Chapter 12:
An Interesting Turn of Events

"Taylor," a voice cried desperately. "Taylor!"

Slowly waking from her vervain induced sleep, Taylor could vaguely make out the sound of her worried sister. She was moving and was sure Elena was too, but she couldn't make out what it was – or whom it was – that was moving her.

"Shut up," a voice hissed, annoyed.

More jostling woke her in time to realize she was being thrown in the air, only to land on a rather uncomfortable couch. Awake, though slightly groggy, she turned first to her sister. Finding that apart from the wound on her arm that she'd gotten from the night before she was fine, the vampire turned her attention to their captor.

With a sudden burst of energy she leapt from the couch. Her fangs were bared and a low, threatening noise made its way from her throat as she lunged forward. Without a second thought, the man whom she had meant to attack swung his arm and flew her across the room. Taylor slammed against the wall; pieces of it fall to the ground with her. Elena shrieked, but remained on the couch knowing she'd do more harm than good.

Taylor stood once more, defiant and refusing to back down though she knew the odds of winning against the obviously much older vampire. Their captor bared his own fangs, smirking. He reminded her of Damon for a second. So ready to start a fight.

Just as she was about to lunge, a voice rang through the room.

"Enough, Trevor."

The voice belonged to a woman, obviously a vampire who was most likely as old and strong as the male. She had short black hair, spiky at the ends, and had a confidence around her that came from hundreds of years of living.

Their captor, Trevor, let his face return to normal as he backed away. "Buzz kill."

Elena, feeling brave, decided to speak. "What do you want with us?"

The woman was the one to answer. Trevor disappeared from sight.

"That's none of your business."

"If you think either of us are Katherine, you're wrong. My name is Elena Gilbert and that's my sister, Taylor Gilbert –"

"We know who you are," she snapped, clearly aggravated.

"Then why are you holding us? Why do you –"

Before she could finish asking another question, the woman reached forward and slapped Elena hard, sending her flying back onto the couch unconscious. Angered, Taylor made a move to lunge at the woman. Her movements were stopped the second another dart of vervain stabbed her in the arm and she fell to floor.

The next time Taylor woke, she woke to the sound of hushed voices and her sister, quietly shaking her shoulders in an attempt to pull her from her sleep.

"Elena?" She asked, groggily. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, pulling the vampire up. "We need to try and get out of here while they're distracted."

Taylor closed her eyes, listening. She could make out the hushed conversation the two vampires were having. They were talking about them.

"Let's go while they're talking."

Elena stood first, leading the way through the house and Taylor followed, still groggy from the vervain in her system. The closer they got, the more she and her sister could hear their conversation.

"How are they?"

"Still passed out."

"You didn't touch the human, did you?"

"No, give me some credit. Did you call him?"

"I called a contact. Now we wait. You know how this goes."

Taylor could see them now. They were worried. She could make out the wrinkles in the man's forehead as he discussed their situation. It was then that she knew – they were running from someone. And whatever they hoped to do today would somehow lead to their freedom. But she could tell that Trevor was not so sure.

Just as she was about to push Elena through the door, Trevor spoke again.

"Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?"

A gasp escaped her lips, causing the two vampires to turn.

"There's nothing around here for miles, you won't get far," the woman, Rose as she'd gathered from their conversation, snapped.

Taylor was too consumed in her thoughts to hear what her sister was asking. She barely recognized the curious glances the two vampires were giving her. All that registered was the name Elijah she'd muttered and the immense fear that coursed through her body at the thought.

"Elijah?" she sputtered.

Rose raised an eyebrow at the girl, curious. "That's what I said."

"Who is Elijah," Elena pressed.

"None of your business."

"We're not going anywhere. If you're going to keep us, you might as well tell us what we want to know!"

"Captivity made you pushy," Trevor laughed, stepping into the room. "What do you want to know?"

"Who is Elijah?"

Every time his name was uttered, a shiver ran up Taylor's spine. She felt her face contorting in fear as every second passed.

"An original."

"That's what she said. What does that mean?" Elena pushed, surprisingly brave in their situation.

"The first vampire family."

"Mikaelson's." Taylor whispered, her eyes wide. She wanted nothing more than to run. If it really was Elijah coming to get them, she didn't want to wait around.

"What did you say," Rose snapped, causing Elena to jump.

"Mikaelson," Taylor spoke louder, her eyes rising to meet the surprised ones of Trevor and Rose. "Elijah's last name… Elijah and Klaus' last name."

Instantly, Rose's hand was clenched tightly around her neck. "What do you know of Elijah and Klaus?"

Taylor's eyes were wide, but not from Rose's actions. For the first time, the memories of Scarlet came without sleep. They flooded her mind, clouding the reality of what was actually going on. Rose's words fell on deaf ears as Taylor tried to make sense of what she suddenly remembered.

"Why do you dislike Elijah so, Scarlet?"

Rebekah, beautiful with her long golden hair, questioned the younger girl. The two sat side by side under one of the many trees on Elijah's land. All was quiet around them – they were alone. Elijah had wandered off earlier, simply telling them he would be back soon.

