Chapter 22

BPOV

A week had past after the whole Klaus and Isabel drama and in that time a lot of things had happened.

John had left town (good riddance).

Elena Jeremy and I were as close as ever.

Jenna and Alaric had taken their relationship to the next level.

Everyone (except Damon) had come to accept Elijah and our love life.

Matt had broken up with Caroline after she'd told him the truth about her being a vampire.

I'd met Tyler Lockwood who'd recently returned to town though I was a bit weary of him because although he seemed like a nice guy the vibe he gave off said otherwise so I did my best to stay clear of him.

Bonnie had been helping me to research about Isabel's bloodline to find out if anyone in her family had been gifted with powers and if so why Isabel hadn't known about it. So far though we'd come up with absolute zero results and I was beginning to get a little discouraged, if I did inherit some kind of force I needed know what I was dealing with and soon.

It was a late Thursday evening and I was currently sat in a booth reading at the Mystic Grill just needing some alone time. Right as I went to take a sip of my hot chocolate I felt a familiar presence draw near and didn't need to look up from my book to know exactly whom it was.

"Hello Klaus" I said.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked.

"Call it a woman's intuition" I shrugged placing my book to one side.

"Fair enough, do mind if I join you?" Klaus asked.

"It's a free country, go ahead" I said as he took a seat beside me. "Sooo to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this time? Have you come to kidnap me again? Or are you here to make some sort of threat?" I sarcastically asked him.

"I take it your still pissed off from our last meeting?" Klaus asked.

"Considering that you daggered Elijah, possessed poor Alaric, nearly killed Bonnie and had me placed under a spell I'd saaaay yes. Half of me is still very much livid of your actions to say the very least, but then the other half of me hoped you'd return" I said.

"And why would that be?" Klaus asked as I then narrowed my gaze from my book to look upon the face of the man that was once so gentle and kind and now was a cold unfeeling beast.

"Because I've longed to see you again my brother" I softly spoke.

"Isabel?" Klaus gasped with wide eyes.

"Hello Niklaus" I said.

"No. No you can't…it's not possible" Klaus said shaking his head disbelievingly.

"But it is. I'm here Niklaus" I said as he stared back at me with an empty expression.

"What kind of game are you playing with me?" Klaus hissed.

"This is no game brother, you know as much as I do that I've never been good at lying. Especially after that one day when Rebekah asked me in front of Elijah if I'd been staring at his butt whilst he was working" I said recalling that memory like it was yesterday.

"You tried to deny it but your blush gave you away" said Klaus.

I smiled nodding at him seeing the brother I once knew shining through his eyes. I knew Niklaus could be saved, all he truly needed was the motivation.

"Thank you very much Rebekah" I said sarcastically rolling my eyes.

The two of us chuckled before Klaus seemed to just stare into my eyes as if searching for something.

"Is it really you? Are you real?" asked Klaus and I nodded.

"And more alive than I was when we last saw each other" I said referring to the night at the school.

"Which brings me to my next question. How did you manage to send me back to my body that night? I was never aware spirits were capable of that kind of power" said Klaus.

"Well to be honest at first I did it off basic instinct but didn't know why or how for that matter. That is until I stumbled onto something the day after" I said.

"And what was that?" Klaus questioned.

I went on to telling him last weeks shocking events watching his face as I did and by the time I was finished he looked like he was trying to figure out brain matter.

"Klaus?" I spoke awaiting his reaction.

"You're...a witch?" he asked awestruck.

"Seriously? That's what you took out of all that?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry it's just that stuck out more in big bold red letters" said Klaus.

"Can't really argue with that" I said shrugging my shoulders.

"Have you researched into your family's bloodline about this?" he asked.

"I have, I've looked into both my father's and my mother's lineage but so far...nothing. Not one bit of evidence can be found to explain my heritage, it's impossibly strange because I know for a fact the Petrova's held no magic because if that were the case then surely Ayana herself would have sensed it and told me" I said.

"And you're quite certain that the family you go by now holds no power, even the smallest amount?" asked Klaus.

"Positive" I sighed.

"So what now?" he asked.

"Well if you have any more suggestions they would be very useful at this point because as of right now I'm all out of ideas" I said slumping back against the seat.

"Perhaps you could try calling on a spirit from the other side, there's got to be someone who knows something we don't" said Klaus having his thinking cap on.

"Couldn't hurt to try I suppose, its just a question of who I should contact because channelling that kind of energy alone would be dangerous" I said.

