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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 16
"𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅."

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— KOL ROLLED OVER IN BED and blinked his eyes open, the sun shining into his face making him groan. He shut his eyes tightly before opening them again, slowly and blinking at the image of his wife standing there, surrounded by light like the angel he knows she isn't. She's much too devilish to be an angel, perhaps she's a fallen angel sent to him.

He smiled tiredly, reaching out for her, the halo of light making her seem heavenly, "My angel." He mumbled.

She stepped forward with a smile, "My devil." She responded in turn and grabbed his hand.

He made a confused noise, his nose scrunched, "Not a dream?"

"No, Koala." She chuckled.

That was all he needed. He sat up and pulled her down onto the bed making her squeal. "Missed you." He said his voice deep from sleep as he held her close, she easily settled into her place beside him in their bed. "Sleep?" He blinked.

"It's daytime, Kol." She laughed.

"So?"

She bit her lip to prevent laughter from spilling out, and looking away her smile faltered just for a moment — a moment too long. He paused and sat up, his face turning serious, "What's wrong?"

She stayed silent for a moment as she decided between the uncomfortable truth and a comforting lie. Finally, she held onto his shirt, and whispered, "Katherine." She sighed and shook her head, "As always." He squeezed her hand patiently and she looked away again, "It's just... harder than I thought, to be here again, with her and my brothers. It feels like I'm stuck watching the past repeat." She made a small sound of displeasure, "I hate it."

"I'm sorry my love." He whispered, holding her hand close, "If I could kill her for you I would but she's a bloody cockroach, and you know I'm very good at killing."

She pursed her lips, "I know. She'll be gone soon if I have anything to do with it."

Her eyes shined with unsaid anxiety and he sighed, "I'm here. Always."

She pressed her lips to his and whispered in response, "Forever."

The kiss deepened as they fought for dominance when Skyler's phone buzzed. She groaned and grabbed it from her pocket, determined to throw it aside when she saw her brother's name on the screen. "it's Stefan."

"Ignore it." He mumbled, biting on her neck encouragingly.

She moaned, pleasure mixed with disappointment, "I can't." She groaned, "I'll come back." She whispered, pulling him back into a kiss.

He deepened the kiss before pulling back with a heated gaze as he spoke lowly, "You better."

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"YESTERDAY'S clothes?" Stefan asked as she met him at the park. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at his childish words he'd been around Damon too much.

"Yesterday's attitude?" She retorted, she'd been around Damon too much as well. She asked, "So what did Damon do now?"

"The thing Damon does best," he told her, frustration spread across his face practically tattooed on, "He picked a fight." Skyler rolled her eyes knowingly. Her eyes scanned the area, spotting Mason over by his car.

"Looks like I found the lone wolf." She pointed out with a bit of snark. Could she really be blamed? He'd pulled her away from what was looking to be a very good morning with her husband.

Stefan nodded in acknowledgement and they walked together, side by side.

Here's the thing, the twins didn't often act like twins, in fact, people often thought she was Damon's twin instead off of their personalities alone, however, they had a few things in common — one being that they'd do anything for their family, even after everything. A trait Skyler loathed, because even after all this time, after getting her own family, she still would do anything for her brothers.

As they approached the wolf eyed them curiously, "Skyler." He greeted with a nod, his eyes flickering to the man beside her, "Stefan right?" Mason asked as Stefan leaned against his car, he looked between the two, "The Salvatore twins." He commented. "Don't look much alike, do you?"

They readily ignored his comment, used to people noting how the two didn't look like twins. Honestly, would they like Skyler to grow a penis for them to believe the two were twins? She scoffed and stepped forward, "Clearly the hotter Salvatore's." Skyler replied with a smirk.

"And nicer." Stefan added with a kind smile, one that was so well faked only Skyler and Damon, who taught him the ways of fake kindness, could see through it, "The ones offering an apology."

"Not interested."

