*only reblog this from my account to have the newest version!*
Status: ongoing (very slow updates,sorry)
Pairing: Kol x SalvatoreSister!Reader
Summary: NOTHING TO LOSE, NOTHING TO FEAR - Years after the apocalyptic events in Mystic Falls, the Salvatore Sister has risen from the ashes. Stronger and more lethal than ever she set course to New Orleans to undermine the war that has been brewing for months. But the Crescent City had its own scores to settle, familiar faces to revisit and surprises to dish out that nobody could have ever seen coming.
Open Coffin 2 | Chapter 09 “Between Familiarity and Change"
Chapter warnings: typical tvd/to violence (this time only emotional lol), angst, a lot of dialogue, hurt puppy eyes from Kol.. ouch
Word count: 4640
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
Open Coffin 2 Masterlist
The dreamlike state you awoke in was far from the pleasantries one hopes for during sleep. A second ago you felt the asphalt on your skin, dropping like a stone, now you stood in a room with no view beyond its rugged, wooden walls. Animal heads were mounted on four pillars in the middle of the room encasing a circle. The room had a hazy view around the edges as if the world beyond its walls was nonexistent.
You knew exactly what this place was, yet you have never seen it executed. A Chambre de Chaussee. A magically constructed place to trap the minds with no time and space beyond its walls. And unfortunately, you weren't alone in this dreamscape.
"Unsettling is it not? To be swept away into this…monstrosity." Klaus spoke from the other side of the room, stepping out under the Wolf figure hung above his head. When he turned to take in your still blood-soaked clothing he had an amused grin on his face.
"Well, don't you look like the poster child of murder and mayhem?" He snickered.
With a smile saturated in sarcasm, you stepped closer, and with each step, the hatred grew. He left you there in the cemetery after he swore to do the complete opposite. You reached him and punched him square in his self-righteous face without hesitation, knowing you'd feel the same pain inflicted due to still being linked to him.
"I'll give you that one." He said, cleaning the blood trickling from his nose with the back of his hand. You did the same as the linking was still intact.
"You left me there." Your voice was low, edging into a growl. "At the cemetery. You just disappeared."
He roamed your features for a moment, seemingly taken aback for a second, before his face hardened "No hard feelings, sweetheart. Business is business."
"Business, huh? You said you get me out of there and I was stupid enough to believe you."
"Need I remind you, it was you who put my brother in danger!" He was seething, the usual Klaus showing his face again.
"And it was me getting him out of it, despite knowing better!! How many times do I have to help, for you to let me off the hook?"
"Perhaps there isn't a way for you to get off the hook!"
"I should just-"
"What hurts me hurts you, love. Have at it." He smirked, ready for a fight if you wished for it.
"Children, please." Elijah cut in, stepping out from behind his pillar. His timing was impeccable as always, which was a step up from the dishevelled state he was in. No suit, no clean-cut beard. They - his own family no less- sure did a number on him.
"You of all people should know what it's like in there with these two lunatics," you said to him, mirroring the dimmed look he sported. In a way, this version of Elijah felt more real than the suit. Maybe it's like a snake shedding its skin.
"Lunatic, my my" Finn appeared strutting through the wooden door at the helm of the room "You wound me."
You involuntarily jumped upon hearing his voice, your body's natural response winning over your resolve, much to your dismay.
Of course, Finn saw it too.
"No need to be afraid." He said etching away at your confidence with the way he enjoyed evoking fear. If asked he would still pretend that was the case.
"The last time I saw you, you cut me open with a butcher knife." And bled you out like a slaughtered animal, only to do it again the next day. Not to mention Esther's mental torture.
"If you would've simply cooperated, I would've not resorted to measures quite like it." He shrugged.
"It was all for nothing anyway. You didn't find out what these two are hiding." You looked at Klaus and Elijah, making sure not to linger each too long to not raise suspicion. You hoped they'd realize what he was trying to do. At least by speaking it out loud now you have beaten Finn to the punch.
"However big or small. " You made eye contact with Klaus this time, pronouncing the word small with extra meanings, and you saw he understood "This secret is no concern of yours. And I intend to keep it that way."
Finn contemplated your answer and was ready to speak when Elijah stepped further into the circle.
"Brother." He forced a welcoming smile "Why have you brought us here?"
"Brother." Finn let out a huff "You cannot even hide your disdain addressing me as such!" His outburst would have been somewhat comical, if not for the fact he collected himself as quickly as he lost his temper.
The brothers resorted to a back-and-forth of interrogation and slide comments, all incredibly uninteresting to you. You've heard it all before. Instead of watching them, you took the time to look at the animal heads more closely. Representational magic was a fickle thing. One misrepresentation and the entire room ceases to exist. Finn had to have made a mistake somewhere, you were sure of it.
He chose a wolf and stag for Klaus and Elijah respectively, but your totem coaxed a chuckle out of you. The animal's proportions were off by a lot, but it made it all the more imposing. The black shell had a sheen to it as it hung there flat above you almost life-like. Only its sting was curved towards you, threatening its poisonous power to whoever was the beholder.
"The Fox and the Scorpion? Very funny." You chuckled, pointing at the scorpion and the fox totem on the other pillar next to it. Why did he have a fox totem if Kol was not even remotely close to being here?
Nevertheless, it was a fitting display even if it was a bit on the nose. You had not pegged Finn for a moral story kind of person. "You know I always thought the frog and the scorpion made more sense. The fox wouldn't be dumb enough to trust the scorpion."
Finn laughed at that, apparently having some sort of inside joke with himself. "Interesting analysis. Does that mean everyone is a fool if they trust you? Even with their life?"
"I think you and I both know the answer to that."
"Indeed. Your nature is irreversible, just like the Scorpion. And your sting drowned the fox simply by existing. Or perhaps that's not true? Perhaps the fox has risen from the ashes, taking on another form."
Finn's gaze shifted to his left, towards the fox pillar.
"Why don't you tell her, Kaleb." His insinuation was clear and it was absurd. Even as Kaleb stepped out of the shadows and looked back at the fox totem above him, you denied it.
"You're full of shit. First, you torture me and now this? You really want to make an enemy out of me, don't you?"
"I wouldn't dare." Finn smirked, gave a pause, then turned to Kaleb "Come on now, brother. Tell the truth for once."
Kaleb wouldn't meet your eye or anyone else's as he stood there. When he finally did look at you, you saw him. Saw him and it was as if the world was imploding in on itself.
"Darling, I-" He stepped closer, frantically trying to soften the blow. Which, of course, came too late to make any impact.
You backed away and raised your trembling hand, keeping him away from you. "No."
He hesitated but stepped back, his usually tall frame sunken with defeat. Yet he was still measuring your reaction with interest, hoping he might find the right words to say. To somehow explain weeks of hiding who he truly was. But Finn interrupted before he could think of the next step.
"Well, that settles it for your portion of today's affairs." He said. "We have family business to discuss. No hard feelings" He added, snapping his fingers. All faded to black once more before you could say a thing.
------------
The church doors opened with a loaded crack as the wood hammered into the stone wall behind it. Kaleb / Kol was still unconscious as you approached the altar, still stuck in Finn's concoction.
All of this had to be a cruel joke, something to coax an unkind response out of you. To what end you were not sure, but staring into the possibility that he had lied for weeks was worse than anything Finn could have orchestrated. Surely it was only a ploy for manipulation. It had to be.
You sat there on the church steps for a few minutes contemplating what you could possibly say to him. This wasn't supposed to be the reunion you both deserved. It was supposed to be as grounding as the last piece placed in the puzzle - a victory after failing for so long. But perhaps that feeling of victory was never achievable, to begin with. Perhaps it was meant to be a fairy tale among the harsh reality of existence.
Kaleb Kol stirred awake suddenly, sitting up with a start regaining focus. He found your eyes immediately and focused on you without a second to spare. A sheepish smile planted on his face, hopeful and freer now the cat was out of the bag. But there was fear in it too, fear of rejection, even remnants of the fear of being uncovered.
Seeing him sitting there you had no idea how the hell you didn't see Kol behind those eyes. The way they would glint with purpose once he spurred into action. The knowledge behind them went beyond the rage and scheming other people knew him for. It was beyond obvious now. The magnetic pull tugging you towards him was proof enough too.
"So it's true. It really is you. I'm such an idiot." You stated, trying to read the expression on his face as it sobered from hopeful into fear.
What did he expect? For you to run into his arms after he lied for weeks? That's all you wanted to do for years, and now it was finally here under the worst circumstances.
He swallowed, straightened up and stood, pacing the room in short strides. He was rattled to his core.
"I tried to tell you. And every time I did, it felt wrong." He said, trying to disguise the shaking in his voice "I thought it would be easier to start over. We could've gotten away, without my reputation attached, without my family sabotaging us."
"It's not that easy." You shook your head.
"Isn't it?" His focus flickered to your face briefly, before pacing once again "I know you're scared but-."
"I'm not scared I-"
"Of course you are!" He said, cringing at the way he raised his voice. He settled, and reached for your hand carefully "I was scared too, but I'm finished being scared. We could go right now. Leave all of this behind. Just you and me."
Suddenly, as if someone had placed a mirror between you, you saw yourself as he had at this moment. Covered in blood, dirt and dust-ridden skin. A far cry from your past self. How could he still want to keep going?
"It's not that easy. I'm not the same person. Not even close."
Slowly, without much pressure, Kol stepped closer and drew your hand up to his chest and over his heart. Beneath the skin, you could feel the beating of his heart, fast and fluttering like a drum.
"Nothing has changed for me. This heart might not be mine but it beats for you still. No matter what. Please tell me I haven't ruined us." His gaze was pleading and sincere as he held I to your hand for dear life.
It would be so easy to just give in. This was Kol, for god sakes! The one person you went to hell and back for was standing right in front of you. And yet he felt more like a ghost than a person.
And that was precisely the problem. He was the ghost you were supposed to be. This was always the plan. Get him back even if it takes you to your grave. But you weren't ready to tell him that. You were equally unready to see him standing before you, excusing all he had witnessed from the other side. He would forgive the most terrible sins if they were committed by your hand.
You shook your head, removing your hand from his grasp. Panic washed over his face and the hand still resting on yours clutched your skin tightly "I can't do this right now."
"Let's focus on dealing with Esther and Finn first. Then we can figure everything else out."
He looked defeated just then but nodded anyway. He knew the time was not right, even if his heart told him otherwise.
"I'm sorry. I know it's not what you wanted." You added, trying to console him.
"What I want is for you not to look at me the way you are now. Like you don't even see me."
Maybe because I don't even know who you are right now. That is what you should've said, instead, you muttered something about the work you both had to do.
----------
The walk to the compound was charged with silence and unsaid words. By now he usually would've made you laugh at least a dozen times, perhaps even dragged you into a jazz bar to dance. Now there was silence as you walked next to each other, hands itching to touch as they dragged on with movement.
It was unbearable.
The compound was a sight for sore eyes for once, now the objects of ease and not discomfort as it so often had been. The inside was still the same, except for the small table next to the staircase where Klaus was sitting and nursing a drink.
"You're here." He said without looking in your direction. He only looked up when you grabbed the second glass from the table next to him and filled it to the brim with bourbon.
"However small." You repeated the same phrase from earlier. "Your secret is safe. We're here to help you keep it that way."
"Despite us knowing better," Kol muttered from behind, leaning against the staircase railing.
Another drink made its way down your throat, all the while ignoring the quizzical look from Klaus which jumped between you and his brother.
"Let's get to work." You declared once the moment became unbearable. "How far away is the location?"
"Far enough," Klaus replied.
"Too far to drive in a day?" You asked, promptly receiving a nod. "Alright then. Warn anyone who's there right now. I'm sure Finn will figure it out in a few days. "
You stood up, slamming the glass down on the smooth table surface.
Klaus stood up too. "And where are you going?" he asked, a tinge of sourness in his voice.
"I need a goddamn shower. If you want to leave early, then go. I can catch up."
"Finn will recuperate after today's events. He will not retaliate. For now. We leave at first light."
"Sounds good." You agreed, ascending the stairs to finally wash all the blood, dirt and grime off. You felt Kol's eyes on you as you walked away, a longing stare that buried itself into your back with vigour.
Klaus noticed this and moved closer to him. "I advised you to tell her weeks ago, have I not? Now see what your lie has brought."
"Because you're the poster child of honesty." Kol snapped back, before letting out a frustrated sigh, "I tried not to be selfish and still I mess it up." Kol uttered, working his jaw loose with the self-hatred that seemingly had embedded itself into his gums.
"You died for her. You've become the least selfish of us all." Klaus laid a hand on his shoulder, forgetting the fight they had when they last spoke at the cabin. He gave Kol a nod, trying to convey that things will look up again soon. He then fishes out a pair of keys from his pocket and holds them out in front of him. "Your car is in the garage."
Kol took the keys and watched as Klaus walked away. He stared after him, wondering what the hell happened to the Klaus he knew. Perhaps he had changed finally, or perhaps his adventure in the chambré today had changed him too.
Kol shakes his head, ascending the stairs too wishing the shower he was about to take could wash this day down the drain.
----
The car ride was tense. And silent. Where there used to be music playing, the sound of wind hollering through the open window, now there was only silence. The disconnect between the pair of you now and years ago was evident. Thankfully, Klaus drove in his own car or this ride would've been even more tense.
Arriving at Klaus' safe house Was nothing short of awkward. Hayley, Elijah - in the flesh this time- and even Mae greeted you upon arrival. Kol almost dropped dead when he saw Klaus and Hayley's daughter Hope. But he looked grateful despite his shock. It meant that Klaus trusts him enough with a secret like this.
When little Hope saw you, she reached for your hand as if she knew that you touched her in Klaus' memories. Maybe she has more power than you thought.
The hours went by preparing the house for an eventful attack. You and Kol both conjured up a few protection spells for the house. First was an early warning system that monitors anyone breaching a larger perimeter. Then followed a refresh on the cloaking spell for Hope, a few more spells to secure the house as best as you could, without even knowing if Finn won't find a way around it.
By the time the house was somewhat secured, the sun was already starting to set. Little Hope was sleeping and guarded by her parents as well as Mae. Elijah was in the study, no doubt trying to distract his mind with a book. Kol was somewhere resting, no doubt as much in his head as you are in yours. At least the porch you decided to make your home for a while offered a nice view of the backyard that stretched further than the eyes could see. Back in the day, this place was sure a sight to see, with its acres and long stretching paddocks and fields. If not for the impending doom of an attack and the usual problem of not having a moment's peace, this would be a nice place to stay for a while. But alas, no rest for the wicked. And certainly not for the undead.
The sun had fully set when Kol appeared in the doorway next to you. He was leaning in the doorway, his shirt open to endure the heat, his hair tousled from tossing and turning in bed.
"Can't sleep?" He asked, looking out into the darkness.
"Don't even remember the last time I slept." You replied.
He nods, awkwardly shifting where he stood as he tried to find how to phrase what he wanted to say.
"If you want we could steal one of the bedrooms and sleep like we used to. God knows we need it." He let out a nervous chuckle as if to soften the blow if you would find his offer to forward.
"You know I want to just go back to how things were but, I just-" You sighed, breathing out a huff of frustration "What the hell are we doing, huh?"
"Here?"
"Anywhere. I used to know how to make plans and follow through. But every plan I had before coming here failed. Trying to play Esther, Mikael and Klaus, all fell through. I was told there was a war so I came here. I didn't see anything, did you? Which means that we are the ones that cause it. And we don't even know why."
He let out a drawn-out breath of understanding as he sat next to you. So that's what was bothering you, finally, he knew. His shoulders relaxed with that knowledge and hope crept in once more.
"You don't cause havoc like they do." He said as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.
"See that's where you're wrong. You don't know this version of me." You shook your head. It was naive to think you would stay the same after the last few years, but he had no clue who you were now. How rotten.
"Do you think I ever left your side? Even in death, I spend every minute next to you. I would choose every version of you no matter what."
"I don't know how you could love me the way I am now."
"I don't have a choice, darling. I adore you, and that will never cease to be the case. Even if you decide to send me away."
"I don't want that. I don't want to send you away." You looked at him then, your voice quieter than he was used to and his eyebrows drew together in concern. He timidly reached for your hand, and you let him intertwine your fingers with his own.
"Can you tell me what's been going on in that head of yours?" He asked gently, without expectation of a reply. He simply needed you to know that he was there, no matter what the future would hold.
The problem was, how do you tell someone you love that you feel inadequate to the person you used to be? Like a lesser, dented and rotten version of who they once loved. Do you just blurt it out simply? Explain it with as much detail as humanly possible?
So you told him regardless. And you told him even more than that and he listened to it all. He always was an exceptional listener, even now as you recounted the last few weeks.
"And the worst part is I'm scared of Finn. My own father locked me in a basement for weeks on time but now Finn is the one that makes my skin crawl. How ironic is that?" You scoffed, looking at Kol. He shared your slight smile.
He leaned closer, hoping his siblings wouldn't hear him talk "Don't tell anyone, but I have always thought he was off his rocker. Even when I was young, he used to have this hatred about the world. I was terrified of him, and still am."
"Really? You never told me that."
He looked at you with a sad expression tinted with nostalgia and even regret. There certainly were a lot of things still unsaid. You were never granted more than a few months together before you got separated either by dagger or death.
"There are a lot of things still unsaid I imagine." Kol said, sharing your train of thought, "Even though we've loved each other for a century, we're still getting to know each other. Our time was stolen over and over again. But I meant what I said in that church. No matter how bad you believe to be, I will love you regardless. Always"
He covers your hand with his own, gently just letting you know he meant what he said.
"I know. That's why it makes staying away so hard." You sighed, wishing there was some easy answer to all of this "But I have to figure this out first. Not just this whole mess here, but everything else too. I just… I just need a little time."
