(CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO :
KNOCKOUT)

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JEREMY GILBERT WAS AN idiot and I couldn't help but think I dodged a bullet due to his utter lack of common sense. According to Damon, he took his sister to the hospital after she started bleeding to the extent of unconsciousness. In essence, the boy made Elena a prime target for a certain family of vampires with a vendetta. Whilst Stefan and Damon had the pleasure of disposing of Klaus' body, I was sent to do damage and control. For two hours, I'd been waiting for Caroline to bring Elena home because the Salvatores insisted I stayed with Elena today. I didn't dare argue back, spending time with my friend was an excuse to avoid what I did last night — dumb text message included.

On the coffee table, I spotted a magazine and flicked through it until I heard approaching footsteps. Adjusting my posture, I slammed the magazine down and hurried towards the front door. Caroline, Matt and Tyler were supporting Elena's weight when they walked through the front door, although she looked relatively okay. In Mystic Falls, 'still human' constituted as okay.

"You have quite the welcome committee." I remarked, unable to conjured up a witty comment on command. As of late, the grim events had left me feeling drained.

Elena cracked a faint smile, it was forced, but I knew she was trying. Our friendship was strained, but life or death tended to unite people again. Before I could return the gesture, Caroline and the boys were spinning her around towards the couch. Everybody had their undivided attention on the brunette, making quite the scene about the incident — with Caroline taking charge and being the lead drama queen, naturally. "Couch." I heard her order the girl.

"I'm fine." Unknowingly, Elena allowed her heart rate to speed up. In disapproval, I tutted, the Forbes woman would never leave her alone if our friend resorted to lying. "I just——I want something to eat first." The brunette decided, denying herself a seat. In desperation, she glanced at me for assistance. From what I could gather, hospital food was repulsive and she showed no signs of lying about being hungry.

Helplessly, I shrugged. "You're looking at the girl that never had to cook a day in her life." I said truthfully. When I was human, there was hired staff to cook for my family and human food didn't sustain me as a vampire. In fact, I only ate it out in public to keep pretences.

Exasperated, the Gilbert girl turned to Tyler, knowing it would most likely be Caroline and Matt to coddle her. Tyler scrunched his eyebrows together sternly, "We're on it, as soon as we make sure no one is lurking in the closets." He assured her, climbing up the stairs with an agitated Matt Donovan.

"You okay, Matt?" I asked, startling him slightly. "Your heartbeat could wake the dead — or undead, you know." I joked, pointing to the location of his fast-beating heart. Upon further inspection, I noticed his palms were sweaty and his eyes darted around the room. He was scared, which I found suspicious. "I'll come with you." I proposed, wondering what Matt could fear upstairs, or, better yet, what he was hiding. Maybe he would crack if he was alone with me.

"I'm a hybrid, I think we're good." Tyler reminded the room proudly, flashing his amber eyes at all of us. His resentment became dormant once he realised he could have the perks of being a vampire-werewolf and break the sire bond.

On instinct, I rolled my baby blues. "There could be a dust bunny collector hiding upstairs and you would run screaming." I mocked. "You two idiots couldn't even kill a tiny little spider last I saw — how would you handle a psychotic vampire hell-bent on killing the doppelgänger?" I retaliated, recalling the first encounter I shared with the two jocks. The two of them were caught off guard and I had to remove a spider from the pool table at The Grill.

"It was only one time." Matt defend, knowing that I would never let that incident be forgotten. "And, it was very big and very furry." He shivered, inching his fingers apart to demonstrate the immense size of the spider.

I repressed a small scoff, settling to brush past the boy and take the lead in searching the Gilbert residence for what goes bump in the night.

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'Divide and conquer' was our method. Matt took two bedrooms — Jeremy's plus the guest space — and Tyler tackled the bathrooms whilst I covered Elena's bedroom. Despite being the most able, I had the least ground to cover and decided to interrogate an isolated Matt after I did my own thorough search. His earlier attitude had me on edge, I knew better than to ignore a neon warning sign like out of character behaviour. As long as he was with Tyler, he was untouchable and that was why I chose to seize the opportunity when he was alone.

The sound of a human heartbeat guided me to the Donovan boy. When the door to Jeremy Gilbert's bedroom creaked open, Matt's hand flew against his hammering heart, considerably startled. "Lottie," he gawked in relief. "You scared me." He exhaled, covering his mild shock with a rather throaty laugh.

"Elena's room is clear." I confirmed, aiming to appear nonchalant. Deliberately, I turned around as if I were to leave before hesitating at the last moment. "You're jumpy." I stated, cocking my head to the left to hide the accusation in my tone. "Is something wrong? And, don't forget, I can hear your heartbeat." I strolled into the room, warning him against spewing out a white lie.

