08: Drive Me Crazy

“Fuck!” Peter cried out as he grasped at his hair, turning to stare in the direction she ran. The only sign of her presence was her paw prints in the soil.

“This one is on you,” a naked and dirty Klaus stood behind him as he glowered at the man. “Pray that I am able to catch up to her now. I will leave you to inform the others of this mishap.” Shifting back into a wolf, Klaus took off like lightening as he followed his mate’s trail as it lead him into the heart of the country.

~o.O.o~

Rebekah walked through the thick foliage after the two had reached a significant distance between Forks and Seattle. She had yet to say anything to the other woman as she’d been lost in her own thoughts. There were many reasons she was concerned for the sister she’d known for the last thousand years.

The repercussions of the girl, who was so steadfast in her ability to avoid taking a human life throughout her vampire life, the number of bodies were piling up and she knew that there were only more to come. Not only was Niklaus had his curse broken, but Bella was now discovered to be a hybrid as well, she would not admit that she was scared.

“What kind of mischief has Ducky found herself in since my brother sent her to this miserable, sodden town?” Rebekah questioned, breaking the silence between them that had only been filled with the sounds of their footsteps from the foliage.

Rosalie didn’t answer as she kept a cautious eye on the girl that she knew could kill her without blinking. “Well, she’s certainly given all of us a workout with all her running around and the chasing after her.”

“I would expect nothing less right of what is going on now with her current state. What I’m speaking of, Love, is before my brothers arrived to collect her. Something tells me that you hadn’t the best opinion of her,” she gave a smug smile over her shoulder at her.

The blonde Cullen paused, considering her words before she spoke them. Then, in full fledged Rosalie-style, she went for blunt and to the point. “To be honest, I didn’t like her. She came into the family like a whirlwind and everyone instantly flocked to her… in my mind, I was the only one that saw her what she was; an intruder. She didn’t belong with us and from then on, I decided to try my best to deter from entrapping herself even further into a life that was only going to ruin her in the end.”

She stopped talking, a scowl marring her pretty features before she continued. She didn’t take notice of Rebekah’s blank expression.

“But that’s not the only thing that constantly set me on edge. Bella acted as if she were better than any of us. Like not one of us was worth her precious time. She’d rather be anywhere else, distracted even though I saw she did somewhat enjoy her time with some of the family.”

Rebekah frowned, stopping to turn and face the Cold One. “I can assure that my sister does not think herself better than you. That level of conceit is not something that is in her heart. It is what sets her apart in our family and one of the many reasons she is not as known by our enemies. If there is anyone that does, it would be Klaus or myself, I assure you.”

“Yeah well, that doesn’t excuse her behaviour when you came into town! She’s a straight up liar! Had I known that she already was a vampire, maybe I wouldn’t have been such a bitch towards her.”

“It’s all about trust, Lovey. A thousand years on the run from your father, who wants you dead, would make you question where you can place your trust. That lesson we’ve learned the hard way. The only one a Mikaelson can count on is another Mikaelson. It would have been difficult, but not impossible. From what it sounds, Ducky was on her way to revealing herself to you at some point. The way my brother spoke, her patience was growing thin by the mind reader she had killed,” the Original shrugged as she looked around the woods in confusion. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” Rosalie was surprised by the sudden change of subject. She had only asked the question when the scent hit her. “Oh boy.”

“What? What do you know?” Rebekah questioned as her lips curled back in disgust. The scent grew closer, almost surrounding them.

“I know that we should call Emmett and Jasper and let them handle this,” Rosalie’s voice had a hint of fear in it. “There is no way that I’m going to fight this bitch, but she needs to be put down for the threat she poses against Bella,” she said as she fumbled her phone out of her pocket.

The other blond glared at her. “Put that away. We can handle one measly Cold One. If anything, I’m craving a good fight and if what you say is any indication, this should be a fun one,” she grinned, her eyes sparkling as she held back her vampire visage until the suspected creature grew closer. “This one is gifted, is she not?”

“She seems to be, but we haven’t had it confirmed. The one we know can tell hasn’t been around for him to get a read on her,” Rosalie answered as she whipped her head around when she caught a flash of red streaking through the trees.

“Quit these games and come face us like a real woman!” Rebekah called out, irritated by the display. She was more than familiar with the disorientating technique as it was one that Elijah enjoyed playing when he was in one of his ‘moods’. “Or are you too coward to fight your own battles?!”

“Are you insane?” Rosalie hissed.

“It’s not like she can kill me,” she grinned, squaring her stance. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that you won’t get damaged – much. Though I think you are more than capable of handling your own.”

