chapter 15

With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Her whole fucking body hurt. 

Well, she was alive at least, wasn't she?

Wait, was she?

Jade's eyes shot open, though she quickly closed them, due to the blinding light. She covered her face with her forearm, but regretted the decision once she felt a shrill pain in her shoulder. Broken or dislocated, fuck knows.

Fucking Klaus.

Just as she let out a quiet groan, she instantly heard quick footsteps in the hallway. 3, 2━

"Finally!" Caroline exclaimed, walking at full speed into Jade's bedroom with a mug in her hand.

"What's the time?" Jade murmured hoarsely, raising slowly into a sitting position, a soft hiss in pain escaping her lips. 

"You almost died yesterday and that's your first question?" Younger Forbes asked with raised eyebrows as she took a seat on Jade's bed. She shoved the mug into her sister's hands, her face visibly pissed off. "And it's almost 7, don't worry. We'll make it." She said in a mocking tone.

Jade grabbed the cup, throwing a look at her younger sister. "Good, good." She murmured, taking a sip, pulling a disguisted face at the taste. "What the fuck is that?"

"A magic elixir so that you can walk and breathe without screaming." She chirped, putting on a forced smile on her face, her head cocking to the side. 

"So, blood and bourbon. What a treat." Jade flashed her eyebrows up and down and downed her health potion in few gulps, grimacing in the meantime. When she was done, she put the mug down on her nightsand, but almost dropped it on her way, because of the push her sister gave her.

"I can't believe you!" Caroline yelled, throwing her hands in the air, piercing her with wide and blazing eyes. 

"What?" Jade barked, pushing her face forwad and scrunching it in confusion.

Caroline scoffed in disbelief. "He almost killed you! Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Jade clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Well━"

"Shut up! Do I have to tie you down with shackles? What's wrong with you?" Her younger sister prevented her from finishing her sentence, pointing a finger in the blonde's face. 

"It was a theory! I had to test it!" Jade exclaimed, shrugging her now healed shoulder and twisting her hands theatrically. 

"Anybody else could test it! Why do you always have to be the one in trouble?" Caroline's eyes were filled with anger and concern, while Jade appeared unfazed, almost indifferent to the gravity of the situation.

"It's more fun that way." She murmured, a soft smirk playing on her lips. 

Jade's nonchalant attitude only fueled Caroline's anger. "I'm gonna fucking━" She muttered under her breath, darting toward her sister, but Jade quickly grabbed her outstretched wrist and pressed her face down on the bed, her bent arm in Jade's grasp.

"Na-ah. Don't even try it, you'll lose." Jade warned, her voice cold and unwavering. Caroline huffed, rolling her eyes. Jade smirked and let her go. "All's fine. Nobody died." Jade stood up and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms with a casual shrug.

"Well..." Caroline trailed off as she raised to a sitting position, biting her bottom lip and looking sideways.

"You've got to be kidding me." Jade whispered, leaning her head back against the wall. "Who?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Bonnie." Caroline answered and Jade widened slightly her eyes. "But then she didn't." She quickly added and Jade blinked a few times, grimacing her face, processing the information. The fuck? " She did some magic stuff and came back from the dead." 

Jade sighed, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. "I don't even..." She whispered to herself, shaking her head slightly. Then, she shot her gaze towards her sister. "What about Klaus?" She questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"Disappeared. He had some protective spell on him. He believes Bonnie's really dead, so at least that worked out."

"Secret weapon. Nice." She bit her bottom lip with a nod. After a second, she glanced at the clock on her nightsand. "Okay. We leave in fifteen. Let's deal with the devil." 

Caroline nodded and got out of bed, on her way out she flicked her sister on the forehead, who pushed her toward the door in response. "Bitch." Jade muttered to herself. Caroline just grinned and blew her a kiss before she closed the door behind herself. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Forbes sisters arrived at their cabin near Mystic Falls. Jade put the car in park mode and looked at the front door, where none other than Elijah was leaning against it. With one last look at each other, the sisters got out of the car and slammed the door behind them and walked up to the porch of their summer house with an even step.

"Elijah." Jade curtsied, twirling her hand in the air and bowing slightly. Caroline just smacked her arm, throwing her a warning look, to which the older girl smirked.

Elijah's lips quirked up in amusement. "Forbes' ladies." He respectfully tilted his head at them. Then, he pulled Jade's note from his jacket, reading it out loud. "Dear Elijah, meet me and my sis at the adress below. XOXO, your favourite human. PS. Sorry about your head." The last words where uttered with a raised eyebrow, to which Jade only twisted her lips and shrugged her shoulder at him. 

"Would you like to come inside?" She asked, cocking her head towards her sister, who waved at him with the cabin's keys in her hand, warm smile on her lips, but her eyes sparkling with a hint of fear.

"It would be a pleasure." He answered politely, smiling down at her, to which he smiled back with a nod, putting her hair behind her ears and walking to the door, unlocking it. 

Jade followed her sister, turning her head to the Original. "You look better, 'Lijah. Rotten blue is not your color."

"Oh, really? I'll keep that in mind." He retorted sarcastically, and she grinned at him. 

When Caroline managed to open the door, blinking slightly in disbelief at their casual banter, the three went inside, sitting down on a nearby couch.

"Hey." Jade turned to Elijah, scanning him from head to toe with squinted eyes. "This is not the suit I got you." She stated, raising a skeptical eyebrow at him.

"Please." He scoffed, his eyes darting around the cabin. "That suit was a mockery of clothing." He shook his head a little in distaste.

"Sorry, didn't have much time to stop by the Armani boutique." She pursed her lips, cocking her head to the side with a tight, ironic smile.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but can we get back to the topic at hand before they━" Caroline started, but the sound of her phone interrupted her. She sighed and pulled it out from her back pocket, looking at the two people in front of her. "Speak of the devil. It's Elena."

"So dramatic." Jade murmured, leaning back on the couch with an eyeroll.

"Answer it." Elijah commanded, looking at Caroline pointingly.