"No." Matt replied, his voice rising an octave. "I mean, no, nothing's wrong." He cemented, ensuring there was more strength to his voice.

In disappointment, I shook my head. "I hate liars, Matt." I confessed, intimidating the teenager in spite of him towering over me in height. "You can answer truthfully, or I'll find out the fun way. Well, fun for me." I threatened, my face transforming to one of a vampire in front of his incredulous eyes.

"Wait, we're on the same team." He pleaded, slowly retreating backwards. His face shifted into one of horror when his body collided with Jeremy's desk — he was cornered.

"I'm on my own team." I fired back, pursuing the boy like he was my prey. Of course I had no intentions to harm him, I wasn't a monster, but I did want to scare him into obedience. He was conspiring something and I needed to know what. Deep down, Matt Donovan was a good person, but he had also killed vampires. It was best to investigate because I was at risk considering neither of us were bound by loyalties. We were only acquaintances.

Raising his hands in surrender, Matt met my blood-infused eyes for the first time. "I want to get Elena out of the town." He revealed. "She's died once and will die again with a family of ancient vampires on her back. If you care about her like I do, you'll help me save her." He bargained.

I locked my jaw. "First, don't negotiate with me." I held up one finger. "Second, don't mistake me for owing you anything. And third," I slapped him, the sound echoing against the walls. "Elena is not a damsel in distress and certainly does not need to be saved by a knight in shining polyester." I scolded, scrutinising his clothing choice in the process. "Yes, she's insane for staying in this town as long as she has, but that doesn't give you the right to take away her free will." I could feel the rage brewing inside of me. Was he imposing that we kidnap the girl and force her out of the only town and lifestyle she had ever known?

"What she wants will get her killed." Matt clutched his stinging cheek, a scornful expression in his face.

"What I wanted got me killed too, but I'm still kicking." I retorted, the parallels between the two us were undeniable. "You don't give her enough credit. No matter how questionable her decisions can be, Elena Gilbert is so strong. If you can't see that and won't change your mind, I'm sorry." I apologised with a meagre smile. I knew he was ingesting vervain, so couldn't halt his schemes via compulsion. Instead, I hissed at him with my fangs bared and decided to pounce on him. If I attacked him, he would be in hospital long enough for his plans to be incapacitated. Although, it would be relying on his incredible moral complex to stand strong and for him to deny the vampire blood he would surely be offered.

Extending to size of flying saucers, his eyes glinted in realisation. "Tyler!" Matt yelled, resulting in the hybrid stumbling through the threshold within seconds.

Tyler Lockwood ripped me from his best friend before I could cause any damage. I thrashed in his hold, his hybrid strength exceeding that of my own. Before I could cause a scene, he slammed my head against the wooden desk, knocking me unconscious temporarily.

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PORTLAND, OREGON [1908]

Tenderly, Kol cupped his hands around my tear-streaked face, leaning in for a ephemeral kiss. Often, his affectionate gestures were provoked by lust or passion — he would devour every cell of my body with a ravenous, raging hunger like no other. Except this felt divergent. His kiss was soft, as if he wanted to memorise me in the short space of time we had. Fervent all the same, but it felt final.

Unlocking our lips, I had a dazed expression on my face. "Is there no way you could come in with me?" I persisted, taking a peak of my shoulder to check that my parents remained in the dining room.

"Rebekah sent word of an emergency." He huffed, knowing he had to attend to his sister's pesky needs to protect his romantic quests from Klaus. "You know that I want to support you, but family calls." Gently, Kol stroked my hair. "But, I trust you, darling. I have no doubts of what you're capable of on your own." Inclining his head towards the double doors, he pushed me through the barrier that protected me from my parents before flashing out of my home.

I stumbled through the doors, lacking the grace and composure my Mother was insistent on. Both of them observed me with twin grey eyes — each pair equally as judgemental. In an instant, my muscles contracted and my head hung low. They intimidated me, the two were paralysed in a constant state of disapproval. Father had hard lines that applied pressure against his withered skin and bloodshot eyeballs that had long ago retreated into his skull. Mother had brittle hair that framed her stretched face and a rehearsed smile that consisted of her chapped lips, the latter a result of how regularly the woman scolded me. Similarly, the two belonged in a museum and were far from the nurturing parental figures I desired after reading countless fairytales.

With a quivering bottom lip, I didn't dare wait a moment longer. "I shall not marry Thomas." I announced firmly, the certainty in my voice surprising even me. The words lingered like a bad odour in the air, my hands flying over my agape mouth when the regret soon attacked me at full force. 