Kol nods, visibly uneasy with the thought of staying away, especially if he wants to do the exact opposite. But true to the way he always was with you, he gave you your wish "Whatever time you need, it's yours, darling."
When he pulled away from your hand you pulled him back, intertwining your fingers with his, as the sun sets behind you.
"That doesn't mean I want you to go, you know that, right?" You said, looking at him.
"You don't?"
You shook your head, letting it rest on his shoulder as he pulled his arm around you. He always was honest and accommodating when it came to you even when you asked him to let you figure things out.
For the first time since you knew him, you had no idea what the future would bring. If it would work out at all if he was more human than anything else. Humans die someday, even witches and warlocks. If he remained the way he was now, what future was there for you? Maybe close to a century more until he was old and succumbed to time? And what if you turned him? He'd go back to hating how addicted to blood he had always been. What future is there now?
"You're in your head again aren't you, darling?" He said in a quiet voice, wishing he could pluck those bad thoughts out of your head "Come on, let's get some sleep and we'll figure it out in due time."
Soon you found yourself in the same room as if no time had passed. He eyed you from the bed he was lying in, wondering what you would do if he'd allow himself to sleep.
"If I sleep now, you won't disappear on me, right?" Kol asked, nervously picking at the sheet that was covering him "You won't be gone in the morning?"
"I won't." You shook your head, lying down next to him facing him. You knew he was scared you'd just run off, and truth be told you thought about it. But you won't do it. Running would not help this time. At least not right this moment.
"Promise?" He inquired again, his eyes scared as they roamed your face.
"I promise." You leaned towards his cheek despite your better judgement, kissing his cheek softly while whispering a quick sleeping spell. He smiled at your contact before the spell took hold and he fell into a deep sleep. His breathing evened out immediately and his chest rose and fell without a care in the world. He deserved some rest after the last few days and you're glad you could at least do that for him.
You kept an eye on him for a little bit, stroking away the hair that had fallen into his face.
"What am I gonna do with you?" You sighed as you rested your head on his shoulder. He deserved rest, but eventually, you decided you deserved it too, falling asleep on his shoulder like the old times.
At least for tonight, nothing was waiting for you in the shadows.
Finally some peace.
A/N: Here I am again, my friends. Been a long time as always, but you know what to expect by now probably.
Hope you've been well.
Also who would've thought that I would end a chapter on a good-ish note for once?
Kind of a side note, but can you believe all the Salvatore siblings have Scorpio as their sign? I have a birthday for the sister and just realized it's in the Scorpio zodiac area lol
Also, I hope this chapter wasn't too chopped up, because I did write it very sparingly while travelling ice again and there are hours or days I between it. Definitely not how I would like it but it is what it is. Hope you all are doing as well as you can. Thanks for sticking with me.
(still using the probably very outdated list, so lmk if you want to be removed from it)
All faded to black once more before you could say a thing.
Fuck you Finn! And fuck you Kol! In fact fuck you all Mikaelson men! (and not in a good way!
But perhaps that feeling of victory was never achievable, to begin with.
Now that's a sentence that fits so well with the Original family!
"...This heart might not be mine but it beats for you still. No matter what...."
A sweet notion, but I can't even imagine what reader is feeling at that moment. I don't think anyone could sort thru all these thoughts and feelings that fast... so idiot better be patient.
It was naive to think you would stay the same after the last few years, but he had no clue who you were now. How rotten.
I mean.... tbf he also loves his family - and they had centuries to be the most rotten of them all. 🤷🏼♀️
Very well done - as always my friend! 👏👏👏
When this one is done you should definitely get it printed/bound - like the proper book it is!
And yeah the confusing and angry feelings she´s faced with definitely don´t sort themselves out that quickly. But Kol is a patient person, at least in this version of mine he is. The Mikaelson men are usually not known for their patience lol
And also thank you for still reading it as always! <3
Open Coffin 2 | Chapter 09 “Between Familiarity and Change"
Chapter warnings: typical tvd/to violence (this time only emotional lol), angst, a lot of dialogue, hurt puppy eyes from Kol.. ouch
Word count: 4640
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
Open Coffin 2 Masterlist
The dreamlike state you awoke in was far from the pleasantries one hopes for during sleep. A second ago you felt the asphalt on your skin, dropping like a stone, now you stood in a room with no view beyond its rugged, wooden walls. Animal heads were mounted on four pillars in the middle of the room encasing a circle. The room had a hazy view around the edges as if the world beyond its walls was nonexistent.
You knew exactly what this place was, yet you have never seen it executed. A Chambre de Chaussee. A magically constructed place to trap the minds with no time and space beyond its walls. And unfortunately, you weren't alone in this dreamscape.
"Unsettling is it not? To be swept away into this…monstrosity." Klaus spoke from the other side of the room, stepping out under the Wolf figure hung above his head. When he turned to take in your still blood-soaked clothing he had an amused grin on his face.
"Well, don't you look like the poster child of murder and mayhem?" He snickered.
With a smile saturated in sarcasm, you stepped closer, and with each step, the hatred grew. He left you there in the cemetery after he swore to do the complete opposite. You reached him and punched him square in his self-righteous face without hesitation, knowing you'd feel the same pain inflicted due to still being linked to him.
"I'll give you that one." He said, cleaning the blood trickling from his nose with the back of his hand. You did the same as the linking was still intact.
"You left me there." Your voice was low, edging into a growl. "At the cemetery. You just disappeared."
He roamed your features for a moment, seemingly taken aback for a second, before his face hardened "No hard feelings, sweetheart. Business is business."
"Business, huh? You said you get me out of there and I was stupid enough to believe you."
"Need I remind you, it was you who put my brother in danger!" He was seething, the usual Klaus showing his face again.
"And it was me getting him out of it, despite knowing better!! How many times do I have to help, for you to let me off the hook?"
"Perhaps there isn't a way for you to get off the hook!"
"I should just-"
"What hurts me hurts you, love. Have at it." He smirked, ready for a fight if you wished for it.
"Children, please." Elijah cut in, stepping out from behind his pillar. His timing was impeccable as always, which was a step up from the dishevelled state he was in. No suit, no clean-cut beard. They - his own family no less- sure did a number on him.
"You of all people should know what it's like in there with these two lunatics," you said to him, mirroring the dimmed look he sported. In a way, this version of Elijah felt more real than the suit. Maybe it's like a snake shedding its skin.
"Lunatic, my my" Finn appeared strutting through the wooden door at the helm of the room "You wound me."
You involuntarily jumped upon hearing his voice, your body's natural response winning over your resolve, much to your dismay.
Of course, Finn saw it too.
"No need to be afraid." He said etching away at your confidence with the way he enjoyed evoking fear. If asked he would still pretend that was the case.
"The last time I saw you, you cut me open with a butcher knife." And bled you out like a slaughtered animal, only to do it again the next day. Not to mention Esther's mental torture.
"If you would've simply cooperated, I would've not resorted to measures quite like it." He shrugged.
"It was all for nothing anyway. You didn't find out what these two are hiding." You looked at Klaus and Elijah, making sure not to linger each too long to not raise suspicion. You hoped they'd realize what he was trying to do. At least by speaking it out loud now you have beaten Finn to the punch.
"However big or small. " You made eye contact with Klaus this time, pronouncing the word small with extra meanings, and you saw he understood "This secret is no concern of yours. And I intend to keep it that way."
Finn contemplated your answer and was ready to speak when Elijah stepped further into the circle.
"Brother." He forced a welcoming smile "Why have you brought us here?"
"Brother." Finn let out a huff "You cannot even hide your disdain addressing me as such!" His outburst would have been somewhat comical, if not for the fact he collected himself as quickly as he lost his temper.
The brothers resorted to a back-and-forth of interrogation and slide comments, all incredibly uninteresting to you. You've heard it all before. Instead of watching them, you took the time to look at the animal heads more closely. Representational magic was a fickle thing. One misrepresentation and the entire room ceases to exist. Finn had to have made a mistake somewhere, you were sure of it.
He chose a wolf and stag for Klaus and Elijah respectively, but your totem coaxed a chuckle out of you. The animal's proportions were off by a lot, but it made it all the more imposing. The black shell had a sheen to it as it hung there flat above you almost life-like. Only its sting was curved towards you, threatening its poisonous power to whoever was the beholder.
"The Fox and the Scorpion? Very funny." You chuckled, pointing at the scorpion and the fox totem on the other pillar next to it. Why did he have a fox totem if Kol was not even remotely close to being here?
Nevertheless, it was a fitting display even if it was a bit on the nose. You had not pegged Finn for a moral story kind of person. "You know I always thought the frog and the scorpion made more sense. The fox wouldn't be dumb enough to trust the scorpion."
Finn laughed at that, apparently having some sort of inside joke with himself. "Interesting analysis. Does that mean everyone is a fool if they trust you? Even with their life?"
"I think you and I both know the answer to that."
"Indeed. Your nature is irreversible, just like the Scorpion. And your sting drowned the fox simply by existing. Or perhaps that's not true? Perhaps the fox has risen from the ashes, taking on another form."
Finn's gaze shifted to his left, towards the fox pillar.
"Why don't you tell her, Kaleb." His insinuation was clear and it was absurd. Even as Kaleb stepped out of the shadows and looked back at the fox totem above him, you denied it.
"You're full of shit. First, you torture me and now this? You really want to make an enemy out of me, don't you?"
"I wouldn't dare." Finn smirked, gave a pause, then turned to Kaleb "Come on now, brother. Tell the truth for once."
Kaleb wouldn't meet your eye or anyone else's as he stood there. When he finally did look at you, you saw him. Saw him and it was as if the world was imploding in on itself.
"Darling, I-" He stepped closer, frantically trying to soften the blow. Which, of course, came too late to make any impact.
You backed away and raised your trembling hand, keeping him away from you. "No."
He hesitated but stepped back, his usually tall frame sunken with defeat. Yet he was still measuring your reaction with interest, hoping he might find the right words to say. To somehow explain weeks of hiding who he truly was. But Finn interrupted before he could think of the next step.
"Well, that settles it for your portion of today's affairs." He said. "We have family business to discuss. No hard feelings" He added, snapping his fingers. All faded to black once more before you could say a thing.
------------
The church doors opened with a loaded crack as the wood hammered into the stone wall behind it. Kaleb / Kol was still unconscious as you approached the altar, still stuck in Finn's concoction.
All of this had to be a cruel joke, something to coax an unkind response out of you. To what end you were not sure, but staring into the possibility that he had lied for weeks was worse than anything Finn could have orchestrated. Surely it was only a ploy for manipulation. It had to be.
You sat there on the church steps for a few minutes contemplating what you could possibly say to him. This wasn't supposed to be the reunion you both deserved. It was supposed to be as grounding as the last piece placed in the puzzle - a victory after failing for so long. But perhaps that feeling of victory was never achievable, to begin with. Perhaps it was meant to be a fairy tale among the harsh reality of existence.
Kaleb Kol stirred awake suddenly, sitting up with a start regaining focus. He found your eyes immediately and focused on you without a second to spare. A sheepish smile planted on his face, hopeful and freer now the cat was out of the bag. But there was fear in it too, fear of rejection, even remnants of the fear of being uncovered.
Seeing him sitting there you had no idea how the hell you didn't see Kol behind those eyes. The way they would glint with purpose once he spurred into action. The knowledge behind them went beyond the rage and scheming other people knew him for. It was beyond obvious now. The magnetic pull tugging you towards him was proof enough too.
"So it's true. It really is you. I'm such an idiot." You stated, trying to read the expression on his face as it sobered from hopeful into fear.
What did he expect? For you to run into his arms after he lied for weeks? That's all you wanted to do for years, and now it was finally here under the worst circumstances.
He swallowed, straightened up and stood, pacing the room in short strides. He was rattled to his core.
"I tried to tell you. And every time I did, it felt wrong." He said, trying to disguise the shaking in his voice "I thought it would be easier to start over. We could've gotten away, without my reputation attached, without my family sabotaging us."
"It's not that easy." You shook your head.
"Isn't it?" His focus flickered to your face briefly, before pacing once again "I know you're scared but-."
"I'm not scared I-"
"Of course you are!" He said, cringing at the way he raised his voice. He settled, and reached for your hand carefully "I was scared too, but I'm finished being scared. We could go right now. Leave all of this behind. Just you and me."
Suddenly, as if someone had placed a mirror between you, you saw yourself as he had at this moment. Covered in blood, dirt and dust-ridden skin. A far cry from your past self. How could he still want to keep going?
"It's not that easy. I'm not the same person. Not even close."
Slowly, without much pressure, Kol stepped closer and drew your hand up to his chest and over his heart. Beneath the skin, you could feel the beating of his heart, fast and fluttering like a drum.
"Nothing has changed for me. This heart might not be mine but it beats for you still. No matter what. Please tell me I haven't ruined us." His gaze was pleading and sincere as he held I to your hand for dear life.
It would be so easy to just give in. This was Kol, for god sakes! The one person you went to hell and back for was standing right in front of you. And yet he felt more like a ghost than a person.
And that was precisely the problem. He was the ghost you were supposed to be. This was always the plan. Get him back even if it takes you to your grave. But you weren't ready to tell him that. You were equally unready to see him standing before you, excusing all he had witnessed from the other side. He would forgive the most terrible sins if they were committed by your hand.
You shook your head, removing your hand from his grasp. Panic washed over his face and the hand still resting on yours clutched your skin tightly "I can't do this right now."
"Let's focus on dealing with Esther and Finn first. Then we can figure everything else out."
He looked defeated just then but nodded anyway. He knew the time was not right, even if his heart told him otherwise.
"I'm sorry. I know it's not what you wanted." You added, trying to console him.
"What I want is for you not to look at me the way you are now. Like you don't even see me."
Maybe because I don't even know who you are right now. That is what you should've said, instead, you muttered something about the work you both had to do.
----------
The walk to the compound was charged with silence and unsaid words. By now he usually would've made you laugh at least a dozen times, perhaps even dragged you into a jazz bar to dance. Now there was silence as you walked next to each other, hands itching to touch as they dragged on with movement.
It was unbearable.
The compound was a sight for sore eyes for once, now the objects of ease and not discomfort as it so often had been. The inside was still the same, except for the small table next to the staircase where Klaus was sitting and nursing a drink.
"You're here." He said without looking in your direction. He only looked up when you grabbed the second glass from the table next to him and filled it to the brim with bourbon.
"However small." You repeated the same phrase from earlier. "Your secret is safe. We're here to help you keep it that way."
"Despite us knowing better," Kol muttered from behind, leaning against the staircase railing.
Another drink made its way down your throat, all the while ignoring the quizzical look from Klaus which jumped between you and his brother.
"Let's get to work." You declared once the moment became unbearable. "How far away is the location?"
"Far enough," Klaus replied.
"Too far to drive in a day?" You asked, promptly receiving a nod. "Alright then. Warn anyone who's there right now. I'm sure Finn will figure it out in a few days. "
You stood up, slamming the glass down on the smooth table surface.
Klaus stood up too. "And where are you going?" he asked, a tinge of sourness in his voice.
"I need a goddamn shower. If you want to leave early, then go. I can catch up."
"Finn will recuperate after today's events. He will not retaliate. For now. We leave at first light."
"Sounds good." You agreed, ascending the stairs to finally wash all the blood, dirt and grime off. You felt Kol's eyes on you as you walked away, a longing stare that buried itself into your back with vigour.
Klaus noticed this and moved closer to him. "I advised you to tell her weeks ago, have I not? Now see what your lie has brought."
"Because you're the poster child of honesty." Kol snapped back, before letting out a frustrated sigh, "I tried not to be selfish and still I mess it up." Kol uttered, working his jaw loose with the self-hatred that seemingly had embedded itself into his gums.
"You died for her. You've become the least selfish of us all." Klaus laid a hand on his shoulder, forgetting the fight they had when they last spoke at the cabin. He gave Kol a nod, trying to convey that things will look up again soon. He then fishes out a pair of keys from his pocket and holds them out in front of him. "Your car is in the garage."
Kol took the keys and watched as Klaus walked away. He stared after him, wondering what the hell happened to the Klaus he knew. Perhaps he had changed finally, or perhaps his adventure in the chambré today had changed him too.
Kol shakes his head, ascending the stairs too wishing the shower he was about to take could wash this day down the drain.
----
The car ride was tense. And silent. Where there used to be music playing, the sound of wind hollering through the open window, now there was only silence. The disconnect between the pair of you now and years ago was evident. Thankfully, Klaus drove in his own car or this ride would've been even more tense.
Arriving at Klaus' safe house Was nothing short of awkward. Hayley, Elijah - in the flesh this time- and even Mae greeted you upon arrival. Kol almost dropped dead when he saw Klaus and Hayley's daughter Hope. But he looked grateful despite his shock. It meant that Klaus trusts him enough with a secret like this.
When little Hope saw you, she reached for your hand as if she knew that you touched her in Klaus' memories. Maybe she has more power than you thought.
The hours went by preparing the house for an eventful attack. You and Kol both conjured up a few protection spells for the house. First was an early warning system that monitors anyone breaching a larger perimeter. Then followed a refresh on the cloaking spell for Hope, a few more spells to secure the house as best as you could, without even knowing if Finn won't find a way around it.
By the time the house was somewhat secured, the sun was already starting to set. Little Hope was sleeping and guarded by her parents as well as Mae. Elijah was in the study, no doubt trying to distract his mind with a book. Kol was somewhere resting, no doubt as much in his head as you are in yours. At least the porch you decided to make your home for a while offered a nice view of the backyard that stretched further than the eyes could see. Back in the day, this place was sure a sight to see, with its acres and long stretching paddocks and fields. If not for the impending doom of an attack and the usual problem of not having a moment's peace, this would be a nice place to stay for a while. But alas, no rest for the wicked. And certainly not for the undead.
