⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ (xiii. the consequences of meddling)
'IF WE SHOULD DIE TONIGHT,THEN WE SHOULD ALL DIE TOGETHER'
𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗖'𝗦 𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧, Damon was laid on the floor unconscious as Thea sat on the couch in front of him with her head in her hands. "Hey, Damon!" Katherine called as she fed him a blood bag which she found hidden in one of the cupboards.
"Hey, Damon!" the doppelganger spoke more firmly as she slapped him on the cheek to wake him. The Salvatore vampire gasped as he sat up causing Katherine to fall back as Thea lifted her head.
Damon frowned as he noticed the tears gathered in Thea's eyes. "What the hell happened?" the raven-haired vampire demanded as he turned from Thea back towards Katherine, searching for an answer.
"He's gone. He went to do the ritual," Katherine replied in an urgent tone as Damon furrowed his brows.
"I'm sorry, I had to," the doppelganger began to apologise, only confusing Damon further, "he would have known that I was on vervain if I didn't do it."
Damon frowned as he began to pull himself to his feet, "do what?" the vampire questioned curiously. "Klaus. He made me call her to lure her out," Katherine explained with a firm tone, "he needed another vampire."
Thea hung her head low as guilty tears began to fall from her eyes once again. Noticing his friends devastated expression, Damon looked from Thea back to Katherine with a slightly panicked look, "who did you call?"
Katherine refused to answer, keeping silent as she backed away from him slightly. Damon scowled, narrowing his eyes as he gripped her arm tightly.
"Who did you call, Katherine?" the raven-haired vampire demanded with a seething tone. As Katherine stayed silent, another tear fell from Thea's eye.
"Jenna," the Lockwood teen spoke up in a broken tone, drawing Damon's attention towards her, "he took Jenna." At her revelation, Damon's eyes widened as he shook his head in denial.
"He should've used me," the Salvatore vampire remarked as he began to pace around the open space, "why didn't he use me?" Thea shook her head as more tears filled in her eyes, "he couldn't," the brunette replied.
"Damon, he said you were as good as dead," Katherine repeated what Klaus had stated before he left, causing the raven-haired vampire to frown in confusion.
"What does that even mean?" Damon retorted angrily - annoyed, and guilty that his tempering with Klaus' plan had put Jenna in danger.
"What does that mean?" Katherine repeated in annoyance as she grabbed his arm, turning it over to show Damon the bite on his forearm.
"What is this, Damon?" the doppelganger asked, her tone slightly fearful as she raised her eyebrow at the vampire. Damon froze for a moment, his brows creased as he looked at the bite on his arm.
"It's a werewolf bite," the Salvatore vampire replied with a heavy sigh causing Thea to bite her bottom lip, tears cascading down her face as she realised the implications.
. . .
After leaving Alaric's apartment, Thea quickly made her way out to the old witch house to help Bonnie and Jeremy find a way to stop Elena from returning as a vampire.
The wolf felt as if it was the least she could do in return for meddling in Klaus' plan.
The brunette didn't necessarily regret saving her brother and Caroline from Klaus' sacrifice - however, she did feel sorrowful and guilty that Klaus had chosen to use Jenna as a replacement.
"Why did he take Jenna?" Bonnie asked with furrowed brows as she stood outside the old witch house with Stefan, Elijah, and Thea. The Lockwood teen sighed heavily, puffy-eyed and exhausted with the amount of crying she'd done that evening.
"A punishment for meddling," Elijah commented causing the witch's frown to deepen in questioning.
"Klaus was going to use Tyler and Caroline," Thea informed her best friend with a heavy sigh, a troubled expression on her face, "but Damon and I rescued them."
"Then we need to go, now," Bonnie insisted as she looked from Thea back towards Elijah and Stefan, "before Jenna's been sacrificed." Thea sighed once again, unable to shake the guilt she currently felt.
"I can kill Klaus myself," Bonnie stated with assured confidence causing Stefan to shake his head in denial as he took a step towards her. "Bonnie...if you use that much power, you'll be dead," the Salvatore vampire explained
"We've already been through this. It's not an option," Stefan stated firmly causing Bonnie to scoff in disbelief.
"Neither is letting Jenna die," the Bennett witch remarked with a stern tone as Thea faltered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself as she cast her gaze towards the floor awkwardly.
"Well, Stefan would agree with you," Elijah spoke up causing both Bonnie and Thea to turn their attention towards him. Both teens frowned in confusion, unsure of what Elijah meant before they turned back towards Stefan curiously.
"We're going to offer another vampire," Stefan informed the two brunettes softly, "one that he'll want more." Bonnie and Thea both continued to frown in confusion as Stefan emitted a heavy sigh.
"Me," the youngest Salvatore revealed. Bonnie's eyes widened at the vampire as Thea's breath hitched.
