Flash Forward - 2016
Brooklyn, New York
Day
I was outside of my apartment, getting out of my car, bleeding from my scar on my chest, holding a hand to it in pain. I closed the door, walking toward the trunk, opening it, packing a leather duffle bag with all of the important belongings in my car, including passports, money, stakes and a change of clothes. I removed the bag from the trunk of my car, pulling out a tank of gasoline, beginning to pour it all over the car and the rest of the contents of the trunk that I was leaving behind. I pulled out a lighter, lighting it, throwing the lighter into the trunk, watching as the flames engulfed the car that I had had for the past six years.
I was shot in the back repeatedly with enhanced bullets coated or laced with God knew what, groaning a scream in pain, falling to the ground. I turned toward a plank on the ground nearby, spinning to a standing position, using the plank to hit the shooter with such force she was thrown into the building, making her fall. I stumbled slightly, weakly from whatever she had shot me with.
It felt like vervain.
Or wolfsbane.
The shooter continued to shoot me, walking closer.
The force of the shots made me back away into the flames of the car, making me burn and scream.
Stefan rushed closer, tackling me out of the flames, putting them out before I could burn to death.
I breathed heavily, weakly, looking up at Stefan. "How did you know?"
"Tyler called me," Stefan answered. "If you think I'm gonna let you die, you're crazy. Let's go."
I heard the shooter about to take a shot at Stefan, rushing to sit up in time to take the bullet in my back instead of Stefan taking the bullet in the heart, groaning in pain.
Stefan picked me up in a cradle, rushing away with me before we could die.
~~~~~~~
I was hurt, injured, and bleeding more badly than Stefan, fading in and out of conscious.
Stefan carried me down a storage unit's hallway. "Hang on, Nicola. We're gonna get you help soon, I promise."
I groaned in pain. "Oh, what the hell did she shoot me with?"
We reached the unit we needed.
Stefan put me down.
I could barely stand, leaning against the wall, propping myself up until I could heal enough to stand.
Stefan opened the unit.
Two coffins were inside, side by side.
One held Elena, who was still under Kai's magical coma spell.
Stefan walked toward the other, opening it to reveal a desiccated but still alive Damon. He pulled out a blood bag, hurriedly forcing the blood down Damon's throat. "Damon, wake up."
I stumbled closer, leaning against the coffin for support. "I need you. Wake up. Damon, wake the hell up!"
Damon un-desiccated, opening his eyes, gasping for breath, sitting up, blood still dripping down his chin.
~~~~~~~
Damon had just woken. He realized that we had brought him back, becoming angry. "I told you not to bother me until Elena was awake."
"Well, that's too bad," Stefan told him. "We got to go."
"Why?" Damon asked. I heard a noise, spinning the coffin around so the lid was facing the entrance, ducking behind it to seek cover, pulling Stefan with me. Two arrows were shot through the lid of the coffin, just barely missing Damon. "She's back." Two more arrows were shot through the lid. Damon hopped out of the coffin, taking cover behind a stack of wooden crates. A woman was shooting at us, hidden by shadows, hitting Damon in the knee, making him groan in pain. Stefan was holding his stomach in pain. "I guess she upped her game."
I pulled the neck of my shirt aside, revealing an open wound in the shape of a cross on my shoulder. "My scar... opened up this morning. She found me. She almost killed me. Stefan saved me and brought me here."
"You better get used to it, Nikki," Stefan told me. "She's not gonna stop until you're dead."
I groaned in pain, grabbing Damon and Stefan by the arms, standing. "Come on."
We stood, running away.
~~~~~~~
Now
It had been a few months since Jo Laughlin had died at her and Alaric Saltzman's wedding.
Since Kai Parker had linked Elena Gilbert to Bonnie Bennett, but instead of having them physically linked, he made it so as long as Bonnie lived, Elena would remain asleep.
It had been even longer since Kai had kidnapped me and told me in the worst possible way that Damon had killed the mother of my unborn half sister while she had been pregnant. When we had both thought that that half sister had died with her.
But Stefan had saved her life, given her away to a good family, made sure that my dad could move on so that he could have me.
But when Kai had told me, he had put a hex on me so severe that it had caused physical agony and had made me relive every bad thing that Stefan and Damon had done to me to taunt me and punish us all. It had nearly made me go out of my damn mind.