The sun had fully set when Kol appeared in the doorway next to you. He was leaning in the doorway, his shirt open to endure the heat, his hair tousled from tossing and turning in bed.
"Can't sleep?" He asked, looking out into the darkness.
"Don't even remember the last time I slept." You replied.
He nods, awkwardly shifting where he stood as he tried to find how to phrase what he wanted to say.
"If you want we could steal one of the bedrooms and sleep like we used to. God knows we need it." He let out a nervous chuckle as if to soften the blow if you would find his offer to forward.
"You know I want to just go back to how things were but, I just-" You sighed, breathing out a huff of frustration "What the hell are we doing, huh?"
"Here?"
"Anywhere. I used to know how to make plans and follow through. But every plan I had before coming here failed. Trying to play Esther, Mikael and Klaus, all fell through. I was told there was a war so I came here. I didn't see anything, did you? Which means that we are the ones that cause it. And we don't even know why."
He let out a drawn-out breath of understanding as he sat next to you. So that's what was bothering you, finally, he knew. His shoulders relaxed with that knowledge and hope crept in once more.
"You don't cause havoc like they do." He said as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.
"See that's where you're wrong. You don't know this version of me." You shook your head. It was naive to think you would stay the same after the last few years, but he had no clue who you were now. How rotten.
"Do you think I ever left your side? Even in death, I spend every minute next to you. I would choose every version of you no matter what."
"I don't know how you could love me the way I am now."
"I don't have a choice, darling. I adore you, and that will never cease to be the case. Even if you decide to send me away."
"I don't want that. I don't want to send you away." You looked at him then, your voice quieter than he was used to and his eyebrows drew together in concern. He timidly reached for your hand, and you let him intertwine your fingers with his own.
"Can you tell me what's been going on in that head of yours?" He asked gently, without expectation of a reply. He simply needed you to know that he was there, no matter what the future would hold.
The problem was, how do you tell someone you love that you feel inadequate to the person you used to be? Like a lesser, dented and rotten version of who they once loved. Do you just blurt it out simply? Explain it with as much detail as humanly possible?
So you told him regardless. And you told him even more than that and he listened to it all. He always was an exceptional listener, even now as you recounted the last few weeks.
"And the worst part is I'm scared of Finn. My own father locked me in a basement for weeks on time but now Finn is the one that makes my skin crawl. How ironic is that?" You scoffed, looking at Kol. He shared your slight smile.
He leaned closer, hoping his siblings wouldn't hear him talk "Don't tell anyone, but I have always thought he was off his rocker. Even when I was young, he used to have this hatred about the world. I was terrified of him, and still am."
"Really? You never told me that."
He looked at you with a sad expression tinted with nostalgia and even regret. There certainly were a lot of things still unsaid. You were never granted more than a few months together before you got separated either by dagger or death.
"There are a lot of things still unsaid I imagine." Kol said, sharing your train of thought, "Even though we've loved each other for a century, we're still getting to know each other. Our time was stolen over and over again. But I meant what I said in that church. No matter how bad you believe to be, I will love you regardless. Always"
He covers your hand with his own, gently just letting you know he meant what he said.
"I know. That's why it makes staying away so hard." You sighed, wishing there was some easy answer to all of this "But I have to figure this out first. Not just this whole mess here, but everything else too. I just… I just need a little time."
Kol nods, visibly uneasy with the thought of staying away, especially if he wants to do the exact opposite. But true to the way he always was with you, he gave you your wish "Whatever time you need, it's yours, darling."
When he pulled away from your hand you pulled him back, intertwining your fingers with his, as the sun sets behind you.
"That doesn't mean I want you to go, you know that, right?" You said, looking at him.
"You don't?"
You shook your head, letting it rest on his shoulder as he pulled his arm around you. He always was honest and accommodating when it came to you even when you asked him to let you figure things out.
For the first time since you knew him, you had no idea what the future would bring. If it would work out at all if he was more human than anything else. Humans die someday, even witches and warlocks. If he remained the way he was now, what future was there for you? Maybe close to a century more until he was old and succumbed to time? And what if you turned him? He'd go back to hating how addicted to blood he had always been. What future is there now?
"You're in your head again aren't you, darling?" He said in a quiet voice, wishing he could pluck those bad thoughts out of your head "Come on, let's get some sleep and we'll figure it out in due time."
Soon you found yourself in the same room as if no time had passed. He eyed you from the bed he was lying in, wondering what you would do if he'd allow himself to sleep.
"If I sleep now, you won't disappear on me, right?" Kol asked, nervously picking at the sheet that was covering him "You won't be gone in the morning?"
"I won't." You shook your head, lying down next to him facing him. You knew he was scared you'd just run off, and truth be told you thought about it. But you won't do it. Running would not help this time. At least not right this moment.
"Promise?" He inquired again, his eyes scared as they roamed your face.
"I promise." You leaned towards his cheek despite your better judgement, kissing his cheek softly while whispering a quick sleeping spell. He smiled at your contact before the spell took hold and he fell into a deep sleep. His breathing evened out immediately and his chest rose and fell without a care in the world. He deserved some rest after the last few days and you're glad you could at least do that for him.
You kept an eye on him for a little bit, stroking away the hair that had fallen into his face.
"What am I gonna do with you?" You sighed as you rested your head on his shoulder. He deserved rest, but eventually, you decided you deserved it too, falling asleep on his shoulder like the old times.
At least for tonight, nothing was waiting for you in the shadows.
Finally some peace.
A/N: Here I am again, my friends. Been a long time as always, but you know what to expect by now probably.
Hope you've been well.
Also who would've thought that I would end a chapter on a good-ish note for once?
Kind of a side note, but can you believe all the Salvatore siblings have Scorpio as their sign? I have a birthday for the sister and just realized it's in the Scorpio zodiac area lol
Also, I hope this chapter wasn't too chopped up, because I did write it very sparingly while travelling ice again and there are hours or days I between it. Definitely not how I would like it but it is what it is. Hope you all are doing as well as you can. Thanks for sticking with me.
(still using the probably very outdated list, so lmk if you want to be removed from it)
Open Coffin 2 | Chapter 08 “What is love, if not pain endured?"
Chapter warnings: typical tvd violence, mentions of torture (mental and physical), wounds and blood, some timeline divergence, kind of a cold and confusing open but it’ll make sense, a lot of shit is happening in this one… Whew
Word count: 5730
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
Dark mischievous eyes met yours soon after, which bore an unmatched rage yet softened when you finally saw him.
I hope you heard me screaming! Don’t play with me!
In his arms, you felt soft, flayed open for the fading stars to see beneath your skin and reveal your sins.
The sound of his hitched breath followed you back to consciousness as your eyes opened in a flash…
I knew it was too easy to be true! 😐
“I see Niklaus’ company has rubbed off on you. How disappointing.”
😄 Please!
You didn’t know which version was worse.
😬
Your heart all but leapt out of your chest hearing him utter these words. He was always by your side. It was unfathomable really, divided by an invisible curtain of time, yet he remained steadfast.
He knew he could ease the pain he could just open his mouth.
I said it before, but you're always picking out my favourite bits!! Especially this time around, because I think I went a bit heavy-handed with the array of emotions 😂
Open Coffin 2 | Chapter 08 “What is love, if not pain endured?"
Chapter warnings: typical tvd violence, mentions of torture (mental and physical), wounds and blood, some timeline divergence, kind of a cold and confusing open but it'll make sense, a lot of shit is happening in this one... Whew
Word count: 5730
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
Soreness dug into your bones, aching at the flesh that surrounded them. Your hands were bound upwards, like angel wings they cascaded towards the ceiling while your feet were bound with shackles around your thighs. How many times the day and night hunted each other you had no idea, nor how much Esther's mental torture was working. She and Finn had been digging around in your mind endlessly ever since they dragged you away. Only now, after a day-long session, they let you truly rest for the first time.
You groaned as you awoke from an exhaustion-fueled nap, cursing the magical trinket above you that held your shackles in place. If not for it, you could have easily escaped the second they left you alone.
Shuffling from the other side of the room made you raise your head. A figure stood in the tombs hallway, moving towards you in steady steps. With your blurred vision, you only saw blood-ridden skin and clothing as the person neared. Dark mischievous eyes met yours soon after, which bore an unmatched rage yet softened when you finally saw him.
"How are you here?" You asked, even though you knew the answer. There was only one.
"Esther. She brought me back as motivation. I had other plans" Kol smirked before tugging at the protection trinket that hung above your head. It ripped in half easily, as did the chains that no longer kept you prisoner.
"Feet shackles too, huh?" He snickered.
"I tried to strangle her with my thighs at least once" You shrugged.
"That's my girl." He chucked before offering his hand. "Let's bugger off before we have to fight our way out of here."
Not that they would stand a chance if it came down to it
A block away you stopped speeding and pulled him into a long wished hug amongst passersbys. His shoulders were steady and you clung to them like the smell of fire clung to fabrics. With your time spent together, there was always a certainty of a goodbye coming too soon. So when he tried to pull away, you shook your head and only slung your arms tighter around him.
He lifted your head with a soft touch under your chin, pressing his lips onto yours. The kiss felt almost too real, the colors around you too bright, the soft touch of his lips too comforting - it felt like a fairytale. But your life was a Grimm fairytale at best, bloody and unrelenting. For now, you could at least pretend that it was real.
"How about we pick up a few road trip snacks? " He nodded towards a couple that was loading up their car in front of a two-story house.
"Later." You shook your head.
First, you had to get further away from the city centre. You took his hand before speeding away to the far eastern parts of the city. Passing Poland Avenue you travelled hand in hand across train tracks and barbed wire fences to reach the decommissioned naval base. It had one of the best vantage points in the city, especially now with the sun almost waking from its slumber.
One vampire strength induced jumps and you stood atop the flat concrete roof. Just below your feet a phrase in graffiti two stories high was scribbled along the base's massive barrier: "OPEN YOUR EYES."
Dangling your feet over the edge you sat there, Kol's arm around you while holding unto his hand as if he would disappear. In his arms, you felt soft, flayed open for the fading stars to see beneath your skin and reveal your sins. You were never a saint nor was he. Never was. Living life like yours won't likely end peacefully you reckoned, but being here now was all that mattered.
And maybe, maybe, nothing ever really mattered at all. That maybe, nothing ever made any sense because this, him right here next to you, his hands devotedly holding on to you like your all he has, is all the sense you've ever been able to make of this world.
But despite the reassuring shoulder you leaned into, the sun and with it the truth that lay hidden in the cloak of night soon revealed itself and you had to face your less-than-ideal reality. This dreamlike exit from your current life in New Orleans was ideal - perhaps too much so - but real life was hardly dreamy.
You relished in touch for a moment longer, before you spoke "I want nothing more than you and me together like this. That's all I need" You turned to him, shifting away slightly, grasping the wooden object that had appeared behind you.
"If only it were real." Your hand was quick and ruthless as the stake into Kol's chest.
The sound of his hitched breath followed you back to consciousness as your eyes opened in a flash, staring back at the grey stone walls that had surrounded you for days now.
"Esther!!!!! " You screamed as loud as you could and your voice carried through the candle-lid tomb. She turned a corner in front of you moments later, a knowing look on her face.
"My dear please, inside voice." She said and shushed you with a whip of her finger. She reminded you of your mother then, always making sure to keep everyone quiet when your father was on a rampage again. What a fool you were to think of them now.
You shook these feelings off with a shake of your head before you spoke again "Kol died in my arms, do you think hurting or killing fake versions of him is gonna work?"
In truth it was working, perhaps not to the extent Esther had planned, but it was working regardless. How could it not? You had a heart, albeit a blackened one.
"I must say your memories are most intriguing. You've caused quite the chaos in all sorts of places. From getaway driver for the mob, inciting insurrections, to painting the town red -as they say- all on your lonesome."
"One gets bored or pissed off every now and then." You shrugged "Besides, I've done good things too, but you like to sweep those under the rug, don't you? We're all just monsters to you, right?"
"I remember we had a similar conversation long ago." She reminisced, letting her mind wander a moment "My offer remains the same. Relinquish your evil ways, be reborn a human, and I promise you, I will have Kol join your side."
It would be so easy to just say yes. You could live out the rest of your days somewhere, with no bloodlust, no family drama. It was the easiest thing to do, but sadly, easy isn't always right. Even more so when the offer comes from someone like Esther.
You caught her gaze and said "You know what my answer is. "
"As you wish." Esther walked away then, blinding another bundle of herb cuttings on a table on the other side of the room which pulled you into a trance-like state almost immediately. Damn her and her little tricks.
"I asked when you brought me here but I'll ask again. What are you trying to do here exactly?" You asked, fighting to stay awake "Break me? My mind is way scarier than you'll ever be."
"If you must know," She replied "You are linked to Niklaus which links your mind as well as your body. If I manage to get past your barricades, I will have access to his memories."
"What makes you think you can break through? Have you met me?"
A different voice spoke instead of the woman before you, and you had to stifle a laugh when he came into view.
"She has her ways." Finn walked into view ever so pretentious, a hand angled behind his back "And so do I"
The body Finn was inhabiting, Vincent Griffith, would no doubt strike fear in you with all he was involved in the past. Real bad business. But Finn, with his disguise of righteousness and overcompensated morals, evoked nothing but the desire to throttle him.
"What bore me to death? You're right, that might work." You joked, laughing at your own quip.
"I see Niklaus' company has rubbed off on you. How disappointing." He stepped closer, the glimmer of a knife bouncing off the candlelight "We ought to fix that"
When he neared, you kept your eyes firm on him, showing no inkling of emotions as the knife slid across your throat and exposed arms, bleeding you dry like a slaughtered animal.
----
You tried to not keep track of time. It made it easier. When the pain came, it came in sharp, blistering burns you tried to block out the best you could. For every painful sensation, you tried to suffocate it with memories of a better time, a warmer life;
The first taste of freedom as a newly turned vampire running away from the house that had been your prison, the heat of the fire sharp behind your back
Pain.
The sound of Stefan's happy laughter as you chased each other around the house when your father wasn't around, and his wide beaming smile when you pulled him in your arms and spun him around in a circle.
Pain.
Kol. A fierce grin, a snarky comment, a steady hand on your back when you needed it. A force of nature forged by the cruelty of life that remained ever hopeful.
P a i n
Let it be over. Please, let it be over.
P A I N
…..
Another few days went by like they meant nothing. By now you knew that nobody was coming for you. That Klaus served you up on a silver platter to soothe the codependency he shared with Elijah. It would be honorable really if you hadn't been the price to be paid for it. It was hardly a surprise, but him not even attempting to get you out of Esther's grasp was certainly one. Especially after he urged you to stay inside to be safe.
And Kaleb… well he wasn't anywhere to be seen either. He probably took the opportunity and scurried away, like they all do once you let your guard down. Either by death or abandonment, you're like a haunted house made flesh; intriguing until the door opens.
So here you were, still locked in a tomb in the cemetery, not bound to the ceiling anymore but shackled to the place by a magically sealed ball and chain.
Esther had been prodding around in your mind like a maniac in your memories as a human and beyond, hoping to find something to break you. When she was in your head, memories tended to flash by as if living on pages of a book that was hastily searched through. One minute you saw your grandmother waving at the gates to bid you farewell, then looking out of your room at night wondering how to get beyond the treeline's boundaries. Then once more you stood in front of the burning house on the outskirts of Mystic Falls where everything you loved and hoped for went up in flames.
Some recent memories followed too, the endless nights spent like savages drinking your guilt and grief away. Violence, blood, and heartache were visitors too and even flashes of Kaleb made their way into your consciousness, despite how much you wished them away.
However, what happened today was still rummaging around in your mind like a cough you couldn't shake. Esther found a memory that was not your own and she lingered, hoping it would reveal Klaus' secret. She did it then, she broke through.
You found yourself in the passenger's seat of a car that was speeding through what seemed like secluded country roads. Klaus was driving, nervously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he glanced in the back view mirror. A radio station was playing and cutting out every few feet as the car sped along, illuminating the night with bright headlights.
You snapped your finger in front of his face, not knowing if he could see you or not. But it was only a memory.
"Look into the mirror." Esther's voice was like a never-ending echo whispering and aching through every atom of your body. You resisted her demand, knowing that whatever she sensed had the potential of running everything. Esther saw what you saw so instead of looking into the mirror, you reached back with your hand. Your fingers hit the backseat first, then slipped upwards until they found a plastic object, and then further still until you touched skin. It was softer than any skin you'd touched before.
Your hand carefully grasped upwards and your breath hitched as your fingers glided over smooth skin. You continued lower, moving along grasping what you could. It felt like a small foot, almost baby-sized. Why did Klaus have a child in his back seat? That's when it dawned on you who that kid was. It had to be her. Klaus' daughter was alive. That's what he was hiding.
The car neared its destination as the headlight illuminated another car in front of you. A red sportscar with a figure standing next to it. When the light engulfed them, her long blond hair was visible from a distance, almost as bright as the smile on her face. Rebekah.
Thankfully, that's when Esther's magical connection severed and everything disappeared into particles.
Esther huffed and puffed when you came to, fueled by your lack of cooperation before she lost her composure and hurried away.
With her gone you could let your face fall. Klaus' daughter was alive. She was alive . It all made sense now. The secrecy, the mistrust, even the fear in Klaus's eyes when Mikael nearly ended him. He had a new purpose, something to fight for that wasn't tied to his family's long road of miseries.
But having that meant he also had something to lose, that wasn't easily controlled by a threat with a dagger. Welcome to the club.
But what did Esther want with her? One thing was clear, she had no good intentions and it was high time you got the fuck out of there.
…….
