Chapter Thirty

Sophia

I stood by his door; it was wide open. He was painting. I knew he loved to paint; everyone knew he did. He once mentioned how he loved the way the brush moved over the canvas with ease, but I laughed and told him it's because he had control over the movements and it only did what he wanted. Almost half his face was concealed by the large canvas that sat on the easel. Smiling, I observed his movements. He was concentrating, he was focused and worked away on the canvas. I wondered what he had been painting. He seemed so secretive with this particular one. Whatever it was, I knew it would be a masterpiece just like every other piece he procured.

"I can see you standing there, Luv, and even if I couldn't, your soft breathing gives you away." I gave a tiny jump at his startling voice. He smirked without looking up.

"What are you painting?" I asked, striding in the room. He threw the cloth over the canvas then swooped in before me, blocking me from reaching out. "What are you hiding Klaus?"

"You can't see it just yet, Luv. Patience." He murmured softly.

I huffed and folded my arms. "Fine! Whatever it is, I know it's going to be spectacular." I brushed past his recent works. I always found myself lost in his art. The stories he narrated and the feelings he conveyed. His feelings were always expressive on canvas than his own persona. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I moved down the worktable, halting at a painting I hadn't seen before. "Who painted that?" I pointed to the large piece. It was the Mikaelson clan with a few faces I didn't recognise. Considering Freya was adorned in a wedding gown, it was her wedding day. The other woman must have been her deceased wife. That just left the two young women.

He joined my side, his arm brushing mine. "Hope. My daughter. That's Keelin." He pointed to the woman standing behind Freya. His finger trailed down to the young girl sitting in the middle next to a Woman in a red dress. "That's Hope beside her mother...Hayley." There was a touch of a smile on his face, but his eyes were sad.

"She's beautiful." I hummed. "I know you said you miss them. Must feel good to have them here."

He stood silent for a moment then voiced. "Every day, but I know they're in a better place."

Turning to him, I smiled compassionately. "Your daughter has your eyes."

That warmed him and a genuine smile flickered on his face. "That, she does."

He took my hand and presented more of his artwork, ones I had not seen. Art was never something i partook in, but I did take time to study and appreciate what others developed. "Thank you."

He squinted. "For what?"

"For being a good friend and an ever-better brother to Kol."

"Thank you for choosing me." He pecked my cheek.

I detached myself from him and walked out, weaving through the twists and turns of the hallways.

•

Throughout our entire walk, Laura was silent, and it was loud. No matter how much I conversed with her, no number of questions asked, would she speak. She'd nod or give the occasional mumble. Worried, I sat her down on a nearby bench and instantaneously she broke down. I had never seen her in that state. Not like this. No words left her, just harsh sobs and her body shook violently. Placing my hand on her hunched over back, I shuffled closer. "Laura what is it?" She lifted her red, blotchy face and threw her arms around me, shaking. I felt useless. And it hurt because I had not the slightest inkling on what to say or how to comfort her, other than hold her as I brushed her hair with my fingers. "Talk to me, I'm here."

Through the strangled cries she blurted out. "You have this whole other life, and we didn't know. You died and we had no clue at all! You died and that whole time you were dead there was no contact, we were kept in the dark. It hurt to find out the truth.... I mean-I- I thought we were your friends and you loved us, but you didn't tell us. You left us." Her head turned to the left, downcast. My throat clenched up and I felt like it was being grated with sandpaper. Wiping at my salty tears, I took her hand in mine and gave it a good squeeze. She returned her gaze to me, still a terrible mess.

"You're upset and I understand that and there's no number of apologies that could make up for the pain I have put you through. I won't say sorry because it won't do you any good. You're allowed to be upset because I was a terrible friend, and I shouldn't have been selfish. But not once did I ever stop loving you. I never told you guys as I saw it as protecting you, keeping you safe. My life is a mess of death, and I can't lose you too. I already lost Amelia. She was too close to it, and I lost them both. I made a mistake long ago ingratiating myself in your lives, but I didn't have the heart to let you go. I'm sorry I left you alone, I wanted to protect you..." I wiped away her new formed tears that sailed down her hot face. "I lost so much and if I lost you, I know I'll be sent to a dark place. But I will always be here, and I'll always be your friend, I took an oath, and I will stick it out till the end! Till my last breath, I will always protect you and be your forever friend."

