Sophia
I sat in my silk robe, hugging myself tight. My brother almost killed me and the other one nearly killed him. I thought our nightmarish days were over, but I was wrong. I couldn't bear to see them that way, so broken and so lost. I kept bringing doom to their lives and I couldn't handle the grief. It was my fault and as long as I was around, they were the obvious target for my enemies. Enemies I didn't know. Freya performed a reading, but the culprit remained cloaked. We couldn't be certain who it was. The tiny voice in my head, whispered Jameela. There were no shortages of witches who wanted me dead and wanted revenge on my family, so it couldn't be Jameela, could it? Freya popped back in, ready to collect me for the ritual.
The cleansing was a new ritual she discovered among one of Qetsiyah's grimoires. It was something she had never seen or heard of, not even in her own mother's possessions. Drumming her fingers on the door, she sighed. "Sophia I can't keep this a secret anymore. We have to tell everyone-"
Pulling the pear-white silk robe around me tight, I got up. "No, you can't! Please, I watched you all grieve me before and- look we'll deal with it later! Can we just get the cleansing done?"
Shaking her head, she scoffed. "Fine! Don't tell them but I won't stop looking for a way to save you!"
"Freya-" I began only to be mercilessly cut off.
"No! You can keep this a secret and you can lose hope, but I will not."
I was astounded. For once I had no words for her. I was worn down and I had no fight left in me. It was pointless arguing over this. I just wished she understood she had false hope and she couldn't see that. She was blinded by her love for me and the family. Despite the uneasy air around us she took my hand and led me down the stairs ready for the ritual. A pool of water was prepared, a small round table stood with two clear jar bottles. I presumed it was the essentials for the cleansing. It didn't make it easy with my family standing around, watching. Stefan and Damon joined either side, both wearing white, long sleeved, crew neck tops and plain black jeans.
"What do we do?" I asked in a small voice.
She took a jar of clear liquid and emptied the contents into the water. "Well, you have to be submerged into the water."
"We're baptising ourselves." Damon rolled his eyes.
She rolled her eyes back. "No. We're drowning you." She stated emptying the remaining bottle into the water. "Are you ready? Once you're in I will start the spell."
I nodded and slipped out my slippers. Together we submerged ourselves into the water. It didn't feel like anything. Cold nor warm. On her signal we lay back letting the water consume us. I thought I would float but I sunk into its depths. Testing it, I tried pushing my body back up, but an unseen force held me down. We were instructed not to struggle or panic. Secretly I hoped this cleansing would rid me of the curse, but I knew that was wishful thinking. Time was not a factor. It could have been minutes or seconds perhaps even hours; I wasn't sure how long I stayed under.
I looked up at the surface. It was dark and the water around me bubbled. I watched transfixed as a pale light shot up from within my chest. I couldn't hear nor see nothing else. The hold on me vanished and I re-emerged.
"Did it work?" I gasped, wiping my face. The robe clung to me like skin. Seconds later Damon emerged but Stefan was still under.
"At first it didn't but after I tried again, I managed to cut out the black magic."
"Why isn't Stefan coming out?" I reached out for him, but Freya split us apart.
"It will happen on its own."
I turned to Damon who shared the same frazzled and panicked look as I did. "He'll be okay." He mouthed. It wasn't reassuring. A cry escaped me when something held my brother down and he was struggling against the force.
"We have to help him!" The more I paddled towards Stefan, the further he was dragged away from us. Damon held me back, gripping my arms tight. "We have to help!" I wept, fighting Damon. Stefan didn't come back up and it hurt so bad.
"Sophia, the darkness in him is embedded deep! It will take time!" Freya voiced. I couldn't care less for her next words. I just wanted Stefan to be okay. That's when I saw them, my dead family. They mocked me, laughed, and pointed. Damon held me while I sobbed, holding my face to his chest. Freya's aggressive chanting filled my ears, I turned to the splashing. Stefan was fighting that force again. A light soared from his chest, hitting the ceiling and he emerged, heaving heavily. He was okay! We were all okay and the cleansing was a success. My brothers were free of the darkness. Shivering, I swam to him and held onto him, crying, and laughing simultaneously. Damon joined, holding us both and kissing the top of my head. It was a relief, and everything was relatively normal.
