It was such a very long time ago after all. I was only but a young girl growing up with one of the village families that had taken me in when they had found me abandoned. No one knew who my parents were. There were many speculations of who it could be as there were a few young girls who were rumored to have become pregnant around the time but were sent away before they could give birth so there were no one in the village to witness my birth. The family was kind. I had a sister of sorts growing up, though we weren't always close. She was..." Bella trailed off as she thought about her and the drama that the girl drew to her. "She was like honey for the flies. Irresistible to many, but a few. Though she was special I will grant her that and she did have her moments."
"Isabella, please," Elijah pleaded as he looked away with a pained expression in his face.
She reached for his hand and smiled gently. "It's alright. It wasn't your fault brother. I promised you that one day you would accept that, and you will. Tatia had a husband that had been killed and we were all waiting for her to accept another. There were many that were expressing their interest. Our father had been waiting for the right bachelor to come to marry me off but no one had the right pig, so to speak," she chuckled at the memory, along with her family.
"What do you mean? Your father was selling you to be married? You should have married for love!" Edward snarled in disgust.
"Just like you were trying to force me into a relationship with you that I didn't reciprocate? How is that any different than what my father tried to do? Besides it was how things were done back then," she shrugged indifferently.
Rosalie looked at her confused, but wasn't as hostile as her brother, thankfully. "How can you be so uncaring about such arrangements? Didn't you want to marry someone who you chose?" she asked curiously.
"Of course I would have liked to, and I eventually did as you can see. However, as I said, it was what was expected of the time. You see, we were born in the late 900s. The boys were from an area of Europe, but I was from a small village that is now known as Mystic Falls in Virginia. It was known as something else but I won't bother you with the all those details. As I said, it was a long time ago and selling your daughter to her husband for a price was not unheard of. Often, it was what kept some villages or tribes strong, even alive to this day," she explained with a firmness in her voice as she looked back at Klaus and ran her hand through his hair, earning a smile from him. "Still, this one toyed with me as he liked to do with much of his prey but he knew I would never be his prey."
"Really now?" Emmett grinned as he listened eagerly, like a giant puppy waiting for his treat. He moved to sit on the closest seat to them, completely unfrightened by the Original vampires as he trusted Bella implicitly. "What did he do to you? Tug on your pigtails or something?"
Kol snorted on the sip that he had just taken, his amusement had overwhelmed Jasper, causing both men to struggle in holding back their laughter while the older brother glowered at them. "No. She became so bloody mad she'd rather tell him to sod right off. These two bloody nits decided to chase after the trollop that was her sister Tatia before Mother finally found a more suitable use for the cunt."
"Must you use such language?" Elijah frowned at his younger brother disapprovingly, causing both Kol and Bella to glare back at him with equally unhappy expressions.
"I'd rather use such language than to bite my tongue all the time, darling," Kol smirked at his brother. "You have such a stick up your ass, it's unbelievable."
"Maybe Edward took the same classes that he developed," Bella thought aloud as she looked over at the red headed vampire thoughtfully, her finger running over her lip, spreading the blood from her cocktail tauntingly.
"Very likely," Kol grinned. "Get to the good part, Poppet. I'm bored."
She rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "Then go outside and play. Just don't kill anyone. There are some shapeshifter wolves in the vicinity that I have a fondness for that if you mess with I will stick you in a coffin myself."
"Great, I shall poke a mountain lion then," Kol said chipper before getting out of the house.
"Kol," Bella growled at him threateningly, her eyes flashing in her ire. "I am not joking. I will put you in a fucking box if any of them are harmed."
"Heed her warning," Klaus said as he ran his hand over her arm attempting to sooth her, frowning at her protectiveness of the group. "I would like to meet with your friends before we leave. Would that be alright with you Love?"
"Of course. As long as your brother hasn't done anything to them and he is still breathing by the end of this trip," she murmured as she continued to stare after the dark haired Original with anger in her eyes.
"I can still hear you, you know," his voice sounded from near the door. "I said I was going to antagonize a mountain lion and see who survives."
"You're an asshole!" Bella shouted after him.
"And you're a bloody slag!"
"KOL!" Klaus roared and if it wasn't for Bella holding him down, he would have gone after his brother to dagger him himself.
"And you're a wanker!" The voice sounded further away, laughing as he ran off.
Emmett sat on the couch watching the exchange amongst the family with great amusement and wondering why such dynamics were missing from his own family. Looking around, his eyes passed over Edward, who was easily dismissed before glancing over Carlisle and Esme, who seemed more uncertain as their father figure seemed quite resigned about something unsaid. Looking over to his mate and wife, he spoke before he could even think. "Can we go with Bella and her family when they leave, Rose? They are so much more fun and act like a real freaking family."
Esme looked at him alarmed as her hands went to her mouth in shock. "Emmett! What? Why would you want to leave us?"
Carlisle didn't say anything as he looked from him over to Rosalie who stared at her husband for a long while as she seemed to be processing his sudden request. By the time he looked over at Edward, he knew that she was already in agreement with him by the pained look on his face. He reached out to pull his wife back to him and shook his head slightly when she gave him a pleading look to do something to fix the changes that these strangers were bringing to their family.
"I think that Emmett is right. We need to take some time on our own again. We will probably be back again in the future but he's right. They are much more different and as much as I didn't like Bella before because of what she represented because I thought she was human, I'd like to get to know who she really is now if she'd let me," Rosalie said as she stared at her creator and parental figures.
The speech that she had given was a little more than Bella had expected from her and while she wasn't all that sure about the woman, she looked over to Jasper, whom she knew would be joining them on the journey home for his judgment on their motives. With his nod of approval, she gave the vampire a small smile in acceptance before she settled back into Klaus' waiting arms.
"Well since our idiot brother has decided to leave, let me continue," she sighed as she rested her head against Klaus'. "So Niklaus and Elijah both attempted to vye for Tatia's attention, but I knew she truly craved Elijah's though Father had preferred Niklaus for her. There was some drama going back and forth between the three, though Elijah was mostly watching from the side. And yes brother, I know that as much as you didn't interfere, I saw your longing for her and how much you cared for her."
"Yes well, we all know how that ended," Elijah replied as he frowned into his empty glass. "But please do continue for your friends."
"Yes...This is where things begin to get - complicated," Bella said as she pulled her eyes away from him as she had been looking at him concerned. She ran her hand over the back of Nik's neck into the back of his hair as he smiled at her affections while she continued the story. "There was another village nearby. More like a traveling camp. These people we knew were dangerous on some evenings and we just knew to stay home on bright nights when the moon was full. We were told they were capable of changing into great beasts on these nights and Niklaus had taken his younger brother, Henrik, to see them during one of these changes. There had been an accident and Henrik had been injured. It was tragic and a lot of drama ensued after that. Nevertheless, their father was a prick and forced their mother, who was a practicing witch, to find a way to protect their family from the beasts. At this point, Klaus had begun to lose his interest but he was also dealing with his father because of the grief from the accident. I had befriended the family and their mother had taken a liking to me, for whatever reason at the time, I did not know. I still don't to this day considering what she put the family through later..." she trailed off as she stared off while she gathered her emotions with the help of Jasper, whom she threw a grateful smile as he nodded without any further indication that he knew of anything of her unease.
"Anyway, she found a way to make their family stronger than the beasts..." she said when Edward interrupted.
"These beasts, what were they really? They sound something like the Children of the Moon stories that Carlisle spoke of that the Volturi eradicated," he said confused as he tried to read the memories that ghosted through the man's mind at the moment with the mention of the species.
Klaus snorted as he shook his head. "The Children of the Moon. What a ridiculous name. Werewolves are what we are and no, they are not extinct. Much to Cassius' displeasure. I would happily pay him a visit to remind him of his place in the hierarchy of the supernatural. He managed to run the werewolves out of Europe until they were gone or fled to other lands but he hasn't been able to touch the ones that lived here. It was my tales and search for doppelgangers that helped destroy many of them I'm sorry to say and I'd love to have packs make dozens of adorable puppies but their genes only carry on with the fittest."
"As I was saying," Bella said loudly as she dropped her arm down over his chest to settle him down as he grew defensive over his wolf heritage that she too, cherished, she continued. "I hadn't known what she was doing when she asked me to join their family for dinner that night, but her and Mikael had given us all wine that tasted dreadfully off. The next thing I knew I saw him murder his own children in front of me with his sword that he used to go hunting with before coming for me. Their mother had blocked the door, barring me from leaving, even as I pleaded with her but she told me that she saw me as one of her children, that I would be the foundation that would center their beings. That they all would need me in their way. She was right of course, although it was difficult in the beginning."
Carlisle and Esme moved over to the sofa and Edward finally settled down, watching them as they listened to the story of the Original's change curiously. Especially since they kept the secret of Isabella to themselves. "Was the bloodlust difficult?" Edward asked as he swallowed, eyeing the blood bags she had left sitting on the counter.
"Very much so," she admitted with reluctance. "But with each strength and gift we were given, they were countered with a weakness. We couldn't go out in the sunlight as we would burn. Mother had to create protection rings for us. There were some others but I don't feel privy to share."
"Why not?" Edward questioned, his eyes narrowing on her. "You are a member of our family, or were meant to be. Alice saw it! Don't you trust us?"
At the mention of the pixie like vampire, her eyes shifted to the normally exuberant one who had been unusually quiet through the most of the visit thus far. Bella raised an eyebrow as she saw the blank expression on the girl's face as she was lost in her visions, seemingly searching for something. "Truthfully, no. I am sorry Edward, but I believe that Alice had lied to you when she saw me as one of you because I cannot become one of you. Even if it were a possibility, you would need a great deal of magic and a powerful witch to change me. Not just some Cold One venom. What James did was simply injure me when he caught me unaware and unfed because I was attempting to blend in with the humans too much. It was my mistake that I learned from and I won't make again."
Klaus looked up at her with his eyes narrowed in anger. He hated his wife injured in any way, and knowing that some threat had been against her once and was unable to do anything about it left him unsettled. He let it pass knowing that his acquaintance assured it had been taken care off though it was not fully completed as the rest of the coven had interfered. Now that she had openly admitted that there was some permanent damage to her from their time apart, Edward could hear his teeth grinding together as he studied the cooled scar tissue on the girl's wrist.
"Carlisle, you best have your creation leave my sight if you wish him to continue tasting the air you cherish for this," he warned in barely a whisper, his fingers delicate as he pulled Bella's wrist up to his lips to press a tender kiss to it. The warning was enough, and in a quiet whoosh of wind, the young vampire ran from the room. "I am sorry my love for sending you here to deal with these horrors on your own. I should have just taken you with me where I could have protected you. I feared too much for your safety if Mikael had found you with us still."
"Shhh," Bella murmured as she placed her hand on his face to force him to look up at her. His blue eyes fought to hold back unshed tears as he stared into her brown orbs. "None of this is your fault. We will stay and assist Jasper in taking care of the Cold One problem before we depart. Victoria has been creating havoc in the region since Jasper and Emmett destroyed James in my name but she believes I am Edward's mate and is seeking to kill me in his. We will do what our family does best and seek our own revenge," she whispered in his ear, her lips grazing the skin causing pleasurable shivers to run through him which in turn made Jasper chuckle and Edward groan with disgust from where he fled upstairs in his room.
Elijah stood from his seat and made his way gracefully to the makeshift bar and slowly prepared himself another drink before he spoke. Eyeing his siblings, he had a small anticipatory smirk on his lips. "Well then, shall we table the rest of our family story for another time and get on with planning the bloodshed that Niklaus is absolutely dying for? While I do not normally condone killing, I must say that I do not completely oppose the torture and death of a creature that is intent on inflicting such measures on a member of my family."
"Oh Kol is going to be so miffed that he is missing this conversation now," Bella sighed with a smile on her face as she laid her head back on Klaus' shoulder, a mischievous look on her face as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and began texting someone.
"When did you get that?" Klaus asked.
"Not long after I moved here. Jealous?"
He frowned slightly as he looked at her then the phone. "Depends. Who are you messaging?"
"A friend. Don't worry Nik, he's just a friend," she grinned as she sent off her message and waited for a response. "If anything, he's really a jerk so you have nothing to concern yourself about, but I trust his judgment."
"I trust you and if you trust this person then I will give this friend of yours a chance," he nodded, though she knew he would continue to be wary until he met him himself. When she got her text back and read it, she deleted it quickly and looked up at Alice through narrowed eyes.
"You can continue to try to see the future all you want for the decisions that Carlisle, Edward, or you make to change what is happening right now but it won't change. Emmett and Rosalie made their decisions of their own free will Alice. You can't force them to bend to your desires. They are not your puppets and I certainly am not. I am not going to be a Cold One. You never were able to see me so do not pretend otherwise," she announced, causing everyone to look over at the petite vampire who was startled out of her daze.
Alice shook her head clear as she opened her mouth to speak, to object to the words spoken. Looking around for Edward to support her but found that he had disappeared while she was trapped in her attempt to search for a solution to their changing family, she was alone. "Why is everything changing? Why are you letting them ruin our family Carlisle?"
"I'm not letting them. I just cannot stop anyone from making their choices. Bella was never meant to be ours," Carlisle told her sadly. "If I realized what she was from the very beginning I would have told you that and stopped you and Edward from pursuing her but I didn't. It was my mistake. As far as Rosalie and Emmett - it is their decision if they wish to explore their lives away from our family. I've never stopped them from leaving before, or you. You've known this. They are always welcome back should they wish to return."
"But I don't see them returning except just to visit! Never to stay!" Alice cried. "Jasper doesn't ever come back to me! He's supposed to be mine!"
"I was never your mate," Jasper said. "I told you this in Philadelphia. I loved you as a friend, we were companions but we were not mates. I am sorry to hurt you and I thank you for the gift you've given me with the animal diet as it was what I needed but this lifestyle, it is not who I am and I cannot live like this anymore either."
"So you are going to go back wherever Bella and her family goes?" Alice asked. "I see them somewhere in the south. Where it's sunny."
He nodded as he looked over at the Originals who raised an eyebrow but said nothing to him in response as they already anticipated his return with them. "Darlin' I'm from Texas. I know the sun. Ain't nothin' I can't handle. I'll be able to take care of myself just fine but thanks for worryin' 'bout me," he smiled.
Bella clapped her hands loudly, drawing the attention back to herself as she grinned madly. "This is all lovely and absolutely syrupy, however there is a bitch running around the Olympic woods here that I'd like to rip her head off so that we can be on our merry way so can we get on with our murderous plotting now?"
Author Note: I apologize sincerely for the long wait for an update. So much has been going on that had me distracted in my writing. Life has gotten so busy at home and especially at work that some days, I just pass out the second I hit my bed and writing is the furthest from my mind. I am finally finding some balance and trying to get back into some rhythm of writing and am pleased to bring you a new chapter for the story. I hope you enjoy it! I want to send special thanks to JaspersGoddessofWar for her help in getting me over my writer's block with this chapter. As well as Carb0408 for her lovely beta duties. Without these girls, this chapter would not exist.
~o.O.o.~
Previously...
Bella clapped her hands loudly, drawing the attention back to herself as she grinned madly. "This is all lovely and absolutely syrupy, however there is a bitch running around the Olympic woods here that I'd like to rip her head off so that we can be on our merry way. So, can we get on with our murderous plotting now?"
~o.O.o~
Her cell phone chirped with a new message causing her to look down to check it. The smile that graced her lips made her look like the young girl she'd been imitating just hours before. "We have company," she announced. Looking to Klaus almost in reprimand, she raised an eyebrow. "Behave. Those coming are guests and my friends."
"Great, I'll break out the air fresheners," Emmett joked.
Klaus looked to him then back to Jasper in hopes that one of them would answer his question that Bella was clearly avoiding. "What is that supposed to mean? What exactly is this impending visitor?"
Jasper shrugged a shoulder. "There is a tribe that lives not far from here that a select few of its descendants are able to transform, shift, into wolves. They pride themselves for being werewolves but they are nothing more than shapeshifters. They just smell - badly. Very strong odor of wet dog," he explained with a pinched face. "Bella is good friends with one of them. He's a good kid, I guess, but it's just the smell."
He turned his attention back onto his wife who was studiously ignoring the conversation around her at that point, inspecting her nails. "Do you have something to say to this, Love? Shapeshifting wolves? You know how I feel about normal wolves to begin with and you ally yourself with another kind?"
She rolled her eyes. "You are such an asshole sometimes, Niklaus. Jake is only a friend and treated me with nothing but respect since I arrived -"
"Other than that little puppy crush he's been harboring for you, Miss Bella," Jasper teased with a smile. It immediately disappeared as she glared back at him. "Apologies, ma'am."
"A crush yes, but one he'll get over once he learns of my nature. He's more open minded about vampires than the rest of his pack, I assure you," she said as she turned her attention back to her mate.
Niklaus only gave her a wry smile. "What's wrong, Love? I know I could argue with you until my last breath and I wouldn't win. We shall meet with your wolves. Pray that they don't provoke me because I can assure that I make no promises not to slaughter them."
Carlisle was cautious as he stepped forward, interrupting the two. His eyes darted between all the Originals, as well as his son who instantly aligned himself with them. "Please. I plead with you to try to maintain as much peace as possible with the tribe. My family has a long standing treaty with them that allows us to live here as long as we do without bloodshed as we feed from animals."
What little amusement the hybrid had for the situation fell from his face as he scowled at the weak coven leader. A low growl emitted from his throat that had Elijah eyeing him with caution, wondering how the current situation may turn around. Jasper let out a sigh, disgusted with his family. "While I do not see eye to eye on many things with Carlisle, he is right. Waging a war with the shifters is not ideal and would only draw attention from others of our kind that we'd rather not deal with."
"If you are referring to the Volturi parasites in Italy, you need not worry as long as we are around. They care not for our family and fear us," Bella shrugged, looking thoughtful after a moment. "Perhaps a trip to remind them of our existence is overdue…"
"Isabella. No need to frighten Caius again. I am sure he remembers your last visit quite well considering you brought several wolves with you to their citadel on the cusp of a full moon," Elijah admonished her.
"The bastard is a slimy asshole that tried to feel me up! I won't condone that behavior especially as he knew very well who my husband is," she argued.
"You know the Volturi, Bella?" Carlisle asked, but she rolled her eyes closed as she pulled in a deep breath through her nose to center herself. The entire time, she'd ignored the so-called family, save for the occasional comment that she chose to respond to, allowing her true family to manage communications on her behalf.
Bella met Niklaus' eyes, her patience growing thin. "I wish I could just snap his neck… Irritating pest. Perhaps we should go visit the reservation instead. Maybe check up on Kol. I have little doubt that he has found himself some sort of confrontation with at least one of them."
"Easy now, Love. You are the one that invited your friends here. We shall host this discussion with all involved here. We're the ones that ultimately started this mess," he replied before turning his attention to the sounds of snarling and growls that were emanating from the rear of the house. Raising an eyebrow, he kept his maintained eye contact with his wife. "Your friends I assume."
"And it seems that our brother has found them as I predicted he would. I'll be right back," she grinned as she leaned over to claim his mouth in a possessive kiss that would have caused even Emmett to blush for the public display before she walked calmly to the back door, her voice echoing in her anger as she shouted loudly allowing her accent to filter through. "I better not see any bloodshed on my dogs, Kol, otherwise you can expect a lengthy stay in your box! Niklaus won't have any involvement on this daggering, you bloody knob!"
"Oh shush up minger-" Kol started as he walked back into the house through the front door, a grin on his face.
"KOL! You better stop insulting Isabella otherwise it won't be a daggering you get. I'll just kill you off and there won't be a witch walking on this earth that would be capable of bringing you back from that kind of dead," Klaus warned as he stood from his seat. "Cut the barbs at one another."
The younger brother, who had been taking it all in stride, stared back at him in challenge. He was contemplating his options when Bella walked back in with a pair of half naked Native American teenage boys that he had seen running around in the woods shortly before. She glanced over at him with a frown as she returned to his brother's side with a sigh, but he wasn't stupid. He knew her just as much as any of the other siblings, and lowered his head to her, ashamed for hurting her feelings. He couldn't care less about pissing Klaus off, but he was upset for constantly upsetting his beloved sister the way he was with his jesting.
Bella was silent as she assessed the brothers, confirming that for the moment, their family squabbling was settled for the time. "Darling, these are a couple of my friends I want you to meet," she murmured before turning back to level a glare through narrowed eyes on the bulkier boy who had appeared to be having a difficult time controlling his anger as his body shook with the force of his glares towards the Cullens. "And you promised you would behave. They won't do anything to you. You want Cold Ones to destroy, you will get your chance. I give my word as a Mikaelson."
Jacob frowned as he looked back at his friend, his nostrils flaring as he looked between her and the male that she was holding onto. It wasn't until he focused his senses on him that he seemed different in some way, but he couldn't place it. "You're not with the leech anymore?" he asked, confused.
"I never was," she answered as she looked at him. "It was wishful thinking on Edward's part, and - a somewhat necessity of circumstances that I played along with for the time. I could never have been with him, Jake."
The boy's heart sped briefly, skipping a beat in hope but he knew it was lost as he absorbed how she positioned herself with the male he'd never seen before. "But you're with this guy…" It was a statement, not a question as for a person so young, he was far wiser beyond his years which was what drew in Bella's friendship and protection.
"I am. I have been for a very long time. There is much I never told you about myself, Jake, and I hope that you will be able to remain a friend once I tell you the truth. You as well, Seth," she said gently as she shifted her gaze to the younger wolf beside him that had always expressed a genuine curiosity about her vampire friendships.
Jake took a deep breath to calm himself as he looked around, carefully noting how everyone seemed to be holding themselves differently. The normally confident and strong vampires of the Cullen family were more cautious and submissive as they seemed to watch Bella and the humans with her for cues on what to do. The one male that he recognized that had been with the pint sized Cullen, seemed to have defected to his friend and her - whoever they were to her. "Alright...I'm listening," he said calmly as he kept his eyes fixed solely on her, knowing that if he looked anywhere else, especially the guy that he could see already had won her heart that she claimed had so long ago, he might shift and hurt someone inside the house. Especially her.
Bella looked up at Klaus and smiled at him, trying to ease his possessive and protective nature over her as he stared the young shifter down. "Jake, the world is so much bigger than you know. There are more than your kind and the Cold Ones out there, beings stronger and more powerful," she started, watching him to make sure he was indeed listening. When he nodded for her to continue, she took a step forward towards him, against Klaus' warning growl, she smiled. "There are vampires that indeed fit the traditional lore. The kind that burn in daylight, needing a wooden stake to the heart to be killed… Jake, I was born of that kind over a thousand years ago with my family. We are the first of those vampires," she told him as she held her arm out towards the others.
He was silent as he let the information process, unable to believe what she was telling him. While he should logically want to kill her, like the others in the room, he continued to care for her and shook his head. "I don't care, Bells. You're still my friend," he muttered. "You never hurt anyone that I could tell. Right?"
"No. Our kind don't need to kill humans to feed. We can make them forget we were ever there as well," she told him. "But generally, I prefer drinking from donated blood once the process became more refined. Rarely I drink from the source."
"You never considered animals like them?" He asked, nodding to the family she'd spent so much time with.
Hesitating, she shook her head. "Not likely. I've lived far too long and drank human blood for all that time that it would likely be more disasterous. I'm sure you can understand."
Jake nodded in understanding and smiled. "I do. I can't say the same for the rest of the pack but I'll do what I can to keep them off your back while you're here. Your planning on leaving though, aren't you?" he asked as his eyes glanced up to the intimidating man beside her in question.
"We are, but first we have some unfinished business to resolve. I want to deal with Victoria before anything else," she sighed with the exhaustion of the nuisance of the Cold One that had been giving them problems.
"We will deal with Vicky and her friends, Darling," Klaus spoke up, refusing to remove his eyes from the one that he felt was a potential threat to his mate. His arm pulled her to his side possessively, earning an irritated eye roll from her but she did not object as she too suffered from their separation. "It'll be fun."
Jake's eyes narrowed at him. "She's not been easy to pin down. What about your kind makes you think it'll be easier for you?"
Bella smiled as she turned into her husband, running her hand over his chest. He smirked in response as he glanced over his family. "We are the oldest of those of our kind. The first, as my wife explained to the Cullens before your arrival. I'm sure the good doctor will be happy to share our story with you if you please. Myself, I am different than the rest of my siblings and mate, I am a true hybrid."
"Hybrid?" the boys asked confused. "What does that mean?" Jacob continued, suspicion dripping in his tone.
"Niklaus is both a vampire and werewolf," Bella responded. "You and the pack have nothing to worry from us. You can explain that to Sam. If he has a problem, I have no issues with setting him straight. Nothing a rolled up newspaper won't fix."
Jacob raised an eyebrow at her comment and tried to suppress the smile that threatened to emerge. Seth didn't bother holding back his amusement as he let out a full bellied laugh. "I'll take care of it, Bells. So - I never really had a chance, huh? What about Charlie?"
She shook her head sadly. "No Jake. I was only here waiting for when it was time to go home. Charlie doesn't know. He's completely unrelated to all of this. I compelled him to believe I was his daughter and I will have to compel him to forget me now."
"It's cool. Just wanted to be sure that everyone is safe and you're really okay. Even if you are a bloodsucker, you never were anything less than a friend to me," he explained with a casual shrug. Before he knew what was happening, she was across the floor and had her arms wrapped around him in a hug.
"You've become one of my best friends here, Jacob. Don't let let Sam treat you the way he has been. You are much more level headed for the position of alpha than he is and more suited when you are ready," she assured him.
Klaus snarled as his blue eyes darkened. The young wolf's head snapped up to look at him, a shiver running down his back at the furious expression on the hybrid's face. "Sorry man," Jake apologized, cringing as he carefully pushed Bella away from him and stepped back.
Bella glared at the back of her husband's head. "This territorial bullshit is really beneath you, Niklaus. Why don't you piss on my leg while you're at it? I already have the bite on my shoulder from you. What else do you want in staking your claim on me?"
"You are my wife..." He spoke with deadly calm, eyes intent on Jacob as they flashed gold, his wolf nature breaking through. Jacob's eyes widened when he felt his wolf back down in submission. The next thing that surprised him was when he lowered his gaze away from Klaus', the urge to get down on his knees stifling.
"My mate," Klaus continued, stepping closer to Jacob with his fists clenching. "I've spent the last several months without you by my side and I'll be damned if another has his grubby paws on you before I could properly be reunited with you!" He argued as he met her eyes, his own softening fractionally. "So forgive me, Sweetheart, for being territorial and upset. I believe I have every right to be."
She frowned as her eyes slid over the others in her family as they watched on with caution. Knowing him as well as she did - as well as the others - he could have easily moved to kill the boy instead of speaking up in warning. A warning Jacob had recognized and acknowledged quickly his place in. Letting out a sigh, Bella nodded her agreement and made her way back over to him. "You are right that we need our time now. How about you and I go find something to eat. Jake can arrange with the rest of the pack to meet and discuss tracking Victoria somewhere neutral in the meanwhile."
"Sounds good," the young shifter agreed. He shuffled in his position uncomfortably under the hybrid's angry stare, eager to get out of there at that point. "I'll get back to you when I have a location and time."
"Go," Klaus hissed, dismissing the children before turning his eyes onto the Cold Ones still watching with obedient silence. "Now what to do with you lot? Hm?"
"Niklaus...All I'd like is for my family to remain in peace," Carlisle spoke after a moment's hesitation.
His lips quirked in amusement as he studied the man, considering his options. "I think that can be arranged. We're taking nearly half of your so called children with us when we leave. I will allow Bella to come up with her punishment for you for all you've brought upon her while under your protection."
Carlisle and Esme shared a heartbroken look as they turned their eyes to Bella, who only stared back with apathy. They received a temporary reprieve from Elijah as he let out a sigh and addressed the other mated couple in the group. "You may go begin to pack the things you wish to bring. While we are not leaving until this Cold One problem is resolved, it would be wise to be prepared," he informed them. Without a second thought, Rosalie and Emmett walked out with a nod, smiling their gratitude to Bella and Klaus as they passed them.
Bella nodded her acceptance of them, then turned to Klaus. "Let's go. I want something to eat before we get to have our fun with Victoria," she murmured.
"Alright Love," he whispered back as he pressed his lips to her temple. He then turned to his brothers. "Do be sure they behave themselves. We will be back."
Elijah nodded as Kol grinned at them. "Have fun!" he exclaimed.
As they zipped out, the remaining Mikaelsons gave the Cullen patriarch a mocking smile. "Shall we continue with our history so that you may be able to correct any future - children of the story instead of the misguided half-truths you enjoy sharing."
Carlisle guided Esme to the couch and together they sat down with a resigned sigh. "Of course, Elijah. I would not wish to provide the wrong information to anyone."
There was a quiet breeze that was heard from the second floor as a window had been opened, just as Edward's voice filtered down almost inaudibly, informing the others he was leaving to go hunt.
"Splendid. Shall we begin?" the elder brother smiled as he settled into the same armchair that Klaus had previously occupied, his eyes never parting from the coven leader.
~o.O.o~
Footsteps echoed softly on the sidewalk as the couple walked hand in hand down a deserted street. Sharp eyes scanned the sparse crowd of humans before Bella tugged the hand of her husband, heading toward a local bar. One look at the bouncer and they were through the doors without a fuss.
Humans were scattered about, either drinking with friends or by themselves, watching the crowd. These are the ones that they locked on, Klaus letting go of his mate and walked to the bar, signaling for a whiskey that he wouldn't drink as he was in the mood for something thicker. He watched Bella as she sauntered to an empty seat in the back, noticing with a grin two men that were eying her as she did so.
One of the men got up the courage to ask her if she would like something to drink. Acting demure, she ducked her head and nodded, peeking up from underneath her lashes. The action made his fingers twitch and a low growl to rumble in his chest. As the man left, Bella glanced over at him at the sound, her demeanor changing quickly as a smirk curled her lips.
"No need to worry, my love. He was just being friendly…"
The man grunted and his eyes narrowed at the human in question. "I can be just as friendly, sweetheart, not that it would make a difference on their end, of course."
The woman laughed almost silently. "You know just how to make a woman feel wanted, don't you, Niklaus?"
"You know how I am, Love. No reason for me to change now," Klaus said softly as he raised his glass to his lips and looked around. "Are you going to play with your meal, Ylva, or will you simply compel the fellow so that we can be on our way? This area reminds me too much of Mystic Falls, it's nauseating."
"Do not call me that," she hissed, throwing a glare his way. The glare quickly faded into a hungry expression at the human headed back to her table with her drink. "What if I say I wanted to play? I've been stuck here with those conceited Cold Ones and had to watch my every move. My feeding was too limited..."
"Well, then by all means, have your fill…" Klaus gestured inconspicuously with a finger to a pretty blonde who had been eying him since he had walked in. "I, on the other hand, will make mine quick. I do not want to be here longer than I have to."
"No killing, Dear," she grinned through her teeth as she watched the young man approach the table and handed her her drink. "Thank you, handsome…"
"The pleasure is all mine," he replied as he looked at her shamelessly. His eyes roamed over her figure unabashed, lingering on the swell of her breasts.
Bella narrowed her gaze as she went to take a sip, pausing as she inhaled the aroma of the liquor. It smelled off to her, a tainted odor so slight that the average human would never notice. A vampire who enjoys her alcohol, especially a particular name, would be able to know when someone altered their drink.
If she didn't value human life, she would have killed the man right there for his attempt but she only smiled, drinking it without any indication that she knew something was amiss. The drug wouldn't affect her, but she would play along.
After about a half hour of flirting and talking, Bella pretended that she was feeling the effects of the tainted drink, much to the amusement of her husband who watched from across the bar. It wasn't long before she was stumbling in her steps as he lead her out the back door to the dark alley behind the bar.
Bella let out girlish giggle as he pulled her to the back, out of sight. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, pretending to stumble.
He pushed her against the grimy brick wall of the building, her back hitting it hard enough to leave a bruise had she been normal. The action spurred her anger, causing her eyes to darken, blood seeping into the veins. "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" she questioned quietly.
The man was shocked, even more so when he saw a man step out the same door that they came through. His features were very much the same and his heart began to race.
"Now, now, now, mate…" Klaus tutted as he walked closer. "I don't think that's any way to treat a lady. Maybe I should teach you a lesson in manners."
