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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 35
"you're not one of those
Mary Sue vampires, are you?"

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— "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Bonnie asked the person on the other side of the phone as she walked the halls of the school alone, "You dumped vervain into the water supply? Where did you even get it?"

"I have my sources. I'm also reinstating the curfew and canceling all town events."

"Dad, there's a dance tonight." Bonnie complained.

"Not anymore."

"Are you serious?" She questioned in disbelief.

"Honey, I'm trying to protect you, not punish you. The well-being of this town is my job now."

"No! Dad, it's mine and I've been doing fine without you getting involved." Bonnie told him sternly.

"You've been doing fine? Would you like me to read you all the names of the people who have gone missing or died in tragic accidents, in your senior year alone? Head straight home please, we're having a family meeting." She groaned and hung up, slipping her phone into her pocket.

Just as the witch was about to continue walking, Kol approached from the shadows and pushed her against the wall, holding her there with a hand over her neck as Skyler walked up casually behind him, her hips swayed as Bonnie stared at the two in shock and fear, "No one can find the cure if you're too dead to find it." Kol told her lowly before he let his fangs come out, however before he could attack she used her magic to break the bones in his hands and body.

Skyler cried out in pain as the balloons in the hallway popped, lockers flew open and papers flew out of them. Alarmed, Bonnie ran off leaving Skyler and Kol alone in the halls of Mystic Falls High School.

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        HOURS later, the sun had fallen and the sky was dark as Kol and Skyler walked down the street, chatting casually when Kol's phone began to ring, he answered it as he and Skyler continued walking, "Jeremy Gilbert." He greeted with a smirk, "Nice to see I'm still on your speed dial, mate. Hey, you want to meet up at the batting cages in Denver?"

"Actually, it's Elena Gilbert."

"What a treat." He smirked, looking at Skyler who was listening in unashamed, "Yeah, I was just thinking of all the clever ways I could have your brother killed, but I'd settle for ripping off his illustrated arm instead."

"I need to talk to you -- in person." Elena demanded, "I wanna call a truce, in the name of Silas."

He paused, and Skyler stopped too, looking equally as confused and curious as he did. "You want to talk about Silas?"

"And Samara, his twin." Kol's brows knitted together in confusion, even though he had heard of Silas's twin before, a forgotten name in history with a strange likeness to his soulmate. "I'll meet wherever you want. I'll come to you."

"I'll tell you what. How about I come to you?" He responded as he rang the Gilbert's doorbell, "If you want a truce, open the door and invite me in." Kol waited a moment and watched Skyler out of the corner of his eye. She waited patiently, tapping her foot on the wooden porch, "I'm waiting. Let me in and let's tall truce." He told her and then called impatiently, "Hello?"

"Wouldn't that be kind of stupid to invite you in?" She questioned.

"On the contrary, I can't kill your brother with my own two hands, or I'll suffer the hunter's curse and spend the next 20 years trying to off myself in gruesome ways. And I've heard that vervain's back in town, so I can't compel you to kill him either." Kol told her conversationally, "So I think it's fair to say you're semi-safe for now."

"I'm the only one that can invite him inside." Jeremy whispered in the background.

"He's right, obviously." They heard footsteps before Elena opened the door, "You think being alive for over a thousand years would teach me some manners, but I couldn't resist stopping by."

"If I let you in, my brother goes." Elena glanced at Skyler, "Neither of you is getting near him."

"Fair enough." Kol agreed simply enough.

"I couldn't care less about your little brother, Elena, trust me." Skyler told her when Elena looked at her expectantly.

Elena looked back at Jeremy and nodded, "You can come in." Jeremy told them.

"No gold medals for bravery, I see." Kol commented as Jeremy took his leave through the back door, "You know the thing I love about the modern age is... music, anytime you like." He told Elena as he put his phone and earphones in his pocket, giving Elena a view of the white oak stake, which he had stashed in a pocket on the inside of his jacket. He looked at her, "So this is the part where you offer me and my lovely wife a drink so we can have a proper chat."

"Tequila. Straight." Skyler requested with a grin.

Elena nodded, letting the couple through before she closed the door behind them, officially trapping herself in the lion or rather the vampire's den.

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        "SORRY, I had to dig up the old people's alcohol." Elena told them as she came back into the room with a bottle of alcohol to find Kol and Skyler playing one of Jeremy's video games together. Skyler was winning of course.

