𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈
⏤ The Dinner Party ⏤
❝I think it's the alcohol.❞
𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 later, during yet another everlasting conversation, Olivia found herself once again attempting to pour herself a glass of alcohol unnoticeably, hoping the others were too consumed in their conversation to catch the subtle action.
She had been doing this for a moderate amount of time now and whilst in some cases, she was successful in her advances, other times Damon would catch her and either switch her glass with his own empty one or down the beverage before her actions would bring any attention to her, throwing her an annoyed glare simultaneously. Truthfully, he didn't particularly mind how much alcohol she consumed, he was simply aware that they had human guests ⏤ primarily Jenna who knew she was human and underage. Besides the look of irritation covering her features each and every time was undoubtedly worth it.
Elijah had also noticed her actions, smiling to himself each time she was successful in maintaining her drink. He couldn't help but be significantly amused and eventually somewhat partook in her actions. It became a sort of a game for them formed out of boredom or uninterest
The Original would occasionally aid Olivia in her attempts by distracting the others ⏤ usually by asking an inquisitive question or striking up an interesting conversation point to higher the chances of her success. It amused them both and made the dinner party a little more bearable for the time being.
Though the thought of having a mildly enjoyable time made Olivia internally sigh as she was enjoying her time with an Original vampire ⏤ one that would undoubtedly turn on her upon finding out the truth about what she really was; a tribrid. The very thing they had talked about the first time they had met.
"Would anyone care for some cognac? I have a bottle that I've been saving for ages." Damon then announced, looking across the faces of the others at the table as he got up from his seat.
"None for me thanks. Nine bottles of wine is my limit." Alaric stated in return.
"I, one the other hand am just getting started," Liv commented playfully, despite her being a seriousness lingering in the undertones of her voice.
Sometimes consuming an excessive amount of alcohol somewhat helped the tribrid. Despite having a high metabolism and having a higher immunity rate to the effects of alcohol, being a tribrid her body worked a little differently and consuming enough of it would stimulate similar feelings to how humans responded to alcohol. In some cases, she'd become irritable or impulsive and even lose some sense of control, and in other cases, she'd feel a little better; a little happier. Somehow it managed to help her remove the slightest bit of misery from her life and return to her the slightest bit of emotion.
"She's kidding," Damon resorted, directing his comment mainly to Jenna.
Olivia ignoring her words grabbed the bottle and poured some of the liquid into her empty glass which Jenna happened to catch. "Maybe you should slow down there." She suggested.
"With all due respect Jenna, I'm not your daughter," Olivia responded, feeling the alcohol starting to take a toll on her actions and words already.
"I understand that but I'm guessing your mother wouldn't want you drinking." Jenna returned.
"My mother's never cared enough to be in my life before and now... well, she's lying at the bottom of a grave." Liv returned with little care, almost implicating it casually into the conversation, causing a momentary silence across the table.
"She's just a little bit tipsy," Damon said, once more directing his words to Jenna before getting up and moving around the table to the opposing side where Liv was currently seated. "Why don't we sober you up to a little?" He began, his tone normal but the look on his face firm, prompting Liv to roll her eyes despite complying with his suggestion and following him towards the kitchen.
"Teenagers these days, always acting inappropriately," John said with a smile and Olivia caught every word and so glared back at him over her shoulder.
Elijah catching the exchange, promptly spoke up himself. "I have always believed that every person's action has a viable cause. In the case of a loss, it's typical for people to take up habits such as drinking and acting out. May I ask what excuse you have?" Elijah stated plainly with a nonchalant expression over his features. John's smile dropped at his blunt words and in response, a small one played on Olivia's lips as she glanced over at Elijah who returned the expression fondly.
Damon, noticing the exchange between the two and seeing them both staring at one another, rolled his eyes before grabbing Olivia's arm and pulling her further along. "Could you at least try to play along as a human being? For a few hours at least?" He asked her from the archway between the living room and the kitchen, out of earshot from the others but not from Elijah.
"Okay, okay." She sighed in response, not bothering to fight with the Salvatore.
"Liv, I'm serious." Damon continued, his voice significantly softer.
