THIRD-PERSON POV
Two groans signaled life returning to the Salvatore brothers, the haze clouding their mind thanks to their third sibling's spell quickly removed when they both found the doppelganger standing over them, panic contorting her features. "W-what happened to you?"
"Adie," Damon grumbled, struggling to a sitting position as he massaged his scalp-- "Wait," his own voice made him flinch, "Where is she?"
"She told me to find you, it's not safe--"
Blurs altered the air in the hallway, Damons grip on Elena's arms threatening to break the bones. "Where is she, Elena?"
"Ow Damon, you're hurting me--"
"Elena!"
"S-she's with Klaus," she gulped at the sight of his glare. "He's p-possessing Alaric, she just told me to run--find the both of you."
The siblings shared a look of horror, fear unfurling in their guts as they tried their best to track her. Stop her... Supernatural hearing guided them to the cafeteria, the stage of their previous fight with Anna's minion way back when they first returned to town. All the doors were sealed the second their sister saw their approach. "ADIE!"
Fists banged against clear plastic, shaking the foundations of the doors and making the hinges groan through their protest. Vampire strength losing to a witches spell-- "OPEN THE DOOR!" Stefan tried to ram through the barrier when everything seemed to slow down.
Adelina's smile wobbled when she met her brother's gaze. Sparks spat when the lights broke, the sporadic piles of paper flying around the room in a whirlwind of chaos. Her hand raised in the direction of Ric's forced kneeling position, a final mutter from her lips forcing her body to convulse before she collapsed in a heap on the floor-- "NO!" They were able to enter as soon as she hit the ground, the enemy having already vanished by the time they reached her side.
"I-I can't tell if she's okay," Stefan cried, unsure whether she'd even have a pulse considering her hybrid nature. "Sh-she can't be dead, she wouldn't do that to us--would she?"
For the first time in over a hundred years the younger Salvatore looked to his older brother for guidance, desperate for him to say the right thing and stop the pain from trapping his heart. "No." Damon decided, "She'll come back. She's strong enough to survive this," although tears lined his eyes, determination encouraged the raven haired vampire to lift his younger sister and take her home. Give her body the chance to heal.
She was going to come back, she had to...
-TIME SKIP-
Damon's leg bounced as his gaze burned holes through Adelina's unconscious body. He was hunched over in his seat, a glass of bourbon nestled between his hands as he failed to relax the tense muscles in his shoulders. The library's fire burned bright, the youngest of the siblings believing its heat would kickstart his sister's healing once she'd been laid across the sofa...
The sound of approaching footsteps forced his head to snap up, eyes narrowing in a glare with the entrance of Stefan and Elijah-- "What the hell is he doing here?"
"He wanted to see her."
"And why should we let him?! It's thanks to his brother that she's even in this position!"
"Exactly," Stefan cut through the anger, exhaustion forcing his face to fall. "His own brother that he's turning against because he knows it's the right thing to do. He's not the bad guy here, Damon, Klaus is."
"I understand your caution," Damon's glare softened when he found Elijah's eyes, poker face cracked as honest sadness poured out over the thought of Adelina's demise. "If it makes you uncomfortable then I will leave, but I just wanted to--. Oh, I don't know..." Elijah sighed, "I needed to see her."
No more words were needed as Damon silently stepped aside, emptying his glass and moving towards a refill provided Elijah with enough room for his goodbye--a gasp disturbing his attempt to kneel beside the body.
All three men froze, the sight of Adelina struggling to determine where she was blurring her brothers by her side-- "Your back." Stefan stared at her in awe as Damon reached for her hand, "You're okay--You're alive!" She was crushed against the youngest Salvatore in a hug, tears finally falling with the affection.
"Don't you ever do that again," Damon's glare masked his overwhelming joy as he squeezed her hand, their gazes connecting over Stefan's shoulder. "If you even try it, I'll lock you up myself."
Her laugh was pained, "I'm sorry," distance pushed her brother away while she used her free hand to find his. "I'm so sorry, but I had to make it believable."
Stefan frowned, "What are you talking about?"
"I know faking my death might seem extreme, but I also knew I couldn't take on Klaus while he was possessing Alaric--I couldn't risk hurting him. Tricking him gave us a secret weapon, I'm just sorry I put you all through that. I didn't want to scare any of you," although she was stunned to find Elijah looking equal parts heartbroken and relieved as her 'family', she locked up the urge to squeal over the possibility that he actually cared for her.