She pulled me into a hug stronger than all the other times I have ever known her to. It was a heartfelt hug and unbreakable. A gush of wind soared past us, blowing our hair and breaking the moment. It came again. Another whoosh. We pulled away, eyes darting left to right and back again. The air cut. A vampire was hunting us, readying itself for another attack. Laura broke out into a panic frenzy. The air before us sliced again. Grabbing her hand, I bolted to my feet and ran as fast as humanly capable. I was powerless. I had no magic, no source to siphon from. Fast on our heels we took a sharp left. Something sent me hurtling into the brick wall. A fiery sensation shot up my arm as I wobbled up to my feet. Hearing the wheezing sounds, my head whipped around. I scrambled and dropped to my knees. She clutched at her throat.

The blood didn't gush in a constant flow, but in time with the beating of her heart. At first it came thick and strong, flowing through her fingers as she clasped at the torn flesh. "No no....no, stay with me!" I screamed. "Don't you dare!" My eyes darted around manically as I searched for signs of people. Crying out for help. I slapped around for my phone; only to find it was no longer in my pocket. I was unable to focus my mind. Furiously feeling at her pockets, I pulled out her phone. Trembling, I pressed it to my ear, begging for him to answer. Tears flooded like the waters rushing down from a waterfall. He answered. I gave him no time to speak as I cried over the phone, trying to string my sentence. He told me to slow down, breathe in and out and try again. I did as instructed, but my voice remained wobbly. "Kol...Kol you need to hurry please! It's Laura....hurry." I pleaded.

"Where are you?" He grew perturbed. I glanced around searching for a sign, street name, anything. We weren't too far from the Mikaelson home.

"I think we're at Prince consort road...somewhere, I don't know!" I cut the line and applied pressure to the gash. She was barely conscious. I demanded she stay awake. "I made an oath Laura, you can't." A few moments more, the blood was still leaving her rapidly paling flesh, but the pulses were slower, weaker. I shook her. "NO dammit, don't you give up!!" A whoosh and Kol was kneeling down, lifting her head, forcing down his blood. He urged her to drink but she could barely get the thick liquid down. Her eyes fluttered closed despite my protests. He lifted her in his arm, grabbed my arm and whisked away.

We barged through the door, straight into the living room where he lay her down on the sofa. Theo froze with fear, eyes on her still, bloodied body. I hastened to him, hugging him tight. "No, don't worry Theo, she's fine! We have nothing to worry about she'll heal... Kol gave her his blood." I wrapped my arms around him tighter. His body shook aggressively. He thrust me back, unaccepting my words. Those eyes of his darkened with anger as he whipped around to face me. Gripping onto my arm, he yanked me back to where she lay.

"LOOK AT HER SOPHIA...look. At. Her." He forced my head to her direction. I fought him, but he was furious and upset and it made him stronger. He made me face the harsh reality that she was no longer alive. She was gone. She had no life. All that was of her was a corpse. My hand flew to my mouth, and I choked. All I could do was stare at her colourless body. There were no tears left to shed, I just stared at her blankly.

"What happened?" His voice pulled me back.

Tucking my hair behind my ears, I blew out air. "Someone-a vampire attacked us...we didn't see them."

"Her wound...it's healed!" I whipped around as Theo raptured almost on the verge of jumping. His eyes were hopeful, and he gave a shaky laugh. I followed his gaze to her throat, rocking back and forth at a loss for what to do. Joy flooded back in. A weight had been lifted. Moving closer to her, I knelt down and brushed her face that was a carnage of dried tears and blood. She shouldn't be in this state. I needed to fix it. Hurrying into the kitchen, I rummaged around for a bowl and cloth. Kol followed in after me, but I paid him no attention. I needed to fill the bowl with warm water. He aimed to stop me, but I pushed past him and headed back to my friend. Soaking the cloth and twisting it to drain the excess water, I dabbed at her face and neck, gently wiping away the mess. She was beginning to look like herself. Seconds ticked by and alas, she shot up emerging in gasps, rashly clawing and feeling her throat.

"It was Ethan!" She wheezed.

I blinked rapidly. "What?"

"He forced blood down me and then killed me! Oh my god I'm dead oh my....no I can't-what's happening to me?!" She stammered, rabidly searching around.

"You're in transition." Rebekah proclaimed.

"Trans what?"

