A life in the shadows

36

When Matteo woke up, he was in a bed, with Siobhan at his side. He looked around realising it was his bed, in his room, at the boarding house.
"Hey." She smiled.
"Hi Matty. How are you feeling?"
"Haven't had my neck snapped in half a decade, so I forgot about the post death neck pain. What happened? You know, after I conked out?"
"Well, turns out Damon was out with Katherine looking for a way to put down Klaus. They know where Mikael is."
"He didn't..?"
"He did. Told Klaus he knew about Mikael, and Klaus skipped town. Without Rebekah. He compelled Stefan's humanity off."
"Those two kids at the school. Are they-?"
"Klaus let them go. Said you'd never forgive him or some crap. I think he kind of looks up to you."
"Klaus?" Matteo gave her a look.
"Yeah. You're like the epitome of everything good. And you do everything so well."
"You're only describing yourself, darling."
"I mean it. I mean, the rest of us aren't bad, but you're really good. You never give up, you're nice to everyone, helpful, and you're always thinking of others."
"I'm nothing special, darling. I mean, kindness and doing good, that's who we all are. I'm not as amazing as you make me out to be."
"Even after you got to see Damon and Stefan, you didn't stop trying to give everyone an equal chance. You manage to make Klaus less evil. At times that is, because sometimes he just can't be helped. You bring out the best in everyone."
"You see me as some super fae, but truth is, I'm better with you. You have such an influence on me, and I don't think you realise. Everything I've done, you've always been by my side, helping me do it. I am who I am because of you. Everything that I've done, has always been the combined efforts of me and you. Give yourself some credit."
"And there goes you refusing to be complimented."
"I love you, Siobhan. You've always been there for me. Always been the one person I could count on, no matter what." She smiled slightly, before looking down. "And no one can change that. Not even Klaus."
"Promise me you won't leave me. I don't want to be left alone."
"Shouldn't I be asking the runaway that?" Matteo laughed before sobering and looking at her seriously. "I promise, I'll always be by your side."
"I love you. I could never run from you. When I was human, my home was always with Henrik. And when he died, I couldn't stay. It was Klaus's fault, and I tried but I could never forgive him. I tried to, I knew Henrik would want me to, but I couldn't. Henrik was my other half. We were inseparable. And everyone just kept telling Klaus it wasn't his fault, everyone except my father who hated Klaus and blamed him for everything including being born, but even Mikael was silent and harsher towards Esther, always by her side, the two of them always talking of what I now know to be ways to keep the rest of our family safe. I couldn't stand it, no one loved him like I did. He was a part of me, we did everything together. And the one night I wasn't by his side, the one night I refused to come out with him and Niklaus, he was killed. Klaus was supposed to keep him safe. He didn't."
"It wasn't your fault, you know." He told her. "I know you, Siobhan and you're blaming yourself for not being by your brother the night he needed you most, but it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known that he would die."
"I should have. I will always hate Klaus for that. I can't just get over it, I've tried Matty, but every time I see him, I see my dead brother, I see Klaus waking us all up and I remember the dread I felt, when I saw him. Matty, I don't want him at our wedding. Please, let us not invite him."
"It's up to you. This is going to be the happiest day of our lives, and if you don't want him there, he won't be there. But I want to try something first. Tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay." Siobhan nodded, slightly confused.
"Come on, lets go check on my brothers."
"There's something else you should know. Klaus compelled Stefan to turn it off. Also Elena is the missing ingredients for his being a hybrid. He needs her blood in order to turn them which means he needs her alive."
"He did what to Stefan?"
"Yeah, and to do whatever he says. Right now he needs to protect Elena."
"I need to talk to you."
"Tomorrow?"
"I guess it can wait."
"What is it?"
"No, it's okay. Tomorrow, we'll have a chat."
"Okay, if you're sure." She said. "Go to your brothers."
"Would you like to come?"
"I think this is just between you, for now." She told him and he nodded before going out. He headed down the stairs to the living room. Damon sat with a glass in his hand.
"Hey, D."
"Hi, you're up?"
"Yeah. It took a while, I know. What's up, tell me what you've been up to while I was away."
"Where were you?"
"Well there was a vote to lift the no connections to our human lives rule and it worked out. Siobhan and I were helping a few people tie up a few loose ends."
"Glad it's lifted, she can see her father now."
"Damon, I get you want Klaus dead, I do, but we don't kill. We don't bring in killers to kill. It's wrong."
"Spare me the lecture."
"If you won't look at it like that then think of it this way. Mikael = vampire hunter. You = vampire. Therefore add a vampire hunter and a vampire, and you get no more vampire."
"Stop being so dramatic. Anyways, your pal tried to kill me. I say fair's fair."
"Two wrongs don't make a right."