Younger Forbes sighed, nodding at him. "Hey, what's up?" She chirped innocently, and Jade huffed a laugh. "Elijah? Oh I━"

"Tell her to come. I have a rather pressing matter to discuss with her, too." Elijah said, arching one of his eyebrows at Jade, who was looking at the tag of his jacket. Her eyes widened, to which he smirked slightly. "Brioni?" She whispered. "Fuck the deal, I want your money." 

"Come to our cabin. We're here. Good. See ya." Caroline murmured into her phone, sighing when she hung up. "She'll be here soon." 

"Splendid." Elijah said, and Jade got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen, pouring them all a glass of whiskey. "Hey, why did she call you, of all people?" Jade questioned from her place in the kitchen.

"Because you're my sister, and she didn't have your number." She replied with irony, looking at her with a deadpanned look.

Jade hummed, bringing them their drinks. "Yeah, that's understandable." She muttered with a click of her tongue.

"What happened, ladies?" Elijah spoke up, drawing the Forbes' attention towards him. He took a sip of his drink and leaned back, his legs nonchalantly crossing.

Jade sighed, also taking a sip. "Basically," She started as she slammed the glass back on the coffee table and sat down beside the Original. "The dumb and dumber decided that you're a threat, not help, and stabbed you. Then, Elena finished the job, agreeing with them." She told him, looking for a pack of cigarettes in her bag. As she found it, she whipped her head towards Elijah and pointed at him with the Marlboro pack, her eyes narrowed. "And before you get mad at me for not saving your old ass sooner, they guarded that fucking basement with their lives!" She exclaimed, putting a cigarette between her lips and lighting it. 

Elijah opened his mouth to say something, but Jade quickly interrupted him. "And no, Carrie and I did not know about their plans, nor we took any part of it." She said firmly, pointing at him with her burning cigarette. Elijah just swatted the smoke away with a raised, suspicious eyebrow. 

The Original once again parted his lips in intention of saying something, but Jade was quicker. "But I had an opening yesterday. Met your brother, really lovely guy, by the way. I really appreciated how he threw me against walls and desks, breaking a few of my bones and then almost choked me to death." She chirped with a sarcastic smile, taking a drag and exhaling it upwards. "He sounds like great guy. Could you set us a date?" She asked in a mocking tone, tilting her head in his direction.

Elijah widened slightly his eyes at the news. "Niklaus is here, already? In person?" He straightened up in his seat, looking at her with all seriousness.

She shook her head, flickering her cigarette in the nearby ashtray. "Nah, he possesed Ric."

Elijah scoffed, looking away in thought. "Of course he has. One of his favourite tricks."

"Oh, God. Imagine he took over yours." Jade gasped and shot her eyes towards her sister. "I could finally get revenge for all those clothes you stole from me, guilt-free." A slow grin started to creep on her face.

"Excuse me." Caroline finally found her voice after hearing Jade's speech. "Did you just say brother?" She questioned with eyes big like pennies, looking at her sister with shock.

Jade's face fell. "Oh-oh." She side-eyed the Original, taking a big inhale of the smoke. 

"I thought you already knew that, Miss Forbes." Elijah said politely, turning to Caroline. "I assumed Jade would tell you that immidiately."

"'Lijah, who do you think I am? I wouldn't sell your secret." She scoffed, insulted. "Sorry." She whispered towards her still bewildered sister, who wasn't even listening. "And assuming is a bad habit." She turned back to the Original, looking at him pointingly.

Elijah smirked slightly at her, but then turned his gaze towards the younger girl. "It's alright Miss, Forbes. I wasn't planning on keeping that hidden much longer." He said calmly, taking a sip from his glass. "Yes, Niklaus is my brother."

"Wow. That's just... wow." Caroline breathed, rubbing her face with her hands. She stared at the floor for a bit, processing the information. After a moment, she turned her eyes towards the man again, and gave him a small smile. "And you can call me Caroline."

At the same time as Elijah nodded to her, the front door bell rang out across the cabin. Jade sighed and took an entire drink in one gulp, sitting down next to the Original. "Will you kill her?" She whispered with a pleading pout. The man only looked at her with amusement, but it vanished momentarily when he set his eyes on the doppelgänger.

Elijah's eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and hurt as he used his vampire speed to swiftly pin Elena against the wall. His grip on her throat was firm, but not painful, as he demanded to know the truth. "Where did you get the dagger?" He asked, his voice low and intense.

The sisters exchanged momentary startled glances, and after a second, Jade turned her gaze to them with a satisfied smirk on her face, crossing her legs and pouring herself another drink. Caroline looked at them with an anxious expression, fearing for her friend's fate. 

Elena looked up at Elijah, her heart pounding in her chest. "I wanted to undagger you, Elijah." She admitted, her voice filled with sincerity. "But then I saw that you weren't in the basement. Jade was faster, but I really wanted to do it, you have to believe me."

Jade rolled her eyes at the sound of her name, taking a sip of her drink.

Elijah's gaze narrowed slightly, but his grip didn't waver. "You betrayed me, Elena. How can I trust you now?" He questioned, tilting his head at her.

Elena swallowed hard, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "I never wanted to hurt you. I thought I could handle it on my own, but I was wrong. I need your help, Elijah, and I need you to believe me." She implored.

Elijah looked into her eyes, searching for any sign of deception. "Your ability to make commands has long passed." He reminded her, to which she gulped. 

"No demands." She breathed. "You need my help in killing Klaus just as much as I need yours." Elijah's grip on her neck relaxed slightly, digesting her words. Their eye battle was interrupted by her ringing phone. The vampire narrowed his eyes at her and nodded slightly, letting her answer the it, his hand leaving her throat.

Elijah leaned against a nearby countertop, his eyes never leaving the dark-haired girl. Jade snorted to herself and leaned toward her sister. "Well, I was expecting more." She murmured and Caroline shot her a warning look, nudging her with her knee. 

"Yes, I'm fine. He's right here. No, Stefan." She said, rubbing her throat with her hand. Then, she shot her eyes up to the Original, looking at him in silence for a few seconds. "Elijah is a noble man, Stefan. He lives by a code of honor. I can trust him. I am trusting him." She said firmly, piercing the man with her dark eyes.

The Forbes sisters watched the encounter with curious eyes, the only thing missing was a bag of popcorn. 

