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Friendship blooms at the most random times with a simple conversation, and they are the ones made for a lifetime. Cordelia leaned back against the wall of the alleyway, her eyes analytic as she looked Enzo St. John up and down. She could sense the fact he was very clearly a Vampire but he was one carrying a lot of pain on his shoulders. "How do you know Omari?" Cordelia asked cautiously, she hadn't seen the Shadelight in a while; concerned about what he was possibly doing in this moment other than messing with the Fates Design as Shadelights tend to do.

"He rescued me and sent me on my way here to Mystic Falls to find you and an old friend of mine," Enzo answered with his English accent extremely present, the way his body tensed at the mention of 'friend' showed he held no kindness for them. "And who might that friend be?" Cordelia asked Enzo but he simply smirked before stepping closer and grabbing a strand of her hair, twirling it between his fingers. "Well, that would be Damon Salvatore, Darling... And I know just how to get his attention," Enzo told her, a conniving smirk before he moved quickly and slammed Cordelia's head against the brick wall, knocking her out.

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Damon walked into the Salvatore Boarding House to find it empty, he turned his gaze to the message he had received from Cordelia requesting to speak with him. He assumed the conversation would be one needing his very useful advice regarding her life as a Soulmate to two people; he had been keen on making many threesome jokes as he could. "Emerald?" Damon called out as he stepped further into the living room, the tense air felt wrong and he was on edge when something rushed past him. "What the--?" Damon was cut off by someone throwing him across the room, hitting the far wall with a harsh impact.

"So much for peace..." Damon muttered as he stood up only to be slammed against the wall, a wooden stake shoved into his stomach pinning him to the wall. Damon groaned as he lifted his hands to the stake, attempting to remove it but he stopped at the voice he still heard in his dreams, "Well, well, Mate... look at this mess." Damon looked up to see the familiar face of Enzo St. John, someone he believed to be dead from their time in the 1950s as an Augustine Vampire. "Remember me, Mate?" Enzo asked, his gaze narrowed as Damon let out a breath looking at him with wide eyes.

"You left me to die..." Enzo seethed as Cordelia stumbled her way into the room, she held her pounding head and cursed her body for being so human despite the power that simmered beneath it. "Damon did what?" Cordelia asked catching both of their attention. "Are you alright?" Damon questioned ignoring the stake in his stomach and the fact that someone he believed to be dead was standing before him alive and angry. "Could be better but I'm more confused about how you two know each other and what he meant by you left him to die," Cordelia expressed.

"Well, Love. Damon and I had been locked in cells for years, tortured, beaten, humiliated, but we weren't gonna let them break us, no. We decided if were going to escape, we needed to work together. We needed each other," Enzo explained as he stepped back from Damon, pouring himself a glass of Bourbon before dropping onto the arm chair to face Cordelia. "So we made a plan, I'd give him all of my blood rations so he'd have the strength to escape and save me in the process. Our plan began perfectly, didn't it?" Enzo continued, his sarcastic expression turned to Damon as the Eldest Salvatore tried to pull the stake from his body.

"I was waiting in the cage for him to release me, waiting for my friend, my cellmate, the only soul with whom I'd connected with in all those years of captivity," Enzo snapped out, the words hitting Cordelia hard knowing that Enzo was simply hurting for the betrayal of someone he viewed as a brother through all of the pain, "Then a fire starts, burns out of control, but Damon just can't get the damn cage open. He looks me in the eye as if he doesn't recognise me, turns around, saves himself, leaving me to die." The room went silent, Cordelia frowned as Enzo smiled sarcastically and Damon lowered his gaze in guilt.

"And yet, you didn't die," Damon remarked in an attempt to cover his guilt with sarcasm instead. "No. Unfortunately, I lived. I was spared by one of the Scientists so I could spend another fifty years on a table being opened and closed," Enzo replied to Damon as he moved to stand up only to find himself trapped to the seat. "I understand your anger. It's justified and fair but killing Damon? That won't take the pain away, it won't ease it, it won't make everything better," Cordelia expressed as she stood up and approached Enzo, leaning down to cup his face in her hands, "You're free now. The ones responsible suffered. And Damon, he shut his humanity off."

Damon looked up at those words, "How did you know?" Enzo raised a brow at Damon's question while Cordelia stepped back and looked at him with soft eyes. "Because Damon, if there is one thing I have learnt about you and Stefan, is that you both care more than you'd ever admit it." Cordelia walked over to Damon, grabbing the stake tight before ripping it from his stomach, "You and Stefan have always carried your emotions behind a thin wall." Damon groaned from the pain and her words, he and Stefan were always transparent around her and he was starting to feel like that isn't such a good thing anymore.

"Now, while I understand your view, Enzo... I understand Damons so, we are gonna handle this very differently," Cordelia explained as she healed Damon, turning to look at Enzo ans tilting her head freeing him. "And how is that, love?" Enzo asked, his fist clenched tight wanting to make Damon pay for abandoning him. "Simple. Forgiveness and forward movement," Cordelia answered as she helped Damon up and led him closer to Enzo, pushing his hand out to Enzo. The two men scoffed at her words, Cordelia raised her brow as Damon's hand dropped and Enzo refused to raise his own.