Taking her hand in mine and warming her up, I secured my gaze. "You died with vampire blood in your system and in order to complete it, you have to drink blood. You have twenty-four hours.... but you do have a choice. You don't have to become a vampire; you can pass on peacefully if that's what you want."

Her lips trembled. "I don't know what I want.... why did he do this to me?"

I shrugged. " I don't know....it makes no sense. When did he become one?" It was more of a thought than a question. What had we missed? What did Ethan want? Her sudden movement jolted me. She got to her feet, glaring at the floor.

"I want to be alone for some time." Her tone bleak. Kol held me back from running after her. Perhaps he was right, she needed time to herself. She needed to make her decision and she had to do it alone. Theo stood by the corner, terrifyingly rigid. It was difficult to read his expressions. I was afraid to approach him. Instead, he stormed over to me and pulled me into a mighty, big hug and sobbed into my shoulder like a child. Rebekah insisted on hunting down Ethan, but it was pointless. He'd be long gone by now and why waste time? Nothing made sense and all I cared about was Laura and ensuring she was fine.

•

She was sat by the window, staring out as she rested her chin in her palms. She didn't hear me come in, too immersed in her thoughts. I patiently sat on the bed until she was ready to speak. It wasn't long before she joined me on the bed. She was drained. Her skin pale and ghastly, the effects of the transition. She knew she wasn't the same and something in her was different. Both physically and internally. "The sun is killing me. My eyes are on fire... I'm hungry...everything seems so loud...my head hurts."

"That's part of transitioning, everything is heightened."

Her lips turned down. "What if I'm not good at it? What if I'm a monster? I don't want to die but I can't bear the thought of becoming a killing machine."

"We can help you. Caroline and Stefan can help you better than I can, but I can't guarantee that it'll be easy because it's not, and you will struggle before you get the hang of it."

"How does it work exactly?"

I took her hand in mine. "You need to drink blood. Is this what you really want?"

She nodded.

"Very well then...I'll get Bonnie to make you a daylight ring. It'll stop you from burning in the sun."

"I never told you what Ethan whispered in my ear...he said he's coming for you and that you better watch your back." Her eyes bulged. "How did he turn? He was with us the day we found out and then disappeared. Something happened between that time. He's still our friend, we have to find out!" Why was she so eager to save him? Surely he didn't deserve it?

I ran my fingers through my hair then down the sides of my neck. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, for now you're the top priority."

Theo took her home after her transition, where she felt the safest. Part of her didn't want me around and she blamed me. It was okay. I was okay with it. She needed that space, and I was happy to comply. The night crawled in, and my body caved. I hadn't grasped just how weak I was and how strenuous everyday tasks had become. I climbed into bed, without Kol beside me. Pulling the duvet to my chin, I turned to my side and let the night engulf me.

Kol zoomed in and around the room, ensuring his family were safe. A sigh parted with him, and he swiftly moved towards the girl with the long, dark brown hair worn in loose waves. She was lightly tanned, and those green brown eyes sparkled when they met with him. "Davina." He breathed, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her in close. She held him tight, nuzzling closer.

"Kol." She cried softly. "You're here." She pulled away and looked up at him. He seemed to be basking the sweetness, his fingers skimming along her rosy cheeks.

"I thought I lost you." He whispered and that statement was followed up with a slow and shaky kiss to the forehead. The love and the affection were stupidly obvious.

Eyes snapping open, body shooting up. Clutching my chest and choking out the sobs, my eyes darted around in search of him. He wasn't here. I was horrified and suspicious of the terror following me back here. I couldn't close my eyes, not even to rest them. Because, if I did, the image of him and her kissing stuck on loop in front of me. I couldn't tolerate it. It hurt. Stumbling out the bed and into the bathroom, slowly and cautiously, I peeked into the mirror. Immediately I threw myself back. They were there, holding each other and he glanced back at me. The very skin I wore, crawled and I wanted to jump out of it. It made me wonder whether this was simply a nightmare or a look into the past. A look into his past.

Having enough, I stormed out my room and went in search of Freya. Knocking on her door once, I waited for her to answer. A second later the doorknob turned and the door clicked open. "Sophia?" She surveyed my ghastly face. "Are you okay?"

Before answering her, I entered her room and slumped into her dressing chair. "No. I'm having these nightmares and visions...and-and I think they're the work of Jameela or someone. I don't know! I just want them gone! I can't-I can't handle it anymore-"

She dashed to me, crouching down, and holding my hand. "Slow down. When did they start?"

