CHAPTER 28.5: What is love?
WARNINGS: mentioned/implied murder, mentioned/implied sex trafficking, gore, violence, referenced abuse

ATHENA WOKE UP, COVERED IN BLOOD. She glanced around her, finding herself in the woods. She doesn't recognize where she is so obviously she's not in Mystic Falls anymore. She frowned in confusion as she saw a mess of bodies surrounding her. There had to be at least 50.

"You passed out," Finn explained, appearing from somewhere and handing her some water. She took it, sitting up. "The next thing I knew, I was getting a call from Niklaus saying to pick you up from Seattle."

"Shit," Athena sighed, rubbing her eyes. "How long was I out?"

"Couple hours. Not as bad an episode as past ones," Finn assured, patting her head before he sat down on a fallen tree. "Not sure how you ended up out here though... or why."

Athena huffed a bit. "Kol's last known location was here," she explained, shrugging. She doesn't know where he is now. His location kind of just dropped off the map. Quite coincidental that it happened almost a day after she called Klaus to tell him what she found out.

"Ah, so you're searching for our little brother," Finn grinned a bit.

Athena sighed. "I'm hurt about it, but I moved on from Cassidy. I have those two amazing women back in Mystic Falls... I don't know why I would be searching for him."

"You're hurt," Finn shrugged and he made that look classy. He and Rebekah were two of the most elegant people Athena had ever met. Elijah was a close second, especially with his freakouts about getting blood on his shirts. "Your dark side takes control of you... it's your darkest desires. I'm sure you want to make Kol suffer for hurting you, even if you don't love Cassidy anymore."

Athena frowned. Her brother had a point. "But... shouldn't I be happy for him? I mean, obviously, Cassidy didn't love me... but she did love him. He is our brother—"

"He's a dick," Finn cut off and Athena looked at him in surprise. He rarely cursed. She thinks the last time she heard him curse was 3 centuries ago. "I know he's our brother, but he did something unforgivable. Just like Elijah. You owe him nothing, he owes you everything. He slept with your wife, Athena. You may not love her now, but you did. When this whole affair started, actually. You are right to be mad, to hate him, to actually feel. You've sacrificed a lot for him, for all of us. You need to fight back now."

Athena's eyes watered a bit. She was used to being walked on by her siblings. Niklaus didn't do it and if he did, it wasn't on purpose—he instantly apologized and stopped, letting her take the lead. Finn didn't either—well, not anymore. He used to when they were children, but they've both grown. The rest of them... the same couldn't be said. Even Freya had done it and they had known each other for a full 2 hours.

"I just don't understand why he would do this..." Athena whispered. No tears fell from her eyes. She wouldn't cry, not for him. "He had no need to come and meet Cassidy. Secretly. He had no need to try and not only take my wife but my children too. I trusted him—maybe not as much as I had once, but I did. I was going to introduce them when the time was right. When my girls were old enough to defend themselves." Athena shook her head, sighing. "Maybe I should've just introduced all of you. Perhaps this wouldn't've happened."

"You had every right not to introduce them to us," Finn argued immediately, shaking his head. "I understand why you did it. I have no bad feelings towards you for that. I'm sure neither will Rebekah when we find her. Sage doesn't have any hard feelings either, you know that. Elijah—well, he can't blame you for keeping it from him."

Athena smiled at her eldest brother. She loved Niklaus with all her heart. He was her favorite. He was her other half, her twin. But she had always looked for Finn's guidance and support because he was her big brother. The boy who was there when she was born. The sibling who taught her that it was okay to feel love.

She had learned a lot from Finn and Sage's relationship. He had never loved another and she had waited for him to return, unknowing if he truly ever would. When Athena got Klaus to stop daggering their siblings, Finn and Sage's love flourished despite the hardships from outsiders they faced.

Athena had stopped believing in love when her parents died. Even though they died pretty much together and they are still in love in the afterlife, she had stopped.

Aphrodite granted Castillos a person (or, in Athena's case, people) whom they were destined to be with.

