Chapter Text
“Damon and Stefan used his sire bond to force me into killing him,” She took a careful step forward, not at all oblivious to the murderous scowl threatening each feature of his face - despite her desperately wanting to. “They got me to compel Jeremy into helping.”
She had just killed Kol - well, Jeremy did, but she’d happily take all of the blame if it meant making sure her brother was safe - and unfortunately, Klaus just so happened to witness it. Elena swore Kol never got the chance to tell Klaus, they sprung this up on him!
Maybe he did, but he’d been talking while chasing them and she was her nerves were on edge and - and she should have been listening, if she had he wouldn’t be here right now. Jeremy wouldn’t be in danger.
She was to, the thought briefly crossed her mind before calming all together - he doesn’t need her blood anymore, no, he can’t get it - but something deep in her, the same something that let her tell Klaus to ‘go to hell’ during the sacrifice, let her look past her own fear to closely absorb the man in front of her
He’d just lost a brother - right in front of him, as well - if she had witnessed the same happening to Jeremy, god knows what she’d do. She had once, a tiny voice screams, and you didn’t do anything about it then. Now she could.
The once villain of her story - bane of her very existence - was shivering. Face wet with tears, a broken, puppy tinge straining his eyes - nothing like the wolf she was so used to. He was weak, swimming with a barely contained anger - directed towards her, towards Jeremy - but he’d listen, something was sure of it.
“Do not try to lie straight to my face, I have dealt with the hunters many times before. They cannot cant be compelled!” He roared, pounding once at the barrier - sending an aggressive shockwave throughout the house.
Elena bit her lower lip, instinctively moving in front of her little brother in a protective stance even though she knew the Original couldn’t get in - and even if he could, there was no way she would be able to stop him from slaughtering the both of them on the spot.
She swallowed back a tremor, meeting his dark glare again. “They can. Hunters can be compelled,” she jumps back in, continuing before the hybrid could put words to his thoughts. “No human is safe from compulsion, but their minds are so strong - constantly willed with the urge to kill any vampire in sight - that they immediately break it.”
His silence was in no way comforting, but she took it as a sign to continue. “Jeremy’s my brother, and he has been subconsciously programmed into hating all vampires, so the compulsion was allowed to take place.” Jeremy shuffled behind her, he hated being compelled - stripped of his right to act freely - and Elena had taken that freedom once before.
She worked hard to regain his trust, and she no doubt that stating as such would break it once again. But she needed Klaus to believe her, no matter what, if only to save her brother.
“It..” She internally scolded herself for stuttering, Jeremy would forgive her once she gets the chance to tell him the truth. “It wasn’t his fault, you can be angry at me or the Salvatores, but… just leave my brother alone.” Her eyes burned with a tingling sensation, she had no right to ask for him to ignore her brother after killing his.
His Adam’s apple bopped as he swallowed hard, his own eyes threatening to burst as hatred no doubt swelled into a fiery pit within him. His lips pressed into a thin line, as if he was stopping himself from lashing out.
Before Elena could beg - she was ready to throw away her pride for her brothers life, she’d do it in a heartbeat - Klaus fell roughly to his knees, growling out in pain as he clutches at the side of his head.
——
Bonnie pushes past the growling wolf - man, she realizes, but her mind always went to wolf - crashing straight into the siblings with worry etched along her usually delicate features. “Are you both alright? Did you manage to do it?”
Elena bits her lower lip, brows cringing as she lets out a wince. the grunts die out behind her friend, she glanced back to find him glaring deeply at the witch. Shit.
What could they do? What could Elena do. He wasn’t going to stop coming after them until they were both dead - and everyone they’ve ever interacted with - the Mikaelsons, while seemingly distant - always fighting and sneering at the others - were extremely loyal. A scary type of loyal she had always admired.
Elena had only seen it in Elijah, now she saw it in him, and she couldn’t help the hint of regret that pricked at her heart.
They shouldn’t have killed, she shouldn’t have let it happen. Yea, she was lying, slightly. Damon hadn’t necessarily told her to kill the Original, but it sounded like an amazing idea at the time - why? Because she had been sire bonded into wanting the cure, so she was desperate. And dumb, so dumb.
She’d do anything to undo it, to save her brother, those around her that she loved more than life itself, even for herself..
Bonnie. Her witch best friend that hates the Original’s more then Elena does - potentially more then her vampire hating brother - who would also do anything to protect Jeremy just as Elena would.
Who has already given up so much to protect Elena.
“Bonnie! You can bring back a vampire from the other side, right?” She blurted out without thinking. She hadn’t a clue if the witch could do it or not, but suggesting that she might be able to in front of Klaus - who would get off their backs in hopes that Bonnie could revive his brother - seemed like an amazing idea at the moment.
