Captive Love || K. Mikaelson

Karma

Alaric revs up the saw and cuts through the sign. I chew my lips nervously. I'm at a crossroads. Do I alert the Originals, or do I stay true to my loyalties? But what if my loyalties were to both? My family. Who's stuck with me no matter what, and my friends. The Originals. Who've terrorized us nonstop, tried to kill us, and made our lives a living hell. It won't be the Originals sticking with me to the end. It'll be my family. That's my choice. Family, above all. Even love.

Damon continues sharpening the stake he has. Stefan brings over another stake. "These need to be sharper." "Got it." "We finally have something to kill an Original and I'm not going to miss because you can't whittle." "I said I got it." Damon snaps. I just watch. "Hey are you gonna help or what?" It's Damon. "Uhm..." I'm saved by Alaric. "I'm going to the sheriff to turn myself in." He pulls on a jacket. "Ric."

"Don't I have a homicidal alter ego? Unlike some people I like to take accountability for my actions." He looks pointedly at Damon. "Ric if you wanted to turn yourself in, you wouldn't be saying it out loud. Just saying." Alaric's eyes narrow. "You of all people cannot psychoanalyze me. I killed Caroline's father." Like he didn't deserve it. "You're not turning yourself in. Look, Bonnie's herbs are working and we have Originals to kill." Stefan says.

I tune out. I don't want to hear this. Just because I'll do it, doesn't mean I want to hear about my sins before I commit them. "Klaus needs to die." I stand up abruptly. "Excuse me." I fly out the door and leave.

~~~

I receive a text with a location and time. It's from Stefan. No doubt he wants to talk plans for eliminating the Originals. I'd rather be doing anything else. I make my way to the rendezvous point where everyone else is already waiting, except my brothers, of course. They walk to us holding duffel bags. I know what they contain. Weapons of destruction. "What are we doing here?" Matt asks. "I found some more white oak. Long story."

Elena gapes. "We need to keep Klaus separated. Caroline?" My head snaps up. "Why Caroline? Why not me?" Stefan eyes me suspiciously. "Because he has a more personal connection with you. He might suspect something if you randomly appear after not seeing him for days." I relax. Oh. Why do I even care? She's just going to be bait.

"We need Matt to distract Rebekah. Just keep talking Matty blue eyes. Blondie holds Barbie and I come up like this" He grabs her arms and twists them behind her back. "And I go like this." Stefan pretends to leap at Caroline, making a stabbing motion with a stake. Maybe I can still back out of this. Probably not. Damon lets go of Caroline.

"We all have one stake hidden and we keep an eye out for any opportunity. We have no last-minute attacks of pity for them." Damon looks pointedly at Elena. "Don't worry about me. Not after what Elijah did." Ah yes. Kidnapping the sweet innocent Elena and holding her hostage. Well she's not the one to be worried about. I can feel it now, bubbling up in my stomach like a sickness. Guilt.

"Barbie?" "Anything that will free Tyler."

"Bus Boy?" "Do I have a choice?"

"Good. We have 12 stakes, 12 shots. We only have to kill ONE original." They continue practicing different scenarios, but I don't listen. I can't. I don't want to hear the numerous ways we can kill Kl-The Originals.

~~~

We're in the Square downtown Mystic Falls. "Is it weird Bonnie's not returning my calls?" Elena asks. "Is it weird Klaus's brother is in the middle of town square?" Matt says. My head snaps up. It's true. Sage and Finn are walking together. Huh. What do you know? I guess love does stand the test of time. 900 years. In a box. Elena whips out her phone and dials Stefan.

A few hours later, I wait beside the grille, down the stairs. Stefan is going to ambush them inside. I'm all but happy to be on the outside. But something must have gone wrong, because Sage and Finn come out at the top of the stairs, clearly furious, and following Stefan. I wonder what happened. Sage easily clears Stefan, but Finn stands exposed. Coming out of the side door, Matt aims a crossbow at him. I recognize what it is. Immediately, I know I can't do this.

With a last minute move, I jump at Matt, yanking the thing out of his hands. He falls back in surprise. Elena quickly shuts the door behind him. All the commotion distracts Sage, who lets go of Stefan. He moves quickly, ducking underneath Sage, and grabbing the stake. He plunges it into Finn. Gasping, I freeze. Finn stiffens, falling backward. "No!" Sage and I shout in unison. Stefan, with a triumphant grin, must not notice my stricken face.

His body bursts into flames. I finally unfreeze as the reality of the situation in front of me sets in. Sage wails over Finn's body. My stomach tosses, and suddenly, I don't feel like the good guy anymore.

~~~

I sit silently on the couch. Stefan stands in the living room, on the phone. The world around me seems to be spinning. "Are you alright Alex?" Stefan asks. I nod shakily. "I get it. You've never improvised before. But that's okay. You get used to it with a new threat every week." He goes back to his phone call. Oh. He must think my leaping at Matt was somehow part of the plan. Well it wasn't. And in the end, it doesn't matter. Klaus is still dead.

Tears well up in my eyes as I finally admit it. But I won't say it out loud. That only makes it so much worse. I attempt to go up the stairs and stop abruptly. Alaric clutches his head, groaning on the bottom steps. Stefan comes down the hallway, following me. "What the hell happened to you?"

~~~

There are no words for what I'm feeling right now. For an immortal hybrid, Klaus sure does seem to be in danger of dying a lot. I swear. I don't believe anything until I see a body, from now on. Klaus is very much alive. Bonnie unbound him and his siblings, so only Finn died. If that's not enough, Rebekah took Damon. Karma, I suppose. Rebekah strung him up, bled him out. He was chained with bear traps. It's a no-brainer where those came from. Looking at you, little brother.

Klaus compelled Damon to tell him how many stakes there were, so now that cat's out of the bag. He gave us Damon back at least. That's what Stefan says. I wasn't there. I'm at Elena's. Goodness knows I need a friend right now, who isn't blood related.