New guards had arrived in the hour that followed your trip of the mind. Two young men belonging to the witches. Of which coven you were not sure. They stood in front of the tomb's entrance, speaking loud enough for you to hear them.
"You know she's cuter than I thought." One of them, the tall dark-haired of the two, said "You think she would go out with me?"
"Are you dumb?" His dirty-blonde friend returned, wondering if his friend had lost his mind "You shouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole. She's with the Mikaelsons, specifically Kol scary-ass Mikaelson."
That's right.
"Yeah, but isn't he dead?"
"Nothing stays buried here, you should know that, dumbass."
The two men reminded you of the two New York residents just then, and a familiar ache crawled up your neck. If you could just break free you could sink your teeth- God you were hungry. When was the last time you fed? Hell, how long have you been here?
A shadow moved towards you, much like the torturous escapes Esther made you live through, but it wasn't Kol who came to your rescue. It was someone who had already come to your aid once before.
"Is this real??" You heard yourself saying, not sure if you actually spoke out loud
"I'm real," Marcel reassured, coming into your view more clearly. He tucked at the protection charm hanging from the ceiling, much like the dream version of Kol had, and ripped the chains in two easily.
"How did you get in here? I thought you were banned."
"I might not know much, but I sure as hell know how to be a scary son-of-a-bitch" Marcel shrugged, growing quiet for a moment to check the surroundings "Stay down and follow me."
As Marcel skillfully navigates the cemetery, a realization made itself known that, even amidst his own burdens, he saved you. Much like he saved you when you met. He was drowning in grief and self-loathing - as were you - and somehow you made it to shore together.
Crossing over the threshold, you expected to be stopped by a boundary spell but you made it through without any hitches. Which begged the question, of whether Esther was so preoccupied with something else that she became careless, or if she let you go willingly. You didn't know which version was worse.
You and Marcel kept going for a block or two until you saw someone at the end of the street. When you neared a man with a bow in his hand and, as it seemed, the world on his shoulder greeted Marcel with a nod. He seemed vaguely familiar but you could not put your finger on it.
"Who the hell is this?" You asked.
"Backup in case they got me too." Marcel explained.
The man was eyeing you suspiciously until something clicked and his face softened ever so slightly "You're Y/N Salvatore."
"One and only. I hope." You side-glanced, imagining a doppelganger of yourself out there. One of you is enough, you concluded.
"This is Ansel." Marcel stepped in, sensing the needed context "Klaus' father."
Your eyes grew wide with surprise, glancing at the only person somewhat related to the Mikaelsons you haven't met yet. Why the hell was he here? If Mikael learns of him, hell gladly kill him once again, as he did over a thousand years ago.
Ansel shifted awkwardly, clearing his throat "Esther pulled me from the other side before it collapsed."
"Does that mean…"Newly found hope ignited within you, hoping she pulled Kol from the other side too and held him, prisoner, somewhere. It would have been months by now, but one could hope.
Marcel shook his head "Haven't seen him. He'd be the first one here if he was. "
Anger rose within your tortured mind, aching away any sense left over. Of course, everyone gets resurrected, but the one person that would matter was stuck somewhere.
"Let's get the fuck out of here then." You said, "I have to visit Dracula in his castle and break a few necks and faces."
Marcel let out a huffed laugh "Not gonna lie they have it coming, but you gotta slow down. You're no use to anyone hurt or worse."
"I will." You reassured. It was a lie, and Marcel knew it, but he still nodded along.
"There's something else." He continued "Your friend, Kaleb, went out there looking for you. Tried to get to you in the cemetery before you were taken but Klaus stopped him before he could."
Kaleb…shit.
"You know where he went?" You asked.
"I heard he started asking the Tremé coven for assistance." Marcel replied, "But my guess is he got wrapped up with the no-good kind of them."
"I might have seen him a few days ago. Tall, dark hair, english accent?" Ansel asked, using a hand to indicate the height of the man he saw.
"Big mouth on him too." Marcel muttered, showing his disdain clearly.
Turning to Ansel you asked, "You mind showing me where you've seen him?" He confirmed with a quick nod.
"I'll deal with Klaus then," Marcel added, jaw clenched in anger.
"Don't bother." You told him off "He and I will have a talk eventually." Oh and what a talk that will be.
The plan was clear, but Marcel still had yet to budge, eying Ansel with a suspicious look on his face. "You sure you're gonna be OK?"
"I will be." You reassured but he had still yet to budge. He wasn't convinced, still helicopter-parenting from afar.
You confirmed again with a determined nod. Marcel was conflicted but only shrugged, drew you into a hug and told Ansel to keep an eye on you, before he walked away.
You then followed Ansel a few blocks in silence before curiosity got the better of you. It wasn't every day that someone who had died a millennium ago was now under the living again.
You cleared your throat before you spoke "Since you've been on the other side, you know how to resurrect someone?"
"You should let it be." He brushed you off with ease, not even looking in your direction "Loving a Mikaelson, it doesn't end well"
Well, that wasn't what you had expected.
"I don't care." You replied, following after him as he took a sharp turn through an alley.
"You should. Imagine your life without chasing after him and an unattainable life." Ansel spoke even though he could feel the rage radiating from you "Run far away and fast. Take that boy you're searching for with you and go."
"Don't remember I asked for your opinion".
"It's not an opinion, it's a warning. Heed it."
Who was he to evaluate your life? He all but met you minutes ago. There was no basis for his judgement. None at all. Unless...
"You spoke to him, didn't you? On the other side?"
Ansel gave a quick nod "We crossed paths. He never left your side, not once."
Your heart all but leapt out of your chest hearing him utter these words. He was always by your side. It was unfathomable really, divided by an invisible curtain of time, yet he remained steadfast.
"He told me he wanted you to move on. To be safe" Ansel added.
"Doesn't mean I have to listen to him." Kol should know you enough to know you'd never give up. Never.
"As you wish. Still, heed my warning. For your own good." Ansel said, crossing the street before he stopped, pressing his back to a wall as he looked around a corner of a building.
"Saw him sneaking into that building. Climbed the rain pipe off to the side there." He pointed to the left side of the building "Now if you don't mind, I have a business to attend to.
"Thanks for the help. You watch your back out here, alright?"
Ansel nodded and retreated into the shadows cast by the buildings that stood tall beside him.
What a peculiar man.
---------------------
It wasn't hard to find Kaleb after Ansel's tip. The Tremé coven redirected you to one of their fringe groups that were cast out for their murderous rituals. Getting the location was not hard either, looking like you just crawled out of a grave. And your reputation certainly helped too.
Breaking the door down of the long-abandoned former apartment complex was more troublesome than you would have liked. Usually, a swift kick would have sufficed.
Voices bled through the ceiling above you, and you follow them to a corridor of doors. Most were broken down or corroded, but one bore the spray-painted sigil of a coven that was banished from the Treme coven.
Swinging the door open, open you were met with a handful - maybe 8 - coven members. They dropped what they were doing immediately.
"I had a pretty shitty few days so if you want to keep your life just get the fuck out."
A few of them fled immediately, some stayed before following the others. Only one brave soul remained. You stalked towards them with your shirt still ripped, blood-soaked skin, and a look of determination that made them retreat soon after.
Kaleb was tiptoeing on the floor in the backroom of the apartment. He was bound much like you were only an hour ago. He flinched when he heard the door opening and cowered in on himself as much as he could anticipating another act of violence. His shirt was sliced open and barely hung on his shoulders, his chest, arms, and even his face were littered with cuts and bruises from beatings. He looked horrible.
He uttered your name when you released him, and he did not waste a breath and crushed his chest into yours, pressing you close.
"I thought you were done for this time" He murmured, clutching the fabric of your shirt. Warmth caressed your being, enveloping the guilt that had crept up seeing him like this because of your stupid plan. When he pulled away, he did so hesitantly, brushing his fingers along your exposed shoulder.
"I tried to" Kaleb winced as he spoke and clutched the side of his torso. "At the cemetery, I went after you."
"I know." You slumped him over your shoulder, your arm around his waist to steady him. He tried to speak again but winced instead as he tried to find his footing.
"You're ok with me carrying you?" You asked him when the shouldering resulted in a snail's speed of progress. "Or would that bruise your male ego?
"Please." He scoffed, "I'd let you carry me anywhere."
You ended up a few blocks away, resting him on a bench in Jackson Square when the rest of his energy left him and he slid off it and slumped onto the floor.
"Come on, this is ridiculous." You helped him rest his back against the bench, dropping down in front of him "You should drink. "
"No!" He pushed your wrist away with vigor. The last thing he needed was dying with vampire blood in his system.
"Then let me check your wounds at least." You asked and he nodded when you turned to look at him "Come on, St. Anne's isn't far. Just hold onto me and don't let go this time."
------------------------------
His breath was hot on your neck as your fingers worked the alcohol-soaked fabric over his wounds. He hissed as it touched the deeply scarred tissue on his bare chest. You tried not to notice the goosebumps that erupted along his neck and arms as your fingers touch him, but it was clear he was enjoying it despite the burning alcohol.
He was propped up on one of the church benches near the window, the stained glass bathing his face in colors. He was in bad shape, that much was clear, but there was a look on his face as he glanced at the blood stains on your neck and face. You knew what that look was, you recognized guilt when you saw it; it lived in the cracks of the mind, eroding sense and reason. You knew how it felt, how it chewed away at everything that was once comforting and familiar until there was nothing left but despair and an emptiness which would rather smother than save. And Kaleb's eyes spoke of nothing but guilt.
Another swipe of the soaked fabric against a fresh cut and he winced, his muscles flexing under your touch.
"I'm sorry." You moved your hand away but he caught it and pressed the fabric into his wound again. "You OK?"
"I'm alright." He grumbled.
You knew that tone, you used it far more than you cared to admit. It was the one reserved for moments when memories and feelings were too closely intertwined to separate. It was the sound of resolve slowly being pieced back together and the knowledge that, no matter what you proclaimed, he was decidedly not alright.
"What the hell did they do to you?" Your eyes roamed his bruised chest once more. Beaten black and blue adorned with cuts all over him
"Cut me open, starved, and beat me." He swallowed, thinking back on the horrible things his mind had painted when he was out of it. "They wanted me to plead with them to end it. But I'm not the pleading sort."
Silence overcame you again, accompanied only by the squirms and hisses Kaleb tried to hide when you stitched up his wounds with a needle and thread. Once done, you wrapped a few rounds of gauss around his torso, soaking up the remnants of blood.
A ghost of a smile tucked on his lips as you hand him the only t-shirt you could find on short notice. You took a seat next to him on the table. He poked his head through the opening, followed by his arms. The shirt sat a bit too tight on his frame, but it was clothing nonetheless.
"I'm glad you're safe," Kaleb said and looked at you again, and let his hand drop into yours. He watched how the reddish-brown of blood still soaked both of your skins before he spoke again "I should've tried harder to get you back."
"I'm glad you're safe too. But you shouldn't have tried to find me. It's not-"
"Worth it? Of course, you are." He didn't look away this time, certainty holding his gaze.
For a moment, you wondered why your chest suddenly felt so constricted, as if your lungs had run out of air. The problem was this: you were at that very moment having a rather difficult time forgetting what it had been like to kiss him.
Kaleb shifted under your gaze, fumbling with his fingers "When I was down there all I could think about was that night before it all went wrong."
Ah, right. The rooftop incident.
"I'm sorry.." What were you sorry for exactly? Running away after kissing him? Or kissing him at all? Or was it a bundled mess of I'm sorry's that you could never explain away?
"I'm just sorry, period." You finally said, "You got hurt, and that's on me."
"What is love, if not pain endured? "He murmured to himself as if reciting a novel whose passages were burned into his mind. Then his brain caught up with what he had just uttered and he tensed "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get ahead it's just- "
"No, it's OK. I know there was- is something. Whatever it was before, it’s more now, it’s-” You stopped short of the full declaration, swallowing around the lump in her throat.
"Maybe we should stop,” He murmured, stroking his thumb over your cheek, still holding your hand with the other “Get some distance.”
Distance. How could you remain at distance if you were so intertwined in each other's current life? But perhaps distance was achievable somehow, even if by force.
"There's a harbor not far from here, you can get on a boat or train and go." The harshness in your voice did not match the way you held onto his hand, as if you'd fall any minute.
"You really want me to go?" There was a vulnerability in his voice that made your heartbreak.
No. "Yes. If it means you'll be safe I'd do anything." You had the urge to tell him to run away, but you couldn't say it, even if you should.
"Then perhaps I should consider it." His head dropped.
“No,” You hissed, clutching his shirt tightly. “Even if this is wrong… I’m not ready to give that up before it even started.” You're the only person I have is was what you didn't say. It wasn't right nor was it fair, but it felt good. And you just wanted to feel good.
You moved your mouth against his insistently, feeling the shaking breath from his nose on your top lip as he stood stock still, shocked into inaction. You pulled away slightly, staring into his wild eyes as he exhaled quickly and dove forwards to capture your lips once again. He kissed you hungrily, his hands ghosting your sides before grabbing at your hips and pulling you against him. You capture his lips once more, but he pulled away only an inch to speak.
"I need you to know something before we-" He was out of breath, cheeks red with excitement. He cursed himself for speaking at that moment because he would curse himself even more for not speaking the words he should have said weeks ago.
But you proclaimed the moment was over before he could speak, the bubble of carefree indulgence burst for the time being.
"No, I'm sorry." You stepped out of his grasp, pursuing the wall behind you "I just... I got carried away. You're right, we shouldn't do this."
His head dropped in defeat, but he forced a smile, hoping it would ease the guilt he knew you felt. He knew he could ease the pain he could just open his mouth. Fuck it, he was just going to blurt it out and everything would be fine.
He cleared his throat and straightened himself up, raising his head to meet you on the other side of the room. When he looked, all he saw was your back heading through the towering double doors.
-----
You felt like a goddamn fool. A guilty, broken, and undeserving fool. You had overstepped the relationship you developed with Kaleb, after trying to push him away. Relationship?! You're an even bigger fool than you thought.
If he - you did not even dare to speak his name - could see you now, he'd pity himself for wasting his time on you if you gave up that easily. What a damn mess you made of things.
Hunger overcame you when the guilt subsided, and you searched for some drunken fool on the street. You clawed at their neck to feed your need, needing to taste blood on your teeth. Tonight was the night to feed, lay plans, and rest. Tomorrow-
Your thoughts were drowned out by a sudden blackness that enveloped your senses, and all you could hear was the dull thump of your body hitting the pavement.
____________
A/N: Been writing this on the music tour I'm working on, so I hope it's not too choppy or weird! As always, sorry for the long time in between! Hope you are doing well!
Also, I finished most of the editing of this chapter on the very bench from the TO finale in New Orleans, and I could cry with both happiness and sorrow. But I'm here and I saw the City and I hope some of it will translate to this and any further chapter from here on out.
Open Coffin 2 | Chapter 07 “Next Stop, Certain Death"
Disclaimer: This is a sequel! Find Part 1 here. For some context, I´d advise you to watch The Originals to understand some occurrences.
Chapter warnings: typical tvdverse violence, kind of 2 starts cause I couldn't decide, some angst as always
Word count: 3500
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
Life in the compound was improving on all fronts. Your knowledge in unlinking spells improved greatly with Kaleb as your teacher, you acquainted yourself with Hayley when she wasn't off in the Bayou, and even Klaus was in a better mood. You even shared a drink or two at night when none of you could sleep. You had always thought he would sleep like a baby even after the heinous things he had done, but apparently, he had a conscience yet.
One night you told him about the time when Damon snuck out of the house when he was a teenager, dressed in your mother's clothes to fool the prying neighbours to meet up with some girl. Klaus laughed so loud it scared off the birds that were sitting on the rooftop.
It looked like - and the whole world gasped at the thought - that you might become friends. Or non-enemies at least, whatever that meant.
However, despite the good mood, the cards shifted and the consequences of particular actions of yours came back to haunt you when you least expected it.
----------
The house was deserted for the first time in a few days. Klaus and Mae were off somewhere, Kaleb was running errands for Klaus and Hayley was off in the Bayou with her wolves. And what does one do in a deserted house full of secrets? Snooping, obviously.
Kols' room especially held several items hidden underneath the floorboards, wall panels and even tucked away in a compartment in the wooden dresser in the corner. Within 5 minutes you found a lot of Kol's stashes, mostly containing vicious spells, some black objects and even a 100-year-old bottle of absinthe. The latter you stashed away again, promising to open it when he was with you again.
Before you left the room to further your search, the crystal mobile that hung over a partially destroyed crib swished in the wind and the light broke within your line of sight. It drew you closer. It was a grand mobile with one diagonally carved crystal at the bottom. You felt the tickling power coming off from the carved crystal, and as you stepped closer you were drawn to it like a magnet.
When you heard someone coming back through the opened doors downstairs, you swiped the bottom crystal into your pocket, hoping you could use its undeniable power in one of the unlinking spells.
But magic was not on the agenda today, when you were met with Klaus seething anger which was written on his face your day off quickly cascaded into a nightmare.
—---------------------
Kaleb opened the door to the compound hurling a dozed shopping bags in his hand, some around his wrist the others balancing on his chest. Klaus elected him errand boy because he liked to keep you on a shorter leash. And because he knew that you'd probably end up in a fight.
At the shop, Kaleb skipped through the aisles in a hurry, paranoid to see Esther or Finn standing there to punish him. But he made it back without anyone seeing him. He made sure of it.
The furniture was in disarray when he walked in, as if a hurricane swept through it. He doubled his steps and skipped over a chair leg in his way, only to almost trip over a second one that lay beneath a flipped table. He heard talking now and followed the voices and saw you and Klaus in the wine room.
Klaus was leaning over a map spread out on the wine room table furring his brow over the execution of a plan. You stood next to him facing the door, wiping away blood from your nose with the back of your hand.
