"We're late, y'know" I sighed, stepping out of the car.
"Oh, I know" Damon grinned as he closed the car door, "completely worth it". He looked me up and down then, my red dress back on again, before smiling to himself.
"Agreed" I hummed, smirking slightly as I noticed where his eyes were.
I could picture the two of us, exhausted, collapsing on the bed at last, before realising where we were meant to be.
"Although, I cant imagine Stefan will be too happy with us".
"Screw Stefan" Damon snorted, "besides, he'll be on Elena duty tonight".
"True..." I sighed, thinking of Stefan's predicament.
His humanity was there. Stefan was there. I knew it. I just don't think he could admit it yet, not after everything he'd done. "I hope he'll be alright" I murmured.
"He will be" Damon nodded, squinting slightly, before turning to face me. "I think you get to him more than he puts on. I mean, he seems almost normal when he talks to you".
"He's getting there" I noted, pausing slightly. "We need him back, Damon, everything's just..." I exhaled heavily then, shaking my head slightly.
"I know" Damon said. He understood. Better than anyone. Behind all the snark, he just wanted his brother back.
"I really don't know why you wore heels tonight" Damon smirked then, looking down at my feet. A grin broke out on my face as I followed his gaze.
"To a ball? Of course I had to wear heels" I replied with a shrug.
"You can't walk in them though, see, look" Damon nodded as I tried to head towards the house. "Even the gravel's getting the better of you" he laughed. "Who knew that small bits of stone were an originals weakness, where was that info when we needed it?".
"Oh, shut up" I laughed, attempting to turn back around. Damon simply shook his head, laughing slightly, before holding out his arm with a roll of his eyes and a sigh.
It was then that music started playing inside, the two of us catching each other's gaze as I took his arm in mine. "Told you we'd get to do some dancing tonight" I smirked, looking up at Damon.
"dancing, hm?" He leaned in then, before grabbing my waist and lifting me up.
"Stop!" I Iaughed, grinning wildly as he spun me around, "Damon!" my feet kicked in the air, a smile spreading across his own face as my feet finally touched the ground again.
I could feel Damon's hands still on my waist. I could feel his fingers, exactly where they were. As if they were searing hot, burning into my skin, like wildfire.
His smile slowly faded, eyes becoming soft, strikingly warm in contrast to his cool blue gaze that I was so familiar with.
"What is it?" I finally ask, my laughter ceasing as he pushed my hair out of my eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?".
"Grace..." he murmured, "I-"
"Where the hell have you two been?" Stefan's voice chimed in, voice hushed and urgent as we pulled apart. My face reddened then, realising just how late we were because of... well... what we were doing.
"We were..." Damon paused, a smile spreading across his lips as he caught me looking at him, "busy?" he continued uncertainly, turning back to his brother, who simply looked between us confusedly.
"Busy" I nodded, squeezing Damon's arm slightly, a grin still plastered on my face as I tried not to laugh.
"Busy? What could you possibly have-" Stefan asked as his brows knitted together with frustration, clearly unconvinced, before the realisation struck. "Oh" he paused, rolling his eyes with a sigh. "Don't answer that, please".
I snorted at that, causing Damon to glance at me again, his gaze softening as we laughed together. "Glad to see you two are having a good time, atleast" Stefan noted sarcastically. "Just don't piss off any more originals, Damon".
"Hey" Damon replied offendedly, causing me to sigh in frustration as I was dragged back to reality.
Stefan walked back into the party, leaving the two of us standing in the doorway.
"He's right, y'know" I groaned, "you're not exactly gaining favour with them by being with me".
"Pffft" Damon scoffed derisively, "I'm not trying to, the only original I wanna 'gain the favour of' is you" he smiled then, pulling me closer as we walked inside. "So no more frowning, 'cause we've got a hell of a night ahead of us", He sighed, "and something tells me a lot more bourbon will be needed to get through it". I laughed and shook my head at that, the last thing we both needed was alcohol.
"Are you sure you're okay, though?" I asked as we crossed the threshold.
"Are you kidding?" He grinned, "I'm fantastic, I'm walking in there with you on my arm". I looked up at him then, curiously, he was staring straight ahead as if his words were as casual as ever. "what more could I need?".
________________
The two of us finally made it into the party. The room main hallway was bustling with familiar faces, council members and townsfolk. I could hear mothers words in my head, about her desire for peace. I wanted to believe it. But, centuries on the run will make you question everything.
It was then that Kol emerged from the crowd, drink in hand as the first dance finished up.
"Brother" I smiled, taking Damon's arm in my own instinctively. It felt right. Comfortable. Safe.
"Grace" he tutted, "About time you showed up".
"We're not that late" I grumbled.
Kol turned to Damon, his gaze sharp and scrutinising.
