𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒛 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒔 & 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔 | 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒋𝒂𝒉 𝑴.

|𝟒𝟒| |𝐅ᴀᴍɪʟʏ 𝐃ʀᴀᴍᴀ... 𝐇ᴇʟʟᴏ, 𝐀ɢᴀɪɴ.|

𝐎ʟᴅ 𝐖ɪᴛᴄʜ 𝐇ᴏᴜsᴇ.

𝐒ʜᴇɪʟᴀ 𝐃ɪᴅ 𝐍ᴏᴛ 𝐋ᴏᴏᴋ 𝐇ᴀᴘᴘʏ.

"We will speak of this at home, young lady," she hissed and put the candles out with a wave of her hand. She acquired the grimoire and a few more things before walking towards the stairs. "I shall wait for you outside." She eyed the Gilbert boy, blankly. "As for you Mister, do mind that your actions can actually break someone's heart. And in this case, my Granddaughter's... so be careful from now on."

She left, leaving the couple alone.

"Bonnie..." He made an effort to explain himself to her.

"Just go away, Jeremy," she mumbled, with tears in her eyes.

"I owe you an explanation."

Her eyes fired up.

"You could see Vicki since after Elena's sacrifice, Jeremy! And not only you took advantage of the privilege that 'powerful witch' gave her and you could touch each other, but I came to learn today that you had kissed her too! You know what you owe me? The respect of not making me listen to you explain yourself."

"I am sorry, Bonnie."

"You need to go."

"But-"

"Just... go... Jeremy."

He had no other choice but to do so.

Once he left, there was a noise in the fireplace that drew the witch's attention and made her look towards it.

Magical sparks like small fireworks began shooting out from it, startling her.

When they stopped, she carefully walked towards the fireplace and froze upon seeing the talisman perfectly intact.

The shock consumed so much, that she had no energy to scream for her grandmother to come.
___________________________________________

𝐎ʟᴅ 𝐋ᴏᴄᴋᴡᴏᴏᴅ 𝐂ᴇʟʟᴀʀ.

Alexandra had entered the cave that Rose and Damon were unable to, her witchlight guiding her through the darkness.

They were silent for the time being, giving the Nephilim a chance to take a look at her surroundings and also think about her conversation with Ayana...

𝐁ᴀᴄᴋ 𝐓ᴏ 𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐎ᴛʜᴇʀ 𝐒ɪᴅᴇ...

"Why did Esther create the Soulmate Bond in the first place?" Asked Alexandra as she and the Bennett witch she'd just met walked in the forest.

Ayana seemed doubtful about answering this question. There were things about Esther, that Alexandra (and through her, her soulmate and his siblings) shouldn't learn now.

"After little Henrik's death, Esther had grown desperate. So desperate, that she ended up praying to the Angels for a solution to her children's salvation. She prayed daily and hard. So hard, that one night an Angel revealed before her and told her that she had the solution right in front of her eyes. Two solutions, to be exact."

"And what were those solutions?" Frowned the Nephilim.

Ayana looked at her with a small smile. "Two friends. Two lovely young girls... Angelique and Tatia."

The half-Cretan's eyes widened in shock and her steps automatically ceased as did the witch's.

"I don't understand..." She shook her head. "How did Angelique and Tatia transpire to be the source of redemption for Esther's children?"

"Even from a very young age," initiated the Bennett heir. "Angelique and Tatia seemed to be the object of affection for many young men... but specifically Niklaus and Elijah's." She noticed the change in the lady's stance. "Elijah certainly knew how to hide his affection for Angelique from most people, even his family, but I was quick enough to notice my girl's behaviour when she too, began developing emotions for him. You see, her family was butchered by some... evil creatures. She was raised by the very first Amazons of this world, until the age of seventeen. Then, their Queen, who had perceived her nature, demanded that Angelique should learn more about her ancestry, which sooner or later led her to me, who knew a thing or two. I took her in after that, having her by my side to learn about witchcraft and her own nature and abilities."

Alexandra was bewildered. "Wait... Angelique was my ancestor, right?" The older woman nodded her head. "Then, how do you explain that she possessed the gift of magic when no one in my bloodline is known for being a witch or a warlock?"

Ayana laughed. "Oh, no! Angelique was not a witch, dear. Pardon me for confusing you."

"Then, what was she...?"

She took her time to reply.

"She was like you, Alexandra."

"A Shadowhunter!?" The Bloodwood lady queried.

"Yes..." Mumbled the Bennett woman. "A very powerful one, I might add."

"And... what was her part in Esther's plan?" She warily enquired.

"When Esther remembered of Qetsiyah's Immortality Spell-"

"Question!" Interrupted the half-mundane. "Who's Qetsiyah?"

Ayana let a small smirk appear on her lips. "The very first Bennett witch, I told you about earlier."

"Are you serious!?" Muttered the mother of two, in utter surprise.

"Very much so," responded the witch and continued walking like what she'd told the Shadowhunter, was the most irrelevant thing in the world. "Come on. We don't have all day."

Alexandra followed her and listened to her as she continued, "As I was saying; when Esther remembered of that spell's existence, she and Mikael directly sought my help, asking me to perform it on their children, and I already told you the rest. The point is, that Esther used Tatia's blood to perform the Immortality Spell, that's why the Angel called her as a solution."

"She used the blood of a Petrova..." The Bloodwood lady started comprehending the situation. "That's why Klaus needed to kill my friend to break his curse... Because she's a Petrova herself." Ayana bowed her head, silently agreeing with her. "And what of Angelique?"

The witch knew that she had to hide the entire truth from her, once again.

"When Esther turned her children and husband into vampires - always under Mikael's orders - she wasn't aware of what beasts she had turned them into. It was already too late when she realized... After that, she was determined to find a way to make them less of... themselves." She partially illuminated. "She thought, that by creating a measure of redemption for her children... she would succeed in maintaining the humanity in their hearts and perhaps, she would redeem herself as well in the end."

"Are we certain that an Angel advised her to do all that?" Doubted the half-Cretan. "Because I might've never met one in my life, but they certainly do not act like that from what I've heard and read. Not even the Angel who created us was so generous."

"What else could it have been?" Frowned the dark-skinned female.

"I don't know, our world is full of different supernatural species," the younger brunette informed her. "Demons, Shapeshifters, Warlocks..."

"I highly doubt it," Bonnie and Sheila's ancestor waved her off. "They had no business with a grieving witch."

"I'm just saying," sighed Alexandra. "So, how did she create the Soulmate Bond? Did Angelique give her blood to Esther?"

Ayana bit her lip hard before replying, "No, I'm afraid it didn't happen that precise way."

The half-Cretan shuddered in anticipation.

"Then... what precisely happened?"

"So, was John screwing with me, or is there something in there?"

Damon's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she blinked a couple of times to refocus on the sight before her.

She brought her witchlight closer to the walls and started observing. At first, she found nothing, until something very old and unique caught her eye.

"Alexandra?" Queried Rose as Damon simultaneously called out, "Hotness, you there!?"

Their eyes locked and they both smiled.

"I'm here," the Shadowhunter told the vampires, sounding amazed. "And I most certainly found something."

