The Murder of One
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She'll see right through your soul and when you let your guard down, she'll comfort you by kissing all your sorrows away.
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"They look adorable."
"Yeah, that's my sister you're talking about. To me, they certainly don't look adorable."
"Oh, don't get all big brother on her. She's older than you and she can take care of herself." Kol whisper yelled at Jeremy who continued to glare at the sleeping duo in front of him.
Last night, they had all dozed off in the living room while watching the movie. Jeremy and Kol were on opposite couches while Isabelle and Elijah sat on the one in front of the screen.
When Kol and Jeremy woke up and looked around, they noticed the way Isabelle and Elijah were snuggled up with each other.
Her head was on his chest and his arm around her, holding her protectively even in his sleep. They shared the same comforter and slept with the most peaceful expression on their faces.
Kol brought out his phone and clicked a picture of his older brother and Nik's best friend. He so knew that just like Jeremy, Niklaus would go in over protective mode too which would be much more funnier than Jeremy's.
Elijah and Isabelle slowly stirred awake due to their bickering. Isabelle raised her head and she was met with his velvety brown orbs looking at her with an unreadable expression. Her cheeks flushed when she realized the way they had slept, while his grip tightened on her waist to keep her close. Their eyes met again and both of them had smiles on their faces.
"Good morning, Isa." He spoke in his deep and husky voice which made a shiver run down her spine.
"Morning, 'Lijah."
"You both are on nickname basis. How adorable!" Kol exclaimed teasingly, making Jeremy glare at him and Isabelle and Elijah realised that they weren't alone.
They pulled away from each other and looked at the two in front of them, Kol was wearing an amused smirk while Jeremy was glaring at them both in anger making Isabelle bite her lip to stop herself from bursting out with laughter.
"Uh, I'm gonna go freshen up!" Isabelle said before leaving the room. As Elijah looked at her retreating figure with a fake betrayed expression because she was leaving him to face little Gilbert alone.
Jeremy turned to Elijah with his hands folded on his chest while Elijah looked like he would be anywhere but there. Jeremy scoffed before leaving towards Isabelle's room.
Kol burst out laughing looking at the expression on Elijah's face. Elijah shook his head but the small smile due to the beautiful morning never left his face as he walked away to his room.
Kol quickly sent the picture of Isabelle and Elijah to the rest of his siblings smiling like a mad maniac. Elijah was definitely gonna get an earful from Niklaus and just like that, Kol Mikaelson's morning turned better.
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Isabelle was soon changed and ready in a black spaghetti strap crop top with lace details and a ripped denim jeans. She tucked her hair in a messy bun on top of her head then she put on her signature red lipstick and applied some kohl and mascara. She wore black heels to complete the look.
She walked out to the kitchen, where the three men were waiting for her for breakfast. Jeremy had stayed for breakfast on Isabelle's insistence.
Elijah was reading a newspaper while sipping his cup of Earl Grey, and Kol was making waffles for all of them which surprised her as she had no idea that the youngest Mikaelson brother could cook.
"Good morning, everyone." Isabelle greeted, announcing her presence and making Elijah smile at her as she sat down beside Jeremy before kissing him on the side of his head making him roll his eyes with a small grin on his lips.
"So, what are we doing today?" Isabelle asked as Kol placed her food in front of her making her smile at him.
"Considering that yesterday was a dead end in finding Esther, I was hoping you would join me for some sort of interrogation with the witch coven residing here." Elijah asked making her eyes glimmer at the thought of finding Esther and punishing those who sided with her.
"Does it include torturing old hags who call themselves witches but are nothing but a magical waste of space?" Isabelle asked with a wide smirk and her eyes shining bright violet making him chuckle and nod in agreement.
"You both seriously have some weird sense of kink." Kol remarked gaining a smack at the back of his head from Isabelle which made him glare at her and Jeremy burst out laughing.
"I've killed for less, darling." Kol said looking at her with fake glare.
"Oh, bite me!" Isabelle said flashing her violet eyes again, smirking at him.
"Well, alright then." Kol spoke vamping his face out, leaning towards her before she put a piece of waffle in his mouth.
Isabelle and Jeremy burst out laughing while Elijah watched amused as Kol had a waffle in his mouth with his fangs out and veins coming down from his eyes. It certainly was a site to watch in the history of vampires.
"Anyways, as I was saying, the two of us are going on a witch hunt today, what are you two going to do?" She asked them.
"Well, I have school in about 30 minutes so, I'll be leaving now. Need to grab my books and a change of clothes." Jeremy informed getting up.
"No wait, Elijah? Do you think we can drop Jer off before leaving to find the coven?" Isabelle asked politely.