Biting down my lip, in an attempt to suppress the tears, I shrugged. "I don't know...two weeks ago maybe, or maybe a week. It feels like I've had them forever. Is there anything you can do? Can you give me something to help me sleep and dispel away the nightmares?"

She peered into my eyes and frowned. "I'll work on something today and you'll have it by the end of the day. Are you sure you're okay? You look awful and I'm worried.... have you told Kol?"

I shook my head in response.

"Sophia! You need to tell him. You know he'll go berserk if you don't say anything."

"I don't want to worry him and besides, after the concoction you give me, I'll be okay again."

•

The week began and already it took so much from me. Freya's concoction helped with my night terrors, keeping them away. However, it did little for the day terrors that were very much alive. I dared not tell her of them. I knew I had to brave through it, for however long it took. I had to. They came and went, the visions. Lately they were of Kol and Davina. If they weren't of him with her, then they were of Stefan. I would zone out, see these horrific scenes that gave me no peace and then, I would be pulled back into reality. Reality became something too hard to trust.

When I drifted away, I didn't realise. The scene around me changed and I was no longer in my room. I was in the streets of New Orleans. Where exactly, I had not the faintest clue. My surroundings were completely alien. Walking through the crowd, doing a three-sixty turn just to get a bearing of the area. It was then, that my eyes landed on them. Kol and Davina. Flaring with anger, I charged at him. Nothing. She remained tucked in his arms, his hands running up and down her back. He was oblivious to me. He didn't care. He kissed her the way he kisses me. My insides churned and I wanted to hurl out the contents.

"I'd never do that to you luv." Came his soft and sincere voice. Teary eyed and trembling, I turned to face him.

"Klaus." His name came out tremulous.

His eyes frowned with his mouth. "Oh love, look at you." With one big step, he erased the space between us and clasped me in his arms. I withdrew, despite his arms holding me in his embrace.

"Who is she? Why is he doing this to me?" I sobbed.

Wiping away my hot tears, he gazed deeply into me. "I won't hurt you. I love you and unlike my fool of a brother, I intend to keep you." In mere moments his lips attached to mine and his tongue poked through, devouring me in his intense and thrilling kiss. Leaving my arms to my side, I let him kiss me, I let him feel me. No, it wasn't me. I didn't want it.

Pushing him back, I cried. "Klaus! It's not real! You can't-we can't! This isn't real!"

He didn't listen to a word I said, he pulled me in harshly and his lips worked mercilessly away on my neck. A force held me down, rendering me unfit to fight him off. All I could do was plead and cry. I let out a shriek and everything around me crumbled apart, self-destructing.

Shielding my ears and ramming my eyes shut, I waited for the silence. Slowly and cautiously, I reopened them. The steady light streamed in, and my surroundings were of home. Dropping to my knees, I cried out, clasping my hand over my mouth to stifle them. I was losing my mind, and nothing could fix me. Not even Freya's potion. Jameela allowed me no peace.

•

It was a long and strenuous week, like before, the visions came and went. Stefan and Caroline were preoccupied with helping Laura adapt and become a new vampire. I watched her fall apart. I watched as she fell in love with her speed, her heightened senses. How her face lit up when she realised, she could move like the wind. It was the feeding that was the most trying. She almost lost control the first time she tasted fresh blood. We had to evacuate Theo out the house, which broke her. For that very reason Bonnie felt it wasn't appropriate to hand her a daylight ring. The nights they took her out to feed. Caroline helped her with the snatch, eat, erase method. She was learning fast. Getting stronger with her compulsion.

I never spoke. I just observed, silently spectating. Her will power was inspiring. She adopted blood bags faster than the average vampire. She felt more humane in doing so. The idea of drinking from a human whether you compelled them or not, was far too grizzly for her. It was then Bonnie had created her a daylight ring. Ecstatic she slipped the ring on, eager to get in the sun. Sitting crossed legged on the chair, I watched her inch closer to the window, stretching out her hand. The sunlight crept over her, and she closed her eyes, soaking it in.