The man looked back and forth between them, his fear growing to the point that Bella could practically taste it running through his veins as she smiled from where she leaned against the wall. "I don't know, Dear. I think him being this way is much more fun for feeding," she commented as she eyed him, reaching out her hand to trace a finger along his carotid artery, feeling it thrum with life; pulsing under her touch.
With a quick movement of her arm, their positions were switched and her hand was gripping the human's throat. Instinctively, his hand came up to her wrist, trying to pull her away. Bella grinned at his apparent struggle for air as she turned in Klaus' direction.
"Would you like first taste, Niklaus?" She questioned, smirking at the hitch in his breathe at the sound of his full name. "He does smell rather delicious…"
"That's quite alright, Love. I've had my fill of the local - offerings. You may enjoy this one all you wish," he smiled indulgently. "Might I suggest that you make haste before my meal is discovered though?"
She turned to glare at him as she held the struggling man firmly in her grasp. "I told you not to kill anyone," she complained.
"I did not kill her. I may have drained her a bit much of her blood and left her unconscious in the facilities after compelling her, but she is far from dead. Elijah messaged that the wolves made contact with the Cullens for that rendezvous you've requested," he informed.
Bella smiled, pleased with the news that her friend came through. "Great! Now let me get my strength up."
Turning her head to look the man in the eyes, she easily compelled him. Removing him of his memory of her and the visit to the alley, as well as his future attempts with women in similar manner, she quickly dove into his neck and drank greedily, making it painful for him as punishment for his intention of raping her. Pulling back before he could die, she wiped her mouth of the blood that dripped from her chin. "Get out of my sight," she whispered in his ear when she was done and he all but ran, tripping over his feet in his weakened state from the blood loss.
"Enjoy yourself my love?" Klaus asked, handing over a kerchief.
She smirked, moving to wipe her face. "Wretched bastard should behave like the gentleman he should be now," she announced. "Did he mention where we are to meet?"
He smiled as he reached up to push a strand of her hair back behind her ear. "Something about a baseball clearing. The Cullens implied that you would know of it."
Bella let out a snort, rolling her eyes. "I do. It's where this disaster with the nomads began. Very well. Let us be on our way."
~o.O.o~
Over the course of the next couple hours it took to contact the necessary people as everyone had scattered to tend to their personal needs, one by one the gathering grew in the large open field. The La Push shifter wolves, with the exception of their alpha, remained in their transformed state as the man stood to the side speaking with Elijah, learning more about his race.
Kol had Emmett and Rosalie in another area, filling them in on stories, exploits of the family's activities over the years to pass the time. The stories earning looks of disapproval from the Cullen parents who couldn't help overhear. Alice was busy attempting to talk Jasper into remaining behind, to not leave with his long time friend and ally, and failing.
Isabella and Klaus walked out of the treeline at a casual human pace as they enjoyed the sight before them. Her eyes looking for a particular face, but was disappointed in not finding Jacob present. What was more disturbing was the fact that she did not see Edward there but she also knew he was still upset about her refusing to acknowledge his belief that they were truly in any sort of a relationship.
"Hello, Sam," Bella greeted once they were closer. Her smile polite as she looked back at him with eyes of a woman far older than the teenage girl she pretended to be when they first met.
Sam nodded, drawing in a breath to calm himself of his emotions now that he was aware of what she truly was. He was conflicted in his feelings about her as she had been allowed on their lands since her arrival. He looked to the man with her who stared at him with a smug smile. When his eyes glowed a golden yellow, he fought the shudder of fear that ran down his spine, blinking back and nodded his respect to the power he clearly held. Jake had described it to him and while he saw it in his memories in their shared wolf mind, he didn't quite believe it until that moment. "Bella," he addressed her, "how do you want to handle the Cold One? I'm told that you are in charge considering she's after you."
Her smile grew to one of someone anticipating causing great pain. "Yes. I have some ideas, but first… Where is Jake?"
"Patrolling…"
"Call him here. Send someone else to do the menial tasks," she ordered, seeing through him. "Just because he decided to be friends with me from the beginning and continue to do so after knowing of what I am and my family, to task him with the job of a runt is disrespectful of the rightful alpha."
Sam ground his teeth as he stared at her, his dislike of her growing as she barked her orders to him. Being surrounded and not knowing the capabilities of the creatures so old, he wasn't willing to risk his pack's safety, seeing the confidence emanating from each and every one of the Mikaelsons. Looking over to the larger of the wolves who had been pacing and growling, he nodded his agreement to the order before turning back to her. "Anything else?"
Bella pursed her lips playfully. "No. Now we will wait for Jake," she sang and flitted over to sit in the large boulder that Jasper had taken residence against.
The chatter quieted down since their arrival, everyone except the Original family, cautious in their choice of questions. Elijah was forced to respond to them, much to his chagrin.
As he spoke, there was a rustling in the trees distracting him mid-sentence. As he turned to look at what the source of the noise was, the wolves present were quickly on their feet, growling angrily and distressed. Sam and Bella both ran as fast as they could to the form that stumbled from the woods, catching the body before he fell to the earth.
"Jacob!" Bella cried as she held his head in her lap.
Sam face was pinched with concern as he looked Jacob over, his hands hovering over the boy's body as he searched for the injury before finding a crescent-shaped bite mark on his back. He looked up at the Cullens, his body shaking in anger. "Are there any others of your kind around?" He yelled as Bella sat quietly, tears falling down her face.
Klaus slowly approached to see what the commotion was about and what he could possibly do help. Biting on his wrist, he took to his knee to press the his bleeding flesh to the boy's mouth. While some blood managed to be swallowed, under his wife's soft encouragement, he could see that it wasn't doing any good.
"Other than Victoria, I know of no one else in the region that could have done this," Carlisle answered as soon as his shock wore off. Jake was breathing heavily as the poison of the Cold One's venom spread through his body, rendering him weak and unable to move.
"Bella…" he cried in pain as he held onto her with as much strength he could muster.
She ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. "Shh, just rest. Do you know who did this?" she whispered, her eyes burning with tears and vengeance.
"Ambushed… Edw-" he started before he coughed and a spasm of agony hit.
"Edward? Edward bit you?" Bella asked, her voice growing cold. Her hands moved to his temples as she tapped into his memories. Seeing the vampire that she'd tried to consider at most a friend take his tantrum out the one person that accepted her nature and relationship without question, even after he too competed for her affections. Her hands slip from Jacob's face as he took his last breath. She sat back on her heels, her face blank from any emotion.
Across the field where the others had their heads lowered in mourning, Jasper's snapped up and his brows furrowed at the feelings he felt coming from the girl. As he focused on her to try to get a solid understanding of the shift he sensed, he felt nothing but emptiness coming from her from the moment the young wolf's heart stopped beating. The first moment he did feel something come from Bella was when his former brother stepped out into her view.
All that Bella felt in that moment was hatred as she tore him apart without hesitation. Leaving his parts in a pile, she pulled a lighter out from her pocket and set him ablaze. Her black eyes moved over the remaining Cullens and a small smile ghosted her lips while her family stared at her with concern.
"Isabella?" Elijah questioned as he took a step forward, only to be stopped by Klaus.
"I don't think that's quite our Bella anymore…" Klaus whispered in disbelief.
She canted her head to the side, smiling coldly. "No. I don't suppose I am. I think your Bella decided to take a vacation and give me the reigns. I think I'm going to go have some fun now," she purred as she looked at her husband. "Catch me if you can…"
With that Isabella Mikaelson took off, disappearing into the woods, leaving everyone in fear and shock over what just happened.
"Isabella?" Elijah questioned as he took a step forward, only to be stopped by Klaus.
"I don't think that's quite our Bella anymore…" Klaus whispered in disbelief.
She canted her head to the side, smiling coldly. "No. I don't suppose I am. I think your Bella decided to take a vacation and give me the reigns. I think I'm going to go have some fun now," she purred as she looked at her husband. "Catch me if you can…"
With that Isabella Mikaelson took off, disappearing into the woods, leaving everyone in fear and shock over what just happened.
~o.O.o~
Klaus remained frozen in place as the implication of what he'd witnessed meant. While he and his family were no strangers to vampires without their emotions, a thousand years of history never prepared him for how to anticipate his own mate once she decided to turn her own off. He underestimated the amount she'd come to care for the shifter wolves, the one in particular. If the child hadn't been as smart as he was to accept his place and Isabella to reassure him of her feelings, he might have felt differently in that moment.
A wailing cry drew him out of his thoughts as he looked over to the Cullens where his old acquaintance held onto his wife tightly as she wept in his arms. Carlisle struggled to keep her from running to the burning flames where his first creation burned at the hands of the girl he thought might be a daughter one day.
"She murdered my son!" Esme snarled as she continued to fight against his hold.
The accusation forced the Original family to bristle. Klaus sneered as he turned slowly to face her straight on, his vampire face beginning to seep out from his eyes. "Your pitiful excuse of a son was first to murder the shifter boy," he growled as he stepped closer. "I do not know what memories Isabella was able to see from his mind before he died but it was enough to bring us a much larger problem at hand! I suggest you compose yourself unless you share the desire to join Edward, Mrs. Cullen. I have no problem with granting that gesture for your participation in this disaster!"
Carlisle wrapped his arms around Esme more firmly, whispering in her ear to settle her down before looking up at him. "We are not even positive that it even was Edward that committed this travesty…"
"It was and if it wasn't for the situation with the red-headed leech, we would be going after you right now. However, I'll save that for later. Know that when your... creation bit Jacob, it violated the terms of the treaty. We have no obligation to your family any longer after the current problem is over. If you want to continue walking the earth, I strongly suggest that you leave Forks and never return." Sam furiously stormed over from where he had gone to speak with one of the pack who'd shifted to human form to talk.
"Edward bit Jacob. I saw Jacob get ambushed by a vampire just before he shifted back into human form and saw enough of him to recognize who the guilty one was. That and the fact that his scent is all over him is enough proof," the strongly built male spoke coldly, his eyes wet with unshed tears. "Sam is giving you a gift. Take it because I won't hesitate to rip you to pieces if you stay around."
"Embry - enough. They will help with what they caused. The Cold Ones leaving with Bella's family are off limits too. Any remaining will be free reign," Sam announced, glancing around to the others, nodding at the grateful and relieved looks from them.
"Okay, not that I'm unappreciative, but what the hell did Klaus mean about we all having bigger problems?" Rosalie piped up, looking as confused as nearly everyone unfamiliar with the family.
Jasper hesitated as he exchanged a look with the hybrid. "She doesn't have her emotions. Bella was so angry, upset about what Edward did and whatever she saw that she turned them off. She's completely cut off from her humanity making her a very dangerous individual."
"Yes and as an Original, she also cannot be killed. While she can be subdued with a special dagger, something she has never experienced unlike the rest of my siblings, she is quite the cunning woman. Her humanity has been a core of her very being for over a thousand years," Klaus shared softly. "If she takes even one human life by her own hands, when she does turn her emotions back on, it will hurt her so much more. Not only will she have to confront her feelings about the death of her friend, but she will have to deal with the lives she took that she swore against ever doing."
Sam and Paul both eyed him with bewilderment. "Bella never took a life? She's a vampire! She really is something of an oddity. Jake always said she was different…" The leader mused as he looked at the boy's body sadly.
Elijah nodded as he moved to stand beside his brother. "Yes. Isabella was always a unique soul. She cared deeply for every living thing and saw more in Niklaus despite his… shortcomings. It is because of her that we managed to stay as close as we have as a family for so long. That is why we must do what we can to bring her back before it is too late."
"Okay, so who do we go after first? Poppet or the stone bitch?" Kol asked, bored. "You all can putz around with this mess. I vote to be on Team Bella. The other wench should be the Cullen's responsibility after all."
Klaus and Elijah looked at one another. While their younger brother wasn't wrong, it was obvious they were incapable of finishing the job. Even Jasper had admitted to having difficulty in pinning the bitch with his attempts. Heaving a deep breath, Klaus closed his eyes. "Elijah will remain to assist with the Cold One. Kol, Whitlock and I will track Isabella down," he eventually let out.
"Shall I ask our sister to come assist?" Elijah questioned.
His face scrunched up in displeasure at the thought of their sister being added to the already large party. "Where is she?"
"Preparing our home for our arrival once we finish here."
"And where is this home?" Klaus demanded.
Elijah merely smiled in response. "Where Isabella was most at ease," he hinted.
Kol couldn't help but grin at the implication. "That is fantastic! I cannot wait! You know, there is a good chance that if she decides to run from here, she may just find her way back home on her own. It may be easier to contain her there if we can get some witches on our side."
Klaus' fingers twitched at his side as he considered what they said, not liking having to play with his love's mind in that way. "If she realized we herded her like cattle, she wouldn't hesitate to attempt to kill us. Dagger you lot at the very least," he smiled.
"It's a risk that we will have to take to bring her back to us, Niklaus," Elijah responded in a gentle voice.
Klaus conceded, nodding as he turned to Sam who had begun to gather Jacob's body to return to the reservation. His eyes followed them as they left, a desire to offer them help arose, but he remained silent as he knew it was the humanity his wife instilled in the family. "Call Rebekah. She can help you with them," Klaus sneered as he glared at Carlisle and Esme. He turned on his heel and stalked away from the group, body tense, the only thought on his mind dedicated to finding his mate. "Anyone that comes between finding my wife and myself won't live to see another dawn. That is a promise, Cullen!"
Jasper pushed himself up off the rock he'd settled on as he watched over the tense situation, considering any possible methods of bringing his friend back to them, but unfortunately, he was at a loss. He merely looked upon Carlisle with disapproval as he started to follow his long time friend across the field, leaving the two remaining brothers behind.
Elijah stood still, hand in the pocket of his slacks as his gaze swept over the figures on the field. He glanced at Carlisle with his own glare as he turned to Kol who had yet to leave. He was eying the Cullens as well, but there was something in the way he did so that made Elijah worry.
"Brother? What are you thinking?"
Kol's lips curved into a wicked smirk. "Well, my dear Elijah. I was simply thinking to myself how much Bella would love a nice present," he replied as he eyed Alice speculatively.
The Seer looked confused for a split second before a look of terror crossed her porcelain features. Jasper, hearing Kol's musings turned back and had already moved behind her, blocking in one escape route should she decide to make a run for it. Kol did not move from where he was but he was ready should the little fairy Cold One come up with another plan. Instinctively, Alice began to focus on what would come next, trying to see a way out of her current situation only to be utterly frustrated when she could see nothing that could help. The next thing she knew, she was literally face-to-face with the youngest living Mikaelson, the chests barely feet part and Kol's large hand wrapped around her throat.
"Come now, Darling… you didn't really believe yourself smart enough to escape me?" Kol's boyish face was alight with a cheeky grin, one that only danger to whoever saw it. Alice tried futilely to struggle out of the stronger vampire's grip, her short legs kicking being that she was about ten inches off the ground. He tilted his head as he watched Alice, an amused expression mixed with one of dark anticipation.
"I have plans for someone such as you and I cannot wait to start…"
~o.O.o~
Following his wife's scent, Klaus started to track her the best he could. He was furious with the Cold Ones and if he had stayed behind a moment longer, he would have been likely to destroy those that remained. However, he knew that in his heart, he would not be able to take away the rest of his mate's need for revenge for the death of her friend and the treatment she'd endured under the care he'd entrusted her to.
Breaking through the treeline, he looked around and found a sign showing he was near Mora Road. Focusing on her scent more closely, he frowned at another distracting scent that intermingled with it. He followed the path he was sure she intentionally laid out, stopping only when he figured it had all been for nought. He was right when he said that she was a clever one.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed Elijah. As soon as his brother answered, he filled him in on his status as he stared at the fork in the river. "She took to the water so that I would lose her trail. The river breaks into three parts where I tracked her," he shared unhappily.
Elijah sighed audibly. "That does pose a difficulty. I will see if I can learn anything else of her life here that she might seek out. Is there anything or anyone you can think of that she might turn to?"
Klaus growled at the one thought that came to mind. "If she even had the ability to get in contact, there is no way in hell that she would think of coming here. However intrigued she might be at the thought of an emotionless Isabella. She's too frightened of me still."
"I still am unable to understand her fascination with Katerina," he admitted. "Although it is a likely possibility. I will make the calls and see if she has been in contact. Best it be me than you."
"Katerina is nothing but a thorn in my side and I should have used her in the sacrifice," Klaus hissed over the phone. "Get your confirmations. Make sure that if she is to be in contact, I am to be informed if she wishes to continue to breathe!"
He hung up the phone abruptly, not giving his brother the chance to respond and looked around. Not being particularly familiar with the area, he knew Bella would not have come this way if not for a reason. Giving one last glare to the river, Klaus turned on his heel and returned to the road, retracing his steps as he thought about his next move. His actions had been unconscious in their movement until he stopped and took notice when the second car passed by him on the quiet stretch of road after standing there for nearly twenty minutes.
The hybrid couldn't help but laugh at his wife's wit. Spinning in place, he looked up to the trees, wondering if she happened to be somewhere still within earshot. "We will find you and bring you back Isabella! Mark my words! I won't give up on us. On you!" he called out. Hearing nothing but only the dull beat of his heart twist in pain of her disappearance, Klaus fought against allowing his own emotions to get the better of him. A tear fell over his cheek and he brushed it away as quickly as it came.
"I will find you," he whispered to himself.
Another car had slowed to a stop while he was distracted, staring out into the trees and fighting his instincts to fight against some unknown threat. "Hey man! You lost or something? It ain't good to be wandering the woods without any kind of firepower lately," the kid in the vehicle said cheerfully. "I can give you a lift into town if you like."
The man smiled slightly as the boy was naive of the true threat he invited into the car with him.
"I am appreciate it, mate. It is quite the walk back," Klaus thanked him as he slid into the passenger seat. His nose was assaulted by the scent of moldy food and he resisted turning to investigate, to rid the area of the odor. However, there was another familiar one hiding underneath, closer to the boy. "You wouldn't happen to attend the high school in Forks?"
The teen nodded, confused. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"I hazard a guess," Klaus smirked. "You are far too pale to be from the reservation… and small."
The open and close motion of the human's mouth almost caused Klaus to lose his composure, an almost reprieve from the damning emptiness in his chest. He straightened his features when the child began to speak, an offended expression filled his face and a red tinge visible.
"Dude, not cool. I offer you a ride and this is the treatment I get? I can put you out and make you walk the rest of the way home, you know. You're lucky I'm a nice guy…"
"Yes well, I'm told quite often I'm an asshole by my wife, my siblings… and anyone else that's ever met me. I do wonder what you know of Isabella though," he questioned, his tone darkening and his eyes flashing amber for a split second knowing that the boy had failed to notice before he calmed slightly, breathing through his nose deeply.
Indignation now forgotten, the boy grinned widely at the name. Making a left turn, the human spoke smugly, as if he had been awarded a prize. "Yeah, I know her. She and I have been dancing around each other since she started taking classes. I would ask her out and she would say no, you know that typical girl response…"
"Is that so?" Klaus murmured, his jaw tense as his eyes narrowed. His fingers twitched as they rested on his knee, repressing the urge to reach across the vehicle to rip out the boy's tongue.
Nodding, the teen chuckled, oblivious to Klaus' rising anger. "Man, I'm telling you, she's playing hard to get. But don't worry! By the end of the year, I'll have her all to myself!"
Running his finger over his lip, the hybrid peered out the window. Seeing no one or any potential witnesses, he turned back to the teenager, smiling darkly. "What did you say your name was?"
"Mike Newton, pleased to meet you," he stuck out his hand toward the man in his passenger seat with his other hand still on the wheel. Klaus arm stretched over the console, grasping the hand that was offered him before he let out a low growl and twisted it backwards, the boy's arm now resting painfully against his back. Grabbing his throat, he used his strength and catapulted him through the windshield.
He flashed out of the vehicle before it began to steer off course and stalked toward the injured boy, his face drawn into a deep scowl. As he stood over the groaning Mike, he cocked his head to the side. "Klaus Mikaelson. Isabella's husband. Such a pleasure. Next time you should listen to your parents about picking up strangers on the side of the road, shouldn't you?" he said as he squatted beside him. "Now... what to do with you?"
Sighing heavily, he called his brother as he glared at the withering human that he was sorely tempted to drain. "I need a favor of you, Kol."
"Do you now, brother? What do I get out of this particular favor?"
Klaus growled as he pushed down his temper. "I don't have time for your petty games, Kol. I have a bloody human here I need you to handle for me."
"Well, well, well, someone's in a bad mood, aren't they? Have you found our little Poppet yet?"
"No, but I found a disrespectful human that had plans to attempt to bed her," he sneered. "I'm still debating on whether to let him live or not which is why I need you here, now."
"And as I've said before, I require assurance that I will be paid for my good deed."
"What do you want Kol?" Klaus sighed irritably. "I do not wish to have to give this insult any blood to heal."
"Hold on a tick, he's bleeding? Why didn't you say that sooner, Nik? I've got a vegetarian Cold One with me - not counting Jasper. He can keep his distance surely, but I can definitely drag the wench with me for some good old fashioned fun. I'm on my way!"
Trying his hardest not to obliterate the phone between his fingers, Klaus simply closed it and tucked back inside his pocket, settling in to await the arrival of his dear brother. Mike was still groaning and he never spared him a glance. Hearing a scraping noise coming from behind him, he turned to see a figure in the far distance, quite a ways away. He stood to his feet, staring intensely because something didn't look quite right.
As the figure drew closer, Bella walked out of the woods with a sly smile on her lips. Dragging behind her was the bound and gagged body of a certain blond teenager.
"Hello, Husband," she greeted with a sultry voice, a wild look shining in her eyes.
In all his one thousand years on this earth, Klaus couldn't tell you a moment when he had been struck speechless, yet here it was. He watched as his wife finally come to a stop across the street, dropping the whimpering body to the dirt. Looking over the scene in front of her, she noticed the wrecked car, it's hood bent from the tree trunk it was wrapped around. She raised an eyebrow, the pathetic male by her husband's feet making her smirk widely.
"Having fun, my love?" was the question that came from her lips.
Klaus shrugged, attempting to remain indifferent as he pulled from his experience with emotionless vampires. "He pissed me off; needed to learn a lesson."
"I can only imagine what he did to earn such a lesson. A slow agonizing death to bleed out on the roadside like that," she mused, turning her eyes down to him. "What are you still doing here, Niklaus?"
Klaus kept his gaze on Bella's, her question causing a flash of hurt to cross his face. "Did you really believe that I would leave you behind, Isabella? Where would I go? I have no other choice than to make sure you are back where you belong. With us. With me."
She let out a sigh, bored of his speech. "Where I belong? I always had wondered about how vampires could just turn themselves off. It truly is freeing. You should try it with me," she smiled. "We can be free together. Isn't that what you wanted? What you always wanted? Forget Elijah. Forget the family and their expectations of behavior. Just turn it off!"
His eyes softened as he yearned for was she was offering. He was tempted. So very tempted. Taking a step towards her, his desire drawing him to her; he could see her smile grow larger, more devious as he slowly made his way closer. He was the moth to her flame.
"Well it looks as if we've arrived at an awkward spousal moment," Kol quipped cheerfully as he pulled his new pet alongside him. He glanced at the two humans on the ground and was mildly impressed. "They are both alive. No one has fed? I confess myself disappointed. If you're going to waste… may I partake of the spoils?"
"The bitch is mine," Bella snarled at him, taking her attention off Klaus. "Touch her and you will find yourself buried in the deepest recesses of a volcano."
"A bit drastic, don't you think, sister?"
"I really don't give a flying fuck what you do with him. Fuck him. Feed on him. String him up by his nonexistent balls. I don't care, brother," she replied bitingly as she pulled the girl up to her feet with a smile. She held her tightly by her throat and breathed in the intoxicating fear that ran through her veins as she ran her nose over the sensitive vessel. "This one was particularly irritating since my arrival. It's not like I could drain the one you have at your side, now can I?"
"He did take offense when I said he was small compared to the reservation boys," Klaus admitted. "There was also the blatant disrespect towards you and I couldn't have that, could I?"
Bella fluttered her lashes. "My hero…" Her expression changed once again to one of dark anticipation. "I'm hungry." Her eyes locked on her mate as she bit down on the girl and drank deeply and greedily, moaning as she swallowed the velvet blood until no more flowed. Dropping the now dead-weight body again, she could have cared less about the crimson stains covering her mouth, dripping down her chin. She blinked as her eyes flashed a familiar amber hue witnessed in only one other vampire.
"Hm. That's interesting…" she murmured, feeling strangely off. Looking confused, she disappeared from their sights.
Kol was staring with his jaw open. "Did she just…? Did you know…?"
Alice looked at the stunned brothers confused herself. "What are you two so shocked about? Weren't you expecting her to kill someone? Honestly, I'm not surprised she killed Lauren. I can tell you that most of Forks won't miss her."
Shaking his head, Klaus ignored the impotent midget. "I hadn't any inclination that there was the possibility," he said quietly, shaken by the revelation that his wife appeared to be like him. A true hybrid. Only she was far more dangerous than he and that actually had him frightened. "When is the next full moon?"
"Thursday night," Alice answered for him as after she used her gift quickly. "Why?"
"So we have less than three days to try to find where she is hiding around here," he mused mostly to himself. "It will be a much larger bloodbath than I indulged in after the curse was broken."
Extreme irritation suddenly covered everyone, forcing Klaus and Kol to turn to face Jasper, whom stood aside with his arms cross. "Would one of you like to share with us what just happened? Because if we're going to be of any use, we need to know what we are dealing with here."
A disgruntled huff escaped Klaus as he joined the Major's side as the two walked away from the disaster site, sneering at the female as he walked around her in the process. "It would seem that Isabella had decided to make her first kill a spectacle before an audience. In the process, she released a part of herself that none of us in all our years together seemed to know about within her lineage."
"And that would be…?" Jasper prompted, urging him to continue as the man was clearly stalling.
"She… is much more like myself than imagined," he answered, giving him a heavy expression. His emotions were conflicted on the newfound knowledge. Fear and concern being at the forefront. But also hope.
It took a moment for the soldier to understand just what Klaus had told him and when he did, his eyes widened with shock and he shook his head, trying to deny it.
"No. There's no way she could be a... it's not possible."
"It is," the hybrid assured him as he looked off thoughtfully, recalling a time so long ago. "She was a small child when she came to live in our village. She was raised with another family whom ours was quite familiar with, as it was her sister's blood that bound my curse and aided in our vampirism. We had no knowledge of whom birthed her, let alone left her to fend for herself in the woods that were infested with werewolves. So it would stand to reason that she had been abandoned by a nearby pack."
Jasper was silent as he absorbed what he learned about the girl he had grown fond of over the recent months. Honestly, it didn't change a thing; she was still the same girl they knew and loved… well, before all this shit went down. The only thing that really got to him was the fact that they needed to find her and bring her back to herself.
Klaus knew what heightened emotion did to a hybrid, having been in the same situation himself over a thousand years ago. But a newly turned hybrid with their humanity switch turning off? He could only imagine the path of destruction that would follow behind Bella and knew he needed to stop it at all costs.
"Niklaus? I know that she hates speaking of her given name but wouldn't it have been indicative of what she might have become?" the Cold One suggested after several minutes of silence.
The man slowed in his steps as realization dawned on his face, exhaling harshly. His eyes rolled back as they closed at his own ignorance. "Of course. How bloody foolish of me," he scolded himself, shaking his head. "She always was a wolf. Regardless of that fact, we need to anticipate her next move. She'll be trying to piece together what's changed but her emotions for the area will be distractive. Bella clearly disliked those humans, especially the female. She will soon be looking for another to… play with."
Thinking on the options, Jasper shrugged. "The only other one I can really think of that she felt that level of irritation to like Lauren would be Jessica Stanley. The girl was unnecessarily jealous of Isabella."
"Another human that Forks won't miss?"
"Not particularly," he smiled slightly. "Should I see if Rosalie or Emmett can go sit on her?"
Klaus hesitated before nodding. "If Bella should show up, don't confront her. Just call me. I will deal with her."
"Are you going to let your brother know about this?" Jasper asked, his voice cautious as he dialed his own adopted sibling.
Klaus considered the proposal, knowing that while he should let Elijah know the change in the current circumstances and threat, only he understood the way she was operating inside having recently experienced it himself. Recalling the short conversation he shared with his wife before she drained the human girl, he grinned to himself, hope that he might have an idea of a way to get to her. He turned sharply toward him, eyes intent. "No, we will leave him out of it for now. Do not say a word. I have my own plans…"
Klaus hesitated before nodding. "If Bella should show up, don't confront her. Just call me. I will deal with her."
"Are you going to let your brother know about this?" Jasper asked, his voice cautious as he dialed his own adopted sibling.
Klaus considered the proposal, knowing that while he should let Elijah know the change in the current circumstances and threat, only he understood the way she was operating inside having recently experienced it himself. Recalling the short conversation he shared with his wife before she drained the human girl, he grinned to himself, hope that he might have an idea of a way to get to her. He turned sharply toward him, eyes intent. "No, we will leave him out of it for now. Do not say a word. I have my own plans…"
~o.O.o~
Elijah looked upon the Cold Ones, sighing with what he had to work with to fight the one that was after his sister-in-law. Calling in Rebekah was a necessity and preparing their next home would have to wait. He wished Kol had left the seer with him as she would have been an asset but he too knew that the creature would be of greater aid in luring Isabella out as she held a significant distaste for her. And family always came first.
"With the wolves tending to their fallen; shall we take this conversation back to a more comfortable setting?" he suggested, raising his brow.
Carlisle and Esme reluctantly lead the way back to their home, the not so subtle reminder of what their son had inflicted on their only potential allies in fighting Victoria coming from his words making them flinch. The two others that would join the family in leaving Forks followed Elijah silently, nodding to him in their allegiance and support.
While the two sped off at vampire speed, eager to return to the idea of safety their home provided them, the three remaining continued at a human pace. Elijah could see the curiosity and questions bubbling within the two and had not hurried himself to return. He knew that he would have a difficult time in planning a battle against the Cold One with the pacifist couple so leaving them out temporarily would not be difficult.
"Is there something you wish to discuss?" he asked casually as he stepped over a fallen log.
Emmett's words had been on the tip of his tongue, eager to escape the moment that he was given permission and his 'parents' were out of earshot. "Would you finish the story? And tell us more about why Bella is more dangerous now?"
Elijah let out an audible sigh as he looked ahead wearily. "When a vampire of our kind turns off their humanity, they no longer have any regard for the lives around them. They kill indiscriminately. She won't care about exposure or who her victim is. Niklaus, while he has his humanity, he often is ruled by his emotions when he kills. Now when your friend said that she turned her emotions off, he was only half right there. She does still have her emotions but most are pushed aside and ignored. Knowing Isabella as I do, I believe she will be driven by her anger, and perhaps lust. I can see her attempting to lure Klaus away with her."
"He's her husband…" Rosalie commented, confused why Elijah would be concerned. "Wouldn't it be a good idea if he went with her to try to talk her back?"
The older vampire smile gently. "Not necessarily. She… is his everything and he would give her the world. If she managed to convince him to turn off his own humanity, then we would have a much harder time in controlling the two. He is no angel by any means, and she knows it. We accept that it's in our nature now; as it's been for over a thousand years. Isabella just has been the the most controlled since our turning, having the highest regard for human life despite her attitude at times."
Rosalie and Emmett knew what power the Original family held, but most of all, they knew, without seeing it firsthand, what Klaus would be capable of if he shut everything off.
"There would be no stopping them if they both turned it off, would there?" She asked, her tone suggesting that she wasn't asking.
The eldest living Mikaelson was quiet for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and when he spoke, his words were tainted with solemnity.
"Niklaus is, I admit, the most powerful of us all, the combined nature of both vampire and werewolf allowing him to be immune to most things that would be a permanent hindrance to any of us, including true death. When he is at his most volatile, we find that should he need to be… put down for a time, the only way to do so would be use a specific stake that will put him into a deep sleep until it is safe for us to release him…" He glanced over at the other two Cold Ones, letting them know that he would not divulge the name of the stake.
Emmett ate the words up as he looked at him eagerly. "Is that why Bella came to Forks? Klaus became unhinged? I thought she said something about someone being killed?"
