GRADUATION
[4×23]
MY PHONE BEGAN RINGING ON MY NEW NIGHTSTAND. I grabbed it, quickly answering. "Where are you?" Caroline yelled in my ear.
"Ow," I muttered.
"You said you would come back for the dance, but then you don't show up and Katherine mentioned something about you to Damon and Stefan and we are all worried about you," Caroline rambled in my ear.
I sighed, looking down at my stomach. I had no bump yet, but I knew it would be there eventually. "It's a long story," I told her.
"Then tell me, and are you going to be back for my graduation?" she wondered.
My eyes widened. "Your graduation. Oh, I completely forgot. Things have been crazy, Care, and I have been trapped in a house with Klaus and I don't know," I said.
"Wait, Klaus, as in Klaus Mikaelson?" she asked.
"Yep, long story."
"I have time," she told me.
"How about I come to your graduation and explain everything?" I could almost hear my little sister rolling her eyes at me.
"Fine. It better be a good story," she told me.
"Oh, it will be," I said.
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I called Sophie and had her come over so we could talk. "I need to go to my sister's graduation," I told her. We were sitting in my room. Klaus was out somewhere, I wasn't sure where.
"Hayley's graduating?" she asked.
"No, my adoptive sister, Caroline," I corrected.
"As long as it is in New Orleans, I don't see a problem," she told me.
"There's the thing, it isn't," I said.
"I'm not undoing the link and letting my one thing I have on Klaus go just so you can go to some stupid graduation," Sophie said.
"That is why I was thinking that maybe, you could just go with me and enjoy the lovely town of Mystic Falls for a few days," I offered.
"Not a chance," she said.
I stood up and moved to where I was standing over her. "Look, I have not seen my daughter for over a month. I am going to this graduation, getting my daughter, and telling my sister and mom that I'm pregnant in person. And if I don't, I will make sure that you do not get anything you want from Klaus. I have helped take down Katherine Peirce and Esther Mikaelson. Do not doubt me right now," I told the witch.
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"Klaus," I said, finding him in his study.
"Yes, little wolf?" he asked from his seat.
"I think we need to talk," I said.
"About what?"
"I want to go to Mystic Falls," I admitted.
"Well, we both know that won't happen. You're linked to that witch, Sophie," he said.
"But, if I wasn't, would you be okay with that?" I asked.
"Absolutely not. I don't care if it is your mother's birthday. I have business, I want you here where you're safe," he told me.
"Was that your way of trying to pretend to care?" I wondered, smirking at him.
He stood up, moving past me. "I'm really not in the mood, Rory. Under no circumstances are you to return to Mystic Falls in the next few weeks."
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Me and Hayley got out of the car and walked towards my mom's house. We had dropped Sophie at a hotel. I had lied and told her this adventure had been approved by Klaus. I had also bribed her with some witch stuff I had gotten from Bonnie.
The house was quiet and empty, meaning Caroline was doing her Student Council duty, while Mom was doing her Sheriff duty. I found a place for my stuff and told Hayley to settle in, before heading out to find my sister.
I went to Mystic Falls high school and found her passing out yearbooks. I got into the line to buy one and waited till it was my turn. "How many you want?" she asked, not even looking up from what she was doing.
"Well, for one thing I would like a sister who actually pays attention to me when I show up unexpectedly after being missing," I said.
She grinned, realizing I was actually me. She ran around the table to hug me. "Oh, I wasn't sure you were going to make it," she told me.
"Neither was I. I had to negotiate my way here with one person, then go behind another's back. I wonder if Klaus will even notice I'm gone."
"Why would he even care?" she wondered.
"Well, that's what I was hoping to talk to you and mom about. You think we could all have dinner tonight?" I asked.
"Of course. She can fake being a mom for five minutes to eat dinner with her daughters," Caroline said.
"Go easy on her. We're a lot to handle," I reminded.
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Later that day I headed home and was surprised to learn that my key was still where I had left it. I unlocked the front door and walked inside. "Mom?" I asked.
"In the kitchen," she called.
"Hayley?" No response, so I guessed she was out looking around town. I headed into the kitchen. "I'm back," I announced to my mom.
She smiled and came to hug me. "Nice to have you back. You owe me babysitting money," she said.
I laughed nervously. "So, where is she?" I wondered.
"She's in your room. I put her down a few hours ago, so she is probably about to wake up," she told me.
I smiled and headed in that direction. I peaked in her crib to see that she was awake. She reached up for me, a wide smile on her face. I picked her up, hugging her. "Oh, I missed you," I told her, kissing her on the head.