"Well then we're just gonna have to make sure you choose wisely, I already lost you once I have no intention of allowing it to happen again" said Klaus placing his hand on my knee.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere this time. First I'm gonna figure out just how my powers came to be, then I plan to find out just what really happened the day of my death" I said.

"I already have my suspicions about that" spoke Klaus bitterly.

"How so?" I questioned.

"Three days after we lost you I over heard Mikael and Esther arguing and as I listened in they mentioned something about 'it being a mistake' and that 'things should never have been taken that far'" quoted Klaus.

"You don't think..." I trailed off.

"I wouldn't put it past them" he sneered.

"Mikael perhaps but Esther? Surely not, she was like a second mother to me. What reason would she have to end my life?" I asked hoping Nik had somehow got this wrong and that there was a logical explanation behind it.

"I'm not sure, I just know in my mind I had as much right to doubt them as the next person" said Klaus.

Just then I heard my phone ring in my jacket pocket and as I whipped it out the caller I.D flashed Elijah.

"Sorry do you mind if I..." I trailed off gesturing to my phone

"No go ahead" said Klaus.

Bella - Normal - Elijah - Bold Italic

"Hello"

"Hello my love"

Spoke the sweet tender voice of my lover making me smile. "Well hello Eli, what are you up to?" I asked him.

"I'm just in town at the moment but thought I'd pop by to see you as soon as I'm done taking care of some business".

Shoot, should I tell him I was with Nik? No definitely not he'd freak out the second I even uttered the words and would come straight for Nik's head.

"Oh erm I'm just at Bonnie's at the minute working on a couple of spells so I could be a while, sorry" I told him.

I saw Klaus smirk at me and mouth the word 'liar' causing me to roll my eyes.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Elijah.

"Yeah, why? Is something wrong?" I asked taking note of his tone of voice like he knew I was lying.

"Not at all, its just funny you should mention Miss Bennet because I just ran into her not five minutes ago and you didn't happen to be with her".

Damn it!

I saw that Nik was now chuckling under his breath at my failed attempt of a lie.

"Isabella"

"Did I happen to mention that the spell we were working on is based round invisibility?" I asked trying to worm my way out of this.

"Isabella"

"So just so you know that's why you didn't see me with Bonnie because I was actually ghosting around you" I said sounding like biggest jackass of all time.

As I saw Nik glancing over my shoulder at something with a knowing expression on his face I squeezed my eyes shut mouthing the word 'fuck' as I could only guess at who he was looking at.

"Isabella love would you please be so kind as to turn around" spoke Elijah.

Doing as my beloved asked I slowly narrowed my head round to see Elijah in all his glory standing in the doorway of the grill looking directly our way.

"I'm in trouble aren't I?" I asked him.

"An immense amount love"

Spoke my mate as he then hung up the phone and made his way over to us with a pissed off expression glued to his face. Now half of me was terrified for Nik at this point but lord help me the other half was turned on by my Eli's temper, he just looked so damn sexy with the way he carried himself that it took all I had not to pull him into the nearest rest room and have my wicked way with him.

Saving those thoughts for later though I immediately shot up placing my hands on Elijah's chest halting him in his tracks.

"Eli wait..."

"Isabella step aside" spoke my love in a calm but firm manner.

"No, not unless you promise you aren't going to do anything you'll later regret" I told him.

"I'm hardly likely to try anything right now love while we're among public, though I can't vouch for what later events shall bring" said Elijah staring coldly at Nik.

"It's nice to see you too brother, though I must say I did prefer it when you had a dagger in you're heart" smirked Klaus.

"Niklaus this does not help the situation" I scolded him.

"Perhaps not but I do so enjoy winding him up, it just brightens my day".

Sighing at his response I did my best to keep Elijah calm and stop him from attacking Nik who seemed to obviously have a death wish trying to provoke his brother this way.

"You'll never change Niklaus you'll always be monster you aloud yourself to become a thousand and plus years ago" snarled Elijah.

"Annnd it begins, how very sentimental of you Elijah to once again play the part of the innocent when we both know you're nothing of the sort" spoke Klaus in a dark tone of manner.

"This I do not disagree too but unlike you brother at least I can say that I have never dared lay a harmful hand on Isabella" Elijah fired back.

As if he'd suddenly touched a nerve Klaus remained silent at this and tightened his jaw line.

'A low blow Eli dearest' I thought to myself.

"Yes Niklaus I know exactly what occurred between the night you daggered me up until the point you tried to end Miss Bennett's life. Isabella told me how you kidnapped her and allowed her to be placed under a sleeping spell just to keep her quiet, for this I shall never forgive you. You're actions are what define you brother, you knew what it meant to me to allow someone back in but yet again you allowed you're own selfishness to overcome you. You tried to take her from me..."