Elijah released a breath as he looked forward as he considered the question posed. "In a way, perhaps. Niklaus had been seeking to break a curse placed on him that suppressed his werewolf side for a long time. It has been 500 years since his last opportunity and considering the location, he had not wished the chance for any harm to come to Isabella. It was wise to keep her away as there were some… unanticipated complications that arose during the stay forcing us to extend the separation of our family."
"That Mikael that she mentioned at the house? Bella seemed afraid of him," the Cold One pressed, curious as the original grew more hesitant once the name was mentioned.
"Mikael...was a monster unto himself. Isabella never cared for the man and he shared similar sentiments for her, as he had for Niklaus," he admitted carefully before he slowed his pace until he stopped altogether to face the two. "Mikael is a sensitive subject matter, even now as he has been neutralized. I can assure you if he is brought up, it will only anger Isabella more in her current state. There is a long history there that should stay where it belongs, in the past."
Emmett nodded sincerely as he understood the gravity of the story. "Okay so about Bella and Victoria. Do you have any plans for her? She's been pretty slippery."
The eldest Original remained pensive as he thought about the troublesome vampire. "Niklaus agreed for us to call in our sister. While she will be displeased to have to come out so far, she does enjoy her revenge. Rebekah has always had a soft spot for Isabella and I do know she won't be too happy to hear about what has transpired thus far. I dread the tirade that she will undoubtedly force us to endure."
"Sounds like a real bitch," Rosalie commented but as they had gotten back within cellular range of the house, Elijah's phone rang, much to his annoyance.
Answering it, he listened to his brother describe his tracking of Bella to the river before losing her. He knew suggesting to contact Katherine Pierce was a longshot, considering that the woman wouldn't have known where they had sent her, he still grew uneasy and concerned over the game of cat and mouse that his sister was trying to play. Getting in her mind was often a difficult thing to do on the best of days, and now, to try to figure out what would be driving her would be much more challenging.
He toyed with the device in his hand for a moment, debating on whom to attempt to call first. Calling Katherine was possibly the least complicated at the present, however it would only spark her intrigue and might be used against them later. Still… Sighing, he dialed the last number he had for her and she answered after a few rings, curiosity lacing her tone.
"What can I do for you, Elijah?"
"You wouldn't happened to have heard from Isabella recently?" he asked, eyes narrowing as he strained to listen carefully for any cues on her end.
She hummed an amused breath of surprise. "Isabella? I was actually curious why she wasn't with your family while you all were here when Klaus broke his curse. Have you all lost her?"
"Katerina… If you have heard from her - tell me. It may save you from my brother's wrath," Elijah warned, causing the Cold Ones to watch on with increased fascination.
The girl only giggled on the phone. "I have not heard from her in nearly two hundred years. She is just as good as hiding as her husband and I. She is the one that taught me how to run from him after all."
"Yes and I assured you and her that I would never tell him that so if you want me to continue to keep my word, you will inform me if she does come in contact with you."
"You sound concerned Elijah. Something the matter?" Katherine questioned, her playful tone easing up and growing serious. Despite the games the vampire enjoyed playing, she too held a level of respect for the one Mikaelson family member for her continued survival.
Unsure if he should tell her the truth of the matter or not, it was a dangerous situation for all supernatural should they be unable to keep his sister contained. "As a matter of fact, there is. Isabella had taken time away from the family while Niklaus dealt with his curse. She had lost a good friend during her stay at the hands of a family member of an ally of his. It seems the pain of the loss was too much to bear so she - chose an easier route."
"She flipped her switch? You're saying you have an unhinged bitch on the loose wherever you are," she sighed. "Text me where you are and what you know so far. I'll see what I can find out from here."
She hung up before he could protest her involvement, knowing Klaus would not be happy. He continued to hold a great deal of resentment against her running from him when he wanted to use her; the first opportunity he had to break his curse. She had found a way out of that and his own bleeding heart and Isabella's fascination in her resemblance to her long dead sister drove them to assist in Katherine's hiding while helping in hunting her down, though he was certain they've each participated for different reasons.
"Well - that did not go as intended," he muttered to himself as he eyed his phone, dismayed that he now would have to juggle an untrusted vampire on top of everything else.
"Who was that?" Rosalie questioned, a perfectly formed eyebrow arching as she eyed him.
"Someone we really do not wish to find her way here. She would only anger Niklaus. Please do give me a few more moments and then we can proceed. I really must make one more call," he smiled gently as he raised the phone back to his ear.
"When are you getting here Elijah? Marcel is being a dick and Nik may have to use his special brand of persuasion for us to reclaim our home," his sister greeted him once she answered. "In the meanwhile I have secured the old governor's home. Marcel does not know but it will suffice for now."
He released a breathy sigh, wondering how to break the news to her, all previous thoughts gone. Having remained silent too long was enough to set her on edge and she continued more cautiously. "Elijah? You are coming? You're not leaving me to deal with Nik on my own?"
"No Rebekah. We ran into some complications when we arrived to collect Isabella. I do require your assistance here however, so New Orleans will have to wait for time being," he shared.
"What the hell do you mean complications? What did our asshole brother do?!"
"I am afraid he is innocent in this and is just as concerned as I am. Isabella lost a friend here and decided to turn her emotions off. On top of that we have a Cold One issue that seems to have it out for her, so with her not interested in assisting on that any longer, I need your help in taking out this particular crafty being while our brothers track down our sister."
Rebekah was uncharacteristically silent before she spoke again. "Where are you? Nik didn't say where he sent her."
"Pacific northwest. Forks, Washington. I am assisting with the Cold One issue while Kol and Niklaus track Isabella with his friend."
"Cold Ones…really?"
"Yes. You should know that before Isabella flipped her switch, she agreed to allow two of the Cold Ones, as well as our brother's friend to join us when we leave. They have been more cooperative than the others, eager even. The parental figures however… I will leave you develop your own opinion when you arrive," Elijah smiled slightly as he eyed Emmett and Rosalie.
Her annoyance was almost palpable over the phone line. "I will check the airlines and see how fast I can be there. Do avoid tearing any Cold Ones apart before I get there. I want to have my fun too. Especially if one has hurt my sister in some way. And you better be ready to tell me the whole story of why she was there to begin with when I arrive. You won't have to worry about Nik daggering you. I will do it myself!"
With her threat, she hung up on him. Emmett stared at him with surprise. "Wow dude. The chicks in your life really love hanging up on you. What do you do to piss them off?"
Elijah glared at him as he pocketed his phone, unwilling to answer. He began walking again, with an increased pace to his step. "Rebekah has always been temperamental and she is not particularly fond of your kind. So be warned that she will likely be confrontational with you when she arrives. As far as Katerina... She knows that I would have refused her involvement so she avoided giving me the opportunity to say so. There is bad blood between she and Niklaus; resentment that he still is festering. He only allows her to live now as he enjoys a good game of cat and mouse."
Rosalie huffed as she smacked her mate over the back of his head, seeing another question forming on the tip of his tongue. "Shut up already," she yelled at him. Exasperated, she looked between the two. "Look, not for nothing, but can we just get back already? I'm grateful that you were able to give us more history so that we know what we're getting ourselves into, and I'm sure there is more considering that you have a thousand years on us, but the sooner we deal with the nomad, the sooner we can go help the others with Bella."
"Splendid idea. After you," the older vampire smiled as he bowed slightly at the waist, his hand out for her to proceed ahead of him.
She raised an eyebrow at the gesture but said nothing as she continued forward, albeit at an increased speed to reach the Cullen property more quickly now. With the two male vampires on her heels, Rosalie didn't want to leave Carlisle and Esme alone for very long as her distrust of her adoptive parents grew exponentially following Edward's actions with Bella and later, Jacob.
By the time they returned to the house, the three found the pair sitting uncharacteristically still on the sofa, waiting. Narrowing her eyes on them, Rosalie turned to Elijah, who too, looked upon them with the impression that they were indeed hiding something as they were simply too poised.
"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," he greeted with a simple nod. "I have contacted my sister and she is making arrangements to come out and assist with the nomad situation while Niklaus and Kol are tracking Isabella. Is there any information that you might be able to shed on your interactions with this woman that might be of use to us?"
Esme turned her head away from them, refusing to answer. She was still mourning for the loss of her son and her husband was torn. He was feeling Edward's loss as well, but at the same time, he was well aware of the power that these vampires posed against them. "We've already shared what we knew. She is cunning and deceptive. We do not understand how she has been able to slip past the wolves as often as she has."
"Could she be gifted as others of your kind sometimes are?" he asked, tired of the insolence that they continued to display.
Carlisle started to shake his head but realized that he truly could not deny the possibility for having little contact with the woman. "It is possible, but highly unlikely. James, the leader of their coven was the gifted one, a tracker."
"Please enlighten me," Elijah said politely. "I am trying to understand your way of living. You call her a nomad, but you also said she was part of a coven, how does that work?"
"Nomads don't stay in any one area. They move frequently, regularly. You can be in a coven and be nomadic," the doctor explained. "We have many nomadic friends. I have a few who do not claim any coven name. Covens simply provide a type of protection. Such as your family name for yourselves. It's well known through your race and the older generations of ours to the point that it strikes fear when it's mentioned. Ours is known in our kind for being different with our diet choice."
Elijah slowly nodded. "Our kind doesn't quite work with naming our groups covens, we leave that word to the witches. Frankly, it is rare for our kind to seek the company of others if they're not related or mated in some way."
"Like Isabella and Klaus?"
"Isabella and Niklaus were married before we were made immortal," he explained. "In a way, she's always been a part of our family. Our emotions in our new states only strengthened what we felt and they were truly intended for one another, unlike any two I have ever seen."
Elijah looked down at her wrist for the time, regretting how much has passed. He moved to peer out of the window, concerned for his siblings and how they were faring in their endeavors. With sun beginning to set, he frowned at the feeling of unease he sensed as night slowly approached. He couldn't help but wonder if it was some omen.
"If you want to get some rest, there is a guest room upstairs. We can keep an eye on things in the meanwhile," Rose hinted as she walked into the room, handing him a tote bag that held some sleep clothes as her eyes swept over her parents. "No need to be exhausted in dealing with this mess."
"I appreciate your kindness," he smiled and nodded his thanks. His eyes flashed to her mate who saluted him, but mostly kept his attention on the Cullens and going about some of his usual routines until they decided what they would do next. His phone beeped with a text message. After checking it quickly, he nodded to himself. "Rebekah will be arriving in the morning. I shall take my leave for the evening. If you need me, please do not hesitate to knock."
With that he sought out the refuge of privacy of the guest quarters for the night. After showering and changing for an early evening, he sighed as he texted Katherine, inquiring for her to find out anything she could about Cold Ones and what she could about a nomad named Victoria. He did not trust Carlisle Cullen at all, and his lips curled in the faintest amusement at the thought that his brother and sister-in-law's thousand year old paranoia starting to influence him.
~o.O.o~
Nowhere near the events occurring in Washington state, another Cold One sat in his home with his phone in his hand as his gift flooded him with knowledge of everything going on. Shaking his head, he knew there was a lot that would have to be done to help his friend. The extremes that would be necessary to get her to turn her emotions on, her family weren't yet aware of. Hell if he was the one to share that.
Taking off for an extended hunting trip, Peter headed northwest to where he felt that Bella would most likely head if she were to leave the state, doing whatever he could to make it difficult for her to lose her family's tail, once she earned hers. He still was in a state of shock himself when he was hit with that whammy of information overload. Another hybrid running around. Like the supernatural world needed another one.
He knew her husband was busy trying to follow her scent and coming up with a plan of his own to turn her humanity back on, and while it had potential, he wasn't sure it would work. Knowing she was in hiding and laying low, trying to sort out the changes that were occurring within her as the full moon was approaching, Peter estimated he had only two days to wolf proof the southern and eastern borders of the state before heading off and implementing the rest of his plan to help get the new hybrid to Louisiana without the rest of the Original family being involved.
Texting her husband, he smirked as he knowingly would piss him off. When the full moon rises, wolf out and chase her north into Denali forest.
It wasn't long before he received a response. His phone rang and smiled as he answered it, not saying a word. "Who the bloody hell do you think you are?!"
"Me? I'm nobody that you need to worry about. Just trying to help you keep your problem as contained as possible during the full moon. I doubt you would want an emotionless wolf out loose in the continental United States," he replied flippantly, earning a growl from the upset hybrid.
"How exactly do you know of our situation?" Klaus questioned, suspicion rightfully filling his voice.
Peter sighed as he continued to spread the wolfbane plants through the region. He knew it wouldn't work much for her in her human form, but as a wolf, it would be enough of a deterrent. "I just do. Ask my brother. I suspect he is with you or nearby right now. Just push her north towards the Denalis. Jasper can direct you."
He was silent again, though there was a growl that echoed over the line. "Why should I trust you? I don't even know who you are."
"But I know Isabella and I have a debt to her for something she's done for me some years ago. Jasper is my brother and my sire. You trust him, somewhat. Talk to him before you make any decisions and be careful of any bullshit Alice feeds you. She may play along with you now, but she always has her own agenda."
Peter whistled a light tune to himself as he could hear a whispered exchange over the phone line, knowing that the Mikaelson was confirming parts of his story with Jasper. There was a low growl that echoed over the line again making him eye the device in his hand. "Let's say you are speaking the truth. What do you know about Isabella now? Where is she?"
The Cold One stopped and sighed as he decided he was done with the current area. "She's laying low and doesn't quite understand what happened yet. That's not to say it won't change considering how unpredictable she is going to continue to be for your family. She has some deep seeded issues. Of what, I don't know. The information doesn't come to me like some magic 8 ball you know. If something does change, I'll get word to you or Jasper as soon as I can, but I spread deterrents as much as I could to try to keep her from coming south, out of the northwest."
"When I find you, I promise I will rip you bloody apart!" Klaus screamed into the phone. "I want to know where my wife is!"
"She will show herself soon. Before the full moon. That's all I know," Peter sighed. "I can't give you more than that." He hung up before the irate hybrid could continue on, feeling sorry for his friend who would have to bear the brunt of his wrath but he had other things to deal with in the meanwhile.
~o.O.o~
Some miles north of Forks, hidden inside a cave she had found, Bella had spent the rest of the afternoon and into the night sorting through the changes that her body had begun to undergo. There was a strength in her body that was never there before and the onslaught of emotions she was forced to endure when she killed the blonde bitch made her want to vomit the blood back up as soon as she was clear from Niklaus and the others.
Her hands fisted as she attempted to quell the shudders that ran through her, her eyes darting to the forest that provided her cover from the night sky. Being so far up in the elevation, she was able to see the moon clearer. Her eyes narrowed as she felt the ache that Nik suffered in his bones as they prepared for the change that would never come in the approach to the full moon and she quickly pieced together that she was now like him. Only she never was bound by a curse as she had always had more control. Until then.
The corner of her lips tugged up as she thought about her family and how they would be running around, searching for her. Attempting to figure out her next move. Her next kill. She ran her finger over her lip as she had originally been in debate over going after Jessica Stanley versus Lauren Mallory, opting for the latter. If what she knew of the Cullen bitch was correct, she would have set her on the path for the other.
And she was so very hungry.
Jumping down and running through the forests, she reached the the town's border quickly enough. As she zipped through town, she found herself herself outside the house she wanted. Standing in the shadows, she watched the occupant move through the house, completely unaware of the threat that lurked outside.
Bella hadn't decided if she was going to feed on this particular human yet or not, her thoughts distracting her from her thirst on what her pesky family was doing to locate her. She had laid enough trails around the area to have them going in circles for some time before they truly caught on. She could not help but smile in twisted pleasure as she had watched from a safe distance when her husband indeed realized her ploy.
Her dark eyes turned back up to the window she had drifted closer to, the scent of the human's blood intoxicating. Her mouth fell open as she let the thirst slowly consume her very being. Just as the human turned to look out the window, she disappeared in a blink.
Walking up the front steps, she smiled as the door opened and worried face looked over her. "Where've you been Bells?"
"At the Cullens, Dad," she smiled at him, though it had been rather forced. "Didn't Alice call that I was on my way?"
"No…where's your truck?" he asked as he looked past her, attempting to suppress a shudder. He reached out to pull her closer and into the house. "It's late."
Bella inhaled his scent, her eyes lingering on his neck as she stepped past him into the house with a grin. Keep her back to him, she shrugged a shoulder. "Edward dropped me off. I was having troubles with the truck. I'm surprised she didn't warn you."
He felt on edge as he backed into the house, a danger lurking in the dark that he couldn't see. "Don't worry about it now. You're home now. Just make sure you remember to call next time. I got some pizza. You hungry?" he asked as he locked the door and turned to face her but his breath caught in his throat at the horrifying mask she had on.
With her vampire visage on, her new amber eyes with black veins expanding outwards and elongated fangs, she was truly the threat in the room that he feared. "Actually Charlie, I am…"
Author Note: Here is another twisted chapter for you. Theme is Bad Girl by Avrile Lavigne. So totally Bella in this chapter. Carry on and leave the love.
Bella inhaled his scent, her eyes lingering on his neck as she stepped past him into the house with a grin. Keep her back to him, she shrugged a shoulder. "Edward dropped me off. I was having troubles with the truck. I'm surprised she didn't warn you."
He felt on edge as he backed into the house, a danger lurking in the dark that he couldn't see. "Don't worry about it now. You're home now. Just make sure you remember to call next time. I got some pizza. You hungry?" he asked as he locked the door and turned to face her but his breath caught in his throat at the horrifying mask she had on.
With her vampire visage on, her new amber eyes with black veins expanding outwards and elongated fangs, she was truly the threat in the room that he feared. "Actually Charlie, I am…"
~o.O.o~
Running around the rainy state of Washington was not something that Klaus particularly found enjoyable. The constant rainfall caused them to lose Bella's scent frequently, not that it truly mattered as he eventually grew more frustrated by his ever cunning wife.
The group was spread out on the mountain top, overlooking the stretch of rivers as he thought about the possibilities that she might have considered when the seer called out that she had found her scent again. He was unable to resist rolling his eyes. It was pointless following it as he simply knew it would only run them into another circle. She had covered her scent over the region so well, she made sure that no one would find her until she was ready.
"Don't bloody bother," Klaus answered back as his cell phone rang. "She has us on a goose chase."
Eying the unknown number before answering, his eyes narrowed as the caller ordered him with instructions; as if knowing more about his wife's current status when no one outside the four had informed anyone of her hybrid nature yet.
As the conversation continued, he looked up to Jasper, whom had come closer to listen. At hearing the seemingly familiar voice, the Cold One rolled his eyes and eventually nodded when he was called out for verification.
"He's telling you the truth. He may be a fucker, but Peter is unfortunately good on his word and his ability is remarkably accurate. If he said to get her north, it's for a good reason," he murmured.
Klaus let out a growl as he was not happy about someone unknown being familiar with his wife, and aware of the delicate situation they had found themselves in with her. Still by the end of the call, he was left unsatisfied as all the vampire could promise was that she'd show up before the full moon.
"Well, what did you do when you first turned?" Jasper asked to break the angry hybrid's pacing as Alice and Kol watched on.
Kol pursed his lips and shook his head. "If you are referring to the first time, our mother blasted him with that curse," he reminded his friend of their history.
"No. After he broke it."
"It was under a full moon. I didn't have the same circumstances of having to wait like Isabella," Klaus mumbled, frustrated as he pulled at his hair. "Blast that woman! The first thing I'll do when I see her is break her pretty little neck!"
His brother was unable to hold in his amusement as he grinned. "Right, of course you will. Until she bats her eyes at you and suggests a romp in bed and all will be forgotten. She has you wrapped around her finger, Nik, and she knows it. Switched off or not, Poppet knows how to play you like a fiddle which is why we are out here looking like tools and she is probably running around town deciding on her next meal."
Klaus scowled at her brother as he checked on the time. He couldn't but think that his brother wasn't wrong in his suggestion as he was quite close with her as well. "Elijah should have contacted Rebekah by now and hopefully she'd have made arrangements to come assist with the nomad situation. We should head back, check any cave system along the way. She would have sought shelter in them."
"We've been checking this entire time. There are dozens of nooks and crevices she could have been usings," Alice pointed out.
"We keep checking!"
Kol let out a sigh as he pushed her ahead of him so that they could continue with their search, leaving the irritated man be. The last thing they all needed was for him to grow more unhinged than he already was.
~o.O.o~
Storming out of the house, Bella's vision was as red as the blood smeared across her face. She fought to wipe it off with her sleeve, promising herself to rip whoever's heart out that was responsible for that stunt.
As she walked up the street through town, her ears picked up voices in a nearby building and grinned to herself as she cocked her head thoughtfully. Looking around, she strolled to the tiny auto shop that was closed for the night, peering in through the dirty windows. Her lips turned up in a devious smile before she punched her small fist through the glass.
Pushing the door open, she took a careful step forward, testing the boundaries but was pleased to find her capable of entering the shop. "Excellent," she sang to herself as she strode forward, straight to the prize she had her eyes on.
Grabbing the heavy chains, she hoisted them over her shoulders. She had no care if anyone saw her; no care to hide her nature. She'd simply kill the witness now. There was no way a small girl, such as herself, would or should be capable of carrying chains like she had found.
Crossing the street, she was quick as she used one set to secure the rear doors closed before making her way around the front. As she entered the building, Bella closed the doors behind her in the foyer, chaining them too, and locking them. Walking through into the congregation room, she stood in the back observing the evening mass being held by Pastor Webber.
A few heads turned to see who joined them so late but she only gave a cold smile. "Oh don't mind me. Please do continue," she said as she leaned on the back pew while the pastor and his daughter exchanged a concerned look before he continued with his sermon.
The pastor hesitated as he looked away from Bella, over the parishioners. He continued on, making her smile more. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members are instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you."
The long, slow clap from the back of the church was chilling as her cold, dead look that she stared the man down with. "That was fascinating Pastor. Now I must ask. What right would you have to speak of the sins of the dead - or undead?" she questioned as she began to walk down the center aisle. Her steps took on a more predatory appearance that had the locals shrink back as they soon notice the blood on her clothing once she grew closer. "I always had issues with those of the clergy, thinking they were better than everyone else. Especially my kind. After all, it is the bible that said we all were born in sin so that makes you no better than I."
Pastor Webber eyed Bella, blinking as he quickly took in her bloodied appearance and her darkened eyes. "I apologize that tonight's sermon is not to your liking Miss Swan," he said quietly as he attempted to remain calm. From the corner of his eye, he saw his daughter, this stranger's friend, leave her seat to come to his side and as much as he wanted to object, he was afraid to set the girl off.
"Bella? What's wrong?" Angela's soft voice asked as she moved to stand beside her father, studying her friend in confusion.
"What is wrong?" Bella sighed as she rolled her head back, closing her eyes. No longer making any effort to play an American teenager, her natural accent began to come through in her language. "So many answers to that question, Ang. Where do I begin? My husband is playing in the woods, chasing his tail, searching for me. My brother-in-law is a two-faced arse that I would love to rip his heart out and put it on a pike. I bloody hate almost everything in this forsaken town. And someone in my twisted little family decided to pay the chief a visit recently and when I find out who it is, I will kill them."
The pastor paled as he listened to speech, subtly pushing Angela behind him. "You're married?!" Angela asked, not having known that about her friend. "I thought you were dating Edward Cullen!"
"Edward Cullen is dead. I killed him myself," the girl shrugged, bored as she stared at her nails before looking up through her lashes. "Did anyone find Lauren's body yet? She was quite...mmm..."
"Dear God," Pastor Webber quietly cried as he blessed himself, knowing what had happened to the girl. "You...you're…"
"Me...I'm...a...what? Go on...say it," Bella encouraged with a smile as she took a step closer, her fingers dancing on the back of the pew. "You can reveal what I am. I don't mind. It's not like anyone is going to be leaving here alive."
"Please don't do this Miss Swan. These are innocent humans," he pleaded, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.
The vampire only continued to smile back, her face changing. The man that was sitting frozen in fear on the pew was afraid to look at her, his body beginning to tremble as her hand grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled over the back. "There is no such thing as an innocent human," she let out breathlessly before she dove for her victim's neck as he let out a scream.
The rest of the congregation started screaming and running for the exits but soon found that they were trapped. No amount of yanking on the doors or pulling on the heavy chains were going to free them.
Bella let go of the body, allowing it fall to her feet as she lifted her head. Her eyes were bright and glassy from the fresh blood, the crimson fluid running down her chin. She let out a sigh, content from the feed, a smile gracing her lips as her eyes slowly rolled to take in the stricken expressions on the religious man and his daughter as they stared at her.
The vampire ignored the screaming humans as they continued to cry and attempt to pry at the thick chains, but her attention was focused singularly on the alter. "So calm," she purred as she turned to lean against the side of the pew, bringing her fingers up to lazily wipe at the blood on her face. "I am quite surprised that you are not joining the rest of the townsfolk in their pitiful attempts to flee."
"Demons are not unheard of throughout history if you know where to look Miss Swan," Pastor Webber answered with a quiver in his voice. "Legends and fables emerge from tales that must hold some ounce of truth, including those of creatures of the undead."
Bella pouted as she turned her eyes up at him. "Come on. You can say it," she whispered. "Let everyone know the truth…"
"Why are you so insistent on this?" he asked in turn.
"What happened to you Bella?" Angela asked, afraid and concerned, trying to look around her father but he continued to hold her behind him.
"What happened to me?" Bella repeated with a dark laugh. She flashed to grab a random person that attempted to break the stained glass window featuring a rendering of one of the saints with a chair, ripping into his neck ruthlessly. Shoving him to the floor, she sneered at his body. "Have some respect for the arts, bloody sod."
A growl let out from deep within her chest as her eyes glowed, her anger coursing through her as she attacked more people. Ruthlessly tearing into their bodies with her sharp nails, drinking the blood of a few. As the frenzy caused the remaining living to spread, frantically trying from the monster, the young girl standing with her father cried and screamed in terror.
The action only drew the young hybrid's attention again. She turned and started to make her way back down the center aisle to the two again. Behind the humans, her eyes gleamed in amusement as the flames of the lit candles grew, seemingly without any outside influence. A furtive glance around showed the few still breathing either on the floor, continuing to fruitlessly attempt escape, or entirely focused on herself. Only two were of the latter.
"Hm, quite intriguing," Bella mused as she stopped short, looking the pastor and his daughter over again with new eyes. "Witches. Of course. And you were just preaching about demons not thirty minutes ago," she sneered as she held her arms up to the nearly dead fellowship. "I hate witches…"
She started to run full speed for Pastor Webber and Angela when she fell to her knees once she reached the edge of the platform of the alter. Holding her head, she hissed out in rage, struggling to look up through the pain to see which of the two was inflicting the supernatural migraine on her.
"Blasted little bitch! I will kill you!" she ground out through clenched teeth.
"Bella…" Angela started to say as she held her gaze on her friend, tears falling from her eyes. "I don't want to do this - I don't even know how I am doing this, but you need to stop. Please!"
Bella could feel her pulling back and she remained on her knees for a couple moments with her head down. When she finally looked up, she had nothing but emptiness in her eyes. "When my family comes to look for me, tell them whoever gave Charlie vervain, they should take it and shove it up their ass," she smiled before flashing to the exit, breaking the necks of the two at the door and ripping the chain off to disappear into the night.
~o.O.o~
It was late when Klaus and the rest of his group made it back into Forks before they decided to return to the Cullen house after their failed search through the woods for Bella's hide out. He felt drawn to seek out the shifters, to offer whatever assistance he could to his wife's friends. However, he knew the larger danger was her and had to focus his attentions on bringing her back.
After having just pulled into Port Angeles, the frustrated vampires made a stop for the originals to stock up on liquor and were about to walk into the shop when Jasper's cellphone rang. At the caller name, they lingered outside as he answered.
"I didn't know. I only knew it was before the full moon tomorrow night. Get to the church in Forks now!" Peter snapped, hanging up quickly.
Klaus pursed his lips, the possible reasons for his wife to go to such a place seemed out of character. As an unspoken rule, they tended to avoid religious establishments where possible. However, Bella was not a typical wife.
The four abandoned the lure of alcohol, returning to the car and sped out of town, back to where they started. "Where is this church?" Klaus questioned shortly after they passed the city limit as he kept his eyes out to the passing scenery. He knew simply by instinct that she would not be there now. She was toying with them and playing a damn good game.
"We're there," Jasper answered, turning around a bend and the sleepy white building stood off the side of the road. He pulled off and threw the car into park, they were quick as they exited and looked to the building with apprehension. "I smell blood."
"A lot of it," Alice whispered as she looked around frightened. "I haven't been able to see anything. Anything with Bella is blocked."
"It's bloody obvious because she's part wolf," Kol muttered as he followed his still silent brother as he already started for the building. His eyes took in the exterior of the church, falling on the set of doors near the back. "Nik. She chained the back from the outside."
He paused as he looked towards where his younger brother indicated but provided no other reaction before continuing in through the front where one door was hanging loosely from the hinges. He was unable to enter but he could see enough from where he stood.
Blood soaked the thin carpet as the bodies of nearly twenty humans laid scattered. Klaus' lips parted at the gruesome sight, something that he was not innocent of causing himself, but that he never fathomed coming the hand of his mate. There were human intestines dangling from a light fixture above them and upon closer inspection, one of the statues had received new eyes. "Isabella did this," he quietly said. "We were too late to stop this."
Kol was in his own shock as Jasper and Alice came up from behind. Alice gasped out and started to go in but was held back by the original. Jasper was wide eyed as he took slow steps in, testing his own control around the scent of the human blood and looked around. His enhanced senses and gift knew there was someone living still hiding. "Hello? We are not here to hurt you," he called out.
Hearing the familiar voice, a closet door slowly opened and Angela stepped out with her father. "He's one of them, child," the man warned as he pulled her closer.
Jasper's eyes narrowed on them but he ignored the comment as he continued to take in the carnage around them. "I understand your fear Pastor, but if you know what we are then you are also aware of the differences," he responded as gently as he could.
"It was another of your kind, whatever race of demons you claim to be, that caused this massacre," Pastor Webber responded.
Angela looked at her father confused, shaking her head before turning to Jasper. "Bella did this. She's a vampire. You and your family are vampires too?"
At his hesitance, he looked to the others stuck at the threshold before nodding. "We are. Look. Can you invite my friends inside so that we can talk? Believe me when I say, we've been trying to prevent something like this from happening. We only just found out that we were needed here."
"Bella didn't need to be invited," the girl pointed out. "She came in and...and…" She pointed to the bodies as if it were answer enough.
Her father shook his head with regret. "She was invited. She came with Chief Swan one day and I had invited them in together. What's to stop these demons from doing what she had and finish what she started?"
"They are her family," Jasper told them. "They came to take her home but they can explain what they want with you. It's not my place. The Bella you saw tonight isn't her. Not normally. They won't harm you if you don't give them reason to. I can assure you that all Klaus wants is his wife back to her normal self and that monster that did this, was not her."
"Klaus?" the pastor questioned, his eyes narrowing in recognition and distrust.
The emotions confused Jasper, but none more than when Angela appeared to be more open and smiled. "Come in," she said as she started to step away from her father, only for him to pull her back. "What? Bella said that her husband would likely show up."
"Quiet," he whispered to her as he watched the two original vampires walk inside the church and take a thorough look at the carnage.
"Poppet was really pissed," Kol muttered as he looked around him in shock.
Klaus continued to maintain his silence as he made his way around, trying to make sense of the way she left her kills. Righting a fallen chair that laid next to the body of a man below one of the stained glass windows with a rendering of Saint Luke. He stood staring at it for what felt like an eternity before speaking. "What had my lovely wife to say before she left?" he asked, his voice soft.
Angela pulled away from her father with a decisive tug. "I'll be fine," she assured him, then took a few steps closer to the vampire. He only acknowledged her presence with a slight turn of the head before returning to his study of the window. "She mentioned her husband and brothers in passing. She was more angry about someone visiting Chief Swan. Said that they can take the vervain and...well...she had some colorful words about what to do with it."
"Oh shit," Kol mumbled, making his brother look to him. "This one is on me brother."
"What did you do?" Klaus demanded, but the guilty expression wasn't just on his face, but on the empath's as well.
