BLOODLINE
xlvi. the veil

A COOL AFTERNOON breeze swept across the front lawn of the Boarding House as the sun dipped toward the horizon. The days were growing longer and warmer, giving way to the late spring and early summer air. What once had been her favorite time of year, now it held too many memories of those she lost.

Why did so many loved ones die at the start of the year?

Erin perched on the brick wall that ran along the entrance of the large home. Her legs pulled up to her chest as she leaned against a pillar, one that held up the awning above her head. She needed the fresh air and distance from what transpired inside.

After all, who would want to stick around in a place where their sister starved beneath their feet?

The decision to jumpstart Elena's humanity came readily after she almost killed Bonnie. They couldn't afford to let her wreak any more havoc on their lives. They needed the real Elena back. But unsurprisingly, she wasn't so eager to return. A few days of starvation should've edged her closer to flipping her switch back on, but it didn't seem to do anything at all. Elena was calm and silent, not giving any indication that she felt a twinge of emotion. Soon, Stefan and Damon would want to move ahead with torturing it out of her, and Erin would have to let them if she wanted her sister back.

As sunset approached, Erin noticed movement along the driveway. She looked up to see a dark car roll down the asphalt. An expensive and all too familiar one. She remained on the brick wall until the vehicle came to a stop behind Damon's, which sat parked under the awning as opposed to the garage where Stefan's stayed.

When the driver's side door opened and the owner stepped out, Erin hopped off the wall and walked toward them. "I thought you would've been long gone by now," she voiced, heading in their direction.

Elijah closed the door and straightened out his suit jacket as faced her. "Not quite yet," he answered in response. "I'm sure my brother's crusade will still be active when I arrive."

Erin didn't doubt it. Klaus wouldn't let something like 'a group of witches conspiring against him' go. Not unless they were all dead, anyway. And it had only been a couple of days. Surely if he had accomplished his task, they would know about it.

But even so, that didn't explain why Elijah hadn't gone after him. At least, not yet. Erin figured he would've already left to stop Klaus from doing something he would regret like always. But there he stood.

"I'm sure it will be, too. I'm just surprised you haven't hightailed it out of here to go after him," Erin replied with furrowed brows.

Elijah's lips twitched up into a light grin. "Well, what kind of man would I be, if I didn't give a proper farewell?"

Erin pressed her own lips together. "I didn't think I was special enough to deserve one."

Elijah met her dark gaze and said, "you are far more special than you realize."

Warmth spread across Erin's cheeks as her stomach fluttered at his words. How she wished it was dark enough for him not to notice. Could he also hear her heart thrumming harshly inside her chest?

Of course he did, didn't he always?

Nope, she didn't need that thought in her head.

Erin breathed deeply and tried to calm its racing. When that didn't work, she urged the conversation on. Maybe if she ignored it, he would too. "I do wish those witches against Klaus wouldn't have been from New Orleans, though," she told him in a sincere manner.

It was one of the first things that came to Erin's mind when she heard about Klaus's new problem. Why did the universe have to be against her? Why couldn't she just have one thing without the supernatural ruining it?

"Why is that?" Elijah questioned in a curious manner with a hint of amusement.

Erin released a short breath. "Well, I didn't really wanna have to worry about witch and Original drama when I started college," she stated.

Elijah's brows creased. "You planned to go to college in New Orleans?"

Erin nodded as she slipped her hands into the pockets of her cotton joggers. "Jeremy helped me pick it. Tulane has one of the best anthropology programs in the country," she informed him, pushing through the sting that involved her chest at the mention of her brother.

Her decision over where to attend college came about during their stay at the lake house. With so much time on her hands, Erin spent it looking through the various institutions that piqued her interest. She knew her sister and her friends were set on Whitmore, which was an hour or so away from Mystic Falls, but she wanted something more. Something just for her. And Tulane wasn't too far away, meaning she could still visit for holidays or whenever she wanted with a simple seven hour drive.

Jeremy urged her to send in an application. While he wanted her close by, he also knew she needed to do something for herself. Ever since vampires and witches and werewolves became their lives, Erin never got the chance. Now, she did. It was her time for her to take it.

