chapter 18- Memories: The Missing Puzzle Pieces
Flashbacks
~8~ signifies a break/ change of scene or point of view
The youngest Gilbert could barely feel the pain that came with his fall to the ground, he didn't feel the way the uneven earth and rocks cut into his legs and knees as he crawled towards his sister's motionless form. It felt like he was on auto pilot as he tugged and pulled on the binds that tied her to the chair but it was useless; they clearly weren't coming undone. However, just as Jeremy was about to turn to the rest of the search party to ask for help something on the floor just a slightly out of reach caught his attention. He felt bile rise up at the sight of the bloody soaked knife, it didn't take a genius to figure out who's blood it was, but that didn't stop the boy from reaching out a trembling hand to take hold of the offending piece of metal to cut the restraints on the oldest Gilberts arms and pull her down to his level and into his arms.
It was a heart wrenching sight, to see such a young boy cry his eyes out as he cradled his sister's dead body. His sobs would haunt those who witnessed the scene for the rest of their lives. The onlookers all felt disappointed and extreme sadness at the fact that they were clearly too late to save the woman who, within such a short amount of time of knowing her, had such a dramatic impact on their lives. Jeremy stared down at the now lifeless blue eyes that used to sparkle like ocean and were once filled with mischief and warmth but now there was nothing, they were cold and empty. He shuddered before bringing a shaky hand up to her face, it trembled as his fingers barely touched her eyelids and closed them, giving the illusion that the brunette was simply sleeping despite her appearance.
Jeremy's arm dropped as though it was made of led before he once again wrapped it around his sister and buried his face in her hair, his tears soaking her brunette locks.
The golden blond male of the group finally managed to gain control of his limbs and approached the broken human boy with extreme caution; treating him like a wounded animal.
"Jeremy? You have to let her go" He spoke so soft, that the words were practically carried away with the small breeze as quickly as they were heard.
"No! Stay Back! Stay away from us!" He brokenly bellowed with so much venom that all those in the small enclosed space flinched. The boy tried to move away from Nate's approaching form but all he managed to accomplish was shuffling backward a few centimetres, still clinging onto Roxanne's limp body like it was his last lifeline.
Tears blinded his vision which resulted in the youngest Gilbert suddenly tense up when he felt a hand rest on one of the arms that were wrapped tightly around his sister. The golden-haired witch held up his hands as a form of surrender and didn't move any closer, instead he gradually crouched down on the spot, he made sure his movement was not too hurried as to startle the boy.
"You can't take her from me" He managed to whimper out in between his sobs.
"Nobody wants to take her from you. We just want to get her somewhere safe" Nate continued to try to sooth the boy with his words, knowing from personal experience how grief can make someone act.
Jeremy started to nod, almost as though he was in a daze "Safe. Yeah. I've got to keep her safe. Got to make sure she's safe"
The Mikaelson's would forever deny that the delirious, heartbroken, ramblings of Jeremy Gilbert had managed to bring a powerful family such as themselves to tears; but their denial would never change the simple fact, that each and every one of them shed multiple tears from their spot just outside the barrier. Sage and Finn remained wrapped in each-others embrace however, instead of it being a lovers' embrace like the one they shared in the Grill, the two were comforting one another as they silently cried and mourned the death of the woman who had ensured their reunion.
The sound of scuffled movement captured the Mikaelson's attention once more. They watched as Jeremy very reluctantly released his hold on his sister and allowed the male witch to pull her into his own hold as he slowly stood with the brunette cradled against his chest. The Mikaelson's noted, as he turned towards them, that the blood from her many wounds soaked through his once white T-shirt.
As the witch came closer to the family of vampires, the six of them shared an astonished look as they each took in the state of the brunette's body; shock coloured their once pale faces when they each came to the same conclusion that despite the intensive torture the eldest Gilbert had clearly gone through, it wasn't what ended her life. No, it was clear that the deep laceration across her throat was the one that did the deed.
The suited Original sucked in a sharp breath at the sight whilst his heart twisted something painfully. His eyes were glued to the limp way Roxanne was cradled. The pain Elijah felt right now was worse than anything he'd felt in the thousand years he'd been alive. The heartache was worse than what he felt when he lost Tatia, Katerina or even Celeste. When Elijah thought about it, the pain that usually accompanied anything associated with his past loves, wasn't there. In fact, Elijah was having a difficult time trying to conjure up any type of emotion other than guilt for what happened to the females in his past.
