Vampire Diaries 1. Chapter 1

**Welcome, dear reader, to my new TVD fanfic. **

**This story will mainly center the witch Malina and most chapters will be from her P.O.V. or third person. There will be multiple pairings including Klaroline, Mabekah and Kalijah. More pairings will be mentioned or appear as I write. The story will more or less follow season three of TVD and then continue into another storyline from there. **

**Needless to say that I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

**I hope you'll enjoy it!**

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_Trigger warning: This chapter contains mentions of violence and abuse_

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**_Malina's P.O.V._**

"I do not have time for this, Kol!" I called as I quickly walked through the village with the Mikaelson brother on my heels. I kept my head down and looked to the ground as I felt some of the villagers stare at me and I already feared the trouble I was in if this indiscretion was seen by the wrong people.

"What could possibly be so important that you do not have time for me? As I recall it, you did not want me to leave you alone last night." Kol whispered into my ear seductively as he walked right behind me and I felt myself blush deeply. I also noticed how more prying eyes were now upon us and I spun around and faced Kol with a stern look in my eyes.

"I have to go home to my _husband_. Now leave me alone." I told him with a high voice, making sure that everyone within range could hear me. An unsatisfied expression crossed Kol's features and I had to physically stop myself from not reaching up and smooth out the frown on his forehead.

"Kol! Mother needs you!" Another voice rang and I turned my head to see Niklaus coming towards us from the Mikaelsons' home; creating a relieved smile on my lips. An irritated glare was fixed on Kol as the older Mikaelson brother came closer and with one last look at me, Kol walked down the path Niklaus had just come from.

"What did my brother do this time?" Niklaus asked worriedly and I sent him a reassuring smile to ease his irritation.

"Nothing! Well, he did follow me all the way from the well, but I don't mind. I am just worried what my husband will say if he hears about it." I answered truthfully and glanced at the villagers, who no longer seemed as interested in what was going on between me and the man-who-was-not-my-husband.

"Let me deal with your husband if my brother causes any more troubles." Niklaus told me and took the buckets filled with water from my hands as we proceeded to walk towards my hut.

"Please, do not engage him, Nik. I cannot lose you in some silly fight over your brother." I pleaded with a hushed voice and resisted my urge to touch his arm. He was my best friend and I could never survive losing him after everything that had happened.

"You believe I would lose? I am offended by your lack of trust, Mal." Niklaus said jokingly with a smirk on his lips and put down the buckets on the ground, when we reached my home. Niklaus was smiling at me, showing his adorable dimples to the world, but I could also see the worry in his eyes and I quickly diverted our conversation.

"What are your plans for this evening? Another late-night-walk with Tatia?" I asked and sent him a teasing smile at the mention of his love, but I was only met by a pair of cold eyes that shocked me greatly. Niklaus had never looked at me in such a way and I instinctively took a step backwards as if I was backing away from a dangerous animal.

"I haven't seen her for a couple of days now. I believe Tatia has found herself a new favorite this week." Niklaus told me and a hurt expression crossed his face, making me step forward again and take his hand. How could Tatia not see what she was doing to both brothers and to the whole family? Even though I never spoke of it, I had no care for the girl who repeatedly had caused the sad look Niklaus had in his eyes this moment.

"I am sorry, Nik. Love is a heartbreaking feeling." I said in a comforting tone and gently squeezed his hand, making a small smile appear on his lips.

"But I do have plans for the night." Niklaus then told me and I lifted my eyebrows in question, when I saw the mischievous gleam in his eyes that could only mean trouble.

"It is the full moon tonight, Nik." I warned, but that only made his smile become wider.

"I know. I am going to see the men change into wolves." he said and I felt the sudden urge to slap some sense into him.

"Niklaus! You could get hurt! And what good will you do me in shreds?" I exclaimed alarmingly and received a suspicious glare from the neighbor's wife.

"I will be careful." Niklaus promised, but it didn't calm me down and an unsettling feeling spread in my stomach; the one I always felt when something bad was about to happen.

"Please, don't go into the woods, Nik. I fear something horrible will become you." I begged, but to no avail as Niklaus just took my hand and placed a short kiss on it before he walked away from me and towards his own home.

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I never imagined that I could once again suffer from such heartache as I did when I heard the screams that rang at dawn and I ran from my house to be met by the sight of my crying friend, who was hunched over his dead little brother.

"_No._" I whispered as I fell to my knees, crumbled by the grief that overtook me in mere seconds. More cries filled the air as Rebekah threw herself to the ground, clinging to Niklaus for dear life, who was as broken as I had ever seen him and I barely noticed my mother rush past me and towards the Mikaelson family.

When a couple of hands roughly pulled me to my feet, I let them and without much thought I clung to my husband's shirt to not lose my balance once more. The expression on his face was cold and the arms around me not soothing, but all I could do was to fight my instincts to run to them.

I wanted to hug Niklaus until his crying stopped and he felt no more grief, as impossible as that sounded. And I wanted to remove the heartbroken expression on Kol's face that I knew would hunt me for the rest of my days. I wanted to take Elijah's hands in mine and assure him that everything was going to be okay, even though it wasn't and to calm my hands through Rebekah's hair until she was screaming no more. I would even talk to Finn, who had always been cold towards me, just to ease the shock from his face and back to its calm façade.

But I couldn't; not in front of my husband and I felt myself shatter into a thousand pieces as my old grief returned tenfold. For a moment I thought Esther's screams were my own as I relived the pain of what it was like to lose a child. I met my mother's eyes through my tears and with a simple motion of the hand, she ushered my husband to take me away.

As I was dragged away from the macabre scene, I finally found my voice and without thinking of the consequences; I screamed for him. I screamed for my friend, who looked at me with wide sorrowful eyes and as I reached out a source of energy escaped me, making the big white oak tree sway in the sudden gust of wind.

I yelped in pain, when I hit the hard ground inside our home and fear made my body shiver as I saw the deranged look in my husband's eyes. I tried to move away from him by pulling me backwards with my hands, but he yanked me back by my feet and straddled me forcefully, making it impossible for me to move.

"How dare you embarrass me in such a way?" he hissed at me with wild eyes and I felt his saliva on my face. "I warned you about ever using witchcraft. And now you are of no worth to me, just like your daughter."

Forgetting all fear for my own life, I spit in his face and the next moment his fist connected with my face.

As the day passed by, pain seemed to become the only feeling I had ever known and when the evening came I had stopped fighting back as I waited for my life to end. From the things my mother had told me about medicine; I knew I was bleeding internal and it was only a matter of time before my conscience would fade from this world.

My husband had left, giving me some moments of peace, when the door to our home opened and I heard someone inhale sharply as they quickly moved to my side on the ground. I fought to open my eyes as a couple of gentle hands searched my body and face for the injuries I had suffered and relief spread through my body, when I saw the woman who had given birth to me sit beside me.

"Mother." I managed to whisper as a tear escaped the corner of my eye and I heard a suppressed sob come from her mouth.

"My dear child. What has he done to you?" my mother silently cried and I felt a small relief of pain, when her healing magic passed through me. But we both knew it wasn't enough to save me. My mother was a strong witch, even stronger than Esther Mikaelson, but it was nearly impossible to heal all of my injuries in time and the chance of missing the smallest tear or bleeding within me was great.

"How are they?" I whispered with a hoarse voice and a confused expression settled on Ayana's face as she looked into her daughter's tearful eyes. "Niklaus, Kol, everyone."

My mother's confused look disappeared from her eyes and a more worried one took over, making my heart clench painfully. Then her eyes widened in revelation as if she had thought of something important and she quickly rose from her spot, making me miss the warmth of her touch.

"The spell." my mother murmured to herself and without more explanation she threw her shawl over my cold body and exited the hut with great hurry. Fear settled within me once again as I waited for my mother's return and when I finally heard his voice, my breath hitched in my throat.

"I don't understand." Niklaus spoke as he followed my mother towards my home.

"What your parents have done to you and your siblings has consequences. It will both give you power and weaknesses, but for now I need your blood for my daughter." my mother told him in a hushed voice as she proceeded to open the door to where I was laying and walked inside.

"Mal?" Niklaus voice called out from the doorway and I watched how he seemed to be stuck on the other side of the door. He was clearly shocked by my state and I could see how desperate he was trying to reach me even though he seemingly couldn't.

"What happened to her?" Niklaus then growled and I flinched at the sound of his harsh tone.

"That is not of importance at the moment." my mother told him as she once again placed her hands on me and healed a scratch on my cheek. "Niklaus, she is bleeding so you must control yourself. Now, ask him to come inside, Malina."

"Come in." I whispered to him and I almost squealed when he was with me within a second, surprising himself, my mother and I. He gently placed a hand on my cheek, but I quickly leaned away from him, when I saw the veins that suddenly appeared under his eyes.

"Niklaus! Control yourself!" my mother ordered and I saw the horrified look on his face as he lifted his hand to feel the protruding veins on his face. "Give me your hand."

Niklaus slowly reached out his hand towards my mother, still shocked by what was happening to him and he barely noticed when my mother withdrew a knife from her skirts and found a cup by the fireplace in the middle of the hut. Before I could warn him or stop my mother, she had cut into Niklaus' wrist and blood was pouring into the cup she had found.

"What are you doing?" Niklaus asked feebly without reacting to the pain that had to come with such a cut.

"I am saving my daughter." my mother said determinedly and took the cup from under Niklaus' wrist as the blood stopped dripping. We both stared at his now healed skin in astonishment and suddenly my head was lifted to my mother's lap as she placed the cup of blood against my lips.

"Drink." she ordered impatiently and I looked at her and Niklaus with uncertainty before I parted my lips and let the first drop of blood touch my tongue. I cringed my nose in disgust at the taste, but I was forced to drink almost half of it before my mother removed the cup.

Niklaus and my mother stared at me in amazement as my scratches and injuries began healing and I took a deep breath, when my broken ribs healed as well, almost making me laugh at the sensation.

"What is happening here?" an angry voice yelled from the door and the relief I had felt disappeared immediately as I saw my husband enter with an enraged look in his eyes. Niklaus' head snapped towards the sound and I watched how he slowly rose from the ground; like an animal ready to hunt its prey.

"You did this to her." I heard him growl and I tried to reach for my friend, but he had already moved away, standing in front of my husband with a dangerous look on his face.

I screamed in fright, when Niklaus suddenly launched at my husband, but it drowned in the horrified yelps that came from my punisher, when Niklaus teeth pierced his skin and they tumbled out of the hut. I tried to get up from where I was laying, but my mother held me in place with an iron grip and all I could do was listen to my husband die as my friend drained him of his blood.

When a deathly silence suddenly filled the air, I felt my mother's grip loosen and I was at the door before she could stop me. Niklaus was standing with his back to me breathing heavily and on the ground in front of him laid my husband; his neck mauled by whatever Niklaus had done to him.

I heard a sickening crack as Niklaus screamed in pain and fell to the ground; his shoulder pointing in an unnatural angle. My mother pulled me back before I managed to run to my fallen friend, whose bones started breaking; one after one.

"Niklaus!" Elijah shouted as he suddenly came running towards his brother, but he was stopped by their father before he managed to reach him.

"What have you done, boy?!" Mikael's voice boomed as he stood in front of his son, looking at the dead body of my husband in disgust. Niklaus' bones kept breaking and continuous cries of pain escaped him.

"Father, please, help me." Niklaus begged in between his screams and both Elijah and I struggled against our parents to reach him.

"Look at him!" Mikael yelled at Elijah, who stopped in his tracks to listen to his brother's sudden roar. I couldn't see what was happening as Niklaus still had his back to me, but the sight clearly frightened Elijah.

"He is a monster, an abomination." Mikael spat venomously and tears filled my eyes, when I saw the pure hatred in Mikael's stare. "Grab him!"

My screams mixed with Niklaus' pleas as Mikael and Elijah grabbed my friend and dragged him away with much struggle. My mother clamped a hand over my mouth to silence me and dragged me inside my hut as several of the villagers exited their homes, running to my dead husband on the ground with horror on their faces.

"No, mother! I have to help him!" I cried as she pulled me down on a bench and cradled me in her arms.

"You can do nothing for him, Malina." my mother told me firmly and I slowly managed to control my sobs.

"What is happening to him?" I asked with a low voice and the shock of all that had happened finally hit me.

"Esther put a spell on her children. She made them immortal. I warned her but she would not listen." my mother told me and I heard both anger and sorrow in her voice. "But Niklaus he… Mikael is not Niklaus' true father. Niklaus' father is one of the wolfmen and when he killed Jason, he triggered that side of him."

I stared at my mother in shock, unable to understand how my life had changed so rapidly in such a way.

"What will happen to him?" I asked slowly, horror spreading through my veins as I reimagined Niklaus' fear and the hateful expression on Mikael's face. When my mother didn't answer, I thought I had spoken too silently and I started repeating my question.

I was interrupted when she suddenly removed her arms from around me and stood up, making me shudder from the sudden lack of heat beside me. She had a thoughtful expression on her face and I stared at her patiently; waiting for her to share her thoughts.

"I must leave." she told me instead and I felt my stomach drop.

"Please, mother. Don't leave me here alone." I begged and the tears started streaming down my face once more as I hugged myself in attempt to find warmth.

"I will be back soon, but there is something that I must do. I will make this right, do you understand?" she said as she crouched in front of me, throwing a sheepskin over my shoulders with a reassuring smile on her lips. A small hope grew inside me and I quickly nodded as I dried the tears from my cheeks.

"Now, you must drink and eat as much as possible until I come back. You will need all of your strength." my mother then told me as she gave me a cup of water and found some food that was my husband's leftovers.

I greedily emptied the cup and started eating the meat on my plate, only then remembering that I hadn't gotten anything to eat since the night before. Niklaus' blood had made me feel strong and healthy again, but it hadn't taken away my hunger. I had barely even noticed that my mother had left or how dark the room had become, while I had eaten.

I got up from the bench and moved to the fireplace, where I managed to start a fire that quickly lit up the room and helped me regain warmth. I had no idea how much time had gone by, when my mother finally returned as I had been lost in thought but as soon as I saw the urgent look in my mother's eyes I sprung from my place at the fire and ran to her.

"Mother, what has happened?" I asked concernedly as I noticed her distress. Slowly, she took my hands and looked at me with sorrowful eyes.

"I fear…" she trailed off and I felt my heart break yet again as I thought of the worst.

"Fear what?" I urged, impatient to hear the rest of the sentence.

"I fear the consequences of Esther's actions. They will bring darkness to the future. People will suffer greatly." my mother told me with a dire look on her face and I felt myself shiver at her words. "I need your help, Malina. You must help me prevent what is to come."

"How? I am nothing." I said and looked to the ground in shame. I had my mother's powers, but after my marriage I hadn't been allowed to use them and I feared that they had disappeared completely.

"You will be the most powerful witch in existence, my child. You are your mother's daughter, just remember that." my mother told me as she cupped my face comfortingly. Even though I didn't believe her words, I nodded timidly and my mother smiled at me lovingly.

"What must I do?" I then asked determinedly and I watched as my mother found her grimoire and a small white stone from the bag she was carrying over her shoulder.

"A curse has been placed on Niklaus. It will lay his wolf side dormant and make sure that Niklaus Mikaelson will never be truly invincible. But it will also start a hunt. A hunt for more power that only will stop the day he breaks the curse or someone manages to kill him." my mother quickly told me and I felt my eyes widen in shock. Why would anyone ever need to kill Niklaus? He was my best friend and I could never imagine him hurting anyone on purpose.

"But mother, I don't understand. Who would want to kill Niklaus?" I asked weakly, not fully understanding what the curse meant or why Niklaus would be invincible without it.

"I know what you think of Niklaus, but time will change him… and his siblings. Humanity is a fragile thing and when you become what the Mikaelsons have become; one might lose it easily. You must prevent it." she told me warily and I couldn't hide the confusion and frustration that shone in my eyes.

"How? You told me they were immortal. I will die soon enough and then I won't be able to prevent anything." I replied dejectedly as I watched my mother create a necklace with the small white stone as a pendant and then pick up the cup that still contained some of Niklaus' blood.

"The curse placed on Niklaus was bound by an object; the moon stone. Before I offered it to Esther, I took a small piece of it and reshaped the other part so no one would know." my mother explained without answering my question and held the small pendant in front of me.

"We will cast a spell that binds this part of the stone to the curse and you. It will put you in a deep sleep and awaken you again if the curse is ever broken. You must wear the necklace at all times because with it comes your full power and eternal youth. But thread carefully because you can be killed like any other human being."

"What if the curse is never broken? What if Niklaus is killed before it can happen?" I asked after taking a minute to let my mother's words sink in. My voice was almost a whisper as the thought of my friend's dead was almost unbearable to me and I felt my knees grow weaker by the second.

"Then you will die. Your life will be bound to Niklaus'. If he is killed, then you will be as well. But do not fear my child, because with death comes peace." my mother told me gently and I noticed how her eyes became wet at the thought of my death.

'Then let me die' I almost said, 'let me have peace'. But I couldn't do that to her. I could not throw away the gift she had given me by giving birth to me. Instead I nodded and watched her smile at me through tearful eyes.

When Ayana suddenly withdrew a knife from her bag – the one that had cut into Niklaus – I knew what she was about to do and I clenched my teeth together in pain as the blade split the palm of my hand, making my blood mix with Niklaus' in the cup. I was surprised when she drew blood from herself as well, but she explained that it was like a blood sacrifice to ensure that the spell wouldn't break, when she someday died.

Carefully I followed my mother's instructions and held the cup over the open fire. My eyes became teary because of the smoke and my skin began to burn painfully from the heat of the flames. My mother stood across from me with her grimoire in one hand and chained pendant in the other, which she dipped into the cup as she started chanting.

When my mother finished her part of the spell, I began mine and the fire lit up as the flames grew higher. My mother had bound my blood to hers and given me the eternal youth, but I had bind myself to Niklaus and the moonstone for it to work.

My throat was dry and painful blisters were forming on my arm, where the flames almost licked my skin, but I didn't retract my arm before I had finally spoken the last word and my mother removed the pendant from the cup. The first thing my mother did was to hang the pendant around my neck and I felt how power surged through me, making me feel more alive than I had done in years.

I looked down at my burned skin and after a moment of concentration; most of the pain was gone. I then took the pendant between my fingers and was surprised to see that it had become red; like blood. The cup that had fallen to the ground was empty, but no blood had spilt from it.

I could feel the magic pulse through my fingers as I touched the smooth surface of pendant and a content smile spread on my lips as I finally felt at home again. I was a witch and that was what I was born to be. It took me a moment to remember why I was feeling so elated and my smile fell again as the thought of Niklaus and his family appeared in my mind.

"What will happen now?" I asked warily as I kept twirling the pendant between my fingers. It was like a part of me already and I could feel its power run through my veins, growing stronger with every minute.

"Now you must sleep. I will secure the safety of your body and nothing shall hurt you until you wake up. Your sleep will be dreamless and you will not feel time. A century will pass you by like a blink of an eye." my mother explained as her hand caressed my cheek lovingly.

"You think I will have to wait that long?" I said unbelievingly. What if the world came to an end before then? I remembered once hearing one of my mother's old friends talk about the faith of humanity and how it would soon come to an end. Ayana had brushed it off, when I had asked about it; telling me that I shouldn't worry.

"I do not know, Malina." was all my mother said and I sighed heavily, readying myself for what was to come.

"What of Julia and Thomas?" I asked with a worried voice as I thought of my young cousins, who I would never see again.

"When the time is right they will know what we have done and accept their responsibility of continuing our bloodline so you never will be lost. They will protect your body after I am gone, just like their children and grandchildren will." my mother told me with a grave voice as she looked me in the eyes and I nodded in understanding.

"Goodbye, mother." I then said as I wrapped my arms around her neck and took in the familiar scent of her; herbs and smoke. "I will miss you."

"Goodbye, dear. May the spirits be with you." Ayana whispered into my ear and I felt how tears filled my eyes as I struggled to keep them open. As darkness overwhelmed me I felt myself being lowered to the ground and I slowly took the pendant in my hand, letting myself being pulled into a deep slumber.

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**A/N: So what do you think? Good, bad, horrible? **


	2. Chapter 2

**The response I got on the first chapter was overwhelming, you guys! Thank you so much! I hope you'll continue to like the story. We're now skipping a thousand years ahead to the timeline of season three. Hope everything makes sense and if it doesn't, it will later.**

**To the guest who decided to make an elaborate review of my grammar flaws: Was it really that bad? Did it completely ruin your understanding of the story? English is not my first language, but if I should say so myself I'm quite good at it. If you have something to say then at least comment on the story. Or create an user so I know who is being a dick to me. I have nothing against critism, but that review just annoyed the hell out of me. **

**Rant over! Toodles!**

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_**Malina's P.O.V.**_

_Somewhere in Illinois, 2010_

When the pendant hit the map with a thud; a satisfied grin spread on my face and I quickly put my necklace back on, already feeling slightly weaker without it. I quickly packed my few belongings in a bag and ran out of my motel room, barely shutting the door behind me.

I paid for my room at the reception and asked the man behind the desk to call a taxi for me. My fingers drummed on the wooden desk impatiently as I waited and I earned an irritated glare from the receptionist. When my ride arrived outside, I bolted out the door with a quick 'thank you' and seconds later I was on my way to a place called 'Chicago'.

I loved to drive, even though I couldn't do it myself, but I found it exhilarating to just sit and watch the world fly by; faster than I would have ever imagined possible. At the moment, though, I had a hard time concentrating on the wonders of the new world as my thoughts revolved around something else entirely. Or rather someone else.

It had been a little more than two months since I had woken up in my casket and slowly crawled out, only to be almost shocked to death when a person had stepped out of a dark corner in the mausoleum to help me. I was embarrassed to admit that I had fainted, when I had been informed that a millennium had passed since I last saw daylight and my pulse had been elevated for days after as I took in this new world.

The woman who had been waiting for me, Emma, was a descendant from my bloodline and when I finally had managed to stop hyperventilating; she had explained how my story and body had been passed on through generations, while they all waited for Niklaus to break his curse.

When Emma had been told by her informants that the curse possibly would be lifted that full moon; she had waited for my awakening in the mausoleum, ready to explain everything to me so that I actually wouldn't die of shock when I saw how everything had changed.

It had taken me a month to fully adjust, even though there still was a lot to learn and understand. Emma had then insisted that I used another month to fully learn the extent of my powers before I went out and found the most powerful creature in the world. She had tried to tell me the horror stories of Klaus (as he supposedly was called these days), but I had barely listened.

I knew that I was being biased, but he was still my friend and in my perspective it had only been two months since I last had seen him, so the picture I had of him was still unstained. After the two months had passed, Emma had finally agreed to let me loose and my search for Niklaus had begun.

I had stayed in multiple motel rooms and driven kilometer after kilometer in taxis, but I wasn't giving up any time soon. Money was no problem as someone down the road had decided to create a so-called trust fund for me that every generation had given money to.

It had taken me almost a week to understand the concept of money and when I finally did, I didn't want them as there was more than I could ever spent. But apparently you couldn't do anything without those pieces of paper and in the end I had reluctantly agreed to take some of the money.

I absentmindedly played with the red pendant on my chest as I looked out the car window, watching all the cars go by at incredible speed. When we finally drove into Chicago and the high buildings began towering over us, my pulse quickened and a wide smile spread on my lips.

As my nervousness overwhelmed me, I began wondering if I was wearing the right clothes and whether Niklaus would even recognize me. The jeans on my legs felt tight as always and I still hadn't gotten used to the idea of wearing them. I was wearing a plain black top and a burgundy-colored cotton cardigan over it.

One of the things Emma had taught me about being a twenty-first century woman was walking in heels and she had managed to find a pair of so-called wedge-heeled sandals that I could easily walk in. But now I feared it was too much. I wasn't trying to impress Niklaus in any way, but would he offended by me when I as a woman walked around in trousers as a man?

Emma had assured me multiple times that it was in fact women's clothing that I was wearing and I had seen many others my age wear the same thing, but that didn't stop me from still feeling uncomfortable.

"Miss?" the taxi driver called impatiently and I snapped out of my thoughts to see that we had arrived at a dark parking lot outside the building I had asked to be taken to. My heart started beating even more rapidly as I paid the driver and stepped out of the car.

I quickly walked towards the building that my locator spell had told me Niklaus was in and barely noticed the young man and woman, who was standing among the cars and talking. Hesitantly I opened the entrance door, even though the sign said 'closed' and walked in. I placed my bag at a table and walked further into the bar that was empty except for two persons.

A man with short dark blonde curls where holding a black haired man by the throat and I heard a sickening crack as something inside his neck broke. The man who was strangling him was holding something in his other hand and the black-haired man grunted in pain as he was stabbed with the small object.

"No, that's not it…" the torturer said with feigned frustration and I moved a little closer, when I heard the familiar accent. Neither of them had noticed me and I froze completely when the blonde man spoke again. I knew that voice.

"Almost…" Niklaus sneered as he stabbed the other man once more and my head was spinning out of control as I watched my old friend torture another person.

"You want a partner in crime? Forget Stefan, I'm so much more fun." the other man told Niklaus as he was still being choked and my eyes widened in shock over the man's cockiness. That was another thing about this time period that had me baffled; everyone were always so sarcastic.

A scream almost left me as Niklaus suddenly threw the other man across some tables, turning them into a pile of wood beneath him and I watched as Niklaus broke of a leg from one of the chairs and walked over to the man on the floor.

"You won't be any fun after you're dead." Niklaus told him casually and raised the wooden stake to impale the other man.

Not willing to let Niklaus kill anyone, I snapped my fingers and the wooden stake in his hand caught on fire, making him throw it to the floor.

"Really?" Niklaus asked annoyingly and looked up in frustration as he turned his head towards the barmaid, who had just entered the room.

"Take it outside, Klaus." the dark-skinned woman told him and then looked at me with both confusion and admiration in her eyes.

The man on the floor, who had just avoided his death by a few centimeters, lifted his head from the floor, but was pushed back down by Niklaus, who apparently thought the barmaid had cast the spell. Great, another witch.

"You don't have to negotiate your brother's freedom, when I'm done with him he don't wanna go back." Niklaus then told the man; his voice almost too low for me to hear. Slowly, Niklaus stood up from the floor and I was surprised he didn't feel my eyes burn into his back.

"So, a witch walks into a bar and says to the bartender-" I started, when my patience ran out but I was immediately cut off by the barmaid's laughing.

"Those jokes are never funny, sweetheart." she told me pointedly, but I was glad she had stopped me as I didn't remember the punch line. It was a joke that Emma had once taught me, but I never actually found it funny.

"Mal?" a deep voice suddenly asked and I turned my attention back to Niklaus, who was staring at me with wide eyes. I smiled at him as I tilted my head slightly to the right and let my eyes glide over him; taking in everything that was different from the last time I had seen him.

Except for another haircut, the stubbles around his mouth and a change of clothes; he looked the same. But there was still something fundamentally different. Even though his eyes were wide with shock; they still seemed cold and the usually teasing tone in his voice was gone and had become more sinister.

"Hello Niklaus." I spoke tenderly and widened my smile to a cheerful one, even though it felt forced. Niklaus looked at me for a long moment without saying a word and when he suddenly stood right in front of me, I took a step back in surprise.

Behind Niklaus was the other man pulling himself of the floor and I met his curious gaze for a second before he was almost pushed out of the bar by the witch. When the dark-skinned woman returned, Niklaus still hadn't said a thing as he just kept staring at me; studying every inch of me and the witch gave me a quick nod before she left the room as well.

"Nik, please say something. You know I don't do silence very well." I told him; my impatience getting the better of me. When he still didn't speak, I slowly lifted my hand to touch his cheek, but he grabbed my wrist before I could get too close.

"How?" Niklaus finally asked hoarsely and I noticed the tears that rimmed his blue eyes. Carefully, I pulled my wrist out of his grip and then reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him towards me. His body was stiff and unresponsive, but after a moment I felt his arms around my waist and my feet lifted from the floor, when he stood up straight; his grip of me tightening further.

"My mother." I mumbled into the air, not sure if Niklaus was even aware that I had spoken. Slowly, he put me down and removed his arms from around me. A grief-stricken look was on his face as he looked down on me and I reached up, wiping away the single tear that had found its way down his cheek.

This was the Niklaus I knew. The man who had been my friend and always would be.

"I thought you were dead." he then told me as I pulled him towards the bar and made him sit on a stool, while I walked over behind the bar to find something to drink. I had only tasted alcohol a few times and so far it hadn't been to my liking, which meant that I had no idea what I was doing when I picked a bottle from the shelf and poured it into a small glass.

"I was only sleeping." I told him with a small smile on my face and pushed the liquor towards him, urging him to drink it. He looked at the clear content for a moment before he downed it and I watched how the corners of his mouth turned down in disgust.

"Could you possibly give me something that isn't cheap vodka, love?" Niklaus asked as he let the shot glass slide back over the bar towards me.

"Since when did you begin to call people for 'love'?" I asked, surprised by his use of the endearment; something I had never heard him use when he was human.

"I don't know. I think it was around the seventeen hundreds." he shrugged and downed the next shot I gave him, which seemed to be more to his liking. "What exactly do you mean by 'sleep', Malina?"

"The night when… you know, everything went wrong; my mother and I did a spell that connected me to you and the hybrid curse. My mother put me in a slumber that I would wake from the day you broke the curse. Unless you died, then I would die as well. I still will actually." I explained and took a shot myself, earning an amused grin from Niklaus, when I began coughing.

"And why would you and your mother do such a thing?" Niklaus asked suspiciously and once again I felt like it was a stranger sitting in front of me. His eyes had narrowed slightly and the smile left his lips as he stared at me.

"Because of that." I answered pointedly and gestured towards his face, confusing him for a moment before his eyes grew cold. "I awoke the day you became the most powerful creature in the world, because from that day you would need me. You have lost your humanity, have you not?"

I was suddenly angry at the man sitting in front of me and I didn't care about the rage that overtook his features before he suddenly stood beside me by the bar; staring down at me.

"Careful, sweetheart. I am not the man I used to be; a millennium has passed and I've become stronger. People are afraid of me now and not the other way around. You can go back to sleep because I don't want you here. And I most certainly don't need you." Niklaus sneered and I felt my resolution crumble.

"You are wrong, Niklaus. As long as you use fear to control others you will always be weak. And if you want rid of me, you will have to kill me." I replied coldly and returned his icy glare with a lifted chin.

"Perhaps I should." he threatened and stared at me angrily before his eyes dropped to the floor for a second. I held back the sigh of relief as I called his bluff inside my head and I softened the expression on my face as my dark eyes met his light ones.

"You are my friend, Nik, and I know you. You can never make me give up on you, just as you cannot kill me." I told him quietly and hoped that he would finally listen to me. Talking to Niklaus had always been easy, but now it seemed like he weighed every word I said as if to decide whether or not I was being sincere. His paranoia hurt me more than I cared to admit but my expression remained stoic as I awaited his answer.

"Since when did you become so stubborn?" Niklaus then asked and a smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. I felt my body relax once more and jumped to the bar, where I leaned backwards on my hands as I crossed my legs. I noticed how his eyes quickly glided down my body, making me blush and look away from him.

"I have always been this stubborn. You were just better at listening. Well, most of the time." I replied with a half-smile on my lips and sadness overwhelmed me shortly as I thought about the last time Niklaus hadn't listened to my warnings.

Both our heads snapped to the side, when a door opened and a man stepped into the bar and walked towards us. He stopped as soon as he saw me and the seemingly worried expression on his face was overtaken by confusion. He was handsome with his green eyes, strong jaw and light brown hair that was arranged in a way I never would have found possible until Emma taught me about hair products.

"Welcome back, mate." Niklaus greeted and gestured for the man to sit on one of the barstools as he found three glasses – larger than the shot glasses I had found – and poured a golden liquid into it. He made a point of showing the bottle to me and I rolled my eyes at his attempt to be funny. Niklaus slit one glass to the man with the funny hair and gave the other one to me, making me frown at the content.

"We had a visit from your brother while you were out." Niklaus told the man casually and I noticed him watch the other man's reaction intently.

"Damon was here?" the man asked disbelievingly and his eyebrows furrowed in the middle, creating a frown on his forehead that almost made me laugh.

"He is lucky to be alive. If it hadn't been for this little witch, I would have killed him." Niklaus replied with a shrug and gestured towards me. I glared at him to show my disapproval of his nonchalant tone of voice and then turned my attention to Damon's brother, who was yet to touch his drink.

"Thank you." the brother told me silently and I gave him a small nod.

I looked back at Niklaus, who had a thoughtful expression on his face and I absentmindedly took a large sip of my drink. The taste of it was horrendous and I quickly spit it back into the glass with a horrified look on my face. When I heard Niklaus chuckle, I glared at him vengefully, which only made him laugh more.

"What is this?!" I exclaimed indignantly and sniffed the golden liquid; bringing a disgusted look to my face.

"It's scotch. You just have to learn to drink it." Niklaus told me with an amused smile on his lips and drank from his own glass.

"I don't want to learn. You drink it." I told him and held out the glass towards him.

"You spit into that!"

"So? Are you afraid of the cooties?" I teased and heard Damon's brother laugh silently beside me, making Niklaus glare at him.

"If you don't want it, then pour into the sink." Niklaus told me and nodded towards a sink that could be seen from behind the bar.

"I cannot just waste this! This is very expensive, is it not?"

"Then drink it, Mal! I'm not doing it for you."

"But the taste of it is atrocious."

Suddenly the glass was taken out of my hand and its content poured into the sink by a very annoyed hybrid.

"There, love. That wasn't hard, was it now?" Niklaus asked mockingly and a scowl set on my face.

"Call me 'love' one more time and I will make you regret it." I warned him with narrow eyes and I was surprised to see the wicked grin that spread on his lips.

"That's right. I don't remember you having the power to set things on fire or do much else than create a small wind." Niklaus said with an interested look in his eyes and I could almost see the wheels spinning inside his head as he went through all the new opportunities my powers could give him.

"Am I missing something here?" the brother suddenly said from his stool and noticed the slightly frustrated look in his eyes as he tried to piece together the puzzle.

"I am so sorry for my impoliteness." I quickly apologized and reached out my hand for him to take. "I am Malina Ayanason."

"Stefan Salvatore. And how do you two know each other?" Stefan asked curiously and I glanced back at Niklaus, not sure what he wanted Stefan to know. He did just try to kill his brother, after all.

"We go way back." Niklaus answered with a sly smile on his face and I returned my attention towards Stefan, whose eyes were shifting between us.

"So you two were together or something?" Stefan asked confusedly and pointed between the two of us, bringing horrified expressions to our faces.

"No!" we both answered at the same time and Stefan looked taken aback by our apparent unwillingness to be connected in such a way.

"Nik is like a brother to me. I would never think of him in such a way." I explained the surprised Salvatore vampire. It wasn't hard for me to feel the changed aura around him that told me he was one of undead.

"And you're a witch? So you've just kept yourself alive like Gloria has done?" Stefan questioned and watched how his eyes studied my face until they dropped to the pendant on my chest.

"Gloria?" I asked confusingly and looked at Niklaus for an answer. I had an idea of what Stefan was asking about, but decided to keep my 'tricks' to myself. How was I going to explain that I had slept for a thousand years without him thinking I was half crazy?

"The witch who owns this bar. She wasn't too fond of your attempted humour." Niklaus explained and then emptied the rest of his glass and put it on the counter. "I think it's time go see if Bekah is awake."

"Rebekah is here?" I asked, feeling slightly torn between being happy and nervous of seeing her again. I had been friends with Rebekah back when she was human, but I had always only been able to take her in small doses as she otherwise would annoy me to death.

"You know Rebekah as well?" Stefan then asked as we got up from our places and followed Niklaus out of the bar. I looked at him for a long moment before I nodded and then walked quickly ahead of him before he could ask any more questions.

I grabbed my bag from the table I had placed it on and threw into the back of Niklaus' car before I jumped in after it. A few minutes later we were in front of a big warehouse and Niklaus told us to stay back as we went inside. Stefan and I stepped into the warehouse after him, but stayed at the door and I heard Niklaus call out for his sister.

"Rebekah? It's your big brother… Come out, come out, wherever you are." Niklaus sang and the next thing I heard was Rebekah sneering at him.

"Go to hell, Nik."

I felt my pendant warm up against my skin and I began walking further inside as I had learned what that meant; Niklaus was hurt. A hand on my shoulder stopped me and I looked back to see Stefan shaking his head at me. I sighed dejectedly and then took a small step back; relieved when I heard Niklaus' voice echo through the warehouse again.

"Don't pout; you knew it wouldn't kill me." Niklaus told his sister calmly.

"No, but I was hoping it would hurt more." Rebekah retorted and I heard their steps move closer to where we were standing.

"I understand that you are upset with me, Rebekah. So I'm gonna let that go, just this once. I brought you a little peace offering." Niklaus told her as the sounds of their steps died down and he called out. "You can come in."

At first I thought Niklaus was talking to me, but when Stefan moved past me and walked towards the sound of Niklaus' voice slowly; I realized that Stefan was the supposed peace offering. I followed silently and stood by one of the tall shelves nearby from where I could see the others without being seen. Niklaus' eyes met mine for a short moment as if to let me know that he knew I was there.

Rebekah was dressed in a white dress with a glittering skirt, but a dark red stain by her heart made me frown. What exactly had Niklaus meant by Rebekah 'waking up'?

As Stefan stepped into sight, a happy and surprised expression appeared on Rebekah's face and his name escaped her lips. Before anyone could say more Niklaus walked to Stefan in long strides, placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him directly in the eyes as he spoke.

"Now, you remember."

I watched how Stefan's eyes widened for a moment before he closed them and Niklaus moved to stand behind him, shooting me a quick glance. I was more than confused by what was happening, but I figured that Niklaus had once made him forget something and when Stefan reopened his eyes; a look of recognition was in his eyes.

"Rebekah." Stefan spoke softly and he began slowly moving towards Niklaus' sister, who looked to be on the verge of crying.

"Stefan." Niklaus then called silently, making Stefan spin around to look at him. I almost wanted to smack Niklaus for ruining their moment, but I remained in the shadows. I would face Rebekah after this whole 'Stefan'-thing was over.

"I remember you. We were friends." Stefan almost whispered and a shocked expression was on his face.

"We are friends." Niklaus told him with a smile as he moved forward and placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder.

"And now to the reason that you are here." Niklaus continued as he looked at Rebekah and moved past Stefan towards his sister. "Gloria tells me you know how to contact the Original witch."

"The Original witch?" Rebekah asked incredulously and I slowly moved from the shadows to better hear what they were saying. I had never heard of an Original witch and neither did it look like Stefan had as he stood by and watched the siblings in confusion.

"Do you have what Gloria needs?" Niklaus asked impatiently; his tone annoyed and I watched Rebekah's hand move to where a necklace should have supposedly been. Her eyes grew wide, when she found it missing and she looked down in shock.

"Where is my necklace? What did you do with it? I never take it off!" she asked with a distressed voice.

"I don't know. I didn't touch it." Niklaus replied dully, not caring about the loss of his sister's necklace.

"We need to find it, Nik." Rebekah said with a raised voice and I watched Niklaus' body tense when he understood the implications.

"Tell me that is not what she needs." Niklaus almost yelled, but Rebekah just talked over him.

"I want it back!"

"Tell me that's not what she needs, Rebekah!" Niklaus yelled and grabbed Rebekah's shoulder, making me step into the light and stand next to Stefan, who for some reason looked slightly distressed. The siblings stared at each other for a short moment before Rebekah pushed Niklaus' hands off her and turned around to an open coffin, which she started searching frantically.

When she found nothing, she let out a frustrated scream and using her vampire strength she threw the coffin to the ground; breaking it in the process.

"What is going on?" I asked; surprising both Stefan and Rebekah, who hadn't noticed I was there. It was quite an accomplishment for Stefan as I stood almost right beside him and I couldn't help but feel a little suspicious of his lacking awareness.

"Malina." Rebekah breathed as she spun around at the sound of my voice and the next moment she stood right in front of me. "We thought you were dead."

"Just sleeping." Niklaus answered for me with irritation in his voice. I couldn't tell if he was irritated with me or by the lacking necklace. "She woke up, when I broke the curse."

"You broke it?" Rebekah asked with astonishment and looked back at her brother, who smiled victoriously. Instead of answering, his eyes slowly turned amber and veins appeared under his eyes.

"But I've run into some trouble with creating more hybrids, which is why I need to contact the Original witch." Niklaus explained and his smile disappeared again. My impatience was getting the better of me as I was given no answers and I almost yelled, when I repeated my question.

"Can someone please tell me what on earth is going on?"

* * *

**A/N: And that was chapter two! I'd love to hear what you think! Especially about Klaus and Malina's relationship. Hopefully Klaus wasn't too OOC, but he does have a very soft spot for Malina. **


	3. Chapter 3

My head was pounding to the rhythm of the music that played in the boutique that Rebekah had dragged us into and I could feel the champagne slowly making my limbs numb after several glasses. Niklaus was sending the sales assistant a flirting smile as she poured him another glass, leaving the bottle with him.

Niklaus was seated on a red divan and Stefan was in a chair on his left, looking very bored as he stared into his glass. I had managed to conquer a large armchair and my legs were slouched over one of the arms, while my back leaned against the other, making me sleepier by the minute.

"There has to be more to this dress." Rebekah complained with a loud voice to drown out the pumping music. I couldn't help but smile at her reaction to the fashion of the twenty-first century as it was so similar to my own, but my smile disappeared as my eyes fell on Niklaus and I knew he didn't miss the judging look I sent him.

I still had trouble believing that he had daggered Rebekah and kept her in a box for ninety years just because she didn't want to leave Chicago with him back in the twenties. So far I had been caught up with Stefan's part in that story, who the Original witch was – I was slightly surprised to hear Esther's name – and why Niklaus needed to speak with his dead mother.

I was surprised to hear that Stefan lived in Mystic Falls, which was the new name of the village I had lived in a millennium ago and even more shocked by his story of how he ended up in Chicago with Niklaus.

My mind was still trying to comprehend everything I had learned about Niklaus so far and I had ended up accidentally setting fire to Rebekah's old coffin the night before in frustration over all the things my old friend had done just this year.

"There's not." Niklaus answered with a dull voice and I mentally scolded myself for the small smile that appeared on my lips again. I was angry with him and that meant that I wasn't going to smile at him at all.

"So women in the twenty-first century dress like prostitutes then?" Rebekah said as she pulled the curtain to her dressing room aside and stepped out wearing a short black dress with a deep v-neck. I couldn't help but notice how Stefan finally seemed to wake up and an interested look was in his eyes.

"You know, I got dirty looks for wearing trousers!" Rebekah continued with an exasperated expression on her face and I was already looking forward to forcing her into a pair of so-called skinny jeans.

"You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing." Niklaus told her and he looked all but ready to fall asleep as he lied on the divan with an already empty glass in his hand.

"And what is this music? It sounds like a cable car accident." Rebekah complained once again and a laugh escaped me even though I had a little idea about what a cable car was. I could feel Niklaus' eyes on me and I immediately put my face back into a scowl, which only made him roll his eyes.

"It's dance music." Stefan said hesitantly as if he didn't exactly believe his own words.

"People dance to this?" Rebekah asked incredulously and Stefan hummed in conformation; a frown set on his forehead.

"Are we done?" Niklaus interrupted with an irritable voice and my head fell backwards with an annoyed groan, when the siblings started bickering once again.

"And why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah asked as she moved stepped towards her brother.

"I needed one thing from you for my witch to find out why my hybrids are dying. One thing. Your necklace and you lost it." Niklaus told her casually, but his irritation was almost tangible as he looked at his little sister.

"I didn't lose it. It's just been missing for ninety years." Rebekah said before she took a deep breath and looked at Stefan. "So what do you think?"

"I like it." Stefan told her with a smile as she turned around, but she clearly wasn't content with his answer. "What? I said I like it."

"I can always tell when you're lying." Rebekah told him as she turned around to reenter the dressing room.

"You are not going to ask me? The only other female here?" I called after her, slightly offended about being ignored. Rebekah turned around and an almost pitiful smile was on her lips as her eyes glided over my clothes.

"I'm sorry, Malina, but your clothes has nothing to do with fashion." Rebekah told me sweetly before she walked away, leaving me to stare down myself with uncertainty in my eyes.

I was wearing a plain floor length black dress with a decent neckline. A brown belt hang on my hips and I'd chosen a pair of flat sandals to wear on my feet. I had still trouble matching the right clothes sometimes, but I was fairly sure I had gotten it right when I picked this set out this morning.

"You look fine, Mal." Niklaus told me with a sigh and I couldn't tell whether he was annoyed by my sudden panicking or his sister's unflinching ability to belittle others.

"You are just saying that to make me less angry with you." I accused and this time I was sure he sighed because of me as he filled his glass again and drank from it.

"Alright, I'm gonna get some fresh air." Stefan said as he got up from his chair and exited the shop.

"You want to share some of that?" I asked as Niklaus refilled his glass once more. I held out my glass and watched him fill it up with a small smile on his lips that I pretended to ignore.

"Holy spirits, my head hurts." I grumbled as I quickly emptied my glass and held it out for him to refill.

"I don't think more alcohol is the right cure for a headache, love." Niklaus chuckled as he emptied the rest of the bottle into my glass and I glared at him when the endearment once again slipped his tongue, making him raise his hands in surrender.

"I am going to need it if I am to survive what comes next." I told him with a heavy sigh, forgetting my resolve to not speak with him for at least a couple of hours more. But talking with Niklaus had always been one of the easiest and most relaxing things for me to do so I barely noticed how my anger slowly crumbled.

"Which is?" Niklaus asked with a confused expression on his face that made me laugh in all my drunkenness.

"Come on, Malina. Time to get you out of those rags!" Rebekah then called from her dressing room and I gestured towards the sound of her voice dramatically, making Niklaus smirk with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"This is not funny!" I told him pointedly as I stood up, my head spinning a little too much for comfort and Niklaus smiled widened. The next moment Rebekah was dragging me towards my own dressing room that was filled with clothes she had picked out earlier and I heard Niklaus laugh at the sight of the scared expression on my face.

"I hate you!" I called after him as I was dragged backwards and pushed out of sight.

"No, you don't!" he sang, but his voice was laced with an insecurity that made my stomach drop and I realized that he was probably used to hear those words in a less playful way.

When Stefan hadn't returned half an hour later and Rebekah had grown impatient with my apparently poor fashion sense, we paid for the clothes and walked back to Gloria's bar. That is to say that Rebekah compelled the sales assistant to give it all for free, while I left a stack of money as soon as the blonde Original had exited the boutique.

"So who taught you to be such a fine upstanding citizen?" Niklaus asked jokingly as we walked down the street, but I could see the curiosity in his eyes.

"A descendant of mine called Emma. She is a witch."

"And I'm guessing she is the one who helped you adjust to this century as well?"

"She did. She has been very helpful to me. She even waited for hours for me to wake up at the night of the full moon, when you broke your curse." I told him with a smile on my lips and I once again felt a surge of gratitude towards Emma run through me.

"How did she know that I was going to break it?" Niklaus asked suspiciously, making me inwardly roll my eyes.

"It was more of a guess than anything else, but she did have her informants. She is no threat to you, Niklaus, so leave her alone." I said with a pointed finger, when I noticed the dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"You can call me Klaus, you know." he suggested with a small and slightly amused smile.

"I rather not." was all I said without giving an explanation to why. It just felt wrong for me and I was afraid that I would lose my connection to the old Niklaus if I started calling him by this new name.

"You sound like Elijah." he then told me and I scoffed at his words.

"Oh, do you mean the brother you have daggered and stowed away in some coffin?" I asked innocently and I saw how his smile fell and his expression became hard.

"He tried to kill me, Mal." Niklaus growled and I noticed how Rebekah's strides seemed to become longer and more forceful as she walked in front of us.

"And yet, here you are; alive and well." I replied as I gestured towards him with a fake smile on my lips. His eyes held mine for a long moment and I could see how he tried hard to control himself, but that didn't stop me from continuing. "And what of Kol?"

"Your boyfriend is fine, Malina. He was getting out of control so I put him to sleep." Niklaus told me casually and I rolled my eyes at his choice of words.

"Kol is not my boyfriend." I reminded him sternly and a playful smirk appeared on Niklaus' lips as he looked down at me. "The only reason Kol ever wanted me was because he could not get me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. He did almost tear a whole village apart to find you after your mother told him that she had sent you there. And he has always held witches in high esteem and often preferred their company to the one of his family." Niklaus told me and I could hear the bitter tone in his voice at the end. I felt my blood rise to my cheeks as I blushed at the thought of Kol and the smirk returned to Niklaus' lips.

I had always convinced myself that Kol's infatuation was nothing but a shallow one and only had to do with that I was no longer available for him to have. Ever since we had opened our eyes to the other sex, we had flirted with each other and at some point I even wished to marry the Mikaelson brother.

I had admittedly been in love with Kol until the day of my marriage, but I buried it inside me and hoped that it would slowly die as time went by. I was sure that Kol never felt any more than an attraction towards me and I had seen him run around after other girls all the while I dreamed of being his wife.

But something had happened to him the moment he was told of my impending marriage and from that moment on he made it nearly impossible for me to forget about him as he pursued me relentlessly; earning a few punches from my husband over time. Niklaus had been there to keep him away from me most of the time, but there had been times where I had come to him and nothing had felt more comforting than his embrace.

"And Finn?" I managed to ask before the memories of the past completely pulled me from the real world.

"Yes, Nik. Tell her about our oldest brother." Rebekah said mockingly without turning her head and Niklaus' eyes shot daggers at her back.

"I daggered Finn nine hundred years ago." was all he said and didn't meet my stare, when I looked at him with wide eyes.

"Nine centuries? Are you mad?!" I asked incredulously and a laugh escaped Rebekah, who had slowed down her steps to join our conversation.

"Finn despised being a vampire, so I saved him from a millennium of self-loathing." Niklaus explained and Rebekah rolled her eyes at his reasoning, making Niklaus glare at her warningly.

"How chivalrous of you." I replied sarcastically and now it was my turn to be at the receiving end of his cold gaze. We had reached Gloria's bar and without answering, Niklaus stepped inside. Rebekah sent me a wicked grin before she followed her brother and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her apparent amusement of our little argument.

The bar was empty and Gloria had closed it off as it was only noon, which meant that she could set up the things for a locator spell without people looking weirdly at us. Niklaus had explained the witch that the necklace was no longer in Rebekah's possession and I had suggested using a locator spell that Gloria for some reason insisted on doing.

When Stefan finally returned from his walk, my patience was wearing thin and I could feel Niklaus growing restless as well.

"You left us." Rebekah pouted from her place on top of the bar as Stefan entered the room.

"Yeah, sorry. Retail therapy was making my head explode." Stefan explained casually and I secretly blamed him for not taking him with me.

"Tell me about it." I growled from my seat at a table close to Gloria's, who was trying to concentrate on her spell. An amused smirk spread on Niklaus' lips and I glared at him vengefully.

"What's she doing?" Stefan asked as he looked at Gloria and my eyes moved to the witch, frowning at her slowness.

"She's failing." Niklaus said, clearly as annoyed as I was by her lacking success.

"It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on." Gloria said with an irritated voice as she kept moving her hands over the grimoire in front of her.

"So use me." Rebekah suggested as she jumped from the bar and walked over to the witch. "I only wore it for a thousand years."

"See, now this one offers a solution." Gloria commented and reached for Rebekah's hand when the blonde Original sat on the table. "Alright, give me your hand, sweetheart."

"She's uh… she's looking for the necklace, huh?" Stefan said slowly and I almost missed the strange look in his eyes that made me glance at Niklaus, who didn't seem to have noticed anything.

"I can sense something." Gloria suddenly said but my eyes were trained on Stefan, who slowly moved closer to the witch and Rebekah, while Niklaus stood by with a satisfied look on his face.

Gloria began to whisper some words that I recognized as an intensifying spell and the next moment she dropped Rebekah's hand and turned her head to look at Stefan.

"I found it." Gloria revealed and I noticed the look that was passed between Stefan and her, making me narrow my eyes suspiciously. I thought back to the night before where Stefan had seemed out of mind as well, when Rebekah had desperately searched for the necklace.

"So where is it?" Rebekah asked impatiently, but Gloria just shook her head.

"It doesn't work like that, doll. I get images; there's a girl with her friends." Gloria told us as she tried to recall what she had seen.

"Yes, a dead girl with her dead friends if I don't get my necklace back." Rebekah interrupted harshly, making me sigh at her mean girl tendencies.

"Well, I have to dive back in to get the details." Gloria said as she tried to calm down Rebekah's rage.

"So dive." Niklaus told her as he walked towards her with a smile on his lips.

"I need more time." Gloria informed and met Niklaus' piecing gaze as he leaned against the table she was sitting at on his hands. "And space."

"You're hashing my juju." Gloria continued with a brushing-off gesture that only made Niklaus lean in closer with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. I scoffed silently at her words, earning a glance from Rebekah, who was the only one to notice.

"We can wait." Niklaus said with a dark voice and the smile fell from his lips.

"I'm sure you can. But that's not what I asked." Gloria retorted as she bravely met Niklaus' blue eyes with an unwavering stare that I was secretly impressed of. The deep frown of Stefan's forehead disappeared as he casually placed an arm on Niklaus' shoulder, urging him to keep calm.

"Hey, you know what, why don't we just come back later? I'm hungry anyway." Stefan suggested causally as he kept a hand on Niklaus' back and Rebekah looked at him with interest. "I'll let you pick who we eat."

I frowned in disgust at the mental picture and rolled my eyes when I saw the sadistic smile on Niklaus' lips as he shared a long look with his sister. Stefan was already walking away and Rebekah soon followed him, leaving Niklaus to look at me questioningly when I didn't rise from my seat.

"Have fun." I told him sarcastically and then met Gloria's dissatisfied stare with a tilt of my head. "I will stay here. I am sure Gloria would not mind a little help from another witch."

"Of course not." Gloria answered with a strained smile on her lips and I smirked at Niklaus, who looked between Gloria and me for a moment with a mischievous flicker in his eyes before he turned on his heel and left.

"What now then?" I asked as I rose from my seat and slowly stepped towards her.

"I need a drink." Gloria said with a tired sigh and glanced at me warily. "Do you want anything?"

"Yes, please." I answered and she eyed me expectantly as I edged closer to the grimoire on the table. "Anything but scotch, though."

Gloria nodded at me and slowly moved towards the bar, casting a glance between me and her grimoire before she turned her back at me. I didn't think much of it when she disappeared into a storage room behind the bar and quickly placed myself in her chair, positioning my hands over the grimoire.

The revelation spell fell hastily from my lips in a low whisper as I tried to recall whatever images Gloria had seen when she used the locator spell. Sometimes it was possible to reassemble the results of another spell if you knew what to look for and it had been recently casted. I was surprised when no girls appeared in my mind and instead I heard pained female voice.

_"__It burned me."_

_"__Maybe it's a sign you shouldn't be wearing it."_ another deep female voice said.

_"__Caroline._" a third voice chastised.

_"__What? I'm just saying, you know if you're going to be cooking without Stefan…"_

My eyes shot open, when I heard the Salvatore brother's name and my suspicions towards Niklaus' new friend grew. I very much doubted that it was a coincidence and my mind was racing as I tried to think of a way to inform Niklaus of these new informations without letting Gloria know.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked and I whipped my head around to meet the suspicious eyes of Gloria, who was standing right beside me.

"Oh, I just wanted to try and 'dive' a little deeper." I shrugged with feign disinterest and stood up from the chair to move to the bar.

"And what did you find?" Gloria asked warily while she followed me.

"Nothing, really. Could I borrow a telephone? I need to call my friend to let her know where I am." I lied as I leaned over the bar to look after a mobile device.

"Sorry, sweetheart." Gloria said and I turned around to look at her just as a needle pierced the skin of my neck and set my body on fire, when a clear liquid entered my system. My mouth fell open in surprise and my knees buckled under me as the witch hazel quickly weakened me. "But I can't let you tell Klaus what you heard or saw."

My eyes rolled back in my head as I tried to see past the pain and fight back, but all I managed to do was to conjure enough power to push the other witch to the floor. Gloria was quickly on her feet again, while my fingers fumbled to grasp my necklace in hopes that it would strengthen me, but when the red pendant suddenly was ripped off of me, I lost consciousness.

My limbs were heavy and I struggled to sit up from my lying position on the floor, when I finally returned from the black void my mind had taken me to. I couldn't register much else than that I was in a dark room – most likely the storage room – and my feet and hands were tied together by ropes. A cloth around my mouth prevented me from screaming and I was afraid that my gagging reflex soon would fail me.

My eyes desperately searched the room for my necklace but it was nowhere in sight and my stomach dropped at the revelation. Without it I wouldn't last for more than a few hours with the witch hazel in my system as well. I tried to cry for help but all I managed was a choking sound.

When I suddenly heard voices coming from outside the room I was in, I tried to scream once more but the noise I made was barely audible. I decided to listen instead and my hopes of rescue disappeared when I recognized Stefan's voice. For a moment I was sure he spoke my name, but their words were incomprehensible in my ears and moments later the voices stopped as a body fell to the floor.

The ensuing silence almost made me numb and I blocked out the sounds of Gloria's movements as I worked to remove the cloth around my mouth. I took a deep breath, when I finally managed to push it to my chin, but I stayed silent as I doubted there was anyone in the other room willing to save me.

I leaned back against a shelf and focused all of my slipping strength on freeing my hands, but I could already feel my heartbeat slowing and after half an hour I gave up, my head falling backwards in defeat. I had almost fallen asleep when a painful cry filled my ears and I heard Gloria's calm voice.

Stefan's screams held me awake, but I lost any sense of time as the torture continued outside my door. I lifted my head from its resting place when I suddenly heard a creepy laugh that was interrupted by a low female voice I hadn't heard before. I contemplated calling for help once more, but I still didn't know what side the newcomer was on – neither Gloria nor Stefan being a team I would count on.

Soon it was only Stefan and the new female voice that could be heard and I very much doubted that Gloria was still breathing. I was fighting to stay awake, but my breathing was slowly becoming shallower and the lack of oxygen made me dizzy and tired. My dull mind didn't register that the voices outside had gone quiet and I barely managed to open my eyes when the room was lit up as the door was forced open, almost pulling it off its hinges.

"Mal?" a familiar voice called out and I heard the whoosh of air as Niklaus ran towards me. My protests were silent and ignored, when I felt Niklaus' bleeding wrist against my mouth and the metallic taste of it brought my senses back to live. I could almost feel his frustration when his blood only did little to help me but it had been enough for my mind and voice to start working again.

"My necklace." I whispered hoarsely and I watched him look around confusedly, which made me shake my head. "Not here."

Niklaus quickly disappeared from the storage room and to my horror I felt myself drift away once more as my heartbeat slowed to a minimum. If I were to die now, I would wake up as a vampire; something I very much minded. A loud gasp escaped me as soon as I felt the cold pendant on my chest and it almost hurt when my heart started picking up its pace, saving me from a life as an undead.

Niklaus removed the ropes around my feet and hands as I focused on taking deep breaths and I felt how my magic spread through my veins once more, creating a content smile on my lips. I shied away when another liquid suddenly touched my lips and I felt Niklaus' hand lift up my head, urging me to drink.

"It's water, sweetheart." Niklaus told me calmly and I greedily emptied the glass.

"Who did this?" he asked with a low voice and I felt a shiver down my spine at the sound of his voice. It sounded cold and calculating as if he was trying to distance himself while at the same time figure out how to cause as much pain as possible to whoever was responsible. And then there was a rage in his voice that seemed so strangely intimate and reminded me of the night he had killed my husband.

"Gloria." I whispered and wished I could have another glass of water for my dry throat. "But I think she's dead. Stefan knows…"

"Stefan knows what?" Niklaus asked with cold fury when my voice broke off and I watched as he tried his best to hide his anger; something he didn't quite master.

"The necklace. Those girls said his name. I think he knows them." I managed to explain and I could feel exhaustion overwhelm me as Niklaus swept me into his arms and walked out of the bar with me. Even though the pain from the witch hazel had subsided noticeably because of Niklaus' blood, it was still in my system; making me weak and tired.

"Look who I found tucked away in the storage room in Gloria's bar." Niklaus suddenly said and I absentmindedly noted that we were back at the warehouse, where most of the Mikaelson family was stowed away in their coffins. Gently, I was put down on a white sofa that stood in the big room and the cold air made goose bumps appear on my arms, when I suddenly lost the warmth from Niklaus' body.

"Anything you would like to tell me, mate?" I heard Niklaus ask through his teeth and the noise of struggle told me that he probably had Stefan by his throat, making it hard for the vampire to breathe.

"What is going on?" Rebekah asked confusedly and I was surprised to hear her voice right beside me.

"According to Malina, Stefan knows who has your necklace and I'm guessing that Stefan was the one who put an end to Gloria's life as well." Niklaus told his sister and I slowly opened my eyes to see Stefan hanging in the air as his hands tried to pry away the one Niklaus had around his neck.

"He was asking about Mikael." Rebekah then informed and walked to her brother, who didn't take his eyes of Stefan. I felt my own heart beat harder in my chest at the name and made a silent wish that it wasn't the Mikael I thought it was. "He's not with us, Nik. I can sense it."

"Klaus… I didn't- she's wrong." Stefan managed to choke out and I watched with surprise as Niklaus slowly put down Stefan, finally letting him breathe probably. I shut my eyes tightly, when a crunching sound echoed through the room and I wasn't surprised to find Stefan lifeless on the floor, when I opened them again.

"Great, Nik. How are we supposed to find out where the necklace is now?" Rebekah asked with an exasperated look on her face as she eyed Stefan.

"I have an idea on where to start." Niklaus replied and a smirk slowly appeared on his face as he looked at his confused sister. "Now, what did you tell Stefan about Mikael?"

"Nothing, I swear." Rebekah quickly said and I could hear the small quiver in her voice.

"Nik…" I tried to call out as he stepped closer to his sister in a threatening way and I immediately gained his attention, making him flash to my side in a second. "Could I have some water?"

"Sure." Niklaus said quickly as his eyes glided over my face and I offered him a small smile as reassurance of my recovery. The anger inside him was evident as I looked into his cold blue eyes and it didn't surprise when he didn't return the small gesture as he turned around towards his sister.

"Take her out to my car, get a driver and drive to Mystic Falls. Make sure that she has food and water. Do what you want with the driver afterwards." Niklaus ordered and Rebekah quickly nodded as she moved back towards me. "I'll take care of Stefan and the rest."

Rebekah didn't protest against anything her brother said and I could see the relief in her eyes as she looked down at me before she picked me up, carrying me away in her arms.

"I can walk." I tried with a weak voice but the blonde Original just ignored me as she walked towards Niklaus' car. When we reached the car she put me down and opened the door to the backseat, only to practically lift me inside and close the door after me.

Several minutes went by before Rebekah returned with a bag full of food and water bottles and I couldn't help but wonder how she had handled a trip to the supermarket without killing anyone. She got into the front seat and placed the grocery bag on the floor beside me. The next moment the door to the driver's seat opened, but I couldn't see who the driver was from my lying position on the backseats.

"Are we really going home?" I asked hesitantly as I went through the bag to find a bottle of water and we slowly made our way out of Chicago.

"Mystic Falls haven't been my home for centuries." Rebekah told me with a bored voice and I couldn't help but wonder if the Mikaelson family even had some place they called home anymore. "But if you really want to call it that; sure, we're going home."

"What do you think Nik will do with Stefan?" I asked after a couple minutes of silence and I noticed how Rebekah shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"I really don't care. He lied to us." Rebekah said with a cold voice and I pretended not to hear the hurt tone that she tried so hard to hide.

"I am sorry, Rebekah." I told her with a low voice and met her gaze as she turned around to watch me with a confused frown on her forehead.

"What for?" she asked and I watched how her eyes narrowed suspiciously, making my heart break for the woman in front of me. She might be a thousand years old but after spending less than a day with her, I knew that a part of her still was as naïve and love starving as she had been as a human.

"For all the things that Niklaus has ever done to you." I replied with a clear voice that cut through my own hazy mind and made Rebekah's eyes widen.

Even though I didn't want to believe it, I knew that Niklaus' misdeeds towards his siblings probably reached further than keeping them in boxes for years at a time. I was quickly learning to understand the 'new' Niklaus and apologizing didn't seem like a part of his vocabulary.

"Why are you apologizing?" Rebekah questioned with an off look in her eyes as she turned away from me again.

"I just thought someone ought to." I told her honestly and couldn't hold back the yawn that escaped me.

"Stop apologizing for others' wrong-doing, Malina. It's a foolish thing to do." Rebekah chastised with a hard voice, but she didn't look at me as her eyes were fixed on something in front of her. "And get some sleep."

Without arguing further, I slowly closed my eyes and felt how sleep gently wrapped around me and pulled me into its comfortable embrace. Rebekah's voice sounded far away, when she suddenly spoke again and I frowned as I concentrated to understand her words.

"Malina? Thank you." Rebekah said with a soft voice and I could feel her eyes on me, even though I didn't bother to open my own. I wasn't sure what she was thanking me for, so I hummed in question.

"For distracting Nik back there. I know why you did it."

"Any time." I mumbled as my energy-depraved body pulled me into a deep slumber.

"That's what I'm afraid of." was the last words I heard Rebekah say before a dreamless sleep overtook me.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you like it so far:) And like Malina. I think she's awesome, but she's my character so that sorta doesn't count. One thing I have forgotten to write is that I've casted Jessica Szohr as Malina in this story:) Or that's who I see in my head when I write. You're welcome to picture whoever;)**


	4. Chapter 4

My footsteps echoed as I walked through the empty hallway, looking into every classroom I passed. Even though I was on the look-out for the girl with the necklace, it was just as much to please my own curiosity that I spent more time than necessary searching the halls.

I wasn't exactly sure who I was looking for even though Niklaus had told me that 'I would know it when I found her' with a secretive smile on his face, but I was beginning to doubt his words as I had not yet had any epiphany to whom we were looking for. I had already ran into a group of teenagers, who asked me if I would help them cover someone's desk with post-its, but none of them seemed to be the one I was looking for.

I was about to go through a door and into another hall, when it suddenly opened and I almost collided with a young woman. We both froze in surprise, but my mind blanked when I noticed the dark chestnut coloured hair and her brown doe eyes that were completely identical to a girl I had thought long dead.

"Tatia." was all I could say and I saw her frown in confusion when I didn't move around her and through the door she held open for me.

"There's my girl." Niklaus suddenly said right behind me and I jumped out of my trance with a small gasp.

"Klaus." Tatia breathed with a fear-stricken expression on her face and spun around on her heels in an attempt to escape. I snapped my head back to look at Niklaus, who rolled his eyes before he flashed in front of the girl.

"You are supposed to be dead." Niklaus told her with a crossed voice and that's when I realized it wasn't Tatia in front of me, but rather her doppelgänger; Stefan's supposedly dead girlfriend. "What are we gonna do about that?"

The doppelgänger's – was it Elena? – eyes became wide with fear and I noticed her take a deep breath before opening her mouth to scream. Before any sound escaped Elena, Niklaus' hand was over her mouth and he was standing right behind her.

"Do that again and I will find all of your friends and kill them one by one. Maybe I should start with the vampire who should have been sacrificed instead of poor Aunt Jenna. Was she the blonde one?" Niklaus told the horrified girl and I would have rolled my eyes at his theatrics if I hadn't been slightly horrified myself.

"Just let go of her, Niklaus. I am sure that she will come with us without causing any more trouble, yes?" I said and directed my question to Elena, who quickly nodded. Niklaus sent me an irritated glare before he slowly released her and grabbed her arm, dragging her after him down the hall and leaving me to follow.

They walked fast in front of me and I heard Niklaus ramble about not being able to make hybrids. I could see how his grip on her arm was too tight and she let out small gasps of pain that made me cringe.

"Could you just be a little more gentle, Nik?" I called after him, but he just ignored me as he continued his complaining. My stomach dropped when I heard the girl asking for a quick death, but Niklaus just smiled back at her as he pushed through a door, telling Elena that he was going to make her suffer.

As Niklaus and Elena disappeared through the door, I stopped and took a deep breath to calm myself. I couldn't help but wonder if I should have just stayed with Rebekah, who was waiting for Stefan to wake up after Niklaus snapping his neck for the fifth time. But I needed to stay with Niklaus and as far as possible make sure he didn't kill anyone.

"Attention all seniors! You have officially been busted. Prank night is over, head on home." I heard Niklaus yell with a strange American accent as I stepped into the large room filled with teenagers and water cups on the floor.

"You two, I remember you." Niklaus called after a girl and a boy, who was about to leave. I cautiously stepped closer, wondering what he was up to.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" the girl asked confusedly and walked back towards Niklaus.

"Oh, don't worry I wasn't in my right head the last time we met." Niklaus quickly rambled on as he looked into the girl's eyes. "Lift your foot up and stay like that."

"Nik, what are you doing?" I interrupted, when I saw him compel the girl and she slowly lifted her foot. Once again, I was ignored and he looked to the boy to compel him.

"If she drops her foot, Chad, I want you to beat her to death." Niklaus told him calmly and I saw how Chad's eyes became vacant as he stared at his girlfriend's foot.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I asked angrily as I stepped into between the teenagers and Niklaus.

"Just a bit of fun." Niklaus told me with a sadistic smile on his face that made me shiver, but I didn't stop glaring at him.

"Klaus, you don't have to hurt anybody." Elena pleaded, making Niklaus turn away from my angry stare and look at her.

"Come on, love. Of course I do." he responded in a nonsensical way and Elena looked at her classmates with horror.

"Undo this now, Niklaus." I demanded as he followed Elena's gaze back to the teenagers.

"All this sleeping really has made you boring, Malina." Niklaus complained with an amused tone and I noticed the looks Elena casted between us.

"I have not changed, but you have." I retorted angrily and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. "You have become a… a monster."

"Good, I was beginning to worry that you didn't see it." Niklaus told me with a smirk on his lips and I felt my jaw drop in surprise.

"What?" I gaped in shock and my eyes shortly met Elena's, who looked even more confused than I felt.

"I'm not the same man that you once knew, Malina. You'll be wise to remember that." Niklaus said with a stern voice, but I was surprised to hear the warning in his words rather than a threat. "Dana, why don't you relax? You and Chad sit tight."

Dana, who was already losing her balance, fell forward but was caught by Chad who lowered her to the floor. I crouched in front of her and offered her and Chad a quick smile, before I turned my attention back to Niklaus with a sigh.

"Who are you?" Elena suddenly asked and my eyes met hers familiar brown ones. I had no idea how Niklaus was able to do such things to the girl who looked exactly like Tatia, but the whole point of what he just did was to show me that he was no longer the man he used to be, so I didn't say anything.

"She's my witch." Niklaus answered before I had the opportunity to do so myself.

"I am not _your_ witch." I corrected as I glared at him. "My name is Malina and yes, I am a witch."

"But you're helping him?" Elena asked with a head gesture towards Niklaus and I could almost hear the disgust in her voice.

"I think it would be safer to say that I am here for damage control." I told her with a smile that she didn't return and I noticed an amused smile grow on Niklaus' lips that made me mutter 'asshole' under my breath.

"Where's Stefan? What did you do to him?" Elena then asked after Nik was done laughing at my cursing and I could hear the distress in her voice.

"Stefan's on a time out. He got poor Malina into a bit of trouble; it almost killed her." Niklaus informed her casually, but I saw the blaze of anger in his eyes. Elena opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by some doors being opened and I looked past her to see a dark-skinned girl and blonde boy step into the room.

"Bonnie, get out of here!" Elena yelled and the girl stopped in her tracks with a shocked expression on her face. The next moment Niklaus was standing behind her, startling her as he spoke.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would show up. Now we can get started." Niklaus said and I quickly moved towards him with a sigh, ready to stop him from killing the teenagers. "I assume you're the reason Elena is still walking around alive."

"That's right." the girl answered and I stopped a couple of meters behind her, surprised by the strange vibe I felt from her. "If you wanna blame someone, blame me."

"There's no need for blame, love. Just your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects and since you caused the problems, I'm gonna have you find the fix." Niklaus told the girl with a smile on his lips and I wasn't surprised to find out that Elena's friend was a witch.

"Get off of me." a new voice growled as the doors opened once more and Rebekah walked in, pushing another teenage boy in front of her. Were there no adults involved in all this mess?

"Hush, now." Rebekah breathed as the boy struggled against her hold, making Elena and her friends look at her in shock.

"Like you all to meet my sister, Rebekah." Niklaus said as gestured towards the Original blonde with his arm. "Write a warning, she can be quite mean."

"Don't be an arse." Rebekah retorted and pushed the boy in her grip over to Niklaus.

"Leave him alone!" Elena interrupted with a snarl, but Niklaus just grabbed the boy by his neck and pushed him further into the room. I could feel Bonnie's eyes rest on me for a long moment, but my eyes were fixed on Niklaus, who looked like he was about to do something I would regret later.

"I'm gonna make this very simple. Every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire-hybrid, they die during the transition." Niklaus informed his audience and my eyes widened in shock, when I saw him bite into his own wrist and force it into the boy's mouth. "It's quite horrible, actually."

"I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie." Niklaus said as he held onto the struggling boy. "And for Tyler's sake, you better hurry."

"No." I breathed, when a sickening crack rang through the room and the boy fell lifeless to the floor. Elena and her friends gasped in horror as well, while Rebekah looked rather bored. Niklaus on the other hand wore a large smile on his face and I walked over to him with angry steps.

"Was it really necessary to kill a teenage boy?" I growled at him and he shot Tyler an unbothered glance.

"He was the most poetic choice." Niklaus said with a smug grin and stepped away from the body on the floor. I crouched down beside the teenage boy and felt for his non-existing pulse. Tyler's friends quickly came rushing to him as soon as Niklaus was far enough away and I slowly stood up from my position, moving away as well.

"Besides, they need an incentive." he continued as I caught up with him by the bleachers.

I watched with worry as the teenagers stood around their dead friend with grief in their eyes and then turned to glare at the Original siblings, who looked rather bored as they sat on the bleachers.

"He killed him." I heard the blonde boy say and my heart clenched at the broken tone in his voice.

"He's not dead." Elena quickly said as she walked aimlessly from side to side. "Klaus' blood will turn him into a vampire."

"And if Bonnie's successful he'll live through his transition." Niklaus called out behind me and I watched him get up from his seat and move towards the teenagers with Rebekah on his heels.

"Go on then. Go fetch your grimoires and enchantments and what-not." Niklaus told Bonnie as he grabbed Elena by the arm and looked down at her with a grin. "I'll hold on to Elena. For safe keeping."

I watched Elena and Bonnie share a quick look as the witch clearly was torn between leaving Elena and saving Tyler. Funnily, I felt the same way but after a moment's thought I stepped towards the small group.

"I will help." I told the young witch and ignored the smug grin on Niklaus' face as he looked at me. I didn't want this for Tyler, but if he didn't become a hybrid, he would die and that was a far worse faith.

I met Bonnie's confused stare and she gave me a small nod in acceptance. She didn't exactly seem thrilled, though and I knew Bonnie probably felt like she didn't actually have a choice. I then walked forward and past Niklaus and Elena, sending the hybrid a glare that told him to behave and gestured Bonnie to follow me.

"You come too." I told the blonde boy who was crouching on the floor and he looked up in confusion before he quickly got up and walked after Bonnie and myself. Not that I thought he would have any use, but I wanted him out of that room. It was one less person for Niklaus to hurt.

"What are you gonna do?" the boy asked Bonnie as soon as we entered the hallway and I stayed silent as I followed the teenagers.

I didn't know exactly what Bonnie had done to make Niklaus unable to create hybrids so my solutions would only be bad guesses. The only thing I could think of was to contact the Original witch, but I still didn't know where the necklace was and seemingly it wasn't important to Niklaus anymore.

"I have no idea. The curse he's talking about is a thousand years old and my grimoires don't go back that far." Bonnie told her friend, sounding out of breath as they quickly walked down the hall.

I thought of my own grimoires or rather my mother's that did go that far back, but probably wouldn't have anything about the curse in it. That was Esther's curse and as far as I knew my mother had only provided the moon stone. My hand unconsciously found its way to the red pendant and I kept silent, deciding that now wasn't the time to share my life story.

"Can't you ask those dead witches that helped you before?" the boy asked with a frantic voice and I frowned in confusion. What was going on in this place?

"I don't have contact with them anymore. They cut me off when I brought Jeremy back to life." Bonnie said and my eyes widened in shock when I heard about the use of dark magic by a teenage girl.

"You brought someone back to life?!" I interrupted, startling the teenagers who apparently had forgotten all about my presence. Bonnie frowned at me for a moment, but I spoke again before she could reply. "Are you even aware of the consequences using such a spell?"

"I-" Bonnie began explaining but stopped herself as lighting seemed to struck her.

"The consequences…" Bonnie mumbled to herself and the boy glanced uneasily between us as I waited for Bonnie's brilliant explanation for using so dangerous magic. "That's it! I can't contact the dead, but Jeremy can."

"And who is this Jeremy?" I asked with interest and got a wary look from both of them. I didn't blame them for not trusting me but I had offered to help so it was getting slightly annoying.

"Elena's little brother." Bonnie told me and pulled out a small device from her pocket that I recognized as a mobile phone. She quickly pressed a few buttons and held it to her ear. A few moments later she removed the phone with a frustrated sigh and went back to pressing more buttons.

"He isn't answering." Bonnie said with desperation in her voice and I watched her friend repeat her actions with the same result. "Could he be at the school?"

"I haven't seen him, but we can take a look." the blonde said with a frown and glared at me for a couple of seconds before he dialled another number on his phone. "Let's split up."

"I will go with you." I told Bonnie, who quickly nodded at her friend and then walked the opposite way of him.

"So who are you?" Bonnie asked without looking at me as we looked through a small window into each our classroom. As we moved down the hall she continued to make more calls to Jeremy, who still didn't answer.

"I am Malina and yes, I am with Klaus but it is not what you think." I told her and pretended to ignore the scoff she made.

"Well, how are you with him then?" Bonnie asked, her voice slightly mocking and I forced myself to smile at her.

"I am the one who makes sure he doesn't kill all of you." I said with a nervous laugh that only seemed to make Bonnie even angrier.

"And how is that working out for you?" she asked sarcastically and I felt the need to take deep breath.

"Look, I am truly sorry about all the things that have happened to you. You are only teenagers and even though I don't know much about being a teenager these days, I am certain it should not be like this." I told her calmly and earned a frown and a confused glare from Bonnie.

"Let's just keep looking." Bonnie said and ran down the hall to check the next room.

Five minutes later we still hadn't found Jeremy but luckily everyone else had gone home. A shrill noise interrupted the silence between us and Bonnie quickly pulled out her phone to answer it. She waited for someone to speak on the other end before she replied with a desperate voice.

"No, I called him like twenty times."

"Okay, I'll meet you by your truck." Bonnie said after hearing what her friend had to say and began walking away without another word, leaving me with no other option than to follow her.

"Where are we going?" I called after her when she hung up the phone and opened the door to the parking lot.

"We're going to Jeremy's house, but you should just stay here." Bonnie told me without turning around to look at me as we finally stopped by a big car.

"I told you that I would help."

"And you've been very helpful so far." Bonnie said with a fake smile on her lips that irked me. She clearly didn't mean what she was telling me and I suddenly found myself right in front of her, looking down into a pair of scared green eyes.

"I don't know what you think this hostility will earn you because I am truly here to help if you will just let me. You may not trust me and I understand that, but I hope you believe me when I say that I mean no harm to you or your friends. So will you let me help?" I told her calmly but with enough authority in my voice to make her understand that I was being serious.

Bonnie nodded once and I watched her breathe out the air she probably didn't know she had held. The next moment her phone rang again and she quickly stepped farther away from me before answering.

"What is taking you so long?" Bonnie asked, clearly uncomfortable with being alone with me.

"What?" she then asked confusedly, when her friend had answered and she quickly glanced at me, making me even more curious to what the boy was saying on the other end. "No, Jeremy can help us save Tyler."

"I don't understand." Bonnie then said and I could feel her becoming worried for her friend.

"No, Matt, that's crazy!" Bonnie exclaimed and looked at me with wide eyes before she turned on her heel and began making her way back into the school, leaving me to follow once again without any explanation.

"No, Matt. I can't do that kind of magic anymore." she told Matt and I heard her voice growing more and more desperate as she started walking faster. She stopped walking for a short moment when she was suddenly hung up on and her eyes met mine, revealing the shock in them before she sprinted down the halls.

We ran through the halls towards a place I didn't know where was and the distance between us slowly became longer as Bonnie urged herself to run faster. I was at the end of the hall when she ran through some double doors with a weird blue light behind it and I managed to reach the room just as Bonnie jumped into the water.

It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it was Matt who was down in the water and I gasped as I quickly put the pieces of half a phone conversation together. Matt wanted Bonnie to do what she had done for Jeremy, which she couldn't any longer.

My head cleared of thoughts when Bonnie came to the surface with Matt in her arms and I realized he wasn't breathing. She managed to swim to the edge of the pool and I quickly pulled Matt out of the water, getting on my knees to look after a pulse. It was weak and slowly disappearing into nothing as Bonnie sat down on the other side of him and started pushing her hands against his chest.

"Matt, please!" Bonnie yelled with a frantic voice and I felt helpless as I sat by watching her trying to save her friend. She blew air into his mouth a couple of times before she started pushing his chest once again. I could tell it wasn't working and her desperation didn't help in the matter. "I can't do this! There's nothing else I can do."

"Bonnie." I called with a calm voice and reached for her hands to make her stop.

"No! Get away from me! I have to save him!" Bonnie screamed as she kept trying to restart his heart, but I managed to pry her hands away and she looked at me with teary eyes.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, my voice intense because of the situation and I saw the small flicker in her eyes that told me she did. It took her another couple of seconds to nod and I gave her a quick smile before I placed my own hands flat over Matt's chest.

I closed my eyes as I gathered up a white light within me that spread towards my hands and I was relieved to feel that there still was a little life force left in Matt, which meant I didn't have to use any dark magic to bring him back.

But it had to be powerful and I wasn't sure how much it would drain me. With one last deep breath I raised my hands and then pushed down with all the strength I had, releasing a spell of pure energy into Matt's body.

I fell back onto the floor when Matt's head snapped up and he began coughing up water. My body felt drained from energy and I grabbed my necklace in hopes that it could help me back on my feet. For a long moment it almost seemed dead and I closed my eyes as the world spun around me, making me dizzy.

The prickling feeling of magic spreading through my veins soon returned and I took a couple of long deep breaths to calm myself. Beside me Bonnie was helping Matt to sit up while telling him that he was okay. She looked at her friend with tears in her eyes and then at me, giving me a grateful smile.

We all managed to get to our feet and Bonnie put Matt's sweatshirt over his shoulders in an attempt to give him some warmth. I took a moment to recollect myself before following Bonnie and Matt out.

"As soon as you're feeling better, I'm gonna kill you." Bonnie told her friend and I felt myself smile at her words. The teenagers stopped when Matt walked in front of Bonnie, sending me a quick glance before speaking to the witch in a hushed voice.

"….message for you." was all I heard of Matt's words and I then saw the questioning tilt of Bonnie's head, making me move closer.

"From the witch that put the hybrid curse on Klaus. She said that Elena shouldn't have survived Klaus' ritual. Hybrids can't transition because Elena is still alive." Matt told Bonnie and they both looked at me when I sighed because of this new twist. There was something about it that seemed wrong, though. Why would Esther help Klaus after putting the curse on him herself?

"Tyler." Bonnie then said with a shaking voice as she looked at Matt.

"He's gonna die, isn't he?" Matt continued, but Bonnie didn't have time to respond as they were suddenly interrupted by Niklaus.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that." he called from where he was leaning against a locker, making us turn to face him. "Given the choice doppelgänger or hybrid, I go hybrid every time."

Bonnie and Matt looked at Niklaus and then at each other with a scared expression on their faces, but I almost felt a weird sense of relief by seeing him here. Perhaps it was just my tired brain speaking.

"You look rather worn-out, sweetheart." Niklaus then said to me and moved forward between the two teenagers, who quickly jumped out of his way. "What have you lot been up to?"

"Bringing back the dead, you know that kind of thing." I answered with a tired smile and I saw a flash of anger in his eyes as he realized what that might have cost me.

"And whose brilliant idea was that?" he asked with a small growl in his voice that made Matt and Bonnie look at each other in fright.

"Mine." I quickly said, regaining my friend's attention and surprising the teenagers behind us. "We needed to talk to a certain ghost and since both the necklace and the local ghost whisperer is out of town, I suggested this. Matt volunteered."

"I see." Niklaus said and I knew he didn't quite believe me but for some reason he chose to let it go.

"Nik, you do know that you cannot trust the Original witch, right?" I asked, my voice urgent and I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. "What if she wants you to kill Elena so you can never make any hybrids? What if Elena is somehow the part missing in making them? Why would Esther suddenly want to help you now after all these years?"

It almost physically hurt me to convince my friend that his mother didn't care enough to help him, but I needed to convince Niklaus that I was right if I wanted to save both Tyler and Elena. And I knew that I was right.