Kol turned, pausing the game much to Skyler's chagrin as she let out a groan. He stood and walked over to the kitchen, she reluctantly set down her controller and followed, "Yeah, that's the problem with people today. They have no drinking imagination." He told Elena, "Turn-of-the-century New Orleans -- now they knew how to make a drink." He smirked, remembering the good old days.

"Yeah, okay gramps." Skyler commented with an amused snort as she followed her husband.

Kol turned around as he walked and gave her a wink, "That's sugar daddy to you, darling."

Elena cleared her throat as Skyler let out a loud surprised laugh, "You lived in New Orleans?" Elena asked, changing the subject uncomfortably.

"We all did, till Niklaus shoved a dagger in my heart. I went back once," He told her, his eyes falling onto Skyler as he added, "the best day of my life; the day I got married. "

"Why did Klaus dagger you?" Elena questioned curiously, "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" He responded in fake offense, "Has your alliance with my brother softened you to his horrors?"

She shook her head, "I don't have an alliance with Klaus. We had a mutual interest in finding the cure -- that's all."

"Had?" Skyler piped up, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes." Elena nodded, "And I'm willing to give up looking for it if you," she looked at Kol, "promise to leave my brother alone." He doesn't respond, looking at her in consideration. That was okay, it seemed the doppelganger didn't expect an instant answer as she picked up the mixer, "Now can you teach me how to make this?"

Elena smiled slightly as Skyler took the box she had held out for Kol to take, the vampire was not about to deal with the doppelganger ignoring her - again. Elena glanced at her with a tense smile, "I'll get some ice."

"Here you go." Elena said as she came back with a bowl of ice, offering it to Kol.

"Would you like one?" He asked politely.

She visibly hesitated as the married pair watched her closely, "Sure, why not?" Skyler smiled bitterly as Kol put the ice into the drinks. "You're really good at that game." Elena commented.

He smiled proudly, "I'm a quick learner. Speedy reflexes and I had a good teacher." He said, pecking Skyler on the lips before he looked at Elena again, "It's not much like the real thing though is it?" The doppelgänger looked up at that.

Skyler tilted her head at her curiously and smirked, "Come on now, you have killed? I mean, you're not one of those Mary Sue vampires, are you?"

"I've killed." Elena assured them, "Once. I'm guessing both of your numbers are a lot higher than mine."

"You lose track over the years." Kol told her casually.

Skyler looked at the doppelganger as she began to get impatient, "So, are we going to talk about Silas or just jibber-jabber?"

Elena gestured to the family room, motioning for them to go in there. Skyler and Kol walked into the room, and he began to look around the room while Skyler plopped down onto the couch, happily making herself at home. Meanwhile, the doppelgänger pulled her phone out in the hallway.

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        KOL walked around the living room while Skyler lounged on the couch. Curiously, he picked up a photograph of Elena and Jeremy messing around, he stared down at it with an unreadable expression. "So, we're out of tequila but I think this is a good year." Elena told them as she walked back in with a bottle of wine.

"What if I said I don't believe you?" Kol asked in response, not looking away from the picture, "Then you're smart." Skyler commented from the couch.

"Okay, you caught me. I don't know anything about wine." The doppelgänger admitted as Kol set the picture down.

"It just seems odd that you'd be so willing to give up something you want so much." He told her, clearly not talking about the wine.

"I'd have to agree." Skyler said conversationally, "If I had the chance to take the cure with you, I wouldn't let anything get in my way let alone change my mind." She told her husband, pointedly ignoring Elena in the same way the doppelganger had done to her far too many times.

"I would do anything for my brother." Elena told them sternly, "And if what you're saying about Silas is true, what does it matter what I want if it puts everyone else in danger?"

Kol hummed, "Well, this has been enlightening. Thanks for the drinks." He walked over to the couch, outstretching his hand for his wife who took it and let him lead her over to the door however before they could leave, Kol turned and looked at Elena.  "I'll take your request for a truce under advisement."

"Is there any chance that you could be wrong about Silas?" Elena asked nervously.

"Trust me, Elena. Some things are better left buried." He told her sternly, closing the door behind him and Skyler who groaned as her phone began to ring before they could even step off the porch.

"Hello?" She answered as she pressed the phone to her ear and walked down the steps of the Gilbert's porch with Kol closely following behind her.

"I need your help with something." Klaus told her.

"Is there a question in there?" She asked.