“I suppose, but Emmett-”

“Enough already,” Victoria appeared from the thick woods. “The whining gives me a headache.”

“Your wardrobe is an eyesore,” Rebekah responded. “I assume you are the one that is after the girl in Forks? Bella? You can’t be much if you haven’t managed to get to her yet,” she sighed as her eyes looked her over with boredom.

The wild, red headed Cold One smiled as her eyes glanced to Rosalie, who stood silent. “Interesting that the Cullens took in another human. I must wonder what the Volturi would think about that,” she taunted, taking a step forward towards Rebekah.

Rosalie glanced between the nomad and the Original, unsure of how to respond as she hadn’t disputed the implication of being a human. “What can I say? My family loves their pets.”

“Hm, yes they do. Unfortunately, this one has a bit of a mouth on her,” Victoria sneered as she made her way even closer, reaching out to run her fingers through the Original’s hair. Whatever ability she might possess hadn’t clued her in on the true danger that she allowed herself fall into. “I’m surprised that they took in one as lovely as you. Aren’t you afraid to have some competition for your mate with this one?” she asked, a devious smile on her lips but both girls could already see the venom coating her teeth.

“Oh, Love. There is no competition. If I wanted her mate, I’d have him. Though he isn’t quite my cup of tea,” Rebekah smiled, her eyes narrowing as she watched the Cold One’s movements. “You, however, are quite quick to get under my nerves now.”

Victoria’s evasion ability failed to kick in to save her in time before Rebekah quickly grabbed her hand, keeping her from taking off and bent it backwards painfully. She let her visage bleed out, grinning into the woman’s face as she pushed her backwards to the forest ground. “You truly should not play games. You never know when you will lose. And today, Love, you’ve lost your last game. Such a shame really. My brother would have absolutely loved to have a share in your torture for what you’ve put his wife through.”

“Wife? What?” Victoria stammered, trying to pull free but if she succeeded, her arm would be broken off at her elbow. “I’ve not gone after any of your kind! We know to stay away!”

“Oh, Darling. You are such the fool. You went after the best actress of us all,” the blond smiled, running a finger along the Cold One’s marble face. “Isabella was only performing a role that she needed to for a time. You’ve messed not only with the wrong vampire, but the wrong family. For that, you forfeit your life.”

“Please! No! I’ll turn myself into the Volturi instead!” she pleaded, looking over to Rosalie, who watched on nervously.

Rebekah only laughed at the mention of the Italian vampires. “Those insolent brats. They are more afraid of my family than you could ever be of them. Perhaps, you should have reconsidered your decision to go mate for a mate when your intended victim is the mate of the Original hybrid.”

Victoria’s eyes widened in terror. Just as she was about to pull away, damn her arm if she had it pulled from the socket, she’d take any miniscule sense of freedom she could get if it meant survival, but the much older vampire was ahead of her and grabbed her by the hair and while still holding her arm, flung her across the forest where she crashed into a boulder.

Before she was able to rise to her feet, Rebekah was already on her. She grabbed her by the back of the neck, hauling her back up. “If you think you are going to escape, you are really a bloody idiot. Isabella is my sister in every way that matters. If she were here now, she would rip you apart with her teeth. Would you like to know what I recently learned by my darling sister? Hm?” she questioned as she twisted Victoria’s right arm off as she stared into the vampire’s eyes, pupils dilating. “You will stand here and not run. Do you understand me?”

There was barely a whisper of an answer as she let out a strangled, “Yes.”

Rebekah nodded, pleased that her compulsion took. Not that she doubted it. “Rosalie, Love? It was my understanding that your family and Ducky have met this pitiful excuse for a vampire, even of your breed, during a baseball game. I may not know the particulars, it is more Kol’s pastime, but what say you and I take some batting practice?” She swung the Cold One’s arm around aimlessly, a pleasant smile on her face.

“I think that would be very interesting,” Rosalie said with a smile, in awe of Rebekah’s bravery and abilities. She would never have done what she was doing right now, her basic instinct had been to call Emmett. Granted, Rosalie used to have quite the temper; she had used it to take out her frustration and anger on Royce after he left her for dead, and it had been a pleasure. However, because of her time with Carlisle, she had gotten soft. “Hell yeah.”

She made her way over, taking the marble arm from the Original and looked upon the creature that caused so much torment. Saying nothing, as there were no words to truly express the disgust that she felt for the woman, she held a firm grip on the wrist and raised the arm to her shoulder. Her lips pulled back into a sneer before she swung at Victoria’s head, knocking it right off of her neck.