"Look my brother acted impulsively." Stefan told him nonchalantly, his eyes narrowed in seriousness mixed with weariness, ready for a fight but trying to avoid it with words.

"Like the idiot he is." Skyler added helpfully.

Mason arched a brow, "You think?"

Stefan huffed in frustration, he already knew this wouldn't end well or be easy however he had to try. He shuffled on his feet and continued, "If you and Damon keep at each other's throats, somebody innocent is going to get hurt, and I don't want that. Neither of us does."

"And you have family here." He continued trying to reason with the man who was naturally their enemy, "So I can't imagine you'd want that either. So what do you say we just quit the whole alpha male fighting thing and just call it a truce."

"I made that same offer to your brother," Mason responded calmly, his eyes narrowing, "He turned it down. With a knife."

"He made a mistake." Stefan responded readily.

Skyler nodded in agreement, though she too would rather turn down this entire conversation with a knife, she knew when that was needed and when it would be more of a problem than fun, "One we're trying to fix."

"We're here to make sure that neither one of you make another one." Stefan continued, hoping the werewolf would see the reason in his words.

Mason scoffed, clearly not going to go for it which made Skyler tense, she knew her brother preferred peace however she would gladly ruin the man if he dared hurt her brothers and god forbid he touch a hair on her own head. It would be him signing his own death certificate, and she wouldn't even be the one holding the knife - that right belonged to the Mikaelson's if he dared hurt their family.

"Tell your brother to watch his back." Mason responded eyes narrowed. Picking up a box, he went to when Skyler turned and grabbed a handful of the man's shirt, forcefully pulling him back. The man stepped up, making himself appear bigger as he straightened, getting in her face. Behind them, Stefan stepped up, placing himself between the werewolf and his twin as Skyler's grip on Mason's shirt fell.

"You touch her and I promise you there will be no more peace offerings." Stefan said with narrowed eyes, he brushed off the dust from the wolf's shirt and continued, "I'm guessing that he only has to worry about that during a full moon," he told him sternly, "Otherwise you're not as strong, am I right?"

Skyler narrowed her eyes, standing behind her brother but ready for a fight, "Or you would've killed him already."

"There's one of you." Stefan told him looking him up and down hungrily, like he was their prey. A vampire's next meal.

She stepped up, no longer hiding behind Stefan but placing herself next to him, a United front as they protected their family, "And three of us." Plus the insanely protective original vampires that would murder anyone who tried to harm Skyler... but she couldn't exactly tell them that, not yet. The wolf would find out on his own if he tried getting in her face again. Or if Kol found out it happened at all.

"I think you're the one who needs to watch his back." Stefan warned the man, turning Mason's own threat against him with ease.

Mason looked at them considering them in a new light, "If he comes at me..."

"He won't." Skyler said confidently, her eyes narrowing in on the wolf, "We'll make sure of it." Stefan outstretched his hand for the werewolf to shake. Reluctantly, the Lockwood wolf took his hand and shook it, eyeing Skyler cautiously before he walked away, carrying a box on his shoulder. She finally relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she glanced at her twin.

Suddenly, Damon appeared over his siblings' shoulders, "What are you doing?" He questioned sternly.

"Negotiating peace on your behalf." Stefan responded easily.

"Aka fixing things before you get yourself killed." Skyler added, crossing her arms with a disapproving look.

"I don't want peace." Damon responded in an almost whining tone, she rolled her eyes.

"Oh. Consider it Opposite Day." Stefan told him not breaking or wavering. Damon wouldn't know what they went through to get peace, nor how frail the line between peace and war is now.

"Stefan. Skyler." Damon said, coming around and grabbing hold of both their shoulders, squishing the two together as he spoke to them, "Please tell me you don't seriously think a handshake just solved our problem."

"No actually." Stefan replied, his eyes narrowed with a serious look in his eyes, one that never seemed to go away, "I think that the first chance Mason Lockwood gets, he's going to drive a stake through your heart, then through mine and then Skyler's— all because you took it upon yourself to try and kill him."

