The Unknown Variable

Questioning

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

15, October 1849

Niklaus Mikaelson glanced out his carriage window as it came to a stop in front of the towns' boarding house. He had come back to the old village when rumor had spread that there was many a werewolf residing here.

 While he may not have the Doppelganger and the moonstone yet, it would be best to keep a line of wolves on standby. As he got out of the carriage, it struck him how much the village had changed since the last time he had been there. The door to the lodgings opened, and out came a boy, no more than 12 years of age. 

His hair was a curly raven black while his eyes were as blue as ice crystals on a winter's morning. Niklaus refused to admit that he felt an instant connection to the boy standing in front of him.

"Mr. Mikaelson?" the boy questioned as he came to stand in front of Niklaus. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the boy, "Who might you be?" The boy glanced up at him through his eyelashes, "Damon, Damon Salvatore." He said before looking down at his feet.

Pain. All he could feel was pain as he started to come to. "Damon, Damon." Someone called out, shaking his shoulder. Groaning, he tried to force his eyes open to escape the darkness that currently surrounded him. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to crack his eyes open and glanced next to him to see Elena. 

Her face was filled with worry and fear as she knelt next to him. "Are you ok?" she whispered as she brushed his bangs out of his sweaty face. "E-E-Elena." He croaked out, confusion filling him as he looked around and saw they were in an old decrepit room. The windows were mostly covered in wooden boards, and they were surrounded by old books. 

"Damon. Damon, we have to get those ropes off you and get out of here." Elena whispered as she glanced nervously at the entrance to the room. The confusion intensified as he glanced down to see ropes covered in vervain wrapped around him. Glancing at the door again, Elena bit her lip before starting to tug at the ropes holding Damon in place. Just as she had managed to get his arms free, Rose walked into the room.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked as she looked at them before rushing over with a syringe held in her hand. "No!" Elena yelled yanking on Rose's arm only for her to throw Elena onto the couch. Just as Rose had gotten close though, Damon had gotten the last rope off himself. Knowing he was no match for her right now, Damon bolted towards the window. He scrambled to a dark corner as his skin started to burn in the sunlight.

 Glancing down, anger surged through him as he realized he was missing his daylight ring. "Where is it?" Damon growled as he stared at the vampire in front of him. Rose froze in place, she might be 400 years older than him but, everyone had heard about the most ruthless Salvatore brother.

 "You'll get it back once you leave. Until then, I can't have you getting in the way." Rose informed him, her voice filled with sympathy as she rushed towards him and injected him with another dose of vervain.

As he collapsed Rose caught him and laid him on the couch that Elena had abandoned. "I'm sorry." she whispered to him as she turned her back on the young vampire. "Why am I here? Why is Damon here?" Elena asked as she watched Rose walk away from Damon. Her one hope had been that Damon would be able to get them both the heck out of here.

 She knew how much vervain hurt and could only hope that Damon wouldn't wake up until it was all out of his system. "You keep asking me these questions like I'm gonna answer them." Rose told her as she faced the current doppelgänger. "Why won't you?" Elena demanded as she placed herself in between Rose and Damon.