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It wasn't too long after that that Caroline came home. We all sat down for our extra awkward dinner. I didn't even know where to start explaining everything to them. Klaus had killed so many people, and here I was pregnant with his kid. He had killed the grandmother of my first child, yet I still let myself get dragged into this situation.
So, the four of us ate in silence until I was about to snap. "Ok, so I guess I will start at the beginning," I said, making everyone look up in surprise.
"Klaus did me a little favor by helping keep me and Hayley safe and while he was at it he saw that weird birthmark on my back. Me, Hayley and Lilly all three have it, and he said it meant we were from a certain pack in Louisiana. Me and Hayley headed there, stopping in New Orleans first, of course.
"I didn't even realize that this one place we liked was run by witches. They gave us a tip to look in the bayou, and we were desperate enough to check. That night they kidnapped us," I admitted.
My mother's eyes widened. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" she asked.
"They threatened to, and still are, but it wasn't us they were after. They want Klaus' help because they have a vampire problem. They knew they could use me to make him do whatever they wanted."
Caroline scoffed. "Klaus would let them kill you before he let himself be manipulated," she reminded.
I nodded. "Me, maybe. His baby, apparently not," I told them.
Both of their eyes seemed to get twice as large. "His baby?" my mom asked.
"The night Klaus helped me, I might have spent the night there. I'm pregnant, and it is his," I told them.
I couldn't really tell what either was thinking, until Caroline made a face and asked, "You slept with Klaus?"
I couldn't help it, but I started laughing at that and so did she. Hayley and our mom looked at us like we were crazy people. "Yeah, and I thought Tyler was a bad choice," I said making us laugh harder.
We both eventually quit, noticing the way our mother was looking at us. "Can you just say it and get it over with?" I asked. I remembered how well this conversation had gone three years ago.
"What am I supposed to say?" she asked.
I shrugged. "You're supposed to pretend to be happy for me, because other than my witch problems I'm actually kind of excited. But from how you're looking at me I'm guessing that's not gonna be how this goes," I said.
"How am I supposed to react to finding out my daughter is pregnant at eighteen and not even in a stable relationship?" my mom asked.
"I was hoping better than finding out she was pregnant at sixteen and not in a stable relationship," I snapped. I stopped when I felt Caroline's hand on mine. I looked at her and realized she was giving me that look that told me to stop and take a breath, which I did.
"Look," I said, "I handled having Lilly and I handled raising her by myself. And while Tyler may never be, for the time being Klaus seems to want to be a part of his kid's life. If you don't like my choices, then fine. I moved out already. I'll just take my stuff to the Salvatore's."
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I went into my room and got my stuff together before getting Lilly's. Hayley walked in after a few minutes. "You're leaving," she said.
"Yep. You coming with?" I wondered.
She nodded. "I would rather not be murdered by Klaus because I left you alone," she said.
I smiled. "Hurry up then."
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I walked into the Salvatore Boarding House, Hayley following behind me and Lilly on my hip. A blonde girl was dancing while Bon Jovi played on the radio. Stefan was sitting on the couch drinking. "Who's that?" I asked him.
"Lexi," he said.
"Dead Lexi?" I asked. I had heard about Stefan's best friend Lexi who had died before I came back to town.
"Yep."
I nodded as she waved at me. "Huh," I muttered.
"Hi," she said.
I smiled. "Pick a room," I told Hayley, before turning to Stefan. "The three of us are staying a few days. Can I ask who decided to bring her back from the dead?"
"All dead supernaturals are back from the dead for the day in Mystic Falls," he explained.
"Oh, so I picked a great day to bring my children to this town," I said.
"Children?"
"I'm pregnant," I explained.
He nodded. "Tyler?"
"No, I am not going to sleep with my sister's boyfriend, even if I already had a kid with him. I slept with Klaus," I told him, bluntly.
"I don't think I am drunk enough for this conversation," he admitted.
"At least you're allowed to get drunk," I said, before turning to head upstairs.
I ran into Damon by accident. "Did I just hear you say you're pregnant with the devil's spawn?" he asked.
"I'm going upstairs," I said, glaring at him. "My bags are in the car, you should get them for your tired, pregnant, best friend whose baby you just insulted."
"You love me," he said.
I covered Lilly's ears before smiling sweetly at him. "Asshole." Pregnancy hormones were definitely kicking in and it was not helping my mood.
I made my way up to my room. I took one of the blankets off the bed and layed it on the floor before sitting Lilly down on it and pulling a few of her toys out of her bag. "There you go, baby." I smiled at her before heading back downstairs.
There was a knock at the door and Damon opened it. I didn't even see who it was and barely heard what Damon said before I heard the gunshot. "Vaughn."