Kol never left my side. He didn't trust her. He didn't trust us to be alone. I couldn't look him properly in the eyes when all I saw was Davina. It was ridiculous. I lashed out at him. I fought him but yet he stuck to me. My strange behaviour riddled him, but I wouldn't open up. I couldn't. Moving away from him, I walked towards her. She twirled around elated. She could walk in the sunlight, she no longer needed to stay in the shadows. There no longer was a need for her to flinch or be wary. She was free. I expected her to run out, but she remained put. She grabbed Theo and they danced. Unlike many other vampires she had restraint, she had control. The astounding fact was she accomplished this within a week. I recalled my transition and how it took me less than a month to adjust and control my bloodlust. All I could do in that frame, was kill and drink like I've never before. The blood gave me such a high and I loved it. Later, was when the guilt struck and i was so terrified of hurting innocent humans, so I kept myself locked up. It was then I made the decision, if I were to feed and it was required for my survival, I would only prey on those most despicable.

London

October 1922

I shut myself in the room. Terrified of hurting the innocent. I was a monster with an insatiable lust for blood. The scent of it was overpowering, it drove me mad. It was intoxicating. Temptations taking over, all I wanted to do was give into it. Drink to my heart's content. My body jolted at the knock from the door. "No." I whimpered. I could hear her beating heart, slow and steady. Hear it pump blood around her body. The veins under my eyes bulged. She smelt of daisies. I pressed my back against the wall, trembling. The knock came again. The doorknob twisted. A meagre creak, it swung open. The pounding of my own heart filled my ears. Eyes darting frantically, I leapt and soared out the house. It was exhilarating. The unnatural speed and how I cut through the air. Laughing, I looked up at the house. Placing a hand on my heart, steadying my breathing I finally let my eyes close as I took in my surroundings. A cacophony of sounds, a ringing in my head. Pushing through it, I focused on the buzzing of the night streets, the conversations. Observing. The cries for help. The pleading of her life snapped my eyes open. Cocking my head to one side, eyes wild and searching. Her pleads led me to an alleyway to find a man towered over, pinning her to the ground as she thrashed around under him.

"Please...p-please let me go. Please don't do this." He clumped his hand over her mouth, stifling the cries. The animosity in me was like acid- burning, slicing, potent. The fangs jutted out my gums and a snarl left my parted lips. I hurled myself at him, prying him off her and slamming him against the wall. The beastly man rose to his feet, grinning and wiping at his mouth.

"I'll kill you!" He lunged forward, arms reaching for me. I rotated to the side and watched him dive into the collected bin bags. The girl shuffled back, stammering. Grabbing the guy by his collar, I lifted him off the ground, flashing my fangs at him. His eyes grew widened and frozen as he stared at me. Fear took over and his bladder loosened and I sneered. His heart rate accelerated, and the little organ trashed against his chest. Looking into his grey dilated pupils, I spoke in a low tone. "How many times have you done this?"

Alert, he was speaking against his will he bleated. "Many times...I lost count."

"Why?" I compelled.

"I enjoy it. The fear and when they scream. It excites me...makes me hard." He bit his tongue, foolishly attempting to stop himself from speaking. I got what I needed to know and there was no use for him. The vein in his throat pulsated. Growling, I sunk my fangs into him and began to feed, snarling into his neck- tearing deeper into him. It was a hunger unlike anything. The blood rushed down my throat, soothing me. I wanted more. I held him up straight as he began to slump. "Stand still!" I snapped. He did as instructed. Gripping onto him tighter, I sucked harder and drained every last drop of his blood. The limp body crashed to the floor. It was fascinating. It was fulfilling. I had almost forgotten the female. She could neither speak nor move, she just stood gaping, unblinking.

"I won't hurt you."

My words snapped her out. "You saved me." She rose to her feet, cautiously. Peering over my shoulder, she caught a glimpse of the dead man. I sped to her, our noses almost touching. "Forget this. Forget you saw me. Go home and never walk out alone." With gratitude to Klaus Mikaelson, I'd have never known what compulsion was, nor how to use it on others.

Present day

Stefan and Caroline took both Theo and Laura out. He invited me but I politely declined. Their immortality and long life forced me to face my own reality. I didn't have long, under a year was what I was guaranteed. Seeing those nightmarish visions, did not help my case. I told myself, I wanted to leave them with nothing but good memories. And I wanted to begin with Stefan. My brother. Make up for a century's loss of memories. He needed to know and feel that I loved him and that I thought the world of him. My only regret was not knowing him sooner. The gnarly whispers of my dead family came and went, trying to deter me. Visions of Stefan killing Damon pierced me. None of it was real, I had to remind myself. They returned after a good morning out and a successful feeding session.

"Stefan?" I called.