“Well I say that’s a home run, Love. Kind of disappointing and anticlimactic though,” Rebekah sighed as she watched, her head canted to the side. “Nonetheless, one less nuisance for the family to dispose of later.”

“Let’s just burn her and be done with it. We still have her newborns in Seattle to finish off,” she said with a huff, throwing the arm down.

“Sounds like a party. We’ll save the head to take back as proof for Nik. Otherwise, he won’t rest until Ducky’s enemies are all dead and dusted,” Rebekah replied easily. “Well, be done with the body. We haven’t got all day, Love.”

Rosalie raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her. “Do I look like I carry a lighter on me? That would be Jasper and Emmett.”

“Oh for the love of…” Rebekah pulled out her own lighter and set the body on fire, careful of the surrounding brush. Once she was sure that all signs of the creature were on fire, head aside, she picked up Victoria’s head by a handful of hair. “Well let’s be on our way. I believe my brothers suspected that Seattle may be having newborn vampire problem. I think a little more fun is in order. And perhaps some shopping?”

~o.O.o~

Standing at the treaty line, waiting patiently with his hands tucked into his pants pockets, Elijah casually observed the young Cold One as he paced the area as they waited for someone from the shifter pack to come speak to them. The trip to their location, Emmett’s enthusiasm entertained the older vampire, even if he would not admit to it. He knew that it would be interesting, including the three with his family once they moved on from Washington state.

“Okay. So once we fix Bella and we’re out of here, what is the plan?” Emmett questioned, his eyes checking over the wolves’ territory frequently.

“Isabella’s situation, as we have recently been informed, makes things a bit more complicated than previously anticipated. Had she been like Rebekah or myself, then our family would have a method of subduing her for a period until we could find a solution. This revelation of her being a hybrid makes things more – difficult,” he answered.

The bulky young vampire blinked as he stared at him. “Okay? So…that’s a yes?”

Smiling, Elijah lowered his gaze as he wished he could give him the answer he was truly seeking. “At this point, I suspect that Niklaus is on Isabella’s trail, likely somewhere halfway across the continental United States if she managed to slip past the protections that your friend attempted to put in place. He had taught her the best way to hide and avoid detection. We will work on bringing her back, but it will take time.”

Emmett let out a sigh and nodded. What he saw, the truth of what Bella really was, he was smart enough to concede that these other people, vampires, knew the girl he’d come to see as a sister much better than he’d ever know her. The sound of paws hitting the ground and the overpowering scent of wet dog hit them, causing him to turn to face in the direction of the reservation. “And here they come…” he muttered, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet anxiously.

“Calm yourself. While they may be allies in the moment, they are still our natural enemies, despite their friendship with Isabella,” Elijah warned as he moved to stand beside him.

Two wolves soon slowed to a stop before the large black one eyed them, turning to disappear behind several trees. As he reappeared, securing his shorts, Sam nodded to them. “What is it you need?”

“We won’t take up much of your time. I know you have arrangements to see to,” Elijah started in his usual, calming manner. “There has been some information that has come alight in regards to Isabella’s situation, but also concerns that left some questions that needed answers for when we depart Forks.”

“I will answer what I can, sure,” the oldest shifter replied with a curious look. “What do you need to know?”

Pressing forward, the Original debated on what he wanted first. “The attacks by the Cold One on your land. Was it by the same creature or different beings? Is there anything you might be able to give that might assist in capturing her?”

Sam sighed as he looked to his fellow wolf. “She was fast, smart. It was always the same red headed leech. We never picked up a different scent and she was always able to find some way of slipping through us, no matter how tight we had our formation.”

“Hm,” Elijah nodded, pondering that. “Edward Cullen’s attack on your wolf, from my understanding is a violation of your treaty with the Cullens. Thus making vampires, at least of their kind open for attack, correct?”

“Yes,” the alpha nodded. “I’ve also stated that I’d given permissions for the three to leave with your family. Only those three.”

“And Carlisle and Esme Cullen?”

“If they remain, we will destroy them. They won’t be welcome around here after you’ve concluded your dealings. Granted, if you contact us before hand, we might make exceptions for your group if you chose to visit but only with prior contact so that I may approach our council for permission.”

“I, and I am sure Isabella, would be grateful,” Elijah smiled, as well as Emmett. “Now, I do wish to extend gesture of good faith and share some knowledge that we’ve learned since we last spoke. It would seem that Isabella is more than any of us anticipated. You witnessed, and learned a bit, of our kind when we choose to turn off our emotions, effectively cutting ourselves from our humanity as much as possible.”