"Kol, this is Damon Salvatore" I tensed up slightly, noticing the hard glares they were giving eachother. "Damon, this is my brother, Kol".
"Have we met?" Damon asked curiously, eyebrow raising slightly.
"I've met a lot of people" Kol hummed, "And you don't particularly stand out".
Damon squinted at him then, Kol smiling smugly back at him.
"Although I do hear that you're sweet on my twin" he added.
A moment passed, as he comprehended what he just heard.
"Wait - woah, back up... Grace is your twin?" Damon responded in pure bewilderment as he looked between us.
His eyes met mine as I simply shrugged innocently, "he could have meant Elijah" I teased, "you two would make an adorable couple".
Kol snorted at that, whilst Damon simply rolled his eyes.
"You have a twin?" He asked, gesturing to Kol, "This guy?" he glared between us once more, brows furrowing together in confusion.
"Did she... forget to mention? Strange" Kol smirked, taking another sip of his drink. "Although Grace always did like to be so secretive... I remember on our thirteenth birthday when she-"
"I'm right here" I muttered bitterly, cutting him off.
"Anyways, I'm surprised to see you on such good behaviour" I squinted at him.
"Yes, well" Kol chuckled. "After Mother's golden girl turns up an hour late with a side piece on her arm, I begin to look pretty good".
"He's not a side piece" I hissed, shoving him slightly.
"Right" he shook his head in amusement. "Doesn't make Mother any less annoyed at you for missing the big opening speech, but I digress...".
"I'm going to get us some drinks" Damon said, backing off with a nod.
"That one? Really, sister?" Kol asked, squinting at Damon disapprovingly as he walked away, "you really are a lot more like Rebekah than you pretend". I punched him on the arm at that.
"Shut up, Kol".
"I was only teasing, Gracie, come on" he joked, rubbing his arm as he did so.
I tried to prevent a grin from spreading across my face to no avail. His stupid nickname always made me smile and he knew it.
"You're a nightmare" I laughed, shaking my head.
"We're twins, that means you're one too" he sneered back at me, causing me to roll my eyes and groan. "Speaking of nightmares..." Kol continued, "any ideas what our dear Mother is up to?".
"I wish I did" I sighed. "Although all her rules are doing my head in as it is".
"My thoughts exactly" Kol grinned.
"Uh oh" I squinted at him curiously. "What's that face for? What are you up to?".
"What face?" Kol shrugged, still smirking as he did so. "I've missed us, Gracie, we're like... good cop, bad cop? Is that the right one?". He punched me on the arm lightly, before his gaze landed on somebody through the crowd.
"Damon Salvatore" he tutted. "Rebekah with that mortal, you with him... it is rather humorous, pathetic even".
"Kol" I said warningly with a glare.
"Wait... Don't tell me you actually have feelings for him" he snorted.
"Yes, I have feelings for him" I sighed, turning to him challengingly. "I know sociopaths like you struggle with that concept, but if you do anything, I swear-".
"And here comes the boy toy himself with the drinks" Kol hummed, just as Damon re-emerged from the crowd.
"Stop being an arse" I hissed, stomping on his foot.
I turned to face Damon then, who appeared with two cocktails in his hands. I took the closest one, drinking it quickly.
"Pace yourself, Sister" Kol grinned, "we both know how bad you are at handling your drink".
"I can handle my drink fine" I whined, before taking the other cocktail from Damon, downing it quickly and placing both empty glasses on the side.
I turned back to face Damon, who was simply watching me in mild amusement.
"Wanna dance?" he asked, holding out his arm.
"Please" I sighed gratefully, taking his arm in mine and attempting to walk away, until I felt a pull backwards.
Kol had grabbed Damon's other arm, before he leant in, his smile becoming more and more menacing as he did so.
"Hurt my sister, and I'll feed you your own eyeballs, Damon Salvatore" he whispered, before releasing his arm with a wink, and letting us walk onto the dance floor.
"Ignore him" I muttered, laughing as I shook my head.
"Defensive bunch, you originals" Damon noted, spinning me around.
I giggled slightly, moving with him further onto the dance floor. "Defensive isn't the word I'd use" I sighed. "Territorial and controlling would probably be more accurate".
"Noted" Damon hummed, his hand reaching the small of my back, sending shivers up my spine. "You were right, though" he whispered, earning a confused stare in return. "About the dancing".
_____________
The party dragged on endlessly, making me feel more and more tense as we continued dancing.
"Hey, can you see Elena anywhere?" Damon asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"No" I shrugged, looking over the crowd. "Why? Is something happening?".
"Your mother, strangely enough, asked for an audience with her" he whispered, leaning in slightly to prevent anyone else from hearing.
I leaned back then, eyes widening in shock.
"An audience..." I muttered, "that can't be good". I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of my concerns.
