Sophia
I gripped the open drawer tight, reeling over the argument I had with my brother. We quarrelled and it blew out of proportion. When two people are just as stubborn as the other and both have an anger the size of earth's equator, it's bound to get messy and ugly. I shook violently as the tears slipped down. The door swung open and aggressive footsteps entered. We've had plenty of arguments, disagreements. This was the worst. We both lashed out and I was horrible. I've said things I would never have said to my brother, had I not been under the influence of anger. I slapped him full across the face, with my open right hand. It rocked him and he took a step back and then steadied himself, eyes blinking and staring at me. I had been riled and it was the first time I struck him. I left him in the living room, running into my room. The anger turning into frustration and eventually tears. I could sense his nostrils flaring, as he stood behind me, fists clenched at his sides.
"Why can't he know?" I slammed the drawers. I was livid. For over a century I had known of my brothers existence, yet I only ever met one. Damon. I needed to meet Stefan, yet Damon insisted I stay hidden as it was not safe for me. There was pain in his eyes. Damon was conflicted. It hurt to see him that way. It hurt more to be kept in the dark. His tense body loosened, and his shoulders slumped.
"...He can't know because I'm afraid he will resent me. All these years I kept you a secret because Stefan and I weren't always on the same page or saw eye to eye. We resented each other for many reasons. I will tell him soon-we will tell him soon." A small hearted smile flickered on his features. Something troubled him and it hurt me to see him that way-torn, trying to do right by us both but I pushed on.
"Afraid?" I scoffed. "Do you care how I feel? I don't know who my birth mother is and our father as you put it, he abhorred the idea of fathering a girl, so he manipulated my mother into discarding the 'God forsaken' thing! Mind you, after he was the one that was unfaithful to your mother! I don't know why my birth mother left me or where she is! Who she is! I have nothing to go on! And how I ended up being adopted! But that's not the worst part is it, Damon?" I glared at him daring him to answer but he didn't. "A noble family took me in and loved me, raised me, gave me EVERYTHING! I was happy..." I could feel my eyes water, tears welling up and lumps forming in my throat.
The pain was fresh in my mind as if it only just occurred yesterday, but it wasn't. It was a lifetime ago. Swallowing the lumps down I continued "...then one day they were brutally killed, ripped apart by some animal. There was no mercy..." I choked "my family gone...Damon...GONE! Savagely torn away from me! And I spent years trying to locate and hunt down the two men responsible with no success. Then as if it was fate...I found you Damon. Knowing you were my brother made me feel whole. Knowing Stefan was my brother too, everything fell back into place. So why can't he know, it's been over a hundred years brother?" I sobbed into my hands.
He hung his head low. I wiped away my tears refusing to let this have power over me, make me weak. "Look at me DAMON!" I demanded through gritted teeth, dropping my hands to my sides. "You can't keep this a secret from him any longer! You can't keep us apart."
"I know." He sighed.
"I want to meet our brother. Even if it's just a picture! How is he?"
"He's good. We're not in hell and our souls are not forever condemned to hell. I've not spoken to him since he left to travel the world with Care bear...he's not really spoken to me." Other than sharing the same stubborn flair and anger we shared the same sense of dark humour.
I shrugged. "You never tell me much or even let me see him! I know all about your lives and he knows nothing of mine. I spent so long searching but nothing...and when I went Mystic Falls, he wasn't there."
"Bitsy...promise me you won't come to Mystic Falls, not without protection at least?" he implored. So sincere. "You've not come into contact with Stefan, have you? Stefan is the easiest way Klaus Mikaelson can get to you!"
"Relax, I have not spoken to him, nor have I been within a 2-metre distance. The universe conspires against me! I've never seen him or even ran into him." I groaned, throwing my arms up in the air. "As far as entering Mystic falls again, I can't promise anything. Are you afraid that something will happen to me? And why Stefan?"
He took a moment to reply, lost in thought, his eyes still fixated on me. "Yes, I am Bitsy. Klaus.... has a bad habit of wanting to ingratiate himself in our lives-well Stefan to be exact. He and Stefan have a past together. Call him obsessed if you may."
"Why is he looking for me?"
I already knew why Klaus Mikaelson was after me but not for what Damon disclosed. Klaus compelled me to stay put and wait for his return, but his compulsion had not worked on me. Unbeknownst to me, I siphoned the magic of his compulsion. I dared not tell Damon I knew who the man was and that I had in fact encountered him earlier in my life. I could not fathom I was wanted for my heretic nature, and I had posed such a great threat to him. He should fear me. I thought to myself.
"So..." he took a sip of his bourbon and replaced his glass back on the table. "Klaus heard of a prophecy, a big revelation that there's a certain witch that will be the cause of his downfall. He doesn't know who you are, where you are, what you look like, and I want it kept that way. Klaus does not like anything or anyone that's a threat to him. All I know is he is searching high and low. He is out for blood and if he finds out you're the one, he will leave no stone unturned to find you, kill you and kill me and Stefan along."