Erin simply shrugged, ignoring the goosebumps that developed when the air shifted across her bare arms. "Guess I have that to look forward to," she quipped.

Elijah sighed as his expression slacked into one of sympathy. Possibly empathy, she couldn't tell. "You deserve to live your life the way you wish, Erin," he relayed in a tone of sincerity that brought the warmth back to her cheeks.

Erin gave him a determined nod, hoping the flush subsided. "And I am," she reassured him. "This is my life, Elijah. It might be full of magic and blood and people who can live to be thousands of years old, but it's mine. And, I'm okay with that."

It took quite a long time for her to accept what her world had become, but Erin finally realized that she would never be able to escape the supernatural. They were too intertwined, too enmeshed together that she couldn't possibly go back to the ways things used to be. And in truth, Erin didn't really want to. If she did, she wouldn't have met some of the best people in her life. There were some hardships, devastating ones that threatened to topple her completely, but she got through them and she would continue to do so.

Elijah stared toward her for a long moment, before his lips parted and he said, "then perhaps this isn't a farewell at all."

Erin's eyes held his as she replied, "I suppose not."

They fell quiet for a moment, gazing toward one another, before a nerve-wracking thought crossed Erin's mind. No, she shouldn't. It would be weird. She would just make it awkward between them. But the longer she thought about it, the more she realized it would be a few months until their paths crossed again.

With a deep breath, Erin moved forward and leaned up to press her lips against Elijah's cheek. The contact lasted mere seconds, before she pulled away with what she tried to pass off as a kind and not at all shaky smile. "See you soon, Elijah."

Elijah looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite place until a light smile of his own formed. "See you soon, Erin." He then turned and moved to pull open the driver's side door to his car.

Erin stepped back, watching him pull it closed and settle behind the wheel. Elijah soon started the car and eased it back down the driveway, disappearing through the dense tree-line and allowing her heart to finally slow inside her chest.

__________

Swirled handwritten flashcards were held in Erin's hands as she rested on one of the couches in the Boarding House parlor. She flipped through them, taking in the French words with the hope that she would remember their meanings. Final exams were days away, leaving her and her friends scrambling to study amidst their latest crisis.

Come nightfall, Erin had been left on her own to consume as much of her study materials as she could. Stefan and Damon devised a drastic plan of action to force Elena to flip her humanity switch, one she wasn't involved in. She wasn't entirely on board with what they had in mind, the inclusion of Matt, the Gilbert ring, and a strategically timed snapped neck, but it seemed to be the only way Elena would ever come back to them. They needed to try.

Erin's eyes scanned over the black ink on the cards until the sound of heeled footsteps caught her attention. She looked over and resisted the urge to search for a stake when she spotted the intruder. "Hope this isn't gonna become a thing now," she voiced with an annoyed sigh.

Katherine Pierce strode further into the room, sporting her ever-present smirk. "Klaus is gone, and I'm free to do as I please for the foreseeable future," she replied.

Erin lowered her flashcards and gave her a flat look. "Yeah, doesn't mean you get to do it here. I think you've done enough," she shot back.

Katherine shrugged, completely unbothered by her retort. "You'll thank me later when the boys and Matty Blue jumpstart Elena's humanity. Your sister will return to her naturally boring self and will stop trying to kill all your friends. I think I deserve a thank you."

Erin scoffed. A thank you? The only thing she deserved was a stake to the heart. "At this point, you should be lucky you're still breathing," she sneered and moved to collect her study materials from the coffee table. She wasn't about to spend any more time with the vampire.

In all honesty, Erin should've tried to kill Katherine right then and there. The outcome more than likely wouldn't end in her favor, but at least she would've attempted to rectify her brother's death. To possibly end Katherine Pierce's reign of terror. But in the end, Erin knew it wouldn't change anything. Caroline would still be a vampire, Tyler would still be a hybrid, and Jenna and Jeremy would still be dead. Their lives would remain plagued by the events of the past, and no one held the ability to turn back time.

So instead, Erin decided the best course of action was to ignore Katherine and pretend she didn't exist. She picked up her French textbook, notes, and other things and headed for her room.