“I suggest we charge in, slaughter the lot of them and send my wretched mother back to hell”
"Wow, you really have the subtlety of a brick wall." You said, "They'll hear us coming from a mile away! ”
“Subtlety only serves those who are inferior to their opponent."
"Subtlety only serves those inferior bla bla bla." You mimed him, "You do know your mother right?"
"Perhaps you should lead. If you claim to be so subtle.” He said, crossing his arms in front of him like a disappointed toddler.
"No can't do. That coven has a price on my head. If I go alone I'm toast." You said looking at the map and then at Klaus who looked at you, pressing to reveal the details "I killed a few of them" You shrugged.
He sighed, shaking his head with exaggeration "One kills a few people and never hears the end of it."
"I know right?" You sighed, dismissing the thought of the endless lists your name must be written on.
"You two are friends now?" Kaleb asked, now standing in the doorway with judgement on his face.
"Not friends but allied in war." Klaus said, never lifting his gaze from the map.
"War? I was gone 20 minutes!" Kaleb sighed and accepted defeat before rounding the table to look at the map "The Cemetery, great. So who are we slaughtering today?"
"Potentially no one." You said, "But knowing him.." You nodded your head towards Klaus.
"Me?!" Klaus gasped offended "What about you?"
"Please," You quipped "You have at least a 900 years head start. My body count might be up to my neck but you're drowning in it."
"At least we don't write them on a wall." Klaus chimed.
"Or keep the victim's letters." You returned, eying Klaus to catch the biggest eye roll to date "You know, I'm surprised you haven't eye rolled yourself into another dimension yet."
"Perhaps I should." Klaus smirked, " Only to escape your insufferable presence."
"As if you're so fun to be around."
"For god sake! " Kaleb raised his voice before Klaus could return anything, pinching the bridge of his nose "Can someone please tell me what happened?"
Oh right, he had no idea what was even going on.
The poor dear was away for a quick errand and came back to planning a suicide mission. Oh, the woes of life in the Quarter.
"Remember when we went to see Esther?" You asked "She might have taken me a little too literal. She kidnapped Elijah. And we're gonna get him out."
"You must be joking." Kaleb huffed.
"Nope." You said, popping the 'p' "
The minutes dragged on and Klaus was yammering on to Kaleb about a strategy that still lacked the subtlety needed to fool Esther, while your mind was hatching a plan that had the potential to work brilliantly or kill the lot of you. Just a normal day in the life as it seemed.
“I have an idea." You said and both men turned their heads, listening "It's… out there but might actually work."
You gave yourself a few moments to look at the map again, confirming your suspicion before you spoke "How do you feel about taking me as a hostage to Esther? With chains and the whole shebang? Nothing beats a hostage exchange. "
“You as a hostage? I thought you'd never ask.” Klaus grinned elated.
“Not a chance.” Kaleb shook his head, stepping closer to the map once more, studying it for an alternate way to infiltrate the coven.
Klaus sighed “I must say your friend is quite the buzz kill.”
"It'll be fine. It's a fake hostage exchange, as long as you help me get out if things go south we'll be fine. " You reassured Kaleb with a nod. He had to keep his nerves if this was supposed to work. You all had to.
"It's a go then?" You looked at both of them, and they nodded. "Alright, call Hayley and anyone else you think should know about this. Meeting starts in 1 hour."
Klaus turned to Kaleb "Who put her in charge?"
"I did!" Your voice echoed through the building as you ascended the stairs. "We want to rescue someone and not worsen the war!"
"I swear if this goes wrong-" Kaleb warned once you were out of earshot.
"You'll hunt me to the ends of the earth.'' Klaus completed his sentence swiftly "I am very much aware. Not that you could, the way you are now."
"Perhaps." Kaleb agreed, posting his mortal body once again "But if you leave her with Esther my wrath will be the least of your problems." He said and gave him one last look of forewarning.
------
An hour later everyone was assembled in the wine room. You, Kaleb, Klaus on one side of the table and Hayley and some of her wolves on the other.
"Let's go over it again." You looked at each of them, confirming they were listening "Klaus and I will go right through the entrance. They will be on us the second we step foot in it, so everyone else has to be ready before then. Kaleb, I need you to hold the magic of those witch chains until they hand over Elijah or if a fight ensues. Hayley will grab him and get out here or take him by force."
"And what if they don't hand him over?" Hayley asked. It was a valid question, with one easy solution.
"We kill them all." You shrugged.
"There are people from my pack. We can't just kill them!" Hayley protested. She would be right and perhaps she even remained so, but these people were not on her side anymore. They sold her up the river, which made their survival obsolete.
"You'd rather spare traitors than get Elijah? I don't think so." You shook your head, firmly reassuring your stance.
"Says the traitor." Hayley mumbled loud enough for the room to hear.
You chuckled, silently applauding her quick return until you realized she was not laughing in the slightest "Oh you're serious? Well, I'm sorry my actions don't fit into your ironclad morality, but how should I've known Esther would kidnap him?"
"I don't know, maybe because Esther is a psycho?"
"Please, have you looked at the people in this room? We're hardly sane." You scoffed, earning a chuckle from Kaleb next to you "No matter who's to blame, I will fix it." You reassured, hoping that your words sounded more confident than you were.
-----
The meeting concluded within minutes, everyone agreeing to attack in the morning, which left half of the night on the clock to prepare and gather strength.
Kaleb was already up in the bedroom preparing, while Klaus filled in Mae, most likely ordering her to stay put. Not settling on any of those options, you stepped outside on the upper balcony, lying on the floor to watch the stars. The hours before an inevitable disaster always were your favorite after all. Savouring the impending doom had a way of focusing the mind like nothing else could. You were most alive in that space between certain death and the inkling of hope to make it out alive. It was intoxicating.
The night sky was clearer than it had been the last few days. It had a way of looking exceptionally beautiful when it was a clear night and out of reach as if it wanted you to long for it all the way from the ground. Lying on your back you watched the stars twinkle and stir in the night sky and you wished they would drop down and envelop you in the clouds.
A few minutes after contemplating your existence, a shadow passed by the door on the left and soon Kaleb appeared into the night air.
“Chasing stars, hm?” He said when he approached.
“They're far away from here. I'm jealous.” You said and forced a smile that you hoped was far from the tiredness you felt "Though they're not as bright in the city." You sat up as he joined you on the cold stone floor, shuffling backwards to rest your back against the bricked wall.
"I used to run with a bunch of outlaws a few years after my transition." You said "One was crazier than the next but what I remember the most were the stars at night. Stars in the city aren't as blinding as the ones in the wild."
"I was terrified of the night sky as a child." Kaleb said, staring at the sky above "I thought the stars were always watching me and judging my actions. Whenever I would do something bad I would hide under a tree or a roof so they couldn't see me."
As lovely as you thought that picture was of a boy hiding from the stars, reality was not as oblivious. By the looks of it, he knew that too well.
"You were really scared of them?" You asked and he confirmed with a nod "They always felt kind of save for me. Like a constant reminder that I'm just an ordinary monster on a planet that's floating in space."
"Existential crisis much? " He laughed, flashing his now-familiar smile.
"Shut up." You chuckled, giving his shoulder a nudge with your own.
"Besides, you're the least ordinary person I know." He added nudging his head against the wall behind him as he looked at you.
"Says the mysterious, handsome friend I never knew I needed." The second you uttered those words you wished you would've just slapped yourself instead.
"I'm sorry you have to be here because of me." You said after a moment of silence "I should've said that days ago. "
"There's no place I'd rather be. Truly." There it was again. His genuine interest seemed pure and without bad intent. Almost like he truly cared.
You forgot you were fighting a war and you were just two people sharing an illuminated night sky shoulder to shoulder. For one extremely disconcerting moment, you felt a gentle nudge of… something.
Something? You gave your head a little shake. It could not possibly be this easy to feel what you did not dare to for someone else. Yet you had the absurd inclination to turn your head and lean forward slightly until the space between you compressed into nothingness.
Then his hand melted together with the warmth on your skin, caressing your cheek in a familiar way that woke you from the moment you've been caught up in.
You scrambled to your feet in an instant, hurrying away despite Kaleb pleading to stay. You sought shelter in a room on the other side of the building, ignoring the way your heart was drumming relentlessly.
"Fuck" You banged your head against the wood of the closed door
………..
Morning broke relentlessly and swift, contrary to the guilt you harboured in your chest. You still tasted the sting of absinth on your tongue, having spent every minute away from the compound until it was time to leave.
Kaleb was in position on a roof near the hand-off waiting to withdraw the magic that held your shackles in place. Hayley and some of her wolves that remained were waiting on the other side of the cemetery searching for Elijah in case Esther would not agree to your proposal.
Klaus was walking next to you, vigilant and observing he scanned the area in front of him.
"I must say," He said, his voice echoing in the empty streets "this plan of yours is-"
"Dangerously brilliant?" You said raising an eyebrow at him "It only will be if it works. And if you help me get out of there. You will, right?"
He nodded before ducking into another alleyway close to the cemetery.
"I need more than a half-ass nod." You pushed further.
"What then, a kiss like you and your new friend shared?" Klaus teased, a big grin on his face.
"First of all, ew. Second of all, please don't tell me you saw that." You groaned wishing the earth would simply open up and swallow you whole.
"I did. I must tell you he's not-"
"You don't have to tell me anything. I feel guilty enough already." You hid your face away from him while turning the corner before continuing "So what about it? Are you gonna help me get out of there or not?"
"I give you my word." He said.
"Your word means nothing until you live up to it. Isn't that what you said?" You teased and he groaned, presumably regretting the words he had spoken not too long ago.
A few minutes passed in silence, navigating through back alleys under the ever brightening morning sky. There in the distance the old cemetery sign towered over the fence.
"It's weird but we make a good team." You glanced at him briefly "Imagine if we didn't loathe each other. They wouldn't stand a chance."
"I believe the world is not quite ready for that."
"The world, or you?" You smirked, crossing under the sign above you.
The conversation concluded when the first of Esther's lackeys appeared in front of you, followed by a dozen more that surrounded Esther who still resided in Lenore's body.
"Hello, mother. Care to negotiate a deal? Your traitor for my brother."
Klaus janked the chains in a way that made you drop to your knees, scraping your skin on the cold floor. He was enjoying this a little too much.
"And what would I do with her?" Esther asked, unimpressed.
"She's a traitor to your cause. Deal with her as you wish."
Esther considered for a moment, seemingly unconvinced until she took in the reaction of the gathering crowd that was whispering your name like a forbidden word. You tried not to smile when she nodded towards Finn, confirming the trade.
"Very well. You may take Elijah with you. Under one condition. You give me Kaleb alongside her."
Your eyes glanced upwards slightly and you hoped Esther was blind to your reaction.
"I don't negotiate. Take her and only her or I'll be forced to retaliate."
"Violence comes so easy to you, my boy. It clouds your judgement still." She shook her head "No matter, I can get to him myself if need be."
"So what will it be? Her for my brother?"
She nodded and promptly Finn appeared and stood next to his mother once again. Two
They brought Elijah around the corner, barely conscious enough to keep on his feet. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned with a crimson gradient travelling from his collar to his stomach. He fell into Klaus's arms who caught him easily with a steady grip. He slung Elijah's arm over his shoulder and slowly retreated into the shadows.
You remained still, waiting for Klaus to return or any sign that he would send the others in to help.
A few seconds ticked by, then a few more before you realized he wouldn't come back.
"Surprised?" Esther asked, smiling too self-righteous for your liking.
"Guess not." You stood up, fastening the chain around your hands into a straight line "Problem is, you'll still not gonna get me."
And with that Esther threw you to the wolves.
-------
Between the Pettigrew tomb on the right and Davina Claire's grave on the left, your feet stood steady on the stone floor. Heavy shackles torn at the chain now adorned your hands, smeared red with the blood of the dozen bodies lying beside you. Esther and Finn retreated like children when it was clear you would take down all of the wolves on their side.
Another attack came from the left, a werewolf again, which was easily deflected with a quick doge followed by an easy neck snap. Another jumped you from above and almost got his teeth into your neck but you managed to throw him off by rolling forward.
"Why don't you come back and face me, cowards?" You raised your voice, hoping it would pierce through Esther's and Finn's eardrums. They were hiding like cowards, you were fighting like an animal backed into a corner and Klaus and Kaleb ran away like thieves in the night. You were once again on your own. Typical.
From the corners of your eye, you saw Finn glimpsing around the corner, followed by an array of rusted metal spires he sent your way. You send them back with a flick of your wrist. When he moved next he made the mistake of crossing into your line of sight. You send him flying into a tomb next to you, crushing the old stone to ashes.
You had no time to double up your attack before Finn emerged from the rubble you put him in and haemorrhage your brain to a single jolt of pain. You pushed against the violence in your head and much to his surprise charged toward him. You had your hands around his throat and your teeth close to his neck when someone came up from behind.
Before you could react they snapped your neck and surrounded you in temporary darkness. Esther helped her son to his feet before dragging you away to whatever hellhole Esther had preoccupied. From a gilded cage to one built of broken vows and horror.
A/N: Well that escalated quickly....
As always, thank you for those who are reading this still, knowing you are still here means so much ❤
Open Coffin Series Taglist: (message me if you want on or off this list!)
Disclaimer: This is a sequel! Find Part 1 here. For some context, I´d advise you to watch The Originals to understand some occurrences.
Chapter warnings: typical tvdverse violence, unanticipated fluff (lol), usual tinge of angst, all in all a breather chapter before shit goes down again
Word count: 4328
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
There was something immediately threatening walking into the compound upon your arrival. Perhaps it was the certainty that Klaus would follow your every move, heeling like a loyal dog. It was a peculiar thing to be tied to someone you swore to destroy once before.There was something immediately threatening walking into the compound upon your arrival. Perhaps it was the certainty that Klaus would follow your every move, heeling like a loyal dog. It was a peculiar thing to be tied to someone you swore to destroy once before.
Perhaps what fueled this uneasiness more than the evil overlord himself, was the hybrid venom that was still clouding your mind as much as it clouded your vision. Back on the street, you swore you saw your mother hurry around a corner before you walked in, all thanks to Klaus´ gift. It was comforting really, blaming you losing your mind to an outside force.
But none of these things truly were to blame for the rush of doubt to the paranoid part of your brain. No, it was the building itself that had memories written in its stone walls. It knew too much.
The last time you were confined to a house like a bird in a cage was the summer of 1859 when smallpox was just discovered mere months before the neighbors got sick. You would sneak out anyway through an open window in the cellar when your father passed out from his first alcohol binge of the day, eagerly looking forward to roaming the fields and woods all by your lonesome.
But in the compound, there was no open cellar window. Trouble for him, sneaking out had always been one of your specialties.
Kaleb was still circling the building to find a parking space when you stood there clutching the bag of letters you grabbed from the small box of things that were your own. Without waiting for the welcome that would never come, you made your way to Kols' old room on the far end of the building. You truly could not wait to curl up in his room and feel so much closer to him. He had not spent too much time here, but it was his room regardless. His space.
You grabbed the door handle just in time for Klaus to walk out of his atelier behind you, holding a glass with his blood in his hands. You still had to be cured after all.
When you opened the door you were met with a totally different room than the one you knew. The bookshelves that used to line the entire adjacent room's walls, the rolls of spells and curses that he had displayed in cases, the artwork on the walls - it was gone. Packed up in boxes as he had never even existed.
Instead, there was a destroyed crib in the adjacent room where Kol used to read, a big wooden bed on the same spot where his bed used to be, and pictures on the bedside table where your picture used to hide under a stack of books back when he tried to hide you from his family. Judging from the clothes laid out on the bed, this was Hayley´s room now. You didn't blame her for it, she was just another prisoner. But the compound had so many rooms, why did they have to destroy Kol's? Could they care any less about him?
Klaus knew exactly what hurt he caused when you pushed past him with force, shooting him a glare. You grabbed the glass filled with his blood out of his hands before you headed to the room closest to the rooftop balcony you knew so well.
The room was longer than it was wide and had the same purple wallpaper on one of the walls as hung in Klaus's office and other rooms in the house. You had not been in this particular room before, but you knew it was next to Rebekah´s old room. Kol made you memorize the building early into your relationship in case something would happen while you were here. Even back then he was paranoid and rightfully so. Knowing the ins and outs of the building also made for a quick exit when Klaus daggered him in 1919.
A few minutes went by before Kaleb appeared in the same room after Klaus told him that this was the only room that had no construction underway.
Goodie. You had a roommate. No matter, you had not really slept in years so Kaleb could have the bed for himself.
What followed the next three days was nothing short of an interrogation on Klaus' part. He kept pressing and prodding to uncover some paranoid suspicion of your intentions. Not that you would blame him. You made alliances - albeit fake ones- with his mother. And you raised his gruesome father from the dead who was hellbent on killing him and almost succeeded in his endeavours. Almost was the keyword of course, because no matter how hard everyone tried, Klaus always came out alive.
Having your old friend and now sworn enemy, Mae there made this entire ordeal a test of patience. Especially now that she was an easily killable human due to another seemingly unexpected complication of the spell she used back then. Apparently draining an Original had not been enough power, after all, it demanded another sacrifice, one that took away the vampire curse to place a worse one on the recipient. And that was supposed to be you, until Kol intervened.
And for that, she will pay when the time was right. ----------------------------------------------------------
On day four, you found yourself out on the balcony, Ieaning on the outside of one of the railings, staring at your still unplayed voicemail from Stefan from a few days ago. You fled after another incident where you and Klaus were at each other's throats, unsurprisingly after you dared to question his authority over you. It turned out that you not only connected upon death but emotions too. And Klaus was nothing short of emotional, especially in the anger department. When he was angry it felt like a volcano bursting with lava that seethed and destroyed everything in its path. But there was something desperate underneath that bubbling anger. It almost felt like the search for a missing puzzle piece only to never find it. Knowing that it's there without ever holding it in your hands. Or perhaps like any living creature it was desperation to be seen for who you are not what you are.