"When you and Bella were out for your reunion dinner, I informed Kol of the few humans that she was particularly fond of in town. Angela here, and Chief Swan, whom she was posing as his daughter. We stopped by and gave him vervain," Jasper explained.
Klaus swallowed as he pieced together the information and looked to the diminutive girl. "How exactly is it that you managed to survive against a thousand year old vampire?"
She grimaced and shrugged her shoulders. "A headache?"
He growled as he was not pleased with the lack of answer. However tempted as he was to kill her himself, he would only suffer his wife's ire later.
"We come from a small witch line and she only just came into her abilities. Purely defensive and it was enough to keep Bella from coming after her," Pastor Webber said as he made his way to his daughter again.
"Nonsense. You have no reason to downplay the girl's strength. No matter how new she is to her craft. While I believe she is new and that your own magic is weak, this little bird is strong if she was able to keep my sister away," Kol snapped at the man.
Angela blinked and shook her head in denial but Klaus smiled at her as reassuringly as he could. "He's correct, Love. Bella has centuries of experience with witches and is skilled in resisting the common tricks they use. Such as a headache."
She appeared overwhelmed by the attention, attempting to shake it off. "Is there something about Saint Luke that fascinates you?" she asked curiously.
Klaus looked back up at the window over his shoulder, a fond smile ghosting his lips. "He is the patron saint of painters," he responded.
"This man was going to break the window to escape and she killed him," Pastor Webber said as he eyed the vampire. "Is it simply because it's of Saint Luke?"
"Most likely and it gives hope that all is not lost for Isabella. She obviously still cares in our shared interests," the hybrid smiled happily. "Perhaps we can exploit that, brother?"
"Doubtful. She's more likely to use said interests to get you to turn your humanity off so that you two can run off on a murder spree that the supernatural world would never recover from," Kol shook his head. "You know quite well how these things work."
"Oh, but it's fun, admit it."
"I agree it is. And you and I had a grand time in New Orleans when those gnits hid in the attic, but remember the punishment that my dear sister put the two of us through after that? I got stuck in a bloody coffin again. No thank you."
Klaus shook his head and looked to the young witch. Letting out a sigh, he considered his options. "How about I make a deal with you? You help my family and I find my wife and I will set you up with people who know magic and help you with yours. Fair trade?"
"Absolutely not!" Pastor Webber protested but Angela was quick to agree as she reached out to shake the hybrid's hand.
"Deal. What do you need from me? Bella had always been a good friend and I don't understand what happened," she said.
"My brother will explain the details. I have someone else I must visit right now," Klaus smiled at her, kissing the back of her hand that he still held with a bow. "Come Jasper. Bring your annoying runt of a wife with you."
~o.O.o~
Leaving the church, Klaus ushered the Cold Ones back into the car, taking control of it himself. As soon as he was back on the road, he looked over to his acquaintance. "Where does this Chief live?"
"Make a right up ahead, then another at the post office. The house will be on the left, up the road a bit," Alice answered in place. "Can you tell us why we are going to see him? I can't get any visions when it comes to you and Bella. It's annoying."
"And you are a blasted pest that needs to be exterminated," he replied in turn. "Are you that bloody slow that you haven't figured out that Bella attempted to feed on the town's police chief? While our kind is capable of blending in with humans easier than you can, we still have to keep a certain level of awareness in covering up our kills and reduce unwanted attraction."
Because of the speed he was using, he pulled up to the house as he finished speaking and flashed out of the car. He was able to pick up his wife's scent, knowing she'd been their only hours earlier. Making his way up to the porch, he peered through the storm door, inside where he heard a single human shuffling about in a nearby room.
"Hello? Chief Swan?" he called out.
The movement stopped momentarily before the man came out with a rifle armed in one hand and a bloodied towel holding his neck in the other. "Who are you?" he demanded.
Klaus held up his hands in a mock gesture to show that he was unarmed but it clearly only caused the human to tense further. "I am not here to cause you harm," he said. "Can we put the firearm down and speak civilly?"
Jasper and Alice approached from Klaus from behind and looked at Charlie apologetically. However he wasn't having it. "What happened to Bella?" he fumed. "I always suspected the Cullens were different but I turned a blind eye. All of a sudden Bella comes home and she is that - that - thing! I want answers!"
"May I come in? I will explain everything in detail of the true nature of Isabella and what occurred," Klaus asked again.
Charlie looked back at him, uncertainty emanating from him as he glanced between the two males. "Fine. Come in. But if you try to take a chunk out of my neck like she did, I'll blow your head right off your shoulders," he said as he stepped back.
The threat was amusing to Klaus but he said nothing as he stepped inside. He could easily see his wife spending time there, enjoying the simplicity of human life. "Isabella is a very old vampire that has compelled you to believe that you were her father as she spent some time in this town," he started without preamble. "You recall Jasper visiting yesterday with another man?"
"Yeah," Charlie nodded hesitantly, his eyes blinking as he stared back at the dusty haired man. "He convinced me to drink the shittiest tea I ever tasted."
Klaus raised an eyebrow, looking to Jasper. "He didn't compel him to drink it?"
The Cold One shook his head. "He tried. Don't know why it didn't work, but Edward always had a hard time hearing his thoughts too, never with clarity like everyone else."
"Fascinating," the hybrid mused, wondering if that was a reason why the man drew Bella's attention when she arrived. If she knew more about him than she let on. "Well, Chief, I am sorry to break the news to you but you may wish to drink that horrid tea more often. As it is, it was due to that drink you are still alive now."
"I doubt a cup of tea is capable of life saving miracles Buddy. Who the hell are you and why are you here?"
"I am Klaus Mikaelson. Isabella is my wife. Has been for the last thousand plus years," he smiled as he stood behind the sofa with his hands folded behind his back. "And the contents of that tea is something of a poison to vampires of my kind. As soon as Bella went to drink your blood, it burned her. Kol and Jasper providing it to you was only a random chance as they knew she cares for you and would not wish for another of our kind to cause you harm due to our presence in town."
The chief scowled as he lifted the rifle back up, causing the vampire to frown back. "And yet, it was Isabella that attacked me."
"Yes. For that I apologize on her behalf. She - is not feeling herself," he murmured. "We have been attempting to deal with her but she has been most difficult."
Charlie stared at him in silence as his gaze was returned. The only one to understand the nonverbal exchange was Jasper and he kept his eyes on Alice, his own displeasure and frustration with her radiating so that she would not interrupt the much needed moment between the two. Soon, the human set his weapon down and nodded. "You said Bella compelled me? What the hell does that mean?"
Letting out a sigh of relief, Klaus explained briefly of their history and what he knew of Bella's activities with the Cullens input. When he broke the news of what Bella had done, her humanity not being a part of her currently, allowing her to do things that were so vile, he shared the event of the massacre at the church. A bloodbath in angry revenge against her family.
"So how exactly do you plan to contain what is essentially a rabid animal?" Charlie questioned once he was over the shock.
"That's it? You're not concerned about us all being vampires or the wolves?" Alice asked in surprise.
The chief looked at her, bewildered. "What the hell can I do about it? You see what Bella did to me? I'll do what I can to help stop her but before what your asshole brother did and killed her friend, my friend's son, she never gave me any indication that she wanted to harm me so I have to believe that the girl that I had believed was my daughter does have good in her somewhere still."
Klaus gave him a small smile in thanks of his support before reaching for the glass of whiskey that the man had been nursing. Piercing his finger, he let his blood drip into the liquor before handing it back. "Drink."
"Uh…"
"It won't turn you into one of us. At least as long as you don't get yourself killed before that little bit is out of your body. Our blood can heal humans. It will help heal your neck and avoid a trip to the hospital," he explained. "It may take a day, two at most for that amount of my blood."
Charlie hesitated before he threw back the rest of the contents of the glass. It took a couple moments but his bite from Bella soon began to heal. "Wow," he mumbled as he felt over his neck. "What can I do to help?
Jasper grimaced as he looked up from where he hung out by the door. "You can start by helping us cover up her massacre at the church. The Webbers can help you as it seems they aren't a stranger to the supernatural as well. Kol is there helping Angela as it seems she's a young witch."
"Witches?" Charlie echoed as he sat back. "I don't think I'm drunk enough for this yet."
~o.O.o~
It was near daybreak and the Cold Ones were milling about their usual habits at the Cullen house, which had been declared to be used as a base for the planning the anticipated attack of Victoria, as well as searching for the still unaccounted for Isabella. Klaus refused to awake Elijah and still did not wish to share the knowledge of his wife's new hybrid status. Kol immediately made his way to the couch and took claim as he quickly fell into his sleep.
He only nodded off for short periods until the light knock on the door caused everyone that was not asleep, or capable of it, to stare at the door. Klaus' nose immediately recognized the scent and was about to go to the door when Elijah started down the stairs, holding his hand up.
As he pulled the door back, the pretty blond woman on the doorstep smiled back at him. "What in the bloody hell have you gotten yourselves into? I decided to make a stop on the way here and visit a scenic viewpoint that I had overheard a human speaking of at the airport. Do you want to know what I came across instead? Do you brother?"
Elijah stared at Rebekah wide eyed as he wisely waited in silence for her to continue as Klaus made his way to his side. "And you! You come to retrieve my sister and you manage to get her to flip her switch! Well done! I hope you have a brilliant master plan on getting it resolved. Ducky keeps her feelings bottled up tighter than Elijah's sphincter. Good luck in finding out what her trigger is!"
Klaus let out a breath as shifted his weight and stared back at her. "We already know it will be difficult and I already made some progress in reaching for her emotional trigger. Get back to what you started with. What did you find?"
Rebekah glared back at him, ignoring the Cold Ones watching the sibling exchange. She held up the decapitated head of a dark skinned creature like them with long dreads. "This despicable excuse for an imitation vampire attempted to kill me. Evidently he caught some of Ducky's scent on myself as I borrowed her jacket. He was rather upset that I was not her, and I'm curious. Will someone explain to me exactly why there's a bunch of these parasites after my sister?"
Author Note: Special thanks to JaspersGoddessofWar for her help in this chapter, and story in general. Hope everyone enjoys!
Elijah stared at Rebekah wide eyed as he wisely waited in silence for her to continue as Klaus made his way to his side. "And you! You come to retrieve my sister and you manage to get her to flip her switch! Well done! I hope you have a brilliant master plan on getting it resolved. Ducky keeps her feelings bottled up tighter than Elijah's sphincter. Good luck in finding out what her trigger is!"
Klaus let out a breath as shifted his weight and stared back at her. "We already know it will be difficult and I already made some progress in reaching for her emotional trigger. Get back to what you started with. What did you find?"
Rebekah glared back at him, ignoring the Cold Ones watching the sibling exchange. She held up the decapitated head of a dark skinned creature like them with long dreads. "This despicable excuse for an imitation vampire attempted to kill me. Evidently he caught some of Ducky's scent on myself as I borrowed her jacket. He was rather upset that I was not her, and I'm curious. Will someone explain to me exactly why there's a bunch of these parasites after my sister?"
~o.O.o~
Finding capable help was not an easy task. One that knew what they were doing and was strong enough to control their craft were hard to come by. Witches that willingly helped vampires was something else.
That was how Katherine found herself waiting outside of Mystic Grill, ready to pounce on the only decent witch she knew of in the vicinity. She wasn't particularly pleased that she was in the company of her friends. It wouldn't as easy to force her cooperation.
"Here I thought you loathed us vampires," she purred as she leaned against the wall outside of the restaurant when the group walked out.
There was a collective groan from a few of the friends. Her eyes glanced over her former lovers as they eyed her suspiciously as she turned her focus solely on Bonnie. "You and I need to talk," she said seriously.
"We have nothing to talk about," Bonnie replied, rolling her eyes as she turned to lead her friends away.
"I think we do. It would be a good idea to hear me out. I doubt you'd want to have any members of Klaus' family find their way back to Mystic Falls with their humanity turned off, now would you?" she asked, a smile twisting her lips as she knew she caught their attention.
The group froze and faced her, looking at her questioningly. "Who flipped their switch?" Damon demanded, taking a step towards her.
Katherine tsked him and shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. I need a witch to find the Mikaelson, who is apparently on the run. There is so much about that family you don't know. Right now, in order to keep Klaus off all our backs, I need a witch, that's you Bonnie, to help track down this… sibling."
Damon and Stefan Salvatore both knew she was withholding something significant. While they felt she was telling the truth, mostly, they weren't sure how far to trust her coming to them for help if the situation was that dire.
"Well, they can deal with the problem themselves. I'm not helping them at all," Bonnie answered stubbornly, crossing her arms and jutting her jaw out. "You're on your own Katherine."
"Not necessarily. I thought I'd give you a chance," the old vampire said as she murmured. Her smile growing as she moved away, her cellphone in her hand. "It's a shame though. Tell me, Bonnie Bennett. When was the last time you spoke to your mother? She was never quite honest with you. How about your grams? Did either of them tell you about your family?"
The witch glared at her but said nothing. Katherine waved the phone and sighed. "Your family kept so much from you. It's rather fascinating I know more about your own bloodline than your do," she laughed.
Elena couldn't stand by to hear her ancestor speak like that about her friend any more. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh... well, I don't know if I should tell you now," the girl pouted. "You don't want to help me after all."
Damon moved and grabbed Katherine by the throat, making her smile up at him. "Tell her what you know. Now."
"Oooh, so brave," she taunted, her finger tracing shapes over his chest. "Why should I tell her that she has a sister that her mother gave up so willingly? She took off without a care for her after all, never bothered to contact her own family to let them know she was still alive."
He looked over to the young witch who stared at them skeptically, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't believe you. No. My grandmother would have told me if I had a sister."
"Maybe. But everyone has their dirty secrets they like to keep buried. A teenage pregnancy in a town like this…" Katherine shrugged, her eyes landing on Elena knowingly. "It does things to you. Emily was a good friend of mine, remember? I made sure to keep track of her line. Just as I had my own. I know where she is and she is only a phone call away."
Her finger hit the call button and the ringing filled the silence before a female voice came over the speaker, making the vampire smile as she stared at the witch across from her.
"Well, well, well... Kitty Kat calling me. I suppose I should be honored. What can I do for you?"
"Ahvitahl," Katherine smiled. "Would you like to guess where I am currently?"
There was a moment of silence before there was a soft chuckle. "Tell me you didn't. The poor thing is probably shocked to death... Did you at least ease into it or did you go Katherine-style and let it out all at once?"
The girl pouted again, turning her eyes up to Damon who still had his hand around her throat as he gave her a 'what the fuck' look. "You know me so well. I thought I'd try to see if she'd help with a rather large problem, but she isn't as nice as you are. She doesn't believe me that you exist. Her loss, I say. You aren't missing much with the baby witch."
Ahvitahl snorted over the line. "Be nice, Kitty. I'm sure everything has come as a surprise to her. Would she like proof? I can give her that..."
Katherine rolled her eyes and pushed Damon away from her. "It'll have to wait. What I need is actually more important. Remember what I told you about the Original family?" she asked as she took her friend off speaker phone.
"Mmmhmm... what have you done, Katherine? Causing trouble again? I thought you had help escaping..."
"I did," she replied, glancing to the Scooby gang as she knew that the vampires in the group were capable of listening in. "I've found out that something happened and one of them decided to go and flip their humanity off and now has the rest of the family running in circles. I'm trying to help from a distance in locating my… friend."
"Ah. The same friend? And what could have happened to result in something like that?"
"He wouldn't give all the details, but considering the history… absolute disaster. You know their relations. Is there any chance that you can do a locator spell? The last thing I really want to do is go anywhere near the family, but..." she grimaced as she considered the possibility. "I may have to."
The witch hesitated before she answered. "I could... but I need access to something that belongs to your friend. And if not, then we'll have to meet up somewhere..."
Katherine groaned as she threw her head back. She knew that it had been a long shot. "Great. I doubt Elijah will tell me where they are, but I'll see if I can find out. In the meanwhile, start making your way to Mystic Falls. See you soon."
"Perfect. Wild goose chase, long lost relative, and a family reunion. Should be loads of fun. See ya soon, Kitty-Kat."
~o.O.o~
Rebekah stood in the living room, glaring at her brothers as they filled her in on what they needed from her, as well as the events that lead up to Bella's decision to turn off her humanity. Her own distaste for their Cold One cousins only grew the more she heard.
She folded her arms across her chest, scowling at everyone in vicinity. "I've heard what's going on, but can anyone come up with a plan that will actually work?"
"It is easier said than done Rebekah," Elijah answered. "The Cold One we are up against appears to be gifted in some way, and our sister has been making it most difficult for our brothers to capture. Have you any suggestions to correct where we may have gone wrong?"
"No offense to your family issues, but didn't Klaus mention that we had to find Bella by tonight?" Alice interrupted, irritated by the merry-go-round of arguing the family doing.
Klaus growled at the woman, not having wanted anything said or hinted about that particular change in his wife. A concerned glance from Elijah to his two brothers, he quickly grew suspicious as he moved into the hybrid's line of sight. "What is she speaking of Niklaus? And why does Kol appear to wish to be anywhere else than here at this moment?"
"It is nothing to be concerned about," he lied smoothly as he stared at him. "I will handle it."
Elijah studies his younger brother, but moments later resigning himself to the fact that Klaus would say nothing. It wasn't until he noticed Rebekah still focused on their brother that he grew more concerned.
"Why did you want to find her by tonight Nik?" she asked. "You've had two days now to chase Ducky down. There is something you aren't telling us," she complained. Rebekah turned to look at Kol, who immediately avoided looking at her, lowering her head then raised his eyes to get some cue from Klaus. Her head turned back to him, trying to put the puzzle together, realization slowly coming to her. "Bloody hell… There is no way in bloody hell! Nik! Tell me that isn't true!"
Elijah and the rest were confused, but the tall brunet was slowly beginning to understand. He was quick to compose his expression of shock as he stepped forward, looking his brother until blue eyes were once again locked with own. "Niklaus? Explain yourself, if you would, please..."
"Why should I?" he responded defiantly. "She is my wife and it is my duty to protect her as I see fit. Whether she has her humanity or not, I will do what is right by her first and foremost. Not what the noble Elijah thinks that we should do. Besides, what is it that you would be able to do, should you come into contact with her? What if she were to sink her teeth into you? Lot of good you would be to the cause. I will handle my wife. You continue to dispose of her other problems that the Cullens helped bring upon her."
"Two hybrids?" Rebekah muttered as she stood in shock. "What has she done?"
"Already? Well let's see. Poppet decided to feed on one of her annoying classmates from what the Major had described the nit to be. Killed her right there in front of us. That was a shock, I tell you," Kol explained, earning an eyeroll from Klaus before continuing. "But her true masterpiece thus far was after she discovered that we provided the town's chief with vervain. She was none too pleased you see. She decided to go after some bible thumpers. Gave a whole new meaning to a bloody show. Hey Nik, did you notice the heart that the statue of Mary was holding?"
"No, but I did notice the intestines from the chandelier and sconces, and the eyes on another statue," he sighed in response. "The full moon is tonight. I will transform and keep up with her. She won't have control on being able to turn back until she figures it out so she will be stuck until day break. I will do my best to keep her occupied in the woods."
Elijah wasn't so sure that would even work, but there was little recourse that any of them could take as it was not an event that they were able to predict. "Very well. Rebekah and I will go on hunting trip of our own. I would much rather have this nomad situation over and done with now."
"Then take care if it Elijah. And do something with these two! I don't trust them, especially after that stunt that so called son of theirs pulled and they persisted on defending his actions. We cannot count on the shifters to assist as they have a funeral, and then likely a war to prepare for. I'd like to be out of the area for when that comes to pass, even if for once someone's ire is not with me," Klaus argued as he stared his older brother down, not caring at all for the affronted expression on Esme Cullen's face.
Elijah nodded after a moment, taking breath as he turned to said two annoyances, glancing between them.
The angry hybrid eyed the exchange, satisfied that it was in capable hands before he walked out, slamming the door behind him. Rebekah couldn't help but to jump at the sound, her eyes closing in her own swirling emotions from what she was learning since her arrival.
Carlisle held his wife close as he was unsure of how to respond to the old, and strong family of Original vampires. "Please, I beg of you. Once this is over, we will leave here and you won't see or hear of us anymore…"
Elijah smiled, a dark edge to it but a smile nonetheless. "Oh, I'm quite sure that you'll leave the town behind. I should think you have that much common sense."
"Doubtful," an under the breath comment was heard from an upstairs bedroom, followed by a deep male chuckle and a slap.
Rebekah raised an eyebrow as she eyed Kol and his friend questioningly to the other voices she hadn't seen the owners to.
Jasper merely shrugged. "Another of the adopted siblings for the appearances. Bella granted them permissions to join your family in New Orleans before she…" he explained as he circled his finger around his head.
"I see. Well, perhaps they won't mind if we decide that Mother and Father would make better kindling for the fireplace, would you say?" she smiled sweetly.
Esme and Carlisle gasped, horror etched into their stone features. The blond doctor pushed his mate behind him protectively, his fear rising at the intrigued expression on Elijah's face. He had been put in charge of taking care of them, after all.
"Rebekah, we need to conduct ourselves with a bit more decorum than that. I am very well aware of your... dislike for their kind but not all of this family has been orchestrating against our sister. A few have been more than cooperative in resolving the issues at hand, or working to locate her, as pointless as her ability may be," Elijah sighed as his eyes laid on the pouting girl.
"Well I've bloody had enough of waiting around. If you all have not been paying attention to the papers, you would have noticed a significant increase of killings happening between here and Seattle. Now, Nik may have kept me in one of his forsaken coffins periodically, but to me that sounds like one of two things when knowing that something of our world just so happens to be milling about the area," she argued.
"We already know that Bella has developed a taste for the theatrical," Kol proudly sighed as he sat back and looked at his sister.
Rolling her eyes, she ignored him. "Not Ducky. Well, not entirely. Yes, it could be one of our kind on a rampage just as she is, but it sounds like she is keeping her kills local. This is someone else."
Jasper, however was more frustrated by her insinuation. "Someone is building an army."
"Exactly! Thank you!" Rebekah cheered. "Finally a man with brains - and charming good looks…"
"Rebekah!" Elijah scolded. "Now is not the time!"
She frowned at her brother before continuing to smile over at Jasper, who treated her to a wink and turned to talk business in his particular area of expertise. "If someone is creating an army, the most likely suspect is Victoria due to her failed attempts to get to Bella-"
"She's not the one, or at least she isn't the one deciding it," Alice interrupted.
Elijah frowned, turning to look at the tiny brunette. "What do you know?"
"I can't see Bella because of this whole wolf thing, you know? But in the meanwhile, I have been keeping an eye out on Victoria and her decisions. I haven't seen her make any of that kind of magnitude," she insisted.
Jasper had his eyes narrowed on her, letting out a breath before shifting his gaze to the vampire. "She's telling the truth."
Rebekah huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the tiny vampire before shifting her gaze to Jasper and the rest. "Well, if Ducky isn't making the decisions, then who the bloody hell is?"
The blond warrior narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment. "It has to be someone who knows how to get past your visions."
"Well, Laurent might know how if the Denalis told him more about us while he was up there," Alice huffed. "Or she'd spent more time watching us than we knew about. Maybe she spied on the wolves and they know how my ability works, what with Edward's inability to keep his mouth shut at times."
Elijah was silent as he thought over the next course of action. "Perhaps we should have another talk with the pack's Alpha. See what he truly knows."
At this, there was a thunderous shout from upstairs. Seconds later, Emmett was on the bottom of the stairs, grinning widely. "I'm going! Don't care who else is, but I'm in."
Rebekah breathed in slowly through her nose as she looked the new Cold One over, a ghost of a smile hiding on her lips. "And who might you be?"
"I wouldn't," Kol stage whispered in her ear as he stood. "His wife is a raging bitch and reminds me often of you, right down to the blond brain."
A set of footsteps sounded as someone descended the stairs. Hard golden eyes landed on the distance between Emmett and Rebekah and narrowed. "Said raging bitch would like you to step away from my husband before things get really ugly."
Kol grinned cheekily, giving his sister a pointed look. "See? Told you."
The Original blond vampire gave her adversary a once over and smiled. "I can see why Ducky would agree to you joining the family. I think I like you, but only time will tell. How about while Elijah and your husband deal with the smelly mutts, you and I go on a hunt of our own and get to know one another?"
Rosalie raised an eyebrow as she had been expecting a response a lot more hostile than the one she had just received. However, she did see the potential in the immaculately dressed blonde before her. "I would say lead the way."
The girl smiled cheekily as she glanced at her brothers. "Splendid. We'll be off, then. Don't wait up and if you see Nik, tell him that he better get my sister back otherwise I will find a way to kill the bastard, hybrid or not."
As the girls walked out, Jasper could not help but to stare at the closed door with worry. "Should we be concerned for Rose's safety with her?" he asked. "She was feeling a little…"
"Rather like she had something to hide? Yes. I am well aware, but I don't believe she will do anything... permanent," Elijah mused. He looked to Emmett and raised an eyebrow. "Shall we head to the treaty line?"
"Lead the way, man." Emmett grinned.
Wrinkling his nose slightly in distaste at the word, Elijah turned to Kol. "You will not hesitate to contact me should anything go awry, brother. Should they force your hand," here he paused, staring down the Cold Ones in the room, "feel free to act accordingly."
"Actually, I was thinking about heading back to the Webbers and working with their young witch." Kol countered. "See if we cannot get her to manage some spells; locators or incapacitators that may work for Poppet."
"Very well." The elder brunet nodded, turning to the only other capable vampire in the room. "Jasper, as the one with the most experience with… children, you are in charge. Kol, do be sure to give the Major my contact information before you leave."
With those last words, Elijah and Emmett walked out, the door closing behind them.
~o.O.o~
Klaus glared at the sky where daylight stubbornly held on as he was impatient for the moon to rise. Walking into the only bar that Forks had, he paused as each of the local regulars turned to look at him. He let out a breath as he started for an empty stool at the far end of the bar, glaring at each man that dared to try to look at him wrong.
"Bourbon. Neat," he muttered softly, when the bartender made his way to him. "Leave the bottle."
He sat there sipping on his liquor, wallowing in his misery as he ignored patrons as they came and went. Idle chatter filtered the air, background noise as the dusty jukebox relic belted old rock and roll tunes from the '70s.
It wasn't until a pair of hunters walked in, ordering their beers and began shooting the breeze with the bartender that his attention was piqued.
"Find anything today?" the man behind the bar asked as he set the bottles on the counter.
One snorted as he took a pull from his beer while the other gave a confused look. "You know, I could have sworn we saw that Swan girl running around the woods. You know, way back where we put up our huntin' blinds."
"I didn't even know that Charlie had a girl back then to have a kid," the confused one muttered. "It's like this girl happened out of nowhere."
The barman raised an eyebrow as he looked at the two. "Why the hell would the girl be that far out? That out there is bear country. She could get herself killed."
"It sounds more to me like the girl done gone and went crazy. Looked like she took a bath in blood. If I hadn't had snares set up around, I'd have tried to chase the filly down," the smaller of the two hunters shuddered.
"I'd chase her down and tie the bitch up. She may be young but she had a mighty fine ass," the other laughed.
From his stool, the stranger's fingers tightened around his glass as he listened to the conversation. His curiosity grew the more they spoke, as did his fury. By the point that the words were uttered out of the hunter's mouth, he had tossed back the contents of his glass as his eyes were set on his potential new meal.
Making his way over, Klaus approached with a jovial smile, draping his arms across their shoulders as he leaned in. He kept his voice low as he spoke, his smile never wavering in the hidden threat. "I find it in utter distaste that a man would speak of a woman in such disrespect. I happen to know that Isabella is not crazy," he added, glancing to the one, before turning back to the other that pissed him off more. "Unfortunately, for you, implying that you desire to kidnap and rape my wife leaves mortal consequences."
The man was flustered as he eyed him, not knowing that his death was so close. "W-wife? The girl is only a teenager…" he stammered.
"You would think that," Klaus smiled, his lips pursing in thought. His hand slipped up the man's back and gripped the back of his neck tightly. Turning to his friend, he captured his gaze. "Stay here and say nothing. Enjoy another beer, mate! Your friend and I are going outside for a little, friendly chat."
With that, he did not hesitate to drag the offending human out the door and around to the rear of the dunging establishment. "Hey man, sorry if I offended ya 'bout your girl…" he stammered as he tripped over his feet in the human haste that Klaus used.
The blond man said nothing but the stern expression on his face spoke volumes enough. He was not forgiving in the man's actions as he continued to drag him deeper into the woods. Once he felt he was sufficiently distanced from the other humans in the vicinity, he righted the man on his feet and dusted his shoulders with a smirk. "So you'd like to tie Isabella up and have your way with her, would you now?"
"You misunderstood!" he denied, but the old vampire could smell the fear rise in his blood.
"She has a fine… ass, you said," he repeated. "I happen to agree. She is the perfect specimen of a woman. Attractive, smart, undeniably cunning, but there is one thing that everyone underestimates with her. Do you know what that is, friend? Tell me. What is your name?"
"An-Andrew Newton…" he stuttered as he stared back into the hypnotizing blue eyes that seemed to force his answer.
Klaus' recognition of the name caused him to sniff in irritation as he reared back as he studied the man's appearance. He could see the similar blond strands of hair and rounded face. "Any relation to the Mike Newton from the high school?"
Andrew swallowed at the name and gave a jerky nod as he admitted the truth. "My son. Please. Do what you wish to me but leave him out of this…"
"Oh trust that I've already said my peace with the brat. You, however, should have more decency for a man of your age. Even if she truly was the age you believed, I believe you humans have laws against such things. They call men like yourself pedophiles, no? Shame the punishments don't quite fit the crimes. It would be left to the hands of others to dole out their own sense of justice, and I happen to take a great deal of pleasure in my own," he lectured the man on his inappropriate actions.
Newton stood there, frozen as he slowly grew to come to the awareness of the gravity of his situation. As his face paled, his eyes followed the stranger to his town as he stepped back from him. He couldn't help but wonder what he was intending to do, his cautious stare turning curious.
Little did he know that curiosity killed the cat. And the big bad wolf was oh, so much closer than he knew.
"I will grant you the opportunity to run. You appear to be a spry fellow. If you are capable of escaping me, I will allow you to live. If not, well… I'm sure you can guess what that would mean," Klaus bargained with a dark smile, his eyes sparkling under the setting sun that peeked through the canopy of treetops.
The human needed to hear no more and he turned to start running back to the tavern. He managed to get about twenty yards, looking over his shoulder, seeing that the frightening man was still standing where he left him, but when he looked forward again, there he was. He was only feet in front of him, furious and his face distorted to that of a monster.
He gasped, skidding to a stop and stepping backwards only to trip over a tree root. Ignoring the pain in his hands, scraped and bleeding, he crab-walked in the other direction before turning over and getting to his feet. He started running to his left, panting as his adrenaline pumped through his veins. He didn't get very far before a hand gripped his shoulder and he was thrown sideways.
He hit the truck of a tree with a groan, sliding to the ground disoriented. He struggled to stand, his eyes clenched shut as the earth spun. He had to balance himself, against the rough bark and when he opened his eyes again, it was to the narrowed gaze of a snarling monster.
Klaus could feel his bloodlust rise, his thirst for the man's blood burn in his throat as he prepared to lunge forward. He had consumed himself to his present hunt that as he was a breath from sinking his teeth into the miserable excuse for a human, his intended meal instead found himself staring at his would be attacker as he suddenly laid seemingly dead on the forest floor before him. His head had turned so fast, neck broken with force that was inhuman.
Standing above him was the subject of the monster's ire.
"So I have a nice ass?" Isabella smirked, darkness clouding her eyes as she stepped over her husband's body and hoisted Newton up by the throat with one hand. "Hm, I should take that as a compliment. However, what Niklaus said was not wrong. I just couldn't let him have all the fun and I am still rather hungry myself."
~o.O.o~
Rolling over, Niklaus awoke on the forest floor and the first sight that came to him was the darkness of the sky. Sitting up quickly, he looked around, taking stock of what he had missed, his senses searching for what threat he had failed to recognize that got the better of him.