After Athena had the curse placed on her, she had figured she'd never find her match. Her kindred spirit. Her heart. Either she would be dead when they were alive, she would be a child, or they would die before she ever got to meet them because that happened. Not often, but it did. Athena hadn't ever entertained the idea that she would find her match.

She didn't think she would live for a thousand years. The original plan that she and her mother had come up with was they would get rid of Mikael as soon as they could, Esther would free her and Klaus from their binding, and then Esther would strip the immortality spell from them all. So they could live normal—well as normal as a family of witches, werewolves, and people blessed by the Gods could be—lives.

That never happened.

That was why she pursued Vincent Chase. Why she pursued Kelik. Why she kissed Claire. Why she hooked up with Luna all those centuries ago. Why she married Cassidy and fell for her. She had never thought she would see the day she'd meet her matches.

Looking at it now, she realized how foolish it was.

But she was just trying to protect herself. If you don't hope for something, then you won't be disappointed with the outcome.

"Come on, dearest. Let's clean up so we can go home," Finn said, getting up and reaching for her.

Athena sighed and grabbed his hands, letting him lift her to her feet. She looked at the carnage surrounding her with a small frown. "These weren't innocent people, right?"

"Not a single one," Finn assured, "I got here when you were burning the words 'sex traffickers' into their bodies. Every. Single. One. They were all pretty messed up before I got here, but they weren't dead so I'm guessing you were torturing them. You sent the location and other information the police would need to them already... not sure how you got all that in a couple of hours, but."

"Oh, good. Not a fast death then," Athena nodded, looking unconcerned with having passed out, tortured, and murdered a bunch of people with no recollection. She didn't even seem surprised she had gotten information and sent it off to the police.

Finn stared after his sister with slight amusement before helping her collect the bodies and body parts. 

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

"SO I PULLED Stefan out of this well and, uh, he's all vervained and just rotted, but, uh, Bonnie wasn't mean to me once! I'm glad she was serious about the whole just wanting to be my friend again thing," Caroline gushed to her mother.

After she had made sure Lorelei was actually okay and had shaken off all the negative feelings, she was able to actually look at the bright side of things to tell her mother.

"Lorelei is also way more relaxed with Hayley and I now which is just—it's progress, you know?" She asked, grinning at the thought of her girlfriend's daughter being comfortable with her and Hayley. "I just..." She noticed the way her mother was looking at her, "what?"

Liz just continued to stare at her, her mouth dropped slightly and her eyes narrowed.

"I'm freaking you out?" Caroline grimaced a bit.

"It's just that you've become this person—"

Caroline shook her head, her heart hurting. "Don't..." she whispered—pleaded. "Don't, I... we're just starting to get along..."

"This strong, this confident person," Liz continued, her eyes lit up with pride(?) for her daughter.

Caroline blinked a bit, shaking her head. "Oh," she said, her chest feeling heavy for a completely different reason. Her mother hasn't ever said things to her like that before. It threw her off, but also made her heart swell.

Liz smiled back at her softly, her eyes wet.

Caroline smiled back a bit. "Thank you," she said softly.

Liz stared at her for a moment before she tilted her head. "You don't have to take my memories away. I'll keep your secret." Caroline didn't meet her mother's eyes, looking down at the mattress. "Look, if you're worried about them just say, you compelled me. I won't tell." She shook her head a bit, a tear caught in the corner of her eye. "I'll never do anything to hurt you," she whispered.

Caroline choked out a small sob. She wanted that more than anything. To have her mom know her. All of her. To have someone to turn to who loved her unconditionally. "I love you so much, Mommy," she whispered out, swallowing harshly. Liz cried too at hearing those words, ones she hadn't heard since Caroline was little.

"I love you too, baby," Liz whispered back, reaching for her daughter's face. Caroline leaned into her, relishing in the warmth that radiated from her mother.