Scarlet feigned surprise, "I don't dislike Elijah, Rebekah. What would give you that idea?"

A giggle escaped the vampire's lips. "I can see it in your eyes when he's around."

"Oh."

Scarlet hadn't realized how obvious her distrust for the brother had been. And there was no legitimate reason behind it besides a feeling.

"Has my brother done something to you?"

The girl's eyes widened. "No. No, of course not. I… I just get this feeling around him. Like I shouldn't trust him."

"Why is that?"

With a shrug of her shoulders, Scarlet turned her head to her right, her eyes scanning the miles of trees that was Elijah's backyard. She couldn't very well say that she thought he wanted to take her for himself. Or that she had a feeling he was not being completely loyal to Klaus. All she could do was remain silent until Rebekah gave up, instead switching the topic and insisting on braiding the young girl's hair.

The memories shifted. The once peaceful and calm atmosphere changed. It was night now and the lights in Elijah's house had all gone out. Scarlet, for some reason, wandered the halls alone.

"Klaus," a frightened Scarlet whispered.

The dark haired vampire had come back the night before and had spent the majority of the day alone with Scarlet. Yet, as night had neared he had declared that he'd had one more thing to take care of and would be back later that night. Scarlet, ever happy that he was back and worried to be a part from him again, roamed the night halls in hopes he had already come back.

It was to no avail. His room was empty upon her arrival. With nothing better to do, she began to make her way back to her room. Klaus would come to her when he came back. On her way back to her room, the sound of voices, not bothered to be hushed, caught her attention. They came from, she soon discovered, Rebekah's room. Curiosity got the better of her and Scarlet slowly made her way to the door, pressing her ear against it, straining to hear their conversation.

"Elijah, will you just answer me? Have you done something to Scarlet?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Rebekah. Why would I betray my own brother?"

"I don't know," Rebekah whispered. She sounded strained.

Scarlet pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to hear more clearly. Her breath came out in slow, spaced out breaths and she hoped the two vampires wouldn't hear her.

"I would never hurt the family." Elijah's words seemed so convincing. So much so that Scarlet almost believed him herself.

"But…" Rebekah started.

"But what?"

"But I've been watching you," she said cautiously. "When you think I'm not. I've seen the way you look at her… You want her, don't you?"

Elijah fell silent. For a minute, Scarlet thought the vampire had left. Then, snapping her out of her worries and nearly making her jump, a loud crash came from the room.

"No word of this is to reach Klaus, Rebekah," he hissed, the harshest voice she had heard from him.

Scarlet never heard Rebekah's chocked reply. All she heard was the sound of her own soft foot steps and breath as she ran for what felt like her life, back to her room.

The sound of a knocking broke Taylor from her dream like trance and succeeded in distracting Trevor and Rose, who went to answer the door. Anxious from the memories that flooded her, she frantically turned to Elena. Had she been human, she'd be on the verge of a heart attack.

"Elena, Elena, I can't do this… We have to – we have to get out – "

"Taylor," Elena interrupted, her own voice sounding frantic. "We'll be okay. I got a message. Stefan and Damon are coming."

Before the vampire could reply, before she could tell Elena about her memories and how Elijah wanted her, footsteps were heard. Soon, Rose and Elijah came into view. Taylor's voice hitched in her throat. Fear swept through her body so immensely, if she weren't standing, she would have fallen.

Elijah stepped away from Rose, taking deliberately slow steps toward the two girls. He neared Elena first, taking in a deep breath.

"She's human. You were telling the truth," he stated. His voice was ever steady.

He turned to Taylor next, stopping short when he realized she was no longer human. "She's not human."

Rose was the one to give an answer. In a surprisingly steady voice, she answered, "She was like this when we got her."

"Hmmm…"

"And there's something else."

Taylor froze. She prayed Rose would do her a life saving favor and not tell him she knew of him and Klaus. But then again, Rose was trying to save her own life – hers and Trevor's – she didn't care about Taylor.

"What is it?"

"She knew about you and Klaus."

Instantly all eyes were on her. Taylor could almost feel the intensity that radiated off of Elijah; the fear that crashed on her from Elena and not surprisingly, Trevor and Rose. But nothing hit her quite as hard as her own fear.

Her hand reached up and grabbed a few strands of hair. As the vampire twirled the hair around her finger and bit her lip, a nervous habit she'd gained over the years, she waited for the original's reply. She hoped he would dismiss it, but the word he uttered next made her stomach drop.

"Scarlet?"

Her eyes widened and mouth dried up. She made no reply, but she didn't miss the look in Elijah's eye. That familiar glint in his eyes, the one she'd seen him stare at Scarlet with, made her stomach churn. He knew who she really was. Nothing made her more afraid then that.

"Well, this is definitely an interesting turn of events," Elijah said, smiling. "Come now, we have a long journey ahead of us."

For the first time since Elijah's name had been uttered, Taylor felt a spark of strength. "No. We aren't going with you!"