“Revive? Why the hell would I revive Kol, Elena?” She spat with spite at the Original’s words. Yea, he was an Original and vampire - but Elena didn’t think he really deserved that, at least not in response to his death.
Elena’s eyes wandered to the front door, meeting Klaus’s sharp eyes - still so full of hurt and anger and a hint of regret. She wondered why, but she wasn’t confident enough to ask - his gaze held a wolfish tinge to it, threatening her sensitive senses. Being a vampire was meant to make her stronger, fiercer, yet the feeling of his pain suppressed her natural instincts.
She wanted to run. She couldn’t, not with Jeremy and Bonnie here. Not when he was out there.
“Can you, Bonnie.” Her tone was more forceful than she wanted it to be, laced with a desperate growl. She was desperate. Klaus was there, ready to kill her - for real this time - maybe if he was only threatening her life, she’d feel less scared.
Bonnie raised a tight brow, tightening her eyes observantly. When she was met with the sight of Elena trembling, probably out of instinctive rather than it being a conscious choice, and glazed eyes, she couldn’t help but nod.
Did she want to bring the Original back from the dead? No, hell no. But that wasn’t the question, could she do it, obviously she’d have to do some test and research first - but Elena’s eyes told her she needed to have a definitive answer.
“Maybe, I’ve done harder - but I’d need time.” Elena let out a breath of relief, small, but needed anyways. Time, she was glad her childhood best friend still understood the tiny signals they came up with when they needed to lie to a teacher or their parents.
Klaus stifled closer, as close as he could get, catching Elena’s attention again. She cleared her throat before walking to the door. “Give us a chance. Give me your word that you’ll leave Jeremy and I alone and we’ll get your brother back, I promise.”
He was silent.. to silent, full of rage and fear and regret. But he was silent, and she wasn’t used to a silent wolf.
“Klaus.. please,” Her voice cracked, tears plunging her eyes into a dizzy glaze. “Please.” She was desperate, and not above begging. Not for Jeremy, sweet, creative and smart Jeremy. Her little brother - she had just killed someone else’s little brother.
He was everything she had left, they all knew that.
A single tears trailed down his cheek from his flooded eyes, the blue shinning gold under the moonlight - when did it get so dark? - lips trembling into a pained line. A final growl rumbled out of his chest. And with that, he left, leaving behind a unanswered question - yet answered all the same - he would have made true to his reputation and found a way to get in, or wait her out, otherwise - and for that she was entirely grateful.
Elena let out a deep breath, one she had been holding without realizing, falling to her knees as they grew weak. Jeremy was at her side in a moment, holding her together in a smothering embrace - despite trembling himself.
She had gotten them time, either to revive Kol or come up with another plan - she was hoping for the former. It’d be easier, smarter, maybe even quicker.
They were all huddled in the living room, Bonnie paced the room as the Gilberts stayed glued to each other’s side - having only just recently encountered a fate that felt all too much like death.
Elena hadn’t been scared, at least not for herself - for Jeremy, and whoever else Klaus could get his hands on - but she did feel something.
Caroline came bursting through the door, strutting into the room - no doubt smelling their intense emotions. “What the hell happened?!” She took her place next to Bonnie, obviously noticing that she wasn’t going to get much out of the two on the couch.
“Jeremy managed to kill Kol, but then Klaus showed up.” The witch finally stoped pacing and took a seat on a single chair. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but now Elena’s stuck a deal to revive Kol in exchange for her and Jeremys life.”
“He would have killed us.” Elena piped up from where her face was buried in her hands, elbows resting along the large of her thigh. She didn’t have to explain herself - her friends were more reasonable than that - but she felt as if she had to reassure herself that she hadn’t just done the most stupid thing in her life.
For the sake of it, yea, Damon and Stefan deserve it - getting called out and actually held accountable for their actions - for, well, probably for once it their life’s. But selling them out, when they used to be the first people she’d go o during a crises like this? Let’s just say it didn’t sit well on her stomach.
And - god - Kol didn’t deserve death, not when he was actually starting to make sense. He’s an expert on all things witchy for gods sake! And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Klaus had been so amicable with them, the cure was a threat - at least to an almighty being that could be weaken by it.
The rooms atmosphere takes a turn for the worse, stiffening more then humanly possible - maybe Bonnies magic was leaking into the room and making it heavier then normal? - Caroline let out a big sigh before sitting next to Elena.
“Ok, ok, what was the deal?” Her tone held no judgement, much to Elenas joy - Caroline had always been on the more understanding side - so Elena lifted her head from her hands to meet her eyes.
“We figure out how to bring Kol back to life in exchange for our life’s..” Elena bit her lower lip, uncertainty ticking under the tight frown of her brows. “And.. and I told Klaus that Damon and Stefan sire bonded me.” She avoided Carolines wide eyes.