"No..." Thea trailed in devastation as she repeatedly shook her head, unable to shake the feeling that their current situation was entirely her fault.
. . .
"This is all my fault," Thea muttered brokenly as she sat on the grass verge outside the old witch house with Stefan sat next to her. The Salvatore vampire shook his head as he looked at the Lockwood teen sympathetically.
"No, hey," Stefan began as he nudged Thea's shoulder softly with his own, trying to gain the brunette's attention. "This is Klaus," the vampire corrected her with a firm tone, assuring her that none of this was her fault.
"He could've chosen anyone," Stefan continued with a bitter tone, "he took Jenna just to show us that he could." Thea sniffled, attempting to control her tears as she stared out into the open woodland.
"I'm so sorry, Stefan," the Lockwood teen cried; heartbroken by the fact that Stefan was ready to go hand himself over to Klaus in replace for Jenna.
Stefan had been a great friend to Thea over the past year. He was like another brother to her. She didn't want to lose him.
Stefan sighed sympathetically as he shifted closer to the wolf, hugging her into his side as Thea rested her head on his shoulder, crying softly.
The two friends were silent for a while before Elijah exited the witch house, interrupting their moment.
"Bonnie did the locator spell," Elijah informed the Salvatore vampire, "they're at Steven's Quarry." Stefan nodded as he unwrapped his arm from around Thea, standing up so that he was face to face with the original.
"I'll head over there first and you'll follow with Bonnie when its time," Stefan repeated the plan they'd formed a little while ago. Elijah nodded his head in confirmation, "just as the moon hits its final phase," the vampire confirmed.
"She's to stay hidden until then. He cannot know that she's alive," Elijah reminded Stefan of the importance of keeping Bonnie a secret.
Stefan nodded, sending Thea a smile in goodbye before he sped away from view.
Thea emitted a shaky breath, wiping her eyes as she sniffled slightly. "You didn't tell him there was a possibility you wouldn't make it through this," Elijah realised as he held a hand out towards the wolf, "why?"
The Lockwood teen smiled as she took his hand, pulling herself to her feet as she brushed the dirt from her leggings.
"Because he would have tried to stop me," Thea revealed with a small shrug, knowing Stefan would've never allowed her to go through with her plan.
"We've both decided to save those we care about. I'm happy knowing that my family and my friends will be safe once this is all over," the brunette stated with a small smile, having made peace with her decision to give her life in replace of everyone else's.
Elijah stared at the teen for a moment; critically evaluating the expression on her face. "You're very honourable," the original complimented with a small smile.
The vampire had never come across such a being as Thea Lockwood in his entire existence, and he wondered whether he ever would again.
"Are you?" Thea retorted with a raised brow as she eyed the vampire critically.
"Because this whole plan is contingent upon your honour, Elijah," the brunette commented as she eyed the original wearily, reminding Elijah that his honour was vital to their plan working.
"I won't fail you," Elijah assured the teen with a firm tone; sincerity in every syllable he spoke. "Klaus is your brother," Thea pointed out as she continued to press, "I know I've wanted to kill my brother a thousand times."
Elijah frowned as his expression hardened, "well, Klaus was not my only brother," the original stated as he gritted his teeth. "I had siblings; parents. I had a family," Elijah spoke with a bitter tone as he looked at Thea distantly.
"Over the centuries, Klaus hunted them down one by one and he took them from me," the vampire revealed, earning a sympathetic look from the teen in response.
"He scattered them across the seas where their bodies could not be found," Elijah stated with a heavy sigh.
Thea was silent for a moment, evaluating Elijah's body language as she processed his words. "You want revenge," the brunette realised with a knowing expression, earning a curt nod from the original in response.
"Sometimes there's honour in revenge, Thea," Elijah spoke wisely with a small, reassuring smile, "I won't fail you."
At his reassurance, Thea nodded her head thankfully, offering the vampire a small smile before re-entering the witch house.
. . .
A little while later, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Thea had been joined by Damon and John; the latter having brought a box full of Johnathan Gilbert's old journals.
"We found something in the Gilbert Journals," Bonnie informed Damon as he leant casually against the back wall of the basement.
"Johnathan journaled the story of a mother who called on Emily's services," Thea began to explain as she sat on the old abandoned couch beside Bonnie, looking up at Damon as he listened intently.
"The woman's baby was sick; dying," John spoke up, continuing on the explanation, "Emily cast a spell that would bind the woman's life force with her child." Damon huffed, rolling his eyes in annoyance as his patience began to wear thin.
"Skip to the save Elena part," the eldest Salvatore muttered in annoyance causing Thea to roll her eyes. "Well, the child died," John continued with a sigh, "but the mother's life force flowed through her, restoring her to life."