She set her hands over her mother's, gently caressing them with her thumbs. "And I believe you... that you wouldn't hurt me. But you will never trust them. And I—I can't trust that. They're my family too. I love them too. I can not put them in danger and I can not put you in danger," Caroline said, meeting her mother's eyes. "Because I know that you will try to kill Damon and Stefan again. Try to kill Athena. Athena won't hurt you, but the same cannot be said for those boys... you could get hurt, you could die. I can't let that happen."

"Caroline—"

"Today meant so much to me," Caroline said, tears falling from her eyes once more.

"Me too," Liz whispered. Caroline smiled at her a little, pulling the woman's hands off her face and moving closer to her mother.

"I'm so sorry that I am what I am," Caroline said, squeezing her mother's hands gently. Liz shook her head. "I love you. I'm going to take you home. You're going to forget that I'm a vampire."

"I'm going to forget that you're a vampire," Liz repeated, her pupils becoming blown.

Caroline sniffled, a tear falling down her cheek. "You'll remember you got sick with the flu. You had a fever and... chills and... ickiness. Then I made you soup. It was really salty. And we bickered. You got better. And then your selfish, little daughter... who loves you—" Caroline's voice broke a little, her throat straining from holding back tears "—no matter what... went right back to ignoring you."

She sighed heavily, "and all is right in the world." 

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

ELENA WALKED DOWNSTAIRS and into the kitchen where Bianca had been cooking dinner and Jenna had been helping.

"Hey, where's Jeremy?" She asked, helping Bianca set the table.

"He went right up to his room. Said he wasn't hungry," the hybrid said.

"Who is she talking to?" Elena looked over at Jenna who was on the phone having what seemed like a heated conversation.

Bianca glanced over and then shrugged. "I don't know." Elena looked at her, confused. "I don't eavesdrop on her conversations unless she tells me to. She'll tell me if I need to know."

"You have a lot of trust in each other," Elena said admirably. She doesn't think she's ever seen a relationship with more trust in it than she has her aunts.

"I know she only wants me. She knows I only want her," Bianca smiled at the younger girl. "Everything goes okay today?"

Elena paused for a moment, hesitating. "There were a few hiccups, but yeah," she admitted.

Bianca hummed, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Elena huffed a bit, thinking about today. "Well, I found out Lorelei is scared of snakes," she replied with a grimace, "the hard way." Bianca frowned in concern, looking like she was about to talk when her wife's angry voice cut her off.

"Abbastanza! Amo Elena e amo te, ma cercherò anche di salvare mia madre. Non posso aiutarti, Katerina. Arrivederci." Jenna ended the call and slammed the phone down, breathing in and out deeply. [Enough! I love Elena, and I love you, but I am also going to try and save my mother. I cannot help you, Katerina. Goodbye.]

"Darling," Bianca said, quickly going to her wife and rubbing her shoulders, "shh, it's alright."

Jenna sighed, nodding her head. 

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

"I JUST DON'T understand why she would... try and hide the moonstone if she had brought a werewolf into town. It makes no sense," Lorelei said as she paced in front of Caroline and Hayley. Athena still wasn't home and none of them had heard from her. "I mean, it's obvious the Mason was for the sacrifice. Why else would she need him?"

"Well, why doesn't Katherine want the ritual to be completed? I mean, her best friend will die without it, right?" Hayley asked, tilting her head in confusion. It just didn't make sense to her.

Lorelei didn't respond, but from the look on her face, she was holding something back. "Lori," Caroline caught her elbow gently, "what's going on, honey?"

"Katherine doesn't want Elena to die." Her hand slapped over her mouth as soon as the words left her lips. Lorelei's eyes were wide. She wasn't supposed to tell anybody.

"But why? I mean, I gathered that from the whole acting civil and you know, not killing her part," Hayley said.

Lorelei shook her head, beginning to pace once more. "I shouldn't've said that," she muttered.

"Yeah, well, you did," Caroline said, "so just tell us what's going on."

"Katherine was the one who found Elena first. She raised her until she was seven... then handed her off to the Gilberts' since she had to be on the run again," Athena explained as she walked in. She had made sure the room was spelled so that information didn't get out.

