Vampire Diaries 1. Chapter 1

**_Chicago, 1922_**

The aftermath was heartbreaking. After three years of being separated from my family, I'd hoped to finally be reunited with them. Our father had not been easily deterred, but I was almost entirely certain that he'd followed me back to Europe. He'd kept close to my trail- too close. I'd spied him in Paris as he'd watched me from the street, ready to pounce should Niklaus or Rebekah make an appearance. He knew that the three of us would remain together, and so I remained as far from them as possible, allowing myself no contact with them. It was only once I knew he'd given up on finding them through me that I'd returned to the Americas. I was not his prize, after all.

To find nothing more than an abandoned apartment and a destroyed speakeasy was nearly more than I could bear. I knew then the cause for Father's sudden abandonment of me. He'd found them. That the apartment had been stripped told me that they'd at least had time to flee. Only three years of peace... It was all I'd managed to gift them with after Father had destroyed our hopes of making New Orleans our home.

Hope sprang for a mere moment as I heard the approach, but the voice was unfamiliar. I did not turn to see the face. "You Elijah?"

"Yes." I was not inclined to give more than the bare minimum when it came to answering questions from strangers, if I answered them at all. It was not out of fear. Father too direct to send someone else in his stead. Rather, I simply do not concern myself with a person unless I deem him or her to be of some importance.

"I'm supposed to give you this." The letter brushed the material of my jacket and I simply took it, again without bothering to turn. It was only once I recognized the handwriting on the envelope and heard the sickening sound of death from behind me that I gave the gentleman my full attention. He'd driven a stake through his own heart, influenced to do so, no doubt, by the person who had written the letter he delivered- Niklaus.

I opened the letter without hesitation and began to read.

_Greetings, Brother._

_I trust Edward has done as instructed and eliminated himself upon delivering this to you. You've been missed, though Rebekah and I understood you were doing what you could to distract Father. You were always so good at leading him on exactly the path you wanted him to follow, so imagine my surprise when he showed up here in Chicago._

_I have considered a great many possibilities, Elijah, and I can only come to one conclusion. Has Father finally persuaded you to his cause after all these centuries? I know he's done so in the past. It seems the circle of those I can trust grows smaller by the second. Even Rebekah resisted joining me in fleeing this town when Father made his appearance here. I was forced to place a dagger in her heart yet again, and seeing as how I am now officially alone I have decided to remain so._

_Do not bother to follow after me in an attempt to be reunited with any of them, Elijah. They are gone, resting at the bottom of the ocean where I can assure you they will not be recovered. You will not find me, either. Consider this our final correspondence. Enjoy an eternity of solitude, brother, as I am fully committed to my own._

_Always and Forever,_

_Niklaus_

It was as if the air had been removed from my lungs. Would he have truly left our siblings to such a fate? It was beyond anything I could believe, and yet Niklaus had no real reason to lie about such a thing to me. Finn had been locked away after only a century. Kol had regularly been put down. And now our sweet sister? Were they all truly gone forever?

Despair turned to rage so quickly that it was several minutes before I realized it, and I unleashed all of it on what remained of the apartment. Furniture and walls crumbled far too easily for it to give any satisfaction, and I finally collapsed to the floor amidst a room filled with rubble, my chest heaving as heavy sobs broke free.

If Niklaus had truly left them to this fate, he would pay. I swore it.

* * *

**_Washington, D.C., 2012_**

The arrogance of humanity is rarely fully on display, except when one regularly is in the presence of the ruling class. While Americans proudly tout their "freedom" from the systems used by other countries, those in Congress are well aware that the lords and their serfs remain within American culture. Lords have throughout history known exactly what it is they are and thrive on the serfs being kept blissfully ignorant of it. It is a system that has worked for many centuries under many names.

The lords also knew which kings to bend their knees to, and they knew that if they didn't those knees were easily broken. They did need their orders given to them, and that required the occasional meeting. It was never something I considered fun, but it was necessary. Wrangling a majority in both houses required time, and making my influence less obvious required talent.

"You're going to miss the vote if you stay here." My assistant, Luthor, had found me on a bench just outside.

"I don't need to watch to know the results. I've been surprised by the outcome only once in over two centuries. Considering my reaction to it, I doubt they'll have the courage to surprise me a second time."

Luthor only chuckled before continuing. "If you're almost done here, I've received a message requesting a meeting with you. They're in Virginia, so it wouldn't be far to travel."

They could wait. "I detest Virginia, Luthor. You know that. Unless it's someone important, I'd much rather make arrangements for something in California. You're aware of my preferences."

"Her name is Rose, sir. She didn't give a last name."

This was a different matter entirely. Rose and I had a certain arrangement, and there was only one reason she'd be contacting me. "Set up the meeting. Wrap things up for me here. I'll be leaving immediately."


	2. Chapter 2

My mind swam with old memories as I drove on. I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to find once I reached my destination, but considering it was Rose who had contacted me and she wanted to meet me in Virginia, it wasn't hard to guess. She only really cared about one other thing, and I would be the last person she would consult regarding Trevor.

I thought about how Rose and I had gotten to such a point. Five hundred years prior she'd come to me in tears begging that I grant her a quick death before my brother Niklaus found her. When she explained the situation, I'd understood. I even compelled the truth from her, though I also compelled her to forget I'd done so. She'd remained loyal. While it had been her blood in Katerina's veins, Rose had no intention of doing anything other than returning her to us. She was not at fault.