At seeing the body of Newton, tied up to the tree, drained, and stripped bare of his clothing, he let out a sigh as he pulled out his phone. His penis eviscerated from his body and shoved into his mouth. Taking a snap of the sight, he smiled slightly, forwarding it to his siblings before heading back down to the tavern. He could not wait to hear Elijah's remarks on her latest piece of art.
Newton's hunting friend was still waiting inside as he had been compelled to do, drinking his beer. Making his way right up to him, he wasted no time as he demanded information. "Where is this location that you saw the girl?"
The all-familiar monotoned voice of one that has been compelled sounded. "That last time I saw her was on about fifty feet from a bear trail just east of here…"
Klaus grinned. "Good man. Now, you arrived here alone, drinking away your sorrows because your friend had an untimely accident on your hunting trip."
He repeated the necessary compulsions on the bartender as he needed, and anyone else before he left, heading out for the direction that was indicated. Isabella's scent was over the region quite heavily and he could kick himself for not considering checking the area before, as she had intentionally set them in the opposite direction along the rivers that would also mask her quite well with just as many locations to take refuge.
There was a heavy odor of death in the air, but not one of humans. It had him curious, driving him to follow it. "Well, well. Am I to wonder if perhaps you did not have a hand in young Salvatore's choice of diet?" Klaus murmured to himself. He knew she prefered human blood but for the amount of animal carcasses to have been collected, and the bodies he knew she had fed on already, his wife appeared to be quite the vicious wolf.
"So you have finally found me."
He turned to find her glorious body drenched in blood, looking unfazed by her appearance, nor his presence. Smiling, he held his arms out and shrugged. "What can I say? You certainly made it difficult, I will give you that."
Bella scowled at him before glancing up to the moon, seeing it rise higher. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her but she could not help but feel agitated, restless. "Did you know about this when we married? When your mother turned us?"
Klaus' gaze hardened, his breath escaping as he took an angry step towards her. "I did not know what I was, so what would make you think that I was aware about your lineage, Ylva? By that alone we should have had some clue but never had we considered the possibility! You were Tatia's sister growing up. Never did we think..." He shook his head as he knew that the shift was coming soon for her. He could feel the moon wanting to force it on himself as he clenched his fists at his sides before looking back up at her. "You feel it now, do you not?"
"Don't call me that!" She screamed at him, her voice roaring through the spanse of the woodland. Dropping to her hands and knees, she gritted her teeth as she felt her bones shifting, changing shape. "Argh!"
"Don't fight it, Isabella," he soothed as he took to a knee beside her, only for her to growl in response. Shaking his head, he began to strip himself of his clothes, removing his layers of shirts as he toed off his boots.
Her eyes glowed amber as she watched him. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"You truly cannot expect me to leave you alone on your first full moon, Love. I will join you," he announced. He continued to undress, only marginally relieved that she didn't argue more simply because she was facing the pains of her first full change. Once he saw her bones breaking apart, he couldn't bear her cries, unable to take the pain from her in this incident. He dropped to the ground, holding back his own pain and tears as he began his own transformation for her.
When the couple were complete, two wolves stood in the middle of the dark clearing. One a dusky, grey wolf. The other midnight black, growling as she lunged forward to snap at her mate's neck before taking off into the night.
Klaus' shook off the attack and ran after her, surprised at how quickly she had taken to her form. She was quick, agile, but he was just as fast. He was able to catch up, nipping at her hind legs and caused her roll into a tumble.
She jumped up, turning on him to attack again when a flash circled around them. He froze with her, a canine instinct, as they waited to see what the new presence was.
A male Cold One stood smiling, winked at them before waving bushels of wolfsbane around. "Sorry guys, but I need you two to turn around. Lots of space the other way to play and tear each other to shreds. Whatever your preference is," he joked.
Klaus growled, already having an idea of who the creature was, but his wife did not share such reservations as she continued to attempt to attack him, during the distraction. This only ensued what appeared to be a marital spat in canine form.
"Jesus Christ on stick! Do you know that you're nowhere near Olympic National Park anymore?!" Peter shouted, working to get at least his attention. "You're now in Umatilla… You know, near Idaho and Oregon?"
The grey wolf snarled as he snapped at the Cold One when he got too close to the his dark mate. The interruption was just what Bella needed however. Slipping past the two, she escaped into the woods.
"Fuck!" Peter cried out as he grasped at his hair, turning to stare in the direction she ran. The only sign of her presence was her paw prints in the soil.
"This one is on you," a naked and dirty Klaus stood behind him as he glowered at the man. "Pray that I am able to catch up to her now. I will leave you to inform the others of this mishap." Shifting back into a wolf, Klaus took off like lightening as he followed his mate's trail as it lead him into the heart of the country.
Author Note: Yes, another update for everyone. Wow, what a busy weekend. Now - I'm seriously doubtful I'll get another one out soon, well not until I've got more chapters stacked. Savor every word! Enjoy!
"Fuck!" Peter cried out as he grasped at his hair, turning to stare in the direction she ran. The only sign of her presence was her paw prints in the soil.
"This one is on you," a naked and dirty Klaus stood behind him as he glowered at the man. "Pray that I am able to catch up to her now. I will leave you to inform the others of this mishap." Shifting back into a wolf, Klaus took off like lightening as he followed his mate's trail as it lead him into the heart of the country.
~o.O.o~
Rebekah walked through the thick foliage after the two had reached a significant distance between Forks and Seattle. She had yet to say anything to the other woman as she'd been lost in her own thoughts. There were many reasons she was concerned for the sister she'd known for the last thousand years.
The repercussions of the girl, who was so steadfast in her ability to avoid taking a human life throughout her vampire life, the number of bodies were piling up and she knew that there were only more to come. Not only was Niklaus had his curse broken, but Bella was now discovered to be a hybrid as well, she would not admit that she was scared.
"What kind of mischief has Ducky found herself in since my brother sent her to this miserable, sodden town?" Rebekah questioned, breaking the silence between them that had only been filled with the sounds of their footsteps from the foliage.
Rosalie didn't answer as she kept a cautious eye on the girl that she knew could kill her without blinking. "Well, she's certainly given all of us a workout with all her running around and the chasing after her."
"I would expect nothing less right of what is going on now with her current state. What I'm speaking of, Love, is before my brothers arrived to collect her. Something tells me that you hadn't the best opinion of her," she gave a smug smile over her shoulder at her.
The blonde Cullen paused, considering her words before she spoke them. Then, in full fledged Rosalie-style, she went for blunt and to the point. "To be honest, I didn't like her. She came into the family like a whirlwind and everyone instantly flocked to her… in my mind, I was the only one that saw her what she was; an intruder. She didn't belong with us and from then on, I decided to try my best to deter from entrapping herself even further into a life that was only going to ruin her in the end."
She stopped talking, a scowl marring her pretty features before she continued. She didn't take notice of Rebekah's blank expression.
"But that's not the only thing that constantly set me on edge. Bella acted as if she were better than any of us. Like not one of us was worth her precious time. She'd rather be anywhere else, distracted even though I saw she did somewhat enjoy her time with some of the family."
Rebekah frowned, stopping to turn and face the Cold One. "I can assure that my sister does not think herself better than you. That level of conceit is not something that is in her heart. It is what sets her apart in our family and one of the many reasons she is not as known by our enemies. If there is anyone that does, it would be Klaus or myself, I assure you."
"Yeah well, that doesn't excuse her behaviour when you came into town! She's a straight up liar! Had I known that she already was a vampire, maybe I wouldn't have been such a bitch towards her."
"It's all about trust, Lovey. A thousand years on the run from your father, who wants you dead, would make you question where you can place your trust. That lesson we've learned the hard way. The only one a Mikaelson can count on is another Mikaelson. It would have been difficult, but not impossible. From what it sounds, Ducky was on her way to revealing herself to you at some point. The way my brother spoke, her patience was growing thin by the mind reader she had killed," the Original shrugged as she looked around the woods in confusion. "Do you smell that?"
"Smell what?" Rosalie was surprised by the sudden change of subject. She had only asked the question when the scent hit her. "Oh boy."
"What? What do you know?" Rebekah questioned as her lips curled back in disgust. The scent grew closer, almost surrounding them.
"I know that we should call Emmett and Jasper and let them handle this," Rosalie's voice had a hint of fear in it. "There is no way that I'm going to fight this bitch, but she needs to be put down for the threat she poses against Bella," she said as she fumbled her phone out of her pocket.
The other blond glared at her. "Put that away. We can handle one measly Cold One. If anything, I'm craving a good fight and if what you say is any indication, this should be a fun one," she grinned, her eyes sparkling as she held back her vampire visage until the suspected creature grew closer. "This one is gifted, is she not?"
"She seems to be, but we haven't had it confirmed. The one we know can tell hasn't been around for him to get a read on her," Rosalie answered as she whipped her head around when she caught a flash of red streaking through the trees.
"Quit these games and come face us like a real woman!" Rebekah called out, irritated by the display. She was more than familiar with the disorientating technique as it was one that Elijah enjoyed playing when he was in one of his 'moods'. "Or are you too coward to fight your own battles?!"
"Are you insane?" Rosalie hissed.
"It's not like she can kill me," she grinned, squaring her stance. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that you won't get damaged - much. Though I think you are more than capable of handling your own."
"I suppose, but Emmett-"
"Enough already," Victoria appeared from the thick woods. "The whining gives me a headache."
"Your wardrobe is an eyesore," Rebekah responded. "I assume you are the one that is after the girl in Forks? Bella? You can't be much if you haven't managed to get to her yet," she sighed as her eyes looked her over with boredom.
The wild, red headed Cold One smiled as her eyes glanced to Rosalie, who stood silent. "Interesting that the Cullens took in another human. I must wonder what the Volturi would think about that," she taunted, taking a step forward towards Rebekah.
Rosalie glanced between the nomad and the Original, unsure of how to respond as she hadn't disputed the implication of being a human. "What can I say? My family loves their pets."
"Hm, yes they do. Unfortunately, this one has a bit of a mouth on her," Victoria sneered as she made her way even closer, reaching out to run her fingers through the Original's hair. Whatever ability she might possess hadn't clued her in on the true danger that she allowed herself fall into. "I'm surprised that they took in one as lovely as you. Aren't you afraid to have some competition for your mate with this one?" she asked, a devious smile on her lips but both girls could already see the venom coating her teeth.
"Oh, Love. There is no competition. If I wanted her mate, I'd have him. Though he isn't quite my cup of tea," Rebekah smiled, her eyes narrowing as she watched the Cold One's movements. "You, however, are quite quick to get under my nerves now."
Victoria's evasion ability failed to kick in to save her in time before Rebekah quickly grabbed her hand, keeping her from taking off and bent it backwards painfully. She let her visage bleed out, grinning into the woman's face as she pushed her backwards to the forest ground. "You truly should not play games. You never know when you will lose. And today, Love, you've lost your last game. Such a shame really. My brother would have absolutely loved to have a share in your torture for what you've put his wife through."
"Wife? What?" Victoria stammered, trying to pull free but if she succeeded, her arm would be broken off at her elbow. "I've not gone after any of your kind! We know to stay away!"
"Oh, Darling. You are such the fool. You went after the best actress of us all," the blond smiled, running a finger along the Cold One's marble face. "Isabella was only performing a role that she needed to for a time. You've messed not only with the wrong vampire, but the wrong family. For that, you forfeit your life."
"Please! No! I'll turn myself into the Volturi instead!" she pleaded, looking over to Rosalie, who watched on nervously.
Rebekah only laughed at the mention of the Italian vampires. "Those insolent brats. They are more afraid of my family than you could ever be of them. Perhaps, you should have reconsidered your decision to go mate for a mate when your intended victim is the mate of the Original hybrid."
Victoria's eyes widened in terror. Just as she was about to pull away, damn her arm if she had it pulled from the socket, she'd take any miniscule sense of freedom she could get if it meant survival, but the much older vampire was ahead of her and grabbed her by the hair and while still holding her arm, flung her across the forest where she crashed into a boulder.
Before she was able to rise to her feet, Rebekah was already on her. She grabbed her by the back of the neck, hauling her back up. "If you think you are going to escape, you are really a bloody idiot. Isabella is my sister in every way that matters. If she were here now, she would rip you apart with her teeth. Would you like to know what I recently learned by my darling sister? Hm?" she questioned as she twisted Victoria's right arm off as she stared into the vampire's eyes, pupils dilating. "You will stand here and not run. Do you understand me?"
There was barely a whisper of an answer as she let out a strangled, "Yes."
Rebekah nodded, pleased that her compulsion took. Not that she doubted it. "Rosalie, Love? It was my understanding that your family and Ducky have met this pitiful excuse for a vampire, even of your breed, during a baseball game. I may not know the particulars, it is more Kol's pastime, but what say you and I take some batting practice?" She swung the Cold One's arm around aimlessly, a pleasant smile on her face.
"I think that would be very interesting," Rosalie said with a smile, in awe of Rebekah's bravery and abilities. She would never have done what she was doing right now, her basic instinct had been to call Emmett. Granted, Rosalie used to have quite the temper; she had used it to take out her frustration and anger on Royce after he left her for dead, and it had been a pleasure. However, because of her time with Carlisle, she had gotten soft. "Hell yeah."
She made her way over, taking the marble arm from the Original and looked upon the creature that caused so much torment. Saying nothing, as there were no words to truly express the disgust that she felt for the woman, she held a firm grip on the wrist and raised the arm to her shoulder. Her lips pulled back into a sneer before she swung at Victoria's head, knocking it right off of her neck.
"Well I say that's a home run, Love. Kind of disappointing and anticlimactic though," Rebekah sighed as she watched, her head canted to the side. "Nonetheless, one less nuisance for the family to dispose of later."
"Let's just burn her and be done with it. We still have her newborns in Seattle to finish off," she said with a huff, throwing the arm down.
"Sounds like a party. We'll save the head to take back as proof for Nik. Otherwise, he won't rest until Ducky's enemies are all dead and dusted," Rebekah replied easily. "Well, be done with the body. We haven't got all day, Love."
Rosalie raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her. "Do I look like I carry a lighter on me? That would be Jasper and Emmett."
"Oh for the love of…" Rebekah pulled out her own lighter and set the body on fire, careful of the surrounding brush. Once she was sure that all signs of the creature were on fire, head aside, she picked up Victoria's head by a handful of hair. "Well let's be on our way. I believe my brothers suspected that Seattle may be having newborn vampire problem. I think a little more fun is in order. And perhaps some shopping?"
~o.O.o~
Standing at the treaty line, waiting patiently with his hands tucked into his pants pockets, Elijah casually observed the young Cold One as he paced the area as they waited for someone from the shifter pack to come speak to them. The trip to their location, Emmett's enthusiasm entertained the older vampire, even if he would not admit to it. He knew that it would be interesting, including the three with his family once they moved on from Washington state.
"Okay. So once we fix Bella and we're out of here, what is the plan?" Emmett questioned, his eyes checking over the wolves' territory frequently.
"Isabella's situation, as we have recently been informed, makes things a bit more complicated than previously anticipated. Had she been like Rebekah or myself, then our family would have a method of subduing her for a period until we could find a solution. This revelation of her being a hybrid makes things more - difficult," he answered.
The bulky young vampire blinked as he stared at him. "Okay? So...that's a yes?"
Smiling, Elijah lowered his gaze as he wished he could give him the answer he was truly seeking. "At this point, I suspect that Niklaus is on Isabella's trail, likely somewhere halfway across the continental United States if she managed to slip past the protections that your friend attempted to put in place. He had taught her the best way to hide and avoid detection. We will work on bringing her back, but it will take time."
Emmett let out a sigh and nodded. What he saw, the truth of what Bella really was, he was smart enough to concede that these other people, vampires, knew the girl he'd come to see as a sister much better than he'd ever know her. The sound of paws hitting the ground and the overpowering scent of wet dog hit them, causing him to turn to face in the direction of the reservation. "And here they come…" he muttered, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet anxiously.
"Calm yourself. While they may be allies in the moment, they are still our natural enemies, despite their friendship with Isabella," Elijah warned as he moved to stand beside him.
Two wolves soon slowed to a stop before the large black one eyed them, turning to disappear behind several trees. As he reappeared, securing his shorts, Sam nodded to them. "What is it you need?"
"We won't take up much of your time. I know you have arrangements to see to," Elijah started in his usual, calming manner. "There has been some information that has come alight in regards to Isabella's situation, but also concerns that left some questions that needed answers for when we depart Forks."
"I will answer what I can, sure," the oldest shifter replied with a curious look. "What do you need to know?"
Pressing forward, the Original debated on what he wanted first. "The attacks by the Cold One on your land. Was it by the same creature or different beings? Is there anything you might be able to give that might assist in capturing her?"
Sam sighed as he looked to his fellow wolf. "She was fast, smart. It was always the same red headed leech. We never picked up a different scent and she was always able to find some way of slipping through us, no matter how tight we had our formation."
"Hm," Elijah nodded, pondering that. "Edward Cullen's attack on your wolf, from my understanding is a violation of your treaty with the Cullens. Thus making vampires, at least of their kind open for attack, correct?"
"Yes," the alpha nodded. "I've also stated that I'd given permissions for the three to leave with your family. Only those three."
"And Carlisle and Esme Cullen?"
"If they remain, we will destroy them. They won't be welcome around here after you've concluded your dealings. Granted, if you contact us before hand, we might make exceptions for your group if you chose to visit but only with prior contact so that I may approach our council for permission."
"I, and I am sure Isabella, would be grateful," Elijah smiled, as well as Emmett. "Now, I do wish to extend gesture of good faith and share some knowledge that we've learned since we last spoke. It would seem that Isabella is more than any of us anticipated. You witnessed, and learned a bit, of our kind when we choose to turn off our emotions, effectively cutting ourselves from our humanity as much as possible."
Sam crossed his arms as he narrowed his eyes on him. He knew that she was dangerous and that the brothers were dealing with the threat she posed. "Yes, you explained it some."
"My brothers recently discovered that she is more like Niklaus than we ever realized," he stated slowly, letting the thoughts set for the implication. "He is out now searching for her in his other form…"
When the two shifters realized what he meant, they were both in shock. "You're saying she's a hybrid? How is that possible? How much of a threat is she to the humans around? She's already killed so many and we're having a hard time letting it go."
"Isabella is a very dangerous creature, I won't deny that fact," Elijah stated. "And we are grateful for your leniency and patience. I don't believe we will be around much longer as she intends on having us give chase. I doubt she intends to remain confined much longer to this region. My sister has arrived this morning and has already begun her own search for the Cold One that's been causing so much strife. Knowing her, I suspect she won't come back without something to show for her efforts."
"Let us hope not. Good luck with everything until," Sam said, shaken and upset by the news he received. Nodding to the two, they turned to start heading back, leaving the vampires at the line.
Elijah watched until they disappeared, frowning. "We should return as well. Begin your packing for the move. I don't believe we will be staying once the situation with Victoria has been concluded. It will be far too dangerous for us as their funeral customs will be ending soon enough."
"You really think they'd attack us?" Emmett asked.
"Perhaps not, but if we are anywhere in the vicinity of your sire, then yes. We would be open for attack. I'd rather not get involved with Carlisle's fight."
~o.O.o~
After Klaus had taken off on Bella's trail, Peter turned and hurried for the Cullen house. Entering, he grinned at the sight of his brother and now ex. "Good to see that you finally came to your senses," he greeted.
Jasper looked up from the book that Elijah had left him to read over, to study for a new perspective on their hybrid situation. "Peter," he responded, frowning as he took in the ragged appearance. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh not much. Just trying to help contain a massive headache of a friend," he shrugged as he moved to make himself comfortable. "Can't say it worked like I hoped."
Blinking, as he replayed his words over in his head, he started to stand, however Alice had beat him to a response. "Are you talking about Bella? Containing her?"
Peter pursed his lips together in a smile, shrugging. "Bella? Such a pansy, prissy name. Isa is such a fierce adversary that anyone would be stupid to go against. No, I'd much rather have her as a friend."
"You were texting her the other day," Jasper pointed out, suddenly realizing the connection. "You're her friend that she was getting information from."
"Maybe. Probably. I didn't know what was going to happen though," he answered seriously. "Regardless, it's done and we all have a much bigger problem. Where isthe rest of the big bad family of hers?"
"Elijah went with Emmett to talk to the shifters and their sister took Rosalie to try to hunt down Victoria," Alice answered as Carlisle and Esme walked into the room, frowns on their faces at his presence.
Peter only smiled deviously at them before looking back to his brother. "Victoria is a done deal. You all won't have to worry about her after the girls get back. Once they are finished with their destruction of the newborns and shopping, that is. Original Blondie is showing her what it's like to be a vampire. Now, you have that witch brother…"
"He went to talk to Bella's friend, who appeared to recently come into her powers," Jasper informed. "Why?"
"Call him back, with the girl. We need her to do a locator spell."
"Locator spell for what? Or who…?"
Peter stared at him. "For Isa? To keep track of the direction she's traveling? Last I saw she was heading east."
Jasper's eyes shot up in surprise, knowing that they had been planning on pushing her north. He was quick to have his phone out and already dialing his new friend in the Mikaelson family. It didn't take long for the youngest Original brother to answer.
"How's it going, Toy Soldier?"
He couldn't help but growl at the jab. "We need you to bring Angela to the Chief's house. On the way, talk her through the steps of a tracking spell."
There was a marked silence on the other end of the line before Kol spoke again. "I take it Poppet managed to get past Nik. This is going to be a blast. Tracking her is going to a difficult process. Angela is very good yes, but she is still a novice."
The sarcasm was palpable even over the phone. "I agree, but we are going to need to make every attempt, otherwise it won't end in any way other than bloodshed for anyone in her path."
"She's a new hybrid that's pretty much kept the darker side of herself suppressed for as long as we've been vampires. She's kept her bloodlust under more control than Elijah has of his morals. We're on our way but I think that while in her wolf form, since she's running on pure instinct, she is heading for someplace familiar."
Jasper looked over at Peter as he leaned against the doorframe, waiting for him with a small smirk on his face. Narrowing his eyes, he felt the smug amusement from his friend. "We will do what we can. How fast do you think we can get someone to where you believe Bella is heading?"
"All depends on the airlines. I'll call Elijah and Rebekah to just go straight to the airport. See ya soon, mate!"
Hanging up, he eyed Peter. "What the fuck do you know? None of this coy bullshit."
He shrugged a shoulder and looked outside. "I know that we all need to move fast. I know that Isa is a pissed off bitch, pun intended. I, also know, that it will be a very close call if anyone makes it to her before she does something particularly stupid."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
~o.O.o~
While locator spells were being attempted on one end of the country, another was being performed in an old boarding house. Tensions ran high as the younger witch remained silent as she watched the girl that their adversary had claimed was her sister, calmly put together the objects left for a powerful tracking spell.
"I don't understand why Katherine said she couldn't stay for this," Bonnie muttered as she watched, her arms crossed over her chest. "She still hasn't said which of the Mikaelsons we're supposed to be looking for."
Ahvitahl only smirked, holding a delicate bracelet from her fingers, admiring it for a moment before letting it fall into the wooden bowl set atop of the map. "You don't have to be a blood relative to be family. Family is also gained through trust and vows," she shared, glancing up through her lashes with that teasing smile. "When you've lived with your family for as long as they has, it would not be unsurprising that the family as a whole would gather to protect someone that they each have a special bond with. A bond however, that is nothing like the one between mates. Mates who would move mountains if anyone stood between them."
Damon had grown tired of first Katherine's games, and now this witch friend of hers. "Yeah we get that we have a psychotic Mikaelson on the loose, but that's nothing new. Klaus just broke his curse here which makes him the most dangerous creature on this planet. What could be worse than that?"
The witch chuckled as she sat back, all pieces to the spell were in place. "Boy, you have no idea how over your head you are. You want to know what is going on? I'll tell you," she said bluntly, resting her hands on edge of the coffee table. "Klaus Mikaelson isn't quite the man you believed him to be. Yes he is diabolical and can be downright cruel, however he does know love. He is married to his mate, who also happens to be the Mikaelson that we are attempting to track down."
"He's married to his sister?!" Damon questioned, disgust rolling off of him, earning an eye roll from everyone in the room.
"No, you idiot. Obviously not. They were married before they were created and she was sent into hiding before he came here, for her protection as a mate would ensure. He didn't know what they would be facing here so he wasn't about to risk her safety. At least that is what Katherine explained based on what she learned from Elijah."
"So what are you doing here?" Bonnie questioned, waving her hand to the display for the spell.
"Here, you and I are going to combine our magic to locate Isabella Mikaelson. Come on! Let's get this done!"
Bonnie remained reluctant, but at the same time curious about the girl, now having seen the witch with her own eyes. She can see her own family and the truth in the vampire's statements but she still did not want to believe that her Grams had kept such a detail from her. Sighing, she knelt on the other side of the table and took her new sister's hands as they began chanting the spell that she'd been told to memorize.
Several passes over the chant, the bowl and bracelet soon fell into a fine dust, scattering over the map. As everyone leaned over to watch it inch it's way across the paper, to the east coast, they could not help but to feel their heart rates rise as it pooled and circled around Virginia.
Stefan, who'd been quiet throughout the entire event, grimaced. "Don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's supposed to be circling our area."
The sisters looked up from the map, also confused. Ahvitahl had been expecting the location to be somewhere further west yet. Especially with the information she'd learned. How did the vampire cross the country so fast? A bad feeling began to settle within her.
"Whose name is this house in?" she demanded.
"No one's right now…" Damon said slowly.
"Oh no…" Bonnie breathed out as she saw a shadow standing in the doorway. In a flash, it was inside as Stefan and Damon were attempting to protect the girls from the intruder. She could see the amber eyes of the woman, recognizing them for what they were and as the sounds of further breaking and snarling cries when one of her friends were hurt, she was unable to target the new enemy with her magic at the speeds they were fighting.
Before anyone knew it, Katherine was standing beside them, irritated. "Fuck. Must I do everything myself?" she asked before she walked up the maylay and snapped someone's neck.
The body of a pretty brunette female laid unconscious on the floor as she stood over her. Pulling her phone out, she had a bright smile as she waited for the call to connect. "Oh, Elijah! I found Klaus's wife. She has a nasty bite and I think the Salvatore's are going to require a bit of his blood. You best hurry up because I'll only keep breaking her neck and I really don't want to make her short list of enemies."
Hanging up, she shoved her phone in her pocket and looked around the room at the tired, disgruntled faces. "What?"
The body of a pretty brunette female laid unconscious on the floor as she stood over her. Pulling her phone out, she had a bright smile as she waited for the call to connect. "Oh, Elijah! I found Klaus's wife. She has a nasty bite and I think the Salvatore's are going to require a bit of his blood. You best hurry up because I'll only keep breaking her neck and I really don't want to make her short list of enemies."
Hanging up, she shoved her phone in her pocket and looked around the room at the tired, disgruntled faces. "What?"
~o.O.o~
Damon grimaced as he glared from the bite mark scarring his shoulder to the woman lying on his floor. If he hadn't already been given the warning before her attack of who her family was, he would have thought her hot and hit on her when she woke. Despite his tendency for finding trouble and stirring it up, this creature was one bundle of disaster he didn't want his hands on.
"So what are we going to do with Klaus' rabid wife?" he asked. "How do we know he will even be willing to give us any of his blood?"
"Have a little faith," Katherine muttered as she stood over her friend. She had her arms wrapped around herself, one arm folded with her chin in her fingers as she appeared distracted in thought. "Considering last night was a full moon, it was likely her first turning so let's hope she will sleep this off for awhile. Or at least until someone from the family shows up to take her off our hands."
"Why don't we just throw her in the basement? It's filled with vervain-"
"Bella is a thousand years old. And a hybrid at that. Do you really think she hasn't built up an immunity against vervain and wolfsbane?" Katherine snapped.
Stefan let out a cry, trying to keep his own pain to himself but he'd been bit in the neck and near his heart. "It's already been nearly two hours since you made that call. How far away could they possibly be?"
"Most much further than you think," Klaus spoke as he walked in and went straight to his wife. He ignored everyone's stares as he was shirtless and dirtied from his long run. His fingers traced her face, pushing her hair away. "I'm only here because I'd been chasing her as a wolf through the night. I had anticipated her stopping to rest but she was too driven to return to Mystic Falls."
"Great. So you can take you psychotic wife and get back out of town," Damon smirked behind his glass of liquor.
Klaus looked up from his sleeping wife with a sigh. "You think we allowed her to roam freely cut off from her humanity without a care for the rest of the humans out there? You truly are ignorant and you have no idea about the type of person that Isabella truly is. You all already know what it takes to trigger the wolf curse. In a thousand years, why hadn't Isabella changed? Tell me."
The witch sisters glanced at one another, one surprised and shocked, the other merely shrugged. Bonnie turned to Klaus for confirmation. "She really never killed anyone as a vampire?"
He glared over his shoulder in her direction. "No. Despite what you may think, my wife has always been pure of heart and valued humanity. Even more than what you believed Elijah to be. Whatever strife you have with me, you do not put it on my wife. Do you hear me?" While he spoke to the witch, it was clear his message was expressed to everyone in the room.
Taking Isabella's arm and pulling her over his shoulder, Klaus stood to move her over to the couch to make her more comfortable. Turning to Katherine, he drew in a deep breath to calm himself of the ire he felt every time he saw the vampire, he knew he would not have possession of his wife if it had not been because of her. Nodding fractionally, his eyes narrowed. Sniffing the air, he could pick up the scent of werewolf venom poisoning someone in the room. It was strong, pungent. Emptying the nearest glass of its contents, he bit his hand so that his blood would drain into it.
"I can tell someone experienced my love's vicious teeth. I will offer this as a truce for the time that we need to stay in town," he announced, holding the glass up, eyes twinkling as he looked to the Salvatores.
Unable to deny the offer, the two accepted the glass, taking their turn sipping from the blood. Damon made his way over to get a closer look at the Mikaelson that they all hadn't formally met previously. "I don't get it."
Klaus let out a deep sigh, bracing himself for the coming fight. "What is it that you do not get?" he questioned through clenched teeth.
"She's too hot for someone like you," Damon admitted. "Wolf issues aside of course-"
The hybrid spun quickly and grabbed the vampire by the throat. "I warned you before. Show Isabella nothing but respect, no matter the state she presents herself to you. If she so chooses to kill you where you stand, you will accept it with a smile on your face because I won't have anyone speaking ill of her."
Katherine let out a sigh as she leaned against the back of the couch, peering down at her sleeping friend. "Let's put this aside for now and focus on Bella. I have no doubts she'll be waking soon. We know daggering her until you figure out a solution is out of the question. Any chance that there might be some witchy voodoo that could keep her relatively sedated?"
Ahvitahl moved to pick up her grimoire, flipping through the pages. "I know there are ways for regular vampires and werewolves, but for a hybrid, I might have to ask the ancestors. You know how much I'd hate to go that route."
"I'll stay with her," Klaus murmured, pushing Damon away from him. "If necessary, I will break her neck-"
"You've never been able to raise a hand to her," Katherine scoffed. "I'll stick around for this and handle that. It'll just be another thing to add to the list that she can be pissed at me for later."
He peered at her, curious as to what she'd done to garnish his mate's wrath, however, the soft moan of Isabella stirring pulled his attention from the vampire. Taking a seat along her side as she slowly woke, he knew she'd be tasting the air in the room before she opened her eyes. He passed a gentle smile over his lips, however brief, when she released a sigh.
"So - you've caught me," she muttered, opening her eyes. The coolness in them tore through Klaus' heart. "Whatever shall I do?"
"You won't be running off the way you have managed," he replied.
Sitting up just enough to use her arm to prop her head up, she smirked. "You've been chasing my dust, Husband. I came to you with an offer to join me and you declined."
"It won't work Isabella," Klaus muttered, resting his arm on the opposite side of her, caging her in a sense. "I have no need for what you wish and I hope that you realize soon that all you are doing is hurting yourself more in the long run by continuing this. I will find what will bring you back, I promise you that."
Bella's lips twitched before she sat up further, coming face to face with him. "You go right ahead and try. It won't work. I'm fine just the way I am now. I don't understand why you want me to go back. I'm stronger for this. Like you, anyone that tries to go against me are fools."
