Audacious

TWENTY TWO

       Alexandra's eyes opened and found herself staring at a ceiling that didn't belong to her room. She looked to the side and saw the open blinds revealing the night's sky. "Good morning sleeping beauty." She heard Rebekah's voice from next to her.

"This isn't another dream, right?" She tried to get up, but her head felt slightly heavier than usual. After Klaus had left her mind assuring her that they would figure it out and she would come out safe, she had been drifting between dreams or more like scenes. They were all staring Klaus, and in them, he was the antagonist. An evil monster who only fed and made towns drown in the blood of their people.

Rebekah was confused at her question for a second, but she moved closer. "This is real, as real as you and me." Alexandra nodded her head, but her eyes remained glazed with something which Rebekah couldn't fathom. "Are you okay?"

"Where's Niklaus?" Alexandra asked her eyes moving left and right in search for him. There was a sudden urgency to see him.

"He just left." Alexandra didn't know why, but she felt like Rebekah was hiding something from her. She was also sure it was about Klaus. "He made sure you got better then left."

Alexandra's eyes hung on Rebekah, "I think something is wrong. Something is happening and I don't understand what it is."

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"I still cannot understand how Alex got roped up in all of this." Jeremy commented as he sat in his living room with Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie. The latter had explained to them everything once more. Tyler and Caroline were also there, after Elena had explained to them everything tht had taken place.

"I don't know Jeremy, but..." Bonnie wasn't sure whether to tell them or not, but she decided it was best that she explained it. "That bond, it felt like it had always been there. Maybe Esther strengthened it, but she didn't start it. That much I know."

"But why does Ayana want to help Alex?" Elena asked with furrowed eyebrows. Her eyes drifted to Stefan, who hadn't said a word since their meeting. She couldn't read him anymore. Once upon a time, he was like an open book to her, but now she looked at him like he was a stranger to her. She felt like he was way too riled up about Alexandra's situation; it seemed more than just caring for a friend. She dismissed the idea quickly, "It can't be." She told herself quickly.

No one had an answer to the question and it hung in the air causing tension to rise between them. Suddenly, Tyler seemed to perk up like he found his long lost treasure. "This can actually be good. They share a life bond, and she can die."

Caroline snapped towards him, "Seriously? Now you're thinking about killing our friend?"

Tyler scoffed, "Since when was Alex your friend? She keeps to herself, stays away from everyone, and she's only friends with Jeremy and that one other girl. If we don't end her she's going to side with Klaus, would you all want that?"

Stefan jolted up from his seat and took long strides outside of the house. The thought itself disturbed him to no end, and he needed to leave the place. "Every spell has a loophole." That thought brought him some comfort; he knew he would find the loophole.

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When morning came around, Alexandra decided that she couldn't stay at the mansion anymore; she knew it was high time that she went home. Rebekah had been smart enough to contact Jerry and tell him that Alexandra would stay over for some more time, which was why the man didn't worry about her.

"Maybe it's better if you don't go to school today." Rebekah suggested following the girl out of the mansion.

"And then?" Her tone held a bit of her frustration and even aggravation. She let out a sigh, "Bekah, I can't stay cooped up forever. I have to go to school, I have to continue living." She bit her lower lip, "I just want to know where did he go? He didn't show his face, not even once. He doesn't answer his phone, and I don't know..."

Rebekah didn't know what she should tell her. Since he heard the news about the bond, Klaus had bolted out of the mansion and didn't show his face to anyone. She guessed he was afraid; it was what he did when he found a connection between him and another being. Rebekah knew Klaus would see the bond as a weakness. "He's probably trying to find mo... I mean Esther."

Alexandra's eyes widened with an idea, "I remember you told me about your brother, Finn. There was this girl he loved, Sage was her name, I think?" Rebekah nodded, "Maybe you guys can use her to get him?"

"You're bloody brilliant." Rebekah exclaimed and fished for her phone to call Elijah. The two left for school in Rebekah's car. Jeremy found them the second they entered the school building.

"Alex, I'm glad you're better!" He wrapped his arms around her and she hugged him back.

"Thanks Jere. I'm okay don't worry." Alexandra believed that she was physically okay, she really was. However, she was an emotional mess. She wasn't even sure that she processed everything Rebekah told her about the life bond. She wondered if the only reason she felt that attraction towards him was because of the bond. If it somehow affected the both of them.

"Maybe that's why he didn't show his face. Maybe he came to the same conclusion. Maybe there's never been anything in common between us and we both imagined it because of the bond. Could it be that none of it was real?" These thoughts, possibilities, kept swirling in her mind and she had noway to shut them out.

"Thank you for calling me back, Bekah. I really appreciate it." Jeremy said while eyes Rebekah with a look that Alex found slightly strange. It was clear that he liked her in a way, and Alex decided that it was a ship she'd like to see sail.

Jeremy talked to Alexandra throughout the day in and between classes. He kept on assuring her that they would find a way out, that they always did. She took his words, but didn't hang on them all that much. She had her doubts about the way they could help her, and about herself as well.

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Damon was in Alaric's apartment. They were both busy carving the sign into perfect stakes. There was the ringing of Damon's phone, he looked at the caller to find it was Elijah. His movement froze and his eyes drifted between Elijah's name and the white oak in his other hand.

He was between a rock and a hard place, and he needed to decide on what to do. "Everything alright?" Alaric asked him and Damon didn't reply nor move. It was just dead silent between them. "I fucked up real bad this time."

A/N

Hello beautiful people ♥️,
How are you all doing? I hope you like this chapter and enjoy it. I tried to update a little bit earlier but I couldn't. I hope I didn't leave you waiting for too long.

Do you like short chapters, like this one, or longer ones? It's just a quick question 😅

Finally, thank you for every read, vote and comment. They all mean the world to me.

Happy reading,
Lots of love 💕,
Alex xoxo