"Stupid move really." Skyler commented, wishing she had some popcorn, or a knife. Maybe a quick stabbing would help her big brother grow a brain and not start a war with a wolf.

"So thank you," Stefan said, grabbing the side of his neck with one hand, "cause we don't have enough problems." Without another word, he walked away leaving Skyler alone with Damon who looked at her in disappointment.

"I thought you were fun." The elder Salvatore complained.

Skyler huffed, shaking her head, "And I thought you had some self-preservation skills," she responded, "Clearly we were both wrong."

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"PLEASE tell me that you were just having bro bonding time," Skyler told Damon as she and Stefan approached, "and you didn't just sign your own death certificate."

Damon chose not to answer, looking at Stefan in question instead, "So what's with this um faux drama in your relationship?"

"What are you talking about?" Stefan questioned confused.

Skyler took one look at him and knew. He always had been a terrible liar, from sneaking an extra cookie to telling their father Katherine wasn't a vampire — before he shot his own children dead where they stood, begging for life.

She tore her eyes away from her brother.

"Oh come on Stefan. You and Elena don't fight." Damon told his brother knowing just as well as Stefan's twin, "especially not over me." He scoffed in disbelief.

"Drop it, Damon."

Damon shrugged it off with ease, he wasn't truly curious, he already knew the truth, he just liked riling his brother up, "With pleasure." He agreed. They turned back as a little girl walked over to the table with lemonade and asked if they'd like some with a kind, unsuspecting smile.

"Thank you, sweetie." Damon responded, sweetly grabbing a cup of lemonade, despite his hard exterior he did have a heart at times. The girl walked away, leaving them with cups of lemonade. Skyler stared at hers cautiously. She didn't trust anything in this town. Beside her, Damon didn't seem to have the same convictions. Taking a big sip, he promptly spat it out as he gagged and coughed on the burning liquid.

"What's wrong with you?" Stefan questioned his brother, guiding him onto a nearby bench with Skyler's help. They studied him with barely concealed worry.

"Vervain. Vervain." Damon gasped out painfully, holding his throat as he coughed. Stefan's eyes widened, grabbing the cup his brother had been drinking from, he threw it out before sitting on one side of him. Skyler scrunched her nose up as she grabbed her cup and threw it into the dirt beside them before taking her seat on the other side of the eldest Salvatore. Yet again, more proof that she couldn't trust anything in this town. Not even lemonade.

Skyler looked warily at her twin over Damon's shoulder as she spoke, "I don't think vervains a normal ingredient in lemonade."

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DAMON grunted, panting painfully as he approached the fence of the covered area in the park, he opened his water as fast as he could.

"I hate vervain." He said before gulping down the water, gurgling it, and then spitting it out over the fence onto the grass below. "I'm gonna kill him." Damon told them when he turned back, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No, no, not yet." Stefan said sternly, grabbing him. Damon didn't listen, trying to push back but Stefan stopped him, "Listen to me. Sit, sit, sit, sit!" He forced Damon to sit before staring into his eyes sternly.

"I'm not listening to any more of your give peace a chance crap." Damon said harshly. He was sick and tired of peace. "He's dead." His voice dangerously low, he tried getting up again only for Skyler to push him back down.

"Okay, I don't like it but he's making threats." Stefan spoke as Damon panted painfully, "He could expose us. We need to put him down."

"Alright, let's do it." Damon agreed readily although a bit surprised.

"Finally." Skyler grumbled, "Peace is overrated." She told them with narrowed eyes clouded with danger. She had gotten too used to the Mikaelson way; Murder first, ask later. She wasn't used to Stefan's peace first; murder later tactic. She preferred the Mikaelson way. More blood, less talking.

ೃ⁀➷

UNITED, the Salvatore siblings approached Mason on opposite ends while he was out in the woods alone taking out the trash.

