Captive Love || K. Mikaelson

White Oak Tree

Me, Meredith, Damon, and Alaric walk alongside the Wickery Bridge. How ironic they're rebuilding it. "Why are we here again?" Alaric asks. "Because, Ric. The whole world can't stop because you're an accidental psychopath." Meredith glared at him. I send her a warning look. She looks away. Carol Lockwood walks over to us. "Alex!" She greets me, hugging me slightly. "Alaric! I'm glad you're here! Did you bring the sign?"

Alaric's smile drops slightly, only enough that someone close to him would be able to notice. I'm one of those. He continues staring at her while she waits for an answer, awkwardly smiling. "The sign for the bridge? The history department promised me you'd have it today." Shaking his head, Alaric answers. "No, I-I-I don't have the sign, actually. It slipped my mind. I've been...busy."

She frowns then sighs. "Well it's not an emergency. We'll just, um, unveil it when the bridge is complete." She pauses. "It was good to see you, Alex." She smiles waveringly, then walks away. Damon rolls his eyes. "Nice to see you Alex." He says, in a falsetto voice. I roll my eyes. Someone's jealous that I still have living and loving family members.

"Get me out of here." Alaric immediately says when she's out of earshot. "My pleasure." Says Meredith. "I'm going to stick around for a bit." Damon says. I follow his line of sight, and double take. Smirking at us across the bridge is none other than Sage. Sage! Now what could someone like her want around some rickety old road like this? Me and Damon approach Sage.

"Ah, Damon Salvatore. My favorite student." She studies me. "And the dropout." I scoff. "Sorry I didn't want to attend slut-school." Damon ignores me. "Sage. My hottest teacher. What're you doing here?" I guess he's not wrong. "I'm just passing through." I snort. In Mystic Falls? Not a chance. Nothing's a coincidence here. "Well look what the cat dragged in." Rebekah buts in.

"Easy there, Rebekah. You know she used to beat men for sport." Ha! I doubt Rebekah cares. She's an Original. One of the 5 strongest vampires in the world. "What are you doing here, Sage?" "I heard Finn was finally released from that casket your rage-a-holic brother trapped him in." I shuffle at the mention of Klaus. I haven't really thought about him. Also, Finn and Sage??? "Well you're too late. Finn just left town and didn't tell anyone where."

"He probably went looking for me." Laughing, I cover my mouth. Rebekah gives me an...approving look. "Like my friend Alex here has so bluntly said with so little words, I highly doubt it. Sorry you came all this way for nothing." She says in a very insincere tone. I wonder...is there history between these two, maybe? A rivalry? Rebekah smiles smugly and walks away. "God I hate that elitist Original bitch." Swiftly, I kick her in the shins. Damon and her look at me, surprised. "What, are you two best pals now?" Damon says sarcastically.

Shifting on my feet, I shake my head. "No...I just don't believe in talking behind peoples backs. Especially when they can still hear you a mile away." Shrugging, Damon turns back to Sage.

~~~

"She wants something from me, but I don't know what." Sage, me, and Damon walk alongside each other in the woods. We all wear jackets. Damon's leather one, Sage's wool one, and my cashmere sweater, courtesy of compulsion. "Why don't you get inside her head?" Sage asks. "Can't. That's impossible. She's too strong." Damon says. "No she's not." I say curtly. "How do you think Klaus compelled me to never want to leave, or how people can be compelled at all? It's very much possible to get into her head."

"Don't forget about Lexi, when she helped Stefan when he was a ripper." I glare at him at the mention of her. "Yeah, the one you killed?" He winces. And on Stefan's birthday! At this point, I suppose I really shouldn't be taking anyone's side. "She's right. Have you forgotten I taught you? Rebekah might be an Original but she's still a girl. You find her weakness and exploit it, I'll walk right in. That is, if you want my help." Damon thinks about it. I can't believe him! How can he even consider this? I know she's "the bad guy" or whatever, but even she has boundaries.

I shake my head swiftly. Damon sends me a look. I know that look. "No! Are you crazy? A, that's wrong! B, what if she catches you? And C, what makes you think she won't find out?!" Damon shrugs. "We'll be careful." Shaking my head, I speed away from the two. I'm not going to deal with this, nor have anything to do with it. Both of my brothers are awful, I swear.

~~~

"Did you find out what she wanted?" I ask Damon, coming home. He puts a finger to his lips, in a towel, sitting on the couch.His hair is wet. "She's still asleep, but yeah. The White Oak Tree. We owned it. She's been poking around, looking for it." My heart jumps. I sit down next to him. "The White Oak Tree...as in the tree that can kill Originals?"
I whisper. He nods. "Sage is keeping her asleep for now." I swallow a lump in my throat. Suddenly, I don't think I should be here, listening to his plans about killing Klaus.

I don't want to be here. But I don't leave. Because even thought it sends a pang through me, I know the Originals must die. But they didn't choose this life.

A few hours later, we're on the Wickery Bridge. The wood being used to restore it is the White Oak Tree. I can't believe it. The all-powerful vampire family, able to be killed by a tree. We swerve to a stop as a bright flame burns to life. Damon jumps out of the car followed by me. Rebekah stand smugly to the side. "Your grand plans always seem to get ruined, don't they?" She says. I can see Damon physically clench. She walks away, and I watch the wood burn.

A small part of me, the worst locked up part, is relieved. It's gone. Now, they can't hurt him. But that's wrong. I should want to hurt him. Maybe the sire-bond is still intact somehow. But I doubt it. That's the scariest part. Damon grits his teeth, and turns to go back to his car. I can feel the heat coming off in waves from the fire. Sage appears. Damon's face contorts, full of rage. "You set me up!" He yells at her.

"I'm just looking out for myself." "I told you I'd save your creep boyfriend!" He shouts at her. "AND YOU LIED TO ME DAMON! I saw in your mind! If one dies, they all die. Sound familiar?!" Damon freezes. "Yeah. Did you think it was a one-way connection? I saw your mind, Damon." He snarls and grabs her neck, pinning her to his car. "I should end you." He grits out. "I'm 900 years old, Damon. You're not capable of ending me."

She springs up from Damon's grip. "I'm not risking Finns life for one of your petty revenge fantasies." She turns and leaves, gone in a flash. Hastily, Damon gets in his car, slamming the door. I follow, and we peel out of there.

~~~

Alaric starts awake, gasping. I stare at him cautiously. After what he just pulled with Meredith, I'm not sure which Alaric we're looking at. And by the look on Damon's face, he isn't either. "Bonnie did a spell." Alarics face turn to confusion, and then concern as he notices his hand, which is bloody. "Did something happen?" Damon exchanges looks with me. "Let's just say you have an alter-ego hellbent on killing council members." Alaric gasps. "Meredith! Is she all right?"

Damon nods. "She's fine, Ric."

~~~

Me and Stefan sit around in our living room. Stefan drinks bourbon and I drink whiskey. Damon comes in, whistling, and holding something with a sheet draped over it. Stefan looks at me. I shrug. "Well you're looking chipper today." Damon laughs. Then he unveils what he's holding. My drink falls out of my hand and my mouth drops open, along with my stomach. Damon holds the sign. For Wickery Bridge. The one made of White Oak. "The game's back on, siblings. Let's go kill some Originals."