But to her irritation, Katherine intercepted her path. "You're more than welcome to ignore my presence entirely, but first, satisfy my curiosity." Her brows creased as she asked, "what did you tell Elijah back in Willoughby?"

Erin stopped, turning to meet the nearly identical gaze that stared back her way. Katherine tried nonchalant and seemingly uninterested by the question, but she could see right through the façade. Anger boiled another underneath, and what appeared to be jealousy. It brought a sense of joy to Erin. While she might not be able to physically hurt Katherine, she certainly could in other ways.

Erin's lips twitched up a bit. "That's why you're here. He left you behind to go after Klaus. Can't say I didn't see it coming," she quipped.

Katherine's expression hardened and she took a threatening step forward. "Tell me what you said to turn him against me, or I will feed you your own eyeballs."

Erin might've felt frightened in the past, terrified that the vampire actually would follow through with her words. But now, the only thing she felt was amusement. "I didn't have to say anything," she began, facing her head-on. "Your actions did that for you. Why would anyone want to stick around to be with someone who can't even tell her own lies from the truth? Who cares about herself more than she ever could for anyone else?"

A beat of silence passed between them, and Erin took that as her sign to leave. She stepped around Katherine and moved to head for the stairs, but she paused when the vampire's voice filled them.

"Yeah, I've done some pretty horrible things to survive, but unlike you, at least I know when I'm being used as someone's replacement."

Erin turned back to find the vampire's eyes already set on her.

"I guess you and your sister have a lot more in common than I thought," Katherine supplied with her sly smirk sent back onto her lips.

Erin straightened her shoulders and maintained a placid gaze. Katherine was grasping at straws, trying to say anything that she thought would hurt her in return, but all she managed to do was show just how low she had fallen. The great Katherine Pierce held no more power, no more superiority over those around her and she knew it.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Katherine," Erin replied, before she left the vampire alone with the failure her life had become.

__________

"Stamp, please," Caroline voiced with her hand extended across the patio table outside The Grill.

With their final exams behind them, it was time to focus on their upcoming graduation. Caps and gowns were already ordered, courtesy of Caroline, which left the all important invitations. A notice of the event, and a slight nudge to encourage the receiver to provide a gift. Money was preferable in most cases.

To Erin, the process of putting together invitations wasn't nearly as enjoyable as Caroline made it out to be. Partly because it was tedious, but mostly because she didn't have a few dozen people to ship them out to.

Elena tore off a stamp from the strip of them on the table and handed it to the blonde. Since her humanity had returned, she tried to ease back into her life. But to no one's surprise, it wasn't a simple task. To combat the sudden onslaught of her emotions, she dialed them all into one. Rage. And that didn't make her easy to be around.

"Thank you," Caroline replied, pulling the stamp off the paper to place on an envelope.

Elena gave her a flat look. "You don't have to pretend to be nice to me, Caroline. I know this is just a ploy to keep me distracted," she retorted in a stiff tone.

Erin rolled her eyes and continued to write the recipient's address on the invitation. One of two that she intended to send. "Or, maybe she just wanted company while she filled out her invitations," she shot back, giving her sister a dull stare.

Elena huffed, but she just slid her invite into an envelope and set it on the table.

Caroline lifted her head to see the newly emotion-filled vampire lean against the metal surface, already finished. "You're done? I'm only on my second batch." She gestured to the stack sat before her.

Elena held up the envelope with a tight expression. "We have family friends in Denver. Other than that, no one cares that I'm graduating, and to be honest, neither do I," she stated and put the invitation back down.

Caroline's expression fell as she looked her way. "I know that's how you feel now, but once you get through this hating Katherine phase..."

"Wait," Elena cut her off as her choice of words piqued her interest. "Do you know where Katherine is?"

Caroline's brows creased. "No. Why would I know where she is?"

Elena scooted forward in her seat. "Yeah, but Caroline, if you did, you would tell me, right?"

Erin didn't miss that. The all encompassing rage against Katherine that consumed her every waking thought. Elijah had been right. She wasn't worth destroying herself over. But Elena, she hadn't come to that conclusion yet. And with her emotions dialed all the way toward homicide, she didn't think she would for a while.