"What is it?" Spoke the older vampire.

It was a wall full of ancient hand drawings, entirely unknown to the half-Cretan.

"I don't quite know," she replied. "They seem like drawings."

"What kind of drawings?" Echoed the Salvatore descendant's enquiry.

She didn't respond, just observed them more carefully.

Some of them were words, probably names, and the rest of them were drawings. None of them seemed suspicious to her since a certain drawing made her freeze.

The drawing looked exactly the same as Elena's necklace... or the Original Witch's for that matter...

But before she could say anything to her friends, a peculiar attraction prevented her from doing so. One of the drawings, one of the names actually, made her heart beat faster and her body's temperature rise as she looked at it.

Like she was hypnotized, she drew nearer to it and raised her hand to touch that carved name on the wall.

Until...

"AH!!!"

The instant her fingertips made contact with the wall, an unknown force illuminated the entire cave and burned Alexandra's fingers before it sent her flying against the wall, causing injuries in every single part of her body.

"ALEXANDRA!?" Exclaimed the two immortals upon hearing her yell and then the loud thuds.

But the Nephilim could not provide them with an answer for she was lying unconscious on the hard ground, a line of blood running down her face as her witchlight lost its illumination when it fell off her hand.

"Call her brothers!" Demanded Rosemarie from Damon when they received no response from their friend.

"Have you lost your mind!?" Expressed the male and pointed to the large scar on his neck. "Do you see this!? Her brother did it to me because he thought I caused her child's abortion! Can you imagine what they will do now if they learn that I brought her here!?"

"Then call Alaric!"

"Are you kidding!? The guy won't even answer my calls, he's still pissed with me!"

"It's his niece we're talking about, Damon!" Exclaimed the older female, in exasperation. "Just call him!"

And he did.

In less than half an hour, the vampire hunter was there along with his nephew, to whom Damon didn't say anything back when he was told to get the hell away from the cave while Gabriel and Alaric were there.

"Did you heal her wounds?" The uncle asked as he observed the hand drawings on the wall with the help of his torch.

"I did," replied the middle half-Cretan and picked his sister up - bridal style. "What about you? Did you find anything that explains the burn marks on her fingers?"

"Only this," the retired Shadowhunter pointed to a certain carving, which was probably a name. "If you touch it, it's warm and there are also signs of fingerprints."

"Yeah, you're right," nodded the half-Cretan when he inched closer to it. "What could it mean? And why did it almost kill Alex?"

"Let's find out," stated Alaric and took out his Stele, activating his 𝐒ᴘᴇᴀᴋ-ɪɴ-𝐓ᴏɴɢᴜᴇs 𝐑ᴜɴᴇ after a very long time. "So, let's see..."

He once again flashed his torch over the carvings and everything became a lot clearer as he could easily read the names.

He was shocked upon translating them...

"Oh, my God..." He gaped.

"What is it?" Wondered the nephew and held his sister tighter to him.

The vampire hunter turned to face his nephew. "Do you know to what the name Lexie touched is translated into?"

"No, what?" Frowned the middle Bloodwood brother.

It took Ric a minute to reply.

"Elijah."

Gabriel's eyes widened. "What!? Are you for real?"

"Deadly," muttered the Saltzman male and pointed at the other names with his torch. "And Rebekah... Niklaus... Kol and Finn."

"God, how many children did their Mother bear!?" Asked the brown-haired male, in astonishment, and then nodded towards another name. "What about these two? Don't tell me there were more siblings apart from the ones that... died."
"I don't know about the first one, but the second, is definitely not from another sibling of theirs," phrased the vampire hunter, in a stunned voice. "The first name here, it reads 'Angelique'."

"Angelique?" Repeated the nephew, brow-knitted. "The ancestor that Bennett witch told Alex about while she was on the Other Side..."

"You know, I'm very pissed that none of you told me about that," complained the dirty-blond Shadowhunter.

"What about the other name, Uncle Ric?" Gabriel changed the subject, with a slightly annoyed voice.

After releasing a sigh, the older man flashed his torch over the name. "This name here, it reads..."

"What...?"

The hunter pursed his lips and then looked back at his sister's son.

"Mikael..."

"Mik-!?" The half-Cretan couldn't even finish his sentence, beyond surprised. "Seriously?"

The dirty-blond male nodded his head and let his gaze wander over the names and the peculiar drawings. "Yeah..."

"Ric, take pictures of every drawing and name on this wall," Gabriel told his uncle. "We must learn what they are and what they're trying to say before you meet the Salvatore wanker tomorrow."
___________________________________________

𝐈ɴ-𝐁ᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ - 𝐀ᴜᴛᴜᴍɴ 1001

𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐍ᴇᴡ 𝐖ᴏʀʟᴅ (Today's Mystic Falls).

Alexandra opened her eyes and found herself on the ground, in the forest.

A very familiar forest...

"Oh, please," she groaned and stood up. "Not the Other Side again..."

All of a sudden, a very familiar voice made her turn towards it and caused her eyes to widen.

"Come on, Henrik, our brothers are fighting again!"

The Nephilim turned to see a very human Rebekah and a young lad running towards Elijah and Klaus who were in the middle of a sword battle.

"Oh, my God..." Whispered the Bloodwood female, thunderstruck. "This is a memory..."

She drew closer to them, knowing that none of the Originals' figures of the past could see her and she watched them fight with an impressed smile on her face.

The young lad was probably Henrik... their youngest brother who was now dead...

"Oh look, our sister has arrived to watch my fast-approaching victory!" Joked Elijah, with his usual charming smile which made the half-Cretan blush instantly.

"Πανάθεμά σε," she cursed and looked elsewhere until the voice of the younger Klaus reached her ears. [Damn you.]

"On the contrary, Elijah..." He attacked him with his sword and they started fighting again until he swung his sword and easily cut his brother's leather belt off his waist. He pointed his sword at him while Elijah looked down at his belt in shock. "She's come to laugh at you!"

That brought on everyone's laughter, including Alexandra's but it fainted when she noticed a couple approaching the siblings.

She didn't get to ponder over their identity when she heard Rebekah's voice.

"Niklaus, your opportunity to test your fighting skills is coming!"

They all turned in her direction and the Bloodwood heir froze.

Everyone was staring at her.

How can they see me!?

"Now, Rebekah," a tall lady's voice came from behind her and walked towards the Mikaelsons. "I would very much prefer if you called me by my name. As for testing your fighting skills, Nik..." She smirked.

"You were trained by Amazons your whole life, Angelique!" All eyes were focused on her, bringing a brief relief to the Shadowhunter but causing her features to freeze. "I don't stand a chance against you!"

What did he just call her!?

Before the beautiful girl could respond to him, a growling tone was heard, causing everyone's smile to disappear.

"How dare you say such a thing to a woman, boy!?"

The man whom Alexandra saw earlier, came to stand in front of the young Klaus, who was terrified to even face the man.

"By the Angel..." Whispered Alexandra, in recognition. "Mikael..."

"How dare you let a girl think that she's superior to you!?" He yelled in his face and pointed towards Angelique, who immediately raised an eyebrow at his misogynistic manners.