Sam crossed his arms as he narrowed his eyes on him. He knew that she was dangerous and that the brothers were dealing with the threat she posed. “Yes, you explained it some.”

“My brothers recently discovered that she is more like Niklaus than we ever realized,” he stated slowly, letting the thoughts set for the implication. “He is out now searching for her in his other form…”

When the two shifters realized what he meant, they were both in shock. “You’re saying she’s a hybrid? How is that possible? How much of a threat is she to the humans around? She’s already killed so many and we’re having a hard time letting it go.”

“Isabella is a very dangerous creature, I won’t deny that fact,” Elijah stated. “And we are grateful for your leniency and patience. I don’t believe we will be around much longer as she intends on having us give chase. I doubt she intends to remain confined much longer to this region. My sister has arrived this morning and has already begun her own search for the Cold One that’s been causing so much strife. Knowing her, I suspect she won’t come back without something to show for her efforts.”

“Let us hope not. Good luck with everything until,” Sam said, shaken and upset by the news he received. Nodding to the two, they turned to start heading back, leaving the vampires at the line.

Elijah watched until they disappeared, frowning. “We should return as well. Begin your packing for the move. I don’t believe we will be staying once the situation with Victoria has been concluded. It will be far too dangerous for us as their funeral customs will be ending soon enough.”

“You really think they’d attack us?” Emmett asked.

“Perhaps not, but if we are anywhere in the vicinity of your sire, then yes. We would be open for attack. I’d rather not get involved with Carlisle’s fight.”

~o.O.o~

After Klaus had taken off on Bella’s trail, Peter turned and hurried for the Cullen house. Entering, he grinned at the sight of his brother and now ex. “Good to see that you finally came to your senses,” he greeted.

Jasper looked up from the book that Elijah had left him to read over, to study for a new perspective on their hybrid situation. “Peter,” he responded, frowning as he took in the ragged appearance. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh not much. Just trying to help contain a massive headache of a friend,” he shrugged as he moved to make himself comfortable. “Can’t say it worked like I hoped.”

Blinking, as he replayed his words over in his head, he started to stand, however Alice had beat him to a response. “Are you talking about Bella? Containing her?”

Peter pursed his lips together in a smile, shrugging. “Bella? Such a pansy, prissy name. Isa is such a fierce adversary that anyone would be stupid to go against. No, I’d much rather have her as a friend.”

“You were texting her the other day,” Jasper pointed out, suddenly realizing the connection. “You’re her friend that she was getting information from.”

“Maybe. Probably. I didn’t know what was going to happen though,” he answered seriously. “Regardless, it’s done and we all have a much bigger problem. Where isthe rest of the big bad family of hers?”

“Elijah went with Emmett to talk to the shifters and their sister took Rosalie to try to hunt down Victoria,” Alice answered as Carlisle and Esme walked into the room, frowns on their faces at his presence.

Peter only smiled deviously at them before looking back to his brother. “Victoria is a done deal. You all won’t have to worry about her after the girls get back. Once they are finished with their destruction of the newborns and shopping, that is. Original Blondie is showing her what it’s like to be a vampire. Now, you have that witch brother…”

“He went to talk to Bella’s friend, who appeared to recently come into her powers,” Jasper informed. “Why?”

“Call him back, with the girl. We need her to do a locator spell.”

“Locator spell for what? Or who…?”

Peter stared at him. “For Isa? To keep track of the direction she’s traveling? Last I saw she was heading east.”

Jasper’s eyes shot up in surprise, knowing that they had been planning on pushing her north. He was quick to have his phone out and already dialing his new friend in the Mikaelson family. It didn’t take long for the youngest Original brother to answer.

“How’s it going, Toy Soldier?”

He couldn’t help but growl at the jab. “We need you to bring Angela to the Chief’s house. On the way, talk her through the steps of a tracking spell.”

There was a marked silence on the other end of the line before Kol spoke again. “I take it Poppet managed to get past Nik. This is going to be a blast. Tracking her is going to a difficult process. Angela is very good yes, but she is still a novice.”

The sarcasm was palpable even over the phone. “I agree, but we are going to need to make every attempt, otherwise it won’t end in any way other than bloodshed for anyone in her path.”

“She’s a new hybrid that’s pretty much kept the darker side of herself suppressed for as long as we’ve been vampires. She’s kept her bloodlust under more control than Elijah has of his morals. We’re on our way but I think that while in her wolf form, since she’s running on pure instinct, she is heading for someplace familiar.”

Jasper looked over at Peter as he leaned against the doorframe, waiting for him with a small smirk on his face. Narrowing his eyes, he felt the smug amusement from his friend. “We will do what we can. How fast do you think we can get someone to where you believe Bella is heading?”

