The Apprentice (The Originals/The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 Somewhere in Europe, nearly four years later

 
 "Are you sure they were following us?" Annette asked as she began to ease down on the gas pedal.

 "It certainly looked like it." Mikael continuously checked every mirror. "They're gone. Perhaps they weren't following us, after all."

 "I thought you had gotten over your paranoia issues."

 "I am not paranoid. And don't act like you've never had paranoia."

 "I'm not paranoid. If I ever have been, I got it from you." She chuckled. "Listen to us, bickering like an old married couple. Well, you're old, at least."

 "You started the bickering."
 
 "No, you did when you insisted that car was tailing us." Annette glanced over at him. "Oh, come on, Mikael. It's been nearly four years, and nothing's happened."

 "But that's just it," he said. "It's been four years, and we have heard nothing. Nothing at all." He sighed. "What could be taking them so long? How hard could finding cures possibly be?"

 "We don't know how magic works," Annette pointed out. "I think only witches really know about that."

 She heard her phone suddenly start buzzing.

 "That could be them now." She pulled it out and hit 'answer', her eyes still on the road. "Annette Chevalier."

 "Annette? It's Stefan. Stefan Salvatore."

 She slowed down a little. "Stefan. I was hoping you wouldn't have to ever call us. What's the emergency?"

 "We need your hunting skills. It's my brother. He and a friend are in trouble, and we need help finding them. It's taken months, and I happened to find an old piece of paper with a phone number and your name on it. If you can come to Mystic Falls, I'll explain everything, I promise." 

 "We're actually in Europe right now, but we'll get to Mystic Falls quick as we can. Keep doing what you've been doing, and we'll do what we can." She hung up and glanced over at Mikael. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

 "We're really going to help them? Don't we have enough problems of our own already?"

 "What problems do we have? We've had a good few years, but I think it's about time we tried talking to other people. I mean, we don't have friends or anything like that."

 Mikael sighed and slumped back in his seat. "Stefan Salvatore could have at least told us what his problem is this time."

~~~~~~

 Annette called Stefan once they had landed in Virginia.

 "We'll be on our way to Mystic Falls," she said.

 Stefan sighed. "About that. Some stuff has happened since the last time we talked."

 "Really? What's changed?"

 "It's pretty complicated. We-"

 "Annette, can-just give-let me have the phone." Mikael carefully pried the phone from Annette's hand. "Listen up, Salvatore. You had better give us a good reason why on Earth we should ever come back to that miserable town you call your home."

 "What I was about to say," Stefan continued, "Is that we found Damon and Enzo. They were under the influence of a siren. Still are, actually. Damon killed a friend of ours, Tyler Lockwood. You just missed his funeral."

 "A siren?" Annette repeated. "The ones that would lure sailors to their deaths?"

 Mikael scoffed. "Oh, of course. Your stupid brother and his stupid friend get themselves into trouble, and they blame it on a mermaid. Did you ever think that perhaps they were making it up? Damon Salvatore certainly doesn't have the best reputation." 

 "It is true. I saw Sybil myself. She's not a mermaid. We have her locked up in the Armory now."

 "And do we want to know what the Armory is?" Annette asked. 

 "Oh, you know, just your usual creepy old place with supernatural artifacts and stuff. Hey, why don't you guys meet me at the Armory? If you're interested, I can fill you in. We might still need help. I'll give you the address."

~~~~~~

 When Annette and Mikael walked into the Armory, the first thing they noticed was the strange humming noise that seemed to fill the building.

 "Good, you guys are here." Stefan walked over to them. "I told Alaric not to panic or anything if you showed up. Hey, are you okay?"