"What?" Hayley gaped. Caroline, on the other hand, thought about it. Elena said she didn't remember much from her childhood. That would make sense if Katherine had to wipe Elena's memories of her for both their safety.

"So Katherine doesn't want you using Elena in the ritual because she will die," Caroline summed up, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

"Yes," Lorelei said quietly, sadly. She plopped down on her mother's desk chair.

"Shit," Hayley muttered. "I mean, we don't want Elena to die either, but—"

"We're coming up with a solution for that," Athena said as she wiggled out of her clothes in the bathroom.

Lorelei frowned when she noticed the blood that trailed after her mother to the bathroom. "Why are you bloody?"

"It's not mine."

"Does not answer my question."

Athena huffed. "Some sex traffickers out in Seattle," she explained before turning on the shower.

"Why the hell were you in Seattle?" Caroline demanded, crossing her arms.

"Last known sighting of Kol. I didn't know what I was doing anyway. I passed out and woke up with them all dead," Athena replied as she stepped into the shower.

Lorelei shook her head, sighing. "How the hell do you pass out and go on a murdering spree?" Hayley asked, scrunching her nose.

"She gets episodes toward the end of her lives. Her dark side takes control and goes on a rampage. It's as bad as it sounds," Lorelei deadpanned.

Athena walked out of the bathroom a minute later in a fresh pair of clothes and looking refreshed.

"Do you think we should tell Elena what's going on?" Caroline asked, looking worried. She didn't want her friend to hate her for keeping something like this from her.

"Give us a couple of more days to do research," Athena wished, pressing a kiss to Lorelei's forehead in greeting, "if we don't come up with anything in that time or if we come up with a solution, we'll tell her."

Caroline nodded, leaning into Hayley who rubbed her arm gently.

Athena glanced at the two of them and then down at her daughter. Lorelei raised an eyebrow as if to say 'right now?' Athena nodded, nudging her head toward the door. Lorelei gave her a thumbs-up and stood up.

"Well, I'm going to bed," she announced, collecting the attention of the other two women.

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"She's really tired," Athena cut in as Lorelei said,

"I'm really tired."

The two Castillo looked at each other.

"Goodnight," Lorelei said quickly, kissing the three women on their cheeks then bolted out of the room.

"Goodnight!" Caroline called after her, frowning a bit at her quick exit.

Athena closed the door behind her daughter, locking it and making sure the soundproof spells were still working. She really did not need people to witness this conversation.

She cleared her throat and sat down in the spot her daughter was previously occupying. She rolled over to her girlfriends who watched her quietly and suspiciously.

"What did you do?" Hayley asked, narrowing her eyes at the redheaded woman.

Athena's jaw dropped in offense. "Why must I have done something?" She demanded, pouting a bit.

"You get all intense and quiet—like you're thinking of the best way to explain it to us without making us mad," Hayley explained.

"You do, do that," Caroline added, smiling at her girlfriend.

Athena huffed a bit, smiling back at them. She then frowned and looked down at her hands. "I'm trying to be better about... telling you both things. About me," Athena said as she messed with her fingers. Hayley hummed, nodding. Caroline leaned forward to grab Athena's hands, pulling her even closer to them. She set their joined hands in her lap and looked at Athena, waiting for her to continue. "I found this out today... Well, I guess it solidified it today? I just, I'm not very good at this sort of thing." She shook herself a bit to get rid of the nervous energy.

"Take your time, baby," Caroline said.

Athena took a deep breath. "My bloodline was blessed by the Gods for millions of years—"

"3.4 million," Caroline said and Athena paused. Hayley slowly looked at her blonde girlfriend, confused. "The Alpha journals in your battle room–thingy says 3.4 million B.C.E." Caroline shrugged.