Yep, she's definitely my ancestor...

The woman who was beside him took a step forward. "Relax, Mikael. Niklaus only meant that he could not easily defeat someone as experienced as young Angelique here. Not so fast."

Esther...

The patriarch diverted his gaze towards the brunette who had a fierce beauty written on her bravery-filled characteristics.

"Well, I believe that's nonsense," he spat and took Elijah's sword abruptly, startling his son who was busy with staring at the magnificent creature named Angelique. "Show me your abilities, then, Warrior Princess."

He took several steps towards her and stopped a few inches away from her. "I have nothing to demonstrate, Sir. If you wish to fight with me fine, I'll gladly fight with you. But let me tell you, that you will be the defeated one here, not me..."

Mikael chuckled bitterly. "Are you threatening me, girl?"

"Not at all," argued Angelique. "I was only warning-"

The father made a move with the sword to catch her unprepared, only for the unknown-to-them-yet Shadowhunter to stop his action by trapping the shining blade with her palms, locking eyes with the utterly surprised Viking.

"As you wish," she beamed and effortlessly twirled the blade within her palms and appeared behind the Viking in nanoseconds, causing him to trip forward and almost fall.

"You think you can defeat me, little girl?" Breathed Mikael as he circled Angelique. "Me!?"

He raised the sword high and aimed for her arm when the lady easily veered off and managed to take Niklaus' sword from the ground and make a deep cut on the man's arm.

Most of his children gasped along with his wife while Klaus tried to hide a smile. Finally, someone was able to face his father.

The patriarch looked down at his wound and wetted his finger with his own blood, awestruck with the girl's abilities and audacity.

"Do you need to rest, Sir?" Angelique made him look up at her grinning face. "We could stop if you're not feeling well."

The Viking laughed and rushed at her.

They were fighting for a while until Mikael somehow managed to disarm the lady and place the sword against her throat.

"Now, who's the defeated one, girl?" His breath hit her face and she closed her eyes.

"Are you sure?" She knitted her brows together and let her eyes fall down to her hand.

The patriarch followed her gaze and his own eyes widened when they spotted his sharp dagger placed near his groin. She had taken it from his belt without him realizing it.

He jumped backwards in surprise and Angelique acted fast by taking the sword from his hand and using her leg to make him lose his balance and fall to the ground.

She stood above him and pointed the weapon against his throat now while holding his dagger in her other hand.

"Like I said... the defeated one here, will be you."

She tried her best to ignore everyone's reactions and impressed chuckles as she held the two weapons in one hand and offered the other to the fallen man, who reluctantly accepted it.

Once he was up, she handed him the weapons and smiled proudly. "It was a pleasure to fight with you."

After sending Rebekah a wink and pinching playfully young Henrik's cheek, she walked off, leaving behind the entire Mikaelson family jaw-dropped.

Mikael addressed Elijah, "You listen to me and make sure you convey this to your brother! You and Finn are the only ones close to that girl's age from our family. I want you both exceptionally trained and equal to her abilities!" He looked at his wife and then started walking away. "I'll have one of you betrothed with her by the end of the month... or my name isn't Mikael."

Alexandra was silently watching the scene unfold and noticed the smile that had taken over Elijah's features.

Ayana was right; Elijah was deeply in love with Angelique back then...

She was so lost in her thoughts, that didn't perceive a certain someone's intense stare piercing her back.

"And here I thought that my loneliness led me to relive my past."

His voice made her heart skip a beat before its rhythm increased rapidly.

She wasn't on the Other Side, she was in the in-between.

His in-between...

"It was not intentional, I promise," she whispered without turning to face him, her eyes closing in anticipation.

His large hand gently touched her chin and made her turn around completely so he could see her beautiful face after all this time.

His eyes closed too when he pressed his forehead against hers, their breaths deep and heavy.

"I've missed you," whispered Elijah, his thumb caressing her soft skin, affectionately.

"I've missed you," she replied in the same tone, her hand touching his own.
___________________________________________

𝐀ᴛ 𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐒ᴀᴍᴇ 𝐓ɪᴍᴇ | 𝐏ʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ 𝐃ᴀʏ

𝐁ʟᴏᴏᴅᴡᴏᴏᴅ 𝐄sᴛᴀᴛᴇ.

"Oh, man! I forgot she was in here!" Whined Alaric when he saw Rebekah inside his niblings' home.

"What the bloody hell happened to her, again!?" The Original ignored him and addressed Gabriel who was carrying his unconscious sister.

"You'll tell us," grunted the half-Cretan once they made it upstairs and he put her down on her bed. He faced the meant-to-be woman of his life. "You're the one who knows everything about Vikings."

The Mikaelson heir furrowed her brows upon hearing him saying that...
___________________________________________

𝐈ɴ-𝐁ᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ.

Alexandra told him everything during these hours.

She told him about Rebekah's undaggering, about Tyler and Mason being Klaus' first very successful hybrids, the fact that their siblings were also soulmates, her encounter with Ayana and last but not least; Mikael.

"So, you truly don't know what actually brought you back here," he cocked his head and she shook hers in denial.

They were walking and encountered many different memories of his and his siblings' during the years.

The half-Cretan was speechless.

"No... I remember touching that word on the wall and then... nothing."

He ceased their walking once he realized into what memory they had just 'walked in'.

"What is it?" She enquired, perplexed.

"I do not know what was written on that wall," he declared. "But I can certainly tell you that it brought you here to show you a story."

"What story?" She frowned.

His chocolate-brown eyes met her umber-brown ones. "The story of our transformation into vampires. Or more specifically... the reason for our transformation."

"MOTHER!!!"

Klaus' voice drew their attention and they saw him carrying the dead body of Henrik, causing dread to possess Alexandra's heart immediately.

"Is that...?" The Nephilim trailed off, already knowing the answer.

"It is," answered Elijah, with a hard voice.

"Henrik!" Shouted Rebekah as she emerged from Ayana's house, running towards them.

"Mother!!!" Yelled Klaus once again and set his brother's body on the wet soil as the raindrops began wetting everyone's figures.

The matriarch made her appearance at the exact same moment when Elijah came running towards his younger brothers along with Angelique.

"No, no!" Cried Esther and kneeled beside her son's dead boy. She faced Niklaus. "What happened?"

"The wolves!" Sobbed the young man and hugged his legs. "I am sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"The wolves!?" Exclaimed Angelique and everyone looked at her. She lowered her voice, "Niklaus, I've warned each and every one of you about them! Once they turn, most of them cannot see the difference between a friend and an enemy! They attack without a second thought- Why would you do such a thing!?"

"He wanted to see the men turning into their other selves," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have agreed. I'm sorry!"

The matriarch turned to her friend and mentor. "We must save him. Please, there must be a way!"

Ayana placed her palm over Henrik's bloodied cheek. "The spirits will not give us a way, Esther... Your boy is gone."

The woman couldn't take it.

She let out small hiccups due to the agony in her heart until she noticed Angelique by her second eldest son's side, facing down at Henrik's body, with tears in her brown eyes.