"Hey" Damon said, catching my attention. "No frowning, Red" he scolded jokingly.
"I'm not frowning" I replied ,bitterness lacing my tone, the two of us now in the centre of the ballroom.
"You so are" he snorted. "You get this little wrinkle, right here when you do" he tapped my forehead then, just between my brows, causing them to knit together in frustration. "Come on, Grace" he said again, making me look at him. "You're okay, I promise".
"Hardly feels like it" I mumbled in response, my fingers gripping Damon slightly harder.
My eyes were flitting about the room, seeing faces everywhere, old and new.
There was Finn, loitering by the staircase, scanning the room until his eyes landed on me. I hadn't seen him in centuries, and now... here he was.
Kol, whose gaze was still fixated on Damon and I, clearly listening to every word we were saying.
Rebekah, dancing with Matt, who kept giving icy stares to anyone who looked her way, including me.
Elijah, steady as ever, stood in the corner, watching everything and everyone. I didn't notice him look away as my eyes landed on him.
And then Klaus, dancing with Caroline of all people. His eyes only pulled away from her for a moment, landing on me, before returning to his dance partner.
My gaze returned to my own, who was watching me curiously as tears threatened to spill over once more. I shook my head, backing away as Damon followed, voices swimming around in my head as I felt arms pull me to the side.
"Damon I can't do this" I whispered, attempting to not draw attention to myself as my breath quickened, throat tightening as he quickly pulled me from the dance floor into one of the side rooms, the door shutting behind us at last. "It's too much - I can't... I just-". It was then that I felt Damon's hands cupping my face, his fingertips cold, making me shiver slightly.
"You can, Grace - hey, look at me" his voice dropped to a whisper, forcing my gaze to meet his. "We're a team, we've got this" he nodded. "As soon as Elena's done, we're out of here, okay?".
"What's going on here?" A voice echoed throughout the room, causing me to jump slightly and wipe my eyes desperately. Damon, thankfully however, stepped infront of me, shielding me from whoever it was.
"None of your business" Damon said defensively, causing me to turn and face them.
"Now now, Damon, no need to take that tone" Klaus mused. "If it weren't for me you wouldn't even have your precious memories of my dear sister, now would you?".
The older Salvatore said nothing a that, his jaw tensing as I levelled with him, glaring at Klaus icily. "And besides, if she's as upset as she looks, I believe that is entirely my business".
"It's not" I retorted, scrunching my face up in confusion. "You've brought me nothing but unhappiness for five hundred years, Nik, don't act like you give a damn about it now".
The smile dropped from his face then, taken aback by my words.
"Just leave me alone" I mumbled, noticing Klaus step towards us. He stopped in his tracks, looking from Damon to me.
"I wanted to speak to you" he replied, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
"Please, Nik" I whispered, gripping onto Damon's arm tighter. "I can't- not now".
"Oh come on" Klaus groaned, "don't be like that, Sister". I felt an uncomfortable chill run up my spine at his words.
"Back off, asshole" Damon stepped forward. It wasn't as if I needed physical protection. I never did. But he understood. Damon knew that, emotionally, I couldn't do it. Not now. Not tonight. "She said she doesn't wanna talk to you".
At that, Klaus' face darkened, his glare hardening as he stared down the younger vampire. And yet, the same sadistic smile was plastered on his lips. It was a look that made me feel sick to my stomach. The first time I saw him smile like that, all I remember was feeling afraid. It wasn't my brothers face, or his smile. It was the look of a monster.
"Listen here, mate" Klaus said threateningly. "My Sister may have chosen you, but we're both aware that blood is far thicker than water". His tone was menacing, biting, and yet retained the same softness, as if trembling with an unspoken longing. "You do not speak for her. She is superior to everything that you claim to be".
"I know" Damon replied icily, jaw tense as my brother blinked in confusion. "I know she is".
"Damon-" I tried to interject, pulling his arm back slightly, not quite wanting to hear what either of them were saying.
"A word, Grace?" Klaus turned to me. "If it's not too much trouble". His tone was laced with bitter sarcasm, his eyes drifting between Damon and I.
"And you call Rebekah the brat" I groaned, before turning back to Damon. "Go, Damon, I'll be fine".
He scrunched up his face at that. "Are you kidding? If this dick gets his way one more time I swear-"
"Damon, please" I shook my head, earning a glare from my brother. "Trust me, he's not going to hurt me".
I cupped Damon's face in my hands then, my fingers tracing his jaw. He sighed as his eyes connected with mine, understanding what I was asking.
"No, but I might hurt him if he refuses to give us some privacy" Klaus interjected impatiently.
"Hold your bloody tongue, Nik, or I swear I'll rip it out" I spat, my eyes remaining on Damon.
"Fine" Damon mumbled irritatedly, before leaning in again. He kissed me. Hard and possessively. He was angry. Not good.