If he wasn't such a nuisance you'd almost feel sorry for him. Then again, you're not the Poster child of temperance yourself, which, to no one's surprise, amplified both of your emotions even more.
You hovered over the messages play button, finally pressing it after promising yourself to not pack up everything and run to Stefan´ s aid like you had done so many times before. You held your phone to your ear to drown out the noise on the streets. A throat clearing was heard before you heard Stefan's voice.
"Hey uh... I wasn't myself when you called and I-" he paused when another distant voice interrupted him. Gone was the softer tone in his voice and was replaced with a more neutral tone, masking the previous genuine concern with a more careless demeanor "We need your help. Call me back, please."
“Oh and I'm alive by the way. Not that you would care.” Damon chimed in before he hung up. So he wasn't dead after all. Good that someone at least informed you, presumably weeks after he miraculously came back to life.
How very considerate.
The familiar knot of familiar disappointment roared to life in your stomach. How many times have you fallen for this in the past? Only to be sought out when they needed something. No apologies, no 'how are you' nothing. That was always how it went.
You squeezed the phone in your anger and it snapped in half. Good riddance. If they so desperately needed your help, they had to do a bit more than that.
You looked down at a group of people below you that headed down on Royal Street and a part of you just wished you could jump down there and disappear into the crowd with them. But then realization set in that you could never function in a group without being the odd one out. Not that you could even run far before Klaus caught up with you in his paranoid ways.
"Don't tell me you're breaking out without me?" Kaleb appeared next to you, his footsteps as light as the ones of a thief as he stepped outside into the cooling night air. A whiff of smoke still clung to his clothing from your failed attempts to sever the link with a Sanguinem Knot - a representational magic practice with a yarned knot drenched in yours and Klaus's blood. The yarn caught fire twice before it exploded into pieces the next time. Safe to say, all was going particularly well, as per usual.
"It's not breaking out if I come back." You replied,” I need to put some distance between me and that maniac or I might just impale myself to spare anyone the trouble."
“It’s a very nice cage, but a cage nonetheless.” He nodded. He understood, of course he did, "If it would be anyone but you I'd be tempted to encourage you."
" I think it's not even me he's pissed at. He and Elijah had a falling out before we got here.” You said, changing the topic.
“Did he say something?”
“He didn't have to. I know what being hurt by family looks like. Whatever it was, it cut him deep.”
Kaleb nodded but did not say anything. After a beat, Kaleb leaned over the railing sneaking a glimpse of the ground before turning to you "So where are we sneaking off to?" Your head snapped towards him. You were sure he would decline, but judging by the mischievous intentions glinting in his eyes, he was thrilled. It reminded you of Kol and his inclination to cause trouble. So much so, you had to do a double-take when you looked at Kaleb. The lines blurred the more you thought about it. Perhaps there was more to him than you knew. Or perhaps you saw Kol in every person you met because you missed him. Whatever it was you had no time to dwell on it.
"You sure you want to come with me? You'd have to jump" You reminded him. There was no way you could just walk through the door undetected.
"I'm sure you'd catch me, won't you? Besides, I'm always up for causing trouble."
“Let's go then.” You jumped ahead, safely landing on the floor before catching Kaleb when he followed. You ran off towards the west, just in time for the streetlights to illuminate and drive out the incoming darkness.
------------
The streets were packed with people a few blocks from the compound. The sun was now swallowed whole by the darkness and people drunkenly arguing on the sidewalk, others shone their kitchen lights onto the streets and some wandered trying to find some kind of relief.
On the corner of Polymnia Street and St. Charles Avenue was a jazz bar buzzing with people, locals it seemed. Kaleb spotted the “grand new opening” sign above the swung-open double doors. You knew of course that it wasn't a grand new opening, it was simply a scheme to cover up that the owner never gets older no matter how many years pass. The coven that owns several establishments over the city and beyond took turns running one of them for a few years before they handed over their reigns and moved to another location. Like gypsies, they settled wherever the ravens led them.
Kaleb stopped in his tracks when you walked past the doors, nodding his head towards the inside
“Let's go in.” He said.
“I don't know.” You shook your head “We're still in the Quarter. I don't have a big fan club here. ”
“You can't hide in that house forever. Come on, you deserve a moment of fun.” He nagged, nodding his head along to the upbeat jazz that was oozing onto the streets. He ushered towards the crowd, beckoning you with a wiggle of his finger to come closer. It did not seem like he would let up until you joined him.
“Alright but we're not dancing.” You gave in, rolling your eyes when he raised his arms in victory.
---------------
To nobody's surprise, Kaleb had you on the dancefloor within the next song the band played. He was a good dancer despite towering over most of the people there. Once a slow song came on you awkwardly excused yourself to the bar, trying to avoid the rush of quilt that had already crept in. There was no need to complicate things over a head-scrambling slow song that could steal anyone's heart.
The bar was empty when you approached. The other people had already found a table around the edges of the room or were busy dancing in the center. You politely smiled at the bartender - a woman with bright orange-colored hair - before you took a seat, hoping she would be one of the barkeeps that could care less about idle chit chat.
“Hey give me some Southern up there, would you?” You said and she nodded, fishing a glass from the pile she had been cleaning when you came in. You shook your head when she asked for ice and thanked her when she placed the glass in front of you. You were relieved when she turned her back, but it quickly faded when she leaned in after getting another order ready.
“Seems like your boyfriend over there is quite the ladies' man.” She said and nodded towards the crowd. You turned and saw Kaleb swaying with an old woman who chewed his ear off about something he could care less about it seemed.
“He's not my boyfriend.” You shook your head.
“You sure? Cause I don't think he knows that” She nodded towards him directly once again. This time you caught his gaze which was boiling over with feelings he so clearly failed to hide. Why did he have to make everything so complicated?
"l-” You sighed. What would you even say to explain your situation? “He's one of those people you swear you met before.”
“Are you sure you havenˋt? This is New Orleans after all. You might have walked past him around here.”
You shook your head “I haven't been here in forever.”
“Oh yeah? What brought you back?”
A nosy bartender, great. Why is everyone so interested in everyone's life these days?
“Love.” You said, sipping on your drink before continuing “and business, even some danger. You know the usual Nola cocktail.” You figured it was best to keep it as vague as possible. You never knew who was listening.
She sighed with a heaviness that could only mean that she had the same experience. And she did. You chatted with her for a few minutes, about the new opening and about her relationship with a girl her family despises. The word coven almost slipped from her lips, before she replaced it with family. She was a witch in love with another one from a coven that waged war against each other. A tale as old as time. Coincidentally you had a run-in with her girlfriend's coven a few years ago and it was far from civilized. Thankfully she had no idea who you were.
She continued telling you about her girlfriend and you wondered how she could give out information so freely. At some point, you wanted to ask her if you could help smooth things over between them, but then you remembered you were the last person in this city to mess with witch business. Not after the countless covens, you meddled with over the last few years.
You remembered every deal you made and every drop of blood you shed in exchange for a spell or information to find witches that specified in necromancy or anything remotely close to it. And now you could not even wipe the slate clean with the death you thought you would experience when the nosebleeds began. Thinking of it, perhaps there was something in those documents that could help you break the link. You made a mental note checking them when you got back.
The remembrance of your deeds was swiftly dragged into reality when hushed whispers reached your ears from the left side of the room, near where most of the people were sitting. . Somebody hushed your name to somebody else and it spread like a wildfire. Finally, it reached the bartender and her eyes shot wide open.
Then silence.
"You're Y/N Salvatore?" She stepped back, her voice uneasy.
“No, don´t I'm not-” A mindless killer is what you wanted to say, but she already dismissed any positive inclination she had from your conversation and was heading towards the back room.
For a moment your mind spun out of control, wishing she would come back with an entourage so you could cross the line once again, cleaning out this whole place with little to no effort. What the hell was wrong with you?
You glared at the crowd the whispering emerged from and they grew still in an instant. Some looked away, others stood up and left when your eyes fell on them. Anger rose quickly despite knowing better and your knuckles grew white around the glass, snapping it in half before you could slap it on the counter, drawing blood from your palm.
Lovely. Another thing that broke into pieces. What was next, a skull? Judging from the red hot rage behind your eyelids the latter was a certain possibility. You had to get out of dodge or this would be a repetition of the poor souls you killed on a whim in New York.
Storming through the crowd, right past Kaleb and the old lady, you made your way outside before the anger would swallow you whole. How dare they disrupt a moment of peace? What makes them eligible to stand above you in judgment? They most likely never had to move the line they'd never cross out of the way, or do the unspeakable to right a wrong. Humans and their fragile understanding of moral discrepancies. What a pity or they might understand.
“Y/N!” Kaleb called from behind, his voice sounding like a shotgun in the night. You kept walking hoping he would just let you be, yet he sprinted behind you with his long legs making it easier for him to reach you quickly “What happened?” He touched your shoulder when he spoke. You snapped his hand away, ignoring the hurt in his eyes.
“What always happens.” You dismissed him, hoping he would let you be.
“What did they say? If anyone dared-” He threatened with venom on his lips.
“It's not them, it's me!” You said, hammering your flat hand on your chest for emphasis “I'm what they allow me to be by knowing one minuscule part of me. I never existed for myself. I'm never just me, and I hate it” As soon as you realized what you had said, you wanted to run. This was too much for anyone to witness, too much revealed too soon.
“That's not true.” Kaleb said, then shrugged when you gave him an unapologetic stare “It's not. And I can prove it. Follow me. “
Kaleb led you through a crowd of people staring at the walls lined with paintings on Jackson Square, before diving into a building with the words “Art museum” written on a sign. What on earth was he trying to prove in an art museum? That boy was nothing but peculiar sometimes.
He stopped after taking a turn towards a secluded area of the museum where portraits of well-known New Orleanians hung in golden frames. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw one of Marie Laveau the Voodoo Queen. You thanked her silently for keeping your letters safe in her gravestone all those years.
When you finally looked at the familiar facial lines on the portrait that was framed in gold, your heart stopped. It was a painting of you.
You stood in the center of a crowded, lavishly decorated room surrounded by golden shimmering candlelight. The crowd was blurred, colorless, and dull, with the only focus lying on you. You were wearing a radiant amaranth dress so long that it made you look like you were floating, while the reflecting golden details on the corset rising from the waistband gave you a regal appearance. The colors bled towards the floor and rushed outwards from where you were standing and outshone even the candlelight, as you stared straight ahead with a slight smile on your lips as if looking at someone in the distance. It was absolutely mesmerizing.
At second glance another striking feature stood out which made this entire thing even more peculiar. In the right corner was Klaus ́ s signature and the year 1919 scribbled in black paint. Kol must have asked him to paint it shortly after the party where you kissed for the first time.
Kaleb was watching your expression, seen through the corners of your eyes, a smile mirroring the one that was displaying on your lips. Then he leaned closer to not disturb the other people that were already gathering around you.
“You exist for thousands of people that see your painting here every day. “ He whispered into your ear “They see you for who you truly are.”
Tears swelled in your eyes which you failed to hide from Kaleb's glances. You wiped them away without care. This is how he saw you? And not only Kol but millions of people. How peculiar to be seen as something so striking, so fierce when you had not seen either of those things when you thought about yourself.
“I know you made terrible memories here, “ Kaleb continued “but there is more than just grief, terror, and prejudice in this city. There are stories here that could not have been told anywhere else. And your story is more than just being somebody's keeper. “
You didn't know if he was talking about Kol or your brothers but he was right. You spent decades either chasing after ways to get Kol back while also trying to mend whatever relationship was left with Stefan and Damon. Now you searched the ends of the earth for something to bring him back to life. Perhaps it was time to live for yourself too. To look beyond rescuing Kol and what your life would be like when he returns.
“Thank you for showing me this.” You said, still staring ahead. When his hand brushed yours after he sidestepped to let someone through the thick crowd, you looked down. His fingers were long and graceful. You wanted to reach out and touch them but that seemed too personal. What if he pulled back?
Instead you turned your head to where he was still standing slightly behind you. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, so much so you swore you could see his heart beating through the shirt he was wearing. He stood so close that his breath was now brushing up against your cheek, warming it with a slight breeze. Your eyes rested on his lips for a moment, taking in the slight bruising that was still riding up his skin from when he landed on the concrete flooring.
There it was again. That gravitational pull that etched you closer to him despite
What was it about him that made you feel this...magnetic? Whatever it was, it had to stop. You stepped back, glancing at the painting one more time before walking off, giving Kaleb the choice to follow or run if he so chooses.
You decided to drop the sneaking act when you arrived back at the compound. Klaus was perceptive and had spies all over the city. He was probably already waiting inside to yell at you some more.
And sure enough , he was waiting on one of the tables in the courtyard, like some sort of 'parent that sat in the dark waiting to turn the light on' cliché.
You ushered Kaleb behind you, shielding him from any attack that Klaus might already be playing out in his head. But just as with the fight in the swamp, the attack never came.
Kaleb went ahead to the bedroom with a nod of confirmation after he assessed the tension and decided to step out of the way.
Before Klaus could open his mouth you intercepted “I saw your painting of me. Thank you.” You said. As you ascended the stairs you could swear you could see a smile on his face, followed by a warmness that was spreading in your chest. He was happy you saw the painting despite sneaking out of the house. Wasn't that quite something?
Perhaps there was peace in the cards after all. Or perhaps the card will shift once again, as they tend to do when nobody is paying attention.
---------------------------
A/N: Well wasn't that somewhat relaxing, eh? But don't you worry, the next problem is just around the corner.let me know what you thought about this chapter and if you have any idea what could happen next!
Thank you for those who are reading this right no, knowing you are still here means the world.
Open Coffin Series Taglist: (message me if you want on or off this list!)
*only reblog this from my account to have the newest version!*
Status: Book 1 completed (as of May 28th 2019), SEQUEL NOW IN WORK AND READABLE
Pairing: Kol x SalvatoreSister Reader
Summary: Follow the Salvatore Sister (you!) on a journey torn between family and the attraction towards a certain original vampire.
A/N: This is kind of an TVD rewrite (S3 upwards) with TO elements but kind of….not. There are certain key plot points you´ll recognize but with twists, changes and additions.
Chapter 01: “You´ll find them in Chicago”
Chapter 02: “Here to pick up the pieces” (Part 1)
Chapter 03: “Here to pick up the pieces“ (Part 2)
Chapter 04: “Recipe for Disaster”
Chapter 05: “Ghosts of the Past” (Part 1)
Chapter 06: “Ghosts of the Past” (Part 2)
Chapter 07: “Chasing all the Stars”
Chapter 08: “Look Alive, Stay Alive“
Chapter 09: “Fury Rising”
Chapter 10: “This could be Heaven, this could be Hell”
Alright, so I decided to sum up everything here now that I finished the first book!!!
By far the best Kol Mikaelson fanfic I’ve read and I am not saying this because we are friends. I enjoyed every part of this, especially the flashbacks!
I like the way the Salvatore sis carry herself and that she is not the damsel in distress (thank God!) I enjoyed the most all fluffy moments with Kol and the part were they all drink together thinking they’ll die after she ‘killed Klaus!!
I don’t know what to think of Mae now that I re read this. I don’t know if I like her. I guess time will tell!
I can’t wait for things to move to New Orleans tbh!!!
I laughed a lot reading this! It was fun!!
@justfangstvdto Please add me to Open Coffin’s 2 tag list!!! <3
Disclaimer: This is a sequel! Find Part 1 here. For some context, I´d advise you to watch The Originals to understand some occurrences.
Chapter warnings: typical tvdverse violence, unanticipated fluff (lol), usual tinge of angst, all in all a breather chapter before shit goes down again
Word count: 4328
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
The title was an accident at first because I wanted to write the actual word but my brain is used to write "Klaus" so I just left it! Also he is an evil overlord right now lol
I'm so glad you liked the painting idea as much as I did. It just came to me suddenly and was surprised that I get fluff ideas instead of angst for once!!
"No, no. I quite like how it is going..." oh boy are you in for a disappointment then. Or maybe not entirely, who knows 😉
Also I have to ask but did I make the spelling mistakes or did you becaude I can't find them in the actual fic lol
Disclaimer: This is a sequel! Find Part 1 here. For some context, I´d advise you to watch The Originals to understand some occurrences.
Chapter warnings: typical tvdverse violence, unanticipated fluff (lol), usual tinge of angst, all in all a breather chapter before shit goes down again
Word count: 4328
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
There was something immediately threatening walking into the compound upon your arrival. Perhaps it was the certainty that Klaus would follow your every move, heeling like a loyal dog. It was a peculiar thing to be tied to someone you swore to destroy once before.There was something immediately threatening walking into the compound upon your arrival. Perhaps it was the certainty that Klaus would follow your every move, heeling like a loyal dog. It was a peculiar thing to be tied to someone you swore to destroy once before.
Perhaps what fueled this uneasiness more than the evil overlord himself was the hybrid venom that was still clouding your mind as much as it clouded your vision. Back on the street, you swore you saw your mother hurry around a corner before you walked in, all thanks to Klaus´ gift. It was comforting really, blaming you losing your mind to an outside force.
But none of these things truly were to blame for the rush of doubt to the paranoid part of your brain. No, it was the building itself that had memories written in its stone walls. It knew too much.
The last time you were confined to a house like a bird in a cage was the summer of 1859 when smallpox was just discovered mere months before the neighbors got sick. You would sneak out anyway through an open window in the cellar when your father passed out from his first alcohol binge of the day, eagerly looking forward to roaming the fields and woods all by your lonesome.