Elijah tilted her head, his ancient eyes burning a hole in hers. "He knows that I'd be incredibly stupid to betray him again." Elena added, pausing the let him know that she was sincere. After a few, long moments, she unglued her eyes from the Original. "It's my decision, Stefan. Please respect it. And make sure that Damon doesn't do anything stupid. I'll be in touch." She finished, ending the call. Elijah looked at her for moment, and then gave her a nod, outstretching his hand for her phone. Elena eyed him and sighed, giving him the device.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Gilbert." Jade said, looking at Elena with a somewhat surprised expression. 

"Klaus is here. He attacked yesterday." Elena said, ignoring Jade, to which she huffed in disbelief, taking a sip from her glass. "He knows it already." She murmured, rolling her eyes, and Elena arched her eyebrow. The two joined the sisters in the living room, sitting down on the couch and armchair next to them.

"So I assume that the Martin witches are no longer with us?" Elijah asked as he sat down, grabbing his glass along the way.

"No, Damon barbecued the son, and Kit Kat killed the daddy." Jade answered, clicking her tongue against his teeth, sending him a sweet smile.

"Jade." Caroline murmured, sending her a look.

"What? It's not like he wouldn't find out." She murmured back, looking pointingly at the amused Original.

"I'm sorry." The Gilbert girl said, looking at him with a sorrow look, to which Jade rolled her eyes.

"And Katerina?" Elijah asked, his eyes darting momentarily to Jade, who sighed, taking a large gulp out of her glass, empting it. "She would've been released of my compulsion when I died."

"Klaus took her. We think she may be dead." Elena said, pursing her lips.

"Nah." Jade shook her head, clicking her tongue and putting the now empty glass back at the table. When the girls look at her curiously, she elaborated. "He probably roasts her in the sun, or makes her into a living-not-living shield for darts, which are soaked in vervain." Elena raised her eyebrows at this, blinking rapidly, and Caroline tapped her sister discreetly on the back. "What? He hunted her for half of a fucking milennium, no way he would just━" Jade pulled out her tongue, making a sound. "━her."

Elijah nodded. "Jade's right. He's not that compassionate to grand her such kind fate." He said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Elena shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand. You say you want Klaus dead, but you still made Katherine pay for betraying him." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"I have my own reasons for wanting Katerina to pay." The Original said with a stone cold face, his voice a low and dangerous murmur. Jade closed her eyes for a second, hoping that wherever Katherine was, she was still breathing. "There was a time... I'd have done anything for Niklaus."

As Elijah cleared his throat and began his tale from the 14th century, Jade leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, her eyes already showing amusement. She loved the gossip between the two long lost lovers, especially knowing Katherine's side of the story.

Elena and Caroline, on the other hand, listened intently, their curiosity piqued by the prospect of discovering more about the enigmatic Klaus, his infamous relationship with Katherine and Elijah's role in all of this. As the key words were uttered, namely the 'Klaus is my brother', Elena's eyes widened, and she exchanged glances with Caroline, who nodded knowingly.

"What?" She breathed, her wide eyes locking with Elijah's. 

"Klaus is my brother." He echoed, enjoying the look on her face.

"I... heard that. I'm still processing." She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, trying to grasp the new information.

"Process faster." Jade murmured, playing with a strand of her hair between her fingers.

"I'm a little behind on the times, but I believe the term you're searching for is..." Elijah trailed off, amusement dancing in his eyes as he took a casual sip of his whiskey. "OMG."

The Forbes' sisters barked a simultaneous laugh. "It really is." 

Elena blinked rapidly, turning her bewildered face towards her amused friend. "You knew?" She asked in shock, to which the blonde only nodded with pursed lips.

"Showing up sooner gains you some perks." Jade commented from her place beside her sister.

"Wait, if he's your brother... there's a whole family of Originals?"

"No, he was created. Like God." Jade replied sarcastically, looking pointingly at the cross hanging on the wall. 

"Unfortunately I wasn't." Elijah huffed with a smile, turning to the oldest girl. "My father was a wealthy landowner in a village in Eastern Europe. Our mother bore seven children."

All the girls' eyebrows went up. "Seven? Oh, fuck, they sure were busy." Jade muttered, whistling lowly. "But again, there were no condoms back then, so I guess..." She trailed off, her face contorted in thought.

"Jade, shut up." Caroline murmured throught gritted teeth. Although Jade wasn't listening, she stopped when the words 'my father' and 'our mother' echoed inside her mind. They had different fathers? Oh, the medieval drama!

"So... your parents were human?" Elena asked, looking at the Original with furrowed eyebrows.

"Our whole family was. Our origin as vampires is a very long story... Just know, we're the oldest vampires in the world. We're the Original family and from us, all vampires were created." Elijah spoke proudly, piercing the doppelgänger with his dark eyes. Jade looked at his face with a small, slightly sad smile, reminding herself that his family was practically gone. The only thing he had left of it was his psychopathic brother, who disposed of their siblings in the sea.

"Right, but Klaus is your brother. And you want him dead?" Elena questioned, looking at him skeptically. Jade understood Elena at that moment, not believing the Original's fratricide plans herself. 

But hey, assuming is a bad habit, maybe he'll come through, who knows.

Elijah narrowed his eyes for a quick second at her question, blinking away his frustration. "I need some air." He stated, his eyes darting around the Forbes cabin. "Still feeling a tad..." He trailed off, a thoughtful look on his face as he looked upwards for a second. "Dead."  He concluded with a tilt of his head. "Come." He pointed at the back door of the cabin that led into the forest, already walking up to it.

"You are dead." Jade stated, giving a deadpanned look to the back of his head. 

Caroline smiled in amusement and the three girls followed the vampire, catching up. They walked slowly into the depths of the forest, which Jade sincerely hated as a child. Well, the cabin too, since it was where they spent their spring and winter holiday breaks as a 'family'. After every incident, Jade would run out into the woods, hoping to get lost, or at least lose her father. It never worked out; Bill always caught up with her, dragging her back to the cabin, her screams and sobs echoing through the treetops.

