The Original Family

Bloodlines

When I land, blackness is all around me. I stand still, waiting for my eyes to adjust so I could get my bearings.

I hear a whoosh and am suddenly flying upwards, back to the surface. Before I know it, I'm standing where I was before I jumped in the cavern.

I look up and my father is standing less than a foot from me, his facial expression was stone cold and I knew he was not happy with me.

"Mary Elizabeth ," disappointment colored his tone. "When were you going to tell me about what my mother had planned for my siblings and I? Also, why didn't you tell me she threatened your life?"

I am quiet for a moment, looking at the pine needles on the ground instead of into my father's eyes.

"Because I wanted to figure out how to stop her on my own," I answer. "And I knew how much you respected Esther, so I thought you wouldn't believe me when I told you about her threatening to kill me."

I'm still staring at the ground when I feel his arms around me, holding me tightly to him.

"You are my daughter," he says softly. "I would have believed you."

I felt my eyes start to sting with tears when I look up at my father.

"You would?" I question, a single traitor tear falling out of the corner of my eye.

"I would," he answers, wiping away the tear with his thumb.

I was embarrassed to be crying in front of my father. It was rare that I ever showed my emotions, I had learned that from my father. As the centuries wore on, my emotions had hardened. I had turned my humanity switch off a few times in the past thousand years, but when I turned it back on, I found it was harder and harder for me to feel as much as I had again. I knew there was something wrong with me, but I chose to ignore it most of the time, blaming my problems on my beyond dysfunctional family and leaving it at that.

"Because," Elijah continues. "I have been suspicious of my mother's intentions ever since she forgave Niklaus for his unforgivable actions over the centuries. So it really doesn't surprise me that she would threaten you."

My father and I never said "I love you," to each other, but we said it through our actions for one another. Elijah telling me that he believed me was his way of telling me he loved me.

We came out of our embrace and Elijah started walking to the car.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"We're going to pay the Salvatores a little visit," he answers, getting into the driver's side.

"I can't find her anywhere," Stefan says, coming in the front door. He stops dead in his tracks behind Damon when he sees my father and I.

"Hello, Stefan," Elijah greets him.

My father was sitting in a chair by the fireplace and I was standing beside him with my hands behind my back, exchanging death glares with Damon.

"He has Elena," Damon says, his eyes not leaving mine. He was so pissed.

"Actually," Elijah corrects. "She's with Rebekah. As you can imagine, my sister is dying to tear her throat out."

The looks on the boys' faces got more serious.

"So," my father continues. "If you want to save Elena's life, I need you to help me stop my mother."

"I'm embarrassed to admit," Damon says in a smartass tone. "But when it comes to killing 1000-year-old resurrected witches, I'm a little rusty."

"Yes," Elijah somewhat agrees. "Unfortunately, even when killed, my mother doesn't want to stay dead. Not with the spirits of nature at her side."

"So what're we supposed to do?" Stefan says, finally speaking and taking a few steps towards Elijah and I's direction.

"The witches that released my mother," Elijah says. "She's drawing power from their bloodline. That line needs to be broken."

He was talking about killing one of the Bennett witches. I was about to interject when Stefan speaks before me.

"Broken?" Stefan asks.

"Yeah," Damon says. "He means:" Damon makes a slitting motion across his throat with his fingers.

"You want us to kill them," Stefan says, matter-of-factly.

"You know I'd do it myself," Elijah explains. "But I have absolutely no idea where they are."

He would kill them too. My father was the humane one out of his siblings, but when something needed to be done, nothing would stand in his way, even if that meant he had to kill someone.

"Besides," my father continues. "Seeing me, they'd immediately know my intent. They won't expect to be harmed by the likes of you. In any case, you have until six minutes after nine to find them."

Why did my father always have to be so specific all the time?

My father stands up and starts to and fro in front of the fireplace, I stayed where I was.

"Oh," Damon says sarcastically. "How super specific of you."

Weird how Damon was thinking the exact same thing I was.

"By 9:07, the moon will be full," Elijah says. "And my mother will have all the power she needs to kill me and my family. If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena." Elijah was standing in front of Stefan and Damon now and looking back and forth at both of them. "So we all have our timeline, I suggest you get started."

My father starts walking towards the door and I start to follow, but I stop at Damon before I leave.

"I'd do what he says," I advise Damon, patting him condescendingly on the shoulder. "Otherwise, Rebekah will kill Elena and there will be no one there to stop her. Then you'll spend the rest of eternity regretting how the woman you love was killed all because you were too stupid not to listen to an Original. Good luck, sweetheart."

I leave the Salvatore house without a backwards glance at either of them. I could only imagine the looks Stefan was giving Damon and asking him what I meant. Although I was pretty sure Stefan knew that Damon was in love with Elena. It was so obvious, you had to be an idiot not to see it.

"So why exactly didn't you tell me what you were planning?" I ask my father when we were pulling out of the driveway.

"You have a horrible poker face," he explains. "You would've given it away to Elena with you expressions."

"Really?" I ask in disbelief. "You don't think I can keep a secret?"

"I know you can, but you unintentionally slip up sometimes, even when you don't realize it."

Great, I was left out of a major plan because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. This was news to me.

"Also," he continues. "You tend to have a problem with switching sides. I assume you're taking mine this time because it's for your own personal gain."

"Are you saying that I can't be trusted?"

"In a way."

"Awesome," I say sarcastically. Then something occurred to me. "Wait, why wouldn't I take your side? This concerns my life too. You know if you kill an Original, the entire bloodline dies too. Also, the only reason I even considered taking Klaus' side when he was trying to life the curse on him was because I hated the Petrovas, Katerina especially."

Yes, I had let my prejudices get in the way of what really mattered, but everything turned out to be okay, right?

"I see your point," he says, staring at the road. "But, consider tonight a test of loyalty."

"I can't believe you don't trust your daughter," I complain.

"I do," Elijah explains. "I'm just giving you the benefit of the doubt."

"What do you want me to do?" I sigh