And then when Caroline Forbes had turned her humanity, she had kidnapped my half sister, Sarah, and told me that the only way I could save Sarah and save my sanity was to turn off my humanity.
So I had done just that.
Caroline and I had kept our switches turned off until Stefan, Damon and Elena had dragged us back to the edge of humanity.
And at the wedding, when Kai had been in the process of giving the hex back to me right before he had been about to kill me, Tyler had killed someone to trigger his wolf gene so that he could save my life.
And after everyone had said goodbye to Elena, Tyler had offered me a deal. We could leave Mystic Falls to give me some space and time away from the place and the people that had nearly been involved in my destruction, so that I could visit Sarah and Duke College.
I had compelled Sarah to stay at the college, because I never wanted her to be in danger that my life was enveloped with.
And then Tyler and I had gone to see Jeremy, hoping that he could help me.
Because since I had become a vampire, I had not been able to tap into that side of me that had been a Potential Hunter of the Brotherhood of the Five, the thing that had fueled my fighting and passion when I had been human.
We thought that Jeremy, being an actual Hunter, could help bring that side out of me.
~~~~~~~
We were in a warehouse.
Jeremy and I were pacing, swords in hand after several days and several weeks and several months of training like this.
Tyler was watching in amusement.
"When did it start?" Jeremy asked.
"I couldn't fight like I had been able to when I was human when Damon and Enzo turned me into a vampire," I answered. "Ever since, I couldn't find it in me to fight back. At least, not the way I used to."
"Because it took away your humanity, and maybe your ability to become a Hunter," Jeremy told me.
"Yeah, I'd rather not find out by having her kill a vampire," Tyler told us. "We don't want a psycho vampire Hunter running around." I tilted my head at Tyler. Tyler smirked. "You know what I mean."
Jeremy swung his sword toward me when he thought I wasn't paying attention. I swung up my own sword to retaliate the blow, punching him in the face.
Jeremy backed away. "And you're hoping that I could help you get in touch with that part of you that still wants to fight like a Hunter."
I shrugged. "Well, you are a Hunter. You know what they say. Takes a Hunter to bring out the Hunter."
"Well, I don't know whether to say if I'm honored or flattered," Jeremy told us.
I tilted my head. "Oh, come on, Gilbert. You can't fight that much better than me."
Tyler laughed.
Jeremy slashed toward me. I ducked. Jeremy slashed toward my stomach. I backed away just enough to make him miss. Jeremy raised his sword to stab down on me. I caught his wrist, spinning to kick his legs out from under him, making him fall. Jeremy picked up his sword, standing, slashing toward me. I ducked. Jeremy tried to stab me. I pivoted to make him miss. Jeremy raised his sword to stab me. I blocked the move with my sword, twisting it, making us both spin away, facing each other. I slashed toward him. Jeremy raised his sword to block the move, slashing toward me. I used my blade to block the move. We tried to same move, ending up blocking each other. Jeremy tried to slash into me. I spun away to make him miss, turning to face him. Jeremy repeatedly tried to slash his sword into me. I kept my sword raised to block every time, twisting my blade around his, pulling it free with enough speed and force I made Jeremy spin through the air, to the floor and making him drop his sword.
Tyler was in shock, smiling, laughing. "Damn. That's what I call a badass Potential-vampire-vampire Hunter."
I dropped my sword, holding my hand toward Jeremy.
Jeremy took my hand, letting me help him up. "Looks like Stella's got her groove back."
"See, if you fought like that with Kai, he wouldn't have stood a chance," Tyler told me. He stood, walking toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind me. "But we all know why you didn't go samurai on him then, and we know it's not your fault. But I would like to see what anyone would try to do to you now."
We smiled. I looked at Tyler from over my shoulder, kissing him.
~~~~~~~
Tyler and I were in an apartment that we had been staying in off of the Duke campus.
I was sitting on the couch, thinking.
Tyler walked closer with bourbon, sitting in the chair across from me, placing down our drinks on the table in between us. "And I think that's all the bourbon we have left. I need to go on a bourbon run." I nodded absentmindedly. Tyler noticed I was distracted. "What is it?"