"So, as you've all seen, nothing can kill an Original. Not sun, not fire, not even a werewolf bite." Elijah mused looking ahead, keeping one hand in the pocket of his suit pants as he slowly walked, three girls walking in an even step beside him.

"Only the wood from one tree. A tree, my family made sure burned." The Original concluded, totally unfazed. Jade's eyes momentarily shot to the side of his face, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Did he just fucking told them how to kill him?

"That's where the white ash for the dagger comes from." Caroline connected the dots, nodding to herself in realization.

"Yes." He bobbed his head at the blonde. "The witches won't allow anything truly immortal to walk the Earth. Every creature needs to have a weakness in order to maintain balance." He explained as he waved his hand in the air.

"So if the Sun can't kill an Original, why is Klaus so obssesed about breaking the Sun and Moon curse?" Elena asked, shaking her head in confusion.

A soon as she asked that question, an amused look crossed the Original's face. "Right." He said, slowing down and looking down at the brown-haired girl. "The Curse of the Sun and Moon." He echoed, looking into the distance, as if reminiscing something. "It's all so... biblical sounding, don't you think?" He asked the girls, an amused smirk firmly plastered on his face.

"Oh, don't look so smug, 'Lijah. Spill it." Jade raised one of her eyebrows at him, her hand finding its place on her hip. 

As Elijah returned to his tale from around six hundred years ago, each of the girls fixed their focused and curious gazes on him. When he finished telling the story that revealed that Klaus was the author of the Aztec curse sketches, Jade's eyes momentarily widened, looking at the Original in a stunned daze. Then, she narrowed them again, looking at him more confused than before.

"Why?" Jade asked in a low tone, looking at the man with squinted eyes. Elijah smirked at her knowingly, sending her a wink that made her own smile slowly creep on her face.

"What?" Caroline barked, whipping her confused face towards her older sister. When she send her a look, raising her eyebrows at the same time, the younger girl instantly widened her eyes. "Oh." She whispered, and Jade nodded with an amused pout. "Oh." She said much more loudly, turning to Elijah and looking at him with shock, to which he laughed softly.

"What?" Elena barked, her eyebrows wrinkled, eyes darting from one person to other. "Am I the one who doesn't understand? Klaus drew the Aztec sketches about the curse, so what?"

Jade smirked and leaned to the side to the vampire. "Don't tell her, 'Lijah. It'll be more fun that way." She whispered, knowing very well that the doppelgänger could hear her. Elena just rolled her eyes in irritation.

"He did some Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings... and any other culture or continent we felt like planting it in." Elijah mused, looking at Elena. "Easiest way to discover the existance of a doppelgänger or get your hands of on some long lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout for it." 

"So... it's not Aztec at all...?"

"Elena... " Caroline trailed off, her eyes darting between her friend and the Original. "The curse's not real."

"What?" Elena's eyes widened, locking them with the man's.

"The Sun and Moon curse that you, your friends and every other supernatural being in the world is so... concerned with..." Elijah trailed of dramatically. "Is fake." He said, shaking his head slightly, a hint of an amused smile on his lips. "Doesn't exist." He shrugged his shoulder and spun on his heel, walking away in style.

"What?" Elena echoed herself, running after him, Caroline following. Jade rolled her eyes and pulled out one of her cigarettes, lit it and started walking towards them, taking a drag. "So dramatic." She whispered under her nose as she exhaled the smoke.

"There is a curse." She heard Elijah say as she caught up to them. "Just not that one. The real one is much worse, and it's placed on Klaus."

Jade let out an astonished huff, shaking her head with a smirk. "You fucking briliant bastards." She said, lookign at Elijah, earning two confused glances and one amused one. 

A phone's buzz could be heard, and Elijah turned around, looking down at Elena. "Niklaus had been trying to break it the last thousand years, and you are his only hope." 

"Well, what is his curse?" She questioned.

Elijah look away in exasperation, pulling out the buzzing device from his pocket with a sigh. "Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it."

She took the phone from his hands, exhaling a large breath. "Stefan━" She started, but stopped imidiately, her eyes flashing with concern in a second. "What's wrong? No... no, no, no. I-I'll be right there." Elijah narrowed his eyes at the girl as she ended the call. "Klaus went after Jenna, I have to go to her." 

"Oh, God." Caroline whispered, widening her eyes. Jade just stood there, smoking her cigarette indifferently and watching them. 

"I'm afraid that wasn't part of the day's arrangement." Elijah quickly responded, his face hardening.

"She's my family, Elijah. I have to." The brunette said in a firm tone, earning a head tilt in response. "I'll be back, you have my word."

"That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it."

Elena looked at him in gratitude, exhaling a breath in relief. "Thank you." She whispered, before turning around and running back to her car.

"I'll go with her, J. I'll drag her ass back here if I have to." Caroline said, looking at her older sister with a nod, already walking away.

Jade nodded with a pout. "'Kay, don't die!" She exclaimed in the distance. Then, she turned her head towards the Original. "And then there were two." She jested with a smirk, taking a drag from her cigarette and sitting down on a nearby bench.

Elijah huffed a laugh. "I don't mind." He said, taking a seat beside the woman. 

"Correct answer." She quipped, crossing her legs and leaning back, staring at the lake before them. After a second of silence, she glanced sideways at the vampire, noticing his thoughtful face. "What's that look for?" She asked, looking puzzingly at him.

Elijah took a moment before answering, seemingly trying to put his thoughts into words. "Oh, it's nothing too important, just a memory that resurfaced." He replied with a faint smile.

Intrigued, Jade leaned in a little closer. "Would you mind sharing it?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with genuine interest.

Elijah looked at her with a small smile, gently nodding and turning his gaze into the lake, Jade mimicking. He took a deep breath, and began his tale from the 14th century, he and human Katherine in starring roles. Katerina, as she was called back then. Jade listened to him intently, smiling and occasionally asking questions.

When he finished, Jade laughed softly to herself with a slight twist of her head. "Geez, I would so bully her." She said with an amused smile, to which he chuckled. "Lovesick fool."