Damon furrowed his brows at his revelation, a look of deep curiosity on his face. "We already know Elena's going to come back to life," Jeremy added as he leant against the dusty desk on the opposite side of the room, "but she'll be a vampire."
"Not if her soul remains intact," John stated firmly with a sense of assurance causing Damon to scoff in disbelief.
"Her soul? Really?" the Salvatore vampire remarked as he eyed John sceptically, "you're going to put your faith in some act of God mumbo jumbo?"
John narrowed his eyes at the raven-haired vampire as he began to walk menacingly towards him, closing the gap between Damon and himself until he was stood directly in front of him.
"I refuse to let Elena become the thing I've spent my life protecting her against," John stated firmly as he narrowed his eyes at Damon ruefully.
"And you can call that God, or mystical energy, whatever you want," the man trailed with a shrug, "but yes...I'm putting my faith in it."
Damon scowled as John turned around, walking back towards Bonnie to begin the spell.
Thea sat back against the couch in mild shock; surprised that John Gilbert had finally stepped up to play the role of Elena's father.
. . .
Still in the basement of the old witch house, Bonnie had her hands placed on either side of John's head as she chanted the spell to link Elena's life to his. Thea, Damon, and Jeremy were stood by watching idly as they had nothing else to do.
"Come on, Bonnie," Damon muttered impatiently as he began to click his fingers, "we got a hybrid to kill."
Thea rolled her eyes at her friend's impatience; offering him a pointed look in which to tell him to be tolerant of the current situation at play.
Damon rolled his eyes in annoyance but listened to the brunette, nonetheless, moving back so he was stood by her side as Bonnie continued her spell.
Not long after, Bonnie suddenly opened her eyes as she dropped her hands. "It's done," the Bennett witch revealed as she stepped away from John.
"That's it?" Damon frowned curiously, earning a curt nod from Bonnie in response. "Alright, let's go," the raven-haired vampire stated as he turned to walk out of the basement.
Thea followed behind him, making her way upstairs as Bonnie cast a spell on Jeremy to keep him inside the house. Once upstairs, Damon and Thea made their way out of the house with Bonnie not far behind them; none of them sparing Elijah or Alaric a glance.
"Its time," Elijah informed Alaric as he noticed the three supernaturals exit the house, following after them.
"Alright," Alaric spoke as he followed Elijah down the corridor towards the exit, "I got the weapons in the car," the man announced with a confident tone.
"Bonnie's the only weapon we need," Elijah remarked as he exited the witch house, joining Thea, Damon, and Bonnie. As Alaric attempted to follow him out, he found himself crashing into an invisible barrier around the door.
The history teacher frowned in confusion as he placed his hand against the barrier, finding himself stuck inside. "Bonnie!" Alaric called out as he furrowed his eyes at the teen witch who had begun to walk away, "what is this?"
Bonnie frowned sympathetically as she turned back to face the man, "I can't put anyone else at risk," the witch spoke sadly.
Alaric shook his head adamantly, "I can't stay here with Jenna out there!" the man shouted desperately as he began to bang against the barrier.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie frowned at him sympathetically, though she didn't make any effort to lift the barrier. "You can't do this!" Alaric shouted desperately, a pleading expression on his face as he turned towards Damon, "Damon?"
The raven-haired vampire shrugged at his friend, not wanting anyone else placed in harm's way. "Sorry, buddy," Damon replied with a shrug, "she's right."
As Damon, Bonnie, Thea, and Elijah turned to walk away Alaric began to hit the doorframe angrily.
"Please end this," the Lockwood teen ordered the three supernatural beings as they stopped a little further in the woods.
With what they had planned, Thea thought it best not for her to go with them to the Quarry; knowing that Bonnie would never complete the spell if she saw it was affecting Thea too.
Instead, Thea was going to guard the witch house, ensuring Alaric, John, and Jeremy remained inside. Elijah offered the teen a small smile, nodding his head at her in goodbye as Bonnie pulled the brunette in for a hug.
"Don't do anything stupid," Damon remarked as he raised a brow at her earning a scoff from Thea in response.
The Lockwood teen moved closer towards him, pulling the vampire in for a hug; making sure to say goodbye properly for she wasn't certain whether she'd see him again after this.
"Bring her home, Dames," Thea demanded softly as she hugged the Salvatore vampire tightly. Damon nodded as he wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the comfort he felt in her arms before he, Bonnie, and Elijah took off once again.
. . .
"I'm sorry about Jenna, Ric," the Lockwood teen apologised for what felt like the millionth time as she sat across from her history teacher by the entrance of the old witch house.
Alaric frowned, sighing as he lifted his gaze from the floor to meet Thea's eyes. "It's not your fault, T," Alaric replied with a reassuring tone as he offered the brunette a small smile.