This confused the noble original; how could he become so attached to a girl he barely knew? Why her? The question tormented the moral Mikaelson as he thought of everything he'd felt, witnessed and experienced since meeting Roxanne Gilbert.
How she had captivated his attention from the moment she had stepped into the Grill, to the awe he has felt on many occasions when Roxy showed how dedicated she was to her siblings, or when she helped to save not only his own life but also the lives of his siblings, who in the past had already caused her family harm. He thought of how he felt seeing her laugh and joke with his family, like she had known them for years instead of days and the shocking part was that they returned the same level of trust; when they all shared drinks and told stories of their pasts- ones that were not tainted with bloodshed or pain.
He cares for her. A lot.
The realisation of what he felt for the eldest Gilbert hit him like a sledgehammer causing the Original to stumble back slightly and bump into his hybrid half-brother; who in return gave him a series of concerned looks as he steadied him. Elijah didn't pay him any mind though, he simply stiffened up and straighten his blazer before turning away and briskly making an exit. The others watched the back of his suit as retreat before following. The noise of multiple pairs of feet scuffling echoed throughout the darkness, with the occasional sob or sniffle from Jeremy at the very back of the group.
Night had fallen by the time the group emerged from the depths of the cave; not that any of them cared. No one spoke a word on the journey to the witch's car. There was no snarky comment from Kol, no banter between Klaus and Rebekah or scolding from Elijah and despite their happy reunion, there was no words shared between Finn and Sage despite the embrace that they were still wrapped up in.
Kol couldn't even find it within him to taunt or laugh at his sister when she had the unfortunate luck of wedging her heel in between two large rocks, which would have caused the blonde to take a horrific fall down the slight gradient had she not been a vampire with extremely fast reflexes. Instead he simply helped her dislodge her heel and continued walking.
The silence didn't change when the group finally reached the car, it didn't change as Jeremy climbed in the back along with Nate and Elijah; Roxanne's body was laying across the three of them whilst Klaus got behind the wheel, Rebekah got in the passenger seat and Kol, Finn and Sage squeezed in the very back.
The silence was thick and suffocating, when it became unbearable Klaus cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention apart from Jeremy whose eyes refused to move from his sister's face.
"When we get to the mansion I'll have some hybrids prepare a room and a coffin" His voice was uncharacteristically soft as he spoke to the grieving Gilbert
"No"
The hybrid frowns in confusion "What?"
"No." Jeremy repeated lowly, his voice breaking with every word "I'm taking her home. I need to take her home- where she belongs"
Klaus didn't respond straight away, instead he shared a silent conversation with his noble older brother and Roxy's witch friend, both of whom gave him a single nod. The hybrid sighed, muttering a simple 'ok' before changing directions, heading for the Gilbert family home.
After that brief conversation, the car once again fell silent for the rest of the journey and what an extremely long journey it was. The silence was suffocating, it pounded against the cars occupants' ears. Just when it became unbearable, Klaus pulled up outside the two-storey modern family house. The warm glow from lights shone through the windows, making it clear that somebody was not only in there but that they were awake.
As soon as the car stopped moving, the doors were flung open as everyone was desperate to escape the tension, minus Jeremy who was just numb to everything that wasn't his oldest sister.
"Ooh this is bound to be good" The youngest male Mikaelson murmured to his sister when he noticed who was present within the Gilbert residence. Rebekah hummed in agreement from her position leant against the car whilst Klaus and Elijah helped Jeremy and Nate carry Roxanne out of the car.
~8~
The doppelganger was anxiously pacing the Gilbert's front room, listening to the conversation between the two Salvatore brothers, Alaric the history teacher, Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett.
"Just because littlest Gilbert and the crazy older sister are suddenly BFFs with the Mikaelson's doesn't mean we shouldn't kill them" Damon's snarky voice rung out.
"You still want to take out the original family despite the fact that Elena's brother and sister are most likely going to side with them?" Alaric questioned in disbelief "How drunk are you?"
"I think what my brother is trying to say is that Klaus needs to die no matter who gets in the way" Stefan simplified, emotionless as usual nowadays
"Are you nuts?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"We're not hurting my siblings!"
