The Original Ripper

Chapter 5: "He promised us forever"

Once they'd made it to New York they were standing in a penthouse apartment with the Landlord. Looking out on the balcony Layla looked over to Kol with a smile. "I like this place, what do you say Kol?" Layla asked playing with her sleeve. Kol grinned looking to the landlord which was a girl.

"She's an exquisite taste." Kol smirked going to walk over to her but Layla stopped him grabbing his arm.

"Don't kill her; I've compelled her to let us have this place free of charge. I have a feeling we'll be needing this place for a long time." Layla chuckled. She then turned around smiling to Kol. "I won't be coming home tonight." Layla informed him walking out of the penthouse. When she got into the streets she made her way down and into a bar as the sun began to set. Sighing she ordered a bottle of wine drinking it quickly. She had a thirst hard to quench after drinking it. Sighing she compelled 30 people to come with her into the backroom. After she drained all of them she sighed still feeling the thirsty inside of her but it was enough to subside for a while. Until her next binge. Walking out of the room she sighed cleaning herself up and walking out into the street when she saw a man with a cigarette hanging between his lips and his brown eyes staring into hers.

"Do I have something on my face?" He asked walking over to her.

"Hm only just a whole lot of pretty." Layla commented teasingly.

"I saw you drag 30 men in there. I'm surprised a pretty girl like you is into gang bang or are you a ripper?" He confidently asked offering her a cigarette. Layla looked down sceptically and back up at him. He chuckled pulling one out and lighting it he then placed it between her lips. She then drew in a breath breathing in the toxic smoke that came from the cigarette and blowing out the smoke with a sigh. "Only time you'll ever really have to breathe."

"I'm a ripper." Layla confessed having admitted it many hundreds of years ago. Layla thought back to the days where she'd tried to bury her insecurities with it. She remembered all the bad and the evil she'd done. She thought it was just a part of being a vampire. On a night she'd drained 200 people and had felt close to being full she'd known something was wrong. It was one of the darkest moments of her life. Admitting she was a ripper. But she'd never made the mistake of being like that again.

"Knew it, I know a ripper when I see one. It's like looking in a mirror." The guy laughed walking with her smoking with him

"Oh really? I assume a better dressed vastly more attractive mirror." Layla joked shaking her head.

"How old are you? I'm 313 pretty old right?" The guy laughed holding his arms out and Layla looked at him with an unimpressed eyebrow.

"No, I'm a thousand years old give or take a couple hundred." Layla informed him with a shrug.

"You're an original?" He asked her shocked.

"The original ripper." Layla grinned taking in another drag and she then threw it away.

"I'm Tom" He introduced himself.

"Layla, and I do have to get going but here is my number" She handed him some paper and then she walked away from him and into the penthouse. When she got there she sat next to Kol who was on the couch playing video games. Layla leaned forward picking up his drink taking a sip and putting it down.

"How was your outing sister?" Kol asked boredly.

"Fine, I'm still peckish." Layla stated dryly and Kol sighed handing Layla his phone. Picking it up Layla read the message from Rebekah. Alaric was turned into something stronger than them with a weapon that could kill all of them. That Klaus had been desecrated and hidden somewhere safe. "Does this mean we'll have to leave?" Layla asked pouring herself a drink of whatever Kol had.

"I don't know. I hope not. I don't particularly feel like packing up and leaving every time Niklaus had a crisis." Kol spat killing the person in the game. Layla looked at the contraption confused. "Come on sister don't tell me you never bothered to learn how to play?" Kol asked amused.

"I'm more into blood sports." Layla laughed as Kol handed her a controller and began teaching her how to play. The next night Layla had just come back from her feeding when she walked in she saw Kol whose face has fallen he then walked up to Layla engulfing his arms around her tightly. He'd done it so quickly she almost didn't notice the tears falling down his face. "What happened Kol?" Layla asked confused. He pulled away wiping the tears away quickly drawing a breath in.

"Nik, he died." Kol informed her in barely a whisper. Layla moved away from him turning her back to him trying to process the information she'd been given. Drawing in a heavy breath Layla's hand went up to her mouth as she choked back a sob. Falling to her knees she let out a wail and Kol watched her feeling utterly powerless for the first time in a thousand years. His job in the family was helping Layla. No one else understood. He'd never been responsible but he was for his older sister. Getting up Layla let out an ear piercing scream storming up to the first desk she could find shoving everything off it breaking the desk letting out inconsolable wails. Kol walked up to her holding her close smoothing down her hair as she cried into his chest. "It's going to be okay darling."

"Our brother is dead Kol. Our brother is dead and he's, he's DEAD, we don't die. He promised us forever. And look what we got!" Layla screamed furious as the hot angry tears fell from her eyes. Kol carried his sister to her bedroom placing her on her bed and brushing her hair down noticing the tear stains. She wouldn't turn her humanity off. He wasn't even sure they could still do that. Her humanity had always been fragile. Not that he could talk. But they were family.

"Fight for your humanity sister. Or what's left of it." Kol whispered kissing her forehead and making his way out for a binge. Three days later Layla was packing up her belongings and she hugged Kol.

"I'll be heading back to Mystic falls for a while, for Rebekah, I've compelled a house sitter to clean and whatnot in case you decide to leave or get sloppy. I'll see you around Kol." Layla sighed turning away from him and making her way out of the building and into her car finally driving off. She'd enjoyed New York. Perhaps a bit too much but she wouldn't let that stop her. She knew she'd always have Kol around her one way or another but Klaus' death.