“Alright, ok, what the hell Elena?!” The baby vampire stood abruptly from her spot, pacing in the same spot that Bonnie did. “What were you thinking?” She turned to face Elena.
“I wasn’t! he was there and threatening to burn the house down or wait us out and I.. it just came out!” She felt Jeremy rustle beside her, glaring a hole into the side of her face. “And it’s not like i was lying, anyways, they - he, Damon - did.”
Bonnie sighed into her hands. “Look, I may have been working with them when we had the coffins - but my opinion on the two still stand. You did what you had to, Elena.” Tears threatened to swell her eyes, masking her face in an ocean of relief to hear that she hadn’t made the wrong decision.
Caroline let out a slight groan, rejoining Elena on the couch. “Just.. I - I never thought you would be the one to rat them out?” Elena nodded, until today she hadn’t planned to either. “What did he tell you to do anyways?”
Elena settled back into the couch, recalling the subtle command she was given the last time she spoke with both Salvatores. “They basically said Kol was a threat and had to be killed, that I - and Jermey - would be able to catch him off guard.”
The room shares a few nods of understanding, it wasn’t unusual for the Salvatore brothers to think everything was a threat - especially when there not, and a million times stronger then them. It was also unsurprising that they made someone else fix the problem for them.
“That’s when you decided to compel me into following along with the plan too.” Jeremy finally spoke, catching Elena off guard - leaving her washed up in a puddle of guilt. He was upset, he had every right to be - if she had actually compelled him, that is.
“I was lying to him, Jer, but he can read our heart beats - our honesty. He had to think it was true,” Elena sighed, she was glad her brother wasn’t going to bottle up his hurt and ignore her like before. “Hunters aren’t human, they don’t follow human rules.”
Jeremy tenses, clenching his jaw slightly before letting out a rough sigh - seemingly believing Elena since he wouldn’t have felt like he was under the effects of compulsion - and relaxes his shoulders. “Ok, ok, I believe you.”
Elena let out a sigh of relief, melting into the couches soft embrace. Her limbs had turned into a slump of goo as the tight feeling escaped her. She was glad that, at this moment, she didn’t have to deal with anything - no Mikaelsson’s, Salvatore’s or murderous witches.
“So.. you know, elephant in the room, how are we going to revive Kol?” Caroline lifted a hand sheepishly, soothing Elena by rubbing circles into her forearm. “I mean, it’s all well said - just not, easily done?”
“We can start looking at some books my grandma left for me tomorrow. Now that we know we wont have an Original hybrid out to get us, I’m positive I can get them and be back here in an hour.” Bonnie stretched with a small groan.
“That just leaves the Salvatores, Klaus has already been - uncharacteristically - merciful with them?” Jeremy adds, yawning into the crutch of his arm. “They’ll be a massive problem if he hasn’t got to them yet.”
“I’ll put a ward up on the house, prevent vampires that already have invitations from getting in.” The witch was quick to start moving, she was always so dedicated when given a task - even if she was exhausted.
——
No one bothered to stop her, warn her that she shouldn’t put everyone else before her own health, because she wouldn’t listen. Jeremy was quick to rush off to bed, avoiding the splinters of wood that scattered around the hall floor. Elena took a big, deep breath before going to make the three girls some tea.
Caroline - her inability to take a break, always tinkering with something - mops up what she can from the mess made during the fight before joining Elena - and now Bonnie who managed to find the correct herbs to finish the spell - in the living room.
“I think I’m going to check for a way to make your blood potent again.” Bonnie muffled from the cup as she takes a large sip, humming with a pleased smile as the warmth settles her.
Elena quirked a brow, immediately interrupted by Bonnie who already guessed what her question was going to be. “It makes spells - especially spells that entertain the idea of brining an Original back from the other side - a lot easier.”
“Right, sure?” It made sense, magic like this required a lot of strength and Bonnie - as powerful as she is - would need some extra help for task like this, plus it was better then her straining her body and passing out from a nosebleed.
“Wouldn’t that put her in danger of being Klaus’s personal blood bag again? I mean, immortal hybrid-making blood source seems pretty tempting to me.” Caroline placed her cup down on the small coffee table.
The only reason Klaus had backed off as of late was because Elena lost her usefulness - god only knows why he hadn’t killed her yet? - maybe it was because his sister caused her death, or he couldn’t be bothered to do it. Yea, that was probably it.
“We’ll keep it a secret, how else would he find out?” Bonnie scoffed at the thought, Elena was grateful to have such a loyal friend - if she didn’t, she’d have been six feet under on the night of the sacrifice. Maybe even before.
“Ok, we start with operation ‘turn my blood into the most supernatural sought out ingredient in the world’ tomorrow, then begin operation ‘revive Kol’. Sound good?” She noted the hum’s of approval, eyes too heavy with sleep to check if they were nodding.
Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a busy - scary, definitely scary - day.