The raven-haired vampire rolled his eyes and spoke with a cheery tone, clearly dismissing all three girls and their protests "Look, we know how to kill them. Now we just need to find the white oak and figure out which one sired our line so we can kill the ones who didn't and pray that Klaus is one of them... none of your siblings have to die-" Stefan scoffed interrupting his brother's speech but Damon continued "-besides, the angry Gilbert is gone and baby Gilbert isn't much of a threat"
"That's such a Damon thing to do...hurt or kill anyone who gets in your way" The blonde baby vampire, Caroline, sneered
Elena's gasp drew the groups attention before the oldest Salvatore could retort, they all stood up in alarm as she darted to the front door ad swung it open. Her startled cry of disbelief had the other five rushing after the doppelganger.
She could have sworn that the moment she took in the grave, solemn expressions of the Mikealson's and the heartbroken one of her brothers when they stopped in front of herself and her friends, her heart stopped. Especially when she laid eyes on a tall muscular blond man who came up behind them. However, unlike her brother and the other family, this man did not pause in his movements even when the others had stopped. The closer he got the clearer she could make out his features from the piercing sapphire eyes to the strong jaw but his good looks were not enough to stop the doppelganger from staring in horror at the blanket covered bundle in his arms. She knew almost straight away exactly what was hidden underneath that blanket and the result of the realisation was instantaneous, she felt numb and her knees buckled; she would have fallen to the ground had Damon not rushed to her side and supported her weight.
"Jeremy! What-" Her own choked sob cut her off "Oh my god, is she- is she dead?"
Nate didn't pay the Scooby Gang any attention as he shoved his way past to the living room and gently placed Roxanne's broken body down in the sofa.
Jeremy's voice quickly hit the hysterical level with every word that he shouted at his stunned sister and her friends "She's gone! She's dead!"
"Jer-"
"Why wasn't it you? It should've been you!"
Elena took a step back, as though he had slapped her. His words hit her straight in her heart, making her short of breath.
"I hate you" the venom in his words made them all flinch, even those who the words weren't aimed at.
The Bennett witch tried to calm the boy she was starting to see in a new light down "Jere, just calm down before you do something you'll regret" But he acted like he couldn't hear her and continued to spew his hatred for his only living sister.
"I wish it was you! You should be dead not her! Oh god, why'd it have to be her?" Everyone was too shocked to do anything to restrain the grieving youngest Gilbert as he once again broke down bawling, his chest heaving, desperate for the air it wasn't receiving due to how back his was hyperventilating.
"Whoa hey now baby Gilbert. Don't talk to your sister like that" Damon took a threatening step forward but Jeremy ignored him.
"You should've helped. But you didn't and now she's dead!" He screamed in the doppelganger's face, stalking closer to the shell-shocked girl "You chose to believe them over me and now I've lost her! Again! Oh God" Once again Jeremy collapsed in a heap, crying out in pain
The weight of her brother's words came crashing down on Elena. Her eyes were swimming with tears that blurred her vison, however that didn't stop them from widening with realisation as she remembered the bad feeling she had that morning.
"Get out" He cried, his eyes showed the depths of his sorrow and numbness. "Just get out"
Nobody moved as the Gilbert boy slowly crawled over to the sofa and gently picked up Roxanne before trudging his way upstairs. After ten minutes had passed and he had not returned, Elena hurriedly fled the house with a sob and the rest of the Scooby Gang following behind. The newest blonde vampire was the last to leave the Gilbert household; she slowly turned to face the solemn expression of the Originals and the witch, giving them one last mournful glace before hesitating for a moment on following after her friends.
~8~
Nate was staring out of the living room window, he felt the stares of the Mikaelson clan on his back, just knowing what they wanted to talk to him about. The male witch sighed and spoke, still facing away from the family "Ask away"
However, for the vampires, none of the questions that had been plaguing them since meeting the eldest Gilbert and male witch came to mind. They exchanged looks, minus Elijah who was still lost in his thoughts and emotions.
The eldest Mikaelson's red headed lover finally asked the first question "How did you and Roxanne meet?" The red head wanted to know more about the female that had helped her reunite with her epic love.
Nate smiled softly, recalling the moment he met the feisty brunette. "She saved my life"
He turned around, still smiling, to the intrigued vampires sitting in various places round the room as he begins to explain his history with the oldest remaining Gilbert.
"Five years ago, I fell in love with a human. After two years of dating, I asked her to marry me and she said yes. Everything was great" He broke off with a bitter chuckle and a sad broken smirk "A couple months later we found out she was pregnant. At this point my coven was already disgusted that she wasn't a witch but when they found out that she was pregnant... they decided to do something about it."