I noticed the glimmer in his eyes that told me I had gotten to him before I saw the grin on his face and I couldn't stop myself from smiling too. He then moved his hand to the back of my head and pulled me forward to give me a quick kiss on the forehead before he sped away.

That left me with Bonnie and Matt, who were staring at me with surprise and I felt myself grow impatient by the silence that stretched out between us. With a small sigh I began moving forward as I felt the need to find Niklaus and make sure he hadn't found new ways to ruin people's lives already. I might have saved Tyler and Elena, but I had also created a whole new problem for the teenagers.

"Thank you." Bonnie suddenly called after me as I reached the end of the hall and was about to pass through the double doors. I turned around to face her with a small smile on my lips and was surprised to see the other witch smile as well.

"I hoped I have earned at least some of your trust now." I said pointedly and raised my eyebrows in question. Matt was looking between us, seemingly confused by what was happening as he still didn't know I was the one to bring him back to life.

"You have." Bonnie told me with a nod and I felt my smile widen.

"Goodbye, Bonnie…" I started but trailed off as I realized I didn't know her last name.

"Bennett." she finished for me and I had a hard time hiding my surprise. Emma had informed that the Bennett witches was the most direct lineage of my cousins' and therefore mine descendants, which made them more powerful than most witches.

"Interesting." I muttered to myself and I watched Bonnie frown in confusion as she apparently heard my words. "Well then Bonnie Bennett, maybe I will see you again sometime."

"Not too soon, I hope." Matt said with a low voice, probably hoping that only Bonnie would hear him and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"I will see what I can do." I told him and walked through the door without waiting for his response.

I walked down the hall in long strides, not quite sure where I was or where I was going until I suddenly heard someone scream. I ran towards the sound as fast as I could and bolted through yet another set of doors to find Stefan feeding of Elena, who was now whimpering in pain.

Without much thought I lifted my hands and flung Stefan through the air so he landed on the other side of the cafeteria. He was quickly on his feet again, looking at me through dark red eyes with his teeth bared at me. There was something off about him, but I didn't manage to find out what before his neck suddenly was snapped by an irritated Niklaus.

"What have you done to him, Niklaus?" I asked with a wavering voice and shock written all over my face. Elena was on her hands and knees beside me, breathing raggedly with small sobs in between. I quickly got to my knees beside her and ran a comforting hand over her back, but it seemed to startle her and she fell to the floor on her rear, clutching the bleeding wound on her neck.

"I fixed him." Niklaus told me casually and casted a quick glance at Stefan's lifeless body before he moved towards me and Elena. "Humanity is such a pesky little thing."

"You took his humanity?" I asked with wide eyes and I felt despair spread inside at the sight of my careless friend.

"Relax, Malina, he'll be fine. He'll be better." Niklaus told me with a smirk and crouched down beside Elena, producing a plastic tube from seemingly nowhere as he removed the doppelgänger's hand to expose the bite marks Stefan had made. A scared and pained whimper escaped her and I slowly wrapped my arms around her shoulders, clutching her to my side as if to keep her safe from Niklaus.

I watched with hidden disgust as Niklaus filled the small tube with Elena's blood and I felt anger overwhelm me when I saw a grin spread on his face. He then stood up and began walking towards the doors, giving me the opportunity to pull Elena closer towards me and put my own hand over her bleeding neck.

"What are you doing?" I called after him just before he exited the room and the look on his face told me that I hadn't succeeded in hiding my anger this time.

"I'm putting your little theory to the test." Niklaus replied and shook the small tube in front of him without spilling any of the dark red liquid. "And would you be a sweetheart and take care of Elena for me? She's just become very important to me."

"She is just a child, Nik. Leave her be." I pleaded as I realized anger would get me nowhere, but the begging didn't seem to work either.

"Spare me your morals, Malina." Niklaus sneered at me, making me involuntarily flinch, before a complacent smile appeared on his lips. "Now, I got a hybrid to create, but I will come back for you and Elena afterwards."

I stared at the door for a long time after he had left and I felt an overwhelming hopelessness fill me. How would I ever be able to salvage any of Niklaus' humanity, when I had lost all faith in him within a few days? Had I signed up to do the impossible?

I was pulled from my thoughts when Elena stirred in my arms and shook my head to clear my mind before I turned my attention towards the teenage girl. I couldn't tell if the bleeding had stopped, but I could feel the warm liquid between my fingers and I watched some of it run down my hand and arm, making me slightly queasy.

"_Lenio is dolor, vigoratur is vulnus_." I murmured as I pressed onto the wound, repeating it a couple of times to make the healing spell stronger. When I removed my bloodied hand from Elena's neck, the bite marks instead looked like they were days old and not minutes, and it seemed like the pain had subsided as well.

That almost meant that Elena suddenly became aware of her surroundings and before I could stop her, she had pushed herself away from me. She looked like a trap animal as she searched the room with her eyes and a gasp escaped her when she saw Stefan's body on the floor.

"It is okay, Elena. He will be fine." I tried to tell her soothingly, but as her head snapped towards me I saw both a blazing anger and fear in her eyes.

"Fine? His emotions are off because of your _friend_. How could he be fine?" Elena exclaimed with an exasperated tone and I took a deep calming breath before I spoke again.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I watched her attempt to stand up and I quickly caught her, when she fell forwards and down on the floor once more. Even though the wound was healed and she wasn't bleeding anymore, she had still lost a lot of blood. Combined with the stress she was probably feeling, it was no wonder that she could barely stand on her feet.

"I need to…" Elena started with a frustrated voice and I watched her frown in concentration as she tried standing up again. "Tyler, he's… I need to save him."

"Tyler will live, Elena. But you have to sit down before you fall again." I told her calmly as I reached out and caught her hand to slowly pull her downwards. She tried to push me away, but didn't manage to and in the end she seemed to give up.

I made her lay down on the floor with her head in my lap and even though she seemed uncomfortable, she didn't protest. It seemed like all will to fight back had left her and I noticed her glance towards Stefan's body.

"I still need to get out of here. Klaus will come back." Elena said with a weak voice after a couple of minutes and I felt how a big knot seemed to form in my stomach.

"I am so sorry, Elena but I don't think Klaus will let you go. At least not for now. Your blood is what finishes the transition to becoming a hybrid." I told her with a low voice and my fingers calmed through Elena's hair in a futile attempt to comfort the scared teenager.

"What? No, I can't… he can't just take me. I need to get out of here, you need to help me." Elena pleaded as she fought against my hold on her and I watched how tears filled her eyes.

"I will keep you safe, Elena, but you cannot run from Niklaus." I told her with a firm voice as I tried to reason with her, but the teenage girl kept fighting and with a sigh I placed my hand on her forehead. The spell to make her sleep was simple and after a few seconds her eyes closed and her breathing became deeper and deeper.

* * *

"Where am I?"

Elena's hoarse voice pulled me out of my dark thoughts and I quickly moved to the side of her bed as she looked around the hospital room. Her foggy mind seemed to slowly clear up when she noticed me and her eyes widened in what I recognized as fear, making me sick to my stomach.

"You are in the hospital. Lay still, you have lost a lot of blood." I told her and ran a hand over her forehead as to check her temperature, making her flinch away from me. Her eyes then seemed to catch a glimpse of something and she slowly tried to sit up as she reached out for a blood bag on a table nearby.

"Wait, you're taking my blood?" she asked with a shock expression on her face and I cursed the nurse for leaving the filled blood bag where Elena could see it.

"This is the best way, Elena. Klaus needs your blood and this way I might be able to convince to let you stay here in Mystic Falls." I said with an insistent voice, but Elena didn't seem to understand my reasoning – hell, I barely did – and I hardly managed to stop her before she pulled out the needle from her arm and ran.

"Elena, I am sorry, but you have to stay here. You have to trust me." I ushered as I pinned her to the bed with my hands and called for a nurse. Elena looked at me with a familiar fire in her eyes and I remembered seeing that look in Tatia's eyes a couple of times. The similarity was uncanny and I took a step back in surprise while the nurse gave Elena a sedative, making her fall asleep in mere seconds.

I slumped back into the chair that stood against the wall and pinched the bridge of my nose with a tired sigh. Everything was spinning out of control and I had nothing or no one to hold onto. My vision started becoming blurry as tears filled my eyes and as I didn't have the strength to fight them, I let them fall without even caring to wipe them away.

I clamped my hand over my mouth when a laugh suddenly escaped me but there was no one awake to hear me and soon I could barely stop myself. It felt like a weird reaction to everything that had happened, but I couldn't help but laugh at how stupid and naïve I had been.

My faith in Niklaus had completely overshined any logic my brain was whispering to me and I could suddenly see myself as a child, stomping in the ground because things didn't go as I wanted. I had talked about Elena as if she was a child, when in reality she had the sense to realize that Niklaus in fact was the monster he claimed to be.

My problem was that I actually cared, even loved, the hybrid and Niklaus knew it. He could do whatever and I would still stand by his side, hoping to save him from himself. He had made Stefan kill two teenagers, Chad and Dana, and yet here I was, watching his most prized possession.

The tears disappeared as fast they had come and I stopped laughing, leaving only the beeping of Elena's heartbeat to fill the sudden silence. I then rose from my seat and walked to a bathroom across the hall from Elena's room. After a couple of minutes I looked like myself again and I found myself staring into the mirror, watching my own reflexion.

"I am strong. I survive." I mumbled to the woman I saw in front of me and I watched how determination and confidence shone from her.

Worse things than Niklaus Mikaelson had happened to me and if he thought I would give up he was terribly mistaken. As impossible as it sounded, I was going to put my own feelings aside and fight fire with fire. If Niklaus wanted a powerful witch, I was certainly going to give him one.

As I re-entered Elena's room I walked to the end of her bed and looked down at her sleeping figure. I couldn't let Niklaus take her away from her friends and family, not after everything else he had put her through.

It took me a moment's thought to decide what to do and without hesitation I put up an invisible wall; preventing all vampires from entering the hospital room. Niklaus would be no less than furious when he found out, but at least he would finally understand that I was being serious. Deadly serious.

I placed myself in the chair by the wall again, but this time I felt calm and collected. An hour passed without any interruptions and I felt myself grow tired just watching Elena sleep. My head snapped towards the door when I heard someone walk down the hall and my body tensed at the thought of facing Niklaus.

"What the hell?" the vampire exclaimed silently, when he was stopped in the doorway and it took me a moment to recognize Stefan's brother, Damon Salvatore. He looked at me with his piercing blue eyes and he seemed to remember me as well.

"You must be Damon Salvatore." I said as I stood up and he sent me an irritated glare before he pushed against the invisible wall once more.

"And you're Klaus' girlfriend. It's a pleasure." Damon answered, using the same snarky voice he had used in Gloria's bar. "If you don't want your head on a stick anytime soon, I suggest you let me in, witch."

"First of all, I am Malina and certainly not Klaus' girlfriend. Second of all… what do you want with Elena?" I asked hesitantly and moved closer to the Salvatore vampire, my eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Honestly, I really don't care who you are and I'm going to take her home." Damon told me and I could hear the worry in his voice as he looked past to the sleeping girl.

"How did you get in here?" I then asked with my arms crossed in front of me. I knew Niklaus and Rebekah were outside the hospital and I doubted they would just let Damon pass.

"I walked." Damon told me with a roll of his eyes and I felt my patience disappear.

"Niklaus is outside. He wouldn't just let you in." I argued and felt myself frown, when a smirk suddenly appeared on Damon's lips.

"Your not-boyfriend has left the building, probably even skipped town about now. He wasn't too excited about having a reunion with a certain Mikael." Damon told me casually and I managed to choke down a gasp at the mention of Niklaus' father. If they had found him and he was coming to Mystic Falls, I couldn't really get myself to blame Niklaus for leaving. Had he taken Rebekah with him?

"I see. And is this Mikael in Mystic Falls now?" I asked innocently, but Damon clearly had me figured out and there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Won't be long." Damon replied with a small tilt of his head, but the teasing stopped as soon as Elena stirred behind me. "Now let me in."

I rolled my eyes at his attempt to compel me and I knew that his patience was running out as well.

"I will, but remember that even though I saved you from Niklaus in Chicago, I will not hesitate to hurt if you come after me." I warned him with a pointed finger and he seemed to asses my strength as he studied me for a long moment.

"Fine. Consider this as me paying my debt. My life for your life. Are we clear?" Damon replied with a cold voice and I took several steps back before I nodded and removed the barrier.

Damon was by Elena's side with three long strides and I stood by the wall as I watched him disconnect her from the machines and tubes around her. He paused to look at the tube where her blood had run through and I was suddenly worried about Damon losing control.

"Damon…" Elena's voice brought our attention away from the blood and to the girl on the bed who was slowly waking up. I tried to hide behind Damon, knowing that Elena probably didn't like me very much at the time being.

"Hey." Damon whispered to her and I knew just by hearing his voice that he cared greatly about the girl. He quickly pushed her cover to the side and scooped her into his arms with ease. I stayed in the room for a moment after they had left before I grabbed the filled blood bags and went to find the nurse that Niklaus had compelled.

The hospital seemed the best place to hide them before Niklaus decided to come for them. I had no idea where he had gone or if he was coming back any time soon, but maybe this would mean that Elena and her friends could have some peace, if only just for a little time.

* * *

**A/N: I hope Malina's role made sense in all of this mess. The spells I make her use is a bad google translation from English to Latin. We get to know more of her powers in later chapters and some fun twists come into play as well. I know some of you are looking forward to Kol's appearance, but it might be some time before he appears. The first chapters are going to focus on Malina's history, her character in general and her relationship with Klaus. There'll be a few other P. from now on, but until I write otherwise it is all in Malina's P.O.V. :)**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it;) **


	5. Chapter 5 - Part one

**So there's gonna be quite a lot of different P.O.V.s in this chapter. Which will be more the exception for the rule.  
****Hopefully it won't be too hard to keep up since I've marked the changing in POV.  
Awesomesauce. Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Third person P.O.V.**_

"Where the bloody hell are you, Nik?" Rebekah sneered into the phone as she answered her brother's call. It was half an hour since he had asked her to go get the car and she was growing more impatient each minute her brother and Malina hadn't returned.

"_Calm yourself, Rebekah_." Klaus ordered with a sigh and Rebekah clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white. Some of her irritation disappeared when she suddenly saw Malina walking towards her from the hospital and she was surprised by the sight of the witch, who looked more confident and determined than Rebekah had ever seen her.

"Let me speak to him." Malina said and reached out for the phone, making Rebekah frown at her bossing tone. She studied the dark-skinned witch for a long moment and something about Malina seemed fundamentally different from the woman she used to know.

"_Give the phone to Malina._" Klaus spoke on the other end as he had heard Malina's voice through the phone. Rebekah let out an irritated huff before she gave the phone to Malina, who unceremoniously held it to her ear as if the strange device wasn't a mystery to her.

"I just had a lovely conversation with Mr. Damon Salvatore." Malina said with a cold voice that surprised both of the Original siblings. "I am guessing that you are far away already?"

"_He told you about Mikael? Well, I still need to pick up a few things before I leave._" Klaus responded with feigned casualty and Malina met the confused stare of Rebekah, who was listening in on their conversation.

"You leave Elena alone." Malina almost growled and Rebekah raised her eyebrows at the tone of her voice. The witch wasn't begging anymore and she seemed to have given up on bargaining as well. Instead there was a hidden warning in her voice that clearly told Klaus to back off.

"_Relax Malina, I will let the girl be for now. All I need is for you to grab the blood bags and then I'll come pick you up._" Klaus told her as if it made perfect sense and Malina took a deep breath to calm herself, noticing the hurt look in Rebekah's eyes as well.

"And what of your sister?" Malina asked calmly, but her voice was clearly strained and Klaus frowned at the phone in his hand.

"_She's a big girl, sweetheart. Besides, she was always Mikael's favourite so he won't hurt her._" Klaus replied, his voice irritated and impatient. Rebekah stood in front of Malina, looking ready to destroy something in rage and Malina tried sending her a comforting smile.

"Your blood bags are in the hospital with the nurse you compelled so you can go get them yourself. I think I will stay and keep an eye on all of the mess you have left behind." Malina retorted with anger and she heard Klaus sigh on the other end.

"_Stefan is already looking out for the doppelgänger and I leave Rebekah to take care of my new hybrid. There is no need for you in Mystic Falls, sweetheart. And I thought you were eager to bond with your best friend?_" Klaus mocked, making Malina all the more furious.

"Go to hell! I am not going on some road trip with you to make more of your silly hybrids. I am tired of watching you kill and torture innocent people, Niklaus. And I am done acting like your pet. If you want a powerful witch, you just watch me." Malina sneered into the phone before she hung up and tossed it back to Rebekah, who wore a shocked expression on her face.

"Well, I suppose we need somewhere to stay then." Rebekah said when she had recovered from Malina's outburst. The witch was still fuming and didn't seem to hear a word of what Rebekah was saying. "At least we still have Nik's car."

When a sudden wind began to pick up Malina realized that she had to control her emotions if she didn't want to create a tornado and after a couple of calming breaths she got into the black SUV with Rebekah in the driver's seat. It took the blonde several minutes to figure all the functions of the modern car, but luckily she had driven one before.

_**Malina P.O.V.**_

I leaned my head against the window as we drove through the town and almost out of it, passing over a bridge and onto a road surrounded by trees. I didn't even think about our destination before a large house – if you could call it that – suddenly towered over us and a sign told that it was a boarding house.

Before I could protest, Rebekah had pulled all of the bags with her new clothes from the car and marched over to the front door, leaving me to follow. My thoughts were in a whole other world, when Rebekah knocked on the door and a familiar face opened.

"Where's Stefan?" Rebekah asked without introducing herself and walked past Damon, who was staring at me incredulously.

"Malina?" he asked in confusion and I just shrugged, having no other answer to give him before I followed Rebekah into the house.

"Who the hell are you?" Damon then called after Rebekah and closed the door after us.

"He left me here, my brother actually left me here." Rebekah told someone I guessed to be Stefan, completely ignoring both Damon and I. Of course, Niklaus hadn't left me since I chose to stay but I still felt a little left out. Damon stared at me for a long moment, clearly not happy with my presence but I just sighed and walked after Rebekah.

"Oh, I'm sorry, your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care." I heard Stefan say from somewhere inside the house and I moved to stand beside Rebekah, who was staring at the Salvatore brother. My stomach churned when I saw the scene in front of me and I took a step back in shock.

Stefan was sitting in a sofa, casually leaned back as he looked at Rebekah with a bored expression on his face. On the floor in front of him lied some sort of mat with different coloured spots on, but it was the girls who was playing around on top of it that made me nauseas.

The three of them were wearing revealing clothing and a dark red substance that only could be blood was smeared all over their skin. I glared at Stefan with disgust which he returned with a smirk and I had to force myself to not look away.

"And what about you? I thought Klaus would take you with him?" Stefan asked as he watched me with a disinterested look in his eyes before he moved them back to the giggling girls on the floor.

"I decided to stay as someone needs to play the adult around here." I replied with a detached voice and sent Damon a quick disapproving look that he didn't seem to notice.

"Did you hear that, brother?" Stefan called and waited until Damon was in his sight again before talking. "Instead of chasing after my girlfriend, you should just hook up with Malina here. Then mommy and daddy can watch the kids together."

"Who are you?" Damon asked Rebekah indignantly, ignoring Stefan's comment but I couldn't help but notice the small twitch in the corner of his mouth that showed his irritation. And then my mind went to Stefan's words about Damon chasing after Elena. What was going on here?!

"Rebekah, Klaus' sister. Pleasure, I'm sure." Rebekah told him and quickly turned her head to send Damon a fake smile before looking to Stefan again. "Which one is my room?"

"You're not staying here." Stefan laughed and Damon shook his head when Rebekah turned towards him.

"Rude. Both of you." she chastised and I felt myself smile, when Rebekah's motherly instincts suddenly seemed to appear. She glanced at me for a short moment and rolled her eyes, when I just shrugged at her, not sure what she wanted from me.

"I see to it myself." Rebekah then said before spinning around, walking out of the room and past an irritated Damon.

"Well, I guess she's staying here." Stefan said with a shrug and then looked at me expectantly. I glanced around the room for a long moment and received a glare from Damon when my eyes landed on him before I sighed heavily.

"I would love nothing more than to get very far away from you, but since I am going to keep an eye on you I guess this would be the best place to stay." I told Stefan with my arms crossed in front of me and I heard Damon groan behind me. "Would you mind?"

"Yes!" Damon exclaimed as he gestured wildly with his hands and I sent him an apologetic smile.

"No, not at all!" Stefan then said with a nonsensical voice and a wide smile that wasn't directed towards me. "Please, make yourself at home."

"Not likely, but I will need a room." I replied and turned to Damon, who seemed to have given up. He looked at me for a long moment before he motioned with his head to follow me, which I did hesitantly.

A loud gasp escaped me and I could feel the bile rise in my mouth, when I saw the two dead girls that were lying at the foot of the stairs. Damon stopped to look at me and I frowned at the smirk on his lips.

"Welcome to Casa de Salvatore."

* * *

The parking lot and surrounding grounds were filled with excited and nervous teenagers, ready to start a new school year; some of them their first and some their last. Rebekah and I were going to attend senior year like Elena and her friends in an attempt to stay as close to them as possible.

Besides, I was too old to attend any other year as I technically was twenty-two years old – more than four years older than most of them. I had already received some strange looks and a freshman had mistaken me for a teacher, making Rebekah laugh when I hadn't been able to answer his questions.

I felt nervous as we walked away from the school's office after Rebekah had compelled our way into the school and I looked at my new schedule, surprised by how many hours I was going to spend in this place.

It was strange being back in the halls that had been the scene of a horror show a couple of days earlier but of course that didn't seem to faze Rebekah, who strode down the hall confidently.

I, on the other hand, looked like a headless chicken as I walked around; trying to remember the instructions we had been given by the secretary. I had never before sat foot in such a crowded place and the only education I had ever received was my mother's, which mostly included medical care and Latin.

At least that meant that I could read and write the Latin alphabet and not just in runes, but the English language had evolved during the last millennium and there were thousands of words I had no idea what meant. The idea of learning so many new things both intrigued and scared me.

"Look at that. Tyler's preppy little girlfriend is the It-girl here. Who would've thought." Rebekah drawled from her place beside my locker as I placed most of my newly-out handed books in it. I turned my head to follow her gaze and watched as a pretty blonde girl talked to some other girls, handing them a flyer with a wide smile on her face before giving them a hug, which they happily returned.

Tyler's girlfriend was clearly a vampire and a very popular one at that. Not that her peers seemed to know what hid beneath the girl's bubbly façade and blue eyes. I tilted my head slightly as I continued to study her and I didn't notice the smile that spread on my lips before I saw Rebekah's scowl.

"What?" I asked as I looked away from the girl and back at the other blonde beside me that had a familiar glint in her eyes. "She seems nice. And surprisingly positive for someone who just had their boyfriend turned into a hybrid."

"It makes me wanna puke." Rebekah stated and scrunched her nose in feigned disgust. I had already deciphered the look in her eyes and it didn't look good for Tyler's girlfriend; Rebekah was jealous and she was definitely going to do something about it.

"Leave her alone, Rebekah." I warned with a low voice and the blonde Original looked at me in surprise. Niklaus wasn't the only one I was standing up to and if necessary I would hurt Rebekah to keep her from creating more chaos in the teenagers' lives.

"Look at you being all bossy and stuff. Don't worry, Malina, I'm not going to touch her. I'm just going show everybody how much better I am. Because there can only be one Queen Bee at this school and Caroline Forbes isn't it." Rebekah said with a mischievous smirk on her lips and disappeared before I could say more.

I closed my locker a little harder than intended, earning a glare from some of the other students and leaned against it with a sigh. I felt a pair of eyes on me and saw Bonnie looking at me from further down the hall. I offered her a small smile but all she did was frown before she turned and walked away.

When I then looked back at Caroline, I was surprised to see the blank look on her face as she stood in the middle of the hall, staring at the flyers in her hands. She was clearly lost in thought and it almost hurt me to see the happy girl look so sad.

"Hello." I greeted gently as I stood in front of her and I couldn't help but smile when I saw her jump a little in surprise.

"Oh, hi. I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." Caroline apologized and then forced a bright smile back to her face. It suddenly hit me that Caroline still hadn't met me and probably didn't know who I was. I hoped her friends had at least told her about me since I was the "enemy" and all, but it felt nice to not be judged by my company for once.

"That is perfectly fine." I assured her and she seemed a little taken aback by my choice of words. Even after two months of living with Emma, I mostly still talked like I had before I went to sleep and I didn't blame her for her surprise.

"Do you need help with anything?" Caroline asked politely and her blue eyes seemed to study me with both curiosity and openness. "The teacher's lounge is that way."

"Oh no, I am not a teacher. Today is my first day as a senior." I told her with a laugh and her hand quickly dropped from where she had been pointing towards with a slightly horrified expression on her face.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! You just look old… I mean _older_. Not that you don't look young, because you clearly are and I'm just going to stop talking now." Caroline rambled and her cheeks flushed pink as she continued to embarrass herself. Our eyes met for a short moment before we both broke out laughing and I could see in her eyes how Caroline collected herself before she offered her hand.

"Hi, I'm Caroline Forbes. I'm a senior as well." Caroline officially presented herself and I took her hand after a moment's hesitation that the blonde vampire didn't seem to notice. The cold feeling of dead and darkness prickled on my skin, but I managed to hold back a shiver and shake Caroline's hand with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Caroline. I am Malina." I told her slowly, awaiting any response to my name that she might have. Caroline blinked in surprise a couple of times before she slowly withdrew her hand and leaned away from me with uncertainty in her eyes.

"Bonnie told me about you." Caroline said and I couldn't tell if she was more angry, scared or curious. I tried smiling at her again, but her eyes just narrowed in suspicion and I heard myself sigh. "You're Klaus' witch."

"I am not Klaus' witch." I told her which made her flinch as my words came out a little too harsh.

"Why are you here?" Caroline asked with a sudden confidence in her voice and I had to hide a smile. Rebekah would certainly have to put up a good fight if she wanted Caroline of the throne. "You got the wrong girl, you know. Elena is over there, she's the important one."

"What?" I asked exasperated, not sure what Caroline meant and took one glance at Elena, who was talking to someone on her phone. I frowned when I saw the scarf around her neck that covered Stefan's bite and then turned my attention back to Caroline, who was watching me intently.

"If you want to be 'friends' with someone, you should pick Elena. She's Klaus' new accessory isn't she?" Caroline said and I heard how the anger in her voice grew.

"Caroline, I did not come to talk to you because I wanted to be Elena's friend. And Elena might be important to Klaus but are you not his first hybrid's girlfriend? That does not make you unimportant." I tried to reason with her as I suddenly found myself wanting Caroline's acceptance.

"So you are only talking to me because of Tyler?" she asked and irritation laced her words, making me realise that she had misinterpreted my words.

"No, that came out wrong. This has nothing to do with Tyler, even though you should be careful with him." I told her and sent her a warning look that made her frown and cross her arms in front of her. "I just… Just know that I am not here to hurt you or your friends. I am only here to help."

"Why should I trust you?" she asked suspiciously and I sent her a strained smile that seemed to make her uneasy.

"For now I guess you have no reason to. Even though I did safe your friend Matthew from dying." I told her with a shrug and her eyes widened at that small piece information. Apparently Bonnie Bennett hadn't told her friends everything. "I just want to be your friend, Caroline. Nothing more."

"Why me?" Caroline called as I started walking away, passing Elena who stood by her locker and talked into her phone. I stopped a couple steps away from the brunette, who seemed to notice me and I turned around to look at Caroline with a smile.

"Why not?" I replied and disappeared around a corner, leaving Elena and Caroline to stare after me. I smiled to myself as I continued down the hall, almost falling to the floor when I bumped into a hard body, but I was caught by a pair of strong hands.

"There you are! You just left without me this morning." Stefan fake-pouted as he looked down on me and I felt his hands tighten around my arms, making me wince slightly in pain.

I had endured my time in the boarding house so far by staying away from Stefan in the safety of my room and he hadn't seemed very interested in me either. Damon had luckily disposed of the dead bodies on the stairs and gotten the remaining three girls out alive after I had offered to teach his brother a little about pain. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I wasn't going to let innocent people die either.

"What are you doing here?" I asked through my teeth and a sadistic smirk spread on his lips as he let go of me and stepped around me.

"Well, I'm actually enrolled here. And Klaus did compel me to protect Elena before he left, so here I am: finishing high school for the fiftieth time." Stefan told me and gestured with his arms towards the lockers.

His eyes were void of emotion as he talked, but I could still hear the irritation in his voice. Stefan had walked away and rounded the corner before I could speak again and I followed him with a sigh. When I had him in sight again, I walked towards him with long strides.

Stefan was harassing Elena but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Elena tried to walk past him, but Stefan grabbed her arm and pointed the other way. Elena was standing with her back towards me, but I could sense her need to get away from her 'boyfriend' and I grabbed Stefan's arm as soon as I reached them.

Stefan's hand loosened around Elena's arm as I made dark veins spread on the vampire's arm, causing pain to course through him. Elena stepped away with a shocked expression on her face and looked at me with wide eyes. Stefan was glaring down at me, but he was paralysed by the pain and couldn't do anything as I sent Elena away.

"Go, Elena." I ordered with a low voice without looking away from Stefan. My concentration broke when the door to the bathroom suddenly opened behind me and I heard Caroline and Tyler exit.

"Elena?" Caroline questioned when she saw her scared friend and then their gasp mixed with my own yelp, when I was suddenly pushed against the lockers by Stefan. I felt multiple eyes on me as students passed by and in the corner of my eye I saw the three teenagers tense.

"That was new." Stefan muttered impressed and pressed himself harder against me, making us look like a hormonal couple that was going to have some sort of make-out session in the middle of the hallway. His face came closer to mine and my breath hitched, when his lips brushed mine lightly. He then traced them down my cheek until I could feel his breath against my ear.

"It's a lucky thing that Klaus has compelled me not to hurt you." Stefan whispered into my ear and I felt myself shiver. My knees almost buckled when Stefan's body suddenly wasn't against mine and I was shocked to see Tyler's back in front of me. The newly-made hybrid was heaving and I could see all of his muscles tense underneath his skin.

"Don't touch her." Tyler growled and looked around him to see Stefan get up from the floor with a dangerous smile on his lips. An arm was suddenly wrapped around my waist and I was surprised to see Caroline looking at me worriedly as she pulled me over towards Elena before standing in front of us protectively.

"Well, it looks like you got yourself a bodyguard, Malina." Stefan commented casually and dusted himself off, making Caroline look confusingly between Tyler and me.

"Hey! What's going on here?" A voice suddenly called from the other end of the hall and I turned around to see a man walk towards us; probably a teacher. I was surprised by the worried glance he sent Elena as he got closer and I noticed his body tense when he laid his eyes on Stefan and Tyler.

"Everything is completely fine, Mr. Saltzman." Stefan said with a mocking smile and held up his hands in surrender before walking off. It took me a few seconds to figure out that the teacher was in on the whole thing as he placed a comforting hand on the shocked doppelgänger's shoulder and shared a look with Caroline.

"Nothing to see here!" Mr. Saltzman called out and the small audience of students dismantled. Caroline had moved to stand in front of her boyfriend and she held her hand against his cheek to calm him down. Mr. Saltzman finally seemed to notice me and he looked at me suspiciously before turning his eyes back to Elena.

The two of them seemed to have a silent conversation before they walked off and I took a shaky breath as I glided down to the floor against a locker, not realising until then that I had held my breath. I cursed myself for being weak as my body continued to tremble and I suddenly felt like I was hyperventilating.

"Malina?" a voice asked gently and I looked up to find a pair of blue eyes staring down at me.

"I am fine. You should go to class, Caroline." I said determinedly, but instead of sounding strong, I just sounded out of breath as I continued my struggle to breathe properly.

"Yeah, not really. First of all, you're crying and second of all, I think you're having a panic attack." Caroline told me, her voice firm and confident as she pulled me to my feet. "You need to stop hyperventilating."

"How?" I choked and wiped my hands over my cheeks, surprised to find that Caroline was right about the crying.

"Forget about Stefan and think about something else. He's not going to hurt you, okay? Not with Tyler as your bodyguard, apparently." Caroline urged and her voice was sincere despite her obvious irritation about Tyler's new job.

"Sorry." I breathed and tried to send her smile that just became a weird grimace.

"I'm pretty sure that one is on Klaus. Like everything else. You shouldn't apologize for others' wrong-doing." Caroline chastised with a friendly tone and I frowned when I heard Rebekah's words repeated to me. Maybe they should try being friends instead of fighting each other.

"I can't…" I started, but had to cut myself of as dizziness overwhelmed me. This wasn't about forgetting Stefan; I could handle him. This was about what memories had resurfaced because of Stefan's touch and words.

It wasn't Stefan's voice that was threatening me; it was my late husband's. And it wasn't Stefan's lips I could still feel burning against my skin; it was Jason's. It didn't help me to know that I was safe, because the person I was most afraid of was already dead and had been so for a thousand years.

And yet, he haunted me in my dreams and I still felt nauseous when other men touched me the way Stefan had. I might have survived worse things than Niklaus Mikaelson, but they were still following me around like a shadow attached to my soul.

"I can compel you to stop." Caroline suggested hesitantly, but I shook my head. I had vervain in my system so it wouldn't work even if I wanted her to. "Okay. Then I really need you to focus on what normally calms you down."

For some reason all I could think about was Kol. He had always had that effect on me and I smiled to myself as I imagined him looking at me with those brown eyes of his and that annoying but really gorgeous smirk he always wore. I almost laughed when I suddenly found myself wishing for Niklaus' presence as well and my eyes shot open as I realised that my breathing had gone back to normal.

"It worked!" Caroline exclaimed happily and I was surprised when she flung her arms around me; hugging me tightly. She then stepped back and found a pack of Kleenex that she used to remove any trace of my breakdown from my face. "Do I want to know what got you breathing again?"

"Probably not." I laughed as we started walking down the now empty hall towards the class we had to attend next. Apparently I shared an almost similar schedule with Caroline and next was history with Mr. Saltzman, or Alaric as Caroline called him.

"It's crazy how your calming thoughts might start a panic attack for me." Caroline said with a shake of her head before opening the door to the already filled classroom, interrupting Alaric who had begun his lesson.

"You're late, Miss Forbes." Alaric told Caroline with a warning glare that seemed to be more for the benefit of the rest of the class and Caroline sent him an apologetic smile before taking one of the two remaining seats. "And miss…"

"Malina Ayanason." I quickly said and placed myself next to Caroline. I could feel Rebekah stare at me from the front row but I kept my eyes on the teacher.

"That's an…" Alaric trailed off as he looked down his list of names as if to check that I was telling the truth.

"An unusual name, I know." I told him with a smile, which he returned after a quick glance at Elena. I didn't know what their connection what, but he clearly trusted her judgement.

"Very well, let's continue. As I said we're going to start this year with American history."

* * *

_**Caroline P.O.V.**_

"Are you okay?" I asked attentively and looked at the witch beside me with a small frown. Malina had been staring at the open book in front of her for the last ten minutes and a blank expression was on her face. She didn't seem to have noticed that Alaric had ended the lesson and that our classmates were leaving.

"Caroline!" Elena called from the door across the room and I turned my head to look at her, receiving meaningful glare that I chose to ignore for the time being.

"Just a minute." I called back before looking at Malina, who seemed to have awoken. She was looking at Elena too and a sheepish expression was on her face as if it was her fault that I didn't listen to my best friend. "Malina?"

"I am fine, Caroline. It was nice of you to ask." Malina told me solemnly and sent me a genuine smile that I couldn't help but return. There was something about the way she spoke that was off. She talked as if she had just jumped into the seat from another century and I had to force myself to not let my curiosity get the better of me.

"Are you sure? Having a panic attack is a pretty serious thing, you know. Maybe you should go to the nurse?" I suggested and received a puzzled look from the witch. She was probably surprised that I actually cared and truth be told I wasn't sure why I did. She was with Klaus after all and was supposedly the enemy.

I wondered if she was _with_ Klaus. Bonnie had said something about them just being friends but I didn't know where she got that from. It wouldn't be that ludicrous if they were. I mean I had eyes; Klaus wasn't ugly.

"I really am okay." Malina insisted, shaking me out of my thoughts and I was suddenly glad that mindreading only existed in Twilight. "I think Elena wants to speak with you."

"Oh, yeah. I'll see you later?" I asked with a smile, not sure whether Malina would be attending anymore classes that day.

"Sure." Malina said with a nod and returned the smile before I spun on my heels and walked out of the classroom with Elena and Bonnie at my sides.

"What are you doing, Caroline?" Elena asked urgently as we walked down the hall towards our lockers.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown, confused by her alarmed state. I watched Elena and Bonnie share a quick look as we stopped walking and I opened my locker with a sigh. They were always doing this; having silent conversations without me.

"You shouldn't be talking with Malina. It's not safe." Elena continued and I felt an irritation grow inside me that I had to choke back with another sigh.

"Why? Look, I know she's with Klaus but I don't think she is going to hurt us. Quite the opposite, actually." I retorted with my arms crossed in front of me and I noticed how Elena clenched her fist in irritation.

The hallway was starting to fill up with nosy teenagers and I pulled Elena and Bonnie into the girls' bathroom before Elena started speaking again. I quickly checked the booths for people and turned towards my friends when I was sure we were alone.

"Just because she says that, doesn't mean we can trust her." Elena argued and I felt my determination falter for a moment before I was remembered what Malina had done for Elena just an hour ago.

"No, but didn't she save you from Stefan earlier?" I countered with a triumphant smile that made Bonnie roll her eyes. She probably thought this was another one of my attempt to one up Elena, which of course was completely wrong. I just knew I was right. "And she told me that she has saved Matt's life as well."

"She probably only helped me with Stefan because Klaus doesn't want him making trouble and she's here to babysit him. Stefan can't hurt me anyway; he's here to protect me, so I wasn't in danger." Elena retorted with a detached voice as she talked about her boyfriend. I sent her a comforting smile, but she just blinked and looked away. "And the whole Matt thing. You shouldn't just believe what she tells you, Caroline."

"That one is true, actually." Bonnie said hesitantly from the side and I turned to look at her with surprise. I didn't expect Malina to be lying, but I still found it odd for her to do if she really was against us.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Elena asked with a frown, apparently just as shocked as I.

"After Matt drowned himself I couldn't bring him back with CPR so Malina asked me to stop. She used magic to bring him back instead." Bonnie told us with a sigh and looked to the ground as if she was embarrassed.

"Wait, she asked you to stop and you just did?" Elena asked incredulously and sighed as she missed the point in Bonnie's story: Malina had saved Matt's life.

"She asked me if I trusted her and I said yes." Bonnie explained and Elena's eyes seemed widen in shock.

"I don't think she actually wanted to save Matt. I just think she needed to know what he found out from the ghosts about the hybrid curse." Elena concluded with a small nod and I felt my frustration grow.

"I don't know." Bonnie said timidly and I suddenly wasn't sure she actually agreed with Elena, making me hide a smile.

"Fine, let's say that she had some ulterior motive. She still saved him, didn't she? And didn't she also watch you at the hospital or something?" I tried with an exasperated voice as I gestured with my hands.

"She sedated me twice, Caroline. One of the times she just touched my forehead and I fell asleep." Elena exclaimed and gestured with her hands even more wildly than I had, making me take a small step back. "I don't even know why we are discussing this! Malina is with Klaus and therefore we can't trust her! Maybe she wants to keep us safe now, but what happens when we need to kill him, huh? Do you think she's just going to stand by and watch?"

"Okay! I get it!" I yelled higher than I meant to and my friends blinked in surprise before they started glaring at me accusingly. "I won't talk to her then. I just thought she needed a friend or something. She seems kind of lost and the whole Stefan thing really got to her. But I'm sorry for being considerate, it won't happen again."

"I didn't mean it like that, Care." Elena sighed and I had to talk a deep breath to calm down my heightened emotions.

"I know." I breathed and pinched the bridge of my nose when I felt the tiredness overwhelm me. I didn't really feel sorry that I had yelled, but didn't want to fight with Elena or Bonnie either. "I'm just really stressed because of the whole Tyler thing and school and all those committees I have to make time for now. I just thought… actually, I don't know what I thought."

"It's okay, Caroline." Bonnie told me as her hand glided down my arm in a comforting way, making me almost teary eyed as I looked at her. "You know you can talk to us, right? About Tyler, school, everything."

"I know." I told her with a small smile and then looked at Elena, who smiled at her reassuringly.

"Why did you want to be friends with Malina anyway?" Elena then asked as they exited the bathroom and my mouth fell open in shock over her question. I looked to Bonnie, who was watching me with curiosity and I felt my stomach turn. If I asked Elena such a question Bonnie would normally scold me.

"Because…" I said but stopped myself when I heard the finished sentence in my head: _Because she chose _me. That sounded childish and I wasn't that Caroline anymore. "I just thought she was nice."

"But that doesn't matter, because I got you two and that is all I need." I continued with a bright smile and looped my arms around theirs, creating a small chain as we walked down the hall.

* * *

_**Malina P.O.V.**_

When the bell rang for the last time that day I looked up from my English text book, startled to discover that the day had passed already. Stefan hadn't bothered me again, but neither had Caroline who seemed to do her best to not talk to me. I could only imagine what Elena had told her and I quickly accepted that the only 'friend' I had here was Rebekah.

The Original blonde had of course been irritated by my late entrance with Caroline and had demanded to know what was going on. Her anger had subsided as soon as I had told her about my encounter with Stefan and for a moment it seemed like she was going to find the Salvatore vampire and rip him apart.

Rebekah didn't know it all, but she knew enough about my marriage to understand how much Stefan's actions might have scared me. We agreed not to tell Niklaus about it since we didn't see Stefan coming out alive if we did. Rebekah was mad at him, but she still had feelings for Stefan and I just didn't want to see him dead because of what Niklaus had essentially done to him.

I knew that Rebekah wasn't going home any time soon as she was still working on her plan to take over Caroline's life so I followed her out to a large field, where most of the students had begun their extra-curriculum sports activities. For now I had decided to just sit by and I placed myself on the bleachers from where I had an overview of everyone.

I spent a few minutes watching Caroline enter with a group of girls in training outfits and they placed themselves in a formation before they began to stretch. I then watched Tyler walk across the field towards his teammates and I was surprised when his eyes suddenly found mine.

Confusedly, I returned his small nod and then continued to laugh as he ran straight through the group of cheerleaders to kiss a startled Caroline. I knew that the blonde had heard me because our eyes met for a short moment before she turned around and continued stretching.

I rolled my eyes as Rebekah suddenly strolled into the scene and placed herself beside Caroline just as one of the cheerleaders asked a question I couldn't hear. Caroline spun around to face Rebekah with a shocked expression and I felt myself grow worried as I tried to decipher their words.

Caroline clearly wasn't happy with Rebekah's presence, but the Original didn't seem to care much and moments later she returned to stretch with the others, while Caroline looked around with concern in her eyes.

As their stretching continued uneventfully, my eyes wandered and I suddenly caught sight of Elena, who was running on a track at the other end of the field. She seemed to be unbothered and after a few minutes of watching her place one foot in front of the other, I withdrew my history book from my bag and opened it in my lap.

History had turned out to be both interesting and overwhelming, making me completely zone out in the end until Caroline called me back to the real world. I knew the headlines of what had happened in the world while I had been asleep from Emma, but it didn't feel like it was nearly enough.

"At least someone is doing their homework." a deep voice spoke from beside me, making me jump in shock and almost drop my book. With a hand over my rapidly beating heart I turned my head to see Alaric sit beside me with an amused but apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, it is fine. I was just caught up in the book." I told him with a friendly smile as I studied him intently. He looked like he was in his late twenties and I had to admit that he was handsome. But he was also my teacher and seemingly close to Elena so I shook any shameless thought I might have out of my head.

"I never thought I would hear that from a student's lips about a history book." Alaric laughed and glanced down at the book in my lap. I tilted my head slightly to the side as I continued to watch him, unsure of what he wanted.

"I find history fascinating." I told him sincerely and I watched him nod absentmindedly before he removed his eyes from the book and onto the field in front of us. "You wouldn't know where to find a history book about the last thousand years, would you?"

"American history doesn't go back that far. Or at least I don't teach about it." Alaric said with a frown on his forehead and I quickly shook my head.

"No, I am thinking more about the whole world." I explained with a smile and I almost laughed at the sight of his confusion.

"You're really into history, aren't you?"

"Very much so."

"Well, maybe the school library has some encyclopaedias, but I'm not sure they go back that far." Alaric said with a small shrug and I quickly wrote the strange word down in my notebook, receiving an interested look from the history teacher.

As I placed my notebook back into my bag, my eyes found Elena once again, but this time she wasn't alone. I sprung to my feet as soon as I saw Stefan come running behind her and I could already feel my magic course through me as if I was recharging. I was startled when I suddenly felt a hand around my wrist, pulling me down to sit on the bleachers and my eyes met Alaric's stern glare.

"She can handle him." he reassured me, not letting go of my wrist as we both sat by and watched Stefan push a boy, who accidentally ran into Elena. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and pulled my wrist from Alaric's grip as Elena ran from the track and Stefan.

"Why do you keep wanting to save Elena?" Alaric asked beside me after a minute of tense silence.

"Excuse me?" I replied incredulously, irritated by the fact that everyone seemed to question my motives.

"You sat with her in the hospital, you helped her with Stefan in the hallway and just now you were ready to come to her rescue again. Why?" Alaric explained and I could see the genuine curiosity in his eyes that made me relax a little.

"Because she does not deserve to have this life and I know that my friend is to blame for it, so I try to make up for what he has done to her." I told him with a firm voice and I was surprised by the intense stare I received in return.

"Who _are _you?" he asked with wonder and I couldn't help but frown at the question.

"I am Malina Ayanason, witch and the unfortunate friend of Niklaus, the hybrid." I told him with a smile that he didn't return. "But you probably already know that."

"Yes." Alaric replied with an emotionless voice and I noticed how his eyes found Rebekah on the field before he returned them to me. "But what I don't know is why you are friends with Klaus."

"This monster he pretends to be now is not 'my' Klaus. The man I know him to be is so different from the way you see him. I understand that you do not believe he still possesses any of the humanity I am trying to salvage because all he has ever brought you is death and sorrow.

"And I am truly sorry for all that Niklaus has put you through, but he was not born evil. He was a good man and whatever little that is left of him is my friend." I told slowly as I stared into nothing, reminiscing about the time when we were all human and life was so much easier.

"Malina Ayanason." Alaric said with a low voice after a long moment of silence and I blinked in surprise as I was pulled from my memories. "Not only is it unusual but it's also old, isn't it?"

I just shrugged as I closed my history book and concentrated on placing it in my bag. I could feel Alaric's eyes on me and after a long moment of not meeting them, I finally turned to look at him.

"Ayana. That is a woman's name, isn't it?" Alaric continued with a wondering tone in his voice and I nodded with a small smile on my lips, making him continue. "Your mother?"

"Yes." was all I said, not giving more away than what he had figured out himself. Their knowledge about Niklaus and his past seemed relatively limited and despite being mad at the hybrid, I didn't want to reveal more than necessary.

"Ayana_son_." Alaric spoke and I wasn't sure he was actually talking to me anymore. "Shouldn't it be Ayanadaugther or something like that?"

"It should, but I've found that people look at me strangely when I present myself as such." I explained with a small shrug and remembered the puzzled look on the receptionist's face when I first had checked into a hotel.

"Shouldn't you be named after your father?" Alaric asked curiously, obviously still trying to determine who I was exactly or rather how old I was.

"I should, but I am my mother's daughter." I informed the history teacher, not realising how cold my voice was until I saw the frown on his forehead.

My history with my father wasn't what you would call pretty and I still remembered the spiteful look on his face as he told I was to marry Jason; a young man, notorious for his bad temperament. That had been his punishment to my mother for having a girl and I would be damned if I were to carry his name around with me.

"What exactly are you trying to accomplish, Mr. Saltzman?" I asked impatiently, when he didn't come with any further remark and just continued to watch me.

"Know thy enemy." he replied with an almost apologetic smile and didn't look away as I absentmindedly stared at him. His words sounded rehearsed as if he was quoting someone and I tried to remember the name of the English author Emma had told me about.

"Shakespeare?" I guessed with uncertainty and Alaric blinked in surprise before he laughed at me, making me blush in embarrassment.

"Good guess, but no. That's from 'The Art of War'." Alaric explained and I noticed him smile endearingly when he saw the pink colour in my cheeks.

"There is a book called 'The Art of War'?" I asked incredulously and I could see how Alaric skimmed the surprised features in my face before he chuckled silently. "Niklaus probably has a copy."

"You keep calling him 'Niklaus'. Elijah did the same." Alaric said after a moment of silence and my head tilted to the left when I heard the Original's name, which for some reason made the history teacher smile.

"You have met Elijah?" I asked, curious to hear about Niklaus' older brother and what they thought of him.

"A couple of times. He has nice hair." Alaric revealed with an appreciative nod of his head that made me laugh. Our eyes met for a short moment and I couldn't help but frown at the surprise that shone from his.

"What?" I asked warily, not sure what to expect from the man beside me. One moment he was interrogating me and the next it almost seemed as if he was flirting.

"You know, things would be a lot easier if you were just evil." Alaric sighed and I shook my head at him disappointedly, making him raise his eyebrows in question.

"And what would that make you? All good? We are all heroes in our own stories, Mr. Saltzman." I said with a pointed glare and a small smile spread on his lips as our eyes met once more.

"I guess that makes me the villain in yours." He stated but it came out as a half-question and watched him thoughtfully.

"If you choose to be. As you might have noticed I am doing my best not to be one in yours." I replied with half a smile and could almost see how his guard towards me slowly went down.

A comfortable silence spread between us and I turned my gaze back to the field, feeling someone's eyes on me. I frowned when I found Tyler staring back at me, but he looked away when the coach suddenly yelled at him for stopping whatever he was doing.

I then turned my attention to the cheerleaders and only found Caroline, who seemed to be looking at Tyler as he strode over to his coach and told him something, clearly compelling the man. When I saw the coach give him a nod and tell everyone that training was over, I quickly placed my history book in my bag and stood up to follow Caroline towards Tyler.

"Excuse me, there's something I need to do. It was nice talking to you, Mr. Saltzman. Very… interesting." I told the history teacher with a small smile and he stood up as well, looking down at me before following my gaze to Tyler.

"You can call me Alaric, you know." he called after me as I walked past him and down the bleachers.

"I will see you later, Alaric." I said as I turned my head to look at him and gave him a nod, which he returned with a smile.

I crossed the field in long strides and as I came closer, I noticed that Caroline and Tyler were arguing. My eyebrows lifted in surprise when I heard Tyler talking about Klaus giving him a gift, but Caroline's reply was interrupted as Tyler turned his attention towards me.

"Hello Caroline. Tyler." I greeted with a smile and it felt like Tyler almost bowed, when he nodded at me.

"Hey." Caroline said with a light voice as she looked at the ground with an almost guilty expression on her face.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me with Stefan this morning." I told Tyler before the short silence between us got awkward and I felt Caroline's eyes return to me.

"No problem. He was being a dick." Tyler shrugged and I frowned at his choice of word, not sure what 'being a dick' meant exactly.

"Yes. About that, can I ask you a question?" I inquired and he gave me another shrug, which I took as an invitation to continue.

"Did Nik, I mean Klaus, say something about me before he left? Something about you protecting me or making sure nobody hurt me?" I asked warily and watched him carefully as he seemed to think about what his sire had told him before leaving. From the corner of my eye, I could see Caroline shift uncomfortably beside me, but I ignored her for now.

"No. He didn't really say much. Just that he was leaving town for a while and that I should enjoy my newfound freedom. He also said something about staying away from someone called Mikael, but that was it." Tyler replied and I heard Caroline irritatingly mumble something about freedom under her breath.

"So why did you help me?" I asked after a moment's contemplation. There was a confused expression on Tyler's face and Caroline seemed to be looking at her boyfriend with great curiosity.

"It just felt like the right thing to do." Tyler said hesitantly and he suddenly seemed unsure to why he had actually helped me.

"Like something you wanted to do or something you needed to?" I continued and I felt my heart beat a little faster as I realised what this might meant.

"I don't know. I didn't really think about it, I just did it." Tyler relayed and I could see the confusion in both Tyler and Caroline's faces. Before any of us could say more, a voice called out about the 'new girl' and we all turned to look towards the girl, who had drawn everyone's attention.

I withheld a sigh as I watched Rebekah run down the field before making a series of complicated jumps and flips, ending in a split as the other cheerleaders cheered on. She then turned her head to look straight at Caroline with a beaming smile and I noticed the impressed look Tyler was sending her.

"Oh God." Caroline groaned as she stared back at the Original blonde, not noticing that her boyfriend was smiling.

"Damn. Girl got moves." Tyler said before running back towards the school and we both looked after him incredulously.

Caroline then turned to glare at Rebekah again and the other blonde smiled back to her as she stood among Caroline's fellow cheerleaders. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and Rebekah sent me a challenging look when she caught it. I shook my head lightly and glanced quickly at Caroline, deciding that I should leave before she noticed that I was still there. I didn't want to force her to talk to me or make her feel like she was going against her friends for doing so.

"Malina!" Caroline's voice suddenly called after me as I started walking away and I turned around to look at her with what must have been a surprised look on my face, making Caroline look even more guilty. "Are you alright? I mean after the whole Stefan thing? You've seemed a little off all day."

"I am still fine, Caroline. You have been watching me?" I replied and added a teasing smile to my question, making the blonde smile as well.

"I was worried. And I care too much. It's my fatal flaw." Caroline laughed with a small tilt of her head, but the look in her eyes was sincere. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you. I didn't mean to, I mean I did but… It's just really complicated."

"I understand that we are on different sides in this, Caroline, and I don't want you to feel like you are betraying your friends. And you really don't owe me anything. I did not save Elena and Matt because I wanted something in return; I just wanted to help. Do what feels right for you and nothing more." I told her attentively and she blinked in surprise at my words before smiling, almost shyly, at me.

"Hey! What are you doing tonight?" Caroline then asked just as I moved to leave.

"I have some reading to do." I informed her, padding my bag absentmindedly.

Especially math and physics had me baffled just by looking through the textbooks and I had a feeling that I would be spending a lot of time with an English dictionary to properly understand the novel we had been tasked to read by our English teacher.

"You should come to the bonfire tonight. Meet some new people, make friends and stuff like that." Caroline suggested with a small tilt of her head and there was almost a begging look in her eyes. It seemed as if she was trying to make up for the fact that she couldn't really talk to me by finding someone else and I couldn't help but smile a little.

"When and where?" I asked, suppressing a small sigh and quickly followed a beaming Caroline as she walked to a duffel bag and withdrew a flyer, similar to the ones she had been handing out earlier, from it.

"It's all in there." Caroline said and pointed at the flyer as she gave it to me. I nodded at her and tried to leave with an "I will see you later", but Caroline stopped me once again.

"Do you need a ride home?" she asked hesitantly and I couldn't decide whether she actually wanted to or still was trying to apologize for ignoring me. I felt a small suspicion grow inside me at her persistency and I couldn't but wonder if this was some task Damon had put her up to. Alaric's words rang in my head: _know thy enemy_.

"No, thank you. I think I will pay a visit to the library. Goodbye, Caroline." I replied with a stern voice, signalling that our conversation was over.

I wasn't mad at the blonde for ignoring me, but I needed to take a step back and figure out what was going on. I hadn't stood up to Niklaus just to be fooled by a bunch of teenagers. Caroline nodded at me timidly and I offered her a small smile before turning around, leaving the field the same way I entered.

* * *

**A/N: I know the chapter ends sort of abruptly, but the "second part" will be uploaded soon. It would have been way too long if I didn't split it in half. Hoped you liked it anyways:)**


	6. Chapter 5 - Part two

**_Third person P.O.V_**

"I'll lure Stefan away from the bonfire and then when he's distracted-" Elena said as she leaned on her hands against Alaric's desk, while looking at Alaric and Caroline. Damon was sitting behind her, looking both irritated and bored.

"I'll shoot him." Alaric interrupted Elena, who let out a small sigh at the thought of harming Stefan.

"Can't Bonnie just juju him, or something?" Damon asked tiredly, leaning his head against the wall behind him. He understood that something needed to be done about his brother for Elena's sake, but he couldn't find the interest to get involved in their master plan to kidnap Stefan.

"I'm trying to keep Bonnie out of this. I don't trust that Stefan won't hurt her." Elena quickly said without looking at the older Salvatore, who all but rolled his eyes. What good was it to have a witch friend if you weren't willing to use her?

"Caroline," Elena continued and looked to her blonde friend, "are you covered?"

"Yes." Caroline responded with a firm voice and walked further into the class room they were gathered in. "I will make sure that the old Forbes jail cell is prepped and ready."

"You're forgetting a key player here. Actually two of them." Damon said from his seat at the window and they all turned their attention to the dark-haired vampire. "Rebekah and Malina? Wherever Stefan goes, the blonde ponytail tends to follow. And I think it's stupid to underestimate the wicked witch."

"Which is why it's your job to keep Rebekah away." Elena told him with a sigh and quickly thought through what options they had to keep Malina distracted. If only Caroline hadn't invited Malina, then the witch might not have been a problem at all.

"How? She's an Original and last time I checked, we're out of daggers." Damon protested and his voice slowly turned into a loud whisper, making Caroline roll her eyes. Damon, the drama queen, was back.

"So then preoccupy her with your charm." Elena said with shrug, clearly uncomfortable with her own suggestion, but it was the only plan she had.

"Might have better luck finding the dagger." Alaric commented dryly and Caroline couldn't help but smile at his words.

"Are you ever not gonna be mad at me, Ric?" Damon asked through his teeth, trying to hide his own annoyance.

"Doubtfully." Alaric responded and then seemed to think about his next words for a moment before continuing. "I don't think Malina is gonna be a problem. She's not exactly on Stefan's side after what happened earlier."

"You too, Ric?" Elena asked incredulously and glared at Caroline for short moment, who frowned in return. "Just because she helped me with Stefan, doesn't mean we can trust her. Do you seriously expect her to go against _Klaus_?"

"Wait, what are we talking about?" Damon interrupted as he stood up before Alaric could retort and the Salvatore vampire clearly sensed the tension in the room.

"Alaric and Caroline are apparently under the impression that we can trust Malina because she saved both Matt and me." Elena explained with a cold voice and Alaric held back a sigh. Wasn't this what he had talked with Malina about earlier that day? How, despite being the villain in their story, she was trying not to be? Elena surely wasn't making it easier for the witch.

"Trust her? Are you out of your tiny little minds?" Damon exclaimed almost angrily and a satisfied smile spread on Elena's lips as the vampire agreed with her. Caroline opened her mouth to reply, but Damon quickly cut her off.

"Malina needs to be distracted as well. And since you apparently like her so much, you are on Malina-duty until Elena is ready with Stefan." Damon told the history teacher with a pointed finger and Alaric felt his fist clench in irritation. What he wouldn't give to have a stake to put through Damon's stomach right this moment.

"And how do you expect me to distract her?" Alaric asked with a calm voice, even though the anger was evident beneath it.

"Use your charm." Damon said with a smirk, repeating Elena's words to him.

"I am a high school teacher and you want me to _flirt_ with an eighteen year old, who also happens to be my student?!" Alaric replied incredulously, making even Elena frown at Damon's plan. For some reason, that just spelled disaster to her.

"Actually, I am twenty-two but I guess that is beside the point." a female voice called from the doorway before anyone could answer Alaric and they all turned their attention towards Malina, who was leaning casually against the door frame. "And the flirting really won't be necessary."

A gasp escaped Caroline when she saw Damon launch forward as if to attack Malina, but he barely managed to take two steps, before he stopped almost mid-air and was pushed back into a chair that suddenly stood behind him.

"Please, Mr. Salvatore. Do not bother yourself for my sake." Malina told him calmly and let her raised hand fall to her side as she finished her spell. Damon was glaring at her angrily, even though he seemed free to stand up once more and Caroline had to hide a smile behind her hand.

"How much did you hear?" Elena asked warily and the witch eyed the doppelgänger for a long moment before taking a step forward while answering.

"Not much. Even though, I understand that there is a general mistrust towards me from the two of you." Malina said with a small tilt of her head as she looked between Damon and Elena. "And since you wish to distract me, I suppose this has something to do with Niklaus. I am guessing that you are finding Stefan a bit too liberated?"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Damon sneered at her, rising from the chair and pushing it aside.

"Nothing." Malina shrugged as she placed herself beside Caroline, who was smiling a little too brightly under the circumstances. "Unless you want my help."

"No." Elena said quickly and Malina gave her a small nod, while the others frowned. They may not trust her fully, but they could use a powerful witch as Malina.

"Very well. At least let me warn you about-" Malina started, but was interrupted when Tyler suddenly strode into the room; late for their little meeting.

"Too late." Malina murmured under her breath and she received a puzzled look from Caroline and Damon, who had both heard her.

"Sorry, I'm late. What's going on?" Tyler asked casually as his eyes glided through the room and stopped at Malina. "Malina. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, do not mind me." Malina told him with a brushing-off hand gesture and Damon frowned when the hybrid didn't question her presence further.

"We need you to raid your mom's vervain supply. Enough to keep Stefan down for a while." Elena told him and ignored Malina's sigh.

"Not going to happen." Malina sang quietly and she looked up to see Damon watch her curiously.

"You can't do that to Stefan." Tyler replied with a stern voice and Malina couldn't hide the smile on her lips as her theory was proved right. Damon was still looking at her, but his gaze slowly moved to Tyler as he tried to figure out why the witch was smiling.

"Why not?" Caroline asked confusingly, not sure why her boyfriend was protesting. Hadn't he called Stefan a dick just earlier that day?

"Trust me, Tyler, it's in his best interest." Elena reasoned with a placating smile and Caroline quickly agreed with her friend.

"It's not in Klaus'." Tyler said with a small tilt of his head and everyone but Malina frowned at his words.

"And there it is." the witch said under her breath, raising her eyebrows at Damon, who seemed to be the only one listening to her commentary and noticing that something was wrong.

"No offense," Caroline said as she looked at Malina, who told her to continue with a small nod, "but Klaus is the bad guy, Tyler. And why are you acting like some freaky hybrid slave minion?"

"Uh, oh." Damon said as he stepped closer to the others, looking between Malina and Tyler with disbelief. Malina sent him an almost apologetic smile in confirmation, while the others just frowned at him.

"What?" Alaric asked impatiently, but didn't get an answer as Tyler spoke again while Damon continued moving forward.

"Klaus made me who I am, Caroline. I owe him everything."

"Oh, boy." Damon sighed as he sent Malina an irritated look to which she could only shrug.

"Okay, can we cool it on the commentary please? And what is going on with you two?" Caroline asked irritatingly and looked between Malina and Damon, whose silent conversation hadn't fully escaped her attention.

"What is going on?" Elena asked confusedly and Malina noticed how Damon picked up something from the table as he moved closer to Tyler. She sent him a warning look and then stepped behind the hybrid as he stepped back with raised hands in surrender.

"I'm just gonna go." Tyler said slowly and turned around to leave, only to come face to face with Malina.

"Tyler, are you going to tell Klaus that I helped with Stefan?" she asked with a pressing voice and if Damon didn't know better he would say that she was trying to compel him. "Because I would be happy if you did not."

"I guess I don't have to." Tyler shrugged and tried to move around the witch, who stepped in front of him again.

"Will you tell him about our plans for Stefan?" she inquired, knowing already what the answer would be.

"Yes, I owe it to Klaus." Tyler said with a stern voice as he looked down at her and Malina sighed before pressing two fingers against his forehead, making him fall to the floor unconsciously.

"That is what I thought you would say." Malina muttered and then looked up at the confused faces, who were staring back at her.

"What did you do that for?!" Caroline asked accusingly as she crouched by her boyfriend on the floor.

"He's been sired." Damon said with a loud voice as he looked down at Tyler's limp body with a frown.

"You are lot smarter than you look, Salvatore." Malina told him with an uncharacteristic smirk on her lips and he glanced at her quickly before turning his attention to his confused friends.

"What did you say?" Alaric asked and looked past Damon to the witch, who seemed to know what was going on as well.

"He's sired. He feels loyal to Klaus, because Klaus' blood created him." Damon explained calmly, clearly taking the news a lot better than Elena and Caroline, who seemed to be freaking out.

"Loyal how?" Elena asked as she eyed the hybrid warily.

"He'll seek acceptance from his master. Truly rare, but maybe not so much in hybrids." Damon continued before he turned to look at Malina curiously. "But how did you know?"

"I had my suspicions after Tyler pushed Stefan away from me this morning. Tyler said himself that Klaus hadn't told him anything about me before leaving and that helping me just felt right. Which of course seems strange because he should hate me. So I read a little something about sire bonds in my grimoires and it made sense. Having someone who is completely loyal to him is something Niklaus always wanted and now he has it." Malina told, but she could sense that Damon had more questions.

"But the thing with Stefan had nothing to do with Klaus." Damon replied and looked at her questioningly.

"I have a special bond with Niklaus created through blood magic and it seems that it have made the hybrids somewhat sired to me as well. Not anywhere near the extent they will be to Niklaus, but apparently they will strive to please me and protect me if necessary." Malina said, revealing what she had researched in the library.

It had mostly been a coincidence that she found the gang plotting against Stefan. After leaving Caroline, she had spent a couple of hours in the library, studying her grimoires and looking for the history books Alaric had told her about. She was on her way to the bonfire through the school, when she had heard the familiar voices coming from the classroom and had decided to join.

"So that's why Tyler agreed not to tell Klaus of your involvement. Because you'd be 'happy if he didn't'." Damon pointed out and Malina nodded once before looking down at Tyler and Caroline.

"So," Caroline said after a moment of silence and they all looked down at her, "how do I fix him?"

"Get a new boyfriend." Damon told her with a smirk that made Malina frown. Caroline looked at Damon as a small protesting sound escaped her and then at Malina, who just looked at her helplessly. As far as Malina knew, she didn't have a better solution.

* * *

**_Malina's P.O.V._**

"Are you cold?" a voice asked from beside me and I turned my head to see Alaric remove his jacket and place it over my shoulders. A visible shiver had run through my body just seconds before, but it wasn't because of any cold. It was actually a warm evening and I hadn't seen anyone so far wearing a jacket.

"Actually, it didn't have anything to do with the temperature. It is more like a witch thing. Like something is happening that should not be. But thank you for your consideration." I told him with a tense smile as I focused my senses on figuring out why this cold, dead feeling seemed to flow through the air. I tried to shrug off the jacket, but Alaric just shook his head and leaned against the other side of tree that I was standing by.

"Keep it. I'm warm anyway so you're actually doing me a favour." Alaric replied with a smile and I turned my head to look at him with narrow eyes.

"Despite what Damon says, you do know that you do not have to flirt with me to keep me distracted, right?" I asked calmly, feeling bad about whatever Damon had lured the history teacher in to.

"I'm not- I'm definitely not flirting." Alaric managed to say and I had to hide a laugh when I saw the startled look on his face.

"Then why are you being nice to me?" I inquired and I could see a small smile appear on Alaric's lips. I studied him closely as I waited for his answer, not sure what I was to think of the man.

"Maybe I'm trying not to be the villain in your story." he finally admitted and a wide smile spread on my lips.

"So you actually listened to my words?" I asked disbelievingly. Our earlier conversation had been interesting, but I wasn't sure he actually understood what I was trying to say.

"I didn't really get how you could be eighteen and talk like that. Though, you still sound as if you are more than twenty-two years old." Alaric told me curiously and I could see the question in his eyes.

"Where I come from we were forced to grow up quickly. We didn't have the luxury of being teenagers and attending bonfires like this. I married when I was eighteen. I might sound naïve when I say that I believe that there is still some humanity left in Niklaus. But I have already learnt the hard lessons in life. I have met people who were beyond any redemption and Niklaus is not one of them." I narrated with a low voice and I noticed how Alaric stood up straight as I relayed some of my story to him. I didn't know why I did it, but I felt like I owed him for trusting me.

"You're married?" Alaric asked incredulously and I could almost see the hundreds of explanations that went through his head as he tried to reason why someone would marry in such a young age.

"I was. He is dead now." I answered solemnly as I watched a group of teenagers sit around a fire. Further away I could see Rebekah sitting alone and I sighed silently when I saw Damon approach her. It felt wrong to let Damon use her insecurities like that, but they had no chance of getting Stefan away with Rebekah watching over him.

"I'm sorry." Alaric said with a sympathetic voice and I couldn't help but feel that he had been through something similar. I didn't really feel sorry about the loss of my husband, but I nodded anyway.

"You talked about something happening that shouldn't be?" Alaric questioned after a moment of silence and I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling how my senses tingled with energy.

"Something dark is coming. I always have this gut feeling that tells me when something bad is going to happen. And I can feel it now. Like someone is using dark magic, but I do not know who or how." I explained and another shiver went through me, making me hug the jacket closer around me.

"You can feel that? How strong are you?" Alaric asked curiously and I took a moment to contemplate my answer.

"I am not entirely sure." was all I said and Alaric just nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

"Here in Mystic Falls you're probably gonna have that gut feeling all the time." Alaric told me after a small pause and I could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"It is not exactly like that. I mostly feel the big things only. Like when something is going to change irrevocably or when a powerful force grows nearer." I explained and exhaled slowly as I thought about the last time that had happened. It was safe to say that life had changed irrevocably after that.

"Something wicked this way comes." Alaric muttered with a low voice and I had a feeling that he was quoting someone again. His eyes met mine as I stared at him questioningly and a teasing smile spread on his lips. "From a play by Shakespeare. Said by a witch actually."

"Please do continue having fun on my account." I retorted with a smile and he chuckled lightly at my attempt to seem offended. Our banter was interrupted by Alaric's phone and I watched a determined expression appear on his face as he read the text Elena had sent him.

"It's time." he told me with a voice that almost spelled doom and started walking out through the trees.

"What about your jacket?" I called after him and he turned around to look at me for a short moment.

"Give it to me later." he replied before running off towards the school. I stood for a moment in the shadow of the trees as I watched the party going on around me. As expected Stefan and Elena was nowhere to be seen and I moved towards Rebekah and Damon, who was eating some kind of white substance off a stick. It looked rather disgusting.

I couldn't hear what they were saying but I could sense Rebekah's sudden suspicion and I watched as they both stood up, Rebekah moving closer before she staked Damon through the stomach with stick she had been sitting with. Rebekah was gone before I could call after her so instead I walked over to Damon, who was groaning in pain.

Damon eyed me irritatingly and I saw him recognize the jacket that hung on my shoulders. I watched him for a moment with my arms crossed in front of me before I walked closer and pulled the stick from his stomach.

"Here I thought you weren't going to help me." Damon groaned and held a hand against his wound as it healed. I rolled my eyes and threw the bloodied stick into the fire before looking back at the vampire.

"I do not like seeing people in pain. I am not sadistic like some of you." I told him with a glare, but he just chuckled at me.

"Then why were you smiling just a moment ago?" he asked teasingly and I felt myself blush as I realised that I had indeed smiled when I saw him sitting with the stick through him.

"Maybe because you deserve it. I believe it is something called karma." I shrugged and crossed my arms in front of me again, letting my eyes glide through the trees in search of Rebekah. She was after all my ride home unless I wanted to drive with Damon, which I didn't. "Do you know where Rebekah went?"

"Sure, she told me right before stabbing me." Damon informed me sarcastically and I sighed at his inability to just be sincere.

"I will find her myself then. Alaric and Elena should have taken care of Stefan by now, by the way. Goodnight, Mr. Salvatore." I nodded at him before turning on my heels and walking away.

I couldn't help but look for Caroline as I walked back towards the school, but I knew that she was probably still with Tyler at his house. I wondered briefly where Bonnie was as well, but was pulled from my thoughts when another shiver ran through me.

I took a quick spin around myself in an attempt to find whatever that was causing the dark energy that pulsated around me, but I found nothing or no one. I absentmindedly grabbed my necklace as I moved towards the school parking lot, hoping in vain that Rebekah would be waiting for me there.

As I came closer to the school, I saw a silver car parked and stopped for a moment when I saw Elena and Alaric, with Stefan over his shoulder, walk towards it. I started walking again when they unlocked the car and put Stefan in the back before Elena got into the car as well.

It wasn't until another shiver ran through me that I noticed the young girl, who standing behind the car and watching them. I noticed how she looked to the ground and then at the cigarette in her hand. She blew at the lit end once and I felt myself move faster as I saw her drop the cigarette to the ground.

"ALARIC!" I screamed before I was even sure what was happening and he looked at me in shock before the fire trail caught his attention. I started running towards the car as Alaric shouted for Elena to get out before the car caught fire.

As the ties lit up in flames, I looked to the girl who had dropped the cigarette, only to find her gone. Alaric had run to the other side of the car in an attempt to get Elena out, but the door wouldn't open. It wasn't until I saw the girl inside the car that I realised that she was a ghost. And not a very nice one.

I stopped a few meters from the car and raised my hand, focusing on a way to put out the flames but nothing seemed to work. Alaric was trying to break the car window in Elena's side, but that didn't work either. I could feel how a darker force was working against me and my nose began to bleed as I managed to break away the backdoor, giving Stefan and Elena a chance to escape.

Elena seemed to be struggling within the car and I could see through the smoke how the ghost was pulling her back into the seat as Elena tried to get out. When the girl suddenly disappeared, it felt like a wall shattered and I curled my hand into a fist, easily dimming the fire so Stefan and Elena had enough time to get out.

"Get away from there now!" I yelled when Alaric finally pulled both Elena and Stefan out of there. My initial struggle against whatever dark force the ghost had with her, had tired me significantly and I wouldn't be able to put out the fire completely without losing consciousness.

The moment they were far enough away, I uncurled my fist and the car exploded in flames. I felt my head hit the pavement as I was pushed back by a heat wave and my lungs constricted painfully as smoke seemed to fill them. I groaned in pain as someone lifted me from the ground and it only took me a couple of seconds to realize that the person was definitely vampire.

At some point I was sure I heard Damon's voice and I felt myself being placed in a car seat, while someone examined the back of my head, seemingly finding no injuries. There were mentions of a concussion and the sounds of Damon threatening to throw me out if I puked. My eyes were closed during the whole thing as I felt too exhausted to open them and when I woke up in my bed the next morning I couldn't decide if I had fallen asleep or passed out.

* * *

I felt dizzy as I rose from the bed and made my way to the ensuite bathroom. I mindlessly stripped off my clothes from the night before, doing my best not to look in the mirror as I was sure the sight would shock me. I almost felt like I was in a trance as I showered, dried myself off and put on some new clothes.

There was a strange energy in the air that reminded me of the tingly feeling I had felt the night before. As I shook my head at the thought, a sharp pain shot through my head and I groaned as I remembered its collision with the pavement.

Carefully, I opened my bedroom door and peaked out into the hallway, hoping that I wouldn't run into Stefan. I didn't know if they had actually managed to tie him down after everything that had happened, but I didn't want to risk it.

I all but tiptoed into the kitchen, where I managed to find some aspirin – probably there because of Elena – for my headache and I poured myself a glass of water to help me swallow them. I frowned when I suddenly heard someone groan painfully in the living room and I slowly moved towards the sound, ready to take on whoever was in there.

I gasped in surprise when I saw an unknown man stand by the closed curtains with a serious expression on his face. He seemed shocked by the fact that I could see him and it took me a moment to realise that he was a ghost. How did I suddenly get the ability to see ghosts?

The sound of shattering glass brought me out of my reverie and it wasn't until I looked down at my feet that I realised that I had been the one to drop my glass of water. And it wasn't until I looked back up at Damon that I remembered why.


	7. Chapter 6 - Part one

"Good morning." Damon greeted through his teeth as he noticed me standing in the room, looking at him with a horrified expression on my face.

The vampire was tied to a chair with multiple chains and if the bloodied shirt and fire poker on the floor was any indication, it looked like he had been stabbed too. Someone had decided to remove it though, but still leaving him stuck in the chair.

"What happened to you?" I asked incredulously as I slowly stepped forward, eyeing the ghost warily to see if he would stop me from helping Damon. The man was still staring at me, surprised that I could see him when Damon clearly couldn't.

"My brother happened to me." Damon replied with a groan as he fought against the chains that were holding him down.

I frowned at his accusation as the ghost by the curtains didn't seem completely innocent. When I grabbed one of the chains around Damon and the ghost made no move, I hurriedly started removing it from around him. I was halfway through – I had to use magic to open some of the locks – when the curtains flung open and bathed both of us in sunlight.

I jumped back in shock when Damon screamed in pain and I looked to his hand to find that his ring was missing. With a quick flick of my wrist I closed the curtains once more and the ghost now seemed irritated by my interference.

"What did you do that for?" Damon sneered at me, wincing as his skin slowly healed from the burn and I quickly found his ring on the floor, putting it back on his finger.

"I didn't, you idiot!" I retorted as I went back to removing the chains. The way he frowned told me that he was finally starting to realise that maybe it wasn't his brother who was behind this.

"There is a young man here, over by the curtains. He doesn't seem too fond of you. He is quite handsome actually." I told Damon as I looked between the chains and the ghost. I rolled my eyes as a smirk spread on the ghost's lips when I complimented his looks. Even the dead could be vain, it seemed.

"You're saying there's ghost in this room who did this to me?" Damon asked disbelievingly and I gave him a small nod as I stepped back, finally removing the last chain from his wrist. "Who?"

"How should I know? He must be supernatural since I am capable of seeing him. Even though, I don't really know how I can see him. I would say that he was a werewolf?" I tried as I studied the ghost, who was staring back at me and I could see by the look on his face that I was right.

"Mason Lockwood." Damon all but whined and I watched how Mason's expression turned stony as he looked back at Damon.

"Did you say Lockwood? As in Tyler Lockwood?" I asked with wide eyes and Damon just nodded, not looking apologetic in any way.

"Mason was Tyler's uncle." Damon told me as he looked around the room as if he was trying to find the ghost.

"Does Tyler know that you killed him?"

"Who cares?" Damon exclaimed before he grabbed his keys from a nearby table and strode out of the room. I sent Mason one last worried look before I ran after the vampire, hopping into his car before he took off.

"How do you even have friends?" I asked indignantly and glared at him, which only made him roll his eyes.

"I don't, I just have not-enemies. And should you really be asking that, witch-who-is-best-friends-with-the-big-bad-hybrid?" Damon retorted mockingly as he started the car and drove away, apparently not caring about the mess he left behind. I wondered for a moment where Rebekah was and what she would think when she came back.

"Where are we going?" I asked after a few minutes of silence, realising that we were driving towards mid-town. I wasn't sure why I had decided to follow Damon into his car, but given his mood it seemed like the right thing to do. Maybe I could stop him from killing more of Tyler's family members.

"_I_ am going to see witchy number two and get her to fix whatever she has fucked up. I have no idea why _you_ are here." Damon said, eyeing me with an annoyed look on his face.

"You think Bonnie has something to do with this?" I asked curiously as I tried to put the pieces together in my head. Something was definitely going on with the Other Side and it was possible it had something to do with revival of Jeremy Gilbert. Or maybe something more sinister.

"Unless you know something I don't." Damon stated, but there was a suspicious tone in his voice that made it sound like a question. He lifted an eyebrow at me as he looked between me and the road, but I didn't meet his gaze.

"I have this feeling in my gut that something has gone horribly wrong on the Other Side. Like someone is pushing against the barrier to our world and it has caused rifts. Rifts that allow people like Mason Lockwood and the girl from yesterday to actually anchor themselves to our plane." I told him with a speculative voice and I could feel him staring at me disbelievingly.

I wasn't sure if I was even half right, but it was the only thing I could come up with. It had to be some powerful witch on the Other Side, who was doing this and I could only think of one. That sent another shiver through my body and Damon frowned at me.

"What the hell is the Other Side?" he then asked and I raised an eyebrow in surprise as I met his confused gaze. They were bringing people back from the dead and talking to ghosts as if it was nothing and yet they had no idea where they those ghosts came from.

"When a supernatural creature like you and I die, they go to the Other Side. That is where the ghosts are coming from. Or so my grimoires say." I explained slowly, being purposely patronizing and Damon sent me another annoyed look.

"The ghost who tried to barbecue Elena was Vicki Donovan." Damon informed me casually after short minute of silence and my jaw dropped as I recognized the last name. "And can you really tell all that about 'the Other Side' from a _gut_ feeling? Are you sure it isn't just some undercooked chicken?"

"Is Matthew's surname not 'Donovan'?" I asked with narrowed eyes, ignoring Damon's attempt to be funny. My eyebrows lifted in surprise when I noticed a small glimpse of shame in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up with a smirk.

"She was Matt's little sister." Damon said with casual hand gesture, but he glanced at me warily.

"What did you do?"

"Why is it that people always blame me?" he exclaimed, sounding genuinely offended, but a sigh escaped him as I continued to glare at him.

"I was trying to get to Stefan so I turned her into a vampire. She might have been enjoying it a little too much and Stefan had to kill her before she ate Elena and Jeremy." Damon then explained and I felt myself frown in confusion.

"And everyone has just forgiven you for all of this?" I wondered out loud and all Damon did was shrug. It seemed like all Damon did was to cause trouble and be a pain in the ass, and yet they all forgave him. Elena even seemed slightly enamoured with him. And still they seemed to think that my friendship with Niklaus was ludicrous.

He stayed silent as we drove through the town and I watched several people run around at the town square, decorating it with lanterns as the mayor stood on a stage talking to a small crowd of people. I was about to ask what the occasion was as we suddenly pulled up and Damon stopped the car.

"Malina?" I heard a voice ask and I looked to my left to see Caroline and Bonnie stare at me and Damon. I didn't have a chance to answer before Damon started talking.

"Greetings. Blondie, Witchy." Damon started and I rolled my eyes at the silly nicknames. Caroline looked irritated as well as she crossed her arms and moved closer with Bonnie.

"I think you got your voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan." he continued and my head perked up in surprise at this new information. That meant that it was probably Bonnie, who made Vicki disappear from within the car the night before.

"What do you mean? Why?" Bonnie quickly asked and a worried expression settled on her face.

"Because according to Wicky here next to me, I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost." Damon replied as he nodded towards me and I scoffed at my given name.

"What?" Bonnie exclaimed and I could see genuine distress in her eyes now. Maybe I had been a little too hard on her regarding the use of dark magic as she clearly knew that there were consequences for such things and she probably thought she was paying them now.

"Why would you think that?" Caroline asked as she looked between me and Damon, clearly wondering what I was doing in his company. Honestly, I was beginning to wonder myself.

"Because Malina described him to me." Damon said and I could feel Bonnie's eyes immediately switch to me. Damon was about to continue when I interrupted.

"I described him as handsome. Apparently, Damon agrees." I told the girls with a smirk on my lips, making Caroline giggle and Damon roll his eyes.

"_And_ maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker through my chest." Damon continued with a small shrug and I was confused to why that would explain anything. "Let's just say I'm having déjà-vu."

"I thought that you said that ghosts couldn't physically interact with people." Caroline said as she looked at Bonnie with a frown and the Bennett witch quickly shook her head.

"They can't!"

"Yeah, well, I don't have time for vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead." Damon told with a stern voice as he glared at Bonnie. "Whatever you screwed up; fix it."

As I could see he was about to drive off, I quickly unbuckled my seat belt and moved to open the door. The next moment I was pulled back into the seat by Damon, who had a hand around my arm and I turned my head to glare at him.

"Arh, ah. You stay with me if Lockwood decides to pay me another surprise visit." Damon said with a dangerous smirk on his lips and I could hear Caroline hiss from beside Bonnie.

"Let go of me, Salvatore." I told him with a calm but threatening voice as I placed my right hand on the front of the car. He just widened his smile and pushed down on the speeder, frowning when nothing happened. I smiled back at him when he quickly looked at me and then at my right hand.

"What did you do to my car?" he growled at me, but I didn't answer as I eyed his hand on my left arm. I could almost see smoke coming from under his hand as my skin began burning and he tore his hand away with a small yelp. Before he could grab me again, I exited the car and a triumphant grin was on my face as I moved to stand beside Caroline, who was trying hard not to laugh.

"You reap what you sow, Mr. Salvatore. I am sure that you can handle Mason Lockwood on your own." I called after him just before he sped away, wheels squealing as he drove down the road.

"That was _awesome_!" Caroline exclaimed as she jumped a couple of times on the spot and clapped her hands, making me smile modestly. I was used to only Emma seeing me do magic and she never seemed quite as excited as Caroline. Which reminded me that I should give her a call.

"How did you do that?" Bonnie asked as she eyed me curiously and I sent her a smile, happy that she was finally talking to me again.

"The concept is quite easy. You take the energy from one thing and direct it into your body or through it. By taking the energy from the engine, I could direct the heat through my body; simultaneously stopping the car and burning Damon. It can be a bit tricky though, as I have to make sure that I do not burn myself as well." I told the other witch and even though she tried to hide it, I could see that she was impressed.