Katherine had been watching the two converse, but was careful to watch everything about her friend and her reactions. Moving into her line of sight, she smiled, waving her fingers at the girl. Receiving a scowl in return, she grew more entertained by the new hybrid's growl when Elena walked into the house and her human scent drifted into the room. "Well, I see someone is rather testy."
"Go jump in front of a train, Katerina. I'm not in the mood for one doppelganger. Two is making me even more - hungry," Bella snarled as she prepared to launch herself at the human, only to be caught by Klaus' waiting arms.
Bending her arms behind her back, he held her tightly against himself. "Ah, ah. We need Miss Gilbert alive and human. We won't touch her."
Her eyes never left the fearful girl as she grinned. "No. You mean you need her. Doppelgangers bring nothing but trouble for anyone who crosses their paths…"
"Hey!" Katherine objected. "I've helped you out plenty!"
Bella rolled her eyes as she submitted to her husband's hold on her. "That may be, but many of our problems start with your bloodline. It's nothing but a curse. Besides, I think the world may benefit from a few less doppelgangers. More fun for me to do the ridding."
Klaus' grip slackened only slightly, but it was enough for her to break away and launch herself at her friend. It was only Katherine's years of experience and knowledge of the girl that she was able to fend her off and keep her poisonous bite from her skin. As quickly as it started, he had his wife pressed up against the wall, his body pinning her as his lips brushed over her ear. "That was a naughty move, my Love."
Bella's golden hued eyes remained fixed over his shoulder on Katherine as she struggled to catch her breath. Smirking, she shrugged a shoulder. "Not my fault you're weak," she purred, turning her eyes up on him. "I told you to turn it off and be free with me."
His hand slid down her body and gripped her hip tightly. "No. I love you but this is not the way," he whispered.
"Shame," she pouted. "It could have been fantastic."
"Yes, I'm sure. And I apologize, Isabelle, for this," he continued, his voice dripping with sorrow. She looked up at him, confused, just before he quickly, before he lost the nerve, broke her neck. Her body slumped against his and he held her close, his lips pressing light kisses to her exposed neck and shoulder. "How far away is Elijah?"
"Um," Katherine stammered as she scrambled to search for her phone to check for new messages. "They just got on a plane. Six hours about."
"I need a car. I can't keep breaking her neck while we wait for him. We will continue moving until we get her home," he ordered, lifting her unconscious form in his arms. Glancing at everyone that was still in the room, his eyes narrowed on the unfamiliar witch standing close to the Bennett one. "You two. Have you found any spells that would keep her subdued?"
"Do you know of any that works on you?" Bonnie questioned, her arms crossing but still keeping a distance from the hybrids. "Your only shot is vervain and wolfsbane combination, or constantly breaking her neck."
He set her back on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. His thoughts were so focused on what would trigger her to get her humanity back on, that he hadn't heard anyone speaking to him. Looking up to see the witch and Katherine standing together, staring at him, he blinked. "What?"
"We can take my car. Where do you need to go?" Ahvitahl, the witch whose name he learned, asked. "I'm always up for an adventure."
"New Orleans. It was her favorite place that we've lived over the years," he murmured. He nodded as she left to get her car and things together for the trip and he sent a message to his siblings to continue onward to Louisiana.
Katherine continued to stare at him, curious as to his sudden level of attentiveness. It usually did not bode well for her and had her on the defensive. "Something on your mind?"
He shifted his gaze from the cell phone he'd been toying with in his hand to Isabella before answering. "I'm trying to figure out exactly why she would do this and what it would take to bring her back. I doubt losing her friend would be so traumatic to push her to this point. There had to be something else she did not wish to share when it happened."
"Maybe she had an affair with this friend," she smirked, provoking him.
"I strongly suggest that you do not attempt that route again, Katherine. You know, very well, that Isabella would not betray me in that way. She is not you or your ancestor. No, there was something else that the wolf boy was able to communicate to her that set her off," he speculated as he turned his gaze on his wife.
Katherine let out a bored sigh, knowing just how pissed the new hybrid was going to be when she woke. "Look. Why don't you go get what you need. She'll be down for at least an hour. I can babysit her for you."
He glowered at the doppelganger, moving to stand between her and his wife. "I've been separated from her far too long in order to break this curse, and then just as I get her back, I lost her again. Only to chase her down to this miserable town. I won't be separated from her again."
She threw her hands up, palms facing him and took a step back. "Alright, fine. I was just trying to help. You know I would never do anything against her, but whatever," she shrugged and moved to a nearby sofa to make herself comfortable. "So what is it that you think that triggered her?"
"I don't know," he responded with a frustrated sigh. "Her allegiances were always with the family first. All I could consider is that she learned something terrible towards us and was unable to handle it."
Katherine didn't appear as convinced. "There is always some plot against your family and she always handled it fine. In fact, she'd be the first one to rip apart anything or anyone that came after you. Unless the friends she had there had something to do with your parents, I can't see her doing this."
"No. Whatever she learned had to either enrage her so much, or frighten her that deep, that cutting off her humanity seemed the easiest way to handle it," he continued to murmur to himself.
"So go into her head and find out," Katherine replied, growing bored with his hesitations.
Klaus merely shook his head as they both knew it would be counterproductive as they each had their own turns without their humanity. An intrusion such as that, would likely force Isabella to act out even more negatively than she's had already.
When Ahvitahl returned, making her way into the sitting room, the sound of her footfalls were enough to distract Klaus. Before he knew what happened, Katherine flashed up behind him and snapped his neck. "I sure you haven't completely lost your mind. He's going to be fucking pissed when he wakes up," the witch warned.
Katherine shrugged as she moved to pull Bella over her shoulders. "He'll get over it. Let's hurry up and get on the road with her before she wakes up because I'm not interested in sticking around and dealing with her husband and family."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Ahvitahl sighed, scratching her neck uncomfortably as she followed the vampires out. She only hoped that the female hybrid would keep her teeth to herself, because the last thing she wanted to do was grovel to her husband for either of their blood to cure her friend.
~o.O.o~
As the Mikaelson siblings and their guests walked off their plane in Virginia, Elijah's phone exploded with text messages and voicemails once he turned it on. He had slowed to a stop as he read through each one and it had taken a moment for the rest of the group to realize that he was no longer following.
"What's the matter?" Rebekah questioned as she stopped to look back at him. The others turned back as well, curious as to what was causing the hold up.
"It seems that Niklaus has lost Isabella once again," Elijah sighed, scowling at the messages on his phone. "Initially he wanted us to divert to New Orleans as he was making arrangements to bring her there after having caught up, but it appears that Katherine has double crossed him and has taken her."
Kol raised a brow and Rebekah rolled her eyes. "What else is new? She'll be just as fine with that crazy wench as she would be with Nik. At least when she needs to, she would not hesitate to wring our sister's neck."
"So where are we going now?" Rebekah demanded.
The Cold Ones in their company each wisely kept their mouths shut as the siblings argued about their plans and what to do. Jasper mainly went along to keep Carlisle, Esme, and Alice in line, while Emmett and Rosalie were following of their own free will. He knew that the Mikaelsons had yet to determine a suitable method of dealing with them for what they had put Bella through and the length they allowed Edward to go with his antics, but he had the sense that there was something else going on.
"Is it a bad thing that this Katherine has Bella?" Emmett spoke up, confused by the change of situation.
Letting out a dramatic sigh, Elijah contemplated the possible scenarios. "It is hard to say. Katherine is an unpredictable woman on her best days. She does care for Isabella so I do not believe she will bring her harm, and quite possibly is attempting to help in her own misguided way."
"So what is it that Nik wants us to do now?" Rebekah questioned, looking around bored and making sure that there was not too much attention being drawn to them. "Surely he has thought of something."
"He wants us to continue to New Orleans. In fact, he should be here shortly to meet us for our next flights as he has already made arrangements," the older vampire sighed, pocketing his phone after growing more irritated by the messages he was reading. "I am certain that he will repeat his words himself quite vocally so that we all are to understand his displeasure at the situation."
"Great," Kol muttered with false enthusiasm to Jasper's amusement.
While they waited for Klaus to arrive at the airport, they gathered what baggage that had been sent on the plane and kept a watch for when the hybrid would appear. Carlisle and Esme's agitation grew the longer they waited, and Alice was even more antsy than usual, causing Jasper to move closer, giving her a healthy dose of fear as a warning for whatever she was thinking of attempting.
He had continued staring at his soon to be ex-wife, suspicious of her behavior, when Klaus came rushing up.
Stress was clear on the hybrid's face, not knowing once again what was going on with his wife and her safety. "I picked up everyone's tickets. The flight is in an hour so we need to get your baggage to the gate," he said in a rush as he passed around random flight tickets.
Rebekah took hers, eyes glaring at him. "How the hell did you lose Isa again?"
Klaus turned and growled at his sister. "Her bloody doppelganger friend ambushed me from behind, breaking my neck. She took off with her body while her neck was still mending. That bloody Bennett witch can't even track them."
"Where would Katherine even take her?" Kol wondered.
"Katherine wouldn't dare go into New Orleans right now. Marcel still has too much control there that he isn't a fan of visiting vampires and anyone on Nik's hit list certainly isn't welcome. Witches aren't particularly favored there either," Rebekah pointed out. "I was getting the former Governor's mansion suitable for us as your progeny has staked claim to our compound."
Pausing at hearing about the vampire he had raised from childhood, Klaus eyed his sister with concern. "Did he see you?"
"No. Honestly, I was surprised to find him alive after Mikael let us believe he had killed him. He controls New Orleans - or so he believes."
"What does all of this have to do with Bella?" Alice whined, interrupting the siblings and itching to leave the area. "Aren't we supposed to be searching for her?"
Jasper grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her back, a growl coming from his chest low enough for her to hear but not so loud to attract humans. "We will do what they need us to do. You will only follow your orders."
She rolled her eyes, trying to pull away from his grasp. "I know that. But surely there is something more that can be done than to just sit around and wait for this Katherine person and Bella to make whatever move they are?"
Elijah narrowed his eyes on the seer. "The two of them are extremely unpredictable right now. There is no way to know what they are intending to do, so that is all we can do."
"Are you able to see Bella at all?" Kol curiously questioned.
Alice looked away as she made an attempt to see the girl. "I never was able to see her properly. It's the wolf gene she carries."
"What about Katherine?"
She shook her head, drawing an irritated sigh. "No. I've never met her and if I had, as long as her decisions are tied to Bella, I would be blind to them."
Kol's lips curled into a frown as he considered what she said and how her gift worked. "I think we might be able to get around that, but you and I would have to take a detour."
His brother and Jasper looked to him, silently questioning his intentions. Shrugging a shoulder, Kol turned his attention to his family. "We'll catch up later, but I want to take her to Mystic Falls and see if she can connect to Katherine through the Gilbert girl. I know of a spell that might help get around the wolf block for her that the Bennett witch can perform."
"I don't trust Alice not to pull something," Jasper warned.
"I don't either, mate. However, that's where some compulsion comes in handy to keep your eight ball in line," Kol grinned.
Jasper smirked, giving Alice a sideway glance as she crossed her arms and pouted. "She ain't mine anymore."
"Jasper!" she protested as he shrugged a shoulder, ignoring her. "Over sixty years together!"
Kol grabbed her arm and dragged her off with him, much to the empath's appreciation. He looked over at the parentals of the Cullen family and raised an eyebrow, silently daring them to say or do something.
Klaus, having had enough of the drama from the pint sized Cold One, smiled as he watched his brother drag her off. "Well, if that's settled, we shall continue to Louisiana, locate my wife, and force her to turn her bloody humanity back on."
"That's to assume that is where Katherine is taking her," Elijah pointed out with a sigh. "For all we know, she could decide to head to Italy to stir up trouble with the Volturi."
Carlisle pulled his wife in closer as he looked to the brothers with trepidation. "Do you think they would honestly do that?"
"It's entirely possible, especially if Katherine manages to get Isabella to tell her what has occurred during her stay in Forks," the hybrid thoughtfully answered. "It would be a magnificent slaughter of that city if they pissed my wife off enough. I'm almost sad that I might miss such an event."
"Nik," Rebecca spoke up as they made their way to their designated terminal for their flight. "Maybe calling the Volturi might not be a bad idea."
Her brothers turned to her, looking to see where she was going with her idea. Letting out a huff and rolling her eyes, she continued. "They do have a tracker that has soft spot for Ducky. Between him and their enforcer to help fight her if she decided to get scrappy, they might have better luck at pinning her down. She knows us too well to be able to evade. After all, for all the times she'd been in your care since she flipped her switch, she escaped each time."
Klaus scowled, turning away from his sister, hating the suggestion. He knew it was a decent idea and had its potential, but he wanted nothing to do with the Volturi if he could avoid it. Especially when it came to the friends his wife had made when they had visited them all those years past. Was he jealous of the lesser breed's relationship with her? Yes but he was stuck in regards to how to track her.
Approaching their gate, he sighed, pulling out his cell phone. His face expressed his clear displeasure of having to place such a call. "Greetings Marcus! I require the need of a couple of your guard members…"
~o.O.o~
Somewhere on the road, hours later, Bella groaned as she rubbed her neck. "I'm going to rip the head off of whoever keeps breaking my neck," she threatened before opening her eyes and sitting up. Taking in the girls in the front seat, one looking over the seat with her ever present smirk, she could not help but to scowl. "You must seriously have a suicide wish. Klaus will undoubtedly hunt you down for this. At least I'll have a front row seat."
"Perhaps, but I bought you more time away from your family," Katherine shrugged. "Anywhere in particular you wish to go? I would consider somewhere that he would think you less likely to be."
Bella glared at the vampire as she sat back in the seat and turned to look at the passing scenery. They were somewhere in North Carolina, if the passing signs were anything to go by. "They are more than likely going to New Orleans, knowing them. I feel like creating some trouble."
"Trouble is something that we can definitely do, but again, your call," Katherine repeated. "We can go back to Mystic Falls, knowing that they are leaving the area?"
The thought was enticing. She could screw around with the new doppelganger some if that was the case. Twisting a lock of hair around her finger as she toyed with a number of ideas, she soon began to let her smile grow.
Raising a brow, Katherine recognized the look in her long time friend's eye. "Uh oh. This isn't going end very well, is it?"
"I want to go to Mexico. I heard there is a bitch down there that needs to dropped a peg or two. Maybe we can take over her lands for ourselves," Bella replied, a dangerous glint in her eyes that had the other vampire locked down with a shudder of fear.
"You seriously want to go into a Cold One territory war?"
"Um, just so you know, humans don't do well around those kind, and I'm still quite human," Avitahl spoke up for the first time since the hybrid awoke. "And I don't particularly have the desire to be changed straight away. I like my magic, thank you very much."
Bella leaned forward, resting her arms on the backs of the seats. "Then you better pray that KitKat will be able to ensure your life. We're heading south for some true vampire fuckery. There isn't a damn thing that my husband can do to convince the great Major or any of their allies to voluntarily walk their sparkly asses there."
"Um, just so you know, humans don't do well around those kinds, and I'm still quite human," Ahvitahl spoke up for the first time since the hybrid awoke. "And I don't particularly have the desire to be changed straight away. I like my magic, thank you very much."
Bella leaned forward, resting her arms on the backs of the seats. "Then you better pray that KitKat will be able to ensure your life. We're heading south for some true vampire fuckery. There isn't a damn thing that my husband can do to convince the great Major or any of their allies to voluntarily walk their sparkly asses there."
~o.O.o~
Alice sulked as she unwillingly followed the youngest Mikaelson brother through the small Virginia town. She hadn't known about this other breed of vampires until Bella's little reveal that eventually lead to the death of her brother and best friend, and now to experience their ability of compulsion was something driven right out of a nightmare for her.
Kol had dressed her up in an oversized, long-sleeved muumuu dress and an extra wide-brimmed sun hat. No amount of glaring would stop the man from being thoroughly entertained by her fashion fears.
"I look like a freakish old lady," she complained.
"At least you look like a lady now instead of a prepubescent boy," Kol remarked, his amusement quickly fading as he yanked her out of the car barely a moment after he put it into park. Making their way to the door of the house, his fist pounded until someone answered. "Hello mate! Care to put us up for a bit?"
Damon stood there, glowering over the Mikaelson. "I thought we got rid of your family."
Kol shrugged a shoulder, a playful smile teasing his lips. "Most of them, yes. However, we still require the use of your witch. We're still tracking down my sister and between Bennett and this minger, we might get somewhere with figuring out why she decided to pull a nutter."
"What makes you think we'd even be willing to help your family with the shit you put us through?"
"I could call Nik back and tell him what an uncooperative lot you are. Also, suggest to him that he could bring the Volturi around. They have some randy gifts that work just as right on us as living, breathing witches," the original threatened with a smile.
Alice hesitated as she raised her hand. "Um, Kol? I think someone already called them. I saw that they dispatched Demetri, Felix, Jane, and Alec not long ago."
Kol's face scrunched up at the information. "That had to have been my sister suggesting them. It's a wonder we hadn't thought it sooner. Nik's probably gnawing his arm off at the thought of those blokes anywhere near Isa."
Damon looked intrigued. "Marriage on the rocks?"
The original sighed and shrugged a shoulder, appearing troubled. "A possibility, but she still wouldn't be interested in you. Alice, can you keep looking for the guard and update me on their progress. I need to see your witch. Now."
"I can look but once they get to Bella, I'll be blind again," she sighed.
"And that is why we're here," Kol smirked, turning his attention back to the older Salvatore. "Don't even deny she's here because I can smell her."
Damon scowled but stepped aside when Bonnie came to the door, looking less than pleased. Her eyes shifted to the creature in a senior citizen's outfit and ridiculous hat. "What do you want Kol?"
"I have some ideas on how to track my lovely sister, but I need you to juice up this walking popsicle."
The witch raised a brow as she stared back at him. "What the hell is she?"
Alice scoffed, petulantly crossing her arms. Before she could get words of objection out, Damon spoke. "She's a Cold One. Inferior to our type of vampire in nearly every way. Just what is her ability that you think Witchy could help with?"
"This Cullen bitch gets premonitions," Kol smirked, watching him as recognition dawned on the vampire's face.
"You brought one of those squirrel munchers here? How did you get her away from the tight ass mind reader and pacifist 'father'?" he asked, amused at the irritation over the girl's face.
Alice scowled and narrowed her eyes at him. "If you must know, Edward is dead. Killed by the very person we are trying to track down."
Damon smiled as he opened the door to Bonnie's surprise, winking at her in response. As Kol and Alice passed by them to the sitting room. "So the eternal virgin is dead. Shame," he dramatically sighed. "I was hoping he'd make it to 200. I lost a lot of money on that bet now."
"There was a bet on my brother?!" Alice shouted and was ready to pounce but was held back by the neck by a bored looking Original.
"Anyone in our world that knows of Carlisle and his pets, or crossed paths with them, was quick to enter Whitlock's bet," Damon shrugged.
"Whitlock? Not Jasper, surely."
"No. Peter, of course. You should know that already," he snorted. "So how exactly is Witchy supposed to up the juju here?"
Kol shrugged. "I need her to be able to get over the block she has with seeing wolves. She's got the potential for her gift to expand more, just needs a little helping hand. We hopefully could see and track Isa from a distance safely, and guide my brother to her. Perhaps even see a way to get her humanity turned back on before she doesn't something incredibly stupid."
Damon sighed, scratching his neck as he peered between his witch acquaintance and the cold sprite. "You mean something more stupid than Katherine taking off with an unhinged psychobitch? Right. I think you're a little too late."
Bonnie let out a breath and shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to try. At least then Klaus and the rest of them could take her and stay away from the rest of us."
"Then let's get to work," Kol replied with a triumphant smile.
~o.O.o~
"I'm thirsty!" Bella complained as she laid across the backseat of Ahvi's car. She stuck her bare feet out the open window, annoyed that her traveling companions refused to stop so that she could find herself a new victim.
"We'll be there soon enough. Just have another bag," the witch suggested.
"I'd rather sink my teeth into your pretty little neck," Bella replied, popping up in her seat, her breath warm against the girl's ear. "If you want to survive this, I suggest you pull over otherwise you can say your last spell."
Katherine rolled her eyes at her friend's dramatics. "There should be a cantina coming up. We're well over the border so we should start seeing something soon."
"Great. I'll have myself some Mexican blood and you can go track Maria down," Bella happily said, sitting back.
"And just what do you expect me to tell her?"
The new hybrid smirked and reached over to pat her head. "I'm sure you'll think of something," she taunted as the witch pulled up outside a worn down cantina. "You could offer up your friend as a new recruit."
"Not likely," Katherine frowned. "I'll go get Maria, but you don't let my witch get hurt. Got it?"
Bella got out of the car and smirked as her eyes grew dark. "You really think you are going to give me orders? Maybe I should give you a nice bite to remind you who really is boss?"
The vampire's frown turned into a scowl. "Always you, Isa. I'll be back," she said as she slid over to the driver's seat once the witch got out and drove off.
Ahvi stood awkwardly as she eyed Bella, knowing other than her own magic, she had no defense now. "So, uh, drinks?"
Bella made her way into the cantina, pushing the door open with a bang and looked around. "Just my kind of place," she announced, watching as the men present turned to look at the commotion that just entered. Sauntering up to the bar, she ran her hands over the old wood. Once the bartender cautiously approached, she gave him a demure smile. "Dos cervezas, por favor," she ordered.
The man set the beer down, taking the money she tossed on the counter before moving to the other end of the bar to watch the women from a distance.
Taking her bottle, Ahvi sat down and eyed the hybrid. "How long do you think it will take before she comes?"
Bella glanced out the windows and shrugged. "A couple hours. She won't come this far until sundown. Her kind isn't fond of the sun. Makes them too conspicuous. Still, the best place to hide from my family and their new allies. No way in hell the Major will be willing to come back here."
The witch glanced around, taking in the looks they were receiving from the local men. Even the ones that passed by them to go to the back to use the facilities gave them a wide berth. "Do they suspect something about us?"
Dark eyes met those across the counter and smiled. "The closest thing in their legends would be the chupacabra, but if any are well traveled or migrated, then they may carry stories from further south of pishtaco," she murmured, her voice with a thoughtful lightness to it.
"Pishtaco?"
"From South America. Pale-skinned monsters of the Andes that kills and drains people of their body fat, but we know what it is in truth. As the sun starts to set, they will be making their way out. Very few will risk remaining here. Probably just the bar owner if he has a deal with Maria for his survival. I wouldn't put it past her," Bella shrugged as she noticed the shifting of the shade through the windows. Leaning over the counter, she grabbed a bottle of tequila and set it in front of the girl. "Just drink."
Ahvi raised a brow and looked over at the bartender whom deliberately turned his back to them. The strangest behavior she'd ever witnessed from non-supernatural people. Witches, wolves, shifters, she could understand unusual reactions, but normal humans?
"Just drink," Bella sighed again, rolling her eyes and glancing at the time. "Don't make me have to pour it down your throat because I will."
The witch looked at her with suspicion before she started to throw back shots with the vampire. While it took much more for her to feel inebriated, the girl was truly hammered by the time it was dark out and nearly all humans had left with the murmuring undercurrent of impending danger coming closer.
Bella smiled as she sat back, slowly sipping on her next drink as the brunette beauty of the south walked in, confident in her poise that she had control of the place. "Maria," she greeted.
The Cold One commander looked at her, throwing the drunk female who barely was able to lift her head from the bar a withering glance. "Katherine Pierce dijo que había una oferta para mí," she said, releasing a bored sigh. "No sé si estoy interesada."
"Te he traído una bruja Bennett, que tiene una gran probabilidad de convertirse en un vampiro con poderes. Simplemente quiero un lugar para esconderme de mi familia y su Mayor un tiempo," Bella sweetly smiled, waving her hand towards the drunken girl, now asleep and oblivious to her demise.
Maria stared back, contemplating the offer presented and could not help but be exalted in such a way. To have a potentially strong candidate brought to her for her army in exchange for something so simple, when she could tell that the being is much more cunning and deadly than she. Nodding as she wove her fingers through the hair at the back of the witch's head, pulling it up until her neck was near her face, breathing her in. "Me gusta tu forma de pensar y acepto tu oferta. Será un placer trabajar con una Mikaelson," she murmured, venom coating her lips.
Bella sat back with a smile, watching as Maria made Ahvitahl hers, enjoying the taste of fear of the bartender as he ignored the vampiric activity happening in his bar as he cleaned up. Yes, this will be a fun trip after all.
~o.O.o~
The family and pseudo hostages were seated comfortably on their flight, heading for New Orleans when Jasper's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, having forgotten to turn it off, he opened the message and his entire being tensed.
"What is it?" Klaus quietly questioned, as Elijah and Rebekah looked up curiously.
In a very human act, his tongue ran out over his lips nervously and attempted to crack his neck. "Peter. He has contacts still in Mexico and Bella's been sighted there."
Carlisle shook his head in denial. "It doesn't mean she's in danger of …"
"She was right at the border of Maria's territory and seen going back with her," he interrupted, eyes dark as he glared at the former coven leader. Turning back to his friend, he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'd do a lot for you, but that is one area I will not return to. I just can't."
Klaus nodded, understanding the warrior's position. "I would not ask that of you. I'm sure that is the exact reason she went there. At least we know where she is and that she won't risk running elsewhere for awhile for that reason."
"Isabella hates Maria and all she stands for," Rebekah mused, her confusion clear on her face. "Why would she go to her willingly?"
"She'd go knowing that the Major would not follow her into the woman's territory and the family won't break apart again to chase her until we have a more concrete plan to secure her. I would hedge that Katherine and her friend may be on borrowed time because Isa would not hesitate to turn on them at this point," Klaus answered, sighing. "It's what I would do." The exhaustion of the events over the last weeks was wearing on him and he genuinely felt his true age in the moment. He hadn't been as afraid for his wife since his parents cursed him, unknowing if they would go after his bride after they were done as he recalled seeing her running into the clearing as Esther had finished her spell. He hadn't seen so much fear and anger on his love's face until that moment, but it returned when she entered the shifter boy's dying thoughts.
The jealousy he felt for a dead boy was unfounded, and he fought against it frequently when the memory crept into his thoughts, but he could not help but think that there was something important he was missing. He knew she'd seen something, but his wife had been notoriously difficult to pin down to get her to speak of what she'd seen. Even then, without her humanity, she would be reluctant to admit any details.
Elijah considered his sister-in-law and nodded. "The witch at the very least. Katerina will find a way to come out alive and convince her of her worth. Her instinct for survival is quite strong."
Klaus remained silent as he had agreed with his brother, musing on his own thoughts. His gaze shifted and focused on the remaining Cullens who had questionable loyalties, in his opinion. He was certain that they held knowledge of their creation who may have done something to drive his wife away the way she had, or the reason behind it. At the very least, point him to where he could find some of the answers but they were remaining obstinately silent.
Sensing the shift in emotions coming from the hybrid, Jasper looked up at his phone and eyed his friend before looking over at his former parental figures. Glancing at his watch, he figured that within the next two hours, they would land in New Orleans, and it would not be long before someone would be interrogated, painfully.
He had been waiting for an update from his brother and when it finally came in, he looked back over at Klaus. "She's definitely with Maria. Peter's source says he witnessed them leaving a bar, carrying a body he believed to be a newborn."
"I can't believe that Bella would actually be doing all this," Emmett muttered to himself. It had become easy for the Mikaelsons to forget the couple as they'd remained quiet and to themselves.
Elijah and Klaus looked at one another, disappointment and dread filling them. "So she had the Bennett witch turned," Elijah murmured. "Her relative in Mystic Falls, although only recently discovered, most likely won't let that go without justice."
"Kol will deal with it," Klaus shrugged it off, concern for his Isabella growing more desperate. "He needs to focus on a proper tracking spell should she take off from Mexico."
"Niklaus. Calm yourself," his brother warned. "We will get her back."
Klaus glared at him as he struggled with not leaving his seat due to the plane full of humans. "Had it not been for your repeated bouts of betrayals, I would not have had to have sent my wife so far away for her protection and counted on you while breaking my curse and dealing with our father. No. You share in the responsibility for this problem. You will take equal blame in this as Edward Cullen."
Carlisle and Esme stared across the aisle at the Mikaelsons, remaining still as silent as mice. Elijah's breath stilled in his throat at his brother's words, not knowing how to respond.
As one of the attendants walked by, Jasper caught her by the arm with a charming smile. "Would you mind bringing something strong for my friends to drink. I think they need something to help mellow them out a little for the rest of the trip, thank you."
The following time passed slowly as Jasper attempted to cool flaring tempers until they landed in New Orleans. The moment they were able to disembark the plane, Klaus and Elijah each took ahold of the Cullen couple before they had the opportunity to attempt an escape.
Rebekah had walked ahead of her brothers to open the doors with a smile and flourish. "Not quite home, but it does in a pinch. We will have to see to Marcel soon enough."
Rosalie eyed Jasper as he followed the siblings, pulling him back for a moment. "Are you really going to let them torture Carlisle and Esme?"
The Major raised an eyebrow at her. "They may or may not know something, but they know enough that they could have stopped Edward a long time ago. His behavior with Isabella wasn't the first time but it became his last. I warned them that they needed to put a leash on him years ago; they didn't listen."
The couple nodded, acknowledging the truth in his statement before quietly following the family into the house. Their scents led them down into a converted basement where the three siblings surrounded and blocked any escape by Carlisle and Esme. While she appeared nervous and fearful for their situation, Carlisle continued to maintain a stoic face. Seemingly ready to face their fate.
"You know more about what your creation's behaviors and movements than anyone, excusing them against every reason and argument," Klaus began, his tone soft but no less threatening with his ire.
"What we want to know is everything else that you have neglected to tell us about him and his recent activities in and around Forks and since you've met Isabella," Elijah continued.
Esme shook her head in denial. "We don't know anything. Edward never spoke to us like you're assuming," she pleaded. "All we knew was that he was interested in a human girl that later revealed to be one of your kind. It had to have broken his heart…"
While she spoke, Carlisle averted his gaze, making Klaus smirk. "What about you Doctor? What did Edward share with you?"
"I have nothing to tell you," he responded before Rebekah zipped behind him and had her hands on his head while Jasper used his gift to make him more compliant with her mental intrusion.
Esme stepped away from them, horrified as she looked to Jasper for an explanation. "He knows more than he speaks and in order to get the answers, sometimes use of force is necessary," he said to the point as he met her gaze without regret for his choice to turn on his so-called parents.
During the time Rebekah rooted around in Dr. Cullen's mind, the brothers made small talk among themselves, Jasper, and Emmett and Rosalie about their plans for their move and stay in New Orleans once they are able to get Isabella back. While Klaus eventually intended to gain control of the city back from one of his own creations, his priority was his wife.
Soon, Rebekah released Carlisle, pushing him away from her in the process. Letting out a huff, she crossed her arms and faced Klaus. "Edward was a mind reader and he suspects that he was able to pick up some knowledge from the shifters. Knowing how his creation tends to go by his mood swings, he would have used what he learned to gain whatever leverage he could to claim Ducky back as his."
Klaus readily dismissed the useless Cold One on the ground as he considered everything. Isabella had been inside the dying shifter's mind before she flipped her humanity switch and killed the Cullen. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed the shifters' alpha. "Uley. I know you share a pack mind when in your wolf form. Were any of you around the mind reader up until your wolf was bitten and do you recall what anyone may have been thinking at the time?"
"Most of the pack was with you in the clearing at the time. I'll have to ask everyone but you do know it is difficult to understand what random thought he might have picked up from one of us," Sam Uley replied as Klaus put him on speakerphone.
Elijah nodded his head in a silent agreement as often they themselves had numerous thoughts running simultaneously to be able to pinpoint something specific. "It would have been something that would give the mind reader some sort of leverage, or believe he would. Something that would cause Isabella to shift her emotions so in anger or fear that she couldn't control it that she'd turn her humanity off completely," he offered.
A sigh could be heard on the line as they believed he was considering some possibilities. "After learning more of your kind of vampire when Bella revealed herself and your family arrived, our shamans became more adamant about protecting a new tree that begun growing on the reservation a few years ago. They wanted no outsiders, no matter the reason to go near it because it would be a catastrophic unbalance and said nothing else as to why."
