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"Right before my eyes I saw my heart- it came back to life."
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IT APPEARED that the whole boarding house had turned into a book club in a matter of days, with all of it's members meeting on a daily basis.
The house had been trashed with books, documents and even several laptops where the use of the internet became a better alternative than flipping pages of a printed book. The internet was a magical place, and unlike books, it had an unlimited amount of pages.
While everyone else dealt with assisting in the growth of Jeremy's tattoo by placing him safely away at the Gilbert lake house, the rest of us were dealing with a mixture of research upon Theo's history along with the location of some sword used in finding this so called vampirism cure. The rest of us being James, Joel, Caroline and myself who were adamant members of this book club.
We were all so committed that we found ourselves dozing off in between books or websites every now and then, just like we are now. It had become an unplanned routine of dozing off only to be awakened hours later by Theo who refused to be the only one awake. Apparently he didn't like when we weren't focused on finding more about his history.
"Make him stop," Joel grumbles groggily, shifting in the chair with his eyes closed, a book sprawled across his lap as Theo begins to cry again.
I open my eyes to see I had fallen asleep on the floor while I was reading a book. Now the book is half way across the room while I try to remain peacefully asleep on the ground until Theo wakes all of us up, his crying growing louder.
I jump up from the ground to pick up Theo from his crib we had placed downstairs to find he isn't in it. Theo is gone.
"Guys," I say perturbed, waking everyone up from their study break.
"Yeah?" Caroline grumbles as James jumps awake from the couch.
"Theo is gone," I explain, searching frantically around in the living room, but the little guy is no where to be found. By now everyone has woken up, searching the huge mansion for a toddler who can't talk or walk.
I turn the corner into the kitchen but find it empty, nothing but a box of crackers on the counter from where we tried to feed Theo some a few days ago. Just as I'm about to turn around, I watch as the box starts shaking, moving towards the edge of the counter until it slowly tips off the counter and onto the floor. Alarmed, I sprint over to see how it fell only to find Theo standing none the less with the box of crackers in his hands trying to pry the box open.
"Found him!" I yell while staring at him in admiration. This is the first time he's ever walked, and it happened to be so he could get food. I can't say I'm surprised, food can drive anyone to do anything, but I am shocked however that he managed to get the box off the counter with his supposed magic.
Caroline, James and Joel all come running into the kitchen, incredulous looks on their faces that soon turn to content as they eye Theo happily eating a box of crackers.
"Would you look at that. He used his first steps to get food," Joel jokes, going to pick up Theo. "I'm proud of you buddy." He smiles.
As we all surround Theo, the door opens and Bonnie walks in, carrying a giant box of who knows what. It appears to be heavy, so I sprint over and take it from her.
"Thanks," Bonnie smiles.
"What's in here?" I ask, hopeful that it will be something to sort out the history of Theo's mystery family.
"My grams old witch box, or so she used to call it. It contains all the information about different family witches and names over the years. I thought maybe Theodore's history could be in here somewhere," Bonnie explains as I set the box down.
"Thank you Bonnie, really. You have no idea how much this means to me," I say, giving her a grateful smile.
She smiles back and glances back at the floor, our kind gestures with one another becoming a bit awkward after a few seconds after all the hate we have for each other comes back. However, I have a feeling some of the hate has diminished for good, and I can only hope it will get better.
"You're welcome," she says. "I should get back to the lake house. This professor Shane who knows about the supernatural is helping us try and deprogram Jeremy from 'hunter mode'," Bonnie explains, before giving a light wave and walking out the door.
The four of us turn to the box, taking a deep breath knowing we're going to be here for a while. This box is filled right to the top with papers, documents and pictures, all of which are unorganized. "Shall we switch over to the scrapbooking club now?" Joel asks.
∆ ∆ ∆
We spend about three hours going through the box, and already we've made great progress. We've discovered that Theodore Bridges comes from a line of witches, all under the name of Bridges. This means his father must've been a witch rather than the mother, and since Theo is already pretty advanced with his magic even if he doesn't know it, it gives us an indication that his parents didn't hide magic from him . The Bridges witches goes back centuries, but not as far as the Bennett line. It's fascinating really, but just when we're about to dig further Stefan calls me.
"Little busy Stefan," I say while going through some pictures.
"Are you too busy to break into Klaus's safe?" Stefan asks, immediately catching my attention.
I look up and glance around, thankful to see no one has heard the call as they're all too busy reading and looking through pictures.
