"Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give but cannot. All of the unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go."

~Unknown~

…

He took the stairs one at a time, strolling down them as if he didn't care for time. Perhaps he did not. Perhaps it was as if time did not matter. Thanatos smirked to himself. Time… an interesting concept to the god of death. He mustn't dwell on it too long least he'll find himself cloaked by melancholy. Or something of the sorts, and he need not linger on such feelings.

"Well, quite the predicament you've found yourself in little brother." He speaks evanly once the purpose of his ascension comes into view. Contained behind a rather remarkable barrier.

It never even stood a chance against him.

Thanatos waved his hand and the barrier fell. The boy spared him a grin as he stepped out of his cage. "You took your sweet time." He complains and Thanatos finds his lack of consideration appalling.

Surely he must realize that he had other more important matters to attend. Like watching the chaos reign around the girl he'd so meticulously helped bring to the plain. Their father favored her and all the destruction she brought with her. The contrary, conclusive, the sheer chaos that emanated from her very existence. Thanatos hadn't been this entertained in centuries.

Hadn't felt this much of his father's presence in the world in eons.

So he doesn't dignify the blatant disrespect with an answer. Doesn't deem it worthy of his time. Instead he pins the young vampire with a stern look.

"Your so called Queen is reaping all sorts of chaos without you. Yet here you still are." Who's time are you wasting now? The unspoken question Thanatos leaves him with.

The old god vanished from sight without another remark. He's done is part to help the spread of chaos. Now he could just sit back to watch.

…

He kept himself concealed from her as he watched her crumble to pieces. Watched as her soul broke into thousands of empty caverns covered in darkness. All he could do was remind himself that he had warned her. Warned her so many times what happened to a warring soul. It broke a person, made them so far from themselves. And this current version of his petite dance partner.

It was not her.

It wasn't Marcella. She wasn't even Eden at this point. This was the broken little girl he met all those years ago. The girl who wore a kind smile on her face for everyone to see but cried herself raw at night, threw herself into turmouless sleep. Begged and pleaded for death. The girl whose body betrayed her, her pain too much. The girl that when given the diagnosis of terminal cried out in joy.

This was the soul his brother had so carefully taken from that pain, that sorrow. From her solitude and grief and brought her here. The soul that had no fear of death, no remorse of life. This was the Marcella of before… before she was ever Marcella.

And she was broken.

Hypnos' cold decrepit heart ached for the girl's wary soul. He felt true remorse for the torture her soul had endured. Because of them. Because of their father's plan.

Their father had always loved small and tragic things. Contradiction of nature. Strong forces of will. Beings that despite their pain and suffering that they still put on airs for the rest of the world. Internal conflict. Chaos reigning in their hearts, their being.

Marcella's soul had all of that. And yet she still endured. Even when breaking, she still fought. Even now with the spiral of her ever so coveted control, her soul still tried to stand, tried to keep its balance.

A grand effort, one that would be all for nought if something or someone didn't intervene soon. Those last little pieces of her humanity were struggling to stay on.

Marcella was standing at the edge of a very dangerous cliff. If she weren't careful she would fall over soon.

"Enjoying the show brother?" Hypnos ignored Thanatos' cold callous tone, the mischief that lingered in his eyes.

No, quite frankly he did not enjoy watching someone he considered a friend ruin themselves. But he wasn't going to tell Thanatos that.

"Did you complete your task?" The only slightly younger of the two sons of Chaos grinned.

"I see."

Because despite their own feelings of the matter, they still had jobs to do. A duty to uphold. They still had to honor thy father. And what Chaos demanded, he got. What he wanted, was to turn this world on its head. Everyone and everything else was just cannon fodder. The board was set, the king and his queen in place. So the rest of the pieces would fall in line soon.

The girl who danced with death, and the boy who proudly wore chaos' cloak. Harbingers they were soon to become. But he supposed the real question was, harbingers of what exactly?

As Roman he worried about Marella's well being, the state of her soul. He could only hope that something or someone could get through to her before she truly lost herself. The little girl who used kindness as a shield, as a guiding light was still in there. Somewhere.

She could still be found. There was still time.

For now.

He couldn't guarantee how much time that girl had left, how much longer couldn she hold on. Survive the darkness. Roman did what Hypnos could not, he prayed for her soul. Prayed that someone out there would spare it any further damage.

Marcella was still his dance partner.

...

Caroline knew something was wrong with her sister. It wasn't a hard conclusion to come too. Marcella despite how strong she tried to be was actually a rather fragile person. Sensitive. She'd always been like that, she used to be so shy she wouldn't even leave Caroline's side. Over the years as they grew it became less apparent. But Caroline still could see the effects it had on her little sister.

And with the backlash of Bill's sudden appearance, Caroline knew that Marcella would be spiraling. They each had their own complicated and complex relationship with the man. Caroline hates him for leaving their mom for taking Marcella away after the incident.

Marcella hated him because he never accepted her. Never loved her like a father should have. In his eyes nothing she did was good enough and when she got pregnant from her assault he took her away from her support system hid her away as if he'd been ashamed. As if she was a pariah to his image.

