**strong language!

•.•.•.•.•
MYSTIC FALLS, PRESENT DAY

"WHY do I get the feeling you're lying to me?" Grace asked Damon, after they had been riding in silence for the past ten minutes.

Damon barely glanced over, smirking in a way that could not have been good.

"I assure you, I'm not. I know you're stronger than me, so it'd be stupid to do that. We're here now, see?"

Damon pulled into the driveway of a mansion home, which Grace knew was obviously the Mikaelsons'.

What was waiting inside was the real problem, however. Grace just did not know that, yet. Damon had a plan, though. Where, in the end, everybody would win in a way.

The pair stepped out, approaching the door of the house. Grace could feel the energy of very old beings. These souls... they all seemed to want different things. Some wanted to be alone, and others were itching to get out.

Grace barged in, since this was a house not owned by humans. Very vampire-friendly.

"Klaus!" Grace called, crossing her arms and waiting impatiently.

Damon sighed, wishing Grace could have been a bit more subtle. However, she found who she was looking for. Niklaus Mikaelson appeared, watching Grace in a loving, yet analyzing, way.

"Oh, good. I was beginning to think I had made a mistake, turning you loose. It seems you've brought along a friend?" Nik asked, gesturing to Damon.

Damon rolled his eyes, taking a step forward.

"I'll have you know that I had nothing to do with this. Everything is on Grace's part."

Grace narrowed her eyes at Damon, saying, "You brought me here, but I'll let you think what you want."

She then looked to Niklaus, with the same look she was giving Damon.

"Niklaus. You've taken away my humanity, I see. I just want to know why."

Klaus paced for a moment, not bothering to hide his mischievous smile.

"Well, love, I'm quite sure you already know. It's time to awaken the rest of the family, like I've told you."

Grace's expression faltered, confused.

"What about the Gilbert girl?"

Damon's head snapped over quickly, eyes wide. Grace was a part of that, too? She knew that Stefan and Damon were both in love with this girl yet she was willing to take her and for what?

Klaus Mikaelson.

Damon looked to Klaus, nearly infuriated at how he could manipulate Grace like a puppet when he knew she was in love with him.

"Turn her back, Klaus. You know how much she obviously cares about you and yet- yet you think it's okay to do this? To order her around for you just because of her abilities?"

Grace frowned, looking between Damon and Klaus.

"That's okay, Damon. I know that's all I'm good for and so does Klaus. He's a monster, what more would you expect? Now, are you ready to get this over with?" Grace asked, looking to Klaus.

Niklaus had a sudden twist of guilt that consumed him. It stabbed him and spread like wildfire all over. Grace without her humanity was a version of her that would tell the truth and not have any cares about who heard it. These truths that she had thought about before.

He had truly done damage to this beautiful creature.

"Salvatore, leave," Klaus demanded in a low voice, not taking his eyes off of Grace.

"I'm not going to let you hurt her-" "I'm not. Just. leave."

Damon paused for a beat, then gave a curt nod.

"I'll be waiting, and I'm expecting her to be okay."

He flashed out of the house, leaving Grace and Niklaus alone in the hallway at the bottom of the staircase.

"If I bring you back... you'll hate me for eternity. If I bring back every memory that I've told you to forget, you'll want me dead. But... it's the only way I'll ever be able to set things right."

Klaus broke off, looking away from Grace.

She remained silent, emotionless. But were those, tears, she saw in Niklaus' eyes?

"Bring them back or not, I don't care. It's not in my nature to care anymore, is it?"

Klaus turned back to her, and she could see tears streaming down his face. He took her hand, stepping toward Grace until their noses almost touched.

"Grace Fredricks. You will have your humanity come back and- and you will remember everything. Every moment that I have erased from you I want you to know. Be free."

Instantly, Grace's eyes rolled back for a moment, as she was remembering everything at once.

And when she was back, it all came to her full-force. Grace let out a sob and her knees went weak, collapsing to the ground. She was unable to catch her breath, realizing everything that she had done. Images flashed through her mind: blood, dead bodies, ripping through innocent people's bodies.

They were all her memories.

Grace looked up at Niklaus, shocked and feeling a million different things at once.

He knelt down with her, grabbing her face in his hands tenderly.

"Grace, love-" "No!" she snapped, throwing off Klaus and standing up, backing away from him.

"Y-You made me into- into a monster. YOU! I- I've killed so many people, innocent people and you did this to me. And- and we've met before and I liked you so much. You're a fucking monster."

Grace breathed heavily, feeling unable to cope with everything all at once.

Niklaus had nothing to say. For once, Grace had finally shut him up.

But she was not finished, to his surprise.

Quietly, she began, "Do you know why I thought I kept helping you whenever you required me? I thought it was because I loved you. Because I love you, Nik. Even though every moment of my life involving you has been absolute torment, I stuck around because I figured you need someone to stay. But now I know that I should have been smart like the rest of them. You are manipulative, cold-blooded, and want nothing but some damn hybrids when you don't seem to realize that I am right here! I will be your family, Nik! I-"

Her voice broke, giving in to the tears once more.

Grace wiped her eyes away, staring into his soul, practically.

"This is my second chance to you. If you ever- ever, try to compel me or manipulate me in any way ever again, I'm leaving you and I will destroy your family."

Here was Niklaus, completely vulnerable and willing to anything for this girl. She the most beautiful, strongest, and fierce person he knew, inside and out.

"I will do anything for you. Never again will I forsake you or try to make you something you're not. I- I love you."

Grace was a sucker for those words, but she had to show boundaries. He would have to gain back a lot of things from her. In time.

She nodded, sniffling and crossing her arms.

"I know. Now, are you ready to get this over with?"

NOTES
can y'all say toxic lmaoooo i'm so so sorry okay they'll be happy eventually