07. Ghost World

Lily groaned and slowly opened her eyes, she felt extremely weak and her whole body was hurting, once her blurry vision had faded away, she looked around and realised she was chained to a chair at the old Forbes cellar, immediately she tried to rip the chains off but failed, she was too weak.

Lily's eyes went to the entrance of the cellar, where she saw Harry enter, "Oh good, you're awake, now we can get started".

"Why are you doing this?" Lily whispered, "I don't even know you, why are you doing this to me?".

Harry kneeled infront of Lily and gave her a sinister smirk, "You didn't do anything to me sweetheart, but your parents on the other hand, they killed me".

"The way I see it, you clearly deserved it" Lily said, glaring at Harry.

Suddenly the smirk left Harry's face, Lily let out a painful yell as Harry suddenly stabbed her in the stomach with a knife.

"A knife coated in wolfsbane can never go wrong" Harry taunted, as immense pain shot through Lily.

"Go to hell!" Lily yelled.

"I was already in hell sweetheart, escaped it especially for you and your parents" Harry said, before stabbing Lily in the knife, her screams filling the cellar.

***

Caroline stood in the town square, holding on to the ladder that Bonnie had climbed on to hang lanterns on to the tree.

"So when you did the spell to send Vicki away, did that get rid of Anna too?" a curious Caroline asked her best friend.

Bonnie sighed, "I wish, all I did was block the magic that was helping Vicki get a physical foothold here" she clarified, slowly stepping down from the ladder, "Jeremy's still got a direct line to the other side, and as long as he wants to see Anna and she wants to see him, she's still here".

"Okay, you don't think that I can actually resist commenting on that" Caroline said.

"There, you commented" Bonnie pointed out, walking away from her best friend.

"Bonnie" a concerned Caroline called out.

"What do you want me to say, Caroline?" an annoyed Bonnie asked, turning around and facing her best friend, "I went against the balance of nature when I brought Jeremy back to life and now I'm paying the consequences".

"Well, I want you to say you're not okay with it" Caroline stated.

"I'm a thousand times not okay with it" Bonnie said, "I just don't know what to do about it".

Suddenly, Caroline and Bonnie's attention went on the road when they head the familiar sound of Damon's car.

"Greetings, blondie, witchy" Damon greeted, stopping his car infront of the two friends, he then looked towards Bonnie, "I think you got your voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan".

"What do you mean?" a confused Bonnie asked, "Why?".

"Because I'm pretty sure I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost" Damon informed.

"What?" a shocked Bonnie asked.

"And why would you think that?" a curious Caroline asked.

"Maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest" Damon replied, "Let's just say I'm having deja vu".

Caroline turned to Bonnie, "I thought you said ghosts couldn't physically interact with people".

"They can't" Bonnie stated.

"Yeah well, I don't have time for vengeful Lockwood" Damon said, "When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead, whatever you screwed up, fix it".

Once Damon drove away, Bonnie's eyes landed on Matt, she quickly proceeded to walk towards him, wanting to ask him about his sister, Caroline went to follow, but stopped when her phone started ringing, taking her phone out of her back pocket, she saw that her mom was calling her.

"Hey mom" Caroline greeted, answering her phone.

"Caroline" a panicked Liz said, "Please tell me you and your friends are not messing with ghosts now".

"What?" a shocked Caroline asked, "How do you know this?".

Liz let out a sighed, "Maybe because Lily's dead biological parents are currently standing infront of him".

"What?!" Caroline yelled.

"Just, do me a favor, get Lily and come to the precinct, now" Liz demanded.

Caroline nodded her head, "I'm on my way" she said, after she hanged up on her mother, she immediately dialed her sister's number, only for it to immediately go to voicemail, "Dammit Lily, now is not the time for you to go MIA, you need to answer your phone now, it's really important!".

After leaving her sister a voicemail, Caroline then quickly rushed to her car, hoping to find her sister before Bonnie managed to make all the ghosts disappear, knowing if Lily misses meeting her parents, she won't ever be able to get over it.

***

"Mom?!" Caroline called out, rushing into her mother's office, as soon as she entered her eyes went wide in shock seeing two strangers standing in the middle of the room, looking at Caroline with small smiles on their faces, "Your Lily's biological parents?".

Bani nodded her head in confirmation, "We are".

"What I want to know is how are they here right now?" Liz asked her daughter, knowing she would know.

"While sending Vicki Donovan's ghost away, Bonnie accidently opened the door to the other side which allowed ghosts to step into our world" Caroline explained.

"All ghosts?" a shocked Liz asked.

"Most ghosts" Caroline replied.