With that, Damon stormed out. I instinctively took a step forward, only to have Klaus step into my path.
"A tad dramatic for my taste, but still-". Before he could say another word, I grabbed him by the throat and pushed him back against the door. "Pathetic" Klaus finished, his voice coming out as no more than a raspy whisper as I clenched my fingers around his throat. He grabbed my hand with his, and prised it off of him, grunting slightly with the effort. I was strong. Klaus knew that much. But against a hybrid, the hybrid, I had no chance.
"What do you want, Nik?" I spat. "Scared Caroline off already?". The bitterness in my tone made him wince slightly as he pushed himself off of the door, stepping back towards me.
"You hesitated" Klaus said simply, ignoring my snide comment.
"What?" I whispered, more in surprise than anything else. I knew exactly what he was referring to.
"The others... were all prepared to turn their backs on me, but you" he paused. "You hesitated, I know that's why you've been avoiding me".
I sighed, looking to the ground. I didn't know what to say. The silence extended further, the air becoming heavy with tension. "I know what I did" I mumbled. "And I don't know why you're ask me about it, because I... really can't explain it, or even talk about it. Not with you".
"I know" he replied. The look on his face unreadable. "I'm not asking you to, I just wanted you to know that I... am grateful".
"Grateful?" I scoffed, blinking hard. I couldn't let him see me upset. I couldn't let him see me weak.
He opened his mouth to say something more, before he closed it again, noticing the look on my face. He could tell I was upset, as much as I tried to hide it. He nodded slightly, before turning and leaving me alone once more.
As soon as he closed the door behind him, I turned away, and released a shaky breath I hadn't realised I was holding. I couldn't help but let out a sob, everything washing over me suddenly. It was like being pulled under by the current of the sea, waves repeatedly crashing down over and over again until it becomes too much to bear.
I covered my mouth as I shakily dropped to the ground, knowing that the house would be filled with sensitive ears. It was then however, that I heard the door creak open behind me, making me shoot up instantly to face whoever it was.
"Get out" I said instantly, before my eyes rested on Elijah, who simply stood in the doorway watching me curiously, his face as unreadable as ever. "Oh" I mumbled, stubbornly wiping away my tears and smiling bitterly. "It's you, Elijah... anything else to say to me?" I snapped. "Because I have had it with this bloody family, I just-".
"I'm sorry" he said, cutting me off as he did so.
I blinked in confusion a moment, not quite comprehending his words.
"You what?" I asked, stepping towards him.
"I saw you come in here, the others left and you... I just need to apologise for the way I acted the other day" he said carefully, brows knitting together.
"Why?" I replied, biting my lip slightly. "Elijah, I can't do this right now, I can't...".
"I owe you an explanation for my behaviour, Grace" he said, stepping further towards me. "Just listen, please". I thought a moment, not knowing if I could handle any more family drama. But this was Elijah. The pleading look on his face was too difficult to ignore. I nodded slightly, agreeing to hear him out.
"I was six years old on the day that you were born" Elijah sighed. "And it's still one of the clearest memories I have, even after all this time".
"I'm surprised you remember" I sniffed, leaning against the back wall.
"I do... Mother of course knew she was expecting, but twins were never anticipated, even with her magic" he shrugged. "You were never anticipated... my first little sister".
I smiled at that. It was strange to think of our family in such as a domestically intimate way. Everything was so different now.
"Mother made me promise that I would always do my best to protect you, no matter what... which ironically is something you never needed, I should have realised that sooner". he mumbled. "Still... I feel as though I've failed you, by letting you be alone so long, when we should have been together... as a family".
"Elijah..." I looked up at him then, his jaw tense as he watched my reactions carefully.
I tentatively stepped towards him, hugging him, full of apprehension. I let out a shudderey breath, eyes stinging once more.
"You never failed me" I whispered. "Not once, not ever".
"I-" he started, before I cut him off.
"No more" I mumbled. "Please... no more".
He sighed at that, hugging me back.
"Your tendency to hug people is one I have not missed, I'll admit, Grace".
"Shut up" I grumbled into his jacket, before pulling away. He had a smile on his face then, despite the complaining.
The two of us stayed in that room a moment longer, appreciating the space and the quiet, compared to the bustling party inside.
Everything was so different now, moments being swept by like the wind. After a thousand years, we had learnt to appreciate times such as this, fleeting, yet always the ones that stick with you. The calm amidst the storm. Only now, I wasn't enduring it alone.
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(A/N: Hey guys! This was a long one so thanks for reading! I wanted to upload something else straight away as I know smut isn't for everyone. But yeah, feel free to comment, vote or anything it means a lot! I'm gonna do the ball in two separate chapters as Grace goes through a lot emotionally and stuff, so I wanted to break it up :) - H)