"Yeah, Damon I know." She returned with a forced smile. Damon noticed the sense of sadness glinting in her eyes as she spoke and presumed it was regarding what she previously said about her parents.
"Olivia..." he said her name gently, about to attempt to muster up some reassuring words as he placed his hand gently on the girl's bare upper arm, gazing down into her grey eyes with slight empathy for her situation.
"Perhaps the gentlemen should take their drinks in the study." Andie's suggestion cut off Damon from finishing as everyone around the table began getting up from their seats, causing Olivia to head several steps back into the dining room, shortly followed by Damon.
Liv rolled her eyes at the comment, dismissing it however due to agreeing to play along as the perfect human girl for Damon's sake, though she supposed it was a little late for that.
"I have to say the food was almost as wonderful as the company," Elijah said, glimpsing in Olivia's direction before following Damon out of the room towards the study.
Olivia waited in her spot momentarily, watching as Jenna gave a couple of plates to John who moved them into the kitchen before Jenna and Alaric shared an awkward encounter. She then also left the room just as John returned and began talking to the hunter.
Their conversation went a lot worse than either of them would've anticipated and she couldn't blame Ric from being so angered by the Gilbert, but as John left the room once more, upon seeing Alaric about to follow him and most likely do something he'd regret she appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "Trust me I want to rip his throat out just as much as you do right now but this isn't exactly the best time." She stated, causing Ric to look over Liv's shoulder once more, to see John leaving the room before finally sighing and giving in.
"What happened to wanting to kill him?" He asked the blonde, recalling her previous words.
"Oh, I still do. I just gained a little patience that's all. Sometimes it takes a while for the end result to occur but when it does it'll be worth it... I hope." Olivia remarked with a slight nod, initially unsure where this side of her was coming from. She may be calm and reasonable sometimes but she was never patient.
"Since when were you patient?" Alaric asked, mimicking her thoughts.
"I think it's the alcohol."
Alaric nodded with a smile of amusement that instantly fell from his face when his eyes flickered towards the archway Damon and Elijah had previously left by. "I should go check on Damon."
"Check on Damon?" She questioned, not understanding why he'd have to check on him.
"Yeah... it's complicated..." Alaric began, his eyes drifting back to that archway, agitated to leave that way as soon as possible and find out what was happening.
Olivia rolled her eyes at his attempts to cover something up. "What are you guys planning?"
"Damon. What is Damon planning." Alaric corrected her.
"Well?" She then asked, waiting for a response in return, watching as Alaric scanned the area to make sure no one was nearby or watching before tapping his ear, signalising they couldn't talk due to other vampires in the household having the ability to hear ⏤ Elijah.
Olivia, unable to simply let them continue with their scheme, knowing it was most likely stupid and dangerous, picked up the main pendant on her necklace before opening it up and pulling out a small crumpled piece of sage which she always kept on her in case of emergencies. She then proceeded to head into another room for a brief moment, rummaging around through the multiple draws until she found a lighter before pulling Alaric aside to a secluded spot.
She then flicked the lighter, emitting the small flame before holding it beneath the piece of sage, setting it alight in a small empty bowl on one of the side tables. "Can you please fill me in now?" She then asked, turning back to Alaric who had only been watching her in confusion for the last several minutes.
"What's that going to do?" He asked her, gesturing his head towards the burning sage.
"It's sage. Burning it blocks vampire hearing." She simply informed him.
"How do we know it's working?" He asked sceptically, not wanting to take any chances.
"If it wasn't Elijah would already be down here and we'd both be dead." She told him before once again waiting expectantly for an answer.
"Damon, he was given a white oak dagger by John. Apparently, it's the key to killing an Original and he's going to use it... tonight." He told her.
Liv returned with an expression of disbelief. "You can't be serious?"
"Why? What is it?"
"Please don't tell me you were stupid enough to trust John." She sighed and when Alaric responded with a look signalising he was utterly lost, Olivia exhaled lightly before continuing. "I've heard of the dagger before and the saying goes that it will bring death to any demon who wields it."
"So if Damon uses it..." Alaric began as the realisation occurred within; Olivia confirming his thoughts with a nod. "We have to stop him."