Caroline sighed. "Elena, you're obsessing."

When she went to return her attention to the invitations, Elena reached out and snatched a hold of her hand in a tight grip. "Caroline, listen to me, if you know where Katherine is, then you have to tell me," she exclaimed lowly.

Caroline gaped at her and yanked her hand out of her grasp. "I don't, Elena. Chill."

Erin stared toward her sister with wide eyes. "Yeah, Elena. Chill out, or you can go back to the Boarding House. We wanted the real you back, not some Katherine obsessed rage monster." She gathered up her things and stood for her seat, before her gaze met Elena's. "Get it together."

Without another word, Erin moved away from their table and entered The Grill. Perhaps Matt and Rebekah would be better company.

__________

Throughout the afternoon, Elena's mood hadn't gotten any better. In fact, it might've turned out to be worse. She spent a great deal of time at the dartboard, throwing the sharp objects provided at the colored rings with enough force to rattle it against the wall. Erin worried that people would start to notice, but they were more focused on their meals and the sudden change in the weather.

Both Caroline and Rebekah tried to talk Elena down, but all that seemed to accomplish was get their feelings hurt. It seemed her sister wasn't above using harsh words to get others to leave her alone.

Soon, their attention turned to something more dyer than Elena's Katherine centered rage. The power had gone out across the town, prompting them to figure out the cause. And to their horror, it seemed Bonnie decided to follow through with the spell to bring down the veil between their world and the Other Side. So Elena and Caroline set out to help Stefan and Damon stop her, while Erin stayed behind with Matt and Rebekah.

Erin claimed a seat at the bar, toying with her phone in the hopes of receiving an update about what was going on. The rapid winds that blew through the streets seemed to cease all at once, meaning something had happened regarding the spell. And from past experience, it led to one of two things. Her friends managed to stop Bonnie, or the spell had been completed.

And as of late, they weren't exactly lucky enough for it to be the former.

Rebekah lit a few candles on the bar, while Matt went to check the state of Main Street. Not that he really needed to, but there wasn't much to do after everyone in the restaurant left to ride out the windstorm at home.

Matt reentered the building and voiced, "this wind is weird. One minute it was blowing like a hurricane, now nothing. Not even a breeze."

Rebekah set down the long necked lighter on the bar and turned as he moved further into the room. "Looks like something wicked finally came," she replied.

Erin sighed and sent another text to Stefan.

"You know, you don't have to be here. I mean, technically only one of us is getting paid," Matt told her.

"But it's fun," Rebekah said as she stepped toward him. "And kind of cozy with the storm outside, and the candlelight - and us."

Erin groaned, turning on her stool to see them stood less than a foot apart. "Get a room, please," she called out, capturing their attention.

Matt shot her a narrowed look, which Erin returned with a smirk.

Before a word could be spoken, the front door of the building opened and someone stepped inside. Someone that made Erin's blood run cold.

Rebekah faced him with wide eyes. "Oh, my God. Kol," she breathed in shock.

Bonnie did it. She dropped the veil.

"Greetings from the dead," Kol Mikaelson quipped as he looked across them with a dull grin. "So, who fancies a drink?"

Erin scrambled up from her stool and away from the bar when Kol ascended the small platform to the bar. She kept her eyes on him, watching closely as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a shot.

Rebekah followed him, still in awe of her brother's appearance. "I thought I'd never see you again," she muttered with tears in her eyes.

"Spare me the waterworks, sister. I've already watched you grieve. It lasted a full twenty-four hours, remember?" Kol retorted and threw back his shot.

"I'm assuming this means Bonnie dropped the veil," Matt interjected.

Kol lowered his shot glass back into the bar and said, "not completely, and not for long. But who am I to give up an opportunity for revenge?" Erin's stomach dropped. "My killer's already dead, but his sister's just as culpable." He shifted his gaze to Erin, making her heart lurch. "Count yourself lucky, darling. Your lack of involvement just saved your life. But, maybe you could help me find your traitorous twin."

Over Erin's dead body.

Matt stormed up the small set of steps and exclaimed, "if you hurt Elena, I swear..."