Elijah smiled, looking down. "Katerina had an innate ability to see the beauty in the world, even in the darkest of times. She was just a seventeen human girl at that time, all she wanted was to be loved and appreciated, like any other." Elijah's gaze wandered, as if he was lost in a distant memory, but then it landed on Jade, who instanty looked away. "What, am I wrong?" He asked, furrowing slightly his eyebrows.

Jade sighed, looking down and finishing her cigarette. "No, you're not." She said with a small, sad smile, thinking about her own teenage years. After a second, she snapped out of it and cleared her throat, locking her gaze with his. "You really cared about her, didn't you?" She asked in a soft tone, to which he looked away for a second. She smiled in amusement and added. "You have the same look on your face as she did, when she was talking about you."

"It's a common mistake, I'm told." He murmured, staring in the distance, his expression hardening. After a quick moment, he turned his head towards the blonde, narrowing his eyes in curiousity. "What did she say?"

"A-ah. Girl code, sorry, 'Lijah." She said with a smile, waving her finger at him, to which he snorted softly, shaking his head. "And I don't think it's a mistake, you know, caring about her." She continued in more serious tone, earning a curious look from him. "As much as an unpopular opinion it is, I think she's worth being cared for. Maybe I haven't known her very long, but after all that facade of menacing and cold-hearted Katherine Pierce, your Katerina is still there. They aren't two different people, as some may think. She just wants to survive, is that really so fucking bad?" She explained, her voice softening. 

Elijah listened intently to Jade's words, his expression unreadable, although Jade caught the ghost of vulnerability in his ancient eyes, but he quickly blinked it away. "Didn't she turn your sister into a vampire?"

"Yeah, but we're cool about it now." She said with a dissmisive wave of her hand. "Don't ask." She murmured, to which he nodded with an amused smirk. 

Yes, they did fight about it. 

Like, physically.

Jade lost, of course, but menaged to pulled out some of Katherine's hair and knock two of her teeth out.

Kit Kat was proud.

Jade cleared her throat. "So, what I'm trying to say is that if a powerful vampire murdered my entire family just because I didn't want to die for him, I would do what she does, too. Maybe I'd be even worse." She admitted, her eyes fixed on the lake. "She just wants to be free."

Elijah, smiled to himself, nodding. "So, I'm guessing your friendship with her bloomed as I was... away."

"I don't know if it's appropriate talking about that, if you're wishing for her death. So, let's drop it, alright?"

"As you wish." 

They sat in silence for a few long moments, the only sound was the singing of birds and the rustling of trees around them. "I have a question." Jade spoke up, looking at him puzzingly. "Why would you tell us the exact way how to kill you?"

Elijah's gaze turned serious as he met Jade's inquisitive eyes. "Ah, that." He replied, pausing for a moment before continuing. "It's a long-forgotten secret, one that doesn't hold much significance now. The tree in question no longer exists."

"What if it does?"

"As much as I appreciate your imagination, Jade, it's simply not possible." He reassured her. "The efforts to eradicate any trace of the tree were extensive and thorough. The knowledge about the tree's location was closely guarded, and its destruction was swift and complete." He said, gesturing with his hands. When she nodded, twisting her lips, he turned to her again. "Why do you ask?"

"Just... it would kinda suck, I guess, if you died." She muttered, rolling her eyes and pulling out an another cigarette, placing it between her lips and lighting it.

Elijah huffed a laugh, his eyes darting to the lake again. "I appreaciate those kind words." He murmured in amusement, and she smiled. After few beats of silence, he spoke up again. "I know you knew about the dagger." He said calmly, his eyes fixed onto the lake before them.

Jade's hand that was holding the cigarette, stopped right before her mouth. "Yup." She said with a pop, not seeing sense in lying. "Just me, though. Carrie really had nothing to do with all this." She added firmly, looking at him from the corner of her vision.

"You wanted Katerina out of the tomb. You knew that my death would set her free, that's why you let them use it. Also, you took it out, keeping the deal with me in tact." He summarized, turning his head towards her, looking at with an unreadable expression.

Jade tilted her head in his direction. "Yes." She nodded. Then, she glanced at her her cancer stick that she was holding between her fingers. "Is that the last cig in my life?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Elijah shook his head, and Jade scrunched her nose in confusion. "It would definitely be healthy, but no."

"Really?" 

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because that is precisely what I would have done if I were in your position." He said, looking at  her with a small, warm smile on his lips. 

Jade blinked once in surprise. Then, she mimicked his expression, locking her gaze with him. "Gotta love loopholes." She murmured, to which he laughed softly with a nod.

Some time later, they strolled back to the cozy cabin, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the surrounding landscape. Once inside, they settled back on the couch, Jade fetching a whiskey bottle from the kitchen. They continued to chat, with Elijah sharing more stories about his life throughout the centuries.

Jade listened with fascination as Elijah painted vivid pictures of historical moments he had experienced. He spoke of the majesty of ancient civilizations, the grandeur of Renaissance art, and the tumultuous events that shaped the course of human history. Oh, how she envied him. She couldn't even imagine how amazing it was seeing the world change with your own eyes.

"And then there was Kol." Elijah said with an amused smirk, as he began to share stories about his mischievous and impulsive brother. "Kol always had a penchant for trouble. No matter the era, he managed to find himself in some sort of predicament."

Jade laughed. "He sounds like my kindered soul." She jested with a toothy grin, taking a sip from her glass.

"Oh, he would absolutely adore you." Elijah agreed, his eyes twinkling with amusement, but also a bit of sadness. "But beneath all that bravado, he cared deeply for his family. He just didn't know how to show it sometimes."

As the stories continued, Elijah also shared tales of Rebekah, his fiercely loyal and strong-willed sister. "Rebekah had always been a force to be reckoned with." He said, his tone filled with both admiration and affection. "She has faced her fair share of challenges, but her resilience and love for life never waver." He said, his tone carrying a note of sadness. "Oh, and she was the one responsible for Casket Girls." He added, with a smirk.

"No way!" Jade gasped, looking at him with wide eyes, a toothy grin on her lips. Oh, how she would love to meet her.

Well, if she would be still alive, that is.

As they waited for the girls to return, the evening turned into a tapestry of shared laughter, heartfelt conversations, and moments of reflection. The longer she talked to him, the more she felt she knew him better than she really did.