"You!" She clutched her arm, startling the beautiful girl. "You can do something... Please... He's just a boy, Angelique. Please... bring my little boy back."

She began crying uncontrollably and the beautiful girl caught her before she could collapse. She spared a look in Ayana's direction before she kneeled in front of the grieving mother, making her look at her.

"I'm afraid I will do more evil than good if I bring him back, Esther," she whispered, in every honesty. "If I even try and find his soul, the Demons out there will sense my presence and will try to-"

"-to what?" Hiccuped the matriarch.

Another tear escaped the brunette's eye. "They will try to steal it. And if they succeed, they won't stop tormenting it until they turn your precious boy into one of them. Which means..."

"He will become a Demon," finished the Bennett witch for her, causing everyone's eyes to widen.

"No, Mother..." The younger Elijah attracted their attention. "Don't let him suffer more than he already has."

Esther turned to Angelique, her voice barely above a whisper. "So, there is nothing to be done?"

"I can pray to the Angels to look after him," she grinned sadly. "And you know my prayers, will be heard."

The Mikaelson woman nodded her head hastily, perceiving her point. "Do whatever it takes, Angelique. So, my little boy will not..." She began crying again as Henrik's body wouldn't move. "My boy... No! No!" She clutched his body and laid her head on his chest, crying her heart out.

Finn, the oldest of the siblings moved quickly and hugged his mother, leaving space for his younger brother, Elijah, to seek comfort in Angelique's embrace while Kol, Rebekah and Klaus remained engulfed, crying silently.

"You knew that she was a Shadowhunter," sniffled Alexandra, in acknowledgement, finding the scene unfold beyond heartbreaking - Ayana's words ringing inside her head. "Otherwise, she wouldn't explain so openly why she couldn't resurrect your brother."

"Indeed," sighed the Original as he was glancing down, not wishing to relive the same tragedy again. "One night, my Father sent me and my brothers to go out to hunt without him, so he could see if we would use our fortitude against our fears. That exact night, Angelique sensed some demonic entities drawing near our village and warned every single person she could. Everyone thought she had lost her senses and locked themselves in their homes out of fear for her... But when they saw what kind of monsters endeavoured to enter their homes and slaughter each and every one of them, they believed every word that had come out of Angelique's mouth."

"Shax Demons," mused the half-Cretan, in certainty. "They have the looks of an insect and unbelievable tracking skills. They are summoned by Higher Demons mostly, to do their bidding. Someone must've sensed Angelique's celestial aura and sent them to pursue and kill her. But I assume... that she killed them first."

The Original chuckled and moved her away from there. "When we returned, there was no trace of a supernatural fight. If Father wasn't the one who told us, then there was not a chance we'd believe that a fight between Angelique and such creatures had occurred."

"Is this how you learned about her?" She turned to face him, evidently curious.

The Mikaelson heir went to respond but his face fell when he noticed something appearing on his soulmate's neck. "I think I shall provide you with this answer, once we meet outside of the in-between."

"Why not now?" She furrowed her eyebrows upon his statement and raised a playful eyebrow.

He smiled sadly and touched her neck with his fingertips, sending chills down her spine, in anticipation.

"Because of these," he caressed her neck with his thumb and took grasp of her right hand before bringing it to her sight.

Her expression turned grim once she noticed her Runes slowly appearing on her complexion.

"What is happening to me?" She breathed out anxiously. "I-I don't understand."

"If I were to hazard a guess, I would say your brothers or your Uncle are trying to get you back to them," mused Elijah, evidently displeased. "It's very similar to your last departure from here, except your Runes' appearance."

"Yes, you're right," the Shadowhunter uttered. "They must be very concerned. I passed out right after I touched that name on the wall."

"Do you remember that name?"

"Not really... It was written in Runic lettering."

"Perhaps it was Viking script," he estimated and then seemed to have an idea. "What if I wrote some to you? Would you recognize it then?"

"How? You don't even know-"

"Don't mind that, will you be able to remember it!?"

The half-Cretan nodded her head, hastily. "Yes, I-I think so."

He quickly acquired his knife from his belt and proceeded to carve the three names he had in mind on a nearby wall.

Once he finished writing them, he stepped aside for her to see.

He pointed at the first name. "Was it this?"

His soulmate took a step closer to the wall and looked at the name.

ᚾᛁᚲᛚᚨᚢᛊ

​​​​​"No," she shook her head.

"What about this?" He moved his finger to the next carving.

ᛗᛁᚲᚨᛖᛚ

​​​​​"No."

He smiled when he pointed at the last name.

"What about this one?"

She repeated her action and stepped forward to see the last name.

ᛖᛚᛁᛃᚨᚺ

"Yes!" She happily said as she recognized the name. "Yes, that was it!"

He was a bit relieved to notice her Runes still faint on her skin.

They had some more time...

"Do you know what this name means?" He grinned.

"No," she bit her lip, finding his current expression rather attractive. "What does it mean?"

The Original raised his hand to tuck the loose strands of her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "This, my darling... is my name." He tried to ignore her shocked expression and pointed at the other two names. "This one is Niklaus', and... this one is my Father's."

"Mikael..." She whispered and he nodded. "But how-?"

"I know not," he sighed. "But I do know why you passed out once you touched my name."

"Now, I know too," she half-smiled.

"Did you say that these carvings were found in the Lockwoods' property?" He queried after a moment.

"Yes," informed Alexandra. "But it couldn't have been them who carved those drawings, the Lockwoods came to Mystic Falls many centuries later."

"Perhaps not the Lockwoods," worded Elijah, deep in thought. "But I would say that they were definitely werewolves. Werewolves from my time..."

"Oh, my God..." Breathed the Bloodwood lady, thunderstruck.

"Darling, you must let me get inside your head," her soulmate told her. "That way I might help you with those drawings, especially if they concern my family."

"Okay, but what about Rebekah?" She doubted. "I don't have anything to persuade her to help us against your brother."

"Then, I'm afraid I must tell you something," he decided with a heavy sigh. "And with what I have to confess to you, there's not a chance Rebekah will continue to stand by him. At least, not for a while."

"I'm listening."
___________________________________________

𝐏ʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ 𝐃ᴀʏ

𝐁ʟᴏᴏᴅᴡᴏᴏᴅ 𝐄sᴛᴀᴛᴇ.

"It's been hours!"

Exclaimed Alaric as he watched his nephews' attempts to wake Alexandra up were complete failures.

"They're doing everything they can," reasoned Rebekah, with crossed arms. "If my assumption was right when you told me about her passing out once she touched my brother's Runic-written name, then she's probably in his in-between like the last time."

Right there and then, Alexandra gasped awake, alarming everyone.

"Baby, are you okay!?" The uncle pushed his nephews aside and took her hand when the Original asked her, "Were you with Elijah in his in-between?"

The brunette, shocked, turned to face her and didn't reply to her uncle.

"How did you know...?"

Rebekah smirked, proudly and looked at the two men in the room with a raised eyebrow.

"Told ya."
___________________________________________

𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐍ᴇxᴛ 𝐌ᴏʀɴɪɴɢ

𝐁ʟᴏᴏᴅᴡᴏᴏᴅ 𝐄sᴛᴀᴛᴇ.

