Rebel Just For Kicks: Kol Mikaelson [1]

68: The Madwoman In The Attic

MJ couldn't see.

But she could feel cold.

Cold everywhere.

Something sticky on her hands and arms, over her legs.

Then she felt herself lifted up.

"Sto – Stop – "

She couldn't stop herself from screaming

~***~

Elena was standing in the middle of the 'guest' bedroom with Jeremy. She was covering the furniture in white cloth as Jeremy poured paint into a trough, beginning to work on the back wall. Jeremy turned to top his brush up, only to find Stefan standing in the doorway.

"Going darker, huh?" He asked.

Elena spun around, smiled for a second before forcing her eyes to drop to the floor, "It's the only colour we had."

"That's what happens when you decide to paint your dead guardian's room in the middle of the night," Jeremy said pointedly.

Stefan walked forward, "I don't suppose anyone tried to talk you guys out of doing this so soon."

"We have to keep moving," Elena switched spots, "Otherwise we'll start thinking...and we don't want to think."

"Want a hand?"

Before Elena could answer, Jeremy spoke, "So, are you two back together or something?"

Stefan looked away awkwardly while Elena picked at the paint roller.

"What? No, Jer, we're just..."

"I – I was just checking up on you guys," Stefan jumped in, "Seeing how you were doing, after everything."

"We're fine," Jeremy said firmly, reaching down to rest his brush in the trough, "But, if you are trying to be the good guy again, why don't you do the right thing and give us one day."

He stood up straight.

"Just one day without any vampires in it."

Elena was saying  'be polite' with her face, so he just backed out of the room, tired and not in the mood to play nice.

She put her paint roller down too and moved closer to Stefan.

"He didn't mean that."

"Yeah," Stefan contradicted, "He did."

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get that."

He headed downstairs alone, leaving Elena to keep painting, potentially drawing Jeremy back out of his room. Stefan didn't want to make Elena's family life more complicated, not when they'd just lost Ric, but he also couldn't keep himself away.

He opened the front door, jaw dropping.

"We have a problem."

Damon was carrying MJ in his arms, her eyes rolled back, something stuffed in her mouth, blood covering her body.

Bonnie was leaning on the porch beam next to them, bags under eyes and blood on her hands too.

They moved to the kitchen, placing MJ on the countertop, revealing to Stefan that she was actually awake, trembling against the surface, barely able to move, but trying to, invisible restraints holding her back.

As she 'fought', Bonnie and Damon explained what had happened.

"What do you mean he turned?" Stefan raised his hands, "I thought you were standing guard!"