Athena tilted her head and nodded. "Alright," she laughed lightly, "anyways, the Gods were called something different millions of years ago. Called by different names. But, they were always mostly the same. In this time and age, it's the Greek Gods. We've been celebrating the Greek Gods since 1200 B.C. For most Castillos, they were blessed. Sometimes it doesn't happen—like Charisma. My daughter who died in 1999—Ace's mother. She didn't get blessed. And, unfortunately, I do not believe Ace is either nor are his partners.

Anyway, these blessed people have a..." Athena tilted her head, wondering how to word this, "person they are destined to be with."

Caroline and Hayley both stared at her in shock.

"What?" Caroline choked out.

"Let me finish before you ask any questions. I promise I'll answer them," Athena rushed out, squeezing Caroline's hand and moving her other one onto Hayley's thigh. They both nodded albeit a bit hesitantly. "My mother, Alix. Her mother, Regina, was destined to be with my grandfather, Elric. My mother was destined to be with my other mother, Esther. They were ripped apart. Esther was forced to marry Mikael, a terrible man. Alix was with... a woman for a little bit, but she was always drawn back to my mother.

My mom never loved anyone as much as she loved Alix. I could see it every day. She didn't love Mikael. Hated him actually. She stopped talking to her parents and sister as soon as the wedding was finished. My mothers' were supposed to be married since they were born, but my grandparents on Esther's side made my mother marry Mikael instead.

Their love story is tragic, but in the end, they love each other even in death. They are free of Mikael, free to be together for the rest of time." Athena smiles at the thought. She shook her head a bit. "Anyway, Niklaus and I are blessed. Esther would tell us stories when we were young, about finding the one person we were destined to be with. Forever. A person who would love you because of your faults, your mistakes, not despite.

I used to believe in it. Niklaus still does, he's a dick, but he and Rebekah are the most hopeless romantics I know. He wants to find his one. I gave up on ever finding it after my mothers' died. I didn't believe in it. Not anymore. I was sentenced to die and resurrect over and over again. I was so sure I would miss them, that something would keep us apart.

Because I am nothing if not my mothers' daughter. My life was to end in tragedy."

Athena looked out the window, leaning back in her chair and breathing deeply.

"Every love I ever had... had ended with my heart being ripped apart. My trust burned to nothing. My walls as tall as the sky. The only love I truly knew was familial. My siblings, my mothers', Bianca, Jenna... Lorelei and Davina. I had friends whom I loved so I guess platonic love as well, but that was mostly reserved for Katherine and Luna.

Anything else and I was destined to burn. At least, I believed that anyway." She got up quickly. She was getting anxious and she could feel the anxiety Niklaus' was getting from her anxiety which was making it worse. "I didn't want to fall in love. Ever. The only reason I had any semblance of hope was because of Finn and Sage for a long time. Then Bianca and Jenna..."

"Didn't you fall in love with Cassidy?" Hayley asked gently, seeing how worked up her girlfriend was getting.

Athena shrugged, not meeting their eyes. "I thought I did," she whispered, tears building in the back of her eyes. Gods, this has to be the most she's cried in centuries. She put a hand to her heart, breathing deeply to try and stop the shaking in her hands. "Shit," she muttered.

"Athena," Caroline sped over to her and guided her down on the couch between her and Hayley. "Breathe," she whispered gently as Hayley wrapped her arms around Athena's waist. Caroline wrapped one arm around Athena's shoulder, placing her hand on Athena's neck. Her other hand reached for one of Hayley's that was around Athena's waist, grasping it and letting their joined hands rest on Athena's thigh.

"We're right here," Hayley whispered into her ear, resting her forehead against Athena's temple.

The Heretic nodded, taking a moment to gather her bearings. "I—I believe I loved her. I don't... I don't know if I was in love. Maybe I was. But I'm... I don't—not anymore. I just..."

Caroline gently ran her thumb over Athena's pulse point.

"I love you," Athena's eyes met Caroline's first because they were in her line of sight then she looked at Hayley, "both of you." The werewolf slowly pulled back from her girlfriend, not disconnecting their touch, but just so she could fully see Athena's face.