He popped his head round the door. "Yes Sophia?" I stepped into the kitchen where he was working on another bird house. It was beautiful. Tiny flowers and vines were woven around it. A smile reached my eyes. He swiftly cleared the table, pushing his equipment and tools to one side.

"Oh no, I don't need to sit. I just wanted to ask whether you wanted to walk around the city...we could grab hot chocolate, snacks and i don't know...I feel like we've not really spent time together and I'd really like-"

"Of course." He grinned. "When did you want to go?"

"Now."

•

The first place we stopped at was the Victoria memorial monument, outside of Buckingham palace. This was a place I often visited in my own solitude. I would sit on the steps and take in the sights and silently watch the several families that visited the area. It was the first time I brought along another soul. We sat on the edge overlooking the golden statute.

"I've never really seen much of London; I don't think I even remember the last time I visited." He shared. I turned to see his face scrunched up with scrutiny. Puzzled, I followed his gaze. He internally was judging a young man gloating about his skateboarding skills. I snorted as I laughed.

"Is Stefan Salvatore judging a mere human for trying to woe a girl?" I nudged him playfully.

"Me? Judge? Never." He bleated.

"Oh, come on as if you've never did the most to impress a girl." I arched a brow, wiggling it. He nudged me back smiling. "I'm glad you're my brother and that we're here today."

"I never thought about what it would be like to have another sibling. For so long, it was just me and Damon. So, when I found out you were my sister, I didn't know how to react...all I did know was, I wanted to be there for you...if I'm honest...I was jealous of Damon."

"Why?"

"He got to know you for a century, and I didn't. You spent more time with him, and he was always there for you and you were there for him. When I thought he was off to no good he was actually with you."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "Hmm...I know but when Damon told me of you, I always loved you, Stefan. I knew I had another brother and every day I spent wondering what you'd do and hoping we'd meet. Believe me, Damon drove me mad, but not once did he ever say a single bad thing about you. He always spoke highly of you."

"I never knew he did that."

"Trust me, he loves you like mad. We both do and I think in the end we needed each other more than we could possibly have known."

"That I can salute to." He comically raised his right hand to his head. I sat in his company, and we spoke for several hours. We shared stories. He opened up about his past and every epic love. We had Valarie as our common ground. I shared how I saw her when I passed out and when I died, she was there with me. She was always there and that brought him peace. For his sake, I even tried fast food fries and managed to eat the whole lot as we laughed like hooligans.

Pedestrians began to give us strange looks and eye us up and down as if we were beneath them and we were being a nuisance, distracting civilisation. For pure comedic value we jumped out and scared passing teens. We walked past an old poster of a celebrity and Stefan began to fake fan girl. Giggling, fanning his face and squealing. I stepped back due to the unwanted attention. It was brow raising. "And care married.... THAT!"

"Hey! What's wrong with me. Can't I have fun with my sister?"

"I don't know Stefan, can you?" I gruffed, imitating his brooding voice. My stomach hurt due to all that laughter. I was out of breath, yet I couldn't stop the laughter as we continued to imitate our family members. I gripped the bench and breathed in and out. He placed his hand on my back, soothing me.

"Easy sis." He chuckled.

"Let's get some ice cream!" I sang. He thought about it for some time. The last time I devoured ice cream my throat broke and was sore. But he gave in to my demands regardless. Although, I promised only one cup of ice cream and I will give it a rest. He bought me his favourite flavour. Peanut butter. Nutter butter. I retched as it was the worst flavour in the entire world. I cursed and said whoever invented this should suffer and forever lose their tastebuds or even worse, I hoped they stepped on Lego.

"Ooooh, so evil."

That awful ice cream had put to rest my cravings for a long time. It hit home how similar we were. When we'd speak, we'd often be in sync. We never had a specific genre of music, whatever song we liked to jam to, we did. We listened to whatever made us feel good. We were both easy targets for Damon who bullied us an equal amount. We shared the same "Are you serious?" expression. I wondered how many times we had done that in the past few months without realising we were identical. He was sassy like me and humorous. Maybe a tad bit funnier than me. He was soft hearted and cared deeply. The day he saved me flashed back in my mind. Even after I had weakened him, he ran after me to save me. I knew then that he would always protect me and he would care for me no matter what. That was when I felt all the anger and pain dissolve into nothing. That was when the love flooded back in. His laughter ceased as he heard my stifled sob break free.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He pulled me into a hug. "Sophia, why are you crying?"