"Klaus would've found a way to hurt us whether you and Damon rescued Tyler and Caroline or not," the history teacher spoke with a bitter tone, "that's just what the bad guys do."
Thea frowned, nodding her head in agreement as she thought about the hybrid. After meeting him and hearing his story, it was as though her heart and mind were left at opposing ends of a battlefield.
The erratic beating of her heart every time he was around her was enough to prove that she was attracted to him.
The history Elijah had shared, along with what she already knew from the recurring dreams she'd had enabled the teen to grasp an understanding of why Klaus had become the way he was.
But her mind was screaming at her to focus on all the monstrous things he had done. He had ordered his witch to harm her mom to lure her twin back to town so he could sacrifice him and her two best friends.
He had kidnapped and turned Jenna into a vampire purely because she had wanted to save her family from his monstrous ways.
The way he acted as though he could do anything he wanted, knowing nobody could stop him, absolutely infuriated the Lockwood teen.
She realised then that Klaus didn't have any redeeming qualities. Whether she was his soulmate or not; she wanted nothing to do with him.
Suddenly, Thea's shoulder snapped backwards as her bones broke causing the brunette to cry out in pain. Alaric's eyes widened in a mixture of concern and shock as he shifted upright; beginning to make his way over to the teen before she shook her head in denial.
"Don't," Thea gasped in pain as she placed her hand on the wall beside her, attempting to find a grip so that she could pull herself to her feet. "Stay back, Ric," the brunette groaned in pain as he bones continued to break and shift.
Realising her transition was beginning, Thea pulled herself to her feet; crashing into the wall as she let out another wail of pain. Ignoring her words, Alaric stood to his feet, walking over to the teen so that he could help her.
With Alaric's help, Thea managed to scramble outside of the old witch's house, crashing to the floor once again as her back arched painfully. Knowing he was unable to help, Alaric watched with an expression of concern and confusion.
Obviously, he knew that Thea was a werewolf - but her transition shouldn't have happened so late. The moon was practically past its apex, which was commonly when werewolves would return to their human state; not begin their shift.
There was clearly something wrong, but considering he was trapped inside the witch house, Alaric couldn't do anything but watch as Thea continued to groan in pain.
Suddenly, her transition stopped as all the pain she previously felt multiplied and rushed to her head instead.
Crouched on the floor, Thea wailed agonisingly as she gripped her head in pain causing Alaric's eyes to widen. "Thea?" the history teacher called out in worry as he watched the teen helplessly, "Thea, what's happening?"
Thea groaned, tears falling from her eyes as a result of the raw, agonising pain she felt in her head. Though she was unable to answer him, Thea knew exactly what was happening.
Due to the soulmate bond, the wolf could feel all the pain that Klaus himself felt; confirming her theory that she would die when he did.
And though the pain she felt was agonising, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved for the pain meant that Bonnie had managed to take Klaus down.
Soon, he would be gone, and so would their current problems.
"Thea!" Alaric shouted as he began to pound against the doorframe, looking at the teen desperately as blood began to pool in her mouth. The brunette spluttered, gasping for breath as she began to feel a sharp twist on her heart.
As the teen continued to choke on her blood, John suddenly arrived by the doorframe, watching with wide eyes as Alaric continued to bang against the barrier.
"What's happening to her?" Alaric questioned frantically as he turned to look at John who continued to watch the teen in shock.
"They've got him," John muttered softly in slight relief; knowing that their plan to take down Klaus was working. Alaric furrowed his brows in confusion as he looked at the Gilbert man before his eyes widened in realisation.
"No..." Alaric trailed, his voice barely above a whisper as he turned back towards the Lockwood teen whose body had crumpled to the floor; unconscious as a result of the pain.
. . .
After realising that the soulmate bond between Klaus and Thea had more implications than the group first realised, Alaric had not shifted from his space in front of the door.
The history teacher continued to watch Thea's body from inside the house; praying for any movement that would reveal she was still alive.
Alaric had never felt more helpless than at that moment. His girlfriend, for all he knew, had been sacrificed on an altar of fire and Thea had practically bled out in front of his eyes.
Suddenly, the Lockwood teen's body began to twitch causing Alaric to gasp in surprise, a hopeful expression on his face as he continued to watch; praying it wasn't just a trick of his eyes.
Thea's body seemed to lift itself as her back arched painfully, emitting a painful groan from the Lockwood teen in response as her bones began to shift once again.
As the final bone in her body broke and replaced itself, Thea turned her head towards the silver moon.
Alaric's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and awe as he saw the white coat of Thea's wolf. Thea turned, her yellow eyes gleaming at Alaric as she stopped for a moment before running off into the woods.
. . .
FIRE AND ICE | THE FIRST ENCOUNTER
Ed Sheeran ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ i see fire