"We're okay." Damon repeated impassioned.
"What about Bon?" I asked, choking out a little.
Freya smiled wide. "She destroyed the poppets of you and your blood."
"Blood?" Stefan puzzled.
My brows knitted together in a frown mirroring Damon and Stefan. "How? Was she able to see who it was?"
"No. We don't know how they had access to your blood but whoever it was, had a bowl full."
"Am I hearing this right? The psychos had our blood and did some juju and we're just going to let them live?" Damon's eyes burned with manic as he jeered.
"Once we find them, we kill them. Seems rather hard to get rid of these brazen fools." Klaus jibed. The entire situation was ridiculous, but I learnt to keep silent when my family got carried away in their unnecessary murder discussions.
Climbing out the now blackened pool, I stopped and pivoted toward Freya. "Is that the-"
She nodded. "The dark magic. Don't worry it has no effect. It means our pool is permanently infested and it'll take time to clean it out."
"We need to find who did this! Could it be Jameela?" Stefan was up and out of the pool, drying his hair with the towel Caroline handed him.
"Look, whoever it is, there's no point in wasting our time searching for them. Let's just celebrate that we're okay and can we move on from it? I would very much like to!" It was Jameela. She was the only one conniving enough to think of such a plan. I just wanted to forget this ever occurred and I wanted to go back to normal, whatever that was for me. Like the gentleman he was, Kol wrapped me with a towel and walked me back up to our room. The towel slid down my body onto the floor.
"I can help you if you'd like." He smirked, waggling his brows.
I threw the gown at him. "No, not right now! Pass me my clothes please." Within a minute I was all dried up and had my comfy lounge wear on. "Let's go downstairs and spend time with everyone!" I ordered him, pressing my lips to his cheek. He wound his arms around my waist and one tug I was his. Using one finger he lifted my chin up and his deep brown eyes sunk into mine with unconditional and everlasting love. His arms held me with desire. He pressed his lips on mine as I entangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, our mouths connecting.
"Now we can go." He smirked. With our fingers intertwined, he twirled me out the room, chuckling lightly to my soft giggles after each turn.
~
She slammed down her palms repeatedly on the broken alter, screeching. Seeing her work destroyed before her eyes enraged her. Releasing her anger, she smashed everything in her sights, screaming and wailing. Slapping down her hands till she left bloody prints. "Sophia Salvatore will pay for this!" Her eyes bloodshot. Black lines snaked up her neck from the all the dark magic she used.
"Mother! What are you doing?! Leave it!" She reached out but her mother struck her across the face. Dhanika fell to the ground, holding her burning face. With tears in her eyes, she looked around her. The alter and all her mother's objects destroyed. Nothing remained that could be of use. They spared nothing. One girl. All for one girl. She abhorred it. Staggering up to her feet she wiped at her face. "At least you have nothing left to harm the bitch with. At least I did what you couldn't!" She spat.
Jameela whipped around and glared at her with vindictive eyes. "What did you do?!"
"I outed her to the council. As soon as they see her, they'll kill her!" She almost laughed but seeing the darkness grow within her mother she took several steps back. The veins reached her face, and she cracked her neck, rolling her head. She spun around and took flight towards the door. It slammed shut. She shook it violently. Whimpering, she slowly turned to face the monstrous woman, twitching as she pressed her back against the door. Jameela struck her hand out, forcing Dhanika on her knees. Anguish cries ripped out her.
"I told you to leave it alone. You messed with my plans, so you'll be punished for it!"
She fell to the floor, her body contorting as the bones in her arms snapped one by one. "I'm sorry." She howled.
The mother clucked, circling her insolent daughter. "Decisions, decisions, decisions...what am I to do with you." Another howl echoed throughout the chamber. The sounds of bones crunching and cracking. "I'm going to have to fix what you've done! Before I leave, I want to part you with something," she crouched down before her daughter, lifting up her chin. "I lied to you about Sophia. She didn't abandon you. I made it up and I made her believe you died. Your love for her was insufferable and I knew you would jump at the chance to leave with her. If you told her the truth about the abuse you faced, she would have whisked you away from me. Now, I couldn't have that could I? How does it feel to know you set your beloved Sophia up to die?"