"I tried to save her, I wanted to keep her safe. And yes I knew exactly what it meant to you to find Isabel again, but you should know what it means to me too" argued Klaus pausing as Eli waited for him to continue. "I never had any intention of harming her, the moment I saw Isabella for myself I could hardly believe it. I swore to keep her out of the firing line just until the ritual was over but to ensure such a thing I had to keep her by my side, so yes I took her from you with only the best intentions in mind" he defensively spoke.

"But you went about it the wrong way Nik, you didn't have to resort to such violence to keep me safe. I understand you did it out of kindness and love but I was perfectly fine and you daggering Elijah like you did your other siblings didn't exactly help things either" I said turning to face him.

"H-how do you know I daggered them?" asked Klaus with a taken back expression.

"I've been watching over you for many centuries Nik, much like I have Elijah Rebekah Kol Finn and even Sage. I was always with you, even though you couldn't see me I was there" I told him.

Nik not saying anything averted his eyes as I carefully motioned Elijah to sit opposite him whilst I pulled out a chair to take a seat between them.

"I want you both to listen to me now" I said taking each of their hands in my own. "This fighting must cease at once, no good has ever come from loathing your own family you know this. All those years we had to bare with Mikael scarred each and every one of us both physically and emotionally, the war was hard but by sticking together we built up a wall that not even he could knock down because unlike that monster we held something that Mikael's blackened soul did not. Love, love and hope for our family.

Now I do not know when or how it happened but for reason that I cannot seem to understand is that my loved ones seemed to have lost their way after my death, which I say should only have encouraged you all to become much stronger as a family and stay united against Mikael and any malevolent forces that came your way.

It hurt me all those years to witness the pain and torment you put yourselves and others through, I begged and pleaded of the angels to let me come back to earth to mend our broken family but my time in limbo was not yet served and so I had to wait and continue to watch with a heavy heart as my loved ones traveled down the path of destruction.

Now that I'm back I intend to fix what has been done and get the family I know and love back, but for me to do that I need a peace to be made between you both right now because I cannot do this with you fighting and preparing to rip each others throats out" I paused glancing between both brothers who were looking at me looking totally guilt ridden.

"Nik…" I spoke giving his hand a squeeze feeling the tears well up in my eyes. "I know life has been tough for you since your very beginning, but you are and always have been loved and maybe not by the man you knew as your father but by the very people who have always been at your side and still to this day believe in you and the light you bare in your soul. You are not far gone I do not believe that, the sweet and brave loving warrior I know still exists today behind the mask you wear to frighten others away but the truth is that it is you who is afraid of anyone becoming close because you yourself are terrified of running the people you care for away. You have believed yourself to be unworthy of love because it is the constant lesson Mikael taught you those years ago but it is not true, you are worth it Nik you are worth everything. I know this to be true my brother, my son" my voice crackled with tears now streaming down my cheeks.

The second I uttered the words 'my son' I saw something change within Nik, gone was the cold exterior and in its place was the innocent eyes of the boy I had raised as my own true flesh and blood.

Smiling a watery smile at him I planted a loving kiss on his hand before turning my attention to Elijah.

"Eli, my sweet precious love. Words can't possibly describe how happy I felt when I finally found you again. Watching you for over a thousand years and being unable to reach out to kiss you or even embrace you was the hardest thing I've ever had to endure. You are the anchor to what holds me here now you always have been, if you were to perish I would soon follow to wherever you end up. We made a promise to each other a long time ago that we would lead this family to its glory and leave the dark times where they remained.

I'm not a fool, I know Nik has done many things that are unforgivable and that you think there is no hope for him but you are wrong my love. Redemption can be found even in the hardest of hearts and with the love and support of his family Nik will be well on his way there, you just have to have faith in him. He is your little brother and though he may not show it Niklaus does adore you, believe me he does" I said recalling the exact words Nik had uttered to me all those years ago that were a constant reminder of just how much he cared, and lord knows I'd never ever forget them.

"We will have our family back, I promise you. But before this can happen I want you both now to solemnly swear that we will all stick together as one, no more lies and no more fighting. However that being said I have come to a decision" I paused preparing myself for what I was about to say next. "The sacrifice will be going ahead" I said as both brothers stared at me in shock.

"But my love…"

Elijah started but I cut him off.

"Hear me. It will go ahead, BUT…it will happen my way".

Author's Note: Dun dun duuuuun! What's Bella/Isabel got up her sleeve for this one? And what about Elena and the others? How will they react to this? Found out next time.

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