After Alaric entered his dying place the rest of us scattered. Elena went to the high school, Jeremy went to the grill but I didn't know where I wanted to be right now. I couldn't go to my home, and I didn't want to go to the graveyard because that's where Alaric would be soon. Instead I decided to brave the toughest place for me to go to.
I walked into the Gilbert house and sat down on the floor of Alaric's room. I didn't cry and punch at the walls. I just allowed myself to be consumed by the emptiness. I sat there in silence for what felt like forever only to be shaken out of my head by Elena and Jeremy.
"Hey." Elena said with a saddened smile. "You can sleep here tonight if you want?"
"I—I can't sleep." I told the two as I shot up from the ground. "I uh—I think we should paint."
"Paint?" Jeremy said in surprise.
"Yeah. Paint." I mumbled. "I think we should paint Alaric's room."
"Um. Yeah." Elena said with a smile. "I think that's a great idea."
"I think you're both crazy." Jeremy grumbled. "But at least you're normal crazy."
We poured some paint into a trough and began to paint Alaric's room in silence. We weren't angry at one another, but we all knew we wouldn't have anything to say.
"Going darker, huh?" The three of us jumped at Stefan's sudden appearance.
"It's the only colour we had." Elena answered.
"That's what happens when you decide to paint your dead guardian's room in the middle of the night." Jeremy grumbled.
"I don't suppose anyone tried to talk you out of doing this so soon?" Stefan asked us.
"We have to keep moving." I snapped. "Because of we don't we have to think and—and who wants to think right now?"
"At least this way, we have something else to focus on." Elena told him with a small smile.
"Want a hand?" Stefan offered.
"So are you two like back together or something?" Jeremy blurted out.
"What? No! We're just—uh—" Elena began to stutter and Stefan stepped in on her behalf.
"I was just checking in on you guys. See how you were doing, after everything."
"We're fine." Jeremy said curtly. "But seeing as you're trying to be the good guy again, why not do us a favour and give us a day? Just one day without any vampires in it."
Jeremy stormed out of the room and I sighed at how nice it was when we were all in a complicit silence.
"I'll uh—give you two a minute." I walked out and into my room, checking my phone.
Elijah Mikaelson (3) missed calls
Klaus Mikaelson (3) missed calls
Klaus: I truly am sorry about Alaric.
Elijah Mikaelson: I heard about what happened to your guardian. My deepest condolences. If you would like a break from your home, you are more than welcome to join me.
I threw my phone against the wall and slumped down against it in a fit of tears. Sorry. I hated that word. When my parents died everyone said sorry. When Jenna died, everyone said sorry. Now Alaric's dead too and everyone keeps saying sorry. Like sorry is gonna bring him back from the dead. All sorry does is remind us how powerless we are.
~Klaus POV~
"Alaric Saltzman just tried to kill me!" Rebekah cried as she ran into the room.
"Alaric Saltzman is supposed to be dead." Klaus countered.
"Well he isn't, he's a vampire and thanks to our mother he has a white oak stake that can't kill him." Rebekah told him, still panicked. "He's strong Nik. Too strong."
"And where is he now?" Klaus asked his sister.
"He's stuck at the school without daylight ring." She explained. "But as soon as night falls he'll come after us. We have to leave now."
"Fine." Klaus said with a nod. "I'll collect Iliana, we'll be on our way."
"Forget Iliana!" Rebekah yelled. "You don't need any more stupid hybrids!"
"What I need is protection from Esther's continued assaults against us!"
"We'll protect each other Nik!" Rebekah said with a warm smile. "Like we always have. Always and forever."
"I can't leave without her." He told her. "It's about more than just hybrids."
"Nik, you forced me to leave Stefan behind. I need you to do the same now." Rebekah told her brother but he merely shook his head. "I am leaving now, Niklaus. You can either walk out that door with me or you are on your own."
"I am not leaving without her."
"Fine!" Rebekah snapped. "Trust your hybrids over your family. Let your spite be the death of you, see if I care."
~Iliana POV~
I sat in the room continuing to sob on my own, ignoring all that was going on around me. I just wanted it all to end all the pain, all the suffering, I just wanted it to be over. My phone started to ring again and I gasped when I saw the phone number. Alaric.
"Whoever you are, you are sick." I growled.
"Who else would it be? You know another Alaric?" I started to hyperventilate once I heard the voice I thought I would never hear again.
"Alaric?"
"Listen very carefully." He began. "I have Caroline and if you want to keep her alive, I need you to get in your car and come down here right away. If you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, where you are going—I will kill her."
The phone hung up and I knew what I had to do. I couldn't tell anyone explicitly, but I could leave a hint. I would just have to hope that someone would know me well enough to get the hint.
~Jeremy POV~
Jeremy grumbled as he went to answer the door, desperately hoping it wouldn't be someone else Alaric had used to turn him into a vampire. He groaned as he saw the visitor that had shown up at his door.
"Oh great, another vampire ex-boyfriend." Jeremy said with a roll of his eyes. "What the hell do you want?"
"Now is that any way to treat a guest?" Klaus asked with a smirk.
"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Stefan queried as he appeared behind the Gilbert boy.
"I swear it is like an epidemic." Jeremy muttered under his breath.
"Well for starters, young Jeremy here could show me some manners and invite me inside." Klaus said with a grim smile.
"Why don't you go up to your room, Jer?" Stefan suggested as he stepped in front of him and Damon came to join them.
"Right. Now." Damon growled. Jeremy rolled his eyes and sighed before walking up the stairs. Just one day without vampires, just the one.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Sorry it's late, I posted chapter 25 and then Wattpad started acting up! Please vote, comment and follow for more! I really appreciate it! Love you as always! Until next time! X
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The Red Herring Returns: A Mikaelson Love Story
FanfictionSequel to The Red Herring ~The Love of the past and the love that could be~ Despite Klaus Mikaelson's compulsion, Iliana Gilbert has found her way back to Mystic Falls. Pain in her heart from her sister's antics as well as her boyfriends, a new Mika...