I shook my head. "Just thinking."
"About?" Tyler asked.
I took a moment to respond, sighing. "These past few months spending time with Sarah in her life instead of mine, where there's no drama, there's no danger, there's no anything... and training with Jeremy with him bringing the part of me that I need out to the open, and being with you and not feeling any more boundaries... and it's been the happiest months of my life."
"Then what's the problem?" Tyler asked. I hesitated, not knowing how to answer, sighing, looking away. Tyler realized what I meant anyway. "You can't stop thinking about Stefan and Damon."
I looked at him. "I didn't exactly leave them in a good place, Ty. Hell, I didn't leave Mystic Falls in a good place, for that matter. And I don't wanna ruin what we have going on here, but I just have this pit in my stomach that's telling me to go back and settle whatever unfinished business I have in that town, and I have a lot."
I sighed, standing, turning away, overwhelmed, pacing.
Tyler thought for a moment, nodding, standing. "So, go." I turned to face him in confusion. Tyler stepped closer. "You're right, Nikki. You have to get past whatever's going on between you and your family. You have to get past what Kai did to you, that broke your relationship with Stefan and Damon. If you can't rest because you left it so broken, then the only thing that you can do to put it to rest is to go back and try to fix it or at least leave it off at a better place than it is."
"But you hate them," I told him.
Tyler shook his head. "I don't hate them. I just don't necessarily like them. Mostly because what they've done to you, or what happened to you because of them. But if you can fix it, you gotta try."
I considered this for a moment, stepping closer, smiling a small smile. "You're not gonna come with me, are you?"
"No," Tyler answered. "Getting out of Mystic Falls is the best thing that's ever happened to either of us, but you have a reason to go back. I don't. I mean, I could do if you want me to go, but..."
"No, no, you're right," I told him. "Mystic Falls is a magnet for danger, and I don't want you to get hurt again. Or killed. Again. I'm gonna go. But I promise I'll be back."
Tyler nodded, smirking. "I know you will." We looked at each other for a moment, slowly starting to kiss a long, sweet, slow kiss. I wrapped my arms lightly around his neck. We pulled away, still remaining close, leaning our heads together, our breath mingling together. "Take your time back there. Take however long you need. It doesn't matter how long."
I nodded understandingly. Tyler pulled me into a more passionate kiss. I responded just as passionately, knowing that this was goodbye for who knew how long.
~~~~~~~
Imagine my surprise when I went home to Mystic Falls to see that the entire town had been evacuated and that there were strangers living in the Salvatore Boarding House, the house that I used to call home.
I found Stefan and Damon at the Lockwood mansion, leaning in the doorway of the living room without them knowing that I was there yet.
"It's not gonna work, Damon," Stefan told him.
"Of course it's gonna work, Stefan," Damon told him. "It's a hostage swap-up. Classic. Timeless. Effective."
"Damon, there's no way Lily's gonna give us Elena's coffin for Oscar," Stefan told him.
I sighed, leaning against the doorway. "Well, I guess it's not a day in Mystic Falls if Elena isn't in need of saving, even if she is sleeping in a box." Stefan and Damon looked at me in shock. "Maybe you two can do me a favor and tell me what the hell is going on and who the hell is living in our house." Stefan and Damon stood, still dumbfounded to see me. I smirked, smug at their reactions. "Hello, boys."
~~~~~~~
Stefan and Damon were still stunned speechless.
I was pacing. "So, anything I should know about?"
"How are you even here right now?" Damon asked. "When you rode off into the sunset with Tyler months ago, I could've sworn that was the last time either of us would see you."
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," I told him.
"Me?" Damon asked. "Me, dramatic? Do I remind you how dramatic Kai made you with the hex that nearly made you lose your sanity and actually did make you lose your humanity."
"The hex is gone," I told them. "I don't want to think about the stupid hex anymore."
"What are you doing here, Nicola?" Stefan asked.
I sighed. "I came back here because the way we left things off wasn't doing anybody favors. Okay? I just... I hated the way that I left here, without so much as an official goodbye. I just took off after Kai put Elena under the spell because I couldn't be here."
"And we get it, Nikki," Stefan told me. "Believe me."