"Yes, I was about to suggest that. Give me a minute, I'll go grab my car keys."
"Perfect, then drop me to the school, too. I wanna enroll myself." Kol announced making the three look at him like he was crazy.
"You? Want to go to high school?" Isabelle asked after a moment.
"Yeah, why?" Kol questioned with a shrug.
"Kol? You do know that a high school is the most pathetic place on the planet, with grumpy ass teachers who expect you to follow rules and there is certainly no bourbon present, right?" Jeremy asked incredulously making Kol narrow his eyes at him.
"I do know what a high school is Jeremy, thank you very much!" He huffed.
"Okay, I understand this notion coming from Rebekah but not you. Please don't tell me you want to massacre the whole school, it'll become global news within minutes. The times have changed." Elijah tried to reason with him.
"Oh, come on, Elijah. Rebekah can dream of a normal life but I can't? Really?" He spat, hurt because of his brother's insinuations.
"I don't intend on doing anything like you said. I know how to snatch, eat, erase when I'm not trying to gain any of your attentions. So now, I would like to live a bit actually." He added with a glare.
Elijah sighed. Isabelle was quick to try and dissolve the argument between the two brothers.
"Alright, Kol, we'll drop both of you to school and I am sure you'll find the normal life you're looking for." Isabelle said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder making him smile.
Elijah let out a defeated breath before leaving the room to bring his keys.
Soon they were on their way to school after stopping at Jeremy's apartment. Elijah parked his car and Jeremy got out after kissing Isabelle on the cheek.
"Kol, don't eat anyone and don't even think of hurting Jeremy." Elijah warned Kol before he could leave making him roll his eyes.
"Stop thinking so low of me brother and for once, I actually consider little Gilbert my friend." Kol muttered as he slammed the door and left.
"You know he wasn't lying when he said he wanted normal." Isabelle spoke softly after they made their way to the witch coven.
"I know, but normal for the Mikaelsons ends up in heartbreak and bloodshed and I certainly don't want to see your brother in the middle of it." He replied looking in her eyes before turning back towards the road.
She was left speechless at the amount of care the man beside her had shown her since they met. Right now, he was concerned about Jeremy because it would hurt her if something were to happen to him.
"Elijah, you cannot doubt your brother like that. Give him a chance. He deserves a chance at happiness, too and most importantly, he's also a part of 'Always and Forever', so please don't make him feel alienated." She pleaded, trying to make him realize Kol's side of the story.
Elijah looked at her as he thought upon her words. There were times when he and Niklaus would gang up on Kol, or the times he himself had let him be daggered.
He had neglected the wishes of his younger brother on his path to find the redemption for the other.
Kol was also a part of their family pact and it ashamed him deeply that he had to go through all the killings and horrendous massacres just to gain their attention.
The ringing of her phone broke him out of his train of thoughts.
"Ah, the day has begun. It must be one of your official calls." He remarked as she took her phone out.
"Uhm, no it's Finn actually." She spoke confused while his attention peaked, thinking that something had happened back home.
"Hello, Finn? What is it? Is everything alright? Are the three of you okay?" She asked urgently, thinking the worst case scenario.
"Isabelle, everything is fine. I just called you to thank you." She shared a confused glance with Elijah.
"Uhm, thank me for what Finn?"
"Hello, Isabelle, I am Sage. Finn and I called you to thank you for sending me the message that he was free." Sage spoke from the other side as a wide grin broke out on Isabelle's face that finally they had been reunited.
"Oh my God! I am so happy that you guys are back to each other. Congratulations, both of you." Isabelle exclaimed with a wide grin marking her face.
They chuckled, "It's all because of you." She smiled but her expressions changed when she heard a scream of agony from the other side of the phone. Elijah looked at her alarmed.
"What was that?" Isabelle asked Finn.
"Oh, don't worry Isabelle, Damon Salvatore messed with my darling little sister. Now she has strung him up and is bleeding him of vervain!" Finn informed making her laugh.
"Oh, boy! That man can never do anything right. Anyways, I am on my way to find your mother. I'll speak with you later." Isabelle said politely before hanging up.
"Thankyou, for reuniting them. Maybe now Finn would want to live." Elijah remarked looking at her with a smile.
"Yes he would, besides true love is rare as you know already so why not help other people find it?" Isabelle spoke with a soft smile making him nod.
"What about you? Have you tried to find it? If I may ask." Elijah asked, trying to read her thoughts as a bit of sadness came onto her face which she hid quickly with a smile, but not quick enough for him to not notice.
"Once. I didn't try to find it though. It came to me on it's own." She said, smiling softly as she was sucked in the memories of her past.