I sniffled. "I'm thinking about the day you saved me and how you came running to my rescue. Even after I tried to kill you...you came for me-I-you saved me! I never really expressed to you how much I appreciated it. I was so mad I forgot how much I really love you."

"I will always be there for you. I don't know if you know this, but I would give up my life for you and Damon. I would die over and over again if it meant you got to live."

"Truthfully...I would also sacrifice my life for my brothers. I don't need you to do it for me Stefan. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." I hugged him tight. He released a huge breath that seemed to dispel all he fears away.

He cocked his head to one side, sticking out his finger and waving it. "I can hear music."

"What do you mean?" I pulled back, straining so hard to hear what he had. "I don't have vampiric hearing anymore Stef!"

He chuckled. "I know! Seems like there's a house party going on as we speak-"

My eyes grew large as a bright idea dinged in my brain. "Let's crash it! And make a mockery out of what the 21st century people get up to!"

He grabbed my hand and whisked us away. We stood in front of a large house with its door wide opened and music blaring out. I walked straight through the threshold and spun back to face Stefan, flicking my hair. He needed to be invited in. Being human had its advantages. I waited by the door as he compelled a scrawny looking boy to tell him who the owner of the house was and to bring him out. I leaned back against the wall, impressed, and extremely amused. "How does it feel to be stuck outside!" I called over the music, my words drawled. He rolled his eyes and walked straight through as the girl who owned the house invited him in. "Show off." I sneered. We weaved through the sweating crowd of young adults.

"The music isn't bad."

I hummed in agreement. They were playing old tracks dated back to 2020 and below. Music and lyrics in the present lacked meaning and they all sounded the same. "Throwbacks...I like it."

"I thought we came here to mock?" He said, lightly slapping my shoulder.

"That was before I heard their playlist." I said in defence. "Come on let's take a closer look." I tugged him along by the arm. "I hope you told Care you're at a party."

"I did. She's sad we didn't invite her."

"Better luck next time I suppose." I sniffed a cup and my nose crumpled. It reeked of a mixture of unholiness.

"Why would you sniff it?" He gave me that what the fuck is wrong with you face!  Another expression we both shared. I shot him a dismissive hand wave. Shrugging, he wandered off. I did a double take as I thought I had hallucinated him on the dance floor. I stared wide mouthed. He gestured for me to join. Raising my hand I refused, shaking my head.

"Not now, not ever." I mouthed. I could not deny the next track was a bop. He marched back over, flung me over his shoulder and lowered me down on the dance floor. I scrunched up my face not pleased. He swayed his arms back and forth in the air looking like a real clown. Not wanting him to make a fool of himself alone, I did what any good sister would do-I joined in so we could be clowns together. Light-headedness latched onto me. I backed away from the crammed crowd, that was now claustrophobic. As I backed away, I bumped into several chairs. I glanced around for Stefan. All the faces blurred, merging into one. I could hear a voice calling out my name over and over again, it was distorted but I knew it was calling for me.

Stefan

I anxiously rounded the corner to see her bashing and colliding into the raving crowd. She began to sway, and I vamped to her side, catching her before she hit the floor. Her face was cold and beaded with sweat. Lifting her in my arms, I walked through as the crowd spilt. She drifted in and out of consciousness. "I've got you." I soothed as she opened her eyes again. I rushed through the front door of the Mikaelson home and lay her down on the sofa. She pushed herself up and sat with her back firmly pressed against the arm, shockingly laughing.

"I think the crowd was too overwhelming for me."

Shaking my head, I uttered with a snort. "You think?" She glanced around the room searching for Kol I presumed. Her face relaxed as he whooshed to her side the moment, he heard her voice.

"What happened?" His voice dripped with worry and concern. She took his hand in hers and her lips tugged up in a meagre smile.

"I'm fine. I think large crowds make me sick...Stefan could you please get me a glass of water?" I complied and left her with Kol before returning again with a tall glass of water, which she chugged down, her thirst now quenched. "Thank you." She smiled before turning back to Kol and burying her face in his chest. The house was rather empty. Bonnie and Freya alongside Damon, Elijah and Klaus were busy locating Ethan. They suspected a witch was working with him or worse, he was working for them and was being used. Theo and Laura returned home for the night, promising to return the next day when the wedding rehearsal would be in full swing. Even I had been assigned a sheet that stated what I would be doing and where I would be at what given time. Marcel and Rebekah went away for the night. I was grateful and thankful to him for all he had done since the day he arrived. He was a great friend, and I knew he would look out for her as she was now family.