“All depends on the airlines. I’ll call Elijah and Rebekah to just go straight to the airport. See ya soon, mate!”

Hanging up, he eyed Peter. “What the fuck do you know? None of this coy bullshit.”

He shrugged a shoulder and looked outside. “I know that we all need to move fast. I know that Isa is a pissed off bitch, pun intended. I, also know, that it will be a very close call if anyone makes it to her before she does something particularly stupid.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

~o.O.o~

While locator spells were being attempted on one end of the country, another was being performed in an old boarding house. Tensions ran high as the younger witch remained silent as she watched the girl that their adversary had claimed was her sister, calmly put together the objects left for a powerful tracking spell.

“I don’t understand why Katherine said she couldn’t stay for this,” Bonnie muttered as she watched, her arms crossed over her chest. “She still hasn’t said which of the Mikaelsons we’re supposed to be looking for.”

Ahvitahl only smirked, holding a delicate bracelet from her fingers, admiring it for a moment before letting it fall into the wooden bowl set atop of the map. “You don’t have to be a blood relative to be family. Family is also gained through trust and vows,” she shared, glancing up through her lashes with that teasing smile. “When you’ve lived with your family for as long as they has, it would not be unsurprising that the family as a whole would gather to protect someone that they each have a special bond with. A bond however, that is nothing like the one between mates. Mates who would move mountains if anyone stood between them.”

Damon had grown tired of first Katherine’s games, and now this witch friend of hers. “Yeah we get that we have a psychotic Mikaelson on the loose, but that’s nothing new. Klaus just broke his curse here which makes him the most dangerous creature on this planet. What could be worse than that?”

The witch chuckled as she sat back, all pieces to the spell were in place. “Boy, you have no idea how over your head you are. You want to know what is going on? I’ll tell you,” she said bluntly, resting her hands on edge of the coffee table. “Klaus Mikaelson isn’t quite the man you believed him to be. Yes he is diabolical and can be downright cruel, however he does know love. He is married to his mate, who also happens to be the Mikaelson that we are attempting to track down.”

“He’s married to his sister?!” Damon questioned, disgust rolling off of him, earning an eye roll from everyone in the room.

“No, you idiot. Obviously not. They were married before they were created and she was sent into hiding before he came here, for her protection as a mate would ensure. He didn’t know what they would be facing here so he wasn’t about to risk her safety. At least that is what Katherine explained based on what she learned from Elijah.”

“So what are you doing here?” Bonnie questioned, waving her hand to the display for the spell.

“Here, you and I are going to combine our magic to locate Isabella Mikaelson. Come on! Let’s get this done!”

Bonnie remained reluctant, but at the same time curious about the girl, now having seen the witch with her own eyes. She can see her own family and the truth in the vampire’s statements but she still did not want to believe that her Grams had kept such a detail from her. Sighing, she knelt on the other side of the table and took her new sister’s hands as they began chanting the spell that she’d been told to memorize.

Several passes over the chant, the bowl and bracelet soon fell into a fine dust, scattering over the map. As everyone leaned over to watch it inch it’s way across the paper, to the east coast, they could not help but to feel their heart rates rise as it pooled and circled around Virginia.

Stefan, who’d been quiet throughout the entire event, grimaced. “Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be circling our area.”

The sisters looked up from the map, also confused. Ahvitahl had been expecting the location to be somewhere further west yet. Especially with the information she’d learned. How did the vampire cross the country so fast? A bad feeling began to settle within her.

“Whose name is this house in?” she demanded.

“No one’s right now…” Damon said slowly.

“Oh no…” Bonnie breathed out as she saw a shadow standing in the doorway. In a flash, it was inside as Stefan and Damon were attempting to protect the girls from the intruder. She could see the amber eyes of the woman, recognizing them for what they were and as the sounds of further breaking and snarling cries when one of her friends were hurt, she was unable to target the new enemy with her magic at the speeds they were fighting.

Before anyone knew it, Katherine was standing beside them, irritated. “Fuck. Must I do everything myself?” she asked before she walked up the maylay and snapped someone’s neck.

The body of a pretty brunette female laid unconscious on the floor as she stood over her. Pulling her phone out, she had a bright smile as she waited for the call to connect. “Oh, Elijah! I found Klaus’s wife. She has a nasty bite and I think the Salvatore’s are going to require a bit of his blood. You best hurry up because I’ll only keep breaking her neck and I really don’t want to make her short list of enemies.”

Hanging up, she shoved her phone in her pocket and looked around the room at the tired, disgruntled faces. “What?”