"You should totally teach that to Bonnie!" Caroline said as she smiled excitingly and looked to her friend, whose eyes had become wide.

"Caroline!" Bonnie hissed under her breath and it was clear that she was a little more opposed to learning anything from me.

"No but seriously, Bonnie. Just because you learn a few tricks from her, doesn't mean you're going over to the dark side. You're just… exploiting your opportunities." Caroline reasoned and I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm even though she did just call me 'the dark side'.

"Someday, maybe. But we have to get this ghost situation under control first." Bonnie said and expression turned from hesitant to determined. "Are you completely sure it was Mason Lockwood that went after Damon? Not a young girl with brown hair?"

"Damon told me about Vicky Donovan and it was not her that I saw. The ghost was definitely male and I got that werewolf vibe from him." I told her hastily, creating an even more frustrated look on her face. My eyes shifted momentarily to Caroline, who seemed to be staring past me and I turned my head to find Matt staring at us from a few meters away.

"Does he know about all of this?" I asked warily as the pained expression on his face showed that he had heard some of our conversation.

"He helped sent his sister away yesterday." Caroline explained; her voice filled with empathy for her friend. "It's so sad."

"Yeah." Bonnie sighed as she looked after Matt, who was now walking away. My eyes turned to Caroline once again and she was now looking at Bonnie hesitantly, making me wonder what she was dying to say.

"So much strength as a man." she finally said with a leading voice and I frowned in confusion, while Bonnie seemed to understand what she was getting at.

"We got a ghost problem to deal with, Caroline. Save the Jeremy lecture for later." Bonnie told her friend irritatingly. There was slightly guilty look in Caroline's eyes and I suddenly felt like I was intruding.

"So, if it wasn't Vicky that means something has gone really, really wrong." Bonnie continued with a serious voice, apparently not allowing her personal problems to interfere with the task at hand. She then turned to me with an almost suspicious look in her eyes and I waited patiently for her to speak again.

"How are you seeing the ghosts? Is it like with Jeremy and Matt or is it your powers?" she asked with wariness in her voice and I could feel Caroline's curious gaze on me as well.

"I actually have little idea. I have never experienced anything like it before." I told her honestly and almost felt slightly guilty for my answer when Bonnie sighed tiredly. "But something _is_ happening on the Other Side. That I can feel. My body is tingling with energy and it is not the good kind."

"You're tingling?" Bonnie asked incredulously with raised eyebrows and I swallowed an irritated sigh.

"Can you not feel it? Like a feeling of dread in your gut?" I inquired as I placed my hand on my abdomen, holding back a small shiver.

"I always have a feeling of dread inside me. Maybe I've just gotten used to it." Bonnie said with a shrug, but I could hear the bitterness in her voice. "So what do we do?"

"We need to find a way to close the rifts in the veil that the ghosts are escaping through." I explained without really knowing how to do exactly that.

"The veil?" Caroline asked curiously as she looked to Bonnie for answer, who seemed just as confused.

"The veil between our world and theirs. The thing that normally keeps us separate. The spell Bonnie did on Jeremy to bring him back made it unstable and now someone from the Other Side is using that to send ghosts through to our plane." I told them carefully, making them understand only to bring out new questions in their eyes.

"Who's doing that?" Caroline asked once more as Bonnie quietly contemplated my words and I found myself debating how much to tell them.

"A very powerful witch, I think." was all I said and Caroline nodded slowly, probably still confused by what was happening.

"How do we 'repair' the veil?" Bonnie finally spoke up and I couldn't help but sent her a sheepish smile.

"I don't know." I sighed while shifting my eyes between the girls and Caroline looked at me reassuringly.

"So we just have to check your grimoires." Caroline said with forced enthusiasm and smiled at both of us.

"I guess so." Bonnie muttered as she reached down to pick up her bag from the ground. As she did, everything fell out of the open bag and we both reached for her grimoires, unable to catch it before it hit the ground.

"Ok, did your grimoire just…" Caroline trailed off as we watched the wind flip through the book to land on a particular page. I shared a quick look with Bonnie, giving her a confused shrug before she reached down to pick up the book.

"Please tell me that's a recipe for witch cookies." Caroline said with an almost pleading voice and I would have smiled if I wasn't so focused on what actually stood on the open page.

"It's a manifestation spell. It's used to reveal veiled matter." Bonnie told us, looking up at me questioningly. I knew what she was asking but I wasn't sure it was such a good idea.

"Veiled matter as in…" Caroline started while she looked between Bonnie and me, trying to get our attention.

"Ghosts." I finished gloomily and shared a confused look with Caroline, when the other witch suddenly started walking away with a determined expression on her face.

"Hey Bon, where are you going?" Caroline called after her as we slowly followed her towards some car that turned out to be Caroline's.

"We're going to cast this spell and we need a private place to do it. I know where." Bonnie explained as she waited by the car for Caroline to unlock it. The car came to life with a small beeping sound as the lights blinked and Bonnie was in the front seat before we had even reached the car.

"I am not sure if this is such a wise idea." I told Bonnie from the backseat as we made our way out of mid-town with Caroline behind the wheel.

"Well, it's our only idea and someone clearly wants us to use it." Bonnie retorted, seemingly irritated with my objections. A sigh escaped me and I shortly met Caroline's eyes in the rear view mirror as she smiled at me apologetically.

"Someone we do not know who is. As far as I could tell there was no one around when 'the wind' turned to that page. If you think we must do this spell, then we will. Just know that the foothold the ghosts have in our world now, will grow stronger after you have cast it." I told her with an insistent voice and it finally seemed like my words made an impact as Bonnie nodded solemnly.

"I wonder what Elena is doing." Caroline said after a short moment of silence. The young vampire clearly wasn't big on awkward pauses and silence.

"Probably running around after Stefan." Bonnie replied and once again there was bitterness in her voice.

"She will not help us with this?" I asked slightly dumbfounded by the doppelgänger's lack of presence.

"She got her own problems to worry about." Caroline said with a small shake of her head and I frowned at her excusing tone. Wasn't all of this not more important than 'fixing' Stefan? He would never hurt Elena after all.

"So does the two of you." I stated calmly and I watched Bonnie tense while Caroline suddenly became very busy with keeping her eyes on the road. "Bonnie, your boyfriend is seeing ghosts and while I do not what sort of relationship problems that might cause, it doesn't seem like it is few."

"Try ghost ex-girlfriend." Caroline muttered into the air, receiving a light smack on the arm and a warning glare from Bonnie.

"And Caroline, your boyfriend is sired to an evil Original hybrid. You have your own personal problems as well. Is Elena the only allowed to resolve hers?" I continued, pretending not to hear Caroline's words about Bonnie's relationship problems.

Neither of the girls said anything as they shared a long look between them and I watched Caroline's shoulder slump as she sighed. Apparently I had hit a sore spot and none of them seemed comfortable with commenting.

"Did you really just call your own friend evil?" Caroline then asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I find no need to excuse Niklaus' behaviour. No one but himself should do that. I did try once but it did not do any good for anyone. I am sure you feel the same with Damon." I explained casually and I watched Bonnie raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"We're so not friends with Damon." Caroline almost laughed and my eyes narrowed at the slight tremble her voice held. "And he certainly never apologizes for anything. Elena usually does that for him."

I watched with confusion as Bonnie soothingly stroked Caroline's arm and the blonde inhaled sharply before forcing a smile onto her face.

"So are we there yet?" Caroline asked Bonnie and the witch quickly told her to turn right down a road that led into the forest around us. We drove down the gravel road in silence and after five minutes we had reached an old house that looked all but ready to collapse.

"So this is where you brought Jeremy back to life?" Caroline asked nervously as we entered the house and walked down a staircase to a lower floor. There was an empty feeling about the place. As if something was missing and the air around us felt almost dead.

"I know it's creepy, but it was the only place I could think of." Bonnie said apologetically as she moved to the middle of the room and placed herself on the floor. Caroline had stopped on the threshold and still seemed slightly worried about something.

"There's no chance it's haunted by the hundred dead witches who were horrifically burned to death in this very spot, is there?" Caroline said with a small nervous laugh and I felt my eyes widen in shock.

"They're not here anymore. They made it clear they were never coming back." Bonnie reassured her friends and I finally realized what was missing from the house.

The lost energy from a hundred death witches had left a vacuum behind that nature didn't seem able to compensate for. I understood Caroline's apprehension. If the hundred witches still had been here, they probably wouldn't be satisfied with a vampire stepping into their 'home'.

"Right." Caroline said as she stepped into the room to stand next to me. "Pinky swear?"

"What is a pinky swear?" I asked silently when Bonnie just rolled her eyes and went back to preparing to cast the spell.

"You have never done a pinky swear?" Caroline asked in surprise, happy for the distraction I provided her. An almost excited smile grazed her lips as I shook my head. "It's a promise you make. But instead of shaking hands or something even more disgusting, you pinky swear."

"So you would not believe me if I just promised you with words?" I asked incredulously, once again baffled by the social norms that ruled this society.

"Well, it's mostly just for fun you do it. Let me show you." Caroline explained and reached out for my hand. She then folded down my fingers except for my little finger and hooked her own around it. "And now we swear something."

"I swear that there are no dead witches in this house and I mean you no harm whatsoever." I said while I met her stare and I could see her smile widen slowly.

"I swear to stop ignoring you – sorry again about that – and not to hurt you either." Caroline promised and I smiled as she momentarily strengthened the hold on my little finger.

"Caroline, I need you to light the candles." Bonnie called out with ill-hidden irritation in her voice, breaking our small moment.

"Sure." Caroline quickly answered, releasing my hand to find a lighter.

"Allow me." I told her with a smile and closed my eyes to focus. The next moment the room was covered in a soft light and I turned to look at Bonnie, who had already placed her hands over her grimoire with closed eyes.

"Do you need my help?" I asked carefully, but no answer came as Bonnie started chanting instead. I frowned at her unwillingness to let me help and then looked at Caroline, who just shrugged.

A few moments later, a subtle wind blew into the room, threatening to blow out the candles and I felt Caroline move closer to me as it picked up velocity. Our hair blew in the wind as we both watched Bonnie intently and Caroline took another step closer.

"I don't like this." Caroline called out nervously, hoping to get her friend's attention, but the Bennett witch was completely focused on the spell.

"It will be over in a few moments." I told her reassuringly and then turned to look at Bonnie once more, gasping when I saw the woman who sat in front of her, holding Bonnie's hands.

"Who's that?" I whispered loudly without taking my eyes of the elderly woman.

"Who?" Caroline replied confusedly as her eyes quickly searched the room. The next moment the spell ended and both Caroline and Bonnie gasped.

"That." I clarified, realizing that the woman was a ghost who had now manifested because of the spell.

"That's Bonnie's-" Caroline started as she looked at the woman with wide eyes.

"Gramps." Bonnie finished with tear filling her eyes and Caroline moved to stand beside the pair on the floor, while I stayed in my spot.

"I can't believe you're here." Bonnie cried as she held her grandmother's hands and I felt own throat constrict painfully. It wasn't until then that I realized my mother had yet to show herself to me and the thought of her moving on both made me happy and sad.

"Now, stop your crying we don't have time for tears." the woman said after a long moment of silence and I took a deep breath myself to control my feelings. She then turned her head to look at Caroline with a smile, still not noticing me. "Nice to see you again, Caroline."

"Hi, Miss Sheila." the blonde replied with an unbelieving laugh as she smiled at the old lady.

"A fine mess you've made, honey." Sheila said as she turned her attention back to her granddaughter, who was still trying to stop her tears from falling. "The witches told you there'd be consequences to brining Jeremy back and you did it anyway."

"I didn't have a choice. I love him and I couldn't just let him go." Bonnie explained as the tears ran down her cheeks and I watched Sheila nod.

"I understand. But you cracked open the door to the Other Side. There's an old witch over here. She took advantage of it, she took advantage of you, honey. When you did that spell to send Vicky Donovan away, she wedged the door open wide. Giving a free pass to anybody with unfinished business." Sheila told Bonnie and I felt a shiver run through at the mention of the old witch. I wasn't sure why she was scaring me so much, but there was definitely something ominous about the whole situation.

"How do you know this?" Bonnie asked confusedly and for a naïve moment I thought Sheila would mention my mother.

"Witches talk. Even on the Other Side. Who do you think makes all the rules?" Sheila replied with amusement hidden in her voice.

"What does the witch want?" Bonnie inquired and I felt my body tense, ready to answer when Sheila did it for me.

"That's Original vampire business, not yours. I don't want you getting in the middle of it." Sheila told her granddaughter and I felt Caroline's eyes shift to me. "I'm here because you upset the balance of nature and it's your duty to set it right. You need to close that door."

"How?" the younger Bennett witch asked eagerly and I noticed how the tears had stopped spilling from her eyes.

"The witch has a talisman on this side that she draws power from. We need to destroy it." Sheila informed her and it only took me a moment to realise what she was taking about.

"Rebekah's necklace." I said without thinking and all three women quickly turned to look at me. I met the eyes of the dead witch and she didn't look surprise to see me standing behind her.

"You mean the necklace that Stefan gave to Elena?" Caroline asked and I looked at her momentarily as I nodded before turning my gaze back to Sheila. "Why?"

"It once belonged to the witch on the Other Side." was all I said and surprisingly Caroline took the hint not to ask further.

"Right. Original vampire business. Got it." the blonde nodded and then fished out her phone from her pocket. "I'll call Elena and ask where it is."

As Caroline stepped away to call her friend, silence spread among us and I took a step forward to introduce myself to Bonnie's grandmother, who had risen from the floor.

"Hello, I am-" I started as I held out my hand in greeting, but Sheila interrupted me as she took my hand in both of hers with a smile on her lips.

"I know who you are, sweetheart. It's an honour to meet you." she told me with a gentle voice and I couldn't help but blink in surprise. "Every witch on the Other Side knows about you. We have been waiting for you for some time. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there when you woke up."

"You know her?" Bonnie asked incredulously from behind her grandmother before I could even manage to form a word inside my head. Not that I knew what to say.

"We've never met in person, but I've been told her story so many times that I could tell in my sleep." Sheila informed Bonnie without looking at her and I had to blink in surprise once more.

"Why have I never heard that story?" Bonnie asked and she almost seemed offended by her grandmother's lack of sharing.

"Because it is a story that is told from mother to daughter, when they first discover their powers. It never seemed the right time for me to tell you and then it was too late." Sheila explained with a sorrowful voice as she let go if my hand and looked at her granddaughter.

"Tell me now." Bonnie demanded with an almost angry voice and she glared at me for a moment before turning her eyes back to Sheila.

"There is no time, honey." Sheila said apologetically and then looked at me. "But perhaps Malina will tell you herself, when there is."

"I will." I assured Bonnie, who seemed to calm down a little and Sheila smiled at me once more.

"So, Elena doesn't know where it is, but I texted Damon and he said it was in the Boarding House." Caroline said as she walked back over, glancing at the three of use warily. There was a sad look in her eyes as they landed on Bonnie, but the witch didn't seem to notice.

"Let's go then." Bonnie said determinedly and then looked at Sheila in question.

"I'll wait here for your return." she informed us and then nodded encouragingly. Bonnie and Caroline was first out of the room and as I was about to follow, Sheila called after me.

"Your mother is still on the Other Side, Malina. She is just a little busy at the moment." she told me reassuringly and I felt my eyes burn with tears as I nodded in understanding before following the others.

We had barely made it into the car before Bonnie turned in her seat to look at me with a glare still fixed in her eyes.

"So, are you going to tell me who you really are?" she asked rudely and I glared back at her until she cast her eyes down.

"Now is not the time, Bonnie. You do deserve to know, but I will not let you bully me into telling you." I told her with a stern voice and a scowl set on her face as she turned back around again.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked confusedly as she looked between the two of us and I sighed in irritation as Bonnie started explaining.

"Apparently my gramps already knew who Malina was because she had been told stories about her by her mother. She even said she knew them by heart." Bonnie told her friend and Caroline frowned at the witch's unfriendly tone till she suddenly realized what Bonnie was saying.

"Wait, your great-grandmother told stories about Malina? How is that even possible?" Caroline asked with wide eyes and I felt her stare through the rear view mirror.

"That's what I would like to know." Bonnie scoffed and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks in anger. "Were you even going to tell me if my gramps hadn't said anything?"

"Yes, Bonnie. But I needed you to trust me first, which has proven harder than I expected." I informed her coolly and she had the good sense to look at little ashamed of her audacity.

"Why couldn't you just tell me anyway?" Bonnie then asked and I felt my own irritation slowly dissipate.

"Because I don't think that you would believe me if I tried. Or perhaps you would think I had some ulterior motive for telling you." I explained calmly and Bonnie seemed to understand my reasoning as she sighed.

"Fine, but I expect an explanation as soon as this is over." Bonnie told me sternly and I managed to send her a small smile.

"And I will give you one."

"We're here!" Caroline called out a little too loudly as we parked in front of the Salvatore Boarding House and I couldn't help but smile at her mediating ways. We all got out of the car and entered the house, immediately looking for hiding places.

Bonnie gasped when she entered the living room and found the chair Damon had been tied to earlier with the chains and fire poker still lying around. I watched her try to hide a smile as I told her about the state I had found Damon in and we quickly moved on with our search.

"He said it would be in his bathroom." Caroline informed us as she quickly ran up the stairs, leaving us to follow.

"OH MY GOD!" Caroline suddenly yelped in shock and I shared a quick look with Bonnie before we both sprinted up the stairs.

* * *

**A/N: What's with all the cliffhangers you ask? I don't know. But I need to end the chapters somewhere. Otherwise they will just go on forever. But I promise to post the next one soon!**

**Tell me what you think about this one! How do you like Caroline and Malina?:) (I love them). **


	8. Chapter 6 - Part two

"Caroline! What happened?" Bonnie yelled as we ran into the room she was standing in with our hands raised, ready to curse the intruder into hell if necessary.

"Who are you?" Caroline asked the stranger threateningly, already baring her fangs and I felt my hand drop as I stared into a pair of familiar brown eyes.

"Mother?" I managed to stutter out and a smile spread on her lips, making me lunge forward and into her embrace.

"What?" I heard Caroline ask from behind me, but I didn't answer her as I instead tightened my arms around my mother, feeling the tears in my eyes threatening to spill.

"Hello, my love." my mother whispered into my ear and a sob shook my body before I was finally able to calm myself and pull away to look at her.

"You are here." I stated with a teary voice and leaned into her touch as her hand cupped my cheek, drying some of my tears away.

"You were thinking of me, my child." she informed me with an almost teasing voice and I couldn't help but smile through my tears. I had forgotten all about Caroline and Bonnie, who were probably staring at us with confused expression on their faces. "I have waited a long time for this moment."

"I thought you had moved on." I told her as wiped away the last of my tears and there was a proud look in her eyes as I took one last deep breath and finally regained my composure.

"I had to see my daughter one more time. I will admit that the years have been long and many, but it has been worth it to see you now. You have done well." Ayana told me with a gentle voice and I couldn't help but frown at her words.

"I have not. Niklaus will not listen to me and as of now he is out of reach." I informed her and couldn't keep the shame out of my voice. I looked to the floor in embarrassment, but my mother slowly reached out and lifted my gaze.

"You will succeed, my child. I am sure of it." she reassured me and all I could do was nod timidly.

"How did you…" I asked after a short pause but I was unable to finish my question. She had been dead for a thousand years and I felt my stomach churn at the thought.

"Of old age. I managed to hold on for half a century." Ayana informed me and I felt my jaw drop in astonishment. I had expected her to live perhaps a couple of decades more after I went to sleep, but should also have known better than to underestimate my mother. "I had to take care of you, my dear."

"You have made friends, I see." my mother continued as she looked past me to the girls and I turned towards them as well.

"I'm so sorry for yelling at you, ms. –" Caroline said as she seemingly shook herself out of the shock and stepped forward. Her voice trailed off as she realised she didn't know the name of my mother, but with a small smile on her lips she took another step forward and lifted her hand in greeting. "I'm Caroli-"

"Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett." Ayana finished for her and all three of us looked at my mother in surprise. Had she been following me around all this time? Both Bonnie and Caroline then turned to stare at me, but all I could do was shrug.

"A pair of extraordinary young women, the two of you. I am pleased to meet you." my mother than said after a moment of confused silence and smiled at both girls.

"How do you know who we are?" Caroline asked curiously and I turned to look at my mother, unsure of what she would think about Caroline's direct approach.

"We see things over here on the Other Side, Miss Forbes." my mother told her with an almost secretive voice, but I didn't see Caroline's reaction as my eyes rested on Bonnie, who was watching my mother with both curiosity and suspicion.

"Because you're dead. I mean a ghost… who is dead. And on the Other Side from where you apparently can see us, but we can't see you. Is it just me or is that just the tiniest bit of creepy? I mean, I don't want some pervert standing in my bathroom while I shower and I definitely-" Caroline rambled off in a high-pitch voice and once again I looked for my mother's reaction. She usually didn't have a high tolerance for persons like Caroline… and Rebekah.

"Caroline." I called out, stopping her talking stream and she blushed as she noticed her own rambling. "Ghosts only come if you think about them. You have to have an emotional connection to them as well. So nobody will watch you shower."

"Oh… Great then!" Caroline chirped and I was surprised by the amused smile on my mother's lips.

"But we don't have an emotional connection with you, so that still don't answer the question." Bonnie spoke up as she moved further into room as well and I watched my mother study the Bennett witch intently.

"I am still at liberty to see you when you are in proximity to Malina. But you are also right, Miss Bennett. You see, Malina and I have a special bond created through magic, which allows me to move along her thoughts and connections as well as my own. She has that with both of you." Ayana explained carefully and I was just as surprised by the information as Bonnie and Caroline.

"The bond between us is also what enabled her to see the ghosts before your manifestation spell was cast and what makes her so sensitive to the shifting energies between this world and the Other Side. You are not going crazy, my child. Because of the rifts in the veil our connection has just become stronger. As soon as the three of you have repaired them, you will no longer be able to see ghosts." Ayana carried on, not giving the two other girls a chance to object any such connection to me.

I stared at her for a long moment, finally understanding what had suddenly caused me to have these new senses. I had always had a sense of premonition, but the way I had been able to feel the Other Side was new. I almost felt relieved that it would once again disappear. Sadly that meant my mother's disappearance as well.

"You said a bond created through magic. What sort of bond?" Bonnie inquired with her arms crossed in front of her and Ayana sent her another smile. Clearly, my mother was being a lot more patient with the Bennett witch than I was.

"As your grandmother told you; there is no time for that sort of explanations now. Malina will tell you everything in good time." my mother informed her patiently and Bonnie's eyes immediately softened at the mention of Sheila.

"You know my gramps?" she asked with a surprised voice and I noticed how her shoulders became less tense.

"Witches talk on the Other Side." Ayana told her, repeating Sheila's words from earlier. I didn't know if it was purposely, but I wouldn't put it past her. "Now, girls. Might I have a moment alone with my daughter?"

"Of course!" Caroline exclaimed immediately, dragging Bonnie out of the room before the girl could even open her mouth. I couldn't help but smile after her before I turned to look at my mother once more, surprised by the suddenly serious expression on her face.

"She is quite special that girl." Ayana said with a low voice and a small laugh escaped me at her words. Caroline Forbes definitely was special.

"She is. She reminds me of Rebekah in some way. Which makes it kind of amusing that Rebekah hates her. And I am sure that both of them would greatly disagree with me." I laughed quietly as I thought about the two blondes, not noticing the still very serious look in my mother's eyes.

"No, my dear. Caroline Forbes is _special_." she almost interrupted as she caught my hands with hers and stared into my eyes.

"I don't understand." I said hesitantly with no idea of what my mother was speaking about.

"After we did the spell, after you went to sleep, I started having visions." Ayana quickly explained and I frowned in confusion.

"Visions? But you never-" I asked incredulously, but was quickly cut off.

"I did when I was younger and one night they started coming back. I never saw whole pictures and most times I did not even understand what I was seeing, but I did see you. I saw all of you. And Caroline Forbes." my mother told me and for some reason I felt my heart beat more rapidly.

"You saw me here? A thousand years into the future? And who is all of us? Mother, you aren't making any sense." I replied with a voice that slowly grew higher in both volume and pitch.

"You were happy, but also heartbroken. There was so much chaos, my child. Chaos that is yet to come. And there was a ball. You were there. And so were Niklaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Finn and Kol. There also was a girl in a blue dress." Ayana relayed to me and my head was spinning with all of the information I had just been told.

I didn't know whether to believe her words or not. Visions were rarely very reliable and these were a thousand years old. And it didn't seem possible that this ball would ever take place. All but Rebekah and Niklaus were daggered and I didn't see any of that changing soon.

"Who was the girl? In the blue dress?" I asked after a long moment of silence and I was surprised by how patient my mother was. Of course, impatience was my flaw and not hers.

"Caroline Forbes." was all she said and I almost felt like shaking her.

"How does that make her special?!" I asked desperately and I felt my hands grip hers tighter. I wasn't sure why all of this made me so upset, but her words about impending chaos and heartbreak kept bouncing around in my head.

"Because she can help you find Niklaus' redemption. Teach him to love once more." my mother said with an insistent voice and I almost felt like laughing at how ridiculous that sounded.

"Caroline would never help Nik. And certainly never love him. Her boyfriend got turned into a hybrid because of him and he killed her best friend. Granted, Elena is alive but how could she ever forget such things?" I told my mother with a trembling laugh and I heard my voice take a higher pitch once more.

"Caroline would never have to forget, only forgive. And I know how impossible this all seems now, but one day you will see what I saw and you will understand. So will they." Ayana told me carefully and this time I couldn't get myself to laugh. Not that Niklaus and Caroline would ever make any sense as a couple, but my mother believed every word she was saying.

"There is one more thing." she then said as I sighed tiredly and I straightened my back once more.

"I don't think my head can take anymore, mother." I complained and inwardly rolled my eyes at how childish I sounded.

"This is important. The witch that is letting all the ghosts cross over from the Other Side-" Ayana began with an urgent voice and I ignored the berating look she sent me when I interrupted.

"Is Esther, I know. But as long as she is over there, there is nothing I can do." I told her dejectedly, frowning in confusion when my mother shook her head.

"I know, dear, but that is not what I am trying to tell you. Esther was killed not many days after you went to sleep, but instead of burying her; I conserved her body." she told me silently and I felt my eyes widen in shock.

"Who killed her?" I asked, fearing the answer as I already knew it.

"Her children believed it to be Mikael, but…" Ayana trailed off, seemingly unable to cause me any more pain by telling me herself.

"But it was really Niklaus, wasn't it?" I finished for her and I felt a lump in my throat grow.

"I am afraid so. The children buried her, but Esther knew what was coming and she made me promise to preserve her body after her death so that she one day could be reunited with her family. It seemed as if she had already forgiven Niklaus before he even had the thought himself, but a thousand years has passed and things have changed. Esther thinks of her children as abominations now and I fear what she will do." my mother told me and I could hear actual fear in her voice.

"Do you think she will try to return to her body?" I asked with wide eyes, suddenly sharing mother's fear and the look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know: she definitely would.

"Mikael is coming." I then told her, not wanting to hear Ayana's fears about Esther spoken. This information only seemed to make her more anxious though and I sighed in frustration.

"You must stay out of his sight, Malina. And if he finds you then convince him that you will not lift a finger against him. Mikael will go after Niklaus and if he knows of your connection; he will kill you. Keep your eyes and ears open, my child. Be safe." my mother told me with an insistent voice and all I could do was nod. I still wasn't sure what the story between Mikael and Niklaus was exactly, but it didn't seem the right time to ask.

"The necklace you are looking for is not here. It was taken." Ayana then said and I had to shake my head to follow her change of topic. "You must find the ghost Anna. She is hiding it from you."

"Are you leaving now?" I asked with a small voice after giving her a nod and I felt the tears return rapidly.

"I must, darling. We both have to move on." she told me with a sad smile on her face as I let her drag me into an embrace. "Use your head and remember that nature is on your side."

"I will." I replied with a small sob and I felt my body shake as my mother's arm pulled me tighter against her. "Goodbye."

"Goodnight, my love."

The room fell silent as my mother seemingly blinked out of existence and another sob trembled through my body. A minute or so passed as I tried to take back control over my emotions and calm myself down. I then wiped the tears off my face defiantly and left the room without looking back.

"You said boyfriend dramas. Plural." Bonnie was in the middle of saying as I walked into Damon's room and I immediately noticed the tense energy between the two of them, making me stay quiet in the background. "What is it, Caroline?"

"Elena caught Jeremy kissing… Anna." Caroline told her friend, clearly uncomfortable with being the one telling Bonnie, but all I could really focus on was the name of girl Jeremy had kissed. Coincidentally, that was also the name of the ghost who had the necklace.

"What?" Bonnie said with a small voice and the hurt tone brought me back to the conversation.

"I'm sorry." Caroline told her friend with a small shake of her head and I noticed Bonnie gulp visibly.

"He kissed her?" the Bennett witch asked and I could hear the tears in her voice, suddenly making me feel like I was eavesdropping.

"She's got a foothold now, so she probably thinks that she's here to stay, but we're gonna find that necklace. Okay? Okay." Caroline said in a determined voice as she stepped closer to her friend and lightly shook her. The only thing Bonnie seemed able to do was nodding and I took that as my cue to interrupt.

"The necklace is not here." I called out as I stepped fully into the room and the girls spun around in surprise. "A ghost named… named Anna has it."

"Are you kidding me?!" Caroline exclaimed loudly and I lifted my hands in an apologetic gesture, making her smile at me sheepishly. "How do you know this?"

"My mother told me." I informed them and took a deep breath to keep my voice steady.

"Oh. Where is she now?" Caroline then asked with a more gentle voice and I sent her a small smile.

"Gone. But it is for the best. We must all move on at some point." I told her as I tried my best to keep my eyes of Bonnie, who was shifting uncomfortably beside her friend. If Bonnie had been able to let Jeremy go then this wouldn't be happening. But Jeremy was barely seventeen years old and my mother had been dead for a millennium.

"I'm sorry. How did she…?" Caroline continued and I didn't know how to take her sudden interest so I just responded.

"Old age."

"Was it long ago or…?" she then asked and I almost smiled at her lack of subtlety.

"Yes." I replied with a pointed look and Caroline nodded in understanding. "Now, shall we find this necklace?"

"But if Anna has it…" Bonnie said with an almost trembling voice and I couldn't stop myself from sending her a sympathetic smile.

"Then we'll simply get it back." Caroline said decisively and I was impressed by how she suddenly seemed to take over as Bonnie retreated into herself. With a quick movement she had pulled out her phone, dialled a number and put it to her ear. "Hello Jeremy."

"No. Wait, why is there sirens?" Caroline replied, answering a question I couldn't hear.

"Tobias Fell is dead?!" she then exclaimed and I looked questioningly at Bonnie, who didn't seem to be even listening. "Freaking tomb vampires."

"Well, you're gonna help us with that." Caroline told Jeremy with a little more irritation in her voice than before. "Apparently, your little girlfriend has it."

"Anna, you dumbass." the blonde sighed frustratingly at the boy and I could almost hear his jumbled words as he tried to explain himself. "Save it, Jeremy."

"How we know? Malina's mother told us." Caroline told him as she calmed a hand through her curls. "Yes, Malina's mother. Now get that freaking necklace and meet us at the dead witches' house. Comprende? Good."

"Alright then. Let's go." the vampire then said with forced enthusiasm and I wondered how often Caroline did this; pretend that everything was okay for someone else's sake. She seemed to just push on as if she had no other choice.

A minute later we were all sitting in the car on our way back to the witch house. There was a pregnant silence between us as Caroline kept glancing worriedly at her friend, who was clenching and unclenching her hands in an attempt to hide her feelings.

The sun had set over the town, making the lanterns light up as we drove past the town's square and I frowned at the apparent chaos outside. Something was going on and it wasn't good. A shrill sound cut through the silence, making me jump slightly but no one seemed to notice as Bonnie found her phone in her pocket.

"It's Jeremy." she informed dryly and almost seemed ready to put away the phone without reading his text. "He got the necklace and will meet us at the house."

"Good." was all Caroline said before she suddenly had to step on the brake as a man walked out in front of the car. "What the hell?"

"What's going on up there?" Bonnie then asked as the man sent us an uninterested glance before moving up the road, where a car seemed to have crashed and was now smoking.

"That's Mrs. Lockwood's car." Caroline informed with hidden panic in her voice as she realised what was going on. "Bonnie. I'm gonna get out of the car."

"What?!" Bonnie exclaimed and I moved to the edge of my seat in to hear her more clearly.

"And you're gonna take the wheel and drive the hell away from here." Caroline continued, ignoring her friend's protest.

"No way, I'm not leaving you." Bonnie told her friend, but was quickly overruled by Caroline.

"Bonnie, you got your ghost boyfriend drama, Elena has hers. And right now the mother of mine is about to be ghost bait. So go and sent them all back to the Other Side. Okay?" Caroline said in a way that was impossible to argue with and Bonnie seemed to agree silently as Caroline exited the car.

"Bonnie, can you destroy the necklace on your own?" I quickly asked as Caroline slammed the door behind her and moved towards the ghosts that were about to attack Mrs. Lockwood. The witch looked at me for a long moment before giving me a nod and crawling to the driver's seat.

"Good. Then this is my stop as well. I will help Caroline, okay?" I told her hurriedly, watching Caroline as she approached the first vampire. When the man lunged at her, I didn't wait for Bonnie's answer as I instead jumped out of the car and walked towards the fight with a raised hand.

I barely noticed Bonnie driving off as I focused on throwing the vampire off Caroline. I could feel the dark energy convulsing around them and I imagined Esther was standing on the Other Side fighting back just as much as the ghost-vampires.

"Malina, what are you doing?!" Caroline yelled at me as she ran towards another vampire, who was getting to close to the car and I flicked my wrist to break the neck of one of the other vampires.

"Helping!" I called back without removing my eyes from an approaching vampire, whose dark red eyes shone at me. "I will help Mrs. Lockwood out of the car, while you distract them."

"Perhaps you shouldn't be yelling out your plan to everyone, little witch." the approaching vampire sneered at me and the momentary shift of his eyes told me that there was a vampire coming from behind me as well.

In one fluent movement I lifted both my hands as I spun forty-five degrees to face both of them and painful screams filled the air as one felt his heart being pulled magically from his chest, while the other's head was pierced with a thousand aneurisms. As the vampire with no heart fell to the ground, I turned to the other to focus my powers and I watched as blood began oozing from his nose and ears.

When the screaming became too much, I flicked my wrist once more and he dropped lifeless on the ground. I spun around myself once and held my arms out to regain balance as dizziness shortly overwhelmed me. Taking out two vampires was hard enough, but I was also fighting whatever dark energy Esther was providing these vampires. For a moment I almost felt offended by her willingness to let me die.

Without further thought, I stepped over the vampire with the broken neck and ran to the mayor's car with no further obstacles in my way. I momentarily felt a hand grab my shoulder as I was about to open the car door, but it was gone in a second and I spun around to see Caroline snapping the vampire's neck. I was surprised by the quick smile she gave me before she returned her attention to the hostile vampires.

"Mrs. Lockwood?" I asked the woman inside, when I finally managed to open the jammed door. She didn't look like she was hurt too badly, but she didn't respond either so I sent a small shock wave through her hand. Her reaction to the small amount of pain was instant and she opened her eyes with a whimper.

"Mrs. Lockwood?" I tried once more and her eyes widened as she noticed me standing outside her car. She immediately tried to shy away and panicked when she couldn't remove her seatbelt. "It's okay. I am not here to hurt you. I am Caroline's friend. Okay?"

The woman nodded after a short moment of contemplation and I saw as she noticed Caroline behind me, who by the sounds of it, was still fighting off a couple of vampires. With slow movements I reached over and clicked open her seatbelt, pushing her back gently when she tried to exit the car.

"You might be injured, Mrs. Lockwood. I can check if you will let me, but you have to trust me. Do you understand?" I told her carefully, seeking her approval as I saw the groggy look in her eyes. She nodded once and then winced as I placed my hands on her shoulders, close to her neck. "I promise not to hurt you."

Without waiting for anymore confirmation, I closed my eyes and squeezed a little tighter around her shoulders. I could feel her body becoming unresponsive, so I softened my grip again and let my thumbs stroke over her shirt soothingly. As she calmed down, I synchronized my breathing with hers and pushed my magic towards her, letting it search every bone and muscle of her body.

When I found that nothing was broken or badly injured, I pulled away and opened my eyes. The mayor looked at me with wide eyes as I stood up from the uncomfortable position, having to almost climb into the car, and I sent her a small smile.

"Nothing is broking, but I am certain that you have a concussion." I told her carefully, but it didn't seem as if she heard me and I turned to follow her gaze. I was surprised by the sneer that escaped me when I saw Caroline being strangled by the vampire we had almost ran over earlier and I stepped forward with a lifted hand, only to have the ghost disappear the next moment.

"Thank heavens." I exhaled as I slowly moved back and leaned against the mayor's wrecked car. Caroline took a spin around herself to make sure all the ghosts were gone and then looked at me with a wide smile on her lips. She flashed to the car just before the piercing sound of sirens filled the night and a police car and ambulance appeared around the corner.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Lockwood?" Caroline asked her mother-in-law timidly and the woman nodded with a grateful smile on her lips. The blonde then looked at me and I held back a laugh as her bright smile almost lit up the night. "And you?"

"I survived." I told her with a smile and I was surprised when Caroline just shook her head. "You were impressive against those vampires, Caroline."

"Me? Did you see yourself? I mean, of course you didn't, but you were awesome. And kinda scary. Maybe there is some truth to Damon's nickname for you. The Wicked Witch."

"If you call me that again, I will show you how wicked I truly am." I warned her jokingly before we both stepped aside to let the paramedics through to Mrs. Lockwood.

The next half hour was spent with questioning by a police officer, who apparently let us go easily as everyone from the Sheriff's Department knew who Caroline was, and the blonde then called Tyler to inform him of his mother's accident. Apparently, he wished to visit his mother at the hospital alone and Bonnie said she wasn't in need of company either.

"Do you need a ride home?" Caroline asked me as she returned from her calls and I couldn't help but frown at her question.

"I do, but wouldn't that involve having a car to ride in?" I replied with a small laugh and Caroline rolled her eyes at me, smiling as well.

"Bonnie parked my car at my house and I'll just get one of my mom's colleagues to drive us there." she explained with a light voice and it was nice to hear that the earlier seriousness and panic had disappeared from it.

Minutes later we were dropped off in front of Caroline's house and I followed her slowly as she unlocked her front door and entered her house. I couldn't help but watch everything with interest, seeing how different this was from the Salvatores' residence and I realised that this had to be what a normal American home looked like.

"Hey, are you hungry or something?" Caroline called from somewhere in the house and I could already hear her removing multiple things from the refrigerator. I smiled at the sight as the kitchen came into view and I saw the now food-covered kitchen desk.

"Now that you are so graciously offering, I suppose I am a little hungry." I replied as I looked at all the food, not knowing what half of it was. Emma had introduced me to some American food, but we had mostly just lived on take out.

"What do you want?" the blonde chirped as she found a blood bag for herself and began drinking through something that looked like a straw. "I have ice-cream, some peanut butter and jelly, leftover lasagne I can heat, mac and cheese or cup noodles."

"Whatever is the easiest." I told her with a smile matching the one she was giving me and her eyes glided over the food on the table as she chose from the pile.

"How about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" Caroline suggested and I tried to hide the confused expression on my face as I had no idea what that was.

"Why do you look like you have no idea what that is?" the blonde asked with a surprised voice, seeing through my acting that faulted because of how tired I was. "Oh my God! You don't! I'm so gonna make it for you now."

Five minutes later I was looking at something I felt very conflicted about putting into my mouth, especially after seeing the making of it. I looked hesitantly at Caroline, who was staring at me expectantly like I was some kind of experiment, and then took a small bite of it. It was not bad.

"How come you've _never_ heard of peanut butter and jelly?" Caroline asked me incredulously as she watched me eat, making me slightly uncomfortable and very self-conscious.

"You make it sound like I have committed a crime."

"So how old are you?" the blonde asked, ignoring my comment and I almost choked on the bite I had just taken.

"Twenty-two. Didn't I tell you that already?" I told her, my voice hoarse from the near-death experience I had just had.

"But how long have you been twenty-two?" Caroline asked even more insistently and I was about to answer, when a weird expression crossed her face. "Wait, did I just quote Twilight?"

"Twilight?" I inquired confusedly, almost spelling out the word as I said it.

"Seriously? You don't know that either?"

"I have absolutely no idea what that is." I stated truthfully and Caroline's eyes widened as she seemed to realise something.

"Oh my God, you're like that superhero guy. What's his name? Captain something… Captain America! Who you probably don't know either. But he's this soldier from World War ll, I think, who gets frozen in the ice and then wakes up in our time seventy years later! And he doesn't know anything about the modern world. Like you. Have you been in the ice for seventy years?" Caroline rambled off and I felt my jaw drop at her story. I didn't realise that she had stopped talking and I had to shake myself out of it as I finally noticed her stare.

"No." was all I could say and I swore I saw a small amount of disappointment in Caroline's eyes.

"Then explain to me why Bonnie's gramps _grew up_ listening to stories about you." Caroline replied with a suddenly stern voice and I knew that there was nowhere around it now.

I was contemplating whether I could use Bonnie as excuse for not telling Caroline my story now, when my newly purchased cell phone rang.

"Excuse me." I quickly told Caroline, who sighed in frustration, and left the room.

"Hello?" I spoke into the phone, not having checked who was calling me.

"_Where are you?_" Rebekah asked in the other end and I sighed at her rude tone.

"With a friend." I replied, knowing that she wouldn't like this particular friend.

"_Caroline_." the original blonde said and I could almost hear her scowling.

"Where have you been all day?" I inquired as I shifted to a safer topic.

"_New York. I was bored so I went shopping. What have you been doing today?_" Rebekah replied casually and I couldn't help but roll my eyes as she was seemingly oblivious to everything that had happened in Mystic Falls while she was away.

"Oh, nothing much. Just got rid of a few ghosts who were visiting from the Other Side." I told her with a sarcasm that surprised me. Four days of living with Damon and he was already rubbing of on me.

"_Sounds fun_." was all Rebekah said and I heard myself scoff loudly.

"Did you hear a word of what I said?"

"_Sure, something about a ghost. When are you coming back to the house?_"

"I don't know. In fifteen minutes perhaps?" I replied, not sure why that was important to her. Clearly she didn't care about the fact that I had been in mortal danger today, but now that she felt lonely I suddenly mattered again.

"_Great! Bye, darling._" Rebekah exclaimed with a sudden cheeriness and then hung up before I had a chance to answer. I stared at the silent phone for a long moment before I put it away and went back to Caroline.

"Caroline, is it possible for me to make use of the ride you offered me home now?" I asked hesitantly, not sure if she would let me leave without answering her questions.

"Sure." Caroline said with a shrug and I smiled at her gratefully. The ride home was silent, but I could feel Caroline's curious gaze on me all the way.

* * *

**Third person P.O.V.**

"Is Mason screwing with me or is something in there?" Damon called after Alaric as the hunter walked further into the cave, where Damon wasn't allowed entry.

The vampire was almost certain that every word that had come out of Mason Lockwood's mouth was bullshit and he had just wasted a whole day following the ghost around. After all, why would anyone want redemption when there was revenge to be had?

"Ric?" Damon said when his friend didn't reply and he quickly became impatient. "Ric?"

"I found something." Alaric finally answered with an almost amazed voice as he let the flashlight glide over the cave's walls. He couldn't make much sense of it in the dark, but he recognized some of it as runes while other things just looked like random drawings.

"What is it?" Damon asked, surprised that Mason had actually been telling the truth and a long moment passed before the history teacher finally replied.

"I have no idea."

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think? I know the whole vision thing with Klaus and Caroline is cheesy, but I couldn't help myselfxD But witches get visions and this is all about finding some humanity in Klaus after all. We all know a blonde who does that;)  
We've reached the moment where we finally learn Malina's story. I'm gonna post it soon.  
Toodles!**


	9. Chapter 7

**Third person P.O.V.**

"What is all this?" Elena asked with a small frown as she let her flashlight glide over the walls of the cave. Drawings and symbols that were carved in decorated the stone walls and for a moment her thoughts went back to what they had learned about Neanderthals in history.

"Well, as far as I can tell it's a story. In simple archaeological terms: it's a really, really old story." Alaric informed her casually and there was a certain distance in his voice that made it sounds as if he didn't really believe what he was seeing.

"That right there is the moon cycle." the history teacher continued as he shone light on a drawing of three moons, each drawn differently. He then turned the light to another drawing beside it and Elena's gaze followed. "A man, a wolf."

"A werewolf." Elena finished incredulously as she lit it up with her own flashlight.

"Yeah, it's the Lockwood Diaries: Pictionary style." Damon called from behind the two humans and Elena turned to Alaric with a confused expression on her face.

"I don't understand. I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Original Founders in the 1860s." Elena said as she looked between the two men.

"I don't know. Maybe the Lockwoods did." Alaric replied as he dropped his bag to the cave floor and shone light on the walls once more. "But according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that."

"How long?" Elena asked and she was now certain the frown on her forehead would cause permanent damage. Eighteen was too young for wrinkles, but with all her worries she wouldn't be surprised if she woke up tomorrow with completely grey hair.

"Long." Damon answered before Alaric had the chance, clearly feeling left out at the threshold of the cave. "It gets better. Show her, Ric."

"Names." Alaric said as he moved towards the wall and lifted the light from his flashlight upwards. Elena spun around to see what looked like a strange mix of letters and symbols being lit up and looked at Alaric in question. "They're not native. They're written in Runic, a Viking script."

"Vikings?" Elena asked disbelievingly, almost feeling the urge to laugh and somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered the history lesson they had had a couple days before. Rebekah had mentioned something about Vikings, hadn't she?

"This name here," Alaric told as he lifted the flashlight a little further upwards, "I translated it and it reads Niklaus."

"Klaus." was the only word that left Elena's mouth and Alaric sent her a sympathetic look. He had been at least as shocked as Elena was now, when he had managed to translate it. He had even repeated the process multiple times to be certain.

"And Elijah…" Alaric continued after a short pause and shone the light on two other names, "and Rebekah."

"These are the names of the Original Family?" Elena asked with a fear stricken voice as she slowly realised what this all meant.

"Carved into a cave that's been here way before the founding of Mystic Falls." Alaric said with a small laughter in his voice as he still had no idea how to process all of this. He knew the Original Family was old, but this just seemed ridiculous. "Or even the entire New World, for that matter."

"Okay, this gotta be one of Klaus' fakes. Like the sun and moon curse." Elena replied, desperate to find another explanation to all of this.

"That's what I said." Damon commented from behind them, but Alaric just moved the light to another name.

"That could be true, except the last name up here made us think otherwise." Alaric told Elena and the doppelgänger took a step closer to look at the name, finding no luck with decoding it.

"What's the name?" she asked after a short moment, afraid of what the answer might be and she noticed Alaric's shoulders slump slightly.

"Mikael."

"Mikael… Mikael as in the vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus?" Elena inquired with an almost shaking voice.

"Yep. I now like to call him 'Papa Original'." Damon told them with a small smirk gracing his lips, but even he had trouble with being playful.

"I'm going to take pictures of all of it so we can figure this out. You should go home and get ready for school." Alaric told Elena as he found the camera in his bag and started taking pictures, lighting up the cave with each flash.

"But first, we're going to do a little vampire hunter training." Damon said with a smile, earning a glare from Alaric that he ignored. "Come on, Buffy. Ric, we'll see you at the apartment."

After spending fifteen minutes of taking pictures of every inch of surface, Alaric packed together his stuff and left. Damon and Elena were already training when he returned to his apartment and he tried to ignore the way Damon sometimes held onto Elena a little too long and most of all how Elena let him.

"These images tell a story… to learn the story; you have to decipher these images." Alaric said frustratingly as he looked down on the printed out copies of the pictures he had taken. He almost felt as if he was talking to himself as he stood with his back to Damon and Elena, who seemed more focused on their 'training' than what he was saying.

"Sloppy." Damon berated Elena as he easily took the stake from her hands.

"Shut up. I'm new at this." The doppelgänger retorted as she took back the stake and placed a kick towards the vampire's stomach, which he leisurely leaned away from.

"'Ghost of Christmas Past' Mason Lockwood said the cave would lead us to a weapon that could kill Klaus." Damon called out as he easily threw off Elena's attacks on him.

"Yeah, but doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Elena asked out of breath and pushed the stake forward, only to have Damon catch her arm.

"Yes, which probably mean that the wall will lead us to Mikael, who we've already found… and lost." Damon said irritatingly before he spun Elena around, holding her against his chest.

"Bang! You're dead." he whispered into Elena's ear and pretended to bite her in the neck. Damon didn't fight her as she pushed him away and sent Elena a smirk when she glared at him.

"These images in the very least might tell us what that weapon is." Alaric reasoned without taking his eyes from the carvings.

"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean." Elena said as she stood beside Alaric, who nodded in agreement.

"Fine! Fine. If I'm being irritatingly optimistic like you two…" Damon called from behind them, still twirling the stake in his hands. "How do you suppose we do that?"

"Well, if the story is about the Original Family living here, then we go right to the source." Elena told them as she grabbed a picture from the table and walked out of the apartment.

"That won't end well." Damon mused as he watched Elena leave and then moved to take her place beside Alaric.

"You aren't going to stop her?" Alaric asked incredulously, but Damon just shrugged.

"If you have a better idea, please speak up!" the vampire retorted hauntingly, but Alaric didn't reply as he went back to staring at the pictures.

"What's this name?" Damon suddenly asked as he held up a picture of a carving Alaric hadn't noticed before. He had only seen eight names on the cave walls and this wasn't one of them. It looked a little smaller than the others and as though it didn't really belong. An even smaller name was written below it.

"Just a second." Alaric said as he found the book he had used to translate the other names. He then took the picture from Damon and pulled out a sharpie to write down the translation on a post-it.

"This is a 'M'," he started with a low voice and then frowned slightly when he translated the next letter, "and an 'A'. Then comes a 'L', an 'I', a 'N' and at last another 'A'."

"Well, who would've thought?" Damon said with an almost amused tone in his voice as they both stared down at the familiar name. "I must give it to her; Malina does look good for her age."

"This doesn't make sense." Alaric just said, having trouble believing his own eyes. It was one thing that the Originals were a thousand years old and there was a whole cave filled with their story. But it was an entire other thing that Malina had been a part of that story all those centuries ago. She wasn't even a vampire.

"Sorry, buddy. But your little crush has been hiding a few things from you." Damon said with feigned sympathy as he patted Alaric on the back reassuringly, but the vampire hunter didn't even seem to hear what he was saying.

"How can she be a _thousand_ years old and _not_ be a vampire?!" Alaric asked incredulously, unable to look away from the letters on the picture and even Damon had to admit that it was bothering him.

"I guess we just have to find out." Damon replied as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asked as he finally tore his eyes from the table and looked at the vampire, who just answered with a smirk.

"Hello, Blondie. I have an assignment for you."

* * *

**Malina's P.O.V.**

"_Hello?_" a female voice rang through the phone as the witch finally answered my call and a smile grew on my lips.

"Hi, Emma." I replied timidly, not knowing what else to say and awaited her possibly explicit reaction.

"_Malina? Holy shit, is that you?_" Emma almost yelled into the phone and I had to stop myself from laughing as I knew that wouldn't amuse her one bit.

"I am sorry that I haven't called you earlier, but-" I started apologizing, but Emma quickly cut me off.

"_You're _sorry_? I haven't heard from you in _days_. I thought you were freaking dead!_" Emma exclaimed angrily, but I could also hear the relief in her voice and a smile appeared on my lips once more. Emma had a devil-may-care attitude about a lot of things, but she also worried more than she should about some people.

"I am not dead, Emma. I'm fine." I told her with an insistent voice and she finally sighed on the other end.

"_So… have you found him yet?_" Emma asked curiously and I noticed how she deliberately didn't say Niklaus' name. She had even called him You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named a few times, which apparently was yet another reference to popular culture that I didn't understand.

"I have. Although he sort of left again." I admitted as I pulled a face that she couldn't see.

"_Yeah, I heard about some disturbance among the werewolves. My guesses were on Klaus, so I guess I'm right. Why aren't you with him?"_ Emma informed me and I frowned at her careless tone. I knew that Emma hated all werewolves after one had graced her with long scars of claw marks from her left cheek and down across her throat. But sometimes she became a little too unsympathetic.

"It is a really long story, but basically I didn't want to go with him." I explained to her with a sigh, hoping that she would leave it be for now. As I absentmindedly watched the other students passing by me, I suddenly noticed Caroline striding determinedly towards the bench I was sitting on.

"Emma, I have to go now. But I will call you back." I quickly told her before she could reply to what I had said the moment before and I smiled at Caroline as she moved closer.

"_Fine, but if you ever again let me think that you are dead, then I will come and kill you myself._" Emma replied threateningly and I held back a laugh once more.

"I won't even fight you." I told her teasingly and I could hear her scoff in the other end.

"_Don't be a stranger. Bye, Lina!_" Emma called and hung up before I could say anymore. I stared at my phone for a moment, confused by her last words. How was I ever supposed to be a stranger when we already knew each other?

"Hey Malina." Caroline greeted as she suddenly stood in front of me, pulling me from my confused thoughts. I blinked in surprise as she abruptly sat down beside me and I quickly noticed how tense she seemed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Good morning to you too." I replied with a frown and I could see how some of the blonde's resolve disappeared from her eyes. "And sure. I shall see if I can answer."

"Are you a thousand years old?" Caroline asked as soon as my permission was given and she almost looked relieved to have those words leave her mouth. I, on the other hand, was taken aback by the intrusiveness and I felt my mouth open and close a couple of times even though no sounds left me.

"What makes you ask that?" I said instead of answering and sighed in frustration when I heard how weak my own voice sounded.

"Okay. So Mason Lockwood showed Damon this cave yesterday, before Bonnie sent all the ghosts back, and inside we found a lot of carvings. Among those were also names written in Runic. All the names of the Original Family was there… and yours." Caroline explained to me so quickly that I only caught the last half of it.

"So we kind of guessed that you were alive at the time the names were carved in, which is about a thousand years ago, apparently." Caroline continued explaining and it looked like she had trouble grasping her own words, giving me a little longer to reply before she noticed my silence.

"I know about the cave." I finally admitted and Caroline looked at me with wide eyes, probably expecting it all to be some sort of trick. "I used to come there with Niklaus and some of his other siblings. But I never carved in my name and neither did Niklaus. It was sort of their spot and I was only a friend."

"Wait, so you did live a thousand years ago?" Caroline asked incredulously and she stood up very quickly when I nodded. "Come with me."

"What? Why?" I managed to say as Caroline suddenly took my hand and started dragging me towards her car.

"We're going to Alaric's apartment." Caroline just said as we reached her car and she gently pushed me inside.

"I ask again: why?" I demanded to know as I felt myself become irritated. Caroline didn't answer as she quickly reversed out of her parking lot and drove off.

"I need you tell your story to me and Alaric. I'll get Bonnie to come too." the blonde vampire spoke after a minute of silence and I lifted my eyebrows in indignation.

"And if I don't want to?" I asked angrily, making the corner of Caroline's mouth twitch. There was something about her nervousness that told me she didn't want to do all of this and I realised with a sigh that Damon probably was forcing her.

"Didn't you need to tell the story to Bonnie anyway? Please, Malina. Elena is already getting Rebekah to tell her, but we just want to hear it from you as well." Caroline pleaded and I couldn't help but feel bad for the vampire. At least until I understood what she was telling me.

"Elena is talking to Rebekah?!" I exclaimed with disbelieve and Caroline suddenly looked very worried.

"Is that bad?" she asked hesitantly and I couldn't do anything but shrug. I had no idea what Rebekah would be willing to tell, but I knew that Niklaus wouldn't be happy either way.

"Okay, I will tell you my story. But there might be questions that I will not answer. Do you understand?" I told her in a stern voice and the blonde nodded eagerly.

Moments later, we pulled up beside an apartment building and Caroline quickly exited the car as I found myself hesitating. I knew I had to tell Bonnie my story and I kind of wanted Caroline to know. But the thought of Alaric being there, made me nervous for reasons unknown to me.

"We're here!" Caroline called out as we entered the spacious apartment and I felt like a child hanging on to her mother's skirts as I stayed right behind the blonde vampire. That was until I noticed all the pictures on the table and I quickly moved over to look at them, not noticing how I was invading Alaric's personal space.

"You recognize them?" he asked curiously, but I didn't register how close his voice was as I continuously picked up a new picture from the table, only to put it back down again. I nodded after a long pause, realising that I had to answer and then stilled when I found the carving I was looking for.

I let my fingertips move over the two names in amazement, noticing how my name was written in Latin on a yellow piece of paper atop of the picture. The name below mine hadn't been deciphered yet and I felt how tears sprung to my eyes at the sight of it. I almost laughed when I recognized Kol's sloppy writing and I placed a light kiss on the picture, ignoring the others' stares.

"Malina?" Caroline's voice called out gently and I spun around to face the others, quickly drying away my tears.

"Hmm?" I hummed in question before looking at Alaric, who was still standing right next to me.

"Are you alright?" Alaric asked in a low voice and I quickly nodded, sending him a forced smile before I moved my eyes to Bonnie.

"Hi, Bonnie. How are you?" I asked her with a teary voice and I had to clear my throat mid-sentence.

"I'm fine." Bonnie shrugged and I noticed how she seemed off as well. "I'm still not sure why you care so much, though."

From the corner of my eye I saw Caroline open her mouth to berate her friend, but I shook my head at her and smiled at Bonnie understandingly.

"Then perhaps it is time that I told you." I told her with a nod as I unconsciously held the picture of my name against my heart. I could feel my hands tremble lightly and I knew that Alaric had noticed as well.

"Do you want some water?" he asked attentively and I nodded with a grateful smile on my lips.

"Do you need to sit down?" Caroline then asked as she placed herself in a chair close to me and I watched as Bonnie did the same.

"No, I think I need to stand up for this. I am too nervous to sit down." I admitted with a shaky laugh as I accepted the glass of water Alaric gave me. I watched him expectantly, waiting for him to take a seat as well but instead he just went back to his spot beside me.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning." I said and closed my eyes for a short moment. I then took a long sip of the water and placed the glass on the table behind me, careful not to touch any pictures.

"Before I was born, my parents lived in Northern Europe. Both my father and mother came from a long line of witches, which made their match most favourable. They were supposed to breed a new line of more powerful witches, but when my mother didn't bore a child after a year of marriage, their families shunned them.

"They had to move from their own home and at last they found a new one with a married couple, who were in the process of starting a family of their own. The woman was a witch as well and she became my mother's confidant. The man and woman were named Mikael and Esther, and had two children already. That year an awful plague cursed through the continent and took many lives, including the couple's oldest child.

"My mother prayed to the spirits for help and they told her of a new world over the seas, where the plague wouldn't go. My parents easily convinced the couple to go with them along with a few other families, including my mother's sister, and a few months after, they had settled on a piece of land that is now the town of Mystic Falls." I finished the first part of the story and paused to take another sip of the water, while I looked at my small audience.

Caroline was watching me with eyes sparkling of curiosity and was literally placed on the edge of her seat. Bonnie met my gaze calmly, but I could see how she was impatient to hear the rest of my story. I was surprised to see that Alaric wasn't even looking at me, but the tension in his body told me that he was listening.

"But the Europeans weren't the only ones living there and every full moon the forest was roamed by the wolfmen. Or as you call them now: the werewolves. Not much time passed before Esther bore another child and two more was born before my mother finally became pregnant as well. When I came into the world I was weak and having watched Esther give birth to four boys, my father wasn't happy that he had been graced with a girl."

"Esther gave birth to two more children, a girl and a boy, but my mother remained fruitless once again. I might have been an only child, but I was never without siblings and as I grew up I found a best friend in one of Esther's children."

"Klaus." Caroline said with a soft voice and I nodded in confirmation.

"It all sounds so normal." Alaric commented from beside me and I turned to see him staring back at me.

"It was. We laughed, we cried. Fell in love and had our hearts' broken. I think Niklaus and I bonded over the fact that our fathers never seemed to care about us. Nik had it worst, but mine never spoke to me more than what was necessary." I told and I could hear the bitterness in my voice.

"Mikael hated Klaus back then?" Alaric asked with a surprised look in his eyes and I turned my eyes towards the table, quickly finding a picture of Mikael's name in between. I glared at it for a long moment, hoping it would catch fire and gave out a little yelp when it suddenly did.

"Sorry!" I quickly said as Alaric poured the rest of my water over the picture and I bit my lower lip sheepishly.

"Wow, you really don't like him." Caroline said with a small laugh, but I couldn't share her amusement as I looked at her.

"No, he is a monster. And you are fools for attempting to call on him. I promise you that nothing good will come from it." I warned them in a steely voice and I noticed Caroline flinch slightly, while Alaric took on a deep frown.

"No need to spare our feelings." Bonnie said sarcastically and I turned my gaze to her, making her squirm in her seat as well.

"I'm not. I am trying to tell you that once Mikael arrive here, there is no turning back. Mikael will do everything in his power to kill Niklaus and he will not care who is in his way. I am warning you, that's all." I replied in a calm voice and a tense silence filled the room before Caroline – as expected – broke it.

"Why do you hate him so much?" she asked with a small voice and I suddenly felt bad for snapping at her before.

"Mikael was and is a prideful man. And he has a violent temper. Something Niklaus felt more than any of his siblings. Mikael was scary to everyone, which is why no one ever stood up for Niklaus, when the man decided to teach his son a lesson. Most of us tried once – I was only spared because my mother intervened – but Niklaus refused to let us take his punishment and as we got older, he just kept quiet about it.

"I was almost eighteen, when I married Jason and just a month later, I became pregnant with his child. Despite my heritage, my powers had not yet shown their full potential and I mostly just used them for healing or teasing Niklaus. But it all ended the day my father told me that he had given me to Jason. He was only a couple of years older than me, but he already had a reputation for being violent and crude. It was my father's punishment to my mother for giving birth to a girl.

"Niklaus asked my father for my hand in marriage only minutes after I had told him about Jason, and so did two of his brothers – one of them being Elijah – but my father rejected them all. Jason was nice in the beginning and I started to believe that I could learn to love him, until the day he found me doing magic. He had thought it clear that from the day we married, I would no longer use magic. He wanted me to turn my back on my own nature and when I argued, he struck me for the first time.

"My father died before my daughter was born, but Jason made sure to punish me for him. He only hit me once but I lived in constant fear that he would hurt my child. I followed Niklaus' example and never told anyone. Today you can leave your spouse or get a divorce, but back then only death could do you part."

My voice was shaking as I reached the part of the story that I dreaded the most, but I knew had to tell them. If anything, this was a way of showing them that Niklaus wasn't only the monster they made him out to be. He had been human once and I knew that I could bring out that part of him again.

"To my relief Jason wanted nothing to do with our child and never have I felt happier than when he refused to even look at her. I watched my daughter grow up and become the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. Niklaus loved her almost as much as I did and she was impossible to get back, when first Rebekah had her in her arms."

I could feel the tears stream down my face as I laughed at the mental picture. The saying 'You don't know what you got until it's gone' never applied to the happiness I felt around my daughter. I treasured every moment with her and I knew that I could never again be as happy as I had been for those three years.

"Malina, if you need a break or something-" Caroline said with a soft voice but I interrupted her with a violent shake of my head. If I stopped now, I would never start again.

"What was her name?" Bonnie asked from beside Caroline and I was surprised to see the tears that rimmed her dark eyes. I smiled as I looked down at the picture in my hand, gasping horrified when I found it curled up in my fist.

"Oh no, no, please." I whispered as I tried to straighten it out, but the names remained unreadable and my hands started shaking uncontrollably, making me drop the picture. I looked up when a pair of large hands suddenly encased mine and I met Alaric's worried gaze.

"It's okay, Malina. I'll make you a new one, okay?" he told me reassuringly and I found myself nodding as I closed my eyes, taking several deep breaths. "It's her named that is carved in under yours, isn't it?"

"Yes." I sighed as I answered Alaric's question and slowly pulled my hands from his. "Her name was Astrid. It means beautiful goddess in Old Norse."

"I love that name." Caroline said with a shaky voice and I noticed how a single tear fell down her cheek. Who knew I was able to depress so many people at once.

"I did too." I told her with a small smile and took a few breaths so I would be able to finish my story.

"She died a few weeks after her third birthday of some illness. We never found out what it was, but it was so sudden and it was as if she just fell asleep and never woke up again. Jason was going to bury her in the woods where the wolves would probably dig her up, but Niklaus managed to stop him. We buried her besides a great white oak tree in the middle of the village and not long after a new sort of flower started growing. You know it as vervain."

"Your daughter created vervain?!" Caroline asked incredulously and I couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression on her face. It took me a moment to realise that Alaric and Bonnie looked just like her.

"I don't know. We had never seen the flower before and that is saying a lot considering my mother's knowledge of herbs and plants. Perhaps it was just chance that they should grow there and not somewhere else." I told them with a small shrug, but for some reason I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Who would've known how important vervain would become?

"Almost a year passed before tragedy struck again. Niklaus went into the woods on a full moon to see the men change into wolves. I warned him but he wouldn't listen. Even without using my powers, I always had a sense of premonition and I somehow knew that our lives would change that night. But there was nothing I could say to stop him so instead I went to bed. We were woken by screams at dawn and I ran out to see Niklaus sit beside his mutilated little brother. Henrik, the youngest, had followed Niklaus into the woods and had been attacked by the wolves. There was nothing to be done and Henrik died in his brother's arms.

"Esther and Mikael had now lost two children and refused to lose any more so Mikael came up with a plan to make himself and his family immortal. The village had lived in peace with werewolves for almost three decades, but now Mikael needed to defend his family against them."

"Wait, so vampirism wasn't some sort of curse?" Caroline asked confusedly and I shook my head in response.

"Esther and Mikael asked my mother to call on the spirits for help, but she refused to go against nature and give them immortality. The necklace that we destroyed last night belonged to the Original Witch." I continued and frowned when I saw a nervous look pass between Alaric and Bonnie.

"The witch who put the hybrid curse on Klaus." Caroline stated as if she was clarifying to the others who I was talking about.

"Yes." I replied and looked at Alaric and Bonnie once more, who was no longer looking at each other. Perhaps I was just being paranoid. "The Original Witch was also the one who cast the Immortality Spell."

"And the Original Witch was?" Bonnie asked curiously and we were all surprised when Caroline answered.

"Esther, right? I mean she was a witch too and a witch from the Original Family must be the Original Witch." Caroline explained eagerly and shifted in her seat when she noticed the looks we were sending her. "Or is that completely wrong? It is, isn't it? I'm sorry. Did I ruin the story?"

"Caroline, relax. You are absolutely right. I am just astonished that you could guess it." I told her quickly and smiled when a proud look shone in her eyes.

"The night of Henrik's death, Mikael laced the wine with blood from a girl called Tatia. Esther would later use the same girl's blood to bind Niklaus' werewolf side, thus creating a bloodline of doppelgängers." I continued, telling them what Niklaus had told me after I had found him in Chicago.

"So there was a girl that looked exactly like Elena a thousand years ago?" Caroline asked incredulously and I nodded once before continuing.

"Esther cast the spell over her children and husband, but stayed mortal herself as witches are nature's servant. We cannot be both a witch and a vampire. Mikael then drove a sword through the hearts of his children before killing himself. When they woke up, he made them drink the blood of a young girl from the village and that is how the predatory species called vampires began." I finished with a small sigh and leaned back against the table, suddenly feeling very tired.

"What happened to you?" Bonnie asked after a long moment of contemplating silence and I sent a small smile.

"The morning of Henrik's death I reacted very strongly and by accident I used magic, which rocked the white oak tree Astrid was buried by. It wasn't much, but Jason became enraged and dragged me back to our home. At that point he had only laid a hand upon me three times – the third time was after Astrid's burial – but he lost control and beat me until his knuckles bled.

"Everyone was too busy with Henrik's death that they didn't notice my absence. Jason would leave and then come back a couple of hours later. If I was conscious or started to move, he would kick me or place a hand over my mouth and nose until my lungs burned. I was slowly dying and it wasn't until the sun set that my mother found me; left beaten and broken on the floor by Jason.

"We both knew that no healing magic could repair what Jason had destroyed, but my mother knew something I didn't and she left for a short moment, only to return with Niklaus. I was confused when I had to invite him inside and scared when I saw the veins under his eyes as he smelled my blood. I never learned how my mother knew, but she cut into Niklaus' wrist and made me drink his blood. Suddenly my wounds were healing, but we only had a short moment of relief before Jason returned.

"Niklaus realised what Jason had done to me and before I could stop him, he had lunged at my husband. Jason was dead in less than a minute. And then came the worst part. By killing Jason, Niklaus' triggered the wolf gene that nobody knew he had. His bones started breaking and his painful cries filled the night. Elijah came and we both tried to reach him, but were held back by our parents.

"I remember Mikael's hate and disgust as he called Niklaus an abomination and ordered Elijah to carry him away. I still had no idea what had happened, but my mother told me what Esther had done to her family and explained that Mikael wasn't Niklaus' real father. Esther had had an affair with a werewolf from a neighbour village and Mikael had punished Niklaus for it his whole life.

"I begged my mother to help Niklaus, to help all of them and then she left me once more. When she returned she told me about the curse Esther had placed on Niklaus, using the moon stone that my mother had given her. What nobody knew was that my mother had taken a piece from it and reshaped it to look whole once more. Esther was a strong witch, but my mother was stronger."

My fingers unconsciously found the pendant resting against my chest and fiddled with it as I continued my story.

"She then told me that there was a way that I could help. What Esther had done to her children would change them more than just physically. It would rob them of their humanity and Niklaus more than any of them. So we cast a spell. My mother granted me eternal life, but still with all the weaknesses of a human being. And I tied myself to the moonstone and Niklaus. The spell would cast me into a deep sleep that would be broken when Niklaus' broke his curse. I needed to find him then and bring back what little there was left of his humanity."

"So what you're telling us is that you've been sleeping for a thousand years?" Alaric asked with his mouth agape and I tried hard not to smile.

"Yes." was all I said.

"Why?" Caroline then asked and I looked at her confusedly.

"What do you mean?"

"If you have eternal youth, why couldn't you just stay awake and make sure Klaus never lost his humanity?" the blonde wondered with a confused expression on in her eyes.

"Magic always has a price and especially the kind of magic that we did. Mother Nature works in mysterious ways and a sleeping curse, so to speak, was what I had to pay to be young forever. And who knows? Maybe I would have failed and my humanity would have been lost as well if I had stayed awake." I explained with a small shrug, mostly just guessing as I hadn't asked my mother about the details of it all.

"And what has all of this to do with me?" Bonnie asked after a contemplating silence had filled the room.

"I would only wake up when Niklaus' broke the curse, but no one knew when that would happen. My mother made sure to keep my body safe until her death; keeping it hidden from Niklaus' and his siblings. She needed someone she could trust to take over the care afterwards, so she trained my niece and nephew in witchcraft, which they had both inherited from their mother, and passed my body onto them.

"Their children then took over after their death and thus my body was kept in the care of my family for a millennium until I woke up and was greeted by a witch named Emma Bennett." I told her with a soft smile and awaited her reaction.

Caroline's mouth had opened in an 'O' shape and the wheels seemed to be turning vigorously behind the Bennett witch's green eyes.

"I have a distant cousin named Emma." Bonnie finally said with a croaking voice and I nodded in confirmation. "So you're like my ancestor or something?"

"Well, not directly since your blood line started with my mother's sister, but yes. The same blood runs in our veins, Bonnie Bennett. If all was right it should have been you who stood by as I woke from my slumber. As it seems, my story has been passed through generations, preparing daughters and sons for my awakening. Oh my, that sounds very dramatic, doesn't it?" I replied with a serious voice, but couldn't help but laugh as I heard the words leaving me.

"No wonder you can kick so much ass." Caroline muttered to Bonnie and all eyes turned to her as we all heard it.

"So that's why my grandma knew about you. And why we have an emotional connection that your mother could use to see me through." Bonnie said slowly, ignoring her friend's comment as her eyes turned back to me.

"Yes. Admittedly, I only know this from what Emma has told me, but she is quite trustworthy." I told her with another shrug and then glanced at Alaric, who had been quiet for some time now.

"I haven't seen her for years. I didn't even know she was a witch." Bonnie said with a disbelieving look in her eyes and I smiled at her soothingly.

"Apparently she discovered it five years ago when she was about fifteen. She and her mother were attacked by a werewolf one full moon and Emma's powers revealed themselves as she fought for her life. She got a long scratch across her neck, but survived despite of the blood loss. Her mother wasn't as lucky." I informed my shocked descendant and looked to Caroline, who had uttered a horrified "Oh my God".

"I don't know what to say. This is so… strange." Bonnie said with a shaky voice and I stepped forward to place a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to say or do anything. Except maybe for start trusting me more." I told her with a half-teasing voice and the Bennett witch only hesitated for a second before nodding. I gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before turning my head to look at Caroline and Alaric. "So… Any questions?"

"I got one." a new voice sounded from the edge of the room and my eyes quickly fell on the annoyed and confused doppelgänger. "What the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

**A/N: So, did everything make sense? I hope you liked story time:) It has been one of the hardest chapters to write, but totally worth it. And Emma Bennett had a small cameo. I might bring her into the story at a later point. Who knows... And the whole thing with claw marks was inspired by Braeden from Teen Wolf. I love her and she kicks ass. So in this story she's a witch and her name is Emma;) **

**Tell me what you think about the chapter:) I love your reviews!3**


	10. Chapter 8

**_Third person P.O.V._**

"Oh my God." Elena breathed with her gaze fixed on the carvings in the cave wall as she finally figured out what it meant. She then turned her head to look at Malina, who was watching her with a closed-off expression.

"It wasn't Mikael who did it, was it?" the doppelgänger asked incredulously and the sorrowful look in the witch's eyes gave her the answer. "Rebekah doesn't know that it was Klaus who killed their mother."

"What?" Caroline exclaimed from the threshold of the cave, being unable to enter just as Damon had.

"Yes. Niklaus killed Esther." Malina confirmed with a steady voice, but she clearly felt uncomfortable with the reveal.

Scratch that. She was uncomfortable with just being in the cave. There were too many memories and the doppelgänger clearly didn't want her presence. The others had practically begged Elena to allow Malina to come with them after she had found them all in Alaric's apartment.

The only thing that convinced her was that Malina was able to decipher all the carvings without problems. They hadn't really counted on her unwillingness to do so. Or at least that she didn't tell them everything.

"You knew all this time and you haven't told her?" Elena all but yelled at the witch as she stepped forward, but Malina barely moved a muscle.

"I learned it yesterday. And I am not quite sure why this concerns you?" she replied calmly but the look in her eyes was challenging and Elena forced herself not to flinch away.

"She deserves to know that her brother has been lying to her for a thousand years!" Elena retorted with a loud voice and paused for a moment before she determinedly moved towards the exit.

"And where are you going, Miss Gilbert?" Malina asked with a suddenly cold voice as Elena started moving towards Caroline. The doppelgänger stopped and turned around to look at the witch, feeling slightly frightened by the fiery stare she received.

"I'm going to tell Rebekah the truth." Elena said with a challenging voice that wavered slightly by the end. Her arms were crossed in front of her defiantly as Malina walked over and stood in front of her.

"No, you're not. You have no right to do such a thing." Malina informed her and the calm expression had returned to her face. For a moment Caroline even thought that she saw a brief smile.

"Watch me." Elena bit back as she tossed her hair back and turned to leave. The motion was a bit too Katherine-ish but neither Bonnie nor Caroline did more than share a quick look.

A choked sound suddenly left the doppelgänger and they all watched Elena freeze in mid-stride. Malina was watching the brunette's back with a calculating – and slightly scary, Caroline thought – look in her green eyes and her hand was lifted towards Elena.

"What the hell did you do?!" Alaric yelled angrily as he moved forward to check if the doppelgänger was okay. Behind them Bonnie was raising her hand as Caroline watched the whole thing with a shocked expression.

"Elena is perfectly fine. She just has a little difficulty moving." Malina told them with a concentrated voice as she focused her powers on Elena. "Bonnie, please lower your hand. I am stronger than you and fighting me will only tire you out."

"You said that I could trust you! You promised that you wouldn't hurt my friends!" Bonnie said through gritted teeth as she moved to stand beside the other witch.

"And I am keeping to that promise. Elena is feeling no pain. We are family, Bonnie and you _can_ trust me. But Rebekah is also my family and I have to take care of her. Trust me on this: I will do anything for my family." Malina replied in a collected voice and lowered her hand as the freezing spell stuck on the doppelgänger.

"You don't think Rebekah deserves to know the truth?" Alaric then asked and Malina turned her eyes to him with a sudden apologetic expression.

"I do. And I will tell her. But I will not allow Elena to do this to her. This will break her heart and Elena doesn't care about that. Neither of you do. You see it as an opportunity to gain an ally against Niklaus and that might be the possible outcome of this, but I will not let you exploit her feelings like that." Malina replied coolly and her voice slowly rose as she spoke.

"After all Rebekah has done you expect us to care about her feelings?" Bonnie asked indignantly as she glared at Malina and then turned her eyes to the frozen doppelgänger.

"No." Malina answered with a pointed glare and stepped around Elena to exit the cave. "Which is exactly my point. The spell will wear off as soon as I am a mile away. If you would please excuse me."

"I'll give you a lift." Caroline told the witch with a small voice as Malina passed her on the way out, but she barely seemed to hear the blonde's words.

"Caroline!" Bonnie exclaimed incredulously as the vampire was about to follow Malina and blonde curls flew through the air as Caroline turned to look at her friends.

"It's just a ride, Bonnie." the baby vampire sighed and momentarily turned her eyes to Alaric, who didn't seem bothered by Caroline's offer to help Malina.

"So you're choosing _her_ over us?!" the Bennett witch asked with an annoyed look on her face.

"No. I'm choosing to do the right thing instead of being an insensitive jerk." Caroline said decisively and then flashed away before anyone could argue further.

It only took Caroline a few seconds to find Malina, who was walking through the woods in the wrong direction. The witch jumped a little when the vampire suddenly stood in front of her, but a small smile quickly found its way to Malina's lips.

"You're going the wrong way, you know." Caroline told her teasingly, but Malina was too tired to find it funny.

"Oh." was all the witch said, but she didn't move.

"Come with me. I'll drive you." Caroline continued and made a small gesture with her head in the right direction.

"Caroline, I'm fine. I can find my own way."

"I can see that." the blonde retorted with a sly smile that Malina couldn't help but return.

"I don't want you to fight with your friends because of me." Malina said with a pointed look, half-heartedly trying to refuse Caroline's offer to help.

"They understand. Or they will. Even Elena. Besides, you're my friend too." Caroline chirped and started walking in the direction of her car as Malina moved to follow her.

"I'm your friend?" Malina asked with a surprised voice, not sure how she would define her relationship with Caroline. The blonde made a sudden stop and turned to look at Malina with an uncertain look in her eyes.

"I mean, kind of. If you want to. Or is it too soon? Or too weird? I know we're not exactly on the same side and my friends are kind of trying to kill your friend. I guess that does make things a bit awkward. Should we not be friends? Because I totally understand if you don't want to be and-" Caroline rambled on with incredible speed and didn't stop until Malina grabbed her hands.

"I would love to be your friend, Caroline." she said with an amused and reassuring smile.

"Great! Then you won't mind me doing this." Caroline replied with a wide smile and grabbed hold of Malina.

Malina stumbled forward when she suddenly stood on solid ground once more and placed a hand against Caroline's car for support. Running at vampire speed when you weren't prepared – or a vampire – was far from a pleasant experience and it took Malina several seconds to regain her breath.

"Sorry." Caroline sang with an apologetic look in her eyes and made a funny grimace when Malina had trouble breathing evenly. "I just thought that this would be faster. And I kind of figured you wouldn't agree to do it."

"You're right." Malina breathed out and finally rose to her full height to fill her lungs completely with air. After another exhale her lungs didn't seem so empty anymore and she sent Caroline a tight smile.

Caroline watched the witch for a moment longer before she walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. The engine was already on when Malina followed her inside and soon they were out of the woods, and on their way to the Boarding House.

"You know I actually kind of hate you for telling that story." Caroline told the witch after a minute of silence and Malina's eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"My story? And here I thought we were friends." Malina replied in a teasing tone, understanding that Caroline wasn't being literal.

"Well, I don't really hate you. Or maybe just a little." Caroline teased back but there was a serious tone in her voice and a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Why?" Malina asked with a small frown, mimicking Caroline's seriousness.

"You just reminded me that things aren't black and white. It's hard to believe that Klaus was human once. And that he was actually capable of love." Caroline spoke slowly and it seemed as if it was hard for her to get the words out.

"He still is. Capable of love, I mean. And that means that he's capable of being saved." Malina told the blonde solemnly and a silence spread between them as Caroline stared ahead of her with a speculative look in her eyes.

"One more thing, and I totally understand if you don't wanna talk about it, but I was just sort of wondering… did you conceive Astrid willingly?" Caroline asked hesitantly and sent Malina an unsure glance before turning her eyes to the road once more.

"I suppose you're asking if Jason ever forced himself on me?" Malina questioned softly and then continued when Caroline gave a small nod. "No. I did my marital duty and consummated our union. As I said, Jason was good to me in the start, so yes I willingly slept with him. And continued to do so during the beginning of my pregnancy as well."

"And what then?" Caroline inquired with an almost shaking voice and Malina watched her worriedly as she replied.

"After Astrid's birth he never wanted to touch me in such a way again. And I admit that the feeling was mutual. Jason was a violent man, but he was never a rapist. He wasn't a bad person per se. But like many others he was afraid of what he couldn't control and didn't understand. Magic frightened him most of all."

"Oh. Okay, that's good." Caroline spoke with a teary voice and jumped the slightest when Malina placed a hand on her arm.

"Caroline, is everything okay?" Malina asked concernedly and watched with a frown as the needle on the speedometer slowly climbed higher.

"Sure, why wouldn't it? I don't know why I act like this. Maybe I'm just being neurotic as usual." Caroline laughed with a trembling voice and shook her head at her own foolishness.

"I am sure that you are not being neurotic, but you are however driving much faster than what is allowed on this road. Not all of us are fast healers, Caroline." Malina told her with a stern voice and the blonde seemed to return to reality when she saw the needle hit 75 mph.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. I didn't notice and I should have. My mother is the sheriff for heaven's sake! I'm really sorry, Malina!" Caroline said with a panicked voice as she immediately took her foot of the speeder and relaxed her body into the seat. A single tear rolled down the blonde's cheek, but she defiantly wiped it away.

"Something is wrong, Caroline. Will you please tell me? I want to help you if I can." Malina told the crying girl as they parked at the Boarding House, having reached it much faster than expected.

Caroline watched her for a long moment, half expecting Malina to leave the car, and exhaled deeply when she didn't.

"I can't believe I'm telling you this." Caroline breathed and it almost seemed as if she was talking to herself.

"You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable." Malina assured her and sent a sincere smile.

"I've actually never talked about it. Not really. My mother doesn't know. How would I ever tell her something like that? And we usually just pretend it never happened. I guess it's easier that way. But they forget that I remember. I remember every moment of it and I feel so… so angry. And helpless. I _hate_ feeling helpless." Caroline told the witch with a shaking voice, speaking through her teeth to keep her voice down.

"Someone hurt you. Badly." Malina stated with an underlining fury in her voice that surprised Caroline.

"It's like I can't escape it. It keeps forcing its way back to my mind. One moment I'm with Tyler and the next moment he's there, pushing me back and telling me not to scream. I guess I've learned to build a wall around it. But every time I see him it's like one of the bricks comes loose." Caroline continued as she blankly stared out through the front window.

"You see him often?" Malina asked disbelievingly and a shocked expression was on her face. She knew how it felt to see your abuser everywhere you went, always afraid that he might hurt you again.

"I can't really escape him now that Saint Elena has cast her graze on him." Caroline said bitterly and then laughed humourlessly at her own words. Calling her best friend names in front of Klaus' friend wasn't how she had intended to end her day.

"Did Stefan hurt you?" Malina all but growled and Caroline's eyes widened in distress.

"No! No, no, no. Stefan would never do something like that. I know it doesn't seem like it after what he did to you, but I promise that he would never actually do anything like it." Caroline hurriedly informed her and Malina relaxed only for a moment until she realised who the perpetrator really was.

"I am going to kill him." the witch stated calmly and turned her eyes to a frowning Caroline.

"Stefan?"

"Damon."

"Oh."

"How can your friends not see that this is wrong? Is Elena so blind to let someone who hurt you run around as if nothing happened? Please tell me he apologized. That he has shown remorse, because I know that he's capable of that." Malina asked with a sudden intensity that made Caroline shrink into her seat.

"Damon isn't very good at apologies." Caroline replied dryly and Malina felt her rage grow. They sat in silence for a full minute until Caroline spoke again. "You should probably go talk to Rebekah."