Kol grabbed the whisky bottle and slammed it down onto the edge of the bar. The glass shattered, leaving a jagged piece left in the Original's hold. "Oh, I'm going to. But please, continue. I'm curious as to where you're going with this."

Rebekah stepped to the side, partially placing herself between her brother and Matt. "You've made your point, Kol. Leave."

Kol angled the broken bottle toward her. "First, tell me where I can find Elena."

"She left here hours ago. We don't know where she is. Now, get out!" Rebekah snapped at him.

Kol kept a placid expression with his lips pursed, glancing between her and Matt. "I see you finally got the quarterback to pay attention to you. How's the throwing arm, champ?"

In a blur, Kol reared back and laughed the broken bottle toward Matt. The jagged edges impaled the boy's right shoulder, causing him to stumble with a short scream of pain.

Erin's eyes widened. "Matt!" she yelled and raced for him, ignoring the Original as he made his way toward the side exit.

Rebekah caught Matt before he could fall, quickly helping him over to the nearest table to set him in a chair.

Matt winced, reaching up to hold his arm against his side. "Your brother's a dick," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Rebekah huffed. "Tell me about it, but first, I need to get this glass out of your arm," she voiced and moved to the bar, grabbing a pair of tongs and a flashlight.

As she began to pry the large shards of glass from Matt's skin, Erin decided to go look for a first-aid kit. She knew they had one. It would've been wildly irresponsible and borderline illegal for a restaurant to not have one in case of an emergency.

With another flashlight in hand, Erin entered the kitchen of The Grill. After the few times she ventured through the rear of the building, she knew where most things were inside. A tall metal cabinet sat along the wall, which became the first place to search. She pulled open the doors and luckily came across the kit with little effort.

Erin made a move to rejoin Matt and Rebekah, but she paused when an odd sound reached her ears. It reminded her of something sliding across a surface, quick and fast. Which shouldn't have been heard, since The Grill was supposed to be empty. Erin swept the beam of her flashlight across the kitchen until she came across movement near the floor. Her heart leapt into her throat at what she found.

Caroline sat on the linoleum with one arm outstretched, while the other was held at an angle. She held something in her hand and raised it to her wrist.

Erin went to ask what Caroline was still doing there, considering she should've been with Elena looking for Bonnie, but she stopped when her light caught her actions. Her stomach rolled at the sight of Caroline with a steak knife in hand, slashing at her wrists as blood pooled onto the floor.

"Oh, my God. Caroline!" Erin screeched, rushing forward to grab the knife from her grasp.

Caroline pulled away from her, eyes glazed over as she looked down at her bloody and already healed wrist. "I have to keep cutting," she said in a monotone.

Erin quickly shook her head. "No, you don't. Care, stop," she exclaimed and tried to grab the knife again, but the blonde pulled away. There was no way she would be able to wrestle the thing out of her hand. She needed help. "Rebekah!"

A few moments passed, before Rebekah entered the kitchen. "What? A first-aid kit can't be that hard to..." she trailed off when she spotted Erin knelt beside a bleeding Caroline. "Oh, my God."

Erin stood and turned to the Original. "She's in some kind of trance. Help me get her to the bar."

Rebekah didn't argue and moved to grab Caroline, tearing the knife from her hands as she hauled her up and to the front of the building.

When they emerged into the candle lit space, Matt rose from his seat and gaped at them. "What happened?" he questioned, hurring to their sides.

Erin set down her flashlight and stood next to Caroline, after Rebekah plopped her down in a stool. "It's Silas. He's making her see things. You need to warn Stefan and Damon. If Caroline's here, that means he's with them," she rushed out.

Matt nodded, tearing his phone out of his jean pocket. "Got it."

Meanwhile, Rebekah had a hold of Caroline's head and tried to gain her attention. "Caroline, hey, snap out of it."

Caroline's expression remained flat as she muttered, "I need to bleed. Silas wants me to bleed."

"Stop it! You're hallucinating," Rebekah shot back and lightly shook her.

Caroline's gaze dropped to the bloody knife on the bar and she reached for it. "Just let me do this. I need to do this."

Rebekah released her head to tightly grab her hands. "You're going to cut your hands off!"