"You can't honestly believe we'd let you try this again." Her giddiness shrank with Damon's annoyance, "No, Adie, we'll find another way to take this guy down--"
"What(?) You know a lot of witches with this type of power, do you(?)"
"I'll find some," he ground his teeth, "I'll find anything to ensure you're not back in a position where you've gotta trick him just to live."
"I only did that to ensure Ric was safe," she promised. "I'm strong enough, Damon. And I can honestly promise you that I'm not gonna die as a result of Klaus Mikaelson."
She left out the part where she hoped that to actually be true...
THE NEXT DAY
ADELINA POV
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bcd664b6162b9e6779fe8eb66a5b06b4/edc3455dba6cc22d-92/s400x600/4c7fac4ba8b14dbd632c173d6317c173b68f8f6c.gifv.
I was grateful when the hovering finally stopped, the smothering concern finally dispersing so I could try and sleep for at least a couple of hours. I woke up a few times from nightmares, though I blame that on the feeling of 'temporarily' passing on, but other than that it was a quiet night. I finally gave up on sleeping too early for sense, deciding now was probably the only escape I'd get from the coddling claws of my 'brothers'.
The sun was barely threatening to rise when I reached Alaric's flat, my knuckles didn't even get a chance to graze the wood of the door before it swung open. Maddox looked pissed, then again, that seemed to be his dominant facial expression on the show. "He's been expecting you," welcomed me with an empty tone, the large figure stepping aside so I could be greeted by a scowling 'Ric'.
"What's up with you?" I was proud of myself for not flinching when Maddox slammed the door shut behind us.
"Besides the fact I've just learned Elijah has become chummy with you and your brothers--not only to stop my plans, but to kill me(?!)"
"You can admit to being hurt, ya' know(?) It'll be a lot easier than propelling this rage at me in an attempt to scare me into submission." His eyes narrowed at my bold selection of words, "I'm here to help you, Klaus. I just want to explain my position and extend an olive branch, it's completely up to you whether you accept it."
"And how do I know you aren't lying to me?" He raised a skeptical brow, "Aren't playing into this ruse before betraying me at the last second."
I sighed, "Because that won't help either of us in achieving our goals. I don't want to hurt you, and if you're really that scared I'll do anything then Maddox can stay as your bodyguar--"
"I don't need protection!" He hissed.
"Well I'm guessing you need something," I glared. "You don't trust easily--if at all. I'm not asking for that because it would honestly be easier to magic up a flying pig." My shoulders relaxed by an inch when I saw the corner of his lips twitch. "And if the wording makes you feel better, then I'm chill with Maddox staying as your back-up. All I ask is that I place a sound shield around us so he can't hear my exact plan, I would prefer that to remain between the pair of us."
"Why?"
"Because you don't trust easily, and in order to gain your interest then I'll need to spout out private information about you that you wouldn't want even your followers to know."
His silence was daunting, my fists clenching and unclenching as my mind considered possible escape routes should he decide not to hear me out at all and attack... "Fine," he motioned toward the sofa, "Let us discuss this plan of yours."
He sat across from me on a lone chair, the briefest seconds of concentration providing us with the privacy we needed while Maddox busied himself in the kitchen. The odd prod at my subconscious letting me know of his attempts to burrow through my barriers and listen in. I smiled at his failure, "I've developed my abilities in the last few decades to encompass visions of certain people's past, present and future should I want to focus on them. That's why Elijah and I are so 'chummy', your brother having allowed himself to relax in my presence now he understands the extent of information I hold, or am capable of obtaining."
Although his eyes narrowed at the word brother, his entire demeanor still screamed how much he didn't believe me. "Prove it."
My eyes rolled, "By mentioning the brutality you faced underneath your step-father, Mikael?"
His jaw clenched, "Be very careful with your next words, little witch. Do not speak of what you don't understand nor the memories that my brother could have easily fed you during your companionship. I want concrete proof, so prove it."
I sucked in a harsh breath with the venom he spat, knowing I'd have to tread carefully to find the correct memory that would prove me right while simultaneously keeping the hybrid in front of me calm... "You killed your mother," his eyes widened by a small fraction. "Murdered her in a fit of rage when you learned of her betrayal and she bound your werewolf nature--the true curse the doppelganger is needed to break. None of your siblings know, and while you say you cart them around in coffins to protect them from Mikael, I know that they remain that way because you're terrified that they'll find out and leave you. You don't want to be left alone, and that's why Elijah turning on you hurts you so much--"
"Stop..." He couldn't stop me from hearing his voice break, but a glance back at Maddox's oblivious figure showed he was grateful I'd given our conversation some privacy... "You claim to also know the future?"