"And then?" Elijah whispered, looking at her as her face turned emotionless and cold making him frown.
"Then it was gone." Isabelle said looking out the window clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore. He left the topic, respecting her privacy.
There are instances in life when it becomes impossible to see past the veil of pain and torment. Moments when your heart bleeds and your soul crumbles into dust and you are sucked into the deep abyss of darkness, the oblivion becomes so hard to bear that with every shaking breath you feel a blade scrape your heart. But then, one day, when your heart has bled out and your soul is ready to start over again, you find the true sense of living. You find a way to live with the pain, instead of trying to fight it.
Elijah and Isabelle sat in comfortable silence, not an ounce of awkwardness. Just the utter sense of understanding.
For once both of them liking the fact that they had someone who wouldn't pester them to say or do anything.
They could both just sit and think together and it would be equally special and magical.
"We're here." He informed pulling over on the highway having forests on it's both sides. Isabelle looked out confused.
"Wait, where's the coven? This is literally the middle of nowhere." She said getting out the car.
"Look around dear, we're at the entrance of the Fae Woods." He informed with a smile.
Her eyes widened at his words as she watched carefully—the trees in front of her incantations written on them, invisible to human eye as the path had carnations of yellow and pink flowers bearing thorns led them inside.
She had forgotten that the Coven of Fae Woods was one of the first witch covens she had created. They were the only coven strong enough to foresee prophecies, the coven that had the gift of immortality, till the time they continued to use their magic or aren't shunned.
She was rather proud of them, when she had created them first. This coven had a special place in her heart, but that was until some of them grew hungry for power and tried to begin a new form of magic. Let's just say that didn't bode well for any of them.
"This used to be my favourite coven, I was so happy when I created them. They were the true keepers of nature." She said reminiscing a time from thousands of years ago.
"Well, let's see what my mother wanted with them, shall we?" Elijah said sticking his hand out which she took, interlacing their fingers.
As soon as they stepped through the threshold of the Fae Woods, the scenery began to change.
The woods became more colorful in place of the dull green visible to human eye. Tiny flowers in shades of blue and golden fell at their feet with each step they took together.
It was purely magical. For a moment they forgot the reason they were there, holding each other's hands, in the middle of the colourful forest as the mystical carnations fell around them and the intoxicating scents of flowers surrounded them whole, consuming them.
In that instance, it was just them, two people, together without the fear of the unknown and without the worry for the future.
"Beautiful." Isabelle whispered looking around, not realizing the crown created on her head due to the flowers falling on them.
He watched her—her lips parted apart, her eyes shining in awe as the flowers adorned her hair. She truly was the work of art.
"Indeed." He spoke, not taking his eyes off of her. She turned to him with a smile only to blush when she realized that he was talking about her. She looked down flustered making him smile cheekily.
"Hello, my Queen."
They realised that they weren't alone anymore as they turned towards the tall woman with black hair and a gorgeous mocha skin with striking black eyes, wearing an off-white colored gown flowing down till her ankles with a tiara made of red flowers resting on her head.
She was accompanied by two more witches, who could have been her sisters or her daughters.
"Inora." Isabelle acknowledged with a curt nod.
"Mr. Mikaelson." Inora greeted him making him nod formally.
"What brings you here, my Queen?" Inora asked her politely, slightly nervous in their presence of course.
Isabelle looked around casually, walking and playing with the vines while Elijah stood there with his hands in his pockets, coldly staring at the three witches in front of him.
"7000 years ago, I created the witches. The Coven of Fae Woods, the first true coven to exist. I gave you to gift of immortality and made you their queen. Yet, I find out that you're helping Esther eradicate an entire race I created." Inora fidgeted in her place at Isabelle's icy tone.
"Why?" She asked with a pointed glare. Both, her and Elijah could sense the fear coming off of the witches.
"The vampires have grown in number, terrorizing and out numbering witches. Feeding off of innocent blood. They've become monstrous. Especially with Niklaus Mikaelson breaking his curse and turning more beasts like himself." Inora spoke in a stern voice trying to be confident, but they could hear the way her heart was racing.
She turned to Elijah flashing him a smirk before speeding to Inora and pinning her to a nearby tree with her hand tightly wrapped around her throat making her tiara to fall off her head in the process.
"You would dare call my best friend a beast and have the courtesy to criticize the race I created?" She hissed.
"For 7000 years, you witches have hexed humans for your own benefits, you've cursed the werewolves by making their transformation painful and you've terrorized innocents as you saw fit, eradicating everything that you couldn't understand." She tightened her grip on her as Inora choked.