But in the compound, there was no open cellar window. Trouble for him, sneaking out had always been one of your specialties.
Kaleb was still circling the building to find a parking space when you stood there clutching the bag of letters you grabbed from the small box of things that were your own. Without waiting for the welcome that would never come, you made your way to Kols' old room on the far end of the building. You truly could not wait to curl up in his room and feel so much closer to him. He had not spent too much time here, but it was his room regardless. His space.
You grabbed the door handle just in time for Klaus to walk out of his atelier behind you, holding a glass with his blood in his hands. You still had to be cured after all.
When you opened the door you were met with a totally different room than the one you knew. The bookshelves that used to line the entire adjacent room's walls, the rolls of spells and curses that he had displayed in cases, the artwork on the walls - it was gone. Packed up in boxes as he had never even existed.
Instead, there was a destroyed crib in the adjacent room where Kol used to read, a big wooden bed on the same spot where his bed used to be, and pictures on the bedside table where your picture used to hide under a stack of books back when he tried to hide you from his family. Judging from the clothes laid out on the bed, this was Hayley´s room now. You didn't blame her for it, she was just another prisoner. But the compound had so many rooms, why did they have to destroy Kol's? Could they care any less about him?
Klaus knew exactly what hurt he caused when you pushed past him with force, shooting him a glare. You grabbed the glass filled with his blood out of his hands before you headed to the room closest to the rooftop balcony you knew so well.
The room was longer than it was wide and had the same purple wallpaper on one of the walls as hung in Klaus's office and other rooms in the house. You had not been in this particular room before, but you knew it was next to Rebekah´s old room. Kol made you memorize the building early into your relationship in case something would happen while you were here. Even back then he was paranoid and rightfully so. Knowing the ins and outs of the building also made for a quick exit when Klaus daggered him in 1919.
A few minutes went by before Kaleb appeared in the same room after Klaus told him that this was the only room that had no construction underway.
Goodie. You had a roommate. No matter, you had not really slept in years so Kaleb could have the bed for himself.
What followed the next three days was nothing short of an interrogation on Klaus' part. He kept pressing and prodding to uncover some paranoid suspicion of your intentions. Not that you would blame him. You made alliances - albeit fake ones- with his mother. And you raised his gruesome father from the dead who was hellbent on killing him and almost succeeded in his endeavours. Almost was the keyword of course, because no matter how hard everyone tried, Klaus always came out alive.
Having your old friend and now sworn enemy, Mae there made this entire ordeal a test of patience. Especially now that she was an easily killable human due to another seemingly unexpected complication of the spell she used back then. Apparently draining an Original had not been enough power, after all, it demanded another sacrifice, one that took away the vampire curse to place a worse one on the recipient. And that was supposed to be you, until Kol intervened.
And for that, she will pay when the time was right. ----------------------------------------------------------------
On day four, you found yourself out on the balcony, Ieaning on the outside of one of the railings, staring at your still unplayed voicemail from Stefan from a few days ago. You fled after another incident where you and Klaus were at each other's throats, unsurprisingly after you dared to question his authority over you. It turned out that you not only connected upon death but emotions too. And Klaus was nothing short of emotional, especially in the anger department. When he was angry it felt like a volcano bursting with lava that seethed and destroyed everything in its path. But there was something desperate underneath that bubbling anger. It almost felt like the search for a missing puzzle piece only to never find it. Knowing that it's there without ever holding it in your hands. Or perhaps like any living creature it was desperation to be seen for who you are not what you are.
If he wasn't such a nuisance you'd almost feel sorry for him. Then again, you're not the Poster child of temperance yourself, which, to no one's surprise, amplified both of your emotions even more.
You hovered over the messages play button, finally pressing it after promising yourself to not pack up everything and run to Stefan´ s aid like you had done so many times before. You held your phone to your ear to drown out the noise on the streets. A throat clearing was heard before you heard Stefan's voice.
"Hey uh... I wasn't myself when you called and I-" he paused when another distant voice interrupted him. Gone was the softer tone in his voice and was replaced with a more neutral tone, masking the previous genuine concern with a more careless demeanor "We need your help. Call me back, please."
“Oh and I'm alive by the way. Not that you would care.” Damon chimed in before he hung up. So he wasn't dead after all. Good that someone at least informed you, presumably weeks after he miraculously came back to life.
How very considerate.
The familiar knot of familiar disappointment roared to life in your stomach. How many times have you fallen for this in the past? Only to be sought out when they needed something. No apologies, no 'how are you' nothing. That was always how it went.
You squeezed the phone in your anger and it snapped in half. Good riddance. If they so desperately needed your help, they had to do a bit more than that.
You looked down at a group of people below you that headed down on Royal Street and a part of you just wished you could jump down there and disappear into the crowd with them. But then realization set in that you could never function in a group without being the odd one out. Not that you could even run far before Klaus caught up with you in his paranoid ways.
"Don't tell me you're breaking out without me?" Kaleb appeared next to you, his footsteps as light as the ones of a thief as he stepped outside into the cooling night air. A whiff of smoke still clung to his clothing from your failed attempts to sever the link with a Sanguinem Knot - a representational magic practice with a yarned knot drenched in yours and Klaus's blood. The yarn caught fire twice before it exploded into pieces the next time. Safe to say, all was going particularly well, as per usual.
"It's not breaking out if I come back." You replied,” I need to put some distance between me and that maniac or I might just impale myself to spare anyone the trouble."
“It’s a very nice cage, but a cage nonetheless.” He nodded. He understood, of course he did, "If it would be anyone but you I'd be tempted to encourage you."
" I think it's not even me he's pissed at. He and Elijah had a falling out before we got here.”You said, changing the topic.
“Did he say something?”
“He didn't have to. I know what being hurt by family looks like. Whatever it was, it cut him deep.”
Kaleb nodded but did not say anything. After a beat, Kaleb leaned over the railing sneaking a glimpse of the ground before turning to you "So where are we sneaking off to?" Your head snapped towards him. You were sure he would decline, but judging by the mischievous intentions glinting in his eyes, he was thrilled. It reminded you of Kol and his inclination to cause trouble. So much so, you had to do a double-take when you looked at Kaleb. The lines blurred the more you thought about it. Perhaps there was more to him than you knew. Or perhaps you saw Kol in every person you met because you missed him. Whatever it was you had no time to dwell on it.
"You sure you want to come with me? You'd have to jump" You reminded him. There was no way you could just walk through the door undetected.
"I'm sure you'd catch me, won't you? Besides, I'm always up for causing trouble."
“Let's go then.” You jumped ahead, safely landing on the floor before catching Kaleb when he followed. You ran off towards the west, just in time for the streetlights to illuminate and drive out the incoming darkness.
------------
The streets were packed with people a few blocks from the compound. The sun was now swallowed whole by the darkness and people drunkenly arguing on the sidewalk, others shone their kitchen lights onto the streets and some wandered trying to find some kind of relief.
On the corner of Polymnia Street and St. Charles Avenue was a jazz bar buzzing with people, locals it seemed. Kaleb spotted the “grand new opening” sign above the swung-open double doors. You knew of course that it wasn't a grand new opening, it was simply a scheme to cover up that the owner never gets older no matter how many years pass. The coven that owns several establishments over the city and beyond took turns running one of them for a few years before they handed over their reigns and moved to another location. Like gypsies, they settled wherever the ravens led them.
Kaleb stopped in his tracks when you walked past the doors, nodding his head towards the inside
“Let's go in.” He said.
“I don't know.” You shook your head “We're still in the Quarter. I don't have a big fan club here. ”
“You can't hide in that house forever. Come on, you deserve a moment of fun.” He nagged, nodding his head along to the upbeat jazz that was oozing onto the streets. He ushered towards the crowd, beckoning you with a wiggle of his finger to come closer. It did not seem like he would let up until you joined him.
“Alright but we're not dancing.” You gave in, rolling your eyes when he raised his arms in victory.
---------------
To nobody's surprise, Kaleb had you on the dancefloor within the next song the band played. He was a good dancer despite towering over most of the people there. Once a slow song came on you awkwardly excused yourself to the bar, trying to avoid the rush of quilt that had already crept in. There was no need to complicate things over a head-scrambling slow song that could steal anyone's heart.
The bar was empty when you approached. The other people had already found a table around the edges of the room or were busy dancing in the center. You politely smiled at the bartender - a woman with bright orange-colored hair - before you took a seat, hoping she would be one of the barkeeps that could care less about idle chit chat.
“Hey give me some Southern up there, would you?” You said and she nodded, fishing a glass from the pile she had been cleaning when you came in. You shook your head when she asked for ice and thanked her when she placed the glass in front of you. You were relieved when she turned her back, but it quickly faded when she leaned in after getting another order ready.
“Seems like your boyfriend over there is quite the ladies' man.” She said and nodded towards the crowd. You turned and saw Kaleb swaying with an old woman who chewed his ear off about something he could care less about it seemed.
“He's not my boyfriend.” You shook your head.
“You sure? Cause I don't think he knows that” She nodded towards him directly once again. This time you caught his gaze which was boiling over with feelings he so clearly failed to hide. Why did he have to make everything so complicated?
"l-” You sighed. What would you even say to explain your situation? “He's one of those people you swear you met before.”
“Are you sure you havenˋt? This is New Orleans after all. You might have walked past him around here.”
You shook your head “I haven't been here in forever.”
“Oh yeah? What brought you back?”
A nosy bartender, great. Why is everyone so interested in everyone's life these days?
“Love.” You said, sipping on your drink before continuing “and business, even some danger. You know the usual Nola cocktail.” You figured it was best to keep it as vague as possible. You never knew who was listening.
She sighed with a heaviness that could only mean that she had the same experience. And she did. You chatted with her for a few minutes, about the new opening and about her relationship with a girl her family despises. The word coven almost slipped from her lips, before she replaced it with family. She was a witch in love with another one from a coven that waged war against each other. A tale as old as time. Coincidentally you had a run-in with her girlfriend's coven a few years ago and it was far from civilized. Thankfully she had no idea who you were.
She continued telling you about her girlfriend and you wondered how she could give out information so freely. At some point, you wanted to ask her if you could help smooth things over between them, but then you remembered you were the last person in this city to mess with witch business. Not after the countless covens, you meddled with over the last few years.
You remembered every deal you made and every drop of blood you shed in exchange for a spell or information to find witches that specified in necromancy or anything remotely close to it. And now you could not even wipe the slate clean with the death you thought you would experience when the nosebleeds began. Thinking of it, perhaps there was something in those documents that could help you break the link. You made a mental note checking them when you got back.
The remembrance of your deeds was swiftly dragged into reality when hushed whispers reached your ears from the left side of the room, near where most of the people were sitting. . Somebody hushed your name to somebody else and it spread like a wildfire. Finally, it reached the bartender and her eyes shot wide open.
Then silence.
"You're Y/N Salvatore?" She stepped back, her voice uneasy.
“No, don´t I'm not-” A mindless killer is what you wanted to say, but she already dismissed any positive inclination she had from your conversation and was heading towards the back room.
For a moment your mind spun out of control, wishing she would come back with an entourage so you could cross the line once again, cleaning out this whole place with little to no effort. What the hell was wrong with you?
You glared at the crowd the whispering emerged from and they grew still in an instant. Some looked away, others stood up and left when your eyes fell on them. Anger rose quickly despite knowing better and your knuckles grew white around the glass, snapping it in half before you could slap it on the counter, drawing blood from your palm.
Lovely. Another thing that broke into pieces. What was next, a skull? Judging from the red hot rage behind your eyelids the latter was a certain possibility. You had to get out of dodge or this would be a repetition of the poor souls you killed on a whim in New York.
Storming through the crowd, right past Kaleb and the old lady, you made your way outside before the anger would swallow you whole. How dare they disrupt a moment of peace? What makes them eligible to stand above you in judgment? They most likely never had to move the line they'd never cross out of the way, or do the unspeakable to right a wrong. Humans and their fragile understanding of moral discrepancies. What a pity or they might understand.
“Y/N!” Kaleb called from behind, his voice sounding like a shotgun in the night. You kept walking hoping he would just let you be, yet he sprinted behind you with his long legs making it easier for him to reach you quickly “What happened?” He touched your shoulder when he spoke. You snapped his hand away, ignoring the hurt in his eyes.
“What always happens.” You dismissed him, hoping he would let you be.
“What did they say? If anyone dared-” He threatened with venom on his lips.
“It's not them, it's me!” You said, hammering your flat hand on your chest for emphasis “I'm what they allow me to be by knowing one minuscule part of me. I never existed for myself. I'm never just me, and I hate it” As soon as you realized what you had said, you wanted to run. This was too much for anyone to witness, too much revealed too soon.
“That's not true.” Kaleb said, then shrugged when you gave him an unapologetic stare “It's not. And I can prove it. Follow me. “
Kaleb led you through a crowd of people staring at the walls lined with paintings on Jackson Square, before diving into a building with the words “Art museum” written on a sign. What on earth was he trying to prove in an art museum? That boy was nothing but peculiar sometimes.
He stopped after taking a turn towards a secluded area of the museum where portraits of well-known New Orleanians hung in golden frames. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw one of Marie Laveau the Voodoo Queen. You thanked her silently for keeping your letters safe in her gravestone all those years.
When you finally looked at the familiar facial lines on the portrait that was framed in gold, your heart stopped. It was a painting of you.
You stood in the center of a crowded, lavishly decorated room surrounded by golden shimmering candlelight. The crowd was blurred, colorless, and dull, with the only focus lying on you. You were wearing a radiant amaranth dress so long that it made you look like you were floating, while the reflecting golden details on the corset rising from the waistband gave you a regal appearance. The colors bled towards the floor and rushed outwards from where you were standing and outshone even the candlelight, as you stared straight ahead with a slight smile on your lips as if looking at someone in the distance. It was absolutely mesmerizing.
At second glance another striking feature stood out which made this entire thing even more peculiar. In the right corner was Klaus ́ s signature and the year 1919 scribbled in black paint. Kol must have asked him to paint it shortly after the party where you kissed for the first time.
Kaleb was watching your expression, seen through the corners of your eyes, a smile mirroring the one that was displaying on your lips. Then he leaned closer to not disturb the other people that were already gathering around you.
“You exist for thousands of people that see your painting here every day. “ He whispered into your ear “They see you for who you truly are.”
Tears swelled in your eyes which you failed to hide from Kaleb's glances. You wiped them away without care. This is how he saw you? And not only Kol but millions of people. How peculiar to be seen as something so striking, so fierce when you had not seen either of those things when you thought about yourself.
“I know you made terrible memories here, “ Kaleb continued “but there is more than just grief, terror, and prejudice in this city. There are stories here that could not have been told anywhere else. And your story is more than just being somebody's keeper. “
You didn't know if he was talking about Kol or your brothers but he was right. You spent decades either chasing after ways to get Kol back while also trying to mend whatever relationship was left with Stefan and Damon. Now you searched the ends of the earth for something to bring him back to life. Perhaps it was time to live for yourself too. To look beyond rescuing Kol and what your life would be like when he returns.
“Thank you for showing me this.” You said, still staring ahead. When his hand brushed yours after he sidestepped to let someone through the thick crowd, you looked down. His fingers were long and graceful. You wanted to reach out and touch them but that seemed too personal. What if he pulled back?
Instead you turned your head to where he was still standing slightly behind you. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, so much so you swore you could see his heart beating through the shirt he was wearing. He stood so close that his breath was now brushing up against your cheek, warming it with a slight breeze. Your eyes rested on his lips for a moment, taking in the slight bruising that was still riding up his skin from when he landed on the concrete flooring.
There it was again. That gravitational pull that etched you closer to him despite
What was it about him that made you feel this...magnetic? Whatever it was, it had to stop. You stepped back, glancing at the painting one more time before walking off, giving Kaleb the choice to follow or run if he so chooses.
You decided to drop the sneaking act when you arrived back at the compound. Klaus was perceptive and had spies all over the city. He was probably already waiting inside to yell at you some more.
And sure enough , he was waiting on one of the tables in the courtyard, like some sort of 'parent that sat in the dark waiting to turn the light on' cliché.
You ushered Kaleb behind you, shielding him from any attack that Klaus might already be playing out in his head. But just as with the fight in the swamp, the attack never came.
Kaleb went ahead to the bedroom with a nod of confirmation after he assessed the tension and decided to step out of the way.
Before Klaus could open his mouth you intercepted “I saw your painting of me. Thank you.” You said. As you ascended the stairs you could swear you could see a smile on his face, followed by a warmness that was spreading in your chest. He was happy you saw the painting despite sneaking out of the house. Wasn't that quite something?
Perhaps there was peace in the cards after all. Or perhaps the card will shift once again, as they tend to do when nobody is paying attention.
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A/N: Well wasn't that somewhat relaxing, eh? But don't you worry, the next problem is just around the corner.let me know what you thought about this chapter and if you have any idea what could happen next!
Thank you for those who are reading this right no, knowing you are still here means the world.
Open Coffin Series Taglist: (message me if you want on or off this list!)
Disclaimer: This is a sequel! Find Part 1 here. For some context, I´d advise you to watch The Originals to understand some occurrences.
Chapter warnings: typical tvdverse violence, unanticipated fluff (lol), usual tinge of angst, all in all a breather chapter before shit goes down again
Word count: 4328
Tags & Author Note at the bottom. Feedback is my lifeblood and keeps the writing coming (eventually…lol)
There was something immediately threatening walking into the compound upon your arrival. Perhaps it was the certainty that Klaus would follow your every move, heeling like a loyal dog. It was a peculiar thing to be tied to someone you swore to destroy once before.There was something immediately threatening walking into the compound upon your arrival. Perhaps it was the certainty that Klaus would follow your every move, heeling like a loyal dog. It was a peculiar thing to be tied to someone you swore to destroy once before.