"They broke in our home in the middle of the night and I was forced to watch as they killed her and my baby. After they left me beaten with my fiancées body, I became obsessed with vengeance. I started studying darker magic and then I started hunting my own coven... but the magic was too much, I couldn't control it and that's how Roxanne found me."
"How?" The suited Original questioned
"She interrupted my execution" His blunt statement stunned the already quiet room in to silence.
~8~
Shouts of pain and anger startled the brunette female, causing her to stop in her tracks near the gates to the cemetery. She frowned in contusion and caution before glancing around however, just as she starts to walk away more yells are heard and her curiosity overpowers caution. The brunette pushed the gate open and strode right in, searching for the origin of the noise, despite the obvious danger that she was throwing herself in.
Further in the cemetery, a crowd was formed around a mass of dark clothing that covered the figure, of a golden-haired expressionless man, who was knelt in the centre of the circle. They didn't pay any attention to their surroundings which ended up being their downfall. The brunette that was currently mumbling a string of extremely colourful curse words and insults as she tiptoed over the grass and pebbled ground in her six inch black heels, would see to that.
Roxanne felt her annoyance and frustration climb with every step her heel sunk in the muddy ground. However, that did not stop her curiosity from growing as well nor the sudden feeling of caution that warned her to be careful. Her eyes flickered around the moon lit gravestones until they landed on the silhouette of a cloaked figure a few metres a head of her. She frowned in confusion at the sudden pull she felt in her chest that demanded that she follow the only other living person in the cemetery that she'd seen so far.
"My own curiosity is gonna get me killed one of these days" Roxanne mumbles, shaking her head and double checking the area around before cautiously trailing after the cloaked figure as they begin to leave.
The brunette kept her distance as she continued to silently follow the shadowy figure, her eyes never stopped their continuous search for any potential danger, her body was wound tight prepared for a fight at any sudden change or threat that came her way.
"I swear to God if someone sneaks up on me from behind..." She mutters angrily under her breath; the threat was left hanging as she trails off when she notices that the figure she had been following had suddenly disappeared from her sight.
The brunette stumbled closer to where she last saw whoever it was that she was following "What the hell-"
She froze in her steps at the sight that greeted her. Horror clearly displayed on her face as she glanced down at the coven of witches surrounding the helpless form of the golden-haired man. Roxanne couldn't help but feel angry at what she was witnessing; at how these people were treating this unknown man. The pulling she had felt earlier returned and tugged her to look back in his direction.
Roxanne noticed the crowd slowly closing their ranks around their prisoner. Alarm raised in her when she noticed the glint of a blade in the hands of one of the cloaked witches. She didn't know why but Roxanne just couldn't let this man die, she knew she had to do something to stop them but even she wasn't stupid enough to confront a whole coven of angry witches on their own turf. No, she needed a plan...and fast judging by the sudden increase in chanting.
Her lips were pursed and a frown furrowed her brow, evidence of how hard she was thinking. She subconsciously started tapping her fingers on the headstone she was crouched behind as cover. The chanting continued but Roxanne was too lost in thought; her devious side was operating at full throttle for a plan that would not result in her death or the life of the witches golden-haired prisoner.
Although it seemed like hours had passed, in truth it was only a couple of minutes at most until Roxanne's serious expression morphed into one of triumph, satisfaction and determination. She looked up at the cloudless midnight blue velvet sky and closed her eyes, blocking out her surroundings. The brunette shuffled from her crouching position so she was kneeling on the ground instead; her eyes remained closed as she took several deep, soothing breaths before she placed her hands flat on the grass and clutched on tightly.
A faint lime green light began to radiate from her hands, outlining them, it pulsated slightly as her grip tightened for a split second. Up above the once silent sky let out an earth-shattering rumble, one which cut off the chanting of the coven.
The skies opened up with another rumble and the downpour began. Flooding everything it touched, muddy puddles soon turned into tiny pits of swap like quick sand, refusing to let go of its prey- that in this case were the witches.
Roxanne remained unmoving from her kneeling position, despite the chaos that was happening around her. Witches were screaming and running, trying to avoid stray streaks of lightning that struck at random intervals around the cemetery. After a while the ground began to shake and tremble, causing more witches to stumble as they became even more eager to escape the sudden freak storm. Soon only a small handful of witches remained. However, just like how they paid no attention to the still bound man, Roxanne didn't acknowledge their presence as she stood to her full height, the glow that once covered her hands was gone but the storm continued to rage on, as she made her way through the headstones until she stood in front of the witches' prisoner.