"Look carefully, Inora, I am the Queen here. I make the rules and I decide the future." Isabelle spat angrily flashing her violet eyes before leaving her throat and making her fall down coughing.
Elijah stood their, noticing her every move. The way she exercised control and the look of satisfaction on her face when she saw her victim shiver in fear of her was something that reminded him of the darkest parts of himself.
For the better part of the millennium, he had learnt to hide his monstrosity from atleast those he loved, but with Isabelle standing there bathing in her darkness he wanted to dive in his too.
She made him want to live the monster in him and she was the only one who had that effect on him.
"Now, I will not ask again, so tell me what did Esther want." Isabelle asked crouching down and roughly gripping Inora's chin in her hand.
"Sh-she wants to kill them all. She wanted us to help her manipulate with someone's conscience and turn their personality into the opposite of what they are." Inora stuttered, fearing for her life and hoping that her Queen shows her some mercy.
"Manipulate with whose conscience?" Elijah questioned the Fae witch.
"Someone named Alaric Saltzman. She wanted us to channel dark magic and make him the darkest parts of himself, making him a deadly killer." One of the other witches spoke, afraid for her mother's life.
"The blackouts, the murder of the council members. It has been Alaric all along. Esther wants to make him a vampire hunter, like Mikael was." Isabelle said coming to realization, standing up as she looked at Elijah.
"But Mikael was an Original with the means to kill us. What does she want to achieve by turning a human into a killer!" Elijah said, deep in thought as he tried to think of his mother's intentions.
Isabelle roughly pushed Inora back towards the tree by kicking her shoulder, as she stood glaring daggers at her with her heel digging into Inora's shoulder preventing her from getting to her feet.
"What is Esther's plan? What does she want to do?" Isabelle asked looking straight in Inora's eyes who quaked in fear and whimpered in pain.
"Sh-she wanted to create a weapon. One that could kill them, all of them. Without being destroyed. That's all I know, my Queen. Please, forgive me." Inora stuttered, trying to speak through her tears.
Isabelle removed her heel from her shoulder and looked at Elijah in concern. Esther had gone too far this time, she not only tried to kill her children but also harmed the only father figure in Elena and Jeremy's lives.
"The vampires maintain the nature's balance. If Esther succeeds in killing them all, the other side will collapse and this world would be consumed by darkness and mayhem caused by every atrocious supernatural being that ever lived or died. I suggest you all stop trying to eradicate them or else I would be forced to disarm your coven off your magic. And we both know how that'll end." Isabelle told them in a stern tone as she took Elijah's hand and left the Fae Woods.
"If Esther plans to make a weapon against you, she'll have to have the White Oak." Isabelle pointed out as they sat in the car and Elijah begun to drive towards his penthouse.
"But, Niklaus and Rebekah burnt all the White Oak that was left." Elijah voiced, looking at her as she thought over everything.
"We'll have to be certain. I need to do another locator spell for it, just in case anymore White Oak exists." She stated.
He nodded and sped towards the apartment. Only one thought racing though both of their minds–saving the Mikaelsons, no matter what.
She was not going to let them be harmed in any way. She had to be there for all of them, just like Niklaus was there for her.
Niklaus was family to her and she wasn't going to sit back and let anyone hurt him or the ones he loved.
Soon they reached their destination and she bolted inside, towards her room with Elijah following her.
"Oh my God." Were the words that came out of her mouth when she realised that the path of White Oak ash had shifted to the Salvatore Boarding house. He looked alarmed and nervous for the safety of his siblings.
"We have to go. Now. The Salvatores would stop at nothing. Stefan, without his memories, would stop at nothing to kill one of the Originals. Everyone in Mystic Falls think that you all are linked." She muttered urgently.
"Can you portal us there?" Elijah asked, not able to think of a faster way to reach his siblings.
"I can, just make sure to not leave my hand." Elijah nodded.
Isabelle knew that Finn would be the easiest target, as he and Sage would be too occupied to even care about their surroundings.
She held Elijah's hand, and closed her eyes concentrating on Finn's location, pushing her hand forward as golden beams left her hand and swirled around each other, creating a portal.
They walked in, not breaking contact and soon they came out the other side of the portal into the alleyway beside the Grill just in time to see Finn's burning corpse fall on the stairs and Sage moving away from the fire as she cried at the loss of her lover.
"No!" Isabelle yelled as tears formed in her eyes. She hadn't known Finn, but she was the one who had made him believe in living.
Elijah had to hold her back from running towards fire caused by the death of his brother.
Elijah couldn't save him. He felt a sense of failure creep up his chest and encase his heart, constricting it in pain. His brother was dead.