"What?" Hayley breathed, her face red and her eyes misty.

Athena swallowed suddenly looking very, very scared. "I've never said it first," she gasped out, her eyes flicking between the two orbs staring at her, one with astonishment and one with love. "I—I know we said it before, but we fought and broke up, and now we're all together and I'm the first one who—who said and... I've never said it first. But I'm..." she swallowed hard, "I'm in love with you." She glanced between them.

Hayley still looked like she wasn't processing it correctly even though she was trying to. "You... me... love?" She muttered, staring at Athena. "You love me?"

"Of course I do," Athena breathed, "who wouldn't?"

Hayley laughed wetly and nodded. "Well, uh, I love you both too. Am in love with you both. I think I have been from the moment we met," she admitted.

Caroline beamed at this. She was glad her girlfriends were the ones to say it first. Caroline may have been learning how to relove for a while, but these two were learning how to love.

Athena may have never admitted it, but Caroline could see it. The way she sort-of panicked that day Caroline told her she loved her and then said it back. Athena who had faced abuse from her past relationships. Athena who was used to only familial and platonic love and even then they weren't the best.

Hayley who believed she wasn't good enough for either of them. Hayley who questioned how either of them could want her. Hayley who had managed to make them both fall for her without even trying.

Caroline wanted to show them both that they were everything and more. That they could be loved and love too. That not all stories end in tragedy.

"If it wasn't obvious, I love you both very much. Like, a crazy amount," Caroline said. Athena and Hayley both huffed out laughs, kissing her cheeks which caused the blonde to giggle.

Athena grabbed her girlfriends' hands, smiling. "I... I didn't realize until today. Not consciously at least. I knew subconsciously because you guys got powers, but I guess I just was too busy thinking about everything else I didn't make the connection." She shook her head a bit. "Every destined person the Castillo bloodline is given is also... bestowed a blessing. Hence why you, Caroline, are blessed by Zeus and you, Hayley, are blessed by Athena."

Caroline stared at her for a moment. Hayley's cheeks were very red, she almost looked like she was going to pass out. "Okay, so I knew where you were going, but I'm still shocked that it's actually true," Hayley muttered, her heart thundering in her chest.

Caroline nodded in agreement. "So, we're... I thought you said 'person'—"

Athena cocked an eyebrow at the blonde. "This hasn't happened before, but I know." She looked at Hayley, her eyes soft. "I know."

Hayley smiled back shyly at them.

"Just—you two, I mean, I don't wanna freak you guys out or anything. If you need time to adjust to this or to process it, that's okay," Athena stammered.

Caroline kissed Athena firmly. "I'm just fine," she muttered against the redhead's lips before pulling back. Athena nodded a bit dazed.

Hayley chuckled and kissed the corner of Athena's mouth which quickly turned into a full kiss when Athena chased after her. "We're fine, Athena," Hayley said between kisses.

"Good," the redhead grinned, pulling back a bit.

Caroline giggled a bit at the girl's wide smile and leaned into Hayley, kissing her soundly. "I love you both," Caroline said, her grin just as wide as Athena's. Hayley wasn't that far behind.

"We love you too," the other two chorused in tandem.

"Alright, let's watch Harry Potter," Caroline bounced off the couch, skipping over to the stack of movies and searching for the first one.

"That's the magic movies, right?" Hayley asked, tilting her head.

"Babe! They're not just magic movies. They are magic. We need to educate you. Right. Now," Caroline replied, slipping the first one into the DVD player and turning on the TV.

Athena chuckled at Hayley's confused face. "She will not rest until you've seen every movie," she told her, kissing the werewolf's cheek and standing up. Hayley did as well, nodding in resignment.

She truly didn't mind. Especially if it meant being with her girlfriends. Who she loves. And who loves her. Just the thought made a smile bloom on her face.

"I'll join you in a minute. I'm going to go check on Lorelei. I heard she had a run-in with snakes?" Lorelei has had a fear of snakes ever since she was three and a snake had slithered into Davina's bed. She killed it, but it traumatized her.