Jasper's eyebrows shot up as he eyed his friend and siblings. Klaus' face had a sudden look of understanding while Elijah and Rebekah were more concerned. "Was it a white oak tree?" the warrior questioned.
"I don't know much about trees except local ones but this one certainly isn't native. I'd have to look it up," Sam replied. "If it is what you said, what does that mean?"
"It means that Edward discovered a way to get rid Bella's family in order to try to keep her and someone else knows if she freaked out that much," Jasper replied. "I'd say burn it down, but then it would just grow somewhere else. Keep on protecting it for the Mikaelsons. At least we know where it is and it's contained."
"I'll see if I can find out anything else for you and get back to you. Although I doubt it will be much more than I already know and told you. You know how our people tend to not care for vampires, despite your kind being closer to human-like than the ones of our legends," Sam responded before ending the call.
Klaus had become unusually silent as he studied Carlisle and Esme as she knelt at her mate's side. Though apparent that she did not approve of the way her mate handled the situation, he did understand there was little she could do to go against the man. He also felt she truly did not know all that had been intentionally hidden from her by the good doctor and his creation. He could only wonder what contacts Carlisle may know, that Edward could have learned of, that would work with him in relation to white oak.
The Volturi was an unlikely ally on their own side due to their infatuation with his wife. So if Edward had called on their assistance and learned of who they were trying to go after, they would turn on him quickly. And if it were that case, they would have informed them of such contact when they called for their resident bloodhound.
"I suppose we will have to wait and see what comes of his actions prior to his demise," Elijah muttered, displeased by the news of a new white oak tree and a plot against the family - again.
"We need a bloody witch," Rebekah complained. "At this point, bring the idiot back from the dead, interrogate him, then burn him all over again."
While Klaus was not unopposed to crude torture or resurrections as necessary, he shook his head. "Whatever it was that Isa picked up was enough to set her off. While we should be concerned about this new potential threat, we should not give up on getting her back first. She's the one with the answers to those questions after all."
Jasper let out a sigh, allowing his head to fall to the side in boredom. "Then the question begs. Who's gonna take the run into Mexico?"
"Well, whoever goes, better bring back some damn tacos. You can't get anything decent around here," Rebekah ranted as she stormed back up the stairs. "Send Kol. Let him charm the snake woman."
"Kol is working with the Bennett witch on better tracking for Isa," Klaus reminded her.
She huffed at the top. "You have Demetri on her ass now. You can't get better than that. Kol is wasting his time in Mystic Falls. Send him to Mexico. She's the closest to him of all of us, so he might make some headway."
"If she doesn't convince him to flip his switch and take off with her," Elijah spoke.
"She wouldn't do that."
Klaus rolled his eyes. "It's all she wanted me to do whenever I was able to catch up with her. When I wouldn't she got pissed and put me down long enough to get away."
Rebekah looked thoughtful. "She wanted you to run off with her. How was she with anyone else?"
"She hasn't quite run into the rest of us yet. Why do you ask?" Elijah questioned, suspicion covering his face.
She raised a brow at him. "Just curious to see exactly which of us she hates more. My money is on you."
Elijah was offended by the statement and was poised to defend himself when Klaus and Jasper quickly got between the siblings. "What makes you say that Bekah?" Klaus asked.
"Think about it. All she wants is you to take off with her, to share in whatever insanity she's going through. But despite everything over the years, her forgiveness, there was always resentment surrounding her when it came to Elijah. I can think of one act of cruelty, at least in her mind, that is entirely unforgivable and she has yet to speak on that I can recall."
Klaus' eyes brightened with the recognition of what his sister was referring to. An idea sparked in his mind of a potential way to turn his wife's humanity back on. They just had to get her home first.
Author Note: I fully intended to hold off for much longer before updating this story here. However, I've been practically set up for the closing chapter(s) today, once I get the motivation to get out of my warm comfy bed to do the final research and get writing. So I anticipate Something Bad to be complete with Chapter 13 or 14. Of which, 13 is underway. Enjoy!
Elijah was offended by the statement and was poised to defend himself when Klaus and Jasper quickly got between the siblings. "What makes you say that Bekah?" Klaus asked.
"Think about it. All she wants is you to take off with her, to share in whatever insanity she's going through. But despite everything over the years, her forgiveness, there was always resentment surrounding her when it came to Elijah. I can think of one act of cruelty, at least in her mind, that is entirely unforgivable and she has yet to speak on that I can recall."
Klaus' eyes brightened with the recognition of what his sister was referring to. An idea sparked in his mind of a potential way to turn his wife's humanity back on. They just had to get her home first.
~o.O.o~
Isa laid across a picnic table that some of Maria's newborns had brought back to the camp and was bored beyond comprehension. Lifting an arm that held a bottle of tequila that had also been retrieved for her, she took a long pull as she stared up into the Mexican sun. Squinting her eyes when flashes of sparkles began to enter her peripheral vision, she let out a sigh.
"¿Qué quieres ahora, María?" she questioned, allowing the boredom drip with each word. (What do you want now, Maria?)
Maria stopped short, pursing her lips as she rested her hands on her hips. Her eyes assessed the dangerous hybrid with caution before continuing. "Cuándo buscaste asilo conmigo, esperaba qué tal vez mi comandante te siguiera. Él no ha venido. No sé si quiero qué te quedes más tiempo, Mikaelson." (When you sought refuge with me, I hoped that my commander might follow you. He has not come. I do not know if I want you to stay longer, Mikaelson.)
A single long blink of her eyes was the only reaction for a moment before Isabella sat up and amusement glittered in her eyes as she stared at the seasoned warlord. "¿Crees qué me importa lo que quieres, María? No. Me iré cuándo esté lista y no será por orden tuya. Sabes muy bien que no hay forma de que Jasper vuelva a pisar la frontera con México si hay una posibilidad de cruzarse contigo. ¿Por qué crees que vine aquí?" (Do you think I care what you want, Maria? No. I'll leave when it's ready and it will not be by your order. You know very well that there is no way that Jasper will again step on the Mexican border if there is a possibility of crossing with you. Why do you think I came here?)
The Cold One knew that any argument would be futile and turned on her heel, surrendering to the mostly emotionless Mikaelson. As she was walking away, one of her scouts was making his way to her in a rather hurried manner.
"¡No tengo el tiempo ni la paciencia para encargarme de ti, idiota!" Maria snapped as she shoved him away. (I do not have the time or the patience to take care of you, you idiot!)
The youngling persisted. "Please mistress," he begged. "You asked us to keep eyes and ears out for anything from the east. We got whispers of some things that seem to be going to down in Louisiana," he nervously whispered, glancing back from which he found her coming from.
They both looked over to find Isa sitting up on her table watching them with what one might call curious eyes as she drank her bottle of alcohol. A sculpted eyebrow rose back at them in challenge before the two Cold Ones focused on one another again.
"¿Qué aprendiste?" Maria demanded. (What have you learned?)
The young scout swallowed, a leftover reflex from his human days. "It's said that some local vampires are uprising against the Original family. That the wolfman has been taken prisoner by way of something called a Tunde blade."
The commander frowned at the news as it was nothing good to her ears as the Mikaelson family was a strong force that often kept much of the Volturi away from the Americas as they did not particularly care to cross paths, despite any deals the two may have made. She nodded her dismissal to the scout and began to go back to Isabella only to find her missing from the bench table. A nearly empty bottle of tequila remaining in her place.
Picking the bottle up, she sniffed at the liquor. "Hasta que se hace la luz." (Until the light is made.)
~o.O.o~
"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Rebekah. Wow! It's great to see you! Here I am, still in New Orleans and not dead by your father's hand - of which you left me behind to deal with the fallout of! How the hell do you really expect me to feel about all of that?" Marcel Gerard argued as he stood face to face with the stubborn Mikaelson sister.
Even as her face fell, she remained strong and resilient. "From our perspective of that night, we honestly believed you were dead. It wasn't like you reached out to us to let us know that he let you live."
"You never returned to New Orleans in all this time to find out on your own. Why now?" he challenged back. "I have your brother under my control. Two of them actually. It's really amusing how Mikaelsons seem to be walking right up into my house and just seem to offer themselves for the taking."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Bloody fools those two. I told them it was a bad plan to begin with. But do they listen to me? Never!"
"What plan?" Marcel questioned, amusement and toying around with his ex-lover gone. "Why are you here?"
She looked up at him, hesitation catching the words from escaping her lips. "With the way you make your feelings clear about my family, why should I tell you? You wouldn't help us. You were quick to dagger Elijah and shove Tunde's blade into Niklaus! You have no idea of the war you instigated with that one if Ducky finds out."
"Bella?" Marcel muttered, blinking back at the memory of the kind-hearted vampire that was nearly a mother to him. "What is she going to do? Spank me? She wouldn't kill a fly. She'd have the rest of you do it first."
Rebekah gave him a smile that would chill the darkest of souls. "That may have been the Bella you remember, but the one we've been dealing with for the last few months is nothing like her. If you thought Nik was bad when he threw a tantrum, the damage that Isa can do is far worse."
The number of vampires in the atrium begun to laugh at the threat that the Mikaelson sister laid at Marcel's feet, but he saw it for what it was as he grew up with them. He immediately sobered up and grew more serious, pulling her closer as he waved his followers silent. "What do you mean by that exactly? I've never heard of her doing anything like you're saying. If anything, she was the one that kept the rest of you from going completely off hinge."
"Perhaps that is why she may be the worst of us," she mused lightly with a small and thoughtful nod. "Turning one's humanity off when it's all you've known and owned, is quite the experience. A thousand years and Niklaus has never done such a thing."
"You're saying she's out there, on her own and completely switched off?!" Marcel asked, more than slightly disturbed as he began to look around as he tried to think of some contingency plans for her eventual arrival. "Where did you lose her?"
"I didn't lose her, and before you go blaming my brother, she played a dirty trick by having Katherine Pierce as a friend and helping her in snapping his neck and those two took off in the wind. Last I understood, she disappeared over the Mexican border. Our Cold One contact that's keeping her little pets contained refused to go anywhere near the area," the blond huffed. "Besides, the Volturi hounddog should be sniffing his way through there by now."
He let out a half laugh at hearing that the family had gotten the Volturi involved. By the fact that Rebekah seemed uninterested in that detail, he wasn't sure how he should feel about it. "Perhaps you can tell me why exactly I have your brothers then?"
She shook her head with that strange ability of hers to pout and smile at the same time. "If I told you, it would go against everything that Elijah and Klaus have put themselves through in order to try to get her back. She probably knows more about what you're doing here in town that you think. She may have known about your being alive and never told us. You know she works for the best of everyone. She probably believed it was best that you were away from the influence of the family."
Marcel turned around and paced the floor, still trying to make sense of everything he was hearing. Several minutes passed as Rebekah took a seat and patiently waited for him to make his next move. "If you, Klaus, and Elijah are in New Orleans, Isa on the run - God knows where, where is Kol? Boxed up I hope."
Before Rebekah could reply there was commotion in the foyer, a handful of vampires running in, or rather, stumbling, as they sought out Marcel's assistance. "A wolf bitch beyond any strength I've ever seen!"
Marcel narrowed his eyes on the injury of the vampires, recognizing it and looked at Rebekah. "That isn't from Klaus and I haven't heard anything that he made those hybrids he dreamed about after he broke his curse. What the fuck is going on?!"
There was no response as she lowered her gaze with a smirk, hearing the click of heels on the abattoir floor. One, no, two more bodies were flung into the area, landing near Marcel's feet. "You have some very broken vampires. Now, give me my husband back," Isa demanded.
He turned his gaze up from the suffering men, to the vampiress. What he saw there honestly terrified him more than anything his own creator could ever instill. There was a dark gleam in her eyes and the way she held herself, was a certain other level poise that he fought the urge to take a step back in retreat.
"Give me back what belongs to me if you don't have a death wish, Marcel. I won't hesitate to put you in the same place as your friends here."
He continued to stare at her, trying to figure out exactly what wasn't being said. Rebekah was purposely leaving information out and when he glanced at her, he realized why. Somehow, Isa was now also a hybrid. "Why would I give you Klaus? He came to me willingly, though he may not have expected the result. I assure you that he isn't dead Bella, but you won't make me fear you the same you make others."
She zipped up, into his face, grabbing him by the chin and holding tightly. "You truly think yourself better than any vampire? Better than our family? He saw you as his son and you betrayed him so many times, yet you condemn him for some crime he committed against you that he knows not of. And yet," she said, her tone growing soft. "And yet, you are the one creation of his that he always forgave and ignored your transgressions against him. I'm not the same and won't allow any foolish sentiment blind me again."
"What are you talki- ARGH!" Marcel cried out as she sank her teeth into his neck, filling him with her venom and dropping him at her feel. "You - you - actually bit me?" He stammered between the pain and shock of her actions.
Bella stared down at him with unfeeling eyes. "My husband, Marcellus. Perhaps, if you are still alive when I get him back, then you might be granted a cure. Until then, I will continue my hunt for him."
She disappeared into the building to search for Klaus, leaving Rebekah to tend to the ailing vampire. "I told you that she wasn't all there. You didn't want to take my warning seriously. None of you ever want to listen to me," she lectured as she stood to carry him off.
~o.O.o~
The music in the club was pumping and Alice was already annoyed by having been dragged all the way out there when they should have been working with the witch on locating Bella. Even though she wasn't all that keen on the process, it was still a much better option than that she was being forced to endure.
"Why couldn't you just leave me with those other vampires while you went out to feed? I don't see the point of my having to be here," she whined.
Kol smirked as he nodded to the bouncer who let them pass, giving Alice a speculative eye. "Shush, Darling. Tonight is the night for fun. I intend to have plenty of it and if word got back to my brother and his wife, should she ever gain her mental capacities back, that I let you somewhere out of my sight, it would be my hide they have strung up and quartered."
She scowled at him as he pushed her further into the club. Stopping short, her eyes took in the room. Blinking, it dawned on her just what he brought her to. Turning to look at him, she found his signature smirk that she wanted to smack off his, and even his brother's face, since the moment they stepped foot in Forks. "Are you kidding me?!" She fumed as she tried to turn around and walk away, but he grabbed her tightly. "Let go of me!"
"Now, now, pet," he directed her towards a particular group of people. "I've even got you some friends who want to play with you."
"You can't be serious...Please, I beg you! Can we just go back to Mystic Falls?" Alice pleaded as he continued to guide over to where the pets of other vampires were being held.
"No, no. You tried to help that fucker figure a way of keeping my sister from her family. Think of this as a large part of your punishment. And trust in that this isn't even the tip of what I can come up with for you," he muttered before compelling her. "Stay here and behave with your new friends. Someone will come along soon to tell you what you need to do."
She reluctantly settled down as she glanced at the others nervously. The humans in the section were listlessly sitting and staring at nothing. Turning back to Kol, she found he had already returned to the bar and strained to hear his conversations over the music and crowd.
A tumbler with alcohol was placed in front of him as soon as he reached an empty seat, making the Original initially stare at it with suspicion.
"Jesus, fuck. Just drink the damn thing," the bartender replied. "Even if there was vervain in the shit, it's not like it'd kill ya."
Kol's hand tightened around the glass at the voice, letting out a sigh before his lips turned into a grimace and eyes tightened in pain. "I'm sure that you would have a few ideas for that, darling," he replied before opening his eyes to find her amused gaze on him. "Long time, no see."
"Hm," she nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Yes. Although, I suppose your being boxed up a few times over by your family would have something to do with that."
"Yeah, well," he released a sigh, looking to his glass again. "It's not like we get to pick our family."
"Just drink the whiskey. I promise I didn't put any white oak ash in it. Although, for all the shit you put me though, it would be pleasant revenge."
"Myriam," Kol frowned.
"Kol. Why the fuck did you bring a Cold One into my bar?"
He looked over at the petting ring. "You don't like my pet?"
Myriam scowled as she stared at him. "I know exactly what it feels like to be in that thing's position. I used to be your pet once, remember? Before you had that happy little accident and became a vampire daddy."
"I said I was sorry!" he exclaimed.
"You fucking killed me!"
"And yet, you're still here!" He countered.
"Because I don't have a suicide wish. I didn't want to die!"
"You're over 300 years old, and you're still here!" Kol grinned as he downed his glass and was surprised that there wasn't anything in his drink to compromise him, just like she had said. "Can I have another one of these, please?" He smiled sweetly at her.
She narrowed her eyes on his and smirked as she poured another glass from the special bottle she reserved in case any of his kind showed up. "Sure. It's on the house. So, why are you here with a Cold One again?"
Kol thought for a moment. "Shouldn't your witch have told you that by now? Selene, was it?"
Myriam sighed and leaned back. "Kol. Selene was mortal. She died about - 250 years ago. I think you were boxed up then as well. I think most of our relationship, you ended up on your back with something sharp sticking out of you."
"Well, hopefully, that won't happen again, darling," he leaned into the bar as he took another sip of his drink. "I'm a changed man. Plus, Isa's back and she was always in my corner, wasn't she?"
She picked a dish towel to clean the counter after glaring at some eavesdroppers and tossed it in her hands as she considered his question. "Was she? I suppose at times, yes. However, from what I hear, she's not in anyone's corner but your brother's these days. Is that why you took on a snake for a pet?" she asked, ignoring the obvious scoff from across the room.
"I actually wanted to take her to a special witch in Mystic Falls to boost her own signal, sort to speak. My sparkly pet is quite the gifted one," he smirked.
"What does it do? Because I don't have the best experience or high tolerance for their kind. And if you're talking about the Bennett line, then you wasted your time. That girl from what I understand is more suited to play Tinkerbell with all the flip flopping she does. She'll get herself or her friends killed one day."
He cocked his head and smiled curiously at her. "When was the last time you were in Mystic Falls, darling?"
"I don't have to step foot in that dreaded town to know what goes on there. Just know, that I have my ways," she replied with a sweet smile. "I hope you weren't planning on your pet to stay in one piece tonight. Darren just came in and he's spotted your toy."
He looked over his shoulder and saw this big dude passing them as he headed straight for the pit. "Uh…" There was no way that Kol could put him down with a single punch or several punches. "I just put her in there to scare her a little, he can kindly keep his paws off of her. You go and tell him that, darling."
A song had already begun playing on the radio and made Myriam flash him a malicious grin as she began to sing along, "You don't own me, I'm not just one of your many toys. You don't own me, Don't say I can't go with other boys… Come on Kol. You know how this one goes..."
Kol narrowed his eyes on his former lover before looking at Alice. "Come here and be quiet," he said as he motioned for her to come over. Yes, the pet pit was for sex and other means of pleasure, but the pit was usually filled with compelled humans or vampire slaves and sure, back in the day he would have thoroughly enjoyed it, but Alice wasn't there voluntarily and, while he could compel Alice to enjoy herself with whomever, that wasn't his initial idea when he put her in there.
Alice quickly made her way over to him to take the seat next to him but he shook his head. "On your knees, on the floor."
"But-"
He lifted her chin to make her look at him. "On your knees, on the floor," he compelled her. "And be quiet." Alice quickly did what she was told and Kol took another sip of his drink before looking at Myriam. "Happy now?"
"Well that was pathetic," she huffed. "I guess you have gone soft."
"No, but this Cold One needs to remain in one piece, for now. She's quite special, even you will want to have your hands on her if you'd know just how special she was."
"Really now?"
"I'm not telling you," he let out a chuckle and took another sip of his drink. "Definitely not telling you."
Myriam narrowed her eyes on her ex and his pet for a minute. Releasing a sigh, she blew a whistle through her lips. "Bar's closed! Everyone out!" She eyed complainers as they made their way past before looking back at the Original. "This have to do with the shit your family got themselves into this time? Who fucked up this round?"
"Well that was pathetic," she huffed. "I guess you have gone soft."
"No, but this Cold One needs to remain in one piece, for now. She's quite special, even you will want to have your hands on her if you'd know just how special she was."
"Really now?"
"I'm not telling you," he let out a chuckle and took another sip of his drink. "Definitely not telling you."
Myriam narrowed her eyes on her ex and his pet for a minute. Releasing a sigh, she blew a whistle through her lips. "Bar's closed! Everyone out!" She eyed complainers as they made their way past before looking back at the Original. "This have to do with the shit your family got themselves into this time? Who fucked up this round?"
~o.O.o~
Marcel laid on the couch, sweating and groaning in pain from the bite he received. Rebekah sighed as she ran a cool, wet cloth over his head. "I warned you that taking and keeping my brothers like you did was a bad idea. Let's hope that she gets to Klaus and one of them is forgiving enough to part with their blood before it's too late."
He panted as he glared at her. "They came to me so there is nothing to forgive."
"I don't know about that, Marcellus."
Rebekah turned to find her sister leaning against the doorframe, watching them. There was no emotion that would be obvious but she could see the underlying anger and hate in the dark orbs that stared back. "What do you want, Isa?"
Bella raised an eyebrow, scoffing. "I do believe that I made my demands very clear. Have you lot been injesting vervain to the point that it's rattled your feeble brains? Because I am pretty certain I have made it clear that the only thing I want is my husband. Now, tell me where he is. I know he's near, and that you would not let him go far. Too much of a risk."
His hands fisted as he held in a growl while another wave of pain threatened to cripple him. Despite the suffering, he continued to refuse to give the new hybrid an answer.
Her lips curled back with a snarl. "You won't speak. Then you will die. Enjoy the pain," she hissed, taking off.
"I guess she's going to search again. You have him cloaked, don't you?" Rebekah questioned.
"Yeah…" he sighed, though it was pointless. He had no doubt that the creature was close enough to listen.
Rebekah looked back at the doorway, quiet as she listened for any movement through the building. All she could hear was the random slamming of doors for what seemed to be eternity. "I'm going to go see if maybe I can smooth things over by trying to help her since you won't say anything about Nik's location."
Before he could object, she was out of the room, leaving him on his own.
She soon found Bella storming through the ground level. Hearing her, she turned to glare at Rebekah, frowning as if in debate on how to handle the sibling. "I just want to help find Nik. I didn't agree to this arrangement. I promise you that," Rebekah told her.
Bella glanced away and nodded. In doing that, caught sight of the doorway down to the basement area. She immediately went for it, making her way through the stairs and cavernous maze.
"I'd almost forgotten how easy it was to get lost down here," Rebekah murmured as she followed behind.
The words fell on deaf ears as they came to an open area, lighted and seemingly empty. Bella looked around, taking a deep breath. Rage consumed her again, but being so much closer to him settled her only in the slight. Her steps forward were more cautious as she felt around. Marcel had been in league with a witch so she could not trust her eyes, however witches could not fool all the senses.
"Isa," Rebekah called out, drawing her attention to a semi circle of chalk dust on the ground running up against the wall.
Bella immediately zipped over and reached out, only to encounter a barrier. Slamming her fists on it, she attempted to fight the power of the unseen wall. "I want to rip his head off of his shoulders," she hissed as she paced the floor, unable to get through.
Rebekah nodded and ran off. It wasn't long before she returned with a severely crippled Marcel in hand. "Tell us how to get this barrier down. The longer you stall, the more certain it is that you die."
He looked over at Bella as she coldly stared back at him. Shaking his head, he reached for a piece of debris lying nearby and used it to scratch a break in the chalk line. The moment it was broken, Klaus' body, leaning against the wall as his empty eyes looked into the room unflinching.
Bella took in the sight, blinking as every detail was absorbed. An earth shattering scream, mixed that of shattering glass filled the cavern. Rebekah pulled Marcel back, keeping them well outside of the reach of either hybrid as she stared wide eyed and terrified as her sister fell to her knees, crying, as she crawled to Klaus.
"Klaus? Baby?" Bella whispered as she pulled on his shirt and ran her hand along his face. Biting back a growl, she barely recalled the mention of what had been used on him. Ripping open his shirt, she whispered apologies as she punched her hand into his chest cavity to pull the offending piece of bone out.
Free, Klaus took a breath before he looked around, struggling to gain composure and gather his bearings. The vision of his wife filled his line of sight, causing him to blink and wonder if he was still under and this was another nightmare.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered again, leaning into him.
He silently nodded, pulling her closer, closing his eyes at the solid feel of his wife in his arms. More so, that she appeared to have managed to gain some of her humanity back. Even in his state of returning clarity, he knew it would still be a long road before she would be anywhere near healed from she went through.
Klaus felt her body shaking and he knew she had begun crying. Looking up, his grip on her tightened. He found his sister and his creation staring back at them. As his gaze crossed over Marcel, he frowned at the state of the man and knew that it had to been at the teeth of his wife. "Come, Isabella," he coaxed. "Let's heal Marcellus and then gather our family together again. We have some friends we need to see to."
She buried her face further into his neck and shook her head. "I don't want to," she protested. "I don't want to face anyone."
Pulling her to face him, he treated her to a teasing smile that she'd fallen for time and again. "The longer you put it off, the harder it will be later. No one will hate you. You know this, Love. Of all the family, you should understand the most."
Bella shifted against him until she was able to peek out and glare over at the other vampires in the cavern. "Very well, but I still don't want to heal your friend. You can if you want."
Her response caused Klaus and Rebekah to exchange a glance but offered little else for response. "As you wish. Come and help me up so that I can give him some blood and we can go."
~o.O.o~
Jasper checked his watch and glared at Carlisle and Esme as they shifted on the couch. "What's your problem? There are no humans around to pretend for."
"Why don't you just let us go? We've done nothing wrong," Carlisle attempted to reason with him.
The empath raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Stay where you are. Klaus has his own plans for you and until he gets back, you don't go anywhere. Is that clear?" he said as he started for the front door as he sensed a familiar presence coming closer. "Keep an eye on them Emmett."
"Yep," echoed a response while Jasper went out onto the front porch.
He stared out over the distance with his arms crossed. He could not help but be filled with annoyance when his brother and sister showed up. "Took you long enough. I was beginning to wonder if you were taken down by one of the wolves or something."
Peter waved him off as he jumped up onto the porch next to him. "Nah. I just detoured back through Texas to pick up the wife. Got a little distracted. Sue me. Besides, it gave us the opportunity to get eyes on that Lil' Bit of a biter ya'll are so fond of."
"Yeah? Well, I wasn't about to go running back to Maria. Not even for Bella," Jasper glared.
Charlotte snorted. "No shit. And she didn't really stay long. Just enough for her to have the bitch turn one of the chicks that went with them then took off when one of the scouting groups returned."
Jasper frowned as he looked off towards the direction of the city in concern. "I had thought I picked up an unfamiliar scent but with so much supernatural around I wasn't sure."
Peter waved it off. "Don't worry about it. They weren't interested in any of us. They were looking on information about other factions and stumbled upon the Mikaelsons' little ploy. It'll work, but with some kinks."
"Kinks?" Jasper repeated.
"Supposedly, he thinks she'll come back, but still be as pissed off as she was when she was without her humanity, holding grudges," Charlotte sighed.
The empath narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the girl that he never really knew. "I suppose it's possible. Klaus did mention he knew of a way to get her humanity back, but his sister thinks that she has some lingering issues more towards the other brother."
"Plus, you might want to get some more rooms prepared," Peter added, a knowing smirk on his face.
"What for?"
"Because more are coming back soon. Mystic Falls was a bust and your midget wife is on her way back to her homeland," he answered with a mischievous grin.
"Really? I thought that she was killed by now," Jasper was surprised. He wasn't fond of being around his wife anymore, but why did it feel good to know that Kol hadn't killed her, yet?
Peter let out an irritated sigh. "Despite as much of an annoying twat that she is, she is useful to them. When the wolves aren't around her, she can see any threats against them from the witches, which is why I think they are considering keeping her around. So, the one brother familiar with witches decided to make her his pet. Only I don't think they are coming back on their own. May stir up some drama. Could be entertaining."
"Oh goodie," Jasper grinned. "You reckon we need to get some blood bags?"
"Probably be a good idea, Sugar," Charlotte agreed. "But maybe give a ring to one of the siblings? It's possible they already have that on order."
"Oh, I'm not calling them. Peter can call them."
He looked over at her husband who gave them a cheeky smile back and waved. His gaze shifted to the distance where they could hear a car coming closer. Music soon reached their ears and Jasper could not help but blink at the sounds he had not expected to hear. Country roads, take me home...To the place, where I belong... "What the fuck?"
Before long, the car came to a stop and the Original was out of the car in a blink. "Thank the Lord! I can't take another bloody minute of this nightmarish music!" he complained.
"Oh get over yourself. It wasn't that bad!" the female with him chided as she followed him. "There ain't nothing wrong with John Denver! There is with your ears!"
The three Cold Ones remained speechless as they looked from the original vampires to the car where Alice remained behind. Jasper could feel the amusement being attempted to be reigned in.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What the hell are you wearing?!" Peter barked out. If it was possible, his face would have been red, and tears falling down his face as he was laughing so hard.
The female turned around, the devious smirk that was usually on the Mikaelson's face now gracing hers. "Come on out, Pet. It's perfectly safe here. Don't make me come over there and drag you out by your sparkly little neck… "
Alice slowly, and quite clearly with reluctance, opened the back door and stepped out. Only then did Jasper and Charlotte get the full visual of what she was wearing. "Oh my lord, my lord," the Cold One murmured, biting back a laugh but feeling sympathetic at the same time.
Jasper only blinked at the appearance of his wife. "Uh - what the hell did you do to her?"
"Hm?" the female vampire smiled at him. "Kol brought her in as a pet. I decided to join whatever fuckery his family got themselves into again and she is quite annoying so I decided to make her mine for awhile. Can't have her sparkling all the way from Baltimore, now can we?"
Alice scowled as her gaze remained fixed on the ground. She was in some sort of oversized white sweater like shirt with bulky bulges in the front. The sleeves were so long, they extended beyond her feet like alien extremities. The bottom of the top half came to her knees so she was wearing thick, white leggings and black Mary Jane shoes.
"It actually happens to be right off the runway, so I don't understand why she's so upset. I searched so hard for suitable for her to wear," the vampire pouted.
"Oh come off it Myriam. You have a trunk load of clothes like that just to play dress up with her," Kol hollered from the door. "We can worry about your new pet later. I want to find my brother and see what is going on."
"It's still better than the mumu you had her dress in when you showed up with her on my doorstep," she snapped back, following him into the house. Her voice faded until there was a squeal of delight. "More pets! Yay!"
~o.O.o~
Klaus finished his fourth blood bag before he finally began to feel somewhat functionable. The four had remained in relative silence as Bella focused her attentions on her husband, and he quietly observing the tension between one another.
"Alright. I am feeling a bit better now. I'm alright, Love," he told Bella as she murmured under her breath about fetching him another blood bag. He reached for her hand before she was able to take off again. "Love. I am fine."
Bella turned to look at him, tears of guilt and fear filling her eyes. "I need - I need to do something…"
He used his thumb to brush away the tears from under her eyes. "You need not do a thing. We are just happy to have you back to us now. When you are ready, we can talk about what happened, but first, I want to know where the rest of our family is."
"As far as I remember, everyone is alive," Bella shrugged, still more demure than she normally was.
"Kol texted that he's on his way from Mystic Falls with his little pet. Said he had a surprise. Your friend Jasper is at the plantation watching the rest of those - things. As far as Elijah, well," Rebekah sighed, shooting Marcel a glare. "He has him hidden somewhere."
Klaus looked to Marcel with a disgruntled sigh. "He is daggered?"
Bella let herself smile a little at the question as she eyed Marcel. "I want to see him."
Marcel attempted to stare her down before he was forced to back down. "I have him in a coffin protected by a witch. I'll call her to let him go -"
"No. It is not to be removed," Bella stated, surprising Klaus. Rebekah smirked as she had anticipated something towards their brother to come out after the previous events. "I want him to stay in the box and endure such a punishment he submitted himself to. I will release him when I am damn well good and ready."
Klaus was still unnerved by his own wife's presence and needed to speak with her over the recent events that she and the family had been through. "May we be alone?" he quietly requested of his sister and creation. The request had earned a hard glare from Bella, though she thankfully had not objected.
The moment they were alone, she turned to stare at her husband. "What is it you wish to lecture me about?"
Still slightly weakened, and more emotionally tired from the previous weeks, Klaus sat up and shook his head. "No, my love. No lecture. I just wish to know what happened. What happened that day to push you to your limits, frightened you so much, that you could not come to your family for us to face together?"