"I'm going to bloody kill her!"

Alexandra heard Rebekah yelling as she slammed the front door closed and found her lying down on her dark grey couch, reading a book.

"Who are you going to kill this time?" She asked her, without any signs of anxiety or anything. She had gotten used to Rebekah's temper tantrums, by now and she knew that most of what she was saying, either was not true or she was just overreacting.

"Your doppel-bitchy friend, Elena!" Screamed the vampire and threw her jacket away, in frustration.

The brunette met her eyes and raised an eyebrow, her book laying on her bare thighs as the hem of her ɴɪɢʜᴛɢᴏᴡɴ now rested on her hips. "Why for?"

"She threatened me that she would wake Mikael if I didn't tell her why we were running away from him all these centuries!"

"And, did you?"

"No, of course not!"

"But...?"

"But..." Repeated the blonde, stupidly. "I'm considering it."

"That's my girl!" Praised the Shadowhunter and closed her book.

"Why do you want me to tell her the truth?" Queried Rebekah, bewildered.

"Because when Elijah did, it really helped with her future decisions," acknowledged Alexandra and stood up. "Trust me, if she hears the story from your point of view, it will certainly change her mind on some topics." She started ascending the stairs, wishing to go and change. "Do consider it, Rebekah."

Not a minute later, the Original used her soulmate's sister's phone to find Elena's phone number and texted her to stop by in a few hours for a chat.
___________________________________________

𝐇ᴏᴜʀs 𝐋ᴀᴛᴇʀ...

"Look, I just want to know your story, okay?" Attempted Elena to persuade her. "I need to know why you don't want me to wake Mikael."

And as it turned out, Alexandra had advised her correctly; it worked.

"Alright, I shall tell you whatever you want to know but under one condition," the blonde stood inches away from her, making the human gulp.

"Rebekah..." The Nephilim uttered, warningly.

When Elena nodded her head, the immortal spoke, "First, you do not threaten me... If you try that one more time, I shall have your head delivered to your boyfriend into a bloody box, do you understand me!?" The teenager nodded her head once again, fearfully and the Mikaelson heir continued, "Good. And second... You will learn, what I allow you to learn, is that clear?" The Gilbert girl nodded her head for the last time, not really meeting the blonde's eyes as she stepped away from her and went to pour herself a Scotch, not bothering to ask Elena if she wanted any.

"So, what do you want to know?" Queried Rebekah after an exhausted sigh and a big sip of her drink.

The doppelgänger cast a look at her friend, mentally inquiring if she could actually ask the Original whatever she wished. After she received a nod from her, she began speaking, "Well, Elijah said that your Father was a landowner in Europe. How did you guys end up here?"

The immortal glanced at the heavenly creature, with a brow-knitted expression. "If Elijah shared so much information about us with you, then how does she not know about our family's arrival, here? Didn't you tell your friends everything that he has told you?"

"I don't have the tendency to share with others whatever information or secrets I'm entrusted with, Rebekah," professed Alexandra with a hard gleam in her eyes, seeming offended by her words. "I know when I must reveal a secret." Her mind went straight to Elijah, who revealed to her one of Klaus' biggest secrets...

One that Rebekah needed to find out sooner or later.

"I see," mused the oldest female and looked down, in regret. After a moment, she raised her head and told her, "I'm sorry, Alexandra, I didn't mean to offend you."

The Bloodwood heir nodded her head. "Apology accepted."

Rebekah sighed and turned to Elena, who was beyond surprised upon witnessing such interactions between them, but also very curious about the Originals' history.

"My parents had just started a family when a plague struck their homeland," initiated the Mikaelson heir after taking another sip. "They lost a child to it. They wanted to escape and protect their future family from the same fate."

Alexandra bit her bottom lip without her permission as she remembered Elijah and Ayana telling her about poor Freya's death.

She didn't live to see anything...

"So, how did you end up here?" Elena immediately asked. "This part of the world hadn't even been discovered yet."

The blonde laughed at that. "Not by anyone in your History books. But my Mother knew the witch Ayana, who heard from the spirits of a mystical land where everyone was healthy... blessed by the gifts of speed and strength. That led my family here, where we lived amongst those people."

The Gilbert heir tilted her head and lifted her eyebrows. "The werewolves?"

Her friend hummed and the vampire continued, "To us, they were just our neighbours. My family lived in peace with them for over twenty years, during which time my family had more children, including me."

"Weren't they busy..." Quipped the Nephilim, only to be rewarded by a naughty smirk of her brother's soulmate.

"You make it sound so normal," mumbled the mundane, seriously.

The Original put on a quick smile before it fainted. "It was... Once a month our family retreated into the caves beneath our village. The wolves would howl through the night and by morning we'd return home... One full moon, Klaus and my youngest brother, Henrik, snuck out to watch the men turn into beasts. That was forbidden. Henrik paid the price..."

It was too much for the half-Cretan to hear the story again, especially when she remembered the image of the poor boy's body.

"And that was the beginning of the end of peace with our neighbours..." Finished Rebekah, bringing the Nephilim out of her thoughts. "And one of the last moments my family had together as humans."

A phone was heard ringing and the three females turned their heads in its direction.

It was Alexandra's.

"Let me guess," the Mikaelson lady raised an eyebrow after clearing her throat. "It's Damon." When the half-Cretan went to receive the call, she continued, "I don't think Elijah will be very pleased with him fancying his girl, once he's finally undaggered!"

"Damon?" The older brunette rolled her eyes and then frowned at the music that reached her ears from the other end of the phone. "What kind of music is that? Where are you?"

"No idea, but I'm pretty sure I'm overdressed," he mumbled, jokingly. "Everything alright? Hasn't Elena blown your mind with her Original-y obsessions yet?"

"Don't tell me you're not curious yourself," quipped the Nephilim, sending a wink to Elena and receiving a smirk from Rebekah, who was still overwhelmed by her narration.

"Well, I wouldn't mind knowing some more information about those Original douchebags," he told her, clearly not knowing that one of these Originals was in the same room as her.

When the blonde went to snap at him, a very well-known voice stopped her from doing so.

"I'll be at the bar," the destined females heard Stefan telling his brother, causing the half-Cretan's eyes to widen.

"Damon, please tell me that you didn't release Stefan from the City Jail," she angrily pinched the bridge of her nose as Elena's eyes widened and the immortal female's brows raised.

"Ah... I didn't release Stefan from the City Jail," he lied, confirming the half-mundane's assumption.

"What!?" Exclaimed the doppelgänger after coming close to her friend so she could participate in the conversation. "Damon, why would you do that!? Caroline's gonna freak!"

"I got this, Elena," he told her, fully ironically before changing his tone. "And Hotness, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

He hung up before either of them could respond.

"So, that's why Damon was trying to distract me at the Bonfire," laughed Rebekah. "You wanted to divert my attention off Stefan, so you could catch him and put him into a sex dungeon. Hoping to get his humanity back, somehow, I suppose."