I shook my head. "No, you don't get it. Because do you know the worst part of the aftermath was? It wasn't the hex or me losing my humanity or compelling Sarah to stay away from Mystic Falls for her own good. It was because I left here hating you, and I left you thinking that I hate you. It was eating me up, so I had to come back here."
"After everything that happened, it's a wonder why you don't hate us," Damon told me.
"I went months without seeing either of you," I told them. "I got the time and space that I needed. Now... I just want to try and move on. For all of our sakes." Stefan and Damon were impressed and stunned with this statement, nodding in agreement. "Starting with what the hell is going on here."
"Do you remember what Jo and Lily said about her Heretic family over in the 1903 prison world?" Damon asked.
"Yeah," I answered.
"Kai let them out," Damon told me. I looked at them, stunned. "We tried to kill them. That bombed. So they retaliated by attacking the deputy honor thing in the Town Square, killing every deputy-wannabe except for Matt Donovan. Matt's whole class is dead. The new Sheriff? Dead."
"There's history here, you know?" Stefan asked. "This town, these people... and I just don't see a world where Mystic Falls survives a war between us and them. And if Lily thinks she can control four Heretics, she's insane."
"Four?" I repeated. "I thought there were six."
"Well, let's see," Damon told me. "There's Valerie, Stefan's ex." I frowned in confusion. Stefan shook his head. "There's the mean girls, Mary Louise and Nora. There's the mute, Beau. There's Lily's favorite, Malcolm. I killed Malcolm." I tilted my head at him. Damon gave me an innocent look. "He was trying to kill Bonnie. And the other one, Oscar, we have as a hostage because Lily took Elena as a hostage in retaliation for me killing the other one."
"The Heretic family is back," Stefan told me. "Their magic keeps them protected. They're faster and stronger than any of us, and they're willing to tear our town apart for their own entertainment. We had to protect it. Lily thought her family was ready to live among humans. She was wrong. The truth is, their impulsive nature put every citizen in this town in danger, so I negotiated a deal. We got time to clear out the residents, and in return, anyone who trespasses is fair game for the Heretics. Caroline and I went door-to-door, evacuating residents. Drove out businesses, boarded up homes, closed off the town to traffic. We all gave up a lot to get Lily to agree. And we had to give up the boarding. Lily and the Heretics are gonna be living there now."
"Yeah, you gave our house over to the enemy," I told them.
"Look, we hate them," Damon told me. "They hate us. Whether we like it or not, we'll share our town."
"You're making a huge mistake handing over our hometown to a bunch of supernatural terrorists," I told them.
Damon nodded. "I agree completely." I sighed, overwhelmed, running a hand through my hair. Damon handed me a drink. "Here. You look like you could use a drink." I took the glass, taking a drink. "So, what have you been up to for the last few months?"
"I was visiting Sarah," I answered. "Getting to know my sister outside of Mystic Falls, at Duke, where she's safe and she's loved by her friends. She's not in my life, and she's not involved in the danger that comes with it." Stefan nodded thoughtfully. "And I was with Jeremy and Tyler. Jeremy was helping me get in touch with my, uh, Potential side."
I took a drink.
Stefan looked at me in confusion. "Potential? As in Potential Hunter?"
"Yeah," I answered. "For some reason, I couldn't fight like I used to since I turned into a vampire, and that was why I got my ass kicked by Kai. So, Gilbert's been helping me slip back a little bit into the old me. I bet Kai wouldn't want to pick a fight with me now."
Damon smirked, chuckling. "Feisty, Nikki."
"Anyway, don't worry," I told them. "As long as I don't kill a vampire, I'm in the clear. I won't become an actual Hunter."
"That would be terrifying," Damon told me.
I chuckled. "Yeah. So, back to this hostage switch...."
"Easy," Damon told us. "We get Elena back from Lily, and then we give her Oscar. Speaking of, I gotta go check on that hostage of mine. I will be back in a jiffy." He walked toward me and the door, stopping next to me, looking at me sincerely. "And welcome home, Nikki."
I looked at him thoughtfully, not knowing how to react to that sentence.
Damon smiled a small smile, walking out, leaving.
Stefan looked at me, smiling a small smile. "Welcome home, Nicola."
I could only manage a small smile, nodding, taking a drink.
I still wasn't sure how I felt about being home.