Unprepared for that question, she shifted her weight uncomfortably as her memories flashed back to the field that day and the urge to flee filled her again. Before she could run, Klaus was off the bed and had his arms around her. "No, you are not running from this. Tell me what you saw or allow me into your mind."
Wordlessly she begged him, giving him her allowance as she closed her eyes. She felt him enter her mind, seeing everything she saw, felt, experienced.
Klaus narrowed his eyes as he felt her experience the shifter boy watching as the Cold One attempting to make a phone call out. The impatient creature muttered under his breath about his need to reach the Kings. He turned to look back at shifter, still confused about what was taking place.
"Connect me with Aro! I have information about the Mikaelson family he will want!" Edward hissed when the call finally connected again. "Cullen! Edward! He knows exactly who I am! Take a message? What? Tell him I know where there is white oak that they can take down the Mikaelsons! Have him call me back immediately."
Klaus blinked, swallowing back his own agitation, hearing there was a new sapling that could destroy his family. No wonder Bella it sent running. They had believed it all been destroyed and he knew nothing terrified her more than their father and that blasted species of wood.
The Cullen boy looked up, sensing the presence of another, only to find the shifter. Sighing, Klaus exited his wife's mind, knowing how the rest played out.
Pressing his forehead against Bella's as tears fell down her cheeks, he reached up to brush them away. "Where?" he whispered.
It took a moment to find her voice as she hadn't wished to face the topic at all. "On the reservation."
He looked up with fury in his eyes. "We will burn the entire lot down."
Bella shook her head, refusing him. "No. No. I've thought about it since - since I've been back. We know where it is and it is, relatively protected. The land is protected by allies. As long as we maintain that relationship, let it remain and it won't come back somewhere we won't know or have control over."
"Isabella," he warned. "One splinter comes off it…"
Her watery eyes met his. "I know. I know it can kill us, but we know where it is and only few do now, and they are friends. And if it should get out and something were to happen, Niklaus Mikaelson, I expect nothing less but your wrath to avenge us. But darling, he did let another know," she whispered her words.
A growl let out from deep within as his eyes glowed yellow. "Who?"
"You shall get your time in, do not worry. I am certain there has not been an opportunity for communications," she smiled. "Even in my - departure, I knew how everyone operated."
"Isabella," he warned. "One splinter comes off it…"
Her watery eyes met his. "I know. I know it can kill us, but we know where it is and only few do now, and they are friends. And if it should get out and something were to happen, Niklaus Mikaelson, I expect nothing less but your wrath to avenge us. But darling, he did let another know," she whispered her words.
A growl let out from deep within as his eyes glowed yellow. "Who?"
"You shall get your time in, do not worry. I am certain there has not been an opportunity for communications," she smiled. "Even in my - departure, I knew how everyone operated."
~o.O.o~
Myriam sat perched on the back of the antique armchair, legs crossed and her finger tapping on her lip as she eyed the Cold Ones in the sitting room. Her knowledge of their race had her vampire senses going off that the couple was far from the innocent duo they attempted to appear.
If there was ever a skill she picked up by having a bar, it was detecting when someone was lying. And you didn't need a heartbeat to indicate such things.
"You really shouldn't put your feet on the furniture. If Isa or Elijah were to come in and see you, your next would be broken before you could blink," Kol warned as he walked in and handed her a glass of alcohol.
"I'm certain of it, but they have their own problems and I am no so certain it's over with these two," she hummed as she leaned closer to him. "They aren't being honest."
"Darling, they haven't spoken to anyone since my brother took them captive," he smiled at her.
"Well, I want to play. You won't let me play with the ones that were outside, and you say those two are off limits. I'm bored, Kol!" she whined.
He rolled his eyes and looked towards what she was looking at, trying to understand what she was thinking. "Well, I don't recall actually asking you to come back with us. For that matter, I didn't know you would be at that bar, let alone own it."
Myriam rolled her eyes, her smile growing as she continued to watch the Cold Ones. "You'd be bored to tears if I didn't come along. You couldn't be creative enough with her wardrobe. It was a valiant attempt, but admit it. I play the pet game so much better."
"I will concede you do make things interesting," the Original admitted. "However, I do know you quite well, as well. I know the rat in your head has that wheel turning up something rather devious. I want to know."
Her eyes darted to him for but a moment as the amusement filled her. "Oh, Kol. You know me much better than that! I am no rat! My spirit animal is the wiley fox! Just how trustworthy do you think these…" Myriam's face scrunched up as she struggled to find a civilized word for the few of the Cold Ones that she knew that her friend did seem to take a friendly interest in.
"Nik's known the Major for some time. How well, I don't know. I was boxed up for most of that period, which we covered already. Where are you going with this?"
"One of these things aren't being honest. That's what I'm saying," she replied. "I don't know why anyone hasn't figured it out yet, or what, but when your brother gets here and he hears this, hoh, oh, oh!"
"Pardon me, but we already suspected that Carlisle and Esme were keeping things so that's why they've been with us the entire time and not allowed any communication," Jasper interrupted as he came back inside, hearing the conversation.
Myriam turned and eyed him, once, twice, and smiled. "You're the empath, no?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, narrowing his eyes on her.
"What do you sense from me?" she asked, a flirty smile gracing her lips, fingers coming up to play with her necklace.
Kol watched curiously, knowing her history and hadn't said anything to the man since they arrived about her. While he knew she had been a witch when he took her, but she had her own particular specialty that drew him to her.
Jasper eyed the female warily, sensing his brother approach from behind to watch. Despite the smile and flirtatious gaze, which he was certain he should be getting something of the amorous sort from her, he could feel - nothing. "How? How are you blocking me? I mean, I know that your kind can turn off your humanity. Bella did, but there were still emotions there. She had anger, fear underlying it all. She just couldn't express it."
She gave a coy shrug, looking back over the other Cold Ones. "I have a little help," she admitted with a conspiratorial whisper.
Jasper looked at Kol, who smiled back, keeping mum. "I'm almost afraid to ask."
"Trust me, you don't want to know," Peter muttered. "From what I understand, we keep our distance from that one and we are fine."
Myriam grinned at Peter, a dark giggle escaping. "Aw, shucks. I'm really not that bad. Am I, Kol?"
"You're a demon bitch, Myriam," he flatly replied.
The two still, however, kept a wide berth from her as she tilted her head. Her eyes narrowed as the one Cold One was on their cell phone, seemingly bored by everything. Zipping over and snatching it from their grasp, she check the messages before there was chance for them to be erased. "You know, Kol, I've learned a lot in the time that we've been apart."
"You mean while Nik and Bella had me daggered and dragged me around in a coffin," he clarified, frowning as the two mentioned walked in.
Klaus frowned at the way he found everyone positioned, his eyes asking his brother what was going on. Bella, both confused and terrified as she stared at what was inevitably about to go down with her brother's former lover.
"Welcome back," Kol muttered, earning him a smile from Bella before they turned back to Myriam, whom cleared her throat and demanded attention.
"As I was saying, I've learned a lot. Met some - interesting people," she started. "There was this one vampire, fairly young by most standards, but far from naive. She was a fighter, and to be a physician when she was human. Only problem was she realized she had a mental disorder."
"That's lovely, Myriam. However, what does that have to do with the situation here? Why are you even here?" Klaus questioned.
She fiddled with the phone, smiling. "Well, as it turned out, she diagnosed herself with what she called an Axis II personality disorder. Now, before she admitted it to me, I actually had thought she had her humanity turned off - no offense Bella. But this bitch was completely sadistic, practically psychotic, passive-aggressive to the point it puts Elijah to shame. Well, then she told me about the disorder and boy, if she did flip that switch, I thought about you Klaus. How much alike you two were. But you actually care about people. Well, your family and Bella. So not so much alike…" she trailed off in thought.
"Myriam," Bella warned, growing agitated.
"Hm? Oh, yes. Sorry. Well, anyway, she taught me a few things about human behavior and I taught her about being a vampire, and we parted ways. I moved down to Baltimore and opened my bar and club, and, well, learned even more," she said turning to look at the Cold One. "I know that sociopaths, good ones, can hide their lack of emotions very well to the eye. However, how does one do that living with an empath? Well, they would need access to a witch. Right?"
Jasper glanced between his sibling and the traditional, not liking the insinuation she was making. "What are you implying?"
"Oh, just you've believed that your little traitor in the midst was Mommy and Daddy, because they favored that golden boy that Bella killed. Am I right? Kol only gave me the cliff notes version. Well, something didn't add up. If the sparkly moron had info, enough to freak out Klaus Mikaelson's own wife, then it was big. Something that would be able to say, oh, kill an Original?"
"What?" Kol jumped up. "Is this true? I thought the last stake burned with Father!"
Klaus glared at the former witch with the usual irritation he held for her. "How could you have known that?"
"Please," she scoffed. "You know how I get my information. I ran with your family for a period before you boxed Kol and I took off. My safety wasn't guaranteed being around you because of my allegiance to him. But I'm right, aren't I?"
"You are," Bella admitted. "But who…?"
"This big one," Myriam eyeballed. "He was way too happy, fast talking, and just generally rubbed me the wrong way from the moment we got here. And he's been on his phone texting with someone, who - should be visiting shortly. I'll be right back…" she said as she zipped out of the house.
Klaus raised a hand, pointing towards the door as he eyed his brother. "Please tell me you have a good excuse for bringing that back here."
"I didn't know she was going to be at that bar that we went to! I just wanted to scare the seer a bit, have some fun! Next thing I know, it's her that's handing me a drink that I didn't order!"
"Other than the white oak, she's possibly the only being capable of destroying us!" he shouted.
Kol grimaced and shrugged. "Technically speaking, not her, but she's really harmless. She just doesn't like being messed with or lied to, or threatened… Really, she's a female you…"
Bella raised an eyebrow at that. "So what you are saying is you're secretly attracted to your brother?"
"NO!" both objected venomously.
Jasper scratched the back of his head and eyed the brothers. "That's kinda how it sounded."
The two turned to glare at him as well. "So where did she run off to after dropping that suggestion that he is the traitor all the while?" Klaus questioned as he went to grab Emmett and move him to join Carlisle and Esme. "If you are smart, blondie, you will move on your own."
Rosalie glared at Emmett and moved to the sofa, crossing her arms. "What did you do?" she hissed at him.
Female screaming and grunting could be heard coming closer. When the front doors flew open on their own, every vampire flitted as far back from it as possible. "Myriam's back," Kol murmured, watching with eager eyes.
A body was thrown into the foyer and landed, moving slightly with a groan. Myriam walked in behind, calmly and sighed. "When you make deals with Cold Ones, you should anticipate getting some kind of infection. They are parasites after all. The thing is, you fucked up Girl. You took a call and made deals without the full picture. And then you just had to get yourself involved with it further, complicating it more," she lectured as she reached down to grab the vampire by the hair, revealing Katherine Pierce.
"Katherine?" Bella blinked. "But - you helped me… You got me away from Nik when I didn't want to deal with them when I was off."
She turned her eyes over to the Original but was unable to say anything as outside, Myriam had managed to shove a stalk of vervain down her throat so she was unable to speak. "Oh, we all know that Miss Pierce loves playing the long game. She got an offer on some white oak and couldn't refuse. My sources told me that because of her debt to you, she had to get you out of the way so that she could try to get her hands on it to use on the rest of the family. Seems you're the only likable one. I do would like to debate that one day."
Bella growled, her eyes glowing yellow as she took a step towards Myriam. Kol quickly moved to step in between the girl, his hands held up in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, calm down. I know you just got your emotions back and they may still be a bit wonky but let's calm down and find out more about this deal with Katherine and the sparkly, okay? Let's not hurt our friend. She's here to help us, remember?"
"Put your bitch on a leash Kol. I'll kill her myself," she snapped before returning to Klaus, who was still feeling overwhelmed himself with the rollercoaster of behavior from his wife.
Kol turned and glared at Myriam, who only pouted. "I was only being honest," she replied innocently.
"Just get to the facts," he ordered.
Rolling her eyes, Myriam snapped Katherine's neck and let her body fall to the ground. "She was going to buy the info off that fucker, obviously. I don't need to tell you what for. I don't know why he didn't try selling it to the Volturi, but I know they would love to get their hands on it."
Klaus' eyes narrowed at that and turned to Emmett. "Did you tell anyone else other than Katherine? Because we've been waiting on the Volturi tracker and he has never shown."
"You called for Demetri? Why?" Bella asked.
"To track your crazy wolf ass down," Myriam emotionlessly answered, bored. "Look, you don't like me. I'm not particularly fond of you. But we do have mutual interests. Neither of us want that wood in the hands of the wrong people. You lose your family and I lose," she glanced at Kol with hesitance before continuing, "my life if he dies."
Klaus frowned and sighed as he had not missed what she wordlessly. Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number he had for the tracker he despised for his interest in his wife. As he waited for the Cold One to answer, he eyed his brother's creation. "You said that this bloody maggot needed a witch to fool the Major."
Myriam stared at him like the moron she always believed him to be. Pointing back at the unconscious vampire at her feet, she raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell has been her best friend for the last fifteen years or so? As I understand, Maria has a new vampire that as a witch had the capability of causing brain aneurysms. Now she can literally make a vampire's venom boil. You think Jane is bad? Congratulations Bella. You gave Maria a weapon she'd been hoping for - if she could just get a vampire in the girl's eyesight without losing it. You are lucky to leave Mexico when you did because other than Klaus' enemies, the great, sweet, Isabelle Mikaelson made an official enemy of the Mexican warlord, Maria all on her own."
Seeing his sister's face fall with each word, Kol could not help but be sympathetic. "That's enough Myriam," he quietly told her, trying to ease the anger and hate she held for the Cold Ones and the guilt that was growing within Bella. "Do your pets know if there is anyone else involved?"
She looked back at him, drawing a deep breath and kicking Katherine in the face hard enough to snap her neck again when she began to stir awake. Reaching up to her pendant, she closed her eyes as she waited for communication with its inhabitants.
Klaus stared at her, pissed off as hung up the phone as Demetri's went unanswered. "Aro is going to be losing his hound."
Bella had remained quiet as she realized just how far her family had truly gone to try to get her back because of what she had done in her reaction to the new white oak. "Are we really losing everyone we had once believed an ally?"
Kol moved in front of Myriam and peered in her eyes that had opened in small slits. He could make out that they had turned black and it had always freaked him out. "Well, when our family went from not one, but two Original hybrids, it sort of changes the shift of power against the rest of the factions. You can't blame them for being upset."
With a gasp, Myriam's eyes opened up, back to her strange cognac color. "Your Cold One friend is still working in your favor," she reported. Her disgust barely disguised in her tone. "He intercepted Katherine's bid to sell the wood of the tree to the Volturi once she had gotten access and is in Washington negotiating with the shifters. I don't see this going well in the long run."
"Why not? They are our friends," Bella questioned.
"Those shifters know what they can be used against you and they are in control of it," Myriam pointed out. "The right threat, they will hand it over. You know this is a strong possibility Klaus. You've done it yourself."
He nodded, unable to deny her point. "So all that is involved are the shifters, the tracker, and these two?"
Myriam looked over at the Cold Ones. "The blond wasn't involved, but she knows now. That's on you to decide how to handle it. I wouldn't trust the other two. My issues aside, I'd destroy those three."
Klaus pulled Bella to the side and pushed her hair back from her face to pull it up to face him. "We did discuss this possibility enroute here. This is how we survived for so long. We were wary of even our allies for many turned on us," he said.
Bella reached up to hold her head as the stress begun to engulf her. Looking back at Kol and Myriam, she nodded. "Fine. Kill them," she said. Remorse filled her and she couldn't stop herself as she turned to seek out Jasper. "I'm so sorry…"
He smiled and waved her off. "No worries. I expected this outcome. It's alright, Sugar."
"Where's Alice?" she asked.
He looked over at Myriam, who hid her smile as she shifted behind Kol's form. "Kol tried to make her his pet, from my understanding. However, someone else took a claim and has been using her as a doll since. She's upstairs and compelled at the moment."
Bella was immediately curious. "A doll?"
"You have no idea, Poppet," Kol replied. "I just had her covered to avoid sparkles but wasn't concerned about fashion. But Myriam is particularly cruel."
"I hate Cold Ones. You brought her to my bar," Myriam reminded him as ran her hands around his waist from behind and receiving a surprised hiss from him.
Jasper rolled his eyes and elbowed Peter to move. "We'll take care of these guys. I guess you should compel Rosalie with what you want her remember, Klaus. And deal with Katherine."
Klaus was confused, about to question him when Kol's eyes darkened and grabbed Myriam before disappearing with her. Pressing his lips together in annoyance, he shook his head. "Bloody wanker. We won't be rid of that devil woman until he's boxed or he pisses her off again."
"Forget them. If she's got Alice being miserable, she can stay!" Bella grinned, running up the stairs to find the annoying creature.
Jasper smiled as he waited, watching her husband. It was only a moment before her laughter broke out, filling the house. "Myriam has her dressed in a strange, giant cactus looking dress that even comes over her head with red tights. She swears that everything really comes off the runway so Alice has absolutely no excuse to complain."
Ignoring everyone, Peter just began to make his way to grab Emmett, who attempted to fight him. Being the skilled fighter he was, he had little issues getting him outside and using him to get a bonfire started.
"So what happened to Elijah?" Jasper asked, ignoring Peter and Charlotte as they made their way back in to grab their next victim with eager smiles on their faces.
Klaus watched the pair carry the struggling and protesting Esme outside before answering. The two were clearly taking their time and enjoying the opportunity to take out Cullens. "Daggered and in the possession of one of my progeny. Once this here is resolved, Isabella and I are supposed to return to deal with him. For now, Rebekah is keeping Marcel company to assure they don't do anything to him. Isabella refuses to allow to have his dagger removed. She hasn't said why."
"I wish I could help you there," the empath said.
"I know," Klaus sighed.
Peter returned inside for Carlisle and this time was skipping like a third grade school girl. He walked out with his body over his shoulder, tipping his invisible hat passing Klaus.
Klaus was silent for a moment, trying to put his thoughts in order. Staring towards the front door, he finally spoke after a moment as they took in the scent of burning Cold Ones. "Your friend is a strange one, Major."
"Your family is strange."
Author Note: And with this update, this story is complete with a very anticlimactic ending. *wink* Love you all and thank you all for your dedication. Now time to refocus onto finishing another story. Love, Meeko.
"I wish I could help you there," the empath said.
"I know," Klaus sighed.
Peter returned inside for Carlisle and this time was skipping like a third grade school girl. He walked out with his body over his shoulder, tipping his invisible hat passing Klaus.
Klaus was silent for a moment, trying to put his thoughts in order. Staring towards the front door, he finally spoke after a moment as they took in the scent of burning Cold Ones. "Your friend is a strange one, Major."
"Your family is strange."
~o.O.o~
With most of the Mikaelson family reunited and relatively satisfied that the threat that sent Bella into the frenzy of turning her humanity off under control, it left few complications for them to deal with. Having decided what remained was now strictly a family matter to be resolved internally, Klaus dismissed Jasper and his friends, knowing that they would have his and his wife's back should they ever require their assistance. And they would return the favor. The Whitlock coven left with a reluctant Rosalie in tow, as Klaus was still tempted to kill her despite her innocence in the events surrounding her mate's actions.
The only one of their kind that remained was Alice, quietly compelled as her ability was granted the family some margin of leverage over other vampires and witches.
With a sigh, Klaus snapped Katherine Pierce's neck again, dropping her on the couch and turned to his wife, who sat across the room, legs crossed and her chin resting in her hand on the armrest. She appeared so at ease with what he had just done, he raised a brow. "You know, you could help subdue her every now and then while we figure out a suitable punishment," he commented.
"I could, yes," she replied. "I cannot, however. It's still difficult after all these years, Niklaus. She reminds me so much of my sister that I just can't bear to do anything."
"That is why you helped her run from me after she turned," he realized, seeing the saddened look on her face.
She shrugged a shoulder. "I know she is not Tatia, nor that Tatia was truly my sister. But the sentiment still remains. They truly are so much alike that it pains me to lose her - as complicated as it seems. Perhaps it contributes much to my resentment of Elijah."
Klaus stared at her, knowing Rebekah's hints and flagrant tells have told him as much. "What exactly has Elijah done that has upset you? Tell me and I will deal with him."
Bella stared at Katherine's body and a small smile grew on her lips. "You could not harm him any more than I can her," she answered, eyes shifting over to her husband. The sounds from the nearby bedroom suddenly grew louder and she rolled her eyes. "Are those two going to finish sometime this century?"
"They haven't seen one another since I boxed him in, what? 1821? They probably had a few rendezvous until he was boxed again, by you, I may add. Give them their time. I would prefer not to anger that one if we can avoid it," he reluctantly admitted.
"She may not be Mikaelson by blood, or marriage, but she certainly is one in spirit. I'll grant her that," Bella mused, curiously eyeing the direction of the bedroom her brother and his lover were in. "It still disturbs me to this day what she is capable of. I still dislike the Heretics."
The chuckle from Klaus brought her back to the moment and she narrowed her eyes on him. "Oh, I wouldn't go there yet. Who's to say that he might not follow through one day? We all know that they've been infatuated with one another since they met all those years ago when she was still human. Even if he took her for a toy, she's the one that turned it around making him her plaything. I think it only made him all that much more...endeared to her."
Bella rolled her eyes again and pouted as she returned to staring at Katherine. Trying to think of some sort of punishment or torture for the vampire did not come easy to her but she knew it was necessary. What the girl had conceived against her family was unforgivable.
"Tell me what Elijah has done to wrong you," Klaus said, moving to block her view.
Her eyes narrowed before looking up his body and for the moment, all she could think about was taking him to one of the other rooms and laying claim to him. The expression he looked at her with, demanded a response, one that he almost never used on her.
"You mean, aside from his voracious appetite that led to his killing my sister? His supposed love of his life?" she asked, contempt dripping from each word as she spit them out. "His participation in your binding is another. Plus he was the one that handed me the tea caused the loss of our unborn child that your mother created that was supposed to ease my nausea when I learned I fell pregnant. He may have been naive to her actions, but he still had a part to play."
Klaus' jaw dropped as he stared at her. He had no idea what to say to her that could possibly ease her anger, her pain. His mother was no longer there for her to take her frustrations out on, and all she had was Elijah. "You were…? You never said anything."
She looked down to her hands, her fingers turning and knotting themselves in the hem of her blouse. "No, I did not. I had wanted to wait another moon until I knew the child was strong. I'd been ill for weeks and there was that sickness that swept through the village that we feared I had caught. I didn't want to say anything and have us to prepare only to lose it and be disappointed. So I shouldered it on my own. I only recognized the ingredients of the tea when I went to see your mother to help prepare for supper and saw the wolfsbane near her potions and some of the leaves I knew she used in my tea. Why would she put wolfsbane in my tea? Unless I had something wolf related within. I was so ill and weak. You feared that I did have that sickness, but because neither of us had triggered our gene, yet, it was only enough to…" she trailed off, wiping away the tears of the memories. "So yes. I resent Elijah for every action he has done to us, for what he believed was best. Fair, noble Elijah. If the vampire world only knew just how much of a monster he truly was."
Klaus nodded slowly, his fingers, hands twitching at his sides for the desire to draw blood. "When we finish here, we will retrieve him, wake him, and punish him as well. Perhaps a few centuries boxed up will do him well."
Bella sighed and looked back up at her husband. "If only we had the ability to compel one another. I'd just compel his memories of us away and send him off. However, we cannot get what we wish."
"I wouldn't want to forget a thing. Every bloody betrayal only makes us who we are," Klaus stated. "You would not be the strong woman you are today if it had not been for putting up with me for a husband, and Elijah for a brother!"
"He ain't wrong there, Poppet," Kol chimed as he leaned against the entryway with a lazy smile on his face. "You know I can't stand the bastard more than I do this one. Some days, it's reversed."
She smiled at him, saying nothing. When Myriam walked in, still pulling her shirt on, she threw her hands up, exasperated. "You could not at least finish dressing before you left the bedroom?"
Myriam's head popped through her shirt and looked over at her. "No," she answered honestly. "We were finished, I let Kol come out and have his moment with you and then I was too eager to get in on the action with Kitty Kat. I can't wait to play with her."
Bella's eyes glowed yellow as she snarled at the vampire. "I refuse to let her die."
"Oh I'm not going to kill her," Myriam waved her off. "Chill your jets. You just might enjoy the show," she smirked and took off through the house before returning, frustrated. "Why is there no television in this place?"
Klaus blinked, glancing at Kol who merely shrugged. "We only just returned to New Orleans. And we've never had the need for one," he muttered, confused as to what she might be thinking.
Huffing, she stood with her hands on her hips, glaring towards the vampire. "Fine. I'll get this fixed. Just give me a little time."
Before anyone could object, she disappeared out the door.
"Kol. What is your girlfriend planning on doing with Katherine?" Bella questioned, her eyes closed as she pressed her fingers to her temple.
"I haven't the foggiest. I'm sure it should be fun, right?" he grinned.
Klaus and Bella glared back at him, not the least bit amused.
~o.O.o~
Late that afternoon, activity began to pick up at the plantation. While they were certain Myriam was the cause of it, seeing as it involved a delivery of several televisions and eventually a compelled cable service hook up, the Mikaelson family were still pondering what her grand plan was for Katherine.
"Alright. I'll give that I might be interested in seeing some of the shows I hear some of the humans speak of now and then, but I still don't understand what this has to do with punishing Katherine," Bella complained as she glared as the humans moved about like aimless little ants in her kingdom.
"You and I both," Kol replied as he grabbed the remote when the first television was done and began to investigate the technology, flipping through the channels.
Bella's face scrunched as he became fascinated and ignored her and Klaus. Turning to him, she shook her head. "If we are able to get the compound back, I want to live there. Kol can keep this place and these - modern modifications that Myriam has made."
"Agreed," Klaus said, kissing her forehead. Hearing more movement in the front, he sighed. "What now?"
Double checking that Katherine was still out, the couple went to the front door, confused and annoyed at what they saw. "What are you doing here? With that?!" Bella demanded.
Rebekah's mouth fell open for a moment, turning to Marcel for backup. "Kol's little pet showed up telling us that you needed Elijah here. I figured it'd be best that we kept him boxed since I had no idea why for. Marcel of course objected until she let him know exactly why we usually entertain Myriam's little requests."
Marcel still was quite annoyed and disturbed by whatever she'd done to him. "The fuck?! Did you know she has demons? For pets?" he questioned as he glared at his sire.
Klaus shrugged and nodded. "Yes, unfortunately. Kol found her when she was human and she was quite the skilled demonologist. That is what sets her apart from witches, you see. You don't need magic to control them. Just knowledge, confidence, and perfect pronuncian. Or so I was told. She won't tell us how she truly does it, but she does have them contained and only lets them out when she deems necessary. Clearly, you pissed her off."
"We do try not to do that," Bella added under her breath as she crossed her arms, staring at the coffin they brought with them. "Why would she think we'd want Elijah here? Right now, I'd like nothing more than to set him on fire while he is defenseless in that trap."
"It won't kill him, Love," Klaus reminded her.
"I can wish," she sneered as she waved her permission to bring Elijah's coffin inside.
It wasn't long once they had the furniture moved and situated to accommodate the new addition that Myriam returned, waltzing into the house with rubber gloves, tarps, and ropes inside a bucket of water. A quick breath had the vampires giving her a wide berth as they picked up the scent of vervain.
"Oh good! Everything is here," the psychotic vampire grinned as she set up two chairs with a tarp underneath in the one sitting room that had a television and cable installed.
She grabbed the unconscious Katherine and securely tied her to one chair, turning it to face the television before setting up the other to do the same for Elijah. No one said a word as they watched with morbid curiosity as they hadn't a clue as to what she was planning. Thus far, what she had done wasn't unusual as far as beginnings of torturing goes. Pretty standard technique for vampires.
Stepping back and pulling off her gloves, Myriam narrowed her eyes on Katherine. "She will probably need to be compelled to remain in her chair, but that will be all. The suffering will come soon enough. As far as Elijah, compulsion won't work and I know the vervain will only go so far, so I'll have to attach one of my pets to keep him rooted in place. I promise he won't hurt him - much," she assured the siblings as she gave them a devious smile.
"I am still confused as to how you think this is going to punish them?" Bella commented. "Katherine has enough experience and tolerance against vervain that she can put up with a lot."
"Hm, yes," Myriam nodded as she considered that. "She's not much older than me, but while she's particularly vain, I did keep up with the technology and media. If I ever asked you to trust me on anything, trust me on this. Katherine will only suffer mentally. Elijah, I don't know. I tended to avoid him. He was always a bit of a prick."
Katherine started to moan as her neck had healed already from her most recent break and she was coming to, making the vampire grin. Myriam immediately went over to the television, turning it on and flipping the channels, searching for a particular station. Tossing the remote to a random corner of the room so it wasn't as easily sought out, she went over and pulled out the dagger from Elijah and handed it over to Bella. "All we do now is wait," she winked.
"What is this?" Klaus questioned as he eyed the television.
"Mental torture at it's finest," Myriam replied, shrugging. "Just try not to pay attention to it yourself. Come on and stay out of the room otherwise we will give them something else to focus on and defeat the purpose. We'll check on them later."
He glared at her as she pushed them out and shut the door behind her. "I don't get it."
"She is making them sit through never ending government political babble," Marcel replied. "It's insanely boring."
"Mental torture for humans. I forgot to pay my cable bill once. Instead of cutting me off, they put that on all channel options. I had it paid by the end of day three of realizing what the fuck was going on," Myriam admitted. "Katherine won't last before screaming to be let out of there."
"She can still hear us out here," Rebekah added her input as she strained to listen for anything through the door.
"Nope. I have my little pet blocking our sounds from them. We can talk freely. Don't worry. Until you're ready to let them free, they are stuck in one another's company and the US government for entertainment," Myriam clapped her hands together in front of her and swung her body like an excited four year old.
"Oh hell no! Not this shit!"
"It's begun…"
Bella was about to go run in to look but Myriam held her back. "No, just wait a little. We need to see how Elijah reacts."
Bella eyed her for a moment before slowly nodding and letting out a breath.
Eventually, Myriam finally let everyone in several hours later to check on the two's status. However, what they found was not quite what they expected. Myriam was actually rather disappointed and scrunched her nose up in distaste at the scent she picked up. "Ugh, I'm outta here."
Marcel blinked and looked over at his shocked sire and his wife, who were both staring speechless. Katherine had vervain burns on her arms from the ropes, as they had anticipated. She sat in the chair crying as she evidently had tried to inch the chair away from Elijah as far as she could.
Whereas, Elijah appeared completely enraptured by the television and the scent of arousal permeated the room.
"I think I'm with Myriam. That's just - no," Rebekah said, turning and making her escape, pulling Marcel with her.
Klaus and Bella looked at one another and followed the others out, ignoring the pleading Katherine. Slamming the door behind them, Bella zipped to the front of the house, ahead of Marcel and her sister. "Stop. We are claiming the compound back," she stated as she faced Marcel, daring him to challenge her.
He opened his mouth to say something but with two hybrids against him, closed his mouth quickly. "The compound is yours, Your Highness."
"Oh hell no," she objected. "I simply want nothing to do with this property now after that. Myriam is one messed up demon and after everything we've been through and that I've put the family through, I have to admit - that was most anticlimactic."
"It truly was," Klaus agreed. "But almost fitting for them. Kol and Myriam can keep the plantation and watch over them."
"And Alice. She won't get visions around us," Bella pointed out.
"Alice?" Marcel questioned.
"None of your concern," Klaus smiled. "Another of Myriam's pets."
"I'm ready to go home, Niklaus. I'm so ready for this to be done with."
"Great," Myriam shouted from the top of the steps. "Go, be gone. I'll let you know when their brains have turned to mush."
"Lovely visuals," Bella murmured, glaring at Kol, whom only gave her a cheeky smile and ran up the stairs to his lover. "He better know what he's doing this time."
"She'll just find her own punishment, Sweetheart. Let's go home," Klaus said, pulling her out the door with a smile and plan to fully ravish her that evening. "It's all over now. It can be just you and I."
Her eyes glowed amber at the tone he used and her heart picked up its pace. "I look forward to it."