"No, that's not what-" The Gilbert girl made an attempt to persuade her, only for the Original to cease her words.

"By all means, do whatever you please with him, I no longer care," her facial features softened and a blushing smile was shaped on her lips as she twirled some of her hair. "I have more interesting matters to entertain myself now, no matter what Nik told me to do with him."

"Matters like Gabriel Bloodwood?" Elena raised an eyebrow, not able to hold herself from asking.

She tried her hardest to ignore her friend's reprimanding look as the undead female slowly directed her now annoyed gaze towards her.

"What did you just say to me?" She took a few threatening steps closer to her, urging Alexandra to do the same but to protect the doppelgänger from her, not harm her as the undead creature wanted that moment.

"You are Gabriel's soulmate as Alexa is Elijah's," acknowledged Elena, showing no traces of fear against the Original. "I'm well aware of the Soulmate Bond. Almost all of us are."

Gabriel's destined half turned to face her brother's fated other. "Is that so?"

"It was a necessary evil," the heavenly creature muttered with a sigh. "Most of the boys wished permanent death upon Elijah, so they had to learn the truth about him and me."

"Except Damon, I presume," the Mikaelson descendant raised a brow.

"It's a common secret that Damon has feelings for Alexa," the doppelgänger pointed out. "It's better for us to not say anything to him until Alexa finds the perfect timing to do so herself. Otherwise, who knows what he'll do in his heartbroken state."

Rebekah nodded her head in comprehension. "I see."

"Rebekah?" Alexandra gained her attention. "How about you tell Elena about the very first owner of the necklace that eventually ended up in her hands, many, many years later?"

"You mean the necklace I lost and Stefan stole it and then gave it to her as a bloody gift!?" Expressed the Original, angrily.

Elena sighed. "He did it to protect me."

"The necklace wasn't Stefan's to give!" Proclaimed the blonde, upset.

"Rebekah, hush!" The heavenly creature raised her voice a bit. "Elena has come here to learn the truth from you, not raise a fuss." She then lowered her voice. "Now, please calm down and tell her whatever she needs to know. Whenever you're ready."

The blonde version of immortality took several breaths before speaking, "The necklace belonged to the Original Witch."

The teenager turned to her friend. "The one who put the hybrid curse on Klaus?"

"Not just the hybrid curse," Rebekah hastened out before her brother's soulmate could answer, a smirk shaping her pink lips. "She's the one who turned us into vampires."

The mundane's eyes widened.

"What...?"

"I'm thirsty," the sister of Klaus and Elijah didn't let her smirk disappear and turned to Alexandra. "Do you want a drink? I could use one of your best vintages."

"You just drank half a bottle of Scotch, Rebekah."

"And?" She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't get drunk easily."

The Nephilim chuckled and shook her hand before accepting the blonde's hand to guide her to the liquor corner.

"So, vampirism was a form of protection?" The youngest female questioned the oldest one.

"What else would it be?" Asked Rebekah as she watched the half-celestial pouring them some wine from her Merlot collection.

"A curse?"

"My parents only saw a way of keeping their children alive."

"Yeah, but... why stay, if they were so afraid of the werewolves? Why not... leave?"

The Original locked eyes with the Shadowhunter, who pursed her lips and handed her her wine.

"Pride..." She finally said and glanced towards the doppelgänger. "My Father didn't want to run anymore. He wanted to fight and be superior to the wolves. Where they could bite, we had to bite harder. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility... strength... senses..."

"But the witch Ayana refused her assistance to Rebekah's parents once they required it," the older brunette made the younger one look in her direction. "So, it was in the Original Witch's hands to solve the problem."

"In her hands?" Frowned Elena, frustrated. "How could she do anything?"

"Because my Mother was also a witch," divulged the Mikaelson woman and shocked the human girl.

"What?"

Rebekah exhaled loudly and addressed her brother's destined half. "Could you please...?"

"Think about it, Cupcake," smiled Alexandra, pointedly. "If Rebekah, Klaus and Elijah are members of the Original Family, then what makes their Mother?"

"Uh, a witch of the Original Family?" Guessed the Gilbert heir and after a moment, her features turned grim with realization. "Oh, my God... The Original Witch?!" She looked between the two females in front of her, in utter surprise, and once they nodded their heads, she addressed the non-human entity, "But if your Mother was a witch, then..."

"Am I? No..." She ceased her words and sipped her wine. "A witch is nature's servant, a vampire is an abomination of nature. You can either be one or the other, never both. My Mother did this for us. She did not turn."

The Nephilim wanted to mention the Heretics, but decided against it when her friend wondered, "How did you turn?"

"She called upon the sun for life, and the ancient White Oak Tree, one of nature's eternal objects, for immortality," Rebekah started telling the dreadful story of their transformation into their supernatural selves. "That night, my Father offered us wine laced with blood." Tatia's blood thought the daughter of Nicholas. "And then, he drove his sword through our hearts."

The doppelgänger faced Alexandra, in shock, before turning back to the immortal female. "He killed you?"

"And he wasn't delicate about it either..." She murmured. "We had to drink more blood to complete the ritual. But the worst part was the source he had brought to us to feed from."

"What do you mean about that?" The half-Cretan raised a question, in bewilderment.

Rebekah seemed surprised by her lack of knowledge.

"Elijah didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

The Original took her time to reply.

"My Father forced us to drink Angelique's blood so we could turn, and then..."

"And then what...?"

"And then he drove his sword in her stomach while Elijah watched."

"Oh, my God!" The Shadowhunter clapped her hand over her mouth, in utter shock.

That's why neither Ayana nor Elijah wished to tell her about it...

Mikael had killed Angelique...

"Who's Angelique?" Asked Elena after a while, looking between her friend and the vampire.

The Original beamed. "She used to be my role model. And also, my brother Elijah's betrothed."

The glass within the Bloodwood lady's hand was shuttered once it touched the marble floor and the alcohol nearly stained the velvet carpet as it spilled all around it.

"She was also what?" The Devil's offspring drawled.

"I'm guessing Elijah left that part out too," phrased the Mikaelson female, feeling guilty for Alexandra's current psychological state.

"Just... continue with the story, Rebekah," whispered the heavenly creature after a minute, gulping her wine down, now from the bottle. "I'm sure Elijah had his reasons."

"And what about Aya-?"

"Rebekah!" Disrupted her, Alexandra, not wishing for Elena to learn about her conversation with the Bennett ancestor. "Proceed to the story."

The vampire sighed and turned to face the Gilbert female. "It was euphoric! The feeling of power was indescribable... but the witch Ayana was right about the consequences. The spirits turned on us, and nature fought back... For every strength, there would be a weakness... The sun became our enemy. It kept us indoors for weeks... And though my Mother found a solution, there were other problems... Neighbours who had opened their homes to us could now keep us out... Flowers at the base of the White Oak burned and prevented compulsion. And the spell decreed that the tree that gave us life could also take it away... so we burned it to the ground. But the darkest consequence was something my parents never anticipated... The hunger. Blood... had made us reborn and it was blood that we craved above all else. We could not control it... And with that, the predatory species was born..."

Elena was beyond surprised upon hearing all that.