"Just come, Skyler. Now." Skyler rolled her eyes and asked, "Where are you?"

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        "YOUR brother's lack of communication is infuriating." Klaus told Skyler as he stood in the cellar of the Salvatore boarding house with Skyler and Damon.

"It's one of his trademarks." She told him, and Damon nodded in agreement, "Like his brooding and his hair." He added helpfully.

"I don't understand what's taking so long." Klaus complained, "I mean, how hard is it to steal a dagger?"

"From a vampire who's been stabbed as many times as your sister, I'd say difficult." Damon told him casually, Klaus sighed and tossed him a vial of blood, "Sweet."

"Hey, where's mine?" Skyler complained.

Klaus ignored her in favor of focusing on Damon as he spoke, "You disappoint me, Damon. You're not trying very hard to get out of here even with your sister," he gestured to Skyler who lounged comfortably on an old metal chair that really shouldn't be that comfortable, "at stake. I expected more the daring escape artist, less the cell potato."

Damon shrugged, "Well, I know you won't hurt Skyler, and I am compelled to kill Jeremy, so I figured it's probably smarter to sit here and chit-chat with you than bust out of here like the Hulk."

"How do you think Elena felt about that, by the way?" Skyler asked conversationally. "Your inability to overcome Kol's compulsion for a single moment even though it meant saving the person she loves most in the world?" Klaus continued curiously.

"She's met me." Damon deadpanned, "She knows impulse control's not my strong suit."

"Still, must be hard trying to live up to Stefan." Klaus pushed, Skyler let out a groan and responded, "Don't I know it."

"I remember when I compelled him to feed off Elena. He fought it so hard, he actually managed to resist." Klaus said, trying to push Damon's buttons, he needed some entertainment. He thought bringing Skyler here would manage to do it with ease but apparently, he would have to try a little bit harder. "Now that's love."

"What do you know about love?" He questioned in disbelief.

"I know that you're in love with Elena." Klaus told him without hesitation, "But I think you're afraid of what might happen when we find the cure at the end of the rainbow. Personally, I don't see a fairytale ending for you. All I see is Stefan and Elena. I think you see the same thing." Damon didn't reply, and Klaus' phone rang before the man could push him to. Once he saw it was Kol calling, he answered, "Well if it isn't the happy homicidal maniac."

"Did you know that your darling former blood bag and her brother are trying to kill me?" Skyler stood and asked in unison with Klaus, "What?"

Kol growled in response and snapped at his brother, "Don't pretend like you're not in on it, you even got Skyler out of the way to make it easier. Your obsession to find the cure clearly trumps any sibling loyalty you once felt."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Klaus said adamantly.

"I'm going to rip off Jeremy's arm and kill Elena just for sport." Kol told his brother, "Then I'm coming for you."

Kol hung up, leaving Skyler staring at Klaus in alarm, her body tense as she spoke, "Klaus I swear if you knew..."

"I didn't." Klaus told her sternly.

She scowled, believing him for now, "I'm going to kill that little doppelbitch."

Angry, Klaus grabbed Damon by the neck and shoved him against the wall forcefully, "What the hell's going on?"

"I don't know." He told them.

"What are Stefan and Elena planning?" Skyler questioned coldly as she came up beside Klaus.

"I don't know." Damon repeated, "I've been stuck in the penalty box with him since yesterday. Stefan won't talk to me and Elena won't come to see me, so maybe you're right." He continued, looking at Klaus, "Maybe she's written me off."

"Tell me what you know." Klaus compelled.

"I don't know anything about a plan." Damon told him.

"Stay here till I return." Klaus demanded before he let the man go and left. Skyler followed him, slamming the door behind her as Damon coughed.

"I will stay here until you return..." Damon said obediently before a smirk grew on his face.

"Or not."

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        THEY had just reached the Gilbert house when it happened; Skyler fell to her knees with a loud, pain-filled cry which caused Klaus to stop, turning to her in confusion and shock, "What is it?" He asked.

"K-Kol." She managed to get out painfully before she screamed, her skin felt as if it was lit aflame as tears pooled in her eyes -- not due to her own pain but because she knew, with a gut-wrenching sadness, that this was it. She and her husband would be gone in seconds and she would never hold his hand again.