"Yes. Will you be okay?" Malina said and then looked at Caroline worriedly.

"Maybe, someday." Caroline answered with a small smile and Malina sighed in response, suddenly feeling nervous about her conversation with Rebekah. "I'll be out here if you need me."

"I will be fine, Caroline. Go home and get some sleep." Malina tried to reassure her, but Caroline seemed determined to stay so the witch exited the car without further arguing.

"Rebekah?" the witch called out hesitantly as she entered the seemingly empty boarding house.

Malina had no idea where Damon had taken Stefan on their prison break, but she hoped that it was far from here. She didn't need an audience for this.

"In here." Rebekah responded in a dull voice and Malina her voice into the living room, where the Original was pouring herself a drink. "I didn't see you at school today."

"That is because I was not there." Malina said solemnly as she moved to stand in front of the blonde, unable to keep her hands still.

"And where, pray tell, have you been?" Rebekah asked with a small tilt of her head as she inspected the witch, who seemed uncharacteristically nervous.

"I visited Mr. Saltzman apartment." Malina replied with feigned casualty and found a chair across from Rebekah to sit on.

"I must say that you could have done worse." Rebekah said with a smirk on her lips and it took Malina a long moment to realise what the blonde meant.

"That was not what I meant, Rebekah. Bonnie and Caroline were there too." Malina explained with a small sigh and a scowl set on the Original's face.

"Giving up on Nik already? I admit that I am a bit surprised. I liked this new and tougher Malina." Rebekah retorted with mirth in her eyes as she leaned forward in her seat, making the witch roll her eyes.

"Enough, Rebekah." Malina snapped at the girl, who flinched slightly, and then took another deep breath. "Actually, we spent the day in quite the same way."

"And how is that?" Rebekah inquired with a raised brow as she eyed the witch with irritation.

"Telling our life story."

"You told it to them?" Rebekah exclaimed disbelievingly and then let out a small laugh. "So Elena has been pestering me all day for nothing?"

"Well, as I heard it she did help you choose a dress for the school dance." Malina said with a pointed glare but Rebekah just smiled back at her.

"So how did they take it?" Rebekah asked with feigned interest and took a sip of her alcohol.

"Well, I think." Malina answered with small shrug and then looked the floor as she knew what she had to do now. "But there is more to the story than you know, Rebekah."

"What do you mean?" Rebekah questioned with new found curiosity and Malina held a long pause before continuing.

"They showed me the cave. And there were all the carvings that Elena probably told you about. But there was one that they couldn't decipher. I could, however. Bekah, what Niklaus had told you about your mother's death is not true." Malina told in a soft but insistent voice.

"What are you on about? Mikael killed mother. Why would Nik lie about that?" Rebekah replied with a raised voice and Malina noticed her pitch getting higher.

"Because he wanted to hide who really killed Esther." Malina said slowly as she stood up and Rebekah soon followed.

It took the Original a moment to realise what Malina was saying, but tears immediately rimmed Rebekah's dark lashes as she understood. Malina steadily held Rebekah's gaze until the blonde began shaking her head violently.

"They are lying to you." Rebekah told the witch in a whisper and then snapped her gaze back to Malina before she screamed. "Don't you see?! They made whatever carving you saw! Nik would never… He couldn't!"

"Rebekah, I know this is not easy to believe and I know you do not want to. But the carving was real. Yesterday, when I saw my mother she told me about Esther's death. Niklaus lost control. I am sure he did not mean to do it." Malina tried to explain with a calm voice and held up her hands towards the advancing vampire.

"You're lying." Rebekah growled at her and Malina ducked when the liquor-filled glass suddenly came flying past her head. "And so is your mother."

A familiar fear settled in Malina's stomach as she met Rebekah's angry gaze and she unwillingly looked to the ground in submission.

"What would I get from lying, Rebekah? I wish with all of my soul that Niklaus didn't do this, but the past cannot be changed. I am truly sorry." Malina yelled back and she slowly felt her courage return.

"Shut up!" Rebekah screamed back and Malina took a step forward in defiance.

"No. We need to talk about this, Rebekah. You need to understand-" Malina said in a strong voice, but was interrupted when she was suddenly pushed against a wall with Rebekah's hand around her neck.

"Stop talking!" the vampire screamed into her face but all Malina could do was make a choking sound. "You know nothing about my family. You are nothing!"

Rebekah's angry shouting was soon replaced by agonizing screams as the Original fell to her knees, clutching her head in pain. The room then became quiet for a couple of seconds, before the silence was broken by Rebekah's sobs.

Malina looked down at the blonde for a long moment and then slowly took a step closer. The witch then squatted in front of Rebekah and gently placed a hand on the crying girl's shoulder.

"Go away." Rebekah mumbled with a teary voice and the sound almost got stuck in her throat.

"Rebekah-" Malina started, but quickly stood back up when the Original flashed her fangs at her.

"Go away!" Rebekah repeated with a scream and tears filled Malina's eyes as she ran out of the house.

* * *

**This was a little shorter than usual, but the next one is going to be long!**

**And yes, I adressed the elephant in the room. The whole Caroline/Damon situation that the writers seem eager to ignore. Which is _not okay. _This is a show for teenage girls for heaven's sake! You can't show them abuse like that, never talk about it again and then make the abuser the "good guy". That is a horrible message to send to teenage girls. I know a vampire show requires some abuse of humans and I'm cool with it, but you can't make a character, who is supposed to be strong and independent, walk around as if her best friend's boyfriend never assaulted her. And making her call him Satan once or twice doesn't make up for the apology or trauma that we should have seen four seasons ago! How freaking hard can it be to write in a two minute scene where Damon actually apologizes?!  
*****deep breath*  
****Well, things are gonna change around here. Malina will see to that;) **

**Besides that I changed the scene where Elena tells Rebekah about Esther's death, because I hated how she did it on the show.  
Tell me what you think of the chapter:D And sorry about the ranting. **


	11. Chapter 9 - Part one

**_Malina's P.O.V._**

"Locus taceo." I murmured the silencing spell a few times as the door to my room slammed shut behind me.

A relieved sigh escaped me as I glided down the door and hit the floor with a silent thud. My hands were shaking and my vision blurry because of unshed tears.

I should be happy. Mikael was dead. Rebekah had called me while I was still at Caroline's house and I had rushed back to the Boarding House. And there his body lay on the floor in the living room and I watched both Stefan and Rebekah confirm his death until it was my turn to speak to my friend.

_"__Is it true?" Niklaus asked in a voice that was both angry and hopeful. I nodded at first as I didn't think I was able to get a word out, but then remembered he couldn't see me._

_"__Yes. There is a dagger in his heart." I confirmed in a low voice, unable to take my eyes off the corpse on the floor. _

_"__Did you see it happen?" Niklaus continued and I noticed the suspicious tone his voice held. _

_"__No. I was at a… friend's house." I told him hesitantly and I frowned at the humourless chuckle that came from his end. "What?"_

_"__You have made friends." Niklaus responded with a surprised voice but there was an underlining annoyance behind his words as well._

_"__Well, I thought it was time to swap out the old ones." I teased in a casual tone and I could the others stare at me in wonder. I suppose not everyone would get away with talking to the Original Hybrid like that._

_"__Malina." Niklaus then said with a serious voice and the small smile on my lips immediately fell. "Has something else happened that I should know about?"_

_Yes. A lot had happened. But I couldn't tell him that. Not here. _

_"__No. This town is quite boring actually." I replied with a shrug that he couldn't see as I held Rebekah's gaze for a long moment. _

_An uncertain look was in the Original's eyes and she quickly looked to the floor, making me frown at her skittish behaviour. My eyes then turned to Mikael's still body and the unsettling feeling in my gut that I had come to know well began to appear. Not only was my head, but also my powers telling me that something was wrong. _

_"__Maybe you should just stay where you are. I am sure what you are doing is far more important than seeing Mikael's body. He is just… laying there." I tried convincing him with a small laugh and pretended not to see how everyone in the room tensed at my suggestion. _

_"__Still angry with me, are we?" Niklaus chuckled darkly and felt myself frown at his words, not knowing what he meant. "To think that you don't even wish to spend time with your best friend after so long. That doesn't sound like you, Mal."_

_"__That is not it, Nik." I objected with a sigh as I understood what he thought I was telling him. I actually wanted to see Niklaus, because I missed the bastard, but I couldn't bring him in any danger. "I just think that he doesn't deserve your attention."_

_"__I see." Niklaus said in a speculative voice and for a moment I actually thought he was considering my words. "You might be right, but I have waited for this moment too long to not come see his rotten body with my own eyes. I will see you soon, sweetheart. Give Rebekah my love." _

_"__Sure. Bye." I called out in a small voice and the unsettling feeling in my stomach suddenly started to make me nauseous. _

_"__Niklaus will come here soon. Tomorrow, I expect." I told my audience in a steely voice as I tried to hide how affected I really was by the whole situation. I then turned to Elena, who glared back at me, and met her gaze forcefully. "He will want to thank you. And I will remind him what he owes you. If you want your freedom, you will take advantage of that."_

_Elena held my gaze for a long moment before she finally nodded and then looked at Damon for reassurance. The oldest Salvatore brother seemed to be watching me intently as if he knew something was wrong and I felt a sudden surge of anger as I realised something _was_. _

_"__One last thing before I retreat to my room." I said as I stared at Damon and everyone seemed to stop moving in anticipation. "Caroline told me what happened between you and her, Salvatore. Why you are still able to stroll around as you please astounds me. You deserve a lifetime of misery for what you did to that girl. Do it again and I will be the one to grant it to you."_

_"__What do you care about Caroline? She's just some puzzle piece for you to move around." Damon sneered back at me as he took a step forward and I watched how Elena grabbed his arm with a horrified look in her eyes. _

_"__The question is not whether I care, Damon. It is if you plan to apologize to her or not. Because she deserves it. Give her that apology – and I mean a good one – and I will try not to make your life miserable every time that I see you." I threatened with a small smile on my lips and took a step forward as well. _

_I could feel Rebekah follow behind me, while Stefan didn't really seem to care about what was going on. Elena, on the other hand, looked pleasingly guilty._

_"__You know, you use a lot of big words for such a harmless witch. Didn't you promise Bonnie not to hurt her friends? Just because you're friends with the "Big Bad" doesn't make you one." Damon retorted mockingly and ripped his arm from Elena's grip. _

_"__But you are missing a vital point, Salvatore. You are not Bonnie's friend." I told him calmly and there was a moment of complete silence before the sound of Damon's agony filled the room. _

_"__No! Stop it!" Elena screamed at me as she fell to her knees beside the now bleeding vampire and I eyed her momentarily before shifting my gaze to Stefan. He almost looked amused. _

_A few seconds more went by before I dropped my hand and the painful cries ended._

_"__Okay." I agreed and then flicked my wrist. A surprised yelp left the doppelgänger as her surrogate boyfriend fell lifeless to the floor with a broken neck. "Goodnight."_

_"__Goodnight." Stefan responded with a small laugh, but I didn't acknowledge him as I passed by and exited the living room._

My head fell back to lean against the door as I pulled my knees towards me and hugged them to my chest. My body felt overspent and my insides were churning with worry. I suddenly found myself wishing me back to Caroline's house where I had spent the night on her sofa.

The blonde had ordered pizza and found some ice cream in her freezer. Apparently, that was the best cure for a broken heart. Or just when you were sad in general.

But I didn't really need Caroline at the moment. I needed someone who wasn't there and I had become more and more uncertain if I was ever going to see him again. So instead I found my phone in the pocket of my jeans and called his brother.

"_Miss me already?_" Niklaus mused on the other end as I finally got through. I didn't have the strength to roll my eyes so I just huffed indignantly. I could the sound of an engine in the background, which meant that he was already on his way.

"Nik, this doesn't feel right." I told him in a low voice, which was actually unnecessary in the spelled room. But I literally lived in a house full of people who wanted to kill Niklaus and therefore me as well. They just didn't know it.

"_If you are calling to give me some moral lecture about my father's death, then save it. I am in no mood for it._" Niklaus growled at me and I had a feeling that he was going to hang up, which made my exclamation a little too loud.

"No!" I almost shouted into the phone and clasped a hand over my mouth in surprise. "I am happy that he is dead, Nik. But I have this feeling in my gut that tells me it is not over."

"_Are you telling me that Mikael isn't dead?_" Niklaus asked warily and a long pause stretched between us as I thought my answer through.

"He was daggered, not staked. All someone has to do to bring him back is to remove that dagger. Like Elena." I explained slowly as I tried to express my concerns and I could feel Nik hesitate in the other end.

"_Mikael went after Elena. The Salvatores wouldn't risk the life of their precious doppelgänger just to kill me._" Niklaus argued but I could the thoughtful tone of his voice, which meant he was thinking about my words.

"But why would he do that? If he wanted to stop you from making hybrids wouldn't he just… kill you?" I asked hesitantly as I had trouble getting the words out and I heard Niklaus grind his teeth in response.

"_Stefan found a loop hole in the compulsion._" Niklaus stated angrily as he began to understand what I was saying. "_How did they get Rebekah to lie? Did they torture her?_"

"No, I think… I think she agreed to do it." I told him after taking a deep breath. There had been something regretful in the looks she gave me, but I had thought that was because of last night. I wasn't so sure anymore.

"_I advise you to be very certain of this, Malina. This is my little sister that we are talking about._" Niklaus warned me with a small growl and I took a deep breath before answering.

"I am aware, Niklaus. And I wish with all of my heart that I was wrong. But something happened yesterday. And she did not take it well." I informed with a heavy voice and unconsciously rubbed my neck, where small bruises from Rebekah's fingers had appeared.

"_You told me-_" Niklaus started in an angry voice but I quickly cut him off.

"I couldn't tell you while everyone was listening!" I exclaimed defensively and the line went quiet as Nik tried to get his anger under control.

"_What happened?_"

"They found the cave. So I had to tell them our story. But when they showed me the carvings, I realized that there was a part of the story that Rebekah didn't know. Elena would have told her if I hadn't. She knows about Esther, Nik. She knows that Mikael didn't kill your mother."

"_So now she wants me dead._" Niklaus stated in a cold voice and I took another rattling breath.

"She is hurt, Niklaus. You lied to her for a thousand years. You killed her mother!" I tried to reason with him, but I knew it wasn't working.

"_She was my mother too! She abandoned me because Mikael told her to! I was her son but she couldn't even stand to look at me!_" Niklaus screamed through the phone and I could imagine the tears that streamed down his face.

"I know!" I yelled back at him and I felt my own eyes water once more. "Now stop screaming at me!"

"_Are you certain about Rebekah's betrayal?_" Niklaus then asked after almost half a minute of silence.

"No."

"_But your powers?_" he questioned and my hand went to my abdomen where a knot seemed to have formed inside of me. Niklaus knew about my sense of premonition and even though he didn't seem to have listened to it in the past, he did now.

"I feel so nauseous, Nik. I don't know what is going to happen, but this is definitely not over." I told him calmly even though it felt as if a storm was raging inside of me.

Slowly, I let my hand travel towards my neck and I felt a moment of relaxation as my fingers connected with blood-red pendant. It wasn't until I felt the magic spread through my veins that I realized how lonely I was.

A knock on the door made me jump to my feet and my heart started racing in my chest as I wondered if somebody had overheard the phone call despite my spell.

"Malina? It's me, Rebekah. Can I come in?" a timid voice called from the other side of the door and I stared at it for a long moment before answering her request.

"Just a moment!" I called back and quickly moved away from the door as I held the phone to my ear.

"_I wonder what my sister wants._" Niklaus mused but there was a dangerous tone underneath his words.

"What do I say?" I asked with a slightly panicked voice as I fixed my eyes on the door. For a safety measure I intensified the silencing spell and then returned my attention to Nik's voice.

"_Don't tell her anything. And then get as far away from Mikael as possible._" Niklaus told me hurriedly and I started to nod before once again remembering that he couldn't see me.

"I will." I quickly agreed and was about to hang up when Nik's voice stopped me.

"_Be safe, love._"

"You too." I sighed and then the line went dead. I quickly stuffed my phone back into my pocket before opening the door for Rebekah.

"What took you so long?" Rebekah asked with a raised brow as she stepped into my room. Her snootiness was back, but there was still that uncertain look in her eyes that stopped me from snapping at her.

"I was finishing a call." I told her truthfully and closed the door behind her, reactivating the silencing spell.

I knew Rebekah could tell if you lied to her directly. It was like my sense of premonition, she had told me. She had been good at reading people as a human and that had intensified as a vampire.

"Let me guess, you were talking to Barbie?" Rebekah said with a small tilt of her head and I sighed exasperatedly.

"I don't see how that is any of your concern." I replied with a pointed look and went to my desk where I pretended to organize some of my school papers. There weren't many so I suddenly felt myself with nothing to do with my hands once more.

"You are still angry with me." Rebekah stated and there was a noticeable vulnerability behind her annoyance.

"You put your hands around my neck and called me a liar, Rebekah. So yes, I am still angry." I sneered at her and an uncharacteristically apologetic look appeared in her eyes.

"I am sorry." Rebekah told me with closed eyes and I couldn't help but sent her a small smile as she looked at me hopefully. "It was all Nik's fault, not yours."

"Yes. But now that Mikael is dead and Niklaus is coming back, you can talk about it. He must have an explanation for what he did." I tried carefully and sent her a wary look.

"We'll see. Nik has never been very good at talking about his feelings." Rebekah said mockingly and some her old vigour seemed to reappear.

"No, but at least you can both be happy about Mikael's death together." I pointed out with a smile as I watched her intently to see her reaction.

"Yes. I can't believe that Mikael is finally dead. We are finally done running from him." Rebekah replied with a wavering voice and I could see her eyes become vacant as she seemed to disappear into some distant memory.

"That must be a relief. _I_ feel relieved. I get to live another day." I laughed in an attempt to sound happy about the whole situation and I noticed the confused look that appeared in Rebekah's eyes.

"What do you mean? I know Mikael wanted to kill Nik, but I think he would have let you be." Rebekah told me with a frown and there was a small glim of concern in her eyes.

"Have Niklaus not told you? If he dies, then so do I. The link between us was made with blood and it was strong. I would only wake from my sleep when Niklaus' broke his curse, but if that never happen because of his death then I would have been asleep forever." I explained to her slowly, hoping that I had found a way to stop Rebekah from her vendetta.

"Why haven't anyone told me about that?!" Rebekah exclaimed loudly and I prayed that the silencing spell was strong enough to silence her outburst.

"Does it matter now?" I asked with a small frown and tried to catch Rebekah's eyes that seemed glued to the floor.

"Can't you break that link somehow?" the blonde asked desperately and the uneasy feeling in my stomach settled deeper inside of me.

"Perhaps, but I don't want to. Niklaus has done a lot of horrible things and I may hate him for that, but he is my friend. He is family, Rebekah, and so are you. And I do not abandon family. Because then, where would I be?" I said quietly and I watched the mix of emotions that crossed her face.

"I am so sorry, Malina." Rebekah suddenly sobbed as she ran towards me and enveloped me in a tight hug. It took me a moment to start breathing again, but then I slowly wrapped my arms around her back and returned the hug.

"For what?" I asked uncertainly and calmed a hand over the blonde's hair soothingly. There was a long pause as I waited for Rebekah's answer, hoping that she would tell me truth about Mikael, but that hope disappeared as soon as she spoke.

"For what I did to you yesterday. I was so upset and I took it out on you. You didn't deserve that." Rebekah told as she stepped away from me and tried to get her emotions under control with a deep breath.

"It's okay." I assured her with a small smile, but I couldn't keep the sadness out of my voice as I realized Rebekah was willing to sacrifice me to get to her brother.

"So… are you ready for homecoming tomorrow?" the vampire suddenly asked with an almost excited voice and I had to pause my thoughts to keep up with her change of topic.

"I suppose. I am not sure how those things work, though." I told her uncertainly and a small smile spread on Rebekah's lips.

"Me neither, but we will get through it. So who is taking you?" the blonde continued and it took me a second to understand what she meant.

"No one, I think. Maybe I will be able to convince Nik." I said with a laugh and that regretful look returned immediately to Rebekah's eyes.

"Maybe. But I don't think that really is Nik's scene." Rebekah told me in a brushing off manner and I swallowed a sad sigh. "What about your dress?"

"Caroline is lending me one. I am looking forward to see yours despite the method of choosing." I poked at her and shot her a pointed look to which she just rolled her eyes. "Who are you going with?"

"Matt Donovan agreed to be my date. He is one of Tyler's friends." Rebekah informed me with a small blush on her cheeks that I would have teased her with in another situation.

"Matthew is nice. And quite handsome. He has very blue eyes." I told her with a forced smile and Rebekah's blush intensified. She had always been the girl who loved to easily, but now she was preparing to kill her own brother. And me.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" she then asked and I ignored the guilt I felt because of the plans I had made didn't involve her.

"I promised Caroline to help prepare the decorations for the dance. You can help if you like?" I suggested, but I already knew what her answer would be.

"No, thank you. I don't do handy-work. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow night then." Rebekah said as she moved to leave my room and I gave her small nod as I suddenly lost the ability to speak.

"By the way, it was quite an impressive show you performed earlier with Damon." she complimented with a smirk on her lips as she stood in the doorway.

"He hurt someone I care about. I would do the same for you." I replied with a gentle voice, using my last chance to get through to her, but the Original wouldn't even look at me.

"I know." Rebekah murmured with an almost teary voice as she looked at the floor. "Goodnight, Malina."

"Goodnight."

* * *

**_Rebekah's P.O.V._**

_I should be wearing black_, I thought to myself as I admired my red dress in the long mirror. _That would be more fitting for a funeral._

I immediately shook the thought out of my head and gently calmed my fingers through my blonde curls. My hair sat perfectly and my make-up as well. It had taken me more than hour to fix both, but I couldn't leave anything to chance. I was a thousand years old and I was going to my first high school dance.

_Pathetic._

I shivered as Nik's voice sounded in my head. Soon that voice would be gone. Forever. I took a deep breath to stop the tears that threatened to spill and replayed every memory in my head where Nik had hurt me. There were so many that I could even decide which was worse. I had lost centuries in a box just because of him, but never again.

I tried my best not to think of Malina, but a picture of the smiling witch kept sneaking back into my mind. She didn't deserve this. Her short life had been filled with so much sadness already and now she would never have the chance to find happiness again.

_But it has to be done_, I chastised myself. Maybe it was even for the best that Malina found peace with my brother. I didn't know the true extend of her powers, but I feared what she could do if she got really angry. The chances were that I would find myself running again. Alone.

"Getting a head start, huh?" the doppelgänger's voice sounded behind me and I looked through the mirror to see her standing in the doorway.

"Embarrassing truth," I said with a small laugh and turned around to look at her directly. "This is my first high school dance."

"Ever?" Elena asked disbelievingly and stepped further into the room.

"I never really had time for high school before." I told her as I stared at myself in the mirror. A pang of guilt hit me in the chest as I thought about Niklaus again. "Nik and I were always moving around. Running."

"Anyway," I continued with a small shake of my head as I tried to get the picture of my dying brother out of my head. "I didn't want to leave anything to chance."

There was a long pause of silence as I studied myself intently and tried my best not to make eye contact with myself. How pathetic. It had been nearly impossible to look Malina in the eyes and I couldn't do it with myself either. How was I supposed to convince Nik that everything was fine?

"Have you heard any more from him?" I then asked quickly and small part of me suddenly hoped that he wouldn't come at all. What was I doing?

"No." Elena responded just as quickly and I couldn't help but notice that she seemed nervous. "But I'm sure that when he does return, he'll do it with flair."

I was supposed to find that funny, maybe laugh at the truth behind her words, but I couldn't.

"And Damon and my father are all set with their plan?" I asked through my teeth and I finally willed myself to meet my own gaze. It only made me feel worse.

"Yes."

"Don't tell me." I said as I stepped away from the mirror and walked over to the table where I had put my bracelet. "I don't want to know, I just… I want to go to the dance and leave the rest to Mikael."

In truth, I wanted Mikael nowhere near Niklaus. My brother deserved to die, but not by the hand who had caused him so much pain through the last millennium. If Mikael had just loved Niklaus as he should, then maybe we would never have ended here.

"I know it's really hard." Elena told me with that annoyingly sympathetic voice of hers as she stepped closer to me. "So thank you for helping us get Klaus back into town."

"Just be careful." I warned her in a teary voice. "I've been running for a thousand years for a reason. Mikael is not a good person and he definitely can't be trusted. No one in my family can. Except for Malina."

"But Malina isn't your family." Elena said and I could almost hear her distrust of the witch in the way she said her name.

"She is as much my sister as Nik is my brother." I told her with a sad smile and a worried expression crossed the doppelgänger's face. "But don't worry about her. I will take care of her."

"Are you sure?" Elena asked with an almost suspicious gaze and I quickly nodded. I wouldn't let Malina die alone or surrounded by people who didn't knew or loved her. I could feel tears threatening to spill in my eyes and I fought hard not to let them.

"Are you okay?" the doppelgänger inquired as she stepped closer with concern in her eyes.

"I've spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure." I told her in a shaky voice. I wasn't going to tell her what I felt most sad about at the moment was Malina's death. "I never thought I'd be the one to help drive the stake through his heart."

"No tears." I said with a small shake of my head and I closed my eyes for a short moment before I moved back to the mirror. "I don't want to ruin my make-up. How do I look?"

"You look amazing." Elena told me with a smile that I couldn't but return. I hoped Matt would think the same. "But you are missing one thing."

"My mother's necklace." I stated in a small voice as I saw the jewellery that hang from Elena's hand and I could feel the tears return.

"You should wear it tonight." Elena suggested with a small smile and I spun around to face the mirror once more. A week ago, I had searched for that necklace with my brother. Now I was going to wear it to his funeral.

"May I?" Elena asked gently and I quickly nodded, unable to get any words out.

The doppelgänger slowly stepped up behind me and I lifted my hair to give her better access to place it around my neck. I had to sniff to stop a sob from escaping me and I had feeling that I needed to reapply some of my make-up.

"Thank you." I told Elena with a teary smile and she gently placed her hand on my shoulder. A sharp pain shot through my lower back as a small grunt emitted from Elena and the feeling of death spread through my veins.

"I'm so sorry." Elena told me with apologetic eyes as I struggled to breathe and I met her gaze through the mirror as I doubled over. "But I can't leave anything to chance either."

I didn't feel my collision with the floor as darkness overwhelmed me.

* * *

**_Malina's P.O.V._**

"I'm here hanging streamers and have glitter all over my hands." I heard Tyler say as I came closer to the arguing couple. "If I'm sired to anyone, it's you."

"Or me." I called out as I came to stand beside Caroline and Tyler chuckled as he returned to decorating the big car.

"Not funny." Caroline deadpanned and I lifted my hands in surrender.

"Have any of you seen Rebekah anywhere?" I then asked and looked between the couple. Caroline looked annoyed by my question and Tyler smiled as if I had missed something funny.

"No, I haven't seen the blood slut today." Caroline said in a clipped voice and I rolled my eyes at her language. The truth was that it made me feel slightly better to hear Caroline call her that because of my own anger towards her, but it still sounded very offensive.

"Please don't call her that when I can hear it." I reprimanded the blonde vampire and she just gave me a small nod.

"Why are you looking for her?" Caroline then asked and I thought about how much I should tell her.

"She just seemed a little off yesterday because of Mikael, so I wanted to check if she was okay. Stefan told me that she wasn't in the Boarding House." I replied with a small shrug and I could see a mix of emotions appear on Caroline's face.

"You talked to Stefan?" she asked with raised eyebrows and I gave her a small nod. It had been my only option since I couldn't really go to the Boarding House because of Mikael and neither Damon nor Elena probably wanted to talk to me.

"He doesn't scare me." I said with a determined voice and Caroline surprised me with a proud smile.

"And what about Mikael? Is he really dead?" the blonde inquired more carefully and I sent a sideways glance to Tyler, who was listening as well.

"Yes. He is. But I still need both of you to be careful. Mikael and Niklaus have been at it for a thousand years, so I have feeling it won't end this easily." I warned them and held Tyler's gaze for a long moment. If anything were to happen between Mikael and Nik, then Tyler would probably been in the crossfire.

"They better not ruin my dance." Caroline murmured to herself and I watched Tyler roll his eyes amusedly.

"Have you heard from him?" I asked Tyler, but the hybrid just shook his head. "Call me when you do."

"Don't you think he'll contact you first?" Tyler asked as he clapped his hands in a failed attempt to get glitter off of them.

"You never know with Nik. He was unpredictable even as a human." I replied with a small shake of my head and then frowned when Caroline's eye grew wide with what looked like both fear and annoyance.

"Talking about me, are we?" an amused voice came from behind me and spun around to see Nik standing with a smirk on his lips and his hands behind his back.

"Nik!" I exclaimed happily, forgetting that I was supposed to be angry with him, and threw myself into his arms.

He caught me with a small laugh and lifted me from the ground for a few seconds. I could feel he expected me to let go as my feet touched to the ground once more, but tears had formed in my eyes and my arms wrapped around his neck tighter.

As the night before, I suddenly realised how lonely I had been. I had spent time with Caroline and Rebekah, but they didn't know me like Niklaus did. And I was afraid. My already drained energy was all but gone, but I hadn't been able to show that. Being diplomatic, strong and friendly had made me tired and the over-use of my powers hadn't helped.

"Malina?" Nik whispered into my ear and I tightened my grip for a couple of seconds before I let go of him and took a step back. I forced a smile to my lips as I tried to blink the tears away and I sighed heavily as Nik reached out and wiped away a tear from my cheek.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" he asked me gently and I quickly wiped away the last of my tears.

"Yes." I told him quietly and the smile on my lips became more sincere by the second. Maybe everything would be now. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I had to find my hybrid, who wasn't answering his phone." Nik told me and sent a small glare over my shoulder. I shut my eyes tiredly when Caroline huffed in annoyance and the Original hybrid's eyes immediately landed on the blonde.

"And your name is?" Niklaus asked my friend with equal annoyance and I looked up to see a calculating look in his eyes.

"None of your business." Caroline retorted with a small tilt of her head and crossed her arms in front of her. I moved to stand between the two, so I could keep an eye on their reactions. And manage to stop Niklaus if he found Caroline too big-mouthed.

There was a long moment of silence while Nik eyed Caroline curiously, but then an amused smirk spread on his lips and I sighed in relief.

"Care." Tyler warned quietly and sent his girlfriend a pointed look.

"Care?" Niklaus asked curiously and then looked at Caroline, whose irritation had switched to her boyfriend.

"Caroline." she said in a cold voice and the smile on Nik's lips widened. I couldn't decide if he suddenly remembered Caroline's earlier role in his sacrifice or if he just liked the name.

"Caroline." Niklaus repeated as he held the blonde's gaze and I noticed Caroline tense for a short moment, before she looked away in defiance. I understood her reaction, though. The way he said her name almost sound like a caress because of the rolling 'r'.

"Would you mind if I took your boyfriend away for a bit?" Nik asked in a surprisingly friendly voice but the look in his eyes told me that he was trying to be charming. Too bad for him that it didn't seem to work on Caroline.

"Why ask when you're going to do it anyway?" Caroline sassed back and I watched how Nik's smile fell at her reply. Luckily, so did Tyler, who quickly stepped over to his girlfriend.

"It's fine, Care. I'll see you tonight, okay?" he told his girlfriend, who was still glaring at Niklaus, and then kissed her cheek. After a long moment, Caroline finally nodded and Tyler walked over to Nik, who didn't remove his eyes from the blonde baby vampire.

My mother's words about Caroline ran through my head and I shook my head with a small smile on my lips. Maybe she had been right about her vision. Even though, it at the moment looked like Caroline wanted to tear off Nik's head. And vice versa.

"Nik?" I called out in an attempt to move his murderous glare from my friend and the hybrid slowly turned his head to look at me. "My dress is at Caroline's. But I can go pick it up and come with you now."

"You have fun with Caroline." Nik told me and his smile returned as his gaze swiftly moved to Caroline and back to me. "I'll send someone to pick you up for the dance."

I nodded with a slightly confused expression on my face and then looked at Caroline, who was having a silent conversation with her boyfriend.

"Be careful, Malina." Niklaus then warned me quietly and sent me an intense look before placing a quick kiss on my forehead. He then sent Tyler a meaningful look and walked away with nothing further to say, leaving Tyler to follow.

* * *

"I still think this is much too tight." I complained as Caroline zipped up the dress she was lending me.

It was a tight black dress with long sleeves and the hem stopped mid-thigh. It made me feel slightly constipated, but apparently beauty required suffering. Or so Caroline said.

"Quit complaining, you look amazing! Klaus won't be able to take his eyes off you." Caroline told me with a bright smile but I just frowned in return.

"And why would I want that?" I asked in confusion and a flustered expression appeared on Caroline's face.

"Oh, I just thought… Maybe you and Klaus. I mean, you seemed so happy to see him. Like really happy." Caroline rambled with downcast eyes as she suddenly was very busy with brushing my hair.

"Me and Nik? Are you mad?" I exclaimed with a laugh and Caroline looked offended for a moment before she smiled as well. "Yes, I was happy to see Niklaus, which I know you do not understand. But this has been a very long week, so it was nice to see a friendly face once more. If you could call him that."

"I'm a friendly face." Caroline responded in a soft voice, but I could see the hurt in her eyes.

"That you are. But you are also friends with Elena, which I don't blame you for. She just seems to have taken a strong… dislike to me. As much as I want her to trust me, I cannot trust her and that is exhausting. And then there is Bonnie and Mikael, and the issues just keep piling up." I told her with a tired sigh and the blonde nodded in understanding.

"I get it." Caroline told me with a smile and spun me around in chair I was sitting on so she could put mascara on my eyelashes. Emma had showed me how make-up worked, but I still hadn't fully figured out how to use it.

"I guess it was just the way he looked at you." she then trailed off and was suddenly very focused on applying make-up to my face.

"Looked at me?! Niklaus was staring at you the whole time!" I exclaimed with a laugh that became louder as a horrified expression appeared on Caroline's face.

"Because he wanted to rip my head off!" Caroline retorted loudly and stopped her styling to gesture with her hands wildly.

"Well, you didn't exactly make it easy for him." I stated her with my eyebrows raised at her and Caroline let out a small giggle, before putting on a serious mask.

"Can you blame me?" Caroline asked pointedly and then cracked a smile when I shook my head. "Great, then please don't let your best friend take off my head."

"I shall see what I can do." I told her solemnly and with feigned seriousness that made Caroline shove my shoulder playfully with a laugh. "But just to be clear, anything you saw between Niklaus and I was nothing more than sibling love. And that goes for both of us."

"If you say so." Caroline said with hands raised in surrender and shook my head at the attitude she was giving me.

"I do. Besides, I could never be with Niklaus. Not when I am-" I interrupted myself before I could finish the sentence as I suddenly realised what I was going to say. There was a confused look in Caroline's eyes and I knew I wouldn't get out of this one.

"When you're what?" she asked curiously and I cursed inwardly as Caroline's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh my God! You're in love with someone else, aren't you?!"

"I don't know if I love him, but it does not matter. As things are now, I cannot be with him." I confessed with a small sigh and tried to send the blonde a smile that wasn't too sad.

"Wait, is it Alaric?!" Caroline said in a dramatic whisper and I rolled my eyes as yet another person thought that Alaric and I were any more than… friends? As much as I liked him; a relationship would never work between us. It was too weird and complicated.

"No! I do not understand where you get that idea from. Rebekah thought the same." I objected as I gestured my arms and a sour expression settled on Caroline's face at the mention of Rebekah. "The person I am talking about; you don't know him. I am not even sure if I do anymore. But I was in love with him once and I don't think I ever fell out of it."

"So someone I don't know, but you've had the time to fall in love with. Which means it must be someone who also lived a thousand years ago!" Caroline deduced with an exciting smile and I shook my head amusedly until her next guess came. "Elijah!"

"No. Can we please talk of something else before you make me completely depressed?" I pleaded with my hands folded in front of me and Caroline surrendered with slumped shoulders.

"But I love love!" she complained after a short moment and I shot her a pointed glare that made nod in understanding. Caroline then returned to her treatment of me and a comfortable silence spread between us as she finished up her work.

"Elena called me this morning." Caroline informed me in a low voice when she finished and she moved back to look at me expectantly. "She told me about Damon… and you."

"Oh." was all I could say, not sure what Caroline felt about my sudden willingness to cause others pain.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. It's not worth it to have a vengeful Damon come after you." Caroline told me with a small laugh but I could see in her eyes how much it really meant for her. Which made even sadder that she didn't think she was worth it.

"Trust me, Caroline, it was worth it." I assured her and grabbed her hands with mine, squeezing them gently. The smile on the blonde's lips went from apologetic to thankful and I couldn't but smile with her. "What did Elena have to say about it?"

"She was sorry for not realizing how much it still affected me. And, of course, she apologized for Damon." Caroline told me in a tight voice and I noticed a bitter gleam in her eyes.

"Don't worry. You will get an apology from Damon soon enough." I promised her and Caroline looked as if she was about to protest, when she suddenly changed her mind.

"Thank you."

Our small moment was broken when Caroline's phone suddenly rang and I turned to look at my reflection as Caroline answered it.

My black curls hang loosely over my shoulders and a light pink lip-gloss lit up against my bronze skin. As a child I had always wondered why my skin was lighter than my mother's but apparently it was because my father's father had been Caucasian.

"What?!" Caroline exclaimed loudly, startling me out of my thoughts and I looked at the blonde, who had an almost panicked expression in her eyes. "What the hell do you mean by that? The gym can't be flooded! There is a dance there tonight!"

"Moved?!" the blonde replied confusedly after the person on the other end had reacted to her outburst. "The Lockwood Mansion? I think I would know if the party had been moved to my _boyfriend's_ house."

"Ugh, fine. I'll see you there." Caroline told her friend and then hung up with an irritated huff. I leaned back in fear when a pair of angry blue eyes suddenly found mine and Caroline looked as if she was trying hard not to yell.

"My dance just got moved because _your_ friend flooded the gym. And don't you even play innocent because we both know it was him!" she said with a pointed finger and I sighed heavily as Niklaus' theatrics had gotten me in trouble once again.

"It does sound like him. But I knew nothing about it." I defended myself and Caroline seemed to believe me as she fell back on her bed.

"I hate Klaus." I heard her mumble to herself and I shook my head with a small smile on my lips. That seemed to be the general opinion on him.

The sound of my phone vibrating on the table had Caroline sit up again and I could feel her curious stare as I read the message I had received.

"_A car will pick you up in ten minutes. – Nik." _

"There's a car coming for us in ten minutes." I told Caroline who made another irritated huff before she jumped from her bed to finish her own make-up.

"Seriously?" she exclaimed loudly five minutes later and I looked at her in confusion. All she did was to hold up a finger and the next second someone rang the doorbell. "That was so not ten minutes."

"You can finish up while I open the door." I told her in an attempt to ease her annoyance and I quickly grabbed my clutch before running downstairs. I felt awkward in the heels Caroline had forced me into but I managed to make it to the door without falling.

The window in the door showed me a tall man with a very broad chest and I opened the door hesitantly in fear that he would for some reason attack me. Instead he wore a bright smile that lit up his clear blue eyes and I felt how a smile appeared on my lips as well.

The man in front of me was huge. But the kind look in his eyes and the tousled dark blonde hair sort of contradicted the feeling of danger that came from him.

"Hello, I'm Theodore Williams, your escort for the evening." he introduced himself in a strange accent that reminded me of Niklaus' but yet it sounded different. He reached out his hand in greeting and I noticed how it didn't pass the threshold to the house.

"Malina." I replied in a friendly voice and hesitantly took his hand. It always felt strange to touch a hybrid. Vampires were cold and dead-ish while a hybrid was warm… and dead-ish. "And you must be one of Niklaus' hybrids."

"I am." he told me with a small nod and was about to say more, when he was suddenly interrupted by Caroline.

"Holy shi-" the blonde's voice came from behind me and I turned around to see Caroline stare at Theodora with wide eyes. She then looked at me and mouthed her next words as if Theodore wouldn't understand them. "Who is that?"

"Caroline, this is Theodore. He is one Niklaus' hybrids and apparently my date for the evening." I told her with a pointed glare, hoping that she would keep her mouth shut.

"You don't look like a hybrid." Caroline said with an inspecting gaze as she slowly moved closer. "You look more like… some Norse God. I know! Thor, the God of thunder! That could totally be you."

Both Caroline and I jumped in surprised when Theodore let out a rumbling laugh and Caroline stared at me with withheld laughter.

"Did we just have an earthquake?" she asked amusedly and I shook my head at her joke.

"Let's go. I won't worry Niklaus with being late." I told Caroline as struggled with putting on her stilettoes, but the blonde just rolled her eyes at me.

"God forbid that the Almighty Hybrid would have to wait for a couple of minutes." she said mockingly as she squeezed past Theodore, who was still standing outside the house.

"She doesn't like Klaus very much?" Theodore questioned in his dark voice as we walked behind Caroline to the car Theodore had arrived in.

"No one here does. Except for me. Occasionally." I told him with a small shrug and he chuckled in amusement. There was something about his laugh that made me want to laugh with him, but instead I just smiled.

"Come on, Teddy! We can't let your new master wait!" Caroline called impatiently as she stood by the car. She was clearly more annoyed then I had thought with Niklaus' interfering with her dance and I reminded myself to keep her as far away from the Original hybrid as possible tonight.

"Teddy?" the hybrid asked me with a lifted brow and I could sense that he was becoming slightly annoyed with the even more irritated blonde. Those hybrid tempers wasn't something to take easily. But Caroline didn't seem to bother.

"Ignore her moodiness. It has been a long week here in Mystic Falls and Niklaus just decided to ruin the high school dance that she spent a lot of time on planning. Just please make sure that she does not come too close to Niklaus. And just stay out of danger in general." I said with an almost pleading look and I didn't realize I had used the sire bond until he nodded at me in understanding.

"Of course." he told me and knowing that he would do almost anything I asked him to, freaked me out.

Caroline glared at Theodore for a long moment as he opened the car door for her and I all but pushed her inside so we could move on. Theodore then closed the door behind us and got into the driver's seat. By the looks of it, it was an expensive car, but I knew too little about cars to name any brand.

"So, Teddy." Caroline said after a long moment of silence and I sent a warning glance that she just ignored. "Where did you get that accent from?"

"Australia." he answered in a casual voice and it seemed as if some of his annoyance had disappeared. It took me a moment to realize that it was probably my fault since I had told him to ignore her moodiness. God, I hated this.

"How did you end up here then?" Caroline asked and she suddenly sounded genuinely curious.

"My old pack was killed by a group of werewolf hunters so I left Australia and decided to start over here. I was living in the woods when Klaus found me. He asked me if I wanted to be a part of his pack and I accepted." Theodore told us and I could feel Caroline become completely still beside me.

"I'm sorry." she said sympathetically and smiled as Theodore nodded at her through the rear view mirror. The next moment we pulled up to large parking space that was already filled with cars and Caroline was out of the car before Theodore had even stopped it.

"Thanks for the ride, Teddy! I'll see you later, Malina. I have a boyfriend that I need to speak with." Caroline called out and then turned around to wave at me. Another laugh rumbled from Theodore's chest and I looked at him questioningly as he helped me exit the car.

"She's something." he continued laughing and shot a look after her bouncing figure that was soon lost amongst the crowd.

"That she is." I agreed with a small smile and then took the arm he offered me with a sigh. "Here we go."

* * *

**Homecoming is coming! (so bad it's not even a pun)  
And I got to introduce Teddy. Yes, I called him Theodore just so he could be called Teddy. And he shouldn't be too hard to place a face on since I've given some pretty strong hints about who he might look like. Australian, blonde, big and looks like Thor. *wink wink***

**Tell me what you think:) I will try to post the next chapter soon! **


	12. Chapter 9 - Part two

The moment the loud music and sound of screaming teenagers hit my ears, I could feel a headache coming on. Whatever the hell Niklaus was doing, it had better be worth it. I stumbled slightly as some drunken guy walked into me and I could feel a wet sticky substance run down my thigh.

Theodore quickly caught me before I fell on my butt completely and I sent him a tight a smile in thank you. The hybrid by my side seemed to hold onto me tighter as we moved through the crowd and found a spot where I was able to breathe again.

"_Valeo_." I muttered as I held my hand over the stain on Caroline's dress and after a couple more repeats, it disappeared entirely. I looked up to see Theodore stare at me with wonder and I held back a laugh. "Never seen magic before?"

"No, there aren't many witches where I come from." he admitted with his eyes now glued to the place where the stain had been. "You're remarkable."

"Thank you for remarking that." I told him with a happy smile and a deep chuckle came from him in return.

"Good evening, everybody!" a familiar voice suddenly rang over the crowd in front of the stage. I hadn't noticed that the music had stopped and people now were cheering for a different reason.

"You must be kidding me." I groaned as I turned around to see Niklaus up on the stage. He was dressed in a suit and a smirk was on his face as he addressed the teenagers below him. Theodore let out another laugh.

"I wanna thank you all for being here with me to celebrate." Niklaus continued and somehow he managed to lock his eyes on me. I rolled my eyes as he winked at me and then followed his gaze to Stefan, who stood a few meters in front of me.

"It's been a long time coming." he finished with a triumphant grin and everyone seemed to agree. I wasn't sure where all these people had come from, but I had a feeling that not everyone was human.

I stayed in my spot as I watched Niklaus make his way down from the scene and he looked at me for a moment before he walked over to speak with Stefan. Theodore was staring at Niklaus as well and I could see him listen in on the conversation he was having with the Salvatore brother.

"What are they saying?" I asked him quietly, but his eyes stayed glued to his sire.

"Klaus is asking about his sister, but the vampire doesn't know where she is." Theodore finally answered in an equally low voice and I frowned in concern. I had expected Rebekah to be here somewhere, but if Niklaus hadn't seen her yet then it seemed she was missing for good. What had they done to her?

"Stefan Salvatore is going to bring Mikael's body here." Theodore then informed me and suddenly stood up straighter as Nik made his way over to us.

"Theodore, good to see that you found Malina. Be sure to stay with her for the rest of the night." Nik told his hybrid in an ordering tone and Theodore quickly nodded before he took a couple of steps away to give us privacy.

"Don't you look lovely, sweetheart." Niklaus then told me as he sent me an appreciative glance that only made me roll my eyes.

"Why are you doing this? Throwing this party with all these people who can get hurt?" I asked him heatedly, but the smile didn't leave his face.

"Because the Salvatores wouldn't dare make a move against me in public. They're too fond of this town to reveal their secret." Niklaus explained as he took my arm and slowly moved me through the crowd. "Have you by any chance seen Bekah somewhere?"

"No. I haven't seen her since yesterday." I told him worriedly and cast a glance at my surroundings to look for listeners.

"I suppose my sister changed her mind and ran. That would be the wisest thing to do." Niklaus mused as he smiled at some girls passing by, but I could hear the underlying anger.

"Aren't you worried at all?" I hissed at him and a surprised gasp escaped me when Nik suddenly spun me around to face him.

"Right now I am more worried about my Mikael's untimely return from the dead. You should be too. We can deal with Rebekah later." he told me in a low voice and I could see the irritation in his blue eyes. His gaze then shifted to someone behind me and the smirk returned to his lips.

"Tyler!" he called out as if he was meeting an old friend and I turned around to see the hybrid walk towards us.

"My mom would seriously freak if she saw these people here." Tyler said with a laugh that Nik quickly joined. I watched my friend with a suspicious frown but he seemed to ignore me as he instead looked at Tyler.

"Your mother won't be a problem, I compelled her to go to church and pray for your friends." Niklaus replied casually and I felt my fingers curl into a fist in anger. Did he always have to use threats?

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked with an uncertain laugh and I felt a hand wrap around my arm as I was about to speak up. I looked behind me to see Theodore slowly shake his head so I decided to hold my tongue. For now.

"I want you to look around." Niklaus said as he moved to stand in front Tyler. He then pointed over the boy's shoulder at a familiar face and I felt myself tense even more. "There is Bonnie. There's Elena and Matt."

"And there's your pretty little girlfriend, Caroline." he finished up and I didn't notice the small wind picking up around us. I could feel Theodore tighten his grip and my heart started beating faster as I watched Niklaus threaten Tyler's friends. And mine too.

"When that big dance was wrecked tonight, who came through with a party? You did, mate. But who are all these other people here?" Niklaus then continued with a lifted finger, urging Tyler to look around, which he did.

"I have no idea. I've never seen half these people in my life." Tyler admitted with a shrug and I knew that I had been right about the extended guest list.

"That's because I invited a few dozen friends of my own." Niklaus said with a smirk and I felt Theodore step closer to me as the Original hybrid gestured towards him. "There's my friend Theodore. Looks friendly enough, but you should see him in a fight. Touch Malina and he will end you."

I shivered at the casual tone Niklaus voice held as he introduced my new bodyguard and Tyler shot the giant behind me a fearful look.

"Then there's Mindy." Niklaus continued as he gestured towards a girl, who stood a few meters away with three other guys. The hybrid looked up as her name was spoken and her eyes met mine for a moment before she cast them down. "I picked her up along the way in Kansas. Did you know that there's an entire blood line of werewolves in the Heartland?"

"There's Tony from North Dakota and let's not forget the pack from Seattle over there."

"Wait a minute, are those all hybrids?" Tyler asked confusedly and I willed myself not to roll my eyes. It seemed pretty clear to me why Niklaus had decided to introduce them all.

"And they also love a good party. And they, like you, are sired by me. They wish to serve their master, so if anyone should so much as make a move against me; they may feel obligated to retaliate." Niklaus threatened with an almost amused voice and I felt my anger grow. I vaguely registered a loud shriek behind me, but didn't turn to look before Niklaus did with raised eyebrows.

"You should calm down, Malina. Or you are going to cause a typhoon." Theodore suddenly whispered into my ear and I looked around to see things flying around and skirts blowing up to reveal some girls' underwear. Niklaus let out a small chuckle and my eyes snapped back to him.

For a moment he seemed taken aback by the ferocity my eyes held, but after a moment he returned his attention to Tyler.

"Feel free to warn your friends." Niklaus then said with a small laugh and sent Theodore a pointed look before he walked away.

"Tyler, go find Caroline and keep her safe." I told him hurriedly and he quickly scurried off with a slightly panicked expression on his face. I then turned to Theodore, who still had a hold of my arm.

"Let go of me." I hissed through my teeth, but he didn't seem to listen. Obviously, the sire bond to Niklaus was stronger than to me. "I said let go."

"You have to calm down, Malina." Theodore tried in a composed voice but it didn't help with my anger.

"We have two options. Either I hurt you badly or you let go of me so I can go after that bastard." I warned him with a serious expression and he held on for a moment longer before finally letting go.

"I am coming with you." Theodore told me as I quickly moved in the direction Niklaus had disappeared.

"Of course you are." I murmured irritatingly, feeling my patience disappear as Niklaus didn't show up.

"He's over there." Theodore said into my ear so I could hear him over the loud music and I turned my head to see Niklaus walk up to Elena.

I couldn't hear what they were saying as I slowly came nearer, but I watched Niklaus offer her his beer. I rolled my eyes as Theodore chuckled behind me. For a dead guy sired to an evil hybrid, he surely was cheerful. He was almost like a male Caroline.

"Seems I have you to thank for Mikael's demise." I heard Niklaus say as I came to stand beside him and I shot him a murderous glare that he returned with a smirk. After sending Theodore a disappointed look, Niklaus returned his attention to Elena, who looked very nervous.

"He came at me. I didn't have a choice." Elena replied timidly and I noticed with confusion how she seemed to study me intently before turning her gaze back to Nik.

"Still, I'm impressed. It's not easy for a human to dagger an Original." Niklaus said with a smile but I could see that his façade was cracking. He was becoming more and more angry about the plot against him and I subconsciously grabbed his hand to calm him down.

I noticed how Elena's eyes quickly went to our hands, but to my surprise Niklaus didn't pull away. There was a strange gleam in Elena's eyes that I hadn't seen before and she seemed more confident than usual despite being nervous.

"It wasn't the first time." Elena responded coldly and it seemed as if she was trying to irritate Niklaus.

"Right, Elijah." Niklaus said with a humourless smile and then looked down at me. I could feel his eyes on me but my gaze stayed at Elena, who was staring back with a strange challenging look in her eyes.

"Is everything okay, Elena?" I asked innocently and Nik returned his gaze to the doppelgänger as well.

"Sure, I just don't like you." she retorted angrily and Niklaus took a step forward, pulling his hand from mine.

"Well, I'll get straight to the point then, shall I, love?" Niklaus quickly said and I watched Elena lean back in fear. "People have been after me for a thousand years and I'm always one step ahead. So whatever it is you're thinking of trying. Go for it. Give it your best shot. You won't succeed."

Elena stared frightened back as Niklaus finished his speech and then looked at me as if she was expecting me to help. When I shrugged at her, a calculating look returned to her eyes and I once again felt like something was wrong.

I reached out for her hand when Elena turned to leave and kept a straight face as I felt a familiar feeling of death creep over my skin. There was a shocked expression on the doppelgänger's face as if she knew she had been caught, but it quickly turned into normal surprise.

"You haven't seen Rebekah anywhere, have you?" I asked her with a small tilt of my head as I let go of her hand and I could feel Niklaus' eyes on my neck.

"No." was all Elena said before she almost ran out of there.

I was still angry at Niklaus for threatening Caroline – and Bonnie – but more urgent matters had come up. Like how that wasn't Elena. Niklaus was staring at me curiously and I shot him a sweet smile before I stood on my toes to hug him.

"Vampire." I whispered into his ear and his arms snaked around my waist for a short moment before I stepped away.

"It is good to have you back, Niklaus." I told him with a sincere smile before making a small flick with my wrist. Niklaus grinded his teeth in pain as I pushed his shoulder out of joint with my magic and his eyes met mine in a deadly glare.

"Now stop threatening my friend. Touch Caroline, or Bonnie, and I will come up with something much more painful to do to you." I threatened through my teeth as I spun on my heels and walked inside. Theodore followed me a few moments later and I figured that he had helped put Niklaus' shoulder back in place.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Theodore laughed silently and it almost seemed as if he was talking to himself.

I didn't know where I was going, but when I caught sight of Matthew, I quickly found my way to him. There was a startled look in the human's eyes as I poked him on the shoulder and he turned around to see me with Theodore standing behind me.

"Hello, Matthew. Have you seen Rebekah at any chance?" I asked politely and kept a straight face as Matt nervously looked to the floor.

"No, sorry. I went to pick her up, but she was gone." Matt lied to me, but I just gave him a small nod in understanding. "Do you know where Caroline and Tyler are?"

"No, but I can help you look for them?" I suggested with a smile and Matt shot a look at Theodore before he agreed. Reluctantly.

Theodore could easily tell us that they were not downstairs, so Matt led us up the stairs towards the bedrooms. The hybrid said that he heard noises from a room down the hall and Matt identified it as Tyler's bedroom.

"Ty?" Matt called as he knocked on the door and it was immediately opened by a startled hybrid.

"Matt." Tyler said with relief until his gaze turned to me and Theodore. "Where's Klaus?"

"Not here." I assured him and then pushed past him when something on Tyler's floor caught my eyes. "And he won't hurt Caroline any more that you already have."

"What the hell, Tyler?" Matt exclaimed as he squatted beside me and looked down at a passed-out Caroline.

"It's just vervain. She'll be fine. But you have to get her out of here." Tyler told as he paced around his room and I brushed my hands over Caroline's forehead to take away some of the pain.

"What's going on?" Matt demanded to know and Tyler sent me an uncertain look as he decided what to answer his friend.

"Someone has been plotting against Niklaus and I assure you it will come to an end tonight. Tyler is sired to my friend so he will do anything to protect him. What Tyler did to Caroline was stupid, but he did it to keep her safe. Which is what you will have to do now, Matt. Do you understand?" I explained calmly as I stood up and Matt followed me.

"Yes." he said through his teeth, clearly not happy with taking orders from me but I ignored his annoyance and nodded at Tyler, who quickly disappeared out of the room.

"Mikael is here." Theodore then whispered in my ear and my heart rate accelerated quickly.

"Keep Caroline safe, Matt. We must go." I told him one more time before I left the room with Theodore on my heels.

"Where is he?" I asked as we moved down a flight of stairs and found ourselves near a large kitchen.

"At the front door." Theodore quickly answered and I kicked of my shoes before I ran out of the kitchen. I didn't have time to react when I suddenly flew across the hall and my back crashed against a wall.

A hand was wrapped around my neck and I opened my eyes to see Stefan stare back at me. Before I could open my mouth to speak, the vampire had been ripped off of me and Theodore was holding him in the air with glowing auburn eyes.

"Let go of him." I told Theodore as I got my voice back and raised my hand towards Stefan. The hybrid looked at me questioningly before doing as I said and before Stefan could run, he was caught by an immobilizing headache.

"What is the plan for killing Niklaus?" I asked calmly as I moved closer to the vampire.

"I don't know." Stefan groaned in pain and I quickly realised that he was telling the truth. Damon wouldn't have been stupid enough to tell his compelled brother the plan.

"Well, then here is the new plan. You are going to find your brother and then you are going to stop him. I do not care how, just do it. Do this and you will have your freedom from Niklaus. If you fail, I will kill your brother. And I will make it more painful than you can ever imagine. That is my promise to you. Do you understand?"

When Stefan didn't answer, I intensified the pain in his head and soon he was nodding with blood running from his nose. It took Stefan five seconds to get back on his feet as the pain stopped and he immediately disappeared out of the room.

I gasped at the sudden burst of heat that came from my pendant and I grabbed it in shock, knowing that Niklaus was hurt.

"Take me to him now." I then ordered Theodore as I took a hold of him and strong arm wrapped around my waist as we ran through the suddenly empty house at supernatural speed.

On the floor in the entrance hall was Niklaus, Damon and Stefan, and I looked to the door to see Mikael stare at the scene in shock. His eyes turned briefly to me before they found something on the floor and I followed his gaze to see a white wooden stake lie at my feet.

Damon was trying to fight off Stefan, but Niklaus was getting back on his feet and with a quick gust of wind, I rolled the stake into his hand. The hybrid barely looked at me as he got up and charged his father with a violent roar.

I quickly ran to the door to see Niklaus stand over his father's burning corpse and Theodore pushed past me as he noticed the other hybrids on the lawn. I looked back over my shoulder and saw that Stefan still was on top of his brother, but Damon didn't seem to be fighting anymore.

"What the hell did you do?!" Damon sneered at his brother and I walked back inside the house with Niklaus on my heels.

"He's earned his freedom." Niklaus told silently and then looked at me with relief in his eyes.

I watched as Stefan slowly got off his brother and stood up with a disoriented look on his face. He stared at me for a long moment before turning his eyes to Nik.

"Thank you, my friend." Niklaus told him with a sincere voice and met Stefan's gaze as he compelled him. "You no longer have to do as I say. You're free."

I could feel Damon's eyes on me as Niklaus compelled his brother and I met his stare defiantly. As Stefan let out a relieved sigh, Damon whooshed away and Stefan looked in vain after his brother.

I felt like punching Niklaus when Stefan turned to him with a pained expression in his eyes and the stupid hybrid just smiled at him smugly.

"Go enjoy your freedom, mate." Niklaus told him and placed a hand on the vampire's shoulders. My curls blew lightly in the wind as Stefan flashed out of there and Niklaus turned to look at me with a strangely proud look in his eyes.

My eyes were directed elsewhere, though, as I noticed the blood stain on his shirt that seemed to slowly become bigger. Without much thought I quickly reached out and pulled up his dress shirt to look underneath it. There was a round wound in his side that made it look as if he had been staked and to my horror it was still bleeding.

"Nik! What did this?" I exclaimed frightened and looked up at my friend, who seemed irritated with my concern.

"Damon Salvatore got me with the white oak stake I used to kill Mikael. It'll heal in a minute." Niklaus told me and pulled his shirt down and out of my hands. "We have something more important to discuss."

"Oh, like the burned corpse of your father on the front lawn? Or the hybrids who seemed to have fainted outside? What happened, Niklaus?" I asked insistently and gestured towards the hybrids that lay sprawled out on the lawn.

Theodore was running around between and I noticed with curiosity how he fed one of the girls his blood. Someone had a crush, it seemed.

"Katerina hit them with wolfs bane. Mikael had compelled them to do his bidding." Niklaus told me bitterly and I forced myself not to roll my eyes at his childish tone. He had just killed his father and he still acted like someone had taken his favourite toy.

"As in Katherine Pierce? So I finally got to meet the first Petrova doppelgänger. I thought she wanted you dead after running from you for so long." I said with a frown as I stared at Nik in an attempt not to look at Mikael's burned body.

"It seems as if she changed her mind about my death, when she realised you had her figured out. Katerina is clever enough to know that the Salvatores wouldn't stand a chance with you at my side." Niklaus replied and adorned me with another proud smile. He sure was cheerful tonight. "Which leads us to the actions of Stefan. What could have changed his mind?"

I could see in his eyes that he already knew and I sent him a timid smile before shrugging casually.

"Who knows? Someone must have warned him about the horrific death his brother would suffer if you were to die. I suppose said person forgot to inform Mr. Salvatore that in the case of your dead, she would also die. But what Stefan does not know, cannot hurt him." I told innocently and a wide smile spread on Niklaus' lips. It was nice to see him smile so genuinely instead of that smirk he always wore.

"Well, haven't you become… wicked." Niklaus responded with a mischievous look in his eyes and I held back a heavy sigh. There had to be some sort of conspiracy since everyone had decided on that adjective as the best description of me.

"I will do anything to protect my family, Niklaus." I told him determinedly and I watched him glance quickly before nodding at me.

"Speaking of family." Niklaus said as he turned to look out at the hybrids, who were slowly getting back on their feet. "I think it's time for a reunion of ours."


	13. Chapter 10

**_Third Person P.O.V._**

Nothing was going as planned. Well, except for maybe one Salvatore brother, who had most of the Original Family tugged away in the dead witches' house. Dead witches, who had decided to come back and make sure that Klaus' witch wouldn't be able to find the coffins.

Ayana's daughter might have been one of their ancestors, but the Bennett witches didn't practice ancestral magic and their treasure was too valuable to let the powerful witch find it. The dead witches cared little about the growing frustrations of the witch, who had been through every spell in her grimoires and found nothing. All she knew was that the coffins definitely weren't on the bottom of the ocean. Yet.

Nothing really seemed to be as it should.

Caroline was barely talking to anyone after her break-up with Tyler and Malina hadn't heard a word from her since homecoming. Not that she didn't understand the blonde's reluctance to speak with her since the witch was now living under the same roof as the hybrid, who had inadvertently caused Caroline's break-up. But most surprisingly was the fact that no one had received an invitation to everyone's favourite day of the year: Caroline's birthday.

Tyler _(read: Klaus_) had nearly gotten Jeremy killed and the teenager was now preparing to leave town after Damon had compelled him to do so. But that wasn't the only thing Damon had done. Kissing his brother's girl was never part of his plan, but for the time being it didn't really feel as if he had a brother, so the older Salvatore refused to feel guilty.

Not that Stefan would ever find out. He was far more busy with trying to open – with Bonnie's help – the "leftover" sealed coffin and pushing all of Klaus' buttons. Which was why he was now making his way to the mansion Klaus was renovating.

Rebekah's coffin (with Rebekah in it) was being pushed away by one Klaus' hybrids as Stefan entered the almost bare room. At least the Scooby Doo gang had been fearful enough to give back the favourite sibling that had been kept in the Salvatore basement for almost a week.

"I'm surprised you're still in town." Klaus called out as he drank from his glass of bourbon without looking at the intruder. "I gave you your freedom. You could've gone anywhere."

"I live here, Klaus." Stefan retorted smugly from where was leaning against the frame of a would-be doorway.

"Well, if we're playing this game; I was here first." the hybrid responded with a small hint of amusement in his voice. His posture was casual, but his senses were alert as he made sure Malina wasn't at home. Stefan had already taken his family, but he wouldn't allow him anywhere close to the witch.

"You know," Stefan started thoughtfully as he stepped further into the room. "I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere; kinda like fleas. I want them gone."

"Yeah, well I kind of like having them around." Klaus retorted with a small shrug of his shoulders as he held a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, ready to pour himself another drink. "You know, I'm hurt. I hoped that I'd free you and we'd pick up where we left off, but here you are; guzzling vervain like the rest of them, I'm sure."

"So much for friendship." Klaus finished darkly as he held his glass towards Stefan and then drank from it himself.

"Friends don't strip other friends of their free will." Stefan replied dryly and then proceeded to stare at the Original hybrid.

"Okay, granted that was a little extreme. I get a little moody. Just ask my siblings. Speaking of whom, isn't it time you handed them over?" Klaus asked casually as he stepped closer to the Salvatore brother, who didn't even flinch, but instead stepped closer as well.

"Klaus, get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls or I will remove them myself." Stefan spoke in a low voice and there was eerie smile on his lips.

"Mmh. You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'm gonna be forced be to retaliate; kill people. And it will get messy, again." Klaus said with a matching smile, but all Stefan did was shrug. He really had fallen deep.

"Do whatever you want. I don't really care." Stefan replied casually before interrupting himself with a lifted finger. "Or you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much that I'll drop Elijah in the Arctic."

"Well, maybe I'd be willing to lose one brother if it meant killing yours." Klaus mused with a thoughtful look in his eyes, even though he was seething on the inside.

"Try me. Let's find out."

Stefan was still smiling and so was Klaus, who suddenly let out a little laugh. Their small staring contest was broken as one of Klaus' hybrids entered the room.

"Is everything okay?" Mindy asked as she looked to her sire. She could almost feel the anger looming underneath his skin and felt a familiar tug in the pit of her stomach; she needed to protect him.

"Everything is fine, Mindy." Klaus told her casually and sent her a reassuring look before turning his eyes back to the vampire. "Stefan was just leaving after failing to make his point."

Stefan smiled back at Klaus before he in one swift movement grabbed something from the table beside them and swung it through the air. Klaus took a step back in shock as his hybrid's body fell to the floor without her head and Stefan turned his head to look at him.

"Well, one down. You may want to send the rest of them away before it gets messy, again." Stefan told leisurely before he threw the tool he had used to decapitate Mindy back on the table and left the room.

* * *

Caroline didn't move from the spot where Tyler had left her. Tears blurred her vision as she looked down at the charm bracelet, which lay in her open hand. She had half a mind to throw it as far away as possible, but the movement seemed physically impossible.

"I am sorry, Caroline." a familiar voice told her gently and Caroline's head snapped up, expecting to see the witch in front of her. But Malina wasn't standing anywhere close to her. Instead she was keeping her distance and Caroline found her at the entrance doors to the school; almost 50 feet from where the blonde stood.

Caroline couldn't help but feel conflicted as the witch smiled at her and then walked inside, out of her sight. Because of Malina's relation to Klaus, Caroline didn't want to be anywhere near her for the time being. Especially not while Stefan was putting them all in danger by keeping the coffins from Klaus.

But the sheer understanding that Malina showed for her situation made her want to forget all that. There was something about the witch that calmed her down and, ironically, made her feel safe. A whole other case was said witch's best friend. If it wasn't for the evil hybrid, Caroline wouldn't have broken her pinky promise to never ignore Malina again.

The bell rang as Caroline continued to ponder about Malina and Klaus, and Tyler, and everything. Soon everyone had disappeared inside, but the blonde wasn't able to move her feet in the right direction. Instead she placed the bracelet around her wrist, spun around and drove away.

* * *

"You're back." Bonnie said as she approached her ancestor, who was standing in front of Caroline's decorated locker. Malina hadn't attended classes since homecoming, but it hadn't really surprised any of them. Not after Stefan had stolen the coffins.

"I am." was all the other witch said as she continued to admire Elena and Bonnie's handiwork.

"Aren't you afraid that Stefan's gonna hurt you?" Bonnie asked curiously as her eyes darted around to survey their surroundings.

"Perhaps I should be. But I have gotten to know my powers quite well over the last week and I have Teddy, who follows me everywhere I go." Malina replied with a small shrug and finally turned to look at Bonnie. She was actually surprised by Bonnie's small display of worry, but didn't mention it.

"Teddy?" Bonnie questioned with a frown. Caroline had mentioned something about a 'Teddy', but Bonnie hadn't really listened. It seemed as if all her thoughts revolved around that one sealed coffin. It even invaded her dreams.

"That guy behind me that everyone seems very afraid of." Malina explained as she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb and Bonnie's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the man, who stood leaning against some lockers a few feet away.

Students and teachers were passing by with both fearful and curious look in their eyes and Theodore smiled at every single of them, making them almost run past him. One sophomore was standing close by and looking at Theodore anxiously. Bonnie had a feeling that it was his locker that 'Teddy' was leaning against.

"One of Klaus' hybrids?" Bonnie asked even though she already knew the answer. Stefan definitely wouldn't be happy about this, but the Bennett witch had already made a deal with herself not to tell. Malina just nodded in response and then turned her attention back to Caroline's locker.

"I didn't know it was her birthday."

"Usually that's all you hear about for a month, but with everything going on I guess it hasn't really crossed her mind. I haven't even seen her today." Bonnie explained with sad smile and looked around once more, hoping that Caroline would suddenly appear.

"I saw her outside with Tyler. He gave her a gift, I think, and then left. I have a feeling that she won't be attending school today." Malina told Bonnie with an equally sad smile on her lips and the Bennett witch nodded slowly in understanding.

"And Bonnie, if it means anything, I am very sorry about Jeremy. I didn't know until it was too late." Malina then apologized, referring to Jeremy almost getting hit by a car driven by one of Klaus' (now dead) hybrids.

"I figured as much." Bonnie responded with a short nod and then took one last look at Caroline's locker before she started to walk away. Malina was still on the wrong side of things from Bonnie's perspective, but she couldn't be blamed for Klaus' actions.

"Wish Caroline a happy birthday from me when you see her!" Malina called after Bonnie and the Bennett witch gave her a small smile over her shoulder in confirmation. Malina let out a sigh as the bell rang through the halls and students started to file away into classrooms.

Malina – with Theodore on her heels – quickly found her English Literature class room and was about to enter, when she suddenly saw Tyler move down the empty hall.

"Tyler!" she called after him and the hybrid stopped mid-stride with an exasperated look in his dark eyes. One thing was leaving in the middle class to be at Klaus' beck and call, but now he had to deal with the witch as well. Tyler didn't hate Malina. He was just sick and tired of losing Caroline because of her friend.

"Hey Malina." Tyler greeted with a forced smile and gave Theodore a nod as well. "You're back in school."

"Yes. Where are you going? Don't you have class?" Malina questioned with a small frown and Tyler swallowed a sigh.

"Klaus called. Said he needed me at the mansion, but I'll be back."

"Okay. Please tell him that he is an asshole for what he made you do to Jeremy." Malina told him calmly and Tyler felt the sire bond kick in. He was simultaneously pleased and afraid of the opportunity to get to say those words to the Original hybrid.

"I will." he quickly replied and gave the witch a quick nod before he flashed out of the school.

"Didn't you already yell at him for that?" Theodore asked amusedly as he looked down at the tired witch. If it was up to him, Malina wouldn't have set a foot on school grounds, but she was quite the feisty one and he had quickly lost that argument.

"Niklaus is like a child. If you don't repeat things, he will never understand. He will just keep biting until you bleed." Malina told her bodyguard and then gave him a small smile before she disappeared into the class room. Theodore let out a small chuckle and then pulled out his phone, getting ready to wait in the halls until Malina's class was over.

* * *

**_Malina's P.O.V._**

"Caroline." I greeted through the phone as I answered her call. "Happy birthday!"

It was late and I was tired, but I forced myself to be cheerful anyway. After spending a whole day with Theodore, I needed someone else's company.

Niklaus was at some sort of Founder's party and the house had become strangely quiet as if all the hybrids had suddenly disappeared. The mansion was big, but usually there was some noise.

"_It's Matt._" a deep voice sounded on the other end and I immediately sat up in my bed. I reached over and turned on the lamp beside my bed, which cast strange shadows on the walls of my room. I had been half-asleep when my phone rang, but I was suddenly very awake.

"Matt. What is wrong?" I quickly asked as I heard the distress in his voice and I waited with bathed breath for his answer.

"_It's Caroline. Tyler, he… he bit her._" Matt replied with an almost shaky voice and I felt my eyes widen. I had already figured out what Matthew told me next, but it hit me just as hard. "_I think Klaus told him to do it._"

"You need his blood." I said after taking a deep breath to keep myself from panicking.

Niklaus had done this to Caroline so the chances of wanting to cure her seemed slim, but I was going to make him if it was the last thing I did. Once again the thought of my mother's visions flashed through my mind and I shook my head at how wrong she had been about those two.

"_Yes. I think she's hallucinating and I don't know how long…_" Matthew told me, unable to finish the sentence.

"Listen to me, Matthew. Caroline will be fine. I promise you that." I replied with a determined voice and I heard Matt let out a small breath on the other end. "I need to hang up now."

"_Of course. Bye._" Matt said and I could almost hear him nodding. Without saying goodbye, I quickly pressed the red icon on my screen and ended the call. My fingers were shaking as I went into my contacts and found Niklaus' number.

"_Malina, now really isn't the time._" Niklaus said in an annoyed tone and I had to take a deep breath before answering.

"I do not care what time you think it is! I warned you not to touch her, Niklaus. And do not give me any crap that it was Tyler, who did it. You will go to her house and heal her. Now." I yelled at him, unable to contain my anger and I half-expected Theodore to come running in a moment.

"_Poor Caroline, and then on her birthday. I am already on my way, sweetheart, but it will be up to the sheriff to let me in._" Niklaus mused through the phone and I flinched when my light bulb shattered, leaving me only with the light from my phone. Now I was seriously wondering where Theodore had gone to.

"I swear, Niklaus, I will make you pay for this." I threatened in a low voice, but he ignored me as he spoke with Matt, who had opened the door for him. I heard him address Sheriff Forbes and then how he moved through the house and up the stairs.

"_I must say, I'm intrigued with how much you care for this girl. She seems quite… ordinary._" Niklaus spoke with a low voice and I heard him pause, making me think he had made it to Caroline's bedroom.

"Heal her and I'll show you ordinary." I growled back at him, but instead of an answer, I heard Caroline's raspy voice.

"_Malina?_" she almost whispered and I felt my heart fall into my stomach. "_Is he going to kill me?_"

I gulped before answering and I could vaguely hear Niklaus say something on the other end.

"_Yes._" was Caroline's reply to him and I could hear the surprisingly stern tone in her voice.

"Caroline." I said in attempt to regain her attention. "He will not hurt you, okay? I promise."

"_Pinky swear?_" Caroline whispered back at me and I forced myself to keep my voice steady as I replied:

"Pinky swear."

The line was filled for a few moments with Caroline's ragged breathing before it went dead and I threw myself back on the bed. I felt like screaming and with the sudden realisation that I was all alone, I did.

* * *

My hands and feet were freezing as I stood in the foyer, waiting for Niklaus to return home. I had figured that the lack of hybrids (and Theodore) was due to the fact that Stefan had somehow gotten his way.

Which for some reason made me even more angry. Hurting Caroline was supposed to send a message to Stefan. Well, message not received.

The silence in the unfinished mansion was eerie and goose bumps had spread over my skin from more than just the cold.

Going downstairs in only a pair pyjamas pants and a tank top seemed like a bad idea now, but when I left my room I had been fuelled by an anger that helped kept me warm.

Said anger hadn't disappeared, but had turned more towards a feeling of helplessness and desperation that had me shaking. My knuckles were white from clenching my fists for so long and my nails were digging into the palm of my hand, leaving behind crescent markings.

When the door handle suddenly was pulled down, I didn't give myself time to think and the moment Niklaus stepped inside his house, he was forced against the now closed entrance door.

"Malina." he growled exasperatedly as I held him against the door with magic. He had trouble breathing and I curled my fist slightly, making him winch in pain as his heart clenched painfully in his chest.

"I warned you, Niklaus." I told him in a low voice as I moved forward. The painful look in his eyes was hurting me as well and I could feel my necklace come alive with a blazing fire, but I kept pushing him harder against the door. "I don't care if you think Caroline is ordinary or not; I will not let you hurt her. Do you understand?"

A low chuckle escaped Niklaus as I finished my speech and before my mind could register my movements; I had broken of a piece of wood from the house's framework and sent it flying into the hybrid's heart. I swallowed my own shocked gasp and watched how Niklaus' mouth fell open in pain as his eyes widened in shock.

"Do you understand?" I repeated my question with a now shaky voice and Niklaus sent me a murderous glare before nodding. With a deep breath I swiped my left hand backwards and let the stake fly back, while my right hand fell to my side and Niklaus landed on the floor.

"Goodnight." I told him in a low voice and was about to move up the stairs, when Niklaus' voice rang through the large room.

"You should be more careful, love. One day I might not need you anymore." Niklaus growled at me and I ignored the sting I felt in my chest. After all I had just hurt him badly. It was in his nature to lash out in such a way.

"You're wrong, Nik." I told him as I walked towards him and placed myself on my knees in front of him. He was on all four and his head hung between his shoulders, making me grab his chin and left his face to meet mine. "You will always need me."

"Just like I will always need you." I continued with a small smile and then leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss at the corner of his mouth. "And remember I can give you want you want: a wicked witch."

"It seems as if I already have one." Niklaus groaned painfully, but with a small smile on his lips as slowly got to his knees. My hand fell from his chin and a sigh escaped me as his large hand cupped my right cheek. "My apologies, it seems I had your friend mistaken. Caroline Forbes is anything but ordinary."

"Crush or not, you do not touch her." I threatened lightly with a pointed finger and Niklaus' eyebrows rose in amusement.

"Crush? I'm a thousand year old hybrid, sweetheart. I do not get 'crushes' on anybody. Least of all a baby vampire." he responded with an arrogant smirk that made me roll my eyes.

"If you say so." I said as I moved to get to my feet again. The cold had now made it into my bones and I knew it would take me least an hour to get properly warm again.

"You're freezing." Niklaus told me with a small frown and I smiled at the fact that he worried about me even though I had practically just tortured him. If he was a normal vampire, he would be dead by now.

"Which is why I am going to bed now. Again." I told him jokingly and hurried towards the stairs to go to my bedroom on the second floor. Niklaus was still standing in the foyer as I turned around, in the middle of my ascent, and looked at him. "Where is everyone?"

"Stefan was going to drive him and Elena off a bridge with his blood in her system if I didn't remove my hybrids from Mystic Falls. I could care less about Elena, but the doppelgänger's blood is too valuable to throw away." Niklaus explained dryly and I felt my eyes widen in shock. At least that explained why it was Matt, who had been with Caroline. And Bonnie had probably been saying goodbye to Jeremy.

"Oh. Well, then I think it is time that we got our family back." I told him determinedly and then took the stairs two steps at a time.

* * *

"_Malina?_" Caroline asked as she finally answered my call and relieved smile spread on my lips. It was the morning after her near-death experience and she sounded positively alive.

"Caroline. Hi." I almost laughed and I could hear the blonde let out a small giggle as well. "I am so happy that you are okay. And I am so sorry."

"_It's okay. You didn't know. And you did make Klaus heal me._" Caroline tried to reassure me and I lightly shook my head. Caroline had almost died because of my friend and _she_ was telling _me_ that it was okay.

"I have a feeling he was going to do that anyway." I admitted to her and there was a long moment of silence between us.

The more I had thought about it, the more it made sense to me. He had already been on his way to Caroline when I called and he hadn't even seemed to listen to any of my threats. I had come to the conclusion that he never intended to let Caroline die. Maybe just scare Stefan. And give the sire bond the ultimate test through Tyler.

"_Oh. Well, he's your psycho best friend. Speaking of Klaus, do you know why there's a jewellery box on my nightstand with a note that says 'from Klaus'?_" Caroline asked hesitantly and I removed the phone from my ear to take a deep breath. He just had to, didn't he?

"What is in it?" I inquired instead of answering and because of the time it took her to answer, I realised that Caroline hadn't looked yet.

"_Wow._" was her stunned response and I felt myself grow impatient to know the answer. Caroline's continued silence didn't help. "_I mean, it's a… a diamond bracelet._"

"That is nice… I guess?" I told her warily and as expected, the blonde seemed to explode moments later.

"_What the hell?! God, I hate him! Does he think he can buy me or something? Does he think that I'm some stupid blonde, who will do whatever for a few diamonds?_" Caroline exclaimed loudly and I had to remove the phone from my ear.

"Caroline, I am certain that he doesn't think like that. Just ignore it. And him. He will get over it soon." I tried to reassure her, but immediately realised I had said the wrong thing, when Caroline's answer came.

"_Over what?_"

"Well, he might have become a little fascinated with you." I explained carefully and another long silence ensued.

"_Fascinated? Ugh, how creepy can that guy be?_"

"Very, I suspect." I laughed back at her and Caroline joined me after a couple of seconds.

"_My mom's here, gotta go._" the blonde vampire then called and I gave her a quick goodbye before hanging up.

I sat with my phone in my hand for a long time, trying hard to remember something in the back of my mind and it wasn't until I mindlessly started scrolling through my contacts that it hit me.

"Hi, Emma." I said warily as the Bennett witch answered and I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for her reply.

"_That's it. I'm coming to Mystic Falls and then I am going to kill you._"

* * *

**A/N: I know it's been a while since I last updated but for some reason the site wouldn't let me upload anything... **

**Hoped you liked the chapter! The famous Klaroline scene was included in this one and Malina got a little more badass. Or just really fed up with everyone's shit:D ****Tell me what you think! I love reading your reviews3**


	14. Chapter 11

_**Malina's P.O.V.**_

"Do you know what to do?" Niklaus asked into his phone and I noticed how he avoided my curious gaze as I sat down beside him on the barstool. We were at the Mystic Grill late in the afternoon and the hybrids had been out of town for two days.

Which meant that Niklaus was becoming bored and had decided to drag me along on some sort of binge drinking trip to pass the time. I had argued and told him that we needed to work on ways to get the coffins back, but Niklaus had only smiled mischievously and told me that he had a plan. How much I would like that plan was definitely debatable.

I was only on my third bottle of beer, but I could feel my sight swim a little and I had been out to pee twice in an hour. Niklaus thought it was humorous and I had set his alcohol on fire just as he was about to drink it.

But of course he had to ruin our "bonding time" by playing evil mastermind.

"Do I want to know?" I sighed as he hung up and all he did was sent a smirk before drinking from his glass.

"I could torture it out of you." I suggested jokingly and Niklaus looked at me with a raised brow.

"In here? Perhaps you would want to be more discreet, sweetheart." Niklaus responded with amusement.

"I could do that aneurism thing." I said with a small shrug and took another sip of my beer. The taste was bitter, but I had somehow managed to get used to it. At least it was much better than what Niklaus was drinking.

"The last time someone managed to do that to me was with the powers of a hundred witches and I thought she was dead." Niklaus told me and I almost laughed at the bitter tone his voice held. Clearly, he still wasn't over his almost defeat to Bonnie and Elijah during the sacrifice.

"So I just need a hundred witches?"

"You make it sound easy."

"Actually-" I started with a secretive smile, when a new thought suddenly hit me.

I knew where there _had been_ a hundred witches. They were dead albeit, but their powers were still connected to the nature and more importantly the house I had visited a couple of weeks ago.

A hundred dead witches, who hated vampires. A hundred dead witches, who would very much throw away their pride and come back if it meant hiding the bodies of four Originals.

"Where are you going?" Niklaus called after me as I jumped from my chair and started moving towards the exit.

"To find a hundred witches!" I yelled back to him, ignoring the strange looks I got from the other guests. I probably should have told him about my revelation, but something told me that Niklaus had other plans for his family than I did.

"Hello, Salvatore." I greeted smugly as Damon finally picked up his phone and I could practically hear him groan on the other end.

"_Sabrina. What do you want?_" Damon replied annoyingly and I frowned at my phone.

"My name is not Sabrina, it's- actually, never mind." I interrupted myself as I realised that he had once again taken to calling me nicknames, even though I didn't understand the reference. "I want you to take me to the coffins."

"_You're kidding me right?_" Damon laughed. "_Why would I do that?_"

"Because I already know where they are. So I can either tell Niklaus or you can show me and stop Niklaus' hybrids from doing whatever he plans for them to do. I am guessing it has something to do with North Dakota?"

"_How the hell-_" Damon sneered at me, but I quickly interrupted him.

"I did a quick locator spell on Bonnie earlier today. Her blood is mine so it wasn't that hard. It showed that she was in North Dakota. I do not want Bonnie to get hurt, but I am guessing that Elena is with her? And maybe even Stefan?" I told him in a casual tone before a more threatening one took over. "So either you take me to the coffins and I'll have Niklaus call off his hybrids or I tell Niklaus and who knows what he will do to your brother."

"_You're bluffing._" Damon growled back and I let out a small laugh. I was becoming tired of this game and I wanted my family back.

"The coffins are at the dead witches' house and I am standing outside the Mystic Grill. Niklaus is right inside. Shall I go get him and then we can all meet in ten minutes?"