I had heard about the vampire hunter Damon had left to die while they were searching for the cure, and apparently the hunter had decided to visit Mystic Falls to come back from the dead for a day. I ran towards Damon, wanting to help.
"I got a message for you, laddie, straight from the mouth of the witch Qetsiyah," Vaughn said.
He noticed me and moved the gun in my direction. I held my hands up in surrender. "Human, and pregnant for that matter," I said.
I looked at Damon, who was clearly in pain from being shot in the shoulder. I mouthed an I'm sorry, and he nodded in understanding. I wanted to help him, but at the same time I had Lilly upstairs and Klaus' baby occupying my womb. I wasn't about to leave Lilly without someone to protect her. I wasn't sure what to think about Klaus' kid, but I knew if I got myself or it hurt it wouldn't be my head on the line. It would be Damon and Hayley's.
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Me and Damon were sitting on the couch. Damon picked the bullet out of his shoulder, making me wince. "Yeah, borrowed it from my jarhead friend Connor. Shoots wood like lead," Vaughn told us, showing off his gun.
"Come on, man," Damon said, looking at the wound. "I didn't kill you."
"No, but you left me in the well on that island, where I starved to death. There I was, all alone on the other side till Quetsiyah found me and reminded me of my supernatural destiny. Cure Silas and then kill Silas, end of story."
We all three heard a noise from upstairs, and I immediately knew what it was. Lilly. Vaughn turned in that direction, and I stood up. He turned back and pointed the gun back in my direction. I froze. "It's my daughter. She's two, she is probably just yelling for me because she is hungry," I explained.
He gave me a suspicious look and took a step closer. I noticed Damon starting to get to his feet and I quickly stopped him. If Vaughn got a good shot in he could kill him, this was going to be my problem first.
"Why do I sense that you're lying to me? Not just about the kid, but about whatever you are," Vaughn said to me.
I tried my hardest to keep my eyes focused on him as I noticed who had just entered the room. "Maybe," I began, taking my time, "because I did. I'm not a human. I'm a werewolf, and unlike you I have supernatural hearing. That means that I actually knew when one of the two other vampires in this house entered the room."
Just as I finished, Stefan ripped his heart out from behind. I smiled at him. "Good timing." I stepped around him and ran upstairs to check on Lilly.
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I walked down the hall to find Elena, Damon, and a living Jeremy talking about something. "Jeremy," I said, hugging him. While the two of us weren't overly close, I had still been sad to find out he had died.
Elena and me looked at each other. "You're back," she acknowledged.
I nodded. "Yep, I came back to get my daughter and see Care graduate, before I get dragged back to my prison in New Orleans," I said.
"What are you talking about?" Jeremy wondered.
"She's living with Klaus now," Damon said, smirking.
I gave him a look as Elena and Jeremy looked at me with slight concern. "I don't get a choice in the matter. These witches want me to help them blackmail Klaus, and given the fact that I'm giving birth to his kid in eight months, I can," I explained.
"A lot changed while I was dead," Jeremy muttered. Elena just looked shocked.
"Can we all get back to the matter at hand? I thought I heard something about how you actually found the cure," I told them.
Damon suddenly groaned, rolling the shoulder he had been shot in. "What was that?" I wondered.
"Nothing," he told me.
"Take off your shirt," Elena said.
"Elena, there are children present," he said, his eyes moving to me and Jeremy.
"Not like I haven't seen it before," I said.
Elena gave me a look before moving his shirt away from the bullet hole in his shoulder. "Damon, why isn't this healed?" she wondered.
"Because the bullet was laced with werewolf venom, ok?"
All of us stared at him, now worried. "We need Klaus, we need his blood," Elena said, turning towards me and Jeremy.
"Klaus would rather see me die," Damon said.
"I'll threaten the guy, it isn't like I don't hold leverage over him right now," I said, refusing to believe my best friend might die.
"He is a thousand miles away, sipping a hurricane on Bourbon Street," Damon reminded.
"That will kill you," Elena said.
"What about the cure?" Jeremy wondered. We all turned to look at the youngest Gilbert.
"He's right," I said.
"If you're human, the werewolf venom won't hurt you," Elena added.
"And here I was so moved by your speech to save mankind. Sounds like Vaughn's awake," he said and headed towards the door.
"Damon, wait," Elena yelled.
That didn't stop him. "Damon Salvatore, you make me chase after you and I will kick your ass!"
Damon ignored me too, even as I chased after him screaming threats. He tossed the cure to Vaughn once we were downstairs. "What are you doing?" I snapped.
"Picking up Silas," Damon responded. We all stared at him. "Coming, Vaughn, or not?"