"As much as I'd love to watch you two have this conversation, I'd also really like to meet my daughter" Aarav said, he turned to Caroline, "Where is she?".

"Wait, she's not here yet?" a worried Caroline asked.

"What do you mean she's not here yet?" a even more worried Bani asked, "Your mother said you were bringing her here".

"I called her but she didn't answer my calls so I left her a voicemail" Caroline explained, "I figured she would be here by now".

"But she's not here" Liz said, "Where is she, Caroline?".

Caroline shrugged, "I have no idea, I haven't seen her all day".

Suddenly Bani's eyes went wide, she placed her hand on Aarav's arm, "Aarav, what if we aren't the only ghosts here for Laya?".

"Laya?" a confused Caroline asked.

"It's Lily's real name" Liz explained, she then turned to Bani, "What are you suggesting here?".

"Yeah Bani, where are you taking this?" a confused Aarav asked.

"Harry, Aarav" Bani snapped, "Do you not remember what he said to us before we killed him for trying to harm our daughter?".

Aarav's eyes went wide in realisation, "If he ever comes back, he's going to go after our daughter".

"Are you telling me that there is a possibility that my daughter is currently captured by a vengeful ghost?" a shocked Liz asked.

"If Laya is missing, and no one can find her, then yes, there is a huge possibility that she's in danger" Aarav confirmed.

A panicked Liz turned to her daughter, who was standing there looking extremely worried for her sister, "Call Bonnie and get her to send these ghosts back, now Caroline!".

Caroline nodded her head in understanding, "I'll call her now" she said, rushing out the room to call her best friend.

Once Caroline left, Liz picked up her phone as well.

"Who are you calling?" Bani asked, wondering why Liz wasn't out there searching for her daughter.

"I'm going to get someone to track down Lily's car and phone, even if they are abandoned and switched off, we can still get her last location, it's a reach but it's a start to finding her" Liz explained.

"Thank you" Bani said, really grateful for the women infront of her.

Liz looked at Bani, "I might not have given birth to her, but she is my daughter, don't thank me for trying to save her, I'll do anything for her and her safety".

"We're really glad that you found her that night" Aarav said, "We couldn't think of a better home for her then yours".

"I thank my lucky stars that I found her" Liz said, "Her and Caroline, they're everything to me, you should know that I would die then let anything happen to either of them".

"And that's what makes leaving our daughter in this world by herself, a little bit easier" Bani said, giving Liz a small smile.

***

A panicked Caroline stood outside the police station, talking to Bonnie on the phone.

"What do you mean you can't find Elena's necklace?" Caroline asked.

"It's not where Damon said it would be and I'm trying to call him but he won't answer my phone" Bonnie explained.

"Bonnie, you need to find that necklace and send these damn ghosts back" Caroline snapped, "My sister's life is on the line here".

"Caroline, Lexi is back and Elena wants me to hold off a bit before sending the ghosts away" Bonnie informed.

"Are you even listening to me, Bonnie?!" a frustrated Caroline, "A ghost has possibly kidnapped my sister and is doing god knows what to her, right now I don't really care about Elena and Stefan's problems, if something happens to Lily--".

"Nothing will happen to Lily" Bonnie assured, realising Caroline was right, leaving the ghosts to wonder Mystic Falls could prove dangerous for not only Lily but all of the Mystic Falls residents, "I'm going to find that necklace and I'm going to destroy it, you focus on finding Lily".

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you".

"Don't thank me, just find Lily, and call me as soon as you do" Bonnie said.

"I will" Caroline whispered, hanging up on her best friend, and then proceeding to go down her contact list, hoping someone would have seen her sister somewhere.

*** 

An annoyed Rebekah stood in the middle of the town square.

"Honestly Lily, what is the point of you having a phone?!" Rebekah said into her phone, leaving Lily a voicemail, "I've been waiting in this damn town square for you for hours and you are no where to be seen, I swear to god if you've ditched me for sleep, I'm going to murder you, I'm coming to your house right now, you better be bloody dying, otherwise no one will save you from me ".

After leaving Lily the voicemail, Rebekah turned to leave the town square when her eyes landed on a panicked Caroline.

"Caroline!" Rebekah yelled, walking over to the oldest Forbes.

"Have you seen Lily?" Caroline asked before Rebekah could ask her anything.

"I was about to ask you the same thing" a confused Rebekah said, "She was supposed to meet me here but she never showed up".

"Lily's missing, I'm trying to find her, her parents think someone has taken her" a panicked Caroline informed.

"Her parents?" a shocked Rebekah asked, "She told me her parents are dead".

"They're back as ghosts" Caroline clarified.

"I'm sorry what?!" Rebekah asked, wondering if she was suddenly hearing things.