"_Fine!_" Damon exclaimed and my smile turned triumphant. "_Stay where you are._"

I quickly hung up the phone and looked through the windows of the Grill. Niklaus was still sitting at the bar with his back turned at me. I was surprised that he wasn't more curious about why I had left, but I suppose he had other things to worry about.

"Hop in, loser." Damon's voice called a couple of minutes later as he pulled up in his blue something-something car. I shot him a wide smile, remembering the last time I had taken a ride with him and he returned it with a scowl.

"So why don't you just tell Klaus? Unless you actually care about Stefan." Damon spoke after a long moment of silence and I could see how the wheels were turning inside his head to make it all fit.

"I don't particularly. But I am not trying to get him killed either. And I suspect that Niklaus do not look forward to a family reunion as much as I do. If he gets to the coffins first, I might not see his siblings undaggered for decades." I revealed to the Salvatore vampire.

I didn't like the fact that I was betraying Niklaus, but it had slowly become clear to me that his siblings wouldn't leave those boxes. After all, Rebekah hadn't yet.

"Does it have anything to do with a certain locked coffin?" Damon asked with a sly smirk and I felt my body tense. Niklaus had told me what that coffin contained and awakening its inhabitant was a very bad idea.

"Have you managed to open it?" I inquired instead of answering and Damon looked at me with a thoughtful expression as if he was calculating how much he should tell me.

"No. That is what North Dakota was for. Bonnie went to see her mother for the first time in fifteen years, which your darling hybrids now are going to ruin." Damon sneered at me and I was surprised by his protectiveness of the witch. As far as I knew, they weren't exactly friends.

"And I am sorry for Bonnie, but I want my family just as much she does." I told him sternly and the vampire almost looked impressed.

Soon after we were pulling up at the old house and a shiver ran down my spine as I stepped over the threshold. The witches were definitely back. And they didn't seem to like me very much. Moving through the house almost felt like walking through water, but at last we made it to the right room.

"You removed it." I pointed out dryly and looked at a long square the dust hadn't covered, which meant something – with the shape of a coffin – had stood there until recently. For a moment, Damon looked surprised, but then a smug grin appeared on his lips.

"Guess my little brother is one step ahead after all." he mused and I let out a tired sigh. As usually they had no idea what they were up against. Whatever weapons they would find against Niklaus could always be turned against themselves. I would make sure of that. "But you can see the other coffins?"

"Of course." I said with a gesture towards the remaining three.

"The dead witches do this little trick where they hide the coffins to everyone except for a chosen few."

"I am their ancestor. Trust me, I am one of the chosen few despite the fact that they do not like Niklaus." I told him with a smug smile that had Damon roll his eyes.

Slowly, I stepped further into the room and let my hand glide over the first coffin.

I already had an idea of who was inside when I opened it, but it was still a shock to see Finn lying there, all grey and veiny. His hair was a little longer than I remembered it and the clothes looked much more expensive than the ones he used to wear. He somehow looked older than the last time I'd seen him.

"Well, he looks pretty dead, huh?" Damon spoke from beside me and leaned in to look at the oldest Mikaelson.

"It happens when you have been daggered for nine hundred years." I snapped at him, not sure why I was suddenly feeling protective over Finn, who had never cared much about me. Maybe it was because he looked so defenceless, lying daggered in that coffin.

"Nine hundred years?!" Damon exclaimed and then did a short whistle. "That is going to be tough one to come back from."

"I did it." I told him with a frown.

"Well, you're some sort of super witch." Damon said with a shrug and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Was that a compliment?" I half-teased, but regretted it when a smirk appeared on Damon's lips.

"It can be whatever you want it to be, baby."

Instead of dignifying his comment with a response, I closed the lid of Finn's casket and moved on to the next one. My heart started beating faster as I slowly opened the next coffin and I could feel Damon's eyes on me. A small gasp escaped me but I forced myself not to step back as the sight of Kol's decayed body hit me.

"Why does he look less grey?" Damon asked from beside me, but I ignored him as I slowly reached out and calmed my fingers through his short hair. It was strange seeing him like this, but it all fitted him quite well. Twentieth century Kol looked much better than tenth century Kol and life wasn't fair.

"Let me guess." Damon said with a small chuckle as I absentmindedly let my fingertips glide over his features. "Your boyfriend?"

"What?" I laughed nervously and removed my hand as if I had burned myself on him. "I was married, remember?"

"So little Miss better-than-you was having an affair. How scandalous!" Damon mused with an irritating smirk on his lips and I scowled back at him as I closed Kol's coffin.

"Think whatever you like, Mr. Salvatore. I am not the one who is falling in love with my brother's girlfriend." I told him with a pointed look, but he didn't seem to mind my jab at him the slightest.

"You and Rebekah together would be insanely hot, though." he said instead and winked at me when my mouth fell open in shock. I couldn't exactly see how that was the equivalent of him and Elena being together.

"You are the biggest jerk that I have ever met and I am friends with Niklaus." I snapped at him before I moved over to the last coffin with hasty steps.

Elijah's appearance was strangely different from the one I remembered a thousand years back and it wasn't just because of his hair and the suit he was now wearing. It was his face, I decided. He looked almost angry in all his tranquillity and without thinking much about it; I reached down and pulled out the dagger in his heart.

Damon let out a feigned scandalized gasp and then a much funnier noise as I threw the silver dagger to him and he tried to catch it without getting daggered himself. Without another word I closed Elijah's coffin and then pulled put my phone.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked suspiciously as he switched his gaze between me, my phone and the dagger in his hand.

"I need someone on my side in this mess and I figured Elijah would do nicely." I told him with a smile and finished my text for Niklaus. "And in a few minutes Niklaus will be here, so I suggest you hide the dagger quickly."

"You're letting me take it?"

"He can't very well know that_ I_ undaggered Elijah. But if you use that to hurt anyone, I will make you regret it." I warned him with narrowed eyes and the next moment a small wind blew through the room as Damon flashed away. He was only away for a few seconds before returning once more, this time without the dagger.

"Very well. So have you apologized to Caroline yet?" I then asked him with a sweet smile and he groaned tiredly.

"With all of this going on you really think that is high on my to-do list?" Damon exclaimed irritatingly, but I just stared at him blankly, making him sigh. "You're going to snap my neck, aren't you?"

"It is either that or Niklaus will tear you apart when he discovers that the last coffin is gone." I informed with a small shrug. Once again I had to remind myself that I didn't enjoy seeing other people in pain, but there was something about hurting Damon that satisfied me deeply.

"I could just run." Damon retorted, but I could almost feel how he was preparing himself for a sore neck.

"Niklaus would never believe that I had just let you run, so I will tell him that you kidnapped and took me here. I managed to get free and voila! One snapped neck." I explained with a happy smile that the vampire returned with a scowl.

"And what's from stopping Klaus from tearing me apart while I'm out. He won't exactly be happy that I 'kidnapped' you." Damon said and I let out a tired sigh. For a guy who brought his own life in danger so much by doing stupid things, he sure was self-preserving.

"Have a little faith in me, Salvatore. Besides, Nik will be more focused on the missing coffin that you and nothing happened to me. So there you go." I replied with a small tilt of my head and Damon looked positively murderous.

Before the vampire could argue further, a sickening crack came from his neck and my hand fell to my sides as Damon did to the floor.

"Malina?" Niklaus' voice called out a few moments later and I could hear the floor creak above my head.

"Down here!" I yelled back and my hair blew in the small wind that suddenly went through the room. Niklaus stood right in front of me, looking at me with worry and then with anger at the fallen Salvatore brother.

"What did he do to you?" Niklaus growled at the dead vampire and then let his eyes glide over me searchingly.

"I am completely fine, Nik. Not a scratch. He did kind of forced me here, but when he told he was taking me to the coffins, I didn't exactly put up a fight." I tried to reassure him and I noticed how his focus immediately changed at my mention of the coffins.

"Where are they?" he asked sternly and it wasn't until then I realised that he couldn't see them.

"Hey ladies!" I called out to the house. "A little help here?"

"Ladies?" Niklaus questioned with a raised eyebrow and he almost seemed amused.

"A hundred dead witches." I said as I gestured towards the walls. "I told you I would find them."

"They don't seem as excited to see you." Niklaus remarked as the coffins were yet to appear to him. "Witches have always been vindictive little bitc-"

"For heaven's sake, Nik!" I couldn't help but exclaim when the hybrid fell to his knees with a painful cry. "You should really know better than to insult a bunch of dead witches."

"You should all know, " Niklaus yelled through his pain and he clearly wasn't addressing me, "that as we speak I have a hybrid prepared to end the Bennett line."

"By Gods, I hate you sometimes." I muttered as the dead witches stopped their torture and Niklaus got back on his feet. All he did was glare at me and then turn his gaze to the coffins. But the look in his eyes told me that they were still invisible to him.

"Now, please, show me the coffins." Niklaus told the dead witches with a surprisingly gentle voice and a smirk appeared on his lips as they seemingly became visible to him as well. The light in his eyes quickly disappeared, though, when he noticed the empty spot.

"Where's the fourth?" he asked me with a dangerous gleam in his eyes, but didn't let me answer before he yelled once more. "SHOW ME!"

"Nik, they can't. It isn't here anymore. According to Damon, Stefan hid it somewhere before we got here." I quickly explained to him, placing my hand on his arm to calm him down.

"I'm going to tear him limp from limp and only then, when he's a writhing mass of blood and flesh, will I rip his heart out." Niklaus sneered to himself and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. In this narcissistic society there surely had to be some sort of award to give him for that display of overdramatizing.

"And what good will that do you?" I asked him, getting irritated with his irrationality and rage. "Then we will never find it. This is their leverage, Niklaus. But just like we got these coffins back, we will also get your mother's back."

"Now call whatever hybrid you were talking to on the phone earlier and tell them to leave Bonnie and her mother alone before I let the witches go for a second round." I continued tiredly, when Niklaus didn't respond. "And get Theodore back, will you? He somehow makes it easier for me to handle all your crazy."

"Careful, Kol might not like your new-found friend as much as I do." Niklaus told me with a smirk and I looked him with surprise.

"Does that mean that you actually plan to undagger him?" I asked with raised eyebrows and the smile immediately fell from the hybrid's lips. I stared at him for a long moment before I shook my head and left the room. His silence said it all.

* * *

"What are we waiting for?" Theodore whispered to me from his place beside my chair. I had snuck into the room where Niklaus kept the coffins – and Theodore had naturally followed – to wait for Elijah to awaken. It was taking a little too long for my liking.

"_I_ am waiting. _You _are leaving." I said through my teeth without moving my eyes off the coffin. Chances were that Elijah would be really mad when he woke up and I didn't want him taking it out on Theodore. Since the coffins had returned so had the hybrids and I was more than happy to have Theodore back. I felt safer somehow.

"I thought you said you had missed me." Theodore teased with a low chuckle and I glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"A momentarily moment of weakness." I whispered harshly, but all he did was shake his head at me with an amused expression. "Now go!"

"I will. But one last thing: why do you have a blood bag hidden under your shirt?" Theodore asked as he sent me a curious look. We both knew that he already knew why, but I refused to answer as I shooed him out of the room. At least this way he still had plausible deniability.

The minutes seemed to pass by even slower after Theodore's departure and I felt my eyes grow heavy. If Elijah didn't wake soon, Niklaus would look for me and find me in a room I shouldn't be in. Which meant that so far my angst was winning over my sleepiness.

I had already opened the lid to the coffin so I could watch for any movement, so I flew from my chair when a different sort of veins started spreading underneath Elijah's eyes. Before I could take another step closer, Elijah was out of the coffin and tearing the blood bag from my hand.

I remained completely still as the Original emptied it and then let it drop to the floor. His eyes seemed unfocused for a moment, but he quickly regained his posture; only to lose it when he suddenly noticed me standing in front of him.

"I could swear the dagger had left my heart." I heard him mumble to himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It has! I removed it myself." I told him in a hushed voice as I instinctively stepped forward and placed my hand on his arm.

His closed eyes immediately shot open and I drew back my hand, when they landed on the place I was touching him. I didn't get far because he quickly grabbed it, unable to comprehend that I was actually real.

"Malina." he said in a low voice and I couldn't help but smile at him as his eyes looked over my form searchingly. "But how? You were dead. How did Niklaus…?"

"He didn't. It was my mother and I. Actually, I never died, not really. We cast a spell right after Niklaus had killed Jason that linked me to him and gave me my full powers through this necklace." I quickly explained without retracting the hand he was still holding as my free one reached up to touch my necklace.

"It is a long story and far more complicated, but the spell made me fall asleep and I awoke when Niklaus managed to break his curse a few months ago." I finished and Elijah seemed to have stopped blinking.

"We thought you dead." was all he said and I suddenly felt guilty all over again for not telling anyone goodbye all those centuries ago.

"I know. I am sorry." I sighed and sent him a sad smile that turned into a surprised expression when he suddenly pulled me forward and into his arms.

"You were missed." Elijah muttered into my hair as he placed a hand on the back of my head and planted a small kiss on top of it.

The embrace was short, but enough to leave me flustered as he pulled away. We had always been friends, but Elijah had never been one for showing emotions. He was more closed-off and guarded.

"It feels like I saw you only a few months ago, but I did miss you as well." I told him with a smile and he gave me small nod in understanding.

"You pulled out the dagger?" Elijah then questioned with his deep voice and I imitated his nod from before. "What of Niklaus?"

"He doesn't really know." I laughed nervously as I calmed a hand through my dark curls and slowly walked forward to stand between Rebekah and Kol's coffins. "He wasn't planning to undagger any of you, but I haven't really agreed to those plans so here we are."

"I see. I am surprised you chose me." Elijah said with the smallest hint of amusement in his voice as he shot a meaningful look towards Kol's coffin. I followed his gaze and noticed that I had subconsciously rested my hand on it.

"Kol was always… unpredictable. And I doubt that went away after he became a vampire. Besides, you know what is going on here in Mystic Falls and Niklaus listens to you. Or at least he used to." I explained with a soft smile and I noticed an unfamiliar frown set on Elijah's forehead.

"How much time have you been spending with Niklaus since your… awakening?" he asked with a small hint of worry in his voice and I tried sending him a reassuring smile.

"Actually, not much. But enough to know how much he has changed and how he hasn't at all. Klaus, the almighty hybrid, isn't the Niklaus I have known my whole life, but I am certain he is in there. I just need your help to lure him out." I told the Original with a small laugh that he didn't return.

"I have been trying for centuries, Malina. What makes this any different?"

"You have me now and as it happens I can be very persuasive. Or that is what we have found out." I replied, sending him a secretive smile that made him raise an eyebrow in question.

I had more than surprised myself this last week with the lengths I was ready to go to. Niklaus had already felt my love more than once and there was a good chance that it would happen again.

"Where is my brother?" Elijah then inquired and I shrugged in response as I didn't know where Niklaus was hiding in this giant labyrinth of a house. A concentrated look briefly crossed Elijah's dark eyes. "Pay no mind, I have found him myself. Now, if you will excuse me. I need to have a chat with my little brother."

"Be my guest. Just don't kill each other. If he dies then I die and I am really enjoying the twenty first century. And if anyone asks, Damon pulled out the dagger." I told him sternly and I was surprised to see the Original smile back at me.

"I understand." Elijah replied with a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he moved to walk past me.

"And please, do not destroy too much of the house. We just finished renovating." I begged with a pointed look that made Elijah's smile widen slightly before he left through the door.

"I will just stay here then!" I called after him silently and placed myself back into the chair. I flinched when the sounds of glass breaking and woods splintering met my ears and then rose when the noise stopped. With a deep breath I left the room; preparing myself to look shocked over Elijah's return.

* * *

A loud crash pulled me out of my sleep and I sat up in my bed as my heart started pounding ferociously. Seconds later a bright light flashed outside my window behind the closed curtains and I stared into my dark room with wide eyes.

I flinched as another thunderclap seemed to tear apart the sky and looked down to see my hands shaking uncontrollably. I wasn't sure why, but over the last year or so I had become deathly afraid of thunderstorms. I pulled my blanket tight around me as heavy rain drops suddenly started drumming against my window and I forced back a scream when a loud rumbling shook them lightly.

I couldn't stay in my room, I quickly decided as I rose from my bed with my blanket pulled tight around me. It didn't feel safe and I needed to find the person who always knew how to calm me down during these kinds of thunderstorms. Slowly, I made it to my door and peeked outside at the empty hall.

"Hey, why are you still up?" a voice asked softly as I closed the door to my bedroom and for a moment I was certain that I was going to have a heart attack. I spun around, almost falling in my blanket, and saw Rose, one of Nik's hybrids, stand in front of me.

"You and Theodore really have a bad habit of sneaking up on me." I told her breathlessly and I noticed a small blush creep to her cheeks. I couldn't get either of them to admit it, but there was definitely something there. Theodore had given her his blood at the homecoming after all.

"Sorry." Rose said with a timid smile and as usual I had trouble believing this woman actually was a scary hybrid. "Are you okay? You look a little… pale."

"Sure." I told her with a small shrug, inwardly cursing myself as I flinched at the sound of another loud crash. "Do you know where Niklaus is?"

"Downstairs, in the living room." Rose informed me after having listened for him with her new super hearing. 'Which one?' I almost asked, but I knew I wouldn't understand her directions either way.

"Thank you. Goodnight, Rose." I said with a thankful smile and then turned around to move down the hallway to the stairs.

"Goodnight." Rose called after me and I jumped as a thunderclap seemed to shake the whole building.

"Nik?" I called out hesitantly as I made it downstairs and then concentrated on hearing his reply over the noise from outside.

"In here." he called from somewhere in the house and I started moving in the direction of his voice. Soon I made it to one of the smaller living rooms, where I found Nik sitting in a two-person sofa with Elijah across from him in a Victorian armchair.

"Malina." Elijah said alarmingly as he stood up and took in my pathetic state. My heart was still beating rapidly in my chest and for some reason, the sight of the brothers made me tear up. "Is everything alright?"

"Hmm?" I asked as I had been more focused on counting the seconds between the thunderclap and the lightning. "Oh, I just couldn't… I couldn't sleep."

I flinched at the last word as a loud crash immediately was followed by a flash of light and I shot my eyes close.

"Come on, love." I heard Niklaus say and I opened my eyes to see him place a pillow against his thigh, telling me to lie down. "It will be over soon."

I could feel Elijah's curious gaze on me as I hurriedly placed my head on the pillow and curled up my body on the remaining space of the sofa. The vampire's eyes shifted between me and Niklaus before he sat back into his chair with a small smile on his lips.

"So why are the two of you still awake?" I asked in an attempt to avert Elijah's focus and stop him from inquiring about my obvious fear that I wouldn't be able to explain either way.

"We've been discussing the demise of the Salvatore brothers." Niklaus mused as his fingers started threading through my curls and I swallowed a content sigh. So much had changed since he had done it last, but he remembered how to calm me down nonetheless.

"And I feel quite well-rested." Elijah added with his stern gaze on his brother and without looking I knew Niklaus was smirking back at him. I couldn't help but smile myself, but another roar of thunder wiped it off.

"I surmised that from your redecoration of the dining room. It really opened up the room nicely to have Niklaus fly through the doors. But I am slightly disappointed over the table you broke; I liked it." I replied in a failed attempt to be humorous since my body hadn't stopped shaking.

"My apologies." Elijah said with a courtly nod but my diversion hadn't worked since he kept staring at me searchingly, clearly waiting for me to explain why my heart was hammering in my chest. I was so intent on ignoring him that the next crash made me yelp in shock and I pulled the blanket over my head, trapping Niklaus' hand with me.

"You know, love, it can't really hurt you." I heard Niklaus say from above me, but I stayed hidden under my blanket.

"I told you not to call me love!" I snapped at him and I could almost feel him roll his eyes at me. When he chuckled in response, I threw the blanket off my head and turned my head so I could glare up at him. "Where is Theodore?"

"Out searching for the last coffin." Niklaus told me with a small frown and I suddenly felt the need to assure him that he was still my best friend. "Why?"

"According to Caroline he is the God of thunder. I figured he could do something about the mess outside." I explained with a gesture towards the storm that raged beyond the walls. Niklaus let out something between a snort and a laugh, but he clearly found it amusing.

"Caroline?" Elijah spoke from his chair and I turned my head to meet his curious gaze. Caroline wouldn't be happy if she knew I was talking about her in the present company.

"One of the doppelgänger's friends that Malina has now befriended." Niklaus said before I could and the dissatisfaction was clear in his voice.

"Ah, Miss Caroline Forbes?" Elijah inquired and both Niklaus and I looked at him with surprise.

"You have met her?" I asked with raised eyebrows, but Elijah shook his head.

"No, but I have heard mentions of her. She was the girl Katerina killed to give you a vampire for the sacrifice, correct?" Elijah told and then looked at Niklaus for confirmation.

"I would say yes, but then I'm quite sure Malina is going to torture me again." Niklaus replied in a tight voice, but I could still feel his fingers calm gently through my hair.

"Torture?" Elijah asked and I smiled as his calm exterior crumbled for a moment.

"I warned him not to hurt Caroline, but a couple of days ago he made Tyler, Caroline's boyfriend and one of Nik's hybrids, bite her." I explained and the vampire turned to glare at his brother.

"I am sorry for the loss of your friend." Elijah then told me with a much softer expression on his face and my eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, no. Caroline is quite fine now. Nik healed her."

"Pardon me?"

"He healed her. With his blood, you know." I told him uncertainly, not sure if Niklaus had told him about that perk of being the Original hybrid.

"I know. I am just surprised that he let the girl live." Elijah replied and then sent Niklaus a curious look.

"I was bored." Niklaus said with a small shrug and I sent him an incredulous look.

"Is that why you left her a birthday present afterwards?"

"A present?" Elijah asked disbelievingly and it seemed as if he was finding it hard to comprehend the things I was telling him.

"I was bored." Niklaus just repeated and sighed when I flinched for the thirtieth time. "Now, let's talk about how you are still afraid of thunder."

"It is perfectly normal." I told him as I thought back to what Emma had told me. Thunderstorms were scary to everyone. Some people just reacted more strongly.

"I don't recall you being this afraid." Elijah commented from his seat and I opened my mouth to answer, closing it when I realised what I was about to say.

Elijah had never really been around when I had my 'incidents' because as it turned out; Tatia was also afraid of thunder. Rebekah had a theory about that and I had always kept my mouth shut.

"Well, you were never really around for that, brother. Not after Tatia decided that she was afraid as well." Niklaus said, voicing my thoughts and I let out a tired sigh. Elijah remained motionless as he stared at Nik and then back to me.

"Where did your fear come from?" Elijah asked instead of responding to his brother's jab at him and I frowned in confusion. How should I know? It had sort of just… appeared one day.

"The night of Astrid's birth." Niklaus answered for me once again and I turned my head to look at him in surprise. What was he talking about? "A big thunderstorm rolled over our heads while Malina was giving birth."

"I remember." Elijah said with a small frown and I felt as if they had forgotten I was there. "And then what? The sound of thunder became connected with pain?"

"Yes. But not that sort of pain. Nothing quite like that storm occurred again until three years later." Niklaus spoke with a surprisingly soft voice and I looked up to find him staring back at me with a sad smile.

"Astrid." Elijah spoke in a deep voice and tears sprung to my eyes as I realised what they were talking about. "You believe the two storms were connected?"

"Malina's emotions have doubtfully been more extreme than in those two moments." Niklaus concluded and I held up a hand as I slowly rose from my lying position on the sofa. My mouth had suddenly become very dry and several seconds went by before I was able to speak.

"Are you telling me that _I_ created those thunderstorms with my powers?" I asked incredulously and closed my eyes when a loud clap of thunder rang from outside. "I barely had any powers back then and even now, I wouldn't be able to control _the weather_."

"You are one of the most powerful witches in existence, Mal. You get angry and the wind suddenly picks up. Potentially, you could do whatever you wanted to." Niklaus told me and I gaped at him before turning my eyes to Elijah.

"Does that mean I am afraid of something I can create myself?"

"You have never truly been afraid of thunderstorms. Your brain connected your feelings, your _pain_, to something more understandable. Something you might be able to control unlike your feelings." Elijah was the one to reply this time and I stared at him intently as I tried to understand what he was telling me.

"So how do I get rid of it?" I asked after taking several deep breaths and the brothers shared a look before turning to me.

"Your feelings?" Elijah said in a clipped voice that made me shake my head.

"My fear." I corrected him and then looked to Niklaus, who was suddenly wearing a smirk on his lips. "What?"

"I might have an idea." he said as rose from his seat and held out a hand to me. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." I told him hesitantly as I reached up and took his hand. Soon I was being pulled through the house and I almost didn't stop when we suddenly stood in front of the main entrance door. The heels from Elijah's shoes clicked against the floor as he trailed behind us and I became conscious of my bare feet.

"Niklaus, I highly disapprove of this idea." Elijah spoke from behind us, but Nik just smiled at him.

"Let's leave Malina to decide, shall we?"

"What are you two talking about?" I asked irritatingly, tired of being left out. I jumped backwards – almost stepping over Elijah's toes – as Niklaus suddenly swung the door open and a cold wind hit me. I yelped in fright as a lightning split the sky and then stared at my friend with wild eyes.

"Please tell me your plan isn't for me to go out there." I begged him as I looked between the dark sky and Niklaus.

"This is how people deal with theirs fear in twenty first century, sweetheart. They face them." Niklaus told me in a low voice as he stood behind me and slowly made me move forward.

"Niklaus." Elijah warned as we stood at the threshold and I clenched my shaking hands into fists.

"What do I do?" I asked in a small voice that would have been inaudible if it wasn't for their super hearing.

"To control the weather, you have to accept that it isn't the thunder that frightens you and then let go of the pain that you feel." Elijah explained slowly, probably realising that he wouldn't be able to stop either of us.

"The pain I feel over Astrid's death." I clarified slowly and my heart seemed to stop beating all together.

"You are not letting go of Astrid." Niklaus told in a stern voice as he spun me around to face him. "Your daughter is the truly immortal one, living in all of us. But you cannot let her be your weakness."

I stared at him for a long moment, unable to fully comprehend what he was saying to me, but I nodded anyway. I needed to accept that it was the pain of losing I was afraid of and not the thunderstorm raging outside. If I couldn't let go then my powers would never be all they could be and that wasn't why I had been sleeping for a thousand years.

"What if I lose control?" I asked as a new fear suddenly crept over me. Maybe I wouldn't be capable of letting go and my powers would control me rather than the other way around.

"Find an anchor, Malina. Something to keep you grounded." Niklaus said as he turned me towards the door once more. "Better yet, be your own anchor."

The rain had stilled slightly during our talk, but I knew that I would be drenched shortly. Heavy drops landed in my hair and travelled down my naked arms, where they fell from my fingertips. The stone steps of the stairs were cold under my feet, but I moved away from the doorway nonetheless.

"I didn't know you could be so sentimental, Niklaus." I heard Elijah comment dryly and I bit back a smile as I tried to concentrate on my powers and the electricity that filled the air.

I moved forward until their voices were almost drowned by the wind and I stood in the middle of the courtyard, where a few cars were parked.

"Shut up." It sounded like Niklaus murmured back at him and I took a deep breath to focus my thoughts.

"If she gets sick, you will be taking care of her."

"She is a witch, Elijah. They don't get sick."

"Will you two shut up?" I yelled back at them without turning around and they immediately fell silent.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I was slowly getting colder and colder so it had to be quick.

"Okay. Let go of your fear. It is just a little thunder, nothing more." I told myself as loud clap of thunder sounded above me and I forced myself to remain still. Instinctively, I spread out my arms with my palms facing the sky and focused on the feeling of raindrops falling into them.

As I closed my eyes, a lightning zigzagged through the night and a pale face appeared in my mind. The girl's usually bronze skin seemed to have lost its colour and her small chest wasn't moving. I heard the thunder roll over me, but I couldn't get the picture of the dead girl out of my head.

My wet hair stuck to my cheeks as a sudden wind picked up around me and I could feel a new density in the air as if the clouds were moving closer to the ground. The hair on my arms suddenly rose and I opened my eyes to see a lightning strike about two hundred meters from me. I was doing it, but I didn't know how.

"Malina!" I heard Elijah call after me, but I stayed where I was in the middle of the courtyard.

As the rain started pouring more heavily, I closed my eyes once more and the dead girl appeared to me again. There was a painful tug in my heart as I waited for her to open her eyes and it never happened, but instead of pushing the feeling away, I accepted its presence and let it go with a deep exhale. It was still there, but it somehow felt more bearable.

Astrid didn't look as dead anymore. She looked as if she was just sleeping and the thunderstorm that rolled over us didn't seem scary to me anymore, but like something I had to protect _her_ from. I opened my eyes with a smile, jumping back when another lightning hit just fifty meters from me.

"Malina, I think the fun is over now, sweetheart." Niklaus' voice suddenly spoke behind me, but I just shook my head and took a step forward.

The wind around me had gone and the rain had turned into a light drizzle. When the loudest crash of thunder yet sounded above us, I knew what would follow and without thinking I reached out with my magic and redirected the lightning before it struck.

A loud explosion followed and I was suddenly dragged backwards and into the house with supernatural speed. When I was placed on my feet again, I quickly looked around and couldn't help but laugh when I saw that Nik's car was on fire. A low rumble came from the sky and it almost felt like it was laughing with me.

"I did it!" I yelled happily as I spun around to look at the stunned brothers. I noticed that a lot of the hybrids had joined the Originals in the foyer and was now looking at me with equal respect and fear. Was this how it felt to be Niklaus?

"You killed my car." Niklaus pouted as he looked at the wreck that burned brightly in the night.

"You can get a new one. Did you see what I just did?" I exclaimed with a laugh and placed a hand over my mouth in disbelieve. "I redirected lightning! Lightning, Nik!"

A smile slowly spread on Niklaus' lips at the sight of my excitement and he quickly stepped forward, placing his hands against my drenched hair and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Indeed you did." he said with a proud smile and I turned my head to see Elijah smiling at me as well, albeit with a far more concerned look in his eyes.

A thick blanket was suddenly placed around my shoulders and I look behind me to see Rose stare at the Originals exasperatedly and then sent me a smile. The warmth that suddenly enveloped me made me realise how cold I really was and my teeth started clattering as I pulled the blanket tighter around me.

"If I had known this was what you intended to do, I wouldn't have let you leave your room." Rose told me jokingly as she rubbed her hands against my arms in quick motions and I let out a small laugh.

"Everybody, go back to your chambers now." Elijah suddenly ordered the hybrids and I watched Klaus glare at him with annoyance before looking back at me with worry.

"Rose." Nik spoke pointedly as the hybrid stayed behind and she looked as if she was about to say something before she cast down her eyes and retreated as well. Niklaus quickly took her spot in front of me and I smiled at him reassuringly. I was exhausted and freezing, but I felt as if I could anything right now.

"What you did was astonishing, Malina." Elijah told me with a small smile that I returned brightly. "But you need your warmth back quickly and then you must rest."

I gave out a small sigh as I nodded and then turned to walk upstairs. A small yelp escaped me when I was suddenly scooped up into someone's arms and in the next second I was standing inside my room.

"You cannot just do that, Niklaus!" I chastised my friend as I struggled to find my balance, but he had already moved over to my closet from where he pulled a knitted sweater and a new pair of pyjamas pants for me to wear.

I wanted to protest as he suddenly opened the drawer with my underwear, but he had closed it again in a second and was now pushing me into my adjoined bathroom. I let out a small whimper when he pulled the blanket off me and found a towel from the cabinet under the sink. Niklaus then moved to the shower and turned on the water, making hot steam slowly damp the room.

"Shower now." he told me with a stern look in his eyes and then left, leaving my clattering teeth as the only sound to fill the silence.

With shaking hands I pulled off my drenched clothes and stepped in under the water. It was almost too hot against my icy skin, but I didn't turn down the temperature and I slowly felt my body relax as my trembling stopped.

I stayed in the shower for almost ten minutes and then quickly pulled on the clothes Niklaus had picked for me. I still felt a little cold, but I blamed my exhaustion for that. To my surprise, Niklaus was still in my room and I watched silently as he looked through one of the school books that lay on my desk.

"Are you thinking of going back to school?" I asked teasingly and Nik let out a small chuckle as he put down the book, turning around to face me.

"What could they teach me that I haven't already seen with my own eyes?" Niklaus replied amusedly and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his arrogance.

"My apologies, Mr. I'm-a-thousand-years-old." I told him mockingly as I climbed under my sheets and lay down. Slowly, Niklaus took place beside me and pulled the sheets up to my chin as he lied down as well.

I was on my side with my face turned towards him, while he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. A comfortable silence filled the room and I could feel myself slowly drift asleep. It was the first time in a long time that I felt completely safe like this.

"I know you pulled the dagger out of Elijah's heart." Niklaus told me quietly and I let out a small sigh in response; too tired to really care.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked drowsily and without opening my eyes.

"Do you really think that low of me?" was his reply and I could feel his eyes on me even though mine were still shut.

"No." I murmured back as I forced my eyes to open. Niklaus' eyes were almost glistening in the dark, but there was a small smile on his lips as he leaned closer and planted another kiss on my forehead.

"I could never kill you, Malina." he promised in a low voice and I nodded in understanding. "Besides, what would I do without my goddess of thunder?"

* * *

**A/N: Teddy is back!:D And Elijah has arrived. Malina showed of some new skills and Klaus helped her let go of some of her grief. I got the idea after a freak storm we had in Denmark some time ago. I'm not usually afraid of thunder, but I almost crapped my pants that night. **

**I think it's important to remember how much Astrid's death still affects Malina. Some fics seems to include such deaths and then sort of forget about them again because the romance is more important. Losing your child is traumatic (luckily I've never been through something like it myself) and not something to just be mentioned in a side note now and then. **

**Anyway... How are you liking Klalina? Yes, I came up with my own shipname. If I haven't mentioned it already I'm not planning to make them romantic at all since I'm team Klaroline till the end. And I like them as friends better. You might have realised who I've intended for Malina instead;)**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter:D Tell me what you think! I especially loved all your comments about Teddy from the last chapter:) I'll try to include him more in future chapters. Toodles!**


	15. Chapter 12

_**Malina's P.O.V.**_

"What?!" I snapped hoarsely as I answered my phone on the fourth ring. I had ignored it in the hopes that the caller would give up and let me sleep a little longer, but the ringtone was drilling holes into my head and in the end I had been the one to give up.

"'_Morning to you too, Wicky._" Damon Salvatore spoke in an amused voice and I let out a small groan as I fell back onto my pillow.

"What do you want?" I asked impatiently and winced as pain shot through my throat. Niklaus had clearly been wrong about witches never getting sick. My pounding headache and sore throat was evidence of that.

"_What's with your voice?_" the vampire inquired and I held the phone from my mouth as a coughing fit made my lungs constrict painfully. "_Are you trying to seduce me? Because it might be working._"

"Damon." I warned in a low voice that didn't strain my vocal cord too much and kept the pain away, and I could almost hear him smirk through the phone.

"_I need to speak with Elijah_." he then said, getting to the point of his call.

"Why?"

"_It's a secret._" Damon whispered mockingly and I suddenly wished that he was standing in my room so I could hex him back to hell. "_Nothing to worry your pretty little head with._"

"Let me guess. You think that Elijah now hates Niklaus so much that he wants to help you kill him." I told him in a bored voice and I could feel myself growing impatient. They never knew when to quit, did they? "You know what? I'll text you Elijah's number and you can go on conspiring to kill my best friend. I am actually starting to look forward to our little meetings where I get to inflict more pain on you."

"_My favourite time of the day._" Damon sneered back at me and a small smile appeared on my lips despite my poor state.

I wasn't sure where all the threats came from since I had been determined not to hurt anyone when I first arrived in Mystic Falls. But patience had never been a strength of mine and it was slowly reaching its limits.

"Mine too. Goodbye, Salvatore." I finished the call with forced cheerfulness and hung up.

My eyes widened slightly when I looked at the clock to see that it was already past noon, which meant I couldn't just go to sleep again. I didn't have any particular plans for the day, but with Elijah back and everything else going on, I couldn't just stay in bed.

I spent a few minutes thinking about what I was going to do about Damon's request to speak with Elijah and then grabbed my phone as I decided.

"_Come to my room and do not tell Nik._" I texted Elijah before sending another one after a moment's thought. "_Please bring tea and painkillers._"

"Locus taceo." I then whispered a few times with a concentrated look on my face until I was certain no one could hear what was going on inside my room.

I got up from my bed with a deep exhale and went to the bathroom. My eyes were dull as they looked back at me from the mirror and I was paler than usual. I was running a brush slowly through my hair when a knock sounded on my door and I quickly ran over to open it.

I shot Elijah a smile as he walked inside and I sighed happily as he placed a cup of tea and a small packet of aspirin on the table beside my bed.

"Thank you so much." I told him in a raspy voice as I sat on my bed and reached for the warm cup. Elijah looked down at me with a small frown and then let out an almost inaudible sigh.

"You're welcome." he replied with a small nod, but didn't comment on my poor health. After all we both knew how it had happened and apparently Elijah didn't feel the need to say 'I told you so'. Or at least not to me.

"So," Elijah started as he pulled over a chair so he could sit in front of me and I looked up from my tea. "why all of this secrecy?"

"Damon Salvatore just called me. He wants to speak with you." I explained and winced as I burned my tongue on the tea. I wouldn't be able to taste anything for the rest of the day after that.

"Careful, it's hot." Elijah told me with a small chuckle and I shot him a sheepish smile in return.

"Thank you for the warning." I said sarcastically, but the Original kept smiling at me.

"What did you tell Mr. Salvatore?" he then asked and I placed my cup on the table beside me.

"That I would give him your number and he then could continue finding ways to kill Niklaus. At least that is what I am guessing he wants to speak with you about." I told with a small shrug as I pulled a blanket tight around me. For some reason I still felt a little cold after my nightly activities.

"He thinks I want for revenge on Niklaus for daggering me." Elijah deduced and I nodded in response.

"Do you?" I couldn't help but ask and I tilted my head slightly to the side as I watched him carefully. Elijah met my gaze calmly and a long moment of silence passed between us before he finally shook his head.

"All I wish is for my family to be reunited once more. Especially now that you are here as well." Elijah revealed and I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"Me too. Which is why I did not want Nik to know that I texted you." I explained and the vampire nodded in understanding as he shot me a strange look. I looked at him without saying further, waiting for him to speak and with a curious voice he finally did.

"You are betraying my brother's wishes once more?"

"Not betraying. Helping." I corrected him with a pointed finger and the corner of Elijah's mouth lifted into half a smile. "I know he is glad to have you back, even though he will never admit it. He will feel the same when everyone else has returned as well."

"Are you certain about that?" Elijah asked with a raised eyebrow and he clearly didn't believe that I was right.

"No." I sighed and then fell back on my bed to stare at the ceiling. "But he is acting like a petulant child and if I learned anything from being a mother, it is that you cannot reason with one such as him. He won't realise how much he want it until he got it."

There was a heavy silence in the room as I finished talking and did my best not to think of my daughter. If I closed my eyes I could still see her lifeless body before my eyes, but the tug in my heart was less sharp and she looked as if she was just sleeping.

"You are still a mother, Malina." Elijah spoke in a low but soft voice and I sat back up as I sent him a teary smile.

"I know."

"I haven't asked you how you are feeling after last night's… hardships." the Original said as his dark eyes bore into mine and my fingers reached up to touch the red stone that rested just under my clavicles.

"My throat is sore and my head hurts, but I am actually better." I admitted with a small smile and Elijah returned one of his own. "I feel… lighter, sort of. And powerful. At least more so than before."

"It seems as if Niklaus was right in sending you out into the rain." Elijah remarked with an exasperated sigh and I reached out for my tea with a small sigh of my own.

"Let's not tell him."

"Let's not." Elijah agreed with a small nod and I couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped me.

"So what do you propose we do about Mr. Salvatore?" he continued and I took a sip of my – now cooler – tea before answering.

"You should meet with him. Maybe find a way to make a deal so we can have Esther's coffin back. Then we will take Niklaus up on his word about undaggering Kol, Rebekah and maybe even Finn." I suggested with a questioning look and reached over to open the packet with aspirin.

"What makes you believe that they wish to make a deal?"

"Maybe they don't. Maybe they are just wasting our time until they somehow manage to open your mother's coffin. But if they were smart, which I am seriously starting to doubt they are, they would want to make a deal to protect Elena from Niklaus." I explained with a small shrug and Elijah looked at me with a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

"You have changed." was all he said and I frowned in return as I swallowed the aspirin on my tongue.

"So have you." I replied with a small tilt of my head and then gestured towards his newly cut hair. It was shorter than before and suited him much more. I had to agree with Alaric; Elijah did have nice hair. "I like your new haircut."

"I am not talking about appearances, Malina." he told me with a stern gaze and I almost felt like a child being scolded by my mother. My father never seemed to care if I was making trouble or not. "I don't remember you being this calculating in our… younger years."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"That depends whether you got it from my brother or somewhere else."

"I suppose Niklaus triggered it. But I have also found that it is the only way to deal with the Salvatores and all of their plans to kill Niklaus. I did try with kindness and patience. But when you have both them and an Original hybrid to deal with, you run out. So perhaps I have become calculating and even less patient than I used to be, but that is what happens when you are trying to be nice to the people who wish to kill you."

Elijah stared at me for a long moment as I finished talking and I took a large sip of my tea as my speech had painfully grated on my vocal cord. An almost invisible smile then grazed Elijah's lips and he rose from his seat with a small nod.

"Send me his number and I will meet with Damon. And you should focus on getting well." Elijah said without any further comment to what I had just said and then sent me a stern look when I moved to remove the blanket around me, making me pull it tighter around me instead.

"I will." I told him with a nod and reached for my phone to do as he said. He was about to open the door when I called after him. "Good luck. And if you get the chance, please punch him or something. Say it was from me. He will understand."

Elijah looked at me incredulously before shaking his head and leaving the room. I quickly texted him Damon's number and removed the silencing spell. When I had finished the rest of my tea I dialled a new number and Niklaus answered after the first ring.

"_Mal?_" he asked confusingly as he probably didn't understand why I was calling from my bedroom.

"I need tea. Lots of tea, Nik." I told him hoarsely and I heard him sigh on the other end at the sound of my voice.

"_I will make you tea. Anything else for the princess?_"

"Soup." I said when I suddenly heard my stomach growl and Nik let out another sigh. "And find Rose. I think she was a doctor before you decided to make her your slave."

"_As you wish_." Niklaus spoke through his teeth and I couldn't stop the triumphant smile that appeared on my lips. It was more or less his fault that I was slowly losing my voice so I was going to annoy him with him as long as I could.

* * *

"How did you even manage to get sick?" Nik asked as he arrived with Rose in tow ten minutes later. Of course it was Rose who carried the tray with tea and soup and I sent her an apologizing smile.

"That should be fairly obvious." I deadpanned but Nik just rolled his eyes at me.

"Witches don't get sick, sweetheart."

"Clearly, they do." I said as I gestured towards myself and the Original hybrid let out yet another sigh.

"It's been a thousand years, Mal and you are the first sick witch I have ever run into."

"One, nobody likes you so why would they be near you while they are sick and vulnerable? And two, maybe they didn't have a crazy best friend who pushed them outside during a thunderstorm." I told him in a nonsensical voice and I heard Rose giggle behind us, making Nik turn his head to glare at her.

I was impressed by how long she met his eyes before she had to look down and I sent her another smile as she placed the tray on my bed in front of me.

"I see someone has already been here with tea." Nik then said and he lifted a questioning eyebrow as he eyed the empty teacup and packet of aspirin.

"Elijah was here." I shrugged without explaining further and turned my attention towards my soup as I felt Nik's eyes on me.

"And where is my brother now?"

"I am yet to leave my room, Nik. How should I know?" I asked with an exasperated sigh and then looked at Rose, who watched us with a small smile on her lips. "Rose, do you by any chance know a cure for a sore throat?"

"I might have something in mind." Rose told with a nod and then left the room just as Theodore entered. I watched with an ill-hidden smile as the two almost collided in the doorway and then couldn't figure which way they should go around each other.

I turned my eyes to Nik, who was staring at the pair as well and our eyes met as Rose finally disappeared out of the room. His eyebrows were raised in surprise and there was a questioning look in his eyes.

"Malina." Theodore's deep voice rang from the door, bringing Nik and I out of our staring match and I turned my head to look at the hybrid at the door.

"Hi, Teddy." I greeted with a smile and painfully swallowed a spoonful of chicken soup. Theodore huffed with annoyance at the sound of his nickname and Nik let out a small chuckle as he patted Theodore's shoulder and left the room.

"I heard about your show last night. Should I be impressed or worried?" Theodore asked as he moved inside my room with his arms crossed in front of him. It almost looked as if it was physically impossible because of the biceps that stretched out the sleeves of his shirt.

"Both. But mostly impressed." I told him with a grin and a low chuckle rumbled in his chest.

"Your voice sounds terribly." he commented as he sat down on my bed, careful not to tip the tray.

"Thanks." I replied sarcastically and raised my tea cup in a mock toast. "Damon Salvatore told me it was seductive."

"Someone should kill Damon Salvatore, soon. I'll be happy to." Theodore offered with a grin and I sent him a disapproving look despite of the smile on my lips.

"Evidently, there will be a line." I said with a sigh before returning to my soup.

We spoke casually for another five minutes until Rose suddenly reappeared and I hid a smile when Theodore quickly rose from my bed. She sent him a quick smile before handing me the mug she was holding in her hand.

"Try this. It doesn't taste good, but it usually works miracles." Rose told and I took it with a grateful smile. "It shouldn't be too hot."

I could their eyes on me as I took a sip from the mug and heard their muffled laughs as I tried not to spit drink back into the cup.

"What on earth is this?" I exclaimed as wrinkled my nose in disgust and glared at Theodore, who wore an amused smile.

"Boiled water with ginger and lemon. I warned you about the taste." Rose answered and she had the courtesy to look at me sheepishly as I glared at her as well.

"You said that it doesn't taste 'good'. This is awful." I complained as I sniffed the contents and shuddered slightly.

"But it works." the female hybrid told me pointedly and I sighed in acceptance before taking another large sip. Two minutes later it was all gone and I quickly swallowed the rest of my soup to drown the taste.

"Thanks."

My voice was still hoarse and my throat was killing me, but the headache had disappeared.

"You should get some sleep now." Rose advised as she took the tray from my bed and shot Theodore a look that made him follow her out of the room. Ten minutes later I was fast asleep.

* * *

"Malina?" a voice called from outside my door and a knock brought me completely out of my sleep. "Mal?"

"Come in!" I called out with a sleepy voice and I was surprised by how painless it felt to speak. A moment later Nik entered my room and I sat up in my bed as I rubbed my eyes.

"Feeling better?" he asked as he walked to my closet and started looking through my clothes. I didn't answer as I watched him with confusion and my jaw dropped as he opened and closed my underwear draw before I could protest.

I was still staring at him as he tossed a pile of clothes unto my bed and looked at me questioningly, making me realise that I still hadn't answered him.

"Yes. What are you doing?" I replied with a small shake of my head and gestured towards the clothes at my feet.

"We're having dinner in an hour and Elijah has invited a few guests. Take a shower and get dressed." he told casually before strolling out of the room once more.

I had a bad feeling about who our guests were and for a long moment I considered staying in bed. Except I knew that Niklaus would probably come and drag me out of bed, and then push me into the shower himself.

With a deep sigh I tossed the covers of me and walked into my bathroom. Five minutes later I was done with my shower and I fumbled a little with the hairdryer; another modern contraption that impressed me. Admittedly most of them did.

I looked at the outfit Niklaus had chosen for me suspiciously, but luckily it was both decent and somewhat comfortable to wear. It was a black jumpsuit without sleeves that hung loose around me except for the waist. A red blazer – I didn't know I had – lay on the bed as well and I was surprised by how well it matched my necklace.

Only a small part of the clothes in my closets was from Chicago while the rest of it had just 'magically' appeared when I moved in. How Niklaus had managed to find all of it in the right size was somewhat of a mystery, but I was impressed by how well he knew me since I was yet to find something I would never wear.

I managed to put on mascara without poking myself in the eye and I found a red lipstick to colour my lips. My hair cascaded over my shoulders and I took one last look in the mirror before stepping into a pair of black ballerina shoes. After a moment's contemplation I found a black scarf in a light material that I wrapped around my neck.

With one last sighed I exited my room and walked downstairs. A scowl set on my face as I walked into one of the smaller dining rooms and I saw the girls in revealing gold dresses that stood a couple of meters from the table. Niklaus smirked at me as he walked into the room and noticed me stare at the girls, but didn't say anything.

I glared back as his eyes glided over my form and he smiled appreciatively.

"You clean up nicely." he said with a teasing gleam in his eyes and I placed myself in one of the five chairs with an irritated huff. Elijah joined us the next moment in his usual suit and smiled when he noticed my presence in the room.

The Original quickly left the room once more and I understood why when he walked back into the room with the Salvatore brothers on his heels.

"Niklaus, Malina. Our guests have arrived." Elijah informed with a small smile and let the brothers pass him into the room.

A smirk appeared on Damon's lips when his eyes landed on me, but a small flash of uncertainty made me return the smile. Stefan looked positively bored already, but glared at me before looking at Niklaus, who stood behind one of the chairs.

"Damon, Stefan!" Nik exclaimed as if he was actually happy to see them and I forced myself not to roll my eyes. "Elijah tells me you seek an audience. Very bold."

"Let's discuss the terms of our agreement as civilized people, shall we?" he continued as gestured towards me and the table.

"It's better to indulge him." Elijah said when Damon turned to look at him and I noticed the smirk that appeared on Niklaus' lips as Elijah moved over to the chair beside mine.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus." Stefan spoke as he moved towards the table as well and I could already feel myself grow tired. "In fact I didn't want to come here at all, but I was told I had to because you would hear us out."

"Well, we can sit and eat." Niklaus said with a small laugh and walked over the chair one of the silent girls pulled it out for him. I had a small inclination to hurt him badly for that ridiculous display of 'power'. "Or I could reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours."

This time I rolled my eyes at his theatrics and then watched with slight amusement as the brothers looked at each other, not quite sure what to say. When the silence in the room stretched beyond my patience I stood up and pushed out the last two chairs with my magic. I hated to use my powers for trivial things, but I needed their attention.

"Sit. Eat. Now." I ordered the brothers with a stern glare and sat back down when they finally moved towards the table. Niklaus let out a small chuckle at my impatience and I noticed that a small smile played on Elijah's lips as well.

"I hear you lost your sexy voice, Wicky." Damon commented with a smirk as he placed himself across from me and I faked a smile that only widened his.

"You wanna know how I got my _sexy_ voice, Salvatore?" I asked with a faint sneer in my voice and Damon lifted an eyebrow in question. I could feel Elijah and Nik's eyes on us, but I kept my stare on the Salvatore brother. "I walked out in a thunderstorm last night and then I made lightning strike Nik's car. You can understand why my throat might have been a little sore this morning."

"That's impossible." Stefan commented in a bored tone from beside Elijah and I turned my gaze to him. In the meantime the food was being brought in and wine was poured into our glasses. Water was poured in my other glass, while the others' were left empty.

"You are impossible." I countered with a small shrug and took a sip of my water. "And yet you are sitting right here. I have witnesses, if you like. And a very burned car to prove it."

"So how did you manage that?" Damon questioned with a curious expression on his face and I smiled at him as I leaned forward in my seat.

"I will tell you if you tell me where the last coffin is." I suggested with a tilt of my head and I heard Nik laugh from beside me once more.

"Not really a fair deal, is it?" Damon retorted as he leaned forward as well and I fell back in my seat.

"I suppose you are right. My secret is much more important than yours."

An unimpressed snort came from Stefan, but I turned my gaze to Niklaus, who was watching us with amusement with his hands folded in front of him.

"Let's eat, shall we?" he spoke when the dinner had been served onto their plates and the girls had returned to their places in the back of the room. I could feel my anger grow at the sight of them, but decided to take care of one problem at a time and the two brothers at the table took precedence.

"Thank you, love." Damon said to one of the girls as she filled his glass of wine and I rolled with my eyes as I took a sip of my own glass. Damon stared after her hungrily and I felt like snapping his neck then and there.

"You lost your appetite?" Nik asked the brooding vampire, who was yet to touch his food and Damon looked at his brother with irritation when Stefan just shrugged.

"Eat. I thought we agreed we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home." Damon told his brother as he glared at him and it almost sounded as if he was talking to a child. My eyes met Elijah's for a brief moment and we shared an exasperated sigh.

Stefan cleared his throat with a forced smile on his lips and Niklaus smirked at him as he picked up his fork and knife.

"That's the spirit." Nik said in an encouraging tone and I decided to focus on my food instead of their stupid macho games. "It is nice. The five of us dining together. Just a treat."

"Was this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of Elijah?" Nik then asked as he looked at me and I almost smiled at the shocked expression on Damon and Stefan's faces. I slowly picked up my glass of wine before looking at Nik and then shot him an easy smile.

"What else could I possibly have had in mind?" I replied innocently as I took a sip of my wine and returned the glass to the table. Niklaus wore a smile on his lips, but there was also a hidden irritation behind his words. "I have just missed the large family dinners so much."

"The more, the merrier. Isn't that what you say?" Damon added cheekily and winked at me, making me roll my eyes in return.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our quarrels over the centuries but we always make it through." Niklaus told as he looked at his brother and took a bite of his food.

"Kinda like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan said in a sarcastic tone that made Niklaus turn his attention away from his brother. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."

"If you are referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I have already come clean to Elijah." Niklaus replied casually and turned his gaze to Elijah once more.

"Hey, Stef! Remember when you killed dad? Might wanna dial down the judgement till dessert." Damon reminded his brother before taking a sip of his wine and I studied my present company with a small sigh.

"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we have to kiss his ass for seven courses." Stefan retorted as he smiled at Niklaus, who looked back with mirth in his eyes.

"I'm just saying that we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself." Damon told his brother in a low voice and I inwardly let out a sigh when I realised that he was right.

"So, Damon," I started after listening to Nik and him blabber about nothing for five minutes. It was like a contest about who could make the other more annoyed without losing the smile on their lips. "Have you spoken with Caroline today?"

"You really want to do this now?" Damon hissed at me and the playful gleam in his eyes disappeared. I guess I won the contest.

"Do what?" I asked innocently with a tilt of my head and took another sip of my wine. I could feel Niklaus and Elijah's curious gazes on me, but kept my own on the oldest Salvatore brother.

"Yes, please do tell." Nik added with amusement and Damon's eyes shifted between the two of us with both uncertainty and annoyance.

"Damon did something to Caroline that Malina likes to torture him for." Stefan told in a bored tone and a glare was quickly fixed on him by his brother. Elijah was watching quietly from beside me and hadn't spoken a word since our guests had arrived.

"What did he do?" Niklaus asked nonchalantly as he leaned back into his chair, but I noticed how his smile had disappeared along with the amusement. Nik was staring at me as he waited for my explanation, but I just rolled my eyes in response.

"You don't have to pretend like you actually care, Nik." I scoffed at him and then frowned when an unreadable expression crossed his features.

"Why do _you_ care?" Stefan asked with a lazy smile as he took a bite out of his food, interrupting my brief staring match with Nik.

"Because what Damon did was despicable and Caroline is my friend." I told him coolly, but Stefan's smile only widened.

"If you two are friends, how come she hasn't told you about her father being in an accident? Unless she did and you just don't care." Stefan said with a triumphant look in his eyes as my eyes grew wider with every word he said.

"How is he now?" I asked urgently as I found my phone in one of the pockets in my jumpsuit. Stefan looked at me for a long moment before shrugging, but I couldn't help but notice the small glimpse of worry in his eyes. Caroline had told me that she and Stefan had been good friends before Nik decided to take away his emotions.

"Malina." Niklaus spoke with an irritated voice as I started typing on my phone, but I held up a hand to silence him.

"Don't." was all I said as I kept my eyes on the phone.

"Stefan," Elijah then said as he looked at the vampire and I sent him a silent thank you in my head. "How's the lovely Elena tonight?"

"I don't know. Ask Damon." Stefan responded casually and the smile never left his face.

I glanced up briefly when Nik started laughing and Elijah held up his hands as he looked between the four of us with confusion.

"_I just heard that your father got in an accident. Is everything okay? Call me if you need to talk. – M._" I texted Caroline and then placed my phone on the table beside my plate, returning to the conversation.

"I'm sorry, you've missed so much." Nik quickly told his brother as he stopped laughing and then gestured towards the Salvatore brothers. "Ah, trouble in paradise."

"How eloquently put." I commented as I lifted my glass at him and he mimicked my movements with a smirk on his lips. I heard how the irritation was seeping through my voice as the talk unsurprisingly turned to the doppelgänger.

"One more word about Elena and this dinner is over." Stefan warned in a low voice as he leaned forward and I pressed my lips together to stop myself from smiling as Nik placed a silencing finger over his lips, fighting a smile himself.

"Hey, it's probably best to keep Elena in the 'do not discuss' pile." Damon said with an irritated smile on his lips and I couldn't hold back one of my own any longer.

"Well, you're probably right." Nik agreed as he took another bite of his food and Damon made an agreeing sound just as Nik started speaking again. "It's just… the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger. Still so strong."

"What do you say, brother?" he then asked as he looked at Elijah and I almost knew what was coming. "Should we tell them about Tatia?"

"Please don't." I couldn't stop myself from groaning and received a surprised look from the men around the table.

"Is someone jealous?" Damon teased with a sly smile even though he had no idea who Tatia was and I laughed in response, making him frown.

"Jealous? Tatia was manipulative and selfish. She barely even cared for her own child since she was too busy running around and flirting with everyone in sight." I sneered back at the vampire, surprised by my own voice. It was the first time I had ever spoken ill about her in the presence of Niklaus and Elijah.

"You never told me how much you disliked her." Nik commented casually and he actually looked as if he found my outburst funny.

"Of course not. You loved her." I told him with a small shrug and took another sip of my wine.

"Loved?" Stefan asked incredulously and I smiled at the surprise in his words. He was capable of emotions after all.

"I agree with Malina." Elijah spoke and my eyebrows flew up in surprise until he continued explaining. "Why should we discuss matters long since resolved?"

"Given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line." Nik argued and I let out a tired sigh.

"We're not going anywhere, Elijah." Damon said as he reached for his glass and lifted it towards the Original. "Please, do tell."

"When our family first settled here there was a girl named Tatia." Elijah narrated reluctantly and I sent him a sympathetic glance. He had been so in love with her and I felt sorry for his loss despite my own feelings and the fact that Elijah had been the one to come in between Tatia and Nik.

"She was an exquisite beauty." Elijah continued and I rolled my eyes, making Nik chuckle silently. "Every boy of age desired to be her suitor even though she'd had a child by another man and none loved her more than Niklaus."

"There was one who loved her at least as much." Nik spoke solemnly as he looked at his brother and I wouldn't have seen the brief expression of hurt in his eyes if I hadn't known him for all of my life.

"So you both loved the same girl?" Stefan said with a small laugh as he pointed between Niklaus and Elijah.

"Our mother was a very powerful witch." Elijah started explaining and I shared a brief look with Nik. "She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell that turned us into vampires."

"Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us so for a time Niklaus and I grew estranged. Harsh words were traded. We even came to blows, didn't we, brother?" Elijah continued and I let out a small snort at the memory, making the men around the table stare at me again before Nik finished Elijah's tale.

"But in the end we recognized the sacred bond of family." Niklaus told with a smile and looked Elijah and I.

"Family above all." Elijah said with a smile as he raised his glass of wine towards us in a toast.

"Jafnan eða ey." I spoke in Old Norse, which made Niklaus grin and say the words in English as our glasses clinked.

"Always and forever."

I watched from the corner of my eye, as I emptied my glass, how Damon and Stefan shared a look. I had barely put down my glass before one of the girls refilled it and I took a calming breath. The dinner continued on casually but the tension in the room was palpable. I could feel Nik's irritation grow as I kept glancing at my phone, but I decided to ignore him.

"So why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah asked as the girls removed our plates and Elijah refilled his glass of wine.

"That's very simple." Damon said as he spun his own glass between his fingers. "Klaus gets his coffin back. In exchange, he, the rest of the Original extended family and the wicked witch over there leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges."

"Deal sounds fair, brother." Elijah spoke as he turned his gaze from Damon to Nik, but I knew that the negotiation was far from over.

"I don't think you understand." Nik said in a low voice that left no room for arguing. "Elena's doppelgänger blood insures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave her behind."

"Say I do leave her here under your protection." he continued in a higher voice as he grabbed his glass of wine and rose from his seat in one sweeping motion. "What then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding? You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one who can protect her and that is simply a delusion."

"Gentlemen," Nik spoke as he leaned his arms on the back of his chair and looked at the Salvatore brothers. "the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is… the two of you."

The ringing of my phone broke the heavy silence and Niklaus heaved a sigh as he glared at me with annoyance. Caroline's name flashed over my screen and I returned Nik's stare for a short moment before I quickly answered my phone.

"Caroline? Are you okay?" I asked tentatively as I ignored the others.

"_She's not_." a female voice replied and I frowned when I realised who the owner was.

"When you speak of the sun." I said with a small drawl in my voice and the four men quickly shifted their attention to me.

"_What?_" Elena questioned in a confused voice and I withheld a small sigh.

"I am having dinner with your boyfriends and we are discussing your future life and happiness because apparently you don't have any say in that." I explained to her and my annoyance was clear in my voice. Elena seemed too stunned by my reply to say anything and both Stefan and Damon glared at me as her silence continued.

"Elena?" I called when I thought she might have hung up and she gave a non-committing hum. "Why are you calling from Caroline's phone?"

"_She asked me to call you. She needs to see you._" Elena explained and she almost managed to hide her discontent. Slowly I rose from my chair and didn't speak until I had left the room completely and closed a door behind me.

"Elena, what happened?" I demanded in a low voice and I could sense the doppelgänger's hesitancy through the phone.

"_It was an animal attack._" Elena blurted out and I quickly realised what that was code for. "_One of the doctors gave him vampire blood at the hospital since he wouldn't survive otherwise._"

"One of the doctors?!" I interrupted as Elena just seemed to glide over that bit of information.

"_Meredith Fell. She knows about vampires. She managed to steal some blood for Damon._" Elena explained and I frowned as I tried to remember if I had been introduced to a Meredith Fell. "_Alaric is sort of dating her_."

I sighed at her last comment since it was clearly meant to upset me, when truthfully it didn't really mean much to me. Alaric was nice – and handsome – and maybe he had flirted with me and maybe he had not. I didn't really have time to be concerned about it at the moment.

"Good for him." I responded with forced cheerfulness and then became serious once more. "Did the vampire blood not heal Caroline's father?"

"_Yes. But when we came to pick him up this afternoon we found him… someone had slit his throat and stabbed him to death._" Elena told me with a heavy sigh and I felt my stomach drop.

"So he's a vampire now."

"_No. He won't complete the transition._"

"But then he will…" I trailed off as I wasn't able to finish the sentence.

"_Die. He knows._" Elena finished with a grim voice and I took a deep breath in response.

"I will be there in five minutes." I said before hanging up the phone and walking back to the small dinner party.

All four men looked up as I stepped inside and I wondered if they had been listening to my call since they didn't seem to have said a word meanwhile.

"Theodore!" I called out as I emptied my glass of water without looking at the men. My throat protested painfully to my yelling and I tightened the scarf around my neck. A moment later the hybrid entered the room warily and shot Nik a questioning glance before looking at me.

"Could you drive me somewhere?" I asked as I walked over to him and his eyes found Nik once more before he nodded.

"Where are you going, love?" Nik asked casually but irritation laced his every word.

"Do not call me love." I snapped at him as I took a step back towards the table. "I'm going to Caroline's. Her father is dying."

My eyes found Damon's but he quickly looked away and I noticed Stefan tense slightly even though he had his back to me.

"He's human, Malina. That's what they do." Niklaus replied in a bored tone and I clenched my hands into fists in anger.

"No, _Klaus_." I sneered at him and they all looked at me in shock as I had never called him that to his face. "Dying is what happens when you are in transition, but hate what your daughter has become so much that you would rather die than be a vampire like her. Maybe you can relate to that."

With those words I pointed at the three girls in the back and they all moved forward as I spoke once more.

"You three are coming with me." I ordered and Niklaus let out a small growl as they all walked up to me. "Have a nice evening, gentlemen."

Before anyone could respond I had pushed the girls out of the room and then out of the front door. Theodore followed behind us in stunned silence and I made the three girls squish into the backseat before I moved to the front and Theodore drove off.

"Do not say a word." I warned him as he opened his mouth to speak and Theodore quickly closed it again.

My anger was making my blood pump quickly through my veins and my cheeks felt flushed. Theodore tried to speak with girls in the back, who just replied with one syllable words and nods. A few minutes later we made it to Caroline's house and I quickly instructed Theodore to drive the girls somewhere safe before returning to me.

I walked over to the house quickly and paused when I saw Caroline sit on the porch in front of her house between Elena and Matt. Her head was resting on Elena's shoulder and I could see her shoulders shake slightly. Matt was the first to notice me and he cleared his throat softly, making Caroline look up at me.

Her cheeks were wet and her face was settled in a frown as she tried not to cry. I was surprised when Caroline suddenly rose from her seat and threw her arms around my neck. Her body started shaking as loud sobs escaped her and I wrapped an arm around her as I rested my other hand on the back of her head.

"I am so sorry, Caroline." was all I could say as the blonde continued to cry in my arms and I met the eyes of Elena and Matt over her shoulder. Elena was watching us with a small frown, but didn't seem that annoyed to have me here. Matt just looked slightly confused and he even sent me a careful smile.

A couple of minutes past as we all remained in our spots and Caroline's crying had become silent. Slowly she pulled away from me and shot me a sheepish smile that made me stroke her arm reassuringly. Behind us Matt and Elena got up from their seats and Caroline hugged them both tightly as they said their goodbyes.

"Caroline?" Sheriff Forbes called as she opened the front door to find her daughter. A small frowned appeared on her forehead at the sight of me but she didn't say anything. "Your father wants to speak with you, honey."

"Okay." Caroline nodded as she spoke in a thick voice and her mother walked inside again.

"You should go inside, Caroline. Your father needs you." I told her softly when she lingered at the door and she heaved a deep sigh.

"Isn't there something you can do?" Caroline asked weakly and tears started blurring my own eyes as I shook my head.

"I wish with all of my heart that there was. But I don't know how. I am sorry." I said with a teary voice of my own and Caroline nodded understandingly before she reached for the door handle. "I can stay out here if you wish?"

"No, it's okay. I think I need to be alone with my mom and dad." Caroline explained with a small smile and another tear rolled down her cheek. I nodded in response and a small shiver went through me when she disappeared into the house.

I was surprised by the heavy jacket that suddenly landed on my shoulders and I spun around to see Theodore stand behind me. A tear slowly rolled down my cheek and I didn't protest as he gently pulled me into a hug.

"Where do you want to go now?" Theodore asked silently and I pulled away from him as I wiped tears off my cheeks.

"Home."

Even though I was mad at Niklaus for being an insufferable asshole he was still my family and I needed him right this moment.

We were still a couple of minutes away from the mansion when my necklace suddenly heated up and I grabbed it with wide eyes. Theodore glanced at me quickly and somehow understood what was going on because soon we were going well over the speed limit.

We both ran into the mansion when Theodore had parked the car and I held up a hand to make Theodore stop as I slowly moved towards the dining room myself.

"Nik?" I called out carefully and stretched my fingers as I prepared myself to use my magic if I needed to. No answer came and my heart almost stopped when I finally stood at the edge of the room.

My mouth opened and closed as I watched the scene in front of me and a gasp left me when Esther turned around to look at me. Nik was standing behind her with tears in his eyes, but every word I thought of speaking disappeared from my mind when a pair of my lips suddenly pressed against mine.

I staggered backward in surprise, but an arm around my waist held me in place and I closed my eyes as a reflex when I recognized the gentle touch and the taste of his lips. My hands were wrapped around his biceps and I unwillingly let out a sigh as he continued to kiss me.

My eyes sprung open at the sound I made and I suddenly realised what I was doing. Without thinking I sent a hundred aneurisms through the vampire's head and he fell to his knees at my feet as he clutched his head in pain. I took a step back as I stopped my torture and looked down into a pair of dark brown eyes in shock.

"Pleasure to see you as well, darling."

"Kol."


	16. Chapter 13

_I staggered backward in surprise, but an arm around my waist held me in place and I closed my eyes as a reflex when I recognized the gentle touch and the taste of his lips. My hands were wrapped around his biceps and I unwillingly let out a sigh as he continued to kiss me. _

_My eyes sprung open at the sound I made and I suddenly realised what I was doing. Without thinking I sent a hundred aneurisms through the vampire's head and he fell to his knees at my feet as he clutched his head in pain. I took a step back as I stopped my torture and looked down into a pair of dark brown eyes in shock. _

_"__Pleasure to see you as well, darling."_

_"__Kol."_

* * *

**_Kol's P.O.V._**

My name falling from her tongue was enough to make my heart stutter, but instead I let a smirk appear on my lips as I rose from the floor. I had waited a thousand years to hear that voice once more and now it suddenly seemed as if she had lost the ability to speak.

Malina's green eyes bore into mine as her mouth opened and closed in shock and I had half a mind to steal another kiss. Admittedly the first one had surprised me almost as much as it had her and I had been in front of her before my mind had barely registered that she was actually here.

But what had surprised – and impressed – me most was the sheer power of her magic as she easily brought me to my knees. I was much weaker than usual after having been in a box for a century, but my time with the witches during the last millennium had helped me built up a sort of immunity to certain spells. The aneurism spell hadn't affected me this much since I had pissed off a coven of witches in the 1700's.

"Malina." I spoke as I stepped close and slowly reached up a hand with a questioning look in my eyes.

I ignored the sinking feeling of unfamiliarity as I said her name and focused on the burning on my fingertips as they brushed over her cheek. I almost pulled away when I realised that all the emotions that had become so foreign to me during the last few centuries had now returned.

My touch seemed to bring Malina out of the shock and she blinked repeatedly as if to bring her eyes back into focus. When her arms suddenly wrapped around my neck I felt my lips widen in a smile and the motion almost felt strange since I hadn't smiled so genuinely for a long, long time.

"You are here." Malina whispered with a small sigh and I felt her bury her face in the crook of my neck as I tightened my grip around her waist.

"Where else would I be, love?" I asked in a low voice and I felt a small shiver run through her as I placed my lips against her ear. Her reaction brought a smirk back to my face and I kept it there even as she pulled away and smiled at me shyly.

Malina then stepped around me and looked at the scene in front of her once more. I let my eyes glide over her as she stood there, assessing everything with an almost calculating look in her eyes, and I quickly came to the conclusion that I very much liked the 21st century's clothing.

"Niklaus?" Malina spoke hesitantly and I felt my smile drop at the sound of worry in her voice. My bastard of a brother snapped his attention from our mother's back to Malina and I clenched my fists as anger appeared in his eyes when Malina started rambling. "My necklace. I felt- are you hurt?"

"Are you really going to pretend to care? That you didn't know about this?!" Niklaus practically growled as he stepped around our mother and gestured towards the rest of us.

His eyes were still glistening with unshed tears and I was almost surprised that he actually managed to look hurt by Malina's apparent betrayal. When Malina took a step forward I quickly followed and Klaus' eyes shifted to me momentarily.

"Do not start with me, Nik! I had no idea that this would happen and a warning would have been nice." Malina yelled back and then turned her gaze to Elijah, who the last words were directed to.

I let out a small chuckle at her tone and I lifted an eyebrow in amusement when she turned her head to glare at me. I had definitely missed that sharp tongue of hers.

"She is right, Niklaus." Elijah assured my hybrid brother and he seemed to relax the slightest. Instead of replying he just gave a small nod and then moved to the table where a bottle of bourbon and a tumbler stood.

"Esther." Malina then said after a long moment of silence and my eyes left Nik as I turned my attention to the two witches.

The shock from mother's arrival still hung in the air and even more did her words about becoming a family once more. Malina had shaken us out of it, but the almost suspicious tone in her voice brought it back into my mind. It did seem rather odd after what Elijah had informed us about her death, but if I had learned anything from my thousand years among the living it was that mothers were supposed to forgive their children.

"Malina. I am happy that you have returned to us." Mother replied solemnly and sent Malina a smile that only seemed to make her tense up. Did she know something the rest of us didn't? "It must have been quite a spell to cast for you and your mother."

"Nothing compared to this." Malina replied coolly as she gestured around the room and my mother's smile suddenly seemed forced as it widened the slightest. "My mother told me that she was the one who preserved your body."

"You spoke with her from the Other Side, I presume?" Esther questioned as she eyed the younger witch, who nodded, and I felt a sudden need to get Malina away from my mother. "Indeed I have her to thank for bringing me back to my family."

"And why are you here?" Malina asked carefully and my eyes momentarily shifted to Nik, who stared at Malina intensely as if he felt the same concerns as I did.

"To be with my children, of course." our mother responded with a lifted chin and Malina tilted her head slightly before giving a small nod.

"Good." was all she said in a low voice and I noticed how she turned her head towards Nik before looking at my little sister. "Welcome back, Bekah."

"Missed me?" Rebekah inquired with a small smile as she hugged the witch, but there was an uncertainty in her blue eyes that had me intrigued.

She usually only wore that look when she had done something nobody could know about, but they possibly did. Like when she had met with one of her many dalliances and she didn't want Nik to know. Nik always knew.

"That depends on whether you still wish to sacrifice me so you can kill Niklaus." Malina retorted with a steely voice, but I could almost hear the smile as well.

I rushed forward when I realised what she had said and pinned Rebekah to the wall by her throat as I growled down at her. There was a regretful look in her eyes, but I could barely see through my anger and I glanced around for any of the daggers that we had used against Nik.

"What did you do, little sister?" I asked her through my teeth as she choked in my grasp and I barely noticed that someone was saying my name. I vaguely heard Nik chuckle lightly somewhere behind me and I loosened my grip when I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder.

"Kol, let her go." Malina demanded in a low voice and I could feel her breath ghost over my neck, making me relax further. Slowly I released my sister completely and she coughed a couple of times before she flashed out of the room.

"Perhaps we should leave as well. Mother," Elijah said as I turned around to stare at Malina without acknowledging anyone else and I heard him hesitate when he addressed our mother. "let me show you to a room."

"Thank you, Elijah." I heard her say and my eyes left Malina briefly to see Finn, Elijah and Esther leave the room.

When I turned my eyes back to Malina, she was instead looking at Nik and giving him a small nod which made him leave as well. I felt irritation well up inside of me, but for once didn't say anything as Malina was now staring back at me.

"You should be more surprised that I am here, you know." she told me with a small smile as she looked up at me and I lifted an eyebrow in question. "Unless Elijah told you about my return."

"Oh no, darling." I said with a secretive smile and leaned so close to her ear that my lips briefly brushed against her flushed cheek. "I already knew that you weren't dead."

"How?" I heard her breath as her heart beat picked up speed and I smirked to myself.

"You can get a lot of information from a Bennett witch if only you use a little charm."

"Kol Mikaelson!" she exclaimed indignantly in a low voice as she took a step back to glare at me. I sent her a dazzling smile in return, but it only seemed to further her irritation. "How long have you known?"

"A couple of centuries." I told her with a shrug and received a smack on the shoulder in return. "I would have told someone eventually, but then I was put in a coffin for over a hundred years."

"You had already had a century to tell!" Malina berated me and I caught her hand when she raised it to hit me once more.

"Well, I didn't want to share you with anyone, love." I said as I kissed the palm of her hand and I heard her breath hitch when my lips brushed past the pulse point on her wrist.

"I was not yours to keep, Kol." she replied in a stern voice as she pulled her hand from mine and took a couple of steps back.

"Then whose are you?" I couldn't help but sneer at her when a sudden image of her and Nik flashed through my mind, but I stayed in my spot when I noticed her flinch slightly. For a moment there was an almost fearful look in her eyes and 900 years ago I might have felt remorseful about that.

"I am my own person. And I am tired of people believing that they have any claim to me. I am not Niklaus' witch and I am not your lover. You have changed and so have I. Everything is different now." Malina told after a deep breath and I felt my anger subside.

"I cannot quit you, Malina." I warned her in a soft voice and I was surprised by how true those words were. I had had a millennium to get over her, but standing here I had clearly gotten nowhere near that.

"And I think I have made it painfully clear that I cannot quit you." Malina replied with a crooked smile as she glanced at me from behind her lashes and I felt like taking her then and there. Before she could say anything else I grabbed her hand and pulled her forward once more, crashing my lips against hers with an almost feverish longing.

Her response to the kiss was immediate and I couldn't help but smile against her lips as her fingers dug into my shoulders. I raised a hand to cup her cheek while the other was placed on her lower back, holding her tight against me and reminding me of our times spent in the woods. Until then I had forgotten how much I'd missed her body and I forced back a frustrated groan when Malina slowly pulled away.

"We have to do it right this time." she told me sternly and placed her hands against my chest to create some space between us. "Take it _slow_."

"As you wish, darling." I agreed as I made sure not to make a promise I couldn't keep. I had been taken it slow for a thousand years. When it came to Malina patience was no longer in my vocabulary.

"Thank you." she spoke with a soft smile on her lips and the urge to kiss her again was almost too great to resist. Instead I sent her a smile in return and moved over to the table where Nik had his alcohol to pour myself a long awaited drink.

"So tell me," I said as found a glass and filled with golden liquor before turning to look at the stunning witch once more, "what have I missed?"

* * *

**_Malina's P.O.V._**

It was only nine when I woke in the morning after the family reunion and I stared at nothing for ten minutes as I tried to comprehend everything that had happened.

Esther was back and I had no idea what her plan was. If she even had one. I just knew that I couldn't trust her and I hoped that I wasn't the only who felt that way. But if I knew Elijah as well as I thought I did, I knew I wasn't. He had always been one for logic thinking and Esther forgiving Niklaus just like that wasn't logical. Not even as a mother forgiving her bastard son for killing her. Esther wasn't like that.

Then there was Kol. Just thinking about him made me all flustered and I cursed myself for acting like a pre-adolescent child, who couldn't control her hormones. But my body still felt as if it was burning from his touches and I pressed together my lips as I recalled the last kiss we had shared.

Taking it slow had already proved to be much harder than expected. Especially when Kol insisted on constantly invading my personal space and staring at me as if I was the most delicious thing he had ever seen.

At the thought of it, it felt as if a coil slowly appeared in my stomach and I sprung out of bed when I couldn't take it anymore. It took me another full minute to ponder what to do next since I was hungry, but didn't feel like wandering around in the clothes I had slept in. It hadn't felt weird with only Nik and Elijah around – the hybrids bothered me even less – but now it felt inappropriate.

With a small sigh I finally moved to my bathroom and twenty minutes later I had showered, blow-dried my hair and gotten dressed. Once again I suddenly felt self-conscious about my attire and I spent longer time than normal in front of the full-body mirror to stare at my reflection.

I had chosen a pair of light coloured jeans, a black tank top and a long cardigan in a burgundy colour. It was simple, but not too boring. But the tightness of the jeans made me unsure and I had to take a deep breath before exiting my room.

As I moved down to the kitchen I was surprised by how the whole house seemed to have come alive and both hybrids and people I had never seen before were running around with their hands full of all sorts of things. I could feel my own jaw drop as I stepped into the kitchen and it was full of strangers dressed in white uniforms, making all sorts of food.

"What can I do for you?" a middle-aged man asked as he wiped his hand in a towel and came to stand in front of me. He watched me patiently with a polite smile and it took me a long moment to realise that I wasn't dreaming.

"I just needed some breakfast." I managed to say as I looked around in the kitchen with confusion and the chef gave me a small nod.

"Will oatmeal do?" he inquired as he moved over to the stove and started to pour some kind of porridge into a small bowl. Apparently they had been waiting for me.

"Of course." I told with a slow nod and moments later I had a steaming bowl of oatmeal in my hands. "Thank you."

The chef had already gone back to his work and didn't answer as he instead started bossing around the other white-dressed people, who had to be his employees. As I didn't feel especially welcome in the kitchen I quickly walked away and I strolled around in the mansion almost five minutes before I heard some music come from one of the lounges. I placed my now empty bowl at a nearby table – there seemed to be a lot of those – and moved towards the sound.

"Rebekah, tell me how handsome I am." I heard Kol say as I come closer and I stopped to lean against the doorway as I reached the room. Inside was Finn, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol, and I frowned in confusion when I saw how Kol was dressed.

Elijah seemed to be studying a pair of shoes while Rebekah was getting her nails done. Finn was dressed in the same way as Kol but without a jacket and a tailor was at his feet. Kol stood fully dressed in front of a full-body mirror as he studied his own reflection and another tailor was finishing adjusting his jacket.

"Oh Kol, you know I can't be compelled." Rebekah drawled as she studied her nails and the two oldest brothers each let out a small laugh. I rolled my eyes at Kol's words but kept quiet. He had always been vain, but this almost seemed intolerable.

"Good morning, Malina." Elijah's deep voice suddenly rang from across the room and I sent him a smile as I took a few steps forward.

"Good morning." I greeted and slowly eyed the Mikaelson siblings one by one. Rebekah was smiling at me carefully and only seemed able to meet my gaze for a short moment. Finn gave me a court nod and Elijah sent me half a smile before returning his attention to the shoes in his hands.

Lastly was Kol, who wore a smirk and the ever-present mischievous gleam in his eyes as he looked at me. I bit my lower lip as I tried not to smile like a fool and lifted my eyebrows in questions as he kept staring.

"What do you think, darling?" Kol asked as the tailor finished with his jacket and he held out his arms as if to make sure I saw every inch of him. I titled my head to the side as I studied him for a long moment and then moved to stand in front of him.

"I think," I told with a thoughtful expression on my face and reached up to adjust his crooked bowtie, "that the twenty first century suits you very well."

"And I must say that whoever invented these is a genius." Kol said with an appreciative glance at my jeans as he hooked a finger around one of the belt loops and pulled me closer to him. I could almost hear my heart pound in my ears as my hands rested against Kol's chest and he looked amused with the reaction I was having to our sudden proximity.

The clearing of a throat brought me out of my reverie and I quickly took a step back as I turned away from Kol. The blush on my cheeks only got deeper when I saw the others stare at us and Rebekah wore a satisfied smirk as if she had planned the whole thing.

"So," I started hesitantly and had to clear my own throat before continuing, "what is going on with all of this? The kitchen was filled with strangers, Nik's hybrids are running around like headless chickens and you all look as if you are getting ready to go somewhere."

"No one is going anywhere, Malina." Elijah informed me as if to reassure me and I frowned as it didn't really answer any of my questions.

"We are having a ball here tonight." Rebekah clarified and I could hear her excitement even though she did her best to hide it. "Mother thought it was the perfect way to introduce ourselves to Mystic Falls."

"A ball?" I asked in confusion and looked between the four Originals.

"A party, Mal. You dance, drink, have fun." Rebekah explained as she casually gestured with her hand at nothing.

"Lots of fun." Kol commented from beside me and I turned my head to look at him, finding him very near as he – once more – had closed the space between us. I felt my mouth open and close a couple of times as I thought of something to say, but I was soon saved by Niklaus as he stormed into the room.

"You went after Elena." Nik sneered as he strode over to his sister with an angry expression on his face and I managed to pry my gaze from Kol to frown at Rebekah. "What is wrong with you?"

"Here we go." Rebekah said with a strained smile on her lips and I could almost hear Elijah sigh from the other end of the room.

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Niklaus asked darkly as he glared down at his sister, who was sat in the sofa. I didn't have time to react to his threat before Kol suddenly spoke from beside me.

"Again with the dagger threats?" he asked with an exasperated sigh and I swallowed one of my own. It was much too early in the day for this kind of sibling fighting. "Don't you have any other tricks?"

"Oh, go back to staring at yourself." Niklaus told him with disdain clear in his voice as he turned his head to look at his younger brother and his eyes momentarily rested on me before they returned to Rebekah.

"And who are you? My father?" Kol asked casually as he ignored my glares and stepped in front of me.

"No, Kol, but you're in my house." Niklaus retorted quickly with a small sneer as stepped towards his brother.

"Then perhaps we should go outside." Kol suggested as he mimicked Niklaus' action and there was suddenly little room between them.

"Stop it. Both of you." I ordered in a stern voice as I pushed myself in between them and placed a hand on each their chest to create more space. Both Originals just stared at each other right over my head and barely moved a centimetre as I kept pushing them apart.

"Enough." a new voice spoke and we all turned to see Esther – with a new haircut – stand in the doorway. "Niklaus, come."

Without waiting for a reply Esther spun on her heel and left the room. Slowly I removed my hand from Niklaus and made a small gesture with my head in the direction Esther had disappeared as he looked down at me. He then glared at Kol one last time before he moved around us and followed his mother.

"Don't." I warned Kol with a pointed finger when I noticed him smiling and he opened his mouth to speak. I ignored how the smile dropped from his lips and the annoyed expression that flashed over his features.