"Okay, here's the deal, boys," Cordelia spoke as she paced around the two of them, "We have enough going on right now. We have the threat of Mikael, a vampire hunter who is a vampire. A witch beyond the grave who carries a hatred for her son and the creatures she created. A Shadelight who seems to be letting me power up and prepare for God knows what. Alex Ganter, the Heretic, and Scott Martin teaming together to destroy me and my Soulmates. And finally, God only knows what else. So, the two of you will work on forgiveness and apologies or... I will lock you in a room together with no ability to harm the other without harming yourself."

Both males looked at Cordelia, her hands on her hips and the stance replicating that of a mother scolding her sons. She raised a brow and let her eyes flood over with the new silver glow of power, Damon cleared his throat knowing what the little blonde was capable of if necessary. "Enzo..." Damon spoke before looking up at him, "I'm sorry. It's never gonna be enough but... I was scared, I didn't want to die nor be caught and I just... shutting off my humanity was all I could think to do." Enzo was taken aback by Damon's honest words, he wasn't the same man that Enzo knew in the 50s.

Enzo took Damon's hand in his own, "I can't forgive you." Damon's jaw clenched before Enzo added, "But maybe in time, Mate." Damon nodded before they shook their hands once and let go. Cordelia smiled bright letting her eyes return to their normal green before clapping her hands together, "Who's hungry? I could go for some fries and a strawberry milkshake!" As the blonde turned and walked away from the two males, Enzo turned to Damon, "You've gone soft, Mate. For her." Damon shook his head with a fond eye roll, "Trust me. There's way more to the story. And you'll learn if you stick around."

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Cordelia styled her hair, the curls were bouncy and different but she loved it. Her dress was like a princess gown, one that would be seen on Cinderella but with less of a poofy skirt and no sleeves. It had been a strange week mixed between the arrival of Enzo who had become good friends with Alaric, the two taking any chance to poke fun at Damon for their own amusement. Rebekah had been hesitant in befriending any of the girls, holding no sense of trust towards Cordelia for lying to Niklaus about Elena; even if her survival was a key factor to Klaus' Hybrids. Thankfully, Tyler and Caroline had worked together to bridge the gap with the Original Vampire.

And to add to the matter, Cordelia hadn't heard a single word from Niklaus leaving half of her heart feeling hollow. She was beyond worried about him, she had heard from Katherine, of all people, that Scott had freed Mikael working alongside Alex who had found ways to get his revenge on Niklaus. It was chaos almost everywhere she looked, her heart felt unsteady like everything was running its course in the direction of one thing that would make or break the Starlight. Shaking away her thoughts, Cordelia smiled as two arms wrapped around her waist tight to hold her close.

"You look beautiful, darling," Stefan cooed before placing delicate kisses across Cordelia's shoulder to her neck. Cordelia let her head fall back against Stefan's shoulder allowing him more access to her neck, placing open-mouthed kisses across her smooth skin. "We... have a dance to attend," Cordelia reminded him, her voice breathy from his actions. "Maybe I'd rather stay here with you," Stefan whispered, his own voice breathy with desire for his girl. "Cordelia!?" Caroline called out before barging into the room causing Stefan to sigh and step back allowing Cordelia to turn to her twin. "The dance has been moved to the Lockwood mansion as the gym was flooded!" Caroline complained as she paced back and forth.

"And both Sam and Matt said that Tyler's been acting extremely loyal to Klaus in like... a weird, "he's my master" type of way," Caroline expressed further before huffing and crossing her arms, "I worked too hard on this only for Tyler to hijack it!" Cordelia shared a look with Stefan before sighing, "Could you?" Stefan nodded and made his way out, it was clear that Niklaus was back in town and had a plan he kept them out of. "Caroline, calm down. Clearly, Niklaus has a plan... which would have been nice to know," Cordelia said as she grabbed her older sisters hands in her own, "But tonight is about us, not the decorations, okay?"

"Fine... but I swear--" Cordelia lightly pushed Caroline out. "Go on, Samuel is waiting for you," Cordelia told her making Caroline sigh and make her way out of the room and down the stairs. With the finishing touches done, Cordelia made her way downstairs and headed out the door towards her car. As she moved to grab the door handle, she felt a presence behind her, she turned her head to see an older man standing there. "You must be the Starlight," Mikael spoke with a smirk before grabbing Cordelia by her arm, "Now before you try anything witchy, dear. If you don't cooperate with me, that sister and mother of yours will suffer the consequences."

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Stefan approached the familiar face of Niklaus, he sighed before grasping his wrist and dragging him away from who Stefan assumed to be Niklaus' new Hybrids. "Well, mate, this is unexpected. Can't keep your hands off me now," Niklaus taunted until the two were in a separate room away from the party. "No contact? Did you stop to think how that would effect Cordelia? Especially after what she has done for you!" Stefan scolded Niklaus, ignoring his teasing words. "I had things to do but she knew I'd be returning and the phone call from you about Mikael was very helpful in my preparation," Niklaus remarked in response as someone walked forward.