For a thousand years, he had tried to keep him alive, yes he let him be daggered but that was because he didn't want him to die permanently and now, when his brother had finally made peace with what he was, he just died and Elijah could do nothing to save him and now he wouldn't be able to do anything but watch as Sage died too. Finn would've never wanted to be the reason for Sage's death.
Isabelle slowly walked up the stairs and sat down beside Sage hugging her while she cried her eyes out at her lover's death.
"Stefan Salvatore killed him. I'm gonna end him." Sage spat out, once she was done with crying and anger captured her thoughts. Isabelle looked at Elijah who showed no emotion on his face, but she knew he was breaking on the inside.
"Sage, please don't act out on anger." Isabelle tried to reason with her, hoping that she would drop her revenge plans and spend her last moments in peace.
"Anger is all I have left, Isabelle. I have nothing to live for anyway, might as well die thinking that I avenged Finn."
Sage spoke with determination. Finn had told her all about the sirelines. She knew she was going to be dead by the end of the hour but she couldn't care less right now. Rage fueled her actions as she got out of Isabelle's arms and vamp-sped away to find Stefan.
Isabelle turned to Elijah who continued to stare at his brother, who was now just a pile of ashes.
She quickly went over to him and hugged him. He stiffened at first, but soon hugged her back burying his face in her neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes before he pulled back.
"We should go, Niklaus and Rebekah might be in danger. Who knows how many stakes are out there that can kill us." He stated, trying to push the thoughts of despair away and think clearly to save the rest of his siblings.
Isabelle nodded. She glanced at Finn's ashes one last time before speeding towards the Mikaelson Mansion.
She was filled with anger. Stefan had killed Finn, Nik's brother. She knew that like Elijah, Nik wouldn't show how upset he was when in reality the guilt of daggering Finn would be combined with not being able to save him and it would eat him alive.
She was sure that it was Damon's idea and influence. The whole Scooby Gang was going to pay for it and she would make sure to make them suffer.
Right now she couldn't care less about protecting Elena. She was the reason Finn was dead in the first place.
They burst through the doors of the Mikaelson Mansion only to find Stefan pinning Niklaus to the wall with a White Oak stake just above his heart.
Elijah was quick to throw him off of his brother, making the White Oak fall out of Stefan's hands.
Niklaus and Rebekah looked at Isabelle in shock, when she angrily sped over to Stefan and threw him to the wall, making him hit the far end of the room.
Angered, Stefan sped towards her but she wrapped her fingers around his neck before his fangs could touch her as she kneed him in the gut making him fall on his stomach.
She took a step back before kicking Stefan in his side, flipping him on his back and jabbing her heel in his torso, which made him grunt in pain.
"You crossed all your lines today, Stefan Salvatore. You really shouldn't have messed with the Mikaelsons. Finn was innocent. Much more innocent than you would ever be, Ripper of Monterey." Isabelle spat at him, making him growl at her as he grabbed her leg and threw her to the side on her back giving him time to stand up but she was quick to be on her feet again and she grabbed his neck and slammed it through a nearby wall.
Then she flipped him around and looked at him straight in the eye flashing her eyes violet.
"How many more stakes are out there that can kill an Original?" Isabelle asked as her magic made his pupils dilate.
"Eleven." Stefan spoke in monotone before being confused, as to how could she compel him especially because he was on vervain.
"Eleven? Really?" Niklaus voiced out looking at the bag of 8 White Oak stakes along with the one that fell out of Stefan's hands.
"You really shouldn't have lied." Rebekah said before speeding towards Damon and stabbing him in the gut with the knife she was using to torture him.
"I'll get you the other two. Let my brother go." Stefan demanded.
"You're in no position to make demands, Stefan. You killed my brother, what's stopping me from killing yours?" Elijah spoke looking at him dead in the eye, with a look that most had learned to fear.
"Damon, I would like you to go home." Isabelle voiced looking at him, while the three Mikaelsons looked at her incredulously.
"No." Damon mumbled.
"Oh, come on. I want you to leave." Isabelle said with her bitch face on, masking all the anger brewing inside her.
"No."
Isabelle sped in front of him and took his chin in her hands making him look at her in the eye.
"Leave." She compelled him before stepping back with a sinister look on her face watching as Damon tried his hardest to fight her compulsion before giving in and beginning to pull his hands out of the wolf traps.
She watched Stefan with a wicked smirk before taking out the knife embedded in Damon's gut and stabbing him again which caused him scream out in pain. Stefan looked away, not being able to watch his brother in agony.
