New Orleans | 1913
Your footsteps echo through the dimly lit tomb at the Lafayette Cemetery, the parchment in your hand comforting your skin.
"I found it!" your voice now accompanies the echoes of your steps as you hurry inside.
"You found what?" Kol raises from the chair he has been sitting on.
"The missing ingredient."
You unfold the piece of parchment signed with an owl sigil and place it on the table. Kol's eyes travel along the carefully drawn line of a perfectly shaped diamond. He arches his eyebrows slightly and it seems like he recognizes this magical diamond from his witchcraft studies "Of course! The paragon diamond!"He pulls you into a hug and lifts you in the air. "You're a genius, Y/N!"
He stops twirling after a few moments setting you down in your feet again, his face close to yours and you can swear you can see a flicker of surprise in his eyes as if he is astounded to be as near to you as he is right now. He just looks at you without saying anything or moving a muscle, before he suddenly comes closer. And closer, and closer, until he abruptly pulls away and clears his throat. "Uhm..How did you figure it out?"
"I called in a few favors and asked a very talented, yet creepy witch." you hop on the table behind you and Kol leans on it as well.
"She's with that secret organization of yours, right?"
"Yes."
"Will you ever tell me who they are?" he reaches for the drawing behind him
"It's better if you don't know, believe me." he nods and unfolds the paper, a smile instantly appearing on his face.
"We are actually doing this." he looks at the drawn version of the diamond that could answer all his prayers of a dagger-free life. He looks at you and the sincere and utterly alluring smile of his makes your heart beat like a machine drum. This guy is going to be the death of you someday..
Y/N | Present time
You wake up with a gasp, the image of Kol's smile prominent in the back of your mind as the sound of Bon Jovi songs reach through the dark, wooden halls of your brothers - and currently your - home. Stefan probably has a party going on this early in the morning. You hesitantly roll out of bed with a loud groan, almost slipping on the sleek wooden floors. There are rugs everywhere in the house but not in your room, it is as if they want you to break your neck every morning.
None of your clothes are here obviously because being kidnapped pretty much makes it impossible to take them with you. The only thing you could wear is an old pair of jeans and an old 90's Nirvana shirt with "Smells like Teen Spirit" written on it. You bought that particular shirt at a shop at one of the last shows you visited with Damon and you must have forgotten to take it with you after yet another fight with him. Living, or better, sleeping in the same house again will definitely result in a lot more fighting, that is for sure.
You open the door and the loud, and somewhat annoying voice of Jon Bon Jovi hits you like a brick wall. Seriously, can Stefan be any more annoying right now?
You walk down the first steps before you stare down at two dead girls at the foot of the rug-covered stairs "I love waking up to dead people in the morning." you mutter to yourself as you casually hop over them. Once you reach the living room you are greeted with a very disturbing sight. Stefan casually hangs out on the couch with a bloody twister mat at his feet.
"Uh-oh. Alexandra, left hand, please." Stefan ignores you and Alexandra gives him her hand and he turns it and bites her wrist.
There are footsteps heard from behind you and you can hear Damon hopping over the girls in the same manner as you did a few seconds ago.
"Hey, the two brunettes on the staircase owe me a Persian rug." Damon notes and stops dead in his track once he sees how Stefan is playing a very bloody and deadly version of twister.
"You mean, they owe us a Persian rug? It's my house, too, brother."
"A persian rug, seriously? What are we, the Kelly Family?" you shake your head at your brother's weirdly fancy taste. What happened to them?
"So this is what Klaus had in mind when he compelled you to protect Elena?" Damon gestures towards Stefan and his questionable company.
"These ladies are helping me be all that I can be."
You are so much more than this, little brother and you know it.
A knock on the door echoes through the halls. Damon goes and opens the front door, revealing Rebekah packed with shopping bags. "Where's Stefan?"
"What the hell are you doing here, Rebekah?" you step in her way but she casually ignores your attempt, takes a step to her left and enters the living room.
"He left me here. My brother actually left me here."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Stefan raises his eyebrows "Your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care."
You snicker, completely agreeing with your brother's comment. You really don't care what happens to Rebekah. Not anymore. You used to be friends once upon a time but as always, her loyalty to Klaus doomed your friendship as time went on.
"You're Klaus' sister?"
<<p>"Rebekah. Pleasure, I'm sure." she turns her head and flashes him a fake smile "Which one's my room?"
"You're not staying here." Stefan shakes his head.
"Definitely not." you add.
She then looks at Damon expecting an answer from him as well, but he remains silent.
"Rude. All of you. I'll see to it myself." she walks off and hurries up the stairs.