I rolled my eyes. "I don't need protection. I am a heretic after all. You got me to cloak myself and I did! Also, he doesn't know what I look like so I'm safe. If you show me who he is I can keep my distance. I can cast a protection spell, plus no one knows how powerful I am. Please big brother, let me go back with you?"
"No, not until Stefan returns my calls and forgives me." He walked away.
Despite all my efforts to locate Stefan, to enter Mystic Falls I had failed in every attempt. As if the universe plotted against me and did its best to keep us apart. Obstacle after obstacle and not even an inch closer to my other brother. The last time I visited Mystic falls, it was just my bad luck, that he left off on some ludicrous mission. There was a time I stopped searching. Life in London kept me occupied but now I no longer wanted to wait. I closed my eyes and focused on the memory that soothed me.
I sat with my face buried in my knees. Fatigue gripped me and frustration a common friend. I was broken but many times I questioned whether I truly was broken or was it just a feeling? Would it pass? Or was I beyond broken? I exhausted myself running around searching for Stefan. I used every locator spell known to man, yet he alluded me each and every time. Perhaps he wanted nothing to do with us. If he knew of me, would he change his mind and forgive Damon? Damon insisted that Stefan hadn't forgiven him yet and they barely exchanged any words. Part of me found that hard to believe. Damon wasn't here and I've not heard from him since a few months ago and I began to worry. He left me all alone. I felt abandoned by my older brother. He promised to never leave my side but yet he was missing. Locating him through magic was no use. I wanted to scream, to shout and to burn this world down.
Footsteps approached. I glanced over to the door my smile wavering and tremulous. "Hey, Enzo." He leaned on the doorframe, arms folded, and legs crossed. I tried hard to hide my feelings, but he saw right through me. Though his eyes were sad his lips tugged up into a compassionate smile.
"Hello gorgeous." He vamped to my side and draped his arm around me, in a comforting hold. "I know you're exhausted and upset but I do know, what I'm to say now will make you feel so otherwise."
I stared at him with one brow raised. "How?"
"Damon didn't leave you intentionally."
"Then?!" I snapped. "Where is my brother? Where is Stefan? Why have they not patched things up?" Question after question was hurled at him.
"He's gone to find Stefan and God knows where that man has gotten off to, but Damon didn't want to trouble you-"
"Trouble me! What on earth does that mean? I'm his sister...Enzo I feel alienated! Like no one here is telling me the truth. I just want to help! Why must Damon do this alone?" I pushed back the stinging tears.
Enzo tugged me closer and kissed the side of my head. "This is something he needs to do alone but have faith in him. I know you'll reunite with both your brothers and it's going to be okay...you're always taking caring of us-everyone. You need to focus on your life for now; let all your worries go and just have fun! Live your life."
A gentle sob left me, my body trembling. "I feel so alone-abandoned."
His fingers grasped my chin and turning my face to the side, our sad gazes met. "Do you not see me as your brother?" After the second tear dropped, I wiped my face and inhaled in sharply before letting that breath of air out.
"Of course, I do! You're my brother! I'm so sorry that I let you down and I'm sorry to make you feel like you were excluded..."
"I'll never abandon you." His voice soft and mellow and heavy with emotion. He continued to speak.
"You've never let me down. Not once and not ever will you. I am here! I always will be. I just want you to enjoy life a bit more. I promise you, one day you will find Stefan and you will bond and will have the strongest most unbreakable one, it will be as if you've never been apart...sometimes, I feel jealous because we're not blood and you'll no longer need me-"
"Enzo!" I gasped. "I will always need you! Not all family is blood, and you are my family!" His eyes lit up and joy swam in them freely. His small smile turned into a massive grin. The muscles in his body relaxed and he stretched his legs out looking mighty pleased. I laughed, hands flying to my mouth as the laughter grew louder. Enzo wasn't one to make a fool of himself, yet for me-his sister, he would intentionally clown around.
His walking out on me wounded me. All I ever wanted was for our family to reunite and be one and together I believed, we would be unbreakable. Enzo believed it wholeheartedly. Damon and I protected one another and over the years we formed a bond. A bond so strong that nothing could shake the foundation. He helped me look for answers about my past. We travelled country to country in search of answers. When he wasn't here, he was back at his home living his life while I remained in my home living my own life. Yet, Damon always found time for me, made time for me. He'd visit and I would never feel lost or lonely. Flopping down on the bed I flicked through the photo album, overflowing with photographs of Damon and I and until a couple of years ago, Bonnie.
They had a small wedding here in London. I was present but Stefan wasn't. Damon mentioned how he contacted Stefan but there was no response. In that moment I recalled how my heart cracked a little. I ran my fingers over the next photo. The day I had first met Damon and we discovered we were siblings. I flipped the page over and stopped, lips tugging up into a wide smile. My arms were draped around Damon and Enzo's neck, our smiles wide and bright as we looked into the camera. It was my favourite photograph of us. Gently, I took out the polaroid from its compartment and slipped it into my pocket and walked out the room.