"Don't look so surprised." Damon told him as they revealed themselves, "You knew this was inevitable."

"Go ahead, run." Skyler chimed in, a murderous smile on her face paired with a dangerous gleam in her eyes that screamed she enjoyed this, Nik would be very proud, "It's fun when they run."

"I'll give you a head start." Damon added politely.

Mason looked around, surveying the odds they assumed before he took off. Just then, Damon was shot in the chest, then Stefan when he turned to find out where it came from, and then Skyler as she stared at the shooter, glaring.

"Oh, you're dead." She said before she fell to the ground, being hit twice, three, no four times.

Oh yeah. They were dead.

ೃ⁀➷

SKYLER woke in pain — just like she did when she died over a hundred years ago the same way.

Bullets hurt like a son of a bitch and even 100 years later it brought back not-so-fond memories of her father. She blinked, eyelids heavy as she looked around. They were in a cellar of sorts and the sheriff was standing over them, gun pointed at them.

The sheriff nudged Damon's leg but got no response so she shot it, Damon let out a scream, and fear shot through Skyler, her mind flashing back to the day they died, side by side as their father killed them.

Her breathing quickened.

Suddenly, she wasn't a 100-year-old vampire, married to one of the most powerful vampires — she was seventeen and terrified with her brothers beside her, ready to die.

"This is how it's going to work." The sheriff stated, looking only at Damon, "Answer me and you don't get shot. Understand?" He looked over at his brother who was still unconscious then at Skyler whose eyes were wide open, her breathing faster than he had ever seen for a vampire.

He had to get her out of here.

He had to get both of them out of here.

"How many of you are there?" Sheriff Forbes questioned, eyes narrowed.

"Liz, please..." Damon begged, his head lulling back and his eyes heavy, his voice etched with pain.

The sheriff didn't care, shooting him again causing Skyler to jump, eyes going impossibly wider as her brother screamed. "How did you fool us?" Liz questioned, "How do you walk in the sun?"

Damon stayed silent, the sheriff didn't even look at their faces as she shot at Skyler and Stefan instead, making her shout out in pain while Stefan stayed silent, unconscious still. Skyler's hand twitched with the urge to reach out for him, however, she stayed still in fear of being shot again. It may not kill them but it would sure as hell hurt.

"I will drag this out painfully." The sheriff told Damon eyes narrowed dangerously. Skyler whimpered in pain, her shirt covered in blood. She couldn't do this- her mind flashing between past and present.

Damon groaned, panting heavily as he looked away from his siblings and back at her pleadingly, "But you're my friend."

"Our friendship was a lie." She responded readily, "Answer me and I'll kill you fast." Skyler groaned, her body tensing instinctively. She had to get up and fight, to save not only herself but her brothers' lives. But... she couldn't. Her head lulled as she fought against the pain. The sheriff's voice rang in her ears as she spoke, "He's not going to tell us anything."

"Kill them all."

ೃ⁀➷

STEFAN groaned as Elena rubs circles on his back while Damon and Skyler sucked on the blood of the officers to get strength back. The two struggled to back away, Damon sitting in front of Stefan while Skyler inched to a nearby wall and leaned against it.

"You need to drink some deputy blood." Damon told Stefan sternly.

"Oh no," Stefan resisted stubbornly, "I'll be fine. It's just going to take a little bit longer."

"Stefan..." Skyler called worriedly, "Damon's right you know, if there's ever a time to break your diet—"

"He said he didn't want it okay?" Elena responded, defending Stefan's decisions naively.

Skyler fought back a growl, her veins showing as she glanced at Elena who flinched away despite her best efforts. She narrowed her eyes on her brother, "You start going grey and I'm forcing the blood down your throat." She warned him, "You're not dying on me."

Stefan looked like he wanted to argue but luckily he knew better as he nodded in response. She looked away, taking a breath and urging the veins under her eyes to disappear.