Some time later, the sound of the door opening interrupted their stories, Elena and Caroline stepping inside. "Welcome back." Elijah said casually, taking a sip of his drink. Jade smiled at her sister, patting a seat beside her.

"Don't you two look cosy?" Caroline murmured to Jade as she was sitting down, who only rolled her eyes in response. "Fuck off." Jade whispered, pouring her sister a drink.

"Tell me, what's his curse?" Elena asked immidiately, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jade scoffed, raising her eyes. "The audacity." She whispered to herself. 

"My family was quite close." Elijah began, his eyes darting to Jade for a second, who smiled softly in response. Then, he fixed his gaze back on the doppelgänger. "But Niklaus and my father did not get on very well."

Jade snapped her gaze to him in a flash, furrowing her eyebrows at his words. Or the familiarity in them.

"When we became vampires, we discovered the truth. Klaus was not my father's son."

"Ha! Fucking knew it!" Jade exclaimed, snapping her fingers in triumph, when the trio looked at her in confusion, she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Earlier he said 'our mother' and 'my father', am I the only one who noticed that?"

"It seems that one must be mindful of one's words with you, Jade." Elijah said, looking at her somewhat impressed, to which she shot him a prideful smirk, raising her glass towards him and taking a sip. "But, yes." He turned towards Elena again. "We had different fathers. My mother had been unfaithful many years before, this was her darkest secret." He pursed his lips, his voice softening. "Niklaus was from a different bloodline." He stopped, letting the words sink in. "Of course when my father discovered this... he hunted down and killed my mother's lover and his entire family. Not realizing, of course, that he was igniting a war between species that rages to this very day."

"Species?" Caroline echoed, furrowing her eyebrows and shaking her head in confusion.

"The vampires..." Elijah trailed off, turning to the blonde. After a few seconds, he added. "And the werewolves." 

Jade's eyebrows disappeared underneeth her blonde bangs, eyes widening like pennies at his words. "Oh. Shit." She whispered, looking up at the Original, who nodded knowingly. Jade blinked with times, her eyes still wide, downing her drink in one gulp. 

"So Klaus' real father was from a werewolf bloodline?" Elena questioned. "What does that make Klaus? A werewolf or a vampire?"

"He's both."

"He's half dog."

Jade and Elijah said at the same time. The girls' mouths fell open at their words.

"A hybrid, Jade." The Original turned to the blonde, raising his eyebrow at her, to which she only waved her hand, whispering 'tomatoe, tomato' under her breath. "Hybrid, that would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore witches, servants of said nature, saw to it that my brother's werewolf side would become... dormant."

Jade kinda understood Klaus at the time. Don't get her wrong, she still despised the guy, etc, etc. But, the Bennet witch whined that she felt empty without her powers, and she hadn't had them for how long? A few days? Jade wasn't surprised he was so pissed off and hell-bent on unlocking his werewolf side, as he had felt that way for a thousand fucking years.

"That's the curse Klaus wants to break?" Elena questioned with wide eyes.

"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, Niklaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race, endangering not only just vampires, but everyone."

"But you helped him." Caroline stated, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"I helped him, because I loved him." He replied quietly, looking down at the blonde. "That's changed. Now, he must die." 

"We have the dagger now, we can stop him." Elena said, a hint of hope in her chocolate eyes.

"When a werewolf is wounded by silver, it heals." Elijah quickly crashed her spirit. "An Original can't be killed by anything, but white oak ash on a silver dagger. See the conundrum? The dagger won't work."

"What are you saying, Klaus can't be killed?" Elena shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest in disbelief.

"There's one way to kill any supernatural species. At the hands of servants of nature themselves."

"A witch. If they can channel that much power." She breathed, looking upwards in evaporation. "But it would kill them." 

"The curse must be broken during the full moon, when Niklaus is transition. That's when he'll be the most vulnerable. A witch with enough power... can kill him."

"What if I told you that I knew a witch that could channel that much power?" Elena said, looking deeply into his eyes. Jade furrowed her eyebrows, exchanging glances with her disturbed sister.

Did she just say what she think she said? 

"Elena, what are you━" Caroline began, shaking her head in confusion. 

"━Then I would tell you that there's one more thing you should know." Elijah interrupted, his gaze locked on the doppelgänger.

As he told the story about there being a potion that would supposedly save a doppelgänger's life during the ritual, the Forbes sisters looked at each other with slightly widened eyes. Elena's lips quirked up at the news, and Jade blinked in disbelief, glacing away to her now furious sister. Oh, that's gonna be good. 

"Elena, what the fuck are you smiling about?" Caroline asked slowly, her voice carrying a note of danger as she began to get up from her place on the couch.

"I-I'm not." Elena quickly responded, shaking her head.

"You just sold Bonnie out━no offense, Elijah." The blonde turned to the Original, who only raised his palms in response. "━And as soon as you heard the news that you'll be okay, you're fucking smiling?" She scoffed in disbelief, her lips forming into a cold smile. "Are you kidding me? Bonnie will die if she does this!" She exclaimed, walking up to the brunette.

"Don't you think I know that, Caroline? But I don't have any other option!" Elena retorted, throwing her hands in the air.

"I can't believe you. Look around, Elena! I know it may come out as shock, but the world doesn't resolve around you!" She chuckled darkly, looking around. After a second, her face fell, glaring at her friend. "If Bonnie doesn't do it, I'm going to die too, I'm just reminding you because you seem to have forgotten about that little fact. But do you see me pressuring that? No."  She chirped, backing Elena to the wall. "I don't care how you'll do it, find another way. I'm not letting Bonnie sacrifice herself for us, unlike you." She practically snarled into Elena's face, her eyes blazing with anger. When the doppelgänger nodded, Caroline huffed and furiously walked out of the cabin.

A few, long and awkward seconds of silence surrounder them after Caroline's door slam.