"Are you sure you can handle everything, Cupcake?" Elijah's soulmate drew her attention.

A tear ran down the mundane's cheek.

"I'm not so sure, anymore."
___________________________________________

𝐉ᴜsᴛ 𝐀 𝐑ᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ 𝐁ᴀʀ.

"Two more!"

Damon told the bartender and went by the bar along with a now-free Stefan.

"Alright! Tell me what's up," the no-humanity brother said. "What's the point of the jailbreak, hmm?"

"I thought you could use a hug, Stefan," the Salvatore firstborn joked.

"Come on, Damon... You know that Alexa is pissed at you for letting me out. And we both know that you care about what she thinks..."

"Maybe I wanted to remind you what freedom was like before Klaus took it from you."

"As long as Klaus is alive, I do what he says."

"That's my point, Stefan," phrased the older brother, angrily. "You've given up! Now, you could sit around and be his little bitch, or you get mad enough and you can do something about it."

"Damon, he can't be killed," stated the dirty-blond Salvatore and when the raven-haired one went to reply, another voice drew their attention.

"Maybe I can help with that."

They turned to see an old man, who Damon did not recognize.

But Stefan did.

"The Salvatore boys, I presume?"

"Mikael," muttered the youngest vampire and caused his brother to look at the Original in interest.

It's show time...
___________________________________________

𝐁ʟᴏᴏᴅᴡᴏᴏᴅ 𝐄sᴛᴀᴛᴇ.

"Why did Mikael start hunting Klaus?"

Rebekah went to refill her glass and gestured for her brother's soulmate to respond to Elena's question.

"Sweetie, do you remember when Elijah told us that they learned the truth when they were turned into vampires?" When the teenager nodded, Alexandra continued, "Klaus' true supernatural identity was revealed when he killed his first human. He'd triggered his werewolf curse and Mikael despised him even more since then. His egoism was wounded when he found out that his wife was unfaithful to him many years ago and his shame towards Klaus was magnified."

"My Mother tried to make it right," informed Rebekah. "She put the hybrid curse on Nik to suppress his werewolf side, and then she turned her back on him. But Mikael's greatest weakness as a human was his pride. As a vampire, that was magnified. He went on a rampage and killed half the village. Then, he came home and killed her."

Alexandra coughed up some of her wine when she heard her saying the last part. She had forgotten again that Rebekah didn't know what had actually happened... and that she had to tell her if she wanted her to participate in her and Elijah's plan against Klaus.

"Mikael killed your Mother?" Asked Elena, shocked.

"He said she broke his heart so he would break hers," answered the blonde. "He tore it from her chest as Nik watched... Afterwards, my Father took off in a rage, and the rest of my family scattered. Nik stayed, so he could help me bury her. He knew I had to say goodbye to my Mother..."

While she told the rest of the story to Elena, the Nephilim's eyes were brimmed with tears as she thought of ways to tell her the truth about her mother once her 'Cupcake' left.

"And that was the beginning of 'Always and Forever'," she concluded, earning a sad-smiled nod from Rebekah.

"'Always and Forever'..." Repeated the doppelgänger. "Even though he locked you in a coffin for ninety years?"

"We're vampires," the vampire's tone changed in Elena's disbelief. "Our emotions are heightened. I'm stubborn, Elijah moral, and Nik... Nik has no tolerance for those who disappoint him. Over a thousand years as a family we've all made that mistake at least once. I've made it several times."

"But you still love him?"

"He's my brother... and I'm immortal," the Original told her, in exasperation. "Should I spend an eternity alone instead?"

"What about the Soulmate Bond?" The Gilbert sister dared to inquire.

"What about it?" Scoffed Rebekah, side-eyeing the Nephilim.

"Why did she create it? Why would she have her children's souls linked to-?"

"She wished to preserve our hearts' human part," interrupted the Mikaelson female. "That was her way of our redemption. But she couldn't pinpoint when, where and who... That was one of our biggest torments as vampires. Even if we fell in love with someone and eventually got to love them... We knew that we had to hold back or take different measures when we were certain that our partner was not our fated other..."

Her face fell when her thoughts ran back to Alexander, Emil, Marcel, and even Stefan. But when she thought of Gabriel, an immediate beam took over her immortal features - Alexandra noticed that.

"You've heard the story, it's time to go," the undead creature harshly told the doppelgänger and picked up another bottle of wine.

"Rebekah, I didn't-"

"I said leave, Elena! I don't know what you're up to, but I'm no longer playing along."

"I'm just looking for one good reason why we shouldn't wake Mikael," explained the Gilbert heir.

"And I've given you a thousand!" The Original answered back. "But you will anyway. I know you want him to help you kill my brother, I'm not stupid."

"It's no secret that I want Klaus dead," admitted Elena. "He has a hold over Stefan's life and over mine." She then locked eyes with her friend. "But... now that I know that your family is connected with the Bloodwoods..."

"What?" Spat Rebekah.

The mundane sighed. "I could help you get rid of Mikael if you agree to help me take my revenge on your brother."

The destined females looked at each other in shock. "What!?"

"Look... I'm not happy with knowing that by killing Klaus, I might kill one of my friends too," confessed the teenager. "But I want him to pay for what he's done to all of us. So, if I can't kill him, I want to at least scare him to death, and settle the score. And for that, I'm going to need Mikael."

"Elena, are you serious?" The Nephilim stepped forward, facing down at her.

The girl beamed. "Yes."

"Do what you need," the immortal female didn't change her threatening tone. "Wake Mikael at your own peril. But make no mistake, if you come after my brother, I will rip you apart. And I get my temper from my Father." She stepped back and glanced at her soulmate's sister. "You help her with everything she needs, I want no part in any of it." When the brunette nodded, the blonde turned her head towards the doppelgänger. "Now, you leave from my soulmate's house!"

She yelled in her face and went towards the kitchen, at a high pace.

Alexandra gazed at her friend with a sympathetic look on her face. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," the girl smiled back and put her hand on the angelic beauty's arm. "And Alexa... I meant what I said."

She left the Bloodwood Estate without expecting her to reply, leaving her standing there in utter shock.

"Is she finally gone?" Rebekah re-entered the living room, with a bowl full of strawberries and cherries in it.

"You were very rude to her," the Nephilim told the Original. "Even after everything she went through because of your brother, she chose to eventually help you defeat Mikael and not kill Nik."

"You should have seen her this morning when she threatened me about waking my Father," the blonde returned to her seat and the brunette followed her but did not take a seat. "It's alright, she'll get through with it. Now, tell me... why were you really crying about?"

The Shadowhunter straightened her posture and crossed her arms in insecurity. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you crying silently when I was telling the doppel-bitch the story of my Mother's death..." The vampire raised an eyebrow at her. "Tell me."

"Her name is Elen-"

"Tell me, Alexandra!"

The half-Cretan took a deep breath, deciding to tell her.

"Fine... I'll tell you," she muttered, with a shaken voice. "But you're not going to believe me."

"Try me," challenged the creature of the night and ate a strawberry.

"When you..." The half-mundane came and sat next to her. "When you told Elena about Mikael killing your Mother, and Nik witnessed the whole thing..."