"Excuse me, Klaus. But there is someone requesting your presence," The Hybrid male spoke before stepping aside to see Katherine, the Vampires mark on her neck left by Cordelia made it clear which doppelganger they were speaking with. "Katerina, what an interesting surprise," Niklaus spoke with a wolfish smirk. "Mikael has Cordelia," Katherine said causing both Stefan and Niklaus to freeze in place. "What?" Niklaus practically growled, his eyes shifted to reveal his Hybrid face while Stefans revealed the veins for a moment. Katherine was startled by the clear anger both held at the knowledge of Cordelia being in danger.

Outside the Lockwood Mansion, Cordelia was held tight in Mikael's grip, her body felt drained as Mikael had injected her with something that Alex had given him. The man smirked at Niklaus when the man stood in the back doorway of the Mansion away from the partygoers. "Hello, Niklaus," Mikael greeted his wife's affair child. "Hello, Mikael. Why don't you come in? Oh, that's right. I forgot you can't," Niklaus taunted, he did all he could to keep calm and play the part of unbothered by his Soulmate being in danger. "Or you can come outside if you want," Mikael offered, irritated already.

"Or I could watch my Hybrids tear you limb from limb," Niklaus told him, his words and tone steady but the conflict in his eyes was clear for Cordelia to see even in her drowsy state. A group of Hybrids stepped closer, each ready to fight and defend the one who sired them. "They can't kill me," Mikael reminded Niklaus. "True. But it'll make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce," Niklaus replied, his hand raised in demonstration. His heart rate was slightly unsteady as Mikael tightened his grip on Cordelia's arms, her skin was red under his hold and bound to bruise.

"The big bad wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. You only forget, they may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me," Mikael spoke as the Hybrids turn to face Niklaus under his compulsion. Mindy, a Hybrid, holds Katherine ─ who is pretending to be Elena ─ in her arms tight with a subtle smirk on her face. "Come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies," Mikael ordered as he motioned at Katherine. "Go ahead. Kill her," Niklaus snapped back, he could care less about Elena's fate while the woman he loved was danger. "If she dies, this lot will be the last of your abominations," Mikael told him.

Cordelia frowned as she raised her head enough to look at Niklaus, her eyes pleading unaware of the plan they had all come up with; unaware that Katherine was standing in Mindy's arms, not Elena. "I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you," Niklaus remarked as he crossed his arms appearing nonchalant, "Kill the doppelganger. Release the Starlight, the curse of her death isn't worth it." The words hurt Niklaus to say but he held his facade. "To what end? So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those who loyalty you forced? No one. No one," Mikael growled out harshly.

"No..." Cordelia whimpered, her head pounding as she saw the tears forming in Niklaus' eyes. The words hit her, echoing through the space for all to hear and take in. Stefan, in the shadows alongside Damon and Rebekah, turned his gaze to Niklaus seeing the pain burning within the Hybrids eyes. "He's worth more than anything you claim," Cordelia muttered. "He's an abomination," Mikael scoffed out, "An unloved monster that destroys everything he touches." Cordelia felt a burn course through her chest, she began to breath heavily before she turned her head to Mikael. "You are the abomination who cursed innocent children due to the actions of your cheating wife," Cordelia's words echoed as her eyes flooded with silver.

Mikael released her as his hands seemed to burn from the contact, he raised his hands into view to see them healing from the heat that Cordelia seemed to produce. "You'll not harm a single hair on his head," Cordelia remarked as she stood tall, her left hand held out to the side as silver mist began to form until slowly, a white stake with golden embroidery of stars appeared in her grasp, "And you will not break the balance of nature for a second time." Mikael glared and moved forward to attack her, Cordelia moved quicker than him, pushing him into the home before throwing the stake to Niklaus as Katherine freed herself from Mindy.

Niklaus grabbed Mikael and turned him over as he groaned in pain from being forced into a home he wasn't welcomed into. Niklaus raises the stake and drives it into Mikael's chest and through his heart, then he stood and stepped back as Mikael's body burst into flames burning until ash blew in the wind. Cordelia took steady breaths as she raised her head to see Niklaus approaching her, he cupped her face in his hands, "Thank you, Love." Cordelia smiled before pulling Niklaus close and kissing him. Katherine rolled her eyes and walked away while Stefan walked over feeling content for the moment.

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Rosie Speaking !!

Can you tell that I've lost interest in this book? 'Cause I feel like you can. But I'm pushing through to complete it. So the ghost part didn't happen and of course, Elena isn't trying to kill Niklaus here.

Ehhhh... this book is whatever but clearly you like it if you're here enjoying it. Changed the last scene cause some complain about me hinting at having a powerful oc but she's always 'weak'... well, sorry that humanity and morality limits her power usage and manipulation. Some of us wouldn't be power hungry monsters relying on the power.

Anyway!
Thank you for 400K reads on this book!
That's why I'm releasing another chapter so quickly. So thank you so much <3

Thoughts? Suggestions? Questions?

See you in the next chapter !!

Unedited
Written via phone