Dhanika screeched. The pain was obliterating and what she had done sunk so deep she wanted to die. "Why?" She choked but her mother gave her no answer.
"After I make Sophia pay, I'll deal with you accordingly." She turned away from the heaving and panting woman, lips stretching into a vile grin knowing exactly how to inflict the pain.
Sophia
The biggest thing the Mikaelsons and Salvatores had in common was their unflinching ability to worry and the inability to relax. I detested how dense the atmosphere was. The tensions were high. I didn't want this for any of them. Deciding to take charge I slapped my thighs and jumped to my feet. "That's it!" All heads and eyes turned to me. Hands on hips, I huffed. "Right! Everyone up on their feet! I've had enough of this cumbersome atmosphere! We are going to dance and have fun and mess about! We need to let off some steam and just enjoy our time together!"
Grabbing my phone off the coffee table I plugged it into the speakers and turned up the volume. The beat rolled in, and it was the perfect song to start off a night of dancing and fun. Seconds later the girls danced their way over. I swayed side to side when the beat slowed and when it picked up, I danced around the living room wildly. Rebekah and I mirrored our steps. We did a bit of everything. We did the body roll in waves and by the end of it we were a laughing mess. Giving in, the lads joined the dance floor, shaking their heads knowing later on they would heavily regret it.
At first, they didn't leave the stress behind but as the music flowed through them, they loosened up and immersed themselves. They were like kids, popping and locking, waving hands in the air, and jumping around. The laughter and smiles came from the heart, and we were truly free. They were free. Nothing held them back. That's when I slowed down to appreciate them. My eyes fell on a guffawing Klaus, who leaned against the wall. I gestured him over, but he refused shaking his head, visibly in tears, rocking back and forth with laughter. "I'm perfectly fine where I am love, watching you all make a fool of yourselves."
"Even Elijah is dancing!" I pointed.
"I can see that." He was mocking us, and he was enjoying it. Smiling I returned back to Kol.
"Would you hear that?"
He tilted his head down, "now what would that be?"
"The perfect song for spinning and twirling." I grinned. I looked around me to see everyone paired up with their significant other, surprised to see Freya and Theo pair up. I searched for Laura. Seeing her with Elijah warmed me. Elijah refused to open himself up to anyone and it was refreshing, seeing him dance with her, smile so wide. Kol spun me around, threw me in a dip and scooped me back up. Intertwining our fingers, we danced. As he twirled me around, I took in the smiling faces. Their laughter running through me. Joy filled me up and overflowed into every soul present with me. I looked to my right at the empty space by the window that radiated comfort and a sense of love and familiarity. In that moment I knew Enzo and Valerie were watching over us.
Looking back into my husband's eyes I expressed a smile. "Is it okay if I get Klaus to dance?"
Kissing my forehead, he responded with a bright smile. "Of course." He spun me out his arms and into Klaus.
"You don't give up do you." He finally acquiesced.
"No!" I beamed. It was a triumphant feeling, leading him to the dance floor where we danced slow when the beat was soft and fast when the pace picked up. I was happy and everything was just right. Detaching from him I shuffled back to the middle and reconnected with Kol. I felt so alive with my family. After so long and after multiple obstacles I finally felt free and nothing else mattered. My smile blossomed as I watched Theo mixing up his dance moves. He was having a glorious time. So human. So pure. So precious. Our eyes met and he bopped to me.
"Mikaelson." He grinned. "Don't just stand there! Dance with me!" He held out both hands and gently slapping them I held onto them. He was a terrible dancer, but it didn't matter because we were alive, and we were living.
"You're a good friend, has anyone ever told you that?"
"Once every other day." He quipped. "I'm good to selected people..." he pushed me out then pulled me in lazily. "Love you Soph."
"Love you too Theo." I grinned. Hearing Freya, he dropped my hands and danced away to her. There was a glow on his face, and he shared that with her. The dancing ended with everyone on the floor, sitting and chatting like normal families. We jested around, poked fun at one another, spoke of fond memories. Klaus accidentally, too caught up with the bittersweet past, let the name Henrik slip, but I didn't push. I hoped one day they would share with me the old memories. The mention of Henrik brought a sadness to their eyes and their faces would crumple.