"What she said." Jade finally spoke up, downing her drink and following her sister, throwing the cabin's keys into the Original's hands. "Lock up when you're done." She said over her shoulder.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Jade woke up at noon to the bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom window, groggily rubbing her eyes, having slept off yesterday's eventful day. Well, maybe not so eventful, but certainly very informative. However, before she could dwell on it any further, her constantly vibrating phone rudely interrupted her thoughts. Already annoyed, she picked up her phone and squinted at the screen to check her non-stop-coming messages. When she read that Ric was his boring self again, she widened her eyes, sleep instantly forgotten.

"Fucking finally." She murmured to herself.

She quickly sprang to her feet, didn't wasting any time and hurriedly putting on her favorite burgundy velour dress, the one with black lace edging. Doing her standard dark and sharp makeup and swallowing one pill of her meds, she quickly hopped down the stairs, grabbing her car keys and slipping on her trusty leather jacket. As she stepped outside and got into her car, the engine roared to life, and the tires squealed in response as she accelerated down the streets in the direction of the Mystic Grill.

After a few minutes, Jade opened the front door of the restaurant with a jolt, momentarily noticing the back of the teacher's head, accompanied by the dark-haired Salvatore. She smirked mischiviously to herself and quickly began walking towards them, her black latex boots making a satisfying sound in the midst of the establishment.

Once she was right behind them, she flicked them both in the back of their heads, hard. When they turned with scowling faces, she sent them a sweet smile, tilting her head towards Alaric expectantly.

"Jade." He breathed, smiling down at her. "You're alive." He said, exhaling a breath in relief. 

"Not thanks to you." She grumbled, giving him a deadpanned look. After a second, she clicked her tougue against her teeth and bobbed her head from side to side. "Well, not to your body." 

His lips twitched upwards. "Sorry." He murmured, shooting her an apologetic look.

"It's alright, I'll get my revenge." Jade waved her hand with a smile, hugging him briefly. "Good to see you, Ric." She murmured into his shoulder. 

She won't admit it to anyone, but she really missed the teacher. He was the only person in their circle who was close in age to her, and well, he was also fucking human, not a vampire, werewolf, witch, some kind of fairy, or Santa Claus. She felt a sense of similarity to him, and that gave her comfort. Well, and he was an amazing drinking buddy.

When he gave her a nod with a smile on his face, she smirked up at him and hopped onto the bar stool next to Damon. When seated, she turned to the bartender, cocking her head towards the men. "Whatever they're having." She said, pointing at their drinks. After a second, she turned towards the raven-haired vampire, an amused smirk playing on her lips. "I heard you fucked up, real bad." 

The Salvatore soured his face, spreading his hands to his sides. "How? I tried to call you, but you weren't answering."

"Try texting next time, Elijah did." She said nonchalantly, accepting a drink from the bartender, thanking him with a wink. When she raised her gaze, she saw that the men were looking at her with bewildered faces. "What?" She barked, furrowing her eyebrows. "Just because he's a thousand years old doesn't mean he can't operate a phone." She said in an obvious tone, taking a sip of her amber liquor.

Alaric blinked at her in confusion. "Since when do you gossip with the Originals?"

"You missed a lot, Riccy. Don't worry your little demaged head about it." She said, waving her hand, dismissing the subject. "What did you do?" She turned her stormy eyes towards the vampire, one of her eyebrows raised.

When Damon shied away from answering, Alaric sighed loudly and answered for him, measuring him with a judgmental gaze. "He forced Elena to drink his blood."

Jade's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs. "Ohh." She let out a low whistle, taking a sip from her glass, eyes wide. "If forcing a girl to change species wasn't a trip down to friendzone land, I don't know what is." She murmured, twisting her lips. "Huh. The more I delve into the supernatural world, the more I say things I thought would never pass my lips." She said, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, a finger tapping her chin in a mocking thoughtfulness.

"Thanks for the support, Harley." Damon grumbled, his defeated eyes fixed on the bar's countertop.

"You're very welcome." She chirped, sending him a toothy smile.

"Gentlemen." An accented voice interrupted their conversation. Jade creased her eyebrows in confusion, slowly turning her head towards the unfamiliar man. Since when the fuck are there Brits in Mystic Fa━ 

Oh. 

Oh.

Who in the utter fuckery is this?

Jade bore her eyes into the British man, into his watercolor eyes, into his sexy stubble that begged for her nails, into his slightly curly hair that begged for her hand, into his full lips that begged for━

"Lady." He said slowly, carefully accenting the word. His voice lowered by a couple of octaves, locking his gaze on her mesmerized eyes as he towered over her. 

Jade was already about to send him her trademark million-dollar smile, but something in her head clicked when his lips twisted into the same smug and self-satisfied arrogant smirk she saw during the Decade Dance, just on another body.

Of, fucking, course.

Why, oh why, are the bad guys always the hottest? Or was her taste just murderous psychopaths? Well, she was no better herself, but you get her point.

She took a deep breath, casting one last, very painful glance at his divinely sculpted body, and turned to the bartender again. "Vodka, stat." She spat, before downing her previous drink.

Klaus, watching the woman with amusement dancing in his eyes, finally tore his gaze away from her and focused it in men watching them with raised eyebrows. "Why so glum?" He asked seemingly innocently, but his voice carried a tone of danger in it.

Damon focused his icy eyes into the man, looking at the vampire in confusion for a moment. When the British man's face revealed no emotion, Salvatore closed his eyes, hanging his head down in defeat. "Klaus, I presume." He said monotonously, already knowing the answer. If not by his own deduction, then by Jade's reaction. The woman in question was just rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

Maybe it's not really him, maybe it's just some poor guy who came to Mystic Falls to sightsee (fuck knows what), and accidentally ran into the villainous, old, ugly━

"In the flesh." The accented voice replied, smirking in triumph. Jade just let out a large breath and snatched the ordered shot of vodka from the bartender's hands and swallowed it in one go, setting the glass down with a loud slam. "Thanks for the loaner, mate." His eyes jumped towards Alaric, looking at him knowingly, to which the teacher just nodded once with pursed lips. 

When she didn't hear anything after that, she looked to her right at her companions, who were looking at her expectantly, their lips clamped into two tight lines. Jade furrowed her eyebrows and slowly turned in her seat, seeing that the Original is looking down at her with a mischievous little smirk. She narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to speak.