"This is a most unfortunate situation. Two deputies dead, and you, "Damon spoke, turning to look at the sheriff, "what am I going to do with you?"

The sheriff blinked, still in shock. Skyler found it hard to pity her when she didn't even look at them when they cried out, bleeding as they pleaded with her only for her to shoot them. She blinked and saw her father standing in front of her instead of the sheriff. Blinking again, she returned to reality as she touched the cold blood on her shirt and looked away.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Caroline asked her mother nervously. The sheriff looked at her daughter taking her in for only a second before forcing herself to look away, "Mom? Mom? Please!" Caroline called, "Look I know that we don't get along and that you hate me but... I'm your daughter and you'll do this. Right?"

Skyler chuckled bitterly, "No she won't." She told the blonde, "Parents are shit."

"Mom please," Caroline continued ignoring Skyler's input, "He will kill you."

"Then kill me." The sheriff said looking up.

"No!"

"I can't take this," the sheriff cried, "kill me now."

"I wouldn't," Skyler called to Damon warningly, someone else would have the pleasure of killing her after the sheriff kidnapped her.

Damon didn't listen, stalking forward instead, "But you were going to drag it out so painfully." He grabbed the sheriff suddenly making her gasp as they all screamed at him to stop, begging him. Skyler didn't say a word. She only hoped he left some for Kol. "Relax guys." Damon said looking back, "No one's killing anybody." He looked back at Liz, "You're my friend."

He sighed then looked around at the mess they'd made, "We gotta clean this up."

"Screw that," Skyler started, her nose scrunched up in disgust as she stood on shaky feet, "I'm going home." She said even as her vision spun.

She only had one thing on her mind.

Home.

Kol.

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AT the newest Mikaelson house, Kol was grumpily sipping a cup of coffee when it happened. An explosion of pain in his chest, once, twice, three times, then a fourth. He shouted out in pain, a gasp escaping him before he could stop it as his coffee mug fell from his grasp, the contents spilling onto the expensive carpet as the mug broke against the impact.

There was no reason for the pain. Not unless... "Skyler!" He screamed as another burst of pain set in, Niklaus rushed into the room, appearing in the corner of the room at the first exclamation of pain. Elijah joined him after a moment, having joined them in the newest house just recently.

This pain didn't belong to him. It was strong despite this as it came through his soulmate bond.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Elijah approached first, confusion mixed with concern.

"Skyler," he groaned out painfully through gritted teeth as he fought against whatever was happening to Skyler that made her dizzy and tired and oh so weak, he had to stay awake, had to stay strong for her, "She's hurt."

"We have to go." Groaned Kol as he desperately tried to stand despite feeling drained of all energy with injuries that weren't visible but still ever so present.

"We will, however, you are going to sit and stay." Klaus glared at his younger brother sternly.

"Sit and stay?" Kol mocked incredulously, "What am I a dog now?" He scoffed before exclaiming loudly, "She's my bloody wife!"

"And she's my best friend!" Klaus snapped, "You would only be holding us back." He growled lowly as Elijah shot him warning looks.

Before an all-out war could break out between the siblings, there was a weak knock at their door.

"I'll get it." Elijah told them, giving them both stern looks before leaving the room as fast as possible so he didn't have to deal with that, he could hear his siblings continue to bicker though quieter now so they could hear if anything happened. He opened the door, everything went silent behind him as he stared at the girl before him bleeding from four bullet holes to the chest, her hand gripped her stomach as she panted, seemingly just as exhausted as Kol was if not more so.

"Skyler." Elijah whispered in shock, his siblings heard and ran into the room as Elijah bolted forward as the girl collapsed, "Skyler." He repeated, grabbing her before she could fall, not bothered by the blood that fell on his expensive suit.

Behind him, he heard his brothers appear in the room as though summoned by the pained call of their family member's name.

"Skyler," Kol exclaimed, coming to his soulmate's side on the porch.

Skyler tiredly looked at her husband with a weak smile as she said, "I'm home."