Skyler stared at Klaus with wide, tear-filled eyes as she took her last breath and as she fell to the ground, limp and skin turning grey, Klaus screamed, "NO!" The big bad hybrid cried for not only the loss of his best friend, his sister in all but blood but also for his little brother, who he didn't even get to say goodbye to. Unable to stand there any longer, Klaus ran to the Gilbert's door to find his brother on the floor similar to the state Skyler was in just outside, both dead. Jeremy and Elena Gilbert turned to look at the man as he stood in the doorway, filled with rage, "What did you do?"

"We didn't have a choice." Elena defended herself, "He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm!"

"Lies!" He roared, "He never would've gotten inside if you hadn't have set a trap for him."

"You said you were going to put him down too." Elena pointed out.

Klaus was furious, his way of stopping his brother had never involved the death of both his brother and his best friend, "I was going to make him suffer on my terms!" He exclaimed loudly, "I'm going to burn this house to the ground. And then, when you try to flee for your lives, I'll kill you both without blinking." He threatened furiously.

"You kill us you'll never get to the cure." Jeremy warned, "You'll never be able to make any more hybrids."

"You really think I care for an instant about my bloody hybrids?" Klaus cried out with eyes wide in disbelief and outrage, "I want the cure so I can destroy it. I would've killed you all the second we dug it up, but now I'm just gonna watch you burn instead."

Suddenly, Klaus fell to the ground, crying out as Bonnie walked right past him into the house, "Invite him in." She demanded, getting confused looks from the Gilbert siblings, "Do it!" She demanded more forcefully as Klaus got up.

"Come in."

Klaus fell forward as Bonnie pulled him inside and immobilized him with her magic, "Living room. Go!" She called.

Jeremy and Elena ran through the living room and into the kitchen, Klaus followed them immediately, however, he couldn't get past the living room to the kitchen. He punched in the air to find an invisible barrier stopping him. On the other side of the barrier, Jeremy pulled the white oak stake out of Kol before he and Elena ran to the door as Klaus continued pounding on the barrier, desperate to get out and get his revenge for his fallen brother and sister, "Witch, you can't do this to me!" He exclaimed.

"You have no idea what I can do now." Bonnie told him confident and strong as ever.

Klaus's eyes darkened with rage, "I will hunt all of you to your end! Do you hear me? Do you?!"

Bonnie left the house with the Gilberts, leaving Klaus locked in the living room while Kol's dead body lay on the kitchen floor, only to find Skyler's body lying outside on the ground, eyes staring wide open and lifeless up at them. "Oh my god." Elena gasped in shock, her hand flying to her mouth and stumbling backward, "They weren't lying about the soulmate bond," she said aloud before she turned to the others as she came to a startling realization, "We have to tell Damon and Stefan we killed their sister."

"Later." Jeremy told her, eyes lit with a conflicting pause and panic, "We have to go."

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        AN hour later, Stefan and Damon arrived outside the Gilbert house to find their sister's lifeless body still outside. It seemed neither of the Gilbert siblings nor the Bennet witch had the decency to so much as close her eyes before they ran after killing her and Kol and trapping Klaus inside. Stefan knelt down beside her, staring at her face with a mixture of guilt and grief before he closed her eyes gently as though she would break under his touch. A single tear fell on his face as he too closed his eyes, taking a moment to just breathe and realize, "She's gone." He spoke breathlessly, the words caught in his throat, he looked at his big brother, "She's gone."

"Why do you care?" Damon snapped cruelly as he knelt beside his sister, "You told her she wasn't our sister anymore, that she is— was a monster." His eyes filled with barely concealed tears, a mix of grief and anger overwhelming him.

Stefan shook his head, "I never wanted her dead." He told him sternly and stared at her hand, on her ring finger sat her wedding ring, however on her other finger sat the Salvatore ring, he choked out, "She's my sister. My twin." My other half, he thought but didn't say. He didn't deserve to say it, not when he pushed her away the second he found out she'd married the enemy. "I'm sorry." He managed, staring at her lifeless face.

The words weren't meant for him, and yet Damon found himself speaking quietly in response, "I am too." With nothing left to say or do, he stood as a single tear fell on his face. However, Stefan refused to leave his sister's side, holding onto her hand and staring at her face in a strange mix of feelings from grief to anger and regret.

This was the end. The end of Skyler Salvatore however what neither of the Salvatore brothers could ever know at that heartbreaking moment was that this... This was only the beginning of their sister's story.

After all, it had never been easy to kill a Mikaelson.

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𝟑,𝟓𝟖𝟓 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