"You really shouldn't have killed Finn. In the short amount of time that I knew him, I had begun to think of him as the big brother I never had. You stole him from me before he even had the chance at living. You stole him from his siblings. How about I steal your brother from you, Stefan?" She spoke with tear filled eyes as she rotated the knife around in Damon's abdomen making him grunt.
"What about your real sister? While you were MIA your sister got killed and now instead of keeping her safe you're standing against her being their little bitch." Stefan spat pointing at the Mikaelsons, making Niklaus growl but before anyone could react, Elijah was in front of Stefan with his fingers wrapped around his heart, making him gasp in pain.
"Apologise." Elijah said with a deadpanned look.
Stefan continued to grunt and gasp in pain but didn't apologise making Elijah pull his heart slightly towards the outside making him yell.
"I–I'm s–sorry!" He stuttered out an apology and Elijah took his hand out of Stefan's chest cavity.
"Talk to her like that one more time and your heart would be across the room." Elijah warned before taking out his handkerchief and wiping his hands.
"Now, get me the other two stakes and I'll spare your brother. You don't? I'll compel him to kill you first and then drive a wooden stake through his heart." Niklaus spoke looking at Stefan.
"What is wrong with you!" Stefan asked making Isabelle roll her eyes.
"What is wrong with you? Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate. To loathe. A target for all of your anger so you don't turn it on yourself. I've given your life purpose, as your friend. I mean, I really think you should be thanking me."
Niklaus said looking at him with a smirk.
"Enough! You were never my friend!" Stefan spat as he pushed Niklaus towards a wall making Isabelle scoff.
"Nik was always your friend. It's just you who doesn't remember it!" Isabelle spoke making Stefan turn around and look at her in confusion.
"Excuse me?" Stefan spoke incredulously.
"Oh you know, memory gaps due to compulsion. You're well aware of it, love." Isabelle said with a sarcastic smile on her face making him frown.
"You're bluffing!" Stefan sneered.
"Hmm, am I though? Or maybe I am! Who knows. But tell me, how would someone explain this." Isabelle said casually bringing out her phone as she scrolled through her gallery and showed him a picture of her, Stefan, Lexi and Niklaus at the top of the Eiffel tower.
"How is this possible. Why do I not remember?" Stefan mumbled.
"You're really dumb aren't you?" Rebekah spoke with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face as she realised the way Isabelle was gonna punish Stefan for killing Finn.
"Alright Stef, I'll admit. You do have a lot of locked away memories. Gaps you can't fill in. Years blacked out. What are we gonna do about that, Salvatore." Isabelle said walking around Stefan in a circle, as he tried to think over his words.
"Give them back!" Stefan growled at Isabelle and Niklaus, making her chuckle sarcastically.
"Oh, Stefan. You poor thing. At first I was trying to think of ways I could get back at you for killing Finn, but then I realized, what better way to hurt somebody than by bringing them at war with their own mind? Now until Nik or I undo your compulsion, you're going to spend every minute of your day thinking of what could possibly be so important that we had to lock it away. What could you possibly know that we didn't want you knowing. Or maybe, it could be just another one of my bluffs! Who knows...." Isabelle trailed off, making Stefan look at her in disgust while Niklaus was amused.
"You're crazy." Stefan spat.
"You haven't seen crazy, Stefan. You'll know exactly how crazy I can get when you harm someone I care about, once you get your memories back!" Isabelle said with a sickening sweet smile.
"You're gonna bring me the two last White Oak stakes, or I will hunt you down, rip you apart, heal you and then do it all over again. Do you understand?" Isabelle asked compelling him.
"I understand." Stefan spoke in a monotone.
"Good." Isabelle said before picking up the White Oak stakes and leaving the room, with Rebekah on her tail.
⚜⚜⚜
A while later, all three Mikaelsons and Isabelle were in the living area. Rebekah stood in front of the fireplace watching the White Oaks burn, while Elijah and Isabelle sat on the couch, sipping their drinks as Niklaus poured himself one.
"I can't believe Finn's dead!" Rebekah said in despair. Feeling the loss of her oldest brother, whom she had just got back.
"Good riddance. He was an embarrassment, Rebekah." Niklaus said carelessly making Elijah sigh.
He knew his brother showed pain through indifference, but that was the last thing the noble Mikaelson needed right now.
"He was still your brother. Mind your tongue." Rebekah sneered at Niklaus, turning to look at him.
"Fine. Let's all say a prayer for Finn, who slept in a box longer than he lived as a man. He was a lovesick fool. He's better off in death."
Elijah had to grip his glass tight, in order to not snap at Niklaus. It was their fault that Finn was daggered. All of theirs, and it was all of their fault that he was dead.