He didn't doubt the blonde for a moment ⏤ although most would, he'd learned more times than anyone that Olivia somehow always knew the strangest, most absurd yet most useful things; and she was almost always right.
"Before he does something stupid," she added with a nod.
"It may be too late," Alaric began, knowing that the entire reason Damon led Elijah into the study was to dagger him. "Okay, just go up there and distract Elijah so I can tell Damon what's going on."
"Or you can distract Elijah and I'll tell Damon what an idiot he is for trusting John." She stated in return, unsure why she had to be the distraction.
"Come on Olivia, you know you're better suited to distract him then I am," he sighed.
Olivia raised her eyebrows at his words. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, but come on he's obviously interested in you in some way so just please distract him," Alaric pleaded hopefully.
After reluctantly agreeing, Olivia made her way towards the study area where she located Damon and Elijah deep in conversation ⏤ which Olivia naturally eavesdropped in on for a while which luckily the Original didn't seem to take notice of.
She heard something about them needing to find an ancient witch burial ground for the ritual in addition to the doppelgänger and moonstone which Elijah believed he had, despite it not being real as she herself had it hidden in her own house. That's definitely going to come back to bite me, she thought with a sigh. She figured the witch burial ground was important to find but pushed it to the back of her mind at first, deciding to deal with the situation at hand for now.
And so, just as Damon was about to pull out the dagger and kill the Original, she headed over to them doing as Alaric had convinced her to and distracting Elijah. "Miss Campbell, what a pleasant surprise," Elijah said respectfully as he noticed the blonde.
"Liv, what are you doing here?" Damon asked, attempting to have his voice sound neutral despite feeling irritation due to his plan being prevented from occurring.
"Dessert." Liv then blurted out a little too quickly and so she rushed to clarify. "Jenna's preparing something and wants everyone back down there." She continued, lying convincingly to Elijah but not to Damon who saw right through her words and questioned her motives.
Elijah then nodded his head, beginning to head back down to the dining room before looking back to Olivia who wasn't following. "You go ahead, I'm going to go help Jenna out in the kitchen." She said, faking a smile to which he nodded and continued.
⏤⏤⏤⏤
"What the hell was that all about?" Damon asked Olivia bitterly as soon as they'd retracted back to the small room in which Olivia was previously talking to Alaric in, the hunter himself remaining inside waiting for them to show up.
"You can't kill Elijah." She revealed but before she could proceed to explain why Damon instantaneously interrupted her.
"Are you crazy?" He questioned her in a hushed whisper. His eyes widening vaguely at the fact she was talking so openly when Elijah could easily hear every word of their conversation.
"Yes, but that's beside the point." She said, about to continue when Alaric gave her a fearful look to which she frowned.
"Liv the sage..." Ric began, remembering for a fact that the flame had gone out a while after the tribrid left. Though upon pausing briefly to turn back to the flame he was confused to see it was still burning; as if had never gone out to begin with. "...is still burning?" He finished in confusion.
"Yeah, must've re-lighted itself." She brushed off convincingly, covering the fact upon entering the spell she'd used a simple spell to nonverbally relight the flame.
"Care to fill me in." Damon interrupted their exchange.
"He can't hear us as long as Liv's strange witchy herb thing is ⏤" Ric then began to explain.
"Enchanted herb." Liv cut in.
"What?" Alaric asked, turning to her.
"I just thought I should add that I had it enchanted by a witch a while back..." she began to explain but stopped upon seeing Alaric's disapproving expression "But by the look on your face it's not important. Please continue." She added quickly.
"Anyway, it blocks vampire hearing." He explained.
"There's a herb for that?" He asked with furrowed brows prompting Alaric to nod before turning back to Olivia.
"You have any more of that? It could be useful in the future." Alaric questioned, diverging and sidetracking for the initial reason they all gathered here.
"Limited stock, sorry." She shrugged, not particularly wanting to give up something that could possibly be used against her.
"Back to the point please." Damon then said in mild irritation.
"Okay..." she began with a tight smile as she shifted her gaze to him. "Damon are you insane?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him waiting for an answer to her question.
"How am I the insane one? You're the one that stopped me from killing Elijah." Damon countered, wanting to yell but keeping his voice hushed to make sure no one overheard their conversation that didn't have vampire hearing.
"Actually I'm the one that saved your life... again."
"What are you talking about?" Damon asked her before rephrasing his question. "What is she talking about?" He repeated, turning to Ric instead, knowing he'd get a proper and reasonable answer rather than a sarcastic comment.
"The dagger, it will kill any demon who wields it, including vampires," Ric explained.
"How do you know this?" He asked, reluctant to believe their words due to the implications it would cause if what they were saying was true.
"How do you think?" Alaric asked, tilting his head in Liv's direction.
Damon was almost certain she wouldn't lie about something like this, but he could never be entirely sure and wouldn't put it past her if she was lying. However, Damon had gotten fairly good at determining whether Olivia was lying or not and narrowing his gaze as he glanced at the tribrid quizzically, who gave him an annoyed look in return, he presumed she was telling the truth. "You've got to be kidding me." He sighed in exasperation.
"Nope, unless you want to test the theory," Olivia said making Damon glare over at her. "I can't believe you trusted John" She then continued quietly.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I wanted to get rid of the risk of Elijah as quickly as possible to save you all. I didn't know it was going to kill me!" He resorted taking a step towards Liv whilst Alaric sighed from the other side of the room, knowing the argument that was inevitably coming. With these two, it was expected for them to fight with each other at least twice every day. The stupid thing about these arguments, however, was that they were only fighting about each other all the time. And more specifically about each other's safety.
"Well, it was. Hell, even if John wasn't involved, it was still a terrible idea in general."
"Why? Because you found out that Mr Original wasn't a bloodsucking monster but a charming gentleman with an accent!" He asked, unable to contain his anger and more specifically his jealousy.
"What the hell Damon!?" She returned, unsure where this all was coming from.
"Admit it." He said whilst taking another step forward so they're bodies were almost touching, glancing down at the girl to meet her pale silver eyes with his own. "I want an honest answer." He told her; a blank and deadly expression on his face.
"Well, I want dessert." She said back, narrowing her eyes at him a final time before leaving the room.
"Seriously Damon?" Alaric asked once she had left.
"What? She was being overdramatic." He returned, brushing off the argument as it was nothing new for them both.
"She saved your life." He told the Salvatore in response. Damon was a lot of things but grateful has never been one of them and Alaric was confused by Damon on a daily basis. He obviously had feelings for Olivia but his way of showing it wasn't clear at all. Then again Olivia wasn't much better ⏤ hell she was so confusing, Alaric didn't even know if she had any feelings for him at all.
"We don't even know if she was even telling the truth."
"Stefan called while you guys were gone, he told me the same thing she did," Alaric answered, remembering the previous phone call with the younger Salvatore who had warned them similarly to how Liv did ⏤ though Stefan's warning was filled with more concern and less sarcasm.
"Well, then I guess we'll have to come up with another plan." Damon began after a slight pause, looking to Ric with his usual scheming expression.
Alaric only sighed at those words. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"
⏤⏤⏤⏤
"What I'd like to know, Elijah, is how do you intend on killing Klaus?" John Gilbert asked the Original who was seated on the opposite side of the table from him.
A moderate amount of time had passed and the two, along with Alaric who sighed internally at John's words, were the only three currently at the large dining room table. Jenna and Andie were presumably in the kitchen somewhere whilst Olivia and Damon were talking quietly... arguing quietly, a relative distance away from the dining area in the main parlour room, barely visible from the table Elijah and the others were currently seated at.
The Original's attention had momentarily been caught by the pair; watching as Olivia glared in annoyance at Damon who rolled his eyes at the tribrid in turn. Several bitter resorts or sarcastic remarks followed before eventually a smirk crossed over Damon's lips. Olivia raised her eyebrows at the raven-haired vampire in response before sighing and turning away from the Salvatore only for him to gently pull her wrist back to face him; uttering several more words in amusement before moving to playfully tuck some loose strands of hair behind her ear, causing the girl to push away his lingering hand in irritation despite a small smile tugging on the corners of her lips.
The blonde then proceeded to shake her head at his antics before re-entering the main dining room, re-taking her previous seat beside Elijah with Damon following and sitting in the chair opposite her own. The Original could easily observe their clear flirtatious banter with one another, sensing something blatantly between them.
"Elijah?" John asked once more, causing the Original's attention to drift back to him with a muted glare.
"Gentlemen, there are a few things we should probably get clear right now." He began. "I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house living her life with her friends as she does as a courtesy. If you become a liability, those terms will indefinitely change." He answered in a polite tone of voice despite his words perceiving something very different.
"Funny that you bring up liabilities." Olivia murmured silently, though Elijah caught every word.
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry, it's just..." she began uncomfortably, everyone's eyes on her in question. Though seconds later the tribrid reaffirmed her tone ⏤ she had nothing to apologise for. "Trusting you is difficult considering the circumstances. I can't bring myself to believe that you'd actually go through with it. That you'd actually kill him." The others were undoubtedly certain she was referring to Klaus as she spoke.
"I'm sorry but I cannot quite grasp what you're insinuating," Elijah continued sceptically.
Olivia paused in response, eyes shifting to Damon who subtly shook her head, inclining her not to do what she was intending on doing. Liv bit down on her inner cheek, turning back to Elijah. "Oh but I think you know exactly what I'm insinuating." She said recklessly. "And maybe I just had one too many drinks tonight or maybe there's something you're not telling us."
"You already know." He stated simply in mild disbelief. He had realised Olivia knew more than she let on, about his origin, about Klaus, about his brother. "What I'm questionable about is how." The others either furrowed their brows or stared blankly at their exchange in thorough confusion.
"I know a lot about you and the so-called Originals. I know about your family history, the ritual ⏤ the one that was supposed to happen with Katherine." She revealed; Elijah's expression remained unreadable all the while the others in the room didn't dare make a sound; the air was thick with tension.
"I was there that night in the woods ⏤ 1492. That's where we met. And where everything went wrong. You were in love with her and you were trying to save her. But she turned before you could. You blamed her and hated her for centuries when it wasn't even her idea." She went on blankly. "I'm the one who told her to turn. I'm to the one who said she needed to become a vampire to escape Klaus. So if you want to blame someone for everything that happened that day; that's happening now... Don't blame Klaus or Trevor or even Katherine... blame me."
She finished her words expressionlessly, not glancing around at the others as she stood up from the table, moving to leave before a final instinctive thought surfaced in her mind, prompting her to turn back around and utter a final few words she'd probably regret later. "And now that I'm confessing the truth," she paused, meeting the Original's eyes once more. "We have met before. New Orleans. The 1800s. You told me something you shouldn't have and compelled me to forget, but I was on vervain at the time... I remember it all."
John was just sitting there silently, interpreting the information as it came, trying to figure it all out though trapped in a state of confusion. Alaric was feeling similarly though was more so overruled by his feelings of disbelief upon hearing Olivia had met Elijah before. Damon, however, had no time to fully process the entirety of her words and was more so focused on what Elijah was planning on doing after what she said. He feared he may kill her instinctively in anger ⏤ after all the stupid things Liv had previously done, this was most likely the worst of them.
The entire table was paused on a moment of silence, the majority of their eyes of Elijah, watching and studying him curiously. All trying to determine his upcoming reaction and what he was intending to do next. And no one but Olivia could comprehend his next move, which appeared too quickly for any of them but her to stop despite not, in fact, doing so. She didn't even try to escape or defend herself against his movement ⏤ there was no point.
And so Elijah, moved with vampire enhanced speed from his seat at the table, pinning Olivia by the wall in a matter of seconds. His opinion of her had changed in a matter of seconds. One moment intriguing, beautiful and amusing, the next a threat; a liability; an enemy.
Olivia didn't flinch or struggle against his hold; she didn't even show a flicker of emotion across her features. In truth, the girl was unaware of what his next move was going to be.
Moments after Elijah's actions, Damon stood up from the table, about to do something before Alaric soon followed, placing his hand firmly on his arm, giving him a certain look ⏤ they had a plan they needed to follow through with and so, despite his resistance, he remained in his position.
All the while, Elijah simply looked to the blonde once again, studying her as he had been from the rest of the night. He had picked up on something over the course of their meeting. Something he presumed was often overlooked in her though not impossible to notice. Emptiness.
"Do you know what I see when I look at you?" He began, his voice seemingly calm; though his grip remained on her neck it wasn't tight or even particularly painful. "I see a beautiful girl who captivates all that see her but it's all simply a cover for the truth. Underneath it all, you're nothing but a lonely girl with a death wish." He stated, pulling his arm away and continuing to look at her with no other movement.
Others in the room may have suspected that his words were relating to her previous actions ⏤ her antagonising behaviour which caused Elijah's response. However the Original only referred to what he truly saw in her: loneliness, and something else that wasn't quite sadness but more of a hollow and emptiness lingering inside of her.
That's all he could describe it as. As, although she often appeared to be wearing a smile or a laugh, he noticed her forced and faked expressions, her vague and simple answers, her lack of interest in the conversation and those around her. It wasn't as simple as depression or sadness or the effect of the loss she spoke about so often. It was something else he couldn't quite describe and lingering beneath it a longing. A longing for normality and expression of feelings. Whether they were good or bad, happiness or sadness, resentment or joy.
Olivia looked back to him with an expression she had yet to wear. One that wasn't easy to describe or pinpoint the emotion of. Somehow Elijah had looked right through her; almost like she was a ghost. Before any real thoughts could flood through Liv's mind, she noticed Elijah's expression shift to one of physical pain.
He abruptly fell to his knees, unable to let out any words as Alaric was revealed behind him, ripping out the dagger that had previously been plunged into his back. Elijah's body fell lifelessly, his skin covering in grey crack-like features and turning a dull pale colour.
Olivia then looked from the dying Original back to Alaric, watching as he held the dagger in his hands, seeing it removed from Elijah's body. Bigger problem, she thought, looking at Alaric and the dagger in his hand. The one he had removed from the Original's body. An hour ⏤ that was probably how long it would take until he woke up again.
"You okay?" Damon's voice pulled her focus, feeling his hands on her arms his eyes gazed into her own intensely. Olivia didn't say anything in response, shrugging off his touch and simply leaving the Boarding House.
"Should we worry about her?" Alaric asked as he watched the blonde leave the house without another word.
"Nah, she just needs some time to cool off." Damon returned, despite inwardly feeling concern he'd never admit to feeling. He wanted to go after her, at least just to see if she was okay, though he knew he had to deal with Elijah before he could do that and in the long run, doing what he did now, would help her later.
⏤⏤⏤⏤
Olivia had made her way directly outside the Boarding House, immediately walking briskly into the engulfing forests nearby, walking aimlessly yet hastily as she released several heavy breaths she was unaware she'd been holding. She knew she should be warning someone about Elijah but all she could do was focus on the Original's words.
It wasn't that she had any form of depression, or that she had a death wish, or was in any way affected by her previous loss. It was her lack of emotion and the hollow feeling that she didn't wish upon herself but was cursed with, longing for it to leave. Though she could only be grateful for the little she did have and feel but she couldn't help but think something was preventing her from ever getting her whole self back ⏤ if that even made sense. There was something inside her preventing her from feeling everything fully and she couldn't be sure what that was. Maybe it was a price for her power as a tribrid. Maybe it was nature's way of balancing things out. Maybe it was because of her stolen memories.
Either way, she had tried living life not worrying about it, but it was hard being care-free all the time as she wished to be when the constant thought of it lingered in her mind every day. She could only hope one day she'd figure it out. Find answers. Find the truth.
⏤⏤⏤⏤
Hours had passed and the dinner party was long over ⏤ Jenna having returned home, John mysteriously disappearing and Elijah being currently daggered; his lifeless body lying uncomfortably on the ground. Olivia had eventually returned to the Boarding House after getting over her momentary lapse of overwhelming thoughts. Upon entry, she was filled in by Stefan ⏤ who'd returned from the lake house with Elena ⏤ about the previous events regarding Elijah and how the pair had managed to come up with a plan to dagger the Original permanently this time.
"Olivia, are you doing okay?" Stefan's words caught the tribrid's attention as he left his brother to handle Elijah's body on his own for a moment, approaching the girl. "You don't look too much like yourself."
"Completely fine." She answered with a forced smile, before walking past the Salvatore to end any further conversation between them.
Stefan eventually moved back to help Damon carry the Original's body down to the basement, as he did, Damon's eyes captured Olivia's for a brief moment, looking to the tribrid with a look that wasn't a usual one for him. Olivia returned similarly ⏤ her own expression unusual for her. She didn't glare nor did she narrow her eyes or look irritated or frustrated with him. She wasn't giving him a playful or amused look nor was she raising her eyebrows at him. She didn't even appear to be confused nor did she wear any form of a forced or genuine smile.
She only looked back at him blankly for less than a second before instantly turning away, preventing their eyes from meeting for any longer. Damon was internally confused and even slightly concerned by her expression but didn't have much time to question it due to proceeding down the stairs to the basement cellar, Elena following closely with Olivia lingering behind.
After placing his body down, Damon grabbed the moonstone replica from the Originals pocket, assuming it was the real one. He then proceeded to talk further with Stefan and Elena, the brunette eventually explaining how she was tired of all the secrets and that from now on, they were going to do things her way. Surprisingly, both brothers agreed before everyone's gaze moved over to Olivia who was slipping out of concentration.
"Liv?" Elena said her name in question, pulling the girl from her strange daze. "Are you actually going to start telling us everything from now on?"
"Yeah, sorry but I disclose my secrets for no one." She answered making the brunette sigh. "To be fair, I wasn't even involved in the kill Elijah plot until around 20 minutes ago and I still think it's a bad idea. Even now." She added in her defence. Damon couldn't help but smile at her words; not a smirk but a genuine smile ⏤ one more so of relief seeing as she appeared to be returning to her normal self.
"Come on, you need to talk to us Olivia, tell us what you know. I can't handle all the secrets anymore," Elena said, almost with a pleading tone of voice.
"I'm sorry Elena, but come on," she began. "I'm not Stefan or Damon and we're not friends." She reasoned truthfully. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for your doing it my way plan but those are terms I, unfortunately, can't agree to." She answered, unable to go along with what Elena wanted as whilst the brunette was doing what was best for her and her loved ones, Liv needed to do the same; what was best for herself.
Elena sighed in defeat though Stefan and Damon barely reacted, expecting as much from her, knowing even if she did make a promise to keep everyone filled in on what she knew, she'd never hold up to it.
Upon the growing silence in the room, Olivia's eyes flickered back over to Elijah, finally being able to acknowledge all the hell that would surely follow. Though as that trail of thoughts erupted throughout her mind, a key consequence surfaced in her head. One more disastrous that the potential revenge Elijah would ignite, or Klaus's indefinite catastrophic reaction. Something she had continuously told herself to deal with eventually but kept pushing it back, telling herself she'd handle it later. Though now that one thing could ruin everything ⏤ Katherine.
She was free; out of the tomb. When an Original dies, their compulsion wears off meaning she is no longer forced to be restrained to the stone surroundings of the underground tomb ⏤ she can leave. And after what happened between them, what Katherine saw, if she tried to, she could potentially figure out everything that Olivia had been desperately attempting to hide.
"Shit." She cursed quietly in a subtle murmur, unable to retain the word and her sudden dilemma. She didn't look at the other or give them time to say anything, simply rushed out of the cellar and up the stairs to the front door.
Damon upon seeing the wave of panic previously cross her and knowing something was up, attempted to grab her arm but she moved too quickly and made it out before he could stop her. He then proceeded to follow her about to head up the stairs himself before Stefan pulled him back, stopping him. "Let her go, Damon." He told his brother, firmly gripping his shoulder. "We're never getting anything out of her," he stated, Damon reluctantly complying.
Olivia meanwhile was racing to the tomb as fast as she could, hoping to make it there in time; hoping to make it there before Katherine was gone and out of reach forever. Though upon arriving, the tomb was empty and the brunette vampire was clearly long gone. She rubbed her head in exhaustion due to all the drastic previous occurrences and now this. And so she stared at the empty walls of the tomb; a single thought on her mind ⏤ one she had thought too many times before:
This isn't going to end well.