He hadn't even let her meet her own child.

Caroline also knew that that was another reason why Marcella had hated Katherine so much. The similarities between them, just one to many.

Now since Caroline knew that something was wrong with her sister and she knew Marcella well enough to know that if she asked verbatim that the youngest would just brush off her concerns. Insist that everything was fine. Lie. So Caroline decided it was probably time for her to call Damon.

He would know what was wrong with her sister. He always knew.

Damon and Marcella had a very interesting and intense relationship. Best friends without any sort of boundaries. Marcella loves Damon in a way that made absolutely no sense. She loved him platonically with her whole heart. Her love for Damon consumed her judgement, her sensibilities. Blind unconditional love.

Marcella has always been so free with her emotions. With her feelings. She never lied about how she felt towards anyone. The way she loved was intense, fiery, passionate.

All that being said, It was completely different from the way she loved her or their mom. Different from the way she loved Kol. And Marcella definitely loves Kol. Honestly the way she loved him was even weird. Listening to her sister talk about him, seeing her interact with him, seeing how he looked at her. To be completely consumed by another soul.

Caroline remembered after her own turn how Marcella's eyes looked. As if they were at war. It was nothing like the pretty hazel they'd once been. For a moment she'd worried it was an effect of the transition. But no this wasn't twilight, it was real life and Marcella was the only vampire to have such a startling appearance change.

They still hadn't returned to the color they'd been before.

When she figured out what was wrong with her sister, what exactly was going on between her and the other Mikaelsons the two were going to have a nice long chat about everything else Marcella had been avoiding. Caroline wouldn't stand to be left in the dark any longer. Something was going on with her sister, it had been for a while.

Caroline took a deep breath before she dialed Damon's number. She couldn't wait anymore. Deep in her heart she knew that someone had to do something before it reached a point where no one could restore Marcella.

.

Damon stared down at his ringing phone, a sigh temping his lips. He knew what Caroline wanted. Knew that she wanted answers. But Damon didn't have any to give her. Not this time. Marcella was at a crossroad that only she could decide which way to go. He couldn't do anything but wait to pick up the pieces after now.

Like she had for him.

"WHERE IS SHE!" Damon glanced up, he rolled his eyes and Klaus' seething form. Well he knew where this was going to go, since they'd already done one round of where is waldo?. When would he learn?

Marcella had gone and pissed off the feral dog she'd tried so hard to tame. And Damon was here stuck with placating the rabid beast. He shrugged off the angry howl. Come on, show a little more refinement. Damon honestly expected better of the other man.

Besides, there was a tiny part of Damon that honestly believed Klaus was getting what he deserved for crossing their tint friend.

" Like I told you last time the last I'd heard from her she was off shooting tequila and dancing on tables tops in backwater bars." There was also a part of Damon that knew that best lie was the truth, and that Klaus wouldn't want to believe that Marcella had ever left the falls.

How could she with all the chaos she was creating. Except, Damon knew Marcella better than Klaus liked to pretend he had and the eldest Salvatore knew that Marcella liked to sit back and watch the pieces all fall into place. Like a neat little puzzle. Klaus had pissed her off, and now she would make him realize what sort of mistake that was.

"You're lying!" Klaus snarled, lunging at Damon only to find himself crumbling to his knees. Magic knocking him out cold. Damon further rolled his eyes at the new comer.

"Great, just in time. I'd really hoped it would take you a little longer to escape. Who was it? Death or her dance partner?" Damon turned his full attention to the youngest original.

Kol did not look quiet as pleased to see him as Damon pretended to be. He offered a dark look in return before attempting to use his magic but to both their surprise nothing happened. "Damn it." Kol hissed, knowing now that he could not have his revenge.

Damon was protected against Kol's magic. There were only so many who could do that.

"It was Thanatos. Hello Damon, hello little brother." Roman appeared between them. His hands tucked calmly in his pockets, eyelids slightly droopy as if he actually felt tired. But if anything, all he looked like was worn down.

Beaten at the end of his rope.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Kol demanded, his anger starting to test his own patience. Roman raised his brow, a blank expressionless look etched into his sharp features.

"Whatever quams you have with him are of little importance to me, however I know that if you were to harm him somehow it would bring about great distraught in your soul mate. Marcella has already suffered enough, and I shouldn't have to remind you of this little brother. Now surely you know of the reason you were freed. Perhaps it would be best if you in fact went along with your task now." It wasn't a suggestion, all three men knew it. Roman snapped his fingers and Kol vanished from his spot.

The tired god turned to glance back at the vampire Marcella loved as her own flesh. Her brother, her sire, her best friend. Roman sighed, his heart ached once more for the girl they still might lose.

"You best be ready. She still needs you."

XOXOX

So there is a lot going on in this chapter...I know… And I'm sorry about how long it's been since the last update.. Life if hectic and crazy since becoming a mom and I don't have as much time as I'd like to work on my fics.

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading:)

Have a great day!

Sincerely, La'Rae