Isabelle placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down, she knew he was hurting because of what happened earlier and what was happening now.
"Is that how you'd speak of me if I died?" Rebekah asked with slight tears in her eyes.
"Well, we would know soon enough. You let the Salvatores leave, with two stakes that can still kill me. Since when did you have a soft spot for them anyways?"
"I let them leave because Belle's compulsion would make sure that they bring back the stakes. Besides, the Salvatores may fight like dogs but in the end they would die for each other. Atleast they know what family means. You destroyed ours."
"I wanted a family. They just didn't want me." Niklaus remarked.
Isabelle had enough by now. She gulped her drink and slammed the glass on the table as she stood up staring at both of them.
"Alright. That's enough of pointing fingers at each other. Rebekah? You're comparing your family to the Salvatores. Seriously? The Salvatores know not even a fraction of the torment you all have gone through. They've been fighting over the affection of women like Katherine and now my sister. All of you have spent centuries, out-running your father. Nik has sacrificed so many things that he even lost you all in the end, you have sacrificed everyone you loved and Elijah has done nothing but keep you all together for the past thousand years. So Nik, stop trying to show us that you don't care, because me and your brother can see right through your act. You have all lost somebody you cared deeply about today and it is a time to remain together and grieve. Please." Isabelle spoke looking at all of them.
Tears fell down Rebekah's eyes, as Isabelle went up to her and hugged her making her burst out crying.
Niklaus left the room, still not willing to show his true emotions. Isabelle comforted Rebekah for a few moments before gesturing for Elijah to take care of her.
Rebekah had just lost a brother, only another could possibly make her feel a bit better.
Isabelle left the room to find her best friend. Knowing full well that he was hurt. She found him in his art room, staring at a family portrait he had finished two days ago.
He had tears in his eyes as he slowly came to the realization that a huge part of his family was nothing but ashes now.
"Nik." Isabelle spoke softly, placing a hand on his shoulder from behind.
He immediately turned around and hugged her close to him as he shed tears for the loss of his brother.
Before they all became vampires, there was a time when they were nothing but a family. A beautiful, happy, normal family.
Niklaus remembered, how Finn and Elijah were the ones who taught him sword fighting.
When he was a small child, Finn would make him chess pieces to play with. When he grew older, it was Finn who taught him how to make them on his own, so he could give them to Rebekah.
Niklaus had done wrong by his eldest brother by taking away 900 years of his life. He wanted to spend the rest of their immortal lives trying to make amends for daggering him.
Niklaus wanted nothing more than his family to be whole again and before any of it could happen, Finn was taken away from him forever.
Isabelle did what any other best friend or sister would do. She held him close as he cried his heart out and once he was done, she poured him a drink which they silently drank, in Finn's honor.
"Rebekah thinks you don't love her anymore. She has been by your side through everything, she has been dying to have someone love her and not exploit her feelings. Show her that you care, Nik." Isabelle whispered slowly, sipping her drink.
"I know I've not been the best brother for her. But I do love her. Maybe even more than the rest of them. She's my baby sister." He admitted.
"You need to tell her that, Nik. She's heartbroken and she needs you. Tell her that you love her, tell her that she doesn't need to fear being abandoned. I am sure by now you know how unpredictable life can be Nik. Tell her everything you feel before something bad happens."
Niklaus' head shot towards her at her words. She was right, life, even for an Original, was unpredictable. They were the oldest vampires but they still had weaknesses and enemies who wished to exploit those weaknesses.
He knew he had to start being there for his siblings instead of pushing them away and making them hate him.
"When are we going give Stefan his memories back?" Niklaus asked after a few moments.
"It'll destroy him, knowing that he killed your brother." Isabelle said with a frown making him nod.
"It would, but some day or the other we'll have to return his memories. Truth be told, I miss our little group." Niklaus had a sad smile remembering the happy times.
"I know, me too. Let's just hope we find the right time when we can give him his memories back." Isabelle said as she wrapped her arm around his, putting her head on his shoulder.
"By the way, what would you like to say about this?" Niklaus asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he brought out the picture of her and Elijah, that Kol had sent him in the morning, making her eyes widen.
"Where the fuck did you get that?" Isabelle shrieked.
"Kol sent it to me, this morning. Care to elaborate?" Niklaus asked with an eyebrow raised. Isabelle sighed.
"It's nothing really. We were just all watching a movie and we might have fallen asleep. That's just it."
"Oh? Is that so? So that means there's nothing going on between my brother and you?" Niklaus asked as he smirked at her.
"Look, I'll admit that your brother is really sweet and sinfully hot and definitely my type, but, I am not ready to be involved with him. Or with anyone for that matter. Not yet. Not ever." Isabelle admitted making him sigh.
