————
This morning was calm.
Kol, Nik, and I were in the living room.
Nik and I were sat on the couch. His arms snaking around my sides to draw on his sketch pad, while the back of my head rested against his chest.
"Who are you drawing?" I ask in a gentle voice, looking at the bare outline of a woman's face.
"Hey, don't look! That's cheating." He scolds playfully, covering my eyes.
"You're literally holding the sketch pad right in front of my face! How am I not supposed to look?" I chuckle, removing his hands from my view.
"Take a nap or something." He suggests.
"I will if you tell me who you're drawing." I negotiate.
"You." He answers, his breath tickling my neck.
"How can you draw me when my back is facing you?" I giggle.
"Do you honestly think I haven't engraved every minuscule detail of your perfect face into my mind?" He asks.
"My face is far from perfect." I laugh.
"Now you're a liar as well as a cheat!" He accuses jokingly.
My laughter only grows when he starts rapidly kissing the side of my face, making loud smooch noises.
"Okay I was just joking around yesterday, but I seriously think I'll throw up if you two don't stop." Kol speaks up.
I playfully shoot him a glare, knowing that he wasn't actually serious.
"Now, now, Kol. jealousy isn't your best look." Nik mutters.
"Nonsense, everything is my best look." He winks.
I chuckle.
I look toward the entrance of the living room, seeing Rebekah walk into the space.
I notice she's wearing the same dress from last night.
Go Bekah!
"Well, well, well, there's our girl!" Kol says as he stands in her path.
"Get out of my way, Kol." Rebekah orders.
"Out all night. What a scandal! I trust you did better than that commoner? Matt, was it?" Kol teases.
"If you don't shut your mouth, the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth." She threatens.
Nik's hand cups over my mouth, silencing my giggles. I don't have to look to know he has a smile gracing his lips.
"Don't start, Nik!" Rebekah scolds.
"I didn't say anything." Nik defends.
"I'm bored. Our sister is a strumpet, but at least she's having fun. I need entertainment." Kol complains.
"What are you waiting for? Go on, have at it." Nik says.
I close my eyes, relaxing against Nik's chest.
"It's not fun to go alone. Join me, Nik! It's the least you can do after sticking a dagger in my heart." Kol says.
"I'm busy." Nik states, combing his fingers through my hair lightly.
"You can bring Ivy." Kol adds.
"Do you want to go, Angel?" Nik asks me gently.
"Sure." I reply.
"Okay. Why not? I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night, what with you trying to murder Rebekah's date." Nik answers Kol.
"Yes, please go, this house has enough men rolling around it in." Rebekah grumbles.
"Just like you, Bekah." Kol retorts.
"Kol!" I scold.
As we were walking out of the room, I hold back a laugh as Rebekah throws her shoe at Kol.
"Good riddance, both of you! Ivy is the only tolerable resident in this house." I hear Rebekah shout as we leave.
————
"There are no other suspects. It's the obvious conclusion." Alaric's girlfriend, Meredith, says as we enter the bar.
I hold onto Nik's hand as we approach her.
"Oh come on now. Let's not go blaming the new family in town just because you lot have got yourselves a killer at large. Don't mind us. My brother, girlfriend, and I are just here to let off some steam, right Kol?" Nik speaks.
"Right." Kol responds.
————
A bit later, we had seated ourselves at the bar.
Nik ordered me a soda, while he and Kol drank alcohol.
"I remember her from last night. She looks like a tasty little thing." Kol says, pointing at a familiar blonde.
"Don't even think about it." "Caroline!" I warn before calling Caroline over.
"Hey Ivy." She greets with a smile.
"Join us for a drink?" Kol offers.
"Mmm, I'd rather die of thirst. But thanks." Caroline retorts.
"He still treating you right?" She asks, eyeing the hybrid that was currently holding my hand.
"Perfectly." I answer.
"Good." She smiles.
I can't help but notice the slightly guilty expression that slips onto her face. I don't get to question her about it as she walks away.
"Isn't she stunning?" Kol asks nobody in particular.
"She certainly looks good walking away from you." Nik jokes.
"Hey, I need to talk to her, will you come with me?" I ask Nik, immediately earning a nod.
Nik and I walk outside, seeing Caroline walk away from the grill.
"Caroline. Wait up." I call. She turns around, coming to a stop.
"What's going on?" I ask as soon as we reach her.
"What do you mean? Nothing's going on." She replies, fidgeting a little.
"Caroline...you can tell me." I say.
"The others are gonna kill me!" She whines.
"Why? What are they doing?" Nik asks heatedly.
I gasp, tears filling my eyes as a sharp pain strikes through my chest.
Nik ignores the feeling in his chest as he puts his hands on my shoulders, holding me up.
"What is it?" Caroline asks urgently.