"Let go of me!" Caroline fought against her, but she was no match for the Original's strength.

Erin stepped closer and tried to catch her friend's eyes. "Caroline, stop. This is Silas. He's making you see things."

Caroline didn't seem to hear her as she continued to reach for the knife.

Matt finished up with his call and ran back over to them. "Have you tried compelling her?" he asked Rebekah.

She shook her head. "I can't. She's on vervain."

"Let me go!"

Erin racked her brain for what to do until her gaze fell to Caroline's invitations still spread across the bar. Maybe that would snap her out of it. She grabbed one and held it up for the blonde to see. "Look, Care, we're graduating, remember? I know your Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary would like to see you walk across the stage. You know, preferably with both of your hands," she rambled on.

Caroline ignored her. "I need to keep cutting. I need to keep cutting. I need to keep cutting..."

Rebekah shook her harshly that time to force her gaze onto hers. "Stop!" As Caroline tried to fight her hold, she reared back and slapped the vampire across the face.

Erin jumped with wide eyes, dropping the invitation to the bar. "Rebekah!"

Rebekah slowly let go of Caroline, watching her sit up straight with a scowl on her face.

"Bitch!" Caroline snapped in return.

Rebekah sighed in relief. "There's the Caroline I know and loathe."

Erin couldn't help the amused laugh that escaped her lips.

__________

Once everything had calmed down and they were sure Caroline broke through Silas's mind control, a little clean up was needed before they left The Grill. Glass littered the bar from Kol's shattered whiskey bottle, and Caroline's blood splattered across the kitchen floor. They couldn't just leave it for anyone to find.

Soon after they finished, Erin received a call from Elena. She wanted her to come to the cemetery. Why, she didn't know. Her sister neglected to say more than that she needed to get there as soon as possible, so she piled into her car and drove across town to the gravestone riddled land.

Erin didn't particularly want to visit the place. It never really crossed her mind to. What was the point? To look upon a grey stone with her family's names carved into the surface, indicating that their bodies sat six feet under them in a wooden box. She knew Elena found comfort in it after their parents died, but she never did. If she wanted to speak with them, she could do so from anywhere she liked. It wasn't like their souls lingered near their graves.

Darkness encased the cemetery, bringing an eerie shiver down Erin's spine. Why couldn't she meet Elena somewhere brighter? Somewhere filled with fewer ghosts? She trudged between the various graves, careful not to step where she believed a body rested beneath the ground. Her gut told her to head for Jeremy's, knowing that it was most likely where her sister would be.

So much for not wanting all of her emotions to rush back at once.

As she approached the place where Jeremy tombstone's rested, Erin paused when she spotted two figures standing near the vacant grave. One of them she knew was her sister. Her new naturally worn hairstyle easily seen in the moonlight. But the other, they differed in every possible way. Even then, she still recognized them as if they were her own reflection.

"Jeremy?" Erin voiced, capturing their attention as tears spring to her eyes.

Jeremy turned and looked toward her with a smile on his lips. "Hey, Erin," he replied, sounding like music to her ears.

Erin gave him a watery grin, before she kicked off the ground and raced for him. Jeremy barely had any time to brace himself as she launched into his arms, holding him tightly in the hopes that she could keep him there forever.

"You're here. You're really here," Erin choked out as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm here," Jeremy assured her, hugging her back with a hand held to the back of her head.

Erin reluctantly pulled away, but she kept a firm grasp on his arms. "I can't believe you're here," she muttered, before her gaze shifted to Elena, whose eyes also shone with tears. "How much time do we have?"

Elena shook her head. "Not long. Bonnie's putting up the veil now," she relayed, sadness clear in her tone.

Erin sniffed and glanced between her sister and brother with a smile. "Then I guess we better make the most of it."

Elena and Jeremy smiled in return, and the three of them moved to wrap each other in the tightest hug they could muster, savoring the last few moments they would have together until the world tore them apart once again.

<July 5, 2022>

Managed to squeeze the last two episodes together, leaving us with one final chapter.

Hopefully, I'll be able to breeze through it and put out the first chapter of the sequel, before my Stranger Things obsession drags me back into its clutches.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

- Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter.