III - 𝔬𝔩𝔡 𝔣𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔰 & 𝔯𝔬𝔞𝔡 𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔭𝔰

[ edited ]

MYSTIC FALL'S SCOOBY GANG HAD GROWN WARY OF LILURA.

But to each their own, she supposed. Their opinions didn't really matter as long as she had a good glass of wine.

"Nu-uh!" Damon grouched, swiping the bottle away from Lilura like it was cash. "That's enough for you, Missy."

"The bloody nerve of you lot," She crossed her arms.

"Yeah, this lot needs you to find some other poor guy to mooch wine off because I'm done."

Lilura snorted, "Unbelievable."

When the door opened and Bonnie Bennett arrived, Lilura squinted.

"Is it because you don't trust me?" She asked incredulously.

"Sweetheart, you haven't really given us a reason to. Plus..." Damon trailed off, smirking. "You forgot to mention the guy we're trying to kill is the love of your life."

"He's not the love of my life," Lilura retorted quickly, cheeks aflame with emotion. "And I made it plenty clear that Katherine went for my husband and his brother. I just forgot to mention their names!"

"Yeah, ok," Damon deadpanned. "You forgot."

"Bonnie, you're a girl!" He suddenly started, dragging Lilura over to the witch. "Where are all the good looking boys at?"

"Get tired of Elena turning you down?" A young boy with brown hair called as he shut the front door.

"You need some dïck," Lilura giggled.

"No, you need some, Lily." Damon groaned. "Baby Gilbert, take this lovely lady on a date, won't you?"

"Hey! I've been summoned here fair and square. I'm not leaving this house until — "

Damon's firecracking look stopped 'Baby Gilbert' short.

"— but I have someone who's willing to help out."

———— Δ ————

"So..." Alaric Saltzman coughed, "You're the girl Damon's been raving about."

Lilura looked up from her glass of whiskey, "No, that's Elena."

The hunter sucked in a quick breath, "You don't beat around the bush."

"Not when I can jump into it," She replied. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Alaric Saltzman."

"Right, Saltz. What's up with this town?"

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I ask myself that everyday."

"Mystic Falls: town of supernatural entities." She passed him another drink, "You ever get bored of doing Damon's dirty work?"

At first he shook his head, but a pointed stare from Lilura made Alaric sigh heavily and confess the truth.

"All the time."

"To the lost cause we call...friendship?"

"Hear, hear."

Two hours later, Lilura Anthemoessa and Alaric Saltzman were complete messes.

"SALTZ! TELL ME YOU KNOW THIS SONG!"

"HELL YEAH. I'M NOT UNCULTURED, BÏTCH!"

Thus ensued a twerk-off between an age old mythological creature and an alcoholic history teacher to the classic Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani.

Mystic Grill had definitely turnt up.

Customers were dancing around on tables, bartenders were sobbing in the miscellaneous corner because they had completely given up wrangling with the crowd, and the music was so loud Lilura's enhanced hearing could not pinpoint the constant ringing in her pockets.

"Lillll," Alaric slurred.

"Huh?" The enchantress grunted, pushing a random man out of her way.

A heavy congregation of young and not so young men had formed around the siren. With her hair parted to the side and her infamous killer smirk, Lilura was a beacon of light in the darkness. Even in Alaric's drunken state, he could tell that much.

"I can take ker of thaz guy for yeww!" Alaric held up his fists, swaying on the spot.

"Thanks, but I really think you should sit down." Her heart swelled, touched by Alaric's protectiveness.

Again he whined, "Lilllly! Your phone."

Perplexed, Lilura fished through her pockets to find that her phone was indeed ringing.

"Stay here, 'kay?" She ordered Alaric without taking her eyes off the phone. "I'll be right back."

Walking out of the Mystic Grill-turned -club, Lilura spotted a bench and sat down, fluidly pressing the answer button.

"Thank you!" The girl on the line yelled sarcastically, permanently damaging Lilura's ears.

"Do you greet everyone that way?"

Lilura recognized the voice to be Elena's by its insistent whine. "No, but in my defense, I've called 35 times."

"Well," She grinned, "make this the 36th."

And then, without remorse, Lilura Anthemoessa hung up on the frantic doppelganger.

Several seconds later the phone buzzed to life.

"What is it with immortal creatures and immaturity?"

Lilura giggled, "You can't just out Damon like that."

"I'm outing all of you, but enough. I have a real reason for calling ."

"I'm listening."

"How would you like to go on a road trip?"

———— Δ ————

"Elena Marie Gilbert," The strikingly beautiful woman groaned. "Where the bloody hell have you taken me? And where is the divine landscape you promised?"

A sheepish Elena paused.

"We're here for Slater," Rose answered. Lilura and the vampire had been introduced to each other due to Elena's antics. Lilura thought Rose was a pretty vampire with cropped hair and a sly smile.

"And I'm supposed to know who he is, because you guys tell me everything," Lilura grumbled under her breath.

Rose smiled, "The human wants more information on the sun and moon curse."

"The information Katherine and I offered you: not enough?"

Elena strolled up to a townhouse. "Oh, there was plenty. " Unlocking the door, all three girls stepped inside. "I just don't trust it."

Lilura huffed.

"No offense," The brunette interjected, hands up in surrender and an amused expression painted on her humongous doe eyes.

Lilura shrugged begrudgingly.

"Slater? Slater, it's Rose. Come down!" The vampire bellowed.

"He's not home," Lilura thought aloud. Turning around she clapped her hands, "Well, looks like this drive was for nothing!"

"Sorry Elena," Rose said, looking not the least bit sorry.

"Mm-mm. No. We didn't come all the way out here for nothing."

Rose rolled her eyes, catching Lilura's unimpressed stature. The two exchanged a prolonged glance as if to communicate how stupid this trip was.

As if materializing, great big stairs came into view. Lilura took them elegantly, subconsciously assaulting Elena and Rose with her Siren charm.

"Can you ever...like turn it off?" Elena spoke timidly.

"Turn what off?"

Rose sighed, "That thing you do that resembles a Venus fly trap swallowing a fly, only you catch men instead of insects."

One door from the stairs, the girls were greeted with quite a sight.

"Oh no," Lilura drawled apathetically, kicking Slater's unresponsive arm in a futile attempt to revive him.

"I don't think he's gonna be much help," Rose grimaced.

Elena's determination faltered for a millisecond. Shaking her head and frowning, the Gilbert stode over to Slater's desk, which was drowning in documents. "Looks like whoever blew up the coffee shop found him and killed him for his information."

"Yeah, probably to stop him from helping people like us. The guy was a vampire almanac. Knowing too much information just bit him in the ass," Rose replied, glancing over Elena's shoulder at the documents.

Lilura stretched in faux exhaustion, catching the attention of Rose and Elena.

"So dreary," She sighed, dimples on full display. As if possessed, Lilura threw open the curtains in grandeur.

"What are you...?" Elena mumbled.

"Relax, Gilbert! Tempered glass. U.V. rays can't penetrate and fry Rosie."

"I used to just come here and watch the day," Rose breathed, eyes glazed and staring out the window.

"I'm sorry about Slater."

"Any luck?" The female vampire deflected.

Elena groaned in frustration at Slater's desk. "Um...It's password protected. I can't get in."

"No, this is fine."

Lilura rolled he eyes, "Let's just go. If you two can't recall I left an intoxicated Saltz at the Grill."

She plopped down on a sofa, "He's such a pet!"

Sensing a disturbance, Rose ordered swiftly to the other girls, "Stay here."

"Pushy," Lilura giggled.

———— Δ ————

"So despite being obssessed with vampires, he kept a human who was even more obsessed than he was as company," Lilura crossed her arms daintily. "You all are a bunch of losers."

"I'm not obsessed," Alice, Slater's human girlfriend retorted. "And I have a name!"

"I fail to see the relevance," Lilura shrugged, catching Rose off guard and making the vampire smile.

"Can you get into his files?" Elena interrupted, brown eyes intently gazing at the black screen.

With a simple nod, Alice logged on. "Someone's been here. The hard drive's completely wiped out."

"Yeah, probably whoever killed him," Rose deadpanned.

Elena ran a hand through her hair, disrupting it's natural pin like straightness.

"Lucky for you, Slater was paranoid. Everything's backed up on a remote server."

"You know that she's not going anywhere near my blood, right?" Rose whispered to Elena regarding the bargain the doppelganger had struck in order for Alice to cooperate.

"I know. She doesn't."

Lilura's smirk was as wide as a Cheshire Cat's. Elena may not have noticed but she had struck the deal with same expression of desperation that resembled Katherine Pierce's. Ironic, really considering the good little doppelgänger adamantly tried to distance herself from the vampire whenever someone mentioned how alike they looked.

Alice scoffed, "Kristen Stewart. God, was he obvious."

"These are all leads to vampires?" Elena questioned, breaking away from Lilura and Rose.

Alice scrolled through the files, "Slater was obsessed. Almost as much as me."

"What about that one? Cody Webber. They exchanged dozens of emails about Elijah," Rose pointed.

"I could call him," Alice offered.

Lilura, on the other hand, was thrown back in time by the original's name.

"Tell my why the most beautiful girl in the room is crying her eyes out."

Lilura sniffled with a watery smile. "Your brother," She said simply.

"Ah, Nicklaus. My little brother is quite the predicament. What has he done to you, Lilu?"

Lilura grinned at the nickname and wiped her face. "He's being an arse," She chuckled. "Talking to all the ladies, impressing then with his wealth. Seems a little bit vain, but heaven be damned he hasn't bat me one eyelid since the dance started. What kind of man have I fallen in love with?"

"Lilu, you must know the only woman Nik has ever loved — and will always love — is you." Elijah situated himself next to her on the steps of the Mikaleson mansion. "My little brother is just a little spoilt, a little materialisticly mad. He means you no harm. He simply does not know how to appreciate what he has right in front of him."

"You really believe so?"

"My brother is a monster," Elijah confessed, brown eyes reliving every feral thing the great Nikalus Mikaelson had done. "But he is redeamable, and you have brought out the best in him. So yes, I believe it with all my being."

Lilura's shoulders sagged in relief and comfort. "What would I do without you Elijah?"

"Continue to sob on the steps of a mansion all alone when you should be bringing life to the party inside."

"Very funny, 'Lijah."

"I try, Lilu."

"My love!" Niklaus boomed from behind the duo. He swept across the steps in a flurry of debonair gestures and mischievous smiles that could convince you to do anything and everything.

"You've disappeared." He came to a stop in front of the two, lips blood red from wine and perhaps the many women in the party with exposed necks.

"Brother," Nik greeted cordially. "Love, are you alright?" He inquired once he caught Lilura's red eyes.

Without missing a beat, Lilura smiled brightly. "I am now."

"If you need anything, anything at all I'll be there," Lilura smiled at Elijah. "To repay you for your kindness."

Instead of denying any sort of repayment, Elijah nodded good naturedly. "Promise?"

"I promise."

In true Niklaus fashion, he swept the issue under the rug and beamed merrily. Deep down, he noticed her dissatisfaction and hurt. So, with a grand bow, Niklaus swept the love of his life off her feet, eliciting giggles and squeals.

"My betrothed must make an entrance!" He declared, sparing Elijah a subtle nod of thanks. "OPEN THE DOORS, LOUIS!"

Nik mounted the stairs like a horse and burst through them to the party, taking Lilura too. "THE GODESSS OF MY HEART IS DESCENDING FROM THE HEAVENS AND SHE MUST BE HONORED IN WINE AND DANCES."

He gently placed Lilura on her feet.

Despair forgotten, stars in her eyes, and aura lighting the entire room, Lilura Anthemoessa waved to the people like a queen. She smiled like the suns and started dancing like a swan, with Nik by her side — always by her side — beaming.

"What?!" Rose bellowed, snapping Lilura out of her memory.

"Oh, my God, I knew I recognized you!" Alice cooed, clapping her hands at Elena.

"Get him the message, please." The doppelganger smiled warily.

Elena walked out of the room and Rose followed. Reluctantly, Lilura hopped up and saluted Alice.

"What are you doing?" Rose demanded, slamming her hands on a random table.

"I'm getting Klaus' attention."

Lilura's eyebrows rose, "Honey, if you wanted to marry him all you had to do was be dead first."

Elena sent Lilura a glare.

"If Klaus knows that you're alive, he'll find you and he'll kill you," Rose said, eyes flashing left and right between the two other girls.

"That's paraphrasing," Lilura cocked a hip. "She just said what I said."

Elena didn't respond.

"Which is exactly what you wanted all along!" Rose exclaimed, jumping back from the table like it had electrocuted her.

"It's either me or my family."

"So this whole charade is some suicide mission so that you could sacrifice yourself and save everyone else?" The vampire groaned, running two hands through her short hair.

Lilura smacked her teeth, "Brilliant."

"Cody is on his way and he really wants to meet you," Alice popped inside the room, herself giddy with thought of becoming immortal.

"I came here to have a good time," Lilura sighed."Now the doppelganger's going to die, and Damon's going to give me shit for it."

Rose held her head in her hands, utterly done.

———— Δ ————

Things had definely progressed.

After grumbling for 15 minutes to herself, Rose had gone outside. Elena had sat down patiently to be killed and Lilura had resorted to playing mind games with Alice.

So far, under the disapproving glare of Elena, Lilura had managed to get Alice to spill all her secrets. It was like a sleepover, only one person was talking and the interior design of Slater's residence was not nostalgically pink or purple.

"How exactly does your Siren charm work?" Elena asked, interrupting Lilura and Alice's conversation.

"What do you mean?" Lilura replied, blue-green eyes still fixed on Alice.

"You need to make eye contact," Elena deduced. "but then what happens?"

The siren huffed, letting Alice go from her alluring gaze. "It's not like a bit of staring will get people to do things as I please. Manipulation — it's an art, you know? First I need to determine the person's ability to resist. Usually, for immortals, the older they are, the harder it is to use the siren charm. Humans are quite a bit easier, but a few hard headed ones do give me headaches. In the end, it just kind of depends."

Elena nodded thoughtfully.

"But to answer your question; I do need eye contact and they have to hear me. How else will I tell people what to do?" Lilura giggled. "Now, little Alice. What is your biggest fear that plagues your sleep and emphatically grinds your gears?"

"Damon Salvatore!" She gasped.

"Damon Salvatore? What the actual fu —"

"Get rid of her," Damon's unmistakable snark echoed behind Lilura.

"No...Way!" Alice grinned.

"Apparently, yes way," Lilura quipped, spinning around to greet a pissed Damon. "Tea?" She smirked, offering the blue eyed vampire a cup.

"Alright, party's over. Come on. We're leaving."

"No."

Lilura's smile faded. Did Elena Gilbert just stand up for herself?

"I said we're leaving," Damon repeated condescendingly

"I'm not going with you," The doppelganger stood tall.

Lilura could practically feel tears gathering at her eyes at how proud she was. Little Lena finally had a backbone.

"You do not get to make decisions anymore."

Lilura raised a finger, quick to contradict Damon's false statement.

"Shut up, Lily."

"When have I ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for me. Now this, this is my decision," Elena seethed.

"Who's gonna save your life while you're out making decisions?" Damon roared.

"You're not listening to me, Damon. I don't want to be saved. Not if it means that Klaus is gonna kill every single person that I love."

"Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself," His blue eyes thundered to Lilura. "Both of you."

When both girls remained seated, Damon grabbed Elena's arm and attempted to haul her out.

"Woah! Have you forgotten about freewill??" Lilura snapped, tugging on Elena's other arm.

"Damon let go!" Elena whipped her hand from Lilura and sloppily went for a punch to Damon's annoyingly perfect face.

Lilura could only gasp at the drama unfolding before her eyes.

Damon caught Elena's fists, eyes alight with fury. "Don't ever do that again."

He then released her and walked away, anger radiating off his leather clad shoulders.

When Elena turned around and caught Lilura's knowing gaze, she too sighed in frustration and disappeared.

In the main room, Rose and Elena sat like they were off to the gulliotine. Despite Rose's relieved expression, she looked tired. Perhaps Damon had scolded her a little too harshly.

"Time to go. Alice is soundly sleeping and won't remember a moment of this horribly stupid day," The Salvatore sassed, bursting through Slater's bedroom doors.

Three men burst into the room at the same time. "We're here to meet the doppelgänger."

"Nice timing," Lilura remarked. The leader flashed her an appreciative smirk.

"Thank you for coming."

"There's nothing here for you," Damon spat. Jerking his head to the side as Lilura flounced in front of the three men and smiled sweetly.

The first two were already goners, seeing as their eyes glossed over. However, Cody Webber needed an extra little push. She made sure to stare deep in his eyes, feeling Webber's resistance and will falling apart like sand in a an hourglass that had been recently flipped.

"Why don't you handsome boys — " Lilura began, layering the honey in her voice like butter on toast.

Suddenly, the man in the back dropped to the floor, dead as a cockroach.

"— drop dead on your own accord...?" Lilura chuckled, unsure.

"Lilu, you've broken our promise," A cordial baritone fluttered around Lilura's ears. She knew who it was in an instant.

"What can I say? Cell reception is horrid under water."

A twinking smile and then two men were dead.

Lilura felt Rose run out, but her eyes stayed glued to the noble original. It was like breathing fresh air after being trapped in a smoking building. Elijah had that effect on people, even sirens.

The noble original was as handsome as Lilura remembered. With his impeccable style (an elegant suit, of course) and chivalrous smile, Elijah Mikaelson managed to reassure and comfort those around him even though he was a dangerous vampire. That was one thing Lilura adored about him so much: his harmless disposition but exciting verity. The other was his unshakable compassion.

"I killed you. You were dead," Damon hissed, bring Lilura out of her thoughts.

"For centuries now," Elijah smirked. "Who are you?" He said to Cody.

"Who are you?" Cody arrogantly bit.

Lilura was tutting under her breath.

"I'm Elijah."

Cody paled until he was the shade of a baby vampire's touchee. "We were gonna bring her to you. For Klaus. She's the doppelgänger. I don't know how she exists, but she does. Klaus will want to see her."

"Does anyone else know that you're here?" The original questioned, circling Cody.

"No."

"Well, then, you have been incredibly helpful." Cody fell to the ground, heart wrenched from its place and fear plastered on his greying face.

"Until we meet again, Lilu," Elijah smiled warmly, dropping the heart.

And then he was gone.