A life in the shadows

40

"Matt, you know you can't wipe Stefan's compulsion away, right? Because he'd get curious, and the elders would totally freak out if he found out about everything. Like, no more Stefan freak out."
"I know. But maybe I could get his humanity on. Using good old persuasion. I mean Klaus compelled it off. He didn't compel him to keep it off, did he?"
"Doubt it."
"So that's my plan for today. Try to get my best man back, while you get a maid of honour."
"I do think it's rather time I spent time with my big sister."
"And then we'll go house hunting and you can spend some time with Henrik."
"What about you. Surely there's someone you'd want to see."
"You need your brother more."
"What about Eliza, and Josh? Or even your father?"
"How about we go to them all? We visit Henrik, you can spend however long with him, and then afterwards try to find Eliza and Josh and maybe even my dad."
"First we go see your family. I've already seen Henrik. It'd be selfish to go to him before you've seen your dad and Eliza and Josh."
"You are without a doubt the most wonderful person I know." He smiled.
"And you are the most wonderful person anybody could know." She countered.
"Can you stop trying to one-up me? Let me compliment you, darling."
"At least now you know how I feel."
"You need to go talk to Rebekah. And I need to go talk to my brother." He reminded her and she gave him a kiss before they both stood up from the bed.

"Silvie!" Rebekah pulled her sister in for a hug.
"Hey Bekah."
"I still can't believe you're here. I thought that I might have imagined it. I didn't know you were alive. How are you alive?"
"Well, Esther found me a year after I left and she hexed me. I didn't know what she did to me at first, but then, ten years later I fell into this deathlike state. My heart was still beating but I was practically dead. The people I was with- friends who had been trying to figure out what Esther had done to me, they took my body and cared for me, checked on me, ran several magical tests, but they couldn't figure it out. Then a hundred and forty five years ago, I woke up. That's when I met Matty. He was new to being undead, and I was turned soon after so we learned how to be vampires together. We were always together. He was my best friend, and then I fell in love with him. Took him decades to admit he loved me, and now we're getting married."
"Aww, that's so cute. Be careful of Nik. He has a history of denying his siblings happiness."
"He and Matteo have a friendship. Plus the fact that every time he's tried to kill Matty, he's failed."
"Why didn't you tell me you were alive? You and Nik- this isn't the first time you've seen each other since we were human."
"Matt and I, we weren't allowed to see our families. It's complicated, really. But family isn't allowed. I bumped into Klaus and Elijah by accident in New Orleans. I told them to leave me alone, but then they started spouting about how they were family. I wanted to protect you and I wanted to protect my friends, you would have killed them if you found the reason why I couldn't stay with you. So I told them that I'd call upon Mikael if they didn't leave me alone. I knew they wouldn't tell you about me if I did. Niklaus believes I called upon Mikael, but I didn't. I wouldn't. Even if family wasn't forbidden, I hate Mikael more than I could ever hate Niklaus."
"He thought you called Mikael to New Orleans?"
"Mikael found you guys a few years later. When you and Marcel called upon him." Siobhan said without pause.
"W-what? I did no such thing."
"I won't tell him. I understand, you just wanted to be with the man you loved. If Niklaus tried to come between Matty and I- actually I'd sit back and watch Matty kick his ass, but I understand. You were upset."
"You truly won't tell him?"
"If I told him, there's no telling what he'd do, Bex. I love you, I won't endanger you. You lost Marcel anyways. I think you've been punished enough."
"Thank you." She smiled at her younger sister. "Will you try to convince him it wasn't you?"
"I don't care what he thinks, Bekah. I told him it wasn't me. What he does with that is up to him. I really don't care."
"You still blame him." Rebekah said softly. "You still hate him for Henrik, don't you?"
"Yes."
"It wasn't his fault."
"Henrik was my twin brother, and Niklaus was supposed to take care of him. He failed and Henrik paid the price."
"Henrik's death is quite possibly the one death that shouldn't be on his conscience. As horrendous and dastardly Niklaus can be, Henrik was not on him. It was an accident."
"I can't, Becky. I've tried, but Henrik was more than just my brother. Words can not describe what he was to me. He was my twin, a part of me and he's dead now. The rest of us are here in this earth. Our siblings, our father are all on this earth. Whether or not Niklaus has daggered our siblings, they can be revived. Our mother is on the other side and Henrik has no one with him. He's all alone now, wherever he is."
"I'm sure he's not alone. I'm sure he's found peace. He's probably up wherever looking at us and laughing at our stupid little arguments."
"I don't believe that."
"Why not?"
"Because if I was in his place, I wouldn't be able to be truly happy without anyone."