As if the words were a trigger, her eyelids closed, and she collapsed unconscious into their arms while they stood around, staring in shock.

ೃ⁀➷

"WHERE is she?" Stefan questioned as he and Damon chained Mason Lockwood up.

Damon looked up shooting his younger brother a strange look, "Who?" He asked.

"Skyler!" He huffed in disbelief, "She was shot just like us, she seemed in even worse shape and she just ran away! We have no clue where she is or if she's even alive," he turned to his brother with narrowed eyes, "Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Bullets didn't keep her down before." Damon shrugged, Stefan glared at him coldly. The one person to bring them together has always been Skyler however she was also the one to drag them apart in some situations, like this one for example.

"Relax," Damon rolled his eyes, double-checking the chains on Mason, "She wouldn't have left if she wasn't okay."

"She wasn't." Stefan responded sternly.

"She had blood before she left, she'll heal."

"We don't know that!" He reminded his brother, "Because we don't know where she is!"

Damon seemed annoyed as he looked up, "If you're so worried why you don't you just call her?"

Stefan clenched his jaw in an attempt to keep himself calm, "I have." He gritted out, "Ten times."

Damon hummed in acknowledgment, "Maybe the lines busy?" He responded nonchalantly.

With a growl, Stefan picked up a glass from nearby and threw it at his brother.

ೃ⁀➷

SKYLER'S eyelids felt heavy when she woke but she forced them open anyway, slowly blinking as she regained her vision. She looked around, overwhelmed by the bright lights and the people — her family, she realized — around her.

She was home.

She smiled softly, still tired and admittedly a bit delirious.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, love." Klaus greeted nonchalantly, the first to notice her consciousness.

Kol was immediately at her side though he had only been a few feet away before, "Gem," he sat down beside her as she slowly sat up, letting her rest against him, she curled onto his lap, wrapping around him like a koala. Skyler stuck her head into the bridge of his neck, tempted to float back to sleep.

"Gem," Kol called softly, bringing her back to him, "what happened?"

"I got shot." She told him the obvious before frowning down at her blood-soaked shirt that was now getting onto Kol's previously clean shirt, "I'm getting you all bloody."

"I don't care." He responded instantly, "Can you tell me what happened? Who shot you?"

Skyler blinked, "I'm tired." She admitted. For him though, she tried thinking back, remembering it all.

Kol rubbed her back comfortingly as his siblings waited around the room patiently for the answer, "I know." He whispered softly.

"The deputies." She said after a moment.

"I'll kill them all." Kol growled readily.

"You'll do no such thing." Elijah responded sternly, eyes narrowed at his younger brother.

Kol went to argue when Skyler stopped him, grabbing his hand, "He's right, you know that. They shot me but... they're dead now." She looked over at the rest, lifting her head for the first time since she wrapped herself around Kol, "Caroline killed them."

"The cheerleader?" Kol responded curiously, a hint of surprise in his eyes hidden by appreciation.

"She's a vampire now." Skyler explained, "Damon fed her his blood and Katherine, she killed her." It had been a while since she told any of them the happenings of Mystic Falls. Well besides Kol , who was always informed of the drama and was supposed to relay it to his siblings but of course, he forgot. She rolled her eyes, having expected it.

"And Katerina? You haven't killed her yet, I assume." Elijah asked curiously. He knew Skyler didn't like to hold back when it came to her enemies but she would if necessary and in this case, it was. Katherine was smart, smarter than she wanted anyone to know. But even Katherine would meet her match eventually.

"Not yet." Skyler answered easily, "She's playing a game with everyone in the town."Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "She just doesn't realize I'm playing a different game."

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4,600 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

Question - do yall prefer these longer chapters or when I split them up into two parts? Let me know!

OG readers from my old account will notice now that it's getting into the show more it's going to be less of a rewrite and more of an edit of the previous version, which hopefully means updates will be coming more often now.