 "Long story, I don't have time to tell you, I have to go find Lily, I'm scared she's hurt" Caroline said.

"I'll come with you" Rebekah stated, now worried for the Forbes werewolf.

"Why?" a skeptic Caroline asked, not trusting Rebekah's intentions.

"Because she's my friend" Rebekah said simply.

***

Caroline and Rebekah sat in Caroline's car, searching various places for Lily, when Liz called Caroline.

"I found Lily" Liz said the moment Caroline answered her phone.

"Where is she?" an eager Caroline asked.

"Her phone has been located at the old Forbes cellar" Liz informed, "We're going there now, meet us there".

"Why would Lily be there?" a confused Caroline asked, once her mother hanged up on her.

"Something tells me she didn't willingly go there" Rebekah said, exchanging a worried look with Caroline.

***

"You're a strong one, aren't you?" Harry taunted.

A bloody and exhausted Lily looked up and glared Harry, "I'm gonna kill you".

"Oh but sweetheart, I'm already dead" Harry reminded, "You can't kill someone whose already dead".

"I'm going to prove you wrong, you bloody bastard!" Lily yelled, trying to get out of the chains tying her down but failing.

"Ah ah, we will be having none of that" Harry said, stabbing Lily in the stomach with the knife coated in wolfsbane.

Lily yelled in pain, her whole body felt like it was on fire but despite that she glared at Harry, who was now eye level with her, Lily head butted Harry, causing him to yell and stumble back.

"You bitch!" Harry yelled.

"Thank you!" Lily said, "Honestly, you are so pathetic, you're dead and when you come back you decide to go after the reason you're dead? I mean how did you think this was was going to turn out?".

"With you and me spending eternity together on the other side" Harry stated.

Lily chuckled, "No, it's going to end with you alone on the other side, watching me live my life to the fullest, while you stay alone and lonely, with no one by your side".

Before Harry could say anything, Lily once again used her whole strength to break the chains off and this time she ended up freeing herself, seeing that Harry immediately charged towards her, but before he could attack her Lily kicked him in his chest causing him fall backwards to the ground, she then removed the knife from her stomach and stood up and stumbled over to Harry, she grabbed the chains he used to tie her up and wrapped it around his neck and started strangling him.

"I don't know what type of people my parents were, but let me tell you the type of person I am" Lily said, tightening the chains around Harry's neck, causing him to struggle to breathe, "I'm not someone who will sit there and cry and beg you to stop torturing me, I am someone who will always fight back, if you come back to this side of the world again, remember this, remember that I will never go down without a fight, if you come at me, you will lose every single time".

Lily let go of the chains but before Harry could take a breath, Lily grabbed the back of his hair and smashed his head on to the ground, as Harry laid there unconscious, a weak Lily slowly walked out the Forbes cellar.

***

Caroline parked her car outside the Forbes cellar, and without wasting a second, both her and Rebekah rushed out of the car and their eyes landed on Liz, Aarav and Bani coming out of Liz's car.

Without saying anything the group started walking towards the Forbes cellar, none of them wanting to waste another second, as they were walking towards the cellar, the group suddenly stopped in their step once their eyes landed on someone stumbling out of the cellar.

"Lily!" Caroline and Liz yelled, immediately running over to their family member.

"Mom" a weak Lily whispered, collapsing to the ground, however before her body could hit the ground both Liz and Caroline grabbed her from either side.

"Lily, who did this to you?" Rebekah asked, rushing over to the trio.

"Harry" Lily whispered, Aarav and Bani exchanged a look, realising their suspicion was right.

"Whose Harry?" a confused Caroline asked.

"Someone we killed when he tried to come after Laya eighteen years ago" Bani informed.

Lily looked up and looked at the new woman infront of her in confusion, "Who are you?".

Liz held her daughter closer to her, "Lily, those two are your parents, your biological parents".

Lily looked at Liz in shock, she then turned to Bani and Aarav, who were looking at their daughter with tears in their eyes.

"No" A teary eyed Lily shook her head, "My parents are dead".

"Lily, the veil to the other side is down, it's allowing ghosts to come into our world" Caroline explained, "Those are your parents".

Lily looked at Bani and Aarav, "My parents?".

"Yes, baby" Bani cried, while Aarav just stood there with tears in his eyes, he didn't know what to say, he was to emotional to say anything, "We're your parents".

Lily took a small step towards her parents but before she could reach them, both Aarav and Bani disappeared right infront of her eyes.

"No, no, no" Lily whispered, "Mom?! Dad?!", Lily turned to Liz, "Mom, where did they go?! Where's my parents?!".

"Lils, I think Bonnie's put the veil back up" an emotional Caroline whispered, knowing this would break her sister.