The vibrating of your phone interrupts you from going after her and kindly throw her out of the house. "Just stay the hell out of my room!"
You open the text message: We have a new location for that missing diamond of yours: 1612 Oaklawn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28216
Finally after all these years a new lead. But what about Stefan? What about your brother that has fallen into the deep end yet again? But it is the diamond you have been searching for. You cannot give away that chance. Maybe you could spare one day to retrieve the diamond and then focus on getting Stefan away from Klaus and maybe, just maybe bargain Kol's freedom with the diamond, or simply try to finish the dagger on your own. Yes, going after the diamond sounds like the best plan for now.
"And where are you going?" Damon asks as you pass the livingroom where now only several dead girls lie on the floor with no Stefan in sight.
"Out." you reach for the door handle but a hand pushes to door back to its usual, closed state.
"Nope. You're not going anywhere."
"Damon get out of my way before I have to hurt you." you push his hand away, but he simply jams the door shut with his foot instead " I really don't have time for this right now."
"How do you know Klaus?" he narrows his eyes trying to stare you down, however years of bickering and fighting made you immune to his death stare.
"Let's just say I ran into him a long time ago, tried to put him down, failed and now he seeks revenge." you knew that this question would come up eventually and you are surprised they did not bombard you with questions last night.
"You tried to put him down? How?"
"It doesn't matter. It didn't work." you wave him off.
"Why do I feel like this is not all of the story?"
You would love to tell the entire story of how you fell in love with Klaus's brother and how you failed to put Klaus down, but you can't. You fear that your brothers would simply not understand. This is why you cannot reveal any details. Even if you so desperately want to.
"Because you're paranoid, Damon. So could you kindly get the hell out of my way?" he blinks as a few moments pass and much to your surprise, he steps aside. You huff before finally opening the door. A fresh breeze comforts your face as you step outside, but the rustling of Damon putting on his jacket disrupt your short moment of bliss "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm coming with you." he fumbles around in his pocket, padding the outside as well, probably looking for his car keys.
"Uhm, no? You stay here with Stefan." Damon is about to protest but you intervene before he can do so "Damon. Stay here. Keep an eye on him and call me if things get out of hand. I'll be back tonight, okay?"
"So that means you're staying?" There is a certain vulnerability in his voice.
"I guess I am. For now."
"Aw, leaving so soon?" Stefan casually leans against the doorframe, his voice dripping with sarcasm "I thought you planned on staying here to redeem my soul or something. Oh, but then again you are the cause of everything that I am. That's why you're here, right? To relieve your guilt?"
"No that's not why I'm here, Stef and you know it. I am here because after all I still care." you look over to your big brother as well "About both of you."
"Yeah, sure. Here is the thing...if you say we mean so much to you, where were you all those years? Why didn't you return earlier, huh?"
"You know all too well why." you snap back before speeding away.
A few miles down the road..
Stefan is right. You are the cause of his monstrous ways. You revealed Katherine's nature to your father and the townsfolk, resulting in your and your brothers getting shot by your father. You are the reason he has to suffer through this and that reality has not been crystal clear to you at the beginning. Or better, you tried to ignore it...
Mystic Falls 1864
It was a few weeks after your transition. Damon managed to control his hunger quite fast, whereas you struggled a lot. But Stefan could hardly control his bloodlust, and you knew that his transition not only amplified his compassion and care, it also turned him into a monster you have never seen before.
The only thing that kept you going in these hard times was knowing that you are united with your brothers. Yes, Stefan is going off the rails and Damon seems even sadder than before, but the only thing that matters is that you are together. Nothing could ever change that.
Or so you thought until Stefan greedily fed on a girl until her head fell straight off.
"No no no..-" Stefan panicked and tried to re-attach the ripped-off head while Damon only looks at his brother with disgust "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry.."
"No, Stefan this is not your fault. If I would have kept my mouth shut, none of this would have happened." you caress his head not realizing the heaviness of the words that just came out of your mouth.
"What?" Stefan brushes your hands off of him in a harsh manner.
Oh crap.
"Y/N what did you do..?" Damon asks.
Well, the damage is done. No reason to lie now.
"Because of your and Stefan's obsession over Katherine I had to turn to our father. Our father, Damon. The one who locked me in the cellar for days for cleaning up both of your messes."
They just stand there, completely still. Stefan's eyes flicker to the dead girl at his feet and then back to you. In this mere second, he looks away, his eyes completely changed. He now looks at you as if you were a complete stranger. Damon, on the other hand, is clenching his fist and you know all too well he is furious with you "You..You turned us into this?"
"No Katherine did. She was the one w-"
"No, YOU did this, Y/N." Damon cuts you off "Katherine might have fed us her blood, and father might have shot us, but you, you loaded the gun."
"There was no other way! She consumed both of you. Who knows what could have happened." you try to reason with him but he only stubbornly crosses his arms in front of his chest. You turn your head to your little brother, who has been awfully quiet through this. If someone understands it will be him. "Stefan, you must understand, don't you?"
"Just leave."
Your heart sinks into your chest once his words fall from his mouth. He wants you to leave. Your own brother wants you to leave.
"Stef..."
"Leave and don't come back. Ever. Do you understand?"
You take a few steps towards him, but he only pushes you away from him "LEAVE!"
Y/N | Present time
The haunting thoughts and Stefan's words stayed with you throughout your 3-hour long journey until suddenly the navigation on your phone announces that you reached the final destination; a cemetery. Why on earth would the diamond be here, in Charlotte out of all places?
You pull into the parking lot and stop your car in a spot where another car could easily park next to if you if you would not have parked it as carelessly as you did. You are definitely parking like a complete douchebag.
You open the creaky metal gate, checking your phone for the exact GPS location. It leads to an opened tomb in the middle of the cemetery. A tomb with an opened door either means someone was just buried there, or someone broke in. Either way, you need to get in there.
You hop over a short hedge and enter the already open tomb. You stop dead in your tracks once you spot another person lighting candles; Katherine
"Oh good. It's official. I'm in hell." You lean on the cold stone wall next to you.
"Y/N! How awful it is to see you..again." she fakes a smile in a perfect manner. No wonder, she tends to fake every single human interaction. She mastered that craft.
"I see you haven't lost your stalker tendencies." you say, remembering the flash of blue you caught of her when you arrived in Chicago.
"Neither did you." she retorts, referring to you finding her in this forsaken place. What she does not know is that you did not come here for her. But her paranoia gets the best of her as it always does.
"The hell are you doing here?" you cross your arms in front of your chest.
"I'm babysitting." Katherine tips her head to the side and tosses her brown locks over her shoulders.
"You're babysitting dead people in a tomb? I mean I know that you're flying the extra batshit miles since, well, forever but that's a little too crazy. Even for you."
"Oh, Y/N you keep overlooking the very obvious." she says raising an eyebrow as she gestures over to the slightly opened burial vault.
"Mikael..." you look at his desiccated face you have only seen when Kol showed you flashbacks of his childhood. But something else grasps your attention even more; a shimmering, perfectly shaped diamond lying on his feet. What on earth is it doing here? How did it get here? No one but you, Kol and...Klaus knew about its existence.
This is just great. Your nemesis, Mikael Mikaelson and you in one room. Now add the newly discovered diamond to that mix and you have the perfect recipe for disaster..
"Huh, little Y/N knows the big bad vampire vampire hunter..who would've thought?"
"Who put him here?"
"Klaus I presume. With the help of witches of course." she shrugs looking at her perfectly manicured nails.
Klaus. He was the one who immobilized his father in this tomb. Does that mean he is also the one who stored the diamond here and was he bluffing back in the gym where he talked about it? Is he playing games?
"What do you plan on doing with him?"
"You'll see. Now, why don't you tell me why you're here?"
You cannot tell her. Katherine is the last person that should know about that diamond. She would most likely steal it and negotiate her freedom with it, and everything you and Kol have worked for would be useless.
"Oh you know, admiring the countryside, eating cherry pie and hanging out in tombs. The usual."
"Urgh, you always were the rustic type." she glances over your shirt and purses her lips in disgust.
"Why, because I don't hide under a sophisticated facade with way too thickly applied makeup?" Katherine is about to throw yet another comment in your face, as a loud gasp interrupts the both of you.
"I apologize for my outburst. It would have made more sense had you known that I've been denying myself human blood for as long as I can remember." Mikael looks at you and stares for a short while before he turns his attention to Katherine "Why is it that you awoke me?"
"I thought you might know how to kill Klaus. But something tells me that I've been sorely misinformed." Katherine sighs throwing her hair back onto her shoulders yet again.
"Wait..you want to kill Klaus? As in dead-dead?"
"Yes. So what?" Katherine shrugs "You're not on his side, are you Y/N?"
Of course, you are not. But Klaus is Kol's brother. After everything, you do not think he wants to see him dead.
"Would you mind helping me with these?" Mikael wriggles his chains "I can assure you there's no way I can kill Klaus from beneath them."
"Does that you mean you do know how to kill him?" Katherine smiles in victory.
"I can kill Klaus. And I will." Katherine breaks his chains "Thank you."
"A little blood will grease those muscles up real quick. Just saying..." you remind him, trying to get him and hopefully Katherine out of the tomb to grab that diamond.
"I don't feed on living things."
"Then what do you eat?" you crease your eyebrows in wonder. Mikael only smiles weakly and the next thing you know he greedily feeds on your neck. You try to get free from his grasp, but Mikael being over a thousand years old makes it impossible to move. Meanwhile, Katherine just sits back and enjoys the show instead of running, like she usually does. Your vision soon gets blurry and fades into black once again. The amount of you passing out due to a fellow vampires actions is getting ridiculous...
You wake up on the hard and cold stone floors a few minutes later, your neck already healed from Mikael's bite. You blink a few times, your sight still blurry as you get up. Your eyes then fall upon the opened burial vault and a pressing thought comes to your mind: Where the hell is the diamond?
A few hours pass...
You smash the door shut behind you once you finally reach the Boarding House early in the morning.
"Call me if anything goes out of hand, she says. I'll be home tonight she says." Damon swirls his bourbon around, the lit fire of the fireplace dancing in the brown liquid " I called you a thousand times."
"Shut up and drink with me." you fill yourself a glass and you sit down next to him on the couch. You hear several things falling over upstairs which indicates that Stefan is either drunk or angry. Or both.
A few moments of silence pass where you gulp drink after drink, trying to drown your failure with bourbon "It's been like what? 20 years since we've hung out like that?"
He nods."Something like that."
"Who would've thought we would actually sit together without you annoying me to death like you did, especially as a kid." you remember "Jesus, you were a nightmare."
"Hey, I wasn't that bad." he counters mildly offended.
"You were the one who sabotaged anything mother had told me to take care of. You got me into so much trouble." you huff before taking a sip from your drink.
"That's not true. I was a shy, polite and reserved kid."
"As if. You were and shy and reserved asshole, that's what you were." you point your finger at him "Remember the time where you cut the wool into pieces I used for knitting clothes for the winter? I ended up with lots of knots everywhere? Mother reminded me every single day how incapable I was."
"I told you that wasn't me." Damon shrugs pledging his innocence " We had an awful mice plague, you know?"
"Mice plague my ass." you huff before suddenly the scene from this morning and the haunting images from the look into you past on your way to Charlotte sneak into your mind "You know, I am sorry for not telling you earlier. I should have told you that I was the one who brought father into this."
Damon takes another gulp and remains silent for a second, staring into the distance
"I know you meant well. It's fine."
You are surprised by his sudden understanding, yet you cannot agree with it. "It's not. I mean look at Stefan. I am the cause of this."
"You are not to blame, Y/N. Katherine and Klaus are. Not you." he looks at you, his eyes unusually kind.
"I don't think so." you shake your head "You heard him. He said it himself."
"Because he is all rippery and nasty. It is not your fault."
"But I was the cause of our transformation. If I simply wouldn't have been the snitch, none of this would have happened.
"And we would be rotting in a grave somewhere by now. This is a better alternative." you look at him trying to find any kind of prove he is insincere, but nothing. He actually means what he said.
Damon gets up and heads over to the table to pour himself another drink. You sense that he does not wish to talk about this topic any longer, so you decide to drop it. "So tell me, what happened today?"
"Where should I start...oh, Stefan almost burned to a crisp due to some weird ghostly interference." Damon slams the decanter on the table, spilling bourbon on the wooden surface "The whole car was on fire."
"Ghosts, really?" he definitely lost some screws of sanity over the years "Dude this isn't Supernatural. Ghost can't interact with objects, let alone set a car on fire."
"That's what happened." Damon raises his eyebrows, probably doubting his sanity as well at this point.
"Glad I wasn't here then, or I might have had to kick some ghost's ass." you laugh as the scene of you fighting an invisible force has you giggling.
Out of the blue, a vase shatters next to Damon, ending your giggling quite quickly "What the-" without warning, Damon gets thrown to the other end of the room and groans as he hits the ground "fuck is happening?" is all you can say before your world once again abruptly fades into black yet again.
"This is going to be fun." the recently killed Mason Lockwood smiles, thoroughly looking forward to torturing his murderer...
Author Note: Did anyone get the reference with the Nirvana shirt? You know "smells like teen spirit" is a Nirvana song AND the title of 3x06? No? Dammit. Also, anyone has ideas who this secret organization could be? Maybe I will spill a few secrets, maybe not.. ;)