The prisoner felt someone stop in front of him, he assumed it was one of the coven leaders but he didn't care to look, all Nate wanted was for these damn witches to hurry up and kill him so he could be reunited with his wife, Sarah. He was ready to die however, after nothing happened for several minutes, Nate looked up in a confusion and frustration; ready to snap at whoever was taunting him but when he focused on the figure looking down at him, any and all words slipped from his tongue.
Lightning flashed behind her figure, allowing Nate to fulling take in his saviour. She looked like an avenging angel. Standing there with her hands on her hips, completely unaffected by the storm raging around her. The brunettes' eyes glowed emerald green, captivating him as he stared at her in awe.
She frowned in worry, her lips pursed before she knelt in front of the prisoner. "Who the hell are you and what did you do to piss off a bunch of witches?"
Nate just stumbled over his words trying to answer his saviour. Clearly, despite her looks, this woman was no angel.
~8~
Back upstairs Jeremy was sat on his sister's bed clutching her hand, refusing to let go. The youngest Gilbert couldn't find any remorse within himself for what just happened with Elena. He didn't regret a single thing he said, if anything part of him wished he had said more, just to hurt her more but he couldn't; he couldn't waste any more time on Elena, not when Roxy was just laying there.
He glanced around the room, taking in the cream colours to the bright flashes of vibrant purples before returning his focus back to the bed. The once white bedsheets were now stained with his sister's blood, tainting many memories of the times he'd felt safe in this room
~8~
The house was quiet, reminding the young Gilbert male that the rest of his family was asleep. He clutched the blanket close to his chest with his knees pushed up to form a barricade, to block the blanket from moving. The only sound was the scared boy's harsh breathing, which was borderline hyperventilating. His eyes darted frantically around the darkness. Every innocent creak of or tick of the clock sent the boy's imagination wild with monsters under the bed and scary shadows just waiting to snatch him from the safety of his covers.
The banging of the wind against the window was the last straw for the boy, who let out a yelp and quickly scurried off the bed, out the room and sprinted down the hall to the closed door at the end. He ran as though he was being chased, which in his seven-year-old mind he was.
The loud bang of the door caused the once sleeping teenage girl to moan and shuffle around as she tried to once again fall into the realm of dreams. However, the small sniffles and heavy breathing from the direction of her bedroom door made the task highly unlikely.
She knew straight away who it was that woke her.
His sister murmured, her voice heavy with sleep "What's wrong, Jere-bear?"
"I had a nightmare" His childlike voice whispered to the darkness of his sister's room
Roxanne doesn't respond verbally, instead she simply shuffles over to the left and pulls the cover open as a clear indicator for her little brother to jump in. which he does with no hesitation. Once the two siblings were both tucked in and snuggled up, they were both fast asleep within minutes. The youngest Gilbert was no longer afraid because he knew that with Roxanne there, nothing could harm him. Because she was his guardian angel.
~8~
A small smile lit up his face as he slowly opened his eyes as the memory ended. Jeremy's eyes landed on the wall opposite Roxy's bed, more specifically his eyes landed on one of the framed drawings that hung next to a large mirror. As the boy stepped closer, the memory that lead to the drawing played through his mind.
~8~
The youngest Gilbert was oblivious to his surroundings; his concentration rested solely on the sketch book on the dining table in front of him. He growled in frustration when the vision he'd imagined wasn't coming to life on the page exactly like he wanted. The pencil scribbled across the page with ferocity, digging deep, destroying the progress of artwork.
"Don't tell me you're hitting the troublesome teen stage early?" Her teasing tone snapped Jeremy out of his bubble of annoyance and irritation.
His head shot up in the direction of the ached doorway, where his older sister was currently leaning, a smirk on her face with her arms folded "Roxy!" The way he cheered her name, so filled with happiness, relief and warmth. It turned Roxy's smirk into an actual smile.
She pushed herself off the wall, making her way over to her only brother. "What's with the temper tantrum? What'd that book ever do to you, huh?"
The frustration returned to the Gilbert boy at his sister's reminder of his failed drawing "I can't do it! It's crap" He huffed, pushing the offending object further away from him.
"What's wrong with it?" She looked at the sketchpad from her sitting position on the table "Well, apart from the scribbles" she chuckled slightly.