Vaughn followed him out the door, just as Elena reached us. We all stared at each other.
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I sat on Damon's bed, the phone to my ear. I called Klaus every name in the book, while making every threat I could. He wouldn't pick up and I was not about to let Damon die. I finally gave up after about twenty voice mails and went downstairs.
Stefan and Elena were talking about what was going to happen to Damon. I could tell I was catching the end of the conversation. "Then it is settled. You're going to your graduation," Jeremy said, entering the room the same time as me. He was holding Elena's cap and gown.
"Gradua- no, Jer. I never even sent in my college applications," Elena told him.
I made a face. "I didn't either and I had my daughter sitting with my mom watching me as I graduated," I reminded.
"It just isn't a good time," Elena said.
"I don't care, Mom and Dad would kill you if there wasn't a photo of you in your graduation get-up," Jeremy told her.
"Jer, no, not if you can't be there," she said.
"Lexi will keep me company," he said.
She shook her head and I walked over to her. "I got pregnant at sixteen, found out I was a werewolf and my sister was a vampire at seventeen, got tangled up with the Mikaelsons and Salvatores and I still made it to my graduation. Stop whining. You're going," I said.
Elena sighed, before walking over to Jeremy and taking the cap and gown. "Let's go graduate," she said.
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I parked my car in the high school parking lot. I had braided my hair and put on a dark blue dress. I walked around and got Lilly out of her car seat. I had put her in a cute summer dress like mine and tried to tame her hair. It hadn't worked well.
"You ready?" I asked, as we started across the parking lot. "I know these things are kind of boring, but you're going to get to see your aunt Caroline graduate."
I found us a seat and clapped like crazy as all my friends got their diplomas. "Go, Care," I screamed as my sister walked across the stage. She looked embarrassed as everyone laughed at me.
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I was calling Klaus for the millionth time, Lilly pulling at my braid. He wasn't answering and I didn't know what to do. Damon didn't have much time left. "Klaus, I swear if you do not answer this stupid phone I am going to shove that stupid cure down your freaking throat," I growled into the phone. My curse words were being replaced by the word stupid since Lilly could hear my phone calls now.
I gave up and started walking towards where my friends were. I found Stefan, Elena and Caroline bent over in pain because of a witch's spell.
"Remember us, Caroline?" asked one of the witches. Her head was sliced off by a graduation cap almost as soon as the words left her mouth. I turned to face Klaus.
"There are plenty more of these to go around," he said, holding up another cap. "Who's next? I can do this all day."
I looked at him nervously and he sent me a look. "The two of us need to have a talk," he said.
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Me and Klaus were standing in the football field. Alaric had brought Damon by and Klaus had cured him. Lilly had been falling asleep and had been all too happy to go home with uncle Alaric and uncle Damon. I knew I probably shouldn't leave my two year old with two drunks, but they were headed back to the house where Stefan and Lexi, who were both surprisingly good with kids, would be waiting.
"What were you thinking?" Klaus asked.
"I hadn't seen my daughter in months, I'm pregnant, being threatened by witches, and my sister was graduating. I wanted my family, Klaus," I said.
"You could have gotten hurt, does that not concern you at all?" he asked.
"Of course it does, but I wasn't going to let you push me around. This isn't your child, it is ours. You're a Mikaelson. All you people care about is your family, can't you see that I need mine right now? I need my little sister who has always been there for me, and my daughter and my best friend even if he is an idiot. I need these people. You aren't going to force me to stay away from them anymore than I can force you to stay away from Rebekah or Elijah," I told him.
He sighed. "I wouldn't expect you to stay away from them. They're your family, but next time can you please have them come to New Orleans instead. Or, at least can you come here on a day when there aren't dead supernaturals walking around town," he asked.
I smiled and nodded. "And, I assume you want to spend the night here," he added.
"Yeah," I mumbled.
"And that you want to bring Lilly to New Orleans."
"She's my baby, Klaus. I can't leave her," I said.
"I understand. While we are on the topic of your daughter, I want to tell you something. Caroline sent me a letter inviting me here, and asking for a graduation gift. I think the best thing I can give the three of you is Tyler's freedom," he said.
"Are you serious?" I asked.
He nodded. "He is Lilly's father, along with both you and Caroline's first love. Just keep him out of my city," Klaus told me.
I grinned and pulled him into a hug. He was obviously surprised, but he eventually wrapped his arms around me. "Thank you, for everything you've done today," I said.
Klaus smiled and held me a little tighter. "You're welcome, little wolf," he said.
So Lilly and Rory are both now residents of New Orleans. Please vote and comment!