Her Humanity (E. Mikaelson)

Chapter 12

Nina is at the Grill with Alaric and Damon now. She's eating her fries while resting her head on Damon's shoulder as he caresses her thigh,

"Other than your lecture on the history of Mystic Falls, did you get anything out of Elijah?" Damon asks. He already asked Nina what she got out of him during their lunch.

"No, it was boring," Alaric says. "Of course, Jenna thinks he's charming."

"He really is," Nina says. "He refused to let me pay for the lunch I promised him, he drove me to the boarding house, and made me stay safely outside when he went in to save the day. He is rather charming." She sees Damon and Alaric narrowing their eyes at her. "What? I'm seventeen. I'm allowed to find him hot and charming."

"No one said anything about him being hit," Damon scolds.

"Yes they did," Nina says smugly. "I did."

Damon rolls his eyes and he sees two familiar faces enter. "There's Jenna and her new boyfriend now," he muses.

Nina sees Jenna and Elijah walking into the Grill. Jenna was giving Elijah a tour of some old properties.

"Jenna!" Nina cheers.

"Hey, Nina!" Jenna grins. "Where's your mom?"

Nina winces at the question and Jenna winces. "She's with Rose..."

"Oh, God, did you..."

"Yes, I walked in on them," Nina says. "Damon catcalled but ich."

"I am so sorry," Jenna says in amusement and Nina makes a face.

"So, Jenna," Damon speaks up, "I hear you two had quite a meeting of historical minds today."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Jenna says as Nina enjoys Damon's hand on her thigh.

"I want to have a dinner party," Nina says when Alaric mentions having papers to grade. "I'm out of high school now and I'm a good cook. Let me put it to the test." She looks at Damon with her big, green eyes that makes him fold like a cheap suit.

"Ooh, that's my girl, so full of good ideas," Damon mewls. "I'll be happy to host. Say tonight. Maybe?"

"I'm down, I can invite my mom and Rose," Nina says. "Jenna?"

Alaric tries to answer, "I don't know if tonight works..."

"Yeah, I'm free," Jenna says, cutting her man off.

"It'd be a pleasure," Elijah says and Nina squeezes her things together on Damon's hand.

"Awesome," Nina says. "Now I get to show off."
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Nina looks at the dinner on the table, satisfied. She made a Miso-Butter Roast a chicken with some Acorn Squash Panzanella. She goes to answer the door when someone rings the bell and she see John Gilbert. She closes the door in his face and walks away. Jenna and Damon get it when Jon rings the bell.

Nina is setting the table when someone rings the doorbell. She looks through the mains hall and sees that the guest of honor has arrived.

"Nikolina!" Elijah crosses the  doom and spins her once, his eyes taking her in - making Evelyn and Jenna share an amused look.

Nina is wearing a black dress with a gold trim, some black flats. Her hair is straightened and her dark eye makeup makes her green eyes shine brighter than ever.

"You look exquisite," Elijah compliments and Nina blushes.

"Come and eat," Nina urges once she gets through her nerves.

"The food looks just as good as the chef," Elijah says and Nina blushes even deeper.

She sits beside her mother at the table and Elijah sits on the other side, and Rose on Evelyn's. Damon is sat across from Elijah with Jenna beside him. John is sitting at one end of the table and Alaric is at the other. Evelyn, sensing her daughter's anxiety, reaches over and grabs her hand.

"I'm going to go grab some wine," Jenna says and she wanders off. She soon comes back and she begins to pour the wine. "I hate to break it to you, Damon, Evelyn, but according to Elijah, your families are so not founders of this town."

"Oh, is that right?" Evelyn asks. "Please do explain."

"Well," Elijah clears his throat, "as I mentioned to Jenna earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690s. Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they felt safe from persecution."

"Hmm... because they were witches," Jenna says.

"I don't get the execution in Salem," Nina says. "Witches, if they were real, sound really cool." She glances at Elijah. "Continue, please."

"The lore says that there was a wave of anti-witch hysteria," Elijah says. "It broke out in the neighboring settlement, so these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field and, uh, burned."

"I've heard their screams could be heard from miles around," Nina says.

"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me," John says. 

"Who invited you?" Nina asks him sharply and he says nothing. "Seriously, why are you even here? No one here likes you."

Evelyn covers her mouth to conceal her amused grin. John glares at Nina and Nina grabs Elijah's arm and Elijah looks down as he feels her siphoning. She looks at John after letting go of Elijah when Jenna leaves with the wine bottle and John can't breathe. 

"She's coming back," Elijah whispers to Nina and she releases her spell from John and he pants.

Nina grins smugly and she shares an amused look with Damon.
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Alaric and Nina hurry into the room after getting a call from Stefan.

"We forgot dessert like idiots," Nina says. "Elijah?"

Elijah smirks as Nina holds a hand out to him. Damon scowls.

"Miss Lockwood..."

Elijah hands Damon his glass, who drains it, and he takes Nina's hand. He twirls her around and she giggled before they leave the room. Damon scowls and he turns to scold Alaric.
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Nina grabs Damon's arm and she siphons some magic before she goes out to where Elena is at the cabin. She grabs Elijah with her magic. Alaric daggered him and he came back pissed.

"Nikolina!"

Nina almost folds because she loves how he says her birth name, but she doesn't. "I'm sorry, Elijah, but I can't let you hurt the ones I love."

"They... broke the deal first."

Nina pulls him close with her magic and she puts him on his knees. She looks at the Original. "And that's their mistake," she says. "Elena, now." She looks into Elijah's eyes as Elena drives the dagger into his chest. "I'm sorry, but I have to protect the ones I love."

Elijah closes his eyes before he falls. Damon walks over and he wraps an arm around a guilty feeling Nina.

"Little tip," Damon says, "don't remove the dagger."