"So a ball, tonight. I have nothing to wear." I continued as I looked at Rebekah, whose face lit up in a smile. The blonde had always looked much prettier when she was smiling than when she wore the usual scowl on her face and I couldn't help but share her excitement a little.

"Of course you have." she replied in an almost chipper voice and stood from the sofa. "Come with me."

Quickly Rebekah had left the room and I sent the remaining Originals a scared look before following. Finn sent me a small smile in return and Elijah let out a barely audible chuckle, but Kol barely seemed to notice as he was more concentrated on studying his own reflection.

"Why are they acting like that?" I asked Rebekah as soon as I caught up with her and she sent me confused look.

"Like what?"

"Like children." I said with a small sigh that only made her laugh in return.

"They've been like that for centuries." Rebekah told as we moved up the stairs and towards what I guessed to be her bedroom. "I reckon it will get worse now that you are here."

"Why?" I questioned with a frown and the look in Rebekah's eyes told me that I didn't want the answer.

"Because you are the new toy they now have to share."

"I am not a toy!" I exclaimed angrily as Rebekah led me into her room and I paused for a moment when I saw all the dresses than hang from racks in the middle of the room. "Where did you get all of these from so fast?"

"I have connections." Rebekah shrugged as she started looking through the first collection of dresses. "And no, you are not a toy, Mal. And Nik and Kol aren't nearly as bad as Nik and Elijah when it comes to that type of drama, but they can both be very… possessive."

"Which means?" I asked hesitantly as I placed myself on Rebekah's bed and the blonde sent me a sympathetic look.

"Kol will hate how close you are with Nik and Niklaus will take advantage of that. We all know that you have just about as many romantic feelings for Nik as you have for Finn, even Kol knows that, but that won't make him any less insecure about you. You are the one that got away, Malina. And now Nik might take you away from him."

"What do I do?" I asked in frustration and Rebekah paused her browsing to look at me.

"Let them deal with their issues on their own. And try not to pick a side." Rebekah advised and all the happiness I felt over having Kol back faded the tiniest bit.

"And if they ask me to?"

"Oh, they definitely will." Rebekah said with a small laugh, but became serious when she saw the look on my face. "Do what is right for you, Malina. Kol will never let any harm come to you and Nik can't dagger you. You are the lucky one in this twisted family."

"I do not feel particularly lucky."

"Never mind that." Rebekah spoke in an almost bored tone as she rolled her eyes at me and I stood up from her bed as she gestured me over. "Let's find a dress for tonight."

* * *

"What do you think?" Rebekah almost sang as she spun around in her dark green dress. It looked uncomfortably tight as the fabric only flared out in the bottom but she was undeniably beautiful in it.

"It's perfect." I told her with a certain nod and Rebekah's lips split in a wide smile.

"And you are not just saying that because this is the seventh dress I am trying on?" Rebekah asked with a searching gaze and I held back a tired sigh. Admittedly I had become bored with watching Rebekah choose a dress after she had tried on the fourth one, but I still stood by my opinion of the dress.

"No. And I am sure that whoever is going with you to this dance will agree." I assured her with a smile and a small blush crept onto Rebekah's cheeks.

"I am inviting Matt." Rebekah informed me to my surprise and all I could do was nod in response. I doubted Caroline would be very happy with that decision. The sudden thought of Caroline made me wonder if she had been invited tonight as well and I reminded myself to call her when I was done with Rebekah.

"It's noon already." the blonde then stated as she looked at her phone and then at me with light shining from her eyes. "Your turn to find a dress then."

Half an hour later I was shrugging into my fourth dress and I spun around to look at myself in the mirror, when Rebekah suddenly became very quiet.

The dress was in a pearly white colour and the light fabric creased as it cascaded from my waist. The top was a little tight and I was showing off much more skin than I had ever done before since it didn't cover the top of my breasts. The sleeves looked as if they were made of a hundred beaded pearls and barely covered my shoulders, but despite it all I couldn't help but smile at my own reflection.

"Well, I think we found the one." Rebekah said with an excited smile as she stood behind me and lifted my curls to the top of my head. With my curls gone from my shoulders the dress only became more revealing, but for some reason it didn't really bother me.

"I most certainly agree." Kol's voice ran from the door and we snapped our heads towards the sound to find him leaning casually against Rebekah's doorway. I felt how heat quickly rose to my cheeks as I found him staring at me with a dark look in his eyes and ignored the small shiver that travelled down my spine.

"Kol! You can't just come in here without knocking, you dimwit!" Rebekah yelled at her brother as she let go of my hair and moved towards Kol to shut the door. But Kol was already inside her room and a smirk grazed his lips as he held his hands up in surrender.

"Relax, Bekah! I haven't seen anything… improper." Kol said and I gaped at him as he threw me a wink. Human-Kol had been a flirt, but this was just getting ridiculous.

"Why are you here?" Rebekah asked as she placed herself in Kol's line of sight so he couldn't look at me and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Mother wanted you to decide how we should open the ball tonight." Kol informed her in a slightly bored tone and then stepped around his sister to look at me once more. When his stare became too much I turned my attention to my own reflection and started fiddling mindlessly with my hair.

"A waltz. You remember the French Court in 1779?" Rebekah questioned as she made Kol unzip her and stepped out of her dress. I watched with wide eyes as Rebekah strode around in her underwear but it seemed to bother neither Kol nor Rebekah.

"I remember you trying to kill the Queen of France on multiple occasions." Kol replied with an amused grin as he placed himself in a chair and continued to study me. It felt as if his eyes were burning holes into my back, but I was determined to ignore him. Instead I concentrated on being mortified by Rebekah's resolve to kill a queen.

"Marie Antoinette was a strumpet and I would have been celebrated through all of France if Elijah hadn't intervened." Rebekah argued back and finally pulled a robe around her half-naked form. "But that is beside the point. We are dancing King Louis' favourite waltz."

"Another one of Rebekah's lovers." Kol informed me with an amused smile and I let out a mortified sound that made him chuckle. "She brought Madame de Pompadour to shame. Sadly he lost his head."

"He became angry with you?" I asked Rebekah in confusion and Kol almost bend over in laughter, making me glare at him.

"Oh no, darling. The French came and took it." Kol explained as he fought not to laugh and I smacked him on the shoulder, which made him catch my hand and pull me down onto his lap. I tried momentarily to get out of his grasp, but the grip around my waist was too tight and in the end I gave up.

"What is a waltz?" I asked when Rebekah didn't seemed bothered to help me and I realised that I actually had to learn what it was if we were doing it at the ball.

"A ballroom dance. We'll teach you." Rebekah said as she held out her hand for me and pulled me away from Kol. I could feel him stand up behind me and soon Rebekah had directed us into a strange embrace. My one hand was resting on his shoulder while the other was intertwined with his and I could feel Kol's free hand on my lower back. I ignored how my pulse quickened as he pulled me closer and smirked down at me.

"Let's start simple."

Ten minutes later I had learned the basic steps and we moved from Rebekah's room to find a bigger one. I felt very self-conscious as Finn was suddenly dragged into the room by his sister and we slowly gained an audience. I stumbled slightly when I found Theodore looking at me with a wide grin and Kol tightened his grip around me to steady me. That only seemed to amuse Theodore even more.

My eyes were shifting between Kol and my own feet as I concentrated on not stepping over his toes, while Kol's eyes were fixed on my face; meaning that a constant blush adorned my cheeks. As far back as I could remember I had always felt flustered whenever Kol would stare at me and at the moment it felt as if the room was slowly getting hotter.

In an attempt to ignore Kol's penetrating gaze I quickly glanced around the room and was surprised to see that Rose had taken over from Rebekah as Finn's dance partner. They hybrid looked as if she knew what she was doing and I couldn't help but envy her graceful movements as she followed Finn around the room.

My breath hitched in surprised when Kol suddenly twirled me and I found myself in a new pair of arms. My hands were clutching on to my new dance partner so I wouldn't stumble and I looked up to see Elijah smiling down at me.

"You are doing fine, Malina." he reassured me as we assumed the start positions and the song we were dancing to started over.

I smiled at him as we stepped forward arm in arm and then moved to the other side of the room as Finn and Rose mirrored our movements. I kept my eyes on the floor as we danced around in circles, but had to look up when Elijah suddenly lifted my chin.

"Look up and follow me." Elijah instructed me as he continued to lead me around the room and I took a deep breath before nodding. To my embarrassment I managed to step him over the toes a couple of time before Elijah didn't even flinch.

"This is strange, you know." I couldn't help but say when all the staring at each other became too much.

Elijah's gaze didn't come anything close to the effect Kol's had on me, but it still felt slightly unnerving. All I could see in them was a thousand years of knowledge, loyalty, distrust and regret that made my stomach churn. The persons I had grown up with were lost behind all of that and getting them back seemed more difficult than ever.

"What is?"

"The dancing, the fine dresses, you having been at the French court in 1779 to make sure Rebekah did not kill the Queen of _France_." I rambled as I gestured with the hand resting on his shoulder and Elijah shot me an amused smile in return.

"I understand how all of this must be overwhelming for you. Being here in the midst of all of this… conflict must not have been a help either." Elijah replied as we brushed past Rose and Finn, and I couldn't help but think about Damon's words about Finn. I had been in his shoes and I knew how hard all of this was to comprehend.

"Well, as always I persevere." I chirped back and returned a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. Elijah stared down at me for a long moment and it looked as if he was about to say something when the music ended.

"I see my work is done here." Rebekah stated with a satisfied smile and Finn quickly left the room as Elijah released my hand from his. "Now I got other things to do. Au revoir!"

For some reason I didn't feel like moving my feet as everyone started to leave and I felt more than saw Theodore sent me a weird look as I stared at nothing. Elijah was right. I was thoroughly overwhelmed. Not only did I have to handle that Kol was back, but Esther was also lurking in the shadows.

"Malina?" Elijah called out for me as he stood in the doorway to the big empty room and my eyes snapped to him. There was a small frown on his forehead and he was looking at me with worry, which made me sent him a quick smile.

"Where is Kol?" I blurted out as I didn't know what else to say and Elijah almost managed to hide a smile.

"Esther wished to speak with him." Elijah informed before leaving the room and it didn't escape me that he had used her name instead of calling her 'mother'. Perhaps I wasn't the only one who was suspicious about her sudden willingness to forgive and forget.

* * *

**_Third Person P.O.V._**

"What can I do for you, Mother?" Kol asked as he entered Esther's room and the woman looked up from a book to her youngest son. He didn't look very happy to be there and she realised that she had probably pulled him away from something Malina-related.

"Did Rebekah decide on how to open the ball?" Esther asked as she put away her book and sat down in a small sofa, urging Kol to join her with a small clap on the seat next to hers. He looked at the spot for a long moment before he let out an irritated sigh and plumped down beside her.

"A waltz. Taught to Bekah by King Louis the sixteenth of France before his head was chopped off." Kol informed his mother in an almost bored tone and smirked when he saw the small glimpse of disdain flash through her eyes. His mother was up to something and Kol intended to find out how by doing what he did best; make people extremely uncomfortable.

"We were teaching Finn and Malina when you called me here." Kol continued when his mother clearly needed a short moment to recover from his blatant carelessness.

"Good. How is Malina?" Esther inquired as he studied the face of her son for any glimpse of emotion. She almost scoffed when she saw Kol's eyes light up for a short moment, but kept quiet.

"Perhaps you should ask her." Kol replied as he studied his mother for a reaction as well. "Convince her that you are not here to kill Nik. Even though that is a shame."

"Kol!" Esther chastised her son in a low voice, but he only rolled his eyes in response and rose from the sofa. He wasn't going to act like his mother's spy – she had Finn for that – and reveal things about Malina that she didn't feel like telling Esther herself.

"Be careful with her." Esther then warned as he was about to exit the room and Kol turned his head to look at her. "Do you think she slept for a thousand years to be with you, Kol? She did it for Niklaus. She will do anything for him."

Kol stared at his mother for a long moment as he fought to hide his anger and Esther frowned when a smirk suddenly appeared on Kol's lips.

"Trying to drive a wedge between brothers, are we? So much for being a family again, _Mother_." Kol said as he spat out the last word and slammed the door behind him. It wasn't until she heard something break out in the hall that Esther smiled in triumph.

Malina was a thorn in the side when it came to Esther's plans to finally rid the world of the evil she had created. The witch was powerful – almost as powerful as Esther – and from what Esther had seen from the Other Side she was only growing stronger. Malina needed to be distracted and a jealous Kol was the perfect tool for that.

* * *

"Seriously?!" Caroline exclaimed for the fifth time as she searched her closet from something suitable to wear for the Mikaelson ball.

A ball that she didn't want to go to. But what could you do when you had been invited by an evil Original hybrid and your best friend had been invited to talk by said evil hybrid's possibly evil mother? And since Elena was currently between Salvatores she needed a drama-free date for the night.

Drama-free and Caroline Forbes sounded more like antonyms than anything else, but the blonde baby vampire had decided to help her friend out. Besides – and she wouldn't admit this to anyone – she was curious to see why the hell Klaus had chosen her of all people to invite. A part of her thought that it maybe had been a favour for Malina, but the message on the back of her invitation told her otherwise.

And the dress. How he had managed to find something so beautiful that fitted her perfectly wasn't something Caroline wanted to think about because frankly it was a bit creepy. And now she had no other choice than to put the damn dress on and wear it to the ball because nothing in her closet even came close its beauty and Caroline Forbes wasn't one to waste anything.

It wasn't until Caroline had put on the dress that she started panicking slightly, because not only did it fit her like a glove but it was _perfect_. It didn't reveal too little or too much skin, the blue colour matched her eyes all too well and did she mention it was _beautiful_?

Was this like the diamond bracelet? Some misguided attempt to buy her support and 'pull' her to his side? Why he even would want her there was beyond Caroline's imagination, but maybe he thought he was doing Malina a favour. Malina, who was yet to call and invite Caroline herself.

When the blonde's head continued to swim with questions she couldn't answer she finally picked up her phone and found the witch's number in her phone book.

"_Caroline, hey. I was just about to call._" Malina greeted in a happy but also careful voice that reminded Caroline that the last time they had spoken her father had still been alive.

"Hi, Lina." Caroline said without thinking and then paused as she awaited Malina's reaction to the nickname, but none came. "What were you going to call about?"

"_I wanted to make sure that you were doing okay. I would have called much earlier, but things have been a little… strange today._" Malina told and let out a small painful groan as the stylist behind her pulled at her hair.

"What are you doing?" Caroline questioned when she heard the small noise come from the witch.

"_Getting my hair ripped out of my head apparently. Which reminds me that I am a terribly friend, who is going to give you a very belated invitation to a ball tonight. I just found out about this morning and I know that you don't have much time to find a dress, but we have maybe twenty dresses here that you are welcome to borrow._" Malina rambled on the other end and Caroline couldn't help but smile.

She wasn't sure exactly why or how, but Malina had somehow managed to become one of Caroline's best friends in short amount of time. And that was despite everything that was going on and the secrets they had to keep from each other.

"I already have a dress, actually. And an invitation." Caroline told as she glanced down at Klaus' writing for the fiftieth time that day.

"_How did you-_" Malina started but then paused as she suddenly figured something out. "_No. Tell me he didn't. I cannot believe that he actually did that!_"

"Okay, just tell me the truth. Is he going to kill me?" Caroline asked after taking a deep breath as Malina seemed to throw a minor tantrum on the other end as she realised what her best friend had done.

Caroline still hadn't figured out why Klaus had actually let her live since it seemed to be more than just for Malina's sake. She had trouble shaking off their encounter and a shiver would run through her body when she remembered the taste of his blood. Scared as she had been that had been one of the most elevating experiences in her life.

Stefan had told her about the intimacy of blood sharing, but her imagination did not do it justice. It was impossible to do with Tyler since Klaus was the only cure and Caroline didn't feel like knocking on his door every time she had gotten hot and heavy with Tyler. The fact that Klaus had been her 'first' freaked her out and she still remembered the small hitch in his breath as she bit harder into his wrist.

"_No!_" Malina exclaimed loudly and startled Caroline out of her indecent thoughts. "_Caroline, I promise that that will not happen. And I am sure that that are not his intentions._"

"Then what _are_ his intentions?" Caroline questioned in a frustrated voice and the witch on the other end took a deep breath.

"_I will tell you when I know._" Malina said with a small sigh that Caroline imitated.

"It's probably some kind of weird Cinderella fetish." Caroline murmured mostly to herself, but Malina heard what she said and frowned in confusion.

"_Cinderella?_"

"The princess, you know? Disney?" Caroline tried to elaborate, but it didn't seem to help Malina so the blonde gave the witch a quick rundown of the story.

"_I am sure that he doesn't have a Cinderella fetish._" Malina said with a small laugh when Caroline finished explaining who Cinderella was. They decided to save Disney for another day. "_And you really don't have to come, Caroline._"

"I promised Elena." Caroline replied with a small sigh as she turned on the speakers and slowly started on her make-up.

"_Will the Salvatores be there as well?_" Malina questioned and Caroline easily recognized the irritation in her voice.

"Probably. Elena was invited by Klaus' mother, which is also sort of creepy, and they won't let her go alone. So that's where I come in. But I don't think anything can keep them away. By the way, did you now that Rebekah was going to ask Matt?!" Caroline rambled as she covered her face in a light powder and then paused to stare at her phone, waiting for Malina's reasonable explanation.

"_Yes._" Malina answered hesitantly and then continued before Caroline could berate her about letting the blood slut anywhere near her friend. "_Why did Esther invite Elena?_"

"Apparently she wanted to talk to Elena. She wrote a note on the back of her invitation."

"_I see. Wait, how did you know your invitation was from Niklaus?_" Malina asked with sudden curiosity and Caroline held back a sigh.

"There was a note on my invitation as well. 'Save me a dance, fondly Klaus'." Caroline recited and she could almost hear Malina smile. "If he thinks this is a date or something…"

"_'__Fondly Klaus'. He is unbelievable._" Malina said with a laugh but quickly became serious again. "_Why don't you take Tyler? That should make it clear that it isn't a date._"

"Tyler can't come." Caroline replied after a long moment of silence as she contemplated whether to tell Malina the truth about Tyler's whereabouts and what he was trying to do.

"_I am sorry, Caroline. I forgot that the two of you had broken up._" Malina apologized and Caroline decided not to correct her since she was half right. After all they weren't officially together again after their break-up.

"It's okay. I guess I'll just dance that stupid dance with Klaus and hang out with you for the rest of the night." Caroline said and realised that maybe the ball wouldn't that bad. Except for the night before she hadn't seen Malina for some time and she missed the witch's calming presence. And as it turned out it was fun trying to explain all the references to popular culture that Malina kept missing.

"_That sounds like a good plan._" Malina replied and put on the phone on speaker as well, when the stylist working on her hair complained. "_So how does the dress Niklaus got you look? Don't tell me it's blue._"

"How did you know?" Caroline asked with a confused frown and laughed when Malina let out a small groan.

"_You really don't want to know._" Malina said in a voice that convinced Caroline not to ask further. If Caroline had known about Ayana's visions she would probably never have left her bedroom.

"Well, it's annoyingly perfect. Did you tell him my measures or something?"

"_No. I had no idea he was going to do this. But he does have this sort of sixth sense when it comes to clothes. He bought most of the clothes in my closets and everything fits. I have no idea how he does it._" Malina explained and Caroline almost laughed at the image of Klaus shopping for women's clothing.

"It's creepy." Caroline stated and Malina let out an agreeing laugh. "So who are you going with?"

"_That would be me, darling._" a male voice suddenly said from Malina's end and Caroline stared at her phone in confusion.

"_Kol! What are you doing in here?! I am only in my bathrobe!_" Caroline heard Malina exclaim indignantly and she had to hold back a laugh.

"_I have seen you in far less, Mal. No need to become shy now._" the male spoke and Caroline's eyes widened in shock.

"_Kol!_"

"_Our little affair is hardly a secret._"

"What?!" she couldn't help but exclaim loudly and she heard a high pitch sound leave Malina, who had momentarily forgotten Caroline could hear everything.

"_And who are you, love?_" the male questioned in an almost flirty voice and Caroline had to stop herself from giggling.

"Caroline. I am friends with Malina. And you are?" Caroline inquired in a suspicious tone that made the man chuckle.

"_Kol Mikaelson. A pleasure to hear you._"

"Mikaelson?" Caroline said in surprise and Malina let out a deep sigh.

"_Caroline, meet Kol, Klaus' younger brother._"

"Oh my God, that's him, isn't it? The guy you wouldn't tell me about." Caroline gushed excitedly as she connected the dots. Who else could the Mystery Guy that Malina possibly still was in love with be?

"_Caroline_." Malina warned in a low voice and Caroline mumbled a small "sorry" that made Kol chuckle.

"_Have you been talking about me, darling?_" Kol questioned in a tone that made Caroline picture him smiling like the Cheshire cat even though she had never met the Original.

"_No._" Malina answered a little too quickly and Caroline stared at her phone as she waited for the witch to continue. "_Not once have I mentioned your name to Caroline. Isn't that right?_"

"Yes, but-" Caroline said but was quickly cut off by Malina and the blonde shook her head in amusement.

"_See?_" Malina interrupted as she stopped Caroline from explaining further.

"_That really is a shame because I have been thinking about you every single day for the last… one thousand and nineteen years._" Kol replied in a husky voice and Caroline couldn't figure out if she should hang up or continue listening. She felt as if she was intruding on whatever was happening on the other end, but after all Kol had been the one to intrude first.

"_You expect me to fall for that?_" Malina asked with an amused laugh and the blonde vampire lifted her eyebrows in surprise. She didn't know Malina could be so bold. "_Even if you hadn't spent more than a century daggered, I would not believe you._"

"_You wound me, love._" Caroline heard the Original vampire say, but he didn't sound very hurt by Malina's words.

"_I know you, Kol. You were an awful flirt as a human and I very much doubt that went away when you became a vampire._" Malina said with a smile in her voice and Caroline listened intently as the witch continued. "_You know what? I think that while Bekah was busy seducing the King of France, you were chasing after that girl. Marie Antoi… something._"

"_Antoinette, darling._" Kol corrected her with a small sigh and Caroline felt her eyes widen as she realised who they were talking about. It was strange to hear them talk about the people from her history books as if they were old friends of theirs. Which they probably were. "_And is that jealousy I hear?_"

"_No. What do you want me to be jealous of?_" Malina replied calmly but Caroline could no longer hear the smile in her voice. "_The hundreds of deep and meaningful encounters you have had with all sorts of floozies over the centuries?_"

"_Are you calling me a man-whore?_" Kol inquired with amusement and Caroline had to stifle a laugh of her own since it surely sounded like Malina was doing exactly that.

"_I didn't know that term existed, but it does seem quite fitting._"

"_So it doesn't bother you at all?_" the Original vampire asked and never had Caroline heard someone sound so mischievous. Who was this guy?

"_No_." Malina answered in a clipped voice and the blonde almost felt sorry for her. Almost. After all Malina had chosen to live with the wretched Mikaelsons herself.

"_Then you wouldn't mind me telling you how Queen Elizabeth the first's nickname 'the Virgin Queen' is a big fat lie?_"

By the silence that ensued on the other end Caroline could tell Malina had lost their small argument and even though she sort of wanted to hear Kol's story, she decided to come to her friend's aid.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm kind of still here." Caroline called out carefully as she fought hard not to laugh and she heard Malina's breath hitch the slightest in surprise.

"_Right._" Malina said quickly and then seemed to struggle to get the next words out. "_Can I… Can I call you later? Or you know, we can talk tonight. Here. Uhm… I'll just see you later, okay?_"

"Sure. Bye, Lina."

Caroline only got a quick goodbye and half of a goodbye from Kol before Malina hung up, and after staring at her phone for a confused moment she went back to getting ready. She had little idea what would happen at the ball later that night, but she had no doubt that it would be eventful.

* * *

"What are you even doing in here?" Malina snapped at the vampire as soon as she had hung up on Caroline and Kol frowned at her sudden irritation as he stared down at her.

"Just came to see you, darling. Or is this a no-boys zone?" Kol replied as his eyes travelled through the room before returning to Malina. He had thought that their bantering had been all in fun, but of course he couldn't help himself so he had to push her a little too far.

"I am highly considering making it one." the witch spoke as she kept her eyes on the mirror in front of her and Kol stepped into her line of sight with a small sigh. He heard the stylist, who was still busy pulling at Malina's curls, complain but silenced her with a glare.

"You do know that there is nothing to be jealous of, right? Not even Good Ole Queen Bess. As you said they were all just floozies." Kol told her as he grabbed her chin and forced Malina to look at him. His other hand rested on her armrest and he could hear more than see how Malina's blood rushed to her cheeks as he leaned close.

"I meant what I said about not being jealous, Kol." Malina insisted as her green eyes met his dark ones and for a moment there was an almost disappointed look in his eyes. "I have no right to be so. You and I were never… I was married, Kol."

"I see." he said in a dark voice and was out of her reach before Malina could stop him. The sudden loss of proximity was almost too tangible and Malina inwardly cursed herself as she watched Kol turn his attention towards her room instead of her.

"Kol…" she tried in a soft voice, but was interrupted when Kol found her grimoires and started shuffling through the pages.

"I am sure Mother would love to get her hands on this one." Kol murmured loud enough for Malina to hear and the witch visibly tensed. "Relax, Malina. I'm not Finn. No one is going to take this from you. Not even my mother."

"I don't trust her." Malina admitted as she stared at Kol through the mirror and he finally turned to look at her.

"Right not to, love. But let's give her the benefit of the doubt." Kol replied casually as he tapped his ear and sent her a meaningful look. Malina nodded understandingly and couldn't help but smile when Kol continued to hold her gaze through the mirror.

"So what does Nik have to say about your fraternization with the enemy?" the vampire continued jokingly and nodded towards Malina's phone on her vanity.

"Caroline is not the enemy." Malina told with a stern gaze that only made Kol's smile widen. "She is my friend and as it happens Nik actually has no quarrels about it. In fact he invited her to the ball tonight himself. And gave her a dress to wear as well."

"Well, isn't that intriguing?" Kol mused as a mischievous grin spread on his lips and Malina narrowed his eyes at him.

"You do not hurt Caroline, at all. Nik already did that and I am sure he will tell you how that was not a pleasant experience." Malina warned in a calm voice as she managed to stare down Kol through the mirror and there was a surprised look on the vampire's face before something that looked like a mix between pride and lust flashed through his eyes.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Kol assured her as he strode closer and Malina watched him with careful eyes. "Well, I'll leave you to it."

Malina let out a small gasp as Kol suddenly flashed in front of her and her breath mixed with his as he leaned down and caught her lips in a soft kiss. Her eyes fluttered close as she overcame her surprise but before she could react further Kol had pulled away. There was a familiar smirk on his lips as Malina opened her eyes to look at him and she inwardly berated herself for becoming so flustered over one small kiss.

"I'll see you downstairs in a couple of hours." was all Kol said and then he was gone. Malina blinked a few times as she fought to return to the real world and she blushed hard when she met the stylist's eyes.

"Looks like someone is in trouble." the woman sang in a low voice and Malina could do nothing but silently agree.

* * *

**A/N: So finally some proper Malina/Kol interaction. I'm not used to writing Kol, so I hope I did him justice. **

**I'd love to hear what you think! The Mikaelson Ball is coming up next, which looks to become a very long chapter. **

_**All credit for lines and scenes from the show goes to Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. **_


	17. Chapter 14

**This is a long one, people. And there will be a lot of jumping around, especially during the dance, but just imagine it all happening at once. I've tried to make it obvious what happens when and such. And a word of warning: Kol is a bit of a dick in this one. He'll get better later in the story, but he still has some growing to do for now.**

* * *

**_Third person P.O.V._**

When Malina was finally done with her hair and make-up there was less than half an hour till the guests' arrival and she took one last look in the mirror before leaving her room. Her dress billowed around her feet as she strode through the hall and Malina focused hard on not falling over in her heels.

"I see someone's eager to get downstairs." Rebekah's voice suddenly sounded to her right as the blonde appeared in her doorway. "You look stunning, Malina. I'm tempted to say that I'm a little proud of myself."

"Yourself?" Malina questioned with a raised brow and Rebekah smirked in response as she let her blue eyes glide over the witch.

"I did tell the stylist what to do with you after all. Although, I didn't come up with the red lips. It's a nice touch." the Original said with a small tilt of her head and Malina knew that the girl was serious about taking the honour for how Malina looked. The red pendant of her necklace stood out against the white dress and her exposed skin, but the stylist had found a way to make it less conspicuous by applying the red lipstick to her lips.

"You look beautiful as well, Bekah." Malina replied with a small roll of her eyes before sending the vampire a genuine smile. The blonde's hair had been pinned up in the sides to bare her shoulders while the rest cascaded down her back.

"I know." Rebekah agreed with another smirk, but the gratitude was clear in her eyes. Malina let out a small laugh as she shook her head and started walking down the hall again. "I will be downstairs in a minute!"

"Okay." Malina called back without turning her head and she started descending the stairs to the great foyer where the guests would be arriving. Halfway down she met Finn, who stopped to look at her from a couple of steps beneath her; making her slightly taller than him.

"Malina." he greeted with a nod and what seemed like a forced smile. Malina stopped as well, but didn't know what to say so she just returned the smile. After a short awkward moment Fin started to move past her and Malina turned her head in his direction.

"Where are you going?" Malina asked before she could stop herself and Finn paused once again right beside her; suddenly towering over her.

"To get my mother." he replied in a clipped voice and didn't wait for her answer before walking away. Malina took a deep breath as she followed him with her eyes and continued down the stairs.

She didn't notice how her foot suddenly got tangled in her dress until she was falling and her heart seemed to stop beating. A surprise yelp left her as she closed her eyes in fear only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

"Careful, love." an amused voice spoke into her ear and she pulled away to see Klaus staring back at her. Her arms had somehow found their way around his neck and she could feel his hands rest on her hips as he kept her upright.

"I told you not to call me 'love'!" Malina chastised him as she stepped out of his grasp and sat down on the stairs to catch her breath.

"'Thank you, Nik, for saving my life. I'm so happy you didn't let me fall and break my neck'." Klaus replied mockingly with a smirk on his lips and Malina glared up at him before a softer look appeared in her eyes.

"Thank you." she spoke in a serious voice and then reached out her hand so he could help her get up.

"A little distracted, are we?" Klaus mused as he let his eyes glide over his best friend, who was suddenly blushing.

"Can you blame me? With everything going on?" Malina sighed as she took the arm Klaus offered and let herself be lead down the stairs.

"Elijah informed me that you were worried." Klaus said with a small frown and Malina gave a solemn nod before her eyes suddenly widened in remembrance.

"And you are not helping!" she exclaimed when they reached the bottom of the stairs and she spun around to poke at him. "Did you absolutely have to invite Caroline?"

"Ah. No, I never _have_ to do anything." Klaus replied with a self-satisfied smirk, which made the witch narrow her eyes dangerously at him. "Don't you want her here?"

"I do, but I will not let you hurt her." Malina warned as she took a small step closer to the hybrid. It was supposed to be threatening, but since Klaus had no intentions of harming her little blonde friend it just became amusing instead.

"I didn't buy her a dress and invite her to dance with me just to kill her, Malina." Klaus said with an exasperated sigh and some tension seemed to leave the witch's body.

"She will push you, Nik. And she will probably see right through you and throw it in your face. So don't you dare lose your temper with her." Malina told him in a stern voice, but Klaus didn't respond as he just stared down at her.

He already expected Caroline Forbes to have a fiery personality; that's why he liked her. And he knew she probably wouldn't fall for his charm as easily as most women seemed to.

On top of that was the whole deal with Tyler, which annoyed Klaus more than anything. He had no idea where his hybrid had gone to, but didn't have the time to hunt him down either.

With all of her beauty, strong will and compassion; Caroline was a challenge he couldn't walk away from. At least not until he had had her in his bed. Then she could go back to her small town life and small town boyfriend.

"So," Malina spoke, when Klaus clearly didn't have anything to say, and spun around herself slowly. "What do you think?"

"Gorgeous." Klaus replied with a smile as he took in the white dress and the red lips. He was aware that his younger brother was looking down at them, but Malina didn't seem to notice.

"Thank you." Malina smiled and then curtsied with a melodic laugh that made Klaus chuckle. "You look quite good yourself. It is much better than all of that leather and wool you used to wear back in the day."

"Am I interrupting?" a new voice spoke from the other end of the room and they both turned their heads to see Elijah make their way to them.

"Because we can't have that." another voice said before Malina could open her mouth to reply and Kol was suddenly standing beside her with an almost cold look in his eyes as he stared at Klaus.

"No, you are not." Malina answered as she glared at Kol, who didn't even seem to acknowledge her. "Actually, I need to speak with you."

"Of course." Elijah replied with a nod, but then looked up as Finn and Esther started making their way down the stairs. "Perhaps later is more suitable?"

"Yes." Malina agreed as she watched Finn and Esther warily and absentmindedly stepped closer to Kol. Elijah already knew what she wanted to talk about and she knew that he knew.

"Is everything as it should be?" Esther asked as she slowly descended the stairs and her voice echoed through the room. As on cue the room started filling with waiters with food on trays and the bartenders took their place behind the bars as they started pouring champagne into glasses.

"It seems so." Elijah spoke as his eyes darted across the room to land on his mother once more.

A few seconds later the room began to fill with people dressed in tuxes and dresses, and Malina quickly recognised them as Klaus' hybrids. She smiled as she watched Theodore lead Rose, who was dressed in a beautiful purple halter-neck dress, into the room.

Esther, on the other hand, seemed less than happy with this and Klaus wore a small smirk as he noticed his mother glare at them.

"You look ravishing, darling." Kol whispered into Malina's ear as the others seemed busy with ordering around the waiters and – for Klaus' part – the hybrids. A blush heated up the witch's cheeks as she turned her head and found him watching her with dark eyes.

"And the twenty-first century still suits you very well." she replied in a low voice before she reached up and placed a slow kiss on Kol's cheek.

"Oops." Malina then laughed as she pulled back and saw the red mark her lips had made. "Let me get that."

"What are you doing?" Kol questioned as she started to rub his cheek and he gently grabbed her hand to make her stop.

"Apparently the red on my lips rubs off so now you have my lips on your cheek." Malina informed him with an amused smile and returned to removing it, which only made it worse.

"I'd like to have your lips elsewhere as well." Kol told her huskily as he grabbed her waist and leaned down to kiss her.

"People are staring, Kol." Malina whispered as she leaned back to avoid his lips and she could feel several pair of eyes on them.

"I don't care." Kol replied with a smirk and then captured her lips before Malina could protest further.

"Knock it off, Kol." Rebekah said from behind them after a few seconds had passed and Malina pulled back with a small gasp. "You'll just ruin her make-up."

"Sod off, Bekah." Kol sneered at his sister as he let go of Malina, who returned to the task of cleaning his cheek.

"This isn't coming off." she muttered to herself and then placed her palm against the cheek. Kol was still glaring at his sister, but shivered suddenly when a strange sensation crawled over his skin.

"What did you do?" Kol asked with ill-hidden astonishment as he lifted his hand to his cheek and Malina smiled back at him proudly.

"Just a little magic."

"You know, darling, perhaps you and I should just ditch this party and go-" Kol said in a hushed voice and his hot breath washed over Malina as he leaned closer. He didn't get to finish as he was interrupted by his mother's stern voice.

"Kol! Behave. The guests will arrive in a minute."

With a roll of his eyes Kol stepped back, but placed a hand on the small of Malina's back as he lead her over towards the rest of his siblings. Klaus was looking at her with an amused grin and Malina glared at him as she came to stand beside him.

"You look a little flushed, Mal. Do you need some fresh air?" Klaus teased in a low voice as he averted his eyes from the blushing witch to look at his hybrids.

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

Rebekah ignored the queasy feeling in her stomach when she saw Matt arrive and convinced herself that she wasn't nervous at all. He was nothing but a high school quarterback with very blue eyes and this was revenge over Elena. Nothing more.

With a small exhale she left her brothers and strode over to her date with all the confidence in the world. She couldn't decide if he was even a bit happy to see her, but he smiled nonetheless.

"You came." Rebekah said with a wide smile as she came to a stop in front of him and she noticed smugly how his eyes drifted down her body.

"I was invited, wasn't I?" Matt retorted with lifted eyebrows and offered his arm – albeit a little unwillingly.

"I thought we could have another try since Elena so rudely took my place on our first date."

"Sure." Matt shrugged without looking at her and led her over to the bar.

* * *

"Is that a human Rebekah has invited as her date?" Kol asked with a disgusted look in his eyes as he heard the rapid beating of the boy's heart and looked at Malina for an answer.

But Malina was far busier with staring intently at Finn and Esther, who were chatting with Mayor Lockwood. The mayor seemed to be nodding at everything Esther said and Malina strained to hear what they were saying.

"Malina?" Kol called to get her attention and he felt the irritation well up inside of him. If he thought he could have Malina to himself tonight he had clearly thought wrong.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, Matthew is human. He is very nice, so don't worry." Malina told him absentmindedly and made a brushing off gesture before she returned her attention to his mother.

He wasn't worried about his sister's feelings. What worried him was how low Rebekah would sink to get someone – anyone – to love her. It was pathetic.

* * *

Malina groaned silently to herself as she watched the Salvatore brothers sneak inside and downed the rest of her champagne. Esther had disappeared up the stairs once again, but Finn was still lurking around somewhere. She had feeling this wouldn't be all the fun that Rebekah and Kol had talked about.

"Easy, love. Or else I'll have to carry you to bed later." Kol whispered into her ear and she got the feeling that he wouldn't mind that at all.

"The Salvatore brothers have arrived." Malina told as she grabbed another glass from a passing tray and the Original beside her seemed to perk up. That couldn't possibly be a good sign and the mischievous gleam in Kol's eyes confirmed it.

"Is that so? Which one are they?"

"Damon Salvatore is over there with the mayor." Malina said as she pointed to the middle of the room and a smirk spread on Kol's lips.

"Let's go and say hello, shall we?" Kol asked as he gently pushed her forward; clearly not waiting for Malina to agree.

"Mayor Lockwood!" Kol called out as they came closer and both Damon and the mayor turned to look at them. Malina's gaze met Damon's and a smirk spread on his lips as he took her in.

"We haven't formally met. Kol Mikaelson." Kol introduced himself with a charming smile and placed a kiss on the mayor's hand. "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

"Malina." Damon greeted while Kol was still talking and the witch sent him a cold smile in return. "Don't you look lovely tonight."

"Malina." the mayor exclaimed before the witch had a chance to speak and Malina turned to look at her. From beside her Kol was staring down Damon, but the Salvatore vampire didn't seem bothered. "We met before. When you helped Caroline save me from the tomb vampires."

"Yes. I am glad that you are still well." Malina replied with court nod as she let her hand fall to her side so she could grab Kol's hand. Damon had gone back to staring at her and she could feel Kol's annoyance grow exponentially.

"Damon Salvatore." Damon then said as he offered his hand to Kol, who just stared down at it for a short moment and then ignored it. "Have we met?"

"I've met a lot of people and you don't particularly stand out." Kol replied with a small smirk before walking away; leaving Malina behind as he untangled his hand from hers.

"Nice boyfriend you got yourself, Wicky." Damon mocked with a smirk as Malina stared after Kol, but his face suddenly went blank as he stared past her. Malina almost felt like laughing as she watched Elena make an entrance and turned back to see the puppy dog look in Damon's eyes.

"At least I got one." Malina told him as she patted him on the chest and walked away. She didn't bother watching how both Stefan and Damon immediately were at Elena's side and how Elena took both their arms as she walked inside. She had already seen enough of brothers fighting over a doppelgänger.

Malina quickly found Klaus, who was talking to some woman that smiled at him flirtingly and Malina rolled her eyes as she heard him flirt back. The woman glared at Malina as she came to stand beside her friend, but the witch just sent her a sweet smile in return and at last the woman left.

"You seem to be in a foul mood, sweetheart." Klaus mused as he studied the frown on Malina's forehead and she let out a small sigh.

"The Salvatores are here, Kol is acting strangely and your mother has disappeared from her own party." Malina told as she lifted a finger for each reason she had to be annoyed, but Klaus just smiled at her.

"I didn't know the Salvatores had been invited." Klaus said as he glanced around to catch a look of them and Malina let out another sigh.

"They have not. But Elena is here so where else would they be?" Malina complained and smacked Klaus' arm when she caught him staring at the doppelgänger. "Do not go there."

"Not in a million years." Klaus laughed and then smirked as he caught another woman's eyes somewhere behind her.

"And stop flirting with everyone!" Malina exclaimed and smacked him once again; making him glare down at her.

A wide smile spread on her lips, when something blue appeared in the corner of her eye and Malina turned her head to see her friend walk hesitantly through the crowd. She looked back at Klaus, who was still staring at her, and then gestured with her head towards the newly arrived blonde.

It was almost comical to see him turn his head and then freeze when he noticed Caroline in the crowd. Malina watched silently as an almost dumbstruck look appeared on her best friend's face and did her best to hide a smile when Caroline starting walking towards them.

The blonde was clearly heading towards Malina, but Klaus stepped forward and intercepted her path.

"Good evening." he greeted with a smirk on his lips and Caroline glanced between him and Malina before taking a deep breath.

"I need a drink." Caroline said as she pushed past the hybrid and towards the bar; glaring at Malina as she passed the witch. Klaus kept staring after her till she was out of sight and then turned to the witch, who was biting back a smile.

"It could have gone worse." Malina shrugged and then burst out laughing at the shell-shocked look on Klaus' face. Caroline had apparently taken him by surprise. "I am going to go find Kol."

With that Malina quickly left, but she didn't get far as she suddenly caught sight of Elena and Finn talking by the bar. Finn walked away before Malina managed to hear anything and her mission to get to Elena was interrupted by an angry blonde, who suddenly stood in her way.

"Seriously, Malina?" Caroline snapped at her with her arms crossed in front of her and Malina took a small step back at the sight of the fiery blonde.

"What did I do?" Malina asked with a frown and an uncertain look appeared in Caroline's eyes.

"You just stood there and let Klaus… You just let him…" Caroline exclaimed as she gestured with her hands, but didn't seem able to finish the sentence.

"Say hello?" Malina suggested with a raised eyebrow and the blonde seemed to deflate with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Lina. I'm just freaking out. It was a mistake to come." Caroline said with a wavering smile and Malina carefully pulled her into a hug.

"You are going to be fine, Caroline. I am not having the best night either, but we will get through it together. And maybe I did sort of let Niklaus go to you first, but I wasn't even sure that he would actually be able to speak." Malina assured her and then stepped back with an apologizing smile.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked with a frown and Malina almost laughed again as she recalled the look on her friend's face.

"Did you not notice the way he looked at you?"

"Yes. He was being creepy." Caroline replied stubbornly and crossed her arms once more. Malina stared at her for a long moment before shaking her head with a smile.

"He was staring because you look beautiful, Caroline." Malina told with an insistent voice that made the blonde look down herself.

"You think?" she questioned with a small smile and then proceeded to smooth out the fabric of her dress.

"Absolutely." Malina said with a smile and Caroline's eyes lit up for a moment before she scoffed at the notion.

"He is still creepy. And evil."

"Of course."

They didn't get to say more as Elijah's voice suddenly rang through the room and they looked up to find the Original Family stood on the stairs. Malina met Kol's gaze as he looked down on her and she smiled up at him. Her eyes then darted to the top of the stairs where Esther was walking down.

"If everyone could gather, please." Elijah called out as he looked over the crowd with a flute of champagne in his hand.

"Shouldn't you be up there?" Caroline whispered to Malina without either of them taking their eyes of the family and the change in their postures clearly showed that they had all heard Caroline's question.

"I have a feeling that Esther would just push me down the stairs." Malina whispered back and the Mikaelson siblings all glanced up at their mother, who hadn't heard what had been whispered between the two girls.

"Welcome. Thank you for joining us." Elijah continued as he seemed to remember why he had called for everyone's attention. He then glanced back at Esther, who had finally made her way to her children. "You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

"Who's Kol?" Caroline then whispered as she studied the two unknown male faces on the stairs and Malina immediately noticed the smirk that spread on Kol's lips.

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourself a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah finished with a smile and then gestured towards said ballroom.

"The one at the top of the stairs." Malina whispered back even though the room was buzzing with sound once more.

"Hm. I get it." Caroline hummed with a small nod as she studied the youngest Mikaelson brother and Malina looked at her in confusion until the blonde clarified. "Why you would cheat on your husband for that. He's hot."

Malina's scandalized gasp was interrupted by Klaus' appearance and Caroline just walked by his hand as he asked her to join him. Slowly the room started emptying as the guests moved to the ballroom and Malina glanced around in an attempt to find Kol.

She saw from the corner of her eye how Elena tried to follow Esther upstairs, but luckily Damon stopped her and Malina finally discovered the vampire's usefulness.

"Looking for me, darling?" a voice spoke into her ear from behind and Malina shivered as Kol placed a chaste kiss on her neck.

"Always." Malina breathed as she spun around to face him with a smile. She felt strangely happy to see him again despite their very brief time apart, so she pressed her lips briefly against his before she started backing away as she dragged him with her.

They found their places just as the song was about to start, and Malina was surprised by the glare Rebekah shot them. She suddenly felt nervous as she tried to remember what she had learned earlier that day, but her feet moved on their own accord as the music started.

Curiously, Malina looked around to see who was dancing with whom and she was surprised to find Rose by Finn's side. She didn't recognize Elijah's dance partner, but the rest were as expected. Except for Stefan, who had partnered up with Mayor Lockwood.

"I must say that I quite like Nik's new girl." Kol mused as they danced around in circles and Malina looked up from her feet to roll her eyes at him.

"Because she said you were 'hot'?"

"And for the hard time she's giving him." Kol chuckled as he briefly watched the blonde pair waltz around and Malina strained her neck to look at them as well.

"I will kill Nik if he hurts her." Malina growled as she stared at the back of her friend's head; hoping that he would hear her.

"Never mind Nik. He got along fine before you came back."

"What are you talking about? He went around killing everyone before I came back."

"And you think that is going to change now that you are here? Klaus has spent a millennium being a bloody murderer. That isn't something you can just change, Malina." Kol laughed humourlessly and Malina felt how his grip on her seemed to tighten.

"I should just go back to sleep then? Is that what you want?" Malina snapped back and she quickly blinked away the tears that threatened to spill. The look in Kol's eyes softened for a brief moment, before it became cold once again.

"Isn't that typical? That Nik is the only reason for you to live? The only reason why you spent a thousand years sleeping in a coffin." Kol sneered and his eyes were hard as he stared down at her. "Let me not keep you away from him any longer."

Malina didn't get a chance to answer before he twirled her around and she suddenly landed in Klaus' arms.

* * *

"Why did you invite me here, Rebekah?" Matt asked as he tried hard to keep up with the blonde's movements and she looked at him with a small frown.

"Because of the other date we never got to have." she replied with a small smile, but his eyes seemed to keep looking at her searchingly. "And you're cute."

"Nothing else? There's no elaborate plan to eat me for some reason I'm not aware of?" Matt urged as he glanced around warily and Rebekah felt her heart drop at the thought of his limited time on Earth.

"No." Rebekah easily lied and Matt smiled back at her in relief. There was something some human about him that Rebekah couldn't help but blush. The smile on her face only disappeared as she was spun into Damon's arms and she looked back to see that Caroline had taken her place.

* * *

"You're a quick learner." Rose commented as she followed the Original vampire around on the floor and he turned his gaze slightly to look at her. It was the first any of them had said and more or less the first time Finn had even looked at her.

"Thank you. You are very skilled yourself." was all he said before he returned to staring right past her, but Rose wasn't ready to give up so she continued talking.

"I had lessons when I was young. I danced tango back then, but the basics aren't that different from this." Rose informed him in a light voice, but all she got in return was a quick glance and a small nod.

With a small sigh Rose gave up and started watching the other pairs instead. She frowned when her eyes landed on Malina, who looked tense in Kol's embrace. Instinctively her eyes scanned the room for Theodore and she noticed how his fists were clenched at his sides as he watched them too.

When their eyes met Rose did her best to tell him to calm down and she was all but ready to leave Finn on the dance floor, when they all switched partners and she found herself in Elijah's arms. Malina had been given to Klaus and both hybrids felt the tension leave their bodies.

"Theodore, if you please." Elijah said as he suddenly handed her over to a surprised hybrid and left the floor himself. Rose and Theodore stared at each other for a long moment before they thought of moving and Rose was surprised by how well the other hybrid kept up with her.

"She is fine, Theodore." she tried reassure him as he kept staring at Malina and after a few moments he finally looked back at Rose. If it had been anyone else than Malina, Rose might have been jealous of the attention Theodore gave her.

* * *

Caroline couldn't decide what to feel as she followed Klaus around on the dancefloor. It was unnerving how he just stared at her and she did her best to ignore him, but it also felt slightly intriguing how he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"I'm glad you came." Klaus spoke with his deep voice as Caroline was busy with glaring at Matt and Rebekah, and she forced herself to meet his eyes.

"Well, it was either caviar or sympathy casseroles. And I wanted to see Malina." Caroline replied with a small shrug and looked away when his gaze became too intense.

"She told me about your father."

"Don't. Seriously." Caroline snapped at him as she definitely didn't want any of his sympathy. Not after all he had done.

"Very well." Klaus gave in as he noticed the closed-off look on her face and smiled at her instead. "On to more mannered subjects then. Like how ravishing you look in that dress."

"I didn't really have time to shop." Caroline explained as she kept her eyes off him in an attempt to hide the effect he had on her. Because he definitely had one and it wasn't all disgust.

"The bracelet I gave you. What's your excuse for wearing that?"

Caroline stared back at him as she didn't know what to say and she almost rolled her eyes when Klaus smugly smiled back at her. She didn't have an excuse. It was pretty so she put it on. She was already wearing the dress he bought her so what was the harm in wearing the bracelet as well?

"You know, you're quite the dancer." Klaus continued when Caroline clearly wasn't going to give him an answer and Caroline smiled proudly despite herself.

"Well, I've had training. I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls."

"I know." he spoke softly as he smiled at her and for once it wasn't a smirk. It wasn't until Caroline spun into Matt's arms that she realised she had held her breath.

* * *

"Malina doesn't trust her either." Damon whispered as he danced around with Elena in his arms. He knew he should enjoy this moment fully, but the thought of Elena bringing herself in danger made it hard for him to concentrate.

"What?" Elena whispered back as she stared at him. She didn't understand what Klaus' witch possibly could have to do with any of it or why Damon was taking her opinion into account.

"Malina doesn't trust Mama Original."

"And we don't trust Malina." Elena reminded him with a stern look as she knew he was just fishing for something to convince her. This was certainly the wrong way to go about it.

"Esther tried to kill you. Malina hasn't." Damon argued as he briefly glanced at the witch and frowned when he noticed the distraught look on her face.

"Just let it go, Damon. I'm doing this." Elena told him determinedly and his eyes bore into hers before he suddenly spun her around and she found herself in Stefan's arms.

"He dances." Elena remarked with a tilt of her head as Stefan led her around in circles. "And I didn't even have to beg."

"Well, Mayor Lockwood dragged me out here. Couldn't exactly say no." Stefan shrugged as he looked down at his ex-girlfriend and she surprised him by smiling at him.

"Took you about thirty seconds to put Damon in a mood." he then continued and Elena let out a long sigh.

"He's just looking out for me."

"I think he needs to figure out that you can look out for yourself." Stefan replied with a serious look and Elena watched him with an almost sad smile as she was reminded of how much she missed him.

"I need to talk to you." she spoke into his ear as she made a decision to trust him.

"Okay, so talk."

"Not here." Elena said as she glanced around warily and caught sight of Rebekah and Damon dancing together.

She felt jealousy well up inside of her as she watched them, but quickly led Stefan away as soon as Damon turned her back on them.

* * *

"What's wrong, love?" Klaus asked as soon as he saw the distraught look in Malina's eyes. She was glancing around as if she was looking for someone, but he grabbed her chin when she suddenly stepped on his foot.

"Sorry." Malina muttered as she looked down at her own feet and Klaus studied at her as she followed him around.

"Malina." he spoke to get her attention and the witch finally looked up at him with tearful eyes.

"It's nothing. Just leave it, Nik." she told him before looking away once more and he noticed her eyes land on Caroline and the human boy. "Why did you invite her? And don't say you were bored."

"I fancy her." Klaus admitted with a shrug as he accepted her change of topic. He had already seen Kol leave the room and Elijah go after him.

"You are being serious." Malina stated as she studied him intently and he met her gaze without blinking.

He was serious. Although he hadn't realised how much until he had seen her enter the room in the dress he had given her. Caroline Forbes had lit up the room and he had felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

"I should tell you that she is still in love with Tyler and that she hates you. And I should tell you to stay away from her, but I am not going to. Just know that if you hurt her I will bury you at the bottom of the deepest ocean." Malina continued and her former vulnerability melted away like snow in the sun as she stared back at him.

"So I have your blessing?" Klaus asked with a raised brow and smiled when Malina rolled her eyes at him.

"When have you ever needed that?" Malina retorted with a small smile of her own and Klaus followed her gaze to see Caroline laugh at something the quarterback had said. "Caroline is not mine to give away, Nik. She is her own person and is not going to fall for any of your cheap tricks."

"That's why I like her."

"Caroline is going to hate me for this." Malina groaned as she watched a smirk appear on Klaus' lips, but couldn't help but smile herself.

"I love your confidence in me."

"What confidence?"

* * *

"Kol." Elijah spoke calmly as he came to stand beside his younger brother, who was busy downing his fifth glass of champagne.

"What do you want, Elijah?" Kol asked in a bored tone as he eyed the guests for something more sustainable to drink, but was cut off as his brother stepped in front of him.

"I need you to behave tonight." Elijah told him in a more stern voice and Kol rolled his eyes at another one of his brother's ceaseless attempts to be 'the honourable one'.

"Yes, Father." Kol mocked as he grabbed another glass of champagne and winked at one of the waitresses.

"And leave Malina alone for the rest of the night as well."

"Taking Nik's side, are we? How predictable." Kol scoffed and raised his eyebrows in surprise when Elijah stepped forward with anger flashing through his dark eyes.

"I suggest you forget about your petty jealousy if you wish to remain close to Malina. I will protect her from both you and Niklaus if need be. She will not be a pawn in any of your games." Elijah warned in a low voice as he stared down his younger brother and the smirk dropped from Kol's lips.

"And this is all coming from the man who fell in love with his brother's girl." Kol sneered as he took a step closer as well, but Elijah didn't show any emotion.

"Tatia is no longer among us. Is that what you wish for Malina?" Elijah asked quietly before he pinned Kol down with a single look and walked away.

"What was that about?" Rebekah asked as she glanced after Elijah and came to stand next to Kol, who looked ready to murder someone.

"Where's your date?" Kol questioned instead of replying and a scowl immediately appeared on his sister's face.

"Flirting with his ex." Rebekah replied in a casual tone that didn't succeed to hide how bothered she was by it.

"You've changed, Bekah. You know, settling for mortals is the first sign of weakness." Kol said as he glanced around without really looking. He then grabbed a new flute of champagne from a passing by tray and studied the liquid mindlessly.

"I'm not settling. I brought him here to kill him." Rebekah informed with a smug expression on her face as she caught her brother's attention. "He's Elena's friend. If he dies, she suffers. But I've already been scolded once so I was hoping you'd help your baby sister out."

Kol was surprised to find himself hesitating as he remembered Malina's words about the human boy and he knew how much she would hate him for killing Matt.

When his eyes quickly darted through the room once more, he felt his anger grow as he watched Malina enter the room on Klaus' arm. As she left him to go speak with the blonde and the human in a corner of the room, Kol turned to look at his sister with a smirk on his lips.

"And spit right in the face of mother's rules? I'm in."

* * *

"So 'gay' does not mean 'happy' anymore?" Malina asked with a frown as she tried to understand what Caroline was telling her about her parents. Emma had mentioned something like it before but had called it homosexuality, while Caroline had just said that her father had been gay.

"Well, it does, but no one really uses it like that anymore. Actually it's often used derogatively, which is awful. There's nothing wrong with being gay. Sometimes I think it would be easier to have a girlfriend. Then I wouldn't have to deal with boys." Caroline rambled as she gestured with her hands and almost spilled her champagne on the floor.

"Thanks, Care." Matt laughed from beside her, but the blonde just shrugged in response as if it was the truth and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"Is two women together also gay?" Malina asked as she looked at the two blondes, who were trying their best to explain the modern world to her.

"Technically they're called lesbians, but I think you can call them gay as well." Caroline replied thoughtfully, but Malina wasn't listening as she had caught sight of Elena ascending the stairs alone.

"Where is she going?" Matt asked as he followed Malina's gaze with a frown.

"To talk to Esther. Which means Damon is lying somewhere with a broken neck." Malina answered in a clipped voice and noticed Elijah watch the doppelgänger from the other end of the room. "Excuse me."

Malina could feel a pair of eyes on her, but didn't turn around to look at Kol as she moved through the crowd. If he wanted to speak with her then he could stop being childish and apologize. She didn't have time to deal with his issues while also stopping his mother from killing all of them.

"What is she doing?" Malina questioned as she came to a stop in front of Elijah and he shifted his gaze from the doppelgänger to her.

"She is going to speak with Esther. I thought I would let her since she promised me to tell me everything my mother says to her." Elijah informed with such a trusting look in his eyes that Malina almost shook her head. She had counted on Elijah, but the Original chose to trust Elena of all people.

"I do not trust her." Malina replied as she stared after Elena's retreating figure until the doppelgänger disappeared completely.

"Elena is a compassionate young woman and I believe that she will tell me the truth." Elijah said as he caught Malina's gaze, but she noticed the lack of conviction in his eyes.

"And I believe that you are being blinded by outer appearances. Trust her if you must, but don't be surprised when she lies to you about what really happened."

With those words Malina walked away, but she could feel Elijah's eyes on the back of her head. She didn't know where she was going as she pushed through the crowd, but she had a sudden need to get some fresh air.

Malina had made it to the second floor, when the floor disappeared from under feet and she found herself standing on an empty balcony. She looked around in surprise to find Theodore standing beside her and let out a relieved sigh.

"Are you okay?" the hybrid questioned with a worried look in his eyes and Malina sent him a small smile in reassurance.

"I think so. It is hard to tell when you have so many things on your mind." Malina admitted with a humourless laugh and leaned forward as she rested her elbows on the railing; taking a deep, calming breath.

"What Kol said to you-" Theodore said with a low growl in his voice, but Malina interrupted him by grabbing his hand.

"Don't mind Kol. I can handle him. I am more worried about Esther and Elena. I don't know what they are up to, but I doubt it is something good." Malina told as she pulled the hybrid over to the railing as well and they both watched the ground mindlessly.

"Is that Caroline?" Malina asked as she narrowed her eyes to get a better look of the blonde head that stood near a carriage with horses. She noticed with a frown that Matt wasn't with her.

"She went out for some air about the same time you came up here." Theodore informed her casually as he watched the blonde as well and Malina turned her head to look at him in question. "I thought I should keep an eye on her since you were busy worrying about everything else."

"Thank you." Malina said with a soft smile that Theodore returned before they both looked down at Caroline once more. They glanced at each other in surprise when Klaus suddenly appeared and walked up to the blonde vampire.

"What are they saying?" Malina whispered to the hybrid by her side, who looked slightly conflicted with eavesdropping on his sire, but gave in to the witch's pleading stare.

"He fancies her." Theodore told with a hint of surprise in his voice and a wide smile spread on Malina's lips as she watched her friends intently. "And he enjoys her. He certainly doesn't beat around the bush."

"What?" Malina questioned with a confused frown as that saying was new to her and Theodore explained its meaning with an amused smile.

"Now they're talking about horses and fathers."

"And Caroline is gone." Malina finished with a small sigh as they watched the blonde walk inside; leaving behind Klaus. "I should go talk to him."

"You approve of this? I thought she was still with Tyler." Theodore questioned with a frown and followed Malina inside to look for Klaus.

He knew that Tyler had thought of Caroline as his girlfriend right until he had left Mystic Falls, but the hybrid wasn't in town any longer so, as Klaus had pointed out, Caroline wasn't technically spoken for.

"I am not sure my opinion would matter. But Nik knows what happens if he hurt her again." Malina told as hiked up her skirt and quickly descended the stairs to catch her friend, who was just walking inside.

"Nik!" Malina called out as she got close enough for him to notice her over the noise and there was an irritated look in his eyes as he turned his head towards her. He stopped walking as she reached him and she couldn't help but smile at him encouragingly. "Show her your studio."

"What?" Klaus asked as he looked down at the witch in confusion and then in the direction of his studio. The place where he could find solitude and be himself. Malina had only been there a handful of times and now she was suggesting that he showed it to someone who didn't even like him.

"Caroline. Take her to your studio. As I said she won't fall for your charm. You need to show her something real, Nik. Some of that humanity that you despise so much. Or give up. It is that simple." Malina explained in a low but insisting voice before she gave his hand a squeeze and disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

"I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family with you. And Malina as well." Esther said as she lit up the lights on the table. Elena glanced nervously around from where she stood behind the witch and played with her glove. "I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."

"She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves." Elena replied and then took a short calming breath.

Esther was clearly on their side and wanted Klaus gone just as much, but there was still something sinister about the witch that made Elena uneasy. What kind of mother wanted her children dead anyway? Not that Elena minded with this particular child, but it still struck her as tragic.

"It's true. But in no time at all they began to feed on human blood. They ravished the town with no remorse. Eventually Niklaus turned against me." Esther told bitterly as she filled up a wine glass with a clear liquid and pulled out a knife from its satchel.

"How are you gonna kill him? He's immortal." Elena asked as she fought her nerves and stepped closer to Esther in curiosity. Not only that, but he also had a powerful witch of his own, who seemed less than inclined to let him die.

"It will take time," Esther replied as she turned around to face the doppelgänger, "magic, and your assistance."

"What do I have to do?" Elena questioned with a reluctant look in her brown eyes and suddenly felt like a caged bird. But she was sure that it was too late to back out now. The dark look in Esther's eyes assured her of that.

"My children believe I am having this ball to celebrate our reunion, but in truth I have gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger." Esther informed her with an almost mischievous look in her eyes that would have reminded Elena of Kol if she had gotten to know him instead of plotting to kill him. Elena instinctively took a step back at Esther words, but the witch hurried to ensure her. "Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening."

"Will you do it?" Esther continued as she turned around and picked up the dagger from the table. "Or shall I?"

Elena stepped forward hesitantly as she slowly removed her glove and reached out her hand for Esther to take. She winced in pain as the Original witch dug the tip of the knife into her finger and let her blood drip into the wine glass.

"Elijah is more suspicious than the others so he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink of the toast in order to be linked as one." Esther said as she absentmindedly studied the rose coloured liquid and then turned to look at the doppelgänger.

"What do you mean? Linked as one?" Elena asked with a frown and felt her heart beat faster as she realised she may have made a deal with the devil. If they were linked and Klaus were killed; wouldn't that kill them all?

"You said yourself that Klaus can't be killed. But tonight's spell links all my children together so if one goes they all go." Esther explained calmly and Elena felt her stomach drop. The plan was only to kill Klaus. She didn't want Elijah dead as well.

"What?"

"I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination. I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them." Esther answered determinedly and Elena felt rooted to the spot as the witch turned away to signal that the conversation was over.

"What about Malina?" Elena managed to say and Esther looked over her shoulder with a sinister smile on her lips.

"Do not worry about her. She is too busy handling my youngest son, Kol." Esther told with a brushing off gesture and then turned around to face Elena fully. "Besides, when Niklaus die, so does she."

* * *

"See you outside." Rebekah said with a smirk before she turned away from her brother and almost collided with Malina. She felt her smile drop at the sight of her and glanced at Kol one last time before leaving the scene that was probably about to unfold.

"What is happening outside?" Malina questioned in a suspicious tone as she moved to stand in front of Kol. He looked down at her momentarily before glancing over her head as if she wasn't even there.

"Nothing of your concern, darling." Kol replied with a smirk and then locked his dark eyes with hers. He could see the anger that flashed through her eyes and he felt a sudden need to kiss her. To make her stop being mad with him, because he was clearly a fool for saying what he did, but he couldn't very well admit that.

"Are you enjoying the party?" he asked instead and noticed with a disappointed frown that some of the red colour had worn off her lips.

"No." Malina answered with a small sigh as she kept glaring at him and his smile dropped. He had clearly hurt her with his harsh words, but Kol wasn't in the mood for apologizing. He was in the mood for killing a certain human quarterback.

"Go find Nik then. Or his feisty little blonde. Maybe they can entertain you." Kol told her in a cold voice and then strode past her before he could see the rage burning in her green eyes once again.

"To hell with you, Kol Mikaelson." he heard her mutter brokenly and gritted his teeth as he walked outside to find his sister and her date.

* * *

"Are you having just as shitty a night as I am?" Damon asked with a strained smile as he grabbed two glasses of champagne and offered Malina one of them. The witch looked at the rose coloured liquid with a small frown before taking the glass with a sigh.

"I am quite sure mine is worse." Malina replied as she glanced around the room to find Kol standing by Finn, Klaus by Caroline, Rebekah – to her relief – by Matt and Elena by Elijah. They were all holding a glass of champagne and everyone looked up as Esther started talking.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening."

Esther glanced down at her children one by one and then rested her gaze at Malina as she raised her glass in a toast. A shiver travelled down Malina's spine and she instinctively moved closer to Damon, who frowned down at her. It was strange how she trusted the vampire more than a woman she had known for all of her life.

"Cheers!" Esther exclaimed with a smile and finally pried her eyes of Malina as the guests mimicked her gesture.

Malina watched closely as everyone took a sip from their glass and looked at the content in her own hesitantly. She could hear her heart beat in her ears as she raised her glass to drink from it and she coughed in disgust when the taste of blood hit her tongue.

"What's wrong?" she heard Damon ask from beside her, but she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to answer. Something was definitely wrong and Esther was most definitely the culprit.

Malina needed to tell someone, but as she looked around they had all seemed to disappear. A hand wrapped around her wrist as she started to walk away from Damon and she turned around to see him stare at her searchingly.

"What's wrong?" he repeated through gritted teeth and Malina pulled away from his grasp with a glare of her own.

"Nothing. Just go find Elena before she causes anymore damage." Malina snapped at him and then strode away before he could say more.

After looking for five minutes all Malina found was an angry Caroline coming from somewhere inside the mansion and she quickly realised that Klaus had followed her advice. Apparently it hadn't gone very well.

"Are you okay?" Malina asked the blonde with a tired sigh and Caroline scoffed in response.

"I'm done with Klaus for tonight. He can go to the other side of the Earth for all I care. I'm not going with him."

"Okay." the witch replied hesitantly as she had little idea about what Caroline was talking about and then followed the vampire as she walked away.

"Do you know where Matt is?" Caroline asked as they made it to the ball room and they both looked around searchingly for the human.

"I will help you find him." Malina told her with a smile as she could sense Caroline's eagerness to get home and the blonde sent her a grateful smile in return. "I'll look upstairs."

* * *

"Elena." Damon called as he caught up with the doppelgänger in the nearly empty foyer and handed her the golden shawl she had worn at her arrival. "Did you get what you want?"

"Actually, yes."

"Good. Tell me on the way home. We're leaving." Damon ordered in a stern voice and grabbed Elena's arm more roughly than he had intended to.

"No. Let go of me!" Elena growled at him as she fought against his hold and he released her with a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry that I had to cut you out of the plan."

"There shouldn't have been a plan. You shouldn't be here."

"Do you think I like going behind your back? I don't. But if I hadn't asked Stefan to help then you would tried to be the hero and you would have ruined everything." Elena retorted in a hushed voice and glanced around to see if anyone was listening. She did feel bad for doing this to him, but it had to be done. And this was their only chance to get rid of Klaus.

"Sorry for trying to keep you alive. Clearly, Stefan doesn't give a crap anymore." Damon sneered back and subconsciously leaned closer to her in anger.

"Now you're mad at me for including Stefan?!"

"No, I'm mad at you because I love you!"

"Well," Elena breathed in shock and she knew that she would regret her words just as they left her mouth, "maybe that's the problem."

The air seemed to stand still around them as Damon stared down at her and Elena felt her heart drop to her stomach. There was a clearly hurt look in his eyes that quickly turned cold and Elena felt the need to explain even though she knew it wouldn't help.

"No, that's not-" she tried with a shake of her head, but was interrupted by Damon, who looked almost murderous. Elena knew that look. She had seen it right before he had snapped Jeremy's neck.

"No, I get it, Elena." Damon snapped angrily before a strange calm expression appeared on his face. "I care too much. I'm a liability!"

"How ironic is that?" he finished as an afterthought and Elena couldn't think of anything to say in response.

"Have you guys seen Matt?" Caroline's voice suddenly came from behind them and Elena looked at Damon for a moment longer before shaking her head at her blonde friend. She felt a brief moment of guilt at the thought of Malina's death since it would most likely sadden Caroline, but pushed it away. Caroline wanted Klaus dead as well after all.

"I'll go look." Damon said carelessly and walked away without a further look at Elena.

* * *

Malina had just made to the top of the stairs when she saw a blonde head walk out onto one of the balconies. It seemed strange for Matt to be walking around up here alone and Malina had a bad feeling in her stomach as she followed him.

"Matt?" Malina called as she rounded a corner and found herself looking out on the balcony. She frowned when she saw Kol and Matt standing outside and gasped as the human let out a pained sound. "Kol! Stop it!"

Kol didn't even look at her as he smirked at Matt, who had fallen to his knees and Malina raised her hand to stop him. But the aneurisms she tried to give him didn't have any effect and Damon suddenly flashed past her.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Damon called casually to make Kol stop and the Original vampire lifted his head to glare at him. "Easy on the hand. He's a quarterback."

Malina heard both of them growl at each other and screamed out as Damon lunged forward and pushed Kol over the balcony. She reacted on instinct as she spun around and kneeled besides Matt, who was groaning in pain.

"Matt, are you alright?" Malina asked with a voice shaking with anger and the quarterback nodded with a grimace as he cradled his broken hand. The witch looked up as she suddenly felt someone watching her and found Theodore looking down at them. She could hear Kol and Damon struggling on the ground and quickly stood up with rage flaring in her green eyes.

"Get me down there now." Malina ordered calmly as she locked her eyes onto Theodore's and the next moment she was flying through the air. They landed on the ground just as Damon was about to break Kol's neck and Malina's powers immediately lashed out.

"Stop it! Now!" she screamed at Damon and made him fly through the air with her magic. Malina didn't hear the doors open behind her as she focused on Kol, who was getting back onto his feet. Kol looked at her in shock before he turned his eyes to Damon, who was getting up as well.

"Don't you dare." Malina sneered at both of them as she raised her hands and made them fall to their knees in pain. She didn't notice the audience that had gathered behind her or how Stefan was stopped by Theodore as he tried to get to his brother.

"You call yourselves men?! You are both at least one and a half centuries old and yet you act like spoiled children, who haven't gotten enough attention from their mother! The world does not revolve around you and neither I nor anyone else will set fire to ourselves just to keep you warm." Malina yelled at them as she curled her hands into fists and blood starting dripping from their noses. "Get over yourselves!"

Malina lowered her hands as both vampires fell to the ground with broken necks and swayed on her legs for a moment as dizziness overwhelmed her. She watched as Stefan flashed over to his brother and vaguely heard Elijah ask him to take the body away.

Malina could feel all of them watching her warily, but no one came closer than a few meters to her. Her breath was shallow as she turned on her heels and strode past Elena and the Mikaelsons. Some of her hair had come undone from the pins that held it in place, but she couldn't get herself to care.

"I will be staying at Caroline's house tonight." she informed Klaus in a calm voice as she briefly stopped right beside him and met his half-amused and half-worried gaze. "No one will follow me there."

Malina glanced over her shoulder at Theodore to emphasize the meaning of words and Klaus nodded in understanding; albeit reluctantly. He watched as the witch continued inside without paying mind to the stares she were receiving from the other guests and then disappeared around a corner.

* * *

Esther glared after Malina as she passed through the foyer to reach the stairs and then walked outside to see what all of the noise had meant. Irritation cursed through the Original witch when she found her children standing over the body of her youngest son and she immediately knew that it was Malina that had put him in that state. Perhaps it was about time to do something about the young witch.

* * *

Malina's mind felt strangely numb as she walked down the hall towards her room. The only thing going through her head was what she had to pack before quickly finding Caroline and Matt so she could leave the mansion. Yet, something made her stop as she passed the door to Esther's room and the smell of sage reawakened her senses.

She figured that Elena had probably convinced Elijah that nothing extraordinary happened during the minutes she had spent with the witch, but if they had nothing to hide then why had Esther used an herb that was a key ingredient in privacy spells?

Malina was suddenly reminded of the unusual taste of the champagne they had all drunk, but no one else seemed to have noticed and after a small moment of hesitation she took off her heels and entered the empty room.

The aroma of the sage was stronger inside and Malina could sense how it was still burning somewhere in the room. Whatever Esther was working on wasn't over yet. A few candles burned on an empty desk, but nothing else seemed suspicious and Malina was about to leave when she heard steps approaching quickly in the hall.

She made a quick decision as she hid behind a cabinet and placed a cloaking spell on herself. She managed to wordlessly mask her scent, breathing and the beating of her heart – a trick Emma had taught her – just as Esther stormed inside.

"No violence! That was all I asked! Rebekah and Kol disgraced our family tonight. And Malina destroyed whatever favour we've gained by acting like a petulant child!" Esther spoke heatedly and spun around to face Elijah, who was right behind her.

"I don't believe we can blame Malina for the disruption tonight." he told her calmly and noticed the flash of annoyance in his mother's eyes. "But I promise it won't happen again. I will deal with them."

Even though Malina was hidden from detection she couldn't help but hold her breath as she heard Esther step forward. She couldn't see what was going on from her hiding place and the concentration needed for the cloaking spells made her unable to move much.

"Thank you, Elijah." Esther spoke in a soft voice and held her hand against her son's cheek before continuing in a more disconcerting tone. "I wish the others were more like you."

Silence filled the room once more and Malina couldn't decide if someone was leaving or arriving as feet moved around. She heard the doors close, but stayed still in case someone was still inside.

"Are we alright to speak freely?" she suddenly heard Finn ask and her breath hitched in her throat. That meant that Elijah had left and that she was now trapped in a room with Esther and Finn. This evening couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Yes. The sage still burns." Esther replied as she pulled a piece of parchment from a draw in her desk and started writing down the names of her children in runes.

"You are not having second thoughts, are you?" Finn questioned in his deep voice and Malina frowned in concentration to both listen and uphold the spells at the same time.

"Of course not. It's just that Elijah… He's so moral." Esther replied as she kept scribbling and there seemed to be a genuine tone of regret in her voice.

"You're doing the right thing, Mother."

"You understand what this means, don't you?" Esther said and Malina held her breath in anticipation. "This spell I'm casting tonight will bind you all together as one."

"I understand. When it is time I will be ready to die." Finn answered solemnly and Malina's eyes widened in shock. Despite all of her misgivings and suspicions about Esther, she was still startled to hear that the witch wanted to kill _all_ of her children. Malina – a fellow witch and Ayana's daughter – included.

"Then we must complete the link."

Malina's heart was drumming loudly in her chest as she heard Esther rise from a chair and soon after the sickening sound of blood spilling onto the parchment. A chaos of thoughts and different spells flew through her head as Esther started chanting, but Malina couldn't think of anything to stop them.

"The link is complete." Esther said when she had finished her spell and Malina felt a brief pulling sensation in her stomach as she was linked to Klaus. "You are one."

She heard the sudden ignition of the parchment and the iron-like smell of blood made nausea rise to her throat. A heavy silence stretched on in the room as mother and son watched the paper burn without leaving any marks on the table, and Malina felt herself becoming increasingly more lightheaded.

Not only was the use of her own powers tearing on her, but Esther's dark magic seemed to affect her as well somehow. And as her previous rage left her body; exhaustion took over.

Malina didn't realise that her spells had slipped before she suddenly found herself against the wall with Finn's hand around her neck. The tiredness of her body almost made it impossible to fight back and a hand was placed over her mouth when she tried to scream.

"Didn't Ayana ever tell you not to eavesdrop, dear?" Esther asked from behind her son and all fight left Malina's body as the older witch reached out and tore the necklace off her neck. Malina couldn't help but smile a little at Esther's pained yelped as she apparently burned herself on the red moon stone and had to let it fall to the floor.

"You will not get away with this." Malina whispered as Finn removed his hand from her mouth and she did her best to send her most hateful glare in Esther's direction.

"With you out of my way I don't think it will be that hard. Goodbye, Malina."

With those words Esther pressed her fingers against Malina's temples and then the world went black.


	18. Chapter 15

"Did you stop taking your vervain?" Elena questioned with a confused frown as she watched Damon button up his shirt.

It was safe was to say that she was shocked to find Rebekah leaving the Boarding House – dressed in last night's gown – when she had turned up at the Salvatores' door.

After last night's dramatic ending and her emotional talk with Stefan about him actually feeling something again, she had needed to speak with Damon. But when he had finally answered her calls, he had brushed her off, so the only choice Elena had was to go to him in person. Which had now proved to be a huge mistake.

"You think Rebekah had to compel me?" Damon replied with a disbelieving laugh and finished re-dressing himself.

"What's wrong with you? She tried to kill me less than forty-eight hours ago." Elena exclaimed with a defeated gesture of her hands. Of all the people in this town, he had to sleep with Rebekah.

"Can we just move past that, Elena?"

"So is that how it's gonna be now?" she asked with a sigh as Damon casually strode past her to where a bottle of bourbon stood. "I hurt your feelings and this is how you lash out at me?"

"Well, maybe, for once something I did had nothing to do with you." Damon pointed out as he poured golden liquid into a glass and raised it towards her in a toast.

"You should know that Esther is planning on killing her entire family." Elena said after a short pause and could feel how the guilt was gnawing at her insides once again. "She's linked them all together with a spell. Whatever happens to one, happens to all of them."

"That's great! Klaus will finally be dead and we win." Damon replied with a small frown as he couldn't see why Elena seemed so down about it. "Why do you like someone just shot a panda bear?"

"Because to kill Klaus, she has to kill all of them. Including Elijah, and he doesn't deserve this!"

"And I'm supposed to care about Elijah?"

"Shouldn't you at least care about Rebekah?" Elena sneered as she glared at him angrily. "Or your new friend Malina? If Klaus dies, then she dies as well."

"Two seconds ago you were pissed that Rebekah attacked you, and if Klaus dies I think it would be better for everyone that Malina died with him, so win-win. " Damon said as he slowly stepped towards her and Elena turned her back to him in irritation. She startled when Damon suddenly stood in front of her again with a warning glare. "Don't do anything to screw this up, Elena."

"Why are you doing this?"

Elena didn't get the answer to her question as Stefan interrupted their stare-off by coming down the stairs.

"He's right, you know. Klaus has to die. They all do." Stefan called out in an uncaring manner that almost made Elena shiver. The Stefan she knew – and had seen again briefly last night – was clearly buried deeply within him once more.

"See? It's democracy in action." Damon spoke with a smirk on his lips and sipped his drink while staring down at Elena.

She felt like she was going to be sick and pushed past the brothers with a sigh; spilling Damon's drink in the process. The older Salvatore shrugged at his brother, who just glanced after Elena with a frown and then went back upstairs.

* * *

"Well, well, well, there's our girl!" Kol exclaimed and stood up from the sofa he had been sitting on as his little sister entered the lounge in last night's dress and with tousled hair.

He had been waiting for another girl to make her entrance all day, but it seemed as if he would have to do with teasing his sister. Which wasn't all that bad either since he was tremendously bored.

"Get out of my way, Kol." Rebekah snapped at him as he kept stepping in front of her, so she couldn't move past him.

"Out all night. What a scandal!" Kol mused with a smirk as he kept blocking his sister's path. "I trust you did better than that commoner? Matt, was it?"

"If you don't shut your mouth the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth." Rebekah threatened and Kol lifted his eyebrows in amusement as if he was ready to take her challenge.

Instead the Original blonde pushed past him with a glare directed towards Klaus, who had become distracted from his drawing by his siblings' amusing bickering.

"Don't start, Nik." Rebekah warned as she walked towards him and he held back a laugh, while his eyes returned the page where his fingers almost unconsciously drew up a pair of eyes belonging to a certain blonde.

"I didn't say anything." Klaus told his sister and glanced up at her scowling face once more. He could really care less about whom his sister had been sleeping around with. And if she didn't want the person to lose his – or hers – head, Rebekah knew better than to tell him.

"I'm bored." Kol said as he fell into a chair that stood across from Klaus and glanced up at Rebekah. "Our sister is a strumpet, but at least she's having fun. I need entertainment."

"What are you waiting for? Go on, have at it." Klaus told his brother and could feel irritation rise inside him, when Kol's nagging turned towards him. He had been so refreshingly quiet before Rebekah had arrived, when all he could do was sit and pout over Malina's lack of return from her hiding place.

"It's not fun to go alone! Join me, Nik." Kol complained as he sat up straight and then looked at his older brother in a way that could be described as begging if you didn't know that Kol Mikaelson never begged anyone for anything. "It's the least you could do after sticking a dagger in my heart."

"I thought you would be busy getting shouted at by Malina right now." Rebekah commented with a frown and glanced around the room as if the witch would suddenly appear from behind one of the sofas. "Where is she?"

"Ah yes, where is Malina?" Klaus mused as he glanced at his brother with an amused smirk. The fact that Malina had left the house because of Kol was something he couldn't help but enjoy.

"Don't know, don't care." Kol spoke as he quickly got up from his chair and brushed past Rebekah before turning around to look at his older brother. "Are you coming?"

Klaus studied him for a long moment and then narrowed his blue eyes slightly. With a sigh he then put down his drawing pad and tools, and got up from his seat to follow Kol. At least he could make sure that Kol didn't go out and do something that would hurt Malina further.

"Okay, why not? I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night with you trying to murder Rebekah's date and driving Mal up the walls." Klaus gave in and smirked down at his sister as he passed her.

"Yes, please go! This house has enough men rolling around in it." Rebekah snapped at her brothers as they exited the room and Kol turned to look at her with a grin, while he backed out.

"Just like you, Bekah!"

"Good riddance, both of you!" she yelled after him and threw her shoe that nearly hit Kol as he jumped out of the door. She let out a small sigh as she was finally left alone, but her relief was broken when Elijah's voice called out for her.

"Rebekah!"

"Not you too, Elijah." she said with a roll of her eyes and her shoulder slumped in the prospect of being scolded by her older brother. As if she was still 17 and had been out after her curfew.

"I'm worried about Mother." he continued without even noticing the state she was in. "Have you not noticed her strange behaviour?"

"She's been dead for a thousand years. What's strange for her?"

"Burned sage. I smelled it in the hall outside her locked chambers. And briefly last night." Elijah explained as he stepped closer to his sister, who was looking at him without interest. "She was doing a privacy spell."

"You know she fancies such things." Rebekah said with a small shake of her head and couldn't help but feel annoyed with her brother – and Malina – who couldn't just let her enjoy her mother's return from the dead. "Why don't you ask Finn? He's been doting on her."

"I don't trust Finn." Elijah replied without missing a beat and the blonde almost rolled her eyes. Couldn't they for once just be a family again? "He hates what we are and always has."

"That's not true. And as for Mother, she returned for one reason: to make her family whole." Rebekah argued as she stared up at her brother, who seemed to doubt his own words for a moment. "She loves us. What trouble are you looking to find?"

"Where is Malina?" Elijah then asked after a short moment of silence between them as he suddenly recalled that the witch had wanted to speak with him yesterday and possibly about this. Had she found something?

"She stayed over at Vampire Barbie's house." Rebekah shrugged and walked past her brother so she could finally go take a shower.

"Who?" he asked with a frown and this time Rebekah did roll her eyes as she looked at him over her shoulder.

"Caroline Forbes. Nik's new plaything."

"And she hasn't returned yet?"

"Apparently not."

"Strange." Elijah muttered to himself as Rebekah disappeared out of the room. If Malina had something important to speak to him about then she would have come back sooner, even with Kol present. After a brief moment of thought he flashed off to Elena's house.

* * *

Caroline had a bad feeling about all of this.

What 'this' was, she wasn't exactly sure of, but something was clearly going on and no one had decided to include her. Which only made the fact that they didn't answer her calls all the more stressful.

Both Bonnie and Elena had texted her some half-assed excuses for not answering, while Damon and Malina weren't answering at all. Caroline didn't understand how she had reached the point where she'd rather call Damon than Stefan.

Alaric had picked up, but he didn't have much to tell her. All she learned was that Damon had apparently slept with Rebekah and Elena wasn't happy. Which was something your best friend, and not your history teacher, should tell you.

Caroline paced back and forth in her bedroom as she thought about what to do. Last night she had left Tyler a voice message, but he was yet to call back. Then she had found the damn drawing that was now lying on her desk and mocking her. She had yelled at and insulted the Big Bad Hybrid and he was _thanking_ her?