"What's in it?" I ask, heading into the kitchen and turning on the tap.
"The sword that can be used to decode Jeremy's hunter tattoo. It's the key to finding the cure. Bonnie wants to use this professor Shane guy, but I don't trust him," Stefan explains.
"And we're back on the cure again," I say in annoyance. "What's in it for me?" I ask selfishly, not wanting to waste my time on something that offers me or my family any value.
I hear Stefan sigh on the other line. "Elena is sired to Damon, Blair. She's fallen in love with him, and it's tearing me apart," Stefan explains bluntly.
I freeze, my mouth open in confusion, not knowing what words to say. This cure suddenly has value to me if it will make Stefan happy. The only downside is that Damon is already in love with Elena meaning one of my brothers will end up with a broke heart. Yet another reason I have to dislike Elena.
"You think the cure can help break the sire?" I ask.
"Please Blair, this cure can save more than just Elena. It could save me. All I want is for her to be happy, and being a vampire is anything but for her," Stefan begs.
I sigh and turn off the tap. "I'm on my way," I say before hanging up.
"I'm going out for a bit," I yell to everyone.
"Where?" James asks in concern.
"Just to take a break. I'm going to get some coffee- anyone want some?" I lie, hoping food will distract them from the lie painted on my face.
Thankfully they all decline, refusing my kind gesture which gives me more time to break into Klaus's safe. I leave and head to James's truck, driving it straight to the Mikaelson house in hopes that no one is home. To my surprise, it appears I've caught them at a good time seeing as no cars are parked outside.
I sprint into the house and go to where Stefan instructed me to, finding the giant metal safe placed in the corner of the loft. I twist the metal wheel off and open the cool heavy metal door only to find there's nothing in here. No sword, no valuables, nothing. It's as if it's a decoy.
Confused, I stand up and look around the room for any place where a giant hunter sword could be placed, my eyes landing on a giant crate in the corner of the room. I walk over to it and pry off the lock, opening the pirate looking chest to reveal hundreds, if not thousands of letters.
I pick some up, reading over the fine black ink that has faded slightly over the centuries, sliding my finger across the crimpled papers as my eyes take in the words. The letters hold words exchanged from Klaus to his dead victims, each and every one of them describing in gruesome detail the story of how each of his victims were killed. It seems I have just opened a chest holding a major part of Klaus' history, and I take in all the words I can manage in a few seconds before I know I have to go.
After reading over all the basics of how Klaus killed his victims, and the guilt he felt after each one over and over, I finally shut the chest and go to make my way out of the house when suddenly the front door opens. By now it's pitch black out, and whoever opened the door is bound to have seen the truck in the driveway. I'm screwed.
"James? You'd do good to show yourself!" Klaus bellows throughout the house.
I quietly tip toe my way to the front door, stopping to lean against the door frame when I see Klaus standing angrily by the door, his suit and white shirt covered with blood, not to mention the stained bits that are plastered on his face. A year ago I would be horrified, but by now I'm used to it.
"Why don't you like him?" I ask, noticing the way Klaus and James always treat each other. I know the basics of their past, but I've never heard Klaus's side.
At my presence he seems to relax, not taking me as a threat. He rolls his eyes as he walks over to me. "I don't know, Blair. Maybe because he's been trying to kill me for half my life," he says.
"You killed him first," I point out. "You turned him without even asking, then turned his sister and brother, not to mention you literally compelled his brother out of his life. Do you really expect him to like you?" I ask.
"I was only trying to do what was best for him. He was my friend, I never expected him to act like that. I thought that's what he wanted. We use to be so close, we were like brothers, and when I turned I thought it was only instinct that I turn him too," Klaus explains.
"I know that's not the only reason you turned him- why you turned his whole family, and why you ruined his whole life. It's the same reason you keep all the letters of your victims locked safely in a box," I say, crossing my arms across my chest. At the mention of the chest of letters, Klaus goes stiff, his mood changing when he realizes I've been snooping around his house.
"It's because you didn't want to be alone. But in the end no matter how many memories you compel away, or the letters you gather, you will always be alone," I say.
All the anger I have towards the original standing in front of me is channelled into my words as I say what James never got to. He never got to ask why his friend hated him so much. He never got to ask where their friendship went. All those years of hate made the both of them forget what they were really fighting about in the first place.