"It's been ten years, Izzy." Niklaus said with a sigh.
"It still hurts the same, Nik." Isabelle said looking at him with glassy eyes.
"Come here." Niklaus pulled her in a hug.
"Now you listen to me Isabelle Lightwood, one day, there will be a man that'll enter your life and sweep you off of your feet and love you like you deserve to be loved. He'll treat you like the Queen you are and bathe in the darkness that resides in you and it'll be so perfect, that his love would bring back all of your broken pieces together. Although, he'll get a good amount of instructions and necessary threats from me before doing any of it, but it'll all happen." Isabelle chuckled through her tears at his last words before hugging him.
"Oh, Nikki. What would've happened had I not met you?" Isabelle said pulling away, looking at him with a smile.
"Well, let's just say your life would've been utterly boring!" Both of them laughed at that.
Isabelle and Niklaus were truly a pair. None of them could possibly live a day without caring about the other.
They were each other's greatest strengths and biggest weaknesses. Yet, their friendship had conquered battles unimaginable.
⚜⚜⚜
Isabelle was leaving the Mikaelson home when she found Elijah in the garden, sitting on a bench, looking up in the sky, deep in thought.
She walked up to him and stood behind him placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Isabelle." He greeted, looking up at her as she stood behind him.
"How are you, Elijah?" She asked as she moved around the bench and sat beside him.
"I don't know, Isa, Finn was my brother and now he's dead. I don't even remember the last time I told him that I cared about him or that I loved him. For a thousand years I've been the eldest of the family, but it was all that I learned from Finn. When we were human, Finn was the eldest. Keeping us together, making sure of our happiness. And now, he's just gone." Elijah had let his guard down, he had let Isabelle in and he didn't even know why. He just felt like he could, so he did.
Isabelle gathered his hand in hers and entwined them, tracing circles at the back of his with her thumb.
"Life is all about the moments we've cherished and the things we've lost, Elijah. Immortality too doesn't make us immune to death. Even I, am not immune to it. Finn was a good man and he certainly deserved to live more. You're once again the eldest, Elijah but that doesn't mean that you can't feel pain or loss."
"I just wish it didn't have to be like this." Elijah said leaning his head back, closing his eyes.
"But it is, and we'll just have to live with it. Try to look past the pain until one day, it stops hurting. Besides, I'm here for you. For all of you." Isabelle said, squeezing his hand in reassurance.
"How can you be so caring and selfless, Isa?" Elijah said looking at her with a small smile.
"I am not selfless, Elijah. It's just the fact that you Mikaelsons have a really bad habit of charming people into caring for you all." Elijah chuckled slightly.
"I called Kol, he was upset but you were right, he wouldn't do anything rash and since my mother could still be around that area, I asked Kol to stay there to protect Jeremy. He was rather happy, he said he finally had a friend after centuries." Elijah said with a smile.
"And you talk about me being selfless. You lost your brother, still you made sure to keep mine protected. Thank you, Elijah. It means a lot." Isabelle said as she leaned in and placed a small kiss on his cheek, her lips lingering for a moment longer.
Elijah felt jolts of sensations run through his body the moment her soft lips made contact with his skin. He knew he would never be able to get enough of her.
It was a dark day for the Mikaelsons, but Isabelle Lightwood was there as the light at the end of the tunnel.
❇❇❇❇
Awww such a fluffy and mushy morning. Kol clicking pictures and Jeremy being the responsible brother to an Original. Lol. They're so cute it makes me cry.
Isabelle defending Kol! Loved it.
The Coven of the Fae woods? Yeah, you're at Isabelle's mercy bitches. Show some respect. Why you helpin' Esther.
Yass Isabelle, show them hell girl. Inora ain't the Queen. You are.
Elijah loving the fiesty side of his woman. Such a couple. They fit so well.
Oh boy the gang got the White Oak. Damn man!
My poor Finn. You didn't deserve to die big brother. Isabelle's pain hurts me so much.
Oohhh looks like Isabelle's gonna spoil her amazing heels today.
Stefan knows his memory's wiped clean. Dun dun dun. Isabelle knows how to punish man.
That Klizzy moment! Why? Why do I not have a best friend like Nik. Get me a Nik someone.
Isabelle being their for the Mikaelsons and protecting them. I love how she cares for them all. Rebelle bonding gives me life.
Elijah being weak in front of Isabelle. Yeah that's your woman Mikaelson, she's gonna pick you up and help you through it all.
What did you all think of the chapter. Which bond do you love the most? Vote and comment.
Love, Devu.