Jeremy just groaned and banged his head against the table. "Maybe I should just give up drawing altogether" Self-doubt began to creep in, which Roxanne clearly noticed, making her suddenly turn serious.
"What brought this on?"
"I'm crap"
"Ok. Who told you that? Whose arse am I kicking?"
He mumbles something incoherent under his breath. Roxy frowned and leaned in closer "What was that?"
"Tyler"
"Ah that little plonker" she says in realisation, nodding her head causing Jeremy to let out a giggle, however his laughter doesn't last long as insecurity once again crawls over the young boy. Roxanne watched as the carefree smile slowly fell from his lips and her big sister protective instincts reared their head.
"Now you listen to me Jeremy Gilbert. Don't take what people like that little twit Lockwood say to heart. Screw them. Jealous pompous arses" The two siblings shared a small laugh before the eldest Gilbert continued "In fact you have my permission to deck them"
"Thanks, Rox" The youngest Gilbert practically ran around the table to pull his favourite sister into a tight hug
"No problem sweetie" She kissed the top of his head before pulling away and jumping off the table. Roxanne spoke with a cheery, devious grin "Right well I'm off... got some classrooms to trash"
Roxy flounces to the doorway before she stops and turns back to her brother with a small sincere smile.
"Just remember Jere-bear. Never give up on something that you love" and with that she disappeared out the door, leaving her brother smiling after her, feeling lighter than before as he picked up his sketchpad and started again.
~8~
The boy clutched the pillow tighter to himself, burrowing his face deeper into its softness as it became damp with his tears. He could hear the murmurs of conversations and laughter from downstairs and it caused him to let out a muffled sob; the feeling of being unwanted pressed against his chest.
He stiffened at the creaking tale-tell sign that his bedroom door had been opened, muffled footsteps approached after the click of the door being shut rung out. The boy tried to make it appear as though he was merely sleeping however, clearly the intruder was not fooled.
"Oh Jere-bear" The voice cooed with sadness at the sight of his tear stained cheeks and pillow.
The effect of the voice was instantaneous. The boy relaxed and hope bloomed in his chest when he felt the bed dip from behind him. The intruder shuffled closer until they played the part of the big spoon and wrapped their arms around the boy's form, who automatically surrendered to the embrace. He twisted his body around until he was facing his oldest and by far most favourite sister. Seeing the look of worry and care mixed with warmth in her blue eyes, the youngest Gilbert let out a sob and buried his face in his sister's chest, clinging to her as a child would cling to their mother, like she was his last lifeline.
"They hate me" He whimpered
"They don't hate you"
"Yes, they do." "Everyone loves Elena and they hate me"
"That's rubbish and you know it."
The young Gilbert just shook his head and pushed himself closer to the comfort his favourite sister offered.
"What about me huh? Do you honestly believe that I could hate you?"
"No" He sniffles with a squeak
Roxanne smiled feeling accomplished as he brother's sobs lessened "Exactly. So clearly not everyone hates you"
Jeremy was quiet for a while trying to digest his sister's logic, which wasn't that hard for the nine-year-old
"You'll never leave me?"
"Never...I promise" She swore with all the seriousness in the world at the sound of his timid question, as though he was afraid of the answer.
That was all the confirmation that he needed to fill the ache of loneliness in his chest "I love you Rox-Rox" He murmured before drifting off with a smile on his face
"I love you too Jere-bear"
The words were whispered to the pitch-black room before the brunette too joined her sibling in the realm of sleep.
~8~
The memories continued to flash before the youngest Gilbert's eyes as he stared down at the still form of his oldest sister. Raw unabridged anger coursed through his veins. The only thought that seemed to play on a loop was the fact that Roxanne broke her promise.
He let out a bellowing scream and lashed out, swiping the papers on Roxy's desk all over the floor. The Mikaelson's and Nate heard the noise and quickly rushed to investigate. They witnessed the human boy scream and cry as he tossed his sister's furniture and belongings around her room. They watched the sixteen-year-old break.
Jeremy felt his anger short fuse when he glanced at Roxanne, his bottom lip trembled as he took a step closer to the bed. Just as he reached the bed frame, the boy collapsed in a heap, sobbing once again as he buried his face against the eldest Gilbert's unmoving stomach.