After everything we went through, they deserved this break, and they were glowing. Leaving them to their peaceful debate I dashed out the living room. Dancing in that moment didn't affect me but I was feeling its effects walking up the stairs. I cursed myself internally. The pain was a constant reminder that I wasn't normal, and I wasn't okay. I would never be okay. Holding my stomach, I trudged up the steps heading straight for Freya's room. I froze to my utter surprise when I twisted the doorknob and the door swung open. Theo and Freya were in the middle of a passion filled kiss; half naked.
"I'm so sorry! If I knew this was happening, I would not have come." I turned away feeling myself go red. I could hear them faff around for their shirts. Giving them a few more seconds I waited before turning around. Positive they were dressed I slowly did a 180 turn.
"I'm off." Theo announced burning red as he brushed past me. The door clicked behind him, and I looked to Freya.
"So....." I stretched. "You and Theo?"
She ruffled her hair, biting down on her lip. "It's not weird, is it? You're okay with it right? I mean it's been a month and it's still fairly new..." She went on to explain.
"Freya stop!" I chuckled. "You don't need to explain. I'm happy for you both...a bit shocked yes, but happy." I sat before her on her bed. She threw her arms around me, hugging me securely.
"Thank you. I tried so hard to block him out and not let him in, but I failed miserably. I think I'm falling for him, and I hate to admit it."
"Because of Keelin? Freya, loving Theo won't diminish your love for Keelin and what you both shared. It's okay to fall in love again."
She gushed about Theo and how she knew she was falling and where it all began. He crept up on her, got under her skin and one day she just gave in. "I'm sorry about my outburst earlier. We've lost too much, and I can't accept losing you. It would destroy our family, it would destroy Kol. Not to mention your brothers."
"It's fine." I bit back the tears. It was her that knew the bitter truth. Perhaps bitter wasn't the correct term for it. It was worse than that. I didn't have long left, and she knew that. It was heart breaking seeing her fight for something that was impossible. Pressing my back against the headboard I pulled my legs to my chest and buried my face in my knees. My lips quivered and my body trembled despite my efforts to fight it. I thought to myself, could it really be that easy to let it all go? For so long I didn't let my feelings show but after all, I was human. It was laughable.
"Sophia." Her voice soft yet wavering. She knew what troubled me. She shook me. "I won't give up! So don't you dare! Not even for a second."
I raised my head and met her eyes. "There's no stopping it Freya! We can't! You can't save me and that's final. I'm tired...I am so s-so tired! I'm dying and that's it..." I cast my eyes down, tears one after the other rolled down. "I'm just human..." I intoned, trailing off. She took me in her arms and held me like a mother holding her distraught child. "I'm tired Freya."
"We'll find a way." She murmured into my hair.
"No... We-we-we have to make peace with it. You need to stop saving me."
"I can't!" She cried.
"Yes, you can Freya...just turn a blind eye."
"How can you be so okay with it all?" She blubbered.
"I've accepted it and moved on. Truthfully, I don't have much of an option and besides I'll die a natural death and you'll be at peace-you all will."
"Your dreams say so otherwise."
"Dreams crafted by witches..."
"Do you think we'll be happy? We won't. There won't be peace!" She carped. "Kol lost himself once after losing you! He'll be worse this time round! You think we'll all be okay and happy but you're wrong. No one will! Not Kol! Not your brothers! Not me! Not anyone!"
I laughed through the tears. "I have to believe that you will. There's no other way!"
"It's not funny!"
"I'm sorry...it's just that-if I don't laugh, I'll just cry, and I've done plenty of that." By then I was already a mess of tears and snot. She held me close to her chest again, protectively.
"I'm going to go and the girls!" She crooned. "We can have a mini sleepover."
"I'd love that." I exclaimed beaming.
Not long after she returned with cheery faces. My sisters and my best friends. It was a calming sleepover. We spent the night watching movies and halfway through I dozed off, waking up sporadically until I succumbed into a deep and peaceful rest.