"You don't have a choice. Now," he said, ignoring the young vampire, whose face scrunched together in anger. "I've got some business to take care of before we leave."

Everything that happened next was a blur. Trevor stumbled over apologies, but in the end it didn't matter. It never would with Elijah – Taylor could have told Rose that, not that she would have believed her. Elijah rolled his eyes and quickly struck his hand out across the vampire's neck. Trevor's head fell to the floor, rolling in an unpleasant heap a few feet away from the original.

A loud scream pierced the air and rose stuttered out a, "You!"

"Don't, now that you're free."

Rose fell silent. Elijah turned his attention to the two girls. "Come."

"No," Elena argued, trying to buy time until Damon and Stefan could arrive. "What about the moonstone?"

Taylor was confused. There it was again – something that she didn't understand because she was out of the loop. What was this moonstone and why was it so important to Elijah? Whatever it was, she could vaguely remember hearing about it somewhere, but nothing came to mind when she tried to recall it.

Elijah's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "What do you know about it?"

"I know where it is. I know you need it."

"Where is it?"

"It doesn't work that way."

The original took a step forward, his eyes narrowing down on the brown orbs of the doppelganger.

"Don't." Taylor hissed, stepping in between her sister and the original. "Don't you dare go near my sister."

"My dear Scarlet, you don't have a sister."

It unnerved her how he called her Scarlet, how he refused to realize that she was Taylor. It also scared her that second he mentioned that, a flare of anger shot through her. The kind of anger that filled her when someone knew something, but deliberately pretended not to.

"I had a sister and you know it, Elijah!"

Before the original could reply, the sound of breaking glass could be heard from above, as well as the whispered 'thank god' from Taylor.

"Who is that? Is someone else in the house?"

Rose quickly shook her head. "No, I don't know what that was."

Pushing Elena to Rose, Elijah quickly moved to grab Taylor, his grip tight on her arm. He tugged her along and she stumbled, trying her hardest to resist the vampire. It was hard and she remembered that even though she was strong, she was very young in terms of being a vampire. And it left her weak.

"Up here," A voice called. One that the two girls instantly recognized as Stefan. Relief flooded their systems.

What happened next was a bit of a blur to Taylor, whose attention was split between watching Elijah and trying to escape. Elijah's grip on her hand loosened and soon enough he was standing alone at the top of the stairs, leaving a confused vampire at the bottom. Taylor turned to her right to tell Elena to run, only to find herself alone. Before she could think of running herself, someone ran at her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into another room.

The vampire fought and struggled, kicking her legs around. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Taylor, stop."

It was Damon. His face was close the young vampire. His breath came out in short spurts, the effect of the events going on around them. His eyes tore into her own, and her head spun. As much as she wanted to hate him for killing Mason, for completely ignoring her feelings, her heart melted at the sight of him. All she felt was complete relief and longing.

"Damon," she whispered and, despite what her head told her, her heart made her irrational. She leapt forward, her arms circling tight around the vampire as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her protectively.

Elijah's words broke the moment. "Excuse me. Whoever you are, you cannot beat me. Do you hear that?" There was the sound of what sounded like wood breaking. "You will not win… So, I want the girls. I want Taylor and I want her now. You have three seconds. If she is not in my sight, heads will roll."

Taylor's grip on Damon tightened. He shook his head to her and placed his hand softly on her cheek.

It was Elena that broke them from their thoughts.

"I'll come with you," her thoughts rang through the house, and it took all Damon had to keep Taylor from sprinting to her side. "Just don't hurt my friends."

"Is this a trick?" Elijah asked.

As Taylor peaked around the corner, her eyes watched as the man she feared so much stood before her sister, a stake in his hand.

Her sister didn't speak. She reached her hand out from her back and threw something that made Taylor think of a bomb in Elijah's face. The second it exploded, Taylor knew exactly what it was – a vervain bomb. The smell surrounded her enough to cause her eyes to burn, yet it didn't seem to bother Elijah. His skin healed and he stepped towards Elena.

Stefan appeared out of nowhere, shooting Elijah with some kind of gun, though it had no effect. Realizing that, Stefan lunged forward, tackling Elijah down the stairs. For a split second neither moved. Elijah, being the much older and stronger of the two, was up first. His eyes caught sight of Taylor, who watched from the other room with wide eyes. He moved to lunge, but before he could take a step Damon drove a stake through his heart, pushing him up against the wall, pinning him there.

Seeing the original vampire dangling, dead, Rose let out a terrified gasp and disappeared. Damon instinctively moved to follow her when Taylor's voice stopped him.

"Let her go, Damon."

He could tell she was shaken up. Her voice was unsteady and her hands shook the slightest. Turning his back to the door, he rushed to her side, his arms encircling her once again.

"It's okay now."

"It's not okay, Damon," came her whispered reply as she squeezed her eyes shut against his chest. "Nothing's ever going to be okay again."

Her response and composure worried him, but not as much as Elijah's interest in her. At least he was dead.

It took a long time for me to update this, right? And I'm still not entirely pleased with it, either. I'm working on the next chapter which I hope will really be worth the wait!