Elijah tore his eyes away from the broken Gilbert male and the body of his alluring sister only to frown in confusion when the scattered sheets of paper caught his attention. Nate noticed what the suited Original's attention was focused on, which also captured the witch's attention. The others watched in confusion as he bent down and grasped the sheets, reading them over. With every second that ticked by, the male witch tensed and a sense of urgency surrounded him as he took in the scribbles across the pages. He straightened up suddenly and strode briskly out of the room, followed by the Mikaelson's.
They shared a confused glance when the male witch rushed out the front door, to his car. They watched as he quickly snatched a small device before returning back inside. It was then that they realised what Nate was holding, the youngest Gilbert's phone.
The golden-haired man's eyes flickered between the electronic object in his left hand and the sheets of paper in his right. They watched as he grew more serious with every second, just like earlier when the witch stared at the image of Roxanne's name written on the cave wall.
"What's wrong?" The female Mikaelson questioned the witch softly
His head shot up to look at the family of siblings as though he was just remembering that they were there. Nate was quick the show them the papers, practically shoving them in their faces.
"These. These drawings... do you remember seeing them in the cave?" He questioned in a rush "Think! Were they on the walls!?"
His voice grew increasingly louder, startling the first family of vampires
Elijah was the one to answer the anxious male witch "No. Not as far as I know. The drawings only speak of our family and the story of how we turned"
The eldest Mikaelson frowned in thought and confusion from his position by the stairs, with Sage close to his side "Come to think of it. The last time any of us were in the cave...Roxanne's name was not present either"
Nate looked over sharply at the eldest Mikaelson before looking back down at the crude drawings on the pages. His mind working at one hundred miles an hour trying to find an alternate connection than the one he had already reached. Dread dropped to the bottom of his stomach when nothing came to mind. For the first time since meeting Roxanne Gilbert all those years ago, the male witch actually felt fear for the woman he considers to be not only his best friend but a younger sister as well.
The family of five, plus Sage, watched the golden-haired witch close his eyes with a resigned, regretful sigh. The suited Mikaelson managed to ask the question that was on the rest of their minds. "What does that mean to you?"
"It means that this is just the beginning" With those last heavy weighted words, Nate then fled from the room, going back upstairs to the room that held the dead and the mourning.
~8~
"She looks so peaceful" The brunet murmured to the other person he knew had just entered the room as he finished removing some of the blood from her face "Minus the blood and wounds that is"
The male witch sighed, placing a glass of water on the table next to the bed and then made his way around the room to open the window before going back over to the boy "Jeremy"
"Do you think she, um" The boy cleared his throat "Do you think she put up a fight?" Jeremy mentally cursed himself for being stupid the moment the question left his lips.
"Until her last breath" Nate smirked, opening the bedside table draw to pull out a few wild berry scented candles and a lighter.
Jeremy let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, feeling slight morbid relief that at least Roxanne gave the fucker that did this hell. The blond finished placing the candles on the sides
"She used to tell me stories of her childhood. Of the mischief she got up to... and of you...she adored you, you know" He offered a small teasing smile, looking around quickly before leaning in closer, as though whatever he was about to say was top secret "Just between the two of us... you're her favourite sibling"
The two shared a small chuckle before sobering up and Nate carried on speaking "In all seriousness though, it was obvious from the way her eyes would light up and the smile she'd wear whenever she spoke of you. If I'm being honest I think that you were her strength to get through the days" When Jeremy shook his head in obvious denial, Nate continued "It's true. I'd catch her fiddling with something around her neck all the time and when I asked her about it; she showed me a necklace. Told me about how you made it for her when you were younger"
Jeremy stared at the witch in awe at what he was hearing "I completely forgot about that." He looked down at Roxanne and with trembling hands pushed her hair away from her neck until he could see the familiar frayed looking cord that held a small medallion with the messy, childish scribbles that read 'best sister in the world, my protector' He let out a choked laugh "She couldn't stop smiling for the entire day when I gave it to her... I remember how angry she got whenever someone told her to take it off, she'd always reply with a 'over my dead body' insult them some more then leave"
"Nice to see some things never change" The blond smirks, remembering the amount of people his best friend argued and got into fights with over her 'silly little necklace'
"I always thought she was indestructible" The human Gilbert boy murmured after the silence fell over them, glancing at the bed again. His comment caused a more sombre mood to settle over the room and Nate sighed, unable to console the best friend's brother any more than simply being there.