She had waited to call Malina until the next morning since she figured she had enough to do with Kol and all of that mess. Caroline hadn't even gotten a chance to tell the witch goodbye as she had been nowhere to be found and the blonde wanted to go home before Klaus cornered her again.

But Malina hadn't answered her phone any of the five times Caroline had called her. The baby vampire was worried for her friend, but there wasn't exactly anyone she could call to hear whether Malina was fine or not.

Caroline almost laughed out loud at the thought of having Klaus on speed dial and then jumped when her phone actually rang in her hand.

"Yes?" she said without looking at the caller ID and scowled when Damon's voice reached her ear.

"_Hey, Blondie. You're needed._"

"What the hell is going on?" Caroline snapped at him and Damon sighed on the other end as if explaining it to her would actually be exhausting for him.

"_Elijah's got Elena and to get her back we need to dagger him. Or anyone of his other siblings actually. Don't have time to explain why, but I need you to go to the Grill and do a little flirty-flirt with Klaus to distract him. We'll take care of the rest._" Damon quickly explained and Caroline could literally feel her jaw drop.

"I don't understand." Caroline replied as she had trouble comprehending what Damon had just told her. Why the hell had Elijah kidnapped Elena? And what good would it do that they daggered one of his siblings if it was Elijah they needed taken care of?

"_You should put that on a t-shirt._" Damon drawled and she could almost hear him smirking. Caroline was surprised when Stefan's voice scolded him on the other end and frowned at the thought of the brothers working together once more. When the hell did that happen?

"_Just put on a dress, Caroline, and get Klaus out of there, so we can take down Kol. Otherwise Elena dies._" Damon told her in an irritated voice that made Caroline want to throw her phone in the ocean so he could never call her again.

But for some reason Elena's life was on the line, so Caroline agreed with a sneer and said she would be there in fifteen minutes. Luckily she had done her hair and make-up earlier, when she thought that someone would actually answer her calls and want to see her.

She almost felt dirty for shrugging on a blouse with a deep neckline, but at least it wasn't some tight dress that Damon probably wanted her to wear. Caroline ruffled her hair a bit and quickly refreshed her make-up before pulling on her boots and jacket. She grabbed her handbag and car keys of the table by the front door, and then locked the empty house behind her with a sigh.

Why did she have to be Klaus bait?

* * *

"Bennett witches, thank you for coming." Esther spoke as Bonnie and Abby walked up to the dead witches' house, where Finn was lurking about. "I could think of no better allies than the woman, who sent Mikael into his long sleep and the girl, who fought Niklaus so bravely."

"Why exactly did you invite us here?" Abby asked the Original witch and couldn't help but think about how much her mother would have yelled at Bonnie and her for getting involved in Original vampire business.

"You are at the descendants of the witch Ayana. She was a great mentor of mine and I think it's only fitting that I draw from her bloodline." Esther explained and forced a fond smile to her lips at the thought Malina's mother. This had nothing to do with Ayana, but with the immense power her bloodline held.

"So are you channelling our ancestors?" Bonnie questioned with a frown and immediately thought of Malina, who she for some odd reason hadn't heard from all day. Bonnie was almost certain that Malina would find out about Esther's plans and try to convince Bonnie not to help the Original witch, but apparently she had overestimated Malina.

"I draw from the entirety of the Bennett bloodline; living and dead." Esther told them and Bonnie's frown deepened.

"What about Malina? I can't imagine her helping you with this and she's a pretty important part of our bloodline." Bonnie said and could feel her mother squeeze her hand, when Esther sent the teenage witch a cold look.

"Malina is dealt with." was all the Original witch said and Bonnie was surprised by the sudden worry she felt for Malina.

"Is she…?" Bonnie started, but couldn't get herself to finish. Something inside told her that the witch was still alive, but with everything going on she could barely figure out what was up and down; let alone trust a 'feeling'.

"She is alive." Esther assured her with a nod and then narrowed her eyes slightly at Bonnie. "You care for her."

"She's been nice to me." Bonnie shrugged and she was almost sure that the smile Esther now wore was forced. "Elena told me she will die if Klaus dies. Is there anything we can do to stop that?"

"I'm trying everything I know to do exactly that." Esther lied and took the Bennett witches' hands in hers. "Malina might be a sacrifice that we will have to make. But I promise you that it is nothing I do with a light heart."

"Tonight, my sisters," she then continued and Bonnie had to stop herself from shivering at the woman's touch, "we shall bring peace to the spirits of nature that we serve and for that I thank you."

* * *

Caroline bit her lower lip to stop herself from smiling, when she heard a car honk behind her and she imagined Klaus being run over by a truck. Sadly that was not the case as he called out her name the next moment.

"Are you serious? Take a hint." Caroline said as she spun around to look at him and started walking again, when he almost caught up to her.

"Don't be angry, love. We had a little spat. I'm over it already."

"Oh, well, I'm not."

"How can I acquit myself?" Klaus asked in a voice that sounded genuine and that made Caroline sigh heavily, because screw him for being such a good actor.

"You and your expensive jewellery, and your romantic drawings can leave me alone." _because I'm not just some dumb blonde you can buy_. Caroline finished in her head as she glared at him, but, as expected, he didn't give up.

"Come on. Take a chance, Caroline." he tried with an almost challenging look in his eyes that made Caroline let out a breathy laugh despite herself.

"Talk to me. Come on, get to know me." Klaus continued as he placed himself on the bench that stood beside him and Caroline looked down at him with an unbelieving smile on her lips. His persistency was really getting irritating. "I dare you."

And she truly hated him for saying those three words. Especially while wearing that inviting smile, which clearly didn't belong on the face of an evil hybrid. Klaus kept staring at her as fought with her own ego not to take his dare, but in the end she lost.

"Fine." she said reluctantly and sat down beside him. It immediately became awkward as she turned her head to look at Klaus and she found him staring at her as if she was the most interesting thing in the world. "So what do you wanna talk about?"

"I want to talk about you." Klaus said without missing a beat and Caroline let out a heavy sigh. He was using the oldest trick in the book, which kind of made sense given that he was a thousand years old. "I want to talk about your hopes, your dreams; everything you want in life."

"Just to be clear," Caroline replied with an amused smile on her lips, because it was a little funny seeing him try so hard, "I'm too smart to be seduced by you."

"Well, that's why I like you." Klaus told her with a smile of his own and when she searched his eyes for lies or the false charm she secretly accused him of using on her, she found none.

Which, truthfully, scared her more than anything else about him had so far. Because telling someone, who could easily kill you in seconds, repeatedly to go jump off a cliff didn't sound good for your health.

"I don't know how Malina does it." she finally said, when she couldn't think of anything else to say and Klaus raised an eyebrow in question. "Being around you all the time must be tiring. And Kol doesn't seem like a walk in the park either."

For a moment Caroline held her breath as she expected him to get angry with her like last night, but to her surprise his smiled just widened in amusement. It wasn't exactly the reaction she had hoped for as making him mad at her seemed like a better option than him trying to charm her pants off.

"Speaking of Mal, how is she?" Klaus asked instead with genuine concern in his voice and Caroline frowned in confusion.

"I have no idea since I haven't been able to reach her all day."

"She was with you last night."

"Not after I left the ball." Caroline replied with a shake of her head and the worry she had felt for the witch all day grew exponentially.

She almost jumped when Klaus suddenly stood up and watched as he pulled out his phone to check if Malina had called him. The stony look on his face told Caroline that she hadn't.

"Do you think-" Caroline started as she rose from her seat as well, but she was interrupted when Klaus suddenly flinched from a sharp pain in his chest. "What is it?"

"What did you do?" Klaus asked angrily as he stared at her with something that resembled betrayal in his eyes.

"Nothing." Caroline lied as she realised that Damon and Stefan had probably gotten to Kol. Her heart lurched in her throat, when Klaus suddenly grabbed her arms harshly and almost shook her.

"What did you do?" he repeated with a sneer and she had a feeling that he wasn't only talking about the pain in his chest, but also about Malina's disappearance. Honestly, Caroline had briefly wondered as well if the Salvatores were behind the witch's possible kidnapping.

"I didn't do anything. Stop it!" she told him without being able to hold back the fear in her voice and he finally let her go. They were both breathing heavily and Klaus quickly turned his head back towards the Grill as he whispered his brother's name.

For some reason he hesitated to go to his brother and Caroline noticed how he was still clutching his phone in his hand.

"I'll find Malina." Caroline said without thinking and Klaus' panicked eyes snapped back to her. It was strange seeing the hybrid so rattled with concern and he gave her a quick nod before flashing away.

Caroline knew that she wasn't supposed to offer her help. Especially since it meant that Klaus could now come to his brother's rescue, which in turn meant that they would have to find another way to save Elena. She had really done it this time. Fucked up everything with her big mouth.

* * *

The world was spinning as Malina slowly returned from unconsciousness and her first thought was that she needed to lie down, when she realised that she was already placed on a sofa. Instinctively she reached for her necklace to give her strength and when she couldn't find it, everything that had happened suddenly came back to her.

Malina duly noted that at least Esther had made sure she was comfortable on the sofa while the Original witch went out to kill her. Her fuzzy mind tried to calculate how many hours she had been without the necklace, and the darkness in the room either meant for a few hours only, or for a whole day. By the state of things Malina figured it had to be a whole day.

Considering the magic Esther had used on her and how tired Malina had already been when the necklace was taking from her, she only had a few hours – maybe only a couple – before her time ran out. And if no one had found her inside Esther's chambers yet, then it didn't seem likely they would do so before it was too late.

Which meant that Malina needed to use her last energy to get out of the room by herself to get help. Depending on how difficult it would be to do that, she would only have about an hour from then until her heart stopped beating.

The witch spent a few minutes listening for any sounds in the large mansion, but everything seemed eerily quiet and she realised that even Klaus' hybrids were gone. What a tremendous day for him to give them a holiday.

Malina needed to get to her phone in her own room and then call someone for help. And hope that the world hadn't ended during her absence so there was actually someone there to pick up. Everything considered she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

Very slowly she pulled herself up so she was sitting on the sofa and Malina almost felt like puking as a dull pain in her head overwhelmed her senses and sight. After taking a minute to breathe she stood up and spent another minute just finding her balance.

The best thing would probably be to crawl to the door, but Malina had her pride after all. It didn't make it easier that she was still wearing her floor length dress, but at least she would look beautiful when she died, she thought sarcastically.

It took ten minutes of stumbling, leaning on all plain surfaces but the floor, and heavy breathing before she made it to the door. Malina forced herself to stay upright instead of sliding down against the door as her body demanded her to do. To no surprise, the door was locked and the witch knew that from now on time was not something she could spare.

Malina had to do three spells before the lock unclicked and each one made her heartbeat slower. She didn't have the energy to make a surprised noise when the door fell open and she landed on the floor in the hall. Malina thought hard to keep her eyes open as darkness closed in on her and when her sight returned she had a feeling that she had been gone for more than just a few seconds.

This time there was no getting off the floor, but she managed to get on all four as she painfully slow crawled towards her room. It felt like hours before she finally made it there and Malina fell inside as she managed to pry open her door.

It was getting harder to breathe and each slow beat of her heart seemed to pound against her ribcage. She felt like crying in relief as she found her phone on the bed, but didn't have the energy, and she just pressed down on her screen to call the person, who had last called her. With her luck it was probably Damon.

"_Malina?_" a female voice called out instead and it took Malina a long moment to recognize Caroline's voice. "_Malina? Are you there? Where are you?_"

"Mansion. My room." was all the witch managed to say and she fought in vain to get into a sitting position so she could lean against her bed. She gave up after a couple of seconds.

"_Give me a minute._" Caroline told her quickly and then the line went dead.

The one minute the blonde had promised felt like at least ten, but suddenly she was there and a soft wind tickled Malina's face. She felt as if she was looking through a veil as she met Caroline's panicked gaze, and then she was suddenly floating. Malina registered how the hard floor beneath became soft and Caroline's cold fingers rested against her pulse point on her neck, only to find that it was barely there.

"Necklace." Malina whispered as she slowly lifted her hand to her neck.

"Where?" Caroline asked in a soft but loud voice to make sure that the witch actually heard her and didn't bother searching Malina's room as she realised that it wasn't in there.

"Esther." Malina breathed and the vampire repeated her question to which the witch only had two words: "Dead witches."

Caroline hesitated to leave for only for a moment as she thought about giving Malina her blood, but from the little the witch had told her about the necklace, she knew it wouldn't work. It would only make her a vampire when she eventually died and Malina had profusely rejected that idea.

Shooting one last glance at the dying witch, Caroline flashed out of the mansion and towards the dead witches' house where she had made her pinky swear with Malina not long ago.

Everything seemed completely different from then. Now Caroline wasn't working to kill the Originals, but rather trying to save someone, who could be considered one of them.

The trees rushed by as Caroline ran through the woods and towards the location she remembered the old witch house to be. She halted for a moment when she thought she had run too far, but her sensitive ears quickly picked up the sound of fire and a voice talking.

"_If you've come to plead for your life… I'm sorry. You've wasted your time._"

Fear overwhelmed her for a short moment when she recognized Esther Mikaelson's voice from the toast she had made the night before, but the image of a sickly pale Malina made her run towards the sound. Caroline suddenly found herself standing outside a ring of fire with Esther and the oldest Original inside, while the other three brothers stood not far from her.

"Caroline." a startled voice spoke and she looked at Klaus, who no longer seemed as calm as he had been moments before her arrival. The five Originals were all staring at her and Caroline took a shaking breath to regain control over her own voice.

"You should leave, Miss Forbes. This is a family matter." Elijah's stern voice told her before she could open her mouth and Caroline almost laughed at how much she really wanted to follow his advice.

"Trust me. This is the last place I want to be. But your mother has something that I need." Caroline replied with a strength in her voice that surprised herself and she turned her eyes to the witch inside the circle.

"So this is Caroline Forbes. Interesting." she heard Esther say almost to herself and watched with a frown as the witch looked between Caroline and Klaus. She hadn't come here so Esther could see if she was a good match for her evil son.

"Leave." Finn told her more forcefully than Elijah had and sent her glare that was supposed to scare her off, but instead made her irritated.

"I will. As soon as I get Malina's necklace." Caroline called back to him and watched from the corner of her eye how the three brothers all froze momentarily.

"What?!" Kol yelled in a sudden burst of rage and stepped forward, only to have the flames stop him from entering the circle.

"What happened to her?" Elijah asked slightly more calmly and took a hold of his brother's arm, when Kol looked as if he was about to just run through the flames. Klaus just stared in his mother in anger as if he was trying to come up with all the ways he could make her death slow and most painful.

"Your bitch of a mother happened to her." Caroline scoffed and gestured towards the circle, where Esther had now stepped as close to the blonde as she could.

"Have your mother not taught you any manners?" Esther snapped at her with an almost scandalized look in her eyes and once again Caroline found it hard to not laugh despite the situation.

"Plenty. But I find it hard to be polite to people I don't like."

"Watch your tongue, child." Esther warned her and Caroline couldn't help but roll her eyes. This wasn't really the right time for a lesson in etiquette.

"Caroline, leave now. We will get the necklace." Klaus told her and she noticed suddenly that he had moved closer to her. The look in his eyes was clearly telling her to stay out of it, but she doubted that Malina could wait for the necklace until their little family feud was over.

"I need it now or Malina will die." Caroline said and she noticed how the fire lit up the rage in Klaus' eyes.

"Rightfully so." Esther called calmly from within her circle and something snapped inside of Caroline as she felt her fangs appear and she lurched forward.

A pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind and she stopped seeing red as she quickly became aware of the hard chest that she was being pressed against. Caroline immediately became still and looked over towards Kol, who seemed to be actually fighting with Elijah to get to his mother.

"She is a witch. She is meant to protect nature and not help monsters like yourself." Esther continued when she had Caroline's attention once more and the blonde felt – to her relief – how Klaus let go of her to stand in front on her instead.

"What have you done with the necklace, Mother?" the hybrid sneered as he stepped as close to the fire as he could get and even Kol calmed down, when Esther carefully pulled the necklace out of her pocket without touching the stone.

"Peculiar little thing." Esther said as she watched the stone reflect the fire around her. "It burns me every time I try to touch it."

A smirk suddenly appeared on the woman's lips as she paused in her speech and Caroline met the witch's stare without blinking.

"Please, Miss Forbes. Give me one good reason to why I should give you this necklace."

"Fine. I'll give you one: you." Caroline agreed with her arms crossed in front of her and ignored how Klaus turned to stare at her angrily.

"Caroline."

"Seriously? I'm trying to save your friend here!" she exclaimed as she gestured towards the ring of fire and Klaus took a few steps back until he stood almost right behind her.

"Please, do continue." Esther told her and Caroline stepped forward as she took a deep breath.

"Malina was supposed to have died a thousand years ago; just like all of you. But because of _your_ son, she lived. Because the first thing your son did as a 'monster' was saving someone. And when her mother put her to sleep it was because of _your_ mistakes. You might think that the only way to stop your children is fighting fire with fire, but that's wrong.

"Malina loves two of your sons, even the two you probably find least redeemable, and she cares deeply for the rest of them. She is fixing your mistakes the way it should be done. Hate cannot drive away hate, only love can. So let her live. Please." Caroline finished with a plea.

She hoped that Esther hadn't kept enough up with politics from the Other Side to know that she had just quoted Martin Luther King. It had kind of just slipped out with the rest of it.

"And how do you feel about my children?" Esther asked after a long moment of silence and Caroline could almost hear Malina's clock ticking inside her head.

"I prefer to avoid them as much as possible." Caroline replied and hoped that the witch wouldn't question her understatement. What she really wished was that they would leave town and never come back again.

"And yet you care for Malina, who you claim love them."

"Look, whatever Klaus has done doesn't define Malina. I accidentally killed a man when I turned. That doesn't make it my mother's fault." Caroline argued with a small sigh as she didn't know what else to do to convince the witch.

But apparently she had finally said the right thing, because suddenly the necklace was flying through the air and Caroline caught it instinctively. She glanced up at Esther to see the witch look at her with surprise as she had probably thought that Caroline would burn herself on the necklace as well.

The blonde couldn't help but sent the witch a cheeky grin before she shared a quick look with Klaus and then flashed away. She made it back to the mansion within a few minutes and stopped dead just inside of Malina's room.

The witch reminded Caroline of Snow White as she lay in her beautiful dress with pale skin, red lips and dark hair that had almost completely undone from her up-do. For a moment Caroline strained her hearing and she quickly made her way to the bed, when she finally heard a faint heartbeat.

Caroline let the red stone rest against Malina's skin as she bound the broken leather cord around her neck and then moved back slightly. She inhaled sharply when Malina's eyes suddenly shot open, but they were completely black and the witch took a deep breath before she seemed to stop breathing all together.

"Malina?" Caroline whispered in shock as the woman's eyes closed and her body became lifeless. Carefully, she reached over to touch the witch and the blonde jumped, when Malina suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Malina?" Caroline questioned again, when the witch opened her eyes once more and – luckily – they had returned to their normal green colour.

The blonde whimpered slightly, when a dull pain slowly travelled up her arm and she noticed that dark veins were starting to spread across her pale skin as Malina seemed to regain her colour.

"Caroline." Malina whispered hoarsely and tightened her grip on Caroline's wrist as the vampire tried to pull away from the pain.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked fearfully as she stared down at her arm and gritted her teeth as the pain started to spread. She didn't believe that Malina would actually hurt her, but on the other hand this didn't seem like the Malina she knew.

"I'm so sorry. You'll be fine, I promise. I just need… I need your energy." Malina explained in a low voice and she seemed to return to herself more and more as Caroline's pain became worse. "Or I'll die."

"Oh." was all Caroline could think of to say as she managed to place herself on the bed beside the witch. She offered Malina a small smile to assure her it was okay, but it quickly turned into a pained grimace.

Apparently the necklace wasn't enough alone to revive the witch so she had to take Caroline's energy to survive. Which hurt like hell for Caroline, but wasn't quite as scary as soon as she understood what was going on. It was like having your neck snapped. She hoped. Caroline would wake up in a few hours at most and probably have a killer headache, but nothing more.

Malina let go of Caroline after a long minute and glanced at the vampire to see that her skin had turned into an alabaster colour and that her eyes were closed. The witch was too tired to determine if Caroline was still breathing, but she knew that the vampire would be okay.

She had never tried something like it before, but had read enough about the spell to know that it would only kill mortals if used too long – like she had done with Caroline. Or at least bring them into a coma for days.

Malina hated herself for doing it to Caroline, and especially without warning, but it was like her magic had taken a conscious choice without her and grabbed onto the nearest life source.

Malina barely finished her thought before exhaustion overwhelmed her and she fell into a peaceful sleep. Her mind registered how the weight in her bed at some point shifted and her body instinctively curled around the nearest source of heat. In her sleep Malina smiled as she recognized a familiar scent mixed with smoke.


	19. Chapter 16

**_Third person P.O.V._**

Malina's boy protested painfully as she slowly stretched and her head was pounding rhythmically to a silent beat. Even though she had slept heavily all through the night she was still tired and she lazily curled up against the warm body by her side.

The witch wasn't surprised when she opened her eyes and found Kol looking down at her with a soft smile, and she felt herself smile as well. Her mind half registered how this was actually the first time they had actually slept together since their thousand year old affair had only ever consisted of hasty dalliances, when they were sure no one would find them.

"Good morning, love." Kol spoke as the arm he had wrapped around her waist tightened its grip and pressed her closer against him. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Malina answered with a sleep-heavy voice and let her hand glide down over his chest to rest at his hip.

For some reason he was still dressed, while Malina was in shorts and an oversize t-shirt, and something about the burnt smell of his clothes reminded her of something she seemed to have forgotten. But right now she was too exhausted to try and remember it.

"Understandable. But most importantly, you are alive." Kol muttered and placed a kiss on her forehead that ended with him just resting his lips there. Once again something tugged at Malina's memory, but instead she focused on the slow rise and fall of Kol's chest.

"I must admit she's quite the spitfire, your blonde friend. It was an impressive sight seeing her speak to Mother like that." Kol then continued with a low chuckle and Malina's head spun as she suddenly sat up in alarm.

_Caroline._ Where was Caroline and what had happened to her?

"Caroline, where is she?" Malina demanded to know as everything that had happened within the last 24 hours returned to her and she glanced around the room in slight panic. The mental image of a pale and lifeless Caroline made her almost jump out the bed, but Kol held her back as he grabbed her waist.

"Probably sleeping in Nik's bed." Kol replied casually as he tried to get Malina to lie down once more, but his words only made the witch tense.

"What?!" she exclaimed with wide eyes and leaned away from Kol in shock, who only smiled at the direction of Malina's thoughts. They both knew that Klaus would never force himself upon a woman, which meant that Malina for a moment had thought that Caroline had actually slept with his brother.

"Relax, darling. Nik has been wandering around all night and annoyed the bloody hell out of me. Caroline has had the bed all to herself." Kol quickly explained and gently pulled her towards until they were lying down once more. Malina still looked exhausted and until she started yelling at him, he was going to make sure she got her rest.

"I did something to her. I killed her." Malina then whispered as she stared at the ceiling and it almost seemed as if she was talking to herself.

"That was quite a trick you pulled on her. But I promise you that she is well. Actually it would seem that she is waking up." Kol said with a lopsided smile and listened carefully as the baby vampire's breathing changed and he heard the coils of the bed move underneath her.

"I should probably go find her before she runs into Nik."

"She can take of herself, love. She certainly proved that last night." Kol reassured the witch and Malina finally seemed to relax back into his embrace.

"What happened?" Malina asked quietly as her eyes rested on the Original, whose eyes had become dark with anger. Malina already knew some of it because her spying on Esther and Finn, but there was also a lot of hours unaccounted for in her absence.

"Mother tried to have us all killed. She linked us together and let her favourite son play the sacrificial lamb. The Salvatores helped us stop her after a bit of persuasion, but Finn and her have both disappeared." Kol explained bitterly and Malina couldn't help but wonder what kind of 'persuasion' that had made the Salvatore brothers help.

"It was the champagne. She must have used Elena's blood somehow and then linked you through the champagne. I could taste the blood when I drank it." Malina said as she shrugged away from Kol and leaned against the headboard of her bed.

"You knew." was all Kol said, but his tone wasn't accusing. Instead he seemed to realise his own mistake in distracting her from telling them and Malina watched silently as he got out of her bed to pace the room.

"How do you do it? How do you hold human lives with such little regard?" Malina questioned after a long moment of silence between them and she rose to her knees as she stared him down.

"You wouldn't understand. You have been lying in a coffin for a thousand years; I have not. Humans are despicable creatures that bring war and destruction wherever they go. They do not deserve the ground they thread." Kol replied calmly, but there was a strong hint of bitterness in his voice that made Malina refrain herself from screaming back at him.

"I do not want to understand, Kol. You have killed thousands and I let myself pretend that it doesn't matter. That you are still the same man that I… the man that I loved. But you are not. I barely know you any longer. And I cannot be with you like this." Malina told him as her eyes became wet and she could taste the salt as a single tear came to rest at the corner of her mouth.

"Then tell me what to do, Malina. You do it so easily with Nik." Kol said as he came to sit in front of her on the bed.

"Kol, please don't. I can't-"

Malina was cut off as Kol suddenly pressed his lips against hers and she allowed herself to kiss him back for a moment before pulling away.

"I didn't mean it like that, darling. I am sorry. I was mad at Klaus, and my mother. And I let her get into my head. So I took it out on you." Kol apologized with a sincere look in his eyes and brushed his thumb over her wet cheek.

"Your mother?" Malina asked meekly and couldn't help but close her eyes at Kol's touch. Staying in control of herself around him had always been close to impossible – one way or the other.

"She told me that you were here for Nik. That you would always choose him."

"I am here for all of you. And there is no choice to make. Please tell me you believe that." Malina replied in a voice that left no room for arguing and a boyish smile appeared on Kol's face before he leaned in and captured her lips once more.

Malina smiled into the kiss as she slowly felt herself fall backwards unto the bed and Kol's body came to rest on top of her. A satisfied sound came from the back of Kol's throat as their tongues met and Malina wrapped her leg around his. She could feel his hand move down her side to rest on her hip while the other stopped his weight from pressing down on her.

"Kol." Malina hummed as his lips slowly moved down her neck and she reminded herself that this was not where the conversation was supposed to go.

But she was also enjoying herself too much to actually stop him and a shiver went through her when his fingers brushed against the bare skin under her shirt. This meant that Malina was actually disappointed when he placed a kiss on her clavicle and then suddenly stopped.

"What did she do to you?" she heard Kol mutter as he barely lifted his head from her chest and Malina looked down in confusion to see him staring at her necklace.

For some reason her breath caught in her throat, when Kol reached for the red pendant and her fingers brushed over his as they closed around it. He looked at her in wonder, when he felt it pulsate in the same rhythm as her heart and he leaned up to kiss her one more time before he moved to lie beside her.

"Tell me." he insisted as their eyes met and she could tell he was trying hard not to let any of his anger show.

"I was looking around in her room, when she walked in with Elijah so I used a cloaking spell to hide myself. Then I heard him leave and Finn arrived instead. They did the linking spell and I couldn't think of a single thing to do to stop them.

"I was exhausted so I couldn't keep hiding and they found me. Esther took my necklace and made me pass out. I woke up in her room hours later and barely had any energy left. But I made it to my room and called Caroline. You know the rest." Malina explained as she let her hand rest over his around the pendant and she quickly recognized the guilty look in his dark eyes.

"You were in that room all of yesterday?"

"Kol, you didn't know. How could you?" she tried to reassure him as he let go of her necklace and moved away.

It was strange seeing him like this since Malina couldn't remember the last time she had actually seen Kol feel guilty over anything. And it wasn't as if he hadn't done plenty of things to feel guilty about in their human years.

"I should have looked for you." Kol finally spoke after a long moment of tense silence between them, but a smile slowly formed on Malina's lips as she thought about her next words.

"If I actually had made it to Caroline's and you had showed up, I would have cursed you back into that box you spent the last century in." Malina told while her eyes twinkled with mirth and the witch was actually happy to see Kol's familiar smirk appear.

"I have missed your sharp little tongue." Kol mumbled with his lips a hairsbreadth away from hers before he kissed her once again. But it was more insistent this time and Malina knew that if she didn't stop them then nobody would.

"Kol." Malina spoke into the kiss as he easily pulled her atop of him and just followed when she sat up. She was now straddling over him and Kol's arms were wrapped around her waist as he pressed her closer against him. "Kol… we need to stop."

This finally seemed to catch his attention and he let Malina lean back as she placed her hands against his cheeks. They stared at each other for a long moment while Malina tried to remember how to talk and she almost regretted stopping him.

"I still meant what I said earlier." Malina said as she watched her lover intently and the dazed smile on his lips fell, when she realised what she meant. "But you are making me so confused."

"This right now is the Kol I know." she continued when the Original frowned at her and Malina felt his grip around her waist loosen. "The one who cares. The fun one, the sexy one."

"Sexy?" Kol echoed with a lopsided smile and a blush rose to Malina's cheeks.

"Caroline taught me that word."

"I think I've found myself a new favourite blonde. Which sadly pushes Bekah out of my top ten." Kol mused as he played with Malina's hair and the witch lightly hit his shoulder in response.

"I am serious, Kol. If going around and trying to kill teenagers are what you intend to do with your time here, then we cannot do this. And I promise that I will do my very best to stop you." Malina then spoke in a low voice as her hand came to rest on his cheek.

"I am not asking you to change who you are. Just that you rediscover some of that humanity I know that is inside of you. And stop mindlessly killing people just because your sister asks you to."

"You figured that out, did you?" Kol said with a smile at her mention of Rebekah and his shenanigans the night before and Malina let out a long sigh.

"I know how petty Rebekah can be and although I do not blame her for being hurt by Elena's actions, I do not condone taking it out on Matthew. Or even Elena. Both of you seemed to easily forget that Rebekah was planning both mine and Niklaus' deaths when Elena stabbed her in the back." Malina replied with a tilt of her head and anger flashed through Kol's eyes at the reminder.

"Well, anything for you, darling. I will keep away from your little friends as long as they don't hurt you." Kol then promised and Malina pressed a kiss to his lips in return.

"Thank you." she told him with a grateful smile and couldn't help but feel relieved. Malina knew that this probably wouldn't be the first time they needed to have a talk like this, but at least it was a start.

"This was surprisingly painless." the witch continued as she briefly thought her run-ins with Klaus over these subjects and Kol raised an eyebrow in question. "Nik tends to be a little harder to convince."

"Do tell." Kol urged her with a smirk that told Malina that he probably found more pleasure in his brother's suffering than what was healthy.

"Caroline almost died because of him about a week ago. So I staked him… in the heart." Malina told with her eyes casted down, but she looked up when Kol brushed a finger under her chin.

"How did I make it through a thousand years without you, my little witch?"

The blush that crept over Malina's skin felt as if it came all the way down from her toes and she sent him a timid smile that he answered by pulling her closer. Malina was about to speak when a concentrated look briefly appeared on Kol's face and she tilted her head in question.

"Speaking of my insufferable brother, I think it is time to go save poor Caroline."

* * *

**_Caroline's P.O.V._**

My fingers curled around the soft linen to pull it closer around me and a content smile spread on my lips as I felt the warmth spread across my skin. I inhaled deeply – not ready to wake from my slumber – and frowned when I noticed the strange scent that lingered around me.

It was masculine and strong, but not in an uncomfortable way. Actually it was quite addicting and it took me another deep inhale to recognize it.

For a moment it felt like my heart would beat out of my chest as I sprung to life and almost fell out of the bed with a surprised gasp. Besides me, the large bedroom was empty and I felt a wave of relief hit me when I looked down to see that I was still wearing all of my clothes; save for my shoes and jacket.

What the hell was I doing in Klaus' bed? And how did I get there? Did he take the obsessiveness to a whole new level and _kidnap_ me?!

For a moment panic overtook me and my head started spinning as I thought of every scenario; some more outlandish than others. Absentmindedly, I sat down on the bed to make sure that my knees wouldn't fail me, but I jumped up as soon as I remembered who the owner of the bed was.

My hands quickly ran over the pockets of my jeans only to find them empty and I felt my frustration rise as my phone was missing from the table beside the bed as well.

After a few calming breaths I tucked my hair behind one ear and listened in an attempt to find out what was going on. The only noise I registered was coming from the kitchen, where sounded like someone was cooking something.

After a long moment of contemplation I decided to follow the sound; hoping that I would find my shoes, jacket and phone along the way so I could get the hell away from here.

After a couple minutes of wandering around I found myself in a wide doorway leading into a rather large kitchen and I couldn't help but frown when I saw Klaus standing at a small kitchen island; frying something that smelled like scrambled eggs.

"Good morning, love." he greeted casually and a smirk spread on his lips as he took in my disheveled state.

"Where am I?" I asked cautiously as I moved further into the room and glanced through the panorama windows that gave me a view over a well-kept garden and the sun that was slowly rising over the surrounding trees.

"You're still in Mystic Falls if that is what you're wondering." Klaus informed with a hint of irritation in his voice and my head snapped back to look at him.

For a moment I had let myself get distracted by the beautiful view outside, but I quickly remembered the strange and rather creepy situation I was in.

"Why did I just wake up in your bed?" I inquired as I crossed my arms in front of me and moved closer to the counter, where he was still busy preparing the food.

"And how would you know that it was my bed?" Klaus replied with a cocked eyebrow and all earlier irritation was gone from his voice. I willed myself not to blush as I met his gaze defiantly.

"Sherlock Holmes is not the only one who uses deduction." I shrugged with an unbothered look on my face and sat down on a barstool by the counter across from Klaus.

It felt strangely homey to be here as I walked around in only a top and jeans, barefooted and with sleeping hair while Klaus was cooking breakfast for whoever.

Yet I couldn't help but feel on edge considering that all of my friends had been plotting to kill him just the night before and I had somewhat been an accomplish in that.

"Actually, it's called abductive reasoning and you woke up there because I didn't think you fancied sharing a bed with both Malina and my brother. You looked quite dead after what Malina did to you, so I didn't have the opportunity to ask for your opinion." Klaus mused with a smile as if he actually found the situation funny.

"How is Malina?" I couldn't help but ask, when I suddenly recalled what she had done to me. Having the life sucked out of you was not what I would pleasant, but I would do it again for Malina's sake.

"Fine, thanks to you." he spoke in a soft voice and I was surprised by the genuine smile he sent me.

"Well, I had to save the one person that keeps you from killing everyone." I replied in a flat voice and the small sigh that came from him told me that I was pushing his buttons. Good, he deserved that.

I looked down at the stove to the eggs that looked like they were about done and then back to Klaus, who was staring at me intently. It was quite unnerving how he kept doing that and I wondered if he had pulled an Edward Cullen on me through the night.

"Where did you sleep?" I asked after a long moment of silence between us and I watched him with narrowed eyes; making him smile mischievously before answering.

"I didn't. When your mother and brother try to end you; sleep isn't really what's on your mind afterwards. And don't worry, love. I only watched you sleep for like an hour or two." Klaus replied casually and my eyes widened in horror, which only seemed to amuse him.

"I am kidding." he then said with a wide grin, but I couldn't see the joke in that at all.

"Funny clearly isn't your area of expertise." I retorted dryly and rolled my eyes as he feigned a hurt expression and placed a hand over his heart.

"So, you wouldn't happen to know where my phone is, would you?" I asked with a small tilt of my head and I watched as he pulled it from his pocket and waved it in front of me.

"Why did you take it?" I continued with a suspicious voice and glared when he wouldn't give it to me.

"Stefan kept calling and I just thought it would be a shame to disturb your sleep." Klaus explained with a shrug and a complacent. "So I had a little talk with the Ripper and he knows you're here."

"Wait, they actually know I'm here, but didn't come and get me?!" I exclaimed a little louder than intended, feeling slightly hurt that my friends would just leave me to the mercy of Klaus.

"Don't be offended, love. As I understand, they had quite a lot of things to deal with last night."

"Like your siblings kidnapping Elena?" I snapped at him with narrowed eyes and felt my own anger building as I recalled why I had even been dragged into this in the first place.

"Well, there was that. But I assured Stefan that no harm would come to you here." Klaus told me in a serious voice and held my gaze as if to make sure that I understood that he meant it.

"I still need my phone back."

I reached out my hand as I pretended that his words didn't have any effect on me, but Klaus just stared at me for a long moment before a smirk slowly formed his full lips.

"Of course." he replied with a nod before placing my phone on the counter right in front of him and gesturing to it. "Be my guest, love."

I glared at him and then at my phone as Klaus just kept smiling since we both knew that I wouldn't just be able to reach over the counter and take it. I would have to get up and close to him if I wanted to get my phone, so I could hurry out of here.

"This is not funny, Klaus." I told him with a scowl on my face as I eyed my phone and then looked back up at the evil hybrid.

"I think I'm plenty entertained." Klaus mused with a Cheshire grin that was grating on my nerves.

Despite the seemingly playful situation we were in now, I couldn't help but still be afraid of him. He was a killer with little to no remorse and still didn't understand why he had decided to take an interest in me. Maybe he was just playing with his food.

"Where is Malina when you need her?" I muttered mostly to myself as I rose from my seat and inched my way around the kitchen counter.

"Upstairs making up with my brother." Klaus answered my rhetorical question with a low chuckle and I refrained from listening in to see if he was right. Unlike him I respected people's privacy and boundaries. Most of the time.

I kept my eyes on my phone as I walked up to him and it wasn't until I almost collided with his chest that I realized he had moved towards me. Now I had to lean past him to reach my phone and I gritted my teeth in annoyance as I looked up at his smug face.

"Seriously?!" I exclaimed as I lifted my hands in a giving up gesture, which only seemed to amuse Klaus.

"Don't worry, love. I won't bite."

"No, because you usually let your little slaves do that for you." I sneered back and stopped myself from rubbing the spot where a deadly hybrid bite had been sucking the life out of me only a week earlier. I noticed how Klaus' eyes shifted to that exact spot before he met my glare with narrowed eyes.

"Speaking of slaves, you haven't by any chance seen Tyler latterly, have you? You see, he's not answering any of my calls." Klaus asked that no longer showed any signs of enjoyment and I forced myself not to step back.

"No." I answered truthfully since he wasn't answering any of my calls either and I didn't really have any idea where he was.

Klaus didn't say anything as he kept staring down at me and it felt as if he was waiting for me reveal myself as a liar. I registered vaguely how our breathing seemed to have become synchronized as I was too concentrated on the palpable tension between us, and I almost jumped when someone cleared their throat behind me.

"Niklaus, Miss Forbes." the suit-cladded Original greeted and I briefly wondered if he even wore those things to bed.

It took me a moment to notice the curious look he was sending us and I looked back at Klaus to see that we were standing very close. When had that happened?

"Are you well?" Elijah then asked me as I quickly took several steps away from his brother and I frowned at his question until I realized that I had probably looked very dead last he saw me.

"Yes. Thank you." I replied without really looking at him as he genuinely scared me.

I knew Elena had some kind of thing for him, because she hadn't been able to shut up about how we could totally trust him before what happened at the sacrifice, but the fact that I had no idea what Elijah was thinking made me nervous. At least Klaus wore his feelings on his sleeve and you knew when to run.

"Where are your shoes?" Elijah then asked as he eyed me slowly and I automatically wiggled my toes as I looked down at them as well.

"Ask your brother."

I turned my head to look at Klaus as Elijah did the same and for some reason he looked annoyed. Chances were that it was me those feelings were directed towards and I needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Niklaus, please go find Caroline's shoes." Elijah told his brother and I couldn't help but smile a little at his bossing tone, which only seemed to make Klaus more irritated.

"Yes, Niklaus, _please_ go fetch my shoes." I said before I could stop myself and prayed silently that Elijah didn't think I was mocking him. "And my jacket and my phone."

"I'm not a dog, sweetheart." Klaus growled at me as he took a step closer, which only made me roll my eyes. I wasn't sure where this sudden death wish came from.

"You could've fooled me."

"Well, this looks fun." a female voice drawled from the doorway to the kitchen and I seriously considered just flashing away; phone and shoes be damned.

Rebekah entered the kitchen on her five inch heels with her phone in hand and not a hair out of place. I felt like sinking through the floor, when she took in my messy appearance with a raised eyebrow as she strode past me to get to the fridge.

I was surprised when she pulled out a blood bag and started pouring it into two porcelain cups before she placed herself beside Elijah at a small dinner table. This was beyond weird; as if I had fallen into a new adaption of The Addams Family. I half expected The Thing to come crawling over the floor at any second.

"Close your mouth before you catch any flies, Caroline." Rebekah called from her seat without looking up from her phone and I realized with a blush that I had been gaping at the scene.

"Rebekah." Elijah warned lightly as he glanced at her over his own cup, but the blonde just rolled her eyes at him.

It took me a moment to realize that Klaus had started moving around beside me and I watched quietly as he finished his cooking and presented it on a breakfast plate alongside a piece of toast with butter. He then turned his attention towards an expensive looking coffee machine and soon the rich aroma filled the air.

"A picture will last longer, love." Klaus said as he still stood with his back to me, but I could clearly hear the smile in his voice.

"Caroline?" a fourth voice then called and saved me from answering Klaus. I let out a relieved sigh as I spun around and found Malina and Kol watching me curiously.

"Malina!" I exclaimed a little too loudly as I quickly stepped over to the witch and pulled her into a tight hug. The witch let out a small yelp as I accidentally squeezed to hard and I immediately let go. "How are you?"

"I am okay. Thanks to you." Malina told with a grateful smile and I was happy to see that she no longer looked pale and her green eyes had regained their spark.

"You're my second favourite witch in this town. Of course, I'd help you." I said with a quick wink and briefly glanced at Kol, who seemed to be studying me intently. What was it with boundaries in this family?

"Only second favourite?" Malina asked with a faked pout and quickly leaned forward with a pleading look in my eyes.

"Get me out of here and you will be number one."

"Where are your shoes?" the witch questioned as she finally seemed to notice my dishevelled state and I didn't even bother answering as I just glared at Klaus over my shoulder.

"Nik, please go find Caroline's things." Malina sighed with a look at her friend over my shoulder and I suddenly found myself with my phone in my hand as I small wind blew past me.

"I wish I had that kind of power." I murmured as I stared in the direction Klaus had disappeared and let out a small sigh. Then I could have been out of here ten minutes ago.

"Believe me, darling, you do." Kol spoke from beside Malina and looked at him to find him smirking back at me. I suddenly recalled that I had once called him hot and that he'd probably heard. This day could not get any worse and it had only just begun.

The next moment Klaus appeared with my shoes and jacket, and I quickly took it out of his hands without bothering saying thank you. I tried to ignore how the room was completely silent as I quickly got dressed and dropped my phone into my pocket.

"Call me, okay?" I then told Malina before quickly giving her a second hug and then I hurried out without another look at the rest of them.

"Bye, Caroline!" I heard Kol call after me and I wiggled my fingers in a short wave without looking back.

I managed to become slightly frustrated before I finally found my way to the front door and a groan left me as I saw Klaus standing there; waiting for me.

"What now? Is it impossible for you to just leave me alone?" I complained as I walked towards him and my heels echoed through the lobby.

He opened the door for me without a word and I had almost made it past him, when he suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Thank you, Caroline. For helping Malina." Klaus told without letting go of me and the harsh words I had been about to tell him got stuck on my tongue.

"I didn't do it for you." I finally managed to say as I pulled my hand out of his and crossed my arms in front of me.

"Will you just accept my gratitude, Caroline?"

"Fine, but the next time you better watch out for her yourself." I told him as I lightly poked his chest and sent him what I hoped to be a stern look.

"Oh, you mean the next time she is locked away by my oldest brother and my mother tries to kill us all?" Klaus asked with raised eyebrows with a serious expression, but he also seemed to be holding back a smile.

"Yes." I replied after a short pause and I smiled despite myself. I seriously needed to get out of here now.

"Bye." I then told him before walking out of the door and I had just made it down the stairs, when I thought of something else. "And remember, no more drawings!"

* * *

**_Third person P.O.V._**

"Great." Rebekah spoke in a loud voice as Klaus strolled back into the kitchen with a light smile on his lips, and Kol and Malina had each found a seat around the round table. "Let's never do that again."

"Rebekah." Malina scolded the blonde as she stabbed at the breakfast Klaus had made for her and then took a large bite. She was absolutely starving after not haven't eaten for at least a day and she sent Klaus a grateful smile as he placed himself in the chair beside hers.

"She was staring at us as if we were animals at the zoo." Rebekah complained with her arms crossed in front of her and Elijah sighed at her teenage behaviour.

"Can you blame her? All any of you have done so far has been running around and killing people. Caroline doesn't see you as people because none of you have given her the chance to." Malina explained with her mouth full as she kept eating without caring about how rude they others thought it was.

"Charming." Klaus muttered into his coffee as Malina almost spilled juice down her shirt and the witch glared at him as dried off her chin with her hand.

"Well, it might be a while before she gets another." Rebekah said with an almost complacent smile and pressed her finger against the screen of her phone. A video started playing as she put the phone down on the table, and Elijah and Malina frowned when a distressed Elena came into view.

"Look at the markings behind her." Rebekah continued as she paused the video and pointed at something behind Elena.

"What is it?" Klaus asked as he leaned in and watched the screen with narrowed eyes.

"A Native worshipping at the Great White Oak Tree."

"Relax, Bekah. We burned that three to the ground, remember?" Kol remarked in a careless voice and didn't even look at her phone as he tried to steal some of Malina's toast. He quickly withdrew his hand as a fork suddenly dug into it.

"Look at the markings that precede it." Rebekah insisted as she played and paused the video once more to find the right place. "That's the Native calendar."

"This can't be right." Klaus said as he took the phone from his sister and studied the frozen video intently. His tone made both Malina and Kol stop the small fight they had going on and all eyes turned to Elijah as he looked at the image as well.

"A White Oak tree, 300 years after we fled back to the Old World. There must have been a sapling, a new tree to replace the old. That tree could kill us." Rebekah told as she voiced what they were all slowly realizing.

"This isn't over, is it?" Malina sighed as she put down her fork, having suddenly lost her appetite. She had hoped for at least a couple of weeks with peace and quiet now that Esther had disappeared, but she also knew that had been wishful thinking.

"Afraid not, darling."


	20. Chapter 17

**To the guest who reviewed some time ago (I'm sorry, I suck at updating): **I am so happy you found an OC you like in Malina. I love writing her. In regards to Elijah pairings there will be no Elena/Elijah. I know I might have hinted at that (I'm not sure why, but I might have read a fic with that pairing - don't ask), but she's the wrong doppelgänger for him;) Kalijah will happen at some point. I have plans... sort of.Thank you for your nice review:)

* * *

_"Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep."  
_\- Mary Elizabeth Frye

* * *

**_Malina's P.O.V._**

"So where are you now?"

"_Manhattan. It's quite different from how I remember it_." Kol told in a voice full of wonder and I couldn't help but smile at the mental picture of him just standing in the middle of the street and staring at everything with wide eyes.

"Manhattan is in New York, right?" I asked to be sure since I was still getting to know the North American geography.

"_Yes. The very heart of it_."

"Do you think he is there?"

Kol had left Mystic Falls a couple of days ago on the account of looking for Finn, while Nik's hybrids were searching high and low for Esther. None of them had had any luck yet and I pretended that it wasn't driving me mad.

It was getting lonely in the big mansion and even practising spells had become boring. Niklaus left town sporadically with the excuse that he had business to take care of elsewhere, Rebekah was scheming on her own and even Caroline had left town to help Bonnie's mother adapt to her new vampire life.

The blonde had called me on the road back to Abigail Bennett's house and informed me what had happened; something everyone else had failed to do. My heart had broken for the Bennett witches as I realised what they had suffered so Elena could keep her life.

"_No. Finn would rather spend another century daggered than come here_." was Kol's answer to my question and I frowned in confusion to what he was doing there then.

"Where are you going next then?" I asked as I ignored the thing I was really curious about, but the short pause before he replied only made me more suspicious.

"_Wherever the wind takes me, darling._"

"You are not looking for Finn, are you?" I finally realized with a sigh and couldn't help but feel hurt that he had found it necessary to lie to me about what he was really doing.

"_Nothing gets past your witch senses, does it?_" Kol chuckled as if having me fooled for days didn't matter to him and I felt myself grow annoyed with him.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"_Well, technically I didn't. I told you that there were a few important things that I needed to take care and that I would look for Finn. I have now looked for him and can safely say that he isn't here._" Kol told in a voice that revealed that he was very proud of his ability to twist his own words.

"Then what are you doing that is so important? There are people here plotting to kill us, while you are just doing nothing!" I snapped at him as my anger got away with me and I took a deep breath to recollect myself. Fighting with Kol over the phone was a bad idea.

"_Ah yes, how are things in Mystic Falls?_" Kol asked in a casual tone as if I hadn't just yelled at him, making me blink in confusion.

"Rebekah burned down the Wickery Bridge and got rid of all of the timber that had been made from the new White Oak Tree."

"_So my good-for-nothing sister managed to do something right? Did she break any nails in the process?_"

"I heard that!" Rebekah's voice came from a room close to the one I was sat in and Kol's laugh rang clearly through the phone.

"Stop listening to my calls!" I yelled at her even though I didn't know where she actually was. Apparently it was impossible to get any privacy in this house unless I actually locked myself in my room with a silencing spell.

"Then go have your phone sex somewhere else!"

"You cannot have sexual intercourse through a phone." I shouted back, while a blush crept over my cheeks. Still I couldn't help but look at my phone to see if there was something about the strange device that would actually make that possible and in the end I turned to Kol for help. "Can you?"

"_While I don't know much about modern technology, I doubt it. But I could be persuaded to give it a try_."

"Please just call it sex, Malina. We are all adults." Rebekah interrupted as she walked into the small lounge and kicked off her heels before sitting down in the sofa across from mine. "And stop being such an arsehole, Kol."

"_I miss you too, Bekah!_" Kol replied with a laugh and I put the phone on speaker with a small sigh.

"Have you talked to Elijah?" Rebekah asked her brother when he became quiet on the other end and I could almost hear his momentary confusion through the phone.

"_Elijah has left town?_"

"Right after you did. Something about being ashamed about what he did to Elena, mum being right about us being monsters and blah, blah, blah. It was all very dramatic." Rebekah told with a roll of her eyes, but I knew it was bothering her more than she showed. I had been there when she had tried to convince him not to leave and we had both failed.

"_Well, the trollop deserved it._" Kol commented dryly and it was clear that he was talking about Elena.

"Kol!"

"_Relax, darling. I am not hurting anyone, am I?_" he drawled and I could hear that he was becoming annoyed as well. I didn't respond as I felt Rebekah's eyes switch between me and the phone, and the silence dragged on for a few seconds.

"You'll never guess who showed up here the other day." Rebekah then said in an amused tone, but she was obviously trying to diffuse the tension between us. She didn't give Kol a chance to guess before continuing. "Sage."

"_My favourite red-head. How is she?_"

"Please, you hate her just as much as I do." Rebekah scoffed with a roll of her eyes and I found myself suddenly wanting to meet her. So far all I had heard of her was Rebekah calling her a whore.

"_You mistake me for Nik, sister. I've run into her a few times over the years. She most certainly knows how to have a good time._" Kol mused with – I imagine – a smirk on his lips and Rebekah made a disgusted face. I definitely wasn't bothered by the innuendo in his words, I tried to convince myself.

"Well, apparently she knows Damon, so she tried helping him find the White Oak Tree to kill us all until she found out that it would kill Finn as well, because of mother's link."

"_Still in love after nine hundred years. How romantic_." Kol replied in a sarcastic tone and I felt myself grow uncomfortable as Rebekah glanced at me with a sympathetic look in her blue eyes.

"You are one to talk." she snarked back at him and the line grew quiet as he seemed to realize what he had said.

"You need to finish up whatever it is you are doing and come back here soon." I told him when I couldn't take the awkward silence anymore and Rebekah sent me a confused look. "I am close to finding a way to undo Esther's binding spell and I might need some blood from all of you."

"_I knew you would figure something out. I'll be home soon, love._"

I let out a heavy sigh as Kol hung up and the room became quiet. I looked up from my phone to see Rebekah watching me and there was a pitiful look in her eyes that I didn't like.

Did she think I was going to cry just because Kol made an off-hand comment about some woman I had never even met? It had definitely been thoughtless of him, but I wasn't that insecure about our semi-relationship.

"He's a thick-headed git, you know." Rebekah finally said after a long moment of silence and I offered her a half smile for her attempt to comfort me.

"I am fine, Rebekah."

"He is not worth it." was her reply as she got up from the sofa to leave the room.

"Says the girl who has slept with Damon Salvatore twice." I retorted with more anger than I thought I would, because I didn't understand why she was talking about her own brother this way. Maybe everything that happened the last few days was finally getting to her and now she was just taking it out on Kol.

"And more fun is soon to come." the blonde announced with a dangerous smirk on her lips before she stepped back into her heels and strode out of the room.

This was not boding well for anyone.

* * *

"_Do you want to come? You don't have to. I just thought… You know, it doesn't matter. I'll be fine._" Caroline rambled through the phone and laughed nervously.

"Of course, I'll come, Caroline. If you really want me there." I reassured her with a smile even though she couldn't see.

"_I do. And don't worry, the others won't be there._"

"It's okay, Caroline. I would have come anyway."

"_They're just all busy… with stuff. And Bonnie just wants to be alone, which I get. It would just be nice with someone there._" Caroline continued as if she hadn't heard me and I held back a sigh. She really didn't need to explain.

"When does it start?" I asked instead of trying to calm her down further. I had feeling that I was talking for deaf ears in trying to convince her not to worry.

"_In a couple of hours. I'll come pick you up._" Caroline said after a brief moment of silence I figured she used to recollect herself.

"Okay. What do you wear to a memorial?" I inquired when I suddenly realised I had never attended anything like it in this new world.

"_Something black is fine. If you have any._"

"I am sure Niklaus made sure of it." I replied with a small laugh and ignored the sound of Caroline scoffing on the other end. "I will find something and be ready in an hour or so."

"_Great! I'll see you then. By the way, is anyone home other than you?_" Caroline asked after a moment of hesitation and I couldn't blame her for wanting to avoid Niklaus and his siblings.

"Rebekah might be, but you do not have to come inside. Just call me when you are here."

"_I'll see you soon._" was Caroline's parting words before she hung up and I slipped my phone back into the pocket of my slacks. It was a strange name for a pair of pants, but they were comfortable so I didn't question it.

I closed the grimoire I had been reading, when I had first taken a break to call Kol and placed it in the pit of my arm to hold it there, while I blew out the few candles around me and grabbed the two books I had taken from Niklaus' library. They hadn't helped me much in the search for an unlinking spell that was strong enough to counteract Esther's spell.

I was close to an answer and should probably keep searching, but I needed a proper break after my talk with Kol. And the thought of what Rebekah might be up to didn't help my concentration either.

It didn't really feel appropriate to consider Caroline's father's memorial as a break. But, as of now, it was all I had.

According to Caroline her father had already been buried a few days ago in Georgia, where his partner lived. But now that Caroline was back from helping Bonnie's mother – who had walked out on her daughter yet again – she had felt the need to say goodbye to her father in a more official way since she hadn't been at his funeral.

I knew that Caroline was still hurt from what he had done and that he had chosen death over her, but she needed closure. If she wanted to excuse it as keeping up appearances, then I wouldn't argue, but it was clear to me that she needed this for herself just as much as for the council of Mystic Falls.

It had been difficult to hide my surprise when she had called to invite, which I am sure she had mistaken for not wanting to come; hence her nervous behaviour.

I found a plain black dress in my closet that seemed appropriate and hung it on a hook on my bathroom door before undressing. I hadn't bothered to shower in the morning considering I was practically stuck alone inside the mansion anyway.

Thirty minutes later I was dressed and ready, but it would be at least an hour until Caroline would pick me up. I thought about looking for Rebekah, but I wasn't in the mood to get involved in another of her schemes.

She was lonely, I knew, but I couldn't keep humouring her. And I hadn't forgiving her yet for planning to have me killed.

I snuck into Niklaus' locked studio using a little magic and spent the time in silence just looking at some of the art he had accumulated, and those paintings and drawings he had created himself. It was strange seeing this artistic side of the feared hybrid.

It had shown itself in brief moments in his human years, when he was carving symbols into cave walls or drawing pictures on the ground with a stick out of boredom. But Mikael had always been there to beat it out of him.

Most of Niklaus' paintings were dark with red swirled together with black strokes in something that resembled carnages of violence and death. A few had light motives that stood in contrast to the darkness and only a couple of them made somewhat sense to me.

I paused at one of the paintings that showed dark skies split by white lightning and a figure floated in the air in the middle of it. The figure was painted in dark colours with arms stretched out to the sides and thick locks of hair dancing in the invisible wind. A red light seemed to radiate from her and into the rest of the painting.

It took me a long moment to realise that I was the figure in the painting and that it portrayed the night I had let my powers loose. I knew that I wasn't yet as strong as I could be, but I still remembered the thrill of it despite the circumstances that had made me walk into the storm.

I felt the dry painting under my fingertips as I carefully brushed my palm over it and I couldn't help but smile. It was breath-taking.

I studied the painting for a few minutes longer before I moved over to a long table where several drawings covered the surface. My smile widened when I found a certain blonde staring back at me from the pages, but sighed when I noticed one of Caroline in her blue dress.

My mother's vision had been right about the ball and the dress, but I still didn't see any chance of Caroline somehow influencing Niklaus the way my mother had described. I didn't doubt that Caroline had it in her, but she still hated him with a passion.

I knew that she had seen some good in him. That she had seen him care for others than himself, but it was a long and winding road for her to see him as anything but a monster, who wanted to use her best friend as a blood bank.

Most of the Caroline drawings were of her smiling, but a couple pictured her sleeping peacefully with blonde curls sprawled across a pillow.

I wrinkled my nose in distaste as I picked up one of them and considered burning it up. It was obvious when Niklaus had drawn them and I doubted Caroline would appreciate their existence.

My attention was caught by another collection of drawings that I figured were from the same night. Caroline wasn't smiling, but dark shadows contoured her face and fire was reflected in her eyes. One drawing showed her with bared fangs and veins protruding under her dark eyes.

The drawing fell to the floor when my ringtone startled me and I let go of the paper. I quickly found my phone in the pocket of my soft leather jacket and answered the call.

"_I'm a little early, I know, but I'm outside._" Caroline said on the other end and I drew away the closed curtains to see her car parked close to the main door.

"I will be right there." I told her as I left the room the way it looked when I had entered it and remembered to lock the door behind me.

I paused at the main door before exiting it as I thought about whether I should announce my leave to a potentially empty house and decided against it with a shake of my head. Rebekah could call if she decided I was worth her time.

Caroline wore a bright smile as I got into the car and she drove off, but it didn't quite seem to reach her eyes. She was also being unusually silent and I kept quiet until she decided to speak.

"We have to go by the florist first. They messed up and delivered yellow roses, which is just ridiculous. Why would I want yellow roses for my father's memorial? I specifically asked for _red_ roses." Caroline suddenly spoke in an annoyed tone and as I wasn't sure what to say in response I just nodded.

An uneasy silence stretched between us and I could feel how Caroline's eyes kept shifting between me and the road. After another minute I let out a long sigh and caught her looking at me.

"Whatever you are thinking, please say it."

"I was just wondering why you were alone in the mansion." Caroline said after a short moment of hesitancy and with furrowed brows.

"Niklaus and Kol are out of town, the hybrids are searching for Finn and Esther, Elijah left and Rebekah is surely causing trouble somewhere." I listed casually without any suspicions of what Caroline might do with the information.

Even if she were to tell the Salvatores, they wouldn't have any use of it considering Kol was returning soon and I was close to finding the right unlinking spell.

"Oh."

"There is more." I spoke in a clipped voice as the strange tension between us was tearing on my nerves.

I knew I wasn't being fair to Caroline considering the day she was probably having and everything else going on around her. Her mouth was set in a straight line and I could see how she was trying to compartmentalize her feelings as her blues eyes stared into mine.

"Alaric killed my dad." Caroline then said in a soft voice that made me strain my hearing to figure out her words.

"What?"

"Not Alaric-Alaric. Evil-Alaric." she explained hastily as she gestured with the hand that was resting on the wheel.

"I don't understand."

"He has this ring, so when he is killed by someone supernatural he comes back to life. Somehow it created this evil vampire-hating alter ego. My father was healed from his injuries with vampire blood, so Evil-Alaric killed him. He killed some other guy as well. And tried to kill Meredith, his girlfriend."

"I am sorry, Caroline. I cannot imagine how this must be for you." I told her as I carefully rested my hand upon her upper arm.

"I'm okay. He apologized, but I knew it isn't his fault. I killed a man when I first turned, because I couldn't control myself. And it felt good. But I never meant for it to happen. Neither did he. So I forgive him. I'm okay." Caroline spoke in an insistent voice that didn't quite manage to convince me that she was indeed okay.

"What happens now?" I asked as I didn't want to pry into something she clearly didn't want to talk about. That could wait for another day.

"Bonnie did a spell and now Damon and Elena are watching him."

"I see. Which is why they will not be at the memorial." I concluded with an understanding nod although I found it hard to believe that Elena could not leave Damon and Alaric alone for a couple of hours to go to the memorial.

"Elena might stop by. And Matt is coming." Caroline said in an almost defensive tone as if she knew what I was thinking and I just nodded again.

Fifteen minutes later we had reached the florist; Caroline had yelled at her and left with a bunch of red roses free of charge. She had accomplished it all without any compulsion.

The memorial was being held at the Lockwood mansion on the mayor's insistence and I was surprised by how many people slowly arrived as I watched Caroline run around and take care of the last things.

Bill Forbes hadn't lived in Mystic Falls in years, but he had been from a Founding Family and a part of the Council. It seemed like Caroline wasn't the only one doing this for appearance's sake.

Matt stood beside me awkwardly as Caroline held a brief speech for her father and I felt Elena glare at me for most of her short visit. Carol Lockwood approached me while Caroline was busy talking with someone, who was probably from another Founding Family and was expressing their deep grief over Bill Forbes' death.

I wasn't sure what to do with myself as Mrs. Lockwood expressed her gratitude for helping her against the vampire ghosts once again and then wished me and my family well. We both knew what Niklaus had done to her son and that he was probably the reason why Tyler had now left town, but the mayor was as diplomatic as ever.

Caroline rescued me from the conversation ten minutes later and almost forced Matt out the door, when she found out that he had a shift at the Grill that he was late for.

She seemed calm albeit slightly annoyed after having talked to all these people, who didn't really care. According to Caroline, most of them had been very explicit in their opinions about Bill's change of lifestyle after he had left her mother.

"Like, imagine having a child and then just leaving her. Twice!" Caroline exclaimed as she fell back into an empty sofa with a bottle of tequila in one hand and two shot glasses in her other.

She had started her rant about Abby Bennett five minutes earlier and had led us into a vacant room in the large mansion. I let out a small sigh as I sat down beside her and watched her pour the golden liquid into the glasses.

"Well, I don't really have to imagine."

Caroline paused just as she was about to fill my glass and looked at me with wide eyes. I tried to smile in return, but the pitiful look in her eyes made it difficult.

"Oh my God. That was so insensitive of me. I'm so sorry, Lina." Caroline quickly apologized and put down the tequila bottle on the table. "But you did not leave you child. You know that, right?"

"I know." I answered with a tight smile and then reached for the glass Caroline had poured for herself. I could feel her gaze on me as I downed the content and then coughed at the taste.

"It's better with salt and lemon, really." Caroline said with a small laugh as she took a shot as well and wrinkled her nose. "We could visit her if you want. Astrid, I mean."

"Visit her?" I questioned in confusion and stared at the blonde vampire, who was refilling the glasses.

"Where she was buried. It's somewhere in Mystic Falls, so we just have to find out where the tree she was buried under used to stand." Caroline elaborated as she offered me another shot and downed her own.

"Caroline. You do not have to do this for me. This is your father's memorial and you need to say goodbye." I told as I put my still full glass back on the table and watched her eyes follow my movements.

"I have. I'm only doing this so people can see me saying goodbye to my absent father like the normal teenage girl I am supposed to be. I'm fine, Malina. I promise."

"What about your friends?" I sighed as Caroline reached for my shot glass and poured down its content.

"You're my friend. They're my friends. I'm Switzerland!" Caroline said as she gestured with her hands and if I hadn't known about vampires' high alcohol tolerance I would say that she sounded slightly intoxicated.

"That is a country, right?"

"Yes."

"How are you a country?"

"They're famously neutral." Caroline explained with a meaningful look before taking another shot. I was about to reach forward to put away the bottle, when Caroline pushed it away herself. She seemed to have had enough for now.

"So you are neutral?"

"Don't get me wrong. I still hate Klaus and the she-devil. Plus Elijah and your psycho boyfriend freak me out." Caroline said as she leaned back into the sofa and completely ignored the glare I was sending her for calling Kol a psycho. "But I'm not actively trying to kill them. If they leave me alone then I'm willing to leave them alone and just hang out with you."

"And what about Elena and Tyler?" I asked after a brief moment of silence, knowing that I was far from convincing Niklaus to leave them alone.

"I will do anything to save Elena." Caroline told in a stern voice as she said up straight as if to stare me down. "So you can tell Klaus to just pack his stuff and leave town forever."

"And Tyler…" she continued with a sigh and seemed to deflate back into the sofa. "I have no idea where he is or if he is even coming back. But if he does I was thinking that maybe you could use your witchy powers or a little charm to make Klaus let him go."

"I think the charm thing would work better for you." I teased with a smile and a nonchalant shrug, but Caroline just glared at me in return.

"I will. As soon as this is over and Finn is back we are probably going to leave Mystic Falls and will do everything in my power to get Niklaus to leave without Elena and Tyler." I promised sincerely and tension seemed to leave the vampire's body.

"Is it weird that I will miss you even though we have known each other for like a month and you're on team Evil?" Caroline asked after letting out a long sigh and seemed to watch me closely.

"I will miss you too, Caroline. But I think it is for the best. Unless, of course, we find a way to not kill each other." I assured her as I briefly let my hand rest over hers and Caroline smiled at me. "And team Evil? I thought you were Switzerland."

"Just because the Swiss are neutral, it doesn't mean they don't know good from evil. Like Hitler. Although they kinda just rolled over and showed him their belly." Caroline explained with furrowed brows and hand gestures. I guessed that "showed him their belly" was a metaphor for giving up.

"Hitler. From the Second World War and the bad guy. I thought he had died."

"Ate a bullet in 1945." Caroline clarified with a nod even though I didn't know what she meant. Was it a common thing that people ate bullets to die?

"I don't understand."

"He shot himself in the head."

"Suicide."

"Exactly." Caroline said and then smiled as if she had thought of something amusing. "And that was today's lesson of Facts with Forbes. I will be here all week."

"I'm glad." I laughed in response and the blonde giggled as well before we both went silent.

"So… you wanna call someone from team Evil and find out where that tree used to be?" Caroline inquired in a casual tone, but the look in her eyes made me hesitate.

I could tell that this wasn't part of some elaborate plan to have me killed, but we both knew that this was a matter of trust. And I was on team Evil after all.

"I promise that this is not some intricate plot to somehow find a stake I can use on Klaus. Switzerland, remember?" Caroline continued when I stayed silent and she tried to send me a reassuring smile.

"I wasn't thinking that." I sighed, but Caroline just rolled her eyes as she knew I was lying. Although, thinking about it didn't mean suspecting her.

"Good. So call the almighty hybrid and ask."

"Why are you pushing this?" I asked with a frown as I suddenly did feel myself grow slightly suspicious, but the vampire just shrugged at me.

"I'm a pusher. That's what I do." she said and then paused as she seemed to rethink her words. "Not like a real pusher, though. A nice pusher."

Since I had no idea what a real pusher was compared to a nice pusher, I just smiled and reached for my phone in the pocket of my jacket.

"And you need closure. More closure than just wandering into some freak storm and showing it who's boss." Caroline continued as she watched me shift my phone in my hands with a soft look in her eyes. "Maybe knowing that she is somehow still here will help. I'm not a grief expert or anything, but I think it would be good for you to see that you didn't leave her just because you slept for a thousand years."

"I will call Niklaus."

"Awesome." Caroline smiled and then frowned as she seemed to concentrate on some sound outside the room we were in. "You call and I'll go save my mother from Mrs. Finch. She is being a bigot again."

My eyes followed Caroline's back as she left the room and I could feel my pulse elevate slightly as I glanced down on my phone. I knew it wouldn't be easy convincing Niklaus to give up the tree's location considering how paranoid he always was, but none of his siblings seemed to be a better option.

Kol was practically lying to me, Rebekah was being a brat and like her I was angry with Elijah for just leaving. Especially after what we had learned about the White Oak Tree and the fact that Esther and Finn were still missing. That left Niklaus.

"_Malina. What's wrong?_" Niklaus said as he answered my call and I exhaled slowly before speaking.

"Nothing is wrong. Well, not yet. But I am close to finding an unlinking spell, so you have to find Finn soon."

"_I am working on that. I might need Rebekah's help soon if you can do without her._"

"Of course. Kol should return tomorrow anyway. What about Esther?"

"_The hybrids are still searching for her._" Niklaus told and I could hear the irritation bordering on anger in his voice. It was sort of incredible how she had managed to evade us all for days despite hybrids and location spells. "_What can I do for you?_"

"Do you remember where the old White Oak tree used to stand?" I asked after a long moment of hesitancy that I was sure Niklaus noticed.

"_Why?_"

"Astrid was buried under there."

"_Yes_." was all he said although we both knew what this conversation was leading to.

"I want to go see it." I told him determinedly and then held my breath as I waited for his answer. I felt silly being so nervous about talking to my best friend, but sometimes I still felt like he was a stranger to me.

"_And who gave you that idea?_" he questioned in a callous manner that made me flex my fingers. Sadly, he was in safety at the other end of the call.

"Does it matter?" I replied calmly as I tried not to antagonize him, but I was only met by a heavy silence that continued for several seconds. "It was Caroline."

"_I see. Why?_" Niklaus said slowly and the distrust was clear in his voice. Despite everything that had happened it sounded as if he couldn't even trust me.

"She is my friend, Nik. She thought it would help me. And it is not like she would find anything useful there. You burned the tree to the ground, remember?" I tried convincing him, but there were no heavy sighs of surrender; just silence.

"_You trust her._"

"Yes. Don't you?"

I knew it was a stupid question, but I couldn't get the drawings I had seen earlier out of my head. They seemed so intimate, yet the next sound I heard from the phone was Niklaus' laughter.

"So you can stare at her as if the sun revolves around her, but you do not trust her at all?" I responded in annoyance and more forcefully than I meant to, but at least it silenced him.

"_I do not stare._" he objected in a low voice that made him sound like he was a child, who was lying about breaking something valuable. This time I remained quiet and he continued talking a few seconds later.

"_I do not trust her, no. Just because Caroline might have good intentions towards you, it doesn't mean that she isn't willing to let her friends kill me._"

"She is Switzerland. She is not trying to kill you."

"_She's Switzerland?_"

"As long as you do not try to kill any of her friends, she will not try to kill you."

"_I find that hard to believe, sweetheart._" Niklaus replied with a humourless chuckle and I held back an irritated sigh. "_I killed her best friend and turned Tyler into a hybrid. She despises me._"

"Elena is still alive and so is Tyler, technically."

"_And when I leave town and take both of them with me?_" he noted casually and I could feel how anger slowly welled up in my chest. What was wrong with him? He didn't need to make any more hybrids and was Tyler truly so important that he couldn't leave him behind?

"Niklaus. We must be able to work something out." I replied in a gentle tone as I forced myself to remain calm despite his stubbornness.

"_We did try, but the Salvatores were quite unreasonable._"

"You were unreasonable!" I yelled back just as Caroline walked back into the room and she paused at the door as if she was ready to leave again. I sent her an apologetic smile and waved her inside while I took a deep breath.

"Can we do this some other time? Please, Nik." I continued in a much lower voice and I noticed how it had almost become pleading. Niklaus remained silent on the other end for several moments before he spoke again.

"_Let me speak to her._"

"What?" I asked in confusion before I suddenly looked up and met Caroline's gaze. I couldn't tell if she was listening, but she definitely didn't look comfortable. "No."

"_Malina, let me speak to her and I will tell you where the tree used to be._"

"I am quite certain she doesn't want to speak with you. Do you really trust me so little? Perhaps I should have called Rebekah instead." I snapped angrily, but it didn't seem to faze him at all. We both knew that I would have even less luck when it came to Rebekah trusting Caroline.

"_And you think she would be more inclined to tell you?_" Niklaus replied with an almost mocking laugh that made Caroline roll her eyes and take the phone from my hand.

"What?" she asked in a clipped voice as she put the phone on speaker and placed it on the table in front of us.

"_Hello, love._" Niklaus greeted in a smug voice that made me want to hide my face in my hands.

"Stop being a dick, Klaus. I promise that I have no ulterior motives in this." Caroline spoke, clearly annoyed as she folded her arms across her chest.

"_And why should I trust you? Perhaps this might be another distraction._" Niklaus replied in a casual tone that made Caroline's eyes flicker with guilt, but also defiance.

"Seriously? I am just trying to help your friend come to terms with a terrible loss. For once this isn't about you." she snapped back at him and threw her hands up in the air in an angry gesture.

"_And how do I know you won't go running to your little friends afterwards?_"

"Didn't you burn the tree to the ground? And Rebekah practically burned down a whole bridge yesterday. Besides, I know that if you die then so will Malina. I don't want that to happen." Caroline said as she looked at me with a soft smile on her lips.

"_I doubt the Salvatores are quite as sentimental._"

"If it bothers you so much then let Malina go alone. I promise to stay away while your best friend goes through this difficult time in her life."

"_Reverse psychology doesn't work on me, sweetheart._" Niklaus mused in response to her attempt to bait him and I could hear the growing irritation in his voice.

"Then let me try this. My best friend's mother left her when she was just a small child and years after they finally reunited. But now she has left her once more because she couldn't get over herself." Caroline ranted angrily as her voice rose in volume and I placed a hand on her arm.

"It's awful and something I thought you might be able to relate to if you had just a shred of humanity left." she finished more calmly, but there was a strong undertone of loathing as she spoke.

"Caroline, don't." I tried in attempt to ease the tension before any of them said something they couldn't take back, but she didn't seem to care.

"No. If he wants to be an asshole, I'll let him. But he needs to know how big of an asshole he is."

"_Please continue, love._" Niklaus interrupted in amusement and I realised that his casual approach only worked up Caroline even more.

"Bonnie's mother was selfish and left. Malina was so unselfish that she crammed herself into a coffin for a thousand years because of your sorry ass. Astrid died, but she was still there buried under that tree." Caroline told forcefully and had now stood up as she was too angry to remain sitting.

"Now the tree is gone and your best friend thinks she left her child behind. Let me take her to where Astrid was buried and let Malina have some closure. Or you can live with the notion that Malina is hurting because of you." she continued as she stood glaring down at the phone and exhaled slowly, when she was done.

There was a long moment of silence before Niklaus broke it.

"_Are you done?_" he asked with a small growl and it sounded like Caroline had finally gotten to him as well.

"Yes."

"_Do not mistake this for trust, sweetheart. If something happens to me or my family because of this, I will not hesitate to hunt you down. Do not think that any inclination I might have towards you is a sign of mercy._" Niklaus warned in a deadly voice that made my eyes go wide and a fearful expression crossed Caroline's features.

"Niklaus! Don't you dare-" I hissed at him, but was interrupted by Caroline, who had quickly recollected herself and had a defiant look in her blue eyes once more.

"I won't."

"_I will send Malina the route and none of you will speak a word of this._" Niklaus then said and his voice didn't show any of the anger that had filled it before.

"Thank you." I sighed tiredly when the line went quiet and the fighting seemed to be over.

"_Be careful, Mal._" he told in an even softer voice and I almost felt like screaming at him for being like this. One moment he was threatening to kill everyone, the next he was caring and almost human.

"I will." I replied instead and leaned forward to end the call.

For some reason I paused with my finger hovering over the screen and looked at Caroline, who seemed deep in thought. It took her a moment to notice my staring and a frown appeared on her forehead as she looked between the phone and my face.

"Oh, I'm so not saying thank you for any of that." Caroline objected with a shake of her head and I nodded as I didn't really know what I had expected her to do.

"_I will be back in town soon, love. You can always thank me in person._" Niklaus' voice called from the other end of the call and Caroline narrowed her eyes dangerously at the phone.

"Over my dead body."

"_Careful what you wish for, Caroline._"

"Bye!" I quickly exclaimed as I hit the end call button and fell back into the sofa with a sigh.

"If I wasn't Switzerland, I would kill him." Caroline murmured to herself as she sat down beside me and stared vengefully at the silent phone.

"You would be taking me with him." I reminded her with a small smile even though I could understand why she felt like that.

"I know. Which is just about the only thing stopping me."

"I'm honoured."

"You should be. I didn't think it was possible for me to hate someone more than Damon, but would you look at that." Caroline said with a serious look in her eyes that was contradicted by a smile that fell slightly as she gestured towards my phone.

"Speaking of Damon, has he talked to you yet?" I asked carefully as I let the phone fall back into my pocket before Caroline decided to throw it in anger.

"No. You really shouldn't be wasting your time with it. It's never gonna happen. He's too busy sleeping with Rebekah and plotting to kill her anyway." Caroline sighed annoyed and I watched with a frown as she reached for the tequila bottle once again.

"It is not a waste of time, Caroline. We both need closure. Besides, you are practically risking your life to help me, so the least I can do is piss off Damon once in a while to help you."

"You are too good to me." Caroline laughed quietly and took a quick swig of tequila before she got up to return it to its place in the cabinet.

"I suspect that it is the other way around. I am on team Evil after all." I countered with a tilt of my head and a teasing smile.

"Yes, but you are the part that makes them just super evil instead of taking-over-the-world-evil. Although Klaus does seem right on the edge of that."

"He is not taking over the world." I reassured with a sigh even though I knew that defending him against Caroline was sort of pointless at the moment. I wasn't sure he actually deserved it either.

"Good, because then I would be on a spaceship out of here. I could be an astronaut." Caroline thought out loud as she sat back in the sofa and it sounded as if she seriously considered that an option.

"He is not all bad, Caroline."

"Except for when he threatens to hunt me down. Or that time when he made my boyfriend bite and almost kill me. Oh, and remember when he killed Elena and her aunt because of some power trip?" Caroline snapped back at me and her eyes darkened slightly with anger.

"He is a work in progress." I admitted quietly and calmed a hand through my dark curls to ease my own discomfort. "But he cares. He cares to a fault. He will do anything to convince you otherwise, but he does. None of that excuse what he has did to Elena or anyone else, but he is not irredeemable."

A heavy silence fell between us as I finished speaking and it looked as if Caroline was struggling slightly with herself. I knew that she had seen that caring side of him. But she might as well just think that it was all an act since it didn't fit with her image of him as the big bad.

The sound of my phone receiving a message made me jump slightly and quickly pulled it from my pocket to find that Niklaus had sent me some sort of a link. I showed it to Caroline, who pressed it and a digital map with a mark appeared.

"Let's go then." Caroline said after having looked at the map for a few seconds and got up from the sofa. I followed her after a moment of hesitation and made her pause just as she reached the door.

"Are you sure you want to go? I can do this on my own."

"You shouldn't have to, Malina." Caroline told with a smile and I was surprised, when she gave me a quick hug before drawing back to look at me. "Besides, do you even know how to read a map?"

"Not this sort, no. Do you?" I admitted as I studied the map on my phone with a frown. There was a blue dot showing where we were and a red dot showing where we were to go, but there was a lot of wood in between.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm at least better than you." Caroline replied as she took the phone from my hand and opened the door. "And I think I know where this is."

The memorial was still in progress as we moved through the Lockwood mansion and several people stared after Caroline in indignation as she ignored their attempt to show her sympathy.

I watched from a few meters away as she walked over to her mother and whispered something in her ear.

"Caroline, have you been drinking?" the sheriff then asked in a loud voice that attracted the attention of everyone around them. I saw how Caroline folded her arms in front of her and dramatically rolled her eyes.

"Like dad would care? He never cared about me and now he's dead!" Caroline yelled back at her mother and I felt my eyes widen in shock. What was she doing? "I'm out of here!"

Without another look back Caroline strolled out of the room and stumbled slightly on her heels as if intoxicated. I shared a quick look with the sheriff, who nodded at me and didn't seem startled by her daughter's antics.

People were already whispering around me about Caroline's outrageous behaviour and I followed the blonde's path out there. I found her outside by the cars, where she looked as if she was swaying slightly and I noticed how people were still staring.

"What did you just do?" I whispered when I reached her and we started walking towards her car.

"I needed a way out of there and I'm still supposed to be a difficult teenager. Besides, my mom and I used to do this all the time. The old geezers will start wondering if we suddenly are friends all the time." Caroline explained with a wave of her hand and I frowned as she got into the passenger's side.

"I am supposed to be drunk, so you are driving. The sheriff's daughter can't be a drunk-driver." she told as I slowly got into the driver's seat and stared at the wheel with discernment. "You can drive, right?"

"A little. Theodore tried to teach me."

"Tried?"

"I am an impatient person. If I don't get it right at first, I become annoyed." I told as I focused on remembering my lessons in an attempt to hide my embarrassment. "But I know the basics."

"That's… good. Just drive slowly out of here without hitting any cars and we can switch when we're out of sight." Caroline said after a moment of thoughtful silence as if she was comparing the consequences of being seen drive drunk to letting me drive.

After taking a few deep breaths I turned the ignition and the car came to life. A few minutes later I had managed to get us away from prying eyes and we quickly switched seats.

"We need a couple of things first, so we have to stop by my place." Caroline informed me as we drove through Mystic Falls Centrum and towards Caroline's neighbourhood.

She ignored my questioning look and I decided not to ask since she looked to be deep in thought. I couldn't help but smile a little as I thought of how she might be planning all the ways to kill Niklaus without actually doing it in her head.

I followed her out of the car as we reached her house and Caroline kicked of her stilettoes as soon as she was inside. I watched as she quickly found a pair of long boots and then presented me with a pair of closed shoes as well.

"Here, take these. It's a nightmare walking around in the woods in heels. Trust me." Caroline said with a quick smile before she turned on her heel and left me alone in the hall. Moments later she returned with a blue teddy bear in hand.

"I don't have to borrow these, Caroline. I don't want to get them dirty." I told her as I studied the clean, white shoes that stood at my feet. They looked as if they never had been worn before.

"They're like two years old. My mom bought them when she tried to make me wear more 'sensible' shoes. I wore them when I left the house, but always changed when I arrived at school." Caroline explained with a waving off gesture as she pressed her feet into her boots and zipped them close.

"You seem to have had a strained relationship with your mother." I stated with a frown and changed shoes as well. I could feel how the shoes hadn't even been worn in.

"She was a workaholic. Or is. And I was a difficult teenager. It got better after I became a vampire. Well, after a while. It's weird, you know, how dying is one of the best things that have ever happened to me."

"You like being a vampire." I added with a smile as I followed her outside and around the house, where she found a shovel in the backyard.

"I hate the bloodsucking part. But I'm sort of better like this. It's hard to explain, really. I just feel…" Caroline told with a shrug and the paused outside her car as she searched for what to say next.

"Stronger?" I suggested as I watched her over the roof of the car and a smile spread on Caroline's lips.

"Fearless."

"I've noticed." I replied in a teasing tone and got into the car while Caroline threw the shovel and teddy bear in the back. I wasn't sure why she had brought those things.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" the blonde exclaimed as she got into the car and turned the ignition. I had a feeling she already knew what I was thinking of and she didn't like it.

"Not even Kol manages to anger Niklaus like you can, but that does not seem to stop you."

"He just makes me so… mad. But I'm fearless, not stupid. Klaus can and will kill me without even blinking. I know my limits. Sort of." Caroline said with a frown and then drew out a long breath. "Look, can we not talk about Klaus anymore?"

I nodded in agreement and then looked out of the window as Caroline starting chatting about cheerleading and an upcoming competition that they were training for, and how Rebekah didn't take it seriously at all or rarely even came.

I made agreeing or disagreeing sounds once in a while as my thoughts circled around what we were on our way to do. The pain of Astrid's absence had dulled ever since I had let go of my fear of thunder and lightning, but I could still feel it there. Just like I knew that thunder would never be my favourite thing, although it didn't frighten me anymore.

Caroline was right. Sometimes I did feel like I had left Astrid behind. As if starting this new life in a new world had erased my previous life and all the hours spent with my daughter. There was nothing left of her in the earth anymore. She was just… gone.

"We have to walk from here." Caroline spoke fifteen minutes later as she parked on the side of the forest road and got out of the car. "It's not that far, though."

"Caroline, why did you bring those?" I finally asked when she grabbed the shovel and teddy bear from the back seat. It looked strangely sinister walking through the woods with a shovel in one hand and a teddy bear in the other.

"Once when we were nine Bonnie and I had this huge fight, so I stole her teddy bear Ms. Cuddles and buried in the woods. I made a trail of M&amp;Ms to find it, but they disappeared. Ms. Cuddles is still somewhere out here." Caroline reminisced as we found a path through the trees that lead us to where we wanted to go. I, however, had no idea where Caroline was going with her story.