"Yes. Oh, my Gods, her screams." Caroline shuddered as she remembered the blood-curdling terror that was in them. "It was terrible."

"Yeah, she..." Athena sighed, shaking her head, "snakes are not her thing." She shot them both a smile before leaving the room. She made it to Lorelei's room in no time, pushing the slightly ajar door open.

"No, just go to sleeeeeeep," Elena whined from where she was laying on her stomach, face half smushed into the pillow. Athena hadn't even realized the doppelganger had come back to the house.

"Will you relax?" Lorelei muttered, looking like she was sorting through a shopping bag. "I'll be right there." Elena just groaned and stuffed her face into the pillow, stretched out like a starfish.

Athena laughed quietly and stepped further into the room. "What are you doing?" She asked quietly, looking over her daughter's shoulder. There were a bunch of papers and books. She frowned a little when she saw some of Cassidy's journals.

"Nothing," Lorelei replied, but she knew her mother had already seen it. Athena picked up the journal from the year Lorelei was born. This was one of the worst ones.

"Where did you get these?" Athena muttered, picking up the rest of the journals. There were four of them in total.

"Uncle Finn brought them. I convinced Sage to give 'em to me," Lorelei admitted, sighing.

Athena shook her head. "You won't read these. Any of them. Your aunt and uncle should not have given these to you," she said, frowning. She had no idea what Finn and Sage were thinking.

"I asked for them. Don't be mad at them," Lorelei argued, "I want to read them. I wanna know—"

"No," Athena said firmly, shaking her head. "You don't need to read the bullshit she wrote. I don't care if no one was supposed to read them. She shouldn't have written it. The stuff that she says—the stuff that you'll read... it doesn't just go away, kid. It sticks with you. For decades. Centuries. A millennia. Maybe even a hundred. You won't shake it off no matter how thick your skin is."

Athena knew that better than anyone. Two decades' worth of harsh words and treatments from Mikael were still engraved in her mind like it happened yesterday. She fought to keep the dark thoughts at bay. To not become a paranoid, dangerous creature. The creature that Niklaus almost turned into.

The creature that Athena didn't let him turn into.

"She doesn't matter anymore," Athena said, her voice softer now as she stared at Lorelei's defeated eyes. "She's gone. And she's not coming back. What she thinks doesn't mean shit."

Lorelei's eyes watered a bit, but she nodded. She quickly wiped them with the back of her hands. Athena pulled her daughter into her, hugging her close. Lorelei wrapped her arms around her.

"Oggi è stata dura," Lorelei muttered into her mother's shoulder. [Today's been rough.]

Athena hummed, nodding. "I heard. Pensi che avrai di nuovo gli incubi?" She asked worriedly. When Lorelei was little, she used to wake up screaming almost every hour. She'd barely get enough. Athena had to knock her out with a sleeping spell that guaranteed no dreams. [You think you're going to have nightmares again?]

Lorelei pulled back and glanced at Elena who was half watching them while also being half asleep. She looked worried though, sad. "No," Lorelei said when she looked back at Athena.

The redhead hummed again and pressed a kiss to the girl's temple. "Are we waking up early again tomorrow?"

"No, she is not," Elena cut in immediately, "she is waking up with me."

Athena snorted while Lorelei grumbled.

"Goodnight, girls," Athena said as she walked out.

"Goodnight, Ma."

"Night, Athena."

Athena made it back to her room in record time, throwing Cassidy's journals carelessly to the side and then snuggling into bed with her girlfriends who were arguing over whether giving Harry to the Dudleys was right or not.

She smiled, watching the two silently and with a love she didn't think she'd ever be able to feel. 

AN: caroline not knowing if she could trust her mother because of her trust being broken by people in her life multiple times :(( also did any of you see the soulmates thing coming?? i feel like i tried to make it clear, but i don't know if it ended up that way. HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!!

edited:
finished: 01/20/24
wc: 5540