Despite her protests, Kol carried her in his arms bridal style and whizzed her upstairs. She required rest and there will be no more activities for her. Just relaxing and doing what she pleased from the comfort of her room and bed. She looked to me, pleading to save her but I raised up both arms and stepped back. I made the mental note to confer details with Damon once he returned. Flicking through the messages, I grimaced. They did manage to find a new witch who was working under Jameela. She refused to disclose where Ethan and Jameela were. I flinched at the next message Damon sent.

Klaus beheaded her x

As much as I knew taking lives of others was not the way to handle situations, I also knew that I would do anything to ensure my sister's safety and her life. They were the enemy and it's kill or be killed. Tucking my phone back into my pocket I headed up to the guest room Caroline and I had been occupying. She was stamping wedding invitations with wax. Rebekah and her spent a good hour arguing about which family crest should be used as the official seal. Eventually she gave in and let the Salvatores hold the honour. "Hey, you're back." She murmured softly, setting the stamp down and she looked up at me with a twinkling smile. I ambled over to the desk and bent down to kiss her head.

"How are you?" I mumbled into her soft hair.

"I'm good, just ensuring the cards are done and then we can move onto the next task." She muttered as she resumed with stamping the remaining invitations. "A week left! Can you believe it! God, I'm so excited!" She effused, throwing her head back. Her smile was infectious.

"Why does it seem you're more excited about her wedding than you were about ours."

She spluttered. "I was excited for our wedding considering we almost got blown up in the process...but we've not had another big reason to celebrate. I mean the last time it was Damon and Bonnie's wedding. It's been like forever!"

"Hmm, I know." I walked over to the drawer and pulled it open, fishing out a light blue box, wrapped elegantly with a white ribbon. Caroline shifted behind me. "I thought you wanted to give this to her on her big day?"

I turned back to her, twisting, and turning the box in my hands. "I was...but I just want to give it to her now. Today I found out she truly loves me! Do you know how long I have waited to hear her say those words?! All this guilt and remorse and this sickening hold it had on my heart, she freed me from it. She saved me." I met her gaze when she threw her arms around me.

"I'm happy you get to bond with your sister and that you can now truly be free." She said softly, then she kissed me slowly. Kissing her one more time, I turned on my heels and dashed out. I was terrified about how she would react and whether she would accept it or not. I knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later Kol swung it open and stepped to the side, ushering me in. She was sat on the bed with piles of chocolate boxes and a bunch of deep, dark red roses were in her hands. I smiled as she inhaled them in with her eyes closed. My heart was at ease knowing he cared for and adored her more than I ever thought he was capable.

"Stefan!" She exclaimed as she finally set the roses down and looked up.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, seating myself down on the edge.

"Good." She wasn't convincing. No amount of smiling could fool me. I raised a brow at her, giving her a look.

"I'm fine!" Still not believable.

"You don't have to pretend with me."

She let out a huge breath. "Okay fine! It sucks being human again, always feeling tired and almost passing out. Now quit being an overly worried brother and loosen up! I will be fine. Plus, with you all watching over me like hawks, I don't think anything can ever happen."

"Have you met you." Kol scoffed. "You somehow find a way to get in trouble." I agreed with his point. No matter what we did to keep her away from danger, she was always found in the middle. She was like a magnet. I chortled at the screwed-up face she shot Kol. At least she did get irritated by him as much as she loved him.

"I got you something." I pulled out the box and held it to her. "I wanted to give it to you for your wedding but why not now?" Her arms flopped to her side as she let out a soft gasp. With a proud smile, I watched her eyes brighten up as she gently took the box in her hand. The ribbon floated down into her lap when she tugged it free. She tried to breathe in the air as spasms of delight rocketed through her.

"It's gorgeous Stefan! Thank you!" She threw her arms around me and rocked side to side with joy. "I'm going to wear it all the time!" I picked out the pearl bracelet and unclasped the gold Siena clasp. She stretched out her hand and I wrapped it around her tiny wrist, clasping it tight. It was a perfect fit. She admired her wrist and bubbled with excitement.

Author's Note:

Hey loves, I hope you're enjoying this so far. It's been hectic trying to edit all these chapters.

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