"Excuse me, Charlotte Anne Hatton." Mother cleared her throat first, her beady eyes slimming into nefarious slits. "Thomas Fairclough is a remarkable young man with a bright future and wise investments in our family. I do impose you retract such absurdity to receive minimal punishment." She was cutting and clear with her statement. There was a certain elegance to her composure, to her calm, but it was a deadly all the same.

Father had stilled. Winding veins in his forearms bulged, but he simply picked up his knife and stabbed into the freshly served appetiser.

"Exactly, Mother." I agreed with her, feeding her ego discreetly. "Thomas is benevolent, astute and profound in every aspect, but I am not content with him. I have long changed in the six months since the arrangement, I've met Kol and found happiness in him." I explained calmly. If I wasn't mistaken, the nodding of her head implied she was listening too. "He treats me well, better than I deserve. And he has seen every corner of the globe, there's such a unique spirit like no other in that man. Kol has an old soul — although you would never think it — and he is very protective of me, I feel safe with him." I repressed a giggle at the irony of feeling secure beside a nine century old Original vampire. "Did I mention that he is respectful too? I know his first impression was deceiving, but he wants me to be his equal. When I'm with him, I feel powerful, I feel worthy. Af——" I rambled adoringly. Once I started talking, I couldn't stop. Despite his violent nature and the imperfections in our relationship, I couldn't help but find the good in him.

"Say another word and you will be on the streets like the wretched whore you are." Father silenced my affections, dropping his cutlery against the china with a clang.

Bile began to rise in my throat. "But——" I attempted to oppose him.

"Quiet." He demanded, his authority hanging over me like a dark shadow. "If you refuse to cleanse your mind of that fool, the streets will be the least of your worries. I raised you, I did right by you, yet you repay me by being a disobedient wench?" Father roared, the table subtly shaking from the booming volume of his voice. "No daughter of mine would be so reckless. You are no daughter of mine."

"I—I love Kol!" I choked out.

Swiftly, Father snatched the round-necked glass he had been drinking from and aimed it in my direction. I pushed my back against the wall in fear, the delicate object shattering around me and the shards flying every which way. Then, Hell truly broke loose.

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A stream of crimson had dried on my forehead and an extreme anger had built up inside of me. I wouldn't have killed Matt, I was just trying to protect my friend — and to a further extent, him. If Matt drove Elena out of town without her consent, she would never forgive him. Furious, I bounced up from where the two boys had abandoned me on the floor and stormed downstairs for a confrontation.

"Where are they?" I bellowed, speeding into the kitchen where I detected voices.

Elena frowned. "Who?" She inquired, turning to Matt a minute later. "I thought you said she went home?" Unsure, she raised an eyebrow at her ex-boyfriend.

"Tyler and Matt. They knock——" I started to inform her, spinning around to note that there was an unexpected addition in the kitchen. "Elijah. You're here." I noticed, surprised that he was still in the town.

"Ah, Charlotte, I was just explaining to your friends how my family will scatter once Alaric is disarmed. No doubt he will follow us." Elijah divulged, straight-laced and serious as always.

I swallowed. "Even Kol?" I wondered, my emotions simmering down due to the vampire's distraction.

"Even Kol." Elijah answered, causing me to reevaluate Amsterdam. Potentially, Kol would be tracked by Alaric and I would be killed by association. I couldn't put myself in danger by being in the same country as the vampire hunter that almost killed me once.

"We've finally stopped him, Elijah." Elena shifted the focus. "After everything that he's done to us, I can't just let you bring him back." She appeared remorseful.

He paused for a brief moment. "I give you my word, Elena. I will not revive Klaus within yours nor even within your children's lifetimes. Perhaps that will finally teach him some manners." The Original mused, the edge of his lips rounding upwards.

"He'll come after me, I'll be forced to run like Katherine did." I concluded, remembering how I taunted Klaus as he was desiccating.

"Kol would not let that happen." He decided. "I would not let that happen, I saw the change in my brother firsthand. You shall be safe." Elijah relaxed me, flicking his wrist in dismissal.

Matt contributed to conversation and Elijah eased his nerves. It was hit back and forth for a while with Damon — who was on the phone — chipping in every two minutes. Once Elijah exhausted all our worries, it came down to that one spine-chilling question. "So, do we have a deal?"

Elena looked to Stefan and me, to which the three of us held a silent conversation. "Why do you want Klaus' body?" She sighed.

"He's my brother. We remain together." Elijah responded. I refrained from snorting at his misguided family values. Rather, I shook my head at Elena, wanting her to keep Klaus out of action permanently.

She ignored my desperation. "We have a deal."

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A.N: This was such a filler chapter but only two chapters remain till the end! I'm really excited for this to be wrapped up after a long journey of rewriting.

Who's your favourite TVD/TO character?