Twenty minutes later Elijah found the two, sitting in silence on one side of the bed. Nate's hand was placed on the younger boy's shoulder as a sign of comfort and support. His eyes drifted down to the body of the eldest Gilbert and a pang of hurt went through his chest however, Elijah refused to allow his feelings to show. On the outside he would continue to uphold his reputation as the unfazed Original, whilst internally no one would know the emotional mess the fiery sarcastic Gilbert's death had done to him.
He cleared his throat, announcing his presence "Perhaps the two of you should join us downstairs."
Nate looked up at the older supernatural being and slowly nodded his head, the witch knew that they needed to leave the room but much like the Gilbert boy, he was very reluctant to leave his best friend's side.
With an almost silent groan, Nate heaved himself off the bed. Quietly murmuring to the boy, who refused to move or acknowledge what the vampire had said. "Come on Jeremy. You can't stay up here" Nate gently tugged on the younger boys' arm, coxing him out the room.
Despite his resistance, Jeremy begrudgingly removed himself from his sister's side, and followed after the two older men. However, just before leaving, Nate suddenly grabbed a small household pot of ivy that was sitting on the side by the door, his movement stopped the other two from leaving, they watched in intrigue and confusion as the golden-haired witch quickly placed the plant on the table across from the one holding the glass of water and candle, he then sent an encouraging smile in Roxanne's direction, which furthered the other's confusion, before walking straight past both men and heading down the stairs.
As the three males left the room nobody was there to witness the way the flame of the candle flickered in Roxanne's direction or how the plant seemed to come to life and grow, inching closer to her body. They didn't notice the water trickling down the sides of the glass and slowly streaming to create a shallow puddle around her still form or how the breeze from the open window became harsher and travelled in Roxanne's direction.
~8~
"-there's a power-hungry witch running around, who has already killed the one fun person in this god forsaken town that I liked and a group of annoying teenagers and adolescent vampires who are determined to kill us- thanks brother- Am I forgetting anything?" The three men heard the youngest male Mikaelson's drawl out sarcastically as they entered the living room. While Nate and Elijah made their way to join the rest of the Mikaelson's by the sofa, Jeremy didn't stop walking until he was stood in front of the mantelpiece that held the last family photograph the Gilberts had taken as a complete family. He ignored the eyes that followed him, not caring to engage in, what he felt was, pointless conversation.
"There's something you all need to see" Rebekah didn't care to elaborate instead she just got up from her seat, she walked across the room to the little side table where Nate had placed Jeremy's phone.
Kol sighed in frustration and impatience "Spare us your flare for the dramatics, sister, and get on with it" he snapped
"A white oak tree." Rebekah shot a glare in Kol's direction before taking advantage of her brothers stunned silence "The native calendar in the drawings puts the tree there 300 years after we fled the Old World"
Their responses were simultaneous, all of them expressing their disbelief and shock at the bombshell the female Mikaelson just dropped on them. It was such a serious situation that the blonde Mikaelson couldn't even find it within herself to crack a smug smile at their flabbergasted expressions or their words.
"What? How is this possible?"
"That's impossible, we destroyed that tree"
"This can't be right"
"Oh, bloody hell"
Despite how serious Nate knew the situation had just become, the witch couldn't hold in the slight snigger and small smile that broke free on his face at the youngest male Mikaelson's words.
But once the seriousness of Rebekah's little revelation set in, Nate's smile slipped from his face and he became lost in his thoughts along with Jeremy and the rest of the Mikaelsons.
"Why the long faces?" The croaky voice of a female called out to the room causing everyone's head to snap in it direction with stunned expressions, wide eyes and gaping mouths "Damn who died?" The female croaked again from her position in the doorway.
The youngest Gilbert's head shot up with a snap, his eyes instantly filled with tears once again and his body felt like jelly. Hope and disbelief brightened up his face "R-R. Roxy?"
"Hey Jere-bear... what'd I miss?" The oldest Gilbert grinned
I'm so so so bloody sorry! I've had this chapter done for a while now but I'm internet suddenly crapped out before I could upload it but I'm back online now! (Thank fuck) So I'll be updating more regularly especially since I've now competed my first year- well, one more deadline Monday and then I'm done... until September that is :D
I would've updated earlier today but it's my 20th birthday so I was a bit busy. Sorry HOWEVER... I am going to be updating my suicide squad story next AND I'm really excited to be uploading two or three brand new stories so look out for those. I don't know what ones they'll be yet (I have over 50 stories I'm currently writing so it's a wide category to choose from)
It's not edited but tell me what you think anyway? We'll be getting Roxanne POV next on what happened...