I whimper, touching my chest, and bringing my hand back down revealing my blood covered palm.
"What did you do?" Nik growls, feeding me his blood. The wound heals, but the ache is still there.
"Nothing." Caroline denies.
Nik let's go of me, forcefully grabbing Caroline. "What did you do?!"
"I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen. I swear they never said anything about Ivy getting hurt!" Caroline admits.
"Kol!" Nik says, figuring out where the pain was coming from.
Suddenly, I was rushed into an alleyway at super speed.
"Tell your sexy doctor "Good work"!" I hear Damon say to Alaric.
I stand in shock as I see Kol's daggered body laying on the ground.
Nik rushes over, undaggers Kol and knocks Alaric against the wall. Stefan tries to attack Nik but he knocks him out too.
"I should have killed you months ago." Nik states, glaring at Damon.
"Do it. It's not going to stop Esther from killing you." Damon replies.
"What did you say about my mother?" Nik questions.
"You didn't know I was friends with your mummy? Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do." Damon retorts.
"You're gonna kill me?" I ask him, my voice breaking.
"Esther said she'll bring you back." Damon responds.
I blink rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Nik goes to attack Damon, only to be interrupted by Elijah. "Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus."
"What's going on!?" I demand frustrated.
"Mother has linked all of us, including you. She will kill the easiest choice. The human." Elijah explains with a sad expression.
"She'll come back!" Damon defends.
"No she will not. My mother knows Ivy would live a miserable life without Niklaus. Once the soulmates meet, if they are separated, death would be the more peaceful option." Elijah explains.
"I don't believe you." Damon snaps.
Elijah walks down the stairs towards Damon, holding a phone.
"You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now." He threatens.
Damon looks up at the clock tower and sees that it's 8:30. "You told me we had until after nine." Damon states.
"I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early."
————
Nik, Elijah, Kol, and I had found the field where Esther resided.
Suddenly my hold on Nik's hand was broken as Finn vamp sped me into a pentagram.
I struggled as Finn held onto me tightly. "Let her go!" Nik screams.
"My sons, come forward." Esther says.
"Stay beside me, mother." Finn warns.
"It's okay. They can't enter." Esther soothes his worry.
Kol approaches the pentagram and the torches around it flare up, driving him back.
"Let her out mother!" Nik yells again, only to be ignored by Esther.
"That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son helps to sacrifice an innocent girl. How pathetic you are, Finn." Kol spits out.
"Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine." Esther responds.
I sob as Finn's hold on my arms tightens.
"I'm sorry dear. I should never had condemned you to a life with my son. But your sacrifice will make the world a better place." Esther states.
"Please don't kill them." I beg.
"I would bring you back, but I'm afraid the pain of losing Niklaus would be insufferable." She says, ignoring my pleas.
"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children along with an innocent
human girl, will be an atrocity." Elijah speaks.
"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago." Esther replies.
"Enough. All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell." Nik threatens.
"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you. Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."
Esther then begun her spell.
When she started chanting the dull ache in my chest grew into a throbbing, unbearably painful feeling. As if my chest was collapsing in on itself.
I scream in pain.
I couldn't scream for very long as blood filled my mouth.
I cough, dropping to my knees, blood flowing down my chin endlessly. I can faintly hear the shouts of protest outside the pentagram.
Just as I was about give into the pain, it was lifted from my chest. "No! Sisters! Do not abandon me!" Esther shouts.
"Mother!" Finn yells.
The torches around me flare up, when they calmed down Esther and Finn had disappeared.
I look around dazed as the three brothers rush over to me, now able to enter the spelled circle.
Nik holds onto my shoulders gently.
"Are you okay?" He asks urgently, though I can barely make it out. Their voices sound muffled, like we were underwater.
My head spins as dark spots cloud my vision.
I collapse into the Nik's arms as I fall into the darkness.
————
I woke to the feeling of a hand gently shaking my shoulder. I look around to find myself in my room at Nik's house.
My eyes land on Elijah's as he stares at me. "Are you guys okay?" I ask quickly.
"Everyone is alright, including yourself. You just fainted." He explains.
"Oh thank goodness." I sigh in relief.
"Ivy, I am leaving for a while. I wanted to say goodbye in person." He says calmly.
"You're leaving?" I ask sadly.
"Yes. But don't worry, you can call me. Every day if you wish." He smiles gently.
"What about every 10 minutes?" I ask jokingly.
"Well, I fear you'd get sick of me." He smiles.
"How could I ever get sick of my best friend Eli?" I ask.
"You're right. I'm lovely." He jokes.
I laugh, pulling him into a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you Eli." I mumble against his shoulder.
"We'll see each other again. I promise."
————
Your moments of peace have been flushed down the toilet. Hope you enjoyed them for the two seconds I gave them to you.