Klaus, with his piercing blue eyes and a cunning smirk on his lips, spoke in a low, commanding voice. "It seems you lived long enough for us to meet in person, after all." His eyes bore into Jade's, as if trying to decipher the depths of her soul.

The Forbes woman remained calm and unfazed, her stormy eyes meeting his with unwavering confidence. "Lucky you." She retorted with a hint of sarcasm, plastering a cold smile on her face.

Klaus huffed with amusement, raising one of his eyebrows at her boldness. Then, without missing a beat, he reached for her hand and clasped it gently. "The name's Klaus. Delighted to make your acquaintance." He said, his smirk growing wider as he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to it. His eyes never left hers as his lips purposefully brushed her vervain ring.

Motherfucker has dimples. Oh, lord.

Jade scowled, narrowing her eyes when he touched the jewellery. Interesting power display. "Jade." She said shortly and firmly, her face lacking any kind of amusement. "Pleasure's all yours." She purred, her dark lips forming into a cocky smile.

Klaus arched one of his eyebrows, not forgetting about how her pulse quickened as soon as she landed her eyes on him. "Is it?" He asked, a big, arrogant and knowing smirk almost breaking his face in half.

Jade snatched her hand from his, her face brimming with anger and annoyance. She had already opened her mouth to answer him with something equally unpleasant, but her view was suddenly obscured by Damon's back. "Any reason you stopped by to say hi?" She heard him say. Jade rolled her eyes and pushed the vampire aside from her sight, giving him a deadpanned look, to which he retorted with an angry one. 

She could handle herself, thank you very much.

"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelgänger." Klaus mused, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched the two before him. "Or not just the doppelgänger." He added, a slow and malicious smirk spreading on his face. Jade furrowed her eyebrows at his words, a sour look crossing her features. "Just thought I'd remind you not to try anything you'll regret." He said, locking his eyes with Damon's annoyed ones.

"Hah." The Salvatore barked, scrunching in face and looking knowingly at Alaric, who only took a big gulp out of his drink. "Thanks for the advice." He said with irony, returning his gaze to the Original. "I don't suppose I could talk you into a... postponement by any chance, huh?"

Klaus laughed softly to himself in disbelief. "You are kidding." He stated, raising his eyebrows at the vampire. "He is kidding, right?" He asked the two humans.

"No, not really." Alaric replied at the same time as Jade shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

"I mean, c'mon. What's one month in the grand scheme of things?" Damon asked, and Jade wondered if he was actually serious. The blonde snorted to herself with amusement, resting her forehead on her hand, head shaking in disbelief.

Hey, Klaus. I know this has been your only goal for a thousand fucking years, but could you move it up a month because we haven't figured out how to stop you yet? Yeah? That's great, dude. Thanks.

"Let me be clear." Klaus began, turning towards the Salvatore, his face threateningly close to his. "I have my vampire, I have my werewolf, I have everything I need." He whispered in low and dangerous tone. "The ritual will happen tonight." As soon as he uttered those words, Jade tensed up, her hold on the glass tightening. What?  "So, if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up." He warned the trio, his eyes lingering on Damon's for a few seconds.

Klaus turned around, his intentions to leave momentarily disrupted by a sudden impulse. With a devilish smirk, he faced the bartender and ordered in his velvety voice. "A double Old Rip Van Winkle 35-year-old for the lady." The bartender raised an eyebrow, but quickly complied when Klaus threw him three one hundred dollar bills with nonchalance. The man just flashed his eyebrows up and down in bewilderment and reached for the exquisite bottle hidden among the premium spirits.

Jade, already annoyed beyond oblivion, simply raised an eyebrow in response. She knew that he was only fucking with her. Why? Let's just wait, she was sure he would let her know in a second.

Not waiting for her response, Klaus leaned in closer, his eyes locked onto her unimpressed ones. "You see, love, Knob Creek is a pedestrian choice. Allow me to introduce you to true refinement and taste." He said, his voice a taunting and low murmur. 

Jade's expression hardened, and her annoyance only grew as Klaus turned around with one last triumphant smirk and left the restaurant without giving her a chance to respond. She scoffed to herself, staring at his retreating back. "Audicious bastard." She murmured, eyeing the ordered drink with a glare. She turned to face Damon and Alaric, who were both wearing disgusted expressions as they watched the exchange. "No comment." She rolled her eyes, still not touching the drink.

"If you're not gonna, then I'm definitely gonna." Alaric said, looking at her and the drink knowingly.

Jade let out a groan and grabbed the glass forcefully, taking a cautious sip. The moment the exquisite bourbon touched her lips, her eyes widened in surprise. The taste was beyond compare to her beloved Knob Creek. Shit.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him." She murmured with anger, her grip on the glass tightening.

"He's immortal." The historian reminded her.

"It's just another way of saying that I can kill him multiple times." She grumbled, burning a hole in the glass with her eyes. 

Then, she remembered something. 

Damon let out a large breath, sitting back on the barstool in defeat. "That was fun." He huffed and looked at the historian, flashing his eyebrows up and down. 

The sound of shattering glass made the men's gaze turn towards Jade in a heartbeat.

Jade squeezed the glass so hard that it broke in her hand, the amber liquid now combined with the carmine color of her blood. Alaric let out a pained groan, looking at the wasted liquor. "The motherfucking ritual is tonight?" She grumbled, slowly turning her head towards her companions. "Why the fuck nobody told me?" She opened her palm, letting the glass shards fall onto the countertop. 

The men shared a somewhat startled look. "Ric told us when he got back, nobody texted you that?" Damon asked, giving her a napkin, which she sharply grabbed and threw on the floor, her eyes blazing with fury.

"If I'm gonna be alive after the ritual, I'm killing you all myself." She growled, wiping her hand on her leather jacket and throwing a quick 'sorry' to the bartender that started to clean up the glass. Then, she sighed and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. Howewer, after a second, she whipped her head towards the men, her eyes wide. 

"Has anyone seen Caroline?"

a/n: a little elijah x jade bonding here, i love them together omgg such a brotp

i already love the tension between klaus and jade oh laudddd

oh, and i think you'll love/hate the next chapter *evil laugh*