Trevor, on the other hand, had planned the entire thing without Rose's knowledge, and while she was loyal to me, she could not do the one thing I required of her. She could not abandon her family and leave him to me. I understood, of course, the bond of family being something even I held sacred. Leaving Trevor to his own devices was to help him die, and it was something Rose could not do. She offered an apology, hoping that she could one day make things right between us. I offered her a head start.

I managed to find them in the 1920s. Trevor had slipped away, but Rose remained behind just long enough for me to hold her. I'd hoped that by keeping Rose I would lure Trevor out of hiding, but the coward proved himself as such. He never came to retrieve her, even after two years, and I didn't have the heart to end Rose for someone else's failings. I let her go by letting her believe she'd escaped.

Perhaps she had found Katerina and had her within her possession. I had never wanted to kill Rose Marie, but I knew that there was no hope for what I had truly wanted with her. Trevor had been the one to truly betray my trust. He would die. Rose would hate me for an eternity. I only hoped that she could find some happiness elsewhere in the freedom she finally gained.

I wondered what her life had been like running all this time, particularly as I pulled up and viewed the condition of the house they'd chosen as a meeting place. Perhaps they'd been forced to live this way for the past five centuries. I thought of Rose and the way she'd seemed to carry light with her when she was happy. It seemed such a waste.

"He's here!" Trevor's voice from inside caught my attention immediately, and I sat listening for a moment. "This was a mistake."

"I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me." Rose sounded far more confident than I remembered. Perhaps the time away from us had done her some good, after all.

"No! He wants me dead, Rose!"

"He wants her more."

"I can't do this. You give her to him. He'll have mercy on you, but I need to get out of here." Trevor was still every bit the coward I remembered, more than willing to abandon Rose to save himself despite how she'd forsaken everything to aide him. I had no regrets for what I was about to do.

I left the car as I heard Rose reassure him and remind him that they were family. I wondered if the boy had any idea. Was I still the only other person who knew his real connection to Rose? She'd told me long ago when things were different between us that she had no desire to tell him. The possibility that Mary Porter might someday find out and use it against her was too great, and the boy meant everything to Rose.

I knocked. There was no need to stall any longer. They knew I was here. I opened the door just in time to see Rose walking down the stairs toward me. Her hair was shorter now, but it took nothing from her beauty. I gave her a precious few seconds of my silence so that I could fully appreciate this moment where she still did not think ill of me. What would come next would be unforgivable. I was about to break her.

No. I needed a moment more. I needed to be in the room with her just a moment more while she still trusted me. "Rose Marie... Is there somewhere we can talk?" I was being selfish by granting myself more time. So be it.

The relief on her face was reward enough. What had she expected me to do? Perhaps I should have expected her to fear me. It was less than I deserved. "Yes, in here. You h-have to forgive the house."

Should I try to put her more at ease? Yes, I should. I had mere minutes left to enjoy with her. "Oh, no. What's a little dirt? I completely understand." I smiled and stepped inside, shutting the front door behind me as I walked toward the sitting room. Whatever this house was now, it had once been grand. "So tell me... What is it that gives you the courage to call me?" Did I dare to hope it was something more?

"I wanted my freedom. I'm tired of running. You're in a position to grant me that?" Could she be ready to give him up? Could that be the true reason she called me here? Had I scarred her to a point where she'd become the sort of person to give up her own flesh and blood for her safety? Had I made her into that sort of monster?

I turned, mostly because I couldn't face her. I cursed Trevor as much as myself for putting her in this position. It was hard to contain all of my contempt. "I have complete authority to grant pardon to you and your little pet. What is his name these days? Trevor." So began the deception. If she was not here to offer Trevor for her freedom, then I would not give her cause to question her own good sense and flee, but I could not seem too eager. She would never believe that. "If I so see fit."

"Katerina Petrova." Damn. I'd been right. What flicker of hope I might have found was instantly snuffed out. I trained my ears in the direction of the room where I knew she kept him. Two heartbeats, both racing with fear. I could collect them both now and be done with it, but I wanted more time.

I turned to face her finally. "I'm listening."

"She didn't burn in the church in 1864." She paused again. She knew I knew, but I would not allow the conversation to end so quickly.

I took a seat for myself. "Continue."

"She survived." Another pause.

"Where is she?"

"You don't seem surprised by any of this." Finally, the Rose I knew shone through, calling me on my obvious bluff. Did she suspect?

I needed to hide my intrigue better. "Oh, when you called and invited me into this armpit of civilization, which is a mere three hours from the town we know as Mystic Falls, I surmised it had everything to do with Katerina. Do you have her in your possession?"

"No," she said. "I have better." It was my turn to be genuinely surprised. "I have her doppelganger."

Perhaps she was mistaken. Katerina was known for her deception, and Rose of all people should have known better.. "That's impossible. Her family line ended with her. I know that for a fact."

"The facts are wrong."

She had my full attention, not that she had ever lost it. "Well, show her to me."

She was suddenly hesitant, and she had every right to be. "Elijah, you're a man of honor. You're to be trusted." She was asking more than observing. Otherwise, she'd have been wrong. "But I want to hear you say it again."

She was referencing a conversation from long ago, the very conversation five hundred years ago where the deception had begun. It was then that she'd asked... Should she track down Katerina Petrova and bring her to me as she'd originally intended to do, could they find forgiveness? I gave her the same answer then that I gave now, changing not a single word. "You have my word that I will pardon you."

She seemed as convinced now as she was then. "Follow me."


End file.

Vampire Diaries, Drama, Horror