Perhaps what fueled this uneasiness more than the evil overlord himself, was the hybrid venom that was still clouding your mind as much as it clouded your vision. Back on the street, you swore you saw your mother hurry around a corner before you walked in, all thanks to Klaus´ gift. It was comforting really, blaming you losing your mind to an outside force.
But none of these things truly were to blame for the rush of doubt to the paranoid part of your brain. No, it was the building itself that had memories written in its stone walls. It knew too much.
The last time you were confined to a house like a bird in a cage was the summer of 1859 when smallpox was just discovered mere months before the neighbors got sick. You would sneak out anyway through an open window in the cellar when your father passed out from his first alcohol binge of the day, eagerly looking forward to roaming the fields and woods all by your lonesome.
But in the compound, there was no open cellar window. Trouble for him, sneaking out had always been one of your specialties.
Kaleb was still circling the building to find a parking space when you stood there clutching the bag of letters you grabbed from the small box of things that were your own. Without waiting for the welcome that would never come, you made your way to Kols' old room on the far end of the building. You truly could not wait to curl up in his room and feel so much closer to him. He had not spent too much time here, but it was his room regardless. His space.
You grabbed the door handle just in time for Klaus to walk out of his atelier behind you, holding a glass with his blood in his hands. You still had to be cured after all.
When you opened the door you were met with a totally different room than the one you knew. The bookshelves that used to line the entire adjacent room's walls, the rolls of spells and curses that he had displayed in cases, the artwork on the walls - it was gone. Packed up in boxes as he had never even existed.
Instead, there was a destroyed crib in the adjacent room where Kol used to read, a big wooden bed on the same spot where his bed used to be, and pictures on the bedside table where your picture used to hide under a stack of books back when he tried to hide you from his family. Judging from the clothes laid out on the bed, this was Hayley´s room now. You didn't blame her for it, she was just another prisoner. But the compound had so many rooms, why did they have to destroy Kol's? Could they care any less about him?
Klaus knew exactly what hurt he caused when you pushed past him with force, shooting him a glare. You grabbed the glass filled with his blood out of his hands before you headed to the room closest to the rooftop balcony you knew so well.
The room was longer than it was wide and had the same purple wallpaper on one of the walls as hung in Klaus's office and other rooms in the house. You had not been in this particular room before, but you knew it was next to Rebekah´s old room. Kol made you memorize the building early into your relationship in case something would happen while you were here. Even back then he was paranoid and rightfully so. Knowing the ins and outs of the building also made for a quick exit when Klaus daggered him in 1919.
A few minutes went by before Kaleb appeared in the same room after Klaus told him that this was the only room that had no construction underway.
Goodie. You had a roommate. No matter, you had not really slept in years so Kaleb could have the bed for himself.
What followed the next three days was nothing short of an interrogation on Klaus' part. He kept pressing and prodding to uncover some paranoid suspicion of your intentions. Not that you would blame him. You made alliances - albeit fake ones- with his mother. And you raised his gruesome father from the dead who was hellbent on killing him and almost succeeded in his endeavours. Almost was the keyword of course, because no matter how hard everyone tried, Klaus always came out alive.
Having your old friend and now sworn enemy, Mae there made this entire ordeal a test of patience. Especially now that she was an easily killable human due to another seemingly unexpected complication of the spell she used back then. Apparently draining an Original had not been enough power, after all, it demanded another sacrifice, one that took away the vampire curse to place a worse one on the recipient. And that was supposed to be you, until Kol intervened.
And for that, she will pay when the time was right. ----------------------------------------------------------
On day four, you found yourself out on the balcony, Ieaning on the outside of one of the railings, staring at your still unplayed voicemail from Stefan from a few days ago. You fled after another incident where you and Klaus were at each other's throats, unsurprisingly after you dared to question his authority over you. It turned out that you not only connected upon death but emotions too. And Klaus was nothing short of emotional, especially in the anger department. When he was angry it felt like a volcano bursting with lava that seethed and destroyed everything in its path. But there was something desperate underneath that bubbling anger. It almost felt like the search for a missing puzzle piece only to never find it. Knowing that it's there without ever holding it in your hands. Or perhaps like any living creature it was desperation to be seen for who you are not what you are.
If he wasn't such a nuisance you'd almost feel sorry for him. Then again, you're not the Poster child of temperance yourself, which, to no one's surprise, amplified both of your emotions even more.
You hovered over the messages play button, finally pressing it after promising yourself to not pack up everything and run to Stefan´ s aid like you had done so many times before. You held your phone to your ear to drown out the noise on the streets. A throat clearing was heard before you heard Stefan's voice.
"Hey uh... I wasn't myself when you called and I-" he paused when another distant voice interrupted him. Gone was the softer tone in his voice and was replaced with a more neutral tone, masking the previous genuine concern with a more careless demeanor "We need your help. Call me back, please."
“Oh and I'm alive by the way. Not that you would care.” Damon chimed in before he hung up. So he wasn't dead after all. Good that someone at least informed you, presumably weeks after he miraculously came back to life.
How very considerate.
The familiar knot of familiar disappointment roared to life in your stomach. How many times have you fallen for this in the past? Only to be sought out when they needed something. No apologies, no 'how are you' nothing. That was always how it went.
You squeezed the phone in your anger and it snapped in half. Good riddance. If they so desperately needed your help, they had to do a bit more than that.
You looked down at a group of people below you that headed down on Royal Street and a part of you just wished you could jump down there and disappear into the crowd with them. But then realization set in that you could never function in a group without being the odd one out. Not that you could even run far before Klaus caught up with you in his paranoid ways.
"Don't tell me you're breaking out without me?" Kaleb appeared next to you, his footsteps as light as the ones of a thief as he stepped outside into the cooling night air. A whiff of smoke still clung to his clothing from your failed attempts to sever the link with a Sanguinem Knot - a representational magic practice with a yarned knot drenched in yours and Klaus's blood. The yarn caught fire twice before it exploded into pieces the next time. Safe to say, all was going particularly well, as per usual.
"It's not breaking out if I come back." You replied,” I need to put some distance between me and that maniac or I might just impale myself to spare anyone the trouble."
“It’s a very nice cage, but a cage nonetheless.” He nodded. He understood, of course he did, "If it would be anyone but you I'd be tempted to encourage you."
" I think it's not even me he's pissed at. He and Elijah had a falling out before we got here.” You said, changing the topic.
“Did he say something?”
“He didn't have to. I know what being hurt by family looks like. Whatever it was, it cut him deep.”
Kaleb nodded but did not say anything. After a beat, Kaleb leaned over the railing sneaking a glimpse of the ground before turning to you "So where are we sneaking off to?" Your head snapped towards him. You were sure he would decline, but judging by the mischievous intentions glinting in his eyes, he was thrilled. It reminded you of Kol and his inclination to cause trouble. So much so, you had to do a double-take when you looked at Kaleb. The lines blurred the more you thought about it. Perhaps there was more to him than you knew. Or perhaps you saw Kol in every person you met because you missed him. Whatever it was you had no time to dwell on it.
"You sure you want to come with me? You'd have to jump" You reminded him. There was no way you could just walk through the door undetected.
"I'm sure you'd catch me, won't you? Besides, I'm always up for causing trouble."
“Let's go then.” You jumped ahead, safely landing on the floor before catching Kaleb when he followed. You ran off towards the west, just in time for the streetlights to illuminate and drive out the incoming darkness.
------------
The streets were packed with people a few blocks from the compound. The sun was now swallowed whole by the darkness and people drunkenly arguing on the sidewalk, others shone their kitchen lights onto the streets and some wandered trying to find some kind of relief.
On the corner of Polymnia Street and St. Charles Avenue was a jazz bar buzzing with people, locals it seemed. Kaleb spotted the “grand new opening” sign above the swung-open double doors. You knew of course that it wasn't a grand new opening, it was simply a scheme to cover up that the owner never gets older no matter how many years pass. The coven that owns several establishments over the city and beyond took turns running one of them for a few years before they handed over their reigns and moved to another location. Like gypsies, they settled wherever the ravens led them.
Kaleb stopped in his tracks when you walked past the doors, nodding his head towards the inside
“Let's go in.” He said.
“I don't know.” You shook your head “We're still in the Quarter. I don't have a big fan club here. ”
“You can't hide in that house forever. Come on, you deserve a moment of fun.” He nagged, nodding his head along to the upbeat jazz that was oozing onto the streets. He ushered towards the crowd, beckoning you with a wiggle of his finger to come closer. It did not seem like he would let up until you joined him.
“Alright but we're not dancing.” You gave in, rolling your eyes when he raised his arms in victory.
---------------
To nobody's surprise, Kaleb had you on the dancefloor within the next song the band played. He was a good dancer despite towering over most of the people there. Once a slow song came on you awkwardly excused yourself to the bar, trying to avoid the rush of quilt that had already crept in. There was no need to complicate things over a head-scrambling slow song that could steal anyone's heart.
The bar was empty when you approached. The other people had already found a table around the edges of the room or were busy dancing in the center. You politely smiled at the bartender - a woman with bright orange-colored hair - before you took a seat, hoping she would be one of the barkeeps that could care less about idle chit chat.
“Hey give me some Southern up there, would you?” You said and she nodded, fishing a glass from the pile she had been cleaning when you came in. You shook your head when she asked for ice and thanked her when she placed the glass in front of you. You were relieved when she turned her back, but it quickly faded when she leaned in after getting another order ready.
“Seems like your boyfriend over there is quite the ladies' man.” She said and nodded towards the crowd. You turned and saw Kaleb swaying with an old woman who chewed his ear off about something he could care less about it seemed.
“He's not my boyfriend.” You shook your head.
“You sure? Cause I don't think he knows that” She nodded towards him directly once again. This time you caught his gaze which was boiling over with feelings he so clearly failed to hide. Why did he have to make everything so complicated?
"l-” You sighed. What would you even say to explain your situation? “He's one of those people you swear you met before.”
“Are you sure you havenˋt? This is New Orleans after all. You might have walked past him around here.”
You shook your head “I haven't been here in forever.”
“Oh yeah? What brought you back?”
A nosy bartender, great. Why is everyone so interested in everyone's life these days?
“Love.” You said, sipping on your drink before continuing “and business, even some danger. You know the usual Nola cocktail.” You figured it was best to keep it as vague as possible. You never knew who was listening.
She sighed with a heaviness that could only mean that she had the same experience. And she did. You chatted with her for a few minutes, about the new opening and about her relationship with a girl her family despises. The word coven almost slipped from her lips, before she replaced it with family. She was a witch in love with another one from a coven that waged war against each other. A tale as old as time. Coincidentally you had a run-in with her girlfriend's coven a few years ago and it was far from civilized. Thankfully she had no idea who you were.
She continued telling you about her girlfriend and you wondered how she could give out information so freely. At some point, you wanted to ask her if you could help smooth things over between them, but then you remembered you were the last person in this city to mess with witch business. Not after the countless covens, you meddled with over the last few years.
You remembered every deal you made and every drop of blood you shed in exchange for a spell or information to find witches that specified in necromancy or anything remotely close to it. And now you could not even wipe the slate clean with the death you thought you would experience when the nosebleeds began. Thinking of it, perhaps there was something in those documents that could help you break the link. You made a mental note checking them when you got back.
The remembrance of your deeds was swiftly dragged into reality when hushed whispers reached your ears from the left side of the room, near where most of the people were sitting. . Somebody hushed your name to somebody else and it spread like a wildfire. Finally, it reached the bartender and her eyes shot wide open.
Then silence.
"You're Y/N Salvatore?" She stepped back, her voice uneasy.
“No, don´t I'm not-” A mindless killer is what you wanted to say, but she already dismissed any positive inclination she had from your conversation and was heading towards the back room.
For a moment your mind spun out of control, wishing she would come back with an entourage so you could cross the line once again, cleaning out this whole place with little to no effort. What the hell was wrong with you?
You glared at the crowd the whispering emerged from and they grew still in an instant. Some looked away, others stood up and left when your eyes fell on them. Anger rose quickly despite knowing better and your knuckles grew white around the glass, snapping it in half before you could slap it on the counter, drawing blood from your palm.
Lovely. Another thing that broke into pieces. What was next, a skull? Judging from the red hot rage behind your eyelids the latter was a certain possibility. You had to get out of dodge or this would be a repetition of the poor souls you killed on a whim in New York.
Storming through the crowd, right past Kaleb and the old lady, you made your way outside before the anger would swallow you whole. How dare they disrupt a moment of peace? What makes them eligible to stand above you in judgment? They most likely never had to move the line they'd never cross out of the way, or do the unspeakable to right a wrong. Humans and their fragile understanding of moral discrepancies. What a pity or they might understand.
“Y/N!” Kaleb called from behind, his voice sounding like a shotgun in the night. You kept walking hoping he would just let you be, yet he sprinted behind you with his long legs making it easier for him to reach you quickly “What happened?” He touched your shoulder when he spoke. You snapped his hand away, ignoring the hurt in his eyes.
“What always happens.” You dismissed him, hoping he would let you be.
“What did they say? If anyone dared-” He threatened with venom on his lips.
“It's not them, it's me!” You said, hammering your flat hand on your chest for emphasis “I'm what they allow me to be by knowing one minuscule part of me. I never existed for myself. I'm never just me, and I hate it” As soon as you realized what you had said, you wanted to run. This was too much for anyone to witness, too much revealed too soon.
“That's not true.” Kaleb said, then shrugged when you gave him an unapologetic stare “It's not. And I can prove it. Follow me. “
Kaleb led you through a crowd of people staring at the walls lined with paintings on Jackson Square, before diving into a building with the words “Art museum” written on a sign. What on earth was he trying to prove in an art museum? That boy was nothing but peculiar sometimes.
He stopped after taking a turn towards a secluded area of the museum where portraits of well-known New Orleanians hung in golden frames. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw one of Marie Laveau the Voodoo Queen. You thanked her silently for keeping your letters safe in her gravestone all those years.
When you finally looked at the familiar facial lines on the portrait that was framed in gold, your heart stopped. It was a painting of you.
You stood in the center of a crowded, lavishly decorated room surrounded by golden shimmering candlelight. The crowd was blurred, colorless, and dull, with the only focus lying on you. You were wearing a radiant amaranth dress so long that it made you look like you were floating, while the reflecting golden details on the corset rising from the waistband gave you a regal appearance. The colors bled towards the floor and rushed outwards from where you were standing and outshone even the candlelight, as you stared straight ahead with a slight smile on your lips as if looking at someone in the distance. It was absolutely mesmerizing.
At second glance another striking feature stood out which made this entire thing even more peculiar. In the right corner was Klaus ́ s signature and the year 1919 scribbled in black paint. Kol must have asked him to paint it shortly after the party where you kissed for the first time.
Kaleb was watching your expression, seen through the corners of your eyes, a smile mirroring the one that was displaying on your lips. Then he leaned closer to not disturb the other people that were already gathering around you.
“You exist for thousands of people that see your painting here every day. “ He whispered into your ear “They see you for who you truly are.”
Tears swelled in your eyes which you failed to hide from Kaleb's glances. You wiped them away without care. This is how he saw you? And not only Kol but millions of people. How peculiar to be seen as something so striking, so fierce when you had not seen either of those things when you thought about yourself.
“I know you made terrible memories here, “ Kaleb continued “but there is more than just grief, terror, and prejudice in this city. There are stories here that could not have been told anywhere else. And your story is more than just being somebody's keeper. “
You didn't know if he was talking about Kol or your brothers but he was right. You spent decades either chasing after ways to get Kol back while also trying to mend whatever relationship was left with Stefan and Damon. Now you searched the ends of the earth for something to bring him back to life. Perhaps it was time to live for yourself too. To look beyond rescuing Kol and what your life would be like when he returns.
“Thank you for showing me this.” You said, still staring ahead. When his hand brushed yours after he sidestepped to let someone through the thick crowd, you looked down. His fingers were long and graceful. You wanted to reach out and touch them but that seemed too personal. What if he pulled back?
Instead you turned your head to where he was still standing slightly behind you. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, so much so you swore you could see his heart beating through the shirt he was wearing. He stood so close that his breath was now brushing up against your cheek, warming it with a slight breeze. Your eyes rested on his lips for a moment, taking in the slight bruising that was still riding up his skin from when he landed on the concrete flooring.
There it was again. That gravitational pull that etched you closer to him despite
What was it about him that made you feel this...magnetic? Whatever it was, it had to stop. You stepped back, glancing at the painting one more time before walking off, giving Kaleb the choice to follow or run if he so chooses.
You decided to drop the sneaking act when you arrived back at the compound. Klaus was perceptive and had spies all over the city. He was probably already waiting inside to yell at you some more.
And sure enough , he was waiting on one of the tables in the courtyard, like some sort of 'parent that sat in the dark waiting to turn the light on' cliché.
You ushered Kaleb behind you, shielding him from any attack that Klaus might already be playing out in his head. But just as with the fight in the swamp, the attack never came.
Kaleb went ahead to the bedroom with a nod of confirmation after he assessed the tension and decided to step out of the way.
Before Klaus could open his mouth you intercepted “I saw your painting of me. Thank you.” You said. As you ascended the stairs you could swear you could see a smile on his face, followed by a warmness that was spreading in your chest. He was happy you saw the painting despite sneaking out of the house. Wasn't that quite something?
Perhaps there was peace in the cards after all. Or perhaps the card will shift once again, as they tend to do when nobody is paying attention.
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A/N: Well wasn't that somewhat relaxing, eh? But don't you worry, the next problem is just around the corner.let me know what you thought about this chapter and if you have any idea what could happen next!
Thank you for those who are reading this right no, knowing you are still here means the world.
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