Moving Forward ~1

Snowflakes

"I intuited as much."

"You knew?" I ask Klaus and he nods his head a wicked smirk on his face.

"The signs were all there love. She was hanging onto his every word and did everything he told her to do without question which in the past your sister was never that easy. No offense."

"Which means I need to find the cure now more than ever. And yet here you are making post-modern snowflakes with Sofia dangling off your arm."

"Yeah, you couldn't even handle rescuing my sister Stefan. So dial down the judgment." I fire back which only makes Klaus laugh.

"I've delivered. I retrieved the hunter's sword from Italy. Which we'll use to decipher the map hidden in the hunter's mark. You're the one who's supposed to deliver the hunter and the mark."

"Well, Jeremy is the hunter, and he has to keep killing vampire to complete his mark, but we can't quite figure out how to keep him from killing us."

"I gave Jeremy so herbs and Bonnie is with him assuring he takes them. It should keep his hunter killing needs at bay for now." I explain.

"Which is why I feel justified in doing a little charity work."

"Or maybe you're lying about having found the sword."

"Why would I lie to you, Stefan? We're in this together." Klaus marches to his safe and pulls out the sword for Stefan and me to see. "The hilt acts like a cipher which we'll use to decode the marks on Jeremy's tattoo when he's killed enough vampires to complete it."

"And how do you expect my brother to kill enough vampires?"

"In due time love. But the sooner the better. So encourage your brother to get his ass moving and we'll all be on our way."

"My brother is not putting his life in danger for some cure. You want it so my sister can go back to the little human you loved and you." I turn to Klaus. "You want it to make more hybrids. My family has lost enough this cure is a suicide mission for all of us."

"Sofia..."

"No!" I point at Klaus stopping him. "You two are playing with our lives like we're a game. We're not. I will not stand by and have my brother be treated like nothing more than another piece in this wicked game of chess."

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I need some space from this talk of this stupid cure. I debate back and forth but I dial Jeremy's number hoping he will pick up. Bonnie said since he moved out to the lake house to get some distance from Elena, he's been on edge. I wish he wasn't going through this, but he is and I need to find a way to help him. "Hello?"

"Jer, it's me. I just wanted to say...How are you?" I ask nervously for his answer.

"Stressed and I feel highly on edge."

"Are the herbs helping? I spelled them to counteract your anger towards vampires until we figure out a way for you to safely kill more vampires."

"I don't know how much longer they will work."

"Stay strong Jeremy. I can come over to take care of you..."

"No. The last thing I need is everyone crowding me."

"I don't like the idea of you being alone."

"I'm not. I have Bonnie."

"Are you sure?"

"No, you and Elena enjoy the holiday's together while I learn to control myself."

"This will be our first holiday not together."