"That may be so Blair, but I'm not the only one in this room that is use to the feeling of loneliness. Let's not forget who spent 145 years of their life inside a tomb frozen in time while the world around them kept circling, working in a magical rhythm. Let's not forget who feared the darkest parts in them out of fear they would end up alone again. Let's not forget who killed my father out of rage for their own. You and I Blair, we have a lot more in common than you think. You and I, we've been alone but we don't have to be anymore if you'd let me show you," Klaus says quietly, walking towards me.
I back up, too much so that I end up hitting the wall, trapped in between the hard surface and Klaus. "I may have been alone before, but unlike you Klaus I have people that I would die for. I would go through all those years of loneliness again and again if it meant I would get to the place I am today, because it's the best I've been in a long time," I say, holding down the gulp that threatens to slide down my throat.
"Is it? Stop doubting yourself Blair. When you get comfortable with being alone you understand the value of love more. Loving what you do not understand is not a crime," Klaus says, stepping so close that the tips of our shoes are touching. He brings his clean hand, caked with dried blood up to my face, cupping it gently as he searches my eyes. For a second I allow myself to stare at him without hate. Only for a second.
"I have two brothers, great friends, and a baby I'm now responsible for. I am not alone. The fact that you're playing with me, taking advantage of me over the fact I'm without the memories of my past is very low of you Klaus," I snap, pushing him back harshly. I hate myself for allowing him to get to me, allowing him to get inside my mind. I hate myself that I'm too weak to realize what's he's doing, yet I'm scared of that part of me that feels as if this is right.
I turn and walk towards the door, not daring to look back at Klaus who has no doubt forgotten about why I was snooping in his house in the first place. I don't get too far out the door until I hear him call back to me.
"Do you love him?" Klaus yells.
It's a yes or no question, yet I fail to find the words to express how I feel. I'm afraid to love, the idea of love scares me to death. So I keep walking until I reach the truck. I let his words ring in my mind as I drive away, knowing all to well that James and I are going to have to finally get our shit together. I'm tired of playing it safe. I want more out of our friendship, I crave more. I just need to understand what I want.
∆ ∆ ∆
As I walk in the front door, I'm greeted by pretty much everyone in the living room who crowds around Theo.
"What's going on?" I ask, cracking a smile of the little guy cradled in James's muscular arms.
Stefan rounds the corner with a huge gift basket filled with all sorts of assorted toys and baby essentials. My eyes immediately go wide at the sight, both confusion and joy filling the air as everyone smiles and laughs at my reaction. "What is this?" I ask as Stefan places the basket in front of me.
"It's occurred to us, all of us really that we've never properly accepted Theodore into the family," Stefan begins.
"Our lives are hectic and crazy but that's no excuse to ignore our baby sister," Damon says, giving me a warm smile.
"Stefan's only older by five minutes," I mutter as I take the basket, a roar of laughter erupting from everyone in the room.
"We realize that you and James went through hell and back that night during all the chaos, as did all of us, but your trip to abyss has gone unnoticed, and for that Blair I am truly sorry. I was rude, and angered that you brought a baby into our lives at such a chaotic time, but I realize now that Theodore has brought you and James and everyone else nothing but happiness, and for that I thought he deserved a proper welcome, even if he's only with us for a short time," Damon says sincerely, bringing genuine tears to my blue eyes.
I smile through the tears and hug Damon, squeezing him tightly like we use to. It feels good to be surrounded by these people, these people who I am glad to call my family. "Thank you guys, so much. I know having a baby around is inconvenient at some times, but all I wanted was to save someone, and I'm glad it's worked out," I smile.
As we sit here laughing and talking, the gift basket suddenly rips open, the bag of baby cookies floating towards Theodore who reaches for them in James's arms. We all go silent as we watch the scene in front of us unfold, shocked and amazed at the same time.
"Would you look at that. Kid knows how to properly use magic," Damon teases with pride, making us all laugh.
Stefan then begins to pass out cups of bourbon, raising his glass in the air before he says a few words. "Let's raise and glass and welcome Theodore to the Salvatore family!" he cheers.
"To Theodore Bridges-Salvatore!" everyone cheers.
In that moment I couldn't have been happier. Everything is working out, and things are starting to make sense. Everything except for one thing. I look over at James and find he's already staring at me with that look he always gives me- the look that sends butterflied to my stomach. I know at this moment that there's still one more thing I need to clear up.
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[completed & edited: 09/03/2021]