"I know exactly how this ritual is gonna play out," I promised. "My offer to help will not only make it all run a lot smoother, but it'll limit it to the necessary deaths. That's honestly my only goal."
"Ahh," he forced his smugness to overwhelm his previous bubble of insecurity, "So you want to play the hero?"
"No," I disagreed with a confidence that notched up his skepticism. "I just want to be happy, and I want the people I care about to be happy. That's all this really is, it's just a bonus if I can save people and help strangers along the way, isn't it?"
His poker face wasn't as good as Elijah's, and his shock easily bled through. "You're a very strange witch."
"And you're a very paranoid hybrid," I countered. "But I hope time dulls that reflex. Now, is all I've offered sufficient enough evidence to detail my plan for your ritual?"
He settled back in his seat, arms splaying out in a grand gesture for me to continue-- "I'm all ears."
"Okay then," I released a shaky breath... "You don't need to kill the doppelganger in order to break the curse--" His attempt to interrupt me was halted by my raised brow, "I'm not saying this because she's my friend and I want to protect her because that would be a lie...However, leaving the doppelganger alive will not only benefit you in the future, but put a stop to everyone meddling in your ritual currently. I will drain her of the required amount of blood that I am sure will aid your change before bringing it to you, I'm sure only a few blood bags will be required from my calculations--"
I narrowed my eyes as he moved forward with a successful interruption, "You do know I want a reason as to why she can still live and yet the Ritual will be successful, don't you?"
My eyes rolled, "Because you were lied to."
He frowned, "What?"
"Binding your werewolf side, although used the blood of Tatia, didn't kill her. Your mother erased the truth of her real demise, though I'm afraid because she stole that truth from both you and Elijah that I have no-way of accessing what it is without her help. I can only detect magic having tampered with your memories," I lied easily, surprised by how level my voice remained. "That and a few visions from your future have shown me that the only way for you to sire your hybrid army is through the use of her blood to complete the transition rather than a regular humans. I assume your mother never revealed this as even if you were successful in breaking your curse, she didn't wish to see you sire your own species."
"...Go on."
"As well as using her blood rather than killing her, when you put Mrs. Lockwood in the hospital to call Tyler back to town--I request you kill his companion, Jules, rather than him."
He raised a questioning brow, "And why would I do this?"
"Besides the fact you won't have to put in any extra work because she'll be traveling with him(?)" His silence made me sigh, "I've seen a lot of werewolves come to terms with what they are, most opting for chaining themselves up rather than risk hurting people once a month. Then I've even seen wolves who embraced their nature and succeeded in not killing whenever they shifted to their animal nature. She's neither," my jaw clenched. "She doesn't hold much regard for human or vampire life, and while I'm sure my view is biased, she hurt me and I want her to be hurt in return. If you need more encouragement, then I'll turn your vampire myself if you agree to this change."
His smirk widened, "And?"
"I'll personally perform the entire ritual that will turn you into a complete hybrid," I huffed, at least that's an excuse to get Greta out of the picture and hopefully reunite the Martin's. "Not only will my strength supersede the mortals you had lined up for the gig, but you've got to at least trust my motivations are more reliable than blind support of you?" His gaze once again flickered to Maddox, my hope rising as I played on his trust issues. "I'll even deceive your brother and obtain the moonstone for all of this. Whether or not you trust me, you've gotta know that making a deal with me will sort out your mess a lot more efficiently than your original plan."
"I agree," he grinned. "But you must understand that while I trust your noble goal of limiting casualties, there's another reason in your eyes as to why you want to help me. What is it?"
"I have two requests."
"Two including your earlier one of wanting Jules sacrificed instead of Tyler?"
My jaw ticked, "Yes."
His smugness irritated me to the point of me almost giving him a witchgrain, "Then request them."
"...I want to reunite Greta with her family. And while she could easily leave them again and re-build an alliance with you, I want to at least try and help them. They're good people."
He clucked his tongue in thought, "Well, as you said, she could very easily reject them all over again and seek me out. Something I'm sure would hurt so much more considering all the efforts they've gone through to find her." I gulped at the wicked glint in his eye, "I agree to this request. Your second one?"
"I'd rather leave that one until I've followed through on my end of the deal," he seemed surprised by the sternness my tone had shifted to. "Just so you know how serious I am about it."
He grinned, "Very well, Adelina, then I suppose it seems we have a deal."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT_skmohD-c... (I'm A Ruin by MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS)
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Thanks for reading x