Lily looked at her sister, tears spilling down her face, "I didn't get to say anything to them" she whispered, "I didn't even get to say goodbye".

Lily fell down to her knees, sobbing loudly, immediately Caroline, Liz and Rebekah rushed over to the hysterical werewolf, they kneeled by her and tried to comfort her but nothing they did or said could comfort the Forbes girl, who realised she missed her one chance at getting to know her parents.

***

Liz stood on the door of Lily's room, a letter in her hand, her heart breaking seeing her daughter laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank look on her face, though her face was blank, the heartbreak was evident on her face.

"Have you healed?" a concerned Liz asked, walking into Lily's room and sitting on the edge of her bed.

Without looking at Liz, Lily simply nodded her head.

Liz sighed, "Lily, I know you're upset you didn't get to talk to your parents, but they didn't leave without saying goodbye".

This got Lily's attention, who sat up and looked at Liz in confusion, "What do you mean?".

Liz handed Lily the letter in her hand, "Your parents were afraid they wouldn't get to spend time with you, so they left this letter with me, everything they wanted to say to you, it's in here".

Lily took the letter from Liz's hand and stared at the words written on it.

Laya, the light in our very dark lives.

While Lily stared at the letter, Liz stood up and walked over to the door, knowing Lily needed some privacy with her parents, but before leaving she turned to Lily one last time.

"I might not have given birth to you Lily, but you are my daughter, you might not have your biological mother with you, but you have me, you will always have me" Liz said.

Lily looked at Liz, "I know" she whispered, with tears in her eyes, "I love you mom, you might have not given birth to me but are my mom, you will always be my mom, I just--".

"You need to know her as well" Liz finished, "I understand Lily, go ahead read the letter, read what your parents have to say to you, once you're down, know that I'm still here".

Once Liz had walked away, Lily finally opened her parents first and last letter to her.

Our dearest Laya,

If you get this letter then it means we didn't get to to see you or maybe we saw but we didn't get to talk to you, if that's the case then there is a few things your parents will like to say to you, a few things you need to know.

Laya, when you were born, I was the happiest man alive. Having a child is something both me and your mother dreamed everyday, I still remember the first I carried you in my arms, the moment you looked at me with your beautiful brown eyes, I knew I would protect you till my last breath, and that's exactly what I did, never blame yourself for mine or your mother's death, know what we did was because we love you, you might not understand us now but you will when you have a child of your own. I know Mystic Falls is your home, but if one day you will like to know more about your parents and where they came from, then go to New Orleans, there is a pack waiting for you to return home to them, waiting for the time my daughter will go home and become the strongest luna to exist, don't think you have to go now, go when your ready, but if you don't want to go then don't, I will not be disappointed, I will be proud of regardless what you choose. Mystic Falls or New Orleans, your father will always love you.

Laya, the moment you were born, I knew you would be my biggest pride, and I wasn't wrong, I might not be there with you but always remember that your mother is extremely proud of you baby, you have grown into such a strong and beautiful women, it makes me so happy knowing you are my daughter, knowing I gave birth to a fighter, to someone who will never quit. Life isn't going to be easy, especially not for you, I know you've triggered your curse, before your brain starts overthinking, neither me or your father are disappointed, we're just happy that you accepted your nature. Problems will always come Laya, but never give up, don't stop fighting. I know you have trouble trusting people, but sometimes it's okay to let people in baby, not everyone's out there to hurt you, some of them are here to heal you. Last thing, I know the originals don't have a good reputation in Mystic Falls, but do your mother a favor and don't listen to other people's opinion, get to know them and make your own opinion about them, weather you like it or not your fate is tied to them, they will always be part of your life, don't fight destiny, embrace it, who knows, the originals might be exactly what you were looking for this whole time.

Always fight for what you want Laya, and for the people you love - Aarav Singh.

Fall in love Laya, at least once, let someone in, I promise you won't regret it - Bani Singh.

***

Presenting 2x07 of Fire & Flame!

How was the chapter? I'll be honest, the reason this chapter is so late, I struggled so much writing it, I don't know what it was but for some reason I hated writing this chapter, it literally put me in a writing slump, hopefully it's decent it did take me two months to write >.<

Anyways, thoughts on Harry torturing Lily?

Thoughts on Caroline and Liz meeting Lily's biological parents?

Thoughts on the conversation between Liz, Aarav and Bani about Lily?

Thoughts on Rebekah and Caroline teaming up to find Lily?

Thoughts on Aarav and Bani's letter to Lily?

Also...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 50K READS! I know there was no Lily and Klaus in this chapter but next chapter will definitely have them, I promise!