"I just thought that maybe we could do the same with Blue. Like bury him where Astrid used to be, so there's actually something there. I don't know. Maybe it's a bad idea." she continued and frowned down at the teddy in her hand as if she had suddenly realised how weird it all sounded.

"No, it's a very nice thought, Caroline." I reassured her with a smile and carefully took the teddy bear from her. "I suppose this is Blue."

"Not very original, I know. He was my favourite, but I think it is time he helped someone else."

"Thank you."

We shared a quick smile as we carried on and a few minutes later Caroline broke the silence; asking for my phone. She took a quick look at the digital map before turning slightly to the left and continuing in that direction. Soon we reached a small clearing and I gaped at the large tree that stood in the middle.

"That is an oak tree." I stated in a flat voice and moved closer to the large trunk that was almost two meters wide and looked about four storeys tall.

"Not a white one, I promise. Look at the leaves, they're red."

"A red oak then. You said you knew this place?" I questioned as I placed my hand against the rough bark and closed my eyes, concentrating.

I could feel how life pulsated from the roots and into the tree before returning back to the ground. It was strangely calming and I almost didn't hear Caroline's words.

"It's been here for years. I remember finding it when I was about ten and ran away, because I found out my parents were getting divorced. I sat here until the sun went down and one of my mom's colleagues found me. There was this whole searching party with dogs and everything."

"Always had a flair for drama then, I see." I laughed and walked back to Caroline, who now held a large red leave in her hand. Autumn was already making its presence all around us and the ground was covered with fallen leaves.

"So this is it." Caroline said with a gesture of her hands towards the tree and looked at me expectantly. "We should bury the teddy bear first."

She then started digging a hole close to the tree without waiting for my agreement and I looked down at Blue, which stared back at me with black, empty eyes.

"Caroline, are you-" I called as I lifted my eyes from the bear and looked at the blonde, who let the shovel fall to the ground.

"Sure? Yes. And would you please stop asking that?" she interrupted with a sigh, but smiled as she came to stand in front of me. I nodded with a sheepish smile of my own and then stepped around her towards the hole she had dug.

"What does one do when she is burying a teddy bear in the stead of her daughter?" I asked meekly and could hear how my voice was already becoming thick with emotion. This was turning out to be a lot harder than I had first expected.

"No idea. I have never done something like this before. But if it was a funeral you would place flowers or something personal on the casket, lower the body into the ground and then say a few words about the deceased." Caroline told in a soft voice.

I could feel her eyes rest on me as I bend down and carefully placed the bear in the makeshift grave. I paused when I realised I didn't have anything to lie upon the bear and we both glanced around searchingly. A small wind made hair blow into my face and I grabbed one of the locks, when I suddenly got an idea.

"Do you have a knife? Or a scissor?"

"Uhm… Give me a minute." Caroline said and then flashed away. Moments later she returned with a small scissor and offered it to me with a curious look.

I didn't hesitate as I found the root of a lock of hair and cut if off. Caroline let out an audible gasp beside me, but didn't speak as I handed back the scissor and tied a knot with my hair. I then knelt down and placed it on the teddy bear.

"I am sorry, my love." I whispered and my fingers absentmindedly started fiddling with the pendant resting against my chest. "I never meant to leave you."

I could feel tears well up in my eyes as I choked on my words and I closed them in attempt to recollect myself. I could feel Caroline's presence behind me and turned my head to look at her.

"I don't know what to say."

"Maybe you don't have to say anything. Just remember her. When she was happy, her smile, her laugh." Caroline said as she knelt down beside me and I noticed her eyes become wet as she reached for my hand and rested it on the leaves underneath our feet.

"She is here. In the leaves, the trees, the earth underneath our feet. She's a part of nature now. A part of you."

A smile slowly appeared on my lips as I picked up one the leaves and let it blow away in the gentle wind. Tears were falling down my cheeks and I let them as I shifted my eyes to the crown of leaves above us.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep." Caroline then recited in a quiet voice and I looked at her in surprise as she continued while staring down at her teddy bear.

"I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there, I did not die."

"That was beautiful." I told with a sniff and dried away my tears with the palm of my hand.

"I heard on Desperate Housewives." Caroline admitted with a shrug and then made a strange noise that sounded like something between a laugh and a sob. I had no idea what Desperate Housewives was, but couldn't help but laugh as well.

We fell quiet after a few minutes of both laughing and crying, and Caroline rose from her spot beside me. I remained still for a long moment before reaching down and caressed the worn out blue plush of the teddy bear.

Caroline returned as I stood up and sent me a questioning look to see if I was ready to cover up the grave. I nodded in answer and reached for the shovel on the ground before Caroline could grab it. I needed to do this myself.

I let out a deep breath before letting the first pile of dirt fall unto the bear and then quickly filled the rest of the hole. The sun had gone down under the trees while we had been sitting and long shadows loomed over us as we stood by the grave in silence.

"We should have brought something to mark the grave." Caroline spoke with a frown and looked around her to find something that might work.

"It's okay." I said as I looked at the large oak tree one last time and then turned my back to it. I could hear Caroline following me as I walked out of the clearing and back to the path we had followed to there.

"I know she is there."

* * *

**A/N: So I skipped a couple of TVD episodes and decided to write this chapter instead. It's pretty much only a filler chapter, but I wanted to give Caroline some space to grieve and Malina another Astrid moment. Kol was a jerk and Klaus was a dick, but c'est la vie! They will get better... some day in the distant future. **

**Anyway, R&amp;R!3 And happy December:D**


	21. Chapter 18 - Part one

**Manhattan, New York**

"A double whiskey on the rocks." Kol told the bartender, when she sent him an inquisitive look and a glass was placed in front of him a few moments later.

The low-lit bar was mostly just occupied by lonely drinkers and most of the noise came from the young man, who was playing a piano on top of a small stage. Stale smoke hung in the air and Kol wrinkled his nose in distaste as he smelled another cigarette being lit.

Initially he had come to the dump to find the witch Julia Ferrera, who according to his sources worked there most evenings. But now he mostly felt like drinking until he forgot the conversation he had had with Malina in the morning.

If he had thought their talk on her bed a few days earlier had worked out everything between them, he had clearly been wrong. It was as if being away from each other made things worse and Kol had a feeling she didn't trust him to not go around and kill random people.

Although considering all the times he had gotten his hands dirty after his departure from Mystic Falls, she was right to. But most vampires seemed to either have forgotten about him or not heard about him at all, so it had been necessary to put action behind some of his words. And it hadn't been pretty. For them.

But he was doing it for Malina. He was doing it to keep her safe. Which had now let him to the witch and the smelly bar. Kol only had tonight before he had to go back to Mystic Falls, so he hoped for Julia's sake that she wasn't calling in sick, because then he had to find her through other and more violent means.

"Well, if it isn't Kol fucking Mikaelson." a familiar voice suddenly spoke beside him and Kol turned his head to find a beautiful woman smiling at him.

She was dressed in a tight dark red dress and balanced herself on 5 inch black heels; looking as if she belonged anywhere else but the bar. Her chestnut coloured hair was gathered in an up-do at the back of her head with a braid in the front, keeping stray locks out of her face.

"Lucy Monroe. The years certainly haven't been hard on you, darling." Kol said as a wide grin slowly spread on his lips and he stood up to greet her properly.

He lifted an eyebrow when she offered him her hand and Kol pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"You know flatter doesn't work on me." Lucy replied with a sweet smile and Kol waited patiently for her to continue as her dark eyes slowly took him in. "That doesn't mean I don't like hearing it, though."

"I heard you were out and about once more. It's been a long century." Lucy said as she took a sip from the glass of champagne that was quietly presented to her without any inquiry.

"Is that so? And where did you hear that?" Kol asked with a lifted brow as he properly looked at the woman in front of him.

The last time he had seen her had been a couple of years before he had been daggered for plotting with the New Orleans witches against Klaus.

He had loved her – or been as close as he came to loving someone as much as he did Malina – and she had left him for reasons that were still unknown to him.

He suspected that she had simply become bored with his obsession over killing Klaus. Lucy was a professional heartbreaker if he ever saw one. Make them love you and then leave them was her MO and still they all came running.

"This is the city that never sleeps, Mikaelson. There's always a watching eye or a listening ear and you have been making a lot of noise with all of your killing and threatening. Even more important, this is my city and I want to know why you are running around, causing mayhem and panic everywhere." Lucy told him as her smile slipped and she lit the cigarette that had somehow appeared in her hand.

Kol noticed with hidden satisfaction how her fingers tightened around the champagne glass as she exhaled smoke. He always did love watching her lose some of her well-maintained control. She could be delightfully cruel when that happened.

"_Your_ city? Getting a little cocky, are we, love?" Kol mused as he casually drank from his own glass without minding the subtle threat she had thrown at him.

"Oh, _darling_," Lucy replied in a sweet but mocking tone that provoked a dangerous gleam in the Original's eyes, "you have spent far too long in that dusty old coffin. I _rule_ this part of town. Everything south of Central Park is under my, let's call it, jurisdiction. If it was anyone but you, I would have killed you for the chaos you've created here."

"I truly am touched by your reluctance to kill me, although we both know that you couldn't even if you tried." Kol said with a hand over his heart and smiled as Lucy's hand came to rest on his other before she slowly moved it up his arm with a reminiscing look in her dark eyes.

"But I do know how." Lucy spoke in a low voice that reminded Kol of how she used to seduce him with just a simple look.

"Too bad then that Rebekah burned down what was left of the tree just yesterday."

"How is your sister? She was quite grey the last I saw of her." Lucy quipped as if the news of the White Oak Tree being gone didn't bother her the slightest and took another drag of her cigarette.

"And when did you last see her?"

"Klaus let me have a little peek in the sixties. I might stop by that small town of yours soon and say hi. She was always good fun." Lucy shrugged as if her spending time with Klaus was completely normal and then smiled at whatever memory she had of Rebekah. Kol didn't remember them being so close.

"You were with my brother in the sixties?" he asked casually even though he felt irritation grow inside of him.

Kol had been lying dead in a coffin while Klaus had dallied around with his ex-girlfriend and neither of them seemed to think it was a big deal.

He would expect that Klaus would throw something like that in his face as Kol had done it to him several times, but his brother had for some reason kept quiet about all of Kol's former lovers. It was possible that it was all for the sake of Malina, Kol thought disbelievingly. It was possible the witch actually had an effect on him.

"We had a small fling. He helped me with some of my plans here." Lucy told and interrupted Kol's thoughts abruptly as she confirmed what he was already suspecting.

"You slept with Klaus?"

"No need to get all territorial, Kol." Lucy said with a roll of her eyes and blew smoke into the air between them. "It is actually Rebekah, who should be mad. She came before you actually. In every sense of it."

"You slept with my sister." Kol deadpanned as Lucy winked at him and an amused smirk formed her red lips. So this was what Lucy meant with Rebekah being "good fun".

It wasn't the first time he had shared a woman with one of his brothers – albeit not at the same time – but sleeping with the same woman as Rebekah was a first as far as he knew.

Of course, he knew of her sporadic bisexuality, but often forgot about it as decades could go by before he would suddenly find her in bed with a woman instead of yet another one of her male suitors.

"She never told you?" Lucy inquired with a lifted brow and took another sip of her champagne. Kol watched as the glass was quickly refilled without even a look from Lucy. "What a shame. We had a few fun nights together in the late eighteen-eighties. Not long after she was undaggered in fact."

"I presume Elijah is next then?" he asked with a smirk that didn't manage to hide the jealousy behind his words. She had always been exceptional at reading people and, it seemed, especially him.

Lucy watched him for a long moment before she moved her hand from his arm to his cheek and smiled at him softly.

"There really is no need to be jealous, Kol. I was in love with you, not them."

"We both know that you and I don't love, darling." Kol chuckled humourlessly and didn't find it hard to sound convincing as he had believed exactly that for most of the last millennium.

"Perhaps you are right." Lucy sighed and looked sincerely regretful before her eyes brightened playfully. "But we can still have fun."

"That's not why I'm here." Kol spoke in a disinterested tone and leaned away when Lucy started leaning towards him.

She made a disappointed pout with her lips at his words, but took a step back with a shrug. His rejection didn't really bother her, but she noticed with hidden satisfaction that his pupils were dilated. She still had some effect on him then.

"Why _are_ you here?" Lucy then asked and narrowed her eyes at him before taking another drag of her cigarette. This time she blew the smoke directly into Kol's face and watched him wrinkle his nose in annoyance.

"I'm in search of a spell." Kol revealed after a long moment of contemplation and Lucy nodded thoughtfully as it made sense considering what she had heard of his movements the last couple of days.

"Dark magic?" Lucy guessed with a tilt of her head and noticed from the corner of her eye how the bartender's eyes shifted to them. There was a reason he had come to this exact bar then.

"Yes."

"And what will you do with it?" she inquired when Kol's confirmation was all that she got and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the bar.

"Help me and I might tell you." Kol purred as he leaned in a flirting manner that only brought a sad smile to Lucy's lips.

"If only I hated you." she spoke softly and reached forward to let her fingers brush against Kol's cheek bone. She wasn't surprised when he grabbed her wrist and lowered her hand from his face.

"Life would be quite simple then, I presume." Kol said as he broke their eye contact and took a swig of his drink.

"Life is never simple." Lucy argued and studied him carefully as he kept looking elsewhere. "But then I would be able to tell you no. Or hate the person you are doing this for."

"I might just be doing this for myself. I usually am, remember?" Kol snapped back at her and his quick response made Lucy smirk back at him.

"I know you, Kol Mikaelson. I remember every moment spent with you and you are not doing this for yourself." Lucy told as she sent him a meaningful look and poked his chest lightly. "I look forward to meeting her someday."

"Who?"

"This woman that you claim you cannot love."

"There is no one, darling." Kol tried to assure her with a smirk that only made the younger vampire roll her eyes.

"Then let's go back to my place and you can fuck me into the madras." she spoke in a sultry voice that made Kol raise an eyebrow and Lucy parted her lips slightly.

Kol was surprised by her coarse language, but didn't find any amusement in her words. He knew that he would have easily taken her up on her offer if it wasn't for Malina being awake.

He would have worked relentlessly to lift the spell that had brought her into her sleeping state, but he wouldn't have had any qualms with having fun in the meantime. Especially not with Lucy.

"Some other time perhaps. I am on a tight schedule." Kol replied with a forced smile that only made Lucy's widen.

"I am intrigued. Please tell me about her." Lucy urged and batted her eyelashes at him like some love struck teenage girl. He knew that she was being sincere in her request, but was clearly also making fun of him.

"Do not test me, sweetheart." Kol growled as he took a step towards her and Lucy straightened her back as the smile fell from her lips. Her eyes darkened as she took a step closer as well and Kol noticed how the music had stopped playing.

"I am not afraid of you, Kol Mikaelson." Lucy told him in a calm voice and then let out a sigh that made her breath fan over his lips. "That is what you loved about me, remember? But fine then. I will help you. But first, for old time's sake."

It was obvious what she intended to do, when she quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Kol didn't stop her even though he could have, but remained motionless as Lucy's lips moved against his and her hand grabbed the back of his neck.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds and Lucy finally stepped back with a satisfied smile that had nothing to do with the feeling of his lips against hers after such a long time. She then sent a stern look to the pianist behind Kol, who immediately started playing once more.

"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds." Lucy quoted after taking another step back and sipped from her glass of champagne.

"Why are you quoting that wanker to me?" Kol asked with annoyance clear in his voice and downed the rest of his drink. He could still feel her scent enveloping him and was almost tempted to ask for a cigarette just to drown it.

"I always found it funny when Klaus complained about how uncultured you were. But I suppose the man, who tutored William Shakespeare would think that of anyone." Lucy mused and mirth shone from her eyes as she looked at Kol, who didn't find it nearly as amusing.

"You love this woman whether you will admit it or not. You love her enough to not kiss me back and take me up on my offer on sex. Mind blowing sex even. The Kol I know wouldn't have hesitated. You never did when we were together." she continued and waved off Kol's attempts to interrupt her. At no point did she sound bitter about his infidelity.

"I never hesitated either. We slept around all the time. We just had the most fun sleeping with each other. 'Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. Or bends with the remover to remove: O no; it is an ever-fixed mark'. Our love was never fixed, it was constantly flickering. I don't love, but you do."

"How poetic." Kol remarked dryly and made to leave as he decided that he was done with their small reunion. He could find the information he needed elsewhere.

"Don't get mad, hun." Lucy cooed as he walked past her and smiled brightly when Kol paused. "I'll help you and I won't mention her again. So tell me, what are you doing _here_?"

"I was looking for a witch." Kol said after a moment of contemplation and figured that he could leave the city sooner with her help. "Julia Ferrera."

"She's dead." Lucy informed him carelessly and their eyes snapped to the bartender, when a glass shattered against the floor. Lucy then let out a sigh as she looked at the teary eyed woman behind the bar.

"I'm sorry, Maria. Your cousin died an hour ago. But before you start planning your revenge, you should know that she was killed in a car accident. Nothing supernatural. So go home and grieve. I will find someone to cover your shift."

Maria nodded with tears spilling down her cheeks and quickly grabbed her bag and coat before running out of the door. Lucy then walked around the bar and grabbed the phone hanging on the wall. A minute later she had contacted Maria's substitute and gestured to Kol that they were leaving.

"Don't worry. The Ferreras is not the only coven that dabbles in dark magic in this city."

Kol checked his phone as they walked out of the bar and unto the busy sidewalk. He only had a few hours left if he wanted to make it back to Mystic Falls before morning.

A smirk spread on his lips, when he looked up and saw Lucy get into the back of a black car parked just outside the bar. It didn't surprise him that the queen of lower Manhattan travelled in style.

"Are you coming?" Lucy called after him as she leaned out of the car with an expectant look and Kol quickly got in beside her. He watched in silence as Lucy moved her thumbs over the screen of her phone with impressive speed before ordering the chauffeur to move into the traffic.

"Where are we going, Ms. Monroe?" the driver asked as he waited for an opening in the constant stream of cars passing by and Lucy looked up from her phone once more.

"Chinatown. The head of the Sòng family is expecting me."

* * *

**Mystic Falls, Virginia**

Malina remained in bed staring at the ceiling for half an hour after she had woken up. She was completely alone in the big mansion and leaving the confinements of her room would only make that more palpable.

Rebekah had texted her, when Malina had returned home after her trip to the woods with Caroline, to tell that she had joined Klaus to look for Finn since one of the hybrids apparently had spotted him in a city called Atlanta. Kol was yet to return from New York.

She had contemplated calling Caroline as she sat alone in one of the smaller lounges and watched a TV show of grown women screaming at each other. The title 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' had made Malina pause while browsing through the channels as she remembered Caroline mentioning something similar. But the more she watched, the more she was sure it wasn't the same show.

Caroline had texted her during the evening to make sure that Malina was still of sound mind and not crying her eyes out. When the witch had taken too long to respond, Caroline had sent a picture of herself making a funny face and Malina's laugh had echoed through the empty rooms of the mansion.

Malina stared at the ceiling for a few minutes longer before she finally got up and went into the bathroom to shower. She didn't bother drying her hair after getting dressed and just gathered her wet curls by her left shoulder. Malina left her room in pair of black jeans and a loose green top.

The strong aroma of coffee hit her just before she rounded the corner into the kitchen and Malina frowned as she peeked around the corner. She felt her stomach flutter nervously, when she saw the person standing by the kitchen counter and willed herself to act casual as she leaned against the doorway.

"Welcome back." Malina greeted with a shy smile and folded her arms in front of her. She knew that Kol had probably known she was on her way down ever since she got out of bed, but he had the curtesy to act surprised by her presence.

"Thank you, love." he said with a smile that made Malina – much to her chagrin – blush and play with her necklace. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

Malina remained in her spot for a moment longer as she watched Kol turn to the newly brewed pot of coffee and pour it into a porcelain cup. She stepped forward when he placed the cup on the counter close to him and she sniffed its contents with closed eyes.

"So… did you take care of everything?" Malina asked when she found him staring at her and shifted from one foot to the other, which only made Kol's eyes shine with mirth at her uneasiness.

"I did." was all he said as he stepped towards her and Malina leaned back against the counter and away from him.

"Are you going to tell me what you were doing?"

"Soon." Kol replied with a secretive smile and Malina looked away as his eyes roamed over her form. She suddenly became very conscious about her decision not to wear a bra.

"When did you arrive?" she asked with her eyes fixed on her cup and exhaled slowly, when she felt Kol stepping closer.

"A couple of hours ago." Kol told quietly and Malina looked up to find him right in front of her. She stilled as he reached forward and wrapped his hands around hers, taking the cup of coffee and placing it on the counter out of her reach.

"You haven't slept?"

"No. I wanted to see you." he said with a smile and stared down at her as he let his hand rest against her cheek. Malina's eyes closed on their own volition at his touch and she let out a sigh as she felt his hot breath against her skin.

She opened her eyes to find him leaning in and her abdomen tightened in expectation as their lips finally met. Kol moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck while the other came to rest on her hip and Malina's own hands connected behind Kol's neck.

Kol pressed closer against her as their lips started moving against each other and Malina barely felt how the edge of the counter dug into her lower back. She registered how his hands started moving down her sides as she sucked on his lower lip and let out a surprised gasp, when he suddenly lifted her unto the table.

He took advantage of her open mouth and pushed his tongue inside as his hands disappeared under her top. Goosebumps spread across Malina's skin, when she felt his large hands move up her sides and she instinctively pulled him closer until he stood between her legs.

"I've missed you." Kol told her in a husky voice as he pulled away and started pressing kisses to her jaw. Malina froze at his words and her pulse elevated, when Kol moved his lips down to her throat.

"You have?" she asked dumbfounded and immediately regretted her words, when Kol suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. If he was hurt by her words he didn't show it, but her surprise had definitely startled him.

Instead of answering Kol captured her lips once more and any doubt Malina had felt about their relationship vanished as the kiss quickly grew heated. A moan fell from the witch's lips as Kol's thumbs caressed the skin underneath her breast and she felt her nipples harden.

"Kol." Malina sighed against his lips and her head fell back as he trailed wet kisses down her neck. "We cannot. Do this here. In the kitchen."

"Relax, darling, no one is home." Kol breathed and elicited another moan from her, when he found a sensitive spot just above her pulse point.

He couldn't help but smirk against her skin, when Malina then lifted her arms over her head and he was about to pull off her top, when someone cleared their throat from the doorway.

Kol tried not to laugh, when Malina let out a surprised shriek and immediately pushed him away. Her cheeks were flushed as she tried to correct her clothes and he could hear her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

"Don't worry. It's nothing I haven't seen before." a female voice said in an amused tone and a wide smile spread on Kol's lips, when he saw who had spoken.

"Sage, darling. Long time, no see." Kol grinned as he stepped forward and kissed the red-head on the cheek. She looked different from when he had last seen her in her modern clothing, but the same feisty gleam was in her blue eyes.

"I heard they had let you out of the box. How is the twenty-first century treating you?" Sage replied with a smirk and then looked past him at Malina, who stood with her arms crossed in front of her to hide that she wasn't wearing a bra. She was never making that mistake again.

"Splendidly." the Original said with a smirk and followed Sage's eyes to Malina, who still remained by the counter. "Sage, meet Malina, witch extraordinaire."

"Rebekah told me about you. It's a pleasure to meet you." Sage greeted with a stretched out hand and stepped forward with a sideways glance at Kol. He was looking at the witch with adoring eyes; something Sage wouldn't have believed if she hadn't seen it herself.

"Hello." Malina said with a shy smile and reluctantly unfolded her arms to take Sage's hand. The vampire seemed nothing like what Rebekah had described, but Malina remained wary of her. "Rebekah told me about you as well."

"Nothing good, I presume." Sage joked with a smile and Malina shook her head with an apologizing smile.

"What can we do for you, love?" Kol then asked as he came to stand beside Malina and pulled her closer with an arm around her waist.

"Klaus called me. He said that they've found Finn." Sage told with a hopeful look that brightened her clear blue eyes and Malina couldn't help but smile at the vampire's glee.

"Ah yes, I look forward to burying a dagger in his chest." Kol mused with a smirk that made Sage glower at him and Malina elbow him in the side. "He tried to kill us all, darling. He deserves nothing less."

"I am not doing this with you now, Kol." Malina said in a stern voice and stepped out of his embrace. "I am going upstairs to get dressed."

"I thought you were already dressed!" Kol called after her as she left the kitchen and Malina exhaled slowly in an attempt to let go of some of her irritation. Ten minutes and he was already getting on her nerves.

Malina quickly found a bra when she reached her room and changed her shirt as well without really knowing why. This time she left her room dressed in a long sleeved sweater that left her shoulders bare and made it obvious that she was indeed wearing undergarments.

She paused on the way out of her room when she heard noise from downstairs and hurried through the hall to the southern staircase that led to a large oval room, where Rebekah sometimes played the piano.

At the bottom of the stairs stood Finn and Sage in a tight embrace, while Rebekah and Klaus looked on with exasperation. Malina felt conflicted at the sight of the siblings as she was happy to have them back, but still angry with them from her last interactions with either.

"Malina." Klaus greeted with a smile that made Malina move down the stairs and past the reunited couple. Rebekah rolled her eyes at the display and walked over to Kol, who watched the scene with distaste as well.

"Missed me?" the hybrid asked when Malina reached him and he pressed a kiss to her temple before stepping back to look her over.

"I survived." she replied with a shrug and then turned her attention to Finn and Sage, who stared at each other; oblivious to their audience.

"I need his blood." Malina then told as she looked back at Klaus, whose smile had fallen at her cold greeting. "I need blood from all of you. Elijah gave me a vial of his before he left."

"You found an unlinking spell then?" Klaus inquired with a smirk and looked almost gleeful at the prospect of forcing Finn to give them his blood.

"Give me an hour and this will all be over." she promised with a nod and couldn't help but smile at the thought. They could leave town then; get away from the Salvatores and their incessant plotting.

"Good girl." Klaus cooed as he reached out to touch her hair with a Cheshire grin that fell, when Malina stepped away from him.

"Do not call me that again. Ever." she warned him with a stern glare and pointed her finger at him before turning around to face Kol. "Please find me a knife and a vial, Kol."

Kol was wearing a wide smile as he flashed away, clearly amused with the interaction between Klaus and Malina. He thought that he was in trouble, but it seemed like nothing compared to how the witch was treating his brother.

"I am sorry to interrupt-" Malina began as stepped towards Finn and Sage, who finally pried their eyes off each other to look at her. She cut herself off, when Kol returned with her requested items and narrowed her eyes at Finn.

"Actually, I am not. You tried to have me killed. Frankly, I am quite surprised that Niklaus chose this method of persuasion considering I could easily have taken what I need from you with force."

"And if I refuse?" Finn sneered back at her and glared at Klaus behind her with clear animosity, while he pressed Sage against his side. Malina looked back at Klaus as well and sent him a questioning look to which he just nodded in amusement.

"I do believe I used the word 'force'. Do not expect me to be some kind of saint just because of the origins of my presence here. I do not revel in doing this, but I will. And my means of persuasion might involve Sage as well." Malina told in a calm voice despite her anger towards the oldest Mikaelson sibling and glanced at the red-head by his side.

She wasn't serious about hurting Sage, but Finn clearly believed so as he stepped forward to shield her with his fangs barred. Before Malina could react Klaus stood in front of her, glaring at his brother with amber eyes.

"Careful now, brother." Klaus warned and spat out the word 'brother' as if it was poisonous. "My bite may not be fatal to you, but it will hurt. So I suggest that you do as Malina says and you can avoid the next day or so in excruciating pain."

Finn stared at the pair for a long moment before he stepped past Klaus and offered his hand to Malina. The witch placed the knife in the palm of his hand and made him close his fingers around it before she pulled it out of his grip.

Finn let out a pained groan as he clenched his teeth and watched his blood fall into the vial Malina was holding in her other hand. A few drops hit her fingers and she wiped it off in the sleeve of his jacket with her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Thank you for your contribution." Malina told him with a sweet smile that fell as soon as she turned her back to him.

"I have something to do. Do you need anything else than my blood for the spell?" Rebekah asked in a bored tone as she looked at the witch, who frowned at her question. When she shook her head Rebekah made to leave the room, but was stopped by her brother's voice.

"Where are you going?" Klaus called after her and the blonde turned around to look at him with a sinister smile on her lips.

"I have some unfinished business with Damon Salvatore. Ask Sage what he did to me and you'll understand why retribution is in order." Rebekah told in a cold voice that made Malina close her eyes in frustration. It was like a never ending circle of revenge between the Salvatores and the Originals.

Rebekah had left the room before anyone could object and Klaus eyed the reunited couple once more, clearly wondering what Damon had done to garner his little sister's rage.

"I suppose you are going to call Caroline and tell her about Bekah's nefarious plans." Kol mused close to Malina's ear and she jumped slightly at his proximity. She had been thinking about doing exactly that, but shook her head after a moment of contemplation.

"No. I do not owe Damon Salvatore anything. Perhaps it is time he learned to respect women instead of using them as he pleases." Malina replied to both Kol and Klaus' surprise and strode out of the room.

She didn't make it far before Klaus suddenly stood in front of her with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"This is about Caroline." he growled with narrowed eyes and Malina forced herself not to roll her eyes. Just yesterday he had threatened to kill her and now he was all of a sudden worried about the blonde.

He clearly hadn't forgotten Stefan's offhand comment about Damon's treatment of Caroline at the disastrous dinner with the Salvatores.

"It is none of your concern, Niklaus. And if you cannot refrain from threatening to 'hunt her down' I suggest you stay away from her from now on. Understood?" Malina snapped and walked past him without waiting for an answer. Kol was right behind her a few moments later.

"Need my help, darling?"

"Yes. Could you find these items for me?" Malina asked as she stopped walking and found her phone that held the list of things she needed for the spell. Kol quickly looked it over and then nodded.

"I will be with you in five minutes." he told her and pecked Malina's lips before flashing away. The witch stared after him in surprise for a moment before she shook her head and walked upstairs.

She found her grimoire and some of the other items needed for the unlinking spell in her room and moved to one of the small sitting rooms downstairs, where she would have silence to concentrate. She was almost certain she had found a spell that was strong enough to counteract Esther's magic, but sat down to read the spell through once more.

Kol appeared a few minutes later with what resembled a wine glass, candles, a small container of cinnamon sticks and two vials of blood; one from Elijah and another from Rebekah. Her eyes followed him as he left the room once more, but she didn't ask where he was going, and instead started setting up the items for the spell on a small, round table.

She placed five candles in a circle with the glass in the middle and poured Elijah, Finn and Rebekah's blood into the cup. She then lit the candles with her magic and burned one of the cinnamon sticks over it. The strong aroma slowly filled the room and Malina felt how her senses dimmed, while her magic surged out to the tip of her fingers.

Malina smiled when Kol returned with the cup of coffee she hadn't gotten the chance to drink earlier and wrinkled his nose at the strong scent that hung in the air. She took the cup from him and inhaled the welcoming smell of coffee mixed with cinnamon.

"It reeks in here."

"It's the cinnamon. It helps me concentrate and focuses my powers." Malina explained as she breathed in the air with closed eyes. She could feel the pendant pulsate gently against her skin and couldn't help but smile.

"I've never seen it used like that before." Kol spoke from beside her and she opened her eyes to find that he had joined her on the two-person sofa.

"I read it in my mother's grimoire and tested it while you were away." she told and blew at the hot coffee before setting it down. Malina then reached for her grimoire and placed it in Kol's lap. "Do you think it will work?"

Kol studied the unlinking spell displayed on the pages for a long moment before nodding and the witch couldn't help but smile proudly.

"This requires a lot of strong magic." he said as he placed the grimoire on the table and looked her over as if he was assessing whether or not she would be strong enough to do it. Truthfully, Malina wasn't certain.

"I know. Now, I need your blood and Niklaus'."

Kol bit into his wrist as he rose from his seat and let his blood pour into the glass that was already half filled. The wound was already healing, when Klaus strode into the room moments later and made the same face as his younger brother had.

"What is that smell?"

"Cinnamon. It helps her concentrate." Kol answered before Malina could and the witch laughed at him quietly, which made the Originals' eyes shift to her.

Klaus then glanced between his brother and best friend with narrowed eyes and wondered whether Kol's presence would be a distraction for her. His thoughts were interrupted, when painful groans suddenly came from some place inside the house and he smirked as he realised Rebekah was back.

"What was that?" Malina asked with a frown as she had heard the sounds as well and regretted that she had asked as soon she saw both brothers smile. Klaus didn't answer as he instead bit into the palm of his hand and filled the glass with his blood.

"Be quick about this, will you, sweetheart?" was all he said before leaving and Malina let out a heavy sigh.

"I need you to sit over there." she told Kol and pointed at a chair that stood a couple of meters away from the sofa. He didn't argue as he got up and sat down, but his eyes remained fixed on her.

Malina took a sip of her coffee and then found the cinnamon stick she had burned earlier and held it over another flame. When she felt ready Malina closed her eyes and focused on the energy flowing from the pendant and through her.

Her concentration was broken only moments later, when a painful cry made her flinch and she opened her eyes to see that the flames on the candles had almost gone out.

"Ignore it, darling." Kol told her, when Damon screamed once more and Malina started feeling slightly nauseous. She was also starting to regret that she had been so careless in her refusal to stop Rebekah from acting out her revenge on Damon.

She closed her eyes once more and took several deep breaths, but was once again pulled out of her meditative state. With a shake of her head she took her phone from the pocket of her jeans and found the phone number of the youngest Salvatore.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Stefan Salvatore. This needs to stop."

It rang four times before Stefan's voice told her that he couldn't answer his phone, but she could leave a message. Malina knew that her calls might not be on top of his 'must-answer' list, but considering she never did call him she would think that he would want to hear what she had to say.

An uneasy feeling started to spread in the pit of her stomach and she quickly sent him a text informing him that Rebekah had his brother at the mansion. Malina stared at her phone for a whole minute, but received no answer and no one came knocking on the door either.

"Something is wrong." Malina whispered to herself and Kol was by her side in the blink of an eye. "I need to call Caroline."

She didn't give Kol time to argue as she found the blonde's number under last called and pressed her name. The knot in her stomach was only growing and it didn't help the slightest, when Caroline answered her call on the third ring.

"_Hey!_" the blonde chirped from the other end and Malina sighed at her carefree tone. Whatever was going on, Caroline wasn't a part of it. Or she was a better actor than Malina thought.

"Caroline, what are you doing right now?"

"_I'm at cheerleading practice at the school_." Caroline told after a moment of hesitation after hearing the urgency in Malina's voice. "_Why?_"

"Something is wrong. Rebekah has Damon, but Stefan is yet to come rescue him."

"_What?! What do you mean 'Rebekah has Damon'?_" Caroline all but yelled into the phone and another one of Damon's painful cries rang through the ear just as she stopped talking. "_Oh my God. Is she torturing him?!_"

"Yes." Malina replied bluntly and suddenly hated herself for even letting it happen. She could have stopped Rebekah. Or at least tried. "And I cannot come into contact with Stefan."

"_Look, whatever is going on, I know nothing. They don't really tell me stuff anymore._" Caroline assured her, but also sounded hurt that her friends didn't seem to trust her anymore.

"I am sorry, Caroline. It is my fault."

"_It doesn't matter, okay? Just… don't let Rebekah kill him. I'll be there in five minutes._"

Caroline had hung before Malina could say more and the witch dropped the phone on the sofa beside her. Kol was looking at her searchingly, but she knew he had heard the conversation so she just closed her eyes once more and tried to concentrate.

* * *

Caroline didn't hesitate when she found herself by the front door to the Mikaelson mansion and strode inside without knocking. She couldn't believe how screwed up the day had become in just a few minutes.

She had woken up in the morning thinking that it would at least be a semi-normal Sunday with cheerleading practice and dinner with her mother in the evening. But now Damon was being tortured, Stefan was doing God knows what and Caroline was standing in her cheerleading uniform in the middle of Klaus' home.

Luckily he didn't come to greet her and Caroline wondered if it was still just Malina and Rebekah in the mansion or if all the Originals had returned. And where was Malina?

Caroline paused in the middle of the wide entrance hall and concentrated her vampire senses. She was surprised by the strong scent of cinnamon that hit her, but was quickly distracted by the overwhelming smell of blood. And it wasn't human blood.

Damon's groans were the next thing she picked up and when she didn't hear Rebekah, she quickly flashed towards the sound. Caroline cursed silently when she found Damon hanging in the middle of an unfurnished room; his hands stuck in bear traps.

"Really, Rebekah? That's the best you can do?" Damon murmured hoarsely and wore a humourless smile as he watched Caroline through foggy eyes. "Caroline would never come here for me. But I do appreciate the outfit."

"Shut up." Caroline hissed at him as she did her best to ignore his rambling and hoped Rebekah hadn't heard them.

Damon seemed to experience some inner turmoil as if he still didn't believe she was really there and Caroline rushed forward to get him down. She flinched when she managed to release one of his hands and Damon gritted his teeth to keep himself from crying out.

Caroline quickly moved to the other bear trap and had pried her fingers in between the metal teeth, when a voice called out from behind her.

"And what the hell do you think you are doing?" Rebekah asked and watched Caroline with what resembled amusement.

Her presence was now blocking their escape route and Caroline stared at the stake Rebekah twirled between her fingers. She slowly removed her hands from the bear trap and took a careful step towards the other blonde. Damon groaned in pain behind her as one arm now carried all of his weight.

"Rebekah." Caroline spoke carefully and hated that she now had to plead for Damon's – and possibly her own – life. But she doubted her usual Queen B façade would work in this situation. This wasn't high school.

"Sorry, darling. I'm not done with him yet." Rebekah told with a tilt of her head and strode confidently into the room. "And you really shouldn't have come here. Especially not for Damon Salvatore."

"Look, I know he probably hurt you, but I'm sure he's learned his lesson. He can barely stand on his own feet!" Caroline tried to reason with her and looked at Damon over her shoulder.

She cringed when she saw him fight to stand up and turned back to find Rebekah stood right in front of her. The Original was studying her curiously, but Caroline stared back in defiance. She could plead for Damon's life, but she refused to show Rebekah that she was terrified.

"I know he did something to you, Caroline. Shouldn't he pay for that?" Rebekah asked in an uncharacteristically soft voice that Caroline didn't believe to be genuine for even a second.

"He will. It's called karma." Caroline snapped back at her and ignored the fact that Rebekah somehow knew about her and Damon. Although she didn't seem to know any of the details since she wouldn't have been too shy to mention them.

"So please get over yourself. I'm sure you have done worse things yourself over the last thousand years."

Caroline realized she had said too much, when Rebekah's eyes suddenly darkened with anger and she gasped for air as the Original's hand wrapped around her neck. Her feet slowly left the ground and Caroline desperately clawed at Rebekah's hand to make her let go.

* * *

Finn and Sage coughed as the shot of tequila burned their throats, but it wasn't the alcohol that made them quickly spit out the liquid.

"What the hell." Sage gasped and quickly gulped down water from the glass in front of her.

"Vervain." Finn sneered as he wiped his mouth and glanced around the bar to find Stefan Salvatore leaving through a back door, smiling at them smugly.

The lovers shared an angry look before they both got up and followed the vampire without noticing Matt and Elena staring after them from another table.

* * *

"I need to do this now." Malina said as her eyes shot open and she quickly rose from the sofa. The unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach was only growing stronger and had made her unable to concentrate.

"Malina, darling, you look sick."

She didn't look at Kol as he came to stand beside her and ignored the short moment of relief that eased the knot in her stomach, when he grabbed her waist as if to steady her.

"Something is wrong, Kol. Something awful is going to happen." Malina tried to explain as she stepped out his embrace and grabbed the wine glass from the table. She then paused when she heard noise come from the direction she knew Damon to be in. "Is Caroline here?"

"Yes." Kol replied after listening with his vampire hearing and Malina frowned in concern. "Don't worry, love. She is safe."

Malina hesitated for a moment longer before she turned her attention back to the glass of blood and took a deep breath. She wrapped her fingers around her pendant as she slowly poured the blood unto the table and started chanting.

The flames on the candles flared up as Malina's voice rose in volume and she raised her free hand over the pool of blood while the other clenched tighter around the pendant. Slowly the blood took on a new shape and Malina closed her eyes in concentration as her magic struggled to undo Esther's linking spell.

Malina opened her eyes, when she felt the spell break and she looked down at the table to see the blood had separated into five smaller pools. She exhaled in relief at the sight, but stumbled slightly when she suddenly felt like she was going to faint.

"Malina." Kol spoke quietly as he steadied her with one arm while his other hand came to rest on her cheek. "You did it, love. You unlinked us."

"It's not over. Something is wrong." Malina breathed as the knot in her stomach hadn't dispersed and her fingers dug into Kol's arms.

It wasn't the spell that had tired her, but the certainty that something big was going to happen. Something that might change everything.

"What is it?" Kol asked as he stared down at her, but didn't get any answer. It was the third time she had told him something was wrong and he was slowly growing frustrated with her vagueness.

"I don't know! But I have felt like this before. The night before Niklaus and Henrik went into the woods. When Mikael came here and the Salvatores made it seem like they had daggered him to lure Niklaus back to town. The day Astrid died."

"I promise you that we are safe, darling." Kol tried to reassure her and Malina nodded meekly, while she did her best to take deep breaths. It didn't help.

* * *

**A/N: I made it considerably harder for Malina to do the unlinking spell than it was for Bonnie on the show. Not because Malina is weaker but because the show as usual didn't make much sense. Esther is more powerful than both Bonnie and Malina (at this point). Therefore it shouldn't be easy for either of them to undo her spell. Plus, my logic tells me it's easier to tie a knot than it is to untie it, so the unlinking spell on its own should also be harder. **

**Anyway, the new OC, Lucy Monroe, will show up in later chapters and we'll learn more about her. I was listening to a song called "Marilyn" by Patrick Dorgan and it inspired me to write the character. So the song pretty much describes her personality-wise. As for looks I picture Lindsey Morgan. **


	22. Chapter 18 - Part two

Caroline coughed violently, when Rebekah suddenly let go of her neck and her knees buckled underneath her as she landed on the floor. Her eyes shifted upwards, when she felt gentle hands lift her to her feet and her gaze met Klaus'.

"Let go of me." Caroline demanded quietly and tried her best to remain calm since Klaus' hands were still wrapped around her upper arms.

The hybrid watched her for a moment longer before he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture and stepped back. He then turned to look at his sister and Caroline used the distraction to creep back towards Damon.

"Careful, little sister, or Malina might come running. Ironically, she will be less forgiving than I." Klaus mused and wore a malevolent smile, when Rebekah for a moment looked genuinely worried that the witch would appear.

"Oh please. I barely even touched her." the blonde said with a roll of her eyes and glanced past Klaus at Caroline, who was silently trying to release Damon from the second bear trap.

Klaus followed her gaze and turned around to look at Caroline. His eyes slowly travelled up her long, pale legs to the short skirt that barely covered the top of her thighs. Her shoulders tensed visibly, when he called out to stop her from helping Damon.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, love."

Caroline immediately stepped back from the vampire and spun around to face the hybrid with her arms crossed in front of her. She once again became very aware that she was only dressed in her skimpy cheerleading uniform, when she noticed the smirk on Klaus' lips.

"I'm curious." Klaus continued as he stepped forward and Caroline stared back at him defiantly. She wasn't going to let herself be intimidated by him. And as he had pointed out himself: she had Malina on her side.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't Stefan be the one to come rescue Damon?"

"Trust me, if Stefan was actually answering my calls, I wouldn't be here."

"What could possibly be more important than his own brother?" Klaus asked with eyes narrowed in suspicion and took another step forward, when Caroline didn't answer. How could she? She had no idea what was going on.

"I presume this is simply another distraction then." Klaus spoke angrily and Caroline willed herself not to flinch at his accusing tone. "Perhaps you should start choosing your friends more carefully, sweetheart, since they clearly have no qualms with sending you into the lion's den. What are they up to?"

"I don't know." Caroline answered truthfully and squared her shoulders, when he clearly didn't seem to believe her. "Malina called me here."

"Well, I knew she would change her mind." Klaus sighed, but didn't sound disappointed with his friend. Rebekah, on the other hand, scoffed in annoyance and Caroline watched the two of them with a confused expression on her face.

"You see, she wasn't very concerned with Damon's health just a small hour ago, when Rebekah announced her plans to go find him. Still burdened by regret, I suppose." Klaus explained leisurely and watched Caroline closely for a reaction.

His eyes hardened when her gaze shifted to Damon behind her and there was a considerable amount of guilt in her expression to tell him what she was thinking. Caroline knew that Malina had let this happen because of her.

"It's human to feel regret and humanity is not a burden." she retorted and watched Klaus with a surprisingly soft look in her blue eyes. She pitied him, Klaus realised with disgust.

"Give it a few decades and we'll have this chat again."

* * *

"Where is Finn?" Malina suddenly asked with a wide-eyed stare and stepped away from Kol.

The Original listened for his brother, but could only hear the sound of Klaus bickering with the baby vampire. He should probably tell Malina about that.

"Probably out with Sage as they're not in the house anymore." he said instead as she still looked unwell and he didn't want to worry her further.

"You need to find them." Malina urged and grabbed his hand tightly. It was slightly disconcerting seeing her so anxious about Finn's absence, when she had threatened him with violence less than an hour earlier. "Please, Kol."

"For you, darling." he told her with a reassuring smile and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "You should go find Caroline in the meantime. She might be in need of your help."

With those words Kol flashed out of there and ran to the town square, where he startled a middle-aged couple that were out for a walk. He paid no mind to them as he strode towards the bar Klaus had taken him to a few days earlier and walked inside.

Finn or Sage were nowhere in sight, but he caught Rebekah's human staring at him with fearful eyes and approached the boy with a wide grin.

"Don't worry, mate. I'm under strict orders not to hurt anyone in your little band of misfits." Kol reassured him and leaned over the bar Matt was standing behind. The quarterback had wisely stepped out of Kol's reach. "Now would you be a dear and tell me where my oldest brother and his girlfriend are?"

"Haven't seen them." Matt told with an unwavering voice, but the vampire noticed how his hands were trembling slightly. The right one was still bandaged after Kol had broken it.

"Where is Stefan Salvatore then?" Kol then tried with a friendly smile that didn't fool the human, but he wasn't quick enough to mask his fear either.

"No idea."

"Matthew, remember how I promised not to hurt you or your friends? Sadly that does not extend to the rest of this wretched town. Tell me where Stefan Salvatore is and I will refrain from killing every single person in here." Kol threatened casually and winked at a young woman, who was staring at him from the other end of the bar. He could hear her pulse race in response.

"He's at the Boarding House." Matt revealed without hesitating and Kol smirked at the boy before he left the Mystic Grill with Matt's eyes fixed on his back.

"So they both died within an hour of Finn." Kol heard the doppelgänger say as he entered the house quietly and paused where they couldn't see him. Finn was dead then. It didn't surprise him that he didn't care. But who were "they"?

"Were they bitten by a hybrid?" Elena continued as she stared at Sage's grey body and felt slightly nauseated.

Not only had they killed Finn, but now two others had fallen dead as well and Elena suspected that it was their fault. They still weren't sure whether the rest of the Originals were dead as well, but judging by Damon's continuous absence, Elena was starting to doubt their success.

"Hybrid bites don't look like that." Stefan replied with a shake of his head and looked down at the body as well, while he paced back and forth. This had not been a part of any of their plans.

Stefan paused when a thought suddenly hit him and Elena looked up at him from her seat on the stairs.

"It's the blood." Stefan stated with a frown and met Elena's confused gaze. "It's the bloodline. When I actually think about it… Finn turned Sage, Sage turned Troy. They're all part of the same vampire bloodline that originated with Finn."

"So when an Original dies every vampire turned from their bloodline dies along with them?" Elena asked with her doe eyes widened in shock and Stefan nodded solemnly. "If the Originals die, then so would all of you. The entire vampire species would just be dead."

"Bravo, darling." Kol interrupted as he clapped his hands and stepped out of the shadows. Stefan immediately grabbed Elena and pulled her behind him; both of them staring at the Original in fear.

They had realised during the day that Malina was probably close to finding an unlinking spell considering the whole family was back in town, but had hoped to get to one of them before she could perform it. Clearly they were too late, which had proved a good thing in the light of their revelation.

"Not only did you manage to kill the brother I was planning to dagger myself, but you also found a reason not kill the rest of us. Of course, Finn was my brother and I will gladly enact my revenge, but now is not the time." Kol continued as he stepped further into the room and eyed it casually before training his eyes on the Salvatore vampire once more.

"Stefan, I believe your brother is waiting for you. I will warn you that Rebekah values family much more than I do and will not be happy to hear you have done away with her oldest brother. So I suggest you take all of your White Oak stakes with you and we will see if we can make an exchange."

Kol stood perfectly still as he waited for an answer with an inviting smile on his lips and was surprised to see Stefan hesitate. He clearly didn't know Kol well enough if he thought the Original would have any qualms killing them if Stefan didn't agree to his terms.

"He'll do it." Elena spoke before Stefan could and bravely stepped around the vampire to face Kol. "We will give you all of the stakes for Damon. Alive."

"Clever girl." Kol cooed with a charming smile that made Elena shiver visibly and Stefan nodded in agreement, but didn't move from his spot. "Go find the stakes, mate. I won't touch a hair on her pretty little doppelgänger head. Cross my heart and hope to die. Again."

Stefan hesitated for several seconds and didn't leave until Elena caught his gaze and nodded. Kol's eyes were fixed on the doppelgänger as they stood in silence and waited. Rebekah was right: Tatia was prettier. But Katherine beat out both of them. He had a soft spot for the Petrova doppelgänger and her wicked ways. Seeing her evade his brother once again was always good fun.

"Let's go." Stefan said when he re-entered the room with a duffel bag in his hand and Kol gestured for him to lead the way. Stefan shared one last look with Elena before he walked past Kol and out of the door.

"It was a pleasure seeing you, love. Would you say hi to your brother for me the next time you see him?" Kol asked with a grin that only widened, when Elena blinked in shock.

On Klaus' request he had travelled to Denver for a day, before going to New York, and acquainted himself with the kid. A hybrid was now shadowing him and Klaus was only ever a phone call away from ending Jeremy's miserable life.

Kol then strode out of the room and ran back to the mansion, when he found Stefan gone. He caught up with the other vampire just inside the house and walked beside him towards the room Damon was being held in.

Stefan came to a stop at the threshold and was surprised by how crowded the room was. His eyes immediately found his brother's tortured body hanging from the ceiling with his arm stuck in a bear trap, but a deep frown settled on his forehead, when he caught sight of Caroline, who was almost hidden behind Klaus' frame.

"Caroline?" Stefan questioned in confusion and didn't bother fighting Kol as he took the duffel bag from his hand and moved to stand next to Malina. The witch looked unusually pale and her eyes kept shifting between Klaus, Damon and Caroline.

"Stefan! Thank fucking God." Caroline exclaimed as she literally pushed past Klaus, forcing the hybrid to step aside and walked over to her friend. "What the hell is going on?"

"Where is Finn?" Malina questioned with a frown and saved Stefan from answering the angry blonde in front of him.

"Dead." Kol told in an uncaring tone and let the duffel bag drop to the floor, revealing all the White Oak stakes inside it.

Malina placed a hand over her abdomen, when she realised what had made her feel sick to her stomach for the last hour. Surprise flashed through Klaus' eyes at the news, but it didn't seem to cause him much grievance. Rebekah's expression turned from shock to rage as she stepped towards Stefan.

"How?"

"They are from the part of Wickery Bridge you forgot to burn." Stefan told as he gestured towards the White Oak stakes and looked a little too complacent given the situation he was in.

"That's impossible." Rebekah objected vehemently and stared down at the stakes with both fear and disbelieve.

"Afraid not, Bekah." Kol spoke as he reached down and picked up one of the stakes, pressing the tip against his finger. "And now Finn is dead because of your oversight. Good thing Malina managed to break the linking spell in time or we would all have met the same fate."

"You killed my brother." Rebekah hissed at the younger Salvatore brother even though that was fairly obvious to everyone inside the room and Stefan instinctively stepped in front of Caroline.

"There's more." Kol noted calmly and wrapped an arm around Malina's waist as she looked like her legs were going to give in from under her.

She was clearly more exhausted from doing the unlinking spell than what he thought and the news of Finn's death had shocked her, making her hands tremble.

"Sage is dead." Stefan told after a moment of hesitation and Caroline uttered a startled "what"; still hiding behind him.

"How?" Klaus demanded and looked to his younger brother as there was obviously more to it than the Salvatores just killing the red-haired vampire.

"It seems that with Finn's death his blood-line was wiped out as well. Every vampire sired by Sage is now dead. And every vampire they sired suffered the same fate. And so on." Kol explained without taking his eyes of Stefan, who was trying his best to remain emotionless.

"Interesting." was all Klaus said and rubbed his stubbled chin in thought.

"Stefan, is this true?" Caroline asked quietly and stepped around the vampire to look at his face.

A horrified look had filled her blue eyes, which surprised the rest of the room. Shouldn't she be happy that there was now one less Original in the world to threaten their precious doppelgänger?

"Yes." Stefan replied without looking at her as his eyes shifted between Kol and Rebekah. He seemed ready to run at any sign of the two trying to attack him or Caroline.

Kol wondered amusedly whether he was willing to leave his brother behind and had half a mind to test the theory.

"That could be hundreds of people! Maybe thousands!" the blonde exclaimed and Kol suddenly understood why this girl had attracted his brother's attention.

Her humanity was like a beacon around her; drawing in even the darkest of creatures like the Original hybrid, who had sworn off love centuries ago. One of her enemies was dead, but she cared more about the, possibly innocent, ones, who had died with him.

No one answered as they all came to the same realisation that she was right. Malina seemed to lose her footing a bit, making Kol tighten his grip around her. A slightly guilty expression appeared on Stefan's face.

Kol didn't care. Whoever had been sired to Finn's blood-line meant nothing to him. It had him thinking, though, whether or not he was the sire of the same blood-line as the Salvatores and Caroline.

Dozens of faces flashed through his mind, reminding him of everyone he had sired. There were many. Some because of boredom and only a handful he cared about.

Klaus thought back as well to the ones he had sired and what he knew of the Salvatores' history. They had been sired by Katerina, who had been sired by Rose-Marie. He would have to find out, who had turned the traitorous vampire.

Rebekah's expression didn't change. She couldn't see beyond the fact that they had killed her oldest brother. She had no love for Finn, but he was family and now he had been killed by a group, who was willing to risk their own lives just because of the infuriating Petrova doppelgänger. They were willing to risk her fury just because of that little twig.

"Are those all of them?" Klaus asked and glanced down at the white oak stakes, interrupting the silence that had filled the room. Stefan nodded in conformation, but Klaus raised a doubtful eyebrow.

Malina suddenly moved from beside Kol and he momentarily grabbed her arm with his free hand, thinking she would fall. Instead she bent down beside the duffel bag and quickly counted the stakes.

"Eight." the witch announced and reached for Kol to help her up from her crouching position.

Her eyes briefly met Caroline's, who looked desperate to get out of there, and Malina regretted dragging her into this. Just like she regretted letting all of this happen in the first place.

"Let's be certain that's all, shall we?" Klaus said with smirk directed at Stefan and quickly moved over to Damon, who was still hanging with one hand caught in a bear trap.

"Leave." he ordered the bled-out vampire as he leaned down to Damon's level.

"No." Damon managed to growl back, which changed Klaus' smile into a more sinister one.

"Go on. Go home." the hybrid coaxed and noticed from the corner of his eye Caroline take a step forward only to be held back by Stefan.

"Nik, that's my plaything." Rebekah whined with a pout of her lips and turned her attention towards the small fight of wills. She was certain she had bled the vervain out of Damon's system, but wasn't finished tormenting him yet.

When Damon still didn't move Klaus wrapped his hand around Damon's neck and caught his gaze.

"I said go home." Klaus ordered in a soft voice, compelling Damon to slowly rise to his feet.

The vampire cried out in pain as he slowly began pulling his hand from the bear trap in an attempt to do as he had been told. He could feel the metal teeth dig into his skin and tear over several nerves as blood dripped to the floor.

"Stop it!" Caroline shouted from beside Stefan, who held her back with a tight grip around her arm; his own eyes closed in response to the torture of his brother.

In desperation Caroline turned to the only person, who could do something to make Klaus stop the compulsion.

"Malina, do something!"

But the witch didn't even glance at her. Instead she was staring at Damon, who was in middle of tearing off his own hand, with an expressionless face. Her stomach was turning at the sight, but she was too tired to do anything.

"Alright, stop. Stop, before you hurt yourself." Klaus finally said, having made sure that Damon was no longer on vervain.

He briefly glanced at Malina, surprised that she hadn't reacted despite Caroline's pleas. He couldn't decide if the look on her face was because she didn't care or if the unlinking spell had tired her more than what she had initially showed.

"Well, it seems that you can finally be compelled." Klaus spoke and turned his attention back to Damon, grabbing his neck once again. "Now, minus the stake in my brother, how many more stakes are out there that can kill me?"

"Eleven." Damon moaned after briefly fighting with himself not to tell, but he had to give in to the compulsion.

"Eleven. It seems like we're missing a couple then." Kol commented with a look at the stakes and then turned to Stefan, who had a dejected look on his face. Was he really that stupid to think they wouldn't find out?

"You really shouldn't have lied." Rebekah mused with a tilt of her head and turned her eyes to the younger Salvatore as well.

"I'll get you the other three."

"That would be nice. Or since you lied maybe I'll just compel your brother to chew out his own tongue." Klaus replied with a malevolent smile and looked back at Damon, who was still bleeding from his hand and the cuts across his chest.

"Klaus, please." Caroline spoke with a pleading look in her eyes and took a step towards the hybrid.

Klaus stared at her for a long moment before shifting his eyes to Stefan. Damon didn't deserve her sympathy and yet she was giving it to him so willingly. But he couldn't give her what she wanted. He couldn't show mercy just for her sake, especially not in front of the Salvatore brothers.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Stefan questioned angrily, but was interrupted by Klaus' strong voice.

"What's wrong with you? Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate, to loathe." the hybrid shouted back, startling Caroline into taking a long step back. "A target for all of your anger, so you don't have to turn it on yourself. I've given your life purpose as your friend."

Klaus' eyes remained fixed on Stefan as he moved forward and stopped right in front of the vampire, ignoring the way Caroline was glaring at him with burning hatred.

"I really think you should be thanking me." Klaus chuckled and moved around Stefan with his arms spread out as if he expected the vampire to get down on his knees for him.

"Enough!" Stefan growled as he spun around and flashed towards the hybrid, pushing him against the wall with a white oak stake raised against him.

"Stefan, don't!" Caroline cried out with a hand reaching out towards him as if she was ready to pry him off Klaus herself.

Given their history it had seemed that Klaus didn't want to kill Stefan despite everything that happened lately, but Caroline was growing less certain that was still the case.

"Step down." Klaus ordered as he stared down at Stefan and slowly pulled the stake from his hand. "Or you all die."

Hearing Klaus' threat Stefan staggered backwards and let go of the stake. He felt Caroline's hands on his back, stopping him from losing his balance.

"There. Now you only have to give me the other two." Klaus mused with a smirk and threw the stake to Kol, who easily caught it and threw it into the bag with the others.

"Well, this is ridiculous." Rebekah spoke and walked over to her prisoner.

The brothers hadn't noticed the annoyed look on their sister's face and were surprised, when she suddenly released Damon. Caroline flashed to his side without thinking and carefully helped him off the floor.

"What did you do that for?" Kol questioned with a gesture towards the two vampires and stared at his sister with an irritated expression. This had been the best entertainment Kol had had in a while and Rebekah had just ended it for no reason.

"I brought him here, I get to release him." Rebekah told her brothers and glared back at Klaus, who had moved forward to stop her.

"Bring us the stakes and you all get to live. Take your brother as a sign of good faith." she told Stefan while ignoring her brothers and walked out of the room without another look at any of them.

"Come on, darling. Let's get you to bed." Kol muttered in Malina's ear, when he realised there would be no more drama to watch and grabbed the bag in his free hand, pushing the witch forward with the other.

"Caroline." Malina tried weakly with an apologetic look at the blonde, but the vampire ignored her and busied herself with keeping Damon on his feet.

With a small sigh she followed Kol out of the room, leaving Klaus alone with the three vampires. He couldn't possibly do any more damage than he already had. She wasn't sure whether she'd be able to stop him in any case.

"Bring us the stakes. All of them." Klaus said as he watched his brother and Malina leave. "Or I'll wage a war against everyone you love."

Stopping beside Stefan, Klaus looked back over his shoulder at Damon and Caroline. The blonde was covered in Damon's blood and she painted a macabre picture with his blood smeared on her bare knees as well from kneeling down beside him. Anger made her blue eyes shine as she glared back at Klaus.

"I hope I'm being clear." was Klaus' parting words and the room fell silent as he left.

"A little help here?" Caroline asked through gritted teeth and snapped Stefan out of his thoughts. With her vampire strength Damon wasn't heavy, but keeping him on his feet wasn't easy as he kept losing his balance.

Stefan quickly moved over to help and they left the mansion without a sound, except for Damon grunts of pain. They exchanged no words as they threw Damon into the back of Stefan's car and both got in at the front.

Caroline had run all the way from cheerleading practice, so she had to suffer the car ride to the boarding house with Stefan. She wanted to explode on him and yell for days, but couldn't.

First of all, his vendetta against Klaus had changed Stefan into someone she didn't know and she no longer felt completely safe around him. Secondly, she was hurt that they didn't trust her and didn't want to cry in front of either of the brothers. She didn't want them to see her that vulnerable.

Caroline could feel Stefan's eyes rest on her for most of the ride, but she defiantly ignored him. It wasn't until he spoke her name that she lost control and started shouting.

"What the hell were you thinking?! How could any of you think this was a good idea? You really thought they wouldn't find a way to unlink themselves from each other? They got Malina! And she's like one of the most powerful witches ever.

"And the stakes! I can't believe you lied to Klaus about that! And Kol was there too. Klaus and Rebekah might have some weird thing for you, but I'm pretty sure Kol doesn't give a shit. Even Malina didn't do anything to stop any of it.

"How did you think this would end? You know what, I don't even wanna know. And it's not like you're gonna tell me anyway. I can't believe you guys kept all of this from me! Do you really trust me so little?"

Caroline's tirade had started with shouting, but ended softly as she stared at Stefan with wide, unblinking eyes. She could feel them burn with tears, but didn't look away. Now that she had gotten everything out she wanted him to see her hurt and anger.

"It's not that we don't trust you, Caroline." Stefan replied after a long moment of tense silence; the only sound that could be heard was Damon's moaning as his hand was healing painfully slow.

"What then, Stefan? Why wouldn't any of you tell me about all of this?"

"We don't trust you." Damon muttered from the backseat and they wouldn't have heard him if it hadn't been for their vampire hearing.

Stefan glared at his brother over his shoulder, while Caroline kept staring straight ahead in an attempt to act untouched by Damon's comment. She knew that Stefan was lying about them trusting her, but it didn't hurt any less having it said straight to her face.

"It's because of Malina, isn't it? Because I'm friends with her. You seriously think I would choose Malina over Elena? Elena is my best friend! And I want Klaus and his family of psychopaths dead just as much as you do." Caroline argued with frantic gestures of her hands; desperate to make them believe her.

"You would kill Malina if that's what it took to keep Elena safe?" Damon questioned, louder this time, and struggled to sit up so he could properly join the conversation.

"Killing her can't be our only option. And going up against the five, probably, most powerful people in the world can't be either. They're centuries older than all of us and Malina is only growing stronger every day. It's a suicide mission and I won't join you on your stupid road to martyrdom. I'm going to find another way to fix all of this."

Stefan pulled up at the Boarding House just as Caroline finished talking and she got out of the car before any of the brothers could object to her statement. She let Stefan take care of his brother as she went inside to clean Damon's blood off of her.

Elena appeared at the front door just as Caroline stepped inside the Boarding House and her doe eyes widened in shock at the sight of her friend.

"Oh my God, Caroline. Are you okay? What happened to you?" the doppelgänger asked as she grabbed Caroline's arms and frantically searched the blonde for any wounds that might have caused her to be covered in blood.

"I'm fine, I promise." Caroline quickly told the brunette, who audibly exhaled but still watched her with a worried expression on her face. "It's Damon's blood."

"What? How?" Elena questioned dumbfounded; not knowing Caroline had been at the Mikaelson mansion to save Damon.

The Salvatore brothers came through the door the next moment and Elena, knowing that Caroline was unhurt, quickly stepped past the blonde to get to them.

Caroline watched as Elena's hands skimmed over Damon's face, while he tried to reassure her that he was okay. The closed-off look on Stefan's face made it clear how he felt about Elena's fussing.

Letting Elena and Stefan take care of Damon, Caroline went to the bathroom and found a towel to clean herself with. The blood was easy to get of her skin, but it still remained in her uniform and hair. She desperately needed a shower, but definitely wasn't going to take one here.

"So we're just going to give them the rest of our white oak stakes?" Caroline heard Elena ask as she entered the sitting room, where they had placed Damon on a sofa.

"Yes." Stefan replied in a clipped voice and was already holding one of the two stakes that were left in his hand. He glanced at Caroline, who was standing behind an unaware Elena, but didn't seem able to meet her gaze.

"And what then?"

"We find another way to keep you safe." Caroline spoke determinedly, making Elena turn around to face her.

"How?"

"I don't know yet, but we're not gonna let Klaus use you as a blood bag anymore."

"And what about Rebekah? She tortured Damon. She was probably going to kill him." Elena argued with a gesture towards Damon, who was halfway through practically inhaling the four blood bags Stefan had given him.

"Rebekah was the one who let Damon go. And she didn't just kidnap Damon because she was bored. It was revenge." Caroline informed the brunette, who glanced at the three vampires in confusion.

"How do you know?" Elena asked as if she only then realized that Caroline wasn't supposed to be involved in their plan to kill the Originals, but for some reason had showed up at the Boarding House covered in Damon's blood.

"She told me. And I watched Rebekah let him go. She said it was a sign of good faith, so that we would bring them the rest of the stakes."

"What were you doing there?" Elena asked with a frown and Caroline tried to ignore the suspicion in her best friend's voice. It seemed that it wasn't only the Salvatore brothers, who didn't trust her, but Elena as well. And it hurt like hell.

"I was trying to rescue Damon, because someone wouldn't answer his phone." Caroline explained with her eyes resting on Stefan, who still wouldn't make eye contact with her.

"In your uniform?" Elena commented with a dubious look at Caroline's attire and the blonde felt herself become annoyed with her friend's insinuations. Elena couldn't seriously believe that Caroline had willingly walked into Klaus' home wearing what was basically a crop top and a miniskirt.

"Yes, because I thought 'oh, I'm going to Klaus' place. I better wear my most revealing outfit'." she exclaimed with an incredulous gesture of her arms, making Elena look guiltily at the floor.

"I was at practice, Elena! Because I mistook this for a completely normal Sunday and not kill-the-Orignals-day. But none of you thought it was a good idea to inform me of that. What the hell were you thinking?"

"We had a chance to kill them and we took it!" Elena shouted back; her voice rising in volume to match Caroline's.

The blonde stared back at her friend, who didn't even bother explaining why she hadn't told Caroline about what was going to happen, with her arms crossed in front of her.

Caroline had hoped that it might be easier to make Elena see reason, but wasn't so sure any longer. And it was, after all, Elena's blood that had made Esther's linking spell possible in the first place.

"And what now? Huh?" Caroline asked calmly, but was unable to hide the anger that had seeped into her voice. "How are we going to kill them now?"

"Sage died because she was sired by Finn, so we just need to find out which bloodline you are from, get the stakes back and kill the three Originals, who haven't sired your bloodline." Elena explained confidently and Caroline forced herself not to roll her eyes.

"We 'just' need to do that? And what if we're from Klaus' bloodline?"

Caroline's words left Elena speechless for a moment and the doppelgänger glanced at Stefan and Damon, hoping that they would come with a solution for her, but the brothers remained silent.

"Hopefully, you're not. Maybe it's Elijah. He's left town, so he won't be here to stop us." Elena finally answered, looking back at Caroline defiantly. She clearly wasn't ready to accept the short-sightedness of their plan.

"Seriously? That's your plan? And when Elijah does come back to find his family dead? You think he'll just understand that we killed them all? Remember the time he betrayed us and didn't kill Klaus, because there was a chance he might get his family back?

"Take it from him forever and I bet he won't care who did it and how good their reasons were. He thought Klaus was his only living brother, but he was still ready to kill him for what he had done to Kol, Rebekah and Finn!"

A pregnant silence filled the room once more, when Caroline finished her rant. She could feel Stefan staring at her intently, but kept her eyes on Elena, who was struggling to come up with a reason why their plan might still work.

"We'll dagger him."

"Because he won't see that coming from a mile away." Caroline spoke with a roll of her eyes and Elena's lips parted in offence, but she remained silent. "Fine. Let's say your plan works and we are from Elijah's bloodline. You're still forgetting something."

Elena stared at Caroline for a long moment without knowing what the blonde meant until it finally clicked and her expression became a mix of annoyance and patronizing.

"Caroline, I know you've become friends with Malina, but we can't let Klaus live just because of her." Elena told her friend carefully; her voice filled with false sympathy. She didn't understand how Caroline could be friends with the witch after all Klaus had done, not only, to Elena, but also Stefan.

"I'm not talking about Malina!" Caroline practically shouted and angrily gestured with her arms. Elena, Stefan and Damon all glanced at each other in response, but none of them seemed to understand what she meant.

"My boyfriend, Elena! Tyler is a part of Klaus' bloodline!"

"Oh." Elena spoke quietly and hated herself for not having thought about it before.

Tyler had never really been a part of their group, having mainly been connected only through Caroline and Matt. And now that he was Klaus' slave they couldn't trust him any longer. He was also half the reason they hadn't told Caroline about their plan to kill the Originals; the other half being her relationship with Malina.

But despite the fact that he had almost gotten Jeremy killed, Tyler didn't deserve to die. It wasn't his fault that Klaus had chosen him as his first hybrid. It wasn't even Tyler's fault that he had become a werewolf. Katherine had made that happen as an offering to Klaus for his sacrifice.

"Yes, 'oh'." Caroline said; interrupting Elena's thoughts and the doppelgänger flinched slightly at the hard tone in her friend's voice. "And it's not like he has a brother I can just switch to."

"Caroline!" Elena exclaimed with a shocked expression on her face and Caroline sighed as she briefly closed her eyes.

This wasn't about Elena's questionable love life and she didn't want to make things more awkward between the three than it already was. But it was hard not to be hurt by the fact that her best friend had seemingly forgotten all about Caroline's love life.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." Caroline apologized quietly and took a step towards Elena to remove some of the distance between them; both physically and emotionally. Elena didn't respond and Caroline sighed again.

"Did any of you even think about the consequences of doing this?" she asked softly and glanced at Stefan and Damon, who was watching the fight between the two girls. Caroline was surprised that, so far, none of them had come to Elena's defence.

"We didn't know about the bloodline thing." Elena objected weakly and it seemed that she was finally acknowledging the gaping holes in their plan.

And while she seemed guilty that she had forgotten about Tyler, there was still one important person that they hadn't taken into account. Someone, Caroline realized, who always paid the price and had to fill those gaping holes.

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"What then?" Damon called from the sofa as Caroline's rants had made him curious about what else they had missed in their planning. Maybe he could work out a better plan that wouldn't get them all killed.

"What if Malina hadn't been able to do the unlinking spell? Maybe she couldn't find one or she wasn't strong enough yet. Do you think Klaus would have just given up?"

"What are you saying, Caroline?" Stefan asked and took a step towards the girls, joining the conversation as well.

"I'm saying that once again Bonnie would have been dragged into something she didn't want to be a part of." Caroline said with a meaningful look directed at Elena, who wasn't able to meet her gaze.

"We always do this to her. Put her in impossible situations and she helps, because she loves us. But she is also the one, who loses everything in the process every time. Her grams, her mother, her powers, Jeremy."

"Jeremy is my brother. I didn't want him to leave, but he had to. He's not safe here." Elena argued vehemently and tears had sprung to her eyes. She didn't know whether she was crying because of her brother or the fact that Caroline was right. Because she was and Elena had never felt more ashamed of herself.

"I know, Lena." Caroline told her in a reassuring voice and stepped forward, taking Elena's hand into her own.

"But you weren't the one who had to send every ghost, including your grandmother, back to the Other Side, while knowing your boyfriend was cheating on you with his ghost ex-girlfriend. You were busy with Stefan and she doesn't blame you for that, but you also wanted to keep the ghosts here longer."

Caroline felt bad for guilt-tripping Elena and knew that she never meant to let all of those things happen to Bonnie. But she needed to know. She needed to be aware of how everything had consequences and Bonnie was usually the collateral damage.

Caroline hadn't been fully aware of it herself until Bonnie's mother was turned into a vampire and Bonnie had broken down. They had talked through the night and Caroline had had the horrifying revelation about her friend.

"I didn't know about Anna then." Elena said as she blinked away her tears and she felt Caroline let go of her hand.

"What about the tomb vampires?" the blonde asked and while her voice wasn't accusing, it had lost its softness.

"What do you mean?"

"You must have known there was a chance they might come back as well and they wouldn't be happy. I could've been killed fighting them if it wasn't for Malina." Caroline told solemnly and Elena couldn't even get herself to be angry about Malina's involvement.

"I didn't think about that, okay? I'm sorry, Care." Elena practically pleaded and grabbed Caroline's hand, hoping for her friend's forgiveness. She had been so focused on getting rid of the Originals and her troubles with Stefan and Damon that she hadn't noticed until now that her friendships were falling apart.

"I know. And I'm not angry about that, Lena. But we need to start thinking about the consequences of what we do or we might end up killing the entire vampire race.

"Just think about how many you might have killed today by killing Finn. We have no idea if Sage sired just one guy or ten more. And maybe they sired ten vampires and then they sired ten more each.

"This wasn't just three vampires dying. It was a massacre. And that blood is on our hands, not Klaus', or Malina's, or anyone else." Caroline finished calmly and did her best to keep her voice steady, even though the thought of her friends having killed so many still horrified her. How could someone ever atone for something like that?

"We didn't know." Elena argued lamely, but knew that their ignorance didn't make it better. She let go of Caroline's hand as the blonde pulled away and took a step back.

"That doesn't make it okay, Elena!" Caroline exclaimed and waved her hands in a frustrated gesture.

"Caroline is right." Stefan spoke from beside them and Caroline turned her head in surprise. Maybe the old Stefan, her friend, was still somewhere in there and ready to let go of his revenge fantasies. "What we did tonight could have killed all of us if it wasn't for Malina doing the unlinking spell in time."

"At least Elena would be safe." Damon commented from his seat on the couch and Elena spun around to look at him.

"That's not funny, Damon!"

"I wasn't trying to be, Elena." Damon sneered back and the two of them had a staring contest, which Caroline interrupted by clearing her throat.

She glanced sympathetically at Stefan, who was watching the two as well until he suddenly walked out of the room. Elena hesitated before following him out, looking first at Caroline and then back at Damon.

When Elena disappeared Caroline was left alone in the room with a brooding Damon, who at least was fully healed, but still looked a little paler than usual. She wasn't sure why, but instead of leaving Caroline sat down in the sofa across from Damon and leaned back with a sigh.

"This is a mess." Caroline sighed mostly to herself, but glanced at Damon, when he let out a humourless snort.

"Cheer up, Barbie." Damon told with a look at her uniform and Caroline instinctively crossed her arms in front of her, creating a barrier between them.

"Worst joke ever, Damon."

Damon didn't respond as he instead rose from his seat and moved over to a wooden cabinet, where he found a bottle of Scotch and two glasses. Caroline watched as he poured the golden liquid into the glasses and accepted the one he offered her before sitting down once again.

"How did you know Rebekah had me?" Damon asked after practically emptying his glass and Caroline blinked in surprise, not having expected that they were actually going to talk to each other.

"Malina called me, when Stefan didn't answer his phone."

"I thought Malina loved torturing me." Damon said with a sardonic smile on his lips and threw back the rest of his Scotch.

"I guess she changed her mind." Caroline shrugged and took a sip of her own drink, feeling the alcohol burn in the back of her throat.

"And then back again." Damon noted casually as he got up to refill his glass and Caroline winced at his reference to Malina not doing anything to stop Klaus from compelling him.

She still had trouble believing that Malina had just let that happen and that she hadn't even objected to Klaus' suggestion of getting Damon to eat his own tongue. Caroline hoped there was another reason for the witch's passiveness other than her wanting to see Damon hurt.

"I'm sorry." Caroline told Damon, looking into her glass as she found it hard to meet his gaze after having defended Malina so many times before.

"You're sorry?" Damon laughed as he turned from the cabinet to look at her and Caroline lifted her head in surprise. "We hate each other. You're not supposed to feel sorry for me."

"Well, excuse me for feeling a bit of sympathy. It won't happen again." Caroline sneered at him and placed her glass on the table in front of her as she got up to leave. Why did she even think it was a good idea to stay in the room with Damon? He was right; they did hate each other.

Caroline didn't make it far before she was stopped by Damon, who had flashed in front of her.

"Sit down." he ordered her with a gesture towards the sofa she had just left and Caroline's eyes flared angrily.

"You can't push me around like you used to anymore." she growled at him and clenched her fists; ready to punch him if needed. A strange emotion flickered through Damon's blue eyes, making her pause.

"Caroline, sit down." Damon repeated calmly and Caroline watched him for a long moment before finally taking a step backwards to return to her seat.

Damon sat down in the sofa across from her, forgetting the drink he had been pouring for himself, and they watched each other for a long moment without speaking.

"You want an apology." Damon finally spoke as he leaned back and didn't elaborate further. He didn't have to. They both know what he was talking about and Caroline could feel how her heart started pounding against her ribs.

"No." she said after another long moment of silence between them and Damon lifted an eyebrow in question.

"No?"

"You don't regret any of it and I don't want to hear your lame ass excuses." Caroline told him bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her. She did want an apology, but she wasn't going to let him sit and lie straight to her face.

"You're wrong."

"What?" Caroline breathed and unwillingly uncrossed her arms in surprise. There was no deception in his eyes or voice, and Caroline felt her mouth become dry at the thought of Damon actually giving her a sincere apology.

"What I did to you was wrong and I do regret it." Damon said without blinking and leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees.

"Why should I believe you?" Caroline asked and tried to keep her voice steady, even though she could hear it was becoming croaky and she reached for her glass without drinking from it.

"Why would I lie?"

"To get into Elena's pants." she retorted with an accusing glare and clenched her jaw, when a smile tugged in the corner of Damon's mouth.

"You were a silly human." he said with a shake of his head, ignoring Caroline's accusation and she felt her anger flare up once more.

"This is not helping."

"I wanted to get to Stefan and you were expendable." Damon continued without showing any signs of having heard what she said and Caroline felt like smashing her glass against his head.

"This is a shitty apology." she told him instead, but Damon wasn't even looking at her and she was getting ready to leave, when he started talking again.

"You becoming a vampire sounded like the worst idea ever. Every neurotic and insecure thought inside your head would tear you and everyone else apart. I tried to kill you."

"I remember."

As if she could ever forget. As if everything Damon had done and almost done to her was just some bad dream she could forget, when she woke up in the morning. It wasn't. She remembered.

"I was wrong. You're not useless or stupid." Damon told her as he caught her gaze with his and Caroline's lips parted in surprise.

Not only was he actually apologizing, but he somehow also remembered what he had sneered at her the night she arranged a whole party for his sake and all he did was throw her away like she was a toy he had tired with.

"A bit shallow, maybe. But I see why Klaus has the hots for you." he finished with an amused smirk and somehow Caroline found herself smiling as well.

"That's not funny." she chastised him and narrowed her eyes, which for a brief moment made his smile widen.

"If anyone, you deserve immortality, Blondie. You are good, I am bad. But I am sorry." Damon told as he turned serious once more and all Caroline could do was nod. Of all the apologies she had imagined getting from him none of them went like this.

"Why now?" Caroline finally managed to ask and frowned as she thought back to her earlier comment about him getting into Elena's pants. Maybe he was being sincere, but at the same time it could also be a way to get him back on high ground with Elena.

"When you came to get me away from Rebekah I thought you were just another dream she had inserted in my mind, because why would you ever want to help me?" Damon revealed with a small tilt of his head and his initial reaction to Caroline's arrival suddenly made sense to her.

He hadn't thought she was real, because she was one of the last persons he expected to see come to his rescue.

"Just because I hate you doesn't mean I want you tortured by Rebekah. You're Stefan's brother and Elena… I don't know about Elena, but she doesn't want to see you hurt. So neither do I. Most of the time."

"It's because you're good. And you deserve better than what I did to you despite how utterly annoying you are." Damon replied with a crooked smile and then got up to get the drink he had left by the cabinet.

Caroline sensed that this was about as sincere as Damon could get before he felt the need to go kill someone to make up for it and let out a long sigh.

Damon's apologies, she was sure, could be counted on one hand and she was still shocked he had actually offered her one of them. But that didn't mean she could just move on and forget it all.

"Do you want my forgiveness? Because I don't think I can give you that." she told him honestly, talking more to his back than him as he seemingly wasn't going to turn around to look at her.

"No. I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Damon said with his back still turned on her and downed his second glass of Scotch. There were hints of a smile on his face as he glanced at her over his shoulder and Caroline returned the gesture.

"Where are you going?" she couldn't help but ask, when Damon suddenly made to leave the room and he stopped in the open doorway to look at her.

"I'm going to get the last stake from Alaric." Damon informed her and left the room before Caroline could respond in any way.

With Damon gone the sudden silence in the room felt deafening. Caroline couldn't decide what to do with herself. She felt hollow somehow. Damon had done a lot of awful things and she still hated him for what he did to her despite his apology, but it was in her nature to forgive.

She forgave Tyler for all the hurt he had caused her; Jules, drugging her, biting her, leaving her. She forgave Alaric for killing her father, she forgave her father for torturing her, she forgave her mother and Matt for hating her after they discovered what she was, she forgave Bonnie for ignoring her after she died and became a vampire, she forgave Elena for falling in love with her abuser.

Forgiveness meant moving on. "If you're going through hell, keep going", her mother used to tell her, when Caroline would cry over her father leaving and the whole world seemed to conspire against her. But that hell was nothing compared to this.

Nothing compared to being killed by a 500 year old vampire, who wore her best friend's face. Nothing compared to remembering everything Damon had compelled her to forget. Nothing compared to being tortured, not only by Jules, but her own father for something that was beyond her control.

Becoming a vampire had made her better, stronger. And while she mourned the fact that she would never have the life she used to dream of as a human, she would never go back to the person she used to be.

But right now, in this moment, Caroline just felt lonely. Tyler was gone, Bonnie needed her space, her father was dead, Elena was busy with her Salvatore love triangle, Stefan was not even Stefan anymore, Malina was on Klaus' side, and no one seemed to trust her anymore. Caroline was lonely.

She quickly wiped away the tear that was travelling down her cheek, but it was soon replaced by another and Caroline placed a hand over her mouth to silence the sobs that shook her body. She needed to leave, to go home, but her feet had forgotten how to move.

"Caroline?" a soft voice called from the doorway and Caroline turned her head away from Elena as the doppelgänger sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I'm actually not sure why I'm crying." Caroline told as she looked at Elena with a teary smile and took a rattling breath to get her emotions under control.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Elena said with a hand on Caroline's shoulder and sent the blonde a meaningful look. "I'm sorry about today. I wanted to tell you about it, but I didn't want you to hate yourself either for Malina's death. It was a stupid way to do it, but I was just trying to protect you."

"Damon apologized to me." Caroline revealed instead of responding to Elena's explanation. She didn't want to start another argument and telling someone about her talk with Damon made it feel more real. Like it wasn't just something she had imagined.

At first Elena blinked in confusion, but her brown eyes widened slightly, when she finally understood what Caroline meant. For a long moment Elena couldn't meet the blonde's gaze as she thought about all the things Damon had done to her friend and how Caroline, despite her multiple objections to the relationship, never had shamed Elena for her feelings towards Damon.

"Good." Elena finally spoke in a strong voice; her eyes connecting with Caroline's blue ones. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I let it happen, that we didn't stop him sooner."

"Lena, it isn't your fault." Caroline tried to reassure her friend, but her voice broke, and the tears that had stopped falling, started spilling down her cheeks once more.

"I know." Elena replied quietly and pulled Caroline into her embrace, caressing her friend's blonde curls as she started trembling.

"But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, Malina was right. You deserve better. You deserved an apology for what he did to you. And you deserve an apology from me.

"I'm sorry, Care, that this happened to you and I'm sorry I've kept Damon in your life. I've been so caught up in my own problems that I forgot that you didn't forget. That you remember all of it. You deserve better and I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Caroline told in a tearful voice and tightened her grip around Elena's back, hugging the girl closely. "I forgive you."


End file.