"Yes?"

"That's..." She cleared her throat and closed her eyes for a brief moment. "That's not what actually happened, Rebekah."

The blonde placed the bowl on the table and swallowed the strawberry she was eating. "What do you mean? Nik told us exactly what happened."

"No, he didn't, he lied!" The Shadowhunter hastened out an intense reply, unable to hold herself.

Rebekah grew more suspicious and nervous at the same time. "What are you saying, Alexandra? What do you know that I don't!?"

She trailed off at first, but she knew she had to tell her the truth, especially after Elijah gave her the liberty of doing so.

"Elijah confessed something to me about Klaus when I met him in his in-between, that I believe you should know," she phrased, calmly and glanced up at the Original, who tensed.

"What did he tell you?"

"Well... he actually told me about your first Sirelings... Aurora and Tristan."

"And Lucien," added Rebekah with an eye roll. "So, that was it? He told you how we turned our first vampires?"

"Not only," sighed Alexandra. "When he told me how you learned that you can actually turn other vampires and how each of you turned your first one, he also told me that because of Kol's carelessness, Mikael was directly led to you and you had to run."

The immortal beauty hummed and took now her glass of wine.

"How can I forget?" She took a sip. "Kol always tends to cause us problems. Sometimes he's even worse than Nik. But of course, you already know that, don't you?"

The Shadowhunter bit her lip. "What can I say? I needed to find a way to keep Elijah busy and make him forget about his..." She cleared her throat. "urges."

The Mikaelson heir winked at her. "So, he's already having urges, huh? I should keep that in mind when I'm around your brother."

"Rebekah..." The brunette chuckled, her cheeks heavily flushed.

"Alright, I'll stop," the undead woman promised. "Continue."

The half-Cretan's expression turned serious. "Well... Elijah told me that Aurora wanted to come with you when you were running to leave so you could escape Mikael. He... didn't allow her to, for she was neither blood nor family of yours. And then..." She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak, "The girl accidentally revealed to him one of Nik's secrets."

Rebekah was afraid to ask, but did nevertheless, "What secret?"

The Bloodwood heir took her time to respond.

"It was him that killed your Mother... not Mikael."

The Original felt the oxygen abandoning her lungs, her blood freezing as her heart tightened.

But then a loud laughter of disbelief was liberated from her lips.

"And here I thought you would say something truthful."

"Rebekah, I'm being serious!" Declared Elijah's destined half. "Your brother was the one who killed your Mother!"

The blonde version of immortality stood up. "Look, Alexandra... I totally understand that you and Elijah want to avenge Nik, believe me, I want to as well. But blaming him for such a thing..." She shook her head with a brief chuckle. "You two have outdone yourselves."

The other female stood up as well, a forlorn expression etching on her features.

"I wouldn't lie about such a thing, Rebekah," she muttered, candidly, erasing the smile off the vampire's face.

Rebekah was beginning to lose her temper but some tears did make an appearance in her ocean-blue eyes, no matter what she believed. "You're lying! Nik would never hurt our Mother!"

"He did," whispered the half-Cretan. "And deep down, you know it too."

The undead lady shook her head, waves of tears flooding from her eyes uncontrollably.

Out of the blue, she cornered the Nephilim against the wall but not threateningly. "Tell me that you made it up. Tell me that all this was another plan of Elijah's to avenge Nik and I promise I won't make you suffer!"

"You can't hurt me, Rebekah," initiated Alexandra, quietly, showing no signs of fear. "Not because I'm your brother's soulmate... no. Deep down you can sense that I'm far stronger than you and your family, don't pretend that you don't." The creature of the night pursed her lips but said nothing, letting the Devil's offspring continue, "Now, about Elijah's vengeance... he did receive it when he compelled that Aurora girl to break Nik's heart. He felt so betrayed by him, that he felt it right to do so. Not just for him, but for you all!"

Rebekah wouldn't accept it. "But knowing the truth since almost the beginning makes Elijah equally evil as Nik." She hissed, with quivering lips.

"Open your eyes, Rebekah!" The angelic beauty raised her voice, making the other female flinch. "Elijah's not the villain here, Klaus is! He killed your Mother and blamed Mikael, so he could have you all by his side forever! You realized it yourself, that he hates to be left alone, otherwise, why being so obsessive about creating hybrids!?"

"No..." Whispered the Mikaelson heir, taking several steps back. "No, it can't be."

"Thing about this..." The half-Cretan added. "Esther was responsible that he's part werewolf and because of that Mikael despised him even more. Esther was the one who cursed him in order to suppress his werewolf side so he wouldn't trigger it! Esther did the spell and turned him and the rest of you into vampires without your consent, and when he triggered his werewolf curse, she turned her back on him! Can you imagine how heightened his emotions got by his two natures...? He probably wasn't able to stop himself and he-"

"-killed her," the vampire finished for her, finally accepting that her brother was the real monster behind this story and not Mikael. "Oh, my God... He killed her. He killed our Mother- Nik killed her. NIK... KILLED HER!"

She began screaming in enrage and betrayal and smashed a couple of Alexandra's furniture before starting to sob heavily.

The Bloodwood heir felt her heart crack as she watched her crying like that and didn't hesitate to hug her from behind, only for Rebekah to turn around and hug her properly, finding comfort in the Shadowhunter's warm embrace.

Her legs couldn't support her anymore and she fell on the ground, taking Alexandra with her.

The Original cried so much that she fell asleep in her brother's soulmate's arms, her own weak arms wrapped around the brunette's neck.

A lot later, the half-mundane's phone buzzed and she checked to see who it was.

Elena had just texted her that she and Alaric found proof of Klaus being his mother's murderer and not Mikael.

The Nephilim quickly replied, instructing her to not do anything stupid and show up again for Rebekah would rip her to shreds due to her heartbroken state.

The doppelgänger texted her a positive answer and then the heavenly creature proceeded to text Gabriel, telling him to return home as soon as he could, having in mind that her own comfort when she needed it, was her soulmate's presence by her side.

And that was what Rebekah needed right now, not that Alexandra didn't share the same need...
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𝐍ᴇw 𝐂ʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ 𝐈ɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

𝐈ɴ 𝐎ʀᴅᴇʀ 𝐎ғ 𝐀ᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴇɴᴄᴇ.

𝐌ɪᴋᴀᴇʟ 𝐌ɪᴋᴀᴇʟsᴏɴ performed by: 𝐒ᴇʙᴀsᴛɪᴀɴ 𝐑ᴏᴄʜᴇ́

𝐄sᴛʜᴇʀ 𝐌ɪᴋᴀᴇʟsᴏɴ performed by: 𝐀ʟɪᴄᴇ 𝐄ᴠᴀɴs

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A/N: HAPPY 800 PAGES AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

Love, Health and Luck this year may bring to everyone!!!!

First chapter of this year!!!!

I can't believe we reached this far. And we're not even in the middle of the story!

So, a lot was revealed in this chapter and I cannot wait to learn your thoughts!!!

~ • Comment for more!!!! • ~

Buh-bye!!!

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